[Burning THAC0] B2: The Keep on the Borderlands (ooc/setup)

[Mathalus]

I think Constance is turning out to be very interesting. I'm curious how we'll all fit together, but a lot of that can be worked out in game.

Also, you were right about that skills math.

 

[engrishonly]

Constance
Beliefs: The more people fear the wild, the more they need me.
I can pardon those without Faith (non-humans).
Men are fools, swayed by a pretty face.

Instincts: Always distrust religious authority.
When fighting starts, hide.
I take unattended small items.

Traits: [Char] Drop Dead Gorgeous, [Dt] Pardoner, [C-o] Aura of Innocence, [Char] Tidy Aspect.

I lile the modified Belief about the wild, in my interpretation of the setting.

The setting of the Keep is supposed to be "on the Borderlands". Past the Keep lies Chaos, humanoids, the outlands... So it's all the wild. The Keep serves to mark/guard the borders of Karameikos.

(The old road that goes by the Keep is used extensively by merchants headed to the Emirates of Ylarum, however. They must cross through the outlands to reach the Emirates. Whether we go to the Emirates or not, it's not up to me. It can be woven in, as Alfheim is through our Elven Ranger, for instance)

However...
It would be helpful IMO to go strictly by formula and have 1 Belief tied directly to the situation (being clear about why Constance wants to go to the Caves of Chaos, like a missing sister?) and a 2nd Belief tied to another character, as the enchanter & elf are woven together.

It's not that I dislike the Beliefs you have, but without direct ties to the situation & the party, you may have more challenges bringing them into play.

Reputation: 1D with Layfolk (infamous to church, +1 Ob) (from Pardoner)
Affiliations: 1D Forgiven adventurers (many are plagued by the violence of the keep, and have sought absolution for their killing of sentient humanoids; I’ve helped them all) (10 pts)
Relationships: My sister, Vanity, is a serving wench at the Keep. She hates me. (1 pt).
Gear: Shoes, Travelling gear, Finery (7pts)
Property: Small Cottage (3 pts)

Notes:
1. I took herbalism as a healing skill, dropped stealth. Still no tools.
2. Kobold stuff is cool, but maybe that's something I can work towards (building a reputation among other races). I think the DnD base polytheism might mean that Pardoners do not represent any one divinity, but have (say) a special mark that signals an agreed-on authority from the pantheon (or so the story goes)... and that's a new belief, isn't it?
3: @ Mathalus: Falsehood already opened. I was choosing to avoid doctrine specifically, because of 2 above, but this could change easily. I think all 9 points are spent though (six skills opened, bumps to Pers. Fals, and SoH; gen skills in Boxing, Field dress, and obs
4. I wasn't buying more relationships because I wanted the points in property and affiliations to get the resources at B1

Thanks for the help. Further thoughts appreciated.

2. Yeah, the base polytheism is all over the place. Mystaran divinity is slightly different because of the "I" portion of BECMI (the Immortals). The Church of Karameikos is governed by 12 immortals, and I'd have to look up the names... but it's a Thyatan invention (the conquering Mannish clan), not the native Traladaran tradition. The Thyatan nobility helped to establish the Church, which seems political & tied to Thyatan governance. That's the tension I'd like to bring out... the ruling foreign nobility (Normans in England? Romans?) versus the native peoples.

So I'd see the Pardoner as part of the Church, in its "conquering people" aspect of the "church from Specularum" (the capital of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos), not the native heathen Traladarans, and not necessarily related to one of the 12 immortals.

Still thinking about the Forgiven...

And I can think of threads to weave in Vanity as the party goes through the Caves of Chaos...

 

[Voidrazor]

Here's my first stab at Vellekhyr.


Vellekhyr Ariondánthe

Lifepaths: Born Etharch, lead to wilderness, Forrester, lead to protector, Ranger
Age: 162
Stats: Wil: B6, Per: B5, Pow: B2, For: B5, Agl: B6, Spd: B5
Attributes: Ref: B5, Steel: B6, Health: B6, MW: B9
Circles: B2, Resources: B1

Beliefs:

• I am the doom of my people. Finding a way to cheat my fate is more important than my honor
• The stars have shown that my companions are the key to keeping the conflict between houses limited to human lands. I must draw them into the intrigue while watching their backs.
• ?

Instincts:

• Words are more dangerous than blades. Always consult the stars before engaging in verbal duels (of wits)
• I f I sense physical danger use Threne of the Chameleon
• Remain wary of men. Most as more treacherous than beasts for the forest

Traits: [Dt] Etharchal, [Char] Stern, [C-o for Oratory] Driven, [Char] Born Under the Silver Stars*, [Dt] Essence of the Earth*, [Char] Fair and Statuesque*, [Dt] First Born*, [Dt] Grief 6*
* denotes elven common traits

Skills: Elven Script B2, Song of Arbors B3, Observation B2, Forest-wise B2, Song of the Eldar B2, Stealthy B2, Sprinting B2, Bow B6, Lyric of Healing B3,
Threne of the Chameleon B6, Oratory B4

Reputation: 1D with Borderland forest dwellers (friend of the wood)

Affiliations: 1D with Borderland circle of spies for Cynfaen Tliel'laxu (third in line for House Tliel'laxu, a lineage with selkie blood and least loyal of the minor houses sworn to Karameikos), 1D with elven etharchs (from Etharchal)

Gear: ROTM Bow, traveling gear, elven shoes

 

[Mathalus]

That's pretty rad.

Although no melee skills? Am I the only one with any? I'm supposed to be the magic-user. If we get into a fight our party is going to scatter like the wind. Which will be pretty fun, actually.

Thanks for grabbing the Lyric of Healing, by the way. That sounds useful.

Also, didn't we come here together? What does your character think about my character? Does that fit into the "fate and stars" stuff only?

Last question, does your character want to kill humanoid monsters in caves with me?

 

[engrishonly]

Here's my first stab at Vellekhyr.


Vellekhyr Ariondánthe


Beliefs:

• I am the doom of my people. Finding a way to cheat my fate is more important than my honor
• The stars have shown that my companions are the key to keeping the conflict between houses limited to human lands. I must draw them into the intrigue while watching their backs.
• ?

Cool. Interesting stuff.

I think it would be good to have one Belief about the Caves of Chaos/the Keep environment... something about why Vellekhyr is going there.

You can delay writing it a bit, but it should be completely formed when the party leaves the Keep for the Caves of Chaos.

Instincts:

• Words are more dangerous than blades. Always consult the stars before engaging in verbal duels (of wits)
• I f I sense physical danger use Threne of the Chameleon
• Remain wary of men. Most as more treacherous than beasts for the forest

I like the Instincts for the most part... very characterful.

The last one doesn't imply an action, though. It's more Belief-y. It's one thing to stay guarded & wary... it's another thing to remind Men of your superior breeding, or to dismiss the concerns of any Man, or something like that.

Reputation: 1D with Borderland forest dwellers (friend of the wood)

Affiliations: 1D with Borderland circle of spies for Cynfaen Tliel'laxu (third in line for House Tliel'laxu, a lineage with selkie blood and least loyal of the minor houses sworn to Karameikos), 1D with elven etharchs (from Etharchal)

Gear: ROTM Bow, traveling gear, elven shoes

Alright... forest dwellers & spies for the setting. Cool.

 

[engrishonly]

I am not sure what to do here next. I don't have BW. Should I get it? Hiw do I create beliefs?

Okay, reposting this stuff & also sending a PM to move things along..

Step 1 in the process is always Concept. You've got it down:

I did a bit of reading (thank you Wikipedia). I am pulled to be a Traladaran paladin: Village Born, Temple Acolyte, Bannerman. I do not know these lifepath categories. He is pulled (is this a Belief?) to search for the heritage and ancient dignity of his people in the ruins around Karameiko. His is protective of those of his village and would be more likely to follow a Traladaran (are there such) than the current law. He is of a ancient noble family, but has had a pretty gritty existence in the village.
How is that for a start?
Maybe he has heard that this an artifact out in the ruins that details the culture of ancients, which would interest him.

Alright... Steps 2, 3, 4. Lifepaths, Age, Stats.

Lifepaths:
Born Villager, crossover to Religious Setting, to Temple Acolyte, crossover to Professional Soldier, to Bannerman

Age: 21

Stats:
See the stat descriptions at Downloads - Burning Wiki for more info...

The Mental stats are Will & Perception. You have 8 points to divide between the two.

Will is like D&D Charisma... both personality & force of character.
Perception is what it is. The ability to sense things.

The Physical stats are Power, Forte, Agility, Speed. You have 17 points to divide between the four.
Power is physical strength. Forte is like D&D endurance.
Agility is anything requiring manual dexterity & quickness in a small space. Speed is straight line speed, the ability to cover distance.

... ... ...

Step 5, I will calculate myself. These are all derived stats.

Step 6 is skills.

Skill Points:
9 pts, to be split between the following lifepath skills:

• Conspicuous*, Doctrine, Read*, Riding, Sword, Temple-wise, Write, Armor Training**

(* Required (1 point minimum), ** Costs 2 pts to unlock & does not advance)

Plus, 3 General skill points to spend
(Can be spent on any general skill or any lifepath skill. Ask if you are looking for something. Oratory (speaking to a crowd) and/or Persuasion (convincing individuals) may be something you want)

Skill descriptions:

• Conspicuous is the skill to make yourself seen, and to stand out in a crowd. This is what Bannermen use to "say", I am here & I carry the banner for my Lord.
• Doctrine is knowledge/lore about the religious faith.
• Temple-wise (and any "wise") is the BW style of knowledge skill. It probably takes some explaining... I'll see if I've done it already in my Blog here. Otherwise, that's the next topic for my blog.
• Armor Training eliminates some movement penalties for wearing heavier armor. If you want to wear heavier armor, you should invest in this skill.

Okay... this is plenty for now. I'll be sending this in a PM shortly.

 

[engrishonly]

Potential Instincts
I always search corpses for antecedents (enchanting materials).
I always practice my ability by imbuing my allies’ weapons.

Actually, the antecedents thing is okay, having re-read the Enchanting section (haven't looked at it in a while)... I guess that's the thing here.

Which one fits what Ferrantos is about? Both of these are decent for the skill-type Instinct.

If Ferrantos is more about weapons, then I think the second one is better. If Ferrantos was more about healing, or making funky teas/curatives, then the antecedents is better.

...

The specific antecedent for the blade to kill Ferrantos' master is better than generic stuff, though. I can tie a lot of the other characters' ideas together with that...

 

[Mathalus]

Okay, here's updated Ferrantos. As always, your comments are welcome.


Name: Ferrantos Age : 21
Concept/Bio: Vengeful Metal Artificer/ The Thyantian Bastard
Lifepaths: Born Noble, Arcane Devotee, Lead to City Dweller, Sorcerer
Stats: Wi: B5, Pe: B4, Po: B3, Fo: B4, Ag: B4, Sp: B6, Speed Mult.: x3.5
Attributes: Ref: B4, Ste: B6, Hes: 5, Hea: B4, MW: B9, Circles: B2, Resources: B0
PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B6 Se: B7 Tr: B8 Mo: B9
Beliefs:
To kill Master Vide I must create a blade sharp enough to make a stone bleed. I need to find a monster with a sharp mind to use as an antecedent.
Vellekhyr always protects me. For his sake I will only take antecedents from monsters.
I need money badly. Now that I’m back in Karameikos, I’ll demand some from my noble half-brother Auromos.
Instincts:
If I am surprised I cast "The Fear!"
I always practice my ability by imbuing my allies’ weapons.
If someone uses religion to justify their actions around me, I scoff.
Traits: [Dt] Mark of Privilege, [Char] Base Humility, [Dt] Gifted, [Dt] Missing Eye
Skills: Alchemy B3, Ancient Languages B2, Calligraphy B2, Enchanting B5, Persuasion B2, Read B2, Research B2, Sorcery B5, Spear B2, Symbology B2, Write B2
Affiliations: +1D w/ Nobility (Mark of Privilege).
Relationships: Master Artificer Vide (Minor, hateful/rival), Auromos, my Noble Half-Brother (Minor, immediate family)
Gear: Spear (RotM), Plated Leather Armor (RotM), Alchemy Kit, Shoes, Clothes, Travelling Gear
Spells: Call of Iron, The Fear, Shards, Eldritch Shield

 

[Voidrazor]

That's pretty rad.

Although no melee skills? Am I the only one with any? I'm supposed to be the magic-user. If we get into a fight our party is going to scatter like the wind. Which will be pretty fun, actually.

Thanks for grabbing the Lyric of Healing, by the way. That sounds useful.

Also, didn't we come here together? What does your character think about my character? Does that fit into the "fate and stars" stuff only?

Last question, does your character want to kill humanoid monsters in caves with me?

I assumed Hand of Mystra's character would handle most of the hand to hand. My default isn't completely awful in a pinch.

The great thing about Lyric of Healing is that it works differently than and synergistically with normal healing skills. The not so great thing is that it doesn't count as treatment, just a boost to the recovery test.

Yes, we did come together. But I figure Vellekhyr has visited the borderlands many times over recent decades. He sees the place as a focal point for larger, soon to emerge, conflicts, hinted at by his astrology-like skill.

Vellekhyr is conflicted about Ferrantos. When F. was apprenticed to Vide, I imagine they got along great. But now, V. believes that he needs to use F. for a couple of fate related things, and feels guilty about it. So I'm hoping to be able to portray a tense undercurrent with no obvious source.

I still need to work out V.'s third belief, which should figure into why he's going with F. to the caves. V. will probably hate the idea of killing things just because said beings are chaotic and have valuable pieces parts. Yetfor reasons I'm still working out, he'll be more or less resigned to it.

 

[engrishonly]

Yes, we did come together. But I figure Vellekhyr has visited the borderlands many times over recent decades. He sees the place as a focal point for larger, soon to emerge, conflicts, hinted at by his astrology-like skill.

Vellekhyr is conflicted about Ferrantos. When F. was apprenticed to Vide, I imagine they got along great. But now, V. believes that he needs to use F. for a couple of fate related things, and feels guilty about it. So I'm hoping to be able to portray a tense undercurrent with no obvious source.

I still need to work out V.'s third belief, which should figure into why he's going with F. to the caves. V. will probably hate the idea of killing things just because said beings are chaotic and have valuable pieces parts. Yetfor reasons I'm still working out, he'll be more or less resigned to it.

Cool. I'm not sure Vellekhyr's remorse regarding the denizens of the Caves will affect my rebalancing of the dungeons for the Burning Wheel setup, but it'll be some factor in the story.

And I have already laid down some concepts that point to bigger issues, bigger problems from what you find in the Caves. How it dovetails into all the character concepts, we can decipher than through play. There's big stuff in the Caves, but I don't know what it means yet.