Continuing my thoughts on updating Al-Qadim to 5th edition (see here, here, and here): The Hakima and the Sha'ir seem to be the most class-like of the Al-Qadim kits. But what about all the rest? Well, there is a really quick/dirty Al-Qadim conversion for the basic rules out there already.
But I'm not thrilled with it since it just converts each kit to a background basically, including the crazy sha'ir which then seems to indicate you must link that background to the wizard class. In my opinion, not the role of a background. There is an interesting take on the Elemental mage: basically ditch the sorcerer having elemental provinces, then only the one wizard option gets a list of allowed/banned spells. And you don't worry about what bards and the like do. Hmm...
Fortunately, many 2nd edition kits make perfectly good backgrounds (and there's an accent explosion happen for no good reason!):
The remaining backgrounds in the book can easily be renamed
That leaves a few kits:
Some of these can just become their own backgrounds: Desert Rider, Faris (Holy Warrior), Mercenary Barbarian (renamed just Mercenary?), and Matrud (Outcast) seem quite amenable to background treatment.
Something like the Káhin can probably just be a new name for the Druid. The Holy-Slayer is pretty much just an Assassin (perhaps replace poison with a favored weapon specialty?).
The Barber might make a nice Rogue archetype on the surface, but Rogues don't specialize till third level, and you'd presumably want that barber focus from the get-go (rogues still can do a thief or assassin things before they specialize, they don't do the barbering stuff so much). So barber is a bit better as a background too.
I've already mused on the Sha'ir and Hakima and think they'll do well as sorcerous origins for the sorcerer class.
That just leaves the Sorcerer, Elemental Mage, and those other wizard kits from the complete Sha'ir's handbook. None of the wizard kits really seem to be much of a background, and more like wizard traditions. So it makes sense to add in a few other backgrounds to support these intelligence-based things a wizard would be doing: Vizier or Qádi (Judge) and the like. Hidden Mage is another background that comes to mind for someone who is or has been keeping their identity as an Elemental Mage secret.
Now, going the other way, there's a few classes that didn't exist in Al-Qadim originally. Barbarians work fine as outlanders or mercenaries. Unenlightened tribes from the deserts, islands, or ruined kingdoms make prime sources of Barbarians. Monks don't fit as well, but might be Fakírs or other ascetic priest types. Adding an ascetic or Fakír background might be useful, but they might also be Mystics of Nog. Druids, already mentioned above, can be Káhins or Idol priests of the ruined kingdoms (making Idol Priest a nice variant of Acolyte).
So the new backgrounds to add/adapt:
But I'm not thrilled with it since it just converts each kit to a background basically, including the crazy sha'ir which then seems to indicate you must link that background to the wizard class. In my opinion, not the role of a background. There is an interesting take on the Elemental mage: basically ditch the sorcerer having elemental provinces, then only the one wizard option gets a list of allowed/banned spells. And you don't worry about what bards and the like do. Hmm...
Fortunately, many 2nd edition kits make perfectly good backgrounds (and there's an accent explosion happen for no good reason!):
- Áskar - Folk Hero
- Corsair - Sailor/Pirate
- Pragmatist, Ethoist, Moralist - Acolyte
- Sa'lúk - Charlatan, Criminal/Spy, Urchin
- Mystic - Hermit
- Outland Warrior, Outland Priest, Askar - Outlander
- Mamlúk - Soldier
- Beggar-Thief - Urchin
- Merchant Rogue - Guild Artisan/Merchant (Merchant version, obviously)
- Rawun - Entertainer
The remaining backgrounds in the book can easily be renamed
- Noble/Knight - Emír
- Guild Artisan/Guild Merchant - Artisan (Artisan Version)
- Sage - Fine, could be renamed Faqíh
That leaves a few kits:
- Desert Rider
- Fáris
- Mercenary Barbarian
- Elemental Mage
- Sorcerer
- Sha'ír
- Barber
- Holy-Slayer
- Matrúd
- Káhin
- Hákima
Some of these can just become their own backgrounds: Desert Rider, Faris (Holy Warrior), Mercenary Barbarian (renamed just Mercenary?), and Matrud (Outcast) seem quite amenable to background treatment.
Something like the Káhin can probably just be a new name for the Druid. The Holy-Slayer is pretty much just an Assassin (perhaps replace poison with a favored weapon specialty?).
The Barber might make a nice Rogue archetype on the surface, but Rogues don't specialize till third level, and you'd presumably want that barber focus from the get-go (rogues still can do a thief or assassin things before they specialize, they don't do the barbering stuff so much). So barber is a bit better as a background too.
I've already mused on the Sha'ir and Hakima and think they'll do well as sorcerous origins for the sorcerer class.
That just leaves the Sorcerer, Elemental Mage, and those other wizard kits from the complete Sha'ir's handbook. None of the wizard kits really seem to be much of a background, and more like wizard traditions. So it makes sense to add in a few other backgrounds to support these intelligence-based things a wizard would be doing: Vizier or Qádi (Judge) and the like. Hidden Mage is another background that comes to mind for someone who is or has been keeping their identity as an Elemental Mage secret.
Now, going the other way, there's a few classes that didn't exist in Al-Qadim originally. Barbarians work fine as outlanders or mercenaries. Unenlightened tribes from the deserts, islands, or ruined kingdoms make prime sources of Barbarians. Monks don't fit as well, but might be Fakírs or other ascetic priest types. Adding an ascetic or Fakír background might be useful, but they might also be Mystics of Nog. Druids, already mentioned above, can be Káhins or Idol priests of the ruined kingdoms (making Idol Priest a nice variant of Acolyte).
So the new backgrounds to add/adapt:
- Desert Rider
- Fáris
- Mercenary
- Barber
- Matrúd (Outcast)
- Vizier
- Qádi (Judge)
- Fakír (Ascetic)
- Idol Priest
- Hidden Mage
No comments:
Post a Comment