Culture Specific Bonuses

Ever since 2nd Edition D&D, there has been a trend towards giving GMs tools to better customize classes, races, and cultures mechanically. In 3.5 D&D, we see it as subrace variants, templates, prestige classes, etc. Normally these either stack on top of other rules, or require a GM to write up an entire class to represent a specific order of knights or some such. This is a lot of work and often can lead to imbalances in play.

Iron Heroes suggests tying Traits directly into these things, though it still doesn't quite nail it either, simply because you only get two Trait choices, and even having one be predetermined kind of hurts your character optimization.

So here's my alternative:

Culture Specific Bonus

1. Cultures

Before play, the GM writes up the various cultures from which the players may create characters. The GM should also write up what character classes are available for that culture. For example, a group of desert nomads probably would not have any Armigers. Specific interesting aspects might also apply, such as a certain group might have Archers who only use crossbows.

2. Assign Bonuses

The GM chooses 3 bonuses from the list below. Either one or two must be assigned as "Way of Life" bonuses, which are granted to the people of that culture, while the remaining are assigned specifically for classes of that culture.

For example, desert nomads would have "Skill Group- Wilderness", and probably "Skill group- Perception", but their Weapon Masters might have "+2 Reflexes" while their Harriers would have "+2 Fortitude" for surviving the harsh deserts...

Bonus List:

- Get 1 free rank in any Skill Group (does not raise your max ranks, and does not give you any further access to the skill group if your class doesn't have it)

-+2 to any specific Save (Fort/Ref/Will)

+2 hitpoints

A single Masterwork item, armor, or weapon

- + 200 xp (cannot be a Way of Life bonus, applies to only one or two classes for a given culture.)

The Bonuses are designed to provide enough difference that players might think about them while creating characters, and gives enough mechanical bonus for the GM to make differences between groups of people. But at the same time, the bonuses are designed to be rather low powered, and tend to drop off in importance by 3rd or 4th level.

Below is a ultra-brief example using the Mongols as a template. You could take any culture, real or imaginary, and set them up in the same way.

Mongols

The Mongols are a nomadic people, surviving on the steppes as herders, hunters, and raiders. They are expert horsemen and archers. The life of a nomad on the steppes is harsh, and makes for a tough and hardy people.

Way of Life bonuses:

- Wilderness Skill Group

Archers

Mongol archers were feared around the world for their skill as mounted bow men. Their composite bows also gave them greater range and accuracy.

- Masterwork Composite Bow

- +200 xp

Berserkers

Mongols weren't reknowned for their Berserkers, but pretty much any raiding/nomadic group is going to have some.

-+2 Fortitude

-Athletics Skill Group

Harriers

The Mongols were not just mobile, but smart in using scouts. Quick, fast and able to dart in and out of enemy territory, they were rarely ambushed.

- Perception Skill Group

- +2 Reflexes

Hunters

Still a primary occupation for the Mongols, they were also toughened by the landscape.

- Perception Skill Group

- +2 Hit Points

Man at Arms

Their warriors were used to a life on the road.

- +2 Fort

- +2 Hit Points

Thieves

Thieves were looked down upon and killed, though as they grew in numbers and absorbed other groups, more shifty types made their way in.

- Stealth Skill Group

- Performance Skill Group

Arcanists

The shamans quickly absorbed other cultures' beliefs and ideas- it was not uncommon to find a shaman versed in their native Animism, Christianity, and Islam all at once. The shamans also traveled much, and were much hardier than magicians in most other cultures.

- Knowledge Skill Group

- +2 Hitpoints

Missing Classes:

The Mongols used armor, but were never the kind to master it, being nomads and all. So no Armigers. They also found themselves being forced to use a variety of weapons on the road, the bow being the only one they felt necessary to focus upon more than any other, so no Weapon Masters either.