So you think you've got an idea what sort of races you want for each of the characters in your unit. That's good,
but you're only a fraction through the creation of your character. Probably biggest of all the decisions you're going
to make in this process is what class you want your character to be. Practically any other decision can be remedied,
but once you've got a job, you can't change it, you just get promoted. If your character starts out frail, you can pump
experience points into HP and strength, and he can be a pretty good fighter in a few hours of playtime. Likewise, it
may take a little longer, but a musclehead can get plenty of book-smarts by beating a few monsters.
However, once you commit to being a fighter, you're stuck with being a fighter for the rest of the game...unless
he has a tragic accident where he, say, goes into battle against 8 Level 999 Wumpii when he only has, hmm, 3 HP.
Barring these tragic "accidents", however, you're stuck with a character for better or worse.
That being said, I must stress the importance of large amounts of deliberation in the creation of characters.
Of course, you could also check the downloads page and download Unit 1, with my own pre-created unit of characters.
These are the infamous "Squirrel Brigade" that I've fantasized about since 1997. They're a well balanced
group, with one of each class. This is a good alternative to the actual creation if you're new to RPGs, or simply don't
want to bother with the creation. After a few missions, you may find that character customization is more important
to you. In other words, you can skip this chapter if you plan to just download my own dudeskis.
There are certain skills that only one class can get. This is discussed in the "Skills" and "Character Creation"
sections, but not this one.
Before you get started reading about each of the classes, please study the following GIF file, in 800x600
format.
Jump to a class!
Motivator
Fighter
Scout
Student
It helps if you read them in order, though.
MOTIVATOR
The most critical class available, you MUST have one of these d00ds in your party if you want to use
any of the more advanced abilities of the game, such as unit movement, combat, etc. Perhaps the Expansion Pack
will remedy this problem, but until then, this unit is required until the second class change for Students, and by that
point, you may just have a desk job. To help ease the pain of leadership, there is an advantage that only
one other class(student)has:the ability to get a "Happy" ending. If you wind up class-changing your way into the office
of Assistant Brigade Leader, then you basically get to call the shots for all the units in your jurisdiction, in the safety of
your comfortable leather-furnished office, with one of those mindless executive toys with the ball bearings that
swing back and forth and clack. But anyway, I'll clarify more of this stuff when you get to that section of the chapter.
The motivator should have high charisma and charm. If he has these characteristics, the other members of his
unit will look up to him and respect him, giving him a good deal of power over them. He is not yet the official leader
of his group, and can only become the official leader via a class change into "Leader".
CLASS CHANGE ABILITIES
All classes get two class changes. The units that the Motivator can become after the first class change
are the Leader and the Manipulator. This is a very difficult and important decision. A manipulator can force enemies
and even neutral units to do his bidding through tricky thinking and circular reasoning. He gains a god amount of
intelligence, but loses a small amount of charisma in the process. He is seen by other allies to be rather scheming,
and can easily find himself(And possibly his entire unit!) arrested if he tries to manipulate a friendly character from
another unit. Please note that there is a VERY fine line between motivation and manipulation. It is up to the narrator
to determine what counts and what doesn't.
On the other hand, a leader is able to get friendly characters to do almost anything he wants to. This includes
characters in his own unit played by his friends, to an extent. Characters played by other people can be given general
commands, but not specific ones. For example, "Attack enemy A then enemy B" or "Go to the giant rock at coordinates
13, 5", but not "Attack enemy A by going to coordinates 13, 5, then 13, 6, then 12, 6, then 11, 6, then 10, 5, and attack
with a combination of parry- advance- thrust- dodge- advance- thrust- dodge- dodge- thrust". A leader cannot control
his friends' units. However, if a character does not obey your command satisfactorily(To be determined by the leader
and narrator together), the offending character can be penalized in whatever ways seem fit. Suggestions would include
spending the rest of the mission in jail, and calling in another similar character type(Played by the narrator) that would
take his place, or lowering his charm and charisma by a small amount.
The second class change is not quite as critical as the first, but is still one of the biggest decisions you'll make
during the course of the game. If you chose to become a leader, you have the choice to become a Multi-Unit Leader,
or an Assistant Brigade Director. The position of Head Brigade Director is currently occupied by Qa'Pla Guy, and he
doesn't plan on leaving it any time soon. If you became a Manipulator, you have the choice to become either a Master
Manipulator or a Master Motivator.
The Multi-Unit Leader has the ability to easily switch from unit to unit as a leader. However, this does have
its share of disadvantages. If he takes command of any other unit than the one he originally commanded, he may
have difficulty getting the troops to obey his orders. To minimize the possibility of a mutiny(Which could result in
his maiming and/or death), he should have high charisma and charm. Lack of these traits will almost guarantee a
retirement plan that, shall we say, has some major downsides. Of course, the offending character will most certainly
wind up in jail, but that does you very little good.
On the other hand, the Assistant Brigade Director has a considerably safer job. He sits behind a desk all
day, and gets to work with the Brigade Director himself! I can honestly say that this is a very good job. You no
longer play a prominent role in the development of your unit, but can still give messages to them. This could even
become a weekly tradition of giving the latest news from the Squirrel Brigade's newest Assistant Brigade Director.
In addition, you receive a spiffy certificate from Qa'Pla Guy himself. The real thing looks about the same as this one,
only without an X through the seal, your name in the blank, and the "Example" logo is removed. This is the only class
that gets an award from Qa'Pla Guy himself.
There. Pretty spiffy, eh? And it's yours to print out, show to your friends, put on your website, and even frame!
(Frame not included)
The Master Motivator and Master Manipulator are very similar, perhaps the most similar of any of the
classes. The 2 differences are:
The Master Manipulator gets lower charisma and higher charm at class change, with vice-versa for the Master
Motivator
The Master Manipulator has more success in persuading enemy units, the Master Motivator, friendly
I honestly cannot recommend one of these classes over the other. Take your choice on what sort of
character you want to have. I must mention, however, that there is a possibility that the Master Manipulator will receive
the same sort of "Retirement Plan" that the Multi-Unit Leader got from allied forces. Do not try to trick them, or you
will regret it.
This ends the section on the Motivator and its offshoots.
FIGHTER
The Fighter is not necessarily required for a good unit, but he certainly makes life easier for everyone involved.
Though a Fighter suffers from severe lack of book-smarts(Intelligence), he is quite knowledgeable in the school of hard
knocks, and has exceptional strength and health. He can become even stronger after two class changes, but by
the second class change, other characters that started out weak may well be more powerful than him. However, if
he isn't in the party to begin with, it is unlikely that the weakling will survive to the next level, let alone class change.
The Fighter can also eventually evolve into more sophisticated classes, and even earn a little money on the side with
one of the jobs he can become!
The Fighter is best combined with high strength and health. Charm, charisma, and intelligence matter little
for this big oaf.
You do not NEED a Fighter in your unit to win the game, but it certainly makes life easier for everyone involved.
CLASS CHANGE ABILITIES
The units a Fighter can become after the first class change are the Warrior and the Squirzi Trainee. The Warrior
is just a more powerful version if the Fighter, with a few minor enhancements. The two classes he becomes after class
change are pretty cool, and more than just stupid muscleheads.
However, the Squirzi Trainee gets to become much more than just a fighter. Though this class change makes
very little difference as far as his stats are concerned, gives him a sweet new skill, and paves the way to become a
Squirzi Master or a Squirzi Teacher. Squirzi is the ancient squirrel art of kicking zark, but in a peaceful, non-violent way.
Powerful it can be, though tricky it sounds. A Squirzi Trainee has a minor weakness:he cannot start a fight on a whim.
He can attack with great gusto, but only if every other means of attempting to peacefully resolve the fight has been
exhausted, or the cause is so important that he cannot jeopardize his mission by letting the enemy get the first
blow. He attacks with non-lethal means if at all possible.
The second class change is possibly more important than the first, because of the huge ramifications of
the class you choose. If you chose to become a Warrior, you now can choose between a Munitions Expert or an
assassin. The Munitions Expert has the ability to place explosive charges practically anywhere he chooses,
and can use them as weapons, distractions, easy ways to create doors, or just to impress a primitive ally.
On the other hand, the Assassin acts silently, and may even leave the party to pursue independent missions
at certain points in the game. As almost the antithesis of the Munitions Expert, the Assassin believes in stealth above
all, and may not even be noticed on the battlefield as he sneaks to a safe position and lets loose with his attack.
He can easily enter an enemy base, assuming he can find the door.
The distinctions between a Squirzi Master and a Squirzi Teacher are not as prominent, but do exist.
The Squirzi Master is quite a bit stronger and faster than the Squirzi Teacher, but the Squirzi Teacher can make
a few extra bucks in local towns and outposts. Also, both of them have the ability to impress potential allies with
their incredible acrobatic talents. They also can perform impressive ranged leg attacks using boomerang shoes,
a variety of shoe so uncomfortable, that only Squirzi Masters or Teachers can endure the pain involved in wearing
them.
This concludes the section about fighters and their offshoots.
SCOUT
A scout is a quite interesting hybrid unit. He isn't the strongest or smartest class in the game, but has amazing
dexterity and vision. When combined with a swift race like the Flying Squirrel, they are a very useful for providing
the fighter with accurate information. The scout isn't the most useful class at its first level, but has some specialization
after class change that can make it VERY useful for non-violent resolution to most situations.
You may want to put off getting a scout for a while, and create a few units without them first. The scout
can offer amazing abilities to get you out of tight spots, but he is extremely specialized. I'll probably write a few
missions designed to exploit his abilities, but it'll wind up in the Expansion Pack.
Dexterity is a very good trait to pump into this class. I also recommend that you stick a good deal of intelligence
into him for after class change. Charm doesn't hurt either.
CLASS CHANGE ABILITIES
The first classes available as an offshoot of the Scout are Pilots and Spies. These 2 classes are VERY
different, and highly specialized. The pilot has a basic understanding of how to fly most non-military airplanes,
including cargo transports(Very useful for getting the rest of your unit out of enemy turf). The Spy takes a very different
approach to the protection of his unit. Should capture by enemy forces seem imminent, the Spy is able to disappear
for a short period of time and escape. Though this may seem like desertion, he can then work behind-the-scenes
to rescue his co-workers, via sabotage or similar means.
The second class change for the scout means even more advanced specialization. The Pilot can advance
into either a Recon Pilot or a Combat Pilot, and the Spy can advance into either a Master of Disguise or a Diplomat.
The Recon Pilot is still able to pilot civilian airplanes, but now can also pilot reconnaissance planes. The only
real feature this gives him is the ability to get current map information, possibly with the location of major groups
of enemies and enemy installations(At the narrator's discretion). He must launch from an established aircraft base,
and spend 3 turns to survey the area before he can land and get on with his life. He can fly in synchronization
with a combat pilot, and provide accurate information to the combat pilot, thus giving the combat pilot greater range
for his missiles. The major downside to having a Recon Pilot is that if a sadistic narrator decides to let the
enemy detect your plane, you have to perform an on-the-spot die roll, and if you lose the test your plane
is shot down, killing the pilot.
The Combat Pilot is similar to the Recon Pilot, except the Combat Pilot gets to blow stuff up. The combat pilot
only has a line-of-sight of 4, however, which means that additional intelligence from a recon plane can easily
double the range of his missiles. Though it may sound like combat planes are amazing and wonderful, there is
one last caveat to remember:A combat plane can only move 15 squares before running out of fuel and crashing, killing
the pilot. A combat plane is very difficult to shoot down, however.
Should you prefer a slightly more tame occupation, the Diplomat may be the job for you. You still can fight on
the battlefield with your friends, but if capture appears imminent, you can always show your Diplomatic papers, and
escape. The rest of your unit may wind up in trouble, but you're safe. You can then bargain your friends out of jail.
Charm is essential to this job. Almost all of your diplomatic skill tests factor in charm as a part of them.
Finally, there's a rather fun(Though slightly dangerous) class known as the Master of Disguise. Think of it
as being a squirrel version of Artemus Gordon. If you don't know who he is, check the FAQ. Anyway, you're able to
dress up as most anything, even other species. You're able to impersonate some squirrel-like mammals, and with
a high enough skill level, even larger birds. Through the use of animatronics, you might even be able to impersonate
humans. That last one'll probably be in the expansion pack. Anyhoo, you can use this skill for three major reasons:
Wreak havoc on the battlefield and confuse the stuffings out of your enemies.
Escape from battle unnoticed should the unit be captured.
Free your unit by impersonating a guard.
These skills will require varied skill tests, left up to the narrator's discretion.
This finishes up the section on Scouts.
STUDENT
The weakest class starting out, Students have a huge amount of intelligence... and not much else. They
can be found as irritating to Fighters or Leaders, and have a very small capability for inflicting physical damage.
They're weaklings, and not good for much...yet.
Since they start so weak, putting any experience points you get into HP and Dexterity is a good idea, though
I also recommend you pump more into their Intelligence also.
CLASS CHANGE ABILITIES
The first class change is critical, yet anticlimactic. You can choose from Student of Space/Time or Student of
Battle A student of Space/Time can class-change into a set of characters with amazing abilities, on and off the
battlefield. A student of Battle can take a good deal of weight off the shoulders of the leader, especially if he became
an Assistant Brigade Leader. Go ahead and read the next chunk before you pick a class.
The second class change is similar to that of a butterfly. They started out as a caterpillar, slow and weak;
morphed into a pupae; and now are the wonderful butterfly. If you chose to be a student of space, you can now
become either a Space Manipulator or a Time Manipulator. If you picked a Student of Battle, you can become
either a Tactician or a Combat Coordinator.
The Space Manipulator can use high-tech gadgets to alter the fabric of space to either change the terrain
of the battlefield or warp the party anywhere within 10 squares of their original position. By changing the terrain
of the battlefield, he can inflict MAJOR damage on enemies. Very cool indeed, but he also needs to rest for at least
5 turns before attempting a stunt like that again. Not waiting can result in minor inconveniences like, oh, death.
Of course, you can also become a Time Manipulator. The Time Manipulator is able to slow time to a near
standstill, for both him and his allies. This allows fighters in his unit to attack, with little fear of retaliation. This
also allows Assassins and Spies to search for traps in the surrounding area, with only a small chance of actual
injury and/or death. Very useful indeed, but has a slight catch:Freezing enemies only lasts for 5 turns, and you
need to rest for 10 turns before attempting to alter the very fabric of time. Same problem that happens to Space
Manipulators happens if you try to fire off another time attack before you're rested.
Should you not want to try these sort of risks, you can always go to something relatively safe like a desk job.
The Tactician is the ultimate desk job. Your character goes for a job where he studies warfare even more intensely,
and can learn the same sort of attacks that Warriors use...or Squirzi Masters...or Munitions Experts. He's anything
and everything you always wanted in a Fighter, only better. After a while(Up to the narrator's discretion), he can rejoin
the fray as the most lethal thing to show up on the battlefield since Chuck's chili.
Of course, if this isn't the sort of job you want, you can always become a Leader. Well, okay, a Combat
Coordinator. The cool thing about combat coordinators:They can actually trump the Leader/Multi-Unit Leader's command
with no penalty. He can countermand the orders of his Commanding Officer, as long as they are directly tied into
combat. He also can teach the troops a good deal about formations, and arrange some REALLY cool formations
and attack patterns.
This is the end of the section about Students.
As you can see, there are a bunch of options out there as far as characters are concerned. The choice is mostly
up to you and your friends, except at the narrator's discretion. In the next section, "Skills", we'll tackle a lot of the
things hinted at in here, only in much more detail.
