Tree of Life Games

Posted on March 26, 2021 by admin

Encumbrance

Encumbrance rules are controversial in rpgs. A few people like the rules, but many ignore them. These rules are an attempt to strike a balance between ease of tracking the numbers and keeping players equipment lists in check. I do not use Encumbrance rules in my game unless a player is getting ridiculous about how much they carry.

So, these rules are very optional. Stunts that affect Encumbrance are noted with the special Keyword “Encumbrance,” so that they can be easily added or removed from your game.

Encumbrance really should not be a priority in an rpg. It is included here as an optional rule for those who need it. There are a couple of reasons to need it. First, players will always try to take advantage from a lack of encumbrance rules and want to carry the world with them. Second, it forces a bit more simulation into the rules, if you like that. The rules are kept simple, but realistic. These rules do not use weight or mass as the sole arbiter of encumbrance.

Bulk

Encumbrance of objects is represented by Bulk. Each item has a Bulk which is a number, usually from 0 to 5. Bulk takes into consideration weight and awkwardness of the object. An object could be fairly light, but be difficult to carry because of its size or shape.

Load

Load is how much Bulk a character can carry. Calculate Load as follows:

Load Stat = (Might + Endurance + Strength) * Size Multiplier

Common Bulk Stats

Item	Bulk
Knife	0.25
Potion	0.25
Dagger	0.5
One-Handed Weapon	1
Light Armor	1
Musical Instrument	1-2
Two-Handed Weapon	2
Bow and Quiver	2
Crossbow and Quiver	2
Shield	1-2
Medium Armor	2-3
Heavy Armor	4
Person	4 + Size + Might

Encumbered

A character can carry an amount of Bulk equal to his Load Stat. Once you carry more than your Load, Encumbrance penalties accumulate. Each multiple of your Load accumulates a particular penalty. Bulk carried in excess of your Load, but less than or equal to twice your Load, incurs only a -1 Stealth Skills penalty. Bulk carried in excess of twice your Load, but less than or equal to three times your Load, incurs the previous penalty and an additional -1 to Athletics Skills, including your Move Skill which reduces your Movement Stat. Bulk carried in excess of three times your Load, but less than or equal to four times your Load, incurs a -1 to all Fight Skills. This is where encumbrance really affects combat. Beyond carrying four times your Load, each multiple after four incurs a -1 Movement Stat until it is reduced to zero.

Encumbrance Penalties

Bulk	Penalty
<= Load	None
>Load, but <= 2*Load	-1 Stealth Skills
>2Load, but <= 3Load	-1 Athletics Skills
>3Load, but <= 4Load	-1 Fight Skills
Each Multiple after 4	-1 Movement

Encumbrance Example

If Hans the fighter has a Load Stat of 7 and currently carries a total Bulk of 7, he has no penalties. If his friend Jen the Halfling is wounded and needs to be carried, he will suddenly be burdened by penalties. Jen is Size -1 with a Might of 2, so her Bulk is 5. Hans carrying her would have a total Bulk of 12. That’s not two multiples yet, so he gets a -1 to Stealth Skills while carrying her. If he had to carry the big barbarian out of combat (at Bulk 8) instead, he would be carrying a total Bulk of 15 which is more than 2 times his Load, thus giving him a -1 to Stealth and Athletics Skills.

Encumbrance Stunts

There are many Stunts that can affect both the Bulk of items and the Load a character can carry. All these Stunts are labeled with the Keyword Encumbrance. Some only affect Load or Bulk for a limited time like until the next rest.

Containers, Masterwork, and Bulk

There are Masterwork Stunts that affect encumbrance of objects. Scabbards and quiver can reduce Bulk, as well as, Masterwork weapons and armor. Certain Stunts allow containers like backpacks and bags to reduce the Bulk that is carried in them.

Encumbrance Stunts

Lighten Load	Endurance	Cantrip, Encumbrance, Feat, Action, Range: Touch, Dur: 1 roll	Ignore Load penalties for 1 roll or action
Hauling Litter	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Half the Bulk for carrying a Load in a litter
Enduring Stamina	Endurance	Encumbrance, Feat, Action, Unique	Reduce your Encumbrance Penalty by 1 until your next Long Rest
Stamina	Endurance	Encumbrance, Feat, Action, Unique	Add your Endurance Aptitude to your Load Stat until your next Long Rest
Tighten Straps	Might	Encumbrance, Feat, Reaction, Masterwork, Limit Strength or Armor	Add 1 to bearer’s Strength Skill when deterining Load for 1 Encounter for a container or Armor
Armor Stamina	Endurance	Encumbrance, Feat, Reaction	If you are wearing armor, add your Armor Skill to your Load Stat for 1 Encounter
Battle Stamina	Endurance	Encumbrance, Feat, Reaction 2	Reduce your Encumbrance Penalty by 2 for 1 Encounter
Proper Carrying Technique	Might	Encumbrance, Stance	While active, reduce Movement Stat by 1 and ignore half your Bulk
Rescuer’s Lift	Might	Encumbrance, Stance, Proper Carrying Style	While active and carrying a person, reduce Bulk by 1 and you may have the Proper Carrying Technique Stance active
Carrying Capacity	Endurance	Encumbrance ,Talent	Add 1 to your Load Stat
Awkward Size	Stealth	Encumbrance ,Talent, Unique ,Defect, Item	Add 2 to the item’s Bulk
Bulky	Might	Encumbrance ,Talent, Unique ,Defect, Item	Add 1 to the item’s Bulk
Heavy Horseshoes	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique ,Masterwork Horseshoes, Limit Ride	Add the horse’s Haul Skill to its Load Stat
Strong Pockets	Thievery	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork Light Armor, Limit Armor	This Light Armor can store 1 Bulk worth of items in a pocket. This Bulk does not count toward your Load limit.
Featherlight Quiver	Aim	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork Quiver, Limit Archery	Reduce the Bulk of a Bow and Quiver by 1
Double Saddle	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork Saddle, Limit Ride	Reduce the Bulk of an extra rider by half
Light Shield	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork Shield, Limit Armor	Reduce a Shield’s Bulk by 0.5
Lighter Materials	Athletics	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork, Limit Armor	Reduce a Light or Medium Armor’s Bulk by 0.5
Load-Distributing Design	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork, Limit Armor	Reduce a Heavy or Medium Armor’s Bulk by 1
Master Scabbard	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork, Limit Blade	Reduce the Bulk of a Blade by 1
Double-Wrap Belt	Thievery	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork, Limit Strength	Reduce the Bulk of 1 item on a belt by 1
Load-Bearing Hanger	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork, Limit Weapon	Reduce the Bulk of a one-handed weapon by 1
Load-Bearing Baldric	Fight	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork, Limit Weapon	Reduce the Bulk of a two-handed weapon by 1
Bulk-Reducing Bag	Aim	Encumbrance, Talent, Masterwork, Limit Strength	For each Rank of this Stunt, reduce the Bulk of items in a bag by a total of 1
Bulk-Reducing Pack	Aim	Encumbrance, Talent, Masterwork, Limit Strength	For each Rank of this Stunt, reduce the Bulk of items in a backpack or slingbag by a total of 1.5
Athletic Frame	Athletics	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Add your Athletics Aptitude to your Load Stat
Fighting Endurance	Fight	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Add your Fight Aptitude to your Load Stat
Healthy Power	Endurance	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Add your Health Skill to your Load Stat
Heavy Armor Expert	Endurance	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Reduce the Bulk of Heavy Armor you wear by 1
Large Stature	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Add your Size to your Load Stat
Low Center of Gravity	Athletics	Dwarf, Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Reduce the Bulk of Medium or Heavy Armor you wear by 0.5
Strong Back	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Add your Strength Skill to your Load Stat
Willful Strength	Power	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique	Add your Willpower Skill to your Load Stat
Climbing Pack	Might	Encumbrance, Talent, Unique, Masterwork Backpack, Limit Strength	Reduce the Bulk of items in this pack by 2
Light Iron	Athletics	Spell Elemental, Feat, Action, Encumbrance, Range: Touch, Dur: Rest, Circle 1	Ignore the Bulk of the target metal item that they can lift until the end of your next Long Rest
Burden	Stealth	Spell, Wizard, Feat, Action, Encumbrance, Range: 10, Dur: Enc, Circle 2	Double the Bulk the target is carrying
Featherweight	Might	Spell, Wizard, Feat, Action, Encumbrance, Range: Touch, Dur: 1 Day, Circle 3	Target triples their Load Stat
Unencumber	Endurance	Spell, Wizard, Feat, Action, Encumbrance, Range: Touch, Dur: Enc, Circle 1	Target doubles their Load Stat for the Encounter

Encumbrance Equipment

Item Name	Limit	Cost	Stunts	Description	Bulk	Culture
Elven Sash Sling		3	Bulk-Reducing Bag x1		0	Elf
Equipment Frame		3	Carrying Capacity x2		0.5
Ranger Quiver	Archery	3	Featherlight Quiver x1, Quick Quiver x2	Holds 20 arrows.	1
Slingbag		3	Bulk-Reducing Bag x2		0.5
Sword Belt		3	Double-Wrap Belt x1		0.25
Toolbag		3	Bulk-Reducing Bag x1		0
Traveler’s Pack		3	Bulk-Reducing Pack x2		1
Wilderness Harness	Strength or Armor	3	Tighten Straps x1, Carrying Capacity x1		0.5
Healer’s Valise	Heal	3	Bulk-Reducing Bag x2, Healer x2	Compact and organized traveling bag for healers	0.5
Warrior’s Baldric	Weapon	3	Load-Bearing Baldric x1, Quick Baldric x1 or Quick Scabbard x1		0.25
Double Belt		4	Double-Wrap Belt x2		0.5
Elven Quiver	Archery	4	Featherlight Quiver x1, Quick Quiver x3	Holds 30 arrows.	1	Elf
Great Baldric	Weapon	4	Load-Bearing Baldric x1, Quick Baldric x2 or Quick Scabbard x2		0.25
Hiker’s Pack	Strength or Armor	4	Bulk-Reducing Pack x4, Tighten Straps x1		1
Master Scabbard	Blade	4	Master Scabbard x1, Blade Langet x1, Quick Scabbard x2		0.25
Druid’s Slingbag	Nature	5	Bulk-Reducing Pack x2, Carrying Capacity x1, Extra Herb Doses x2		0.5
Lord’s Scabbard	Blade	5	Quick Scabbard x2, Ornamental Additions x1, Master Scabbard x1		0.25

Posted on March 7, 2021March 7, 2021 by admin

Subcultures

Subcultures

I use the term “culture” to refer to a character’s background. This usually means their ethnic stock, but also how and where they grew up. I created Subcultures to further delineate a character’s culture and zoom in on details of the circumstances of their upbringing. If you want more specific Stunts to define your starting character’s story, these Subculture Stunts will probably help.

Gateway

To get access to a set of Subculture Stunts, a character needs to get the Subculture Member Stunt. This Unique Talent that can be chosen as a Cultural Stunt for any Culture gives you the choice of access to one Subculture Keyword. The chosen Keyword becomes part of your Culture Stunt choices during character generation too. So, Subculture Stunts can be chosen as part of your 10 Cultural Stunts when creating your character.

Subculture Member Stunt

This Unique Talent Stunt is available to any Culture and grants access to one Subculture Keyword. It also gives the character one Rank in a new Subculture Stunt too. Stunts like the one below are called Gateway Stunts because they grant access to new Stunt Keywords. In this case the new Keywords are Subculture, and the Keyword you choose for your subculture.

Subculture Member

Resources, Any, Talent, Unique

Choose 1 Subculture. You get access to Stunts of the chosen Subculture and gain 1 Rank in a Subculture Stunt.

The Subcultures

Below are five Subcultures of varying types that can be chosen using the Gateway Stunt above: Outsider, Privileged, Provincial, Refugee, and Traveler. These are, of course, examples. Make up some of your own subcultures. I’d love to see what you all come up with.

More Subcultures to come soon: Borderlander, Cannibal, City-Rat, Communal, and Frontier.

Outsider: This subculture is all about being a foreigner or someone outside of the normal castes. They are usually people with unusual appearances and strange customs and often the lowest social class.

Blasphemous Outlander	Lore	Subculture, Outsider, Feat, Reaction	Add your Religion Skill to your Contacts Skill for 1 roll
Exotic Appearance	Influence	Subculture, Outsider, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 to your Charm Skill for 1 roll
Foreigner	Thievery	Subculture, Outsider, Feat, Reaction	Expend 1 Influence or Resources Stunt to get +1 Skill on 1 Thievery roll
From the Bottom	Awareness	Subculture, Outsider, Feat, Reaction	Add your Wealth Skill to your Empathy Skill for 1 roll
Strange Customs	Power	Subculture, Outsider, Feat, Reaction	Add your Language Skill to your History Skill for 1 roll
Wary of the Crowds	Awareness	Subculture, Outsider, Inconspicuous Style, Stance	While active, you add 1 to your Alertness Skill and you may have the Inconspicuous Stance active
High-Demand Craft	Resources	Subculture, Outsider, Talent, Unique	For items you crafted, you get +1 Diplomacy Skill when haggling over their price
Language Adept	Lore	Subculture, Outsider, Talent, Unique	You gain 1 Common language and reduce the XP Cost for Common languages by 1 (minimum of 1 )

Privileged: The character with access to this Subculture is from an upper social class with many privileges. This can be nobility or just upper-crust, moneyed families or those with great reputations.

Ruling Class	Resources	Subculture, Privileged, Feat, Action	You regain 1 Resources Stunt
Better Than the Rest	Resources	Subculture, Privileged, Feat, Reaction	Add your Title Skill to 1 Gaming or Athletics roll
Cup Runneth Over	Resources	Subculture, Privileged, Feat, Reaction	Add your Wealth Skill to your Charm Skill for 1 roll
Family Connections	Resources	Subculture, Privileged, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 to your Resources Aptitude for 1 Contacts Skill roll
Manifest Nobility	Resources	Subculture, Privileged, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 to your Court Skill for 1 roll
Servants Abound	Resources	Subculture, Privileged, Feat, Reaction	There is always a servant around to help you. Add 1 to your Skill for 1 Lore, Animal Ken, or Influence roll
Fail Upwards	Awareness	Subculture, Privileged, Feat, Reaction 2	For 1 Influence or Resources roll, you may re-roll adding 1 to your Skill for the re-roll only. You must take the second roll.
Want for Nothing	Resources	Subculture, Privileged, Talent, Unique	You get 1 item with Cost 6 or less for free

Provincial: This Subculture represents farm life. It includes many activities and skills common to an agrarian society like handling animals, growing foods and crafting.

Farm Fresh Ingredients	Lore	Subculture, Provincial, Meal, Feat, Reaction	Add your Farm Skill to your Cook Skill for 1 roll
Jarred Preserves	Endurance	Subculture, Provincial, Feat, Action	After a Short Rest, you regain 1 Meal or Herb Stunt
Time Heals	Lore	Subculture, Provincial ,Feat, Action	After target rests for a full day, they regain your Nature Skill in Damage or Wound Severity
Animal Husbandry	Animal Ken	Subculture, Provincial, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 Success to 1 Handle Animal roll involving breeding or herding
Barn Raising	Aim	Subculture, Provincial, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 to Aptitude and Skill when you provide help with a carpentry Craft roll
Draft Animal Expertise	Animal Ken	Subculture, Provincial, Feat, Reaction	Add your Handle Animal Skill to 1 roll involving a draft animal
Nature Provides	Lore	Subculture, Provincial, Feat, Reaction	Add your Nature Skill to your Farm Skill for 1 roll
Talented Crafter	Lore	Subculture, Provincial, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 to a roll for a Craft Skill in which you do not possess any Levels

Refugee: Characters with this subculture have escaped terrible conditions in their homelands. Whether by plague or warfare, they have settled in a new land of hope.

Wounds of War	Endurance	Subculture, Refugee, Feat, Action	Reduce 1 of your Wound Severities by 1
Food Is Scarce	Endurance	Subculture, Refugee, Feat, Reaction	Add your Alertness Skill to your Survival Skill for 1 roll to find food
Beg for Your Life	Influence	Subculture, Refugee, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 Success to 1 Diplomacy Skill roll to avoid fighting or avoid being attacked
Neighborhood Connections	Resources	Subculture, Refugee, Feat, Reaction 2	Add 1 Success to 1 Contacts Skill roll when dealing with people of your original culture
Disease Exposure	Endurance	Subculture, Refugee, Feat, Reaction 2	Add 1 Success to 1 Health Skill roll against a disease you acquired from an ally or friend
Recognize Ill Intent	Awareness	Subculture, Refugee, Stance, Inconspicuous Style	While active, you add 1 to your Empathy Skill and you may have the Inconspicuous Stance active
Blend into Society	Resources	Subculture, Refugee, Talent, Unique	Choose 1 Subculture to which you do not have access. You gain access to that Subculture.
On Alert	Awareness	Subculture, Refugee, Talent, Unique	Add 1 to your Initiative Stat

Traveler: It is common for this subculture to move around a region. They do not settle for long and have much experience in moving from place to place, including new languages, repairing carts and wagons, and survival skills.

Hiker	Endurance	Subculture, Traveler, Feat, Action	Add your Survival Skill to your Travel Stat for 1 Day’s travel
Bargain in Any Language	Influence	Subculture, Traveler, Feat, Reaction	Add your Language Skill to your Diplomacy Skill for 1 roll
Border Crosser	Influence	Subculture, Traveler, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 Success to your roll when crossing a well-controlled border
Known Dangers	Awareness	Subculture, Traveler, Feat, Reaction	Add your Survival Skill to your Alertness Skill for 1 roll
Stranger’s Guile	Influence	Subculture, Traveler, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 to your Guile Skill for 1 roll against a native of the lands you are in
Travel Town to Town	Endurance	Subculture, Traveler, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 to Orient or Survival Skill for 1 roll when travelling in civilized lands
Travel to Exotic Lands	Lore	Subculture, Traveler, Talent, Unique	You gain 1 Rare language and 1 Uncommon language
Fast Vehicle Repair	Lore	Subculture, Traveler, Feat, Reaction	Add 1 to your Skill to repair a ground vehicle or small boat and half the repair time

Posted on May 11, 2018 by admin — 1 Comment

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