Bearded Rats JRPG Background: Smuggler

 

Smuggler Image generated by Craiyon.com

5. Smuggler

• You smuggle things, rare things, valuable things. The Wizard, at some point in your career, made something for you. He didn’t want money as payment though, he wanted you to do something for him.


• You owe the Wizard, but for what? You have a Token Item.

• You gain the Shadow Jack trait at Rank 1 and some Contraband.

Why do you owe the Wizard?

1. He enchanted your cloak so that it’s able to hold a lot more things than it should be able to hold. The things also do not show up if someone else is searching for them. You gain a Cloak of Many Pockets.

2. He made a cloak that makes you invisible. It’s alive though, and needs to be fed gold coins to do its job. You gain Obscuritas, the Cloak of Invisibility (Rank 1), both as an object and a companion, at rank 1.

3. He made you 10 Coins of Bribery, that will make any bribery attempt payed for with these coins magically succeed, provided the recipients possess intelligence.

4. He gave you a Crystal Dowsing Rod, which makes you able to look for items or people you want to find just by thinking of them. It will point in the right direction. With training you can refine the process.

5. He gave you a new face which, besides hiding your old one, has a very charming smile. You gain Smile of Innocence (Rank 1)

6. He trained you in hypnotism, making you able to hypnotize people and animals. You gain Hypnotist (Rank 1).

What contraband are you carrying right now?

1. Expensive Wine, in a wooden crate that carries 6 bottles.

2. A box full of Forged Documents that only need names and signatures to be filled in.

3. A crate of Star Metal, harvested from a fallen meteor. It behaves strangely.

4. 10 Magical Wands, developed by the king’s own mages.

5. A stolen Spell Book. You cannot read it. It has a menacing aura.

6. A Reliquary supposedly holding what remains of the hand of a powerful mage, long dead. It gives you nightmares.

Bearded Rats JRPG Background: Gambler

 

Gambler Illustration generated by Craiyon.com

4. Gambler

• You are a gambler, but you gambled with the wrong person and lost a bet. What did you know the guy was a Wizard! Now you are here, paying it off. 

• Losing a bet with the Crystal Wizard means you were confident enough by previous successes. You gain a Prize.

• You gain the Finger Smith trait at Rank 1 and a Pair of Lucky Dice.

What prize did you gain and who did you piss off with that?

1. You won a very expensive bottle of wine from the Innkeeper in a town of choice. 
You have a bad reputation with said Innkeeper. Bad Reputation: Innkeeper (Rank 1)

2. You won a special weapon from a warrior. You decided to keep using it. Detail it with the GM. Name the warrior. They obviously don’t like you anymore. Bad Reputation: Warrior (Rank 1)

3. You won the keys to a house in the city. It’s your property now. You haven’t seen it yet, since it’s from the same night that you lost to the Wizard. Bad Reputation: Previous Owners (Rank 1)

4. You won a strange animal. The animal seems to have little desire to listen to you though. Bad Reputation: Strange Animal (Rank 1)

5. You won a magical piece of clothing from a dark stranger. Wether this stranger is mad about it or not you cannot gauge, but they have taken an interest in you and might show up from time to time. Contact: Dark Stranger (Rank 1).

6. You died once, but managed to gamble with Death themself and win it back, for now. They might want to arrange things in such a way that surviving becomes difficult for you. Bad Reputation: Death Personified (Rank 1). You gain the trait Grave Walker at Rank 1.

Bearded Rats JRPG Background: Homunculus

One of the possible Homunculi, as depicted by Crayon.com

 3. Homunculus

• You were not born, but rather are a creation made by the Wizard. Wether or not you look human or not, there will always be at least one part of you that gives you away as inhuman.

• Because you are a servant of the Crystal Wizard you gain the Crystal Rose, a brooch that shows your allegiance with him.

• You have a Special Talent linked to your Form.

What is inhuman about you? What is your Special Talent?

1. You used to be a cat, hunting vermin for the Wizard. The wizard upgraded your intelligence and gave you a more human appearance, though he left your cat-like senses, your claws and teeth all intact. You are a Vermin Hunter (Rank 1) and a Humanoid Cat (Rank 1).


2. You used to be the powerful spirit of a lake, a fairy prince(ss), praised as a god by local humans. The Wizard caught you and stripped you of your power, forcing you to clean the Crystal Tower. You are an Urn-Trapped Lake Spirit (Rank 1) and have a Spell Slot with access to the magic lists for Elemental Water (Rank as Lake Spirit) and Cleaning (Rank 1). 
Your Magic Urn gives you Armor 8, but you have no (visible, usable) hands to use weapons or shields with and you can’t wear any other armor unless you find a way to escape the urn.

3. You used to be a porcelain doll, until the Crystal Wizard brought you to life to entertain his guest. You are an Animated Doll (Rank 1) and an Entertainer (Rank 1).

4. You used to be an owl, then the Wizard changed you into a more humanoid form. You kept your size, your wings, your feathers, your head and your talons, but gained humanoid arms. You are an Owl Creature (Rank 1) and Shadow Jack (Rank 1).

5. You used to be an ox, until the Wizard transformed you into a person with the strength of an ox. The only reminder that you were once an ox, is your tail. You still have the strength of an ox, but now the body of a human and all the perks that come with that. Grateful for this, you work for the Wizard in any capacity that needs your great strength, mainly menial labor. You are an Ox-tailed Human (Rank 1) with Inhuman Strength (Rank 1).
 Additionally you switch you highest ability score with STR and if it was not yet 2, it is now.

6. You used to be a plant, which the Wizard choose for its medicinal properties. The wizard gave you legs and intelligence, channeling your healing properties into a small capacity for magic, which makes you able to use your healing properties whenever your magic allows. You are a Humanoid Plant (Rank 1) with a Spell Slot and access to the spell lists Plant (Rank 1) and Healing (Rank 1).

Bearded Rats JRPG Background: Burglar

 

Burglar image generated by Craiyon.com

2. Burglar

• You spent your time breaking into houses, that is, until you tried to break into a wizard tower, you fool. At least now you just need to do this job and you are free of imprisonment by the Wizard.

• Because you are a prisoner of the Crystal Wizard, you are equipped with a Magical Collar that will harm you if you try to just run away.

• You gain the Finger Smith trait at Rank 1 and always have Lock Picks on you.

How do you usually get into buildings?

1. Rooftop access: You gain the Roof Runner trait at Rank 1, and have a Grappling Hook. 

2. Explosives: You gain a Bomb.


3. Disguising: You gain a Specific Disguise.

4. Sneaking: You gain a Dark Cloak and the Shadow Jack trait at Rank 1


5. Preparation: You gain a Notebook and a Pen to write down all your observations to plan.


6. Bribes: You gain a Pouch of Coin.

Bearded Rats JRPG Background: Artifact Hunter

Since the Bearded Rats idea is me tinkering with a newer idea for me, I do not want to apply it to my current game, but to another campaign I would want to play. I'm still quite in love with the JRPG esthetic, so I'm thinking wether or not that's possible.

JRPG style things without levels and ranks feels a bit weird. I want to keep some type of leveling or ranking, but still have the improvement happen in-fiction. I might have to re-write some of the rules for that, especially if traits like Briarborn or Shadowjack become ranked. I'm thinking of the ranks becoming modifiers to the danger rolls, rather than having advantage on said rolls.

Anyway, I present you with the Artifact Hunter!

Artifact Hunter art provided by https://www.craiyon.com

1. Artifact Hunter

• You spend your time in old ruins and abandoned places, hunting for artifacts. 
Sometimes people hire you to do this. This time the Crystal Wizard hired you to retrieve a specific one. You have an Artifact Hunter reputation at Rank 1

• Because you are hired, you gain a Pouch of Coins, with the promise of another one on job completion.

• You gain the Finger Smith trait at Rank 1 and an Artifact that you have kept for yourself.

The artifact in question:

1. A Large Revolver, and the ability to supply it with regular ammunition. 


Ranged, 1 Hand. 

+1 attack if using two hands to stabilize. 


Special ammunition can be found/made.


2. A barely functional Robot Body (rank 1). Can walk and hold items. 

Armor 8, HP 1


Can be upgraded in several ways, if the correct pieces are found or made.


3. A Ruined Airship (rank 1), not functional yet, but with time and effort, you are certain that you can get it to work. Currently stationed and disguised as a regular ship in the closest harbor.


4. A Giant Robot Head, useless on its own, but if powered it should be able to talk and see. If given a body it should be a frightful thing indeed. Currently stashed in your house/workshop, wherever that is.


5. A Jetpack, giving the ability to fly. You gain the Pilot trait at Rank 1


6. Special Goggles, giving you Night Vision. Different types of these exist.

Bearded Rats Background: The Wandering Knight (version 0.1)

three knights on horseback. Source unknown.

Being a knight means being a Noble. It also means upholding a Chivalric Code.

You start the game with: 

• a horse (name it), 

• armor of your choice (light +1 or heavy +2 but no advantage on sneaking, surprise or DEX tests.) 

• 2 weapons of your choice (one handed, two handed or ranged)

• a shield with your colors (what are they?)

• a signet ring 

• sealing wax

I. Order?

Being a wandering knight you do not hold any lands yourself. You might, however, belong to a knightly order. 

Roll a Danger Roll to see wether you are: 

• If you succeed you are part of a knightly order: Talk with your GM to see which one.

• If you succeed critically you are part of the most prestigious knightly order. 

In my game this will be The Order of the Golden Fleece.

• If you critically fail you were once part of an order, but were kicked out. Why did this happen? Talk with your GM about it. Was it your fault or were you set up? You have a bad reputation with the order.

If you belong to an order, you have a token item of the order that identifies you as such. The Order of the Golden Fleece has a chain, but it could be something else, like a ring, a knife, …

II. Born or Earned?

Most knights inherited their title and are part of a noble house, but some have gotten their title as a reward for services rendered to the crown. Were you born a noble or did you gain your title? Either come with advantages and disadvantages. 

Tell the GM which you prefer, then roll a Danger Roll to find out:

• If you succeed you get you what you want. You change your noble trait to either Born Noble or Earned Nobility.

• If you succeed critically you gain what you want (see the previous point) and it has earned you a good reputation. Either your house is prestigious or well liked or the actions and bravery that made you a knight are the talk of town. Whatever the case, you’ve earned a Good Reputation as a Noble. Detail this together with the GM.

• If you fail you do not get what you want. You change your noble trait to either Born Noble or Earned Nobility.

• If you critically fail people think you are undeserving of your title. You can choose wether you are Born Noble or have Earned Nobility, but you’ve earned a Bad Reputation as a Noble. They either think you were born into nobility but do not act the part or they think you gained nobility while not having earned it. Detail this together with the GM.

III. Upbringing

We know what caste you were born into. Now let's find out how your childhood went.

Roll a Danger Roll:

Critical Fail: Disaster struck you and or your family when you were growing up.

1. Your house was raided and you were the only survivor, leaving you an orphan. This was a traumatic experience that left it’s mark on the rest of your upbringing. Talk with the GM about what this might mean for your character.

2. There was an accident at home and it killed one of your parents. You were the cause. You gain a bad reputation to those that know about this and possibly a mental trauma related to this. Talk with your GM to decide what happened exactly and what this means for your character.

3. You had an accident that crippled you. How were you crippled, and what type of cripple are you?

4. You were the cause of something that drove your family to poverty. Your family remembers and brings it up whenever they can. You gain a bad reputation with your family.

5. You were abducted by an evil witch or wizard at some point in your youth. You were able to escape, but at a severe cost. Their magic has left its mark of corruption upon you. They also have not forgotten you. You gain them as an enemy. Talk with the GM to decide what all happened here.

6. You were wandering the forest when you got lost and ended up in the land of the fairies. When you finally found your way back a hundred years had past, and nobody believes you were lost in time when you bring it up. Your time in the fairy lands has also left it’s mark on you. Talk with your GM what fairy marked might be appropriate here. It should be at least inconvenient, if not downright dangerous.

Fail: Your upbringing was uneventful to say the least.

1. The only thing you did was run chores all day. You had no time to develop any skill or personality. It’s also not like you got better at it or liked it. You gain resentful servant.

2. You were overprotected, not allowed to take any risks. You were taught that everything was dangerous. You are fearful as a result.

3. You were neglected, having to fend for yourself. All you have is scrappy and worn out. It will break easily, or if you have a horse, it will tire easily, be old and/or sickly, …

4. You are from a big family and were often overlooked. Your parents sometimes can’t even remember what your name is or don’t notice you missing at family events. You are forgettable to your family. Wether you want to or not, you tend to fade into the background of things and events regarding your family.

5. You were spoiled rotten and didn’t have to do a thing. Your siblings resent you for that. You have a bad reputation with your siblings.

6. You were the black sheep of the family (reputation). Everything was your fault, wether you actually did it or not.

Success: You upbringing was promising!

1. You roamed the woods and the fields as a child, feeling quite at home there and learning its secrets. You gain Briarborn as a trait.

2. You loved to explore the house, the village, the world around you, and observe. You found spots where you could just look at people. You gain Shadowjack as a trait.

3. Even while barely able to walk, you were climbing on top of things, often found sitting on top of furniture or even the roof, with no way to get down. Growing up you learned how to get down pretty quickly. You gain Roofrunner as a trait.

4. You grew up liking to take things apart and putting them back together again. After a while, you got the understanding to use the learned principles to make your own stuff. You gain Fingersmith as a trait.

5. You were strong and agile, helping to protect the house from a young age, trying to catch rats etc. At some point, someone in your family taught you how to fight. (Who was it?) You gain +1 Attack.

6. You found that you could use your words to calm people down, scare them or rile them up easily. You gain Silvertongued as a trait.

Critical Success: Your upbringing was exceptional!

1. You roamed the woods and the fields as a child, feeling quite at home there and learning its secrets. You gain Briarborn as a trait. You also made friends with an animal that is at home in these lands. Talk with your GM about your Animal Friend.

2. You loved to explore the house, the village, the world around you, and observe. You found spots where you could just look at people. You gain Shadowjack as a trait. At one point in your exploring, you found a Special Treasure. Talk with the GM about what this might be.

3. You noticed that dreams you had often came true, though they were often cryptic and strange. You gain Prophetic Dreamer as a trait.

4. You grew up liking to take things apart and putting them back together again. After a while, you got the understanding to use the learned principles to make your own stuff. You gain Fingersmith as a trait. You actually made a thing you are really proud off. Talk with the GM about Your Own Invention. You gain that as an item.

5. You were strong and agile, helping to protect the house from a young age, trying to catch rats etc. At some point, a traveling knight taught you how to fight. You gain +1 Attack and you gain a Knightly Contact (teacher).

6. You found that you could use your words to calm people down, scare them or rile them up easily. You gain Silvertongued as a trait. You gained a bit of a following and have a Loyal Friend. They accompany you on your journeys, wether you want to or not. Talk with the GM about this friend.

IV. Finishing Up

To round things out, you should now have all you need written on your character sheet. If you do not yet have 10 items on your character sheet (including weapons, armor and the like) roll on this table (Roll 2 dice, the first result denotes the table, the other the place on the table) to fill it out with items you collected during your wanderings.

1. A Bundle of Sturdy Rope

2. Prayer-Beads (A pater-noster)

3. An Amulet of your Patron Saint.

4. A Handkerchief, given by a loved one

5. Carved Wooden Chesspieces, gift from a teacher.

6. A Lantern with Panes of Green Glass.

1. 5 Candles

2. 5 Sticks of Chalk

3. A Small Statue in a Strange Material. (talk with your GM to define it)

4. A Bag of Tea, enough for at least a month of traveling.

5. Strong Smelling Cheese, prized local cheese in a region you recently passed through.

6. A Grappling Hook, which has helped you before to reach places you could not otherwise.

1. A set of clothes and other materials, enough for a Single Type of Disguise.

2. A Psalter

3. A Musical Instrument, small enough to travel with.

3. A Handheld Mirror

5. A Goat, gifted by grateful villagers. Also a Jug of Milk, produced by said goat.

6. A Slightly Burned Doll, memory of a time when you were too late.

1. A Pair of Lucky Dice, a gift from a gambler you saved.

2. A Letter, given to you by a friend to deliver. To whoem?

3. A Keg of Trappist Beer, given in gratitude by monks for aid to their abbey.

4. A Pilgrimage Pin, a token for a pilgrimage fulfilled.

5. A Pot filled with Lard, useful for many things.

6. A Hunting Horn.

1. A Bundle of Furs.

2. A Fishing Pole.

3. A Bottle of Medicine with enough in it for 3 uses.

4. Manacles that have seen some use.

5. A Pot of Bookbinding Glue.

6. A Large Sack.

1. The Relic of a Saint (small)

2. A Map of the Region marking the location of a bandit camp.

3. The Broken Sword of a former companion.

4. A Patchwork Cape, given in thanks by the miner’s wives, who’s husbands you saved from a collapsed mine.

5. A Crown of Daisies, given by a little girl in some village you passed.

6. A Pack of Cards.

Bearded Rats: An introduction

 Not that I will be specifically groundbreaking, but I have been thinking on hacking Maze Rats to make it do more of the things I want it to do. My main thing is that I want to try out playing without XP and Levels as rewards. Advancement is still possible, but only through in fiction actions. And to be a bit silly I call my hacks of this game "Bearded Rats". 

(You know, because of the title of the game and my online ... name ... persona ... alright, I'm gonna leave now and let you guys read what I've come up with as a general brainstorm.)

"Dwarf Rat" by Mª del Mar Garcia Sanchez

BEARDED RATS: Maze Rats Hack Ideas.

No more XP. Your reward is your accomplishments or the stories you create. Advancement of character happens through character actions and accomplishments, rather than leveling up.

A. Character Creation

1. Everyone starts out the same: 
4HP, 6ARM. Human.
2. Reverse Life-paths:
 Choose a background/profession/template and then roll to see how you got there. 
3. Ties: 
What ties you together? How does this combination of characters make for a good story? Make this a conversation at the table. 
Have at least one bond with another PC. 
Optionally have a bond to the setting/locale.

B. Advancement

Advancement is only achieved in the fiction by taking specific actions. This is not to be said that there are no mechanics at all involved, but advancement should be consequence of actions or other emergent story beats.

These things will kind of work themselves out by players, especially when/if they state the intent of their actions. Still, some of the possibilities I will list here.

• Training with the troops
• Training with a master
• Self Study
• Being cursed or blessed
• Finding special gear, magic or otherwise

C. Healing

1. Healing should take time and skill, and depending on the wounds inflicted, might not be a done deal. 
2. HP should be more along the lines of Hit Protection or Luck. 
3. Once that runs out, a danger roll using a situation appropriate stat should be made to see if you survive the onslaught. The Target Number of the Danger Roll is modified by the amount of negative HP sustained.
4. If you do, you are wounded. Either the GM assigns a situation specific wound or a roll on a wounds table is made. Keep the negative HP value and keep subtracting if you get hit again.

Question: How to decide on the severity of the wound if you choose for yourself? A wound should be a hard move, but how hard? A severed limb is less severe than a wicked scar. Or is it? It depends on the situations you find yourself in, right? Could we just make it a luck roll? Or is it dependent on the modifier to the wound roll? If at 0 HP a light wound, if below that, a severe wound? That might work.

D. Danger Roll Mechanic For Procedures

While at some points we will no longer be talking about actual danger, the mechanic of roll 2 dice, adding an applicable bonus and trying to hit a target number will be the basis for most procedures, like training, healing, building, etc. Rather than just using it to see wether or not something succeeds, they should always add something to the story or highlight something setting specific. More on this later.

The Hermit and his Wild Dog (Lore)

 TRIGGER WARNING: This post deals with themes of anti-semitism at it was often the case in the medieval times. This author clearly portrays the anti-semitism as wrong and evil, and the root/cause of the problems these characters might bring.

X-CARD MATERIAL: Obviously, this would be X-Card material at the gaming table, and before beginning a session or arc in which this might feature, I would ask if these things and themes are fitting or not for the group and tone we want to portray.

The Hermit and his Wild Dog.

Once a respected member of the community surrounding the keep, this man and his family enjoyed a quiet life, but once Count Leopold de Chouxchaude — the then master of the Keep —found out that there were Jews living in his village he became incensed, especially after his wife had a miscarriage. Blaming it on the family they were driven out of the community by the guards.

"An Old Beggar"
David Teniers II (1610-1690)

Taking it in stride, persecution seeming to be part of their heritage, they settled in the woods, where they built a cottage and lived from what the land brought them. The couple had children who grew up healthy and innocent of the evils outside the forest.

Then, after the harvest failing for the second year in a row, the people remembered them, and with the lack of reason that desperation and fear brings, a mob was formed. The mob went and looked for the family, finding the cabin in the woods. They locked the doors and burned it down, thinking their job done. They did not know that the father was out, checking the traps. When he came back, he saw what happened, and he broke.

I sadly have no credit I could find for this picture.

He buried his family and ripped his clothes, in the way of his people. He now wanders the woods, followed by a mean looking, black dog. Bitterness took hold in him and he wants nothing to do with people. What he doesn’t know is that the dog, who came to him in his need, is not in fact just a dog, but a force of chaos, that becomes a vessel for the man’s vengeance when the man is asleep. The man in question does not know about this.