Creating a Character

 This is the second in a series of posts that have sections of the Crimson Reach Player's Guide that I am working on. When I have a few more sections completed I'll create hyper-linked pages of the guide in progress for ease of use.

Creating a Character

Creating a character for a campaign in the Crimson Reach is quick and straightforward. Grab a pencil, paper, and some dice, and let’s get started.

 

• Generate Ability Scores. Roll 4d6 discarding the lowest die roll. Total the remaining three dice and jot down the result. Do this six times. If at least one of the scores is not 15 or higher, or if there are three scores lower than 9, then discard the scores and re-roll.
• Pick a Lineage. Read through Peoples of the Reach and choose one of the described lineages. Record the lineage features associated with your choice.
• Choose a Class. Read the section Classes in the Crimson Reach and pick a class. You may also want to read Multi-classing in the Crimson Reach. You can only choose to multi-class at character creation. Please be aware this is a complex option.
• Arrange your Ability Scores. Assign your six rolled ability scores to one of Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, and Charisma. The class descriptions include recommendations for which abilities are most important for that class.
• Adjust your Ability Scores. Player Characters can add +1 to two different ability scores. You may want to look at Table 1 – Ability Score Adjustments, to see which of your scores may get an adjustment improvement from the +1.
• Write down Ability Adjustments. For each of your six abilities, consult Table 1 and note the Adjustment for its score next to the Ability Score.
• Write down Class Features. Jot down the Level 1 features for your chosen class. Some of these may be affected by one of your Ability Adjustments. If spellcasting is one of your 1st level features, you select a spell or spells as directed in the class feature.
• Choose a Background. Read through Backgrounds in the Crimson Reach and choose one of the Backgrounds. Table nn – Random Backgrounds by Lineage, shows the typical backgrounds found in each lineage. Note the Background Feature on your character sheet.
• Pick starting equipment. You start with the equipment listed for both your class and your background. Some listed equipment requires you to make a choice. For example, Fighters choose a martial weapon. Consult the equipment tables to make this choice. Your background will also have a random amount of starting money. Roll for that money and buy additional equipment from the equipment tables. Record any unspent starting money.
• Calculate additional Scores. Roll the Hit Points (HP), adjusted for CON, listed in your class description. Write the Armor Class (AC) from your starting armor, modified by your DEX. Write down your bonuses to hit and damage next to each of your starting weapons. Write down your Saving Throws from Table nn – Saving Throws by Class and Level.
• Pick an Alignment. Read the alignment descriptions in Alignment and choose an alignment that appeals to you. Some classes have constraints on their alignment choice. Be aware of them when making your choice.
• Choose a Deity. Look through the section Deities of the Reach. Spell-casting classes that get their spells from a deity must choose an appropriate god to follow. Other characters may select a god if they wish.
• Give your Character a Name. Note down a name and as much of a description as you wish. Lineage descriptions can help with things like height, weight, and coloration.

Lineage Design

One of the things that have a lot of grognards and folks on the anti-woke right argleing and bargleing is the choice Wizards of the Coast has made to do away with the term race and get rid of (to the best of their ability) legacy lore that has an aroma of racism or other distasteful -isms. Things like the rapey origins of Half-Orcs and the always evil nature of the only Elves of Color in the game. You know, small things like that.

 

As you should have gathered from the tone of my opening paragraph, I think this is a good idea, despite my age and grognard credentials. 

 

I have been fortunate through the years to have played with a pretty diverse bunch of gamers, and these issues that are being addressed, finally, by the publisher of the most popular RPG on the market have been topics of concern and discussion for decades.

 

With that in mind, I am personally going to replace the word race with lineage in my campaign rules. I am also going to re-assess one of the oldest core assumptions in D&D that the game world, and therefore the game is human-centric. This is an assumption with several intersection points with the rules on character creation and almost no intersection points with gameplay mechanics. 

 

The most important re-assessment, in my mind, is that other lineages should be described in terms of differences from humans, especially in ability score generation. If humans are no longer the baseline that other lineage's ability scores are measured against, does having ability score adjustments for any lineage make sense anymore? I don't believe they do. I'm getting rid of them.

 

Characters are exceptionable individuals with potential beyond that of most, regardless of lineage. 

 

I want the choice of class to carry the heaviest load of mechanics in character creation, followed by ability scores. Players want their ability scores to be conformant to their class choice with the best scores assigned to the ability scores that offer the best mechanical advantage to the chosen class. 

 

So with doing away with human centrism and elevating class to mechanical preeminence, I will have players assign two +1 ability bonuses to their scores after choosing a class and arranging their rolled ability score set.

 

What role does this leave for lineage, especially for humans who are no longer the center of the universe? 

A small number of lineage features for each lineage. Said features will be small, useful talents with nice-to-have but not major mechanical effects.

 

I am going for a grittier, zero-to-hero, old-school style of a game rather than the fantasy superhero feel of 5e.

 

Here is my first pass at the Human Lineage

Humans

By far the most populous lineage in the lands of the Crimson Reach. There are three sub-lineages of humans in the Reach. In order of population found, they are, the Tuari, the Sea People, and the Cyrenican. 

 

While there are some differences in the sub-lineages in appearance and typical classes and backgrounds found among them, they are of one lineage and share the same Lineage Features. 

 

It is not unusual to find humans of mixed sub-lineages, especially in the bigger cities; so when creating a character of human lineage do not hesitate to choose physical characteristics from different sub-lineages.

 

Human Traits

Age. Humans reach physical maturity in their late teens to early twenties. Among the poorer strata of society, it is not uncommon to see humans as young as 12 or 13 following a profession, including adventurers. If fortune favors them, humans commonly reach the age of 70, with some very few seeing 100 years.

 

Alignment. Humans run the full spectrum of alignments, slightly favoring the collective efforts of Law.

 

Size. Humans average around 5 ½ feet tall though they range from under 5 feet tall to 7 feet tall. Most individuals will be between 5 feet and 6 feet. Their average weight is 140 pounds; like height, the range is quite variable. Humans are size Medium.

 

Speed. The base walking speed is 30 feet.

 

Hardy. Humans are a hardy race, able to toil for long hours even in adverse conditions. When they are affected by Exhaustion, they suffer the effects of the next lower level. Humans also have Advantage on any check to resist the effects of extended effort or adverse conditions such as starvation, thirst, or exposure to harsh weather conditions. This does not apply to magical effects.

 

Polyglot. Humans are good with languages and may start with additional languages known equal to their INT bonus, or one additional language if their INT adjustment is not a bonus. This feature also increases the maximum number of languages a character can learn by the same amount.

 

Skilled. Most Humans specialize in a chosen field. For any class ability that gets a bonus to a check based on the character’s level, a Human character determines that bonus as if they are one level higher. For example, Thieves add half their level, rounded down, to their check to Open Locks; a Human Thief of 3rd level would calculate this bonus as if they are 4th level getting a +2 to the check instead of the +1 a 3rd level Thief would normally receive.

 

Languages. All humans speak, read, and write Common and the native tongue of their sub-lineage. This is in addition to the languages they learn from the Polyglot feature.

 

Sub-lineage. There are three common sub-lineages of Humans in the Crimson Reach. A character’s choice of sub-lineage influences their background and helps anchor them in the world. There are no mechanical differences from the choice of sub-lineage.

 

Other lineages will follow this pattern with a few features based on lore for the lineage.

 

If anyone reads this, I would love to know what you think.

Introduction to the Crimson Reach

 I am not creating a generic rule set. Instead, I am crafting my blend of old and new rules and tying them tightly to my campaign world. The rule books for all editions have always implied a lot about the default game world and expectations of play. I am leaning into that, and part of my blending will be choosing what fits my world and discarding those things that do not. 

As a starting point, here is the introduction to the Player's Guide for my Campaign.

The Crimson Reach is a fertile land of lush, rolling pastoral meadows situated between the shores of the Sea of Strife in the south and the Riesen Highlands to the north. To the west rise the rugged Kaskoi Mountains and the headwaters of the Bourannos. Vast grassy steppes march to the east beyond the verdant valley of the River Bourannos.

The Reach is home to the Tauri, tribal humans who are primarily peaceful herdsmen; and occasionally pirates. The capital of Taurica, the Tauri kingdom, is Symbolon, a newly built and bustling city at the Great Bend of the Bourannos. 

On the shore of the Sea of Strife at the mouth of the Bourannos lies Chernessos, a colony city founded by the Sea People. Much trade flows along the river between Chernessos and the towns and villages of the Tauri. 

In the hills and dales of the Riesen Highlands live two peoples, the Vilk and the Riesen. These people live intertwined in small villages and hamlets scattered throughout the highlands. Few outsiders travel among the folk of the highlands, and the folk seldom travel outside except for the occasional contingent seeking a market for their furs. 

A small number of other people live and travel in the Reach. 

Lizard-folk from the swamps along the sea's western shore can be found in small bands of mercenaries or fighting in the gladiatorial games in the arenas at Chernessos and Symbolon. 

Tribes of Chaos Beast-men live beyond the swamps of the lizard-folk. Orcs and Hobgoblins from these tribes are sometimes found in the Reach, usually working as mercenaries or gladiators. 

Emissaries and traders from Cyrenica, the empire from the far side of the eastern steppes, have been making the arduous journey from their homes on the business of their Empress, Cybele.

The region surrounding the Sea of Strife is busily racing towards civilization, building shining cities of stone and marble, creating extensive trade networks of fine goods and raw materials, and studying arts and culture. For the citizens of Chernessos and Symbolon, it feels like a golden age of peace, wealth, and culture. Debates of new and exciting ideas occur daily in the forums. Actors and poets perform their plays, songs, and poetry in amphitheaters and private villas. Fine clothes and jewelry adorn every shopkeeper and artisan. 

Life outside the cities is a very different story. The tribes and villages in the outlands of Tuarica are growing restless, chafing at the growing cost of finished goods from the cities and ever-lower prices paid for their foodstuffs, hides, and furs. The Riesen and Vilk must remain tirelessly vigilant against intrusion from the north; whispers race like the wind of something sinister that drives monsters and beastmen south into the Highlands. Merchants in great caravans crossing the steppes from Cyrenica speak in frightened whispers of horrifying monsters threatening to end their trade in fine metals and jewels of the east; they offer bounties on the monsters that threaten their livelihoods and hope that it is enough to secure the caravan routes.