Greetings Moonbeam Roadsters!
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying a cool summer back in Canada, and watching the stress drop off sonny and myself.
It is NICE to be home.
Job offers for fall are rolling in, old friends are rolling up loaded with craft beer, and I see my family every day.
I’ve taken my foot off the gas for this blog, and will get back to my projects this fall.
However…
I’ve had a simple idea about The Nationality Table in both the old Stormbringer and Hawkmoon rpgs.
Here it goes.
What’s Wrong With The Nationality Table?
Honestly, nothing. It is a fine piece of flavour in both games. It is wildly unbalanced, but so are the advantages of nationality in Moorcock’s fiction. I prefer using it. In the last game I ran, we had a Melnibonean High Priest leading a motley crew of sailors, savages, and scammers from all over the Young Kingdoms.
But not everyone feels as I do.
My younger players found the chaotic nature of nationality and occupation rolls a bit disconcerting. To be fair, us grognards may enjoy the challenge of playing a character weakened in stats by their nationality, but most people find it less than enjoyable. Then there’s the criticism that, by giving civilized characters high bonuses and savage characters penalties to attributes, colonial discourses of superiority and inferiority are replicated (as was the point of the author…)
Game designers have focused on this perceived inequality. Witness the stripping away of national difference in Elric! and subsequent editions of the game, as well as the barring of Melniboneans as player characters. This has unfortunately the effect of flattening out nationality in a game based on an IP where it is a pivotal aspect of the characters.
In this case, I’d like to offer a solution that keeps the uniqueness of nationality, while making every character equally empowered by their background, and allowing the players more choice in their attribute bonuses.
Civilization vs Savagery
Robert E Howard famously opined on the following difference between savages and civilized men,
“Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.”
In keeping with this staple theme of the sword & sorcery genre, I’d like to offer the following rule for attribute modifications due to nationality:
Player characters (and NPCs if you are rolling them) get a 1D4 bonus to one attribute for nationality, as well as one for their occupation, based on whether it is of a savage or civilized nature.
Nationality Bonus
If their nationality is a civilized, urban setting, they can choose to add 1D4 to a mental attribute of their choice (either INT, POW, or CHA).
If their nationality is a savage, rural setting, they can choose to add 1D4 to a physical attribute of their choice (either STR, CON, SIZ, or DEX)
If their nationality is a hybrid setting with both cities and wilderness, roll a die. If the result is even, they add 1D4 to a mental attribute of their choice, but if it is odd, they add 1D4 to a physical attribute.
Examples
Nationalities (Stormbringer)
Civilized - Melnibone, Pan Tang, Filkhar, Eshmir, Isle of Purple Towns
Savage - Myrrhyn, Shazaar, Oin, Yu, Org, Tarkesh, Ilmiora, Weeping Waste,
Hybrid - Dharijor, Jharkor, Vilmir, Pikarayd, Argimiliar, Lormyr, Nadosokor
Nationalities (Hawkmoon, Tragic Europe)
Civilized - Granbretan
Savage - Carpathia, Catalonia, Germania, Greece, Kyrus, Orkneys, Scandia, Switzer, Syria, Turkia, Yel
Hybrid - Espaniya, Italia, Magyaria, Muskovia, Osterland, Persia, Romania, Shekia, Sicilia, Slavia, Ukraine
(NB: I can’t be bothered to do Amarehk at this point…)
Occupation Bonus
Similarly, if their occupation is an urban or mental profession, they can choose to add 1D4 to a mental attribute of their choice (either INT, POW, or CHA).
If their occupation is a savage, physical one, they can choose to add 1D4 to a physical attribute of their choice (either STR, CON, SIZ, or DEX).
If their occupation is of a hybrid nature present in both cities and wilderness, roll a die. If the result is even, they add 1D4 to a mental attribute of their choice, but if it is odd, they add 1D4 to a physical attribute.
Occupations (both games)
Mental - Merchant, Noble, Scholar, Sailor (Captain / mate), Scholar, Sorcerer, Scientist, Priest, Warrior (Assassin)
Physical - Farmer, Hunter, Sailor (deckhand), Warrior
Hybrid - Craftsman, Mutant, Thief, Beggar
NB: If a player character has multiple occupations, they can choose ONE to base their attribute modification on. Multiple bonuses due to different occupations seems too unbalanced to me.
Let’s Try It!
OK, so let’s roll a character in Stormbringer, then one in Hawkmoon and compare how they would make out under the old rules and these houserules.
Stormbringer Character Example
Nationality roll: 55 Weeping Waste
Original Modifier: + 1D6 to STR & CON, + 1D4 to DEX, - 1D4 from CHA, - 1 from SIZ if over 10
New Modifier: + 1D4 to a physical attribute of choice
Occupation roll: 53 NA due to nationality, automatically Hunter-Warrior
Houserule: Gets another 1D4 to a physical attribute, or mental if Assassion is also rolled (rolled 2, no luck).
Total
Old method: + 1D6 to STR & CON, + 1D4 to DEX, - 1D4 from CHA, - 1 from SIZ if over 10
New method: + 1D4 to TWO physical attributes of choice (or both can be applied to one attribute if wished)
Hawkmoon Character Example
Nationality roll: 67 Romania
Original Modifier: + 1D3 POW
Houserule: + 1D4 to either one physical or mental (result is 2, even, so he’s urban and the bonus is applied to a mental attribute of choice)
Occupation roll: 53 Sailor
Original modifier: 0
Houserule: + 1D4 to a physical attribute, unless the character is a captain or mate, in which case the bonus is applied to a mental attribute (rolled 2, so just a sailor).
Total
Old method: + 1D3 to POW
New method: + 1D4 each to a mental and a physical attribute of choice
The Verdict
Of course, for nationalities that already have enviable bonuses, this new method of determining nationality & occupation modifiers feels like a step down. But for most nondescript nationalities, and especially for those with disadvantages, this method is a definite step up.
NB: Hawkmoon is lacking the Stormbringer ability for Warriors to also become Assassins, a telling oversight in a game purportedly set in the savage aftermath of a world war. Since secondary occupations are consistent for other occupations like Sailor (which allows Mate or Captain in both rulesets), I would allow this rule to apply to either setting, and in the future may extend secondary occupation possibilities to all.
Also, the lack of priests in Hawkmoon seems another oversight. Even without magic, they serve as the pillar of local communities, and thus should be allowed.
BONUS CONTENT!
The Madness of the Masters (Melniboneans & Granbretanians)
For both Melnibone and Granbretan, madness (by human standards) is considered a defining characteristic. Here is a table that determines the character's madness and how it affects the game.
1 Sadist - Takes any opportunity to inflict pain. Often become torturers or prison guards. Adds a dice of damage when inflicting pain, but takes an extra dice when injured.
2 Masochist - Enjoys feeling pain as if it were pleasure. Particularly useful in imperial guards or underlings. Always takes half damage, wears only light armor.
3 Romantic Obsessive (stalker) - Must make a POW x 3% roll when in the presence of an important NPC of possible love interest. If failed, falls in love, begins wooing, and stalks the character despite detriment to their mission or safety. Loses interest if their target reciprocates their affection.
4 Workaholic - Puts work before their own health and safety. Gets double chance of critical skill roll when working towards their mission, but unable to get a critical on any skill roll not directly connected to the mission.
5 Paranoia - Trusts no one. Always has an escape plan when things go awry, but must roll a POW x 3% to be able to trust or help others.
6 Multiple Personality - Has 1D4 alternate personalities. Reroll Nationality & Occupation, apply when in the other mindset. Roll POW x 3% every morning or when under duress to stay in the main personality, otherwise they switch to a random other until the next day.
7 Fascist - Constantly attempt to gain power and control others. Every successfully persuaded NPC become a follower and attacks anyone critical of them. Often become troop leaders, always hungry for power.
8 Serial Murderer - Must take a life at least monthly. Lose 1% off ALL skills for every day past a month when they haven’t killed. Gains + 10% to all skills for the 24 hours after a murder, but this applies only once a month (ie can't kill someone and get this bonus everyday).
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