[Runequest4] Character Generation alternative

Sat Sep 3 07:26:09 UTC 2005

This is an alternative character generation system
from the official playtest list. It seems to work.

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A proposal for Characteristic generation, and I
believe it be to a fairer and more realistic system,
as well as takes a small departure from BRP.

Roll 2d6+3 on all characteristics. Then, you can add
+6 shared out amongst any characteristics, as measure
of background. A maximum of 3 can be added on any
single characteristic.

Then, certain cultures will instill a +2 bonus to a
characteristic, as will a certain occupation. Giving
perhaps another +4 total. The max cannot exceed 20.

This way you probably won't get an 18 STR Librarian,
nor an 18 INT Fighter. But, the Fighter has more
chance of gaining a really high STR, because all his
training reflects an increase in this, if you learn to
chop at things then your STR is likely to go up. 

With 2d6+3 you have a more heroic minimum of 5, and a
more realistic base maximum of 15. The average remains
10. With all bonuses in 1 characteristic, +3 , +2, +2,
it could in theory exceed 21 at the cost of all
others.

Characteristics: Roll 2D6+3 (min. 5, av. 10, max. 15)

STR, CON, SIZ, INT, DEX, POW, CHA

Allocate an additional +6 points amongst the 7
characteristics.

Each Culture will provide an additional +2 in select
Characteristics.

Each Occupation will provide an additional +2 in
select Characteristics.

Agility: 		(STR+DEX+(10-SIZ)) Base
Manipulation: 	(STR+DEX) Base
Language: 	(INT+CHA) Base
Knowledge: 	(INT+POW) Base
Social: 		(POW+CHA) Base
Perception: 	(DEX+CHA) Base
Magic: 		(DEX+POW) Base

Skill 		Cultural/Occupational Base % 		Base%
Basic 		x 2 					x 1
Advanced 	x 1 					x 0

Duplicated skills gain a +10% bonus.

Example:

Culture: Barbarian (+1 STR, +1 CON, Gain ‘Man’ Rune as
rite of passage)
Occupation: Warrior (+2 STR)
Membership: Humakt Cult (Gain ‘Death’ Rune, cost 1
POW.)

Rolled:
STR:13, CON:12, SIZ:11, INT:7, DEX:10, POW:9, CHA:12

Raised INT to 9, SIZ to 13, and STR to 15.

Barbarian raises STR to 16, and CON to 13.

Warrior raises STR to 18.
Humakt drops POW to 8.

Axe Fighting is a Cultural skill, as is Climbing.
Speak Heortling, Heortling Lore, and Storytelling
also.

Axe Fighting is an Occupational skill, as is Shield
Fighting and Dodge. Fyrd Fighting could be as well.

RuneCasting (Man) is tied to being Human, and although
an Advanced 'Magic' , it would be a 'cultural' skill.
It is assumed that the character has passed a rite of
passage and learn something of the magic that can be
attained through his ‘form’ rune. Likewise, having
spent a point of POW, the character joins the Humakti
cult and gains the ‘Death’ rune (chosen from Humakt’s
listed aspects), although has had to endure some quest
to gain this and join the cult.

Agility: 25%, Manipulation: 28%, Language: 21%,
Knowledge: 17%, Social: 20%, Perception: 22%, Magic:
18%

Axe Fighting (Agility) starts at 2 x 25% + 10% = 60%.
Climbing (Agility) starts at 50%.
Speak Heortling (Language) starts at 42%.
Heortling Lore (Knowledge) starts at 35%.
Shield Fighting (Agility) starts at 50%.
Dodge (Agility) starts at 50%.
Fyrd Fighting (Advanced Knowledge) starts at 18%.
Storytelling (Advanced Language) starts at 21%.
RuneCasting (Man) starts at 18%.
RuneCasting (Death) starts at 18%.

Then, with 125 points to spend, and a max of 25% on
any 1 skill, I buy:
Troll Lore (Advanced Knowledge) 0% + 20% = 20%
Craft Bronze (Advanced Manipulation) 0% + 20% = 20%
Craft Wood (Manipulation) 28% + 10% = 38%
Healing (Knowledge) 17% + 10% = 27%
Axe Fighting (Agility) 60% + 25% = 85%
Dodge (Agility) 50% + 20% = 70%
Storytelling (Advanced Language) 21% + 20% = 41%

Other basic skills (for the race) have the necessary
category base at x1%, and other advanced skills are at
0%.

My Warrior character now has a STR I had some control
over attaining, and I have a Axe Fighting skill which
is more realistic for an experienced character.

An optional rule may be to limit maximum skills to the
category base % to [base] x 5%.

Thus, in the case of the warrior example:

Agility: 125%
Manipulation: 140%
Language: 105%
Knowledge: 90%
Social: 105%
Perception: 110%
Magic: 95%

Exceptional circumstances may allow you to climb above
these limits.

Or, alternatively, these limits may be the points
where any skill checks will only proceed at 1% per
check.

Using 2d6+3 for Characteristics maintains a level of
human attainable scores from 5 to 20. Although the
dice can only generate a number up to 15, character
creation can allow a total of +6 points to distribute
(no more than 3 on any 1 characteristic), and
background's provide additional bonuses.

So, rather than pure 'randomness' playing its part, if
you want your character to have a really high score
(Conan may be up there with 19-20), then you need to
focus, at the cost of all the other
characteristics.

Every character has the potential to be 'good', but it
takes focus to be 'really good.'

Bringing all Characteristics up to a 2d6+3 roll, gives
balance between them all, so that they can be compared
easily. The minimum of 5, I think, works better than
the old min. of 3.

The maximum (aside from any magical means) of 20
across the board, seems nicely rounded.

Can INT and SIZ change? Well, as opposed to RQ3
rulings, I believe they can. If you don't practice
with your mind, then you get rusty, but you can also
practice to improve your memory and reasoning.

SIZ just means losing or gaining weight, it's just the
character's height that doesn't change. SIZ 5 would be
emaciated, SIZ 20 obese.

Any Characteristic, without effort, can be raised or
lowered. It just takes a very long time to do this. My
thoughts would be weeks equal to the current score,
with a chance to raise by 1. This at 10, it takes 10
weeks to raise to 11. Yet, you still need to make a
roll, perhaps with a 20 - [score] x 5%.

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