Done.  I'm pretty sure they're all unlocked but let me know if yours isn't.

One other thing as people start putting characters together - if you are working from the full rulebook rather than the quick start, hold off on social status and background events.  We might come back to that, or we might skip it altogether (the quick start skips them).  It looks like we might have enough narrative fuel without those.  Also, I like what the quick start suggests for starting equipment, so I think we'll stick with that (but let me know if you think there's something else that makes sense for your character).

For careers and combat styles, if you don't like any of the options that are already listed then we can definitely talk about other ideas.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:08, Wed 24 Nov 2021.

NP, I plan on making a Ginto warrior with a little magic skill thrown in. Thinking two types folk and animal spirit/ ancestral guardians, Folk from say a grandmother or great grandmother of another culture.

For this group to work some what friendly, Thinking my Great grandmother was a Dellavria who practiced Folk Magic and was persecuted (hook) she fled to the confederation and started life over there. So myself 3 generations later a Ginto warrior with some folk magic skill and traditional guardian magic, with a little less hatred of the Dellavria due to my love of my Great grandmother.

Our Dellavria party members might have some connection to my ancestor, so that I was or am willing to assist them more.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.

I am not attached to being Dellavrian.
It was just part of my suggestion; attempting to throw disparate ideas together towards a working start.

This is a bit of a process. Gears have been grinding in the skill section.

Why do professions have standard skill sets as well? Can 100 career school points be spent on either of these sets?

I think I need to color code these skill categories on my sheet.

Thoughts that could tie together an initial plotline to get us started.

1) Huge storms/waves have damaged coasts from Dellavria to Kaginto and even parts of the coastlines of Nekhar and the lands west of Dellavria.

2) A ship captain loyal to the house of the PC Dellavrian's Lady mentioned sighting of clouds and possibly a new land mass some miles off the coast of Kaginto.

3) The Lady also took in my people in hopes of either exploiting our magic or using us to help her gain more power/fortune (some of my ideas here I will pm to the GM)

4) She sees this sighting as a possible gold mine in multiple ways.  First, an initial exploration could tell her a lot about the assets available there and second, settling my people there with EXTREMELY favorable trade agreements (basically some form of servitude that would warrant her helping us...again, will post my thoughts on this to the GM)

5) Not knowing the what they may find on or around the island, she uses her contacts to hire a Ginto guide (she knows her family history and that, possibly her aunt or great aunt was the great grandmother our Ginto PC mentioned)

At this point, we have an in for a Dellavrian Captain/Merchant/Whatever, Myself, A Ginto Scout, and any other character that would fit in with a Dellavrian expedition (be that someone of my people sent with me, or someone from another culture that is more of a mercenary than a patriot or such)

This also leaves ALL SORTS of openings for the GM to create initial adventures as who knows how or why this landmass rose.

Are you placing any limits on how high we can take skill percentages at creation?

Standard skills are still useful for a given career - a hunter or explorer would certainly want to have good Perception, for instance.

Your 100 points get distributed between the complete set of (7 standard skills + 3 professional skills).

Same thing with culture skill points, btw - 100 points distributed between (7 standard skills + 3 professional skills + optional 1 combat style).  Make sure you are using the list for your specific culture (Ginto, Dellavrian, etc), not the generic lists for Civilized, Barbarian, etc.  Also, I didn't notice if the quick start says this, but everyone gets a free +40 each for Customs and Native Tongue.

Bonus skill points - I just noticed the quick start doesn't say this but the core book does, so I'm giving it to you all: for the 150 you get at the end, in addition to spending them on skills you took earlier, you are also allowed to choose one more professional skill or combat style ("reflecting a personal hobby or interest") and spend some of these points on that as well.



Yes, following this rule from the core book - all starting PCs are young adults (2d6+15 if you feel like rolling for it) and have a spending cap of 15 points per skill at each step (so an absolute max of +45 if you get the same skill in all three steps).



I'm a little iffy about "a new island appears in what was previously empty water," but maybe I just need more time to think about what might be there that fits with this origin never mind, I got something I'm happy with.  And it does provide an easy answer to the question of why humans haven't already inhabited this particular island.

It sounds like we already have some very similar thoughts about why a Dellavrian merchant or banking house would be sponsoring this expedition :)  Plus it makes sense to hire a Ginto ship, because a Dellavrian ship being spotted in or near Ginto waters, far from any established trade routes, risks attracting unwanted attention.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:04, Thu 25 Nov 2021.

In reply to GM (msg # 51):

My thoughts on the island were that, if it had been there forever, it would already have been explored by shinto and either colonized, deemed unfit for people to survive, or be a holy place. Whereas a natural or supernatural event bringing a new land mass up would have a none of the above. First to explore, first to claim...

Also fits with why my Dellavrian merchant-venturer would be involved. Their merchant house might not expect anyone to trade with, but would want to lay claim to any valuable resources before anyone else can. My character will have mixed feelings: it's a great opportunity, but they're trained for trade rather than prospecting. (Of course, there may be unexpected trading opportunities too.)

Yeah, it makes sense.  At first I was having trouble thinking of what would be on the island if it had just risen out of the sea or whatever, but I've come up with some answers that I'm pretty happy with, and that you all will potentially be able to figure out over the course of the game.  So I think we can stick with this general idea of "island that wasn't there before is there now after the big storm."

By the way, since this is still part of the shared game setup, do you all have a preference about where the island is located?  I was initially thinking that it would be off to the west, which means that any interactions would most likely be with Kaginto or maybe Dellavria, and maybe Shubotai if they have any kind of navy (and I'm leaning toward "no they don't" but it's not set in stone).  On the other hand, if it's in the east instead then that opens it up to more potential interaction with Nekhara and/or Waparitja.  So if any of you have preferences about which other human cultures you're most likely to run into, beyond what's already established with character backgrounds, this might be a place to vote on that.

I like west myself.

Thinking about this a bit, forgot to come back to it until just now - I think it makes sense to say that this mixed ancestry is not uncommon in Kaginto.  Not super common, but hardly unique either.  Different individuals have different opinions about whether or not this is okay, but there's no formal discrimination or anything.  And you're probably more likely to catch flack from ancestor spirits than from anyone currently alive.

Okie, I think I have the skills sorted out for this Kaginto sailor lad.

I am working on my Ginto outrigger boatsman myself. He is looking pretty good so far. For craft taking outrigger canoe so can make another worst case

I've changed player names for those of you who have already given me names for your characters (but if there's anyone I missed just remind me).  If anyone else wants to throw a name at me now I'll get yours as well.

Makawmano is a good name for my guy I think
This message was last edited by the player at 17:00, Fri 26 Nov 2021.

In reply to Player 1 (msg # 49):

This sounds like an intriguing setup.

If this is what we're going with, I'm cozying up to the idea of a Dellavrian gentleman-explorer in the employ of the voyage's financier, sent along to faithfully report back our findings to her and ensure that her interests are protected. Probably looking at the Detective, Hunter, or Scout as careers. Likely not be a magic-user.

He'll probably be a middling combatant but will thrive in intrigue and social challenges and in logistics. Hope to have a fleshed out and largely complete sheet by EoW.

Alright, looks like this is our cast of characters now:

Aldos - Dellavrian physician
Makawmano - Ginto trader
Mrtyu'ca - representative of the Yuizhan refugees
Zabella - Dellavrian merchant
Player 2 - Ginto sailor
Player 6 - agent of a Dellavrian merchant house (though not a merchant himself)

Does this sound about right to everyone?

Yes, Barnutan is on board with that.

Mrtyu'ca - representative of the Yuizhan refugees
           backed by a Dellavrian interest, who is sending along
Zabella - Dellavrian merchant
Player 6 - Dellavrian scout/explorer
Aldos - Dellavrian physician
              who have hired the services of
Makawmano - Ginto trader
Player 2 - Ginto sailor

Are Zeballa and {player 6} willing to be known to each other and Aldos?
Maybe have worked together in the past?

Will the GM permit the Ginto’s to own the ship we are hiring?
Or, at least, be the captaining crew?


I have to rework a few of my skills, with the limits mention above, but otherwise I seem ready to go, also.

So, to clarify:   if a Standard Skill doesn't appear on either your 'Culture' or your 'Career' list, you cannot improve it at all?

When I created Zabella, I interpreted 'existing skills' as all the standard skills (since everyone has them) and those professional skills and combat styles Zabella had already gained from culture and career - with the option of one new professional skill or combat style as a 'personal interest or hobby'.

Zabella has it right (at least by my understanding), you can spend the final 150 on any standard skill, even if you didn't take it earlier.  Professional skills are still limited to those you did take earlier, plus the one new one you can choose at this stage.



Yes, certainly.  Though to be fair, I was picturing it as a large outrigger or something like that, just enough to carry the six of you plus supplies, rather than a ship big enough to necessitate any kind of crew.

Great.  Thank you all.
With that, then, my character submission is almost done, and awaiting GM approval (in the appropriate Private Thread).  Then, I just got to pick my two last Passions.

GM: do we need to use the character sheet you have posted?  its a bugger to edit on my phone (which is the limit of my internet capabilities).
I'd, please, much prefer to just post the simple, text sheet I have given you:  it has all the info.