Human
Size: Medium
Special Abilities: humans begin with one additional skill.
Disadvantages: None
Base Body Points: 1d8
Base Luck Points: 1d4+1
Experience Point Adjustment: None
Dwarf
Size: Medium
Special Abilities:
Saves: Dwarves add 1 to the die roll when making saves against magic and poison.
Dark Vision: Dwarves have Dark vision, which enables a dwarf to see up to 60' in total, non-magical, darkness and up to 120' in dim light. In conditions equal to the light shed by a torch or brighter, dark vision has no effect.
Expert Miners: Dwarves can determine depth and direction underground, age and origin of construction, and the stability of an area. Each action requires a turn with an average difficulty of 5.
Goblin Fighter: Dwarves add 1 to melee attack rolls when fighting goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears.
Giant Fighter: Dwarves add 1 to their defense when battling ogres, trolls, giants and similar creatures.
Disadvantages:
Stature: Dwarves cannot wield great swords, long bows and pole arms.
Base Body Points: 1d8
Base Luck Points: 1d3
Experience Point Adjustment: Dwarves require an additional 10% experience points to gain a level.
Elves
Size: Medium
Special Abilities:
Vision: Elves can see in the dimmest light as if it were a sunny afternoon. In the total absence of light, however, their night vision provides no benefit.
Searching: Elves add 1 to their die roll when searching for secret doors.
Heightened Senses: Elves add 2 to all see and hear checks.
Saves: Elves add 2 to saves against sleep and charm affects.
Movement: When in no or light armor elves add 2 to all move silently and surprise rolls.
Swords and Bows: Elves add 1 to their attack rolls when wielding short swords, swords, short bows and long bows.
Disadvantages: None
Base Body Points: 1d6
Base Luck Points: 1d4
Experience Point Adjustment: Elves require an additional 10% experience points to gain a level.
Halflings
Size: Small
Special Abilities:
Defense: Halflings add 2 to their defense when attacked by creatures of Large size or greater.
Hiding: Halflings add 2 to all Hide rolls.
Saves: Halflings add 2 to all saves against mind-affecting magic.
Aim: Halflings add 1 to attack rolls with slings and thrown weapons.
Disadvantages: Halflings can only use Small and Medium weapons, but cannot use short bows or spears. However, Medium weapons are considered 2 handed.
Base Body Points: 1d6
Base Luck Points: 1d6
Experience Point Adjustment: None
Part 2. Choose your Training
Assign 1 rank to a single category of your Choice.
Magic is the character’s ability to cast magic spells.
Subterfuge is a character’s ability to perform a variety of tasks, including Climb Walls, Disarm Traps, Find Traps, Hide in Shadows, Listen at Doors, Move Silently, Open Locks, Pick Pockets and Search. The following table lists the difficulty to succeed for each action. Some actions can be attempted by any character. Disarming traps, opening locks and picking pockets require separate skills, however, and each is described in the skill section.
Part 3. Choose your Skills
Pick 3 skills for your Character (remember, humans get 4 skills to start). If a skill has requirements, they will be listed in parentheses.
Advanced Armor
All characters are able to wear basic armor, which includes leather and studded leather. Advanced Armor allows a character to wear all armor and use shields.
Advanced Weapons (Combat 1)
All characters can use basic weapons. Advanced Weapons allows a character to use all weapons which they are able to physically wield.
Ambush (Subterfuge 1)
Whenever your character attacks a surprised target, add 1, plus 1 per title after Footpad, to the character’s attack roll.
Arcane Lore
Arcane Lore is a character’s knowledge of magic, including spells, objects and locations. A success roll will identify the subject. High rolls will provide additional information.
Backstab (Subterfuge 1)
When attacking a target unaware and from behind with a hand weapon, your character inflicts double base damage.
Cast Spells (Magic 1)
The character gains the ability to cast magic spells. When this skill is selected the character gains one realm of magic for free. See the points section for details.
Charge (Combat 1)
To charge the character must move at lease fifteen feet in a straight line and make a melee attack at the end of the move. If the attack hits, the attack will inflict an additional two points of damage.
Demon Lore
Demon Lore is a character’s knowledge of dark, otherworldly beings. A success roll will identify the subject. High rolls will provide additional information.
Disarm Traps (Subterfuge 1)
Your character is capable of disarming traps with the proper tools. If only impromptu tools are available, the difficulty is increased by 2.
Dodge Blow (Combat 2)
Once per turn, rather than move, a character can attempt to dodge an attack. To dodge, the player rolls 1d12. If the roll is higher than the attack roll, the character dodges the attack. The decision can be made after the GM announces the attack hits, but before damage is calculated. The die roll should not be revealed until the decision to dodge is made.
Favored Weapon (Combat 3)
The player selects one type of weapons, such as sword or long bow. The character is +1 on attacks when using that weapon.
First Aid
First Aid is used to stabilize a dying character, leaving them alive but unconscious at 0 Body Points.
History
History is a character’s knowledge of historical events, including people, places and events of historical significance.
Item Lore (Arcane Lore, Magic 4)
Item Lore allows a character to identify a magical object. Higher rolls may reveal additional properties.
Marksman (Combat 4)
Your character is exceptionally accurate with ranged attacks, capable of placing shots in spots that will do the most damage. When making a ranged attack, if the attack roll is 9+ and hits, the attack does +1 damage.
Mighty Blow (Combat 4)
Your character is capable of delivering powerful blows in melee combat. If the attack roll is 9+ and hits, the attack does +1 damage.
Open Locks (Subterfuge 1)
Your character is capable of picking a lock with the proper tools. If only impromptu tools are available, the difficulty is increased by 2.
Pick Pockets (Subterfuge 1)
Your character is capable of removing an item from another being’s person without being noticed. If the character fails by three or more, the character is caught in the act.
Scroll Lore (Magic 1)
Scroll Lore is a character’s ability to use magical scrolls of the same realms the character has skills in. A character can cast a spell from a scroll, attempt to learn a spell from a scroll or copy a spell from a scroll into a tome. All three actions cause the spell to vanish from the scroll.
Second Weapon (Combat 5)
Normally when a character wield two weapons, the second weapon must be one size smaller than the character’s size. Characters with the Second Weapon skill can use any weapon as a second weapon provided the weapon can be wielded with one hand.
Set vs Charge (Combat 1)
With Set vs Charge your character can brace a weapon, such as a spear, to receive a charge. If a character who has set vs charge is charged, the character attacks just before the charging enemy does. If the attack hits, the base damage is doubled.
Transcend Armor (Magic 1)
Normally a character cannot cast magic spells while wearing armor. Transcend Armor allows a character to cast magic spells while wearing armor.
Two Weapons (Combat 4)
Normally when a character wields a weapon in each hand, the first, primary, weapon attacks at -2. The second weapon attacks at -3. With the Two Weapons skill, the penalties are reduced to -1 and -2, respectively.
Undead Lore
Undead Lore is a character’s knowledge of the undead, such as ghouls, wraiths and vampires. A success roll will identify the subject. High rolls will provide additional information.
Step 4. Determine Points
Roll the character’s Base Body and Base Luck points and note the results. If you roll a 1 you may take half the maximum value of the die or re-roll. If you choose to re-roll, however, you must accept the result of the second roll, even if you roll another 1. These are your character’s “zero” level
points. Since your character begins at first level, next you’ll determine your character first level points. To determine your character’s first level points choose from the following.
a) 1d8 Body Points
b) 1d6 Body Points, 1d4 Power Points
c) 1d6 Body Points, +1 Luck Points
d) 1d4 Body Points, 1d6 Power Points
The rule of rolling a 1 applies to these die rolls as well. You character begins with 50 experience points to account for previous experience and training.
Step 5. Select Spells
If you are running a magic user, talk to me. There's ton of spells. When your character learns Cast Spells, the character also gains a realm of magic. Additional realms of magic can be selected as a skill choice. Whenever a character gains a realm of magic, including the first time, the character also learns the first spell in that realm’s list.
Here's the list of realms, and each realm has around 4 to 6 spells.
Step 6. Buy your Gear
Starting Wealth
A character begins with a set of normal clothing, a dagger, a pouch of coins and little else that would be of use in an adventuring life. Fortunately before the game begins you have the opportunity to do a little shopping for your character. To find out how many gold coins are in that pouch, roll 3d6 and multiply the total by 10. The result is the number of gold coins your character has to go shopping with. Make the most of it.
The Monetary System
There are five different coins commonly used in the worlds of Torchlight, copper, silver, electrum, gold and platinum. There are ten copper coins to the silver, ten silver to the gold, 2 electrum to the gold and 5 gold to the platinum.
Armor
Armor can help protect your character from physical (slashing, piercing and crushing) damage. All armor has an armor value. Whenever your character takes physical damage, roll a number of d6 equal to the armor value of any armor the character is wearing. Each 5 or 6 rolled blocks one point of damage.
The Armor Table
Armor - the type of armor
Cost - the cost in Gold Coins
AV - the armor value of the armor
B - basic armor
A - advanced armor
H - heavy armor, roll next lowest Move die
Weapon - The name of the weapon.
Type - S slashing, P is piercing and C is crushing.
Cost - The cost in gold coins.
DM - The damage modifier of the weapon
Notes: See below the Weapons Table
Weapon Notes:
L - The weapon is a Large weapon.
M - The weapon is a Medium weapon.
S - The weapon is a Small weapon.
t - The weapon is a Tiny weapon.
T - The weapon can be thrown.
2H - The weapon requires two hands to wield.
R - Reach, the weapon can strike an enemy up to ten feet away.
RL - The weapon takes an action to reload.
SvC - The weapon can be set against charge.
+1 A - +1 on Attack roll on the first round and any round you are winning.
C - crush, +1 Damage on an attack roll of 11+.
F - fumble, loose next action on an attack roll of 2 or less.
A - Advanced Weapon
Other Gear
Part 7. Name your Character
Give your character a name. And then we can finish up any extra little details like Saves together.
Character Development.
As your character adventures, the character will learn and improve. This is measured in experience points. At the end of each adventure, the GM will award each character a number of experience points based on what the characters did during the game. Write the experience points down on
your character sheet and keep a running total. When your character accumulates enough experience points, the character advances to the next highest level. See the Experience Table for details.
When your character gains a level choose one of the following:
a) 1d8 Body Points
b) 1d6 Body Points, +1d4 Power Points
c) 1d6 Body Points, +1 Luck Point
d) 1d4 Body Points, +1d6 Power Points
In addition, the character improves one training category by 1 rank. At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, the character gains 1 skill.
That's pretty much it for character creation. As for rules, it's pretty basic. Essentially, all rolls, from skills to attacks, are made using a d12 vs a difficulty. Role higher than the difficulty, you succeed. And in the case of combat, the higher the roll, the more damage you do.
