Playtest Drafts; Specialist Version 1

Thief and Roguish types seem to be a divisive subject for many - to be honest, the strike me as most fun when they are circumventing the dangers of the game as opposed to facing them head on. It doesn't always need to be the case, but I kept it in mind when writing this Calling.

One thing to note; this is an early draft, like the Warrior. I love the ideas, but I know the writing is a bit rough. Still, I hope you will forgive me - I think there is enough good here that it's worth posting now.

Also, here's the primer.

The Specialist

Weapons: All except Long-Grip, Combination and Heavy Weapons

Armor: Skirmisher, Bastion and Gadget Armor

Base Combat Stats

Rank	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Attack	+0	+0	+1	+1	+2	+2	+3	+3	+4	+4
Hearts	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	5

Aptitude Progression

Rank	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Might	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Deftness	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Insight	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Grit	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Aura	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16

Specialist Origin

d12	Occupation	Description	Purview	Starting Gear
1	Vagrant	You a wanderer with no home. Maybe you've fallen on hard times, or maybe you've always been unlucky. It’s likely you adventure to achieve some lost dream and just as probable that you simply have nothing better to do.	Thorough Searches, foraging, jury rigging things, eyeballing stuff, being generally unassuming.	Dungeoneer’s Toolkit, Animal companion (Pet) and a hooded lantern
2	Performer	You’re a singer, a songwriter, maybe an actor - you live to entertain. It’s a shame that its not always that easy. Who knows though, maybe you can write something about yourself once you've made it big?	Putting on a show, Getting attention, pulling a fast one, making something seem better or worse than it is.	Masterwork instrument OR actor’s costume, small journal and a stylized mask
3	Crook	Everyone’s got to make a living, even if it’s not exactly legitimate. You are a grifter, burglar or other sort of criminal. It’s not like breaking into old tombs and looting them is that much of a stretch for you.	Running, Hiding, Burglary, figuring out when someone else is up to something.	Crowbar, Garrote Wire and lock-picking tools
4	Scavenger	You’re about as low as you can get on society’s rung without being an outright criminal. You take the jobs no one wants, and you likely skim things off the corpses you find after a skirmish or worse. Wandering the land with a bunch of misfits is probably a step up.	Pocketing something while no one is looking, groveling pathetically, shadowing someone without being noticed.	Choose an origin chart and roll on it; take the starting gear from your result. This is the stuff from the body you last looted
5	Scholar	You are more educated than the average character, having either gone to an institution of higher learning, had private tutoring, or simply grew up in a place filled with books. That knowledge wasn't quite enough for you though, and now you've decided to see the world for a bit of hand’s on education.	Research, Lore, getting on people’s nerves by being extremely pedantic.	A journeyman’s tome on your subject of choice, a translation journal featuring a language of choice, and a journal with matching writing implement
6	Apothecary	Medicine is a tricky thing, and your current skills are meager but often appreciated. Adventuring is an odd choice for someone of your vocation, but there are numerous odd materials and formulas to be found in the wide, wide world. It’s also a good way to hide from someone inadvertently harmed by your wares...	Recognizing materials chemical uses, rudimentary first aid, precise or delicate measuring	One minor healing potion, a surgeon’s kit and a small bomb OR vial of acid
7	Junker	You are inexplicably drawn to the relics of the old world. Exploring is a means to an end for you, having spent much of your life searching for old devices and gizmos to study and utilize. You are likely more than a bit eccentric, but even your novice understand of a lost aeon is invaluable to many adventuring parties.	Assessing the value of random miscellany, knowledge and repair on devices of all kinds, understanding the logical and mechanical	Scavenged Techno Relic pieces (1 use), a small mechanical missile weapon and a mechanic’s tool kit
8	Quitter	You could have been a contender. At one point, you were on the path to becoming a mighty warrior, but you abandoned it all for your own reasons. Maybe a thankless, gory death just wasn't something you were looking forward to.	Roll again on the Warrior’s origin chart. You’re likely reluctant to think back to them, but you retain the purviews from that origin.	You begin play with the items from whatever Warrior origin you've rolled.
9	Investigator	From unsolved crimes to vast conspiracies, the world is filled with mysteries. You've taken it upon yourself to find the truth.Your efforts are generally unappreciated, but if you cared about that you’d likely be in an entirely different vocation.	Noticing something easily missed, grilling someone for information, catching a fleeing suspect	Magnifying Glass OR Spy Glass, Sword Cane, 1d12 pamphlets or tracts outlining the conspiracy of your choice
10	Merchant	While there are few Merchants who ever become adventurers, there are certainly several good reasons to do so. You can find and sell exotic goods for advantageous prices, get the leg up on your competitors, and find untapped markets to make a fortune on. The possibility of a violent demise is hardly a deterrent when you’re blinded by the glitter of gold.	Haggling, appraising the value of commonly traded items, knowing the right people	Pack Animal and Cart, 2d20 Gold pieces worth of Trade Goods
11	Aristocrat	Some might question the sanity of a well off person heading off to near certain death with what likely amounts to a band of dangerous vagabonds, but it’s none of their business in the end. You are among society's elite, blooded nobility or aristocracy. Affluence has afforded you more choice than many, and you've decided on freedom.	General Etiquette and Style, Making an entrance, berating or mocking someone	High Fashion Clothing, Battle Pet OR Bodyguard and a gilded weapon
12	Dimensional Stray	You are not from around here. Like, really not - you belong in a different place or even time entirely! Chances are you were a student or simple worker in the world you came from. Some strange event pulled you into the place you are now. It’s likely you are trying to find your way back home, or perhaps you’re too excited to even think of that. Note: Characters with this origin are always Human	Knowledge of various fictional worlds that line up a bit with the place you are now, various anachronistic skills You begin the game with a comprehension of 1, thanks to coming from a place where high technology is far more common	School Uniform or Business Casual Clothing (depending on age) and a Master’s Tome on Monsters from a specific region (This is actually a copy of Break!!’s Adversaries Booklet )

Innate Class Abilities

Good Sense - Due to their pragmatic and (relatively) non-confrontational nature, specialists are a bit more aware of their surroundings then members of other callings. If the party is moving cautiously through an area or investigating it, a specialist may announce they are searching for traps, perils or even secret compartments. They discover any hidden things of that nature automatically on a successful Insight check. If the Specialist has a set of Dungeoneering tools, they may also attempt to disarm traps and the like with a successful Deftness check. This is a bit more dangerous however; a failure by a margin of five or more means they've triggered the trap by accident.

Second to None -  Specialists have an Edge whenever they are making aptitude checks for something within their origin’s purview.

Don’t mind me - Unlike many classes, Specialists usually have a distaste for direct combat; their minds are on ways to end a conflict without getting hurt. If they forgo attacking, specialists may take an additional miscellaneous action during a combat round.

Elective Class Abilities

Standard Elective Abilities

1. Armsman (Crafting) - A smith and potential visionary, this specialist is able to craft mundane weapons and armor with very little effort; as long as they have the proper materials and workshop to do so they may make them without a check. They may also create Combination weapons and Gadget armor as explained in the Equipment and gear section of the rule-book.
2. Alchemist (Crafting) - A master of various concoctions, these characters are able to craft Bombs, Elixirs, Poisons and other mundane concoctions with the proper materials, a lab and a successful insight check. The equipment and gear chapter has some examples of these, as well as expanded rules for designing one’s own.
3. Gear Head (Crafting) -  For a true craftsman, It’s not enough to just understand the relics of the past. This ability allows the Specialist the ability to replicate a Techno Relic they've studied as well as design and create minor devices, as detailed in the Equipment and Gear chapter.
4. Physician - Medical practitioners are valued no matter the area. Given the proper tools and area to work, this character may remove a single sustained injury from a an ally with a successful deftness check. Any particular character may only benefit from this ability once a week. In a slightly grottier vein, a physician may also harvest two parts from a dead (or at least inert) creature.
5. Acrobat - This character’s movements are fluid and graceful, allowing them to move more nimbly than normal and react with the same alacrity. This ability increases the Specialist’s speed by a step, as well as granting them an edge on all deftness or might checks that involve jumping, climbing, balance or other gymnastic feats.
6. Skulker - Everyone can sneak. This particular adventurer takes this to a new level, making it so that attempts at stealth are Deftness checks as opposed to contests with those one is sneaking by. Failure on this check means the Skulker must make the normal contested roll instead. Stealth and hiding is further detailed in the movement section of the rule book.
7. Survivalist - Seeing the great wide world can often mean one won’t always have the conveniences of civilization at hand. This ability allows the character to act as a guide when the party is travelling overland. In addition, this also gives them an edge when rolling for the amount of rations they can procure while foraging.
8. Thief - There are two sorts of things in the world; stuff you own and things you've not taken yet. This character is able to lift a known item off another with a successful deftness check rather than a contest. Success means this also goes unnoticed until the target checks for the item, failure means that the contest occurs as normal.
9. Charmer - While Specialists as a whole prefer to avoid trouble entirely, many feel a good word (or many) can get you out of just about anything. The specialist may add half their rank, rounded down, to any Aura check made while trying to charm or convince an NPC that can understand them. While failure may not get them what they want, this ability also guarantees that whomever they are speaking to will assume the best of them, unless the specialist has proven otherwise at some point.
10. Lore Master - If knowledge is power, then this Specialist is indeed mighty. Metaphorically anyway. This ability allows a character to make a insight check to glean knowledge or lore on a particular subject, regardless of whether its in their Origin’s purview or not. They may also discern an artefact or relic’s intended use with a similar check, based entirely on information they may have read or heard in passing.

Advanced Elective Abilities

1. Troubleshooter - When the proper tools aren’t at hand, this Specialist makes due. With this ability, a character can make checks that require certain materials as long as they can improvise with something that is close enough to the normal implement to work. For example, a Physician could perform an incision with a dagger or knife, though doing so with a mace would be unlikely. They may even attempt to substitute raw materials this way, though all final judgements are made by the GM. Checks performed in this manner are done so with a -2 penalty.
2. Shinobi - Taking this ability allows the Specialist to select two Shadow Arts.

• Hide A Knife Behind Your Smile - While combat is a last resort, no one wants to be without the proper tools when needed. These specialists seem harmless or benevolent at first glance, and increase their opponents chance of surprise by one.
• Decorate the Tree with False Blossoms - Elaborate deceit comes naturally to the shinobi, and they receive an edge on all attempts to lie to or mislead someone.
• Kill With a Borrowed Sword - This character has become adept at allowing their enemies to do the dirty work for them. If targeted by an attack, hostile spell or other similar effect, they may attempt to re-direct it to another entity (friend or foe) who is adjacent to them. This requires a successful Deftness check; failure means the specialist takes the full brunt of the assault. This ability cannot be applied to an area effect, and the Specialist must be aware they are being targeted to use it. If used during a prolonged combat, this ability may be only activated once a round.
• Retreat when all Else Fails - Running cannot grant you eternal life, but it certainly grant you more life in short spurts. This charter is considered a speed step higher than normal when running for their life or well being (and doing nothing else)

3. Combat Opportunist - For some, it is not how powerful a strike is that matters, only when it occurs. This ability grant’s the specialist an edge when attacking an opponent as the result of an Over-watch action.
4. Artisan Craftsman (Crafting) - This ability grants the specialist an edge on any checks while creating or crafting something. This also allows the character to create Advanced Crafts, such as Artefacts and Major devices - though the proper workspace and materials are required. (Note: The Specialist must have taken at least one of the other Crafting Abilities to be eligible for this one, and may only make Advanced Crafts connected with standard Crafting Abilities they possess)
5. Esotericist - While not quite a caster, this ability allows the specialist the use of minor rituals from the magic section. One such ritual may be selected when this ability is chosen, but others must be learned normally.
6. Rugged Sort - Even thinkers need to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty sometimes. This Specialist may select one standard elective ability from the Warrior’s list.
7. Unflappable - To a true master, there is naught but the task at hand. Even the self melts away. This ability allows the Specialist to ignore all modifiers affecting a particular check or contest once a day. This almost supernatural calm also grants them an Edge on all Aura saves.
8. Master of Spectacle - Intentional or not, this character can speak and act in a manner that commands the attention of those around them. This ability may be activated whenever the character begins talking and continues until either the player decides their character has stopped speaking, or something drastic (such as a dramatic attack or powerful magic spell activating) drags everyone’s attention away or forces the Specialist to stop. All NPC onlookers and crowds within earshot must engage in a Grit contest against the Speaker’s Aura - failure means they must watch in awe, confusion or even mild horror in till the ability has ended.
9. Socialite - If this character spends at least a month residing in an area no larger than a small city, they may make an Aura check. Success means that the general populace of that area is considered friendly towards them from then on, unless the character does something to drastically change their opinion. The specialist may also make similar checks in the future to change the attitude of the general populace towards another well known figure to friendly or hostile. This ability has no effect if the Specialist does not know the language of the local populace, or cannot otherwise communicate with them.
10. Mortally Obstinate - Some are able to very politely decline death’s invitation with the promise of a rain check. This ability allows the character to ignore a single injury/death check each session. They are saved by a bit of luck or some last minute maneuver and are often put just out of reach of danger whenever possible.