Starting Character Choices

[Kolba]

Native starting character choices are mostly out of period, so I'm going to revamp them. In our mod the player is a foreigner from another country, that we choose in first step. The list is not completed - two steps are not yet done. Post your suggestions. Well, here are some my basic thoughts:

Step 1: Who was your father?

- A Dyfneint nobleman: 40 renown, 500 denars, +1 leadership, +1 riding, +1 tactics, +1 persuasion, +1 weapon master, kingdom of Bernicia dislikes you (your father was fighting against Anglo-Saxons), cheaper Dumnonian mercenaries, more expensive germanic mercenaries
- A gallic merchant: 10 renown, 200 denars, +2 trade, +1 inventory management, +1 leadership, kingdom of Rheged dislikes you (your father ordered assasination of Rheged merchant, because he was unconfortable for him
- A frankish warrior: francisca, 0 renown, 30 denars, +1 ironflesh, +1 power strike, +2 power throw, +1 weapon master, +1 trainer, you don't have to pay Hlotaire - a frankish exile warrior - for joining you
- A snowdonian hunter: bow and arrows, 0 renown, 10 denars, +2 power draw, +1 tracking, +1 pathfinding, +1 spotting, +1 athletics, more meat from huntings (hunting boars and deers courtesy of Highlander)
- An irish thief: scian, 5 renown, 50 denars, +2 athletics, +1 power throw, +1 inventory management, +1 looting, 100% chance that you'll sneak into enemy town, you don't have to pay Llofan Llaf Difo - a briton assasin - for joining you, kingdom of Dal Riada doesn't like you (your father stolen golden sceptre from Dal Riadan nobleman)
- A danish ship captain: 1 renown, 50 denars +2 spotting, +1 looting, +1 athletics, +1 pathfinding, +1 power throw, +1 leadership, you have own ship, you don't need ship captain for sailing, kingdom of Bernicia likes you

Step 2: What were you doing, when you were young?

- Helper of the nobleman: 2 renown, 10 denars, +1 persuasion
- Assistant of the merchant: 20 denars, +1 trade, +1 inventory management
- Craftsman's apprentice: 10 denars, +1 engineer, +1 trade
- Companion of the warior: 5 denars, 1 renown, +1 weapon master, +1 power strike
- Helper of tavernkeeper: 10 denars, +1 persuasion, +1 surgery

Step 3: What were you doing, when you became adult?

- ?
- ?
- ?
- ?
- ?
- ?

Step 4: What was your reason for adventuring?

- ?
- ?
- ?
- ?
- ?

 

[Morcant]

I would suggest maybe something a tad more different. I was really impressed by 867 AD character creation, to me it seems the best out I have encoutered so far.

What I would suggest is primarly:

1- Where do you come from?
As you said it should be an area out of the map range...

- Dyfneint/Dumnonian: Bonus in riding, dislikes saxons.
- Gwynedd: better than 'Snowdonia', problems with Alcluyders, bonus with Rheged
- Powys: problems with Rheged
- Gaul/Gallic: from Aquitain, bonus in trade and diplomaty
- Gaul/Frankish
- Mercia
- East Anglia
- Daneland/Scylding
- Ulaidh: problems with Dal Riadans, fits well with Rheged
- Connaght
- Caithness: problems with Dal Riadans

2- Who was your father?
- a chieftain
- a warrior
- a bard
- a craftman
- a merchant
- a peasant
- a wildman/hunter
- a thief
- fatherless

 

[Palestine]

hey Kolba, nice work you are doing here. I like the idea of gallic merchants and other foreigners, that could be a good start for later spinoffs to your module. You may also add sarmatian horseman as a char father.
cheers

 

[Morcant]

Except a Sarmatian horseman is probably something rare in late 6th century Britain! 

 

[Bloid]

Looking great... You could follow Morcant's suggestions for "Where did you come from?" and graft your own ideas for "Who was your father?", adjusted per homeland if necessary.

Reasons for adventuring: how about keeping the Native stuff? Or fleshing some Native ones out a bit:

- revenge against the raiders who destroyed your village (then choose who they are - resulting in -5 relation with their faction) - only comes up with a character coming from what is modern-day England, Scotland, and Ireland.

- exiled for something (killing a family member, "kin-wrecked")

Feel free to correct.

 

[Palestine]

Except a Sarmatian horseman is probably something rare in late 6th century Britain! 

sorry, I thought mod was based on 5th century, and thought about Armorican Alans 

 

[Somairle]

I would suggest maybe something a tad more different. I was really impressed by 867 AD character creation, to me it seems the best out I have encoutered so far.

What I would suggest is primarly:

1- Where do you come from?
As you said it should be an area out of the map range...

- Dyfneint/Dumnonian: Bonus in riding, dislikes saxons.
- Gwynedd: better than 'Snowdonia', problems with Alcluyders, bonus with Rheged
- Powys: problems with Rheged
- Gaul/Gallic: from Aquitain, bonus in trade and diplomaty
- Gaul/Frankish
- Mercia
- East Anglia
- Daneland/Scylding
- Ulaidh: problems with Dal Riadans, fits well with Rheged
- Connaght
- Caithness: problems with Dal Riadans

2- Who was your father?
- a chieftain
- a warrior
- a bard
- a craftman
- a merchant
- a peasant
- a wildman/hunter
- a thief
- fatherless

Why Connacht and Ulaidh? Plenty of Leinstermen and Munstermen were trapsing around Britain. Northern and southern Irish maybe, if it's start-position dependent; Leinster and Munstermen in the south, Connacht, Ulaidh/Mide/Ailech/etc., going into the north, in Dal Riada.

 

[Morcant]

Just an arbirary choice for the kingdoms, as the list could get extended to every petty kingdom of Britain, Ireland and western Europe. It could be nice but bonus would have to be chosen wisely 

 

[Somairle]

I was thinking rather than picking a kingdom though, if you want to play an Irish character in Britain, just choose between northern or southern Irish. It could affect where they start, equipment a bit, skills a bit without being as arbitrary as to only allow a character from Connacht (which didn't actually do a whole lot in Britain) and Ulaid (which was more often concerned with internal petty fights, and arguing with the Dal Riadans over how much tribute they owed).

 

[Morcant]

Yes, that could be better. Same may stands for Anglo-saxons and Britons, we could have Saxon, Angle, southern Briton and northern Briton ethnicities instead of going for every small kingdom.

 

[makute]

Hi all,

Sorry for the necro, but I'd like to know what are the effects of the different options at the character creation phase.

Thanks.

 

[Frisicus]

Step 3: What were you doing, when you became adult?

- Drinking beer and chasing after the women (+1 persuasion +1 leadership)
- Hustling and trading (+1 trade, +1 persuasion)
- Working hard on farms and fisherboats (+1 strength? don't know if possible. +extra hitpoints)
- Always bullying others around (+2 leadership)
- Hunting in the woods (+1 archery, +1 spotting)
- Studying lore and rituals (+1 surgery, +1 intelligence?)

Just some ideas.