Home Page

THE BOOK OF FATHER THIAS

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL CRUSADERS

     All my crusaders.
     Come home.
     The war is over.
     Christ has won.

     In the name of our Lord Christ Jesus, the most holy king of kings, Son of our father in heaven, He who lives for ever and ever, a blessing on you and peace on your house.  He is the way and the light.  He has called us to serve with Him, he calls us to learn through Him, he will call us to join Him.
     There is a way of growth that has been lost to us.  He would that you should learn it again.  Open your ears to hear.  Grow new ears to hear more deeply.  Grow an ear in your heart to hear and keep what He says to us.
     The crusaders are needed back home now.  When the warriors in Christ were called, they came from settled rural communities.  They did not want to go across the world.  They did not want to die in that dry land.  Yet they hearkened to the call.  They opened their ears, and answered with their hearts.  They left their homes, their families, and their own lands.  They put an end to idolatry and that which the Lord hates.
     The crucified one, the one who died to take the sins of the world upon Himself calls us back to the home.  To our lands.  To settle them and keep them.  To tend them.  To live in peace as one body in Christ.  Thus says the Lord “He who accepts shall dine with me, and I shall sup with him.”
     Amen.  Even for ever.  Amen.

Wisdom
    This has always been the fourth attribute.  A beginning character gets 40 points starting.  With this attributes the following beliefs may be purchased.
    These beliefs are methods of gaining experience.  First are listed the traditional eight beliefs used by crusaders going to war.  The ones after that are those new beliefs learned when the land was starting to be settled and a raising up was needed, not subduing.  A person may not have more beliefs that bear fruit than they have wisdom.  One must study diligently to gain new wisdom.

     I am sure that Wisdom is not the exclusive domain of the followers of Christ.  I will admit a bit of favoritism as I do feel that Wisdom is Christ’s very mother and this gives a unique relationship.  This may be ethnocentric as it can not be denied that Wisdom is available to all that seek it.  But we are not always worthy to receive it, and sometimes it is granted to us in spite of that. As it is said of the Father “I give my rain to the just and unjust alike.” so shall the blessings of wisdom and life be available to all, be it Humanoid beings, Intelligent Monsters, or Beasts of the field. Let it be true in all the campaigns just as the proverb says “all beings give glory to God.”

It is possible to repent of a belief if you want, just as you can forget a Talent or Language; the rules are the same. However, not that some beliefs have ''prerequisites'' – that is, there is a belief one must already know to learn the new one. If you have one of these Higher beliefs one cannot repent of the prerequisite unless forgetting the higher-level belief at the same time.

     WISDOM AS AN ATTRIBUTE
     A starting Human gets ST 8, DX 8, IQ 8, WI 8, and 8 extra points to distribute.  This totals forty points.  For every ten experience points gained a character gets their Wisdom in experience.  Examples are shown on the table below.

     The starting Human, Elf, Orc, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Holbytela, Dwarf, Prootwaddles, Merman, and most half breeds have a starting Wisdom of 8.  The very powerful humanoid races; Giants, Centaurs, Gargoyles, and Reptile Men, start with a Wisdom(WD) of 4.  They may not start with any more than WD 4.  After play starts they may increase their Wisdom by cashing in experience on the table below.

     With the addition of the fourth attribute a new experience table is needed.  It is listed below.  This table is adjusted to a new base total of a 40 point character.  For each series of 5 attribute totals over 59, double the EP needed.  The 60th-64th points cost 8,000 each, and so on.

    Here is a table with multiple columns for a range of Wisdom attributes.  It should be easier to use for those who don’t want to do the math.  It also goes to higher attribute totals.

     The starting Human, Elf, Orc, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Holbytela, Dwarf, Prootwaddles, Merman, and most half breeds have a starting Wisdom of 8.  The very powerful humanoid races; Giants, Centaurs, Gargoyles, and Reptile Men, start with a Wisdom(WD) of 4.  They may not start with any more than WD 4.  After play starts they may increase their Wisdom by cashing in experience on the table below.

     With the addition of the fourth attribute a new experience table is needed.  It is listed below.  This table is adjusted to a new base total of a 40 point character.  For each series of 5 attribute totals over 59, double the EP needed.  The 60th-64th points cost 8,000 each, and so on.

BELIEFS

Wisdom 1 BELIEFS

     MAGIC (1): Some magic items increase one or more attributes of their users. However, the increase is NOT permanent, but only lasts as long as the magic item is worn - or, in the case of a magic potion, only for a day or less. When a magic item gives you’re a temporary IQ increase, you can NOT use the increased IQ to learn new spells or talents. This increase may be due to one of three causes. First an enchanted item that increases either ST, DX, or IQ, second a weapon / armor enchant that increases DX, third and lastly from the AID spell. All other spells and enchantments do not require the target to have any Wisdom to work. For instance one my cast blur, conceal, or flight on a stone. The same stone may be enchanted in a Wizards Lab, but as it has a wisdom less than three, it may not have it's attributes increased. The stone's attributes in this case are fixed and unchanging. Characters who do not choose to believe in magic will not receive any attribute increases from spells or enchantments, though they may still suffer decreases from curses, improved saving throws from charms, and any other effect of magic.

Wisdom 2 BELIEFS

     WISH (1): A wish may increase this character's ST, DX, or IQ by one point instantly, although it will not increase any attribute above 16. A character without this belief may gain all the other benefits of using a wish, or suffer having a wish used against them including but not limited to rerolling any die roll just made, calling a die roll before it is made, or getting an answer to a yes no question, but they may not get an attribute increase.

Wisdom 3 BELIEFS

     CAMPAIGN (1): In a campaign game, each character rolls once a week for the risks associated with his/her employment. (See JOBS.) A very bad roll can endanger the character’s life. However, a very good one can result in the character’s going up one attribute point. This reflects the fact that a character has a life of his own, even while he is not being actively played. The listing of jobs shows which types of work have the highest risks and the best chances for increasing your attributes. If one works a job without this CAMPAIGN belief they will not gain attributes even when a successful job roll indicates one, they will still get paid, sometimes injured for failed rolls, maybe even killed, but they will not gain attribute for working.

Wisdom 4 BELIEFS

     COMBAT (1): The character who believes in fighting gets 1 experience per point of damage done, and the targets DX in experience for a killing blow. One experience point for every hit of damage you put on a foe, or for every on-hit ''nuisance'' creature, like a rat or wasp, you kill. For killing larger nuisance creatures, like slimes, give five points to the person who puts in the death blow, and no points to anyone else. Killing a slime isn't much harder than knocking down a door, and shouldn't be worth much. NOTE: hits done by a wizard's sells – including fire and illusions – count as experience for the wizard. ALSO: the person dealing the killing blow to any enemy (except a ST 1 to 3 nuisance monster, like a rat) gets experience points equal to that foe's basic DX. This serves two purposes: it encourages fighters to press the attack, and it makes killing a high-DX, low-ST foe (often a deadly opponent) worth something.

Wisdom 5 BELIEFS

     CASTING (1): A character who believes in spells and research gets 1 exp per point of fatigue spent while casting spells in a pressure situation. Definition of “pressure” is left to the GM - but should normally mean only while the character is on an adventure or under attack. Under such circumstances, even missed spells count for experience. But a character does not get experience for ordinary spells cast in day-to-day life. The experience a character gains in his ordinary life is compensated for by his weekly “risk roll” - see CAMPAIGN above. A wizard does get 20 exp per week spent creating any magic item as long as they are one of the wizards creating the item and not just an apprentice casting aid..

WI 6 BELIEFS

DIE ROLLS (1): Making a saving roll against danger (thus avoiding it) or putting one of your talents to good use (thus learning more) are worth experience. Any character who successfully makes any roll on four or more dice will get experience points: 10 for a 4D roll, 20 for a 5D roll, 30 for a 6D roll, and so on. Only a roll which produces results will count - for instance, if you look for a secret door and none is there, you don’t get experience, no matter how good the roll. NOTE: Sometimes the GM will make a roll for a character, so the result will be secret. These rolls do count for experience, if they are successfully made. The GM tells the player later.

Wisdom 7 BELIEFS

     TIME IN PLAY(1): Each hour of real time spent in play is worth 5 experience points to each character actively involved. The GM should not award points to characters who don’t participate or who waste time deliberately. However, characters who actively take part in the risks and triumphs of four (real) hours of play will amply deserve the extra 20 points.

Wisdom 8 BELIEFS

     PERSONALITY (1): Awarded by GM discretion. Based on the characters personality the GM will award extra exp, or take away exp depending on how well the character is played. Roll 2D to Determine stats in following areas: Bravery, Honesty, Appearance, Friendliness, Mood. Remind the GM when you have adhered To your personality extremes. The GM will also Penalize experience points for deviation from The same. The experience points awarded are usually not more than 10 at a time.

Wisdom 9 BELIEFS

     WINE (1): For the purchase and consumption of wine. In this explanation wine means any alcoholic beverage. Character gets experience for the money spent on wine. Wine is purchased and consumed. Only the wine consumed by the character counts. The experience is not awarded until the wine is consumed. The experience is awarded at a rate of 1 point per 10 silver pieces spent on the wine. In the case of large purchases the more expensive wine is better. It takes less time to consume and gets the player less inebriated than large quantities of cheep wine. The purchase of the wine itself usually requires that it be imported, particularly in the case of expensive wines. They have to be paid for in advance and shipped or ported to the location. The GM will determine the weeks of delay. The GM will also roll for random encounters when the delivery enters the active campaign area. Many shipments have been totally lost to brigands, dragons, and other horrors. In situations with badly raided supply lines characters have found them selves in the position of hiring guards to go out to the boarders, or sail out, and escort the cargo. These guards must also be paid for the time hey spend waiting for the cargo to arrive. Food for said guards is an additional cost. No experience is gained on such expenditures.

Wisdom 10 BELIEFS

     MARRIAGE (1): Money spent on or given to a wedding. This includes gifts, magic items, live stock, and such. Experience is awarded at 1 point per 10 silver pieces spent. To gain this experience one must either stand in, or attend the wedding. The experience is awarded after the wedding night when the character wakes in the morning. All experience is lost if the gift is refused or returned. No matter how much time has passed. It is possible for a character to lose an entire character point this way (see LOSING ABILITIES WHEN ATTRIBUTES ARE REDUCED). If the wedding ends in divorce experience is also lost but only %50, or half. The character loses the experience upon finding out about the event, be it divorce, returned, or refused gifts. In the event that a character wishes to give a wedding gift and either didn’t know about the even ahead of time or found out after the fact of the wedding the character only gets %50 experience. However they are immune to the loss of experience due to divorce. They still get no experience if the gift is refused or returned.

Wisdom 11 BELIEFS

     SONG (1): This Wisdom method typically done in a drinking establishment, tavern, inn, or such. A bard or entertainer is paid to tell stories and/or sing songs. The character doesn’t have to be in an establishment or pay for the bard themselves. In fact the person with this Wisdom method may tell their own stories sitting around a camp fire to a small group, but it is harder to get many experience points that way as will be seen. Experience points are gained at the rate of 1 point per 10 pieces of silver spent cleaning up and paying for damages. For instance if a bar room brawl breaks out over the retelling of deeds during the last war and all the furniture in the bar is destroyed, many people are jailed and bails have to be paid, and costs for medical treatment of the injured need to be covered, then the character who pays for this stands to get a lot of experience. It is not unheard of for a wealthy character to get multiple character points paying to rebuild a tavern that was burned to the ground. Note that these bar fights are of a subduing nature and non lethal. If anyone is killed no one gets any experience.

Wisdom 12 BELIEFS

     TREASURE (1): This is experience for the amassing and storage of wealth itself. The character accumulates wealth and valuables. They get 1 experience point for every 10 silver pieces worth. If the wealth is stolen they lose the experience. This happens upon finding out about the theft. They may lose entire attribute points this way (see LOSING ABILITIES WHEN ATTRIBUTES ARE REDUCED.)

Wisdom 13 BELIEFS

     FAME (1): Experience points for the IQ of defeated foes. Defeated is defined as killed, subdued, converted to a follower, or captured and turned into authorities. In order to get this experience one must have witness to testify to the deed, if the foe was killed in the wilderness or labyrinth, or bring in the body. If the person is brought in live or converted to a follower then witnesses should not be a problem. Because of the need for witnesses many people with the Wisdom method of Fame retain their own bard.

Wisdom 14 BELIEFS

     RELIGION (1): Experience points awarded for tithes to the church. The character with this Wisdom method gets 1 point of experience for every 10 pieces of silver donated. The ranking priest may refuse the experience. They may take the money and then not give the experience. This may happen for a variety of reasons. The experience points may be withheld until the completion of some quest, or penance is performed, or the withholding may be penance in it self. In the event that the ranking priest is a player character they may withhold the experience points from any other player for any reason. If the temple or church is sacked, burned down, or desecrated then all humanoids in the area who attend will lose two character points, priests will lose three, and theologians will lose five. In medieval settings it is unlikely that more than one church will exist in the area. In large cosmopolitan cities that have more than one church of the same religion these losses are reduced to 0 points for lay members, 1 point for priests, and 3 points for theologians. Either way these losses stand until the temple/church is rebuilt.

Wisdom 15 BELIEFS

     HOBBY (1): This is a Wisdom method that the character may define for themselves. They get 1 experience point for every 10 pieces of silver spent in their area of interest. They may lose experience if their work or research is lost, destroyed, or fails (doesn’t work). Areas of interest include the following, but are not restricted to this list. Check with the GM if you wish to invent your own hobby.

Wisdom 16 BELIEFS

     MAPPING (1): Get one experience point for every mile of new wilderness explored and mapped. One experience point for every megahex of labyrinth explored and mapped. The experience is gained when the map is sold back in town.

Wisdom 17 BELIEFS

     JOURNAL KEEPING(1): When a player writes out the events of an adventure in the perspective of their character the GM will award one experience per page. The experience is gained at the end of the session on the merits of a page count alone and does not have to be read by the GM. The player may edit and flesh out the journal later on their own time. The more biased to the characters own perspective the better. At the next session it may be read to one or more other players before the game starts. This is something to do while the GM is working other characters, doing downtime, or other book keeping. If the players who hear the reading find it biased enough, each one may award from 1 to 4 experience points. Of course the full 4 EP should be reserved for readings that are particularly entertaining, done in character, with an accent, and memorized (that is recited from memory while another player reads along.) LEARN BY DOING(1): Roll ST exactly and get own ST in EP. Roll DX exactly and get own DX in EP. Roll IQ exactly and get own IQ in EP.

Wisdom 18 BELIEFS

     REPUTATION(1): Get one EP every time another player recommends any of the following things about you to the GM, or testifies to an NPC of one of these.

Wisdom 19 BELIEFS

     Group experience(1): If this character leads a group all experience is added up and divided among the Survivors at the end of the session. The group must have a name to be considered a group. For instance, one group of players named their band of Adventurers “The Wrecking Crew.” By using group experience, their scholar who usually just hung around in the back and never got experience for any of the fighting, actually started to progress.

Wisdom 20 BELIEFS

     Half experience(1): If the character dies their Heir gets half of their exp. The player has to make a new character, and they have an heir written on their character sheet the new character starts will half the experience total of the previous character. Take the character’s attribute total, determine how much experience would be needed to get there with the old characters Wisdom, and divide in two. For instance a 42 point human of WD 8 would have started with 40 points. For the human to get those two extra points they would have earned 250 EP. The new character gets 125 EP to add to their character. This Wisdom method has been very useful in campaigns with a lot of high powered characters. Starting over with a beginner is almost impossible. The new characters don’t stand a chance. Also, half of a high attribute point characters experience can bring the new character very close to the old attribute total. As another example take Mr White, a wizard who dies with an heir. In life Mr White had an attribute total of 52, and a WD of 8. This comes out to 3,750 experience. The new character, or heir, will get 1,875 EP. The EP spent to buy one point at a time will take the new character to an attribute total of 50. Not too far from the original character’s stats. This method has gone a long way to soften the pain of losing a character. Some players even like it, as it gives them a chance to start over and make a better design.

Next is solo adventure two.