Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

Oh. You're not going to make Talin a woodsman? I had just assumed.

I have been making some judgements based on the idea that he would have that kind ability. So you might find from now on that it is in fact Freya who does most of the scouting / looking for clues / setting up traps / sniffing animal droppings, etc.

Still, it's your call. If you want to make him a bowyer that's fine.

I just realized that your mention of an 'insurance fund' presumes there are clerics with spells in the game. I just figured out what you meant.

There aren't clerics with such spells. Sorry. Even divine magic isn't in the western lands. Some priests might claim to be able to cast miracle cures but they don't actually have any effect.

There is still a church though, and it is very powerful.

Elvish magic is tolerated because of an ancient alliance, but it is frowned on, and you wouldn't want to flaunt it in public.

The nature magic of the pagans is though of as heresy and being found guilty of pagan magic gets you burned alive.

So all in all the elf-mage character was a sound choice.

I thought about it and meant to ask, "what does woodsman provide that ranger doesn't already have?" Looking around for animal tracks overlaps with tracking, since you can't follow tracks you can't find. So what I concluded but forgot to confirm was, ranger is already more-or-less like woodsman and I want Freya to be a trapper, so thief+woodsmaid is close to what I was envisioning as an elven trapper.

Gah! Permadeath!

Ok thanks.

I will think about that.

It implies that rangers effectively get a 'free' background skill, and automatically have 'woodsman.'

If that's the case, other classes should get one too.

Or, I could rule that even though Talin is pretty hot in following trails, he's not actually that good at other outdoorsy stuff, like setting up camps, lighting fires, hunting or trapping animals, predicting the weather, checking to see if water is drinkable, or knowing if berries are poisonous, etc.

That's the sort of stuff I'd give you with woodsman / maid.

To me, a ranger without 'woodsman' makes less sense, but I don't want to force you into it.

If all classes automatically get a 'free' background skill, what do rogues and fighters get?

There are some that fit fighters well: blacksmith (weapon or armor), animal training. Thief is merchant, possibly with shady connections.

?

Hmmm.

I'll think about it some more before 2nd level.

Another option is that the first ranger pick is mandatory.

The threat of perma-death makes you smarter.

I am close to having backgrounds for everybody. Is there anything you want me to inject?