Like any normal gamemaster, I tinker. I tinker with the rules if they don't fit my campaign concept or otherwise don't offer enough (or even too many) options. I tinker if I get a wild idea in the back of my brain and steal ideas from other games to implement in my favorite systems. Below is the start of my modifications to the system for this campaign. Some are already in effect, others are strictly optional and are posted just to present ideas to my fellow fans. None have been playtested (with, hopefully, the exception of material I've optioned from published third-party supplements). Links have been provided to the products on DriveThruRPG, so please, do not ask me for copies.
Kin Options For Starting Characters
The following character kin are open for starting player-heroes. Other kin types may be offered later in the game.
- Catfolk (Dragonbane Bestiary)
- Dwarf (Dragonbane Core Rules)
- Elf (Dragonbane Core Rules)
- Halfling (Dragonbane Core Rules)
- Half-Elf
- Half-Orc
- Hulder
- Human (Dragonbane Core Rules)
- Mallard (Dragonbane Core Rules)
- Vættir
- Wolfkin (Dragonbane Core Rules)
Half-Elves and Half-Orcs
Half-elves and half-orcs represent a crossing of two cultures which seldom result in a union. Such children are often caught between two worlds, either as outcasts or as adopted wards. Such individuals receive either the human ability Adaptive or Tenacious (Alternate Rules For Dragonbane, p.4), and/or may choose one ability from the other half of their heritage. Half-orcs do not suffer from the Nocturnal weakness.
Hulder
Note: The Hulder is a creation of my good friend and fellow Dragonbane fan, James Smith. I have merged two different versions of this heritage based on his notes as I felt the revised version he sent me would benefit from the merger.
It is said that the hulder (or huldra) were once forest spirits who became fascinated by mortals and took on fleshy forms to indulge their curiosity. They feel a deep connection to the natural world, especially old growth forests, and have a keen wanderlust that calls on them to seek out places they’ve never been or seen. They love art, music, jokes, and merriment. They spent many years traveling the wooden realms near mortal settlements, aiding, playing pranks on, and having romantic relationships with the mortals they encountered there. In time, they discovered that they had lost the ability to return to spirit form, but decided what they gained had far surpassed what they lost. Hulder are typically beautiful, even in their true form with horns, hooved feet, and long tails. The skin on their back is thick and woody like bark. Though they are not numerous, they are a common sight on roads and in pubs.
Ability: One With Nature
Willpower Points: -
When you rest outdoors in the wilderness, you regain an additional 1D6 Willpower Points.
Select one of the following in addition to One With Nature:
Ability - Woodwyrd
Willpower Points: 3
As an action, you can change the shape of a wooden object you’re holding or touching to add or remove a bane suffered by someone attempting to use the object (e.g, warping a door so it sticks or straightening the haft of a spear). Alternately, you can heal a wooden object, tree, or woody creature (such as a treant) for 2D6 HP.
Ability: Natural Entertainer
Willpower Points: -
During a stretch rest, with a successful Performance roll, you can amuse and comfort one ally, allowing them to recover an additional condition and 1D6 WP.
Ability: Inspirational
Willpower Points: 3
You can activate this ability (no action) after you succeed on a skill roll to grant one ally who can see and hear you a boon on their next roll.
1D6 - First Name
1 - Jaenke
2 - Aska
3 - Felice
2 - Aska
3 - Felice
4 - Kalderon
5 - Rydber
6 - Sibelius
Human
Humans may take the alternate innate ability Tenacious (Alternate Rules for Dragonbane, p.4) in place of Adaptive.
Vættir
Smaller than halflings, vættir are a crafty folk found in the woodlands and hill country. They are known for their herbcraft, as well as stone and woodworking skills. They trade regularly with many other kin, but rarely with humans. For vættir to trade with orcs and goblins is not unheard of, but even rarer than trading with humans.
Ability - Diminutive
Willpower Points: -
When sneaking, you impose a bane on Awareness rolls made to search for you.
Ability – Natural Magic
Willpower Points: -
You have a minor natural talent for magic and can make use of three tricks of one school of magic even if you're not a mage.
1D6 - Name
1 - Lydarnya
2 - Snari
3 - Gonda
2 - Snari
3 - Gonda
4 - Lefen
5 - Leina
6 - Broettyn
6 - Broettyn
Character Professions
All professions in the core rules are allowed. The chef, cleric, and priest professions are covered in this post.
Source Key: BP - Brawler Profession; CCO - Celtic Character Options; DPC - Dragonburn Profession Collection; DWP - Dragonbane Witch Profession; DZ1 - Dragonzine #1; DZ2 - Dragonzine #2; TGP - The Gilded Port; NP - New Professions; PP - Pilgrim Profession; SAT - Saturnis Setting; SG23 - Squadeth Games Dragonbane Auxiliary 2023; TWP - The Witch Profession; VM - Voidmage Profession; WC - Windheim Companion
So why include professions like “Farmer” or “Woodcutter?” Why not? King Arthur was a mere squire when he pulled Excalibur from the stone; Bilbo Baggins was a homebody of a hobbit when Gandalf recruited him for an adventure. Why should Warhammer players have all the fun playing a rat catcher destined to become a hero (or maybe not)?
Chef
Description: The artisan profession now encompasses cooking.Key Attribute: INT
Heroic Ability: Master Chef
Skills: Bartering, Beast Lore, Bushcraft, Crafting, Hammers, Hunting & Fishing, Knives, Spot Hidden, Staves
1D6 – Gear
1-2: Knife set, book of recipes, pots, pans, soup kettle, salt and spices, three tallow candles, flint and tinder, D8 food rations, D8 silver coins
3-4: Meat cleaver (treat as hand axe), tenderizing hammer (treat as mace), cutting board, book of gastronomic beast lore, salt, oil lamp, lamp oil, flint and tinder, D8 food rations, D8 silver coins
5-6: Knife set, quill, ink, parchment or paper (7 pieces), three tallow candles, flint and tinder, salt and spices, D8 food rations, D8 silver coins
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| Artwork by An May, used under license. |
1 – The Culinarian
2 – The Gannet
3 – The Gourmand
4 – The Gourmet
5 – Hungerbreaker
6 – Trencherman
Cleric
Note: Dragonbane lacks a cleric profession as the creators originally wanted to break from the standardized tropes of D&D. However, being the cranky grognard I am, I decided to merge the two cleric professions from the Dragonburn Profession Collection.
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(Artwork by Shaman's Stock Art/Anthony Cournoyer, used under license |
Skills: Awareness, Healing, Languages, Miracles, Myths & Legends, Performance, Persuasion, Spot Hidden, Weapon skill(s) as allowed by their patron deity.
New Skill - Miracles (WIL) - Clerics use this secondary skill to channel the divine power of their patron deity to work miracles.
Gear: A player may roll for gear on either profession's table or may tailor a unique inventory with GM guidance.
Nicknames: If the player so chooses, they may roll on either cleric profession's table or devise a nickname for their character on their own.
Heroic Abilities: Blessed, Divine Miracle, or an alternate ability (see below).
A cleric can take the Divine Miracle ability (Dragonburn Profession Collection, p.34) at character generation if they meet the prerequisite. For this merged version of the cleric, the Blessed heroic ability allows the character to choose two additional miracles each time it is taken. The ability cannot be taken at character generation, but can be taken whenever the character takes on a new heroic ability per the rules on p.29 of the Dragonbane rulebook.
A cleric can take the Divine Miracle ability (Dragonburn Profession Collection, p.34) at character generation if they meet the prerequisite. For this merged version of the cleric, the Blessed heroic ability allows the character to choose two additional miracles each time it is taken. The ability cannot be taken at character generation, but can be taken whenever the character takes on a new heroic ability per the rules on p.29 of the Dragonbane rulebook.
In merging the miracles from both cleric professions, I used the progression from the first profession, added the miracles from the second profession, and added prerequisites as I saw necessary. Both professions had the miracle Holy Light, but the version from the second profession was twice as powerful as the first version, so I renamed the second version Greater Holy Light. Additionally, the original Holy Light was the only "minor" miracle (or orison, for D&D players out there). In light of the fact that D&D and Pathfinder have more than one orison for clerics and priests, I just went ahead and eliminated the idea of having only one minor miracle. All that being said, not all abilities will be available to all clerics. Some may be forbidden by their deity or faith; it is even conceivable that some could be replaced entirely with miracles that have the same effect as magic spells.
Alternate Heroic Abilities For Priests And Clerics
It should be noted that not all clerics or priests are able to manifest miracles. This isn't necessarily through any fault of their own. In some cases, the character just doesn't have the gift; that aspect of their faith may manifest later on or not at all. At the same time, if the character has the ability, they may not have it forever. A
cleric or priest who is found wanting (for example, abusing their
abilities) or who otherwise loses faith in their deity may lose their
ability to petition for blessings or manifest miracles. The only way
they can regain that ability is by repenting and/or reaffirming their
faith. Such reaffirmation may require the troubled character to
undertake a quest to show their devotion or to show that their deity
is still willing to interact with them.
The player and GM should discuss whether or not the character is able to manifest miracles or blessings and if not, why not. If the character is unable to manifest miracles for whatever reason, consider giving them an alternate heroic ability, provided they meet the prerequisite(s). Some suggestions for clergy who lack magical gifts include:
Sources: AHA - A Handful of Heroic Abilities; CCO - Celtic Character Options; DPC - Dragonburn Profession Collection; TGP - The Gilded Port; NP - New Professions.
- Camaraderie (DPC)
- Composure (DPC)
- Determined (AHA)
- Expert (TGP)
- Fearless (DB)
- Focused (DB)
- Healing Power (Healer - NP)
- Insight (DB)
- Iron Body (DPC)
- Intuition (DB)
- Knead to Know (DPC)
- Leader (TGP)
- Master Baker (DPC)
- Musician (DB)
- Nature's Resilience (DPC)
- Pharmacology (Apothecary - DPC)
- Planner (AHA)
- Polyglot (TGP)
- Rousing Speech (DPC)
- Herbal Specialist (Shepherd - DPC)*
- Herbalist (Healer - DPC)*
- Master Herbalist (Herbalist - DPC)*
- Voice of Authority (CCO)
Sources: AHA - A Handful of Heroic Abilities; CCO - Celtic Character Options; DPC - Dragonburn Profession Collection; TGP - The Gilded Port; NP - New Professions.
Monks and Paladins
I'm sure there are some of you out there asking "But what about monks and paladins?" Paladins are a sticky wicket as far as I'm concerned. Not every faith is going to have a militant arm in Terrenor. Templars and hospitalers in the Church of the Seven Saints are more like knights sworn to protect the faithful and Church holdings; they have no special powers unlike their D&D cousins. That being said, the paladin as defined in the Dragonburn Professions Collection isn't quite what I have in mind if I decide to allow paladins in this campaign. I may use Green Ronin Publishing's Book of the Righteous/Holy Warrior's Handbook as a guide for customizing paladins by religion and/or culture. As it stands right now, clerics are closer to paladins in form.
Monks are another sticky wicket, but for totally different reasons. The monk profession as it appears in the Dragonburn Professions Collection, is not as powerful as its own D&D relative; while both are defined by the eastern definition of monk, the Dragonbane version has two heroic abilities at its disposal. As this is a more Eurocentric campaign, monks are often viewed as religious ascetics living in cloisters and leading lives of contemplation while transcribing texts and tilling the soil. If I do decide to allow monks, I will probably define them much as James Wyatt did for his Petroyeska setting for D&D 3.x.
Monks... are religious ascetics devoted to the cultivation of physical, mental, and spiritual harmony. These devout individuals live alone in the wilderness practicing their disciplines and contemplating the mysteries of body and soul, and as a result have certain powers which function very differently from either the miraculous abilities of priests or the forbidden arts of sorcerors. These abilities are certainly God-given, to be sure, but they derive from the monk's rigorous discipline and fervent devotion.Monks must adhere to rigid standards of ascetic behavior, including vows of celibacy and chastity, poverty, regular fasting, and faithful service to God. Because of their extreme devotion, they occupy a position of power within the Church: bishops are chosen from among the ranks of the monks (not from the priests).
Religion and Player-Heroes
Player-heroes are not left out when it comes to divine intervention, nor are they exempt from religious obligations if they have a patron deity. Under Charles Ferguson-Avery's As The Gods Demand OSR 'zine, heroes may have a patron deity which can allow them some form of divine intervention (or luck, if they want to call it that) and/or the ability to work a miracle if necessary. Heroes begin the game with one (1) Divine Favor point. As long as the character upholds their patron deity's creed, they awaken each day with one Divine Favor point. This singular point resets each day. In my next post, I'll provide a sample religion using the ATGD system as well as flesh out the cleric and priest professions for that faith.Fate Points
Heroes also have access to Fate Points, which act as minor interventions of divine nature. They start the game with 1D3 of these points.Fate Points can be used to:
- Avoid all damage from an attack
- Self rally after three failed death rolls and receive three new death rolls.
- Automatically succeed on a skill or attack roll, dodge or parry
- Remove the effect of a Dragon roll targeting the character or a Demon roll afflicting them. In this case, Dragon rolls become normal successes and Demon rolls become normal failures.
Characters can have no more Fate Points than they initially roll. These points can be regained if the character:
- Adheres to their patron deity's ethos in the face of persecution or temptation.
- Acts as a living examplar of their deity's faith.
- Acts heroically by making sacrifices and/or taking big risks to help others, or otherwise exposing themselves to great danger in the name of good.
Bonus Fate Points can be earned for one day in game time if the character is heroic at a dramatically appropriate moment. Such deeds might include, but not be limited to:
- Defeating a more powerful, evil foe.
- Saving a city from destruction.
- Preventing the deaths of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of innocent people.
Starting Spells and Age
While the character generation rules give older characters more skill ranks to use, there's nothing to indicate an older mage would get additional spells and tricks to use. As it stands, magi receive three Rank 1 spells from their chosen school and/or the Generalist school, as well as three magic tricks. Spell ranks in the core rules run 1-5, though some third party supplements have spells above that.The total spells and tricks and the maximum rank are the maximums for a starting character at that rank. It is conceivable that an Old character could be starting as a neophyte mage and have only three tricks and three Rank 1 spells. It is conceivable that an Adult or Old character could have fewer spells and tricks than normal, however. Keep in mind, this is for fully-trained magi, not apprentice magi as defined above (see “Apprentices as Player-Heroes”).
Starting Spells and Tricks Based On Age
- Young: Up to 3 tricks and 3 spells (Rank 1 max)
- Adult: Up to 5 tricks and 5 spells (Rank 3 max)
- Old: Up to 7 tricks and 7 spells (Rank 5 max)
Replacement Characters
When a character is retired or dies, their replacement starts with 90% of the skill advances of their predecessor, so players are strongly advised to keep track of their character's skill progression. Players who fail to do so will be playing a starting character.
Goal-Oriented Advancement (Alternate Rules For Dragonbane)
From the Source: Each player should come up with a goal for their character. This should be something that they can achieve within two-three sessions if they put their mind to it. This could be something like finding a trainer to learn some new spells from, getting a lead on the six-fingered man that killed their father, etc.
Once the character achieves this goal they can increase one attribute or skill by 1, or they can choose a new heroic ability. The player then chooses a new goal based on recent events. This could be some continuation of their previous goal (if applicable) or it could be something completely different.
This is in addition to the normal advancement system, offering an incentive for players to be proactive and seek to progress their own agendas instead of being passive participants in the GM’s plots, but it also addresses the ambiguity of how a character can gain additional heroic abilities.
In my next post, I'm going to give a brief overview of As The Gods Demand and flesh out one of the religions of Terrenor. Until then, safe travels, adventurers!
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