CC Templates

## **Where Characters Fear to Tread**

Unlike some RPGs that use class-based systems, Speculation is all about the skills. Hang on to that as we glance at the NPCs of the world. Most people who live life will get into their daily routines and find their groove, achieving a balance, an equilibrium between work and play that makes life tolerable. The characters, however, are a different breed.

Speculation expects future adventurers to be more motivated. Whether that's intrinsically exceptional or not is entirely up to the player, but the *character* is breaking out of the routine that makes them part of the background of life.

This campaign in particular emphasizes that by drawing characters out of the pool of *normal* people who are rising to a different level of challenge. Can you play an "exception"? Certainly, but even then, it requires pre-playing the character to establish their link to whatever makes them exceptional.

The primary diffrence is *access to magic*. This starts at the level of special educational and training techniques, like *Books of Learning*, and grows into access to magical arms, armor and spell-casting abilities. Under those special circumstances, the number of skills and respective skill levels go into different guidance. The player will have the opportunity to experience life at a level of disaster-prone normalcy before embracing the tool-sets that open new capacity.

For those coming from D&D and other class-based systems, consider this role-playing through the character's transition from their chosen background to what their class *would be*.

### **Base Assumptions**

Each of the following build templates use the "Itinerant Adventurer" attribute averages. This gives players a chance to compare and contrast skill sets within the same context.

This also assumes an educated character, either in non-magical schools or through an apprenticeship (which is a mere 10% penalty from contemporary skill ratings). Characters who have neither of those have a lower skill rating (a 20% penalty). Check the Speculation Character Construction Skills page for clarification.

#### **The Itinerant Adventurer**

Gifted with a little extra, they have grown a bold spirit. This averages to 70 per trait, 70 per sense specific.

### **The Craftsman Baseline**

Note: On the character sheet, there is a blank space after the name column for the skill. This is as much to record the per-skill ***experience points*** as it is to note the skill path.

## **Profession Templates, circa 1389**

***Note:** each of the templates below also follow the "Itinerant Adventurer" baseline for characteristics. By keeping the stats the same, this gives players a look at a semi-optimized, realistically-built skill set for a character in that role*.

### **Person of the Cloth**

* Statistically, a guy – but in the last 10 years, things have been so topsy-turvy. The Big-C Church itself has been going through an accelerated Protestant Reformation, with the mysterious, miracle-wielding Jesuits actually leading the movement from the inside. This has not only been an internal affairs of sorts, but also a reconciliation of previous schisms that now bring the religion of peace together again.
* The Jesuits are a sect within the Christian Church that are known to have access to apparently divine magic. In-game, these particular miracles are technically ***psionics***. There are a few rare paths, mostly of the shamanistic paths, that combine psionics and some arcane.
* While this pre-psionic movement started in Western Europe, it has taken hold with certain mystic sects within Islam as well, and is now finding its way into Hinduism, Buddhism, and various other shamanistic sects around the world.
* With that world growth, a character interesting in casting as a proxy for their sense of the divine could be a priest, imam, bishop, kohen or rabbi, cardinal, shaman, etc. Adjust details to taste, but their path to achieve that enlightenment (and power) starts here.
* Divine Insight, or more technically theology, has become a practical and applied science, especially given the War of the Angels and the approaching darkness. It is the key to opening the path to psionics.
* Similarly, the SocSci/Psychology skill is the basis of personal ministry. In the 1380s, while religion had been divisive and sporadically destructive (hence the Reformation), the folk of the cloth were also the only regular source of psychological therapy or *any* source of social welfare.
* While Tuck would turn the other cheek until he martyred himself, he'll defend "the flock" with his [very substantial] shepherd's crook.

### **Person-at-Arms**

* Again, statistically, a guy – but in the last 10 years, there has been such a population drain that women have had to step into traditionally male roles. There is more resistance in certain regions and social strata, but the acceptance has been generally high given their success, competence and the disintegration of traditionalist "guidance."
* Armies have been everywhere, but professional mercenaries are far fewer. These are often the tip of the spear, the shock troops, or the professional officer corps for the conscripted rabble that the local count assembled to invade the neighbors.
* In Europe, with the rise of the Commonwealth, Free Companies fighting fellow humans has dropped to nearly zero, but mercenaries fighting undead or orks has been *consistent business*.
* A person-at-arms is more likely to earn entry into the highly prestigious Royal or Noble Arms that form the fearsome military strength of the Commonwealth.
* Sally (below), has worked herself into a mid-Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) role, roughly a sergeant in the Free Company she has been serving prior to the campaign. As such, a side-duty has been as company paymaster.

### **Minor Noble/Courtier**

* Statistically, a man in the power position – but not always. Also, effectively true for the spouses as well, given their level of grooming for noble or royal court.
* Likewise, courtiers could be roughly anybody who has the credential to stand in the presence of the king. This includes nobility, from within the kingdom or from neighboring regions, ambassadors, specialist advisors, clergy, troubadours, courtesans, etc.
* With the level of intrigue in royal and noble courts, spies and assassins are sometimes within that crowd as well. Espionage is usually considered the world *second-oldest profession*, and somewhat less honorable than the world's oldest...

### **Courtesan**

* Statistically, a gal, but not always. It's the Oldest Profession for a reason.
* The courtesan here covers the spectrum of intimate companionship from the bawdy working-class professionals to those who are as much courtier as courtesan.
* Certain gray-area or borderline professionals, such as a bar wench, might fit as courtesan better than artisan or craftsman, depending on where (and how) they work.
* The courtesan is also an *exceptional* spy...
* David Lee Rotholio, below, was a former baronet, but has since been reduced to just a gigolo in various noble courts through eastern France, Arelat and Northern Italy. He actually owns a great deal of land again, and found his game of love is helping win back holdings parcel-by-parcel in a fashion that has the Habsburgs taking notes...

### **Academic/Scholar**

* Again, statistically in 1389, a dude – but the characters are the exceptions that prove *the rule is crumbling*... The Age of Enlightenment is upon the Commonwealth four centuries early, though this is a society that's dealing with a war of the angels, rampaging orks, and a new, terrifying darkness. They know things are changing, but the only sweeping term they've attached to it is *The End Times*.
* The Royal Academy has dragged science into its modern definition across Europe and parts farther. While the fifth force of magic is now inextricably intertwined with the study of the four mundane forces, the Scientific Revolution is strengthening its grip on the world. Perhaps the best reflection of this seeming dichotomy is that science itself is still known by the term "Natural Philosophy."
* By now, in Western Europe, many of the colleges and universities in the bigger cities have a touch of magic (*Books of Learning*). The character would likely hail from a smaller private school or academy as they begin their journey, likely with the intention of joining that magically-enhanced ivory tower.
* There is a fine line between academics and scholars, mostly in that the academics are teaching while the scholars are researching. Even outside the sphere of magic,
	+ For Hank (below), though this predates Newton by almost three centuries, Newtonian-style physics are already sweeping through European colleges.
	+ There was a glimmer that steam engineering might lead an Industrial Revolution, but in the same places that steam is now known, magical force has already supplanted steam-based pressure as a way to accomplish work. The end result is that the Industrial Revolution is accelerating much faster than it had the first time around, but is still limited to areas privy to this knowledge (the Commonwealth). This would absolutely be something Professor Morgan would be interested in learning more about...
* Likewise, in the last 10 years, the world has been so turned upside down that revelations that would've been burn-at-the-stake heretical a score of years ago are welcomed with wide-open arms now (especially after two narrowly-avoided end-of-the-world events).
* Academics and scholars are the characters most likely to take up ***arcane magic***.

## **Where to From Here?**

* Characters built from these templates follow the professional archetypes of the late 14th century and are solid Tier Three performers. This will gave players a foothold on the campaign as they begin their journey of discovery and growth into a magical world.
* Players seeking characters who already have a magical capacity, and have consulted with their Ref, may take the next step here.