Certainly works for me, but we should probably take any such collaboration into a more private chat...
Hold that thought for now. Let me get some other things organized and set up properly.
(Okay, finally getting around to building Solomon’s shield grog. His name has changed from Alexandre to Alexandrus. Also, I’ll be writing up his daughter Maria (now 15) sometime in the near future. One note, my understanding of Enduring Constitution is that it will NOT negate the -1 penalty given from Lingering Injury, since it’s not a wound penalty. So Alexandrus will always have the -1 from Lingering Injury, but will reduce any penalties from wounds by 1.)
Alexandrus was born outside of Naples on the estate of a noble whose lands were built on the outskirts of the former site of Pompeii. His father was a villein who worked the lands of the lord and led a relatively good life for a peasant. Once he was old enough, Alexandrus took up the position of shepherd within the lord’s famulus. While not an exciting life, Alexandrus proved to be a good shepherd and his lord was relatively beneficent, gifting him with a sheep on Christmas each year. He eventually fell in love with the lord’s dairymaid, and after several years that had saved enough to be married. Life was good, but difficult, and Alexandrus and his wife were happy. Finally, just after his 27th birthday, they finally gave birth to their daughter, Maria.
But tragedy was soon to follow. Just months after Maria was born, a wicked infernalist hermetic wizard, a succubus and their sex cult killed the lord of the manor and took over his demesne. All of the lord’s family was murdered and many of the slaves and villeins were killed as well. The famuli did their best to serve the wizard and his cult for fear of death. Alexandrus was forced to watch as his wife was routinely ravaged by the lustful cultists while the succubus drew pleasure, and power, from her agony.
In the Fall of 1221, Alexandrus would finally see peace for his wife. A group of Hermetic wizards, led by Solomon of Guernicus, attacked the cult and eventually killed the infernalist and abjured the succubus. Unfortunately, the wounds his wife had received, coupled with the constant trauma she had undergone for last 9 months were too much for her to overcome. Solomon performed the Sacrament of Extreme Unction over her, and Alexandrus pledged himself to Solomon as long as he would keep his daughter safe.
Alexandrus has served as Solomon’s shield grog ever since, traveling with his daughter Maria first back to Magvillus with him, then to the covenant of Duresca, and now to Andorra.
Alexandrus
Characteristics: Int +0, Per +1, Pre +0, Com -1, Str +2, Sta +2, Dex +1, Qui +0
Size: 0
Age: 40
Height: 5’11
Weight: 190#
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0
Confidence: 1(3)
Virtues:
Enduring Constitution (minor)
Mild Aging [Grogs, pg 76] (minor)
Warrior (minor)
Hermetic Experience [Grogs, pg 75] (adventure-15 xp)
Flaws:
Devoted Parent [Grogs, pg 79] (minor)
Pious (minor)
Night Terrors [Grogs, pg 82] (minor)
Lingering Injury [Grogs, pg 81] (adventure)
Personality Traits:
Brave +1
Loyal +3
Pious +3
Reputation:
Combat: (Lingering Injury already applied)
Toledo Long Sword (& Roundshield): Initiative +1, Attack +12, Defense +8 (+10), Damage +8
Spear (& Roundshield): Initiative +1, Attack +8, Defense +6 (+8), Damage +6
Thrown Spear: Initiative -1, Attack +8, Defense N/A, Damage +6
Soak (Full Metal Scale) : +2 (+9)
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Load: 9
Encumbrance: 1
Burden: 3
Abilities:
Animal Handling (sheep) 4
Area Lore: Calabria (animals) 2
Area Lore: Iberia (geography) 2
Artes Liberales (arithmetic) 1
Athletics (running) 3
Awareness (alertness) 5
Bargain (wool) 2
Brawl (dodging) 4
Carouse (staying sober) 2
Charm (first impressions) 3
Chirurgy (binding wounds) 3
Dead Language: Latin (Hermetic usage) 4
Etiquette (peasants) 3
Folk Ken (peasants) 5
Single Weapon (long sword) 6
Guile (fast talk) 2
Hunt (tracking) 2
Leadership (in combat) 2
Living Language: Neopolitan (Native, Northern Calabrian) 5
Living Language: Occitan (Catalan) 2
Magic Lore (magical creatures) 2
Order of Hermes Lore (Quaesitores) 2
Ride (horses) 3
Stealth (hide) 2
Survival (forests) 3
Swim (underwater maneuvering) 2
Thrown Weapon (spear) 5
I see that Solomon's shield grog has a Toledo sword. How does one go about getting one's grog such a sword?
I'm probably going to be told he can't have it. Honestly I just grabbed it off the Almogaver template from the wiki and used the stats there.
Quality Items and Items of Quality ue the same formula (for determining cost). In terms of q.p.) equals twice the pyramid value of the bonus provided. If an item provides more than one bonus, charge for each of them. Remember, experience points can be spent as q.p. during CharGen. Also, with an exchange rate of a pawn of Vis to twelve pounds Silver, 1q.p. equals three pounds silver. Not sure if values of items equal out, but I know this formula works fair for CharGen.
So, a Toledo Steel Longsword. Are you able to equip yourself with Expensive armaments? That is required for a regular long sword anyways. I have let that slip I know, and since you are paying a cost I can just wave at it. But you are also a Grog, so I should limit you. I do think the Flame Brothers are limited to Superior quality items.
These are the Category names I am using, so you can avoid labeling your arms as "+1 sword and +2 shield". The bonus is added to Attack for Weapons, Defense for Shields, and Protection for Armour.
-
Superior: +1 (4q.p.)[list]
[]Supreme: +1/+1 (8q.p.): Toledo Steel qualifies as slightly better to Superior, adding +1 to Attack and Damage
[/:m]
[*]Excellent: +2 or better (varies): For weapons, the bonus is added to Attack and Damage. - Excellent: +2 (8q.p.) or +2/+2 (16q.p.)
-
Exceptional: +3 (12q.p.) or +3/+3 (24q.p.)
[/*:m][/list:u]
Nice one.
I'd just add a line saying how he chose to follow solomon and undertook training before becoming his shield grog: As it is, it seems he became so without even breaking a sweat or knowing how to fight, whereas he shouldn't before meeting solomon. Like, I can see him following Solomon, training as much as he can, impressing everyone with his dedication, participating in some fights, putting himself between Solomon and threats, until Solomon officialises the whole thing.
Dunno if I'm clear.
As a grog, he should have no confidence.
Agree.
This was a great virtue in previous Eds, not-so much now (although, in a way, one could compare it to a +1 to everything that applies only when wounded*). I believed we have a HR about it, but found no trace in the wiki.
- Nice special circumstances for a warrior magi.
Aaargh! You're all confusing me.
According to the first rule, per bonus:
+1 costs 02qps
+2 costs 06qps
+3 costs 12qps
According to the second rule, that's just (bonus*4) qps, so:
+1 costs 04qps
+2 costs 08qps
+3 costs 12qps
The wiki had a cost of 3*pyramid, which I updated with your descriptions, and that would put us as:
+1 costs 03qps
+2 costs 09qps
+3 costs 18qps
Which one is the right one?
I cannot find that weapons and armor section in the HR's. I knew I had written something, but remember taking it down when I realized the piecemeal system gunks up the established RAW guidelines for enchantment and such. The prices I quoted here come from the Hermetic Price Guide, and the values are based off of a conversation you once had with me and Xavi (which I cannot find).
Researching a bit, I discovered the source of confusion. The x4 price is the original rule for Items of Quality. Pyramid x3, not sure where that came from. That may have been the original revision proposed. Pyramid x2 is the value suggested by Fixer when Xavi was revising Arnau.
So, x2 or x3 does not matter much to me. As long as their is a pyramid scale in place. The Px2 price is in the Hermetic Price Guide section of Hermetic Economics, which is directly linked to the rules on Mustering out. A player will naturally come across that rule first before stumbling along the weapons page on the wiki (which I didn't know existed, but I am grateful because that saves me the effort of writing it all over again).
So the question is thus...
Which rule have people been using, and which one do you guys think is most fair? I myself prefer Px2. Roberto was made using the straight x4 rule, and maybe he should be audited and revised.
I use the rule of "Oh, you want blah? It costs blah."
To be honest, my eyes glazed over ages ago and it feels to me that we have more house rules (and rules imported from supplements that I neither have nor any overwhelming interest in buying in the foreseeable future) than I can keep track of or pay attention to. So, if I wanted to do something, I would just say what I wanted to do or have and trust that someone who's been able to follow it better than I have can get me straightened out if I do it wrong.
Good point. I did try to simplify some of the HR's with the last revision. And I want to trim them down again some more. But it is wise to be concerned only with what your character(s) would be concerned with.
There is a bunch of stuff that never gets used that was put in place as a "just in case". We can toss a lot of that. What I should limit my concern to is the stuff people actually use. People want quality weapons. I like quality weapons. But I also want a simple system with some limits.
Yes. I agree with Marko: All this developped because players kept asking "I want this! I want that!", so, even if one player don't use it all (I mean, I only used hermetic items and LR rules!), they are here because, at one point of another, someone asked for it. No one will use them all
For the cost, I think the pyramidal scale is a must be, maybe with an "entry" cost (so a Quality item could cost x + ypyramid, like 5 + 2pyramid)
The multiplier depends on whether we want them to be more or less common. As it is, as I see it, they give a nice, cheap boost to you abilities, especially important for ability scores of 5+, making you all the more powerful in your area of expertise.
An ability gives +1 for 5/15/30/50/75 XPs.
An item roughly boosts a specialty of an ability, like Single Weapon (shortsword), Charm (Dogs) or Andorra Area Lore (Geography).
Even at Px5, it is, IMO, a very good deal, which means that a lot of characters will easily have Quality items relative to their specialty.
Px2 gives a +1 to a skill subset for 2/6/12/20xp.
Px3 gives a +1 to a skill subset for 3/9/18/30xp, a little more costly.
So it depends on how prevalent we want these to be.
in autumn 1235 Epona will also take the class in single weapon for 14 experience. Her adventure experience from the summer will be put into faerie lore(5 pts) and 2 pts towards improving hunt.
From winter 1234 to autumn 1235 Lucia has 7 seasons- one of these are exposure in cleaning, one exposure in sewing, two seasons exposure in cooking, the remaining sesons will be spent 'studying' area lore (Mallorca) at 5 xp/season for a 2 in area Lore(Mallorca)
Ok, spitting out some numbers for Antoine's shield grog:
Phelippe de Sancerre
Characteristics: Str 3, Dex -1, Sta 2, Int 0, Per -1, Com 0, Pre 1, Qik -1
Size: 0
Age: 30
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 15 stone (210 lbs)
Decrepitude: 0
Warping Score: 0
Faith: 1 (via Relic; grants MR 10, and a 1-point confidence equivalent)
Confidence: 1(3)
Virtues:
Knight (minor) - specifically, Knight Templar (retired)
Reserves of Strength (once per day, +3 Str. 2 Fatigue rolls after)
Relic
Flaws:
Ability Block (subterfuge) - covers Guile, Stealth, Charm, Intrigue
Prohibition against Lying - Palsied Hands (-2 to all rolls involving an object) until confessed and shriven
Weakness for cats
Personality Traits:
Honest +3
Pious +1
Wrathful +1
Reputation:
Equipment:
Superior Lance (+2 Init, +5 Atk, 0 Dfn, +5 Dam)
Superior Longsword (+2 Init, +5 Atk, +1 Dfn, +6 Dam)
Superior Heater Shield (+4 Dfn)
Superior Mail Suit (+10 Prot)
Horse (a white Courser, named Kit - as a diminutive of "Christopher", since it carries Phelippe as the Saint carried Christ)
Load: 9 (mail, sword, shield). 11 with +Lance
Burden: 3 (or 4 +Lance)
Encumbrance: 0 (or 1 +Lance)
Combat:
Lance & Shield: Init +1, Atk +13, Def +12, Dam +8
Sword & Shield: Init +1, Atk +14, Def +14, Dam +9
Soak: 12
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5 (11-15), Incapacitated (16-20), Dead (21+)
Abilities:
French 5 (Poetry)
Aramaic 2 (with peasantry)
Area Lore: Sancerre 2 (Geography)
Area Lore: Jerusalem 3 (Merchants)
Animal Handling 1 (Horses)
Athletics 3 (in combat)
Awareness 2 (in combat)
Brawl 5 (grappling)
Etiquette 4 (Templars)
Leadership 2 (in combat)
Ride 5 (his horse, Kit)
Single Weapon 9 (Longsword)
Survival 1 (the Holy Land)
Swim 1 (distance)
Bumping to say - added later-life abilities. Look plausible? And now I'm wondering why I gave Bernat quite such a wide education, instead of pushing his core skills higher than 5 
.
Realistically, most people have a wide range of low level skills. Me, i don't have a score of 5 in anything except my native language (and making sweet love down by the fire )
The ability restriction seems kind of odd. What abilities are specifically blocked? Are there at least four?
The main rules never say you cannot take a story flaw or more than 1 personality flaw. It says "should not", which amounts to *!%& as far as i am concerned. I see is as an anti-munchkin caution. But it never says "cannot" or "may not". Do what works best for a realistic fleshed out character.
Hebrew is not a Living Language. It gets ressurected in the distant future, but in the 13th century it is a dead language restricted to those with an education. A lot of Jewish folk are educated and know Hebrew, but not as their native language. Instead they have Aramaic (in Levant), Yiddish (Germany), and Ladino (Iberia).
Is that a Charm specialism? 
Sayeth the RAW: "You are completely unable to learn a certain class of abilities, for some reason. This may be Martial Abilities, or a more limited set of the others. A profound inability to master logic would rule out Artes Liberales, Philosophiae, any Law, Medicine and Theology. Alternatively, you might be unable to learn any languages other than your native tongue..."
My angle is that he's an unfailingly honest man, and I've blocked those abilities that require some amount of subterfuge. The RAW doesn't give a hard rule for many should be blocked.
Fair enough. Let's have a look... Hm. It'd play quite well with the Ability Block if he had some restriction that prevents him lying - either something mundane, such as Vow, or maybe (if you like the idea) Prohibition, which places him under a Geas, subject to a curse if he does lie. I'd probably swap out Motion Sickness, as actually Weakness for Cats has grown on me.
Oh, and what is the deal with what quality of equipment he can have?
Ah, yes. My bad - I did know that. I'll swap it for Aramaic.
Bump again.
How do you feel about a "Prohibition" (that is, a geas) against lying? And what quality equipment is he allowed?
Hello?
- I'd swap Large for Reserves of Strength. RoS is versatile, and allows you to quickly dispatch an opponent.
- Don't you have grogs? Do you need more help?
2a) IMO, yes
2b) Well, go for it, it's cool
- IIRC, this is a holdover from older editions, and refered to expensive armaments in the weapons table. Now, your guess is as good as mine.
- IMO, yes.
IMO, yes, sure!