Fishers as a Player Race

Below is the write up for creating Custom ACKS classes for the previously published Fisher race.  Note that in addition to the Players Companion, this thread on Gnomish Infravision (see Alex Macris' comment from 2012-03-12) describing how to calculate XP Costs on the ACKS forums is required to create Custom Classes for new races.  I found that the calculation for XP requirements beyond 8th level is a little confusing - so I'll restate my understanding here:

"7. If the race’s racial value does not mimic a class (such as dwarf), divide the Racial Value XP cost at Value 4 by the cost for dwarf 4 (1,400) and multiply the result by 10,000 for 2 class types and 30,000 for 2 class types. This is the additional cost per level after 8."

The 'Racial Value XP at Value 4' for the Fisher is 1300 XP based on the abilities available to a character with 4 build points assigned to the Fisher race.  Once I understood that the calculation is easy (1300/1400)*10,000 = 9,285.7...  rounded down to the nearest 1000, that's 9,000.  So every level of a Fisher class based on thief (or fighter) will require 109,00 XP to go from Level 9 to Level 10 and so on up to the maximum class level.  For classes based on Arcane or Divine classes, they would require 27,000 additional XP to advance from Level 9 to level 10.

  

Fisher Custom Classes

Fishers were created by Vidra, Priestess of the Final Justice of Themis (Hades) {Use Turas in ACKS; any deity opposed to the Undead may be substituted, such as Humakt from Runequest} to pursue the undead when they tried to hide beneath the waters. Since then small communities of them have spread along the rivers and coasts, living by hunting and gathering, trading fish and freshwater pearls for manufactured goods. Their innate sense of fun and frolic deter them from arduous labor such as farming, although many individuals with a sense of adventure make a living as sailors and boatmen. They respect any property that is obviously under the control of an individual, but anything that appears unattended if often found to be missing after a fisher passes by.

Fisher character classes are created using the Fisher racial category and experience points. Requirements, class category values, hit points after level 9 and experience point progressions are modified as noted below.

Requirements

All Fisher classes require a minimum Dexterity and Constitution of 9 or better.

Class Category Values

Fighting: Due to their short stature, Fishers can never use two handed swords or longbows, regardless of their Fighting value. Fishers with Narrow or Broad weapon selections must include Short Sword, Net and Sling.

Arcane: Fishers may never allocate more than 2 build points to the Arcane category.

Fisher Value

Value	Fisher	XP Cost
4	Fisher 4	1300
3	Fisher 3	950
2	Fisher 2	650
1	Fisher 1	375
0	Fisher 0	125

When building a Fisher custom class, assign between 0 and 4 build points to the Fisher Value.

Fisher 0: At Fisher 0, the character gains the following custom powers:

Paralyzation: 3 times per day when executing a successful Wrestling attack the Fisher may inject a neurotoxin into it's opponent. If the opponent fails to save versus Paralyzation they are paralyzed for 1d10 rounds. If they succeed, the affected body part “falls asleep” for 1d4 rounds.

Electrolocation: The character can locate invisible creatures within 10' in the water or 3' through the air.

Swimming: The character has a swim speed of 60' and can hold it's breath for 12 rounds (2 minutes).

Fisher 1: At Fisher 1, the character gains the following custom powers:

Paralyzation: 3 times per day when executing a successful Wrestling attack the Fisher may inject a neurotoxin into it's opponent. If the opponent fails to save versus Paralyzation they are paralyzed for 1d10 rounds. If they succeed, the affected body part “falls asleep” for 1d4 rounds.

Electrolocation: The character can locate invisible creatures within 10' in the water or 3' through the air.

Swimming: The character has a swim speed of 90' and can hold it's breath for 30 rounds (5 minutes).

Bladedancing: The character gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class if wearing leather armor or lighter and able to move freely. At level 7, the AC bonus increases to +2, and at level 13 the AC bonus increases to +3.

Fisher 2: At Fisher 2, the character gains the following custom powers:

Paralyzation: 3 times per day when executing a successful Wrestling attack the Fisher may inject a neurotoxin into it's opponent. If the opponent fails to save versus Paralyzation they are paralyzed for 1d10 rounds. If they succeed, the affected body part “falls asleep” for 1d4 rounds.

Electrolocation: The character can locate invisible creatures within 15' in the water or 5' through the air.

Swimming: The character has a swim speed of 90' and can hold it's breath for 30 rounds (5 minutes).

Bladedancing: The character gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class if wearing leather armor or lighter and able to move freely. At level 7, the AC bonus increases to +2, and at level 13 the AC bonus increases to +3.

Fisher 3: At Fisher 3, the character gains the following custom powers:

Paralyzation: 3 times per day when executing a successful Wrestling attack the Fisher may inject a neurotoxin into it's opponent. If the opponent fails to save versus Paralyzation they are paralyzed for 1d10 rounds. If they succeed, the affected body part “falls asleep” for 1d4 rounds.

Electrolocation: The character can locate invisible creatures within 15' in the water or 5' through the air.

Swimming: The character has a swim speed of 120' and can hold it's breath for 1 turn.

Bladedancing: The character gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class if wearing leather armor or lighter and able to move freely. At level 7, the AC bonus increases to +2, and at level 13 the AC bonus increases to +3.

Thick Fur: The character gains an additional +1 AC due to the thickness of it's fur. It ignores the effects of cold, but suffers double the effects from heat.

Fisher 4: At Fisher 4, the character gains the following custom powers:

Paralyzation: 3 times per day when executing a successful Wrestling attack the Fisher may inject a neurotoxin into it's opponent. If the opponent fails to save versus Paralyzation they are paralyzed for 2d4 turns. If they succeed, the affected body part “falls asleep” for 2d8 rounds.

Electrolocation: The character can locate invisible creatures within 15' in the water or 5' through the air.

Swimming: The character has a swim speed of 120' and can hold it's breath for 1 turn.

Bladedancing: The character gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class if wearing leather armor or lighter and able to move freely. At level 7, the AC bonus increases to +2, and at level 13 the AC bonus increases to +3.

Thick Fur: The character gains an additional +1 AC due to the thickness of it's fur. It ignores the effects of cold, but suffers double the effects from heat.

Experience Point Progression After 8^th Level

Fishers using the fighter or thief progressions increase the amount of experience required to gain each level after 8th by  9000 XP. Fishers using the arcane or cleric progressions increase the amount of experience required to gain each level after 8th by 27,000 XP. These are in addition to the standard 100,000 XP per level after Level 8.

Fishers - an ACKS race

A new race for Adventurer, Conqueror, King - the Fisher.  Inspired by the Niffler from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (without being hunted to extinction as the primary component for Bags of Holding); the common platypus (although they're better described as unusual than common) and Runequest Ducks (when given a choice between being described as annoying or plucky, ducks will always choose to be considered annoying, when you have feathers 'plucky' has a whole 'nother meaning.)

For an upcoming campaign, I wanted to develop a race that fills the 'hobbit' spot without being completely senseless in a fantasy setting.  Even within the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien admits that the concept of hobbits is untenable within his world.  They are almost completely dependent on the services of others to defend them from enemies, i.e. the Rangers patrolling the North.  Once that protection is withdrawn they immediately become a plantation of slaves to the first warlord to come around with a gang of a few hundred men.   I can easily imagine a version of Middle Earth where a dragon lives in Michel Delving, and treats the hobbits as a source of wealth and livestock - and there's nothing they can do about it.

Runquest Ducks on the other hand, have been a source of derision by players for years.  Yet they make sense within their world, they're despised, untrusted and victims of a massive pogrom by their erstwhile friends and neighbors.  They respond by scattering into the swamps and marshes that humans don't want to live in and persevere in small groups.

Both races are depicted as small, natural thieves and often played humorously by the DM and players.

I had been planning on introducing Ducks into ACKS for my next campaign, when my much better half took me to see the latest JK Rowling money pump.  And I was entranced by the Niffler, greedy little SOB that he is, but too small for a potentially playable race.  So I worked with the concept, starting with the platypus and came up with:

Using the rules for creating monsters from ACKS Lairs and Encounters,(pg147) here's my worksheet: