Originally I had intended to have four separate equipment lists, one for each racial group. I wanted to do this because 1) I wanted a person's race to be a defining feature, not a piece of set dressing and 2) I thought it would provide good variety in equipment between players.
When I mentioned this conceit to a player, she pointed out that limiting choices in this way would limit a choices in a player's ability to define their own character concept. That is, if I gave the orcs all the sailing gear and winter clothing garb, it robs you of your cool Eskimo whale-hunter concept that you had wanted to play.
She's right, I think. Narrow bands of equipment lists are probably too limiting; equipment and inventory management is a big part of the game. But I had wanted your starting equipment list to be more than just a generic adventurer's pack. I wanted it to be flavorful. I wanted it to be fun.
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| From houseoforr.com |
To this end, I wrote up this little flavor generator today.
When you create your character, choose as many pieces of equipment from the Forge chapter as you can fit into your backpack. Then, draw randomly or choose descriptors for some of these items from this list.
Castle-forged Gear (Men)
1, …half-shattered, but in your
family for generations
2. …hand-made by your mother just for
you
3. …once belonged to your brother
4. …given to you as a present
5. …made by your own hand as your journeyman’s project
6. …from a far-away land
7. …blessed by a cleric of Mythrys
8, ...marked with religious
iconography
9. …marked with the insignia of your
house
10. …marked with the insignia of a
rival house
Jack. …plain but exceedingly well
made
Knight. … once beautiful, but now
tarnished
Queen. …gaudy and gilt, but with
no real value
King. …ornate and princely
1. …slightly shimmering with
prismatic colors
2. …made of obsidian blacker than
night
3. …woven of eldwood vines
4. …emits a light hum when tapped
5. …seems to work itself
6. …always at the top of your
backpack when you reach for it
7. …made of animal bones
8. ...grown fully made from a tree
9. …spangled with gem dust
10. …cooled in the waters of ancient
Eldermere; yet cool to the touch
Jack. …carved by magic song
Knight. …primitive, but elegant
Queen. …painted with stylized animal
iconography
King. …made by the hand of the
Tripartite
1. …etched with a silvery script,
detailing its history
2. …made of once-living crystal
3. …made of fallen star-metal
4. …banded with ancient bronze
5. …shaped in the semblance of a fantastic
monster
6. …studded with crystal gems
7. …carven with runes that are only
exposed by the light of the moon
8. ...covered by a delicate filigree of
spun gold
9. …was never exposed to the light of
the sun
10. …forged in the lava flows of the
deeps; yet warm to the touch
Jack. …ancient beyond days
Knight. …reforged from an item of
great history
Queen. …made by your own hand; an exemplar
of your craft
King. …made by the head of your
guild
1. …crude and jagged, but efficient
2. …carven from mammoth bones
3. …carven from dragon bones
4. …studded with glittering dragon
scales
5. …wreathed in draconic iconography
6. …stolen from a temple of Mythrys
7. …stolen from the corpse of a
hanged man
8. ...looted from a human crusader
9. …stolen from a halfling merchant
10. …bloodstained and dirty, but
serviceable
Jack. …bears its name marked in
runes
Knight. …a reward from your thegn,
marked with the runes of your clan
Queen. …made by a wood-witch,
blessed with her blood
King. …etched with golden runes
and set with pearls
We'll see if it actually "does" anything though.
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