Building Libri Vidicos: Campaign Prep

Last week I posted an interlude piece from my Libri Vidicos campaign, a fantasy steampunk school game. Here's part of my campaign prep notes for the game, including an overwrought schedule of things I needed to get done before we played. 

The Five Houses of Libri Vidicos
Thorn, House of the Rose, Watcher of the East, Bearer of Swords
Just based on my earlier notes it seems as though this is going to be a mixed house where the head of house has interests and there is plotting going on among the lesser members without his knowing. Should probably have the reputation of being the loosest house.
Swordmaster Lorgen (Rhaglai)
Mage Keela Gold (Praxis, Templar)
Scholar Dystalla of Empty (Ylari)
Diplomat Granspathial Dusk (Gilden-Hur)
Rogue Taverner Simples (Goblin)*

Gallaen, House of Diamonds, Watcher of the North, Keeper of Lore
On a simple scale I think we can read this as the second most pleasant house, falling between the PC-driven mechanics of Darsksoul and the off-kilter attitudes of the neutral House Thorn.
Scholar Cousin Lark (Neutral City)
Swordmaster Sir Rekhavak (Aperkitas)*
Mage Esandra Morphail (Modeller, Royal Order of Engineers)
Diplomat Aeth Zizoulas
Rogue Regan Leavetake

Zaramar, House of Fortunes, Watcher of the West, Master of Concords
There’s a little bit of a toss up between Malbrect and Zaramar as to who is more dangerous. Certainly Malbrect would appear so and most obvious is about plot, but Zaramar has their own intrigues. Students of this house are not taught about superiority, but instead about the art of conspiracy, of uniting together in secrets. Therefore they have rituals and methods that are not readily understood or seen outside. Think of wheels within wheels here. One of the upperclassman projects is to organize underground groups and set them at one another. While there is a certain amount of naked ambition among the various heads of households, Kinder is perhaps the most quietly serious about someday taking that position. He understands that secrets are a form of power. However he may not see that even he is being manipulated.
Diplomat Kinder Smoke
Mage Nyessa Childewhite (Namer, Physiker)
Swordmaster Forlost Dark-of-the Fire (Shaddai)*
Scholar Ishnarod Kant
Rogue Lethe Vanevar (Sojurn)

Malbrect, House of Dawn, Watcher of the Center, Weaver of Sorceries
This is the house that should be presented as the *boo* *hiss* house in the thing. They are the bad guys—even the Rakasta has that wickedness about her—the sense of only the strongest survive. Nearly all of the students in house are nobles and the one’s who are not are the dogsbodies of the House. At least three nasty classic characters there, plus for later perhaps someone who is put upon (this could set up an interesting dynamic especially if they try to get him to join them and he ends up turning around and blowing their cover in order to ingratiate himself with the big boys).
Mage  Vansera Vlaardoen (Aoniae, Imbuation, Alchemist)
Swordmaster Vendel Regensmul (Miremal)
Scholar Taja Wraithsong (Rakasta, Offshores)*
Diplomat Master Aoechs
Rogue Brazzel Nockstorm (Crantylean)

Darsksoul, House of the Lion, Watcher of the South, Warden of Duties
This will be the players’ house. In some ways it might appear to be the most inoffensive of the houses, but Lady Fayde is not to be crossed. Saberhagen is also the instructor for the Basic Magical Theory course and amongst the jumpiest of the instructors. Assuming that people play their own gender, there is room for 1-2 more males and 3-4 more females in their age bracket. Ideally I’d like to negate the male character pretty quick—I don’t want any pets; but I can have the female characters there if necessary. Plus, I think the ladies will play off of them better in any case.
Rogue Lady Sabine Fayde
Swordmaster Bozisha Adjant (Samara)
Mage  Saberhagen (Elven-- Ordaining, Herath)*
Diplomat Lady Solothon Ormaes (Atlantae)
Scholar Ysegres Naughtsum (Math)

Then there are the most important figures for the college
The Grandmaster Gravast Direlond (Dwarf)
The Submaster Avansa Nullproof
Dean of Students Eos Deklos
Captain of the Guard Akari Bloodsoothe (Orc, Golotha)
The Master of Beasts Khelrint Lysanc (Ursus)
The High Matron Mrs. Darkbough, reformed vampire
Cook Wainscot Weft (Hobbit)
Librarian Esandra Morphail
Seneschal Mr. Arendasi
Gatekeeper Mr. Sternehof
Priest Padashan Riskwhisker (Skaven)
The Fetcher Osric

Students with familiar names from previous campaigns (keeping in mind that the PCs will also have something to say about this):

• Wixler de Wode
• d’Aubaine older sister for Sherri’s character
• There should be a Thenatis (with perhaps Hawk as an uncle)
• Reginald X. J. (Wands), Jr.
• Jervis Ramtalathan—take out of the players’ House if Steve opts to do the gentleman thief/butler’s son.

Need an extensive list of names—perhaps best to make up a set of regional names? Drawing from the various naming traditions.

Define the five houses of the school: central naming convention, or drawn from something else. Perhaps related to a story or something.

[Terms and ideas—four years of schooling only 10 students per year per house. Time jumps. Prefects, Refectory, Dormitory, House Captains, Matrons, House Tutor, Housemaster, Commonplace Books, Proctor]

• List of classes
• List of notable students and the various alliances—keeping in mind the differentiation of the various years.
• List of instructors
• List of other staff and their roles: Headmaster, Captain of the Guard, Librarian, Cook, Head of Servants, Stablemaster and Keeper of the Menagerie,
• Names of buildings and place—like a little city.

Think of the three starting plot elements for the game—plus a handful of Red Herrings to be played out. There’s the classic thing of fighting agents of an evil—however, we have to understand that there needs to be a limiting factor. If bad things happen, why don’t the kinds go to the adults—what is stopping them. In HP it is the alignment of outside interests that don’t want to hear anything about this.

Secret of the Libri Vidicos—there is something about the school here: it was made for some purpose—however, somehow that got changed over the years. But someone from that beginning has survived and lurks in the halls of this place. Perhaps they can discover the purpose of the place—perhaps the person who has remained does not remember themselves. There could be hints about that. I like the idea of their being a threat, something they find out about that leads to a rising confrontation eventually with an agent of figure who is in fact, the servant of some more powerful person behind the scenes.

So let’s consider each year as an arc—with the establishment of characters, the introduction of complications, and the eventually defeat of the bad guy or threat to the School.

Secret Societies, handed down through the generations—including a lost one, perhaps finding a charter or something. Their items should show them to have been joined and chosen together. But again, I need to come back to the sense that characters will be handling things, and not simply going to adults or informing their parents. A binding? Threats of expulsion? There is the thing that I remember from Blake Holesey where one of the parents of the kids has a parent who is a financier of the college but who is involved in sinister goings-on. That was a nice touch for that show and worked rather well. There are some of those on YouTube to watch for inspiration.

Other characters? I’m torn between the desire to keep the universe closed and the desire to have a kind of traveling game. In some ways this is simply a variant on the classic city game. I think at least for the first two arcs, I need to have it closed.

FURTHER THOUGHTS
The structure of the game will be slightly different from a conventional campaign. First, there is the scope. This is not a traveling game (at least to start). Instead it is much more like an urban or an exploration game. In the first sense that there is a central and static locale that the characters will be living in, meeting characters in, and dealing with the ramifications of choices within. In the second sense that they will be figuring out the features and secrets of this place over time.

Second, there is the role. In our classic campaign, characters are competent and independent freebooters. Here characters are young and subject to authority figures. The goals here is not to overthrow authority but instead to make it work for you, to pull one over on it and to thrive despite their attentions. Characters also need to keep in mind reputation and social grouping—how their instructors see them and how other students see them. The various social battles of youth will get played out here, through pranks and quick-thinking more than brute power.

Third, there is the span and time of the game. Ideally, the game will be divided into sections, representing semesters and years. I imagine an arc for each year—with some sub-plots and developments—and at least one major plot that plays into the Grand Plot (notice that is written in capitals to denote its importance). If you’ve read or seen Harry Potter (and if you haven’t then get on it) then you will notice that the classic structure of each book has introduction, development, complications, conflict, definition of the actual problem, and finally resolution. Strangely, resolution nearly always comes close to the end of the semester…in good part this is achieved through the use of a couple of dramatic devices that we will be using, for example: “…but it would be a few weeks before they had the opportunity to carry out their plan,” “despite their intentions, matters of schoolwork pressed upon them and only after midterms could they come together again,” “it took them some time to make their preparations and gather the necessary materials,” “though they watched carefully Mr. S--- was always watching and after some time they finally decided to resort to a risky distraction.” And so on etc, etc. We will be doing that, so expect things to perhaps be a bit more episodic than we’ve done before. A session might begin with “several weeks/days later”—this is a GM’s fiat and a storytelling convention, so no jokes about “What? it’s dark already?!”

The have to be a set of activities which students can decided to participate in: Sports Clubs (perhaps Rugby, perhaps Wickets and Imps), Riding Club, Fencing Club, Book Club, Sewing Club, Host Club, Inventors Club, Ballroom Dance Club, Spirit Club (literally), Language Club, Debate Society, Aviators Club, Some kind of arts club, etc.

In competitions with other schools—certainly to start out with the competitions need to come from an intramural setting in order to put all of this into a context. For that reason their should only be three competitive clubs in this regard: Debate, Fencing, and a Sport. Eventually there will be an opening up of this context when we introduce the idea that there are other Libri Vidicos elsewhere. But to start we have to establish a baseline. I imagine at least two of these others have to be from the first and third continents respectively. Originally I had thought that perhaps the setting would allow to have a disguised school that the groups would compete with but let’s leave that aside shall we.

For Scott there needs to be at least two other Terratis Elves at the school—each of whom follow a very different path. One should be an agent of the Terratian powers and the other should be someone who has rejected the Elvish ways entirely. Consider carefully about male and female in this—I hate it when he makes inappropriate romantic choices and trivializes the issues presented by such characters.

So as I see it right now we have a number of PC keywords to put under the microscope: Aoniaen, d’Ambreville, Inventor, Atlantaen nobility, Roznar, Math, famous parents, Ursus, under shadow of fame, Shaddai, Chimera, misplaced in house, Terratis, Elf, idiot, entertainer,
Structures for later entries in the things—seven days left:

• Political Statement on the West (Fri 2/2)
• Vignettes A (Sat 2/3), B (Thurs 2/8)
• Entry from the Almanack—List of Greats; List of Flashpoints (Wed 2/7)
• Class Lists (Sun 2/4)
• Other (Mon 2/5)
• Clubs and Organizations (Tue 2/6)

GM Notes I need to make up—talk about how resolution on the part of the GM has to work. Quick reference chart for things. Quick weapon and armor chart for reference. Worksheet for NPCs. Other options for how things operate—for example my allowing Sherri to take Miniaturization as a skill and giving it to her as an add-on that counts against the three limit but doesn’t up the difficulty. Typical Edges and Narrative Use. Making Initiative Quicker.

List of Students: Who do we need to have?
Tobain
Lykessa
Van Brooge

Building My Middle Earth: A Project List

This post may be a little "inside baseball." I want to be better at tracking the steps of my gaming projects so I can accurately assess time budgets later. This details everything I did to prepare for our new campaign, an adaptation of our existing homebrew Action Cards. I've written this for myself, but I hope others find it interesting and/or useful. 

FROM ROKUGAN TO ENDOR

Back in December we wrapped our Legend of the Five Rings campaign. It ran for almost three years and could have continued, but we’d hit a good stopping point. That particular group’s played together for twenty years now on alternate Sundays. Several times Middle Earth came up as a campaign option. We have at least one player who loves the books and really wanted to play there. But it’s been outvoted or veto’d each time. I decided for 2016 I would run a Middle Earth campaign, lasting the full year.

I’m not a huge Lord of the Rings fan. As a kid I read The Hobbit and made it partway through The Fellowship of the Ring. But it bored me. I didn’t read the full trilogy and Simarillion until after college. I never got everything about the setting. Most of my actual understanding came from reading Middle Earth Roleplaying supplements. That offered a format I could understand, though I still had to flip back and forth between books to get a decent picture. I knew I couldn’t do an accurate Middle Earth game, but I could do one that felt like the setting.

The players agreed to the campaign and I offered them two choices. Either set between The Hobbit and LotR or the much earlier period covered by MERP. They surprised me by picking the latter. I figured they’d go for the one closer to the movies. In that case I’d have used The One Ring pretty much as is. Setting the game in the past meant figuring out another system. TOR’s cool, but incredibly connected to the period it covers and a narrow geographic range. Some players suggested MERP or Rolemaster, but I didn’t want to go down that road. MERP 2e is solid, but hard to find at a reasonable price. It’s also a little crunchy. GURPS and 13th Age also came up, but they have problems. I said I’d figure something out.

SHERRI INTERVENES

I fiddled around with ideas for many days. I knew I wanted to set it in Arthedain, but that was about it. I had four weeks over the Xmas/New Year holidays to put everything together. A few generic systems occurred to me: Savage Worlds (I’m not a fan), Fate (players hate the dice), and Cortex (would require more work figuring out). I decided I would go with Pugbuttah and started planning. I sketched out playbook ideas, tried to figure out if Dungeon World could easily be adapted, and generally mucked around.

Eventually Sherri made me sit down and explain my thinking. She listened to me spin around with my plans. As she always does, she patiently asked "why aren’t we doing it with Action Cards?” I didn’t have a great answer. I’d gotten it into my head we needed to do something other than the homebrew we’ve been playing. She grilled me about my goals for the game. Slowly she demonstrated I’d be better off and happier working with our homebrew. On these things she sees more clearly than I...

At that point we talked about the changes we’d want to make. For one, I wanted a class/ playbook approach. The players should be able to jump into a character mold and get running easily. I also wanted to try a simplified skill system. Skills had changed over the years in Action Cards. They always offered a redraw, but some versions skipped a skill list and let players simply make them up. Others had larger suggested skill rosters. In recent years we’d moved to Skills and Specialties. A skill gives you a redraw, and having an appropriate sub-specialty, nets you a second one. It added color and differentiated the PCs. But it also meant players ate up time hunting through specialties on a check. I wanted to see if the gain in simplicity matched the loss of color. With all of that in mind, Sherri and I built a seven “callings” and divided the skill list among them. Each would get three skills only they could buy the second rank of. The callings would also get unique stunts, a distinct profession skill, and a particular talent.

REWORKING THE CARDS

Each version of Action Cards forces me to think about how players assemble their decks. We’ve had two standard approaches. For longer campaigns we use “Fill In.” Players have a certain number of standard cards they write results in for, plus four blank unique cards they come up with. For shorter things we’ve done “Draft.” Players collectively draft prepared standard result cards and unique cards to fit their character conception. The former allows more tailoring and ownership, while the latter’s faster and takes pressure off the players.

I wanted to try a hybrid with our Middle Earth. On the one had, players would fill in their standard result cards. I retuned those player decks to create symmetry. Each now had eight cards to fill in, rather than 6. That means I created an equal distribution on the fixed cards. This is all foggledy-fook, I know. On the other hand, I had players draft their unique cards. Each would draft an extra good & bad unique, so they could pick which ones they wanted for each session. With that in mind I revised the set of unique cards, removing any that didn’t fit with the setting and tone. I redid card titles, so “Head in the Stars” became “Second Breakfast,” a card representing distraction. I used titles from the Lord of the Rings Trading Card game as inspiration. I also changed the fonts on the cards, which meant playing with the layout for a while. I found several Tolkien-esque fonts online.

I also reconsidered Wound cards. Currently they operate like Fate consequences, with two levels of them. That's had problems. It requires bookkeeping and PC could move them out of the deck quickly. This time each wound card reduces damage by two; players could take as many as they liked against a hit. All wound cards would be the same. But they wouldn’t clear from the deck when activated/drawn. Instead they’d require first aid, rest, or other healing to remove. I decided to make a broader category of “condition cards” with wounds as one type. Players could take up to six of these cards, but having 5 or 6 in their deck opened them up to harder GM hits/moves. Other condition cards would be Weary (from travel) and Shadow (from corruption). I made up special cards for the latter.

BUILDING THE STUNT LIST

Next I went through the Stunt list. I used the lists I created for Masks of the Empire (a fantasy game) and Sky Racers Unlimited (a dieselpunk game) as the basis. They represent my most recent thinking. I’ve been changing and cutting stunts based on their use at the table. After integrating and trimming the MotE and SRU lists I had a decent assortment and only had to revise a few names to make them fit. Since I had some new skills (Travel) I developed several new ones. I also tried to rebalance some skills. In the past Athletics had a lot of the cool stunts, while Physique seemed limited. I shifted strength/endurance stunts from the former to the latter

.

BUILDING THE CALLINGS

In parallel with creating the stunts I built the callings. We’d settled on seven:

• Animist: Either a druid/nature type or a crafter. Focused on using rituals to create things ahead of time. I took some inspiration from DFAE’s approach.
• Bard: A specialist in travel and entertainment. Doesn’t have magic, but instead access to songs with some abilities.
• Envoy: Diplomat, merchant, and spy. Knows people everywhere and has insight into political alliances and group dynamics.
• Fighter: Warrior, soldier, guardian.
• Hunter: Scout, woodsman, tracker.
• Mage: I thought hard about this. MERP gets flak for its relatively high level of magic. I think that’s reasonably true; mage-types feel more like D&D wizards there. But I wanted to have magic, and there’s reason to think magic hasn’t yet been lost in this time period. I ended up with a flexible approach: on-the-fly casting with a cost. I also established that the standard hard bargain for success with magic would be a Shadow card.
• Thief: Burglar, Con Artist, Rogue.

Each calling has a Profession Skill. Usually they will use these with their talents and common actions (Performance for Bard, Wizardry for Mage, Theft for Thief). In two cases, it didn’t make sense to have a distinct skill, so instead those ranks allow picking additional bonuses (Fighter, Hunter). I gave each calling an individual talent (like casting magic for the Mage). Next I went through the stunt list and lifted four unique stunts for each calling. Other callings could take these but at a higher cost. I tried to distribute the “always taken” stunts among those. Then I went back and made sure each base skill had at least five associated stunts. Finally I added a checklist for character creation at the end of each calling playbook as well as an example image.

ADAPTING JOURNEYS

The One Ring has a cool and detailed system for resolving Middle Earth travels. It isn’t exactly crunchy, but does has several steps and stages. It also makes a point about play in that setting: journeys offer important challenge. I’m a GM who has usually handwaved those moments in recent years. In the past I’ve relied on simple survival rolls. But I’ve rarely measured hard distance or ever done a hexcrawl. This time I wanted to give this a try.

I have the TOR pdf, so I copied the text into a document. I went through and considered how to simplify this and make the mechanics fit. Most of it came easily. I shifted some of the numbers to reduce the overall number of checks. I have failures on travel tests generating Weary cards. I think I’ve got the number and frequency right, but we’ll see in play. The One Ring uses a 1 in 12 result on a die to trigger hazard episodes. I opted to set one of the players’ unique cards (“Play the Draw”) as the trigger. That’s 1 in 24, but redraws raise that chance. Finally with the mechanics done I crafted new stunts related to the system.

ASPECTS AND KEYS

In previous Action Cards versions, I’ve stuck with the standard Fate approach: High Concept, Trouble, plus 2-3 additional aspects. Players generate those additional ones either in a phase trio or on the fly. I’ve found players either hit their high concept all the time or not at all. I’m not sure why that is. For this version I decided to have just two aspects players could build or pick during a Q&A relationship (or Fellowship) phase towards the end of character creation. They could also come up with those and even their trouble aspect on the fly if they wished. We’ll see what effect that has.

I also wanted to try out something Rich Rogers suggested. He mentioned adding Keys (from Shadow of Yesterday and Lady Blackbird) to campaigns. I decided to try that. I assembled and revised a list of Keys from those games, as well as other LB hacks I found online. In my version, you hit a standard key for 1XP or hit a major key for 3XP. Players can also buyoff a key and gain 10XP, but then have to wait a couple of sessions to take a new one. I’m starting them with a single key for the moment. That’s another factor I’ll have to track; should they have more?

FINISHING TECHNICAL DETAILS

After that I dealt with the final mechanical details. I opted to stay with diced damage in this game, given the players' familiarity with it. I tweaked the numbers, in particular increasing the spread of armor success numbers to make damage a hair more common. I also approached shields differently (just damage reduction now). I wrote up the rules for damage and condition cards, including how healing worked. Deciding on experience point costs took some time and I went back and forth on numbers. Ultimately I opted for simplicity over detail. I made stunts and skills cost the same and eliminated any X for Y cost structures. Since Action Cards decouples stunts and refresh (as opposed to Fate), I decided to try some limits. I capped Refresh at 4 and raised the cost to increase it. Players can still trade out refresh for more initial stuff. I also set the rule that players couldn’t buy a new stunt without a significant failure (i.e. “Learning Experience”) to trade in. Finally I wrote a quick reference sheet for skills and a worksheet for assigning results to cards.

SUMMING THE SETTING

I made a list of all the details I thought players would need to know at the start of the campaign. You can see that full write-up here. I tried to keep things short and tight. Ideally I don’t want to bog down in minutiae. When we play I won't to assume players have read this, but I'll direct them back to this doc for further info when I explain something. Tolkien’s trickier than something like Star Wars, especially set as far back as this game is. I needed to establish a canon baseline. I hope to have players establish facts in play and not feel constrained by the world.

With this in hand on Saturday evening, I sent everything off to be printed for Sunday’s game. Binding cost too much, so I had them three-hole punch everything.

CHARACTER SHEET

Almost done. I finally sat down to do the character sheet Sunday morning. I changed formatting a little, running the complete skill list down the right hand side of the page. I played around with the page elements, trying to give priority to those things referenced most often. In the end I opted to put weapon and armor stats at the bottom. I’m hoping that by putting it in a significant place (“check the bottom of your sheet”), players will learn to move their eye there instinctively when they look for that info.

MAPS & LIST

These last things I did on Sunday afternoon. I sketched a quick list of the character creation process and what we would do at the table. I sorted my Backstory Cards for use in the phase trio. I pulled out my big map of Middle Earth as well as some from The Lord of the Rings RPG. Finally I printed, cut, and assembled maps from some of the MERP supplements.

Actual Writing of Project Begun 12/26/15. First session 1/10/16

Your Middle Earth May Vary: 23 Campaign Notes

23 THINGS ABOUT THIS MIDDLE EARTH

(your Middle Earth may vary)

We've just started a new Middle Earth campaign using Action Cards. I've put together some design/project notes I'll post Friday. I've talked about how to convey setting before, especially with established worlds. This is my attempt to boil down what the players need to know, outside of their movie-based experience. Note that I use "Man" and "Men" just to stick with the Tolkienism (see note #23). I went back and forth on that several times.
  

1. Tenor of the Times

This game takes place in Third Age 1643. This era still has greatness remaining within it, but the Shadow’s corruption and decay has begun to rise. While some kingdoms have fallen, their adversaries appear to simply be potent evil-doers, like The Witch King and The Necromancer. Tolkien’s world mixes sweeping events and great periods of decline. This is one of those volatile times. A few years ago a great plague swept across Northwestern Middle Earth. Many places died out or fell from contact. Now simmering wars and internal divisions reduce the strength of Man. But the White Council, arrived a handful of centuries ago, works to bolster the skills and spirit of Middle Earth’s peoples.

2. When We Are

For reference, The Hobbit takes place in 2941 and the War of the Ring in 3019. Development and change happen very slooooowly in Middle Earth. Our time period is the default era for ICE’s MERP. I’m using their notes and history by default (note that these differ from those of The One Ring RPG and The Lord of the Rings RPG). Everything here applies to this world and isn’t necessarily accurate to Tolkien. We’re aiming for the spirit over precision. Sometimes I’ll ask you for historical details in play, and we’ll add that to the world. Also, my spelling is off in many places and I don’t bother with accent marks.

3. Arnor

Arnor was once the great kingdom of the North, a sister state to Gondor in the South. They shared royal lines and nobility, descended from the High Men (Dunedain) who fled from Numenor when it sank into the sea. Those peoples installed themselves as lords over Men in this large region. That lasted for many generations until there arose a division over leadership and succession. This split Arnor into three new and often rival kingdoms: Cardolan, Rhuadur, and Arthedain.

4. Cardolan

Some say dying and some say dead. This kingdom is splintered and divided. Siege, civil strife, and warfare destroyed Cardolan. While Angmar dealt the death blow, Cardolan had already torn itself apart. The last Prince of the ruling line died at Amon Sul in 1634. The plague soon after destroyed any hope of recovery. Now Cardolan consists of a half a dozen petty principalities and baronies. While they may claim nobility, they rule by might. These Barons scheme with politics and soldiers, shifting allegiances constantly. Most have limited reach, leaving great areas land untended and unprotected. In these wilds Orcs and bandits prowl. The Free City of Tharbad, overseen by guilds, remains the largest settlement. It is a teeming crossroads city, though it too shows signs of decay and lawlessness. Cardolan is dominated by the rivers flowing through it. It retains some wilderness despite Man's devastation over the centuries. Also notable is The Warlord’s Realm a small mountain area controlled by a Half-Troll who raids, pillages, and claims to be a lord in his own right.

5. Rhuadur

The Dunedain never won the hearts and loyalty of the peoples of Rhuadur. Being a poor land, fewer colonists arrived here to take leadership. The native folk remained restless and resentful of outsider control. In particular the Hillman continued their raiding and clan warfare. Few wept for the splitting of Arnor and persons of avarice took advantage. When the Witch King arose in Angmar he played on old resentments from local Dundedain, Dunman, and Hillman alike. He focuses energies to infiltrate and control of the land, as scattered and poor as it is. Now King Ermegil Storarm rules loosely and only at the Witch King’s whim. The countryside is lawless and the constables corrupt. Today Rhuadur is a model for what the Witch King plans for the North and all of Middle Earth. It is a puppet state, full of darkness and crime. Those Men who rule Rhuadar do so in his name and bend the region towards his dark purposes.

6. Arthedain

This is the last remaining free kingdom of Arnor. It is sheltered by rivers, mountains, and frozen wastes. It has weaknesses, specifically a small population of Dunedain with a distinctly unmartial tradition. Were it not for outside aid, the kingdom would have fallen to Angmar in 1409. The people are not without defenses and spirit. In particular they possess Palantiri. The Seers of Fornost use these to communicate with Gondor and keep track of Angmar’s movements. The Arthedan have good relations with the Elves and have permitted the settlement of Hobbits in the region. Arthedain is a beacon of hope for the old ways and civilization of Man. In time, it will fall.

7. King Argeleb II

The ruler of Arthedain. He recognizes Arthedain’s precarious position, but aims for balance over aggressive action. Argeleb rules with the support of a King’s Council, made up of the heads of the seven great families of the North. The King and Council have clashed recently, and tensions among the Houses has risen. The coming of the Hobbits exacerbated this. Argeleb’s gifting of the Shire served a political purpose, weakening one of the more potent families, the Tarmas. The King remains in communication with Tarondor, the new and untested King of Gondor. But Argeleb, like many of the Dunedain of Arthedain have a more contemplative and mystical approach to threats and problems. This vexes the practical folk of Gondor.

8. Places of Arthedain

The capitol of Arthedain is at Fornost Erain. This fortress city contains a great palace in which the King’s business is carried out. The Barrowlands or Tyrn Gorthad are a dangerous and haunted region, close by Arthedain but situated in Cardolan. Subsidies from King Argeleb to the local rulers are intended to support their care of the place. However Dark Priests of Angmar have been seen there, disturbing and corrupting spirits. Bree is the main settlement of Bree-land. It lies adjacent to the Shire. The Hobbits who once dwelt here moved into Siragale, which became the Shire. The loss of life in the plague tightened bonds between the two communities. The King’s Rest Inn is a notable tavern in Bree. Emyn Uial or the Hills of Twilight is a calm and peaceful region. It is the jewel of the farmland, with abundant water and wood. Nenuial is a spectacular lake in the region, close by the chalk hills of Emeth Gelin. The North Downs or Tyrn Forman is a rugged land, well suited to hunters and trappers. Weathertop or Amon Sul is a destroyed fortress. It once house a Palantir. The Witch King destroyed the fortress in 1409, before being pushed back by the last alliance. It remains barren.

9. Angmar

To the East lies Angmar, a rocky and dangerous land overseen by the Witch King. Corrupted Men, warrens of Orcs, and other fell beasts live there. The mountains are dangerous, the weather cold and uncertain. The old glacial rifts and melt waters have created dangerous tunnels and caverns Orcs use to their advantage. Angmar has never had great settlements, though it is said that more than one Dwarven mine once existed there. The Witch King is the lord of Angmar. He plots against the west and awaits new generations among his Orcs to swell his numbers.

10. The Witch King

This force of evil arose perhaps 300 years ago. Rumors came from desolate Angmar that a new threat had arisen, but none took it seriously. Then his force of Orcs, corrupted Men, and others began to strike at the Dunedain. The Witch King has won and lost repeatedly over the centuries. In 1409 he destroyed Amon Sul aka Weathertop and destroyed Cardolan as a nation. Only an alliance of the Dunedain with the Elves of the Grey Havens, Rivendell, and Lorien managed to turn him back. Though we know that The Witch King is a Nazgul, it is not known in this time. It is also not known that The Witch King of Angmar and the Necromancer of Mirkwood are one and the same.

11. The Plague

The sickness that ripped across Middle Earth struck Mankind alone. It devastated many areas. All lines of Man suffered, from the Dunedain to the few Woses who had contact with the outside world. It hit particularly hard in Gondor and what was Arnor. Some suspect it was a plot by the Witch King. If so, he has not yet fully capitalized on the gambit. Perhaps his own losses make that difficult. In any case, the Plague travelled everywhere equally: city, village, and wilds. Many steads, villages, and even castles now remain empty. This makes travel difficult and banditry more a problem. Just as quickly as the Plague appeared, it vanished and has not been seen in three years.

12. Dunedain or High Men

There’s a complex lineage to the Numenoreans. For our purposes, the most important point is that this line of Man is old, distinct, and learned much from the Elves. They live several hundred years. I’ll be using the term Dunedain and High-Man interchangeably. The Dunedain are taller than most men, with dark hair. Some have distinctive grey eyes. A full blooded Dunedain will stand out in most places outside their cities. While they intermarry with the other lines of Man, there’s a strong sense of tradition and bloodlines. Particularly in Arthedain, the Dunedian carry on traditions derived from the Elves: clothing, art, and crafts. They focus on scholarship, learning, and creative pursuits. While they are strong in war, that’s not their cultural inclination.

13. Other Men

The vast population of Man is not Dunedain. These lines and divisions can be ethnic, cultural, and/or of blood (see note 23 below). Eriedain (Northrons or Northmen) are the fair-haired common majority of the populace in Arthedain and Cardolan. They’re tall by Mannish standards and have an individualistic society centered around family freeholds. Northmen who ply the rivers are called Rivermen and have a distinct culture. Commoners (Common Men) are shorter with ruddier complexions. They’re made up of several different ethnic groupings and so vary in appearance and culture. Hillmen are primarily found in Rhudaur, where they dwell on the slopes of the northern Misty Mountains. They’re a clannish folk, fighting against authority and each other. They’re outsiders in their own lands and dwindling in numbers. They’re short, strong, and stocky with a Dark complexion, hair and eyes. Rhudaurim descend mostly from what Dunmen or Dunnish tribesmen. They’re closest to Common Men, with brown hair. They’re the dominant human people in Rhudaur. Breefolk are also Dunnish, having fled the Witch King’s incursions. Befraen and Woses are a strange, squat tribal folk found in scattered places. They’re primitive hunter-gatherers and usually bear a top-knot and copious body painting. The Lossoth are the rarely seen hunters of the northern wastes. The Angmarim are a wild and diverse people, drawn from many different stocks. Because it is Tolkien, they’re usually darker skinned. The Estaravi are another smaller Angmaran group conquered when the Witch King arose; they’re closest to Northmen. Easterlings are dark-skinned folk from the distant and unknown East. Many have come into the service of Angmar. They’re generally nomadic horsemen (think Mongols).

14. Dwarves

Dwarves usually keep to themselves. They’re fine folk once they know someone, but it takes time. Various Dwarvish mines and settlements are scattered all across the map. Some have been lost, but notably Moria and Erebor (Lonely Mountain) still exist and are active at this point, though the former has had to fight off a rising tide of Orcs. The Dwarves are keepers of the oldest making techniques, some of which have fallen out of fashion with the Elves. Tensions over old slights and ancient rivalries remain between Elves and Dwarves. Like the other races, the Dwarves received Rings of Power. However, they proved resistant to their influence. Instead it instilled in the people a kind of gold-fever often driving them to reckless actions. That remains a problem to this day. Dwarves who feel the touch of the Shadow often have that greed and avarice deepen. They’re also called Khazad or Longbeards.

15. Elves

There are several kinds of Elves and, to be frank, their lineage is complicated. Some of the Elves went to the far West and saw the light. Others, called the Dark Elves, either opted not to go or went partway and turned back. The “Dark” here refers to their contact with the divine light of the west. Silvan Elves are those who turned back to stay in the Vales of Anduin (Wood Elves). The Sindar are the rest of the Elves who stayed (Grey Elves, Legolas). The Elves who went and then returned are called the Noldor (High Elves, Gladriel). Silvan Elves are slightly smaller, while Noldor are taller. Most Elves dwell in Rivendell, Lindon, and Lorien. There are other, wandering companies of Elves and a few solitary ones within Arnor. Still an elf is a rare sight among the common folk.

16. Humans & Elves

For generations the Elves and humans have been allies and friends, but that relationship has a strange dynamic. The Elves worked alongside, fought shoulder to shoulder with, and taught the Numenorians and their descendants. In some ways they see the line of Isildur and the Dundedain as the men worth speaking with. They deal with the other humans as affairs arise, but actually interact with the High Men. That relationship is one of respect, rather than the suspicion and fear which will characterize things centuries later. So while the Elves often keep to themselves, they lack the haughtiness that appears in other settings and eras. The loss of Elves in the wars of Men has made them hesitant about further significant aid, a rift which will only widen in the future.

17. Hobbits and the Shire

Hobbit lands have not existed for long as things go. The original Hobbit settlers came from the East. They provided service and entertainment to the current King of Arthedain. In return he granted them lands adjoining what was Cardolan. At this point, there’s one major Hobbit settlement which we’ll call the Shire for ease of reference. These folk have only just begun to expand and gain influence. Thus the Hobbits are still something of an oddity to many folk. As well, some in Arthedain resent the rich lands granted these newcomers.

18. Orcs

These are descendants of the twisted workings of The Great Enemy. He changed Elves into the first of the Orcs. They have strongholds in Angmar, at the base of the Misty Mountains, and elsewhere. Perhaps the most feared fortress of the Orcs is Mount Gundabad in Angmar. Orc raiders have appeared more and more often in the north with the fall of Cardolan. Their incursions reach as far as Tharbad. Independent warbands of Orcs make their homes in many places. Some Orcs are smaller and more wiry, and are often called Goblins. They’re effectively the same thing.

19. The Rangers

Ranger is an honorific title among the Arthedain. They’re an order of scouts, trackers, and warriors who help patrol the borders and deal with small threats. The current state of the region has overwhelmed them. The King has begun to accept other peoples among the Rangers, offering them the symbolic cloak of the order. In the future, the name of the Rangers will be taken up by the surviving line of Isildur and become Dunedain only and quite a different institution.

20. Gondor

Gondor is the sister kingdom of Arthedain in the south. Among the Dunedain there’s a sense of kinship, but little else these days. Gondor is weary from the plague and the predations of the Cosairs of Umbar and the Easterlings. They’ve aided Arnor in the past, but have not the strength or will to do that these days. Gondorians are more martial and rough & tumble than the Arthedan. Gondor’s Dunedain dedication to the arts and scholarship has fallen away.

21. Wizardry

Magic and power, though diminished, still exists in this era. There are many who have trained with these arts, encouraged by the Council of the Wise. The Istari (Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and the Two Who Went East) arrived several centuries ago to try to bolster man with magical teachings. They’ve had some success, but magic remains rare. The most well-known mages are Seers, whose skills have often protected lands from invasion and disaster. Other mages know more forceful arts, calling upon the elements and fate itself to aid them. All of this comes at a cost. The Shadow actively seeks to undermine, corrupt, and destroy those who possess these talents. Over time that will lead to the passing of magic.

22. Travel

All of the Tolkien novels involve travel, lots of it. It’s a key element of the setting and game play. Usually we handwave these element. They will be important in this campaign. We’ll plot routes on maps and make tests for travel across the land, taking into account weather and terrain. I’ve adapted mechanics from The One Ring rpg. It’s more mechanical, but will add depth to this part of the game. The three most important skills for this are Travel, Outdoors, and Awareness.

23. Determinism

Some of Tolkien’s stuff has problems. There’s an Anglo-Saxon exceptionalism running through it. As well, race seems often equals destiny, i.e. all people of a particular ethnicity are X or Y. In particular, darker skin = more evil. I’m going to try to avoid some of that. On the other hand, Orcs and Uruk-Hai are bad news. They’re created and corrupted from birth. Other creatures likewise may have the Shadow compelling them. Some, like Trolls or Ogres, may just be assholes. Just keep in mind that there’s problematic stuff in the books. You are welcome to X-Card things as they come up. I will do so as well. 

Counterfeiting Setting: Fading Suns

THE STARS MY DERIVATION
In writing another post, I came across a new game: Wyrd. At first I thought it was connected with Wyrd Miniatures, but no- their Malifaux setting has its own off-name rpg (Through the Breach). Wyrd's blurb didn’t help, describing a kitchen-sink fantasy campaign with a new homebuilt system. So I checked out the extensive preview pdf on RPGNow. It…is something. It opens with a vast and convoluted history presented in multiple fonts. You're 50+ pages in before it offers any sense of what the game is. Info-Dump: The RPG. 

Don’t get me wrong- I love a rich world. I love my rich world. But sometimes these products, clearly evolved out of house campaigns, boggle me with their presentation. Leaving aside that they don't open with what's new about the game, they assume text density equals awesome. It doesn’t. It just makes me roll my eyes. And that happens even when I theoretically love the setting. When I try to read Iron Kingdoms, I drown in the material; inevitably I get lost. It's like someone's used a program to compress all of Tolkien's secondary materials into several dozen pages.

When I read this stuff I’m thinking of how I actually bring this to the table; how do I convey it to the players? If a setting makes that difficult, opaque, or confusing I’m going to skip it.

So if I like the concept of a dense setting- Earthdawn, Ars Magica, Iron Kingdoms, Weapons of the Gods, Shadowrun- what do I do?

I build a collaborative, counterfeit version.

And as you can see from the post title, I’m going to try that with Fading Suns.

This process are how I imagine I'd do this. I'd combine that with the discussion of game/genre elements I talked about with PUG'BUTTAH. But how do I start? Maybe with art? I could hold up the book cover. Or more usefully, I could pull together a Pinterest board. Assuming we have a spark, we establish limited facts and ask collaborative questions. 

12 FACTS ABOUT FADING SUNS

1. It’s a far, far future space setting with an ancient lost Earth.
2. Empires have risen and fallen. Relics, technology, and structures of previous ages remain.
3. Everyone uses ageless, ornate Star Gates to travel between systems. These require psyker interfaces and keys to activate.
4. A grand and elaborate Stellar Church exists. It has many distinct orders, with different precepts and powers. Some have pseudo-magical powers.
5. The Church prohibits 'think machines,' free psykers, and advanced ancient tech. The public generally shares an unease about these things.
6. A feudal structure controls most of the worlds. It's made up of an Imperial House plus five Noble families of massive influence.
7. There are multiple Guilds as well. They represent the third power group beside the Nobles and the Church.
8. Humanity has encountered Aliens. The less powerful aliens have been treated badly. If they have numbers, they’re treated warily. The most important are Space Elves and Star Gorillas.
9. Everything has a general Techno-Medieval or Techno-Gothic look and feel. That extends to behavior and hierarchies.
10. Each Noble House a distinct identity/theme. They each have several family lines.
11. Old lost systems and places exist beyond the known worlds, through forgotten Gate codes
12. Some tech is tolerated. Some is black market. Same for psykers.

Take those as base premises. That’s all the canon we need or want. Everything else we’ll make up. So what do we need to figure out as a group?

10 QUESTIONS ABOUT FADING SUNS

1. What are the names of the five Noble Houses?
2. What are they like and what are they known for?
3. What kinds of Guilds are there?
4. What’s a weird thing about each of those?
5. What are some of the Church orders?
6. What do clerics from those do and believe?
7. What’s going on with the Imperial Household?
8. How are psykers handled?
9. What kinds of aliens are there?
10. What are the three biggest threats out there?

After that we figure out the tone and what the characters actually do as I spoke about with Pug'buttah. All of this should fit on two pages, if that. Like a back of the book blurb. Everything else should emerge from play.

I have other game settings I like and want to establish. Which would work? Changeling the Lost, Mutant City Blues, Ars Magica, Ashen Stars, Iron Kingdoms, Mage the Sorcerers Crusade, Shadowrun, Night's Black Agents?

Shadowrun EZ-NPC Generator

I'd put together a variant on my normal NPC generator for the Shadowrun FAE sessions I ran. Mischa Krilov helped me by creating an easy Google sheet for it. I've put a version of it together over at Last Gasp under NPCs as "Shadowrun NPC Generator". That includes racial randomizer based (loosely) on the distributions mentioned in the Almanac. The first column covers "visual" or a little obvious from casual interaction traits, the second focuses on behavior & personality, while the third is their occupation. 

Acned	#1	Academic
Aggressive	Abrasive	Activist
Agile	Abrupt	Adept
Alluring	Absorbed	Administrator
Aloof	Accepting	Advisor
Altered	Accident-Prone	Agent
Ancient	Adaptable	Agitator
Anemic	Aggressive	AI Specialist
Angular	Agitated	Anarch
Anorexic	Alcoholic	Animal Specialist
Apricot	Altruistic	Antiquarian
Articulate	Amateur	Apprentice
Athletic	Ambitious	Architect
Awkward	Amoral	Armorer
Balding	Animated	Arms Dealer
Barking	Apologetic	Artificer
Barrel-Chested	Apprehensive	Artist
Battle-Scarred	Arrogant	Artiste
Beady-Eyed	Artful	Assassin
Beak-Nosed	Articulate	Assessor
Bearded	Aspiring	Assistant
Beautiful	Assertive	Athlete
Beefy	Barbaric	Attache
Bellowing	Bashful	Auctioneer
Bent	Benign	Bail Bondsman
Big	Black Ops	Bandit
Bizarre	Blissful	Barfly
Bland	Blithe	Bearer
Blind	Blowhard	Beat Cop
Bloodshot	Bored	Beggar
Booming	Boring	Biker
Brainy	Brave	BioTech
Branded	Brazen	Black Cybersurgeon
Brawny	Brittle	Bodyguard
Bright-Eyed	Bubbly	Bodyshop Hack
Broadchested	Burnt-Out	Boss
Broad-Shouldered	Businesslike	Botanist
Bruised	Calculating	Bouncer
Bulbous	Calm	Bounty-Hunter
Business-like	Cantankerous	Builder
Busty	Careless	Business Owner
Cadaverous	Cautious	Buyer
Caramel	Chaotic	Caretaker
Charming	Charismatic	CEO
Chiseled	Charmless	Chauffeur
Clean	Chaste	City Bureaucrat
Clumsy	Cheap	City Cleaner
Cold	Clear-Headed	Clerk
Colorful	Clever	Climber
Combed	Clinical	Club Kid
Comely	Coarse	Club Owner
Composed	Cocky	Coffin Hotel manager
Coughing	Cold-Hearted	Combat Decker
Craggy	Companionable	Combat Mage
Crazed	Compassionate	Commando
Creamy	Content	Con Artist
Cross-Eyed	Contrary	Conspirator
Crusty	Cooperative	Consultant
Curvy	Corrupt	Contact
Cute	Covetous	Cook
Cyber'd	Crafty	Corp Manager
Dark	Crude	Corp Scientist
Darting	Cultured	Corp Secretary
Deaf	Cunning	Corporate Henchman
Decorated	Cynical	Corruptor
Deeply-Tanned	Dangerous	Courier
Deformed	Dazzling	Courtier
Dense	Deceptive	Covert Ops Specialist
Dirty	Defiant	Criminal
Disfigured	Delusional	Cultist
Disheveled	Depressed	Customs Official
Distinctive	Desperate	Cybercriminal
Doe-eyed	Discrete	Cyberpsycho
Downtrodden	Disgusted	Cybersurgeon
Drab	Dishonest	Cyber-SWAT
Dreadlocked	Disloyal	Dancer
Drooping	Dissatisfied	Data Broker
Dumb	Domineering	Data Thief
Dusky	Dramatic	Decker
Dyed	Driven	Demolition Man
Ebony	Drug-Addicted	Dentist
Elderly	Dull	Digger
Elegant	Egocentric	Dilettante
Elite	Emotional	Distiller
Elongated	Enthusiastic	Doctor
Emaciated	Envious	DocWagon Medic
Energetic	Evil	Doorman
Enigmatic	Ex-	Double-Agent
Exaggerated	Faithful	Driver
Exotic	Famous	Dropout
Experienced	Fearful	Drug Dealer
Fae-like	Feckless	Duelist
Fair-Skinned	Feisty	Dupe
Fat	Fickle	Ecoterror
Fearsome	Flirtatious	Electrician
Feeble	Folksy	Enchanter
Flabby	Foreign	Enforcer
Flatulent	Forgetful	Entertainer
Flaxen	Former	Escort
Foreign	Freelance	Eunuch
Forgettable	Freewheeling	Evictor
Formal	Fretful	Exotic Merchant
Fragile	Friendly	Exterminator
Freckled	Frigid	Extortionist
Frog-like	Frivolous	Extraction Specialist
Funny	Frugal	Face
Furtive	Frustrated	Factory Worker
Gap-Toothed	Fussy	Fanatic
Gaudy	Garrulous	Fashionista
Gaunt	Generous	Fence
Glowing	Genial	Financier
Gnarled	Gifted	Firefighter
Golden	Giggly	Fixer
Graceful	Gluttonous	Food Processor
Gravelly	Gossipy	Forger
Greasy	Graceless	Fringe Scientist
Greying	Grateful	Gambler
Greyish	Grim	Gang Leader
Guttural	Gruff	Gang Member
Haggard	Grumpy	Gardener
Hairless	Guilt Ridden	Geneticist
Half-Blooded	Gullible	Ghoul
Hard of Hearing	Gung Ho	Glammer
Hard to Understand	Harmonies	Guard
Hatchet-Faced	Harried	Guide
Hawk-Faced	Hateful	Gunman
Healthy	Heart-Broken	Gunsmith
Helpless	Heartless	Hacker
Hesitant	Helpful	Hate Grouper
Hirsute	Honest	Headhunter
Hoarse	Honor Bound	Henchman
Humming	Hormonal	Heretic
Hunchbacked	Hostile	Hero
Husky	Hotheaded	Hipster
Immaculate	Humble	Historian
Impaired	Hungry	Hitman
Implanted	Hyperactive	Huckster
Impulsive	Hysterical	ID Manufacturer
Inexperienced	Idealistic	Informant
Injured	Ill-Informed	Insurgent
Innocent	Illiterate	Interpreter
Insane	Impressionable	Inventor
Interrupting	Impudent	Investigative Reporter
Knobby	Incisive	Investigator
Knowing	Inconsiderate	Janitor
Lame	Incorruptible	Johnson
Lanky	Indecisive	Judge
Leaden	Indignant	Kidnapper
Leathery	Inexperienced	Laborer
Leering	Infamous	Landlord
Limping	Inhuman	Lawyer
Lip-Licking	Innovative	Leader
Lisping	Insecure	Liar
Lithe	Insensitive	Loan Shark
Lively	Intense	Local Dive Owner
Local	Jaded	Lorekeeper
Loud	Keen	Low Corp
Lumbering	Killjoy	Lunatic Fringer
Lunatic	Know-It-All	Machinist
Lurching	Law-abiding	Madam
Lurking	Lawful	Mafiaoso
Mangled	Lazy	Magistrate
Marked	Level-Headed	Maid
Middle-Aged	Lordly	Manhunter
Mixed Race	Lovable	Manservant
Mole-Faced	Loving	Martial Artist
Monotone	Loyal	Matron
Mottled	Lucky	Meat-Packer
Mousy	Mature	Mechanic
Mulleted	Mellow	Medium
Mumbling	Menacing	Mercenary
Muscled	Merciful	Middle Manager
Mussed Up	Miserly	Migrant Worker
Mutated	Moody	Miner
Mute	Morbid	Money Launderer
Muttering	Morose	Moneylender
Natural	Mystical	Monk
Near-Sighted	Narcissistic	Mortuary Tech
Neat	Neutral	Mr. Fix-It
Nimble	Obsessive	Muckraker
Oddly-Attired	Odd	Muscle
Off-Kilter	Off-Putting	Musicians
Oily	Old-Fashioned	Mystic
Old	Open	Narc
Old Seeming	Ostentatious	Negotiator
Olive	Passionate	Ninja
One-Armed	Patient	Nomad
One-Eyed	Pedantic	Nurse
Ordinary	Perfectionist	Occult Investigator
Pale	Phobic	Offical
Pallid	Placid	Officer
Pasty	Playful	Oracle
Perfect	Polite	Organ-Legger
Perfumed	Political	Paramedic
Pert	Popular	Parasecurity Expert
Petite	Possessive	Patron
Pierced	Precise	Pawn Broker
Plain	Preoccupied	Pervert
Pleasant	Prescient	Pilot
Plump	Pricey	Pirate
Pock-Marked	Prim	Police Officer
Poor	Profane	Political Intern
Porcelain	Professional	Politician
Portly	Promiscuous	Pornographer
Pot-Bellied	Proud	Priest
Predatory	Prudent	Prison Guard
Quiet	Pugnacious	Private Eye
Radiant	Punctual	Procurer
Ragged	Pure	Professor
Rat-like	Quarrelsome	Programmer
Ravishing	Queer	Prosthetic Master
Red-Faced	Questioning	Prostitute
Refined	Quirky	Racer
Relaxed	Quixotic	Raider
Repugnant	Racist	Rent-a-Cop
Resonant	Ranked	Repairman
Robotic	Rash	Reporter
Robust	Rational	Research Scientist
Rosy	Realistic	Retail Salesperson
Rough	Recalcitrant	Retainer
Sallow	Reclusive	Rigger
Saucy	Refined	Rival
Scarred	Reflective	Road Warden
Scary	Regretful	Roboticist
Scowling	Reliable	Rocker
Scratching	Remorseful	Rocket Biker
Scrawny	Repetitious	Rumormonger
Senile	Repressed	Saboteur
Sexy	Respectful	Sage
Shaggy	Responsive	Samurai
Shaky	Retiring	Sanitation Engineer
Shifty	Rich	Scavenger
Shorn	Righteous	Scholar
Short	Rigid	Scrapman
Sinewy	Romantic	Secret Police
Sinuous	Rowdy	Security Expert
Slender	Rude	Sensei
Sloppy	Sacrificing	Servant
Sly	Sadistic	Server
Small	Saintly	Sewer Diver
Smart	Sanctimonious	Sewerman
Smelly	Sarcastic	Shaman
Smooth	Scheming	Shamanic Healer
Soft-Skinned	Secretive	Sharpshooter
Solid	Self-Confident	Shestiorka
Spindly	Self-Conscious	Simsense Star
Square-Jawed	Self-Controlled	Singer
Squat	Selfish	Slumlord
Staring	Serious	Smuggler
Steady	Sexist	Snitch
Stiff-Backed	Shallow	Snoop
Stitched	Sharp-Tongued	Socialite
Stooped	Shiftless	Soldier
Straight-Backed	Shrewd	Sorcerer
Strange	Shy	Spider
Strapping	Skilled	Spook
Strong	Sleepy	Spouse
Stuttering	Small-Time	Spy
Stylish	Sober	Squatter
Svelte	Soft Spoken	Stall keep
Sweaty	Solicitous	Streetfighter
Swift	Sophisticated	Streetrunner
Talented	Stern	Stylist
Tall	Street	Surveillance Officer
Tattooed	Strict	Survivor
Tawdry	Strong-Willed	Talent Scout
Thin	Stubborn	Talislegger
Thin-Lipped	Studious	Tamanous Member
Thunderous	Suave	Taxi Driver
Tiny	Submissive	Teacher
Tired	Subservient	Technomancer
Toothsome	Suspicious	Technoshaman
Tough	Tactless	Terraformer
Tremulous	Talkative	Test Subject
Twisted	Thick-Skinned	Theater Owner
Twitching	Tight-Lipped	Theoretical Scientist
Ugly	Timid	Thief
Unassuming	Tolerant	Thug
Uncultured	Touchy	Tinker
Unfashionable	Tribal	Toolmaker
Unkempt	Trouble-Free	Torturer
Unshaven	Troublesome	Tough
Unsteady	Trustworthy	Tracker
Vacant	Uncommitted	Trader
Virile	Undercover	Transcriber
Voluptuous	Unfriendly	Transit Worker
Vulpine	Ungrateful	Transporter
Wall-Eyed	Unhurried	Triad
Warty	Unlucky	Trid Pirate
Weak	Unpredictable	Undercover Op
Weird-Eyed	Unsentimental	Urban Anthropologist
Well-Defined	Urban	Urban Explorer
Well-Dressed	Vague	Urchin
Well-Outfitted	Vain	Vendor
Wheezing	Venerable	Vendor
Whistling	Vengeful	Veterinarian
Wide-Eyed	Vexed	Videographer
Wig-Wearing	Vindictive	Vigilante
Wild	Violent	Villain
Wimpy	Vulnerable	Wanderer
Wincing	Wanted	Warehouser
Wiry	Weak-Willed	Weapon Tech
Withered	Wealthy	Weapon Trainer
Wooden	Well-Informed	Weaver
Worried	Well-Rounded	Wildlander
Wrinkled	Whimsical	Wisdom
Yellowed	Whining	Worker
Young	Wise	Wrecker
Youthful	Woeful	Yakuza