| Chapter 3: Kits |
|---|
| << Prev · Next >> |
| Kits |
| Proficiencies |
| Kit Descriptions |
| Warrior Kits |
|
Askar · Corsair · Desert rider · Faris · Mamluk · Mercenary barbarian · Outland Warrior |
| Wizard Kits |
| Sorcerer · Elemental mage · Sha'ir · Ajami |
| Rogue Kits |
|
Sa'luk · Barber · Beggar-thief · Holy slayer · Matrud · Merchant-rogue · Rawun |
| Priest Kits |
|
Pragmatist · Ethoist · Moralist · Hakima · Kahin · Mystic · Outland priest |
Mercenary Barbarian[]
Not all actual Arabian civilizations relied upon an army of slave-soldiers such as the mamluks. Many raised strong armies the old-fashioned way: they bought them. Mercenaries were common. In fact, Turkish mercenaries during the time of the Abbasids came to control Baghdad and its rulers.
Such historical mercenaries had varied roots: hill tribes, plainsmen, and jungle warriors. The same is true of mercenary barbarians in Zakhara. They have left their native lands to fight for others in a distant realm, in exchange for money, land, or simply for a chance to escape their former lives. They find themselves in a strange region that considers itself more cultured than they, yet looks to them for protection and might.
Requirements: Either gender and all races are allowed. Players who choose this kit must declare the origin of their characters—hill, jungle, or plains. Desert is not an option.
Role: Most of the Zakharan peoples who employ mercenary barbarians consider them at best a necessary evil and at worst a cause for civil insurrection. When barbarians interact with those who are not of the same homeland, all reaction checks are made with a 2-point penalty to the dice, and the highest reaction is "indifferent," never "friendly." Barbarians may clean up their dress and carry shining swords, but nothing can cover their hideous mangling of language and their seemingly ill- bred manners. Having served in war alongside others does not improve their reputation.
Unlike mamluks, mercenary barbarians don't tend to pull together as a common group. In part this is because they come from so many different backgrounds. However, even those originating from the same area may be rivals. This lack of kinship does not mean that mercenaries cannot band together and fight as an effective unit; a job is a job. Given a choice, however, the typical mercenary barbarian prefers to fight alone or with a handful of trusted friends, letting the genies take the rest.
Barbarian mercenaries who are PCs are considered to have been hired for a brief (and uneventful) time, then cut loose (either after losing a battle, or more often because they were assigned some garrison duty and then not paid). The overriding motto that a mercenary barbarian develops is this: be sure to get half the first month's pay up front.
Weapon Proficiencies: In gathering together barbarian tribes for service, nations try to standardize the weaponry, concentrating on the cheap and easily handled weapons of mass destruction. As a result, all mercenary barbarians are initially proficient in the short sword and spear. A third slot is taken for a weapon natural to the barbarian's home territory: a club for hills, a jambiya (Arabian dagger) for plains, and a short bow for jungle. The last initial slot is filled with whatever best suits the character.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
- Bonus Proficiencies: Survival (in same type as character's homeland); modern language, Midani (in addition to the character's native tongue; Midani is Zakharan Common).
- Recommended, General: Agriculture, direction sense, fire-building, fishing, haggling, weaving.
- Recommended, Warrior: Animal lore, endurance, gaming, hunting, mountaineering (for hill tribes), running (for plains tribes), bowyer/fletcher (for jungle tribes).
- Recommended, Priest and Wizard: Herbalism.
- Recommended, Rogue: Jumping, set snares.
- Forbidden: Etiquette, heraldry, singing. If opportunities arise, barbarians may acquire these proficiencies later in the game. However, a barbarian recently on his or her own (i.e., a newly created character) has had little chance to pick up such graces.
Equipment: Initially, mercenary barbarians may purchase only one of these armor types: hide, padded, or scale. After the first adventure, barbarians have an unlimited selection of armor, subject to availability (and their ability to pay). Mercenary barbarians may purchase any type of weapon.
Special Benefits: If a barbarian attempts a "hostile" or "threatening" approach toward human or humanoid natives of Zakhara, he or she gains a 2-point bonus to dice rolls on the Encounter Reaction chart. (See Table 59 in Chapter 11 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.) This bonus stems from the reputation of mercenary barbarians as savage, ill-tempered brutes. The advantage is lost if a civilized (nonbarbarian) person speaks for a barbarian at the mercenary barbarian's request.
Special Hindrances: If a barbarian attempts a "friendly" or "indifferent" approach toward human and humanoid natives of Zakhara, he or she suffers a 2- point penalty to dice rolls for the Encounter Reaction chart. (A bad reputation is the cause.) This hindrance is negated if a civilized (nonbarbarian) character speaks on behalf of the barbarian.
Wealth Options: Mercenary barbarians tend to be well armed but cash poor. The mercenary barbarian receives 5d4 x 10 gp in starting moneys, but must spend all but 1 to 6 gp on equipment. Gold that is not spent on equipment may not be lent to other players, and is lost.
Races: Members of any race may be barbarian mercenaries. Those who come from regions where only one race predominates are considered provincial boors. For example, dwarves from a solely dwarven community seem unrefined and narrow-minded because they have not been exposed to the wider world. (Zakhara is a multiracial realm with almost no segregation.)
| ||||||||||||||||