-
-
YOU live in a fantasy city... but you're a kid. If you're a human, you're between 7 and 13. (To put it another way, you're either 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12. That's it. Those are your choices.) If you're not human, you're the equivalent of whatever those ages are for your species.
SO!
STEP ONE: CHOOSE YOUR AGE. (If you're 10, but you're an elf (or whatever), just put "the elf version of 10.")
STEP TWO: CHOOSE A SPECIES from the approved list:
ALPHABETICAL LIST:
--Dwarves: short, but taller than halflings
--Elves: pointy-eared people
--Gnomes: smaller than goblins.
--Goblins: slightly bigger than halflings. greenish.
--Half-elves
--Halflings: smaller than dwarves, bigger than gnomes
--Humans
--Kenku: feathered non-flying raven people
--Kitsune: fox-people.
--Kobolds: reptilian people about the size of gnomes.
--Tabaxi: cat-people
--Thri-kreen: insect people
The most common species in the city:
--Humans are the most common
--Half-elves
--Elves: pointy-eared people
--Dwarves: short, but taller than halflings
--Halflings: smaller than dwarves, bigger than gnomes
--Gnomes: smaller than goblins.
--Goblins: slightly bigger than halflings. greenish.
--Kobolds: reptillian people about the size of gnomes.
--Tabaxi: cat-people
--Kenku: feathered non-flying raven people
--Kitsune: fox-people.
--Thri-kreen: insect people. These are the least-common.
STEP THREE: Choose one:
--You have no parents (anymore), and no home. You live on the streets, or in abandoned buildings.
--You have one parent, but they were bad to you, so you ran away, and you live on the streets and in abandoned buildings now.
--You have no parents (anymore), but you live with someone who has adopted you-- a grandparent, a distant family member like a distant cousin, or just a very nice person.
--You have one parent. Something happened to the other parent-- maybe they went somewhere (because of the war?) and haven't come back for a long time... or maybe they were bad and you and your parent came to the city to hide from them?
--You have two parents... but you're very troubled about how you (and your parents) had to leave your home and come to the city because of the war.
NO ONE WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE WAR.
NO ONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT THE WAR WILL EVEN TALK ABOUT IT WHILE YOU'RE AROUND.
It's only through eavesdropping that you've been able to figure out there IS a war. Everyone clams up about it when you're around. If you ask about it, they say that you're too young to know about it or that you'll understand when you're older or something like that.
Teen-agers seem split-- the younger teens don't seem to know about the war any more than you do (although some pretend they know about it, just so they don't have to admit that they don't understand it any more than you do). Some of the older ones do seem to know-- but they say the same things to you about it as the adults. "You're too young to know." "You'll understand someday when you're older."
The war seems to worry everyone... but other than sending supplies out of the city, and families fleeing the war coming into the city... it doesn't seem to change anything all that much.
Whatever the war is, it's been going on like this for a while now, though there wasn't any war when you were really little, as far as you can figure.
Anyway, whether it's because you're an orphan, or because you've lost someone, or you're missing someone and don't know or understand when they'll be back, or because you're upset that you lost your old home, or something else:
NO ONE TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO.
Well, that's not true, exactly. Your friends might tell you what to do. But you have an understanding-- you tell them what to do, and they tell you what to do, and you each know that it's totally up to each of you whether you're actually going to do what you've been told or not.
When anyone OLDER tells you what to do, they mostly expect you to do it. Sometimes, like if there's a nice person you live with, you kind-of-sort-of want to make
them happy, as long as it doesn't interfere with playing with your friends.
But when ANYONE ELSE tells you what to do? An adult, a teenager, another kid who isn't your friend? It makes you MAD.
So no matter what anyone tells you... you always sneak away, and go out into the streets, and play with your friends.
Your friends understand that you get mad. They get mad too.
STEP FOUR: CHOOSE A TYPE.
There are four stats: FORCEFUL, AGILE, INSIGHTFUL, and CHARMING.
--FORCEFUL: For punching, kicking, biting, and breaking things.
--AGILE: For jumping, running, balancing, sneaking...
--INSIGHTFUL: For remembering or noticing important details, insulting others.
--CHARMING: For persuading, bluffing, deceiving, fooling, and making people... and other things... like you.
The Character Types (short list):
--Scrapper (basically a fighter kid)
--Dwarven Defender (basically what it says)
--Inspired Kid (basically a paladin kid)
--Wild Kid (basically a berserker)
--Kicker (basically a monk kid)
--Weird kid (basically a mage kid)
--Protege (basically a warlock kid)
--Nice Kid (basically a healer-cleric kid)
--Wise Kid (basically a druid-type kid)
--Smart Kid (basically a knowledge-domain-cleric kid)
--Sneaky Kid (basically a thief kid)
--Performer (basically a bard kid)
THE DETAILS ON CHARACTER TYPES:
--Scrapper (basically a fighter kid): You're tough, but you're also fast.
Starting stats:
Forceful: +2
Agile: +1
Insightful: -1
Charming: 0
Scrappers ignore the first time they take Hurt each fight.
Also, when you insult or upset an opponent (in other words, when you Hurt them in a non-physical way), you take +1 die in rolls (maximum 3d6) against them until the next time they Hurt you...
--Defender: There are three sub-types of Defender:
----Dwarven Defender: You're a dwarf fighter kid!
Starting stats:
Forceful: +2
Agile: 0
Insightful: -1
Charming: +1
Dwarven Defenders ignore the first time they take Hurt after they start defending something.
--Defend: When you are standing between something hostile and someone or something you want to defend that's out to get whoever or whatever you're guarding, you can roll 1 extra die while that's happening. Yes, even if that means more than 3!
--Trophy: Also, when you face and triumph over a danger, you may keep a trophy to remind you of it. You may carry up to three trophies. When you choose, you may discard the trophy, to get a +2 bonus (maximum 3d6) on your next roll...
----Inspired Defender (basically like a kid paladin): You're good at fighting, but also sometimes good at making others feel better.
Starting stats:
Forceful: +2
Agile: +1
Insightful: -1
Charming: 0
On a Charming roll of 5 (or better), you can actually heal others. (If their Hurt is physical, you have to be able to touch their arm or shoulder.) (You don't know it (yet), but this ability is given you because you have been blessed by Celadel, goddess of protection.)
Give Orders: When you want to order around a kid younger than a teen, or anything else smaller than yourself, roll +Charming, but with an extra +1 bonus.
--On 6: The character you order around gets an additional +1 (if they obey you) or -2 (if they don't obey you) to their next dice roll.
--On 4 or 5: Same as above but if there is anything hostile nearby, it now perceives you as a threat and acts.
--On a 3 or lower: the situation gets a little worse.
----Wild Defender (basically a berserker): You're a wild fighter! It's hard for you to calm down once you get going, though.
Starting stats:
Forceful: +2
Agile: 0
Insightful: -1
Charming: +1
You do double damage, but if any of your dice are 1, you also accidentally hit an ally-- or break something you didn't mean to break.
Venting: When you have Hurt caused by non-physical sources, add +1 to your attack rolls (max of 3d6).
--On 6: Heal 1 non-physical Hurt that you have.
--On 5 or lower: don't heal any Hurt you have.
--Kicker (basically a Monk kid): You have learned some martial arts moves, either because someone taught you, or because you just have spent a lot of time watching someone else who can do martial arts.
Starting stats:
Forceful: +2
Agile: +1
Insightful: 0
Charming: -1
You get a +1 bonus to any non-Forceful roll when your last roll was also not Forceful.
Disarm: When you roll a 6 in a fight, instead of dealing Hurt, you can choose to make your opponent drop something they're holding.
--Weird kid (basically a mage kid): You're weird. You can also do magic.
Starting stats:
Forceful: 0
Agile: 0
Insightful: +2
Charming: 0
Choose one magic talent:
----Dragon magic: If you have 1 or more Hurt, you can subtract 1 die from someone else's next roll. If you have 2 or more Hurt, you can also take the die you steal and use it for your next roll afterward (maximum 3d6).
----Troll magic: you can (temporarily) make things sticky or slippery by looking at them and concentrating. (This requires an Insightful roll.)
----Fae magic: you can make small illusions... nothing as big as yourself, though. (Fooling people with this requires an Insightful roll.)
Protege (basically a Warlock kid): Some supernatural creature or creatures gives you a magical power... when they feel like it.
Starting stats:
Forceful: 0
Agile: 0
Insightful: 0
Charming: +2
Choose a patron:
--Pixies: you can make distracting flashing lights dance and distract people (with a Charming roll). On a 6, they can't do anything next round. On a 4 or 5, they lose 1 dice on their next move. On a 3, you can't use your Dancing Lights move again until you make your pixies happy with some sort of mischief.
--Shadow: you can make patches of deep shadow, or of total darkness that no light can enter... including around people's heads. This can't be big enough to fill a whole room-- more like just one corner of a room. (This is done with a Charming roll.) On a 6, the target can't see what you're trying to keep hidden. On a 4 or 5, they lose 1 dice on their next move (if you can explain how it helps or hinders). On a 3, you can't use your Shadow move again until you make the shadows happy with some sort of mischief.
Form of the Patron: Ifyou agree to this choice, you become more like your patron:
--your teeth and ears become pointed, your eyes and hair turn a strange color (pixies)
--bright sunlight hurts your eyes (-1 to rolls), and you get just a little transparent in well-lit places. (shadow)
In return, you get an extra ability:
--you can hide behind anything that is, itself, visible (so, you can't hide behind thin air. I mean actually you can, but people will still see you). (pixies)
--you don't feel cold and don't take Hurt from cold-based magic (shadow)
--Nice Kid (basically a healer-cleric kid): You are beloved of Rhyse, the goddess of Healing. Whether you are aware of this or not is up to you.
Starting stats:
Forceful: 0
Agile: +1
Insightful: 0
Charming: +2
The Healing goddess is named Rhyse (pronounced "reese"). She helps you make your friends feel better.
--Console: - Roll Charming.
--On 6: Remove 1 Hurt from a friend.
--On 4-5: Remove 1 Hurt from a friend, but this leaves you both vulnerable-- Each of you take -1 on your next roll.
--On 3: You aren't able to make anyone feel better this time. Each of you take -1 on your next roll.
--Mending: Sometimes, you can even heal non-magical objects (that're smaller than your head) that are broken. To try it, roll Charming.
--On 6: It's fixed!
--On 4-5: It's fixed, but you take the Hurt instead. (Take 1 new non-physical Hurt.)
--On 3: It's broke worse than before, sorry, and can't ever be magically/divinely fixed.
Wise Kid (basically a druid-type kid): You have a natural knack for dealing with animals and plants. It's as if nature herself has blessed you.
Starting stats:
Forceful: 0
Agile: 0
Insightful: 0
Charming: +2
The Nature goddess is Chirosa. She has blessed you with the ability to talk to animals and plants.
Hey, Help Me Out Please: When you want help from a plant or animal, roll Charming:
--3 or lower: the plant or animal does nothing helpful. It might even do something unhelpful, or confuse you so you get -1 on your next roll.
--4 or 5: the plant or animal tells you something, but it might not be obvious how it's useful. Or, if it's an animal, it might do something partially helpful.
--6: the plant or animal tells you something, and it'll be obviously-useful information. Or, if it's an animal, it might do something very helpful... and it might even stick around to try to maybe keep helping. On a 6, even a plant might try to help!
I Need A Helper: At any time that you don't already have a plant or animal helper, you can roll Insightful (with a +1 bonus) and ask the GM "Can I see a plant or animal that might be able to help?" On a 6, the answer will always be "Yes" and the GM will tell you what you see. (Usually, since this is the city, it'll be a mouse, a pigeon, a cat, or a bug of some sort, but you never know when you might get lucky and get an owl or a raven or a dog or something.)
Smart Kid (basically a knowledge-domain-cleric kid): Sometimes, you just know stuff. (You may be aware that it's like a lady is whispering secrets in your ear, or maybe not. Up to you.)
Starting stats:
Forceful: -1
Agile: 0
Insightful: +2
Charming: +1
Wisdom goddess: Nairi (pronounced "Nai-ree")
Ask Nairi: Nairi is the goddess of Wisdom, Knowledge, Writing, and Secrets. When you want to know something or understand something, roll 3d6.
--3 or lower: Nairi doesn't tell you anything helpful.
--4 or 5: Nairi tells you something relevant, but it's up to you to figure out how to make it useful.
--6: Nairi will tell you something useful-- she might even help you do something you don't actually have the training to do!
--Detect Magic: One of your senses is attuned to magic. If you ask the GM "what's magical here?" then the GM will always tell you.
--Dispel Magic: Choose a spell or magic effect in your presence you want to get rid of, and roll 2d6 (unless you're affected by a boost or penalty, in which case roll more or fewer dice):
--On a 6: Lesser spells are ended, powerful magic is just reduced or dampened so long as you are nearby.
--On a 4 or 5: You interrupt the magic, but it resumes after one round, and you can't try to disrupt it again.
--On a 3 or less: The situation gets a little worse.
Sneaky Kid (basically a thief kid): You're really sneaky! For your age, I mean.
Starting stats:
Forceful: -1
Agile: +2
Insightful: +1
Charming: 0
Although almost anyone else would try to physically attack someone with Forceful,
you do it with Agile.
Be Sneaky: When you are trying to do something sneaky:
--pick a lock with a bit of wire
--sneak around without being spotted
--attack someone who's not looking at you
--escape
--steal something
--set up a trap
--spot a trap before it goes off
--safely disarm a trap
Then roll 3d6.
--3 or lower: you can't do it, and your situation might get worse.
--4 or 5: you do it, but there's a small complication (Example: you pick someone's pocket-- but they notice that you did it and start yelling and/or chasing you), or you can't do it, but nothing gets worse as a result of not being able to do it.
--6: You do it just right, and you don't make the situation worse at all.
Connected - Roll Insightful.
On 6: You know someone who might be both able and willing to help out, and you know where they might be right now...
On 4-5: You might know someone who could help, but they may not be trustworthy, and/or they might want something for their help, and/or they might be hard to find in a hurry... (You'll get a +1 to Charming them, though, if you need it...)
On 3: You can't think of anyone helpful for this situation (and while you stood here and thought about it, the situation might've gotten a little worse)...
Performer (basically a bard kid): You're a natural performer, who can affect people's moods... sometimes without them even knowing it.
Starting stats:
Forceful: -1
Agile: +1
Insightful: +1
Charming: +2
Soothing Song - Roll Charming.
--On a 6: Everyone who can hear your song has -2 (can reduce to zero) to moves that do Hurt for the next round.
--On 4 or 5: Everyone who can hear your song has -1 to moves that do Hurt for the next round, but they're aware that you're affecting them.
--On a 3 or lower: You don't affect anyone, but they're aware that you tried...
Fight Song: - Roll Charming.
--On a 6: All friends who can hear your song have +1 (maximum of 3) dice to their next move that does Hurt (if they use it right away).
--On 4 or 5:
Everyone who can hear your song has +1 to moves that do Hurt for the next round.
--On a 3 or lower: You don't affect anyone, but they notice you...
Connected - Roll Insightful.
On 6: You know someone who might be both able and willing to help out, and you know where they might be right now...
On 4-5: You might know someone who could help, but they may not be trustworthy, and/or they might want something for their help, and/or they might be hard to find in a hurry... (You'll get a +1 to Charming them, though, if you need it...)
On 3: You can't think of anyone helpful for this situation (and while you stood here and thought about it, the situation might've gotten a little worse)...
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:38, Fri 08 Oct 2021.
