2. Lifepath
All Survivors have faced deadly challenges, overcome struggles, and made and lost friends. Your Lifepath describes what you have experienced before your adventure begins, as well as the bonds and attachments with your Haven and community. A Lifepath weaves together the threads of your background to shape who you are:
0. Lineage: If you feel like letting fate determine your Lineage.
1. Family: Who are the important members of your family?
2. Upbringing: How were you raised and how did it affect you?
3. Occupation: What do you do when you’re not adventuring?
4. Defining Experience: What major, life-changing experience have you had?
5. Talent: What unique talent are you known for within the community?
6. Possessions: What tools and objects have you acquired?
7. Allies and Enemies: What friends and enemies have you made?
If you haven’t already done so, create your Haven together (see page 10) before proceeding with your Lifepath. Many aspects of the Lifepath are tied to your Haven, so knowing about your home and the people who live there will allow you to build a history that fits with your Haven.
Involve the other Survivors in your Lifepath, and listen out for where you can feature in theirs. Maybe you share a family with one of the other Survivors or were involved in one of their defining experiences. This shared history will bring your group of Survivors and their Haven to life.
Example: Milo is creating his Survivor, Arturius, and gets the Defining Experience ‘Trailed a Monster through the wilderness to rescue a friend’. He gains Proficiency in Survival, and makes a note to detail the experience later.
Meanwhile, Zoe is creating her Survivor Azza. For her Life Lesson she learned ‘How to survive physical hardships that would kill most people’. She gains +1 Constitution and then tries to figure out exactly what happened. Zoe heard Milo discussing his Defining Experience earlier and decides that Azza learned her harsh life lesson when she was attacked by a Monster. She killed the creature, but would have died from her injuries if Arturius hadn’t found her.
The choices you make grant you increases to your Attribute Scores (see page 34), unique features and equipment, and Proficiency in several Skills and Tools (see pages 121 and 113, respectively). If you would gain Proficiency in a Skill or Tool you already have, you can double your Proficiency Bonus in that Skill or Tool or choose a different Skill or Tool to gain Proficiency with.
Lineage |
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1d100 | I am a... |
01-25 | Dwarf |
26-50 | Halfing |
51-85 | Human |
86-95 | Elf |
96-99 | Mixed Lineage (roll twice, ignoring this result) |
100 | Forgotten |
FAMILY
In the Broken World, family structures vary hugely. Some are small groups of parents and children, and others are large, extended families. Many families are created through love, trust, and shared experiences rather than blood, and adoptions and fostering are commonplace. Some families are decimated by loss, while others grow larger as they welcome new members.
To determine your family, simply roll or choose from the following tables. You can decide whether family members are parents, siblings, or have another relationship with you. If you want to roll for any family members’ occupations, you can use the tables in the Occupation section (see page 28).
Choose up to three family members who are especially important to you. Roll on the Influential Family Member table to discover who they are.
A LONE WOLF
If you want to make a lone survivor or outcast type of character, they should still be connected to the Haven somehow. Maybe they are an eccentric scout who spends more time in the wilderness than the Haven, or maybe they are a refugee who only recently arrived.
Parents |
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1d100 | I was raised by... |
01-80 | People of the same Lineage. |
81-100 | People of a different Lineage (roll on the Lineage table). |
Influential Family Member |
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1d12 | One of my Family Members is... |
1 | A Monster now. |
2 | Severely injured or infirm. |
3 | Lost somewhere in the wild. |
4 | Disgraced or hated in the community. |
5 | Estranged from us. |
6 | Carrying on the family trade. |
7 | Raising another family in another Haven. |
8 | An influential person in the community. |
9 | Always there for us. |
10 | An expert in their field. |
11 | One of the founders of the Haven. |
12 | Obsessed with the pre-Breaking world. |
Family Size |
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1d100 | My Family is... | Dwarf | Elf | Halfing or Human | Forgotten |
01-25 | Small | 1d4+1 | 1d4-1 | 1d4 | 1d4-2 |
26-75 | Medium | 2d4+2 | 1d4 | 1d6+1 | 1d4-1 |
76-100 | Large | 3d4+4 | 1d4+1 | 1d8+2 | 1d4 |
UPBRINGING
Your formative years have a fundamental and lasting impact. Where you sit in your Haven’s hierarchy, your family’s values, a Lineage’s culture, or countless other factors all help shape the person you become.
Roll or choose a result from the Upbringing table to determine what effect the early years of your life had on you.
Upbringing |
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1d6 | My Upbringing was... | I am... |
1 | Full of hard graft. We were put to work from an early age. | Used to graft. Gain +1 Strength. |
2 | Great fun. We played lots of games together. | Used to play. Gain +1 Dexterity. |
3 | Harder than most. There was never enough to go around. | Used to pain. Gain +1 Constitution. |
4 | Educational. Someone took great effort to school me. | Used to learning. Gain +1 Intelligence. |
5 | Dangerous. I always keep an eye out for trouble. | Used to fear. Gain +1 Wisdom. |
6 | On the road. We travelled a lot, and I met lots of people. | Used to banter. Gain +1 Charisma. |
OCCUPATION
Most Havens exist precariously, and everyone has to contribute to ensure their survival.
To determine your day-to-day role within the Haven, choose or roll on the Occupation table. Your Occupation grants you Proficiency in the listed Skill.
Occupation |
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1d100 | You are a... | You are skilled in... |
01-05 | Entertainer | Performance |
06-11 | Beastkeeper | Animal Handling |
12-17 | Arbitrator | Investigation |
18-23 | Councillor | Insight |
24-29 | Climber | Acrobatics |
30-35 | Lorekeeper | Local Lore |
36-41 | Healer | Medicine |
42-47 | Messenger | Athletics |
48-53 | Mediator | Persuasion |
54-59 | Forager | Survival |
60-65 | Tinkerer | Sleight of Hand |
66-71 | Trader | Deception |
72-77 | Protector | Intimidation |
78-83 | Lookout | Perception |
84-89 | Scout | Stealth |
90-95 | Hunter | Natural Lore |
96-100 | Scholar | Forgotten Lore |
DEFINING EXPERIENCE
Life in the Broken World is a constant struggle for survival. You are plagued by threats and challenges from within and without, and must learn harsh lessons early in life if you hope to survive. Overcoming hardships creates defining moments in every Survivor’s life and teaches them valuable lessons.
Roll or choose a result from the Defining Experience and Life Lesson tables. Your Defining Experience is an important event that happened during your adolescence, and grants you Proficiency in a Skill. Look for places where your fellow Survivors may have been involved in your Defining Experience. For example, if you drove away a band of violent raiders, maybe another party member stood shoulder to shoulder with you. Your Life Lesson is something you have learned over the years through repetition and reinforcement, and grants you an Attribute Score increase.
NEW EXPERIENCES AND HARSH LESSONS
The Defining Experience and Life Lesson tables offer some examples of major events in a Survivor’s past. However, you are free to create new Defining Experiences and Life Lessons. These events likely took place in adolescence or young adulthood and mark the first time you made a real difference in someone’s life or helped the Haven in a time of strife, so they should be impactful.
Once you have an idea, work with the GM to determine the bonus you gain from the event. If it is a Defining Experience, you gain Proficiency in a suitable Skill. If it is a Life Lesson, you gain +1 in a relevant Attribute.
Defining Experience |
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1d100 | You... | You learned... |
01-06 | Trailed a Monster through the wilderness to rescue a friend. | Survival |
07-12 | Drove away raiders who threatened your Haven. | Intimidation |
13-18 | Crossed a dangerous wasteland to warn a Haven of impending danger. | Athletics |
19-24 | Cared for people when a plague spread through the community. | Medicine |
25-30 | Discovered a nearby Haven and made contact with its people. | Local Lore |
31-36 | Followed hidden signs and discovered a pre-Breaking ruin. | Perception |
37-42 | Stopped a violent conflict which threatened to split your Haven in two. | Persuasion |
43-48 | Scaled a treacherous cliff to harvest a precious resource at its peak. | Acrobatics |
49-54 | Tricked an intelligent Monster to leave your community alone. | Deception |
55-60 | Disarmed an ancient trap that could have caused great loss of life. | Sleight of Hand |
61-65 | Deciphered a detailed record from an ancient pre-Breaking civilisation. | Forgotten Lore |
66-71 | Tamed a dangerous wild animal which had made its den near the Haven. | Animal Handling |
72-77 | Discovered that a trusted community member was succumbing to Decay. | Insight |
78-83 | Infiltrated a rival Haven to determine whether they were a true danger. | Stealth |
84-89 | Discovered a new source of food during a time of dire famine. | Natural Lore |
90-95 | Solved the murder of a community member all by yourself. | Investigation |
96-100 | Created a popular new form of art which brought the community together. | Performance |
Life Lesson |
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1d12 | You learned... | You gained... |
1 | To seek out hard work that makes you strong. | +1 Strength |
2 | How to pass lightly through the world, evading notice. | +1 Dexterity |
3 | How to survive physical hardship that would kill most people. | +1 Constitution |
4 | How to think clearly and logically, even under pressure. | +1 Intelligence |
5 | To always pay attention to your surroundings. | +1 Wisdom |
6 | That sometimes the right word to the right person is all you need. | +1 Charisma |
7 | That your body is the only weapon you can truly rely on. | +1 Strength |
8 | How to evade dangers both large and small. | +1 Dexterity |
9 | How to ignore pain and see your goals to completion. | +1 Constitution |
10 | Some secrets of the Broken World others would rather ignore. | +1 Intelligence |
11 | Some tricks to finding food and shelter in the wilds. | +1 Wisdom |
12 | How to de-escalate conflicts with personality alone. | +1 Charisma |
TALENT
Talents are unique abilities and tricks you have learned throughout your life. They are not tied to your Class or Lineage so are more personal to you.
To determine what unique Talent you’ve picked up, roll or choose a result from the Starting Talent table. You also gain additional Talents at Levels 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18. A complete list of Talents can be found on page 95. Some Talents have specific Requirements that must be met before they can be chosen. These are noted with an asterisk (*). If you roll a Talent but do not meet the Requirements, roll again.
Defining Experience |
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1d20 | Talent | 1d20 | Talent |
1 | Artifact Adept* | 11 | Home Comforts |
2 | Creature Companion* | 12 | Hopeful |
3 | Dark Secret | 13 | Hurler |
4 | Decayed | 14 | Leader's Favorite |
5 | Decay Resistance | 15 | Provider |
6 | Eidetic Memory | 16 | Refined Sense* |
7 | Fast Friends | 17 | Safe Path |
8 | Fearless | 18 | Secret Language |
9 | Genial | 19 | Spring Up* |
10 | Hard Worker | 20 | Untouched by Decay |
POSSESSIONS
You own and have learned to use various tools and weapons to help you survive. Your possessions could include a weapon used to hunt or fight, or a tool that allows you to contribute to the community. Whatever it is, you always know how best to use it.
Roll three times or select three results from the Possessions table to determine an experience you had and what valuable items you have gained from it.
Each possession grants you Proficiency in a Skill, Tool, or Language. Details on the contents and use of various Tools can be found in Chapter 7. Equipment (see page 113). If you gain Proficiency in a vehicle, you do not automatically gain a vehicle yourself, as these are too valuable to a Haven for one person to claim ownership. Instead, it indicates that at least one of these vehicles is in your Haven.
Possessions |
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1d12 | Experience | You gained... |
1 | You took part in several hunting parties for the Haven, either making the kills yourself or butchering the carcasses in the field. | A Ranged Weapon of your choice, Butcher’s Tools, or Hunter’s Tools. |
2 | You starred in or helped organise performances to bring the Haven together. | An Instrument of your choice or Actor’s Tools. |
3 | You created a form of art, either as a pastime or as a way to develop your Haven’s culture. | Artist’s Tools of your choice or Scribe’s Tools. |
4 | You learned how to create or repair some form of useful day-to-day objects, either for yourself or the community at large. | Tailor’s Tools, Builder’s Tools, or Smith’s Tools. |
5 | You explored your Haven’s surroundings, foraging for supplies or mapping the area. | Seeker’s Tools, Herbalist’s Tools, or Prospector’s Tools. |
6 | You studied under or worked with a skilled Maker, learning some of their trade. | Alchemist’s Tools or Artificer’s Tools. |
7 | You worked in a communal kitchen, providing food and drink to Haven members as they worked. | Cook’s Tools. |
8 | You were involved in a regular gaming group as a pastime, several of which involved telling stories and rolling dice. | A Gaming Set of your choice. |
9 | You took part in subterfuge for personal gain or at the quiet behest of your Haven’s leadership. | Alchemist’s Tools or Artificer’s Tools. |
10 | You joined the Haven’s militia or trained under a skilled fighter. | A Melee Weapon of your choice. |
11 | You learned to pilot a boat or drive a wagon on short journeys around the Haven. | A Land or Water Vehicle of your choice. |
12 | You learned the language and customs of a nearby Haven or lost civilisation. | A book containing the Language and customs of a nearby Haven or ruined civilisation. |
ALLIES AND ENEMIES
No one grows up in the Broken World without people they can rely on — your survival is too dependent on bonds and connections. Unfortunately, small betrayals or personality clashes in such close confines makes it likely you’ll end up with an enemy of some sort within your community.
Roll twice or choose two results from the Allies and Enemies table to discover details about your ally and enemy. These Allies and Enemies can be new characters, or members of your Family. Once you know why you are allies or enemies, you can give them a name, occupation, or other details as you see fit. An Ally can generally be relied upon to support you as much as possible; some may even be willing to sacrifice themselves to save you. Meanwhile, Enemies are likely to undermine you or act openly hostile towards you within the bounds of your Haven’s social structure.
FRIENDLY RIVALS
Some relationships are so complex that the same individual functions as your Ally and Enemy simultaneously. Maybe they relentlessly bully you in front of others but have saved your life numerous times when nobody is around. Or perhaps you were once their closest friend, but the relationship has turned sour over the years. You can make one character both your Ally and Enemy by applying both results to one character.
Allies and Enemies |
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1d10 | Ally | Enemy |
1 | You have complementary interests with this person (e.g. you’re a hunter, they’re a butcher), so you’ve built a strong working relationship. | You compete with this person (e.g. you’re both hunters, and there’s little game), so you often come into conflict. |
2 | You helped this person leave an unpleasant social situation, such as a bad relationship or role. | You got this person into trouble with somebody they relied on, such as family or a romantic partner. |
3 | You shared mutual secrets with this person to comfort them after a tragedy. | They learned one of your darkest secrets and shared it with others for their benefit. |
4 | You used to be in a relationship with this person and remained friends afterwards. | You used to be in a relationship with the person, and it ended very badly. |
5 | This person saved your life before, and you still haven’t repaid the debt (or vice versa). | This person once abandoned you to die and refuses to take responsibility. |
6 | They were a lost survivor from a fallen Haven. You found them and brought them to your home. | This person believed it was your responsibility to care for them and that you failed. |
7 | This person taught you important skills or lessons, and you look out for them. | Goods or advice you gave this person failed spectacularly, perhaps injuring them or someone they care about. |
8 | You gifted this person a relic, tool, or other useful item when they needed it most. | You accidentally broke this person’s prized relic, tool, or another beloved possession. |
9 | You risked your own life to save the life of someone this person cared for. | Intentionally or otherwise, you were responsible for the death of someone this person cared for. |
10 | You and this person were raised or taught by the same person, and you’ve developed your skills together for years. | Someone this person cares about likes you more than them. This person’s jealousy has grown dark and spiteful over time. |
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:43, Wed 17 Apr.