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tombowings
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The Road of Kings - Character Creation Thread
« Thread Started on Apr 25, 2011, 6:11pm »

Welcome Adventurers, to the City-State of the Emerald Eye

Ability Scores
I will roll three dice for each of strength, intelligence, wisdom, constitution, dexterity, and charisma, in order. You may then replace any single die roll with a 6 (EX: 4, 5, 26 = 15). Adjustments die to high and low ability scores are as per Men & Magic.

Race
There are no demi-humans, at least not demi-human player characters. Instead, characters are either civilized or barbaric. Barbaric characters add +1 to saving throws vs. dead ray and poisons and may be awarded situational bonuses in wilderness environments. Civilized characters add +1 to saving throws vs. spells and staves and may be awarded bonuses when operating in urban environments.

Class
Characters may be Fighting-Men, Sorcerers, Thieves or bards. Fighting-Men are detailed in Men & Magic; Sorcerers, Thieves, and Bards are detailed below.

Sorcerers
Sorcerers replace the standard D&D magic-user and cleric classes. They have the fighting capability, saving throws, and hit dice of magic-users, but turn or control undead as clerics and are not limited in the weapons and armor they are able to employ. The prime requisite for sorcerers is intelligence.

Sorcerers are inherently connected to the magical world and can automatically sense the presence of magical energy and its relative power compare to their own, be it another sorcerer, a enchanted bowl, or some sort of cosmic event.

While a sorcerer is not limit in the number of spells he may cast each day, sorcerers must still prepare spells as per the Magic-User “Spells per Day” table on pg. 17 of Men & Magic. To cast a spell, a roll on the CHAINMAIL spell complexity table must be made. Thus for a Seer (a 1st level sorcerer) casting a level 1 spell, 5 or below fails, 6-7 is a delayed effect, and 8+ is immediate. If a sorcerer rolls a natural “2” (snake eyes) on his spellcasting roll, he suffers backlash—1-6 points of damage and loses access to that spell until it is reprepared.

Magic is alien and inherently corrupting. Whenever a sorcerer casts a spell (successfully or unsuccessfully) he must make a saving throw vs. spells. If he fails, he suffers a cumulative -1 to all future saving throws vs. corruption and becomes a bit less human. At first this begins with outlook—he slides ever more towards Evil/Chaos. Every five failed saves slides him one set closer to evil (Law –> Neutral –> Chaos). Once he is Evil, he begins suffering physical effects, such as glowing red eyes or a touch that spoils wine.

A sorcerer will begin play with a spell book containing three randomly determined spells, derived from the magic-user, cleric, and druid spell lists, as well as some of my own invention. Generally, flashy explosive direct damage-spells are unavailable, however, and healing magic is completely absent.

Thieves
While all characters can hide behind a mass of vines or tiptoe, silently down a slab stone hallway, thieves are especially cunning and experienced in these matters.

Thieves use the cleric experience, hit dice, fighting capability, saving throws charts and are not limited in their choice of armors and armor (although most thieves do not burden themselves with heavy load or noisy, metal armors). Their prime requisite is dexterity.

When a thief attempts to lift a purse, creep around unnoticed, pick a lock, track a trail of footprints, decipher fine details in almost complete darkness, etc. two dice are rolled and the table below is consulted:

1-2: success on a result of 6 or less
3-4: 7 or less
5-6: 8 or less
7-8: 9 or less
9+: 10 or less

Bards
Bards are mistrals and vagabonds, masters of song and lore. They are equally at home in palace of a king and queen, presiding over a grand ball as they are fighting for their lives in drunken stupor after pretty mix-up with the law. Skalds, as they are better known as in the barbaric reaches of the world, are warrior-poets and scholars. They often the advisers of war-mongering chieftains, respected for their abilities on and off the battlefield.

Bards use the cleric experience, HD, to-hit, fighting capability, and the better of the fighter and magic-user saving throws for each category. They use Charisma as their prime requisite.

Regardless of their background, the music or poetry of a bard can have a profound effect on minds of men and beasts. Some sage have even gone so far as to call their talents unnatural. For each level gained, a bard will know one melody or poem. Most melodies require one turn of uninterrupted song or recitation to take effect, calming animals, memorializing an audience, even removing magical curses and enchantments.

A bard has a chance to knowing useful legends or lore regarding a region, dungeon, artifact, etc. The referee will determine what exactly is know, but the knowledge should always be useful. Roll to dice and compare the result to the table below:

1-2: success on a result of 6 or less
3-4: 7 or less
5-6: 8 or less
7-8: 9 or less
9+: 10 or less

Alignment
Alignment is interpreted as honor. Lawful characters are honorable and follow some sort of moral code (whether it be civilized or barbaric). Neutral characters are neither honorable nor dishonorable, tending to be opportunistic and often selfish, but not malicious in their actions. Chaotic characters are at best totally without honor and at worst wicked and antagonistic.

Evil (or Chaos) exists in a tangible way, whereas Good (or Law) is to be found only in the actions of Men. Gods do not walk on the Earth, but Demons visit it frequently.

Names
It would be cool is we could get a sort of theme going for names, like Greek, Egyptian, Italian and Spanish names for civilized folk, and Norse, Hungarian, Aboriginal, and African names for barbarians.

Weapons and Armor
The Weapons vs. Armor chart is in play, but modified to better suite non-variable (d6-based) weapon damage. In general, two handed weapons (two-handed sword, pole arm) hit more often, light weapons (dagger, hand axe, spear) hit less often. Blunt weapons (mace) are better against heavier armor, slashing weapon (sword) are more effective against lighter armor.

Click here to see the full chart.

« Last Edit: Jul 25, 2011, 1:59am by tombowings »