Corsairs - Character Designs

So far we have a Dwarf Warrior/Mechanic, and another player wants to try a Russian/cossack type, complete with daggers, long rifle and sabers.  We've outlined the Dwarf on this post, and we'll outline the next character here.

First, he wants:

Was thinking a loud "russian/cossack type" with saber, daggers, and long rifle...charismatic and tough, average-ish intelligence, braggard and encorgable. Agile but maybe not quick.

Let's take a look at the stats block on the character sheet:

If he wants agility to be his best characteristic, he would choose nimble as a mountain goat. This gives him a 4D base for rolling success, which includes the crackshot skill for shooting that long rifle, acrobatics for agility, and skullduggery are basically the thieves skills for picking locks and sneaking about.

To be charismatic, then he would pick the witty at 3D. This gives him the lore, observation and rhetoric/oratory skills at the 3D base.

And that leaves weak as a kitten for the remaining stat, giving him a 2D for grit, sailing and swordplay.  But all is not lost: he gets to add 2 points to the 4D level, 2 points to the 3D and 1 point to the 2D skills. To increase his swordplay, I'd stick the +1 to the swordplay skill, giving him 3D for success rolls. Moving up to the 3D stats, it depends on just how witty he wants to be: he could stick both points to the oratory skill giving him the 3D + 2D for 5D on oratory rolls. Quite the witty gentleman! Finally, there are 2 points to be spread out on the 4D stat block. Probably +1 each for acrobatics and crackshot, giving him 4 + 1 or 5 dice to roll for success in each of those instances.

This microgame is limited intentionally for quick play: each of the skills has an opposing skill, and there are a very limited number of skills. This is a game for role playing, not rules lawyering or power building.

Now, on to the world building. We've already placed our Dwarf in the northern reaches, a frigid place full of sky whales, cresters and dragons. Yes, there be dragons. We've 3 empires that are not detailed out in the book other than the Alderal Empire to the east of Tebou is still mining the slowly sinking island between all three empires. I've not assigned any sort of culture to anything, wanting to see where the players want to come from. So our loud and womanizing adventurer could be from any of the three big empires, Tebou itself or someplace else as per the Dwarf. Tebou the island is only about 15,000 square miles at 157x94 or so miles, so probably not too many cultures there. I can see perhaps two or three. There is, however, an icy island in the Roche Empire. So perhaps the main culture is what he is looking for.

I'll have a session 0 the first night. I think with the character sheets I've sent out, along with the player reference sheet and the directions here (pick your stat block, 1 each for 2, 3 & 4D. Then add 2 points to the 3 & 4D stats and one for the 2D. Easiest way is to circle the stat block, then write down the +1 as below). Validating the characters is not hard as there is not a whole lot there. We'll have them get to a meet & greet and go from there.

As per an earlier email, here are a handful of ideas:

Currently do not have solid ideas about the sort of game we will play, but here is a list of some possibilities:

1. hired by a council member to investigate rumors of renewed mining of repellium (the stuff that keeps the islands floating above the Molten Sea and allows the sky ships to sail the skies)
2. you are a pirate group, Corsairs, attacking those from the other 3 empires. Make forays out of your pirate haven
3. you are members of one of the guilds and your job is to keep the sky ships running but strange things are happening at the sky docks
4. members of the militia guarding Tebou
5. members of a private group, hunting the great cresters for food, oil and teeth (aka Drifting Dragons)
6. an extended family/village from one of the smaller floating islands near Tebou, and the Empire has destroyed your island, depleting it of too much repellium so it sank too low to be habitable. All you have left are the clothes on your back and your 2 master sloop.Ready for some retribution!

So far there has been a vote for #1, which I could wrap a way around getting everyone together even if you are all not from Tebou.

Example of a filled out character stat block: