Intersystems Academy (Character Creation)

[Starbeard]

In this thread we shall walk ourselves through character creation.

[Starbeard]

Ability Scores (pp. 4-6)
These are generated with 3d6 as usual, for these factors: Gold Pieces, Intelligence, Cunning, Strength, Health, and Appearance. Cunning and Health seem to correspond directly to Wisdom and Constitution, but Appearance is only the dashing sex appeal aspect of Charisma; otherwise Charisma and all its modifiers seem to be completely absent.

Classes (pp. 3-4, 6-8)
Just like the final product, there are fighters (strength), clerics (cunning), and magic-users (intelligence). Elves are both fighters and magic-users, dwarves are fighters only, and humans can be any of the three (and may swap over to another class if their unaltered prime req for that class is 16).

In this game, "Dwarves" will be the Hubble people: green-hued gilled aliens that actually look a lot like the Monster Manual bugbear illustration. "Elves" will be Jedi and Sith: humans, without night vision, but otherwise with all the same features. Clerics will Jedi-like warriors of a different mystic order: "Dai Ashla" are Lawful, "Dai Nogas" are Neutral, and "Dai Bogan" are Chaotic (it isn't spelled out that Neutral clerics can't go past 7th level, but the encounter rules and monster entries all make it clear that the only 8th-level clerics you find are lawful or chaotic, never neutral).

[Starbeard]

Regarding ability score swapping:

After reading pages 4-6 and the note on page 3 about dwarves, this is how I think I'm reading ability score generation. I'm on the fence though, and I'm willing to be nudged to a different interpretation:

• It's 3d6 down the line. Technically I roll for you, but whatever; go ahead and roll yourselves. I'd let you rearrange to taste, but that would sort of defeat the purpose of this second point.
• (this is the part I'm iffy on) You don't actually alter your ability scores when you do your 2-for-1 adjustments to your prime requisite. Instead, you simply count up from 9, prorate that at 2-for-1, and "add" that to your prime requisite for the purpose of determining XP modifier only.

So taking the sample PC Xylarthar as an example, we have a magic-user with Intelligence 10, Cunning 14, and Strength 5. Strength can't be reduced by magic-users (and it's below 9 anyway), and Cunning gives +2 points (14-9 = 5, or two 2-for-1s), so Xylarthar's Intelligence stays at 10, but his "prime requisite" is considered 12, not enough for a bonus.

Does that sound fair/reasonable/easy/fun?

Here are the relevant passages:

• Pg. 3a: "Dwarves may only be Fighting-Men. As a fighter they progress normally at 10% above normal, and the dice casts for "Strength" and "Cunning" and "Intelligence" will modify this accordingly."
• Pg. 5: "Intelligence: The prime requisite for Magic-Users. Intelligence can be used on a 2 for 1 basis by Fighters and Clerics in their prime requisite areas." Ditto other abilities.
• Pg. 6: "Average scores are 9–12. Units may be used in one category to fulfill Prime Requisite as long as this does not bring that category below average, i.e. below 9."

[Rex]

That sounds good to me. An interesting way to try anyways.

[gurusql]

GP[3d6]=6Int[3d6]=8Cun[3d6]=14Str[3d6]=12Health[3d6]=11App[3d6]=10

Giving these rolls, I will try Soont Waldas a Human Dai Ashla (Lawful Cleric)

[Starbeard]

GP[3d6]=6Int[3d6]=8Cun[3d6]=14Str[3d6]=12Health[3d6]=11App[3d6]=10

Giving these rolls, I will try Soont Waldas a Human Dai Ashla (Lawful Cleric)

Sound choice. As a cleric your Strength of 12 (+1) would boost your Cunning up to 15, just enough for that max E.P. bonus. (For this game we will allow clerics to wield "edged" weapons.)

Intelligence 8 (no extra languages)
Cunning 14 (=15, E.P. level requirements lowered by 10%)
Strength 12 (+1 to prime req)
Health 11
Appearance 10
Gold 60
Languages: Common, Ashla

With such a high prime requisite, your experience point table should look like this:
Level 1 — 0 Acolyte
Level 2 — 450 Adept
Level 3 — 1350 Village Priest
Level 4 — 3150 Vicar
Level 5 — 6300 Curate
Level 6 — 10,800 Bishop
Level 7 — 21,600 Lama
Level 8 — 45,000 Patriarch

[Rex]

GP [3d6]=12 Int [3d6]=9 Cun [3d6]=12 Str [3d6]=12 Health [3d6]=7 App [3d6]=7

Intelligence 9
Cunning 12
Strength 12
Health 7
Appearance 7
Gold 120

Looks like Fighter, Cleric, or Dwarf to me.

[Starbeard]

GP [3d6]=12 Int [3d6]=9 Cun [3d6]=12 Str [3d6]=12 Health [3d6]=7 App [3d6]=7

Intelligence 9
Cunning 12
Strength 12
Health 7
Appearance 7
Gold 120

Looks like Fighter, Cleric, or Dwarf to me.

Fighter or Cleric PR would be 13, -5% to XP requirements.
Dwarf Fighter PR would turn that to -15%.
For completion's sake, an MU would have PR 10, +0%.

I'm not noticing anything about minimum scores in the draft, so if you wanted an elf/Jedi, you would advance as a fighter at 5% bonus, and as a MU at normal rates.

[Starbeard]

FYI, based on my reading, it sounds like elves are meant to pick which class to advance in first, then they switch over after maxing out. In other words, a Jedi Bendu character will begin play at first level in both classes, but must choose which class to advance in first: fighting man (up to 4th level), or magic-user (up to 8th).

For game flavor we'll call these characters Padawans, from the script drafts, and once you max both classes you become a full Jedi and may advance in either class as you choose. Not that I foresee us ever getting far enough for it to matter—but still, the XP levels are very low in the draft, and the treasure tables are surprisingly high, so who knows how high we'll get after an adventure.

[Rex]

I think the elf is a good fit this way. Sort of like Luke was a fighter when we first encounter him and light saber training completes that. Then he slowly transitions to full Jedi (utilizing force powers, ie. MU).

[Rex]

I am going with Dwarf (alien).

[Starbeard]

I think the elf is a good fit this way. Sort of like Luke was a fighter when we first encounter him and light saber training completes that. Then he slowly transitions to full Jedi (utilizing force powers, ie. MU).

Good point. In fact, rereading the opening page about the races, I don't think you even start at first level in both, you just pick one at the start, with the sole special ability being that fighting men can still use magic items because of the elf's magical nature. So Luke would have started as a pure fighter with a knack for unlocking the power inside magical Jedi things, and then as a hero he would have started learning actual abilities.

[Rex]

Yup, agreed. An interesting way to combine the 2 into a good fit.

[Dicey]

GP [3d6]=16, Int [3d6]=15, Cun [3d6]=6, Str [3d6]=17, Health [3d6]=9, App [3d6]=7

With this being Star Wars, I have to go with a jedi!

[Starbeard]

Cool! So we've got an elf, dwarf, and cleric. Ogre Mage forgot about going on holiday so he'll jump in when he's back.

Dicey, you'll have to decide whether to begin as a fighter or magic-user: the fighter side maxes out at level 4 (5000xp) and magic-user at level 8 (60,000xp), so unless you really want to develop spells right away, fighter is the quickest & easiest option to advance.

I will post everything I can compile about character abilities tonight.

[OGRE MAGE]

Hey folks!

I will drop in a few posts whenever I can.

GP [3d6]=14 Int [3d6]=17 Cun [3d6]=14 Str [3d6]=8 Health [3d6]=10App [3d6]=11

Int: 17
Cun: 14
Str: 8
Health: 10
App: 11

Gold: 140

This looks like a Human Magic User type.

[Dicey]

Dicey, you'll have to decide whether to begin as a fighter or magic-user: the fighter side maxes out at level 4 (5000xp) and magic-user at level 8 (60,000xp), so unless you really want to develop spells right away, fighter is the quickest & easiest option to advance.

Well now,leveling around here seems as slow as black strap molasses on a warm summer day, so I guess I’d go with whatever class offers the most jedi skill now instead of a later we’ll never reach Or, forgive an idea that may be anathema to OSR, can we start at 3-4th level or something so we can have more interesting characters closer to their potential and will survive more than one blow?

[Starbeard]

Interesting suggestion! I can readily accommodate either way, so I think we just might. It will also give us a stronger idea of how Chainmail combat scales with the game right off the bat, instead of having to wait around forever until characters finally start fighting as 2 or 3 men apiece. It also means I don't have to scale down my module quite so much for a tiny, low level party.

I will say then, that everyone begins with 4,500 experience points. That should put anyone with 10% exp bonus right at 4th level. These will be the starting levels for those who have already picked class:

Rex (Hubble, 15%): lvl4 Hero (4,500/7,650 EP)
gurusql (Dai, 10%): lvl4 Vicar (4,500/6,300 EP)
Dicey (Jedi, 10%/10%): Hero (4500/4500)+Medium (0/1800); OR lvl3 Seer (4500/8100)

[Rex]

I am having a hard time reading the dwarf section. What level do they max at?

[Starbeard]

I am having a hard time reading the dwarf section. What level do they max at?

They max at 6, Myrmidon. Here's what I have on them:

[page 3.]
If they [the players] choose to be magic-users or fighting men they have the additional option of playing as Elves or dwarves. Elves find secret doors easier, Dwarves note changes in level (like slanting passages) and traps more easily.

[page 3A.]
Dwarves: Dwarves may only be Fighting-Men. As a fighter they progress normally at 10% above normal, and the dice casts for “Strength” and “Cunning” and “Intelligence” will modify this accordingly. Thus, a dwarf will normally progress 10% faster and has an advantage regardless of minuses or pluses. Dwarves, however, may not go above the level of “Myrmidon”.

[page 3B.]
Dwarves have a high resistance to magic (and spells), so they will throw Saving Throws 4 levels above their actual level, i.e. a Hero as a Superhero. Dwarves will speak the usual languages plus Dwarvish, the tongue of the Goblins and Kobolds, and Gnomish.

[page 71? "Opposing Forces" page]
Dwarves/gnomes can be Lawful or Neutral.