The campaign arc will follow the growth of several young heroes, tracing their lives as they ascend from their common origins to greatness. These young heroes will be human, full of flaws and with plenty of personal obstacles to greatness to overcome, but they will also be occasionally just a bit bigger than life, capable of feats that catch the breath.
Your characters are the protagonists of this story, and as such are not 100% ordinary. At the same time, however, AO is a gritty, low-power fantasy campaign, so the characters are considerably more ordinary than they would be in a high-power fantasy novel or action hero movie.
To roughly model this, characters should be Base Competency 11 (which allows them to be fairly heroic at anything they put their minds to), with two to four unusual traits:
The goal in AO is to create stories, rather than to amass the most wealth, biggest army or most magical trinkets. A player may decide that her protagonist came from a poor family, has plainsmen blood and can speak several different languages. None of this is particularly advantageous, but can definitely lead to some fun roleplaying and good stories.
With that in mind, the protagonists will be starting out as citizens of Dihrkahs, having grown up in the city or its immediate surroundings.
Approximately half of the citizens of Dihrkahs spend some time in the military for the varied training and adult building that it provides as well as the severance package, which is usually more than sufficient as seed money for a business of some sort.
For the most part, Dihrkahs uses the military as a kind of volunteer labor team for public works, but some units get into more exciting things like chasing down a pack of bandits or border patrol.
AO uses my Quantum Magick system at a high magickal efficiency. While capable of some pretty impressive feats, magick will generally be low key.
Generally, about the most impressive feat a mage might manage by himself is to levitate a foot or so off the ground, attack someone's life force (resisted by their willpower), enhance the natural healing process, or start a fire with force of will. All of these acts require a great deal of effort and will.
Somewhat more impressive feats are possible by binding or making deals with the natural spirits of the world (called shro in the Dihrtemit region).
Dihrkahs ("Stone Crossing") is one of the largest cities in the Known World, boasting nearly 25,000 people. The surrounding farmland owned by Dihrkahs have another half million people and 50 million square miles of land (an area that takes roughly 3 months to cross, east to west, and 2.5 months to cross, north to south, on foot). The protagonists are from the city and towns immediately surrounding it.
North along the river, nestled into the mountains, is Mau'pu, a mining city. South along the river is Chakatta, a trading city. Both are outside of Dihrkahs' borders. At the westernmost border of Dihrkahs is a line of mountains; at the easternmost border wilderness and the eastern cities.
When your great-great-grandmother was a child, the land was at war. Petty generals fought with each other over individual towns and villages, and everyone was prepared to fight at all times. Bandits and thieves could be found in every patch of uncivilized forest and nomads poured freely out of the desert.
Out of this chaos rose two great generals who combined forces to found Dihrkahs and enforce order on the violence. Sisters in spirit, they brought their families together and founded the Taijaen House to create a lasting peace. Again, this all happened while your great-great-grandmother was a child.
By the time she grew to adulthood, Dihrkahs had become a jewel of a city, surrounded by an expanding oasis of order and peace. By the time your great-grandmother had been born and risen to adulthood, all of the land between the mountains and the eastern forests was ruled by Dihrkahs and its enlightened counsel.
Height, Weight and Build are covered in the Physical Stats section (further below).
You should decide your general racial type first. You are then free to modify the racial characteristics, but you will have a solid grounding in what is unique about your character's appearance.
The nomads in the deserts to the west, the cityfolk along the river, the people along the southern coast, the farmers in the Dihrkahs region, and even the easterners of Orifai are all of the "Smallbrown" race, with slight differences for region. The Dihrkahs region is a mix of "southern stock" and "Taijaen stock".
The Smallbrown race is almond brown, with some regions tending towards much darker complexion (far across the desert, they are nearly black). Freckles are common. Hair ranges from dirty blonde to light brown to red-tinged brunette. True blondes and very dark hair colors are almost unknown. Smallbrowns are not really small, but it is rare to find one who is taller than 66 inches in height.
Far to the north, the "Bigwhite" race can be found. Northerners are very tall and large, with broad, craggy faces and bear-like bodies. Their arms are slightly longer than the southern norm, and their noses are eagle-like. Their skin is light, almost peach in complexion; their hair ranges in equal parts blonde, brunette, and fiery henna; their eyes are usually blue. There is some breeding between the two, and many mercenaries (who occasionally find their way as far south as Dihrkahs and Chakatta) may settle down in these regions. Northerners are very tall by Smallbrown standards, averaging around 68 inches.
Here and there, lith can be found. These giants average 80 inches in height, with proprtionately slightly longer hands than normal. Their noses are narrow and hawk-like, with prominent cheekbones and jawline. Their eyes are slightly slanted upward, and usually have very thick brows. Lith are exceedingly rare, and are usually seen as another race entirely... which their tendency to live alone as peddlers and hermits has not helped.
There are several characteristic traits in the southern racial type. A southerner typically has a short, sturdy frame, with broad shoulders. The face is built on a wide forehead and high cheekbones set into a rounded or heart-shaped face. Noses are typically snub, and the mouth is generous. Most have thick, blunt fingers.
"Southern, brown; all others, black" is the usual phrase for eye colors, and it holds true here. There is a bit more eastern blood than normal, however... most eyes are light to dark brown, but black eyes ("brooding eyes") occasionally crop up.
Taijaen are the aristocracy of Dihrkahs, although not everyone with Taijaen blood is aristocratic - it is simply the family "look". They are considerably taller than the norm, averaging about 66 inches (almost as tall as northerners), with sharp, beak-like noses and lanky build. They are often a bit darker in skin tone than the normal southern stock.
Some eastern blood ("East of the River") has mingled in the past, and occasionally a trait will crop up locally. A true easterner is unlikely, however.
Eastern stock are a bit taller than their southern brethren, but lack the sturdy build and broad shoulders. Their faces are narrower and longer, and often seem a bit pinched, with sharp noses and thin lips. Eastern skin is darker, almost a light chocolate complexion, and their hair is darker than the southern folk. Their eyes are black.
Once you have decided your general racial stock, begin modifying it (or don't - a perfectly valid description can be "he could have fit into any of a hundred southerner farmsteads; his appearance was so normal, indeed, that he stood out only as an archetype").
By default, all features on your face are assumed to be "medium" in size and "average" in shape: ears, eyes, nose, mouth, jaw, forehead, etc. You can mark your appearance somewhat just by remarking on an unusual size or shape. For example, a southerner's face might be defined by an unusual, beak-like northerner's nose. Unusual facial characteristics of this sort usually run in families, along either the male or female side, so you might further remark "she has her mother's hawk-like nose and sharp, narrow eyes, who got it from her north-blooded mother."
Decide your eye color. Most will be gold, tan, light brown, brown or dark brown. Feel free to add appropriate adjectives, such as deep, shallow, intense, pale, beady, etc.
Decide your hair color. Most will be dirty blonde, dark honey, light brown, brunette, or red-tinged brunette. Red hair, black hair, or very light hair will stand out like a sore thumb, at least in the Dihrkahs region.
Southern and eastern hair are both fairly straight, with some folks being a bit more wavy, but curls and true straight is relatively unknown. Northerner hair is straight. Lith hair is also straight.
Most men and women keep their hair in a carefully groomed ponytail to shoulder length or longer (or extremely short for soldiers). At the queue point (where the hair is bound), most use a decorated metal ring (or cloth if they are poor).
Aristocratic men and women tend to keep their hair free and flowing to midback, with decorated metal clips to hold it back from the face or shape the fall of the hair.
A deformity is a very odd aspect of your appearance, usually an unattractive one. Common ones include lazy-eye, hunchback, club foot, and crippled hand/arm. A deformity is usually taken as a disadvantage as well.
Your character sheet should have a place to list Marks of Passage. You don't have to tell anyone these marks unless they can see them.
This will vary somewhat between cityfolk, townsfolk, and countryfolk.
Most countryfolk have suffered one or two really debilitating disasters by the time they are young adults. Whether it was a goat-butt to the chest that left a deep, long scar along the ribs or an ax in the leg or getting caught in a barnfire, such things happen from time to time to time. Decide if, when and what and then describe the scar. This will be the start of your Marks of Passage list.
Townsfolk may have a scar or two, particularly in a scar-prone profession like smith or woodcutter. It is not nearly as common, however. For cityfolk, scars are rare.
Tattoos are exceedingly expensive - a skilled tattooist charges a month's wage for the lower middle class for the use of his skills and expensive inks. The most common type of tattoo is group affiliation.
If you lost an eye or other body part, this is also the place to write it down, but it will likely also be listed among your disadvantages.
Demeanor of appearance is usually carried in the face. Thus we get descriptives like "a pinched face", "an open face", "always smiling a bit stupidly to himself" or "an abrasive glare". Describe a general demeanor for your character.
In real terms, the face's demeanor is mostly carried by a few traits: how wide the face is relative to its length; the size and shape of the mouth; the eyes; and the most common facial expression. It may be worth it to jot down one or two of the traits that give rise to your demeanor.
Role-Playing Note: You can't look like your character easily, but you can mimic facial demeanor. This can be immensely helpful to others in visualizing your character.
Your general build is determined in the Physical Stats section. But this does not really describe how you are built that way. A heavy build could be thick-boned, short and stocky, bear-like, broad-shouldered (even for a southerner), and so on.
It also doesn't specify how you carry yourself. Are you a stiff-spine? Are you a shifty sloucher? Do you slink, stride or strut?
Role-Playing Note: Describing your character's carriage is almost useless without role-playing it out at least a little bit. Don't worry about over-acting - we're all friends here, and there's no thespian review.
Here is where you decide how well all of the above traits work together. Attractiveness can generally be broken into three categories: pretty face, nice body, lovely voice.
For the face, just decide on a rough level: ugly, unattractive or irregular features, plain, good-looking or regular features, handsome, beauty. You can also specify that your looks are rugged, sexy, etc.
The ideal body, in southerner terms, is about 66 inches, with broad, rounded shoulders, a medium-heavy build, and being at the high end of "healthy body fat percentage (20% for men, 40% for women). Solid muscles, powerful legs and strong hands are also pluses. Among the aristocracy, this is much the same, but a "warrior's confidence" is also part of the package.
For the voice, just decide on a rough level: annoying or irritating, normal, musical or sexy, honeyed tongue.
The average Smallbrown male is about 60 inches tall and 150 pounds; women average the same height but about 20 pounds lighter. A very tall Smallbrown is 66 inches and probably around 180 pounds. Taijaen average the size of a very tall Smallbrown.
For most people, this is equal to their body mass, plus or minus 20%. An extremely musclebound person might double their body mass for Max Lift, while a sickly and scrawny person might halve their body mass for Max Lift.
One armed curl: about 40% Max Lift
Leg press: about twice Max Lift
This is the basic amount of damage you can do using pure strength in a punch. It is equal to the square root of (Max Lift/10). Thus, with a Max Lift 160, you have a Base DP of 4.
For each 10% of your Max Lift that you are carrying, you have an EV +1. Each level of EV has the following effects: -1 on athletic skills, -1/2 on all other physical skills, reduce movement rate by 10%.
A 60 inch male Smallbrown should weigh about 150 pounds.
Very Skinny = 7 SC (about 70% of the average weight)
Skinny = 8 SC (80% average weight)
Slender = 9 SC (90% average weight)
Medium Light = 10 SC
Medium Heavy (typical) = 11 SC (115% average weight)
Heavy = 12 SC (130% average weight)
Very Heavy = 13 SC (150% average weight)
Super Heavy = 14 SC (200% average weight)
Bowling Ball = 15 SC (300% average weight)
A "tougher than he looks" character would have a +1 SC; a more frail character would have -1 SC.
Your Stride is typically half your height. Very "leggy" people may have about a 20% longer Stride, and people with short legs about 20% less. All out sprinting, a person can move about 6 Stride lengths per second (although while sprinting, they actually end up taking about 2.2 steps which are 2.7 Strides in length).
Extremely tall people may be limited by their leg strength as well as length and natural speed.
((max lift x mass x 5)0.61 / mass) x 0.8 yards per second
[a 150 pound person with Max Lift 150 = 6.4 yards per second, even with a 38" Stride]
Every living creature has a beginning Energy of 100%. Most physical activities cost Energy. The GM will be handling this for the most part.
For purposes of curiousity, 1% of Energy equals (total body mass x 5) kilojoules.
Energy is recovered at a rate of 1% per minute when thoroughly resting. Light activity halves this rate; moderate activity quarters it; intense activity effectively reduces the recovery rate to nil.
As the campaign begins, the characters should be about 14 or 15, just getting old enough to go out on their own into the world.
Ads and Disads are handled on a case by case basis.
Save a section of paper for each of the topics below. In addition, you will want an area to write about Ancestors.
A typical healthy woman can have up to around eight children, at a rate of one every two years. Marriage usually occurs between 17 and 21 (20 and 26 for men), and children follow within a year or two. Stillbirths occur about a third of the time. About 10% of all children die within the first five years of life, and another 20% die before they are old enough to marry. On average, the maximum number of children who will live long enough to have children of their own is 3.8, and half of those will be males.
Most mothers never manage the maximum of eight pregnancies, however. The average number of total pregnancies in a woman's lifetime is 5, and the average number of children to live long enough to have children of their own is 2.4. The overall population of a region doubles approximately every 4 generations (or 80 years).
The family is traced through the mother. Men who marry leave the family house and tree, and enter the house and tree of the person they marry. The eldest woman of the earliest remaining generation is the matriarch of the household. This is usually also the oldest woman in all generations, but not always.
When a house reaches between 50 and 60 members, it will usually split, with about 40% of the family building and moving to a new house. Clearing the land, raising the house, and getting the "new family" started is a village community affair, and is usually accompanied by a great deal of gift giving on all sides. This typically happens every few generations (60-80 years).
Draw a circle and write your name, age and gender in the circle. If you have any older siblings, put them in circles to the left of your circle. Younger siblings go to the right. Mark their ages and names.
If any of them are male and have married, draw a slash through the circle. They are no longer living with your family, but they are still siblings.
If any of them are female and have married, draw a smaller circle to the left and put his name and age in it.
If any of them have died, draw an X through the circle. Their age should be "at the time of death", then add "+ X" where "X" is the number of years since their death. For example, someone who died at 23, 6 years ago, would have "23 + 6" for their age.
Once you have all of your siblings accounted for, draw a line above the circles to link them all. Then draw a circle above that for your mother, and put in her name and age. Handle her husband the same way you handled it for any married sisters.
Once you have finished the above, you are ready to apply the same steps again and again until you have everyone accounted for.
Put together your mother's siblings the same way you handled yours, but do them one at a time, and give plenty of room for their children. Thus, you might do your mother's younger sister first, then draw in her children, then do your mother's younger brother.
When putting together the family tree, keep premature deaths, stillbirths, and so on in mind. You can use the General Guidelines as shown, or make your family more or less prosperous. A "typical" family will have about 15 to 20 members.
As you go along, you should write brief notes for some of the family members. There are no specific guidelines for this, but here are some examples:
"Bitter aunt"
"Foreign soldier, married in"
"Came from rich family"
"Dominating grandmother"
"Always getting into trouble with me"