The Dragon Tablets: Iteration Two – Templates the Old Way

Now that we have set the new rules we’re using with The Dragon Tablets, drawing on Action, Dungeon Fantasy, and Monster Hunters. It is time to update the templates.

When we started this journey, I was looking at 400 point characters, but due to the Dungeon Fantasy templates and the way I merged two of them together to get something workable, that ended up being closer to 500 character points, including racial templates for those that use them. Creating characters this way is still possible and that is why we’re going to go through the process that created Arthur Wing, Edward Ashcroft, and Nephithi Andas.

Let’s use Nephithi as our example. In Iteration One we used the elf template from GURPS Fantasy, but in Iteration Two we changed the racial templates. And as her inspiration came from the Elder Scrolls Dark Elf, she would be a Shadow Elf.

As a Shadow Elf, she has DX +1, IQ +1, Per +1, Dark Vision, Silence 2, Unaging, and Social Stigma (Minority). Which would remove the Elf template’s ST -1, Appearance (Attractive), Magery 0, Perfect Balance, Telescopic Vision 1, Voice, and Connoisseur (Natural Environments) from the Iteration One character.

We add the TES related traits, Absolute Direction, Accessory (Map), Shtick (Absolute Direction and your senses updates the Map automatically), Shtick (Absolute Direction shows the direction to all locations on the map).

We then go to the Dungeon Fantasy templates Swashbuckler and Wizard. We take the highest of each attribute from both templates, ST 11, DX 16, IQ 16, HT 13. The elf template gave ST -1, but I decided to skip that part in Iteration One so that the character didn’t have lower attributes than indicated by the templates. In Iteration Two this includes IQ +1.

Secondary characteristics go next. Again, use the best of each template. Damage 1d-1/1d+1, BL 24 lbs, HP 11, Will 16, Per 14, FP 13, Energy Reserve (Magicka) 14, Basic Speed 7.00, Basic Move 7. Including the Per +1 from her race and lowering FP to the Swashbuckler value as FP from the wizard has been moved to Magicka.

The next step is looking at the advantages, starting with the mandatory ones. Combat Reflexes, Enhanced Parry (Broadsword), Luck, Magery 3, Weapon Bond (Sword), and Weapon Master (Broadsword). And then picking optional ones: Eidetic Memory, Intuition, Magery 4 from Wizard and Alcohol Tolerance, Enhanced Dodge, Extra Attack, and Serendipity 1 from Swashbuckler.

Followed by the disadvantages. And neither have any mandatory disadvantages, so we’re going straight for the optional ones. Code of Honor (Gentleman’s), Obsession (Become the best swordsman in the world!), and Vow (Never refuse a challenge to combat) for a total of -30 from the -50 points for a Swashbuckler. And Obsession (Become the best wizard in the world!), Weirdness Magnet, and Sense of Duty (Companions) for a total of -30 from the -35 points from the Wizard template. There are another -25 points available in the templates, but I chose to skip those.

Skills are next, starting with the mandatory ones. From the Wizard: Hidden Lore (Demons)-16, Occultism-16, Alchemy-16, Thaumatology-16, Hazardous Materials (Magical)-15, Research-15, Speed-Reading-15, Teaching-15, Writing-15, Meditation-15. And from Swashbuckler: Jumping-15, Fast-Draw (Knife)-17, Fast-Draw (Sword)-17, Acrobatics-16, Wrestling-15, Stealth-15, Carousing-13. As IQ and Will have +1 in Iteration Two, but not Perfect Balance, some of the skill levels are different from Iteration One. And somehow Wrestling didn’t make it in Iteration One.

The optional skills, starting with Swashbuckler: Throwing-16, Broadsword-20, Cloak-17, Brawling-17, Savoir-Faire (High Society)-17, Climbing-15, Fast-Talk-14, First Aid-16, Gesture-16, Gambling-15, Hiking-12, and Search-13. And from the Wizard: Staff-18, Innate Attack (Beam)-18, Fast-Draw (Potion)-17, Cartography-15, Hidden Lore (Magic Items)-15, Hidden Lore (Magical Writings)-15, Hidden Lore (Spirits)-15, Diplomacy-14, Physiology (Demon)-14, Physiology (Mundane)-14, and Scrounging-14. As I would need it for my spells, I also added Innate Attack (Projectile)-18 outside the template. Some of the skill levels are different here too, due to higher IQ and Per, as well as no Voice.

And then on to the spells. All of these are from the Wizard: Armor-18, Breathe Water-18, Burning Touch-18, Concussion-18, Create Air-18, Create Fire-18, Create Water-18, Dark Vision-18, Deflect Energy-18, Destroy Water-18, Explosive Fireball-18, Fireball-18, Flame Jet-18, Heat-18, Ignite Fire-18, Infravision-18, Keen Vision-18, Lend Energy-18, Lend Vitality-18, Lightning-18, Major Healing-17, Minor Healing-18, Purify Air-18, Recover Energy-18, Resist Fire-18, Shape Air-18, Shape Fire-18, Shield-18, Sound-18, and Thunderclap-18.

Because of the more expensive racial template, she ended up being 15 points more expensive at 569 points. But as she already has Dark Vision, we can remove a few spells from her spell list: Dark Vision, Infravision, and Keen Vision. But as the template indicates that 30 points should be spent on spells, those three points have to be reinvested there anyway.

That elves are better looking than humans, is one of the most common traits of an elf in other settings. But that isn’t the case in TES or Dragon Tablets. At least not in Iteration Two. Is that something that needs to be considered for Iteration Three? If the image of Nephithi is considered Attractive in Iteration One, shouldn’t it be considered Attractive in Iteration Two too? Or can I use the same image even if she no longer is Attractive? The balance and voice of elves are also well known in some settings. But again, in Iteration Two that is not the case. And having the old Nephithi being 569 points and the new Nephithi being only 500 points, something has to change. But how that will happen is still to come.