Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Generating a Swords & Sorcery Land: Your People

Part two taking off from earlier today.

Step 2: National Features

The People of My Nation Tend to Be...” Chart
Roll d20, 1d4 times. If the same result is rolled double any mechanical effects that may apply, otherwise re-roll. 

Results dictating class background give the option to roll on one of the results of the player or GM's choice. If results do not dictate class background, roll on standard chart as normal.

Re-roll contradictory results—if desired.
1 Average in All Ways Cancel all other results, all classes open, no adjustments
2 Nomads Add d3 to DEX, -1 INT; Class Background d8: 1-4 Hunter, 5-7 Warrior, 8 Poor Noble
3 Barbarians Add d3 to CON, -1 INT; Class Background d8: 1 Farmer, 3-5 Hunter, 6-7 Warrior, 8 Poor Noble
4 Seafaring Class Background d8: 1-5 Sailor, 6-7 Merchant/Trader, 8 Poor Noble
5 Mercantile Class Background d10: 1-2 Sailor, 3-8 Merchant, 9-10 Standard table
6 Rural/Agricultural Class Background d8: 1-4 Farmer, 5-6 Hunter, 7 Craftsman, 8 Poor Noble
7 Exclusively Aligned with... Roll d6, 1 Law, 2 Law (Evil), 3-4 Balance, 5-6 Chaos
8 Desperately Poor +1d3 CON; Class Background d8: 1-4 Farmer, 5-6 Beggar, 7-8 Standard Table; -d20 starting LB
9 Wealthy -1 INT, +1 CHA; Double starting money
10 Warlike +1d4 STR; Class Background d8: 1-6 Warrior, 7-8 Standard table
11 Obese -1 CON, -1 DEX, Heavy frame
12 Beanpoles -1 CON, +1 DEX, Light frame
13 Dwarfish -1d4 SIZ
14 Huge +1d4 SIZ
15 Learned/Cultured +1d4 INT or CHA
16 Decadently Civilized -1d4 STR or CON, +1d4 INT, POW, or CHA; Class background d6, 1 Warrior, 2-3 Priest, 4-5 Poor Noble, 6 Noble
17 Magically Inclined +1d3 POW and INT
18 Pious +1d4 POW, Class background d6, 1-4 Priest, 5-6 Roll on standard table.
19 Completely Bald/Hairy Beasts -1 CHA
20 Insane/Drug-Addled Random addiction or insanity. -1d3 ANY, +1d3 ANY

Optional Dominant Skin Color
Roll d12

1
Albino
2
Pale
3
Peach
4
Ruddy Pink
5
Olive
6
Bronze
7
Tan
8
Dark Brown
9
Black
10-11
Exotic Hue of Your Choice
12
1d3 Types/Roll Again

6 comments:

  1. I'm totally digging this series, particularly the 2nd installment.

    I've been cogitating on a Traveller campaign and this post is just the ticket for helping out with planetary cultures, at least for a quadrant range or so. Thank you.

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  2. This is a great idea. I love these tables.

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  3. Have you seen Jennifer Government's Nation States?

    ...I can just see this as a Moorcockian Young Kingdom generator.

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  4. @Richard
    Umm yeah: http://www.nationstates.net/nation=kutalika

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  5. @CKutalik - Where people are brainwashed to support love and peace! ;)

    Good post. I like this whole approach, though admittedly I don't tend to go random for nation-making most of the time.

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  6. Yep, pretty much Kutalika is Sweden on crystal meth.

    The funny thing is I would rarely use this myself outside of when I let player rip at the starting creation point like Domain Game II. It has a useful mechanic function too for SB.

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