The Anarchist for DCC

I have thought about this PC class for many a year, since I always wanted to play one but never had the opportunity. Finally, bored out of my wits by a long break at work, I put the final touches on a thing that had been squirming around in the dark corner of my brain. It's for DCC, as if you couldn't guess.

Many many Thanks to Jon Stater, at Land of Nod. You may find his post that inspired this class at:  

http://matt-landofnod.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-anarchist-class-blood-treasure.html

 

The Anarchist for DCC

By Noah Stevens

Stolen Perfidiously from John Stater at Land of Nod

The forces of law are well-represented on Aereth and its various countries and lands. Kings, Lords, Ladies, Knights, Paladins, Constables, Mayors. All work to maintain the status-quo and the hasten the upward flow of wealth. Even the lowly Brigand and Pickpocket fulfill their own parts in the lawful flow by which society operates, distributing resources and supporting the vast clockwork mechanism by which all things live, labor, and thrive.

There are, on the other hand, some lawless and hateful agents that actively seek to undermine Order and to undermine the institutions that protect human- and demi-human-kind from the entropy inherent in the Multiverse. These despicable fiends conspire with each other to undo governments, law, and the hierarchical nature of society. They will only be satisfied when all sentient beings are equal, the world is free of toil and want, and the plowman has the same rights as the noble. Such crazed philosophies cannot be condoned and of course must be uprooted wherever encountered, in order to better protect the established systems that protect us all from Chaos.

Hit Points: Anarchists gain 1d6 hit points plus their Stamina bonus for each level of experience.

Weapon Training: Anarchists may use bombs (see below), daggers, crossbows, pistols, and short-swords without penalty. They may use Padded armor or the equivalent under their shadowy black cloaks.

Alignment: Anarchists are almost always by definition Chaotic, but there have been rare Neutral examples that work to topple Chaotic regimes. Lawful Anarchists are a paradox and no right-minded person would topple the government for the good of its constituents.

Languages: In addition to the Common tongue and the usual campaign-specific languages available, Anarchists have a language all their own, known as “The Black Tongue”. It is a jargon- and nonsense-rich mixture of gobbledygook that Anarchists use to argue fine points of politics and obscure details from outsiders. It is dense and impenetrable to the non-Anarchist listener, but insiders can convey very intricate ideas, thoughts, and plans using it.

Create Bomb: The bomb is a tool of disorder and lawlessness: perfect for bringing down regimes of all kinds and also for causing unrest and terror in the populace. The Anarchist has a “Bomb Die” that can be used, once per day, to cause damage as an action during the Anarchist’s turn in place of another Action. These bombs cause the die size in damage in a 5’ radius around the target as an Action usually would but are avoidable with a DC16 Reflex save. If the bomb is not used during that day, then it may be hoarded for use later. In addition, by reducing the die by 1 step (-1d) the Anarchist may add certain effects per reduced die size. These are:

1.    Area effect: the radius of the damage effect is increased by 10’ per -1d

2.    Smoking: the noxious fumes cause everyone nearby/in the room (including the Anarchist’s friends and party comembers) to Act at -1d if they breathe or lack protection from gaseous attacks

3.    Shrapnel: If the target(s) fail their Reflex save, they incur further -1d Reflex saves for 1d6 turns

4.    Poisonous: Instead of Reflex, these bombs cause targets to take Fortitude saves.

5.    Time-delayed: the Anarchist may opt for the bomb to explode up to 1 after activation per level, or randomly 1d6 turns after activated.

6.    Incendiary: all combustibles in the area of effect will be set ablaze, and the target will sustain 1d6 damage for 3 rounds after the first if it fails the save

Frothing Tirade: Once per day, should the Anarchist desire it, their hatred for lawful authority and intricate philosophies reach a fever pitch and can be fully expressed. Bystanders face a screaming, spittle-flecked, ranting maniac. Any person within earshot must make a DC 15 Will saving throw, with a penalty equal to the Anarchist’s Personality bonus. Those who fail will be stunned to inaction and confusion for 1d3-1 combat rounds. Sentient Lawful PCs and NPCs who hear the tirade save at +6, while Chaotically-aligned beings save at -3.  

Shadowy Motives: The loose cabal of Anarchists DO have some ineffable plan, fretted over by their shadowy masters. No single Anarchist knows what these objectives are, though, and sometimes they even work at cross-purposes! Before the action of the session begins, determine the Anarchist’s Secret Mission by rolling on the table below (Table II: Anarchist Secret Missions). These orders will arrive by mysterious and unpredictable means. Should the Anarchist complete their mission, they gain 1d3 Luck points. If they fail, then they lose 1d3 Luck points and earn the irritation of their masters.

Single-Minded Purpose: The Anarchist may choose to re-roll one failed Saving Throw per 2 levels of experience per session. The second Saving Throw roll stands, even if worse than the first.

Moral Degeneracy: In addition to other skills, the Anarchist has thief skills of Forge document, Disguise self,  Read languages, and Handle poison of a Thief of equal level and alignment.

Conspiracy!: Owing to the depths of their perfidy, Anarchists are prone to make (and break!) multifarious alliances at a whim. Indeed, it may be their express purpose to do so the better to infiltrate all levels of society! The Anarchist receives a +1d PLUS their Personality modifier, for any Patron Bond spell cast on their behalf. Note: they do not receive this bonus to Invoke Patron rolls.

Action Dice: an Anarchist uses their Action Die for any normal activity, for example attacks and skill checks

Table 1-1 The Anarchist

Level	Attack	Critical Hit/Table	Action Die	Bomb Die	Ref	Fort	Will
1	+0	1d10/II	1d20	D4	+0	+1	+1
2	+1	1d12/II	1d20	D5	+0	+1	+1
3	+2	1d14/II	1d20	D6	+1	+1	+2
4	+2	1d16/II	1d20	D8	+1	+2	+2
5	+3	1d20/II	1d20	D10	+1	+2	+3
6	+4	1d24/II	1d20+1d14	D12	+2	+2	+4
7	+5	1d30/II	1d20+1d16	d14	+2	+3	+4
8	+5	1d30+2/II	1d20+1d20	d16	+2	+3	+5
9	+6	1d30+4/II	1d20+1d20	D20	+3	+3	+5
10	+7	1d30+6/II	1d20+1d20	D30	+3	+4	+6

Table 1-2 The Chaotic Anarchist Skill Bonuses by Level

Forge document	+0	+0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	+6	+7	+8
Disguise self	+3	+5	+7	+8	+9	+11	+12	+13	+14	+15
Read languages	+0	+0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	+6	+7	+8
Handle poison	+3	+5	+7	+8	+9	+11	+12	+13	+14	+15

Note: Intelligence modifier applies to Forge document, Personality modifier applies to Disguise self, Intelligence to Read languages, and Agility to Handle poison

Table 1-3 The Neutral and Lawful Anarchist Skill Bonuses by Level

Forge document	+3	+5	+7	+8	+9	+11	+12	+13	+14	+15
Disguise self	+0	+0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	+6	+7	+8
Read languages	+0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	+6	+7	+8	+9
Handle poison	+0	+0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	+6	+7	+8

Note: Intelligence modifier applies to Forge document, Personality modifier applies to Disguise self, Intelligence to Read languages, and Agility to Handle poison

Table 1-4 1d30 Shadowy Anarchist Motives (sorry about the weird numbering! ANarchy!)

1.    Must befriend and protect the first to third (1d3) NPC met

2.    Must kill the first to third (1d3) NPC met

3.    Must pilfer the first to third (1d3) magic item encountered

4.    Must dispose of the first to third (1d3) magic item encountered (i.e. get rid of it)

5.    Must undermine/betray PC with highest Luck, 1d3 tasks

6.    Must support/assist PC with lowest Luck, 1d3 tasks

7.    Desecrate a holy icon or site

8.    Donate monetary aid to first poverty-stricken person they encounter, without being discovered

9.    Distribute radical literature to all NPCs encountered

10. Assist in causing a group to fail a morale roll

11. Fail 1d3 Reflex saves

12. Fail 1d3 Will saves

13. Fail 1d3 Fortitude saves

14. Destroy an important document (Judge’s discretion)

15. Apply poison to an important item (Judge’s discretion)

16. Pass communique to random 1^st to third NPC

17. Leave an item in the 1^st to 3^rd area explored

18. Sabotage an important machine (Judge’s discretion)

19. Poison (not necessarily fatally) 1^st to 3^rd NPC encountered

20. Successfully disguise themselves to avoid identification by all NPCs encountered

21. Burn down a dwelling

22. Destroy 1d3 books (spellbooks and holy books especially)

23. Donate any party-owned (i.e. not-Anarchist owned) item to some random NPC encountered (Judge’s discretion)

24. Capture an NPC for interrogation

25. Capture or subdue a monster/non-sentient NPC for “study”

26. Successfully pass a forged document as real

27. Intercept a communication from a third party

28. Form a bond with a Patron

29. Observe a new (never before-seen by the Anarchist) spell

30. Deliver a Frothing Tirade to more than 1d20 targets

 If you prefer the easily-portabled 6x9 version, you may have it, here.

Corpse-O-Mat

A #wip DCC-flavored bleak toy for Overworked and Underpaid (maybe a zine I will publish later if I feel cute, IDK, maybe I will smash the bourgeoisie insert cute selfie)

This was inspired, if I recall right, by the HBO series Chernobyl where a crew of misfits goes out to shoot irradiated dogs. That's the tone I wished to capture, but more, uh, humor, I guess.

(remember, a work in progress)

Welcome to Corpse-O-Mat, a subsidiary of DunjonCorp!

You’re one of the survivors of the BZ pandemic. That’s good! You are very likely to be immune to the old strains of BZ – even though new strains pop up all the time. Flipside: money is very tight now and you have few marketable skills. And your landlord still expects rent. And you still need to buy groceries. And you could use some dental work. Luckily, the Corpse-O-Mat recruiters came through last month and signed you up for an entry-level Hygiene and Recovery Technician position, Class I. You got some great, but brief, training in Self Defense and Introductory Ballistics and they provided you with a Biosuit and some Chunky Boots. Now, your on-the-job training begins!

You’ve no need to worry about tedious tasks like driving: your Corpse-Truck is automated and knows where to go. Should your Corpse-Truck meet its Minimum Required Daily Capacity, it will query the database for other interesting tasks for you to fulfill, or else randomly search for likely sites where corpses may be collected. If you spot a possible source of valuable loot, petition the system to Stop and Search, and if the search is fruitful and you survive, you could earn a valuable bonus*! Load the corpses and parts of corpses into the Corpse-O-Mat truck as directed, and you’ll be literally paid by the pound!

Let’s see what other valuable supplies you were provided with:

If your Strength is higher than 14: A Corpse-O-Mat Edifice Entry Tool (a Crowbar that does 1d6 damage)

If your Intelligence is higher than 14: A Corpse-O-Mat Decomposition Byproduct Detector (detects methane from bodies the way a Dwarf detects gold)

If your Agility is higher than 14: A Corpse-O-Mat Vertical Surface Scaling Grapnel (a Rope and Hook)

If your Stamina is higher than 14: A Corpse-O-Mat Concussive Force Delivery System (a Sledge Hammer that does d8 damage)

If your Personality is higher than 14: A Corpse-O-Mat Vocal Enhancement Device (a Megaphone, useful for contacting non-BZ surviving locals) OR 1d20 Corpse-O-Mat Shiny Baubles (player chooses)

If your Strength AND Stamina are both higher than 14: A Corpse-O-Mat All-Terrain Corpse Recovery Vehicle (a Wheelbarrow)

If your Intelligence AND Agility are both higher than 14: A Corpse-O-Mat Wound and Infection Remediator (a pneumatic syringe that will cure 1d8 points of damage OR Cure Disease, 1d4-1 times i.e. it might be useless)

Remember that owing to high demand for repairs and low availability of Repair Technicians, these great tools may incur fumbles, breakage, or other humorous events at roughly 300% of the usual rate (or 1-3 on a d20 for any Action Die rolled involving the gear). Keep in mind that loss or damage of these items will incur significant Wage Penalties if they are not returned to the Corpse-O-Mat Truck at the end of the shift. And remember: Corpse-O-Mat is a Right-to-Work Employer, and your Enthusiastic Labor is always at our discretion. You may bring 1 Significant Item with you besides the provided gear, but more than this might disturb the truck’s sensitive internal mass detectors and reduce the efficiency of the Corpse-O-Mat.

When the Work Shift begins, your Corpse-O-Mat Truck AI will alert you to current poundage requirements, the expected weather and conditions, and any other significant alerts. Roll below to determine which conditions obtain:

Minimal Poundage requirements determined by 1d20x1d100 in pounds. Assume Whole Corpses weigh 150 pounds, and Partials weigh 50 pounds. Bits and bobs of charnel grue will be good for 1d20 pounds each.

1d10 Conditions/Effects on play:

1.     Acid Rain: Don’t worry! Your Biosuit will likely prevent most damage, but if it is punctured or breached, then you will take 1 point of damage per turn of exposure.

2.    Heavy Smog: Don’t worry! Your Biosuit will prevent inhalation injuries, but all attack actions and Reflex saves by PCs will incur a -1d penalty. In the unlikely event you take off your trusty Biosuit, make a Fortitude save every turn at DC14 or take 2 points of damage.

3.    Predatory Leach Swarms: Don’t worry! Your Biosuit will prevent most damage from the leeches’ weak chitinous teeth, i.e. the first 2 points. All random encounters have a 50% chance of being 1d4 Big Leeches.

4.    Psychick Lightning:

5.    Phlogiston Interruption:

6.    Mutanoid Incursion:

7.    Synthetic-Person Unrest:

8.    Effluent Overflow:

9.    Nine – Mostly cloudy. Double the chance of Random Encounters

10. Ten – Mostly sunny. Incur a +1 Bonus to Luck for all work-related tasks (not personal ones)

more later as it progresses

peace and love to you

don't monetize your hobby, yo