Status Rewrite
Status is now a stat on the same scale as the other stats, except that you don't get to allocate points to it at character creation. There isn't much social mobility in the Fallows... you'll have to go adventuring to raise your Status.
- +10: The Emperor
- +9: The Empress
- +8: The Dukes and the Pontifices
- +5 to +7: Counts, Barons and other important nobility
- +4: minor nobles still in line for the throne (also the highest status non-royals can generally ever achieve)
- +2: upper class
- +1: middle class
- +0: commoners
- -1: serfs, menial laborers
- -2: untrustworthy scum
- -3: slaves and outcasts
- -4: escaped slaves
- -5: monsters
Your Status determines your typical income and what sort of equipment you can readily get and use without being hassled about it.
- +4: obviously magical weapons or armor
- +2: high quality metal weapons and armor
- +1: high quality metal weapons
- +0: low quality metal weapons
- -1: small, low-quality metal weapons such as knives
- -2: clubs
- -3 or worse: crude, makeshift weapons
Actually, the higher end stuff should probably start listing servants and such. Don't concentrate on just weapons... mention stuff like what sort of housing they have and what they get to eat. PC should range from Wild Rat peasants (-2, stuck with crude shacks and makeshift weapons because no one will sell them one) to ordinary peasants (-1, slightly better shacks and access to farm implements that double as weapons) to common-folk (+0, small houses and access to metal knives and other minor actual weapons) to middle class (+1, decent houses and access to "real" weapons) to upper class (+2, have nice houses with a couple of servant types and the ability to get metal armor and fancy weapons) to the real nobility (+5, sumptuous estates with personal bodyguards and could even own an enchanted blade).
Hm. I don't want to penalize Wild Rats too much. Perhaps it should be -3 where you can't even get a club made and have to make do with a tree-branch.
- -5: a monster to be killed or fled from on sight
- -4: an escaped slave or anyone else that it isn't a crime to kill, but it might be a crime to help
- -3: homeless and penniless. Limited to makeshift weapons because no one would sell them one even if they managed to steal some money.
- -2: hopeless poverty. A leaky shack to live in and a crude tool that could double as a weapon.
- -1: poverty. A shack to live in and a decent tool that could double as a weapon.
- +0: commonfolk. A small house and the right to carry a small blade (or other obvious weapon) for personal protection. Most don't carry more than a knife, though, because weapons are expensive.
- +1: middle class. A decent house, a nice wardrobe and the ability to carry a full-fledged weapon without drawing attention. Probably a low-end steed is available.
- +2: upper class. A big house, a couple of household servants, a fancy steed. Access to almost any weapons and armor.
- +3 to +4: upper-upper class. A big house with a number of servants. Multiple steeds. About the highest any common mouse or rat could ever aspire to.
- +5 to +7: lord. Landowner. Multiple families of servants. At least a couple of bodyguards. Your word is law amongst common folk. The highest position that a white mouse could aspire to. Higher ranks are reserved for royal mice.
- +8 to +9: Duke. A keep of your own. A militia of your own. Extensive lands that pay you fealty. Your word is law amongst lesser nobles.
- +10: Emperor. you rule over all you survey. An army obeys your commands and your word is law amongst even nobles.
Posted by Kiz at February 23, 2006 01:27 PM