Barbarian: Although, the Savage races are found in all the wildlands, from the fur-cloaked clans of Aesgard to the tribal spearmen of the Feverthorn Jungle and the pygmies of the Isla de Fuego - the Barbarian class does not exist in Arkos. Savage races are simply fighters without legions. Pirates without guilds. And Reavers with allegiance. Given access to skills and feats by the support of their tribes and tribal lands.
Bard: Forget what you know about harp-wielding minstrels. The «bards» of Arkos should be played as decadent courtiers, shadowy spymasters, sullen temptresses, and scheming eunuchs. Their mix of social skills, powers of suggestion, knowledge of secret lore, and dabbling in sorcery, makes them formidable opponents or valuable allies. They are found in the cities and courts of most nations. The following archetypes are appropriate: Archivist, Court Bard, Magician, Sandman, Savage Skald, Sea Singer, and Street Performer. In addition, this site includes the Temptress/Tempter and Spymaster archetypes.
Cleric: The cleric does not exist in Arkos. The cultist class, included in this site, fills the cleric’s role as a servant of the gods.
Druid: Among savage tribes, from the frozen wastes to the steaming jungles in the south, the druid is either shaman or witch-doctor, an elder who speaks
with ancestor spirits and kami of the mountains and lakes, commands animals, and the souls of the dead, and curses his enemies with powerful juju. Or creates taboos and crafts masks and drums to terrify his enemies; he beseeches the powerful beast-gods of the wilderness for aid; and he knows the secrets of strange herbs and deadly poisons.
| Special Notes: |
| Druids of Arkos gain neither the Wild Shape ability nor may they acquire the animal companion class abilities. 1) The character gains the Druidic Herbalism Nature Bond Variant instead. 2) The character gets a bonus feat per daily use of Wild Shape instead (for example, a 10th-level druid with wild shape 4/day would have a total of 4 bonus feats). They gain another bonus feat at 13th level instead of A Thousand Faces. Legends speak of the Primal Druids (or Ur-Druids), servants of the Protogenoi, who were able to shapeshift, but this ability has now been lost. The following archetypes are appropriate: Aquatic Druid, Arctic Druid, Blight Druid, Cave Druid, Desert Druid, Jungle Druid, Mountain Druid, Plains Druid, Swamp Druid, and animal shamans, such as Bear Shaman, Eagle Shaman, Lion Shaman, Serpent Shaman, or Wolf Shaman. In addition, this site includes the Witchdoctor archetype. |
Fighter: Fighters fill the ranks of armies and mercenary companies. They are expertly trained in the art of war and include swordsmen, archers, pikemen, and cavalry. Nobles are often of the fighter class. Occasionally, fighters and mercenaries abandon the army and turn to a life of banditry along with rogues. The following archetypes are appropriate: Archer, FreeHand Fighter, Mobile Fighter, Phalanx Soldier, Polearm Master, Roughrider, Savage Warrior, Shielded Fighter, Two-Handed Fighter, and Weapon Master.
Monk: While monks are quite rare in the West, they are common in the mysterious lands of the East. Some travel across the ocean or overland to the West, either as lone seekers of wisdom or as agents on a secret mission from their monastic order. Some cities in the West even have secret underground temples dedicated to the strange Eastern philosophies. The following archetypes are appropriate: Drunken Master, Hungry Ghost Monk, Ki Mystic, Monk of the Empty Hand, Monk of the Four Winds, Monk of the Healing Hand, Monk of the Lotus, Monk of the Sacred Mountain, Weapon Adept, Zen Archer.
Paladin: Paladins do not exist in Arkos as a Base Class. The cavalier class fills the paladin’s role as a valiant knight.
Ranger: Rangers are men and women who thrive in the savage wildernesses, from the dark jungles to the scorching deserts. Many are nomads who can quickly travel vast distances on their horses and camels. The ranger class is also suitable for lone hunters, assassins and slayers.
| Special Rules: |
| 1) Rangers use the Spell-less ranger variant included in this site. 2) When selecting «Humanoid (human)» as a favored enemy, they must also specify a culture. The favored enemy bonuses apply only to members of that culture. Rangers can have multiple cultures as favored enemies. The following archetypes are appropriate: Beast Master, Guide, Horse Lord, Infiltrator, Skirmisher, Spirit Ranger, and Urban Ranger. In addition, this site includes the Amazon and Slaver archetypes. |
Rogue: Every city or town of some size is filled with thieves and assassins, gamblers, kidnappers, and lotus-traders. Plains and mountains are plagued by bandits, slavers, and highwaymen, and pirates and reavers are the scourge of the seas; the latter even have their own «kingdom» centered in Novos Ordo.
The following archetypes are appropriate: Acrobat, Burglar, Cutpurse, Poisoner, Rake, Scout, Sniper, Spy, Swashbuckler, Thug, and Trapsmith.
| Special Rules: |
| Players who acquire magic from the Rogue Talent list, do not choose from the sorcerer list instead choose from the bard list. |
Sorcerer: The sorcerer class does not exist in Arkos
, at least not for the human races. There may be some races that have innate sorcerous abilities similar to that of sorcerers.
Wizard: The wizard class does not exist in Arkos. The witch class fills the wizard’s role as an arcane spellcaster.
Additional Classes
Alchemist: In every city, there are individuals who dabble in alchemy, creating potions, powders, and explosives. But the real masters of this art are those that supply the raw materials; Chymists, bearers of a nearly lost and ancient lore these sages, roam the ruins west of Jairan, seeking lost lore and harvest resins from rare plants found there. They mine the pits of Naphat for its black viscous liquid and extract various salts from dry river beds in the desert.
| Special Rules: |
| Chymists gain the Infusion discovery as a bonus discovery, representing their use of herbs, plants, and incense to create balms and powders that others can use. |
Cavalier: Mounted knights in heavy armor are found where they are commonly used as shock troops and imperial bodyguards.
Inquisitor: The Inquisitor class is a remnant of a brighter day. A world where men could speak to their gods and be answered without mortal sacrifice. But that these dark questioners could exist to provide HOPE to men is a dim ray of hope, indeed. Inquisitors pray on the lawless, but not on simple rogues - instead they seek those corruptors who savage society from within.
Oracle: The Oracle class does not exist in Arkos , but the mechanics of the class are used in the new Cultist class, detailed in this site.
Summoner: The Summoner class does not exist in Arkos. It is possible that there are lost tomes of forbidden knowledge waiting to be rediscovered that would open this path of sorcery for humans.
Witch: Witches and warlocks are the most powerful arcane spellcasters of the World of Arkos. The men and women who take this path are few indeed, for it means
making a pact with an unknown entity. The witch’s familiar, an animal far more intelligent than normal beasts, is the bond between the witch and this nameless patron. Without the familiar, the witch is powerless and unable to learn or memorize spells. Some sages even speculate that the familiar is some sort of parasite that uses the witch to grow more powerful and intelligent...
Top | Back |