ACKS is my go to OSR system. It does everything AD&D hinted at in a (somewhat) better edited system including Domain level play and integration of gunpowder weapons. I've run it so much that I have created my own Character Generation cheat book, so that I don't have to chase through the book looking up the oddly placed information like Movement rates. I also added in a couple of pieces from Chivalry & Sorcery. Height and Weight tables; and random selection of character race - as letting everyone play non-humans broke the Warhammer 'Enemy Within' campaign in the past.
Oswyn Neutral Fisher River Scout 1
ST 13 (+1) IQ 13 (+1) WS 13 (+1)
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| Fishers Probably the best art work I've ever done. Hero Forge doesn't have duck bills or beaver tails |
DX 18 (+3) CN 16 (+2) CH 12 (0)
Age 16 3'8" 65 lbs ENC 6 Initiative +3
XP Bonus +10%
Move 150' / Swim 60' / Climb 35' / Stealth 75'
Actions: Open Doors 14 Detect Secret Door 18
Hear Noise 18 Find Traps 18 Climb 6+ Move Silently 17+
Remove Traps nil
Proficiencies: Cat Burglary, Land Surveying, Mapping
Attack 9+ melee / 7+ ranged AC 8 HP 7
Short Sword 1d6+1
Net (ranged) Entangles
Equipment: Net, Short sword, Hide and Fur armor, Wool Cloak, Tunic and Trousers, Leather Belt, Backpack, Blanket, Cartographer's journal, Quill & Ink, Tinderbox, 2 weeks Iron rations
Oswyn is a Fisher, a member of a race of aquatic beastmen who live on the rivers through out the area of the City State. Their natural skills in boats and ships make them prized sailors, despite their small size. Smaller than most of his kin, Oswyn makes his living as an itinerant chart maker and surveyor, travelling the rivers and countryside in the hire of various landholders and their lawyers resolving and sometimes assisting them in creating disputes over land ownership. He's used to camping out and has acquired a number of skills that will prove useful to the adventuring party who takes him on. Like many of his race, his attitude towards property taht isn't nailed down is surprisingly flexible.
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Rod's ACKS Character Generation
1. Determine Race of character, although you can always chose Human. 00 is a Fisher, a race I developed using the ACKS Player's Companion to address shortfalls in how hobbits and halflings are portrayed in RPGs.
2. Roll characteristics. I use 2d6+6 for character generation. The exception is Fishers who roll a 3d6 for their Strength as they are so small they have broader range.
3. Choosing a Class. River Scout is the only class I've developed for Fishers, so that was easy.
4. HP - max at first level per ACKS
5. Initiative = dex bonus usually
6. Equipment - predetermined by the class Template you roll
Encumbrance - count up the 'things' you are carrying. At this point the character generation procedure skips from page 16 to page 48 in the book.
7. Movement - and now it skips to pages 92 and 93 to look up the movement rates
8. Armor - armor is determined by the Class Template
9. Damage - by weapon type modified by strength) Weapons are determined by Class Template
10. Proficiencies - skills the character has. The first two are dictated by the Class Template. Oswyn gets a bonus for his Intelligence modifier, that I one a selected from a subset associated with the Class.
11. Actions: All ACKS characters have a chance to Open Doors, Detect Secret Doors, Hear Noises and Find Traps. Thieves and some other classes improve as they advance.
12. Age/ height/ weight. Age range is determined by the Race. Height and Weight I took from C&S for Humans, Elves and Dwarves. When I designed the Fisher race I added those.
13. Experience point bonus. Depends on Class and Characteristics.
More on the Fishers as a Player Race here.
Character Creation Challenge Posts:
2021 Character Creation Challenge
Day 2 - Empire of the Petal Throne
Day 9 - There was no Day 9. Bumping the schedule back a day.
Day 11 - Judges Guild Universal Roleplaying Adventure
Day 12 - Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
ACKS was my game for a while, now OSE is my choice.
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