New Class - The Mob

This class was inspired by this post:

http://udan-adan.blogspot.com/2016/09/bx-class-extras.html

I thought it was a cool idea, so I built it in ACKS (and am playtesting it now as one of my PCs hired a Mob henchman):

The Mob (Fighter 3, Thief 1, HD 4) – d12 HD

You aren't one person at all: instead, you are playing an indeterminate mob of nameless minor characters who follow the other PCs around. You might be a pirate crew, a band of Merry Men, a bunch of faceless stormtroopers, or anything else, but two facts remain constant: there are a lot of you (although exactly how many seems to vary from scene to scene) and, despite your numbers, collectively you only manage to achieve about as much as each of the main characters does individually. At best. 

At first level, the mob hits an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every two levels of experience (i.e. the same progression as monsters).  Mobs increase their base damage roll from their choice of missile and melee attacks by +1 at 1st level and by an additional +1 at 3rd, 6th, and 8th level.   Regardless of the number of members of a mob, they only generally manage to do as much as one PC during a combat round.

A mob can wear any armor and may use a shield.  They may use any weapons.  They may fight with a single weapon, with two weapons, with a weapon or shield, or with a two-handed weapon.  HOWEVER to get any benefit from any armor or equipment, you must purchase at least 10 suits of armor, 10 swords, etc. They also require x10 rations (This is worth -1 custom power) 

A mob finds safety in numbers, always travel together in a pack, and take up 20 square feet of space.  If the number of actual members of the mob at any time has to be determined, roll 1d12+6. 

The mob can be targeted with a melee attack by any foe within 5 ft of any member of the mob.  They share the pain and react to damage (including AOE attacks) and to healing as if a single being, sharing a single hp total as a pool. 

A mob begins at first level with a single named member (usually named ‘the Sarge’).  Every time a mob increases in level, it gains another named member, along with a characteristic.  Once during each combat or scene, a named member can take an action that is separate from the mob, such as an extra attack, asking for help, using an object, etc.  Once that named member has taken an extra action, a second member can take that action (this counts as 2 custom powers).

Mobs believe all for one and one for all.  Whenever a mob reaches 0 HP all of the nameless members end up dead, usually in a tragic and comical way.  The effect of the mortal wounds table is applied to one of the named members of the mob.  If the named member dies, the mob is reduced in level.  They mob is reduced to the midpoint of the next lower level.   If the named person is later raised from the dead, the mob is returned to the prior level with the minimum xp for that level. The surviving named members continue as henchman for the expedition, Sarge at lvl -1 and the rest as ½ level.  The mob does not gain experience for anything that occurs after being reduced to 0 hp. (This counts as 1 custom power). 

Mobs begin with only one class proficiency (plus intelligence) which all members know.  They gain one proficiency per level, alternating between class and general proficiencies.  The named member is the one with that proficiency.  They do not gain any other proficiencies when they gain levels.  If they all spend 2x normal time training they can learn additional proficiencies, with every member learning that proficiency. 

Finally,many hands make light work.  Beginning at first level, a mob can do the work of two people and have the carrying ability of two people.  This increases by 1 person per level. To determine encumbrance  and carrying capacity, first multiply the encumbrance value of the armor and weapons by (lvl +1).  This is the base encumbrance carried by the mob.  Add the weight of any additional items (e.g. treasure, supplies, etc.).  Add 5 x level    stone to the base levels of encumbrance (This counts as 1 custom power).

Proficiency List: Alertness, Ambushing, Bargaining, Climbing, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (disarm, force back, knock down, incapacitate, overrun, wrestling), Fighting Style, Gambling, Intimidation, Language, Manual at Arms, Mapping, Mountaineering, Navigation, Precise Shooting, Profession, Riding, Running, Seafaring, Signaling, Skirmishing, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus

Experience

Title

Lvl

Hit Dice

Damage

BTH

Workload

Encumbrance

0

Rabble

1

1d12 (12)

+1

0

2

10/12/15/25+STR

4600

Crowd

2

2d12 (13)

+1

+1

3

15/17/22/30+STR

9200

Group

3

3d12 (18)

+2

+2

4

20/22/27/35+STR

18400

Throng

4

4d12 (26)

+2

+3

5

25/27/32/40+STR

36800

Gang

5

5d12 (32)

+2

+4 

6

30/32/37/45+STR

73600

Mass

6

6d12 (39)

+3

+5

7

35/37/42/50+STR

150000

Horde

7

7d12 (35)

+3

+6

8

40/42/47/55+STR

300000+

Multitude

8

8d12 (52)

+4

+7

9

45/47/52/60+STR

I love tis idea, and may adapt it for psychic hivemind characters.

I should probably point out that, as written, your mobs are weirdly vulnerable to mind control other non-damaging spell effects that usually target only one person.

They idea is that they represent, say a salty crew of pirates, a group of followers, etc.  They are the red shirts.  As they level up they get become more competant until they become the howling commandos.  

Even if mind controlled, since they only have one action per round, it has limited effect.  The real problem I've seen is that they are easy to injure as they have a large surface area to engage in melee.  

The PC that hired the Mob NPC wants to let them go as they are only usable in the wolderness due to the amount of room they take up.  I might reduce the total area. 

[quote="jojodogboy"] Even if mind controlled, since they only have one action per round, it has limited effect. [/quote] That's true of any henchman, though - and my point was that effects that can normally only affect one person can affect an entire mob depite that mob being ten people. Yes, it's mechanically balanced, but it feels strange that spells like flesh to stonefly, and haste only affect a single person unless they're cast on a group of people with similar skills who habitually hang out together. (Polymorph other could get even weirder, in that respect.)

Perhaps giving the mob a custom power along the lines of "spells and effect that would take out a single character reduce a mob's hit points by 10%, rounded up" would work?

[quote="jojodogboy"] The PC that hired the Mob NPC wants to let them go as they are only usable in the wolderness due to the amount of room they take up.  I might reduce the total area. [/quote] Do you allow the mob to walk single-file when there's a narrow corridor?

I applaud how you built this class. It is probably less "associated" (as in linking of game-world physics to game-mechanics) than the customary ACKS mechanics, but it's really clever.

 

TBH I never considered stoning or polymorph.  Depending on the source of the stoning, I might have them ALL turned to stone (the belt buckles, highly polished shields, and a glance at the reflection of the medusa in their shiny weapons causing the entire mob turn to stone).  As for the polymorph, one would be polymorphed and the rest would scatter, never to be seen unless the polymorphed is changed back.  Treating alteration as death is a valid alternative as well.

My rule is that all mob 'members' must be adjacent but doesn't need to be in any particular shape, so they could all be on the right half of a 10' corridor for 20' and take up the whole corridor in the back.  I'll probably make it easier and just say that they take up the space of 10 figures.

[quote="Alex"]

I applaud how you built this class. It is probably less "associated" (as in linking of game-world physics to game-mechanics) than the customary ACKS mechanics, but it's really clever.

 

[/quote]

Thanks, but all of the design was done by the blogger in the original post.  I just did whatever I had to so the build was limited to 8th level, as a mob having followers (at 9th level) would hurt my brain.

Did I read correctly that Frank in his other thread had adopted your class to solve his problem with players who didn't like mobs of henchmen?

[quote="Alex"]

Did I read correctly that Frank in his other thread had adopted your class to solve his problem with players who didn't like mobs of henchmen?

[/quote]

He described something similar.  His version, with only 5 at the start, may be the way to go, instead of the default 8-10.

I did notice this post and the mob concept - and I liked it. However I do not use the mob in a combat concept and not as described above - in detail. I rather use the mob to handle a bunch of people that have chosen to follow a cleric due to the share of faith. They avoid combat, but offer great role playing concept. I, as the GM, handle the mob and it is more easy for me to handle one character sheet than several. The PC cleric character enjoy the attention of his fatihfull followers. He holds services for them, they cheer in combat or 'gofetch' and they make food for him and such (major ego boost for the PC). There is really not need for stats to cover that. But it is ok with some rules to determine how large the crowd is. My version of the mob has 3 members on level 0 - and 16 members on level 8. 

I have 'stolen' the consept and ideas of the mob above - to adopt it to my own need in my current campagin. The Cleric, didn't like to micomanage henchmens himself, so my version are not intended for combat and are toned down. If you like, I can post my variant on the class above. No offence intended to you, Mr.  jojodogboy. It's kind of a 'swarm' approach to commoners, and it was intended for inhouse use.

no offense taken.  I stole the idea from someone else.  Let me know how it works out, because if it works better, I'll change it in my campaign.