I previously mentioned that I wanted to try out Swords & Six-Siders. In this post, I will walk through the character creation process.
1. Choose a Race
The introductory adventure in the Expanded Edition of S&SS starts your character out as a farmer, so I figured that Human would be appropriate. Besides, humans get bonuses to their abilities.
2. Determine Ability Scores
Roll 3 D6s - I get 1, 3, and 6. I then get the complement, the score on the opposite side of the die, for each of my rolls. That gives me 6, 4, and 1. Two 1s - ugh.
Because my character is human, I can add 2 points to my scores. I'll raise the 1s to 2s so that I don't have any penalties.
I plan for my character to be a Myrmidon, a battle mage. I envision him as bright and dexterous, but not hulking. So I assign the stats as so:
ST 3, IN 6, DX 6, WI 2, CO 4, CH 2
He gets a +1 bonus for the 6s.
So bright and dexterous, but middling size. His wisdom is low; I interpret that as meaning he lacks a little common sense and tends to rash decisions. That fits with the adventure intro, as you will see below. With a charisma of 2, I also envision him as being the target of bullies. He'll show them!
3. Choose a Class
As I mentioned, I plan for him to be a Myrmidon. He can use up to medium armor and shields, and can use spells, starting with 1 spell at 1st level.
4. Choose an Alignment
He's basically good at heart, so I chose Lawful.
5. Determine Hit Points
I roll a 1. At first level, I can bump this up to 3.
6. Select Equipment
You don't have to buy equipment, just assign what is reasonable. He's a country bumpkin so I don't expect him to have much. He'll start with padded armor (light armor), a staff, sling, and dagger, plus a pack of miscellaneous gear. He'll top it off with a cook pot for a helmet.
7. Choose Spells
Myrmidons get 1 spell at first level. I decided to give him a bonus spell for variety. I rolled Grease and Magic Eyebeam. I decide to replace Magic Eyebeam (where would he learn that?) with Mirror Image.
8. Calculate Stats
He starts with an AC of 5 due to the "helmet" and a Damage Resistance of 1 due to the padded armor. He has a +1 ranged Attack because of his Dexterity).
9. Name Your Character
The rules encourage you to name your character "something cool." But my character is not cool (yet); he's a bumpkin. Tweedle seems bumpkin-y.
Backstory
I had already read the adventure intro so I had a sense of where my character would begin. As I developed him, his backstory began to take shape in my mind. So I present you with Tweedle's story.
He did not know his True Name, but everyone called him Tweedle. When he asked his Pa about his True Name, the old man would simply reply, "You will learn it in the proper time."
Tweedle lived in the sleepy village of Shepford. It's most prominent feature was, aptly enough, a ford used by shepherds. Tweedle's family, like most inhabitants of the village, were farmers. But when he was 8, the town physician approached his Pa and said that Tweedle would be his apprentice. So with that, Tweedle found a new occupation. Alas, this, and his sarcastic wit, led him to run afoul of some of the larger boys.
Like everyone else in Shepford, Tweedle called his master "Doc." Technically, he wasn't a doctor. He was a hedge mage of indifferent skill. Somehow he found a simple living by providing some basic services to the villagers. He even learned a little medicine along the way. Tweedle began to learn what little Doc knew.
It may have been a comfortable enough living for Doc, but Tweedle was bored. He wanted a life of adventure where he traversed the wide world. After nearly 10 years as an apprentice, he got his opportunity. By chance, he met a squinty-eyed sailor at the village tavern. The old salt claimed to have a map to hidden pirate treasure. For a few coppers, Tweedle was able to acquire it. Doc called him a fool and his Ma begged him to stay, but Tweedle was determined to go.
So now Tweedle is ready! Stay tuned for his first adventure!
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