Traveller: Character Challenge 14 of 31: OSE Fighter Grace Carver

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Character Challenge 14 of 31: OSE Fighter Grace Carver

I question some of my character challenges: are these characters I could use as a player character or NPC? While Brulk was used in the Fantasy Trip game a bit, I am not sure I hung enough character to actually play him other than as the GM's voice in the party. As I was following an existing adventure and of course, they leave the main path almost immediately. And I'm reading So You Want to be a Game Master, I've read the XDM book, and I backed yet another GM book. the Secret Art of Game Mastering, that will show up in a few months. I am not entirely sure they are really helping me. And no, not having seen Critical Roll or any online games, pretty sure I am not experiencing the Mercer Effect. Though I think part of yesterday's disappointment to me is running a published adventure. Normally I do more of a sandbox thing with some vague goals or set pieces and the players drive where we are going for the most part. For instance, the OSE game underway has a big thing coming up in 2 days game time (which I really still need to plan the details) and that will drive what happens next. Assuming they survive that is!

Anyway, as I do need to do a bit more planning, I may as well bring into focus another NPC that the players will probably encounter again. They have already met Grace Carver, whose songs about her legendary feats are growing out of hand. Though I never really did a character generation for her for stats. So here we go with just who is Grace Carver.

And I like these dice for OSE as I keep rolling high. Which is ironic as the dice are from a Fantasy Trip Kickstarter, and for the Fantasy Trip you want to low roll, at least for combat attacks!

Rolling up the stats

ST 12 INT: 14 WIS: 11 DEX: 16 CON: 14 CHA: 10

She has a 2 in 6 chance of kicking down stuck doors, which would be handy for a town guard! Pretty smart, she is both literate and speaks both the trade tongue (common) and Elf (rolled against the 10 races). No bonuses for her wisdom, but with a DEX of 16 she has a +2 to her AC, +1 on initiative, and +2 on missile weapons. Her 14 CON gives her a +1 on hit points, so she is a tough cookie!

Background

Now, just as in Traveller, what can we read into these stats and talents? She comes from the wooded mountains far to the East, her parents guards themselves. The kingdom bordered the Elven woods, where the near mythical Silvermoon Kingdom was located. While trade was minimal between the human and elven kingdoms, there was some. Grace's parents saved an Elf trader. Feeling indebted, he taught Grace and her 2 brothers the Elven language. While Grace was an apt student, her brothers barely learned the basics of the elegant language. The trader decided to travel along the Ocean Trade Route, and Grace, having learned combat from her parents, went along as a guard in the caravan. Weeks later, she realized that the caravan life was not for her, and she stayed at the trade town on the edge of the Kalor Desert, Windermere Crossing. She was hired as one of the 2 new town guards along with Ana Van Rynevel.

From my Guide to Windemere Crossing:

Grace Carver, new guard hired by Ira Sprigbasher. Young and eager for her job, she and the other new guard, Anja Van Ryneveld, usually have the night shift. She carries a pole arm as well as a long sword and is adept at both. She laughs a lot, especially after the Ballad of Grace Carver keeps getting embellished by each new bard singing it.

This was written before I had her stats, so she is also a great archer and trains with the archer squad when she can. However, doing night duty and traipsing around town a sword is a better choice than a bow. Looking at the image, looks like she wears not quite plate armor, but something like a light plate armor, Which is not really in the book. Going to go with chain armor as it is between leather and plate. Which does affect her movement (I think I am finally getting some of that movement rules in my head!), slowing her down just a bit.

Random

And painting a bit. Almost happy with these harpies and 3 headed dog. Now to actually use them maybe! Just a bit more work for all of them but coming along. Figured I needed to use those new brushes I bought!