Rodians Update

I have been thinking further about rodians, and despite my strong urge to conform the Lands of Ara to the OD&D rules paradigm as closely as possible, I still feel compelled to make rodians more like they really were in the original Ara, which means giving them a few different class options rather than confining them to a single race-as-class.  Thus I offer this update, which is meant to supersede the information given on rodians in this previous post.

While the rat-like rodians are still meant as a replacement for halflings in the campaign world of the Lands of Ara, rodians no longer level as Labyrinth Lord halflings.  Rodians instead have three class options: Rodian Duellist, Rodian Rogue, and Rodian Illusionist.  These I will describe in a moment, but first a few general comments applicable to all rodian characters:

Rodian
Requirements:  DEX 9
Prime requisite:  see class descriptions
Hit Dice:  see class descriptions
Maximum level:  see class descriptions

Rodians may not use large or two-handed weapons, but may use any other weapon or armor permitted by their class.

Rodians are excellent utilizers of urban camouflage and can hide in shadows or
behind other forms of cover when in cities or underground labyrinths on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6, though they must also be silent and motionless.  Rodians are dexterous folk who get a bonus of +1 to initiative rolls when alone or in a party composed only of rodians. Because they are so small, rodians have a lower armor class (-2) when attacked by creatures greater than human sized.

Now the three rodian class descriptions:

Rodian Duellist
Levels as Labyrinth Lord Fighter, no two-handed or large weapons
Requirements:  STR 9, DEX 9 (all rodians)
Prime requisites:  STR, DEX
Hit Dice:  1d6
Maximum level:  10
Note:  May use any light weapons to personal taste but tend to use cutlasses (treat as scimitar) and/or duelling rapiers (treat as short sword) in melee combat and to prefer crossbows as ranged weapons. 

Rodian Rogue
Levels as Grognardian Thief, same armor restrictions as Grognardian Thief
Requirements: DEX 9 (all rodians)
Prime requisite:  DEX
Hit Dice:  1d4 (as opposed to 1d6-1 for human thieves)
Maximum level:  none
Note: I would probably allow a rodian Assassin as well, as per the Player’s Handbook Assassin (pp. 28-30).

Rodian Illusionist
Levels as AD&D Player’s Handbook Illusionist (class description p. 26, Spell list p. 42)
Requirements:  INT 15, DEX 16
Prime requisite:  INT
Hit Dice:  1d4
Maximum level:  none
Note:  Rodian Illusionists mostly come from Suhl, where they study at the remote and mysterious Black Cloister.  There are now some rodian Illusionist teaching centers in rodian-frequented port cities like Jakama and The Free City of Kaladar, but high-level (level six and above) rodian Illusionists must return to the Cloister every other level (every even level from six upward) for specialized teachings and initiation rites.