As I mentioned in my last update, I've been very impressed by the second edition of John Wick's 7th Sea RPG. Having been a fan of the setting and system (in spite of its quirks and flaws) since it was originally published back, I've been even more impressed with this updated version, both in terms of the setting details (namely the absence of metaplot and some of the screwier background elements) and the mechanics; they may take a little getting used to, but from what I've seen the learning curve is pretty shallow.
Now, as those who know me know that I am wont to do, whenever I get my hands on a new RPG I have a tendency to create a bunch of brand new PCs, both to begin getting a feel for the game but also to explore various character ideas that come up in my head. With regards to this new edition of 7th Sea, one thing I've noticed is that there don't seem to be much in the way of pre-made characters available for new players or new GMs to make use of. While character creation isn't some tremendous hurdle, there are times where you just want to grab some characters and get to playing.
The 7th Sea first edition fan site Guild of San Marcos has a number of templates for use with that version of the game, with said templates being largely complete characters that just need the player to spend a small bit of leftover beginning XP to finish them up, which in turn provides a bit of customization. And I can't tell you how much I wish I'd had those templates handy back when I was actively playing 7th Sea first edition back in the day.
So in a similar vein, and to provide a bit of help to fellow players and/or GMs looking for some ready-to-go characters for 7th Sea second edition, I offer up this small collection of pre-made heroes. This isn't all the ideas I've had for characters for this new edition of this amazing swashbuckling RPG, but these are the ones that are the most complete and are truly "ready to play."
Rather than one monstrously huge post given the number of per-generated characters I've got on hand, I'll be breaking these up into a series of posts. And I believe that I'll start this off with a character based off one that a friend of mine made when I proposed the idea of running a 1st edition 7th Seas game not that long before the Kickstarter for 2nd edition was announced. After all, pirates are a big part of the swashbuckling genre, and this particular character is indeed just that, a pirate to the core.
Sharktooth Conroy, Avalon Pirate
Traits:Brawn 3, Finesse 3, Wits 2, Resolve 3, Panache 2
Backgrounds: Pirate, Sailor
Skills: Aim 3, Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Hide 2, Intimidate 3, Notice 2, Sailing 3, Tempt 1, Theft 1, Weaponry 2
Advantages: Bar Fighter, Deadeye, Eagle Eyes, Hard to Kill, Indomitable Will, Small
Arcana: Hot-Headed (Hubris), Willful (Virtue)
Starting Reputation: 0
Starting Wealth: 0
Languages: Avalon, Old Thean
Personal Items:Cutlass, flintlock pistol with powder and shot, travel-worn clothes
Appearance: Brown hair worn long, brown eyes, a ragged scar on the left side of his face just over the eye, with a squat, wiry build and lots of ink, Conroy looks ever bit the typical surly pirate. He wears a shark tooth on a leather band around his neck, with his teeth filed to points.
Background: Conroy was raised in a brothel, his mother one of the Jennys and his father presumably one of the many sailors that frequented the place. Small of size, he was looked upon as a weakling, a burden which only helped fuel a bad temper as he got older. Once old enough, Conroy was apprenticed to a cooper, who then went bankrupt, forcing the boy to seek work elsewhere; he wound up getting press-ganged and set to work as crew upon the Bloody Hand, a pirate ship that often masqueraded as the Sweet Molly to avoid authorities. He excelled as a sailor and caught the captain's eye, who taught the "irascible runt" how to fight and sail, eventually becoming competent enough to take the helm during the night watch. When a mutiny occurred, Conroy backed his captain and lost. He was set adrift with those on the wrong side, with only him surviving on a deserted island after several months. The story of how he got back to civilization varies with the telling, but it's certain that the harsh experiences has only served to harden an already harsh man.
Notes: Conroy's an interesting character, that's for sure. He's got a pretty broad array of "sordid" skills, and is also quite the marksman when the need arises. A fair warning to GMs, the fact that Conroy's got a pistol might seem daunting, given how powerful firearms can be in second edition, but the fact it takes him a while to reload offsets the damage it can do. He's decent with a blade, but does much better with impromptu weapons. His player had a lot of fun with the character, and anyone looking to play your stereotypical "surly pirate" will have fun as well.
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