Headhunter#

Mercenary captains: the best fighters money can hire, and the only ones who come with a crew. A headhunter masters every weapon, shouts a line into order and takes contracts the way other people take breakfast.

How it plays#

Headhunters use every weapon and every armor from level 0, and swing a sixth attack from level 82, tied with the plainsman for the most of any class. Strength leads. Charisma backs it, because a headhunter’s shouts and commands lift the whole party: rallying it, marking a target everyone hits harder, ordering a formation that adds damage to every blow.

In a fight a headhunter trips, wounds, stuns and cleaves, poisons their own blade and finishes what the party started. Out of one, the mercenary skills keep them alive on the road: an expert eye, hunting, purging venom and, at level 100, walking in shadows.

Headhunters are one of the sword and shield classes. Every ability, level by level, is under Abilities.

The road to Warlord#

A headhunter takes a new title at levels 100, 200, 300 and 400. A title can be declined; Five titles says what that means.

1. Level1
   Rank 1: Headhunter

   Your class's own name. You earned it by doing the work, and nobody has to grant it.

2. Level100
   Rank 2: Mercenary

   A mercenary may sign contracts in their own name in any province, and anyone who breaks a contract with one answers for it under Rokson in Dumasque, wherever it was signed.

3. Level200
   Rank 3: Savant

   Savants may raise a company of up to fifty swords under their own banner without a lord's charter.

4. Level300
   Rank 4: Sexton

   An old Geni word for the one who counts the dead after a battle. A sexton's count is the one every side's paymaster accepts.

5. Level400
   Rank 5: Warlord

   The last title. A warlord may raise an army of any size under their own banner, and is received at court as a lord.

Where they train#

Ruk Tamaro has led Geni mercenaries for every side of every war Dumasque has sold soldiers to, and has never once broken a contract. He takes any student who can pay, and keeps the ones who can follow an order and then give one.

Find Ruk Tamaro at the Geni camp at the Vhall Oasis, in Dumasque. Any trainer can take your training points, but titles are bestowed here. Where the classes train maps all fourteen.

How it shows#

None of this changes a roll. It’s how the people around you can tell what you are, if you let them.

• You count the exits when you walk into a room, and the heads when you walk out.
• Your voice carries across a battlefield without ever seeming to rise.

Races that start closest#

The races whose starting scores sit nearest a headhunter’s strength and charisma. Any race can be a headhunter; the class finder and the race finder rank all of them.

Dwarf Strength 12 hits hard, and natural armor 15 means taking a few hits back doesn't matter much. STR 12 · CHA 9 · AC 15 Orc Strength 12 leads, and the Legion pays for heads. STR 12 · CHA 9 · AC 15 Half-Orc Strength 12 leads, and a reputation does some of the work for you. STR 12 · CHA 9 · AC 12 Kobold Kobolds come of age at six and are old at thirty, so they live fast and loud. STR 10 · CHA 12 · AC 12

Rodes that suit#

A rode is the one path of trials a character walks from level 20. These are the ones that do the most for a headhunter; the rode finder ranks all fourteen.

Destruction Headhunters end fights with heavy blows, and the bonus lands on every one. Built for it · +2 to +10 damage Power Strength is a headhunter's primary score, the one every skill it uses adds. The rode takes it past where training stops. Built for it · +1 to +5 STR Endurance Shouts, strikes and hunts all cost a headhunter stamina. Built for it · 1d4 to 1d20+10 stamina Protection Headhunters lead from the front and take the hits that come with it. Helps · +2 to +10 physical resistance Influence Charisma backs a headhunter's strength. The rode takes it past where training stops. Helps · +1 to +5 CHA Faith Headhunters fight in the thick of it with no healer's spells of their own. Helps · 1d4 to 1d20+10 health

Tradesguilds that suit#

A character belongs to two tradesguilds at most. These are the ones whose work fits a headhunter; the guild finder ranks all eleven.

Leatherworking Headhunters fight from the shadows, and leather armor doesn't clank. A natural fit · hall in Amari Blacksmithing Headhunters wear a blade out faster than anyone, and an artisan's sharpen makes every hit count. Works well · hall in Moria

What others say#

The double contract

Two tribes have hired Ruk Tamaro’s people, through middlemen, to kill each other’s chiefs, and neither knows the other is paying. Under Rokson a headhunter can’t break either contract, so the party has to find a way to keep both.

Abilities#

A class teaches its abilities in disciplines, a handful of related abilities learned as you level. Most open at level 0 and add one every ten or twenty levels. The heroic disciplines open at level 50 and run to 100.

A cost in willpower or stamina is paid each time you use the ability. A passive works all the time, and a toggled ability stays on until you turn it off. Every ability starts at 0 efficacy and gets better with practice, as Levels explains.

MercenaryBasic combatShoutsWarlord combatWeapon expertiseCommands

Mercenary#

Staying alive on contract: an expert eye for weakness, reflexes against traps and arrows, hunting, purging venom, and walking in shadows at 100. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 100

Expert EyeLevel 0 · Passive

Can distinguish a thief out of a crowd easily.

Reflex AdaptationLevel 20 · Passive

Gives an instant reflex save to all sprung snares or traps, ranged attacks and non-spirit elemental attacks. Teh difficulty of the spell is the spells level plus teh casters level. In order to break that spell the warlock rolls a d20 and adds their character level. Note that reflex save is in most cases very difficult to succeed unless that warlord is either much high level, the spell is smaller spell, or the roll is a 20, which is not considered a full success or critical, but a natural roll added like all other die outcomes.

Basic HuntingLevel 40 · Passive

Staying alert, DC 18 to counter backstabs, DC 15 to avoid backstabs, DC 10 to force them to be regular attacks.

Expert HuntingLevel 60 · Toggled

The warlord can see anything inside the shadows easily.

Purge VenomLevel 80 · 25 willpower

The character rids target of poison, level 1 up to level 20, 2 to 40, 3 to 60, 4 to 80 and 5 to 100.

Shadow WalkingLevel 100 · 40 stamina

The character melds with the shadows.

Basic combat#

Trip, subdue, wound, critical strike, lightning strike and cleave. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 50

TripLevel 0 · 10 stamina

Prohibits target from moving for 2 rounds. Requires player + 5 + current dexterity + 1d20 vs opponent + current dex + 1d20. Deal 1d4 damage if successful, take 1d4 damage if fails.

SubdueLevel 10 · 20 stamina

Renders target unmovable until warlord releases him or her, warlord may not move until released.

WoundLevel 20 · 20 stamina

Wounds target after standard attack causing 1d12 damage/round until healed.

Critical StrikeLevel 30 · Passive

Increases critical strike range by 2 and triples damage instead of doubles it.

Lightning StrikeLevel 40 · 50 stamina

Instant attack, may not be used again for 3 rounds.

CleaveLevel 50 · Passive

On critical strike one nearby opponent takes some damage as original target.

Shouts#

Battle cries that steady or stir the party, from a leading shout to leadership itself at 100. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 100

Leading ShoutLevel 0 · 15 willpower

Gives party members a +5 on their initiative rolls.

Blood RageLevel 20 · No cost

The character enters blood rage, giving 5 health on dealt blow, 20 health on killing blow and loses 10 stamina/round until released.

Attack ShoutLevel 40 · 25 willpower

Gives party members a +5 on their hitrolls.

Defend ShoutLevel 60 · 15 willpower

Gives party members a +10 on all ac types.

Intimidating ShoutLevel 80 · 30 willpower

25% chance to cause enemies in vocal range to flee.

LeadershipLevel 100 · Passive

Increases strength of all shouts by 5.

Warlord combat#

Attacks that open a foe up for everyone else: an envenomed blade, a devastating blow on the wounded, stunning, dangerous, supporting and kinetic attacks. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 100

Envenom WeaponLevel 0 · 15 willpower

Envenoms a weapon with target poison.

Devastating AttackLevel 20 · Passive

X2 damage on target with a wound.

Stunning AttackLevel 40 · 15 willpower

DC 15 chance to knockout enemy with wounds, 1d12 + standard attack.

Dangerous AttackLevel 60 · 50 willpower

Every strike is a critical hit, attacks received are x4 damage.

Supporting AttackLevel 80 · 100 willpower

Instantly strike an enemy every time a nearby party member is attacked, limit 4 attacks per round.

Kinetic AttackLevel 100 · 100 stamina

Add 10 damage to each consecutive strike topping at 100 damage.

Weapon expertise#

Each family of weapon mastered in turn, slashing first, and two-hand specialization at 100. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 100

Mastered SlashingLevel 0 · Passive

Take lvl/10 less damage, deal lvl/10 more damage, and DC 18 to dodge slashing weapons.

Mastered PiercingLevel 20 · Passive

Take lvl/10 less damage, deal lvl/10 more damage, and DC 18 to dodge piercing weapons.

Mastered BashingLevel 40 · Passive

Take lvl/10 less damage, deal lvl/10 more damage, and DC 18 to dodge bashing weapons.

Mastered UnarmedLevel 60 · Passive

Take lvl/10 less damage, deal lvl/10 more damage, and DC 18 to dodge fists.

Mastered ExoticLevel 80 · Passive

Take lvl/10 less damage, deal lvl/10 more damage and DC 18 to dodge exotic weapons.

Two Hand SpecializationLevel 100 · Passive

Deal lvl/10 more damage.

Commands#

Orders to the party: rally, target, recon, purge, formation and focus. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 100

RallyLevel 0 · 10 willpower

Party gets +1 to physical damaging attacks per each party member, max of 5. This lasts for the next 2 rounds usable only once per battle.

TargetLevel 20 · 25 willpower

Target receives double damage for one round. Usable only once per battle.

ReconLevel 40 · 20 willpower

Party gets free heals and resurrects for next rounds. Usable only once per battle.

PurgeLevel 60 · 30 willpower

Party gets DC 10 fortitude save on all bad magical affects or debuffs to remove them.

FormationLevel 80 · 20 willpower

Party doesn't need to roll to hit next round on all standard non-ability attacks.

FocusLevel 100 · 30 willpower

Party gets critical success on all standard non-ability attacks next round.

Proficiencies#

What the class can wield, wear and speak from the start, and the extra attacks it learns as it levels.

Weapons

Hand to hand, dual wielding and all weapons

Armor

Shields, light armor, medium armor and heavy armor

Languages

Common and narsik

Extra attacks

Second attack at level 7, third attack at level 18, fourth attack at level 32, fifth attack at level 60 and sixth attack at level 82

Combat puts these to use: weapons and extra attacks under Attacking, armor and parry, shield and dodge under Defending.

Blind Fighting

Allows fighting in the dark or when blinded.

Greater Dodging

Dodge blows that would otherwise land, more often the nimbler you are.

Swimming

Allows swimming through water too deep to wade.