Those of you at Gen Con had a chance to check these characters out and maybe even score “the Quick and Dirty Gen Con Edition” of Kiss My Axe: Thirteen Warriors and an Angel of Death. Those of you not at Gen Con, can check out these character as a kind of window into Kiss My Axe. Sections of the game are being retooled, but also work on preparing “Crossing the Millers,” the Gen Con one-shot for Sword Noir: A Role-playing Game of Hardboiled Sword & Sorcery, is on-going, and once that is out, I can turn full time to Kiss My Axe.
So, for your edification and education, here are the pre-gens from “Suffer the Witch.” The characters have been altered due to intended changes in how Pivots work.
The Captain
Concept: Warband Captain, Good Fighting: Good
Faculty: Fierce Diplomacy, (Wit, Good) Style: Sword & Shield, Good
Seafaring: Good Protection: Fine Hauberk, Good
Phy: Good; Wit: Good; Cha: Good
See to the Heart of It (Wit, Good)
Pivot: Glory lies with Loyalty: A man true to followers and leader is a man who will be respected and trusted. Luck is gained when the character remains faithful or maintains a trust or promise even in the face of immense reward to do otherwise, or after a particularly disastrous defeat.
The Navigator
Concept: Pilot of the Waves, Good Fighting: Good
Faculty: Navigation, (Wit, Good) Style: Play it Smart, Good
Seafaring: Great Protection: Shield & Armour, Good
Phy: Average; Wit: Great; Cha: Basic
Tales on the Wind (Wit, Good); See the Weakness (Wit, Good)
Pivot: Skill bests Brawn: When raw strength meets raw skill, it is skill that prevails. Luck is gained when a character uses cunning or strategy to achieve success against a superior, noteworthy, or particularly nasty opponent.
The Bard
Concept: Skald, Good Fighting: Good
Faculty: Honeyed Words, (Cha, Good) Style: Grace of Steel, Good
Seafaring: Good Protection: Like a Ghost, Good
Phy: Average; Wit: Good; Cha: Great
Play Upon Your Heart (Cha, Good); See the Weakness (Wit, Good)
Pivot: I will Do what I Must: Sometimes, one must act in a manner that opposes all that is said to be right in order to achieve victory. Luck is gained when a character acts in a fashion against and element of the Viking Ethos in order to achieve a victory that is significant for others, and is generally in keeping with the general spirit of the Viking Ethos (for example—murdering a war-leader or champion in order to gain a victory in an upcoming battle).
The Berserker
Concept: Warrior, Good Fighting: Great
Faculty: Intimidation, (Phy, Good) Style: Raw Fury, Good
Seafaring: Good Protection: Invincibility, Great
Phy: Great; Wit: Average; Cha: Average
Pivot: Glory through Battle: The place where one gains reputation and honour is in combat. Luck is gained when the character engages in combat even though there are other, easier options available. The combat itself should be at a significant or particularly dramatic, and the combat should be against overwhelming odds or a clearly superior opponent.
The Archer
Concept: Hunter, Good Fighting: Great
Faculty: Tracking, (Wit, Good) Style: the Bow, Good
Seafaring: Good Protection: Avoidance, Good
Phy: Good; Wit: Average; Cha: Average
In the Wild (Wit, Good); Through the Heart (Phy, Good)
Pivot: Protection in the Shadows: While all others strive for their names to be known, there is comfort in disappearing into the darkness, to being neither known nor admired. Luck is gained when a character avoids gaining glory or reputation for a noteworthy act or victory that is in keeping with the Viking ethos.
The Warlock
Concept: Weather Witch, Good Fighting: Good
Faculty: the Unseen (Cha, Good) Style:
Seafaring: Good Protection:
Phy: Average; Wit: Good; Cha: Good
Worker of Wonders, galthr (Great), ehwaz [sending], mannaz [area of effect], othala [air]; the Lame (Basic)
Pivot: I Stand Outside: This character is not part of the society as a whole. The character may be a sorcerer, woman, or foreigner who sails with the Vikings. Luck is gained when the character acts in a manner contrary to societal norms. The action should not simply be contrary, but should challenge Viking society while meeting some element of the character’s concept and the Viking Ethos. The outcome of the action should be successful and noteworthy.