So one night a while back I made a table whose elements in a few hours went beyond d100 range, but stayed far shy of d1000. I stopped somewhere in the 150-160 number, listing out discreet elements of the AD&D character classes. An heretical idea had seized me - instead of picking a class, players make 2-5 rolls on this table, and these elements would define the class. Magic user that can disguise like assassin? Cross your fingers and roll! With the right five rolls, the generated class could conceivably fight like fighter, spell like a cleric AND a magic user, sneak like thief, and get druid level powers (as their career of near assured success continued).
So yeah, the table got huge. Throw'd in race-specific stuff, spell-like powers, magic resistance, starting wealth and magic items, etc... I started getting bored. And then I started trying to write it up as a table. Too many elements for d144 (d12 tens, d12 ones)... oh, I should edit it down... I think I got tired.
There's recurring board-debate on such pressing issues of class-as-mechanically-immutable-archetype vs. 'why caint my wizard wear a sword?', etc, etc. My response would be to have 2-5 rolls made on some refined version of this sprawling, half-baked list, to see exactly which classes have their turfs (turves?) tread upon.
I largely forgot about it, and then found it today while cleaning up. Enjoy. It's just a list...
fiddly fiddly fiddly!
- +1 to hit with blunt weapons
- +1 to hit, +1 damage with one melee weapon
- +2 damage with one melee weapon
- +1 damage with missile weapons
- Gain use of weapon not normally allowed (or +1 to hit with 1 weapon if weapon use unrestricted)
- +1 to hit with missile weapons
- +1 dexterity reaction/attacking adjustment
- +1 to hit with one melee weapon
- Turn undead as cleric of same level
- +1 constitution hit point adjustment, +10% system shock/resurrection survival
- +1 to hit with spears/polearms
- Disarm at +2
- +1 damage with one melee weapon
- Turn undead as cleric of level/3
- Turn undead as cleric of level/2
- Has d3 doses of poison and +2 on saves vs poison
- Has d6 doses of poison
- +2 to hit with one melee weapon
- Backstab as thief (if already a thief, may use assassination table when appropriate)
- Infravision (30', or +30' if already has infravision)
- +1 dexterity defensive adjustment
- +1 wisdom magic attack adjustment
- +1 to hit with on type of melee weapon (axes, swords, polearms, etc)
- All saving throws at +1
- All saving throws at +2
- Immune to disease
- Immune to poison
- Immune to petrification
- “Lay on hands” as a paladin
- Surprise as a ranger
- Dodge missiles as a monk (if a monk, saving roll at +2)
- Track as a ranger at half listed chances (if a ranger, add 5% to chances)
- Track as a ranger (if a ranger, add 10% to chances)
- Open lock and find/remove traps as thief of same level (if a thief or monk, add 10% to chances)
- Read languages as a thief (if a thief/assassin/monk, add 10% to chance)
- May use assassination table at ½ listed chance (if assassin, improve chance by 5%)
- Disguise as assassin (if an assassin, reduce chance of detection by ½)
- Infravision (60' or +60' if already has infravision)
- +1 to hit against one type of creature
- AC improved by 4 when fighting one type of creature
- +1 to hit and AC improved by 2 when fighting one type of creature
- Secret concealed door detection as elf
- Surprise as elf
- +1 (+5%) to reaction rolls
- +2 (+10%) to reaction rolls
- +2 to hit with thrown weapons
- +1 to hit, +1 damage with thrown weapons
- Knows 1 additional language per 4 points of intelligence
- +1 to hit with melee weapons
- Half chance of getting lost
- +10% improvement to climb walls*
- Herbal lore allows location and preparation of minor toxins and physicks
- +d4 hit points
- +2 hit points
- +d6 hit points
- +4 hit points
- Internal clock allows unerring sense of passage of time
- Earth detections as a dwarf (if already a dwarf, improve all chances by 10%)
- Earth detections as a gnome (if already a gnome, improve all chances by 10%)
- Reduce final price of weapons purchased by ½
- Reduce final price of armor purchased by ½
- Reduce final price of animals, equipment and supplies by ½
- Improve initiative by 1
- Does barehand damage as a monk of level-2 (if already a monk, +1 to hit barehand)
- Does barehand damage as a monk of level-1 (if already a monk, +1 to hit barehand)
- Does barehand damage as a monk of own level (if already a monk, +1 to hit barehand)
- +1 to hit with missile weapons, may extend range of missiles by 25%
- Improve AC of armor worn by 1
- May use a shield against 1 more attack than normal.
- Natural Horseman
- Outdoorsman
- Encumbrance penalties halved
- May use a shield as a off-hand weapon (treat as a club)
- +10% pick-pockets*
- Add open hand attack damage to a successful hit with a melee weapon
- +5% Move Silently and Hide in Shadows*
- +10% Move Silently*
- +10% Hide in Shadows*
- Re-roll any fumble. If second roll hits, no damage is done, but fumble is ignored.
- Heal at x2 normal rate
- +10% Hear Noise*
- No off-hand penalty applied while using two weapons
- +1 on saves against any source of heat/fire or cold
- +2 on saves against any source of cold
- +3 on saves against any source of cold
- +2 on saves against any source of heat/fire
- +3 on saves against any source of heat/fire
- +2 on saves against any source of heat/fire or cold
- +2 on saves against any source of electricity
- +3 on saves against any source of electricity
- +2 on saves vs poison
- +1 on save vs poison per 5 constitution
- Decrease chance of surprise by 1 and gain +4 to hit against surprised opponents
- Number of henchmen x1.5, loyalty base +10%
- Regenerate 1 hit point per minute unless killed (must be inactive to regenerate)
- +1 to strength damage adjustment
- Shields used reduce armor class by 2 steps
- Blunt weapon and impact damage (including falls) to character are halved
- If reduced to half or less hit points, to hit and damage at +1
- If reduced to half or less hit points, AC improved by 1
- AC improved by 1 against 1 attacker/round
- AC improved by 2 against 1 attacker/round
- AC improved by 1 against up to 2 attackers/round
- Photographic Memory
- Unaffected by mind-influencing spells
- +1 damage per level against one type of creature
- +1 damage per 3 levels against one class of creature
- Invisible to scrying
- Knows one 1st level magic user or illusionist spell, and gains 1 1st level spell per day
- Knows two 1st level magic user or illusionist spells, and gains 1 1st level spell per day
- Knows one 2nd level magic user or illusionist spell, and gains 1 2nd level spell per day
- May cast spells as a cleric (if cleric, one additional spell/day)
- May cast spells as a cleric of ½ level (if cleric, one additional spell/day )
- May cast spells as a druid (if druid, one additional spell/day)
- May cast spells as a druid of ½ level (if druid, one additional spell/day)
- May learn and cast spells as a magic user (if magic user, may retain memory of one spell cast/day)
- May learn and cast spells as a magic user of ½ level (if magic user, may retain memory of one spell cast/day)
- Has Magic Resistance equal to charisma + (level x 2)
- Has Magic Resistance equal to wisdom + (level x 2)
- Saves versus spells, rods, staves and wands at +1
- Saves versus spells, rods, staves and wands at +1 per 6 points of wisdom
- Saves versus spells, rods, staves and wands at +2
- Saves versus spells, rods, staves and wands at +1 per 4 points of wisdom
- Saves versus magic user and illusionist spells at +4
- 50% magic resistance vs spells and powers of creatures from other planes
- Saves versus cleric and druid spells at +4
- May learn spells from one other class
- May learn spells from two other classes
- Sixth sense – cannot be surprised
- Saves vs spells, rods, staves, and wands at +1. Saves versus spells cast by character at -1
- Operates as a thief (if already a thief, +5% to all skills)O
- perates as a thief at ½ level
- May cast Remove Curse 1/day
- May cast Dispel Magic 1/day
- May cast Animal Friendship 1/day
- Ethereal Sight for 2d10 minutes, 1/day
- Saves against spells cast by this character are at -1 **
- Saves against spells cast by this character are at -2 **
- Magic Resistance of those targeted by character's spells is halved **
- Magic Resistance of those targeted by character's spells is ignored **
- May save vs death at +1/level to ignore spell disruption effects **
- Spells cast have double area of effect/number of targets when applicable **
- Touch range spells have range 5', ranged spells add 50' to range **
- Self range spells have range touch, touch range spells have range 5' and ranged spells add 50' to range **
- Duration of spells cast is doubled when applicable **
- If magic user/illusionist, may wear leather armor. If druid, may wear chain. If other, improve AC by 1
- Has d3 potions
- Has a scroll
- Has a magic sword
- Has a miscellaneous magic weapon
- Has a magic wand
- Has a magic staff
- Has a magic rod
- Has a magic ring
- Has a miscellaneous magic item
- Has magic armor or shield
- Double starting gold
- Begins the game with d3 henchmen (up to maximum)
- Begins the game with d6 henchmen (up to maximum)
- Begins the game with 2d6 henchmen (up to maximum)
