3. Fighter Class Guide

Fighter Class Guide


  • Fighter Class Guide

    Introduction
    Character Creation

    • Archetypes
    • Warrior Personality Types
    • Changing Personality Type
    • Hobbies and Skills
      Religion
      Playing Your Stats
      The NWN Fighter
      The Narfell Fighter

    Introduction
    Fighters are at home in nearly every society of Faerûn. While they are often overlooked for praise because their skills are so common, great leaders such as Randal Morn, Bruenor Battlehammer, and the late King Azoun IV of Cormyr are very skilled warriors with reputations greater than the reach of their swords. Of course, many have risen to infamy on their fighting skills, such as Gondegal the Lost King, or the notorious assassin Artemis Entreri.

    Some countries have famous military or knightly orders. Cormyr is well known for its army, called the Purple Dragons. Tethyr has several knightly orders, the most accessible being the Champion Vigilant (worshiping Helm) and the Knights Kuldar of Barakmordin (worshiping the Triad of Ilmater, Torm, and Tyr).

    The questing knight, the conquering overlord, the king's champion, the elite foot soldier, the hardened mercenary, and the bandit king - all are fighters. Fighters can be stalwart defenders of those in need, cruel marauders, or gutsy adventurers. Some are among the land's best souls, willing to face death for the greater good. Others are among the worst, with no qualms about killing for private gain, or even for sport. Fighters who are not actively adventuring may be soldiers, guards, bodyguards, champions, or criminal enforcers. An adventuring fighter might call themsleves warriors, mercenaries, thugs, or simply adventurers.

    Adventures
    Most fighters see adventures, raids, and dangerous missions as their jobs. Some have patrons who pay them regularly. Others prefer to live like prospectors, taking great risks in hopes of the big haul. some fighters are more civic-minded and use their combat skills to protect endangered people who cannot defend themselves. Whatever their initial motivations, however, fighters often wind up living for the thrill of combat and adventure.

    Characteristics
    Of all the classes, the fighter has the best all around fighting capabilities. Fighters are familiar with all the standard weapons and armors. In addition to general fighting prowess, each fighter develops particular specialties of their own. A given fighter may be especially capable with certain weapons; another might be trained to execute specific fancy maneuvers. As fighters gain experience, they get more opportunities to develop their fighting skills. Thanks to their focus on combat maneuvers, they can master the most difficult ones relatively quickly.

    Alignment
    Fighters may be of any alignment. Good fighters are often crusading types who seek out and fight evil. Lawful fighters may be champions who protect the land and its people. Chaotic fighters may be wandering mercenaries. Evil fighters tend to be bullies and petty villains who simply take what they want by brute force.

    Religion
    A fighter will normally pick a patron deity but will also tend to call upon other gods depending on what’s going on. A fighter might have Tempus as patron but when they go on a long journey ask for Shaundakul’s blessing. If it’s a sea journey they might say a quick prayer to Valkur or make an offering to Umberlee.

    Background
    Fighters come to their profession in many ways. Many have had formal training in a noble's army or at least in the local militia. Some have trained in formal academies. Others are self-taught-unpolished but well tested. A fighter may have taken up the sword as a way to escape the limits of life on the farm, or he may be following a proud family tradition. Fighters share no special identity. They do not see themselves as a group or brotherhood. Those who hail from a particular academy, mercenary company, or lord's regiment, however, tend to share a certain camaraderie.

    Races
    Human fighters are usually veterans of some military service, typically from more mundane parents. Dwarven fighters are commonly former members of the well-trained strike teams that protect the underground dwarven kingdoms. They are typically members of warrior families that can trace their lineages back for millennia, and they may have rivalries or alliances with other dwarven fighters depending on their lineages. Elven fighters are typically skilled with the longsword. They are proud of their ability at swordplay and eager to demonstrate or test it. Half-orc fighters are often self-taught outcasts who have achieved enough skill to earn recognition and something akin to respect. Gnome and halfling fighters usually stay in their own lands as part of the area militia rather than adventuring. Half-elves are rarely fighters, but they may take up swordplay in honor of the elven tradition.

    Other Classes
    The fighter excels in a straight fight, but he relies on others for magical support, healing, and scouting. On a team, it is his job to man the front lines, protect the other party members, and bring the tough opponents down. Fighters might not much understand the arcane ways of wizards or share the faith of clerics, but they recognize the value of teamwork.

    Character Creation

    Archetypes
    These are a small selection of ideas for the backstory of your fighter PC.

    Berserker
    The Berserker is a warrior who has special attributes and abilities when he's in combat. In combat, he can achieve an ecstatic state of mind that will enable him to fight longer, harder, and more savagely than any human being has a right to. This makes him a deadly warrior . . . who can be as much a menace to himself as to his enemies. In a campaign, he's nearly identical to the Barbarian—except it's obvious from the outset that he has a truly savage and inhuman element in his personality, and he tends to disturb and unsettle other people.

    Role
    In his tribe, the Berserker has a special role. He's been touched by supernatural forces, and accepted that touch so that he might better defend his people.

    Cavalier
    The Cavalier is the ultimate mounted warrior of civilized cultures, especially those of Middle Ages technology and outlook. In a campaign, he's the shining knight who leads his fellows on an eternal quest for truth, justice, and the elimination of evil. To the world at large, he's a mighty hero. To his friends and allies, he's a staunch friend, a tireless cheerleader, and often an overenthusiastic pain in the neck.

    Role
    In his own and similar cultures, the Cavalier is a mighty hero who has the respect of the majority of the population (the criminal classes and evil characters excepted). He has the good-will of the people but the people also make many demands of him: When there's danger, when someone is in trouble, the people turn to the Cavalier for help. This character does not get much time for rest and relaxation.

    Gladiator
    The gladiator is a showman-warrior from a society where public combat competitions are a popular sport. The gladiator is a professional warrior in this high-profile arena; for the delight of the crowds, for his own personal wealth and aggrandizement he fights organized matches against human, demihuman, and even monstrous opponents.

    Role
    A Gladiator player-character can be an active gladiator in the arena, one who adventures in his free time (or within some other context of the current adventure), or can have formerly been a gladiator now living the life of the adventurer.

    In the campaign, the Gladiator is going to be a showy, high-profile warrior. He performs dangerous stunts in combat. He attracts the attention of crowds of admirers. He receives a lot of credit for brave deeds whether he deserves the credit or not. A Gladiator can be a callous brute, a dirty arena fighter with no interests other than killing his enemy as quickly as possible and making off with his prize; or he can be a clean-limbed, heroic figure, a hero who always fights honorably in the arena and never kills when he does not have to.

    Myrmidon
    The Myrmidon is the ultimate soldier. Soldiering is his life. He may be a high-ranking officer or a career sergeant; he may belong to one nation's armed forces or may be a mercenary. To the campaign and the adventuring party, he brings discipline and a useful understanding of military tactics; he's often rigid and contemptuous of rugged individualists or characters who don't like to take orders, so he can cause a lot of friction in an adventuring party, too.

    When first created, the Myrmidon's player must decide whether his character has been part of a standing army or a mercenary unit. If he's part of a standing army, he's employed as a soldier or officer in the army of a nation, large region, city guard, or even palace/castle guard. If he's part of a mercenary unit, he belongs to a group of freelance soldiers who hire themselves to just about anyone who can pay; or may be a personal bodyguard.

    For affiliation with an established Forgotten Realms group such as the Purple Dragons you must have DM approval. The same goes for having been a high ranking officer of a country’s army. Write up your prospective PC’s backstory and a bit about them and PM this to any DM as a request to play a ‘Special’ character. Don’t play the PC before you receive permission.

    Role
    In the campaign's culture, the Myrmidon is a career soldier. In times of war, they're heroes to the nation. In times of peace, the common folk often look on them as parasites, living off taxes but providing no useful service. Mercenaries are often looked on as bandits and predators. Regardless of the public's opinion, though, the Myrmidon and the standing army are necessary to the defense of the nation, and so there are always Myrmidons to be found.

    Noble Warrior
    This character is of the nobility, and theoretically represents everything the ruling class stands for. Often, this is upholding the rights of the ruling class to rule (and upholding the rights of the other classes to serve . . . ).

    Role
    In a campaign, the Noble Warrior is a romantic ideal which most of society looks up to. The Noble Warrior is supposed to be courageous, gallant, protective of the defenseless, dedicated to honorable ideals.

    But that's just what society expects of the Noble Warrior. Some theoretically Noble Warriors are mere brutes in shiny armor, warriors who take what they want, murder the innocent, and continually betray the oaths they took when they first won their spurs. So it's up to an individual player to decide what alignment his Noble Warrior takes and how well he lives up to the pertinent ideals.

    From the viewpoint of convenience, it's best for Noble Warrior characters to begin play as young knights who have just won their spurs; this will account for the fact that they have little money (they're just starting out as free-lancers) or followers, and for the fact that they're wandering around adventuring; they're anxious to prove their mettle.

    Peasant Hero
    The Peasant Hero is the "local boy done good," the home-town warrior who fights and adventures to the delight of the people in his home area. The Peasant Hero is the most common sort of fighter found wandering the land and adventuring; every village has one or has had one within living memory.

    Role
    In the campaign, the Peasant Hero is the fellow who won't forget that his roots are in the country and in the soil. He can be a rebel against the crown in lands where the peasants are especially oppressed; he can be the farmboy who becomes a mighty general; he can be the noble's child (secretly raised by peasants) who grows up to fulfill an ancient prophecy; but in every case, he remembers his origins and strives to make things better for his family and home community.

    Pirate/Outlaw
    This character is the heroic scofflaw, the warrior who defies the laws and rulers of the land and steers his own course. Usually in the company of other pirates or outlaws, he fights the minions of the rulers he defies, and comes to be regarded as a hero by others who suffer at those rulers' hands. The Pirate, of course, is the adventurer of the high seas, who makes his living raiding other ships and seacoast communities; the Outlaw makes his home in the wilderness (often deep forest) and preys on the traffic moving through that wilderness.

    Role
    In a campaign, the pirate or outlaw can belong to one of two orientations. Either he's a "good guy," and it is the law and the rulers who are evil, or he is a "bad guy" and simply takes what he wants from those who have it. The player, therefore, gets to decide on his character's alignment and (mis)deeds.

    Note, though, that good guy pirates and outlaws tend to live by a very strict code of conduct—for example, the classic cinema code of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, where the outlaws robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, and protected the defenseless with more honor and zeal than England's supposedly Noble Warriors did.

    Naturally, if a player chooses to be a good guy in a company of bad guys, or vice-versa, when his companions find out his true colors, they'll probably try to kill him or to turn him in to the law for the reward on his head.

    Samurai
    The samurai is a warrior from cultures based on the medieval Japanese civilization. He lives by a very strict code of honor and behavior, a code demanding: absolute obedience to his lord; readiness to die for honor or for his lord at any time; eagerness to avenge any dishonor to his lord, his family, or himself; willingness to repay all debts honorably; and unwillingness to demonstrate the most dishonorable trait of cowardice.

    Role
    A samurai can fall from his noble position within a greater lord's household. It may be that the house has perished in a war or other calamity, or that the samurai's lord has rejected him, or ordered him to commit suicide and the samurai has refused, or that the samurai has left his lord for some other point of honor. Regardless, the samurai is now masterless; he is called ronin. A samurai can become a ronin at any time in a campaign; likewise, by swearing allegiance to a lord who will have him, a ronin can become a samurai again.

    Savage
    The Savage is a tribesman, technologically and culturally far more primitive than even the Barbarian and Berserker, who is very much in tune with the natural world.

    A Savage can be an honorable jungle vine-swinger raised by animals, a very dirty and primitive warrior who lives in mud-wattle huts and fights with bone weapons, a breathtakingly beautiful native princess from a culture which the characters consider impossibly primitive and yet uncorrupted and very noble . . . and so on. In short, the tribal culture from which the Savage character comes can be as crude or civil, coarse or noble, nasty or admirable as the player wants it to be.

    Role
    In a campaign, the savage character has a couple of roles. His particular skills and benefits are of use to the average adventuring party. If he comes from a particularly noble tribe, he may choose to act as the "voice of conscience" for the adventuring party, asking why, if the other characters are supposed to be so much more civilized than his own people, their honor and ethics seem to drag so far behind? But for the most part, he's a role-playing challenge, and should be chosen only by players willing to devote the extra effort to portraying someone from such a different culture . . . and how that character reacts with the other PCs' culture. This is an opportunity for a lot of humor and not a little tragedy in a campaign . . . but only if the player is willing to go to that effort.

    Swashbuckler
    The Swashbuckler is the sophisticated, witty, lightly armed and armored hero in a sophisticated city-based campaign—a la The Three Musketeers. He's fully capable of putting on heavy armor, picking up a bastard sword, and soldiering alongside other tank warriors—but he shines in comparison when the heroes are adventuring in the city, in light armor and with light weapons.

    Role
    In a campaign, the Swashbuckler is the happy-go-lucky hero with the ready wit and the flashing rapier. He's happiest when he's in the big city, but can be an imposing warrior anywhere—enemies often underestimate him because of his charming manners and don't realize that he can plate on armor and wield heavy weapons as well as anyone else. The Swashbuckler, because he's bright and well-spoken, often becomes party leader . . . or at least the leader's spokesman.

    Wilderness Warrior
    This hero represents some tribe (either civilized or barbarian) living in a dangerous, threatening, or unusual wilderness environment—such as the desert, deep in swamp territory, in the frozen North, tucked away in the jungle or tropical rain forest, or in distant mountains.

    The Wilderness Warrior is different from the Barbarian. He's not automatically a menacing figure when travelling around in the campaign's normal society; he's just exotic and unusual. He can be very cultured and civilized, but, coming as he does from a different culture, will have different attitudes from the other player-characters on many subjects.

    For example, a desert nomad character may be merely offended at the theft of his property but be outraged by (and demand the death penalty for) theft of his water; he may believe that women should stay in camp and leave fighting to the men (an opinion he will find himself quickly disabused from when in the outer world); he may feel the need to prostrate himself whenever he passes the church or temple of the deity he worships; and so on.

    The player decides what sort of tribe and environment the Wilderness Warrior comes from. Then he must determine what sort of unusual beliefs and customs the character and his tribe possess. He may later abandon a few of these beliefs in the outer world, but should not abandon most of them; they are part of what makes him unique in the campaign.

    Role
    In a campaign, like the Barbarian and Savage, the Wilderness Warrior is the "outsider's voice" who questions all the strange quirks and discrepancies in the player-characters' culture. He's also an opportunity for some comic-relief adventures, when he misinterprets some aspect of the society and it leads him into confusion and trouble.

    Warrior Personality Types
    There's a misconception that warriors are just square, solid guys who do the physical work in a fight; that rogues are the clever ones who do all the conniving and tricking; that wizards are awesome, impersonal intelligence dedicated solely to their magical studies; that priests are only interested in the advancement of one's spiritual learning.

    While that's a convenient simplification, there's way more to a character's personality than that. You should know how they react in certain situations, how they relate to other characters, and so forth.

    A few types of heroes common to fiction and mythology are described here. Read each description, think about whether the description comes close to matching your conception about your character's personality, and if it does, try to utilize that description's advice when role-playing and making decisions for your character.

    Each personality will be described in the following way:

    Character Description
    These paragraphs talk about the character's attitudes and motivations, and how the character tends to act and interact in a normal campaign.

    Best Suited For
    These paragraphs talk about the alignments for which this personality type is best suited. It's possible to come up with a good rationale for why a character of a specific personality type should have an alignment that doesn't (at first glance) seem appropriate for that personality type, so there is absolutely no firm alignment restriction when you're choosing personalities.

    In Combat Situations
    These paragraphs talk about how the character reacts in combat situations. Not all warriors unstrap their swords and wade in swinging; some approach battle situations more slowly, more cleverly, or more aggressively.

    In Role-Playing Situations
    These paragraphs talk about the character's general reactions to NPCs in role-playing situations; you can use them as general guidelines for your character's role-playing conversations and other such encounters.

    The Brash Youth
    This character has just recently become an adventurer, and he doesn't have much experience or common sense . . . meaning that he gets in trouble, and leads his companions into trouble, quite often. Therefore, you should only choose a Brash Youth personality when you're willing to role-play this attitude. The Brash Youth is easy prey for fast-talkers and con men, suggests straightforward and foolish plans sure to get the party captured or killed, admires more experienced warriors without questioning their motives, and can be quite a menace to himself unless taken in hand by a more experienced adventurer.

    Inevitably, a Brash Youth character has to "wise up"—to lose some of his preconceptions and naivete. This tends to happen naturally, eg following an adventure where he's confronted with the consequences of his brashness. For instance, a confidence man could trick the Youth into accidentally betraying his allies; or, a Youth's plan could go horribly awry and seriously or critically endanger his friends; or, a hero particularly admired by the Youth could turn out to be far less admirable than the Youth has always thought.

    When this happens, the character must stop being a Brash Youth and choose some other personality type. By now, he should have been playing long enough that the player will know what sort of personality that is; alternatively, the events that shock him out of being a Brash Youth could affect him seriously enough that this event chooses his new personality for him.

    Best Suited For
    In terms of alignment, the Brash Youth is best suited to the full range of Good and Neutral alignments (L/G, L/N, N/G, N, C/G C/N). Evil characters aren't suited to being naive and trusting.

    In Combat Situations
    The Brash Youth is likely just to charge up to a foe and begin pounding away, unless that foe is so big and scary that even the most foolish youth will be afraid of it. He's very likely to take combat orders from his friends, however, so it's easy for one wiser warrior to keep him from killing himself through bad tactics. It's often a good idea for the party to make the Brash Youth one of their designated archers, because it usually keeps him out of direct hand-to-hand combat until he has wised up.

    The Brash Youth can learn from his experiences, on a case-by-case basis. After he's been hammered by a troll, he can be more cautious with the next troll or troll-like monster he encounters. But he'll be just as brash with a monster unlike the others he's encountered . . .

    In Role-Playing Situations
    The Brash Youth gets along with everybody until such time as the other person insults one of his friends, challenges one of his preconceptions, or betrays him. Even then, he'll simply be furious and willing to fight or oppose the other fellow; to be truly vengeful requires that the Youth go through his personality change and take on a new personality.

    The Brash Youth should be played as either hesitant and nervous in new situations, or eager to throw himself into such situations—he's never bored or indifferent. Other characters find his youthfulness charming, but may also find him exasperating because he's always getting into trouble.

    The Crude Crusher
    The Crude Crusher is a rude, boisterous, belching, physical sort of character. He may be very clever, but he prefers force to trickery or persuasion—it feels good to pound people. He doesn't like proper manners, court etiquette, literature and poetry, or haughtiness. He has very coarse and common customs . . . although he could be of high birth (nothing says a high-born warrior must be clean, virtuous, and polite, after all). Put him in a tavern with a crowd of noisy table-banging drinkers, where the drinks pour freely and the occasional brawl grinds furniture into sawdust, and he's happy.

    Best Suited For
    In terms of alignment, the Crude Crusher can belong to any of them. If he's Lawful, he's still operates by a code of behavior that others can observe and count upon (even if he is a social misfit); and if he's Good, he's not going to take the things he wants (by force) from those who own them. For these reasons, a Lawful/Good Crude Crusher isn't likely to have a lot of fun.

    In Combat Situations
    The Crude Crusher is a brawler. He prefers one-on-one combats and fights dirty, doing whatever it takes to win a fight. He fights exactly as he chooses, and may or may not follow the team plan. In combat, he's single-minded and effective.

    In Role-Playing Situation
    The Crude Crusher can be a lot of fun to play, because he says whatever he wants whenever he wants. His crude remarks scandalize more refined characters. He's likely to antagonize his ``betters'' in conversation, either accidentally or (more probably) deliberately, and this can spoil party negotiations and muck up the party's plans. However, none of this means that the Crude Crusher can't be loyal, courageous, competent and powerful, so adventuring parties aren't likely to kick him out because of his mouth; but they're usually exasperated by his attitudes.

    The Dangerous Antagonist
    This character is a hero with an attitude problem. He's grim and humorless, and never fights just to give someone a drubbing—he fights to kill. He's driven by some powerful, unsympathetic motivation: A desire for revenge, overwhelming desire for a possession, or even a near-psychotic desire just to be left alone. He must be carefully played so that there actually is a reason for him to accompany the other player-characters. The player should remember that the character -can- have friends and loyalties, even if he prefers to conceal that fact behind hard-bitten mannerisms and an evil temper. Naturally, this personality type has few or no romantic inclinations or relationships.

    Best Suited For
    In terms of alignment, the Dangerous Antagonist is appropriate for all of them. Different alignments result in different motivations: A Lawful/Good Dangerous Antagonist has been embittered by events in his life, while a Chaotic/Evil character is a sociopath.

    In Combat Situation
    The Dangerous Antagonist fights in a smart and deadly fashion. He prefers a "Take no prisoners!" attitude, but can allow himself to be overruled by his friends, especially if they can persuade him that there's a practical reason for it (just being merciful and humane isn't good enough). He can be a good combat tactician for the team, directing his allies to fight in the most deadly and efficient manner possible; or, he could be a wade-right-in fighter who vents his hatred on his enemies.

    In Role-Playing Situations
    This character generally doesn't do role-playing negotiations with NPCs, unless the PCs are attempting to intimidate or frighten the NPCs. The Dangerous Antagonist must be played carefully; many Dangerous Antagonist characters are merely kill-crazy fighters with overinflated opinions of themselves, and so it's very easy when playing such a character to aggravate the other players with his pretentiousness. In other words: Be menacing, but concentrate that menace more on NPCs than your PC allies.

    The Doomed Champion
    This hero has been afflicted with a curse or a prophecy that haunts him throughout his life. He may have lost his One True Love and been fated never to find her. He may be doomed to bring misfortune on anyone he cares about. He might be prophesied to die whenever certain campaign-related goals are achieved. He might be the last survivor of his clan, doomed to die without issue, so that the clan dies with him. When he's not fighting for his goals, this character is suffering. For this reason, you shouldn't play such a character unless you enjoy portraying that suffering. If you choose such a character type, please make sure the doom is sensible. Seeking DM advice is recommended.

    Best Suited For
    Any alignment is appropriate for the Doomed Champion.

    In Combat Situations
    The Doomed Champion tends to fight in an all-out, desperate-strength manner. He throws himself fully into a fight and seeks out the most dangerous opponents. Either he's simply desperate to achieve his ends and elude his curse, or he's unconsciously seeking his own death. He's therefore not good as a team tactician. On the other hand, his bravery is inspirational to other heroes and followers, so he's often made the leader of war parties. He can be merciful in combat, or kill all who face him (all the while regretting the grim necessity of it).

    In Role-Playing Situations
    The Doomed Champion tends to be sympathetic to others' needs and pains . . . but is himself very depressive, because he knows that some grim fate awaits him. This means he's often easy to persuade to aid in others' quests (not quests for money: quests for more personal goals).

    The Fated Philosopher
    This character is both similar to and very different from the Doomed Champion. Like the Champion, he knows that a particular grim fate awaits him: Death. But he's very philosophical about it and does not torture himself about it. He's likely to be an old campaigner with very few illusions left, but with a keen appreciation of all life has to offer.

    Best Suited For
    In terms of alignment, Lawful and Neutral characters are most suited to be Fated Philosophers; Chaotic characters are seldom that introspective. The Philosopher is equally suited to Good, Neutral, and Evil characters.

    In Combat Situations
    Different Fated Philosophers face combat in different fashions. Some are as thoughtful in combat as elsewhere, and take a very analytical approach to combat: Striking where the need is greatest, evaluating the enemy's strategy, and so forth. Others, knowing that they cannot forestall their fate, jump into the thick of things and fight with unrestrained battle-fury (and, perhaps, joy). The player is left to decide how his Fated Philosopher character fights. Basically, he should simply choose the method of combat he prefers for this character, and then rationalize it according to the character's philosophy of life.

    In Role-Playing Situations
    The Fated Philosopher is often a sort of fatherly-advisor character. He thinks about everything, he's full of sage advice. Though he may be driven by goals as strong as any other character's, in person he is seldom very intense.

    The Merry Showoff
    This character lives for style or entertainment. He may be a clown who delights in entertaining people and shooting barbs into the egos of the self-important. He may be an elegant fighter who loves to show the world what fighting is like in the hands of a master. He may simply love attracting the eyes of ladies. Whichever, he's always in motion; he never merely gestures when he can instead make a flourish, never walks when he can stride, never talks when he can orate.

    Best Suited For
    Chaotic characters are a little better suited to be Merry Showoffs, as they're more spontaneous than the reasoned Lawful or cautious Neutral characters. However, there's no restriction on this. Good, Neutral, and Evil characters can all be Merry Showoffs: The elegant, dramatic, self-centered, villainous lieutenant is a classic example of an Evil Merry Showoff.

    In Combat Situations
    The Merry Showoff must fight in the most dramatic fashion possible, even when it isn't as efficient or safe as another tactic. He leaps, he bounds, he shouts, he gestures, he taunts the enemies, he makes challenges for single combat . . . he can be a right nuisance, for allies as well as enemies, and so the player should be careful not to aggravate his friends too much with his antics.

    In Role-Playing Situations
    Likewise, this character should be as charming and theatrical as possible in role-playing situations. He doesn't necessarily have to be witty; that might put too much of a strain on a player who isn't able to wisecrack with ease. But he should be debonair and gracious at all times, even when talking to the leader of his enemies or the rudest and coarsest boor.

    The Natural Leader
    This character is the all-around man in charge. He's the responsible hero who, even if he isn't party leader, thinks like one: He's always thinking about the team's goals and how to implement them, the safety of his friends, the strategy of the bad guys, and so forth. He may be happy to be the leader-type, or may be a reluctant leader; either way, his friends look to him for direction. Naturally, you should only choose this personality type for your character if you're to make the effort to do all that thinking and planning, and are willing for your character to be responsible for others.

    Best Suited For
    In terms of alignment, Lawful and Neutral characters are most appropriate; Chaotic characters tend to be more spontaneous than the Natural Leader.

    In Combat Situations
    The Natural Leader, whether he wants to or not, is always thinking in combat and trying to direct his allies' activities. He makes sure that there's a good mix of ranged to melee combat, that shield walls don't have big holes in them, that when a friend falls there's someone to drag him behind the lines and another to take his place.

    In Role-Playing Situations
    The Natural Leader is a very responsible character, but beyond that, there is no limitation on the way he should be played in role-playing situations. He may be grim or humorous, straightforward or deceitful, arrogant or modest, as the player decides. He will often be the negotiator for the party, but this isn't required of him.

    The Sneaky Thinker
    This character lives and loves to outwit other characters. He loves tricking money out of people, outwitting opponents in combat, persuading people to help him against their better sensibilities, and so forth.

    Best Suited For
    In terms of alignment, Neutral and Chaotic characters are best suited to be Sneaky Thinkers, as Lawful characters often have more respect for the rights of others.

    In Combat Situations
    The Sneaky Thinker hates to engage enemies in melee. He doesn't mind being a ranged fighter, but he'd really prefer to be doing something clever or spectacular: Sneaking around the fight to come up on the enemy's unguarded rear, loosening rocks on the hillside above to drop down on the enemy, persuading one of the enemy's allies to turn on the enemy, anything that will demonstrate his mental superiority over the enemy (and maybe over his allies as well). It's up to the player whether the character is actually cowardly or not: Sneaky Thinkers can be as brave as the bravest warrior in a pinch, if that's the player's conception of the character.

    In Role-Playing Situations
    The Sneaky Thinker is often the party's negotiator, as he loves talking with other characters and getting the best possible deal for himself and his friends. In most role-playing situations, the Sneaky Thinker will, chameleon-like, adapt himself to the personality of the person he's talking to, concealing his true thoughts and emotions behind the mask he thinks is most appealing to the other character. It's very hard to find out what the Sneaky Thinker is actually thinking or feeling. Note that it's a dangerous temptation to trick your friends and allies; in a campaign where the PCs' party is founded on trust and allegiance, such a Sneaky Thinker will probably find himself cast out or killed for betraying his erstwhile friends.

    Changing Personality Types
    The personalities presented here aren't firm, formal rules which any character has to follow; they're guidelines with no real restrictions placed upon them. It's also very appropriate for a character to change his Personality Type in the course of a campaign. Here are some ways it can happen:

    The Brash Youth wises up and loses his naivete and inexperience. This has to happen eventually (unless he gets killed before he ever gets wise). His experiences in the campaign so far will probably have a strong influence on the next type of personality he chooses. Here's a note for the other personalities: Nothing short of amnesia ever changes a character to the Brash Youth personality.

    The Crude Crusher isn't likely to change, but a couple of things could bring about such a change. He could fall in love with a more refined partner, and, feeling gross and coarse in comparison, train himself to become more sophisticated. (The Merry Showoff and Fated Philosopher become good options at this point.) He could have heavy responsibility laid upon him (such as a military officer's commission) and be changed by it (at which point the Natural Leader is a good choice).

    The Dangerous Antagonist is only likely to change when whatever made him a Dangerous Antagonist originally is resolved. For instance, if he ever avenges himself on whomever hurt him in the first place, he could change to a Fated Philosopher or Natural Leader.

    The Doomed Champion isn't likely ever to change. He's doomed, after all. But if, in the course of the campaign, a DM allows him to un-doom or un-curse himself, he could suffer a change of personality. He could become a Fated Philosopher or Natural Leader. He might enjoy life so much that he becomes a Merry Showoff or Sneaky Thinker. He's not likely to become a Dangerous Antagonist unless the events which freed him from his curse were so nasty that they still scarred his personality forever.

    The Fated Philosopher isn't likely to change. This personality type comes at the end of a process of personality development, not in the middle.

    The Merry Showoff could sober up under the weight of responsibility, like the Crude Crusher, and become a Natural Leader. Or he could naturally evolve into a Sneaky Thinker when it became less and less fulfilling merely to entertain people and more fun to manipulate them.

    The Natural Leader could easily change if dramatic events made him sick and disgusted with always being so responsible and dependable. At that point, any personality except Doomed Champion is appropriate. However, unless he's become totally amoral, even in his new personality he'll probably still have leadership impulses and do a lot of tactical thinking.

    The Sneaky Thinker isn't ever likely to change: His way of life is too much fun to him. If he were to change, to become a little less secretive, he'd probably become a Merry Showoff.

    For any character, some horrible event (such as the brutal murder of a loved one) could change the character, at least temporarily, to a Dangerous Antagonist or Crude Crusher.

    Hobbies and Skills
    What does your character like to do and know about beyond fighting?

    Remember that people must train/study/practice to learn new skills and choose a realistic number of skills for your character - from here or elsewhere - to round them out.

    Here are some examples of proficiencies which might be appropriate for fighters. Do use in game skills as appropriate.

    Agriculture, Animal Handling, Animal Lore, Animal Training, Armourer, Artistic Ability Whistling/Humming/Singing, Blacksmithing, Bowyering, Brewing, Carpentry, Cobbling, Cooking, Dancing, Direction Sense, Etiquette, Fire Building, Fishing, Fletcher, Forester, Furrier, Gaming, Groom, Healing, Heraldry, Herbalism, Hunting, Leatherworking, Mining, Mountaineering, Navigation, Pottery, Rope Use, Running, Seamanship, Seamstress/Tailor, Set Snares, Singing, Stonemasonry, Survival, Swimming, Wagon Driving, Weaponsmithing, Weather Sense, Weaving

    Other skills may be appropriate to specific concepts:

    Ancient History, Artistic Ability - Painting/Calligraphy/Sculpting, Acting, Appraising, Astrology, Book Binding, Bureaucracy, Crowd Working, Disguise, Engineering, Forgery, Gem Cutting, Glass Blowing, Jousting, Juggling, Jumping, Languages - Ancient, Leadership, Musical Instrument, Oratory, Paper Making, Poetry, Religion, Spellcraft, Tightrope Walking, Tumbling, Ventriloquism

    For rules on languages see here:
    http://www.narfell.us/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=51504

    Religion
    The deities of Faerûn are deeply enmeshed in the functioning of the world's magical ecology and the lives of mortals. Characters of Toril nearly always have a patron deity. Everyone in Faerûn knows that those who die without having a patron deity to send a servant to collect them from the Fugue Plane at their death spend eternity writhing in the Wall of the Faithless or disappear into the hells of the devils or the infernos of demons.

    A fighter will normally pick a patron deity but will also tend to call upon other gods depending on what’s going on. A fighter might have Tempus as patron but when they go on a long journey ask for Shaundakul’s blessing. If it’s a sea journey they might say a quick prayer to Valkur or make an offering to Umberlee. They might be devout. They might not appease evil the evil gods. That's all up to your concept and what happens to them in game.

    http://www.narfell.us/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=51193&start=1
    This is the full list of deities accepted in Narfell. You may google to find out more.

    Playing Your Stats
    A fighter's effectiveness for in game mechanics is highly dependent on their physical stats; Strength for attack bonus and damage, Constitution for hit points, Dexterity for AC, ranged attack bonus, and some feats. The NWN engine takes care of those.

    On a RP server there is no such thing as a 'dump' stat which you can set to minimum then ignore.

    You must play your PC's mental and social stats. Fighter PCs are often Intelligent due to some fighter feats having an Intelligence prerequisite. Several of the archetypes and personalities demand charisma, others wisdom.

    Charisma
    Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting.

    Wisdom
    Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyze information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings.

    In Narfell as a RP server you are expected to roleplay your PC's stats. If you intend to play your PC as an inspiring leader or sage tactician you must give them the appropriate mental/social stats to back up the idea.

    Likewise, if you give your PC abilities with a negative modifier this should be reflected in your play. An 8 Charisma PC isn't a dashing charmer. An 8 Wisdom PC isn't in the habit of giving good advice.

    By the same token, an 8 Dex PC isn't likely to be the best dancer in a room or very good at crafts which require a lot of manual dexterity.

    As a word of warning; if you fail to play your PC's mental/social stats appropriately you may be required to undergo a 'forced rebuild' in which their physical stats will be reduced enough to bump int/wis/cha to be in line with how you play the PC.

    The NWN Fighter
    http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Fighter

    The Narfell Fighter
    Narfell doesn't have any fighter-specific rules as such, but there are a few things you should be aware of when starting a fighter.

    Maximum Hit Points
    Characters in Narfell always receive the maximum hit dice roll when they level up. A fighter with 14 Constitution and the Toughness Feat will always get 13 hit points per level and have 130 hit points by level 10.

    Knockdown
    In Narfell you can't 'spam' Knockdown (KD). A KD on creature which is already on the ground will not increase the length of time they're on the ground for. To KD again you must firstly wait for them to get up.

    Subrace Ability Scores
    Various feats have ability score pre-requisites. Various subraces add to some abilities and subtract from others. If you are taking a feat which has an ability score pre-requisite, your PC's character sheet scores must satisfy that -after- the modification is applied.

    It's the same thing as a cleric who has a wisdom-draining spell cast on him, so he forgets some of his spells.

    A wood elf who puts 13 points into INT and then has it drop to 11 because of racial characteristics has only "11 intelligence worth of smarts".

    A sun elf who puts 14 points into dexterity than has it drop to 12 because of racial characteristics has only "12 dexterity worth of nimbleness."

    Mechanically you could take Feats with which require 13 in either case but this is an exploit and not allowed. If you are currently in this situation - contact a DM so you can work out a solution. A DM noticing the exploit may not give the benefit of the doubt that you didn't know this rule and may give a forced rebuild to either boost the ability score or remove the feat/s.

    Intelligence
    The following Feats require that you have "13 Intelligence worth of smarts" in order to be able to use them.

    Expertise
    Improved Expertise
    Whirlwind Attack
    Improved Whirlwind Attack
    Disarm
    Improved Disarm
    Improved Parry
    Improved Knockdown

    Dexterity

    Require 13 Dexterity
    Dodge
    Spring Attack
    Rapid Shot
    Mobility

    Require 15 Dexterity
    Ambidexterity

    Other Abilites
    Although not listed here since unlikely to apply to fighters, the same is true for Feats with Strength and Charisma pre-requisites.