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Thanks, I didn’t (and still don’t fully) understand what a Tool or Tool proficiency was. I’m still learning 5E
The lifepath character generation system I have now is a bit different from the old one in several ways. One is that as you make your character you get kind of abstract points that you distribute to specific things when you are done. This was in part to make the whole process move a lot faster, but it also means that whatever you end up with will make more sense. In other words, you wouldn’t pick up skills, feats or kit at age 17 during your apprenticeship as a smith, you’d gain the potential of something which you would “spend” later when your character is finished (maybe at age 25). So you can pick whatever makes sense to you at that point, based on whatever other jobs you had.
And yes, I think the Specializations in Codex Ingenium line up fairly well with the “Backgrounds” in 5E.
Right now I’m in the process of removing as much of the 3.X stuff as I can, the only limitation to that is to make sure all the books line up so that things don’t get out of synch.
I am updating the Player character sheets to fix this stuff with the armor and a couple of other things, I’ll be sending new ones out later today.
Great description Wayne and welcome to the board.
Guys here is another one for the playtest FAQ.
If you see “Ad Hoc” heavy gambeson or something like that under armor, it is something from the character generation software. In the system we use to make the characters, you can buy armor as a complete harness (like Gothic or Milanese Harness) or ‘Ad Hoc’ meaning different pieces and then it tries to construct a panoply out of that.
Johannes armor consists of Bronze Bracers, an aketon (textile armor) a brigandine, and a bascinet helmet.
The way the armor is listed on his sheet isn’t quite right though I will update it. There should be two tiers of protection, the light and heavy armor.
Yeah I think it’s already got some traction with HEMA folks. It reminds me of a 3D nice graphics version of the old game ‘Swashbuckler’
Also kind of shares DNA with Mount and Blade and also Kingdom Come Deliverance I’d say….
Here is an interesting passage on Frisia (I believe this is derived directly from Anneus Sylvio Piccolomini):
“FRIESLAND, situated on the sea, is bounded by Saxony on the east, Westphalia on the south, and Utrecht on the weSt. Some would have it that the inhabitants of Utrecht are Frisians, and among these I find Otto, bishop of the Church of Friesland, who, not without skill, wrote German history. Bishop Albert of Mainz, who erected the cloister at Fulda, and undertook to instruct the Frisians in the Christian faith, was slain by them and crowned with martyrdom. This is a liberty-loving people, skilled in arms, strong and erect in body, of a confident and fearless disposition, and pride themselves on their independence, although the duke of Burgundy calls himself a lord of this country. Nevertheless Friesland enjoys its own customs and usages, and will not submit to foreign domination. The Frisian does not hesitate to die for liberty. Knightly honors are not recognized by the people, and they will not tolerate a proud man who elevates himself above the reSt. They annually elect a council for the general welfare on terms of equality. They severely punish female wantonness. In order that the priests may not pollute the marriage-bed, they do not readily admit those who have no wives; for they believe it difficult for a man to restrain himself. Their entire wealth is in their cattle. The country is flat and maritime, and has extensive fields. Wood is scarce, and the people maintain their fires in clay vessels, using dried cow-dung for fuel. Cornelius Tacitus writes that in the time of the emperor Nero, two emissaries came to Rome from this country; and after they had entered the council chamber of Pompey, and there saw a number of foreigners sitting among the councillors, and were told that such honors were due to the representatives of people who excelled in Roman virtue and friendship, they came forward, and seating themselves among the Roman councillors, cried out that none excel the Germans in arms, fidelity and faith; for which reason Nero endowed them with a city.”
Lenny,
Thanks a lot for your interesting and detailed analysis here. I have also been talking to two of our playtesters about this specific issue quite a bit as well.
The good news as far as integration is that as I mentioned in the first post (which was copied from an email discussion with one of those playtesters) the MP system should rather seamlessly replace all the different kinds of actions (attack, counterattack etc.) in 5E, and is actually simpler. It also rather seamlessly replaces Advantage to some extent, as most Feats and some other basic mechanics like aiming with support or using cover just add MP – though applying it in some other circumstances might still need to be looked at. To be honest I think they stole the ‘Advantage’ mechanic from me.
The general issue is one of simplification. The plan is to remove the 3.5 Feats, BAB, and some other 3.5 ‘baggage’ and thus make the whole thing a bit more manageable and familiar for 5E players. This is going to be first tested with our new Star Szkola variant (next on my list after I finish Codex Baltic Volume II).
However there is a slight conundrum, a cultural difference if you will, which is that Codex is I think going to need to keep more options including in the form of Feats and Skills, than 5E players are used to. I’ll need to figure out how to handle that. This is in part due to the way the character generation works.
Doling out MP and To Hit bonuses and so on is also tied closely into Character Generation. I have posted a limited preview of the character generation system “Codex Ingenium” in this thread here
This doesn’t quite get at the meat of the issue though because I couldn’t post the tables and it doesn’t include the specializations (similar to the subclasses in 5E, but historically based). However, the basic goal of simplicity is still there. There is no need for PC’s at least to understand all the skills. The approach is just different. Instead of hand waiving the idea of training or skill acquisition by focusing on ability score checks, Codex is meant to allow a lot of specialization based on your life experiences, but the central conceit that keeps it simple is just that, you don’t have to worry about the specifics so much. If you have a skill which sounds like it might be applicable (or you can spin it that way to the DM) then you can use the bonus on your die roll.
In other words, you might have a scholar with a Knowledge: Geometry +4 or an Artisan with a Knowledge: Engineering +4 or a soldier with a Knowledge: Fortifications +4, but any of these skills could be used to enhance a skill check for trying to figure out how to sneak into a castle.
Codex Ingenium Classes and Leveling up
The characters in Monsterberg were generated using the Codex Ingenium system, and are based on a new set of classes. To Level-up, first follow the 5E SRD leveling up guidelines with the Level based on the total level for all classes the character has, then add the XP cost by level based on the tables below. So for example, a Level 3 Bauer / Level 2 Soldier is 5th level total, so to go up another level in Soldier will require 14,000 to get to 6th level overall, plus another 6,000 to take Soldier up to 3rd level, for a total of 20,000 xp. Due to the increasing cost of leveling up at higher levels, it is typical to multi-class but there is a limit of three Classes for each PC.In order to assist with leveling up, some parts of the as-yet unpublished Codex Ingenium are included below. The following are only brief, truncated descriptions of the classes with tables showing a summary of modifiers by level. The Sailor class has been omitted because aside from some riverine travel, there is no opportunity in these modules for learning real maritime skills. Class Specializations are not included either due to space limitations. There are some new skills, abilities and feat types here, and listing detailed descriptions of all of them is also well beyond the scope of this adventure module.
For the sake of simplicity, allow the PCs who level up to distribute their new Skill Points among Skills they already possess or to purchase new skills which are within the repertoire of other PCs. A list of Feats by type are available at the end of this section. There are level tables which are kind of important here but I have no way to include those in this forum right now, I’ll figure out a way to embed them as images later. For now just the class descriptions.
Suffice to say for now that during character generation, the PC will go through at least a couple of different classes from age 12 onward. Each Class has it’s own distinct progression of To Hit Bonus, hit points, saving throws, Feats and special traits. To Hit bonus would be the equivalent of Proficiency Bonus for 5E and it is what is used to determine your MP as well (MP = To Hit bonus +1, to a max of 4).
Fighters, Knights and Nomads have the fastest progression of To Hit bonus (one per level), while Friars, Scholars, Denizens and Zealots have the slowest. Artisans, Patricians, Nobles, and Outlaws are somewhere in between. Most characters will be expected to Multi-Class and typical range of MP will be between 2 and 4 at start, 3 being average.
Bauer
Type: Core, Estate: Peasant, Hit Die 8, Skill Type: Rural
Bauern are rural people, farmers, (for the most part), though the class also includes herders, hunters and fishermen and all kind of other people who make their living in the rural countryside. Unlike serfs, Bauern are free and typically own at least a small amount of land. Even Bauern who work as farmers or herders also tend to spend a lot of their time hunting, fishing and trapping to supplement their diet and income, and they can become very skilled in the use of hunting weapons.As rural people Bauern also have tracking and stealth skills, which come with an understanding of the lay of the land and the ways of predator and prey. Living on a farm also grants a certain familiarity with life and death, anatomy, and how to handle a blade. Many Bauern go on to become Soldiers or Sailors, and some become Nomads.
Denizen
Type: Core, Estate: Burgher, Hit Die 8, Skill Type: Burgher
Denizens are residents of cities, towns, or market villages who have not yet become guild artisans or patricians. Their ranks include servants (of the church, the town government, or other Denizens), shopkeepers, small scale merchants, day laborers, non-guild artisans (‘bunglers’), bodyguards, lay clergy, peddlers, teamsters, boatmen, paid guards, messengers, clerks and other workers, and at the highest levels, professionals such as physicians or lawyers, merchants, and civil-servants. Like artisans, Denizens have a lot of skills, and some reasonably good fighting abilities. They also make a regular income from their normal occupation, though not nearly as much as artisans or patricians do. Denizens start out poorer than Bauern but have much more potential for upward social mobility. For player characters, the Denizen class is almost always a waypoint toward something better. The goal of most Denizens is to become an Artisan or a Patrician though it is also possible to reach fairly high status as a civil servant or a merchant (i.e. while remaining in the Denizen class) though many also move on to other Estates such as a Soldier or Sailor.Friar
Type: Core, Estate: Cleric, Hit Die 6, Skill Type: Scholar, Liturgical
In theory, clergy are the official spiritual class of medieval Europe, “those who pray”, and functionally, they are both the intellectual and administrative class. Clergy in the Codex Ingenium typically means the religious (friars, monks, nuns) or the lay religious community such as Beguines and Begherds. Friars are more worldly than cloistered monks or nuns and freely interact with the general public, in fact they often go on journeys and some spend their life on the road.Orders of friars include the Franciscans (who wear gray habits and are sometimes called gray robes), Dominicans (who wear black habits and are often called black robes), Carthusians, Carmelites (called white robes), and Augustinians. Each Order has its own rule, or code of guidelines of behavior which include strict restrictions on dress and ownership of property, obligations for prayer and fasting, and other specific restrictions to their lifestyle. Some orders such as the Franciscans are mendicant orders who take a vow of poverty.
Lay religious, Beguines and Begherds, Brothers and Sisters of the Common Life, Jacobsrüder and Students are on the cusp of this class and are not under such strict restrictions, but may roam around and mingle with others. Some will move on to become Courtiers, usually as agents of towns or nobles, others become Scholars, and some become Zealots.
Noble
Type: Core, Estate: Aristocrat, Hit Die 8, Skill Type: Courtly, Chivalric
Nobles are the rural landowners. All nobles are members of an aristocratic family or ‘house’. The family provides support but also makes many demands, and family politics, called hausmachtpolitik, has a great deal to do with the fate of a noble. Nobles can become ranchers or planters, country squires, courtiers or professional warriors. They are first and foremost administrators of their own estate or demesne. Beyond that, many also act as judges or magistrates, as social leaders, and as military leaders of their local region. The nobility are above the peasants in social rank but live among them. They cultivate the skills of hunting, horsemanship, and the enjoyment of refined tastes and good manners. Above all their agenda is that of advancing the cause of their family. Most PCs who are nobles will also become Knights, Soldiers, Courtiers, or Scholars.Outlaw
Type: Core, Estate: Exile, Hit Die 6, Skill Type: Stealth, Rural
Outlaws are either people who have been exiled from feudal society or who never had a place in it to begin with. They make their living on the fringes of civilization, in the hills and mountains, where there are still substantial tracts of unclaimed land, in the deep forests, in the marshes and swamps, in the cataracts of rivers, and on remote islands. Most survive by semi-legal means, including smuggling and poaching, as well as humbler methods such as charcoal burning and seasonal work on farms. Some bolder outlaws act as military guides, or even bandits or brigands. Outlaws know their local region very well, are adept at hiding and skills related to stealth, and as hunters know how to track and kill game. Outlaws can often become Sailors, Soldiers, or Nomads.Artisan
Type: Prestige, Estate: Burgher, Hit Die 8, Skill Type: Burgher, Social
Artisans are members of the Burgher Estate, which includes most of the urban middle and working classes. They are first and foremost highly skilled craftsmen who are the backbone of the urban economy. But they also form the hard core of the infantry in the town militia, and regular duty as police and firemen is one of the requirements of their citizenship. Because of this, though part of a sophisticated and relatively affluent urban culture, artisans are usually also pretty tough and experienced in combat.They go through four phases in their careers: Apprentice, during which they are effectively the servant and student of a guild master; journeyman, during which they must leave their home town for a life of adventure traveling the roads to find work and learn their craft; master, during which they may found a workshop, begin making real money, marry and take on apprentices and journeymen of their own; and alderman, when they become part of the political and military leadership of their guild and their home town. As members of the burgher estate they are allowed to carry swords and are expected to use them when necessary to defend their personal honor and the honor of their guild and their town.
Courtier
Type: Prestige, Estate: Aristocrat, Hit Die 6, Skill Type: Courtly, Stealth
A courtier is an elite member of society, usually from the noble Estate, though they can also be from the clergy or the burgher Estates as well. Masters of manipulation and the use of power, courtiers are adapted to the subtleties of the treacherous, sophisticated world of the royal or princely court. Courtiers combine some of the martial abilities of the knightly class, (with an emphasis on dueling) with the more refined set of skills suited to the worlds of espionage, politics, and courtly intrigue. A high level courtier is something like the James Bond of the late Medieval world, with skills at subterfuge, manipulation, and efficient lethal combat.Knight
Type: Prestige, Estate: Aristocrat, Hit Die 12, Skill Type: Chivalric, Military
Knights are the chivalric heart of medieval armies, forming the hard core of the heavy cavalry and an important part of the leadership. With a few regional exceptions, knights are first and foremost horsemen, and with the exception of a man at arms who is equipped by his lord, all types of knights must own their own warhorse, armor, and weapons.
As members of the martial elite, they must also have the exceptional physical traits of a born warrior, some social status, and / or at least some experience on the battlefield (meaning knights must start with at least some levels of another class). The knight is a very powerful warrior class who gets reasonable skills, a high number of hit points, good combat abilities, and a large number of bonus feats (and martial feats), making them truly formidable on the battlefield.These feats amount to a kind of package which builds the knight into a strong cavalry fighter. Finally, at higher levels, the knight is also a leader of men and can count on a number of heavily armed, trained henchmen for support. At the highest level they lead small armies of their own, and control a stronghold.
Though historically knighthood was both a social and a military rank, this class represents the latter, for the former see the Core Class noble. These fighting knights form the warrior elite of heavy cavalry in the late medieval period. A knight must have either honor or valor in abundance, preferably both. Knights are often nobles, but many are also Burghers or common Soldiers from the Peasant estate (the Ministeriales), and some- the Ritterbrudern, are Friars.
Nomad
Type: Prestige, Estate: Exile, Hit Die 10, Skill Type: Rural, Stealth
Nomads are people adapted to the perpetually roaming life of a herder, and often live on horseback for most of their lives. Of the Outlaw Estate, they populate the fringes of Latin culture and in many cases live on the steppe or in the desert. Many are Muslim, some pagan, some Christian such as the Cossacks. Nomads are part of a tribal society and can call on the support of their clan, but they must also obey their clan chiefs and may frequently suffer the effects of feuds, raids and border clashes. Nomads make their living by herding cattle and are also often involved in slave raids.Nomads are excellent horsemen and horsewomen, and often have many skills related to fighting on horseback as well as hunting, raiding, and scouting. As herders many nomads deal with herding cattle and other animals like sheep and goats. Some nomads focus more on trade or pastoralism, others with raiding and warfare. Many contend with all of the above at different times or seasons. In general nomads have many valuable skills and abilities which make them a kind of elite among the exile estate.
Patrician
Type: Prestige, Estate: Burgher, Hit Die 8, Skill Type: Burgher, Mercantile
Patricians form the ‘merchant warrior elite’ of the towns, at the highest level they are truly ‘merchant princes’ forming a key part of the urban civilian and military leadership. As a fighter, the patrician follows two military paths: naval warfare and heavy cavalry. As burghers, patricians have a lot of personal skills, but they specialize in diplomacy and social abilities related to politics and the art of negotiation. Patricians must also be literate and numerate, and need to learn many languages both for work and political life. As part of their role as cavalry, many Patricians endeavor to be familiar with everything to do with horseback riding.A patrician is in a position of wealth and power, and must act as a leader of men; he or she will eventually become the head of a household, with servants and household staff, as well as other members of their family, under their own command. At higher levels, patricians, therefore, have many henchmen. Patricians travel routinely and often lead expeditions to distant lands. In most cases, this includes the command of an expedition or a ship. Because they also form the core of their town militia’s cavalry force, patricians also train as cavalrymen. During times of war they must lead men into battle. On land, patrician lead other riders into battle on horseback.
Scholar
Type: Prestige, Estate: Cleric, Hit Die 4, Skill Type: Scholar
A scholar is a trained intellectual, either through the university system, The Church, private tutoring, or personal experimentation and reading, the Scholar becomes an expert in one or more types of secret wisdom. In some cases, this is ancient learning, in others new discoveries based on empirical research, normally a combination of both. Scholars have access to a wide range of useful abilities, ranging from the conventional fields of law and medicine to more esoteric arts such as alchemy, pyrotechnics, and the occult practices. As students, many scholars learn to fence and they have access to the dueling fencing. If you are using the Codex Superno magic system, a level as a Scholar is the equivalent of a level as a Magus, (roughly equivalent to a Wizard per the SRD). See Codex Superno for information on spells.Shaman
Type: Prestige, Estate: Exile, Hit Die 6, Skill Type: Rural, Spiritual
There are basically two types of Shaman – the first are Holy women and men from the non-Christian faiths mostly of people in pagan or semi-pagan zones like the Mongol Hordes or in Lithuania, but also in the more remote or protected districts deep within Latinized Europe. The other type are the so-called ‘Cunning Folk’, men and women within Latin Europe, and at least nominally Christian, who are practitioners of herbalism, alchemy, and occult practices. If you are using the Codex Superno magic system, a level as a Shaman is equivalent to a level as a Sage (a Cunning magic practitioner, very roughly the same as a Druid per the SRD). See Codex Superno for information on spells and more.Soldier
Type: Prestige, Estate: Peasant, Hit Die 10, Skill Type: Military, Rural
Professional soldiers, often at least part of the time mercenaries. Soldiers encompass a wide variety of fighting Specialties from the lowly camp follower, through the lancer or marksman, and up to the mighty Hauptman or the skilled Büschenmeister. As professional warriors Soldiers have many skills useful in a fight and on the battlefield, and numerous combat related feats. Though like the sailor, their career carries many risks, a soldier has possibly the greatest social mobility since one can rise from a low ranking fighter to a mighty commander of men, and thereby enter the estate of the courtier or the nobility, should you wish to do so.Zealot
Type: Prestige, Estate: Cleric, Hit Die 6, Skill Type: Spiritual, Social
Zealots are fringe spiritual leaders (or would be spiritual leaders) versed in the treacherous realms of spiritual warfare. Most are at least nominally within the Christian tradition. Some are inquisitors or witch-hunters, others are radical heretics. Most are fanatics, while some are highly rational investigators.
Many zealots dabble in witchcraft or clandestine magic, and if you are using the Codex Superno magic rules, a level as a Zealot is the equivalent to a level as a Witch or Clandestine magic practitioner. See Codex Superno for more details.————————————————
Feat Families
SRD = D20 feats, CM = Codex Martialis. Note: several Feats are in more than one family.Battlefield Fencing Learned by soldiers
Advanced Cooperative Fighting (CM)
Advanced Poll Axe Fighting (CM)
Bind and Strike (CM)
Combat Reflexes (SRD)
Cooperative Fighting (CM)
Dodge (SRD)
Formation Fighting (CM)
Missile Parrying (CM)
Mounted Ringen (CM)
Poll Axe Fighting (CM)
Power Attack (SRD)
Rollout (CM)
Shield Grab (CM)
Shield Smash (CM)
Shield Wrench (CM)
Situational Awareness (CM)
Slip Thrust (CM)
Spring Attack (SRD)
Tactical Movement (CM)
Volley Shooting (CM)
Weapon Focus (CM)
Weapon Specialization (CM)Chivalric Fencing learned by knighs, patricians and nobles
Born to the Saddle (SRD)
Dressage (CM)
Gioco Stretto (The Tight Game) (CM)
Half Sword Fighting (CM)
Kampfringen (CM)
Mounted Combat (SRD)
Mounted Ringen (CM)
Point Control (CM)
Poll Axe Fighting (CM)
Power Attack (SRD)
Ride-by Attack (SRD)
Riposte (CM)
Rollout (CM)
Spirited Charge (SRD)
Trample (SRD)
Weapon Specialization (SRD)Dueling Fencing Learned by courtiers and scholars
Advanced Distance Fighting (CM) Advanced Point Control (CM)
Combat Expertise (SRD)
Contra Tempo (CM)
Distance Fighting (CM)
Dodge (SRD)
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (SRD)
Feint (CM)
Gioco Stretto (The Tight Game) (CM)
Inscrutable Countenance (CM)
Lunge (CM)
Main Gauche (CM)
Mezzo Tempo (CM)
Mobility (SRD)
Nukitsuke (CM)
Point Control (CM)
Quick Draw (CM)
Riposte (CM)
Slip Thrust (CM)
Steal Initiative (CM)
Two-Weapon Fighting (SRD)
Unflinching (CM)
Weapon Finesse (SRD)
Weapon Focus (SRD)Kunst Des Fechtens ‘Advanced’ Fencing, learned by Burghers and some Soldiers
Absetzen (CM)
Abzug (CM)
Combat Expertise (SRD)
Dodge (SRD)
Durchlauffen (CM)
False Edge Cutting (CM)
Fuhlen (CM)
Kampfringen (War Grappling) (CM)
Meisterhau (CM)
Mutieren (CM)
Nachreisen (CM)
Poll Axe Fighting (CM)
Schnappen (CM)
Sidestep (CM)
Sprechfenster (CM)
Versetzen (CM)
Weapon Finesse (CM)
Weapon Focus (CM)
Mounted Fighter Feat
Mounted Archery (SRD)
Mounted Combat (SRD)
Ride-by Attack (SRD)
Spirited Charge (SRD)
Trample (SRD)
Ringen
Feint (CM)
Ringen (CM)
Sidestep (CM)
Steal Initiative (CM)
Kampfringen (CM)
Gioco Stretto (The Tight Game) (CM)
Rollout (CM)Shooting Fighter Feat Learned by archers, marksmen and handgunners
Far Shot (SRD)
Improved Precise Shot (SRD)
Mounted Archery (SRD)
Point Blank Shot (SRD)
Precise Shot (SRD)
Rapid Reload (SRD)
Rapid Shot (SRD)
Shoot on the Run (SRD)
Weapon Focus (SRD)
Weapon Specialization (SRD)
Simple Fencing
Bind and Strike (CM)
Counterstroke (CM)
Danse de la Rue (CM)
Dodge (SRD)
Feint (CM)
Frenzied Attack (CM)
Half Staff (CM)
Improvised Defense (CM)
Power Attack (SRD)
Shield Fighting (CM)
Shield Slap (CM)
Sidestep (CM)
Steal Initiative (CM)Steppe Fencing Learned by Steppe Nomads and Outlaws
Cooperative Fighting (CM)
Distance Fighting (CM)
Feint (CM)
Missile Parrying (CM)
Mounted Archery (CM)
Mounted Combat (CM)
Mounted Ringen (CM)
Sidestep (CM)
Situational Awareness (CM)
Steal Initiative (CM)
Tactical Movement (CM)
The Sucker Punch (CM)
Unflinching (CM)
Volley Shooting (CM)Special Abilities (these are accrued by each class at certain levels. They are kind of like Feats but they are more social or situational)
Alderman – Guild leader, powerful connections in town
Ambush xd6 – Damage bonus on surprise attacks
Animal Affinity – Free Dice on animal related skills
Banner – Commands a banner of 40-50 riders
Burgher Citizenship – Citizenship in a town, added rights
Clan Kinship – Member of a clan, can receive aid from other clan members
Clan Leader – Can call on 4 d10 Clan members
Constafler – Member of elite urban cavalry society, leader of a lance of 5 riders
Debate – Free Dice on Bluff, Sense Motive, Diplomacy or Intimidate
Detect Status – Free Dice on knowledge check or Sense Motive once per day
Enthrall– Free Dice on Perform or Bluff check vs. crowd
Erudition – Free Dice on any knowledge check once per day
Feigned Retreat – Successful Bluff check during false retreat confers ambush damage bonus 2d6
Flattery – Free Dice once per day in any Diplomacy or Bluff check toward anyone of higher status
Free Pronouncement – Gained the right to carry a weapon in town
Go to Ground – Free Dice on any Hide or Move Silently check once per day
Guild Membership – Has backing of guild
Hausmacht – Member of aristocratic or patrician house or elite family
Hipika – Free Dice on Ride, Handle Animal checks and on Saving Throw vs. falling from a horse
Horse Sense– Free Dice on Handle Animal or any Knowledge Check related to horses
Household – You have a household staff who obey your orders
Incite Mob – Free Dice on any Intimidate or Bluff check when speaking to a mob once per day. Stacks with Enthrall and Rhetoric.
Intuition – Free Dice for Spot, Knowledge, Sense Motive or Detection skill check once per day.
Knightly Order – Free Dice on any Diplomacy, Intimidate or Bluff attempt toward any Aristocrat, Knight or Soldier.
Leadership (Ataman) – Ten 1st level Nomad followers
Leadership (Cult) – 20-120 Outlaws and 3 Zealots as followers
Leadership (Lance) – Two Demi-Lancers, a Mounted Crossbowman and a Valet are followers
Leadership (Mercenary) – Lead a mercenary company of 10-40 soldiers and 2 veteran (3rd level) soldiers as lieutenants.
Leadership (Journeyman) – Gain a 2nd level Artisan as a follower
Leadership (Apprentice) – Gain two 1st level Artisans as a follower
Local Cunning – Free Dice on any Knowledge: Local Skill check
Militia – Member of town militia in home town
Monastic Sign Language – Knows semi-secret sign language of monks and Friars
Navigator– Free Dice on any attempt to determine location or direction via astronomy, local knowledge etc.
Noble Title – +5 Ehren (one time only), Free Dice on Diplomacy, Intimidate etc. skill checks on anyone of equal or lesser status
Outlaw Band – Member of an outlaw band. Call on 4d4 Outlaws for support when on home turf
Outlaw Elder – Leader of an Outlaw Band. Call on 10-60 Outlaws for support when on home turf.
Pardoning – You can pardon people’s Sins and put them back into a State of Grace
Patron – You have an official patron which may be a lord, a patrician, a mercantile firm, a town, or an abbey.
Peace of God – You are protected by laws against harming clergy. Gain TWO Free Dice on any Diplomacy or Bluff skill check when convincing someone not to harm you if you are wearing a habit or have some other identification.
Prophecy – Gain a Free Dice on any skill check for Perform: Astrology, Perform: Prophecy, Perform: Divination or Perform: Horoscope
Provisional Citizenship – You have the right of residence in your home town
Rally – Gain a Free Dice in any Leadership, Rally, Battlefield Discipline, or Bluff or Intimidate skill check in any attempt to remove fear among members of a military unit or any group who need to fight or deal with some other emergency.
Rank Hath it’s Privileges – Gain a Free Dice on any Intimidate, Diplomacy or Bluff check related to demanding better treatment, nicer food and lodging, higher priority and so on. Only works on people of lower rank (Ehren) than yourself.
Read the Land – Free Dice on Tracking or Knowledge skill check related to rural flora or fauna
Researcher – Free Dice on any skill check related to trying to find information from any library or archive.
Rhetoric – Free Dice once per day in any skill check related to arguing between groups or in front of a crowd.
Salt – Free Dice once per day on any skill check for knowledge maritime or saving throws for any routine event or illness (seasickness) on a ship.
Scout – Free Dice on Spot, Hide, Move Silently or Listen skill checks while outdoors
Scrounging– Free Dice on Search or Spot check related to finding supplies, food or water
Seduction – Free Dice once per day on any skill check related to seduci9ng another person or flirting.
Siege engineering – Free Dice on any skill check related to masonry, tunneling, construction of siege engines or equivalent
Squire– You have achieved the rank of squire which is the lowest form of knighthood. +2 Ehren (one time only)
Staff – Gain two 1st level Courtiers as your personal retainers
Strategy – Free Dice on any Knowledge or Profession skill check related to military strategy or tactics
Stronghold – You own a stronghold like a castle, keep or fortified home.
The Voice of Authority – Free Dice on any Intimidate or Bluff Skill check
Trap Making – Free Dice on any skill check related to setting, hiding, or constructing a trap whether for hunting, warfare or mischief
Vagabondage – Free -Dice once per day on Sleight of Hand, Music, or Perform skill checks related to basic entertainment.
Vassalage – Gain 3 x 1st level knights as followersHave y’all seen this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOJ_sYrQ5Gs
The actual site isn’t sharable directly, but try this and click on the first link https://tinyurl.com/4d7ahz4s
You can always give everybody with a polearm a Free Dice on their init roll (or anybody with a reach bonus or missile attack bonus above +6 say)
Generally I err on the side of swiftness and speed of gameplay rather than include every possible detail, but I don’t think that would be too hard or complicated to implement. Best rule of thumb is start simple, and then once the players are up to speed and start asking questions, you can start to layer in the nuances.
On initative bonus for spears – generally only the person with the highest reach bonus OR missile weapon ‘To Hit’ bonus gets a free dice on initiative. Everyone else just gets their regular bonus. And remember, typically we just roll initiative for everybody once and then put everyone in order. But of course with the spear they gain a big bonus ‘To Hit’ at onset range.
