Kingdoms of Faerie, Part 2

The next excerpt from Kingdoms of Faerie is a brief explanation of character creation, along with some "how to do..." stuff. I expect this section will be re-written based on playtesting and feedback. Criticism welcome!

 - Begin Boxed Text -

A role-playing game is nothing more than a set of procedures designed to regulate informal, communal storytelling. This is unlike most games, where the rules are unvarying and inviolate, because the game would cease to have meaning without them. This rpg is no different, and the rules which exist are nothing more than a set of procedures which may be altered as the participants see fit. In this game, the authority to change procedure is invested in an individual called the Game Master. There is only one real rule; that the GM will have unquestioned authority to adjudicate which procedures are used, and then how they are applied in play.

 - End Boxed Text -


1 - Character Creation

Each player character has six characteristics; Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma. Each characteristic also has a modifier, determined by consulting the chart for each characteristic.

To determine each characteristic, roll 3d6, six times, in order. The result of the roll is the indicated characteristic. The modifier for the characteristic is used for various procedures including adventure procedures, combat, and warfare. These characteristics are used when determining the results of tasks involving either the skills or raw abilities of the players.

Statistic Bonus
3 -3
4-5 -2
6-8 -1
9-12 None
13-15 +1
16-17 +2
18 +3

You should note that mental characteristics are given greater emphasis and have more utility to fighting men than in most OSR games. Wisdom is important for all tasks involving riding and war, Intelligence is used to govern perception and parts of war, and Charisma determines how well a knight’s unit performs in battle, as well as reaction rolls.




Characteristic        Modifies:

Strength                  Melee Combat Attack & Damage Rolls

Intelligence             Siege Weapon Attack & Damage Rolls

Wisdom                   Enchantment Saving Throws

Dexterity                 Armor Class, Reaction Saving Throws, Missile Attack Rolls

Constitution            Hit Point Adjustment, Health Saving Throws

Charisma                 Reactions, Loyalty, Battle Rolls


In addition, characteristics are directly used for some checks in the game, as shown below:

Characteristic         Utilized for:

Strength                    Lifting, Resisting Knockdown, Breaking Doors & Barriers

Intelligence              Perception, Tactics, Politesse

Wisdom                    Horsemanship, Strategy, Personal Insight

Dexterity                  Dodging, Jumping, Climbing

Constitution             Endurance

Charisma                  Charm

In the circumstance listed, the GM may call for a characteristic roll from a player. That player then rolls a number of d6, the amount depending on the difficulty of the task.


Difficulty                   # d6

Normal                      2

Difficult                     3

Heroic                        4

Legendary                  5

If the result of the d6 rolled is equal to or less than the characteristic in question, the character succeeds in what he or she was attempting.

Kingdoms of Faerie, Part 1

Over the next several months I will be presenting excerpts of a new RPG I have been working on, entitled Kingdoms of Faerie, for the OSR.  It's a game about knights, and is inspired by Pendragon.  I'll post these on my G+ account for feedback, criticism, and insight as well as to answer any questions.

<https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DoyleTavener>

It will then appear here, on my long-defunct blog, as a means of archiving.

This first bit is the introduction.  Tomorrow and Friday I'll post what I have for character creation.

1 - Introduction

This is a game about knights. It uses as its engine the procedures and assumptions of the Original Fantasy Role-Playing Game, hacked to reflect the topic and informed by the ideas and mechanics of the Old School Renaissance. It is inspired by a much better game than this one, Greg Stafford’s King Arthur Pendragon.

The players are all knights, There are no other classes available, or even present in the setting. The milieu consists of two worlds, linked to each other in mysterious ways. The first world is the historical reality of 12th century Europe, and the second is the lands of the kingdoms of Faerie. The players are knights from the real world, who find themselves trapped and thrown together in the eternal landscape of the Fae.

While in Faerie, the knights engage in various adventures, which can include exploration, monster-hunting, establishing demesnes, war, raid and skirmish, tournaments, questing, romance and court intrigue, and fulfilling the enchantments of the various sub-kingdoms of the Faerie landscape.

Each of the following chapters details how to create and sustain just such a campaign, reflecting the literature of romance of the Middle Ages and later. There is a medium sized hex map of Faerie, with terse descriptions of what can be found in each of the hexes, which can be used as as template for your own land of enchantment.

Thank you for picking up this supplement, and I hope that you have a long and engaging campaign. Hail!