CHARACTER GENERATION
As with all Role Playing Games the first step toward playing is
creating your character. Before you start have a glance at the character
sheet at the back of this book, it should give you some idea of what's in store
for you.
First choose your characters name, there, that was the easy part.
Next
find out your characters handedness; roll a twenty sided and a four
sided
(D20 and D4) dice. If the number rolled on the D20 is highest you
are
right handed, if it`s on the D4 you are left handed and if they
are
both the same you are lucky enough to be ambidextrous. All
RPG
characters have a set of figures called their PRIMARY STATISTICS,
these
are the very building blocks of the character. Dandanon's Prime
Statistics
are what we discuss next.
The primary statistics for a character are: physical strength
(PSTR),
manual dexterity (MDEX), agility (AGIL), health (HLTH), mental
strength
(MSTR), intelligence (INTL), memory (MEMR), physical beauty (PBUT)
and
size (SIZE).
PHYSICAL STRENGTH
This is measure of a characters muscle power. A character with a
high
strength will be able to lift heavy objects and carry a heavy load
without
being encumbered. A strong character can inflict more damage on his
foes.
MANUAL DEXTERITY
Sleight and steadiness of hand, quickness of wrists and
hand/eye
coordination are all covered by manual dexterity. The ability to
hit an
opponent in combat is also affected by this statistic.
AGILITY
Speed, flexibility and balance are affected by agility. Agile
characters
make good athletes and acrobats.
HEALTH
Stamina, endurance and resistance to the elements. A healthy
character
will be able to continue when all around are exhausted.
MENTAL STRENGTH
This is a measure of a characters force of will. It is often
used to
resist the effects of mind influencing magic's and the fear and
charming
effects of some monsters.
INTELLIGENCE
Reasoning and learning ability. It's a measure of a
characters
understanding and ability to absorb information from the surroundings
and
come to the correct conclusion.
MEMORY
Memory is the retentive capacity of the mind. It reflects how
much a
character can recall of past experiences and how quickly a text or
spell
can be memorised.
PHYSICAL BEAUTY
A measure of a characters appearance towards members of their own
race. If
a character is non-human then this stat is modified to reflect
the
characters appearance from a human point of view. Some beings inspire
fear
in those that see them because they have a negative physical beauty.
SIZE
Not a measure of actual height, but a measure of overall bulk,
though
height and bulk are related to some extent.
ROLLING UP YOUR CHARACTER
To create your character you roll a ten sided dice (d10) twice and add
the
numbers together. Make of note of this number and repeat the process
until
you have nine numbers. As an optional rule you can roll 3d10 and pick
two
of them - add the chosen two together and note them down as before.
Now allocate the numbers to the nine primary statistics as you see
fit,
write them in the ROLL column on your character sheet.
Note that PSTR can never exceed SIZE+10 or HLTH+5 and AGIL
can't be
greater than 30-SIZE or MDEX+10. This restriction is to be applied
before
racial or other adjustments and does not apply to the monster races
found
in the Bestiary section of these rules.
Throughout the rules several example characters will be used, with
their
finished character sheets included at the back of this book so that
they
may be referred to for guidance where necessary: In this section we
will
use Olania and Thimillianus (Tim for short).
Tim rolls the following numbers: 20, 14, 17, 9, 10, 15, 16, 18, 16
Tim's going to be an intellectual with his high memory
(18),
intelligence (20) and mental strength (17). With his high physical
beauty
(16) he's rather handsome and his agility (16) makes him swift on
his
feet. Tim's not the sort of guy to fall victim to colds and sneezes
thanks
to his health (15), but he's a little clumsy at times due to
manual
dexterity (10). He makes up for it in the muscle stakes though
with a
physical strength of 14. They say that size (9) is not important and
Tim
is sure to agree with you there.
Olania rolls: 9, 13, 20, 18, 8, 13, 17, 12, 17
Although Olania has a good memory (20) and is very intelligent (17)
her
mental strength is only slightly above average (13). She is however
very
dextrous (18) and beautiful (17). Unfortunately she suffers somewhat
from
her health (8) and looks Tim straight in the eye because of her small
size
(9). She'd give Tim a struggle if they ever arm wrestled thanks to
her
physical strength (13), but her agility (12) makes her only about as
agile
as an average person.
STAT ROLLS
From time to time characters are required to roll against a
statistic to
resist poison, magical effects etc. Rolls are made on a d100. A
multiplier
is provided by the GM according to the particular situation.
eg Olania wishes to enter a cave that is blocked by a boulder.
The GM
decides that a PSTR*3 roll is required to push it out of the way.
Olania
has a 39% (13*3=39) of moving the boulder. She rolls 46 and fails.
She
either needs some help or a lever to increase the chance.
INCREASING STATISTICS
In the course of a characters career statistics may decrease
through
accidents etc, but there is also a chance that they will increase. A
check
for an increase occurs when a character has to make a STAT*1 roll. If
the
roll is successful the chance to i~crease is determined by subtracting
the
current value of the statistic from 20 and rolling it as a
percentage. If
the roll is successful the statistic increases by 1, failure
means no
change.
Eg Tim sits on the throne of king Stegros and the guardian demon
bound
within it attempts to possess him. He if forced to make an MSTR*1
roll to
avoid the possession. Fortunately for his companions he rolls 17 on
d100
which is just what she needs to resist the possession.
His MSTR is 17 and the chance to increase is 3% (20-17=3). He
rolls 47
and so does not increase.
CHARACTER RACES
Dandanon campaigns can be set in a wide variety of settings, and in
most
of these fantasy worlds humans will not be only sentient race.
The
following section provides some example races for use in
fantasy
environments. This particular set being based upon a
combination of
mythology and traditional fantasy. They should provide a good
foundation
for any campaign, but the GM should feel free to create any other
races
that spring forth from the imagination. Shown below are the
modifications
to the basic statistics rolled in the above section of rules,
these
modifications should be written in the race column in the prime
stat
section of the character sheet. Also shown below are the bonuses to
skills
that a character gains from race, note these next to the
skill
appropriate, in the skill box on the character sheet (the big box at
the
bottom).
| HIGH ELVES | WOOD ELVES | HILL ELVES |
|---|
| PSTR - PSTR-2 | PSTR - PSTR-2 | PSTR - PSTR-2 |
| MDEX - MDEX+1 | MDEX - MDEX+1 | MDEX - MDEX |
| AGIL - AGIL+1 | AGIL - AGIL+2 | AGIL - AGIL+1 |
| HLTH - HLTH-2 | HLTH - HLTH | HLTH - HLTH-1 |
| MSTR - MSTR | MSTR - MSTR | MSTR - MSTR |
| INTL - INTL+3 | INTL - INTL | INTL - INTL+1 |
| MEMR - MEMR+2 | MEMR - MEMR+2 | MEMR - MEMR+2 |
| PBUT - PBUT+2 | PBUT - PBUT+1 | PBUT - BPUT+1 |
| SIZE - SIZE-1 | SIZE - SIZE-2 | SIZE - SIZE-3 |
|
| DOCKALFAR | HALF ELVES | HALFLINGS |
|---|
| PSTR - PSTR-2 | PSTR - PSTR-1 | PSTR - 1/2PSTR |
| MDEX - MDEX+1 | MDEX - MDEX | MDEX - MDEX+2 |
| AGIL - AGIL+1 | AGIL - AGIL+1 | AGIL - AGIL+1 |
| HLTH - HLTH-1 | HLTH - HLTH-1 | HLTH - HLTH+3 |
| MSTR - MSTR | MSTR - MSTR | MSTR - MSTR+1 |
| INTL - INTL | INTL - INTL | INTL - INTL |
| MEMR - MEMR+2 | MEMR - MEMR+1 | MEMR - MEMR |
| PBUT - PBUT+3 | PBUT - PBUT+1 | PBUT - PBUT |
| SIZE - SIZE-2 | SIZE - SIZE | SIZE - 1/2SIZE |
| GOBLINS | HOBGOBLINS | DWARVES |
|---|
| PSTR - PSTR+1 | PSTR - PSTR | PSTR - PSTR+2 |
| MDEX - MDEX | MDEX - MDEX-2 | MDEX - MDEX-1 |
| AGIL - AGIL+1 | AGIL - AGIL+3 | AGIL - AGIL-1 |
| HLTH - HLTH+2 | HLTH - HLTH+1 | HLTH - HLTH+2 |
| MSTR - MSTR | MSTR - MSTR+1 | MSTR - MSTR+1 |
| INTL - 3/4INTL-1 | INTL - 3/4INTL | INTL - 3/4INTL+1 |
| MEMR - MEMR | MEMR - MEMR | MEMR - MEMR |
| PBUT - PBUT-6 | PBUT - PBUT-3 | PBUT - PBUT-4 |
| SIZE - 1/2SIZE | SIZE - 1/2SIZE+2 | SIZE - 1/2SIZE+3 |
| ORKS | BEAST FOLK | CORNISH OGRES |
|---|
| PSTR - PSTR+2 | PSTR - PSTR+1 | PSTR - PSTR+2 |
| MDEX - MDEX-1 | MDEX - MDEX-1 | MDEX - MDEX-2 |
| AGIL - AGIL | AGIL - AGIL+2 | AGIL - AGIL-2 |
| HLTH - HLTH+4 | HLTH - HLTH+2 | HLTH - HLTH+3 |
| MSTR - MSTR-1 | MSTR - MSTR | MSTR - MSTR |
| INTL - INTL-4 | INTL - INTL-2 | INTL - INTL+1 |
| MEMR - MEMR | MEMR - MEMR-1 | MEMR - MEMR-1 |
| PBUT - PBUT-8 | PBUT - PBUT-5 | PBUT - PBUT-2 |
| SIZE - SIZE+1 | SIZE - SIZE+1 | SIZE - SIZE+2 |
Note that no statistic may fall below 1. due to a racial
modification.
There is no upper limit to a statistic however, they may exceed 20.
ELVES
Elves are the slender folk of legend. They are gifted with great
longevity
and are inclined towards the magical arts. They are rare in
comparison to
other races and live in quiet communities. They rarely contact other
races
and only usually do so in trading. Elfin artifacts are renowned for
their
beauty.
They have a greater affinity with nature than man (+10 to WOODWISE
and
CREATUREWISE), therefore their magic tends towards elementalism. All
elves
have superior eyesight and hearing to humans. This gives them a +15
bonus
to SPOT HIDDEN and LISTEN. Their light frame makes them good RUNners
(+10)
and enables them to tread very lightly (SNEAK +20). Singing and
dancing
are favoured pastimes of the elves and this give them a bonus of
+15 to
both.
HIGH ELVES:
Appearance;
These beautiful creatures have the appearance of being the
archetypal
noble elf from mythology. They are slightly smaller than humans and
have
exceptionally light frames, with long delicate limbs and facial
features.
The average High Elf male will only weigh about: 55 kilos. Hair is
usually
thick and healthy, with a fair or blond pigment. Faces are slim and
long,
with pale eyes ranging from blue to green with dense eyelashes. High
Elves
are considered the most beautiful of the more common elves.
Abilities;
Due to their superior intelligence amongst the elfin races High
Elves
are considered to be great collectors of knowledge and are often
treated
as venerated seers. As they are great loremasters this gives them
+15 to
MYTHOLOGY.
Typical Life Span= 1500 Years.
Culture;
High Elves are the purest of Elfin stock and have the most contact
with
humanity. They have an aloof manner, sometimes even when talking
with
other types of elves. Most dwell in reclusive agricultural
communities,
travelling into local towns to sell wares such as fine leathers. Old
and
wise High Elves often find their way into local guilds and
government to
share their teachings and continue learning, so that the legacy they
pass
on will be greater than the knowledge they were given. The
education of
magic is also important to them, but elves with inferior intellects
won't
be 'troubled' with things above their capacity. There is a
great
pretention and strong sense of pride amongst a lot of these elves,
and
youngsters (18 - 30 yrs) who desert the tribe for finer pastures may
find
difficulty returning.
WOOD ELVES
Appearance;
These are, understandably, elves of the forest, they are
nimble
creatures often with a frivolous and mischievous air about them. They
are
typically elfin in that they have light frames, yet as they are
on
average 20cms shorter than a High Elf they seem a little more
compact.
Small heart-shaped faces are most common with slender dark eyes,
usually
brown, black and deep blue. Their hair is always dark in colouring
with the darkest blacks often having a blue, almost oriental tinge to
it.
In their natural environment the hair is kept out of the way by being
cut
crudely short or by pinning the hair above their longer slim pointed
ears.
Abilities;
Wood Elves don't tend to nurture their young as long as other
elfin
races and prefer to teach them how to look after themselves early
on in
life. This is reflected in their respect and understanding for
their
habitat : +10% to WOODWISE
Typical Life Span= 1000 Years.
Culture;
Wood elves are very rustic creatures uninhibited by the
institution of
town society. They are quite easy going and friendly, yet
keep an
underlying sense of reserve, especially where concerning the
welfare of
their woodland homes. Communities are small and are often compact
tree
villages well hidden from the unlikely event of a passer-by. Although
the
Wood Elf is far from being the most reclusive of the races it doesn't
have
much contact with towns and cites. They tend to have envoys who
establish
a strong rapport with a certain community, or have contacts within an
area
who can be trusted to trade and gather outside supplies for them.
Other
than this, the elves who stay in the forests live a simple hunter
and
forager existence. Magic can be very important to these people, and
the
doctrines of Druidic Theomancy or Elementalism are most common.
When
outside their homes they are great storytellers and often get
waylaid
toward the scent of intrigue and adventure.
HILL ELVES
Appearance;
Hill Elves are by far the smallest of all the elfin races.
Their
appearance can be considered akin to the look of a large fairy, and
this
simile wouldn't be far wrong as they are the most closely related to
fairy
folk. The Hill Elven build is very similar to a wood elf but with
even
lighter frames, the women being much more waif-like. Their skin
is
naturally pale and milky with a high sensitivity to sunlight
and a
tendency to burn. Hair is silver, grey or white blond, and is more
than
often fine and straight. Their facial features are small except for
their
eyes. Due to the underground habitat of the Hill Elf the eyes are
large
and more rounded, like a humans, and the colouring ranges from amber
to a
strong orange-red with long eyelashes.
Abilities;
Hill Elven communities are usually found underground, this is
by no
means a coincidence as most dwellings show signs of being excavated
for
the soul purpose of a living environment, giving them a bonus of
+20 to
ROCKWISE. They can also see 20M in total darkness.
Typical Life Span= 1200 Years.
Culture;
They are the most secretive and reclusive of the elves, spending
most of
their time in underground cities. This was originally by
convenience
rather than design, as their quest for privacy took them as far away
from
normal civilisation as they could feasibly go. As aeons past,
their
appearance changed and adapted to their new environment. Their skin
paled
through continued lack of exposure to sunlight, and their eyes
widened to
accommodate the low light levels. Unfortunately this drastic
change of
habitat encroached upon the original underground dwellers and provided
the
Hill Elves with a sworn and dangerous enemy, the Dockalfar elves.
Being
underground dwellers too they felt invaded by these newcomers and
thought
that it might pertain the development of the underground by more
prolific
species, such as humans. This danger, though unfounded, put great
pressure
on the Hill Elves, and they slowly became more and more hidden until
they
were almost a legend. Few people, even today, have seen these grand
cities
and the sight of a Hill elf is rare. They are a greatly passive race
often
to the extent of pure vegetarianism and usually find it difficult to
cope
with direct confrontations. Most Hill Elven PCs, although mildly
adapted
to civilisation, will probably still come across as being fairly
quiet,
shy and nervous of strangers.
DOCKALFAR.
Appearance;
These are by far the most unusual of all the elven races. Their
build is
almost humanoid at first sight, in that the woman are curvaceous and
the
men, quite broad. Yet they are still very small, on average about the
same
height as a Wood elf. Women have very dark blue-black skin, where the
mens
is slightly lighter, often grey, and all Dockalfar skin has a
velvety
quality about it, this is because of the fine translucent silky hair
that
covers all of their bodies. Female head hair is full bodied and
can be
in a variety of light shades, predominantly white, grey, silver
and
white blond, yet it all has a metallic sheen to it. Mens
hair is
similar, but tends to have a matt texture. Facial features are lean
but
lips are full and eyes are large and rounded with an indigo or
violet
coloration.
Abilities;
Dockalfar are true underground dwellers, they are known to excavate
great
underground complexes, some said to cover many square kilometres and
reach
far into the depths, under mountainous areas. This gives them a
+20% to
ROCKWISE and allows them to see up to 40m in total darkness. Due to
the
fundamental differences in culture that the Dockalfar have
compared to
other species of elf, they do not benefit from the +10 to WOODWISE.
Yet
the nature of their own lifestyle gives them the benefit of a
+10 to
ORATORY.
Typical lifespan= 1000 years.
Culture;
The Dockalfar live in a very closed society, and the only
knowledge of
their lifesytle is from outcasts and traitors. They have
practically no
contact with the outside world, living by their own rules and
ignoring
ours as farcical and outdated. They belong to the 'Unsilie Court'
through
an ancient tribal bonding between the Dockalfar and the dark-side
of the
Realm of Fairy. Theomancy and Evocation are central to their
society,
with law and order being kept with a mixture of fear and twisted
truths.
Sadly for those who are born with a low physical beauty (PBUT)
the
Dockalfar elves are all too proud of their superior looks. They
often
punish those who don't come up to standard by hiding them
away,
forcing them to do menial excavation work, or even worse, scarring
and
mutilating them, then throwing them out of their society as a
talisman
of fear to the outside world. Due to the estranged nature of
the
Dockalfar elves any PC's will always be outcasts and
consequently,
traitors. This does not necessarily mean that they have been scared
and
cast out, as the possibility of escape is relatively high.
GM NOTE: Always keep in mind that, because of their closed
culture, a
Dockalfar will be the rarest of all the character races.
TROLL FOLK
The troll folk include Goblins, Hobgoblins and Dwarfs. They are all
short,
squat and muscular in appearance. Many favour the wearing of
beards, in
the case of dwarfs even the women.
GOBLINS
Appearance;
Goblins are strange hunched little creatures. Their skin takes a
variety
of earthen pigments ranging around the dull greens and yellowy
browns,
this often gives the impression of Goblins being mouldy or
slightly
unwell. They are quite long limbed with their knuckles almost reaching
the
ground when fully hunched over, and they are slimmer than the other
Troll
races. This difference of build causes the Goblin to have highly
vascular
yet gaunt appearance, despite their greater strength.
Goblin facial features are highly repulsive to the more human and
elven
races. They have a particularly shallow forehead and large round
eyes,
which are pale yellow and bloodshot and sit slightly to the
sides of
their small skulls. The bottom half of the skull protrudes,
exaggerating
the already forward stooping head. They also lack hair on their
bodies
apart from the odd rough unhealthy tuft on their elbows or on their
long
straggly ears.
Abilities;
Being underground dwellers they gain +20 in ROCKWISE and their
stealthy
nature gives them a bonus of +15 to both SNEAK and HIDE. Due to the
Goblin
being a basically primaeval creature they have an acute sense of smell
and
therefore gain a bonus of +30 to that skill.
Typical Life Span= 120 Years
Culture;
Goblins are the most degenerate of this group. They live in small
tribal
communities and are prone to warring with others at the
slightest
provocation. Being of limited intelligence the Goblins often become
used
as cannon fodder by other more powerful creatures. They will also seek
out
Trolls, Ogres or other such beings so that they're tribe may
flourish
under this veil of security. Although, as they often realise, they
are
being exploited, Goblins believe they will gain great wealth and
prestige
by joining in the ranks of a Troll's tribe. With this in mind
Goblin
warriors, including women, fight relentlessly for this goal.
Female
Goblins are seen as having two functions within the
community;
Reproduction and Defence. They can quite easily be as strong as the
males,
and can often be even less merciful !, especially when their children
are
threatened.
HOBGOBLINS.
Appearance;
Contrary to popular belief HOBGOBLINS are not meaner, bigger
Goblins,
but a race of more friendly and open wood trolls. Compared to an
average
Goblin a Hobgoblin has a much stockier build, and is consequently a
touch
shorter. This square stature is beneficial to their agile nature
as it
affords them better balance. Their facial features are craggy,
with
deepset eyes and prominent noses. They tend to have an abundance of
body,
and particularly, facial hair, this is normally dark in coloration,
thick
and curly with a healthy sheen. The skin is dark and olive
with a
strangely soft texture, which seems unusual for such rough
looking
creatures. This exceptional standard of cleanliness is kept by
the
Hobgoblins covering themselves with mud, and then letting it dry in
the
sun. When it is dry it can be brushed off along with all the mites
and
impurities.
Abilities;
They trade freely with humans and the more superstitious
landowners
consider their presence to be lucky. They are skilful with herbs
which
substantiates this belief giving them a bonus of +25 to both WOODWISE
and
APOTHECARY. They're extremely nimble on their feet, gaining +10 to
both
JUMP and TUMBLE. SNEAK, HIDE and HUNT also receive a bonus of +5.
Typical Life Span= 250 Years.
Culture;
They invariably live in forests, in small underground dwellings
known as
hob-holes. These excavations can come in all shapes and sizes but
it is
most common for them to be dug into and under the roots of ancient
trees.
They are simple in that they consist of only a few passages and rooms,
but
the ingenious way in which the tunnels put no strain on the
stability of
the tree, and yet are intertwined with the very foundations of it.
Hob-
hole construction is a secret the Hobgoblins aren't likely to
divulge.
They come across as being proud creatures who actively
promote
their rural heritage. Consequently Hobgoblins have no great
passion
for society, or for the trappings that large towns, or cities
bring.
Because of this they are seen as being essentially hermits, who
live
quietly within small agricultural communities or out in the
deepest
forests. They are great cultivators of their environment, and
will
nurture the land and help the growth of naturally occurring
edible
crops, such as wild sweet potatoes and all manner of
fungus.
Hobgoblins do relish their occasional contact with towns through
trading,
but, as it is in their nature, they will normally travel back to
their
quiet homes after their 'fix' of the hectic town life.
DWARFS.
Appearance;
These are probably the best known of all the Troll races, as we
have
become familiar with these demi-humans through early fairy tales and
then
through the realm of fantasy. Compared to the Trolls already
described in
this section the 'Mountain Troll', as they are occasionally called,
is
the largest. This extra bulk is caused by the Dwarf being the
strongest of
this family, and therefore the extra muscle power makes them seem a
little
taller than the Hobgoblin, but alot broader. Due to their
superior
strength and the physical work that the Dwarves normally do, they
are an
incredibly healthy race, which is why they are often greatly
revered as
mighty warriors.
Visually the Dwarf is very similar to the Hob-goblin.
The
only difference besides stature is that the Dwarf has much paler,
rough
looking skin. Their facial hair is much converted, with beards and
braids
being carefully tended, by the men and the women. Aged Dwarfs of
high
renown can be identified by the nature of the accoutrements sewn and
woven
into their lengthy beards and moustaches.
Abilities;
Due to their natural habitat Dwarfs gain +30 to ROCKWISE, and as
they
are great craftsmen they benefit from a +20 bonus to any
PROFessional
skill chosen. They are a stern, but friendly race, and are renowned
for
their trading abilities. This gives them +15 to ORATORY and
BARGAIN.
However, their natural greed often leads into GAMBLING, giving them
+20 to
this skill. They are adept with mechanical devices which gives a
bonus of
+15 to MECHANICAL.
Typical Life Span= 275 Years.
Culture;
The Dwarven culture is one of the most sociable. They relish the
contact
with other societies and the trading opportunities this will
naturally
bring. They, as their stature suggests, are a very physical group
and
their trade always takes the form of something hand-made and
highly
crafted. This normally uses skills such as Stonemasonry
and/or
Blacksmithing, with all the variables such skills can bring. They are
very
proud of their skills which often breeds a boastful and
pretentious
nature, but more often than not they are quiet happy to share their
gifts
with those who have the means to buy, thus making this the single
most
important thing that supports their economy.
Dwarves live in
mountainous
areas and use their mining skills to excavate the cities in which
they
dwell. This is always close to the raw materials they mine to keep
their
trade going, but despite this well positioned habitat it causes them
one
very unavoidable setback: Living in such remote areas they are
more
prone to being cut off by extremes of nature, thus inducing a natural
urge
to horde. This habit has been interpreted over the years as greed, and
has
stained the character of the Dwarves as being untrustworthy,
deceitful
misers. This can be true, as with other races, but it is more
apparent in
Dwarves. Despite this trait in their personalities they are
an
unprejudiced and friendly people with a much more open regard to
their
women-folk, as the ladies of their communities are valued as workers
and
craftspeople as much as the men.
OTHER RACES
HALF ELVES
Appearance;
Half Elves are the result of a union between an elf and a human.
Their
physical characteristics will vary depending on the type of elf
which
mates with the human. As a 'rule of thumb' Half Elves will seem
broader
than normal elves and will also tend to be stronger. Despite this,
the
actual form of character will be left up to the discretion of the
GM.
Remember that you can really use your imaginations with this race,
and
make them seem quite extraordinary.
Abilities;
They are extremely rare and gain the racial bonuses of both
parents,
though only at half the value for a pure member of the race. If the
child
was brought up in a totally elven, or completely human environment
they
will inherit the skills of just that society.
GM NOTE: The player must choose a specific strain of elf from
which to
descend, remembering that High Elf and Wood Elf unions will be far
more
common than the others, with Dockalfar unions being practically
unheard of.
Typical Life Span= 750 Years.
Culture;
The life of a Half Elf is not an easy one, they often find that
they
don't fit into either of their natural societies, and therefore
end up
living a life in limbo or complete solitude. It is also far more
common
for Half Elves to come from broken homes because of the pressures
that
cross-racial unions can bring. If there was a break in the
relationship,
or if there was no relationship in the first place, then the
offspring
would usually get taken back into Elven society, and brought up as if
they
had no human roots at all. This causes them to try harder than
usual to
fit in, and therefore they will inherit the cultural
characteristics of
their host family.
HALFLINGS
Appearance;
Halflings appear to be pint-sized humans with pointy ears. Their
average
height is around 3ft 7" to 3ft 11" making them the smallest of all
the
character races. Their bodies seem to be very similar to a
human's,
proportionally, but despite this they do tend to be a little more
rotund
than is expected. Due to this similarity in build, the Halfling is
about
half as strong as an average human specimen, making them the
weakest of
the races as well. To counter this lack of physical prowess they
are
incredibly nimble creatures. Their long delicate fingers make them
the
most manually dextrous of the races even though this seems to make
their
hands look large and uncomely. They are also very agile and
highly
resilient to illness and fatigue.
Halfling faces are just like those of the humans but more petite
with
tiny little noses and large child-like eyes. As with their hair, the
eyes
can be any normal humanoid pigment, but due to their
quiet
communities, each tribe tends to follow the same
coloration. As
mentioned before they have pointed ears, this isn't like the
feathery
delicacy of Elves ears, they look quite normal but with a
tough
extension of no more than 1", and they are tilted backward slightly.
Abilities;
Halflings have a similar social structure to humans but on a
smaller
scale which gives them a bonus to TOWNWISE of +15. They distain
heights
and tend to live underground which gives them a bonus of +5 in
ROCKWISE.
Halflings are renowned for being light of foot and finger, they gain
+15
to each of SNEAK, HIDE and PICK POCKET. They're also fond of singing
which
gives them +10 to that skill and like nothing better than to listen
to a
good song or story, LISTEN +10.
Typical Life Span= 100 Years.
Culture;
All Halflings come from agricultural communities, normally fairly
close
to a human settlement of some kind. They have close bonded family
groups,
and all relationships are life-long and monogamous. They are very
social
creatures and enjoy meeting and experiencing new people. Unfortunately
for
them there are those who would choose to oppress and exploit these
passive
friendly folks, but rather than becoming bitter and reclusive
the
Halflings tend to just take it in their stride.
HUMANS
Abilities;
Humans are the main stock of most worlds, usually living in towns
and
villages, TOWNWISE +20. They're good traders which gives them
+15 to
BARGAIN and ORATORY. They usually take some pride in their
chosen
PROFession which gives them +10 to that skill.
Typical Life Span= 75 Years.
Culture;
Humans are a very prolific species and over the years have found
their
way into most forms of society. They are versatile and find it as
easy to
live in any environment, therefore you are as likely to find them
living
as a hunter-forager as you are to find them living it up in the
city.
Their cultures are wide and varied, from tribal untouched
uneducated
barbarians through to cultured dilettantes, who live only for art,
music
and frivolity.
Skill, knowledge, ability and magic are all respected in Human
society,
and the doctrines of all are mostly available to anybody
with a
willingness to learn and the physical/mental capabilities. Of all
the
forms of magic, Evocation is probably the hardest to learn in
this
community, it is seen as a thing of the woods and there is
alot of
superstition surrounding, Elves, woodland, Elementals and the powers
that
they wield. Because Humans are very much in the majority, and
other
cultures in the minority the superstitions that Humans formulate
often
have an effect on how those other cultures are treated.
This,
unfortunately is the tool of the ignorant and uneducated, and
prejudice
towards other humanoid races is common-place.
ORKS
Appearance;
Orks are similar in appearance to large Goblins, with the
protruding
lower jaw, large eyes, stooped posture, long gangly arms and strange
skin
coloration, but their build is quite different. They are larger
than
humans and their build is much stronger/broader, and with the
decreased
agility they seem fairly clumsy. Their looks are much more sever than
the
Goblins, with large tusks extending from their lower jaw and
curling up
towards their cheek bones, and foul warty skin. Personal hygiene
isn't a
priority with these creatures and they often suffer from nasty
skin
diseases, despite their enormous health.
Abilities;
They favour underground dwellings which gives them a +20 to ROCKWISE
and
they can see 40M in total darkness. Their warlike nature gives them
+20
with their chosen weapon. Items crafted by orks may look ugly, but
they
are efficient, and the Orks receive a +15 to any PROFessional skill
that
they choose. Their keen sense of SMELL (+20) makes them good HUNTERS
and
TRACKERS, with both skills receiving a bonus of +15.
Typical Life Span= 70 Years.
Culture;
They are uncouth and vicious creatures which is the main reason why
they
are so feared within human society. They rarely do things by cunning
and
thought as it is so much easier to use their brawn than their brains.
This
makes them look more unpredictable than they actually are and is
the
reason why most humanoid communities avoid contact with ork tribes
completely. Orks live in a polygamous society reproducing to
strengthen
their numbers for times of war, which is a regular occurrence.
Magic in Orkan society is quite an unusual affair. They regard the
study
of anything other than war and weapon prowess as weakness and a soft
will,
but 'Battle Shamen', their priests, are the most important members
of a
tribe. They worship the more violent of the Gods of destruction and
will
follow the writings of that religion as absolute law, any
deviation
results in the traitor 'giving' him or herself back to the
deity in
question. When a Battle Shamen is killed or dies without a
pupil to
continue on for them, a whole tribe can tear itself apart through
lack of
direction and religious discipline.
GM NOTE: Remember that an Orkan PC is an outcast of sorts, and
therefore
doesn't have to follow this cultural attitude to the very letter,
this is
a trait of a lot of city dwelling Orks.
BEASTFOLK
Appearance;
These are definitely the most unusual of all the character
races.
Although as a race they have certain similarities the differences
between
tribes can be huge, especially those who have been cut off from
other
beast folk and have consequently been in-breeding.
Beast folk are normally the same height as humans, excluding
horns/tusks
ect, but with their greater strength they look stockier. Although
their
muscle power does not equal that of the Ork, their superior agility
makes
them just as formidable in combat, this agility also gives them a
more
sinewy appearance. Beastfolk have a layer of dense fur covering
all of
their bodies which can range in density and pigment depending on
the
environment within which they live. A tribe that dwells in the
frozen
wastes will probably have mottled white thick long fur, and a tribe
from
a more temperate forested climate will be mottled in browns,
with a
shorter more seasonal coat.
Their heads are their strangest feature. They do not sport the
heads of
any of the normal humanoids, they have the facial
characteristics of
Bulls, Goats and Antelopes. These various combinations of long
muzzles,
differing horns, teeth and ears make each tribe that bit more
distinctive.
They can also have paws, hooves, clawed hands, short or long tails
and
backward bending or normal legs.
Abilities;
Due to their natural woodland habitat they gain +15 to WOODWISE AND
+15
to CREATUREWISE. Because of their animal characteristics they have a
+20
to SMELL, +15 to RUN and +15 to HUNT. The dense hair on their head,
neck
and backs gives them armour in the form of protective hide,
with no
penetration:
Typical Life Span= 140 Years.
Culture;
The Beastfolk exist in quiet closed tribal communities and live a
very
ritualistic lifestyle. They distance themselves from the main populous
and
prefer to be left unmolested, as their appearance brings with it fear
and
superstition. They are generally monogamous with some notable
exceptions
the Tribal Elders often have plural marriages, and it is customary for
the
Tribal Shamen to keep concubines. Beast folk choose their partner
by
assessing how healthy they are, and considering how strong
and
healthy their offspring would be. If the children are not going
to
be of good stock then they will not mate, uncharacteristically
weak
Beastfolk will not be allowed to reproduce. If a female is alone
when
she should be having offspring, a tribal hero is called upon,
whether
he is committed or not, to mate with her as it is important that
the
tribe flourishes.
There is a strong sense of survival in the way that these people
live,
although they have intelligence and reason they have not lost the
basic
primal ways of living. They live solely by the laws of the
wilderness
and do everything in seasonal cycles, and thus this is the
religion
that they follow. A Beastfolk Shamen is always a former tribal
hero
and is often of great intellect, he or she worships the earth
in a
direct Pagan way or through Elementalism, and can be looked upon as
the
purest form of Druid. They often consider the way that other
humanoids
treat their environment to be an insult to the great earth mother and
will
act directly and forcibly against them.
RACIAL MODIFICATIONS
If you have chosen a non-human race make a note of any
statistic
modifications in the RACE column on your character sheet. Add them to
the
relevant statistic and write the result in the PRES column.
Human characters need only copy their statistics from the ROLL
column
into the PRES column.
Tim chooses to be a Hill Elf which means that he has some
racial
modifications to his statistics. His physical strength is reduced by
two
and his health by one. Size receives the greatest reduction however
and
falls by three. Agility, intelligence and physical beauty all
increase by
one point and his memory is boosted by two. Tim's characteristics are
now
as follows:
PSTR 12 MDEX 10 AGIL 17 HLTH 14 MSTR 17
INTL 21 MEMR 20 PBUT 17 SIZE 6
Olania however chooses to be human and so her statistics
remain
unchanged.
Now that the characters Main stats have been rolled and adjusted for
race
it is possible to fill in many of the blank spaces on the character
sheet,
as, from here on in the main ability scores remain unchanged.
SOCIAL CLASS
The purpose of finding a characters social class is three-fold.
Firstly
it provides the character with a background upon which to build ;
Secondly
it provides the GM with some idea of the characters starting
resources,
wealth and property. Lastly it enables the GM to discover the
type of
PROFessional skill the character may posses and to award some
small
bonuses to existing skills and perhaps give some extra "hobby" type
skills
to colour the characters background still further. A table showing
example
skill modifications by social class is provided below, but the GM
should
bare in mind that no hard and fast rules can be given to define
what
benefits or penalties should come with a particular social class, as
these
factors are entirely dependant on the world in which your character
lives
and therefore entirely at the GMs discretion. Note that the class
tables
provided below are there to be expanded upon in any way the GM feels
will
best suit his campaign.
SOCIAL TYPES
| HUMANS/HALFLINGS |
|---|
| REF | % | TYPE |
|---|
| 0 | 01-05 | Beggar |
|---|
| 1 | 06-30 | Rural Plebian (Farm Labourer) |
|---|
| 2 | 31-50 | Urban Plebian (Town Plebian) |
|---|
| 3 | 51-65 | Small Landowner (Farmer) |
|---|
| 4 | 66-80 | Artisan (Craftsman) |
|---|
| 5 | 81-90 | Poor Merchant (Shop Owner) |
|---|
| 6 | 90-95 | Rich Merchant (Large Scale Trader) |
|---|
| 7 | 96-97 | Lower Aristocracy ((Feudal) Lord) |
|---|
| 8 | 98-99 | Higher Aristocracy (Distant Royal Relation) |
|---|
| 9 | 00 | Royal Aristocracy (Close Royal Relation) |
|---|
| ELVES (ALL TYPES) | GOBLINS |
|---|
| REF | % | TYPE | REF | % | TYPE |
|---|
| 0 | 01-04 | Outcast | 0 | 01-14 | Hermit |
|---|
| 1 | 05-39 | Plebian | 1 | 15-74 | Plebian |
|---|
| 2 | 40-64 | Artisan | 2 | 75-89 | Farmer |
|---|
| 3 | 65-79 | Leader | 3 | 90-94 | Artisan |
|---|
| 4 | 80-89 | Merchant | 4 | 95-00 | Chieftan |
|---|
| 5 | 90-99 | Aristocracy | |
|---|
| 6 | 00 | Royal Aristocracy | |
|---|
|
| HOBGOBLINS | DWARVES |
|---|
| REF | % | TYPE | REF | % | TYPE |
|---|
| 0 | 01-09 | Hermit | 0 | 01-04 | Hermit |
|---|
| 1 | 10-59 | Plebian | 1 | 05-54 | Plebian |
|---|
| 2 | 60-79 | Farmer | 2 | 55-74 | Artisan |
|---|
| 3 | 80-89 | Artisan | 3 | 75-89 | Merchant |
|---|
| 4 | 90-94 | Merchant | 4 | 90-99 | Leader |
|---|
| 5 | 95-00 | Chieftan | 5 | 00 | Royalty |
|---|
|
| ORCS/BEASTFOLK | CORNISH OGRE |
|---|
| REF | % | TYPE | REF | % | TYPE |
|---|
| 0 | 01-14 | Hermit | 0 | 01-14 | Hermit |
|---|
| 1 | 15-39 | Plebian | 1 | 01-14 | Hermit |
|---|
| 2 | 40-69 | Warrior | 2 | 01-14 | Hermit |
|---|
| 3 | 70-94 | Artisan | 3 | 01-14 | Hermit |
|---|
| 4 | 95-00 | Chieftan | 4 | 01-14 | Hermit |
|---|
SKILL BONUSES BY SOCIAL CLASS
| SOCIAL CLASS | SKILL BONUSES | MONEY* | R/W** |
|---|
| Beggar | Townwize+30 Pick Pocket+10 Bargain+10 | 1-20Sp | |
|---|
| Outcast | Disguise+20 Sneak+20 Hide+10 | 1-20Gp | |
|---|
| Hermit | Hunt+25 Track+20 Apothecary+5 | 1-12Gp | |
|---|
| Rural Pleb | Woodwize+20 Creaturewize+15 Hunt+15 | 10-40Gp | |
|---|
| Urban Pleb | Townwize+20 Bargain+15 Gen Know+15 | 10-40Gp |
|---|
| Farmer | Woodwize+20 Creaturewize+10 Bargain+20 | 20-100Gp | +10 |
|---|
| Artisan | Prof+20 Bargain+10 Mechanical+20 | 50-150Gp | +10 |
|---|
| Warrior | Weapon+20 Grapple+20 Treat Wound+10 | 10-60Gp | |
|---|
| Poor Merch | Oratory+20 Bargain+20 Townwize+10 | 50-150Gp | +20 |
|---|
| Rich Merch | Oratory+10 Bargain+20 Valuer+20 | 100-400Gp | +40 |
|---|
| Leader | Oratory+30 Gen Know+10 Track+10 | 50-150Gp | +20 |
|---|
| Chieftan | Oratory+15 Weapon+20 Hunt+20 | 100-300Gp | +10 |
|---|
| Low Aristo | Ettiquett+20 Hearldry+30 Weapon+15 | 150-500Gp | +20 |
|---|
| High Aristo | Ettiquett+40 Heraldry+20 Oratory+15 | 250-750Gp | +40 |
|---|
| Royalty | Ettiquett+20 Heraldry+20 Ride+50 | 500-1000Gp | +60 |
|---|
* Starting money should be used to equip a character before
beginning
adventuring.
** Read/Write skill may vary greatly according to
the
campaign setting.
Now that stats,race and background are sorted it's time to add up
all
your characters skill bonuses and note them down before beginning
work on
the skills themselves.