WARRIOR-FIGHTER KIT

Thrall

Description:  The slave trade exists in many areas throughout the Realms, 
including Calimshan, Amn, the Vilhon Reach, the Moonsea, Mulhorand, the 
Underdark, and of course They.  The practice of slavery is open in some areas 
but in other areas is covert, only done in secret.  Many are captured and 
enslaved every year, but some also manage to escape their torment, entering the 
free areas of the Realms with few skills or possessions but with a terrible 
desire to be forever free.  Thralls represent these fugitive slaves, appearing 
most often in areas adjacent to realms that permit slavery.  They may have only 
been enslaved for a relatively short while (a few years perhaps) and may be able 
to return home, or they may have been born into slavery and have no outside 
homeland.  In all cases, a Thrall is someone who was brought into slavery before 
reaching adulthood.

A Thrall's first priority is to keep his or her freedom.  This may mean flight 
and hiding in disguise for life, or it may mean hunting down and killing 
everyone who would imprison him or her again.  A Thrall is willing to gain new 
friends and allies but is always wary in case one decides to turn him or her 
over to former captors, especially if rewards are offered for return of captured 
slaves.  A Thrall is not likely to have any ability to read or write nor any 
hands-on knowledge of how to save money, conduct a business, buy items in a 
shop, and so on, as he or she had little or no opportunity to learn about such 
things earlier in life.  A Thrall is often confused and frustrated by life in a 
free society and might be very intimidated or mistrustful of spellcasters, 
especially if (as in Thay) such persons were their masters in slavery.  
Experience is the best teacher in this regard, and by the time a Thrall reaches 
3rd level he or she will be able to fit in well in their adopted society.

Requirements:  Thralls can be of any alignment, though because of their 
upbringing and the need to 'fend for themselves' and their general mistrust of 
strong authority figures, lawful Thralls are very rare and most are of chaotic 
alignment.  Thralls have standard Fighter ability scores and can be of any race.

Weapons & Armor:  Thralls can use any type of weapon, armor, and shield desired, 
though their choice of weapon proficiencies is severely limited at 1st level 
(see Special Hindrances).

Special Benefits:  While there are no advantages at all to being a slave, 
Thralls have certain special abilities granted to them by virtue of their harsh 
existence prior to freedom and their incredible desire to remain free.

Attacks of Opportunity:  As a standard Fighter.

Continuous Conditioning:  As a standard Fighter.

Free Will:  Thralls gain a +4 bonus to any and all mind-control or mind-
influencing spells (or psionic attacks), as a measure of their self-will and 
determination not to be controlled, gaining an unmodified save vs. mind-
affecting attacks that normally allow no save.

In addition, if a Thrall is placed under any form of charm spell, he or she 
gains new periodic saving throws as if his or her Intelligence was 3 points 
higher than its actual level, and each periodic save gains his or her usual +4 
bonus.  A Thrall also gains periodic saves against geas and quest spells as if 
they were charm person spells.

Heroic Fray:  As a standard Fighter.

Physical Tolerance:  As a result of their years of grueling work and punishment 
during enslavement, a Thrall has a better chance to reduce pain and stress.  A 
Thrall thus gains a +3 bonus to his or her Constitution and Strength ability 
checks (including all non-weapon proficiencies that depend on these abilities).  
In addition, a Thrall makes system shock rolls as if his or her Constitution was 
3 points higher than its actual level, and his or her Strength-based carrying 
capacity should be determined as if his or her Strength was 3 points higher.

In addition to this enhanced Physical Tolerance, a Thrall can summon and focus 
his or her willpower once per day and channel it into a sudden burst of energy 
that raises his or her Strength by 3 points for as many rounds as he or she has 
levels.  This can be used during combat, when attempting to bend bars, lift 
gates, or open a door, or under any other circumstance when strength is needed.

Finally, a Thrall can survive on a minimum of food and water each day, requiring 
only half the normal amount for a character of his or her race.  A free Thrall 
develops better eating habits, but he or she can survive with little food and 
water in an emergency.

Specialization:  As a standard Fighter, except that a Thrall cannot begin with 
specialization in any weapon.  He or she can, however, spend non-weapon 
proficiency slots to begin play with either Punching or Wrestling specialization 
or to improve those specializations as he or she advances in level.

Style Specialization:  As a standard Fighter, except a Thrall cannot select any 
Style Specialization at 1st level.  He or she can only learn Style 
Specializations as he or she advances in level and gains new proficiency slots.

Special Hindrances:  Fugitive slaves have little opportunity to learn the use of 
any sort of weapon before 1st level.  Weapons training and practice must be 
performed in secret and almost always by using a normal tool as a weapon (or 
sometimes in weapons that a Thrall may have used as a minor overseer of other 
slaves).  Thus, a Thrall gains only a single initial weapon proficiency slot, 
which must be selected from the following weapons:  axe (hatchet), chain, club 
(any), flail (threshing), gaff/hook, hammer (mallet), ice pick, knife (or 
razor), net, pick (any except horseman's), quarterstaff, scythe, sickle, or 
whip.  A Thrall will not have had the opportunity to learn any type of weapon 
specialization or Style Specialization at 1st level, though proficiency slots 
gained later may be used for this purpose, as well as to gain proficiency in 
other weapons.  

A Thrall's general unfamiliarity with weapons and combat (relative to other 
Fighters) also means that his or her non-proficiency penalty with weapons begins 
at -4 at first level, decreasing to -3 at 2nd level and then to its normal level 
of -2 at 3rd level and beyond, as he or she masters the arts of fighting to a 
greater degree.  Likewise, a Thrall cannot select any initial non-weapon 
proficiencies from the Warrior list, being restricted to General proficiencies.  
Any non-weapon proficiency slots gained at later levels can be spent as desired.

Thralls begin play with basically no money (and only relatively little concept 
of money and how it works).  They are likely to have only rags for clothing, a 
single weapon, and a ragged sack containing a bit of food and perhaps a few 
tools or other minor items worth not more than 10 g.p. in total.

Finally, Thralls tend to be suspicious of others and do not trust others easily, 
as always in the back of their minds lurks the suspicion that they are being 
pursued by their former masters.  In actual point of fact, a Thrall may well be 
hunted by his or her former owner, often using the aid of professional bounty 
hunters, assassins, and the like.  This pursuit can go on for years, until the 
former owner and anyone else with an interest in the Thrall dies or is 
distracted by more pressing concerns.  The punishment for a Thrall who is caught 
is nearly always death by torture.  How ardent this pursuit is depends entirely 
on the campaign situation and the DM's prerogative.

As a result of this fear of pursuit, Thralls do not generally attempt to make 
large circles of friends or put themselves forward in social situations.  After 
a lifetime of being forbidden to do or possess anything without the consent of 
their masters (and living under the threat of anything and everything being 
taken away in an instant on a whim), Thralls sometimes will purchase fine-
quality or brightly colored clothing just to celebrate their independence.  Such 
flirtations with success are generally short-lived, however, as Thralls know all 
too well the danger of showing off.  They normally appear downcast and passive, 
rarely looking up to meet the eyes of those they encounter, doing what they can 
to conceal their identity and live a low-key life to avoid attracting any 
unwanted attention.  It would be almost unheard of for a Thrall to build a 
Stronghold, and even if one did so they would not attract followers to serve 
them.

Bonus Proficiencies:  Any one Preferred Proficiency
Preferred Proficiencies:  Agriculture, Animal Handling, Artistic Ability, 
Blacksmithing, Brewing, Carpentry, Cooking, Endurance, Etiquette, Fire-building, 
Fishing, Leatherworking, Mining, Running, Seamstress/Tailor, Singing, 
Stonemasonry, Survival, Swimming, Weapon Improvisation, Weaving