If I’m going to go much further, I’ll actually have to work with an actual setting, even if it’s a fairly off-the-cuff one. So we’ll start with a mostly-human fantasy setting. By mostly-human, I mean that the PC’s are expected to be human in most campaigns, and knowledge of the very existence of other races is often a matter of rumor and debate among humans. Characters will get much of their differentiation from culture, rather than species. Let’s work from the basics I talked about already, with the following major cultural areas:

The Northern Highlands: Strength, Athletics

This culture combines aspects of old Celtic and Polynesian warrior cultures, specifically, the idea of taking trophies from fallen enemies or other accomplishments in order to raise one’s Mana, or mystical and martial power. The society will have very close-knit extended family and clan structures, a warrior-focused culture (their magic is all Mana based, which means it’s mostly “always on martial enhancements” stuff).

Learning is primarily a matter of lore, and is carried on by their Bards, who memorize their histories and legends, and who serve as a conscience of the leaders. A Bard’s censure of a leader can cost that leader all of the respect of his people, and a great deal of his Mana. Killing a bard in such a situation is verboten, and the assailant’s Mana may even turn against him if he tries (and his people surely will).

The Old Empire: Rogue, Knowledge Skills/Sciences

This Empire once held together virtually the entire known world, but no longer. This culture is going to be more Greek than Roman, as if Alexander’s empire had been the one to fall. Magic here is hermetic, learned sorcery and alchemy. The people (well, those with the money to do so) put a lot of stock in learning and science. In fact, they have “reduced” magic to a science, more than an art. These incantations and actions cause THIS effect, and drain THAT energy from the caster. They use a lot of material components, as a way to preserve their bodies (spells can be dangerous).

The Feudal States: Prowess, Farming/Professions

As in Europe, constant threats from other cultures led this area to adopt a feudal system, in which peasants give a part of their crop to support a Knight, his horse, his gear, and his supplies. He, along with other nearby knights, defends the people, though they must train and even take up arms as well, in times of great need. These Knights are themselves under the authority of higher nobility.

A monotheistic church is powerful here, healing, protecting, and guiding (and some say dominating) the people. Magic here tends to be based on “holy” power, healing wounds, preventing sickness, breaking curses and other enchantments, driving out evil spirits, undead, etc., and so on.

Mountain Kingdom (tough, inventive, pseudo-Germanic humans): Willpower, Smithing/Crafts

In some ways, these people are like your typical fantasy game’s dwarves. They are tough, headstrong, master smiths who dwell in mountain fortresses (some of which extend deep into the mountain via tunnels). Their magic is mostly bound up in the creation of magical artifacts, and the temporary enchantment of existing items.

Sylvan Woods (semi-mystical nature lovers): Awareness, Herb Lore

The woodsmen and women are a transitional culture midway between pantheism and animism, between hunting and gathering and early farming. They have tree houses and stay in them part of the year, or travel between tree dwellings in multiple locations. Their magic is related to nature, and can include taking on animal traits (rarely actual shapeshifting, but more frequently taking on a cat’s agility or a wolf’s tenacity or a bear’s strength, while remaining visually mostly unchanged).

The ones closest to the entrance of the woods are mostly stationary, and facilitate trade between the outside world and their more elusive, secluded cousins. Any outsiders who spent time among the Sylvans most likely spent it here.

The Islands (Pirates, Fishermen, Sailors, etc): Athletics, Seamanship

No gunpowder yet, but otherwise, pirates, fisherman, sailors. Their magics are all luck-related, and meant to give them good fortune at sea (since the sea is so dangerous). However, most of them have nothing to do with water, specifically, but more about shifting the balance of things their way. These tend to be small rituals you can do before a journey (or at a crucial point), that sound like superstitions (throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder, but never your right. Salt frightens spirits, and as we all know, spirits of misfortune always follow on the left, and spirits of luck on the right…), but work.

Exotic (goblins/orcs, fairies, gnomes, or what have you): Special Abilities

These are quite varied, and have many different options, combinations, and special abilities. Our hypothetical rulebook had many pages about these, and covered them in depth, including guidelines for creating new exotic groups.

Character Generation Table

Drawing on last column’s process, we’ll start with a Template, then roll on the character generation table (I know that’s a horrible name, maybe “Lifepath Table” would be better?). For each roll, the player can choose to spend anything from 1 CP (on any of the listed Traits and Skills) up to all of his or her remaining CP’s, on any combination of the listed Traits and Skills.

Players are encouraged not to spend all of their CP’s on one Trait or Skill, and to make well-rounded characters, but it’s also generally a good idea to focus on something to the point that the character has a “niche.” It’s harder to play a character who has 1 CP in each of a dozen different Skills, and who is mediocre at everything and good at nothing.

The player should keep rolling dice and spending CP’s until he or she has spent them all. This will, of course, mean that some characters will have several different events in their lives, and others will have only a few. That’s fine.

The Lifepath Table

1. Northern Highlands: Strength, Athletics

1-4 Warrior: Prowess, Archery

5 Bardic Training: Knowledge/Lore, Herb Lore, Rogue

6 Taken Prisoner (Servant): Awareness, Survival

7-9 Herder/Woodsman: Survival, Herb Lore, Herding/Animal Husbandry

10 On the Run: Awareness, Survival. You’ve picked up an enemy, and gain +1 CP

2-3. The Old Empire: Rogue, Knowledge Skills/Sciences

1. On the Run: Awareness, Survival. You’ve picked up an enemy, and gain +1 CP

2-3. Took up with Criminals:

1-3 Pickpocket or Petty Thief: Awareness, Subterfuge

4-5 Con Artist: Awareness, Rogue,

6-7 Highwayman: Awareness, Prowess

8-9 Catburglar: Awareness, Athleticism

10 Organized Crime: Awareness, Willpower, Criminal Contacts

4. Drafted into a Fighting Force:

5. Volunteered in a Fighting Force: (4 and 5 use the same sub-chart)

1-4 Infantry: Prowess, Strength

5-6 Archer: Prowess, Archery

7-8 Scout: Prowess, Awareness

9 Medic: Prowess, Medicine

10 Engineer: Prowess, Siege Engineering

6. Worked in Skilled Crafts or Commerce: Profession, Increase Wealth Level, Contacts

7. Lived in Court

1-3: Domestic Servant: Etiquette, Awareness, Rogue

4: Court Magician: Etiquette, Secret Lore, Magic

5: Fencing Instructor: Etiquette, Prowess, Awareness

6: Tutor: Etiquette, Awareness, Knowledge Skills, Artistic and Music Skills

7: Perfumer (poison maker): Etiquette, Apothecary, Subterfuge

8-9: Courtier/Courtesan: Etiquette, Rogue, Wealth

10: Significant Noble: Etiquette, Wealth, Noble Title/Rank

8-9. Joined a Trade Caravan/Shipment

1-2 As a Guard: Survival/Seamanship, Prowess

3-4 As Basic Labor: Survival/Seamanship, Athletics

5 As a Merchant: Survival/Seamanship, Rogue, Wealth

6-7 As Merchandise: Survival/Seamanship, Willpower

8-9 As a Stowaway: Survival/Seamanship, Awareness

10 As a Cook or other Support Staff: May choose from any or all of the listed Caravan Traits, but can spend no more than 1 CP on each. (Had a chance to learn from everybody, but just a little)

10. Studied Privately Under an Expert Mentor

1-2 Warrior: Prowess, Athletics

3-4 Healer: Medicine, Herb Lore

5-6 Thief: Awareness, Subterfuge

7-8 Mystic: Willpower, Secret Lore, Magic

9-10 Craftsman: Professional Skill/Craft, Science & Engineering

4-6. The Feudal States: Prowess, Farming/Professions

1-2 Knight: Strength, Athletics, Wealth

3 Knight of the Church: Strength, Athletics, Divine Magic

4-5 Peasant Militia: Archery, Farming/Herb Lore, Survival

6-7 Clergy: Willpower, Secret Lore, Divine Magic

8 Local Merchant – Rogue, Wealth, Local Connections

9. Joined a Trade Caravan/Shipment

1-2 As a Guard: Survival/Seamanship, Prowess

3-4 As Basic Labor: Survival/Seamanship, Athletics

5 As a Merchant: Survival/Seamanship, Rogue, Wealth

6-7 As Merchandise: Survival/Seamanship, Willpower

8-9 As a Stowaway: Survival/Seamanship, Awareness

10 As a Cook or other Support Staff: May choose from any or all of the listed Caravan Traits, but can spend no more than 1 CP on each. (had a Chance to learn from everybody, but just a little)

10. Studied Privately Under an Expert Mentor

1-2 Warrior: Prowess, Athletics

3-4 Healer: Medicine, Herb Lore

5-6 Thief: Awareness, Subterfuge

7-8 Mystic: Willpower, Secret Lore, Magic

9-10 Craftsman: Professional Skill/Craft, Science & Engineering

7. Mountain Kingdom: Willpower, Forge Skills/Crafts

1-4 Warrior: Prowess, Strength

5 Mage-Smith: Magic, Wealth

6 Laborer: Strength, Athletics

7 Servant: Awareness, Rumors

8 On the Run: Awareness, Survival. You’ve picked up an enemy, and gain +1 CP

9 Noble: Wealth, Rogue, Connections

10 Other (Cobbler, Tailor, Food Production, Scribe) Profession, 1 Related Skill

8. Sylvan Woods: Awareness, Herb Lore

1-3 Warrior: Prowess, Archery

4-5 Mystic: Animal Magic, Lore/Secret Knowledge

6-7 Hunter: Survival, Archery

8-9 Ranger: Prowess, Animal Magic

10 Healer: Medicine, Survival

9. The Islands: Athletics, Seamanship

1-2. On the Run: Awareness, Survival. You’ve picked up an enemy, and gain +1 CP

3. Took up with (land-based) Criminals:

1-3 Pickpocket or Petty Thief: Awareness, Subterfuge

4-5 Con Artist: Awareness, Rogue,

6-7 Highwayman: Awareness, Prowess

8-9 Catburglar: Awareness, Athleticism

10 Organized Crime: Awareness, Willpower, Criminal Contacts

4-5. Became a Pirate: Prowess, Rogue

6-7. Joined the Navy:

1-7 Sailor: Prowess, Strength

8 Archer: Prowess, Archery

9 Ship’s Doctor: Prowess, Medicine

10 Engineer: Prowess, Engineering/Repairs

8. Worked in Skilled Crafts or Commerce: Profession, Increase Wealth Level, Contacts

9-10. Joined a Trade Ship

1-4 As a Sailor: Prowess, Strength

5 As a Merchant: Rogue, Wealth, Connections

6-7 As Merchandise: Willpower, Rogue

8 As the Ship’s Doctor: Medicine, Herb Lore

9 As a Stowaway: Awareness, Subterfuge

10 As a Cook or other Support Staff: May choose from any or all of the listed Caravan Traits, but can spend no more than 1 CP on each. (Had a chance to learn from everybody, but just a little)

10. Exotic: Special Abilities

Since this one would require coming up with the setting’s fantastical races and defining exactly how magic works, it’s beyond the scope of this column. Let’s just skip it for now.

Final Thoughts

I regret that I don’t have the space in this column to create an example character. I’ll do that in a future column. At any rate, you can already see how the tables give a degree of detail about the different regions and cultures in the setting.