Zandan Character Backgrounds
I am posting the backgrounds I used in my Zandan megadungeon, as people seem to generally like those. You can also find them HERE in the player's document, but this is going to be a slightly modified version, removing some of the gear requirements.
A Note on Context
First off, I ran this using a mashup of T&T 5th and 7th edition elements. If you want to adjust these to D&D just tweak some spells and gear and you'll be fine.
Second, Types (or races if you want) in my game were Humans, Ogres, War Bears and Talking Animals. Generally most backgrounds are available to all, but some have qualifiers for which type of character can be of that background, to help bring a bit of world building. Also the backgrounds come with fairly detailed gear, as that was the only way to get gear during character generation.
Finally, any spells listed are just my renamed Tunnels & Trolls spells. Any mention of Trivial Item is a quantum small and, well - trivial, item that the player can define whenever they wish during play. Any mention of Minor Magical Item is rolled on the d300 table of useless magical items from Elfmaids and Octopi, which I would link but I can not for the life of me find again. It's in one of the issues of Knock, so you can find it there.
Backgrounds d66 Table
Backgrounds marked with a star (✦) begin with either spells or magical items of some kind.
| d66 | |
|---|---|
| 11 Non-Commissioned Officer | 41 Licensed Executioner (Human/Ogre Only) |
| 12 Foot Soldier | 42 Forest Witch ✦ |
| 13 Journeyman Conjurer ✦ | 43 Haydut |
| 14 Solar Priest ✦ | 44 Bogatyr ✦ |
| 15 Peasant | 45 Military Wizard ✦ |
| 16 Socialite (Human Only) | 46 Independent Scholar |
| 21 Village Spirit ✦ (Talking Animal Only) | 51 Carny ✦ |
| 22 Trapper | 52 Bourgeois Aristocrat (Human Only) |
| 23 Folk Healer ✦ | 53 Vampirdjia ✦ |
| 24 Religious Radical | 54 Thief in Law |
| 25 Primal Chaos Worshiper ✦ | 55 Lifestyle Adventurer |
| 26 Journalist | 56 Enlightened Ogre ✦ (Ogre Only) |
| 31 Troglodyte ✦ | 61 Physician |
| 32 Traveling Merchant | 62 Hobbyist Alchemist ✦ |
| 33 Shock Trooper (Human/Ogre/War Bear Only) | 63 Professional Wizard’s Familiar ✦ (Talking Animal Only) |
| 34 Beggar | 64 Imperial Mercenary |
| 35 Communist Insurgent | 65 Borderlands Surveyor ✦ |
| 36 Medium ✦ | 66 Ordinary Person |
1 1 Non-Commissioned Officer
There’s enough wars going on over the world right now that the military academies can’t pump out enough useless toffs to lead soldiers to the slaughter. That’s what NCOs are for - to lead the men directly.
Starting Items
Clothes - Officer’s Uniform (Pants, Jacket, officer’s cap, polished high boots)
Armor - Breastplate (2 Armor), Helmet (1 armor)
Weapons - Pistol (5d6, 10 bullets), Officer’s saber (3d6+2)
Personal items - 2x [Trivial Items] (In pockets), Drinking Flask (jacket pocket), Pocket Watch (Other jacket pocket), Lighter (2d6 uses left) (in pockets), Pack of cigarettes (1d6 left) (in pockets)
1 2 Foot Soldier
If there is war, there is infantry. Men, women and others to fight that war. Grunts, cannon fodder, Brave Heroes of the Motherland, kids from the cities and the villages given a rifle and a helmet and told to start shooting.
Starting Items
Clothes - Soldier’s uniform (Pants, jacket, boots that are not as waterproof as they should be, trench coat)
Armor - Helmet (1 Armor), heavy-duty trench coat (1 Armor)
Weapons - Rifle with bayonet(6d6, 1d6 bullets, 3d6-1 when using in melee with the bayonet), Improvised weapon (2d6)
Personal items - 4x [Trivial Items] (In pockets/backpack), Army Backpack (on back), Belt with Pouches (on waist), Metal canteen (on backpack), Weapon maintenance kit [2] (on belt), Pack of cigarettes (2d6 left) (in coat jacket pocket), A book of matches (2d6 left) (in jacket pocket), Mess kit [2] (in backpack), Small shovel (on backpack), 2x Rations (in backpack), 1d6 cans of stolen food (in backpack), a lucky charm (around neck
1 3 ✦ Journeyman Conjurer ✦
While the various Wizard Colleges might be the hot shit, some still learn magic in The Old Ways. Taken in by a master magician as a child, and trained until they were satisfied the pupil will not embarrass themselves (or worse, their master). Then comes the long road to recognition as a master in one’s own right.
Starting Items
Clothes - Comfortable Travel clothes (Specific articles up to the player), Conjurer’s Hat (felt-made phrygian cap with your personal sigil as a pin on it)
Armor - None
Weapons - None
Personal Items - Messenger bag (over shoulder), Travel Suitcase, 1x [Minor Magical Item] (location where appropriate), Personal Spellbook (in messenger bag), Spare set of clothes (in suitcase), Calligraphy kit [2] (In suitcase), Travel snacks (in Messenger bag), Personal Hygiene kit [3] (in suitcase), 2x [Trivial Items] (where appropriate)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), x3 other random 1st level Spells and one of the following spells: The Unseen Cloak (2LVL), Fugue of the Underworld (2LVL), Kolov’s Energetic Strike (2LVL), Braun’s Frozen Barrage (3LVL) or Leda’s Effortless Apportation (4LVL)
1 4 ✦ Solar Priest ✦
The man who would later be known as the Sun God was one of the most powerful magicians in the world’s history. His followers were numerous, his empire the jewel of existence. He’s been gone for a while now, his yellow-robed followers still making blessings in his name, the Emperors naming themselves “Sun Lord” as they ascend to the throne. These days though, it seems Solarism is on its way out.
Starting Items
Clothes - Solarist vestments (Yellow robes, Orange cap, soft leather boots)
Armor - None
Weapons - Weighted walking stick (2d6+3), Dagger (2d6)
Personal Items - 1x [Minor Magical Item] (in pockets), Icon of the Sun God[Magical Focus] (on belt), Pipe (in robe pockets), Pouch of tobacco (in robe pockets), Small book of matches (5 left) (in pockets)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), Light of the Sun Lord (1LVL), Gaze Through the Aether (1LVL) and Celestial Knowledge (2LVL)
1 5 Peasant
A peasant. They do peasant stuff. They dig things, they plant things, they harvest things. Drink, eat, work, be part of a family and a community. A simple life of toil.
Starting Items
Clothes - Sturdy peasant clothes (patched pants or skirts, linen shirt, soft leather shoes, wool vest, potentially an apron or a sash, straw hat)
Armor - None
Weapons - [Farming implement] (2d6) and Pocket knife (2d6-1) or Shepherd’s Axe (3d6)
Personal Items - 2x [Trivial Items] (in belt pouch), Woven knapsack (On back), Wineskin (knapsack), Day’s worth of food (knapsack), Wooden whittling project (belt pouch)
1 6 Socialite (Human Only)
When money and the question of survival stops being an issue, what does a person do? Well a lot of them simply live their lives in luxury, parties, pointless duels and petty drama. That and inventing ever increasingly obscure measurements by which to stratify one’s select group.
Starting Items
Clothes - Fancy outfit (Up to player to determine details)
Armor - None
Weapons - A small, discrete weapon (2d6-1)
Personal Items - 3x [Trivial Items], Fancy pocket watch (In pocket) or Statement jewelry (worn), Money (in purse/pocket), engraved cigarette case (12 cigarettes) (in purse/pocket), Fancy lighter (2d6+2 uses left) (in purse/pocket), Golden pin from social club (on clothes)
2 1 ✦ Village Spirit ✦ (Talking Animal Only)
A Village Spirit is often a talking animal of some kind, treated with respect and reverence and seen as an embodiment of the village’s collective strength. Those are usually picked by rural places that do not have any petty godlings around that fit the role. Often those creatures are ones with some kind of magical capabilities, though in practice more pertinent skills are the ability to mediate petty rural squabbles, look good when paraded around the village square in a flower crown and solve the theft of livestock.
Starting Items
Clothes - Fancy rural outfit (Embroidered shirt, fancy vest and pants/skirt, a flower crown, embroidered sash, feathered hat)
Armor - None
Weapons - None
Personal Items - Belt purse (on waist), 3x [Trivial Items] (in pockets), Bottle of homemade liquor (in vest pocket), Small offerings of coin, sweets and trinkets (In belt purse)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), Visage of Dread (1LVL), Predict Weather (1LVL) and 2 other level 1 spells chosen at random.
Predict Weather (Level 1 Spell)
Cost: 2 LK, Duration: - , Range: -
Effect: Determine what the general weather is going to be like in your immediate area, over the next 24 hours.
2 2 Trapper
Wild game, expensive furs, or just basic subsistence hunting - trappers live out in the woods just as much as they do back among their fellow people. They are often looked at with distrust by those who fear the woods and the mountains. That distrust is not always unjustified.
Starting Items
Clothes - Rugged leather and fur clothing (Pants and jacket of soft leather, rough wool or linen shirt, very comfortable boots, heavy fur coat/cloak, fur cap)
Armor - Heavy fur clothes (1 Armor)
Weapons - Skinning knife (2d6+2), Hatchet (3d6), Either a Bow (3d6+3, 12 arrows) or a Hunting Rifle (5d6+3, 4 bullets)
Personal Items - Multiple belts with pouches (around waist and across chest), Backpack (on back) Cord and hooks (in pouches), 2x Bear Traps (in backpack), 5 metal spikes (in backpack), Bedroll and Tent (on back), 4 days worth of smoked meat(in backpack), Small cooking pot (on backpack), Metal canteen (on backpack), Fire starting tools (in pouches), Small wooden flute (in pocket)
2 3 ✦ Folk Healer ✦
Magical healing might be expected among the upper crust of society, but not all who have the talent for magic, herbal remedies and medicine end up working in the big cities. Some are still living in the small towns, the villages and the rural communities - offering their gifts in exchange for food, money and the community’s respect and reverence.
Starting Items
Clothes - Practical clothes (Simple pants or skirt, sensible shoes, embroidered shirt, coat, healer’s apron, soft cap)
**Armor* - None
Weapons - None
Personal Items - 3x [Trivial items] (where appropriate), Leather bag (on back), belt pouches (around waist), 3x doses of herbal remedies (heal 1d6 CON, lessen effects of some diseases for 1 day, slow down spread of poison) (in pouches), Pestle and mortar (in bag), small jar of refined lard (in bag), Animal repellent herbs (in belt pouch), Waterskin (on belt), Bundle of dried biscuits (in bag)
Spells - You begin knowing the spell Vitae Transference (2LVL).
2 4 Religious Radical
The grip of the Sun God’s cronies has finally weakened, their so-called “god” gone for over a century. Now is the time of chaos, and some are trying to remake society into what they’ve always known it should be.
Starting Items
Clothes - Cult’s outfit (Up to the player) Armor - None Weapons - [Medium-sized weapon] (3d6), Improvised firebomb (3d6 dmg, SR on LK for half, 1d6 damage for the next 2 rounds of combat)
Personal Items - 4x [Trivial Items] (in pockets), Leather satchel (on shoulders), Radical pamphlets (in satchel), Book of matches (2d6 matches) (in pockets)
2 5 ✦ Primal Chaos Worshipper ✦
The world has become too static, too set in its wrong ways. People have forgotten what birthed reality, where all of this came from. They will be reminded, by force if necessary. Now is the time of Chaos, and it is time for the world to be unmade and start anew.
Starting Items
Clothes - Dark robes (Dark pants/skirt, shirt, black boots, dark embroidered robes)
Armor - None
Weapons - [Medium-sized weapon] (3d6), Slim dagger (2d6)
Personal Items - Black leather bag (on shoulder), 2x [Trivial items], A bronze mask (In robe pocket), Plain lighter(1d6+1 uses left) (in pocket), Chaos Lantern (magical focus) (In hand)
Chaos Lantern - When lit emits a purple light, which can reveal areas of raw Chaos. Exposure to the lantern’s light for longer than 2 turns causes a migraine, lowering PRE and LK by 5, and then 2 more for every turn of continued exposure after that. When lit it also serves as a magical focus.
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), Chaos Blast (1LVL) and Invoke Primal Chaos (2LVL)
Chaos Blast (Level 1 Spell)
Cost: 6 LK, Duration: - , Range: 66 m
Effect: A magical blast that hits equal to your WRD. At higher levels you multiply your WRD by the level of the spell. This can only affect a single enemy that you can see, and can’t be used against inanimate
objects. This spell can be cast at a higher level by adding its cost for each level. You must be capable of casting a spell of the desired level (in terms of minimal POW and WRD) to do so.
nvoke Primal Chaos (Level 2 Spell)
Cost: 10 LK, Duration: - , Range: -
Effect: Tap into a nearby source of raw Chaos in order to manifest material into being. What exactly manifests can not be controlled or influenced in any way.
2 6 Journalist
Truths can be hard to come by in these turbulent times. Some seek it regardless, whether out on the battlefield or in the cities. The public has a right to know, as they say.
Starting Items
Clothes - Professional outfit (Respectable pants/skirt, shirt, blazer, vest, sturdy coat, comfortable shoes, a hat or flat cap) Armor - None Weapons - None
Personal Items - Messenger bag (over shoulder), Camera Case (In hand), Notepad (in bag), pens and pencils (in bag), 3x [Trivial items] (in bag or pockets), Bulky camera (in case), Camera film (in case)
3 1 ✦ Troglodyte ✦
Recluses, hermits, prophets or naturalists, the reason scarcely matters, and eventually all cave dwellers start to kind of look the same.
Starting Items
Clothes - Old or home-made clothing (Worn out shoes, sturdy pants, shirt and jacket packed too many times, a wooly hat, gloves)
Armor - None
Weapons - [Medium size weapon] (3d6), Small knife (1d6+2), Enchanted wood staff (2d6, Magical focus)
Personal Items - Large sack or bag (over shoulder), 5x [Trivial items] (where appropriate), Shiny piece of semi-precious stone (in pockets), 3x candles (in bag), 3x torches (in bag), fire starting tool (in pockets)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), Cateyes (2LVL) and two other random 1st level spells.
3 2 Traveling Merchant
They say you meet all kinds of people out on the road. Well some of them are there to sell you things.
Starting Items
Clothes - Traveling clothes (Comfortable boots, professional jacket, traveling cloak or coat, broad-brimmed hat)
Armor - None
Weapons - A small blade (2d6)
Personal Items - Personal suitcase (in hand), Small showcase of merchandise (in suitcase), Informational pamphlets and fliers (in showcase), 3x [Trivial Items], Wallet (jacket pocket), Notebook and pen (in suitcase), Second set of clothes (in suitcase), Personal hygiene kit [3] (In suitcase), Promotional lighter (3d6 uses left) (in jacket pocket)
3 3 Shock Trooper (Human, Ogre or War Bear Only)
Either breaking through enemy ranks, assaulting a trench or neutralizing a battlefield wizard, shock troopers are some of the most feared people on a battlefield, and the high percentage of ogres and war bears in these units helps contribute to their reputation.
Starting Items
Clothes - Uniform (trousers, actually waterproof boots, shirt, jacket)
Armor - Full body armor (3 Armor), Helmet (1 Armor)
Weapons - 2x Grenades (9d6, SR on LK for half), Small personal weapon and either a [Large Close Combat Weapon] (5d6+3) or a Shotgun (7d6, short range, spite damage hits every enemy near the target, 2 shots) or a Rifle with bayonet (6d6, 1d6+2 bullets, 3d6-1 when using in melee with the bayonet)
Personal Items - Belt with pouches (around waist), 1d6 extra ammo (if using firearm) (in pouches), Magical defense charm (around neck).
Magical defense charm - Standard issue in all militaries, though hard to create en masse. Allows personal armor to protect from magical attacks like it would from normal physical ones.
3 4 Beggar
Those who have nothing but what they wear on their back are often shunned by society, until they slip through its cracks. The places they end up are sometimes mundane, sometimes weird and otherworldly - but always miserable.
Starting Items
Clothes - Rags (Whatever you could scrape together that still has more fabric than clothes)
Armor - None
Weapons - None
Personal Items - Big Sack (on back), 6x [Trivial Items] (in sack), Day’s worth of scrounged food (in sack), book of matches (2d6 left) (in sack), Begging bowl (in sack
3 5 Communist Insurgent
The Empire of Unity is in shambles. What has emerged from it is horrid, ugly, and feeds on the poor, the workers and the disadvantaged. It is time for a different Unity - of the proletariat and for the proletariat. The time to act is now!
Starting Items
Clothes - Working clothes (Sensible shoes and outfit, a flat cap, a red handkerchief or mask)
Armor - None
Weapons - Revolver (5d6, 6 shots), [Small personal weapon] (2d6), 2x Firebombs (4d6 dmg, SR on LK for half, 1d6 damage for the next 2 rounds of combat)
Personal Items - Satchel (over shoulder), 2x [Trivial Items] (in pockets), Political pamphlets and literature (in satchel), Matchbook (2d6 left), Brick (in hand)
3 6 ✦ Medium ✦
The departed do not often speak to the living…unless someone keeps bothering them to do so anyway.
Starting Items
Clothes - Garishly colorful outfit (Clothes of way too many colors, scarves, pointy shoes, a hat that’s just way too much)
Armor - None
Weapons - None
Personal Items - Carrier bag (over shoulder), Crystal ball case (in hand), Crystal ball (magical focus) (In case), 2x [Trivial Items] (in pockets), 2x Decks of tarot cards (in bag), Spirit board (in bag)
Spells - You begin knowing Gaze Through the Aether (1LVL), Visage of Dread (1LVL), Commune with Spirits (1LVL) and Maranova’s Vivid Spectacle (2LVL)
Commune with Spirits (Level 1 Spell)
Cost: 4 LK, Duration: 3 turns , Range: -
Effect: Allows you to observe and be able to communicate with non-material beings for the duration of the spell. The spell cannot be dismissed until its duration is done.
4 1 Licensed Executioner (Human or Ogre Only)
Social and legal order being rather in disarray during the numerous wars and rebellions, what is left of the Imperial justice system has started once again issuing licenses for executioners who travel from city to city performing what needs doing in the absence of any local authority to execute death sentences.
Starting Items
Clothes - Executioner uniform (All black pants, boots and jacket, white shirt, black hat)
Armor - None
Weapons - [Medium weapon] (3d6) + Executioner’s Axe (3d6+3) or an Executioner’s Sword (5d6, large)
Personal Items - Weapons case (over shoulder), Suitcase (in hand), 3x [Trivial Items] (where appropriate), Set of civilian clothing (in suitcase), Porcelain skull mask (in suitcase), Executioner license (jacket pocket), Pack of cigarettes (2d6 left), Lighter (2d6 uses left), Flask of strong alcohol (jacket pocket), 2x doses of morphine (in suitcase)
4 2 ✦ Forest Witch ✦
The Daughters of Yaga are never seen in the urban centers of the world. They prefer to live in the deep forests, where their teacher and leader, the most powerful of the witches, still holds power and influence.
Starting Items
Clothes - Simple rural clothing (Long skirt, apron with lots of pockets, plain linen shirt, embroidered vest)
Armor - None
Weapons - Ritual dagger or sickle (2d6)
Personal Items - Woven bag (in hand), 2x [Trivial Items] (where appropriate),[Minor Magical Item] (in bag), 4x bundles of magical herbs (in bag), 2x candles (in bag), 30 meters of yarn (in bag), knitting needles (in bag)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), Imbue Magical Focus (1LVL), The Seal of Voroshiy (1LVL), Stone Soup (1LVL), Cateyes (2LVL) and Eyes of the Grave (5LVL)
Stone Soup (Level 1 Spell)
Cost: See below, Duration: See below, Range: -
Effect: Boil stones in a pot along with appropriate magical herbs for 2 days without rest. As you perform the ritual you may spend any desired amount of LK. For every 4 points one of the stones softens in the soup and is imbued with magical properties.
A stone prepared this way can be used to heal someone for half their max CON, poison someone (SR level = your MP on CON or else they die within a day), or hurt immaterial beings, dealing 3d6 damage when thrown at them.
Eyes of the Grave (Level 5 Spell)
Cost: 26 LK, Duration: -, Range: -
Effect: Trap the soul of a person within their own skull. For the spell to be successful it has to be performed no later than 14 days after the person has died. The prepared skull can now be used as a magical guardian, observer, alarm or be taught how to cast spells. If the skull is ever destroyed the spirit is released and almost certainly will seek vengeance against the caster for what was done to it.
4 3 Haydut
Bandits, highwaymen, freedom fighters - whatever you call the hayduti, it’s probably correct. Coming down from the mountains, their arrival can either spell liberation for the oppressed or raids and pillage. Sometimes, both.
Starting Items
Clothes - Highwayman outfit (Wide pants, soft leather shoes, wide embroidered sash, vest, big coat (embroidered or fur), fur hat with feathers, stolen jewelry)
Armor - None
Weapons - 2x Pistols (4d6, 5 bullets each) or Rifle (6d6, 2d6 bullets), Sabre (3d6), 2x long curved knives (2d6+2)
Personal Items - Weapons belt (on waist), Backpack (on back), Bandolier with 2d6 bullets (across chest), Fire starting tools (in pockets), Jug of alcohol (in pack), Pouch of coins (on belt), Tin whistle (in pocket), Sleeping blankets (in pack), Smoking pipe (in backpack), Pouch of tobacco (1d6 uses left) (on belt)
4 4 ✦ Bogatyr ✦ (Human or Ogre Only)
Legendary heroes of the people, Bogatyr are beings of myth and folklore. Prone of great violence, great mirth and great feuds amongst themselves, they roam the land defeating monsters, saving people and fighting off the enemy hordes (which enemy that is seems to vary).
Starting Items
Clothes - High-quality rural outfit (Beautifully embroidered and decorated pants, shirt, jacket, sash and coat, tall leather boots, soft leather or fleece cap)
Armor - Scale armor (Armor 4), Helmet (Armor 1)
Weapons - [Medium weapon] (3d6+3) + Shield (Armor 2) or [Large two handed weapon] (5d6+3). Roll 2d6, on 12 your weapon is magical. Add 1d6+1 to its combat adds.
Personal Items - Belt pouches (around waist), Sack (on back), 2x [Minor Magical Items], Day’s worth of travel rations (in sack), Wineskin (in sack)
Spells - You begin knowing The Blood-Drinking Blade (1LVL) one random 1st level spell and one random 2nd level spell.
4 5 ✦ Military Wizard ✦
Students at the Imperial Wizard Colleges that show particularly high propensity for violence tend to be sent over to the army for further training and eventually fielded in the numerous wars going on. The frontline military wizards are the most terrifying thing a common soldier is likely to ever experience in their life.
Starting Items
Clothes - Wizard uniform (High leather boots, purple jacket and pants)
Armor - Breastplate (Armor 2), Helmet (Armor 1)
Weapons - [Sidearm] (2d6), Battlefield magic staff (2d6+1, Magical focus)
Personal Items - Belt with pouches (around waist), Field attendant (MR 10) (near by), 4x sticks of chalk (in pouches), bag of purple dust (in pouches), Reinforced tome of spells (with attendant)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), Shatter the Seal (1LVL), Schmid’s Power Blast (1LVL), Imbue Magical Focus (1LVL), Thule’s Rapidity (2LVL), Thule’s Personal Shield (2LVL) and either Molotov’s Molten Bullet (3LVL) or Braun’s Frozen Barrage (3LVL)
Thule’s Personal Shield (Level 2 Spell)
Cost: 7 LK, Duration: 1 turn, Range: -
Effect: Magical field marked on the floor of 3 meters in diameter. When the caster stands inside it, the field provides 10 points of armor against projectile attacks and 2 points of armor against melee attacks. Leaving the field once activated immediately cancels the spell. Boosting the spell doubles the duration for every level added.
This spell can be cast at a higher level by adding its cost for each level. You must be capable of casting a spell of the desired level (in terms of minimal POW and WRD) to do so.
4 6 Independent Scholar
While rare for scholars to not be affiliated with at least one of the major universities of the Empire, times have changed and plenty take up their own research and work, in loose collectives based on subject matter.
Starting Items
Clothes - Academic outfit (Comfortable shoes, pants or skirt, tweed jacket, vest, felt hat) Armor - None Weapons - None
Personal Items - Documents bag (over shoulder), Research texts (in bag), 1d6x2 Pens (in bag), 3x [Trivial items] (where appropriate), 3x notebooks (in bag), Flashlight (2d6x2 hours of battery life left) (in bag), Magnifying glass (in bag)
5 1 ✦ Carny ✦
Carnival workers, circus performers, sideshows, freaks, geeks, and many other even less savory names. They see and know things that nobody should be able to see or know. They do not speak of it to the outsiders, to the marks. To them, the illusion must always be maintained.
Starting Items
Clothes - Carnival costume (Up to player to determine details) Armor - None Weapons - 2x[Small weapons], hidden somewhere on you (2d6)
Personal Items - Small chest (in hand), [Minor Magical item], 4x [Trivial Items] (in pockets), A rubber chicken (in chest)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), The Switcheroo (1LVL), Kolov’s Energetic Strike (2LVL), and Maranova’s Vivid Spectacle (2LVL)
The Switcheroo (Level 1 Spell)
Cost: 2 LK, Duration: See below, Range: -
Effect: Allows you to make an inanimate object appear as a different inanimate object of the same dimensions for as long as you are holding the item in your hands. Once you let go of it the illusion breaks in 1 turn.
5 2 Bourgeois Aristocrat (Human Only)
Noble titles mean less and less in this day and age, but money still speaks loud and clear. And there are some who are quite happy to let their wealth speak to their own greatness, even if their noble names no longer do.
Starting Items
Clothes - High society clothes (up to player to determine details)
Armor - None
Weapons - Sword cane (2d6+2)
Personal Items - Personal assistant (MR 10) (respectable distance away), 3x [Trivial Items], Bulging wallet (in pocket), 2x Doses of morphine (with assistant), Fancy cigar or cigarette holder (6 total) (with assistant), Gold-plated lighter (2d6 uses) (in pocket)
5 3 ✦ Vampirdjia ✦
In the south vampires have proven to be a persistent problem. They harass good folk, they suck the blood out of cattle, they cause mischief and sometimes they escalate into full on murder. Those born on a Saturday and those born of a vampire are the only ones who can really see a vampire for what it is, and thus often take on the mantle of vampire hunters. They go from village to village, offering their services in hunting down and either driving away, killing or trapping the vile things in bottles.
Starting Items
Clothes -Travel clothes (Strong leather boots, comfortable pants, warm jacket, broad brimmed hat)
Armor - Chain armor neck collar (1 armor)
Weapons - Old revolver (4d6, 6 shots, if you roll all 1s the thing just breaks), Sabre (3d6), Knife (2d6), Small hatchet (1d6+2)
Personal Items - Backpack (on back), Enchanted Icon (hanging from belt), Bag of gunpowder (in backpack), Handful of nails (in pockets), Bottle of cheap alcohol (in backpack), Day of travel rations (in backpack), 3x Medium sized clear bottles (in backpack), 2x [Trivial Items] (in pockets or backpack), 5x bulbs of garlic (in backpack)
Enchanted Icon - A small wooden icon depicting the Sun God. It’s been enchanted to shake and rattle when within the presence of a vampire.
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL) and Bottle Vampire (1LVL)
Bottle Vampire (Level 1 Spell)
Cost: 6 LK, Duration: -, Range: -
Effect: Traps the evil spirit of a subdued vampire inside a glass bottle. Performing the spell requires a SR on POW equal to the vampire’s MR/10 or their POW/10 (if they have a separate score) in order to trap it. A trapped vampire takes 40 days to wither away and properly die.
5 4 Thief in Law (Vor v Zakone)
Most commit crime due to desperation, poverty or the desire to have what others have. Some do it because that is all they want to be doing. The thief in law stands above the common petty criminals. All vory are equal among themselves - it requires several thieves in good standing to anoint and induct someone among their ranks. Their bodies are marked by the tattoos and symbols of their position and deeds, and elicit fear among normal people, and respect (and fear) among fellow criminals.
Starting Items
Clothes - Prison uniform (awful shoes, itchy and uncomfortable paints, shirt and jacket, wool coat, prison cap)
Armor - None
Weapons - Scary looking knife (2d6+1), Bludgeon (3d6), Revolver (5d6, 1d6 shots left)
Personal Items - 6x [Trivial items] (in pockets), Pack of cigarettes (1d6+2 left) (in pocket), Book of matches (1d6 left) (in pocket)
5 5 Lifestyle Adventurer
Some are simply unable to exist in society, yet are unwilling to change it. So they simply remove themselves from it. They get their things, and go off on “adventure” - traveling the war torn countryside, looting anything that is not nailed down, digging up things best left buried and just causing mayhem in their wake.
Starting Items
Clothes - Adventuring clothes (very good walking boots, comfortable pants, shirt and jacket, fancy hat)
Armor - Chain shirt (Armor 2)
Weapons - 2x melee weapons of any kind
Personal Items - Backpack (on bag), Satchel (over shoulder), Sleeping bag and tent (under backpack), Leather canteen (hanging on backpack), Collapsible metal pole (3 meters long) (in backpack), 3x days of rations (in backpack), Fire starting tools (in pockets), book of matches (2d6 left), (in pocket) 5x [Trivial items] (wherever appropriate), 1x Stolen [Minor Magic item] (in satchel), Small hammer (in backpack), 4x large iron spikes (in backpack), Gas lamp (2d6x2 hours of use left), Small cooking pan (hanging on backpack), Small hand-held mirror (in satchel), Small brass bell (in satchel)
5 6 ✦ Enlightened Ogre ✦ (Ogre Only)
The cultural memory of the ogres is stronger than that of anyone else. They know, despite the entire world having forgotten, that they descend from the Giants that once were the apex of life in the world. Most, if not all, of the giants have been long gone for centuries now. A lot were killed, some disappeared back into the Primal Chaos that gave birth to them, some simply vanished. But the Ogres remember, and some among them are no longer content to simply remember the glory of their ancestors. No, they want to live it.
Starting Items
Clothes - Attempt at an ancestral outfit (Soft shoes, large flowing robes of many bright colors, a diadem or headband)
Armor - None
**Weapons **- None
Personal Items - Large sack (over shoulder), 3x [Trivial items] (in sack), Traditional half-giant jewelry (worn), Kilogram of dried meat (in sack), Stone carved figurine of a giant (in sack)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL), Imbue Magical Focus (1LVL), Manifest Inner Power (1LVL), 2 other random 1st level spells and 1 random 2nd level spell
Manifest Inner Power (Level 1 Spell)
Cost: 10 STR, Duration: 6 turns, Range: -
Effect: This spell can only be cast by Giants, Ogres and other descendants of Giants. Channeling your inner power, add the STR spent on casting this spell to your POW and WRD scores for the duration of the spell. Once the spell’s duration is over both your POW and WRD scores are set to 1 (likely causing a SR to not collapse if the loss is too drastic). Boosting this spell doubles the duration for each level added.
This spell can be cast at a higher level by adding its cost for each level. You must be capable of casting a spell of the desired level (in terms of minimal POW and WRD) to do so
NOTE: You ignore any POW and WRD requirements when casting Manifest Inner Power
6 1 Physician
While magical healing is the preferred choice for the rich and powerful in society, not everyone can afford that and not everyone has the ability to perform it. As such there still exists a need for physicians that treat wounds and diseases through more mundane medicine.
Starting Items
Clothes - Modest clothes (Sensible shoes, unremarkable shirt, jacket and pants/skirt, wool coat, hat)
Armor - None
Weapons - None
Personal Items - Doctor’s bag [in hand], Diagnosis kit [3] (in bag), Surgery tools kit [3] (in bag), 3x doses of morphine (in bag), 2x doses of laudanum (in bag), 1x dose of smelling salts (in bag), 3x doses of stimulants (in bag), 5x bandages (in bag), 3x [Trivial items] (in pockets)
6 2 ✦ Hobbyist Alchemist ✦
Alchemists produce some of the most volatile, dangerous and experimental materials that exist in the world, sometimes for the betterment of everyone…often just out of unchecked curiosity. Surely that is a good and safe hobby for people to pick up, right?
Starting Items
Clothes - Lab clothes (Rubber shoes, expendable clothes, thick leather apron, head covering, face protective mask)
Armor - None
Weapons - [Small weapon] (2d6)
Personal Items - Backpack (on back), Equipment case (in hand), Alchemy kit [3] (In case), Small portable still (in case), 2x bottles of undrinkable moon shine (in backpack), 1x bottle of drinkable moonshine (in backpack), 3x doses of alchemical reagents (in case), Book of matches (2d6+1 left) (in backpack), Alchemical Recipes for Beginners (in backpack), Lump of meteoric slag (in backpack)
Alchemical Recipes for Beginners - Instruction book containing basic alchemical recipes, mostly bases from which to then create potions or other concoctions.
Spells - You begin knowing 2 random 1st level spells.
6 3 ✦ Professional Wizard’s Familiar ✦ (Talking Animal Only)
While some powerful magicians summon magical beings to act as their familiars, others prefer to simply hire someone to do the job instead. It ends up being cheaper in the long run, and it is a good opportunity for talking animals to pick up some magic in their role as assistants.
Starting Items
Clothes - Colorful clothes (A robe of bright colors and many pockets, stars and moons, an embroidered sash, a pointed felt hat)
Armor - None
Weapons - None
Personal Items - Shoulder bag (over shoulder), 2x [Trivial Items] (in bag), [Minor Magical Item] (in bag), Short broom and dust pan (in bag), Wand (Magical Focus) (in bag)
Spells - You begin knowing 4 random level 1 spells.
6 4 Imperial Mercenary
The Imperial mercenary companies have existed in some form or another for over 200 years, and while they are less widely utilized today than the standing armies, they do still maintain the air of self-importance and keep their outlandish and colorful outfits, as well as their penchant for brutality on the battlefield and looting outside of it.
Starting Items
Clothes - Garishly colorful clothes (Good leather boots, Landsknecht-inspired shirts and pants in checkers, stripes, enormous sleeves and colorful ribbons, a huge hat with tons of colorful feathers in it)
Armor - Breastplate (Armor 2), Helmet (Armor 1)
Weapons - Rifle (6d6, 2d6 bullets left), Straight sword (3d6), Long dagger (2d6+1)
Personal Items - Backpack (on back), Belt with pouches (on waist), 2x [Trivial items] (where appropriate), Bottle of expensive alcohol (in backpack), Day of travel rations (in backpack), Playing cards (in backpack), Sleeping bag (under backpack), Personal hygiene kit [2] (in backpack, Flashlight (2d6 hours of light left) (in belt)
6 5 ✦ Borderlands Surveyor ✦
The Imperial College trains surveyors that don’t just map the corelands, but also a special cadre of people sent out into the borderlands, where the membrane separating the solid reality and Primal Chaos is thin and porous.
Starting Items
Clothes - Comfortable travel clothes (Hiking boots, heavy duty pants, shirt and vest, wide-brimmed hat)
Armor - Reinforced jacket (Armor 1)
Weapons - [Medium weapon] (3d6)
Personal Items - Backpack (on back), Equipment case (in hand), Primal Chaos sensor (on belt), Cartography kit [3] (in case), 3x days of travel rations (in backpack), Metal canteen (on backpack), Tent and sleeping bag (on backpack), Cooking kit [3] (in backpack), Fire starting tools (in backpack), Gas lamp (3d6 hours of light left)
Spells - You begin knowing Magical Attunement (1LVL) and Telescopic Vision (1LVL)
Telescopic Vision (Level 1 Spell)
Cost: 2 PRE, Duration: 1 turn, Range: -
Effect: Allows your eyes to act like binoculars, able to zoom in or out as desired for the duration of the spell. While active, the spell also shows areas of particularly strong Primal Chaos in scintillating outlines. Causes wooziness for a minute or so after the spell ends.
6 6 Ordinary Person
Normalcy can feel out of place in abnormal circumstances. You are just a person, someone who works for a living and probably shouldn’t be in here.
Starting Items
Clothes - Working outfit (The clothes you wear to work. Up to player to decide details)
Armor - None
Weapons - None
Personal Items - 5x [Trivial items] (in pockets), 2x [Professional items] (where appropriate)