Character Creation: Morgalad

This is the shortest game (in PDF) that I own, which is why I picked it today. Let's hope "short" means "easy".

The Game: Morgalad
The Publisher: McNabb Games
Degree of Familiarity: None
Books Required: Just the one, I think?

This one perplexes me a little. It's a bog-standard fantasy D&D-ish kind of thing, sure, that's nothing new or interesting. But reading the book, there's...no setting information. Like, there's reference to "the many worlds of Morgalad," and discussion about adventuring and combat and suchlike, but nothing that tells me anything about the "worlds" themselves. Mayhaps this is a system reference and the actual meat of the setting is in a different book?

Well, whatever, it wants to be a bog-standard "fantasy" RPG, then that's what I'm gonna treat it like, so let's make a character and then sod off to go watch Evil in the Sun with Michelle.

OK, so first we determine Attributes. I roll a d6 for each of them, but that roll translates to a modifier (4 is 0, adjust by 1 in either direction, so you get a range from -3 to +2). 

Power -3 (right out of the gate, doing fantastic)
Finesse 0
Essence -1
Knowledge -3
Consciousness +2
Allure -1

Next, species! There's actually a little bit of lore hidden in these write-ups, but I might try and pick one that gives me bonuses to Power and/or Knowledge just so I don't suck quite so much. Oh, wait, being human makes me adaptable! Of course it does! Fine, I'm human, I'll add one to each of my shittiest Attributes.

Profession! Only four to choose from: Warrior, Rogue, Magi (should be Magus, since none of the others are pluralized), Priest. I don't have much of a preference, so let's roll for it. Rogue it is!

OK, so I get 4d6x4 Health and Energy; 56 and 48, respectively. I get to pick a Morality out of nine choices; I think I shall take Sovereign. 

And then there are some backstory tables, so why not, I'll roll on those. I'm from...a large empirical kingdom! (So...an empire? That the word you want?) I left...in search of adventure! Do I have family? I have...a brother! And how does my brother react to me? Indifferent! 

(Game design tip: If you're tempted to put "indifferent" as a result on a table, don't.)

Sure, why not. So: Calmactius is from the Empire of (wherever), but everything there is stratified - your education, professions, and basically your whole life is laid out according to the circumstances of your birth and while you can change your fortune, it basically involves sucking up to people in power. Screw that. Cal's brother Valmactius did exactly that, and now he's like a honcho military guy, but not an actual soldier, more in charge of logistics. Cal struck out on his own - if the only way to change your stars is if someone in power does it for you, then he'll steal that power from someone else, thanks!

And that's pretty much it, because I have no interest in shopping. Cal is small and somewhat mousy, but get a drink or two in him and he gets mouthy and standoffish real quick. He's got brown hair in a bowl cut (it's simple) and light blue eyes, and I rather suspect he's going to get caught stealing something and get hanged, but that's life in the big city. 

Well, that was easy, at least, even if the game is about as exciting as oatmeal in a hotel breakfast bar.