Pathbreakers: Multiclassing For Fun And Profit

Chapter 3 Discoveries

I sit down for this one. Everyone else gets through their leveling pretty quickly. “I'm going to take my time this time,” I inform them.

“Okay.” Theo takes his shirt off revealing his 6 pack abs. He really is a good looking dude. “We'll take 15 after that fight, but then we need to get back out there.”

I close my eyes and dive head first into menus. The classes I qualify for are Mage, Fighter, Scout, Rogue, Plotter, Engineer, Tinkerer, Grenadier, Gunner, Caster and Magician.

I see that classes are essentially ranked by their “step.” Mage, Fighter, Rogue and Engineer are 1st step classes. Their levels grant 2 attribute points. The other classes, Scout, Plotter, Tinkerer, Grenadier, Gunner, Caster and Magician are 2nd step classes. They grant 5 attribute points per level, and better spells and abilities.

I look them all over but I'm really only considering either Scout or Magician right now.

Scout

Learn mapping and perception based abilities while keeping a distance from foes. Utilize ranged attacks of all types.

A second step class. Three subclasses. One class evolution.

Gain 1 Ki, 2 Agility and 2 Dexterity upon choosing this class. Two basic map related utility techniques will be granted to you upon choosing this class.

Uses Dexterity, Agility and Ki.

Upon level up an additional random basic or advanced mapping related technique will be granted, until all basic and advanced mapping techniques are known. Each level you gain 1 Ki, 1 Agility, 1 Dexterity and 2 free points.

Magician

Learn to cast illusions and deceive both foes and small children.

A second step class. Three subclasses. One class evolution.

Gain 2 Dexterity, 2 Charisma and 1 Arcana upon choosing this class. Two basic illusion based Arcana spells will be granted to you upon choosing this class.

Uses Dexterity, Reflexes, Charisma and Arcana.

Upon level up an additional random basic or advanced illusion spell will be granted, until all basic and advanced illusion spells are known. Each level you gain 1 Dexterity, 1 Charisma, 1 Arcana and 2 free points.

I decide to put it to the group. “Hey guys, should I go for a Scout class to get mapping stuff or Magician which gives me illusions?”

“Can you just get something to heal me, you prick?” comes Brian's unhelpful reply. His hand is still dripping a little blood. I sure hope that demon dog didn't have some wacky fantasy game disease. Or rabies.

“Nah. Actually I don't have anything that gets me... Well, maybe Mage?” I hope he doesn't force me to take Mage again so I undersell it. “I get one extra spell but it's random and I have no idea if there's even a healing spell option.”

He grumbles back to me. Jose holds out his bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to Brian and Brian grabs a few with his non-bloody hand. “Shit, these are hot but addictive.” He chomps down and his face turns red but he looks at his bandaged hand. He grabs the remainder of his energy drink, downs it, then takes off his bandage.

“What the hell are you doing?” Nat asks, a tone of actual concern hidden behind annoyance at another dumb masculine action.

Brian ignores her, washes off his wound in the sink, and shows us his hand. It's healed.

“It's healed,” Jose states.

“It was the Cheetos, I think.” Brian talks as he goes to examine the odd extra vending machines that popped up when the world warped. “Guys, I think the stuff in these is magical. Like magical healing items.”

Jose looks at his bag of Flamin’ Hots. “It looks normal,” he says. “Except for the nutrition facts. After protein, but before the vitamins, it says HP recovery 10 over 10 s.”

We all check out the other items in the room. Anything from the original vending machines or our lunches is totally normal. All the stuff from the new machines has some similar effect.

Food recovers HP. Candy also seems to recover status effects. Twizzlers help if you're confused and a Snickers does the trick if you're blinded. M&Ms only help if you're petrified but I'm not sure how you eat them if you've turned to stone.

Drinks recover Etheric (magic) points. Ki recovers from bottled water. Sodas recover your Arcana points. Energy drinks boost up your Spirit and milk recovers Faith energy.

We load up on supplies at this point. We all had bags of some sort in the break room, each of us having to bring at least a character sheet and dice to our lunchtime RPG session. Those containers are emptied and dice spill onto the table. In goes chips and drinks. Which will save our lives, but also give us diabetes and heart disease.

I go back to my class choice and see something I overlooked. Caster. It sure sounds boring but what did it do again?

Caster

Learn offensive and defensive spells that you cast intuitively. Magic books are for nerds.

A second step class. Three subclasses. One class evolution.

Gain 1 Intelligence, 2 Charisma and 2 Arcana upon choosing this class. Two basic or advanced combat Arcana spells will be granted to you upon choosing this class.

Uses Intelligence, Charisma and Arcana.

Upon level up two additional random basic or advanced combat spells will be granted, until all basic and advanced combat spells are known. Each level you gain 1 Intelligence, 1 Charisma, 1 Arcana and 2 free points.

Okay, so yeah, it's not exciting out of the box but it focuses on combat spells. And right now we need more combat options. Using a chair as a shield obviously ain't working well. “Okay, actually I'm going Caster.”

“Nobody cares,” everyone else says at once.

Your Intelligence is now 33.

Your Charisma is now 4.

Your Arcana is now 4.

You gain the spells Static Snap and Fire Bat.

“Ooh,” I say to myself.

Static Snap

Snap your fingers to charge a digit with static electricity. Touch someone to deliver a jolt. Okay in combat, but great at parties.

Range: Touch

Cost: 1 Arcana Point

Proficiency: 0%

Fire Bat

Summon a fire bat.

Duration: 10 minutes

Cost: 3 Arcana Points

Proficiency: 0%

I immediately say “Static Snap” and snap with my right hand. A small coil of light blue electrical energy spins around my extended pointer finger. I move out to the hall to tap the dead dog to see what-

“Oh dog shit!” I cry as the second I step outside three dogs leap onto me. They are immediately biting and scratching my face, arms and legs.

I don't know if you've ever been mauled by three dogs but let me tell you, if fucking sucks. I immediately go to the ground. I think my Static Snapped finger hit one of the beasties because one yelps and jumps back.

I can't see much since I'm holding my hands over my face trying desperately to not have my nose eaten. I hear my friends yell and scramble. Jose is first in and tackles into both dogs still on me, sending them crashing into the wall. The instant I'm not being bitten I raise my hand and cast Fire Bat.

I'm expecting a flying, flaming rodent but instead a damn torch appears in my hand. To be precise, it's a metal baseball bat, but the end is aflame.

“Yoink!” says Brian as he both grabs the bat and steps over me to swing at the dog who jumped back. He shouts, “Power Attack!” Golden flames shoot up his arms and swirl around the bat. He delivers an overhead swing to the animal and with a loud crack the dog drops to the ground, but isn't dead.

I roll to the side and, from the floor, kick the downed dog in the gut. It yelps but that's not going to kill it either.

Jose has thrown all of his weight onto the other dogs to keep them down. They bite and scratch and tear at his arms and chest.

Nat moves in with shivs and cuts into the neck of one of Jose's dogs. Blood shoots out in an arterial spray. It whimpers and I feel bad for it. Then the dog Brian is fighting gets up and bites him in the leg. I don't feel bad for the dogs anymore.

I scramble up and kick the dog off Brian. He takes his bat and swings down twice, taking out his anger on the animal. I hear the sound of bone cracking as the dog struggles to stay up under the blows.

Jose has had to pull himself off the gnashing dogs. The dog with the spurting artery wobbles on its feet, then drops. The other dog advances but Theo drop kicks the beast in the throat. Its head snaps up and Jose punches it in the face. Natalie goes to its side and whips her second shiv into the third dog's back leg. The dog looks pissed, spins around and runs a dozen feet away, then turns to face us again.

Natalie pulls her first shiv from the bleeding to death dog, which shudders and then stops moving. She stands shoulder to shoulder with Jose and Theo, all of them ready to kill this fucking dog. They look pretty badass.

Brian finishes beating off his dog, then goes to crack the skull and spine of our bleeder.

Dog number three charges at the trio facing it, leaping up at the last second, aiming to bite out Natalie's throat. She reflexively jumps back and both Jose and Theo grab the hound. Theo's muscled arms are cinched around the dog's waist and Jose's got the pup by the neck. It scrambles, legs flailing in the air. Natalie coldly steps forward and drives her shiv into the dog's chin, up under its brain. The monster struggles in the two men's arms. It tries to bite at Natalie and the shiv drops to the floor. A hand pulls Natalie back as Brian steps up and swings the flaming bat like a golf club. The upwards strike cracks the dog's head open.

“Dude, this rocks!” His golden Ki flames (I'm assuming) have left him but the orange flames at the end of the bat remain. Brian takes another swing at the dog and the sounds of breaking bones fills the otherwise quiet hall. He swings again at the dog and we hear the crunch of bone and gore again, but then the dog fades from existence as if he was a ghost or teleporting Star Trek captain. Jose and Theo suddenly find themselves holding nothing.

In place of the dog's corpse three gold colored coins drop to the ground with a tinkle. “Sacagaweas!” Brian says, picking up the US dollar coins. “Man, I haven't seen these things in ages. Hey Jun have you- Ohhhhh fuck.” He's looking at me and seems to be turning green.

Jose looks over at me and confirms. “Dude you got messed up.”

“How bad is it?” I ask, not sure if I want to know.

“Jesus!” Nat cries when she sees me.

Ah, so it's bad then.

Jose lets me down gently. “You're gonna need some Cheetos my dude.”