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To order or not to order, that is the question
Is the Archetype Avatar Superior to the Unordered One?

Another Exclusive for the Dragonsfoot LA Game Section

By Gary Gygax

© 2001 Trigee Enterprises Company. All rights reserved.

The table below appeared in a recent issue of LEJENDS Magazine, These changes in the rules for advancement of Unordered Avatars were engendered because there was discovered an imbalance. That is, players were encouraged to create Ordered Avatars because of the advantages of advancement when belonging to a society, guild, or such similar association as is suggested by belonging to an Order.

The Ordered Avatar is an archetype that is generally recognized by human societies in the LEJENDARY EARTH TM World Setting. In addition, each Order has the sorts of fellowships noted—association, brotherhood, company, guild, etc. In no event does the system otherwise promote the Ordered Avatar as superior to the one created freely, the Unordered Avatar as conceived and executed by the player in accordance to his or her desires in regards a character through whose game adventures entertainment and enjoyment will be realized.

Here are the new awards for advancement of the Unordered Avatar, now officially the rule for the game:

Unordered Avatars

The following tables replace those found on page 46 of the Lejendary Rules for All Players book.

First Ability is Health Based

Ability at 61: Add 2 points to each other Health-based Ability.

Ability at 71: Add 3 points to each other Health-based Ability.

Ability at 81: Add 2 points to each other Health-based Ability and 5 points to any one Precision-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 91: Add 2 points to each other Health-based Ability and 5 points to any one Precision-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 101: Add 4 points to each other Health-based Ability.

Ability at 111: Add 5 points to each other Health-based Ability.

Ability at 121: Add 4 points to each other Health-based Ability and 5 points to any one Precision-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 131: Add 4 points to each other Health-based Ability and 5 points to any one Speed-based Ability of your choice.

First Ability is Precision Based

Ability at 61: Add 2 points to each other Precision-based Ability.

Ability at 71: Add 3 points to each other Precision-based Ability.

Ability at 81: Add 2 points to each other Precision-based Ability and 5 points to any one Speed-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 91: Add 2 points to each other Precision-based Ability and 5 points to any one Speed-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 101: Add 4 points to each other Precision-based Ability.

Ability at 111: Add 5 points to each other Precision-based Ability.

Ability at 121: Add 4 points to each other Precision-based Ability and 5 points to any one Speed-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 131: Add 4 points to each other Precision-based Ability and 5 points to any one Health-based Ability of your choice.

First Ability is Speed Based

Ability at 61: Add 2 points to each other Speed-based Ability.

Ability at 71: Add 3 points to each other Speed-based Ability.

Ability at 81: Add 2 points to each other Speed-based Ability and 5 points to any one Health-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 91: Add 2 points to each other Speed-based Ability and 5 points to any one Health-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 101: Add 4 points to each other Speed-based Ability.

Ability at 111: Add 5 points to each other Speed-based Ability.

Ability at 121: Add 4 points to each other Speed-based Ability and 5 points to any one Health-based Ability of your choice.

Ability at 131: Add 4 points to each other Speed-based Ability and 5 points to any one Precision-based Ability of your choice.

To be sure, the above changes help, but do not guarantee parity for, the Unordered Avatar. Not belonging to a group has some disadvantages. The main advantage to the free-form approach to creating and developing an Avatar in the LA game is that the player is able to design and develop the “perfect” sort of character to suit his or her idea of what will be the most interesting sort.

There are ways in which to maximize the advantages offered by advancement of the Unordered Avatar, and to this end I have prepared the bare-bones stats for two such characters:

Unordered Avatar: Carlos Delgato

Carlos Delgato is the third son of a petty noble.  Always up to some mischief, hot-headed and troublesome, his father, Don Diego, determined to send Carlos to the priesthood.  Of course, the youth would have none of that.  When a carnival troupe passed through, Carlos left the castle, joined up.  He took his "rightful inheritance" with him, thus totally alienating himself from his father.  As he learned the skills of these entertainers, he maintained his rigorous personal routine of arms practice.  Being bright and charming, Carlos soon managed to wheedled the hedge magician of the troupe, became her apprentice.  Now, several years later, he has the following stats and Abilities.

Initial H 38 + 15 + 2 = 55

Initial P 50 + 7 + 4 = 61

Initial S 12 +2 + 0.5 = 14.5 (58)

 Abilities:

1st: Weapons (Precision based Ability) 61

2nd: Minstrelsy (Precision based Ability) 49 + 2 for 61 initial Ability = 51 (+5 to hand-hurled Weapons, +5 Harm, +5' range)

3rd: Chivalry 33 (+6 to Weapons, +6 to Harm)

4th: Enchantment 23 (see list of Powers below)

5th Tricks (Precision based Ability) 10 + 2 for 61 initial Ability = 12 (+1 to Harm)

Enchantment--one Memory Tablet with:

    Flame Finger

    Lighter than Air

    Personal Armor 1

    Weapon Wizard

Attack: Adjusted Weapons 66 with striking weapon, 71 with hand-hurled weapon; Harm by weapon +7 striking weapon, +12 hand-hurled weapon. (Weapon Wizard Power negated attack penalty when using Minstrelsy Ability in defense.)

Defense: Leather half armor 6, +5 Minstrelsy Ability use, +2 Personal Armor 1 Power effect = 13.

Carlos has considerable equipment and cash left from what he took when leaving his father's castle.  This includes a fine courser and two excellent swords.

He is growing bored with the entertainment troupe, restless, yearning for derring-do so as to prove his worth as a swordsman and adventurer.

 

Unordered Avatar: Jivros Sylgar

Jivros Sylgar is the only son of an adventurous geourge (Leo Sylgar) and a tribal chieftain’s daughter, Jalki.  When a war party from another tribe wiped out the village, Jivros was away at a coastal town, learning skills of martial arts sorts.  Returning, he found his parents dead, his little sister missing.  Knowing he was powerless to do anything, he allowed his desire for revenge to cool, returned to perfect his martial arts.  Now, several years later, equipped with such fighting capacity, and with the knowledge taught to him by his father and mother, Jivros is a wanderer, determined to soon seek out those who slaughtered his family and tribe, exact a gory revenge.  He has the following stats and Abilities.

Initial H 44 + 16 + 1 = 61

Initial P 44 + 10 + 1 = 55

Initial S 12 + 3 + 0.25, + 0.5, + 0.5, + 0.5 = 16.75 (67)

1st: Unarmed Combat 61

2nd: Geourgy (Speed based Ability) 54 + 2 for 61 initial Ability = 56 (see list of Powers below)

3rd: Divination (Speed based Ability) 40 + 2 for 61 initial Ability = 42

4th: Savagery (Speed based Ability) 27 + 2 for 61 initial Ability = 29 (+ 2 to Weapons and such Harm)

5th Weapons 10

Geourgy--two Memory Tablets of father’s with:

Command circle materials formerly belonging to father

Protection circle materials formerly belonging to father

(seven activations TBD)

Divination means—four types (TBD)

Attack:

Unarmed Combat base 61, +12 Harm to target subject.

Adjusted Weapons 18 (10 + 6 for Unarmed Combat + 2 for Savagery Ability) = 18 with striking weapon, he having a thrusting sword, P bonus 20, this totals 38; Harm bonus + 2.

Defense: Cloth half armor 4, + 6 Unarmed Combat Ability defense = 10.

Jivro has moderate equipment and some small amount of cash left from what he recovered from the place his father hid his wealth.

He is currently wandering in search of a band of stalwarts who will join him in his quest to destroy the murderous tribe of raiders mentioned.

In the first example, the important Abilities of Minstrelsy and Tricks will be enhanced as the Avatar, Carlos Delgato, advances from 61 to 71. Of course, it is expected that the player will work on Chivalry and Enchantment improvement about equally with Weapons score increase, so as to build a well-rounded and very powerful Avatar. When at 81 Weapons Ability, the 5-point increase for a Speed-based one will go into Enchantment, of course. If this has been brought up to 50, the value of the addition in Merits will be 250 greater.

The second example, Jivros Sylgar, allows the player to decide what stat base will be applied. The Avatar is set for Speed Ability increases, with a new Health-based one to be added in due course, as 81 Unarmed Combat Ability score will allow an increase of 5 score points in such an Ability. Physique is an obvious choice for an addition in this regard.

The point of all of this is to demonstrate that it is really a lot of fun to create an Unordered Avatar. Note that both of those used above as examples have a mix of ordinary and Extraordinary Ability potential, can be developed further along the obvious lines, or in other ways, all the while the player that created the Avatar having fun so doing. Clearly, such characters are not at any disadvantage over Ordered ones, and the player can freely alter the focus of the Avatar’s Ability mix as suits the circumstances of play, or merely on a whim, without adversely impacting the effectiveness general of the character.

That’s the way I see it. Opinions to the contrary are invited.

 

 

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