Previously ... Part 1: Overview
INTRODUCTION: This chapter explains the One-Roll Engine (ORE) in a concise, straightforward manner.
ORE uses only ten-sided dice (d10). You are hoping for a matching pair (or better) to succeed. This may be modified by increasing the Difficulty (your matching pair must be a pair of 3's or better, for example) or by a Penalty (removing a die or dice). You may not roll more than ten (10) dice; otherwise, you would always generate at least one pair! The number of dice that match is the Width and usually indicates speed and competence. The number on the matching dice is the Height and usually indicates how favorable the circumstances were and how well the character took advantage of them.
There are three (3) different types of Contests which would require you to roll the dice: Static (your character versus circumstance), Dynamic (your character is trying to do the same thing at the same time that another character is trying—and only one can), and Opposed (your character is opposed by or opposes another character).
The chapter concludes with a detailed explanation of the types of dice (Area, Expert, Gobble, Master and Waste) and a glossary with short definitions of the various terms that you might encounter will reading the rest of the book.
CHARACTER GENERATION: This chapter explains the various parts of a character and gives two (2) methods to generate them: (1) Point Buy and (2) One Random Roll.
STATS: Body, Coordination, Sense, Knowledge, Command, Charm. The Stats are pretty self-explanatory.
SKILLS: The Skills are organized under the Stats that they would normally be used with. There is a discussion on using Skills with other Stats. The Skills are also mostly self-explanatory.
Body: Athletics, Endurance, Fight, Parry, Run, Vigor
Coordination: Climb, Dodge, Perform __, Ride, Stealth, Weapon Skill __
Knowledge: Counterspell, Healing, Language __, Lore, Strategy, Student __, Tactics
Command: Haggle, Inspire, Intimidate, Perform __,
Sense: Direction, Eerie, Empathy, Hearing, Scrutinize, Sight
Charm: Fascinate, Graces, Jest, Lie, Plead
There is a brief discussion of Martial Paths and Esoteric Disciplines—narrow groups of techniques for combat and specialized knowledge, respectively.
WEALTH: This is an abstract rating as opposed to a count-every-coin model.
PASSIONS: There are three different types of these personality drives: mission (something your character is determined to accomplish), duty (a way your character lives his life), and craving (something personal, selfish and egotistical). A player may take one of each.
ADVANTAGES: A benefit to your character that does not fit under any other category. A couple of examples are used in the sample character below.
PROBLEMS: A harm or inconvenience to your character that does not cost points but rather earns you XP.
Let's create an example character using Method 2: One Random Roll.
STEP ONE: BASELINE:
Start with 2 in each of the six Stats and one MD in your character's native language.
STEP TWO: THE ROLL:
My sorted results of my 11d10 roll: 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10. I have three pairs!
STEP THREE: PROFESSIONS:
Sets = Professions:
2x2 = Petty Thief (+1 COORDINATION, +1 Dodge, +3 Stealth, +1 Run)
2x6 = Foot Soldier (+1 BODY, +1 Dodge, +2 Fight, +2 Parry)
2x9 = Sorcerer's Apprentice (+1 KNOWLEDGE, +1 Eerie, +1 Lore, +1 Sorcery, +2 Spells)
The professions are all low-level but have an interesting spread.
STEP FOUR: UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES:
Waste Dice = Unusual Experiences: Pick either A, B or C from each below. I believe that you are supposed to choose which chart before you roll ... but, what the heck, choosing after is more interesting!
1 = A: Exiled (+3 Plead, +1 Dodge, +1 Run) / B: Mistaken-Identity Shenanegans (+1 Wealth, +2 Lie, +2 Stealth) / C: Raised Wild (Lose your normal MD in your native language, +3 Hearing, +2 Sight, +3 Language, +2 Expert: Throwing, +2 Endurance)
3 = A: Someone Got Spurned (+1 CHARM) / B: Love Triangle (Beauty (3), +1 Lie, +1 Plead, Mission: Find True Love) / C: Star-Crossed Lovers (+1 Lie, +1 Stealth, +1 Run, +1 Dodge, Beauty (1), Problem: Enemy)
5 = A: Outstanding Cook (+5 Expert: Cooking) / B: Press Ganged (+1 BODY, Craving: Beat On Sailors), C: Stranded (+3 Throw, +1 Endurance, +1 Athletics)
7 = A: Rescued an Injured Animal (+2 Student: Animal Training, +3 Animal Companion) / B: Magnificent Garden (+5 Student: Plants & Herbs) / C: Unlikely Education (+5 in a Student Skill that you don't already possess)
10 = A: Served the Decadent Rich (+1 Fascinate, +2 Graces, +1 Plead, +1 Lie) / B: Diplomatic Incident (Patron (5 points), Problem: Enemy) / C: His Majesty's Personal Cobbler (+4+MD Student: Cobbler)
Wow! Those are some unusual and interesting experiences!
I pick: 1B (Mistaken-Identity Shenanegans), 3C (Star-Crossed Lovers), 5A (Outstanding Cook), 7A (Rescued an Injured Animal), 10A (Served the Decandent Rich).
What choices would you make?
STEP FIVE: ORGANIZE:
The last step is to put what you generated in an order that creates an interesting narrative. If you were creating your character with the other players, you should take this opportunity to tie your characters together.
STATS / SKILLS:
Body: 4: Fight: 2 / Parry: 2 / Run: 2
Coordination: 3: Dodge: 3 / Stealth: 6
Sense: 2: Eerie: 1
Knowledge: 3: Language: Traders' Tongue: 1 MD / Lore: 1 / Student: Animal Training: 3*
Command: 2
Charm: 2: Fascinate: 1 / Graces: 2 / Lie: 4 / Plead: 1
Sorcery: 1 — dependent upon kind of spell being cast
ADVANTAGES:
Animal Companion (2)*: Burton, monkey, trained to steal
Beauty (1)
Spells (2): One spell at Intensity 3 or two spells at Intensity 2
PROBLEMS:
Enemy: Burton of House Cypher
PASSIONS:
Beat on Sailors
WEALTH: 1
* Switched these points!
Jack (sorry, could not resist!) started life well: an apprentice to Zed, Master Sorcerer, in the employ of one of the richest merchants in Traderston, Burton of House Cypher. Unfortunately, he fell in love with the merchant's daughter, Bridget. When this was discovered, Jack barely escaped with his life. He was forced to live on the streets of Traderston as a petty thief, constantly avoiding the guards of House Cypher. Unfortunately, Jack was pressed into service as a sailor aboard The Kracken—a ship in the fleet of House Cypher. He eventually jumped ship in Traderston and took service as a foot soldier for House Raul, a great rival of House Cypher. After a particularly hard night of drinking, Jack discovered an injured monkey—which he promptly named Burton. On Burton, he discovered several shiny items and a letter. As Jack nursed Burton back to health, he hatched and executed a plan to claim the inheritance that the letter promised. Things are looking up for Jack!
How would you organize this into an interesting narrative?
Coming up next ... Part 3: The Players' Chapter.
The (watermarked) pdf is available on DriveThruRPG for $9.99. The book is available on Amazon.
