Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Replacing the Elf & Dwarf - The Spellsword & Stalwart

          So a funny thing happens when you remove racial classes from B/X & LotFP, you suddenly have two holes to fill in the class structure: Gish (aka Fighter/Mage) and a class based around Constitution (the Dwarf). So to fill those roles, I present the Spellsword and the Stalwart.

The Spellsword


          Ferocious men and women who combine strength of arms and eldritch learning, the Spellsword cuts a romantic figure to those who know of their capabilities. Most spellswords are either wealthy or retainers to the wealthy, the sort of upbringing and training which produces someone literate and hale enough to be considered worthy of the title is quite costly. Those who are not noble themselves often find work as mercenary captains, bodyguards or witch hunters, any profession capable of paying back the great debts that they almost surely owe for their instruction. Other societies may produce Spellswords who are considered to be sacred warriors by their communities, reared to battle their enemies - supernatural or otherwise. 

        Whatever their source, while their reputations and rarity may mark them out as being associated with the elite, those driven to take up the short and often violent life of an adventurer are just as hungry as their fellows for glory, blood and coin. Their skills earn them eager welcomes from most other adventurers, even with their peacockish attitudes and often arrogant demeanors.


Level
Experience
HP
Paralyze
Poison
Breath
Device
Magic
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0*
-
1d6
15
14
17
15
17
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
0
1d6
13
12
15
13
15
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
3,000
+1d6
13
12
15
13
15
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
6,000
+1d6
13
12
15
13
15
2
1

-
-
-
-
-
-
4
12,000
+1d6
11
10
13
11
13
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5
24,000
+1d6
11
10
13
11
13
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
6
48,000
+1d6
11
10
13
11
13
3
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
7
96,000
+1d6
9
8
9
9
11
3
2
2
1
-
-
-
-
-
8
192,000
+1d6
9
8
9
9
11
4
3
2
2
-
-
-
-
-
9
384,000
+1d6
9
8
9
9
11
4
3
3
2
1
-
-
-
-
10
576,000
+2**
7
6
7
7
9
4
4
3
2
2
-
-
-
-
11
768,000
+2**
7
6
7
7
9
5
4
3
3
2
1
-
-
-
12
960,000
+2**
7
6
7
7
9
5
5
4
3
3
2
1
-
-
13
1,152,000
+2**
5
4
5
5
7
5
5
4
3
3
2
1
-
-
14
1,344,000
+2**
5
4
5
5
7
6
5
4
4
3
2
2
-
-
15
1,536,000
+2**
5
4
5
5
7
6
5
5
4
3
3
2
1
-
16
1,728,000
+2**
5
4
5
5
7
6
6
5
4
4
3
2
2
-
17+
+192,000/lvl
+2**/lvl
3
3
3
3
5
7
6
5
5
4
3
3
2
1
*NPCs only, PCs begin at level 1, **Consitution modifiers no longer apply


B/X & OSE Rules
Requirements
Minimum INT 9
Prime Requisite
INT and STR
Hit Dice
d6
Maximum Level
14
Armor
Any, no shields
Weapons
Any
Languages
Alignment, Common


          Spellswords, while not the equals of Fighters, are capable warriors in their own right. They have access to the Defensive Fighting and Press options in combat.

          Spellswords cast spells like a Magic-user, with a few exceptions. Spellswords have been trained to cast spells with only a single hand, furthermore they cast spells until they are heavily encumbered, rather than merely light. Finally, as Spellswords are not as intimately familiar with magical theory, they cannot use the spell recovery methods available to Magic-users.


The Stalwart


          The desire to survive is inherent to all beings. Everything wants to live. Some, however are better at achieving that end than others. It's unclear how, or why, but some individuals are simply made of sterner stuff than others. They drag themselves, bloodied, but somehow still alive, from battles and calamities which claim the lives of hundreds or even thousands of those less resilient than themselves. They are simply termed by others after what they are, Stalwarts. It's unclear whether or not Stalwarts are born or trained. 

        While some folk simply have the capacity for it, to endure when their fellows could not, others survive because they're forced to become something beyond themselves, to grow beyond their limits and continue to live when every other has fallen prey to the slings or arrows of existence. Many Stalwarts simply suffer through life, using their talents to continue the long march until mortality claims them, but some understand that their talents afford them the opportunity to grasp greatness. They just have to steel themselves, like they always do.


Level
Experience
HP
Paralyze
Poison
Breath
Device
Magic
Indomitability
0*
-
1d8
12
10
15
11
14
1 in 6
1
0
1d10
10
8
13
9
12
1 in 6
2
2,200
1d10
10
8
13
9
12
1 in 6
3
4,400
1d10
10
8
13
9
12
1 in 6
4
8,800
1d10
8
6
10
7
10
1 in 6
5
17,600
1d10
8
6
10
7
10
2 in 6
6
35,200
1d10
8
6
10
7
10
2 in 6
7
70,400
1d10
6
4
7
2
8
2 in 6
8
140,800
1d10
6
4
7
5
8
2 in 6
9
281,600
1d10
6
4
7
5
8
3 in 6
10
422,400
+3
4
2
4
3
6
3 in 6
11
563,200
+3
4
2
4
3
6
3 in 6
12+
+140,800/lvl
+3
2
2
2
2
4
3 in 6
*NPCs only, PCs begin at level 1.


B/X & OSE Rules
Requirements
Minimum CON 9
Prime Requisite
CON
Hit Dice
d10
Maximum Level
14
Armor
Any, including shields
Weapons
Any
Languages
Alignment, Common

          Stalwarts receive a +1 bonus to their Constitution modifier (so a Stalwart with a 12 Constitution has a +1 modifier instead of the usual +0 modifier, for example). Stalwarts also continue to apply Constitution modifiers, if any, to hit points gained after level nine. Stalwarts are also able to bear incredible burdens, it takes five additional items than normal for a Stalwart to gain their first encumbrance point.

          Owing to their unrelenting tenacity, Stalwarts possess an ability known as Indomitability. Whenever a Stalwart fails a save, the player is entitled to roll their Indomitability skill, if they succeed, they instead succeed at the save.

4 comments:

  1. Dude. This is perfect. I am about to launch an LotFP campaign set at the turn of the 19th century with minimal magic.
    "Hmm, what's my Elf/Dwarf/Halfling plan?" drifted through my mind only hours ago.

    As always, thanks so much for the excellent content.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're very welcome, I am happy to have contributed to such kismet.

      Delete
  2. These are great. I've played around with 'Spellblades' and 'Heavy Fighters' for the OSR but these are great implementations with a lot of creativity.

    Have you ever done a pdf or a document that has all your OSR mods? ty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really need to do that; I have easily a few hundred pages of material at this point, including a few unique takes on basic rules like how XP is distributed, or how spells are regained by magic classes.

      Delete