Bonus Goal classes berserker, beastmaster, halfling bounder, halfling burglar, "hoodlum"

I thought I’d open a thread for Bonus Goal new class general discussion. The Bonus Goal new classes are berserker, beastmaster, halfling bounder, halfling burglar, and “hoodlum”. (Should any patron deities seek input or supplication, perhaps they will open another thread.)

Berserker

“a shield-biting shape-changing madman of Norse myth”

The inspiration for the Heroic Fantasy Handbook (HFH) berserker seems to be Viking berserkers of history and myth. Professor Tolkien was very familiar with these myths. If one holds the myths to be true, the greatest among such a class might be rather like Beorn, of The Hobbit.

Beastmaster

“a lordly king of the jungle equally at home in B action movies and E.R. Burroughs novels”

Tarzan seems to be the primary inspiration for the HFH beastmaster, but I suspect a Tarzan-like class would easily support a certain 80s movie beastmaster named Dar.

Halfling bounder
Halfling burglar

The inspiration is well-known. An advantage of no halflings appearing in ACKS core has been many halfling classes appearing on these forums. I think each one has been of interest, with some being mechanically innovative. The challenge, perhaps, is it’s much easier to create a BX halfling than the ACKS halfling race underlying any ACKS halfling classes. (Reading the Kickstarter text literally, we likely will not see a final halfling race, only the initial two classes. But the race is still a challenge for Alex.)

Like humans, normal (monster chapter/listing) halflings probably need to be thought of as 0-level (?), although saving as E1 (?). Like the gnome, the halfling monster entry might need tweaking after we have an “official” halfling class (?). (Note that no “official” tweaking of the gnome monster entry has yet occurred, although the results can be seen in the L&E gnome lair.)

“Hoodlum”

“an alternative build of the thief designed for heroic fantasy … class name is subject to change”

HFH Thievery additions were previewed here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/autarch/heroic-fantasy-and-barbarian-conquerors-collection/posts/1857802

I like the new equipment and the general concept of success being a matter of time, time being of greater importance in a game with wandering monsters and generally diminishing resources over time. It seems to me that great thieves do things fast, in the way a professional athlete makes athletics look easy (but it’s not).

Also, some form of improved interaction with hijinks seems an avenue for an ACKS alternative build of the classic thief.

What are your thoughts on the Bonus Goal classes of berserker, beastmaster, halfling bounder, halfling burglar, and “hoodlum”?

A beastmaster with some uncanny powers could also be a fair substitute for the druid in TSR-era AD&D. A bit less magic, a bit more "person totally in tune with nature." It would also support characters like Mowgli.

For berserker, it would be interesting (to me, at least) for them to have a totem similar to shamans, so you could have wolf berserkers (ulfhednar) in addition to the berserkir. I could also see fox (for a more Dex-based type), great cat (lion/tiger/leopard), and even more exotic things like crocodile being berserker totems.

As a name for the "hoodlum" class—I like something like "rogue" or "scoundrel," generic as they may be. I'd sure feel goofy putting "hoodlum" on my character sheet.

[quote="creases"] As a name for the "hoodlum" class—I like something like "rogue" or "scoundrel," generic as they may be. I'd sure feel goofy putting "hoodlum" on my character sheet. [/quote]

I just had an immediate, visceral, negative reation to the idea of calling any class "rogue." The reason is of course D&D 3.5rd edition, which included a class that with abilities that made it a fit for good thieves, sabateurs, scouts and infiltrators... Which for some reason they decided to name after the personality traits of a few characters who might have taken levels in that class, instead of after the capabilities and professions that class was designed to represent.

[quote="GMJoe"]

 

As a name for the "hoodlum" class—I like something like "rogue" or "scoundrel," generic as they may be. I'd sure feel goofy putting "hoodlum" on my character sheet.


-creases

 

I just had an immediate, visceral, negative reation to the idea of calling any class "rogue." The reason is of course D&D 3.5rd edition, which included a class that with abilities that made it a fit for good thieves, sabateurs, scouts and infiltrators... Which for some reason they decided to name after the personality traits of a few characters who might have taken levels in that class, instead of after the capabilities and professions that class was designed to represent.

[/quote]

How about using 'Ne'er-do-well' as a class name?

[quote="wmarshal"] How about using 'Ne'er-do-well' as a class name? [/quote]

That has the same kind of issue, in that it describes a personality trait that's only vaguely connected to what the class does. My reaction's less visceral and more considered, though, what with how I haven't had spend years listening to players using the term.

I like shortening it to "hood", but I prefer class names to be one syllable and to be the same as the first level title. So you start out with vet, scout, and knight--instead of fighter, explorer, and cleric--for the former soldiers; and hood, thug, and fence--instead of thief, assassin, and venturer--for the former ruffians. It sounds more "zero to hero". 

Stick with mage and priest for the lifetime scholars.

I'm with creases , hoodlum is a meh name. Rogue fits will , think Rogues in The House here 

Beatsmaster sounds like a  fun class to play and a nice throwback to the 80's movie of the same name. 

In case someone who hasn't seen them  wants to watch them, the 1st is proper 80's style heroic fantasy with beefcake, hot slave girls, goofy weapons , low magic

 The 2nd more modern with a fun "dimension travel" aspect and the 3rd, its 90's heroic fantasy. I didn't care hugely for it but its very S&S 

What do you think of a word that suggests looting, treasure hunting, etc.:

  • Heister
  • Looter
  • Plunderer

Or some rogue-like words:

  • Desperado
  • Knave
  • Outlaw
  • Rogue
  • Scoundrel

Or some synonyms for thief:

  • Bandit
  • Burglar
  • Robber
  • Stealer 

There are also more violent sounding terms like:

  • Marauder
  • Raider
  • Ravager
  • Thug

 

 

 

 

 

Riader is usually  used  as an alternate  for Barbarians ind20 games , capitalizing on the classes  higher movemnt rate and sometimes adding  skirmish abilites. D20 Game of Thrones does this, think Viking here / 

Knave isn't bad, its used in the D20 Game of Thrones game for a Thief variation but its too medieval for my tastes 

Of course all this depends on what you are doing with the class, if you are going more "skilled guy tougher than a thief" something like The Grey Mouser you'll want a more generic name like Rogue (kind of like the Pathfinder version) , Heavy Hitter with some stealth would call for a different name.  I personally would avoid anything that is a specific crime myself and Burglar  is for hobitsses 

Some sillier suggestions: misappropriator, acquisator, pilferer, …

A fun party game: they say the Inuit have a hundred words for snow, and the Arabs a hundred words for sand, but how many words has English for theft?

I rather like burglar and knave. I agree with the distaste for hoodlum, and feel that rogue is played out.

I suppose "tortfeasor" doesn't have the necessary ring to it.

Out of the list of names provided by Alex my preference would be for knave.

Hm. I'd like to see what's either included or excluded from the base thief.

I've long wanted to see a class that could just be called "Adventurer", and I'd usually envisioned it as a HD1/F1/T2 that has the dungeony door/trap/etc. set of skills. The sort of career or skill-set that people would naturally gravitate to given a world full of treasure-laden ruins.

 

[quote="koewn"]

Hm. I'd like to see what's either included or excluded from the base thief.

I've long wanted to see a class that could just be called "Adventurer", and I'd usually envisioned it as a HD1/F1/T2 that has the dungeony door/trap/etc. set of skills. The sort of career or skill-set that people would naturally gravitate to given a world full of treasure-laden ruins.

[/quote]

That's actually a really good idea.

 

I personally named this class Archeologist >.>

(Their proficiency list does include whips, yes, why do you ask?)

[quote="Alex"]

That's actually a really good idea.

[/quote]

/me prints this out poster-sized, hangs it on his wall

[quote="Aryxymaraki"]
 

I personally named this class Archeologist >.>

(Their proficiency list does include whips, yes, why do you ask?)

[/quote]

I named mine "Fortune Hunter", but it's got my hacked-up half-caster progression I'd whipped up way before Axioms, etc, and may actually be a bit too-genre aware. Archeologist was the 9th level title. And the template came with a fedora.

 

I like knave.

[quote="koewn"]

And the template came with a fedora.

[/quote]

We can always change it to "Time weathered yet stylish hat" and let the imagination fill in the rest.

Explorer is taken... I like adventurer for its simplicity. 

Knave, scamp, miscreant, scoundrel (too Star Wars-y).

Seeker, traveler, pathfinder (heh).

Fixer.

What about "macgyver"?