Close
Close
Advanced Search

The ShepherdClick to magnify
Quick Preview
/gs_flipbook/flip.php?xml=/demo_xml/264592.xml&w=500&h=324
Full‑size Preview
https://watermark.drivethrurpg.com/pdf_previews/264592-sample.pdf

The Shepherd

ADD TO WISHLIST >

Every cause needs its leader. 

“An impassioned halfling stands atop a barrel in a candle-lit wine cellar, rousing her rebel comrades in readiness for a bloody night’s work eliminating the corrupt leaders of the city.

An elf sits serenely amidst the exposed roots of a tree, which have grown into the shape of a throne. They speak in a quiet voice that nevertheless carries through the reverential silence maintained by a hundred other elves gathered in the glade.

A human preacher stands at the corner where two streets meet, prophecying doom and offering salvation to the growing crowd of desperate folk gathering around him.

A hobgoblin in black armour sits astride a ferocious looking worg at the head of a massive army. He lifts his sword arm and sweeps it down toward the fortified city across the plain. At his mark, the swarm of evil begins its charge

All these and more are shepherds, individuals with an unusual power of influence over the hearts and minds of others.

The Shepherd class is a reinvention of the Bard which first appeared among the nonmagical classes and archetypes in Wasteland Wanderers. But a nonmagical leader is hardly a concept exclusive to post-apocalyptic settings! The version of the Shepherd presented here has been reworked with fantasy worlds in mind, and can be used to build characters with concepts as varied as cult leaders and warlords. While the Shepherd can replace the Bard in your game if you’re aiming for a low or no magic world, you can also make both classes available. The types of characters your players can build with the Shepherd fill a different narrative niche than the types of characters built with the Bard, and there’s no reason characters of both classes shouldn’t stand side by side in an adventuring party!

The Shepherd contains the following:

  • The full 20-level Shepherd class progression, featuring a new resource: the Shepherd spends command to use barbed words, give allies pep talks, and spread terror among their foes. 
  • 4 archetypes—the Chronicler, Commander, Regent, and Tyrant (descriptions below).
  • Muticlassing guidelines. 

The Chronicler

You venerate learning, particularly the lessons of history and myths. And yet you see how fragile knowledge can be. In your own small way you seek to preserve these priceless treasures: everywhere you go, your force of charisma opens doors, allowing you access to people and places. You make your own records, you memorise songs, and you learn to tell epics. On your travels you share as much as you take, giving the collective wisdom of myriad peoples new life as their stories spread far and wide. Though they have the presence to lead, chroniclers rarely aspire to it. However, some eventually gather enough knowledge to found great libraries and other seats of learning.

The Commander

You know that conflict is inevitable, and in times of danger people look to champions to guide them through the darkness. You have the presence and the inclination to be just such a figure. As a commander you aren’t merely a charismatic speaker, you are also a warrior and a tactician.  You might serve a nation’s army, a city’s watch, lead a mercenary force, or command the troops of a private faction. Perhaps you are still looking for your cause, or have lost a past one, and adventure for the sake of finding something to believe in and throw your support behind. Whatever cause you do choose, it could have no better weapon than your inspired leadership.

The Regent

As a regent, you have a knack for inspiring others to follow you and support your cause. Whatever you choose to believe in, or whatever you profess to believe, you can’t help but become a rallying point around which others gather. Thus, you become the head of any group you’re part of, quickly earning the trust and loyalty of others. Whether you deserve it is another matter entirely. Regents can be monarchs, mayors, politicians, guild leaders, and high priests of cults and sects. Regents often adventure to earn the riches and reputation to begin building their own cause.

The Tyrant

You have learned that when wielded correctly, fear can be an effective leadership tool that lends itself to fast results. It might not be pretty, but you aren’t concerned with something as petty as being liked! You want power and wealth, not friends, and you want them quickly. As long as you maintain your reputation for strength and power, your minions will remain loyal. Tyrants like yourself sit on the thrones of dictatorial states, leading criminal networks and secret societies, or at the head of vast, conquering armies.

Find more of our products on DriveThruRPG:

Click here for more DriveThruRPG products by Spilled Ale Studios

Find more of our products on the DMsGuild:

Click here for more DMsGuild products by Spilled Ale Studios

pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif
 
 Customers Who Bought this Title also Purchased
pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif
Reviews (0)
Discussions (1)
Customer avatar
Anne T January 21, 2019 5:26 pm UTC
Hey there! It looks like you've got an interesting take here, and the product description's well written. Only thing you've left out to clinch a sale, is let us know what edition this is for! You've selected D&D-OGL, but that's a license, not a system itself, and could apply to 3.X, 5E, or even Pathfinder material...
Browse Categories
$ to $
 Follow Your Favorites!
NotificationsSign in to get custom notifications of new products!
 Recent History















Product Information
Pages
11
File Size:
4.43 MB
Format
Original electronic Click for more information
Scanned image
These products were created by scanning an original printed edition. Most older books are in scanned image format because original digital layout files never existed or were no longer available from the publisher.

For PDF download editions, each page has been run through Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to attempt to decipher the printed text. The result of this OCR process is placed invisibly behind the picture of each scanned page, to allow for text searching. However, any text in a given book set on a graphical background or in handwritten fonts would most likely not be picked up by the OCR software, and is therefore not searchable. Also, a few larger books may be resampled to fit into the system, and may not have this searchable text background.

For printed books, we have performed high-resolution scans of an original hardcopy of the book. We essentially digitally re-master the book. Unfortunately, the resulting quality of these books is not as high. It's the problem of making a copy of a copy. The text is fine for reading, but illustration work starts to run dark, pixellating and/or losing shades of grey. Moiré patterns may develop in photos. We mark clearly which print titles come from scanned image books so that you can make an informed purchase decision about the quality of what you will receive.
pixel_trans.gif
Original electronic format
These ebooks were created from the original electronic layout files, and therefore are fully text searchable. Also, their file size tends to be smaller than scanned image books. Most newer books are in the original electronic format. Both download and print editions of such books should be high quality.
File Information
Watermarked PDF Click for more information
Watermarked PDF

These PDF files are digitally watermarked to signify that you are the owner. A small message is added to the bottom of each page of the PDF containing your name and the order number of your purchase.

Warning: If any files bearing your information are found being distributed illegally, then your account will be suspended and legal action may be taken against you.

Here is a sample of a page from a watermarked title:

File Last Updated:
June 15, 2019
This title was added to our catalog on January 20, 2019.