DCC "J" RPG - Occupations for a Nintendo Inspired DCC Campaign

Pixels are my Old School

See that picture up there?  That's me (on the left) and my brother (on the right) playing the original Final Fantasy for Nintendo.  I'm guessing this picture is from around 1989.  At this point in my gaming career I still hadn't discovered tabletop RPG's.  That part of my life would begin less than a year later.  Since my discovery of tabletop RPG's occurred around the same time as my NES and early JRPG days, the two events have been forever linked.

Heck, I even wrote a full blog post about the whole connection last winter.  

For those of you who haven't touched a Nintendo, or who shy away from console RPG's, the J in JRPG stands for "Japanese".  It's safe to say that most console RPG's from Japan include anime-inspired art, main characters stricken with amnesia, and at least one anthropomorphic race or species.  

It's been a while since I did a full list of new occupations, but had a great time coming up with those Star Wars - Stormtrooper themed options in the spring.  So I thought "why not capture that feel for Dungeon Crawl Classics games?"  

What I've compiled is a full list of 100 occupations, complete with starting weapons and trade goods, that can replace Table 1-3 in the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game rulebook.  Please note that while I'm the one that put the list together, many of these ideas are straight from the minds of +Paul C and +Taylor Frank, who both contributed a TON of ideas on a thread in the DCCRPG Google+ group today.  Thanks guys!  Also gotta give a shout-out to my daughter Carrie who came up with the Pokemon…er… I mean "Pocket Demon" occupations.  

You rock, kiddo!  

Each and every one of these occupations could easily fit in a Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, or Chrono Trigger game.  Some of these refer to weird races/species, such as Automaton or Moonfolk, but for now just treat them as humans.  Or maybe you could make the Moonfolk elves.  I don't know, I haven't come up with new races or classes for these…

… yet.  

On to the list!

DCC"J"RPG Occupation List

(Each occupation is organized as "title - starting weapon - trade good")

1. Academy Student - Sportstick (as staff) - Textbook
2. After Battle Cleaner - Rake (as staff) - Bottle of cleaning solution
3. Aimlessly Wandering Townie - Club  - An extra set of dull clothing
4. Airship Crewman - Belaying Pin (as club) - Airship badge
5. Airship Mechanic - Wrench (as mace) - Box of nuts and bolts
6. Amiable Slime Creature - Mace - Bucket (for storage and a bed)
7. Angst Ridden Village Teen - Throwing Star (dart) - Sunglasses
8. Animated Stuffed Animal - Hand Axe - Bell
9. Anthropomorphic Squire - Long Sword - Saddle
10. Aspiring Bestiary Author - Dagger - Scroll case, parchment, pen
11. Atypical Mount Trainer - Whip - Box of treats
12. Automaton Cohort - Mace - Oil can
13. Automaton Laborer - Club - Large sack
14. Big Mouthed Street Tough - Brass Knuckles (1d3 damage) - Wallet on a chain
15. Bipedal Bird Rancher - Staff - Young Bipedal Bird (Bi-Bir)
16. Bipedal Bird Rider - Short Bow - Bag of bird food
17. Black Magic School Dropout - Sharpened Wand (1d3 dmg) - Pointy Hat
18. Boss Monster Assistant - Club - Burn ointment
19. Card Game Aficionado - Metal throwing card (as dart) - Deck of cards
20. Cave Witch’s Apprentice - Staff - Weak poultice, heals 1d3 hp
21. Celestial Tree Leaf Raker - Rake (as staff) - 1 leaf from the Celestial Tree
22. Cheerful Nurse - Syringe (as dart) - Adhesive bandage
23. Cinder Squire - Short Sword - Coaldark Cloak
24. Crystal Polisher - Chisel (as dagger) - Crystal polishing rag
25. Cute Mascot Creature - Spear - Soft fur brush
26. Disgraced Lackey  - Mace - Evil Uniform
27. Disguised Prince/Princess - Staff - Commoner Disguise
28. Dragoon Jump Trainer  - Spear - Boot polish
29. Drunken Pirate - Cutlass (as short sword) - Bottle of grog
30. Dungeon Architect - 10’ Pole (as staff) - Map to an unknown dungeon
31. Dungeon Chest Placer - Spear - Empty small chest
32. Eager Innkeeper - Staff - Feather Duster
33. Evil Monologue Writer - Quill (as dart) - Scroll case full of parchment 
34. Exiled Space Prince/Princess - Short Bow - Moon rock
35. Failed Rocket Pilot - Flight Stick (as club) - Cap and goggles
36. Failed Villain - Short Sword - Red cape
37. Flamboyant Rival - Rapier (as short sword) - Foppish hat
38. Flower Vendor - Ornate Staff - Basket
39. Fountain Dancer - Sharpened Dance Shoe (as dagger) - Fancy suit/dress
40. Freed Pocket Demon - Sling - Cracked demon ball
41. Frustrated Mime - Bowling Pin (as club) - Face paint
42. Ghost Forest Charlatan - Short Bow  - Spooky whistle
43. Gold to Monster Feeder - Tongs (as club) - Large funnel
44. Grim Dark Apprentice - Staff - Notes from Grim Dark Master
45. Gruff Blacksmith - Warhammer - 5lbs of Iron
46. Gunblade Greaser - Gunblade handle (as club) - Can of grease
47. Heal Potion Brewer's Assistant - Broken Bottle (as knife) - Three empty bottles
48. Honorbound Cat Person - Hand Axe - Holy symbol of the Whiskered Goddess
49. Kid with Amnesia - Dagger  - A picture of someone in a locket
50. Lava World Native - Obsidian Club  - Decorative loincloth
51. Legendary Hero’s Mother-in-Law - Frying Pan (as Mace) - Pot
52. Living Puppet - Dagger - Spool of string
53. Lost Time Traveler - Blaster Pistol (1d6) - Digital Watch
54. Magi-Factory Foreman - Crowbar (as club) - Jar of glow worms
55. Magi-Train Conductor  - Baton (as club) - Extra tickets
56. Magma Prison Escapee - Club - Tin of tobacco  
57. Mana Potion Line Cook - Steel Ladle (as club) - Mana potion (cures 2 pts of Spellburn)
58. Meandering Merchant - Sling - Oversized sack
59. Mercenary School Graduate - Long Sword - Hot dog (wrapped)
60. Mercenary School Headmaster/Headmistress - Whip - Manacles
61. Midi Musician - Dart - Electric harp
62. Moonfolk Manhunter - Short Bow - 50’ rope
63. Moonfolk Rockseller - Shovel (as staff) - 3 moon rocks
64. Naming Lad - Quill (as dart) - Book of baby names
65. Needlessly Large Sword Maker  - Bokken (as club) - Plans for the world’s biggest sword
66. Nostalgic Shopkeeper  - Club - Finely crafted wooden horse
67. Optimistic Resistance Fighter - Short Bow - Six pack of cherry cola
68. Orphan Sprite Child - Dagger - Bag of candy
69. Overachieving Tween - Short Sword - Gold Medal (worth 1gp)
70. Overworked Potter - Broom (as staff) - 5 lbs clay
71. Pet Store Clerk - Cane (as club) - Ploggle (headless living ball of fur with tail)
72. Pixel Artist - Hardened Paint Brush (as club) - Easel & Paint
73. Plucky Treasure Finder - Dagger - Long lost silver necklace (10sp)
74. Pocket Demon Catcher - Whip - Demon Ball (stores one demon)
75. Pocket Demon Gym Janitor - Mop (as staff) - Bottle of glass cleaner
76. Raving Sportsballer - Sportsball (as dart) - Sportsball Uniform
77. Reformed Monster - Club - Letter of reform from The Mayor
78. Repentant Cinder Knight - Long Sword - Coaldark Leather Armor
79. Save Point Tender - Broom (as staff) - Tent
80. Semi-Civilized Sasquatch  - Big Rock (as Mace) - Teeth of the vanquished 
81. Serrated Armor Armorer - Warhammer - Small hammer
82. Sewer Level Slumdog - Dagger - Metal strainer
83. Shadow World Refugee - Dagger - Jar of pickled worms
84. Shadow World Visitor - Spiky Mace - Giant Land Snail companion (size of dog)
85. Spiky Hair Stylist - Mirror (as club) - Tin of hair ointment 
86. Spoony Bard - Large spoon (as club) - Lute
87. Submersible Chef - Chef’s Knife (as Dagger) - Pot
88. Submersible Sailor - Trident (as spear) - Sushi roll
89. Summoned Monster Tender - Shovel (as staff) - Sack of guano
90. The Mayor (if this comes up more than once, all but one are impostors) - Staff - Badge of office
91. Toad-Cursed Knight - Long Sword - Shield
92. Turnip Knight - Short Sword - Turnip Helmet
93. Tutorial Sage - Staff - Chalk and small chalk board
94. Underworld Dwarf Jailer - Hand Axe - Bottle of under dwarven under ale
95. Underworld Dwarf Miner - Pickaxe (as hand axe) - 1lbs coal
96. Unemployed Minion - Spear - Last pay (25 cp)
97. Wannabe Ninja - Ninja-to (as short sword) - Grappling Hook
98. White Belt - Nunchuku (as club) - Gi and Sandals 
99. Wilderperson - Spear - Ear necklace
100. Wolfheaded Pickpocket - Sling - Three finely crafted wallets

Parting Shots

Finishing up this list I got to thinking of how this could all fit in a really fun game world.  Where is the Celestial Tree, and why is it celestial?  What is the Underworld like?  How dangerous is that Magma Prison?  I may have to set a few adventures in this stereotypical, cartridge-themed universe…

… I wonder if I'll have to blow in my DCCRPG rulebook to get the game started… 

Feel free to offer up some more character options, or even some ideas for additional rules.  Also, if you spot any of the many dozen easter eggs in here please call them out!