[Draft] New Class: The Noble

Just a thing I threw together, probably not very good! Feedback, please. :)

- Alex

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They say you'll be no use in a dungeon. You're sure you're not afraid to get your hands dirty. Prove it, noble.

Look
Stats
   4+constitution HP
   d6 damage

Gear
   You begin play with 50 gold, any mundane gear you desire, and two or three hirelings that the GM will detail for you.

Bonds
   
Alignment
   

Races
   Dwarf: The kings and craft-princes of the dwarves were prized for their hardiness. You have +2 hit points.

   Elven: You've learned to be wary of hidden dangers and stalking assassins. When you'd suffer damage from a source you were unaware of, reduce that damage by 2.

   Human: You were born for the lure of civilization. Whenever you make a steading move, take +1.

Moves
   Connections: When you need access to something or someone, spread the word and roll+cha. On a 10+, someone has what you need for a reasonable price. On a 7-9, choose one.
      - it's exorbitantly expensive, even for you
      - it's dangerous to obtain
      - it'll cost you in non-monetary ways, like favors or tasks

   Esoteric Training: You grew up in a lavish and luxurious manner; no cost was spared in your pleasure or education. Pick two subjects from the following; when they apply to a roll you make, take +1.
      - dueling
      - horsemanship
      - ancient history
      - courtship and seduction
      - warfare and strategy
      - geography and politics
      - languages and cultures
      - sailing

   Hired Assistant: You've got a hired assistant of above-average skill and capability. Choose a class not occupied by another one of the players; your assistant has one move from that class (for the purposes of this move, preparing and casting spells counts as a single move) that they will use on your behalf and appropriate gear. Choose a name and look from that class. The assistant has hit points and damage as per that class, but uses your stats for rolls. Your hired assistant desires one of the following and will serve you as long as you provide it.
      - riches
      - justice
      - thrills
      - love
      - reknown

   Person of Lordly Caliber: When you aid or interfere with another PC, increase the bonus or penalty by 1. When you order hirelings, take +1.

Adv Moves
   Bargain: When you go to buy something, reduce the price in coins by your charisma (if this drops the price to 0 coins, they give it to you in good will or a token of admiration or something).

   Goad: When you insult and threaten an intelligent creature, roll+cha. On a hit, they're angry at you and all their focus is on you. On a 10+, take +1-ongoing against them as long as they're mad.

   Gold Magnet: Whenever you enter a steading and spend a little time there, roll+cha. On a 10+, gain 1d6*10 coin. On a 7-9, gain 1d6*5 coin. Either way, the GM'll probably ask how you got it. On a miss, you find you've been robbed!

   Gossip: When you go out in a steading and spread rumors about a person, place, or thing, roll+cha. On a hit, some people in the steading believe you, but not everyone. On a 7-9, choose one. On a 10+, choose two.
      - most everyone in the steading believes you
      - it travels to nearby steadings as fast as is reasonable
      - nobody can trace the rumors to you

   Hardened: You've been hardened by your nights on the road and days deep underground. Gain +2 hit points.

   Life of the Party: When you carouse, on a 12+ choose as many options as you'd like. Everyone had a blast and people will talk about this for years to come; you're a minor celebrity in this steading now.

   Lucky: When you make camp or visit a steading, hold 3 luck. Whenever you roll a miss, spend 1 luck and re-roll. On a hit, explain how you succeed by sheer fortune and good luck. When you spend your last luck, well, your luck has run out... take -1-forward until you gain more.

   Student: You've learned well from your companions. Whoever you have the most bonds with, choose and learn one of their class moves.

   Talented Assistant: Your assistant has all the starting moves of his class.

   Word of Command: When you give an NPC or collected group of NPCs an order, roll+cha. On a 10+, select two and the GM will pick one. On a 7-9, the GM picks one.
      - they angrily attack
      - they back of slowly
      - they grovel and beg
      - they do it
      - they offer you something else they think you want

   Worldly: You pick up new skills easily; choose a playbook not currently in use by another player and gain a move from it.

(6-10)
   Jack of All Trades (Requires: Worldly): You pick up new skills easily; choose a playbook not currently in use by another player and gain a move from it.

   Keen Learner (Requires: Student): You've learned well from your companions. Whoever you have the most bonds with, choose and learn one of their class moves.

   Master Assistant (Requires: Talented Assistant): Your assistant is considered to be one level lower than you and gains advancements as appropriate.

   Supremely Lucky (Requires: Lucky): You may also spend your luck to:
      - avoid all damage from a single attack
      - find or have on hand a single mundane item you need
      - run into someone helpful to you right now

For gear, consider:  Ask each other person at the table to detail one hireling that will begin play in your employ.

Hardened seems out of place.  Consider: Well Fed - Years of the fine cooking and never having missed a meal have done wonders for your health, take +2 HP.

Student and Worldly and Jack of All Trades and Keen Learner make the noble quite the multi-class.  

For gear, consider:  Ask each other person at the table to detail one hireling that will begin play in your employ.

Hardened seems out of place.  Consider: Well Fed - Years of the fine cooking and never having missed a meal have done wonders for your health, take +2 HP.

Student and Worldly and Jack of All Trades and Keen Learner make the noble quite the multi-class.  

I like your idea about having the other players detail hirelings! That's great.

For hardened, it's meant to imply a character progression, like: You started out weak and soft, but your adventuring has changed you and made you hard.

Similiarly, I see the noble as entering the world of adventuring sort of naively, but very open and curious, so he or she picks up more knowledge as they go along. This is the logic behind things like Student &etc.

I really love this!

Master Assistant seems like a rather steep advance. If you take that as your level 10 move your assistant suddenly gains 8 moves/advances?

What if your assistant could spend XP to level up like you (but never to your level or higher)? If the noble gets to mark XP for failures on the assistant's dice then he'll already be getting some more XP than everyone else, maybe the assistant is kind of an XP sink?

Yeah, it's clunky and inelegant.

Having the assistant gain-and-spend XP might work, although it leads to a few potentially odd cases. Still, might be the best bet. One thing is, when you take the advance, instead of the assistant just getting the new moves, they gain one.

Then, whenever you spend time in a steading (similiar to the preperation move), they study and learn another move, until they have the proper compliment.

Edit: Unless you mean making assistant XP gain part of the base move, and not an advancement! That should work okay.

Esoteric Training: amusing pastimes or games of skill and chance or something

Above the Law: when you plunge a blade into another person, do +2 damage?

I actually really like the idea that the assistant could level higher than the PC.  That seems like it captures the noble essence better.  Maybe you end up sort of a hive character.
 
And I'd like Gold Magnet better if the 7-9 result got you the same cash as the hard hit, but with complications.

Above the Law: when you plunge a blade into another person, do +2 damage?

Above the Law
When you return to a civilized place in which you've caused trouble before, roll+Cha. On a hit, all the right people feel that your ill deeds are of little consequence. On a 7–9, that, and, the GM chooses a complication:
• ...but only if you seek a pardon personally
• ...but only if you make a show of good faith
• ...but only if you have something to offer

Mease, I really like that move! And Christopher, yeah, that'd probably be a better result on a 7-9.

I'll upload a more complete version reflecting the changes when I can, probably over the weekend.

Yeah, it's clunky and inelegant.

Having the assistant gain-and-spend XP might work, although it leads to a few potentially odd cases. Still, might be the best bet. One thing is, when you take the advance, instead of the assistant just getting the new moves, they gain one.

Another option that might be a bit "faster" than tracking individual XP would be this:

Master Assistant (Requires Talented Assistant)
Your assistant has greatly increased their skills in their chosen profession. Choose 4 Advanced Moves from the Level 2-5 list for the assistant's class OR two Advanced Moves from the Level 2-5 list and one Advanced Move from the Level 6-10 list.

This is very interesting.  Much more of a "Pet Class" than even the Ranger.  I like it!

I like your explanation for Hardened.  Most class Moves are about the character becoming more skilled in his Class.  A Rogue with Advanced Rogue moves is more Rogue-y than one with only Basic Rogue Moves.

But with Hardened, you have a Noble not becoming better at Nobbing.  Instead, the Noble is growing as a PERSON and an ADVENTURER, not just as a Noble.  I like it.

You should word the hirelings like they do in Apocalypse world:

You have three hirelings (perhaps named Alfred, Ralf The Giant and Mister Hornbury).

I find the racial moves a little bland, Maybe have 1 get a bonus (I like the elves, it's flavourful and pretty awesome) and the other ones getting something that expands what they can do (additional questions to moves, etc.)

I liked your class, but I think it step in some bard's toes (with great ideas)...

So, don't you mind if I take some of it to bard?

I liked your class, but I think it step in some bard's toes (with great ideas)...

So, don't you mind if I take some of it to bard?

You can of course borrow any ideas you'd like. :)
Of course, perhaps some of this can be refactored out to a Compendium Class that either nobles or bards could take. Hm...

Oh, and to MrPrim's last comment: I really love how there's implicit character development inherent in many *world character advancement systems (esp. apoc world) but I see it a little lacking in DW (although there are some good cases!).

Maybe an advanced move where you move closer to the throne?  Something like the Get In Line move from the 2nd Compendium?