The Dwarven Musketeer

"All for one, one for all …"

The Three Musketeers, 1844

Designer’s Forward: This class was inspired by dwarven musketeer miniatures I bought as well as the forthcoming gunpowder supplement for Domains at War. Also, I can’t help but recall a comment I made in one of my articles on proficiencies: “Why do I feel compelled to add a Running, Skirmishing, Swashbuckling, Weapon Finessing dwarf to my game?”

Prime Requisite: DEX and CON

Requirements: CON 9

Hit Dice: 1d8

Maximum Level: 13

Gnomish chymists claim to have discovered gunpowder (as if anyone would believe a gnome), but dwarves were undoubtedly the first to adapt gunpowder to the art of war. Early adaptations were large siege weapons of an explosive and thundering nature, followed by smaller arquebuses and muskets. Dwarven musketeers are at the forefront of this military revolution. Touched by gnomes or not, dwarven musketeers are not the vaultguards of old.

Dwarven musketeers are highly trained combatants. At first level, musketeers hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. Like fighters, they advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every three levels of experience. A dwarven musketeer’s panache provides a +1 bonus to attack throws, proficiency throws, saving throws, and initiative rolls for 1 turn (10 minutes), once per day per level of experience. The musketeer may act with panache without expending an action. Dwarven musketeers are noteworthy among dwarves for their ability to duck and weave. Musketeers gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class if able to move freely. At level 7, the AC bonus increases to +2, and at level 13 the AC bonus increases to +3.

Musketeers may only wear leather or lighter armor. They are trained to fight wielding a weapon and shield (more likely a buckler or cloak), wielding a weapon two-handed and wielding a weapon in each hand. The musketeer can wield any weapons.

Dwarven musketeers may use any magic item usable by fighters.

Dwarves gain a +1 bonus to surprise rolls when underground due to their sensitivity to rock. Dwarves may detect traps, false walls, hidden construction, or sloped passages with a proficiency throw of 14+ on 1d20. Dwarves must be actively searching for these abilities to function. Dwarves are hardy people, and gain a +3 bonus on saving throws versus Blast and Breath and a +4 bonus on all other saving throws. Dwarves speak their own language, as well as the languages of Gnomes, Goblins and Kobolds.

A dwarven musketeer who achieves enough fame and fortune from his adventures may build a dwarven vault when he reaches 9th level. Dwarves usually live in clans, so dwarves of the character’s clan will be the first to live under his roof, but dwarves from other clans will also come and live nearby to be ruled by the character. A total of 3d6x10 1st level NPCs of the same race will move in to help maintain and defend the vault at no cost to the character. A dwarven musketeer is expected to employ only soldiers of dwarven descent, but may hire members of other races for other tasks.

Dwarven Musketeer Proficiency List (29): Alertness, Caving, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (disarm, knock down), Command, Craft, Dwarven Brewing, Endurance, Engineering, Fighting Style, Gambling, Goblin-Slaying, Illusion Resistance, Intimidation, Land Surveying, Leadership, Mapping, Manual of Arms, Military Strategy, Mountaineering, Precise Shooting, Rapid Drill, Running, Siege Engineering, Skirmishing, Swashbuckling, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus

Experience	Level	Title	Hit Dice	Damage Bonus
0	1	Sentry	1d8	+1
2,500	2	Warden	2d8	+1
5,000	3	Armsbearer	3d8	+2
10,000	4	Defender	4d8	+2
20,000	5	Sentinel	5d8	+2
40,000	6	Guardian	6d8	+3
80,000	7	Champion	7d8	+3
160,000	8	Musketeer	8d8	+3
290,000	9	Vaultlord	9d8	+4
420,000	10	Vaultlord, 10th lvl	9d8+3*	+4
550,000	11	Vaultlord, 11th lvl	9d8+6*	+4
680,000	12	Vaultlord, 12th lvl	9d8+9*	+5
810,000	13	Vaultlord, 13th lvl	9d8+12*	+5

*Hit point modifiers from constitution are ignored

New Proficiency

Rapid Drill

When the character reloads a firearm, the reload time is reduced by 1 round. At level 7, reload time is reduced by 2, and at level 13 reload time is reduced by 3.

Custom Class Build Information

Hit Dice	Fighting	Thievery	Divine	Arcane	Dwarf
2	2	0	0	0	0

Trade-Offs

Armor from Unrestricted to Broad for 1 custom power

Armor from Broad to Narrow for 1 custom power

XP Calculation: 1000 + 1300 + 200 = 2500 at 2nd level