Character Creation

[Tragic Tales]

Questions? Go to Character Creation Q&A

Module N4: Treasure Hunt Starts the characters at 0 level. I have chosen to approach this as the characters being in a profession. The profession is a non adventuring class. Build the characters according to the chosen profession. When 1,000 experience points is reached, the character will enter an adventuring class.

Notes on building your character.
Focus on building your character to be successful in their chosen profession.
The intelligence bonus for languages is used for languages and non weapon proficiencies.
There is no need to determine gold and equipment. The characters start play as being kidnapped and with no possessions other than clothes.

Character Creation

• [1] How I roll
  [2] Choose a race from the players handbook. If you would like something else, ask me first.
  [3] Choose a profession. Finish building the character according to the profession's directions. If you don't see a background / profession (maybe a farmer, merchant or noble) you are interested in let me know. We can improvise.
• The Apothecary
• The Appraiser
• The Bartender
• The Blacksmith
• The Engineer
• The Farmer
• The Guide
• The Healer
• The Historian
• The Scribe
• The Seer

[Tragic Tales]

Die Roller Campaign ID: 842

Roll 2d6 and consult the table below.

• The roll determines how many points you have to spread among ability scores.
• It also determines the minimum and maximum you can have for an ability score.
• Apply demihuman ability adjustments, minimum and maximums as normal.
• If you plan to be in the warrior class, 1 point will bump you up to the next higher exceptional strength category. Only 1 point can be spent this way and it cannot be used to reach 100%. Note the blacksmith is the only profession that starts with exceptional strength. Otherwise you are at an 18 strength until you enter one of the warrior adventuring classes.
• If you plan to be a paladin, you may have a 17 charisma not matter what was rolled.

Roll	Points	Min	Max
2	72	7	18
3	74	8	18
4	76	8	17
5	76	8	18
6	78	9	17
7	78	9	18
8	80	9	16
9	80	10	17
10	82	10	16
11	82	10	17
12	84	11	16

[Tragic Tales]

An apothecary is a medieval version of a pharmacist. Members of this NPC class devote their lives to the creation of tried and true medicines, and the research and development of new kinds of drugs.

They have some small magical ability, hut they use it only to supplement their body of knowledge. Apothecaries rarely venture forth from their laboratories to travel in the vastness of the world. Apothecaries make medicines, drugs. poisons—-just about anything chemical in nature. They can also identify such compounds and mixtures, making apothecaries indispensable when faced, for instance, with a mysterious potion.

They sell their services to those who have need of their wares, but for the most part, they are more interested in research than profit. However, many apothecaries still search for the secret formula that will transform lead into gold.

Just as with fighters, mages. or any of the other more traditional classes. apothecaries come in many different styles. These range from the village druggist to the shaman herbalist to the legendary alchemist.

Apothecary stats
THAC0: as Wizard
Saving throws: as Wizard
Hit points: 4 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: Intelligence 12 and Constitution 10
Adventuring class: Wizard (If specialist, Alteration school of magic only).
Armor: None
Weapon Proficiency: 1 only. Choose from dagger, dart, sling or staff
Non proficient weapon penalty: -5
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 4 plus intelligence bonus.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Groups: General and Wizard.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Required: Concocting
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).

This proficiency enables the character to concoct chemical compounds with specific uses—such as medicines and poisons. it also allows the apothecary to identify various materials - including magical consumables (potions, salves, lotions, and so on).

This identification is non magical in nature. The apothecary can determine only the general nature of the material (for example, this is a poison, this is a healing potion) and not its strength or duration. The identification process is quite long; it takes the apothecary 1d6 hours to identify non magical mixtures and 2d12 hours to identify magical potions and such.

In addition, the materials required for each accurate identification are quite expensive (at least one-tenth of the item’s XP value). This is why most apothecaries charge a great deal of money to identify potions and other mixtures.

If the apothecary rolls a I when trying to concoct something, he manages to create a particularly potent brew. A potent concoction has double its normal duration. Alternately, the DM can increase its effectiveness in some other way. However, increasing a potion’s strength by more than half is not recommended.

If the apothecary rolls a 20 when concocting something, he critically fails to create his intended mixture. Because of the extremely volatile nature of the apothecary’s chemicals, a critical concoction failure can be quite dangerous. When an apothecary makes such a spectacular failure, the DM should roll another 20-sided die and consult the Eureka Table for the results. Smart apothecaries always identify the results of a failed concoction before tossing it out, as some of the most important concoctions have been discovered by mistake.

lf the apothecary rolls a 20 when identifying a particular material, his result will be significantly inaccurate. Sometimes, this means that he identifies healing potion as a poison or vice versa, but it could also mean that he identifies a potion of ESP as a potion of red dragon control. In these cases, the DM should do his absolute best to convince the players that the apothecary correctly identified the material.

To use the Concocting non-weapon proficiency, the apothecary must have a well equipped lab at his disposal. Additionally, if the apothecary wishes to concoct something, he must have all of the ingredients on hand.

An apothecary must make a proficiency check only when attempting to identify a magical potion or devise a new or particularly complicated concoction (this automatically includes any and all magical concoctions). Substantially strange or more complicated concoctions may demand a penalty to the proficiency check at the DM's discretion.

The Concocting proficiency costs one slot, is based off of the intelligence score, and has a check modifier of -2.

[Tragic Tales]

Appraisers are people who know how to identify items and establish a reasonable approximation of their fair market value. Often they enter business as merchants, purchasing items brought to them and then selling the items for maximum profit. Appraisers usually pay their clients about half of what they believe they can get for the item in question, making their living on the substantial profit margins.

Seedy appraisers, those not afraid to deal with the poorer elements of their neighborhoods, sometimes work as pawn brokers. They hand out loans for about half the value of an item used as collateral. If the client defaults on the loan, as often happens, the pawn broker gets to keep, and then sell, the held item.

Another type of appraiser is not afraid to get his hands dirty. He purchases obviously stolen material for a quarter (or maybe 10 percent) of its worth and then sells the “hot” items to discreet customers. This fence receives a much higher return on his investment, but he must deal with criminals (always a dangerous lot). In addition, he takes the risk of running afoul of either the law or the original owners of the stolen pieces.

Each of these appraisers has several things in common. They use the same skills, and they operate their businesses in similar ways. The only real difference among them is their clientele.

Appraiser stats
THAC0: as Rogue
Saving throws: as Rogue
Hit points: 6 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: Dexterity 9, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 10 and Charisma 9.
Adventuring class: recommended rogue
Armor: Any, but anything heavier than studded leather forfeits all thieving abilities - except reading languages.
Weapon Proficiency: 2 slots chosen from club, dagger, dart, hand crossbow, knife, lasso, short bow, sling, broad sword, short sword or staff.
Non proficient weapon penalty: -3
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 3 plus intelligence bonus.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Groups: General and Rogue
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Required: Appraising
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).

Appraiser Thieving Skills: 40 extra percentage points to be divided among the base scores as the player chooses, but no more than 20 points into any one skill.

Skill	Base Score
Pick Pockets	5%
Open Locks	10%
Find/Remove Traps	5%
Move Silently	5%
Hide in Shadows	5%
Detect Noise	5%
Climb Walls	40%
Read Languages	10%
Appraisal	10%

Appraisal is a new thief skill available to appraisers only. it replaces the appraising proficiency.

Appraisal permits the NPC to approximate the worth of a particular item. Appraisers with a poor appraisal skill may soon find themselves out of business.

Appraisal rolls are not required for common items - only for special pieces. Just about everyone is aware, for instance, of the price of a good long sword. It takes a master, however, to correctly assess the value of a rare gem, magical item, or work of art.

Appraising an item takes 1d10 rounds. In certain cases, a close inspection with a jeweler ‘s tool or a magnifying glass can assist the appraiser in his job. The use of these tools adds 10 percentage points to the appraisal skill when the appraiser inspects small items, obscure inscriptions, or gems.

In certain cases, the DM should apply penalties to the appraiser's attempt. This can range from -5 percentage points for pricing a weapon still caked with blood to -60 percentage points for identifying a particular rare jewel prized by an ancient
culture.

Appraisers often consult with historians to establish the identity of certain notable pieces. Such information can be incredibly useful. This consultation helps to offset any penalties the appraiser might have when appraising rare and exotic items. The DM can add a 5-50 percentage point modifier whenever an appraiser consults with a historian. These modifiers should never exceed the penalties applied to the appraising attempt.

Appraisal Racial Adjustments
Race / Modifier

• Human / -
• Dwarf / +10%
• Elf / -5%
• Gnome / +10%
• Half-elf / -
• Halfling / -5%

Appraisal Intelligence Adjustments
Intelligence / Modifier

• 12 / -5%
• 13-15 / -
• 16 / +5%
• 17 / +10%
• 18 / +15%
• 19 / +20%

Detecting/Identifying Magical Items
At 1st level all appraisers can detect whether or not an item is magical. This ability is similar in effect to the detect magic spell. An appraiser can attempt to do this once per day per level The appraiser must make a successful appraisal skill roll in order to detect magic failure means that the appraiser does not know if the item is magical.

[Tragic Tales]

Blacksmith stats
THAC0: as Warrior
Saving throws: as Warrior
Hit points: 10 plus hp adjustment (+4 cap)
Minimum ability scores: Strength 12 (exceptional strength bonus), Dexterity 9, Constitution 12 (exceptional constitution bonus), Intelligence 9 and Wisdom 9
Adventuring class: Fighter or possibly Paladin
Armor: No restrictions
Weapon Proficiency: 3 with no restrictions
Weapon Specialization: War hammer +1 to attack and +2 damage, no other specializations at this point.
Non proficient weapon penalty: -3
Non Weapon Proficiencies: Starts with armorer, blacksmithing and weaponsmithing, plus 1 more of their choice and their intelligence bonus.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Groups: General and Warrior
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).

[Tragic Tales]

The engineer is one of the most unsung heroes of medieval fantasy. Without engineers, there would not be any castles, bridges, cathedrals, or architectural wonders of any kind. Elven and dwarven engineers also figure importantly in many fantasy settings. These demihuman builders are responsible for fantastic tree-cities and vast subterranean realms.

From a game point of view, military engineers occupy a rather important role, as Well. Without their skills, invading armies would have a very difficult time breaching fortified gates and surmounting castle walls. Such edifices would stand nearly impervious to an unprepared army, but the engineer's knowledge can break even yard-thick walls.

Most adventurers will not need to hire an engineers services util they reach higher levels. Experienced generals may con tract engineers to build and operate siege equipment during the course of a battle, and high-level heroes often contract engineers to build a solidly fortified keep or base of operations. It is doubtful, however, that beginning adventurers will find themselves commanding vast forces or building their own castles.

Engineers are learned people who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. They like planning out buildings, roads, contraptions, and all sorts of construction projects. In addition, they like to personally supervise the construction of their projects from beginning to end.

Engineers also spend a lot of their time building models and testing new, innovative ideas. Many of these skilled men and women believe that the infrastructure of the world would fall apart without them.

Engineer Stats
THAC0: as Priest
Saving throws: as Priest
Hit points: 8 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: Intelligence 12 and Wisdom 10
Adventuring class - recommended: Fighter or Wizard, possibly Priest.
Armor: Any, but cannot where anything heavier than chain while performing as an engineer.
Weapon Proficiency: 3, selection as per rogue
Non proficient weapon penalty: -3
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 4 plus intelligence bonus.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Required: Engineering and either carpentry, mining or stone masonry.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Artistic ability, heraldry and modern languages
Non Weapon Proficiencies Groups: General, Warrior and Wizard
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).

[Tragic Tales]

Sooner or later, any adventurer worthy of the name is going to travel someplace that he has never been before. After all, a large part of being a hero involves venturing into unknown lands. Smart travelers always make sure they have one of two things: a good map, or a good guide. The best travelers use both.

A guide is rarely out of date, doesn't fall apart when wet, and is a lot harder to lose. In addition, a guide acts as an interpreter, working as a liaison between the adventuring party and any indigenous peoples they may stumble across while traveling.

A good guide is worth his weight in gold. A bad one can cost even the most alert adventurer his life. It's important for a hero to find the right person, someone he can trust. Guides are only good in one locale, but they are familiar with everything in that area. Good guides not only take you from one side of their homeland to another, they also rattle off important facts about an area and relate the regions en tire history. They know the real powers in the area and can easily distinguish them from petty thieves or ambitious charlatans.

Guide stats
THAC0: as Warrior
Saving Throws: as Warrior
Hit Points: 8 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: Constitution 10, Wisdom 12 and Charisma 9.
Adventuring class - recommended: Any.
Armor: Any but cannot use many of their skills in anything heavier than leather.
Weapon Proficiency: 3. Any weapon
Non proficient weapon penalty: -3
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 4 plus intelligence bonus.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Required: Direction Sense
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Survival
Non Weapon Proficiencies - List: Navigation, Etiquette, Fire building, Fishing, Heraldry, Modern Languages, Riding (land-based or airborne), Weather Sense, Ancient History, Local History; Hunting, Mountaineering, Survival, or Tracking.
Non Weapon Proficiencies Groups: General, Warrior and Rogue.
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).

Guide Specialties

The Hunter
Some guides prefer the wilderness and make a good living by showing others how to live off the land. Hunters could easily live as hermits in the wild lands, using their skills to support themselves. However, most hunters hire out as guides because there are certain things that you can’t purchase with animal pelts and hides.

Hunters often take on wealthy clients and show them the best hunting and fishing areas. In exchange, the hunters earn themselves enough gold to meet their needs for some time. Some hunters work hard throughout the summer months and then comfortably wait out the winter months in a city.

Nonweapon Proficiencies - Required: Direction Sense, Tracking (two slots] and either Hunting or Fishing. Unlike most classes, guides do not suffer a -6 penalty to their tracking rolls. In fact, these outdoorsmen do not suffer any base penalty at all when tracking. The guide uses the Tracking proficiency in many ways, not the least of which is trailing beasts or foes. Often, hunters use this ability to pick out the easiest trail by noticing well-worn (and presumably safe) trails that local inhabitants and animals have forged. In this way, a guide can actually manage to work his way through an area about which he knows little or even nothing.

The hunter, of course, also uses Tracking to hunt wild beasts for food and profit. When combined with the hunting proficiency, this proficiency permits a skilled hunter to follow a beast for several days, if necessary.

Due to his experience as a hunting party leader, the hunter only suffers a -1 penalty to his Hunting proficiency check for every two characters that accompany him.

For example, if a hunter leads five other people into the woods to hunt, he only suffers a -3 penalty. A normal character would suffer a -5 penalty to the check.

The Tracking proficiency may not seem helpful to a hunter who chooses Fishing as his specialization. However, the guide can use this proficiency to discover the best fishing spots in an area.

The hunter can also use his Tracking proficiency to trail large fish, like sharks and whales, and even schools of smaller fish across a body of water. However, the hunter suffers a —6 penalty to his proficiency check when attempting to track the movements of aquatic animals.

The Escort
The escort is an urban guide who specializes in navigating his clients through the murky political and geographical waters of a town or city.

Nonweapon Proficiencies - Required: Direction Sense, Etiquette and Local History.
Escorts are free to choose their remaining nonweapon proficiencies from any available groups.

Using Etiquette, the escort can help his charges in their dealings with all levels of society—from beggars to royalty. Additionally, he can help them negotiate with local businessmen, bureaucrats, and diplomats.

Local History gives the escort an historical perspective of the social and political landscape. He knows the events that have shaped the local government and he can predict, with some degree of accuracy, the government's reaction to certain situations.

Without a local escort, adventurers run the risk of committing terrible social blunders that could get them run out of town or worse. in addition, escorts can prove invaluable in many circumstances by providing the heroes with intelligence about local people and places.

The Navigator
Some guides find their true calling on the seas. They study the skies and direct the path of a ship by way of the stars. Without them, many a ship would have long since run aground. Only the most desperate sailors will take a seagoing craft across the water without the assistance of an experienced navigator. Adventurers would be wise to follow the examples of professional ship captains and hire on a capable navigator.

Nonweapon proficiencies - Required: Direction Sense, Navigation and Weather Sense.
Nonweapon proficiencies - Recommended: Seamanship and swimming

Normally a character with the Navigation proficiency can reduce the chance of getting lost up to 20% The navigator’s base number, however, is 25%. A navigator can reduce the chance of getting lost by an additional 10 percentage points (up to a maximum of 50 percentage points) for each extra proficiency slot he dedicates to Navigation.

Navigators also require a deep understanding of weather. Unexpected storms have sunk many a stout ship. If a guide detects bad weather early enough, there's a chance that he can navigate the ship away from the storm or into a safe harbor.

The 1st-level navigator is free to spend his remaining nonweapon proficiency slots on anything that he wants. However, navigator characters are strongly encouraged to choose the Swimming proficiency.

Later on, the navigator may want to pick up the Seamanship nonweapon proficiency, too. A good navigator knows the basic operations of a sea-going vessel. An extra set of skilled hands may mean the difference between life and death when struggling with the wild nature of the sea.

The Interpreter
The interpreter is a guide who specializes in facilitating communication between people. The interpreter is often employed as a diplomat, but this kind of position is usually reserved for high-level interpreters who have worked their way up the political ladder. These ambassadors have paid their dues working as simple translators and occasionally as protocol advisers.

Nonweapon Proficiencies - Required: Direction Sense, Etiquette and Modern Languages.
Nonweapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Reading/Writing

The interpreter uses the Etiquette proficiency to smoothly interact not only with members of his own culture, but also with foreign speaking people. This proficiency also supplements the interpreters knowledge of a given language, as simple translations often fail to convey the shades of meanings inherent in any language.

To act as an interpreter, a guide must obviously know more than one language- Languages are the cornerstone of the interpreter’s business; the more languages he speaks, the more clients he will have. However, some interpreters choose to concentrate on one or two languages, pouring all of their skills into them. Most others, though, find it more valuable to achieve a working facility in a number of different languages.

1st-level interpreters should also take Reading / Writing as their last nonweapon proficiency slot - although this is not a requirement. Interpreters with this skill can translate written words in any language in which they are proficient.

[Tragic Tales]

Adventuring is hazardous duty. Anyone who seeks out fortune and glory will certainly encounter danger. Eventually, a hero's luck will run out. When this finally happens, that poor fellow is going to need some “stitching-up.” Traditionally, any heroes turn to the cleric in their party for a quick fix. After all, instant magical healing is far more beneficial than nature's slow process.

Often, however, a cleric may not be available to ask the gods’ blessings upon a wounded comrade. Alternately, a hero may find himself travelling with a war priest who refuses to magically heal wounds because he believes that they are the “gifts” of his deity.

Other times, the hero may be unable to afford the attentions of a cleric. Magic is not inexpensive, and persuading a priest to curry favor for you with his god (particularly if you're not a true believer yourself) can be costly.

In such cases, wounded heroes make their way to a healer. Healers are cheaper than priests, they don’t use magic, and they don't usually worry themselves about deities. This makes the healer an invaluable resource to small villages and heroes in desperate need of assistance.

Healer stats
THAC0: as Rogue
Saving Throws: as Wizard
Hit Points: 6 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: Constitution 9 and Wisdom 12
Adventuring class - recommended: Priest
Armor: Any but cannot use many of their skills in anything heavier than leather.
Weapon Proficiency: 2. Choose from club, dagger, dart, sling and staff.
Non proficient weapon penalty: -3
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 4 plus intelligence bonus.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Required: Healing and Herbalism
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Groups: General and Priest
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).

[Tragic Tales]

"Those who ignore the past are condemned to repeat it." This cliché says a lot about a historian’s function in society - including one based on fantasy. History plays a vital part in any fantasy role-playing game. Without a decent history, a setting can seem hollow or two-dimensional.

Many questions remain unanswered in such a low-detail fantasy campaign. Where did all the powerful magical items and artifacts come from? How did the king of the largest nation come to power? What kind of wars has this nation fought with its neighbors?

Fantasy campaigns high in detail, however, often have answers to these questions. The historian NPC plays an important role in such worlds, as he is the chronicler and guardian of important information. Bards still spin juicy tales of the past in taverns across the world, but historians are more interested in the factual components of these tales rather than the way in which these tales are performed.

The historian's job also includes learning from the past and applying these lessons to "present day” life. Some gifted historians can even predict future events based on centuries of collected data.

Over the years, historians research deeper and deeper into the past, hoping to discover new details and gain some further understanding of what has gone before. They hone their understanding of the past to a razor's edge, and with that edge, they attempt to pierce through the veil of time and arrive at the truth.

Historian stats
THAC0: as Rogue
Saving Throws: as Rogue
Hit Points: 6 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: Intelligence 12 and Wisdom 10
Adventuring class - recommended: Bard, Priest or Wizard if Collector possibly a thief.
Armor: Nothing heavier than chain mail
Weapon Proficiency: 2. Choose from club, dagger, dart, hand crossbow, knife lasso, sling, short, sword, and staff
Non proficient weapon penalty: -3
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 4 plus intelligence bonus.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Required: Either Ancient History or Local History
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Heraldry, Musical Instrument and Reading / Writing
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Groups: General, Warrior, Rogue and Wizard.

Historian specialties

The Ancient Historian
The title of this kit refers to the character's area of concentration, not his age. Ancient historians prefer the company of musty old tomes to that of most other creatures and spend much of their time nestled in underground carrels of vast libraries.

The majority of ancient historians’ discoveries come from new insights gleaned from ancient texts. In addition, these historians develop new theories about established historical facts and principles.

For the most part, members of this kit delve into past events with little concern about how their discoveries may affect “contemporary” life. That kind of understanding will come with time.

Requirements: Ancient historians must memorize and organize vast storehouses of seemingly disparate facts and then synthesize them into a meaningful whole. For this reason, they mu.st possess a minimum intelligence score of 14-in addition to the standard requirements for a historian.

Role: Ancient historians rarely accompany heroes upon epic adventures. However, they may be the impetus behind such adventures. For example, an ancient historian may require a rare tome to complete his studies, so he hires some heroes to retrieve it from its current location.

Also, the heroes may occasionally require the services of an ancient historian. Who else could accurately tell them the particulars of the ancient curse which protects an artifact they've been hired to find.

Governments and nobles often commission these historians to gather and maintain national records and histories. In addition, some ancient historians specialize in the history behind magical items or artifacts (using the Spellcraft nonweapon proficiency).

Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, dart, sling and staff.
Nonweapon Proficiencies - Required: Ancient History, Ancient Language, Reading/ Writing, and Heraldry.
Nonweapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Modern Languages and Spellcraft

The Annalist
The annalist is an historian who concentrates solely on a specific topic. The annalist devotes his life to chronicling and maintaining the history of his specialty. Commonly, this specialty area is the proceedings of a royal court or some other form of government. However, annalists sometimes attach themselves to a particular town or wandering mercenary unit.

The annalist is the undisputed expert in his chosen topic. He spends his days listening to tales and recording them in black and white for the edification of future generations.

Many powerful people or organizations wish to be remembered long after they are dead and gone. This is the annalist"s task. He maintains meticulous records about his topic and organizes the data in easily recognizable threads or tales.

The annalist often reads some of the histories he has recorded to his employer. Sometimes, he even delves into tomes created by those who have gone before him to find a story appropriate to the situation or the moment.

These tales are sometimes read at affairs of state or before a limit is about to march off to battle. They remind listeners about the traditions and duties they have sworn to uphold. In addition, these tales remind the audience that they are part of something larger then themselves.

Requirements: Intelligence 13 and Charisma 12. The annalist must organize vast amounts of information and boil it down to a meaningful tale. Also, he must relate that tale to an audience in an entertaining or commanding way.

Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, dart, staff, sling.
Nonweapon Proficiencies - Required: Ancient, History, Local History. Reading /Writing.
Nonweapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Singing, Musical Instrument.

The Collector
The collector is an historian interested in the physical remains of history. Historical tales are simply backdrops that enhance the collectible nature of rare antiquities; these stories imbue the item with a value that transforms it from an ordinary item into a truly wondrous museum piece.

Collectors can be found in the field much more often than typical historians. They scour the earth looking for the valuable bits and pieces of the past that they desire. They can expound for hours upon their favorite subjects, often to the point of boring those around them. However, these collectors don’t care; they are almost lost in the mists of time.

Collectors do not study history for the purpose of entertaining others or keeping records. They desire only the fortune and prestige that comes from owning historical antiquities. Of course, many collectors profess (and actually have) altruistic motives for their passion. They believe that their work confirms the theories of their more desk bound brethren.

Competition between collectors is quite stiff. Those who run in the same circles and share the same interests are quite aware of each other. They butt heads in the field as often as they do in the classroom. After all, they are competing for the possession of unique objects.

Requirements: Collectors spend a lot of time interacting with other people in the field. Sometimes they are called upon to fight for what they want (or already own). For these reasons, collectors are more physical than regular historians. As such, collectors must have a minimum Strength score of 10 and a minimum Constitution score of 12.

Role: The collector can be encountered while working alone or with a group. They tend to enjoy traveling by themselves, as they are often distrustful of others.

However, even the greatest collectors need assistance from time to time. is especially true if one or more of their competitors gathers a force of minions to unearth an item. In such cases, a collector may feel compelled to hire a few adventurers.

Other times, a collector may find himself in competition with adventurers. Perhaps both groups are striving to unearth a particularly rare item. A serious collector will do his best to ensure that the item in question finds its way into his collection.

Many collectors concentrate their efforts on acquiring particularly powerful and unique magical items. Entire adventures or even campaigns can be driven by the importance of finding just one special magical item.

Weapon Proficiencies: Club, dagger, dart, mace, sling, and short sword
Nonweapon Proficiencies - Required: Ancient History and Appraising.
Nonweapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Reading/ Writing, Etiquette, Local History, Disguise, Forgery, Tracking, Modern Languages, and Ancient Languages.

[Tragic Tales]

Very few people in medieval society actually possessed the ability to read and write—despite the fact that the written word had been in use for centuries. Most people went about their daily lives occupied with more practical concerns. Writing and reading were best left to the nobility, cloistered clerics and wealthy merchants.

In most fantasy worlds, however, the ruling classes routinely write proclamations, writs, and con tracts. Spellbooks and thaumaturgical teats contain mostly written words, and even maps use written labels.

This means that the ability to read, while actually held by few, is needed by many. The basic laws of supply and demand have created a market in which literate people can sell their services to those who cannot read or write - often at exorbitant prices.

Scribes are also useful to the literate community. Long before the invention of the printing press, copies of books were made by hand. These highly trained professionals laboriously duplicate each and every pen stroke from an original to a fresh new copy.

In addition, many scribes specialize in translating written words from one language into another. This can be a vital means of communication, particularly between nations. In a particularly tense diplomatic situation, a mistranslated phrase could actually have the power to hurl both countries headlong into war.

More experienced scribes are even of use to wizards. These scribes can read magic, just like a thief, and even copy spells and scrolls. Most powerful wizards employ a scribe to handle most of the "mundane" magical copying - such as transferring low-level spells and copying simple scrolls.

Scribe stats
THAC0: as Wizard
Saving Throws: as Wizard
Hit points: 4 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: Intelligence 15
Adventuring class - Recommended: Priest or Wizard
Armor: None
Weapon Proficiency: 1 only. Choose from dagger, dart, knife, sling or staff
Non proficient weapon penalty: -5
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 4 plus intelligence bonus. May also choose from the wizard and general proficiencies without any additional slot costs.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Required: Forgery and Reading/Writing
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Etiquette and Heraldry
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Groups: General, Rogue and Wizard
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).
Read Languages: as per Rogue but at 5% per level

[Tragic Tales]

Few people in society are as feared, respected, and misunderstood. as the seer. These enigmatic figures have the power to commune with the dead and talk with spirits about things long-thought buried. They can also peer into the future, parting the veil of time—if only for a little while. For these reasons, the services of a seer are in great demand and command a hefty price. Even if their “expertise” were not in such high demand, seers would still charge a great deal for their services, as working with mystical forces takes an incredible toll on the seer’s body. Still, the useful information that they obtain makes up for their exorbitant prices.

Seers are often shunned by the more conservative portions of society. The fact that a talented seer could likely prophecy someone's last moments upon the earth tends to make people nervous.

Still, many people eventually find that a seer is their last hope for finding out important information. Governments use them regularly to solve crimes and to predict the movements of their enemies. In addition, many an assassination has been prevented by the intervention of a seer who received a vision of the assassins face.

However, those who seek out a seer rarely receive an easy answer to their questions. The misty veils of time are difficult to part, and even extremely gifted seers are confused by the complexity and constantly changing nature of their visions. A seer 's answer, then, is often cryptic or seemingly nonsensical, and those who seek out these prophetic figures often experience disillusionment and frustration.

Seer stats
THAC0: as Rogue
Saving Throws: as Wizard
Hit points: 6 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: Intelligence 15, Wisdom 15 and Charisma 13
Adventuring class - Recommended: Priest or Wizard
Armor: None unless they swear off the wizard part of their role and focus on the priest side.
Weapon Proficiency: 1 only. Choose from sling or staff. A priestly seer can use the weapons of their deity.
Non proficient weapon penalty: -5
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 4 plus intelligence bonus. May also choose from the wizard and general proficiencies without any additional slot costs.
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Required: Ancient History, Local History and Prophecy
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Recommended: Any
Non Weapon Proficiencies - Groups: General, Priest and Wizard
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).

Prophecy
This proficiency allows a seer to convey the information he receives through divination magic in a fairly understandable way. Most information gleaned through divinatory methods comes to the seer in quick, almost explosive visions, or nearly incomprehensible words. The seer can use this prophecy to “translate” those visions and words into a format more easily understood by normal men and women.

This is not to say that such messages become crystal clear. In fact, these prophecies are still couched in enigmatic and cryptic language. However, without this proficiency, a seer's warnings would be totally incomprehensible.

Once a seer receives a prophetic vision through the use of his magic, he must make a Prophecy proficiency check. Failure means that he was unable to convey the message of his vision in a way that anyone else can understand.

The seer can also use this proficiency to decipher prophecies made by others. In order to do this, the seer must have the complete prophecy - either written down or memorized--on hand. He then makes a proficiency check with a -2 penalty. If he succeeds, he is able to get a general sense of the prophecy. Failure, however, indicates that the seer could not decipher the prophecy.

If the seer fails to interpret a prophecy, he cannot take another shot at it until he has had a full night's sleep. Once he wakes up with a refreshed mind, the seer can attempt to interpret the prophecy again.

If the prophecy is a particularly long or complicated one, the DM can require several successful checks on the seer’s part. Each time a check is passed, the DM should give the seer a short clue as to the meaning of a particular passage from the prophecy. It’s still up to the seer to piece the whole thing together.

If a seer critically fails (rolls a 20) his proficiency check when deciphering a prophecy, he comes up with an interpretation that is totally incorrect. However, he is unaware of his error.

The misinterpretation should be something stated by the DM so that the seer (and any who believe his interpretation) will actually work to make the prophecy come true it they are trying to prevent it. For example, if the prophecy states that the party should destroy Oglmr’s gem, the seer misconstrues the warning and tells the party that they must protect the item. Conversely, if they are struggling to bring the prophecy to fruition, this interpretation will actually set them at cross-purposes to their true desires.

If the seer entirely misinterpreted a prophecy, he cannot attempt to reinterpret it until he is conclusively shown his error. In addition, he requires a full night's rest before attempting to interpret the prophecy again.

No equipment is required to make use of this nonweapon proficiency. All the seer needs is either the message from a spell to turn into a prophecy or a prophecy which someone else has made.

This proficiency costs one slot and is based on Wisdom; it has a -2 check modifier.

[Tragic Tales]

Farmer stats
THACO: 20
Saving throws: as 0 level warrior
Hit points: 6 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: none
Adventuring class: any
Armor: any
Weapon Proficiency: 2 nothing too militant should be more utilitarian or something a commoner would have access to, such as a bow, dagger, sling or staff.
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 2 plus intelligence bonus
Non Weapon Proficiencies – Groups: general
Non Weapon Proficiencies – Bonus: Agriculture and Animal Handling
Non Weapon Proficiencies –Recommended: Weather Sense
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).

[Tragic Tales]

Bartender stats
THACO: 20
Saving throws: as 0 level warrior
Hit points: 6 plus hp adjustment
Minimum ability scores: none
Adventuring class: any
Armor: any
Weapon Proficiency: 2 club and dagger
Non Weapon Proficiencies: 2 plus intelligence bonus
Non Weapon Proficiencies – Groups: general
Non Weapon Proficiencies – Bonus: Brewing and local history
Non Weapon Proficiencies –Recommended: cooking
Languages: Common, intelligence bonus plus one more (slots may also be used for reading/writing).