Rules - Classes
There are a total of 30 classes available in Shattered Wilds, but this large number is just a result of the combinatorics of a few different roles and flavors, so it is easier to break it down by categorization than providing a complete list upfront.
Characters will pick a Class at Level 1 (the first level for a Hero). At that level, they will receive their Class Modifier (Core Feat), which is a +1 bonus to their Primary Attribute; and two Core Class Feats, normally related to their Role and Flavor. Characters can also pick any Major or Minor Feats from their Class Feats list to fill any slots as they level up.
The first major decision in picking your Class is whether you will be a Warrior, a Caster, or a Mystic. These basically map to the primary Realm that is embodied by the character (Body, Mind, and Soul, respectively).
Warriors are the equivalent of the "martials" in D&D, and their primary attribute will be either STR, DEX or CON. They are experts in physical attacks with weapons, and their unique Feats focus on powerful maneuvers and tactics in combat.
Casters are the equivalent of the arcane spellcasters in D&D, and they heavily used their Mind to learn the details of the Arcane. They can still (and should) use weapons, as all characters are expected to be fighters, but their unique Feats involve leveraging their Arcane knowledge to cast spells and manipulate the world around them. In Shattered Wilds, the Arcane is a magic and a science, and its effects are down-to-earth and predictable, yet they can be very powerful. However, casting spells requires a strong Mind and costs Focus Points. Different classes will differ around how flexible / versatile or specific their Feats are, and what is the nature of their powers (which determines their primary attribute between INT, WIS, and CHA).
Finally, Mystics are the equivalent of the divine spellcasters in D&D, and they have used their Soul to connect to the Aether and the powerful gods that inhabit it (the Protean). They have a much more chaotic and less predictable form of magic, of which they are only vessels channeling forces beyond their control and understanding. A rule of thumb would be that a Caster chooses the result of their spell, and then roll to assert success, while a Mystic will roll and have the DM determine the outcome. They have more specific spells (but still flexible) with less predictable effects, and can do certain types of magic such as healing, buffs or divination that are outside the bounds of the Arcane. Their Primary Attribute will be DIV, FOW or LCK, depending on what kind of power they are channeling.
Warriors
There are 9 Warrior classes, which are divided in a 3x3 matrix of Roles and Flavors. Each Role will define a Core Major Feat while each Flavor will define a Core Minor Feat. On top of that, they will each define their own track of future Feats to be picked from. Starting at Level 2, a character's Class Feats list will include all options from both their Role or Flavor tracks.
| Role / Flavor | Martial | Survivalist | Scoundrel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melee (STR) | Fighter | Berserker | Swashbuckler |
| Ranged (DEX) | Marksman | Hunter | Rogue |
| Tank (CON) | Guardian | Barbarian | Scout |
The Role will also define your Primary Attribute (STR, DEX or CON) for the Core Class Modifier.
Melee Warriors
Melee Warriors focus on Strength, and thus are favored to use Heavy Melee or Thrown weapons (see a Weapons breakdown under Equipment).
Melee Warriors Feats
- Sweep Attack: You can spend
3AP and1FP to perform an advanced Melee Strike against up to three adjacent enemies within your reach. You roll once for all targets, but they resist separately. - Opportunity Window: You can spend
1SP to reduce by1(min1) the amount of AP you would spend to perform the Opportunity Attack reaction. - Spin Attack: Upgrade the Sweep Attack to target any number of creatures; they no longer need to be adjacent to each other.
Ranged Warriors
Ranged Warriors focus on Dexterity, and thus are favored to use Light Melee or Ranged weapons (or both).
Ranged Warriors Feats
- Refined Aiming: When using the Aim action, you can increase the base range of your Ranged Weapon by your Finesse modifier.
- Pinning Shot: You can perform the Stun action with Ranged Attacks.
- Quick Draw: If you have at least one hand free, you can spend 1 FP to draw a Light Melee Weapon without spending an action.
- Rapid Fire: Spend 2 SP (and the AP that it would cost) to use a Strike action for Basic Ranged Attack as a reaction; it loses the Concentrate trait.
- Double Shot: You can spend 3 SP to shoot two projectiles with a single Strike action. Roll for each separately, one after the other.
Tank Warriors
Tank Warriors focus on Constitution, and thus are focused on defense and therefore do not have a specific weapon focus.
Tank Warriors Feats
- Improved Taunt: You can spend an additional 1 SP as you perform a Taunt action to get a +6 CM to your Presence Check.
- Bulky Frame: You have a
+6CM to your Stance Checks to resist opponents of your size or larger attempting to Pass Through you. - Quick Bash: You only need to spend 1 AP to perform a Shield Bash .
- Armor Familiarity: You reduce your DEX penalty from wearing Armor by
1(min0).
Martial Warriors
Martial Warriors Feats
- Exert Authority: Spend 1 AP and 1 SP to authoritatively command an ally that can see and hear you clearly to perform a specific 1 AP action of your choice. The ally can choose to perform the action immediately without spending any AP if they wish.
- Distributed Shifts: When you would inflict additional damage through a Basic Melee Strike to an enemy via Crit Shifts, you can instead attempt to distribute that additional Shift damage to any other adjacent creatures that would have been valid targets for this attack; they have to resist as if they were the target of the attack, but Shifts are not considered for this second roll.
- Weapon Honing: You can spend a few hours and 1 SP to hone and carefully refine your weapon to your personal style, preferences and needs, creating a unique connection between you and it. This connection will last until the end of the day, as it fades away in your memory, but while it lasts, the weapon will concede an additional
+1Equipment Modifier bonus to your Strike actions.
Survivalist Warriors
Survivalist Warriors Feats
- Rage: You can spend 1 AP and 1 SP to become Enraged: reduce your Focus Points to
1, and it cannot be further reduced while you are Enraged; you cannot Concentrate while Enraged; and you gain a CM to your Body Attacks while Enraged that starts with+6and is reduced by1each time it is used. When the bonus reaches0, or you fail to perform at least on Basic Attack in your turn, you are no longer Enraged. - Disregard Cover: You can consider Passive Cover for your Ranged Attacks to be of one degree less than it would otherwise be.
- Instinctive Tracking: You get a
+3CM to Checks you make related to tracking creatures (following footprints, etc). - Potioneer: You can spend a few hours to forage for ingredients on the appropriate environment with an Intuition Check. You can also spend a few hours and 1 SP to brew a salve that can be used to heal an amount of points (determined by a Knowledge Check) of either VP, FP or SP (your choice). The salve will lose potency and expire after a few days to a week.
Scoundrel Warriors
Scoundrel Warriors Feats
- Fancy Footwork: If you make a Melee Basic Attack against a target, you do not provoke Opportunity Attacks from that target until the end of the turn.
- Leverage: If you would inflict additional damage through a Basic Strike to an enemy via Crit Shifts, you can instead spend any number of SP (up to your level) to inflict that many additional VP of damage. So for example if you get 2 Shifts for an attack (normal damage of 3), you can spend 2 SP to inflict 2 additional VP of damage (total damage of 5).
- Thieves Fingers: You get a
+3CM to any Checks you perform associated with lock picking or trap disarming. You can spend 1 FP to get an additional+3CM (must be decided before rolling). - Beginners Luck: You can use a FP to pay for a Luck Die for a Check of a Skill you do not have any points invested in.
Casters
There are a total of 12 Caster classes, which are divided in a 3x4 matrix depending on their Role (Primary Attribute and source of their powers) and Flavor (manifestation of that power).
| Role / Flavor | Arcanist | Mechanist | Naturalist | Musicist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erudite (INT) | Wizard | Engineer | Alchemist | Storyteller |
| Intuitive (WIS) | Mage | Artificer | Druid | Minstrel |
| Innate (CHA) | Sorcerer | Machinist | Shaman | Bard |
The Core Major Feat for all Casters is:
Arcane Casting: Unlocks Arcane Casting. See Rules: Arcane for details on how the Arcane magic system works.
See Arcane Spellcasting for a detailed breakdown of what each Role and Flavor entails and how the Arcane magic system works.
The Arcanist
The Arcanist is the generalist Caster; they are able to use all types of Spell Components, but are not particularly proficient in any of them.
Arcanist Feats
- Signature Spell: You have fully committed all the details of a specific form of the Fundamental Arcane Spell (such as from the Predefined Spells list); you have a
+3to cast that exact spell. - Reactive Casting: You can spend 1 Heroism Point to cast a standard 2 AP / 1 FP spell as a reaction.
- Cantrip Casting: When not in the pressure of an Encounter, you can spend a few minutes to cast a standard 2 AP / 1 FP spell without spending a Focus Point.
The Mechanist
The Mechanist is able to use tools and devices that they can devise to assist with the execution of Somatic Spell Components. In contrast, they are unable to use Verbal or Focal components.
Mechanist Feats
- Tool-Assisted Casting: You can create and use One-Handed (
+2) and Two-Handed (+3) tools, crazy mechanical contraptions to assist you with the execution of Somatic Spell Components. You can use these tools to execute a Somatic Component of any spell, but you cannot use any other type of Spell Component. - Mechanistic Affinity: You can spend a few hours and 1+ FP to attempt to concoct a mechanical contraption to achieve any specific simple goal (use a Check of your primary attribute). Think gears, belts, pulleys, etc in a small pocket sized creation. As an example, you could craft a music box, a clock, a small mechanical hinge to open a door. The DM will adjudicate the complexity and feasibility of the project.
- Eye for Contraptions: You are particularly good at analyzing and assessing the functionality of mechanical contraptions, such as mechanical devices, locks, and traps. You have a
+3CM to IQ Checks to discern information from such contraptions, and can spend1FP to get an additional+3CM (must be decided before rolling).
The Naturalist
The Naturalist is able to use the natural world around them to assist with the execution of Somatic Spell Components. In contrast, they are unable to use Verbal or Focal components.
Naturalist Feats
- Focal Connection: You can create and use a personal Custom Focus (
+4) that is bound to you. You can use this Custom Focus to execute the Focal Component of any spell, but you cannot use any other type of Spell Component. - Instinctive Tracking: You get a
+3CM to Checks you make related to tracking creatures (following footprints, etc). - Natural Affinity: You can use Command Spells with a
+3CM to control plants, encouraging super-accelerated growth, redirection, flowers to blooms, etc. The difficult and augmentations are similar to the Guide Animal spell. - Potioneer: You can spend a few hours to forage for ingredients on the appropriate environment with an Intuition Check. You can also spend a few hours and 1 SP to brew a salve that can be used to heal an amount of points (determined by a Knowledge Check) of either VP, FP or SP (your choice). The salve will lose potency and expire after a few days to a week.
The Musicist
The Musicist is able to use music and instruments to assist with the execution of Verbal Spell Components. In contrast, they are unable to use Somatic or Focal components.
Musicist Feats
- Lyric Resonance: You can use One-Handed (
+2) and Two-Handed (+3) instruments to assist you with the execution of Verbal Spell Components. You can use these instruments to execute a Verbal Component of any spell, but you cannot use any other type of Spell Component. - Inspiring Performance: As a reaction to an ally performing an action, you can spend a SP to give them a +1 CM to a Check associated with their action. You can only do this once per action, the action must not be a reaction, and you cannot do this to yourself.
- There's More to This Song: You can attempt to hide a message in a song you are singing, only to be perceived by certain listeners. Roll a Speechcraft Check with
+6CM; all listeners then contest with an IQ Check. The targets you wanted to understand get a+3CM to their Check, or a+6if they are aware that you are trying to hide a message.
Mystics
Unlike the Arcane, the Divine is a much softer magical system, by which Mystics use their connection to the Aether to outsource the power of external entities (Proteans), their own Soul, or Luck itself. It is definitely not a science, and it is not predictable. Instead of describing exact desired effects as the Casters do, Mystics have vague desires and roll a Check, letting the DM decide the effect.
There are a total of 9 Mystic classes, which are divided in a 3x3 matrix depending on their Role (which determines their Primary Attribute) and Flavor (wether they purely dedicate to their channeling or have some mixed martial characteristics).
| Role / Flavor | Devout | Mixed | Crusader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disciple (DIV) | Cleric | Warlock | Paladin |
| Adept (FOW) | Sage | Monk | Ranger |
| Inspired (LCK) | Wanderer | Wayfarer | Warden |
The realm of the Divine can produce effects much different than that of the Arcane, such as:
- Direct Healing and Harming
- Buffs and Debuffs
- Divination
- Illusions (including Invisibility)
- Luck Manipulation (through LCK)
However, differently from the Casters table, this matrix is a bit more diverse; each Role will have access to different tools and abilities (though some form of Channeling will always connect all Mystics):
- The Adept: Employ their DIV to submit to a specific Protean and channel their power.
- The Disciple: Leverage their FOW and self-control to connect to the Aether and channel the true power of their own Soul.
- The Inspired: Receive their LCK through a literally unexplainable connection to beyond the Aether.
Therefore, much like it is for the Warriors, your Role will define your Core Major Feat, while your Flavor will define your Core Minor Feat.
The Disciple
The Disciple is a Mystic who either has (1) submitted, (2) a contract, or (3) a bond with a specific higher power in the Aether - i.e., a Protean. The nature of their connection can be varied, from an abstract concept and blind devotion to a more personal touch towards an Avatar (see the Archetypes section in Divine).
Regardless of the nature of their connection, the Disciple can:
- Actively Channel powers from the Aether into the material world (i.e. Divine Channeling), using a DIV Check;
- Actively Pray as a one-way communication with their Protean to inform their desires, needs, concerns and requests, typically done once a day after a Long Rest, using a Devotion Check;
- Passively receive messages, guidance, or visions from their Protean, at the discretion of the DM.
In exchange, they are responsible for respecting and furthering their Protean's cause. Unlike other settings, there is no defined pantheon of impossibly powerful (or even omnipotent) gods. Instead, players should work with their DMs to create Proteans as part of their character creation. However, some pre-defined templates will be provided below.
Typically, Disciples will Pray once at the start of every day (after a Long Rest), and they can at this moment express their vague desires, needs, and concerns to their Protean. They can attempt to ask for more specific requests, but depending on the type of request, how aligned it is with their Protean's cause, the complexity, specificity and difficulty of the requests, it will be less likely to succeed. Regardless of the ask, the character will do a Devotion Check, and the DM will rule over the outcome, which might be nothing right now, undisclosed things that might happen later, or might include any immediate messages, visions, omens, guidance or requests from the Protean.
A character can attempt to Pray on any longer moments of peace and quiet (like a Short Rest), but typically praying more than once a day is infective. Similarly, a DM might request a Devotion Check at any moment, depending on circumstances, the nature of the Protean and the connection, or any other reason.
Disciple Feats
- Divine Channeling: Unlocks Divine Channeling. See Rules: Divine for details on how the Divine magic system works.
- Focused Reach: You can spend 1 AP and 1 FP to double your Influence Range until the start of your next turn.
- Sacred Calm: You can perform the Calm action on an ally that you can touch. You can spend an additional 1 FP to get a
+6CM when performing the Calm action. - Religious Rites: You are particularly knowledgeable about the specific rites, rituals, the nature of your contract, or whatever are the details of your connection with your Protean. You get a
+3to Knowledge Checks related to these topics, and can spend1FP to get an additional+3CM (must be decided before rolling).
The Adept
The Adept is a Mystic who is able to channel the power within their Soul into the Material World. They are still finely connected and attuned to the Aether, but they are not bound to a specific Protean, but rather strengthen the connection with their own Soul. Therefore, they are uniquely equipped to fight with their own power-unlocked Body.
Adept Feats
- Flurry of Blows: You can spend 1 SP to make an unarmed Strike cost only 1 AP.
- Callous Fists: You can use CON instead of STR to perform unarmed attacks.
- Channeling Fists: You can spend 1 SP to get a +1 CM to an unarmed Attack Check. You can stack this effect on the same attack.
- Spirit to Flesh: You can resist the effects of Transfiguration spells against your body using your FOW instead of Toughness.
The Inspired
The Inspired is a Mystic who is able to receive their LCK through an unexplainable connection to the Aether (and possibly beyond). If the typical channeling power is vague and abstract, the origin of the good fortune of the Inspired is completely beyond comprehension.
Inspired Feats
- Bountiful Luck: You can spend SP instead of Heroism Points to use the Karmic Resistance, Write History and Luck Die actions.
- Favorable Movement: You can spend 1 FP as you take a Movement Action to ignore Difficult Terrain for this movement.
- Lucky Relentlessness: Your DC for the Heroic Relentlessness action is
10.
Flavor: Devout
The Devout will be completely focused on their channeling, instead of diverging into more martial-focused faculties.
If they are not already an Adept, they will be able to pick the Lesser Divine Channeling feat at Level 2 to unlock the Divine (creating some justification with the DM).
Devout Feats
- Effortless Attuning: Whenever you would spend Spirit Points to use an Imbued Item that would otherwise not require an Attunement Check, you can make an Attunement Check DC 15 to spend one less SP (min 0).
- Focused Channeling: You can spend 1 FP (and add the Concentrate trait, if it didn't have it already) when doing an action with the Channeling trait to get a +3 CM.
- Lesser Divine Channeling: Unlocks Divine Channeling for non-Adepts; this probably represent a much more indirect connection to some higher (possibly unknown) force. See Rules: Divine for details on how the Divine magic system works.
Flavor: Mixed
The Mixed will be in between the Devout and the Crusader.
WIP The Mixed is still being developed and is not available as an option yet.
Flavor: Crusader
Of the three Flavors, the Crusader will have the most focus on martial expertise, but still being primarily focused on their channeling.
Crusader Feats
- Divine Smite: You can spend 2 SP when striking with a weapon to get a +3 CM as you channel raw power into it, making it acquire a distinct glow as you lift it to strike.
- Spiritual Armor: You can roll the Shrug Off action using your Primary Attribute instead of Toughness.
- Moral Authority: If you witness someone performing an action that directly contradicts your (or your Protean's) Tenets, you get a
+6to any CHA-based Checks attempting to stop or dissuade this behavior (such as intimidation, persuasion, deception, etc).