Classy World Building (p.5)

 So, let's get a bit Gonzo!

I don't want this setting to feel like another bland quasi-Medieval Western fantasy world. I want it weird and full of oddities. Making some characters that are definitely not you regular human PC is the best way to go about this. Accordingly, I have made a few very odd character races: some inspired by the earliest days of D&D, some with inspiration from the various games and media that have been the basis for this project, and some from my fevered imagination.

The Chameleon-People

I wanted a race of scaly-but-basically human people who could change color like a chameleon, and served as ranger-like stalkers and killers. Something between the Rogues of The World of Twelve and shapeshifting villains from 80s sci-fi... and maybe with a touch of Mystique from X-Men (but not too much.)  

There is apparently a character in League of Legends who kind of fits what I imagined that I discovered on Pinterest.

"Neeko Fanart" Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License Juliet Garcia Art

The Sulitak

Adapting to the deadly predators of their home jungle, the Sultiak can climb and change color like chameleons, and have lightning-fast reflexes. They also have a gift for archery and acrobatics. They have a mischievous streak, and can be paranoid or jumpy. They cannot bear wearing clothes.

HD: D4 ● Requirements: DEX 9 WIS 9 ● Attack as: Thief ● Save As: Thief ● 
Special: Accuracy, Alertness, Outdoor Stealth, Thief Skills ● Armor: none ● Weapons: any

Level	Experience	Hit Dice	Title	Notes
1	0	1d4	Skulker	Accuracy, Alertness, Outdoor Stealth, Thief Skills [4]
2	1,100	2d4	Creeper	Thief Skills [2]
3	2,200	3d4	Prowler	Thief Skills [2]
4	4,400	4d4	Stalker	Thief Skills [2]
5	8,800	5d4	Hunter	Thief Skills [2]
6	17,600	6d4	Slayer	Thief Skills [2]
7	35,200	7d4	Shadow	Thief Skills [2]
8	60,600	8d4	Ghost	Thief Skills [2]
9	180,600	9d4	Invisible Blade	Thief Skills [2]
10	300,600	9d4+1		Thief Skills [2]
11	420,600	9d4+2		Thief Skills [2]
12	540,600	9d4+3		Thief Skills [2]
13	660,600	9d4+4		Thief Skills [2]
14	780,600	9d4+5		Thief Skills [2]
15	900,600	9d4+6		Thief Skills [2]
16	1,020,600	9d4+7		Thief Skills [2]
17	1,140,600	9d4+8
18	1,260,600	9d4+9
19	1,380,600	9d4+10
20	1,500,600	9d4+11

Accuracy: A Sulitak adds its WIS bonus to damage rolls with shortbows, longbows, and slings.

Alertness: A Party with a Sulitak is only surprised on a 1 in 6.

Outdoor Stealth: If naked and alone (or only in the company of other Sulitak) a Sulitak has a 5 in 6 chance of being invisible so long as it remains still. Or 3 in 6 if moving at half speed or slower.

Thief Skills: A Sulitak has a 1 in 6 chance of Open Locks, Find & Disarm Traps, Climb Walls, Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, Pick Pockets, Hear Noise, as well as a bushcraft skill that allows them to find food, water, and to track in the wilderness. They may distribute 4 extra points out of six (to a maximum of 5 in 6 in any skill) in any skills. Every level after first up to fifteenth they may add another 2 points across their skills.

Retro-Elves

The very first OD&D elves were an oddity; you chose at the start of each day whether to act as a fighter or a magic user... with slight benefits over both, but you only progressed in the class you were using in a given day. I decided to take this idea and run with it, but simplified. And I decided not to make them elves. It made sense to imagine them as living weapons, and to give them a much more "typical" D&D PC spell list than other classes.

The Riven 

Bound with two souls in a single body, the Riven were created as living weapons. One soul is a natural warrior, the  other a powerful magician. Every morning they choose which mind rules their body, changing abilities, even appearance and sometimes even sex to accommodate the chosen soul.

HD: D6 ● Requirements: STR 12 INT 12 ● Attack as: Fighter or Magic User ● 

Save As: Fighter or Magic User ● Special: Spells, Mighty Deeds ● 

Armor: Any or None ● Weapons: any conventional or none

Level	Experience	Hit Dice	Title	Spell Bonus	Notes
1	0	1d6	Divided	+1	Spellcasting, Magic Threshold 1st Level,  Mighty Deeds 1d4, Transformation
2	2,125	2d6	Compatriots	+1
3	4,250	3d6	Duo	+2	Magic Threshold 2nd Level
4	8,500	4d6	Merger	+2	Mighty Deeds 1d6
5	17,000	5d6	Twin-Soul	+3	Magic Threshold 3rd Level
6	34,000	6d6	Synergy	+3
7	78,000	7d6	Fusion	+4	Magic Threshold 4th Level
8	127,500	8d6	Unity	+4	Mighty Deeds 1d8
9	262,500	9d6	Singularly	+5	Magic Threshold 5th Level
10	397,500	9d6+2		+5
11	532,500	9d6+4		+6	Magic Threshold 6th Level
12	667,500	9d6+6		+6	Mighty Deeds 1d10
13	802,500	9d6+8		+7	Magic Threshold 7th Level
14	937,500	9d6+10		+7
15	1,072,500	9d6+12		+8	Magic Threshold 8th Level
16	1,207,500	9d6+15		+8	Mighty Deeds 1d12
17	1,342,500	9d6+16		+9	Magic Threshold 9th level
18	1,477,500	9d6+18		+9
19	1,612,500	9d6+20		+10
20	1,747,500	9d6+22		+10

Transformation: At the beginning of each in-game day where the Riven has had at least six hours sleep, they can choose to spend one hour in meditation and transform to either their warrior or mage aspect.

• In their Mage aspect they may cast spells, Attack like a Magic User, are not considered proficient in any weapon,  and use Magic-User saves, but cannot wear armor or perform Mighty Deeds.

• In their Warrior aspect, they cannot cast spells, but have access to Mighty Deeds, are proficient in all conventional weapons and armor, and use Fighter saves and attacks.

These two forms have separate personalities, appearances, and may even have separate alignments. They remember all that is said and done while the other soul is in command, and share the same goals.

Mighty Deeds: While in their Warrior aspect,  Riven can attempt to trip, blind, stun, disarm, push, reposition, etc. an enemy each time they attack. The [layer describes the result they hope to gain and rolls the Mighty Deed die indicated by their level. On a 4+ they achieve their aim. Alternatively, they can add the Mighty Deed die to an attack roll, or declare they are aiming for a Crushing Blow, at which point they take the higher of their damage roll or Mighty Deed Die before applying bonuses.

Riven Spells Analyze Dispel Magic Fly Fireball Knock Levitate Lightning Bolt Sleep Magic Missile Wizard Eye Wizard Lock Vulgar Arcana Detect Magic Floating Disc Light Locate Object Protection Evil Read Languages Read Magic Sanctuary

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Elemental Giants

I often feel that giants and fey get short shrift in D&D. In the myths from whence they game, giants aren't just big, stupid men: they are forces of nature with primeval magics. They conjure storms and ice. And fearies are creatures that are immortal, but often very changeable, doing things like turning into monsters or shrinking in their old age. And in some stories, faries can only grow and evolve in the presence of mortals (this stealing babies, etc.)  I decided to put a bunch of these ides in the blender.

I ended up with a giant that was mostly a living stormcloud, but shrank as they got older, becoming smaller, and harder, and more magical as they went. I called them the Gravin, and made them into a truly weird PC class that fundamentally shifts in abilities as they level up, in accordance with their fae life-cycle.

Gravin

Born as elemental giants of fog and shadow 15’ tall, Gravin are nearly incorporeal and incredibly strong, but unable to use magic. As they age, they become smaller and denser, and eventually attune to magic .By middle-age they appear to be the same shape and density as humans. In their old age they are nearly indestructible beings of ice.

Gravin who become highly active in the world accelerate their changes; a Gravin adventurer can change as much in a few years as their peers would do in a few centuries. Many Gravin choose to be aloof - to stay away from matters that may cause them to solidify prematurely.

HD: D6 ● Requirements: STR 13 WIS 12 ●  Attack As: Elf ● Save As: Elf ● 
Magic Thresholds: special ●  
Special:, Great Strength +2/D4, AC bonus by level, damage resistance at low levels ● 
Armor: shields only ● Weapons: any conventional

Level	Experience	Hit Dice	Title	Spell Bonus	Notes
1	0	1d6	Gravin Cloud		Great Strength,  Damage Resistance 3, Unmagical
2	2,100	2d6
3	4,200	3d6	Gravin Mist		Damage Resistance 2
4	8,400	4d6
5	16,800	5d6	Gravin Shadow		Damage Resistance 1
6	33,600	6d6
7	67,200	7d6	Gravin Shapeling		Damage Resistance  0, Magic Threshold 1st level, Spells
8	126,000	8d6
9	246,000	9d6	Gravin Form	+1	Magic Threshold 2nd level,
10	366,000	9d6+2		+1
11	486,000	9d6+4	Gravin Sage	+2	Magic Threshold 3rd level, AC +1
12	606,000	9d6+6		+2
13	726,000	9d6+8	Gravin Iceling	+3	Small Size, AC+2
14	846,000	9d6+10		+3
15	966,000	9d6+12	Gravin Stone	+3	AC +3
16	1,086,000	9d6+14		+4
17	1,206,000	9d6+16	Gravin Diamond	+4	AC +4
18	1,326,000	9d6+18		+4
19	1,346,000	9d6+20		+4
20	1,466,000	9d6+22		+5

Great Strengh: Gravin gain a +2 to Stength Checks and Melee Attack Rolls. They dela an additional 1d4 damage per attack.

Damage Resistance: Young Gravin at 1st level ignore the first 3 damage from all attacks. At 3rd level this reduces to 2. At 5th level it reduces to 1. This class feature is lost upon reaching 7th level, as they become smaller and more dense.

Unmagical: Gravin cannot use magic until they reach 7th level

Small Size: At 13th level, Gravin have become so dense that they are less than half the size of humans. Creatures larger than humans are at -1 to hit them. They have+1 to attack creatures larger than humans. They must use equipment designed for halflings.

AC Bonus: As Gravin gain levels, starting at level 11, they gain a bonus to AC based on their incredible density.

Gravin Spells Call Lightning  Create Air Faerie Fire Fog Cloud Ice Storm Produce Fire Protection from Lightning Resist Cold Resist Fire Sleet Storm Water Breathing Vulgar Arcana Detect Magic Floating Disc Light Locate Object Protection Evil Read Languages Read Magic Sanctuary

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