Starbeard's character

[Starbeard]

Howdy, folks!

I'm going to have to follow is Rossik's footsteps and roll up a duck. I think I heard that somewhere, "You can't call yourself an RPG veteran until you've played a duck in Runequest."

STR [3d6k2] = 10
INT [3d6k2+6] = 6+6 = 12
POW [4d6k3] = 9
CON [3d6k2+6] = 11+6 = 17
DEX [3d6k2+6] = 10+6 = 16
CHA [3d6k2] = 6
SIZ [1d4+2] = 4+2 = 6[1d4+2] = 1+2 = 3

Question: for the damage modifier, if I choose SIZ 3 that gives me an SIZ/STR average of 6.5. Do I round up or down?

[ffilz]

Howdy, folks!

I'm going to have to follow is Rossik's footsteps and roll up a duck. I think I heard that somewhere, "You can't call yourself an RPG veteran until you've played a duck in Runequest."

STR [3d6k2] = 10
INT [3d6k2+6] = 6+6 = 12
POW [4d6k3] = 9
CON [3d6k2+6] = 11+6 = 17
DEX [3d6k2+6] = 10+6 = 16
CHA [3d6k2] = 6
SIZ [1d4+2] = 4+2 = 6[1d4+2] = 1+2 = 3

Question: for the damage modifier, if I choose SIZ 3 that gives me an SIZ/STR average of 6.5. Do I round up or down?

Rounding of .5 is always in player's favor.

[rossik]

nevermind

SIZ [1d4+2] = 3+2 = 5
CHA [3d6k2] = 10
DEX [3d6k2+6] = 8+6 = 14
CON [3d6k2+6] = 10+6 = 16
POW [4d6k3] = 11
INT [3d6k2+6] = 9+6 = 15
STR [3d6k2] = 8

[1d100] = 33

Did you just do [1d4+2] for SIZ? If so, you can make another roll and pick the one you prefer.

The 33 for background lands you solidly in townsman, which works just fine. Do you want to come from Pavis itself, or one of the duck villages along the banks of the Zola Fel river?

got the same result, a 5
i see eggbert as a "duck knight", not for being noble, but for belonging to a warrior family. any tips? this help with the location?

[ffilz]

nevermind

SIZ [1d4+2] = 3+2 = 5
CHA [3d6k2] = 10
DEX [3d6k2+6] = 8+6 = 14
CON [3d6k2+6] = 10+6 = 16
POW [4d6k3] = 11
INT [3d6k2+6] = 9+6 = 15
STR [3d6k2] = 8

[1d100] = 33

Did you just do [1d4+2] for SIZ? If so, you can make another roll and pick the one you prefer.

The 33 for background lands you solidly in townsman, which works just fine. Do you want to come from Pavis itself, or one of the duck villages along the banks of the Zola Fel river?

got the same result, a 5
i see eggbert as a "duck knight", not for being noble, but for belonging to a warrior family. any tips? this help with the location?

Sounds like a Humakti duck... from New Pavis would be a good choice, but riverside village would work also.

[Starbeard]

I'm moving along on my character, how does this look so far?

"Sir Quacksalot"

Characteristics (parentheses are maximum scores possible)
STR 10 (17)
INT 12
POW 9 (18)
CON 17
DEX 16 (18) — +5% attack, +5% parry, +5% defense, +5% stealth, +5% manipulation
CHA 6 (12)
SIZ 3 — +5% parry, +5% defense, +10% stealth, -1d4 damage

Melee Movement: 5 (from duck creature entry)
Encumbrance limit: 10 (average of STR+CON+SIZ)
Hit Points: 10 (average of CON+SIZ)

Total Bonuses (pg. 11-14)
Attack +5%
Parry +10%
Defense +10%
Damage -1d4
Manipulation +5%
Stealth +15%

Abilities
Swimming 90% (from duck creature entry)

Spells
Haven't picked a cult yet.

Background and Money (pg. 15)
Background [1d100] = 13 PEASANT, gets 1-100 lunars
Lunars [1d100] = 59

Automatic Equipment: clothing, belt knife, fire making gear, snares, drinking skin, basic camp gear, torches (5 encumbrance?)

Purchased Weapons (pg. 28 & 30, base chances pg. 23)
Dagger (25% base chance to hit, 1 encumbrance?), 15 lunars
Staff sling (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance?), 10 lunars
Sling (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance?), 1 lunar

Purchased Shield (pg. 30, base chances pg. 23)
Small (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance), 5 lunars

Purchased Armor (pg. 31)
Hood (head 1pt), 3 lunars
Padding (head 1pt), 5 lunars
Heavy leather (chest 2pts, arms 2pts, legs 2pts) 12 lunars

[ffilz]

I'm moving along on my character, how does this look so far?

"Sir Quacksalot"

Characteristics (parentheses are maximum scores possible)
STR 10 (17)
INT 12
POW 9 (18)
CON 17
DEX 16 (18) — +5% attack, +5% parry, +5% defense, +5% stealth, +5% manipulation
CHA 6 (12)
SIZ 3 — +5% parry, +5% defense, +10% stealth, -1d4 damage

STR max is 15 (1.5*original). POW max is 21 (3*6+3), DEX (2*6+6+3) max is 21, CHA max is 14 (2*6+2)

Melee Movement: 5 (from duck creature entry)
Encumbrance limit: 10 (average of STR+CON+SIZ)
Hit Points: 10 (average of CON+SIZ)

Total Bonuses (pg. 11-14)
Attack +5%
Parry +10%
Defense +10%
Damage -1d4
Manipulation +5%
Stealth +15%

Abilities
Swimming 90% (from duck creature entry)

Spells
Haven't picked a cult yet.

Background and Money (pg. 15)
Background [1d100] = 13 PEASANT, gets 1-100 lunars
Lunars [1d100] = 59

Automatic Equipment: clothing, belt knife, fire making gear, snares, drinking skin, basic camp gear, torches (5 encumbrance?)

Purchased Weapons (pg. 28 & 30, base chances pg. 23)
Dagger (25% base chance to hit, 1 encumbrance?), 15 lunars
Staff sling (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance?), 10 lunars
Sling (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance?), 1 lunar

Purchased Shield (pg. 30, base chances pg. 23)
Small (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance), 5 lunars

Purchased Armor (pg. 31)
Hood (head 1pt), 3 lunars
Padding (head 1pt), 5 lunars
Heavy leather (chest 2pts, arms 2pts, legs 2pts) 12 lunars

Remember to do the Previous Experience on p.106, and then when you have chosen a cult, you can take your POW (after previous experience) * 100 Lunars in cult credit to spend on spells and skills the cult teaches.

[Starbeard]

Okay, I got the maximum stats wrong because I was just going by the highest possible roll.

My duck will try to become a mercenary.
His characteristics average is 11, so he has a 55% chance of joining.
Mercenary roll 55% [1d100] = 99
Nope.


He has to join the militia instead. Increase in characteristics:
STR [1d100] = 56, CON [1d100] = 73, DEX [1d100] = 53, POW [1d100] = 48, CHA [1d100] = 62
No characteristics are increased.

Skills Acquired from training:
2 hand spear +10%
1 hand spear +10%
large shield +10%

Question: he's actually not strong enough for a large shield, but can use medium & small. Should I change the large shield skill to one of those?

Gear Acquired:
Composite helm
Cuirboilli (body)
Leather (arms, legs)

He'll try to apprentice as a thief.
Average of STR/INT/CHA is 10, so 50% chance.
Apprentice (50%): [1d100] = 94
Nope.

[Starbeard]

I'll take either Humakt and Zola Fel. I'll read both sections today to see which one to take.

[ffilz]

Yea, replace large shield with small shield. I'll have to send you the Zola Fel cult description, maybe I can manage that this evening.

[ffilz]

Yea, replace large shield with small shield. I'll have to send you the Zola Fel cult description, maybe I can manage that this evening.

Ok, got Zola Fel put up and you have comment access.

[Starbeard]

Okay, I'll take Zola Fel. If I understand this right, I have to pay 1 lunar per season to be a lay member.

I have 900 Lunars to spend on training. My charisma is too low to get any discounts.

———————
The cult teaches swim, riverspeech at normal prices to lay members.
It also teaches Detect Enemies, Detect Life, Healing, Mobility, and Xenohealing, at normal full price.

I will buy Detect Enemies for 300L.

What's Riverspeech? Is that like a Thieves Cant for boatmen in Pavis? And how expensive is that for lay members? I'm still not sure I understand how buying skills on guild credit works.

[ffilz]

Hmm, I'm going to relax the rules on apprenticeships for peasants a bit...

You can attempt to join others, there is a boatman's guild (similar to Maritime) you can attempt to join. If you succeed, it will give you a chance at languages just like Mercenary does (roll your skill percentages for whatever languages you learn using the chart on p.107 from Nobles and then apply them to your choice of languages. The other skills it gives are Rowing 50%, Swimming (50% or +5%), and Limnology (roll skill using the chart on p.106 from Mercenaries). Boatmen learn languages due to the folks they transport and deal with.

If that still fails, you are probably just a lowly fisherman. It still gives you some River Speech, roll on the Mercenary skill chart (so you might not get the 40% since 30% is a possibility unless your Communication bonus is +10% or better).

Optionally, you could also choose River Speech as your native tongue (and then take the fisherman opportunity for one more language as Praxian, Lunar, or Sartarite, or something else...).

You can then try for Initate status in Zola Fel (if you wind up with 40% or better River Speech...).

And yea, River Speech is sort of like a Thieve's Cant of the river.

Frank

[Starbeard]

Maritime apprenticeship (50%): [1d100] = 30
Alright!

Limnology roll: [1d6] = 4
Speaks [1d4] = 1 other languages
Speak Other level [1d6] = 2
Write Own level [1d6] = 5

Limnology 30%
Rowing 50%
Swimming +5% (makes 95%)
Speak Riverspeech 50%
Speak Own Language (Praxian) ?
Write Own Language (Praxian) 40%

With Swimming 95% and Riverspeech 50%, and 5 years as a member of the Zola Fel cult, I can take the test to become an initiate. The test is 5% x (POW + CHA)÷2.

Initiate test (40%): [1d100] = 3 Made it!

I must sacrifice all but one POW each Holy Day, pledge to keep the river pure and clean, and to respect the laws of the priests.

It says I can purchase the special spells of the cult, but all I see are the priest's rune spells, which don't have costs. Can I purchase those somehow? If not, I'll stick with Detect Enemies (300L), and take Swim Quietly +15% (base 5%, 600L).

[Starbeard]

Here's my revised equipment list:

Background and Money (pg. 15)
Background [1d100] = 13 PEASANT, gets 1-100 lunars
Lunars [1d100] = 59

Automatic Equipment: clothing, belt knife, fire making gear, snares, drinking skin, basic camp gear, torches (5 encumbrance?)
Career Armor: Composite helm & padding (head, 4 pts), Cuirboilli & padding (body, 4 pts, 2 enc), Leather & padding (arms 3pts, legs 3pts)
Career Weapons: Small shield (5% base, 1 enc), Spear (10%/20% base, 1 enc)

Purchased Weapons (pg. 28 & 30, base chances pg. 23)
Dagger (25% base chance to hit, 1 encumbrance?), 15 lunars
Sling (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance?), 1 lunar

Money Leftover: 43 lunars

[ffilz]

Maritime apprenticeship (50%): [1d100] = 30
Alright!

Limnology roll: [1d6] = 4
Speaks [1d4] = 1 other languages
Speak Other level [1d6] = 2
Write Own level [1d6] = 5

Limnology 30%
Rowing 50%
Swimming +5% (makes 95%)
Speak Riverspeech 50%
Speak Own Language (Praxian) ?
Write Own Language (Praxian) 40%

With Swimming 95% and Riverspeech 50%, and 5 years as a member of the Zola Fel cult, I can take the test to become an initiate. The test is 5% x (POW + CHA)÷2.

Initiate test (40%): [1d100] = 3 Made it!

I must sacrifice all but one POW each Holy Day, pledge to keep the river pure and clean, and to respect the laws of the priests.

It says I can purchase the special spells of the cult, but all I see are the priest's rune spells, which don't have costs. Can I purchase those somehow? If not, I'll stick with Detect Enemies (300L), and take Swim Quietly +15% (base 5%, 600L).

You can sacrifice POW for rune spells. You may only sacrifice for re-usable rune spells available to your cult, and then they are single use (unless you still have them when you make rune priest).

[ffilz]

Here's my revised equipment list:

Background and Money (pg. 15)
Background [1d100] = 13 PEASANT, gets 1-100 lunars
Lunars [1d100] = 59

Automatic Equipment: clothing, belt knife, fire making gear, snares, drinking skin, basic camp gear, torches (5 encumbrance?)
Career Equipment: Composite helm, Cuirboilli (body), Leather (arms, legs)

Purchased Weapons (pg. 28 & 30, base chances pg. 23)
Dagger (25% base chance to hit, 1 encumbrance?), 15 lunars
Staff sling (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance?), 10 lunars
Sling (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance?), 1 lunar

Purchased Shield (pg. 30, base chances pg. 23)
Small (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance), 5 lunars

Purchased Armor (pg. 31)
Padding (head 1pt), 5 lunars

Money Leftover: 23 lunars

Career equipment includes the weapons trained in and padding to go under the armor provided.

[Starbeard]

Career equipment includes the weapons trained in and padding to go under the armor provided.

Okay, I've edited my post. How does this look? Once I've got this done, I think I can write up the whole character sheet and I'm done.

Lunars [1d100] = 59

Automatic Equipment: clothing, belt knife, fire making gear, snares, drinking skin, basic camp gear, torches (5 encumbrance?)
Career Armor: Composite helm & padding (head, 4 pts), Cuirboilli & padding (body, 4 pts, 2 enc), Leather & padding (arms 3pts, legs 3pts)
Career Weapons: Small shield (5% base, 1 enc), Spear (10%/20% base, 1 enc)

Purchased Weapons (pg. 28 & 30, base chances pg. 23)
Dagger (25% base chance to hit, 1 encumbrance?), 15 lunars
Sling (5% base chance, 1 encumbrance?), 1 lunar

Money Leftover: 43 lunars

[ffilz]

All looks good, another character done!

[Starbeard]

Great! That was fun. I'll repost the whole thing here for reference.

Mudbill
Duck, Initiate of Zola Fel

Characteristics (parentheses are maximum scores possible)
STR 10 (15)
INT 12
POW 9 (21)
CON 17
DEX 16 (21) — +5% attack, +5% parry, +5% defense, +5% stealth, +5% manipulation
CHA 6 (14)
SIZ 3 — +5% parry, +5% defense, +10% stealth, -1d4 damage

Melee Movement: 5
Damage: -1d4
Encumbrance limit: 10
Hit Points: 10

Abilities
Attack (+5%)
1 hand spear 25%
2 hand spear 35%

Defense 10%

Parry (+10%)
Small shield 25%

Stealth (+15%)
Swim Quietly 35%

Manipulation (+5%)
Limnology 30% +5%? (can't find any information on this, is it a manipulation or special skill?)

Knowledge
Speak Own Language (Praxian) ?
Write Own Language (Praxian) 40%
Speak Riverspeech 50%

Special
Swimming 95%
Rowing 50%


Magic
Detect Enemies 1


Items & Equipment
Total Encumbrance: 10?

Items: clothing, belt knife, fire making gear, snares, drinking skin, basic camp gear, torches (? enc)

Helm: composite helm & padding (4 pts)
Body Armor: cuirboilli & padding (4 pts) (2 enc)
Arm & Leg Armor: hard leather & padding (3 pts each)

Shield: small shield (1 enc)

Weapons: dagger (1 enc), sling (1 enc?), spear (1 enc)

Money: 43 lunars

[ffilz]

Limnology is a Knowledge skill (river knowledge).
Swimming was made a Manipulation skill in RQ2 which makes sense, so go with that
Rowing is a Manipulation skill
Speak languages are Communication skills now (the Oratory bonus)
Written languages are still Knowledge skills