Classes

(words about the classes here)

Hunter
(100 words about the hunter here)

Arms Proficiency: Hunters are proficient with all weapons.

Class Skill: Hunters receive a +3 bonus to the Survival skill, representing their ability to track prey and keep themselves safe beyond civilized Istoria.

Ranged Attack Bonus: Hunters are adept with all manner of ranged weapons, from firearms to the bow and arrow used in Afroka. They receive a +1 bonus to ranged attack and damage rolls. This bonus increases by +1 at 4th level and every four levels after (8th, 12th, &c.)

Favored Enemy: Hunters are, as the name implies, masters of the big game hunt. He selects one type of favored enemy from the favored enemy list. Whenever he fights that particular type of enemy, he adds his Survival score to attack and damage rolls against that foe. (If a scout chooses Humanoid or Outsider, he has to choose a specific subtype.)

Fast Movement: Through their ability to track big game, hunters are capable of moving faster than other Heroes. They gain a +10’ (+2 squares) bonus to their basic land speed. This bonus does not apply if the hunter is wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load.

Favored Enemy Types
Aberration

Animal

Construct

Dragon

Fey

Humanoid: Aquatic, dwarf, elf, giant, gnoll, goblinoid, human, orc, reptilian, tiefling, or any other known subtype

Magickal Beast

Monstrous Humanoid

Ooze

Outsider: Air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, native, water

Plant

Undead

Vermin

Mage
Weavers of arcane magicks once thought to be the province of demonkind, mages are the result of careful training, study, and letting a tiny bit of the Arcane Sea into one's mind.

Arms Proficiency: Mages are proficient with daggers, staves, crossbows, pistols, and unarmed attacks.

Class Skill: Mages receive a +3 bonus to the Knowledge skill, representing their studious nature and willingness to learn.

Magick: With study, mages are able to cast some magickal spells, separating the arcane essence from its demonic influence. A mage knows all the cantrips and first-level spells listed in the spell section. At each odd level up to 9th, a mage receives new spells. More powerful spells require more mana to cast.

Mana Pool: Even though they wield considerable arcane power, a mage can only manipulate so much mana in a day. A mage's mana pool is equal to (mage level * 4) + Mental modifier.

Mage Tradition: Despite arcane magick's relative infancy (compared to divine miracles or psionic technicks) eight distinct magickal traditions have arisen. At first level, a mage may choose to specialize in one type of arcane magick (abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, or transmutation.) Mages who specialize can cast their specialized spells for one fewer mana point, but must choose two types of spells as their banned spells. A mage cannot cast spells from her banned schools.

Stress: Armor, due to its restrictive nature, can be a liability when trying to cast a spell. A mage who wears armor must spend additional mana in order to cast a spell equal to the armor's Armor Rating.

Priest
(100 words about the priest here)

Arms Proficiency: Priests are proficient with all bludgeoning weapons.

Class Skill: Priests receive a +3 bonus to the Communication skill, representing their ability to minister their respective flocks, request divine miracles, and dissuade others from violence.

Turn Undead: Priests are trained in the art of repelling, or turning, undead creatures. To turn undead, roll 1d20 + Mental modifier + priest level. (The difficulty is the current Hit Points of the undead creature being affected. If you succeed on the roll, the creature must back away from you. If you beat the difficulty by 10 or more, the undead creature is destroyed.) A priest can turn undead (2 + Charisma modifier + priest level) times per day.

Miracles: Due to their devotion to a deity, a priest can pull off many supernatural favors. These are referred to as miracles. After choosing a deity, a priest receives all the first-level miracles listed under the deity’s domain. At each odd level up to 9th, a priest receives new miracles. More powerful miracles require more faith to invoke.

Faith Pool: Even though they are referred to as “men of a god,” a priest can only curry so much favor with a deity. A priest’s faith pool is equal to (priest level * 4) + Mental modifier.

Psionicist
''The power of the mind can be a terrifying thing. ''

Arms Proficiency: Psionicists are proficient with (weapons).

Class Skill: Psionicists receive a +3 bonus to the Knowledge skill, representing their vast education, study, and ability to learn.

Wild Talent: All psionicists are famed for their innate psionic talent. Even before professional training at the Acadamae, potential psionicists are able to manifest one technick. Roll 1d12 at character creation. The psionicist can use the indicated psionic technick without having to put skill points into it. Further, the psionicist never enervates when manifesting the indicated technick. A natural 1 on the manifest roll is treated as a normal failure.

Psionic Technicks: There are twelve psionic technicks known to Istoria. At first level, a psionicist gains three psionic skill points. She can spread these skill points out among three psionic technicks, or invest them all into one. Every time she gains a psionicist level, the psionicist gains another skill point. To manifest a psionic technick, a psionicist must be trained in it (or have wild talent for it). She makes a manifesting roll (1d20 + Charisma modifier + psionicist level) and the listed effect occurs. Psionic technicks are listed further in the document.

Enervation: If a psionicist rolls a natural 1 on the manifesting roll for a psionic technick, a phenomenon called enervation occurs. The psionicist makes a saving throw; if successful, she is knocked prone by the psionic backlash. If she fails, then she rolls 1d6 and suffers the listed effect. (If this is not the first time in a day the psionicist enervates, she adds +1 to the roll.)

Overchanneling: A psionicist can risk her life in order to empower her psionic technicks. She can gain a +1 bonus to her manifesting roll in exchange for taking 1d8 + her psionicist level damage. This bonus can be improved to +2 for another 2d8 damage (for a total of 3d8 + psionicist level) or +3 for a further 3d8 damage (total 6d8 + psionicist level). This damage cannot be healed with miracles, technicks, or potions-- only time can heal these wounds. If a psionicist’s overchanneling causes her to reach 0 or fewer Hit Points, she immediately suffers from the psionic malady Del Grande Syndrome. She must make a saving throw. If she succeeds, the psionicist is seriously injured (as in the combat rules.) If she fails, the psionicist’s entire head explodes, drenching everything within 10’ of her in a shower of blood, bone, and gore. The psionicist, quite obviously, dies messily as a result.

Stress: Psionicists have noted a most unusual phenomenon when it comes to armor-- armor seems to inhibit psionic capibility. When manifesting a psionic technick, you suffer a penalty to the manifesting roll equal to the total Armor Rating of the armor you are wearing.

Scoundrel
(100 words about the scoundrel here)

Arms Proficiency: Scoundrels are proficient with all light weapons and revolvers.

Class Skill: Scoundrels receive a +3 bonus to the Subterfuge skill, representing their innate talents of deceit, stealth, and trickery.

Sneak Attack: Scoundrels, unlike their fellow Heroes, do not necessarily believe in a fair fight. Whenever a scoundrel successfully make a melee attack against an opponent she is flanking, she adds her Subterfuge score to the damage roll. In order to sneak attack, a scoundrel must be able to see and reach her opponent’s vulnerable spots.

Ungentlemanly Conduct: As stated before, the core tenet of the scoundrel is “Fair fights are for chumps.” At first level and every odd level (3rd, 5th, 7th, &c.), a scoundrel learns a particularly dirty trick to help gain the upper hand on opponents. While a scoundrel can learn many underhanded combat tricks, she can only apply one trick to her sneak attack at a time. An opponent can only suffer the effect of a particular trick once per scoundrel per encounter.

Ungentlemanly Conduct
Befuddling Attack: When damaged with a scoundrel’s sneak attack, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls for 1d4 rounds.

Blade Lock: When damaged with a scoundrel’s sneak attack, the target cannot leave its fighting space until the start of the scoundrel’s next turn.

Blinding Attack: When damaged with a scoundrel’s sneak attack, the target is blinded (save ends.)

Bleeding Attack: A scoundrel who applies this trick to her sneak attack against a living opponent can cause a bleeding wound. The target loses hit points equal to half the scoundrel’s character level, rounded down (minimum 1). The bleeding damage occurs at the start of the target’s turn, and persists until treated with an effect that causes it to regain hit points (or a DC 15 Knowledge check). A target can only have one bleeding wound at a time.

Brutal Sneak: A scoundrel can forgo advantage on the attack roll flanking usually grants. In exchange, she can treat any 1s or 2s that come up on her damage dice as 3s. This replaces the benefit of the powerful sneak trick. The scoundrel must have powerful sneak before she can take this trick.

Crippling Strike: When damaged with a scoundrel’s sneak attack, the target gains the weakened condition (save ends.)

Farewell to Arms: When a scoundrel damages her opponent with her sneak attack, she can disarm her target of one item it carries if her attack roll exceeds her target’s Defense by 5 or more. If the attack roll exceeds her target’s Defense by 10 or more, she can disarm her target of two carried items.

I’m a Distraction!: When damaged with a scoundrel’s sneak attack, the scoundrel can forgo adding her Subterfuge score to the damage dealt. If she does so, her flank partner can ignore the target’s Dexterity modifier to Defense until the start of the scoundrel’s next turn.

Lucky!: When making a sneak attack and both attack rolls miss, a scoundrel can add her Subterfuge score to the better attack roll instead of the damage roll. Unlike the other tricks, this trick can only be used once per encounter.

Marking: When damaged with a scoundrel’s sneak attack, the target does not threaten the squares around itself until the start of the scoundrel’s next turn.

Offensive Attack: When a scoundrel damages an opponent with her sneak attack, she adds half her character level to her Defense (minimum 1) until the end of her next turn.

On the Ground!: When a scoundrel damages her opponent with her sneak attack, she can knock her target prone if her attack roll exceeds her target’s Defense by 10 or more.

Outta the Way!: When a scoundrel damages her opponent with her sneak attack, she can push her target away from her one 5’ square, plus an extra 5’ square for every +5 her attack roll exceeded her target’s Defense.

Powerful Sneak: A scoundrel can forgo advantage on the attack roll flanking usually grants. In exchange, she can treat any 1s that come up on her damage dice as 2s.

Soldier
(100 words about the soldier here)

Arms Proficiency: Soldiers are proficient with all weapons.

Class Skill: Soldiers receive a +3 bonus to the Physical skill, representing their physical conditioning and athleticism.

Weapon Specialization: Soldiers learn early in their training to specialize with one particular weapon above others. Choose a weapon, such as the revolver or saber. You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 bonus on damage rolls made with the chosen weapon.

Edges: Soldiers are an adaptable and diverse lot, and each one hones a unique fighting style as they adventure and gain experience. These fighting styles are based on combat abilities called edges. A soldier gains one edge at first level and one additional edge at each odd level (3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, &c.) from the list below.

Soldier Edges
Berserker: Once per day, a soldier with the berserker edge can spend one Action Point on her turn to enter a berserker rage. While in this rage, she has advantage on all attack rolls with melee weapons, adds her Physical skill rank to damage rolls with melee or thrown weapons, and gains temporary Health equal to twice her character level. While raging, a soldier takes a -2 penalty to Defense and cannot do anything that requires patience or concentration (like using the flurry of blows edge, manifesting psionic technicks or invoking priestly miracles.) This rage lasts for 5 rounds. Once it ends, the soldier is exhausted until the end of the combat she raged in. This edge may be taken up to three times. Each instance of this edge grants an additional daily rage. You can still rage only once per encounter.

Cleave: When a soldier with the cleave edge makes a melee attack and defeats a foe (brings him to 0 or fewer Health), she may make a free melee attack against an adjacent foe with the same weapon. If she defeats her foe with this free attack, she does not get another free melee attack unless she has this edge more than once. This edge may be taken up to three times. Each instance of this edge grants an additional free melee attack.

Deadly Aim: A soldier with the deadly aim edge gains a +1 bonus on all damage rolls made with ranged weapons. This edge may be taken up to five times. Each instance of this edge increases the bonus by +1 (to a maximum of +5.) This edge does not apply to grenades.

Dodge: A soldier with the dodge edge gains a +1 bonus to her Defense. This edge may be taken up to five times. Each instance of this edge increases the bonus by +1 (to a maximum of +5.)

Flurry of Blows: A soldier with the flurry of blows edge may make one additional melee attack when she spends two Action Points to use the attack action. When using this edge, each melee attack made takes a -2 penalty to the attack roll. This edge may be taken up to three times. Each instance of this edge grants an additional attack, but increases the penalty by -2 (to a maximum of four attacks per round, each at -6 to hit.) You may forgo additional attacks to take the reduced penalty.

Great Fortitude: A soldier with the great fortitude edge gains a +1 bonus to saving throw rolls. This edge may be taken up to five times. Each instance of this edge increases the bonus by +1 (to a maximum of +5.)

Improved Critical:  A soldier with the improved critical edge chooses a specific weapon, such as the longsword or dagger. When she scores a critical hit with that specific weapon, she rolls an additional +1d6 critical damage on the critical hit, and may roll two dice for the critical hit's additional effect and choose which one to apply. This edge can be taken more than once; the new instance of this edge can either apply to a new weapon or improve a previously chosen weapon's criticals further (to a maximum of +2d6 critical damage and roll three effect dice, apply one effect.) This edge cannot be chosen until 7th level.

Improved Initiative: A soldier with the improved Initiative edge gains a +1 bonus to her Initiative. This edge may be taken up to five times. Each instance of this edge increases the bonus by +1 (to a maximum of +5.)

Power Attack: A soldier with the power attack edge gains a +1 bonus on all damage rolls made with melee weapons. This edge may be taken up to five times. Each instance of this edge increases the bonus by +1 (to a maximum of +5.)

Pugilist: A soldier with the pugilist edge can deal more damage with his fists. Your unarmed damage increases to 1d6 bludgeoning damage. This edge may be taken up to three times. Each instance of this edge increases your unarmed damage by one die step (a d6 becomes a d8, and a d8 becomes a d10.)

Rapid Shot: A soldier with the rapid shot edge may make one additional ranged attack when she spends two Action Points to use the attack action. When using this edge, each ranged attack made takes a -2 penalty to the attack roll. This edge may be taken up to three times. Each instance of this edge grants an additional attack, but increases the penalty by -2 (to a maximum of four attacks per round, each at -6 to hit.) You may forgo additional attacks to take the reduced penalty. You can only use this edge with bows, revolvers, rifles, and thrown weapons.

Second Chance: A soldier with the second chance edge may make a difficulty 15 Strength check when she is reduced to 0 Health. If the check succeeds, she remains conscious at 1 Health. You cannot use this edge if you are already at 1 Health. You cannot select this edge until seventh level.

Toughness: A soldier with the toughness edge gains a +1 bonus to her Armor Rating. She retains this bonus even if she isn’t wearing any armor. This edge may be taken up to three times. Each instance of this edge increases your Armor Rating by +1 (to a maximum of +3.)

Weapon Specialization: The weapon specialization edge functions like the class ability above. This edge may be taken more than once. Its bonuses apply either to a new weapon or an already selected weapon, increasing the granted bonuses (to a maximum of +3 to attack rolls and +6 to damage rolls.) You cannot select this edge at first level.

Multiclass Characters
When you gain a character level, you can choose to advance in a class besides your current class. You still gain 1d6 Hit Points and test your ability scores as normal. Choosing skills works differently: In addition, multiclass characters have several restrictions and caveats.
 * You get a +1 bonus to class skill for the class you're advancing (Physical for soldiers, Subterfuge for scoundrels, Communication for priests, Knowledge for mages and psionicists, Survival for hunters.)
 * You also get a +1 bonus to one of your non-class skills (this can be the class skill for your previous class.)
 * You also get your choice of learning one language or a +1 bonus to a third skill.
 * Multiclass Hunters: If you multiclass into hunter, your favored enemy ability and ranged attack bonus is based on your hunter level, not your character level.
 * Multiclass Mages: Your base mana pool is equal to (4 * mage level) + Mnt modifier. Mana cannot be used to power priest miracles. Your mage spell progression and power is based on your mage level, not your character level. If you multiclass into priest, your school specialization applies to priest spell costs and restricted spells.
 * Multiclass Priests: Your base faith pool is equal to (4 * priest level) + Mnt modifier. Faith cannot be used to power mage spells. Your priest spell progression and power is based on your priest level, not your character level. If you multiclass into mage, your divine domain applies to mage spell costs (if they appear on both spell lists.)
 * Multiclass Psionicists: If you multiclass into psionicist, you do not get wild talent, and you only get one psionic skill rank instead of three. Your overchannel ability is based on your psionicist level, not your character level.
 * Multiclass Scoundrels: If you multiclass into (or out of) scoundrel, you can only use your sneak attack ability if you wear light (or no) armor. Your ungentlemanly conduct progression is based on your scoundrel level, not your character level.
 * Multiclass Soldiers: If you multiclass into soldier, you don't get the weapon specialization edge. Your edge progression is based on your soldier level, not your character level. When you gain edges, you are unable to take the improved critical or weapon specialization edges.