Lets Read... Mythus pt2.1

Comment posted by

Kelvin Green Feb 27, 2012 10:22 AM

No sample character? That's a shame!

Well, yes and no. There is actually a sample character in the Mythus Prime chargen chapter. He's introduced to us in the various How to Make a Character boxouts, but has such a silly made-up fantasy name - Kristof (*pshaw!*) - that I simply refuse to mention him. But, as the peanut gallery have demanded it, I'm going to waste some time and effort making our very own Mythus Prime HP for the enjoyment and edification of the readership.

Name: Chongo van der Bheetschtick (he's from alternate magicworld Holland)
Social Class: 5, Freeman landowner (rolled 4)

Vocation: Soldier (Chongo was not gestated in a sufficiently high-caste womb to be worthy of the Cavalier vocation, and I didn't fancy taking a drop in social class just to take the Mercenary career)

TRAITS
(120 divided as desired, min 20, max 60)

Mental:	35
Physique:	50
Spiritual	35

Our guy is pretty strong, but only average in the fields of finking or praying at things.

SKILLS
(all = base ## + 1/2 TRAIT)

Automatic Skills

Speak Native Language (M)	47
Perception (M)	47
Riding (P)	55

Career Skills

Combat, Hand Weapons (P)	55
Combat, HTH, Lethal (P)	45
Combat, HTH, Non-Lethal (P)	40
Combat, Hand Weapons, Missile (P)	40
Criminal Activities, Mental (M)	27
Criminal Activities, Physical (P)	50
Escape (P)	50
Gambling (M)	37
Streetwise (M)	37
Survival (P)	45

Free Pick Skills

+ 3 Physical Skills
Arms & Armour	35
First Aid	35
Mountain Climbing	35
+ 2 Spiritual Skills
Alchemy*	27
Metaphysics*	27
+ 1 Mental Skill
Appraisal	27

* Skill related to magic use

So, we've basically got a default adventurer type with hobby-level interests in chemistry and philosophy.

FINANCES

Net Worth:	10,000 BUC + horse of 7,000BUC value (127 Physique)
Bank Account:	2,000 BUC
Cash on Hand:	900 BUC
Disposable Monthly Income:	50 BUC

Thanks to the magic of "refer to Advanced Mythus" I have precisely no clue as to whether this amount of cash is good or bad. If the 1 BUC = $1 thing is taken as a given Chongo is doing well for himself if seen from the standpoint of a Gujerati dirt farmer.


GEAR
Sword (4d6), Spear (3d6), dagger (2d6)
Full Chain armour (12) and cosmetic shield
Hard wearing travel clothes
Rope, lantern, oil, paper and charcoal, minimal camping gear
Minor trinkets and curios

No kit list in Basic Mythus. This is just a default adventuring rig.


DERIVED STATS

Wound Level (3/4 of Physique):	37
Heka (sum of magic skills):	54
Attractiveness:	13 (Attractive/Cute)

So that's a Mythus Prime character.

The massive block of percentile skills reminds me a great deal of a BRP* or WFRP char sheet, and the numbers on offer are reminiscent of starting skills score in those two games. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make me wonder: why not just play RuneQuest or WFRP?

Some of the skills are also a bit odd. The idea that criminal activity is a specific skill set - as opposed to just doing things in a way that the local Powers That Be don't approve of - is a bit strange to my mind. Similarly the sweeping generality of, for example, Criminal Activities, Physical or Mental stands in stark contrast to the very very specific distinctions of Combat, Hand Weapons vs. Combat HTH Lethal vs Combat HTH Non-Lethal.

Oh well, I'm sure it'll all start to make sense as I head further down the rabbit hole... (either that or I'll eventually be found gibbering and scribbling on the walls)

That said Zak's theory that Mythus was EGG's poison pen letter to the goggle-eyed clue lacker element of the gaming world ("...by 1992 Gary had received So. Much. Stupid. Mail. that he figured there were people out there who needed "sheet" defined and needed "how to roll dice" explained.") is beginning to have a certain horrible logic. I'd hate to think that Mythus was what AD&D was meant to be.