Thought of some chess classes, then sketched up a small adventure. Behold!
- Pawn (start with rolling cover, a pike, and a vow of self-sacrifice)
A: Move twice the first round of combat. You have +4 AC until you move away from the enemy.
B: Level your weapon and take a knee to become as immovable as one ton of iron.
C: Extra attack per turn against adjacent enemies. Once per round, automatically hit a retreating enemy.
D: You can become a 4th level anything-else-you-want, permanently, at any time you choose. You regain all HP when this happens.
- Knight (start with a horse, a lance, an inaccurate map)
A: Move through occupied spaces freely, ignore rough terrain.
B: Jump distance trebled.
C: Once per combat, make an attack against every enemy within lance-reach
D: Move through air-permeable spaces freely, ignore impassable terrain.
- Bishop (start with robes of office, a patriarchal staff, a holy book)
A: Choose the path of Law or Chaos. You speak the ancient language of that alignment, and may turn creatures of the opposite alignment.
B: Once per day, declare a commandment or threat (depending on alignment) of three words or less. If a creature you can see defies you, automatically teleport behind them and make a weapon attack.
C: If Law, shadows are impassable to you. Lights in your hand burn unholy things. If Chaos, sunlight is impassable to you. Teleport between shadows with one minute of meditation.
D: Your commandments and threats work on inanimate objects. They might attempt to obey; if they don't then you attack them as normal.
- Rook (start with a pair of tower shields and the heaviest armor you can still walk in)
A: You are ten feet tall. Non-party members with fewer HD than you have levels must check morale to approach you.
B: Double in size. You have 20 Strength, and can carry a friend on each shoulder. Your armor and shields must be reforged.
C: Charge in a straight line ten feet wide and [level]*30 feet long. Those in your path save or are trampled. Buildings are smashed to rubble unless they have a good reason not to be.
D: Double in size. You have 40 Strength, and can wear a howdah on each shoulder. Your armor and shields must be reforged.
- Queen (start with 3d6 swords, a giant crown, a dress made out of chainmail)
A: Your initiative is always the worst possible. Extra attack per turn.
B: You can wield two-handed weapons as if they were daggers.
C: Once per day, command a single target in three words or less.
D: Sprout another pair of arms. Extra attack per turn.
- King (start with a dazzling crown and a gaudy-but-still-quite-sharp sword)
A: All NPCs treat you with respect due to your station. Enemies always try to capture you instead of killing you. An unstoppable cosmic force prevents you from coming within 10' of any other King, or making any attacks against them.
B: Those who willingly make themselves your subjects must save to disobey your orders. You can grant your turn in combat to a subject.
C: Design a banner. While you hold it above your head and sing a song of dominion, subjects who can hear you have a +2 bonus to all checks.
D: You have an irresistible urge to build a big castle. All NPCs now save to disobey you. Subjects may no longer make saves to disobey.
|
Flags of the local peoples.
|
Hostilities between the Chessmen and Dogmen have come to a boiling point. As of three days ago, Chess forces are laying siege against Dogtown. The Empress of the Dogs promises her people she will save them — and, quietly, lets it be known any mercenaries will be well paid for their appearance at Dogtown. Riches await!
|
Level 1
|
|
Level 2
|
|
Level 3
|
DOGMAN SOLDIER
1HD, M9, AC12
1d10 heavy spear.
NOSE: Dogmen have as sensitive a sense of smell as their quadruped cousins.
Dogmen stand five feet tall and have thick fluffy coats. They hate loud noises and are hard workers. They can only tell non-dogmen apart by hair color (you bathe too often for smell to be useful). They assume anyone giving orders is a lady and anyone carrying weapons is a gentleman.
CHESSMAN SOLDIER
1HD, M7, AC13
1d6 medium sword, carries a shield
CARVED: Chessmen are immune to fire and sink in water. They can hold their breath for several hours.
Chessmen come in two colors: glossy jet and shining ivory. They have recently overcome their old intraracial animi and now hold themselves as an example of equality to all other nations. Besides their newfound brotherly love all chessmen are xenophobic and murderous, and believe moral virtue is found in subjugation of lesser beings.
VAMPIRE
4HD, M12, AC12
1d6 bite (heals the vampire for the same amount)
CREATURE OF THE NIGHT: Vampires take 1d6 damage a round from sunlight, fire or running water. They can see perfectly in total darkness.
MAGNETISM: Those who make eye contact with a vampire save or are stunned for thirty seconds. The effect functions in total darkness.
Dozens of these creatures were recently disturbed from whatever fell hollow they had been slumbering in. They are desperately hungry.
KILNMAN ASSASSIN
2HD, M7, AC12
1d6/1d6 light ceramic stilettos (2 attacks per turn)
SMUT: Kilnmen with their eyes closed are indistinguishable from rock formations.
SMOG: Kilnmen do not need to breathe, and only vaguely understand that other people do.
Areas inhabited by kilnmen soon become lethal to anything which needs oxygen. They build extensively to keep their furnaces and charcoal piles well-fanned. Their metal (and charcoal, for that matter) is highly prized by surface races. Kilnmen hate torchmen.
TORCHMAN BRAVE
2HD, M7, AC12
1d6/1d6 light flint hatchets (2 attacks per turn)
EMBER: Torchmen cast light for 30'. Water burns them in the same way their skin burns everyone else.
Torchmen are the last troglodytic survivors of a vast empire of fire elementals. Ancestral memories keep most torchmen in a constant state of dreamlike introspection, which allows them to occasionally serve as oracles. They wander the space beneath the earth keeping oral traditions alive. Torchmen hate kilnmen.