1 of 1- JiminyQ
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Selecting character boons & flaws
I'm really liking how boons and flaws interact on a character. I've created a handful of characters by the book, and found it's very straightforward to make a PC from a simple concept like "a Parsoolian merchant marine with a girl in every port and a weakness for gambling" or whatnot. The regional boons/flaws are a nice way to focus character traits on the world, but in a way that isn't overly specific to the setting.
I've recently thought about PCs that might be more defined by a flaw than their place of origin. But sometimes that flaw isn't a region flaw. For example, concept "a one-armed Valgardian woodcutter exiled for stealing a merychip" is tough to build as a single-flaw character because "missing a hand" isn't on list of Valgard's region flaws.
So the question: Are there any pitfalls to look out for if you occasionally bypass the "first Flaw is a region Flaw" rule at character creation? (And likewise for boons, I suppose.) It seems to me it should generally be okay, but an experienced player might know better.
- roryb
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Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
JiminyQ wrote:
I'm really liking how boons and flaws interact on a character. I've created a handful of characters by the book, and found it's very straightforward to make a PC from a simple concept like "a Parsoolian merchant marine with a girl in every port and a weakness for gambling" or whatnot. The regional boons/flaws are a nice way to focus character traits on the world, but in a way that isn't overly specific to the setting.
I've recently thought about PCs that might be more defined by a flaw than their place of origin. But sometimes that flaw isn't a region flaw. For example, concept "a one-armed Valgardian woodcutter exiled for stealing a merychip" is tough to build as a single-flaw character because "missing a hand" isn't on list of Valgard's region flaws.
So the question: Are there any pitfalls to look out for if you occasionally bypass the "first Flaw is a region Flaw" rule at character creation? (And likewise for boons, I suppose.) It seems to me it should generally be okay, but an experienced player might know better.
For me, no. And personally, if a player has a really strong vision that doesn't quite fit the chargen rules exactly, I encourage it. It doesn't really break anything unless it is a trait that is specific to a race or single region. That's not much of an issue, as you point out that they are not overly specific as a whole.
For that matter, if characters want to really show some scars of their emergent adventuring, I give them a flaw that stays around and might give them a new boon for free at a milestone to balance that.
- Gruntfuttock
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Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
I've not run a game set in Simon's Lemuria in some years, but even when I did and certainly since, I've often ignored this rule as I found it too limiting. Ignoring it broke nothing in the game - BoL is fairly robust that way, unlike some games.
If I recall correctly, Simon said his intent was to stick close to the way that both the Thongor books and S&S stories generally dealt in stereotypes when detailing different cultures.
My real name is Steve Hall
- JiminyQ
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Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
For that matter, if characters want to really show some scars of their emergent adventuring, I give them a flaw that stays around and might give them a new boon for free at a milestone to balance that.
Oh, cool... I was wondering about that sort of thing, too: a flaw "earned" while adventuring. Do you have semi-formal way to handle it, or just work it out with the player as it comes up?
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Thread Starter- JiminyQ
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Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
Okay, sounds good. It's nice to get some confirmation from old hands that the boon/flaw system really is pretty forgiving of tinkering.
By the same token, I'm also guessing the lists of regional boons and flaws are basically "whatever makes sense". That is, when defining a new locale, you can safely pick a half-dozen-ish boons and flaws that suit the local flavor/theme and just run with it.
I appreciate the replies!
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Thread Starter- roryb
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Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
I was wondering about that sort of thing, too: a flaw "earned" while adventuring. Do you have semi-formal way to handle it, or just work it out with the player as it comes up?
Nope…just follow what feels right.
- Gruntfuttock
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Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
Rory hits the nail on the head - Just follow what feels right.
My real name is Steve Hall
- JiminyQ
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Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
"Just follow what feels right."
Alrighty, good words to live by.. will do!
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Thread Starter- Sigulf
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- Registered: 9/07/2014
- Posts: 107
Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
None of my numerous BoL campaigns have been in Lemuria, so I have never really followed the starting character Boon & Flaw picking method that is in the rulebook. For starting Boons & Flaws, I just have the PCs pick the ones that match their character origin and backstory.
My wife's Shemitish Nomad/Thief started with the following Boons & Flaws
Born in the Saddle
Sword & Dagger (Adept at fighting with a sword & dagger combo. You are more deadly with the main-gauche or left-handed dagger (you roll a d6 instead of d6L for damage). You also get a +1 bonus against being disarmed.
Landlubber
Her Thief in the Jalizar Campaign had the following boons & flaws:
Weapon Mastery "short swords"
Alert
Attractive
Greed
Fear of the Undead
Just follow what feels right. = yes indeed!
Last edited by Sigulf (5/10/2024 3:01 pm)
- Lankohring
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Re: Selecting character boons & flaws
RAW (more or less):
First boon: region
Second boon: region or career
Third boon: any (master list)
First flaw: region or Cursed (HP -1)
Second flaw: region or career or Cursed (HP -1)
Third flaw: any (of course including Cursed [HP -1])
Just follow what feels right (also known as Your Game Will Vary [YGWV] [Greg Stafford]):
First boon: any
Second boon: any
Third boon: any
First flaw: any
Second flaw: any
Third flaw: any
The flaw Cursed (BoL:ME p. 53) is called Unlucky in Ew: PbBoL (p. 21) but else works exactly the same & the rules for character generation are also the same.
Last edited by Lankohring (5/24/2024 3:32 pm)