Character creation: Volmar

[finsteel]

I think it might be good to start individual threads for each character under construction. So here is mine as starters.

So far Volmar looks like this:

STR 9/38
INT 13/70
WIS 7/94
DEX 7/88
CON 11/87
LKS 6/28
CHA 6/6

Human (Frithlandish) Mage

Quirks & Flaws:
Bad Liar
Trick Knee

Proficiencies:
Magical Transcription
Local History, Frithland
Etiquette/Manners
Staff

Talents:
Mitigate Spell Fatigue x2
Improved Awareness

Skills:
Arcane Lore (22)
Language Thylli (81)
Literacy, Thylli (27)
Appraisal Books, Maps & Documents (15)
History Ancient, The Light (23)
Language, Common (35)
Monster Lore (35)

BPs left: 2

HP: 23

Weapon
Staff (Attack +0, Speed +13, Initiative +8, Defense -3, Damage 2d4p-1, Reach 8')



Alignement LG (Volmar follows the traditions of Kandaarian/Frithland society and is usually thinking in broader picture for well being of larger groups like family/village/province.)

[finsteel]

Jan, could you roll for Volmar's priors and particulars and one quirk and flaw for Volmar?

[HackMonkey]

Sept 30, 2011 7:45:01 GMT finsteel said:

I think it might be good to start individual threads for each character under construction.

Good call.

Sept 30, 2011 7:54:57 GMT finsteel said:

Jan, could you roll for Volmar's priors and particulars and one quirk and flaw for Volmar?

Will do, but may not have time until tomorrow morning.

[HackMonkey]

Priors & Particulars:

Starting Age:
25+d6
d6 = 4
Age = 29

Height:
d100 = 13
Ht = 68 inches

Weight:
d20 = 14
BMI = 34
Wt = [BMI*Ht^2]/1000 = 157 lbs

Handedness:
d100 = 21 = Right handed

Circumstances of Birth:
d100 = 24 = Legitimate

Status of Parents (mother):
d100 = 14 = Alive

Status of Parents (father):
d100 = 97 = Deceased

Mother remarried? (50% chance):
d100 = 24 = Yes, mother remarried

Quality of Upbringing (mother):
d100 = 80 = Ill-Equipped Parent

Quality of Upbringing (father)*:
d100 = 24 = Loving Parent (+2 BP)
*your choice of father or step-father, depending on when in your background you decide your biological father died and when your mother remarried

Number of Siblings:
d20 = 20 = Eight siblings!

Status of Siblings:
1. d6 = 3 = brother; d6 = 3 = alive; d100 = 64 = not a twin; 2d12-4 = 7 = Argumentative
2. d6 = 4 = sister; d6 = 3 = alive; d100 = 29 = not a twin*; 2d12-4 = 16 = Natural
3. d6 = 6 = sister; d6 = 4 = alive; d100 = 29 = not a twin*; 2d12-4 = 11 = Natural
4. d6 = 6 = sister; d6 = 3 = alive; d100 = 58 = not a twin; 2d12-4 = 19 = Very Close
5. d6 = 3 = brother; d6 = 6 = dead; d100 = 09 = not a twin; 2d12-4 = 16 = Natural
6. d6 = 1 = brother; d6 = 6 = dead; d100 = 50 = not a twin; 2d12-4 = 6 = Argumentative
7. d6 = 5 = sister; d6 = 5 = dead; d100 = 53 = not a twin; 2d12-4 = 5 = Argumentative
8. d6 = 6 = sister; d6 = 6 = dead; d100 = 03 = not a twin; 2d12-4 = 1 = Bitter Enemy
*I suggest that as these two siblings rolled the same on the d100 they be twins with each other?

Order of Birth:
d10 (ignoring 10) = 1 = firstborn

Another suggestion - perhaps as all of the last four siblings rolled 'dead' there might be some genetic defect in Volmar's step-father's bloodline, with these four siblings being his progeny and the first four sired by Volmar's own natural father?

Q&F (1):

d100 = 79 = Roll on Table 3.1-19: Social Quirks

d100 = 03 = Bad Liar (+30 BP): No matter how hard he tries, this character just can’t lie – at least, not so anyone believes him. Whenever he tries, he either tells a lie that’s completely unbelievable (due to circumstances, the nature of the tall tale or whatever) or he might stammer, sweat, blush, or give off obvious telltale nervous signs that he speaks with a forked tongue.

[finsteel]

Here is some background for Volmar.

Volmar descends from a lineage of his great-great-....-great-grandfather Orvar, who was once a member The Light. Orvar married/took an Anethian lesser noble girl as his wife and lived in southern lands for years. His first son later followed the tracks of Kandaar and settled nearby the newly built Winter Haven. Some distant relatives of Volmar still live in Winter Haven but Volmar isn't directly part of their clan as he is part of the lineage on his grandmother's side and his grandfather Voldor belonged to another clan. Volmar's father Voldemar was a shire reef of the village Arinnbekkr and was married to Autere, a young daughter of the Clanhead. They had 5 children with Volmar being the firstborn.

His father quickly figured out his thin and weak firstborn would not be a warrior type. Being a shire reef and responsible for the village's fields and number of different resources he had also eye for Volmar's aptitude to mental skills. Thus Volmar was given lessons to read and write and count, while his younger brother Valder pursued more physical activities. The twin sisters Velda and valda grew up to be beautiful young maidens even though their work was needed in fields and chores as usual. The youngest sister Viena was always keen to play with Volmar as a child and grew up to be a smart girl and a loyal friend to Volmar.

Volmar had just turned to sixteen when the village was attacked by raiding orcs/bandits/... All the able men of the village were called to arms to defend the village. Shire reef Voldemar with his sons were naturally also participating in the fight. Volmar was alone with his father when one brutish opponent punctured his father's lung with his spear but Voldemar took the orc with him, decapitating the beast with one last hefty strike. Volmar was shocked and could not help his father as he died in his arms. Later Volmar's brother found them after the battle was over and ever since he has accused Volmar of their father's death even though it was inevitable no matter what Volmar could have done.

Less than year after the battle their mother Autere was remarried by Eskil, a lesser noble from Winter Haven who was appointed as a new shire reef. Quickly he arranged the marriages of the beutiful twin ladies to his brothers in Avarrtoft and Hrimivik. Strong and ablebodied Valder was sent to Winter Haven to join the honored city guard. Viena was yet too young to marry so she stayed at home.

Volmar was also sent out of sight of Eskil. But not suited for physical labor or fighting, Eskil sent volmar to his uncle Wilho, a scholar of very little reputation at Seerstone. Unbeknownst to Eskil, his uncle Wilho was in fact learned in wizardry and after Volmar had done tedious copying of mundane writings Wilho decided to teach the secrets to Volmar too. But only if volmar vowed to keep Wilho's "idiotic nephew" Eskil in dark of Wilho's skills.

Meanwhile Eskil was diligently trying to sire his own heirs with Autere but for some reason his two first sons were stillborn, his first daughter lived only 4 months after she found dead in cradle and their second daughter was again stillborn. Eskil blamed Autere for all this of course. After the first four attempts Autere has either been barren all together or Eskil has stopped trying. Volmar's youngest sister Viena lives still at home under a great shame of being second time pregnant for an illegitimate child. Her first child being also stillborn has aroused some grim suspicions and tension in the village.

[finsteel]

Jan, could you roll one flaw for Volmar too?

[HackMonkey]

Great background Vesa, and the family tree chart is a nice touch. "Shire reef" is a term I've not heard before but there is enough in your story to know what it means.

Regarding Wilho and magical schooling in Seerstone, as the focus of my home game for quite a while there is already an established magical tutor in the town: Rowland, known as 'Old Rowl'. Perhaps you'd like to work him into the story, unless you're set on the above?

Regarding rolling a flaw - it works a little different to HMb. Rather than separate tables for Quirks and for Flaws, there is one d100 'master table' that indicates which sub-table to roll on (the roll of '79' above). Sub-tables are categories of quirks (e.g. 'social') and flaws (e.g. 'common'). I don't think you can choose to roll a flaw specifically, but I believe you could 'cherry-pick' a flaw although being Volmar's second Q&F and cherry-picked it wouldn't earn him many BPs.

[finsteel]

Ah sorry. I meant of course (Shire) Reeve not reef Perhaps plain Reeve instead of reeve of entire shire would be better in this case.

Since I have very little information about Seerstone or even location of the other settlements, I just pulled things out of my hat. I just figured mages would be easier found in Anethian communities and picked one. If you don't mind Wilho could be fine as Eskil's relative and perhaps located elsewhere if it suits better to your plans. Or then he just flies under the radar of Rowland and others, being very seclusive.

I had obviously missed the change to one common table including quirks and flaws in alpha PHB but you are correct it seems. I will risk another roll from there anyway to gain some extra BPs for Volmar.

[HackMonkey]

'Reeve' - ok, cool.

Hmm... Rowland as an alias for Wilho? That could work. I've always had Rowland as being very old (quite a bit older than is normal for a human) so as the uncle of 59-year old Eskil ... yeah, that works.


Just so you know, Rowland has eventually succumbed to old age and he died at the end of my home campaign. He had magically extended his life quite a lot, but without turning to evil necromanctic magic - which he was not prepared to do - his time had finally come. He named his successor as Ceridwen - my girlfriend's PC mage from that game, who would probably have been apprenticed alongside Volmar for a few years and she would probably be a good NPC contact for him?



Q&F - ok, one more roll. Anything in particular you might want to spend BPs on rerolls to avoid (other than the obvious for a mage, such as missing arms and dumb!)?

[HackMonkey]

Q&F (2):

d100 = 93 = Roll on Table 3.1-20: Common Flaws
Heh, you wanted a flaw and the dice obliged! ;D

d100 = 99 = Trick Knee (+30 - 5* = +25 BP)[/color]:[/b] A person with a trick knee can be walking along and then suddenly have his knee give way. When climbing, jogging, running, sprinting or carrying a heavy load, a trick knee gives out on a 1 in 12, causing the character to lose his balance and fall to the ground. If the character makes sharp, rapid movements such as dodging or dancing, the chance increases to 1-3 on a d12.
*The value of each subsequent quirk or flaw rolled is reduced by an additional (cumulative) 5 BP.

Ok, or re-roll?
(re-rolls cost 5 BP)

[finsteel]

Volmar has pretty much spent his BPs with a couple in store if the skill rolls prove as dismal as stat rolls. All I need now is those skill rolls, HPs, starting money and of course starting spells.

[finsteel]

I had Volmar's home village unnamed so far so I decided to pick Arinnbekkr for it as it is supposedly our next stop. And suits geographcally quite well to other background story of Volmar. It also gives a good reason for Volmar to be traveling with other company. He was perhaps meeting his sister velda at Avarrtoft and has joined some other people to guard a merchant as it would provide a little safer journey in the wilderness. And of course hopefully some extra money too...