House Warriors

Distictions between Warrior Subclasses

There are three different types of warriors in the official Dark Sun Rules: Fighter, Gladiator, and Ranger.
On Athas, the fighter is a trained warrior, a soldier skilled in mass warfare. Every society on Athas maintains an army of fighters to protect itself from attack or to wage wars of plunder and annihilation against its neighbors. Fighters are both the commanders and soldiers in these armies, and at higher levels are experts in both individual and formation combat, leadership, and morale. They can be of any alignment, use magical items, gain weapon proficiencies and specializations, and advance in level according to the rules in the Player's Handbook.

Gladiators are specialized one-on-one fighters, trained for the arena. Of all the classes they have the most skill in melee (i.e. hand-to hand) weapons such as the sword, club, or spear, and the most overall melee skills. Gladiators are slaves of the city-states or merchant houses, specially trained to participate in brutal physical contests for the enjoyment of the masses. Disciplined in many diverse forms ofhand-to-hand combat and skilled in the use of dozens of different weapons, gladiators are among the most dangerous warriors on Athas.

The role of the ranger is largely unchanged—even in the alien wilderness of Athas. Harsh and unforgiving, this world calls for skilled and capable people to master its ways. The ranger more than answers that challenge, living a rugged life through clever mastery of his surroundings. A ranger's motivations can vary greatly. For instance, human rangers are often former slaves forced into the wilderness where they must learn to survive. Halfling rangers, on the other hand, play an integral part in their aboriginal society as advisers and trackers. Whatever their origin, all ranger characters are of good alignment.

You may take one of these standard subclasses, or you may custom-design your own. Up to 10 points can be saved from this process and converted to charps for purchasing proficiencies in the next stage of character creation.
In TSR terms, the gladitor may only be single-classed. In House Rules terms, the standard gladiator takes the ten-point single-class-only disadvantage, and carries the ten points over to the class-making stage.

Warrior Benefits

All Athasian warriors share the following benefits:

Warrior Saving throws Table

Warrior Superchart Table: Standard and Nonstandard Warrior Abilities

 
The columns on the left, experience level, hit dice, THAC0, and #attacks per round apply to all warriors. Standard fighters take the standard experience point progression; standard gladiators and rangers must take the delayed experience point progressions.

The "Ranger Psi Powers column applies to only standard and custom-made rangers, i.e. custom-made warriors that take the ranger package.

Warrior Penalties and Benefits Table: 50 Points

Benefits and penalties for Standard Warrior Subtypes

Armor limited

Experience Point Progression

Weapons limitation

Other

 
Optional Benefits and Restrictions: The Full Description
Optional restrictions:
+10 Delayed experience point progression—the warrior uses the less favorable experience-point chart.
+5 Limited Armor: Warrior cannot wear armor heavier than leather.
+10 No Armor: Warrior may use sheilds, but may not wear other sorts of armor.
+5 Limited weapon selection:

Optional benefits
10 Armor optimization: The warrior learns to optimize his armor when he reaches 5th level. He learns to move and position armor so it absorbs blows better than it normally would. With every five levels of experience, the warrior gains a +1 bonus to his Armor Class. Thus, at 5th level the bonus is +1, at 10th level it's +2, at 15th it's +3, and at 20th it's +4. This benefit doesn't apply to warriors who aren't wearing armor, however. Also, armor spells or rings of protection don't gain the bonus, but more substantial magical protection, such as bracers and cloaks, do.

10 Attract followers: (as AoH, type of followers depends on specialty and character of warrior.)
As a warrior increases in experience levels, his reputation as a leader grows. As word spreads, less experienced warriors who are eager to fight for the same causes seek him out. These followers remain loyal to the fighter for as long as they are not mistreated and there are battles to be fought. A warrior need not have a stronghold to attract these confederates. Followers are always gained in a group of five individuals, which is called a stand. All five are of the same race and experience level and have the same equipment. A unit consists of some number (usually 2dl 0) of identical stands.
When the warrior reaches 10th level, he attracts his first unit of followers. This first unit always consists of warriors of the same race and background as the fighter (that is, if the fighter is part of a slave tribe, so is his first unit of followers). The first unit consists of d8 stands (of 5 individuals each, for a total of 5-40 individuals). Roll 1 d2+1 to determine the level of the unit. As the fighter gains each new level beyond the 10th, he attracts another unit of followers. Roll dice to determine the number of stands in the unit and the level of the followers. These subsequent followers may be of very different backgrounds than the warrior himself.
The warrior can’t avoid gaining followers. The desperate peoples of Athas constantly look for great commanders, warriors who will lead them. The table below lists a fighter’s followers. These are merely the automatic followers that a fighter gains. In the course of a campaign, a player who wishes to role-play such situations might raise huge armies of former slaves or gain control of an entire thri-kreen tribe for his character.

TABLE XIV: Warrior’s FOLLOWERS

* Percentage chance that the unit is of an unusual nature. Examples include kank cavalry, thri-kreen, elves, aarakocra, or human fighters of exceptional equipment or morale. The DM decides all special characteristics beyond the number of stands and level of followers.

15 Automatic weapon specialization with all melee weapons—but character must spend one charp per level just to maintain this training. (This is why a standard gladiator gains only four charps per level.). A gladiator is automatically proficient in all weapons. He never receives a non proficiency penalty for using a weapon, not even one he has never used before.

15 Backstab as theif, if successfuly moving in shadows and moving silently.

5 Battle communications. A fighter can command large numbers of troops when he reaches 7th level. In role-playing terms, the fighter has mastered the skills and techniques to take charge of 100 soldiers per level. This includes terminology, use of messengers and signals, use of psionic and magical aids to communication, etc. In all cases where the rules here don't contradict them, the rules governing fighters in the Player's Handbook should be used.

5 Bow +1 THAC0 bonus: Bonus applies to any type of bow., and in addition to any other bonuses.

10 Commanding presence: The character’s as a commander in a military situation improves morale of the subject troops.

10 Called critical hit: the character can make a called shot at -4 to make a critical hit in combat. Target parts cannot be aimed for with this ability.

10 Defense bonus +2 to AC.

5 Defensive constructions: Character can build defensive constructions such as ramparts. The warrior can supervise the construction of defenses when he reaches 6th level. These include ditches and pits, fields of stakes, hasty stone and wooden barricades, and even semipermanent stone fortifications.

5 Feign death: Warriors, especially gladiators, frequently find it useful to "fake it."

10 Greater hit points: The warrior rolls d12 for HP.

5 Hide in shadows: Racial and dexterity adjustments modify the progression on the Warrior Superchart.

10 Inspiring leadership: Fellow combattants recieve a +1 on their attacks.

5 Local hero: Price breaks, bonus 2 reaction rolls in one town or city.

35 Master of weapons. A gladiator can specialize in multiple weapons. As a reward for years of training and discipline, a gladiator becomes the ultimate master of weapons. He may specialize in any number of weapons, provided he has the number of proficiency charps required. Even though he is considered "proficient in all weapons" he must pay the initial charps to become proficient with the weapon before being able to specialize in that weapon (which requires additional charps, as usual).

5 Move silently: Racial and dexterity adjustments modify the progression as

10 Muscle subability bonus: Upon creation of a character and after racial adjustments have been made, a player may choose one of the three warrior classes for this character. If so, he rolls an additional 1d4 and adds these extra points to his character's muscle subability score. These points can take a character's Strength score as high as 24, but no higher. This one-time addition takes place only at the creation of the character; characters who dual-class to warrior cannot enjoy this benefit.

5 Patron: At 6th level, the warrior recieves a patron. For the minimum expectation of loose allegiance to the patron, and four combats or one month of service per year, the warrior recieves excelent permenant quarters commensurate with her acheivements and level, and frequent gifts from her patron. Generally, the better the service and allegiance, the more lavish and extensive the patronage.

5 Teach weapon proficiencies. A fighter can teach weapon proficiencies when he reaches 3rd level and can train students in the use of any weapon in which he is specialized. The fighter may train a number of students equal to his level in a single "training class." A training class requires eight hours of study each and every day for one month. At the end of that time, each student must make an Intelligence check. Those who pass gain a bonus proficiency slot in that weapon. A student may only be trained once, regardless of success, with a specific weapon. Students can learn any number of new proficiencies in this manner, even beyond those slots normally allowed for a character of that level.

5 Trackless movement: the warrior can use her tracking non-weapon proficiency score to avoid being tracked.

5 Two-weapon style: the character automatically recieves the ambidexterity trait and learns two-weapon fighting style.

10 Unarmed combat specialist: The character begins play as a specialist in wrestling, punching, and in one locally available martial art. With training, time, and charps, the character can become a grand master in multiple unarmed combat styles. The warrior is a natural in unarmed combat. He receives a 2-point bonus to modify all punching and wrestling attack rolls, in addition to all other modifiers.

5 War machines: Can operate or oversee the use of seige engines such as catapults, balistae, etc. A fighter can operate heavy war machines when he reaches 4th level, including bombardment engines (such as ballistae, catapults, and trebuchets), crushing engines (such as rams and bores), and siege towers.
5-15 Weapon specialization and mastery. In all cases, the warrior must pay the charps and recieve the training in order to enjoy the benefits of weapon specialization and mastery:
5 can specialize in one weapon or non-weapon style.
10 can learn up to mastery in one weapon or non-weapon style.
15 can learn up to grand mastery in one weapon or non-weapon style.

30 Ranger package:
Package benefits
• Bonus survival proficiency for the terrain type of the ranger’s guarded land. When the ranger is on the guarded land itself, this check recieves a +5 bonus (up to a check of 19).
• Bonus tracking, ambush and camoflage nonweapon proficiencies, which recieve a +2 bonus (up to a check of 17) when the ranger is on the terrain type of his guarded land. When the ranger is on the guarded land itself, the checks recieve a +5 bonus (up to a check of 19).
• Species enemy. Ranger recieves a +4 to hit against a specific species that threatens his guarded land.
Ranger restrictions:
• Good alignment restriction and code of ethics.
• Standard ranger restrictions equiptment, no armor heavier than studded leather.
Benefits dependent on adherence to ranger restrictions
• Animal empathy benefit.
• Botanical enchantment ability. Ranger can use potion fruit to attempt to grow other potions, just as wizards and priests can.
• Ranger Psionics. Because of his connection to the land, a ranger begins to learn additional psychic attacks, defenses, and psionic powers when he reaches 8th level. See the Warrior superchart for the psionic power progression. If the psionicist already has the power, attack or defense, then no psionic abilities are gained at that level. The ranger gains no extra psps, MTHACO bonuses, or MAC bonuses other than what he acquires as a wild talent.
• Use of priest and psionicist non-weapon proficiencies.
• Animal Empathy. A ranger is skilled at animal handling. His adeptness with both trained and untamed animals is as presented in the P/ayer's Handbook.
• Special Ranger Followers. If (and only if) the followers option is taken, a 10th-level ranger attracts 2d6 followers, but his followers are far different from those granted to a fighter or gladiator. To determine the type of follower acquired, consult the table below and roll for followers.

SPECIAL RANGER FOLLOWERS: