Alesmiter: 2021 Character Creation Challenge: Day 31 - Tiny Dungeons / The Hatchling Edition

Sunday, January 31, 2021

2021 Character Creation Challenge: Day 31 - Tiny Dungeons / The Hatchling Edition

And finally, I get to the end of the challenge and will be creating a character for an introductory RPG. Tiny Dungeons is a very simple system, the Hatchling Edition is pitched at introducing kids to role playing games. I can say that my oldest granddaughter enjoys it, the younger one is still at the stage of trying to eat the dice rather than roll them.

Character creation is quite simple, no die rolling involved.

1. Select a heritage. Usually know as race. Choices are Human, Fey (Elf), Dwarf, Goblin, Hatchling (Dragon), Salimar (Salamander folk, pyro or cryo), Treefolk (Ents), Karhu (Bears) or Lizardfolk. Each heritage determines your hit point and has a trait associated with it - except humans who get to pick an extra Trait.

2. Select three traits from the Trait list. Traits replace said fixed classes, but are skills, feats and proficiencies like Alchemist. Cleave, and Blind fight.

3. Select a weapon group proficiency. Weapons are grouped by Light melee, Heavy melee and Ranged. You select a group and then select one weapon type from within that group as a weapon you have Mastered.

4. Select a Family Trade (background). Any trade you want, this is to jump start backdtory creation.

5. Select a Belief. This is a guiding principle that helps the player define what's important to the character and then determine how the character will act. The authors seem to have an appreciation that players often think 'Chaotic Me' is an acceptable alignment.

I'm going to jump back two days and stat up my Suarian Hch'ait Lord as a Lizardfolk.

Second Right Claw of the Nest Lizardfolk

HP 6+2 = 8. Cold blooded - attempts to influence through emotions suffer from Disadvantage.

Traits: Cleave - gain an extra attack when I drop an adversary to 0 HP

Strong - Gain Advantage when doing a Test involving brute force, like kicking a door in.

Tough - Gain two extra HP.

Weapon Group: Heavy Melee - Pole Arm (Glaive)

Family Trade: Defending the nest from dinosaurs.

Belief. When force isn't enough, use MORE force.

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The system is really stripped down. Everything becomes a Test.

Standard Test - roll 2d6 if either comes up 5 or 6 you succeed

Advantage Test - roll 3d6 if any come up 5 or 6 you succeed

Disadvantage Test - roll 1d6 if you roll a 5 or 6 you succeed

Save Test - standard test that brings the character back to 1 HP

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All weapons do 1 point of Damage

Armor is what ever you want it wear - it doesn't count unless the DM makes it count.

Monsters are rated by threat level: Fodder 1HP, Low 2 HP, Medium 3-5 HP, High 6-8 HP, Heroic 9-14 HP and Solo 15+ HP. Although Red Dragons are rated as Epic in the beastiary with 20HP.

These mechanics make it trivial to run an adventure from another system while converting everything on the fly.