Gender, Vocation & Level

 

Gender refers to the sex of the character, either male or female. The gender or sex of a PC is selected by the player or it can be determined by rolling d10:

 Result Character’s Gender   

1 - 5       Male

6 - 9      Female
          10          biexual, hermaphrodite (all Kaldanes)

Therns do not marry and the Black Pirates are “far inferior to red men in refinement and chivalry.” (GM, VIII)   For simplicity and political correctness, male and female characters have similar abilities, skills & aptitudes; however, in most nations female characters are not trained to become either troopers or warriors. Size of a character is based upon race and size as listed on Table 1.3. Experienced players may role-play opposite gender characters; however, cross-dressing is discouraged!

 

vocation or class describes the occupation or profession of a character.   All characters will belong to one of the six vocations or classes. A character retains his vocation for his entire life. Choice of vocation is important as it determines which weapons and skills are available to a character. Priest or psychic characters can even cast spells (Chapter 5).

            Many red, yellow or thern NPCs encountered will be 1^st level civilians that practice a trade, craft or art. They often belong to the eXtra vocation and aren’t as personally inclined for adventuring as troopers, criminals, warriors, scientists or priests.    

            Not all vocations or classes are available to every race as Table 2.3 indicates. Which class or vocations are allowed to a specific exotic species is at your GM’s discretion.  The vocation or profession of a PC may be selected by the player or determined by rolling six-sided dice and consulting Table 2.3.

            Dual-classed or multi-class PCs are not necessary because of the game’s elegant allocation of skills. (RP6).  The advancement or progression of a character is expressed numerically through his level. 

                                                                                                                              Table 2.3

  d8      d8     Character      Allowed

Male  Female   Class         Races

 

      1       -  -               Trooper              R, G              

      2        1               Criminal           R, T, Y
  3- 4     - -               Warrior           R, T, B, Y

     5         2             Scientist           R, T, Y            

     6       3- 4              Priest              R, G,Y, K

  7- 8    5- 8             eXtra                    ALL

 

Level is an ordinal measure of the relative success or standing of a character in his chosen profession.  NPC level is usually selected by the referee or obtained by rolling d4, while beginning PCs usually start at 2^nd level.    
Most ordinary people or citizens would be considered 1^st level characters.  The maximum level a character can obtain in his chosen vocation or class is half his primary ability (p.16, Table 3.1) score for the selected vocation.

The term level is also used to describe the difficulty of a challenge or an adventure.  Level is also used to describe the complexity or power of spells. Initially, new players might find this terminology confusing, but soon will rattle off statements such as “my 5^th level priest cast a 2^nd level spell while facing a 3^rd  level encounter.”

A character’s level is crucial to determining his survivability, as a character’s attack bonus, saving throw bonus, skill rank and hit points are based upon his current level in his chosen vocation.  As a player character increases in competence and experience, this is reflected in game terms by a corresponding increase in the character’s level.

 

Miniatures from Reaper, 
painted by Tom Nelson

 

TROOPERS

 

Troopers are mounted on thoats, the eight-legged Barsoomian steed. All green males belong to this profession.   Less than 1/3^rd of a modern red Martian nation’s ground forces will be cavalry or troopers.   For most red nations, cavalry is a tertiary branch of the modern military utilized primarily for protecting and policing the citizenry.  The lonely and dangerous task of patrolling the white highways and turnpikes of Barsoom is an honorable assignment often reserved for sons of nobility.

 

Troopers are courageous, dependable and honest; they will seldom shrink from a fight.  They are proficient with a large variety of weapons and are skilled at infiltration, telepathy and tracking.

 

                       NPC                          Skill        Hit

 Level   ATTK       Title                Save   Rank      Dice

 

 1)             +1        youth              +1        +0         1d10

 2)             +2        trooper            +1        +1        2d10

 3)             +3        padwar           +2        +1        3d10

 4)             +4        o-mad            +2        +2        4d10

 5)             +5        dwar               +3        +2        5d10

 6)             +6        dwar               +3        +3        6d10

 7)             +7        chieftain         +4        +3        7d10   

 8)             +8        chieftain         +4        +4        8d10

 9)             +9         jed                 +5        +4        9d10

10)            +10    jeddak              +5         +5       10d10

                    und so weiter

 

“And his mount! How can earthly words describe it!  It towered ten feet at the shoulder; had four legs on either side; a broad flat tail, larger at the tip then at the root, and which it held straight out when running; a gaping mouth which split its head from its snout to its long massive neck. 

“Like its master it was entirely devoid of hair, but was of a dark slate color and exceeding smooth and glossy.  Its belly was white and its legs shaded from the slate of its shoulders and hips to a vivid yellow at the feet.  The feet themselves were heavily padded and nailless, which fact also contributed to the noiseless of their approach, and, in common with a multiplicity of legs, is a characteristic feature of the fauna of Mars. . .and there are absolutely no hoofed animals in existence.”  (PM, III) 

            If he foregoes his mount and a shield, at fourth level and higher, a trooper may attack twice with a melee weapon (normal to hit & damage rules apply) held with two hands such as a sword or spear. This bonus attack occurs concurrently with his regular attack.

Primary ability for a trooper is strength.

This is the preferred class for green Martians.

 

CRIMINALS

Criminals or con men are an unsavory by-product of civilization, an anti-social fringe that prefer to murder, smuggle, cheat or swindle rather than work.    Usually dishonest and unreliable, the wealth that criminals acquire is often squandered on drinking, gambling or carousing.  This assures that even the most accomplished criminal is willing to partake in reckless and/or dangerous adventures.  

            Assassination is common upon Barsoom and deeply ingrained with the social and political life of the Red Planet.  So prevalent is the fear of assassination in red Martian nations that private residences or sleeping quarters are raised upon high metal columns four to six ads into the night sky.  Palaces of nobility and hotels will have numerous armed guards whose sole purpose is to eliminate these stealthy killers.  Although, most criminals are held in low order, a perverse mystique surrounds the exploits of the more successful assassins, who prefer daggers to swords and prefer poison to pistols. 

Criminal                     NPC                       Skill         Hit

Level     ATTK         Title              Save   Rank       Dice

 

  1)             +1          punk              +0        +1         1d6
  2)             +1          outlaw           +1        +1         2d6
  3)             +2          renegade       +2        +2         3d6
  4)             +3          enforcer        +2        +2         4d6
  5)             +3          assassin         +3        +3         5d6
  6)             +4         assassin         +4        +3         6d6
  7)             +5         boss               +4        +4         7d6
  8)             +5          boss              +5        +4         8d6
  9)             +6         master           +6        +5         9d6
10)             +7          master          +6        +5       10d6

                    und so weiter

            “Upon Barsoom, no man lies; if he does not wish to speak the truth, he is silent.” (PM, XI)  Criminals are unusual in that their word is seldom binding and they are likely to abandon their friends and associates at times of trouble; however, only the most degenerate male criminal would harm or kill a woman.  Occasionally, members of the nobility have been corrupted by criminals and will plunge their kingdoms or nations into disarray or chaos.    

            In hand-to-hand combat, criminals are adept at the sneak-attack or back stab.  When they attack from behind, hiding or with surprise; the 1^st round, they gain +4 ‘to-hit’ and will add their level to weapon damage (i.e., fourth level criminal with superior  strength does d8 + 4 -2 damage when using a dagger). 

Primary ability for criminal  is dexterity.

This is the preferred class for therns.

Illustration is Mike Hoffman's

WARRIORS

Warriors are disciplined sailors and marines that fight and die for the honor of their nation and their Jeddak. Stoic, dependable and loyal, warriors are direct in their speech and relationships.  Although not highly paid, every nation upon the Red Planet reserves its greatest accolades and honors for the successful warrior.  They seldom contradict orders or break formal command.  Warriors salute by placing both palms, adjacent, high on their forehead.   

A panthan is a mercenary.

A padwar is a lieutenant, usually in charge of  a  small warship, elite squad  or a platoon (10 – 40 warriors).

A kadar is a guard or a esteemed NCO.

A dwar is a captain, usually in charge of a destroyer, cruiser or company (100- 500 warriors).

An odwar is a general, usually in command of a battleship or a battalion (1000- 3000 warriors).

            The aerial navies of Barsoom are the force that gives the Red Martians superiority in warfare against the other races.  The battleship is the principal warship upon the Red Planet.  Proudly displayed on the bow of all warships is the nation’s  identifying device or insignia.  While the hulls of scientific or merchant vessels are painted grey.  

 

Warrior                      NPC                        Skill       Hit

Level     ATTK            Title             Save   Rank     Dice

 

 1)             +1           than              +0        +1         1d8
 2)             +2           panthan        +1        +1         2d8
  3)            +3           padwar         +1        +2         3d8
 4)             +4           kadar            +2        +2         4d8
 5)             +5           dwar             +2        +3         5d8
 6)             +6           dwar             +3        +3         6d8
 7)             +7           odwar           +3        +4         7d8
 8)             +8           odwar           +4        +4         8d8
 9)              +9           warlord       +4         +5         9d8
10)           +10           warlord       +5         +5       10d8

                                                                                                    und so weiter

      Challenges or individual combat is governed by the ancient Barsoomian Code of Arms: 

“I did not need a manual of Martian etiquette to know what reply to make, for, in fact, I was so wild with anger that I could scarcely refrain from drawing my pistol and shooting him down for the brute that he was; but he stood waiting with drawn long-sword, and my only choice was to draw my own and meet him in a fair fight with his choice of weapons or a lesser one.  This latter alternative is always permissible; therefore, I could have used my short-sword, my hatchet, my dagger or my fists had I wished, and been entirely within my rights, but I could not use firearms or a spear while he held only his long-sword.”    (PM, XIV) 

Primary ability for a warrior is constitution.

This is the preferred class for black pirates.

 

SCIENTIST

Scientists disdain superstition and magic, relying on rational thought and empiric method.  Students of technology and purveyors of ancient history, they view science as the means to liberate society from decline, strife and barbarism.  Examples of this vocation are biologists, chemists, physicians, engineers and dashing archeologists.  Scientists are recognized by their white coats and/or spectacles. 

They may not use relics of any kind and they have a limited selection of weapons. Not all scientists are benevolent or wise; NPC scientists may be important to your campaig as they may have access to wondrous and/or malevolent inventions.

“Why every school boy on Barsoom knows the geography, and much concerning the fauna and flora, as well as the history of your planet fully as well as of his own.  Can we not see everything which takes place upon Earth, as you call it; is in not hanging there in the heavens in plain sight?’

“This baffled me, I must confess . . .  She then explained in general the instruments her people had used and perfected for ages, which permit them to throw upon a screen a perfect image of what is transpiring upon any planet and upon many of the stars.”              (PM, XI)

 

  Scientist                       NPC                         Skill      Hit

     Level     ATTK          Title             Save    Rank      Dice

         1)           +0          assistant        +1        +1         1d6

         2)           +1          intern            +1         +2        2d6

         3)            +1          intern           +2         +2        3d6

        4)             +1          engineer       +2        +3        4d6
        5)             +2          engineer       +3        +4        5d6
        6)             +2          doctor           +3        +4        6d6

        7)             +2          doctor           +4        +5        7d6

        8)             +3          professor       +4        +6        8d6

        9)             +3          professor       +5        +6        9d6
       10)            +3          mastermind     +5        +7      10d6

                                   und so weiter

Primary ability for a scientist is intelligence.

This is the preferred class for red Martians.

ILLUSTRATION by Marc Shultz

 

the PRIEST character class

Priests, psychics & parapsychologists are portrayed within the chronicles of the Red Planet.  They have powers that heal, sustain, support and edify the group.  The powers obtained by a priest or psychic are derived from either mediation or prayer. The number of powers or spells that a priest possesses, and the maximum number of times these can be used without rest or recuperation increases with his level.

            “By returning from Dor we had committed a sacrilege; by recounting our adventures there, and stating the facts as they existed we had outraged the religion of their fathers. We were blasphemers—lying heretics. Even those who still clung to us from personal love and loyalty I think did so in the face of the fact that at heart they questioned our veracity—it is very hard to accept a new religion for an old, no matter how alluring the promises of the new may be; but to reject the old as a tissue of falsehoods without being offered anything in its stead is indeed a most difficult thing to ask of any people.”  (GM XVI)

 

Although the cult of Issus was exposed as a cruel fraud, the ancient pantheon of true Barsoomian gods is worshipped in isolated regions or nations. Unlike upon our earth, priests or psychics have few limitations upon armor or defense and are competent in combat; however, firearms are usually prohibited. Although priests usually take a vow not to accumulate personal wealth and property, they can still be still very powerful player characters.    

 Priest               NPC                  Skill      Hit

 Level   ATTK  Title       Save   Rank    Dice

 1)         +0        initiate     +1       +0     1d6

 2)         +1        brother    +1        +1     2d6

 3)         +2        deacon    +2        +1     3d6

 4)        +2          priest     +2        +1      4d6

 5)        +3          priest     +3        +2      5d6

 6)        +3    high priest   +3        +2      6d6

 7)        +4    high priest   +4        +2      7d6

 8)        +4        thorian    +4         +3     8d6

 9)        +5        thorian    +5         +3      9d6

10)       +5    Hekkador   +5          +3    10d6

                             und so weiter

 

            “Since the destruction of the fabric of their false religion by John Carter, the majority of the therns had gladly accepted the new order of things, so that it was now no longer uncommon to see them mingling with the multitudes of red men in any of the great cities of the outer world."             (TMM XIII)  

Primary ability for a priest  or psychic is wisdom.

This is the preferred class for kaldanes.

MINIATUREs from David Soderquest
 @ BronzeAgeMiniatures dot com

the EXTRA character class

eXtra is a diverse vocation available to most races and is intended to define those characters who do not have a previously described class in this chapter.  Sometimes a jack-of-all-trades, members of the extra vocation have a multitude of possible career paths available to them and these characters are defined by the skills (Chapter 6) that they possess.  The primary abiility of an eXtra is charisma and this is the preferred class of yellow Martians.

“If I sometimes seem to take too great pride in my fighting ability, it must be remembered that fighting is my vocation. If your vocation is shoeing horses, or painting pictures, and you can do one or the other better than your fellows, then you are a fool if you are not proud of your ability.”   (WM, VI)

            The selection of a NPC extra’s occupation or societal role would be based upon that NPC’s highest generated ability score; i.e., blacksmith, carpenter, cook, acrobat, baker, shoemaker, farmer, messenger, guide, mechanic, cartographer, jeweler, brewer, inn keeper, potter, artist, merchant or minstrel. 

                The green women are “the artisans who produce every manufactured article wrought by  green Martians. They make the powder, the cartridges, the firearms; in fact everything of value is produced by the females.” (PM IX)

Extras are frequently provided by the referee to fulfill ancillary or supportive part in the game’s campaign or storytelling. They have a limited selection of weapons and armor.  Extras can also make excellent PCs, because of their rapid progression of luck.

 

Extra                    NPC                    Skill     Hit

Level    ATTK      Title      Save   Rank    Dice

 1)        +0           slave        +0        +1       1d8 
 2)        +1          laborer      +1        +1       2d8
 3)        +1        craftsman   +2       +2       3d8
 4)        +2          artisan      +2       +2       4d8
 5)        +2        wealthy      +3       +3       5d8
 6)        +3         nobility      +4      +3       6d8
 7)        +3         regent        +4      +4       7d8
 8)        +4        princess      +5      +4       8d8
 9)        +4        prince         +5      +5       9d8    
10)       +5      incomparable        +6      +5      10d8
                                                                          und so weiter

    “But I am a princess’ cried the girl haughtily, ‘and my country is not at war with yours.  You must give me and my companions aid and assist us to return us to our land.  It is the law of Barsoom.”                 (CMM, X)

Primary ability is an extra is charisma.

This is the preferred class for yellow Martians.

REAPER miniatures painted
      by Thomas Nelson