- Alternate Fighter For, like, D&D and stuff like that by ZAK SABBATH
- OSR: Class: Fighters by Skerples
- New OSR class: The Swordslave by Michael Quinn
What I like the most is that these could be inserted in a regular OSR game without the need to change anything else. You could have different players playing different fighter characters by using a different level-up system/alternative class.
Zak provides probably the most complete level-up system (and one that provides variety for all your players - no two fighters will be the same), Skerples has some very interesting backgrounds to add to your fighter, Michael Quinn has a slightly overpowered class to present (balanced with these two simple lines: "Saving throws and attack progression as Fighter / Level progression as Magic User").
More in details, for each of the links above:
Alternate Fighter For, like, D&D and stuff like that
by ZAK SABBATH
This is pretty much a new fighter from the ground up.
It's based most explicitly on the Lamentations of the Flame Princess: Weird Fantasy RPG fighter [...]It:
-differentiates PCs mechanically a little more
-suggests a slightly more D&Dish, pile-of-goblin-skulls and less Cthulhu-esque-monster-of-the-week background than LOTFP, and
-makes levelling up a little more fun than it usually is. [...]
When you level up as a fighter in LOTFP 3 things happen: more hit points, attack bonus goes up, saves might get better. So in this...
WARRIOR (Fighter Variant)
...you start with your normal 0 level hit points and saves. Write those down.
At first level, and each time you level up, you get your hit points as usual, but instead of the attack bonus and saves improving on a schedule, you roll twice on this table. Do what it says--there are also indicators of what to do if you re-roll that same result over again in places where that's hard to figure out... [...]
http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2012/06/alternate-fighter-for-like-d-and-stuff.html
OSR: Class: Fighters
by Skerples
Rolling up a Wizard in the GLOG system is fun and exciting, and I've tried to make Knights interesting too. Now it's time for Fighters. [...]
I think you can judge a system by its fighters. Every OSR blogger under the sun has a new and interesting system for spells, shamans, zombie-tamers, trained dogs, and half-goat-half-werewolf-half-angels, but you can tell if someone really cares by how they build their "chump with a sword" class. The GLOG one is pretty good. [...]
Who Are You?
When I retire, I'm going to put my sword on my shoulder and start walking away from the war, and I'm going to keep on walking until I meet a man who says, "Hey, what's that thing on your shoulder?" Then I'm going to stop, stab him, and take his house. [...]
You didn’t choose it. It chose you.
You found it enveloped in the old growth of an ancient tree. Or your father took it out of a plain wood chest and gave it to you the day you left home. Or maybe that’s just what you told them after you stripped it off some wandering vagrant after you killed him over a few mouthfuls of wine.
Regardless, whatever your life was before is over. You belong to this sword as much as it belongs to you. [...]
Swordslaves are vagabond warriors who possess a mystic blade with a mind of its own.
Class Abilities
Saving throws and attack progression as Fighter
Level progression as Magic User [...]
Possible ways to make an interesting OSR fighter class variant/level-up system (perhaps just making a list for myself):
- Weapons and Armor Restrictions are usually not a fighter thing: consider trading different abilities or bonuses with the introduction of some restrictions
- Additional Attacks are a classic; let's make them interesting... and so Parry or other defensive options
- To-hit roll, Damage roll Bonuses are also a classic; let's tune them
- Increase the XP req. in exchange for more powerful options, or reduce it for smaller, more frequent level-up alternatives (I prefer to reduce it in exchange for a less powerful progression)
- I am a big fan of random level-up options; they reduce decision-paralysis issues (common with players, especially if level-up is rare and it becomes a big deal), they embrace the OSR spirit for random and they make for interesting combinations
Below are some screenshots of my fighter variants in Crying Blades, the Crying Hack, and the Black Dogs zine (that page is from issue #5):
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