Sunday, June 7, 2015

Review and Commentary On The Pay What You Want OSR PC Class - PC3 - The OSR Witch Hunter From Jeremy Reaban


Grab It Right Over
HERE
  Its about two O'clock in the morning and I've just gotten back from a game, tonight the subject of the Witch Hunter came up with my players. And one of them suggested we take a look at PC3 - The OSR Witch Hunter From Jeremy Reaban. This is a 'pay what you want' title from Drivethrurpg and emulates any number of pulp characters from Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane to Vincent Price's Witch Finder General. Clocking in at five pages, this title adds a bit of flare to the PC class but this is a strictly meat and patatoes no nonsense download. And that in my opinion is a good thing. This isn't a download that wastes your time at all and gives options for playing this character with humans, half elves, and half orcs respectively. 
Over the years I've used several of the author's character classes for players and NPC's alike, the focus here is on the PC and this product contains tables for running the witch finder in OD&D, First Edition AD&D, Basic and Expert D&D, and The Basic D&D  Encyclopedia  style games and the retroclones of these games. Everything fits into five pages including the author's suggestions and options for getting the most pulptastic options out of this PC class.
But is this a well done PC class? With bits and pieces of the clerical abilities mixed in with the combat skills of a fighter the witch finder has a lot to offer a party and does it with some style. This is a PC who could be a fantastic asset to a party or a fantastic ass depending upon the player's reaction and take with this class.
Everything is in tact to get the most out of the witch hunter in all of its aspects.
This class rings with the swash and buckle that a DM expects and I was taken back to my youth with Marvel's Solomon Kane as all of the aspects of the story are there in this class in spades. 


From the stand point of a DM this is an excellent addition to the tool box of the DM for creating an NPC. But for the characters this is an excellent class to keep games moving. Given the history and weirdness of these characters this is a great class to have. Adding in a witch hunter is a great show of faith in the people that the players are playing with. All of the high points of the class feature some solid write up action with a springing board for the imagination of the players. All in all this is a nice up change for games and I could see adding this class to everything from Lamenations of the Flame Princess to fully flesh out and engaging AD&D first edition campaigns. I can even see using this class fully done for a White Star campaign or other futuristic adventure as well where the pulp is just about coming off of the ceiling.
All in all I was really glad that I took the time to grab this one on Drivethrurpg and its pretty well balance and very nicely done. 

4 comments:

  1. very well written. a nice mix of abilities.
    this could totally fit into a scifi game.
    the witch hunters could be an enforcement arm of the galactic church or other such organization. they could also be opposing the star knights, being set up as quiet Watchers by the church or government to counter the star knights if they become too great of a threat to their power.

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  2. This is one of those classes that I think would fit right into a adventuring party in a sci fi game or a sword & planet game. They make a nice counter point to the abilities of the Star Knight in White Star. I was thinking of the power of the Jedi council in the Star Wars Prequels & as a great counter point adventurer for LoFP .

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  3. Great ideas, just downloaded this one. You've given me some great ideas for a NPC villain for my White Star game!

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  4. I'm getting to these whist I can and they are great, these classes have so many ideas just brimming and bubbling under the surface that its not funny. Glad I could help out with your White Star campaign.

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