The Traveller, a rogue subclass, has a variety of abilities designed to make movement from place to place faster and safer.
The Primary Abilities deal directly with movement and are common to all Travellers.
The Secondary Abilities allow the Traveller to tailor the reason for travel to suit particular roles. Secondary Abilities are grouped in Paths, each of which comes with a restriction. When a Traveller learns a skill from a Path, the restriction associated with that Path applies to the Traveller.
Ability Scores: Minimum Strength 14, Dexterity 15, Constitution 14, Wisdom 12, Intelligence 12. Dexterity is the Prime Requisites; if Dex is 17 or higher then a 10 percent experience point bonus is allowed.
Race: Any. Level limits as Thieves (use high ability score expanders and slow advancement rules from DMG).
Hit Dice: As Rogue -- 1d6 per level to 10th; +2 per level thereafter.
Attack Chart and Saving Throws: As Rogue.
Armor and Shield Permitted: Leather and small shield.
Weapons Permitted: Any Rogue weapon.
Proficiencies: Weapons, non-weapons, and penalties as Rogue, and see below.
Starting age and funds: As Rogue.
Encumberance: Travellers must remain unencumbered at all times. Excess possessions must be stored or carried on a mount.
Other restrictions are applied depending on the Secondary Ability Paths each Traveller follows.
Every Traveller has six fundamental abilities. Like a thief's abilities, they start with a basic chance of success. Then at first level the player spends 60 primary ability points on these abilities, with not more than 30 on any one. With each additional level, the player spends another 30 points, with not more than 15 on any one.
Climbing: This is exactly like the Thief's Climb Walls ability. Chance of success starts at 60 percent. This increases by one for each primary ability point spent. Standard adjustments apply.
Moving Silently: This is exactly like the Thief's ability. Chance of success starts at 20 percent. This increases by one for each primary ability point spent. Standard adjustments apply.
Falling: Any damage suffered by a Traveller in a fall is reduced by the Traveller's falling percent. It starts at 20 percent and is increased by one for every primary ability point spent. The same race, dexterity, and armor adjustments apply to this skill as apply to Moving Silently. For example, a human Traveller in leather with a Falling skill of 25 percent takes 16 hp of damage in a fall. The Traveller, reducing damage by 25%, would only suffer 12 hp of damage.
Running: The Traveller starts with a movement rate of 14. Spending five primary ability points increases movement by one. Movement rate cannot be raised above 24 + level.
Swimming: The Traveller starts with a movement rate of 9. Spending five points increases movement by one. Movement rate cannot be raised above 18 + level. The Traveller starts with the ability to hold breath for four minutes at a stretch -- spending five primary ability points also increases this limit by one round. Long-term swimming travel can be maintained with no penalties for eight hours per day, with the remainder of the day spent floating and treading water. More time per day can be spent swimming, with penalties and chance of drowning as described in the Player's Handbook.
Survival: This skill gives the Traveller food, water, and shelter in wilderness conditions. In unfamiliar terrain this ability is like the Survival non-weapon proficiency. In familiar terrain this ability provides a far greater level of comfort, security, and health. In familiar terrain there is no chance of death or starvation, and the Traveller can forage and survive without needing to stop to search for food or water. The Traveller starts with one familiar terrain and adds one for each five primary ability points spent. At every even level, the Traveller can apply this skill to one more person. A mount or other such animal counts as two persons. A large carnivore counts as three or four persons. Familiar terrain must be ecologically continuous and geographically defined. Examples include Jungle between Albany and Avalon, the Great River between Albany and Avalon, Coastal Waters off the New Continent, the Orc-Dwarf Mountains, Open Ocean between the New World and Old, Jungle North of the Mountains, Jungle near the Elf Colony, etc.
Learning Abilities: Every level, starting at first, a Traveller chooses a secondary ability to learn. These abilities are grouped by power into A, B, C, and D classes, with D as the most powerful abilities.
From level one to four, an A-class ability is learned; from level five to eight, a B; from level nine to twelve, a C; and from level 13 to 16, a D. So a ninth level Traveller would have four A abilities, four B abilities, and one C ability.
A Traveller can choose to swap down abilites -- instead of learning an ability of the given class, two of the previous lower class can be learned. For example, a Traveller attains ninth level. The Traveller can choose to learn a C-class ability, or two B-class abilities, or (swapping the B's) a B and two A's, or even four A-class abilities.
A Traveller can choose to learn the same ability twice. Each extra learning adds four to the effective level of the Traveller when using that ability.
Chance of Success: Every secondary ability has a chance of success that starts at 10 percent and adds five percent per level. An attempt can be made once per round. A successful attack any time in that round disrupts the use of the ability.
Paths: Abilities are also grouped into Paths. Each Path has one A, one B, one C, and one D-class ability. Each Path has its own disadvantage or restriction. When a Traveller learns an ability from a given Path, the Traveller also assumes the accompanying restriction.
Each Path has a physical stat (Str, Int, Wis, Dex, Con, Chr) associated with it. The stat gives a bonus to the ability's chance of success (like Dex for Thief abilities). The modifiers are: 15, +5%; 16, +10%; 17, +15%; and 18, +20%.
(Obviously, this section of the Traveller rules needs the most detail and elaboration. Write me for more info.)
Discipline (Con) only 5 permanent and 5 non-permanent magic items allowed
Agility (Dex) no armor or shield allowed
Nature (Wis) must adopt Druid ethos; allowed alignments: NN, NG, NE, CN, LN
Mechanics (Dex) must donate 10 percent of all wealth
Hiding (negative Cha) allows only two henchman and no long-term hirelings
(Note: negative charisma means +20% for a 3 charisma, +15% for a 4, +10% for a 5, and +5% for a 6)
Finding (Int) can own no more than can be carried unencumbered (plus mount)
Senses (Int) -4 on saves versus light and sound attacks
Animals (Str) can't damage actual or giant-sized animals, vegetarian
People (Cha) - weapons limited to short sword, hand ax, knife, dagger, sling, short bow (flight arrows only)
Settling down: Although Travellers do not establish realms or rule over others, they may set up a place of residence. This can be a house in a city, a cottage in a glen, a small keep in the wilderlands, etc.
Followers: Starting at ninth level, a Traveller begins to attract followers. These first-level Travellers are loyal friends who will accompany the master on adventures and serve in a variety of roles. They can advance in level. Followers start with maximum loyalty, but this can decrease and increase with circumstances. They will almost always follow the master's advice regarding what secondary abilities to choose. They will leave if mistreated, of course. One or two followers will appear at ninth level, and another one or two each time the Traveller advances in level. If the Traveller has no residence, then a maximum of three followers total will appear. Otherwise there is no limit.
In addition to these Traveller followers, there is a 20 percent chance starting at ninth level that a special follower will appear. This chance climbs by 20 percent per level thereafter. A Traveller can have only one special follower at a time. If it is lost, the Traveller starts over at 20 percent next time a level is gained.
The GM selects a special follower based on the Paths a Traveller has followed. Special followers with levels start at level one to three. The GM should not select a special follower with an alignment that conflicts with the Traveller's. Here are some examples.
Students: Higher-level Travellers may use a residence as a school for less-experienced Travellers. The number of students attracted depends on the Traveller's level, reputation, age, teaching ability, and endorsement by NPC institutions (government, churches, guilds, etc) -- as determined by the GM.
In general, from 0-7 students will appear per level. This is not rolled, but selected by the GM based on the factors above. Of these students, 70 percent will be long-term pre-level one Travellers just getting started. The other 30 percent will be short-term students training between levels. New students will arrive to replace those who graduate.
These students provide enough income to support themselves and the routine maintenance of the school. They are not followers, they do not leave the school, and they won't follow unreasonable orders. They are available to defend the house if it is attacked.
Students require a minimum of 20 days of actual instruction per month. Up to 15 of these days of instruction can be provided by a Traveller's followers, but at least five days must be given by the Traveller. After three to six months of insufficient instruction, they leave, and few students will return. If a Traveller anticipates extended time away from his school, he can dismiss his students with no penalty -- although of course there will be no students present while school is in recess.
Site Map | 19 May 99
copyright © 2001 by Michael Moran Alterio, Michael Babriecki, Harry Ching, Stephen Martin, and Donald R. Parrish III (all rights reserved)