Thursday, December 15, 2016

Lukomorye Character Types

Even though it's not the main focus of the blog, I planned to have some 'game mechanic' posts from time to time. I've mentioned some specific character types for the Lukomorye setting in passing, but here, I'm going to lay out the races, classes, and backgrounds I've conceptualized for this game. I've also made a parallel Russian text, partly for flavor, partly as an exercise, partly because I know there is now some Russian readership here, so perhaps someone with limited RPG exposure may find the universe of fantastic characters outlined here stimulating. I'm pretty happy with the flavor conjured up by the names of some of the class archetypes and backgrounds, though I'm well aware that a few of them are way out there. The names for the Changelings are rather blah, but... you can't win 'em all...



Races/Расы


A race is the kind of creature you are identified as. There are three broad categories, and each is divided into multiple subtypes.
Раса – это тот род существ, к которым вас относят. Есть три широкие категории, которые разделены на множество конкретных видов.

1. Humans/ Люди
You are a human being. You can belong to one of the following groups:
Вы – человек. Вы можете принадлежать к следующим группам:

Name/                            Real world cognate/
Наименование            Когнат в настоящем мире

Noriki/Норики                 Eastern Slavs/восточные славяне
Labdy/Лабды                   Other Slavs/все остальные славяне
Galindy/Галинды            Balts/балты
Garipy/Гарипы                Germans, Scandinavians, other northern Europeans/немцы, скандинавы, остальные
                                          североевропейцы
Irii/Ирии                          Graeco-Byzantines/грековизантийцы
Friaziny/Фрязины           Italians and other southern Europeans/итальянцы и остальные южноевропейцы
Fogarma/Фогарма            Jews and Khazars/евреи и хазары
Rakhmany/Рахманы        Arabs, Persians, and Hindus/арабы, персы, и индусы
Kochmaki/Кочмаки         Tatar-Mongols and other steppe peoples/татаромонголы и другие степные народы
Kuz’/Кузь                         Finno-ugric peoples/финноугорские народы
Narty/Нарты                     Caucasus people/Кавказцы

Норики (Noriki)


2. Changlings/Обменыши
You are half-human, half-nature spirit (or goblin). Most beings born of such mixed unions die in childhood, or are sickly, but you survived. Some live among people, others are stolen away by their non-human family. Types of changelings are:
Вы являятесь  смесью между человеком и нечистью. Большинство детей, которые рождаются от таких союзов рано умирают, или очень болезнены, но Вы выжили. Некоторые обменыши живут с людьми, а другие украдываются нечистью и вырастают с ними. Обменыши группируются в следующие сорта:

Name/                                               Brief Description/
Наименование                               Краткое описание


Half-domovoi/Полу-домовой            Child of a 'house-goblin' who lives under the rafters or behind the stove
                                                             Дитя нечисти которая живет под крышей или за печью
Half-dvorovoi/ Полу-дворовой         Child of a 'yard-goblin that lives in the enclosure of a human household
                                                             Дитя нечисти которая живет во дворе людского дома или избы
Half-ovinnik/Полу-овинник              Child of a 'barn-goblin' that lives in an animal-shed or granary
                                                             Дитя нечисти которая живет в овне, амбаре, или хлеву
Half-bannik/Полу-банник                  Child of a goblin that lives in a bathhouse
                                                            Дитя нечисти которая живет в бане
Half-polevik/Полу-полевик               Child of a goblin that lives in a field or meadow
                                                            Дитя нечисти которая живет в поле или на лугу
Half-leshy/Полу-леший                     Child of a forest goblin
                                                            Дитя нечисти которая живет в лесу
Half-letun/Полу-летун                       Child of a ‘fire-serpent’ that seduces lonely people
                                                            Дитя огненного змкя, который соблазняет одиноких людей
Half-rusalka/ Полу-русалка              Child of a maiden spirit that lives in a river or stream
                                                            Дитя девушки-утоплленцыб которая жевет в реке или ручье
Half-vodyanoi/Полу-водяной           Child of a ‘water-goblin’ that lives in a river, lake, or swamp
                                                            Дитя нечисти которая живет в реке, в озере или в болоте
Обменыш (Changeling)
3. Skinshifters/Оборотни
You are an intelligent animal who has spent the early part of her life in human form. With adolescence, your shapeshifting abilities have become manifest, and you can take the form of a bipedal animal with humanoid limbs. Later you can assume full animal form. Subtypes of skinshifters are:
Вы – зверь одаренный разумом. Первую часть своей жизни Вы прожили в человеческом облике, но в подростковом возрасте, Вы обнаружили способность менять форму. Вы можете превратиться в двуногого зверя в человеческими конечностями. Позже, Вы сможете превратится в обычного зверя. Вот породы оборотней:

Name/                                   
Наименование

Bears/Медведи           
Cats/Коты
Falcons/Соколы
Foxes/Лисы
Frogs/Лягушки
Hares/Зайцы
Ravens/Вороны
Roosters/Петухи
Wolves/Волки


Оборотень (Skinshifter)


Classes/Классы
Your class represents what kind of hero you are, and it determines the bulk of your heroic abilities. As you mature as a hero, your class becomes much more important than your race or your background. The classes and specializations you may pursue in Lukomorye are:
Ваш класс это отражение конкретного героического типа. Он определяет большинство Ваших необычайных способностей. По мере Вашего развития, класс становится гораздо более важным, чем раса или происхождение. Ваш персонаж может выбирать между следуюшими классами и специальностями: 

Name/                                            Specialities/                                    Cognates in standard 5e
Наименование                            Специальности                                Когнаты в стандартном 5е

Bogatyr'/Богатырь                        Стезя (Path)                                     None/Отсутствует

A knight-errant who performs          Оратай (Oratai)                                  None/Отсутствует

feats of superhuman strength            Казак (Cossack)                                 None/Отсутствует
Boyan/Боян                                     Распев (Chantry)                               Bard
A performer and jack-of-trades        Гусляр (Gusliar)                                 College of Valor
whose music invokes old magics      Скоморох (Skomorokh)                     College of Lore
Vedun/Ved'ma/Ведун/Ведьма        Завет (Pact)                                      Warlock
A spellcaster who gains power          Навий Завет (Netherworldly Pact)    None/Отсутствует
by making pacts with dangerous        Дикий Завет (Beast Tsar Pact)          None/Отсутствует
beings                                                 Бесов Завет (Devil's Pact)                 Infernal Pact
                                                           Чудий Завет (Chudo Pact)                 Great Old Ones Pact
Voin/Воин                                         Дружина (Company)                        Fighter
A skilled warrior who excels             Витязь                                                Champion
in armed combat                                Воевода                                              Battlemaster
                                                           Вещий воин                                       Eldritch Knight
Volkhv/Волхв                                   Круг (Circle)                                      Druid
A pagan priest who serves the            Круг Мокоши (Circle of Mokosh)   None/Отсутствует
Old Gods and learns from the wild     Круг Велеса (Circle of Veles)          None/Отсутствует
Durak/Дурак                                     Гомон (Babel)                                  None/Отсутствует
A lucky good-for-nothing Fool           Простофиля (Simpleton)                 None/Отсутствует
with wondrous powers                        Юродивый (Holy Fool)                    None/Отсутствует
Koldun/Колдун                                 Род (Bloodline)                                 Sorcerer
A spellcaster whose power is in          Змеевич (Zmeevich)                        Draconic Bloodline
the blood                                              Ягишна (Yagishna)                          None/Отсутствует
                                                             Навий (Netherworldly)                    None/Отсутствует
Plut/Плут                                           Кодла (Den)                                      Rogue
A street-smart trickster, often              Тать (Tat')                                         Thief
involved in shady business                  Лукавец (Lukavets)                          Arcane Trickster
                                                             Жулик (Zhulik)                                 Mastermind (Sword Coast Guide)
                                                             Разбойник (Bandit)                           None/Отсутствует
Sviashchennik/Священник             Предание (Tradition)                        None/Отсутствует
A Priest who serves God and              Анахорет (Anchoritic)                      None/Отсутствует                       
an ecclesiastical hierarchy                   Кенозист (Kenotic)                           None/Отсутствует
                                              Сенобит (Cenobitic)                          None/Отсутствует
                                                            Изихаст (Hesychastic)                        None/Отсутствует
                                                            Пантократ (Pantocratic)                     None/Отсутствует
Storozh/Сторож                                Застава (Lodge)                                Ranger
A tough skirmisher who                      Стрелок (Strelok)                               Hunter
roams the frontier                                Ловчий            (Lovchii)                    Beastmaster
                                                             Ушкуйник (Ushkuinik)                     None/Отсутствует
(Rare or foreign classes/Редкие или заморские классы)
Podvizhnik/Подвижник                   A holy defender of the Faith               Paladin (Oath of Devotion only)
Mag/Маг                                            Школа (School)                                 Wizard
A sage who learns magic by               Хранильник                                        Abjurer
perusing ancient tomes                        Духовидец                                          Conjurer
                                                             Звездочет                                            Diviner
                                                            Чародей                                               Enchanter
                                                             Взыватель                                           Evoker
                                                            Хитросплетник                                   Illusionist
                                                            Чернокнижник                                    Necromancer
                                                            Потворник                                           Transmuter
Shaman/Шаман                                                                                             None/Отсутствует
A spellcaster who trafficks with                                               
spirits and travels to other planes
 

Скоморохи (Skomorokhs)





Backgrounds/ Происхождение

Your background is your initial social station or job.
Происхождение – это ваше место в обществе – ремесло или сословие.
 


Name/                                    Russian Name/                            Standard 5e cognate, if any/
Наименование                    Русское Наименование            Когнат в стандарном 5е


Ascetic                                       Инок (Inok)                                      Hermit           
Artificer                                     Ремесленник (Remeslennik)          Guild Artisan
Attendant                                  Служитель (Sluzhitel')                     Acolyte
Boyar                                        Боярин (Boyarin)                               Noble
Courtier                                    Дворянин (Dvorianin)                      None/Отсутствует           
Foreigner                                  Чужеземец (Chuzhezemets)            Far Traveler (Sword Coast Guide)           
Healer                                       Знахарь (Znakar')                             None/Отсутствует
Heathen                                    Язычник (Iazychnik)                        Outlander
Mariner                                     Моряк (Moriak)                               Sailor
Merchant                                   Гость (Gost')                                     None/Отсутствует
Mountebank                             Мошенник (Moshennik)                   Charlatan
Nomad                                      Кочевник (Kochevnik)                     None/Отсутствует
Peasant                                      Смерд (Smerd)                                 None/Отсутствует
Person-at-arms                          Ратник (Ratnik)                                Soldier
Ruffian                                      Буян (Buyan)                                    Criminal
Scribe                                        Дьяк (D'iak)                                      None/Отсутствует
Slave                                         Холоп (Kholop)                                None/Отсутствует
Urban Laborer                         Работник (Rabotnik)                        None/Отсутствует
Trouper                                    Балагур (Balagur)                              Entertainer
Vagabond                              Бродяга                                             None/Отсутствует
 

7 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. It seems to me, that Skomorokh is closer to the College of Valor and Gusliar is closer to the College of Lore.

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  3. That was a tough call for me. My thinking behind the parallel I made is this: Gusliary were really performers for the elite, and one of their main tasks was to glorify martial heroes, kind of like Viking skalds did. The brightest exemplar of the Gulsiary is, of course, Sadko, who is a fairly martial character, and about as close to the merchant-adventurer model behind the College of Valor as I can think of.

    The Skomorokhi, on the other hand, were popular musicians. They were roughing it more than the Gulsiiary, but didn't generally have access to martial training. On top of that, Skomorokhi were actually pagan priests in disguise. So as keepers of secret lore, I thought they were a better match for the College of Lore.

    But you probably could call it either way, which is why the parallel with the standard archetypes is not perfect. If I have people running these in game play, I may ultimately flesh these out into distinct archetypes that are no longer linked to the ones in the PHB.

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  4. Boris, your article has found its way to a site run by a 1st edition DM who is working on a mythical-Earth world building project. Looks like his request for permission may have got lost in translation...
    http://prespos.freeforums.net/thread/2096/slavic-mythos

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  5. I'm surprised the Turks were not included in the human sub categories, unless they'd have been lumped under the Rakhmany/Рахманы category, but I would imagine their own distinction.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. The Turks are lumped with the Kochmaki (Mongol-Tatars). For rules writeups, sometimes distinctions that are indispensable for good scholarship can become overkill. In any event, very few nomads active in 14th century Rus' actually spoke Mongolian - most spoke Turkic languages.

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