Marullus wrote:I'll assist in getting you forward with this proposal. It is my best-match to the concept you've conveyed so far. Tweak it if you like and you are good to go.
"I was also looking at one for sensitive taste buds - so he can gauge beer flavors better."
I'll give you that. There is a Keen Taste trait, but it is 5pts and overkill. We will create a lesser version that meets your needs.
Quote:
New Trait: Rarified Taste, 3pt (C-O)
You have a natural talent for judging the quality and textures of food and drink. It also means that poor food is that much less paletable as well. Call-on (i.e. re-roll) for Shrewd Appraisal, Grain Appraisal, Beer-Wise, or Brewer.
That is exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of, but now that I think on it, I don't know if it really defines this dwarf... And out of curiosity, do I need to take "Lifting Heavy Things" due to the Hauler life path? That is 2 points. If so, I think that Patriarchal is pretty good. Like Devil Anse Hatfield - the patriarch!
If Lifting heavy things is not required, I might still opt for patriarchal and another trait (or two)...
I believe that Patriarchal and Lifting Heavy Things best represent Drumrin. That should be 3 point, correct?
Last edited by Rusty Tincanne on Thu Oct 15, 2015 6:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
This results in:
* You can drive the wagons in normal situations, but its not your main thing.
* You are excellent at haggling and convincing as long as you do it with a hard sell and a big dwarfy mouth (your answer above).
* You're modest at appraising most goods, but excellent as long as it is grains or beers (due to having FoRK dice from Beer-wise, Brewing, and Grain Appraisal)
* You are the group's leading authority on "what it means to be a good Greybeard dwarf" which all the PCs are. Using Clan-Wise lets you specify the facts for normal behavior. If you aid someone with this knowledge, you grant them +2D instead of +1D.
* With Clan-Wise B5 and Family-Wise B2, you are an expert on how a Good Dwarf SHOULD be, but you are far less accurate when addressing the realities of how members of your family actually are. (More fun for stories that way.)
Love the last point! Of course his family is perf... What!? Why is my nephew walking around with green hair and marrying that elf!? Son of a...
Traits:
Required: dwarven common traits (Accustomed to the Dark, Bearded, Greed, Oathsworn, Shaped from Earth and Stone, Stout, Tough), Patient, Dispute-Settler, Patriarchal, Rarified Taste
Last edited by Rusty Tincanne on Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Marullus wrote:Resource Points - we still need a little work. Since you like having a rolling merchant company composed of family members, lets start with that.
25pts - 2D Regional Reputation as "Purveyor of High Quality Drink"
10pts - 1D Affiliation with the Trombley Kinfolk. (Your significant extended family)
10pts - 1D Affiliation with primary external trading partner
3pts - Relationship with Son who works with you (i.e. your go-to lieutenant)
1pt - Relationship: An immediate family member who is a challenging pain in your butt (make a belief about him/her)
1pt - Relationship:for your wife who you love, if you want her to feature in the story (she may or may not be a pain in the butt) (make a belief about her)
15 points for Property in Erebor: a "large home" - what you abandoned and lost to Smaug. (Describe the 2D cash item(s) you saved in fleeing)
30 points for Carts and Baggage.
8pts for clothes, Crossbow, traveling gear, and sturdy shoes (you are prepared for this journey, even if others aren't)
This all looks good, but my personal greed (and likely Drumrin's) wants me to make room for an arbalest (20 pts). And a keg of Nog if there is room...
So returning the Shoddy Crossbow is 6 pts.
It seems to me that his trading partner would have been from Dale, but what is the use in buying a relationship that is defunct? So that is 10 pts. 16 total.
Is there a way to sell off part of that reputation? (Everything else seems too vital to his character to give up...) If not, I will just need to make that part of his greed goal - to obtain an arbalest from Erebor...
Adding the Lifting Heavy Things Trait...
You ended up going with Carter rather than Hauler. Lifting Heavy Things is restricted and only available if you were a Hauler instead. To make that switch, you'd give up Animal Husbandry, Driving, and Mule-Wise skills (recouping 4 skill points you spent on them) and give up the Patient trait. You get Lifting Heavy Things trait, a bonus trait point to spend on another aspect, and the Hauling, Wagon-wise, Cargo-wise, and Road-wise skills as choices. You also would get 10 years younger (costing you 1 Physical stat point) and lose 3 resource points.
It is a tough choice. You can stay as-is and be the wagon driver. If you want to switch to be more physically strong, I would:
* Lose a stat point. Adjust physical stats to be: Power B6, Forte B4, Agility B4, Speed B3
* Drop Animal Husbandry, Driving, and Mule-Wise skills (recouping 4 skill points you spent on them)
* Open Hauling B4, Road-Wise B2, Cargo-wise B2.
* Drop Patient. Get Lifting Heavy Things.
* Choose an extra Character Trait.
* Figure where to lose 3 rps.
Adding the Patriarchal trait...
Actually, that is simply a math error because I did it wrong. A Call-On Trait should be 2pts and a Die Trait should be 3pts. So, the "Rarified Taste" trait we are creating should only cost 2pts and you can add the Patriarchal trait no matter what.
Is there a way to sell off part of that reputation?
A 1D Reputation is Local, and costs only 7rps.
A 2D Reputation is Regional, and costs 25rps.
So, you'd recoup 18rps from lowering your reputation. Also, I'd consider a "local reputation" to cover both Erebor and Dale. If that was the extent of his trading, then there's no issue with that and you could still keep the Affiliation with Men of Dale. What this means: You'd have +1D to deal with dwarves and +2D to deal with men (who were extra grateful for dwarven beer) who are among those from Erebor or Dale (i.e. the refugee community) because they know your reputation and wares. You'd have no bonus with communities you are arriving at, because you didn't trade that far before. If you keep the Regional reputation, it establishes that you and your wares have been trading across the land and you get the bonus due to being known across the immediate area. Decide which concept you like better - if he didn't really get beyond Dale, then lower the Reputation to 1D.
Summary if that change works for you:
* 1D Local Reputation (+18rps. Resources lowers from B5 to B3.)
* No shoddy crossbow (+6rps)
* Own a Dwarven Arbalest (-20rps)
* Buy a dwarven light-mail shirt (-4rps. Torso only - no arms, legs, or head coverage)
I forgot that he was a Carter. I'll stick with that and keep Keen Taste and Patriarchal. I've edited the post above to reflect that change.
As you mentioned, this game is about tough choices. Ugh. I don't want to give up that regional bonus... And cannot find anything else I'd like to part with either, so I suppose I will go with your suggestions at the end of page 1 and try and barter form an arbalest in the game.
Marullus wrote:Resource Points - we still need a little work. Since you like having a rolling merchant company composed of family members, lets start with that.
25pts - 2D Regional Reputation as "Purveyor of High Quality Drink"
10pts - 1D Affiliation with the Trombley Kinfolk. (Your significant extended family)
10pts - 1D Affiliation with primary external trading partner
3pts - Relationship with Son who works with you (i.e. your go-to lieutenant)
1pt - Relationship: An immediate family member who is a challenging pain in your butt (make a belief about him/her)
1pt - Relationship:for your wife who you love, if you want her to feature in the story (she may or may not be a pain in the butt) (make a belief about her)
15 points for Property in Erebor: a "large home" - what you abandoned and lost to Smaug. (Describe the 2D cash item(s) you saved in fleeing)
30 points for Carts and Baggage.
8pts for clothes, Crossbow, traveling gear, and sturdy shoes (you are prepared for this journey, even if others aren't)
This means:
* You have a sizeable wagon train (describe it in-game), and a full business of your kinfolk who manage it and work for you in the business. (Gang or Crew rules)
* You start with Resources B5 and due to your reputation, affiliation, and carts and baggage. (75/15)
* You start with 2D Cash items from what you grabbed from home while fleeing Erebor.
* You start with Circles B4 due to B6/2 will score and then +1D for having 50pts in property and relationships
* You start with three fun, useful, and problematic relationships for your character to focus on.
* You start with one major trade partner defined who you have a good relationship.
* You have a reputation that extends throughout the whole region - from the Iron Hills to the Elves of Mirkwood and every local village in between, you are well-known for only selling the best beer.
* You start with crossbow, wardrobe, and gear suitable to make you pre-prepared for the trip and situations ahead.
If that works, you need to:
* Name and briefly describe one of your sons, who works for you and manages the wagons.
* Name and briefly describe your wife (a complex, love-based relationship)
* Name and briefly describe another immediate family member who you bear responsibility for and who is a pain-in-your-ass.
* Choose your best trade partner; their whole group then is +1D predisposed towards you. Primary choices for the region include:
-- The Woodland Realm (elves in Mirkwood)
-- Prince Dain's Folk (dwarves of Iron Hills)
-- Men of Dale (humans now dispossessed)
-- Men of Framsburg (human city at the foot of the Gray Mountains)
-- Northmen Smallfolk (humans of all the tiny hamlets across the region)
I will name/describe folks later.
At one point you mentioned that the lieutenant should be a playable character. Do I need to burn a child now, too? Or was that something else?
Rusty Tincanne wrote:At one point you mentioned that the lieutenant should be a playable character. Do I need to burn a child now, too? Or was that something else?
That was a different option. Basically...
3pts - He is largely off-camera and I have narrative control of him
10pts - He is largely on-camera and you have narrative control of him
Character Sheet
Name: Drumrin, son of Trombley
Concept/Bio: Answer this
Lifepaths: Born Guilder, Carter, [Clansman] Husband, [Guilder] Trader
Age : 156 years old
Stats: Will B6, Perception B5, Power B5, Forte B4, Speed B4, Agility B5, Stride: 6
Attributes: Reflexes: B4, Steel: B3 (modify by the questions), Hesitation: 4, Health: B5 (modify by the questions), Mortal Wound: B10, Greed: (modify by the questions), Circles: B4, Resources: B5
PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B7 Se: B8 Tr: B9 Mo: B10
Beliefs:
Answer this
Answer this
Answer this
Answer this (Dwarven Oath)
Instincts:
Instincts:
Instincts are well-described in the book for game terms. What are the hard-wired life lessons which drive him and are emblematic for how he acts?
They have two mechanical purposes:
* Insurance and off-camera action. "Always draw my sword at the first sign of trouble" or "Always forage the roadside as I travel" are examples. They are committing an instinct as a limited resource to ensure that your character can and will act in a certain way.
* Causing problems for you, which earns you a Fate point. If triggering your instinct causes you complications in the current scene, the GM can offer you a Fate point to do so.
* They can bend the rules. Always drawing a sword, for example, essentially gives a free action. I've seen a Village Idiot with the instinct "Always blurt an ugly truth when confronted" allowing a free Incite action at the beginning of Duel of Wits. A military leader with the Command skill might have "Always rally my men when confronting fear" allowing use of the skill to reduce the hesitation of everyone in their group.
The best instincts can do both. They use the example in the book of "Always draw my sword at the first sign of trouble." Hey, that's great, they automatically start with their preferred weapon in-hand when combat initiates and won't get caught having to use an action to draw it. However, when they are pleading their case to the King in his court and their nemesis walks in... do they instinctively draw and face him, causing a faux pas? That's worth a fate point. For someone with a Husband lifepath, perhaps you made the decision to have young, rambunctious children. "Always keep an eye on my son, Rumbert." You won't get surprised by the GM with "oh no, he was kidnapped by the villain!" But the primary role of small children is to interrupt and make doing productive things more difficult. This trait could frequently work against you, earning fate points as you take Obstacle penalties for your child being in the way.
They should be emblematic of your character. As an example, a situation came up in another game on this site which would have worked well in Burning Wheel. I had a hobbit with an instinct, "Never engage in business before breakfast." It is therefore standard roleplay that she cooks and describes a meal before the group sets out each morning. The GM introduced some strangers who came to her house before dawn (presumably a new plothook). She offered them to come in and wait an hour or two and she'd feed them before discussing their business and they insisted it be done under cover of dark, before the dawn. She chose not to yield, and accepted unknown consequences but earning a fate point.
Answer this
Answer this
Answer this
Traits: [Dt] Accustomed to the Dark, [Char] Bearded, [Dt] Greed, [Dt] Oathsworn, [Dt] Shaped from Earth and Stone, [Dt] Stout, [Dt] Tough. [C-O] Dispute-Settler, [Char] Patient, [Char] Patriarchial, [C-O] Refined Taste.
Affiliations:
1D Affiliation with the Trombley Kinfolk. (Your significant extended family)
1D Affiliation with primary external trading partner. Answer this
Reputations: 2D Regional Reputation as "Purveyor of High Quality Drink"
Relationships: 3pts - Relationship with Son who works with you (i.e. your go-to lieutenant)
1pt - Relationship: An immediate family member who is a challenging pain in your butt (make a belief about him/her)
1pt - Relationship:for your wife who you love, if you want her to feature in the story (she may or may not be a pain in the butt) (make a belief about her)
Property:
15 points for Property in Erebor: a "large home" - what you abandoned and lost to Smaug. (Describe the 2D cash item(s) you saved in fleeing)
30 points for Carts and Baggage.
If that works, you need to:
* Name and briefly describe one of your sons, who works for you and manages the wagons.
* Name and briefly describe your wife (a complex, love-based relationship)
* Name and briefly describe another immediate family member who you bear responsibility for and who is a pain-in-your-ass.
* Choose your best trade partner; their whole group then is +1D predisposed towards you. Primary choices for the region include:
-- The Woodland Realm (elves in Mirkwood)
-- Prince Dain's Folk (dwarves of Iron Hills)
-- Men of Dale (humans now dispossessed)
-- Men of Framsburg (human city at the foot of the Gray Mountains)
-- Northmen Smallfolk (humans of all the tiny hamlets across the region)
