Every adventure has it’s caretakers. Those who cook the food, purchase the supplies, watch the wagons, bandage the wounded, polish the armor, tend to the fires, and aid their allies in a million other mundane ways often overlooked in the heroic narrative.
The Hearthwarden is a class that represents these unsung heroes. Originally written for Dungeon Crawl Classics, it should be easily converted into other OSR systems based on B/X or similar.
“The way is lit. The path is clear. We require only the strength to follow it.“
– Darkest Dungeon
Author’s Note: This class uses some non-standard dice. If you do not have access to the d5, d14 (etc) simply use another die and reroll invalid results. For example if you are rolling a d18, simply use a d20 and reroll any result of 19 or 20.
Basic Stats
Hit Dice: d5
Saves: As per a Thief +1
Experience Table: As Cleric (For those converting this to other OSR games.)
Weapons & Armor
Hearthwardens are proficient in all weapons that double as tools (hatchets, hammers, knives, etc) as well as all tools that double as weapons (torches, frying pans, broken bottles, etc) and suffer no penalty for either being improvised. When using tools as weapons, the character deals damage as per the most similar standard weapon. (A frying pan becomes a mace, a broken bottle becomes a dagger, etc.)
They are also proficient with all ranged and throwing weapons typically used for hunting. (This includes firearms if such things exist in your setting.)
Hearthwardens are only proficient in the lightest armors – padded, and leather.
Attack Bonus
The Hearthwarden uses a d18 to attack, and scores a critical hit on a natural 18.
| Level | 1 – 2 | 3 – 4 | 5 – 6 | 7 – 8 | 9+ |
| Attack Bonus | +1 | +2 | +3 | +4 | +5 |
Special: The Hearthwarden’s attack bonus is also awarded to Level 0 characters accompanying them. Level 0 characters cannot benefit from more than one Hearthwarden at a time.
Additionally when defending a campsite, inn, home or similar resting place you gain a +X bonus to attack, damage, and armor class equal to 1 + (1/3rd Class Level) rounded down. This additional bonus is not awarded to your allies.
Nightwatch
Even half-asleep your senses are finely attuned to danger. You are always considered to be “awake” for the purpose of detecting approaching enemies or similar threats. This allows you to stay on guard duty an entire night without being fatigued the following day.
Quartermaster
You gain a 20% price reduction when purchasing mundane traveling supplies such as rations, blankets, tents, firewood, hunting equipment, wagons, workhorses, sturdy clothing, etc. This discount does not apply to luxury items such as finery, instruments, magical supplies, etc.
The Hearthwarden also has the foresight to bring spare items. During their travels they have three unspecified “Spares” that they can call upon should the need arise. They do not state what the “Spares” are until this ability is being used. Until that point they are simply unopened boxes, bags, etc kept alongside their other supplies.
When another member uses up or loses a mundane item, the Hearthwarden may use one of their Spares to replace it. For example if the group runs out of food, the Hearthwarden might use one of their Spares to reveal an extra stash of food. Should an ally lose their weapon in battle, a Spare might be used to replace it.
The Hearthwarden must have the funds to retroactively purchase the item, and they must have reasonably been able to acquire the item within the context of the setting. Once this ability has been used the Hearthwarden must spend time in a marketplace to resupply. One hour in the markets equates to one new Spare being acquired. They may never have more than three Spares at any given time.
Mending
You are skilled at bandaging wounds, patching clothes, sharpening blades, and otherwise keeping your possessions and companions in good shape. This ability requires 10 minutes to use and targets one item or character. It has an X-in-6 chance of success, which improves with your level. If the roll is a failure it may not be used on the same target again until that target has been fully healed or repaired via other means.
| Level | 1 – 2 | 3 – 5 | 6 – 8 | 9+ |
| Chance | 2 in 6 | 3 in 6 | 4 in 6 | 5 in 6 |
When used on a person it will restore their health to to one-half their maximum HP. This ability has no effect on characters with more than half their health remaining. Since your skills extend to items, this effect may also be given to automatons and other inorganic creatures who normally require repairs rather than first aid.
When used on an item it will entirely negate the effects of minor damage and regular wear-and-tear. If used on a magical item the dice must be rolled twice, and both attempts must succeed. It has no effect on items which have simply been used up, such as a potion that has been consumed.
If the item has been completely broken, the Hearthwarden can only manage a partial and temporary repair. Should the improvised repair succeed, the item only has half it’s usual effect until it can be properly repaired by an appropriate artisan. For example repairing a broken sword causes it to deal half-damage until a swordsmith is able to reforge it.
Items which have been completely destroyed are beyond the skill of the Hearthwarden. They might be able to salvage a map that has been ripped to shreds and splattered with blood, but they cannot recover one that has been incinerated in a roaring fire.
| Some Examples | |
| Damaged | Weapon that has rusted or dulled. |
| Broken | Weapon that has snapped in half. |
| Destroyed | Weapon that has melted from extreme heat. |
| Damaged | A lens which has been cracked or scratched. |
| Broken | Glasses with mangled and twisted frames. |
| Destroyed | Lenses that have shattered to pieces. |
| Damaged | Stale and hardened bread. |
| Broken | Bread with patches of mould. |
| Destroyed | Bread dropped in toxic slime. |
Torchbearer
Light sources you are carrying (lanterns, torches, etc) extend their illumination out an additional +10’. Allies (including yourself) within the radius of your light source are better able to detect hidden dangers.
When rolling to detect an ambush, trap, environmental hazard, or the tracks of a dangerous creature, they may roll twice keeping the better result.
Upon reaching 5th level allies in the radius also gain 1 point of damage reduction. This reduction cannot eliminate damage entirely, meaning that there will still be a minimum of 1 damage.
Upon reaching 10th level your light source pushes back magical darkness and shadow-creatures automatically take 1d12 damage per round while in the radius of your light source.
Defiant Flames
Fires you have tended to or are carrying are resistant to burning out. Should they be extinguished against your wishes, roll a d4. On a 1 the fire only flickers out for a moment before restoring itself. This can protect a flame against rain, wind, low fuel, damage to the lantern, and so on. This can also enhance the effectiveness of fire-based weapons, making them harder for the victim to extinguish.
This ability cannot keep a flame burning underwater, in areas without oxygen, areas magically warded against fire, or other conditions where normal flames are simply impossible.
Kitchencraft
Your allies gain special bonuses when they eat a proper meal of your creation. For the purpose of this ability a “Proper Meal” requires the following:
1) At least 3 different types of fresh ingredients.
2) 1 Hour of Cooking +10 minutes for each hungry character after the 5th.
3) Cookware and Kitchen space
4) Tableware and Dining Space
5) An hour to eat together.
Those who participate in the meal gain the following temporary bonuses:
1) Temporary HP equal to 2x the Hearthwarden’s Level
2) Three +1 bonuses that may only be spent on rolls to resist illness, fatigue, and similar physical maladies.
Adding expensive spices increases the power of the meal. The temporary HP multiplier is raised to 3x, and the bonuses are now +2 instead of +1.
If a second meal is eaten together, any remaining bonuses from the previous meal are lost. If it is not eaten the food will lose this special power after three hours. This ability cannot be used more than once in a 24 hour period.
[DCC] Action Dice & Critical Tables
| Level | 1 – 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Dice | d18* | d18 + d12 | d18 + d14 | d18 + d16 | d18 + d18 | d18 + d18 + d12 | d18 + d18 + d14 |
Hearthwardens may only use their first action die to attack with regular weapons. Their additional dice may be used to set things (or opponents) ablaze, or actions that aid allies in a non-combat capacity. The latter might include things like dragging a wounded warrior to safety, cauterizing a bleeding wound, fetching additional ammunition, tossing a potion to another ally, searching for a secret exit, etc.
Hearthwardens crit on a natural 18. When rolling for non-combat skill check roll add a +1 to their roll result.
| Level | 1 – 2 | 3 – 4 | 5 – 6 | 7 – 8 | 9 – 10 |
| Crit | d8/I | d10/I | d12/I | d14/I | d20/I |
1 bonus.
Campfire image generated by Craiyon.com
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