(TFT) Prior experience

["grabowski" <grabowski@erols.com>]

Back in the early 80s, I created for my group a system for mundane/warrior
experience prior to the creation of their character.  I did this to temper
the hack and bash and ask questions later style of play.  I wanted more role
playing as players in the game would forsake mundane skills for the more
combat oriented skills. I created this system to alliviate that problem
somewhat with my group, while allowing them to create the character they
wanted.

The system was based on a randomly given social level which determined
possible extra skills and also starting money, along with the characters
previous spending habits.  All of my beginning characters were 32 pointers.


To begin with roll 3d6 on the social level table to discover your rank in
life.  Then roll 3d6 again times your class multiplier.  The number you get
from this roll is the amount of money ($ or silver pieces) the character
begins with to buy equipment.   A character will always begin with $100 +
whatever is gained or lost on the table (although never to be below $100).
After this is rolled, find out what the characters prior spending habits
were by rolling 2d6 on the spending habits table to see how thrifty the
character was with their money.

In order to gain any benefits from the talents below the character must have
the IQ needed for the talent.

SOCIAL LEVEL                                            CLASS MULTIPLIER
3-4) slave/barbarian                                       x1 (stolen)
5-6) peasant                                                    x5
7-10)  commoner                                            x10
11-13) townsman                                            x20
14-15) tradesman                                           x40
16)  landholder                                                x60
17)  lesser noble                                              x100
18)  noble                                                        x200

SPENDING HABITS
2)  gambler                    divide by 5
3)  spendthrift                divide by 3
4-5)  big spender          divide by 2
6-8)  normal                    None
9-10)  thrifty                    Xs 2
11)  cheap                      Xs 3
12)  thief/greedy            Xs 5

Now each different class gives different advantages in either free or low
cost talents and possible free equipment.

SLAVE:  the character is either an escaped slave, indenture, or serf.  Roll
1d6:  on 1-2) farmer (free);  3) boating (free);  4-5)  2 point mundane
skill (free);  6)  gladiator:  2 weapon skills at -1IQ cost,
 shield talent plus has a set of leather armor and one weapon.

BARBARIAN:  same as #6 above: gladiator but gains either horsemanship or
seamanship for free.

PEASANT:  farmer or 1 pt. mundane talent or driver for free.  Animal handler
(1 point)

COMMONER:  roll 2d6:  2)  farmer and driver free and animal handler (1 pt.);
3)  Trapper:  mechanician (1 pt.); 4)  Forester:  bow (1 pt.), naturalist (1
pt.), tracking and woodsman (free);  5)  Armourer (free); 6) Animal handler
(free); 7)  Free 2 point mundane talent; 8)  Soldier:  as gladiator, can
gain warrior (1 pt.), and also gains free shield;
9)  Sailor:  Seamanship & boating (free) and choose one from either
swimming (free), climbing (free), or a weapon skill (-1 pt. cost);
10)  Laborer:  +1 ST (free); 11)  Merchant:  recognize value, horsemanship,
and recognize value (free) and business sense (1 pt.);
12)  Thief: thief and one weapon skill (free)

TOWNSMAN:  The same as commoner except 2-4 have been changed.  2)  tinker:
mechanician plus a set of tools that add one to lockpicking chances; 3)
barber:  first aid and +1 damage with daggers (free); and 4)  clerk:
mathmatician (1 pt.) and $100 extra

TRADESMAN:  roll 2d6:  2) chemist (1 pt.) and $500 worth of chemist table
products;  3) armour (free) and a fine weapon;  4)  architect/builder
(free);  5)  priest and first aid (free);  6) goldsmith and recognize value
(free);  7)  wizard: aid spell (free)  8)  Physicker or Vet (free);  9)
merchant: as under commoner class;
10) mechanician: as tinker but has detect traps (free);  11)  captain or
shipbuilder (free and gain prerequisites for free);  12)  scholar (1 pt.)
and literacy (free)

LANDHOLDER: can choose up to four points of the following skills (free)
sex appeal, horsemanship, literacy, swimming, charisma, recognize value,
fencing,  diplomacy, business sense, courtly graces, and two weapons.

LESSER NOBLE:  as landholder but gains horsemanship for free.  This
character has a 50-50 chance of having a 32 point NPC retainer that the
character controls.

NOBLE:  as lesser noble but automatically gains 32 point NPC retainer plus a
50-50 chance of having a second one as well.  Gains tactics (free) and owns
a  warhorse.

*All nobles that have a retainer must equip the retainer.

All talents must have the prerequisite and the IQ needed in order to get
them unless it specifically states that it is not needed.  The talents must
be taken immediately, otherwise the character does not receive them for free
or cheaper, unless they pay the normal IQ cost for them.

The Social Level Table is based on humans.  For other races use these:

ELF:  2-7) commoner;  8-10) tradesman;  11) landholder; and
12) noble

DWARF:  2-6) townsman;  7-11) tradesman; and 12) noble
(-warhorse but plus +1 chain armor)

HALFLING:  2-3) peasant;  4-7) commoner;  8-9)  townsman;
10-11)  tradesman; and 12) landholder

GOBLIN:  use human table

ORC/LIZARDMAN:  2-8)  slave table but add two to the roll and roll on
commoner table for money;  9-11) townsman; and 12) noble

CENTAUR:  2-11) commoner; and 12) lesser noble

ALL HALFBREEDS: Use human table

That's it.  Remember this is not based on any historic hierarchy so please
don't base it on that.  It was used to spice up the role playing in my
campaign.

Peruse and enjoy
Yours in Cidri
Justin


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