A Sundered World: Battlemind Preview

Coming out of 3rd Edition one of the great things about 4th Edition was how classes tended to be more focused in scope and actually functional.

Yeah, some people complained about not being able to play a fighter with a bow and be as effective as the ranger class (despite the ranger being a perfectly viable substitute), but to me it is refreshing to be able to pick a class and actually have it do what it is supposed to right out of the gate.

The battlemind was one of the those classes that worked, oftentimes frustratingly so, but seemed to lack a kind of...conceptual focus: you could harden your body into metal or stone, teleport yourself or enemies, and implant hallucinations.

When I was running Sundered World I created a kind of monster on the fly that basically evoked what I always wanted a battlemind to do, drawing inspiration from Fullmetal Alchemist's Greed and metalcrafters from Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series: he could transform his limbs into into weapons, coat parts of his body in metal to deflect attacks, stretch out his arms, grow spikes from his flesh, etc.

That is basically what this preview is: my take on a kind of better focused battlemind that I always wanted to play, seen through the lens of Dungeon World. Let me know what you like and dislike. Is it something you would play? If not, why not?

Look

Choose one for each:
Metal-Flecked Eyes, Steely Gaze, or Molten Orbs
Bald, Wild Hair, or Helmet
Minimal Clothes, Concealing Cloak, or Easily-Removed Clothing
Toned Body, Lots of Scars, or Metallic Plates

Stats

Your maximum HP is 12+Constitution.
Your base damage is d10.

Starting Moves

Choose any race and how you acquired your psionic powers:

Learned
Over many years you have learned to hone your mind. When you focus your psionic energies you always gain 1 focus, even on a miss.

Mutation
Your powers manifested from too much Far Realm exposure. When you shape your body into weapons or armor, there is always an organic component like eyes, mouths, or chitin. When you focus your psionic powers, regain hit points equal to the number of focus you gain.

Innate
Your mind is a wellspring of power. You start with mindspark.

You start with these moves:

Psionic Focus
When you spend a few moments to try gather and focus your psionic energies, roll+CON. *On a 10+, gain 3 focus. *On a 7-9, gain 1 focus and choose one:

• Take -1 ongoing to focus your psionic energies until you make camp.
• A psychic cascade dazes you, preventing you from acting for a few moments.
• You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot—the GM will tell you how.

Living Weapon
When you spend a few moments concentrating, one or both of your hands transforms into a weapon with the hand and close tags. When you hit with an attack, spend 1 focus to do one of the following:

• Deal +1d4 damage.
• The attack gains the forceful tag.

Body Armor
As long as you hold focus you can always choose to defy danger against a weapon by enduring. With a thought you can harden your skin: when you are hit by an attack, you can spend 1 focus to reduce the damage you take by 1d4.

Alignment

Lawful
Succeed through decisive action.

Good
Protect someone from harm.

Chaotic
Rush heedlessly into the fray.

Gear

Your load is 10+STR. You start with dungeon rations (5 uses, 2 weight). Choose your defenses:

• Chainmail (1 armor, worn, 1 weight) and bandages (3 uses, slow, 0 weight)
• Scale armor (2 armor, worn, clumsy, 3 weight)

Choose your backup weapon:

• A well-balanced long blade (close, precise, 1 weight)
• Spear (reach, thrown, near, 1 weight)
• Dagger (hand, 1 weight) and a bandoleer of 3 throwing knives (hand, near, thrown, 0 weight)

Choose one:

• 2 healing potions (0 weight)
• A broad, spiked shield (+1 armor, hand, 2 weight)
• Antitoxin (0 weight), poulices and herbs (2 uses, slow, 1 weight), and 5 coins.

Advanced Moves

When you gain a level from 2-5, choose from these moves.

Cold Iron
Weapons you shape from your body deal +1d6 damage against fey. You can spend 1 focus to slice through magical barriers and wards, or to take +1 against a spell.

Discharge
You can unleash blasts of electricity from your body. Treat this as the volley move, except that you roll+CON, and on a 7-9 if you choose to reduce your ammo you instead reduce your focus by 1.

Hardened Flesh
As long as you hold focus, gain +1 armor, and when you spend focus to reduce damage, reduce it by 1d6.

Iron in Your Blood
Weapons you shape with your body deal +1 damage, and when you spend focus to deal extra damage, deal +1d6 damage.

Liquid Metal
When you shape a weapon with your body, it gains the precise and 1 piercing tags.

Mindspark
When you try to focus your psionic energy and roll a 12+, gain 4 focus.

Self-Healing
You can spend 1 focus to regain 1d6 hit points.

Reactive Armor
When you defy danger against a melee attack and roll a 10+, spend 1 focus to deal your damage to the attacker.

Stretching Limbs
As long as you hold focus, your arms gain the reach tag.

Unbreakable
When you use the defend move, you can spend focus as well as hold.