Plainsman#

Barbarians of the open plains who fight with rage and distrust magic on principle. A plainsman hits as hard as any class on Sedia, swings as often as any, and at heroic levels learns to tear spells apart.

How it plays#

A plainsman uses nearly every weapon from level 0, two-handed or one in each hand, and swings a sixth attack from level 82, tied with the headhunter. Strength leads and dexterity backs it. Rage builds as the plainsman fights, turning the blows they take into retaliation and, at level 100, something they can finally control.

Plainsmen don’t cast, and their only spells are for breaking other people’s. Past level 50 their magic control resists spells, splits and breaks them, silences casters and uproots magic from the ground it stands on. The stances trade defense for speed or fury: block and tower, crane and cheetah, bear and horse.

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

The road to Berserker#

A plainsman 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: Plainsman

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

2. Level100
   Rank 2: Barbarian

   Barbarian is what city folk called plainsmen, and the plainsmen kept it. A barbarian may take a seat at any fire on the plains and is fed without paying.

3. Level200
   Rank 3: Avenger

   An avenger may take up a blood feud for the dead, and in Moria and among the tribes of Dumasque the law steps aside for it.

4. Level300
   Rank 4: Warmonger

   Warmongers may lead the charge in any army they fight for, ahead of its officers, and nobody may call them back.

5. Level400
   Rank 5: Berserker

   The last title. A berserker answers for nothing done in a battle's rage, by an old custom no province has dared to repeal.

Where they train#

Ashara Tolun led Morian armies into the Iron Sands and brought most of them back, which in Moria makes her famous. She runs the city’s war yards now and teaches plainsmen the Morian way: fight until the other side runs out of fight, then a little longer to be sure.

Find Bey Ashara Tolun at the war yards of Moria. 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.

• A mage’s spells sputter when you stand close, and the mage doesn’t like it.
• You laugh in fights, and it’s the most unsettling thing about you.

Races that start closest#

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

Troll Strength 11 and dexterity 12 are a plainsman's two stats. STR 11 · DEX 12 · AC 14 Half-Orc Strength 12 leads, and nobody in the northern reach grew up soft. STR 12 · DEX 9 · AC 12 Dwarf Dwarves keep to Jewall in the northern reach and judge a family by what it has built. STR 12 · DEX 8 · AC 15 Orc Orcs are the children of daemunai and the giants of old. STR 12 · DEX 8 · AC 15

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 plainsman; the rode finder ranks all fourteen.

Destruction A plainsman's whole fight is the next big hit, and every rank adds to all of them. Built for it · +2 to +10 damage Power Strength is a plainsman'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 Faith Plainsmen have the most health to keep topped up and no spells to do it with. Built for it · 1d4 to 1d20+10 health Endurance Every strike and stance a plainsman uses costs stamina, and they never stop using them. Built for it · 1d4 to 1d20+10 stamina Protection Plainsmen fight in the front rank, and less damage a hit stretches their health further. Helps · +2 to +10 physical resistance Agility Dexterity backs a plainsman's strength. The rode takes it past where training stops. Helps · +1 to +5 DEX

Tradesguilds that suit#

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

Mining Plainsmen work with their backs, and a plainsman who digs their own ore never wants for a weapon. A natural fit · hall in Jewall Blacksmithing Plainsmen fight with any weapon, and a smith can make or mend all of them. Works well · hall in Moria Fletchery Plainsmen use any weapon, and a bow they made themselves is one they can fix in a field. Works well · hall in Tharsis

What others say#

The duel at the yards

A plainsman from the Crecian prairie has challenged Ashara Tolun over a blood feud, and she has accepted, which nobody can remember her doing in twenty years. Her students want the party to find out what the feud is before the duel, because she won’t tell them.

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.

RageCombatMagic controlStances

Rage#

Fury and blood rage, retaliation for every blow taken, sacrifice, and rage control at 100. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 100

FuryLevel 0 · 50 stamina

The character enters a fury doubling dealt damage and doubling damage taken.

Blood RageLevel 20 · 50 willpower

The character enters blood rage, giving 5 health on dealt and taken blows, and 20 health on killing blows.

RetaliationLevel 40 · 50 stamina

The character counterattacks all physical strikes with half-damage blows.

Advanced RetaliationLevel 60 · 100 stamina

The character counterattacks all physical and magical strikes with half-damage blows.

SacrificeLevel 80 · 75 stamina

The character sacrifices half of his health and adds to his blow for extra damage.

Rage ControlLevel 100 · 30 stamina

The character gains 5 stamina every round for 10 rounds.

Combat#

Piercing, whirlwind, sweeping, disarming and concussion strikes, and a suicidal strike at 50. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 50

Piercing StrikeLevel 0 · 10 stamina

The character pierces armor no need for to-hit roll, attacking up to 4 enemies.

Whirlwind StrikeLevel 10 · 30 stamina

The character strikes enemies around him on her, up to 4.

Sweeping StrikeLevel 20 · 25 stamina

Regular strike to 4 closest enemies with DC 10 chance to trip them.

Disarming StrikeLevel 30 · 50 stamina

The character disarms up to 4 enemies around him.

Concussion StrikeLevel 40 · 30 stamina

The character strikes 3 enemies and can render the fourth stunned for 4 rounds.

Suicidal StrikeLevel 50 · 40 stamina

The character takes double damage from all attacks for one round, and deals double damage to up to 8 enemies around him within reaching distance.

Magic control#

From level 50: spell resistance, then spells for splitting, breaking, silencing and uprooting other people's magic, and magical adaptation at 100. 7 abilities, levels 40 to 100

Pin HandsLevel 40 · 20 stamina

Wrenches the target's wrists together and pins them for 2 rounds: their hands are bound, they cannot make a spell's sign, and their chants go off unshaped. DC 10+elvl+edexmod-plvl-pdexmod.

Spell ResistanceLevel 50 · Passive

The character takes half damage to all spells.

Split SpellsLevel 60 · 50 willpower

Remove two random affects on the target.

Break SpellsLevel 70 · 50 willpower

Interrupts all spell-casting around player.

SilenceLevel 80 · 80 willpower

Silence caster, rendering him or her unable to cast magic for 4 rounds.

Uproot MagicLevel 90 · 70 willpower

Take magic out of an item or entity.

Magical AdaptationLevel 100 · Passive

The character receives 20 stamina when attacked by magic.

Stances#

Block, tower, crane, cheetah, bear and horse, each trading defense for speed or fury. 6 abilities, levels 0 to 50

Block StanceLevel 0 · Toggled

Normal stance, 10 damage resistance per round.

Tower StanceLevel 10 · Toggled

Greatly increase offense at the risk of a lowered defense.

Crane StanceLevel 20 · Toggled

Greatly increase defense at the risk of a lowered offense.

Cheetah StanceLevel 30 · Toggled

Greatly increases the chance at hitting the enemy.

Bear StanceLevel 40 · Toggled

Greatly increases the damage output while in bear stance.

Horse StanceLevel 50 · Toggled

Slightly increase the damage output and chance of hitting targets.

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, two-handed, dual wielding, staves, all slashing, basic piercing, all bashing, all exotic and thrown weapons

Armor

Light armor and medium armor

Languages

Common

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.

Greater Dodging

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

Swimming

Allows swimming through water too deep to wade.