I need your help for my great campaign I will be creating.

[Solar Sword]

Hello I thank you for showing interest on this thread. The reason why you are needed is because I am going to make a campaign involving all my skill and around and additional 3 months on top of what I already have to create it. As of right now I am trying to make it have stats for family and life styles before the campaign evens starts. Meaning that if you where born to a farmer family you would get bonuses such as...

- +2 to your Knowledge (Agiculture)
- +2 Handle Animal Checks.
- Endurance feat
- +1 to your consitution score.

This is what I am going for as of right now I only have the farmer, blacksmith, hunter, and a fisherman.
I also need additional positions and feedback on the other positions. (Because lets be honest no matter how hard I try myself I cant make the occupations equal just by myself.)

These are what I have right now...

Farmer:

- +2 to your Knowledge (Agiculture)
- +2 Handle Animal checks
- Gains the endurance feat.
- +1 To your consitution score.

Blacksmith:

- +2 Craft
- +1 appraisal
- +1 Strength
- Gains the endurance feat.

Hunter:

- +2 hide
- +2 move silently
- +2 survival
- +2 to tracking

Fisherman:

- +2 survivla
- +2 swim
- +2 spot
- +1 to wisdom.

Additional ones needed that I can think of are Innkeeper, Merchant, Tailor, Butcher, Cook, and a Healer. I will like it if you post sugestions on what they should have. Or adjust any of the ones above or if you think of another one let me know about it.

Other information I would like you to be aware of. The village they will be starting in is only around 50 people so they will not be any guards they're (just to remove that thought.)

I am looking to seeing what you think about what I discussed with you.

[qazzquimby]

I'd just make them up after the players decide what they want, following the same formula. Or just ask them to build their characters to show some flavour of their previous career.

[Solar Sword]

Yeah but this way I would like to show them what they can have. Like in a d20 modern for the occupation and I don't know what to give them as of yet.

[qazzquimby]

They can have anything they think of that you don't veto.

[TheFamilarRaven]

Other information I would like you to be aware of. The village they will be starting in is only around 50 people so they will not be any guards they're (just to remove that thought.)


Except that even a town with 50 people will have a militia, so cutting out "military" background is not a good idea, unless you're starting out by saying each PC is already part of the militia, and then the goblins attack ....


I'd just make them up after the players decide what they want, following the same formula. Or just ask them to build their characters to show some flavour of their previous career.

This.

I mean honestly, the only thing you'll be doing with this is making yourself do a lot of brainstorming and typing for not much benefit, unless you're going to use these background bonuses for NPC's as well, in which case, my previous point still stands.


Yeah but this way I would like to show them what they can have. Like in a d20 modern for the occupation and I don't know what to give them as of yet.

Look at it this way, the PC's are most likely either going to A) pick the background that gives them the best mechanical bonuses for their class or B) pick the background that makes the most sense flavor-wise for their class. So the best thing to do in this case would be to give them an overview of the village they'll be starting in, and them allow them to create their own lifestory, THEN give them bonuses, like qaazquimby said. This way, the PC's won't feel pressured into picking specific backgrounds, and they still get appropriate bonuses. It will also allow for some more acceptable classes. For instance, if one of the PC's parents is a retired swordmaster, it would make sense that that character is a warblade. As it stands now, it seems more like "oh, I was a fisherman until I became a Monk one day.

If you really want to add background bonuses (and I won't say it's a bad idea, cause it's not), than look at the bonuses from Neverwinter nights 2. They're both occupation based/personality based. for example, there is the Farmer background, and then there is the Natural Leader background. You don't have to copy them, but they can give you a general idea of what is acceptable as a background bonus.

[Chaos_Laicosin]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NNhSvBD37AsQrqRZAg8oFIOCs_dfTPr48fmcf5rgvh4/edit?usp=sharing

Some very simple, not really game changing (except maybe hook handed) traits I made up. Selected by draws from a standard deck of cards.

[Solar Sword]

That helps and as for militia for the campaign there wouldn't have been much fighting anyway due to story plot peaceful for a few hundred years. But I understand. Thank you for the chart also.

[Hanuman]

FTB Episode 2: Creating a Group Template (http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/index.php/archives/14)

FTB Episode 331: Applying a Group Template (http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/index.php/archives/3741)

Giving your players clearcut examples of what they should be is best reserved for groups where nobody knows how to even begin to play, it's a shortcut that helps solve blockages.

IMO creating a group template is the best way to do this, and is best done as a social agreement between the DM and the players before anyone formulates ideas around the story.

Remember that your players only control one thing in your vast world, it's best to give them as much creative control as you can manage.

[Solar Sword]

FTB Episode 2: Creating a Group Template (http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/index.php/archives/14)

FTB Episode 331: Applying a Group Template (http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/index.php/archives/3741)

Giving your players clearcut examples of what they should be is best reserved for groups where nobody knows how to even begin to play, it's a shortcut that helps solve blockages.

IMO creating a group template is the best way to do this, and is best done as a social agreement between the DM and the players before anyone formulates ideas around the story.

Remember that your players only control one thing in your vast world, it's best to give them as much creative control as you can manage.

I like to give a little so I can take a lot later. :smallbiggrin: