The Western Shores Campaign

Characters

Characters - Backgrounds

Please feel free to make up stuff about the race your from, your immediate family, etc. I'll allow it as long as it follows roughly the spirit of what has already been written.

Characters - Campaign Summary

Any corrections or further detail, please let me know (the more in advance of the game that I know, the better).

Matthew Woods - Heir to the Throne, High Elf, tending towards tradesman/academic. Simon - Heir Presumptive, probably High Elf, tending towards combat-orientated. Dianna - Relative, Aunt, probably High Elf, tending towards diplomatic/academic. Andrew - Retainer, Mountain Dwarf, tending towards academic/tradesman. Matthew Last - Friend, Cold-Blooded Lizardman, tending towards tradesman.

Note - the above list is in order of importance/politcal standing/leadership except in matters regarding a Retainer's expertise.

Morality VS Ethics, or what makes an Elf different - Here is an easy example - Slavery, morally wrong. Most 'good' peoples are morally opposed to slavery. Lizardman are not. Elves are Ethically opposed to slavery. Moral reasons - It's wrong to lock someone up, and force them to do things. Lizardman reasons - It's wrong to allow weaklings to do duties unfit for them. It is wrong for the strong not to control the weak. Ethical reasons - Slaves may have potentials in other areas, It is ethically wrong for the fate of one to be determined by another.

Characters - Disadvantages

In order to balance out the character, give it some interesting quirks and also to add extra point, you can specify disadvantages. There are three classes of disadvantages, slight, mild, and medium. Or of course, you can have none at all.

Enraged

Something causes you to become angry, explain what and how easy it is to regain compusure etc.

Beserk

As Enraged, but you go totally berko and attack everything around you.

Dependant NPC

Like a small child, or an annoying relative. Someone who is basically a plot hook for me.

Addiction

Something uncommon but not too exotic.

Vulnerabillity

You take more damage from something. Allergies etc. This can either be Stun (to make you become unconscious) or Body (it will kill you eventually)

Physical limitation

Say, a dicky ticker or one finger missing etc.

Psychological limitation

This is a very broad category and can vary from a Code of conduct (say honour) to Schizophrenia to inveterate punster. You basically make a roll to combat the effect versus your willpower (in this game it's called Ego).

Others

If you can think of any more, let me know as it could be worth points to increase your character. But not too many as I will enforce them.

Characters - Families

I would prefer that most (if not all) characters were not orphans, as I would like to use their relatives as adventure hooks later. (I don't know when exactly)

Characters - Names

In keeping with the general continuity of the campaign I am trying to run, could you please choose character names according to the race of the character :-

Elves tend to have Tolkein type names (Galadriel, Faenor, Celeborn, Legolas, Glorfindel) or something with soft sounds and lots of vowels. Females tend to end their names with vowels, but not always.

Hobbits have old english names (also Tolkein-esque).

Humans vary with location. Northern have nordic names. Middle have english names and southern tend to have germanic names.

Hill Dwarfs tend to have epiphets (I think that's what their called) like 'The tinker' or 'The red clockmaker'.

Mountain Dwarfs tend to have Tolkein names (Ori, Thorin etc) a one-word epithet (sp?) like Oakenshield or Ironhammer and also a dwarvish equivalent name (Karaz Nakra, burtav fundinal etc...) which is very thick on the consonants.

Felines tend to have Chinese names. The longer the name, the greater the lineage. The also have a second personal name (used on informal occasions) the longer the name, the more honour they have earned.

Lizardman tend to have Arabic names (except slaves, who usually get called whatever their job was or a nickname like One-eye or Toothless etc...)

Characters - Profile

It would probably be best if I designed your characters (unless you really want to).
Please fill out this questionaire to help and add anything you think is appropriate:-

Name :
Player :
Race :
Personality/Quirks:
Please rate the following from None, Low, Competant, Skilled or Specialist.
You can only specialise in one area.
Academic Type : Rating :
(eg pure sciences)
Survival Type : Rating :
(eg urban)
Diplomacy Type : Rating :
(eg court, seduction, street)
Combat Type : Rating :
(eg martial arts, sword)
Magic Type : Rating :
(eg illusion, fire, trade)
Magic Item : Rating :
(eg weapon, defence)
Characteristics : Rating :
(eg strong, nimble, dextrous)
Craft Type : Rating :
(eg wood, engineering)
Art Type : Rating :
(eg drawing)
Other : Rating :

Characters - Skills (a small list)

Availabillity c=common, u=uncommon

Any additions/ideas/queries, let me know.
Skill Availabillity Skill Availabillity
Acrobatics c Magic Skill u
Acting c Martial Arts c
Animal Handler c Mechanics u
Breakfall c Mimicry u
Bribery c Navigation c
Eavesdropping u Oratory c
Bureaucratics c Persuasion c
Climbing c Pick Pocket c
Charioteer u Professional Skills c
Combat Skill Levels c Range Skill Levels c
Concealment c Remove Traps u
Contortionist u Riding c
Conversation c Sapping u
Counterfeiting u Science u
Cryptography u Seduction c
Deduction c Shadowing c
Disguise u Skill Levels c
Embalming u Stealth c
Familiarity c Streetwise c
Forensic Medicine u Survival c
Gambling c Tactics c
Healer c Tracking c
High Society c Trading c
Inquisition u Transport Familiarity c
Inventor u Torture u
Knowledge Skills c Ventriloquism u
Language Skills c Warhorse u
Lipreading u Weapon Familiarity c
Lockpicking u Weaponsmith c

17 September, 1996
Peter Cobcroft
The Western Shores Campaign