Runaway Princesses (GLOG): Ranger Class

The Ranger was surprisingly difficult to design, because the class has a bit of an identity crisis. I mean - did you know there's an entire subreddit dedicated to re-designing the 5e Ranger?! These are the things you discover when designing GLOG classes apparently, and many of people's issues with the 5e Ranger seem to be down to that same identity crisis.

Is the Ranger... Bear Grylls with a bow, is it a beast-master (or animal friend as I prefer to call it), can the Ranger cast spells - should they be some sort of arcane archer (coming soon)? Is the Ranger having a bow and arrow iconic, and thus integral to the class, or should we not assume them to use the bow and arrow?

I nearly went with a subclass approach, like my current Rogue has. Have core Ranger features, and then have Hunter and Beastmaster (+ maybe arcane archer) subclasses. I'm probably going to do that one anyway, to see how it looks. But in the end, I was in my usual habitat of analysis paralysis, so just decided to go ahead and do a hodge-podge of Ranger ideas I liked, and just get the class done. I was agonizing over the capstone for a while, and since I came up with it about an hour ago, it may be a terrible idea. But I've been playing Red Dead Redemption 2 (it's a triumph, and has this fascinating push and pull going on where it is simultaneously making fantastic use of the medium, while at other times wishing it was just a Netflix series) and thought stealing the Deadeye mechanic might be quite fun for the Ranger.

Love a good design discussion, but I have rambled on, so as always please, please leave a comment or say hi on the GLOG channel of the OSR discord server. 

Here is the current incarnation of Runaway Princesses Ranger, adapted from Arnold's, zoeology, Words for Yellow, Lexi and Type1Ninja’s Rangers, presented in text, PDF, Google Doc and how it currently looks in the Runaway Princesses PHB (version with classes).

EDIT: The version in the post (not the doc, pdf or pic) has the correct Deadeye text. I'm working on updating the rest asap.

Google Docs

PDF

Ranger 

Hit Die: d8

Gain 3 Skills: 1: Animal Handling, 2: Athletics, 3: Insight, 4: Perception, 5: Stealth, 6: Survival

Starting Equipment: Animal Companion, Bow (+DEX, d6 + DEX, 60/300ft), Leather Armour (AC +2, 0 slots).

Ranger Level 1: Animal Companion, Natural Explorer.

Level 2: Hunter’s Sense, Traps, +1 ready slot.

Level 3: Trophies, Ambush.

Level 4: Versatile, Deadeye.

Animal Companion

You start with an animal companion, which can be any mundane animal horse-sized or smaller. 

Compared to regular pets:

• Your companion can follow more complex commands.

• Before, or during combat (with an action), you can set up an action, such as “attack when I attack”, so you don’t have to direct them with an action in combat.

• You learn the language your companion speaks (e.g. Dogs speak Canine, Cats speak Infernal).

 You can replace your companion by bonding with another.

Natural Explorer

• When a random encounter occurs outside, you can draw or modify the terrain map and choose starting positions (GM discretion).

• When you forage, you find double the amount of rations.

• You can predict (choose) season-appropriate weather for the next day, succeeding on a 5-in-6, -1 for every consecutive successful prediction. You can detect but not create natural disasters. 

Hunter’s Sense

When you’re in the party, the range at which you get Omens increases by +1. Omens are clues of a creature that’s nearby.

You can mark one creature you can see as your Quarry:

• Your rolls to track the creature have +1d6.

• You step up the damage die when you hit the creature.

• If you have combat advantage against the creature, you deal +1d6 damage.

You can only have one Quarry at a time.

Traps

You can manufacture and set traps on the fly. 

Each trap (1 slot) requires a trapping kit (1 slot, U3, 25sp).

It takes 10 minutes to craft a trap in natural terrain.

When you create a trap, choose up to 3 effects:

• Damage: Victims take 1d6 damage.

• Halt: Victims are immobilized.

• Alert: Victims set off a loud racket.

Mark one X on your trapping kit for each effect you choose.

With  additional items (poisons, flammable oils), you can create more types of traps.

Trophies

You can collect trophies from corpses. 

Each trophy takes up 1 slot, and the rare ones fetch a pretty penny to the right collector (25 silver pieces x creature’s HD). Sales grant 1 XP per silver piece gained.

Each readied Trophy gives you:

•  +1 AC against that type of creature.

• +1 damage against that type of creature.

•  +1d6 on checks to avoid or negate their special effects. 

Ambush

You roll initiative with A* and have +1d6 on attack rolls against creatures who haven’t taken their turn yet.

Versatile

Choose one:

• Learn one of the Fighter’s Fighting Styles.

• Learn the Druid’s Wildspeak ability.

• Learn one of the Druid’s spells (1-6) and gain 1 MD to cast it with.

• Learn the Rogue’s Opportunist ability.

Deadeye

During combat, you can enter a mindset of extreme focus, where time seems to slow down, and all you see is the prey’s weak spots. Activating Deadeye is a free action, and it lasts one round. While in Deadeye: 

• When you make a ranged attack, you can make another for free.

• Your attacks always hit, but you still roll for attacks because your critical hit range is increased by +1d6.

• You can exchange your critical hit range bonus to target a specific area on the target, such as the leg to halve movement speed, or shoot their weapon out of their grip. You may or may not still deal normal damage. This is to the GM’s discretion.

You have one use of Deadeye per rest.

Comment: I'll come up with something more diagetic and interesting soon, like eating a harvested monster part recharges Deadeye or something.

 

GLOG Hack: Runaway Princesses v1.0

Oh boy, it's done.

Well, one's GLOG hack is never really done - but this at least has claim to being a v1.0.

I've been obsessively sweating over this thing for several months now, it feels amazing to upload it in a decent shape. I hope you find something you like in it. It's got everything you need to play the game. I'm still working on classes, but you should be able to use any in the GLOGosphere (the best option) or on my blog to run it without issue.

Runaway Princesses Player's Handbook (v1.0)

If you want to print it out, I recommend doing so as an A5 booklet.

What's Cool About Runaway Princesses?

I guess I better give some reason why you should click on yet another GLOG hack, but they're all wonderful - check all the GLOG hacks out, all of them - live on a diet of purely GLOG hacks. 

• Layout: I've put a frankly silly amount of attention into making the layout be both pretty and as clear and easy to use at the table as I can manage. Control panel layout, everything you need on a 1-page or 2-page spread (if you need to flick the page, I have failed, and you should tell me), use of bullet points like there's no tomorrow, the works. I hope it works for you. 
• Recognizable, Easy System: It's got a lot of stuff from all over the place, but the core is 5e + GLOG with B/X numbers. If you want something easy to pick up, particularly for those filthy 5e players who you are trying to enlighten, RP might be a good shout.
• Compatible with B/X and other GLOG hacks: You shouldn't have any trouble converting with B/X (OSE) or any GLOG hacks, classes, or other GLOG stuff. Let me know if you do!

Details

• 3d6 stat generation. Modifiers as B/X.
• Simple skill system - 5e Proficiency with a bit more customization, without getting fiddly.
• Roll-over. All checks are DC 12 unless otherwise stated.
• No saves - just use checks.
• Inventory slots are 'readied' or 'stowed'. Like the quick access slots mechanic, but you don't need to keep rubbing stuff out and writing it in again everytime you shuffle around what's in your top 3 slots.
• Consumables and weapon/armour durability rules. Shields can be splintered.
• Side-based initiative, but DEX still matters.

Future Plans & "Stuff's Missing!"

• D100 character quirks can be found in this blog post.
• If you need a price list with weapon stats and hirelings use Skerples' Many Rats on Sticks.
• If you need pursuit and hireling rules, use Arnold K's Lair of the Lamb.
• If you need a character sheet, it's a lot of fun to make your own on a sheet of lined or dotted (my preferred option) A4/A5. But, I am working on one to print out for RP.
• In the future, I plan to have all the above and upload an expansion for the game containing...
• Optional tactical combat options.
• Pursuit rules.
• Hireling rules.
• Dungeon and wilderness exploration.
• GM stuff like random encounters, and how to convert NPC's from B/X.
• I'm also working on a Class Folio with my GLOG classes in the same format as the PHB, but A4 so you can staple it to your A4 Character Sheet.

Hack It

Take it all apart, nab the things you like, rip apart the things you don't, ignore it all, tweak here and there. Do what you want with it, steal what you want from it.

Feed Me With Feedback

I'm ravenously hungry for any scraps of feedback I can get my filthy mittens on. 

Please, feed me.

Please.

Credits

The credits are at the end, but I'll put them here too, for good measure - I mean the whole thing is basically just a vault of stolen goods.

Without all these wonderful people, many of whom are on the creative, anarchistic utopia that is the GLOG channel on the OSR Discord, this would never exist...

Arnold Kemp, all hail: https://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/

Kevin Crawford: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3482/Sine-Nomine-Publishing?term=sine+nomine++

Skerples: https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/

Velexiraptor: https://crateredland.blogspot.com/

• Thanks for the Bonds table!

Zoeology: https://princesses-and-pioneers.tumblr.com/

• Thanks for the Drive/Quirk tables!

Ben Milton: http://questingblog.com/

Mike Mearls & Jeremy Crawford: They designed 5e. Some of itisactuallycool,andthus,wasstolen.

Dreaming Dragonslayer: https://dreamingdragonslayer.wordpress.com/

• For the knowledge check procedure.

The Screeching Gretchlings: As well as being the name of my band should I ever make one, I'm actually thanking all the wonderful people on the delightful GLOG

Ghetto channel from the OSR Discord. I love you guys. Thanks for everything, team.

The title is named after my sister. Get better soon.

GLOG Class: Fighter Redux

Another redux of my previous classes that you can find here. This time, the Fighter - version 2!

As always, here's the PDF version.

Credits:

Arnold K - https://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/

Lexi - Mimics & Miscreants at https://crateredland.blogspot.com/

Zoeology31 - https://princesses-and-pioneers.tumblr.com/

Type1Ninja - https://twogoblinsinatrenchcoat.blogspot.com/

Kevin Crawford - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3482/Sine-Nomine-Publishing

Fighter
Hit Die: d6 + 2
Skills: 1: Athletics, 2: Animal Handling, 3: Medicine, 4: Leadership, 5-6: Any Combat

Starting Equipment: Two weapons of your choice, or a weapon of your choice and a shield. Chain armour (AC +4). A war trophy from a past triumph.

Fighter Level 1: Sunder, Fighting Styles
Level 2: Attack Surge, Threat Assessment, +1 Fighting Style
Level 3: Sentinel, +1 Fighting Style
Level 4: Whirlwind of Death, +1 Fighting Style

Sunder
If you sacrifice a piece of combat equipment (shield, weapon, armour), you reduce incoming damage from a successful attack on you by 1d6. If you choose to sunder your shield, you can reduce the damage by 2d6.

Fighting Styles
When wielding the appropriate weapon, you get the bonuses from relevant styles you know. If you are wielding weapons that qualify for multiple styles, all applicable styles apply. If you’re wielding 2 weapons that qualify for different styles, the styles only apply for their specific weapons.

Attack Surge
If you have advantage on an attack, you can forgo it to attack twice that turn instead.

Threat Assessment
After a successful attack, or 10 minutes of uninterrupted observation, you may choose one question to ask the GM about the target creature:

• How many HD do they have?
• What’s their AC?
• How many attacks do they have, and how much damage does each one deal?

If you make strong eye contact with a humanoid, you can ask the GM how many creature’s they’ve killed: None, One or Many.

Sentinel
When a creature disengages, you can still make an attack of opportunity against them, but you have disadvantage on the attack.
You can choose to take attacks aimed at allies adjacent to you.

Whirlwind of Death
When you get a critical hit or kill an opponent, you may make another attack. You can’t make more attacks in a single round than your Fighter Level. Your critical hit range increases to 18-20.

Fighting Styles

1. Archer (missile weapons)
You can shoot inanimate targets within range without making a roll.
You have a knack for headshots and hitting the critical spots - your critical hit range increases to 18-20. If you get a critical hit against a humanoid, deal 3x damage.

2. Brawler (unarmed)
If you score a critical hit with an unarmed strike, the target is stunned for 1 round. Your critical hit range increases to 18-20.
If you hit a target with your first unarmed attack in a round, you can make an additional unarmed attack against them.

3. Crusher (bludgeoning weapon)
If you miss an attack against targets of AC 14 or more, you still deal 1 + STR damage.
When you deal natural 6+ damage with a bludgeoning weapon, you reduce their AC by 1.

4. Dual Wielding (two weapons)
You can add your attribute modifier to the damage of the second attack.
If you hit a target with one weapon, get advantage against them with your other attack.

5. Duelist (one-handed sword)
If an opponent critically fails a melee attack roll against you, you may make a free attack with advantage against them.
Reroll 1s and 2s when rolling damage with a one-handed sword.

6. Greatshield (shield)
When a creature you can see attacks someone adjacent to you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll by thrusting your shield in front of your ally.
Shields only count for one inventory slot.

7. Great Weapon (two-handed weapon)
Reroll 1s for damage with two-handed weapons.
You deal 3x damage on a critical hit.

8. Reaver (slashing weapon)
If you miss an attack against targets of AC 13 or less, you still deal 1 + STR/DEX damage.
When you deal natural 6+ damage with a slashing weapon, you inflict a vicious wound on your target, imposing disadvantage on their next attack.

9. Spearwall (reach, piercing melee weapon)
When you’re wielding a reach, piercing weapon, adjacent allies get +1 AC.
You deal 2x damage on a charge or when readied against a charge (doesn’t stack with critical hits).

10. Throwing (throwing weapon)
You can throw at targets within long range without incurring disadvantage.
You can throw a throwing weapon on your person as a bonus attack on your turn if you have a free hand.

GLOG Class Redux: Druid

Hope everyone's well.

I'm working on a new GLOG hack, basically still Runaway Princesses but with more Stars Without Number and other Kevin Crawford system influence. I don't know what it will end up looking like, but for now, I'll post the classes I've been re-doing as I go. I think they're stronger overall, and easily compatible with both Runaway Princesses and the GLOG hack of your choice.

Here's the druid - which for me are more happy-clappy wildlings who love plants and animals than Arnold's savagery incarnate interpretation (http://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2014/09/7-myths-everyone-believes-about-druids.html).

PDF Version

Druid

Starting HD: d6 - 2

Starting Skills: 1: Animal Handling; 2: Arcana; 3: Insight; 4: Medicine; 5: Perception; 6: Survival

Starting Equipment: quarterstaff, spellbook, seeds for a mundane plant of your choice.

Druid Level 1: Wild Shape, Spellcasting.

Level 2: Wildspeak, +1 spell (1-6).

Level 3: Wild Aspect, +1 spell (1-8).

Level 4: +4 spells (1-8).

Druidic Heresy: You lose all your shapeshifting and spellcasting powers if you knowingly touch metal. You get them back if you destroy something civilized that is more important than the last civilized thing you destroyed.

Wild Shape

Level 1: You have Shapeshifting Dice (SD) equal to your Druid Level, which are d6’s. You can spend them to shapeshift into mundane animals you have seen before. You must spend at least 1 SD for each HD of the creature you’re shifting into. SD that roll 1-3 return to your pool to be spent again. If your SD roll triples, you are trapped in your new form until you Rest. If your SD roll quadruples, gain a Mutation (it affects all your forms).

When you shapeshift:

• You can’t cast spells.
• You communicate as the animal.
• Your equipment morphs into your new form. 
• You must turn back into your natural form before shapeshifting again. 
• You use the animal’s stats and features but keep your mental stats (INT/WIS/CHA). 
• Your wild shape has [sum] HP, which you adopt as a separate HP pool. When it hits 0 HP, you revert to your normal form and any excess damage goes through to your normal HP pool. 
• Each form lasts up to Druid Level hours, unless you decide to revert before, or hit 0 HP.

Guide for wild shape stats:

• Assume AC 11, but use AC 13 for tough, strong creatures, AC 15 for agile, tricky creatures.
• Add HD to attacks.
• HD 1 damage = 1d4; HD 2 = 1d6; HD 3 = 1d8; HD 4 = 1d10.
• Assume Saves of 15, unless the creature should have a strong Save, in which case, subtract their HD from 15 to get their score in that Save. You keep your WIL save.
• Swarms act as one unit, with a shared HP pool.
• Apply special features as expected (spiders can walk on walls, horses have double movement speed when galloping, frogs have a sticky tongue).

Examples:
• 0 HD (treat as 1 HD): Songbird
• 1 HD: Wolf
• 2 HD: Horse
• 4 HD: Bear

Level 2: You can cast spells while in your Wild Shape, and you don’t have to return to human form before shapeshifting again.

Spellcasting

You have 1 Magic Dice (MD) equal to your Druid Level which you use to cast spells, which are d6's. Use a different colour to distinguish them from your SD.

Starting Spells: You start with two random Spells (1-6) or may choose two Spells (1-4). 

New Spells: Roll randomly. If you want even more spells, specific spells, or emblem spells, you must quest for them.

Cantrips can be used freely:

• You instantly make a flower blossom, a seed open, or a leaf bud bloom.
• You create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as falling leaves, a puff of wind, the sound of a small animal, or the faint odour of manure.
• You create a tiny, harmless sensory effect that predicts what the weather will be tomorrow at your current location. The effect lasts for about a minute, and might manifest as a golden orb for clear skies, a cloud of rain, falling snowflakes for snow, etc.

Wildspeak

Level 1: You can speak with animals - they're still animals though, so don't go expecting nuanced, multifaceted 

epistemological discussions with a donkey.

Level 2: You can speak Common while in your Wild Shape.

Wild Aspect

Level 1: While in your normal form, you can spend 1 SD to take on one aspect of an animal: a frog's tongue, an eagle's eyes, 

a fish's gills. You can only have one aspect of an animal at a time, and SD do not return to your pool when spent this 

way.

Level 2: SD spent on an aspect that roll 1-3 return to your pool to be spent again.

DRUID SPELL LIST

1: Barkskin

Range: touch Target: creature Duration: 1 minute

The target's skin gains an extra layer of super tough bark. For the duration of the spell, their AC cannot be lower than 15 + [dice]. 

However, their movement speed takes a 10ft penalty, and they are extremely flammable.

2: Entangle

R: 60ft T: [dice]x10ft square D: [sum] minutes

Grasping vines sprout from the ground. The area becomes difficult terrain, and anyone in the area or passing through it must make a FOR save or be caught and restrained by the vines. At the start of their turn, they can use their action to make a Strength check to break free.

3: Healing Spirit

R: 30ft T: point D: [sum] rounds

You conjure a healing spirit. What does it look like? If a creature begins or ends its turn adjacent to, or in, the spirit's space, you can have the spirit heal the creature for 1d6 HP.

4: Thorn Whip

T: self D: [sum] rounds

You conjure a thorny vine which forms itself into a long whip for you to use. It has a range of 30ft, deals 1d6 + [dice] damage, and if a target who takes damage is large or smaller, you can pull them 10ft closer to you.

5: Speak with Tree

R: touch T: tree D: 10 minutes

Allows you to ask a [dice] questions of a tree that you touch. Trees are fairly intelligent. They know about weather and have a great sense of time, but they have a hard time differentiating between animals, except by size. They also gossip among themselves and 

may have gossip from distant lands.

6: Locate Animal

R: [dice] miles T: creature D: [dice] hours

Name a common animal. You know where the nearest example of the animal is. If the area is infested with manticores, they count as common creatures.

7: Fog Cloud

R: 120ft T: [dice]x10ft radius sphere D: [dice] minutes

You conjure an opaque fog cloud forming a radius sphere of [dice]x10ft.

8: Call of the Wild

R: 30ft T: Point

You can summon up to [sum] HD of animals to your location. These animals will not be innately loyal to you, and once they come to you, will return to acting as animals of that type usually do. The type of animal summoned will be something found in the area, but you may specify it when you are casting the spell. For example, if you are in a city, you could specify that you are trying to summon [sum] HD of pigeons, or if you are in a forest, you could specify that you are only summoning deer.