NIH Classes: Hybrid

Hybrid classes in NIH are those that use both spells and weapons together. They bridge the gap between the martials and the full casters. With less stamina but more aether than martials, more of their abilities are outright magical than martials. At the same time, they are generally more durable and weapon-oriented than full spellcasters. Generally, hybrid classes require investment in multiple ability scores to do well.

Summary of Hybrid Classes

The hybrid classes of NIH are the Oathbound, the Ranger, and the Spellblade.

The Oathbound

Wearing heavy armor, the Oathbound are empowered by conviction, by a cause they champion. Their power comes from adherence to Oaths of power. Some are a shining light to others, fighting back darkness in all forms. Others are empowered by Oaths of retribution or Oaths of repentance for sins they’ve committed, giving them a darker aspect. They all have auras that bolster allies nearby or harm enemies; all of them can heal at a touch. But their most notable ability is to smite their foes. They shine against single targets (especially fiends and undead), but struggle at range. Their primary ability score is Strength, but they want high Charisma as well as it fuels their magic and auras.

The Ranger

Ranger is the name given to those that range the borders between civilization and wildness. Hunter, scout, and bounty-hunter are other terms often used. Rangers draw on the spirits of nature as do shamans, but balance their magical prowess with martial training. Most often, they stand with civilization against the perils of the wilds…whether those perils come from uncivilized people or beasts or nature itself. Many rangers find that civilization is also in peril from the uncivilized folks within its borders; these too draw a ranger’s wrath.

Rangers are skirmishers, wearing light or medium armor and either attacking from afar with ranged weapons or fighting with multiple weapons. They can put on a shield and fight on the front-lines, but they are less suited to that than a specialized armsman, warder, or oathbound. They have more ability to deal with hordes of small enemies than most weapon-users, but are not nearly as supportive as a primalist. Their primary ability score is Dexterity, but Wisdom bolsters their magical abilities.

The Spellblade

Lightly-armored and wielding a bow or a blade, the spellblade uniquely merges spells and weapon strikes, channeling their damaging spells into their weapon strikes. They curse their foes, weakening them by twisting their luck against them. They share some of the skill focus of the rogue. Their primary ability score is Dexterity, but Intelligence is important for their magic.