Lineages Inspired: Rovers

 I love dogs. I love scrappy little dogs like terriers, mutts, and spaniels. I love their tenacity, their endless optimism, and their unwavering affection. They give me hope and to be frank, if I could be more simply joyful as dogs often are, I'd probably be a happier person. I knew from as far back as when I was wrirting the first edition of The Hero's Journey.

I've had dogs as friends and companions for most of my life. Muffin, Max, D.C. Jack, and Pippin. A few months ago, my lil' buddy Pippin (a Yorkie/Cairn mix) passed after almost nineteen years of being awesome. I was, and am, sad of course. But the thing is, he was a great dog and played like a puppy right up until the day before he passed. He was named Pippin because like the fool of a Took he was cute, energetic, always happy to meet new people, ready for adventure wherever it took him, and a complete and utter simpleton. 

That's what a dog has always been to me: A steadfast and loyal companion. We all hear stories of a young hero with their loyal animal companion who stands by them through thick and thin. So much so that it's become a narrative trope and taken on a greater resonance. So, naturally, I had put it in THJ2e. 

It's by far the most unorthodox lineage available in the game, I admit. But I think it has a proper place. Rovers are, for the most part, perfectly mundane dogs. They're just a little smarter, a little more capable than their real world counterpart - just like in the stories. The biggest influences on the creation of the Rover were several rather disparate sources. J.R.R. Tolkien's short novel Roverandom was definitely one, but also the adventures of Lassie, a favorite childhood film 1993's Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (I dare you to watch this scene and not cry), and the video short Steadfast Stanley.

I wanted that noble devotion, that joyful dedication, that true and simple heroism present in my game and I couldn't think of a better personification than the beloved canines who had stood by me through the years.

Why call them "Rovers"?

Two reasons. One "Rover" is a traditional (to the point of being cliche) name for a dog and second as a nod to Roverandom. Also, given that it's a dog on a journey who "roves" it seem doubly appropriate.

Why include them in the game?

I've been in so many table top RPGs where a player character gets an animal companion or familiar as an NPC and they clearly love having it - so much so that they start taking more interest in that companion than in their original PC. So why not cut out the middle man and allow them to play that role? Yes, there are some obvious limits (thumbs are useful, after all), but I loved the idea of the heroic group who has a loyal dog by their side through all the danger - or even a two PC game with a single hero and their steadfast canine.

What do they contribute to the game?

Dogs have an innocence and hope about them that I believe are at the core of the themes THJ2e tries to evoke. They are loyal and optimistic, satisfied with the simple joys of live over treasure. Mechanically speaking, they're small, quick, and natural trackers. In addition, though not powerful combatants they're never unarmed. An often overlooked element ot the Rover is that they're quite literally a 25 - 30 lbs dog which means they can often get into places and observe things that other lineages cannot. This makes them excellent scouts and spies.

Customizing the Rover

I have to admit that once the Rover was in The Hero's Companion, I figured that was it for animal player characters. But then Mike Brodu went and did all the hard lifting and heavy writing on Of Beasts Brave and True, which gives opens for playable animals - namely cats, birds, and horses. All of these creatures certainly have their place in the stories and tales that inspired THJ2e, but Mike took it a step further and even included a few mythic options. So if you want to see what can be done with animals as player characters, give Of Beasts Brave and True a look.

Lineages Inspired: Halflings

 

Today is September 22nd, so it seems only appropriate that the discussion for this blog post be Halflings. In The Lord of the Rings it is established that September 22nd is the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and many fans of the works of Tolkien (including myself) call it "Hobbit Day" and use it as an opportunity to celebrate the Professor's work. So as a nod to this celebration, we'll be talking about Halflings.

Halflings are far and away my favorite fantasy lineage - particularly as expressed in the works of Tolkien. I deeply identify with them on a personal level. I have a personal love of rural living, an untroubled life, a good and simple meal, and smoking my tobacco pipe. But more than the surface things that are often identified with halflings, I love their often forgotten strength of spirit. Halflings have heart and when they were updated for THJ2e, I wanted to reflect that.

Why call them "Halflings"?

Well, that's easy. That's because its a shorthand (pun intended) that has existed in the roleplaying game industry since 1974. Even those who haven't played a roleplaying game but are familiar with fantasy are quite likely to know exactly what a halfling is. No need to call them "Little Folk" or something just for the sake of being different.

Why include them in the game?

As mentioned above, I deeply identify with them and when I write a game I want it to be a game that I want to play - and I almost always want to play a halfling. On a more general level, some would claim that given THJ2e is a fantasy RPG that their presence is obligatory or mandated. Not so. Halflings are important to THJ2e because they are, in both stature and in how the rest of the world views them, the underdog. They're small in size, generally rather docile, and do not at all seem prone to go on adventures. Generally speaking, if they do go off on an adventure, it's for a specific reason.

The halfling's love of friends, family, and the comforts of home is truly critical to the themes of THJ2e. They, more than any other lineage, are a physical representation of why those who choose to go off into the dangerous and wild places of the world do so. They go off into the dark places of the world to protect the light, to protect what they love - and more over they remember the simple joys of life even in the darkest of places so that hope is not lost. They do not get caught up in the grandness of a cause. They simply want the little things to remain as they are - and if that means facing down an Elder Wyrm to make sure that little Bingo can still celebrate Autumn Harvest in oblivous happiness and the company of his family - well, someone's got to do it.

What do they contribute to the group?

As mentioned above, they can keep a group grounded through roleplay - but from a rules standpoint, halflings have a lot to offer. Sure, their Might restriction means they'll never be superior melee combatants, but they're dead-eyes in ranged combat and combine that with their truly ridiculous stealth abilities and you've got a character that can slip past all but the most wary of eyes and deal a surgical strike like no other.

Halflings, both from a roleplaying and mechanical point of view, act as the heart of the group. They receive Advantage on all fear-based Saving Throws, including Despair. This means that when everyone else is panicked while facing down a terrible Death Knight or awe-inspiring Fey Queen, a halfling is far more likely to keep a straight head on their shoulders. Combine this with their increased likelihood of having a high Weal (which can grant Advantage on any roll) and you have a character that's quite capable of turning the tide in a terrible situation.

Like most other Lineages, Halflings have only one Archetype where they are permitted to advance to 10th level - the Yeoman. A lot of folks were surprised by this given the stereotype of the "halfling thief" that pervades the fantasy RPGs out there. Sure, they're stealthy and make great Burglars, but that's not who they are. Halflings are all heart and reach their true potential when defending the people and places they love. Their Lineage abilities compliment those of the Yeoman on a very effective level and it takes an already unexpectedly powerful Archetype and maximizes its effectiveness in a thematically appropriate fashion.

Customizing the Halfling

If you want to make changes to the Halfling, it's pretty easy. As long as you keep that core value of a love of the simple joys of heart, home, and family, there's a lot to go on. An obvious choice (to me at least) is to alter them into rustic river-folk who are primarily fishermen. Turn their skill with thrown weapons into something more focused, such as it being tied directly to spears (to reflect being spear fishermen) and give them a bonus to swimming instead of having sharp senses and you're good to go. Or maybe they grew up as miners in a far-removed mountainous community? Swap out their stealth for a dwarf-like ability to navigate underground or detect unsafe stone work. 

The key with halflings is to remember not necessary what they can do but why they do what they do.

What do you think? How do halflings function at your table? What do they represent thematically and how do they fit into the narrative of your legendarium? Sound off in the comments below and let me know what you'd like to hear me discuss in future posts on this blog!

Archetypes Inspired: The Swordsman

There were quite a few drastic changes as The Hero's Journey went from first to second edition. One of the most visible transformations occurred among the Archetypes (called Classes in 1st ed). The game went from 13 of them down to 8 in second edition. Those that are present were given a ground-up re-examination, and in some cases reconstruction. Most often though, folks wonder why certain archetypes made the jump into second edition and why some did not. So, I wanted to take a second to talk about my thoughts behind that and investigate each archetype individually to show what its meant to do within the rules, what its meant to evoke thematically, and how it fits within the traditions of the source material that inspired The Hero's Journey. To that end, let's take a look at the Swordsman.

Why call it "Swordsman"?

In early drafts of THJ 2e this Archetype was called the Swashbuckler, but as the game's themes continued to evolve and come more sharply into focus I found the term Swashbuckler was a bit off. When we think "Swashbuckler" characters like Athos, Porthos, and Aramis come to mind. That's an archetype more in line with the likes of Jack Sparrow or Zorro. It evokes images of a character from the late renaissance and not someone from the pseudo-medieval period implied by The Hero's Journey. The more neutral term of "Swordsman" was settled upon.

Why include it in the game?

The true genesis of the Swordsman was born out of my love of the film Willow. I saw the film in the theater in the summer of 1988. I might've been nine years old and my mother did me the great kindness (given that she had zero interest in fantasy or sci-fi) of taking me to see it while my brother and sister went and saw something else. Willow may have been the start of my love of halflings, because prior to this I had no understanding or context of them and had not yet read The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. But, I digress. 

We all know the coolest person on screen through that whole movie was Madmartigan. He was Han Solo if Han Solo had a sword. How cool is that? To a nine-year-old boy, it doesn't get any cooler. Over the years, Madmartigan remained too cool for school and re-watch after re-watch over the past 30 years haven't diminished that in the least. More over, he has a genuine arc in that film as he goes from a selfish, jail-bird mercenary to a genuine crusader. His sword means something by the time the film ends. He goes on, if you'll forgive the joke, a real hero's journey.

Countless other stories so many of us love feature a gifted sword-wielding hero going off on a journey. So there was precedent for its inclusion in the game and it's my game and I wanna play someone as cool as Madmartigan.

What do they contribute to the group?

While it's true they're skilled with a blade (it's in the name), they're limited in their combat abilities. Without a sword, they're little more than a glorified beat stick. But, what they do offer is style and agility. Every swordsman I've ever seen in stories has a kind of gravitas about them and there is an implication in both the archetype's description and art that they get by on a fair bit of charm. There's no mechanical reflection of this in the archetype because I wanted the game to be driven by roleplaying over rules. 

What they do bring to the table mechanically speaking, other than their combat prowess, is mobility. Acrobatics allows them to potentially do things that range from leaping distances both far and high, walking tightropes, dodging through narrow places, ducking swinging traps, and performing all kinds of feats of agility. While a lot of this comes from Madmartigan (launched yourself from a catapult, hitting a wall, and seeming to take no damage is a clear use of Acrobatics), a fair amount of it comes from Luke Skywalker - my chief childhood hero. That might seem surprising, but go back and watch Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Luke flips more than a trick coin - and almost always with his trusty lightsaber close at hand. He's a Swordsman too, from a certain point of view. (See what I did there?)

Customizing the Swordsman

In The Hero's Companion I introduced the concept of Variant Archetypes. Each of them is tweaked and modified to express a new, but similar, concept without introducing a whole new archetype. The Swordsman Variant is a Pugilist in this book - which could suit anything from a bar room brawler to the grappling Friar Tuck of Robin Hood fame. In a future supplement, you'll be introduced to the Jongleur - a variant that focuses even more on feats of physical prowess and has an uncanny ability with thrown weapons. 

Narrators are encouraged to modify the Swordsman to suit their own legendariums. Perhaps they want to play a dedicated shepherd who's skilled with a quarterstaff and able to watch for sudden storms and prowling wolves. Swap out swords for quarterstaff and club and change Acrobatics to Forestry and you'e good to go. 

As The Hero's Journey continues to grow and and expand, I always look to how everything - Archetypes, Lineages, monsters, magic, all of it - fits into the stories the game is designed to tell. I hope this entry has given you some sense of why the Archetype was included in the game and inspires you to maybe create your own Variants.

What would you like to hear about next? Another Archetype discussion? A focus on one of the Lineages? Maybe one of the monster types? Let me know and journey on!