Character Background Generator

The Character Background Generator is a series of random rolls designed to outline a new player character's basic characteristics and idiosyncracies resulting from cultural heritage, race, age, ability stats and chance events happening during the individual in the time prior to joining the game. The Generator concentrates on social relationships and skills that originate with the game world and do not, therefore, come within the player's sphere of control. A chararacter's background provides insight into who the individual is, defining his or her culture — but it's important to remember that no one chooses what culture into which we'll be born. Therefore, the Generator rolls this background randomly.

Introduction

Backgrounds should be deep and complex. When a character joins the campaign, it's assumed that character is a mature adult, perhaps young, perhaps old, depending upon their class and race. Training has taken place in the use of weapons, magic and other skills. The Generator imagines that this training began some 5 to 10 years before the character becomes 1st level. During to this training, the character has been a young adult, with a teenager's drives, outlooks and willingness to test the boundaries that culture sets. Before then, the character was a child, and before that an infant. Each of these periods provide a rich opportunity to define what makes a character's background ... mostly in ways that don't exist to serve what the player wishes to do right now when approaching the game.

This is important. It's not the character that bends it's will to the player. That's not how games work. It's the player who must accept the circumstances of the character, and then show an ability to PLAY that character effectively. Too often, the opposite is promoted — and even treated as the point of the game. This makes no sense.

The Generator has been divised to provide basic characteristics and idiosyncracies for any character, as life might provide. The Generator itself consists of many tables, intended to define the character's appearance, origin, skill-set, social relevance, health and so on. Some of these results may come as very good news to the player, giving wonderful benefits to be used freely without restraint. Other results won't be so wonderful. That is how the game works. Players cannot always have their way. This is not a bad thing.

Each part of the generator is based upon a new character's rolled ability statistics, the player's choice of biological sex and race, and that is all. From very little information, a tremendous range of details and ideas are brought into existence. As you read through the Generator, you'll see how this is done.

Application to Games

How these results are applied are left to the imagination of the Game Master. While this system very definitely arises from the sensibilities provided by a singular well-known role-playing game, the practicality and extent of the information provided can undoubtedly be applied to a host of other games, as well as the creation of characters by fiction authors. There are eleven character classes that are addressed in the Generator, and seven character races. No effort is made to explain what these classes or races are. They might be exchanged for any other race, as desired.

In addition, certain tenets have been accepted, such as limitations to a given race's choice of class, which may mystify some players. This is not explained. Additionally, it's taken for granted that every race included enjoys a similar lifespan, so that a 70-year-old elf is exactly comparable with a 70-year-old human. This provides the best possible understanding where results between characters are compared.

Because the backgrounds are frankly random, when a character is rolled, everyone round the table has reason to lean forward and eagerly discover what's been generated. If a player rolls a terrific result, it's truly an act of luck and virtuously fair. The player can be justly proud of the fact that no other player can simply "make up" the same result for their own character. Every participant understands that this character came by these traits honestly – by a die roll, and not from ego or wish fulfillment.

If it happens that a player doesn't like his or her character's background ... well, it's acknowledged that the player can always lie to folks in the game world. He or she may not really be a prince, or wealthy, or a close personal friend of the most powerful mage in the world ... but the player can still invent lies that create a better "back story" than the truth – that the character's merely a bumpkin from Podunkville. Such shenanigans are completely permitted, though they won't change the facts ... those facts known to the DM and the party. This is for the best.

Experience shows that when players lose to power to control their destiny, the process both fascinates and delights. Players are often as excited about bad outcomes as good, as these outcomes define what a character is.

Gender

With the exception of childbearing, which may be relevant in a character's generation, and the height and weight of a character, no distinction is made throughout the system between female and male persons. What one person can do, another person can do.

Despite what the Medieval-Renaissance culture might have believed, no position is taken on what roles or status that one character can achieve as compared ot another. Each can be just as bad, just as good, just as powerful, just as weak, as the next person, regardless of biological sex or gender.

Ability Stats

No rules are contained herein regarding how ability stats work, or what game actions they serve. They are used here strictly as a number that's applied to aspects having nothing to do with any known role-playing game. These numbers have tremendous significance in providing the Generator's results. Each stat is compared with a rolled die to explain the character's traits and history – with differences of a single digit providing significantly different results.

Therefore, assigning a low score to a stat (however that's done) increases the probability that something very bad might result. With the Generator in place, players ought to be careful thinking of any ability as a "dump stat." Further, results have been tempered to ensure having a low intelligence, wisdom or charisma could have seriously dire consequences.

Conversely, while a high stat might offer an opposite, beneficial result, there's no promise that any roll made upon any stat won't be very ordinary. Every roll has both good and bad possibilities ... it's only that "good" and "bad" move along a spectrum according to the character's ability stat numbers.

The placement of each stat is like playing a lottery, with the best players understanding there are always some "wins" and some "losses" in the process. The end reward is a depth of characterisation and personality far beyond what a player can simply invent. Don't be surprised when players eagerly reach for the dice to learn what their characters are about to become, forsaking the tedium of traditional character-creation policies.

The DM's Sphere of Influence

Wherever possible, the Generator's purpose is to bind the hands of the Dungeon Master as much as the players. The DM should never control the result of any die, and should be prepared to adapt to whatever results occur. With the results occurring outside the DM's meddling, both good and bad results are also a function of the game itself ... a game originally founded on taking risks and playing the odds, as best players can.

Yes, occasionally this might require the DM to bend his or her campaign setting – particularly as the DM can bestow equipment, buildings, land, titles, supporting soldiers ... and even the status of nobility or royalty. These things can be had even if the character is only 1st level. It's an assumption of the Generator that the character is 1st, freshly released from training and now ready to take on the world for the first time. Thus the descriptions herein explains how these benefits are managed, what unusual circumstances arise around the character's past and all the shiny new things a character might gain. In the bargain, a player may also find the character is saddled with unexpected responsibilities as well, owed to those denizens of the setting who now depend on the character's actions.

It's true that no generator can faithfully provide every detail in a given circumstance ... and players will seek to twist every situation in a manner that suits them personally. It should always be remembered, however, that the setting is the DM's sole responsibility. It's not in the power of the players to invent persons, circumstances or benefits within the game world, simply because it satisfies their imagination. The details surrounding the character's background is still subject to the DM's concept of setting.

Therefore, while it's fine for players to invent the particulars of some crime they've committed, or why they're deeply liked by their families or even the whole village, remind them that they're allowed to describe their own feelings and actions – and not those of other persons! The DM, and the DM alone, determines the setting. Whenever possible, this should be done as empathically and supportively as possible, but it's the DM's right to put a hard line between what the player's want and what the players actually have.

Secondary Skills

In places throughout the Generator, there are useful faculties and talents that occur as skills the characters have learned on account of their background. These skills are not designed to grant bonuses to character rolls, but to state clearly things the character is able to do, or make, or things the character definitely knows. These skills describe unquestionably dependable aspects of the character, which the player can rely upon when making choices in the game. Thus, a character that's able o manage a team of horses, cook good food, construct a barrel from scratch, read & write, contact members of a specific guild, navigate a cave and so on, need not make any roll to see if they can make or know these things. It's a fact that they can.

In nearly every case, the character's class has nothing to do with these skills. In fact, they exist because the character's parent, or "progenitor," was a teamster, a cook, a cooper, a scribe, a political advisor or a tomb robber. The character learns these skills as a child or young adult, helping mother and father to farm, manage animals, work with stone, shelve books in a library, search for mushrooms, work a forge, perform services in a gypsy camp, bake bread, bind books, work backstage in a theatre or whatever, depending on what upbringing the character had before becoming a paladin, a druid, an assassin or a bard.

Additional Remarks

I've created numerous, progressive iterations of the character Generator since 2004, as a compliment to character creation. Over time, the system has grown and evolved, producing more and more possible outcomes and unlikely additions. Where possible, the generator makes the attempt to be all-inclusive, especially with regards to things like skin tone, eye colour and hair ... as these outer expressions of a character matter a great deal to players.

Naturally, these characteristics are based on Earth-models ... however, an inventive DM could easily expand the tables to suit his or her campaign. There’s no reason to think this is the last incarnation of my background Generator. This iteration is merely an expression of how far my ideas have expanded thus far, entirely from my imagination.

Physical Characteristics

Before discussing other aspects of the character's background, it's necessary to generate the individual's physical characteristics. These define the appearance of the character: his or her general shape, hair, eye colour and so on. The creation of these depends somewhat on charisma, but not entirely. A high charisma doesn't guarantee that a character will look pretty or handsome; nor is it impossible for a character of average charisma to possess characteristics associated with beauty.

In either case, the results in no way raises or lowers a character's charisma! Beauty, as with all things, must be interpreted within other aspects of the character's presence and personality.

Although a limited collection of traditional races are provided, individual DMs should be able to create their own tables for any race that's desired, based on the templates provided.

Height & Weight

All must start somewhere, so we might as well learn how tall the character stands and how much he or she weighs.

Weight describes the character's mass in imperial pound units. Metric is not used because it's a late 18th-century creation ... and therefore anachronistic to the context of a Medieval or Renaissance fantasy realm. Yes, other anachronistic things are embraced by the Generator, but it's believed that understanding the unpleasantnesxs of using imperial units can act to help player's understand the mindset of people in the game setting. Imagine what it must have been like for people long ago, who had no choice in how to measure things. Additional weight, if it exists, may be lost according to rules associated with kicking an addiction, but the weight loss will have no special effect upon the character’s strength or constitution [at this time, as rules for this do not exist].

Height is measured in feet and inches. This describes the distance between the ball of the foot to the top of the character's head, when the individual is standing erect. This is a factor in the character's reach, as well as the character's ability to employ certain weapons. The practical length of a pike, for instance, is three times the character's height. A pole-arm, spear or javelin can be up to 1½ times a person's height. Most other weapons cannot be longer than a character is tall.

Height Determination Table

roll 4d6	Dwarf		Elf		Gnome		Half-elf		Halfling		Half-orc		Human
	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.
4	3 ft. 3 in.	3 ft. 5 in.	3 ft. 10 in.	4 ft. 3 in.	2 ft. 9 in.	3 ft.	4 ft. 5 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	2 ft. 4 in.	2 ft. 7 in.	4 ft. 5 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	5 ft.
5	3 ft. 4 in.	3 ft. 6 in.	3 ft. 11 in.	4 ft. 4 in.	2 ft. 10 in.	3 ft. 1 in.	4 ft. 6 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	2 ft. 5 in.	2 ft. 7 in.	4 ft. 6 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 1 in.
6	3 ft. 5 in.	3 ft. 7 in.	4 ft.	4 ft. 5 in.	2 ft. 11 in.	3 ft. 1 in.	4 ft. 6 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	2 ft. 5 in.	2 ft. 8 in.	4 ft. 7 in.	4 ft. 11 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 2 in.
7	3 ft. 5 in.	3 ft. 7 in.	4 ft. 1 in.	4 ft. 6 in.	2 ft. 11 in.	3 ft. 2 in.	4 ft. 7 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	2 ft. 6 in.	2 ft. 8 in.	4 ft. 8 in.	5 ft.	4 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 3 in.
8	3 ft. 6 in.	3 ft. 8 in.	4 ft. 1 in.	4 ft. 7 in.	3 ft.	3 ft. 2 in.	4 ft. 8 in.	4 ft. 11 in.	2 ft. 6 in.	2 ft. 9 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	5 ft. 1 in.	5 ft.	5 ft. 4 in.
9	3 ft. 7 in.	3 ft. 9 in.	4 ft. 2 in.	4 ft. 8 in.	3 ft.	3 ft. 3 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	5 ft.	2 ft. 7 in.	2 ft. 9 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 2 in.	5 ft. 1 in.	5 ft. 5 in.
10	3 ft. 7 in.	3 ft. 9 in.	4 ft. 3 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	3 ft. 1 in.	3 ft. 4 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	5 ft. 1 in.	2 ft. 7 in.	2 ft. 10 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 3 in.	5 ft. 2 in.	5 ft. 6 in.
11	3 ft. 8 in.	3 ft. 10 in.	4 ft. 4 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	3 ft. 1 in.	3 ft. 4 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 2 in.	2 ft. 8 in.	2 ft. 10 in.	4 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 4 in.	5 ft. 3 in.	5 ft. 7 in.
12	3 ft. 9 in.	3 ft. 11 in.	4 ft. 4 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	3 ft. 2 in.	3 ft. 5 in.	4 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 3 in.	2 ft. 8 in.	2 ft. 11 in.	5 ft.	5 ft. 5 in.	5 ft. 4 in.	5 ft. 8 in.
13	3 ft. 9 in.	3 ft. 11 in.	4 ft. 5 in.	4 ft. 11 in.	3 ft. 2 in.	3 ft. 5 in.	5 ft.	5 ft. 4 in.	2 ft. 9 in.	2 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 1 in.	5 ft. 7 in.	5 ft. 5 in.	5 ft. 9 in.
14	3 ft. 10 in.	4 ft.	4 ft. 6 in.	5 ft.	3 ft. 3 in.	3 ft. 6 in.	5 ft. 1 in.	5 ft. 5 in.	2 ft. 9 in.	3 ft.	5 ft. 2 in.	5 ft. 8 in.	5 ft. 6 in.	5 ft. 10 in.
15	3 ft. 11 in.	4 ft. 1 in.	4 ft. 7 in.	5 ft. 1 in.	3 ft. 4 in.	3 ft. 7 in.	5 ft. 1 in.	5 ft. 6 in.	2 ft. 9 in.	3 ft. 1 in.	5 ft. 3 in.	5 ft. 9 in.	5 ft. 7 in.	5 ft. 11 in.
16	3 ft. 11 in.	4 ft. 1 in.	4 ft. 8 in.	5 ft. 2 in.	3 ft. 4 in.	3 ft. 7 in.	5 ft. 2 in.	5 ft. 6 in.	2 ft. 10 in.	3 ft. 1 in.	5 ft. 4 in.	5 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 8 in.	6 ft.
17	4 ft.	4 ft. 2 in.	4 ft. 8 in.	5 ft. 3 in.	3 ft. 5 in.	3 ft. 8 in.	5 ft. 3 in.	5 ft. 7 in.	2 ft. 10 in.	3 ft. 2 in.	5 ft. 5 in.	5 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 9 in.	6 ft. 1 in.
18	4 ft. 1 in.	4 ft. 3 in.	4 ft. 9 in.	5 ft. 3 in.	3 ft. 5 in.	3 ft. 8 in.	5 ft. 4 in.	5 ft. 8 in.	2 ft. 11 in.	3 ft. 2 in.	5 ft. 6 in.	6 ft.	5 ft. 10 in.	6 ft. 2 in.
19	4 ft. 1 in.	4 ft. 3 in.	4 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 4 in.	3 ft. 6 in.	3 ft. 9 in.	5 ft. 4 in.	5 ft. 9 in.	2 ft. 11 in.	3 ft. 3 in.	5 ft. 6 in.	6 ft. 1 in.	5 ft. 11 in.	6 ft. 3 in.
20	4 ft. 2 in.	4 ft. 4 in.	4 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 5 in.	3 ft. 6 in.	3 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 5 in.	5 ft. 10 in.	3 ft.	3 ft. 3 in.	5 ft. 7 in.	6 ft. 2 in.	6 ft.	6 ft. 4 in.
21	4 ft. 3 in.	4 ft. 5 in.	4 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 6 in.	3 ft. 7 in.	3 ft. 10 in.	5 ft. 6 in.	5 ft. 11 in.	3 ft.	3 ft. 4 in.	5 ft. 8 in.	6 ft. 3 in.	6 ft. 1 in.	6 ft. 5 in.
22	4 ft. 3 in.	4 ft. 5 in.	5 ft.	5 ft. 7 in.	3 ft. 7 in.	3 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 7 in.	6 ft.	3 ft. 1 in.	3 ft. 4 in.	5 ft. 9 in.	6 ft. 4 in.	6 ft. 2 in.	6 ft. 6 in.
23	4 ft. 4 in.	4 ft. 6 in.	5 ft. 1 in.	5 ft. 8 in.	3 ft. 8 in.	3 ft. 11 in.	5 ft. 8 in.	6 ft.	3 ft. 1 in.	3 ft. 5 in.	5 ft. 10 in.	6 ft. 5 in.	6 ft. 2 in.	6 ft. 7 in.
24	4 ft. 5 in.	4 ft. 7 in.	5 ft. 2 in.	5 ft. 9 in.	3 ft. 9 in.	4 ft.	5 ft. 9 in.	6 ft. 1 in.	3 ft. 2 in.	3 ft. 6 in.	5 ft. 11 in.	6 ft. 6 in.	6 ft. 3 in.	6 ft. 8 in.

Weight Determination Table

roll 4d6	Dwarf		Elf		Gnome		Half-elf		Halfling		Half-orc		Human
	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.	f.	m.
4	99	124	66	83	62	66	83	107	41	50	107	124	116	144
5	102	127	68	85	64	68	85	110	42	51	111	128	118	148
6	105	131	70	87	65	70	87	113	44	52	114	133	122	153
7	107	134	72	90	67	72	90	116	45	54	118	137	125	157
8	110	138	74	92	69	74	92	120	46	55	123	142	129	161
9	113	142	75	94	71	75	94	123	47	57	127	147	132	165
10	116	145	77	97	73	77	97	126	48	58	131	153	136	169
11	119	149	79	99	74	79	99	129	50	60	135	158	139	174
12	122	153	81	102	76	81	102	132	51	61	139	163	143	178
13	125	157	84	104	78	84	104	136	52	63	144	168	146	183
14	128	160	86	107	80	86	107	139	53	64	148	172	150	187
15	133	166	89	111	83	89	111	144	55	66	154	179	155	194
16	137	172	92	114	86	92	114	149	57	69	160	186	160	200
17	142	177	95	118	89	95	118	154	59	71	166	166	166	207
18	147	183	98	122	92	98	122	159	61	73	172	199	171	214
19	151	189	101	126	95	101	126	164	63	76	178	206	177	221
20	156	195	104	130	98	104	130	169	65	78	184	214	182	228
21	161	201	107	134	101	107	134	174	67	80	190	221	188	235
22	166	207	111	138	104	111	138	180	69	83	197	228	194	242
23	171	214	114	142	107	114	142	185	71	85	203	236	199	249
24	176	220	117	147	110	117	147	191	73	88	210	243	205	257

The heights and weights obtained from these tables are subject to alteration by other rolls produced elsewhere in the Generator. Thus, the above should be viewed as base numbers only. Weight has a higher likelihood of being altered than does height, due to addiction, gluttony, the qualities of being robust ... or if the character has wasted away due to a hard life. Otherwise, if not altered, the numbers describe the character in the peak of condition.

During play, participants tend to skip over height and weight in their imaginations. While understandable, as getting past our self-perception and those of the other players can be a stretch, the DM should counsel the players towards truly embracing the character's real semblance. Artworks can help, if any player has that talent, as can repeating the character's gender and size as often as possible, until it's clear everyone around the table – including the DM – has a firm image of how the party looks to others.

Age

Age is an important detail that helps players envision their alter-egos. After all, we have a at least some idea of what older persons are like, compared to their younger selves. That said, players shouldn't indulge in stereotypes! Not all older characters are automatically grumpy or wise, just as many young people are not revolutionary or gullible. To create a whole personality, age is an important facet, but it's not the whole person.

Starting Age for Character Classes by Race

Class	Dwarf	Elf	Gnome	Half-elf	Halfling	Half-orc	Human
Assassin	27+1d4	14+2d4	20+1d4	16+2d4	na	37+1d6	20+1d4
Bard	na	na	na	33+1d4	na	na	25+1d4
Cleric	57+2d4	38+1d8	48+1d10	28+1d6	na	30+1d6	20+1d4
Druid	na	na	na	30+1d6	36+1d8	na	22+1d4
Fighter	16+1d4	15+1d4	15+1d4	18+1d4	17+1d4	25+1d6	14+1d4
Illusionist	na	na	21+2d6	na	na	na	29+2d8
Mage	na	22+2d4	na	23+2d6	na	na	24+2d8
Monk	na	na	na	na	na	na	23+1d4
Paladin	na	na	na	na	na	na	19+1d4
Ranger	na	18+1d4	na	21+1d4	na	na	17+1d4
Thief	25+1d4	12+2d4	18+1d4	14+2d4	29+1d6	35+1d6	18+1d4

The number produced by the Age Generation Table indicates how old the individual is upon entering the campaign as a 1st level character. Like with height and weight, this number can be altered by other results in the Generator. The space of years gives time for the character to learn since being born. Children gather knowledge and skills from family members or from a mentor (if the character lacked a traditional family) as they age – for example, learning how to sail from the age of six or how to ride a horse at five. With regards to more sagacious skills, such as architecture or politics, the character began his or her education in this things at a later time – but still within the passing years indicated. Whatever skills have been gained, its always assumed these were gained prior to the character entering the campaign.

Some classes, particularly spellcasters whose training demands the learning of a magical language, the time needed is more than classes like fighter or mage. To calculate how many years are needed for a given character to achieve their "higher education," assume that he or she began studying between the ages of 9 and 11 ... when they were young, impressionable and quicker to learn than adults. It can be seen at once that even a fighter needs 5-9 years of hard training.

In cases where a particular race tends to take excessively longer than others to learn the same class, we should assume that character lived a life practicing their secondary skill before initiating their education as a cleric, druid or whatever.

Lifespan

In a departure from traditional assumptions about non-human ages, I've chosen to present every character rade within the same familiar lifespan associated with humans. With regards to maturity, a 60-year-old elf has the same relative maturity as a similarly aged human. This may take away some mystique from non-human races, but it makes it easier for the player to relate to the character, which is more important. Those who feel this is wrong may devise numbers that suit their campaign's needs.

Age Calculation

To calculate age, the first number is a base to which is added a number generated by dice: 2d4, as an example, being two 4-sided dice. Thus, a half-elven mage's age, shown as 23+2d6, is 23 plus two 6-sided dice.

Multi-classed characters begin with the highest base number of all the classes the character has. This total is increased by the collective random dice of all possessed classes. For example, a halfling fighter/thief begins with a base age of 29 years. This is increased by one 4-sided die for the fighter side and one 6-sided die for a thief, resulting in an age between 31 and 39.

Where "n/a" appears on the table, this indicates the class is not available to that race.

Other results occurring through the Generator may extend this number or shorten it. It might be that the character has spent time in jail, or was interrupted in his or her studies by a family tragedy. It's also possible that the character's abilities as a student has shortened the time needed to acquire his or her class skills. Or those studies may be lengthened because the character was lazy or irresponsible. The number generated here, therefore, is only a base number.

Race/Class Limitations

There are no starting ages for dwarven bards, half-elven illusionist or elven paladins because I have a personal belief that not every character race should be allowed to be every character class. This may disappoint some. It's always possible to create numbers to fill in these gaps as desired for one's personal campaign.

Non-player Character Ages

Recall that the numbers on the age generation table are meant for new characters that have only just achieved 1st level status. Thus non-player characters, who've presumedly been fighters, clerics, mages and so on for some time before meeting the players, are certain to be older. A general guideline of 1d4 years can be added per level of the NPC, indicating how much time they took to pass each level mark.

For example, a 5th level fighter would have spent 4d4 years earning the levels they've acquired since their education. This is added to the generated age above, so that an average fighter of that experience would be 14+5d4 years of age. Naturally, this proposed guideline can be ignored, since it's possible to earn those four levels in less than a year or two, while at the same time a 5th level fighter could easily be 70+ years old.

Cultural Backgrounds

A character's visual appearance depends on his or her origin. There are 17 human cultures covered by the Generator's scope, and 7 non-human races, which are treated as each having one ethnicity in appearance. Much simplification has gone towards creating this few groups – but practicality requires that there can only be so many templates. A strong structure is provided by the Generator, however, so that if any individual wishes to expand a race, or the number of races, there's license to do so.

Alphabetically, these ethnic backgrounds include the Amerindian, comprising those peoples who crossed into North and South America some 15,000 years ago. East & South African counts the Congo jungles, as well as the savanna and veldt stretching from Somalia to the Cape of Good Hope. This includes the Kalahari Desert, Madagascar and the Islands of the Indian Ocean.

East Asia takes in the regions of China, Korea and Japan, including parts to the north and west that were historically touched by the Han Dynasty more than two thousand years ago. Germanic peoples dominate central Europe, whose ancestors account for many tribes beyond the Saxons and Goths. Himalayan lands count the high elevation sub-cultures reaching from the Tien Shan to Bhutan, including Tibet. The Indian Subcontinent includes the triangular plateau of Pakistan and India below the Himalayas, including the valleys of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra.

Mediterranean groups include many with Latin and Hellenistic roots, from Portugal to Greece. North African encompasses the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea from Morocco to Egypt, reaching to the oases of the Sahara. Persian describes those cultures dwelling in Iran, Afghanistan and adjacent parts, whose ancestors invaded the Fertile Crescent millennia ago. Polynesian peoples occupy the islands of the Pacific, including Australia.

Scandinavian are peoples dwelling in Denmark and various lands north of the Baltic and North Seas, including Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Norway. Slavic takes in many peoples dwelling in Eastern Europe and Russia. Southeast Asia embraces the East Indies and the Philippines and the mainland peninsula south of China and east of Assam.

Sub-Saharan African includes regions south of the Sahara Desert – Gambia, Ghana and Sudan, consisting of savanna and jungle reaching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Nile. Turkic accounts for a wide range of cultures who came from Ural-Altaic origins, whose tribes migrated from the steppes of high-central Asia and into Anatolia and parts of the Middle East. Western European includes tribes from Britain and France, the genetics of which were influenced by tribes like the Franks, Saxons, Danes, Vandals and Visigoths.

Parts of the world that have experienced invasions and occupations by foreign groups, such as Europe and the Middle East, tend to have greater variation in their genetic make-up ... while other parts, like Polynesia and East Asia, have remained distinctly homogenous in appearance. This accounts for the multiplicity of results among some humans as opposed to others.

The content that follows has tried to be accurate and fair in the presentation of human traits, with strong emphasis on how these people would have looked in a pre-17th century world, before the widespread use of ships and other forms of rapid travel. Some license has been taken along these lines with non-human races, whose tables appear among those of human cultures.

Players are encouraged to roll randomly to learn what results they obtain, recognising once again that we don't choose the background we're born into – something that includes our skin tone, hair and eye colour.

Skin Tone

As the player's desire for individuality and unusualness is at a premium, an effort has been made to create varying tables for skin tone, hair and eye colour which are as detailed as possible. Tables have also been added for dwarves, elves, gnomes and so on. It helps that we have more examples for human appearance from cultures around the world, than we do for fanciful races that exist only in fiction.

For some, skin tone is a volatile subject. Some DMs will shy away from dictating a character's skin tones for unspoken reasons – and therefore would prefer the players to choose their own, not speaking of the matter in any capacity. However, because the Generator's ambition is to remove such choices from both the DM and the players, I don't believe this is an appropriate method.

Moreover, as with gender, I see no reason why any distinction should be made between the members of one culture vs. another. To hell with human history; all members of every ethnic background deserve to be treated equally by the game, with "colour" having no more relevance than it's role in describing which part of the globe a person might come from.

Intensity of Tone

To reduce misunderstandings, the best approach is to use those labels provided by the cosmetics industry, as shown in the right-hand image. That industry has a vested interest in providing correct shades of make-up for persons of every background. An internet search of these tones, accompanied by the word "cosmetics," provides multiple visual examples of these same tones and words used to describe them.

There are 24 distinct tones represented. The darkest are ebony, sepia, earth and molasses. These are tones associated with sub-Saharan, eastern and southern Africa, although sepia tones can also be found in North Africa and Polynesia. Softer brown pigments include chocolate, cocoa, mocha and mahogany, colours we associate with tropical and sub-tropical regions around the globe.

Mid-tones include almond, caramel, cinnamon, bronze, olive and honey, which are so common as to exist in all but the most northern climates. Where the sun's presence reduces human pigmentation, somewhat lighter skin tones occur, including sienna, tan, beige and caucasian, with a fair colour acting as a borderline between brownness and pale. The lightest human skin colours remaining are soft beige, cream, ivory, Nordic and alabaster.

These tones apply to most non-human races, with the exception of half-orcs, who add two additional unnatural tones: dark honey and greenish walnut.

Amerindian Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	beige	4 to 7	iron grey	1.	stick-straight	4 to 21	walnut brown
2.	honey	8 to 26	sooty black	2.	straight with slight wave	22 to 29	whiskey brown
3.	olive	27 to 33	jet black	–		30 to 34	topaz brown
–		34 to 38	raven black	–		35 to 36	amber
–		–		–		37 to 38	golden brown
Dwarvish Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	bronze	4 to 7	ash grey	1.	spiral curls	4 to 7	moss green	30	emerald green
2.	olive	8 to 26	ash brown	2.	s-waves	8 to 14	coal black	31	jet black
3.	sepia	27 to 30	copper red	–		15 to 20	graphite	32	obsidian
–		31 to 33	ginger	–		21	pewter	33 to 34	topaz brown
–		34 to 35	bronze	–		22 to 24	cloud grey	35	amber
–		36 to 38	flaming red	–		25 to 27	ebony black	36	charcoal grey
–		–		–		28 to 29	slate grey	37	golden brown
–		–		–		38	silver grey
East & South African Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	almond	4 to 6	iron grey	1.	kinked	4 to 11	walnut brown
2.	bronze	8 to 17	flat black	2.	tightly coiled	12 to 17	chocolate brown
3.	caramel	18 to 26	salt & pepper grey	3.	tight corkscrews	18 to 20	faded blue
4.	chocolate	27 to 29	jet black	–		21 to 22	graphite
5.	cocoa	30 to 33	tawny	–		23 to 25	chestnut brown
6.	earth	34 to 38	raven black	–		26 to 29	whiskey brown
7.	ebony	–		–		30 to 34	russet brown
8.	mahogany	–		–		35 to 38	champagne brown
9.	mocha	–		–		–
10.	molasses	–		–		–
11.	sepia	–		–		–
East Asian Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	caucasian	4 to 7	iron grey	1.	stick-straight	4 to 14	walnut brown
2.	honey	8 to 12	flat black	–		15 to 21	chocolate brown
3.	olive	13 to 26	flat black	–		22 to 25	chestnut brown
4.	sienna	27 to 33	flat black	–		26 to 29	whiskey brown
5.	soft beige	34 to 38	flat black	–		30 to 32	russet brown
–		–		–		33 to 34	topaz brown
–		–		–		35 to 36	amber
–		–		–		37 to 38	golden brown
Elvish Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	ivory	4 to 7	sooty black	1.	stick-straight	4 to 11	china blue	32	ice blue
2.	nordic	8 to 26	russet brown	2.	straight with slight wave	12 to 14	cornflower blue	33	sapphire blue
–		27 to 33	wheaten	–		15 to 21	sky blue	34	amethyst
–		34 to 35	flat white	–		22 to 24	sea green	35	aquamarine
–		36 to 37	platinum blonde	–		25 to 27	steel blue	36	indigo
–		38	silver grey	–		28 to 29	crystal blue	37	ultramarine
–		–		–		30	electric blue	38	violet
–		–		–		31	emerald green
Germanic Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	caucasian	4	ash grey	1.	ringlets	4 to 5	walnut brown	25	crystal blue
2.	cream	5	iron grey	2.	spiral curls	6 to 8	faded blue	26	electric blue
3.	fair	6 to 7	steel grey	3.	stick-straight	9	china blue	27	emerald green
4.	nordic	8 to 11	ash brown	4.	straight with body wave	10 to 11	cornflower blue	28	forest green
5.	sienna	12 to 14	salt & pepper grey	5.	s-waves	12	hazel	29	honey brown
6.	soft beige	15 to 17	sandy brown	–		13 to 14	jade green	30	ice blue
7.	tan	18 to 20	sooty black	–		15 to 16	sky blue	31	russet brown
–		21 to 23	strawberry blonde	–		17	chestnut brown	32	sapphire blue
–		24 to 26	russet brown	–		18	cloud grey	33	amber
–		27 to 28	ash blonde	–		19	sea green	34	aquamarine
–		29 to 30	auburn	–		20	steel blue	35	champagne brown
–		31 to 32	chestnut brown	–		21	whiskey brown	36	grass green
–		33	jet black	–		22	baby blue	37	indigo
–		34 to 36	flaxen	–		23	cat's eye green	38	bottle green
–		37 to 38	platinum blonde	–		24	chartreuse
Gnomish Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	bronze	4 to 7	ash grey	1.	straight with slight wave	4 to 7	seaweed green	32	russet brown
2.	olive	8 to 26	tawny	2.	s-waves	8 to 11	hazel	33	tawny brown
3.	tan	27 to 30	ginger	–		12 to 14	moss green	34	bottle green
–		31 to 33	jet black	–		15 to 17	pine green	35	grass green
–		34 to 35	bronze	–		15 to 17	walnut green	36	midnight black
–		36 to 38	flaming red	–		15 to 17	fern green	37	ultramarine
–		–		–		22 to 30	forest green	38	ultraviolet
–		–		–		31	cat's eye green
Half-elven Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	alabaster	4 to 7	ginger	1.	stick-straight	4 to 10	faded blue	31	emerald green
2.	cream	8 to 26	russet brown	–		11 to 14	cornflower blue	32	ice blue
3.	soft beige	27 to 30	jet black	–		15 to 20	sky blue	33 to 34	sapphire blue
–		31 to 33	wheaten	–		21	china blue	35	aquamarine
–		34 to 35	flat white	–		22 to 24	china blue	36 to 37	indigo
–		36 to 38	platinum blonde	–		25 to 29	steel blue	38	violet
–		–		–		30	baby blue
Halfling
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	bronze	4 to 7	salt & pepper grey	1.	spiral curls	4 to 7	umber brown	30 to 31	chartreuse
2.	honey	8 to 17	ash brown	2.	s-waves	8 to 14	chocolate brown	32 to 34	honey brown
–		18 to 26	tawny	–		15 to 20	walnut brown	35	champagne brown
–		27 to 33	ginger	–		21	gingerbread brown	36 to 37	golden brown
–		34 to 38	flaming red	–		22 to 24	chestnut brown	38	silver grey
–		–		–		25 to 29	cinnamon brown
Half-orcish Origin
Skin Tone		Hair Colour		Hair Texture		Eye Colour
1.	bronze	4 to 26	sooty black	1.	kinked	4 to 7	turquoise
2.	dark honey	27 to 33	jet black	2.	tight corkscrews	8 to 21	hazel
3.	green walnut	34 to 38	bluish black	3.	tightly coiled	22 to 29	pink with green flecks
–		–		–		30 to 34	pink with grey flecks
–		–		–		35 to 38	pale pink

Cultural Traits Tables

These tables are organised according to the ethnic background of each character origin. Each allows the player to roll skin tone, hair features and eye colour. As regards skin tone, there is an equal chance of each type occuring; the same is true of hair texture. Hair and eye colour, on the other hand, are rolled. The result is calculated by adding a d20 to the character's charisma, separately for each roll to be made.

For example, the dwarf Annabeth is rolling for her hair colour. Her charisma equals 12. Adding a d20, the worst result Annabeth can manage is a 13, which would make her hair ash brown. If she rolled a 19 or 20, her hair would be ginger. Instead, she rolls a 16, making her hair copper red.

Hair

Varieties of hair colour and vitality are more varied than skin tone. In addition, the Generator takes the character's physical beauty and charisma into account, along with regional factors. Richer hair colours are recognised as more attractive than drab alternatives, so that less charismatic characters tend toward early greying ... while beautiful people are often blessed with unusual huges like platinum blonde or bluish black. Still, some ethnic groups have little variation, as these groups are strongly dominated by a single type. With the uncertainty of all things, not all charismatic characters have "great hair" ... though more likely, nothing is certain.

List of Hair Colours

Below is a complete list of the Generator's hair colours that appear on the table, with a description for each, aiding players to understand what the words mean:

• ash blonde: blonde hair with dark roots and a hint of grey.
• ash brown: brunette hair blended with cool grey tones, sometimes called "mushroom brown."
• ash grey: found at the darker end of the grey spectrum, with a smoky hue.
• auburn: reddish-brown, ranging from medium-red to burgundy.
• bluish black: thick black hair with distinctive blue highlights, occurring as a natural "balayage."
• bronze: brunette hair with notes of gold, appearing especially vibrant.
• chestnut brown: deep brown with reddish hues.
• copper red: dark, rich ginger hair blended with brunette.
• flaming red: shocking bright red hair, with crimson and orange highlights.
• flat black: black hair without gloss or sheen, appearing dull in sunlight.
• flat white: giving an eerily matte appearance, with a nonetheless velvety lustre.
• flaxen: pale yellow-grey hair, the colour of straw.
• ginger: burnt orange colour blended with pale reddish-brown.
• golden blonde: warm, rich yellowy colour
• honey blonde: blend of blonde hair with a sheen of light brown.
• honey brown: warm brown colour with honey-toned highlights.
• iron grey: dark, dull grey hair.
• jet black: intense black hair with a dramatic blue and purple undertone.
• platinum blonde: whitish blonde hair with an luscious metallic gloss.
• raven black: lustrous shimmering black hair with softened tones.
• russet brown: hard, reddish-brown hair blended with grey undertones.
• salt & pepper grey: mixture of black and grey colouring, with inconsistent traces of white hair.
• sandy brown: soft light brown hair, lacking shine.
• silver grey: shiny grey hair mingled with white strands.
• sooty black: dusky, dull-coloured black hair, with hints of depth.
• sooty grey: uniform, matte grey colour lacking sheen.
• steel grey: distinctive bluish-grey hair with a hard lustre.
• strawberry blonde: reddish blonde hair with an orange hue.
• tawny: pale brown hair with tan highlights and varying sheen.
• wheaten: soft brown-blonde hair with light brown highlights.

Hair Texture

In addition to colour, hair possesses many varieties of feel, appearance and thickness, evident in how curly hair is, it's volume and it's consistency. Like colour, hair types are distinctive in different parts of the world – and so again, ethnic background is useful in determining a character's personal look.

In much of the world, hair tends towards certain singular types. Asian hair, for example, is nearly always straight, growing perpendicularly from the scalp. African varieties tend to be very tightly coiled and dense, while highly resistant to management with comb, as it grows in an angle-like helix shape. This is commonly called "kinky." The management of one's hair is paart of the character's experience – for though a player can't choose the character's hair texture, it is possible to decide how hair is worn. How the character fixes or manipulates his or her hair is as important as the hair itself.

Those living in temperate climates, with wavy or curly hair, often choose to grow their hair out long as protection against the elements. To manage a thick volume, hair is bound with cords and thongs; braided elaborately for comfort and convenience; or shaved, leaving a bald scalp. In northerly climates, extensive beards are grown to give even more protection in sub-zero weather. Players may want to experiment with the hair on the character's scalp and many varieties of facial hair. Details like this can add verve, creating a need to carry around a mirror or other tools to address his or her coiffure.

Further, the character's constitution affects the healthiness and vitality of an individual's hair. This is addressed further down, below the list of character ethnic origins.

Eye Colour

Like hair, certain eye colours possess an unparalleled attractiveness, and so the character's charisma affects a luminosity and richness of colour in the character's eyes. Also, the presence of non-human races gives the opportunity for eye colours that don't exist in humans ... providing interesting opportunities in determining this physical characteristic. In general, fantastic colours are considered more appealing than brown eyes — though it can be recognised that there are many shades of brown, some of which are considered more attractive than others.

There are other matters having to do with a character's eyes and hair that have yet to be addressed, namely the possibility of a character being an albino, or possessing heterochromia. These things are dealt with below.

Once again, the character needs to roll a d20 and subtract his or her charisma. This is then compared against the varying races and regions that have been used thus far for skin tone and hair colour. In addition, to give an impression of different eye colours, a description of each is included to aid characters in understanding what the words mean:

• Amber: clear, luminous golden colour, both warm and seductive
• Amethyst: very pale, clear, true-violet colour with no hint of blue
• Amethyst blue: like amethyst, but with sky-blue striations
• Aquamarine: clear, piercing blue-green with a yellow hue
• Baby blue: very light to very pale greenish or purplish blue
• Bottle green: deep vivid green, luminous, with grey flecks or rays
• Cat's eye green: pale green with yellow undertones surrounding the iris
• Champagne brown: pale orange to greyish yellow, sparkling and light-catching
• Charcoal grey: very dark grey, almost black
• Chartreuse: a brilliant greenish yellow, backlit with a deep yellowish hue
• Chestnut brown: greyish brown with a soft medium reddish hue and orangish rays
• China blue: strikingly pure dark indigo with a luminous quality
• Chocolate brown: medium true-brown, with elements of red and grey; sexy and decadent
• Cinnamon brown: distinctive reddish eyes with warm brown undertone
• Cloud grey: softly luminous pale grey with whitish tones and striations
• Coal black: pure black eyes with a vague shininess or gleam
• Cornflower blue: muted medium-blue with flecks of light blue and white
• Crystal blue: extremely pale with white rays, clear and luminous
• Ebony black: flat black eyes with a soft and subdued beauty

• Electric blue: pale to medium bright blue; bright, energetic and striking
• Emerald green: very dark, clear green with a gleaming radiance
• Faded blue: dull pale blue with a homespun quality
• Fern green: cool, flat green colour lacking in other colours
• Forest green: soft, medium green with few flecks of brown, without a brown hue
• Gingerbread brown: medium brown with a strong yellow hue and rays
• Golden brown: medium warm brown with golden rays and gold circling around the iris
• Graphite: medium true-grey, flat and dull but distinctively unusual
• Grass green: medium true-green with equal ratio of blue and yellow rays
• Hazel: strong greenish-brown with glints of many colours, with blue or yellow rays
• Honey brown: pale brown with soft, light golden colour with a warm character
• Ice blue: extremely pale blue eyes, nearly white, hard and unsettling
• Indigo: warm, exotic dark blue that absorb light rather than reflect it
• Jade green: pale greenish-white with soapy luminosity, occasionally with exotic black flecks
• Jet black: a luxurious glossy black colour notorious for reflecting images
• Midnight black: blue-black with an indigo underlay and flecks of white
• Moss green: cool mid-tone greyish green with grey-blue undertones
• Obsidian: hard, flinty black with elements of unsettling transparency
• Pale pink: whitish-pink with yellow-grey flecks
• Pewter: rich saturated dark grey with a hint of soft blue undertone
• Pine green: deep, dark green colour with a slight black hue
• Pink with green flecks: sickly-looking pink-orange hue with flinty dark green flecks
• Pink w/grey flecks: deep pink color with grey flecks and striations
• Russet brown: shimmering, glossy reddish-brown with deep blue undertones
• Sapphire blue: deep, luminous medium-blue with a rich, luminous colour
• Sea green: clear blue-green colour with darker outer blue rim
• Seaweed green: flat dark green mixed with yellow and brown hues
• Silver grey: Bright and shining glossy grey with metallic rays, very luminous
• Sky blue: clear, light blue lacking highlights or balancing hues
• Slate grey: medium grey with hints of blue with stony coolness and a matte appearance
• Steel blue: hard iron grey-blue with light grey highlights, somewhat flat in colour
• Steel green: hard iron grey-green with flecks of grey-white colour
• Tawny brown: light brown to brownish orange, with yellow gold striations
• Topaz brown: pale, clear gold colour that reflects and appears glowing or luminous
• Turquoise: pale, milky blue-green colour with white hue and undertones
• Ultramarine: vivid strong blue mixed with dense, dark violet; very luminous and beautiful
• Umber brown: dark purplish-red colour mixed with deep brown, with violet ring around iris
• Violet: light purplish colour, somewhat dull, with white and yellow flecks
• Walnut brown: medium dull dark-brown, with lighter brown ring around the iris
• Whiskey brown: watery, warm brown with a light orange hue and a reflective quality

Albinism

The chance of a character being an "albino" should be higher than the chance of a real person having this condition (between 1 in 3000 to 1 in 20000, depending on region). Albinism inspires a unique characteristic for a player to consider when having their character approach the game world. I suggest that the chances of the first albino occurring in the campaign should be 1 in 100; and the chance of a second like character being 1 in 400. Such characters possess a flat white hair colour and deep red eyes. They may also be partially or wholly blind, in which case they have adjusted somewhat to that condition; or the DM may rule that the character's condition has been cured and that only the appearance of albinism remains.

In either case, the presence of albinism supercedes the generation of hair and eye colour, and so this roll should be made first. Of course, some DMs may prefer greater odds against the condition, or the suspension of the condition in their campaign.

Heterochromia

This is the variation of colour between the character's two eyes. Less than 1% of the world's population possesses eyes of two different colours, so we may fairly institute a 1 in 100 chance of this occurring, without the odds against increasing. Simply roll twice on the tables given for the character, indicating the left eye and the right eye.

Body Type & Overall Appearance

While the main determination of the character's general semblance and quality of being pleasing or sexually alluring is determined primarily by the character's charisma, a potential exists for the character's appearance to also be affected by wisdom. Unwise characters may have experienced critical accidents through foolhardiness that resulted in the loss of a hand or limb, or even an eye. However, those effects by wisdom are dealt with elsewhere. Imagine, then, that the tables for physical appearance and features describe what the character would look like without such mishaps having occurred.

[further details to be added at a later time]

Origin

The character's origin addresses the circumstances of the character's birth and other matters relating to upbringing, family, early training in secondary skills and the character's starting wealth. Prior to that moment when the player first enters the game, all time that has passed and all things that have happened are out of the player's control. These things are determined randomly, influenced by the choices made in allocating their ability scores ... for this allocation may allow or disallow the occurrence of a wide range of chance events and possibilities.

Family

As we know from our own experience, no person chooses the family or social status into which he or she is born. We may wish to be born rich, or a member of the nobility, but the fact is that our fate is out of our hands. Some are lucky; some are not. A part of learning what the character is, or what opportunities exist to be had, we must first learn what family the character has. The attribute that determines this is strength, which dictates the overall survival and number of the character's living relations.

By extension, we may assume that if the character has living grandparents or parents, most likely there exists a corresponding extended family, dwelling around the area of the character's birthplace. If, on the other hand, it turns out the character was made an orphan in their youth — perhaps without any family relations at all — then the lack of family might be a motivating factor in the way the character sees the game world.

Family Table

We begin by creating an adjusted strength number, rolling a d20 and subtracting the character's strength. This produces a number between 17 and -17, as explained in the determination of hair. By consulting the table, we can learn the extent of the character's living family. Throughout the table, additional details need to be rolled here or on the subtable below. Where it describes the character as "raised by," it should be understood that the named parents are still alive when the character enters the campaign.

If there are parents, the first sibling is born into a family when the mother is between the age of 14 and 20. Count the father's age as [3d4-4] added to the mother's age. Additional children are born 1 to 3 years after the first (the time difference accounting for children who may have been lost between living siblings).

Adj. Strength	Upbringing
+17 to +14	Left on the doorstep of a cottage as a foundling; and thereafter adopted and given an education
+13	Born a slave and kept until freed, began working as an apprentice at the age of [6-9].
+12 to +11	Lost family at age [6-9], finding support from a mentor acting as a surrogate parent [+1 age for elf thieves]
+10 to +9	Lost family after beginning class-level training at age [10-14] [+2 age for elf thieves]; continued education with the help of mentor and institution; [see Institution subtable]
+8 to +7	Raised by [mother/father]'s [sister/brother] after [1-12] years of age; [see Sibling subtable for this entry and all entries downtable]
+6 to +4	Raised by [mother/father]'s [sister/brother] after [1-12] years of age
+3	Raised by an elder [sister/brother] after [3-12] years of age; sibling is [2-8] years older than the character
+2	Lost family at age [6-9], finding support from a mentor acting as a surrogate parent [+1 age for elf thieves]
+1	Raised by both of [mother/father]'s parents after [2d4+5] years of age
0	Raised by single [mother/father]
-1 to -2	Raised by both parents
-3 to -6	Raised by both parents and [1-2] grandparents, elder either to [mother/father]
-7 to -12	Raised by both parents and 3 grandparents
-13 to -17	Raised by both parents and all four grandparents

This should give the approximate age of the character's parents. If the placement of the character in the order of birth cannot be reconciled, then assume elder brothers and sisters are twins or triplets. Mentors will be [5d6+20] years older than the character.

From extrapolating the age of the parents and siblings, a character may take the time, if wished, to calculate their wider family tree by rolling the strength of each family member, rolling their own background on the family table — obviously discounting any results that can't fit with known details. At present, a true depiction would require another table for maladies and early deaths, which I don't intend to create at this time; but the reader could make up one of their own.

Sibling Subtable

A character's relationships with his or her siblings are discussed under Choices and Relationships. It shouldn't be assumed that characters have a positive relationship to any member of their family. With the table below, we're only concerned with the number of siblings, along with other odd matters. The same adjusted strength roll should be used for the sibling table as it was for the main family table.

Thus, if the character's adjusted strength was +8, indicating that "he" was raised by an "aunt," then the same +8 result would be used to determine the character's number of siblings.

Due to the circumstances of their birth, character with an adjusted strength of +17 to +9 have no known siblings.

Once the sex of each sibling has been determined, the character can be placed in the order of birth by simply rolling a random number of siblings who are either younger or older than the character. For example, if the character were one of 8 children, a d8 could be used to indicate if the character where the 1st or the 5th born, or whatever.

This particular fact can matter greatly where it comes to possibility of inheriting a rich parent's fortune, and is particularly crucial if the character turns out to be born a member of a region's nobility or of a kingdom's royal family.

Adj. Strength	Number of Siblings	Special
+8 to +7	[roll d20] none (1-14), one (15-19) or two (20)	—
+6	[roll d20] none (1-9), one (10-17), two (18-19) or three (20)	—
+5 to +3	0-3 (d4-1)	—
+2	0	—
+1 to -2	1-4	—
-3 to -6	2-4	—
-7 to -9	0-5 (d6-1)	character had a fraternal twin that died [roll d20] at birth (1-7), at the age of [1-3] (8-17) or at the age of [4-14] (18-20)
-10	1-6	character has a living fraternal twin
-11	2-7	character has a living identical twin
-12 to -13	2-8	roll character had an identical twin that died [roll d20] at birth (1-9), at the age of [1-3] (10-17) or at the age of [4-14] (18-20)
-14 to -15	4-10	—
-16 to -17	6-15 (3d4+3)	—

Should it happen that the character has a fraternal or an identical twin, the DM may give the player the option of running both. In the case of fraternal twins, roll 2d8 for each of the original character's stats, subtracting 5, producing an adjustment between -3 and +3. For each of these rolls, there's a 10 in 16 chance that the adjusted stat for the twin would be the same or within 1 point of the originally rolled character. The chance is 15 in 16 that it'll be within 2 points. With identical twins, the twin's stats are exactly the same.

The table doesn't include the possibility of triplets or quadruplets, but the DM may allow a 1 in 100 chance of triplet fraternal twins — with an equal chance of quadruplets and quintuplets, following each roll of 1 in 100 (thus, quintuplets would occur with three rolls of double-zero) once the twin result shows. The chance of triplet identical twins might be rated at 1 in 400. The reason the chances are so low is that in a medieval or post-medieval setting, like as not all of three or more twins would be unlikely to survive the birth, or the mother either.

Institution Subtable

It should be noticed that character's with high strengths, like clerics, fighters, monks, paladins and rangers, are far more likely to have large families than are bards, illusionists or mages. This is intentional. Strength and bravery ask for a strong support network, encouragement and a belief in working together, the sort of thing that large families encourage. On the other hand, the unlikeliness of illusionists and mages suggest that many who come to profession come to it by chance, as self-reliant, even resentful persons isolated by their circumstances — for example, by being made an orphan.

Still, a line has been inserted into the Family Table to ensure there is at least some chance for every character to become an orphan. Some would certainly miss the possibility if this were entirely denied.

The sort of upbringing an individual is given has no influence at all on their ability as a class character. But it does suggest a view of the world; a history that can be played, for the player to find in his or herself when approaching the game.

Instititutions, foster parents and mentors are determined by the character's class. Normally, an individual starts training as a bard, cleric, druid and so on at the age of 8 to 10. A foundling or a young character forced to fend for themselves — who has clearly made something of themself, since we're looking back — relies upon whatever culture is willing to support them. Assassins thus come from cultures very different than an illusionist or a paladin.

Class	Institution [d20]
assassin	barracks (1-3), beggar's guild (4-16), shipboard (17-19), whorehouse (20)
bard	bard's college (1-14), guildhouse (15-16), performing troupe (17-20)
cleric	church/temple (1-14), monastery (15-20)
druid	manor farm
fighter	baggage train (1), barracks (2-13), manor farm (14-16), shipboard (17-20)
illusionist	guildhouse (1-9), library (10-20)
mage	guildhouse (1-14), library (15-20)
monk	monastery
paladin	barracks (1-12), manor farm (13-19), monastery (20)
ranger	manor farm (1-9), shipboard (10-20)
thief	beggar's guild (1-12), guildhouse (13), shipboard (14-18), whorehouse (19-20)

Applicable discriptions for the different institutions are below. Remember that although a character may have spent time aboard ship or in a varying type of guild, this doesn't necessarily mean they learned how to swim or create an article of some sort; to learn precisely what sort of secondary knowledge the character accumulated in their youth, see Progenitors.

• Baggage camp: the character spent their childhood following military camps through campaigns, helping to cook, launder clothes, make liquor, nurse soldiers, carry baggage and otherwise act as a servant to soldiers. Like as not, he or she began their training as a fighter while still on the move, as taught by the soldiers present, not actually being sent to a proper school to gain traditional fighting skills until the age of 13.

• Bard's college: these are dramatic places of learning, often no more than a single sprawling structure, where the character was able to watch and listen to bards discuss and perform their arts. Much of the character's youth would have involved servant and cleaning duties, though as a bard they would have learned to read & write at an age of six or seven — as all bards have this ability. Practical, serious training would have started at the age of 10.

• Barracks: these are long buildings used to house soldiers and labourers. Characters would have spent much time cleaning weapons, sharpening them, sewing arming gowns and flags, cleaning and attending livestock or acting as servants to the soldiers. Practical training for fighters and paladins would have started and been completed in rooms attached to the main barracks; assassins from a barracks have started this training until their mid-teens, before abandoning the traditional path to gain knowledge from tutors and masters in less savoury activities.

• Beggar's guild: starting under the tutelage of a "kidsman," an organiser of begging and thieving children as depicted by Fagan, both assassins and thieves would have been stealing from the age of 6 or even earlier. Assassins, having shown a talent and interest in intimidation and confrontation, would have taken the skills learned as a child and maneuvered themselves into a proper barracks school to master fighting. Thieves, on the other hand, are likely to have reached the full skills of their class without any formal training at all, having started so young.

• Church/Temple: being taken in and given a place to sleep as an act of charity, the character would have spent their childhood cleaning the pews, carrying hymnals and other books, gardening, tending to animals kept to help support the clergy and carrying candles, flags and podiums during festivals. After the character is given a place during services and shows his or her piety, the decision is made to send the character to a formal seminary on a stipend.

• Guildhouse: represents different possible organisations for different classes, but in all cases the characters would spend time acting as servants and participating in the backbreaking work of feeding and housing a large number of workers. This means much laundering, kitchen duties and carrying much wood and water. Bards are familiar with guilds related to ceramic, tailoring, woodworking guilds and other artisan examples. Illusionists spend their time in bookbinding, print houses, scribners and university-supportive guilds. In addition to these for the illusionist, a mage can include guilds dedicated towards alchemy, medicine and other sciences. The guild for a thief is assuredly a thief's guild. Each of these guilds would be responsible, through collections and donations, for the character receiving a formal education in their class.

• Library: the duties for children in these places are primarily cleaning, collecting and copying. As illusionist and mages, they would have learned to read & write at the age of 8 to 9, when they were old enough to be trusted to spend endless hours writing copies as a scholar droned on and on. Characters of this type would also have some experience with many possible educations; as "farmers" or "explorers," they may never have stood in a field or been aboard a ship. Formal education begins when the character is paid for their ability to write, a task they perform all through their training.

• Manor farm: the character becomes a part of a squire or minor noble's household, working in a wide variety of possible tasks and places: in the stables, attending the reeve or hayward, farming, processing staples into foodstuffs, working as a servant in the house and like the guilds above, many hours of carrying wood and water. Future druids and rangers find themselves acting as a servant to the gameskeeper and manor shepherds, learning about the woods and animals. Paladins impress the manor owners so much that their way is to a formal education is paid, whereas fighters and others must beg, borrow or steal the money from the various overseers and friends they've made.

• Monastery: the culture here is not so different from that of a manor, with opportunities to learn about farming, animals and the making of various foodstuffs ... but the religious expectation encouraged the character to become a cleric or a monk — remaining to complete their training in the same institution they attended as young children. Paladins growing up in a monastery remain affected by what they saw and the rituals they took part in, but by the age of 10 or 11 they head out, with a stipend, to get formal training in fighting.

• Performing troupe: a fun and exciting life for a young future bard, full of helping to move and walk long distances beside wagons on their way to the next town ... but also opportunities to act on stage, walk through strange places shouting out the arrival of the troupe to outsiders, handling money and watching the players and performers hone their craft. Many heartbreaking moments also, as a performer in a troupe can lose heart. Such bards use what skills they can find in these places to audition their way into a college or guild to receive their formal training.

• Shipboard: life aboard ship includes many dangerous, unique ideas for the character to discover as a child, but it's hard, repetitive work also. Decks must be scrubbed white, while learning to walk out on a mast or spar in a storm is also part of the character's education. More than one lost friend, fellow child or adult alike, is remembered though they are long gone. Shipboard also allows for long periods ashore, where a fellow seaman may take time to teach an assassin, fighter, ranger or thief a wide variety of secondary abilities. Formal training is usually made possible by a long voyage at sea, where years of income are accumulated and paid out in a single day. +1-4 pts. sailing knowledge.

• Whorehouse: the most lurid of places where the assassin or thief character might spend their childhood. Suffice to say that the duties may be of a kind that the character would never speak of, be they man or woman. Certainly bathing the artists, cleaning, acting as servants and perpetually cleaning after the worst sort of visitors would make for unpleasant memories. More likely as not, the character stole what they needed to get out and be long gone from such a place — though they could never admit it.

Progenitors

Every levelled character is entitled to one Progenitor, the individual responsible for raising them from a child and enabling their training as a character class.

Personal History

In the time between being trained to become a character class and learning the habits and skills of their progenitor's profession, characters have also had time of their own in which to build relationships, learn the ways of the world, get themselves into terrible trouble and win the hearts and minds of other persons in their orbit. For the most part, it's assumed the character has been a perfectly normal person in these things — neither special nor egregiously foolish in their day-to-day actions. Yet for each character, certain distinctive moments have occurred, relating to choices made by the character, their personal exceptional talents (or lack thereof), their tendencies and interests and finally, their interpersonal relationships.

Together, these impose four rolls on the character: two associated with intelligence and two associated with wisdom. Good rolls provide benefits for the character, reflecting a time well spent. Bad rolls, on the other hand, describe moments of imprudence, stubbornness, churlishness or wanton disregard for doing what's right.

Choices Made

Adj. Intelligence	Consequences
+17	Possesses only one sage study, "Puissance," with no possibility of knowledge points in any other study or sage ability; supercedes results from progenitors and elsewhere.
+16	Possesses any two sage studies within the field of "Mastery of Arms," but no more than two, and no knowledge of any other study or any other field; singular sage abilities gain through progenitor are viable.
+15	Possesses two fields, "Animal Training" and Mastery of Arms, and may choose any study from those; has no knowledge of any other field, except those possibly gained through progenitor.
+14	Character must abandon one field permanently from their collection of sage studies; no other effects
+13 to +12	Character has spent time in prison: [roll d20] one year (1-8), two to four years (9-15), five to eight years (16-19), nine to sixteen years (20); add intervening time to character's age; see Crime subtable
+11	Character is a wanted criminal and is presently a fugitive from the law in another province, for actions taking place in the last [2-5] months; see Crime subtable
+10	Gambling, waste and foolishness has caused the character to lose all but 20% of their rolled starting capital upon entering the campaign
+9	Character's choice of associates was very poor; their betrayal has swindled the character out of his or her starting capital, leaving the character with nothing but a pair of breeches, shirt and a loin cloth.
+8	Although already invested in a religion, the character's choices have led him or her to be excommunicated; which can be reversed through an act of faith
+7	If the character is a male, he has fathered a child out of wedlock; if the character is female, then she is pregnant upon entering the campaign and due to give birth in [4-9] months.
+6	Trust and generosity to the character's family members has reduced the character's rolled starting capital by [20-80%]
+5 to +4	Character has acquired an addiction to a substance that requires a daily or weekly dose to maintain [see Addiction subtable]
+3 to +1	Character had a mis-spent youth, so that it's taken [2-5] more years than ordinary to complete his or her training; add intervening time to character's age
0	Through an act of foolishness, the character has suffered a permanent malady of some sort, from mild to egregious [see Reckless Malady subtable]
-1	A touch of luck has marginally increased the character's coin; add 10% to starting capital
-2	The character performed a small act of heroism some [2-12] years ago; this has won the character a gold medallion from a squire, noble or royalty, whichever is one rank above the character.
-3	Character has acquired the ability to play an instrument; player may choose any instrument light enough to be carried.
-4 to -5	Mindful of the character's progenitors, the character has diligently saved their money to day; add 20% to starting capital
-6	Fall in love; in the event of this roll, the feelings are returned and the would-be partner is merely waiting for the engagement to be declared
-7	Character helps to recover a buried treasure, receives a reward of [100-600] g.p.; add to starting capital
-8	Distinguished service on the character's part has secured him or her a writ of passage within the realm where entering the campaign
-9 to -10	Character possesses credit, having proved their reliability and worth
-11	Investments and support given to a venture has profoundly increased the character's wealth; double starting capital
-12 to -14	Character is a born scholar, easily mastering his or her studies; improve all class sage studies by 2 pts. and subtract one year from the character's age.
-15 to -16	Through favours, problem solving and cleverly manipulating the character's progenitor and instructive masters, the character begins the campaign with two potions; player's choice
-17	Due to the character's diligence in studies and extracurricular efforts, the character is given an honourary title, in accordance with his or her character class

We begin by creating an adjusted intelligence number, rolling a d20 and subtracting the character's intelligence. This produces a number between 17 and -17, determining the result on the Choices table. Further notes on the table are as follows:

• Depleted sage abilities (results +17 to +14): The player's decision to assign a 6 or less to a character's intelligence provokes a 20% chance that the character will lose most or some of his or her sage abilities. In most cases, the character's woeful intelligence with respect to education and knowledge can be overlooked, supposing the character is a natural savant of some kind that would enable a sufficient level of practical skill. But it must be acknowledged that there's a chance the character will be so dull-witted that only the bare minimum of special training will have taken hold.

Bear in mind that characters with an intelligence of 5 or less can only be fighters, which is why the sage studies and fields are described exactly for the first three results of this section. It isn't possible to get a +17 result unless the character's intelligence is 3; and none of these results can occur if the character has an intelligence greater than 6. It is therefore a rare non-fighter who would lose a sage study; and it is something that can never happen to assassins, bards, illusionists, mages, paladins, rangers or thieves, as all these classes require an intelligence higher than 6.

• Criminal activities (results +13 to +11): For whatever reason, the character tried to improve his or her situation through breaking the law, which has not turned out so well to date. If the character has already been to prison, then the location of that prison will be the nearest settlement of more than 2,000 persons from where the character entered the campaign. If the character is on the run, then a random adjacent province to that where the character enters the campaign needs to be rolled — that province is where the character committed his or her crimes and is the one seeking the criminal character's recovery. In all cases, the character was definitely guilty — though there's no requirement on the character's part to admit it to anyone.

Crime

Roll	Action
01-15	Murdered a peasant
16-20	Murdered a tradesperson
21-35	Committed assault against an official
36-70	Committed petty theft from a trading shop
71-80	Committed petty theft from a merchant's house
81-85	Expressed words of sedition against the monarchy
86-90	Expressed words of heresy against the religious establishment
91-00	Damaged and set fire to property

The chance of bounty hunters appearing to seize the character is a roll of 2 on 2d6; this roll should be made once per month. If the character moves one further province distant from the one where he or she pursued the crime, this chance drops to a 3 or 4 on 3d6. If the character moves further again, at least three provinces from the crime, this chance drops to effectively zero.

The Crime subtable gives a general description of the crime committed; sentences are utterly arbitrary, so the time spent in prison is irrelevant to the atrociousness of the crime. Thus the character may do 10 years or more for a relatively benign act, or receive only one year for murder. There is a small chance that the character may still possess the stolen goods, if he or she has the right progenitor. The actual words spoken against the monarchy or religious establishment are up to the player. The total property damage is limited to 500 g.p. The player may fill in further details as desired.

• Gambling, et al (result +10): this reflects a combination between pursuing vices of varying kinds, the choice being left to the player, causing the character to lose much of their starting capital. Anyone might go through a time like this; it's meant to be something in the character's past, that's been overcome as the character gains wisdom, and not as a prescription for what the character is like now.

• Choice of associates (result +9): like gambling above, the character has allowed his or her self to fall into a bad group of people, who succeeded in depleting nearly all of the character's resources. The character therefore begins the game in a position of want, being unable to buy so much as an apple to eat. Naturally, it's expected that the party should pity the character, giving over some starting capital and letting the players work out how the debt should be reasonable repaid.

• Excommunication (result +8): while the character was raised in the local religion of his or her birth country, actions taken and mistakes made have led the character to be denied the privilege of taking part in the organised rituals of that faith. A sigil has been placed on the character that makes it possible for any leader of that religion to recognise the excommunication. The character can, if wished, choose another religion; or he or she can restore their privileges by participating in an "act of faith," which requires a sacrifice of a quest — the exact nature of which is left up to the non-player priest whom the character must apply for restoration to the faith. Circumstances are dependent on which religion has excommunicated the character.

• Pregnancy (result +7): however unintentional, the character has been involved with creating a baby that's [4-9] months along at the time of the character's entry into the campaign. If the character is male, the mother is located in the nearest hamlet or village; the father knows the mother's name and knows of the pregnancy but has not made any declarations to marry. As such, he's not exactly welcome to those of the woman's family who may or may not know of the pregnancy. If the baby is more than 5 months along, then they certainly know; otherwise, there's a 70% chance they know if it's the pregnancy is in the 5th month and 25% if it's in the 4th. The choice of what the father is to do is left up to the player.

If the character is a woman, then it's she whose pregnant at the start of the campaign. She knows who the father is but has no expectations that there will be a declaration of marriage. It is up to the character to confront the father or decide to bear the child alone.

Unless the character is in the 9th month of pregnancy, nothing about the character's abilities is affected. In the last month, she suffers a -1 penalty to hit and -1 to all healing she receives. In the last two weeks, these adjustments are doubled to -2. If at any time the mother is wounded, then there is a 1 in 20 chance that she will miscarry. Upon giving birth, the mother must make a system shock survival roll according to her constitution, or die during the event. There is a 1 in 6 chance that the baby won't survive. There are means by which the character is able to abort the fetus, but the particulars are left up to the innovation of the character. Any attempt to abort will require a system shock roll with a -2 penalty to the character's constitution. Failure to succeed in this roll, just as in giving birth, will kill the character as well as the baby.

• Trust and generosity (result +6): while the character has diligently maintained his or her studies and duties, the character's family members have not; this has caused relatives, fellow mates and other acquaintances to winnow away the character's gold, a choice the character has allowed to continue until entering the campaign. As such, the character only has 2d4 x10% of their rolled starting capital when entering the campaign. As it stands, the character has been paying 3 g.p. per month to maintain his or her relations and associates; this can stop now that the character has joined the party, or it can continue as the character wishes.

Addiction

Roll	Addiction
01-71	[1-6] oz. tobacco daily
72-79	[1-4]+4 oz. hard liquor daily
80-96	[2-8]+4 oz. ale daily
97-00	1 oz. opium weekly

• Addiction (results +5 to +4): the character has allowed his or her self to become addicted to one of four substances, which the character must make use of on a regular basis or suffer a -10% penalty to all of his or her ability stats — with resultant fractions being discarded. Thus, a character with a 9 intelligence would count as an 8, the 0.1 being dropped. However, so long as the character obtains their addiction, their abilities are unaffected.

The character has no special protection against intoxication or physical deterioration; failure to cease the addiction will double aging penalties to the character upon reaching middle-age and beyond. Nor can the character simply refuse the addition; detoxification is a difficult and lengthy process. The Addiction subtable indicates how much substance must be taken; the form that it's taken is left to the player. The character can smoke or use snuff. Hard liquors must be at least 6% alcohol; ales must be at least 2%. Each of these can be consumed while the player is active. Opium requires a 12-18 hour period to smoke and recover from, during which time the character lacks all function or lucidity.

• Mis-spent youth (results +3 to +1): reflects a common attitude in which the character failed to take his or her studies seriously, or showed any concern for the future. The time wasted may or may not be looked upon fondly; in any case, the only effect is that it's made the character older by [2-5] years when beginning the campaign than might have been if the character were more diligent as a youth.

Reckless Malady

Roll	Damage or Disability	Roll	Damage or Disability
01-45	Fierce scar upon the face or neck; -1 to charisma checks	88-90	Blinded in one eye; affects ranged weapons, surprised 4 in 6 from bad side
46-58	Accident has left the character with a permanent limp; -1 stride	91-96	Severe burn on one side of body; -2 to charisma checks
59-72	Loss of [1-3] toes; -1 to dexterity checks related to balance	97	Missing right or left hand; cannot use two-handed weapon; can opt for hook-hand as a proficiency
73-79	Loss of one finger; -1 to weapons used with that hand	98	Full loss of right or left arm; cannot use two-handed weapon or weapon & shield
80-82	Loss of two fingers; -2 to weapons used with that hand	99	Partial loss of right or left leg; character possesses peg leg; -2 stride
83	Loss of 3 fingers; -4 to weapons used with that hand	00	Loss of both eyes; character is blind; there's been time for the character to adapt to this malady.
84-87	Rendered deaf in one ear; surprised 3 in 6

• Reckless malady (result 0): in a moment of folly and recklessness during the character's path, coupled with great misfortune, the character has suffered a lasting consequence as a result. The Reckless Malady subtable indicates the damage that's been done and its consequences. Some possibilities offer a grave concern for the character's wellbeing and comfort.

Which leg, arm, hand, foot, eye, ear, toe or finger is affected should be rolled randomly. Balance checks are those relating to the character falling or tumbling. Effects to stride are penalties against action points only when the character is walking, running or sprinting. A specially made shield can be used by a character with two arms but lacking a hand; but suiting into the shield and removing it requires twice as many action points than usual. One eye affects depth-perception; so missile ranges are normal at close range, but penalties are doubled at medium and long ranges. Extensive burns will reach from fingertip to [5-40]% of the character's face; these are healed and offer no special discomfort. The hook-hand causes 1-4 damage as a weapon. See blindness rules for special considerations. All lost body parts can be restored with regeneration if the character wishes. Scars, burns and a limp can be healed with the clerical 6th level heal spell. These may not be easily available when the character enters the campaign.

It's appreciated that many campaigns will resist the possibility of saddling a character with the loss of an arm, leg or their eyesight upon entering the game, especially if that character must start at 1st level. DMs anxious to mitigate this result may state that the malady happened in the past, with the character having been healed prior to their campaign entrance.

• Touch of luck (result -1): this may be explained by the death of a relative, found money, an unexpected gift from a stranger or similar event.

• Heroism (result -2): the heroic act can be invented by the player. Examples would include saving a child from drowning (if the character is able to swim), carrying an important message, putting out a fire in time, tackling a thief, giving warning of a disaster, etcetera. The medallion wouldn't be solid gold, but would be worth at least 100 g.p., and would have some role-playing value when establishing the character within the realm where the medal was awarded. Fame is fleeting, however, and NPCs in authority may not care much about a noble, village or child that was saved or given aid ten years ago.

• Play an instrument (result -3): the character has in his or her spare time learned to play a musical instrument reasonably well, as an amateur with 10 knowledge points. This ability increases at d4-1 [0-3] per level. If the character already possesses this ability either due to being a Bard or through their progenitor, then the specific increase indicated here is added to that gained elsewhere. This bonus is only granted through this adjusted intelligence number.

• Saved money (results -4 to -5): by dutifully following the advice of the character's elders or mentor, the character has laboured, practiced a life of moderation, resisted temptation and has wisely never borrowed or lent money to others. It can be surmised that this has made the character something of a serious-minded, unadventurous stick-in-the-mud, but once joining the campaign the character is under no obligation to keep from being a spendthrift.

• Fall in love (result -6): this occurs with the appreciation that "love" is not a choice, and that every character has undoubtedly fallen in love prior to joining the campaign whether or not they've received this result. However, in this case the character has intelligently pursued the matter so that the perspective "amour" is waiting for "the day." The character may, therefore, propose, set an engagement or get married, as he or she will; or put off the engagement until having made his or her "fortune;" or decide they're not really ready for the commitment, as wished. The result merely states that the partner is definitely willing — and it may be assumed that whatever the player wishes the character to do, his or her NPC love will understand, as he or she is IN LOVE with the character, and will understand the character's motivations, whatever they are. It's possible, then, that the amour would come along adventuring, if asked; or help protect a home where equipment or treasure can be stored. This depends on the character's abilities and background.

For game purposes, roll a d20: commoner and untested (1-3), comrade (4-13), 1st level, of the character's own class (14-17), 1st level, random class (18-19), 2nd or 3rd level, random class (20). The amour's progenitor should be rolled, granting abilities of some kind. A "commoner" has no experience level. "Hardened" indicates they've been trained somewhat to fight. Amours of a "random class" are of some other class than the character.

• Buried treasure (result -7): the character has taken part in a small expedition to a place within 100 to 600 miles from the place where the character enters the campaign, in order to recover a hidden treasure horde, a sunken ship or to secure a legacy on behalf of the expedition's leader. This experience gives the character some knowledge of that small part of the world along with the amount of gold pieces secured as a reward.

• Distinguished service (result -8): the "service" performed will have much to do with the character's secondary profession gained from his or her progenitor. A farmer might be granted the benefit for helping quell a rebellion, while a guard might recieve it for capturing a dangerous criminal. The player is encouraged to use his or her imagination. The "writ of passage" exempts the character from paying road and bridge tolls, or fees to enter a walled town or city, within the realm where the character enters the campaign. If the character already possesses this through another source, the character will instead receive a "merchant's charter," permitting the character to sell goods directly in the market place, having paid a nominal fee of 5 g.p.

• Possess credit (results -9 to -10): the character has proven to be dependable and respectable, and is therefore permitted to obtain a loan up to 10 times his or her starting capital. Thus, if the character began the game with 100 g.p., he or she could take out a loan up to 1,000 g.p. This loan must be paid back within a year at 6% interest; making good on the loan increases the character's credit in the future. If the character has already received this benefit from some other source, then the interest charged is lowered to 5%.

• Investments (result -11): presumes the character has sold off his or her investments prior to entering the campaign. The character retains contacts with prospective developers, however, and may, if wished, choose to invest up to five times his or her starting capital in another venture. This opportunity exists for a year from the time when the character starts in the campaign, and must be undertaken in the province where the character's entry in the campaign occurred. The success of this investment is by no means guaranteed.

• Born scholar (results -12 to -14): the character was a prodigy, enabling the completion of all studies in a shorter time — thus the character's age is reduced by one year when entering the campaign. The knowledge to sage studies and abilities is a one-time improvement.

• Favours & problem solving (results -15 to -16): as implied, the character has cleverly manipulated the generosity of people within his or her orbit to grant the boon of two potions. As the character has the choice of which potions are gotten, since those were the ones the character vied for, these may be two uses of the same potion, or different ones, as wished. Only two uses of potion are gained.

• Diligence in study (result -17): the title granted is of the professional sort, so this varies considerably with regards to the character's class. Assassins and thieves are "guildsmen" and "guildswomen." Bards are "collegiates." Clerics are "deacon," "father" or "mother," or possibly "master" in some religions. Druids are made a "member of the order," usually related to a tribe, plant or animal. Fighters are a "master-at-arms," even if they have no special fighting skills. Illusionists become a "professor," either of science or art, as the character wishes. Mages adopt the distinction of a "doctor of magic." A monk is a "master" or "guru," depending on the culture. Paladins become a "knight errant," which distinguishes him or her from those having a noble title; "errant" presumes the character is searching for this. Rangers receive the title of "curator," as an overseer or guardian of the natural environment.

Each title carries weight among members of the character's class and as a form of introduction to notable strangers, who are more apt to trust a character with such a title. In circumstances where trusting in the character's word prior to an adventure matters, the character receives a +2 bonus to charisma checks, supported by the character's 18 intelligence. This result cannot be achieved otherwise.

Talents

Adj. Intelligence	Aversion or Aptitude
+17	Character is an "idiot" and needs supervision to care for his or her self, fight or take other actions; lacks social comprehension and is unable to form relationships; other limitations
+16	Character is an "imbecile," and while able to care for self and fight without supervision, needs some care from others; lacks social comprehension and is unable to form relationships; other limitations
+15	Character is a "moron," and while able to grasp most simple concepts, lacks understanding of complex relationships or many social concepts; begins game with two less weapon proficiencies than normal; other limitations
+14	Dense: begins game with one less weapon proficiency than normal; can be instructed in any ability up to authority status; limited to two henchfolk
+13 to +12	Reckless: character's display poor judgment regularly, so that hirelings and followers begin with a morale of 11
+11	Easily duped: character recieves a -4 penalty against charm effects
+10	Slow learner: the character's inability to learn has added 2-8 years to the character's starting age
+9	Incapable: character is all thumbs where it comes to objects with moving parts, denying the use of such items; worse, the character is also denies use of magical wands, rods or staves
+8	Negligent: character's inattention to details frustrates others, so that hirelings and followers begin with a morale of 10
+7 to +6	Illiterate: the character cannot read or write common language; spellcaster are still able to interpret magical writing.
+5	Bad memory: the character has a tendency to forget important details about their abilities or possessions in times of stress; this is managed by restricting the player's access to information.
+4	Moody: the character is a very impatient student and is subject to outbursts of temper that makes instruction difficult.
+3	Speech impaired: character suffers from a random moderately debilitating speech characteristic
+2 to +1	Forgetful: whenever travelling, the character makes a check if something has been forgotten and left behind
0 to -2	Literate: character is able to read & write; those formerly able to do so gain knowledge
-3 to -4	Weaponmaster: character gains one additional weapon proficiency
-5	Cook: character possesses the cooking sage ability
-6	Bargainer: character possesses the bargaining sage ability
-7	Natural combatant: character may choose two amateur sage abilities from the puissance sage study
-8 to -9	Second progenitor: the character possesses a second influencing parent or mentor who also provided skills during the character's childhood; roll again on the progenitor determination tables
-10 to -12	Gifted: the character may add a general field of study from any class and add it to their list of other sage studies
-13	Hypersensitive: acute sensitivity to touch; causes an inability to take action in high stress situations
-14	Photographic memory: the character is possessed with the ability to instantly memorise any image they see once, including text and images
-15	Clairaudient: natural gift allows the character grasp hints of sound too far away to be ordinarily heard, so long as the character is within line-of-sight, once per day
-16	Clairvoyant: natural gift allows the grasping of visions for brief flashes, once per day
-17	Telepathic: natural gift allows the reading of thoughts for brief moments, once per day

As with Choices, above, a new adjusted intelligence number is created by rolling a d20 and subtracting the character's intelligence. All characters with an intelligence less than 6, whose adjusted number is lower than +14, are assigned to +14.

Otherwise, the adjusted intelligence number is applied to the Talents table. Further notes on the table are as follows:

• Idiot (result +17): a character can only achieve this result if he or she possesses a 3 intelligence, which only fighters can have. Most of the time, a "3" can be treated as merely indicative of the character being dense, but with this result the character has a mental age of 2-4 years. This translates as a minimum of speech, a dependency on others to secure food and encourage the character to eat, lead the character around, occasionally calm the character down and so on. The character cannot make plans, solve puzzles or interact meaningfully with others; cannot use or understand money; and he or she cannot have followers. He or she may possess one henchfolk upon reaching 5th level. The character is assumed to have only one weapon proficiency and can never have another. Any non-physical skills gained through the progenitor are discarded. Sage abilities are also limited to physical skills only. The character cannot be instructed. The character can fight, gain levels and improve as a combatant, but must be told when to fight and when to stop fighting. Considerable latitude must be given to allow playability, but the above limitations should be observed generally.

Note: it's acknowledged that the obsolescent psychological definition used here would be offensive to some persons; however, an unenlightened Medieval/Renaissance world was extremely cruel to such members of society, much, much more so than the ill-use of a poorly chosen word; if the word captures by 1% of what it was like to be a "moron" in the 17th century and earlier, then it gives aid to understanding what the life of such disabled persons must have been like. DMs are free not to use the term, but should acknowledge that the condition is REAL, regardless of what it's called.

• Imbecile (result +16): a character can only achieve this result if he or she possesses a 3 or 4 intelligence, which only fighters can have. Under other circumstances, these numbers can be treated as the character being dense, but with this result the character has a mental age of 6-7 years. This translates as remembering to eat, some resistance against sleep when it's needed, an ability to fight without supervision ... but much more requires the help of other persons. The character cannot make plans, solve puzzles or hold an adult conversation; he or she understands how to spend money, but doesn't know the value of money; and he or she cannot have followers. One henchfolk can be gotten upon reaching 5th level, but no more. The character is assumed to have up to two weapon proficiencies and can never have more. Any non-physical skills gained through the progenitor are discarded. Sage abilities are also limited to physical skills only. The character can be instructed in physical skills up to amateur-status. See note under "idiot," above.

• Moron (result +15): a character can only achieve this result if he or she possesses a 3 to 5 intelligence, which only fighters can have. Under other circumstances, these numbers can be treated as the character being dense, , but with this result the character has a mental age of 11 to 12 years. The character can understand most matters, including the value of money, the necessity to eat and sleep, short-term planning and problem solving and the ability to act and fight without need of supervision. However, sophisticated matters and subjects are beyond the character's ability, such as a sexual relationship, position of responsibility or the nuances of long-term planning. The character can have non-levelled followers and up to two henchfolk, but no more. Character begins game with two less weapon proficiencies than normally indicated, even if this leaves them with none. The character can possess both physical and non-physical sage abilities, but with the latter is limited to amateur-status abilities only. Can be instructed in any ability up to amateur-status. See note under "idiot," above.

• Dense (result +14): may include any character class; characters with an intelligence of less than 6 are assigned this result if their adjusted intelligence number is not between +15 and +17. Character begins game with one less weapon proficiency, even if this leaves them with none. The character can be instructed in sage abilities up to authority status and no better; the character is also limited so that non-physical skills cannot be gained at authority-status in the character's sage fields or studies. The character can have only non-levelled followers and up to two henchfolk, but no more.

• Reckless (results +13 to +12): however careful the player may be with the character, the effect the character's nature has on others is that he or she appears to rush ahead without thinking, making rash judgments and often backbiting others for what seems like good reason to the character, but not to others. As a result, hirelings and followers may grudgingly perform duties or maintain the relationship, but they are mostly unwilling to risk themselves — which is reflected in their starting morale equalling 11 instead of the standard of 9.

• Easily duped (result +11): however wise the character may be, this result indicates that intelligence regularly lets the character down when resisting the power of charm. This is simply a case that the character's scattered thoughts are easily mastered by a stronger mind or a dweomer that takes advantage of a weak mind.

• Slow learner (result +10): training and school were very hard for the character, although he or she finally acquired their class and abilities with resolve or possibly great need. In either case, it took the character much longer than most to reach this goal, so the character's starting age is increased 2-8 years on account of this.

• Incapable (result +9): when faced with objects that have moving parts, such as pieces of artillery, bows, crossbows and various magical items, the character is simply "all thumbs." However he or she tries, the actions needed to reproduce the dexterous movements necessary are outside the character's ken. Therefore, using these objects is prohibited, regardless of the character's supposed understanding of the device. Likewise, the character is also unable to create the movement that makes it possible to use wands, rods or staves.

• Negligent (result +8): the character's inner frustrations, doubts and slow thinking causes him or her to fail in taking proper care of doing things, especially for other persons — such as forgetting to care for their things, pay them on time or otherwise take proper responsibility for his or her role. This results in hirelings and followers having a starting morale of 10 instead of the standard of 9.

• Illiterate (results +7 to +6): this result supercedes the character's ability to read & write according to the progenitor's result or the character's class. For the most part, this can only marginally affect the character's sage abilities, but those which require writing must be discounted from the character's skills. If the character is a spellcaster, he or she can read the necessary symbols needed to memorise and cast those spells, but this is done despite the inability to read or write common. The character can be taught to read and write in the usual way, by finding an instructor and through practice.

• Bad memory (result +5): in order to convey the character's difficulty in this regard, while the player is permitted to make notes regarding details about the game world, as well as his or her spells, these notes must be kept separate during ANY event in which the character is under pressure. Once a combat begins, or like situation, the player cannot review this material. He or she therefore must try to remember the character's spell list, available weapons, equipment list and so on. The player can ask another player for this information, and that player may provide one piece of information per action point — but doing so causes BOTH players to lose that action point as a part of that deliberation.

• Moody (result +4): whenever the character is placed in a situation where he or she wishes to learn something from an instructor, all success rolls are performed with a penalty of -2. This reflects the tendency of the character to become infuriated at things that are difficult to learn, or which fail to make the right impression due to idiosyncracies within the instructor. This slows the learning process but doesn't deny the character the eventual ability to learn.

• Speech impaired (result +3): the character has a biological disconnect in his or her thought process that makes it difficult to speak properly. To determine the nature of the impediment, the player rolls a d20 with the following results:

1-3: "cluttering," in which the character speaks too quickly and must be told to slow down; there is a 60% chance that anything said by the character must be repeated to be understood.

4: larynx impediment, which has no effect on the character's ability to speak clearly, but produces an unnatural sounding tone that cannot be corrected.

5: paralysis of speech, in which the character cannot speak at all for 1-4 action points, which must be spent attempting to enunciate words. If the character is a spellcaster, this disability has been overcome specifically due to casting times, but applies to all other speech.

6-20: stuttering, which extends the length of time to speak any specific sentence by 1 action point. Can be generally disregarded.

For game purposes, each of these impediments have no effect on the character's charisma. It's assumed that in the game world, such habits are much more common than might be imagined, in fact occurring in about 1 in 20 persons — and are therefore not less compromising than the presence would be to a present-day observer.

• Forgetful (results +2 to +1): whenever the character heads out from a location, he or she must make an intelligence check 1-8 hours after leaving. If the check fails, it'll be discovered that the character has left 1 random item behind, having failed to pack them — even though at the time they'd intended to do so. These items cannot be the character's main clothing, nor body armour, nor items that would normally not be unpacked when camping for the night or resting at an inn. It would include the character's carried weapons, helmet, cap, gloves, belt pouch, a full sack, items of jewelry, magic items that might have been handled during the last stay (such as wands, rods or staves), a quiver, book, pole, cup, plate, cutlery, drinking flask, musical instrument and other items of this nature. Most often it should be something incidental and easily replaceable, but it's conceivable the character could have left their magic sword on the bed, or might even have left their dog chained to a stile somewhere.

Other characters in the party may take it upon themselves to help keep track of such items, although this must be limited to one designated person in the party that attends to this responsibility. He or she then rolls a wisdom check if an item is forgotten, effectively retconning the incident with the protecting character saying, "Oh, you forgot this." If both checks fail, the item is truly left behind. Obviously, the wisest person in the party should be the designated attendant. If the item is forgotten and the character goes back, there is an 80% chance that the item can be easily recovered, even if it's magical. Otherwise, it's disappearance may be overlooked or it may begin a minor quest to restore its possession to the character.

Because of the character's nature, forgetting something and recovering it has no effect on the character's resolve not to forget it in the future.

• Literate (results 0 to -2): character is able to read & write, and make use of practical books, if he or she was unable to do so before. If the character already has this ability, then the character should add +2 knowledge points to each study in the character's chosen field at the start of the game.

• Weaponmaster (results -3 to -4): character possesses a natural talent for one more weapon proficiency, which may be chosen from the weapons list as a whole, regardless of the character's class. The exception results because the character's ken is such that the weapon didn't need to be taught; the character simply had a natural gift for it's use.

• Cook (result -5): character has a natural talent for the making of food, enabling them to prepare meals as a person with the amateur-status cooking sage ability. As this skill wasn't learned through practical training, the character's knowledge of cooking doesn't increase as he or she gains levels. Further knowledge of cooking can be obtained through instruction, however. If the character is already a cook through a progenitor or as a character class, add 2 pts. of knowledge to their total.

• Bargainer (result -6): character has a natural talent for haggling when buying items, enabling them to buy items at a cheaper cost through negotiation. As this skill wasn't learned through practical training, the character's bargaining ability doesn't increase as he or she gains levels. Other ability related to business and merchant practices can be obtained through instruction. If the character already has the sage ability through a progenitor or as a character class, add 2 pts. of knowledge to their total.

• Natural combatant (result -7): character has a natural talent and skill at combat, so that they possess two amateur sage abilities from the study of puissance, even if they are not a fighter. The abilities to choose from include close drop, gain proficiency, hereditary weapon I, shield as a weapon and strengthened arm. Any proficiency gained from this bonus must be one that the character's class permits. As this skill wasn't learned through practical training, further knowledge in fighting doesn't increase as he or she gains levels — unless the character's class indicates otherwise.

If the character is an assassin, fighter, ranger or paladin, and hasn't taken puissance as their chosen study upon entering the game, the two bonus abilities are given with the expectation that eventually the character will accumulate knowledge in puissance until such time as the other three unchosen abilities are also gained. If, however, the character HAS chosen puissance as their beginning study, then he or she may choose one authority-status sage ability in that study, to be had until such time as the character eventually becomes an authority in puissance.

• Second progenitor (results -8 to -9): When raised as a child, the character had not only one, but two progenitors, perhaps a father and a mother, mother and a grandmother, father and a mentor, or whatever combination of aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents and mentors seems best. The character therefore goes back to the beginning of the progenitor table and rolls again, potentially gaining additional knowledge and ability. The starting capital from this and the character's original progenitor are ADDED together. It is conceivably possible the character could have what seems like conflicting results; it's up to the DM to make sense of this, ensuring the character gets all that he or she is owed from having this result.

• Gifted (results -10 to -12): the extra field of study that's added cannot be chosen by the character at first level and is considered "out of fields" until the character is free to choose another field, usually at 7th level. Until it is chosen, studies in that field increase at d4-1 (0-3), even if the field is druidic (only druids gain a d6-1 out-of-fields increase, and only in their own fields). As stated, the field can be one from any class — it would not be from the character's own class, because the fields from that class are already in the character's possession.

• Hypersensitive (result -13): it seems anathema that a negative result should arise for what should be a benefit, but this is a malady that affects those with pronounced intelligence. The character is unable to wear rough-hewn fibres or leathers for clothing; doing so reduces all ability stats by 2 pts. Stress should not be on expensive fabrics, but upon those that are soft: flannel, muslin, velvet or velour, and kidskin or sealskin leather.

If the character should fail a saving throw, cause friendly fire or break a weapon, the character suffers an intense moment of angst due to the perception of having "failed" something critical. The reaction is similar to being stunned, lasting one round. The character's inherent nature cannot abide failure, especially with small shortcomings that anyone might perform.

• Photographic memory (result -14): although the use of "photograph" is an anachronism, the ability describes the character's ability to look at a scene or an image and retain a perfect memory of it, even years later. If the character is a spellcaster that would normally be dependent upon the images in a spellbook, the character does experience a period of discontinuity following a spell's casting — and therefore cannot cast spells more often than other characters. However, the character does not need a spellbook to memorise a spell; once the discontinuity passes, after a sufficient period of sleep, the character can merely close his or her eyes and visualise the original writing as if it being read in the present. This halves the amount of time it takes for the character to order his or her mind, so as to be ready to cast the spell again — that is, rather than needing 15 minutes per level of spell to memorise the text, they need only 7½. Other benefits of photographic memory can be surmised in the remembering of people and written materials. The memory does not extend to things that are heard, only that which is seen.

• Clairaudient (result -15): this natural gift is very fleeting, lasting no more than three rounds — but so long as the character is within line-of-sight, they're able to hear the barest whisper upon concentrating, even if the whisper is spoken half a mile away. Furthermore, the character possesses an intuition that makes it possible to know exactly when they should concentrate in order to make the best of the moments they have, to learn something that's being said. Of course, if nothing is being said that might affect the character, the clairaudient can identify that by concentrating also. This ability can be employed but one time per day, as the end result is that it muddles the mind until the character can have a proper sleep of at least six hours.

• Clairvoyant (result -16): as with the clairaudient above, this natural gift is also very fleeting, lasting no more than three rounds. However, it enables the character to "see" things that are wholly unseeable; the scene behind a door, the contents of a closed box, what's immediately around the corner and so on. The range of this ability is a mere 100 ft., only 20 combat hexes, but it can nevertheless be employed to great effect once per day. The ability can be used again when the character has had a proper sleep of at least six hours.

• Telepathic (result -17): as with clairaudient and clairvoyant above, this natural gift is also very fleeting, lasting no more than three rounds. However, during that time, the character can read the thoughts of another individual within a range of 60 ft., or 12 combat hexes. This can be any creature with an intelligence of 5 or more, whether or not they are a humanoid. The only exception are creatures that have the power to influence the minds of others through ESP and mind control. The telepath cannot read the thoughts of these creatures, and attempting to use the ability will make the esper aware of the character's ability. This reading of thoughts permits obtaining knowledge that directly affects the character, as these thoughts will make themselves foremost in the target's mind, when the character attempts to read it. The ability can be employed one time a day, and requires two full rounds of rest to recover from its use; it will become available again when the character has had a proper sleep of at least six hours.

Interpersonal Relationships

Adj. Wisdom	Relationship
+17 to +15	Character is actively hated and despised by all the character has known, including family, former friends and mentors
+14 to +13	Relations with family and friends are strained at best; for a long time the character has been selfish about his or her need to train as a character class
+12	Powerful enemies among the local elite have taken a dislike to the character, including squires and guild leaders; even persons of great importance are aware of the character's despised reputation
+11	Character has been banned from acting in business within 60 miles from where he or she enters the campaign, due to the character's former bad behaviour
+10	A sworn enemy has promised to kill the character over a dispute that has never been settled
+9	Animals distrust the character, perhaps because they sniff something wrong or the character lacks the necessary empathy; all relations with creatures of less than 5 intelligence therefore arduous
+8 to +7	Family treats the character with general contempt, taking every oppotunity to mock or deride the character, or otherwise to discourage the character from feeling supported
+6	Persecuted by a local gang of toughs, numbering between 3 and 8. These openly taunt the character cruelly whenever he or she is present, with no one having any trouble with this
+5 to +4	Character is heartily disliked by many people, so that whenever moving about, the character is subject to nasty looks, gossip and a strong desire to have him or her go away
+3	Character has been shunned by a love interest that he or she yearned to engage
+2 to +1	Family treats the character with indifference, barely acknowledging the character at all when he or she is around, asking if the character plans to move on in life
0	Ordinary upbringing; the character has had a "normal" life to date
-1 to -2	Character is close with his or her family, who are friendly and supportive, willing to provide hospitality, make small loans and willing to do safe work
-3	Character has a friendly, potentially serious relationship with a love interest
-4	Character is well-liked in his or her place of origin, hailed as a good person and treated as a friend; news of the character is sincerely desired
-5	Character's friends include two soldiers-at-arms who are ready to adventure with the character; see the Soldier-at-arms subtable
-6	Character is treated as the family favorite, regularly receiving gifts from home; his or her family will look forward to visits and news. Friends of the character will be treated well
-7	Character has popularity around the local town or village, getting a free drink once per day from the tavern, enjoying a 10% reduction in the cost of local goods and services
-8	Character is friends with the local constabulary or military, such that he or she can obtain weapons up to 20 g.p. for free, once every six months; military hirelings start with an 8 morale
-9	Character is well-liked with the local taverners and innkeepers that he or she lodges drinks for free every night, anywhere in the area
-10 to -11	Character has contacts with a local guild; see the Local Guild subtable
-12	An opportunity exists to ask a favour of a local noble, which the character has earned through acquaintance with the noble or with a member of the noble's kin
-13 to -14	Character has gained the retinue of 3-6 soldiers with a morale of 8 each; they will cost the character 6 g.p. per month if he or she wishes to retain them
-15 to -16	Character has an association with the Illuminati
-17	An opportunity exists to ask a favour of the realm's monarch, which the character has earned through acquaintance with the monarch's family

Whatever the character may wish to do with his or her life, time has passed and the character has either made the most of their interpersonal relationships. This table exists to show whether the character has been despised or well-liked, has made friends and if those and the character's family can be relied upon. It's possible the character has good reason to turn his or her back on home, and perhaps never go there again, given that those people were never really understanding of the character's nature and ambitions. When interpreting this table, it's important to understand that this is how the character has BEEN, and should have no direct influence on what the character wishes to become, or upon things the character wishes to do, now that he or she has entered the campaign.

Here, the player creates an adjusted wisdom number, by rolling a d20 and subtracting the character's wisdom. This adjusted number is then applied to the Relationship table. Further notes on the table are as follows:

• Hatred (results +17 to +15): to obtain this result, the character must have a wisdom of 3 to 5 points, which means the character must be a thief, since only that class allows a wisdom less than 6. We may therefore assume the attitude towards the character is due to excessive thieving and other possible cruelties that have gone on for years. Importantly, the character has been dispossesed from his or her progenitor, who despite have taught the character how to be a thief, is displeased at the sort of thief the character has been. It must be understood that the bridge has been burned; these people who have known the character will never, ever find it in their hearts to forgive. That is how things are.

• Strained relations (results +14 to +13): while the character still has "friends," and family too if the character's other background generator supports that, there has been a long period of dissatifaction on both parts. Much of this has been due to the character's focus on completing his or her training, but likely it's also that the character has simply taken most everyone he or she knows for granted. It would be possible to mend these bridges, but it would take much work. The character's family, such as they are, would accept support; and over time would recognise a change in the character. But for the present, it's best that the character first demonstrate that he or she is capable of improving their reputation through deeds, generosity and the assumption of responsibility.

The benefits of having a family in D&D may be overlooked; but a supportive family offers a place to rest and re-evaluate; they offer reliable knowledge and information. The progenitor in a family, along with the character's siblings, have the same skills the character does. Respected, they are reliable hirelings who work for free. And in their own actions, they will have the character's needs in mind, so that an unexpected boon may arrive at any time, as a result of the family working on the player's behalf. It's not something to be wholly disregarded.

• Powerful enemies (result +12): one way or another, the character has earned the enmity of several powerful persons in the district where the character enters the campaign. This may be deserved or not; it could be the result of things the character has done unwise, or a case of mistaken identity based upon the character's relatively low wisdom (which cannot be higher than "8" for this result) and generally bad reputation. However it's happened, the guard has been warned to keep an eye out for the character, and to gaol him or her on any pretense that presents itself. It would be best if the character got out of the province, and probably the whole kingdom, as the character's name has also come to the attention of a lord whose standing is equal to that of a count or countess. Therefore, should the character fall into serious trouble anywhere within the kingdom — or perhaps within adjoined kingdoms, depending on the size of each — it's very possible the character could be executed or gaoled for life.

• Banned (result +11): due to moments of bad behaviour and a growing distrust, the character is disallowed within 60 miles of the place where he or she has entered the campaign to invest in monetary ventures or sell goods of any kind, or hire persons for any purpose, on pain of being forced to spend 10 days in the stocks, and most likely a severe whipping besides. Perhaps the character has sold one too many lame mules, or passed around fool's gold a time too often, but in any event the character is not trusted in the neighbourhood. Even if the character convinces someone to do business, if this is discovered, pursuit and punishment is sure to follow. The character must, if he or she wishest to partake in business, seek another part of the world. In any case, the character is permitted to purchase goods at the market, but he or she must suffer to have a reliable local inspect the character's money, to see if it's fit to use.

• Sworn enemy (result +10): the character knows the name and person of the enemy, and is well aware of the threat to kill and the reasons why. Possibilities might be that the character has slept with the enemy's daughter or sister, than he or she is accused of destroying something of value, or ruining a reputation, or is blamed for spoiling the enemy's chances for advancement. In any event, the enemy is beyond deliberance and is intractable on the matter. How the supposed murder will happen, if it will be a personal meeting or involve the hiring of an assassin, or even that it might come to nothing in the long run, is something the character cannot know.

• Animal distrust (result +9): while the character retains his or her ability to make use of domesticated animals, riding animals cannot be mounted in a rushed manner, while directed animals have an effective "morale" of 9. This means the character must spend one full round plus the normal number of action points in order to mount an animal, so as not to appear threatening. Animals ordered across dangerous passages or directed to fight must make a morale check before obeying; and must again make a morale check if they are stunned in combat, just as any other combatant. A successful roll for a stunned animal lowers its morale by 1 pt., to a minimum of 3. Riding animals that have known the character every day for a year finally behave normally when mounted.

• Family abuse (results +8 to +7): essentially, the character's family supposes that he or she will amount to very little or nothing, and as such they do not miss an opportunity to say so, or remark upon the character's ill luck. However, this is still the character's family, and are willing to provide lodging if the character needs it (though not for friends and others), provide a meal or lend up to 3-12 s.p. once per month. Despite this, however, there is very sign that these people like the character.

If the character has no family, as determined by the Family Table, then this behaviour applies to the character's mentor — who feels that although the character has completed his or her studies, the feeling remains that the character has done the bare minimum to succeed and therefore not deserving of the mentor's praise.

• Persecution (result +6): The gang's actions are relatively benign, in that they may harass or bully the character, but never stoop to out-and-out fighting. The group is definitely stronger than the character at 1st level, being made up of more persons and having experience levels between 1 and 3. The overall party might be a match, or more than a match for them; but the gang isn't looking for a fight to the death and will give way if seriously confronted by a stronger party. They might even mend their ways. But so long as they can, the gang will enjoy being able to taunt the weaker character — a situation made somewhat worse by the locals not especially liking the character either.

The situation persists only as long as the character remains in the place, or nearest village, where the character enters the campaign. There's no need to resolve it; the character can just go elsewhere. But it can be stressed that the situation remains in the memory of the character, no matter where he or she goes, nor what's someday accomplished.

• Hearty dislike (results +5 to +4): As with persecution, immediately above, the result displays a general sentiment towards the character and not the motivation to actively hurt or even drive out the character from wherever he or she has entered the campaign. Again, the problem can be resolved easily by the character leaving that village, town, or even part of the city, if the place is big enough. But so long as the character stays, the quiet resentment of others will be evident. What the character has done to possibly deserve this dislike is possibly a misunderstanding or possibly deserved; it's left up to the player to decide.

• Shunned (result +3): the unrequited feelings of the character remain, as he or she still loves the individual who's refused the character's advances. This love interest, he or she, is nearby when the character enters the campaign; alive and active, and the character knows where to go if he or she wishes to see this person. But the love affair is definitely beyond reconciling; the character must live with the fact that he or she's been rejected. Reasonably, we may guess the status of the character's love is equal or one step above that of the character, as determined by the character's background so far.

• Indifference (results +2 to +1): the character's progenitor and family are expressly self-involved, to the point where the character's importance is next to nothing; perhaps at some point, when the character proves his or her self, they might come around, but for the present they approach the character with the attitude of, "You've grown up now, we've done our jobs, it's time for you to move on." Importantly, there's no animosity present in this; only the feeling that the character is old enough to get on with his or her life, while the character's family or mentor gets on with theirs.

• Ordinary upbringing (result 0): the situation at home is what might be called, "normal," with a family — or a mentor — that exhibit a modicrum of affection and love, with a somewhat reliable amount of support. The character may visit, but should not feel free to bring over friends for dinner or to stay the night. The character's family, and wider group of associates and acquaintances, have a general sense of the character being a worthy person who is owed a good life. Where other results fail to mention the character's family, this result is the default.

• Close family (results -1 to -2): the character's progenitor and family are always happy to see the character, readily offering a meal to the character and up to five other player characters ... even offering places to sleep for the night for up to six people, provided they stay no more than three days. If requested, the family can make a loan up to one twentieth the character's starting capital, as often as once a year, with only nominal expectation that the loan will be paid back. Members of the family will work for the character for periods up to thirty days in their own home, or three days "on the road," so long as what's being asked is completely safe. Asking too much, too often could hurt the character's relationship with his or her family.

• Friendly relationship (result -3): describes an ongoing amorous relationship with a potential partner that's been going on from 2-5 years. The co-partner is understanding of the character's adventuring interests and has agreed to wait for the day when the character may be ready to return and pledge to marry. Otherwise, the love interest is ready to part as friends with the character, if that's what's wanted.

• Well-liked (result -4): not only the character's family, but persons from the character's village or town/city quarter view the character as an important member of their community. As a result, the character will be met with friendliness and varying kinds of support upon returning home, including free drinks, food and lodging, with a cheerful willingness to help the character establish a permanent residence. Should the character be mentioned, the community members will be eager to hear any news about the character, and will graciously agree to provide a fine place for the character to be buried within, when the character's day of death arrives.

Soldier-at-Arms

Roll (d100)	Training	Primary weapon	Secondary weapon (d10)	Armour (d10)
01-14	archer	long bow	short sword (1-4), club (5-10)	ring mail (1-2), leather armour (3-7), none (8-10)
15-16	artillerist	short sword	dagger (1-9), club (10)	scale mail (1), leather armour (2-5), none (6-10)
17-26	crossbowyer	light crossbow	mace (1-9), club (10)	scale mail (1-2), leather armour (3-8), none (9-10)
27-45	footsoldier (heavy)	long sword	morning star & dagger (1-2), spear (3-9), dagger (10)	splint mail (1), chain mail (2-5), scale mail (6-10)
46-72	footsoldier (light)	short sword	spear (1-7), dagger (8-10)	ring mail (1), leather armour (2-10)
73-74	horse soldier (heavy)	scimitar	light crossbow (1), lance (2-4), horseman's flail/pick* (5-9), hand axe (10)	chain mail (1-2), scale mail (3-5), ring mail (6-10)
75-80	horse soldier (light)	horseman's flail/pick	small bow (1-3), lance (4), hand axe (5-10)	ring mail (1-4), leather armour (5-8), none (9-10)
81-91	horse soldier (medium)	horseman's flail/pick	small bow (1-2), lance (3-4), hand axe (5-10)	scale mail (1-4), ring mail (4-10)
92-96	pike soldier	pike	short sword (1-9), club (10)	leather armour (1-6), padded armour (7-10)
97-00	sapper	dagger	short sword (1-9), club (10)	leather armour (1-2), none (3-10)
* roll 50/50 to determine which

• Soldiers-at-arms (result -5): these are life-long friends of the character who haven't obtained level-status, but are hardened and willing to fight. They possess a morale of 7. As friends, they're entitled to a share of treasure rather than monthly pay, and will consider any other arrangement an insult, leading to a rift and hurt feelings. Names can be provided by the DM or the player, as the campaign warrants.

Type of training, weapons and armour are obtained from the Soldier-at-Arms Table provided. Horse soldiers will join in possession of appropriate light, medium or heavy warhorses. Soldiers will be proficient in their weapons and will possess the appropriate sage abilities for their profession.

• Family favorite (result -6): Whenever the character should appear, his or her family will be very welcoming, not only of the character but of the character's friends also. All shall be met with free drinks, food and lodging, and an honest desire for the family to get to know these friends of their offspring. Family siblings as young as 10 will be happy to work for the character, starting with a morale of 3 and showing an eager desire to learn anything the character wishes to teach them.

• Popular in town (result -7): Wherever the character happens to have entered the campaign, he or she will be treated as a very welcome person in the nearest town or village. If there is a tavern that exists, the character may count on recieving one drink a day there for free, as well as 50% off any meal. Local goods and services that are purchased by the character in this "home town" will cost 10% less than usual. If the character should decide to stay in some other town, and remain there, then regardless of the character's charisma, on account of his or her wisdom, the character will newly gain this popularity.

• Friends with the constabulary (result -8): Through past associations and time spent drinking with many guards, town watch or military persons in the community nearest where the character enters the campaign, the character may rely upon gaining information and help from about a dozen persons ranging between non-levelled and 3rd level. Asking these persons to fail to do their job would end the friendship, but otherwise the character would be able to learn much of what the residents of a typical guard house or barracks would know. The character can easily find reliable persons who can be hired as mercenaries, with an 8 morale to start. In addition, the character can "borrow," without expectation of it needing to be returned, any weapon costing up to 20 g.p. every four months, no questions asked.

• Well-liked by innkeepers (result -9): Because the character is so interesting to listen to, and makes the patrons feel more welcome, the character is free to lodge free in any inn, hostel or way station within 30 miles of the point where he or she enters the campaign; moreover, for taverns within the same range, the character is granted the first three drinks they'll have for free, provided the character doesn't abuse the privilege by always choosing the most expensive offerings on the menu. Once a week, the character can also eat for free at a tavern. Naturally, because the character is so popular, it's always especially favoured when the character spends a few hours visiting, before heading away for the night.

Known Guild

Roll (d20)	Guild	Benefits
01-03	alchemist's	prices at provincial apothecaries are reduced by 20%
04	assassin's	gives warning of any contract made against the character, while enabling the character to place contracts
05-09	freemason's	reduces all construction prices in the province by 10%
10-19	merchant's	allows the duty free transport of goods into provincial towns and cities
20	thieves'	immunity from theft by any member of the guild, with the possibility of recovering goods stolen by non-guild members

• Contacts with a local guild (results -10 to -11): while the character is not a member, he or she is acquainted with members of a special guild, as determined by the table shown. Each type of guild brings its own benefits. "Provincial" describes within the borders of a realm's subordinate administrative division and not the whole realm — unless the realm has no subdivisions. Contact with the assassin's guild assures the character will be given personal warning by a friend if the character is targeted by an assassin; prices for the character to hire an assassin are standard, but negotiations and fee are easily begun, since the character already has the trust of this guild. If the character has been robbed, the local thieves' guild will set out to recover the stolen property on the character's behalf — and the character also has access to purchase stolen goods from the thieves' guild, if wished. Other general benefits, such as hiring members of each guild for other purposes, or seeking advice or knowledge from members of these guilds, are also available to the character.

• Noble's favour (result -12): at some point prior to joining the campaign, the character has done a service for a local ruler within the realm, of the rank of baron/baroness or count/countess, including all worldly equivalents. The choice of whom the service was done is left to the DM. It may be that the character attended training with the noble's offspring, or took part in a campaign led by the noble, or otherwise gave service in the form of advice or counselling (for, to receive this result, the character must have a wisdom of no less than 13). In return, the character may ask a favour of the noble that is within the noble's power to grant, which in no way diminishes the noble's power. Nor may a sum of more than 1,500 g.p. be asked for, whether in coin, goods or services.

If, for example, the character were to ask to be made a squire over land up to 1,500 g.p. in value, then he or she would have to pledge fealty to the noble, that the noble's authority over that land would not be lost. If the character were to ask for the hand of the noble's offspring, then the character would need standing equal to the noble, gained in some other manner, and a previous relationship with said offspring. If the character were to ask for legal immunity within the noble's province, this could be granted, but rescinded if the character became an outlaw. In any case, the DM should counsel the player to understand that the "favour" must be treated as an exchange, in which not only the character benefits, but the noble also.

• Retinue (results -13 to -14): the character has acquired a collection of 3 to 6 retainers, who are ready to be completely loyal to the character, possessing a morale of 8. These individuals are non-levelled, but trained for combat, educated, deeply respectful of the character and willing to serve in any capacity recommended. Their progenitors should be rolled, to determine what additional abilities each has. They will be armed according to the soldiers-at-arms subtable. Each costs a fee of 6 g.p. per month; if the character is unable to pay, these retainers will return to their homes and live by their own means, but will always be available to return to the character when called for, no longer how much time has passed.

• Illuminati (results -15 to -16): the character has acquaintances who are members of an extensive, secret cabal whose influence is said to be felt throughout the world. The Illuminati, it's believed, has members in every royal court, and in some cases, seated upon the throne, while the larger organisation controls scores of lesser associations and societies whose public works support the Illuminati's designs. It is sometimes believed that the Freemason's are a front for the Illuminati, but this may also be said of many other groups. The character's relationship to this cabal is obscure at best, in which the character has become acquainted with a cell of three individuals who are interested in the character's eventual joining of the Illuminati's number. This shall require the character to gain a legitimate title as an authority or societal head, and the donation of 50,000 g.p. to the Illuminati.

In the meantime, as proof this offer is not a fraud, the character is able to contact the Illuminati clandestinely, in a manner known only to the character (and which cannot be shared with others, as the Illuminati would surely know), to obtain special favours no closer than four months apart. These favours include arranging for an assassin; a raise dead, regeneration, restoration or resurrection spell; a letter introduction to a noble or monarch within three hundred miles of the character's present location; evacuation from a hostile state, even one that's under occupation from an enemy; a pardon from prison; or an opportunity to consult with any individual in the world whose location is known. Once arranged, these things will usually happen within a few days, signifying the power of the cabal ... but in some cases, where circumstances requires long travel, it may take weeks or even months to arrange a meeting. A message can be gotten to the Illuminati from any city in the world with more than 15,000 persons.

If the character becomes a member of the Illuminati, then he or she will be expected to use their influence to enable other members in the same manner as the above. For example, if the character were an assassin, every 2 to 5 months, the character would be asked to perform an assassination at no charge, without explanation given. If the character were a cleric of sufficient level, then he or she would be required to perform spells for chosen individuals, no questions asked. Once a member of the Illuminati, the character can ask a favour no closer than three months apart, instead of four.

• Royal favour (result -17): Like the favour from a noble, but instead the favour may be asked of the monarch in the realm where the character enters the campaign. The value that's available to the character as a request is increased to 4,500 g.p. Moreover, the character can be asked to be named a landless knight, or dispossessed noble, which the monarch will be eager to grant, as this costs him or her nothing and saves a great deal of money.

Predispositions & Shortcomings

Adj. Wisdom	Predisposition
+17	Character suffers from great ignorance and superstition; all saves vs. fear and mind control spells carry a -8 to -6 penalty against success
+16	Character displays great foolishness and gullibility; all saves vs. mind control spells, perceiving disguises or illusions carry a -5 to -4 penalty against success
+15 to +14	Character is cowardly and lacking in confidence; if stunned, the character must make a save vs. paralysation; if this fails, the character will flee the combat at stride-8 for one round, before restoring their courage
+13	Character has an awful temper. While the character means well, set-backs have a tendency to cause the character to over-react in a manner that distracts the character's attention, while undermining his or her effectiveness
+12	When competing against another character for a prize, such as a magic item, losing creates a wave of such envy in the character that for a full day his or her wisdom is reduced by 2 points
+11 to +10	Character's gluttonous behaviour is so rife that the character must eat 50% more food than normal in order to feel "full"; moreover, the character's weight is increased by 10 to 25 per cent
+9	Gullibility makes the character so impressionable that he or she is liable to spend money frivolously unless restrained by an ally or companion AND a saving throw is made
+8	Character is so possessed with belief in the occult and necromancy that, if cursed or magically imprisoned, nothing less than an exorcism spell can restore his or her sensibilities
+7	Being overly cautious, before entering a combat situation, or casting a spell against an enemy, the character must make a wisdom check first; this check may be repeated, with a +3 cumulative bonus each round
+6 to +5	If an individual with 12 or greater charisma, who matches the character's sexual preference, attempts to seduce the character, the character must make a wisdom check with a -2 penalty to resist the attempt
+4 to +3	Whatever the character's ability scores, the character is wrongheadedly incapable of gaining an experience bonus deriving from his or her stats. If the character was never able to receive such a bonus, then he or she enters the campaign with negative experience equal to 10% of the amount required for 2nd level
+2 to +1	If sampling an addictive substance, the character must save vs. paralysation or become a regular user of that substance, requiring one ounce of material or 3 fluid ounces of liquid per day
0	Character reduces the penalty for using a non-proficient weapon by 1 point
-1 to -2	Exhibiting bravery when fighting creatures up to twice or more the character's size, he or she receives a +1 armour class bonus
-3	Character begins the game with bonus experience equal to 10% of the amount needed to reach 2nd level
-4 to -5	Character receives a 10% bonus to all experience received, regardless of his or her ability stats; if the character already benefits from this, increase bonus to +12%.
-6	Character cannot become addicted to any substance without actively wishing to do so
-7 to -8	When faced with starvation, the character may choose to roll wisdom instead of either strength or constitution, should his or her wisdom be a higher number
-9	When becoming intoxicated, the character receives no penalties towards his or her wisdom
-10 or -11	Blessed with intuition and sagacity, the character gains an additional +2 saving throw against charm spells
-12	The character's foresight enables the individual to retcon the purchase of a single item which the character may have forgotten to buy on their last visit to a market
-13	If the character fails a save vs. poison, the character's willpower enables the character to roll again
-14 to -15	Character is able to overcome being stunned during a combat, one time per day
-16	Blessed with an immense sense of purpose, the character has a +3 saving throw against both natural petrification and breath weapons
-17	Being inexplicably chosen by the gods, the character has a +4 saving throw against all magic.

Here the player rolls to determine the character's foibles or resilience where the character's self-control is concerned. Those will a low self-control will fall prey to superstition, weakness of character and addictions of the body, while those with discipline shall possess a spirit that enables their mind to overcome things that would otherwise destroy lesser persons.

Once again, the player creates an adjusted wisdom number by rolling a d20 and subtracting the character's wisdom. This number is then applied to the Predisposition table. Further notes on the table are as follows: