Tony Barlow creates Toromeen

Tony Barlow creates Toromeen: Motivation

Tony and the rest of the group get together, and the first thing they do is write their characters’ motivations. Tony’s is “Even though I am an architect, I will explore the ruins because I believe that the gods have a greater plan for me.”

Tony Barlow creates Toromeen: Moral code

Tony sees his character as individualistic, valuing personal freedom and the rights of others. He chooses the moral code Chaotic Good.

Archetype and specialty

Tony offers to play a Dwarven warrior who might become a prophet. This determines his archetype (warrior) and his Specialty (Species).

Ability scores

Tony rolls four six sided dice for each ability, and adds the three highest dice together.

Since he wants his character to be a warrior and a prophet, Tony puts high scores in wisdom, endurance, and strength. Because his specialty is Dwarf, he gets a bonus of one to endurance, and a penalty of one to charisma. He decides on:

First level mojo

Toromeen’s 18 strength means that he starts the game with 16 mojo: the twelve that every first-level character receives, and then +4 for his strength as a major contributor.

Survival and verve

His survival is 5 plus 2 (his endurance of 15 is a major contributor to survival) for a total of 7. His verve is 5 plus 2 (his strength of 18 is a minor contributor to verve; his intelligence of 12 is not high enough to contribute) for a total of 7. He has 7 survival and 7 verve.

Fighting Art

As a warrior, Toromeen gains the Fighting Art field at +1, along with the skills unarmed combat and weapon fluency.

Native Culture

Toromeen’s native culture is Dwarven Culture. Toromeen gains that field at +2, along with the skills Dwarven Language and an etiquette. Tony chooses Mountain Dwarf Etiquette.

Toromeen’s specialty (species: dwarf) gives him the skill Spelunking in his Native Culture.

Fields and skills

With a 12 intelligence, a 15 wisdom, and an 8 charisma, Toromeen begins the game with two initial Fields, each with one skill.

Tony sees Toromeen as a traveling builder of defensive structures. He chooses the field Engineering Science with the skill Defenses. He also chooses the field War Craft with the skill Weaponsmith.

Movement and carry

Toromeen’s movement is 8 (as a dwarf), plus 2 (for his 18 strength), or 10.

Toromeen’s Carry is 9 (strength) plus 4 (endurance), or 13. Each item Toromeen carries must have a bulk of 18 (strength) or less.

Tony Barlow creates Toromeen: Reactions

At first level, Toromeen’s reactions will be:

Toromeen also has a bonus of four (as a Dwarf with a 15 endurance) on any reactions against magical attacks or effects.

Defense and attack

Toromeen’s Defense is 0. His agility of 10 is completely average.

Toromeen’s Close Combat Attack is 2. His damage bonus in close combat is 4. Those both come from his 18 strength.

Toromeen’s Thrown Weapons Attack is 0. Due to his 18 strength, his damage bonus in thrown combat is 2 and his range penalties will be reduced by up to 2.

Toromeen’s Propelled Weapons Attack is 0, because of his average agility.

Age, height, and weight

Dwarves are 8 times as old as humans. This makes his base age 120. Tony rolls 31 on 8d6 for age, so Toromeen is 151 years old. This gives Toromeen five extra skills or field bonuses. He can use them when he needs them. Tony knows that Toromeen will use a battleaxe, so he spends one to acquire that skill under the Fighting Arts field.

As a Dwarf, Toromeen has a base height of 41 inches. He has 2d6 height dice, plus 5 for his endurance (+1) and strength (+4). He rolls 10 on 2d6 and is 56 inches: 4 feet, 8 inches tall. He has a base weight of 80 pounds. His weight will be modified by ten times the 10 he rolled for height plus 4 for his endurance (2) and strength (2). Ten times 14 is 140; eighty plus 140 is 220 pounds.

Tony could have chosen any of these numbers, instead of rolling—even choosing a higher age if he desired.

Money and equipment

Toromeen has an 18 strength, so he starts with eighteen silver coins.

Tony already knows that Toromeen will use “his grandfather’s traditional battleaxe” and wear banded leather and use a shield. (Toromeen’s strength of 18 means that he can use a battleaxe one-handed.)

Since Toromeen is small, his items cause less damage and have shorter ranges. He chooses to buy some armor and a weapon using mojo:

This “costs” 27 silver coins. He only has 18 coins, so he trades one mojo for thirty more coins. This leaves him with 15 mojo and 21 coins.

The banded leather and shield will give him a defense bonus of 4.

Tony Barlow creates Toromeen: Backstory

Toromeen was born in the southern mountains, where his people must continually fight goblins, orcs, and trolls for the best parts of the mountains and forests. His grandfather, whom he knew briefly, died in battle far from home.

The southern Dwarves trade with humans in the towns north of the Leather Road and east of the High Divide. He is an engineer, and builds devices for castles. He worked with Charlotte Kordé near High Town on a castle overlooking the River Valley.

Toromeen is returning to Biblyon to offer routine maintenance on some work they did in Illustrious Castle. He also wishes to visit a Dwarven Shrine in the northern mountains where, hundreds of years ago, Dwarves and Giants fought a great battle. His grandfather and many of his people are buried there. Toromeen wishes to visit this shrine for guidance from his ancestors.

The Adventure Guide tells Tony that there is a battlefield in the mountains of the Celtic Lands that fits this description, called Fomhor Achadh. Tony changes his backstory to mention the battlefield by name, and he changes his motivation to be “I will explore the ruins because I want someday to see the ancient battlefield, Fomhor Achadh.” This is the motivation that will lead Toromeen to adventure.

When Toromeen reaches Fomhor Achadh, Tony will need to retire Toromeen or write a new motivation. Toromeen’s new motivation will involve his becoming a prophet, if Tony continues that path.