FreakyCheeseMan
2013-02-15, 10:49 AM
So, I'm working on a base class inspired by the polar opposite of the Vow of Poverty: The Rich Guy.
The Rich Guy would have no spellcasting, no direct combat abilities and poor BAB. The purpose of the Rich Guy is twofold: Getting money, and Spending money. Magic items make up The Rich Guy's only direct contribution to combat, but unlike the Artificer, he gets no special abilities towards their use - apart from having UMD as a class skill.
Instead, the Rich Guy contributes through hiring minions, buying rare supplies and "Creative solutions." At low levels, the Rich Guy is likely to keep a bevy of local drunks, disposable urchins and guard dogs around at all times. My mid level, the Rich Guy will have invested in criminal organizations with his own, and have pull with the local gangs or guilds. By high level, the Rich Guy will be Mayor. Ever read Catch-22? Milo Minderbinder is an epic-level Rich Guy.
Obviously, this class is intended for role-play heavy campaigns where sandbox-style play is encouraged. If the DM will be angry with the players for clearing a dungeon by purchasing potions of water breathing and a truckload of flasks of endless water, then The Rich Guy does not belong in that campaign.
Now, here's where I need help. So far I've decided that The Rich Guy will have all good saves and d10 hit dice - he has time to keep himself in shape, and knows the value of his own skin. But, past that, what abilities should I give him? Ideas I have so far are below; As I hear from the comments, I'll edit this to include new ideas.
Increased Wealth by Level.
Ability to spend gold for direct bonus to Persuasion and Gather Information checks.
Ability to find items and services as though local towns were one size larger.
Some automatic investments, with a return either by fixed time period or level.
Lower buying costs, higher selling costs.
Ability to get services & item enhancements done more quickly than usual.
For some of these, I'd appreciate help working out the mechanics; this is my first hard-boiled homebrew, and I'd rather not make it completely broken in either direction.
The Class So Far:
The Rich Guy
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Income
1st|+0|+2|+2|+2||
10 GP
2nd|+1|+3|+3|+3||
20 GP
3rd|+1|+3|+3|+3||
30 GP
4th|+2|+4|+4|+4||
40 GP
5th|+2|+4|+4|+4|Bank Account|
50 GP
6th|+3|+5|+5|+5||
60 GP
7th|+3|+5|+5|+5||
70 GP
8th|+4|+6|+6|+6||
80 GP
9th|+4|+6|+6|+6||
90 GP
10th|+5|+7|+7|+7|Constant Access|
100 GP
11th|+5|+7|+7|+7||
110 GP
12th|+6/+1|+8|+8|+8||
120 GP
13th|+6/+1|+8|+8|+8||
130 GP
14th|+7/+2|+9|+9|+9||
140 GP
15th|+7/+2|+9|+9|+9|VIP Services|
150 GP
16th|+8/+3|+10|+10|+10||
160 GP
17th|+8/+3|+10|+10|+10||
170 GP
18th|+9/+4|+11|+11|+11||
180 GP
19th|+9/+4|+11|+11|+11||
190 GP
20th|+10/+5|+12|+12|+12||
200 GP
[/table]
Alignment: Any, although most Rich Guys tend towards neutrality and law.
Hit Die: 1d8
Class Skills:
Class Skills: Persuasion, Intimidate, Bluff, Appraise, Use Magical Device, Search, Knowledge: All, Gather Information, Hide, Listen, Profession, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Perform.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier
Income: Rich guys need riches. Starting from Level 1, the Rich Guy gains a modest daily income, resulting from minor investments or money owed. For levels 1-4, it's assumed that this money accumulates in whatever settlements the Rich Guy happens to visit. At level 5, it becomes deposited directly into his Bank Account.
Bank Account: Gold's not much good if you can't get to it. At level 5, the Rich Guy gains access to a specialized extraplanar space, capable of holding only normal, non-magical money. For 300 GP, the Rich Guy can have an access point opened in any community large enough to support one; money may be deposited to or (with permission) withdrawn from these access points. At Level 10, the Rich Guy gains access to a mobile access point that is with him at all times, freeing him from the need to reach a pre-existing point.
VIP Services: At Level 15, the Rich Guy is on the radar of a number of planar and extra-planar organizations. At any point, as a free action, the Rich Guy may contact these groups to purchase their support for a given situation. Even the consultation is expensive, however.
EDIT: I think I need to give this guy an extradimensional bank account as a class feature; investment in local businesses is gonna be a big part of his shtick, so some method for geographically diverse businesses to still pay their dues. Maybe with a flat cost to open a new "Branch" where payments to him may be deposited/withdrawn?
Edit: Suggested uses of Rich Guy Wealth
So, the big purpose of The Rich Guy is to spend money in a non-adventurer way. When most rich people want to make a change in the world, they don't do it by buying the best tools and tackling the problem themselves.
Once again, Rich Guys are NOT meant for traditional campaigns - they'd be disruptive, and either frustrating to play or aggravating to play alongside, depending on the permissiveness of the DM. Only in games where independent player projects and planning are encouraged, should Rich Guys be allowed.
Hired cohorts as mercenatires, messengers, partners in con opperations or two-legged pack mules.
Potions and wands for use either by the party or the above-listed pack mules.
Bribes to city officials, to open up new avenues of information/power for players.
Large-scale operations. Fight an army by hiring 50 commoners, giving them potions of flight and invisibilty and having them fly overhead dropping poison bombs.
Paying local mages for single-use spells (Teleportation, divination, etc)
Urban Projects: Subsidize an area of housing for members of your race/faction.
Faction Support/Influence: Fund the local kobold gangs to gain a spy network across a major city.
The Rich Guy would have no spellcasting, no direct combat abilities and poor BAB. The purpose of the Rich Guy is twofold: Getting money, and Spending money. Magic items make up The Rich Guy's only direct contribution to combat, but unlike the Artificer, he gets no special abilities towards their use - apart from having UMD as a class skill.
Instead, the Rich Guy contributes through hiring minions, buying rare supplies and "Creative solutions." At low levels, the Rich Guy is likely to keep a bevy of local drunks, disposable urchins and guard dogs around at all times. My mid level, the Rich Guy will have invested in criminal organizations with his own, and have pull with the local gangs or guilds. By high level, the Rich Guy will be Mayor. Ever read Catch-22? Milo Minderbinder is an epic-level Rich Guy.
Obviously, this class is intended for role-play heavy campaigns where sandbox-style play is encouraged. If the DM will be angry with the players for clearing a dungeon by purchasing potions of water breathing and a truckload of flasks of endless water, then The Rich Guy does not belong in that campaign.
Now, here's where I need help. So far I've decided that The Rich Guy will have all good saves and d10 hit dice - he has time to keep himself in shape, and knows the value of his own skin. But, past that, what abilities should I give him? Ideas I have so far are below; As I hear from the comments, I'll edit this to include new ideas.
Increased Wealth by Level.
Ability to spend gold for direct bonus to Persuasion and Gather Information checks.
Ability to find items and services as though local towns were one size larger.
Some automatic investments, with a return either by fixed time period or level.
Lower buying costs, higher selling costs.
Ability to get services & item enhancements done more quickly than usual.
For some of these, I'd appreciate help working out the mechanics; this is my first hard-boiled homebrew, and I'd rather not make it completely broken in either direction.
The Class So Far:
The Rich Guy
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Income
1st|+0|+2|+2|+2||
10 GP
2nd|+1|+3|+3|+3||
20 GP
3rd|+1|+3|+3|+3||
30 GP
4th|+2|+4|+4|+4||
40 GP
5th|+2|+4|+4|+4|Bank Account|
50 GP
6th|+3|+5|+5|+5||
60 GP
7th|+3|+5|+5|+5||
70 GP
8th|+4|+6|+6|+6||
80 GP
9th|+4|+6|+6|+6||
90 GP
10th|+5|+7|+7|+7|Constant Access|
100 GP
11th|+5|+7|+7|+7||
110 GP
12th|+6/+1|+8|+8|+8||
120 GP
13th|+6/+1|+8|+8|+8||
130 GP
14th|+7/+2|+9|+9|+9||
140 GP
15th|+7/+2|+9|+9|+9|VIP Services|
150 GP
16th|+8/+3|+10|+10|+10||
160 GP
17th|+8/+3|+10|+10|+10||
170 GP
18th|+9/+4|+11|+11|+11||
180 GP
19th|+9/+4|+11|+11|+11||
190 GP
20th|+10/+5|+12|+12|+12||
200 GP
[/table]
Alignment: Any, although most Rich Guys tend towards neutrality and law.
Hit Die: 1d8
Class Skills:
Class Skills: Persuasion, Intimidate, Bluff, Appraise, Use Magical Device, Search, Knowledge: All, Gather Information, Hide, Listen, Profession, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Perform.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier
Income: Rich guys need riches. Starting from Level 1, the Rich Guy gains a modest daily income, resulting from minor investments or money owed. For levels 1-4, it's assumed that this money accumulates in whatever settlements the Rich Guy happens to visit. At level 5, it becomes deposited directly into his Bank Account.
Bank Account: Gold's not much good if you can't get to it. At level 5, the Rich Guy gains access to a specialized extraplanar space, capable of holding only normal, non-magical money. For 300 GP, the Rich Guy can have an access point opened in any community large enough to support one; money may be deposited to or (with permission) withdrawn from these access points. At Level 10, the Rich Guy gains access to a mobile access point that is with him at all times, freeing him from the need to reach a pre-existing point.
VIP Services: At Level 15, the Rich Guy is on the radar of a number of planar and extra-planar organizations. At any point, as a free action, the Rich Guy may contact these groups to purchase their support for a given situation. Even the consultation is expensive, however.
EDIT: I think I need to give this guy an extradimensional bank account as a class feature; investment in local businesses is gonna be a big part of his shtick, so some method for geographically diverse businesses to still pay their dues. Maybe with a flat cost to open a new "Branch" where payments to him may be deposited/withdrawn?
Edit: Suggested uses of Rich Guy Wealth
So, the big purpose of The Rich Guy is to spend money in a non-adventurer way. When most rich people want to make a change in the world, they don't do it by buying the best tools and tackling the problem themselves.
Once again, Rich Guys are NOT meant for traditional campaigns - they'd be disruptive, and either frustrating to play or aggravating to play alongside, depending on the permissiveness of the DM. Only in games where independent player projects and planning are encouraged, should Rich Guys be allowed.
Hired cohorts as mercenatires, messengers, partners in con opperations or two-legged pack mules.
Potions and wands for use either by the party or the above-listed pack mules.
Bribes to city officials, to open up new avenues of information/power for players.
Large-scale operations. Fight an army by hiring 50 commoners, giving them potions of flight and invisibilty and having them fly overhead dropping poison bombs.
Paying local mages for single-use spells (Teleportation, divination, etc)
Urban Projects: Subsidize an area of housing for members of your race/faction.
Faction Support/Influence: Fund the local kobold gangs to gain a spy network across a major city.