Stat's can't go higher than 6 right?
Will 5 Perception 5 Power 4 Forte 4 Agility 4 Speed 3
Lifepath skills:
Hunting 3
Doctrine 1
Oratory 1
Read 1
Orienteering 1
Riding 1
Ritual 1
Stealthy 3
Suasion 1
Tracking 3
Write 1
Javelin 3
General skills:
Appropriate Weapon (Mammoth Tusk) 2
Armor Training 1
Traits:
Tonsured 1
Dusty 1
Faithful 1
Other 3, I'd need to see a list with costs. Any recommendation would be welcome.
Does that look right?
Edit:Can traits have more than one rank?
Zöoi Dawn'sgift:
Born of the union of an Ulfen Huskarl retired to manage his Jarl's trade lodge & the southern maiden he claimed during the last raid he partook, Zöoi was named by her mother when her father's long-hoped-for son & heir never arrived. A willful & energetic child, she also showed a mind far keener than most of her contemporaries. At least among the girl children.
That will & energy would get her in trouble as often as not as she grew older, leading to fights with the other children, particularly the boys of the village when they would attempt to define her as a 'mere girl'.
Later, as began to mature & bloom into the woman her mother feared she would in this for Northern Land, the fights were in response to those same boys attempts to 'define' her in 'other' ways.
At the same time growing up she enjoyed nothing more than to hear the stories told by her father's fellow men-at-arms when the Jarl would visit or a particular trade partner would require additional guards. Indeed one day both would come to a head as she declared she was the equal of any boy in the village in a fight, or any other village & she would prove it too!
That very week, one of the Jarl's trade partner's trains passed through the village & as it left, Zöoi left with it.
Stat's can't go higher than 6 right?
Will 5 Perception 5 Power 4 Forte 4 Agility 4 Speed 3
Lifepath skills:
Hunting 3
Doctrine 1
Oratory 1
Read 1
Orienteering 1
Riding 1
Ritual 1
Stealthy 3
Suasion 1
Tracking 3
Write 1
Javelin 3General skills:
Appropriate Weapon (Mammoth Tusk) 2
Armor Training 1Traits:
Tonsured 1
Dusty 1
Faithful 1Other 3, I'd need to see a list with costs. Any recommendation would be welcome.
Does that look right?
Edit:Can traits have more than one rank?
Correct, Stats are maxed at 6. Nope, Traits are either/or. You either have them or you don't. As far as other Trait recommendations, a lot depends on what your idea for the character is. I know you are going with a shaman concept, you might consider the Second Sight Trait.
Note: I think you have 4 more Trait Points, not 3. If I am correct, you could take Second Sight, as it is a 4 pt Trait. If I am wrong, well, you couldn't.
Yeah, you said seven, I just added wrong. What does Second Sight do?
& on the Drop-Dead Gorgeous 13 yr-old bit, that, or Extremely Bitter are required for Serving Wench, or at least they seemed to be in Revised. If they aren't in Gold I'll happily put the Trait into something else.
Alright, Kid looks good, although I believe you have 1 resource point left over :) (the three gear you chose are 1 each, and 5 for the relationship, Village born gives 4 resources, and Serving Wench gives 5).
As far as the options for Serving Wench, you do have some more in Gold, but they're similar, you have Extremely Bitter, Ugly, Drop-Dead Gorgeous, or Buxom :p so Drop-Dead Gorgeous is fine.
-=-=-=-=-=-
The killer, I'd say your Health could potentially be 1 higher. I assume Revised has the list of questions like Gold does. One of the ones in gold is "Is the character athletic and active?" which adds one. So unless she was severely wounded in the past, tortured, or enslaved, or lives in squalor and filth that should be a B5 Health.
Looks like arms and armor might be different in revised. In Gold they are two separate entries. Run of the mill Arms are 5 rps, and armor is 3 rps for a gambeson, 6 rps for reinforced leather. Anything higher than that you need training or you start taking ob penalties I believe. So that's either 11 or 14 out of 23. +5 for relationship leaves 16/19 out of 23. So how exactly did you get a 3D reputation? I'm guessing it must have been different in Revised again, in Gold a 'local' reputation is only 1D and costs 7 points, which with the relationship, gambeson, sword, and clothing/shoes/travelling gear is your 23 points.
Sorry if I seem harsh or anything, just wanting to make sure everything is following the same rules :)
Yeah, you said seven, I just added wrong. What does Second Sight do?
I've got to get ready for work now, so will check over the rest of your character shortly, but basically Second Sight allows you to determine if items are magical or night. By itself that's about all it does, but combined with the skill Aura Reading, it allows you to examine people's auras and you can find out information about them. You'd have to use those 3 general skill points to get the Aura Reading skill however :) It is a pretty powerful ability.
It is indeed, still 4 trait points in gold.
Tonsured I believe gives you a free 1D reputation for being your tribes shaman (in this case) as long as you perform whatever ritual it is shamans habitually perform (or where whatever sacred item they normally wear. I'll discuss this with you further).
-=-=-=-=-=-
As far as a trait list with costs, I will have that up for you guys, after work some time. Adios!
So what magic can I do with only the faithful trait? What determines how powerful it is? I'd rather be slightly better at fighting than magic. Or at least equal.
As a quick sideliner, still very keen on my trow-blooded human... but if group are to be emissaries of sorts would an Ulfen Skald be a decent proposition for my character?
He could have met Zöoi Dawn'sgift's lass during his time as a carouser?
I currently play a viking warrior in another pbp and his father was a infamous skald, brawler and ale-hus philosopher Ingvar Sharptunga
Perhaps a better fit for the group?
Alright, Kid looks good, although I believe you have 1 resource point left over :) (the three gear you chose are 1 each, and 5 for the relationship, Village born gives 4 resources, and Serving Wench gives 5).
As far as the options for Serving Wench, you do have some more in Gold, but they're similar, you have Extremely Bitter, Ugly, Drop-Dead Gorgeous, or Buxom :p so Drop-Dead Gorgeous is fine.
-=-=-=-=-=-
The killer, I'd say your Health could potentially be 1 higher. I assume Revised has the list of questions like Gold does. One of the ones in gold is "Is the character athletic and active?" which adds one. So unless she was severely wounded in the past, tortured, or enslaved, or lives in squalor and filth that should be a B5 Health.
Looks like arms and armor might be different in revised. In Gold they are two separate entries. Run of the mill Arms are 5 rps, and armor is 3 rps for a gambeson, 6 rps for reinforced leather. Anything higher than that you need training or you start taking ob penalties I believe. So that's either 11 or 14 out of 23. +5 for relationship leaves 16/19 out of 23. So how exactly did you get a 3D reputation? I'm guessing it must have been different in Revised again, in Gold a 'local' reputation is...
Ah, I was misreading again. I thought the reputation to the Circles die. The Arms & Armor was just an attempt to save line space, they are still two separate items yes, although for arms I was thinking two swords considering she has two-Fisted fighting. Regarding the Health bit, I had forgotten the relevant questions & just went off of Will & Forte.
As far as the Serving Wench Character Traits go, in Revised it almost read as 'Extremely Bitter and Ugly, or Drop-Dead Gorgeous and Buxom', like the Trait is both either way. If we were having squick moments about a Drop-Dead Gorgeous 13 year-old, just imagine a Drop-Dead Gorgeous, Buxom 13 year-old.Even taking into account 13 in the time period this emulates might be considered more like 16 or 17 now, I'm old enough that either seems dangerously close to statutory rape territory.
Yeah, I realized I had an extra Resource point left over, unfortunately other than an extra change of clothes or another set of shoes there isn't really anything she would have that she could afford. I thought about another relationship, but that would just about require that she had a sibling or parent in among the enemy if I did the math correctly, or at least hated her guts. I'm not opposed to that idea mind you...
@Jelani: Faith is...
funny. It acts more like 'real' miracles than standard fantasy divine magic. There is little objective 'proof' that you did anything so I wouldn't worry about seeming more of a 'caster' than a warrior. Your age will have a greater effect on that than anything else. Although right now your age is great enough you are going to start getting odd looks for fighting instead of letting the young bucks do it anyway.
Second Sight basically lets you perceive spirits & magic. In some ways, that might be considered more shaman-y than Faith would. On the other hand, having both would definitely edge you into the 'why are you fighting, you are too important for that' territory that it sounds like you don't want to be in.
@Black Dow: I am cool with either, although there is a lot of RP potential in playing an Orc
@all the PC's: Right now all we are doing is crunching the numbers. There is so much more to Character Creation in Burning Wheel, we have yet to consider beliefs, instincts or emotions yet. Even the beliefs & instincts I have listed are really just basic starting points, I will probably adjust them at least somewhat once you guys have more definite characters & we start fleshing out our relationships with the world around us.
Sorry if answers seem short/rushed, just finished a 12 hour graveyard with an 8 hour shift tonight, and a 12 hour shift tomorrow night, so responses may be a bit eratic until I've had a chance to relax and sleep properly.
So what magic can I do with only the faithful trait? What determines how powerful it is? I'd rather be slightly better at fighting than magic. Or at least equal.
What you can do with Faith is basically only dependent on how well you roll. There are no restrictions on what you can do as long as you can beat the Obstacle for the specific task you wish to accomplish. Generally it's going to be fairly minor stuff to start with, providing bonuses to to you and your allies' rolls, and/or penalties to the enemy. The two things you mentioned, minor divinations and minor healing are both Obstacle 5 (you need 5 successes on however many dice you roll). Faith does not have spells or anything, you just pray and roll (and hope you don't piss off your deity/animal spirit if you fail)
Unless you're wanting to change you lifepaths, as long as you have Faithful you'll be able to perform/pray for some miracles, the power of Faith depends on... well your character's faith (see next post(s))
I don't think you have anything to worry about. I still need to go over the character so far and verify, but that will have to wait. Like Zooi says, there's still more to Character Burning :)
-=-=-=-=-=-
As a quick sideliner, still very keen on my trow-blooded human... but if group are to be emissaries of sorts would an Ulfen Skald be a decent proposition for my character?
He could have met Zöoi Dawn'sgift's lass during his time as a carouser?
I currently play a viking warrior in another pbp and his father was a infamous skald, brawler and ale-hus philosopher Ingvar Sharptunga
Perhaps a better fit for the group?
Well the emissary thing is what I was considering, but it's up to you guys as much as me, Burning wheel is meant to be very character driven as I understand it anyway.
That said I think the trow-blud will work fine; unless your characters are wanting to go somewhere else, the Elders/council are suggesting you try and find the Dwarves first, so the Trow-blud's skill will be quite useful; I picture you as that scary dude that everyone hates, but grudgingly admits that he's the best in the area; they just don't like him because he's weird and scary (or because he's half troll in this case).
-=-=-=-=-=-
@Zooi
Not sure I agree with you on the 'too old/valuable to be a warrior' for Jelani, I get where you're coming from but to me, being a mighty warrior is about the most important thing any Kellid can be, and combining that with 'the strength of the mammoth' just vaunts him even higher. I still have to go over his skills properly, but I think he'll do just fine.
Anyway, as far as your character, the reputation die can be added to circles when you make the test, but they are listed separately (to avoid confusing advancement and the like). Two swords is fine, it pretty much says you can take multiple weapons for one purchase.
Yeah it doesn't seem like that for Serving Wench in Gold, at least to me. Anyway, it's not likely to cause a big deal (and sorry to make a fuss of it in the first place), I'm not going to have anyone hitting on the 13 year old (there definitely are Buxom 13 year olds though) unless they're a really creepy villain anyway :p
I'm not sure if it was in Revised, but in Gold there is a 1 resource point Personal Items (things of sentimental value etc), perhaps a valuable locket her father gave her or the like?
-=-=-=-=-=-
Doomed Hero, are you still interested in joining? It's going to be at least Monday or Teusday before I can focus properly on this again, so you've got time.
Traits!
Traits fall into one of three categories (and are discussed on page 57 of the Hub and Spokes document)
Character traits are largely just descriptive traits that can earn you Artha if you play them well, or they cause you trouble (for instance Anger Management Issues would get you Artha if your Character’s short fuse caused you to pick a fight you could easily have avoided). Character traits can also cover physical attributes that are a striking feature for that Character, such as Drop-Dead Gorgeous, Diminutive Hands or Facial Scar.
Call-Ons are traits that provide one of two benefits when using the associated skill (occasionally a limited group of skills), or attribute. Call-Ons allow you either to break a tie (for opposed tests if both Character roll the same number of successes then ties normally go to the defender. If the aggressor has a call-on however, then they can use it to win the tie), or to reroll all failed dice. Call-ons are normally used once per session, for the purposes of a play-by-post they will refresh approximately every 3 to 5 ‘scenes’ (this may be changed depending on how things go once we actually get to play).
Die Traits change how the rules work for your Character. This could be as simple as giving you a bonus die when using a particular skill, or set of skills, changing an Obstacle for some task(s), or allowing you to use a new mechanic (such as Faith, Gifts, Auras, etc. usually with an associated skill).
So without further ado, the trait list (including type, and cost. Remember, any traits listed under a lifepath only cost 1 point if you take that lifepath, regardless of what it normally costs).
Abnormally Long Tongue – Character – 1 pt
Abused – Character – 1 pt
Aches and Pains – Character – 1 pt
Addicted – Character – 1 pt
Adorable – Character – 1 pt
Affinity for… - Die Trait – 4 pts
Affinity for Business – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Affinity for Horses – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Aggressive – Character – 1 pt
Agoraphobic – Character – 1 pt
Agreeable – Character – 1 pt
Alarming – Character – 1 pt
Alchoholic – Character – 1 pt
Alert – Die Trait – 2 pts
Alms-Taker – Character – 1 pt
Aloof – Character – 1 pt
Ambidextrous – Character – 1 pt
Ambitious – Character – 1 pt
Amenable – Character – 1 pt
Amenable to Other Options – Character – 1 pt
Anemic – Character – 1 pt
Apostate – Die Traits – 3 pts
Appreciation for Beauty – Character – 1 pt
Apprehensive – Character – 1 pt
Arcane – Character – 1 pt
Arrogant – Character – 1 pt
Artful Dodger – Die Trait – 5 pts
Atravieso – Die Trait – 1 pt
Aura of Innocence – Call-On – 2 pts
Aura of Determination – Call-On – 5 pts
Aura of Fear – Die Trait – 5 pts
Aura of Holiness – Die Trait – 7 pts
Aura of Malevolence – Die Trait – 6 pts
Aura of Martyrdom – Die Trait – 3 pts
Authoritative – Character – 1 pt
Bad Egg – Character – 1 pt
Barker – Character – 1 pt
Base Humility – Character – 1 pt
Bastard – Die Trait – 4 pts
Batshit – Character – 1 pt
Bedside Manner – Character – 1 pt
Beespeaker – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Believer – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Bellicose – Character – 1 pt
Big Boned – Character – 1 pt
Bilge-Drinker – Character – 1 pt
Birdie Talk – Die Trait – Lifepath only
A Bit Deaf – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Blank Stare – Die Trait – 3 pts
Blasphemer – Character – 1 pt
Blind – Die Trait – 1 pt
Blisters – Character – 1 pt
Bloviatic – Character – 1 pt
Boaster – Character – 1 pt
Bookworm – Die Trait – 2 pts
Booming Voice – Call-On – 2 pts
Bored – Character – 1 pt
Born to Be King – Character – 5 pts
Bottomless Stomach – Die Trait – 2 pts
Brash – Character – 1 pt
Brave – Character – 1 pt
Broken – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Broken In – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Broken Man – Character – 1 pt
Bruiser – Call-On – Lifepath only
Brusque – Character – 1 pt
Brutal – Character – 1 pt
Bulbous Nose – Character – 1 pt
Bull’s-eye Spitter – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Burial Rites – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Burial at Sea – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Buxom – Character – 1 pt
Call of the Sea – Character – 1 pt
Callous – Character – 1 pt
Calloused – Character – 1 pt
Callow – Character – 1 pt
Catamite – Character – 1 pt
Charismatic – Call-On - 2 pts
Charming – Call-On -2 pts
Child Prodigy – Die Trait – 2 pts
Chosen One – Die Trait – 5 pts
Chronologue – Character – 1 pt
Chuffing – Character – 1 pt
Chuntering – Character – 1 pt
Cipher – Die Trait – 5 pts
Circumspect – Character – 1 pt
Claustrophobic – Die Traits – 1 pt
Clumsy – Die Trait – 1 pt
Cold Blooded – Die Trait – 2 pts
Cold Hearted – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Collector – Character – 1 pt
Color Blind – Character – 1 pt
Colorful – Character – 1 pt
Comely – Character – 1 pt
Comfortable Shoes – Character – 1 pt
Commanding Aura – Die Trait – 6 pts
Complaining – Character – 1 pt
Compulsive Liar – Character – 1 pt
Condescending – Character – 1 pt
Connected – Die Trait – 4 pts
Confident – Character – 1 pt
Contortionist – Call-On 2 pts
Cookie – Character – 1 pt
Cool Headed – Die Trait – 2 pts
Corrupt – Character – 1 pt
Cowardly – Die Trait – 1 pt
Cramped Hands – Character – 1 pt
Crippled – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Crotchety – Character – 1 pt
Cruel – Character – 1 pt
Cry Wolf – Character – 1 pt
Cryptic – Character – 1 pt
Curious – Character – 1 pt
Curses like a Sailor – Character – 1 pt
Cursing – Character – 1 pt
Cynical – Character – 1 pt
Daring – Character – 1 pt
Darling of the Court – Die Trait – 3 pts
Deadly Precision – Die Trait – 5 pts
Deaf – Die Trait – 4 pts
Debauched – Character – 1 pt
Deep Sleeper – Die Trait – 3 pts
Deferential – Character – 1 pt
Demagogue – Character – 1 pt
Denouncer – Character – 1 pt
Desperate – Character – 1 pt
Despondent – Character – 1 pt
Determined – Character – 1 pt
Dexterity of the Cat – Call-On – 2 pts
Devout – Character – 1 pt
Diligent – Character – 1 pt
Diminutive Hands – Character – 1 pt
Diminutive Stature – Character – 1 pt
Diseased – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Disciplined – Character – 1 pt
Dismissive – Character – 1 pt
Distracted – Character – 1 pt
Disturbed – Character – 1 pt
Disturbingly Confident – Character – 1 pt
Disturbingly Large Mouth – Character – 1 pt
Dog Lover – Character – 1 pt
Dog-Faced Boy – Character – 1 pt
Domineering – Character – 1 pt
Domineering Presence – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Dour – Character – 1 pt
Down to Earth – Call-On – Lifepath only
Downtrodden – Character – 1 pt
Dramatic – Call-On – 2 pts
Dreadful – Call-On – 2 pts
Dreamer – Die Trait – 3 points
Driven – Call-On – 2 pts
Drop-Dead Gorgeous – Character – 1 pt
Drunk – Character – 1 pt
Dusty – Character – 1 pt
Dutiful – Character – 1 pt
Ear for Voices – Die Trait – 3 pts
Early Riser – Character – 1 pt
Earthen – Character – 1 pt
Earthy Smell – Character – 1 pt
Eating Maggots – Character – 1 pt
Ebullient – Character – 1 pt
Educated – Character – 1 pt
Effete – Character – 1 pt
Eidetic Memory – Die Trait – 4 pts
Eldritch Sink – Die Trait – 8 pts
Emotional – Character – 1 pt
Entropic – Die Trait – 5 pts
Erudite – Character – 1 pt
Esoteric – Character – 1 pt
Eunuch – Character – 1 pt
Evasive – Character – 1 pt
Exasperated – Character – 1 pt
Exorcism Ritualist – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Extra Digit – Character – 1 pt
Extremely Bitter – Character – 1 pt
Extremely Respectful of One’s Betters – Character – 1 pt
Extrovert – Die Trait – 3 pts
Eye of the Hunter – Die Trait – 3 pts
Faithful – Die Trait – 5 pts
Familiar Face – Die Trait – 2 pts
Family Heirloom – Die Trait – 5 pts
Fanatical Devotion – Character – 1 pt
Fastidious – Character – 1 pt
Fateful – Character – 1 pt
Fear of Cheese – Character – 1 pt
Fear of Wet Noises – Character – 1 pt
Fearless – Die Trait – 3 pts
Feral – Character – 1 pt
Fervent Believer – Character – 1 pt
Fey Blood – Die Trait – 4 pts
Firm – Character – 1 pt
Fixed Smile – Character – 1 pt
Flamboyant – Character – 1 pt
Flatterer – Character – 1 pt
Flea-Bitten – Character – 1 pt
Fleet of Foot – Call-On – 2 pts
Flip – Character – 1 pt
Floury – Character – 1 pt
Folksy Wisdom – Character – 1 pt
Following the Beat – Character – 1 pt
Fondness for Elven Blood – Character – 1 pt
Formalist – Character – 1 pt
Fortitude – Call-On – 2 pts
Foul Smelling – Character – 1 pt
Frail – Die Trait – 4 pts
Frippery – Character – 1 pt
Frustrated – Character – 1 pt
Gelid – Character – 1 pt
Generous – Character – 1 pt
Genial – Character – 1 pt
Gentle but Firm – Character – 1 pt
Geometric – Die Trait - 3 pts
Gerbil Brain – Character – 1 pt
Gifted – Die Trait – 5 pts
Glib – Call-On – 2 pts
Gloryhound – Die Trait – 3 pts
Gluttonous – Character – 1 pt
Gnawing Hunger – Character – 1 pt
Good for Nothing – Character – 1 pt
Gossip – Character – 1 pt
Graceful – Call-On – 4 pts
Grand – Character – 1 pt
Greasy – Character – 1 pt
Greater Muse – Die Trait – 6 pts
Greed – Character – 1 pt
Grey Mantle – Character – 1 pt
Grim – Character – 1 pt
Grumbling – Character – 1 pt
Guarded – Character – 1 pt
Hairy – Character – 1 pt
Halitosis – Character – 1 pt
Hand-Eye Coordination – Die Trait – 3 pts
Hands of Iron – Die Trait – 4 pts
Handsome – Character – 1 pt
Happy-Go-Lucky – Character – 1 pt
Hard-Hearted – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Hard Work – Character – 1 pt
Hardened – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Hatred of Forests – Character – 1 pt
Haunted – Character – 1 pt
He’s a Jonah, That One. – Character – 1 pt
Healthy – Call-On – 2 pts
Hide Before Battle – Character – 1 pt
Hoarding – Character – 1 pt
Holier – Character – 1 pt
Hollow Bones – Character – 1 pt
Homesick – Character – 1 pt
Honored – Character – 1 pt
Hope – Character – 1 pt
Horsefriend – Character – 1 pt
Humble Before My Master – Character – 1 pt
Humility – Character – 1 pt
Humility in the Face of Your Betters – Character – 1 pt
Hungry – Character – 1 pt
Hurt – Character – 1 pt
Hypochondriac – Character – 1 pt
Idealistic – Character – 1 pt
Ideologue – Character – 1 pt
Impecunious – Character – 1 pt
Imperious – Character – 1 pt
Imperious Demeanor – Call-On – Lifepath only
Impulsive – Character – 1 pt
Incessant Tapping – Character – 1 pt
Incomprehensible Diagnosis – Call-On – Lifepath only
Inconsiderate – Character – 1 pt
Indecisive – Character – 1 pt
Ineffable Feature – Character – 1 pt
Infallible Religious Logic – Character – 1 pt
Ink-Stained Hands – Character – 1 pt
Inscrutable – Character – 1 pt
Insightful – Character – 1 pt
Insomniac – Character – 1 pt
Inspirational – Call-On – 2 pts
Intense Hatred – Character – 1 pt
Intractable – Character – 1 pt
Inured – Character – 1 pt
Invisible Friend – Character – 1 pt
Involuntary Shudders – Character – 1 pt
Iron Nails – Character – 1 pt
Iron Stomach – Call-On – 2 pts
Iron Will – Die Trait – 3 pts
It Just Might Work! – Character – 1 pt
Jaunty – Character – 1 pt
Jealous – Character – 1 pt
Joan of Arc – Character – 1 pt
Keen Taste – Die Trait/Call-On – 5 pts
Keys to the Church – Die Trait – Lifepath only
The Killer – Die Trait – 5 pts
Know It All – Character – 1 pt
Lame – Die Trait – 1 pt
Landlubber – Die Trait – 1 pt
Lavish Taste – Character – 1 pt
Lazy – Character – 1 pt
Learned – Character – 1 pt
Leprosy – Character – 1 pt
Lesser Muse – Die Trait – 5 pts
Lifting Heavy Things – Call-On – Lifepath only
Light Sleeper – Die Trait – 2 pts
Linguist – Die Trait/Call-On – 3 pts
Lithe – Call-On – 2 pts
A Little Crazy – Character – 1 pt
A Little Fat – Character – 1 pt
Loner – Character – 1 pt
Lonesome – Character – 1 pt
Long Fingered – Character – 1 pt
Long of Limb – Die Trait – 4 pts
Lord’s Favourite – Character – 1 pt
Lost – Die Trait – 1 pt
Lost Faith – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Louis Wu – Die Trait – 2 pts
Love of the Horse – Character – 1 pt
Low Speech – Die Trait – 3 pts
Loyal – Die Trait – 3 pts
Lucky – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Lunatic – Character – 1 pt
Lustrous – Character – 1 pt
Made Man – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Maimed – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Man of Few Words – Character – 1 pt
Manhunter – Die Trait – 3 pts
Manly – Character – 1 pt
Mark of Privilege – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Mark of the Beast – Character – 1 pt
Massive Stature – Die Trait – 4 pts
Maternal – Character – 1 pt
Matriarchal – Character – 1 pt
Maudlin – Character – 1 pt
Mean – Character – 1 pt
Melodramatic Family – Character – 1 pt
Mercenary – Character – 1 pt
Merciful – Character – 1 pt
Merciless – Character – 1 pt
Metal Plate in the Skull – Character – 1 pt
Meticulous – Call-On – 2 pts
Mind for Small Details – Character – 1 pt
Mind-Numbing Work – Call-On – Lifepath only
Mind over Matter – Die Trait – 3 pts
Misanthropic – Character – 1 pt
Misplaced Aura – Die Trait – 3 pts
Missing Digit – Character – 1 pt
Missing Eye – Die Trait – 3 pts
Missing Limb – Die Trait – 1 pt
Monastic – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Murderous – Character – 1 pt
Mute – Character – 1 pt
Muttering – Character – 1 pt
Myopic – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Narcoleptic – Character – 1 pt
Near Sighted – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Never Cry Wolf – Character – 1 pt
Nihilistic – Character – 1 pt
Night Owl – Character – 1 pt
Nimble – Call-On – 2 pts
No Nonsense – Character – 1 pt
Noblesse Oblige – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Nose for Trouble – Character – 1 pt
Nose of the Bloodhound – Die Trait – 4 pts
Numb – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Obedient – Character – 1 pt
Obliging – Character – 1 pt
Obsessed – Character – 1 pt
Obstinate – Character – 1 pt
Odd – Character – 1 pt
Odious – Character – 1 pt
Off-Kilter – Character – 1 pt
Oikofugic – Character – 1 pt
Ornery – Character – 1 pt
Other Life – Character – 1 pt
Outlaw – Die Trait – 3 pts
Overbite – Character – 1 pt
Overworked – Character – 1 pt
Paranoid – Character – 1 pt
Paranoid About the Ship – Character – 1 pt
Paranoid Ear – Die Trait – 3 pts
Pardoner – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Pariah – Character – 1 pt
Passionate – Character – 1 pt
Patient – Character – 1 pt
Patriarchal – Character – 1 pt
Pegboy – Character – 1 pt
Penetrating Gaze – Die Traits – 4 pts
Penny-Wise – Call-On – Lifepath only
Perfect Pitch – Call-On – 2 pts
Perfectionist – Character – 1 pt
Peripatetic – Character – 1 pt
Perspective – Call-On – Lifepath only
Phobia – Die Trait – 3 pts
Pickled – Die Trait – 3 pts
Pigpen – Character – 1 pt
Plain Faced – Call-On – 2 pts
Poised – Call-On – 3 pts
Pointed Ears – Character – 1 pt
Poisonous Ambition – Character – 1 pt
Poker Face – Call-On – 2 pts
Pompous – Character – 1 pt
Possessed – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Power Behind the Throne – Die Trait – 5 pts
Practical – Character – 1 pt
Practiced Precision – Die Trait – 2 pts
Pragmatic Outlook – Character – 1 pt
Predatory – Character – 1 pt
Problems – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Profuse Sweat – Character – 1 pt
Prominent Scar – Character – 1 pt
Prone to Exaggeration – Character – 1 pt
Proud – Character – 1 pt
Psychotic – Character – 1 pt
Quick Study – Die Trait – 3 pts
Quick-Witted – Die Trait – 4 pts
Quickened Pulse – Die Trait – 3 pts
Quiescent – Die Trait – 2 pts
Quiet – Call-On – 2 pts
Quirky – Character – 1 pt
Rainman – Die Trait – 2 pts
Rapier Wit – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Rarified – Character – 1 pt
Rash – Character – 1 pt
Rat-Speak – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Reckless – Character – 1 pt
Recondite – Character – 1 pt
Red Cheeks – Character – 1 pt
Red-Blooded – Character – 1 pt
Reeks of Alcohol – Character – 1 pt
Regal Bearing – Character – 1 pt
Reincarnated – Character – 1 pt
Remarkable Flatulence – Character – 1 pt
Remote – Character – 1 pt
Resigned (to Death) – Call-On – 2 pts
Resigned to Fate – Character – 1 pt
Resolute – Character – 1 pt
Restless – Character – 1 pt
Reviled – Character – 1 pt
Rhetorical – Character – 1 pt
Righteous – Character – 1 pt
Road Weary – Character – 1 pt
Robust – Die Trait – 3 pts
Romantic – Character – 1 pt
Rough Hands – Character – 1 pt
Rower – Die Traits – 2 pts
Royal Favorite – Character – 1 pt
Ruddy Complexion – Character – 1 pt
Sailor’s Oath – Character – 1 pt
Salt of the Earth – Character – 1 pt
Sane – Character – 1 pt
Savvy – Call-On – Lifepath only
Scapegoat – Character – 1 pt
Scarred – Character – 1 pt
Scavenger – Call-On – 2 pts
Scheming – Die Trait – 2 pts
Screaming – Character – 1 pt
Sea Legs – Call-On – 2 pts
Seasoned – Character – 1 pt
Second Sight – Die Trait – 4 pts
Secretive – Character – 1 pt
Secretly Worships the Black Sea God – Character – 1 pt
Seemingly Concerned – Character – 1 pt
Seen It All – Character – 1 pt
Seen Not Heard – Character – 1 pt
Self-Confident – Character – 1 pt
Self-Satisfied – Character – 1 pt
Sense of Direction – Call-On – 2 pts
Sense of Distance – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Sense of Entitlement – Character – 1 pt
Sharp Dresser – Character – 1 pt
Shouting – Character – 1 pt
Show No Fear – Call-On- 4 pts
Shrewd – Character – 1 pt
Sick – Character – 1 pt
Sight of the Bat – Die Trait – 6 pts
Silent Hatred – Character – 1 pt
Singed – Character – 1 pt
Sixth Sense – Die Trait – 3 pts
Skeptical – Character – 1 pt
Skin of an Apple – Character – 1 pt
Skinny – Character – 1 pt
Sleek – Character – 1 pt
Sleep-Talker – Character – 1 pt
Slippery – Die Trait – 3 pts
Slow – Die Trait – 2 pts
Smells Like a Horse – Character – 1 pt
Solipsistic – Character – 1 pt
Somnambulist – Character – 1 pt
Sonorous Voice – Call-On – 2 pts
Spartacus - Die Trait – 3 pts
Spectacular – Character – 1 pt
Spitting – Character – 1 pt
Sprinter – Die Trait – 4 pts
Squinty – Character – 1 pt
Stalker – Character – 1 pt
Starved – Character – 1 pt
Stern Demeanor – Character – 1 pt
Stinky – Character – 1 pt
Stoic – Die Trait – 3 pts
Stolid – Character – 1 pt
Strong-Willed – Character – 1 pt
The Story – Call-On – Lifepath only
Strange – Character – 1 pt
Strapping – Character – 1 pt
Street Smart – Call-On – 4 pts
Stubborn – Die Trait – 3 pts
Stung Once (Once) – Character – 1 pt
Stupid – Die Trait – 3 pts
Stutter – Character – 1 pt
Superstitious – Character – 1 pt
Suspicious – Character – 1 pt
Swaggering – Character – 1 pt
Sworn Homage – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Sworn to Order – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Tainted Legacy – Die Trait – 5 pts
Tall Tale Teller – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Taste for Man-Flesh – Character – 1 pt
Tasting the Lash – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Temperamental – Character – 1 pt
Tenacious – Die Trait – 4 pts
Tenuous – Character – 1 pt
Thick Skin – Die Trait – 1 pt
Thousand-Yard Stare – Die Trait – 2 pts
Thunderous Snoring – Character – 1 pt
Tidy Aspect – Character – 1 pt
Timid – Character – 1 pt
Tolerant – Character – 1 pt
Tongueless – Die Trait – 2 pts
Tonsured – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Touch of Ages – Die Trait – 7 pts
Touch of the Devil – Die Trait/Call-On – 7 pts
Touch of Madness – Character – 1 pt
Tough – Die Trait – 2 pts
Tough as Nails – Die Trait – 6 pts
Trusting – Character – 1 pt
Trustworthy – Character – 1 pt
Turgid – Character – 1 pt
Ugly Reputation – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Unbeliever – Character – 1 pt
Unctuous – Die Trait – 3 pts
Underbite – Character – 1 pt
Underpaid – Character – 1 pt
Uneasy – Character – 1 pt
Unheeded – Call-On – Lifepath only
Unlucky – Die Trait – 1 pt
Unrelenting Hatred – Character – 1 pt
Unsavory Madman – Character – 1 pt
Urbane – Character – 1 pt
Veneer of Obedience – Character – 1 pt
Vested – Character – 1 pt
Vigor of Youth – Die Trait – 5 pts
Vitriolic – Character – 1 pt
Vocal – Character – 1 pt
Voice in the Crowd – Character – 1 pt
Watchful – Character – 1 pt
Weak-Willed – Die Trait – 2 pts
Weather Sense – Die Trait – 2 pts
Weight of the World – Character – 1 pt
Weird – Character – 1 pt
Well Appointed – Character – 1 pt
Well Dressed – Character – 1 pt
White-Gold Wielder – Character – 1 pt
Wolf’s Snout – Die Trait – 5 pts
Wolverine – Die Trait/Call-On – 5 pts
Worldly – Character – 1 pt
You Should Know Better Than That! – Character – 1 pt
Your Eminence – Character – Lifepath only
Your Grace – Character – Lifepath only
Your Lordship – Character – Lifepath only
Yowling – Character – 1 pt
Zealot – Die Trait – Lifepath only
Alright, here are the final steps of Character Burning, including the most important, step 11 Beliefs and Instincts. I hope this makes sense, I typed it up at work last night.
Spoilered for length.
Mortal Wound
Mortal Wound is the average of Power and Forte (round down) +6.
Reflexes
Reflexes is the average of Perception, Agility, and Speed (round down).
Health
Health is the average of Will and Forte (round down), then answer the following questions, applying the modifier if the answer is affirmative.
- Does the character live in squalor and filth? (-1)
- Is the character frail or sickly? (-1)
- Was the character severely wounded in the past? (-1)
- Has the character been tortured and enslaved? (-1)
- Are you a Dwarf, Elf or Orc? (+1)
- Is the character athletic and active? (+1)
- Does the character live in a really clean and happy place, like the hills in The Sound of Music?
Steel
Steel starts at B3, modified by the following questions similar to Health.
- Has the character taken a conscript, soldier, bandit, squire or knight type lifepath? (+1)
- Has the character ever been severely wounded? If the answer above was yes +1, if no -1.
- Has the character murdered or killed with his own hand? If more than once +1
- Has the character been tortured, enslaved or beaten terribly over time? If Will is 5 or higher +1, if Will is 3 or lower -1.
- Has the character led a sheltered life, free from violence and pain? (-1)
- Has the character been raised in a competitive (but non-violent) culture—sports, debate, strategy games, courting? (+1)
- Has the character given birth to a child? (+1)
- Is the character Gifted or Faithful (or equivalent)? (+1)
- Is Perception 6 or higher? (+1)
- Is Will 5 or higher? (+1)
- Is Will 7 or higher? (+1, stacks with previous question)
- Is Forte 6 or higher? (+1)
Hesitation
Hesitation is 10 – Will.
Emotional Attributes
Faith starts at a B3. Please answer the questions below and I will tell you how it modifies your Faith.
- Whom do you trust most?
- When in danger, whom do you consult for aid?
- Ultimately, how can you best serve your allies?
Stride
Stride is 6 for Dwarves, 7 for Orcs and Humans, 8 for Elves.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Arms (Weapons)
Poor Quality – 3 rps
Run of the Mill Quality – 5 rps
Superior Quality – 20 rps
Missiles (thrown or ranged weapons)
Knives or Javelins – 3 rps
Hunting Bow – 5 rps
Great Bow – 10 rps
Crossbow – 7 rps
Heavy Crossbow – 12 rps
Pistol – 15 rps
Arquebus – 20 rps
(Ammunition is free unless you want different types or arrowheads, in which case it is +1 rp per type. Poor Quality Missile weapons are half price (round up), Superior Quality Missiles are 3x rps)
Armor
Gambeson – 3 rps
Reinforced Leather – 6 rps
Light Mail – 10 rps
Heavy Mail – 15 rps
Plated Mail – 20 rps
Full Plated Mail – 50 rps
(Armor includes a whole suit, helmet, arms, chest, and legs. For half price (round up) you can buy just a helmet and breastplate. For a third of the price (round up) you can buy just a set of greaves (arms) or leggings. Add a shield to a full set for free. Poor Quality Armor are half price (round up), Superior Quiality Armor is 4x rps)
Riding Mount/Pack Animal – 5 rps
Warhorse (Courser) – 12 rps
Clothes – 1 rp
(This includes a full wardrobe or any clothing appropriate to your background apart from ‘Finery’. If you don’t spend the point for this, your character will be naked).
Traveling Gear – 1 rp
(Travelling gear is the standard adventuring kit style stuff, candles, flint and steel, pocket knife, a decent ‘waterproof’ cloak and hat, rucksack, thick leather belt, money purse/wallet, warm coat, waterskin, a couple torches, etc. etc. You should all probably grab this too)
Shoes – 1 rp
(Yup shoes. Buy em or go barefoot)
Personal Effects – 1 rp
(Items of sentimental value: a religious trinket, a mirror, a book, a ring, a cane, a locket, etc. It’s a bit weird having to purchase this I know)
Finery – 5 rps
(Fancy clothing, whether it be the suit a man wears to his wedding, formal court dress, religious vestments (or this setting’s equivalent), dress robes, as well as some accessories, a pearl necklace perhaps, or a gold cloak broach. Again it includes several sets where appropriate, not just a single item.)
Cash – 6 rps
(Filthy Lucre! You’ve got a pocketful of coins and shiny baubles. Buying this resource gives you a dice of ‘cash on hand’ a one use die that can be used for a Resources test (which will be discussed in the next step). Not necessarily the most useful way to spend your rps unless you have a B0 Resources and want to be able to buy something)
Skill Toolkit – 8 rps
((Some skills such as crafting, medicine, musical skills, etc. require tools in order to be used. You must buy a toolkit for each such skill)
Workshop – 20 rps
(Like the above some skills require more than just tools however. A carpenter would be challenged to put together a fine table out in the leaky stabled, so he needs a workshop)
Companion Animal – 3 rps
(Pets basically)
Animal Herd – 20 rps
(If you wish to own a Herd of Sheep to use with your Animal Husbandry skill so you can… raise and sell sheep, then this is how ya do it)
Rent – 5 rps
(If you don’t own a property, and aren’t homeless, then you’ll need this, as you’ll be paying rent in some manner, whether that be doing chores for the owner, or sharing someone else’s cave or tent. If you don’t have any of the above and don’t buy this, then expect to get rained/snowed on a lot)
Property
Leaky Shack – 1 rp
Small Cottage – 3 rp
House or “Cottage Industry” (like a weaver) – 10 rps
Villa, Farm, or a Knight’s Fee – 15 rps
A Small Business – 20 rps
Moderate-Sized Business – 30 rps
*Manor or Estate, an Urban Hotel – 40 rps
*Well-paid position (like Mayor) – 45 rps
*Successful Small Business, a Large Business, a Keep – 60 rps
*A Fortress or Moderate-Sized Estate – 75 rps
*A Castle with attendant town, a Large Estate – 90 rps
*A Palace or Government Position in a Prosperous Town – 105 rps
Rowboat or Skiff – 5 rps
Longboat – 10 rps
Junk – 15 rps
Felucca – 30 rps
Carrack – 60 rps
Caravel – 75 rps
Treasure Ship – 105rps
(* Only Noble Born or those with a high ranking position lifepath may spend more than 40 rps on property. Properties come with appropriate staff, building and accoutrements.)
Minor Character – 5 rps
Significant/Important Character – 10 rps
Powerful Character – 15 rps
These costs can be modified by further defining you relationship to the character (to a minimum cost of 1 rp).
The character is…
An immediate family member (siblings, parents, children) – -2 rps
A close family member (aunts, cousins, etc.) – -1 rps
In a romantic relationship with the Character – -2 rps
A forbidden relationship with the Character (“The Bishop who pals around with the Bandit King, for example”) – -1 rps
A hated foe/rival, or has strong negative feelings against – -2 rps
If the King personally hates you then it’s 13 rps (15-2). If the King hates you because you are his bastard half-brother, that’s 11 rps (15-2-2); if you have an ‘on again-off again’ relationship with the sexy general, that’s probably 6 rps (10 for significant character -2 for ‘hateful’, -2 for romantic).
Relationships should include the character’s name (or a title or nickname as appropriate, all of the above is possible), and your relationship to the character.
1D – “A small, local or specialized group—a large family, a sorcerers’ cabal or a bandit group.” – 10 rps
2D – “A large, regional or expansive group—a trade guild, a manor or estate, an Althingship, pirate fleet or powerful clan.” – 25 rps
3D – “A national, powerful or ruling group—a merchant league, a duchy, a governor, an Etharchy or a wealthy bishopric” – 50 rps
The die rating for Affilitations is applied as a bonus to Circles test (discussed in the next section), where knowing/being a part of the group would be beneficial (for instance being part of a shipping company would help finding a captain with a ship available to be chartered).
1D – “Local or minor reputation—the fastest kid on the street, the drunk, the neighborhood thug, the knowledgeable guide” – 7 rps
2D – “Regional or notable reputation—an old war hero, a religious figurehead, a well-known Elven Wanderer, a famous army captain, a lord, a notorious bandit, a famous entertainer” – 25 rps
3D – “National or major reputation—a munificent baron or duke, a wealthy magnate, an infamous sorcerer, a kingdom’s undefeated military leader, the head of a massive public business, the tyrannical leader of the country’s religion, the king” – 45 rps
-=-=-=-=-=-
Your Resources attribute is a representation of your financial investments, favours you are owed, and similar things like that. Whenever you need to buy or obtain something, you will generally be making a Resources test.
Resources is derived from the resource points you spent on Property, Rent, Reputations and Affiliations; total the rps spent on these, and divide by 15 (round down). This is your character’s starting Resources skill, it is entirely possible (and fairly frequent) that you will have a B0 resources, which means you will need help, a loan, or to find some Cash on Hand (such as you might have purchased in the previous step with rps) in order to buy anything (and hopefully improve you resources by making some savvy investments).
Your Circles attribute represents your sphere of influence within your community, through profession, class, and family. You use it when you want to find someone (whether that be a named someone, such as Duke Wallace, or someone of a specific profession, such as ‘a farmer’).
Circles is derived from half Will (round down). If you purchased more than 50 rps worth of Property, Rent or Relationships, then you may increase circles by 1.
-=-=-=-=-=-
If you have a character sheet it’s on the second page, a rectangular box with three rows, and approx 17 columns, the bottom row of which has a bunch of circles, and the middle has B1 through B16.
If you don’t have the sheet then just write down this list, leaving room after each for up to a 3 digit number - Mortal, Traumatic, Severe, Midi, Light, and Superficial.
You already know your Mortal wound from step 7, so locate that number on the PTGS and in the box above it write Mo (for Mortal). Next halve your Forte (round down), add 1, and above that number, right Su (Superficial).
“Place the other wound tolerances in order left to right between superficial and mortal. They may be set apart by up to half the Forte exponent (round up). Typically the only gaps are between superficial and light, and light and midi. Severe, traumatic, and mortal all tend to fall together.”
A couple full examples of step 10 for you guys:
Mortal Wound = 9 (Average of Power & Forte + 6 = (3+4)/2 + 6 = 7/2 + 6 = 3 + 6 = 9)
Superficial:
Light:
Midi:
Severe:
Traumatic:
Mortal: B9
Superficial Wound = 3 (Half Forte + 1 = 4/2 + 1 = 2+1 = 3)
Superficial: B3
Light:
Midi:
Severe:
Traumatic:
Mortal: B9
Light Wound = 5 (Superficial Wound + Half Forte (round up) = 3 + 4/2 = 3 + 2 = 5)
Superficial: B3
Light: B5
Midi:
Severe:
Traumatic:
Mortal: B9
Midi Wound = 6 (Light Wound + Half Forte (round up) = 5 + 4/2 = 5 + 2 = 7; because we still have to fit Sever and Traumatic however, Midi is forced down to a 6, and Sever and Traumatic fit in after it).
Superficial: B3
Light: B5
Midi: B6
Severe: B7
Traumatic: B8
Mortal: B9
Another example with some higher (non-human) stats:
Mortal Wound = 12 (Average of Power and Forte + 6 = (5+7)/2 + 6 = 12/2 + 6 = 6 + 6 = 12)
Superficial:
Light:
Midi:
Severe:
Traumatic:
Mortal: B12
Superficial Wound = 4 (Half Forte (round down) + 1 = 7/2 + 1 = 3 + 1 = 4)
Superficial: B4
Light:
Midi:
Severe:
Traumatic:
Mortal: B12
Light Wound = 8 (Superficial Wound + Half Forte (round up) = 4 + 7/2 = 4 + 4 = 8)
Superficial: B4
Light: B8
Midi:
Severe:
Traumatic:
Mortal: B12
Midi Wound = 9 (Light Wound + Half Forte (round up) = 8 + 7/2 = 8 + 4 = 12; however again because there are only three slots/numbers between Light (8) and Mortal (12), and three wound levels still to go they have to go in at 9, 10, & 11)
Superficial: B4
Light: B8
Midi: B9
Severe: B10
Traumatic: B11
Mortal: B12
The result would be almost possible with Human stat maximums with a Power 6, Forte 6, the only difference would be that Light is a B7, the rest would remain the same.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Each character has between one, and three (barring special circumstances) beliefs. I suggest filling all three slots whenever possible. I’m just going to largely just copy this section from the book (if you haven’t picked up on it by now, anything in quotations has been taken directly from the book).
“A Belief is three things: it is a characterization, a goal, and an indication of how you want to be rewarded for playing your character.”
“When writing Beliefs for your character, make sure that at least one of them is an active goal—something your character can accomplish.
“I will topply my brother the duke no matter the cost.”
“Note the action: topple. And the condition: no matter the cost. This Belief could have been written as “I don’t like my brother, the duke,” but that’s a terrible Belief. Great, you don’t like him. Is that going to make a good game? What are you going to do about it? How would we create an interesting story around your dislike? It’s weak, but toppling a duke, now that just drips with Good fantasy roleplaying possibilities.”
“Types of Starting Beliefs”
“If you have a secret about your character, make a Belief about it. It seems counter intuitive, but in order to make a secret work in this game, you have to tell everyone about it!”
“If you have an object or artifact that is very important to your character, write a Belief about it.”
“If there is an NPC who is important to you, write a Belief about him or her.”
“If you are interested in or care about another player character, write a Belief about him or her.”
“If there is something your character wants to learn of gain, write a Belief about it.”
“If you have a philosophy for your character, write a Belief about it.”
“Beliefs and the Setting and Situation”
Summarizing, this paragraph encourages you to make beliefs about the setting and plot, so for us this would be why your character is on this mission, what they hope to accomplish while on the mission, etc.
“Little Goals”
“When writing goals, try not to make them too big. Try to create goals for yourself that you can at least try to accomplish this session. Don’t write goals for things you’ll get to in the future. If you have a big goal, break it down into steps and write a Belief about the step you can take a shot at right now.”
Relating this back to our campaign your ultimate goal might be to bring about the downfall of the witches, but the more achievable goal would be to discover the location of the (ally) or whatever it is you’re going after. A belief to reflect this might be: The witches must be stopped before they destroy my people completely; discover the location of the dwarves so we might recruit them as allies.
“Broad Statements Are Bad[i]”
“Broad, vague statements make bad Beliefs. “The world is doomed” is a crap Beliefe. It’s a broad statement, and it doesn’t involve the character in the action. A simple change, “This world is doomed if I should fail to save the princess,” makes a world of difference. Now we all know that you are going to try to save the princess. We also know how you can be rewarded—if you work toward saving the princess, if you turn aside from the perfidious princess or if you save the princess.”
“[i]Be Colorful”
“It’s easy to write simple direct Beliefs: “I will save the princess.” Unfortunately such simple direct statements often lead to simple or flat play. The more colorful—the more in character—you can write your Belief, the more fun you’re going to have in game.”
“Work Together”
“During a session, not all players are going to get all of their Beliefs into play at the same time. That’s okay. Tie in one or two Beliefs at a time—from different characters—and use the other Beliefs as hooks for additional sessions.”
“Beyond that, not all of the player’s priorities are going to be appropriate to one game. That’s cool, too. Negotiate with the GM and the other players about what is important and relevant to the story/game/situation at hand. Incorporate Beliefs based on those criteria. Save the rest for another character in another game.”
-=-=-=-=-=-
“A player may choose one to three Instincts”--again I suggest going for all three--“for his character. Almost the opposite of Beliefs, Instincts are game-mechanical priorities that a player describes for his character. When a player sets an Instinct, he’s telling the GM, the players and even the system, “This is how I want my guy to act in this situation.””
“An Instinct should be a declaration of action, ideally an if/then statement. Describe exactly what the character is doing and when: “If I sense trouble, I draw my sword.” Simple enough.”
“Simple is key. Instincts, in general, should be actions that can be accomplished in one glance, one sweep of the hand.”
“If there’s a cave-in, then I push the youngest to safety.”
“If confronted, I take Aggressive Stance.”
“You can use always, never, and when statements:”
“Always cast spells carefully and patiently.”
“In the deep tunnels, always Assess (listen) at every junction.”
“When surprised, I draw my knife.”
“Never work quickly.”
“Taste food before serving or eating.”
“Always have enough ingredients for noodle soup.”
“Instincts must be tight and narrowly focused. This makes it possible for players to actually use Instincts in play, and it makes it easier for the GM to introduce conflicts where those Instincts generate complications.”
The book goes on for another page and a half… Instincts should be specific (not “I protect my friends from harm”, something like “Always stand at the front of the group” could work and fulfill a similar purpose.), and will usually tell the rest of the group about your character. With the “If there’s a cave-in…” instinct above, that shows your character values youth highly, that he is aware of the dangers underground, and that his first instinct is to protect others above himself. Instincts will also tell me as the GM what is important to you guys, and some things I can introduce into the story for you guys.
-=-=-=-=-=-
12. Name!
Slap a name on the character, write up at least a short backstory for me, and you’re done!
Hey, that means 'the Kid' has enough rps to have a leaky shack! No sleeping out in the cold! I think 'Killer' might have also.
Granted, since it is a leaky shack, it's probably still cold & a little bit wet, but still better than sleeping on the ground!
What do these do?
Connected
Eagle Eye
Eidetic Memory (know what it means, but what's the mechanical benefit?)
Fey blood
Graceful
Hands of Iron
Long of Limb
Massive Stature
Penetrating Gaze
Tenacious
So updated character is:
Tupilek Mammoth-Son
Lifepath: Village Born, Hunter, Acolyte, Itinerant Priest
Stats:
Will 5 Perception 5 Power 4 Forte 4 Agility 4 Speed 3
Lifepath skills:
Hunting 3
Doctrine 1
Oratory 1
Read 1
Orienteering 1
Riding 1
Ritual 1
Stealthy 3
Suasion 1
Tracking 3
Write 1
Javelin 3
General skills:
Appropriate Weapon (Mammoth Tusk) 2
Armor Training 1
Traits(4):
Tonsured 1
Dusty 1
Faithful 1
Mortal Wound:10
Reflexes:4
Health:4 (-1 wounded in past, +1 active/athletic)
Steel:8 (severely wounded, killed with his own hand many times, competitive culture, faithful, will 5+)
Hesitation:5
Faith: 3 (Trust the mammoth spirit most, mammoth spirit, serve them unto death)
Stride:7
Resources:How many RP do I have?
Physical Tolerance:Mortal 10, Traumatic 10, Severe 9, Midi 7, Light 5, and Superficial 3 (Is this right?)
Beliefs:
I will slay the Hag Bampfwick in order to avenge my tribe and my herd.
I will protect my 'herd' at any cost, including my life.
I will oppose the Witches and their allies until my dying day, with arms and will alike.
Instincts:
Always try the carrot first, but follow swiftly with the stick.
Never trust a stranger, especially non-Kellid.
Never lower your guard, except around animals.
Tupilek was born into a tribe of semi-nomadic mammoth herders. The men would take turns leaving the village on long roaming drives. Hunting, and grazing the herd along the way. They would return after a several weeks, bearing game. The mammoths provided everything for the village, their bones became tools, their hides clothing and dwellings. The old mammoths provided meat through the long winter months when game was scarce. In this way the people and mammoth were one. They used products from the mammoths in trade with the Ulfen, thus gaining access to metal tools and manufactured goods. Tupilek was the grandson of the tribe's shaman, and he had a good and loving childhood. When he was 12, it was deemed he was old enough to go on his first drive. In his tribe this was the way that boys became men. Mounting up with a more experienced hunter, he spent days on mammoth back in the cold wind. The ordeal was rough, but he learned many things. Over the next couple years he ranged many times, and became good friends with the older hunter, a man named Nanuc.
On one drive, it was summer, and they were ranging northward. A couple days into their ranging a sudden darkness descended from the sky and an army of giants, orcs and other horrors descended upon the hunters. The men and mammoths fought bravely, but were outnumbered. Tupilek caught a barbed arrow in his ribs and fell unconscious. When he awoke he was stuffed inside the sliced open belly of the mammoth he had been riding. Nanuc lay dead in the snow next to him, his knife still stuck in the mammoth's rough hide. Tupilek was delirious with pain and bloodloss and he slipped into a near death state. In this place between the world of the living and the dead, he encoutered the great Mammoth spirit, the First Mammoth. It told him that his people were a dying culture, and that all his own children would also soon be gone. He asked Tupilek to save his children, and in return save his own people. Tupilek agreed, and felt a strange and wondrous power surge through him. He awoke, his wound magically healed and his vigor fully restored. He was able to salvage enough clothing and supplies from the remains of his companions to make his way back to the village, but by the time he arrived it too was in smoking ruins. All he managed to salvage was what he could carry, including the tusks from a massive mammoth that were sacred to his tribe. He was consumed with fury and lust for revenge, and spent the next few years hunting the witches' minions. It was during this time that he learned the name of the Hag who had led the attack on his home, it was Bampfwick.
Eventually in his wandering he met another tribe similar to his own. They saw him as a holy man as he lived wild out on the tundra, just like the mammoth. They took him to their shaman, who he told his story to. The old man encouraged him to stay and learn more of the ways of being a healer. He tempered Tupilek's fury with his wisdom and they spent several fruitful years together. Now a man fully grown, Tupilek set out to provide service to the last remaining mammoth tribes as a wandering holy man and healer. He still loves to fight against the monsters of the north, but no longer seeks out conflict in his older years. He travels the taiga, healing any who need it without asking for anything in return, protecting those who are one with the mammoth.
Commentary/corrections welcome!
Cool will stick with the troll blooded fella, will read up on all the notes posted and come up with a prelim character.
Man the group is a wierd one so far!
Oh, my dude is probably never going to trust an orc. That should be interesting.
mmm, should be an interesting one, I'm hoping you guys will gel together in play.
Neither of you have commented on which of Zooi's character you prefer, the 13 year old 'child prodigy' or the older, non prodigy mercenary/brutal killer. It's up to you guys which one Zooi uses.
Block Dow, you also have to decide whether you want the fifth lifepath or not. I offered the Legioner lifepath as an optional one, but if you want a less martially focused path and more drudgery then you could go with either Cutter Slave (taken before Goblin), which has the hillarious skill of Tree Pulling (Orcs don't bother with axes, they just bodily pull the tree out of the ground) as well as ditch digging. There's also a Cattle Slave (Animal Husbandry skill), Scavenger (Foraging, Incospicuous), Forge Slave (Ditch Digging), or perhaps a little more appropriate for the campaign Tunneler (Ditch Digging and Tunnel-wise).
If you take any of those options however then it will mean you'll end up with the Exhaustion trait when you take Goblin, which gives you a penalty to Health tests (+1 Ob). Alternately after Goblin you could take Sun Blotter instead, which would give you Bow, Mending, and Fletcher, and the Hiding trait (must take Bow, must take Hiding)
Let me know if any of those appeal to you and I'll give you the full Lifepath (Treepulling is just an awesome skill. If you've read the hub and spokes section, the skill is naturally open ended :p)
Aye will go 5th lifepath - Cutter Slave and Tunneler appeal most.
Pulling together some notes as we speak on Grenjal Verbeegblöd
As for which of Zooi's concepts... the child prodigy is great, very weird, but also having the most dangerous member of the group be a young woman is also very cool... am torn...
@Jenali - that's ok... he doesn't really trust anyone either.
Okay a few more questions;
Could you give me a breakdown on Orc traits; Breeder, Cannibal, Cold Black Blood, Fanged and Clawed, Loathsome and Twisted, Lynx-Eyed Like Burning Coals and Vile Language?
Also Zooi outlined that Grenjal would have 5 points to spend on mental and 16 on physical. Is that including the bonuses that LP provide or before??
I'm thinking Tunneler as have an image of him being skilled with appropriate weapons (Pick Mattock) and Crossbow (via the Bondsman LP)
Am a little confused on the character building - should I build as I go along (getting mini snapshots of them as you go) or do you pick all the LP then build all your skills/traits/resources/stats etc???
Damnit! I had a long post & my computer just lost internet and killed it.
@Black Dow: First you pick your Lifepaths, then you total everything up & then you spend your points on things.
The totals I told you were after the four lifepaths I listed & all the modifiers. If you take a fifth Lifepath it will affect your starting age, , as well as possibly add more modifiers.
Breeder means you have an unnatural drive to procreate. It has no mechanical effect, but should affect RP. Cannibal means you have consumed the flesh of a sentient being before & have no compunctions about doing so again. Again, no mechanical effect, all RP.
The rest have varying degrees of Mechanical effect.
Cold Black Blood gives you problems in Daylight, but you have a greater resistance to pain. It may also be what gives you agelessness after physical maturity. Fanged & Clawed gives you natural weapons. Loathsome & Twisted means everyone thinks you are ugly & hates you, including youreself; this gives you the Hatred emotion & may also be what gives you agelessness if Cold Black Blood doesn't. Lynx-eyed like Burning Coals means you see in darkness as well as humans see in daylight. Vile Language means you start only speaking Orc/Jotun, which is why I was saying you would need to spend at least one of your General Skill points on Other Language unless Peanut says otherwise.
@Jelani:I just checked & I didn't post how many rps you begin with, and I am at work now without thinking to bring my Character Burner...
Sorry
I know 'the Killer' had 23 & I figure you will have something close to that, hopefully more.
What do these do?
Connected
Eagle Eye
Eidetic Memory (know what it means, but what's the mechanical benefit?)
Fey blood
Graceful
Hands of Iron
Long of Limb
Massive Stature
Penetrating Gaze
Tenacious
Unsure about Connected, Eagle Eye, Eidetic Memory, Penetrating Gaze, or Tenacious.
Fey Blood means you have a non-human ancestor at some point & is in some ways one of the most broken Traits in the game. Mechanically it lets you pick one Common Race Trait from one of the other races. What really makes it sick is that the other races Emotions are Common Race Traits & so is Elves' & Orc/Jotun-blud agelessness.
I think Graceful is a Call-On Trait for certain Agility-Root skills.
I think Hands of Iron basically means you do more damage unarmed.
Long of Limb & Massive Stature both give you greater reach with your melee attacks, although Long of Limb words it slightly differently & basically means you have long arms, while Massive Stature just means you are freakishly huge in general.
@Jelani: I read Tupilek's background. It look's good, as things stand now he actually seems to have the more 'inclusive' of the Character's beliefs/backgrounds. He knows he will need others to help him with what he wants to achieve. All either 'the Kid' or the 'Killer' need/want are opportunities for glory & helping Tupilek gives 'her' that.
Mechanically I might suggest Peasant Born rather than Village born for your Birth Lifepath, it cuts three years off your starting age, & only reduces your total rps by one. RP-wise, from your background write-up I didn't really get a sense you really 'moved' culturally or socially between 'childhood' & adolescence. It is a personal opinion, but I always viewed a lead as a noteworthy change in circumstances.
Also Mechanically, I'm not sure you can have Steel higher than 6 either but that is Peanut's call, with a hesitation of only 5 either 6 or 8 is honestly overkill. Either way there will be very few times you won't react to a circumstance first even if I do wind up playing 'Killer'. There are a few other tests where Steel comes into play, but mostly it affects how long you hestitate in responce to something.
Guys as much as I'm loving the concept and the game system, its a new one on me and not really based on anything I've played before. As a result I'm grappling to get my head round it all.
That coupled with my juggling RL and other pbps means I'm gonna have to bow out on this one. Sorry - totally appreciate the time and effort that Peanuts and Zooi have given, really do - so hopefully you don't think I've been wasting time.
Really difficult decision and one I'll probably regret when I look in on the game down the line.
Apologies again folks - Peanuts I'll see you on the Pathway to Wickedness :)
No worries. I am very well acquainted with the realization that something is going to require more than you have to give. Glad you enjoyed what we did. Perhaps another time.
Well damn. I certainly hope you'll reconsider at some point, since I haven't heard from Doomed Hero again we're looking a bit short on players (going to send a PM to Doomed Hero to see if he's still interested, might have just forgotten about this).
So yeah, if you want to reconsider then that would be great.
Not on for long again (about an hour) and have a nasty headache. Typed up several replies at work so I will post them now and then address anything else left over.
This is still a work in progress, but here is the updated setting information.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Completing the border of the Plains of the Ancestor is the wind-tossed waters of the Arcadian Ocean, upon whose shores live the Ulfen, a rough, hearty people prone to boisterous celebrations and a fits of violence and passion (often combining the two during their raids upon the more ‘civilized’ southern nations). Unlike the inhabitants of the Plain of the Ancestors, the Kellids who were forced from the formerly settled Plains centuries ago by the arrival of the Mammoths, the Ulfen live in houses, villages, and kingdoms, complete with ‘noble’ Jarls, and Barons, whether those homestead rest on the ocean’s rocky shore, or out amongst the islands of the ocean itself (as well as the occasional encampment upon the Plains).
The Kellids meanwhile, with the arrival of the Mammoths underwent a fairly radical change. Climbing onto the Plateaus of the north and hunting the wild mammoths had always been a right of passage, and some of the greatest heroes of the people left their legacy with the enormous tusks of the mighty beasts they had hunted and slain. After their descent from the plateau, the mammoths were upon the very doorsteps of the Kellid’s people, and they had to change. It took several generations before they managed to properly tame and domesticate the beasts that had wrought so much havoc upon their settlements, and it had split the people. The hunters, the peoples who had been half nomadic to begin with remained upon the plains, walking alongside their new creatures, while those who who had felt the lost of their homes most dearly sought to rebuilt to the west, in the tunnels and caves that had long ago belonged to the Dwarves.
The split was never total however, and soon the settled people of the caves re-embraced their nomadic brethren and their mighty mounts, sending their children to learn the ways of the hunt, still held by the nomads, while the nomads traded the meat and bones of the mammoths to the cave people for tools, worked ivory, and lumber taken from the wooded slopes of the mountain, and to the Ulfen for their own spoils.
The relationship would have been quite peaceful and prosperous for both peoples, had it not been for the threat of the Witches, whose presence became ever more apparent with every winter. Allying together the Kellid Tribes, and the Ulfen’s Warriors have kept the Witches at bay for over a century, yet their numbers seem endless, and fewer warriors muster to fight the Giants, Trolls and Orcs back up onto their plateaus. A council was called, the Elders of the most powerful tribes, and the mightiest Jarls gathering together to discuss what must be done.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Tribes:
Bull (Mammoth) Tribe – Embodies the aggression and strength of the mammoths of old. The Bull Tribe are purely nomadic, the hunters, herders and caretakers of the Mammoths that roam upon the Plains of the Ancestors.
Tribe of the Mother (Mammoth) (Tupilek’s tribe) – Embodies the life-giving relationship between the Kellids and the Mammoth, they aid in the birthing and nurturing of the Mammoth young, and are largely responsible for processing the bounty of food, hides, and bones the mammoths provide by their death. They have the closest relationship with the Bull Tribe, who provide the raw materials that the Tribe of the Mother use, in exchange for a portion of the finished goods and the ‘wealth’ (metal tools, weapons, armor, and other equipment) that they obtain through trade with the Ulfen.
Mole Tribe – A tribe of craftsmen, miners, and engineers. The most educated amongst the Kellids, specifically regarding the nature of the tunnels and caves of the Garusian mountains, but also in several other areas as well (the tribe who sends the fewest of their children to the nomads to hunt, and the only tribe that bothers teaching their children mathematics and who as a whole can competently read and write).
The mole is both the most insular tribe, as they do not have direct contact with most non-kellids, but also for the same reason, the most accepting of differences. The other tribes view the Moles as odd, but if there’s ever a cave-in or if a cave needs to be expanded, or extended, or a new tunnel needs to be dug, the Mole Tribe are the ones who the other settled Kellids turn to.
Tribe of the Elk – Like the Bull Tribe, the Tribe of the Elk are hunters, but not of the Mammoth themselves. Instead they live in the woods around the base of the Garusian Mountains, hunting for smaller prey, and are the closest to farmers the Kellids have, being a true hunter-gatherer tribe. Even with the woodsmen that they are they do not stray too far south into the Savage Jungle, though a few old trophies bear witness to the might and bravery of their warriors who dared to venture into the dense foliage and returned.
For ease of reference the relevant posts for Character Burning:
Character Burning – Steps 1 and 2 (Lifepaths)
Character Burning – Steps 3 through 6
Character Burning – Steps 7 through 12
Human Skill List
Human Trait List
Peanuts will keep an eye on things and should things change I'll definately be back.
Once again thanks for sharing the time and creativity - sincerely hope we do it again.
Just posting the most up to date version of the characters I have:
Though obviously no longer a child, the girl before you has yet to blossom into full woman-hood. While her form is slight & slender, her eyes gleam with a wit & shrewdness beyond her years.
Lifepaths:Village Born, Serving Wench
Will: B5 Perception: B5
Power: B3 Forte: B3
Agility: B3 Speed: B4
Mortal Wound: 9
Reflexes: B4
Health: B4
Steel: B3
Skills:
Brawling B1
Customer-wise B2
Haggling B2
Mending B2
Soothing Platitudes B2
Ugly Truths B3
Traits:
Ambidexterous (Chararacter)
Child Prodigy (Die Trait)
Drop-Dead Gorgeous (Character)
Gear:
Clothes
Shoes
Traveling Gear
Leaky Shack (property)
Relationships:
Oddiswulf; Old hermit living in the forest between the village & the Witches domain
Circles: B2 Resources: B0
Beliefs:
I will prove myself the equal of anyone who thinks they're better than me.
The Witches (and their spawn) will be driven back to the pit from whence they came.
Someday I will be the greatest swordswoman in the world.
Instincts:
When given two choices, find a third.
Always know where the exits are
Never start a fight.
-=-=-=-=-=-
While her body shows the lush bloom of full maturity, the glint in her eye & the blade at her hip indicate the woman before you is anything but a helpless, delicate, blossom
Lifepaths:Village Born, Serving Wench, Prostitute, Duelist
Will: B4 Perception: B4
Power: B4 Forte: B4
Agility: B4 Speed: B5
Mortal Wound: 10
Reflexes: B4
Health: B5
Steel: B5
Skills:
Conspicuous B3
Customer-wise B2
Haggling B3
Falsehood B2
Mending B2
Persuasion B2
Sword B5
Soothing Platitudes B2
Ugly Truths B3
Two-Fisted Fighting Training
Traits:
Drop-Dead Gorgeous
Charming
Cold-Blooded
Fearless
Mercenary
Tolerant
Gear:
Clothes
Shoes
Traveling Gear
Arms (Run-of-the-Mill)
Gambeson (Run-of-the-Mill)
Relationships:
Oddiswulf; Old hermit living in the forest between the village & the Witches domain
Circles: B2; Reputation: Harridan Bravo 1D Resources: B0
Beliefs:
I will prove myself the equal of anyone who thinks they're better than me.
The Witches (and their spawn) will be driven back to the pit from whence they came.
Someday I will be the greatest sword's-woman in the world.
Instincts:
If confronted, do not back down
Steel is the answer to any problem
Wit is the first battle
-=-=-=-=-=-
Alright, so it looks like you still have one too many skill points for the Killer, Training skills cost 2 points to open . No Leaky Shack for the Killer, all Resources spent. Other than that they both look fine.
Lifepaths: Village Born, Hunter, Acolyte, Itinerant Priest
Will: B5 Perception: B5
Power: B4 Forte: B4
Agility: B4 Speed: B3
Mortal Wound: 10
Reflexes: B4
Health: B4
Steel: B6 (you seem to have been counting the ‘severely wounded’ as a positive, but I wouldn’t say a hunter would actually qualify as equivalent to bandit/soldier/knight etc. If you want to remove the severely wound from his history then both your steel and health will increase by 1. Like Zooi said however, a B6 Steel is pretty impressive already.)
Skills:
Doctrine B2 (knowing the tenets of your ‘religion’)
Hunting B4 (Hunting animals for food, or critters and monsters to eradicate)
Javelin B4 (Short throwing spears)
Oratory B2 (Duel of Wits skill, and for talking to/persuading a crowd)
Orienteering B2 (Navigation skill, only usable on land)
Read B2 (Your ability to read. If you don’t have this skill, you can’t read)
Riding B2 (Riding. Yup)
Ritual B2 (Your skill at performing Rituals, Funeral rights, Consecrating Ground, etc.)
Stealthy B3 (Moving quietly and unobserved)
Suasion B2 (Verbal art of the priest to convince others to act on your behalf. I’d probably focus on Oratory instead than having two B2 Social skills, but up to you)
Tracking B4 (The ability to find and follow tracks)
Writing B2 (The ability to write)
Boxing (Mammoth Tusks) B2 (Boxing seems the most appropriate skill as you described his fighting style, you mammoth tusks will allow you to use the stats of a dagger for attack purposes however)
Armor Training (Armor Training, like most training skills costs 2 skill points, hence why you only have a B2 Boxing above. Depending on how much armor you want to wear you may not need Armor Training)
Faith B6 (you get +3 for answering the Faith questions ‘correctly’. Make sure you play it that way)
Traits:
Tonsured
Dusty
Faithful
+4 pts (see the two spoilers below for some suggestions)
Gear:
Relationships:
Circles: B2 Resources: B?
Beliefs:
I will slay the Hag Bampfwick in order to avenge my tribe and my herd.
I will protect my 'herd' at any cost, including my life.
I will oppose the Witches and their allies until my dying day, with arms and will alike.
Instincts:
Always try the carrot first, but follow swiftly with the stick.
Never trust a stranger, especially non-Kellid.
Never lower your guard, except around animals.
On one drive, it was summer, and they were ranging northward. A couple days into their ranging a sudden darkness descended from the sky and an army of giants, orcs and other horrors descended upon the hunters. The men and mammoths fought bravely, but were outnumbered. Tupilek caught a barbed arrow in his ribs and fell unconscious. When he awoke he was stuffed inside the sliced open belly of the mammoth he had been riding. Nanuc lay dead in the snow next to him, his knife still stuck in the mammoth's rough hide. Tupilek was delirious with pain and bloodloss and he slipped into a near death state. In this place between the world of the living and the dead, he encoutered the great Mammoth spirit, the First Mammoth. It told him that his people were a dying culture, and that all his own children would also soon be gone. He asked Tupilek to save his children, and in return save his own people. Tupilek agreed, and felt a strange and wondrous power surge through him. He awoke, his wound magically healed and his vigor fully restored. He was able to salvage enough clothing and supplies from the remains of his companions to make his way back to the village, but by the time he arrived it too was in smoking ruins. All he managed to salvage was what he could carry, including the tusks from a massive mammoth that were sacred to his tribe. He was consumed with fury and lust for revenge, and spent the next few years hunting the witches' minions. It was during this time that he learned the name of the Hag who had led the attack on his home, it was Bampfwick.
Eventually in his wandering he met another tribe similar to his own. They saw him as a holy man as he lived wild out on the tundra, just like the mammoth. They took him to their shaman, who he told his story to. The old man encouraged him to stay and learn more of the ways of being a healer. He tempered Tupilek's fury with his wisdom and they spent several fruitful years together. Now a man fully grown, Tupilek set out to provide service to the last remaining mammoth tribes as a wandering holy man and healer. He still loves to fight against the monsters of the north, but no longer seeks out conflict in his older years. He travels the taiga, healing any who need it without asking for anything in return, protecting those who are one with the mammoth.
I took the liberty of updating the first line of your background to fit with the new setting information. Please check it and make sure it sounds okay to you.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Skills – 3 pts General
Traits – 2 pts
Hunter – 5 years + 1 lead – 6 Res – +1M, P Stats
Skills – 7 pts – Hunting, Tracking, Stealthy, Cooking, Orienteering; Javelin or Bow
Traits – 1 pt
Acolyte – 7 years + 1 lead – 10 Res – +1M Stat
Skills – 6 pts – Doctrine, Bureaucracy, Write, Read, Ritual, Religious History, Temple-wise
Traits – 2 pts – Tonsured, Early Riser, Broken, Perfect Pitch
Itinerant Priest – 6 years – 8 Res – +1M Stat
Skills – 7 pts – Oratory, Suasion, Chandler, Riding, Write, Read, Doctrine
Traits – 2 pts – Dusty, Faithful
Total – 31 years – 28 Res – +3M, +1P Stats
Skills – 20 pts
Traits – 7-3 pts
Flavour-wise it means you know a lot of people. Mechanics-wise Circles can only be used to find people who would be known/available within the settings of your lifepaths (for you village and peasant born, which is primarily the Kellids, and rural Ulfen). This trait allows you to add City, Villager, Proffesional Soldier, or Outcast to your circles (so for soldier you would have spent some time on the borderlands with the Witches and giants getting to know the formal soldiers of the Kellids and Ulfens, rather than just knowing tribal warriors as you would now. If you added city, then you spent some time amongst the Ulfen settlements and unlike most of your people have actually seen a structure with more than one floor :p)
Eagle Eye
Flavour-wise you can see long distance. Mechanics-wise you are better at ranged attacks in the Range and Cover rules, which… basically in that mechanic your opponent is either at optimal range for your weapon (in your case a thrown javelin), at extreme range (and thus harder to hit), or out of range. With Eagle Eye if your opponent would normally be at extreme range for your weapon, for you he is at optimal range (and thus easier to hit). Range and Cover is used for skirmish style combats, for one on one fights you use the Fight mechanic.
Eidetic Memory (know what it means, but what's the mechanical benefit?)
Mechanics-wise it lets you question the GM about things you might have forgotten and he has to provide the answer. If there’s a question of whether your character would remember something or not, he always does (assuming he was conscious/present. In a PbP where you can go back and reference things only the latter part is relevant :p
Fey blood
You are descended from one of the ‘elder folk’, Elves, Dwarves, or Orcs (in the default setting. Orcs probably wouldn’t count for this setting). You can take a trait from the chosen race, but are no longer entirely human :) You could for instance be part elf an thus immortal, or perhaps have the Elve’s Keen Sight (bonuses to Perception/Observation, and the equivalent of low-light vision. If you wanted to go for some Dwarven traits you could be Accustomed to the Dark, allowing you to see in near pitch blackness, you could be Tough (allowing you to round up when calculation your Mortal wound… which wouldn’t actually help you with your stats as they are now, but if you manage to increase Forte or Power by one it would) or well… a bunch of other traits from either race).
Graceful
This is a Call-On for Speed tests, or for Social skills requiring grace or presence.
Hands of Iron
Makes your hands and feet so tough that they count as a Power 1 weapon (same stats as a stone, knife or dagger, or in your case, your mammoth tusks will likely have the same stats).
Long of Limb
You have unnaturally long limbs, increases your reach with melee weapons, which affects (usually a bonus) some roles for Fight (positioning).
Massive Stature
You are a mountain of a man (the book mentions the size of a troll, I’d probably allow you to go to somewhere around 8 feet), like Long of Limb above your melee reach is longer
Penetrating Gaze
Reduces penalties to visual tests by two (for things like smoke, weather, darkness, etc)
Tenacious
(Your character has a one-track mind. Acts as an ‘extra life’ in a Duel of Wits, allowing you to continue (at least for a short time) after being beaten in the Duel)
Cool Headed (Your character is calm under pressure. -1 hesitation for surprise and fear) – 2 pts
Dreamer (Your character has portentous dreams that are always relevant. In effect this allows me to foreshadow things, and perhaps pass some hints along, assuming you can interpret the dream…) – 3 pts
Eye of the Hunter (Normally to detect characters using the Stealthy skill, or other such tactics (magical effects like Chameleon) you have to use the Observation skill. This trait means you can just use your Perception as Observation for those things without penalty.) – 3 pts
Healthy (Call-On for Health tests. Health tests are made to recover from wounds, resist pain, and fatigue) – 2 pts
Light Sleeper (Always get a Perception test to wake up when a noise is heard or someone is creeping about their room, and you make the test as if you were awake.
Low Speech (You can talk to one category of animals. Add additional categories for +1 trait point. Categories are things like birds, horses and beasts of burden, beasts of the wild, reptiles and scaly beasts, fish or insects) – 3 pts (+1 per additional category)
Loyal (You can add a fourth Belief, the Belief must focus on your loyalty to your companions. If you change that belief you lose this trait.) – 3 pts
Sixth Sense (Gives you a free instinct Always get a twinge from impending danger, and the right to say “I’ve got a baaaad feeling about this.” a lot (though usually when prompted by the GM. You can choose what sort of a ‘twinge’ you get.) – 3 pts
Sprinter (Increases stride by one which gives bonuses in Fight) – 4 pts
Stoic (Reduce hesitation by 1) – 3 pts
Weather Sense (Much like sixth sense you get a twinge, except this time when the weather’s changing. In play you can actually make perception tests to set the weather pattern, the obstacle varying depending on how accurate your ‘prediction’ is.) – 2 pts
Alright, so I have reworked the character sheet and posted it above. Interspersed are several comments and explanations from me, elaborating on skills etc.
The background looks cool, though it doesn’t quite match up to the lifepaths, but that’s not that big a deal :) The first belief looks good, but the second two don’t really have a specific goal, I’d suggest changing the third at least to something like the below (which will help tie you into the starting adventure):
Your second instinct could make things a bit difficult, you can leave it as is, but considering that two of the other party members are an Ulfen and an Orc this might be a bit insular.
Your third instinct could perhaps be a bit more proactive (and combined with the above to free up your second instinct for something else):
As for Resources I added it to the sheet, but you should have 28. You’ll want to spend three points on the standard Clothes, Shoes, and Travelling Gear, it’ll be 5 points for some Javelins (about 4 – 6 would be reasonable) and your mammoth tusks, leaving you 20 for other gear.
On the topic of armor, as I commented above, you can wear Reinforced Leather armor without the Armor Training skill without penalties. You only need that skill if you want to wear mail or heavier armor. Even with the Training any armor above a Gambeson will cause penalties to some skills due to what the system calls ‘Clumsy Weight’. If you want to keep the Armor Training then I’d suggest just going for a Light Mail, or a Heavy Mail with Half-sleeve/leggings (means your arms and legs are less armored, but you take fewer penalties), or you could do away with the arms and leggings entirely, which makes the armor half price, but leaves your limbs vulnerable to attack (which can incapacitate you just as well as torso or head could)
Light Mail is 10 rps, Heavy Mail is 15 rps (or 5 and 8 with just the breastplate and helmet)
Then you have Relationships, Affiliations and Reputations to buy too. If nothing else I’d suggest you have at least one or two Relationships. See the post up-thread with the rules for those.
@GM-Peanuts: For 'the Kid' I think switch Speed & Agility, that will also bring my Brawling up to B2. For 'Killer', how about taking Sword down to B5. That will give me the additional skill point I need for Two-Fisted Fighting Training & give me a bit more to shoot for with the 'I will become the best sword'swoman in the world.
I will probably tweek my beliefs & instincts a bit once I have thought more about the additional background info & the other PC's.
Peanuts will keep an eye on things and should things change I'll definately be back.
Once again thanks for sharing the time and creativity - sincerely hope we do it again.
Well, in a blatant attempt to lure you back (and because I already typed it up at work) here's what I have for your character.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Alright Black Dow, time to give you some attention :) All of the information so far has been for human characters, so there’s a few things you need to know about Orcs specifically (I’m bound to miss something, so forgive if this isn’t complete). Since you were raised by Orcs but have spent a good deal of your life amongst Humans you will still use some of the Human information.
So vile are they, Orcs will not hesitate to slay and eat their companions.
(Since you have spent over a decade amongst human you might have developed some compunction against it, but if it’s a choice between that and death…)
Cold Black Blood (Die Trait)
The cold substance of night runs through their veins, rendering these tormented souls immortal. But it also makes them susceptible to the sun’s burning rays. Orcs suffer +2 Ob to all tests while abroad in the sunlight. If it is cloudy, dawn, or twilight, the penalty is only +1 Ob. But the night deadens their nerves as well: Cold Black Blood reduces hesitation obstacles by two for pain (and gore), but not fear or wonderment.
Breeder (Character Trait)
Though they loathe life and yearn for death, Orcs are compelled by their accursed nature to procreate often and quickly.
(It’s been a long, lonely time :p)
Fanged and Clawed (Die Trait)
The mouth of an Orc is a violent organ, well suited to tearing flesh and shouting blasphemies. Fanged Maw is a Power 1, WS 1, VA 1, Add 2, Shortest length weapon.
Claws like steel shards protrude from their gnarled fingers. They may be used as weapons: Power 1, WS X, VA -, Add 2, shortest length. They act like knives for purposes of engaging and positioning distance.
Loathsome and Twisted (Die Trait)
Orcs are repellent, even to their own kind, and especially to Elves, Men and Dwarves. Their bodies are bent and squat with ugly, long arms and sickening charred flesh: Orc stat maximums are straight 8s. Their stride is 7. This trait also grants the Hatred emotional attribute to Orcs.
Lynx-Eyed, Like Burning Coals (Die Trait)
An Orc’s eyes glow red with the inner fire of despite and hatred. Orcs can see clearly in darkness and shadows. They never suffer a penalty for such conditions.
Vile Language (Character)
Orcs speak a special language of shadow, chill and blight. They share this tongue with corrupt vermin, shades, Great Wolves, Trolls and certain Great Spiders.
That’s the common traits (which you get for free) but if you can afford it I would suggest you get this one too:
Enemy of the Sun (Die Trait) – 3 pts
The greatest, most fearsome Orcs have been bred to resist the pure rays of the sun. They may travel by day and suffer no obstacle penalties as under the Cold Black Blood Orc common trait.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Skills – 2 pts General
Traits – Orc Common traits plus 1 pt
(Optional) Cutter Slave – 5 years – 3 Res - +1P Stat
Skills – 2 pts – Tree Pulling, Ditch-Digging
Traits – 2 pts – Tasting the Lash, Hatred of Forests, Back-Breaking Labor
(Optional) Tunneler – 4 years – 3 Res - +1P Stat
Skills – 2 pts – Ditch-Digging, Tunnel-wise
Traits – 2 pts – Tasting the Lash, Back-Breaking Labor, Black Lung
+ 1 year for ‘lead’
Goblin – 3 years – 2 Res - +1P Stat
Skills – 2 pts – Foraging, Brawling
Traits – 2 pts – Tasting the Lash, Exhausted, Running (Away), Charging Blindly, Marching
(Optional) Legioner – 4 years – 5 Res - +1P Stat
Skills – 4 pts – Spear, Shield Training, Brawling, Foraging
Traits – 1 pt
+1 year for ‘lead’
Bondsman (to an Ulfen Huntsman) – 7 years – 7 Res - -- Stat
Skills – 2 pts – Hunting, Animal Husbandry, Forest-Wise, Stealthy, Cooking, Tracking, Orienteering, Crossbow
Traits – 2 pts – Lucky
+1 year for ‘lead’
Strider – 5 years – 6 Res - +1P Stat
Skills – 9 pts – Mountain-Wise, Orienteering, Foraging, Tracking, Firebuilding, Riding, Stealthy, Appropriate Weapons
Traits – 2 pts – Loner
(Optional) Strider – 5 years – 6 Res - +1P Stat
Skills – 9 pts – Mountain-Wise, Orienteering, Foraging, Tracking, Firebuilding, Riding, Stealthy, Appropriate Weapons
Traits – 1 pt
My suggestion flavour-wise would be Born Chattel, Cutter Slave, Goblin, Bondsman, Strider. Final totals – 33 years old (the older an orc is the better his stats) – 23 Resource Points - +4P Stats – 2 general and 15 lifepath Skills – 9-5 Traits
My suggestion mechanics-wise would be Born Chattel, Goblin, Bondsman, Strider, Strider. The Chattel and Black Legion lifepaths (the orcish ones above) are pretty terrible for skills and resources, but they are appropriately flavourful. Still taking Strider twice will get you 26 Resource Points and 2 general and 22 lifepath Skills, and you won’t have the horrible Exhausted Trait (Back-Breaking Labour isn’t actually that bad a trait though). :)
@GM-Peanuts: For 'the Kid' I think switch Speed & Agility, that will also bring my Brawling up to B2. For 'Killer', how about taking Sword down to B5. That will give me the additional skill point I need for Two-Fisted Fighting Training & give me a bit more to shoot for with the 'I will become the best sword'swoman in the world.
I will probably tweek my beliefs & instincts a bit once I have thought more about the additional background info & the other PC's.
Actually, Brawling is rooted in Power, so that wouldn't change any of your stats I don't think... Still want to swap the two?
B5 swords is still pretty good, and yeah should solve that problem (I don't think you need the apostrophe in swordswoman).
Yeah I imagine Beliefs and instincts will change after the game gets going anyway. I've sent the PM to DH, so hopefully I'll get a response.
EDIT: I already had a response! Doomed Hero is still on board, he has the book so he will burn up a character and post it by Monday night.
Now I have to sleep. Later.
Yep, might as well. That being the case, what about dropping Customer-wise & putting that skill point into bringing Brawling up to B2, I hate having her only combat skill be only one die with the background description I gave her.
Yay! I love DH. I'm willing to take your suggestions on the Belief and Instinct. I'll think about it some more today. Traits I'm gonna go for Fey Blood (Elven, Immortal).
My only problem is that the mammoth tusks are equivalent to a dagger...
They should be more like greatclub or greatsword level. At least equivalent of a full sword, not a little knife. I imagine Tupilek basically having the blunt/mouth ends of the tusks jutting like 4 inches above his shoulders, the a set of leather straps to go around his biceps, and forearms. Then handles drilled into the tusk for his hands to grip. So kinda like a cross between a Tonfa and a Katar.
I know this might sound ridiculous, but is there any way to get both Massive Stature and Immortality? I love the image of this mammoth of a man, old and scarred, slowly losing his war, but unable to stop fighting it despite all indications that he cannot win. Bound in holy service to a god-like animal spirit, he fights on long after those he loves have all been killed, and hope has dwindled to a guttering flame in an endless stygian night.
The bad news is ''. The good news is, assuming the game lasts that long, we do get more Traits over time & there is/was another one that would serve just as well, actually better for RP purposes.
If Tupilek's 'immortality' is more a result of the touch of Mammoth, rather than 'elf-blood' which is the impression I get from your description there is a Human Only Trait called 'Vigor of Youth', which basically means you don't take Stat penalties from aging. Which is all Elven Immortality is really, which is why I was describing it more as agelessness. Neither Elves nor Orcs are genuinely Immortal, they can both still die, they just don't die of OLD AGE. Honestly, Suicide is actually a pretty common cause of death for both races.
Ahh, hmm, it seems I wasn't quite picturing the tusks the way you were :p I was viewing him as using them like Wolverine's claws to stab/punch people more like the katar. If he's using them more like a tonfa then that will be a different skill and different stats.
As for the traits, as written, no, not unless you changed his lifepaths (and likely added several) to get extra trait points. I'd suggest take Massive Stature if that's what you want, and there's a possibility of gaining immortality through other means (something called a trait vote, though you'd have to find some sort of source for the immortality in-game first).
For him to suddenly become a 'half-elf' would seem a bit odd, and start to lead him away from the Mammoth Tribes, more towards the Elk (as they potentially have some dealings with the Elves)
@Zooi well, I suppose you can call it suicide for Orcs. I call it going on a bloody rampage until something puts you down :p
Yeah, I just meant he won't die of old age, not that he's unkillable. That would be boring. I'll go with Massive Stature then. I don't actually want him to be a half-elf I was thinking to reflavor the immortality as a blessing of the First Mammoth.
I'll be reading through the campaign info more over the next couple hours and I'll go ahead and make an alias for Tupilek and put the updated stats in it.
Ok, so it's not quite suicide. >D
Yeah, I just meant he won't die of old age, not that he's unkillable. That would be boring. I'll go with Massive Stature then. I don't actually want him to be a half-elf I was thinking to reflavor the immortality as a blessing of the First Mammoth.
Mmm, well we'll see what comes up in play then... :)
I'll be reading through the campaign info more over the next couple hours and I'll go ahead and make an alias for Tupilek and put the updated stats in it.
Sounds good. You still need to decide what you're spending your Resource points on list of available items and costs here, and my suggestions here.
Once you've done so we'll just be waiting on Doomed Hero, and then (unless anyone else shows up) we can kick this thing off. So if you guys have any suggestions, requests, or complaints regarding the setting, or anything else (I would really like suggestions for names of all kinds, character, spirits, deities, places, items, anything) feel free to voice em!
Hey GM-Peanut, you might be interested in the Path of Spite on this page.
I figure they might make 'good' witches.
Don't know if you already have something else planned out for our bad guys however.
Hmmm, alright. I'll check it out :) Thanks
Haven't had time to edit the background, but here's my alias.
Alrighty, looks good, except you left in the comments from me :p (the bits in the brackets, you can probably delete them.)
On the topic of the bracketed bits however, there were a couple of questions and suggestions for you that you haven't responded to or addressed.
Oratory B2 (Duel of Wits skill, and for addressing/persuading a crowd)
Suasion B2 (Verbal art of the priest to convince others to act on your behalf. I’d probably focus on Oratory instead than having two B2 Social skills, but up to you)
As I commented above, you could probably collapse these two skills together as they're similar. It's up to you though, as with the FoRK rules (which I believe were in the hubs and spokes rules section) having two similar skills can actually be beneficial.
Doctrine B2 (knowing the tenets of your ‘religion’)
Ritual B2 (Your skill at performing Rituals, Funeral rights, Consecrating Ground, etc.)
I'd permit you if you wanted to also collapse these skills. Doctrine is normally a required skills, but I'd say for the sort of 'religion' you're in Ritual makes more sense. Again with FoRKs it might be beneficial to keep them (Doctrine is basically a theoretical knowledge, whereas Ritual is the more practical application of said knowledge)
Steel: B6 (you seem to have been counting the ‘severely wounded’ as a positive, but I wouldn’t say a hunter would actually qualify as equivalent to bandit/soldier/knight etc. If you want to remove the severely wound from his history then both your steel and health will increase by 1. Like Zooi said however, a B6 Steel is pretty impressive already.)
You wanting to keep the arrow to the chest in your background?
Gear: Clothes (1), Shoes (1), Traveling Gear (1), Javelins (5), Light Mail (10), Mammoth Hide Tent (2)
The weapons should be Javelins x6, Mammoth Tusks x2 (5), you get all of that for the one expenditure :) and uhh... you bought the Tent as property then?
Were you going for the Half-Sleeves and Half-Leggings option I mentioned?
Relationships: Bampfwick (8, Hated -2)
Just so you're aware, by buying her as a relationship, it means you've seen her more than just the once, and she has taken notice of you personally. She will be a thorn in your side, and if you ever succeed in killing her then the relationship will disappear.
Circles: B2 Resources: B1
Uhh hmm, unfortunately gear and relationships don't count for Resources, so you'd just have a B0 Resources (the 2 for your 'property' /15, round down = 0)
I only carry what's needed to survive, but I always carry what's needed to survive.
You could probably shorten that to just the last half, as that's the important bit for the instinct.
"I always carry what I need to survive"If you could answer/fix those things that'd be appreciated.
Still waiting on Doomed Hero :/
Well, we've had another small setback, but will press on regardless. Doomed Hero is being delayed by Real Life concerns, and will join us later on. So in the interest of moving along, I will go and create the Discussion thread, and then if I can, I will open the gameplay thread before work. If that turns out to not be feasible then it'll be up within 24 hours.
Things for you two to do:
Tupilek: Please respond to the questions and suggestions in my previous post.
Zooi: Please decide which of your characters you want to play and update your character profile appropriately.
Keeping the arrow in my chest, tent is property in-between leaky shack and cottage. Yeah, I've fought Bampfwick and her minions many times since that fateful day when I was reborn Mammoth Son. Armor going for whatever normal light mail is, if it hinders me a little that's fine.
Fixed the other stuff. I'm still planning on doing an edit on the background, but I've also got a lot on my plate at the moment so it might take a while.
Zöoi, you should play the Killer. I like her better. That way we can be bitter and old together, and kill a bunch of giants and trolls and stuff. Or just die trying in this system :P
Alright, well just for your information.
+1 Obstacle to Agility tests
+1 Obstacle to Speed tests
+1 Obstacle to Health and Forte tests against Fatigue
+1 Obstacle to Throwing and Shooting
+1 Obstacle to Stealthy
+1 Obstacle to Swimming
+1 Obstacle to Perception and Observation
and provides the following defenses:
Head 3D
Chest 4D
Arms 3D
Legs 3D
+1 Obstacle to Health and Forte tests against Fatigue
+1 Obstacle to Stealthy
+1 Obstacle to Swimming
+1 Obstacle to Perception and Observation
and the following defenses
Head 3D
Chest 4D
Arms 2D
Legs 2D
I noticed you'd signed up for AJR's RotR-AE game too :p I am Doon-Kahahn.
EDIT: Discussion thread up. Sorry I didn't get it done before I slept like I promised, Paizo gave me a couple errors and ate the page, and I wasn't going to miss out on sleep while it was still recovering from the maintenance :) Gameplay thread will be up after work with the starting post.
Sounds like the consensus is 'Killer'. GM-Peanuts, given that Duelist kind of falls in with soldier, conscript, bandit, squire & knight may I raise her Steel by one more?
I think with the reductions to hesitation you have from Deulist you'll do just fine with a B5 :p
There is that. ;P