[Swordbearer] Swordbearer Character Generation Summary

[Lev Lafayette]

To help those who are running their own game, or just as a quick
reference sheet, I have provided a summary of the character generation
rules.

http://rpgreview.net/node/38


1. Characteristics

Humans

Strength/Mass: 1d10+1d6+2. Strength declines at 40+, Mass declines at 50
+
Agility: 2d10. Agility declines at 30+
Intelligence: 2d10. Intelligence declines at 60+
Age: 2d10*2 + 10
Social Status: 2d10

Experience: Intelligence <2, -1 EP: Intelligence 3-8 +0 EP: Intelligence
9-13, +1 EP: Intelligence 14-17 +2 EP : Intellience 18+, +3 EP.
Experience: Age < 21, 1d6 Experience Points (EP): Age 22-31, 2d6 : Age
32-41, 3d6 : Age 42+ 4d6.
Social Status: Age < 21, -1 Social Status : Age 42+, +1 Social Status

Dwarves

Strength/Mass: 2d6+1, Strength is additional 1d6+1. Strength declines at
60+, Mass declines at 80+
Agility: 2d10, Agility declines at 50+
Intelligence: 2d10. Intelligence declines at 80+
Age: 3d10*2 + 10
Social Status: 2d10+1

Experience: Intelligence <2, -1 EP: Intelligence 3-8 +0 EP: Intelligence
9-13, +1 EP: Intelligence 14-17 +2 EP : Intellience 18+, +3 EP.
Experience: Age < 21, 1d6 Experience Points (EP): Age 22-31, 2d6 : Age
32-41, 3d6 : Age 42+ 4d6.
Social Status: Age < 21, -1 Social Status : Age 42+, +1 Social Status

Elves

Strength/Mass: 2d6+3. Strength declines at 200+, Mass declines at 200+
Agility: 2d10+1. Agility declines at 150+
Intelligence: 2d10. Intelligences declines at 300+.
Age: 1d10*25
Social Status: 1d10+1d6+2

Experience: Intelligence 9-13, +1 EP: Intelligence 14-17 +2 EP :
Intellience 18+, +3 EP.
Experience: Age < 50, 2d6 Experience Points (EP): Age 51-99, 3d6 : Age
100-149, 3d6+3
Social Status: Age <50, -1 Social Status

Advantaged with the Wood and Light elements, disadvantaged by Darkness
and Fire.


2. Occupations
Activity Spheres include: Fighting, Stealth, Town, Country, Magic,
Leadership/Administration, General Knowledge, Arts and Crafts.
Specialise in one or two. If only one sphere is specialised, increase
experience by 1d6 and ignore initial skill rating limits.

Skills are rated between 0 and 100. Most have a minimum and maximum
based on characteristics.

Initial Experience Costs are as follows:

"Yes" in a specialised activity sphere costs 1 EP
"Yes" in a non-specialised activity sphere costs 2 EP
Adding 3d10 to a arts/craft sphere skill costs 1 EP if the sphere is
specialised AND the skill rating is less than 60.
Adding 2d6 to an arts/craft sphere skill costs 1 EP is the sphere is not
specialised AND/OR the skill rating is 60 or more.
Adding 2d10 to any other specialised sphere skill costs 1 EP.
Adding 1d10 to any other non-specialised sphere costs 1 EP.

Maximum initial skill rating for a specialised activity sphere skill is
70.
Maximum initial skill rating for a non-specialised activity sphere skill
is 40.

If character's social status is 5 or more then literacy is automatic;
otherwise it must be gained through experience.

If a character can identify an element, and knows the spells they can
spend one (1) experience point and then purchase nodes at 2/3rds the
cost of power if contacted and contained or 1 point per point of power
if enchanted.

Character's have occupations, nominally their pre-adventuring
profession. These include Stealth Occupation (pickpocket, thief, spy,
conman etc), Merchant occupation (shopkeeper, merchant), Townsman
(clerical, service), Country (farmer, shepherd, hunter), Craftsman, or
Magician. Characters with the Fighting sphere or Status 17+ (nobles)
cannot take a "pre-adventuring" profession.

Stealth: Must specialise in the Stealth sphere and have at least on
stealth skill rated at 40 or more. Character may have an item above
allowable social status, but counts as one extra to the limit of ten.

Merchant: Must specialise in Town sphere and have hagging of 45 and
status 5 to 16, inclusive. Allowed two extra items whenever they are in
populated areas.

Townsman: Must specialise in Town sphere, and have a town skill (other
than haggling) rated 40 or more. Agility is increased by +2 whenevr the
character is in a populated area.

Countryman: Must specialise in country sphere, and have country skill
rated at 40 or more, and have status between 2 and 10, inclusive. Nt
ignore any two points suffered (still affects healing rates).

Craftsman: Must specialise in Arts & Crafts sphere, and have one arts &
craft skill rated 60 or more. For each skill rated at this value the
character has an object (heirloom, tool) related to that skill, which
should be above the character's social status.

Magician: Must specialise in the Magic sphere (includes religious
orders), and must be able to identify and know spells for at least one
element. For each element the character has a number of nodes: 1d6 roll,
1-4 (1-4 1pt nodes), 5 (3 * 1 pt node and 1 2pt node), 6 (3 * 1pt nodes,
2 * 2 pt nodes).


3. Skills
Fighting Sphere

Weapon Use: (rated, min = strength, max = 80+[strength])
Each weapon is a separate skill. If two or more weapons belong to a
common class, for every two points of skill a character gains in one
weapon, one bonus skill point is received for every other weapon in that
class. Note that shields are a class.
Natural Weapons: (rated, min = strength+agility, max = 80+[strength])
Weapon Speed: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+[agility]). Each weapon is
a separate skill. If two or more weapons belong to a common class, for
every two points of skill a character gains in one weapon, one bonus
skill point is received for every other weapon in that class.
Evaluate Opponent: (yes/no)
Ambush: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+ [intelligence] )
Detect Danger: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+[intelligence])

Stealth Sphere

Ambush: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+ [intelligence] )
Detect Danger: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+[intelligence])
Underworld: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 100-[social status])
Conceal: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+ [intelligence] )
Stalk & Slink: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+[agility] )
Detect Concealment: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+
[intelligence] )
Disarm Trap: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+[intelligence])
Pickpocket: (rated, min = 0, max = 2%x[agility + intelligence[)

Town Sphere

Diplomacy: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+[intelligence])
Haggling: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+% [intelligence] )
Bribery: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+[intelligence])
Gambling: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+ [agility] )
Drinking: (rated, min = mass, max = 80+ [mass])
Underworld: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 100- [social status] )
Dancing: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+[agility])
Cooking: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 99)
Riding: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+ [strength] )

Country Sphere

Riding: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+ [strength] )
Swimming: (rated, min = strength, max = 80+[strength])
Climbing: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+[strength])
Track: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 99)
Wild Food: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 99)
Hunting: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 99)
Fishing: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 80+[agility])

Arts & Crafts Sphere

Scribe: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Tailor: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Pottery & Glassblowing: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Jeweler: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Locksmith: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Doctor/Druggist: (rated, min = 0, max = 80+ (jntelligence] )
Leatherworker: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Armorer: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Bowyer: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Builder: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Miner: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Artist: (rated, min = 0, max = 991
Musician: (rated, min = 0, max = 99)
Dancer: (rated, min = agility, max = 80+[agility])
Cook: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 99)

Magic Sphere

Identify Magic Element: (yes/no)
Each of the seven magic elements is a separate identification skill.
(Light/Darkness, Fire, Metal, Crystal, Water, Wood, Wind)
Understand Elemental Magic Spells: (yes/no)
Each of the seven magic elements has a body of standard magic spells.
Each element's spells are a separate skill.
Knowledge of Spirit Magic: (yes/no)
There are five separate skills in this category, one of general
spiritual knowledge needed to understand the rudiments of spirit magic,
and then four additional categories of specialized knowledge that
provide information on each of the four humors (vitriolic, phlegmatic,
choleric, melancholy).

Leadership & Administration Sphere

Warlord: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 60+ [ingelligence x2] )
Politician: (rated, min = social status, max = 60+ [intelligence x2] )
Economist/ Administrator: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 60+ [intell
igence x2] )
Personnel Management: (rated, min = intelligence, max = 60+
[intelligence x2])

General Knowledge Sphere

Know Region: (yes/no)
Know Locale: (yes/no)
Speak Language: (yes/no)
Read/Write Language: (yes/no)
Know Race/People: (yes/no)


4. Status and Equipment
Social Status levels

Status 1: slaves, indentured servants, serfs, etc.
Status 2-4: peasants, migrant laborers, junior apprentices, etc.
Status 5.7: rich peasants, small freeman landholders, independent
woodsmen or hunters, senior apprentices, poor merchants and trades­men,
mercenary troops (infantry).
Status 8-10: junior journeymen, merchants of modest means, richer
tradesmen and small shopowners, mercenary cavalrymen, non-commissioned
officers of infantry, etc.
Status 11.13: senior journeymen, well-off merchants, larger shop­owners,
feudal sergeants and similar retainers to nobility, mercenary cavalry
non.coms and junior officers, inheritors of minor wealth..
Status 14-16: guild masters, ship captains of major vessels, owners of
merchant or trading houses, senior mercenary officers, warband
chieftains, higher level retainers to nobility, inheritors of
significant wealth, and 'un­titled' nobility (citizens just about
wealthy enough for nobility, but lacking actual title and patent).
Status 17 or higher: nobility with patent and title. Typically, 17 is a
knight (or dame if female), 18 knight banneret (dame), 19 baron (bar­
oness), 20 count (countess), 21 earl or marquis (marchioness), 22 duke
(duchess), 23 prince (princess), 24 king (queen), 25 emperor (empress).

Social Status & Religion

Status 2-7: novices.
Status 8-13: lay brother or monk of a monastic order
Status 14-16: senior brother or chaplain of a monastic order
Status 16-18: abbot of a monastic order
Status 19-20: grand master of a monastic order
Status 20-21: bishop
Status 22-23: archbishops
Status 24: Primate or Patriarch
Status 25: Pope

Social Status & Finances

Sword­bearer uses 'social status' to represent buying power and
financial worth of characters. Status could represent wealth in land,
business ventures, or simply holding a treasure. The social status of a
character indicates what items are 'affordable' or 'proper'.

A character beginning a life of adventure can outfit himself or her­self
with up to ten items of gear. The 'ten items limit' represents the need
to keep, to watch, and control items, encumbrance problems, and spare
cash restrictions. A few items count as 'no weight' and are free (don't
count toward the ten). This is normally clothing, minor armor, and
incidental tools/weapons - some­thing a character can comfortably wear
every day (or nearly so) without a second thought.

One or more of the ten items could be an animal (riding horse, pack
mule, etc.), a servant, bondsman, apprentice, hireling, etc. 

Travel Gear

Bedroll and/or Blanket (1):
Backpack or Carrying Rack (1):
Flash & Pouch (1):
Waterskin (1):
Rations Pack (1):
Cook Gear (1):
Extra-Warm Clothing (1):
Tent & Groundcloth (4):
Mule (6):
Small Boat (6):
Small Cart or Wagon (6):
Riding or Draft Horse (8):
Warhorse or Courser (15): 

Adventure Gear

Torches (1):
Rope (1):
Digging Tools (1):
Lantern (6):
Climbing Gear (6):
Hunting or Fishing Tools (7):
Journeyman's Tools (8): 

Armour

Leather Helmet (5):
Open Metal Helmet (7):
Closed Metal Helmet (14):
Padded Leather Jerkin or Coat (4):
Leather Bracers (6):
Greaves (9):
Flexible Metal Corselet (10):
Flexible Metal Coat (12):
Breastplate (13):
Half Plate (15):
Vambraces (16):
Full Plate (17):

Barding

Light Leather Bards (9):
Leather Half-Barding (11):
Leather Housing (12):
Metal Chanfron (14):
Metal Chest Barding (17):
Complete Metal Barding (18): 

Weapons

Improvised Club [club] (1):
Club [club] (2):
Spiked Club [club] (2):
Giant Club [club] (2):
Staff [stave] (5):
Quarterstaff [stave] (5):
Knife [dagger] (2):
Dagger [dagger] (4):
Shortsword [sword] (4):
Scimitar [sword] (7):
Longsword [sword] (8):
Rapier [sword] (9):
Hand-and-a-half [sword] (11):
Greatsword [sword] (13):
Hand Axe [axe] (5):
Throwing Axe [axe] (5):
Battleaxe [axe] (6):
Halberd [axe] (8):
Maul [hammer/mace] (3):
Hammer [hammer/mace] (5):
Great Hammer [hammer/mace] (6):
Mace [hammer/mace] (11):
Giant Mace [hammer/mace] (11):
Whip [flail] (6):
Military Flail [flail] (7):
Spear [spear] (4):
Pike [spear] (7):
Lance [spear] (14):
Javelin [hand missile] (4):
Throwing Spear [hand missile] (6):
Darts [hand missile] (8):
Throwing Stars [hand missile] (10):
Sling [sling] (2):
Bolo [sling] (3):
Light Bow [bow] (6):
Medium Bow [bow] (7):
Long/Composite Bow [bow] (8):
Crossbow [crossbow] (8):
Arbalest [crossbow] (8):
Light Shield [shield] (5):
Heavy Shield [shield] (12):

Rentinues

Unskilled Slave (10) or Hireling (11):
Apprentice (11):
Skilled Slaves (16) or Hirelings (17):
Squire (17):
Artisan (18):
Siavemaster (18) or Taskmaster (19):
Guard Captain (19):
Master of Household (20): 


5. Magic
Elemental Spells Summary (power, spell, description)

Fire Spells
1, Heat, uncomfortably warm (use hit location if ranged), can set highly
combustible item afire in ideal conditions
1, Extinguish, puts out fire (renders materials non-combustible),
maximum area is 3 paces square
1, Cauterize, heals anyone cut or thrust wound, but leaves 1 pt burns in
place instead
2, Torch, sets combustibles afire (use hit location if ranged), burning
clothes/hair cause 1 pt burns/instant in that location
2, Insulate, gives protection against all fire and heat for 2 minutes
3, Burnthrough, sets combustibles afire, non-combustibles 1 d6/2 pts
burns or damage (use hit location if ranged)
3, Fireproof, gives complete protection from all fire and heat for 1
day, on non-living objects only

Metal Spells
1, Shield, adds protection, -3 pts from metal weapon hit, -1 pt from any
other weapon material hit, spell lasts 2 minutes
1, Temper, doubles breakage number, lasts 2 minutes, cancelled by
shatter (metal)
1, Excise, removes item embedded in body of character, without any
injury effects
2, Keenness, adds two (+2) to damage by cut (C) or thrust (T) metal
weapon, lasts 2 minutes
2, Shatter, shatters metal object into 2d6 fragments, cancelled by
temper (metal)
3, Bendback, turns metalobject against owner for 2 minutes
3, Transmute, turn one metal into another, ld6 for time, 1 1 sec, 2 1
min, 3 1 hr, 4 1 day, 5 1 yr, 6 forever (+1 per extra node)

Crystal Spells
1, Gemfind, direction and vague distance to nearest precious gem
1, Reality Reflection, conceals existence or use of magic for 2 minutes
1, Keepwarm, protects against normal cold for 1 day
1, Salve, heals all burns but 1 point on anyone body location, caster
must contact location
2, Chill, suffer cold for 2 minutes, agility, quickness, and weapon
speed halved, cancelled by keepwarm (crystal)
2, Clarity, see through illusions of equal or lower power (in terms of
nodal strength)
3, Frostbite, point frozen for 2 minutes, only suffer half damage during
this time, then thaw and suffer 1 d6 points smash damage
3, Vision, see up to one league, or beyond to a known location, for up
to 2 minutes

Water Spells
1, Quench, provides all water for 1 day while quenching all thirst,
repairs any dehydration ...Purify removespoisons and toxins from item or
body
1, Gills, allows normal breathing and speech while underwater, lasts 2
minutes
2, Current, water flow of 1 league per hour (6 paces per instant, 30 (1
%) per period, or approximately 2% mph)
2, Slipslide, target character must pass agility test to stand, another
to move, each instant, lasts 2 minutes
3, Choke, target chokes for 1 period (20 seconds), rendered totally
helpless and mentally unable, second will kill (test vs. swimming)
3, Flow, turn to semi-liquid and move as water, lasts 2 minutes

Wood Spells
1, Heartoak, doubles breakage number, lasts 2 minutes, cancelled by chop
1, Warp, deflects path of wooden object, -30 to weapon use skill, lasts
2 minutes
1, Splint, heals all but one wound point of smash on anyone body
location, can be used on living tree also
2, Woodgrow, joins permanently two wooden parts, if joining wood to
non-wood it only holds for 2 minutes
2, Chop, cuts wooden object along one line/plane, cancelled by heartoak
3, Bonebreak, shatters bones on target location, damage is mass/3 wound
points
3, Trow, seals pledge (4-node unique trow can be reversed only by
original caster)

Wind Spells
1, Eavesdrop, hear anything in sight, for 2 minutes
1, Refresh, counteracts all exhaustion, +4 strength, can carry 4 extra
items, lasts 2 minutes, no exhaustion afterwards
1, Resuscitate, restores breathing, counteracts choke (water) spell or
drowning, etc.
2, Longspeech, project voice in anyone direction, up to maximum vision
range, for 2 minutes
2, Breeze, moderate wind, flying speed either 50% or 150% normal, fall
at half speed (-1 per die roll in falling damage)
2, Eyedust, covers area 6 paces square, 1 story tall, halves weapon
speed and use in area, agility test for other acts, lasts 2 minutes
3, Fear, flee unless pass intelligence test each period (combat) or each
minute (non-combat), lasts 2 minutes
3, Soar, 'fly' (move on air) at double the normal ground rate,lasts 15
minutes ()I. hour)

Light and Darkness Spells
1, Flash/Blackflash, blinds outward for 6 paces, 2 instants facing
toward, 1 instant facing away (avoid by agility and intelligence test)
1, Shadow, conceals one character already in natural shadow, lasts 2
minutes
1, Cure, removes all diseases from character (including infections),
does not cure wounds inflicted by that disease
2, Blindeye, total blindness on character for 1 minute
2, Heavyweight, doubles mass and weight (character's mass is doubled,
agility halved), lasts 1 hour, cancelled by lightweight
3, Lightweight, halves mass and weight (character mass halved, agility
+1), lasts 1 hour, cancelled by heavyweight
3, Immune, total immunity to all diseases for 1 day (no effect on
diseases already contracted)