Vagabond

Overview

The Vagabond is Rifts' wandering generalist — the traveler, performer, free spirit, or wasteland nomad who doesn't fit into any other category. Where other classes specialize, the Vagabond is the generalist: passable at many things, master of few. They're the party member who knows a little about wilderness and the city and magic and tech, without being the expert in any single area. They thrive on flexibility, adaptability, and the wisdom of having seen many things.

Vagabonds are diverse — traveling performers, freelance scouts, wandering monks, restless mystics, drifters, occult investigators, and self-styled "people of the road." They tend to be charismatic and unmoored. They are also, sometimes, the party's narrative anchor: the character whose backstory and connections fuel campaign-level plot threads.

This is the project's "you pick what kind of Vagabond you are" class. It begins with fewer Specializations than its peers, but grants more of them over time and lets you choose them freely from the whole catalog — the most flexible Specialization progression of any class.

At a glance

Class features by level

Sub-Specializations

Traveling Performer

• L1: +1 status bonus to Performance. With a few minutes of deliberate performance, a public act benefits the party (the GM gauges the crowd).
• L7 (Greater): Your public-performance bonus extends to allies' combat checks.
• L15 (Master): Your performance can change a crowd's mood — start a riot or calm a panic.

Wanderer

• L1: +1 Specialization at L1 (3 total), traded against a −1 status penalty to Specialization checks (weakness at any single specialty).
• L7 (Greater): Specializations beyond your normal class progression, plus a +1 to checks involving travel and exploration.
• L15 (Master): All Specializations operate one tier higher for Recall Knowledge purposes.

Outcast

• L1: +1 status bonus to Stealth and +1 status bonus to Survival. Better at avoiding notice.
• L7 (Greater): With a few hours in an unfamiliar settlement, find your way into the local hidden network (fences, smugglers, the margins).
• L15 (Master): Pass as a local; reduced suspicion in unfamiliar areas.

Class feats

You gain a class feat at every even level, and can always select a feat of your level or lower. The Vagabond is combat-light; its relevance in a fight comes from CHA-driven support and the generalist's knack for having a little of everything.

Level 1

• Skill Specialist. Gain an additional Specialization beyond your starting ones.
• Performance Master. +1 status bonus to Performance checks; you can use Performance in place of Diplomacy to Make an Impression.
• Cross-Lore. Gain an additional Lore skill at no extra cost.
• Rally. □ Allies within 30 ft who can see or hear you gain a +1 status bonus to attack rolls and to saves against fear until the start of your next turn.

Level 2

• Cutting Remark. Demoralize using Performance or Diplomacy and as a single action; once per round you can Demoralize two creatures with one action.
• Jack of All Trades. Attempt any Trained-gated skill check even while Untrained, and gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks with skills you're only Trained in.
• Traveler's Friend. +2 status bonus to Gather Information and to Make an Impression; in any settlement you can reliably find lodging, a guide, or safe passage.

Level 4

• Charming Talker. +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy; Make an Impression as a single action.
• Bardic Lore. Use Performance to Recall Knowledge about a broad range of subjects — legends, songs, rumors, history.
• Pursuit Master. You always know if you're being followed, and gain a +2 status bonus to track or shake a tail.

Level 6

• Inspiring Defense. When you use Rally, affected allies also gain temporary Hit Points equal to your level until the start of your next turn.
• Distracting Act. □ One enemy within 30 ft that can see or hear you is off-guard to your allies until the start of your next turn.
• Versatile Performance. Use Performance in place of Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Deception for most social actions.

Level 8

• Living Library. Your Generalist's Insight expands — recall a relevant fact or rumor from your travels about almost any subject (the GM provides a useful tidbit).
• Trader's Eye. +2 status bonus to bartering and appraising in any settlement; you always find a fair price.
• Greater Inspiration. Your Rally bonus increases to +2 and lasts 1 minute (re-Rally to retarget), and now also applies to affected allies' damage rolls.

Level 10

• Adaptable Expert. Generalist's Insight improves to two tiers higher; with 10 minutes of attunement, gain temporary use of one Specialization you don't have until you next rest.
• Crowd Favorite. In any populated area, sway crowds — gather a following, turn public sentiment, or use Performance to control a crowd's mood.
• Lucky Wanderer. Once per round, reroll a failed check (taking the new result), or grant an ally within 30 ft a reroll on a failed check.

Level 12

• Hero's Reputation. In many communities you're recognized and respected — reduced hostility and easier requests.
• Travel Companion Mastery. The traveling allies and companions you gather are notably loyal and capable.
• Masterful Performance. Your performances can fascinate, calm, or incite a group of creatures (Will save vs. your class DC); in combat, a fascinated creature is off-guard.

Level 14

• Worldly Wisdom. +2 status bonus to saves against fear and mental effects; allies within 30 ft gain a +1 status bonus to such saves.
• Quick Wit. ↻ When an ally within 30 ft fails a skill check or save, a timely word grants them a +2 circumstance bonus, possibly turning the failure into a success. Once per round.
• Master of Many Roads. You and your companions move faster overland, never get lost, and can find a route to anywhere you've heard of; exploration hazards are reduced.

Level 16

• Master Wanderer. Your Specializations function one tier higher for all purposes.
• Quiet Genius. People sense your wisdom before you speak — a +1 circumstance bonus to first impressions and to being trusted or believed.
• Legendary Performer. Your Rally and Distracting Act affect all eligible allies, or one enemy, within 60 ft, and your inspiring bonuses increase by 1.

Level 18

• Master Adapter. Your Adaptable Expert lets you gain any Specialization or skill feat you need on a moment's notice, and swap freely during downtime.
• Unforgettable. Your reputation precedes you across the wasteland; call on past acquaintances for favors nearly anywhere, and your fame opens doors closed to others.
• Inspiring Aura. While conscious, allies within 30 ft are under a constant minor inspiration — a +1 status bonus to saves against fear — with no action required.

Level 20

• The Wanderer's Gift. 1-minute activity. Allies within 30 ft gain your Rally bonus continuously and can each reroll one failed check during the duration; you can adapt to any situation, gaining temporary access to any skill or Specialization for the duration.
• Living Legend (Vagabond). You're a legend across the wasteland's roads; nearly everyone has heard of you, opening social and travel options everywhere.
• One of Everything. Use any single Specialization or skill feat from the catalog at will, swapping which one at the start of each day — the ultimate generalist.

Where the class shines

The Vagabond is moderately combat-relevant but flexible-utility-focused. In a fight, it is weak relative to martial classes; in social, travel, and exploration play, it is surprisingly versatile. The Vagabond is generalist by design — it can borrow another expanded-skill class's specialty by choosing the same Specializations, but it never gains that class's unique features. The class fits campaigns where:

• The party travels extensively across the wasteland.
• The plot involves multiple settlements or regions.
• The party needs a "lay of the land" character for unfamiliar territory.
• Roleplay-focused play emphasizes character interaction over combat.