Adventure Generation 4

Some general suggestions:

Think of the characters like a Medieval superhero group with a Rock & Roll band lifestyle and personalities. 

The character group should have an actual stated purpose that fits into the setting.  Characters should be automatically “hooked” into adventures by virtue of that charter.  Of course, that charter can be changed over time.

Each session should have a goal for the character group.  The Ref should also have a goal, which may or may not be the same. 

Name all of the main villains and significant henchmen.  Give them big, splashy, over-the-top personalities. 

Use unique settings (environment, building, natural features) and use unique creatures wherever possible.

Pace adventures like a comic book, movie, or cartoon.  Set high stakes for big fights.

Avoid overly complex adventure backstory (or having no backstory), an overly complex plot (requiring railroading to move forward), and arbitrary ethical/moral choices (forced by the plot and not the characters).

Avoid skill checks for clues, travel, or diplomacy and such that are crucial to the adventure continuing.  Failure should make the task harder, but the adventure should continue.

Avoid using traps that do not come with a warning or some foreshadowing. Announce the trap to create dread.  Traps should create a complication that must be dealt with either to find, to keep from going off, or to deal with after it’s gone off.   

Don’t make every encounter outside of a tavern or bazaar necessarily a fight (especially in a dungeon).

Settings should be designed not for the point of characters acquiring treasure or XP, but rather for enhancing reputation, gaining allies and enemies, and, most importantly, creating memorable adventures. 

The rules should be “bendable” to take some of the arbitrariness out of the random rolls, but each “fudge” should come with consequences for the characters.

[Okay, I apologize for these posts.  Seemed like a good idea at the time to type this stuff up and post them.  All I did was take away time from working on the Cyber-Pulp Setting.  I'm off Monday.  I've got a mixed bag of Artifacts posts coming up.]

Adventure Generation 3

A few random adventure ideas.

-Cut off behind enemy lines.  Fighting your way back to friendly territory.

-Killer monster zoo and they’re loose.

-Bank job.  Give players the goal, general layout, and a few contacts and information about the workers and operations.  Let them work out all of the details for the heist.

-Bounty hunt for a shapechanging spy.  Must be taken alive.

-Salvage: lost merchant ship found adrift, expedition to raid it.

-Magnificent Seven: hired to defend a town against a bandit gang.

-Stealing the body of a nobleman from a castle morgue.

-Raid a Castle Perilous (Darkest Hole) to free the single prisoner held inside.

-Sunken city temporarily resurfaces.

-Ghost City: haunted by ghosts, poltergeists, shadows, banshee.

-Medici family agents: working for a powerful ruling family (or against them)

-Rescue a Nobleman captured on the battlefield, as the family is unable to meet the ransom.

-Haunted battlefield: neighboring village and field overrun with undead chained to spot.  Valuable treasure and a soul-stealer sword.  Deserted during the day, but comes alive at night with Aliens-like action.

-Keep on the Borderlands Redux: Dispatched to the Keep to scout it and find it in flames.  Destroyed from the inside out and deserted of humans.  Infested with humanoid looters.  Betrayed, taken by stealth by a traitor and a coalition of humanoids under evil priests.  Have taken captives back to their hidden caves.  Going to make a major sacrifice under the full moon to create undead.  Race against time.

-The Presidio: The characters are exiled to a lawless frontier area as colonists and to serve as soldiers there against threats to the colony. 

A few interesting settings.

-A haunted seaside graveyard filled with only headstones, the empty graves of those lost at sea.

-Knossos: labyrinthine city on Crete, buried by volcano.

-Maze tomb of Egyptian King Perabsen

-Petra: canyon tomb city

-Towers of Silence in Iran.  A Zoroastran graveyard, the top of the towers were where corpses were laid out to be picked at by birds.  Fire at the temples were kept perpetually burning by the magi.

-The Caves of Sibyl of Cumae: Held books of prophecy and was an entrance to the underworld.  Volcanic area with poisonous gasses.  Possible home to the Medusa.

Group Goal Adventure Ideas:

Finding new a trade route (Marco Polo)

Winning a kingdom (Conan)

Object Quest (Camelot, Lord of the Rings)

Protect the kingdom/court intrigue (Camelot)

Rebellion (Robin Hood)

Exploring the New World (Columbus)

Take over an empire (Cortez, Pizarro)

Tournament fighting group (Gladiator, Pokemon)

The Chosen Ones Guarding the Hellmouth (Buffy)

Adventure Generation 2

Here are a few of my own ideas on creating adventures.

Types of Antagonists:   

Negotiable: Will resort to violence if forced, but would prefer to make an arrangement with the characters.  (Example: cowardly or intelligent, but greedy and lazy, monsters.)

Situational: Violent if provoked because of circumstance.  (Example: wild animals that are out hunting or in their lair.)  

Confrontational: Violent if the characters happen to be there.  (Example: guards on duty, Orcs on a raid.)

Adversarial: Seek violence against the characters specifically.  (Example: assassins, someone seeking revenge for previous character actions.)

Bosses: Have big plans and manage large resources.  Violent against the characters if they get in the way or significantly degrade their holdings.  (Example: dungeon overlord.)

Shadow Bosses: Like a regular boss, but are protected by money, fame, title, and influence.  They are imperious to direct attack by the characters.  (Even if directly killed, they can easily be organizationally replaced.)  Confrontation is by proxy and the goal is to destroy the Shadow Bosses’ status and standing.  (Example: a corrupt king.)

Motivations for adventure:

These motives (adventure hooks) can be combined and vary from character to character even on the same adventure.

Circumstance: Opportunity/complication from being in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time.  (Example: acquiring a treasure map in a dice game, running into a gang fight.)

Threat: The characters must act or they will incur a loss, either personal or on a larger scale.  (Example: invasion, theft of a treasure haul)

Obligation: Required as a consequence of prior actions, current status, or from family, friends, other groups, or country.  (Example: drafted, old master kidnapped)

Charter: Essentially an economic goal. (Example: raiding a dungeon)

Quest: Anything other than an economic goal.  (Example: destroying the ring of power)

Emotional: Curiosity, fear/survival, greed, heroism/fame, loyalty/honor/duty, and revenge.  (Example: character’s honor is called out, characters on the run after a heist.)

Adventure Generation 1

These are some ideas from an unpublished Spider-Man supplement for a Marvel RPG.  These ideas should work for any setting.  I don’t have the original link and no author is listed on pdf I have, so sorry I can’t reference the material.

For a quick three scene adventure:

Choose three cool settings

Create a villain

Create a hook for the characters

First Scene: Start with immediate action that sets up a mystery.  A clue leads to the second scene.

Second Scene: Investigation of clue.  Minor obstacles, puzzles, interrogation, red herrings.  Revelation of the villain’s plan, or at least his location.

Third Scene: Showdown.  Villain attempts to enact his plan.  The characters are the only ones who are in a position to stop it.

Other Considerations:

Who are your players?  What kind of adventures do they like?

Choose NPC’s.  Villain henchmen, character allies, non-combatants to negotiate with, random belligerents

Objectives.  Beyond the primary objective: secondary goals, false objectives, bonus/opportunity objectives, and future plot hooks within those objectives

The following notes were part of a series by Wolfgang Baur.  I don’t remember where they were originally published, perhaps Dungeon Magazine.

Keep the backstory of an adventure simple and relevant to the characters.

Have encounters serve a point, avoid random ones, and trim excess ones.

Select monsters to a theme and give them a reason for being there.  Use variation for the chosen monsters, instead of adding random monsters.

Consider Challenge treasure.  Items gained from adventuring that are hard to remove, transport, or sell.  Items that are fragile, huge, a valuable animal, or makes the holder a target.  Property, land, noble titles.  Historic artifacts, that do not have any intrinsic monetary value, but are priceless. 

Make adventure motives personal to the characters: curiosity, fear/survival, greed, heroism/fame, loyalty/honor/duty, and revenge.  Consider also the Plot Twist that changes the characters’ motives during the adventure.

Vary the types of encounters to challenge the players and to give each character class a chance to shine.

Combat: Vary the danger of the encounters.  

Low-level: A light workout, probably only a nuisance or delay.  However, a long series of small encounters, without a chance to rest, can be dangerous (running a gauntlet).

High-level: Possibly lethal, but can’t be avoided, necessary to character goals.  If the foe is intelligent though, negotiation might be an option.

Big Finish: Face off against the main villain and his henchmen.  This kind of encounter should require the characters to use some strategy to defeat, not just a rush to battle.  Give the characters a reason and an opportunity to recon it first.

Magic: Traps, obstacles, or weird artifacts and their effects.  Usually require some special consideration to deal with.

Knowledge: Requires the characters to draw on previously gained experience or they will have to seek out the knowledge.

Puzzle or Trap: An encounter to waylay or delay the characters.  Traps should come with some sort of warning and may have a secondary feature, such as an alarm.  Puzzles may be a test of worthiness or require the characters to seek out something to solve it.  

Roleplaying: Encounters featuring negotiation, interrogation, and intelligence gathering.  Some potential combat encounters should have the option of negotiation.

Safe Haven: Give the characters a place to rest, regroup, and plan.

Quick Dungeon

A good dungeon adventure usually seems to have a semblance of direction and a coherent theme, while also being somewhat improvised.  Here’s some direction that might help you knock out an adventure quickly when you’re pressed for time.

-Dungeon map: Randomly draw one, or use a repurposed older map, or a map created by a random generator 

-Monster stats: Just use general stats from a book.  Only spend time on the Master.  Bulk up with max hp and maybe some magic or a magic weapon or an exotic guard animal.

-Mission: Pick one, something that will only involve one level.

-Dungeon level Master-the main opposition to the mission.  Why is the master there and what are their goals?  See below.

-Main encounter: Mark on the map the most important encounter and any other interesting encounters.  Don’t try to fill the map.

-Determine other monsters that are in the complex: Opposition or allies of the Master, vermin, and possible wandering creatures.  Also any traps or tricks if needed.

-Purpose of the dungeon: To set the dressing, determine what the complex was built for, or what it was originally built for and what it is used for now.

-Allow the characters an easy entry into the dungeon: Either unguarded, lightly guarded, start off inside, a secret back entrance, or some special means of entry past heavy guard.

Lists to fill out the Dungeon

-Master

Single Creature, Single Species, Multiple Creatures, Multiple Species, None Dominant, Free For All

-Status of Single Master

Absolute Control, Mindless, Insane, Indifferent, Suppressing Internal Rebellion, Fighting Another Faction

-Master Motive

Expansion, Extermination, Revenge, Pawn of Another Master, Scholar (Mundane or Arcane), Religious, Paranoid, Greedy Robber

-Status of Multiple Masters

Allied, Warring, Neutral/Treaty

-Subjects

Weaker Creatures, Subservient Species, Multiple Unrelated Species

-Vermin/Squatters/Random

None, Nest or Lair, Wandering or Hunting, Hiding

-Traps

Random-Set or Temporary, Protecting Area, Magical or Natural Phenomenon

-Corridors

Patrolled, Important Areas Guarded, Trapped and Alarmed, Empty

-Treasure

Scattered, Vaults, Hoard Room, Hidden Stash

-Centerpiece Encounter

Main Temple, Main Treasure Vault, Control Room, Throne Room/Royal Chambers, Royal Crypt

Dungeon Rooms

Armory, Audience Chamber, Aviary

Ballroom, Banquet Hall, Barracks, Bath, Bedroom, Bestiary

Catacombs, Cell, Chapel, Charnel House, Cistern, Classroom, Closet, Crematorium, Crypt

Divination Room, Dormitory, Dressing Room

Gallery, Game Room, Garden, Great Hall, Guardroom

Harem, Interrogation Room

Kennel, Kitchen

Laboratory, Library, Lounge

Mass Grave, Mausoleum, Meditation Chamber, Mess Hall, Monument, Morgue,

Museum

Observatory, Office, Ossuary, Oubliette

Pantry, Pen, Prison, Refractory

Salon, Secret Room, Shrine, Smithy, Stable, Statuary, Storage, Studio, Study

Theater, Throne Room, Torture Chamber, Training, Trophy Room

Vault, Water Closet, Well, Workroom, Workshop, Zoo

Adventuring Group Adventures

[Still blathering on about adventuring groups. Here are some classic adventure ideas, recast with professional groups.]


Fortress on the Borderlands

A lonely fortress on the far frontier of human lands is imperiled. Tales are circulating of a loose confederation of humanoids gathering in the area. Their location, strength, and intents are unknown, but it is unlikely they’re meeting for peaceful purposes.

Law: Humanoid raids are looting the fief and taking prisoners. Track them down and recover what you can.

Mercenary: Bounties on humanoids are there for the taking.

Military: Your team is sent ahead to assess the situation. If a minor threat, disrupt it. If it’s a major threat, recon it and report back.

Spy: Find and infiltrate the humanoid encampment by any means necessary. Report back your findings, but remain undercover. Sabotage and sow dissention among the tribes.

Criminal: Rumors of plenty of spoils taken by the humanoids, including wealth and prisoners. Unverified tales of a cult temple in the area. Could have precious artifacts. Probably too many to fight, but Orcs are dumb. Could be quite a haul with the right knowledge and plan.


Gargle

A mad local wizard has been terrorizing the citizens. He is currently holed up in an abandoned keep.

Secret Society: Gargle is a former member. He needs to be eliminated. Also, destroy any evidence of his membership before the authorities catch up with him.

Warrior Order: The local authorities can’t handle Gargle. This is your initiation test to enter the Order.

Mercenary: The locals have put out a bounty on Gargle’s head. Your biggest threat may be the competition.


The Call

A seashore village is under a mysterious curse. Rumors abound of cult-ish activity and the presence demonic creatures.

Inquisition: It is unknown how pervasive this cult is. Investigate and take appropriate action.

Commercial: An ill wind has blown your ship into this harbor and a storm holds you fast. Survival and escape are the goals.

Treasure Hunters: There are rumors of pirate gold in the area. Also, tales of a strange valuable book.


Mega

A gigantic series of artificial underground tunnels and chambers has been discovered. A multitude of creatures lair within and all sorts of fiendish traps guard voluminous treasure. Who built it? Why did they build it? Perhaps the answers are below.

Wizard Order: Could this be the secret chambers of the long lost Arch Mage? Investigate for traces of his presence.

Military: Recon the first level and establish a beachhead for possible further explorations. Keep out the other treasure seekers.

Criminal: What a great place for a hideout. Get to know the locals. Negotiate with the smart ones. Eliminate the dangerous ones. If there’s some valuables inside, get the skinny on them, so a heist can be planned.


Tomb of Many Hoary Deaths

Dare you traipse into this obvious deathtrap, this meat grinder for heroes, for questionable gains?

Here at last is a scenario built for adventurers, as they are completely expendable in society. It’s hard to imagine anyone else with a job or status attacking this place.

Adventuring Group Campaigns

Since the characters are not being rewarded strictly based on booty and body count (though these things will certainly occur anyway), the adventuring group can be formed around a specific goal or vocation. They will advance in level by getting closer to achieving their goals and by fulfilling their job duties. The endgame for any of these scenarios may be enacted whenever the playing group wishes and should not be dictated arbitrarily by character level. Of course, the type of campaign can completely change direction as a result of play or a successful endgame, so never be too deterministic in planning adventures.

Agents of the Inquisition (Witchhunters): The characters are employed by the church. Their goal is to root out and combat supernatural evil. They may be assigned missions or assigned and area to safeguard. How they came into this job (especially thieves and wizards) may be an interesting bit of character backstory. At higher levels, they may be brought into the church hierarchy and involved in the politics, conspiracies, and demonic infiltration.

The King's Men: The characters are the personal agents of the King. They came to this job through either a very meritorious act directly for the king or perhaps some sort of patronage. The characters aren't necessarily just knights or warriors. This group could be compared to the Irish Fianna and Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. They may be headquartered in the royal court, stationed in an area, or a roving band in the field. Their missions or assignments may be protection, law enforcement, and investigation (phenomena, rumors of treasure). Or they may be involved in a special, specific quest for the king. At higher levels, court intrigues will be evident and eventually draw the characters into picking sides.

Rebels: The characters are part of a rebellion or a secret society against the king. Obviously, Robin Hood is an inspiration. For an Asian campaign, The Water Margin should provide some ideas. The characters are all outlaws, mercenaries, and even dispossessed nobles and bureaucrats. They have all been forced out of a respectable life and into a secret society in order to survive. They may be a hidden cell, taking orders from unseen superiors, or part of a band hiding in the wilderness. They will be acquiring funding, protecting members, and gathering intelligence. At higher levels, the end game is building enough power to overthrow the establishment.

The Long Journey: The characters are far away from home, either exploring unknown lands or lost in them. This voyage may be unwilling, such as that of Odysseus or Aeneas, and they are actually divinely prevented from returning home (or finding a new one). They may be returning from a long war, like the siege of Troy or the Crusades. They may instead be on a quest with a final goal in mind, like the Argonauts or Hercules' Labors (which would be a journey of tasks rather than distance).

The characters could also be explorers in the mold of Marco Polo or the various Spanish and Portuguese explorers of South America. They would be aliens in a completely unknown culture looking to establish trading relations along the way or trying to conqueror the civilizations and take their gold. At higher levels, the characters will, through their trials, have acquired enough power to achieve their final reward, such as nobility or founding a new colony. There's also the circumnavigation travels of Magellan and Drake.

Viking: The characters are Norsemen. The character classes shouldn't really change, except for the names (Barbarian-Warrior, Knight-Prince, Wizard-Priest) and a substitution of longship sailing skills over horsemanship. Raiding and pillaging hapless peasants is not the group's goal. Rather, they are a mercenary company, like that of Harald Hardradi, who fought in battles all across Europe, was part of the Emperor's personal guard in Constantinople, and eventually became king of Norway. There also interesting voyages of exploration to Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland (and perhaps more fanciful places).


I may as well mention here that I've made another large edit to Fantasy Core.  Basically, the Wizard seemed way underpowered.  I've upped the damage on some of the spells.  Wizards and Enchanters now get 3 spell check failures in an encounter before being unable to safely cast.  The other spell-using classes are still at 2 failures.

http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/10/fantasy-core-rpg-thief.html (Minor skills edit)
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/10/fantasy-core-rpg-wizard.html
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/11/fantasy-core-rpg-halfling-enchantress.html
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/10/fantasy-core-spell-list.html
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/10/fantasy-core-spell-list-continued.html
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/11/fantasy-core-rpg-high-level-spells.html
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/12/fantasy-core-rpg-witch-spells.html
http://jdh417.blogspot.com/2012/12/fantasy-core-rpg-druid-spells.html

Adventuring Group Benefits and Drawbacks

[This is possibly extraneous bonus material for the listed professional groups, which honestly may or may not be of any real use.]

Players may call out a benefit and roll on it.  The DM may also call out a drawback, forcing a roll.  [I think this bit was from a previous incarnation of the rules.  Let's say a DC 12 for a minor call out, DC 18 for a major one.  Each character can pony up 1 XP to add +1 to the roll.]  There are benefits and drawbacks inside the group and as perceived outside the group.  Success means gaining the benefit or avoiding the drawback. Failure means consequences.

Being part of a group also means that there is a material benefit. There’s no roll. The group simply starts off with the benefit and is able to call upon it at appropriately available.


Military

Inside: Reinforcements (not always timely, but can be called upon)/Orders (little freedom of action when it comes to choosing missions)

Outside: Respect (of the uniform and duty)/Protest (but not by everybody, especially conquered peoples)

Material: weapons, armor, gear, supplies (though not always great or even appropriate)

Obligation: Must always stay in uniform, unless on infiltration mission.


Law

Inside: Backup (can call for other lawmen or raise a posse)/Accountable (must follow the law)

Outside: Authority (can order crowds and individuals, cause criminals to surrender)/Accountable (to the public, must respond to pleas for help)

Material: weapons, armor, gear

Obligation: Must always wear badge, unless undercover.


Criminal

Inside: Gossip (lots of information about other members and jobs comes your way)/No honor (fear of superiors and colleagues)

Outside: Contacts (can gather information off the street)/Wanted (by the law and even other criminal groups for crimes)

Material: Can fence stolen goods, hideout

Obligation: Must always report suspicious activity of members.


Wizard Order

Inside: Pact (the order is oath-bound to help other members, up to a point, determined by reputation and past deeds)/Rivalry (but still group of petty people with big egos, always looking to one up each other, up to even dueling)

Outside: Valued (the rich and powerful and otherwise, want your services)/Feared (but not trusted, outside relationships are seldom out in the open)

Material: Access to knowledge-books, maps, history

Obligation: Must always investigate occurrences of magic.


Warrior Order

Inside: Fraternity (pledged to aid one another, up to their own lives to save a brother)/Honor (that must be kept under penalty of death)

Outside: Prestige (everyone looks up to you)/Resentment (by the regular military)

Material: Excellent quality weapons and armor

Obligation: Must always wear uniform and uphold Order’s code.


Secret Society

Inside: Brothers (can aid you with information, contacts, items, weapons, magic and other items)/Secrets (things you know, things kept from you by superiors, things others would want to know, must be kept under penalty of death)

Outside: Envy (others would love to join your group)/Distrusted (by everyone on the outside)

Material: the group can get you infiltration and influence into other groups

Obligation: Must always wear insignia and acknowledge secret sign of other members, unless on an infiltration mission.


Merchant

Inside: Professional contacts (amongst other merchants and clients)/Cutthroat (guilds and other merchants want you out of business)

Outside: Schmooze and haggle (great at negotiating)/Distrusted (everyone thinks you’re just looking for a profit and screwing them in the process)

Material: wealth and goods

Obligation: Must always pursue any profitable business lead.

Ideas for Adventuring Groups

I have a personal distaste for the standard adventuring party. On a base level, they are direction-less and without motivation other than looking for ways to acquire experience points. Given that XP in Fantasy Core is awarded only for accomplishing tasks, a better-motivated group would seem necessary. What follows are just some ideas to facilitate that. Adventures should be a little easier to write, since the characters will have an actual reason for adventuring.


Ideas for Adventuring Groups

The standard adventuring group may be thought of as a ragtag group of outcasts, misfits, and deceivers are perfect for use in situations where jobs need to be done by those not respectable, down on their luck, or needing to prove themselves. Hopefully, the group will rise in status, money, and level to where they can call their own shots. Currently though, the group is likely desperate or in desperate circumstances (or dangerously obsessed). They will take any job that has a chance of fulfilling their needs.

Adventurers just by themselves should have a patron of sorts: a lord, the church, a guild, a community, a wealthy family, etc. For this, they'll need to accept a mission or some responsibility. An armed company travelling down the road by themselves is going to be thought to be a band of highwaymen at best, unless they have some sort of identification (government or church seal) or status outside of their home community (here the services of a traveling bard may be useful).


Professional Affiliation

While the standard adventuring group provides the maximum in freedom of action, it is just as limiting in a lack of motivation and goals. Presented here are some professional options for an adventuring group.

Any organization will require a variety of skills, and individuals entering them will come from disparate backgrounds. Muscle, magic, healing, charm, and stealth skills will be needed in all types of groups, so there should be plenty of room for different types of characters. The group should also allow for easy replacement of deceased group members.

In any case, the group should have a high degree of autonomy. Even if their group is subject to orders from above, they should be either very broad in goals or focusing on very specific tasks, with all the details to accomplish the missions in the players' hands.

Group membership will involve duties and obligations. The group may also be under a substantial amount of debt and expenses or must meet certain quotas. There will be an imperative, either through group mission or financial obligation, to continue adventuring. The group may be treasure seeking as they are gathering funds to buy property, such as a building, or a ship. Or for another example, they are willed a keep or ship. They must keep adventuring to pay support on the property or pay the crew.

  Warrior Order: (Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller) Soldiers dedicated to protecting a territory and escorting travelers, surrounded by constant menace. They will have access to free gear and weapons and are often well respected. All in the Order are under strict rules of conduct.

Explorers: (Geographic Society, Explorers Guild, Professional Treasure Hunters, Prospectors, Dungeoneers Club, Conquistadors) Charting unknown lands or ruins. Cartography, contacts for trade, exploration for valuables are their goals. May be a ship's crew or an overland expedition.

Merchants: (Shipping Company, Merchant Guild, cf. Marco Polo) Procuring and protecting goods. Establishing new trade routes and maintaining them. These areas may be wild and nearly lawless, but will be somewhat charted and relations established with the natives. They will have access to business and government contacts.

Inquisitors: (Agents of the Inquisition, Professional Undead Hunters) A traveling group seeking to combat certain types of menaces plaguing communities. They may be sanctioned by a higher authority (the Pope or the king) or freelance for jobs.

Military Special Forces: (Rangers, Green Berets, Privateers, cf. Sir Francis Drake) Volunteer military group. Very mission oriented. Placed behind enemy lines or in contested space to raid and disrupt a foreign nation. They will have access to free gear and weapons, and possibly reinforcements.

Mercenary Company: (cf. Varangian Guard) Military group, but are well paid for their loyalty. They may be traveling and constantly seeking new jobs or semi-permanent. Used where the best warriors are sought, the most expendable are needed, or regular levies aren't trusted.

Foreign Diplomatic or Embassy Service: (cf. Mission Impossible) Spying and intelligence gathering scenarios. They have access to intelligence information and contacts.

Criminal Enterprise: (Bandits, pirates, thieves guild, cf. Ocean's 11) Mafia-like mob wars. They will have access to area gossip, contacts, fences, and even safe houses.

Law Enforcement: (Texas Rangers, Federal Marshals, FBI, Bounty Hunters) A government law group that is called in for special crimes or is responsible for a large geographic area. Importantly, their job will often involve capturing villains, not necessarily killing them outright. As long as they identify themselves as a member of law enforcement, they will have some legitimate authority.

Colonists: The group is part of a fledgling settlement in an unexplored foreign land. Jack of all trades are a must. Exploration, diplomacy, and internal law enforcement will involve the characters as they will be community leaders. Above all, the settlement and the colonists must be protected.

Divine Mission: Part of a missionary group. Called to a mission by a supernatural force. They may be actual emissaries from the heavens, such as Valkyries and Einheriar. Or, they may be in a human retinue of an actual demi-god or immortal.

Secret Society: As opposed to a criminal or religious group, this is a political group wanting to change or reinforce the current government. There may be a criminal or religious element to it, but in this case the ultimate goal is the power to rule. They may serve a single specific special interest or group or may more broadly defined to include many groups wanting the same goal. As the name implies, regardless of goals or sides, their existence, members, methods, and true motives are a secret to outsiders (or even lower level members). They will have access to secret knowledge, which increases with secret society status.

Wizard Council: A cabal of wizards within the Wizard Council dedicated to some goal or a specific task (such as the real power behind the throne). They may be an established faction or working in secret. There will be a need for all sorts of skills, not just magic, within the group. They will have access to libraries, books, and maps.

Quest: The catch-all group. Individuals are brought together for a specific task or job. Finding an object (the Pink Panther Diamond) or a person (the lost heir) like private detectives. A treasure map has been found, a group recruited to loot it. Or sending a magic ring to Mt. Doom.


Given the makeup of some of these groups, can anyone really join? Sure. A wizard order is going to need some muscle and stealth. A group of inquisitors would certainly have a use for a friendly or forced wizard. A warrior order would want a thief for scouting. A thieves guild may take on a paladin, who perhaps sees the guild as more lawful than an evil, oppressive government.

Monster Variation

Here's a list (in no particular order) that could be used to vary the standard monster types, especially the humanoids. Don't try using whole list at once.


Monster Variation
---------------------

- Leaders: chiefs, lieutenants, sergeants, captains, king, princes

- Magical support: wizards, shamen, witch doctors, oracles, magic items

- Servants, slaves, non-combatants

- Elites: heroes, bodyguards, special forces, assassins

- Allies: mercenaries, bounty hunters, allied races

- Creatures: pets, tamed animals, vermin, subdued or placated monsters

- Named/famous: group or individual via deeds, tactics, appearance

- Current Status: excellent/poor--health, equipment, morale, motivation, training, discipline

- Mutation: runts, giants, special attack/defense/weakness, superpowered

- Template: undead, fiendish, were, celestial, feral, demonic

- Society: civilized, savage, militaristic, poor, affluent, tribal

- Martial Tactics: frontal assault, swarm, sniper, traps, encirclement, harassment, hostage-taking, suicidal, defensive shell, subterfuge (surrender, false friendship/betrayal)

- Different motivations: defense, attack, greed, hatred, preemptive strike, revenge, misunderstanding

- Physical characteristics: prominent physical features, scars, wounds, clothing, war paint, tattoos, plumage, hairstyle

- Different weapons/armor: magic, exotic, unique

- Inanimate support: traps, tricks, illusions, wards, symbols, animated/sentient--object/force/artifact, "mine field," quicksand and other terrain hazards

- Attitude Hiding/On the run, Insane, Berserk, Controlled, Fallen/Exalted, Disguised, injured/half-dead, Drug addicted, Zealous, Enigmatic, Seeking vengeance, Hiding dark secret, Swindler/manipulator, Charismatic, Professional

- Weird Conditions: Creates spawn, Hive mind, Evolved/Devolved, Supernaturally afflicted, Time/spatially displaced, Giant-sized/Micro-sized, Adapted to foreign environment, Hyper-specialized to environment, Apparition/Ghostly/Disembodied, Half-breed/Monstrous, Raised from dead, Experimented upon, Odd Body part (brain, head, etc), Cloned, Mechanical

- Professions/Groups: Guardian/Guard, Merchant, Spy, Law/Bounty Hunter, Nobility, Prisoner, Mobster, Politician/Government official, Hunting party, Bandits/Pirates, Mercenaries/Adventurers, Press gang, Scavengers, Army/Mercenaries, Tribe/Clan, Religious pilgrims/Cult, Family, Harem, Angry Mob, Outcasts/Untouchables, Gang, Refugees, Caravan, Gladiators

Dungeon Missions

Here's a list of scenario ideas for a more directed trip into a dungeon. This would work well with Fantasy Core, in that the characters are rewarded directly for completing tasks rather than simply accumulating body count and booty. It would work as well for a short, impromptu session for any other fantasy game.


Rescue/Jailbreak: Release someone from the inside that has been captured and held.

Recovery/Robbery/Tomb Robbing: Find and bring out an item that is kept in the dungeon.

Escort: Characters are hired to guide someone through a dungeon.

Smuggling: Characters must deliver something to a certain place in the dungeon.

Treasure Map: Characters have acquired a rough map of the complex, which points out where something valuable is (and not necessarily much else).

Extermination/Exorcism: Characters sent to wipe out a certain group of occupants.

Hunt/Assassination: Characters sent after a specific creature.

Bounty/Kidnapping: Characters are sent to capture a specific creature.

Exploration/Infiltration: Complex has been recently discovered. Characters are expected to map and detail the area.

Investigation: Complex and its inhabitants are known, but their motives and strengths (or newly acquired strength) aren't.

Mystery: Characters are unraveling a mystery that leads them to the complex for the clues to solve it.

Diplomacy: Characters are sent to make an offer or even ally with inhabitants against someone else inside.

Escape: The characters are trapped inside.

Survival: Characters have to hold out or hide inside for a certain length of time.

Death Game/Tournament: Characters are willingly or unwillingly pawns in an arena.

Revenge/Retribution/Punitive Raid: Characters are sent to dungeon to commit whatever mindless violence they can before they are chased out.

Quest/Geas: Characters have an objective that doesn't involve a monetary gain. They are either being forced to complete it to end their compulsion, or have a desperate need to.

Law Enforcement: Characters are after counterfeiters, drug dealers, and arms dealers. They need to also gather evidence and take prisoners.

Test: Characters are sent to the dungeon to run the gauntlet and survive.

Challenge/Duel: Characters are summoned to the dungeon for a fight.

Death Trap: Dungeon is deserted of living and undead creatures (though there may be animated guardians), but has extensive traps, tricks, and puzzles.

Psychokiller Lair: Combines possible rescue, escape, and assassination scenarios. The killer may in fact be unkillable.

Twist: Mission starts as one type and turns into another.

Multiple Objectives: No more than two though.

Dungeon Purposes

Why is the dungeon there in the first place? Glad you asked. Here's a list of possibilities to perhaps help with design. All of these types can be mixed, like a church catacomb with a tunnel to a goblin lair, which leads to an abandoned dwarf city, at the bottom of which is a hellgate. There's no reason why every dungeon has to be Gygaxian and fill the whole the page or be a little delve lair tactical combat encounter.


Original Purpose(s)
----------------------

Underground storehouse/Survival bunker (Criminal/Business/Military/Government): Someplace hidden or easily defensible, like a mountain redoubt or beneath castles. Supply cellar, dungeon, vaults, barracks, armory, and wells.

Vault (Criminal/Government/Bank/Ancient): Beneath buildings, hidden, long lost. Filled with treasures and other valuables.

Temple/Shrine/Sanctuary/Dark Cathedral/Crematorium/Necropolis/Crypt/ Catacombs/Tomb/Mausoleum/Morgue: Often found under churches or ancient burial sites.

Prison/Dungeon/Interrogation-Torture/Maze/Deathtrap/Labyrinth: Places of confinement.

Gladiator Arena (hidden fight club)/Dojo/Martial Arts training temple/

Training Facility: People who fight that want to do so in secret.

Hidden Thieves/Assassins Guild: Obviously trying to stay hidden.

Party Hole/Pleasure or Drug Den/Harem: A word-of-mouth, hidden rave (perhaps perpetually going on). A place to do illegal drugs and indulge in prostitution. A hidden place where a monarch keeps his harem.

Academy/Hermitage/Museum/Library: Wanting to be hidden. Perhaps forbidden activities, perhaps just wanting to be left alone.

Workshop (mundane or magical)/Laboratory: Dangerous or secretive work going on.

Underworld Zoo/Menagerie of Taxidermy/Preserve of undead animals/Trophy Room: A strange collector's underground display. Things you wouldn't want on display to the public (like a serial killer's collection of body parts).

Slaughterhouse/Charnel House: Being hidden for some reason, perhaps slaughtering things that would get them in trouble.

Aqueduct/Sewer: Under large cities, bringing in water or wells and to move wastewater, narrow corridors with running water.

Mines: Strictly functional and fairly barren chambers, dangerous cave-ins.

Hospital/Sanitarium/Asylum: Housing the dangerous or the quarantined.

Underground Marketplace: Likely a black market.

Public hot bath/Hot spring: Not particularly menacing, but a place that would be highly sought after for relaxation.

Conservatory/Recital Hall/Opera House/Coliseum/Palace: Large, public structures that one would not expect underground. Why is it there?

Human Underground Settlements:
     (Petra: built into canyon side) Not very deep, living areas are near the front.
     (Crete: Maze city) In ruins or buried.
     (Pompeii: Buried city, Port Royale: Sunk) Volcanoes, mudslides, avalanches, or even sunk.
     (Cappadocia: Hidden underground city) Surface is occupied by invaders.

Dwarf City: Part of natural caverns, large chambers, vaults, living spaces, work rooms, and a deep mine. Ornate, but very functional, architecture mirrors the natural caves.

Orc/Goblin Lair: A warren dug out of the earth or part of a natural cave system. Rough hewn. Smallish rooms and corridors. Laid out like a traditional dungeon. Functional, but very ill planned and expanded haphazardly. Continually added to to make more room. Living and work areas. Also, taken over dwarf cities and sapping underneath human and elf cities.

Entrance to hell: The funhouse megadungeon. Level masters are demons or subservient creatures, becoming more powerful with increasing depth. Acrology may completely change over time, making mapping nearly impossible.


Current Purpose/Status
--------------------------

Add one of these descriptions if you really want to mix things up.

Same as original, but depleted or little used

Ruined/Sacked

Garbage Dump/Salvage yard

Abandoned of original occupants and unspoiled/Curiously deserted

Has become an extension of the Underworld

New Colony of occupants has taken over

Slums/Squatters

Bandit hideout

Creature lair

Sunken/Flooded/Fire damaged/Buried

Haunted/Infested

Defiled/Consecrated

Plagued/Quarantined

Repurposed (choose another original purpose)

Fantasy & Pulp Fantasy Core--Title Level and Pulp Adventurer Ideas 6

Previously.

The Explorers Concluded
-------------------------------

Sven Hedin: Swedish explorer of Central Asia. He tomb robbed a Zoroastrian temple in Iran. Entered and was later expelled from xenophobic Tibet. Discovered a 2,000 year old city in the Lop Nar Desert in China with many ancient Chinese manuscripts.

Marc Aurel Stein: Hungarian discoverer of the ancient Silk Road between China and Europe, and the “Cave of a Thousand Buddhas.” The temple was filled with artifacts, most of which got packed up and sent to European museums. Most importantly, he recovered the Diamond Sutra, the world’s oldest surviving printed book.

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt: Swiss explorer and first European to see the canyon city of Petra in Palestine. Studied ancient Egyptian temples in Nubia.

Charles Montagu Doughty: First European to see the Natotean sandstone city Mada’in Salih. His work was admired by TE Lawrence of WWI British Intelligence, who helped start an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks. Gertrude Bell was also a contemporary explorer of the area and also an intelligence officer.

Bertram Thomas: Rival of fellow Brit explorer Harry St John Philby in an effort to explore the “Empty Quarter” of Saudi Arabia first. Wilfred Thesiger was another prominent explorer of the area.

Freya Stark: Mapper of the Valleys of the Assassins in Iran. Searched for a lost city of ancient temples mentioned by Roman texts in Yemen. She also worked for British Intelligence in WWII.

Charles Darwin, Alexander Von Humboldt, Alfred Russel Wallace: All well-traveled scientific explorers, collecting plant, animal, and mineral specimens from around the world. Darwin’s five-year journey in the HMS Beagle circumnavigated the globe.

Hiram Bingham: American explorer who found the Lost City of the Incas’, Machu Picchu.

Neil Armstrong: First man to step on the moon. Every other explorer’s accomplishments look a puny by comparison. Just imagine though, Neil finds Richard Hoagland’s lost moon civilization, or Ming’s advance base for his planned invasion of earth from Mongo, or Iron Sky space Nazi’s!

I hope this list provides a few adventuring and NPC ideas.

Fantasy & Pulp Fantasy Core--Title Level and Pulp Adventurer Ideas 5

Previously.

The Explorers Continued
-------------------------------

Henry Hudson: Discovered the eponymous Hudson Bay in Canada. Battled ice floes and mutinous crews. He was forced to over-winter in the bay as encroaching ice closed them in. He, his son, and loyal members of the crew were set adrift in a boat by mutineers. Willem Barentsz, another Arctic explorer, also became trapped in ice and was attacked by polar bears.

Adolf Erik Nordenskiold: Made a failed attempt to walk to the North Pole. Later took a ship, Vega, across Russia’s northern border only to be trapped in ice for 10 months between Russia and Alaska.

John Franklin: British sailor that fought at Trafalgar. Survived a horrific overland attempt at finding the Northwest Passage in Canada, which included a bout of cannibalism. Became Lt. Governor in Tasmania until he was run out. Lead another expedition to find the Northwest Passage by sea. The HMS Terror and HMS Erebus became the “Lost Expedition,” after not being heard from for over two years. A large bounty was offered and 25 rescue missions would be launched to find them (at an extensive loss of life). The fate of the ships’ crews was discovered eight years later. Both ships became trapped in ice. Survivors attempted to retreat overland, but fell victim to scurvy, lead poisoning, cannibalism, and starvation.

American Charles Hall’s Polaris expedition to the North Pole met a similar, fatal ending. Ironically, one of his previous trips had found the graves of the Franklin party.

Fridtjof Nansen: Crossed Greenland overland. Attempted to get to the North Pole by allowing his ship to become trapped in an ice floe for three years. Unfortunately, it didn’t drift over the pole. From there, he attempted to go on on foot. The attempt failed, but he managed to build a catamaran from his boats to make it back to civilization.

Roald Amundsen: First to make it across the Northwest Passage. First to the South Pole, beating out explorer rival Scott. First across the North Pole in an airship. Died while doing a search and rescue for an airship downed near the Arctic. Robert Scott makes it to the pole second, finding Amundsen’s Norwegian flag there. His expedition perishes in the return attempt, leaving behind a rather grim diary.

Ernest Shackleton: His ship, Endurance, was trapped in Antarctic ice during an expedition.  It took three years and treacherous trips overland and in a small open boat to effect rescue.  Everyone in the expedition survived.  They returned home to England as heroes.  Depressingly, they also found found WWI raging across Europe at the time. 

To be concluded.

Fantasy & Pulp Fantasy Core--Title Level and Pulp Adventurer Ideas 4

Previously.

The Explorers Continued
-------------------------------

Mungo Park: Scottish explorer of the Niger River and Africa. Became ill on his second expedition and was killed by natives when his boat became stuck at Bussa Falls. His published diaries became an inspiration to later explorers and writers.

Richard Lander: English explorer of Africa who became the first European to visit the forbidden city of Timbuktu and leave it alive. During one expedition his party was attacked and captured by river pirates.

Heinrich Barth: This German explorer made it to Timbuktu going overland through the desert from Tripoli and entered in disguise as an Arab.

Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke: As part of an expedition set up by the Royal Geographic Society, these two went to Africa to search for the source of the Nile. They ended up quarrelling bitterly over their findings. Burton also translated the Kama Sutra and the Tales of the Arabian Nights. He entered Mecca, forbidden to non-Muslims, disguised as an Arab.

Mary Kingsley: Commissioned by the British Museum to visit Africa to collect wildlife samples and native artifacts.

Henry Morton Stanley: Left England for the US as a teen. Enlisted in the Confederate army, though he later fought for the Union. He then worked as a correspondent for newspapers, first to an Indian conference, and then abroad. He was given a commission to find a missing missionary in Africa. Upon finding him, Stanley would utter the words that would make him famous, “Dr. Livingston, I presume?” Lead a couple more brutal expeditions into the interior and would become a member of parliament.

David Livingston: Missionary, explorer, and merchant trader in Africa. Was the first European to see Victoria Falls. His extended search for the source of the White Nile River prompted Stanlely’s investigation. Upon his death, two natives undertook a very long overland and sea journey to deliver his body back to England (though his heart was buried in a box in Africa).

To be continued.

Fantasy & Pulp Fantasy Core--Title Level and Pulp Adventurer Ideas 3

Previously.

The Explorers Continued
-------------------------------

Ferdinand Magellan: His fleet was the first to circumnavigate the globe. Mutiny and desertion followed their arduous journey. Magellan himself was actually killed in the Philippines in a dispute with the natives. A single ship with a skeleton crew made it back to Spain to many accolades.

Francis Drake: Also made an epic circumnavigation of the globe. Sponsored by the English crown, Drake was a privateer, attacking Spanish treasure ships and colonies along the way. He was also one of the commanders who successfully repelled the Spanish armada’s attempted invasion of England. William Dampier is another pirate circumnavigator.

James Cook: Discovered Hawaii (and is later killed there in a native dispute). Mapped the coast of New Zealand and made landfall in Australia. Circumnavigated the Antarctic Circle. Visited Easter Island (an interesting spot for possible adventures).

Abel Tasman: Dutch discoverer of Tasmania. Explored New Zealand and was attacked by Maori warriors.

La Perouse: French naval officer involved in several conflicts with the British. Visited Easter Island. Ran afoul of natives in Samoa. Was lost at sea. His ship’s wreckage was found decades later.

Vitus Bering: Commissioned by Czar Peter the Great to find a land bridge between Russia and Alaska in the Arctic. Died horribly as his ship wrecked on the now eponymous Bering Island.

Jacques Cartier and other French explorers of Canada started several colonies. They had generally courted friendlier relations with the Indians, though there were still plenty of conflicts. La Salle made a particularly impressive journey down the length of the Mississippi.

Lewis and Clark: American explorers looking for the source of the Missouri River in the Louisiana Purchase. Not much conflict with the natives thanks to their guide, Sacagewea. A similar exploration much earlier around the Gulf Coast by Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca was completely disastrous without native support. There were only five survivors out of an expedition of 300.

John Fremont: Explorer of California. Attempted to start a rebellion against Mexico there. Later became the military governor after the US annexation.

John McDouall Stuart: Crossed Australia from the south coast to the north. Attacked by Aboriginals along the way. Burke and Wills made a similar journey later, but a completely disastrous one.

To be continued.

Fantasy & Pulp Fantasy Core--Title Level and Pulp Adventurer Ideas 2

Previously.

The Explorers Continued
-------------------------------

Friar William of Rubruck: Went on a mission across Asia to the Mongols to make them allies against the Muslims. (Actually the requests went both ways.) There was a constant search at the time for the Asian Christian empire of Prester John.

Marco Polo: Venetian merchant who went on a trade mission to the Mongols. Polo was recruited by the Khan as an envoy and traveled all around the empire. He returned home and ended up in a gentlemen’s prison during a war, where he dictated his memoirs to a fellow prisoner.

Zheng He: Trusted Chinese Imperial court eunuch, who lead several fleets to establish sea routes to India and beyond. His first fleet was comprised of over 300 ships. He was perhaps the inspiration for the Sinbad the Sailor tales from the Arabian Nights. There is a dubious claim that he actually circumnavigated the globe with a fleet. Political changes in China wiped out many of his accomplishments from the history books.

Ibn Battuta: Islamic scholar and judge who left Morocco to make the hajj in Mecca and ended up travelling over much of the Islamic world. His credentials allowed him access to rulers and the respect of everyone he met. Returned home after 24 years of sightseeing as a rich man. His local sultan eventually compelled him to write his memoirs.

Vasco Da Gama: Conquered the Cape of Good Hope travelling around Africa to set up a trade route to India. Arab lands blocked direct access to these markets, precipitating many of these kind of voyages.

Christopher Columbus: After courting royal support, Columbus took a fleet of ships to establish a direct trading route to Asia. He ended up running into the Americas. He may or may not have been aware of the Viking journeys to Vinland, but thought he was near the eastern coast of Asia. Columbus returned three more times, establishing colonies, searching for gold, and still looking for a route to India. Shipwrecked at one point, he pulled the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court trick (predicting an eclipse), to get native help.

Hernan Cortes: With a small group of well-armed compatriots, these conquistadors made allies of the oppressed tribes in Mexico to rebel against their Aztec masters. Cortes’ small band toppled an empire, acquiring large amounts of gold. These type of expeditions were chartered by supporting country, in this case Spain, and their cut of the treasure was negotiated beforehand.

Francisco Pizarro: His band of adventurers attacked the Incan empire in South America. Conditions in the Andes were bad, Pizarro had to contend with revolts in his own ranks. Fortunately for them however, they had arrived in the middle of an Incan civil war.  They captured the emperor while he was outside of his capital on a campaign. They ended up killing him and set up a puppet emperor. More gold flowed. The search for El Dorado, the City of Gold, continued all over the Americas.

Francisco de Orellana: Relative of Pizarro and discoverer of the Amazon River.  He made two trips down river, neither were pleasant cruises (the second one cost him his life).  At one point, the expedition was attacked by a tribe of warrior woman, for whom the river later named.  (Minor trivia: Amazon is a Greek derived word meaning "without breast," from supposed tradition of mastecomy of the right breast to make the drawing of a bow easier.)   

To be continued.

Fantasy & Pulp Fantasy Core--Title Level and Pulp Adventurer Ideas 1

Intro
-------

For levels one to ten, Fantasy Core characters are building up their wealth, gaining some local fame, and making some noble/higher society connections. At that point, the characters have maxed out martially and skill-wise. (Wizards still have some ability to expand their personal power.) But with wealth and a reputation, the characters can now attempt to enter the power structure of their society. From there, they can find patrons to fund exploits or even larger mandates on a grander scale to achieve lasting, far-reaching fame.

I bought a book for my dad for Christmas called “Explorers” by the Smithsonian Institution, about world famous explorers. After perusing it, I had revelation about Title Level characters. The explorers listed within were generally from a noble class, had some personal wealth, and were highly experienced in their fields. They had to work with the ruling powers for funding, or perhaps there was a large bounty offered, or even a national imperative was in place. They had professional rivals for noble favor and for achieving goals, whom they could not simply kill or duel to get out of the way.

(Whatever personal animosity rival explorers may have had for each other, they generally professionally respected one another.  We read about Amunden beating out his arch-rival Scott to reach the South Pole. When honored for his accomplishment, he said he would gladly forgo fame and reward that the Scott party had returned alive. The Apollo 11 astronauts planted an American flag on the moon and a Soviet medal, to honor the recently deceased Yuri Gagarian. Of course, nobody expects players or NPC’s to be so gracious.)

Sounds like a Title Level character to me. These are some ideas for new challenges for these characters. Feel free to do your own research to fill out these summaries (because even typing out these little capsules was like doing a book report). Steal bits and pieces from here and there. Of course all of these ideas need is orcs added to them, as well as some side quests and other tangible goals. Some of these would also work great as scenarios for Pulp Fantasy Core. Following lost expeditions are great fodder for adventures.

The Title Level characters would be leading an expedition of many people. They’d be responsible for them, as well making them accountable. Mistreatment or constant exposure to overwhelming circumstances may require a Respect roll or better motivation to avoid mutiny. Protégé characters would be excellent for adventures involving minor or side objectives and reconnaissance. Managing people and resources and making strategic decisions would be the primary responsibility for Title Level characters, rather than body count and booty.


The Explorers
-----------------
(These aren't in much of an order.) 

Hanno the Navigator: Carthaginian explorer who took a fleet around the west coast of Africa. He encountered a savage tribe of ape-men.


Zhang Qian: Imperial Chinese envoy. He visited other far neighboring countries on trade missions, as well as courting allies against enemy nations.


Leif Eriksson: First European explorer of North America (rumors of an Egyptian colony notwithstanding). Born in Iceland and a settler in Greenland (which his father, Erik the Red, discovered). The Vikings made three recorded attempts at settling “Vinland,” but distance and hostile natives repulsed them. Encroaching ice and distance would also eventually cause the Greenland colony to be abandoned.


Fa Xian: Buddhist missionary. Visiting temples in Asia and India. Pilgrims from China went into these areas to search out the origin of their faith, to find and translate ancient texts (sutras). It was a risky adventure with other hostile faiths, wars, and bandits often blocking the ways there and back.


Xuanzang: Went searching for Buddhist sutras in India. There was a fantasy novel about his trip, “Journey to the West,” or “Monkey,” wherein he and his animal companions fought monsters along the way.

To be continued.