Ratnyvorosh: Character Creation (Part 1): Abilities and Race

Character generation for the Ratnyvarosh campaign follows the standard Adventures Dark and Deep guidelines, with modifications and descriptions provided below.

ABILITY SCORES

Ratnyvarosh characters’ ability scores are generated by rolling 4d6, dropping the lowest score and applying the results in order to the six ability scores: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma. After those scores are generated, players can choose one of two options to modify their scores:

1.) A player may swap two scores (and only two scores), provided the higher score goes into an ability which is a requirement for the class the player chooses.

OR, 

2.) A player may re-roll ONE ability score, but that player MUST take the result of the second die roll, even if it is lower than the original.

The tables in the Players’ Manual pp. 4-7 are unchanged for Ratnyvarosh.

CHARACTER RACE

The town of Ratnyvarosh is 95% human, meaning there are only about 100 demi-humans in the town at any given time. While this does not preclude players from creating demi-human characters, it does serve to show that demi-humans stand out.

Dwarves are regarded as greedy hoarders of precious metals and gems. The general consensus is that they want to control all of the mining operations in the world and will resort to shady practices in order to gain control of non-dwarf mines. All dwarfs in Ratnyvarosh are of the mountain dwarf (Players’ Manual, p. 10) variety, and are simply known as dwarfs.   In addition to the rules for mountain dwarfs in the Players’ Manual, mountain dwarves suffer a -1 on all “to hit” , damage, skill, and ability rolls in bright sunlight. At night or during overcast days, they suffer no ill effects. However, they gain an additional 25% to their racial abilities in regard to stonecraft. In Ratnyvarosh, they tend to live in the Undercity, given their predilection for darker places. Hill dwarfs and grey dwarfs are not currently known to exist in the Ratnyvarosh campaign, but may make an appearance in later supplements.

Elves are trusted even less than Dwarfs. Aloof and mysterious, elves rarely show any interest in the plans of humans, looking down upon their much shorter-lived cousins. When they do interact with humanity, there are often layers between what they are trying to accomplish and what they are portraying. Inscrutable does not even begin to describe the elves. The elves encountered in Ratnyvarosh are typically of grey elf stock. The elves of Ratnyvarosh refer to themselves as the silver ones. Half-elves are EXCEEDINGLY rare and would certainly require an unusual background worked out with the game master. There are rumors of other sub-races of elves, be they the sylvan folk (wood elves in the Players’ Manual), the golden ones (high elves), or the savage folk (wild elves). Dark elves are not known to exist in the Ratnyvarosh campaign and none of the other sub races are available for use as player characters at this point. Future supplements may detail these sub-races.

Gnomes and halflings are not known to exist in the Ratnyvarosh campaign.

Half-orcs exist in the Ratnyvarosh campaign and suffer many of the traditional prejudices found in other fantasy settings. In the town of Ratnyvarosh, they are almost exclusively found in the Undercity, as the watch takes very aggressive interest in any half-orcs that choose to brave the surface. Other humanoid races are also allowed in the town, but are rare and beyond the scope of this particular supplement. Like the other races, more information regarding humanoid races as player characters may appear in later supplements.