Knacks for Knaves

This is version 1.0 1.1 of some powers for Knave, with aim to be a modern interpretation of old B/X rules for play in my games. Knacks for Knaves. First use for them will be a run on a megadungeon aimed at Labyrinth Lord, Stonehell. They will be part of the Knave hack I'm working on for said game, after I tackled Ancestries, now come a concept similar to Class. Special abilities and powers called Knacks, that give that power advancement feel.

Some scattered notes on adding these to the streamlined machine that Knave is:

• For a recurring campaign, players should feel enticed to gain new powers as they level up (aside from gear and coin, of course). Knave is very strong for one-shots or short games, but how good does it hold up for longer campaigns?
• We make them optional. Idea is to give to choice of score improvement (default choice with vanilla Knave), or take one of these powers to the players. Hopefully most will choose the latter.
• We give choice. 48 Knacks, no less. They are also completely independent, so there's no requirement to pick any Knack. Of course there are obvious synergies, but that's for the Munchkin players to figure out.
• They are not balanced between each other. Things like Blind Faith and Student of the Arcane will be picked a lot, since they are basically the spellcasting for Cleric and Magic User - like characters.
• In my Knave hack I took spellcasting from GLOG, since my love for the Magic Dice mechanic is unconditional. You will see references in the entries below about that. Blind Faith introduces spellcasting for Clerics, which is a different mechanic, with Prayers (but more reliable than MD are).
  

As any good Thief, I've taken many of these powers from different sources. I rest on the shoulders of heroes. They're meant for personal use in my home game, and if you find use for them that's an achievement.

• Marshall Brengal’s list of Knave Talents.
• Some adapted from D&D 5e.
• From the folks of the OSR Discord. Especially the original list by Sketchy McBeardo.
• This Knave hack called Brave. 
• d66kobolds blog

Knacks for Knaves - The Rules

The Doc In case you want to have a living document to print out, or leave me some commentary

Knaves start at Level 1 with one Knack from the list below of their choice.

When a Knave gains a level, instead of increasing a single Ability Score by +1 a Knave may select one Knack from any of the categories below, without restriction. Limited to one Knack per level up.

The categories are for flavor only, and very broadly separate Knacks into different buckets.

Values within squared brackets [] are variable.

WARRIOR (Knacks of War)

A knight with the "Great Weapon Fighter" Knack, by Valery Klishevich

• Duelist: On a critical you may choose to either:
• Disarm your foe (assuming this is possible), or
• Put them on the backfoot, granting you Advantage on your next attack or stunt.
• Great Weapon Fighter: when wielding a two-handed weapon, reroll damage < 3. Keep the second result. 
• Protector: Sacrifice your Action to absorb damage inflicted on an adjacent ally. STR save for half-damage.
• Riposte: When a creature misses you with a melee attack, make an immediate counter-attack. This does not cost you your normal Action. Only possible once/round.
• Shield Master:
• Advantage on STR attempts to knock an opponent prone w/a shield bash.
• When an effect allows a DEX save for half damage take no damage if you save as your shield absorbs the blow (-1 quality to shield).
• Two-Weapon Fighting: When you hit a foe while wielding two weapons, roll damage for both and apply the higher.

BARBARIAN (Knacks of Brunt) 

Barb with "Muscle Armor", by Daniel Zrom

• Berzerker: When reduced to 0HP, become frenzied and continue fighting for a number of rounds equal to your [Level]. You always attack the nearest creature whether friend or foe. Afterwards, make a CON save. On a fail, roll on the Death and Dismemberment table.
• Pugilist: Your fists and feet count as martial weapons and inflict 1d4+[STR bonus] damage.
• Girded Loins: You have Advantage on saves made to resist fear and mind bending effects.
• Favor of The Gods: Once a day as a free action you can heal [CHA bonus] HP. 
• Muscle Armor: CON is your Armor Defense when you wear no other armor. May wield a shield or helmet.
• Cleave: When you strike and kill a foe immediately make another attack on an additional adjacent foe. Cannot be “daisy-chained” through a mob.

SCOUT (Knacks of Wild)

The hunt is mine! Michelle Tollo

• Hunter’s Mark: As a free action once per day, mark your target as living on borrowed time. You have Advantage on your next [Level] attacks against them.
• Deft Quartermaster: Your rations, potions, and equipment from the Dungeoneering Gear in the Starting Gear section can be bundled two to an inventory slot.
• Survivalist: You thrive in the Wilds protecting the realms of Man from the horrors that lurk in dark wood and deep cave. You have Advantage on saves to track, navigate, hunt, and forage in the wilderness.
• Trick-Shot: Targets only receive half of their normal cover bonus. When you shoot into melee enemy combatants count as two combatants for the purposes of randomly determining who you hit.
• Night Vigil: When camping, you can gain advantage on the encounter die after describing your watch routine and setting up a perimeter by means of your choosing.
  
• Skirmisher: Immediately after you are attacked in melee, you can move up half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Once per round.

ROGUE (Knacks of Trickery)

Daria Rashev

• Acrobat: You gain Advantage on saves to balance, climb, leap, and tumble.
• Burglar: You gain Advantage on saves to hide in shadows, move silently, and climb.
• Backstab!: When you attack a foe with a melee weapon who is already engaged by an ally inflict an addition 1d6 per [Level] damage. You attack with Advantage if you attack from hiding.
• Dungeoneer: You have Advantage on DEX saves to disable traps, assuming you have the proper tools. Three times per day you may ask any of the following questions and must be given an honest answer:
• Is there a trap here? (Y/N Answer)
• Is there a hidden door here? (Y/N Answer)
• Lucky AF: Once per day you may reroll a Critical Fail or force a foe to reroll a Critical Success that would affect you.
• Evasive MF: Once per round you can reduce damage taken by your [DEX bonus], if you can see its source.

CLERIC (Knacks of Faith)

Xabi Gazte

• Blind Faith: Take a sacred oath with your faith/authority. You gain the ability to use Clerical Implements (bells, candles, herbs or similar), and gain one. You can use it with one hand to say Prayers.
• Turn Undead: [Level] times per day, force up to [WIS bonus] HD worth of undead to make a morale check using your action. Apply a negative modifier equal to your [WIS bonus] to the check.
• Pacifist: Whenever you get a reaction roll to resolve a situation that could end up in combat, if you and your allies remain calm, the roll is with Advantage.
• Hammer of The Authority: Grant Advantage to any morale checks your retainers/hirlings/acolytes make as your below a holy litany and lay waste with your warhammer.
• Sacred Feast: Out of combat you can bless Rations or Snacks that are meant to regain HP with your Clerical Implements. Creatures add your [WIS bonus] to their HP healed.
• Witch Hunter: You smell the presence of Magic Users, Witches, or other Clerics.

DRUID (Knacks of Nature)

Druid with mutated "Owl Eyes" by Rebecca Blackie

• Bear Strength: Gain +2 Item Slots. This allows you to go above the 20 Item Slots limit.
• Gliding Wings: You have gliding appendage wings below your arms. You don't take any damage from falling, as long as you can extend your arms.
• Owl Eyes: Gain darkvision. Useless the moment there’s a light source present (sunlight, torch, candle, lamp).
• Spider Feet: For [Level] of turns per day your bare hands and feet allow you to walk on vertical surfaces or upside down without the need of equipment or saves.
• Animal Talk: You can verbally communicate with animals as if you shared a language. This doesn't make them smart. 
• Forest Step: You can step from one tree to another, as long as they are on the same grove/forest/garden, [Level] times per day.

MAGIC USER (Knacks of Magic)

Getting a "Student of the Arcane" Knack, by Albert Urmanov

• Student of the Arcane: Gain 2 random spell books. You have a number of Magic Dice (=MD) equal to your [Level]/2 (rounded up). All saves associated to casting arcane spells are based on your INT.
• Sword Wizard: You can cast spells while wielding a weapon in one or both of your hands. You still need the spell books/scrolls/magic items on your own inventory.
• Manifold Cerebrum: You have Advantage on INT Saves vs magical attacks/effects.
• Companion: Gain a mystical cat (darkvision) , mouse (burrow), squirrel (climb) or toad (swim) companion with [Level] HP. You can communicate with it telepathically as long as you can see it. If it dies it can be re-summoned spending a night’s work.
• Spell Tattoos: Your skin is covered with tattoos of magical glyphs. Anyone who sees them knows what you are. Gain one random spell (roll [INT bonus] times and choose one). Whenever you cast this spell, do so with +1MD (this die doesn't return to your pool). You still require MD and free hands to cast the spell.
• Chaos Mage: Gain one random spell to cast from your mind per day. Each morning roll [Level] random of spells and pick one to store for the day. Whenever you cast this spell, do so with +1MD (this die doesn't return to your pool). You still require MD and free hands to cast it.

WITCH (Knacks of Wyrd)

Witching around, by Tatyana Kupriyanova

• Read Leaves: Assuming you have water, a pot, and tea, you can spend 1 turn every morning performing this ritual. Roll a d20 and store that number. You can replace a result on a d20 from a creature you can see (yourself, allies, or foes) once that day with the stored number. You do this after learning the roll, but before knowing the outcome.
• Familiar: You gain a mouthless humanoid, magically created with mud and sticks. d8 + [Level] HP. Doesn't eat or drink, but needs to breathe. Follows all your commands, although it's extremely incompetent in combat. You can resummon your familiar 1/day.
• Spell Eater: Once per day when a spell is targeted at you, you negate the spell's effects. Do A CHA save. On success, you absorb the spell and can cast it once as if it were your own, with the MD the rival intended for the casting. On a fail you need to eat double the rations for one day. You can only have one eaten spell at any time.
• Devil's Contract: If someone makes a bargain with you and breaks it you instantly know about it. If you have their signature on the bargain you know how to locate them by general location (North, East, up down, etc.)
• Hint/Jinx: Once per turn do a CHA Save when another creature you can see attempts an action that requires a d20 roll. On success, add(hint)/subtract(jinx) your CHA bonus to the roll. On a failure, you loose [Level] HP. You do this after learning the roll, but before knowing the outcome.
• Alter Ego: Choose a second persona of your same Ancestry, regardless of features, sex and age. You can shapeshift to that persona a total of [CHA bonus] hours per day.