BtW Character Creation & World-biilding

Hello friends! Thanks for joining me here.

Beyond the Wall does offer "normal" character creation rules (a fact which I had forgotten), using a more standard OSR/d20 system approach - roll attributes > choose class > pick skills > Go!

But what I am interested in is it's "Playbook"-based character creation (and world building) process.

So, we will be using that method.

And the procedure for that is as follows:

1. Choose your Playbook, and let us know who you want to be, below, so everyone can choose something unique!

2. Start up a character sheet, and read your Playbook to jot down your beginning stats.

3. Roll for the first stage of your characters life path, as guided by your Playbook, and immediately "Edit" the post your rolled in to jot down the developments!

And if you do get to add a Location or Person, please go ahead and resolve that fully - create that place or NOC - before moving on, or anyone else rolling next.

4. Wait for every player to have rolled and completed their first stage. And then take turns moving forward with your next stage dice roll, again waiting for everyone to complete a stage before rolling for the next. Each time jotting down the developments in your roll-post.

It's important that we all roll "together" and alternate/take turns, because you have the ability and opportunity to do world building during this process, and we want to have the opportunity to build upon each other's narratives. That intertwined dynamic is important.

5. Every Playbook I believe has 5 stages. So we go through the roll-and-record process 5 times for each of you.

NOTE! Once and only once during this process, you may ignore a roll, and choose whatever option you want to from that table. You do not HAVE to do this. And you may NOT go "back into" a table once you've moved on from it, to "re-roll" it's result.

6. I will also be choosing a "Scenario Pack", and rolling along to also do world building and incorporating your generated stories into the plot!

I'm going to do this "open handed"/in a separate thread that you all can read and follow along with as well, so that you can see what is going on "behind the screen", if you want to. To gain a better picture of what this system does for yourself.

That's the big stuff, I think...

Let's give it a go and see what I missed!

Let's start by announcing Playbook selections?

Ok, I'm going with the 'Young Woodsman Playbook'

I'm down for Gifted Dilettante or Landless Noble unless someone else wants that kind of theme.

Hello!

I'm torn between the "Self-Taught Mage" and "The Untested Thief". If no one picks a caster I'll go with the self-taught mage.

Gifted Dilettante it is!

You are not the eldest in your family. You are not the greatest warrior of your many siblings, or a diligent student of the arcane arts. Rather, you have a broad range of abilities, a sharp mind, and a winning smile. You’ve also dabbled in some things you probably shouldn’t have. You know a bit of everything, and are rather bored with your situation. You are intelligent and charming. Your Intelligence and Charisma begin at 10, and all of your other ability scores begin at 8.

STR 8, DEX 8, CON 8, INT 10, WIS 8, CHA 10

10 on d12 - My family earned its name by producing the finest knights. +2 Dex, +1 Str, +1 Cha, Skill: Riding

1 on d8 - I distinguished myself as a child because children often fight, but I never lost. +2 Str, +1 Wis

1 on d8 - The other PCs were my best friends, but laboring with the blacksmith took my mind off my troubles. +2 Str, +1 Cha

STR 13, DEX 10, CON 8, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 12, Skill: Riding

Village
Blacksmith: A strong, silent type who works tirelessly and taught me the value of hard work. (Are we meant to name them as well? If so, he could be Hugh or Jon.)
Lord's Manor: My father's manor, where I never really fit in. Father already had an heir and a spare.

The Young Woodsman

You are agile and insightful. Your Dexterity and Wisdom begin at 10, and all of your other ability scores begin at 8.

STR 10, DEX 11, CON 8, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 13

12 Your father was a local merchant. You learned to name your price and charm your customers. +2 Cha, +1 Int, +1 Dex,
Skill: Haggling

6 You never met someone who didn’t like you. +2 Cha, +1 Str

7 The old widow needed help around the house. +1 Str, +1 Int, +1 Cha

@Psybermagi @Esidrix,@ThatTaoGuy each of you get to add a Location and an NPC to the village. (Denoted by the map and hand icons next to your tables.)

What places and what persons would be important to each you? Particularly given the tale your roll results weave? Maybe the Location and/or NPC are one of those featured in your life-path this far? Maybe not?

But go ahead and create a Locations and an NPC each.

These will be woven into the Scenario as potential key people and places.

@Phil_Ozzy_Fer,@Seck go ahead and pick a Playbook and roll up your childhood, when you get a chance. (You will also likely get to each create a Location and NPC too.)

Thanks all!

@emsquared - I edited my post above to add the blacksmith and Lord's Manor.

Village,

The Meet, a semi-circle of vendor tables. Used occasionally for formal events, but mostly for the trading of handmade goods from around the shire.
The Old Widow on the edge of town. She spins wool and, though her hands hurt constantly, she still teaches some of the girls in town how to spin.

Good stuff so far, thank you all!

We'll take a pause while PhilOF makes their selection and rolls.

Self-Taught Mage
What was your childhood like?

What did your parents do in the village? What did you learn from them? (d12, Roll 1)
How did you distinguish yourself as a child? (d8, roll 2)
The other player characters were your best friends. Who else in the village
befriended you while you were growing up?(1d8, roll 3)
Who wrote your precious book of magic? (1d6, roll 4)
1d6 What sort of mage was the author of the book?
Your power drew a spirit of Chaos. How did you fight it off? The playerto your right was there with you. (1d6, roll 5)
A real wizard from the south passed through the village when you came of age.
What did he think of you? (1d6, roll 6)Not quite sure of what people might think of his dabbling in magic, Alwig stowed himself away in an unused storage shed near the market square. Only mice seemed to frequent this place and it was a quiet escape where Alwig could work his way through his arcane pastime. It was here that he'd stow himself away whenever he had the chance. It wasn't entirely unknown, Farmer Sigward from not far down the eastward lane knew of Alwig's experiments, but kept to himself, as farmers do. The grain cultivator was the only one who ever considered using this place but steered away because of the mice.

Every so often, Alwig would make his way toward Sigward's farm and camp with some hunters just off the farmer's property. One of them was also a guard who worked with Alwig's father, which is how they'd all made acquaintance. Alwig's father wanted his son to become a bit hardier and approved of the camping trips, hoping it would toughen up his child.

Thanks for the rolls Mr. Ozzy_Fer

Could you please also edit your post to describe your childhood Location and NPC that you'd like to add to the village?

By your roll you're an orphan, but this is just a small village, so I don't know that it's appropriate to have an Orphanage. Who raised you? Or how did you survive from childhood to young adulthood?

Your 3rd table roll evokes Hunters as people whom you befriended. Is one of them your NPC? Or was there someone else in your childhood who was more important and more influential?

Please formulate these story components, and then I can start rolling up the Scenario details.

And also we can continue on with character creation (and MORE world building), @Psybermagi please kick us off for round 2 of tables?

SITTING ORDER:
psybermagi, who is to the right of ...
thattaoguy, who is to the right of ...
esidrix, who is to the right of ...
phil_ozzy_fer, who is to the right of psybermagi

Changes made to my previous post

The villagers were distrustful and afraid when you came around, until you and one of your friends discovered a thief in their midst. The friend to your right (@phil_ozzy_fer) helped you uncover the traitor, and gains +1 Int.

So clockwise I'd be next, correct? I rolled all the rest of my steps above. I got my way by knowing more than my peers (perhaps by studying at the library?), my favorite pastime was spying on visiting nobles and learning their business, and the shared bit...

You dallied with forces beyond your ken. How did you save yourself with the help of a friend? The player to your right was there with you - When a visiting noble came with an odd trinket and ill intentions, you and a friend stole this most prized possession. You gain the cantrip Glamour Weaving and the ritual Arcane Experiment.

@Psybermagi - The friend to your right helped you lift the magical bauble and banish the meddling noble from the keep, and gains +1 Int.

@emsquared - should I name the noble or just assume it's some banished NPC?

Yup, you're right! I think I must not have looked at your actual roll, and in reading the body of your post, just interpreted "Roll 1" as "Roll of 1" 😅

Thanks for correcting me!

Ok, so I'll add the grain storage shed(?) as your Location, and the Hunter/Guard as your NPC? Is that right?

Then I'll further develop the Scenario Pack with the rolls/tables.

Then parse second round rolls.

@Esidrix whatever you get an opportunity, I think we're ready for your rolls. No rush tho.

And, we may be getting close to done!

Thanks everyone for your work so far.

I don't think you need to name them, UNLESS you want them to be your second round NPC that you get to add.

Remaining Rolls:
What sort of woodsman are you?
You are a great trapper, never coming home empty handed. +3 Wis, Skill: Trapping

What is your hidden talent?
Simple skills. +2 Wis, a trade skill of your choice

How do you make yourself useful to the village?
The player to your right often helps you.
Sometimes armies from the south move on distant roads. Unseen, you watch them when they do. The friend to your right stayed with you last summer, watching just such a movement of troops, and gains +1 Dex. +2 Dex, Skill: Stealth

What did you find in the woods that no one knows about?
A hidden cache of money, buried in an iron-bound chest beneath an old oak tree. There was a huge gem within, but you’ve never met anyone with enough silver to buy it. +2 Dex, a large ruby