Burning Whitfield, the Human Ranger

[Marullus]

Welcome, lupinelegend! Post a concept and we'll get you started.

[lupinelegend]

Thanks, I'm super excited to be playing!

Since we have a few Dwarves and an Elf already, I was thinking of playing as a Human to act as a foil for the other races/cultures if that's okay with you all. Here are a couple of ideas:

1) A stable boy who wanted nothing more than to fight for the Northmen as a knight or a Rider of Rohan. His station kept him from becoming a page, and he was not disciplined enough for the army. The chaos following the destruction of Dale destroyed any social barriers holding him back from pursuing his dreams. Maybe something like:

City Born > Groom/Falconer/Hunsman > Scout > Strider/Freebooter

I like the idea of a "wannabe" knight. Perhaps someone who doesn't have the social standing to become a knight so he did the next best thing and became a soldier. This made him colder, and less genteel than a knight would be. He thinks of himself as a protector though in reality he's more of a mercenary.

2) I also like the idea of an armorer enamored with Dwarven craftsmanship. Perhaps his great-great-grandfather learned some incredible technique (trivial by Dwarven standards) from a Dwarf and passed this knowledge down. Now that his business is destroyed, there's no better time to go spend some time among the Dwarves.

City Dweller > Apprentice > Journeyman > Armorer

3) If having a second Elf or another Dwarf would add something to the story, I'd be happy to play one; I just don't have any good ideas at the moment.

Do any of those sound like an interesting addition to the game?

[Marullus]

Interesting! I like them.

See my quick synopsis on Men of the region.

viewtopic.php?f=289&t=4888#p213143

While the dwarves are all unified, descended in this land from their Patriarch Durin as the Longbeard Clan, the races of men are widely varied. Throughout this land are the Northmen: blond, strong, and fiercely independent, they take pride since the dawn of time for never having bowed to elves, dwarves, or other races. Their greatest hero, Fram, slew the dragon Scatha hundreds of years ago single-handed and used it to insult the dwarves - a slight they remain slow to forgive. Northmen live in small hamlets or individual family dwellings, making their own lives in farms, fields, and as horsemen. There are only two notable cities of Men in this region - Dale and Framsburg. Dale was a center of trade on the River Running, the only democratic society in the entire world, with an elected leader risen from among the influential merchants. It just got eaten by the dragon. Framsburg lies northwest, beyond the elves of the forest and at the foothills of the Grey Mountains. It was built several centuries ago using the wealth recovered from the dragon Scatha's hoard (to the anger of dwarves, who's treasure it was before the dragon took it). The unsettled folk of the land really just don't like to organize or bind themselves into great societies, cities, or feudal constructs. Combine that with the Long Winters of 12 and 13 years ago, and much of the region is broad, unpopulated, and inhabited by the unknown.

Your warrior-guy is a nice touch - the group doesn't really have any dwarven warriors (except notionally Dogma, when he returns). If he's born in this area, there's no real concept of formal knighthood - that would be in Gondor, weeks of travel to the south. Your concept for a non-noble rider (or Military sub-setting Calvaryman) is probably the peak for the region. He could easily be well-regarded or ill-repute at your option either way. If you want to be an actual Rider of Rohan, I'd be okay with that, too, but he's far from home. I'd like his 4th lifepath to reflect how he got here (trader, diplomat, prisoner, etc).

The armorer is an interesting angle, too. (Especially since none of the dwarves in the company are capable of weapon or armorsmithing and his fan-boy attitude to them is essentially racism.) There is an interesting foible in that humans can do everything-metal with one skill, but for dwarves it is four distinct semi-magical disciplines.

Both angles are okay with me.

[lupinelegend]

I'm leaning more towards the (ex?) soldier than the armorer, though I'm worried about making my character and then realizing he's Aragorn. I hope that my Beliefs and Traits will help set me apart.

- If I'm a local, I would be from Dale. Perhaps I rode in a campaign against the Easterlings, returned changed, and either became a loner (Strider) or joined an outfit (Freebooter).

- The idea of actually being a Rider of Rohan is neat, but I'm not sure what would bring me north and keep me there. I would need help connecting with the setting. If I'm a diplomat bearing a message (City Born > Groom > Calvaryman > Courtier), perhaps the fall of Dale means I have no one to deliver it to and must complete the mission myself? I'm not sure how to make this work.

[Fulci]

I like the idea of the "wannabe knight"... And he won't become Aragorn, if you base him off Don Quixote

[Marullus]

Any of those angles work -- Just decide what you like most. Yes, beliefs, instincts, and traits will differentiate your guy from any other, or any stereotype.

1st/2nd LP:
So, you could be Born City --> Groom, or Born Village --> Groom.

City would be Dale, as you said. That has a distinct flavor, and would be the only place to imbue you with a sense of democratic principles. The City LP requires the Road-Wise trait and the Peripatetic trait (i.e. rootless and wandering), a little more point-wise, and opportunities for traveler-wise and city-wise.

Most northmen are scattered about in villages. It requires animal husbandry and opportunity for horse-wise, and doesn't require a specific trait, so you can define him a little more freely.

3rd LP:
Cavalryman is pretty solid.

4th LP:
Strider - He's required to have Forest-wise and the Loner trait. In this area, that means he gravitated to at least the eaves of Mirkwood. Why? Also, does he then have a relationship with Ilreth the elf to tie him in?

Freebooter requires Intimidation and the Cold-Blooded trait. Not a particularly noble/knightly approach. Gritty knight-like guy, perhaps.

Scout is a good way to finish off without the darkness or loner-ness of the other two, if desired.

Courtier is a good approach for Rohan. It is only 261 years since Northmen road south to found Rohan, so they likely do maintain some form of diplomacy and relations. I would recommend you take this if you really like the Rohan feel and want to bring it into play, and/or have strong ideas about the diplomat angle.

Prisoner of War could also be an option, if you want to get creative with a backstory.

[lupinelegend]

Thanks for the advice. I burned up the Armorer concept to get a feel for the process and stopped at Relationships where I had some trouble.

As for the soldier concept, I think Freebooter is out. I don't want that Cold-Blooded trait. I think I also want to avoid the Loner-ness of the Strider LP. That leaves me with:

[City Born > Groom > Calvaryman > Scout]

Alternatively, I've realized that this could be fun:

[City Born > Falconer > Scout > Strider] which would make me a slightly kooky ranger-type with a pet falcon that I talk to. In this case, the Loner trait would be something that I aim to get rid of. After too much time scouting alone, this ranger is ready for company.

I'll burn something up in the morning and post it, then start thinking about Relationships, Beliefs, and Instincts.

[Marullus]

Also a fun concept!

Look over Ilreth, the elven ranger, to compare/contrast.

For the Falconer, if you don't want him to have migrated to Mirkwood, I would be willing to sub forest-wise for a Rhovanion-wise as he's work better in the broad scrublands anyway, and I don't see a more fitting path.

[lupinelegend]

Looking at Ilreth, my Falconer wouldn't share many skills with her especially if I sub Forest-wise for Rhovanion-wise. Here's where I am so far:

Name: Whitfield
Concept/Bio: Ranger who has spent too much time on his own
Lifepaths: City Born, Lead to Noble Court, Falconer, Lead to Professional Soldier, Scout, Lead to Outcast, Strider
Age : 28
Stats: Wi: B4, Pe: B4, Po: B4, Fo: B4, Ag: B5, Sp: B4, Stride: 7
Attributes: Ref: B4, Ste: B5, Hes: 6, Hea: B5, MW: B10, Circles: B2, Resources: B0
PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B7 Se: B8 Tr: B9 Mo: B10
Beliefs:

Instincts:

Traits: [Dt] Birdie Talk, [Char] Boaster, [Dt] Familiar Face, [Char] Loner, [Char] Wary
Skills: Bow B3, Falconry B3, Firebuilding B2, Rhovanion-wise B2, Hunting B3, Observation B3, Orienteering B3, Riding B2, Stealthy B3, Survival B3, Sword B3, Tracking B4, Fear-of-Mirkwood-wise B2
Affiliations:
Reputations:
Relationships: Marsden Sheppard (Minor, hateful/rival)
Gear: Clothes, Shoes, Falcon: "Gryff", Run-of-the-mill Sword, Hunting Bow, Traveling Gear
Property:
Spells:
Weapons:

I have 11 more Resources to spend. It would be nice to have a relationship to tie me in with the group. Anything you might suggest?

[lupinelegend]

Since I'm struggling a little bit with relationships, I thought I would get started on Beliefs.

Whit joined Dale's army (did Dale have an army?) because he wanted to defend his people. Having participated in at least one campaign against the Easterlings, he has seen his share of death and misery. Whit left the army hoping to leave the bloodshed behind. He still wants to help his people, but he now serves by guiding caravans throughout the Rhovanion and occasionally through Mirkwood.

Belief 1: I have witnessed and caused enough death for lifetimes over. I will use my skills to assist citizens, not soldiers.

Belief 2: [What is your core belief about the current exodus and how you'll survive it?]

Belief 3: [What is your core belief about someone else in the group (either another proposed PC or an NPC you will purchase as a relationship)?]

[Marullus]

Now that we've boiled down to one concept, I split and made his own thread. Please subscribe to this topic, as I'll continue to add updates on this thread as your sheet changes in play, even after we finish it initially.

A very good start! Looks like all things add up pretty well.

I like that you took Birdie-talk! This substantiates that some humans do in fact understand thrushes, ravens, and crows in our world, as described in the Hobbit.

Did you take Weather-wise as your free one, or buy it? For your guy, I'd recommend Fear-of-Mirkwood-wise - consider it a specific form of the Folklore skill. Most of the dwarves took Weather-wise, so there will plenty of grumpy, wet dwarves. For your character's role as a foil, I think you'd have more fun being versed in all the tales and legends of the human-folk about what happens in the (quite literal) dark forest that fills your western horizon. (I suggested Ilreth take Mirkwood-wise, which would be true-knowledge as she grew up within it. Your Fear-of-Mirkwood-wise is the many tales that humans tell that have varying degrees of truth.)

Beliefs:
I'd like you to follow a slightly different model than the dwarves, as your source-point in Dale and outdoor lifestyle impacts you differently. Here's suggestions.

* You are City-born and served the elites (with a noble court LP), so have distinct perspective on Dale. What belief do you hold about Democracy and elected government, or about what types of rule are most effective?

* What is your belief about the present situation - the coming of Smaug, the destruction of Dale, the current exodus?

* What is your view about Northman life, the imposing forest of Mirkwood which dominates the western horizon, human-dwarf relations, etc? He should have an overriding belief that governs his objectives as a foil.

Instincts:

Read page 451. How does your guy act when surprised alone in the wild? Bow in hand, or sword? If you intend to get a shot off if surprised in melee, the book recommends a "Always keep an arrow knocked" instinct. If he defaults to his sword, perhaps an instinct for that, instead.

Otherwise, use your instincts to flesh out your character and define how he acts when alone in the wild. Now that he's trying to buy-off the loner trait, these instincts can cause fun social trouble for him when he's with people.

Resource points - Some suggestions:
* 7 or 10 pts - A 1D affiliation (10pts) or reputation (7pts) - either will get you some help for circles tests, neither will get you enough expenditure to start with any resources attribute. Pick which works best for your flavor.
* 8pts - You need a toolkit to be fully functional with Falconry. Hunting him in the field only goes from ob1 to ob2, so you could also roll-on without it, and not do more difficult falconry until you settle and acquire one.
* 3pts - A full gambeson (quilted armor doublet, sleeves, and leggings) or just a reinforced leather tunic (chest-only) gets you some armor protection, as one who is used to risks in the wild.
* 1 or 3 pts - do you have a home? A leaky shack (1pt) or small cottage (3pts) could be somewhere in Rhovanion still waiting for you, if you had a country house you holed up in each winter. (For 7pts, you could have had a house in Dale, now burned and lost, but from which you grabbed 1D Cash in personal effects.)

Weapons

Does he carry any back-up weapons?

How did he come to prefer the sword? From fighting Easterlings and armed opponents? (Burning Wheel is one of the only systems where weapon length matters, and a hunter with a spear is at a marked advantage against a shorter-armed foe who must close before acting.)

[Marullus]

Since I'm struggling a little bit with relationships, I thought I would get started on Beliefs.

Whit joined Dale's army (did Dale have an army?) because he wanted to defend his people. Having participated in at least one campaign against the Easterlings, he has seen his share of death and misery. Whit left the army hoping to leave the bloodshed behind. He still wants to help his people, but he now serves by guiding caravans throughout the Rhovanion and occasionally through Mirkwood.

Belief 1: I have witnessed and caused enough death for lifetimes over. I will use my skills to assist citizens, not soldiers.

Belief 2: [What is your core belief about the current exodus and how you'll survive it?]

Belief 3: [What is your core belief about someone else in the group (either another proposed PC or an NPC you will purchase as a relationship)?]

This cross-posted - sorry!

I like the concept as fleshed-out. What is the impact of helping citizens vs soldiers? Would he refuse to aid someone with a military background? Is there a more specific action we could state? As with others' beliefs, I'd like your action goals to typically be directive and achievable in a session or two so I can award more artha for completion.

[lupinelegend]

IN PROGRESS

Did you take Weather-wise as your free one, or buy it? For your guy, I'd recommend Fear-of-Mirkwood-wise - consider it a specific form of the Folklore skill. Most of the dwarves took Weather-wise, so there will plenty of grumpy, wet dwarves. For your character's role as a foil, I think you'd have more fun being versed in all the tales and legends of the human-folk about what happens in the (quite literal) dark forest that fills your western horizon. (I suggested Ilreth take Mirkwood-wise, which would be true-knowledge as she grew up within it. Your Fear-of-Mirkwood-wise is the many tales that humans tell that have varying degrees of truth.)

I took Weather-wise as my free -wise, but I've updated it to Fear-of-Mirkwood-wise as you recommended. It also fits better with the tiny bit of backstory I've written so far.

Beliefs:
I'd like you to follow a slightly different model than the dwarves, as your source-point in Dale and outdoor lifestyle impacts you differently. Here's suggestions.

* You are City-born and served the elites (with a noble court LP), so have distinct perspective on Dale. What belief do you hold about Democracy and elected government, or about what types of rule are most effective?

* What is your belief about the present situation - the coming of Smaug, the destruction of Dale, the current exodus?

* What is your view about Northman life, the imposing forest of Mirkwood which dominates the western horizon, human-dwarf relations, etc? He should have an overriding belief that governs his objectives as a foil.

- Dale is in flames, but her spirit lives on. The government worked for the people and must be rebuilt. I will search for someone capable of leading our people.

- Smaug is a blight upon the land; a force of nature that cannot be ousted from his new roost. I will escort the survivors as they search for a new home.

- The Northmen tamed this land. We settled it and we bled for it. The greed of the Dwarves has brought destruction down on us; rendering into ash the work and achievement of generations of Northmen.

Instincts:

Read page 451. How does your guy act when surprised alone in the wild? Bow in hand, or sword? If you intend to get a shot off if surprised in melee, the book recommends a "Always keep an arrow knocked" instinct. If he defaults to his sword, perhaps an instinct for that, instead.

Otherwise, use your instincts to flesh out your character and define how he acts when alone in the wild. Now that he's trying to buy-off the loner trait, these instincts can cause fun social trouble for him when he's with people.

In progress.

Resource points - Some suggestions:
* 7 or 10 pts - A 1D affiliation (10pts) or reputation (7pts) - either will get you some help for circles tests, neither will get you enough expenditure to start with any resources attribute. Pick which works best for your flavor.
* 8pts - You need a toolkit to be fully functional with Falconry. Hunting him in the field only goes from ob1 to ob2, so you could also roll-on without it, and not do more difficult falconry until you settle and acquire one.
* 3pts - A full gambeson (quilted armor doublet, sleeves, and leggings) or just a reinforced leather tunic (chest-only) gets you some armor protection, as one who is used to risks in the wild.
* 1 or 3 pts - do you have a home? A leaky shack (1pt) or small cottage (3pts) could be somewhere in Rhovanion still waiting for you, if you had a country house you holed up in each winter. (For 7pts, you could have had a house in Dale, now burned and lost, but from which you grabbed 1D Cash in personal effects.)

Resources have been updated in the post above.

Weapons

Does he carry any back-up weapons?

Whit now carries a short spear and a shortsword as a back-up.

How did he come to prefer the sword? From fighting Easterlings and armed opponents? (Burning Wheel is one of the only systems where weapon length matters, and a hunter with a spear is at a marked advantage against a shorter-armed foe who must close before acting.)

Hmmm. I trained Whit in Sword because I thought it would have been easier to wield and/or conceal when sneaking around on military scouting missions. Now that you've brought it up, a spear/javelin would be pretty versatile. I've updated my skills appropriately.

I like the concept as fleshed-out. What is the impact of helping citizens vs soldiers? Would he refuse to aid someone with a military background? Is there a more specific action we could state? As with others' beliefs, I'd like your action goals to typically be directive and achievable in a session or two so I can award more artha for completion.

I was thinking that Whit would not want to be the tool of a state or government. This wouldn't be too achievable in the near-term, probably. I will create my Beliefs from the questions you posed above and I'll let this be a little bit of character flavor.

[lupinelegend]

I added my Beliefs in the post above, as well as in the spoiler below. Please let me know what you think.

- Dale is in flames, but her spirit lives on. The government worked for the people and must be rebuilt. I will search for someone capable of leading our people.

- Smaug is a blight upon the land; a force of nature that cannot be ousted from his new roost. I will escort the survivors as they search for a new home.

- The Northmen tamed this land. We settled it and we bled for it. The greed of the Dwarves has brought destruction down on us; rendering into ash the work and achievement of generations of Northmen.

I also reworked my skills. Whit now wields a short spear with a shortsword as his back-up. Please let me know if you think I need another relationship in the place of some gear I purchased.

Name: Whitfield
Concept/Bio: Ranger who has spent too much time on his own
Lifepaths: City Born, Lead to Noble Court, Falconer, Lead to Professional Soldier, Scout, Lead to Outcast, Strider
Age : 28
Stats: Wi: B4, Pe: B4, Po: B4, Fo: B4, Ag: B5, Sp: B4, Stride: 7
Attributes: Ref: B4, Ste: B5, Hes: 6, Hea: B5, MW: B10, Circles: B2, Resources: B0
PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B7 Se: B8 Tr: B9 Mo: B10
Beliefs:

Instincts:

Traits: [Dt] Birdie Talk, [Char] Boaster, [Dt] Familiar Face, [Char] Loner, [Char] Wary
Skills: Bow B3, Falconry B3, Firebuilding B2, Rhovanion-wise B2, Hunting B3, Javelin B2, Observation B3, Orienteering B3, Spear B3, Stealthy B3, Survival B3, Sword B2, Tracking B3, Fear-of-Mirkwood-wise B2
Affiliations:
Reputations:
Relationships: Marsden Sheppard (Minor, hateful/rival)
Gear: Clothes, Shoes, Falcon: "Gryff", Falconer Toolkit, Short Spear (rotm), Short Sword (rotm), Hunting Bow, Traveling Gear, Full Gambeson
Property:
Spells:
Weapons:

I'll be tackling Instincts next. Almost done!

[Marullus]

- The Northmen tamed this land. We settled it and we bled for it. The greed of the Dwarves has brought destruction down on us; rendering into ash the work and achievement of generations of Northmen.

This is a good belief, but it still needs a goal attached as the second sentence. What are you driven to do about this belief?

I also reworked my skills. Whit now wields a short spear with a shortsword as his back-up (though I didn't have the resources to buy one. It must have been lost in the escape!). I thought it more important to have the Falconer's toolkit than a back-up weapon.

"Arms" buys all "necessary hand weaponry to suit a character's idiom." So, if your guy uses a spear, short sword, and dirk, then your purchase of Run of the Mill Arms for 5 rps gets you all three. You don't need to buy individual weapons (except that Bows are bought separately).

Marsden Sheppard (Minor, hateful/rival)

Who is this guy? Why is he important to you? i.e. does he oppose one of your beliefs? If so, mention him in it. If not, then give me context and work him into a future belief to bring him into play then.

Please let me know if you think I need another relationship in the place of some gear I purchased.

Sorry, forgot to answer this part previously. No cost for relationships with other PCs. The following make sense - converse (here or PM) with their players and post what is decided.

Favrick - Potential traveling companion, as he just came across all of Rhovanion on foot to get here for this ill-timed turn of fate. Perhaps you met and came with him.

Niping - Resident of Dale, well known as a blacksmith among Men across Rhovanion. You've heard of him, at least, and could have previously been acquainted or even good friends. This would be good grist as you each now blame the other's race for this catastrophe, which should come out in play.

Ilreth - it is possible you were acquainted, due to your forays into and through Mirkwood as you provide escort. Or, you could just as easily meet now.

[lupinelegend]

This is a good belief, but it still needs a goal attached as the second sentence. What are you driven to do about this belief?

I suppose I was thinking of this more as a philosophy to evolve than an actionable goal. I'm struggling to think of a goal based on this belief. How is this?

- The greed of the Dwarves has brought destruction down on us; rendering into ash the work and achievement of generations of Northmen. I will denounce any attempts to shift blame.

Who is this guy? Why is he important to you? i.e. does he oppose one of your beliefs? If so, mention him in it. If not, then give me context and work him into a future belief to bring him into play then.

I was thinking Marsden would be a fellow soldier from my army days. Perhaps he blames me for the death of mutual friends or perhaps I reported him for conduct unbecoming. I don't know what he did after I left the service, but we did not break on good terms. Perhaps he thinks himself a good leader for the Northmen and I (vehemently) disagree? Perhaps he threw in with a bunch of freebooters and is preying on the weak among the refugees? What do you think would work for the game?

No cost for relationships with other PCs. The following make sense - converse (here or PM) with their players and post what is decided.

Favrick - Potential traveling companion, as he just came across all of Rhovanion on foot to get here for this ill-timed turn of fate. Perhaps you met and came with him.

Niping - Resident of Dale, well known as a blacksmith among Men across Rhovanion. You've heard of him, at least, and could have previously been acquainted or even good friends. This would be good grist as you each now blame the other's race for this catastrophe, which should come out in play.

Ilreth - it is possible you were acquainted, due to your forays into and through Mirkwood as you provide escort. Or, you could just as easily meet now.

I like the idea of meeting Favrick on the road and leading him to Dale. I'm sure I met Niping in my Falconry days. I was probably sent from Court to retrieve packages from his workshop.

[Marullus]

That all works for me. I will take Marsden from there. The PC relationships are fine unless another player objects. Update your sheet.

[lupinelegend]

Updated character sheet:

Name: Whitfield
Concept/Bio: Ranger who has spent too much time on his own
Lifepaths: City Born, Lead to Noble Court, Falconer, Lead to Professional Soldier, Scout, Lead to Outcast, Strider
Age: 28
Stats: Wi: B4, Pe: B4, Po: B4, Fo: B4, Ag: B5, Sp: B4, Stride: 7
Attributes: Ref: B4, Ste: B5, Hes: 6, Hea: B5, MW: B10, Circles: B2, Resources: B0
PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B7 Se: B8 Tr: B9 Mo: B10
Beliefs:
- Dale is in flames, but her spirit lives on. The government worked for the people and must be rebuilt. I will search for someone capable of leading our people.

- Smaug is a blight upon the land; a force of nature that cannot be ousted from his new roost. I will escort the survivors as they search for a new home.

- The greed of the Dwarves has brought destruction down on us; rendering into ash the work and achievement of generations of Northmen. I will denounce any attempts to shift blame.

Instincts:
- If I sense danger, I hide.

- Always have Gryff scout ahead.

- Use every opportunity to wash myself and resupply.

Traits: [Dt] Birdie Talk, [Char] Boaster, [Dt] Familiar Face, [Char] Loner, [Char] Wary
Skills: Bow B3, Falconry B3, Firebuilding B2, Rhovanion-wise B2, Hunting B3, Javelin B2, Observation B3, Orienteering B3, Spear B3, Stealthy B3, Survival B3, Sword B2, Tracking B3, Fear-of-Mirkwood-wise B2
Affiliations: n/a
Reputations: n/a
Relationships: Marsden Sheppard (Minor, hateful/rival), Favrick, Niping
Gear: Clothes, Shoes, Traveling Gear, Falcon: "Gryff", Falconer Toolkit, Full Gambeson
Property: n/a
Spells: n/a
Weapons: Run-of-the-Mill Arms (Short spear, Short sword, Dagger), Hunting Bow

Just need to add Instincts now. I'll have that done in the next couple of hours.

[Marullus]

I am excited. . Hop into the IC scene when ready.

[lupinelegend]

Character sheet updated with Instincts! Please let me know if you want me to modify anything. I will post over in the "Final Character Sheets" thread.