15 Aug 2017

Test Run - Hercules & Xena - Viking

While still in the Hercules & Xena RPG mood, time to create another character.  Last time, Phaedra became a priestess.  This time around, I'm creating a warrior.

Before I begin, I'm going to ramble a bit.  Back in the 90s, my cousin got married, as cousins tend to do.  This wedding, though, was while she was living in Norway with her then-fiancé, so the ceremonies were also held there.  A nice vacation, really.  I got to see some of the sights in Oslo and around Drammen, including the Kon Tiki Museum.  Some of the displays there showed just how far Vikings travelled in their time, including a photo of a Greek statue with Norse runic graffiti.

Naturally, the idea stuck.  Vikings in Athens, and now a setting that is open to broad ideas.  Why not have a Viking mercenary in a time of myth and legend?  If Hercules could meet the Norse gods, why can't a Viking appear in Ancient Greece?  Thus, Leif Tarlson.  Time to go by the same steps as last time.

1. Choose a name for the hero
Leif Tarlson.  Already decided.

2. Designate a hero type
Four possibilities exist in the book - Mariner, Myrmidon, Wanderer, and Warrior.  He could fit with all of them.  I'll take Warrior, but will consider ideas from the rest.  Myrmidon is considered mercenary, as opposed to Warrior, who just likes to fight.

3. Select a race
Leif is Human.  Not many Centaurs in Norway.

4. Choose a unique possession
Leif decides that his great-grandfather's drinking horn, carved out of the antlers of a large elk, is just the thing to have to remember his home and his family.

5. Create a goal
Leif is out for a good time.  A simple goal, but one he pursues with robustness.

6a. Assign Attributes
Time to allocate the 24 dice available.  Leif is big and burly, and capable of holding his own in a brawl.  I'll need him to have good Strength, Endurance, Reflex, and decent Mettle.  Awareness and Coordination will be lacking - he likes getting into the fray and mixing it up with his opponents.
Coordination 2D
Endurance 4D
Reflexes 4D
Strength 4D
Awareness 2D
Charisma 3D
Knowledge 2D
Mettle 3D
6b. Assign Skills
I have ten dice to allocate here, but I'm holding one back for specialties in the next step.  As a warrior, he needs Fighting.  I also want him to have Battle Cry, to intimidate his opponents before he even start wading into the fracas.  Since he's not local, he'll need Speaking to at least justify being able to talk to bartenders.  Intimidate and Stay Up also work for him.  For fun, I'll toss in Dance.  He spends enough time at taverns to justify picking up the skill.
Battle Cry +1D
Dance +1D
Fighting +2D
Intimidate +1D
Lift +1D
Speaking +2D
Stay Up +1D
6c. Create or choose specialties
By splitting the last die into three +1D specialties, Leif picks up Battle Axe (under Fighting), Brawling (also under Fighting), and the Special Move Whirl-a-Punch, great for being in the middle of a taproom brawl.

6d. Select advantages and disadvantages
None of the advantage and disadvantages fit Leif, so he forgoes getting any.

7. Determine Body Points
Leif starts with 20, and gets to roll his Endurance to see how many more he will have.  The roll is one hydra and three chakrams, for three success and a total of 23 Body Points.

8. Record starting Character Points, Fate, and Fame
Just like Phaedra, Leif starts with 15 Character Points, 1 Fate point, and no Fame.

9. Indicate Speed.
Leif, being human, has a speed of 30.

10. Purchase gear
Leif now has 200 dinars to spend.  For armour, the chain mail look great, but costs too much.  Leif settles for the leather armour.  He also picks up a helm, though that will affect his Awareness rolls while he wears it.  He'll need a battle axe, since he has the specialty for it.  A knife is always good to have.  Some adventuring gear is also good to have.  Leif picks up a grappling hook, a hammer, five iron spikes, fifty feet of rope, and five sacks.  That spree leaves him with all of eight dinars.

Leif is the better fighter compared to Phaedra, but she's no slouch there.  Phaedra also knows the area better, and isn't as likely to run into a fight just for the fun of it.  Partnering them would be interesting.  They have different approaches; Phaedra comes from the darker Xena series while Leif owes more to the early seasons of Hercules.

The full character sheet is below.  Again, as always, if you use the character, please let me know.
Name: Leif Tarlson
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Type: Warrior
Age: 20
Height: 6'1"
Speed: 30
Body Points: 23
Character Points: 15
Fate Points: 1
Fame: 0
Advantages & Disadvantages
  None
Coordination 2D
Endurance 4D
Reflexes 4D
  Dance 5D
  Fighting 6D
    Battle Axe +1D
    Brawling +1D
    Whirl-a-Punch +1D
Strength 4D
  Lift 5D
Awareness 2D
Charisma 3D
  Intimidate 4D
Knowledge 2D
  Speaking 4D
Mettle 3D
  Battle Cry 4D
  Stay Up 4D
Dinars: 5
Gear
  Great-grandfather's drinking horn.
  Leather armour (Protection 2)
  Helm (Protection 1, -1D to Awareness rolls)
  Battle axe (Base Damage 5, Weapon Speed 3)
  Knife (Base Damage 2, Weapon Speed 4)
  Hammer
  Iron spikes, 5
  Grappling hook
  Rope, 50'
  Sacks, 5


No comments:

Post a Comment