The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG

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The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG Page 6

by Cody Pondsmith


  races, wiped out the vran, kil ed all but a few hundred of the werebbubbs, built their cities way, North’s different from the

  on top of elderfolk cities, and depending on where you are they’re still kil ing elderfolk by the black ones or the Ofieri or the

  score every day. But they’re not all bad. Heh, most mages are human and they may destabilize Zerrikanians. Friendly enough

  countries and plunge the world into chaos, but they’ve also made the world better with magic once ya get to know ‘em but un-and science. Human are a clever bunch, and in a pinch, a human you know well will probably til then it can be rough sleddin’.

  have your back.

  Rare a Northerner’ll hide their

  –Rodolf Kazmer

  intentions though. Heh, if some

  big Kaedweni bastard wants to

  Perks

  cave your face in, you’ll know

  Trustworthy

  Blindly Stubborn

  it, trust me! Guess I’d call ‘em

  In a world where non-humans can’t be trusted, Part of the human race’s greatest strength is its honest. Traveled the south a bit

  humans look more trustworthy. Humans have willingness to charge forward endlessly, even

  and it never felt as honest. Too

  an inherent +1 to their Charisma, Seduction, into truly life-threatening situations. A human much plottin’ and too many

  and Persuasion checks against other humans.

  can summon up their courage and reroll a failed

  fake smiles.

  Resist Coercion or Courage roll 3 times per

  –Rodolf Kazmer

  Ingenuity

  game session. They take the higher of the two

  Humans are clever and often have brilliant solu- rol s, but if they still fail they cannot re-use the tions to difficult problems. Humans gain an in- ability to roll again.

  herent +1 to Deduction.

  25

  Lifepath

  Random Chance

  While you can choose from

  In the world of The Witcher your early life can be very important. Not only does it amongst these options to craft

  tell you what land you grew up in, but also what kind of environment you lived in,

  the specific character you want

  what the people around you were like, and even what skills you learned. This is also

  to play, roll from scratch first

  the point at which you decide which of the three sides of the Third Northern War

  one or two times just to see

  you hail from. This may not reflect what side you are on now, but it will tell you

  what you’ll get.

  what you grew up knowing about the conflict and what people will expect of you.

  Homeland

  The Elderlands

  As a non-human you can

  Roll

  Region

  choose to come from one of

  Roll

  Northern

  Vassal

  Origin

  Origin

  the traditional homelands

  Odd

  Northern Kingdoms

  of the elder races: the Ma-

  (Go to Northern Origin)

  1

  Redania

  Vicovaro

  hakaman Mountains or Dol

  (+1 Education)

  (+1 Education)

  Even

  Nilfgaard

  Blathanna. This is not manda-

  (Go to Nilfgaardian Origin)

  2

  Kaedwen

  Angren

  tory and you can roll on the ta-

  Non

  Elderlands

  (+1 Endurance)

  (+1 Wilderness Survival)

  ble for your homeland instead.

  Human

  (Go to Elderland Origin)

  3

  Temeria

  Nazair

  (+1 Charisma)

  (+1 Brawling)

  4

  Aedirn

  Mettina

  Roll

  Nilfgaardian Origin

  (+1 Crafting)

  (+1 Ride)

  Witcher Lifepath

  5

  Lyria & Rivia

  Mag Turga

  As a witcher you roll on a

  1-3

  The Heart of Nilfgaard

  (+1 Resist Coercion)

  (+1 Endurance)

  (+1 Deceit)

  witcher-specific Lifepath in the

  6

  Kovir & Poviss

  Gheso

  “Running a Witcher” Section

  4-10

  Vassal

  (+1 Business)

  (+1 Stealth)

  (Go to Vassal Origin)

  on pg.237. If you want, you can

  7

  Skellige

  Ebbing

  roll on the Lifepath tables to see

  (+1 Courage)

  (+1 Deduction)

  what the family you were tak-

  Maecht

  Race

  Elderland Origin

  8

  Cidaris

  en from was like, but they are

  (+1 Sailing)

  (+1 Charisma)

  most likely dead.

  Elf

  Dol Blathanna

  9

  Verden

  Gemmeria

  (+1 Social Etiquette)

  (+1 Wilderness Survival)

  (+1 Intimidation)

  Dwarf

  Mahakam

  10

  Cintra

  Etolia

  (+1 Crafting)

  (+1 Human Perception)

  (+1 Courage)

  Homeland

  You can find more informa-

  Roll

  Family

  tion on your homeland in

  Familial Fate

  Even

  Your Family Is Alive and Together

  the World section, starting on

  (Go to Parents)

  Along the course of your life it’s all

  pg.179. If you rolled Cintra as

  too common for something to go

  Odd

  Something Happened to Your Family

  your homeland you’ll have to

  horribly wrong. After finding out

  (Go to Family Fate)

  look under Nilfgaard. Cintra

  where you grew up roll on these

  was only captured a few years

  two tables to find out how lucky

  Roll

  Parents

  ago, and many still hold hope

  your family was as you were grow-

  of taking it back from Nilf-

  ing up.

  Even

  Your Parents Are Alive

  (Go to Family Status)

  gaard.

  Odd

  Something Happened To Your Parents

  (Go to Parental Fate)

  26

  Family Fate

  The Kazmer Family

  If you rolled that something happened to your family over the course of your life, roll on the table below. Not everything on this list affects your family directly. Some of the events Eh, life’s never easy for elderfolk

  below involve your interactions with them. These events affect not only your parents but

  growin’ up in the North. Heh,

  also your siblings. Roll 1d10 or choose below, then go to Parental Fate.

  had it easier than the elves but it

  still wasn’t exactly a walk in the

  Roll

  Northern Status

  Nilfgaardian Status

  Elderland Status

  park. Think most of the reason

  Your family was scattered to the Your family was indentured for Your family were marked as we didn’t get more trouble was

  1

  winds by the wars and you have crimes against the Empire or
human sympathizers and are

  my Pa was one tough older

  no idea where most of them on trumped-up charges. Only not particularly loved in their

  are.

  you escaped.

  homeland.

  dwarf and he made sure every-

  body knew it. Nah, real problem

  Your family was imprisoned Your family was exiled to the

  for crimes or on trumped-up Korath Desert and you likely Your family was ostracized

  was my brother, Agoston. Heh,

  2

  charges. You were the only one spent most of your early life for dissenting opinions and

  joined the Scoia’tael a few years

  to escape. You may want to free struggling to survive in the now people won’t socialize with back. Said he’d had enough

  them...or maybe not.

  deadly wasteland.

  you or your family at al .

  with the ‘damn dhoine’ runnin’

  Your family house was cursed Your family was killed by a Your family died in the

  roughshod over us dwarves. See

  and now either crops won’t rogue mage who either had a Northern Wars. They may have

  where he was comin’ from but

  3

  grow or specters roam the hal s. vendetta against your family, or actual y fought in the war, or It became too dangerous for just wanted blood. Either way, were casualties of war who just there ain’t no sense in huntin’

  you to stay in this home.

  you are alone.

  happened to get in the way.

  down innocent humans to get

  With so many wars your fam- Your family disappeared and Your family has been caught in

  back at the real bastards. Ma

  agrees with me but Pa’s aways

  4

  ily’s livelihood was destroyed. you have no idea where they a feud for centuries. You may

  Your family turned to crime to went. One day they just up and not remember why this feud

  been the, uh, ‘militant’ sort. Heh,

  survive.

  left.

  started, but it is dire.

  realy split the family up. Let me

  Your family accumulated a Your family was executed for Your family was stripped of its

  tell ya, family reunions ain’t no

  5

  huge debt through gambling or treason against the Empire. You title for some reason. You were favors from others. You need were the only one to escape this evicted from your home and

  picnic! Ya can count on at at

  money desperately.

  fate.

  left scrambling to survive.

  least one broken table and half a

  Your family has fallen into a Your family was stripped of

  dozen crumpled goblets.

  feud with another family. You its title for some reason. You Your family turned to raiding

  –Rodolf Kazmer

  6

  may not even remember why were evicted from your home human settlements early in

  this feud started in the first and left scrambling to survive your life to get food and per-place.

  among the un-washed masses. haps strike back at the humans.

  Due to some action or inaction Your family name was

  Your family house is haunted.

  Sounds Grim?

  your family has become hated tarnished by a magic relative Most likely this is because your If these tables seem some-7

  in your home town and now who flaunted their magical gift home was the site of many,

  no one there wants to have any- disgraceful y like a Northern many deaths during the war

  what depressing or ominous,

  thing to do with them.

  mage.

  against humans.

  remember that in a truly me-

  dieval world life is often nasty,

  One day everything you had You disgraced your family in Your family has been split by a

  the eyes of the Empire. Some- human in-law who was brought

  brutish, and short.

  8

  was ripped away by a bandit

  mob. Your family was massa- thing you did or failed to do has into your family by a sibling or cred, leaving you entirely alone. ruined your personal name and relative. Some of your family harmed your family.

  like them and some hate them.

  Your family has a deep, dark Your family has a deep, dark Your family was killed by hu-

  secret that if discovered would secret that if discovered would mans who thought they were 9

  ruin you all completely. You destroy them and their name Scoia’tael. They may have been

  can decide what this secret is, forever. You must protect this slaughtered or hung with no or the Game Master can decide. secret with your life.

  court proceedings or trials.

  Your family has come to despise Your family was assassinated. Your family is descended from each other. No one you grew up They may have been in the way an infamous traitor. It taints 10

  with will talk with each other of someone’s plan or they may your family’s interactions with any more and you’re lucky to have been used to get at some- others of the elder races and

  get a passing hello from your one more powerful. Either way, has made living in the elder-

  siblings.

  your family is gone now.

  land difficult.

  27

  Parental Fate

  If you rolled that something happened to your parents over the course of your life, roll

  Which Parent

  on the table below. Not everything on this list affects your parents directly. Some of the events below involve your interactions with them, such as having been sold or given

  Roll

  Parent

  away at a young age. Roll 1d10 or choose below, then go to Family Status.

  1-4

  Father

  Roll

  Northern Status

  Nilfgaardian Status

  Elderland Status

  5-8

  Mother

  One or more of your parents Your father died in one of the One or more of your par-

  9-10

  Both

  were killed in the Northern Northern Wars. He may have al- ents were accused of being

  1

  Wars. Most likely your father, but ready been in the military or he Scoia’tael. The people around it is also possible that your moth- may have been conscripted into you give your parents sidelong er fought or was a casualty.

  service during that war.

  glances.

  Brandon’s Parents

  One or more of your parents One or more of your parents One or more of your parents

  left you in the wilderness to were poisoned. This may have turned on your own people and

  When I was growing up in

  2

  fend for yourself. Maybe they been the work of a professional sold out the elder races to the Oxenfurt it was quite an open

  couldn’t afford to keep you; rival, or it may have been to get humans. Your parents are un-and freewheeling city. There

  maybe you were an accident.

  your parents out of the way.

  welcome in your homeland.

  was the ferment of advanced

  One or more of your parents The secret police took your One or more of your parents

  thought everywhere. Every once

  were cursed by a mage or due parent or parents for ‘question- killed themselves out of despair.

  in a while a profes or or student

  3

  to the intense hatred of some- ing.’ The next week their bodies With no hope of regaining the one they encountered. The were found hung in the streets glory of the past, they gave up

  would be arrested for heresy,

  curse took their life.

  of the city.

&nb
sp; and ended it.

  but other than that, Redani-

  One or more of your parents One or more of your parents While traveling, one or more of

  an control was largely unseen.

  sold you for coin, or perhaps were killed by a rogue mage. your parents fell prey to human Even though the students were

  4

  traded you for some goods or Most likely they tried to turn racism. They died in a pogrom

  often too poor to buy my fa-

  service. Your parents needed the mage in question in to the and their bodies were displayed ther’s shoes, it looked like a vital

  the money more than you.

  Empire and paid the price.

  on pikes.

  and carefree way of life. When I

  One or more of your parents One or more of your parents One or more of your parents

  and my siblings were older and

  were imprisoned for unlawful have become obssessed with

  5

  joined a gang. You saw this

  some had perished of the usual

  gang often and were sometimes magic. Maybe they actual y regaining the former glory

  childhood maladies, my mother

  forced to work with them.

  commited the crime or maybe of their race. They sacrifice

  it was a setup.

  everything for this cause.

  was able to take a job cleaning

  house for an alchemy professor.

  One or more of your parents One or more of your parents One or more of your parents

  were exiled to the Korath De- were exiled from your

  I sometimes went with her and

  6

  were killed by monsters. It is

  your decision as to what they sert. Likely they committed a homeland. There are many pos-

  saw science all over the floor,

  may have fallen prey to.

  major crime but killing them sible reasons, from crime to

  would cause trouble.

  dissenting opinons.

  wals and ceiling. It was then

  that I realized my caling was in

  One or more of your parents One or more of your parents One or more of your parents

  the humanities.

  7

  were falsely executed. They may were cursed by a mage. The were cursed. You can decide

  have been a scapegoat for some- mage likely had a vendetta what this curse is or, the Game

  –Brandon Of Oxenfurt

  thing or just in the wrong place. against them.

  Master can decide.

  One or more of your parents Your parents simply left you Your parents gave you to an-

  8

  died of a plague. There was one day. You may not even other family so that you could

  nothing that could be done but know why they did it. One day survive, because they couldn’t try to ease their passing.

 

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