Runeforest Incursion (Into the Wyrd & Wild + Stygian Library): Character Backgrounds

When creating a new character, roll 3d6 in addition to your normal character generation process. This is your relation to the Runeforest, potentially marking you as stinking of the City or the Forest.

Because of their ongoing war, natives of either place will treat you differently based on what Stench you have, possibly without even knowing why. Nobles will go out of their way to deal with intermediaries of Rune-Folk instead of dealing with them directly, and animals and other RuneFolk will be guarded and potentially hostile to those who stink of the fineries of high-society.

The numbers below represent a reaction modifier for members of the City. Reverse these numbers for reactions of those of the Forest. Street-folk tend not to have strong feelings either way.

A child of the Wyld (source)

Runeforest Backgrounds

3: -3 A true child of the Wyld. Possibly raised by animals or other RuneFolk. Regular people may mistake you for a Librarian. Take 3 Wyld Skills.

4-5: -2 Likely from the Trading Post or a Log-Cabin somewhere in the Runeforest. Either way, you probably don't know much about society or social norms. Take 2 Wyld Skills.

6-8: -1 Most townsfolk and peasants who live and farm within sight of the Runeforest. Take 1 Wyld Skill.

9-12: +0 Average cityfolk or suburban dweller. You might also be a Majordomo or Verderer. You don't have the stink of the City or the Forest.  Choose between 1 Street Skill, "Majordomo", or "Ranger".

13-15: +1 Knights, lesser nobles, successful bankers, merchants, and wealthy city-folk. Take 1 Court Skill.

16-17: +2 Barons, counts, dukes, and other high-ranking nobles. Take 2 Court Skills.

18: +3 Royalty and greater nobility. Regardless, you are somewhere in the line of succession. Take 3 Court Skills.


Skill Examples:

Wyld Skills: Scouting, Hunting, Navigation, Herbalism, Taxonomy, Fishing, Farming, Fae Customs

Court Skills: Dueling, Debate, Negotiation, Riding, Falconry, Painting, Scribing, Embezzlement, Espionage, Court Etiquette

Street Skills: Haggling, Butchery, Cooking, Shopping, Pickpocketing

A Greater Noble (source)

Majordomo

Once upon a time, a Noble man had a problem, for he could not find a butler who was not traitorous and deceitful. The Noble looked far and wide and each prospective butler turned out to be a spy, or traitorous, or easily blackmailed. And so the Noble looked to the one place where his enemies could not have touched. The Noble sought a child of the Wyld.

All the head's of noble households in modern times are children of the Wyld. It doesn't matter how connected they are to the Runeforest. Prospective Majordomos are found either as orphans or bought for a generous sum from their peasant families. They are then brought up as a member of the Noble's household and trained to run it. Majordomos are skilled in the arts of delegation, paper-trails, counter-espionage, and blackmail.

After years spent within the City, Majordomo lose the scent of the Runeforest.

(source)

Verderer

A member of the official military group responsible for administering the Laws of the Monarch within the Runeforest. Anyone without the stench of the Forest can join, though in doing so the Verderer renounces all family ties and noble claims or positions they might hold. Many mistake the Verderers for Rangers, though the latter title is reserved for the clergy and devouts of Xan, god of beasts. Verderers are skilled in the arts of tracking, survival, and law. 

Like the Majordomo who lose the stench of the Forest, Verderers eventually lose the stench of the City, perhaps as a defense mechanism.

(source)

Design Notes:

I really like the way that Nightmares Underneath does Social class with an additional 3d6 roll and modifier for "noble" reactions dependent on status. My intent was to use a similar system but mirror it for the two major factions and throw in some skills as well. I might also do some equipment tables for the different backgrounds specifically much like Nightmares Underneath did as an option. 

Majordomo's just something I came up that's probably based off alot of things I can't remember. Verderers are essentially just this settings equivalent of the Night's Watch if it wasn't obvious.

If I had a group or players that didn't want to roll, I'd probably just let them pick any of the -1, 0, or +1 options, with the other results reserved for chance.