11-04-2011, 09:57 PM (This post was last modified: 11-04-2011, 10:43 PM by Murcielago.)
Ultimately Random A New Way to Create Characters
After recently playing a few tabletop games with some friends, I’ve come to realize just how much fun playing a random character can be, but unfortunately it’s rather difficult in the World of Warcraft as blizzard’s own Tabletop creation system is rather lacking in the part that I find so enjoyable: The sheer randomness. That being said, I’ve taken bits and pieces from my own mind, as well as those of the creators of Palladium’s tabletop books, as well as Warcraft’s D20 to create my own Warcraft oriented random character creation system.
For this system you will be making use of Random.org’s True Random Number Generator. Follow the link, and at the right you will find the generator. Set the Min / Max equal to the applicable setting for what you are rolling, and click ‘Generate’.
Attributes
Attribute Definitions:
Spoiler:
Intelligence Quotient:
Indicates the character’s intelligence. Their exact IQ is equal to the attributed IQ multiplied by ten. Characters with an IQ of 1-5 are not very bright, and should be played like the classic dumb lug. However, having a low IQ does not necessarily make the character a complete idiot. An IQ of 6-8 is slightly below average but far from an imbecile. An I.Q. of 9-12 is average, 13-15 slightly above average. An IQ of 16 or better is exceptional, the higher the number the more brilliant the character.
Mental Endurance:
Measures the amount of mental and emotional stress the character can withstand. This can be played out through multiple means, each viable in their own right, such as sorrow, insanity, defeatism, pessimism, etc., each increasing as some sort of mental strain plays against them.
Mental Affinity:
Represents the character’s likability, personal charm and charisma. Natural leaders are those with an MA of 16 or higher, with an increased chance to invoke trust or intimidation in others. A person with a high MA may appear trustworthy to some, but intimidating to others. This may depend on the character himself or the circumstances of the situation. At the player’s option, a character with a high MA may choose to be only especially trustworthy or only intimidating. This explains how your friendly neighborhood ice cream man and some knife-wielding thug might both have the same MA, but use it differently.
Physical Strength:
This is the raw physical power of a character. Any character with a PS of 16 or better receives a bonus to damage an opponent in hand to hand combat. This bonus is applies to punch and kick attacks, as well as handheld weapon such as a club, knife or sword. It does not apply to the bow and arrow or guns.
Physical Prowess:
Shows the degree of dexterity and agility of the character. A P.P. of 16 or higher is rewarded with bonuses to strike, parry, and dodge.
Physical Endurance:
Demonstrates the character’s stamina and durability. The amount of physical punishment and resistance to fatigue, disease, and poison (and magic too) are determined by P.E. Characters with a P.E. of 16 or higher receive a bonus to save vs coma/death, disease, poisons/toxins, and magic. But not Demonic Curses or possession, they are different and separate.
Physical Beauty:
An introduction of the physical attractiveness of the character. A P.B. of 16 or better is rewarded with a bonus to charm or impress.
Speed:
This is how fast the character can run. The character’s Speed x20 is the number of yards or meters he can run in one minute. Speed x5 is the number of yards/meters covered in 15 seconds.
Attribute Scores
Spoiler:
1-5 = Far Below Average
6-8 = Below Average
9-12 = Average
13-15 = Above Average
16+ = Far Above Average
Roll 1 through 6 three times for each attribute. If you roll 16 or higher then you get to roll one more time. If another six is rolled, you get one more roll, but that’s the cut off!
Set 'Min' to 1 and 'Max' to 6
IQ:
ME:
MA:
PS:
PP:
PE:
PB:
SPD:
Attribute Modifiers:
Race:
Spoiler:
Orc: +2 (PS, PP, -OR- PE. Choose one.), -2 IQ. Orcs are incredibly tough, but they are more likely to follow their passions instead of reason.
Human: +2 ME. Humans are known for their courage, no matter the circumstances.
Troll: +2 PP, -2 MA. Trolls are wiry and quick, but their primitive culture is even considered ruthless and dark amongst their own allies.
Dwarf: +2 (PS, PP, -OR- PE. Choose one.), -2 MA. Dwarves tend to have stout and healthy bodies, but their mannerisms can be quite gruff and difficult to deal with.
Undead: +2 (PS, -OR- PE. Choose one.), -2 PP. Undeath grants physical power, but dulls reflexes.
Night Elves: +2 (ME -OR- IQ. Choose one.), -2 MA. Night Elves have keen instincts and an innate connection to nature, but they tend to be distant and aloof.
Tauren: +2 (PS, -OR- PE. Choose one.), -2 PP. Tauren are incredibly powerful, but they lack grace.
Gnomes: +2 IQ, -2 (PS, PP, -OR- PE. Choose one). Gnomes are clever, friendly, and keen of wit, but their small size impairs their strength.
Blood Elves: +2 (IQ, -OR- MA. Choose one.), -2 PE. The Blood Elves are magically adept; however, their willowy builds are frail.
Draenei: +2 MA, -2 PP. The Draenei are both friendly and imposing, but their grace (or lack thereof) is a hindrance.
Age:
Spoiler:
At middle age, -1 to PS, PP, and PE. +1 to IQ, ME, and MA.
At old age, -2 to PS, PP, and PE. +1 to IQ, ME, and MA.
At Venerable age, -3 to PS, PP, and PE. +1 to IQ, ME, and MA.
These stack, so at venerable age the total would be: -6 to PS, PP, and PE. +3 to IQ, ME, and MA.
* Negative effects void for Night Elves and Draenei *
Race:
Spoiler:
Generally one will have an idea of what race they want to play, but for those that wish to create a truly random character, I’ve created a simple system for that as well.
Set ‘Min’ to 1, and ‘max’ to 100.
What you roll
Orc: 1-10
Human: 11-20
Troll: 21-30
Dwarf: 31-40
Undead: 41-50
Night Elves: 51-60
Tauren: 61-70
Gnomes: 71-80
Blood Elves: 81-90
Draenei: 91-100
Gender:
Spoiler:
It’s generally best to pick what you’re most comfortable with, but if you would prefer to roll:
Set ‘Min’ to 1 and ‘Max’ to 2
Male: 1
Female: 2
Class:
Spoiler:
There’s the possibility for some really interesting, complex, and possibly even difficult characters to play when you get odd attribute scores with a randomly chosen class. That however, doesn’t mean you can’t base your character’s class directly off of their attributes, or even have one in mind before you start. If you decide for the fully random route however, I’ve also created a means for that (Go figure).
Do keep in mind however, that I’m only keeping this to the ‘base’ classes. Feel free to branch off from whatever it is you roll, such as making a warrior a berserker, a shaman a runemaster, or a mage a necromancer.
Set ‘Min’ to 1 and ‘Max’ to 100
Druid: 1-10
Hunter: 11-20
Mage: 21-30
Paladin: 31-40
Priest: 41-50
Rogue: 51-60
Shaman: 61-70
Warlock: 71-80
Warrior: 81-90
Death Knight: 91-100
Height and Weight:
Spoiler:
This should be based around your attribute scores.
Alignment:
Spoiler:
The character's alignment is a guide to his basic moral and ethical attitudes toward others, society, good, evil, and the forces of the universe in general. Use the chosen alignment as a guide to provide a clearer idea of how the character will handle moral dilemmas. Always consider alignment as a tool, not a straitjacket that restricts the character. Although alignment defines general attitudes, it certainly doesn't prevent a character from changing his beliefs, acting irrationally, or behaving out of character, though these should be on rare occasions and not persistent.
Set ‘Min’ to 1 and ‘Max’ to 9
Lawful Good: 1
Neutral Good: 2
Chaotic Good: 3
Lawful Neutral: 4
True Neutral: 5
Chaotic Neutral: 6
Lawful Evil: 7
Neutral Evil: 8
Chaotic Evil: 9
Age:
Spoiler:
Once again, it may be best to choose how old you want your character to be. For this system, there is a prerequisite which you may or may not want to choose on your own.
Set ‘Min’ to 1 and ‘Max’ to 2
Adventurer: 1
Commoner: 2
Adventurer Age Set:
Spoiler:
For the most part, adventurers will consist of a younger crowd, in which they have not died as of yet, or haven’t had the time to settle down and raise a family. This system attempts to mimic that based off of demographics taken from the US military, as well as the Conquest of the Horde’s prior age system.
By definition in this system, an adventurer is one who actively partakes in combat and other ‘heroic’ deeds.
Set ‘Min’ to 1 and ‘Max’ to 100
Young: 1 - 65
Middle Age: 66 - 95
Old Age: 96 - 100
Venerable: N/A
Commoner Age Set:
Spoiler:
Conversely commoners can be made up of nearly any age demographic as they don’t face the constant hardships that most ‘heroics’ do. These statistics have been taken from the US Census Bureau. This system does not contain a ‘canon’ statistic for the ‘Life Span’ category, but if you wish to add it for your own reasons, then add 5 to the ‘max’.
Set ‘Min’ to 1 and ‘Max’ to 75
Young: 1-27
Middle Age: 28-52
Old Age: 53 - 68
Venerable: 69 - 75
Life Span: N/A
Age Table:
Young - Old Age Guidelines
Spoiler:
[table=tablebg table1][thead][tr=]Young - Old Age Guidelines[/tr][/thead][tr=bg1][td=1,]Race[/td][td=1,]Young[/td][td=1,]Middle Age[/td][td=1,]Old Age[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Blood Elf[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]1000[/td][td=1,]1250[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Dwarf[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]125[/td][td=1,]188[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Gnome[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]100[/td][td=1,]150[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Human[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]35[/td][td=1,]53[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Orc[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]40[/td][td=1,]65[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Tauren[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]75[/td][td=1,]95[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Troll[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]30[/td][td=1,]47[/td][/tr]
[/table]
Venerable - Max Age Guidelines
Spoiler:
[table=tablebg table1][thead][tr=]Venerable - Max Age Guidelines[/tr][/thead][tr=bg1][td=1,]Race[/td][td=1,]Venerable[/td][td=1,]Max Life Span[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Blood Elf[/td][td=1,]1500[/td][td=1,]2000[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Dwarf[/td][td=1,]250[/td][td=1,]300-450[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Gnome[/td][td=1,]200[/td][td=1,]250-500[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Human[/td][td=1,]70[/td][td=1,]80-110[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Orc[/td][td=1,]80[/td][td=1,]90-100[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Tauren[/td][td=1,]110[/td][td=1,]120-150[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Troll[/td][td=1,]69[/td][td=1,]73-79[/td][/tr]
[/table]
Immortal Races
Spoiler:
Age for Night Elves and Draenei doesn’t full fit with the Adventure / Commoner system as a 11,000 year old Night Elf Sentinel would be just as likely to fight as an 18 year old druid, or a 25,000 year old vindicator might be just as likely to fight as an 18 year old shaman, for examples from each race. Age for these two races means little as far as physical effects are concerned, but rather end up determining what events have taken place. As such all Night Elves and Draenei have their own roll system that acts as a mixture of the Adventurer and Common sets
Set ‘Min’ to 1 and ‘Max’ to 100
Young: 1-30
Middle Age: 31-55
Old Age: 56-78
Venerable: 79-100
[table=tablebg table1][thead][tr=]Young - Old Age Guidelines[/tr][/thead][tr=bg1][td=1,]Race[/td][td=1,]Young[/td][td=1,]Middle Age[/td][td=1,]Old Age[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Night Elf[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]5,000[/td][td=1,]7,500[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Draenei[/td][td=1,]18[/td][td=1,]8,000[/td][td=1,]25,000[/td][/tr]
[/table]
[table=tablebg table1][thead][tr=]Venerable - Max Age Guidelines[/tr][/thead][tr=bg1][td=1,]Race[/td][td=1,]Venerable[/td][td=1,]Max Life Span[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Night Elf[/td][td=1,]10,000-12,000[/td][td=1,]N/A for Play[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg2][td=1,]Draenei[/td][td=1,]30,000[/td][td=1,]N/A for Play[/td][/tr]
[/table]
The Forsaken / Undead are in a unique situation however, as they cannot age, but have in the past. As such they should acts as a Human Adventurer or Commoner for all intents and purposes, and then add X amount of years for the amount of time since their death. They can be randomly added with the system below.
Set ‘Min’ to 1 and ‘Max’ to 9
The number rolled correlates directly with the number of years since their death. For example, if you roll 1 they have been alive for 1 year. 2, 2 years. 3, 3 years. Many undead (as shown in the first Forsaken quests) have gone into a ‘hibernation’ of sorts, and as such, could have just recently awoken.
And Last but Not Least...
Names!
Spoiler:
If you don’t feel the random character names from the client are good enough, then this is a good alternative. I’ve grown rather fond of it myself!
An example character created with the system only moments ago:
Attributes:
Intelligence Quotient: 22
Mental Endurance: 15
Mental Affinity: 11
Physical Strength: 19
Physical Prowess: 7
Physical Endurance: 8
Physical Beauty: 11
Speed: 12
Race: Orc
Gender: Male
Class: Warlock
Alignment: Lawful Good
Age: Old Age = Between 65 and 79
Name: Naz'Grel
So here we have a elderly Orc Warlock, who still happens to have maintained his strength over the years, despite not having the stamina or agility he may have once possessed. His looks are average by any means, but for that he makes up with a decent amount of amiability and an incredible amount of intellect; Especially for an Orc. He isn't all too fast, but as a Lawful Good character he won't have much occasion to run in any case.
However, as a warlock, why is he Lawful Good of all things? This is one of the interesting aspects of playing a completely random character.
Perhaps he's bound by some sort of twisted morality instilled in him as he watched his own son grow into a noble warrior. As his son went from child to adolescent, perhaps he wished to set a good Orcish example, and attempt to pursue the nobler aspects of Orcish society despite using a diabolic form of magic. It would be all he knew however, and would have still been accepted in Orcish society. That being said, he would nevertheless have a constant internal struggle between himself, his addiction to fel, and the corruption that goes along with it. Perhaps that's why he doesn't have the highest 'Mental Affinity' score that he could.
Now, that's just with a bit of planning and pulling ideas straight out from... Well, you know. With a bit of actual planning and maybe rerolling a few things here or there you could have an amazing character concept without actually having to put much -real- work into it at all!
While this does sound like a lot of work, I really do like the idea as a long time tabletop RPG player. I wouldn't mind making a character this way, if I had the time to do so.
