HD: 1d6
Level as: Magic-User
Save as: Fighter
Weapons: Any
Armour: Shields only, see below
Fights as: No progression, see below.
You are What You Wear: A Talismanic Caveman may possess a number of Talismans equal to their level. Indeed, this Caveman derives all their power from these eponymous Talismans - trinkets, trophies, armour and apparel carved and shaped from their fallen foes.
Each Talisman grants a special ability, a passive boon, inspired by the beast that the Talisman is made from. For example; a rhino horn amulet might grant +1d4 damage when charging into melee, an oxhide cloak may grant +2 STR (strong as an ox), a dragon scale headdress allows the wearer to take half damage from fire. When ideating abilities - think mythically. There are more example Talismans at the end of this post.
Each Talisman also grants two of the three following bonuses, the same bonus can be selected twice:
- +1 melee to-hit
- +1 ranged to-hit
- +1 armour class bonus
- Talismans have no effect when worn by characters of a different class.
- The oft bloody affair of harvesting and constructing a Talisman happens simultaneously. It takes 10 minutes and requires no specialist tools.
Sacred Symbols: A Talismanic Caveman cannot carry more Talismans than their current level and swap them out as needs be. That would be sacrilege. A Talisman must be destroyed when it is replaced by another. This happens after the new Talisman has been created and it's powers defined.
- Likewise, for example, one may not wear two helmets or two masks at the same time.
- A single Talisman takes up one inventory slot.
Kitted Out: The Talismanic Caveman's Talisman AC bonus caps at +6 (not including shields), any AC bonus above this has no effect.
- Likewise, if a Caveman's to-hit bonus (either melee or ranged) exceeds +10, the excess converts to bonus damage.
Lucky Charms: A Talismanic Caveman may shatter their Talismans to mitigate 1d4 points of damage of any type. This includes Stat Damage. A shattered Talisman is lost forever.
Effects that damage armour, such as critical hit results, destroy 1 Talisman of the Caveman's choosing.
- But beware, for without their Talismans, these folk are little more than frightened, superstitious troglodytes.
Beast Lore: The Talismanic Caveman are animal experts but are prone to speak in myth and legend rather than useful, grounded facts. They knows the legends of all the 'natural' beasts and monsters of this land (and can instantly recognise unnatural things such as mutants, aberrations, aliens, Frankensteins and such like). The class can ask a question about any natural beast they can see with a 3-in-6 chance of getting an accurate answer. The DM will roll for this in secret. On sucess they DM will answer tersely yet accurately. If unsuccessful, the DM will give a false, albeit mythical answer.
For example, a player asks 'what is the weakness of the Flightless Carrion Roc?'. The DM rolls a d6 in secret and is unsuccessful, so replies mythically: "You know the legend of how the Carrion Roc lost his wings, cursed for his arrogance - shame is his greatest weakness!" or "You heard that long ago, Jahooli, King of the Carrion Rocs was once enchanted by the pleasant flute playing of Otongo the Ape!". While false, knowing the nature of this game, sometimes false things can - in play - become true.
Do I know this beast? Honey, I'm wearing it!: You gain a +1 bonus to your Beast Lore rolls Vs a particular creature for each Talisman of that species you are wearing. If wearing three Talismans of the same type of creature you automatically pass your 'Beast Lore' rolls for that type of beast.
Animal Mimicry: You can imitate the sound of any creature you have a Talisman of. You can only mimic sound and emotion but not true communicable speech. Additionally you can mimic not just a creature's verbalisations but other sounds they make, such as the fluttering of their wings, the sound of their feet padding the floor, the swish of their tail, the spurting of their acidic expulsions, etc.
Spirit Animal Visions: Should the DM feel a Talismanic bonus is too powerful, the spirit of that animal may appear to the caveman in a dream and renegotiate the ability as well as provide them a piece of guidance, advice or information to aid them in their current quest. Conversely, animal spirits may appear to boost the power of their Talismans.
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| A level 1 Mountain Man |
D12 Example Talismans:
- Monkey Veil: +1 ranged, +1 AC, Fruit eaten heals 1d8 (or one die size higher than consuming a regular ration)
- Sabretooth Skull Mask: +1 melee, +1 AC, Critical Hit range extends by 1
- Falcon Wing Crown: +1 melee, +1 ranged, immunity to falling damage
- Beaver Tooth Charm: +1 melee, +1 AC, Fell even large trees after a single round of chopping
- Chimp Pelt: +1 melee, +1 AC, +2 to climbing skill
- Goblin Bone Girdle: +1 melee, +1 AC, +3 to Hide when hiding in caves.
- Gorgon Hair Skirt: +2 AC, +4 to saves vs paralysis and petrification.
- Ostrich Feather Gaiters: +1 ranged, +1 AC, wearer can run and jump further and faster than any other party member.
- Bigfoot Hide Trousers: +1 melee, +1 AC, renders the wearer mostly immune to scrying, appearing as a fuzzy, indiscernible brownness.
- Hook Horror Vambraces: +2 melee, unarmed attacks do 2d4 damage.
- Elf Ear Earrings: +2 ranged, detect secret doors as an Elf (or +2 Awareness).
- Sloth Loin Cloth, +2 AC, the wearer sleeps as peacefully as a sloth and always heals the maximum amount of HP regained by sleeping.
The Talismanic Caveman (or Mountain Man, Fighting-Shaman or Fetishist) is directly inspired by James Young's Inheritor class, which is in turn inspired by Hack and Slash Master's Blue Mage.
*Additional, rejected class names include; the Fighting-Shaman, Scrimshaw Sailor, Mad Taxidermist, Skin-Wearer, Totemic Caveman and Trophy Hunter. I like Mountain Man best. Likewise Talismans can be renamed depending on the class vibe. A Mountain Man may have Trophies, a Fetishist would have Fetishes and so on.
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| Taken from God of War 'Raider' concept art, pretty good for this class's vibe |
