A class for the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG.

Normally I like the simplicity of Dungeon Crawl Classics’ small number of classes. However, when creating my world of Eordh I decided I needed a class similar to the D&D Monk (or “Mystic” in the Rules Compendium). The “Disciples of Balance” as they’re known in Eordh represent the True Neutral force of Balance the way that Clerics champion their Lawful, Neutral (Unaligned), or Chaotic gods.

To my surprise I found no published analogue to the Monk. A Web search turned up a few concepts, but none seemed quite right. For one thing I wanted to avoid the faux East Asian and Hong Kong action flick roots of the concept. Really I tried to emulate the “Defender” from the Midnight setting, in which the Dark Lord who rules all banned all weapons; hence, some rebels train to fight without weapons. (The origin of many martial arts, incidentally.)

My “Disciples” rely less on shady mystical powers and more on physical and mental discipline. They’re closer to spies and secret agents (or ninjas) than to lone unarmed heroes who “walk the earth”. They train with bare hands or improvised weapons since carrying weapons would reveal their true role.

In any case this class has not been playtested AT ALL. It may be too strong or too weak relative to a Warrior or Thief. Use at your own risk.

Disciple of Balance

The quiet groundskeeper who only smiles and sweeps, the efficient clerk who remains calm even as catastrophe looms, the drifter whose arrival triggers a cascade of small and not so small changes … all may be Disciples of Balance.

The cosmic forces of Law and Chaos vie for supremacy across the multiverse. In a past age the Balance merely mediated between two extremes so that Law kept Chaos in check and vice versa. Yet in the current age Chaos has grown bolder and more unruly and even Law has abandoned reason and the greater good in its pursuit of victory. World after world has fallen to the hordes of Chaos or the faith-powered battle fortresses of Law.

Chaos seeds its Cults and Law promotes its organized religions. So, too, did the first Immortal Masters of Balance teach mortal Disciples the Way of Balance.

The Way of Balance combines religion, philosophy, discipline, and martial art, along with a reverence for Nature and its recurring cycles. Its Disciples learn how to fight without weapons, climb without ladders, and move without sound. Masters of the Way also warn Disciples about the inhuman powers of Law and Chaos whose eternal struggle may doom their world.

The first Disciples of Balance became Masters of Balance who taught their own Disciples. Those Disciples became Masters, and so on, generation after generation, as practitioners of the Way grow more numerous and more organized. Thus unto this day the cycle repeats …

Alignment: Disciples of Balance are always Neutral, as is the Balance. If a Disciple should somehow change alignment to Law or Chaos, they lose all the benefits of this class.

Hit Points: A Disciple gains 1d8 hit points at each level.

Weapon Training: Disciples do not carry weapons; they become weapons. While Disciples are best known for doing damage bare-handed, they may also use clubs, daggers, darts, flails, handaxes, improvised weapons, javelins, maces, slings, and staves. Disciples may wear no armor.

Attack Modifier: Like Warriors, Disciples receive a deed die instead of a fixed attack modifier at each level. At first level, a Disciple adds a d3 to his attack roll and his damage roll. The deed die advances at every two levels, giving him a d4 at third level, a d5 at fifth level, etc.

Disciples always add the higher of their AGL and STR modifiers to all non-ranged attacks. (Ranged attacks always use AGL.) The Disciple loses this modifier and the Deed Die when using weapons they are not trained in like battle axes, bows, crossbows, polearms, and swords.

Unarmed Damage: Disciples do higher damage with their bare hands, starting with a d4 at first level and advancing +1d every level until 7th. Thereafter it advances +1d every other level. Damage does not have to be subdual damage if the Disciple chooses.

Weapon Damage: When using any weapon with which they are trained, a Disciple does the next higher die or more every other level after 2nd. This includes improvised weapons like a beer mug or a chair leg, typically 1d3 to 1d6.

Armor Class: A Disciple’s Armor Class starts at 11 + Agility Modifier when wearing no armor, and it rises to 11 + level/2 + Agility Modifier at subsequent levels. If the Disciple wears armor, use the worn armor’s AC bonus instead of the unarmored bonus. Furthermore, Disciples lose their ability to add their Agility to physical attacks and their added unarmed or weapon damage, in addition to the effects of heavier armor.

Mighty Deed of Arms: Disciples can perform Mighty Deeds of Arms like Warriors or Dwarves. Most of their Deeds involve acrobatic maneuvers and disarming or tripping strikes.

Balance in Motion, Stability at Rest: Disciples can move over uneven terrain as if it were smooth. If a Disciple assumes a Stable Stance, they cannot move but they cannot be tripped or knocked down, only pushed back.

Action Dice: A Disciple receives a second Action Die at Level 5. The second action die may be used for a second attack or some other maneuver.

Proficiency: A Disciple receives a bonus to certain actions called Disciple Skills, much like a Thief’s skills.

Master of Balance: At 6th Level a Disciple of Balance becomes a Master of Balance, and builds a School from which to recruit and train new Disciples.

Attacks, Actions, Saving Throws

Armor Class, Damage, Proficiency Bonus

Disciple Skills

For DCs and other details about these skills, see the Thief class.

Climb Sheer Surfaces: The Disciple learns to scale even an apparently sheer wall using small handholds and sheer tenacity. Add their Proficiency Bonus plus their Agility Modifier to the Action Die.

Hide in Shadows: The Disciple learns to blend into the shadows. The Disciple must remain still while hiding. Add their Proficiency Bonus + Agility Bonus to the Action Die.

Hide Thoughts: The Disciple hides their true thoughts even from themselves. This allows the Disciple to conceal their emotions, tell half-truths¹ with complete sincerity, or even resist mind-reading magic. It does not allow the Disciple to impersonate someone else; Disciples instead disguise themselves as unnoticed menial servants. If a DC is not readily available, treat this as an opposed check between the roll to ferret out the truth and the Disciple’s Action Die plus Proficiency Bonus and their Personality Bonus to obscure the truth.

Move Quietly: The Disciple learns to walk without making a noise. Add their Proficiency Bonus + Agility Bonus to the Action Die.

Read Languages: The Disciple learns to read foreign languages. Add their Proficiency Bonus and their Intelligence Bonus to the Action Die.