The Bastard
You're not a good person. You might be compassionate, you might be kind, you might be gentle, but deep down, you will lie, cheat, and steal whenever you have to if it means getting what you want. Some bastards are thieves, and they do well. Other bastards are assassins, or wilderness guides, or snake oil salesmen all. But wise men the world round understand that bastards can be as useful as they are dangerous.
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| If Harrison Ford has played it, that character has been a Bastard. |
Roll 1d6 on the following tables.
What's Your Game?
Each roll on this table will give you a Class Ability from your Class Advancement Table (CAT). Reference the table with the appropriate # received. If no options fit, make up your own and choose a Class Ability from CAT numbers 51-70
- Thievery can make a man rich if he knows how to flip his wares fast enough. Start with Class Ability 57-58.
- Lead someone through the dark parts of a city, or some dank forest, and let fortune line my pockets. Start with Class Ability 55-56.
- This here vial, see how purple it is? A sign of God, surely. Drink it, it'll take all your ills away. Start with Class Ability 61-63.
- Fickle, life. Easy to take. Never cheap, though. Never cheap at all. Start with Class Ability 68-70.
- No games, just good fuckin' times! I go in, see what I can shake up, and dip out. Start with Class Ability XX
- Daredevils like me live for the thrill. I don't care what gets in the way 'long as the adrenaline pumps. Start with Class Ability 59-60.
Who Wants Revenge?
The NPC rolled on this table is hot on your trail and wants nothing more than to even the score.
- I loved them, and I loved a few others too, and now those few others all want a piece of me.
- A whole town in an uproar, all over me? Best believe I'll never go back there.
- No, I didn't know they were the child of that crimelord. But I know now, and don't plan on ever seeing them again.
- It was a memento, but their lover was dead and I had a debt I needed to pay off. What's the harm of helping the living?
- Yeah, I killed them. Was a mistake--wrong target and all that.
- It was a lot of money, but there were two of us, and two shares is always better than one. They knew it was all business in the end.
Name Your Contact
Name the NPC you roll on the following table. This NPC is a contact you know will always help you with something specific.
- They trade in exotic insects from some strange place. Runs a whole den dedicated to getting bit and tripping out. Says you can see the future, for the right price.
- Not quite sure if they're human or not. Blue-green skin, black eyes all around. But they know ways I don't, ways into places and ways out too.
- Farmer turned warlord turned fucking city watch. Not the most illustrious career, but when muscle is needed, good hell do they raise it.
- Not sure if I'd call them a priest, a cultist, or a monk. Something different, I'm sure. But ask them three questions and give a special tithe, and they'll ask a god those questions and give you back three answers.
- I've betrayed this one catspaw more times then I can count. Each time, they help me still. Got a dirty favor and I'll pass it on.
- Top to bottom the whole organization is screwed. They owe me two more favors, so long as they involve a prized painting or a ring made out of saint bone.
Starting Equipment
You start with 10d10x5 currency, all of it a loan from someone who wants it paid back sooner rather than later. Additionally, you start with the following:
- (a) a false identity and supporting documents or (b) 3 vials of poison, one of which robs sight, another speech, and another their memories of a loved one
- (a) a pair of gloves that make it so your touch can't be felt or (b) a pair of boots that make no sound
- a dagger, knife, or other short-bladed weapon. you always have one, even when you lose it or are stripped of everything.
- traveling gear containing the basics for your world, though missing either (a) a pillow (b) something to sleep in or (c) an additional set of clothing
THE BASTARD CAT
Below is your Class Advancement Table (CAT) for the Bastard Class. Spend 1 XP to roll on it randomly, or XP equal to the 10's digit/2 (rounded up) for a specific roll. If the option has more numerous slots on the table, choose the 10s digit of the highest number.
21-30: Add +1 to all saving throws.
31-40: 1+your level of hirelings are attracted to you by reputation alone.
41-49: When you roll for a keyword, roll an additional 1d20.
50: Choose any of the options between 1-49, then roll again, adding +50 to your roll if it's 50 or below.
51-52: Secret Smeller - You got a nose for secretive and hidden things. When you enter a room, you spot a hidden door, secret chest or safe, or a trap of the Referee's choice. If you reroll this, you can spot 1 additional thing.
53-54: Contacts on Every Continent - You gain an additional contact of your choice every time you roll this option.
55-56: Dangerphobia - When something hostile or dangerous happens, you can escape it's attention so long as you have a reasonable way to do so and until it starts looking for you specifically. You can extend this benefit to an additional person whenever you reroll this.
57-58: Second-Story Work - When you see something you want to steal in a building, ruin, or otherwise guarded area, roll 1d10. If you spend that many days studying the thing's security, you learn both all the details about it and a single potential way to get around them. Subtract 1 from your 1d10 roll for every time that you reroll this.
59-60: Danger Sense - Whenever you enter into a room, street, or otherwise new area, you know one of the following details: if something is watching you specifically, if something is following you, or if something is dangerous is waiting for you. If you reroll this, choose 1 additional option.
61-63: Counterfeit Tongue - When talking to a specific person or an audience, as long as no one in that audience contradicts you, you can convince them that any one thing you have has one of the following properties: is worth a king's crown, was sanctified by a major religious figure, can cure any ill, or can bring good fortune to the buyer. This works 1d6 times on an audience and anyone in it, afterwards they no longer believe you. If you reroll this, it will work +1 additional times.
64-67: An Eye for Debauchery - When you meet someone new and talk to them for at least 10 minutes, you learn one of the following details about this: which of the seven deadly sins they most frequently commit, one vice they are addicted too, or one dangerous act they are willing to indulge in. If you reroll this, you can learn 1 additional detail.
68-70: Throat-Slitter - When someone or something is completely unaware of you and you know how to kill it, roll a Savvy Check. On a success, you kill that thing.
71-72: Bad Luck Bares Baby - Whenever someone rolls a 13 or a total of 13 on any check, you cause that person to fail their check. Every time you reroll this, you can choose one of the following numbers instead: 0, 3, 7, 20, 66, or 100.
72-76: Weird Stealer - You've stolen a single estoery of your choice.
76-80: Archthief - You gain one of the following benefits: you can scale walls or cliffs without rope or handhelds, you can hide inside of shadows as if they were utter darkness, you can open any lock, you can pick any pocket, or you can leave no trace of your passing. If you reroll this, gain an additional option.
81-82: The Bastard with a Thousand Faces - Create a new identity, complete with 2 keywords. When you adopt this identity, replace up to 2 of your keywords with these additional keywords. It requires at least an hour of makeup and focus to change identities. If you reroll this, gain an additional identity and another 32 keywords.
83-84: Lucky Flashback - Roll 1d4 at the start of a game session. During that session, you can have a flashback that number of times, explaining why you are prepared for whatever situation you are in. If you reroll this, increase the die size by 1 step. The flashback has to include screwing someone over.
85-86: Trap God - You can construct any trap of your choosing as long as you have 30 minutes and the materials on hand. Additionally, any trap you come across, you know how to disable it if given at least a single minute of uninterrupted work. If you reroll this, reduce the number of minutes needed to make a trap by 5.
87-90: 9 Lives Jack - You've got 9 lives, and you've used 1d4 of them. When you would normally die, you can instead fake your death and reenter any following scene in any manner that you choose. If you reroll this, ignore the roll and roll again on the Bastard CAT.
91: The Trick to Every Trick - Roll 1d4 at the start of your game session. You succeed on that many Savvy checks that you would otherwise fail during that session. If you reroll this, increase the die size by 1 step.
92: One Heist Under my Belt - You have already stolen a veritable fortune. Whoever wants revenge on you knows this, but no one else does. Roll a Savvy check whenever you spend from this endless well of money. On a failure, whoever wants revenge against you has gained 1d6 allies that know about your fortune. If you reroll this, roll again on the Bastard Cat.
93: Deal With a Devil - You've made a deal with something, not someone, very, very bad. Work out the details of the deal with the Referee. The deal must involve somehow involving the entire party. The thing will always uphold their end of the deal. If you reroll this, work out another deal with the Referee.
94: They Shot First - When you attack, kill, or otherwise hurt someone or something, you can shift all the blame onto them if less than 1d10 witnesses saw you. If you reroll this, decrease the die size by 1 step.
95: Copycat - Choose another Class Ability from a different classes CAT that is 70 or lower every time you roll this ability.
96: A Twist of Fate - Whenever you die, you can twist the skeins of fate. As a result of your death, all other PCs at the table will critically succeed on their next roll. If you reroll this, they gain an additional critical success.
97: Death Stealer - When you see a someone or something do damage, you can steal that method of doing damage for yourself. You can use this method, dealing the same number of damage dealt, 1d4 times. Increase the die size by 1 step for every time you reroll this.
98: A Set of Royal Pardons - You have a set of pardons from a regional ruler that is well-respected. You can use these to commit 1d4+1 crimes without receiving punishment. If you reroll this, you get another 1d4 pardons.
99: Prayer From Their Lips - You've stolen a prayer from someone. When you recite this prayer, roll a d100. If you roll under your total number of HD + Keywords + Spent XP, that prayer comes true. If you reroll this, you get another prayer.
00: The Bastard's Bastards - You've established a syndicate, mafia, black network, or cabal of followers. You have 1d10+7 followers and a secret headquarters at a place of your choosing. For each follower, roll on the Bastard CAT twice and assign a single keyword. They will remain loyal to you until someone makes them a better offer. If you reroll this, you gain an additional 1d6 followers.
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| Grey Mouser is a Bastard too. |
DESIGN NOTES
The Bastard is my replacement for thieves, rogues, and certain types of specialists. I wanted, in my game, for people who go outside the law and fuck others over to be the thing, as that has a lot of open space to explore and can allow for thieves, assassins, tricksters, daredevils, etc. The name comes from the idea of people seeing this character and saying to themselves "that's one hell of a bastard."
Narrative examples are Han Solo, Indiana Jones, the Grey Mouser, and even Conan if you just have a high Athletics attribute.
The three tables are for building a compelling character pretty quickly, as well as giving the Referee some ideas to play with and your character an ability at start. They'll change for each class, but will follow a rough guideline of:
Table 1: An ability is given
Table 2: An immediate conflict with the external world
Table 3: An immediate ally or thing that can help them in specific situations.
For OSR games, this means starting characters, though still fast to make, have a little bit more oomph to them then compared to, say, a B/X or Into the Odd or Lamentations character. It's not enough, I believe, to push them into 5E territory, and most of it is circumstantial, but it's something to think about.
Starting equipment is an excuse to inject more flavor into a class. Options are given so that not every Bastard starts the same.
The Bastard CAT has 25 Bastard-specific options on it in total. Options 51-70 are considered "basic" stuff for the class, hence their bigger weights. Options 71-80 are more advanced, with the 80s options being very advanced. Options 91-100 are all special; things that put your Bastard firmly in the "they have one really special" thing status as composed to the other 15 "common Bastard" things.
Most of the options aren't gamebreaking, and only a few require rolls. Most of these features are things the Bastard can just do, or things that give the Bastard some kind of material edge. With how their CAT is set up, a Bastard is not so much about combat but more about of multi-purpose tools they can approach situations over. Most of them will make them enemies; this is intended.
You'll notice HD and saves is missing. An HD for all classes is a d6, which can change from certain class-specific CATs. Saves are discussed in the previous blog post.
Let's roll up a sample bastard.
I roll for the 3d6 a 3, 4, and 6.
Let's say I start with 2 XP. I spend them and get an 83 and 88.
The two keywords I've chosen will be from the Cyberpunk list, and I rolled a 2 and 16.
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| This is a good pic for a Cyberpunk Bastard. By Adrian Dadich. |
Name: B-TREY EL-Series #147, "Teresa"
Keywords: Back alley Doctor, A.I
HD: 1
Hit Points: 4
Saves:
- Hacked: 2-in-6
- Techno-Dooms: 1-in-6
- Humanity: 1-in-6
Attributes:
- Athletics: 8
- Savvy: 10
- Weird: 9
- Punk (Cyberpunk specific attribute): 15
What's Your Game?
I sell fake medicines and trojan horses to my consumers. I'm constantly changing shop for when the heat gets too high.
Who Wants Revenge?
Dataeyed Jones. I stole a meteor-gold locket of him and his dead wife while he was under the knife and sold it to pay off a freedom debt to the company that made me. He wants to break me apart and sell me now.
Name Your Contact
Wendigo Corp. They're corrupted and fucked top to bottom, but as long as I give them a ring made out of 100% organic bone (a fucking rarity) they'll do me any two favors I ask.
Loadout
- A false identity as a human woman whom works as a tattoo artist.
- A pair of gloves that makes it so my touch can't be felt.
- Traveling gear missing a pillow.
- A scalpel, laser-sharp.
Bastard CAT Abilities
Counterfeit Tongue - When talking to a specific person or an audience, as long as no one in that audience contradicts you, you can convince them that any one thing you have has one of the following properties: is worth a king's crown, was sanctified by a major religious figure, can cure any ill, or can bring good fortune to the buyer. This works 1d6 times on an audience and anyone in it, afterwards they no longer believe you. If you reroll this, it will work +1 additional times.
Lucky Flashback - Roll 1d4 at the start of a game session. During that session, you can have a flashback that number of times, explaining why you are prepared for whatever situation you are in. If you reroll this, increase the die size by 1 step. The flashback has to include screwing someone over.
9 Lives Jack - You've got 9 lives, and you've used 4 of them. When you would normally die, you can instead fake your death and reenter any following scene in any manner that you choose. If you reroll this, ignore the roll and roll again on the Bastard CAT.
Took me all of 5 minutes to make what an experienced Bastard. Hopefully others find it as intuitive and easy to make characters as I did, and can use the prompts therein to make their games shine.
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