As shown in Templates the Old Way
When we started this journey, we were looking at 400 point characters, but due to the Dungeon Fantasy templates and the way we merged two of them together, that ended up being closer to 500 character points, including racial templates for those that use them. Which is why The Dragon Tablets templates will be 400 character points, including -50 points of disadvantages, with another 100 character points to be spent individually and -5 points for quirks, for 500 point characters. In addition to that, they will get the computer game related traits, so that’s another 8 character points.
With only 400 points for the template, the merge method cannot be used any longer. Nor did it produce characters of the same point budget to begin with. And if we wanted to figure out what the highest budget would be, we would have to test all 55 mergers, and that’s only counting the templates in Dungeon Fantasy 1: Adventurers. And we would have to consider not using all the disadvantages for each merger. Not a fun or fast prospect.
And considering what we added in New Rules, there now need to be templates for Bioenhancement, Psionics, and Sorcery. And we need to update the Holy Might templates so that they cover Divine Favor too. Bard-Song, which is from Dungeon Fantasy but is more of a sub-power than a power of its own, wasn’t listed in New Rules with the other powers, but still is in the setting. And considering the changes made to it, we’re going to cover it here, in context. But not just yet. To that, we have the lists of traits from Exploits and Exploits Continued that have to be included in the set of templates we’re going to make.
Going back to the very first post in Iteration One, we established the core activities in The Dragon Tablets and they can be summarized as combat, supernatural, exploration, and economics.
If we start with the non-supernatural templates from Dungeon Fantasy 1: Adventurers, we have Barbarian, Knight, Scout, Swashbuckler, and Thief. Knight, which Dungeon Fantasy used for their baseline warrior template, gives me mental pictures of a mounted, heavy armored, honorable warrior. And even though it is possible to use the Knight template to build such a character, you can use it to build very dissimilar characters too. So I want a term that doesn’t pigeonhole the template as much. And Warrior seems like a good generic term.
Among those templates, there is little focus on economics, so let's get an Agent. Those templates also only cover two of the three non-supernatural guilds mentioned in that same first post. So we’re also adding an Assassin template.
Having looked at the non-supernatural, let’s look at the supernatural ones. There are seven ways to be supernatural: Bioenhancement, Chi, Druidic Arts, Holy Might, Psionics, Sorcery, and Wizardry. And looking to Elder Scrolls, the three iconic characters of Dragon Tablets, and the remaining templates from Dungeon Fantasy 1: Adventurers, there are some interesting templates to choose from for this list. To follow the example of Dungeon Fantasy, we are looking at two templates from each form of supernatural power: Acrobat, Arcane Warrior, Bard, Bearbarian, Cleric, Crusader, Druid, Experiment, Martial Artist, Mentalist, Nightblade, Psionic Ranger, Sorcerer, and Wizard.
While working on these templates, I quickly discovered that I had seven for psionics, sorcery, and wizardry. But only one for Druidic Arts. I looked at Arcane Warrior, Bard, Mentalist, Nightblade, Psionic Ranger, Sorcerer, and Wizard and quickly noted that Bard had to go. But just as quickly noted that Druidic Arts was not the way to go. So I moved Agent to the non-supernatural list and reshaped and renamed the Bearbarian, leaving room in Chi and Bioenhancement.
And with Agent now the “powerless” face template, I could move Bard, the powered face template, into the Chi slot I had vacated. And as I envisioned Bioenhancement for characters like Black Panther, Black Widow, and Captain America
Having defined those templates, it was clear that all bases hadn’t been covered yet, so Marshal and Steward were added.
Bard-Song
This is the power of song and music channeling the user’s life energy, or chi. Rolls to use abilities with the Bard-Song limitation are made at a bonus equal to the bard’s Bardic Talent level.
Power Modifier: Bard-Song: The new Bard-Song modifier works as the old one did, with the exception that it’s not magical. But as it is chi, you need the Disciplines of Faith (Chi Rituals) disadvantage and you are bound to all the other aspects listed under the Chi power modifier in Dungeon Fantasy too.
Bardic Talent: Bardic Talent costs 15 points/level and gives you a bonus to Bard-Song abilities, Bardic skills, and Chi skills. But as he still needs to sing to use his Chi skills, some of them may not be as useful to him as they are to the Martial Artist.
Templates
As we define the scopes on these templates, we’re using Dungeon Fantasy, GURPS Template Toolkits 1: Characters, GURPS Action 4: Specialists, and fictional sources to do so.
Acrobat: An entertaining, Bioenhanced wonder of motion.
Agent: Deception, infiltration, intrigue, manipulation, negotiation, stealth, and tradecraft.
Arcane Warrior: A warrior who uses Sorcery.
Assassin: A stealthy infiltrator of death.
Barbarian: A strong, durable outdoorsman and warrior.
Bard: An infiltrating, Chi powered manipulator and entertainer.
Bearbarian: A strong, durable druidic warrior.
Cleric: A leader and healer of Holy Might that knows many things.
Crusader: A warrior of Holy Might.
Druid: Nature is yours
Experiment: A Bioenhanced warrior
Marshal: An investigator and stealthy leader on horseback.
Martial Artist: A mobile, Chi powered warrior.
Mentalist: You are a master of Psionics.
Nightblade: You are an athletic and stealthy deathbringer with Wizardry.
Psionic Ranger: An outdoorsman powered by Psionics.
Scout: An outdoorsy, ranged warrior.
Sorcerer: A master of Sorcery.
Steward: You are a diplomat who takes care of business.
Swashbuckler: You are a swordsman extraordinaire
Thief: Stealth and acquisition.
Warrior: You are a warrior.
Wizard: The ultimate Wizardry spellslinger and scholar.
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