Tuesday Toot – G+ is closing closed. When it was alive things happened. Things unexpected. Great things. Whilst my creative output is only modest, I thought I’d hold something up into the living light, something that came about purely because G+ existed … This is a toot to G+.
Background: This class was written in response to +Ivan Sorensen “A Touch of Class” write a class competition with a ‘Infiltrator’ as the theme. Four people submitted something (.pdf here). Mine’s below:
Infiltrator – AD&D ‘bolt-on’ class (other D&D flavours might work)
Infiltrators specialise in getting into secure locations without being noticed, and in obtaining sensitive information. An Infiltrator is not a standalone class, but is a specialisation open to the base classes, a bolt-on if you will. The specialism comes with some abilities, but at a cost to the base class.
Race
Only humans and half-humans can be Infiltrators.
Alignment
Any lawful alignment
Base class
Infiltrators can be any base class (i.e. no sub-classes like ranger, paladin, assassin or druid etc., or any dual or multi-classing) i.e. open to fighter, thief, cleric or magic user, which is permitted by their race/alignment. All limitations of the base class apply.
Ability score requirements
In addition to the minimum ability score needed by the base class, they must have a charisma score (CHR) of 14+. However, this high charisma is downplayed and concealed by the Infiltrator until/when it is needed.
Hit points
The hit dice of the character are generally downgraded by one die size for each of the base classes, i.e. fighters use a D8, clerics, thieves use D6 and magic users use a D4+1. Magic users are more hardy that normal, due to rigorous screening process of the Order (see Backstory below)
Spells
Spell casting is diminished. The spell caster gets the spell set one level below their actual level (but not lower than level 1). So a 5th level cleric gets spells normally obtainable by a 4th level cleric. This is because time is needed to hone their other skills.
Special Skills
Non-thief Infiltrators gain the following thief skills:
:- open locks
:- move silently
:- hide in shadows
:- hear noises
and all at a level matching the level of their base class. Thieves also have the above skills, but the remaining skills (i.e. ‘pick pockets’, ‘find and remove traps’, ‘climb walls’ and ‘read languages’) are at half the normal value.
In addition, all Infiltrators get the following abilities:
:- Shadow (equivalent score to the ‘pick pockets’ score of a thief of the same level) – ability to follow a target person without attracting attention or suspicion
:- Pass checkpoint (equivalent score to the ‘find and remove traps’ score) – ability to pass routine security-type checks, by bluff, intimidation, flattery, distraction, or other means
:- Fit in (equivalent score to the ‘climb walls’ score) – ability to naturally ‘fit in’ to their surroundings, be it a social function, strutting through the city barrack or just quietly sitting by the docks fishing. That is, they can adopt mannerisms that make them appear to naturally belong in that location/environment
:- Disguise (equivalent score to read languages score) – with adequate preparation, have the ability to prepare a convincing disguise. The disguise can fool anyone taking only a cursory inspection of the character. For example, a bowing chamber maid could mistake the character for the Lord of the keep, even at close range. However, a disguise would not fool the Lord’s daughter wishing to speak with her father
Swapping genders lowers the ability score by half. For each inch in height the character wishes to appear above (or below) their normal height, a -5% modifier applies.
Backstory
Infiltrators belong to a shady organisation of Information Merchants call The Order.
The Order is an organisation that has Chapters in most capital cities. Run by grey men who accept gold for information and secrets. Kings, merchants, and even jealous wives call in at their opulent halls. The Order’s clients are a closely guarded secret. Apart from that, little is known about the Order.
The Order find, save or even abduct stray youths. Youths that will not be missed by anyone.
Most of these youths fail a rigorous screening process, and find themselves working their lives away in various projects, usually rural farms, owned by the Order.
However, a small percentage of those youths are diamonds in the rough. They are selected, polished and honed into the principle organs of the Order. That is, those that pass the stringent vetting process become the Order’s ‘Infiltrators’. The Order prefer the term ‘Investment’.
Only the most loyal and dedicated youths are trained as ‘Infiltrators’. Once their core training is done, they are released into the outside world. Some are simply given a sword a shield and a purse of gold. Others find themselves with a letter of introduction to a mages’ towers, or to a temple of a lawful Deity.
From that point on, the fledgling Infiltrators strive to achieve power and mastery in their adopted field. Fighters often find themselves in the city guard, or in positions of power in armies. Clerics, the healers to the royal court. Many simply become free-booters, honing their skills through adventure. These adventures being able to move freely in the world without question. These drifters are amongst the most useful ‘Investments’ that the Order can call on.
No matter their chosen field of pursuit (i.e. their base class), the Infiltrator always awaits the call of the Order, should they be needed (some never are). The Infiltrator will see no conflict in acting for the Order, even to the detriment of their chosen profession. Where possible, the Order try to avoid outright personal conflicts. That said, the Order accepts no betrayal, and has a team of ‘Sleepers’ used to ‘extinguish’ Infiltrators gone ”wild”.
– – –
Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.
On a four hour train journey I decided to try something new. Rather amazingly, the idea worked first time. Since then H’Excel has had a bunch of iterative tweaks, like staggering the cells in Excel.
Download: Link
This free 
This got me thinking about making my own version of the Monster Mark system, that (hopefully) was better than the Monster Mark system, but didn’t rely on computer combat simulations. And, using a spreadsheet should be able to do all the boring maths! After messing with Google Sheets for a while I had a system that I think worked, or was at least was getting there.
Shared Google Sheet project 
I then realized (as I tweaked and re-tweaked this system) that in fact the most decisive factor in nearly all cases was the HD of the monster. As I hear people say on TV: “Go Figure“!! Aside for a few rare cases; if it’s big (i.e. has a big HD), it’s also bad. If it’s big it often has nasty tricks too. So, other than HD, what is the next most decisive factor in making a monster mean; well the monster’s tricks of course!
Goblin's Henchman 