CX1: Character Class Codex Update

Because I know people will ask, there will still be an animal classes book. It will be CX2: Animal Class Codex. I do not have a date on it, but will likely be the early part of 2016. Today, I will be discussing the Character Class Codex (CX1) only.

On a side note, the Basic Psionics Handbook is moving into final editing stages, and I will be starting the illustrations for it soon. Don't want to share target release dates yet for fear of getting ahead of myself (there is, after all, that yet-to-be-announced 5e project that's getting juggled in there too). I would like for the Basic Psionics Handbook and the Character Class Codex to release at the same time so people don't have to wait on the other in order to order. That will likely be the determining factor for release date.

Okay, 'nuff housekeeping, now on to the nitty gritty...



Right now, the Character Class Codex is clocking in at 92 pages, and the content list looks something like this.

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Alchemist: more of an NPC; includes descriptions for 60 potions, and information about hiring them to create potions

Archer-Rogue: follows the Robin Hood archetype (prev. shared on blog)

Bard (Version I): mixes Norse skald, Celtic bard and French jongleur; BX-only, w/ thieve's abilities and MU spells in addition to charm and lore skills

Bard (Version II): out of Welsh tradition; has druidic spellcasting (uses AEC) in addition to charm and lore abilities

Beastmaster: pretty self-explanatory (prev. shared on blog)

Bogatyr: Russian-inspired knight-errant with ability to grow to giant size (prev. shared on blog)

Challenger: a fighter class that gets better in melee the longer he fights a single opponent; also gains a sworn with each level

Dragi: class adaptation of dragon-headed spellcasters from the Creature Compendium; includes 2 new dragi spells

Elves: includes drow, gray, shadow, wild, wood and half-elf; the shadow elf includes 20 new shadow-elf-specific spells

Florentine: a two-fisted fighter class

Gnomes: includes 3 types, the grey gnome (miner/fighter/illusionists), the brown gnome (miner/thief/illusionists), and the green gnome (live in trees and use druidic magic); the first two have limited magical abilities (dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation) but no learned spells; the latter includes information for all of its 42 druid-like spells, about a dozen of which are new

Half-Orc: I'm using this to fill in the BX need for an assassin (but using a race class to do it); the half-orc also has an intimidation melee ability

Kineticist: a telekinetic psionicist with ability to use some attack/defense modes (uses Basic Psionics rules)

Martial Acrobat: an acrobat that is not a thief, but instead using tumbling and agility to deflect, evade, and attack

Metathurge: my take on the incantatrix (a spellcaster that focuses on affecting magic itself); still working on this, but will include about a dozen new spells

Ranger: the BX-only ranger I shared on the blog the other day

Runecasters: human and dwarven; introduces a new magic approach built around the runecasting; includes (spell) descriptions for 43 runes

Sauteur: a mystical combatant w/ psychoportative powers (uses Basic Psionics rules)

Savant (Version I): a clairsentient combatant (uses Basic Psionics rules)

Savant (Version II): a traditional intellectual savant; at lower levels has detection and comprehension skills; starts gaining both cleric and MU spells as mid-level

Scribe: more of an NPC type; includes costs for hiring the scribe for specific duties

Shapeshifters: 2 types... the polymorpher (able to polymorph into any type of creature) and the manimal (able to polymorph into only normal or giant animals, but not fantastic creatures)

Skald: a bardic fighter; includes a new approach to magic through the use of songs; includes (spell) descriptions for 42 songs

Spy: has most of a thief's abilities, plus escape, bluff and disguise

Steppe Shamans: 2 types (white and black); adapted from Valley of the Five Fires, but tweaked to be more BX-specific (e.g., spell durations); includes the 38 spell descriptions from the module (tweaked to BX)

Telepath: a telepathic psionicist with ability to use some attack/defense modes (uses Basic Psionics rules)

Tinkers: 2 types (human and dwarven); still working on this, but planning on giving them "contraptions" instead of spells (with requirements for materials and construction time); also function for lock-picking, trap-finding, etc.

Varlet: a deceiver based on the mentalist (TV show) archetype (prev. shared on blog)

Völva: adapted from Dragon Horde Zine #2 to be more BX-specific; includes the 20 new spells that were appeared in the zine

Warslinger: the halfling sling-master combatant (already shared on the blog)

Wenwet: an Egyptian inspired spellcaster; part priest, part MU; spells come from both lists but focus on transformation

Woodland Races: centaurs (fighters), fauns (charm and illusory magic), and satyrs (charm magic, no illusions)

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There will likely be a couple of additional appendix items: one with new psionic disciplines (not included in Basic Psionics Handbook), and one with some new spells. There are a couple of other appendices I'm considering, but want to reserve sharing those yet.