Wildwood Manuscripts: The Warrior [WIP]

Next up we've got my version of the Fighter, which is flavored to be a bit pragmatic and ultimately disillusioned by a life of someone who has gone to war. They're the bitter sod who priests will likely spend a great bit of time trying to bring back to some point of morality that doesn't involve a knowledge of how to quantify the value of human life. Designed in the BtW style, with some combat knacks cribbed/re-flavored from NOD, specifically the first one with Mu-Pan. Also included: Favored Weapon, Backup Weapon, a Warrior's Kit, and Warrior Aphorisms. Not as many generators this time, but to be fair, a warrior is an awful lot more generic than a priest of a pseudo-Catholic church. It feels fitting for the Dolmenwood game I'll be running, where Knights are either foolish or cruel and where men-at-arms may as well be bandits if they don't have the proper backing.

The Warrior [Fluff]
When man is judged by the One True God, catechism dictates they are measured in blood they’ve shed. The blood of the innocent, the blood of the iniquitous, the blood of the vile. Man is born in blood, and only through drowning the world in it has man enacted brutal dominion over monstrous things that would see them brought low and out of the True God’s light. Those who make their trade in slaughter and bloodshed are warriors, and like all men their free will allows them to be both saviors and villains to any they come across.

Warriors are formidable in combat, those who are not are known as corpses. The subtleties of the faith are lost to them, but all those who work in civilized realms pay at least lip service to a higher power even if they’ve long since fallen into sacrilege and profane atheism. They know not the spells of the wise or the enchantment of fey things; the weavings of creation may be elegant but they do not alter the bloody fundamental truths that a warrior is all too aware of and could not function without.

To increase their survivability most warriors will undertake specific weapon training so as to better practice their trade, which often means growing attached to one’s kit of equipment. To go unprepared is to walk blindly into death, and a warrior who acts recklessly is soon liberated from the ranks of those who truly know that blood alone turns the wheels of history.

Why would a warrior adventure, let alone into the wildwood? A myriad of reasons, all of which likely involve the eventual slaying of another being. A warrior adventures generally to do mercenary work, plain and simple but other such ambitions can likely be found.The vast frontiers offer up a chance to carve out their own domain and estate, to play at nobility and be served by weaker henchmen, and perhaps to secure borders so that someday it might be possible for people like them to no longer need to exist. But such romantic notions are best left to the same sort who wish of slaying dragons, bedding elf-maidens, and serving their God without having to truly follow the laws of His clergy.

If one is adventuring in the wildwood, a warrior makes a boon companion to adventure with. They are the murderous hand of humanity that brings low the monstrous and the wicked. They are easily motivated by material gains, as all men tend to be, though they also do tend to go through equipment quickly and can use such wealth to maintain their goods.  Should you partner with such a warrior, pray they fit a sense of morality you can agree with; but be not deceived by appearances. Not all knights are noble, and not all brutes are cruel.

Hit Dice: d10
Initiative Bonus: +1

The Warrior

		Saving Throws					Class Feature
Level	Experience	Enchantment	Substance	Geas	Dragon Spume	Ensorcellment	Bonus to Hit
1	0	17	14	15	17	16	+1
2	2,500	17	14	15	17	15	+2
3	5,000	14	13	13	16	15	+3
4	10,000	14	13	13	16	14	+4
5	20,000	12	11	12	14	14	+5
6	40,000	12	11	12	14	13	+6
7	80,000	11	10	11	13	13	+7
8	150,000	11	10	11	13	13	+8
9	300,000	9	8	9	11	12	+9
10	450,000	9	8	9	11	12	+10

Class Features

Favored Weapon: All warriors have a favored weapon  that they’re exceptionally skill with. This weapon has an additional +1 to Hit and a +2 to damage when wielded by the warrior. This weapon is the type of weapon gained from the Warrior’s Favored Weapon Table below.  When this weapon is replaced by another, the warrior must kill a number of enemies equal to their level with the new weapon, and spend 1d4 days customizing their new weapon to become their new favored weapon.

Tactical Acumen: Warriors pick up a few talents over their career which allow them to continue fighting against increasingly greater threats. Pick one of the following features at first level, then another at second level and then every even numbered level after that.

• Assess the Enemy - For each round of combat you do not attack a single enemy, you gain a +1 bonus to Hit, AC, and Damage for the rest of the combat against that opponent.
• Cleave - You may make an additional attack against an adjacent secondary opponents every other round.
• Combat  Sense - In the event of an ambush you roll initiative during the surprise round, if your result is higher than the enemy than you may attack first without penalty.
• Defensive Fighter - You gain an additional +1 AC when fighting with a shield or a parrying weapon in your off-hand.
• Block Missile - Once per round, if you are struck with a missile weapon you may roll To Hit. If you roll higher than the roll to hit you, you have successfully deflected the missile attack.
• Brutal Strike - You gain a +1 bonus to damage with all melee weapons.
• Fleet of Foot - You gain an additional +1 to your Initiative roll.
• Horsemanship - You suffer no penalties from fighting atop a mount, or on any moving or unsteady platform such as the deck of a boat or the back of a wagon. If you are fighting on a horse you own, you gain an additional +2 to hit.
• Parry Mortal Wound - Once per combat if you are struck by an attack that would otherwise kill you, you may roll To Hit. If you roll Higher than the roll to hit you, you retain a single Hit Point and do not perish.
• War Cry - You may once per day shout a war cry while in melee that grants you a +2 bonus to Damage on your attack. Should you have made a successful Rallying maneuver (See Combat Rules) beforehand, your allies also deal +2 damage on their next attacks.

War-wise: Warriors have seen enough combat to know how it works. A warrior can tell how long ago something was killed at a rate of 3-in-6, and on a rate of 2-in-6 they can determine what sort of weapon was used to do the deed (provided it isn’t obviously still sticking in the corpse.) Any warrior with an Intelligence of 10 or higher is literate in the Common Tongue and can tell when they’re getting the raw end of a contract at a rate of 2-in-6.

Starting Gear: A warrior has a favored weapon off the Warrior’s Favored Weapon Table and an additional weapon off of the Backup Weapon table. They have a set of Warrior’s Spoils as determined by the appropriate table below, as well as the following equipment: a cooking knife, a week’s rations (in the form of potatoes, salt pork, and salted legumes), a canteen, flint and tinder, ten feet of rope, a locking kit box (with key), and 3d6+Strength Attribute in Silver Coins with which to make other purchases.

Warrior Name Generator

d20	Male Name	Female Name	Title or Nickname*
1	Alun	Ailla	“Bad Blood”
2	Austell	Beryan	“Bonepicker”
3	Benesek	Crewenna	“Hacksaw”
4	Beorn	Demelza	“Hardholder”
5	Brant	Eseld	“Lucky”/”Luckless”
6	Carrow	Kayna	“Whoreson”/”Crabnethers”
7	Caswyn	Kerensa	Sir Knight/Dame Knight
8	Cruach	Ladoca	The Black/Red/White
9	Cuthbert	Lowenna	The Blade/Hammer/Bowman
10	Cyne	Manacca	The Bloody
11	Daveth	Meliora	The Cavalier
12	Digory	Metheven	The Daring
13	Geol	Neraud	The Dauntless
14	Gerens	Nessa	The Dead Man
15	Jacca	Rosen	The Doomed
16	Jory	Roskilly	The Grim
17	Leof	Rozen	The Hawk/Lion/Bear
18	Orm	Tamsyn	The Merciless/Merciful
19	Waed	Teague	The Ripper
20	Wethinoc	Vorva	The Sellsword

*Titles and Nicknames are generally for those with Intelligence or Charisma above 10.

Warrior’s Favored Weapon

d12	Favored Weapon	Provenance
1	Chain-wrapped Oak Club (d6)	You took your first life with this...
2	Boar Hunter's Spear (d6)	...which you looted from a no-man's-land.
3	Pike-sharp Mattock (d6)	...which you had to steal back after a brawl gone wrong.
4	War-readied Entrenchment Tool (d6)	...which was gifted to you in lieu of your first paycheque.
5	Hooked Hand Axe (d6)	...which you killed the original owner of.
6	Quadren-tipped Spear (d6)	Your ancestor's ... taken from wars before your time.
7	Razor Sharp Battle Axe (d8)	...stained with gore splatter, which never can be cleaned.
8	Ancient Bronze Warmaul (d8)	...that you once used on a patron after they bungled a contract.
9	Gilded Longsword (d8)	....notched and scarred with signs of abuse.
10	Crescent-bladed Bardiche (d10)	...which should've been sent to the slag heap years ago.
11	Flame-waved Great Sword (d10)	A standard military outfit's...
12	Hookbladed Glaive (d10)	...that you keep in prime condition.

Backup Weapon

d12	Backup Weapon	Provenance
1	Concealable Kerambit (d4)	...because situations are rarely kind, so better to have it and not need it.
2	Cruelly Barbed Dagger (d4)	...because you once broke your fist in a fight. Never again.
3	Combat-Proven Straight Razor (d4)	...which was once used in an attempt on your life.
4	Common Forester's Hatchet (d6)	...blessed by a holy man, who said it'd do "God's Will."
5	Spiked Hammer (d6)	...stolen from a dead friend, so you would not join them.
6	Long Knife of Iron (d6)	...given to you by an auspicious man, "for safe keeping."
7	Cavalry Issue Sabre (d6)	...that someone else left in the common room of an inn.
8	Oak Shortbow and 10 Black-Fletched Arrows (d6)	...just a little less lucky than your favored weapon, but still lovely.
9	Simple Pick-Hammer (d6)	Your father's....
10	Hornwood Longbow and 10 Red-Fletched Arrows (d10)	,,,purchased when engaged in debauched carousing.
11	Antiquated Bronze Flail (d8)	...which you found next to a lovely spring, abandoned.
12	Rosewood Light Crossbow and 20 Iron-Tipped Quarrels (d8)	...that you need at your side to feel truly secure.

Warrior’s Spoils
All warriors find themselves accumulating pilfered or requisitioned goods during their career, and such items make up their kit. Roll on this chart to determine what the warrior has upon them at this point in their career.

d12	Part 1	Part 2	Part 3	Provenance
1	Aged Mare	Fine Scabbard	Bottle of Wine	...stolen from a house you quartered in during a war.
2	Now Battered Chainmail (AC+3)	Flask of Oil	Hard-to-Read Treasure Map	...granted to you for outstanding valor in a conflict.
3	Fur-lined Leather Cuirass (+2 AC)	Oiled Leather Raincloak	Extra Woolen Socks	...taken even though it was all those folks had left.
4	Stubborn Mule	Ugly Fur Hat	Roll of Work Knives	...handed off to you by a veteran, disillusioned and seeking death.
5	Quilted Blanket	Pound of Salt in a Jar	Whetstone	...rewarded to you by the Church, as your bloodshed benefited them.
6	Small Leather Satchel	Handkerchief with a Nostalgic Scent	Old Bedpan	...given to you as a "bonus" by a patron, and likely ill-gotten in origin.
7	Set of Three Tin Serving Bowls	Tin Box of Yarrows (to Staunch Wounds)	Iron Frying Pan	...leftover from the war, which no one objected to you taking.
8	Tin Drinking Tankard	Wooden Fife	Common Drinking Horn	...granted to you by nobility, in the hopes you might not turn your blade on them.
9	Papers of Nobility	Marred Foreign Coin of Electrum	Simple Woodsaw	...all in fine condition, despite the violent life you lead.
10	Silver Cruciform	Martial Horn for Music-Making	Bag of Chalk Sticks	...and it is all you have left to remember them by.
11	Fine Young Pony	Battered Buckler (+1 AC)	Tin Box of Matches	...found abandoned in the woods, to your benefit.
12	Skittish-but-Loyal Dog	Goose-down Bedroll	Linen Tent	...given to you by your family, so you might survive to see them again.

Warrior Aphorisms
Knowledge is power within a sandbox, and these following points represent aphorisms and beliefs a warrior might have picked up in the field; even within a small amount of time spent in a conflict. The truth of them is open to interpretation by the GM and the Player, but acting upon such things should be rewarded and challenged. Warriors begin play with two aphorisms off this this chart, picked randomly. Should you roll the same result twice, you know this in your heart of hearts to be true.

Warrior Aphorisms

d30	Warrior Aphorisms
1	Never trust a noble who isn't willing to negotiate on prices, you can always get five coins more.
2	In war, all things are honorable. Every day is a new war. Do what you must to survive it with honor.
3	A quick thrust of a long knife through the armpit can cause a painful death.
4	Always take a hostage if you can manage it. Everyone is worth something.
5	Torture rarely gets the truth, but it can send a message to the enemy.
6	Never trust your information, but work with it as best you can until proven otherwise.
7	A warrior must honor all contracts, in doing so their sins are upon the employer.
8	To win any conflict, take the food of the enemy and make them live in their own filth.
9	Killing a monster is dangerous, but it lets you set your own price. Often not worth the risk.
10	To send a message: castration for men, head-bashing for women. Leave them to bleed out.
11	Keep your weapon stained in the blood of your enemies until the night before a new conflict.
12	Never keep your weapons in any filthy state. They must be pure for their purpose to be pure.
13	The One True God ordained Mankind to enact violence. God abides violence on the inhuman.
14	To win a war, poison the water supplies. Choke them with their dead. War is not meant to be kind.
15	Don't anger the pious or the arcane, they don't play by the natural order. Kill them first if you must.
16	Never kill a man who can be used for your own ends. Such allies win wars and are easily disposed of.
17	Pay your lessers well and treat them as equal, they'll kill those who'd betray you.
18	Hell watches battle through the eyes of cats and vermin. Avoid combat in places where they flock.
19	Drink the morning of a battle, you'll sweat it out. You may not drink again.
20	When a warrior dies, they are welcomed by God and given a chance for respite.
21	When the Ruination comes, all good soldiers will fight one last war before they achieve true bliss.
22	Never defile the dead, it attracts the attention of Hell and fouler things.
23	Loot the dead if you desire, there is no ill-luck and they do not need it anymore.
24	The blood of warriors attracts the undead more than the blood of innocents.
25	Try your best to never let an innocent see how the world is. Better they die without such hate in their eyes.
26	If you must love, love powerfully and love without regret. Death comes tomorrow,  for everyone.
27	The head injury you survive is a head injury which will kill you in time. Invest in a helmet.
28	A man can fight without his legs, his arms, his eyes, or his teeth. You have no excuse to die without wounding your killer.
29	Dogs are trustworthy and born innocent. Cruelty makes them a warrior. They aren't wolves anymore.
30	Your weapon is true friend, your partner is your best friend. Pray that one doesn't meet the other unkindly.