New CharGen Ideas

It is a common name. And itis just one part of many.

Selim the guard, or Selim de la porta (of the door, if he has the barracks there) to differentiate him from the other one works the same.

private Selim if nothing else...

Selim al Damashqi bin Mohammed ibn Ibrahim
or
Selim ben Mustapha al Andalusia

Okay I’ll keep him as ’Selim the Caravaner’. It was a name grabbed out of thin air, but it seems ok to have repeat names.
I’ll post the redesigned Selim as a Minor Companion soon.

Most excellent. Love it. Patron is the key that hooks him in. Now it is believable that he is a lone emissary.
If it were me, I'd take the V&F balance one point further, to +/- 5. Social Contacts &/or Warrior fit the concept nicely. But I can't think of a good Flaw. Lingering Injury or Disfigured as a result of his past active duty.
Ignore what I am saying. I like the vibe you got going on. Too much tinkering may spoil it.

Well, I could remove tough (not central to the character at all) and take warrior instead.

Okay I've got a redesigned (Minor) Companion, useful for the North African adventure as well as more local stories.

Is he ok?

Selim the Caravan Foreman
He was born and raised in the covenant of Andorra, in a family in the muslim segment. He worked with animals, and eventually went on a year long tour of North Africa, learning the trade of caravaner with an uncle. He has been back and forth many times. When in Andorra he works with the horses in the stables.
Selim har worked his way up from a labourer to a foreman, and aspires to become a caravan leader. However he faces challenges with always having the wrong sort of people among him (Difficult Underlings) which he spends much of his energy managing.
He is a nice guy, good at polite conversation and asking for information, and utterly unaffected by the magi's Gifts. Sharpeyed and trained as an archer, however not a guard or fighter per se. He is very skilled at teaching and training animal skills.

Characteristics: Int +1, Per +2, Pre +1, Com +1, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik 0

Size: 0

Age: 24 (24), Height: 168 cm, Weight: 72 kg, Gender: Male

Decrepitude: 0

Warping Score: 0 (0)

Virtues and Flaws: Custos (Martial), Keen Vision (Sight: +3), Well-Traveled (50/50), Unaffected by the Gift, Good Teacher, Difficult Underlings, Covenant upbringing, Compassionate

Personality traits: Compassionate +3, Brave +1, Pious +1

Combat:

Dagger: Init: -1, Attack +4, Defense +2, Damage +3

Dodge: Init: -1, Attack --, Defense +3, Damage --

Bow, Short: Init: -3, Attack +9, Defense +4, Damage +6

Fist: Init: -1, Attack +2, Defense +2, Damage +0

Kick: Init: -2, Attack +2, Defense +1, Damage +3

Soak: +2

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: Arabic (common) 5, Area Lore: Andorra (geography) 4, Area Lore: North Africa (geography) 4, Animal Handling (camels) 4, Awareness (alertness) 4, Brawl (dodge) 2, Occitan (common) 4, Survival (desert) 4, Ride (horse) 4, Charm (asking for aid) 4, Bows (shortbow) 3, Latin (Hermetic) 3, Profession: Caravaner (speed) 3, Leadership (caravans) 1, Teaching (animal skills) 3, Order of Hermes Lore (Iberia) 1, Covenant Lore: Andorra (people) 2, Intrigue (negotiation) 3

Equipment: Quilted Armor (Soak: 2) (Soak: 2; Protection: 1)

Encumbrance: 2 (2)

Our Moslem segment is tiny, Two maybe three people. But I got you! You are perhaps the nephew or cousin of Selim the elder, who is Prince of Boredom's companion character. Selim the Elder was our guide during our previous North Africa expedition ten years ago. You joined up back then.
It is very very unlikely you were born here. There was a massacre fifteen years ago. Ninety percent wipe out. Covenant Upbringing doesn't work.

Take Pious and True Faith!

Roger. It was meant as a way to already be integreated to the covenant, as an excuse to have learned Order of Hermes Lore and Covenant Lore, plus Latin. Latin is an Academic Ability, and as such I need something to allow Selim to have it. I considered Educated, but I don't really need to be very good, nor able to read. Do all or nearly all the resident magi speak Occitan (or is thet even the local language there?)? If they do Selim doesn't need Latin to communicate with the magi, and being Unaffected by the Gift he sort of needs to.

Pious and True Faith? Well, I was thinking a more relaxed approach to religion, which is why I took Compassionate instead.

The Pious & True Faith thing was meant for Xavi.
Being the nephew of the elder Sellim is your best link I think

Ok

Is Occitan the local language in Andorra?

I think I'll switch Good Teacher for Educated instead, so Selim can learn Latin, Artes Liberales and Theology (Islam). If he aspires to be a leader it makes sense that he has atttended what I assume a mosque has in equivalence of catheral school.

The local language is Catalan, with Occitan influence. There are only two non-magi that speak Arabic (Selim the Elder and Doctor Bashir). A good tie in is some sort of relation with one of them. Another possibility is that you are instead from the Balearic Islands, which were colonized by Andorra a decade ago. Or maybe you are from Barcelona and were recruited through the covenant of that name. Or you are from Estancia-es-Karida?

I think the link with Selim the Elder fits best. When he was in North Africa 10 years ago on expedition he must have hired some local caravaners, and Selim the Younger came along back to Andorra.

There was an expedition in 1236 to the City of Brass. After we escaped, Selim recruited you from the local desert nomads to help guide the expedition home. For whatever reason (make it good), Selim decided to recruit you permanently.
But mind you, that was nine years ago and you have not been back home since then.
You were 15 when Selim the Elder "adopted" you. Custos does not fit you. I suggest maybe Warrior for your desert nomad background and Educated for your growth under the guidance of Selim the Elder. Then, instead of Covenant Upbringing, choose Mentor.

I feel like I am railroading you. I apologize for that.

No worries, none of your suggestions are contrary to what I intended. I'll roll along to best fit the saga. It can be difficult to catch up to so many years of an ongoing saga, so I'll gladly take a cue from you.

Mentor is a Story Flaw, and while it ties Selim the Younger well together with Selim the Older, I already have Difficult Underlings taken as Story Flaw. I think the latter is hilarious, and gives a challenge for becoming a caravan leader.

I'll give him Animal Ken to explain why he was sufficiently interesting to bring home and employ.

Warrior I'm against, since I don't need him to be a fighter. Rather an animal/caravan expert with people skills.
But then again, it can pay for his Bows ability. And ther ereally are too few Virtues allowing Martial abilities. I invented one for Grogs IIRC "Turb Trained" but that one does not fit either. Outlaw and Outlaw Leader are right out. I don't want negative reputation..primarily because it harms his concept as a people person, and also because he is tied into both North Africa and Andorra, so where is is reputation based?
I was thinking Custos, because if he has been there for 9 years as a valued employee...But Warrior may be the way to go.

Numbers wise I think a Companion with +/-6

Mateu is not that pious. He certainly thinks he is doing the work of the Lord, but he is constantly flouting the thou shall not kill commandment with happiness.

I will remove Tough and take Warrior to represent his veteran status and contacts of the Iberian crusades. Tough is not central to the character, while his frontline and raiding experience certainly is.

That would be a Madrassa. Madrassas are the religious cathedral school equivalents of the Arabs.

I don't want to take anything away. I just want to add more :laughing:

Shape him the way you want. I should stop interfering. My only real issue was character category. I am enjoying the concept of Minor Companion.