Major Rewrite of my EMO DND

So ive been on a major rewrite of my retroclone dnd game system. A few reasons.I have been tacking bits on for over four years and some content not used for years so cut out. I want it to be faster for a new player or walk in one off to have a ready character. I want to streamline choices, especially some that have caused confusion or slowed character gen down. I have see a few sub systems and mini games for mechanics I like and want to adopt. Simplify some sub systems which will also reduce record keeping.

My game is basic DnD with a version of late adnd proficiency system added on. Mostly like the original OA system with some ideas from later version feats added in. I like to use skill system and build thieves and monks around being skill specialist classes rather than they all have same abilities. Warriors get the best use of exotic combat skills.

So I have done some basic classes with rogue and warrior done pretty well. Conceptually have sub classes or examples of quick build kits to make quick characters possible. Will include basic equipment, starting weapons, skills, spells and plus a list for additional skills to choose from to streamline beginner choices.

After putting most of player gen tables on two a4 landscape sheets has been handy so more stuff in this format. Experienced players use this entirely instead of the more wordy version.

Have started lansdcape version of skill lists and culled a third of the skills seldom used or mostly abused. Will write short descriptions of each and then use revised list to build the various class varients which should be easier. Three hour bus trip was handy here.

Revised spell lists describing spells in more detail in landscape by types and level. Will do a basic elf and bard list seperate to the arcane/divine/nature list choices ive let them pick from before before (might let them as an option or for sub types).

Might need to make Planet psychon version of character samples, possibly use my mentalist/psionics spell lists more. I have plans to make a mutant and machine spell list to. Robot one worked out ok but i never did higher levels in detail. The submersible player robot who could turn into a moped was pretty cool. He was always collecting parts for spares or build a follower or girlfriend. Cant go wrong right?

I do like modern idea of less save improvements or classes specializing in only a few. Ive been using stats for saves and skill rolls which is good but i think some scale of mods and penalties would be good as most saves better than half and sensory skill rolls a bit easy, especially when multiple members have skill. Also I like players being able to try things out without a skill but 1/2 chance a bit generous. Secret doors too easy to spot so a list of example difficulty mods handy.

Tempted to replace halflings or gnomes with goblins or allow their example builds to make different little people to make goblins, barn trolls, hedge folk, faeries, etc. Im pretty happy the way my Abhuman class can be used to make beast men, barbarians, rock men or orcs. My changeling super malleable too so gnome and halflings need to get this useful or go. I do kinda like he way a halfling and a bunch of followers turn into rock hurling machine guns that mow down enemies.

Paladin and rangers work as fighter builds. Barbarian has more in common with my beast men than fighters (human beast men?). Assassin is fine as a rogue/theif build. If i build more classes they need to fill rolls between other classes and do new things. Also that specialize in my mentalist spell list. New classes not a high priority.

Current favorite ideas for classes include

Mystic - uses mentalist list and competent at fighting or spells. Like the modern versions of assassins with spells. Somewhere between a monk-assassin and spell caster for humans. Good for cults, holy hit men, weird martial art sects and other weirdos.

Alchemist - materialist spell casters who spend gold and make potions instead of memorise spells. Will have own spell list. Was a dragon issue (121?) with a class like this i really liked. Lot like wizards and sorcerers physically.

Shaman - related to priests and possibly called exorcists in civilised church hierarchies. A a bit like shukenja in OA a priestly type who is less into combat and has astral travel/spirit sight abilities instead of turning. Possibly use psionics list or priest for ones in hierarchical institutions. Like alt priests now might get a non turning power, possibly shaman could have alt ability like prophecy. Ancient diviners sects would often be parallel to priest hoods not actually part of them. Partly to create a less flighty priest. Clerics i see as pretty much Templars and make paladins unappealing. This class will make me develop spirits as a more frequent type of entity.

.Witches i have thought about for a long time and i liked the dragon one with the Elmore art. I have considered letting them use every spell list including the alchemy and mentalist list.

I did have a system where you make a alignment oath every level and get a taboo. In return you slowly got spells which could make a fighter a paladin or ranger but also allowed wizards of chaos or light. Might be worth including. The first four levels you just get cantrips till you first proper lv1 spell at 5th so not too game breaking and makes alignment have a function.

Classes plus example "sub-classes" or schools will allow lots of variety and quick choices

So each will have starting proficiency slots, spells and equipment listed
Ive considered offering a bonus random proficiency for choosing a type also

eg:
Knight

d6 Equipment:
1 Spear, sword, shield, studded leather +4, pack horse, empty sack, empty wine skin
2 Spear, sword, cheap lance, shield, ringmail +4, riding horse, camp tent and cookware, boy follower
3 Spear, sword, d3 cheap lances, shield, scalemail +4, riding horse, camp tent and cookware, boy follower
4 Spear, sword, good lance, d3 cheap lances, shield, chainmail +5, one other weapon, war horse, camp tent and cookware, squire
5 Spear, sword, d3 good lances, shield, Plate Mail +7, one other weapon, war horse, Riding horse, quality camp tent and cookware, squire and a boy
6 Spear, sword, d3 good lances, shield, Field Plate +8, d6 other weapons, war horse, Riding horse, , d3 pack horses, quality camp tent and cookware, d3 squires and a d3 boys and a d6 peasants servants

Starting Weapon Proficiencies +1 per level
Sword d8 1H
Spear d8 1H
Polearm or greatsword d10 1H
Mace or flail d8 1H
------
d20 Recommended advances:
1 Mounted charge - double damage with a lance charge
2 Mounted attack - horses gets +1 attack and damage
3 Mounted Strike - damage dice from horse back bumped up to next dice
4 Dismount Attack - remove enemy rider from horse
5 Weapon specialisation +1 +2 +3 in choice weapon
6 Armour Defence +AC when using choice armour
7 Armour Attack +1 damage bonus in medium or better armour
8 Armour Mobility - halve speed mod and weight of armour
9 Armour Optimise +1 relevant saving throws in armour
10 Brawling - can bare hand fight d3 unarmed damage
11 Strike with Pommel - once a ten minute turn get extra attack
12 Shield Attack - once a ten minute turn get extra attack with shield
13 Shield Bash +1 hit or damage use shield as a weapon
14 Shield Defence +1 AC when using a shield
15 Shield Cover +2 AC when defending against missiles
16 Shield Optimise  +1 relevant saving throws using shield
17 Shield Strike - can use shield as a weapon small d4 medium d6
18 Ride by attack - can split move and attack for hit and run
19 Knockback - knock foe back with a blunt attack
20 Falling 1 d6 less damage from any fall

Starting Non Weapons Proficiencies +1 every three levels
Riding (Horse) - basic horse riding skill
Grooming - human or horse, makes subject look nice
Etiquette - courtly manners and conduct are known
------
d20 Recommended advances:
1 Quick Mount - get on and off horse instantly with Dex roll
2 Heraldry - identify flags, banners, shields and seals
3 Steward - know how to manage a castle or farm or household
4 Riding (Griffin, hippogryph, dragon, unicorn, pegasus, seahorse)
5 Siege Craft - know how to manage siege and build basic seige weapons on the battlefield
6 Kingdom Lore - know kingdoms, nations, history, rulers and politics
7 Beast Trainer (Horse or falcon)
8 Beast Handler - can befriend or herd animals
9 Hunting - can find game and food animals
10 Judgement - can fairly judge and divide loot
11 Map Lore - knows how to read and make maps
12 First Aid - stabilise a wound and heals +1 HP takes 1 rounds
13 Carousing - know how to party and not die
14 Gaming - play games with noblemen
15 Diplomacy - know how to make contact others peacefully
16 Romance - know how to keep your lovers content
17 Drinking - can drink like two, recover +1hp after next rest
18 Eating - can eat like two, recover +1hp after next rest
19 Leadership - +1 Morale for your subordinates, helps rally followers
20 Command - increases command radius to CHA in battlefield inches"

Numbered for quick convenience, not caring or NPCs

Anyway so these are sample "classes"

Warrior (Fighting Men)
1 Knight - noble cavalry and leaders
2 - sea going soldier
3 Paladin -  holy warriors in service of a god
4 Ranger - wilderness scouts
5 Gladiator - arena fighters (like barbarian could be abhumans)
6 Viking - seafaring clansman
7 Horseman - nomad horse tribes
8 Man-at-Arms - modern mercenaries
9 Amazon - women skirmishers
10 Yeoman - land owning bowmen

Wizards (Magic users)
1 Fire Elementalist
2 Air Elementalist
3 Water Elementalist
4 Earth Elementalist
5 Summoner - calls servants from other worlds
6 Necromancer - calls on powers of the dead
7 Enchanter - cloud the will of others
8 Illusionist - creator of phantasms
9 Arcanist - studies magic and makes items
10 Sage - seeks lore and secrets

Rogue (Specialists)
1 Thief - robbers and crooks
2 Assassin - professional hit men
3 Acrobat - entertainers
4 Charlatan - con men
5 Jester - clowns
6 Duelist - rakish swords for hire
7 Spy - espionage experts
8 Paddler - traders, wheelers and dealers
9 Pirate - sea marauders
10 Bandit - wilderness gangs

Priest (Clerics)
1 King - ruler ship and the state
2 War - death and destruction
3 Evil - underworld dungeon goddess
4 Light - sun and justice god
5 Water - sea and trade god
6 Fire - love and war goddess
7 Air - storm and hunter god
8 Earth - life and nature goddess
9 Night - moon and darkness goddess
10 Trickster - chaos and cunning

So when skill sheets done i will be able to knock up these, many are pretty much done already so a good project on long buss rides. Will help make NPCs and newb players faster. Will make more user friendly for users with layouts.

Monk (physical adepts)
1 Nun - cloistered nuns
2 Brotherhood - cloistered monks
3 Scholar - study and document wisdom
4 Guardian - sworn protector of church and relics
5 Friar - a travelling country travelling monk
6 Missionary - spreader of church and civilisation to the frontier
7 Inquisitor - hunter of heretics and unlawful magic
8 Martial Artist - specialise in unarmed combat
9 War Saint - specialise in one weapon to extreme degree
10 Agent - specialise in stealth, espionage and conspiracies

Sorcerer (blood bound magicians)
1 Draconic - dragon cult
2 Diabolic - devil worshippers LE
3 Demonic - demon worshippers CE
4 Angelic - angel worshippers LG
5 Modronic - perfect law worshippers LN
6 Slaadish - primal chaos worshippers CN
7 Fire  - fire cultists
8 Earth - earth cultists
9 Air - air cultists
10 Water - water cultists

Druid (nature priesthood of the old way)
1 Blood Druids - blood and sacrifice sects
2 Black Druids - death and darkness sects
3 Green Druids - plant sects
4 Grey Druids - beast sects
5 Yellow - plague ans swamp sects
6 White - healing and faeries sect
7 Orange - fire sect
8 Brown - earth sects
9 Blue- air sects
10 Jade - water sects

Bard (musical performers)
1 Troubadour - romance mad mystical cultists
2 Skald - poets of barbarian kings
3 Drummer - inspires others to work or fight
4  Spell Singer - arcane philosophers of magic
5 Sacred Singer - sacred chorister for a religion or cult
6 Minstrel - courtly entertainers
7 Shepherd - lonely animal tenders
8 Wailing Woman - funeral mourners
9 Courtesan - sacred prostitutes
10 Demagogue - political agitators

Elf
1 Forest Elf - nature loving jolly elves prefer druid spells like a sorcerer
2 Bright Elf - holy elves good divine spells but like a sorcerer
3 Dark Elf  - unholy elves prefer evil divine spells like a sorcerer
4 Winged Elves - no armour but functional wings 1 ten min turn per level per day, use arcane sorcery
5 Sea Elf - no armour but can breathe water prefer druid spells like a sorcerer (sea versions)
6 Celestial Elves - star elves from the sky prefer arcane wizard spells
7 Cavern Elves - grey skinned, large eared prefer mentalist spells like a sorcerer
8 Moon Elves - are nocturnal and secretive elves who prefer arcane wizard magic
9 Bone Elves - are albino corpse eating elves who prefer evil divine spells like a sorcerer
10 Wild Elves - are savage barbarian elves who get d8 HD but dislike armour, prefer druid spells like a sorcerer

Dwarf
1 Hill Dwarves - culturally closest to human and tallest, like barbarian clans
2  Black dwarfs - evil greedy warlike and industrial, love coal, steel and blood
3 Gold Dwarfs - good greedy warlike and industrial, love gold, trade and war
4 Silver Dwarfs - compulsive inventors and scholars, greedy for secret knowledge
5 Red Dwarves - friendly craftsmen and farmers, dwell in countryside and nature
6 Sewer Dwarf - live in filthy sewers under a human city collecting trash
7 Morlocks - cannibal cave dwellers and able builders, miners, slavers and trappers
8 Chaos Dwarf - corrupted insane demon worshippers
9 Grey Dwarf - scheming evil, war mongering, robbers  and thieves
10 Flint Dwarf - wild savages preferring stone weapons

Mostly ideas at this stage - could do rest of the classes i use like - halfling, gnome, abhuman, changeling, giant,

Abhumans were Beastmen but i found they could include all kinds of semi human beefcake. Will include barbarian, orc, beast men, element and mineral and plant men, ice men, etc. Play proved this class very flexible base to play with. Changelings did too with animal, plant and other weird versions.

Im open to ideas

sadly i will have to get a version of word running again - slightly better at consistent tables and pdfs