2022 Character Creation Challenge, day 31 - Aimee Ducros, Specialist LotFP

 The last day of the character creation challenge for 2022.  Its been a fun journey, I am really pleased I gave it a go, I have had some great comments from some great people both on the blog and Twitter and that was the really cool part of it for me, so whilst a part of is glad I can now spend more time on gaming with some of those characters created, there is a part of me that will miss the fun of rolling up a character each night and hoping a few gamers may take a look at what I have done.

For this last day of the challenge I have gone with Lamentations of the Flame Princess.  This is a game I have been wanting to play for a while now, and maybe that time has come, I may roll up a couple of characters and run a solo session or three to get use to the rules and to keep me gaming whilst I continue to flesh out my Beyond the Wall Barley campaign.  

I kind of like the idea of setting the game in 17th Century France, at the time of Louis XIII, about the time of the Huguenot rebellions and the three musketeers, a time which I think will work well for LotFP.

So with that in mind, my first character for the game,

NAME : Aimee Ducros        CLASS :  Specialist        ALIGNMENT  :  Neutral

CHA : 11 (0)
CON : 15 (+1)
DEX : 6 (-1)
INT : 13 (+1)
STR : 7 (-1)
WIS : 12 (0)

HP 7    ATTACK BONUS : +1    AC :  13
Melee attack bonus = +1 -1 STR bonus = 0
Range attack bonus = +1 -1 DEX bonus = 0

SAVING ROLLS -
Paralysis : 14
Poison : 16
Breath : 15
Device : 14
Magic : 14

SKILLS
Climb (2 in 6)
Stealth (2 in 6)
Search (2 in 6)
Slight of Hand (2 in 6)
All other skills (1 in 6)

ARMOUR - Leather (AC14 -1 DEX bonus = 13)
WEAPONS - Dagger (1d4 damage)
                        Rapier (1d8 damage)

Aimee is not a natural adventurer, she is quiet and natural cautious but, having been born and brought up in the slums of Paris she is keen to get away from the poverty and deprivation she has become a part of.
Managing to find a little money, sometimes by fair means but mostly by foul, she has finally found the courage to head out of the slums in search of fortune.

And so as I come to the end the evening that is where I will leave Aimee and the characacter creation challenge 2022, its been a journey now its time to

Adventure On!

2022 Character Creation Challenge, A Thief for OSRIC

 

Day 30 of the character creation challenge,  the penultimate day, I am for sure a little fatigued with it all now but I only have two more characters to make then I will have completed the challenge and, in a small way, I can be proud of having seen the whole thing through.

I was unsure which rules set to do for today but then rummaging around my laptops hard drive I found OSRIC.  I have never played the game, indeed I had completely forgotten I had it so this seems like a great time to roll up a character from it.

I have gone down the high risk route of rolling 3d6 for each ability and with a dex of 16 and a decent cha, but a few low 9's in there to, I think a Rogue works well.

Here we go then.

NAME : Shona McDonald    Class Rogue      Level 1

STR: 9     DEX : 16    CON : 9    INT : 9    WIS : 12    CHA : 14

HIT POINTS : (d6) 6    AC (Leather) 6    MONEY 40gp

ABILITES :    Backstab, Climb 85%, Find Traps 25%,Hide in Shadows 20%, Move Quietly 20%, Open Lock/Disarm Traps 40%, Pick Pocket 35%, Hear Noise, 10%, Read Languages 1%, Thieves Cant.

Bonuses : bend bars etc 1, bend minor objects 1-6, Surprise +!, AC -2, +1 Languages, Max Henchmenn 6, +5 loyalty, +10 Reaction Bonus, System Shock 65, Survive resurection/Raise Dead 70

Saving Rolls.

Aimed Magic Items : 14, Breath Weapons : 16, Death, Paralysis, Poison 13, Petrification/Polymorph 12, Spells for unlisted categories 15.

WEAPONS

Dagger 1d4 hits
ShortSword 1d6 hits

BACKGROUND

Shona lives in the costal town of Stoneybridge, named so because of a stone bridge over the river which calls a halt to the travels of all but the small boats that enter the harbour.

Shona can usually be found in Nemos Nook Inn on the harbour where she hangs out with Weasel and Kid Sinister who most good folk wouldn't wish to know but then most good folk don't mix with the sailors and unsavoury sorts who frequent Nemos, a place where a gold coin could make your dreams come true or get you killed, its your choice.  

 Having no one else to call family, Shona sees Weasel and Kid as her brothers and they look out for each other, conning and stealing from the drunks and easy pray who make up the clientele of Nemos, its not good but its the only way they know to get by, the only way they have ever known. 

But Stoneybridge is a small place and Shona knows that there are those who she has come to the attention of who don't like her 'muscling' in on what they see as theirs, and then there are the town watch who are ramping up their campaign to clean the harbour up, wild ones like Shona, Weasel and Kid could find themselves in the dungeon or swinging by the neck from the end of a rope.   She knows there are other places, other towns out there where her name isn't known and a girl still can easily steal for a living and if that fails a wilderness with hidden treasure hordes only a thief could find and procure.

Maybe its time to say goodbye to Weasel and Kid and 

Adventure On!

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 29, Worlds without Number

For day 29 I am going to create a character for Kevin Crawfords Worlds without Number, whilst I may never play the game, the book is one I constantly refer, the world building section is fantastic and the main reason I picked up the book.

Right, lets get on with creating a character, 

Name :  Sam Heldain

Strength :  11 (0)
Dexterity :  14 (+1)
Constitution :  10 (0)
Intelligence :  9 (0)
Wisdom  :  14 (+1)
Charisma  :  14 (+1)

Hit Point : 4        Attack Bonus :  +0  AC 12

Background : carpenter , (rolled d20 for random background = 1, artizan)

Class :  Expert (trader)

Skills 
Carpentry - 1,  Trade - 1,   Connect -  0,  Shoot - 0
Foci 
Specialist (Trade) -1, Artizan (carpentry) -1

Equipment 
Artizan (carpentry) equipment

Buff Coat AC 12
Dagger  1d4 damage
Short Bow 1d6 damage
50 sp

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 28. Classic Traveller Character

 Well, day 28, another Friday and I have hit that point where all I really want to do is chill out for the night.  I have a dog to feed and walk then its a roast veg curry and a beer, after that I probably wont do anything more for the evening.  So that in mind I am going to blow the dust of my classic Traveller books and roll up a quick character from book 1.

Personal Date and History

Name :  Duncan 'scout' Mcleod    Age : 28

STR : 8   DEX : B    END : A    INT : C    EDU :  7    SOC  : A

Service History

Service :  Scout    Terms Serves :  2    Retired :  No

Equipment Qualified On

Vacc Suit -1
Tracked Vehicle -1

Pilot Skills

Pilot -1

Secondary Skills

Survival -1

Preferred Weapon

SMG -1

Equipment

 Scout Ship

So  'scout' McLoud only spent 2 terms in the scouts, though he did end up with a scout ship when he mustered out.

Scout still has a great love for the service, it was what he was born to do and believes he will still be called back to duty, why else would they give him a scout ship.

 

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 27, A Pirate Captain for Through Sunken Lands

 I have recently finished a little adventure of Through Sunken Lands involving two characters, Tilly and Moonwane, as I type this I have started writing up the climax of the adventure on the blog, it should be posted up on Chainmail & Sword in a few days.  As that adventure ended an idea for a new adventure popped into my head,  possibly with Tilly and a new character, a Pirate Captain, this will open up the whole of the sunken Lands to them as they will be able to travel to the furthest  corners in his ship.

I want the adventure to have a Michael Moorcock feel to it, Through Sunken Lands can do this quite well, I tried to capture this in my last adventure but somehow the game just never really came to life the way I had hoped it would, that Elric vibe, that Stormbringer vibe just did not happen for me, the fault lay with me, a lack of planning, not being very organised and grabbing a few minutes here and there to play the game when I could, made it all rather disjointed and less than rewarding.

So before I start the next adventure I need to make sure I know the direction its going to go in, what the goals of each character are and to make sure to find space to organise myself, set aside some time to get comfortable and immerse myself with the characters and the setting, something which I have not been able to do for a while now. 

For those who don't know anything about Through Sunken Lands and Other Adventures, its the swords & sorcery sister game to Beyond the Wall, indeed, I would almost call it a supplement to that game as it uses the same rules and many of the monsters and spells are ported straight over from BtW but it has a completely different feel to it and its own setting with the Impossible City, Jundar, and a vast ocean connecting far flung lands, I think you could certainly drop the Eternal Champion right in there without any problems. 

Okay, enough waffle, lets get on with the character.  I will assume for now that I am going to be using Tilly the thief  and a Pirate Captain for the next game, I already have Tilly rolled up so I just need the Pirate.

From the Pirate Playbook we get the following -

You came of age in a land far from the great city and learned to make your own way, sailing the seas in search of plunder. The tides of fate carried you to the great city, which you now call home. You command your ship and a loyal crew. With them at your back and new friends at your side you will seek riches and glory across the world.

You are alert and commanding. Your Wisdom and Charisma begin at 10, and all of your other ability scores begin at 8.

What was your childhood like? (roll 1d12 = 10)
10 gives us "You grew up under the rule of a god-king along a fertile river stretching through the trackless sands.
+1 to STR, CON, INT, WIS and gain skill Etiquette.

How did you distinguish yourself as a child? (roll d8 = 5)
You enjoyed wandering far on your own.
+2 WIS, +1 CON

You learned the ways of the sea and took command of your crew. You become a level 2 warrior-rogue. You gain the class abilities Highly Skilled and Knacks. You learn the skill Sailing.

How did you take to the seas? (roll 1 d6 = 5)
There were so many treasures in so many of the ships on the seas.  You soon came to the realisation that a fast ship and a strong arm could make a fortune.
+2 STR, +1 INT and gain skill Appraisal.

How did you move from sailor to captain?  (roll 1d6= 6)
One of the elemental lords gifted you this ship in recognition of a great deed.
+2 INT and gain skill Forbidden Secrets

Who is your most valued contact in Jundar ?  (roll d8 = 2)
One of the dancers who performs on the edge of the great market is a close friend of yours.
+2 DEX, +1 WIS

What happened on a mission on the high seas? (roll d6 = 4)
You raided a small city state led by a warmongering tyrant and defeated his ships in battle.
+2 INT gain Knack Fleet and skill Strategy

Who is your first mate? (roll d 6= 5)
a cold and passionless logician who improves all of your plans.
+2 INT and gain an ally.

Name : Edrik Jharrl        Class : Warrior/Rogue        Level : 2
Alignment : Neutral        Experience : 1500            Base Attack Bonus : +1    Initiative : 4
Armor Class : 12        Hit Points :  14

Strength : 11 (0)
Dexterity : 10 (0)
Constitution :  10 (0)
Intelligence :  16 (+2)
Wisdom  : 14 (+1)
Charisma :  10 (0)

Knacks :  Fleet (+1 Initiative)
Skills :  Etiquette, Sailing, Appraisal, Forbidden Secrets, Strategy
Traits :  Child of the Sea (never becomes lost at sea)
Saving Throws :  Poison : 13, Breath Weapon : 16, Polymorph : 13,  Spell : 15, Magic Item : 14
Equipment : 
Dagger (1d4 damage, +1 to hit)
Cutlass (1d8 damage, +1 to hit)
Leathers (+2 AC)

A fast, small ship with 12 crew and a First Mate (Ally)
36 Silvers

With his ship, crew and ally, Edrik seems to have no need for a further adventurer to join his outfit but I guess he needs to earn more silvers to keep his crew from mutiny, not all of them are loyal, so Tilly the thief could be an asset to him and him to her, we will see.

Adventure On. 

2022 Character Creation Challenge, Day 26, Stormbringer

 Stormbringer has to be my favourite RPG, well at least of all those I have either read or played, there are many games out there I know little to nothing about.

I have the GW third edition, (from 1987 if memory serves me), the old book is really well thumbed and sadly the glue holding the pages to the spine has given up the task of keeping the whole thing together and many of the pages have now come away from the cover.

I guess my love affair with the game came about because my first exposure to the genre was way back in the 70's, WH Smiths in Keswick (Cumbria, UK) or maybe it was Woolworths, memory is foggy on the actual shop, it doesn't really matter, I do recall that first book of Moorcock I purchased, Corum, the Knight of the Swords, it felt like the first grown up novel I had bought and read, to this day it has stuck with me as the book that got me into the whole swords & sorcery thing, the whole RPG hobby and a life long affair with gaming.

So tonight I am opening the pages once again of that old, well read, well thumbed hardback book, Stormbringer, to give you Raliana.

NAME : Raliana    SEX : Female    AGE 25    
NATIONALITY : Eshmir    CLASS :  Priest/Sorcerer    CULT : Mabelrode

STR : 11
CON : 14
SIZ  :  7
INT  :  16
POW  :  18
DEX  :  9
CHA  : 13

HITS : 12        MAJOR WOUND LEVEL :  6
ARMOUR :  NON
WEAPOND  : Bonuses +10% attack, +6% Parry
                    Broadsword 47% attack, 1d8+1 damage, 43% parry
                    Dagger    40% attack,  1d4 +2 damage,  46% parry

MONEY 252large bronze

AGILITY : bonus 4%

Climb :  14%
Dodge : 4%
Jump : 14%
Ride : 16%
Swim : 4 %
Tumble  4%

COMMUNICATION  :  bonus +11 %

Credit : 36%
Orate :  33%
Persuade : 36%
Sing : 11%

KNOWLADGE  :  bonus +8%

Craft (gems) : 8%
Eval Treasure : 8%
First Aid :  48%
Map Make :  8%
Memorize  :  8%
Navigate   :  8%
Plant Lore  :  48%

READ/WRITE/SPEAK
Common : 88%/88%
High Melnib  :  68%/68%
Low Melnib  :  48%/$8%

MANIPULATION  :  bonus 10%

Juggle  :  10%
Pick Lock    :  10%
Set Trap  :  10%
Tie Knot  :  10%

PERCEPTION :  bonus 10%

Balance :  20%
Listen   :  27%
Scent  :  10%
Search  :  28%
See  :  20%
Taste  :  10%
Track  :  10%

SREALTH  :  bonus 2%

Ambush  :  2%
Conceal  :  2%
Cut Purse  :  2%
Hide  :  12%
Move Quietly  :  46%

And that Raliana for you.  Will she ever get to the table top, probably not, I use Through Sunken Lands RPG for my Michael Moorcock gaming fix these days, mostly because the old Stormbringer book is in such bad shape, but I guess you should never say never,

Adventure on 

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 25, Stars without Number

 We enter the last week of the Character Creation Challenge, I plan to create a character from 7 different games over this last seven days, from games that as yet I have not created a character from.

After three days of Other Suns, the FGU published sci-fi game from the 80's,  I have decided I am going to stick with the sci-fi theme for today but with a modern game in the form of Stars without Number.  I have the free pdf version of the game on my hard drive, as yet I have never played it not even rolled up a character so this should be fun, here goes,

Name :  Dmitri Garov

Strength :  14 (+1)
Dexterity :  14 (+1)
Constitution :  10 (0)
Intelligence :  8 (0)
Wisdom  :  11 (0)
Charisma  :  12 (0)

Hit Point : 7        Attack Bonus :  +1

Background :  Thug, (rolled d20 for random background = 18, thug)

Class :  Warrior

Skills 
Stab - 1,  Talk - 0,   Connect -  0,  Punch - 0
Foci 
Armsman -1, Close Combat -1

Equipment 
Blade Package :
Monoblade Sword (1d8+1 Damage)
Woven Body Armour (AC15)
Secure Clothing (AC13)
Thermal Knife (1d6 damage)
Backpack
Compad
Lazarus Patch
50 Credits

Dmitri's home world is Novay Moskow, born in to poverty, he made his way on the wrong side of the street, working as a thug for various nefarious operations and gangs.  Eventually Dmitri came to the attention of both the big crime lords and the planet law authorities and not in a good way with either of them.  Realising his only options if stayed on Novay Moskow were prison or death, he has chosen to leave his homeworld for good and make a living as best he can amongst the stars.

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 24, Badratilat, Korli Survival Expert for Other Suns

 This is my third of three characters for the Niall Shapero's 80's game Other Suns, another created for the #charactercreationchallenge.  I am rolling up a Korli, that's the little fella with the bushy tail having a go at the human who I rolled up as Zandra the planetologist for day 22.

I won't bother with much preamble today, just get straight on with the character.  A little background on the Korli would be helpful though.  The Korli are bipedal tailed intelligent mammals that resemble  nothing more than oversized ground squirrels but they are omnivores and highly aggressive.  Home or Homeworld is virtually indistinguishable from Earth.   Although argumentative and quarrelsome, Korli are still very gregarious.   

NAME :  Badratilat (Rat for short)        Korli Male Survival Expert.

STR :  13       INT :  12    WIL :  16    CON :  16    END :  22    DEX :  18    CHA :  14
Hight (LEN) :  119cm (3'11" to the tips of her ears)        Build (BLD) :  11      SIZE (SIZ)  :  175 MASS 34kg 
Hit Point (HIT)  :  15        LUCK (LUC)  :  14
Telepathic Strike Capability (TSC) :  0        Telepathic Resistance (TRP) : 10

ABILITIES :

Accuracy (ACC)  :  +24%
Attack (ATT)  : +26%
Damage (DAM)  :  0
Dodge (DOD)  :  +23% (0)
Knowledge (KNO)  :    +9%
Manipulation (MAN)  :   +28%
Observation (OBS)  :    +14%
Parry (PAR)  :  +28%
Persuasion (PER)  :  +21%
Stealth (STE)  :  +23%

SPECIALITY  :  Survival Expert (Star Arm, Rank- ComRictorob (equivalent to Lieutenant)

Skills  :  

Climbing  :  56%
Vehicular Operations :  56%
Scout Suit :  56%
Vac-suit :  56%

Hide in Cover  :  56%
Move Quietly  :  56%
Sense Ambush  :  56%
Set Ambush  :  56%
Skiing  :  56%
Spot Hidden Objects  :   56%
Spot Traps  :  56%
Swimming  :  56%

Encumberance :  53kg, can carry 19kg at 1.01g

I think I got lucky with Badratilat, he got some decent dice rolls for his Abilities, that gives him great attribute bonuses on all attributes except Knowledge, a shame as all his skills start at 35+INT+KNO or 35+12+9, so 56.

Unusually for a Korli, he cannot make telepathic attacks but he does have a decent resistance to telepathic attacks.  He is short at 119cm tall and 34kg in weight  with a strong build and a good constitution, all of which make for Survival Expert.  He has fecent accuracy and attack bonuses so very useful in combat situations, with that in mind I decide to make him part of the Survey Branch of the Star Arm which is the home for explorers in the OverGovernment fleet.  I also made him a Lieutenant, and second in command of the motley crew I am putting together, his tough Korli nature is needed to keep them all in check

I now have another great character to go along with Zandra and  Yewlira, I think I will throw them together as the crew of a fast scattership on a survey mission, scatterships have a crew of between 1 and 8, I think 6 would work well and as I feel like I am getting to grips with the game again after a 35+ years absence, rolling up another three characters at some point no longer seems the chore I thought it would be, that however is for another day, as far as the character creation challenge goes, Badratilat is the last Other Suns character but, wow, who wouldn't want to travel the hegemony and beyond in one of these  ships!

Adventure on!

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 23, Yewlira H'Reli Soldier for Other Suns

There are two things I don't do enough of, make salads and play Sci-Fi games, this year I should put that right.  I am not going to start sharing salad recipes on this blog but I am going to do more Sci-Fi posts and games, starting yesterday.

 For day 22 I rolled up a human character for the old FGU published game Other Suns.  After I had typed the character up I started reading through the books again, really interesting and really cool to revisit this old game.  The character I created yesterday, Zandra the planetologist, proved to be interesting in her less than remarkable remarkability, with low attribute scores and ability scores mostly negative, at less than 5 feet tall and well over 145lbs, she seemed to be less than heroic but that makes her interesting to play.

For today I think it would be fun to roll up an alien character.  I pinched the above picture out the rules book, it depicts a Korli (the one with the bushy tail), a Human and a H'Reli.  So I thought, if the human is Zandra, likely as the Kroli is chastising her probably for getting something wrong, then I should roll up the other two as characters and see what we get.  Today, day 23, I am rolling up the H'Reli.

First off, a little background about the H'Reli from the book. 
The H'Reli are a bipedal felidae species, looking like housecats with oversized braincases and are human sized.
Their homeworld Syind is basically a twin of Earth but with a slightly higher gravity (1.31g).  It orbits a type 5 star at a distance of 1.59 astronomical units (or there about).
The H'Reli became a member of the Hegemony during the third expansion and have a had a representative on the central committee since then.

NAME :  Yewlira        H'Reli Female Soldier.

STR :  12       INT :  18    WIL :  12    CON :  12    END :  27    DEX :  13    CHA :  14
Hight (LEN) :  160cm (5'3" to the tips of her ears)        Build (BLD) :  6      SIZE (SIZ)  :  17  MASS 49kg (7st 10lbs approx)
Hit Point (HIT)  :  15        LUCK (LUC)  :  15
Telepathic Strike Capability (TSC) :  1        Telepathic Resistance (TRP) : 5

ABILITIES :

Accuracy (ACC)  :  +22%
Attack (ATT)  : +23%
Damage (DAM)  :  0
Dodge (DOD)  :  +26% (0)
Knowledge (KNO)  :    +17%
Manipulation (MAN)  :   +26%
Observation (OBS)  :    +18%
Parry (PAR)  :  +14%
Persuasion (PER)  :  +10%
Stealth (STE)  :  +25%

SPECIALITY  :  Soldier (Star Arm, Rank- Binarobteron (equivalent to Petty Officer 3rd Class)

Skills  :  

Armourer : 35%
Command Skills :  35%
Vehicular Operations :  46%
Pilot :  35%
Blaster Pistol :  52%
.23 Stoner Rifle Semi Auto :  +46%
Shoulder Fired Rocket  :  35%
Scout Suit :  70%
Vac-suit :  70%
Marauder 1 :  46% 

Encumberance :  79kg, can carry 30kg at 1.31g

Yewlira got some good dice rolls which gives her some high ability bonuses and the ability to make telepathic attacks which is rare for a H'Reli.  She is 160cm tall and 49kg in weight  with a slight build which sounds about right for a feline type creature.  She has decent rolls for attributes, in particular Intelligence and her accuracy and attack bonuses are high as well, with that in mind I decide to make her a soldier in the Survey Branch of the Star Arm which is the home for explorers in the OverGovernment fleet.

I have another great character to go along with Zandra and I am now beginning to get a picture of what their roles are, Zandra the planetologist attached to Survey Branch, Yewlira the soldier is there as the guard.  If the complexity of creating characters for this game doesn't outface me I will continue and put together a survey team, give them a scout ship and send them off on some grand survey tour.  

Adventure on!

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 21 & Day 22

Friday the 21st of January was a day I ran out of time and energy so I never managed to write up a post for the character I created for the challenge, instead I put a photo of the character sheet on twitter which got more interest than when I make the effort to write them up as a blog post, actually that's not true, as a result of the challenge and posting daily on the blog I have had a lot of people taking a look at my solo rpg site and that's made the effort truly worth while, I just don't get many likes on my twitter tweets but does that really matter, well in the grand scheme of things, no.

The character I created for my 21st day of the challenge was Keadan Woodgaze, an elven ranger for Beyond the Wall RPG.  I did think about giving him his own post, retrospectively, on the blog more for completeness than anything else but I decided not to, I have more than enough characters rolled up my Barley campaign using BtW rules, if anything is to be done with him it will be as an NPC and I may make him a 3rd or 4th level Ranger and fit him into an adventure somewhere, sometime.  For now he will just live on a piece of paper and a distant twitter tweet.

So that brings me to the 22nd day of the character creation challenge, I did intend to do one last Low Fantasy Gaming character but I feel with 6 created already that was enough, I also feel I have exhausted Beyond the Wall, my Barley setting is nicely populated as far as player-characters go, I think its time to do something very different.

A game I have not played in over 35 years and yet remains dear to my heart is Other Suns, Niall Shapero's Sci Fi game published by FGU.  I must have bought it back in 84 or 85, I think I ran a game or two but it just suffered from being a bit over clever and complex,( I mean, to calculate your Dodge score you have to work out the formula 2x (INT + DEX) + WIL - BLD -42, okay, you don't need a degree to work that out but its still a little over the top),  and it was a little light in the background department, the Hegemony seemed really colourful but there just wasn't enough there to really get a game going, if both those things had been addressed I think it would have faired better than it did.

One criticism of the game which I think was unfair was that it was to cute with its furry species, many of the intelligent species were very close to earth like mammals, that much is true, but then even Traveller had its Vargr and other furries, in fact I think Other Suns was quite a gritty game, combat was deadly and you could throw characters into strange alien world to explore, allowing your imagination to run wild and the sprinkling of furry characters was something I loved.

At the time though the game just got abandoned, over the years the box and reference sheet got lost or perhaps damages and thrown out, the books are a little worse for ware but still, perhaps its time to revisit the game, after all I am 35 years older and I see things through very different eyes to how I saw things then.  So a game I found too complex back then, today may just be a heap of coolness to play, so day 22 of the challenge I give you Zandra the Planetologist,   

NAME :  Zandra        Human Female Planetologist.

Rank 109 (courtesy commission only) 

STR :  9       INT :  12    WIL :  6    CON :  11    END :  17    DEX :  10    CHA :  14
Hight (LEN) :  151cm (4'9.5")        Build (BLD) :  11      SIZE (SIZ)  :  19  MASS 68kg (10st 10lbs)
Hit Point (HIT)  :  14        LUCK (LUC)  :  9
Telepathic Strike Capability (TSC) :  0        Telepathic Resistance (TRP) : 5

ABILITIES :

Accuracy (ACC)  :  -2%
Attack (ATT)  : -4%
Damage (DAM)  :  0
Dodge (DOD)  :  -3% (0)
Knowledge (KNO)  :    -1%
Manipulation (MAN)  :   -5%
Observation (OBS)  :    -6%
Parry (PAR)  :  -9%
Persuasion (PER)  :  +1%
Stealth (STE)  :  3%

SPECIALITY  :  Planetology

Skills  :  

Cartography  23%
Geochemistry  23%
Geology  23%
Meteorology   23%
Oceanography   23%
Planetology   46%

Encumberance :  96, can carry 28kg at 1g

Zandra turned out to be one of those characters you probably wish you had never rolled up but in fact could be a great character to roll play.  At only 151cm tall and 68kg in weight I can only imagine her to be short and a slightly overweight and with at best average rolls for abilities, (except her charisma), I see her as being rather less than exceptional, certainly a bit of a hindrance in a fight and even her speciality of Planetology she is less than mediocre but her likeable character probably carries her through.

I have had a load of fun revisiting this game after all these years and that's what the hobby is all about, having fun,

Adventure on!

     

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 20 - Rhian the woodsgirl for Beyond the Wall RPG

I did some more work on my Beyond the Wall RPG campaign last night, working on a map of the area around Barley and my enthusiasm for the game came flooding back to me.  So for todays Character Creation Challenge I am offering Rhian, a young Woodswoman (or woodsgirl).  The map is not quite finished but once it is I will write up a post with details of the area and a copy of the map but for now here is Rhian 

NAME: Rhian         RACE: Human    CLASS: Rogue (Woodswoman)    LEVEL: 1

ALIGNMENT: Neutral    BASE ATTACK BONUS: 0    INIT: 3    EXP PTS:

STR: 13(+!)    DEX: 12(0)    CON: 16(+2)    INT: 9(0)    WIS: 13(+1)    CHA: 13(+1)
+1 to melee hit.
0 to ranged to hit, 0 to AC, 0 to Initiative
1d8 +2 hp per level
1 language known
16 save vrs mind control
5 max no. of allies

AC: 12 (leathers)    FORTUNE POINTS: 5    HIT PTS 10

SAVING THROWS
POISON: 13    BREATH WEAPON: 16    POLYMORPH: 12    SPELL: 15    MAGIC ITEM: 14

SKILLS: Survival, Alertness(x2), Singing, Hunting

CLASS ABILITIES: FORTUNE FAVOUR, HIGHLY SKILLED

TRAIT: MIGHTY SHOT, add 100 yards to range of any drawn missile

WEAPONS :
Dagger +1 to hit    1d4 damage
Staff  +1 to hit    1d6 damage
Sword of Flame +1 to hit    1d8damage, plus flame, will set fire to anything combustible it strikes. 

EQUIPMENT:
Weapons as above.
Peasants Clothing
Heavy Green Cloak
Leather Armour
Knife
Flint and Tinderbox
Waterskin

MONEY: 13 silvers, 0 Coppers

HISTORY & NOTES:
Rhian is around 5'3" tall with long copper coloured hair, hazel coloured eyes and freckles on her face.
Orphaned at a very young, Rhian grew up without knowing what happened to her parents and no one in the village spoke of them.  She spent her childhood helping the blacksmith and out alone in the woods which called her away from the village and where she developed an affinity to some of the creature that inhabit the local woodlands.
It was whilst out in the woods that she found her magical sword in a rowan tree, although she keeps her sword secret from most she confided to Elowen the Fae Foundling that a Fox Fairy led her to it.
She has a strong bond with Elown, the Fae, both of whom never knew their parents and with Karina Lankrit the bard who she often sing with in the village tavern.

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 19 - Ailwyn the Elf for Low Fantasy Gaming RPG

 This is my sixth and penultimate character for LFG as part of the character creation challenge, its time now to get the adventure fleshed out and some of these characters put into action. 

For this character I thought I would do something a little different and I chose the Elf Class as given to us by JD Diaz.  Elves don't play a big part in either the Bay of Spirits setting or Low Fantasy Gaming but exist they do and this character could offer something different to the adventuring party if used, if not, certainly make a really good, interesting NPC. 

Right, on with the challenge.

Name :  Ailwyn Orinmaller    Class :  Elf    Level :  1    Background : Sailing

Attributes    

Strength :  12 (0)   GS 6, TF 18
Dexterity :  16 (+2)   GS 8, TF 24
Constitution :  10 (0)   GS 5, TF 15
Intelligence :  12 (0)   GS 6, TF 18
Willpower :  14 (+1)   GS 7, TF 21
Perception :  15 (+2)   GS 7, TF 22 (Key Attribute)
Charisma :  15 (+2)   GS 7, TF 22

AC :  13    HP :  6    Luck :  11    Reroll :  1

Attack Bonus :  0

Weapons : 
    Longbow 2d4+1 damage (+2 to hit) cost 50gh, range 250
    Longsword 1d8 damage (0 to hit) 
    Dagger 1d6 damage (0 to hit)

Class Abilities :
    Elven Physiology, Elven Sorcery (1 level 1 spell, cure light wounds)

Skills 
    Arcane Lore,  Acrobatics,  Athletics, Tricks & Locks, Sailing, Wilderness Lore

Equipment 

    Longbow, Dagger, Longsword., Light Armour +1 to AC

Treasure

    41gp

Backstory

Ailwyn is a Sea Elf (as  the Eastern Elves are called), he is tall, slender and, like all Eastern Elves, has jet black hair.  Sea Elves hail from an island nation far to the east and rarely venture to the Bay of Spirits. 
Ailwyn was a crew member on a Sea Elf merchant ship blown off course when a sudden violent storm blew up one night.  Ailwyn remembers nothing about what happened during that terrible night except being found on the Eastern shore of the Outer Bay by Wyvern Guard.   

That was several months ago, now Ailwyn, with little chance to get back to his homeland has set about exploring the bay and it was in a wayside inn that he came into contact with and got talking to a small group of young adventures,  that is when they he decided to band together and go off into the hinterland with them to explore and find adventure and, maybe, a way home.

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 18 - Wren the Ranger for Low Fantasy Gaming RPG

Tonight I am creating a Ranger for Low Fantasy Gaming, I am using the Ranger Class for the Original Low Fantasy Gaming which you can download from their webite (here it is), there is also a Ranger Class Abilities Kit by Brad Ohlman of Goblin Scribe fame but I have not got the newer Deluxe edition of the game yet,  I am desperately trying to put some pennies to one side for the printed version but repairs to my old camper van as well as mundane things like paying for heating the house in winter and eating seem to be taking all my hard earned cash at the moment.

This is my fifth character for LFG, going to do two more after this then I am going to get a game going with the pick of them.

Right, on with the challenge.

Name :  Wren    Class :  Ranger    Level :  1    Background : Tracker

Attributes    

Strength :  12 (0)   GS 6, TF 18
Dexterity :  16 (+2)   GS 8, TF 24
Constitution :  15 (+2)   GS 7, TF 22
Intelligence :  9 (0)   GS 4, TF 13 
Willpower :  14 (+1)   GS 7, TF 21
Perception :  16 (+2)   GS 8, TF 24 (Key Attribute)
Charisma :  15 (+2)   GS 7, TF 22

AC :  13    HP :  10    Luck :  11    Reroll :  1

Attack Bonus :  1

Weapons : 
    Longbow 2d4+1 damage (+2 to hit) cost 50gh, range 250
    Longsword 1d8 damage (0 to hit) 
    Dagger 1d6 damage (0 to hit)

Class Abilities :
    Beast Companion (Wolf), Rangecraft (seasoned explorer, veteran scout)

Skills 
    Animal Lore,  Acrobatics,  Athletics, , Detection, Persuasion, Stealth, Wilderness Lore

Equipment 

    Longbow, Dagger, Longsword., Light Armour +1 to AC

Treasure

    35gp

Backstory

 Wren was brought up by her farther when her mother died during childbirth.  Her farther was a hunter, tracker and a wanderer, living an almost nomadic existence in the wilds of the hinterland.  Wren had little choice but to learn the ways of a ranger if she wanted to survive.

Wren was orphaned in her early teens when she and her farther were set upon by Goblins, her farther saved Wren but only by sacrificing himself.  Finding herself alone in the wilds of the Bay of Spirits, Wren learned quickly how to survive and was befriended by a she wolf  who Wren named Tara.

Wren has found it impossible to settle down in any one place, perhaps not surprising given her up bringing and it was in a wayside inn that she came into contact with and got talking to a small group of young adventures,  that is when they she bravely decided to band together and go off into the hinterland with them to explore and find adventure along with her constant companion Tara.

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 17 - Nydia Fernwise the Magic User for Low Fantasy Gaming RPG

Sticking with Low Fantasy Gaming characters for the today, (as well as the next few days), and I have already rolled up some attributes, with a score for Intelligence of 14 I am going to make this character a  magic user. 

 
The Charisma roll is at the lower end of average with a score of 9, and that has given me this image of a young witchy girl, quiet to a point of being silent, unobtrusive and inconspicuous, not unlikable but perhaps a little hard to get to know, I will say more in the Backstory at the end of the character sheet, so lets get this character typed up

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 16 - Cuán the Druid for Low Fantasy Gaming RPG

Its day 16 of the #charactercreationchallenge, half way through January already, where does the time go!

I am staying with Low Fantasy Gaming for todays character, the more I delve into the game the more I like it, there is some great community content for it as well including the Druid Class by Brad Ohlman which I used to create the Druid character given here.

So without further waffle lets get the third character, Cuán, rolled up, (Cuán is Irish name meaning little wolf or little hound by the way).

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 15 - Pedler Glatz the Rogue for Low Fantasy Gaming RPG

Day 15 of the #charactercreationchallenge and I am sticking with Low Fantasy Gaming.  I have a winter themed adventure set in the Bay of Spirits I really want to get going with, so am going to roll up a few a few characters then straight on with the game, it will be a case of making six or seven characters then picking four that I think will work, the adventure will be written up on the blog.

The second character is a Rogue, Pedar Glatz.

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 14 - Canaid the Bard for Low Fantasy Gaming RPG

 Here we are, day 14 of the challenge, after struggling for time yesterday what with work commitments and time constraints, I thought I would steal a bit of time to create a character, its been a bit of a non productive day work wise anyway, got a delivery of firewood this morning then we had to drive into town for food supplies and to the post office to send out some orders.  Its now 2:30 in the afternoon and Friday and my desire to do any paid work is nil, I will make up some time tomorrow, in the mean time, #charactercreationchallenge.

I am still keen to run some games set in Roan Studios Bay of Spirits setting (link to Bay of Spirits material here) and the plan was to use Blood & Treasure as the rules set but after creating several characters using Blood & Treasure I came of the mind to create a high fantasy setting from scratch for these characters to adventure through.

That leaves me looking for a low fantasy game for use with Bay of Spirits, so I am thinking Low Fantasy Gaming RPG may well be the job, sound like it should.  I have downloaded the free PDF version from DrivethruRPG.com to try out and if it fits the bill I may splash out on the newest version, we will see how it goes.

The first character is a Bard, Canaid, which is a Welsh name meaning song or so I am told.

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 13 - Karina the local performer, Beyond the Wall RPG

Day 13 of the Challenge, I thought I was going to fail today, work and time against me, so today I will post one more character for Beyond the wall, Karina the local performer.

 

 NAME: Karina Lankrit         RACE: Human    CLASS: Rogue (Bard)    LEVEL: 1

ALIGNMENT: Neutral    BASE ATTACK BONUS: 0    INIT: 2    EXP PTS:

STR: 10(0)    DEX: 11(0)    CON: 13(+1)    INT: 9(0)    WIS: 12(0)    CHA: 16(+2)
0 to melee hit.
0 to ranged to hit, 0 to AC, 0 to Initiative
1d8+1 hp per level
1 language known
15 save vrs mind control
6 max no. of allies

AC: 12    FORTUNE POINTS: 5    HIT PTS 9

SAVING THROWS
POISON: 13   BREATH WEAPON: 16    POLYMORPH: 12    SPELL: 15    MAGIC ITEM: 14

SKILLS: Performer(2), Athletics, Deceit, Herbalism

CLASS ABILITIES: HIGHLY SKILLED, FAVOUR FORTUNE/

TRAIT: DISTRACTING FIGHTER, add charisma bonus to AC

WEAPONS :
Dagger 0 to hit    1d4 damage
Sword of blackened steel 0 to hit    1d8 damage

EQUIPMENT:
Weapons as above.
Simple Clothing
Flamboyant Cloak
Lute

MONEY: 17silvers, 0 Coppers

HISTORY & NOTES: 
Karina is tall and slim, blond hair and green eyes, she has both an attractive and charming face with a charisma to match.  She is a skilled performer with a plaintive and spellbinding voice, adept at playing the lute.  She spends all her time in the local inn (the blue goose) performing her songs and captivating all with her tall tales of magic & wonder.

Karina became a close friend of Rhian the orphaned woodsgirl, often going with her to the woods to gather herbs and spices and Rhian often joins her to sing in the local inn.

She was given a sword of blackened steel by the local blacksmith who was troubled by her going out into the woods unarmed.

2022 Character Creation Challenge - Elowen the Fae Foundling for Beyond The Wall RPG

 

Character Stats

NAME: Elowen    CLASS: Warrior/Mage    LEVEL: 1

ALLIGNMENT: Neutral    BASE ATTACK BONUS: 1    INITIATIVE: 5

STR: 9(0)    DEX: 19(+3)    CON: 10(0)    INT: 13(+1)    WIS: 11(0)    CHA: 8(-1)

ARMOUR CLASS: 15    FORTUNE POINTS: 3    HIT POINTS: 8 (8)

SKILLS: Command, Sense Magic

KNACK: Defensive Fighter

SPELLS: Greater Illusion, Veil of Sleep

Saving Throws

A few changes to the Blog for 2022

 Chainmail & Sword started out life in 2020 as a blog about a fantasy miniatures campaign I wanted to run, if you look at the early posts they are of figures I painted up either for the planned campaign or some other fantasy miniature idea I had in my head.  Then things went quiet on that front and the blog pretty much went the way of many blogs, my miniature games stalled, I had nothing to blog about and so the blog just faded into nothingness.

Then 2021 and I started playing RPG's solo,

2022 Character Creation Challenge. Midwinter the Lords Wayward Daughter for Beyond the Wall

 

Character Stats

NAME: Midwinter    CLASS: Warrior   LEVEL: 1

ALLIGNMENT: Neutral    BASE ATTACK BONUS: 1    INITIATIVE: 5

STR: 10(0)    DEX: 13(+1)    CON: 16(+2)    INT: 13(+1)    WIS: 11(0)    CHA: 8(-1)

ARMOUR CLASS: 15    FORTUNE POINTS: 3    HIT POINTS: 12 (12)

SKILLS: Etiquette, Animal Ken, Healing

KNACK: Defensive Fighter  +1 to AC

WEAPON SPECIALIZATION:  Long Sword (+1 to hit, +2 damage)

Saving Throws

Solo 'Through Sunken Lands RPG', a Tilly and Moonwane adventure, session 8

 

Prolegomenon

My Christmas break is well and truly over, its back to the reality of work, getting existing orders out and new orders in, making a living is never easy.  Thankfully I feel I have recharged my batteries somewhat over the past week or so, I am taking on the 2022 character creation challenge, that's proving fun and I am managing to find a little time to get some gaming in. I am carrying on with Tilly and Moonwane and their travels Through Sunken Lands, its fun but sometimes a little slow.

I want to make a few changes in this session, as much as I like the d20 oracle offered by Zathrum, I sometimes find it disrupts the flow of the game, for example, the characters enter a village, I ask "is the 

2022 Character Creation Challenge day 10, Tristram the Forgotten Child, Beyond the Wall RPG

 Character Stats

NAME: Tristram    CLASS: Rogue   LEVEL: 1

ALLIGNMENT: Neutral    BASE ATTACK BONUS: 0    INITIATIVE: 2

STR: 8(-1)    DEX: 11(0)    CON: 11(0)    INT: 15(+1)    WIS: 12(0)    CHA: 14(+1)

ARMOUR CLASS: 12    FORTUNE POINTS: 5    HIT POINTS: 8(8)

SKILLS:  Animal Ken,  Alertness, Folklore, Ancient History, Mythical Beast Lore

Saving Throws

2022 Character Creation Challenge day 9, Auden the Assistant Beast Keeper, Beyond the Wall RPG

 

Character Stats

NAME: Auden    CLASS: Rogue/Mage    LEVEL: 1

ALLIGNMENT: Neutral    BASE ATTACK BONUS: 0    INITIATIVE: 2

STR: 11(0)    DEX: 12(0)    CON: 13(+1)    INT: 12(0)    WIS: 13(+1)    CHA: 12(0)

ARMOUR CLASS: 10    FORTUNE POINTS: 5    HIT POINTS: 9 (9)

SKILLS:  Sense Magic, Animal Ken, Survival, Cooking, Athletics, Singing

CANTRIPS: Beast Ken,  Blessing

Saving Throws

Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures - Village of Barley, Flora Brambleberry

 

I made a post about Hazel the Witches 'Prentice as part of the 2022 create a character challenge the other day (you can read it here), and I made reference to Flora Brambleberry the one foot high chambermaid who looks after the pots, jars and earthenware containers of every description for Wihnhilda Barkridge the village witch.  I thought it may be fun and interesting to say more about this diminutive fae creature.

Fords  Faeries, a bestiary inspired by Henry Justice Ford.

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 8 - Rilin Half Elf for Blood & Treasure

  

For day 8 of the #charactercreationchallenge and I am continuing with Blood & Treasure characters, I have now rolled three characters up for the game .  For day 6 I created Talenor, a scruffy laid back Magic User, I also have  Galin Finebelch, a gnomish cleric and Annag, a Druid, she was my first attempt at rolling up a Blood & Treasure character, I think I am starting to get the knack of it now. As with Talenor, I am going to roll 4d6 and discard the lowest die , then pick a race and class, lets see what happens,

STR: 15 (rolled 6,6,3,1, so drop the 1) - (+1 modifier)

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 7 - Hazel the Witches 'Prentice. Beyond the Wall

I am a bit short of time today so I have cheated a bit on the challenge, I have gone back to Beyond the Wall and perhaps my favourite character for my current campaign.

Hazel the Witches Prentice

 Character Stats

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 6 - Another character for Blood & Treasure

 For day 6 of the #charactercreationchallenge its back to Blood & Treasure, I want to see if I can put together a decent party of adventures for the game, a mix of classes and races.  Last time we had  Galin Finebelch, a gnomish cleric created very much at random and by just rolling 3d6 for his attributes, this time I am going to roll 4d6 and use the best three rolls for the attributes, then pick a race and class, lets see what happens,

STR: 12 (rolled 5,5,2,2, so drop a 2)

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 5 - Tom Singer, Rats in the Wall RPG

For todays Character Creation Challenge I am going to create Tom Singer, the other half the duo Singer and Sixpence, (Sixpence Berrycloth was created yesterday), for the RPG Rats in The Wall, a little Cthulhu-esc RPG which I intend to play a game or two starting very soon.
I started an adventure with Tom and Sixpence a while back but I got a little stuck as at that time, I had no rules and found it impossible to run properly without, I still have the opening scene though so I will pick up from where I left off , (I have copied the opening part of the adventure from the original post and pasted it below for anyone who may be mildly interested). 
I don't have a picture of Tom but here is a good photo of their Austin 7 Tourer, lovely little motor.

NAME : Lieutenant Tom Singer

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 4 - Sixpence Berrycloth, Rats in the Wall RPG

 Going back to last year when I first had the crazy idea to type up my solo RPG sessions in a series of blog posts, I wrote a brief piece about two horror investigators, Tom Singer and Sixpence Berrycloth.  At that time I had no rules just a desire to run a horror style game, something a little Hammer Horror, maybe a bit Cthulhu, I wanted to see if I could make a game work with no formal rules, just consulting the oracle to see how the characters got on.

And it went fine until that point when, needing the characters to break down a locked door, I realised that there was a big difference in strength between Barry the burley bricklayer from Birmingham and Debbie the demure debutant from Dudley, and I really did need some rules for character generation.  The game was

2022 Character Creation Challenge day 3 - a random Blood & Treasure adventurer.

 For my second Blood & Treasure character, I though I would roll one up from scratch, randomly, just see what comes up, (yesterdays character was engineered to be a Druid as I would like my game to be Druid orientated).

I am currently using the first edition of Blood & Treasure, if the game works for me, (and I hope it will), I may switch to the second edition, but for now I am happy with what I have whilst I try the game out.

The rules state that you roll 3d6 for each ability, so for better or worse here goes.  (the rules also say you

2022 Character Creation Challenge Day 2 - a Blood & Treasure Druid called Annag Finni

When my current Through Sunken Lands and Other Adventures game runs out of steam I plan to return to the Bay of Spirits, (a campaign setting by Roan Studios),   I plan to use Blood & Treasure 1st edition rules although that idea may change, my ideas usually do, I do intend to run some sort of game using B&T so I think its worth my while rolling up a few characters and posting them on the blog as part of the 2022 character creation challenge.

First up, a Druid.

Druids need a Constitution (CON) and a Wisdom (WIS) of 13 or higher.  

A Character a Day this January.

 I spotted a tweet about creating a character every day in January for a game you plan to play in 2022, I thought it sounded like a neat idea, a great way for me to ensure I post something on my blog regularly in the first month of the year.

#charactercreationchallenge

I only really plan to play a few games this year, Beyond the Wall and other Adventures is at the top of

Solo 'Through Sunken Lands RPG', a Tilly and Moonwane adventure, session 7

 

Prolegomenon

Having spent some time working on a new Beyond the Wall RPG campaign and trying to get to grips with Chivalry & Sorcery 5e, Tilly and Moonwanes odyssey through the Sunken Lands has rather taken a back seat. There is a lot to get through with this Through Sunken Lands adventure, in fact I don't know when or if it will end, so while I put together and flesh out my Beyond the Wall campaign I will consign C&S to the 'giving it up to stop my head hurting' bin, at least for the foreseeable future, and continue to play Through Sunken Lands to see what happens to Tilly and Moonwane.

In our last session (read it here) we left Tilly and Moonwane (along with Whiskers and Farhad) captured