Recent content by Baron Opal II

True. It's a cool photo with a guy in mail with a rifle, about the right time period. I thought it might inform your project.

Rolled across this photo of a Georgian (Euro-Asian) soldier from the late 1800s. He's wearing mail and carrying a jezzail, it looks like.

The blast patterns of which mimic two specific Napoleonic-era explosive artillery shells. This is why lightning bolt doesn't start at the caster, but is a line that can be at some distance. Pardon the tangent.

Another reskin for the bard could be "Journalist". Finding out facts and swaying opinion through news stories. Strong persuasion skills to get people to open up and tell you things, and less doing favors for you.

I flipped the ratios. My bad. With increasing tech of firearms the magicians were worth less in battle.

Indeed. It reminds me of that scene from Shadow and Bone where the general talks about the declining ratio of magicians vs infantry. It used to be 1:50 when it was swords and bows. Rifles brought it down to 1:10. With automatic weapons it's 1:5 at best.

Here is how I address the OP's concerns. Excerpts from Adventures in the Nine Planes, A Handbook for Players

Another thing that was pointed out to me: When you see a scene of a "war-torn land" you see mud, burnt and broken trees, smoldering fires here and there, shattered homes. That's a direct and lasting impact from WWI and later artillery on filmmaker's psyches. Regular cannon fire didn't (usually)...

From notes I made BITD: Meteor swarm was better than artillery in 1910, but inferior by 1920. WWI had massive upscaling in AoE and intensity of artillery shells. If you consider the lethality of a broadsword and a .45 equivalent (c.f. Rob Roy), you don't really need to change damage ratings...

For me, who is considering a similar breakdown, a gladiator would be a knight or skirmisher depending on what they rely on defensively. A Duelist would be a skirmisher. Much like members of the Thieves' Guild are rogues, fighters, and an odd wizard or two. One's a job (gladiator) and the other...

Well, depends. I tend to go with, depending on campaign type and expected length; Three: Fighter, Magician, Specialist Seven: Fighter, Magician, Cleric, Rogue, Druid, Spellsword, Monk Twelve: Assassin, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Magician, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Paladin, Sorcerer, Spellsword

Part of the equation for me is a familiarity with the campaign world. For me, the neo-trad comes fully into play in the second or third adventure. I want to be a noble --> Now I'm aware of the circle of the powerful. I want to avenge my family --> This temple and guild can be my allies and...

Barbarian. Angry fighter when we already have a woodsy fighter.

OC = Original Character, in case anyone else was wondering.

Looks like it. I wonder if there is more than $15K in legal fees for the trustee and whatever creditors there are.