Sunday, January 8, 2017

Colonial 5e Fighting Men

This continues my look at adopting 5e for a "low/slightly-secret(maybe)" magic Colonial North America game:

Fighting Man (Fighter)
The 5e Fighter works pretty well were representing your standard warrior types from any of the cultures, though the Eldritch Knight will be out as an option. Maybe Adventure in Middle Earth's Weapons Master might be an archetype option.


Ranger (Wanderer)
The AiME Wanderer class can represent the historical units known as Rangers, but also the general wilderness scout type. The Hunter of Shadows Archetype is out, but the much maligned Beast Master archetype of the 5e Ranger will work. I might also replace Trackless Step with the Ranger's Land's Stride, but this isn't a big issue. Interesting historical tidbit: the terms for skilled firearms marksmen: "crack shot" and "sharp shooter" (the latter a calque from German) are both attested to from only the 1790s.

art by Tim Truman

Slayer (Barbarian)
Though the name is borrowed from the Adventures of Middle-Earth class, I think 5e's Barbarian works better. This will represent the fierce, rustic warrior, including some Native American warriors, but also some of the frontiersmen or proto-Mountain Men with which they contended. Weapons would be similar for both: muskets, tomahawks/hand axes, and knives, though some Natives might still employ the bow.

5 comments:

evildm said...

We are starting the new Storm kings campaign in a few weeks. My character was a member of Roger's Ranger's, and fought in the French and Indian war. He unknowingly went through a magical gate while hunting a beast that was ravaging his settlement, and ended up on the Planet Toril,on the Sword Coast. He is currently adapting to his new world.

I took the revised Ranger from Unearthed arcana, the Flintlock and Pistol from the DMG and the Crossbow feat and renamed in the Black powder weapons feat.

Tallgeese said...

Northern Crown, published first for 3.5 and, very recently, for Pathfinder may be a useful resource. It is set in an alt North America similar to the 13th colonies, but with magic.

Gus L said...

Where does the trained European solider come in - both the drunken sweepings of slum gutters ruled by the lash and drill and the gentleman officer?

Trey said...

I imagine them as Fighter's mostly, like the average Colonial troop. I suppose some might go Slayer Colonel Kurtz style.

Chris Wilson said...

As a fan of the colonial era. I love this project of yours. Keep it up!