Friday, December 24, 2021

Trickster - an OSR class that can steal *anything*

Continuing my series about incomparable classes. As before, I've framed the rules here into a GLoG milieu but you can steal the basic concepts pretty easily. 

If it's not, like, super apparent - the Trickster uses portions of another person's character sheet for a little while.

The Trickster



You're a magic user. Most of your abilities are identical to the core wizard class. The only difference is your Prime ability.  

Your magic steals. This is how Mother stole fire.  This is how gaps entered the historical record. 

You begin the game with 6 random spells. You learn more magic as you level up (per normal wizard). You can also learn new spells from foxes, if they existed.

Tricker Prime Ability: Face Dancer

Whenever you cast a stealing spell, mark down the target on your legendarium. You do not have to touch the target use this theft again. 

Restrictions:

  • Any spell you cast instantly ends if you hear your true name. 
Perks: 
  • Any "Borrow ___" spells you cast are sustainable. 
  • You are a good ventriloquist. Your voice can sound like just about anything. 
Mishaps
  1. Gain 1 Trauma
  2. Take 1d6 damage
  3. Random mutation for 1d6 rounds then save; permanent if you fail
  4. Your voice is replaced with a parrot voice. You can only repeat something someone said in the last 5 minutes. 
  5. A fox steals a random item from your pack (you cannot perceive the fox in any normal circumstance)
  6. You can't cast spells for 1d6 rounds
Trickster's Doom
The spell you just cast has become permanent. This is less good than it sounds. You can avoid this fate by finding mother and asking her for some of her fire.

Spell List
  1. Borrow Portrait
  2. Borrow Shape
  3. Borrow Name
  4. Borrow Language
  5. Steal Attribute
  6. Borrow Item
  7. Steal Skill
  8. Steal Ability
  9. Steal Spell
  10. Steal Health
  11. Borrow Memory
  12. Steal Player
Note: All Trickster spells have the following attributes:
  • Target: All spells require a target to steal from. You can only target creatures whose HD equals [sum].
  • Range: You must touch the target. The Trickster themself is the only person who can benefit from the effect. 
  • Duration: All spells last for [dice] hours.
Borrow Portrait
You are covered in an illusion of your target's appearance. Twins! Target cannot save.

Borrow Shape
You transform into the same kind of creature as the target. You still look vaguely like yourself. Target cannot save.

Borrow Name
You steal the target's name. Nobody can remember the target's name in the meantime. You immediately benefit from all spells, curses, geasas, and other magical effects that were affecting the target. (These things follow the name.) Target cannot save.

Borrow Language
You steal a particular language from the target. The target can't remember the language for the duration, but you speak it like a native speaker. Target cannot save.

Steal Attribute
Name one of the target's attributes - Attack, Defense, Strength, Intelligence, whatever. You and the target swap these attributes for the duration. Target can Save at the start of each round to end this effect. 

Borrow Item
Name one object on the body of the target. That object teleports into your hand. Target can save to avoid this effect. The object teleports back onto the target's person after the duration ends. 

Steal Skill
You gain one of the target's skills. You can name a particular one or the GM can roll randomly if you don't have anything in mind. The target forgets this skill for the duration. Target cannot save. 

Steal Ability
You gain one of your target's abilities. You can only steal abilities of a level that you could learn. For example, if you are level 3, you cannot learn somebody's level 4 ability. Target can save to avoid this effect. The target cannot use this ability for the duration. 

Steal Spell
You gain one of your target's spells. You can name a particular one or the GM can roll randomly. The target forgets this spell for the duration. Target cannot save. 

You can spend an hour and a jar of mithril ink (100s) to inscribe this stolen spell onto a scroll. You can later learn the spell for real from the scroll, per usual wizard rules. 

Steal Health
Target takes [sum] damage. You heal the same amount. No save.

Borrow Memory
Name one specific memory. The target forgets this memory for the duration but you remember it. The target can save to avoid this effect. 

Steal Player
You and the character's player swap character sheets for the duration. This spell automatically fails on another player unless the player elects to allow this. The GM's character gets to save to avoid this effect. 


1 comment:

  1. Holy cow, this is excellent! The Doom is so neat and tidy as well, even though it doesn't make exact sense for all the spells, for the ones it does, it *works*. Maybe if it doesn't make sense, a random other spell takes effect instead? Like, you're trying to steal someone's health, but when the flesh magically heals over, it's *their flesh*. And face.

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