Character Creation Challenge 2024 - 20: Sandene [Runequest Glorantha]

 Fourth Runequest Glorantha character of the 2024 Challenge [Fifth Overall]

This will be the last RQG character of the challenge. Actually have a full group, never would have expected I would have the stamina to make 4 of these for one challenge...

Fundamentals/Concept

Continuation of the "not do duplicates" plan the others followed. So cannot come from Sartar, Esrolia, Grazelands or Prax. Cults cannot be Humakt, Ernalda, Yelm and Orlanth. Occupations cannot be Farmer, Healer, Light Cavalry nor Heavy Cavalry.

Step 1: Homeland

Next on the list of homelands is Lunar Tarsh. Not entirely sure the rest of the group would be happy to have one? Gives the following Passions:

• Love (Family): 60%
• Loyalty (City): 60%
• Loyalty (Red Emperor): 60%

 

Step 2: Family History

To balance this out a bit, mother and grandmother favored family. Parents were scribes.

1561: Grandmother born.

1582: Mother born. Grandmother was present at the Battle of Grizzly Peak, survived. Grandmother then was part of the rout at the Battle of Alda-Chur.

1597: Grandmother died with great glory trying to kill a member of the Sartar Royal House. Gain Passion - Loyalty (Red Emperor): +10% and Orate: +5%.

1603: Adventurer born.

1608: Mother had a normal year.

1610: Mother had a normal year.

1613: Mother fought in Starbrow's Rebellion and survived. Gain Passion - Loyalty (General Fazzur).

1615: Mother fought in the Grazeland Campaign. Was killed by Beast Men. Gain Passion - Hate (Beast Men): 60%.

1622: Adventurer fought in the Battle of the Auroch Hills, and was nearly killed in said battle. Gain Battle: +5%.

1623: Adventurer had a normal year.

1624: Adventurer was attacked and wounded by members of a rival clan. My clan and that clan now has a feud. Gain Passion - Hate (Rival Clan): 60%.

1625: Nearly killed in the Dragonrise. gain Passion - Fear (Dragons): 80%.

Step 3: Rune Affinities

As the adventurer seems to have both feet in the Lunar camp, going for a membership in the Seven Mothers cult seems given. Seven Mothers wants Moon as the Elemental Rune. As for Power Runes, Death & Fertility - which are at odds. Is that the second cult that has a built in duality? I just like them.

Lunar Tarsh gets a +10% to their Moon Rune.

Elemental Runes

• Pick Moon at 60%. With Homeland Bonus this becomes 70%.
  
• Pick Fire/Sky at 40%.
• Pick Water at 20%.

Power | Form Runes

• Fertility 25% | Death 75%
• Truth 25% |  Illusion 75%
  

Free Additional Points

• Put 5 points in Moon, for a total of 75%.
• Put 35 points in Fire/Sky, for a total of 75%.
• Put 10 points in Water, for a total of 30%.

 

The Moon and Fire runes means a decent POW is guaranteed, and can increase INT in a pinch. The thought is to also be ok at some kind of bow at least, which Fire/Sky can augment.

Step 4: Characteristics

Rolling

• STR: 14
• DEX: 7
• CON: 6
  
• POW: 11
• CHA: 8
• SIZ: 14
• INT: 12

 There's been some disaster rolls for OSE, and the trend continues here. Having a bad DEX and CON is generally not the best for survival rate. The POW is ok, but the CHA makes a character with a spell focus a bit iffy.

This adds up to 72, which is obviously less than 92, so get 3 points extra.

Modifications

Looking up weapons, all bows require a 9 in DEX which was what I wanted. So 2 points goes into DEX and 1 point goes into CON.

Runes next. I take the +2 POW from the Moon Rune as Primary, and pick the +1 CHA over the INT from the Fire/SKy rune.

Lunar Tarsh offers no modifications to the characteristics.

Starting characteristics then become:

• STR: 14
• DEX: 9
• CON: 7
  
• POW: 13
• CHA: 9
• SIZ: 14
• INT: 12

Attributes

• Magic Points: 13
• Hit Points: 8
• Healing Rate: 2
• Damage Bonus: +1d4
• Spirit Combat Damage: +1d6
• Maximum ENC: 10,5
• Dex Strike Rank: 3
• SIZ Strike Rank: 2
• AGI Skill Modifier: +0%
• COM Skill Modifier: +0%
• KNO Skill Modifier: +0%
• MAG Skill Modifier: +5%
• MAN Skill Modifier: +0%
• PER Skill Modifier: +0%
• STE Skill Modifier: -5%

 

There are some break points I have caught at this point. A DEX of 9 helps with avoiding a minus in lots of skill categories, and is enough to use most weapons. Having a 10-11-12 doesn't really do much, while at 13 is enough DEX for all the other weapons I think, and starts giving a bonus to a bunch of skill categories. The same goes for INT, but has even less impact. Meanwhile, every point of CON and POW has an impact for every point you put into them on top of the skill modifications. CHA has a little impact too for each point, on top of the skill category modifiers. If I kept making characters for the game, I would most likely remember the break points for STR/SIZ damage bonuses and so on so I would remember at what point increasing them is pointless and when it's useful. Lots of optimizing to do during character creation here...

As an aside, after the increases, the average of this character is under 12. Looking at the character, it's obviously not super good. But when you roll 3d6 down the line for 5 stats and 2d6+6 for 2 stats discarding every character that has under 12 seems a bit absurd. I think if you have under 10 or 11 or something along those lines after modifications that should grant a reroll. I'll have to think about this for later campaigns I run.

 

Skill base chances

• Dance: +5%
• Intrigue: +5%
• Speak Own (New Pelorian): 50%
• Speak Other (Tarshite): +20%
• Speak Other (Trade Talk): +10%
• Celestial Lore: +5%
• Customs (Lunar Provincial): 20%
• Farm: +25%
• Spirit Combat: +15%
• Dagger: +10%
• 2H Spear: +15%
• Kopis: +10%
• Composite Bow: +10%
• Javelin: +10%
• Medium Shield: +10%
• Large Shield: +15%
  

 

Step 5: Occupation

 Scribe.

The rest of the group are not exactly the most learned bunch. And the occupation has some skills available that characters that don't have them can't even roll. This seems useful to have, if a bit niche.

Occupational Skills

• Speak (Trade Talk): +10%
• Draconic Lore: +30%
• Bureaucracy: +30%
• Celestial Lore: +10%
• Customs (Lunar Provincial): +30%
• Read/Write (Tradetalk): +30%
• Library Use: +10%
• Read/Write (New Pelorian): +50%
• Evaluate: +10%

Other Stuff

• Standard of Living: Free
• Base Income: Depending on skill used (see book).
  
• Gain Passion - Loyalty (Temple): 60%
  
• Ransom: 1000 L (...oh dear)
  
• Equipment: Writing implements and materials (with small wooden carrying case). Three bundles of notes and reports worth 100 L. Blank Parchments worth 50 L. A tin disk carved with the calendar. An old letter of introduction from a senior scribe. A bronze dagger. 80 L in coin.
  

 This is a weird set of things to start with. No social or weapon skills, just a bunch of skills you rarely roll. A really high ransom and nothing to defend himself with. Warning signs all over the place...

Step 6: Cult

Seven Mothers.

• Speak Own (New Pelorian): +20%
• Read/Write (New Pelorian): +15%
• Sing: +10%
• Cult Lore (Seven Mothers): +15%
• Worship (Seven Mothers): +20%
• Meditate: +5%
• Read/Write (New Pelorian): +20% [First Bonus]
• Sing: +10% [Second Bonus]
• Rune Magic: Mindblast, Reflection, Regrow Limb
• Spirit Magic: Befuddle (2 pts.), Glamour (2 pts.) and Heal (1 pt.)
• Passion - Loyalty (Temple): +10%

Even more language stuff. Not sure if I have missed something when it comes to rolling languages in the game, but this keeps striking me as odd. The game also states that the available spirit magic was Befuddle and Glamour, and could take anything else for double the cost - which would mean the character would start with 4 points of spirit magic instead of 5. I found a correction of reddit, that changes it to having to take Befuddle and Glamour, plus one 1 point from somewhere else. Still a bit odd.

Step 7: Personal Skill Bonuses

Four skills gets +25% and five skills gets +10%, still the rules.

• Composite Bow: +25%
• 2H Spear: +25%
• Bureaucracy: +25%
• Bargain: +25%
• Dodge: +10%
• Intrigue: +10%
• Search: +10%
• Meditate: +10%
• Alchemy: +10%

 

 

Step 8: Other Info

 Name: Sandene

Clan and Tribe: Orindori Clan.

Birthday: Fire Season, Illusion Week, Freezeday.

Family Heirloom: Ancient Gold Serpent Armband with Protection (2 pts) spirit magic matrix. Worth 100 L.

Starting Reputation: 10% (Base 5 + Free 5)

Character Summary

Sandene, Lunar Tarshite Scribe

Characteristics

• STR: 14
• DEX: 9
• CON: 7
  
• POW: 13
• CHA: 9
• SIZ: 14
• INT: 12

Runes

• Moon: 75%
• Fire/Sky: 75%
• Water: 30%
• Fertility 25% | Death 75%
• Truth 25% | Illusion 75%

Skills

• Dance: +5%
• Intrigue: +15%
• Speak Own (New Pelorian): 70%
• Speak Other (Tarshite): +20%
• Speak Other (Trade Talk): +20%
• Celestial Lore: +15%
• Customs (Lunar Provincial): +50%
• Farm: +25%
• Spirit Combat: +15%
• Dagger: +10%
• 2h Spear: +40%
• Kopis: +10%
• Composite Bow: +35%
• Javelin: +10%
• Medium Shield: +10%
• Large Shield: +15%
• Draconic Lore: +30%
• Bureaucracy: +55%
• Read/Write (Tradetalk): +30%
• Library Use: +10%
• Read/Write (New Pelorian): +85%
• Evaluate: +10%
• Sing: +20%
• Cult Lore (Seven Mothers): +15%
• Worship (Seven Mothers): +20%
• Meditate: +15%
• Battle: +5%
• Orate: +5%
• Bargain: +25%
• Dodge: +10%
• Search: +10%
• Alchemy: +10%
  

Passions

• Love (Family): 60%
• Loyalty (City): 60%
• Loyalty (Red Emperor): 70%
• Loyalty (General Fazzur) 60%
• Hate (Beast Men): 60%
• Hate (Rival Clan): 60%
• Fear (Dragons): 80%
• Loyalty (Temple): 70%

Equipment

• Ancient Gold Serpent Armband with Protection (2 pts) spirit magic matrix. Worth 100 L.
•  Writing implements and materials (with small wooden carrying case).
•  Three bundles of notes and reports worth 100 L.
•  Blank Parchments worth 50 L.
• A tin disk carved with the calendar.
• An old letter of introduction from a senior scribe.
• A bronze dagger.
• 80 L in coin.
  

Magic

• Rune Magic: Mindblast, Reflection, Regrow Limb
• Spirit Magic: Befuddle (2 pts.), Glamour (2 pts.) and Heal (1 pt.)

Opinions

This character is not only different from the other three (four), who are generally going to be useful for at least some of the common things you roll dice for in this game. This one is generally good at things you do not commonly roll for in this game, or even other games. No armor, bad at defense and might just die from any random bandit attack. It just seems a bit fishy.

Playing

Would use a lot of metaphors and poetry when saying anything, never anything directly. Hide away with a bow if combat happens, or give up fast in the hope they'd see the value of ransoming.

Development

There's a bunch of skills that are low to put the free checks in, like Library Use, Intrigue and Alchemy. Getting Bladesharp at a decent points level would be nice. Bit of armor. Getting other skills that are commonly used also good most likely.

 

End Note

Thus concludes the Runequest Glorantha character creation this challenge. I have learned something from making every single one of them, both of the setting, how things go together and how impactful the characteristics can be. I really like the system, as it creates a living breathing character that feels fleshed out. But at the same time it's very time consuming, has pitfalls and feels like an in game death will be very punishing, as you have to go through the same hoops again.

Out of the four I made during this challenge, and the one at the end of last year, I think the Farmer who is in a Humakt cult was my favorite, simply because the character's skillset was so broad and could participate in most aspects of the game. The four from this year has all been pretty niche, very specialized.