Consider me an Elf Roger. I'll have more to you by the weekend for sure.

Hey Roger.......really nice maps!

The Pegasus was a popular place for both locals and travelers. The common room was often busy and noisy. The owner used that flow of customer to gain knowledge of possible treasures of Fulign that he could turn to his profit. To find those lost treasures Dwan the Dwarf hired misfits and drifters and would send them to retrieve what they could. But those adventures could not always be trusted.

In a far dimly lit corner of the gathering room sat a hulking figure. His dark scared skin blended into the shadows and his heavy rumbling breathing gave warning to anyone that chanced to stumble close to retreat to safer ground. Dwarvs had held a grudge against the old ally since the rebellion, but Dwan knew it was good business to protect his assets.

Perhaps Dwan was the only one who knew the story behind what had happened to the Orc that had crawled to the Inn's back door. He had Housed the hulk in an outbuilding where the innkeeper had his wounds bound. Then he allowed the Orc to repay the care by repairing and rebuilding portions of Inn.

When the creature was fully healed Dwan offered him a job to accompany and guard the crews he hired to retrieve the items from the Rust Waste. To be sure the Fulign was returned and to perhaps to regain what he had lost. For those that traveled with him they only knew him as Lum the Forsaken.

I like it Ody. Simple but elegant

A Question. Will this party know each other already or will be the first time this particular group has been assembled and sent out together?

I assume that they have been Scouts for a little while at least even if they haven't worked together. Maybe?

Just came to say that I love the maps! Reminds me of stuff that I see on cartographersguild

What program did you use to make it?

The maps are from the Titansgrave book produced by Green Ronin Games. Geek and Sundry ran a youtube Table series of a party playing Titansgrave with Will Wheaton as DM.

The party will know each other for a year and have gone on several recon and recovery trips together in the Rust Wastes.

¬¬¬¬Here is character creation completed. I moved it all here to make it easier.


Eons before Valkana heard her own name, she bore witness to beings not of this realm. These Ancients planted the seeds of life for Valkana, and as that life grew and civilizations formed, the thirst for supremacy blossomed into war. Gifted with an unmatched intellect, the Saurian Empire built mighty war machines and claimed dominion on Valkana, until the heavens themselves fell upon them. Valkana was plunged into darkness and a thousand years of war. In this crucible, great heroes were forged, and together they extinguished the flames of battle. A new civilization was built on the ruins of the old. A peaceful world of magic and science, where the forces of Chaos are patient and not easily contained. Left to fester, ancient evils threaten to emerge and unleash mayhem upon the world. And so, to face them, new heroes must arise from the ASHES OF VALKANA.

The story is set on the world of Valkana, which is inhabited by several different races, including humans, elves, saurians (lizard people), orcs, hobbits and dwarves. Long ago, the highly intelligent saurians developed advanced technology that allowed them to dominate all the other races, until one day the sky fell, leaving the world in ruins. There followed a thousand years of Chaos Wars, but eventually peace was established between all the races. But now, an old threat re-emerges, and it will be up to a band of four adventurers to save the world...

SR in the time line stands for Solar Reckoning, a very significant point in their history (see below).

Pre-history: An ancient alien civilization terraformed Valkana and seeded it with life but never returns.
-1200 SR: The Ancient World. The rise of the first civilizations. Elven and Saurian Empires dominated the lands of early Valkana. They subjugated the other races - Dwarves and Orcs.
-500 SR: Ancient Wars. The start of the ancient wars between the elves and saurians.
-350 SR: Rise of the Saurians. Saurian empires (and their servitor races) defeat the elves and almost drive them to extinction except those who retreat to hidden sanctuaries. Technology flourished during this time.
-275 SR: Orc Civil War. With war all but a thing of the past, the orcs grow restless at their menial task jobs. The orcs rebel, the dwarves fight for the saurians and the saurian empire is torn apart in civil war.
-200 SR: Cataclysm. While the flames of war engulfed all of Valkana, the storm of cataclysm befell the world suddenly. No one knew what caused it but destruction engulfed the planet, sending everyone who survived underground. This begins what is called the Endless Night, a total darkness that enveloped the planet.
1 SR: Solar Reckoning. The sun comes out and the Endless Night is lifted.
1-990 SR: Rebirth. Civilization is rebuilt. Saurians, Orcs, Dwarves and Elves resurface to find new denizens of Valkana - humans and halflings. No one knows where they came from, but the saurians and the elves were forced to share their world. Humans aggressively reproduced and established most of the new City-states. Magic awakened during this time, elves being the most talented at it. Technology and Magic flourished during this time, often in combination with one another.
990 SR: Rise of the Prophet. A saurian female named Dhawan rose up and preached about the abomination that is the merging of tech and magic. By this time, it was very prevalent and she began instilling a fear in society about it. She preached of a second Cataclysm that would befall Valkana unless more people fell into her beliefs.
999 SR: Chaos Wars. Followers of the prophet and those that opposed her clashed over a 100+ year war that devastated the world once again. During this time, some more advanced tech city states suffer from a cyber attack called the Data Plague, paralyzing their data information systems and robotic infrastructure.
1115 SR: End of the Chaos Wars. The Prophet is defeated. City-states arise from the ashes.
1250 SR: Present day. Some city states with high tech but most of the world exists with whatever can be salvaged from the ruins and waste. Some towns and communities exist, trading posts and the like but there are many marauders, bandits, and "leftover" creatures from the war. This will be a dark fantasy series.

Creating a character Class: There are only three classes to choose from - Warrior, Rogue and Mage. Mages have access to healing magic. Rogues are not just thieves but fighters who prefer to use speed and agility over heavy weapons.

Race: Saurian, Human, Orc, Elf, Dwarf or Halfling. Each have bonuses and penalties in ability scores

Weapons Available: the usual medieval set of swords, bows, maces etc. Then there are energy weapons as well (Blaster, heavy blasters, blaster rifles, etc). Black powder/gunpowder was never discovered on Valkana. Alchemy exist which has the ability to create limited grenades.

Abilities:
Your character is defined by nine abilities:
• Accuracy represents your character's physical precision and skill with finesse and ranged weapons, such as bows and rapiers.
• Communication covers your character's social skills, personal interactions, and ability to deal with others.
• Constitution is your character's fortitude and resistance to harm.
• Dexterity encompasses your character's agility, hand-eye coordination, and quickness.
• Fighting is your skill at combat with heavier weapons, such as axes and spears.
• Intelligence is a measure of your character's smarts, knowledge, and education.
• Perception covers all the senses and the ability to interpret sensory data.
• Strength is your character's physical prowess.
• Willpower encompasses mental toughness, discipline, and confidence.
You will rank your abilities from best to worst and I will assign bonuses based on the rank. Stat for class is fairly obvious (Warrior - Fighting Strength Constitution, Rogue - Accuracy Dexterity Perception, Mage - Intelligence, Willpower and Communication)

Background: All of you live in the town of Thay, where the roads to the three major city-states intersect. The town grew around a tavern called the Pegasus Inn. The inn is owned by a dwarf named Dwan who hires young "adventurers" to head out to the Rust Waste (a giant ruin of a former city) to find lost tech and useful items. These Scouts are paid in room and board at the inn, plus cash for items found. Dwan is a very fair and reasonable man to work for and rewards hard work. He also gives Scouts the chance to work at the Inn on the side for money. The main item that scouts want to find are the old batteries made of an element called Fulign. These batteries power everything (including Blasters) but so far only one mine is left that has any of it. Dwan has a solar recharge centre but would rather find the old batteries than pay the outrageous prices of the city-state that controls the mine. As well you are looking for operating tech, weapons, energy production devices - basically anything that can make things better.

Everyone should pick one item they have on them that is somehow precious to them and ties them to their past. Can be anything you carry on you.

Take a look at the skill list below and pick one Weapon group and three Skills that you want to be particularly good at. Note that these will not be you only skills, just the ones you want to shine at. I will assign other skills based on the background you give me.

Accuracy Skills:
Arcane Blast: Using the mage's class power of the same name.
Blaster Pistol: Proficiency with weapons from the Blaster Pistol Group
Blaster Long Arm: Proficiency with weapons from the Blaster Pistol Group
Bows: Proficiency with weapons from the Bows Weapon
Group.
Brawling: Proficiency with weapons from the Brawling
Weapon Group. (short blades, fist, etc)
Dueling: Proficiency with weapons from the Dueling Weapon
Group.
Grenades: Making ranged attacks with grenades.
Light Blades: Proficiency with weapons from the Light
Blades Weapon Group.
Staves: Proficiency with weapons from the Staves Weapon
Group.

Communication Skills:
Animal Handling: Interacting with and caring for animals.
Bargaining: Negotiating with others and making deals.
Deception: Lying to and tricking those less mentally adept than you.
Disguise: Making yourself look like someone else or a different class of person.
Etiquette: Knowing the social niceties of various cultures.
Gambling: Playing games of chance and profiting from them.
Investigation: Interviewing people for information and finding and deciphering clues.
Leadership: Guiding, directing, and inspiring others.
Performance: Entertaining an audience with an artistic talent.
Persuasion: Convincing others to agree with you.
Seduction: Making winning moves in the game of love.

Constitution Skills:
Drinking: Consuming large quantities of alcohol and avoiding the aftereffects.
Rowing: Propelling a vessel with oars.
Running: Moving quickly in both short sprints and long distance hauls.
Stamina: Enduring fatigue, disease, and privation.
Swimming: Moving through the water and staying afloat.

Dexterity Skills:
Acrobatics: Executing gymnastic, balancing, and tumbling maneuvers.
Advanced Driving: Maneuvering more advanced vehicles, as opposed to the carts and wagons covered by the Strength Driving.
Calligraphy: Writing with artful penmanship.
Crafting: Making items with manual skills, like woodworking, sculpting, leather working, glassblowing, etc.
Initiative: Acting quickly in tense situations.
Legerdemain: Using sleight of hand to trick others, hide things, and pick pockets.
Lock Picking: Opening locks without using keys.
Piloting: Taking off, maneuvering, and landing flying machines
Riding: Directing a mount such as a horse or pony.
Stealth: Sneaking about quietly and out of sight.
Traps: Detecting and disarming traps and other mechanical devices.

Fighting Skills:
Axes: Proficiency with weapons from the Axes Group.
Bludgeons: Proficiency with weapons from the Bludgeons Group.
Heavy Blades: Proficiency with weapons from the Heavy Blades Group.
Lances: Proficiency with weapons of the Lances Group.
Polearms: Proficiency with weapons of the Polearms Group.
Spears: Proficiency with weapons from the Spears Group.

Intelligence Skills:
Arcana (various): There is a separate focus for each arcana and only mage's can take these Skills.
Arcane Lore: Knowing about magic and its traditions.
Brewing: Making ale, mead, and other concoctions.
Cartography: Making and reading maps.
Cryptography: Creating and deciphering codes and ciphers.
Computers: The lost art of computers and advanced machinery and knowing how to operate and
program thinking machines.
Cultural Lore: Knowing the traditions and beliefs of various cultures.
Engineering: Knowing the practicalities of construction, building, and invention.
Evaluation: Determining the value of goods and objets d'art.
Healing: Aiding the wounded and sick.
Heraldry: Knowing coats of arms and royal families.
Historical Lore: Knowing important events and personalities from the past.
Military Lore: Knowing strategy, tactics, and famous applications thereof.
Musical Lore: Knowing musical traditions and songs.
Natural Lore: Knowing natural flora and fauna.
Navigation: Planning and following a route from one place to another.
Research: Making a systematic investigation, usually using records, archives, and books.
Religious Lore: Knowing religious traditions and practices.
Scientific Lore: Knowing the scientific method and the latest facts and theories.
Writing: Expressing yourself with the written word.

Perception Skills:
Empathy: Discerning the feelings and emotions of others.
Hearing: Using your auditory sense.
Searching: Finding things that are hidden or obscured, such as secret doors.
Seeing: Using your visual sense.
Smelling: Using your olfactory sense.
Tasting: Using your gustatory sense.
Touching: Using your tactile sense.
Tracking: Following tracks and other signs of passage.

Strength Skills:
Climbing: Scaling walls and other vertical obstacles.
Driving: Directing and guiding carts, carriages, and other wheeled vehicles.
Intimidation: Overawing others with physical presence and threats.
Jumping: Springing and leaping.
Might: Performing feats of raw power, such as lifting or holding up heavy objects.
Smithing: Forging items made of metal, from weapons to jewelry.

Willpower Skills:
Courage: Overcoming fear in the face of adversity.
Faith: Deriving inner strength through spiritual or moral belief.
Self-Discipline: Focusing your mental energy or controlling your impulses and emotions.

Pick a fighting style. Warriors pick 3, rogues 2 and mages get 1:
One Weapon
Weapon and Shield
Two Handed Weapon
Dual Weapon
Pole Weapon
Archery
Blaster
Thrown
Grenades
Unarmed

Spells:
Very limited spells in this world but I will go over the mana point system with those who wish to play a mage who will get three schools to start. The schools are:
Air Arcana
Divination Arcana
Earth Arcana
Fate Arcana
Fire Arcana
Healing Arcana
Heroic Arcana
Lightning Arcana
Power Arcana
Shadow Arcana
Water Arcana
Wood Arcana

Armour:
Light - Padding under the clothing
Leather - reinforced leather and padding
Scout - mix of synthetic material and tough leather, scout armor provides good protection and unrivaled mobility.
Light Battle - This armor is made from thin sheets of Dracolan, composite material that is highly shock resistant. (slows you down)
Heavy Battle - A full suit of Dracolan armor, designed for warriors and used in armies throughout Valkana. (slows you down a lot)

Equipment: You don't have much but you all start with a scout suit of armour, a standard issue blaster with three batteries (10 shots per battery), a backpack, a rain clock, Food rations for a week, two potions of healing (heals 50%) and one Stim pack (instant +10 HP)


Any questions?

So what is the difference between:
Blaster Pistol: Proficiency with weapons from the Blaster Pistol Group
Blaster Long Arm: Proficiency with weapons from the Blaster Pistol Group

They both are Blaster Pistol Group.

Looks like I got my work cut out for m tonight. I will read all those over and if I have questions I will be sure to ask here.

Sorry. Typo. Blaster Long Arm is separate skill. Sorry.

It will take me a day or two, but the elf Mage is coming!

Ok, treated myself to a nice dinner out after work today. Just opened a bottle of a nice Cabernet. Ready to get down to work on this character.

~Cracks knuckles~ Owww. That hurts. Why do people do that?

Down to business.

1st what is HP? Is that Hit Points? A measure of damage you can take? I think I seen that mentioned in other rules games when I have been reading some of those games.

2nd. In the gear you say we all have; you mention a Rain Clock? I assume you mean Cloak? But if it is a Clock that can tell the time from the rain, hey I'm ok with that too.


Note: My character doesn't plan to wear the armor, the blaster or the batteries for that as she doesn't believe in them. Not for her. Is that ok, that she turned them down when they were originally offered to her?

Oh another question, since they have been doing this for some time, would they have picked up some small items other than the gear you mentioned? Like pouches, and other small innocuous things. Things that are really personal and not of much use to anyone else. I'm wanting to have some small things that sort of show my character demeanor and 'state of mind'.


Time for more wine.

If Boo Boo doesn't want her blaster she can give it to Lum; he'll take any unwanted weapons.

Skills:
Intimidation: Overawing others with physical presence and threats.
Engineering: Knowing the practicalities of construction, building, and invention.
Blaster Pistol: Proficiency with weapons from the Blaster Pistol Group

Weapon:
Blaster

Item:
Raggedly severed robotic fore finger in pouch worn around his neck.(If seen appears to have been ripped off a robotic hand.)