Age Of Dragons: Characterisation
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Contents
Overview of Characterisation
ADVANTAGES:
- Advantages: Choose and record Lifepath Milestones
- Advantages: Choose and record Lifepath Resources
Choose and Record Lifepath Milestones
Each Lifepath presents a list of Milestones that can be bought with XP.
Early on in character generation you worked out the Experience Level your Dragon has in each Lifepath that he has been on. You can now spend that XP on different Milestones.
You can buy any Lifepath Milestone that you have sufficient XP for. Note though that only XP from a given Lifepath can be spent on that Lifepath's milestones. For example, only Warmaster XP can be spent on Warmaster Milestones.
Some Milestones have prerequisites which must be met before they are purchased.
Milestones are of various types.
Lifepath Sphere Variations
These Milestones give a bonus to your dice pool for certain tasks, and sometimes a penalty for other tasks.
For example, the Sphere Variation Milestone "Atavism" enhances bestial traits (sensory perception, hunting, tooth and claw combat) but which weakens ability to deal with civilisation (high etiquette, academic study, tool use, etc.).
Talents
These represent particular tricks and knacks learnt on the Lifepath.
For example, the Talent Milestone "Peregrine Dive" allows a flying dragon to make a special diving attack against a lower altitude flying enemy, which is far more deadly than a normal attack.
Arcane Lore
Arcane Lore consists of pneuma-driven sorcerous spells that achieve magical effects. Taking an Arcane Lore Milestone gives your Dragon knowledge of how to cast that spell.
For example, the Arcane Lore Milestone "Firebreathing" allows a dragon to channel his pneuma into igniting his breath, exhaling a cloud of flame to toast his prey and enemies.
Lifepath-specific Milestones
Different Lifepaths can offer unique categories of Lifepaths.
For example, the Warmaster Lifepath has the Category Arms and Armour Training, which includes various Milestones that allow for the effective use of draconic weapons and armour.
Lifepath Resources
Resources are items and things external to the Dragon which give him an advantage. For example, a Warmaster will Dragon-Armour and any weapons that he is trained in, while a Scholar-Sage will have a library of lore that he can access.
Certain Resources are available only after a certain amount of time on a Lifepath. For example, you need to have been a Scholar-Sage for 25 years before you have a library of lore.
Once you have earned a Resource, it stays with your Dragon.
Note that because Resources represent external items and factors, it is possible for characters to gain or lose Resources in the course of a story. For example, there is nothing to stop a Warmaster from making effort acquiring a Library during the course of a story (perhaps by forcibly displacing some doddering sage), and conversely there is no reason why bandits couldn't make away with that same Warmaster's hoard of weapons while he sleeps. However, changes to Resources of this nature should always be played out in full - its distinctly unfair to a player to have his Resources stripped away from him in downtime, and its game-breaking to assume that characters can acquire unusual Resources in downtime without having to play it out.
