An adventurer in a shattered land (Adventuring/Dungeon Crawling/Original World - single character)
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An adventurer in a land overrun by monsters. What will our path be?
As society breaks down, the only thing left is to pay desperate people to try and put it right. Do we become part of the cycle, or do we try to fix things?
Follow the adventures of Lydia von Alteisen, a young elementalist, on her path of adventure!
Introduction (story) At the rate King Liam the third's first three days of rule had been going, he was fairly confident the revolution would kill him before he got another three. Currently he was flipping through pages of figures and reports at the council chamber, half reading, half wondering what his fate would be. He was sure Baron Olstein knew of all the secret passages out, but if he could convince the Baron that he as likely to die as Liam, then maybe they could escape together. But to where? His father had started wars with both neighboring countries, and neither held him in high regard. They'd be happy to parade him around of course, and make him sign lots of declarations, try to take over Lothringan, but in truth he'd be a very comfortable prisoner until he died. A fate slightly better than being stoned to death he supposed, but hardly something he could aspire to.
With a sigh, Liam dropped the papers and stood. Better to go out a manticore than a mouse, he thought. It had been one of his father's favorite sayings. Of course his father died in the privy of an enchanted spike, and Liam wasn't aware of any manticores that had gone out like that, but he figured he could give his father's advice one last shot. He took a long, deep breath, standing in front of the council doors. He tugged the bottom of his doublet, straightening it, and reached up to straighten the circlet on his brow. He resisted the impulse to run his fingers through his hair. "Here goes nothing" he whispered, looking at the doors.
With a bang, the doors flew open, and King Liam strode through. HIs council of advisors raised their heads collectively at the King's entrance. "Sire," Baron Olstrem began, pointing to something on the table, but the new King just shook his head and raised his hand.
"Subjects," Liam barked, addressing them as if they were lesser nobles, "I have heard your council, and seen your figures, and have some observations." He raised his hand, and lifted a finger. "First, Lothringan's taxes have been at 60% for ten years, and it's breaking the peasantry. Most of the food they produce goes to our stores, most of an artisan's coin goes to our coffers, and most of a merchant's wealth goes to paying for our military. That's the primary reason for the revolt. Which," he glared around the room gesturing, "you assure me is funded by none of you, but has the backing of wealthy and powerful merchants and lords."
"Second," Liam continued, raising another finger "despite all of these funds and efforts the royal knights corp has been largely unsuccessful. Monsters continue to roam our lands, driven by the formation of these dungeons," Liam paused, nearly choking as he spit out the hateful word. He took a breath and composed himself. "These dungeons, which have through their presence and their spawn, claimed the lives of over two thousand loyal and capable followers of this kingdom including my half-brother. Indeed, in the past five years you tell me the kingdom has gotten less safe, that merchants and peasants and even nobles have been killed by these foul spawn, and that our only option is to send more knights, an option which we can't possibly afford!" His voice raised again at the last bit, and he slammed his hand into the table. The nobles started at the loud bang.
Keeping control was harder than father made it look, Liam reflected, feeling almost distant from the man making the speech. He was sure some of the nobles here were in on the revolt, and if he was saying the wrong things he might leave this chamber as a corpse, the victim of another 'servant' ambush the nobility had nothing to do with and knew nothing about.
"Third," Liam continued after he calmed, "half of you are advising I ride forth at the head of a column of soldiers, made up - I remind you - of the knights whose lives we have been throwing away and militia who are made up the same peasants we'll be killing, and then brutally put down this revolt. In other words kill the peasants who are making us the food and money we desperately need, at the time we need it most!" He looked around, meeting each of their gazes until they lowered their eyes. All except for Olstrem. Was he that loyal that he felt no shame, or was it Olstrem who masterminded his father's death? A problem for another time, Liam supposed. For now, this was his only course of action.
"I have poured over the facts, the figures, and the numbers. And I, your Liege Lord, have figured out what we will do." Silently Liam cast a quick prayer to any gods listening that the nobles here didn't have time to read reports of what a small kingdom a few hundred miles away had done, for his idea wasn't completely new. But with luck, it'd cover things over until a proper solution could be found, and they'd refine it as they went.
"I, King Liam, proclaim three things. First, the food tithe is lowered to 10%, which is all that is needed to sustain the local guard, and the tax rate on coin and merchant fees is lowered to 15%. Farmers may again sell all types of food on the open market, instead of merely remnants and herbals, and border tarriffs are set at 20%. These rates may be negotiated, but for now, this is our proclaimation."
"Second, all auxilary knights are disbanded. All core knights, and knights remaining with our kingdom for three or more years remain employed, or receive a stipend. I have created a scale of stipend based on time of service, with bonuses for loyalty, and payments to the families of deceased knights. And third," Liam paused before the bombshell, "I announce the formation of an adventurer's guild. This new guild shall handle all incursions and threats to local villages, towns, and cities. The crown shall suppliment any local bounty relevant to the safety of our lands and our peoples, according to a schedule I've prepared. Other locals may post bounties for tasks not relating to cities, as they please, but the crown shall not offer subsidies for any private matters such as these. All auxilary and main knights are granted the title of adventurer and automatic membership to the guild without probationary period, all others..." he smiled, and dropped the sheaf of paper on to the table. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, take a look for yourself."
Liam sat down in his father's chair, and watched as the nobles began to pass around the papers, leafing through them. As their eyes widened, and they started conversing, he felt himself grinning slightly. Maybe I'll make it to a second week. [/SPOILER] Premise
Welcome everyone! This is the first time I've tried running a quest on this site, although I've read quite a bit. For my 2021 resolution, I'm going to start giving back to internet communities where others share writing, and share with them.
One thing I've noted reading this forum is that while it's very standard in RPGs, the dungeon crawler actually isn't very popular around here. And I understand why - it's often not that interesting of a setting. But what I believe is it allows for interesting characters and personal relations, and so I've decided to see what happens when running one. I intend to stick with this long-term (I know you have no way of verifying this, but my longest running tabletop game went four years, from Pathfinder, to 13th Age, to Dungeon World, and only stopped because I moved away from the other players). So welcome, and hope this gets some views!
We are ten years into the reign of King Liam, and twenty years past the time when our country started to get invaded by Dungeons - mystical places that force their way into your reality, bringing strange magics and monsters with them. We are playing as a young adventurer in Lothringan. We will be forming a party, taking tasks, and trying to find other party members. This will be traditional RPG-style, so everyone (including us) will have levels, classes, abilities, etc. While not every class is going to be combat related - there are crafting, trading, farming, etc. - us and our party members will be starting out with combat oriented classes. Classes are gained through will (basically what you want to do), and are improved by doing tasks related to your class. In our case, that's going to be completing quests and killing things mostly, although depending on what class we have that will change a bit.
There will be a combat system, but it'll focus more on flavor of actions than round-to-round combat. There will probably be 1-3 votes per action sequence, depending on the complexity. I'll dive more into that later.
Voting style will be Anarchy for now - a variation on Riot. All votes will be tabulated, and then one choice will be selected at random. Selecting the same thing as another person will raise the odds it gets picked, but no vote will be wasted - no matter how unpopular your choice is, you'll have a chance to be selected. The goal is that hopefully people pick something they'd like to read, rather than voting based on a block. I might revise this as we go on, but it feels like a fun choice.
We encounter a hostile noble, who accuses us of having destroyed some of his land. We did do that, but it was while fighting a barghest. The noble declares we're incompetent warriors, and that was the only reason his lands and honor are so damaged. To deal with this, the votes are [Bargain with to the Noble][Bargain with the Noble][Agree to duel the Noble][Run away]. I'd roll 1d4, and pick whichever one came up.
For write in votes, I'll sometimes assign weightings to options, based on our personality, which will in turn be based on our background and previous choices. For instance if we started as a shy street rat, then an option [Cut his throat in broad daylight] would receive a negative weighting from me. I also reserve the right to ignore write-in suggestions that don't fit the story's logic, or are nonsensical - e.g. [Declare ourself to be the Noble's Father]. The results of the actions will be resolved based on our stats, with dice rolls.
If I list choices you can assume that each vote is going to be counted as 1:1, while less likely votes might receive 0.5x, 0.3x, or 0.1x rating. If an option is unlikely, I'll note it in the vote.
I'm interested to see where we take this. Do we do traditional question for traditional reasons? Try to get rich? Become nobles? Solve the mystery? Or just enjoy the world we're in?
Character Creation Votes
[] - Name and gender: Write-in, suitable to the background selected. The country is vaguely Germanic, but if we pick a traveler or outsider background, it should match the flavor of culture we come from. [] - Age: 18-24. 18 is the youngest we're going to be allowed into the guild, while older would be implied with background. [] Background
As below. If options have selections, don't select at this stage. We will do that after an introduction post.
All backgrounds start with five skills related to the background, one at rank 3, one at rank 2, and three at rank 1.
Noble's youngest child You are the son or daughter of nobility. But not the firstborne, no. You're enough children down the line that we're unlikely to inherit anything. You were pushed towards crown military service, service of a deity, or adventuring, and you picked adventuring. Advantages: Inheritance (begin with high starting wealth), Entitled (have a noble title), Trained (Begin with training in our class, granting us two extra skills. Rank up one extra skill/level, usable only on skills below rank 5), Endowment (Start with a major magic item), Literate Disadvantages: Family History (Other nobles have history with your family), Obligations (will be pressured into acting in the family's interests), A Name to Noted (Start at bronze rank, taking quests below your rank generates negative reputation for you and your family)
Commoner The child of a farmer, blacksmith, or other simple profession. Your family is well off enough, and you could have gone into the family business, but we chose not to. Instead you chose the life of adventure. You are the most basic option, representing endless possibilities! Write-in what our parents do. Advantages: Background bonus (One bonus skill, based on our parent's profession - may be 'literate'), Open-minded (May learn one skill or ability outside your class every even level) Disadvantages: None! Besides our lack of advantages.
Street Urchin Many people died in the coming of the monsters, and the subsequent battles. Were your parents one of them? Who knows. You grew up in a major town, on the streets, begging and stealing what you could where you could. Now you're going to leave all that behind before you find your hand chopped off or worse. Advantages:Street knowhow (Start with ranks in pickpocketing, thieving, lockpicking, and stealth), Instinctual (Start with Awareness Rank 2, +1 bonus in cities), The Streets could not break me (Gain +2 Will) Disadvantages:Stuff? (start with inferior goods and no tools for our chosen class), Sickly (Start with -1 in all physical attributes), Illiterate
Foreign Traveler You've left the land of your birth to seek your fortune elsewhere. Now you've come to Lothringan. You've heard of the danger, but you've also heard of the magic, the powers, and the experience. It might be one of the least safe countries, but it's also the one you have the most opportunities in. Additional: Foreigner. You have a non-native background, and it shows through your appearance and accent. Briefly select the character's background. You understand the language in Lothringan, but are not fully fluent. This might result in opportunities or perils. Advantages:Unusual Toys (You have one exotic item no one in Lothringan has commonly seen. This isn't an ancient artifact, but it'll be decently powerful) Disadvantages: Prepared Foreigner (You did as much research as you could, but there's still things you can only know if you're a local)
Arcanist Runaway You have stolen some of the secrets of an arcane school or master, years ahead of what you might earn. You were discovered, and forced to flee. We settled in Lothringan, where people ask few questions of adventurers. Additional: Foreigner. You have a non-native background, and it shows through your appearance and accent. Briefly select the character's background. You understand the language in Lothringan, but are not fully fluent. Advantages: A school of magic (start with one school of magic and two spells) Disadvantages: Foreigner (You lack knowledge all locals have, such as locations, noble families, etc.), Hunted (You don't think you got away with it completely, did you?) Power source will always be Runic
Child Veteran You've been fighting since you reached puberty. Why? Monsters. Your village was close to them, and Lothringan could not protect you. It was assumed everyone there died, but instead you've held out for ten years. Everyone there has learned to fight. Recently adventurers managed to drive back the monsters near your village, and you were rediscovered. Advantages: Martial Prowess (You start with +1 rank in your starting weapon, or two ranks if your class doesn't have martial proficiency), Powerful body (+1 strength, +1 hardiness), I've seen this before (At the start of any encounter with a monster, you may randomly receive information about it based on past experience. This is based on the rarity of the monster) Disadvantages: All I've Known is war (You receive only two skills, both at rank 1), War's Toll (Start with -1 will), Scars of Battle (Start with one physical or mental affliction, from combat)
Monstrous Origin You're not actually human at all. Depending on what you choose, it may be more or less obvious, but you came through one of the dungeons. Instead of going on a rampage though, you developed intelligence and compassion. You saved a family from a different rampaging monster, and they took you in. That was several years ago, and although you love your adopted family, your presence creates as many problems as it solves. This year the crown granted status to sentient monsters who wanted to become adventurers - it appears you're not alone! Additional: Select a race with this. Extraordinarily powerful or exotic races (demons, angels, dragons, etc.) may receive a penalty or be disallowed entirely. The monster also has to be intelligent. Advantages: Innate powers! (You have innate powers and stats based on your race) Disadvantages: Collared (You must wear a collar with the crown's symbol at all times, or be mistaken for a normal monster), Distrusted (You're a monster. Decree or not, it's a tossup if people run screaming)
Write-In
You don't have to generate the advantages and disadvantages, but a few lines on what this is and why we pick it would be nice.
[] - Combat Type
[] - Power Source
I'm going to do something unusual. Your starting class will be determined by me, based on your background, type, and power source. This is loosely taken from D&D 4E - a system which had some good ideas it implemented in a way I found distasteful. Since I'm running things, I can do away with the meh parts and keep the good!
Classes will evolve at level 5, and then again at level 10, 20, and so on. You'll have more choices in your evolution then.
Defender
You are the rock on which enemies break. You control the flow of battle around you, forcing enemies to engage you, and punishing them if they ignore you. Alone, you are a monolith that is hard to take down, but in a party is where you shine. You might be a deadly fighter, but to those who turn away, you are even deadlier.
Striker
Where a Defender fights to control others, you do not worry about that. You fight for one reason - to kill. You are frighteningly deadly in single combat. Some might say that's selfish, but the piles of dead enemies say that you pull your weight. You fight in close and personal, and you make the enemy dead.
Leader/Buffer
You grant the team strength and support. The least useful fighter on your own, you shine in parties. Anything from buffing, to inspiring, to determining tactics and mobility. You are a valuable asset to any team.
Debuffer/Controller
The mirror to the leader, you focus on debuffing enemies and controlling the battlefield. Of course you inflict damage, but that's incidental to reducing enemy's footing to mud, blocking them with walls of ice, or summoning lesser demons to block their way.
Runic - (requires literacy) You have learned the basics of rune magic. You have started down the path of magic. Runes can be inscribed on an object, and spells cast by allowing your mana to flow through that object. Runes may even be tattooed on your body. Although runes give you great power, they come at the cost of flexibility - Runes can only cast what was inscribed, and inscribing a rune is no easy task. Furthermore using the runes of others is virtually impossible - a runic worker's power is fixed to them alone.
Elemental (select) - You have ties to one of the elements. This can be fire, water, earth, air, or it can be vaguer - darkness, light, spirit, etc. You have an innate tie to it, and your growing connection lets you channel it. Very fluid, an elementalist can do many creative things related to their element - but can never step outside it.
Pious - You gain power from a god (give a name and brief description). The god empowers you and your allies, answering to your call, but in turn you will need to embody the spirit of your deity.
Pacted (select) - You swear a pack with something. A demon? A spirit of nature? An eldritch power? You grant them service, you receive power.
Nature - You draw power from the natural world. A druid, a ranger, a keeper of the wild. You help nature, and fight against invaders that despoil it. May bring you into conflict with others.
Cultivation - You draw on your inner strength to fight. You cultivate power within you, and grow it. You've started on a path that might one day become the pre-eminant power source within the realm, but for now you have but the first foot on it.
Nothing but us - You fight with the strength of body and our mind! It might limit you in some ways, but you're clever
[] Personality - Cheerful, gruff, friendly, curious, calculated, outgoing, etc. This won't be set in stone, it represents how we present ourselves to the world right now.
Roleplay Mechanics
All checks will be done by comparing a player's skills to the difficulty of the task, and then rolling fudge dice
The difficulties are: Simple (1)- Even someone unfamiliar with the task could do this (ex: running as fast as a small child) Everyday (2) - This involves the basics of an activity (ex: forging a horseshoe) Challenging (3) - Tasks at this level require years of practice, but it's practice many have put in (reliably hitting a target at a distance with a bow) Complex (4) - At this level, the difficulty stands out. Making a dress for a picky noble or breaking a warhorse. Skilled (5) - At this level a task is complex and difficult. Anyone accomplishing it would be acknowledged a master anywhere in the kingdom. Understanding a foreign legal system, discovering how an elemental is empowered. Fiendish (6) - Tasks at this level are understood to be near impossible. Swimming across a raging river, pickpocketing the king while he's sitting guarded on his throne. Peak Human (7) - At this level some might question if you're a monster yourself. Felling a tree with a handful of swings of an axe, planning a perfect city layout in a few hours, constructing a sword of unparalleled splendor out of materials infused with the most powerful magics. Superhuman (8+) - These levels represent peaks of skill that no human can reliably perform. Even a renown master on the best day of their life might not be able to reach this peak.
Anything beyond this receives a unique title, and anyone who can accomplish those things could be called a peerless master, or a monster.
Opposed skill checks are resolved by adding a Fudge roll to the initiator's skill, and comparing to the target's skill.
Stats are different, in that all people have stats. The average human stat is a 2. 1 represents an underdeveloped stat, while 3 represents solid development and a good basis. It's unlikely for even a handful of people to reach 5 in anything in a large city. Stats serve as the starting point for new skills, may be used in place of a skill in certain circumstances, and empower basic actions. Stats are rarely rolled compared to skills, but often provide basic boosts.
Time Increments
The system uses the following increments of time:
Round - One action set. Most story snippets will contain multiple rounds
Scene - One complete chunk of story. Scenes may be broken up into parts (1/2/3) occasionally.
Chapter - A chapter is bookended by a major downtime. Made up of many scenes, a chapter is distinguished by the fact we have time for downtime training and learning.
Actions
Each round you get a basic action and a complex action. Complex action - This action consumes your entire round, and includes things like executing complex martial techniques, or spellcasting. Basic action - Basic actions represent simple things that nevertheless consume concentration. Things like simple melee strikes or maintaining spells requires a basic action.
You will rarely need to track this, as this simply affects behind-the-scenes math. The most important impact is that maintaining techniques costs basic actions, and therefore having multiple techniques running requires multiple basic actions. Speed and class bonuses both help.
Resources
Resources are your most important thing to track. These are gained through leveling, classes, and occasionally skills. Stamina - this represents all flavor of physical endurance. Most attacks will drain stamina, even if blocked, and many abilities will use stamina. When stamina reaches zero, you are exhausted. You are barely able to keep physical pace. This starts at 5+Hardiness.
Resolve - this effects mental hardiness. Your composure, your drive, your will, this represents how long it takes before those break. Things like social combat will damage your resolve, and many magics are fueled by it. When this fails, you suffer a mental break, and have lost all will to continue your task. This starts at 5+Willpower.
Other - These are unique to your classes, and have unique class mechanics.
Stats
The source of a stat may be mystical or martial. Text in this color represents a stat effect that only changes certain power sources.
Stats are gained as part of the leveling system. Classes will offer specific stat boosts at specific levels.
Strength - Your physical prowess. Whether achieved through muscle or mysticism, this is how much force you can bring to bear. Adds to damage. Adds to armor penetration (with appropriate weapon). May empower abilities.
Speed - Your speed and reflexes. A combination of physical and mental processing power that allows you to do tasks quicker. Adds to initiative. Adds an additional basic action at 5, and again at 10.
Hardiness - Your body's endurance and ability to keep going. Adds stamina for absorbing blows without injury, determines magnitude of effect for poison and disease, determines fatigue
Understanding - This represents your ability to unravel the world around you. Whether it is empathy with people, or working out a strange manuscript, this represents your ability to 'solve' problems Effects skill leveling. Effects your understanding of people and relationships. May effect your ability to passively gather resources for many power sources.
Charisma - This represents raw force of personality. Through conviction, belief, and determination, you carry along others with you. As is fitting. Effects all large social situations. Effects your likeability. Effects some magic systems.
Will - When you have nothing else, you always have yourself. Willpower is a measurement of your determination and purpose. Effects resolve. Effects chance to shake off mental effects. May effect some resource systems
Skills
Skills are freeform and fluid. There is no set list of skills. Instead when you are called on to use a skill, you will gain a gain a skill value based on your stat and your experience. Skills may be consolidated or removed if necessary. Skills are gained by practice and repetition. Some classes may gain or raise skills as part of leveling.
Basic skills
Basic skills are gained through use. These are things like horseback riding or brawling. There's no secret techniques to these, and these are leveled through hard work.
Schooled Skills
Schooled skills are gained only by guided learning with either training materials or expert masters. If you join the Flowing blade school, you might gain a skill like [Flowing blade swordfighting]. These tend to inherit your current level of fighting skills minus one (so if you had [swordfighting 3] you'd gain [Flowing blade 2]). These follow the leveling criteria of basic skills, but when the skill would raise, instead it does not. Instead the skill is marked, and you may only raise it by training with the appropriate assistance.
Trained Leveling:
Any skill training we undertake gains us skill XP at a low fixed rate (usually 1/week). This also requires an appropriate training method. A master blacksmith might need the most challenging orders and the most novel materials to train, while a novice needs a forge and anvil. XP needed to level is 5x[Current level squared] (so to go from 3 to 4 needs 45 skill XP). Every week you train, you note down one subject. You can gain a max of [curent level] experience from training that subject. For instance if you had [Smithing 3], you could only gain 3 XP from smithing swords. You might gain 3 XP from learning about steel formation, and 3 xp from learning about ways to effect molds. In this way, you'd need 15 different subjects to gain 3 XP about each.
This list resets on level up, because it represents mastering a subject for your level. Thus attaining higher and higher levels of skills requires broader and broader research and training. Simply doing the same thing repeatedly will never result in you gaining a level.
Inspired Leveling:
Inspired leveling is the way of the adventurer. It is often faster than training, but can run into absurd bottlenecks, and is very fluky. It relies on flashes of inspiration gained by pushing your skill to its very limit. You try for an inspiration whenever you attempt something new that's within 1 level of your skill in a stressful situation. This skill use must have very real consequences for you if you fail.
If the skill is below or equal to understanding, roll 2d6. If both numbers are higher than the skill, the skill levels (this is called flash of inspiration). Otherwise, add skill XP equal to the lowest roll
When the skill exceeds understanding (or 5, if understanding is beyond 5), leveling slows. Instead we roll 2d6, and gain skill XP equal to [Lowest roll]+[Understanding]-[Current skill level].
You require downtime to process the inspiration from your experiences. If the skill is a Trained skill, you may level it through flash of inspiration or capping the level with inspired leveling, but you then require study to unlock the next level.
Inspired leveling is how you end up brilliant or dead.
Abilities
Abilities are the powers granted by your class, and your skills. You select them each level up, and you may gain new ones with leveling of skills. Basic skills are less likely to gain abilities than trained skills.
Abilities are far too numerous to list, but broadly fall into the following categories:
Active: May cost some amount of stamina or resolve, and gives you an effect. Often has a cooldown Passive: Always on. Maintained: Can be used for as long as you wish, but require a basic action to maintain. Most of these have a [type] such as [aura] or [boon]. This has no immediate impact, but may be addressed by other skills. Reactive: This is activated by something outside the user's conscious control.
Combat
Combat is designed to be fast and brutal. You don't need to know this to know the rules, but basically: Action Order
Actions occur in the following order:
Ranged attacks/fast spells by unengaged people (by speed)
Melee attacks (by speed)
Ranged/fast spells by someone or something engaged in melee
Complex spells
Damage
All melee attacks do Weapon+Strength-Armor damage
If a player has dodge, an opposed skill check is rolled of weapon skill vs. dodge. On a successful dodge, the attack misses. Every subsequent attack versus the same target gains a +1 cumulative bonus (it's harder to dodge multiple hits).
Ranged attacks and spells work similarly, but all targets always have a base dodge of 3, higher at longer range (this represents the difficulty of shooting versus hitting something in front of you with a sword).
An attack that does more than the remaining stamina instead causes you to become wounded. Every attack on a wounded target instead inflicts wounds. Wounds lower strength and hardiness, and if both reach zero, you begin dying.
Massive Trauma - if you take more than your maximum stamina in a current hit, you suffer massive trauma. You are instantly wounded, lose all stamina, and gain wounds equal to the damage minus stamina lost. If that is enough to lower your strength and hardiness to zero, the massive trauma has caused instant death. Otherwise you are considered disabled and out of the fight. All allies witnessing take 2 resolve damage if you live, and 4 if you die.
Experience and Levels!
This is what we're here for, right? Well you're in luck.
First, to level below level 5 is quite simple. It requires 1000xLevel XP. So to go from 1 to 2 takes 1000 XP, to go from 2 to 3 takes 2000 XP, and so on and so forth. Crafting classes have their own ways to level, but for us we have combat!
Defeating an enemy: 100 xp (level 1) + 25 per level. So defeating a level 3 gives 200 XP, and so on and so forth. Enemy levels for monsters are normalized to be similar in power to an average soldier of that level. Defeating a minor threat: 50 xp Some enemies are too low level to qualify as serious threats. These minor threats often come in large groups. Defeating a deadly foe: Some monsters have gained the title "deadly foe." These monsters offer 2x, or 5x experience of a normal foe. These deadly foes are beyond the scale of a soldier - typically big, and enormous.
Lawyer Shit: What does 'defeating' mean? Well it means that the battle was life or death, first. You risked your life, and they risked theirs. Even if one of you isn't slain, you both went in prepared to die. It also means that you (or you and your party) did the work. For instance killing a rock golem that has fallen into an acid pit and has no legs and one arm gives much lesser xp. Digging a giant pit, filling it with acid, and luring the golem in gives normal XP! Times two, since you bet that golem is a deadly foe. Methods to bypass a threat will give partial XP, as long as you continue progressing.
Penalties and Bonuses:
Party: Parties evenly split XP gained from defeating foes. The larger the party, the more ways it splits, and the slower you level. Army penalty: If fighting in a group of 6 or more you're considered an 'army'. All experience is halved. Armies defeat other armies so often that otherwise they could level quite quickly off routs and causing other armies to flee. Higher Level: Defeating a higher level foe gives bonus XP. This is equal to Monster XP - [on-level MonsterXP] Ex: A level 2 defeats a level 4. Defeating a level 4 grants 175 XP, then you get a bonus 175xp - 125xp (xp for a level 2 monster) so 50 xp, for a total of 225 XP. Nonthreatening Penalty: Killing something that is not a threat grants no XP (unless you and your party rendered it not a threat with your wits and your skills) Same type penalty: Defeating multiple enemies of the same type eventually results in an XP penalty. This penalty is for identical monsters in similar environments - killing 30 giant spiders in a forest will qualify, but killing the same giant spiders in an acid-cave might be a very different experience. Generally this starts at 10% after the fifth, and continues until they are worth 10% of normal XP
Training
Training is not worthless! Having a training match with an on-level partner grants 50 xp. This is capped at half the amount of xp you'd get from defeating the same person, if delivered over multiple sessions. Training with higher level characters can be very rewarding - if you can find one who is willing to train you.
Having a non-serious fight with someone, like a bar brawl, where you come out victorious counts as a training session. Same type restriction: Training against multiple people who use the same types of attacks, such as multiple similarly-trained soldiers, counts as training against one for cap purposes.
Skill gain
Gaining a level in a skill rewards you with 10x[new skill level squared] xp. So gaining a skill grants 10, going from 1-2 grants 40, etc.
Potions and items
A few such things may grant XP.
Your class
Many classes have special methods of gaining XP, or different XP mechanics. So far there's nothing here!
Weapons and Equipment
A basic melee weapon damage table is as follows: One-handed Sword: 4 damage Stamina costs of abilities is reduced by 1, +2 to attack vs. dodging enemies A sword is a precision weapon, fast, light, and easy to swing. A knight with a sword may carve through foes all day.
Axe, one-handed: 4 damage. Axes automatically inflict 2 wounds on a hit, ignoring armor. Axes are fearsome weapons of destruction. Unwieldy they may be, but their cutting edge slices through the toughest of armor.
Warhammer, one handed: 3 damage. Strength adds 2x to warhammer damage (round down). Warhammers are weapons of death and destruction. Heavy and cumbersome, their additional mass allows strong fighters to simply crush through their enemies armor, and the enemy beneath.
Two handed: +2 damage
Spear (two handed): 7 damage. When being charged, add opponent's speed to damage for the first attack. Automatically wins initiative on the first round of melee. Spears long reach and superior force constantly surprises foes. One of humanity's oldest weapons remains a constant threat.
Longbow: 5 damage. If strung for maximum draw weight, add Strength to damage, and attacks become a complex action.
Armor
Padded, leather: 1 armor. Raises the difficulty of some skill checks by 1. Requires armor proficiency 1 to wear without penalty to all actions. Restricts some magic use.
Barely armor at all, these are worn by those who can't afford better, or those whose magic arts allow them no better.
Chain, scale: 3 armor. Raises the difficulty of some skill checks by 2. Requires Armor proficiency 2 to wear without penalty to all actions. The vast amounts of metal restricts most magic use
Chain and scale armors cover your head, torso, arms, and most of your legs in heavy metal armor. Formed of either interlinked chains or overlapping plates, these armors are worn by rank-and-file soldiers. Underneath is a heavily padded vest, adding another layer of impact absorption to the metal.
Halfplate: 4 armor. Raises the difficulty of some skill checks by 2. Requires Armor proficiency 3 to wear without penalty to all actions. The vast amounts of metal restricts most magic use
Adding metal pieces to the chain/scale base adds greater protection, at the cost of mobility. A tradeoff between the difficulties of learning full plate and the weaknesses of chainmail, half plate is a compromise - but one that might save your life.
Full Plate: 5 armor. Raises the difficulty of some skill checks by 2. Requires Armor proficiency 3 to wear without penalty to all actions. The vast amounts of metal restricts most magic use
Full plate represents the pinnacle of armor technology. Fast, flexible, and with no particular weaknesses, full plate mastery is a sight to behold. A knight in full plate can do a handstand, then turn around and laugh off a sword swing. Just don't ask them to swim.
Shield: Against 1 attack/round, test weapon skill versus armor proficiency. If successful, gain +2 armor. Uses one hand. Bow shot and other ranged attacks are at +2 difficulty if aiming at a target behind a shield. Shields could block many attacks in battle, but their biggest advantage is against archers. An arrow might punch all the way through a shield, only to be destroyed in the process. Adventurers have found this also helps against everything from fiery breath to acid spit - often at the cost of a shield.
Party mechanics
Party members will not be under our direct control. Instead we will learn some of their abilities on joining. This will be determined by secret information and stats, namely: Trust: How much the party member trusts Lydia Allegiance: Who the party member is aligned with Goal: What they ultimately want out of adventuring Volatility: How likely they are to act rashly and without forethought
They will share information about these with Lydia, but the amount and accuracy of the information will be governed by Trust. Similarly, we can command them to use certain abilities or behave a certain way, but they may or may not listen. The higher the trust, the higher the likelihood is they'll take our suggestion.
This is meant to simulate them being real people, with their own motivations. It doesn't mean every adventurer will have some tragic secret or dark story - they might trust you completely, be aligned with their immediate family, and want to make enough money to start purchase a good sized home and a pastry shop to run with their sister. It simply means that unlike Lydia, they may act in unpredictable ways that's out of line with how the vote went, based on their internal struggles. The difficulty of making them agree will be based on what you're asking them to do, and how much that aligns with their beliefs and goals.
These may be refined at my (hopefully rarely exercised) discretion, but this shall always be updated to reflect the current mechanics.
Geography: Lothringan is about 9,300 sq. miles, a small country nestled between greater powers. From Menzhagen to Western Tradepost is about 150 miles, give or take. It's nestled within the Archfel Mountains, a natural geographic feature that has proven an impediment to invaders several times in history. It is bordered by Tir to the West, Grel to the Southeast, and Niffen to the East.
Cities
Castle Waldorf (Pop: 50,000) - Castle Waldorf is the center of the nobility and King Liam. Almost as much a military training post as a city, by royal decree it is the central training point of adventurers and knights alike. It has some of the finest artisans in the land. Population is strictly controlled, as are visitors, and everyone visiting the castle and the surrounding town must have papers or guildsigils.
Osterhaven (Pop: 125,000) - Osterhaven is the fastest growing city in Lothringan. Its position on the Saltlich Sea has turned it into a trade hub for every merchant wishing to trade with Tir. Landing at Osterhaven, and it's only a quick and reasonably safe trip past the Western Tradepost into Tir. In addition, the fertile plain is the breadbasket of Lothringan, and much of the food for the country moves through there and outwards. The city's ability to handle this growth has been mixed. Approximately 40,000 residents and another 10-30,000 transient visitors occupy the slums outside Osterhaven's walls. There they engage in unregulated trade, repair ships, aid smugglers, move food, provide cheap labor, and more. The slums are necessary to Osterhaven's growth, but are also a blight. The crime and danger they represent is very real, and every month a merchant caravan or two vanishes not to monsters, or even bandits, but just on a trip through the slums themselves. Regular patrols clear them out weekly, but these rarely accomplish as much as is hoped. Instead, the major force clearing them is fire. The wooden scrap huts in the slums regularly catch light, clearing huge portions of them back to the wider streets, which form natural firebreaks.
Inside the walls is better - stone construction - but often just so. The port section of the city is often rowdy and full of sailors, while the craftsmans and guild districts both have rough parts. Regular patrols do their best to keep things in line, but criminal gangs from the outer slums somehow keep passing through the walls. The rich hire bodyguards, everyone else watches their back. If it didn't pay the majority of the taxes, it'd be a blight on the kingdom. Even then most of the nobility opine it'd be better off if the place burned down - but they're as fast as anyone to reach for foreign coin when it flows through.
Menshagen (Pop: 40,000) - Once the shining jewel of Lothringan, where Osterhaven has risen, Menshagen has fallen. Once, the eastern traderoute was a precious jewel of the country. Once, dozens of towns logged the woods, bringing in wood, herbs, and the finest game. Once it was famous for its carpentry and its cooking in equal measure. Now Menshagen is a city under seige. The Gloaming Woods have consumed the towns within. No longer do you hunt boar or stag, you hunt giant spiders and fell trolls. And in turn, you are hunted right back.
While the quality of herbs available has risen, everything else has fallen. Now merchants traveling the eastern traderoute do so with a posse of guards and a nervous sweat. They don't fear bandits, they fear the things in the woods that ate all the bandits. A dark mist runs throughout the woods, and even the strongest daylight fails to drive it back. Each year knights, soldiers, and adventurers cull the edge of the woods, driving it back to planted markers, cutting their way through up to half a mile of new wood and the things within it. And each year it comes back more aggressively. Now Menshagen is a drain on the country's coffers, but one the king pays willingly - for if Menshagen falls, who knows how long before the woods swallow the country?
Towns
Potstead (Pop: 12,000) - Once a quiet mining town that exported iron, copper, and a small amount of silver, now Potstead has two distinctions: it's the source of the greatest new wealth in the country, and the most dangerous place to gain that wealth. For now Potstead's mines boast veins of Orichalcum and Mithral, materials worth a king's ransom. Now strange crystals empowered with great energies grow beneath the earth, and scholars pay in silver and gold for even the smallest.
Yet at the same time, the mountains have become unwelcoming. Trolls, orcs, and worse make their home in the craigs, while numerous dungeons have been reported. The incidents have been irregular, yet horrifying. One year every male child between three and four spent a month babbling gibberish - gibberish that proved to contain many languages, none the babes would be expected to know. The recorded ramblings are still being translated. Another, every night another body was found on the streets, until they were deserted, and everyone holed up in their homes with their windows and doors barred. A droning monotone could be heard outside, but no one reported seeing anything. Three months after it began, it stopped - then two weeks after that, the bodies of everyone killed were exhumed and left in the center of town. Since then, cremation has become mandated by law.
And worse than the town is the mines. Miners vanish, and more still report strange happenings: dancing lights, and noises, coming from around them, even beneath them - far beneath them where nothing should be. Twice it has been documented that a new tunnel has been discovered amongst the existing ones, new tunnels dug by no miners, and opened in a seeming instant. Both were immediately filled, but dozens of uncorroborated reports of similar tunnels fill the mayor's desk.
Yet for all that, each miner who survives a year down there is making what they might have before in ten. Literal lumps of iron, silver, even gold now pervade the mountains, and the rarer magic materials are still present in astonishing qualities. Many nobles rather publicly worry they might get invaded for this. Yet while it's certain spies from Tir have heard of the town's great fortune, no one seems in a hurry to take responsibility for the headache.
Lindorf (Pop: 9,000) - A village that mainly serves the local farming communities, it's having something of a spiritual rennaissance. Everything the Gloaming Woods is, the Eastern Grove is not. For where the Gloaming Woods tries to kill you, the Eastern Grove seems to go out of its way to preserve life. Hunters in the woods report a sensation of peace, that makes them want to watch deer more than hunt them. Many times an elderly boar or stag walks up to a hunter, and kneels. The hunters report slitting the animal's throat painlessly, and the animal making no resistance. Loggers sent into the woods return with little wood, but the quality is unsurpassed. Rare woods, often imbued with magic are there, yet those that go in thinking to claim it by force come out dazed and happy, reporting their plans have gone awry.
The result is that every preacher, every order, and every temple for a god or goddess must have someone there to know what is happening. Were it not for the Grove's calming effect, a holy war would have most certainly broken out, and even with it the town itself remains in high tension. Lindorf is a town that doesn't know if it's blessed or cursed. You can fear it, love it, deny it, or accept it, but whatever you choose the Grove remains.
Breg (Pop: 11,000) - Of all the towns in the country, Breg is probably the least affected. Oh it's had wandering dire wolves. A harpy. Even a Roc sighting. But in terms of dangers? Breg remains barely changed. The few adventurers who make their home in the city are wood or bronze rank, and the dangers they face are few and reasonable. Privately a few wonder if Breg is too quiet - if something major happens, would anyone be there to defend it? But most just enjoy their good fortune. Breg supplies farms and villages, and is the home of many craftsmen who seek a quiet life away from the insanity of Osterhaven, the chaos of Dusseldorft, or the rules of Castle Walberg.
Dusseldorf (Pop: 8-14,000): Dusseldorf is less a city, and more what happens when you put too many inns on too many crossroads. Every adventuring party, every merchant moving east to west, every soldier, every trader, every farmer looking to hawk their wares within a hundred miles and every crafter looking to trade, every person moving within the country flows through Dusseldorf. And on the way they stop at an inn, grab a bite, spend a night, and maybe get in a fight. Bards tell tales of new heroes, playwrights practice their craft, poets compose odes and sonnets. On the seedy side, brothels, gambling, and fighting pits are hardly encouraged, but they certainly happen. Again, constant flow of tax revenue causes the crown to turn a blind eye to the worst excesses, yet Dusseldorf in its way makes even Osterhaven look reserved.
Western Tradepost: (Pop: 4,000) Take Dusseldorf. Now take away the adventurers. Take away the local farmers selling their food. Take away the crafters. Take away the small local merchants. And add a large garrison of soldiers and knights, chosen for their loyalty, their competence, and their ability to both watch for invasion, and honestly collect tarriff. And then you have Western Tradepost. Inns, stables, and suppliers galore, but no vice, no drunken fights, and precious few adventurers - most very professional caravan guards. The Tradepost likes itself that way. It cracks down hard on anyone disturbing the peace, and that combined with the numerous soldiers makes Western Tradepost one of the most predictable, and most boring places in the kingdom. Exactly as it likes it.
Farming Villages (Pop: 50-300): Countless farming villages dot the countryside. Most are a central collection of homes working large plots of land. Lately, druidic orders and more natural spellcasters have started making their homes in these villages, dramatically boosting crop output, curing disease, and even helping protect the villages. Some whisper of village witches and dark rites, and maybe indeed there are villages like that, villages dedicated to demons and dark gods. Yet they sell their corn, shear their sheep, and no one notices. By the crown's count there's over 700 wood and bronze adventurers who have never collected a bounty outside a local town, and even a few silver ranks who have done the same. Their problems are as varied as their makeup. People living there rarely journey more than ten miles from their homes in their entire lives - mostly trips to the nearest market and back.
The small radius of life of people in the village, and the absolute ignorance of virtually everyone to the full number and nature of villages - even tax collectors visit rarely - means that within the farmlands of Lothringan anything can truly happen.
Adventurers
Adventurers in Lothringan are officially licensed by the crown. They are registered, pay tax, and receive training. More than vagabonds with a stick, the adventurer's guild strictly regulates adventurers, but also provides them many benefits. Rank: Bronze - The original lowest rank of adventurers, bronze represents those who can handle the lowest tier of threats. Bronze adventurers have the least responsibilities, but the least rights. They can only take bronze tier missions, have no access to guild apothecaries, and are not eligible for guild equipment. On the flip side, they are not required to report their whereabouts to the guild, and have no official duties. There are approximately 3-5,000 Bronze tier adventurers in Lothringan, and they have an average service time of two years, before they retire, get promoted, or die. Due to the high turnover rate, a Bronze adventurer who hasn't reported to a guild within six months is stricken from the ranks, and all their advancements and contracts are dissolved.
Silver - Silver tier represents the main fighting force of the kingdom. Comparable to the elite of old Lothringan's knights, there are around 900 silver tier adventurers. Silver tier adventurers, despite being outnumbered by bronze probably 5:1, form the backbone of Lothringan's defense against monsters and the wild. Each one has been bronze for at least two years and completed numerous contracts. Each must report their location to the guild, so the guild can monitor their location at all times, and silver tier adventurers may be specifically conscripted by the crown and nobility for specific tasks.
In payment for this, silver tier adventurers get access to the guild apothecaries, who offer some of the finest potions in the kingdom at cost. They gain access to bestiaries and advice, and may petition the guild for experts to be sent to a region to evaluate a problem. They may rent many magical items from the guild. Finally, three teams of silver adventurers may petition the guild to send gold-ranked adventurers.
Halfsilver - An unofficial rank, Halfsilver refers to adventurers who have been doing this since the guild was founded, ten years ago. They have immense experience, and often can rent the best magical items and have great influence. But they haven't been promoted to gold, and never will be. Sometimes a mark of respect, sometimes a bitter insult, calling someone 'halfsilver' in a tavern is a good way to start a fight. Young adventurers often view them as cowards and failures, while more tempered ones understand the halfsilvers' experience make them valuable assets. Yet none aspire to become halfsilver, for halfsilver might as well be synonymous with failed gold.
Gold - If there are 900 silver tier and the ratio is 5:1 bronze to silver, then the situation at gold is even more so. For there are only 127 gold tier adventurers in Lothringan. Some bards can list them by name, and they are all considered military assets. Each one brings the power of a full battalion of troops, and a group of them has obtained mythic status. The crown hires 40 each time the Gloaming Woods is driven back, and their presence has prevented more casualties than the hundreds of silver tier adventurers hired.
Promotion to Gold requires numerous tests. Reportedly each of the three guild heads has their own individual test. Rumors over their duties and their responsibilities and their powers swirl. Little is officially known, but what is is this - when gold tiers start showing up in numbers, it's a good time to leave.
Wood - Three years after the adventurer's guild was founded, the guild found itself in a bind. Many apothecariers, hunters, and even chefs were placing bronze-ranked requests that were viewed as 'too simple' for even bronze rank. Anything from gathering herbs to killing boars, these missions were simple and easy. The pay was low, as was the risk. The crown considered raising the minimum bounty, but ultimately decided to create a new tier of request - unranked. Even farmers and herbalists could take these jobs, and often did. A farmer is certainly as qualified to pick flowers as anyone else, after all.
People who make a living from these simple requests were referred to as 'wood' tier adventurers. Ostensibly from the wooden signs they'd inscribe their names in, in lieu of the more official badges, but also because, as one wag put it, 'most are thick as a block of wood and half as personable.' Indeed people who make a living from these bounties are often viewed as little better than vagrants, drifting from guild to guild without rights or responsibility.
Many guilds have begun using 'wood tier' missions to filter the unreliable before granting a bronze license, getting rid of those who wanted to get rich quick, would run home to farm at the first sign of trouble, or otherwise are undesirable. And many bronze adventurers take wood tier missions for their downtime, or their drinking money. Yet few will proudly admit it.
Mithral/Orichalcum/? - Rumors of a small, elite cadre of adventurers loyal to the crown and beyond Gold linger. Supposedly the best of the best, each one a military asset the equal of any army, or even greater, with access to the greatest treasures and powers ever discovered. There's a dozen rumors of such, adventurers with strange badges, who clear impossible gold-ranked missions solo, who plow through deadly dungeons and clear strange monsters whistling happily. Do they exist? The guild denies it. Privately guild officials mock the existence of these adventurers, yet maybe there's something even the guild's highest officials don't all know?
Currency
Cash makes the world go round, right? Most farmers and people in villages work on trade, although with the increased wealth that's beginning to change. For currency: Bronze/Copper - Called coppers, or bits, a copper coin is the basic unit of currency. Some villages still use 'chits' - a quarter of a copper coin that has been literally cut in fourths, but few do that anymore. A copper will buy a cheap bowl of stew, three mugs of mediocre ale, or one glass of reasonably fine wine. These prices get inflated depending on the place - some cheap inns might charge ten to fifteen copper for room and board. If a mission pays in copper, it's definitely wood tier. Silver - Worth 25 copper, a silver weighs about 1 ounce (30 grams) and is ~25% silver. It might be room and board at a nice inn, half a day's wages for a worker in the city. A silver is a respectable unit of coin. Many farmers sell a full cart at a market, make 2-3 silvers, and consider it worthwhile. A bronze mission might pay a handful of silver to dozens, depending on whats asked, while a silver tier one pays hundreds Gold - So rare that many villages haven't seen them, a gold is worth 250 silver. A fine horse might go for 10 gold, and for 100 you might outright buy the inn. An elite knight, in the army, and one of the finest paid in the kingdom, might be paid the equivalent of a gold or two a month. If a bounty is paid in gold, expect silver tier adventurers to fight for it. Orichalcum - Formed only by royal enchanters in one central kingdom, the indestructible orichalcum coins are less an instrument of payment, and more a method of moving impossible sums of money around. Each one is worth 5,000 gold. They are individually numbered and tracked by the crown. A rich noble family might have a few hundred. Baron Olstein's family is rumored to have over a thousand. Transfering Orichalcum to other countries physically requires treaty negotiations. When a prince married one of Tir's lesser princesses, 100 were sent as a sign of respect for Tir's might, a gesture that created decades of good will. If gold tier adventurers are ever paid in orichalcum, it would be a sign the crown considers them as powers on par with noble houses - and certainly some bronze tier would never catch wind of it.
Day's Pay (unskilled) 1 silver
Day's Pay (moderately skilled): 2-5 silver
1 lbs. of meat: 1 silver
loaf of bread: 5-10 coppers
Wineskin (2 pints): 1 silver
Donkey: 200 silver
Plow horse: 300-500 silver
Farm: 50-200 gold
House in slums: 10-50 silver
Apartment in guild section inside walls: 10-50 gold
Mansion in noble district: 5,000-10,000 gold
Knight's bonus for service at the founding of adventurer's guild: 50 gold
Bronze rank adventurer pay, 1 month: 20-200 silver
Silver rank adventurer pay, 1 month: 150-2,000 silver
Gold rank adventurer pay: more than you can afford.
Gods of Lothringan
The five Gods of Lothringan are depicted as having many aspects. These aspects are all considered part of the same deity, and yet all acknowledged as separate entities. They are many aspects of a singular whole. Priests and worshippers are generally drawn to one aspect that resembles the values they hold in their lives. Outside of Lothringan, in less enlightened countries, these are often treated as separate deities, and even said to work cross-purposes.
Religion plays an important role in life in Lothringan. More than simple places of worship, temples are a network of support and resources for a region. They may support guilds, sponsor followers, and bless occasions. In addition, divine abilities bestowed by the gods have proven of excellent use to the nobility, army, and adventurers. They often operate businesses in villages and towns, and serve as a network for everything from messages between the faithful to placing apprentices with masters.
Currently the temples are in crisis - they have been tasked with operating orphanages for the orphans whose parents were killed by monsters and plague. Each temple vies for the acknowledgment, prestige, and royal funds that come with caring for these kids, but the Von Alteisens are well aware their resources are strained. No temple will admit weakness, or that their resources are insufficient, and none dares to loudly ask for more resources for fear of appearing incompetent. While quiet, desperate requests are made, King Liam has not been officially petitioned, and as such he can use this as a low cost solution that avoids one more burden on the royal treasury.
This crisis has pushed tensions within the churches to a height not seen in centuries. Each pushes their clergy for more funds, and each is using the expansion of their authority and power to build networks. The private opinion of some nobles, voiced quietly, is that if it were not for the enchantments around Lindorf, the town would have already devolved into open warfare that might expand to consume the entire country. That raises the question though - if the enchantment is so convenient, is it really a coincidence?
The Shepherd
Known through many aspects, the Shepherd's flock is the largest in the kingdom. In his role as Farkell, lord of the home and hearth, he represents the stability and prosperity of family. That makes him eternally popular with farmers in small villages, although many of the younger prefer Svet, god of fertility. It could be estimated that as much as half the country might follow the Shepherd, as he is the most popular deity in villages and farmsteads. Indeed, it is impossible to find a village without a pen and a scheune, where locals gather to worship.
Among the merchants, guilders, and nobility, the Shepherd is less popular. The Von Alteisens are the only noble family that follow him, and it's open knowledge the family is considered stodgy and traditionalist for it (indeed Kef, god of ritual and tradition, is one of the Shepherd's aspects). Similarly, few adventurers follow the Shepherd.
Tithe: Followers are expected to tithe 10% of their income to the church. The church has the simplest tithe - except in the case of need or sickness, all tithe the same. Symbol: The Shepherd's crook is the universal symbol for all aspects.
The Traveler
Jiya, goddess of trade, Tellar, the god of journeys, and Nas the free are three of the most popular aspects of the Traveler. Not unexpectedly, this church is popular with the merchants of Lothringan. The god is also popular with adventurers. Many wandering healers, and strong champions claim the Traveler as their preferred deity. Their priesthoods emphasize that all have their own journey, and no path is above another. This makes them unpopular with the general nobility, but some of the younger children out of line of inheretence find this message appealing. No few coats have a patch sewn inside with the symbol of the road hidden on it.
Whispers also speak of dark aspects. Irr, god of thieves and deception, is often claimed to be one of the aspects. Publicly the church denies it, claiming worship of Irr is a cult and that there's no true deity of that name. Yet followers of Irr are distressingly able to produce divine miracles for a supposed cult. Small villages often mistrust followers of the Traveler, seeing them as wandering bandits and con artists, and peddlers who follow the Traveler often have symbols of other gods on hand.
Tithe: Followers are expected to tithe windfalls. They are free to tithe as they like, and encouraged to do so on acts of good fortune. Many whisper these are benefits - certainly merchants who tithe one good fortune often find more. Symbol: The most common symbol is a round disk imprinted with a long, winding road. This may also take the form of an embroidered patch. It is also carved in rocks to mark safe places of shelter along paths.
The Lightbringer
The dream of a brighter tomorrow, the Lightbringer represents a hope for a better future. Craftsmen, judges, adventurers, nobles, all join the service of the Lightbringer. The Lightbringer's clergy operate on strong principles of justice, and are trusted to be fair and impartial observers. They are the primary force enforcing the laws of the kingdom. Villagers will bring their disputes to the Enlightened, and they will settle anything from property disputes to accusations of theft to investigating murder. They are the strong arm of the law, for by purging injustice, the Light shall lead the way.
Adventurers in service of the Lightbringer follow strict moral codes, and will take even low-level bounties on thieves and murderers. They take up arms to right wrongs and address injustice where they see it, and in service of this they have great powers. The Lightbringer is the god who grants the most divine gifts to their followers, but in turn the one who demands the most of their use - the gifts of the divine are not to be frivolously wasted. For this reason, many have issues finding groups - passing on a high value contract in a dungeon to hunt down a group of bandits harassing the roads is a hard pill to swallow
Tithe: Penalties for redress of wrongs done include an aspect that flows to the church. They also charge fees for judgments in disputes between merchants and the nobility, although for farmers and other peasants this is often waived. Adventurers tithe 10-20%, depending on the bounty. Symbol: The sun, with rays of light extending down from the right side, symbolizing enlightenment.
The Protector
The Protector is the god of safety and stability. Followers see their role as simple - keep the kingdom safe. Do what you have to to protect your kingdom and your family.
The Protector is often considered the god of the army. And indeed, followers embrace that role. The Protector is often a patron of blacksmiths, giving followers access to the finest weapons and armors from across the land. Their "churches" are training grounds, and their services and worship are practice. What else could be worship for a protector but to train and drill?
Villages across the land have local militias of Protectors, small groups of villagers who band together, sharing weapons and techniques for fighting monsters. Many adventurers are Protectors, although those that are rarely take deep dungeon contracts or rare material gathering. Similarly, they rarely venture far as caravan guards. Instead they frequently remain near their homes for their entire careers.
Tithe: They charge for protection. Most pay it willingly. People who won't offer mere coin to those who risk their lives are the highest form of ungrateful. And protectors are not above showing them the price of ingratitude. Symbol: A shield. Typically a small pin worn on the lapel of a shirt or near the neckline of a dress.
The Destroyer
Without power, you can affect nothing. This is the tenant of the Destroyer. The Destroyer has no churches, no flock, no people who gather together to worship. Alone among the churches of Lothringan, it takes in no orphans except those who demands it. It asks no tithe, for the Destroyer is the religion of strength. If they need money, they take it. Most hand it over willingly. The church does not seek followers, those that join must prove their strength to any member.
The religion used to be surpressed in Lothringan. King Liam acknowledged it because of a simple fact - despite their tiny number, followers of the Destroyer have taken out more dungeons and massive threast than any other deity's followers. Major threats are a siren call to them, gathering them from across the kingdom with the potential of fighting something strong.
Although it is nominally legal and tolerated, followers are feared and hated. Few care. The followers of a god named "Destroyer" do not expect a large circle of friends.
Tithe: They take what they need. Symbol: A weapon of some flavor. Often a stylized axe, although swords and fists are both popular.
[x] Name and gender: Lydia von Alteisen, Female [x] Age: 18 [x] Background: Noble's youngest child [x] Combat Type: Striker [x] Power Source: Elemental (Cold) [x] Personality: Calm and composed on the outside. Idealistic and compassionate on the inside.
Conform to a traditional archetype of an Ice Queen with a warm heart.
[x] Name and gender: Lydia von Alteisen, Female
[x] Age: 18
[x] Background: Noble's youngest child
[x] Combat Type: Striker
[x] Power Source: Elemental (Cold)
[x] Personality: Calm and composed on the outside. Idealistic and compassionate on the inside.
[x] Name and gender: Lydia von Alteisen, Female [x] Age: 18 [x] Background: Noble's youngest child [x] Combat Type: Striker [x] Power Source: Elemental (wind) [x] Personality: quick in mind an emotion, friendly and highly emotional, and quick to change mood
Hah, fair 'nuff. Only way to earn trust is the hard way, right?
Hopefully I've written enough backstory here to indicate to people I'm not running this on a whim. Or at least that I've run a few RPG campaigns in the past and have some obsessive prep habits
I wasn't being ironic. It is better to see this than "I don't know what I am doing" in the opening post... and yes, there is even a tag for that.
You show a certain awareness of how these things go, and what annoys/attracts the players. I don't think I've seen an Anarchy system on these forums in a long while.
A couple questions, if you don't mind me asking.
Is the RPG mechanic borrowed from somewhere? I find Inspired Leveling a fascinating concept, and I can't recall encountering it before. Then again, I don't know a lot of systems.
Are we supposed to play a single character, or do we take over an adventuring party? Basically, what happens after the character dies; do we switch PoV to the next in the chain of command, or is it a game over? That combat mechanic sounds pretty hardcore...
I wasn't being ironic. It is better to see this than "I don't know what I am doing" in the opening post... and yes, there is even a tag for that.
You show a certain awareness of how these things go, and what annoys/attracts the players. I don't think I've seen an Anarchy system on these forums in a long while.
A couple questions, if you don't mind me asking.
Is the RPG mechanic borrowed from somewhere? I find Inspired Leveling a fascinating concept, and I can't recall encountering it before. Then again, I don't know a lot of systems.
Are we supposed to play a single character, or do we take over an adventuring party? Basically, what happens after the character dies; do we switch PoV to the next in the chain of command, or is it a game over? That combat mechanic sounds pretty hardcore...
Oh, thank you! I really don't know what I'm doing, at least from a creator standpoint, so suggestions are very welcome.
Is the RPG mechanic borrowed from somewhere? I find Inspired Leveling a fascinating concept, and I can't recall encountering it before. Then again, I don't know a lot of systems.
Nope! Entirely original, at least in terms of RPG mechanics (the idea of gaining skill from a single glorious flash of inspiration probably dates back to Mary Shelley so I'm not that original). I know of some similar things dealing with crits on skills though, so chances are some other writer has had a similar idea.
Are we supposed to play a single character, or do we take over an adventuring party? Basically, what happens after the character dies; do we switch PoV to the next in the chain of command, or is it a game over? That combat mechanic sounds pretty hardcore...
My idea is a POV takeover, if we do go into a party and our protagonist does die. The combat mechanic is not original - RPG junkies will recognize it's a slight riff on the combat mechanics of Into the Odd/Electric Bastionland. Which indeed is extremely hardcore - but for both players and monsters. Getting the jump on something is painful. If we decide to go defender, some of the abilities offered will incline us towards being more survivable than we would be (including reducing the chances of a dragon instagibbing our poor POV character).
If it's an absolute failure I'll revisit it, but for now, I'm glad you read my mechanics, because you're exactly right - combat is pretty hardcore.
[x] Name and gender: Nyssa Morgenstern, Female
[x] Age: 18
[x] Background: Monstrous Origin - Naiad
[X] Combat Type: Defender
[X] Power Source: Elemental - Water
My vision of Nyssa is that she arose as the guardian of a fountain in a water-themed dungeon, but her chamber was close to the surface and she developed an unceasing curiosity regarding the World Above. This eventually caused her to leave her birthplace; not long after, she encountered a family being attacked by savage wolves. Luckily, they were near a river, so she was able to form water into a shield to protect them and into a blade to strike the wolves down. In gratitude, they took her in and she began to learn about humans and their culture and society. This is subject to change, of course, depending on the future background votes.
[x] Name and gender: Lydia von Alteisen, Female [x] Age: 18 [x] Background: Noble's youngest child [x] Combat Type: Striker [x] Power Source: Elemental (Cold) [x] Personality: Calm and composed on the outside. Idealistic and compassionate on the inside.
Closing voting in ~2 hours. Remember, even if your vote is right before deadline, it has as much a chance of counting as anyone elses!
I love some of these, so expect that even if they don't get randomly picked, the world is now slightly more populated by other adventurers we might just bump in to.
[x] Name and gender: Lydia von Alteisen, Female
[x] Age: 18
[x] Background: Noble's youngest child
[x] Combat Type: Striker
[x] Power Source: Elemental (Cold)
[x] Personality: Calm and composed on the outside. Idealistic and compassionate on the inside.
DM Veto Check: None! DM Favorites check: I really like sioduskseeker's Nyssa, but I think I'll settle for having her as a possible meeting later on if I miss on this. Thanks for putting in so much effort man! If it was a little later and I'd done a little more of these I might be more inclined to put my thumb on the scale in your favor, as it were.
Per Anarchy protocol I will roll a dice to determine the winner.
Roll completed! Congratulations to... Blademaster!
Orokos is a tool site for role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition, allowing players to upload characters from Wizards of the Coast's Character Builder program and providing a dice roller and attribute calculator.
[x] Name and gender: Lydia von Alteisen, Female [x] Age: 18 [x] Background: Noble's youngest child [x] Combat Type: Striker [x] Power Source: Elemental (wind) [x] Personality: quick in mind an emotion, friendly and highly emotional, and quick to change mood
Name and gender: Lydia von Alteisen, Female Age: 18 Background: Noble's youngest child Combat Type: Striker Power Source: Elemental (wind)
Lydia tipped a tankard up, grimacing at the foul tasting ale. In some ways it was the little things that were the hardest to get used to outside her family's home. Ale - thin, sour, often watered. Beds made of itchy, pokey straw. Lice. Lydia really hated lice. The itching, the red sores, the pyromancer's magic smoking them out of her hair... insects in her hair. She shuddered.
"So my family", she began, slowly lowering the tankard, as she addressed her small audience. "Well, where to begin. Perhaps it's easiest to begin with being a young child. That's what where we all start out, after all. A young, child. But being a noble's child? Being a noble's child isn't anything like being a farmer's child. Does that sound obvious? You are thinking fine clothes, servants to wait on you, any toy or game you wish. And perhaps so. But I'd say the defining thing of being a noble's child, a younger child, is loneliness." She paused, rubbing at a tear that was leaking out of her eye.
"I've seen a peasant family, and everyone helps out. Older kids help raise younger ones, show them where to go, what to do. Eventually some of them move out, move to other guilds, marry out of the family, but everyone stays in contact. Everyone knows each other. Everyone lives together." She rubbed her eyes again, feeling them leaking. "Nobles? I was weaned by a wetnurse, raised by tutors, and could go a week without seeing my siblings or family. Because ultimately? I didn't matter. The oldest to inherit, the second for the military, the third for the patron goddess. But the fourth? The fifth? We're accessories. Maybe we get married off to some noble family, maybe we take up some lesser position, but mostly we just float." Lydia spat the last word out towards the table, specks of the sour ale joining others there.
"Oh, I had freedom. All the freedom I could want, as long as I didn't become too big of an embarassment. Want to learn swordplay? Go ahead Lydia, we'll hire a tutor. Want to learn history? Very good Lydia, tutor. Want to learn more about the god whose shrine you visited? Oh Lydia, too many of our children joining the holy orders would give them more weight than they're due. Why don't you learn something nice like dance or music? Other families have a child performing in the capitol, we should have one too."
Lydia felt the weight leaving coming on as the story poured out of her, lubricated by loneliness and perhaps a few too many mugs of awful ale. "So me? I told the stupid tutors to go rutt with each other! I would hide from them, run around the castle, get lost. It was a game. One of my favorite places was the roofs of the villa. No one ever went up there except the birdmaster, and you could run around them for hours. It sounds dangerous, but in truth the roofs were almost as flat as this inn floor." She laughed, gesturing to the warped wood, "or perhaps even flatter! So around and around I ran, hiding and playing. And there, one day," she let the smile spread across her face, basking in the attention, even from such a small audience. "There, one day when I was eight I spoke to the wind, and the wind spoke back."
Lydia gestured with her hand, and a miniature tornado formed on the table, churning away at the layer of sticky grime. Chunks of brown, unidentifiable grit that coated the layer of wood began to lift under the scouring tornado. She watched, her enjoyment turning to horrified fascination. Just how deep was it on the table? Was that wood? Certainly the grime couldn't go that... She arrested the train of thought with a cough, and let the tornado die, trying to unobtrusively send the table's coatings to a corner while waving her hand. "Anyway, wind became my thing. I managed to hide it from my family - for almost a month or so, before father told me I wasn't important enough to attend a meeting, and I puffed at him." She grinned. "And there he was, fourth most powerful noble in the kingdom, belly bare, shirt over his head, laying in the corner while all the servants watched."
Lydia laughed at the memory of her eight year old self puncturing Count von Altestein's prodigious ego. "Of course then it was tutors for magic. Didn't take them long to realize they had no idea what I was doing. I wasn't gifted of a god. I hadn't discovered and eaten a runestone. No spirit or demon had offered me a pact. Instead, wind just liked me. I guess I was naturally likeable even as a lonely child." She grinned at her audience, and with a puff, blew their hair out of place.
"So, after a year of fruitless trying, they had to let me develop my own path. And that, with a few twists and turns that barely bear mentioning, has lead me to you. Of course," Lydia paused, and leaned back in her chair, milking the moment for all it was worth, letting that clause hang there, pregnant in the silence. "Of course," she murmered, lowering her voice. "That's hardly all I can do."
Edit: A few format issues, but all set now. I've chosen to split this into story and vote just due to length. Probably won't do that for shorter vote posts.
Vote #2
Unlike the first vote, this vote will have three parts. The first is on options for our class. The second is for items related to our background. The third is related to where we start in the world. Each one will be randomized separately, although if the combination is somehow ridiculous I reserve the right to reroll one of the options (as always - even anarchy must have some limits!)
Choice 1: Our class
Note on Elementalism: Elemental power is fueled by Charisma. Each of the elements requires a force of personality to both command, and to have respect you. You talked to the wind itself, and the wind thought you were interesting enough to talk back.
Our abilities will be divided into Storm, Gust, and Gale. Each round, an aspect of the wind will be selected as prime. Related abilities will have their effect doubled, while opposed abilities will have their effect negated. After using our abilities to manipulate the wind, a fourth state becomes possible - calm. During a calm state, we may not call on elemental abilities at all. The chances of a calm state occurring start low, but rise as more manipulation.
Command the Elements - A number of times per chapter equal to our Charisma, we may choose to ignore this restriction, and directly command the elements, allowing us to use any ability as if its element was aspected, even during a calm state.
Counter element: Earth - The wind does not exist below the ground, within the earth's domain. Even your call cannot stir the air there, for it has long forgotten the touch of the wind. While slightly below the ground (such as in a castle's basement) wind cannot gain aspects, and chances of calm are doubled. While deep underground, such as in a mine or dungeon, your element is inaccessible.
Zephyrblade
Combining the speed of the wind with sharp steel, the zephyrblade is a phantom on the battlefield. One moment she leaps across the combatants to assassinate an enemy mage. The next, she weaves between dozens of arrows, all swerving to miss. The next, she dodges a warhammer laughing, slipping aside moments before the each heavy swing can land. She dances across the battlefield, leaving behind bodies sliced apart by knives of steel and air. Even at rest her hair moves in a constant breeze, and her clothes rustle as tiny breaths of air tug at them - proof the wind is ever close to her.
Strength: 2
Speed: 3
Hardiness: 1
Understanding: 2
Charisma: 3
Will: 1
Stamina/level: 2, Resolve/level: 1
Abilities:
Flight of the Zephyr [Gale]: You leap to the skies, propelling yourself across the battlefield. You may move up to five times your normal move distance, airborne, and make a single strike with the force of a gale behind it. You gain a bonus to damage equal to your Charisma
Wind's agility [Gust]: As a response to being hit you may add your charisma to your dodge. This can cause the attack to miss. To an opponent, it will be as if the wind pushed you out of the way. This may only happen a number of times equal to your number of basic actions (1 base). As a basic action, you may also deflect all arrows and small projectiles aimed at you for a round
Slicing razors [Storm]: A thousand tiny cuts open on enemies who get draw close. Any creature adjacent to you at the end of the round suffers damage equal to your charisma on any exposed skin or sensitive parts. These razorwinds pass right through armor, slicing flesh beneath. Only entirely solid entities like golems or immaterial enemies like wraiths may ignore this effect. Any creature that becomes adjacent to you also suffers this effect. This is a passive. Swarms (such as swarms of rats, bats, or insects) instead suffer damage proportionate to the size of the swarm.
Skill abilities:
That was close! (Dodge 3): Once per chapter, you may fully negate a hit, assuming there's any logical way that hit could be dodged. Lightfooted (Acrobatics 3, Elemental): You may traverse impossible pathways. You may walk across a thin branch, letting it bear your entire weight, or climb a single strand of ivy, as if you were no more heavy than a mouse. Wind manipulation (Wind Control 2): You may cause localized meteorological phenomena, such as small tornadoes, tiny stormclouds, and a gale on your tabletop. These cannot lift or damage anything close to humanoid size, nor inflict even a single level of damage on them, but for everything from entertainment to proving your identity they can find a use. Flight of objects (Wind control 3): Now small objects, less than 5 lbs, can be lifted by the wind, and carefully moved to you. Paper, small pieces of jewelry, knives, anything under that weight limit can move to you. This does not make the moving object invisible - a lady who witnesses her braclets flying out of her jewelry box will probably take note.
Stormwitch
The stormwitch has traded the full command of wind for a flashier power: lightning. She can feel that burning dance sizzle across your skin, crawl from head to toe. Those who stare into her eyes can see flashes across the pupil like tiny lightning strikes. She revels in this power, even as she knows the lightning is not yet fully hers to command. But it shall be, and the Stormwitch shall tame it.
Strength: 1
Speed: 1
Hardiness: 2
Understanding: 3
Charisma: 3
Will: 2
Stamina/level: 1, Resolve/level: 1
Abilities:
Call the lightning [Storm] Cost: 1 resolve. 1 Stamina if cast on an adjacent target - You deal 5+Charisma lightning damage to a target, instantly. This ability cannot be dodged. Static Field [Gust] Cost: 1 stamina to create. Basic action to maintain. Any creature who moves to within near you is automatically afflicted. Test your charisma versus theirs. Stormstrike [Gale]: Shoves a target backwards. Target is automatically knocked off their feet (Acrobatics vs. Understanding to resist). By spending an additional resolve, you may add lightning to your strike, doing [Charisma] Damage to all affected.
Starting skills (class):
Wind control: 2
Electrical control: 2
Elemental (Air) Lore: 2
Ritual magic 2 - You may cast greater effects in ritual. Rituals for elementalists can take many days of cajoling the elements for a particular effect, but can do anything from moving a rain cloud to creating a tornado. Greater levels of ritual magic give you access to more powerful rituals.
Wind manipulation (Wind Control 2): You may cause localized meteorological phenomena, such as small tornadoes, tiny stormclouds, and a gale on your tabletop. These cannot lift or damage anything close to humanoid size, nor inflict even a single level of damage on them, but for everything from entertainment to proving your identity they can find a use. Lightning manipulation (Lighting Control 2): This allows you to create tiny electrical impulses that flash across the surface of your skin. At this power it couldn't even do a single point of damage - in fact many might find the light stimulation of nerves from this tiny charge pleasurable. But it's certainly distracting.
Air adept
Others were fascinated by potential of power. They loved the idea of controlling the weather or flying about on powerful gusts. But the Air adept represents a more contemplative path. She was not fascinated by the potential to command storms, but the nature of air itself. How can there be something, when we see nothing? How small is air? Can air be cut? Crushed? Can you take air out of a space? Or put more in?
The air adept has investigated many of these questions. And woe to her enemies when they learn the answers.
Strength: 1
Speed: 2
Hardiness: 1
Understanding: 3
Charisma: 2
Will: 3
Stamina/level: 1, Resolve/level: 1
Abilities:
Not simply wind (passive): You have no modifiers from the elemental type, and lose any elemental restriction. Where there is air, you may practice your craft.
Lesser Shockwave: You crush down a ball of air as tight as you can. When you first tried this it was from curiosity. Then you learned it made a noise so loud nearby birds fell from trees, and people would flee bleeding from the ears. Does sonic damage equal to your willpower, and inflicts daze (unit moves at half speed, and attacks last in initiative order)
Shockwave Jars: With the shockwave on its way to perfection, you wondered - what happens if you stick that bundle inside something? The results were messy. Tiny fragments of the container turned your room into a blizzard of slicing death. Your skin was shredded by the remains of the clay jug, and there is still a fine network of scars on your body from it to this day. Only the instinct of raising your arm saved your face. Yet now you weaponize them.
You may store a number of shockwave jars as a sustained spell, costing a basic action each. They may be thrown as regular, unwieldy jars, or placed as a trap. When your will is released these jars do 4+2xWill projectile damage to anything close, and 2+Will damage to anything far away, as well as inflict daze. A person may throw the jar a number of feet equal to 5xstrength. Accuracy does not count - as Lydia has noted, as long as you have the strength to get it there, close counts for both serpent toss and shockwave jars.
True emptiness: You remove air from the vicinity of a person or monster's nose and mouth. They suffer 1 resolve damage, and immediately make a willpower check at difficulty 3 to act as normal. Otherwise they panic, lashing out at anything near them. Each round they suffer an additional resolve damage, and the difficulty of the check increases by 1.
They may make an opposed check of any movement skill versus your air control to break the vacuum. When their resolve reaches zero as a result of this spell, they pass out for 1 round. If it is released, they wake up in rounds equal to 5-hardiness (min 1), otherwise they die.
Starting skills (class):
Air control: 4
Skill Abilities
Air manipulation (Air Control 2): You may engage in subtle manipulations of air itself. Accelerate a fire, or snuff it out. Block water flows with air bubbles, pull breathable air from water, and other tiny manipulations Movement of objects (Air control 3): Now small objects, less than 5 lbs, can be lifted by the air, and carefully moved to you. Paper, small pieces of jewelry, knives, anything under that weight limit can move to you. This does not make the moving object invisible - a lady who witnesses her braclets flying out of her jewelry box will probably take note. Sense of Air [Air control 4] - You may now sense the environment around you through the motion of air itself. You are impossible to sneak up on, for you can feel someone breathing. Arrows, ambushes, nothing that moves air can catch you off guard (Dodging arrows still requires dodge)
Write in!
Limited exclusive write in. Give me an interesting background, a few interesting abilities, and I'll stat them for this. Remember, we are striker themed - you can be creative, but the main focus of the class is going to be making things dead. I will handle the exact stats and skill progression. This write-in will be slightly stricter than usual. The class must match our previous choices, and must make thematic sense.
Choice 2: Our Background:
We get to fill in the following aspects of Lydia's background.
[] Skills:Pick two skills that they could have trained Lydia in. You will gain both at rank 2.
Sword fighting
History
Etiquette
Dodging
Negotiation
Horseback riding
Archery
Intimidation
Music (choose instrument, singing, etc.)
Subterfuge (lying, social manipulation, etc.)
Noble Politics Write-in
Inappropriate skills might include something like blacksmithing (for artisans) or pickpocketing (because obvious), but with vast resources the Von Alteisens could have commanded even that.
[] Endowment:A major magic item is one that has a permanent bonus of some flavor or a powerful ability on a scene cooldown. What it can accomplish should be equivalent to a skill of the fifth level, but of limited scope - for instance a longbow strung with magic that fires spirit arrows at skill 5 no matter the skill of its wielder (but grants no aim powers without the bow). Or a ring that protects against a single attack in a scene, instantly cancelling it no matter the damage.
[] Siblings! - 4 to 7. One is close, one dislikes you. You may choose to name them or not.
[] Family Attitude
What does the family think of your adventuring career? This determines what sort of history you have
Positive! - Family has chosen to embrace their child becoming an adventurer. They tout it to the other nobles, talk about doing their duty to the kingdom, and even talk up how they supported you. This gives you access to your family's resources. Not of treasure, but of knowledge and support. To the extent they can they will support you without making it obvious - although if you rely on that with mediocre accomplishments, they may grow weary of constant support.
On the downside, their bragging has made at least three noble houses annoyed with you. They won't outright kill you, but if they can manipulate you into a failure, the more high profile the better, they will.
Indifferent - Your family allows you to use their name, but little more. Peasants are unaware, but the nobility understand - your parents are not deeply invested in your success (or your survival). They'll only act against you if you become a major embarrassment. On the other hand, for nobles with a score who want to humble a von Alteisen, you've just painted a target on your back.
Opposed - Your family can't outright ban you from this without clearly acting against the king's decree, but they've made it clear both publicly and privately they don't approve. They watch your failures like a hawk, constantly seeking grounds to bring you home, and may even manipulate circumstances to act against you.
On the other hand becoming such a high profile thorn in the side of the von Alteisens, you are amusing a lot of people. You may find subtle and not-so-subtle support as others in the empire delight in watching your family fume. This support could be extremely valuable (to a noble with a grudge, even 100 gold might be a petty price to pay for the humiliation of their enemy) but it will be extremely unreliable. It might not come in the form you need, or may even be tailor-made to bring further embarrassment to the von Alteisens through you (even if it solves your problems).
Breg (slow start): Oh yes, all adventurers should cut their teeth in Breg. We'd cut down on casualties 30 or 40% if they just learned the ropes in such a safe environment - Megg, 10 year veteran silver adventurer
Breg is a low-energy location. Not much opportunity, not many high reward quests, not many powerful allies. Starting here is starting from scratch and working your way up the ladder one rung at a time.
Menzhagen (fast start): We don't have adventurers in Menzhagen. No matter what they call them, we know the truth. When you've spent a year in Menzhagen you're a soldier. Or you're dead. - High Commander Gerald Tarr, at the start of the 8th Gloaming Woods cull
The dangers of Menzhagen demand a party. The place is crawling with necessary tasks to hold back the wood, and adventurers are often quick to form parties. No one ventures into the woods alone for a second time. Menzhagen has a high concentration of potential party members, including refugees from destroyed villages, knights and soldiers, and bronze or silver rank adventurers from towns and cities who want to move on to bigger and better things.
Potstead (high risk, high reward): If you wanted to go from bronze to gold in a year? Sure, go to Potstead. Someone will manage it sooner or later. It's the law of large numbers. Large numbers of dead idiots. - Xerr, Silver-ranked runemage.
Unlike Menzhagen, those that travel to Potstead are either immensely powerful, or seeking fast cash, levels, fame, and glory. And the immensely powerful aren't interested in joining up with raw neonates. Potstead has the highest concentration of monsters, a constant need for adventurers, and a new supply of incredible materials making them wealthy. The adventurer's guild has considered a ban on ranks below silver traveling there. Has the highest concentration of monsters outside of a dungeon - and possibly including the insides of several dungeons. If you think of a monster, it's probably tried to kill someone in Potstead.
Lindorf (????) I spend three weeks in Lindorf once. Gained four skill levels, a pair of socks that has never been torn or stained and stops all blisters, and a crippling aversion to meat of any form. Still don't fully know what happened there. Give me werewolves any day of the week - Gold ranked adventurer, shortly before being eaten by a pack of werewolves.
Wow, the non-violence decree seems odd. That's going to impede our leveling. And what sort of quests do they have? Who knows! The adventurers who stay here would certainly be the oddest sort.
Write in - Bunch of locations! If we don't like it, a few days of walking will solve that problem. Well, unless you want to walk out of Menzhagen alone.
Choice 2:
[X] Skills:
-[X] Negotiation
-[X] Music: Singing
[X] Endowment: Spider Cloak. Contains the gratitude of saved spiders.
Grants resistance to poison. A bearer may tame spiders or negotiate with the sapient ones.
[x] Sibling count: 7
[x] Family attitude: Positive
Choice 3:
[X] Start location: Breg
A lot of adventures happen inside dungeons. But ordinary wind users can't access their element there. An air adept surpasses this limit.
I go for the social build. No combat skills, so start in Breg.
