Creating New Kits

Similarly, if there's a special sort of warrior that the DM would like to have in his world, he can design a new Warrior Kit for that warrior.

To design a Warrior Kit, you must answer the following questions about the warrior and his role in your campaign.

Description: What is this warrior? What literary, mythological, or historical source is he drawn from? What special requirements are there if a character wishes to be one?

Role: What is this warrior to be in the campaign? How does his culture look at him? How do other cultures look at him? Is there a special sort of outlook he needs to have to belong to this Warrior Kit? And what does this warrior tend to do in a campaign—lead mighty nations? brutalize and betray his allies? upset the delicate balance of political strategies? have a good time without making waves?

Secondary Skills: If you're using the Secondary Skills rules, you need to determine if this Warrior Kit requires such a skill. If no one secondary skill should be common to all warriors of this type, then don't require a secondary skill. But, if all members of a Warrior Kit seem to have this skill, then you should require it of all who take this Kit.

Weapon Proficiencies: Many Warrior Kits seem to gravitate toward specific weapon types. Knights lean to swords and lances; Merry Men of the forest prefer the longbow. If the warrior you're simulating seems to prefer one or two weapons above all others, then, in this Kit, you require them to take the proficiencies for those weapons.

Nonweapon Proficiencies: Most Warrior Kits, again, seem to have certain skills in common. It would be silly to have a Noble Warrior without Etiquette, for instance. So you may assign up to two proficiency slots to be given free to the character. If it's appropriate, the proficiencies may come from listings not appropriate to warriors—the Priest, Rogue, and Wizard listings. (Though normally the cost in slots for such proficiencies doubles, since they are here being given free to the character, that doesn't matter.)

Equipment: If a Warrior Kit is best-known for having specific types of equipment, require that the warrior have such equipment when the campaign begins. If many examples, but not an overwhelming majority, of this sort of Warrior seem to prefer a specific type of equipment, simply list it among the types of equipment the Warrior Kit recommends.

Special Benefits: Every Warrior Kit should have some special benefit. It's up to you to choose what that benefit is, but it should fit in with the way this warrior appears to function in fiction, mythlore or wherever he comes from. Types of benefits include:

Bonuses to reaction rolls, especially from certain categories of people;

Bonuses to attack rolls and/or damage, especially against certain categories of enemies, or in special circumstances;

A free weapon specialization;

Resistance (immunity or a bonus to saving throws) against specific types of magic;

Special rights in the culture in which the characters normally travel (for example, immunity from prosecution for certain alleged crimes, or the right to demand shelter); and so on.

Special Hindrances: You should also provide a special hindrance (or hindrances) which limit the character as much as his benefits help him.

Such hindrances can include:

Minuses to reaction rolls, especially from certain types of people;

Minuses to attack rolls and/or damage, especially against certain categories of enemies;

Inability to learn specific weapon or nonweapon proficiencies;

Vulnerability to specific sorts of magic (either a minus to saving throws, or the magic is automatically successful); and

Special restrictions in the culture in which the characters travel (for example, not being able to own property or get married, or excessive punishments for specific crimes).

Wealth Options: If the Warrior Kit has any restrictions or benefits in the awarding of his starting gold, or in the ways he can spend it, note them here.

Races: If there are variations to the Kit based on the character's race, note them here. Some races can't take a specific Kit; some will have different proficiencies, benefits and hindrances attached to them.

Notes: If you have any additional notes about the Warrior Kit pertinent to your campaign (such as which players you'd prefer for specific Kits, for example), put them here.

Additionally, you could create Kits for other classes than Warrior, or adapt the existing Kits to the other through tinkering with the skills, proficiencies, benefits, and hindrances. There could easily be Rouge Swashbucklers or Barbarian Priests, for example.

The Warrior Kit Creation Sheet

On page 124 is the Warrior Kit Design Sheet. If you wish to design a new Warrior Kit, just photocopy the sheet and design your new Kit upon it. When you're showing the Warrior Kits above to your players, also include the new Warrior Kits you've designed.

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