Six New Classes for Torchbearer!

Jared Sorensen tried his hand at Assassin, Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Monk, and Strider. They can be your for the low price of $1 per class. Take a look here!

Dark Elves: Torchbearer Edition

Class: Raider
Raw Abilities: Will 4, Health 4
Skills: Fighter 3. Ritualist 3, Theologian 3, Scholar 2, Scout 2, Dungeoneer 2
Trait: Born From Shadow
Weapons: Crossbow, Sword, and Dagger
Armor: Leather and Chainmail

Born From Shadow

At the dawn of the world, the First Born cast out those of their kin with impure intentions, driving them deep underground. Over the ages, their skin became the color of pitch, their hair lost all pigment, and they found a certain comfort in the darkness. Those Born from Shadow can find a way when there is no clear path, but are often blinded by that which is in plain sight.

Where is Your Home?

Below are two new settlements meant to represent some of the many possible locations of the Underdark, the Dark Elves' home.

Drow Citadel (Dark Elves Only)
Skills: Weaver, Theologian, Alchemist
Traits: Cunning, Jaded

Isles of the Underground Sea (Dark Elves Only)
Skills: Carpenter, Laborer, Sailor
Traits: Bitter, Rough Hands

Optional Rule: Unless you're playing a campaign set within the Underdark, it is very unlikely that you will visit your home. Players may choose to take any of the normal settlements within the books, but they may only choose between Loner or Stoic as the home trait choices to reflect their status as outsiders.

Wises 

Choose one of the following: Poison-wise or Elf Lore-wise; additionally, take a second wise of your choice.

Nature

If you're a Dark Elf, write Nature: Dark Elf on your character sheet. Your descriptors are Spiting, Remembering, and Hiding.

Dark Elf Nature Questions

Do you take pleasure in every opportunity to spite your enemies? Or do you save your energy for more important matters?

• If you pleasure in spiting your enemies, increase your Nature by one.
• If you save your energy, replace or increase home trait with Thoughtful or Calm.

Have you found it within yourself to forgive those who have betrayed you? Or do you brood over the past, remembering the faces of all those who have wronged you?

• If you remember the faces, increase Nature by one.
• If you found it within yourself to forgive, replace your home trait with Generous or Honorable/

Do you desire to reclaim your place beneath the sun and stars and bathe in the light once more? Or do you prefer to hide in the depths of the world, shrouded in darkness?

• If you prefer to hide, increase your Nature by one and decrease your starting Fighter by one.
• If you desire to reclaim your place, your Nature and Fighter remain unchanged.

Starting Equipment

As Elf Ranger.

Dark Elf Raider Levels

When they gain a level, Dark Elves choose between a Cleric prayer or a special level benefit. This section describes the special level benefits. Gaining new prayers is described in the Divine Power section.

Level 1

Raider: Your level 1 title is Raider. Your level 1 benefit is the ability to use Ritualist to cast one first circle prayer of your choice, wear leather and chainmail armor, and wield a dagger, crossbow, and sword.

Level 2

Eldritch Sink: Dark Elves are supernaturally resistance to magic. All attempts to affect a Dark Elf with magic, helpful or harmful, suffer -1s.

Level 3

Essence of the Earth: As the level 3 Elf ability

Level 4

Fearless: As the level 4 Elf ability

Level 5

Shadow Dancer: Dark Elves are adept at wielding two weapons, either two swords or a sword and a dagger. While doing so, they may add +1D to all Fighter rolls during a Kill, Capture, or Drive Off Conflict. If wielding two Swords, they may choose two actions that receive a +1D bonus.

Crawl! #6 Review

The latest issue of Crawl has been out for several weeks. I've had it for several weeks, too. I was also sick right around the time I got it. Thankfully, I've kicked whatever was making feel like death and had the chance to go through this a few more times.

Crawl #6 is the end product of a contest Reverend Dak ran on the Goodman Game forums. Forumers were asked which classes they wanted to see most, then the community submitted their versions for consideration. The best Bard, Gnome, Ranger, and Paladin are featured in this issue.

One of things I really enjoy about the DCC RPG is how many archetypes fit into the four base classes. Clerics can easily fill their iconic role or play more like a Druid depending upon your alignment. Give a Warrior a pet and you're not too far away from having a Ranger. You can see where I'm going with this.

Let me start with the good. The Bard class is very well done and is one of the few classes I feel isn't covered in the four base classes. Bards can use their performances to affect their audiences. These effects might grant bonuses to will saves or act like Charm Person spell. It feels very balanced, and I will definitely be including this in my future campaigns.

I was particularly impressed by the Gnome. They are essentially slightly more Hardy Wizards with a restricted spell list to reflect their nature. Gnomes are typically the least favorite of all standard fantasy races, but I like them quite a bit. My only complaint is that this is only a five level class. The creator explains this as they usually lack the penchant for long term adventuring, but I feel this is a bad decision. Most members of the other races do not become adventurers. That's what makes them special. I will be expanding this to a full ten level class before including it in my campaign.

I have mixed feelings about the Paladin. I would best describe it as a cross between the Warrior and Cleric class. It gets a Smite Die, which functions like a Deeds die but only against unholy enemies. It casts spells and suffers disapproval as the Cleric. It also has a secondary disapproval-like table. I'm not sure I see the need for a full Paladin class. Simply rolling a Warrior with a belief in god and adding a few unique uses of the Mighty Deeds to reflect this devotion would cover it, in my opinion. I think the inclusion of more disapproval is not particularly exciting because the normal disapproval is already so punishing. Still, I think this is useful to take bits and pieces of and adapt as you see necessary.

I feel similarly about the Ranger class. It has a deeds die. It gets favored enemies. I just don't feel the need for a full class when the Warrior covers this so well. Unlike the Paladin, I don't see much in the way that there is to take and adapt.

Despite my hesitation about some of these classes, I'm never disappointed when the envelope from Stray Couches Press arrives in my mailbox. As with all community-generated content, your mileage is going to vary. If you haven't ordered it yet, you need to add this to your collection. Don't forget, Crawl! is now available in PDF form, too!

The Green Tide

Orc

The time of the Orcs is here. They have risen from their hovels, crossed the badlands and putrid swamps to conquer all who resist them. They wear their scars like honorable men wear their king's banner. The time of the Orcs is here, and they are angry.

Hit Die: Orcs gain 1d12 hit points at each level.

Alignment: Orc society is scattered and unorganized. It tends to be structured around roving war bands, with the strongest assuming the leader. Of course, this does not last very long, and most Orcs perish not from a well-aimed strike by their enemies, but by the cold, crooked knife of one of their inferiors. For this reason, Orcs are mostly Chaotic. Occasionally, Orcs separate themselves from the barbarism of their brethren and are Neutral. These arrangements are often familial in structure. Orcs are almost never Lawful, and those who are generally are the product of exile, capture, or orphanhood.

Weapon Training: Orcs are trained to use the battleaxe, blackjack, club, handaxe, javelin, mace, shortbow, shortsword, spear, longbow, longsword, two-handed sword, and the warhammer.

Level	Attack*	Crit Die/Table	Action Dice	Ref	Fort	Will	Rage Die
1	+1	1d10/III	1d20	+1	+1	+0	1d3
2	+1	1d12/III	1d20	+1	+1	+0	1d4
3	+2	1d14/III	1d20	+1	+2	+1	1d5
4	+2	1d16/IV	1d20	+2	+2	+1	1d6
5	+3	1d20/IV	1d20+1d14	+2	+3	+1	1d7
6	+3	1d24/V	1d20+1d16	+2	+4	+2	1d8
7	+4	1d30/V	1d20+1d20	+3	+4	+2	1d10
8	+4	1d30/V	1d20+1d20	+3	+5	+2	1d12
9	+5	2d20/V	1d20+1d20	+3	+5	+3	1d14
10	+5	2d20/V	1d20+1d20+1d14	+4	+6	+3	1d16

*Applies to both attack and damage rolls

Rage: The Orcs have built their reputation, not on their combat prowess, but on their ability to channel their hatred and malice into raw power. An Orc may enter a Rage at any point during a combat, even when it is not their turn. To determine the extent of an Orc's rage, roll the appropriate Rage Die, modified by the following:

• +1 for each creature the party kills
• +1 for each critical hit a party member lands
• +1 for each critical hit a party member suffers
• +1 for each fumble a party member suffers
• +1 for each party member who is dropped to 0 hit points

A player should keep track of these bonuses during combat. If an Orc enters a rage, is knocked unconscious, reduced to 0 hit points, or goes to sleep, erase all of the bonuses accrued. Orcs do not track these bonuses while in the midst of a Rage.

Rage	Atk/Dmg	HP	Fort	Will	DR	AC	Morale*	Speed	Threat	Action Dice
1	+1	+1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	+2	+2	+1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	+2	+3	+1	+1	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	+3	+4	+2	+1	-1	-	-	-	-	-
5	+4	+5	+2	+1	-1	+1	-1	-	-	-
6	+4	+6	+3	+2	-1	+1	-1	+10 ft.	-	-
7	+5	+7	+3	+2	-1	+1	-1	+10 ft.	19-20	-
8	+6	+8	+4	+2	-2	+1	-1	+10 ft.	19-20	-
9	+6	+9	+4	+3	-2	+1	-1	+10 ft.	19-20	-
10	+7	+10	+5	+3	-2	+2	-2	+10 ft.	19-20	+1d14
11	+8	+11	+5	+3	-2	+2	-2	+10 ft.	19-20	+1d14
12	+8	+12	+6	+4	-3	+2	-2	+10 ft.	19-20	+1d14
13	+9	+13	+6	+4	-3	+2	-2	+20 ft.	19-20	+1d14
14	+10	+14	+7	+4	-3	+2	-2	+20 ft.	18-20	+1d14
15	+10	+15	+7	+5	-3	+3	-3	+20 ft.	18-20	+1d16
16	+11	+16	+8	+5	-4	+3	-3	+20 ft.	18-20	+1d16
17	+12	+17	+8	+5	-4	+3	-3	+20 ft.	18-20	+1d16
18	+12	+18	+9	+6	-4	+3	-3	+20 ft.	18-20	+1d16
19	+13	+19	+9	+6	-4	+3	-3	+20 ft.	18-20	+1d16
20+	+14	+20	+10	+6	-5	+4	-4, Fearful Presence (DC 20)	+30 ft. 1st in Initiative	17-20	+1d20

*Applies to enemy morale checks

A rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Rage Die result (maximum 20). After a Rage ends, the Orc must make a fortitude save (DC = Rage Check + 1/per rage that day) or become fatigued. Fatigued Orcs suffer -1 to all  action dice, all skill checks are made untrained, and speed is reduced to half. This condition lasts for a number of turns equal to the margin of failure. Clerics who heal this condition are treated as if they rolled a natural 1 on a lay on hands check. While fatigued, Orcs may not enter a rage.

I Smell Man Flesh!: Orcs have an uncanny ability to smell flesh and blood. Orcs can smell any creature with either within 100 ft. Orcs can identify a creature they are familiar with by scent alone on a successful Luck check.

Initiative: Orcs spend their whole lives learning the art of war. While wielding two-handed weapons, they may roll 1d20 for initiative.