Saturday, October 24, 2020

Building Upon Mythraelai, Raven Grey...

Seven days before Halloween, and I am still picking Descriptors apart. I pulled together pieces of Masque of the Red Death, the unofficial Masque of the Red Death Player's Guide for 5th edition, Bloodborne and Dark Souls to make a setting that feels more comfortable. Comfortable. Relatable. Either word comes across wrong for some.

The Grey Raven, Uncertain Hexblade : cautious, determined, intimidating, resistant

Raven’s hair is burnt umber; her eyes are a grass green, all concealed under the shadow of a tricorne. Years of unending fighting has kept her athletic and perpetually wary. Beneath the dark leather duster, her affluent Victorian clothes seem coated with a layer of ash. The Edge of Eternity, the signature blade granted by The Raven Queen, hides in the space between worlds.

Borrowing from the Ethanol Pop setting in Descriptors, Raven can trade one adjective for two consumables to represent the Warlock spells and invocations at her disposal. My initial thought is that casting a spell requires bidding two adjectives to represent the Dark Powers check from Masque of the Red Death. Failing to bid two adjectives means the spell takes effect, and The Dark Powers notice. Incorporating the Unearthed Arcana Arcane Gunslinger Invocation, Raven can conjure a sword or a pistol as needed but never both.

Opening : Skarlett Riot, Feel

"We did it," Laneira whispers.

I glance up from my seat at the Virtual Interface Unit. Laneira and Vince are across the room sitting on a couch; her head rests on his shoulder.

"She did it," Vince replies. "I had to learn to let go, and I..."

And I couldn't do it. They think I can't hear them. I shake my head, donning the helm and activating the VIU interface. I... couldn't do it. I couldn't shatter Eternity and lose them. Silly, isn't it? That the product of a piece of software in this in-betw-

"You 'k?" Fetu asks over the VIU's communications.

A smirk dances across my lips, reminiscing about a book I have never actually read, "Always."

My vision flares to life as the neural interface injects itself into my perceptions then turns to shadow. For the briefest moment, I am alone. In darkness. In silence. Nothing external. Just... me.

Closing : AmaLee, Brave Shine

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

The Stirrings of Mythraelai

I came across a link to Descriptors, a quick play diceless, adjective based role playing game. I read it (and it was quick, the rules are one page long) and considered what could be done with it. It actually reads like FU2 but diceless. So, I pondered where to go with it and figured I hadn't done Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay in, I think, ever. Sprinkle in the Agenda and Principles of Simple World, this is what I end up with...

I rolled d1000 twice to figure out what her starting career would be from the Warhammer Career Compendium, randomized her other attributes on the tables provided in the core rulebook and came up with Rae. Naturally, I had to mess with it to suit my personal gaming needs:

Locations and Fishing : I need to keep myself honest, so I will randomize the quantity of available adjectives by rolling d4-1, in keeping with the suggestion of 0-3.

Challenge Rating : Again, to keep me honest, a d6 will be rolled per scene. A result of four or less is a bid of one adjective, and a five or six is two. Challenging scenes, such as a final scene, will add one to the amount of bids; four or less is two adjectives; five or six is three.

Gear : Borrowing a concept from Vornheim, gear can hold one adjective per syllable. Gear begins play with no adjectives but may gain adjectives if safely shopping in town, foraging, looting or some other narratively appropriate action.

Advancement : While unlikely, I envision advancement to be adventure based. Borrowing from Primetime Adventures, a career advancement is available every nine sessions.

With all that in mind, 

Mythraelai, Elven Messenger : calm, knowledgeable, perceptive, precise

At 5'5" and 100 lbs, the wood elf has a braid of copper hair and grey blue eyes. She was born in Reikwald Forest under the sign of The Greased Goat sixty years ago, a decade older than her brother Halfaren. Mythraelai wears travelling clothes under a leather jack.

Gear : backpack, clothes, dagger, leather jack, map case, riding horse, shield, sword and 16 crowns

Friday, October 9, 2020

Rewrite of Amynta for Freeform Universal

With this being October, it was time to transition into more festive gaming. The beta for Freeform Universal 2 was released on the 5th, so I naturally want to give it a try. Since Amynta was already available and hasn't started anything yet, I translated the translation from QuestWorlds to FU2 by, basically, just using the Abilities and filing off the score.

As far as her setting goes, I'm inspired by the Fate World of Adventure Eagle Eyes. Eagle Eyes is set in Rome, but I brought the timeline forward a bit to match the (more or less?) historical time period of Thyatis: the late Byzantine era. GURPS Constantinople, Horror and Cabal will factor into the game at some point, of course. But it's still set in Mystara. I just want a more historical Mystara, which sounds really weird now that I typed it out, but, there you have it.

Amynta

Amynta is a Thyatian Forester. She has been trained in archery, fights with kite shield, sword and spear, and learned The Revelations of Artemis. Her Lawful nature can sometimes cause problems. However, she believes to dishonor herself is to dishonor her clan.

The Revelations of Artemis allows Amynta to cast each spell inscribed in her spellbook once per day. The spells written are: Charm Person, Detect Evil, Hold Person, Invisibility, Read Magic.

Her russet hair is tied into a Psyche knot, and her brown eyes are hardened from years of combat before joining the Eagles. Amynta has an average build since being transferred from soldier to investigator. The clothing beneath her mail shirt is plain and functional, light tunic with dark trousers accompanied by boots in place of sandals.

Drama Points [ ] [ ] [ ]

[:45] [:30] [:15] [:10] [:05] [--:--]

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Khadiya the Branded and the Hidden Jewel

I have translated the Simple World version of Khadiya to QuestWorlds; the updated character sheet is at the bottom of the post. Taking notes from my last post regarding QuestWorlds and D&D, I've tried sorting the Abilities into a logical sequence. I've invested just enough points into her Warlock class to get Khadiya to fourth level since her XP track doesn't quite translate from one game to another. However, I do like how the "ability scores" end up resembling D&D ability scores.

I'm not entirely sure how I would translate treasure values to a resource, so I'm still thinking on that. Part of me wants to make a particular amount of gold to equal one resource point, like, say, 5 to 1, but I need to take a closer look at treasure values first.

Wilderness Adventure : Massacre Site

Enemies : Undead revenant, author of the slaughter, feaster upon the slain

Friends : Sorrowful ghost, investigator for the local lord

Things : The secret they were killed to keep

Complications : The dead deserved it.

Places : The last stand, gory shambles in the wilderness

"You did well," Mahdi's voice says from behind her shoulder. "Lady Hamada appreciates how you handled Naazim."

"Do you ever not sneak up behind people?" asks Khadiya.

"Rarely."

A folded parchment taps her shoulder. Khadiya grabs it with a questioning look, "What's this?"

"A request."

"Am I taking orders from Lady Hamada now?"

"A request," Mahdi reiterates.

"And deny a request from Lady Hamada." Khadiya turns and faces Mahdi. "We both know what the answer will be."

Mahdi smiles behind his mask, "Then I'll report back the request has been accepted."

Khadiya turns away and glares at the sand dunes in the distance. Her open hand crackles with burning energy. Perhaps one day she will be in Lady Hamada's position, doling out requests that others can't refuse. Today is not that day. Today, she lives to serve. The parchment unfolds, revealing a map to a site just a day beyond Yrkala. Khadiya sighs. This task would be more suited for Hamada's Ghostwise not a cursed sorcerer.

The desert radiates with the oppressive heat of the sun above. The solar tendrils reach out immeasurable distances to vainly grasp at the land below. The sand stretches just as immeasurably in every direction, Yrkala far behind Kadiya. Her feet guided by the map, she has no problem with locating the last location of ... whoever Hamada wanted to be found. Just before cresting another dune, Khadiya hears faint clicking noises punctuated by hollow sounds.

Khadiya rolls Dexterity to stealthily see what's beyond the dune against Rank 1 Resistance 17: Khadiya rolls 4; Mantis-folk roll 20. Success.

She stops at the crest and peeks over the dune. Below Khadiya, a caravan of wagons has been overturned and ransacked. Three large insect like humanoids, tan carapaced with foliage green multi-faceted eyes, pick over the corpses of the travellers. Their leather belts bear trade goods and each pair of their arms hold a staff. The three mantis-folk seem to be communicating with each other, their throats emitting strange clicking noises. The punctuating hollow noise comes when their mandibles snap together. 

The people below were murdered by heavy blades; these mantis-folk carry staves. Though they may have their edged throwing blades, those blades wouldn't inflict the degree of harm the bodies demonstrate. Khadiya watches the central figure, pointing at a couple of travellers, rapid clicks punctuating the air.

"I don't understand," Khadiya mutters.

A heartbeat interrupted. One-two, one... that turns into an unending rumble of thunder. The air fills with the sound of a hanging heartbeat, and the movement of the mantis below Khadiya slows to stillness. The particles of sand tracing patterns along the wind freeze, a stream of scintillating motes outlining the currents of air. The thundering half beat of the heart intensifies, growing louder until it fills the skies with eternal thunder.

A voluptuous woman fades in from an ethereal curtain. A woman's body in a revealing, sensual gown topped by the dark head of a jackal. If a canine's muzzle could smirk, she would be wearing one. Yrkali walks between the frozen mantis-folk around her, towering over them almost twice their height. Khadiya is, perhaps, as tall as her thigh.

"And why should you?" asks Yrkali, her jackal head tilting to one side in amusement. "They don't even speak the language of civilized creatures."

"What do you want?" finding her voice, Khadiya's question is a forced whisper.

"What do I want?" mocks Yrkali. "Is that any way to greet your god?"

"My god?" Khadiya pulls free from the majestic aura of Yrkali and glares. "What game are you playing at? Why are you doing this?"

"Because it amuses me," Yrkali says, focusing her sapphire eyes on Khadiya. "Too trite? Perhaps. Then, because you fight," The towering entity leans forward, her large blue eyes boring into Khadiya's, "Even now, you fight."

Khadiya's patience wears thin, "What. Do. You. Want?" she asks, each word forced into being in spite of Yrkali's presence.

Yrkali smiles a dog's smile and produces Khadiya's Grimoire. The silver edged tome hangs suspended in the air as the jackal-headed woman inscribes sigils upon an empty page in flowing arcane script. Khadiya's skin burns as azure runes sear themselves on her back, fading into chalk white. The book snaps shut and cuts off the rolling thunder of the heartbeat hanging in the air.

"I want what you want, child. Success."

Yrkali evaporates back to wherever she came from and time resumes. The tome turns and presents the newly scribed spell to Khadiya.

Khadiya rolls Intelligence to augment her Infernal Grimoire against Rank 0 Resistance 14: Khadiya rolls 12; Resistance rolls 19. Success. Khadiya rolls Infernal Grimoire to cast Comprehend Languages with a +3 bonus against Rank 0 Resistance 14: Khadiya rolls 10 and bumps failure to success with Mastery; Resistance rolls 7. Success.

An azure mandala unfolds in the air between Khadiya and the mantis folk. The ring turning clockwise; the runes inscribed along its perimeter slowly following the track. The creature's incessant clicking slows to something more conversational and brings Khadiya back to the present.

"You," the central mantis creature says, pointing at the third, "Grab what you can carry before they come back." It turns back to address the second. "Not that, too much blood gone. Insides spilled. Take the whole ones to share." It turns toward the north east, "Be quick."

She glances at the mutilated corpses then back at the three mantis-folk. The body thrown aside, entrails casting a lazy line across the desert sand. Khadiya turns and faces the north east, scanning the horizon and waiting for the mantis creatures to complete their grisly task.

As instructed, the three mantis folk quickly scavenge through the caravan, pulling valuables and mostly intact corpses to carry off to the south. Khadiya moves across the sands, the sun beginning to set and taking its heat with it. Cresting another rise, broken pillars reach toward the darkening sky; scattered sand reveal a series of steps leading beneath the ground. Cautiously, Khadiya steps between the pillars to approach the opening.

Khadiya succeeds with an assured success to cast devil's sight.

One of the eldritch invocations bestowed by Yrkali allows Khadiya to see through darkness as if it were brightly lit. Begrudgingly, she is thankful to have that ability this evening. Without needing a torch, Khadiya would have an advantage over anyone requiring one to see. And if whoever "they" were were human, then they would require them.

The cracked stone steps open into an underground chamber. The floor is tiled in stone, the walls painted with murals showing feasts : goat, dates, olives, bulgur and rice. The one lone exit ahead of her propped open by a wooden staff. The sand and dust across the floor hold obvious traces of movement; things being dragged, feet being planted. Footsteps echo from the exit, the light of a torch dimly striking the corner behind the propped door.

Khadiya rolls Infernal Grimoire to cast Spider Climb to sneak past the approaching guard against Rank 0 Resistance 14: Khadiya rolls 16 and bumps failure to success with Mastery; Resistance rolls 16. Success.

Khadiya summons her spellbook and recites the incantation to Embody the Spider's Walk. The blue mandala shatters into anklets and bracelets, which she uses to scale the wall then ceiling of the entry room. A figure enters the room, torch in hand, beige keffiyeh and robes covering his features. She smiles. Most people never look up. Her slim form crawls along the ceiling and into the hallway beyond.

"Pathetic!" the word carries back to Khadiya.

She pauses from her perch on the ceiling and listens.

"Promise to spare them, and they tell us exactly what we need to know. But this..."

Khadiya stalks toward the voice, peeking beyond the threshold of another doorway. The room is similar to the one back at the entrance. Stone tiles. Murals. These murals depict a similar feast, though the attendants are skeletons. A feast of goat, and hearts and eyes. Floating in the center of the room is a crystal suspended on invisible strings, shedding a blue white light. The speaking figure robed in black lined with filigree of blue; a servant holding a pillow in simple trousers and shirt.

"But this is worth any price," the figure says, hand reaching toward the floating gem.

Khadiya begins the extended contest by rolling Infernal Grimoire to cast Command against Rank 1 Resistance 17: Khadiya rolls 1; Resistance rolls 11. Success. Khadiya RP : 1, Resistance RP : 0.

She detaches from the ceiling and drops into a crouch on the tiled floor. The azure anklets detach and merge into a small mandela as Khadiya claps her hands together. An incantation flows from her, the grimoire erupting violently into the air.

"Stop!" she shouts.

The primary figure pauses mid grasp; the servant turns as if to berate the interruption.

Khadiya continues the extended contest by rolling Infernal Grimoire to cast Burning Hands against Rank 1 Resistance 17: Khadiya rolls 10; Resistance rolls 14. Failure. Khadiya RP : 1, Resistance RP : 1.

"Take her," the figure rumbles, hand stretching out to grasp the floating gem.

The servant drops the pillow and rushes toward Khadiya unarmed. Reflexively, she recites the spell to becoming the Conduit of the Burning Sun and sends a gout of fire at him. The servant screams as his clothing burns away and skin begins to melt.

Khadiya rolls Borrowed Time against Rank 1 Resistance 17: Khadiya rolls 17; Resistance rolls 1. Failure. Khadiya RP : 1, Resistance RP : 2.

"Yrkali take you!" she growls.

"No!" the figure shouts back as a stream of energy courses from the burning servant into the floating gem. "I take you!"

Khadiya rolls Fragments of Forbidden Knowledge against Rank 1 Resistance 17: Khadiya rolls 12; Resistance rolls 18. Success. Khadiya RP : 2, Resistance RP : 2.

"Yrkali will not be denied," seethes Khadiya, a bolt of eldritch energy raking across the back of the man. He grunts then screams in defiance, his grasping hand pulling back reflexively.

Khadiya rolls Infernal Grimoire against Rank 1 Resistance 17: Khadiya rolls 10; Resistance rolls 19. Success. Khadiya RP : 3, Resistance RP : 2.

Khadiya strides forward, summoning the icy shards of the Rime Cloak around her. The room chills with bitter cold.

Khadiya rolls Fragments of Forbidden Knowledge against Rank 1 Resistance 17: Khadiya rolls 12 and bumps failure to success with Mastery; Resistance rolls 8. Success. Khadiya RP : 4, Resistance RP : 2.

"Yrkali has no power here!" he screams, hand once again reaching for the floating jewel.

Her hand rises and clutches empty air; an azure ring circles the other man then phantom spines rise from the floor and tear into his clothing. The man, pinned by the energetic talon, howls, his hand inches from his prize.

Khadiya rolls Infernal Grimoire against Rank 1 Resistance 17: Khadiya rolls 11 and bumps failure to success with Mastery; Resistance rolls 3. Khadiya RP : 5, Resistance RP : 2.

His outstretched hand brushes against the enchanted gem. Khadiya snorts and holds her own hand toward it. The jewel tears free from its ethereal anchor with the help of Khadiya's mage hand and rests within her grasp.

"No!" shouts the figure in defiance.

"Yrkali. Will. Not. Be. Denied," Khadiya repeats.

He screams, his essence torn from his body and filling the gem within her hand. Khadiya sighs.

"I'm sorry."

Khadiya the Branded, Baleful Warlock

Khadiya has flowing black hair and light brown eyes. Her tan skin is marked with white arcane sigils along her arms and back. She wears teal brigandine made of lizard skin and bone over her black sirwal and white tunic. Khadiya carries a pair of daggers, a crossbow and her adventuring pack.

2M1 Flaw : Lawful Neutral

17 Flaw : Bound to Yrkali

2M1 Fiend Pact Warlock

+2 Borrowed Time : You have the Blessing of Yrkali and, once per day, may gain a Benefit when you take a life. The blessing resets at dawn if not used.

+2 Fragments of Forbidden Knowledge : You have the ability to invoke eldritch power. It may be augmented using Charisma.

Eldritch Invocations Discovered : devil's sight, thief of five fates

+4 Infernal Grimoire of Yrkali : You possess a spellbook and have the ability to cast spells. It may be augmented using Intelligence.

Cantrips Learned : eldritch blast, mage hand, minor illusion

Spells Inscribed Within : Conduit of the Burning Sun (burning hands), Embody the Spider's Walk (spider climb), Rime Cloak of the Ancient Past (armor of agathys), Scrutiny of Words and Deeds (comprehend languages), The Emir's Decree (command)

16 Charisma

15 Dexterity, Intelligence

13 Constitution, Strength, Wisdom

13 Community : Yrkala

17 Baleful

Gear : adventuring gear (5 uses), arcane focus (beech wand), blanket, common clothes, crossbow, daggers, herbalism kit (4 uses), leather armor, rabbit's foot, rations (5 uses), scroll case of arcane research notes (5 uses), 5 gold

XP [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]


Tuesday, September 22, 2020

More Character Creation : QuestWorlds D&D

I've been awake too long, but this came to me out of the blue. I've been playing Simple World with Fate Accelerated style Approaches. QuestWorlds says Abilities are how a character solves a problem, which, as I've been playing, are Approaches. So what happens when you take ability scores and turn them into Approaches then make them Abilities? Below is a D&D character translated through Simple Worlds then QuestWorlds. She was surprisingly easy : six ability scores, race, class, distinguishing personality trait then three class abilities. I also made her alignment a Flaw because, well, adhering to an Alignment is kind of a compulsion, isn't it?

There is just a bit of Greek, too. The Thorakitai were a hybrid of hoplite and skirmisher. Akontio is javelin; dory and hoplon is spear and shield. "The Revelations of Demeter" is Amynta's spellbook because, as taken from Dawn of the Empire's Player's Guide to Thyatis, some elves taught humans how to do magic while wearing armor. These are the Foresters.

In keeping with my initial thoughts on QuestWorlds, every five points in a class is one character level, so that translates Amynta into a, roughly, fifth level character. As a fifth level character, she begins with two first, two second and one third level spell. And so... classic D&D filtered through Simple World double filtered into QuestWorlds.

This is kind of fun...

Amynta, Intuitive Thorakitai

13 Thyatian

5M1 Thorakitai

..:: +2 Akontio

..:: +3 Dory and Hoplon

..:: +2 The Revelations of Demeter

....:::: Spells Known : Charm Person, Detect Evil, Hold Person, Invisibility, Read Magic

17 Intuitive

15 Strength

15 Dexterity

13 Constitution

17 Intelligence

13 Wisdom

13 Charisma

5M1 Flaw : Lawful

Saturday, September 5, 2020

Another Character Creation : HeroQuest Rokugan

Working off my previous thoughts, I've considered trying a Legend of the Five Rings character filtered through Sengoku while I read through GURPS Greece. I've played in L5R for a long while, so I'm more comfortable with it than Glorantha. The character below is basically a Dragon Clan Samurai with quotes from Mirumoto attached to give it flavor.

"One Man, One Sword, One Strike," was said by Kakita before Mirumoto replied, "Two hands." Thus, the invention of the Dragon's niten (two swords) technique.

"If he attacks first, kill him, etc." is a good call back to the card Kharmic Strike. In a duel, you win. You may die, but you take your opponent with you.

"I do not believe I can win. I know I will." is another good Mirumoto inspired quote. You can't doubt. You can win, or you can die.

For my three "Runes" I chose the Four Heavenly Kings from Buddhism and Amaterasu (Lady Sun in L5R). I finished it off with the Tao of Shinsei because it seemed fitting for a Dragon Clan bushi. Now, do these three Runes have actual, manifesting powers? Probably not. It's the conviction that matters. But, who knows...?

Hoshi Yonagi, Tempestuous Sohei

13 Dragon Clan Bushi

+2 "One Man, One Sword, One Strike... Two Hands."

+2 "If he attacks first, kill him. If you attack first, kill him. If you both attack at once, kill him."

15 Defender of the Northern Towers of Flame

17 Sohei

+2 "I do not believe I can win. I know I will."

17 Tempestuous

1M1 Shi Daitennou, The Four Heavenly Kings

17 Tao of Shinsei

+2 "Do not be deceived by the surface."

+2 "What you do not show..."

13 Amaterasu

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Random Character Creation Fun

There's something fun about passing time following a Traveller life path. I remembered that I own Sword of Cepheus which adds Sword and Sorcery or Sword and Planet to the Traveller based Cepheus Engine.

Generating characteristics - with the Iron Man optional rule : Roll 2d6 in order

Strength 11, Dexterity 8, Endurance 7, Intelligence 8, Education 5, Social Standing 9

Fancy, I get to introduce the hexadecimal method of portraying characteristics. Anything over 9 becomes a letter code, and that leads to some fun things like the Universal Personality Profile. More on that later.

6-8 is average, so he's clearly stronger than average, not as well learned and, for some reason, is almost aristocratic.

Background Skill

Large City is probably appropriate for a near-aristocrat. As he's not well educated, choosing Craft would be inappropriate, so it's either Carouse or Streetwise. Carouse is probably more fitting, so : Carouse-1

At the young age of 14, I try to qualify for my first four year term in a career. A Soldier requires an Endurance check of 8+ on 2d6. Failing to qualify means he can be a Commoner or Vagabond.

Qualification roll : 11. He's going to be a soldier!

During the first career, a character automatically learns the six service skills at 0. At Rank 0, he gets a free upgrade to Melee Combat.

0-Archery, Artillery, Craft, Recon, Riding

1-Carouse, Melee Combat

Survival Throw : Here's where you see if you died or not. However, I'm using the Mishap optional rule. For a soldier, that's STR 6+. With a STR of 11, that's a +1 to his survival.

Survival roll : 8. He's made it to be 18!

Skill Table : Each term, you roll to learn one thing from one of the four tables. For the first term, you learn two from two of the tables. As he is only EDU 5, he can not learn anything from the Advanced table.

Service skill : Archery, Specialist skill : Liaison ... I was hoping for Stealth... I guess his aristocratic nature is showing.

0-Artillery, Craft, Recon, Riding

1-Archery, Carouse, Liaison, Melee Combat

Advancement roll : SOC 7+, with his SOC of 9, he gets a +1 to this roll.

Advancement roll : 9. Rank up! He is now a Tesserarius and gets Leadership-1 and an additional skill roll.

Personal Development : Melee Combat. Welp...

0-Artillery, Craft, Recon, Riding

1-Archery, Carouse, Leadership, Liaison

2-Melee Combat

Event Table : Each term, you roll to see what significant thing happened.

Result : 7, Life Event. Life Event Result : Something good happens. +1 Benefit roll.

More on that later. Maybe. Finally, re-enlistment opportunity. Failure means mustering out. Success means you can choose to continue in this career. 12 means you're required to continue in this career. I'm using the optional rule that you can leave a career and try to qualify for another, but he's pretty happy where he's at right now.

Re-enlistment 5+ : 3. Well, he was happy. They don't want him back. Maybe because he's still a teenager. Who knows. Either way, his soldiering life is over, time for the benefits.

Mustering Out : One roll per term of service on either Gold or Material. This character gets +1 Benefit, so he gets two rolls of his choice. Fortunately, he has Carouse-1, so he gets +1 on his rolls if he chooses Gold.

Gold Benefit : 100 gold coins. Material Benefit : SOC +1. Interesting. Maybe he was tossed out of the military because he's too aristocratic. SOC 10 places him just under knighthood. I mean, the dude can carouse, lead, liaise and stab people in the face. Or back. That being said, here's the final character with the awesome Universal Personality Profile (UPP). It's one of the reasons I enjoy Traveller so much. It's concise.

Lars Renatus, Aristocratic Tesserarius, 18 years old B8785A

0-Artillery, Craft, Recon, Riding

1-Archery, Carouse, Leadership, Liaison

2-Melee Combat

Aside from the skills, and whatever gear I give him, that one bold line tells you almost everything you need to know about Lars. B8785A is the UPP code for his ability scores. If only more games could condense all that information into one line.