[WOIN] Archaic Careers Beta For Free (Sort Of)!

If you're one of those who was waiting for the O.L.D. character creation book rather than the (recently released) futuristic NEW one, it's a good day! As of right now, [WOIN] Archaic Careers is available in beta format on RPGNow. You can use the below discount coupon to download it right now for free. Not only that, if you do so, you'll get the final version updated for free in about 3 weeks (otherwise you'd have to buy the final version). "Create knights, burglars, mages, musketeers, and berserkers in this sourcebook for the What's O.L.D. is N.E.W. roleplaying game system."

Click here to redeem the coupon. It will add the PDF to your RPGNow cart for $0.00.

With over 40 careers, 7 races, and a wide selection of skills, traits, and exploits, this book walks you through the character creation process. Select your character's early careers using the life-path system to create inspiring Grand Elf musketeers, shy Mountain Dwarf assassins, brilliant Human firemages, naive Smallfolk clerics, or brawny Orc barbarians.

Will your character be a master of lore, a warrior with shield and sword, or a sneaky burglar? A notorious assassin, a wily con artist, or an inquisitor seeking justice? Only you can decide!

The deal! Like with the Future Careers book recently released, there is a non-monetary cost. This is the last crowd-sourced proofread, basically. So the price is this: if you download the book, please create and post a character in the comments. So it's not totally free; a little participation is requested! I hope you find it fun.

 

[Jester David]

Are the WOIN core rules out?

 

[Morrus]

Are the WOIN core rules out?

The Starter Kit is, and the core rules are on the SRD on the website. This works with both.

 

[One Shot]

Here's Cornelius Agrippa, a typical and hopefully playable young mage. His spells require still some design, for which I currently lack the rules.


Cornelius Agrippa
A brilliant, young, human mage, who collects books

STR 3 (2d6)
AGI 3 (2d6)
END 3 (2d6)
INT 4 (2d6)
LOG 10 (4d6)
WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 3 (2d6)
LUC 6 (3d6)
REP 4 (2d6)
MAG 7 (3d6) –> 18 MP(?)

Size: Medium
Health: 30 (49 if using cinematic mode)
Soak: 4 (leather armor)
Melee Defense: 14 (foresight)
Ranged Defense: 14 (foresight)
Mental Defense: 18 (meditation)

Staff: 2d6 (2d6)

Speed: 4 squares
Jump: 6'/3'
Carry: 60 lbs
Initiative: 2d6

Max Dice Pool: 5d6 (5 Grades)
Careers:
1) Wizard’s Apprentice (9 years) - apparently this career does not give you a [magical] skill, and so does not allow you to proceed to Mage directly.
2) Loremaster Grade 1 (3 years)
3) Mage Grade 1 (3 years)
4) Mage Grade 2 (2 years)
5) Mage Grade 3 (3 years)

Skills:
Divination (3 Ranks) (2d6)
Illusion (3 Ranks) (2d6)
Compulsion (1 Rank) (1d6)
Evocation (1 Rank) (1d6)
Healing (1 Rank) (1d6) - this is a [magical], not a [lore] skill
Movement (1 Rank) (1d6)
Astronomy (1 Rank) (1d6)
Linguistics (1 Rank) (1d6)
History (1 Rank) (1d6)
Foresight (3 Ranks) (2d6)
Meditation (1 Rank) (1d6)

Exploits:
Trait Brilliant: Your mind is honed, sharp, and analytical. Once per day you may replace any other attribute check with a LOG check.
Explorer: Driven by an inquisitive, exploratory nature, you gain bonus XP equal to your grade every time you take a journey of more than one week. You cannot gain this bonus more than once per month.
Arcane Secrets: Sentient, Light.
Specialization: Sentient.
Identify: You can automatically identify a magical item, its name, and its properties.
Attuned: You are able to detect magic easily. You do not need to make any kind of attribute check to detect magic within 30', and are aware of its existence automatically.
Signature spell: Read Surface Thoughts (requires some design still)
Aim: This grants +1d6 bonus to a ranged attack roll taken in the same turn. The attack action must come immediately after the aiming action.

Equipment: leather armor, staff, backpack, 51 gc

 

[ZickZak]

I wonder how it compares to D&D

 

[Halivar]

I wouldn't compare it to D&D. As a generic universal game system, I'd compare it first to Savage Worlds and GURPS. The dice pool aspect reminds me of Silhouette CORE, but it's more svelte for sure.

 

[Morrus]

I wonder how it compares to D&D

Have a look at it and see! It's not very similar at all, either in tone or mechanics. Much flatter, broader advancement, designed to cover a character's lifetime.

 

[jaycrockett]

Thanks for this! This is my first look at this game, I'm trying to rip through creating a character to see how it strikes me.
So far:
Wasn't sure if you could take origins multiple times (pretty sure you can't, unless racial)
Didn't get right away that skills had ranks and could be taken multiple times.
Seemed odd that having 1 rank in swimming or climbing didn't help if your dice pool was even <shrug>
I assume that a score of 0 is a dice pool of 0d6, probably obvious, so for example Rep of 0 contributes nothing to your starting gold.

This was on the quickest of read-throughs, just trying to make a simple fighter type character as fast as I could. It made more sense as I went along.

I'll try to post my character tomorrow, I need to find some equipment from the starter kit.

 

[Morrus]

Thanks for this! This is my first look at this game, I'm trying to rip through creating a character to see how it strikes me.
So far:
Wasn't sure if you could take origins multiple times (pretty sure you can't, unless racial)

Yep, but once you leave you can never go back.

I assume that a score of 0 is a dice pool of 0d6, probably obvious, so for example Rep of 0 contributes nothing to your starting gold.

That's correct. Although anything other than REP, LUC, or MAG being less than 3 would be pretty crippling. There's a minimum starting 100gc.

I need to find some equipment from the starter kit.

Check out the website for now (though obviously avoid the futuristic stuff!)

 

[jaycrockett]

I tried to make a quick fighter type and ended up with a barbarian. Quite fun. I like the development system.
Only issues I had was Soak was not defined in the character guide like the other stats were, I had to look in the starter kit. Also wasn't quite sure on the weapon damage, looks like you add unarmed dice to melee weapon (but not thrown like my spears), but add dice pool size (like +3 for 3d6 STR) to unarmed damage?
I picked dodging in development but after the fact I wasn't sure why I wouldn't pick acrobatic instead, seems more general and is also used in defense.

Lola, an athletic barbarian who's always on the run

STR 9 3d6
AGI 7 3d6
END 10 4d6
INT 8 3d6
LOG 3 (2d6)
WIL 4 (2d6)
CHA 3 (2d6)
LUC 5 (2d6)
REP 0 (0d6)
MAG 0 (0d6)

Human
Age 27

Health - 32
Soak - 9 (Leather + Iron Skin)
Speed - 7
Climb - 3
Swimming - 3
Jump - 14'/9'
Carry - 200 lb
Initiative - 3d6
Defense
Melee - Sword 5d6 - 18 or Dodging 4d6 - 14
Ranged - Dodging 4d6 - 14
Mental - Int 3d6 - 11

Skills
Carrying 1
Dodging 1
Dungeoneering 1
Hardy 1
Spears 1
Swimming 1
Swords 2
Tracking 1

Attacks
Zweihander 5d6 (5d6 slashing)
Spear 4d6 (2d6 piercing, range 6)
Unarmed 3d6 (1d6 + 3)

Exploits
Hardship
Iron Skin
Fleet of Foot
Reap the whirlwind
Feint
Deadly Strike

Trait - Athletic

Equipment
100 gc starting
Zweihander (4d6) - 25 gc
2 Spears (2d6) - 4 gc
Leather Armor - 35 gc
Backpack - 9 gp

Development
Human - climbing, running, dungeoneering
Slave - 13 years (Skill - mining, dodging. Exploit - Hardship
Barbarian 1 - 3 years (Skills - Swords, Hardy. Exploit - Leathery Skin)
Barbarian 2 - 4 years (Skills - swimming, survival. Exploit - Iron Skin)
Barbarian 3 - 3 years (Skills - spears, carrying. Exploit - Fleet of Foot)
Barbarian 4 - 4 years (Skills - swords, tracking. Reap the Whirlwind)