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  Introduction    
   
  2 
      The Land………………………. 3  
      Magicless History……………. 3 
   
  Chapter 2: Classes  
  4 
       Brawler………………………… 5 
       Gunfighter……………………. 10 
       Healer………………………….. 15 
       Horseman…………………….. 19 
       Hunter…………………………. 24 
       Soldier…………………………. 29 
   
  Chapter 3:  Mechanics 
  33 
       Drinking………………………. 33 
       Gambling……………………... 34 
       Literacy & Languages………. 34 
       Mass Combat………………… 35 
       New Skills…………………….. 36 
       New Feats…………………….. 36 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Chapter 4: Backgrounds 37   
       Banker………………………… 37 
       City Watch……………………. 38 
       Foreigner……………………… 39 
       Gambler………………………. 40 
       Prostitute……………………... 41 
       Researcher……………………. 42 
       
  Chapter 5: Equipment 
  43 
       Weapons………………………. 43 
   
  Chapter 6: Bestiary  
  44 
       Animals……………………….. 44 
       Nonheroic Characters……… 44 
       Poisons and Diseases………. 46 
       Pregenerated Characters….. 47 
   
  Art Credits……………………….. 51 
   
   
   
  COPYRIGHT INFORMATION 
   
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000,  
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy 
  Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, 
  James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, 
  Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original 
  material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
     
  -1-
  
   
  “Now folks, gather ‘round while I tell y’all a little story…” 
   
  Once upon a time in the old American West, there was a land at war with itself. White 
  Europeans, now known as Americans, march in a westward crusade of manifest 
  destiny to spread their young nation to the western shore. Native Americans plead, 
  deal, resist, and fight against intruders in a desperate bid to hold their lands and way 
  of life. Mexicans fortify themselves as they inch further north, watching as their own 
  empire begins to waver and shrink. Negro slaves, only recently freed, find the new  
                              frontier barely more welcoming than the sweltering south – and    
                                    work to prove themselves through labor and bravery. Workers  
                                        and merchants from the Far East work the railroads and  
                                               supply lines of the lawless region, strangers in a strange  
                                                    land. Yet regardless of the motley colors of the various  
                                                        personalities out west, the only color that truly  
                                                              matters is gold. Men, women, and children  
                                                              leave everything they have behind to risk death  
                                                              and disease along endless trails in search of  
                                                              riches and adventure. 
                                                                 
  This is the Wild West, a land of  
                                                                 adventure and a time of romance. Cowboys  
                                                                 roam the plains driving cattle. Gamblers and  
                                                                 prostitutes profit from boom towns that rise  
                                                                 and fall nearly overnight. Salesmen peddle  
                                                                     their wares, while lawmen try their best to  
                                                                         keep the peace – yet it scarcely takes  
                                                                         more than a stolen horse or bad hand of  
                                                                         poker to put bodies in the ground.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Frontier is a homebrew campaign  
                                                                         setting for the Dungeons & Dragons  
                                                                         Roleplaying game, utilizing the rule set  
                                                                         of the new Basic or 5th Edition. In this  
                                                                         unofficial publication, you will find  
                                                                    unique cultures (races), classes,  
                                                         backgrounds, equipment, and sample characters  
                                                      to create your own characters in this wild setting.  
                                                     While aspects of the core rules can be utilized, and  
                                                    some are referenced, Frontier is intended to be a  
                                                     stand-alone setting with its own rule set. 
  -2-
  
   
  "In the past, that is now lost forever, there was a time when the land 
  was sacred, and the ancient ones were as one with it.  A time when 
  only the children of the great spirit were here, to light their fires in 
  these places with no boundaries, when the forests were as thick as the 
  fur of the winter bear, and when a warrior could walk from horizon to 
  horizon on the backs of the buffalo.  And that time when there were 
  only simple ways, I saw with my heart the conflicts to come, and 
  whether it would be for good or bad, there was one thing certain; 
  there would be change." 
   
  The Land  
   
   
          
   
  The West stretches from the Mississippi 
  River to the Pacific Ocean, from the 
  northern plains to the Rio Grande -- more 
  than two million square miles of the most 
  extraordinary landscape on earth. 
      It is a land of broad rivers and vast 
  deserts, deep canyons and impenetrable 
  mountains, boundless prairies and endless 
  forests, a place where huge monoliths and 
  boiling waters rise naturally from the earth. 
      People have come to the West from every 
  point of the compass. To the Spanish, who 
  traveled up from Mexico, it was the North. 
  British and French explorers arrived by 
  coming south; the Chinese and Russians, 
  by going east. But to the people who 
  already lived here, it was home. It was the 
  Americans, the last to arrive, who named it 
  the West. 
      Cities and settlements can be found in 
  every locale imaginable – from rolling hills 
  to arid deserts, rocky canyons to river 
  crossings. Anywhere there is gold to be 
  found, riches made, and adventure sought, 
  you will find settlers to do it. 
       In terms of technology and references, 
  Frontier is set roughly between the years of 
  1860-1890 A.D in the American West. 
   
   
  Magicless History     
           
   
  Because Frontier is based on history, 
  unlike traditional Dungeons & Dragons 
  settings, there is no magic. All of the 
  classes and features in the setting have 
  more practical builds - such as smiths, 
  outlaws, and hunters. 
      Healing is accomplished by herbs, 
  medicine, and bolstering morale. For this 
  reason, doctors and medics provide a vital 
  role as adventurers cannot simply heal one 
  another with magic. Also for this reason, 
  care should be taken when damage or 
  death are possibilities. Shoot-outs and 
  bounty hunts may seem glamorous, but 
  can quickly land even the sharpest shooter 
  in hot water. Impulsive and trigger-happy 
  folks tend to have a shorter life expectancy 
  than most – which is saying something. 
       Due to the historical nature of Frontier, 
  there are no races other than Human. 
  Either the standard or variant version are 
  permissable. As always, every game is 
  different and Narrators are free to adjust 
  this rule as they see fit. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -3-
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  CHAPTER ONE: CLASSES 
   
  In the Frontier campaign setting, there are 6 
  unique classes from which players can 
  choose when creating characters. These 
  classes include the Brawler, Cowboy, 
  Gunfighter, Healer, Hunter, and Soldier 
    
   
   
   
       Because Frontier uses the Dungeons & 
  Dragons 5e rule set, standard D&D classes 
  would mechanically apply. Thematically, 
  however, they would not as in Frontier there 
  is no magic. Also, many of the D&D classes 
  have been dismantled and reincorporated 
  into the Frontier setting classes, so there is 
  a probability of redundancy. 
   
   
  Classes 
   
  Class 
   
  Description 
  Hit 
  Die 
   
  Primary Ability 
  Saving Throw 
  Proficiencies 
   
  Weapon Proficiencies 
  Brawler 
  A hand-to-hand combatant 
  who prefers fists to guns 
  d10 
  Strength or 
  Dexterity 
  Strength & 
  Dexterity 
  Simple weapons, 
  unarmed 
  Gunfighter 
  A pistol-packing quick draw 
  and sharpshooter 
  d10 
  Dexterity and 
  Charisma 
  Dexterity & 
  Charisma 
  Pistols, rifles 
  Healer 
  A wise ally able to bolster the 
  mind, body, and soul 
  d6 
  Wisdom 
  Wisdom & 
  Charisma 
  Simple weapons 
  Horseman 
  An expert rider and roper 
  who excels in a group 
  d8 
  Dexterity  
  Dexterity & 
  Wisdom 
  Simple weapons, pistols  
  Hunter 
  A scout and warrior who uses 
  stealth and nature to survive 
  in the wilds 
  d8 
  Dexterity and 
  Wisdom 
  Dexterity & 
  Constitution 
  Simple weapons, 
  pistols, rifles 
  Soldier 
  A military-trained fighter and 
  master of combat strategy 
  d12 
  Intelligence 
  and Charisma 
  Intelligence & 
  Charisma 
  Simple and martial 
  weapons, pistols, rifles 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -4-
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Brawler  
   
  A Comanche brave breaks away from the other 
  warriors, charging toward an armed militia with only a 
  spear. Despite taking several bullet shots, he keeps 
  running- searing hatred across his painted face. 
       With a laugh like thunder, a tall Swede knocks 
  another saloon patron to the ground. Shouts and jeers 
  fill the air as the brawl consumes the floor, and the 
  giant of a man who caused it revels in the chance to 
  knock some heads again. 
       In the morning hours at a mountain dig site, a 
  Chinese elder woman stands overlooking the valley 
  below. She has been awake for hours, her hands 
  gently swaying the match the swirling breeze. 
       Whether by choice or necessity, brawlers eschew 
  guns and arrows for up-close combat. Many prefer the 
  honor or skill involved in facing their enemies in 
  person, while others have simply learned to defend 
  themselves in close quarters.  
   
  Best of the Best 
   
   
   
  Brawlers have a particular style that suits them best, 
  which includes which weapons they prefer to use. 
  Some prefer to use their bare hands, others a 
  signature weapon, and still others use whatever 
  happens to be laying around. Whatever the weapon, 
  brawlers become so adept in its use that no one else 
  could hope to match their skill and effectiveness with 
  them. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Creating a Brawler  
   
   
  When creating a brawler character, consider not only 
  how you fight but why you do so. Do you cherish the 
  danger and thrill of defeating foes with your bare 
  hands? Do you have a bad history with guns, and so 
  avoid them at all costs? Were you raised in the wilds, 
  with only your body and primitive weapons to defend 
  yourself? 
   
  Quick Build 
  You can make a brawler quickly by following these 
  suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in 
  Strength, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the 
  folk hero background. 
  -5-
  
  Class Features 
  As a brawler, you gain the following class features. 
   
  Hit Points 
  Hit Dice: 1d10 per brawler level 
  Hit Dice at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier 
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your  
       Constitution modifier per brawler level after 1st 
   
  Proficiencies 
  Weapons: Simple weapons, unarmed 
  Tools: None 
   
  Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity 
  Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics,  
  Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, and Stealth 
   
  Equipment 
  You start with the following equipment, in addition to 
  the equipment granted by your background: 
   
  • (a) any two simple weapons 
  • (a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a soldier’s pack 
  • 10 throwing knives 
   
  Brawler Style  
   
   
   
  At 1st level, you choose a signature fighting style that 
  suits your personality and training: Drunkard, Martial 
  Artist, or Rager, all detailed at the end of the class 
  description. Your style grants you features at 2nd level 
  and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. It also 
  affects your Unarmed Defense and Deflection features. 
   
  Ability Score Improvement 
   
  When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 
  16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability 
  score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two 
  ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t 
  increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. 
   
  Extra Attack  
   
   
   
  Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of 
  once, whenever you take the Attack action on your 
  turn. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Evasion  
   
   
   
   
  At 7th level, your instinctive agility lets you dodge out 
  of the way of certain area effects, such as a Molotov 
  Cocktail. When you are subjected to an effect that 
  allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take 
  only half damage, you instead take no damage if you 
  succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if 
  you fail. 
   
  Fast Movement 
   
   
   
  Starting at 5th level, your speed increases by 10 feet. 
   
  Empty Mind 
   
   
   
   
  Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end 
  one effect on yourself that is causing you to be 
  charmed or frightened. 
   
  Brutal Critical 
   
   
   
  Beginning at 9th level, you can roll one additional 
  weapon damage die when determining the extra 
  damage for a critical hit with a melee attack. 
       This increases to two additional dice at 13th level 
  and three additional dice at 17th level. 
   
  Indomitable 
   
   
   
   
  At 20th level, if your total for a Strength check or 
  Dexterity check is less than your Strength score or 
  Dexterity score, respectively, you can use that score in 
  place of the total. 
   
  Brawler Style 
  All brawlers get up close and personal with their foes, 
  but that is where their similarities end. Some are 
  driven by rage and almost spiritual strength, while 
  others find their inspiration at the bottom of a whiskey 
  bottle. Still others hone their craft with patience and 
  focus, surprising those who underestimate them. 
   
  Drunkard 
   
   
   
   
  Notorious and far too common throughout the West 
  are the saloon drunks. Often miners or gamblers down 
  on their luck, they seek to drown their sorrows and 
  warm their bodies with liquor. While most are 
  relatively harmless, some manage to keep enough wits 
  to hold their own in a fight – or seek one out – which is 
  a rather frequent, especially in rowdy boomtowns. 
   
  Unarmed Defense 
  While you are not w earing any armor, your Armor 
  Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your 
  Charisma modifier. 
  -6-
  
  Brawler Damage: Improvised 
  Starting when you choose this style at 1st level, you 
  gain proficiency in improvised weapons. In addition, 
  any damage you deal with improvised weapons 
  increases to 1d6. This damage further increases as 
  you gain levels in the brawler class, as listed in the 
  Brawler Damage column of the class table. 
   
  Staggering Feint 
  Beginning at 2nd level, you can use a bonus action to 
  make a Deception check, opposed by a target’s Insight 
  check. If your check his higher, you have advantage on 
  the first melee attack roll you make against the target. 
   
  Deflection 
  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to 
  weave away when you are hit by a melee weapon 
  attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the 
  attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + 
  your brawler level. 
       If you reduce the damage to 0, you force the 
  attacker to make a Dexterity save against a DC equal 
  to the damage reduced. On a failure, the attacker falls 
  prone. 
       At 11th level, the attacker also takes an amount of 
  bludgeoning damage equal to the damage you reduced. 
       At 15th level, you can also move the attacker a 
  number of feet equal to the hit points you reduced, 
  after which they fall prone. The attacker can only move 
  in a straight line and must end in an open space. 
   
  Tolerance 
  Starting at 6th level, you can consume an additional 2 
  alcoholic drinks before requiring a DC 15 Constitution 
  poison save to avoid ill effects.  
       At 14th level, you can consume an additional 2 
  drinks-–for a total of 6 drinks--before requiring a save. 
   
  Redirect 
  Beginning at 10th level, when a creature misses a 
  melee attack roll against you, you can cause the attack 
  to target a different creature that is adjacent to you. 
  The attack roll and damage remains the same. 
   
  Just Sleeping 
  At 18th level, you gain the ability to recover from 
  apparent death. Two rounds after you fall to 0 hit 
  points, you automatically regain hit points equal to 
  your brawler level. You must finish a long rest before 
  you can use this feature again.  
   
   
   
   
  Martial Artist  
   
   
   
  Martial artists devote themselves to physical and often 
  spiritual perfection. They are masters of armed and 
  unarmed combat, using skill and focus to defend 
  themselves from harm. 
   
  Unarmed Defense 
  While you are not w earing any armor, your Armor 
  Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your 
  Wisdom modifier. 
   
  Brawler Damage: Unarmed 
  Starting when you choose this style at 1st level, you 
  can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack 
  and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes. In addition, 
  damage you deal with improvised weapons increases 
  to 1d6. This damage further increases as you gain 
  levels in the brawler class, as listed in the Brawler 
  Damage column of the class table. 
   
  Flurry of Blows 
  Beginning at 2nd level, when you use the Attack action 
  with an unarmed strike or a simple weapon on your 
  turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus 
  action. 
   
  Deflection 
  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to 
  deflect the missile when you are hit by a ranged 
  weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take 
  from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity 
  modifier + your brawler level. 
       If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the 
  missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one 
  hand and you have at least one hand free.  
       At 11th level, you can immediately make a ranged 
  attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you 
  just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make 
  this attack with proficiency, regardless of your weapon 
  proficiencies, and the missile counts as a thrown 
  simple weapon for the attack. 
       At 15th level, you have advantage on the attack roll 
  if you make to throw the weapon you just caught. 
   
  Wholeness of Body 
  At 6th level, you gain the ability to heal yourself. As an 
  action, you can regain hit points equal to three times 
  your brawler level. You must finish a long rest before 
  you can use this feature again. 
   
   
   
   
   
  -7-
  
  Tranquility 
  Beginning at 10th level, you can enter a special 
  meditation that surrounds you with an aura of peace. 
  At the end of a long rest, you gain an effect of 
  tranquility that lasts until the start of your next long 
  rest (or earlier, if you dismiss it). For the duration, any 
  creature who targets you with an attack or a harmful 
  ability must first make a Wisdom saving throw. On a 
  failed save, the creature must choose a new target or 
  lose the attack or ability. This feature doesn’t protect 
  you from area effects, such as the explosion of 
  dynamite. The saving throw DC for the feature equals 
  8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. 
   
  Quivering Palm 
  At 18th level, you gain the ability to set up lethal 
  vibrations in someone’s body. When you hit a creature 
  with an unarmed strike, you can use a bonus action to 
  start these imperceptible vibrations, which last for a 
  number of days equal to your brawler level. The 
  vibrations are harmless unless you use your action to 
  end them. When you use this action, the creature 
  must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is 
  reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 
  necrotic damage. 
       You can have only one creature under the effect of 
  this feature at a time. You can choose to end the 
  vibrations harmlessly without using an action. Once 
  you use this feature, you must take a long rest to use 
  it again. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Rager 
   
   
   
   
   
  For some brawlers, rage is a means to an end-—that 
  end being violence. The rager is a fighter fueled by 
  untrammeled fury, eager for blood. As they enter a 
  carnal rage, they thrill in the chaos of battle, heedless 
  of their own health or well-being. 
   
  Unarmed Defense 
  While you are not w earing any armor, your Armor 
  Class equals 10 + your Constitution modifier + your 
  Wisdom modifier. 
   
  Brawler Damage: Simple 
  Starting when you choose this style at 1st level, you 
  can wield one simple weapon that normally requires 
  two hands in one hand. In addition, damage you deal 
  with improvised weapons increases to 1d6 – or the 
  weapon damage, whichever is higher. This damage 
  further increases as you gain levels in the brawler 
  class, as listed in the Brawler Damage column of the 
  class table. 
   
   
  Rage 
  Beginning at 2nd level, you can enter a rage as a bonus 
  action. While raging, you gain the following benefits: 
   
  • You have advantage on Strength checks and 
  Strength saving throws. 
  • When you make a melee weapon attack using 
  Strength, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to 
  your proficiency bonus. 
  • You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing damage. 
   
  Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are 
  knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you 
  haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn 
  or taken damage since then. You can also end your 
  rage on your turn as a bonus action. 
       Once you have raged the number of times shown 
  for your barbarian level in the Rages column of the 
  Barbarian table, you must finish a long rest before you 
  can rage again. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -8-
  
  Deflection 
  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to 
  disarm a foe when you are hit with a melee weapon 
  attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the 
  attack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + 
  your brawler level. 
       If you reduce the damage to 0, you can make an 
  opposed Strength check against the attacker. If you 
  succeed, you pull the weapon from their hand. 
       At 11th level, you can immediately make a melee 
  attack with the weapon you just caught, as part of the 
  same reaction. You make this attack with proficiency, 
  regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the 
  weapon counts as a simple weapon for the attack. 
       At 15th level, you have advantage on the attack roll 
  you make to attack with the weapon you just caught. 
   
  Mindless Rage 
  At 6th level, you can’t be charmed or frightened while 
  raging. If you are charmed or frightened when you 
  enter your rage, the effect is suspended for the 
  duration of the rage. 
   
  Intimidating Presence 
  Beginning at 10th level, you can use your action to 
  frighten someone with your menacing presence. When 
  you do so, choose one creature that you can see within 
  30 feet of you. If the creature can see or hear you, it 
  must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 
  8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) 
  or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. 
  On subsequent turns, you can use your action to 
  extend the duration of this effect on the frightened 
  creature until the end of your next turn. This effect 
  ends if the creature ends its turn out of line of sight or 
  more than 60 feet away from you. 
       If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you 
  can't use this feature on that creature again for 24 
  hours. 
   
  First Blood 
  At 18th level, you can use your reaction to make a 
  melee weapon attack against a creature that makes a 
  melee weapon attack against you. You have advantage 
  on the attack roll, and your attack is resolved before 
  the target creature’s attack. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -9-
  
  Gunfighter 
   
  Stepping down from the stage, a beautiful dancer tries 
  using her feminine wiles to talk down a bandit out for 
  vengeance. When seduction fails, she smiles as she 
  pulls two pistols from under her dress. Before the 
  ruffian can draw, he takes a his straight to the heart. 
       A local sheriff walks with his deputy to the center of 
  town, where a wanted horse thief waits. The thief and 
  his posse wait until the stroke of noon before drawing 
  their pieces, but after the smoke has cleared only the 
  law remains standing. 
       Pockets full of coins and jewelry, a train robber 
  whistles for her gang to wrap up. She runs to the rear 
  of the car and jumps on the horse of her loyal partner, 
  and the two ride off into the setting sun. 
       Whether notorious or legendary, anonymous or 
  infamous, those who live and die by the gun permeate 
  every corner of the West. Some seek to make a name 
  for themselves with their gun slinging skills, while 
  others simply look to defend themselves and make a 
  coin or two in the process.  
   
  Cold as Steel  
   
   
   
  It takes a certain kind of person to kill a man. Some 
  enjoy the thrill of a gun fight, while others are simply 
  doing a job. But every time they draw their trusty 
  sidearm, a gunfighter either plans to kill or plans to 
  die. Most of the time, it’s both. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Creating a Gunfighter  
   
  While there are many kinds of gunfighters, driven by 
  their own agendas, your primary consideration is on 
  while side of the law you walk. Do you keep the peace 
  by taking down bandits, drunks, and raiders? Are you 
  an outlaw yourself, looking to make pay off your debts 
  with blood and gold? Perhaps you only follow your own 
  law, a faceless desperado living out your days alone?  
   
  Quick Build 
  You can make a gunfighter quickly by following these 
  suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in 
  Dexterity, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the 
  farmer background. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -10-
  
  Class Features 
  As a gunfighter, you gain the following class features. 
   
  Hit Points 
  Hit Dice: 1d10 per gunfighter level 
  Hit Dice at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier 
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your  
       Constitution modifier per gunfighter level after 1st 
   
  Proficiencies 
  Weapons: Simple weapons, pistols, rifles 
  Tools: Gunsmith’s tools 
  Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma 
  Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics,   
  Deception, Medicine, Perception, and Sleight 
  of Hand. 
   
  Equipment 
  You start with the following equipment, in addition to 
  the equipment granted by your background: 
    
  • A pistol 
  • (a) any simple weapon, (b) a pistol or (c) a rifle 
  • an explorer’s pack, a holster, 50 bullets 
   
  Grit  
   
   
   
   
   
  As a gunfighter, you make your mark upon the world 
  with daring deeds. Some gunfighters claim they belong 
  to a mystical way of the gun, but it’s more likely that 
  the volatile nature of firearms simply prunes the 
  unlucky and careless from their ranks. Whatever the 
  reason, all gunfighters have Grit Points. Your 
  gunfighter level determines the number of points you 
  have, as shown on the Grit Points column of the 
  Gunfighter table. 
       You can spend these points to fuel various grit 
  features. You start knowing two such features: 
  Deadeye and Gunslinger Dodge. You learn more grit 
  features as you gain levels in this class. 
       When you spend a grit point, it is unavailable until 
  you finish a short rest or long rest, at the end of which 
  you draw all of your expended grit back into yourself. 
       You can also regain grit by performing daring acts. 
  The Dungeon Master has the ultimate say as to 
  whether an act constitutes a daring act, but as a 
  general guideline, a daring act should be risky and 
  dramatic. It should take a good deal of guts, and its 
  outcome should have a low probability of success. If it 
  is successful, the gunfighter regains 1 grit point. 
  Before undertaking an action, the player can ask the 
  Dungeon Master if it will qualify as a daring act. 
       You can never have more grit points than your 
  levels in the gunfighter class. 
   
  Deadeye 
  You can spend 1 grit point to avoid suffering 
  disadvantage on an attack roll when you attack a 
  target beyond normal range with a firearm. 
   
  Gunslinger Dodge 
  When you are hit by an attack, you can use your 
  reaction to spend 1 grit point and force the attacker to 
  reroll its attack roll and take the lower of the two 
  results. 
   
  Unarmed Defense 
   
   
   
  While you are not w earing any armor, your Armor 
  Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your 
  Charisma modifier. 
   
  Quick Draw 
   
   
   
   
  Beginning at 2nd level, you can spend 1 grit point to 
  gain advantage when rolling Initiative. 
   
  Gunfighter Path 
   
   
   
  At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that specializes 
  and focuses your skill with guns. Choose Drifter, 
  Lawman, or Outlaw, all detailed at the end of the class 
  description. The path you choose grants features at 
  3rd level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. 
   
  Utility Shot 
   
   
   
   
  Starting at 3rd level, if you have at least 1 grit point 
  left, you can take a shot with a firearm that creates a 
  dramatic effect, rather than causing damage. This can 
  blast open a lock that is not sealed by magic, scoot an 
  unattended object of 10 pounds or less, sever a rope, 
  or any other suitable effect that the DM approves. 
   
  Extra Attack  
   
   
   
  Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of 
  once, whenever you take the Attack action. 
       The number of attacks increases to three when you 
  reach 11th level in this class. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -11-
  
  Dead Shot 
   
   
   
   
  Starting at 7th level, when you take an Attack action, 
  you can spend 1 grit point to combine all your attack 
  potential into a single, deadly shot. When you do this, 
  you make all of your possible attack rolls (including 
  those from your Extra Attack and your Path abilities, 
  but not those that you may gain from two-weapon 
  fighting) against a single target, and then combine the 
  damage rolls for each of those shots that hit into one, 
  single damage roll that uses only one unit of 
  ammunition. If one or more of those rolls is a critical 
  hit, treat the combined damage roll as if it was a single 
  damage roll, and roll all the dice twice and add them 
  all together. Further, unless you roll a misfire on all of 
  the attacks, your firearm does not misfire. 
       For example, if you have are able to attack three 
  times when you take the Attack action with your 
  pistol, (which does 1d10 piercing damage) and your 
  Gunfighter Path ability grants you a further two 
  attacks as a bonus action, you can use an Attack 
  action and spend 1 grit point to roll three separate 
  attacks (or five if you spend your bonus action too). If 
  three of those attacks hit, you roll 3d10 + three times 
  your Dexterity modifier for damage. Further, if one of 
  those three hits was a critical hit, you get to roll 6d10 
  + three times your Dexterity modifier for damage. 
   
  Evasion  
   
   
   
   
  Starting at 9th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the 
  way of certain area effects, such as an explosion. 
  When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to 
  make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half 
  damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on 
  the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail. 
   
  Debilitating Shot  
   
   
  At 13th level, you gain the ability to inflict a lingering 
  wound on your targets. When you hit a target with an 
  attack with a firearm you can spend 1 grit point to 
  cause the target to take 1d6 additional damage at the 
  start of each of its turns. The target can make a 
  Constitution saving throw at the end of its turn to end 
  this effect. The saving throw DC is equal to 8 + your 
  proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Bullseye  
   
   
   
   
  Beginning at 15th level, you have the ability to target a 
  specific part of a target’s body by spending 1 grit point. 
  The effect on the target on a failed saving throw 
  depends on the part of the body targeted, as set out 
  below. The saving throw DC is equal to 8 + your 
  proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. 
   
  Body Part 
  Effect on a Hit 
  Hands 
  The target takes no damage, but 
  drops an item carried in its hands if 
  it fails a Strength saving throw. 
  Head 
  The target is blinded until the start of 
  your next turn if it fails a Dexterity 
  saving throw. 
  Legs 
  The target is knocked prone if it fails 
  a Constitution saving throw. 
  Torso 
  The target takes damage as normal, 
  but you score a critical hit on a roll of 
  19 or 20. 
   
   
  Cheat Death 
  Starting at 18th level you gain the ability to evade 
  certain death through sheer force of will. When you are 
  reduced to 0 hit points, you can spend 6 grit points to 
  drop to 1 hit point instead. 
   
  True Grit  
   
   
   
   
  At 20th level, you select two of your other abilities that 
  require you to spend grit points. The cost of both of 
  those abilities is reduced by 1 grit point, to a minimum 
  of 0 grit points (in which case it makes those abilities 
  free). In addition, when you perform a daring act, you 
  now regain 2 grit points. 
   
  Gunfighter Path 
  Gunfighters come from all walks of lives, and each has 
  a story to tell. Above all their skills and professions are 
  driven by the cold steel and burning fumes of the gun. 
  Whether fighting for or against the law, their grit and 
  presence are as deadly as any weapon. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -12-
  
  Drifter 
   
   
   
   
   
  Drifters are desperados, often guns for hire, wanderers 
  who travel the West to seek – or escape – their fortune. 
  Drifters hold no attachments, no obligations, and no 
  commitments other than survival. To a few, however, 
  vengeance or profound sadness drive their every move. 
   
  Thunder and Lightning 
  Starting at 3rd level, when you engage in two-weapon 
  fighting with firearms, you can add your Dexterity 
  modifier to the damage of the second attack. 
   
  Faceless 
  Starting at 6th level, those you meet have a difficult 
  time remembering you. When you encounter a person, 
  you can choose to have them make a Charisma save. 
  The difficulty is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + 
  your Charisma modifier. On a failure, they can 
  remember only vague details about you – such as your 
  gender or demeanor. Your name, physical description, 
  and words spoken, however, are lost. 
   
  Rain of Lead 
  Beginning at 10th level, you gain the ability to spend 1 
  grit point to make two attacks with a firearm as a 
  bonus action.  
       Unlike normal instances, you can spend multiple 
  grit points on this feature, each granting an additional 
  two attacks. If you spend more than 1 grit point on 
  this feature, you must take a short rest to do so again. 
   
  Blood Debt 
  Beginning at 14th level, you name one person – either 
  an NPC or a PC. As long as that person is alive, you 
  automatically stabilize after 2 rounds of dying. The DM 
  must approve your choice, and it must be a character 
  that has a decent chance of dying in the campaign. 
   
  Kill Shot 
  At 18th level, when you score a critical hit on an attack 
  roll with a firearm, you can spend 1 grit point to force 
  the target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + 
  your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus). If it 
  fails the saving throw and has 100 hit points or fewer, 
  it drops to 0 hit points and is Dying. Otherwise, it 
  suffers the normal effect of a critical hit. 
   
   
   
  Lawman  
   
   
   
   
  As the Wild West becomes wilder, the brave lawman 
  becomes more of a necessity – as well as a local 
  celebrity. These men and women serve the people, only 
  drawing their guns when they need to, and focused 
  more on bringing in criminals alive than killing. 
   
  Warning Shots 
  Starting at 3rd level, when you choose to deal 
  nonlethal damage with a firearm, you deal an extra 
  amount of damage equal to your Charisma modifier. 
   
  Last Chance 
  Starting at 6th level, when you successfully hit a 
  creature with a ranged firearm attack, you can choose 
  to have them make a Charisma save. The difficulty is 
  equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma 
  modifier. On a failure, they drop their weapons and 
  surrender. This is a fear effect. 
       At 14th level, you can choose to affect any or all 
  creatures within 30 feet of your target. 
       You can use this feature a number of times per day 
  equal to your Charisma modifier. By taking a long rest, 
  you regain all uses of this feature. 
   
  Startling Shot 
  Beginning at 10th level, you can spend 1 grit point to 
  purposely miss a creature you could normally hit with 
  one of your attacks in order to grant advantage on all 
  attack rolls on the target until the start of your next 
  turn (including any other attack rolls you may make 
  this round). You can use this ability once per round. 
   
  Stun Shot 
  At 18th level, when you hit a target with an attack roll 
  with a firearm, you can spend 1 grit point to force the 
  target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + 
  your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency). If it fails 
  the saving throw, the shot is considered a critical hit 
  and the target is stunned until the start of your next 
  turn. On a success, the target takes normal damage 
  and is not stunned. 
   
   
   
   
   
  -13-
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Outlaw 
   
   
   
   
   
  Bandits. Robbers. Thieves. Murderers. Outlaws are 
  criminals of the most fiendish kind, riding through 
  with guns blazing and leaving victims in their wake. 
  They revel in their own notoriety, using their infamy to 
  strike fear in their victims. 
   
  Sneak Attack 
  Starting at 3rd level, once per turn you can deal extra 
  damage to one creature you hit with a ranged firearm 
  attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The 
  extra damage is equal to your gunfighter level + your 
  Dexterity modifier.  
   
  Under the Table 
  Starting at 6th level, you are at your deadliest when 
  you get the drop on your enemies. After initiative is 
  rolled for a combat, you have advantage on attack rolls 
  against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in the 
  combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against a 
  creature that is surprised is a critical hit. 
       In addition, if you successfully hit with this attack, 
  you can spend 1 grit point to Dash, Disengage, or Hide 
  as a bonus action. 
   
  Notorious 
  Beginning at 10th level, you can spend 1 grit point as a 
  reaction to cause an attack that hit you to miss, as 
  long as it was not a critical hit. If the attack was a 
  ranged attack, you can make a ranged attack against 
  the attacker as part of your reaction. 
   
  Thief’s Reflexes 
  At 18th level, you have become adept at laying 
  ambushes and quickly escaping danger. You can take 
  two turns during the first round of any combat. You 
  take your first turn at your normal initiative and your 
  second turn at your initiative minus 10. You cannot 
  use this feature when you are surprised. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -14-
  
  Healer 
   
  Working her way through a crowded tent full of 
  coughing plague victims, an elderly nun crosses 
  herself piously. She says a prayer for the sick and 
  dying, kneeling beside each one to give words of hope 
  and peace. 
       A tribal chieftain closes his eyes, feeling the 
  rhythmic thumping of the nearby drum as he raises 
  feathers and other relics to the night sky. A wounded 
  warrior lies nearby, coughing up black smoke as pain 
  and darkness leave his body. 
       Pushing up his glasses, a physician carefully 
  sutures a bullet wound of his patient. He quickly 
  bandages the shoulder, wiping blood from his brow 
  before moving onto the next gaping hole. 
       The frontier is a dangerous place, and healers do 
  their best to make things slightly less so. Whether 
  spiritual counselors or field medics, their calling is to 
  heal the wounded and uplift the downtrodden. Many 
  find their mission a glorious one, while others 
  frantically rush to mend an ever-increasing flood of 
  wounded patients.   
   
  Blood and Tears 
   
   
   
  The life of a healer is not a glamorous one, by any 
  stretch of the imagination. While tales are told around 
  campfires of rough-riding outlaws and fearless 
  warriors, few mention the unsung caretakers and 
  spiritual advisors of the land. Theirs is a path of self-
  sacrifice, putting themselves in harm’s way and risking 
  their health in the face of disease and inclement 
  weather, all for the simple sake of keeping their fellow 
  man alive.  Healers do not ask for much, yet  
  they are constantly in demand. 
   
  Creating a Healer  
  When creating a healer, think  
  about the nature and source  
  of your healing. Are you doing  
  the bidding of your God, gods, 
  or Great Spirit? Do you heal  
  by faith, or use medicinal  
  herbs? Are you purely  
  pragmatic, using science  
  to treat the injured? 
   
  Quick Build 
  You can make a healer  
  quickly by following these  
  suggestions. First, put your  
  highest ability score in  
  Wisdom, followed by  
  Charisma. Second, choose  
  the guild artisan background. 
   
   
   
  Class Features 
  As a healer, you gain the following class features. 
   
  Hit Points 
  Hit Dice: 1d6 per healer level 
  Hit Dice at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier 
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your  
       Constitution modifier per healer level after 1st 
   
  Proficiencies 
       Weapons: Simple weapons  
       Tools: Healer’s Kit, Poisoner’s Kit 
   
  Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma 
  Skills: Choose four from History, 
  Insight, Investigation, Medicine,  
     Nature, Perception, Performance.   
            Persuasion, Religion, and  
                Survival 
   
  Equipment 
  You start with the following 
  equipment, in addition to 
  the equipment granted by 
  your background: 
    
  • a simple weapon 
  • two daggers 
  • a healer’s kit 
  • (a) a priest’s pack or 
    (b) a scholar’s pack 
   
  -15-
  
  Analysis  
   
   
   
   
  At 1st level, you can make a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) 
  check to deduce the approximate percentage of hit 
  points a target within 30 feet of you possesses. You 
  can also detect the presence of a disease or poison in 
  an adjacent object or creature. 
       With a Medicine check of 15 or higher, you know 
  the exact number of hit points in the creature, the 
  exact poison, or exact disease in the creature. 
   
  Man Down 
   
   
   
   
  Also at 1st level, when you use the Dash action you 
  can use a healer’s kit or your Healer’s Touch feature 
  as a bonus action.   
       You can use this ability a number of times equal to 
  your Wisdom modifier, after which you must take a 
  long rest to regain all uses of this ability.  
   
  Heal Reserve  
   
   
   
  Beginning 2nd level, you gain a reserve of focus and 
  medicine that you can use to create special effects. 
  These effects are determined by your specialty, and 
  detailed within their descriptions.  
       You have 1 Heal Reserve point per healer level you 
  possess. Any points you have spent are restored with a 
  long rest. 
   
  Healer’s Touch 
   
   
   
  Also at 2nd level, you gain the ability to heal others 
  with a touch. As an action you can touch an adjacent 
  willing creature, or yourself, and restore a number of 
  hit points corresponding to your level in the Healer’s 
  Touch column of the Healer class table. You can do 
  this a number of times equal to your Healer level, after 
  which you most take a short or long rest to regain all 
  uses of this feature. 
       Alternatively, you can use your Healer’s Touch to 
  treat poisons or diseases. Poisons and diseases have a 
  certain number of Cure Points, as detailed in Chapter 
  6. These afflictions require healing equal to their Cure 
  Points in order to be cured. 
       For example, Rattlesnake Venom has 10 Cure 
  Points. It would then require 10 points of healing from 
  the Healer’s Touch ability, spread out over multiple 
  rounds, in order to cure it. If an affliction is partially 
  cured but is left untreated for more than 1 minute (for 
  poisons) or 1 day (for diseases), any progress toward 
  curing the affliction is lost. 
   
  Healer Specialty 
   
   
   
  At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that reflects your 
  curative practice and training: Doctor, Medicine Man, 
  Priest, or Singer, all detailed at the end of the class 
  description. Your specialty grants you features at 3rd 
  level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level. 
  Expertise  
   
   
   
   
  At 3rd level,choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your 
  proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you 
  make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. 
       At 10th level, you can choose another two skill 
  proficiencies to gain this benefit. 
   
  Ability Score Improvement 
   
  When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 
  16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score 
  of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability 
  scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t 
  increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. 
   
  Extra Attack  
   
   
   
  Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of 
  once, whenever you take the Attack action on your 
  turn. 
   
  Mutual Healing 
   
   
   
  At 5th level, whenever you use your Healer’s Touch to 
  restore hit points to another creature, you also regain 
  hit points equal half the amount you healed (rounded 
  down). 
   
  Lingering Effect 
   
   
   
  Beginning at 6th level, any time you heal a creature by 
  any means, the creature heals an additional amount of 
  hit points equal to your proficiency bonus in the 
  following round. If the creature is healed of hit points 
  in that following round, they do not gain the benefits of 
  your lingering effect. 
   
  From the Brink 
   
   
   
  Starting at 7th level, you can use your Healer’s Touch 
  to revive a creature that has died within the last 1 
  minute or less. You must restore hit points using 
  Healer’s touch to revive a creature, and the healed 
  creature immediately regains consciousness. 
       At 14th level, you can revive a creature that has 
  died within the last 1 hour or less. 
       Once you use this feature, you must take a short or 
  long rest to use it again. 
   
  Stillness of Mind 
   
   
   
  Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end 
  one effect on yourself that is causing you to be 
  charmed or frightened. 
   
   
   
   
  -16-
  
  Reliable Expertise  
   
   
  Beginning at 9th level, you have refined your 
  specialized skills until they approach perfection. 
  Whenever you make an ability check in which you 
  have Expertise, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower 
  as a 10.  
   
  Inoculation 
   
   
   
   
  At 13th level, whenever you use your Healer’s Touch to 
  cure a creature of an affliction, that creature is 
  immune to the affliction for 1 hour (for a poison) or 1 
  week (for a disease). 
   
  Consummate Linguist 
   
   
  Beginning at 15th level, your wide range of patients 
  has conditioned you so that you understand all 
  spoken languages. Moreover, any creature that can 
  understand a language can understand what you say. 
   
  Karma Strike  
   
   
   
  Starting at 18th level, if a creature misses you with an 
  attack you can choose to have the attacker suffer the 
  damage they would have caused. 
       You can use this ability a number of times equal to 
  your Wisdom modifier, after which you must take a 
  long rest to regain all uses of this ability. 
   
  Angel of Life  
   
   
   
  At 20th level, when you roll for initiative and have no 
  Heal Reserve points remaining, you regain 4 Heal 
  Reserve points. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Healer Specialty 
  For every low-life willing to put a bullet hole in a 
  stranger, there is a kinder soul willing to patch it up. 
  Healers use every means at their disposal to aid others 
  – from the herbal to the surgical to the spiritual, or 
  even the musical. 
   
  Doctor 
   
   
   
   
   
  Medical science as practiced in the Old West, though a 
  relatively emergent field, can often mean the difference 
  between life and death. Whether the challenge is 
  sickness, an arrow, a gunshot wound, or a fall from a 
  horse, a pioneer in the western territories requires care 
  for medical emergencies, but often has to make do 
  until a highly in-demand doctor can be found. 
   
  Elixir 
  Beginning when you choose this specialty at 3rd level, 
  you can create elixirs and medicines for others to use 
  later. By spending 1 Heal Reserve point and taking 10 
  minutes, you can create an elixir. The elixir restores 
  an amount of hit points equal to double your 
  maximum Healer’s Touch roll. Alternatively, it can be 
  used to cure a poison or a disease (choose one) whose 
  Cure Points are equal to or less than the elixir amount. 
       For example, at 5th level you can create an elixir 
  that heals 12 hit points, treats rattlesnake venom (10 
  Cure Points), or treats influenza (10 Cure Points). 
       An elixir can be used by, or administered to, any 
  creature as an action. Elixirs last for 24 hours before 
  they lose their potency. 
   
  Surgery 
  Starting at 6th level, you can spend 1 Heal Reserve 
  point to restore and heal ability damage dealt to a 
  creature. The amount you restore is equal to your 
  Healer’s Touch. Surgery takes 1 minute to perform. 
   
  Taste of Your Own Medicine 
  At 11th level, you can become resistant to poison 
  damage. You also have advantage on any ability save 
  you make to resist poison or disease. 
   
  Take Two of These 
  Beginning at 17th level, when you spend a Heal 
  Reserve Point to create an elixir, you create two. 
   
   
   
  -17-
  
  Medicine Man  
   
   
   
  A Medicine Man is a priestly healer and spiritual 
  leader of Native American tribes. Tribes adhere to a 
  range of beliefs, ceremonies and rituals regarding 
  communication with the spiritual world in which their 
  religious leader enters supernatural realms to heal the 
  sick, advise warriors, or even foretell the future. 
   
  Signs and Portents 
  Beginning when you choose this specialty at 3rd level, 
  glimpses of the future begin to press in on your 
  awareness. When you finish a long rest, you can spend 
  1 Heal Reserve point to roll two d20s and record the 
  numbers rolled. You can replace any attack roll, 
  saving throw, or ability check made by you or a 
  creature that you can see with one of these foretelling 
  rolls. You must choose to do so before the roll, and you 
  can replace a roll in this way only once per turn. Each 
  foretelling roll can be used only once. When you finish 
  a long rest, you lost any unused foretelling rolls. 
   
  Ritual Healing 
  Starting at 6th level, you can spend at least 1 Heal 
  Reserve point to heal or treat a number of creatures 
  equal to the number of Heal Reserve points expended, 
  provided each creature is no longer than 5 feet away 
  from you. 
   
  Taste of Your Own Medicine 
  At 11th level, you can become resistant to poison 
  damage. You also have advantage on any ability save 
  you make to resist poison or disease. 
   
  Great Seer 
  Beginning at 17th level, the visions in your dreams 
  intensify and paint a more accurate picture in your 
  mind of what is to come. You roll four d20s for your 
  Signs and Portents feature, rather than two. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Priest 
   
   
   
   
   
  Priests are to the Europeans what Medicine Men are to 
  the Natives. Whether emissaries of God or simple 
  speakers of peace, they bring light to lands in which 
  they feel only darkness. Often their mere presence 
  strengthens the resolve of their fellow pioneers. 
   
  Blessed Touch 
  Beginning when you choose this specialty at 3rd level, 
  you can channel the divine to either smite or protect 
  against the wicked. As an action you can spend 1 Heal 
  Reserve point to bless an adjacent non-evil character. 
  For 1 minute, this creature has advantage on attack 
  rolls against targets with an evil alignment.  
       Alternatively, you can choose to have the creature 
  automatically cause disadvantage on attack rolls 
  against it made by targets with an evil alignment. 
   
  Fear No Evil 
  Starting at 6th level, you are immune to fear effects. 
  Those you bless with your Blessed Touch also have 
  advantage on ability saves against fear effects. 
   
  Divine Intervention 
  At 11th level, you can use your action to call upon 
  your deity to intervene on your behalf when your need 
  is great. To do so, you must be out of Heal Reserve 
  points. When you take this action, describe the 
  assistance you want your deity to provide, and roll 
  percentile dice. If you roll a number equal to or lower 
  than your cleric level, your deity intervenes. After you 
  take this action, you cannot do so again until you 
  complete a long rest.. 
   
  Supreme Healing 
  Beginning at 17th level, the dice you use for your 
  Healing Touch is always maximized. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -18-
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Singer 
   
   
   
   
   
  Whether headlining at a grand saloon or strumming a 
  guitar by a campfire, reciting opera or telling tales of 
  ancient warriors, singers soothe the weary with music. 
   
  Inspiration 
  Beginning when you choose this specialty at 2nd level, 
  you can inspire others through stirring words or 
  music. To do so, you expend 1 Healing Reserve point 
  as a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature 
  other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear 
  you. That creature gains one Inspiration die, equal to 
  your Healer’s Touch. 
       Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can 
  roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability 
  check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The 
  creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before 
  deciding to use the Inspiration die, but must decide 
  before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. 
  Once the Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature 
  can have only one Inspiration die at a time. 
   
  Song of Rest 
  Starting at 6th level, you can use soothing music or 
  oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a 
  short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can 
  hear your performance regain hit points at the end of 
  the short rest, each of those creatures regains extra hit 
  points equal to your Healer’s Touch. 
   
  Peerless Skill 
  At 11th level, when you make an ability check, you 
  can spontaneously use Inspiration on yourself. Roll an 
  Inspiration die and add the number rolled to your 
  ability check. You can choose to do so after you roil 
  the die for the ability check, but before the DM tells 
  you whether you succeed or fail. 
   
  Aria 
  Beginning at 17th level, when you use your Healer’s 
  Touch to restore hit points, you can choose to heal all 
  creatures within 60 feet of you that can hear you. 
   
   
   
   
  -19-
  
  Horseman 
   
  Whooping and hollering, a group of cowboys corral 
  livestock through a valley. One calf strays from the 
  herd, and on thundering hooves one of the ranch 
  hands gives chase. 
       A Spanish heiress rides through a Mexican city 
  atop a spotless white steed. The penniless locals grow 
  rowdy and move on the wealthy rider – who swiftly 
  dismounts and draws an elegant rapier to defend 
  herself with grace and skill. 
       Drawing a saber, an officer rides his horse to the 
  edge of a mound. He points and shouts a command, 
  signaling a tidal wave of cavalry to descend on the 
  unsuspecting enemy encampment down the hill. 
       From rope-twirling ranchers to arrow-firing scouts, 
  the horse is undoubtedly the symbol of the Wild West – 
  and those who ride them the face. Masters of the 
  mustangs, horsemen forge a living across some of the 
  harshest land in the frontier.   
   
  Bringing in the Herd 
   
   
  Like the cattle and horses they drive, horsemen work 
  best as a team. They can steer and corral beasts of 
  burden better than anyone, and their speed and 
  maneuverability make them invaluable assets in any 
  army. Horsemen use practiced skill and unshakeable 
  teamwork to make a living and defend their lands. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Creating a Horseman 
   
   
  When creating a horseman (or woman) character, 
  consider your nationality and working trade. Are you a 
  rugged cattle farmer, used to long days and hard 
  work? Are you a fanciful equestrian, who uses 
  horsemanship as a form of status symbol? Are you a 
  war veteran, accustomed to riding a horse into a 
  hailstorm of bullets? 
   
  Quick Build 
  You can make a horseman quickly by following these 
  suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in 
  Dexterity, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the 
  farmer background. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -20-
  
  Class Features 
  As a cowboy, you gain the following class features. 
   
  Hit Points 
  Hit Dice: 1d8 per horseman level 
  Hit Dice at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier 
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your  
       Constitution modifier per horseman level after 1st 
   
  Proficiencies 
  Weapons: Simple weapons, lasso, pistols 
  Tools: Leatherworker’s tools 
   
  Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom 
  Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics,  
       Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival 
   
  Equipment 
  You start with the following equipment, in addition to 
  the equipment granted by your background: 
    
  • (a) a lasso or (b) a martial weapon (if proficient) 
  • two daggers 
  • a revolver and 20 bullets 
  • an explorer’s pack 
   
  Horsemanship  
   
   
   
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency in Handle Animals. 
  You also gain a riding horse or mule. This creature is 
  considered your personal mount, or Steed. Most 
  horseman abilities require you to be mounted on this 
  specific steed. Gaining a new Steed takes 3 days of 
  bonding with a new horse or mule. 
   
  Armor Bonus  
   
   
   
  Also at 1st level, you gain a bonus to your armor class 
  equal to the amount listed under the Armor Bonus 
  column of the horseman class table. You must be 
  mounted on a horse or mule to gain this benefit, and 
  its effects are in addition to any other armor bonus 
  you may have. 
   
  Horseman Breed 
   
   
   
  At 2nd level, you choose an archetype that reflects 
  your training and specialties: Caballero, Cavalry, or 
  Cowboy, all detailed at the end of the class description. 
  Your breed grants you features at 3rd level and again 
  at 9th, 14th, and 19th level. 
   
   
   
  Mounted Combat Style  
   
  Starting at 3rd level, you adopt a particular style of 
  mounted fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the 
  following options. You can't take a Fighting Style 
  option more than once, even if you later get to choose 
  again: 
       Archery. While riding your Steed, you gain a +2 
  bonus to ranged attacks and damage rolls using bows. 
       Defense. While mounted on your Steed, you can 
  use your reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack 
  roll against you.  
       Dueling. While mounted and wielding a melee 
  weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a 
  +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls with the weapon. 
       Firearms. While mounted, you gain a +2 bonus to 
  ranged attacks and damage rolls using firearms. 
       Lasso. While riding your Steed, you can make a 
  Rope (Dexterity) tool check as an Attack action against 
  a target 30 feet away or less. On a success, the target 
  is grappled or entangled (your choice). 
   
  Starting at 7th level, you gain additional bonuses 
  based on your chosen Fighting Style: 
       Archery. While riding your Steed, you can make an 
  extra ranged weapon attack at disadvantage against a 
  target within 15 feet of you when you take the Attack 
  action on your turn. 
       Defense. While mounted on your Steed, if an 
  opponent misses you with an attack, they can make 
  no other attacks for the round, including reactions.  
       Dueling. While wielding a melee weapon in one 
  hand and no other weapons, you can mount or 
  dismount as a bonus action, instead of a move. 
       Firearms. While mounted, you can reload a 
  firearm as a bonus action, instead of an action. 
       Lasso. While riding your Steed, if you grapple an 
  opponent with a rope you can make an opposed 
  Strength (Athletics) check. If you succeed, the target is 
  pulled to the ground and prone. 
   
  Ability Score Improvement 
   
  When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 11th, 
  15th, and 18th level, you can increase one ability 
  score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two 
  ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t 
  increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. 
   
  Extra Attack  
   
   
   
  Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of 
  once, whenever you take the Attack action on your 
  turn. 
   
   
   
   
  -21-
  
  Quick Reins 
   
   
   
   
  Starting at 6th level, you can have your Steed use the 
  Dash or Disengage action as your bonus action. 
   
  Advanced Tactics 
   
   
   
  At 10th level, you gain one of the following features of 
  your choice. 
       Lone Wolf. When there are no allies other than 
  your Steed within 30 feet of you, you gain a number of 
  temporary hit points every round equal to your 
  Wisdom modifier. These hit points are not cumulative. 
       Perseverance. You and your Steed gain proficiency 
  in two saving throws of your choice. 
       Ride Like the Wind. Your Steed’s base land speed 
  increases by 20 feet. 
       Strength in Numbers. You gain a number of 
  temporary hit points every round equal to the number 
  of conscious allies within 30 feet of you, including your 
  Steed. These hit points are not cumulative. 
   
  War Horse 
   
   
   
   
  Beginning at 12th level, your Steed becomes immune 
  to fear effects. As long as you are mounted, you have 
  advantage on ability saves against fear effects. 
       In addition, any damage dealt by your mount’s 
  natural attacks is always maximized. 
   
  Resilience 
   
   
   
   
  Starting 13th level, when you are suffering levels of 
  exhaustion you can use an action to return your 
  exhaustion level to 0. You must take a long rest before 
  you can use this feature again. 
   
  Indomitable Steed  
   
   
  At 16th level, your Steed can reroll a saving throw that 
  it fails. If it does so, it must use the new roll. Your 
  Steed can use this feature three times between long 
  rests. 
   
  Sunset Rider 
   
   
   
  Beginning at 17th level, you never suffer levels of 
  exhaustion from riding a mount, despite the duration. 
   
  Spirit of the Horse  
   
   
  At 20th level, you form an almost spiritual bond with 
  your mount. Your mount can sense your thoughts and 
  commands from up to 1 mile away, and can never be 
  tamed by anyone else as long as you live. 
   
   
   
  Horseman Breed 
  All across the West, the horse has become the staple of 
  transportation and labor. From the vaqueros in the 
  south to the Lakota warriors of the north, horsemen 
  seem to command the very wind as they ride. They are 
  free men and women, born to ride and devoted only to 
  the beasts they call friends. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -22-
  
  Caballero 
   
   
   
   
  Caballeros are Spanish nobility, akin to knights. They 
  are sworn protectors of the people, and while many 
  use their wealth to accomplish (or dismiss) the task, 
  others take to their trusty steed to ride out and face 
  dangers head on. Caballeros are renowned for their 
  sophistication, swordsmanship, and suave style. 
   
  Audacity 
  Beginning when you choose this breed 3rd level, your 
  unmistakable confidence propels you into battle. You 
  add your Charisma modifier to your initiative rolls. 
       In addition, you become proficient in Deception and 
  Performance. 
   
  Panache 
  Starting at 9th level, your charm becomes 
  extraordinarily beguiling. As an action, you can make 
  a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by a 
  creature's Wisdom (Insight) check. The creature must 
  be able to hear you, and the two of you must share a 
  language. 
       If you succeed on the check and the creature is 
  hostile to you, it has disadvantage on attack rolls 
  against targets other than you and can't make 
  opportunity attacks against targets other than you. 
  This effect lasts for 1 minute, until one of your 
  companions attacks the target or affects it with a spell, 
  or until you and the target are more than 60 feet 
  apart. 
       If you succeed on the check and the creature isn't 
  hostile to you, it is charmed by you for 1 minute. While 
  charmed, it regards you as a friendly acquaintance. 
  This effect ends immediately if you or your 
  companions do anything harmful to it. 
   
  Equine Maneuver 
  Starting at 14th level, you can use a bonus action on 
  your turn to gain advantage on the next Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check you while 
  mounted make during the same turn. 
       In addition, you do not need to make ability checks 
  to maintain your balance if standing on your horse. 
   
  Waiting Saddle 
  Beginning at 19th level, your horse becomes a safety 
  net in your daring escapades. Climbing no longer costs 
  you extra movement. In addition, if you intentionally 
  leap from a height onto your Steed’s saddle, treat the 
  fall as if it were 20 feet shorter. 
   
   
   
  Cavalry  
   
   
   
   
  Since the earliest wars fought on what would become 
  America, the cavalry has been an essential part of any 
  standing army. With speed and power they run down 
  and surround their enemies, and the sound of 
  approaching thunder is enough to intimidate even the 
  most hardened foot soldier. 
    
  Combat Steed 
  Beginning when you choose this breed 3rd level, your 
  Steed becomes well-suited to the rigors and chaos of 
  war. Whenever you gain a level, including 3rd level, 
  your Steed gains extra maximum hit points equal to 
  your proficiency bonus. 
   
  Charge 
  Starting at 9th level, when your Steed uses the Dash 
  action, both you and your Steed can make a single 
  melee attack against creatures at any point along the 
  path – provided it is in a straight line. These attacks 
  have advantage against unmounted creatures the size 
  of your Steed or smaller. 
   
  Born in the Saddle 
  Starting at 14th level, you cannot be forcibly removed 
  from your saddle by any means as long as you are 
  conscious and not incapacitated.  
   
  Skirmisher 
  Beginning at 19th level, any successful attack you or 
  your Steed makes during a Charge is considered a 
  critical hit. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -23-
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Cowboy  
   
   
   
   
  While gunfighters get the glory and businessmen get 
  the riches, it is the cowboys who get the work done in 
  the West. They are farmhands and ranchers, cattle 
  drivers and wranglers, the hardy men and women 
  tame the beasts and land with sheer grit and will. 
    
  Round Up 
  Beginning when you choose this breed 3rd level, can 
  make a Handle Animal check to guide or steer all 
  horses or livestock within 30 feet of you. The DC is 10 
  if the animals are placid, 15 if rushed, and 20 if the 
  animals are stampeding or otherwise in danger. 
       If successful, the animals move in a direction of 
  your choice for 1 minute. After that minute, unless 
  threatened, most animals continue in that relative 
  direction on their own. 
       You can make a Round Up check once per hour if 
  guiding animals across vast distances. On a miss, at 
  least one stray breaks away from the herd and must 
  be corralled back into the group. 
   
  Break Them In 
  Starting at 9th level, you can attempt to break in a 
  new Steed by force, rather than taking days to do so 
  through training. Jumping on a wild mustang or 
  unfamiliar mount requires a Strength (Athletics) check 
  of 15, or the animal’s opposed Athletics check result if 
  it resists.  
       After that, you must make three consecutive 
  Wisdom (Handle Animal) checks with a DC of 15 or the 
  animal’s opposed Athletics check result if it resists. 
  With three consecutive successes, the animal becomes 
  your new Steed. If the success streak is broken by a 
  failure, you must begin again. 
   
  Greater Round Up 
  Starting at 14th level, your Round Up radius expands 
  to 60 feet. In addition, you only need to make one 
  Round Up check per day to guide animals across vast 
  distances.  
   
  Sleep Under the Stars 
  Beginning at 19th level, you only need to sleep for 4 
  hours to gain the benefits of a long rest. You can also 
  go three sleepless nights without suffering the effects 
  of exhaustion or acquiring exhaustion levels. 
   
   
   
   
  -24-
  
  Hunter 
   
  A French fur-trapper kneels in a birch canoe as it 
  drifts slowly along a partially-frozen river. The cold 
  doesn’t faze him as he holds a rifle to his shoulder. 
  With the faint sound of a splash, he fires – and adds 
  another beaver pelt to his collection. 
       Riding like wind through a valley of thunder, a 
  mounted Lakota warrior rides through a buffalo herd. 
  He fires through clouds of dust, his arrow finding its 
  mark as the beast slides to a sudden stop. 
       Lying flat on a hill, a freckled teenager blows a 
  strand of red hair from her face. She peers down the 
  barrel of a rifle, watching a group of thugs striding 
  toward her farm on horseback. It is the last time they 
  threaten her pa for the little money he has.   
       Hunters are masters of the ranged kill, scouts and 
  trackers who use stealth and surprise to take out their 
  quarry. Whether that quarry is human or animal, 
  hunters prefer to remain unseen and use precision 
  over brute strength or aggression. 
   
  One Shot, One Kill  
   
   
  To many, hunters are like ghosts that haunt the 
  forests and plains of the frontier. They are ambushers, 
  stalking their prey and delivering killing blows in 
  silence. Some are guerilla soldiers, shadows who race 
  through the trees to evade enemies. Others are simply 
  common folk who prefer to stay as far away from 
  combat as possible. Still others are more brazen, 
  chasing down their enemies with speed and precision. 
   
   
   
   
  Creating a Hunter  
   
  When creating a hunter character, consider overall 
  your choice of prey. Do you hunt forest creatures for 
  survival or profit, selling furs and horns? Are you a 
  former soldier, preferring to stick to the trees and keep 
  moving to stay one step ahead of the enemy? Did you 
  learn to hunt from your village or family, or is it 
  something you taught yourself? 
   
  Quick Build 
  You can make a hunter quickly by following these 
  suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in 
  Wisdom, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the 
  naturalist background. 
   
  Class Features 
  As a hunter, you gain the following class features. 
   
  Hit Points 
  Hit Dice: 1d8 per hunter level 
  Hit Dice at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier 
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your  
       Constitution modifier per hunter level after 1st 
   
  Proficiencies 
  Weapons: Simple weapons, long bows, short bows,  
       pistols, rifles 
  Tools: Leatherworker’s tools, Woodcarver’s tools 
   
  Saving Throws: Dexterity, Constitution 
  Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics,  
       Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth,  
       and Survival 
   
  -25-
  
  Equipment 
  You start with the following equipment, in addition to 
  the equipment granted by your background: 
    
  • (a) simple weapon or (b) a pistol 
  • (a) a revolver and 20 bullets or 
    (b) a longbow and 20 arrows 
  • two daggers and an explorer’s pack 
   
  Mark of the Hunter 
   
   
  At 1st level, you learn to single out your prey in the 
  midst of distractions. As an action you can designate a 
  creature within 120 feet that you can see as your 
  mark. Until you lose sight of that creature, you have 
  advantage on attack rolls against it. If you attack any 
  other creatures, however, you have disadvantage on 
  your attack rolls against them. You can dismiss your 
  mark as a bonus action. 
       At 6th level, you can mark two creatures you can 
  see that are within range. At 14th level, you can 
  choose three creatures. 
   
  Natural Explorer 
   
   
   
  You are particularly familiar with one type of natural 
  environment and are adept at traveling and surviving 
  in such regions. Choose one type of favored terrain 
  arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, or 
  the swamp. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom 
  check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency 
  bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you're 
  proficient in. While traveling for an hour or more in 
  your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits: 
   
       • Difficult terrain doesn't slow your group's travel. 
       • Your group can't become lost except by magical  
         means. 
       • Even when you are engaged in another activity  
         while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or    
         tracking), you remain alert to danger. 
       • If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily  
         at a normal pace. 
       • When you forage, you find twice as much food as  
         you normally would. 
       • While tracking other creatures, you also learn  
         their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago    
         they passed through the area. 
   
  You choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 
  10th level. 
   
  Primeval Awareness  
   
   
  Beginning 2nd level, you can spend an action to detect 
  the presence of large animals or humans within 1 mile 
  of you. This awareness lasts for 1 round. 
   
  Hunter Archetype  
   
   
  Starting at 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you 
  strive to emulate: Archer, Scout, or Trapper. Your 
  choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 
  7th, 11th, and 15th level. 
   
  Ambush 
   
   
   
   
   
  At 3rd level, you know how to strike with stealth and 
  precision. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d8 
  damage to one creature you hit with an attack if the 
  creature does not see you. You have advantage on 
  such attacks, as normal. The attack must use a 
  finesse or a ranged weapon.  
       The amount of the extra damage increases as you 
  gain levels in this class. 
  . 
  Ability Score Improvement 
   
  When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 
  16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability 
  score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two 
  ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t 
  increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. 
   
  Extra Attack  
   
   
   
  Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of 
  once, when you take the Attack action on your turn. 
   
  Land Stride 
   
   
   
   
  Starting at 8th level, moving through difficult terrain 
  costs you no extra movement. You can also pass 
  through plants without being slowed by them and 
  without taking damage from them if they have thorns, 
  spines, or a similar hazard.  
   
  Hunter’s Instinct 
   
   
   
  Starting 9th level, your instincts are so honed that you 
  have advantage on initiative rolls. Additionally, if you 
  are surprised at the beginning of combat and aren't 
  incapacitated, you can act normally on your first turn. 
   
  Hide in Plain Sight  
   
   
  At 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating 
  camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh 
  mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring 
  materials with which to create your camouflage. Once 
  you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide 
  by pressing yourself up against a solid surface, such 
  as a tree or wall, that is at least as tall and wide as you 
  are. You gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks 
  as long as you remain there without moving or taking 
  actions. Once you move or take an action or a 
  reaction, you must camouflage yourself again to gain 
  this benefit. 
  -26-
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Blind Sense 
   
  Starting 13th level, if you  
  are able to hear, you are aware  
  of the location of any hidden or invisible  
  creature within 10 feet of you. 
   
  Vanish 
   
   
   
   
   
  Beginning at 14th level, you can use the Hide action as 
  a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can't be 
  tracked, unless you choose to leave a trail. 
   
  Dominate Beast 
   
   
   
  At 17th level, you can spend an action and attempt to 
  beguile a beast that you can see, and that can see and 
  hear you, within 60 feet. It must succeed on a Wisdom 
  saving throw, opposed by your Handle Animal check, 
  or be charmed by you for up to 1 minute. If you or 
  creatures that are friendly to you are fighting it, it has 
  advantage on the saving throw. 
       After the initial action used for this feature, you 
  must use a bonus action in subsequent rounds to 
  maintain this control, remaining visible and audible to 
  the creature. Otherwise, the effect ends. 
   
  Feral Senses 
   
   
   
   
  Beginning at 18th level, your heightened awareness 
  further intensifies. When you attack a creature you 
  can't see, your inability to see it doesn't impose 
  disadvantage on your attack rolls against it. Your 
  Blind Sense also extends to 30 feet, provided you 
  aren't blinded or deafened. 
   
  Foe Slayer 
   
   
   
   
  At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of 
  your enemies. Once on each of your turns, you can 
  add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll or the 
  damage roll of an attack you make against any of your 
  Marked enemies. You can choose to use this feature 
  before or after the roll, but before any effects of the roll 
  are applied. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Hunter Archetypes 
      Every hunter has a favored weapon, and this choice 
  shapes not only the logical prey but the tactics 
  involved in using them. From bows and arrows to 
  high-powered rifles, hunters create a style for 
  themselves around the tools they use. 
   
  Archer 
   
   
   
   
   
  Masters of stealth and strength, archers use the near 
  silence of the seemingly primitive bow to take out their 
  quarry unnoticed. 
   
  Buffalo Warrior 
  Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, 
  your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. 
  When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the 
  creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it's below its hit 
  point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only 
  once per turn. 
   
  Quick Shot 
  Starting at 7th level, if you hit with a ranged bow 
  attack you can make another ranged bow attack as a 
  bonus action. 
   
  Chasing Arrow 
  Starting at 11th level, you are considered to have a 
  reach of 10 feet for the purposes of creatures entering 
  or leaving your threatened area. You must make a 
  ranged bow attack if you use your reaction to attack a 
  creature for leaving your threatened area. 
   
  Ghost in the Trees 
  Beginning at 15th level, when a creature attacks you 
  and misses, you can attempt to Hide as a reaction. 
  -27-
  
  Scout 
   
   
   
   
   
  Scouts are expert marksmen, deadly with rifles over 
  long ranges and able to cover great distances on land. 
   
  Sniper 
  Beginning when you choose this archetype 3rd level, 
  you are at your deadliest when you get the drop on 
  your enemies. After initiative is rolled for a combat, 
  you have advantage on ranged rifle attack rolls against 
  any creature that hasn't taken a turn in the combat 
  yet. In addition, any hit you score against a creature 
  that is surprised is a critical hit. If you use Ambush on 
  such a critical hit, use the maximum result for each 
  Ambush die instead of rolling it. 
   
  Army Crawl 
  Starting at 7th level, you can crawl at your full base 
  land speed. In addition, while you are prone enemies 
  have disadvantage on ranged attack rolls against you. 
   
  Knockdown Shot 
  Starting at 11th level, when you successfully hit a 
  creature with a ranged attack roll you can force it to 
  make a Strength ability save. The difficulty is equal to 
  10 or the damage you dealt, whichever is greater. On a 
  failure, the creature falls prone.  
       You can use this feature a number of times equal 
  to your Wisdom modifier, after which you must take a 
  short or long rest to regain all uses of this feature. 
   
  Forced March 
  Beginning at 15th level, your overland speed is 
  considered double your normal land speed when 
  determining distance you can cover. In addition, you 
  only need 4 hours of sleep every night to gain the 
  benefits of a long rest. 
   
  Trapper 
   
   
   
   
   
  While many hunters chase down and kill their prey, 
  trappers generally prefer to let the prey come to them. 
  They are experts are experts at creating hidden traps 
  to do their killing for them. 
   
  Set Traps 
  Beginning when you choose this archetype 3rd level, 
  you can take 1 minute to set one of the following traps: 
       • Deadly Trap. The trap consists of a triggered 
  spike, blade, pit, or other damage-dealing device. The 
  trapped creature takes piercing damage equal to your 
  Ambush damage. 
       • Poison Trap. The trap deals minimal damage, but 
  delivers a potentially lethal poison. The trapped 
  creature takes 1 piercing damage and must make a 
  Constitution save or become poisoned by the trap. 
       • Snaring Trap. The trap constricts around a limb 
  or other part of the triggering creature’s body. The 
  creature cannot move from the location of the trap, 
  unless you include a “leash” when setting the trap, in 
  which case the creature is limited to the length of the 
  leash. The trapped creature can escape with Strength 
  (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check as an Action. 
  The trap or its leash has a number of hit points equal 
  to 1/2 your level, or can be burst as a full-round 
  action with a DC 20 Strength check. The trap can hold 
  up to a Medium creature; each extra daily use of your 
  trap ability spent when the trap is set increases the 
  maximum size of creature the trap can hold. At your 
  option, if there is a tall object or structure nearby, you 
  can have the trap lift the creature. 
   
       Any ability checks or saves required by a trap are 
  equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom 
  modifier. 
       Traps can be set to take up space as small as 5 x 5 
  feet or as large as 15 x 15 feet. Each trap lasts for 24 
  hours once deployed, after which it becomes useless.  
       You can deploy a number of traps per day equal to 
  your Dexterity modifier, after which you must take a 
  long rest to deploy more. 
   
  Decoy 
  Starting at 7th level, you can attempt to lure creatures 
  to your trap. The decoy has a range of 60 feet. If any 
  creature enters that area it must make a Wisdom save 
  against your Trap DC. On a failure, it decides to 
  investigate the area in which you set the trap. 
       A decoy can work on humans, as well. An example 
  could be a makeshift humanoid shape in old clothing 
  that could entice a human to come investigate the 
  stranger. 
   
  Improved Trap 
  Starting at 11th level, your traps become more 
  effective, depending on the trap used: 
       • Deadly Trap. The Ambush damage is maximized. 
       • Poison Trap. The trap poison has 10 more Cure 
  Points than normal for the poison. 
       • Snaring Trap. The trapped creature is stunned 
  for 1 round after becoming ensnared. 
   
  Evasion 
  Beginning at 15th level, you can nimbly dodge out of 
  the way of certain area effects, such as traps or 
  explosives. When you are subjected to an effect that 
  allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take 
  only half damage, you instead take no damage if you 
  succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if 
  you fail. 
   
   
  -28-
  
  Soldier 
   
  A lone Cheyenne warrior rides over a hill toward an 
  enemy encampment. He fires into oncoming bullets, 
  protected by the great spirits and confident that his 
  horse will ride him to victory. 
       Lying on the ground with his back against what 
  remains of a brick wall, an army officer winces as a 
  bullet narrowly misses his head. He shouts to be 
  heard by his terrified men, reloading his rifle as he 
  orders them to fight to their last breath. 
       A Wyoming Territory scout fires her rifle at an 
  endless wave of Apache warriors steaming toward her 
  camp. One makes it up to her, and she dispatches him 
  with a dagger drawn from her boot – facing the fierce 
  man with strength that rivals his own. 
       Wandering veterans, wagon train protectors, valiant 
  commanders, hardened mercenaries, and fearless 
  braves – as soldiers, they all share an unparalleled 
  mastery with weapons, and a thorough knowledge of 
  the skills of combat. And they are well acquainted with 
  death, both meting it out and staring it down. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Trained for Danger  
   
   
  Not every member of the city militia, the village 
  skirmishers, or the United States Army is a soldier. 
  Most of these troops are relatively untrained fighters 
  with only the most basic combat knowledge. Veteran 
  infantrymen, military officers, trained bodyguards, 
  bounty hunters, and similar figures are fighters. 
   
   
  Creating a Soldier  
   
   
  As you build your soldier, think about two related 
  elements of your character’s background: Where did 
  you get your combat training, and what set you apart 
  from the mundane warriors around you? Were you 
  particularly ruthless? Did you get extra help from a 
  mentor, perhaps because of your exceptional 
  dedication? What drove you to this training in the first 
  place? A threat to your homeland, a thirst for revenge, 
  or a need to prove yourself might have all been factors. 
   
  Quick Build 
  You can make a soldier quickly by following these 
  suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in 
  Dexterity, followed by Constitution (or Charisma if you 
  plan to adopt the Commander martial archetype. 
  Second, choose the soldier background. 
   
  Class Features 
  As a soldier, you gain the following class features. 
   
  Hit Points 
  Hit Dice: 1d12 per soldier level 
  Hit Dice at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier 
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your  
       Constitution modifier per soldier level after 1st 
  -29-
  
  Proficiencies 
  Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons, pistols,  
       rifles 
  Tools: None 
   
  Saving Throws: Dexterity, Constitution 
  Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling,  
       Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception,  
       and Survival 
   
  Equipment 
  You start with the following equipment, in addition to 
  the equipment granted by your background: 
    
  • (a) a simple weapon or (b) a martial weapon 
  • (a) a revolver or (b) a rifle 
  • a dagger, 20 bullets, and an explorer’s pack 
   
  Combat Style  
   
   
    
  Starting at 1st level, you adopt a particular style of 
  weapon fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the 
  following options. You can't take a Fighting Style 
  option more than once, even if you later get to choose 
  again: 
    Archery. You gain a +2 bonus to ranged attacks and 
  damage rolls using bows. 
    Defense. You gain a +2 bonus to your armor class.  
    Dueling. While wielding a melee weapon in one hand 
  and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage 
  rolls with the weapon. 
    Pistols. You gain a +2 bonus to ranged attacks and 
  damage rolls using pistols. 
    Rifles. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an 
  attack you make with a rifle, you can reroll the die and 
  must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. 
   
  Second Wind  
   
   
   
  You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw 
  on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you 
  can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 
  1d10 + your soldier level. Once you use this feature, 
  you must finish a short or long rest before you can use 
  it again. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Action Surge  
   
   
   
  Starting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond 
  your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you 
  can take one additional action on top of your regular 
  action and a possible bonus action. Once you use this 
  feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you 
  can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it 
  twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn. 
   
  Martial Archetype 
  At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to 
  emulate in your combat styles and techniques. Your 
  archetype grants you features at 3rd level and again at 
  7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level. 
   
  Extra Attack  
   
   
   
  Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of 
  once, whenever you take the Attack action on your 
  turn. The number of attacks increases to three when 
  you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you 
  reach 20th level in this class. 
   
  Indomitable 
   
   
   
   
  Beginning at 9th level, you can reroll a saving throw 
  that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, 
  and you can't use this feature again until you finish a 
  long rest. You can use this feature twice between long 
  rests starting at 13th level and three times between 
  long rests starting at 17th level. 
   
  Martial Archetype 
  Different fighters choose different approaches to 
  perfecting their fighting prowess. The martial 
  archetype you choose to emulate reflects your 
  approach. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -30-
  
  Champion  
   
   
   
   
  The archetypal Champion focuses on the development 
  of raw physical power honed to deadly perfection. 
  Those who model themselves on this archetype 
  combine rigorous training with physical excellence to 
  deal devastating blows. 
   
  Improved Critical 
  Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, 
  your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 
  or 20. 
   
  Remarkable Athlete 
  Starting at 7th level, you can add half your proficiency 
  bonus (round up) to any Strength, Dexterity, or 
  Constitution check you make that doesn't already use 
  your proficiency bonus. In addition, when you make a 
  running long jump, the distance you can cover 
  increases by a number of feet equal to your Strength 
  modifier.  
   
  Additional Fighting Style 
  At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the 
  Fighting Style class feature. 
   
  Superior Critical 
  Starting at 15th level, your weapon attacks score a 
  critical hit on a roll of 18-20. 
   
  Survivor 
  At 18th level, you attain the pinnacle of resilience in 
  battle. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit 
  points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier if you 
  have half or fewer of your hit points left. You don't gain 
  this benefit if you have 0 hit points. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Commander 
   
   
   
   
  Those who emulate the archetypal Commander employ 
  martial techniques passed down through generations. 
  To a Commander, combat is an academic field. Not 
  every fighter absorbs the lessons of history, theory, 
  and artistry that are reflected in the Commander 
  archetype, but those who do are well-rounded soldiers 
  of great skill and knowledge. 
   
  Combat Superiority 
      When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you 
  learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called 
  superiority dice. 
      Maneuvers. You learn three maneuvers of your 
  choice. You learn two additional maneuvers of your 
  choice at 7th, 10th, and 15th level. Each time you 
  learn new maneuvers, you can also replace one 
  maneuver you know with a different one. 
      Superiority Dice. You have three superiority dice, 
  which are d8s. A superiority die is expended when you 
  use it. You regain all of your expended superiority dice 
  when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another 
  superiority die at 7th level and one more at 15th level. 
      Saving Throws. Some of your maneuvers require 
  your target to make a saving throw to resist the 
  maneuver's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated 
  as follows: 
  Maneuver Save DC = 8 + twice your proficiency bonus 
   
  Student of War 
  At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with mason's tools. 
   
  Know your Enemy 
  Starting at 7th level, if you spend at least 1 minute 
  observing or interacting with another creature outside 
  combat, you can learn certain information about its 
  capabilities compared to your own. You will know if 
  the it is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to 
  two of the following characteristics of your choice: 
       • Strength score 
       • Dexterity score 
       • Constitution score 
       • Hit points 
       • Lifestyle 
       • Total class levels (if any) 
       • Soldier class levels (if any) 
   
  Improved Combat Superiority 
  At 10th level, your superiority dice turn into d10s. At 
  18th level, they turn into d12s. 
   
  Relentless 
  Starting at 15th level, when you start your turn with 
  no superiority dice, you regain two of them at the end 
  of that turn. 
  -31-
  
  Infantry  
   
   
   
   
  The backbone of any standing army, the archetypal 
  Infantryman is a highly trained and observant soldier. 
  Those of the Infantry depend on their fellow warrior as 
  much as their own wits to keep them alive. 
   
  Improved Cover 
  Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, 
  when you have at least half cover you are considered 
  to have one degree of cover higher than normal for 
  your situation. 
   
  Fallen Soldier 
  Starting at 7th level, you can stabilize a creature by 
  touch with an action. You must take a short or long 
  rest before you can use this feature again. 
       In addition, if an ally is reduced to 0 hit points 
  within 15 feet of you, you can use your reaction to 
  make an attack against the attacking enemy.  
   
  Never Surrender 
  At 10th level, when you use your Second Wind, you 
  also dismiss any ongoing mind-affecting or poison 
  effect you are currently experiencing. 
   
  Battle Yell 
  Starting at 15th level, you can make an Intimidation 
  check as action to attempt to terrify your enemies. All 
  enemies within 30 feet of you must make a Charisma 
  save against your roll result of be Frightened for a 
  number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. 
       Once you use this feature, you must take a short or 
  long rest before you can use it again. 
   
  Band of Brothers 
  At 18th level, when you use your Second Wind you can 
  select one adjacent ally to recover the same amount of 
  hit points as you do. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -32-
  
   
   
  In the Frontier campaign setting, there are a number of 
  rulings and mechanics added to help illustrate the Old 
  West time and flair. All mechanics are optional, but 
  should be considered in any Frontier campaign – as 
  well as any other similar setting. 
   
  Drinking  
   
   
   
   
  There is a romanticized image of the frontier saloon. A 
  man pushes open the swinging doors of an ornately 
  decorated and large clean saloon, bellies up to the bar, 
  and orders a whiskey. As someone plays a piano in the 
  corner, with dancing girls swirling around, the bar 
  tender takes out a clean bottle of bourbon, and fills a 
  shot glass which is quickly consumed. The man then 
  throws down a gold coin, and takes his bottle to one of 
  the many gaming tables, and gets involved in a game 
  of poker. The poker game then ends in a shootout, 
  with dead bodies strewn about the floor. The problem 
  is that it’s not always an accurate or typical portrayal 
  of the way it really is. 
     Most saloons are not large, not very ornate, nor are 
  they very tidy. Floors are often covered with sawdust, 
  which absorb everything from tobacco juice, blood, 
  beer, and liquor, as well as holding down other 
  displeasing odors associated with busy saloons. 
      Still, there is no mistaking the incredible prevalence 
  and popularity of alcohol in the West. Drinking is a 
  year-round sport, and a man can’t take ten steps 
  through a boomtown without passing a saloon or 
  tavern. Cowboys swig watered-down whiskey as they 
  share stories around campfires, and everything from 
  gin to wine can be ordered in gambling halls and finer 
  establishments in town. It is both a vice of drunken 
  miners with a short life span, and the relief of hard-
  working men and women across the frontier. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Alcohol Game Mechanics 
  Alcohol acts as an intoxicant at lower doses, but 
  inflicts exhaustion if one overindulges. While it 
  resembles a poison in some ways, it does not count as 
  one for proficiency with the poisoner’s kit, nor can it 
  be cured with a Healer’s Touch. Characters proficient 
  in brewer’s supplies may create alcoholic beverages 
  per the rules for crafting. 
       A creature may consume 2 alcoholic drinks before 
  requiring a DC 15 Constitution poison save to avoid ill 
  effects; one alcoholic drink is the equivalent of one pint 
  of beer, one glass of wine, or one shot of hard liquor. 
  Until a creature fails its saving throw, each alcoholic 
  drink consumed bestows one of the following beneficial 
  effects (choose or roll randomly): 
   
       • +1d3 temporary hit points  
       • Advantage on a single saving throw against a  
         mind-affecting or effect 
       • Advantage on a single Charisma check 
       • Advantage on a single Dexterity (Acrobatics or  
         Stealth) check 
       • Advantage on a single Strength check  
       • Advantage on a single Wisdom (Insight or  
         Perception) check 
   
  These beneficial effects last until the creature fails a 
  saving throw against alcohol consumption or until one 
  hour has passed. Creatures may resume drinking after 
  an hour has passed in order to regain these benefits, 
  but the DC increases to 20 until they have taken a 
  long rest. 
       Once a creature fails its Constitution saving throw, 
  it is immediately subject to a level of exhaustion equal 
  to the additional number of alcoholic drinks it has 
  consumed (past the initial two, “safe” drinks) and all 
  beneficial effects of alcohol consumption end. For 
  example, a creature that fails its saving throw on its 
  third drink immediately suffers the first level of 
  exhaustion (disadvantage on ability checks) while one 
  that fails on its fifth drink suffers the third level of 
  exhaustion(disadvantage on ability checks, speed 
  halved, and disadvantage on attack rolls and saving 
  throws). These levels of exhaustion are recovered as 
  usual. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -33-
  
  Gambling  
   
   
   
   
  Going West means taking a chance and seeking your 
  fortune, or at least a better life. Perhaps there is 
  something in the outlook of those who head out into 
  an empty and unsettling landscape that makes games 
  of chance so alluring. Perhaps that’s the reason 
  gambling in the West is more popular and pervasive 
  than anywhere else in the country.  
       Gambling takes many forms, from the standard 
  fare of poker to dice games, chess, and board games. 
  Whatever the game, it is a combination of skill and 
  luck that either stuffs the pockets or leads to a long 
  and saddening walk home. 
   
  Gambling Game Mechanics 
  There are two forms of gambling, Player vs House and 
  Player vs Player. When playing against the House, the 
  gambler rolls against a static number in the hopes of 
  winning a prize. When playing against other players, 
  both gamblers try to roll higher than each other. 
     First, start by wagering an amount of money in gold 
  pieces. This can be as little or as much as you like, 
  though some establishments may have a minimum 
  bet. Next, depending on the game played, roll 1d20 
  and add your proficiency in any of the following skills. 
   
       • Game Set: Board Games (Intelligence) 
       • Game Set: Dice (Intelligence) 
       • Game Set: Playing Cards (Intelligence) 
   
  Playing Against the House. When playing against the 
  house or gambling establishment, your target is to 
  meet or exceed 15 with your check. Some loftier 
  gambling halls or competitions may have a difficulty of 
  20 or possibly as high as 25.   
     Matching the DC: If you exactly match the DC, you 
  break even, and neither gain nor lose money. 
     Success by ≤ 5: If you succeed by 5 or less, you 
  double your wager. 
     Success by 6+: If you succeed by more than 6, you 
  triple your wager. 
     Failure by ≤ 5: If you fail by 5 or less, you lose your 
  wager. 
     Failure by 6+: If you fail by 6 or more, you lose 
  double your wager. If you do not have the excess 
  funds, you may owe the house – or the house could 
  demand payment, arrest, or other punishment. 
   
  Playing Against Another Player: When playing 
  against another PC or an NPC character, you follow 
  the same rules as playing against the house. Your 
  target difficulty, however, is the roll(s) of the other 
  player(s) involved. If you fail, you pay the opposing 
  player with the highest roll. In case of a tie, roll again. 
   
   
   
   
  Literacy & Languages 
   
   
  Being a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, the 
  West hosts many languages. Far more of these 
  languages are spoken than written. Some languages, 
  most of them among the Native Americans, simply do 
  not have a written form. Others are spoken by people 
  who either never learned to read or haven’t done so in 
  many years. 
   
  Literacy Game Mechanics 
  Every character begins with at least one starting 
  languages. If you have an Intelligence score of 8 or 
  lower, you are considered illiterate – and cannot read 
  or write any of your known languages. 
       For every score of +2 above 8, you can read and 
  write one of the languages that you know. Later, if 
  your Intelligence score increases, you can learn to read 
  and write additional languages. 
   
  Language Groups 
  Many cultures have their own specific languages. 
  Some have language groups that are understood 
  among similar peoples, even if the words and phrases 
  aren’t exactly the same. 
   
  Language 
  Typical Speakers 
  Algonquin 
  Cheyenne, Cree, Blackfoot, Ojibwe 
  Athabaskan 
  Apache, Navajo, Tonkawa 
  Chinese 
  Chinese 
  English 
  Americans, British, Europeans 
  Iroquoian 
  Cherokee, Huron, Mohawk, Seneca 
  Siouan 
  Crow, Lakota, Omaha 
  Spanish 
  Mexicans, Spanish 
  Uto-Aztecan 
  Comanche, Shoshone, Ute 
   
  Other cultural languages, such as French, Gaelic, 
  German, Italian, or Japanese, are also plausible for 
  character definition. Odds are, however, that they will 
  rarely come into play or be commonly encountered. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -34-
  
  Mass Combat  
   
   
   
  With a land full of rival nations and loyal warriors, 
  combat on a large scale is not only common but an 
  integral part of martial stability. Players may have 
  opportunities to lead armies into battle against 
  opposing forces. Success or failure can affect not only 
  social standing, but ultimately the survival of a group 
  or the nation as a whole. 
   
  Gambling Game Mechanics 
  When opposing forces engage in mass combat, 
  designate one commander for each army involved. Roll 
  for Initiative. The commander with the highest 
  Initiative chooses where to put their units on a battle 
  map and the direction from when the enemies may 
  approach. Battle maps have squares like standard 
  game maps, though the size and distance of these 
  squares is flexible and reflective of the situation. 
       Each round on your turn, you can choose a 
  number of Units to use equal to your character level + 
  your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. 
  These units are considered to move and act 
  simultaneously or in the order you choose. Each unit 
  has a movement speed and range it can attack, 
  measured in squares. All units move as your Move 
  action, and attack as your Action. There are no Bonus 
  Actions in Mass Combat unless specified. 
       When attacking, make an Intelligence (Battle) check 
  opposed by your opponent’s Battle check. If you 
  succeed, your attacking unit damages the enemy unit 
  – effectively destroying or scattering it. Some attacking 
  units had disadvantage on this check for making 
  attacks under certain conditions, such as heavy rain. 
  All attacking units have advantage on this check if 
  they are flanking the enemy unit. This includes ranged 
  units, though they must be adjacent to the enemy unit 
  to have advantage. 
       The player’s character token or miniature remains 
  on the map as a Commander. As a Commander, you 
  can move 1 square at a time but cannot attack by 
  yourself. A Commander can be attacked by units, and 
  you are considered to have a number of Health Points 
  equal to your character level. At any point in combat 
  you can announce your intent to withdraw from battle. 
  In doing so, all your attacking units have disadvantage 
  on Battle checks (including defensive checks) until 
  your next round. On your next round, if you are still 
  alive, you and your army successfully leave the field of 
  battle and the encounter is ended. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Types of Units 
  There are four types of units that can be procured and 
  used in Mass Combat: Artillery, Cavalry, Foot, and 
  Ranged. Their statistics are listed and detailed below. 
   
  UNIT 
  COST 
  RANGE 
  MOVE 
  Foot 
  1 
  1 
  3 
  Ranged 
  2 
  4 
  2 
  Cavalry 
  3 
  2 
  5 
  Artillery 
  4 
  3 
  1 
   
   
      Artillery. The devastating cannons of the artillery 
  can often turn the tide of any battle. They are relatively 
  rare, but potentially deadly in effect. They have three 
  options in battle which they can use on allied or 
  enemy units within range. They can Cover (granting 
  advantage on Battle checks to 1 ally unit within 
  range), Bombard (imposing disadvantage on Battle 
  checks to 1 enemy unit within range for 1 round), or 
  Attack (causing damage). 
      Cavalry. Cavalry and mounted horsemen are 
  considered a luxury to lesser commanders, but an 
  integral part of their war machine by experienced 
  generals. Their mobility and increased range make 
  them extremely versatile, able to flank or overrun 
  enemy units. Calvary treat enemy units as difficult 
  terrain, but can move through them as long as they 
  end in unoccupied squares. 
      Foot. Foot soldiers are the staple of every army, and 
  the easiest to conscript. Charging onto the battlefield, 
  their bravery and determination is as much a deciding 
  factor in battle as the commander leading them. 
      Ranged. Archers and riflemen are a vital and cost-
  effective unit in any army. Their great range allows 
  them to not only attack from a safe distance, but also 
  target enemy units beyond the range of their own 
  soldiers. Ranged units have disadvantage on Battle 
  checks if there are friendly units between them and 
  the enemy units they are attacking, or if an partial 
  cover such as trees or fog obstruct the view. 
   
       Cost. Before every battle, each Commander is 
  granted a leadership pool with which to conscript 
  units. Unless the battle is an ambush, the 
  Commanders are aware of the total units of the 
  opponents as well. When you begin a battle, select 
  units of your choice totaling no more than the 
  leadership pool you have been assigned. 
       Range. This is the maximum distance a unit may 
  attack or affect, measured in squares. 
       Move. This is the maximum distance a unit may 
  move, measured in squares. A unit cannot, Dash, 
  Disengage, or trade an attack for movement. 
   
   
   
   
   
  -35-
  
  New Skills 
   
   
   
   
  All of the original skills in the Player’s Handbook are 
  compatible with this setting, and can be used by 
  Frontier characters. 
       In addition, there are two new skills added: 
   
  Charisma (Culture) 
  Your Charisma (Culture) skill illustrates your grasp of 
  social etiquette, regional customs, and local laws. 
  Make a Charisma (Culture) ability check when you 
  want to arrange a cultural event such as a festival or 
  competition, recognize a high-ranking individual, or 
  appeal to a stranger’s sense of honor. 
   
  Intelligence (Battle) 
  Your Intelligence (Battle) skill measures your ability to 
  assess a battlefield, put tactics into action, and overall 
  coordinate troops and large groups of people. Make an 
  Intelligence (Battle) ability check when you want to 
  find an advantage in an enemy army’s deployment, 
  recognize an ambush, move troops in mass combat, or 
  find the weakness in an individual or group. 
   
  . 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  New Feats  
   
   
   
  As with skills, the original feats in the Player’s 
  Handbook are compatible with this setting, and can be 
  used by Frontier characters. 
       In addition, there are three new feats added: 
   
  Cheater  
  You may not be the smartest gambler, but your 
  trickery can earn you the following benefits: 
       • Increase your Dexterity or Charisma score by 1, 
  to a maximum of 20. 
       • You can use either Deception or Sleight of Hand 
  checks when gambling, instead of the appropriate 
  gaming set proficiency. 
   
  Famous Artisan 
  • You gain proficiency in one set of artisan’s tools and 
  one skill of your choice. 
  • If you work between adventures by crafting using 
  your artisan’s tools, you can earn enough to support a 
  wealthy lifestyle instead of a modest one. 
   
  Firearm Expert 
  Prerequisite: proficiency with firearms weapons 
   
  Thanks to extensive practice with firearms, you gain 
  the following benefits: 
       • Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t 
  impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. 
       • When you use the Attack action and attack with a 
  one-handed firearm weapon, you can use a bonus 
  action to attack with a loaded firearm weapon with the 
  light property that you are holding in the other hand. 
       • When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an 
  attack you make with a fi rearm weapon that has the 
  two-handed property, you can reroll the die and must 
  use the new roll. 
   
  Firearm Familiarity  
  You have practiced extensively with and learned to use 
  a variety of different firearms, gaining the following 
  benefits: 
       • Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum 
  of 20. 
       • You gain proficiency with pistols and rifles. 
   
  Master Craftsman 
  Prerequisite: proficiency in at least 1 tool set 
   
       • Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to 
  a maximum of 20. 
       • You can craft an equivalent of 10 gp per day, 
  instead of the usual 5 gp. 
       • Your tool kit provides the materials needed, even 
  if you do not otherwise have them on hand. 
  -36-
  
   
   
  The West is a story of conquest, of competing promises 
  and opposing visions of the land. Many peoples laid 
  claim to the West, and many played a part in settling 
  it. These personalities paint a diverse picture of the 
  land, and every face from the Mississippi to the Pacific 
  has a story. 
       Any standard background from the Player’s 
  Handbook could be considered appropriate to the 
  Frontier setting. Below is a list of new and setting-
  specific backgrounds to use for characters.  
   
  Banker 
   
   
   
   
   
  You have spent years in the halls and vaults of the 
  Eastern cities, working meticulously to manage other 
  people’s money as well as gather your own. You are an 
  accountant, clerk, or other financial organizer. 
       You know how to get your way from behind the 
  scenes, putting your nose to books to pull strings, 
  bend numbers, and make sure your pocket book 
  always ends up on top. 
   
  Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Persuasion 
  Languages: One of your choice 
  Equipment: A set of common clothes, three coin    
    pouches, a watch, and a belt pouch containing 25 gp. 
   
  Feature: Financial Trust 
  Your reputation precedes you, and the wealthy respect 
  you. People are inclined to trust you with their money, 
  whether it’s holding onto their gold stash or overseeing 
  their accounts. As such you have a great deal of social 
  leverage, knowing where the money flows and where 
  you could possibly pinch it off – or even pocket a little 
  for yourself. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Bankers tend to be rather academic and reserved 
  individuals, though many have bold personalities 
  reflective of their station. They see the world as a giant 
  opportunity, one that will not go to waste. 
   
  d6 
  Personality Trait 
  1 
  Punctuality is an understatement. If I don’t stick 
  to a strict schedule, there is chaos. 
  2 
  I didn’t do so well back East, but in the frontier I 
  have the chance at a new life. 
  3 
  I am obsessed with numbers, and count nearly 
  everything I can. 
  4 
  I feel safest behind a counter or desk. 
  5 
  I pocket anything I see that may have value. 
  6 
  Money is power, and I intend to have it all. 
   
   
  d6 
  Ideal 
  1 
  Greed. Gold is the only law I respect. (Chaotic) 
  2 
  Organization. Finance is a tricky business, one 
  that needs a sharp and fair mind. (Neutral) 
  3 
  Compulsion. I am obsessed with numbers, and 
  count nearly everything I can. (Lawful) 
  4 
  Worker. Just trying to keep food on the table. 
  (Good) 
  5 
  Power. You’ve heard of the golden rule, right? 
  Whoever has the gold makes the rules? (Lawful) 
  6 
  Trade. There is a great deal to be learned from a 
  culture by what they find valuable. (Good) 
   
   
  d6 
  Bond 
  1 
  I made some terrible investments, and now I’m 
  trying to work my way out of debt. 
  2 
  My reputation is my life, and I work hard to 
  maintain the public trust. 
  3 
  My family means everything to me. It’s why I do 
  what I do. 
  4 
  I have zero self-esteem, and wealth is the only 
  thing that makes me feel worth anything. 
  5 
  There are a lot of shady business folk out there. I 
  aim to set a good example for my profession. 
  6 
  My father was a respected banker, and I can 
  only hope to one day make him proud. 
   
  d6 
  Flaw 
  1 
  I don’t have time for love or family. Work is life. 
  2 
  I am a complete coward. I was never meant for 
  the dangers of adventuring. 
  3 
  I am terrible with numbers, and my accounts 
  tend to sour very quickly. 
  4 
  I identified a bank robber once, and now I fear 
  they’ll return for me.  
  5 
  I’ll jump on any mission where gold is involved. 
  6 
  I tend to look down on the poor and savage, 
  seeing their poverty as less than human. 
   
   
   
  -37-
  
  City Watch 
   
   
   
   
  You have served the community where you grew up, 
  standing as its first line of defense against outlaws. 
  You aren't a soldier, directing your gaze outward at 
  possible enemies. Instead, your service to your 
  hometown was to help police its populace, protecting 
  the citizenry from lawbreakers and malefactors of 
  every stripe. 
       Even if you're not city-born or city-bred, this 
  background can describe your early years as a 
  member of law enforcement. Most settlements of any 
  size have their own chiefs and police forces, and even 
  smaller communities have sheriffs and deputies who 
  stand ready to protect their community. 
   
  Skill Proficiencies: Investigator, Insight 
  Languages: Two of your choice 
  Equipment: A uniform in the style of your unit and  
       indicative of your rank, a whistle with which to  
       summon help, a set of handcuffs, and a pouch  
       containing 10 gp. 
   
  Feature: Watcher’s Eye 
  Your experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with 
  lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and 
  outlaws. You can easily find the local outpost of the 
  sheriff or a similar organization, and just as easily pick 
  out the dens of criminal activity in a community, 
  although you're more likely to be welcome in the 
  former locations rather than the latter. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Suggested Characteristics 
  The rampant lawlessness and looming threats found 
  throughout much of the West leaves many City 
  Watchers paranoid or constantly vigilant. They are 
  rarely without a sidearm, and even those who are 
  retired keep a wary eye on strangers. 
   
  d6 
  Personality Trait 
  1 
  I’m always polite and respectful. 
  2 
  I’m slow to trust, but those who earn it will 
  almost never lose it. 
  3 
  I enjoy pointing out details to others on how to 
  spot criminal activity before it happens. 
  4 
  I enjoy my rank and often lord it over others. 
  5 
  I have a crude sense of humor. 
  6 
  Things are rarely what they seem, and I intend 
  to find the truth in any situation. 
   
   
  d6 
  Ideal 
  1 
  Greater Good. My job is to lay down my life in 
  defense of the innocent. (Good) 
  2 
  Responsibility. I do what I must to capture 
  outlaws, without becoming one myself. (Lawful) 
  3 
  Independence. When people follow orders 
  blindly they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic) 
  4 
  Vigilance. As soon as you let your guard down, 
  that’s when trouble strikes. (Any) 
  5 
  Innocent Until Guilty. Just because someone is 
  shifty doesn’t make them a criminal. (Neutral) 
  6 
  Local Pride. My town, territory, or people are all 
  that matter to me.(Any) 
   
   
  d6 
  Bond 
  1 
  I could never stand by and let outlaws get away. 
  2 
  Someone saved my life in a gunfight. To this day, 
  I will never leave a friend behind. 
  3 
  The law must be respected, or there is chaos. 
  4 
  One particular outlaw had always evaded me. I 
  still try to find them however possible. 
  5 
  Most civilians aren’t fighters, and they need to 
  be protected. 
  6 
  The natives were here long before anyone else, 
  and our laws shouldn’t impede on their freedom. 
   
  d6 
  Flaw 
  1 
  A notorious outlaw left me for dead, and the 
  mere sound of their name terrifies me. 
  2 
  I often use the badge to get what I want. 
  3 
  I once killed someone who I later found out was 
  innocent, and keep that secret hidden. 
  4 
  My hatred and paranoia of outlaws is blinding. 
  5 
  I always obey authority, even if that authority is 
  a monster. 
  6 
  I’d rather eat a bullet than admit when I’m 
  wrong. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -38-
  
  Foreigner 
   
   
   
   
  You have spent the greater part of your life abroad. 
  You could have come to the West seeking gold and 
  glory, or fled your home land to escape punishment. 
  You could even have been a local or native who has 
  traveled so extensively even your peers see you as an 
  outsider. 
       Whether you are a foreigner or a local voyager, you 
  have a breadth of cultural experience many seem to 
  lack. This often sets you apart, which probably suits 
  you just fine. 
   
  Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Perception 
  Tool Proficiencies: Any one musical instrument or  
     gaming set of your choice, likely something you  
     picked up in your travels 
  Languages: Two of your choice 
  Equipment: A set of traveler’s clothes, trail rations,  
     several trinkets from another nation, a map, and a  
     pouch containing 10 gp. 
   
  Feature: Exotic 
  Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and 
  perhaps even your appearance all mark you as foreign 
  – whether you are or not. Curious glances are directed 
  your way wherever you go, which can be a nuisance, 
  but you also gain the friendly interest of others 
  intrigued by far-off lands, to say nothing of everyday 
  folk who are eager to hear stories of your travels. 
   
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Foreigners often parley the attention they draw into 
  access to people and places they might not otherwise 
  have. Teachers, scholars, and merchants, to name a 
  few, might be interested in hearing about distant lands 
  and people. Others guard their past, sticking to their 
  own kind and remaining aloof of local groups. 
   
  d6 
  Personality Trait 
  1 
  I have different assumptions from those around 
  me concerning personal space, blithely invading 
  others' space in innocence, or reacting to 
  ignorant invasion of my own. 
  2 
  I have my own ideas about what is and is not 
  food, and I find the eating habits of those around 
  me fascinating, confusing, or revolting. 
  3 
  I express affection or contempt in ways that are 
  unfamiliar to others. 
  4 
  I honor my deities through practices that are 
  foreign to this land. 
  5 
  I have a strong code of honor or sense of 
  propriety that others don't comprehend. 
  6 
  I begin or end my day with small traditional 
  rituals that are unfamiliar to those around me. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  d6 
  Ideal 
  1 
  Open. I have much to learn from the kindly folk 
  I meet along my way. (Good) 
  2 
  Reserved. As someone new to these strange 
  lands, I am cautious and respectful in my 
  dealings. (Lawful) 
  3 
  Adventure. I'm far from home, and everything is 
  strange and wonderful! (Chaotic) 
  4 
  Plotting. Though I may not know their ways, 
  neither do they know mine, which can be to my 
  advantage. (Evil) 
  5 
  Inquisitive. Everything is new, but I have a 
  thirst to learn. (Neutral) 
  6 
  Suspicious. I must be careful, for I have no way 
  of telling friend from foe here.(Any) 
   
   
  d6 
  Bond 
  1 
  So long as I have this token from my homeland, I 
  can face any adversity in this strange land. 
  2 
  The deities of my people are a comfort to me so 
  far from home. 
  3 
  It was my family’s choice to travel, not mine, but 
  I will go wherever they go. 
  4 
  My freedom is my most precious possession. I’ll 
  never let anyone take it from me again. 
  5 
  I’m fascinated by the beauty and wonder of this 
  new land, and the opportunities it promises. 
  6 
  Though I had no choice, I lament having to leave 
  my loved one(s) behind. I hope to see them again 
  one day. 
   
  d6 
  Flaw 
  1 
  I am secretly (or not so secretly) convinced of the 
  superiority of my own culture over that of this 
  foreign land. 
  2 
  I pretend not to understand the local language in 
  order to avoid interactions I’d rather not have. 
  3 
  I have a weakness for the new intoxicants, 
  gambling, and other pleasures of this land. 
  4 
  I don't take kindly to some of the actions and 
  motivations of the people of this land, because 
  these folk are different from me. 
  5 
  I consider the adherents of other gods to be 
  deluded innocents at best, or ignorant fools at 
  worst. 
  6 
  I have a weakness for the exotic beauty of the 
  people of these lands. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -39-
  
  Gambler  
   
   
   
   
  You live day to day on games of chance. From saloons 
  to storehouses to river boats, you earn a living through 
  fortune and the misfortune of others. Your skill and 
  subtlety has not only lined your pockets, but earned a 
  name for yourself.  
       Even when you’re away from the table, you know 
  how to keep a good poker face. You can bluff or con 
  your way out of most situations, and can read the tells 
  of even the most stoic strangers. 
   
  Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Insight 
  Tool Proficiencies: Two gaming sets of your choice 
  Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a set of traveler’s  
      clothes, a deck of cards, a dice set, and a belt pouch  
      containing 15 gp. 
   
  Feature: Friends in Low Places 
  You have up to four informants throughout the West. 
  From barkeeps to prostitutes to elected officials, these 
  shady individuals are in the know – and can often 
  impart information to you such as upcoming gambling 
  tournaments or who the richest folks in town may be.  
   
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Gamblers are often secretive and calculating, knowing 
  when to show their hand and when to hide it. Some 
  become compulsive liars, while others are tactful 
  speakers. In any case, they consider it a point of pride 
  that they can tell when others are lying. 
   
  d6 
  Personality Trait 
  1 
  I have a joke for every occasion, and especially 
  occasions where humor is inappropriate. 
  2 
  Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I 
  want. 
  3 
  I like to talk a big game, because it helps me feel 
  better about my shortcomings. 
  4 
  I neither boast nor congratulate skill, because 
  life is all dumb luck. 
  5 
  There is no risk I won’t take, no matter the cost. 
  6 
  I fall in love easily, but so far haven’t found 
  someone who can keep up with me. 
   
   
  d6 
  Ideal 
  1 
  Trickery. A fool and his gold are soon parted. 
  (Chaotic) 
  2 
  Honor. I never cheat or lie. I beat folks through 
  pure skill. (Lawful) 
  3 
  Thrill. I love the rush of not knowing, of being 
  surprised in life. (Any) 
  4 
  Moderation. I only gamble to keep myself afloat, 
  never more. (Good) 
  5 
  Reputation. Everyone knows my name, and I 
  work hard to keep it that way. (Any) 
  6 
  Courtesy. I can smell an amateur a mile away, 
  and usually cut them some slack. Usually.(Good) 
   
   
   
  d6 
  Bond 
  1 
  My integrity is often questioned, but I will 
  challenge any man who calls me a cheat. 
  2 
  The one I love is in dire straits, and I vowed to 
  bring us both a better life. 
  3 
  I fleeced the wrong person and must work to 
  ensure that this individual never crosses paths 
  with me or those I care about. 
  4 
  Some no-account swindled me out of my life 
  savings, and I’m working my way up the tables 
  to get it back. 
  5 
  I don’t care about money. Information is my 
  currency, and I intend to get rich with it. 
  6 
  I’m so good I rarely find a solid challenge, and 
  always keep an eye out for one. 
   
  d6 
  Flaw 
  1 
  My gambling is compulsive. I will keep digging as 
  long as I think I’ll strike pay dirt. 
  2 
  I can’t resist a pretty face. 
  3 
  I am horribly in debt, and my collectors seem to 
  be around every corner. 
  4 
  I’m convinced that no one could ever fool me the 
  way I fool others. 
  5 
  I’d rather try to trick someone into getting what I 
  want than simply asking for it. 
  6 
  I’d rather live to gamble another day, and I’m not 
  above running to save my own hide. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -40-
  
  Prostitute 
   
   
   
   
  If there’s one thing the hordes of Westward-rushing 
  miners and prospectors desire more than gold, it is the 
  companionship of lovely ladies. Like them, you sought 
  to make a living in the booming expansion. You simple 
  did so in the comfort of your own room. You may take 
  pride in being part of the oldest profession in history, 
  or you may hide your past like a dirty secret.  
       You have seen the dark side of humanity, which 
  either intrigues, amuses, or disgusts you. You 
  profession also brought to your attention many secrets 
  that your clients didn’t think to keep quiet. 
   
  Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion 
  Tool Proficiencies: One gaming set of your choice 
  Languages: One language of your choice 
  Equipment: A set of fine clothes, gaming set, a bed  
    roll, a small knife, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp. 
   
  Feature: Safe House 
  You have a former place of business that still 
  welcomes you as if you still worked there. It may not 
  be particularly easy to get to, but the owners and 
  operators will always welcome you. They will hide you 
  and your allies in the safe house if you are in trouble, 
  even from the law – though they don’t have the 
  firepower to defend you against excessive force.  
   
  Suggested Characteristics 
  The majority of women (and men) engaged in 
  prostitution are young, with poor educations, largely 
  illiterate, with families that have either cast them out 
  or are not in a position to help them. Some of them 
  were brought into the profession by their spouses or 
  parents, or fell into it because they were seduced by 
  their wealthy employers. These folks simply didn't 
  have the means to provide for themselves, other than 
  by selling the one thing they had at their disposal. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  d6 
  Personality Trait 
  1 
  I had far too many clients to get emotionally 
  attached to any of them. 
  2 
  I only worked in the field because I had a debt. 
  Now that’s it’s paid, I’ve never looked back. 
  3 
  I saw things that still haunt my nightmares. 
  4 
  You hear the darndest things in this profession. 
  5 
  I’ve been threatened more times than I count. 
  You get numb to it after a while. 
  6 
  I always have a plan for what to do when things 
  go wrong. 
   
   
   
  d6 
  Ideal 
  1 
  Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are 
  those who would forge them. (Chaotic) 
  2 
  Honor. I don’t harm or take advantage of others 
  in the trade. (Lawful) 
  3 
  People. I’m loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, 
  and everyone else can catch a stagecoach to Hell 
  for all I care. (Neutral) 
  4 
  Redemption. There’s a spark of good in 
  everyone – even me. (Good) 
  5 
  Charity. I don’t need the money anymore, so I 
  have what I have to those who do. (Good) 
  6 
  Scheme. I’ve worked for others my whole life. 
  Time to forge my own empire with a few 
  desperate souls of my own. (Evil) 
   
   
  d6 
  Bond 
  1 
  My integrity is often questioned, but I will 
  challenge any man who calls me a cheat. 
  2 
  The one I love is in dire straits, and I vowed to 
  bring us both a better life. 
  3 
  I fleeced the wrong person and must work to 
  ensure that this individual never crosses paths 
  with me or those I care about. 
  4 
  Some no-account swindled me out of my life 
  savings, and I’m working my way up the tables 
  to get it back. 
  5 
  I don’t care about money. Information is my 
  currency, and I intend to get rich with it. 
  6 
  I’m so good I rarely find a solid challenge, and 
  always keep an eye out for one. 
   
   
  d6 
  Flaw 
  1 
  I’ve been hurt and abused for so long, I simply 
  can’t trust or get attached to anyone. 
  2 
  My former employer still has it out for me, and 
  I’m constantly on the run from that life. 
  3 
  I witnessed something I was not supposed to. 
  4 
  My constant plots and machinations make me 
  untrustworthy to many people. 
  5 
  I love my job, and it would take an awful lot of 
  convincing to make me give it up. 
  6 
  If my charms don’t work to get me what I want, I 
  just don’t know what else to do. 
   
   
   
   
  -41-
  
  Researcher 
   
   
   
   
  You spent years studying a particular field of 
  knowledge, and many consider you an expert in the 
  field. Rather than slinging guns or swinging hammers, 
  you come to the West with books under your arms and 
  notes in your pocket. You live for the exploration, and 
  keep running journals of your discoveries. 
   
  Skill Proficiencies: History, Investigation 
  Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s Tools 
  Languages: One language of your choice 
  Equipment: A set of fine clothes, gaming set, a bed  
    roll, a small knife, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp. 
   
  Specialty 
  To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll 
  a d6 or choose from the options in the table below. 
   
  d8 
  Specialty 
  d8 
  Specialty 
  1 
  Discredited Academic 
  4 
  Medicine 
  2 
  Geology 
  5 
  Sociology 
  3 
  Herbology 
  6 
  Zoology 
   
   
  Feature: Scholar 
  When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of 
  information, if you do not know that knowledge, you 
  often know where and from whom you can obtain it. 
  Usually, this information comes from a library, 
  university, or another learned person. Your DM might 
  rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in 
  an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot 
  be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of a culture 
  or creature considered a mere myth can require an 
  adventure or even a whole campaign.  
   
  Suggested Characteristics 
  Researchers are defined by their extensive studies, and 
  their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted 
  to scholarly pursuits, a researcher values knowledge 
  highly — sometimes in its own right, sometimes as a 
  means toward other ideals. 
   
   
  d6 
  Personality Trait 
  1 
  I use polysyllabic words that convey the 
  impression of great erudition. 
  2 
  I've read every book in the world’s greatest 
  libraries — or I like to boast that I have. 
  3 
  I'm used to helping out those who aren’t as 
  smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything 
  and everything to others. 
  4 
  There’s nothing I like more than a good mystery. 
  5 
  I’m willing to listen to every side of an argument 
  before I make my own judgment. 
  6 
  I . . . speak . . . slowly . . . when talking . . . to 
  idiots, . . . which . . . almost . . . everyone . . . is . 
  . . compared . . . to me. 
   
   
   
   
  d6 
  Ideal 
  1 
  Knowledge. The path to power and self-
  improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral) 
  2 
  Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond 
  itself toward what is true. (Good) 
  3 
  Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical 
  thinking. (Lawful) 
  4 
  No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite 
  possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic) 
  5 
  Power. Knowledge is the path to power and 
  domination. (Evil) 
  6 
  Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is 
  the betterment of oneself. (Any) 
   
   
  d6 
  Bond 
  1 
  It is my duty to protect my students. 
  2 
  I have an ancient book that holds terrible secrets 
  that must not fall into the wrong hands. 
  3 
  I work to preserve a library, university, museum, 
  or monastery. 
  4 
  My life’s work is a series of books related to a 
  specific field of study. 
  5 
  I've been searching my whole life for the answer 
  to a certain question. 
  6 
  The unknown terrifies me, and others. I must 
  catalogue what I can for the safety of all. 
   
   
  d6 
  Flaw 
  1 
  I am easily distracted by the promise of 
  information. 
  2 
  Most people scream and run when they see a 
  bear. I stop and take notes on its anatomy. 
  3 
  Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price 
  of a civilization. 
  4 
  I overlook obvious solutions in favor of 
  complicated ones. 
  5 
  I speak without really thinking through my 
  words, invariably insulting others. 
  6 
  I can’t keep a secret to save my life, or anyone 
  else’s. 
   
  Variant Researcher: Teacher 
  Rather than collecting information for yourself, you 
  seek to bestow knowledge on others. You could be a 
  school teacher, a mentor, or even a guide. Instead of 
  Investigation, you are proficient in Persuasion. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -42-
  
   
   
       All of the equipment from the Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide could be applicable in the Frontier 
  setting. Below is a list of the most appropriate weapons, as well as a few new ones, that could be found in the West. 
  For item or weapon description details, please refer to the Player’s Handbook or Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
       The damages for firearms have been lowered significantly in the Frontier setting. This is due not only to the 
  prevalence of firearms, but also the relative lack of protection and healing as defense against them. 
   
  Weapons
   
   
   
   
  -43-
  
   
   
  The life of the pioneer is as difficult as it is dangerous, 
  and as potentially rewarding as it is beautiful. Besides 
  the constant struggle against nature and the wide-
  open terrain, there are also wild animals and often 
  wilder people to contend with. 
   
  Animals  
   
   
   
   
  The West is teeming with life and creatures of every 
  form. From herds of bison on the plains to packs of 
  wolves in the forest, the frontier can be an inspiring 
  and dangerous place. 
      The following list of creatures can be found in 
  Appendix A of the Monster Manual. They are listed 
  here as an index and table for potential random 
  encounters. 
   
   
  The Bison 
  One of the most iconic creatures to be found in the 
  West is the massive bison, also called the buffalo by 
  many. Bison are generally peaceful grazers, though 
  they have been known to defend themselves fiercely 
  and cause great destruction with their stampedes. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Bison 
   
  Nonheroic Characters  
   
  Nonheroic characters include everything from 
  professional workers to petty criminals, law officers to 
  native scouts. They lack the inclination or training to 
  be heroes, but they are capable in their own fields. 
  Skilled craftsmen, educated professors, and hard-
  working miners are all nonheroic characters, as is the 
  local governor, the self-serving snake-oil salesman, 
  and the gun-toting outlaw troublemaker 
      The following list of creatures can be found in 
  Appendix B of the Monster Manual. They are listed 
  here as an index and table for potential random 
  encounters. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -44-
  
  Commander 
   
  Gunslinger 
   
  Martial Artist 
   
  Rustler 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Medic 
  -45-
  
  Poisons and Diseases 
   
   
  Threats in the West don’t always come from bullets 
  and arrows. Often it is the unseen that poses the most 
  danger. Many creatures are venomous, able to kill a 
  grown man with a single bite or sting. Harsh climates 
  and crowded boomtowns foster diseases and ailments 
  that cause boils, aches, or death. Treating these 
  ailments is unfortunately both difficult and 
  uncommon, and those who are capable of doing so 
  come in high demand. 
      Characters of the Healer class can use their Healer’s 
  Touch ability to treat poisons or diseases. Poisons and 
  diseases have a certain number of Cure Points. These 
  afflictions require healing equal to their Cure Points in 
  order to be cured. 
       For example, Rattlesnake Venom has 10 Cure 
  Points. It would then require 10 points of healing from 
  the Healer’s Touch ability, spread out over multiple 
  rounds, in order to cure it. If an affliction is partially 
  cured but is left untreated for more than 1 minute (for 
  poisons) or 1 day (for diseases), any progress toward 
  curing the affliction is lost. 
   
  Poisons 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
      Arsenic (Ingested). This is a deadly poison 
  administered in pill or liquid form. A creature 
  subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw, taking 1 Constitution 
  ability damage every round. The creature can repeat 
  the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending 
  the effects on itself on a success. 
      Chloroform (Inhaled). A creature subjected 
  to this poison must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw or become poisoned for 1 hour. The 
  poisoned creature is unconscious for the duration. 
      Rattlesnake Venom (Injury). This poison is 
  delivered by or extracted from poisonous snakes. A 
  creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a 
  DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) 
  poison damage every round. The creature can repeat 
  the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending 
  the effects on itself on a success. 
      Scorpion Sting (Injury). This poison is delivered by 
  or extracted from scorpions. A creature subjected to 
  this poison must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution 
  saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The 
  poisoned creature is paralyzed and suffers 1 Dexterity 
  ability damage per round. The creature can repeat the 
  saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the 
  effects on itself on a success. 
  Diseases 
   
   
  When a character comes into contact with a diseased 
  person, object, or hazard – such as fetid water or the 
  home of a diseased person, they must make a 
  Constitution save. The DC is dependent on the disease 
  in question. Diseases take a certain number of days to 
  manifest before any effects are suffered, listed until the 
  Manifest column. 
      Once a disease manifests, the diseased creature 
  ends its long rest suffering 1 level of exhaustion. After 
  the next long rest, and every day thereafter, the 
  creature makes another save. On a success, the 
  disease is cured but the exhaustion levels remain. 
  Exhaustion levels recover on their own at the rate of 1 
  level per day or long rest. 
       If a disease is treated with a Healer’s Healing Touch 
  ability, one level of exhaustion is immediately 
  recovered. The remaining levels, if any, must either 
  recover naturally or be treated daily (at a maximum of 
  1 level per day). 
   
  Diseases 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -46-
  
   
   
  The following list is a sample party of characters, built 
  using the Frontier campaign setting options. They 
  could be used for reference, or as an idea or option for 
  a character that is ready to play. 
   
  Clementine Brown 
  Clementine was born into a large family of cattle 
  ranchers. When tragedy claimed the rest of her kin, she 
  saddled up and rode off to save the family farm. 
   
  Clementine Brown 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Biography 
  Clementine was the youngest child in a family of cattle 
  ranchers deep in the Wyoming Territory. While her 
  four older brothers and father herded the cattle, Clem 
  showed her own prowess as a skilled rider and roper. 
  When her mother died of pneumonia, Clem also began 
  tending to the cooking and cleaning for the family. 
       Over the years, more tragedy would strike. Her 
  eldest two brothers died in a river crossing accident, 
  and her remaining sibling was killed in a saloon brawl. 
  Once the grief had passed, Clementine convinced her 
  sullen father to let her try to run the indebted farm. He 
  eventually agreed, and Clem set off in search of 
  partners to aid in the cause. 
   
  -47-
  
  Isaiah North  
   
   
   
  A former slave and Civil War soldier, Isaiah moved a 
  group of his friends and family out West. He was 
  supposed to fight against hostile Indians. Soon, 
  however, he sympathized with the natives and quickly 
  became an ally and peace-keeper. 
   
  Isaiah North 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Biography 
  Isaiah was born on a cotton plantation in Georgia, his 
  parents both slaves whom he never met. He was freed 
  near the outbreak of the Civil War and immediately 
  enlisted in the Union Army. He served for years as 
  advance infantry until he took a bullet to the hip, 
  sidelining him for the remainder of the war. He had 
  always regretting missing out on the last battles. 
       After the war ended, Isaiah sought employment 
  where he could. Yet he soon found the North scarcely 
  more inviting than the South. He married another 
  former slaved named Penny, and when their first child 
  was born Isaiah suggested they head out west.  
       Isaiah sought out four of his old war buddies and 
  forged a traveling party with his family. Together they 
  joined a wagon train destined for California. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  -48-
  
  Sister Maria Rosa 
   
   
   
  A former prostitute on the run after a horrific incident, 
  Rosa has tried desperately tried to keep her past 
  buried. She is shy and reserved, and wary of anyone 
  who could learn her dark secret. 
   
  Maria Rosa 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Biography 
  Rosa Vasquez was born in northern Mexico Territory to 
  a small family of farmers. When her father died and 
  her mother could no longer support her, Rosa headed 
  north in search of work. Barely able to speak English, 
  she found employment as a saloon dancer and later as 
  the latest painted lady in a prestigious brothel. 
       One day Rosa received a new client – the infamous 
  and heavy-handed Sheriff Nathaniel Keller. When 
  Keller grew drunk and aggressive, Rosa defended 
  herself by pushing the corrupt lawman out the open 
  window. She would later claim he fell, and fled both 
  the brothel and the profession. 
       Rosa joined a Catholic convent, changing her name 
  to Maria Rosa, and now wishes to absolve herself of a 
  lifetime of sins. Still worried they may catch up to her, 
  she tends to the injured and prays for safety and peace 
  of mind. 
   
   
   
   
   
  -49-
  
  Parson 
   
   
   
   
   
  Once a pastor of a small congregation, Father Thomas 
  Byrne urged nonviolence until his town was raided by 
  bandits. He abandoned his vows to enact vengeance on 
  the men responsible, traveling the West as a nameless 
  gunslinger.  
   
  Parson 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Biography 
  Thomas Byrne arrived in New York from Ireland as a 
  small boy. His family was strict but level-headed, and 
  when Thomas decided to join the Church his parents 
  supported him completely. Eventually his 
  apprenticeship brought him further west and south 
  until finally he operated his own church in Texas. 
       Some years later an unknown outlaw posse rode 
  into town, shooting up the place and robbing from the 
  frightened civilians. They burst into Byrne’s church, 
  stealing from the parishioners. Byrne told the 
  congregation not to meet violence with violence. On 
  their way out, however, the outlaws were told “not to 
  leave witnesses,” then proceeded to shoot up and burn 
  down the town. Byrne and a handful of civilians 
  survived, a fate he couldn’t decide was better or worse 
  than death. 
       Byrne left his post and standing, chasing what 
  scant clues he could find on the outlaw posse. 
  Adopting the vague moniker Parson, he now resorts to 
  the violence and vengeance he once condemned in his 
  hunt for the ones responsible for the massacre. 
   
  -50-
  
   
   
   
   
  Special thanks and appreciation to all of the artists whose work appeared in this 
  publication. For those artworks whose creators could not be identified, the website on 
  which they were found fills in for the name.  Credits are listed in order of appearance.
   
  -51-
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/BTD Press/BTD Press - Frontier v2.0.pdf