Tribal Defender (Warrior Kit)[]
Tribal defenders are the most common humanoid warriors. Every humanoid tribe, settlement, clan, and family group must be protected from the dangers of the world, and these proud warriors are the backbone of every tribe's defense. Some humanoid races organize true armies or militias, but most simply place their safety in the hands of the strongest, most able-bodied tribe members.
Player character tribal defenders have left their tribes for some reason (usually the character's primary motivation). They take with them whatever skills they learned while protecting their tribes, but now they use these skills to ensure their own survival.
Requirements: None, other than those listed in the humanoid race entries (for example, female bugbears would not be tribal defenders, as they do not fight unless absolutely necessary). All humanoid races have tribal defenders, these can be of any alignment.
Role: Tribal defenders are humanoids with fighting skills. All tribe members who are not restricted by sexual bias or relegated to other tasks (because of abilities or circumstances) are taught to fight for the tribe.
Tribal defenders are rarely thinkers. Some are fulltime soldiers who protect the tribe and territory. Others are part-time warriors who take up club and spear when danger threatens. The more organized the race, the better trained the defender is. A rare few develop heroic abilities after long years of warfare or constant training, as dictated by the character's background history. In most humanoid tribes, tribal defenders can eventually rise to positions of power and leadership, since many races have a high regard for martial prowess.
Most tribes do not grant special privileges to the tribal defender. These fighters are only doing their part for the survival of the tribe. However, defenders who leave their tribes to chase some crazy dream or quest, or to escape their lot in life, are often considered cowards, traitors, and outcasts. They are hated, sometimes hunted, and always shunned.
Other races are most familiar with humanoid tribal defenders as opposed to other humanoid kits, for these are the warriors they most often find themselves competing with. Reactions to tribal defenders depend upon the humanoid race in question and the race of those they meet. Most are hated, especially by those races usually at odds with them.
Weapon Proficiencies: Members of this kit must spend all of their initial weapon proficiency slots on weapons available to their race.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
- Required Proficiencies: Hunting or agriculture.
- Recommended, General: Animal noise, animal training (tribal guard animal), blacksmithing, direction sense, fire-building, fishing, leatherworking, mining, observation.
- Recommended, Warrior: Bowyer/fletcher, endurance, gaming, intimidation, natural fighting, set snares, weaponsmithing.
- Recommended, Rogue: Information gathering, local history (tribal).
- Forbidden: Wild fighting.
Equipment: Tribal defenders should choose weapons and armor typical of their culture. Use common sense to decide what would be usable and available to adventuring tribal defenders.
Special Benefits: After long years defending a particular territory, the character is intimately familiar with it. The player and his DM should determine where the humanoid's original territory is located, and any proficiency checks made in the area in regards to interacting with the area and its inhabitants receive a +2 bonus.
Special Hindrances: On the other hand, departed tribal defender PCs are no longer welcomed in their original territory. Campaign complication checks should be made more frequently if they return (see Chapter Five).
Wealth Options: Tribal defenders begin play with 5d4 x 5 gp.