From: rm5a+@andrew.cmu.edu (Regan Merante)
Date: 18 Jun 92 23:21:27 GMT
Subject: Re: Avenger character class

I am creating a character class called the Avenger class, but first, for
a little background...

I recently entered a group that has been playing for a long time. We are
seasoned gamers, and take round-robin turns at DM'ing. Now, we do have a
overall DM (Cecile) and she makes sure that game balance is maintained
overall. 

This concerns a character of hers called Preacher. Now Preacher is a
basic elven clone of Clint Eastwood out of his western movies. When
Cecile was creating him, she needed a class combination that would let a
character be sneaky, stealthy, but noble, ethical, a good fighter, able
to take serious points of damage, and somewhat religious. Well, then
(about 6 years ago, with 1st edition) the best combination she could
come up with was paladin/thief...

Anyways, this was not a perfect solution, but seemed to work out all
right. He was mostly a paladin, in a kind of western gunshooter type,
who would hide in a corner until the bad guys split up and one of them
would pass close by, and then he would unload with twin hand crossbows
or with a long sword WHEN THE BAD GUY TURNED AROUND. He never
backstabbed, always kept to all of the paladin restrictions (but
stretching the borders towards chaos) And as he was played, he was not a
super-character, but received his share of hard knocks at 4/4.

But now at 7/7 things are getting a little bit more trickier. And after
a good, long, hard look at his alingment (She has been playing him at
the border between LG and NG) us new people think things could be
better, and now with the 2nd ed. rules on constructing new character
classes, we may have worked out a solution. Here goes...


Avenger class (ver. 0.5 alpha)

The Avenger class is basically a neutral good answer to the paladin. In
the tradition of Batman, The Man With No Name, The Green Hornet, The
Lone Ranger, and ..., the Avenger is a person that has been pushed
around too many times, and is now fighting for Justice. The class is
aligned with the powers of neutral good, because sometimes the law must
be broken to preserve justice.

Description: (Using the class creation rules in the 2nd ed. DMG)

Abilities:
Combat value:       Warrior                    +2
HD per Level:       1d10                       +2.5
hp after 9th:       +3                         +2
fighter CON bonus                              +1
except. STR bonus                              +1
bonus +1 to hit (the unjust)                   +1
inital proficiencies                           +1.75
aura of protection (from fear, not evil)       +2
find/remove traps                              +1
hide in shadows                                +1
move silently                                  +1
open locks                                     +1
read languages                                 +0.5
hear noise                                     +0.5
use magic items:   Warrior (+)                 +1

Detriments:
must be good                                   -1
must be neutral                                -1
donate 10%                                     -0.5
has particular ethos                           -1
can not own more than 10 magic                 -0.5
can not associate w/class enemy (the unjust)   -1
specific ability needed ( CHR>15)              -0.5
has tragic past                                -2

TOTAL                                          11.75


With a factor of 11.75, that puts the Avenger as stands just a little
more difficult than the Paladin. But considering that the example I'm
using in game is used to splitting up exp. between paladin and thief,
the factor could go much higher. Other abilities I'm considering are:
Cause Fear (as High Power: Priest Handbook); Lay on Hands; Immune: Fear
(Low Power: Priest's); Soothing Word (Priest's); Saving throw bonus
(+2); and others.

