DM's Workshop: Katarin gets OLD

This week marks a first glance at crossing over the Spheric Weaving from the Alphtatians over to the What's O.L.D. is N.E.W. system.
In many ways, WOIN's freeform [skill]+[secret] system of casting is a good fit for the fluid, open-ended nature of plucking at the cast-off Spheric threads.

There is still a lot to hammer out, but our iconic Novice, Katarin, will no doubt help guide us.

A brilliant human female weaver who collects bird feathers.

Follow these steps to create your character: 

1. Note your starting attributes (each attribute starts at 3, except for Magic and Reputation, each of which start at 0). 

2. Choose a race.  Katarin is human.

a)Apply race attribute adjustments. Humans receive +2 to LUC, +2 to one attribute of their choice, and +1 to another attribute; Katarin is a pretty girl, and takes +2 to her CHA; she is also the daughter of the town’s Wisdom; with magic in her blood, she takes +1 to MAG

b) Note your Size. Katarin is Medium
c) Choose three racial skills. medicine, climbing, running
d) Note all the listed race exploits. Explorer, Varied, Enduring

3. Choose a hook, and note it in your descriptor. Katarin collects bird feathers

a) Choose one attribute related to that hook; this is called your hook attribute. LOG?

4. Choose five careers. Start with an origin, and then select four further careers. Katarin is a special case, getting all four careers, as she has recently begun her training as a Novice.

Origin. Acolyte, Farmhand, Noble, Page, Primitive, Slave, Urchin, Villager, Wizard’s Apprentice 

Katarin did not grow up like the others in her small village. Being the Wisdom’s daughter, it was assumed that she would eventually take her mother’s place, and began her Apprenticeship early. The Wizard’s Apprentice origin is close enough: Each of her INT, LOG, MAG, and REP increase by one point. She picks up the magical healing skill, learns herbal(ism) lore, and the Prestidigitation exploit, unknowingly using small displays of magical prestidigitation at will to assist her with day-to-day inconveniences.  Age: 8

For each career grade, do the following:

a) Apply all of the listed attribute adjustments. Note that you may optionally substitute either one of your racial attributes or your hook attribute for one of the listed attributes. 

b) Choose two of the listed skills and advance each by one point. Note that characters may always select a defensive skill instead of a listed skill. 

c) Choose one new career exploit from the list shown or choose one universal exploit. 

d) Roll for the number of years your character ends at that career grade and increase your age (your age starts at zero). 

Katarin accompanied her mother on her rounds, both among the villagers, but also helped gathering and preparing the various poultices, philters, and draughts. Herbalist gives her +1 to LOG, INT, WIL, and LUC. Her herbalism lore increases, as did her knowledge of basic medicine. An able study, she can create a Healing Herb concoction, restoring 1d6 Health to an ally as long as she has her herbalist kit with her. A given creature can benefit from this just once per day. (And Brynne would thump her if she ever referred to her friends as ‘creatures.’)Age: 9

She furthers her Herbalist studies, becoming more perceptive of her surroundings, and of nature itself. She expands her herbal remedies to Alleviate Condition. So long as she carries her  herbalism kit, she can automatically devise an herbal concoction to relieve any condition (stunned, blinded, and so on) by mixing the herbs on hand, and adding additional components from the surroundings. It takes two actions (a full turn) and reduces any non-permanent status track by one stage.  Age: 10

Her field work soon gave way to sit-down study in her mother’s extensive library, mastering its lore. As a Loremaster, she gains LOG +2, WIL +1, MAG +1. She focuses her studies on furthering her knowledge of medicine and healing. Others soon learn to listen to her Wise Counsel. Spending two actions to offer advice and counsel gives one ally within 30' a +2d6 bonus to a single attribute check. Any given target can only benefit from this once per day.  Age: 11

Only very recently has she begun formal tutelage, under a Magia from the Tower of Seven Lights. Her study of the Alphatian method of weavecraft gives her MAG +1, LOG +1, WIL +1, REP +1. She focuses her studies on spellcraft and calligraphy. Her Arcane Knowledge Base includes abjuration, compulsion, hexes, movement, and the secret of the Sphere of Thought (Elemental Air)

5. Select Aim, Feint or Focus (free universal exploits) plus one other exploit of your choice for which you qualify.  

Katarin takes the Focus exploit (spending one action focusing grants +1d6 to a spell cast in the same round), as well as Arcane Secret exploit. She learns the Secret of Person/Other.

6. Choose one trait based on your highest or lowest attribute and note that in your descriptor. 

With her high LOGIC, Katarin takes the Brilliant trait. Because of her honed, sharp, and analytical mind, once per day she may replace any other attribute check with a LOG check.

7. Determine your age and apply any age exploits.

Katarin is 12, which qualifies her as young. The Young exploit allows her to declare (once per day) an exploding dice pool. Any 6s rolled explode, meaning they are rolled again and added the existing 6. Further 6s continue to explode, until less than a 6 is rolled.

8. Calculate your derived statistics.

Derived Stats: Her dice pools look like this:

Attribute	STR	AGI	END	INT	LOG	WIL	CHA	LUC	REP	MAG
Attribute	3	3	3	6	9	7	6	8	2	4
Pool	2d6	2d6	2d6	3d6	3d6	3d6	3d6	3d6	1d6	2d6

Katarin’s skills:

medicine3 (2d6), climbing(1d6), running (1d6), herbalism2 (1d6), perception (1d6), nature (1d6), spellcraft (1d6), abjuration (1d6), compulsion (1d6), healing2 (1d6), hexes (1d6), illusion (1d6)

Health END+WIL pools:  2d6 HEALTH

Magic Points 3xMAG 12 MP; she can enhance a spell up to 4MP

Speed  STR pool size+AGI pool size+running = 5  Climb STR+AGI+climbing/2 = 3

Jump (horizontal 2xAGI(attribute itself, in feet)/vertical STR(attribute itself, in feet))

6’/3’ (assumes 10’ run-up; halved if standing)

Carry STR+ENDx10 60 lbs

Maximum lift 50xSTR 150 lbs

Initiative INT dice pool 3d6

Perception INT dice pool (+ perception) 4d6

Defenses

MELEE (AGI) 2d6 = 10

RANGED (AGI) 2d6 10

MENTAL (CHA or WIL) 3d6 11

VITAL (END)  2d6 10

9. Spend money to equip your character with armor, weapons, and equipment

Katarin doesn’t own much, just the clothes on her back, her herbalism kit, and one of the dozen pendants shared by the Handmaidens. A belt pouch and 15 gc completes her equipment. (The pendant allows its wearer to understand High Thonian. If anointed with a drop of the wear’s blood, the pendant allows an hour’s communication with any who share the same group of pendants, regardless of distance, as long as they are on the same plane of existence)