Feorreard V0.5 - Rules; Character Generation

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The Concept

ModulaRPG is designed to allow any kind of character, and not to limit players to a fixed set of classes. Characters in Feorreard are defined by their personalities, traits and ambitions, not by their stat line. The numbers on the character sheet determine whether actions are successful, but it is the intent which best defines characters.

With this in mind, the Personality section of the character sheet should be filled out first.

2.1 Filling out the Character Sheet

1. Think of a character concept. e.g. “A cross between Wesley Crusher and Robert Foster” or “A grizzled old barman with nothing to lose.” If you are stuck for ideas, think of combinations of your favourite characters from books or films, or base it on another character but with a quirk or twist, e.g. “If Conan the Barbarian was paralysed from the waist down.” If you have trouble thinking of a concept, try asking your GM for ideas.

2. Think of a name for your character or choose one from the tables on page [TODO].

3. Write a brief description of your character. This doesn't have to be long (unless you want it to be), just enough to remind yourself or to sum your character up to other players.

4. Fill in your character's Ambitions, Goals, Aims, Motives, Fears and Weaknesses. These are in order of time-frame; ambitions are immediate things like getting into a gang or saving someone's life, while motives are grand ideals that the character doesn't expect to see realised withing their lifetime. Weaknesses and Fears would probably affect the character even if they lived forever. Not all of these need to be filled in, but they are useful guides your character and they provide the GM with landmarks at which he can reward good roleplayers.

5. Assign a number for each statistic - their meanings are described below. The core stats should all be between 8 and 15 for standard level beginning characters, with the sum of your stats being 100.

2.2 Statistics

1. Strength: represents the physical strength of your character. Used for lifting heavy things and breaking things.

2. Stamina: represents your character's endurance and ability to keep going. Used to hold your breath underwater and to not die when your torso falls off.

3. Speed: represents your character's reflexes and how quickly they can move. Used to give yourself the edge in a showdown or a game of snap, or to kill an annoying fly.

4. Finesse: represents your characters accuracy and dexterity. Used to hit with ranged weapons or to successfully pick a lock or bra.

5. Perception: represents how likely your character is to notice things. Used to tell when you're about to walk into a trap or to see the assassin in a busy crowd.

6. Knowledge: represents how much your character knows. Used to recall things and know about things.

7. Willpower: represents the resolve of your character. Used not to break under torture or not to give in to temptation.

8. Wit: represents the sharpness of your character's mind. Used for calculations and quick thinking.

9. Charm: represents how much people tend to like you. Used for determining people's reactions towards you and talking your way past guards.

10. Guile: represents your character's affinity for manipulation and swindling. Used for intimidating people and selling items that break as soon as their warranty expires.

Mana, Magic Level, Luck and Wealth are the extra stats. Starting mana is 1d20, Magic Level is 1 (but 1 extra level can be exchanged for 5 stat points), and starting luck is 1D8 unless the GM says otherwise. Starting wealth is decided by the GM, and 50§ (or equivalent) can be exchanged for 1 stat point. Starting XP remaining and XP spent are 0 unless the GM says otherwise.

2.3 Skills

Skills represent fields in which your character excels. These are more specific than stats and are often based on their career - eg. an ex blacksmith with a skill in smithing. Skills usually give the character a +10 bonus to their rolls against anything relating to that skill per rank.

Most characters have 2 or 3 skills to begin with. All skills should be passed by the GM.

New Skills

The list of skills below is by no means comprehensive. If a player feels their character needs a different skill, the GM can make up a skill for them eg. Dave's character, Bellinda, used to be a spinster before her house burned down. Dave wants to make her skilled at sewing and embroidery, but can't find a suitable skill, so he asks his GM. The GM makes up a “Needlework” skill, which gives +10 to rolls to embroider, sew, mend clothes or spin wool, and also gives tha character hardened callouses at their fingertips. Dave is satisfied, and writes the skill on his character sheet.

2.3.1 Common Skills

• Target Vitals: The character knows exactly where to strike a human target for a clean kill. Attacks with a dagger do d8 damage with exploding 6, 7 & 8. Attack rolls with other weapons explode at their highest possible result.

• Fast Runner: The character can run very fast. They get +15 to speed tests to run.

• Good Actor: The character is good at acting. +10 to tests to bluff, pretend to be someone else or other forms of acting.

• Ambidextrous: Ambidextrous characters can use their right and left hands equally well, so take no penalties for using either. They also gain a permanent +1 bonus to Finesse.

• Language Adept: While most characters can speak their home language and common, a language adept is fluent in around a dozen languages. The player should choose these languages during character generation. The character also has a +10 bonus to understand any language, even if they've never seen it before (Unless the GM decides it is too different from anything the character knows or is otherwise encrypted. This is discouraged as it can be very frustrating for the player.)

• Artist: The character is a profficient artist in a chosen field (eg. painting, sculpture etc.). Given materials, the character can produce a work of art worth 1d20§. Finding a buyer, however, can prove difficult, and many artists sell their works for fractions of their value to pawnbrokers. They also know the ins and outs of their trade, and get a +10 bonus to spotting forged works in their field.

• Carpentry: The character knows how to build things from wood and how to use all the woodworking tools. They also know a great deal about the properties of different types of wood, different joints and supports etc. A character with this skill can often find work in construction, usually paying 3§ per week.

• Chemistry: The character knows how to perform various techniques such as distillation, titration, combustion and reaction in a safe and controlled way, given the correct equipment. They also know many basic recipes and their ingredients, but must consult a book (or something similar) for more complex recipes. High explosives and complex polymers are nearly impossible without magical help.

• Cook: The character can cook fine meals, knows many recipes and how to improvise with most ingredients. They also have +10 to rolls to notice drugged food, and anybody trying to notice food which they have drugged is at -10 since they know which flavours will best conceal the drug.

• Dance: The character is a great dancer. They know manny formal dances, can improvise and will quickly pick up any new dances they do not know. They gain +10 to impress people anytime they dance.

• Skillful Dodger: The character is particularly skilled at dodging blows. They gain +10 to all rolls to dodge.

• Skillful Aimer: The character is a particularly good shot with either bows or guns and crossbows, and get +10 to hit with their chosen weapon. This skill may be taken twice, once for each category.

• Skillful Fighter: The character is particularly skilled at using their chosen category of weapon: either swords, axes, spears, daggers, clubs or fighting unarmed. They gain a +10 bonus to all rolls to hit or parry with that class of weapons.

• Scrapper: The character is used to bar fights and alley brawls, and gets +5 to rolls to use improvised weapons, dodge, unarmed attacks and to run away.

• Trade: The character is good at haggling, selling things to people who don't need them and finding the cheapest stall in the market. they get +10 to all rolls related to all of these things, and to spot fake currency.

• Fishing: The character knows how to use fishing tackle and where to find the best fishing spots. They know how to use rods, nets and traps, and how to tickle trout. They also know how to gut fish, and a few fish based recipes. +10 to any related test.

• Hunting: The character can track animals or people by footprints, droppings and disturbed vegetation. +10 to all related rolls.

• Healing: The character knows how to best treat wounds, illnesses and broken bones. They also know which herbs and plants are known for their healing properties. They can reduce the level of someone's injuries by 1, eg. from heavy wounds to light wounds or removing light wounds. they may only do this once, however, and then the person must heal their wounds at the normal rate.

• Herbalism: The character knows which plants can heal, which are poisonous, and which to eat for a good time. They also know about the life cycles of plants, where they are likely to be found and how to grow them.

• Magical gateway: The chaaracter's mind is a gateway to the æther, and the winds of magic flow through with ease. The character always rolls an extra D20 when they cast a spell, however, spells malform if any dice rolls 13.

• Mighty Attack: The character can make extremely powerful attacks with a weapon (swords, axes, spears, clubs or unarmed). When weilding their chosen class of weapon, they can choose to make a Mighty Attack, which takes up their whole turn, and is more easily avoided (+5 to block, dodge or parry). If the attack hits their opponent, it does and extra d20 damage and treats the target's armour as being 5 less than it is for the duratiion of the turn.

• Night Vision: The character can see under starlight as well as during the day. This skill does not help with seeing in absolute darkness though.

• Lockpick: The character gets a +10 bonus to pick locks.

• Pickpocket: The character is an experienced pickpocket and cutpurse, and gets a +10 bonus to related actions.

• Quick Hitter: The character can strike extremely fast, and gets one extra attack per round if they are unarmed.

• Sneak: The character is well practised at sneaking around. Attempts to spot them are taken at -10.

• Smithing: The character can work metals, given the right tools and a forge. They also get a +10 modifier to repair simple metal items like weapons or barrel rings.

• Swim: The character has the ability to swim well - a rarity in Feorreard.