CASTLE OLDSKULL – Oldskull Plague Doctors is a role playing game supplement written and published by Kent David Kelly. This is a new class for use with Dungeons & Dragons-based games and, as such, is covered by the Open Game License with some parts considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available as a 51-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $1.99 although it was purchased at a reduced price during a sale. One page is the front cover, one and a half pages are the front matter, one and a half pages are About the Author, two and a half pages are the Open Game License and one page simply has an illustration.
The Description explains that the plague doctor is a sub-class of the cleric and what is in the supplement.
The Introduction explains that in old school play groups tend to need more clerics than players are willing to play, and that this class is intended to combat that. It is described as being very powerful on paper but has limiting factors and, although it is perhaps overpowered at low levels, at higher levels it matches other classes.
Overview of the Plague Doctor Class as it says gives an overview of the class. This is followed by some historical information on real world plague doctors; today recognisable by their crow-like mask although the mask originated several centuries after the plague doctor.
The Chaos Plague in the World of Oldskull is how plague doctors came to be in the author’s campaign world. During the Chaos Plague in Tyrrhenia, civilisation was being overrun, and clerics were fleeing rather than fighting, so the gods granted powers to a new class.
The Coming Apocalypse and End of Days is how the apocalypse is coming, and how this can be used in a campaign world; PC’s actions can stave off the apocalypse, but if they fail to act, it will come. There are also portents of the apocalypse.
Next there are game details on the plague doctor. They are a human class and only humans and half-elves can use it, with options for good-aligned half-drow, half-orcs and half-ogres. Experience, XP modifiers, level limits for non-humans, experience needed – more than most – and level titles are considered. Plague doctors have to be good-aligned. Next are suggested deities, hit dice and hit points – plague doctors have advantages here – and suggested options for limiting the class’s power. Plague doctors have benefits against disease and poison. Plague doctors have a limited range of spells and cannot cast reverse spells. They also only start with orisons – cantrips – at level 1. Spell lists and three new orisons are given.
Next are the extensive special abilities of plague doctors, which increase as level advances. They can create medicines, cure natural diseases, ease pain, cure magical diseases (such as lycanthropy and vampirism), conjure holy water, identify diseases, use their mask as a holy symbol, create antidotes, brew quicklime, improve morale, create a stronghold-hospital, summon henchmen and gain wisdom.
They have special attacks, such as annihilating undead, eradicating vermin and use incendiary weapons more effectively, including some of their own. They have some special defences, such as parrying and smiting with their cane, disease resistance and immunity, resistance to poison, wearing a sacred mantle, increased Constitution and the ability to never be killed outright by poison (save or die poisons are common in old school games).
In exchange they have vulnerabilities. They cannot be multiclassed, experience tormenting visions, always have a chance of spell failure, an experience penalty that increases, penalties if they behave contrary to good (the class is permanently lost no matter what) and suffer a penalty on resurrection.
The Arsenal of the Flesh: Special Equipment for Plague Doctors starts by explaining what weapons and armour they can use. Finally, there are items of unique equipment, which are tied to their special abilities.
CASTLE OLDSKULL – Oldskull Plague Doctors in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation is poor. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a variety of illustrations, both black and white and colour, including stock and public domain images, related to disease, plague doctors, vermin and undead. Presentation is decent.
At first glance, the class does look to be pretty powerful, at least in old school terms. Some of the abilities are more commensurate with modern classes, which gain a variety of special abilities as they advance. Plague doctors appear to have more than is typical for a class aimed at older games. They do have disadvantages, such as experience point costs and penalties, that could offset these, but the class would need to be tested in actual play before confirming this one way or another. The author states that it has been tested, but this looks like one of those classes that is going to be balanced for some games and horrendously overpowered for others. Its comparatively low-level – 4th – ability to cure diseases such as lycanthropy and vampirism could certainly change some games. CASTLE OLDSKULL – Oldskull Plague Doctors covers an interesting class that is probably worth experimenting with and it can be found by clicking here.
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