Magisterium Character Creation Rules and Hacks

The following represents the character creation rules sent out to the players in the Magisterium Campaign. The game uses RuneQuest 6, which is a great, setting-neutral version of RuneQuest with decent amounts of guidance regarding how to customize and do your own shit, so to speak. So Rich Forest and I have.

For quick reading types, here's a list of the hacks we've done to the RAW (Rules As Written) embedded in the rules below: Language and Literacy Changes; Ubiquitous Folk Magic; Kalingoi Race; Generating Characteristics; and ACKS Conversion Rules. 

Character Creation

Characters are built following the standard RuneQuest 6 character creation process in most respects.

1. Choose a Race (Human or Kalingoi).
2. Generate Characteristics (see next page for methods).
3. Choose a Culture from the list available in the next section and spend 100 points on any combination of basic skills, cultural combat style, and up to three professional skills selected from the culture. (Min 5 / skill; Max 15 / skill). 
4. In addition to the standard +40% bump to the Customs and Native Tongue skills, you may also open a second bonus Language skill at +20%. If you have a non-Andrassan, Rothari, or Vanoran culture, you must take Language (South Vanoran); if you have selected Andrassan, Rothari, or Vanoran as a culture, you may take any other language associated with a culture in this document, as appropriate to your background and character concept.
5. Choose or roll Background Event, Social Class, Parents, Family Standing, and Connections.
6. Choose a Career from the standard or specialist lists for your culture (see below) and spend 100 points on any combination of basic and up to three professional skills from the career (Max 15 / skill).
7. Join up to Two Cults, Brotherhoods, Mystical Orders, Sorcery Orders, Churches, Companies, Colleges, or Guilds, one of which must be the Magisterium spy society. You begin as a common member of each. If you so choose, you may swap one Cult professional skill for one of your three Career professional skill slots in the step above. This includes magical skills (keeping Ubiquitous Folk Magic still in play as well). In addition to these two cults, you also start as a lay member of your main cultural pantheon cult (e.g., an Andrassan is a lay member of the Sol Invictus cult). 
8. If through Culture or Career you have access to the cult’s magic skills, you may begin as a dedicated member. You may draw from the cult skill list when selecting professional skills and spending points from the career point pool. 
9. Choose one free professional skill to add to your skill list when spending additional Bonus Points (150 points for an adult, max 15/skill. More points for older characters, as described in the rulebook).

Race

Humans are the major race of Borea, and thus are the default race for this campaign. However, Arborean peoples are ubiquitous around the Inner Sea, and those Kalingoi of Vanor that have obtained their freedom from their cyclops slavers have begun to branch out into other communities. As such, there is a small but growing Kalingoi presence in Andrassos proper. As such, they are a racial option for this campaign.

People of Borea

Careers

For Andrassans, Atlanteans, Lemurians, Rothari, Stygians, Vandals, and Vanorans, the standard careers are: Agent, Alchemist, Beast Handler, Courtesan, Courtier, Crafter, Entertainer, Farmer, Fisher, Herder, Hunter, Merchant, Miner, Official, Physician, Priest (Stygians and Vandals only), Sailor (no Rothari), Scholar, Scout, Sorcerer, Thief, and Warrior.

For Acherians, the standard careers are: Crafter, Entertainer, Farmer, Fisher, Herder, Hunter, Merchant, Official, Physician, Sailor, Scout, Thief, Warrior

For Kalingoi, the standard careers are: Beast Handler, Crafter, Entertainer, Fisher, Hunter, Merchant, Priest, Scout, Shaman, Thief, and Warrior.

For Iotar, the standard careers are: Crafter, Entertainer (Skald), Farmer, Fisher, Herder, Hunter, Merchant, Miner, Sailor, and Scout. 

Specialized cultural careers are listed in the various culture breakdowns later in this document.

Characteristics

Characteristics can be generated in one of two ways. 

Method One: Rolled Attributes

1. Roll 3d6 seven times and assign in any order to STR, CON, DEX, POW, and CHA. (This means you will be able to throw out the lowest two rolls in the set.) 
2. Then roll 2d6+6 three times and assign in any order to INT and SIZ.. (You will be able to throw out the lowest result.) 

Method Two: Point Buy

1. Spend 84 points (77 points if Kalingoi) on STR, CON, SIZ, DEX, INT, POW, CHA. 
2. Stay within the ranges available to human or kalingoi characters. 

Please stick to just one of the above methods for each character.

Languages

Living Languages	Dead or Cultic Languages
Acherian, Arborean, Sciritaen	Unknown
High Agadic	Old Samulkaran
High Atlantean	Classical Atlantean
Hothar, Iorsk, Thiudar, Ormish	Jǫtunn, Rothardic, Vandal
Kemi, Kvennish, Thulean	Old Hyperborean
Groznayan, Slezan, Ughoritic	Unknown
Vanoran, South Vanoran, West Vanoran (Provincial)	Old Vanoran
Stygian, Cimmerian	Old Cimmerian

Other than your cultural Native Tongue skill, languages require the Language skill to have spoken fluency. To have reading/writing fluency in your Native Tongue, you must open up the Literacy skill, which confers knowledge and aptitude of the primary writing script for your Native Tongue. In addition, you may read/write linguistically related languages using the same script at one difficulty grade higher than normal, as usual for related languages. For example, a Vanoran trying to read a text written in South Vanoran has their literacy skill fluency capped at Hard Difficulty.

To open up a dead or cultic language, you must select the Literacy (dead language) skill. You may also speak the dead language at two difficulty grades lower than your literacy. If you would like to speak the dead language more fluently, you must buy it as a skill. 

Converting Characters

If you have characters from the previous Ruins of Vanor ACKS campaign (which ended a year ago in game time) and you have a story reason for having them join the Magisterium in Andrassos, you may convert the character to RuneQuest using the following procedure. 

1. You may either port over your ability scores characteristics from your ACKS character (straight conversion, with WIS = POW and SIZ determined by your ACKS size description) or generate new statistics using the methods outlined above.
2. Appropriate cultures, careers, and cults are found throughout the campaign documents. If you cannot find an appropriate translation in any of these categories, let me know.
3. In addition to a standard starting build, your converted character will carry over extra experience from the ACKS campaign in the following manner: a) 45 bonus skill points to be spent on starting skill allocations (that is to say, you cannot open up new skills, spells, etc, with this bonus pool; use it in the same manner as Step 9 in the Character Creation Guidelines above); and b) 3 + CHA bonus (if any) experience rolls per session played in the ACKS campaign (this is by character, not by player). If you don’t have that information handy, let me know. I kept good records.

Partial Roster of the Diggers' College

Herein lies a selection of the Special Task Force for the Reclamation of the Overlook, initiated by the Diggers' College of Vanor:

"Howler" Hróðvitnisson is a Varangian barbarian who came in with a crew from the distant north. He arrived with his companions on a longship just two weeks ago, having braved many months at sea and on wild rivers, following the treacherous passage across the northern reaches and down the treacherous rivers of Groznaya to reach the city. They came in the night down the river, docked, and emerged as a shield wall raiding party of cultists of the Gullet, the Wolf who Will Swallow the Sun. That very first night, they raided the ancient tomb of Sol Invictus himself, to despoil the old bastard's tomb in the name of the Gullet and show him what is to come.

There they all died horrible, gruesome, unspeakable deaths.

"Howler" was the only member of the raiding party to survive. Now he is left without shield-brothers or companions, and he is not charismatic enough to gather a crew around himself. He sleeps in the longship that brought him here, and he hires himself out as a warrior, bodyguard, soldier, and raider.

---

Ivo Hermanni, an Arcanum Delver, has as his only goals to pick clean the bones of the civilization that subjugated his ancestors and recover any Rothari artifacts that may have found there way into those tombs.  And maybe to prove that he's as much of a badass as his six brothers (most of whom are gladiators)...

---

Vasilisa, Slezan Warlock, a former urchin with a predilection for black things, dead things, vile things. When you cross her path, bad things happen...to you.

---

Once a monk devoted to Sol Invictus, Justinian Quintus Justero's curiosity, dour nature, and penchant for asking questions eventually drove him from the monastery. By then, he had taught himself the basics of magic from the monastery's considerable libraries. He now seeks to find out more about the Witch Kings and their ilk; not from a desire for power, but to see what drove them to evil. Despite his grim and pessimistic demeanor, Justinian is driven by a thirst for knowledge and desire to help his city reclaim its ruined districts. He is a proficient healer and sage in addition to his wizardry.

---

Bulb is a Kalingoi scavenger that has been shunned by her race. Her entire tribe was wiped out by a plague leaving her the sole survivor, weakened though she was. Other Kalingoi feared she would bring the disease to their camps and treated her as a pariah. She's rather used to being on her own and not fitting in, although she's made a few friends here and there. None the less, she's learned to look after herself first, and THEN think about others.  But a girl(ish)'s got to live... and thus why she's chillin' with this bunch.

---

Velis Olegovich Ustinov is a boy of probably 13 or 14. Such a charming and innocent lad! And so studious. You would be, too, if you'd been taken in by Old Mad Yaroslav. Say, whatever happened to Old Man Yaroslav, anyway? How did this boy travel so far to this place of ancient tombs and magicks with no companion but a magpie, and why has he been going in there alone?

---

Zaba Bradaslav is a Selzan Lackey that works as a porter for dungeoneering expeditions. He has a a no nonsense personality, do what has to be done, or do it because it needs doing.  He hates dead weight, because he will be the one that ends up carrying it.

From the journal of Zaba Bradaslav:

Holy Dungeoneers Expedition 001
A proper burial?  A proper burial?!  Feh.  Who's going to carry that meat soup and bones back up?  Me.  Who is going to dig the grave? Me.  Well I've got news for these religious delver's.  Those services cost extra.  It wasn't my idea to try to jump that puddle of pudding.  Nope.  My idea was finding an alternate route.  But this guy, wearing mail armor, rubbing a whet stone on sword every morning decides, "Nah, I can make it."  But he didn't.  Now, it turns out, the triune demands a proper burial.  I can see the satisfaction on their faces.  their shares just got a little bit bigger, and they want me, poor Zaba, to haul the dead fucking weight to the top in order to assuage their guilt.  Well, it's going to cost extra.  I'm taking his sword, and I'm getting his share.  I'm fucking done making 3 gold a day to put up with these triune worshiping bastards.

---

Korbin Vacarius is a native Vanoran Venturer. His main goal is the improvement of the city and its markets, reclamation. His general approach will be to use money to cover for his shortcomings, and to invest his fortunes so they bring even greater returns. As for dungeon delving, I suppose he sees the relics hidden away as lost opportunities. What good are the of the glories and riches lying among the ruin and the beasts, when they should be in civilized hands, circulating on the market as part of the bustle of life, their craft and aesthetics enjoyed by those who truly can appreciate them?

---

Ardo Valerianus is an Expert who has studied Natural Philosophy and Alchemy, along with Naturalism. He’s not really cut out to be the brightest candle in any guild's candelabrum, but has gotten by thus far on the Sterling Principle: Always Follow the Directions Carefully. He is native to the city, although one side of his family looks to be Rothari (and then there’s his first name).

Alas, most collegia prefer alchemists who already have a full lab, along with full training. Ardo thought he’d take over from old Brontus eventually, but then Brontus and the lab disappeared in a distinctly impressive cubic explosion of wailing mauve vapors, leaving nothing but an eight-foot-tall stone sheep statue with rather unpleasant lichen on it.

Ardo had nothing to do with that. He wasn’t even in the area at the time. You can all rest easy on that count.

“Who forgot to wash the alembic? It’s got tiny talking demons again."

“Goals? Goals? Oh, that’s a good one. Right, let me just line my plans out in front of you, since there’s probably no chance at all that you might be some variety of brigand or mountebank, let alone one of that sort of people who delight in stepping on other people’s aspirations just to hear that despairing squeak noise as they’re demolished. Wait, no, on second thought, I’ll be just a smidge less trusting. Call it a character flaw.

So. Alchemists use what you might call stuff. Stuff we need expensive stuff to do things with and to. Glassware. Ingredients. Leaves, roots, seeds, calyxes, tubers and rhizomes; integumentia, sundry organs from uncanny beasts (or at least, insufficiently canny ones), scales, horns, liquors, ichors, and oozes; effluvia, perfluvia, humours and ylem. Are you going to give me all of those free of charge? No? Then stop asking me why I’m wearing a backpack and heading into a hillside. I have a Potion of Nasal Compression I can happily jam into your face if that’ll make you happier.”

***
Image Credits:

Because these were submitted images by the players to illustrate their PCs, I've not made any effort to hunt down where they got these. Obviously, we didn't make these (except for Image #2, which was drawn by the player) and all rights belong to the artists and/or business entities that paid for the images. If anyone has the lowdown for sourcing these, please let me know, and I'll update the post.

Updated Image Credits:

Image #2: "Ivo Hermanni" by Bill Spytma (link).

Image #5: "Magia" by Andre Bdois (link).

Vanor Custom Class: The Trickster

This is another custom class for the Ruins of Vanor campaign (the others thus far: the Holy Dungeoneer and the Arcanum Delver), but unlike the others that I made, this one was made by one of my players (using the ACKS Player's Companion, as always). He had a very distinct concept in mind, as you will see.

Tricksters are touched by magic, descended or reincarnated of chaotic gods or immortals. They frequently manifest their latent abilities in their early teens, and sometimes even younger. While most tricksters spend their entire lives on the run, some are called to adventure by dreams and visions; others adventure out of a desire to learn the secrets of the gods.

Prime Requisite: CHA
Requirements: INT 9
Hit Dice: 1d4
Maximum Level: 14

Because of their frequent need to abandon the life they've led, tricksters receive limited combat training. At first level, tricksters hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws only two points every six levels of experience (i.e., half as fast as fighters), though they advance in saving throws by two points every four levels of experience. Because of their need of free hands and movement, they may only fight with quarterstaffs, clubs, daggers, and darts. They are unable to use shields, fight with two weapons, or wear any kind of armor. For these reasons, tricksters are quite vulnerable to physical danger, and in an adventuring group they should be protected.

Because of a trickster’s magical nature, he does not reincarnate as other classes can. Instead of the usual result, a Trickster must roll 1d10; for results 1-6, also make an unmodified 1d20 roll on Tampering With Mortality, and use the 1d10 value in place of the usual 1d6 to determine additional effects.

1. Human Trickster
2. Human Trickster
3. Human Trickster
4. Human Trickster
5. Human Trickster
6. Human Trickster
7. Human Trickster (No mortality roll)
8. Human (pick Class)
9. Demi-Human (roll 1d4, 1-2 Elf, 3-4 Dwarf, pick Class)
10. Monster

Starting at 1st level, a trickster has the ability to move silently and/or hide in shadows as a Thief does. While Tricksters are not natural pickpockets, their first manifestation allows them to use prestidigitation and pick pockets as a thief of half-class level. At 2nd level, a trickster gains the running and skulking proficiencies (already factored into the table below).

At 3rd level, tricksters can learn and cast arcane spells as a Mage of 1/3-class level. They also manifest a silver tongue (command of voice) that gives them +2 to reaction rolls to reaction rolls with creatures he speaks to. If this bonus results in a total of 12 or more, the subjects act as if charmed while in his presence. Creatures with a WIS greater than the trickster’s CHA are immune to this power (and the trickster will know they are immune). Additionally, a trickster of 3rd level can perceive intentions, knowing the exact reaction result (Hostile, Unfriendly, etc.) of creatures he interacts with, even if the creatures attempt to lie or conceal their reactions. Creatures with a CHA greater than the trickster’s WIS are immune to this power (and the trickster will know they are immune).

At 4th level, tricksters are capable of sensing power (as the proficiency), detecting spellcasters within 60’ and estimate their level of power relative to his own. He can tell when arcane magic has been used within the last 24 hours within the same vicinity. (The trickster cannot necessarily sense whether an item is magic, unless it has been used in the last 24 hours.) Each use takes a turn. He can also use alter self as a spell-like ability once per hour with a 1 turn casting time.

At 5th level, once per day, a trickster can use charm monster as a spell like-ability with a 1 turn casting time.

At 7th level, the trickster gains a +2 bonus to reaction rolls when encountering intelligent chaotic monsters from his ancestors or former self’s ancient pacts. Intelligent chaotic monsters suffer a -2 penalty to saving throws against any charm spells cast by the character.

At 9th level, the trickster can establish a court of 2d6-1 thief apprentices of 1st level and a 1st level trickster will come to work with the character. If hired, they must be paid standard rates for ruffians. A successful character might use these followers to start a Thieves’ Guild. Additional rules for hideouts are detailed in the Campaign chapter. Additionally, the trickster also can teleport as a spell-like ability once per month, and can scry as a spell-like ability once per day with a casting time of 1 turn.

At 12th level, the trickster can use programmed illusion as a spell-like ability once per month with a casting time of 1 turn.

Upon reaching 14th level, the trickster faces a choice, and must select one of these two options:

1. immediate reincarnation that also reduces level to 1 and XP to 0 using the table above, but without the required mortality roll on 1-6
2. forever more roll both the 1d20 and 1d6 twice whenever rolling on the Tampering With Mortality table, taking the lower result of each.

Proficiencies: acrobatics, alertness, arcane dabbling, bargaining, bribery, contortionism, craft, diplomacy, disguise, elven bloodline, familiar, gambling, illusion resistance, knowledge, language, lip reading, loremastery, magical engineering, mapping, mimicry, performance, profession, quiet magic, running, seduction, skirmishing, skulking, and soothsaying

Trickster Level Progression				Trickster Attack and Saving Throws
Experience	Title	Level	Hit Dice	Abilities	Petrif. & Paralysis	Poison & Death	Blast & Breath	Staffs & Wands	Spells	Atk. Thr.
0	Stray	1	1d4	Hide in Shadows, Move Silently, Prestidigitation	13+	13+	16+	15+	14+	10+
1325	Urchin	2	2d4	Skulking, Running	13+	13+	16+	15+	14+	10+
2650	Ragamuffin	3	3d4	Command of Voice, Perceive Intentions	12+	12+	15+	13+	14+	10+
5300	Guttersnipe	4	4d4	Sense Power, Alter Self 1/hour (1 turn)	12+	12+	15+	13+	14+	9+
10600	Vagrant	5	5d4	Charm Monster 1/day (1 turn)	11+	11+	14+	12+	13+	9+
21200	Swindler	6	6d4		11+	11+	14+	12+	13+	9+
40000	Shyster	7	7d4	Ancient Pacts	10+	10+	13+	11+	12+	8+
80000	Flimflammer	8	8d4		10+	10+	13+	11+	12+	8+
180000	Trickster	9	9d4	Teleport 1/month (1 round), Scry 1/day (1 turn)	9+	9+	12+	10+	11+	8+
280000	Scoundrel	10	9d4+1		9+	9+	12+	10+	11+	7+
380000	Mountebank	11	9d4+2		8+	8+	11+	9+	10+	7+
480000	Imposter	12	9d4+3	Programmed Illusion 1/month (1 turn)	8+	8+	11+	9+	10+	7+
580000	Pretender	13	9d4+4		7+	7+	10+	8+	9+	6+
680000	Deceiver	14	9d4+5	Reincarnation	7+	7+	10+	8+	9+	6+

Trickster Special Abilities				Trickster Spells
Level	Move Silently	Hide in Shadows	Prestidigitation	1	2
1	17+	19+	17+	-	-
2	14+	16+	17+	-	-
3	13+	15+	16+	1	-
4	12+	14+	16+	1	-
5	11+	13+	15+	1	-
6	10+	12+	15+	2	-
7	8+	10+	14+	2	-
8	6+	8+	14+	2	-
9	4+	6+	13+	2	1
10	2+	4+	13+	2	1
11	1+	2+	12+	2	1
12	1+	1+	12+	2	2
13	1+	1+	10+	2	2
14	1+	1+	10+	2	2

Image Credit

"Crow Man" by James Zapata (link).