[DF] Arabian Nights questions - Page 4

Phil Masters · 02-11-2016, 05:28 AM

Vaguely realistic beggars don't make dungeon-plundering heroes, of course - though a dungeon plunderer might have had a period of bad luck in the past, justifying him having Panhandling, Scrounging, and Area Knowledge (the city).

If you want a super-cinematic beggar-hero, give him Fast Talk, Stealth, multiple levels of Enhanced Dodge, high HT, Per, and Move, and ludicrous levels of Luck-related advantages. He hangs out with the proper heroes, talks nineteen to the dozen, is either unnoticed by the monsters or evades being hit by them (maybe distracting them so the warriors can get easy shots), and keeps stumbling across important stuff by blind chance. I'd be tempted to set such a character up as a Hireling NPC - a smartass jack of all trades who keeps the PCs amused and helps out in multiple unexpected ways rather than being conventionally useful.

Gold & Appel Inc · 02-11-2016, 12:43 PM

I'm with Phil's interpretation of the cinematic beggar hero build. For the proper Arabian Nights feel, you want to especially look at multiple levels of Serendipity, to let you dictate truly improbable favorable plot twists at least once per session. Gizmos could also be amusing, with the catch phrase, "Hey guys, I found this..."

b-dog · 02-11-2016, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

I'm with Phil's interpretation of the cinematic beggar hero build. For the proper Arabian Nights feel, you want to especially look at multiple levels of Serendipity, to let you dictate truly improbable favorable plot twists at least once per session. Gizmos could also be amusing, with the catch phrase, "Hey guys, I found this..."

How would you role play this? Would the DM have to set up some awesome stuff to find in advance and then use tables ane roll dice?

Phantasm · 02-11-2016, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-dog

How would you role play this? Would the DM have to set up some awesome stuff to find in advance and then use tables ane roll dice?

It'd be more likely to come across as basically dictating what he found while scrounging, I'd say. A lot of stuff can be found in trash at all TLs in all cultures, after all.

dcarson · 02-11-2016, 03:03 PM

For the cinematic beggar hero. I wouldn't make it mandatory but optional Disadvantages so that no matter how much loot the party finds a couple months later when they are putting together the next expedition he is dead broke and back begging. Compulsive Spending, Gambling, Cursed (Wealth) or some such.

Gold & Appel Inc · 02-11-2016, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

It'd be more likely to come across as basically dictating what he found while scrounging, I'd say. A lot of stuff can be found in trash at all TLs in all cultures, after all.

Yeah, just handle it like normal with the Gizmo advantage. Where the object actually came from IC is just a special effect; OOC you're pulling it out of hammerspace.

Gold & Appel Inc · 02-13-2016, 09:01 AM

All right, I'm off work. Let's rock this up.

Very Cinematic Beggar DF Class [250 Points]:

Culture: TL 3ish [0]; Familiarity: Neo-Arabian [0]; Languages: Neo-Arabian (Native / Native) [0];

Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 14 [40];

Secondary: BL 20#; Dam 1d-2 / 1d; Speed: 6.0 [-5]; Move: 6 [0]; HP: 11 [2]; FP: 14 [0]; Perception: 13 [10]; Willpower: 11 [0];

Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]; Danger Sense [15]; Serendipity x3 [45]; PLUS 100 Points in: Charisma 1-3 [5/Level]; Destiny [5-15]; Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/Level]; Extra Move 1-4 [5/Level]; Extra Speed 0.25-2 [5/Quarter Level]; Fit [5-15]; Gizmos 1-6 [5/Level]; Hard to Kill 1-2 [2/Level]; Increased Attributes [Varies]; Language (Any) (Accented / None) [2]; Luck (Regular, Extraordinary, Ridiculous, or Super) [15, 30, 60, or 100]; Perception +1-2 [5/Level]; Perks (Any Listed Below) [1/Each]; Pitiable [5]; Serendipity +1-3 (Regular or Wishing +0%) [15/Level]; Social Chameleon [5]; Talent 1-4 (Smooth Talker) [15/Level];

Perks: THREE OF: Classic Features (Anything) [1]; Doodad x1-3 [1/Level]; Has Memorized al-Quran [1]; Honest Face [1]; Improvised Weapons (Axe/Mace, Brawling, Flail, Garrote, Staff, or Knife) [1]; Passing Appearance (Non-Begging Adventurer) [1]; Patience of Job [1]; Schtick (Sartorial Integrity - You can Swim in Filth and come up Smelling like a Rose), (The Silent Gimme Hand - Enables Non-Verbal Panhandling) [1];

Disadvantages: CHOOSE [-45] FROM: Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; Distinctive Features [-1]; Greed [-15*]; Illiteracy [-1-3]; Laziness [-10]; Mute [-25]; One Eye [-15]; OPH (Moderate BO) [-5], (Powerful BO) [-10]; Skinny [-5]; Social Stigma (Criminal Record or Uneducated) [-5], (Minority Group) [-10]; Status -1 [-5], Status -2 [-10]; Wealth Struggling [-10], (Poor) [-15], or (Dead Broke) [-25];

Quirks: Choose 5 [-5];

Primary Skills: Area Knowledge (E) (The City) IQ+1 [2]-12; Fast Talk (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Hiking (A) HT-1 [1]-13; Panhandling (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Scrounging (E) Per+2 [4]-15; Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-12; Streetwise (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Survival (A) (Urban) Per [2]-13;

Secondary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-12; CHOOSE ONE OF Axe/Mace (A) DX [2]-11, Flail (H) DX-1 [2]-10, Garotte (E) DX+1 [2]-12, Knife (E) DX+1 [2]-12, or Staff (A) DX [2]-11; CHOOSE TWO OF Acting (A) IQ [2]-11, Carousing (E) HT+1 [2]-15, Diplomacy (H) IQ-1 [2]-10, Gesture (E) DX+1 [2]-12; Intimidation (A) Will [2]-11, Sex Appeal (A) HT [2]-14; or Theology (H) (Neo-Islam) IQ-1 [2]-10; ADD 2 POINTS TO ANY OF THE ABOVE [2];

Notes: You are the lowest of the low, but you carry within you the potential to rise to the highest of the high, because Allah loves irony. More advantage-driven than most DF templates, you make up for attributes and skills in showy probability-alteration gimmicks that let you play a key role at pivotal moments more than deliver consistent performance in fights. You always seem to know when to keep your head down, and fortune seems to favor you in unlikely ways, often allowing you to solve crucial puzzles first, meet the exact right people in a way that impresses them, or otherwise make a disproportionate difference.

Potential Lenses:

The Beggar King: This guy is a good choice for a social dominant character who isn't a Bard or an Innkeeper. Charisma, Social Chameleon, Talent (Smooth-Talker), and maybe Pitiable, probably Luck (Regular; Aspected: Social Situations -20%), occasionally Destiny, with no more than one or two significant social disadvantages, but potentially severe physical ones. Though he may be penniless, he can offer advice to a king or seduce a queen. Often appears with a combination of One Eye and Classic Features (Sexy, Mysterious Eyepatch Guy).

The Combat Beggar: Maximum Enhanced Dodge, Extra ST, HT, and/or Speed, and/or Extraordinary-Ridiculous Luck (Aspected: Combat -20%). Go.

The Gladstone Gander: This guy has Destiny, lots of Gizmos, maxed-out Perception, and extra Serendipity. He holds out his hat and something useful falls into it, or he strikes up a conversation with a stranger and they just give him what he needs. Disadvantages do not include bad Wealth; he doesn't have to worry about that.

b-dog · 02-13-2016, 09:39 PM

There should be some sort of Luck power where the PC states what he wants and then rolls against his skill or maybe spends luck points. Vampires are coming fown, the hallway and so the Begger uses his Luck power to look for garlic or holy water. Maybe with higher expenditures he could find a sword of vampire slaying. Just a thought. I think it is sort of difficult in the DM to be the one in charge of what the begged finds or what serendipitous things happen. Instead the PC could have a,power and then spend luck points to make,things even more lucky.

Gold & Appel Inc · 02-14-2016, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-dog

There should be some sort of Luck power where the PC states what he wants and then rolls against his skill or maybe spends luck points. Vampires are coming fown, the hallway and so the Begger uses his Luck power to look for garlic or holy water. Maybe with higher expenditures he could find a sword of vampire slaying. Just a thought. I think it is sort of difficult in the DM to be the one in charge of what the begged finds or what serendipitous things happen. Instead the PC could have a,power and then spend luck points to make,things even more lucky.

Gizmos already cover what you're describing here, as we discussed upthread. Maybe with a shot of Serendipity for "finding" something really valuable and unlikely like a sword of vampire-slaying, depending on how common those are, but garlic and holy water shouldn't be a problem. Both advantages already let the player decide what benefit they want; the GM just exercises veto power if they try to abuse it.

b-dog · 02-15-2016, 10:21 PM

The non-human races I would have in an Arabian Nights setting would be unique to the desert lands instead of having sand elves, desert dwarves and dry gnomes. Part of the reason for changing the setting to another culture is to have different races instead of the endless Lord of the Rings tropes. Maybe jackal men would prowl the lands along with crocodile men in Nile or lizard men that are like monitor lizards. Scorpion men might be cool too. And, I would like to have new and different monsters too. It would be pretty sad to have your PC travel to the Sahara only to find orcs and ogres just like in the standard DF world that the PC just left. Plus orcs, ogres and trolls are from European myths and putting them in a non-European DF world seems like you don't care about non-European cultures enough to try to find some monsters that fit with their cosmology. At the very least not using the standard races and monsters does help give some variety to the game.

If players did want to play an elf or dwarf, I would say they came from mythical Europe and that there are almost none in the Arabian Nights part of the world.

02-11-2016, 05:28 AM	#31
Phil Masters Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: U.K.	Re: [DF] Arabian Nights questions Vaguely realistic beggars don't make dungeon-plundering heroes, of course - though a dungeon plunderer might have had a period of bad luck in the past, justifying him having Panhandling, Scrounging, and Area Knowledge (the city). If you want a super-cinematic beggar-hero, give him Fast Talk, Stealth, multiple levels of Enhanced Dodge, high HT, Per, and Move, and ludicrous levels of Luck-related advantages. He hangs out with the proper heroes, talks nineteen to the dozen, is either unnoticed by the monsters or evades being hit by them (maybe distracting them so the warriors can get easy shots), and keeps stumbling across important stuff by blind chance. I'd be tempted to set such a character up as a Hireling NPC - a smartass jack of all trades who keeps the PCs amused and helps out in multiple unexpected ways rather than being conventionally useful. __________________ -- Phil Masters My Home Page. My Self-Publications: On Warehouse 23 and On DriveThruRPG.

02-11-2016, 12:43 PM	#32
Gold & Appel Inc Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: One Mile Up	Re: [DF] Arabian Nights questions I'm with Phil's interpretation of the cinematic beggar hero build. For the proper Arabian Nights feel, you want to especially look at multiple levels of Serendipity, to let you dictate truly improbable favorable plot twists at least once per session. Gizmos could also be amusing, with the catch phrase, "Hey guys, I found this..."

02-11-2016, 03:03 PM	#35
dcarson Join Date: Mar 2008	Re: [DF] Arabian Nights questions For the cinematic beggar hero. I wouldn't make it mandatory but optional Disadvantages so that no matter how much loot the party finds a couple months later when they are putting together the next expedition he is dead broke and back begging. Compulsive Spending, Gambling, Cursed (Wealth) or some such.

02-13-2016, 09:01 AM	#37
Gold & Appel Inc Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: One Mile Up	Re: [DF] Arabian Nights questions All right, I'm off work. Let's rock this up. Very Cinematic Beggar DF Class [250 Points]: Culture: TL 3ish [0]; Familiarity: Neo-Arabian [0]; Languages: Neo-Arabian (Native / Native) [0]; Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 14 [40]; Secondary: BL 20#; Dam 1d-2 / 1d; Speed: 6.0 [-5]; Move: 6 [0]; HP: 11 [2]; FP: 14 [0]; Perception: 13 [10]; Willpower: 11 [0]; Advantages: Combat Reflexes [15]; Danger Sense [15]; Serendipity x3 [45]; PLUS 100 Points in: Charisma 1-3 [5/Level]; Destiny [5-15]; Enhanced Dodge 1-3 [15/Level]; Extra Move 1-4 [5/Level]; Extra Speed 0.25-2 [5/Quarter Level]; Fit [5-15]; Gizmos 1-6 [5/Level]; Hard to Kill 1-2 [2/Level]; Increased Attributes [Varies]; Language (Any) (Accented / None) [2]; Luck (Regular, Extraordinary, Ridiculous, or Super) [15, 30, 60, or 100]; Perception +1-2 [5/Level]; Perks (Any Listed Below) [1/Each]; Pitiable [5]; Serendipity +1-3 (Regular or Wishing +0%) [15/Level]; Social Chameleon [5]; Talent 1-4 (Smooth Talker) [15/Level]; Perks: THREE OF: Classic Features (Anything) [1]; Doodad x1-3 [1/Level]; Has Memorized al-Quran [1]; Honest Face [1]; Improvised Weapons (Axe/Mace, Brawling, Flail, Garrote, Staff, or Knife) [1]; Passing Appearance (Non-Begging Adventurer) [1]; Patience of Job [1]; Schtick (Sartorial Integrity - You can Swim in Filth and come up Smelling like a Rose), (The Silent Gimme Hand - Enables Non-Verbal Panhandling) [1]; Disadvantages: CHOOSE [-45] FROM: Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; Distinctive Features [-1]; Greed [-15]; Illiteracy [-1-3]; Laziness [-10]; Mute [-25]; One Eye [-15]; OPH (Moderate BO) [-5], (Powerful BO) [-10]; Skinny [-5]; Social Stigma (Criminal Record or Uneducated) [-5], (Minority Group) [-10]; Status -1 [-5], Status -2 [-10]; Wealth Struggling [-10], (Poor) [-15], or (Dead Broke) [-25]; Quirks:* Choose 5 [-5]; Primary Skills: Area Knowledge (E) (The City) IQ+1 [2]-12; Fast Talk (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Hiking (A) HT-1 [1]-13; Panhandling (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Scrounging (E) Per+2 [4]-15; Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-12; Streetwise (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Survival (A) (Urban) Per [2]-13; Secondary Skills: Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-12; CHOOSE ONE OF Axe/Mace (A) DX [2]-11, Flail (H) DX-1 [2]-10, Garotte (E) DX+1 [2]-12, Knife (E) DX+1 [2]-12, or Staff (A) DX [2]-11; CHOOSE TWO OF Acting (A) IQ [2]-11, Carousing (E) HT+1 [2]-15, Diplomacy (H) IQ-1 [2]-10, Gesture (E) DX+1 [2]-12; Intimidation (A) Will [2]-11, Sex Appeal (A) HT [2]-14; or Theology (H) (Neo-Islam) IQ-1 [2]-10; ADD 2 POINTS TO ANY OF THE ABOVE [2]; Notes: You are the lowest of the low, but you carry within you the potential to rise to the highest of the high, because Allah loves irony. More advantage-driven than most DF templates, you make up for attributes and skills in showy probability-alteration gimmicks that let you play a key role at pivotal moments more than deliver consistent performance in fights. You always seem to know when to keep your head down, and fortune seems to favor you in unlikely ways, often allowing you to solve crucial puzzles first, meet the exact right people in a way that impresses them, or otherwise make a disproportionate difference. Potential Lenses: The Beggar King: This guy is a good choice for a social dominant character who isn't a Bard or an Innkeeper. Charisma, Social Chameleon, Talent (Smooth-Talker), and maybe Pitiable, probably Luck (Regular; Aspected: Social Situations -20%), occasionally Destiny, with no more than one or two significant social disadvantages, but potentially severe physical ones. Though he may be penniless, he can offer advice to a king or seduce a queen. Often appears with a combination of One Eye and Classic Features (Sexy, Mysterious Eyepatch Guy). The Combat Beggar: Maximum Enhanced Dodge, Extra ST, HT, and/or Speed, and/or Extraordinary-Ridiculous Luck (Aspected: Combat -20%). Go. The Gladstone Gander: This guy has Destiny, lots of Gizmos, maxed-out Perception, and extra Serendipity. He holds out his hat and something useful falls into it, or he strikes up a conversation with a stranger and they just give him what he needs. Disadvantages do not include bad Wealth; he doesn't have to worry about that. Last edited by Gold & Appel Inc; 03-11-2016 at 02:21 PM.

02-13-2016, 09:39 PM	#38
b-dog Join Date: Nov 2006	Re: [DF] Arabian Nights questions There should be some sort of Luck power where the PC states what he wants and then rolls against his skill or maybe spends luck points. Vampires are coming fown, the hallway and so the Begger uses his Luck power to look for garlic or holy water. Maybe with higher expenditures he could find a sword of vampire slaying. Just a thought. I think it is sort of difficult in the DM to be the one in charge of what the begged finds or what serendipitous things happen. Instead the PC could have a,power and then spend luck points to make,things even more lucky.

02-15-2016, 10:21 PM	#40
b-dog Join Date: Nov 2006	Re: [DF] Arabian Nights questions The non-human races I would have in an Arabian Nights setting would be unique to the desert lands instead of having sand elves, desert dwarves and dry gnomes. Part of the reason for changing the setting to another culture is to have different races instead of the endless Lord of the Rings tropes. Maybe jackal men would prowl the lands along with crocodile men in Nile or lizard men that are like monitor lizards. Scorpion men might be cool too. And, I would like to have new and different monsters too. It would be pretty sad to have your PC travel to the Sahara only to find orcs and ogres just like in the standard DF world that the PC just left. Plus orcs, ogres and trolls are from European myths and putting them in a non-European DF world seems like you don't care about non-European cultures enough to try to find some monsters that fit with their cosmology. At the very least not using the standard races and monsters does help give some variety to the game. If players did want to play an elf or dwarf, I would say they came from mythical Europe and that there are almost none in the Arabian Nights part of the world.