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By: Nancy Mccaskey
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The Swashbuckler
by Nancy McCaskey
Stats:
Strength: 9 or better (no "to hit" bonuses for high Strength)
Intelligence: 6 or better
Constitution: any (9 or better recommended)
Charisma: 14 or better
Wisdom: 16 or lower*
Dexterity: 15 or better
- Wisdom will range from 4-6 at first level, then go up one point
per level until the rolled stat is reached. The Swashbuckler will
gain full Wisdom at 12th level in any case. He or she is allowed
to use the modifiers from the original Wisdom score for saving
throws vs. mental attacks involving willforce, resisting ego
swords, etc., but not for rolling vs. Weaknesses.
Races allowed: human, elf, and half-elf. The D.M. may place
special restrictions on elves and half-elves.
Weapons: +1 "to hit" with light swords (foil, rapier, saber, or
cutlass). Can use other light weapons (quarterstaff, dagger,
etc.), excluding martial-arts weapons. No polearms or bows are
allowed. Black powder pistols are allowed if they exist in the
campaign world--however, they are cumbersome to use.
Armor: None. (Gets a double Defensive Adjustment against a
similar weapon type--i.e., foil vs. foil, rapier vs. cutlass,
etc.). Can use a buckler. The D.M. may rule that leather armor is
allowed at very low levels (1-3).
Alignment: chaotic only. Titles differ by alignment:
Swashbuckler (good), Rogue (neutral), and Villain (evil).
Magic items allowed: items for fighters, items that raise
dexterity, items usable by all classes.
Description: Swashbucklers are a subclass of fighters with some
Rogue abilities, whose training emphasizes swiftness and agility.
Experience Chart
Experience Hit dice/ Title Abilities
points level (Good-Neutral/Evil)
(d8)
0 1/1 Wastrel/(same) d4+2 skills (AAACMM)
2,251 2/2 Profligate/(same) A skill
4,501 3/3 Spendthrift/(same) M skill
10,001 4/4 Prodigal/Rake C skill
20,001 5/5 Rascal/Schemer A skill
40,001 6/6 Scoundrel/Knave M skill
90,001 7/7 Fencer/Outlaw C skill
150,001 8/8 Swordsman/Opponent A skill*
225,001 9/9 Rogue/Foe M skill*
325,001 10/10 Swashbuckler/ C skill*
Rogue/Villain
650,001 11/11 (same) A skill*
975,001 12/12 (same) M skill*
1,300,001 Mandatory retirement**
- The Swashbuckler may opt to remove one of his Weaknesses.
- *He or she can either remain at 12th level indefinitely or switch
to another class. Most have an affinity for the fighter or
thief classes.
Beginning at first level, a Swashbuckler gets:
Attacks and weapon proficiencies as a fighter
Jumping (front, back, sideways, and vertically) as Thief-Acrobat
Automatic first strike in combat, except when surprised or
fighting another Swashbuckler/Rogue/Villain
Base movement at 12"
d4 + 3 Weaknesses
d4 + 2 Skills
Skill in one gaming or gambling scenario involving skill, not
chance. Examples: chess, backgammon, poker, blackjack, etc.
When playing the game, the Swashbuckler gets to make TWO
rolls to determine the outcome and takes the most favorable
one. Furthermore, the Swashbuckler selects a new game
every time (s)he gains a level.
Weaknesses
1. SPENDTHRIFT--Every time the Swashbuckler accumulates more
than 50 g.p. and is in a non-critical situation, (s)he
must save vs. Wisdom on d20 or spend {(d6 +d4) X 10}% on
one or more other Weaknesses.
2. EGOTISM--This Weakness can take several forms:
FOPPISHNESS--the Swashbuckler feels compelled to wear the
latest, most expensive fashions and refuses to be seen in
public otherwise.
VANITY--Roll 4d10 + 60 to determine the Swashbuckler's
vanity. 95-00 is megalomania. He or she will be egotistical,
conceited, and snobbish; (s)he may seek revenge for minor
wrongs, irk local officials, brag too much, etc. Morale
checks for henchmen and associates will have the
Swashbuckler's Vanity score subtracted from their roll!
INTELLECTUAL PRIDE--(requires Intelligence of 12 or
greater)--The Swashbuckler will place great stock in his/her
mental prowess, wanting the party to follow his/her ideas,
wanting to be the first person to figure out puzzles, riddles,
etc.
VAINGLORY--the Swashbuckler will continually be trying to
perform brave (or foolhardy) feats in order to be immortalized
in story and song.
The D.M. may opt to make these Weaknesses unremovable.
3. WANDERING EYE--the Swashbuckler will hit on any member of
the opposite sex with a comeliness score of 14 or above. The
target of this Weakness will save vs. Wisdom (SUBTRACTING the
Mental Attack Adjustment) with the following modifiers: -3 if
married or engaged, -4 if lawful, -1 per level, -5 if under
oath of celibacy, -10 if (s)he has been seduced and dumped by
a Swashbuckler before; +4 if chaotic, +2 if elf, +1 if half-
elf, +5 if cleric of Aphrodite or similar deity, +10 if the
target is a Swashbuckler and the PC has a comeliness of 14 or
better. Please keep in mind that subtracting a negative
yields a positive, so someone with a very low Wisdom and a
Mental Attack Adjustment of -3 will actually roll a save at
- -3 and ADD three to the base roll. The Swashbuckler may
continue attempts for (d4 X Swashbuckler's level) days before
losing interest.
4. GAMBLING--the Swashbuckler must make a save vs. Wisdom on
d20 to resist an invitation to gamble (if (s)he rolls a 1,
(s)he immediately invites others to gamble!). Once begun, the
Swashbuckler will continue the game until (s)he's broke or the
other players quit.
5. DRINKING--takes one of two forms (d%)
01-70: The Swashbuckler drinks to intoxication after
failing a save vs. Wisdom in non-critical
situations. Roll once a day.
71-00 The Swashbuckler collects and drinks the finest,
most expensive beverages (s)he can afford.
6. FAMILY PROBLEMS--Swashbucklers are often second (or
later) children of minor noble houses. Roll d8:
1-3 Disinherited
4-6 Disowned and disinherited
7 Disowned, disinherited, and in trouble with
parents' liege*
8 Disowned, disinherited, in trouble with parents'
liege, PLUS d6 other nobles*
- The Swashbuckler will not return to his/her homeland until (s)he
has removed at least one Weakness and/or has the means to make
amends.
7. OUTSTANDING DEBT--Although the creditors now know that
the Swashbuckler is a poor credit risk, (s)he will start at
first level with a debt of (d% X 100) gold pieces. This is
the ONLY Weakness that can be removed prior to reaching 8th
level. The Swashbuckler may well have to deal with collectors
("There's an ogre magi here to see you!"), grovel for more
time, etc. Roll for the alignment of the creditor(s):
d6: 1-2 lawful, 3-4 neutral, 5-6 chaotic
d6: 1-2 good, 3-4 neutral, 5-6 evil
8. SECRET--The Swashbuckler has something in his/her past
that (s)he's ashamed of. Secrets 6 and 10 do not apply to
elves or half-elves. Roll d10:
1 Used to be another chaotic alignment
2 Sired (or had) a baby and abandoned it
3 Robbed a store; frittered away the money
4 Stole from one or both parents to
support Weaknesses
5 Killed someone**
6 Had an affair with a noble's spouse
7 Destroyed a powerful person's valuable property**
8 Briefly belonged to politically suspect organization
9 Got drunk and did something SO humiliating that
it can't even be mentioned here!
10 Family background--roll d8: 1-3 peasant background
d4 generations back; 4 orc blood d4 generations back; 5
Swashbuckler born d6 months after parents wed; 6 Swashbuckler
was the product of mother's affair; 7-8 parents or sibling(s)
are what the Swashbuckler would consider a disgraceful
alignment, profession, religion, or status.
- *If the Swashbuckler is Good alignment, there is a 90% chance that
it was accidentally.
Secrets cannot be removed. The player can customize them with the
D.M.'s approval.
9. A PHOBIA or OBSESSION--these will be assigned by the
Dungeon Master. An obsession is often the only stable element
in an otherwise chaotic life. These Weaknesses also cannot be
removed except under extraordinary circumstances.
A Swashbuckler can take a MAXIMUM of two Secrets and/or one Debt as
Weaknesses.
A Swashbuckler starts out with d4 + 2 skills. The first three
must be Aristocratic, the next either combat or miscellaneous, any
other miscellaneous only. Every time the Swashbuckler increases a
level, (s)he gains another skill--however, the skills acquired must
alternate between "aristocratic" and other types.
Aristocratic skills
1. HERALDRY--The Swashbuckler can identify shields and
devices. If the shield/device is not from his/her homeland,
the Swashbuckler has a 10% chance per month (s)he's stayed in
the region to identify it.
2. RIDING
3. HUNTING--This basically entails going into the forest
with dogs, with servants to handle the animals, clean the
kill, etc. This in no way confers Ranger-like abilities!
4. FALCONRY--Hunting, as above, with raptors instead of dogs
5. POETRY
6. MUSIC--the Swashbuckler can play one instrument at 10%
skill per level. This skill can be taken more than once.
7. DANCING--courtly dancing
8. ETIQUETTE--courtly etiquette
9. SINGING--as Music, but success rate is 15%/level.
10. COMBAT RIDING--requires Riding as a prerequisite. The
Swashbuckler will not need to save vs. Dexterity when slashing
an opponent from a moving horse.
11. FLIRTING--allows the Swashbuckler to guess whether
someone will be responsive to his/her attentions.
12. COURTLY LOVE/COURTSHIP:
For male Swashbucklers:
Adds 1 to target's saving throw for every skill the
Swashbuckler has in Music, Poetry, and Singing.
Each type of skill will only count for one point,
even if the Swashbuckler has taken multiple skills
in Music. The Swashbuckler will need to spend d4
turns composing an original song for his beloved.
For female Swashbucklers:
Adds 1 to target's saving throw for each of the
Swashbuckler's skills in Dancing, Flirting, and
Etiquette.
13. EPICURISM--Swashbuckler can identify fine food and wine.
14. LITERACY--can read and write Common.
15. LANGUAGES--If the Swashbuckler has Literacy, (s)he can
learn to speak and read other languages. This skill can be
taken as many times as Intelligence permits.
16. ARISTOCRATIC LORE--The Swashbuckler has a 7% chance per
level for Legend Lore about his/her homeland, 3% for
territories near the homeland, and 1% for distant lands.
Miscellaneous skills
A Swashbuckler's miscellaneous skills won't be very time-consuming
or difficult to learn (no magic or smithing, for example).
Swashbucklers won't take skills that they consider beneath their
dignity--for example, cooking or sewing ("The SERVANTS do that!").
A Swashbuckler's skills must be primarily urban. Within these
limits, Miscellaneous skills can encompass just about every
category in the campaign. Criminal skills (thief skills, disguise,
con artistry, bribery, lying, and smuggling) are lumped under
Miscellaneous. The only thief skills allowed are: Pick
Pockets/filching, Find (but not Remove) Traps, Move Silently, Hear
Noise, and Climb Walls. A Swashbuckler can take one thief/criminal
skill, a Rogue two, and a Villain three.
Combat Skills
1. FENCING--gives another +1 with a specific type of light
sword (or other weapon). This skill can be taken more than
once, but the cumulative pluses on a weapon due to FENCING
may not exceed +3. The Swashbuckler may, of course, opt to
take this skill on more than one weapon.
2. BUCKLER--lowers armor class another 2 places due to skill
and dexterity when using a buckler. This does not apply to
non-frontal or area attacks. The D.M. may allow this skill to
be taken more than once.
3. FLORENTINE FIGHTING--allows the Swashbuckler to fight
with a sword (or dagger) in each hand with no penalty. Damage
will be normal.
4. EVASION--Once a turn, a Swashbuckler can make a saving
throw vs. dexterity to see if (s)he dodges an opponent's blow.
This ability cannot be used if the Swashbuckler is blocked in,
surprised, or trying to evade an area-effect missile or magic.
The D.M. may want to limit this ability to x times per game,
x times per level, or even x times per lifetime.
Eventually the Swashbuckler will attract the attention of a Villain
of equivalent level. The Swashbuckler and the Villain will share
at least one Weakness (usually an egotism weakness), and a rivalry
will ensue. The Villain may not always seek the Swashbuckler's
death--sometimes a public or private humiliation will do. When a
Swashbuckler and a Villain clash in combat, the loser will lose a
level if (s)he survives.
Fights between Swashbucklers and Villains are invariably hand-to-
hand; after all, the object is to prove oneself the better fighter!
The Villain, however, will probably resort to nefarious means to
lure the Swashbuckler into the confrontation in the first place--
kidnapping his/her fiance, threatening innocent bystanders, putting
posters up all over town publicly challenging the Swashbuckler,
etc. Characters and enemies with Weakness--Egotism--Intellectual
Pride will place more emphasis on outwitting their enemies (and
gloating if they can get away with it)!
Henchmen: Swashbucklers do not attract henchmen in the usual
manner. Upon reaching 8th level (and every level thereafter), (s)he
has a 1 in 4 chance to attract either a temporary (75%) or
permanent (25%) sidekick. Temporary sidekicks will only remain
with the Swashbuckler until (s)he gains a level; permanent
sidekicks are fanatically loyal, will stick around indefinitely,
and will prevent the Swashbuckler from gaining another sidekick of
any type for as long as the sidekick lives. The sidekicks will be
the same general alignment (good/neutral/evil) as the Swashbuckler.
A sidekick will always be someone the Swashbuckler secretly
considers "inferior" to him or herself--a Villain with Intellectual
Pride, for instance, may accept a big, dumb ogre as a sidekick; a
foppish or vainglorious Swashbuckler prefers someone who won't
outshine him or her. Permanent sidekicks are never Swashbucklers,
but several adventuring Swashbucklers can work together if their
Weaknesses (and alignments) are compatible. (The D.M. will
determine Weakness compatibility--a bunch of Swashbucklers may well
enjoy drinking and gambling together, but get on each other's
nerves if they're continually choosing the same person to flirt
with, trying to outdo each other in glory-seeking, bragging at each
other's expense, etc.).
Here's an example of how skills and Weaknesses work--Indiana Jones
as a 10th-level Swashbuckler:
S: 13
I: 17
C: 20*
Ch: 15
W: 19*
D: 17
- raised by artifact above rolled stats.
Skills (assuming maximum roll on initial skills):
ARISTOCRATIC COMBAT MISCELLANEOUS
Literacy Fencing--whip Basic Archaeology
Riding Fencing--whip Advanced Archaeology
Language (pick one) Fencing--whip Legend Lore (Religion)
Language (pick one) Florentine fighting Ciphering
Language (pick one) Evasion Find Traps
Language (pick one)
Weaknesses:
Family problems--disinherited by father (removed)
Secret--real name
Secret--knows the location of the Holy Grail
Intellectual pride (cannot be removed)
Obsession--recovering ancient religious artifacts
Phobia--snakes
Wandering eye (removed)
This character class also allows enough flexibility that you
could play a Sherlock Holmes-type character instead: Aristocratic
skills would include Literacy, Music, Custom--Law, and Etiquette;
Combat skills fencing (x 3) and Custom--Boxing; General skills
Disguise, Observation, Crime Lore, and Psychology; and Weaknesses
Intellectual Pride (x 3), Obsession--solving crimes, and an
opposing Villain. If anyone wants to write up Inigo Montoya or
Edmund Blackadder, be my guest!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Possible restrictions on elves and half-elves: the D.M. should
enforce some restrictions if in his/her opinion the character would
be too powerful otherwise.
Some suggested restrictions are:
A. Limit elves and half elves to one level per 3 points of
Dexterity, OR use the next set of restrictions:
B. Elves retain their racial bonus of +1 "to hit" with swords,
but their cumulative bonuses from FENCING cannot exceed +2 per
weapon.
c. They do not have any special skills at first level; at most,
the D.M. may permit one Aristocratic skill. They gain another
Aristocratic skill upon reaching 2nd level, then proceed in normal
C-M-A-C-M fashion.
D. If they take a Language as an Aristocratic skill, they lose
one racial language (they'll always know Elvish, though).
E. At the D.M.'s option, elves (and maybe half-elves) can be
assigned 1-2 extra Weaknesses.
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