And now for the unveiling of the first two character concepts... The Bowman and the Foreigner!
BOWMAN
The bowman is a staple of the Robin Hood stories. He leaps into danger deftly hitting his mark at more than a hundred yards while simultaneously waving to the young ladies and choosing his next shot.
Bowman come in many stripes and can be seen plying their trade as soldiers, hunters, outlaws, or even for naught but their own fancy.
The stereotypical archer is somewhat smaller or leaner than most men. He tends to be quick and dextrous, sometimes causing him to be a bit petty and even a braggart.Recommended Skills: Climbing, Notice, Shooting, Stealth, Throwing
Recommended Edges: Acrobat, Alertness, Eagle Eyes, Fleet-Footed, Quick Draw
Recommended Hindrances: Arrogant, Big Mouth, Infamous, Overconfident, Small, Stubborn, Vengeful
FOREIGNER
Foreigners can be found in any society working towards their own ends and needs. Robin Hood, being an essentially English story, is set in Britain. As such any non-Englishman falls under the category of Foreigner. This is probably one of the broadest character concepts in this setting.
Foreigners are often wanted for no reason except their nationality. Crimes are attributed to them when another scapegoat cannot be found. Because of this they are usually skilled swordsman or fighters of some kind.
They also often bring strange, exotic weapons and practices with them.
Some sample foreigners would be a Saracen come back from the Holy Land, a Frenchman seeking fortune, or perhaps even a Scott or Irishman exploring a bit more of the world.
Recommended Skills: Fighting, Intimidation, Shooting, Stealth, Riding, Persuasion
Recommended Edges: Acrobat, Berserk, Luck, Florentine, Trademark Weapon
Recommended Hindrances: Code of Honor, Cautious, Curious, Outsider, Stubborn, Wanted
Each character concept is designed to be used alone or combined with others to make a more unique or versatile character. Eight more character concepts will be released in upcoming posts.
SKILLS
A number of Skills have been cut from this setting and a couple others have been added. Changes are outlined here. If a Skill is not mentioned it is still in the setting and used normally.
The Driving and Piloting Skills are not necessary in this Setting. Riding is used for mounts and animal drawn vehicles such as carts and coaches.
The Guts Skill has been cut as horror and terror are not major elements of this setting. In the event a character does need to measure his courage he can make a simple Spirit roll.
The Investigation Skill is unnecessary in this setting. Characters with the Literate Edge can make a simple Smarts check when looking for information in a written source.
The Repair Skill has been cut as their are precious few mechanical devices in the setting.
The Streetwise Skill is unnecessary as most information you recieve will be from specific sources using Persuasion and Intimidation. In the event you do need to make a generic "gather information" check, a simple Persuaion or Intimidation roll can be made. The latter tends to draw more attention.
NEW SKILLS
Two new Skills are available in this setting, Crafting and Perform.
Crafting (Smarts)
This is the ability to create and repair items and tools. Materials are obviously needed as well as a sufficient amount of time. This is also the Skill used to set and rig traps.
Perform (Spirit)
This Skill represents the performing arts; singing, dancing, juggling, etc. Anyone can belt out a drinking song but only a master could recite the ancient epics and songs.
SETTING RULES
The following are setting rules for the Savage Sherwood game.
Chivalry Isn't Dead. These are the classic Robin Hood stories after all. In this setting any player who takes the Heroic or Code of Honor Hindrances in addition to his normal three Hindrances gains an additional free Edge. This Edge can be from any Rank but other requirements must still be met.
Holy State. Because the Catholic Church is so prevalent and the general population so superstitious, witches, wizards, and any other forms of magic are hunted and shunned. As magic is not a major factor in the Robin Hood stories and would be considered evil if it were no Arcane Backgrounds (magic, miracles, psionics, super powers, or weird science) are available.
Illiterate. Because the literacy rate was still so low at this time every character is considered unable to read and write. The Literate Edge counters this and will be posted on Sept. 11th.
NEXT TIME...
Stop back next Saturday for Hindrances and the next two character concepts; the stealthy Footpad and the gallant Knight!
Try checking back midweek as well! One never knows when a bonus post might come...
