Culture Classes came to me as a great way to
further characterize a hero in any D20 system. The initial
inspiration came from Monte Cook's racial levels which evolved
into the Racial Paragon Classes in Unearthed Arcana.
Role-playing is about interactive
storytelling! And colorful characters evoke the most vivid
stories. In my campaign I started giving Cultural Levels
as free mini-prestige classes, but based on the character's
immersion in a particular aspect of culture. I expanded
the Cultural Classes to five levels and made them up for Races,
Cultural Regions, Guilds, Astrology Birth Signs, etc.
Culture levels are optionally accessed through Training Checks.
Some Gamemasters might make the training check automatically
succeed for players who have actually role-played their
character's development in alignment with the cultural class
being gained.
Training Checks (New D20 Optional Rule!)
Whenever a character gains a level, roll 1D20 for a training
check against a DC equal to 5+new level. If the training check
succeeds then the character gains one cultural rank of an
available Cultural Class (Racial, Astrological, Regional, Guild,
etc). Cultural classes allow up to five cultural ranks
that add to your characterization.
Here is an example of a
Cultural Class for the Human Race:
|
Human Cultural Class |
|
Rank |
Skill Bonus |
Cultural Feat |
Special Feature |
| 1 |
+1 |
- |
Adaptive Learning |
| 2 |
+1 |
1st |
Adaptive Learning |
| 3 |
+2 |
- |
Skill
Expertise |
| 4 |
+2 |
2nd |
Training Devotion |
| 5 |
+3 |
- |
Spirit of Exploration |
Racial Skills: Humans can choose any five skills as cultural
class skills.
Racial Feats: Due to the adaptable nature of humans, the bonus
feats may be any of the feats listed on the Cultural Feats
Table.
Special Features:
Adaptive Learning: A human advancing one rank into cultural
training can designate any one of his five cultural class skills
as an adaptive skill. This skill is treated a a class skill for
all classes that the character has levels in, both current and
future.
Skill Expertise: One adaptive skill gains a +2 bonus on all
checks involving the skill.
Training Devotion: The human has become obsessed with training
in a particular ability, gaining a +2 bonus to the ability that
relates to the previously selected expertise skill.
Spirit of Exploration: When attempting a great work of any kind,
whether a work of art, an epic voyage, or bequeathing to
humanity a new invention, once per year, the character gains a
+10 circumstance bonus to all skill checks used to complete the
endeavor.
Complete Listing of Cultural
Classes
|
Race |
Astrology |
Guilds |
Social Status |
Region |
| |
|
Humans |
Dragon |
|
Slaves |
Magishar |
|
Dwarves |
Warbear |
|
Beggars |
|
|
Elves |
Winged Elf |
|
Outlaws |
Ryuken |
|
Gnomes |
Whale |
|
Serfs |
|
|
Half-Elves |
Dire Lion |
|
Monastic Order |
Sarthaelyn |
|
Half-Orcs |
Maiden |
|
Peasants |
|
|
Halfling |
Unicorn |
|
Farmers |
Aklesora |
|
Orc |
Phoenix |
|
Laborers |
|
|
Kalenite |
Arcane Archer |
|
Soldiers |
Zemura |
|
Keshzakran |
Centaur Hero |
|
Mercenaries |
|
|
Saurian |
Seer |
|
Religious Order |
Keshzakra |
|
Centaur |
Seahorse |
|
Arcane Order |
|
|
Hawklin |
|
|
Scholars/Sages |
Lyromist |
| |
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Bardic Order |
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Adventurers |
Zephyrica |
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Explorers |
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Skilled Laborers |
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Craftsfolk |
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Guardsmen |
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Minor Officers |
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Merchants |
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Captains |
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Landless Nobility |
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Commanders/Admirals |
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Merchant Princes |
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Guildmasters |
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Lesser Nobility |
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Greater Nobility |
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Legendary Descent |
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