Taller Tales

Character Creation

Attributes

First, roll attributes to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your character.

A character is made of five attributes:

[Sh]ine - Likeable and lucky. Use Shine to get a discount at a boarding-house, trick a suspicious sargento, or win a hand of cards.

[Wi]ts - Quick-thinking and erudite. Use Wits to remember the migratory patterns of ((geese)), calculate the amount of gunpowder needed to blow up a wall, or draw an accurate map.

[Gr]it - Strong, tough, fierce. Use Grit to stare down a charging demon, break a jaw, or outlast a bout of weeping fever.

[Qu]ick - Fast and accurate. Use Quick to palm a bead necklace, outrun a canoe, or shoot a deer.

[Sp]irit - Supernatural, otherworldly. Use Spirit to perform a conjuring, banish a ghost, or find a path to the lower world.

Roll 2D6+2 for each attribute, in order. At the end, you may swap any 2.

Origin

Choose an origin. Your origin represents your upbringing - be it tribe, social class, or ((otherworldly)).

((Local))

The first people to settle ((California)), many thousands of years ago. They found a rugged land of spirits and secrets, and devoted themselves to exploring and understanding it.

There are many ((local)) peoples of ((California)), loosely divided into village clusters or tribes, with an abundance of cultures, beliefs, and languages. Many tribes share aspects of a common religion and understanding of the spiritual world.

There is significant overlap between ((California)) and the Upper and Lower Worlds. Here, the ((local people)) may be touched by the strange creatures of those mythic realms.

  1. Sky-Dancer Names: Skill: Music and Dance Ability: Feather-Light: Draw Deep to float from high places. Trinket: Feathered cape, bracelet, or headdress. Language:

  2. Fog-Born Names: Skill: Sneaking Ability: Draw Deep to surround yourself with thick fog, giving disadvantage to ranged attacks within 3 meters. Trinket: Pot of black face-paint, reed blowgun, or choking powder. Language:

  3. Acorn-Keeper Names: Skill: Woodcraft Ability: Anyone who eats food you prepare during recovery may heal an additional Wound. You can always tell when food or drink is poisoned. Trinket: Mortar and pestle, ceremonial cooking-vessel, or pouch of savory herbs Language:

  4. Salt-Singer Names: Skill: Boating Ability: Dense Fur. Resistant to cold effects, can hold breath three times longer. Trinket: Harpoon, fishing net, or sharktooth necklace. Language:

  5. Glass-Hunter Names: Skill: Axes and Clubs Ability: Shard-skin. Draw Deep to increase your Armor by D3 for 10 minutes or until you Break. If you Break, take D6 damage. Trinket: Obsidian axe, spear, or skinning-knife. Language:

  6. Reed-Weaver Names: Skill: Crafting Ability: When taking a breather, you may improvise one of these: a backpack, 2-person boat, 50 feet of rope, a fishing net, or D6 ammunition. It lasts for a day. Trinket: Waterproof basket, 2 person reed-boat, or coyote-skin blanket Language:

((Southerners))

The next people to arrive in ((California)) came from the south a hundred years ago. Commanded by their Empress, a host of skilled riders, zealous preachers, and hardy farmers began a steady march through the lands of the ((locals)).

Their network of missionary settlements and ports provides trade routes for goods from both the ((South)) and the ((East)). Their interactions with the ((locals)) range from friendly to fractious. In places, partnership has been struck. In others, brutal war rages between the Empress' forces and the nearby tribes.

  1. Mission Names: Skill: Oration Ability: Well-Read. Draw Deep for advantage on a Wits test. Trinket: Prayer book, sacred candle, spectacles Language:

  2. Military Names: Skill: Athletics Ability: Cameraderie. Draw Deep to gain advantage on an attack against an enemy your ally has already hit this round. Trinket: Wineskin, bulls-hide shield, leather punch Language:

  3. Ranch Names: Skill: Horsemanship Ability: Mounted Excellence. Draw Deep to gain an advantage on a Quick or Grit test while mounted. Trinket: Branding iron, silver spurs, sombrero Language:

  4. Traveller Names: Skill: Cultures Ability: Many-tongued. You can communicate without a shared language given 10 minutes of friendly interaction. Trinket: Tobacco box, pen and ink, nested copper cups Language:

  5. Dwarf-hold Names: Skill: Carousing Ability: Quick Friend. You gain advantage on all Shine tests against anyone you have shared a drink with. Trinket: Wineskin, playing cards, guitar Language:

  6. Neophyte (WIP) Names: Skill: Astrology Ability: Expert Navigation. As long as you can see the night sky, you never get lost. Trinket: Glass trade-beads, otter-pelt sky-map, powerful incense Language:

((Easterners)) (WIP)

The newest arrivals in ((California)) have made their way through the vast deserts and dry mountains to the east. Arriving by wagon, these refugees from the wars and famines of the ((East)) are a ragged, desperate lot.

Rumors of treasure, farmland, and peace have given them the strength to push through the harsh terrain.

  1. Refugee
  2. Elf
  3. Goblin
  4. Cursed
  5. Caravaner
  6. Urchin

Profession

Then, choose a profession. This represents what you were doing before you began your career as an adventurer. You gain the bolded skill and two other skills from the list, mark down the Talent, and pick or roll your starting gear.

  1. Vaquero Skills: Horsemanship, Sneaking, Guns and Bows, Spears and Staves, Athletics, Woodcraft, Crafting. Talent: Wrangler. Draw Deep to lasso a target. Test Horsemanship. On a success, the target is entangled until they break free with a Grit test. You can drag them up to 3 meters on your turn. Gear: Horse, lasso, knife, plus:

    1. Saddle, saddlebags, musket, flint & steel, D6 coins
    2. Light armor, spear, torch, bone whistle, D12 coins
    3. Bow, willow bark, hunting decoys, 2D10 coins

  2. Preacher Skills: Prayer, Oration, History, Cultures, Science, Medicine Talent: Initiate. Gain two Basic Prayers. Gear: Incense, prayer book, walking-staff, plus:

    1. consecrated wine, cleansing censer, backpack, D12 coins
    2. pocket clock, almanac, pen & ink, 2D10 coins
    3. medicinal chest, knife, block of chocolate, D6 coins

  3. Soldier Skills: Any weapon skill, Athletics, Horsemanship, Medicine, Crafting, Boating Talent: Implacable. When you Break after Drawing Down, if you have any Wounds, you may test Grit. On a success, you do not gain a Wound. Gear: Knife, backpack, wineskin, plus:

    1. Light armor, bow, quiver of arrows (D6 ammunition), rope, D12 coins
    2. Medium armor, spear, shield, horse, saddle, 2D10 coins
    3. Heavy armor, helmet, shield, sword, D6 coins

  4. Artisan Skills: Crafting, Bartering, Science, History, Athletics, Oration, Brawling, Axes and Clubs. ((Talent: Masterwork. When you repair or create an item, you may test Crafting. On a success, the item becomes "Sturdy"; the next time it would break or be damaged, it remains intact instead.)) Gear: Bone awl, apron, hammer (cudgel), plus:

    1. Toolkit (Obsidian flakers, asphaltum cakes), simple clothes, 2D10 coins.
    2. Metal cookware, mule, 100ft good rope, D12 coins.
    3. Vellum and ink, tobacco pouch, splendid outfit, D6 coins.

  5. Outlaw Skills: Sneaking, Knives and Swords, Guns and Bows, Carousing, Athletics, Horsemanship, Bartering. ((Talent: Bushwhacker. When you attack a target who is unaware of you, you may Draw Deep to automatically deal maximum damage.)) ((Gear:)) Bandana, stolen horse, bottle of spirits, plus:

    1. Knife, shovel, deck of cards, D20 coins.
    2. Sword, light armor, tobacco, D12 coins.
    3. Rifle, rope, grappling hook, black powder & bullets (D6 ammunition), D6 coins.

  6. Hunter Skills: Woodcraft, Sneaking, Guns and Bows, Athletics, Medicine, Spears and Staves, Knives and Swords, Crafting. ((Talent: Quarry. Spend a moment observing tracks or signs. You may Draw Deep to know the exact direction, distance, and health of the creature you are tracking.)) Gear: Hunting decoys, flint & steel, knife, water basket, plus:

    1. Bow, quiver of arrows (D6 ammunition), bone whistle, 2D10 coins.
    2. Musket, bear trap, skinning knife, D12 coins.
    3. Long spear, 3 days trail rations, dog, D6 coins.

  7. Storyteller Skills: Oration, History, Music and Dance, Cultures, Medicine, Sneaking, Astrology, Science, Prayer. ((Talent: Captivate. When you perform or speak, you may Draw Deep and test Oration or Music. On a success, everyone watching is distracted; they suffer disadvantage on Wits and Quick tests to notice anything other than you.)) Gear: Guitar or Violin, fine hat, traveling cloak, plus:

    1. Book of legends, paintbrush and paints, D12 coins.
    2. Perfume, splendid outfit, guitar, D6 coins.
    3. Turtle-shell rattle, willow bark, mule, 2D10 coins.

  8. Shaman ((WIP))

  9. Boatman Skills: Boating, Athletics, Crafting, Carousing, Woodcraft, Spears and Staves, Knives and Swords, Brawling, Astrology. ((Talent: Sea-Legged. You may Draw Deep to ignore the effects of difficult terrain, rough water, or narrow footing for one scene. You cannot be knocked prone while this is active.)) Gear: Oar (Cudgel), tar-bucket (asphaltum), knife, fishing net, plus:

    1. Reed boat, harpoon, water basket, D12 coins.
    2. Tomol canoe, lantern & oil, bone whistle, D6 coins.
    3. Spyglass, 50ft rope, grappling hook, 2D10 coins.

  10. Prospector ((WIP)) Skills: Science, Athletics, Woodcraft, Brawling, Crafting, Bartering, History ((Talent: Nose for Ore. You may Draw Deep to sense the presence of valuable minerals or buried metal within 30 meters.))

  11. Conjuror ((WIP))

  12. Messenger Skills: Athletics, Horsemanship, Sneaking, Woodcraft, Cultures, Bartering, Boating. ((Talent: Long-Winded. When traveling or running, you may Draw Deep to automatically succeed on a Grit test to resist exhaustion or to outrun any pursuit on foot or horseback.)) Gear: Satchel, water basket, good boots, flint and steel, plus:

    1. Mustang, saddle, simple clothes, D6 coins.
    2. Bow, quiver and arrows (D6 ammunition), 3 days trail rations, bone whistle, D12 coins.
    3. Light armor, knife, 2D10 coins.

Skills

Mark your trained skills. You will gain one from your origin, three from your profession, and bonus skills according to your Wits:

  • = 6 - 1

  • = 9 - 2

  • = 12 - 3

For each chosen skill, record its name under its most relevant attribute. The first time you choose a skill, it starts at a value of 1. If you select a skill multiple times, increase its starting value by 1 to a maximum of 3.

Dana has the Horsemanship (Qu) skill from her Vaquero profession. Her Quick is 11 and her Wits are a 12. She gets to freely choose one skill and gets two bonus skills from her Wits. She decides she wants to be very good at riding, so she puts two of her three skills into Riding, bringing it to a 3. Her target number (TN) for Riding rolls is 11 (Quick) + 3 (Skill), so she must roll under a 14 to succeed on Riding tests.

Equipment

Roll or choose an equipment package from your profession and record it. In addition, take one memento from your origin.

((TODO: Carrying capacity and encumbrance))

Derived Stats

Fill in the rest of your stats:

  • You start at Level 1, with 0 Stories.
  • Your HP is equal to your Grit plus your Level.
    • When this is exhausted, you are at risk of critical injury or death.
    • It is fully restored with an hour's rest.
    • You gain more HP as you level up, and whenever your Grit increases.
  • Your Limit is equal to your Spirit plus 7.
    • This is the amount of Stake you can hold before you Break.
  • You have three Wounds.
    • These are depleted when you take damage over your HP, or when you Break.
    • When you have no Wounds remaining, you are Near Death.
    • Restore one Wound with a full night of rest and a good meal.
  • Your speed in meters is equal to 5 + Quick / 2 (rounded up).
    • This is how far you can move during one action.

Languages

You speak ((Common)) and a language from your origin.

Each time you encounter a new language, you may test Wits. If you succeed, you speak that language, to a maximum number of languages equal to your Wits / 2.

Professions