Thursday, June 20, 2019

The Devourer - LotFP Custom Class


The Devourer


          Hunger is ever present. We need to consume to survive, to nourish our minds and bodies. We kill animals, sometimes brutally, to feed ourselves; a river of blood with a bed of bones sustains civilization. But what if the target of our hunger was something too terrible to countenance? Devourers are those folk who have been saddled with such a terrible burden: every one of their sorry lot is in some way anthropophagic, whether it be a hunger for human flesh, blood, or carrion, they must in some way eat other sapient beings to continue existing themselves. Any ethical standards typically vanish in short order in the face of such odious appetites.

          Often called Ghouls, Vampires, or Wendigo, many have been cursed in some way, or infected with some repugnant disease. Devourers find themselves at the absolute brink of any society, civilized or savage. Most try to hide what they are, leading double lives as seemingly average members of a community or tribe, eating only when they absolutely must. Others hold no such pretenses, becoming predators in the wilderness, feasting upon unwary travelers. Their need for flesh alienates them to almost everyone, but their frightening comestible requirements can often be ignored (at least temporarily) by the desperate and the unscrupulous, taking advantage of the Devourer's potent abilities while doing their utmost to forget the terrible costs.


Level
Experience
HP
Paralyze
Poison
Breath
Device
Magic
Hunger
Consumptions
1
0
1d6
13
15
15
13
16
12
1
2
2,000
1d6
13
15
15
13
16
12
1
3
4,000
1d6
13
15
15
13
16
12
1
4
8,000
1d6
13
13
13
11
14
12
1
5
16,000
1d6
11
13
13
11
14
11
2
6
32,000
1d6
11
13
13
11
14
11
2
7
64,000
1d6
11
9
9
9
12
11
2
8
128,000
1d6
11
9
9
9
12
11
2
9
256,000
1d6
9
9
9
9
12
10
3
10
384,000
+2*
9
7
7
7
10
10
3
11
512,000
+2*
9
7
7
7
10
10
3
12
640,000
+2*
9
7
7
7
10
10
3
13
768,000
+2*
6
5
5
5
8
9
4
14
896,000
+2*
6
5
5
5
8
9
4
15+
+128,000/lvl
+2*
6
5
5
5
8
9
4

*Constitution modifiers no longer apply



B/X & OSE Rules

Requirements
None
Prime Requisite
DEX
Hit Dice
d6
Thac0 Tables
As rogue
Maximum Level
14
Armor
Any, including shields
Weapons
Any
Languages
Alignment, Common

          Devourers can see in the dark as Dwarves or Elves. Though shackled with an eternal hunger, Devourers do not age or have any other dietary needs. They also increase their unarmed damage from a d2 to a d4, representing the vicious claws or teeth that they need to consume their victims.

          The ability which defines Devourers is known as Hunger and it takes the form of two parts, the Hunger Gauge & Consumptions.

          The Hunger Gauge has six levels: Starving, Ravenous, Hungry, Peckish, Sated and Gorged. Each of the different levels gives the Devourer a set of effects depending on which level they are currently on. Each day a Devourer must make a save against their own Hunger, if they fail they drop down an additional level, i.e. from Hungry to Ravenous. When the Devourer hits Starving and they fail their hunger save, they roll their HD against themselves as damage instead of dropping down a level, if they survive they must make another check the following day unless they've managed to feed. At character creation Devourers start at Sated and must select whether they feed on blood or flesh. Feeding upon flesh results in the death of the intelligent creature being fed upon, the wounds are simply too great to feasibly survive in most settings. Dead or rotted flesh provides sustenance at half the rate that fresh meat does. Being fed upon for one's blood results in a cumulative -2 Constitution penalty and a save vs Poison to not catch a virulent disease, this penalty persists until they have taken to bed for at least a week. The Referee may rule that certain creatures are large enough that they may provide more than one hunger level worth of sustenance or that others may prove insufficient. 


Hunger Level
Effect
Starving
+3 to Initiative, +3 to Damage rolls, -1 to Attack rolls.
Ravenous
+2 to Initiative, +2 to Damage rolls.
Hungry
+1 to Initiative, + 1 to Attack rolls, +1 to Damage rolls.
Peckish
+1 to Initiative, + 1 to Attack rolls, +1 to Damage rolls.
Sated
+1 to Attack rolls, +1 to Reaction rolls
Gorged
+1 to Attack rolls, +2 to Reaction rolls



          The second part to the Devourer's abilities are known as Consumptions, which are enhancements or abilities fueled by their Hunger Levels on a one to one basis, no hunger save is made, they are simply spent. Spending hunger levels does not require an action, but Devourers can only spend them on their turn. They also cannot spend more hunger than their Constitution modifier in a single turn, or use a Consumption multiple times unless stipulated. Consumptions fade at the end of combat, or after ten minutes if used outside of it.


Consumption of the...
Effect
Mighty
Augment your Strength a number of points equal to 1/3 of your level, minimum 1. This Consumption may be used multiple times in a combat.
Agile
Enhance your Dexterity equal to 1/3 of your level, minimum 1. This Consumption may be used multiple times in a combat.
Resilient
Gain damage resistance equal to 1/3 of your level, minimum 1.
Fleet
Add your level to your movement speed. Double your jumping and leaping distances.
Everlasting
Regain 1d4+1 HP. This HP may take you over your maximum, any excess fades at the end of combat. This Consumption may be used multiple times in a combat.
Skinchanger
Transform into a carnivorous creature a number of times per day equal to 1/3 of your HD, plus your Charisma modifier, minimum 1.
Changeling
Take upon the visage of the last intelligent being that you fed upon.
Necroscope
You may see and interact with ghosts, spirits and other intangible beings.
Stalker
You may hear through doors and thin walls, and may notice hidden doors as an Elf of your level.
Predator
Your unnerving gaze can hold others in place. A number of times per day equal to 1/3 of your level, minimum 1, you may force a creature to make a save vs Paralysis or be unable to move until attacked or otherwise harmed.

7 comments:

  1. This class feels very LotFP. I like that the effects of hunger level don't just go from weaker to stronger, but are different. It's a smart way to combine the game mechanic with an intended roleplay / narrative effect, and also means that the GM does not have to prepare the session around the needs of the devourer; they'll be competitive either way, it's just a matter of what advantages they'll have at any given moment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a ton for the compliment. My goal throughout development was to foster a feeling of the class being a devil's bargain. It should always be powerful enough to make you want to keep them around, but damaging enough make others constantly question whether they should.

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  2. I love this class! Finally, playing a vampire, with all the horror it entails, without this being OP.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interesting! Can they use any weapon/armor?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes they certainly can. They're only slightly less martially inclined than the fighter.

      Delete
  4. This is an awesome sounding class. You really put some great thought into it and it appears really well balanced for play.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Such a high compliment, thank you! I really wanted to try and capture gothic horror with my classes. I think this is one of the better ones in that regard.

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