So, why not! Let's challenge ourselves.
The Game: Dying KingdomsThe Publisher: No idea.
Degree of Familiarity: None. Honestly I don't even remember where I got the pdf, and it doesn't have a cover.
Books Required: Just the one.
Dying Kingdoms is a LARP, apparently of the "boffer" variety. There's apparently a following for it, but since I know next to nothing about LARPs outside of Rising, I can't tell you much. But I have the game, and it has chargen rules, and so here we are. What it doesn't have is a character sheet, but eh.
OK, so, it's basically a fairly standard fantasy sort of setting. The backstory looks interesting enough to get folks into this kind of game jazzed up. I'm not, especially, into this kind of game, so I read it and think, "Yeah, it's a fantasy game," but that's fine. One thing I do appreciate is that the human cultures are listed in the chargen section, along with some real-world analog, so if I'm the kind of player who can't play anything other than Scotsman, well I can play someone from (hang on) Culberra, and there we are!
I usually like to play magic-users in fantasy games, but I think I'll go against type and play a warrior. I'd be playing to my size, here, and therefore kinda to my body type. I think I'll even get really weird and play a troll. Fol rol de ol rol.
So, step one, I decide on a name. Trolls are mainly solitary creatures, and they aren't amazingly fond of people, ordinarily, but that doesn't mean they're entirely anti-social. Just not fans of crowds. My troll's name is Kurg.
Now, I pick role and history. Kurg is a troll chef. Yeah, that's right. They like good food and comfort, according to the book, and I think playing a character that looks all mean and tuff and stuff but can totally make a badass stew. Probably uses big chunks of stuff, since dexterity isn't his strong point. Anyway, he grew up with his parents and a few siblings, and he used to help out the family by flavoring the dinners with roots and herbs and stuff that he'd find. He's decent in a fight, but only because he's learned to hunt.
His parents are older now, his siblings have left and formed their own hollows, and Kurg is young and interested in the world. Not so much the big cities, but even there, he can generally find a small group of people to be social and cook with. He's found that even when he doesn't share a language with someone, he can give them food and at least be accepted. His motivations are basically, "see the world and learn its recipes."
I chose a race already (why isn't that before "role?"). My favored Skill is Mining, my favored weapon is cudgel. Guess I couldn't expect "rapier."
Now I purchase advantages and skills. I get 10 points with which to do so. I can also take flaws or drawbacks or whatever they're called to get more. I'll take Might as my Characteristic, why not. I'll take Sharp Smell and Taste as an Advantage. I'll also take the Troll Hide Advantage, since I can.
None of the Disadvantages really interest me, but let's see how Skills look. Ooh, Alchemy. I'll say that Kurg just learned some Alchemy from a dude in a city recently. Level 1 costs 2 points, and I'll need to look at another chapter to figure out what I can do. I'll take Footwork - even a troll should be able to keep his feet (2 points). I want Hunting 3, which costs me 6. Herbalism 3, costs 3. I'm over, I think. Yep, 13. Finally, Track 2.
Oh, hell, I still need combat. Just Cudgels, I think. That's my "favored" skill, but I don't know what that gives me. Either way, I'm 9 points over. Disadvantages!
Hrm. I'm starting to suspect I'm too far over. Let's strip Hunting down to 1, that'll buy me 4 points. Now I've only got to make up 5 points. Better. Hell, let's drop Herbalism to 2. Now I just need 4.
I'll take Slow Healer. Seems to make sense that a troll would do stuff slow. And then I'll take 2 points of Mystery, which is basically "let the GM screw with me, a lot." Finally, I'll take Vulnerability 1 - there's a spice that's very common in a lot of human cuisines, but makes Kurg horrible ill.
Kurg, Troll Chef and Gourmand
Characteristic: Might
Advantages: Sharp Smell and Taste, Troll Hide
Mundane Skills: Alchemy 1, Footwork 2, Hunting 1, Herbalism 3, Track 2
Combat Skills: Cudgels
Disadvantages: Slow Healer, Mystery 2, Vulnerability 1
And that's it! Gotta go cook!
