Category Archives: DnD

Prestige Everywhere

[Prestige Classes] For years now, I’ve struggled with the existence of prestige classes in the d20 RPG system. I understand the desire to have them; they provide an underlying rule set to accompany a significant variation on the core character archetypes that are normal classes. They are “prestigious” in that there are necessary prerequisites to gaining entry into them. They are “classes” because progression in a PrC takes the place of the normal progression through a normal class.

Since the 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook was released in 2000, Wizards of the Coast has been on a fairly-steady schedule of monthly releases, putting out additional skills, feats, spells, classes, and prestige classes that can help mold their rule set to whatever setting you may wish to run it in. They’ve re-released the Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk, as well as Eberron and a number of environment-type-based settings (Frostburn etc.).

All told, there are currently 652 prestige classes published by Wizards of the Coast for the d20 system. This doesn’t count the plethora of prestige classes present in OGL products like the Iron Kingdoms, Midnight, or Warcraft. Granted, many of these 652 PrCs are repeats (Archmage, Incantrix, and Wayfarer Guide are some that show up in two books), but this is a truly-obscene preponderance of customized character rules, and likely indicative of either a fundamental flaw in the system’s underlying mechanics or something far more insidious in their marketing department.

Martial Weapons of Ord

Though primarily known for its fine uiske, canny seafaring merchants, and cannier ruffians, the nation of Ord has a fine military tradition both on land and sea. Though poor in natural resources, Ord has always been able to call upon the tenacity and unfaltering bravery of her soldiers, most notably Ascendant Markus himself, who died defending that fortress city. Two major ethnicities dominate Ord, the Tordorans to the North dominate its politics and commerce, and make up the bulk of the population, and the Thurians to the South.

Tordoran Martial Weapons

Tordoran military prowess is largely found on the high sea and defending the mountain passes against Khadoran aggression and the dangerous inhabitants of the wild Thornwood and the Gnarls. They disdain polearms, preferring the use of longbows at range and swords or axes in close.

  • Short & Long Swords
  • Scimitars
  • Rapiers
  • Bastard & Great Swords
  • Caspian Battle Blades & Glaives
  • Battle & Great Axes
  • Long Bows
  • Pistols

Thurian Martial Weapons

A people split between Cygnar and Ord, the Thurians as a people are far better-treated than the Umbreans, who has a similar political divide in their traditional territory. Thurians do not enjoy all the privileges of a Tordoran in Ord, but many a renowned marine, sailor, and soldier have come from their number to serve Ord in its times of need.

  • Glaive, Guisarme, Halberd, Locharn, Ranseur, Fork
  • Short & Long Swords
  • Scimitars
  • Rapiers
  • Caspian Battle Blades & Glaives
  • Short Bows
  • Pistols

Martial Weapons of Khador

[Khardic] The northern regions of the Iron Kingdoms are home to the Khadoran empire. Comprized of an amalgam of Khardic, Kossite, Skirov, Umbrean, and the Ryn, the martial history of this region revolved primarily around the untamed woodsmen of Kos, the barbarians of Skirov, and the Khardic and Umbrean horselords. Though these cultures now share a single military, some traces of the old preferences are still present, as fathers teach their sons and mothers teach their daughters the traditions of their ancestry. Through the play-fighting of children and the prejudices of drill sergeants, Khadoran armsmen still present a variety of martial weapons.

In addition to limiting the availability of martial weapons that have no strong presence in the martial traditions of these cultures, I am also including many of the “exotic” weapons into their native cultures, and adding a handful of additional “simple” weapons.

Khardic Martial Weapons

The Khards are a proud, ancient people with a long tradition of mounted warfare. Through their incessant wars with the Umbrean, Kossites, and Skirov, they simultaneously imposed their will upon their neighbors and learned from them on the fields of battle. Rifles have become extremely popular over the past generation, as the Khadoran military has been modernized under Ayn Vanar.

  • Glaive, Guisarme, Halberd, Ranseur, Fork
  • Light & Heavy Lances
  • Short & Long Swords
  • Great Axes
  • Light & Heavy Horseman’s Axes
  • Rifles
  • Shortbows

Khardic Simple Weapons

  • Battle Axe
  • Khardic and Hunting Spears

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