Editing Age Of Dragons: Lifepath, Arete and Edges

[[Age Of Dragons: Main Page]] -> [[Age Of Dragons: Hatchery Overview]] -> [[Age Of Dragons: Lifepath, Arete and Edges]]

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=Overview of Lifepath, Arete and Edges=

* '''Lifepaths:''' Select your Lifepath or Lifepaths.
* '''Determine Arete:''' Determine your Arete in each Lifepath you have.
* '''Determine Edges:''' Select and record the Edges that your Lifepath has given you.

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=Lifepaths=

Refer to the section [[Age Of Dragons: Lifepaths|"Lifepaths"]] for a full list of Lifepaths available and to the section [[Age Of Dragons: The Twelve Breeds|"The Twelve Breeds"]] for guidance on which Lifepaths your breed is well suited to.

Select one or more Lifepaths and determine how many years you have dedicated to each.

For example, if your dragon is 195 years old, you could have the following:

* Scholar Sage 145 years
* Ambassador-Courtier 50 years

By default, the game assumes that new Dragons player characters are between 100 and 199 years old. This age can be determined randomly (99 + D100) or just chosen by the player.
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=Arete= 

'''Arete''' translates roughly as "excellence" - it represents the pursuit of mastery and perfection in a Lifepath, as well as understanding and competence in that field of expertise.

Each Lifepath has a separate Arete score.

For each full 25 years spent in a lifepath, add +1 to the Arete you have in that Lifepath.

For example, the Dragon in the section above would have the following:
* Scholar-Sage, Arete 5.
* Ambassador-Courtier, Arete 2.
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=Determine Edges=

Lifepaths give certain benefits, called '''Edges'''. Once you have an Arete score of at least 1 in a Lifepath (i.e. have spent 10 years on it) you may select '''three Edges''' from that Lifepath. Record those Edges on your character sheet.

The [[Age Of Dragons: Lifepaths|"Lifepaths"]] section details these in full, but broadly Edges can be divided into different types:

* '''Skills'''
These ''Edges'' enhance your ability to perform certain tasks, usually adding your ''Arete'' to the appropriate ''Sphere'' rating.

* '''Powers'''
These ''Edges'' allow you to employ a new inherent ability of some sort, which you would not otherwise have access to.

* '''Suspires'''
These ''Edges'' allow you to cast magic through the arcane power of your Dragonsbreath. By default you don't know any ''Suspires'', and you have to pursue lifepaths to learn them.

* '''Techniques'''
These ''Edges'' allow you to access specialised techniques, which you wouldn't be able to use otherwise. They might enhance your fighting ability, or give you an advantage in other arenas.

Some ''Edges'' occur on more than one ''Lifepath''. Regardless, ''Edges'' are '''never cumulative''', and a Dragon can only gain a given ''Edge'' once. The implications of this are as follows:
* If you have several Skills that could apply to a task, you only apply one of them (normally the one associated with the largest bonus).
* If more than one ''Edge'' enhances an Sphere on any task, you can only benefit from the best of those enhancements.
* If more than one ''Edge'' weakens an Sphere on any task (for example with suspires that debuff an enemy), you only suffer from the worst of those weaknesses.
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=Option: Repeating Lifepaths=

Optionally, characters may choose to take the same Lifepath multiple times, with a separate Arete score and Edge choices for each. However, he can never select the same Edge more than once.

In this circumstance, each repeated Lifepath is treated as an entirely separate lifepath. It helps if the player or GM comes up with a slight change in name on each Lifepath to make this clear.

For example, an acadmic Dragon that values breadth of knowledge over depth might choose the following Lifepaths:

* Scholar Sage of the White Library 80 years
* Scholar Sage of the Arcane Spiral 70 years

In this circumstance he would have Arete 8 (and three Edges) in the first Lifepath, and Arete 7 (and three different Edges) in the second Lifepath.
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