Halfling “Dabbler”
by SpinningDice

Halflings lack the dedication and force of will to become wizards, yet their sense of curiosity leads to those known as 'dabblers' picking up just enough magic to be dangerous, but retaining enough interest in other hobbies to be more versatile than the wizards of humans.

The Dabblers are certainly one to let a little power go to their heads, so are often found adventuring the world, though none have yet survived long enough to gain much renown among the lands of man.

Starting as a Dabbler.

Wounds	2D6
Move	4
Weapon Skill	2
Ballistic Skill	5+
Strength	2
Toughness	3
Initiative	4
Attacks	1
Pinning	3+

Special Rules

Weapons: The Dabbler starts with a short, but sturdy staff, which causes 1d6+Str wounds.

Equipment: The Dabbler starts with a Lunch Box: Once per turn the Halfling Thief may delve around in his Lunch Box for a suitable snack. Roll 1D6 at any time during the turn. On a roll of 4, 5 or 6 he finds something tasty and heals 1 Wound. The Lunch Box is rather large so there is no limit to the number of times he can do this. He can do this even when he is on zero Wounds
In addition he begins play with 1d6 Magic Acorns which may be thrown at a monster, on a successful Ballistic Skill roll they have an effect rolled on the following table:

1 The Acorn bounces off the monster and rolls into a crack, magically turning into a Goblin! At the start of the next Monsters' Phase place a Goblin armed with a spear on the table. He will attack the Warriors as normal from that turn on.

2 The Acorn bounces off the Monster with no particularly devastating effect.

3 The Acorn bounces off the Monster with no destructive magical effects. However, the Monster is distracted and loses 1D6 attacks in the next Monsters' Phase.

4 The Acorn explodes in a flash of light, inflicting 1D6 Wounds on the Monster with no deductions at all.
5 The Acorn explodes violently. The Monster and any other Monster or Warrior adjacent to it take 1D6 Wounds each, with no deductions at all.

6 The Acorn starts to magically transform the Monster. Roll 1D6 and add the Monster's Toughness. On a roll of 7 or more the Monster resists the effects but takes 4D6 wounds with no deductions at all. On a roll of 6 or less the Monster is turned to stone and killed.

 

Magic: At the start of the game the Halfling Dabbler starts with 2 spells, he casts spells like a wizard, but only counts half the power roll (so power 1 or 2 = 1power, 3 or 4 = 2 & 5 or 6 = 3), though he still adds his BL to the total as per the wizard.

Power Store: As a wizard, the Halfling has his own power store, being smaller and less adept his power store is only at d3+1

Starting Spells (Roll once on each table) 

General

1:  Drop (cn1)

2:  Sting (cn1)

3:  Slip (cn2)

4:  Nausea (cn2)

5:  Confuse (cn3)

6:  Speed (cn3)

 

Healing

1:  Create Food (cn1)

2:  Cure Small Wounds (cn1)

3:  Healing Hand (cn2)

4:  Feast of Friends (cn3) *See below*

5:  Finger of Life (cn3)

6:  Heal Wounds (cn4)

 

Feast of Friends (CN3): The halfling conjures up a veritable feast for the entire party out of thin air, this magical food is both filling & restorative. This spell may only cast when there are no monsters on the board, and it allows the Dabbler to create a feast as if a Halfling Chef using a field kitchen, however he only ever rolls a single d6 and does not add the turns power roll. In addition he may not accept contributions of provisions to improve the roll.
If a Halfling Chef is also in the party, the Dabbler may cast this spell to contribute adding an additional d6 to the Chef’s roll, as he summons ingredients out of thin air according to the chef’s wishes.

 

Halflings and Food A Halfling will never give food to anybody unless he considers he has enough left for an adequate meal. Whenever you want to heal another Warrior with provisions from your store you must first roll ID6. If the total is under the number of provisions you have left you may heal the other Warrior as normal. If the result is equal to or more than the number of Provisions you have left the Halfling hides his food and claims he has only a 'few crumbs' left.
Once the Halfling has decided he is down to the minimum he may not give up any provisions for the rest of the adventure.
A Halfling may always eat; it is an instinctive reaction that sets his hand reaching into his bag to grab some food. This means a Halfling may attempt to heal himself with any kind of food, even if he is at zero Wounds. He must still roll a 4+ to be successful in his attempt, just as if another Warrior was trying to heal him.

 

Advanced Rules

Halfling Dabbler’s & Treasure: Halfling Dabblers are versatile fellows and can use a wide variety of treasure. He has the same restrictions as the Halfling Thief, except he may use any treasure normally limited to the wizard, unless the GM deems it inappropriate.
He does have  less of a command over magic than the Wizard, so any item which specifically gives power has it’s power halved (round up), for example, an Energy Jewel will only have d3 power, rather than d6.

Halfling Dabbler’s & Events: If anything Dabblers possess even more curiosity than the Halfling Thief, and are there fore subject to the same compulsion to investigate the suspicious or mysterious on events.

Travelling

On an uneventful week on travelling, the Halfling Dabbler may roll a d6, on a roll of 4+ he’s found a Mystic Oak and may roll on the following table:

1-2: He manages to harvest 1d3+1 Magic Acorns

3-4: He manages to harvest 1d6+2 Magic Acorns

5-6: A bountiful harvest of 2d6+3 Magic Acorns.

Settlements

The Dabbler can visit the Alehouse, but suffers -2 penalty on his roll.

The Dabbler can visit the Temple, Gambling Den, Alchemist, General Store, Fletcher, Gunsmith, Animal Trader & Armourer as well as the Kitchens (from Halfling Thief – whenever Magic Acorn is rolled the Dabbler gains d3, rather than 1).

The Dabbler can visit the Wizards Guild, but has the following special rules:

E    Entry: Roll a d6 whenever a Dabbler tries to enter a Wizards Guild:

1: The Wizards are insulted by creature’s attempts and turn him into a toad for 1d6 days, while a toad he can do nothing but try to avoid being stepped on, but can survive on flies, so doesn’t need to pay living expenses.

2: The Wizards turn the Halfling away, laughing at the idea that a Halfling could be any sort of wizard.

3: The Wizards reluctantly agree ,but the Dabbler must pay 1d6x100 gold for entry (rather than 1d6x50

4-5: The wizards allow the Halfling in, and while he attracts a lot of stares he is left to pursue his business

6: Charmed by such a quaint little wizard he is allowed in free of charge.

Consultation: Halflings gain 1 less consultation than the table indicates (this can be 0 if a 1-2 is rolled in a town)

Magic Potions: Halflings are an expert at anything resembling food & drink and as a result can pick through and get the best value for his coin,he may re-roll one dice when determining the number & price of potions (so if he rolls 6 for price and 1 for number he can re-roll either the price or number but not both...)

Wizards Staff: A Dabbler may buy a wizards staff, exactly as a wizard, but his haphazard use of power means it comes with only 1d3 power & cannot contain more than 3 points of power at any one time.

Changing Spells: The Dabblers haphazard manner of learning magic in the first place makes changing spells even more of a gamble. He may erase spells as per a wizard, but when it comes to gaining them, he instead rolls on the Halfling spell table on a result of 3-5, or may pick any spell on the Halfling spell list on a roll of 6.

Advancement

 

 

Spells: Halfling Dabblers have a haphazard approach to learning magic, learning by watching human wizards, flicking through ‘acquired’ spell books and an inordinate amount of guesswork. As they don’t have their own guilds, and they’re rare enough to probably never see another Dabbler, they have no special location associated with training, simply withdrawing into their own company for 1d6 days and emerging with some new wild ideas and eager to test them out.

At every level of Halfling Dabbler he may roll on the following table: (2d6+1/BL). If he rolls a spell he already has, he may pick the result 1 higher on the table (so if he rolled 9, but already had that spell, he could treat it as a 10 instead). 

2.        Drop (cn1 – Wizard Spell)

3.        Sting (cn1 – Wizard Spell)

4.        Create Food (cn1 – Wizard Spell)

5.        Cure Small Wounds (cn1 – Wizard Spell)

6.        Slip (cn2 – Wizard Spell)

7.        Nausea (cn2 – Wizard Spell)

8.        Healing Hands (cn2 – Wizard Spell)

9.        Confuse (cn3 – Wizard Spell)

10.     Speed (cn3 – Wizard Spell)

11.     Feast of Friends (cn3 – Dabbler Spell)

12.     Finger of Life (cn3 – Wizard Spell)

13.     Heal Wounds (cn4 – Wizard Spell)

14.     Rebound (cn4 – Wizard Spell)

15.     Dispel Magic (cn4 – Wizard Spell)

16.     Second Sight (cn4 – Wizard Spell)

17.     Dazzle (cn5 – Wizard Spell)

18.     Lifebringer (cn5 – Wizard Spell)

19.     Invisibility (cn5 – Wizard Spell)

20.     Sleep (cn 5 – Wizard Spell)

21.     Cause Animosity (cn 6 – Wizard Spell)

22.     Create Bridge (cn 6 – Wizard Spell)

 

Skills (1d20):

1.        Scurry Underfoot: You may now move through monsters, either darting between their legs, dashing round them or otherwise getting past them. You still need to break from pinning if you start your turn adjacent to a monster.

2.    Power Mastery: Your Power store increases by +2, in addition any items which affect your power no longer has its power halved.

3.        Part-Time Thief: You can Shoplift, just like a Halfling Thief.

4.        Stature: Despite your race and size, your legends have spread, you may now enter a Wizards Guild without rolling on the entry chart.

5.        Evade (6): As per Elf Skill, this may be gained multiple times increasing the chance by 1 each time to a maximum of 4+

6.        Magical Might: You may select any 1 wizard spell, even one a Halfling Dabbler may not normally select, this spell is added to your list and cast as any other spell.

7.        Inner Reserve: You may add 1d6 power to the turns power roll (this does not generate events) but if you do so you suffer 1 wound and monsters get +1 to hit you this turn.

8.        Destiny: At the start of each adventure you may add +1d6 Luck, this goes away at the end of the adventure.

9.        Homebrew: Between each adventure you may brew yourself a single potion, this is generated as per the potion chart at the wizards guild, except instead of 6 resulting in a potion of flight, it instead results in Beer, as bought from the general store.

10.     Staff Mastery: While you’re in possession of a staff, and didn’t use any other weapon to attack in the previous round monsters suffer a -1 to hit you, in addition, instead of making an attack you may make an attack roll to trip an opponent. On a hit, the opponent is knocked down and cannot attack on it’s turn, and attacks on the creature gain +1 to hit. Certain creatures may not be tripped at the GM’s discretion.

11.     Herblore: As per Elf.

12.     Intuitive Wards: You may spend 1 power to gain Magic Resistance 5+ against 1 spell, you may do this once you know which spell has been cast and that you are the target, but before any random determination has been rolled (i.e. wounds caused, success, etc). Gaining this a second time results in Magic Resistance 4+.

13.     Hedge Mastery: Select one Casting No. 1 Spell, you can now cast this spell 1/turn with no power cost. If you have no Casting No. 1 spells you may cast Create Food at no power cost 1/turn (though may not cast the spell normally – it is not added to your spell list). You may not gain this skill multiple times.

14.     Fate-Weaving: Combining Halfling good luck with a bit of magic allows you to affect fate in powerful ways.  By spending both 1 luck and 1 power you may force an unexpected event to be re-drawn/rolled.

15.     Spell Mimicry: By copying another spellcaster precisely the Dabbler may duplicate a spell just cast. If any spellcaster which the Dabbler can see or hear cast a spell in the previous turn the Dabbler may cast the same spell in his turn.  In the case of spells that don’t usually require power it costs 3+1d6 power to cast the spell.

16.     Beer-drinker: The Halfling has gained an intense fondness & resistance to alcohol and no longer receives any penalty on the Alehouse events chart, in addition, he may drink beer as if he were a dwarf.

17.     Throwing Mastery: You gain +1 to hit with any thrown weapons, including Magic Acorns.

18.     Sideshow Talents: During any uneventful day in a settlement you may host a magical sideshow for the entertainment of the masses and to earn some coinage.
1: The peasantry is horrified by your display of heathen magic and you are lucky to escape with your life. You lose 2d6 gold in supplies which you’re forced to leave behind, and must leave the settlement immediately
2: No-one pays you much attention
3: You earn a few gold for your efforts: 1d6 gold
4: You earn a lot of gold for your efforts: 2d6x10gold
5: You delight and amaze many of the influential members of the town, gaining 3d6x15gold & may stay at the houses of the rich, incurring no living expenses (at GM’s discretion may also render you immune to certain events).
6: You are elevated to the status of a minor celebrity, as 5 above, plus you’ll be guaranteed access to the wizards guild and gain a 10% discount on any purchases you make for the remainder of your stay.

19.     Spell Library: You may roll twice on the Halfling spell chart above and add both spells to your spell list.

20.     Familiar: Some spellcasters adopt a familiar to assist their spell casting, and you’ve mastered this ability roll a d6 to determine what it is & what effects it has:
1: Toad: You have a lowly toad as your assistant, mostly he hides in your backpack and croaks a lot, however it does grant you +1T while within arms reach.
2: Raven: The Raven is a cunning bird, and offers it’s assistance with your more difficult spells. Any spell with a power 4+ takes 1 less power to cast, provided you’re familiar is within hearing range.
3: Rabbit: Rabbit continually advises you to get out of the way of danger… giving you +1 to escape pinning & +1 Move.
4: Rat: The rat imparts a certain protection from diseases, any effect described as a disease can be resisted on a 4+
5: Bat: The bat’s knowledge of dark allows you to explore without a lantern (though you don’t light the way for others) and to add +1 to the Lost in the Dark table.
6: Dog: The dog alerts you to unexpected threats, you may take your turn before any ambushers (giving you an extra turn), in addition, you are immune to pet dogs.

Created by SpinningDice
Some Format Changes by Old Warrior for the Stronghold