The Farmer and Blacksmith

[GimmeYerGold]

(Edit: Moved this one to a new post, since they're pretty different character types.)

Here are two new ones that I thought would be fun!





I think the Farmer would work out ok, but I'm still a little iffy on the Blacksmith's ability. I like the idea of "crafting" but keeping it HQ simple. The key is, whatever it is, it should fit on this card in its entirety.

Would these be characters you'd like to see in your own games?

thanks!

[Gold Bearer]

Hmm, commoners/non-hero type adventurers.

I don't like the wording of the farmer's rule, reminds me of the US fire of wraith and ball of flame, where first it says something happens full stop. Then it says oh, unless this happens. I think it would be better if it said 'Any time you drink a potion or eat food, that item is not removed from your inventory and may be used again if you avoid rolling a skull one one combat dice.

I'm not sure about the blacksmith either to be honest. It would be easy if you added an equipment breaking mechanic but I'll doubt you'll want to. Maybe a discount on equipment as he can but shoddy stuff and repair it, but then why wouldn't he do that for the others? Then again the dwarf has a skill that benefits everyone, but at least it's him that has to do in game. You could put stuff in the quests that only the blacksmith can fashion into something.

Another couple of ideas for you to make a full commoner set. Dwarf miner and elf witch-doctor. The dwarf miner is from warhammer. The witch-doctor could make his own potions. Here's my miner if you didn't spot it in my hero thread, help yourself. I think the standard version is quite nice for a miner, he would definitely know how to swing an axe. You might want to make him defend with two dice and have standard movement if you are interested in using him, though that might overpower him with five attack dice using a battleaxe. Maybe the target gets one less defence dice if he's using an axe or you could start him with a hand axe and let him always attack with an extra dice when using an axe.

Miner: M6/Lowest two of three dice A3 D3 BP7 MP3
Race: Dwarven (Dwarf). Class: Miner. Equipment: Double Axe, Banded Mail, Helm.
Special Rules: +1A with any type of axe if you don't move. Automatically spots and disarms falling rock traps in the same room or corridor. Additional +1D against falling objects.
Veteran: +1A using any type of axe if you move no more than half rate.
Master: Optional dispel attempt against any hostile spell affecting you by rolling a combat dice, on a skull it's unaffected, a white shield counters it and a black shield rebounds it back against the caster + optional dispel attempt against an enemy spell cast in the same room or corridor, a skull it's unaffected, a white shield dispels it and a black shield dispels it and the spell is lost.
Legend: Defends with black as well as white shields.

[torilen]

I'll have to look these (and the miner) over a bit later, but first glance tells me I like them.

I love the idea of non-combat characters for HQ...people with which to fill out the world.
Even if you don't do a lot of actual role-playing, I still think you need some non-combat
characters for interaction...especially if you use towns as a layover between quests. Even
if the heroes don't get a lot of interaction and talking, having these characters can give
the Evil Wizard an idea of where the heroes get clues and rumors, and HOW they might
get those clues and rumors.

[Gold Bearer]

With lowered BPs and MPs they'd make really nice NPCs that need the help of the main heroes.

[GimmeYerGold]

Retooled the Farmer into the Alchemist:



First ability is flavor-text for "can buy a potion any time, any where, second ability is a cleaner version of 50% of getting to use a potion again. I figure saying the first potion is drank (drunk?) and you get a copy is easier than saying you can use the item more than once.

Here is Farmer 2.0. (in place of the Blacksmith, who was kinda a game-breaker as-is)
Farmer 2.0 is big, he's burly, and he can put food on the table! Has a harvest 1 food item before each quest ability:



Here are those food items:

[torilen]

OOOOHHHH - I love the farmer's special abilities now. And you get special
cards with him...classic HQ. Great job.

For the alchemist, brewing potions, should there be a chance of making
a hero sick with a failed brew?

[mitchiemasha]

Loving the art for those cards.

[Goblin-King]

The Alchemist and new farmer looks great.
Farmer is basically a dwarf with a random ability each quest. I'd consider giving him the original 6 BP to reflect him being a "normal" guy. Certainly he is not as sturdy as a warrior dwarf?
His lower stats only matters while unarmed, but they seem fitting.

Alchemist's ability to buy potions during quests is very simple yet fitting.
I like his copybrew ability, but I wonder if you could simplify it even more?
Maybe he always buys potions at half price, and then drops the copybrew ability?
Won't it turn out roughly the same?
Take it or leave it

[Gold Bearer]

Maybe Alchemist - 5BP 4MP, Farmer - 6BP 3MP, to show that they're commoners.

You could make so much more of that shroom card.

[Goblin-King]

Agree with GB. In a way these SHOULD be worse choices than the regular characters.
If you want to be a farmer against the armies of darkness you have consciously picked hard-mode.

You could also consider making some unique equipment for them, like pitchfork, scythe, or some sort of thrown fire potion for the alchemist.