Gideon13
05-03-2009, 04:14 AM
Playing a BoKL starting squire (as opposed to the default ready-to-be-knighted squire) is turning out to be a fascinating experience, and improving the sort of knight my character will ultimately be.
A few observations from the events so far:
- The normal Winter Phase D6+1 skill points aren?t enough to build a good, solid knight in six years. That means you have to constantly try things that will get you experience checks ? and since your skills are low, you will fail over and over and over again. I Fumbled my first Recognize roll at Court (mistook a Baronial coronet for a royal one) ? not the sort of Glory one wants. Which quickly raises a critical issue: what Trait or Passion lets your character put in that extra effort (on top of his regular squire?s duties) through these years of adversity? Do you love the challenge (roll Valorous)? Want to maintain your family tradition (roll Love Family)? Or are you just loaded with extra energy (roll Energetic)? Learning to reach inside to find the inner strength to keep striving beyond the norm ? boosting that Trait/Passion -- is making my character a better person, and ultimately a stronger more dependable knight. (Clarification: This is not rolling for Inspiration, but a roll-Energetic-to-continue kind of thing).
- A knight?s attitude towards training his squire makes a *huge* difference in the squire?s ability to earn those checks as well. We started out with a report of a bear that needed killing (OK, not original, but a good test as it turned out). A knight who treats his squire as a mere lance-holder would treat this as a chance for a few dozen easy Glory points. Fortunately my knight takes the position that he?s training someone who will be fighting at his side in six years and gave my character first go. My character will remember this in turn when he has a squire someday ?
- The lower skill and equipment levels forces one to fight smarter. A squire in 1-point hunting clothes would be quickly shredded by a bear ? assuming the squire managed to luck out on his Hunting rolls enough to catch it in the first place. So my character didn?t even try to track the bear in the open. Instead, he offered a very skilled hunter the bear?s meat and pelt (except for the head as proof) in return for leading the squire ? in full 8-point armor and shield ? to the bear?s lair. It took six rounds of combat, but the squire slew the bear in single combat afoot. A good start to a life of monster-slaying.
I?m having fun.
A few observations from the events so far:
- The normal Winter Phase D6+1 skill points aren?t enough to build a good, solid knight in six years. That means you have to constantly try things that will get you experience checks ? and since your skills are low, you will fail over and over and over again. I Fumbled my first Recognize roll at Court (mistook a Baronial coronet for a royal one) ? not the sort of Glory one wants. Which quickly raises a critical issue: what Trait or Passion lets your character put in that extra effort (on top of his regular squire?s duties) through these years of adversity? Do you love the challenge (roll Valorous)? Want to maintain your family tradition (roll Love Family)? Or are you just loaded with extra energy (roll Energetic)? Learning to reach inside to find the inner strength to keep striving beyond the norm ? boosting that Trait/Passion -- is making my character a better person, and ultimately a stronger more dependable knight. (Clarification: This is not rolling for Inspiration, but a roll-Energetic-to-continue kind of thing).
- A knight?s attitude towards training his squire makes a *huge* difference in the squire?s ability to earn those checks as well. We started out with a report of a bear that needed killing (OK, not original, but a good test as it turned out). A knight who treats his squire as a mere lance-holder would treat this as a chance for a few dozen easy Glory points. Fortunately my knight takes the position that he?s training someone who will be fighting at his side in six years and gave my character first go. My character will remember this in turn when he has a squire someday ?
- The lower skill and equipment levels forces one to fight smarter. A squire in 1-point hunting clothes would be quickly shredded by a bear ? assuming the squire managed to luck out on his Hunting rolls enough to catch it in the first place. So my character didn?t even try to track the bear in the open. Instead, he offered a very skilled hunter the bear?s meat and pelt (except for the head as proof) in return for leading the squire ? in full 8-point armor and shield ? to the bear?s lair. It took six rounds of combat, but the squire slew the bear in single combat afoot. A good start to a life of monster-slaying.
I?m having fun.