My first Turakian Age character

[Lord Kilsco]

Hi,

 

Let me introduce you my first character created for a Fantasy Hero / Turakian Age campaign. As a Fantasy Hero beginner, I would like to know your comments on this character : my mistakes, what I could improve, what I must change, etc.

 

He's an Elf of Elvenholme, he travels across Ambrethel in the service of the Elvenking as a spy / agent. He's a good alchimist and a beginning druidic wizard (Druidry as magic). I didn't choose his equipment, I will do it later.

 

Kerian Arkena

 

Player: Lord Kilsco

 

Val**	Char***	Cost
10**	STR	0
13**	DEX	9
11**	CON	2
10**	BODY	0
15**	INT	5
14**	EGO	8
10**	PRE	0
14**	COM	2
	*
3**	PD	1
2**	ED	0
3**	SPD	7
5**	REC	2
22**	END	0
21**	STUN	0

*8"**RUN42"**SWIM02"**LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 40

 

Cost**	Power	END
3**	Kaltorimedariani : +1 PER with all Sense Groups*	0
**	Elf Innate Abilities*
5**	1) Elven Eyes : Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group)*	0
4**	2) Elven Longevity : Life Support (Longevity 1600 Years)*	0
2**	3) Elven Eyes : +1 PER with Sight Group*	0
**	Alchemy*
5**	1) Dust of Darkness: Change Environment 8" radius, -3 to Sight Group PER Rolls, Delayed Effect (x2 number active; +1/2) (39 Active Points); Extra Time (6 Hours, -3 1/2), OAF Fragile (-1 1/4), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout brewing (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Requires An Alchemy Roll (to brew; -1/2), 4 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (-1/2)*	[4 cc]
5**	2) Dust of Illusion: Sight Group Images Increased Size (4" radius; +1/2), -3 to PER Rolls, Delayed Effect (x2 number active; +1/2) (38 Active Points); Extra Time (6 Hours, -3 1/2), OAF Fragile (-1 1/4), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout brewing (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Requires An Alchemy Roll (to brew; -1/2), 4 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (-1/2)*	[4 cc]
1**	3) Owl's Eyes Potion: Nightvision, 4 Continuing Charges lasting 5 Minutes each (+0), Delayed Effect (x2 number active; +1/2) (7 Active Points); Extra Time (1 Hour, -3), OAF Fragile (-1 1/4), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout brewing (0 DCV; -1), Requires An Alchemy Roll (to brew; -1/2)*	[4 cc]
**	Druidry Spells*
5**	1) Lightining Strike: Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6, Indirect (always comes from the sky; +1/4) (19 Active Points); OAF Expendable (Difficult to obtain new Focus; chip of wood from a lightbing-struck tree; -1 1/4), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Requires A Druidry Roll (-1/2), Spell (-1/2), Incantations (-1/4)*	2
3**	2) Meldana's Charm of the Dragon's Heart: Telepathy 3d6 (Animal class of minds) (15 Active Points); OAF Expendable (Very Difficult to obtain new Focus; bit of flesh of dragon's heart; -1 1/2), Gestures (Requires both hands; -1/2), Incantations (throughout; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), Requires A Druidry Roll (-1/2), Communication Only (-1/4), Visible (-1/4)*	1

Powers Cost: 33

 

 

Cost**	Skill
**	Combat*
8**	1) +1 with All Combat*
4**	2) WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons*
4**	3) +2 with Bows*
**	Magic*
5**	1) Alchemy 13-*
3**	2) KS: Arcane And Occult Lore 12-*
3**	3) SS: Alchemy 12-*
3**	4) Druidry (Magic) 12-*
1**	5) Inventor (Spell Research) 8-*
**	Knowledge*
6**	1) AK: Elvenholme 15-*
3**	2) KS: Elven Law 12-*
**	Languages*
0**	1) Language: Shalionderentine (idiomatic; literate) (5 Active Points)*
**	Miscellaneous*
3**	1) +3 with Stealth (6 Active Points); Only In Woodland Environments (-1)*
5**	2) Riding 13-*
4**	3) Animal Handler (Equines) 12-*
3**	4) High Society 11-*
3**	5) Stealth 12-*
3**	6) Climbing 12-*
2**	7) Survival (Temperate/Subtropical Forests) 12-*
1**	8) Paramedics (Healing) 8-*
1**	9) Tracking 8-*

Skills Cost: 65

 

Cost**	Perk
4**	Contact: Keral Arkena (Kerian's father) (Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 8-*
2**	Fringe Benefit: Kaltorimedariani (equivalent to Knight)*

Perks Cost: 6

 

Cost**	Talent
3**	Lightsleep*
3**	Environmental Movement (no penalties in Undergrowth)*

Talents Cost: 6

 

 

Total Character Cost: 150

 

Val**	Disadvantages
15**	Psychological Limitation: Hatred of Orcs and Goblins (Common, Strong)*
15**	Psychological Limitation: Respect for Nature (Common, Strong)*
15**	Social Limitation: Subject to Orders (Elvenholme Agent) (Frequently, Major)*
10**	Rivalry: Professional (Rival Elvenholme Master Agent Dorean Grell; Rival is More Powerful; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)*
10**	Psychological Limitation: Curiosity (Common, Moderate)*
10**	Psychological Limitation: Oath Of Feudal Loyalty to Elvenking (Common, Moderate)*
0**	Normal Characteristic Maxima*

Disadvantage Points: 75

 

Base Points: 75

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

[arcady]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

It might be easier if you organized it by package deals.

 

I suppose you have a plan for coming up with Dragon hearts? I know that in the DnD game I run - if it had been in Fantasy Hero after 1 year of play the player with this speak with animal spell would never have managed to come up with the needed ingredients to cast...

 

It's an odd ingredient, likely to kill the PC trying to gather it, for what most people would consider a 'cantrip' spell.

 

On the disadvantages:

 

Do you expect the Orc / Goblin thing to hinder the character in play?

 

Psych Curiousity is one of those things that's always bugged me. For most people, it just means "PC" - as all PCs play out with this one. If I were your GM there'd be a good chance that by session three I'd be having you remove it.

 

What would cause me to not do so would be seeing the character act in a manner 'above and beyond' normal RPG-PC behavoir.

 

The Oath of Loyalty and the Social Responsibility cover the same ground, so in play what makes them end up different? I'd want a list of situations that were -llikely to occur- where one governed your actions and the other did not. I'd want that list to be half of one, and half the other.

 

If it's common, I'd want to see you get it into the game at least once a session. Uncommon - every other session. Very common - every scene you're in.

 

I tend to put the burden of making it come up in the player's hands. So even if you're not seeing Orcs and Goblins all that often, you should be constantly spouting off racist language - blame them for crime, unwed mothers, poverty, bad crops, accuse their mages of spoiling the weather, ask the innkeep to ensure none of them ever slept in the bedding you get, or drank from the cup you use, suspect rude people openly of having orc blood, call them 'orc-lovers' if they disagree with you...

 

etc...

 

You've got it strong, so you should be beyond just talk. Maybe you carry a rope to lynch orc-lovers with.

[Lord Kilsco]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

Thanks your your comments, arcady !

 

It might be easier if you organized it by package deals.

I don't understand. I created this character with Hero Designer and prefabs from the Fantasy Hero and Turakian Age packs. I exported it with one of the export templates. Do you mean I should have organize the skills, perks, talents and powers by package deal (a first section with abilities coming from Elf Package Deal, another section for Alchimist Package Deal, another one for Wizard Apprentice) ?

 

I suppose you have a plan for coming up with Dragon hearts? I know that in the DnD game I run - if it had been in Fantasy Hero after 1 year of play the player with this speak with animal spell would never have managed to come up with the needed ingredients to cast... It's an odd ingredient' date=' likely to kill the PC trying to gather it, for what most people would consider a 'cantrip' spell.[/quote']

I made myself the same comment when I read this spell in the Fantasy Hero Grimoire. The dragon heart surprised me and made me think I won't often have the opportunity to cast this spell ... Perhaps should I change this spell to need a less rare ingredient.

 

Do you expect the Orc / Goblin thing to hinder the character in play?

I'm not sure. The campaign will take place in the Free City of Aarn. Don't Orcs or Goblins live in this city ? Perhaps in the Thieves' Guilds, as said in Turakian Age p.181

 

Psych Curiousity is one of those things that's always bugged me. For most people' date=' it just means "PC" - as all PCs play out with this one. If I were your GM there'd be a good chance that by session three I'd be having you remove it. What would cause me to not do so would be seeing the character act in a manner 'above and beyond' normal RPG-PC behavoir.[/quote']

With this disavantage, I wanted to tell "My character will be so curious that he will stick one's nose into things not concerning the adventure and will cause problems to the PC group". To my mind, he will really be more curious than an average PC.

 

The Oath of Loyalty and the Social Responsibility cover the same ground' date=' so in play what makes them end up different? I'd want a list of situations that were -llikely to occur- where one governed your actions and the other did not. I'd want that list to be half of one, and half the other.[/quote']

You're right, it was a mistake to give my character these two limitations. In a new version, I will remove the Social Responsibility and let the Oath of Loyalty to the Elvenking.

 

On the other hand, I discovered yesterday evening that spells real cost in Turakian Age must be divided by 3 (Turakian Age, p.230), so my spells and potions real cost are all false. I should have read my books more carefully.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[arcady]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

When I read the spells while doing my first reply I noticed they had already been divided by three in the final cost when compared to the grimoire.

 

Population for Aarn doesn't list Orcs or Goblins, and other is only 2%. Non humans are not that common there in fact - elves are only 3%. Dwarves 9, halflings 7, drakines 6, and gnomes 4.

 

You'll probably be known everywhere you go, and your arrival known before you get there. If I were your GM I would allow your race alone to qualify you for distinctive features, and encourage you to get a reputation. If you didn't I would presume you new to the community, and would probably 'award' you with one several times faster than the other PCs.

 

If the group all broke the law or saved somebody - you'd be the first one recognized for it. I need to read the city and see how tolerant it is, to see if you'd become 'everybody's favorite citizen' or subject to 'walking while elvish'.

[Lord Kilsco]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

When I read the spells while doing my first reply I noticed they had already been divided by three in the final cost when compared to the grimoire.

Are you sure ?

 

For Meldana's Charm of the Dragon's Heart, I took the 'weak' option from the Fantasy Hero Grimoire.

 

Same for Lightning Strike, for which I chose to take a 1d6 RKA instead of 3d6.

[arcady]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

Ah...

 

You're right.

 

In that case, take option number 3 on the charm spell... after you divide cost by three that becomes very affordable. It gets rid of that heart ingredient...

 

I have to say, that's the kind of ingredient you put on the "35d6 megascale area effect does body NND and even spanks your momma's heiny spell", not a 'speak with chipmunks and bunny rabbits' spell...

[Lord Kilsco]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

I have to say' date=' that's the kind of ingredient you put on the "35d6 megascale area effect does body NND and even spanks your momma's heiny spell", not a 'speak with chipmunks and bunny rabbits' spell...[/quote']

Yes, you're right. That's why I will remove this spell in the new version of my character.

[Eosin]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

A few comments:

 

Disads:

Oat of Fealthy & Subject to Orders are very close and basically represent the same thing unless they are to different groups (Which could cause some cool RP problems).

 

Stats:

Wow, those are abysmal stats for a 150 point game. If those are on par with the other players then disregaurd but typically in a 75/75 game a good rule of thumb to follow on creation is no more than a 20% difference between stats and skills (that is - don't spend more than 90 points in either the stats or the skills section ....and inversly do not spend less than 60 in either of those sections).

 

Point effectiveness:

If your CON increases to 13 it would cost you 4 points - BUT you spent 2 points on REC that is now free & you get some additional STUN & END plus you are more difficult to stun in battle.

 

I would consider adding +1 BODY to give you a little more umph when it comes to getting impaired (5 BODY damage impairs a character with a BODY stat of 10 but it takes 6 BODY damage to impair an 11 STAT.)

 

If you can squeeze out a few points to bump your DEX to 14-15 it pays you back in spades. (After CON this would be most important...some can successfully argure that it is more important).

 

 

STIPULATION: These recommendations are based on the way my group plays Hero and it typically meshes with Heroic games but if your group runs in a stat poor game then ignore the second half of the post.

 

PS -- Lightining should be cheaper with the 0.33 cost multiplier shouldn't it??

[Lord Kilsco]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

Oat of Fealthy & Subject to Orders are very close and basically represent the same thing unless they are to different groups (Which could cause some cool RP problems).

Yes, I realized that after Arcady made me the same remark. I will remove Subject to Orders in the next version of my character.

 

Wow' date=' those are abysmal stats for a 150 point game. If those are on par with the other players then disregaurd but typically in a 75/75 game a good rule of thumb to follow on creation is no more than a 20% difference between stats and skills (that is - don't spend more than 90 points in either the stats or the skills section ....and inversly do not spend less than 60 in either of those sections).[/quote']

I'm not sure to understand. Do you count talents, perks and powers in your skills total or are they apart ?

 

If I undestand what you said, your recommendation is :

- between 60 and 90 points in characterics (primary and secondary)

- between 60 and 90 points in skills

- remaining points in perks, talents and powers

 

Did I misunderstand what you said ?

 

Point effectiveness:

[...]

Wooh. I must say I never took care of this kind of optimization. I assigned points to characterics according to how I imagined my character without thinking to these game effects. Perhaps it is a mistake ...

 

PS -- Lightining should be cheaper with the 0.33 cost multiplier shouldn't it??

You're right. I made the same mistake for all spells and potions I created for this character. I forgot the "division by 3" rule for Turakian Age magic.

[arcady]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

Either strategy has it's merits.

 

If you want to go for game effectiveness then you should lower or raise all primary stats to be 8, 13, or 18 if optimizing for skills. 8, 11, 14, or 17 if optimizing for OCV, DCV, ECV.

 

I'm not convinced your stats are too low.

 

The character is a mage, and all you really need is good PRE, INT, and EGO.

 

If the character is not a major combatant, you can get away with a speed of 2.

 

I would look at some sample mage characters in the books, and see if you find them too high or too low in stats.

[steph]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

il est le fun ton personnage as-tu regardé ma question a propos des points pour la magie d alchimie....et pour ton desavantage de curiosité je suis un peu d accord avec l autre ....tu dis que ton personnage est plus curieux que la moyenne de sorte qu il peut mettre les autres en danger mais ton desavantage reste a (common moderate) enfin ...comment trouves-tu le turakian age?

stef the french canadien

[Lord Kilsco]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

il est le fun ton personnage as-tu regardé ma question a propos des points pour la magie d alchimie....et pour ton desavantage de curiosité je suis un peu d accord avec l autre ....tu dis que ton personnage est plus curieux que la moyenne de sorte qu il peut mettre les autres en danger mais ton desavantage reste a (common moderate) enfin ...comment trouves-tu le turakian age?

stef the french canadien

Thanks for your answer Steph, but I'm not sure everyone will understand us if we speak French on this board. Perhaps could you post again your comments in English in such way everybody will understand.

[Eosin]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

If I undestand what you said, your recommendation is :

- between 60 and 90 points in characterics primary and secondary

- between 60 and 90 points in skills including talents, perk, and powers

 

Wooh. I must say I never took care of this kind of optimization. I assigned points to characterics according to how I imagined my character without thinking to these game effects. Perhaps it is a mistake ...

 

"Perhaps it is a mistake..."

 

It depends both on your group and your personal choices for game play. Some degree of "min max" is not just ok with Hero games it is required. Everybody will have differing values for what is "OK" and what crosses into the power-mongering game HO category. I think you should look at MMM, The Bestiary, FH Battlegrounds, & the TA .... you will find that the stats you have are fairly impoverished in compairison. In FH Battleground the first adventure has a "magic opponent" who is built on roughly 25 points with 50 points in disads (half your points) and he has better stats than you do.

 

But if you game is built on a low stat premise than what you have works.

 

 

I would not sell my speed down to 2 no matter what.

[arcady]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

At Dex 13 the character is not selling speed down, it is 2. The character is thus buying it up to 3.

 

3 is what you want if you're in the middle of all the action all the time. non 'fighters' only need a 2. At 4, you're the fantasy hero version of a speedster.

[Eosin]

Re: My first Turakian Age character

 

At Dex 13 the character is not selling speed down, it is 2. The character is thus buying it up to 3.

 

3 is what you want if you're in the middle of all the action all the time. non 'fighters' only need a 2. At 4, you're the fantasy hero version of a speedster.

 

As I mentioned in each post - each game group will have different stat ranges and those need to be taken into consideration. I have not seen a PC in my group (5-7) start a character out with a 3 SPD in 8-10 years and that character IMMED bought his SPD up to a 4 with the first 10 XP. SPD 2 by the EXAMPLES provided in the Heroic level book are the scubs...peasant levy, farmers, cripples, and the geriatric. SPD 3 is the first level combat ability in accordance to the write-ups in the various books.

 

SPD 5 is speedster/martial artists SPD in our Heroic level 150 point games. I have only seen it in a PC on 2 occasions in the 13 or so years that we have been playing.

 

The main thing for Kilsco is not what you or I tell him is "right" or "wrong" but what balances best with the group he is going to be in.

 

Here are some of the quick values I judge by:

 

Average Golem DEX 15 SPD 3

Average Troll DEX 14 SPD 3

Average Zombie DEX 10 SPD 2

 

Here is a hand out that my players have when it comes to character creation.

 

Hero Characteristics

All players will have a NCM but the GM does not want to discourage players from buying stats beyond that. The purchase of additional characteristics should be within the theme of your character. I have included a benchmark that indicates the relative value that I have mapped out for some popular characters.

 

Fantasy Hero Benchmarks

 

Speed

2 Farmers, Levy.

3 Soldiers, Guardsmen, Mercs.

4 Elite Guards, Maximus (Gladiator), Gimli, W. Wallace (Braveheart)

5 Conan, Arthur, Aragorn, Beowulf, Hercules (Sorbo), Lancelot, Lan (WOT).

6 Manslayer (Birthright), (movie) Leagolas, Xena.

7 Captian America

 

Dex

14 Soldiers, Guardsmen, Mercs

15 Elite Guards, Knights, Gandolf

17 Personal Guards, Gimli, Average Elf

18 Gorgon, W. Wallace

20 Boromir, Authur, Maximus

21 Hercules (Sorbo)

23 Conan, Aragorn, Lan (WOT)

25 Galad (WOT), Lancelot,

26 Xena

28 Legolas (movie)

 

Strength

15 Soldiers, Guardsmen, Mercs, Elite Guards, Knights, Arthur, Leagolas

18 Aragorn, Rand (WOT), W. Wallace

20 Boromir

23 Perrin (WOT)

25 Conan, Bullwief (13th Warrior)

28 Beowulf

30 Orge

35 Troll

40 Hercules

50 Balrog

 

That may not be the way your DM envisions things but if he or she does something similar for you then it will help your expectations of the game and tell you if your stats are low, high, or just right.