So, one of the things that happens when I get further along in certain projects (as is the case with the Character Class Codex) is, when I decide to add a specific new page or section, I need to figure out how to balance off that addition so I don't have to create cascading reflow problems related to verso/recto (left-hand page/right-hand page) spreads through the rest of the book.
Because I decided to add a Mariner character class (essentially a sailor with waterborne travel skills, eventually rising to level of navigator, shipmaster, and captain; this will act as a companion to "Waterborne Adventures" section of the BX DMG), I needed something else to add in the middle area of the book (somewhere between "L" and "N"). And because all of the expected character classes were already there (Lycanthrope, Magic-user, Monk, Ninja, et al), I needed something "new." That led me to the idea of a lamplighter.
In a way, the lamplighter is sort of an alternative to a 0-level "Normal Man" as an adventurer. But the thinking is, the lamplighter joins a party as the sort of "dungeon expert"—good with torches and lights, but also very aware of the dungeon environment, able to more successfully do things like detect traps and discover secret doors, as well as generally navigate a dungeon from memory without the need of a map.
Then, upon reaching 2nd-to-5th level (they cap out at 5th), they are able to take their dungeon delving skills and keep them, while starting over as a normal classed character. Over those levels as a lamplighter, they have limited hit point additions, as well as the limitation of fighting and saving as a Normal Man until they change classes, but that's balanced with a low XP requirement per level.
So, the lamplighter works either as a classed NPC, or as a foundational PC with plans for picking up some serious dungeon delving skills ahead of becoming a standard classed character. This definitely works better in the context of dungeon crawling, but those skills do translate (to some degree) in a "more open" campaign environment.
I'll have to be honest—I'm really liking what I came up with on this. I feel like maybe it's a good BX way of handling the DCC 0-level thing, in a dungeon-focused way. I'm interested to know what everyone thinks. (BTW, I'll probably be releasing this later in the week as a PWYW PDF from DriveThruRPG, like the CX1 Extra: Gnomes supplement I did back in 2015.)
Lamplighter
Lamplighters are professional dungeon explorers, guides, and torchbearers. They make their living accompanying adventurers into ruins, crypts, caverns, and other underground places. Lamplighters avoid combat whenever possible, relying instead upon caution, alertness, and long experience with the hazards of underground exploration. They are particularly skilled at noticing hidden passages, dangerous mechanisms, unusual construction, and the subtle signs that warn experienced delvers of danger. Wisdom is the prime requisite of a lamplighter. A lamplighter with a Wisdom score of 13 or greater gains a 5% bonus to earned experience.
RESTRICTIONS: Lamplighters use six-sided dice (d6) to determine their hit points. They may advance only to 5th level. They may wear leather armor but may not use shields. They may use clubs, daggers, hand axes, slings, staves, and other simple weapons allowed by the DM. Lamplighters fight and save as a Normal Man, regardless of their level. Lamplighters are permitted to use any magic item allowed to a fighter.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Lamplighters possess several abilities useful when exploring dungeons and other underground places. The percentage chances for these abilities are given on the Lamplighter Experience Table.
- Lightcraft: Lamplighters are experts in the use of torches, lanterns, candles, and other mundane light sources. A lamplighter can accurately estimate how much burning time remains in a light source and recognize unusual changes in a flame or its smoke. The lamplighter can protect an exposed flame from ordinary drafts and may use the movement of flame or smoke to determine the presence and general direction of an otherwise unnoticed draft.
- Torch Fighting: A lamplighter may wield a lit torch as a weapon, inflicting 1d3 points of damage plus 1 point of fire damage on a successful hit. A lamplighter may carry a lit torch in each hand while fighting without penalty. When using two torches, the lamplighter still makes only one attack each round, but gains a –1 bonus to Armor Class against opponents engaged in melee.
- Alertness: Lamplighters are constantly attentive to their surroundings. When a lamplighter passes near a secret door, trap, unusual construction, concealed opening, or other dungeon feature that could reasonably be noticed without deliberately searching for it, the DM may secretly roll the lamplighter's Alertness chance. Success indicates that the lamplighter notices something unusual, but does not necessarily reveal its nature or exact location. The area must then be examined normally to learn more.
- Find Secret Doors: A lamplighter may search for secret and concealed doors. This includes noticing seams, drafts, displaced dust, unusual masonry, worn floors, and other indications of a hidden opening. The lamplighter must deliberately search the appropriate section of wall or chamber.
- Detect Traps: A lamplighter may detect pits, pressure plates, tripwires, falling blocks, concealed mechanisms, and similar dungeon traps. This ability detects the trap but does not allow the lamplighter to disarm it.
- Dungeon Sense: A lamplighter may examine an underground area for unusual or dangerous features. A successful check may reveal slopes and changes in elevation, shifting or unsafe masonry, concealed shafts, recently disturbed construction, unusual drafts, hollow spaces, or similar features. The check indicates what the lamplighter can determine from examination and experience; it does not reveal information that could not reasonably be observed.
- Direction and Depth: A lamplighter who has remained conscious and aware of the party's movement can normally retrace a route through ordinary dungeon passages without consulting a map. The lamplighter can determine approximate direction underground and estimate how far the party has ascended or descended. Magical alterations, teleportation, particularly confusing labyrinths, and similar circumstances may prevent the use of this ability.
- Listening: Lamplighters are practiced at distinguishing faint sounds underground. When listening at a door, wall, passage, or similar obstruction, use the chance given on the Lamplighter Experience Table.
BECOMING AN ADVENTURER: After attaining 2nd level, a lamplighter may leave the profession and begin again as a 1st-level member of any human character class for which the character qualifies. A lamplighter who leaves the profession before attaining 2nd level retains none of the lamplighter's abilities. To enter the new class, the lamplighter must have spent at least half (50% or more) of his or her adventuring career serving in a party that included a member of that class. This represents the experience, instruction, and practical knowledge gained by observing experienced adventurers while accompanying them.
Upon entering the new class, the character's experience points are reduced to 0. The character retains all lamplighter abilities and percentage chances possessed at the level attained, but gains no further lamplighter abilities or improvements. From that point forward, the character is limited to the armor, weapons, and magic items permitted to the new class, and uses the attack and saving throw tables for that class. The torch fighting ability only provides the Armor Class bonus in melee when the character in their new class is carrying a torch in their off-hand and an allowed one-handed weapon in their primary hand.
The character does, however, retain the hit points gained as a lamplighter instead of rolling the new class's 1st-level Hit Die. Upon reaching 2nd level in the new class, the character adds one Hit Die of the type used by that class. Hit Dice are added normally according to the new class thereafter.
For example, a 3rd-level lamplighter who has spent at least half of that career adventuring in parties that included a thief may become a 1st-level thief, provided the character otherwise qualifies for that class. The character begins as a first-level thief with the hit points gained as a lamplighter (1d4+3, plus Constitution adjustment), retains all 3rd-level lamplighter abilities, has 0 XP as a thief, and performs the thieves abilities as a 1st-level thief. Upon reaching 2nd-level as a thief, the character adds 1d4 hit points and thereafter advances normally as a thief.
When a retained lamplighter ability overlaps with an ability of the new class, use whichever ability provides the greater chance of success; the chances are not combined or modified by one another.
LAMPLIGHTER EXPERIENCE TABLE
Level | Title | Exp. Points | Hit Dice | Alert- ness | Secret Doors | Detect Traps | Dungeon Sense | Listen |
1 | Lamplighter | 0 | 1d4+1 | 15% | 35% | 30% | 35% | 30% |
2 | Delver | 750 | 1d4+2 | 20% | 45% | 40% | 45% | 40% |
3 | Deep Delver | 1,500 | 1d4+3 | 25% | 55% | 50% | 55% | 50% |
4 | Dungeon Guide | 3,000 | 1d4+4 | 30% | 65% | 60% | 65% | 60% |
5 | Master Lamplighter | 6,000 | 1d4+5 | 35% | 75% | 70% | 75% | 70% |
