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C REC  PAGE   DESCRIPTION
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C00002 00002	Let me know what you think of this new class.  Is it too tough too mediocre?
C00008 00003	CHARACTER CLASS:  MINSTREL
C00017 00004	Augmenting D&D with some RuneQuest features
C00019 ENDMK
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Let me know what you think of this new class.  Is it too tough; too mediocre?
Are there additional abilities or strictures you can think of?
This supersedes the last description, which you may discard.
Doug

CHARACTER CLASS:  ARCHER

Subclass of Fighter.  Minimum Dexterity of 16, Strength of 13.
10% experience bonus if Dexterity is at least 17 and Strength is at least 16.
Maximum levels for each nonhuman race are:
Dwarf 10*, Gnome 7*, Halfling 11*, Half-Orc 8, Half-Elf 11*, Elf 15*.
   *: DEX=17 limited to one level lower; DEX=16 limited to 2 levels lower.
For some unknown reason, no male has ever exceeded 15th level.
One human woman is rumored to have risen to above 25th level, and lesser male
     archers admire her from afar (typically from medium bow range).
All details are the same as for fighters (e.g., which split classes are
allowed, 10-sided hit dice, armor allowed, saving throws, etc.) except:

DISADVANTAGES ON HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

No archer may ever carry a shield.
In hand-to-hand combat, archers suffer a -2 to-hit and a -2 on damage.
Strength bonuses for damage are ignored completely.
Only one hand-to-hand weapon may be carried.
In addition, 1 missle weapon may be used hand-to-hand (daggar, spear, hammer)
The non-proficiency penalty for any other weapon is -5 on to-hit
		and -2 on damage (in addition to the -2's on each already).
Archers never get more than one blow per round, regardless of level or opponent.
Archers may never parry in hand-to-hand combat.

ADVANTAGES TO MISSLE COMBAT

Archers gain an extra +1/level to-hit with missle weapons.
They gain a +0.5/level on damage with missile weapons (rounded down).
They are allowed full strength mods on attack and damage with missile weapons.
The above damage pluses are limited to the following absolute maximums:
	Arrows and quarrels: no limit.   Hammers and spears: +5.
	Daggars: +3.     Darts: +2.      Clubs and Slings: +4.
	These are in addition to any magical pluses the weapons may have.
Archers gain a rate-of-fire bonus of 10%/level.
		E.g., at first level, they get 3 long bow shots every 5th round.
Archers gain a range bonus of 5%/level.        
If unarmored (or in magic leather or chain), they may attempt to dodge missles.
	Can dodge 1 visible, nonmagical missle/level: 1/2 damage if save vs. spell
	At 4th level, can similarly dodge magical missles, lighteningbolts, etc.
	At 7th level, a save indicates that no damage was sustained.
	At 11th level, even a failure to save indicates just half damage.
Archers have a 5%/level chance of determining the type, origin, & function of a
	missle weapon which is known to be magical. This requires one hour.
At 3rd level, archers gain an extra +1 on initiative to attack with missile fire.
	At 9th level, and at 15th level, they gain an additional +1 on initiative.
Critical hits: upon rolling a natural 20 on attack die, the archer then rolls
	a 20-sided die again; if she rolls less than her level, double damage occurs.
	Thus, a 1st level archer has no chance, a 2nd level has 5%x5% = 0.25%,

When building a stronghold, 50% of all fighters that are attracted will be archers.
For non-archers who attract fighters, 10% of such followers will be archers.
Rationale: a professional bowman can bring down a large beast with one
well-placed shot. The extra damage allowances with training reflect his/her
growing skill at aiming for vital places on the opponent.
CHARACTER CLASS:  MINSTREL

Subclass of Thief  

Minimum Dexterity of 16, Int of 14, Wisdom of 12, MAXIMUM Strength of 9 (no minimum)
10% experience bonus if Dex, Int, Wis minimums are all exceeded.

The Minstrel is a jack of all trades. Unlike Bards, he is master of none.
He gets the widest possible access to spells, but acquires them slowly.
He has thieving abilities as well, but these never improve.
Limits for nonhuman races are:
Dwarf: no; Gnome: 9; Elf: U; Half-Elf: U; Halfling: 11; Half-Orc: 7.
The only split classes allowed are Gnome illusionist,
Half-Orc cleric or assassin or both.
Elves and HalfElves are unlimited in level, for they may not split this class.
Minstrels attack as Thieves, save as Clerics, have hit dice as Clerics.
Weapon choice, nonproficiency penalty, points/level, etc. is as Thieves.

The Minstrel starts at first level as a thief. He is not distinguished  in
any way from normal thief at this stage.  In fact, he may decide to go  on
as a thief, and conversely a thief may decide (upon reaching second level)
to become a minstrel.  The minstrel takes up spell-casting at this  stage;
no minstrel improves in any  thiefly abilities (after attaining 2nd  level
of expertise in them).

At second level, the minstrel learns  to play his instrument, act,  dance,
sing, and, in  a word,  entertain.  He gains  one first-level  illusionist
spell.  He will  never gain any  other illusionist spells  [this does  not
apply to gnome illusionist/minstrels, of course].

At third level, the  minstrel improves his  fighting abilities.  He  wears
heavier armor [elves and halfelves may  cast spells in plate; other  races
must be in leather.  If he wishes  to use his thiefly skills, he can  wear
at most  magical  chainmail.]  From  this  point  on, he  attacks  on  the
Fighters chart,  not  the thieves,  and  his weapon  choice,  number,  and
nonproficiency penalty are those of a fighter.

At fourth  level, the  minstrel  learns the  healing  arts. He  gains  one
first-level clerical spell.  If his wisdom is above 14, he gains a  second
1st-level clerical spell.

At fifth level,  the minstrel improves  his instrument playing.  He has  a
five per cent  chance of charming  any listening monsters  (as Bards  do).
This increases another 5%  per level henceforth.   He also studies  arcane
lore, and has a similar chance  of identifying relics, magic items,  maps,
castles, and other items of historic import.  Note that this is not magic,
like the Identify spell,  but rather due  to recognizing various  markings
and runes on the items.  A roll of 95% or above always signifies that  the
minstrel believes he  knows what  the item is  -- but  is incorrect.   Any
lower "miss" is merely the minstrel not recognizing what the item is.

During his sixth, seventh, and  eigth levels, the minstrel studies  magic.
He gets spells as  a 1st, 2nd,  and 3rd level  MU, respectively.  He  will
never gain any additional  magic-user spells (thus, at  8th level, he  has
one illusionist spell, one clerical spell, two magic user spells, and  one
2nd level magic user spell).

At ninth level, the minstrel again  turns to his combat abilities. He  can
attack 3/2 times per meelee round.  Also, at this level, he gains a  point
of charisma and a point of constitution.  He gains the ability to cure one
disease per week.

At 10th level,  the minstrel studies  Nature and the  great outdoors.   He
gains a first-level druid spell (two such spells if his charisma is 15  or
more).  He gains  a limited form  of tracking (same  as Ranger's, but  the
first roll is halved).   He gains the ability  to speak with animals  once
per day.

At 11th  level,  the  minstrel  will  form  his  own  troupe.  This  means
attracting 2d20 followers, 50% of whom  will be minstrels of lower  level.
Minstrels have no permanent fortress, but rather wander the countryside in
troupes, entertaining and turning a profit (or an adventure) as they  can.
From this point on, he is a minstrel alone, and gains 2hp/level.  He gains
a point of charisma and a 2nd level druid spell. At 12th level, he gains a
third level druid spell, at 13th a fourth level druid spell, and at 14th a
5th level druid  spell.  These  are the final  spells he  gains.  At  15th
level he  swings twice  per round.   At 16th  level, minstrels  can  sense
Neutrality (60') when concentrating.

Notes:  As he advances to a new level, the minstrel selects a new spell to
add to  his spellbook  (assuming he  has  one), just  like a  magic  user.
Reading magical tomes which single out particular classes will have 1/4 of
their good effects, and none of  their bad.  Those which effect  everyone,
or characters of one particular alignment, will of course have their  full
impact.  The points  required for  each level are  the same  as those  for
thieves.  No shield may  ever be used.  The  minstrel's instrument is  80%
likely to be two-handed.  In the  case of a one-handed instrument, he  may
use his free hand to parry, but the  range of his music and the chance  of
charm will be halved.  The Minstrel is allowed a Constitution bonus of  up
to +3/hit die (for 17 CON).  His  strength cannot exceed 17, even using  a
Strength or Wish spell.
Augmenting D&D with some RuneQuest features


Each character has a new attribute called Power (POW).  New characters
will determine power just as any other attribute; existing characters
will have their power set to