Petty-classes: The Farmer and The Torchbearer

FARMER

Farmers – not the miserable serf or bondsman, but the small-scale landowner or tenant farmer – are the backbone of most human societies. Although they are hardly remarkable combatants, they do possess some useful talents, have a knack for the outdoors and a fund of stubbornness and common sense that helps them to navigate difficult or perplexing situations.

Attack Matrix: 0-level Fighter

Saving Throws: Levels 1-4 (20 all, except Death 19); Levels 5-6 (19 all, except Death 18)

Hit Dice: d6

Armour/Shield Permitted: padded, no shield

Weapons Permitted: club, dagger, dart, pick, scythe, short bow, sling, spear, and staff.

Weapon Proficiencies: 2 +1 every 5 levels

Non-Proficiency Penalty: -4 

Base Skills: Animal Husbandry 2, Common Knowledge 1, Folk Lore 2, Horticulture 2, Local Knowledge 2, Weather Sense 1.

Free Elective Skills (choose 2 skills, between which you may allocate 4 levels, but note the figure in bold that limits the amount that may be allocated to certain skills): Animal Training, Carpentry, Climb, Cook, Craft, Dowsing 2, Follow Trail 2, Fish, Gossip, Heal 1, Herb Lore, Midwifery, Ride, Row, Set Trap 1, Silent Move Rural 1, Spinning & Weaving, Swim, and Woodcutting. 

Farmer Level Advancement
	Base Experience			Hit Dice
Level	Points Required			(d6)	Abilities
1		0		1	Homesteader
2		500		+2	Local Yokel
3		1250		+2	Salt of the Earth
4		2250		+2	Hard to Fool
5		3500		+1	Steadfast
6		5000		+1	Green Thumb/Beast-Friend

Homesteader: Farmers are notably prickly in defence of their own lands, gaining a +1 to all Saving Throws, rolls to hit, surprise and skill rolls whilst within a 1 mile per level radius of their own farm. They also produce 2% per level (plus their Wisdom score) extra value of crops or animal products on their own lands.

Local Yokel: The Farmer is a well-known figure in their local area (no larger than 6 square miles), gaining a bonus (or penalty) to all Reaction rolls with others who dwell in or are regular visitors to the Farmer’s locality. The Farmer’s alignment determines the modifier, as their past behaviour has a strong effect on how well they are perceived. Lawful Good Farmers receive a +3 bonus, whilst Neutral Good and Lawful Neutral Farmers receive a +2 bonus. Chaotic Good and Lawful Evil Farmers receive a +1 bonus. Neutral Farmers have no modifier to reaction rolls. Chaotic Neutral Farmers receive a -1 penalty; Neutral Evil Farmers receive a -2 penalty whilst Chaotic Evil Farmers receive a -3 penalty.

Salt of the Earth: Hard-nosed survivors and blunt dealers in pithy aphorisms, Farmers gain a +2 bonus to Encourage and Endurance, although they also take a -1 penalty to Diplomacy and Etiquette.

Hard to Fool: The combination of suspicion towards outsiders and a pragmatic fund of common sense grants the Farmer a +1 bonus to Sense Motive skill rolls and Saving Throws vs. Spells and Aimed Magic Items that are enchantment- or illusion-based.

Steadfast: Farmers become increasingly resilient, both mentally and physically. At 5^th level the Farmer may choose one of six defensive enhancements, dependent upon their highest ability score, as follows:

Strength – gain a +2 to Armour Class versus the Barge skill.

Dexterity – gain a +1 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Aimed Magic Items and Dragon Breath

Constitution – gain a +1 bonus to Saving Throws vs. Death

Intelligence – the required Competency level to succeed on Blather, Bluff and Persuade skill rolls against the Farmer is increased by 2.

Wisdom – reroll a failed Saving Throw vs. Enchantment Spells and take the better result.

Charisma – the dour mien and imperturbable presence of the Farmer disturbs those who would strike at them, granting a +1 bonus to Armour Class until they are successfully struck by that foe. This ability only works against sentient foes that have two or less hit dice.

Green Thumb/Beast-Friend: At 6^th level, Farmers have reached the apex of agronomy, achieving a level of skill that touches on the mystical or transcendent. The Farmer chooses either the Green Thumb or Beast-Friend ability, as described below:

            Green Thumb: The Farmer gains two free Competency Level in Horticulture and Speak with Plants, and gains one of the following randomly selected Druid spells (roll 1d4): Detect Pits & Snares, Entangle, Pass Without Trace or Predict Weather. The Farmer may cast this spell once per day, with the following proviso: the casting time is increased in size by one step (thus a spell with a casting time of 3 segments now has a casting time of 3 rounds).

            Beast-Friend: The Farmer gains two free Competency Level in Animal Husbandry and Speak with Animals, and gains one of the following randomly selected Druid spells (roll 1d4): Animal Friendship, Invisibility to Animals, Locate Animals or Predict Weather. The Farmer may cast this spell once per day, with the following proviso: the casting time is increased in size by one step (thus a spell with a casting time of 3 segments now has a casting time of 3 rounds).

TORCHBEARER

The humble Torchbearer – often hired by self-absorbed murderhobos with no respect for the vital role he or she plays – is an ideal fit for an ‘adventuring’ Petty-class. Assuming they live long enough, they become rather proficient at surviving subterranean excursions, developing a nose for danger and a raft of useful skills.

Attack Table: Illusionist

Hit Dice: d6

Saving Throw: Level 1-3 (all 20, except Breath Attack, Aimed Magic Items 19); Level 4-6 (all 19, except Poison 18, Breath Attack, Aimed Magic Items 17)

Armour/Shield Permitted: padded, leather, small shield only

Weapons Permitted: club, dagger, dart, hand axe, short sword, spear, sling

Weapon Proficiencies: 2 + 1 per 4 levels

Non-Proficiency Penalty: -3

Base Skills: Climb 1, Common Knowledge 1, Flee! 1, Folk Lore 1, Hide 1, Local Knowledge 1, Story Telling 1.

Free Elective Skills (choose 3 skills amongst which you may distribute 4 Competency Levels): Blather, Evade, Endurance, Gossip, Haggle, Heal, Keen Senses, Mining, Silent Move Rural, Silent Move Urban, Stoneworking, and Swim. 

Torchbearer Level Advancement
	Base Experience			Hit Dice
Level	Points Required			(d6)	Abilities
1		0		1	Stubborn Refusal, Packhorse
2		500		+2	Minor Dungeoneer
3		1250		+2	Gleaned Knowledge, Adroit Bearer
4		2250		+1	Practiced Dungeoneer, Good Grip
5		3500		+1	Gleaned Skills
6		5000		+1	Experienced Dungeoneer

Stubborn Refusal: Those who hire a Torchbearer – and others – will always work to involve them in tasks that they didn’t sign up for. Whenever someone attempts to Command, Intimidate or Persuade a Torchbearer to enter into combat, taste something dangerous, look for traps (and similar tasks), the required level of Competency is increased by half the Torchbearer’s level (minimum 1, round up). Torchbearers also gain a +1 bonus to save vs. enchantment spells.

Packhorse: Torchbearers are practiced at lugging others’ gear. Treat the Torchbearer’s Strength ability as if it is 1 higher for the purpose of calculating their Encumbrance adjustment.

Minor Dungeoneer: After a few trips down the dungeon, Torchbearers begin to develop an awareness suited to such subterranean missions. They gain a +2 to all Keen Senses skill rolls, but only while in a dungeon (+1 in cellars and sewers).

Gleaned Knowledge: The Torchbearer, having seen a thing or two, now has a % chance equivalent to their INT score + their Torchbearer level of identifying monsters and humanoids encountered in a dungeon. However, these creatures must have less Hit Dice than the Torchbearer.  

Adroit Bearer: Torchbearers now become adept at using their torch as either a shield (treat as a small shield) or a weapon (1d3 damage + 1 point of Fire damage). In addition, if the Torchbearer should drop their torch, they can pick it up in half the time usually required and there is only a 1 in 20 chance of the torch being extinguished (unless it drops into some unhelpful medium). In addition, the Torchbearer can use tinder and flint to light a torch, lantern or fire in all but the least congenial conditions.

Practiced Dungeoneer: At 4^th level, the Torchbearer gains +2 to all Engineering, Mining and Stoneworking rolls to determine the existence of slopes, grades, stone traps, new construction, false doors/walls and determining depth and direction underground. 

Good Grip: A true Torchbearer never willingly relinquishes their torch. Attempts to part bearer and torch (i.e. the Barge or Disarm skill) increase in difficulty by half the Torchbearer’s level (minimum 2, round up). The Torchbearer is also hard to disarm in a general sense, increasing the difficulty of relieving them of their weapons (not their torch) by 1.

Gleaned Skills: The Torchbearer continues to pick up useful knowledge and knacks: they may choose two of the following skills and allocate three Competency levels between them (the chosen skills must be ones the Torchbearer has not yet selected): Demon Lore, Dodge Blow, Legend Lore, Magic Sense, Potion Lore, Rune Lore, Scroll Lore, Sixth Sense, Stone Lore, Strike to Stun or Trap Sense.

Experienced Dungeoneer: The Torchbearer is now surprised only on a roll of 1 on a 1d8 whilst underground, and gains a +1 to all Climb, Endurance, Flee!, and Silent Move rolls (if underground).