Dwarven Craftpriest

Out of all the classes, this one strikes me as the strangest. The Elven classes are clearly equivalent to Fighter/Mage and Rogue/Mage, and the Dwarven Fighter is just that, but the Craftpriest is Cleric/nonadventurer. It seems like he gets to level slower with a low cap in exchange for having skills that either a Mage or non-adventuring Specialist could perform just as well. Perhaps there is more remaining to be fleshed out, certainly the spell list, but I can’t see what advantages the Craftpriest has over a human Cleric that would earn a level 10 cap like a Spellsword, who attack like fighters and cast like mages (while wearing armor).
One possibility to make them match their limits might be to keep their 1d6 hp, but advance on attacks and saving throws as per a fighter, making them a Fighter/Cleric hybrid with crafting for flavor. The lower HP, lower maximum level, and lack of increased base damage would prevent them from being better off physically than a pure Dwarven Fighter, but the physical skills would differentiate them from a straight Cleric. If a Fighter/Rogue class is planned for the dwarves, this would also make their racial hybridization mirror the elves (replacing fighter with mage).
Another possibility would be to give the Craftpriest a lot more item/treasure-related utility. Perhaps bonus proficiency levels in some of the crafting/magical item-related abilities, innate treasure sense or detect magic abilities, or other similar traits.

Thanks, Virgil!
Dwarven Craft-Priest was meant to be a flavorful class that embodied a dwarf’s view of the perfect dwarf.
But, truth be told, Dwarven Craft-Priest is only of only 2 classes in the game that did not get play-tested during the 2.5 year Auran Empire campaign. I hadn’t created the class when the campaign started. Unlike some other ACKS mechanics, it has not suffered the fires of actual play.
I’d love further feedback from other patrons as to whether it looks under-powered.

I think this rule makes the DCP stand out as a great option:
‘Their attention to detail gives craft-priests a +3 bonus on the skill rolls for any other proficiencies they may learn as well.’
He’s gifted an whatever he put’s his mind to - and has a wide selection of proficiencies to excel in. And as for general proficiencies, +5 to reaction rolls for Seduction attempts if he takes that proficiency? guess who’s the party Casanova.
So, with a proficiency such as Goblin Slaying, he’s getting +4 to his attack roll against Goblins ! He’s a combat machine.
Seriously, at low levels the DCP may well be seen as annoyingly adept in the eyes of the players of other characters.
I think that’s why the DCP has earnt a Level Cap

I seriously need to play this system just so I can play a DCP who’s kinda Barry White meets Macgyver. This is all your fault.

Sean - so I hadn’t actually intended that the Dwarven Craft Priest’s +3 bonus on proficiency throws would stack with a proficiency that gives a bonus on attack throws. That seems like it could get abusive very fast…
If you remove that element of it, do you still think it’s a good class?

Yes, because he’s capable of being a cool archetype…
The DCP as being basically about - crafting his own masterpieces, and recovering lost artifacts - so he’s Leonardo Da Vinci meets Indiana Jones.
I would pick proficiencies to make him more of a Cleric/Thief (and the proficiency list does allow for this distinct class mix) - he’s tombraiding in the name of his god(s), and building monuments as his wealth/status/skill increases.
Mental image: Lightly-armoured dwarf firing a grappling hook x-bow bolt to secure a rope across a cavern then sliding down, a bejewelled icon cradled in one arm.

Mental image: Lightly-armoured dwarf firing a grappling hook x-bow bolt to secure a rope across a cavern then sliding down, a bejewelled icon cradled in one arm.
Sean, that’s fantastic - I think I might use that image for the DCP character class illustration

Cool - have fun with it, and after seeing your artwork on the blog, I’ve bumped up my pledge to Visionary!

Awesome! And we just passed our goal! :slight_smile:
When I get to it (end of this week or beginning of next) I’ll post some thumbnails here for you to look at.

One of the things I like about this class is the implied setting/culture info - the Dwarven church sanctioning the recovery of artifacts by the craftpriests, making them righteous thieves, mechanically and (probably) idealistically different than human thieves. Using craft skills to support expeditions, make/repair equipment and possibly restore artifacts, allied to the access to diplomacy/combat/magic proficiencies to overcome anything that sets in the way of the recovery, makes the class interesting for campaign play or ‘special mission’ one-shots in my opinion. Or is it just me -haha ?

Sean, the “implied setting” is exactly what we were going for! That fires me up.

Their attention to detail gives craft-priests a +3 bonus on the skill rolls for any other proficiencies they may learn as well.
You know, I read that associated it to the previous sentence (which referred to “his craft”). I assumed that the “other proficiencies” referred to crafting proficiencies other than his initial one that he might learn later on.
With that bonus applying to all proficiencies, I completely agree that Cleric/Rogue is a much better way to look at the class, and the lower level cap makes a lot more sense.