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Character Classes
Classes
Fighter Types
Hunter Pilot Police Soldier Specialist Teamster
Performer Types
Actor Artist Athlete Craftsman Musician Priest Reporter
Intellectual Types
Archaeologist Doctor Engineer Scientist
Thief Types
Burglar Con Man Gumshoe Mobster Politician Spy
Fighter Types

All fighter types start out with six skills to be used exclusively for weapon proficiencies. Every 5th level the fighter's chance to critical on a d20 to hit decreases by one; i.e. at 5th level a fighter has max damage and a chance to critical on a 19 or 20. Every level they receive a +5% on their chance to critical roll. For example, at first level a hunter must roll a natural 20 on the to hit dice, then roll under 5% on percentile. At second level, he would need to roll under 10%.

Hunter

Hunters are personifications of outdoorsmen and will style themselves as such. Hunters take several forms in society from sport hunters to primitive food hunters.

These people represent the strongest of the community when soldiers are not present. Even compared to soldiers, they are often better trained for situations which take them into the wilds. The big game hunter is more versed in the ways of hunting with a gun than the bushman. Bushmen make up for this with a stronger training in survival.

Hunters receive the following initial skills:

2 Wilderness Survival, 1 Tracking, 1Hunting, 1 Camouflage, 1 Targeting

Pilot

Pilots are able to drive any vehicle. They specialize in piloting non-traditional vehicles such as planes, tanks, trains, and ships.

The profession of pilot has been around for centuries in one form or another. In ancient times the profession was mostly for sailing ships, but it has branched out in modern times to deal with transportation of many types. The airplane pilot is probably best known and is often the center piece of 1930-40 period pieces. Their profession takes pilots to many places in the world and therefore into many adventurous locations.

Pilots receive the following initial skills:

3 Piloting, 1Vehicular Repair, 1Radio Operation
Police

Police serve an important role in a country's security and the safety of its citizens. Which of these is the most valued often defines whether a country is a police state or a free country. The role that police play in the operation of a country varies from border patrol to internal security. As a function of this, police are exposed to the temptations of corruption and vice. Some rise above this while others succumb to temptation.

In the first half of the 1900s, police run the gambit of roles. In China, military police of Japan have a brutal free hand in the suppression of any revolts. The Chinese state police are no kinder to the Chinese communists. America has a range of policemen from the patrolman to the detective. The Depression makes many look to shake-downs and bribery as an alternative income. In Germany, the Gestapo and the Schutzstaffel (SS) perform separate duties but vie with each other for power. The SS is Hitler's personal guard but the Gestapo is the state internal police. They both have power but cannot use it against each other effectively. Any of these police organizations can be the basis for rich character histories.

Police get the following initial skills:

1 Dodge, 1 Law, 1 Interrogation, 1 Driving, 1 Unarmed Combat
Soldier

Soldiers make their way in life by doing battle. They sometimes are paid for their services as with mercenaries, and other times they fight for a cause. In either situation, a soldier must know the ways of war.

There are many different types of soldiers from different types of conflicts in the early part of the 1900s. The citizen soldiers of the Spanish Civil War come from all walks of life and the army is so poorly supplied that many go to the front purely as unarmed reserves. They pick up the weapons of the fallen and fight on. This Republic army does not discriminate against women and many fight right beside their male comrades. Alternatively, the standardized army of the United States and other industrialized countries forbid women from fighting, and relegate them to the roles of nurses if allowed to participate at all. In the end though, war comes to the people and must be fought by whoever is there.

Soldiers receive the following initial skills:

1 Dodge, 1 Targeting, 1 Wilderness Survival, 2 Unarmed Combat
Specialist

A specialist is a fighter who is extremely proficient in a weapon type. Specialists spend many years, and indeed most of their lives, in learning and perfecting the mastery of a weapon. In fact, they train to such an extent with a specific weapon type that all weapon proficiencies for that type of weapon are reduced by one (with a minimum of one). This means an extra plus to hit costs two points instead of three, but a plus to damage still costs one point.

Specialists of the period train with the rifles of the time to become sharp shooters. Other specialists are experts in archaic weapons who train for combat. Japanese soldiers are often experts with a sword. Many German soldiers train extensively with the rapier and foil. American officers train with the saber. In fact, many WWI calvary veterans are still alive who have battle experience with the saber.

The following initial skills are available to the Specialist:

1 Unarmed Combat, 2 Targeting, All weapon proficiencies within their specialty cost one less with a minimum of one
Teamster

Teamsters are a rough group able to move cargo vast distances. They specialize in moving cargo via trucks and organizing the logistics of cargo transport. In addition they are well prepared to defend their cargo, whether it be cigarettes or a shipment of oranges.

Teamsters of the 1930s face dangerous jobs. Not only do they have it rough amongst companies that continually try to break unions but they also have to protect their cargo from "falling off the back of the truck". Their extensive travels give them the opportunity to encounter a variety of people and become involved in all manner of stories. Teamsters go by many names and are involved in shipping and newly created air freight services.

Teamsters get the following initial skills:

3 Driving, 2Maps, 1Vehicular Repair, 1Unarmed Combat
Performer Types

All performer types start with three skills to be used only for weapon proficiencies. Their critical roll increases by 2% each level.

Actor

Actors perform stories for the public. Sometimes these stories are performed with song and other times on film or stage. Actors of this age must be flexible in order to get work.

There are many actors who use magic to enhance performances. This is kept from the public but casters in the profession can be spotted by slow aging process, incredible stunt work, and realistic make up. Some spell casters are in front of the camera while others are behind. All this is kept from the public of course, since sexy and wholesome sell but the witch or warlock do not. Actors of the period work grueling hours on many manner of projects often on location. They are traded from studio to studio like animals and many resent it. This leads to politics and intrigue of the highest order.

Actors get the following initial skills:

2 Acting, 1 Oratory, 1 Disguise, 1 Singing
Artist

Artist vary in their media as well as in their success. Artists express themselves via sculpture, painting or other crafts. This is considered the expression of a person's soul and spirit.

Artists come from all over the world but one thing defines them; they are all trying desperately to live their dream. They often live in poverty, only glimpsing the dream from a distance. To make ends meet until their ship comes in, artists need a variety of marketable skills. Makeup artist, set designer, back-up singer, and ditch digger are typical skills used to pay the bills.

Artists get the following initial skills:

2 Craft Skills of the type of the Artist (i.e. sculpting, painting), 1 Disguise, 1 Singing, 1 Acting
Athlete

Athletes are trained to perform in modern sports, but many of these skills can be applied in other areas of life. The professionals are dedicated to performing their sport above all.

Athletes of the time travel all over the country and sometimes the world to perform their sport. They need to be able to defend themselves during stays in tough areas, especially if they are not in the big leagues. Showmanship and deception are their common tools and they use them to great effect.

Athletes get the following initial skills:

4 Movement Skills in their sport (e.g. football, baseball), 1 Deception, 2 Unarmed Combat
Craftsmen

Craftsmen is a general term encompassing several skilled workers (e.g.: blacksmiths, carpenters, weapon smiths).

Craftsmen are still very important in the age of industrialization and play their part in the daily life of many on the planet. All over the world, different levels of technology are being employed. In China there is a desperate attempt to modernize the infra-structure but the interior stubbornly clings to the ancient ways. In South America the lack of needed machined parts combined with difficult terrain and climate make upkeep of complex machinery difficult. In India, the British Empire brings many advances but the craftsman still endures. Despite the modernizations, glassblowers, blacksmiths and jewelers still continue to make their goods.

Craftsmen receive the following initial skills.

5 in their specific class, 2 in the lore of their specific class
Musician

A musician plays musical instruments or sings. The professional musician has it rough in the 1930s and often treads close to the criminal world.

Musicians sing the world to sleep and wake them in the morning. This is the age of jazz and swing. It's a time of music when new paths for old tunes are explored. The musician, much like the artist, does not always have opportunities to break through to the big time but can almost always find work either through a talent agency or a regular gig. Music is needed for commercials, on the radio and in clubs. It does not always pay a lot but the musician can always move on to the next performance. Alternatively, there is also a high class musician who plays concert halls and rubs elbows with the elite. Musicians have access to all class levels of society.

Musicians receive the following initial skills:

3 skills in Play Instrument, 1 Etiquette (Night Club Business), 1 Disguise
Priest

Priests are the holy men who administer to the souls of their charges and do the will of their gods. Note that although priests may have different names for different religions, for Shades of Earth they are all considered types of priests.

Priests come in a wide range of faiths from all over the world. They are the frontline against supernatural threats to their charges. Catholic priests fight demons and have their own organization to aid in the research of magic and the protection against it. The Hindi often aid the Guards of Babur in their fight to protect India against the ever present threat of evil. Different cultures have different roles for their priests, but it is most often the role of teacher and spiritual guide and protector.

Priests receive the following initial skills:

3 Initiate, 1 Oratory, 1 History (Religion of choice)
Reporter

Reporters look for stories and news in the pursuit of journalism. In reality, there are varying shades of professionalism ranging from sleazy scandal sheets to leading newspapers.

Reporters of the period go where the news is. This usually leads to a lot of investigative journalism involving some dangerous locations and people. When someone pokes his nose into enough dives, he finds things out that might better have been left secret. Nonetheless, journalists hunt the truth. This does not mean they always report it. Their editor may close them down and most likely will if the story is about magic. These stories often end up dropped.

Reporters, just like everyone else, come in different degrees of moral strength. Those without the talent or will to resist temptation write for hack newspapers or freelance and turn in what their editors want to hear. Whatever the level of the professional, reporters often need to take care of themselves. War correspondents bleed the same as soldiers and a slow reporter can die quickly.

Reporters receive the following initial skills:

3 Journalism, 1 Investigation, 1 Photography
Intellectual Types

Intellectual types start with two skills to be used only for weapon proficiencies. Their critical rolls increase 1% each level.

Archeologist

Archeologists specialize in ancient civilizations and the study of prehistoric artifacts. They are as at home in the library as they are in the field on a dig. Some of archeologists are only loosely scientists and are in fact grave-robbers, looking for treasure and wealth. This gives them some of the aspects of smugglers and some of the aspects of a scientist.

In the 1930s archeology is still new and many of the museums of the world want new exhibits. Egypt is a prime target with the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922. A rush was on to fill the museums and the pockets of many of the newly minted archeologists. In the midst of this flurry, a number of true professionals attempt to keep order. They do not always succeed but they always do their best to conduct themselves in a scientific manner. Even these individuals find themselves resorting to smuggling the occasional artifact back to their home countries.

Archeologists get the following initial skills:

3 History Skills, 1 Smuggling, 1 Investigation
Doctor

Doctors are scholarly people trained in the art of medical care. In the 1930s female doctors are rare and are more likely to be nurses. Pharmaceutical sciences are in their infancy and many doctors still use herbal remedies. Doctors are not well regulated in the 1930s, and thus range from simple country doctors to corrupt mafia physicians to army medics.

Doctors of the 1930s have new medicines and new procedure for treating a number of maladies. That still leaves much beyond their ability to heal. Amputation is considered a viable choice in many cases. The few doctors who find out about magic want to spread the word when they see the good it can do. The American Medical Association was founded in 1847, and a secret part of its mission was to contain the applications of magic to medicine by branding such doctors quacks, ruining their reputation and driving away their patients. Ironically, this was often done with magic. Defiant to the end many doctors risk the wrath of the AMA special charter and secretly practice magic with their medicine. They tell no one for fear that they will be ruined or even killed by the AMA.

Doctors receive the following initial skills:

1 Surgery, 1 First Aid (1d20 pts), 1 Herbology, 1 Medicine, 1 Bone Setting
Engineer

Engineers are problem solvers for the real world. There are many types of engineers based upon specializations such as civil, chemical, electrical and mechanical. In the field, engineers are able to perform various analyses as well as construct solutions.

Engineers usually are not inclined towards the use of magic, but it can come in handy. As a profession though, they tend to disbelieve the existence of magic despite the blatant proof to the contrary. Engineers of the day are building bigger and better than ever before, leading to epic accomplishments in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering. Engineers may need to be hands-on, and create their own tools to solve problems with their own hands. Henry Ford is among the leading production engineers of this time. Practical and hard working, he worked to solve problems rather than create them.

Engineers receive the following initial skills:

4 Engineering, 2 Science, 1 Electronics Repair, 1 Metal Working
Scientist

Scientists perform analysis in a structured and ordered manner. They are a very vital group of people in this period of technological development. Scientists are able to perform analysis in the field if they have the proper equipment.

Scientist come in many different types. These men and women of the time are striving to solve the mysteries of the universe while using primitive tools. This has not stopped Einstein from doing his work. Most of his work is in the realm of mathematics and requires only a chalkboard or a note pad. Often scientists who come too close to defining magic find themselves being visited by officials of one organization or another, their research confiscated, or redirected into an already existing project. Einstein's work on relativity came close to crossing this invisible line.

Scientists receive the following skills:

4 Science, 2 Engineering, 1 Oratory
Thief Types

Thief types start with four skills to be used only in weapon proficiencies. Their critical rolls increase 3% each level.

Burglar

Burglars are the basic thieves who use any means to commit a crime. During the Great Depression, it is common for a person to turn to illegal activities to feed their family. In addition, some soldiers returning from World War I had difficulty finding gainful employment and, disillusioned, turned to crime and sometimes the mafia to make a living. On rare occasions, this is a chosen life style where a person revels in the thrill of criminal activity or chooses to defy authority by flaunting the "rules of society." This is not as common as being forced into crime by necessity or locale of birth. Much of South and Central America in the 1930s live in a contradiction of the poor masses and the very wealthy few.

Burglars get the following initial skills:

1 Move Silently, 1 Open Locks, 1 Locate Traps, 1 Disarm Traps, 1 Move in Shadows, 1 Climbing
Con Man

Con men and women use guile and confidence to gain what they want. In some situations they use illegal means but the preferred method is to get the mark to give the con man what they want willingly.

Con men of the Depression era often find themselves on the run after running a scam on the wrong people or person. It pays for them to keep a low profile as much as possible. This profession has been around in one form or another for as long as man has had something and wanted more. The 1930s are no different except that there is less to be had when times are tough. The con man has to think fast on his feet. If those feet happen to belong to a beautiful woman, it often works to her advantage. Con men sometimes work in small groups to increase their ability to pull off complex cons. Resorting to violence is considered low class and a sign of weakness. Cons are meant to be executed with guile and subtlety, not with a gun.

Con Men receive the following initial skills:

2 Deception, 1 Acting, 1 Disguise
Gumshoe

Gumshoes are private detectives and range in quality from tough seasoned investigators to flea bag mud merchants. The more noble Gumshoe is more concerned with justice than his own safety. The other end of the spectrum only worries about his own skin. In either case, their pay ranks the highest.

The 1930s has a number of private investigators who do nothing but follow a person's spouse and take pictures. However, even these gumshoes may at times stumble into something bigger than themselves. Following a spouse, a detective can unveil a murder plot. Gumshoes often come from the ranks of the police and use their detective skills to found their own business. Sometimes they are hired for muscle and rarely use their detective skills.

Gumshoes receive the following skills:

2 Investigation, 2 Unarmed Combat, 1 Law, 1 Photography
Mobster

Organized crime has been in existence since there has been civilization. In the 1930s this is true throughout the world. Asia, the United State, Europe and the entire world have their own forms of mobsters. The mobsters themselves vary in form and function depending on the opportunities and the organization they are a part of. A character who plays a mobster must choose an organized crime element to be associated with.

Organized crime is a vice of any civilized culture. Whether it takes the form of one unified front or several small organizations, it is still a case of the powerful dictating to the powerless. The most easily recognized organized crime organization is probably the Sicilian Mafia. They originated in the organization of the Sicilian nobles and their need to control the peasant class of Sicily. In exchange, the nobles taught the Mafia Dons the Vampiric Realm of magic. This story is the same around the world with small variations. Crime organizations either bribed, tortured or extorted information from others. Not all the organizations have used their magic to as much of an advantage as the Mafia. Many other crime organizations were eliminated by the various spell casting organizations. The Dragon Clan has kept several such crime organizations from wandering into the realm of magic.

Mobsters receive the following initial skills:

2 Unarmed Combat, 1 Interrogation, 1 Backstabbing, 1 Smuggling
Politician

Politicians often use criminal activity or lies to gain power within a government. Some few politicians are elected by the people while far more seize power though the use of force. A politician sometimes uses magic to enhance his ability to influence people if he can do so without detection.

Politicians of the 1900-1940 era are a mixed lot. On one side, there are fascists like Hitler and Mussolini who use a power base to catapult themselves and their followers into power. Politicians like Harding in the United States are surrounded by corruption and many would argue the president himself was incompetent. The communists of Russia have Stalin with his constant purges and political agendas.

The politician is a new breed in the 1930s, coming into its own as a profession in its own right. Up until this period most countries had been ruled by royalty. The politician is usually of some other profession looking to interject his own agenda into the path of his government. Some politicians mean well and actually accomplish good despite a government filled with corruption and deceit.

Politicians receive the following initial skills:

3 Oratory, 1 Deception, 1 Acting, 1 Law
Spy

Spies either serve their government or act as freelance agents. These free-lancers often live an extremely dangerous life on the edge. The government agents live only slightly less dangerous lives. They have the support of their government, but that government may wish to maintain plausible deniability. In either case, spies serve several purposes from assassination to information gathering.

Spies during this period are highly self reliant. Radios are not small enough to be of much use unless used as transmitters back to a waiting offshore sub. Some spies turn to magic and then are absorbed into organizations like Department 12 or the Gestapo. Those that are truly great manage to avoid this fate and continue to have a good (but not too good) record in the field. Spies, whether with or without magic, need to rely on their wits and ability to think on their feet. They can trust no one and expect help from no quarter. It is not surprising that some individuals play both sides against each other and hope to come out on top. These people are risk-takers and are able to think outside their situation. If they need to resort to violence, then they have most likely failed the mission, and worse yet can expect to die or be captured. Suicide pills are often offered to operatives since this is an age of torture and crude, often fatal, truth drugs.

Spies receive the following initial skills:

1 Investigation, 1 Unarmed Combat, 1 Deception, 2 Disguise, 1 Radio Operation, 1 Coded Messages


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