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The Hero
This is a step by step guide to building a character. Included are many terms and rules that you should be familiar with to play 7th Sea. Every character is built with 100 "Character Points" at the beggining of the game. Character points are far more valuable than "Experience Points" that you will earn through play.
0 - Basics. Before anything else, decide where you character is from, a name, a general concept for the character etc. ./'fds/ mn,
1 - Sorcery. Anyone with noble blood can use sorcery. Buying into royalty costs 40 CP for a Full or Twice Blooded (half of two families) or 20 CP for a Half Blooded character.
2 - Swordsman. Training in a Swordsman school costs 25 CP or 35 if the School is foreign to your character's heritage.
3 - Traits. All traits start with a value of 1, extra adds may be bought for 8 CP a piece up to a total of 3, 4 if your nationality gives you an add in that Trait. What Nationalities add to which Traits is as follows: Avalon (+1 Resolve), Castille (+1 Finesse), Eisen (+1 Brawn), Montaigne (+1 Panache), Ussura (+1 Resolve), Vendel/Vestenmannavnjar (+1 Wits/+1 Brawn), Vodacee (+1 Wits)
Traits
There are five traits that every character is rated in. These are the most defining elements of your character. They range in value from one to five normally with an average person having a trait of two.
Brawn: Strength and Endurance.
Finesse: Coordination and Agility.
Resolve: Willpower.
Wits: Ability to think quickly.
Panache: A "special something" that sets a hero apart from the Average Joe.
4 - Skills and Knacks. You can buy a Skill package for 2 CP, raising individual Knacks within the skill package costs 1CP per point per skill. You start with a rank 1 in all Basic Knacks in a Skill package you've bought. Some Skills require you choose only one Knack and take a Rank 2 in it instead of getting all those available (Hunter is slightly different). Artist, Hunter and Merchant are special in that way... Advanced Knacks cost 3 CP per rank you put into them. This is _extremely_ expensive. It is suggested you not buy them or buy very few as a starting character as they are _far_ cheaper to raise with experience points.
Skills and Knacks
Knacks are the things that game mechanically speaking allow you to do certain things with talent. A person with a good knack in Dancing would be a far more skilled dancer than someone who had no such knack.
Skills are "groupings" of knacks and have no game mechanic value beyond character creation. For example, someone with the "Hunter" skill would have access to the Fishing, Stealth, Survival, Tracking, Trail Signs, Traps, Ambush and Animal Training Knacks. There is a complete list of Civil and Martial Skills and Knacks at the end of this page.
5 - Arcana. A character can have one Hubris, one Virtue, or Neither. Purchasing a Virtue costs 10 CP, this is somewhat overpriced and the reason is not everyone is supposed to have them, it's an option, something that sets a character apart from other people. Having a Virtue is an almost magical ability. To activate one you must spend one Drama Die. Arcana range in effect from allowing you to make friends easier to causing fear in your enemies. Hubris's are a Heroic Flaw that your character possesses. Having one _gains_ you 10 CP and is the only way to start with more than 100 CP. The GM can activate your Hubris by spending one of his Drama Dice. The possibilities are just as broad as Virtues, making a Loyal character unable to leave his allies in danger and a Hot Headed one lose his temper altogether at the slightest provocation. Not every character should have an Arcana, but do purchase one if the idea appeals to you, there is no way to get one later in the game.
6 - Advantages. Advantages are just that, things that give your character an edge. Be it a peculiar ability to shrug off damage or a Patron who pays your way through life. There are quite a few advantages which may be purchased and you usually get what you pay for.
7 - Backgrounds. Backgrounds give your character a bit of history. You have to buy backgrounds which at first may seem backwards since they tend to have an ill effect on your character. Backgrounds are things that will come back to haunt you. An old Enemy hunting you down being the most basic but really anything is possible. Perhaps you owe someone something or a certain someone thinks you're someone you're not. You can spend up to four CP in backgrounds but no more than 3 CP in any one. Every time a background comes into the game you will receive an additional Experience Point award equal to three times the value of the Background.
8 - Equipment and Monies. Once your character has been fully fleshed out you will be given a certain amount of money and equipment based on a number of things including your social status, skills, inheritences and any Patron you might have. The difference here between an unskilled laborer in Eisen and a Landed Montaigne Noble will be staggering... One should not underestimate the power of the Vendel Guilder either...
Civil Skills
Artist
Basic Knacks (get only one at rank 2)
Composer, Drawing, Musician (specify instrument), Sculpting, Singing, Writing.
Advanced Knacks
None.
Courtier
Basic Knacks
Dancing, Etiquette, Fashion, Oratory
Advanced Knacks
Diplomacy, Gaming, Gossip, Lip Reading, Mooch, Politics, Scheming, Seduction, Sincerity
Criminal
Basic Knacks
Gambling, Quack, Shadowing, Stealth
Advanced Knacks
Ambush, Cheating, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Prestidigitation, Scrounging
Doctor
Basic Knacks
Diagnosis, First Aid, Quack
Advanced Knacks
Dentist, Examiner, Surgery, Veternarian
Hunter (Three starting skills at rank 1)
Basic Knacks
Fishing, Skinning, Stealth, Survival, Tracking, Trail Signs, Traps
Advanced Knacks
Ambush, Animal Training
Merchant
Basic Knacks (One at rank 2)
Barber, Blacksmith, Butcher, Calligrapher, Ceramics, Chandler, Cooking, Dying, Embalmer, Fletcher, Furrier, Gardener, Glassblower, Innkeeper, Jenny, Jeweler, Masseur, Miller, Paper Maker, Potter, Sail Maker, Scribe, Seamstress, Spinner, Steward, Tailor, Vintner, Weaver
Advanced Knacks
Accounting, Appraising, Bartending, Haggling
Performer
Basic Knacks
Acting, Dancing, Oratory, Singing
Advanced Knacks
Animal Training, Circus, Cold Read, Disguise, Prestidigitation, Storytelling
Sailor
Basic Knacks
Balance, Climbing, Knotwork, Rigging
Advanced Knacks
Cartography, Leaping, Navigation, Pilot, Sea Lore, Swimming, Weather
Scholar
Basic Knacks
History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Research
Advanced Knacks
Astronomy, Law, Natural Philosophy, Occult, Theology
Servant
Basic Knacks
Etiquette, Fashion, Menial Tasks, Unobtrusive
Advanced Knacks
Accounting, Drive Carriage, Gossip, Haggling, Seneschal, Valet
Spy
Basic Knacks
Shadowing, Stealth
Advanced Knacks
Bribery, Conceal, Cryptography, Disguise, Forgery, Hand Signs, Interrogation, Lip Reading, Poison, Sincerity
Streetwise
Basic Knacks
Socializing, Street Navigation
Advanced Knacks
Scrounging, Shopping, Underworld Lore
Martial Skills
Archer
Basic Knacks
Attack (Bow), Fletching
Advanced Knacks
Horse Archery, Snapshot, Trick Shooting
Athlete
Basic Knacks
Climbing, Footwork, Sprinting, Throwing
Advanced Knacks
Break Fall, Leaping, Long Distance Running, Lifting, Rolling, Swimming, Swinging, Side-step
Buckler
Basic Knacks
Parry (Buckler)
Advanced Knacks
Attack (Buckler)
Commander
Basic Knacks
Strategy, Tactics
Advanced Knacks
Ambush, Artillery, Cartography, Diplomacy, Gunnery, Incitation, Leadership, Logistics
Crossbow
Basic Knacks
Attack (Crossbow), Fletcher
Advanced Knacks
Reload Crossbow
Dirty Fighting
Basic Knacks
Attack (Dirty Fighting)
Advanced Knacks
Attack (Improvised Weapon), Eye-gouge, Kick, Parry (Improvised Weapon), Throat Strike, Throw (Improvised Weapon)
Fencing
Basic Knacks
Attack (Fencing), Parry (Fencing)
No Advanced Knacks
Firearms
Basic Knacks
Attack (Firearms)
Advanced Knacks
Reload Firearms
Heavy Weapons
Basic Knacks
Attack (Heavy Weapons), Parry (Heavy Weapons)
No Advanced Knacks
Knife
Basic Knacks
Attack (Knife), Parry (Knife)
Advanced Knacks
Throw Knife
Panzerhand
Basic Knacks
Attack (Panzerhand), Parry (Panzerhand)
Uppercut
Polearm
Basic Knacks
Attack (Polearm), Parry (Polearm)
Advanced Knacks
Set Defense
Pugilism
Basic Knacks
Attack (Pugilism), Footwork, Jab
Advanced Knacks
Ear Clap, Uppercut
Rider
Basic Knacks
Ride
Advanced Knacks
Animal Training, Mounting, Trick Riding
Wrestling
Basic Knacks
Grapple
Advanced Knacks
Bear Hug, Break, Escape, Head Butt
Advantages and their costs
Able Drinker (1 point)
Academy (4 points, 2 if Eisen)
Appearance (5 or 10 points)
Castillian Education (Castillians only, 10 points)
Citation (4 points)
Connections (varies)
Combat Reflexes (3 points)
Commision (Varies; 2 points less if Montaigne)
Dangerous Beauty (3 points)
Dracheneisen (Eisen Only, 20 or 40 points)
Faith (5 points)
Foul Weather Jack (5 points)
Indomitable Will (3 points)
Inheritance (varies)
Keen Senses (2 points)
Language (varies)
Large (5 points, 3 if Vendel or Vestenmannavnjar)
Left Handed (3 points, 1 if Vodacce)
Legendary Trait (3 points, 1 if Avalon)
Linguist (2 points)
Membership (Swordsman Guild 3 points, Merchants Guild 4 points, Musketeers 4 points, Secret Society 5 points)
Noble (10 points, 5 if you also have sorcery, Dracheneisen, or a Castillian Education)
Ordained (4 points)
Patron (varies)
Scoundrel (3 points)
Servants (3 points)
Small (2 points)
Toughness (5 points, 3 if Ussuran)
University (3 points, 1 if Castillian)
Experience
You should receive between one and five experience points per game session. Any unused Drama Dice at the end of a story may also be turned in for 1xp apiece. These xp can be spent on any of the following four things:
1 - Buy a New Skill
A new skill costs 10xp. You get all the basic knacks under that skill (unless mentioned otherwise) at rank 1 at this time. If you have a knack already you _do not_ get an adittional point in it from this skill purchase.
2 - Buy a New Background
You may purchase a background for three times the value of the background. You may not purchase more backgrounds than you have ranks in Panache.
3 - Raise a Knack
Knacks cost a number of xp to raise equal to double the rank being raised to. So, if you're trying to raise your Footwork from 3 to 4 you would have to spend 8xp on the endeavor. Advanced Knacks are equally difficult to raise as Basic Knacks (remember I told ya not to buy any to start with?? That's why...)
4 - Raise a Trait
Traits cost a number of xp to raise equal to quintuple the rank being raised to. Raising your Brawn from 2 to 3 would cost 15xp.