Martial classes

Infantry

Fight well on a team, acting easily as leader or support. Combat trained.

• Stat bonus: +1 blocking defense every level
• Starting items: chainmail, large shield, spear (balanced weapon), lucky charm
• Skill: archer, surgeon, or tactician

Level 1: phalanx, siege diet

Level 2: squad support

Level 3: mentor, heroic sacrifice

Level 4: team attack, rally

• Phalanx: when you block alongside allies in the same melee, gain +1 defense for each, or +2 for each who is also infantry.
• Siege diet: split your meals with close companions (other player characters) to each get by on one ration per day.
• Squad support: if an ally within reach would take damage from a ranged attack, you may take the hit in their place.
• Mentor: if you have fought alongside an ally through at least one level up, when you see them perform a non-magical technique you can declare that you will practice it, and can use it once in a later encounter. This also works for skill stars if you have the same skill, but you can only be practicing one ability at a time.
• Heroic sacrifice: whenever an ally in the same melee would take a wound, you can choose to take the damage in their place.
• Team attack: +1 damage for each ally attacking the same target at the same time.
• Rally: once per day, call out encouragement to your ally and restore vigor for all who can see and hear you by 1d6.

warrior by Khoa Viet

Duelist

Focus your skills on a singular opponent. Combat trained.

• Stat bonus: +1 defense per level when parrying
• Starting items: gambeson, rapier (balanced weapon), fine hat
• Skill: thug, writer, or brawler

Level 1: duel, trophy

Level 2: defensive posture, flourish

Level 3: guard break, dignity

Level 4: match and break

• Duel: goad a target into facing you in a one-on-one fight if they fail a save. In civilized areas, the time and place of the duel must be agreed upon. Anyone else attempting to attack either of you during the fight will have -1 attack, in addition to cultural repercussions.
• Trophy: when you defeat a prestigious foe, you may take a trophy of your victory from their person, either a valuable accessory of even a piece of their body in more brutal lands. This trophy can later be brandished to exercise their authority for your own ends for one interaction. Only one trophy can be held from a given figure at a time, and repeated use may weaken their authority.
• Defensive posture: block with a balanced or light weapon as if it were a small shield.
• Flourish: when you achieve an impressive victory (against a particularly tough foe, or within one round for example), you may call for unfriendly onlookers to reroll their reaction rolls with a +4 bonus.
• Guard break: a special attack option that will lose against a fast attack, parry riposte, or feint attack, but will deal full damage against a blocking opponent as if their defense were zero.
• Dignity: when your vigor is full and you haven't attacked your duel opponent yet, they must make a Will save in order to strike you.
• Match and break: when you make the same attack as your foe, you deal full damage.

Cavalier

Manage engagements to fight off multiple foes. Combat trained.

• Stat bonus: +1 speed every two levels
• Starting items: chainmail, crest (small shield), greatsword (great weapon)
• Skill: politician, armorer, or tactician

Level 1: rampart, hit and run

Level 2: living barrier, split focus

Level 3: imposing figure, disengaging blow

Level 4: thrill

• Rampart: when you block, each time an enemy attacks you may choose to reroll your block defense before the next attack.
• Hit and run: strike an opponent as you pass, or lunge in before stepping back. This requires your target to win a speed contest in order to engage in melee with you.
• Living barrier: any failed attempt to hold ground can be rerolled once.
• Split focus: when engaged with multiple foes, you may choose two attack options and target each enemy with one of the two.
• Imposing figure: instead of attacking, you may inflict one enemy with a -1 attack penalty until you are successfully struck.
• Disengaging blow: strike an opponent as you move away. This allows you to retreat while making an attack.
• Thrill: if you wound a foe, you can make a new attack against any other engaged foe.

Berserker

Enter a bestial rage to become stronger and more reckless. Combat trained.

• Stat bonus: +1 maximum vigor every level
• Starting items: fur cloak, 2 hand axes (mass weapons), human skull
• Skill: survivalist, thug, or apothecary

Level 1: rage

Level 2: brutality, adrenaline

Level 3: fury

Level 4: unbreakable, wrath

• Rage: once per day, go berserk to become seemingly invincible and unstoppable for three rounds. This grants +1 attack and defense, as well as ignoring wounds and postponing death rolls until the rage ends. Attack choices are ignored by your aggression, causing you to take and deal full damage with only defense to mitigate it. If you rage while wearing medium or heavy armor you become strained, and if you spend a round raging and don't attack something, make a will save to avoid eating your weapon.
• Brutality: become more skilled in fighting without a shield, increasing the attack bonus from dual wielding to +2, or granting +1 attack when wielding a weapon two-handed.
• Adrenaline: for one round per day, treat your strength as 20. Can be used in or out of combat.
• Fury: enter a rage up to three times per day, and each time you wound a foe while raging you may choose to extend the duration by one round.
• Unbreakable: gain a natural defense bonus of +1 at all times.
• Wrath: your rage now grants +2 attack and defense, as well as immunity to pain or fear based effects.

Thief

Use stealth, skill, and luck to steal and accrue valuables. Partially trained.

• Stat bonus: +1 stealth every level
• Starting items: blackjack (light weapon), dark cloak, lock & key
• Skill: cook, jeweler, or panhandler

Level 1: thievery, counterfeit

Level 2: lucky, perfect crime

Level 3: slippery, change hands

Level 4: very lucky

• Thievery: gain the locksmith and pickpocket skills with one star each.
• Counterfeit: forge a false copy of any item you've stolen, which will pass for the real thing under immediate scrutiny, but may be caught out later.
• Lucky: once per day, reroll any d6 roll you made, including damage rolls, skill checks, and others.
• Perfect crime: whenever you steal something that is being actively guarded, if nobody spots you or notices your passing then you will immediately gain bonus exp equal to half of the spending value of what you stole.
• Slippery: get a +3 speed bonus to retreat from melee.
• Change hands: retroactively declare that you swapped one or more items with another player character, no matter how far separated at the moment.
• Very lucky: reroll up to three separate d6 rolls per day.

Assassination by Yiming Nie

Assassin

Use stealth and manipulation to kill without fighting. Partially trained.

• Stat bonus: +1 to attack every two levels
• Starting items: 3 throwing knives, disguise kit, vial of poison, contract for assassination
• Skill: launcher, politician, or acrobat

Level 1: opportunist, assassinate

Level 2: cold read, pierce

Level 3: bet my life

Level 4: fadeaway

• Opportunist: any time you attack with a distinct advantage, such as from behind, while hidden, or from above, you deal an additional 1d6 damage. This applies to attacks made while grappling.
• Assassinate: for every secret of the target's that you know, gain +1 damage during the first round, up to +5.
• Cold read: the first time you get a good look at someone, you can examine them to determine one of their secrets at random. Can alternatively be used before combat to determine what the opponent's first action will be.
• Pierce: attacks on unaware or immobilized opponents bypass defense.
• Bet my life: non-magical poisons that you have added to food or drink, or your weapon, will not affect you unless you wish.
• Fadeaway: if unengaged during combat, you may roll a stealth check to disappear, and perform a stealth attack on your next turn.

Hunter

Specially skilled in subduing large beasts and laying traps. Partially trained.

• Stat bonus: +1 quick inventory slot every level
• Starting items: hunting knife (light weapon), trapping kit, bow, quiver, animal skull
• Skill: survivor, butcher, or archer

Level 1: trapper, astride

Level 2: wrangle

Level 3: provoke, fast trapper

Level 4: steer

• Trapper: create traps outside of combat to either halt, damage, or alert you when passed through. You must spend an hour every morning preparing your trapping kit. More elaborate or useful traps can be made using specific items at GM discretion.
• Astride: climb on top of large beasts to strike vulnerable areas for a guaranteed hit. Beasts can spend their turn attempting to shake off an astride hunter with a strength save, but if the hunter spends their round clinging on, it becomes a strength contest.
• Wrangle: using a rope, attempt to tie down a beast through a strength contest. Anyone can contribute, but any non-hunters will be knocked prone if the beast wins. Any tied down beast will remain prone until it can succeed a difficult strength save.
• Provoke: take an action to impel beasts into charging at you. They will take 1 damage if you are beside a wall.
• Fast trapper: once per encounter, a trap can be laid during combat. This takes one full round, and includes movement to lay tripwires or hazards.
• Steer: while astride, a hunter can force the beast to move if they succeed on a strength contest.

Wild Hunter by Russell Dongjun Lu