One of my new players wants to be a dwarf warrior. This works fine with my world, and I want to accomodate her. My plan is to give her the dwarf Nature and dwarf adventurer’s starting trait, but otherwise using the warrior rules.
Can anyone think of why this might be a Bad Idea? Any suggestions for doing it better?
For that matter, is there any harm in otherwise mismatching classes and races in a similar way (like, say, an elven wizard or a dwarven cleric)?
Honestly, the dwarf is already very close to the warrior in terms of progression. They share a lot of the same level benefits, with some exceptions here and there. Is there something in particular that she wants that the warrior gets but the dwarf doesn’t?
Dwarf warriors serve the dwarf king, period. If one was ever kicked out of the dwarven legions as a recruit or fled their duty, they’d be a scurvy, honorless, fatherless dwarven adventurer.
She wants Brawler, Endurance, and Agile (she wants a sort of uncouth, ham-handed dwarven wrestler type).
(1) Why couldn’t there be a “dwarven adventurer” who doesn’t fit the class of Dwarven Adventurer? (2) Is this not game- and world-dependent?
Go for it!
I think that the concept behind the Dwarven Adventurer is that dwarven society is so closed and bound on tradition that any activity that doesn’t serve the Dwarven King makes you automatically a Dwarven Adventurer (dwarven burglar running from the Halls? Dwarf Adventurer; shamed coward that failed to keep his oath? Dwarf Adventure; exiled prince? Dwarf Adventurer).
But crafting classes in torchbearer seems simple enough (I never got to playtest my ideas, so my opinion definitely should be taken with a rock of salt) you can take the level benefits your player wants, replace them for the ones the class already shares with the Human Warrior, keep Nature and Wises, but retouch skills with something like, dunno, Fighter 4, Armorer 3, Commander 2, Orator 2, Steward 2 and call it “Dwarven Exile” (and maybe change Miner and Tinker with something that fits the concept).
On the other hand I think that you shouldn’t give everything the player wants in a silver plate and that character types should surprise you. Giving everything you player nitpicking wants leaves you without the hardships that make the game so endearing, taking away the will to fight for what you want because you already have it (“I wanna learn Commander so bad! Let me test Begginers Luck on that”).
Stay cool 
Well I guess you could be a dwarven adventurer with pointy ears a bow but man, come on. The Pathfinder RPG is right over there on the second shelf.
A dwarf warrior doesn’t seem too far of a stretch given the setting and the character concept. When I start using someone else’s setting, I’ll for sure reconsider.
I’d be fine with her taking Brawler. Not a huge benefit and fits the dwarven character type. The Agile ability works too, but the word “agile” doesn’t particularly fit a dwarf. I might change it to Strategic or something. However, dwarves get Hardy Stock at L4, which is identical to Endurance except its for the Sick condition instead of the Exhausted condition. I see no real reason to change this, but it doesn’t really matter either way. So really, I’d be fine with all of them except for the word Agile. But, I’d say she’s still a Dwarven Adventurer. Or maybe a Dwarven Brawler. But not a Warrior.
Because I do stuff like this, I present the outcast Dwarf Oathbraker!
Dwarf Oathbreaker
Dishonored and driven out by your clan for the terrible crime of breaking an oath, you wandered out from the halls of your fathers into a cold and inhospitable winter. Starving, cold and ready to give up all hope; doomed to wither away in the shadow of the mountain, you put your mind to survival at any cost—and miraculously, you thrived. Now you subsist on whatever coin your furs can bring in at market. Most of that goes to goods and sundries, the rest to strong drink. But there’s more than pelts out there in the wilds; there’s gold and glory for those brave enough to risk it all.
Class: Oathbreaker
Raw abilities: Will 3, Health 5
Skills: Fighter 3, Hunter 2, Scout 2, Survivalist 2, Laborer 2, Scavenger 2
Trait: Born of Earth and Stone
Wise: Pelts-wise or strong drink-wise, take a second wise of your own choosing.
Starting weapons: Dagger or hand axe
Starting armor: Leather and helmet
Level benefits
Level 1
Oathbreaker: Dwarves may wield any weapon except two-handed swords, lances and bows. You may wear leather armor and a helmet.
Level 2
Choose either Brawler or Shrewd.
Level 3
Choose either Skirmisher or Miner.
Level 4
Choose either Greed or Hardy Stock.
Level 5
Choose either Tinker or Drinker (see below).
Drinker: You enjoy a slug of strong wine, ale or spirits to keep away the night’s chill. Besides the usual benefits, drinking alcoholic beverages gives you +1D to Health and Survivalist tests related to staying warm until you become hungry and thirsty.
Level 6
Choose either Shrug It Off or Great Endurance.
Level 7
Choose either Troll Slayer or Mean Drunk (see below).
Mean Drunk: When you’ve been drinking and become Angry, gain +1 Might until the anger abates or until you get hungry and thirsty again.
Level 8
Choose either Giant Slayer or Veteran.
Level 9
Choose either Heroic Ability (Nature, Survivalist or Hunter) or Transformed (Trapping, Drinking or Wintering).
Level 10
Choose either Made of Sterner Stuff or The Madness Within.
Very nice, Mr. Sorensen. Now, about those next tier levels for Wanderers…:rolleyes:
Just for that I’m adding one more week.
Lol. Well, I don’t know what the release date is so, even if you do, I won’t know the difference. And, please, sir, don’t punish everyone else for my ill-thought impertinence.
Typical gamers. I give you a new, free class and wah wah wah more more more, always more…
Heh. I am ever appreciative of your generous donations to the Torchbearer gaming community. Please do not take my immature jesting as a sign of impatience or greediness.
Level 7
Choose either Troll Slayer or Mean Drunk (see below).Mean Drunk: When you’ve been drinking and become Angry, gain +1 Might until the anger abates or until you get hungry and thirsty again.
Level 8
Choose either Giant Slayer or Veteran.
Am I mistaken or are Troll Slayer and Giant Slayer the same thing? Or was the intention to give the Oathbreaker two chances at the same ability? Just curious…
That’s corrected in the official WOE version of the Oathbreaker. At Level 8 the Oathbreaker can choose Veteran or Bivouac.
Bivouac: When camping in unsafe or dangerous conditions, gain a free test to recover from any condition.
Thanks again, Jared. You’re the man.