The Rest of Into the OD&D

And finally the rest of the Miscellany that has flowed out of my head for Into the OD&D.


Backgrounds
A starting character takes two Backgrounds alongside their Class of choice. Yes this means you can be an Elf-Dwarf.

Elf: Choose three Cantrips you can cast instantly at Will.
Dwarf: You are immune to poison and choose a craft to know everything about.
Halfling: You automatically pass WIL Saves against magical effects.
Noble: Your title carries serious weight.
Underground: You can sense how deep you are at all times, see in the dark and sense the shorted route to the surface.
Wilderness: You can identify all plants and animals and track perfectly.
Urban: City folk don't see you as an easy target and you always know a nearby place to hide.
Soldier: Start with any weapons and armour you like free of charge. This excludes Superior Weapons.  You are a hero to some and a villain to others.
Criminal: You have contacts in the criminal underground and knowledge of how to pull off criminal behaviour.
Charming: People tend to like you.
Explorer: You speak a bit of every language and know a bit about every culture.
Loremaster: You know a little about everything within a subject such as History, Alchemy or Art. Choose a specialism within this area that you know in great detail such as History (Military), Alchemy (Explosives) or Art (Music).

Magic Items
Not all magical items are are complex as the Arcana used by Wizards. Magic weapons, potions, rings and other such items can be used by anyone, though only a Wizard can identify their function without using them.

Classes in Into the OD&D - Rogue

So I have Clerics that have a very focused set of powers, Wizards with a huge spellbook and magical impliment, Fighters that kill real good and control the battlefield. What's left for Thieves/Rogues?

They always were the forth wheel of D&D classes. You feel like it should be there but do you really need it?

Firstly I'm taking the lesser of two evils and calling the class Rogue to remove the criminal focus. I'm looking at them as the underdog class. The common man that doesn't fancy fighting prowess, magical education or divine blessing.

Anyone with a good DEX score can try and sneak and backstabbing is open to everyone. Same for pickpocketing, lockpicking and climbing walls. The Rogue doesn't have any special abilities that are locked out to the other classes. Instead the Rogue can learn from his allies, as something of an everyman.

More than any other class the Rogue will rely on the player making use of whatever they can to gain an advantage or just survive.


Rogue

Rogues lack the training and divine blessing of other characters, but are natural survivors and quick learners. They can cheat death as long as they think quickly and can learn a little from each of their allies. 

Second Chance: When the Rogue fails a Save they may attempt a second Save if the player can think of another way to avoid harm. The Referee should be generous in allowing a second save but one of the Ability Scores used in the Save must be different to the first.
Dabbler: Under the guidance of another character a Rogue can achieve certain abilities usually associated with that class. They may only choose one ability to focus on each day and by the next morning any benefits are lost. Examples include:
A Wizard can teach them to use a specific Arcanum as if they were a Wizard for the rest of the day or lead them through casting a spell, holding it if they wish.
A Cleric can lead them in prayer, letting them benefit as if they cast the Prayer themselves, or granting them use of the deity's Holy Symbol for the rest of the day. Breaking the deity's Code renders these abilities useless just as with a Cleric.
A Fighter can teach a Rogue a single Technique to use as many times as they wish or train them to apply their STR Bonus to damage with a single weapon.

The Referee will allow other classes to teach the Rogue a similar limited version of their own ability for the rest of the day. 

Classes for Into the OD&D - Fighter

When drafting these classes I approached them with the question "What do I want players to be thinking about when they play this class?".

I wanted the Cleric player to be remembering the laws of his diety and how best to use the small variety of blessings bestowed on him.

I wanted the Wizard player to be buried in a spellbook looking for something to help the current situation. 

I wanted the Fighter to be thinking about how to use the battlefield to his advantage and have faith in his sword and armour as he wades into combat. 

Fighter

Fighters are at their best in a combat situation. They hit the hardest, can take the most punishment and control the battlefield with combat techniques.

Training: Fighters add their STR Bonus to damage rolls with a weapon.

Toughness: Fighters add 1 to their Armour score, even when unarmoured.

Techniques: When a Fighter makes an attack they may add a Technique to it. The attack is carried out as normal and the opponent must make a Save to avoid an additional effect described by the player. Examples include being pushed, tripped, disarmed, grappled for their next turn etc. A Technique cannot cause extra damage on its own but it may make use of an environmental hazard that would cause extra damage to the target. The Referee should be generous in allowing the player to think of interesting and imaginative Techniques for their attacks.

Classes for Into the OD&D - Wizard

Vancian magic gives a certain flavour to the wizard that I like but find incredibly fiddly in implementation. I wanted to keep the preparation and memorisation part of a wizard whilst bringing the spell book to the fore and lessening their impact as a combat caster. Here's the proof-of-concept draft as it stands.

Wizard

Wizards study the science of magic. They read the Mystic language that let instructs them in the precise rituals of casting spells. 

Mystic: Only wizards can read Mystic, a script found on scrolls, spell tomes and magical artifacts. Mystic is also spoken as a secret language of wizards and used in casting spells. Understanding of this ancient script lets them defer some meaning from nearly any language they read.

Spells: Found in Tomes and Scrolls. A Spell requires ten minutes per Spell Level of uninterrupted calm and attention to cast, as well as requiring a precise, detailed process. As such, Spells are generally unable to be cast in a combat situation. After casting a Spell ongoing effects last until the Wizard casts another Spell.Cantrips: These simple spells may be memorized upon reading and cast immediately at will. Focus: Every Wizard carries a Focus, typically an orb, wand or staff. Upon casting a Spell the Wizard may also Hold the spell in their Focus. They may now cast it immediately, at will, as often as they wish. Only one Spell can be held in a Focus at once.
Spellburn: Casting a Spell is a draining process and causes the Wizard damage equal to the Spell's Level. At 0HP Critical Damage may be avoided by a WIL Save vs 10.
Starting Equipment: A Wizard starts with a Tome containing all Cantrips and First Level Spells and a Focus of their choice.

Converting Spells
Spells can be converted from any wizard spell list:
- Ignore material components.
- Durations last until the Wizard casts another Spell.
- Saving throws are made vs the caster's WIL Score.
- Caster Level is the character's WIL Bonus.
- Target's HD is their STR Bonus.  

Classes for Into the OD&D - Cleric

Two majors change separating Into the Odd from D&D are its lack of classes and magic being entirely item-based rather than learning spells.

But what if I like the rest of Into the Odd but want a more traditional game with clerics and wizards? Easy!

Scrap everything from the game referencing Arcana and grab your D&D spell list of choice. Everything else stays the same but now after rolling your Ability Scores you choose a class. Today I've hammered out a proof-of-concept draft for how I'd handle Clerics in Into the OD&D.

Vancian Magic is something I'll talk more about in the Wizard post. For clerics I felt it has always been a much worse fit and I didn't like how it linked arcane magic with the blessings of a diety. With that in mind I'm severing all links between the Cleric and the D&D magic system. So here's a cleric from scratch.

Clerics

A cleric serves the code of a deity and receives blessings in return. Firstly, they can call upon a prayer each morning, providing an effect that lasts all day. Secondly, they carry a holy symbol that becomes imbued with some of the deity's power. 

Deity: The cleric chooses a diety to serve. This will determine what prayers they can make, the holy symbol they carry and the code they must live by to remain blessed.
Prayer: Each morning the cleric may choose a single prayer to make. This will bestow a particular effect on themselves, an ally or a group of allies. The effects wear off the next morning, when the next prayer is made.
Code: A diety's code details the rules a cleric must live by to remain blessed. If a Cleric breaks any of the rules dictated by their code they must atone as detailed in their code. Until they do this they are not considered blessed and any effects of prayers or holy symbols are immediately lost.
Holy Symbol: A cleric's symbol bestows certain powers on the cleric as long as they remain blessed.


Sample Deities

Pelor - The Sun God
Holy Symbol - Golden Sun: Touching a target will immediately restore one Ability Score to its full score and cure any disease by the next morning. No target can be healed more than once per day.
Prayers
Sun's Blessing: Anyone that joins you in this prayer will see their crops thrive, water source run clean and any ailments heal by the next morning.
Righteous Light: Your holy symbol repels undead creatures, who will do whatever possible to move away from it when brandished. If touched by the symbol undead suffer 1d6 damage plus your WIL Bonus.
Code
- At least one act of charity each day.
- Do not give up on a good cause.
- Give aid to the sick.
Atonement: Spend a day tending to the sick or needy without help from Pelor.

St Cuthbert - The Holy Avenger
Holy Symbol - Mace: Add your WIL Bonus to damage when you attack unholy creatures such as undead, devils or demons.
Prayers
Shielding Hand: Allies that follow the code of St Cuthbert add your WIL Bonus to HP until the next morning.
Smiting Weapon: You can turn any attack against a non-believer into a Smite for an extra 1d6 damage. If this does not kill the target you cannot Smite again.
Code
- Obey the law wherever you are.
- Protect the faithful.
- Smite the unholy.
Atonement: Destroy an unholy creature with your mace alone.

Visual Inspiration for Arkbound's Ruined Homeworlds

From Top-Left to Bottom-Right

1: The Tempest affected each world differently. Some were transformed into lifeless deserts. Here we see one of the Subspace Pylons that unleashed the Tempest.

2: Robots still roam the homeworlds. Some are the original surviving machines but others are second generation, built by robots.

3: Some worlds still have a breathable atmosphere. On these worlds recolonisation is hindered by other hazards such as extremes of temperature or violent storms and earthquakes.

4: Some worlds found themselves flooded, their treasures now submerged below oceans.

5: Power had gotten so efficient on some worlds that the supply is still running. These power plants are prime targets for salvaging fuel for Arks.

6: Some worlds find themselves cursed with an endless night and smoke-shrouded sky.

Visual Inspiration for Arkbound Guns (and a Chainsaw)

a: The Slug Pistol is the most common weapon you'll see. It's easy to manufacture, plentiful in salvage hauls and ammunition can easily be produced. Most people on the slum decks have one stashed away somewhere.

b: The Bolt Rifle is the other low-tech weapon that has found great popularity on the Arks. Like the Slug Pistol it's simple and easy to look after. For what it lacks in mobility it makes up for with long range and a heavy punch.

c: A lot of weapons are produced on the Arks, both in and out of the Factory Decks. Every slum will have a number of weaponsmiths producing cheap but effective weapons from what they can salvage.

d: The Thudgun is mostly a big shotgun. Although unwieldy its huge shells can shred a victim to pieces. Scatter is much less than a shotgun so their effective range can be deceptively far.

e: Plasma Launchers resemble grenade launchers but blast out their canisters of super-heated plasma with devastating effect. These advanced weapons are usually reserved for Officers but the gruesome deaths they inflict make them objects of lust for slum gangers.

f: Railguns had become the standard long-range rifle on many homeworlds. They can be complex to maintain but deliver fearsome firepower at long range.

g: Somewhere between an SMG and a Minigun lies the Stormgun. They are sometimes nicknamed Screamerguns because of the rattling shriek they emit when fired at full rate.

h: Wave guns are one of the few purely energy-based guns, bombarding the target with flashes of energy that sear away at flesh and cause intense ongoing pain. The energy can be focused into a short beam that will allow the energy to penetrate even the toughest personal armour. Flash Guns use the same technology but are much less powerful and were a failed attempt to create a military standard, losing out in popularity to the Pulse Gun.

i: Pulse Guns were a standard military issue on many homeworlds. It fires a specially constructed bullet chased by an energy pulse. When the pulse catches up with the bullet on impact it reacts violently for extra damage. The special ammunition required for this gun is plentiful on homeworlds and always a target for salvage.

j: Not a gun, but melee weapons are commonly used by slum gangs particularly. The Sawblade (pictured here) and Powered Hammer are both power tools that have been weaponised.