Classes as a Add-on

[Malcadon]

This is a rule I have been working on for sometime. Basically, a starting character made by the default rules are a "0-Level Character" with the all the limits of the weakest class or "Normal Man" (e.g. limited with weapons and armor as a Magic-User or Thief). Experience Points do not advance characters up levels in the normal way, but are used as currency to build-up your character. Mutant Lords can also provide an initial budget for each player to distribute before the game starts. The EXP can be spent on classes, or even Attributes. Unlike the normal D&D/Labyrinth Lord rules, you can have any number of classes, and they are not caped by ones race. The key thing is that each class focused on a single set of skills and bonuses. That is, the Thief class only provides their thieving skills and abilities, and nothing else. The Magic-User class only provides spells and any other abilities related magic-use. With Clerics, its all about turning and their own type of spells, and any other abilities related to their religion. While only Fighters can gain more hit points (each level up to 9th adds another die to your HP total), better to-hits scores, and any weapon/armor proficiencies. The only issue that kept me form completing this was how to deal with saving throws. But in the end, it was easier to have it fall under the Fighter.

The idea of all this is that a Gamma World and Mutant Future character are a complete character off the bat, and advancement rules tent to feel like a tacked-on element. This rule allows characters to develop and progress in different ways, without being limited to, or overly defined by, a single class option. An example of this is Conan The Cimmerian, who is a Barbarian, Thief, Scholar, Lady's Man, Pirate, Mercenary Captain, King, etc.

Classes available need not be limited to D&D or Labyrinth Lord. There are a number of class options out there. For example, the Stars Without Number RPG features the Warrior, Expert and Psychic classes, that could be more useful in a sci-fi setting then generic fantasy classes. Some systems also allow for skills, weapon proficiencies, backgrounds and/or special traits/abilities that could help enhance character development.

It should be noted that in both cases, you can raise level and attributes freely during character generation, if the Mutant Lords can also provide an initial EXP budget. Once the actual game starts, you can only raise one new level in a class or acquire a new class at first level (if the ML allows) after each game. You can only raise an attribute by one point, but only after every other game and not successively (one attribute, twice in a row), so you would not top-out a preferred too quickly.

To figure out the cost of a class, use the "Experience Needed" chart in the D&D or Labyrinth Lord book you are using. Unlike the normal lists, you are required Experience Points to start a new class, by "acquiring" it. The "Experience Needed" at first level is only half the EXP (round up) needed to get to second level. Where in D&D or LL, you'll need 2,000 or 2,035 (respectfully) to get to second level, actually getting the class (which puts you at first level) requires 1,000 or 1,018 EXP.

A major thing to consider is that high and low Attributes can adjust the cost of classes at each level, equal to the Prime Requisite adjustment, but in revere. So a strong person with a Strength of 16 or more gets a 10% discount. In other words, 900 or 916 to start off as a Fighter, and 1800 or 1831 to reach second level. If the discount

If you raised an Attribute to were it lowered the cost requirements to were one could advance more than one level, you would still only advance one level per game, but this will automatically raise until the EXP pool reach the new threshold. If this happens, you can still raise a level in another class or learn a new class during a subsequent game, without being limited by the automatic advancement.

And for raising Attributes, use the following chart to determine how much EXP that is needed to each the new score. If the EXP requirements feels to low, you can raise the numbers. The first number is what scare you want to reach, an the second is how much EXP you need to put into the Attribute. So, if your Willpower is at 11, you'll need to put 32,000 EXP into your Willpower attribute to raise it to 12.

New Score _ EXP Needed
__4 ________125
__5 ________250
__6 ________500
__7 ______1,000
__8 ______2,000
__9 ______4,000
_10 ______8,000
_11 _____16,000
_12 _____32,000
_13 _____64,000
_14 ____128,000
_15 ____256,000
_16 ____512,000
_17 __1,024,000
_18 __2,048,000
_19 __4,096,000
_20 __8,192,000
_21 _16,348,000
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An example on how to generate a character is to use Synthia the Synthetic form page 10 of the rulebook:

Synthia has following attributes: STR 16, DEX 12, CON 13, INT 9, WILL 14 and CHA 11. Her mutations are: Thermal vision, acute hyper healing, increased strength. She got 42 HP (the rules say otherwise, but the ML overruled it) and no Experience Points.

Lets say the ML rules that everyone starts off with 4,000 EXP and can choose from up to two D&D classes (as Labyrinth Lord "Experience Needed" requirements are a mess with the added lower numbers). The player knows that 4,000 EXP is not enough to raise any attributes, so he quickly dismiss the idea. With a high Strength, the player knows that she would get a good discount as a Fighter: 900 at 1st; 1,800 at 2nd; 3,600 at 3rd. Her fairly high Willpower would allow her some discount as a Cleric: 712 at 1st; 1,425 at 2nd; 2,750 at 3rd. As a Thief: 600 at 1st; 1,200 at 2nd; 2,400 at 3rd. And as a Magic-User: 1,250 at 1st; 2,500 at 2nd. So many ways to go with this...?

The player ended up choosing 2nd level Fighter and Cleric. Her levels of Fighter grants her two extra d6s to her HP total, and she can use any weapon or armor. She adds 6 (a 5 and a 1) to her total, for 48 hit points. She can turn the Undead and cast one cleric spell: Cure Light Wounds. She is now limited to blunt weapons (fair enough, as she can do 3d6 damage with he fists alone!). The player records 775 for Free Experience Points.
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There are wide ways to work with this, and much of it still needs testing and refinement. What do you guys think of this rule?