So, remember
3 posts ago when I said we'd stick to "rules-as-written?"
Well, that didn't last long.
Instead of the Advancement scheme used in Into The Odd, let's try
this alternate scheme from Chris McDowall's blog.
QUICK AND MESSY CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT.
Instead of Advancing in Levels, you are changed—for good and ill—by your experiences as they happen. This takes the form of Scars and Prestige.
SCARS
When you are taken to exactly 0hp, you get a Scar. Scars only occur in deadly situations, not training.
Your first Scar adds d6hp to your Maximum Hit Points.
Roll d6 plus the damage caused by the attack.
2: Busted Foot - Reduced to a limp until fixed.
3: Lasting Pain - A nasty scar that causes intense pain if pressed on.
4: Busted Lung - Your breathing is loud and you cough up blood often. It’s gross.
5: Smashed Jaw - You lose a lot of teeth and get a speech impediment.
6: Bloody Mess - It needs lots of stitches, and you don’t benefit from Resting until it’s done by a Specialist.
7: Shaken Nerves - You stammer, twitch, or shake, unless you use something to calm your nerves.
8: Disfigurement - The injury leaves your face totally disfigured.
9: Mind Splinter - A specific element of this injury is stuck in your psyche. Lose d6 WIL each time you're forced to confront it.
10: Gouged Eye - A random eye is gouged out.
11: Obsession - Do not benefit from rests until you achieve revenge.
12: Hewn Limb - One of your limbs (1: right arm, 2: left arm, 3: right leg, 4: left leg) is torn off or in need of amputation.
13: Terrible Fracture - A random limb (1: right arm, 2: left arm, 3: right leg, 4: left leg) is broken in the worst way. It can be set by a specialist, but until then you cannot use it, or benefit from Rests.
14: Lost Sense - One of your senses is lost (1: Sight, 2: Hearing, 3: Scent, 4: Taste).
15: Heart Damage - This vital organ is in critical state. If you suffer this Scar again, you die.
16: Shadow of Death – You feel a cold hand on your shoulder and have nightmares. Any time you sleep, pass a WIL Save or scream through the night.
17: Fractured Skull - You drool and slur. If you suffer this Affliction a second time your skull is utterly split open and you die.
18+: Doomed to Die - You shouldn't have survived that. You have nightmares of your own death. If you fail your next Save against Critical Damage you die horribly. If you pass, remove this effect.
PRESTIGE
When you achieve
all the following criteria, you reach Prestige Status and add d6hp to your Maximum.
• Bravery: You have at least one Scar.
• Legacy: You have an apprentice and heir.
• Prominence: You have sold at least one treasure worth 10g or more.
• Eminence: You have been awarded a medal, title, or another honor.
Then, roll d12 for your Vice. When you indulge your Vice, re-roll your maximum HP on 3d6, keeping it if the result is higher.
Roll d12
1: Grandiosity – Spend at least 10g on something frivolous.
2: Greed – Take something worth 10g from its rightful owner.
3: Bloodlust – Kill ten sapient beings in one day.
4: Wanderlust – Visit a Far Land you have not visited before.
5: Vanity – Earn a medal or other honor from a figure of genuine respect.
6: Self-Preservation – Return from an expedition without having taken any Ability Score Damage.
7: Zeal – Find a cult that you like and convert a new member.
8: Nurturing – See your heir or apprentice reach Prestige Status.
9: Wrath – Utterly break somebody that has wronged you.
10: Hatred – Kill a specific rival or legendary creature.
11: Pride – Have somebody swear their life to you.
12: Malice – Aid in the collapse of an organization or group that you dislike.