Last night, my kids, Michelle, and Al made characters for a Blue Rose game. I'll do a post about that on its own at some point here soon, but since I went through the chargen system with them last night, I figure that's an easy segue into doing it for the project today. So here we are!
The Game: Blue Rose AGE Edition
The Publisher: Green Ronin
Degree of Familiarity: Not a heck of a lot. I don't think I played the previous edition (I actually can't remember), and I know I haven't played this one.
Books Required: Just the one. It's pretty and huge.
I made a character for the previous edition of this game just over four years ago (good grief). I like this edition so much more already. Character creation is an easy ten-step process, and I have some ideas already. Here we go!
Step One, predictably, is concept. Blue Rose makes it clear up front that characters are starting, relatively unknown adventurers, so your concept needs to pay homage to the fact that your character is a) an adventurer and b) just starting out. Making expectations clear is the key to good game design!
I think I want to play a refugee from Kern. He and his family (night-people) had their village razed and burned by zealots, and they fled to Aldis. His father didn't survive the trip, but his papa did, and raised the boy as best he could by himself. He forbade my character from learning martial things, figuring that war and battle were just good ways to bring violence to everything around you, but my character was fascinated with weapons and fighting. Killing, maybe not as much, but still, he wanted to be a warrior.
That's a good start, I think. Next, Step Two, is Abilities. I roll 3d6 nine times, and the default is to assign the bonuses to my nine Abilities in order and then swap any two, but I think I shall do what I let the players do last night and just assign them where they should go. My results are: 3, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 0, 3, 2. Wow, that's pretty damn good.
Well, I'll put my 3s into Fighting and Accuracy, since that's where the combat stuff lives. I'll put the 0 into Willpower, the 1 into Intelligence, and everything else gets a 2.
Step Three is race; I already know I want to be a night-person. That means I get +1 Strength (which puts it to 3). I can take a focus in Constitution (Stamina) or Strength (Might). I think I'll take the latter; he works out. I get Dark Sight to 30 yards, but bright light blinds me for a turn. Speed is 12, but I might have an armor penalty later. And then I get to roll twice on the Night Person Benefit chart. I get Weapon Group: Bludgeons and a Dexterity Focus in Stealth.
Step Four is Background, which is basically "where ya from?" My character is originally from Kern, but he grew up in Aldis, so I'll take Aldin. I choose a focus, and I think I'll take Artisan. I speak Aldin and Faento.
Step Five is class; I already know I want to be a warrior. Starting with the easy stuff, my Health is 30 plus my Constitution (2) plus a d6 (6!), 38. I get the Brawling Weapon Group, and I already have Bludgeon, so I'll take Axes, Bows, and Heavy Blades.
And then I get two Talents from a list. Hmm. Oh, wait, I get Armor Training, too. Cool. I'll take Weapon & Shield Style; seems nicely basic. I'll take Two-Handed Style, too, so I'm trained in larger weapons.
Step Six is equipment, and holy shit, I love the way this game handles this. Check it: I get three weapons to start ('cause I'm a warrior) from groups in which I'm trained. I'll take a great axe, a flail, and a short bow for huntin'. I get any armor I'm trained in (Light or Medium), so we'll say he wears his dad's old armor (it fits, mostly). It's thick hide with metal plating in strategic places. Oh, and I'm sure I have a light shield, too. Maybe he made it himself.
Other equipment? Basically, if it makes sense, I have it. Love it.
Step Seven is Defense, which is 10 + Dexterity + Shield, or 13.
Step Eight is name! There's no info on naming conventions in the book, at least not that I can find. The names that do exist seem pretty standard fantasy fare. Night People are depicted as having large fangs jutting up from their lower jaws, which would screw with certain sounds (like, you're not making bilabial sounds real easily, nor are you doing anything that requires you to purse your lips), but alveolar sounds are intact, so let's say his name is Sjedet.
Step Nine is Goals and Persona, and this is awesome because it involves a Tarot deck. First thing we do is find a Calling. This is the role in the story of life. I'll draw for it, but if I hate it I'll redraw. The Fool! That means my Calling is "adventure and excitement." Well, shit yeah.
Destiny and Fate are opposing forces; basically you can live up to your Destiny or succumb to your Fate. Same rules; draw and keep it unless I hate it. I get Open-Minded and Peevish. I can roll with that, I think.
And then Goals. My short-term goal is Vanquish a fearsome opponent. My long-term goal is Win Papa's respect. Sjedet really wants his Papa to recognize his talents as a warrior, rather than seeing him as a brute. There's a lot of cultural stuff in here, though - night people kinda have a bad rep as brutes, and Papa might see Sjedet as living down to that.
Anyway! If I wanted to I could establish Relationships; clearly I've got one with Papa, but I think I'm good.
No comments:
Post a Comment