More swords! Woo!
The Game: Age of Arthur
The Publisher: Wordplay Games
Degree of Familiarity: Never played it, it's kinda Fate Core?
Books Required: Just the one
Yet another game I got in a bundle. It's not actually Fate Core, but it's a version of Fate. It probably would be been better off as Fate Core, because I don't see the ways in which it's different doing a lot to enhance the game play (to wit: if you want to invoke an Aspect you have to do it before the roll, which is such a weird and jarring twist on the system I don't even know why you'd do it). Also the book I have could really have used another editing pass, but like, editors cost money, I get that.
SO ANYWAY this game takes place in post-Roman Britannia, during the time before Arthur becomes High King. There's magic and shit (druid, runes, fae, Christian), swords, sorcery, and so on. Honestly it doesn't grab me, but then I'm always iffy about fantasy games set in "our" world. Let's make a character!
My amigo Travis supplies me with a theme song:
It's a nice song; basically "things are often difficult, but God (or whatever) is there". God probably exists in the setting of Age of Arthur, though I always wonder about settings where you can basically do God-magic with the same reliability as pagans doing their magic (this, by the way, is why there's no "true faith" rule in Chill 3rd).
Well, anyway, it does seem like some form of magic might be appropriate here, and I like making magic characters, so let's have a look at the relevant chapter and see if anything blossoms in my dark little brain.
Hmm. Divination looks interesting, especially if we consider one of the "nicer" forms, like pyromancy (reading smoke patterns) rather than, say, reading entrails. I think the notion of being blessed by Arawn, the God of the Dead, has some legs, too. I want the character to be pretty simple, as far as upbringing and learnin', and his Divination skills to be mostly instinctive. I think that's enough to get started.
So, we wind up with six Aspects in this game, four of which come from "tales" about the character's life, one of which is an Oath, and the last is just a freebie. Let's begin at the beginning?
Beginnings: Pwyll (for 'tis his name, because I don't mind being really obvious sometimes) is a Briton, and grew up with his parents and siblings in a village of no consequence. Shepherds, farmers, growers, and so forth. Pwyll learned from a young age that by watching the smoke that rose up from the fires, he could predict what was to come - the weather, the results of a harvest, and who would die. He could always see a death coming. Knowing someone's death never made him sad, because for him it was the turning of a season, but the fact that he felt he had to tell people if he foresaw a death didn't exactly make him popular. His parents kicked him out when he turned 14, after he predicted (accurately) the death of the village elder's youngest daughter from fever.
Aspect: Visions in the Smoke
What Did You Do At...? In this section, the GM would pick an event that all of the PCs were present at, and they all get to say what they did there. I like that, actually, but I have no GM, so let's pick an event. Actually, the event that they use in the example of chargen (yay!), the Battle of Verulamium, works pretty well. We'll say that Pwyll foresaw the outcome of the battle - the deaths of Ambrosius Aurelianus and his son, Uther - and tried to warn them. He could not find anyone to take his message to the king, however, and afterwards no one who'd heard his prediction was even left alive.
Aspect: The Truth Means Nothing to Those Who Do Not Listen
What Made You the Hero That You Are? After the battle, Pwyll went into hiding. He refused to look at smoke (and became sickly and skinny from living off plants and raw food only), and refused to use his gifts. One night, sick from fever and half mad, he lit a fire to see if he could see his own death. Instead, he saw the face of Arawn, who spoke to him gently, and whispered the truth of his death in his ear. Now understanding the circumstances of his own end, Pwyll could understand the context of his life. He came out of the woods to rejoin the world, and he began to use his divination gifts to advise others in living their lives well, rather than dreading their deaths.
Aspect: Death Is Nothing to Fear
Significant Event: This is the bit where I would weave another PC into Pwyll's story, but y'know, just me. There's an example character, though, so what about him? Oh, sure, why not? We'll say that Pwyll met Drustan as the latter was considering what to do with his life. Pwyll talked him into going to Londinium, a trip that ended in Drustan nearly getting killed and hooking up with a fellow named Brutus, who got him out alive. They came back and found Pwyll, and were none too pleased (Pwyll did suggest going, after all, and it was clear he was reading the smoke when he did so). Pwyll pointed out that they were alive, that they had learned much, and that they had found each other and friendship.
Aspect: Rejoice, For We Yet Live! (the temptation to make this Aspect "But Did You Die?" is great, but I'm solidly against using movie quotes as Aspects)
Oath: I have no idea what you do here if you don't want an oath, but whatevs. Pwyll traveled with his new friends, and found that his gifts grew stronger...but as they did, he realized that his compulsion toward honesty did as well. He may not remember actually making the oath, but it's binding all the same: Pwyll cannot lie or mislead about a prophecy, and he finds it difficult to lie in general.
Aspect: Prophecy Must Be True
Extra Aspect: And, finally, I think I want something reflecting Pwyll's connection to Arawn, so I'll take Blessed of Arawn. Easy-peasy.
Skills! I pick 15, and then arrange them in the standard pyramid. Let's see now. I want: Awareness, Investigation, Healing, Survival, Willpower, Agility, Brawling, Stealth, Strength, Charm, Contacts, Empathy, Streetwise, Riding, and oh, doy, Divination (Pyromancy).
I get one at 5, two at 4, three at 3, four at 2, and 5 at 1. I'll put Divination at 5, of course. I'll put Survival and Charm at 4 (he's lived on his own in the woods for years, after all). I'll put Awareness, Willpower, and Strength at 3. For my four 2s, I'll take Agility, Brawling, Healing, and Empathy, and that leaves the rest at 1.
Stunts! This is old-school Fate so I get 5, but there are lists. Well, Danger Sense, obviously, since I can sense the future. I'll take Cutting Retort (you can diss him, but like, he knows how you'll die), and Strong-Willed (not much scares him). Two more, one of which should really be supernatural. Oh, yeah, I have to take Diviner, and then I'll take As Foreseen. Perfect!
Stress! I get 5 Health and 6 Composure, counting my Skills and Strong-Willed Stunt.
Refresh! 5 Refresh, 5 starting Fate Points.
Stuff! I get the minimum that I need for my profession, but y'all know how I feel about shopping, so Pwyll has traveling clothes, a staff (for walking and self-defense), a knife (for utility purposes), and the stuff he needs to light a fire and that's about it!
Pwyll is probably in his early 20s now, sandy brown hair and light brown eyes. He tends to smell like wood smoke, and he gets distracted by smoke wafting up from anywhere. Large fires, like building-sized, overwhelm him - too much information in the smoke, too much noise and not enough signal. Pwyll is pleasant, optimistic, and never in a hurry. He knows everyone gets where they're going.
