The process of creating a character in Minstrel is twofold, and only half of it involves rules and rolling dice.  Before attributes are rolled, maybe even before the character’s class is selected, you ought to think intently upon who your character is going to be.

CONCEPT

A name is a great starting-place, and it’s possible that a character - personality, physical characteristics and history - will spring to mind very quickly.  A good name is important, and will go far in defining your character to yourself and your group.

Once you have your name, ask yourself - where is he from? What has his life been like?  What motivates him?  What species is he?

How does he protect himself?

Your Narrator should be more than capable of helping you with these questions - and indeed, certain questions are best decided as a joint effort.  Think of it more as collaborating to write a story - but remember, in the end the character is yours.

STATS

Once you have planned your character, you should roll your Attributes.  This is accomplished by rolling three six-sided dice (3d6) and then re-rolling whichever die is lowest until it is equal to or higher than its original result.  If there are multiple dice that tie for the lowest roll, you still reroll only one.

Repeat this step a total of nine times, writing each of the finished numbers down.  You may then distribute these numbers to your Attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Vitality, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Allure and Sense) as you wish, using each score you rolled precisely once.

If you are of a nonhuman race, your Attributes are modified further: for instance, Elves gain +2 to Agility and -1 to Strength and Vitality each.

CLASS

Next, select your class - you must then roll your Hit Points.  Each class has a number of Hit Dice, and you roll that number of d4, and add your Vitality modifier plus eight.

OTHER VALUES

• Hit Points are determined as follows: At first level by roll of appropriate Class Dice, plus a static bonus of eight (8) hit points plus their Vitality bonus.  A Class Die is a d4 ­ and each character class provides between 1 and 4 Class Dice.  After first level, Hit Points only increase naturally at 6th, 12th and 18th levels ­ at which point the character’s Vitality bonus is added to his HP.  In no circumstances will the character’s HP decrease in this way, even if the bonus is negative.

To sum up, at first (1st) level:  ([Class Dice] + [Vitality Bonus] +

At sixth (6th), twelfth (12th) and eighteenth (18th) levels: ([Max HP] + [Vitality Bonus])

• Mana can be calculated by adding the character’s Base Level to his Intelligence Bonus.

To wit: ([Base Level] + [Intelligence Bonus])

• Atk and rAtk begin at 0, and only increase with the purchase of related Minor Powers.

• Armor defaults at 0/0, without racial adjustments.

• Dodge begins at 10, plus the total Agility bonus and 1/4th of the Dex bonus, or (10 + [Agility Bonus] + [<Dexterity Bonus> / 4]

• Star is equal to the character’s level.

MINOR POWERS

Minor Powers are selected at each level, starting at the first.  You must select a Minor Power after you select your character’s class, from within the Powers available at first level.

Progress is charted from first through 18th levels.  Although there is no mechanical reason why advancement beyond 18th should be impossible, such matters will be handled under alternate rules.

At each level, the following stats always increase:

• HP
• Mana
• Star

At each level, the following stats may increase:

• STR
• DEX
• AGI
• VIT
• INT
• WIS
• ALL
• CHA
• SEN
• AtK
• rAtK

Character attributes increase on their own as a character levels, according to his or her class; at each new levels the class taken adds spheres to the relevant stats.  When an attribute accumulates 12 spheres, the spheres are automatically traded for one additional point of the same stat.

Example: the Warrior class provides three spheres to Strength, and one sphere to Dexterity.  By level four, the Warrior will gain one point of Strength; by level twelve, the character will gain one point of Dexterity, in addition to two further points of Strength.

A character may also increase the rank of any one of his/her skills at level­-up, although he may not use this boon to begin or familiarize himself with a skill that he could not normally acquire.

Hit Points are determined at first level by roll of appropriate Hit Dice plus a static bonus of eight (8) hit points plus their Vitality bonus.  A Hit Die is a d4 ­ and each character class possesses between 1 and 4 Hit Dice.  After first level, Hit Points only increase naturally at 6th, 12th and 18th levels ­ at which point the character’s Vitality bonus is added to his HP.  Under no circumstances will the character’s HP decrease in this way, even if the bonus is or becomes negative.

In addition to statistics, attributes, skills, class abilities and spells, a character also acquires Major and Minor powers, the former less frequently than the latter.  Quite simply, a Minor Power is gained every level, and typocally offers a new situational ability or highly specialised talent; a Major Power is a more exceptional and generalized power of varying potency, and one is obtained at fourth, eighth, twelfth, and sixteenth levels

Minor Powers are available in sequence, each character class possessing a different Power tree.

All Major Powers may be acquired by any class, and are only limited by character attributes and skills.

The breadth of the Powers is such that they will not be individually printed here: they are available on the wiki at the following page: Wiki:Powers

Magic comes in three forms: Arcane, Wild, and Divine.  Arcane magic is the ken of magicians and wizards, and ­ although it may be instinctive to some degree ­ requires continual study and a keen mind to pursue.  Wild magic is practiced by tribes and people of the wilderness ­ the Seyatar of the Dainland, for one ­ and is most commonly considered an innate talent that is coaxed forth rather than learned.  In contrast to these is Divine ­ it is given directly by the Gods themselves, and represents a measure of investment in an individual by something much greater.

Individual spells will not be listed here: they are available on Wiki:Spells.

ARCANE MAGIC

In order to cast Arcane magic, a character must have a Mana score.  Most characters do: ­ the exceptions to this are clerics, constructs and most undead. The process to cast an Arcane spell is this:  The character selects a spell, then rolls against DC 10 + (Spell Level.)  The character’s Mana total is added to the roll result, and the available Mana then decreases by 1 ­ after success or failure has been calculated, and regardless of the outcome.

To give proper example, the following will be assumed about our demonstrative character:

Level 4
Int 14 (+2)
M 6

Demo attempts to cast Scorn, a second­-level spell, ­ so the DC for her casting is 12.  Since Demo’s mana is 6, that means that she only has to roll a 6 or better ­ since 6 + 6 is 12.  She rolls a 4, however, and fails: ­ her mana is decreased by 1, to 5.

Next turn Demo decides to cast Scorn again ­ still needing to pass DC 12, although since her Mana is now 5 the casting becomes somewhat more difficult, requiring a 7 or higher to succeed.  She rolls a 14 - ­ success! - ­ and her mana is decreased by one, making further castings still more difficult.

On a natural roll of 20, the casting does not decrease Mana in addition to automatically succeeding.

REPLENISHING MANA
In addition to the natural method listed in the CPass ombat Statistics section, Mana may be refilled via consumption of several medicines, as well as certain Wild magics.  Ample rest is the best cure, however ­ as it has no side ­effects, and (with complete relaxation) provides +2 Mana per day rested on top of the usual recovery.

DIVINE MAGIC
Divine Magic functions differently from Arcane - instead of drawing from a Mana pool and possibly failing, each spell costs a fixed amount and always succeeds.  However, there are several caveats: first, the spell selection is much smaller and rigidly defined by level.

Additionally, not just anyone can cast divine magic - doing so requires the infusion of holy power, called Deva, into a character: this process replaces the character’s Mana pool, and afterwards it is never possible to again cast arcane magic.

A character’s Deva Pool is equal to (Wisdom Bonus x 5) * (Level) + 5.

Deva is refilled every day at sunrise.

Wild Magic
Wild Magic functions similarly to Arcane, and draws from Mana in the same way.  However, Wild energies are not truly arcane: as a result, they are not restricted from healing and other areas in which magicians and their ilk are deficient.

MINSTREL features a mechanic called Intuitive Skills to represent a character’s knowledge and study, which may be summed up as follows:

Skills are broken down into three types - Observed, Instructed and Studied.  This roughly delineates the relative complexity of the skills:

Observed skills may be learned simply by watching another character perform them, or instead perhaps read or hear about how it is done.  After this, a moderate amount of experimentation and practice will yield basic competency in the skill.

Examples of observed skills include firecraft, farming, and fishing.

Instructed skills are not so simple: ­ usually there is a knack to it that cannot be easily absorbed by observation alone, or the aid of an experienced hand pre­empts mistakes that would make self­-teaching particularly arduous or costly.  Examples include cooking, horse-riding, and blacksmithing - where the failures of an unguided student would ruin large quantities of costly materials, in the case of cooking or blacksmithing, or result in likely injury, such as with horse-riding.

Studied skills are more complex, and further do not easily lend themselves to understanding - making both instruction and careful research mandatory for a complete grasp of the subject.  Examples include masonry, arcana, and mathematics.

IMPROVING SKILLS

The way in which skills are obtained is simple: first, a skill must be introduced.  ­ The difficulty of this is commensurate with the difficulty of the skill, where an Observed skill must be observed, explained or read about by the character; an Instructed skill must be taught to the character; and in the case of Studied skills, a class or similar period of intense instruction must be taken before the skill is usable at even a basic level.

After the skill is introduced, progression is more or less steady: for every in-game week during which the character in some way practices the skill, a sphere is gained ­ which accrues into skill ranks as follows: Observed ­ Skills grow at a rate of one rank per sphere until sixth rank; then one rank per four spheres until twelfth; and finally one rank per eight spheres until eighteenth.  Instructed ­ Skills accrue at a rate of one rank per two spheres until sixth rank; then one rank per six ranks until twelfth; and finally one rank per fourteen spheres until eighteenth.  Studied ­ Skills accrue at a rate of one rank per four spheres until sixth rank; then one rank per twelve ranks until twelfth; and finally one rank per twenty­-four spheres until eighteenth.

MAKING SKILL CHECKS
To roll a skill check, roll d20.  Add the appropriate skill rank to your roll, and add the
appropriate Attribute bonus the resulting number.  If the final result exceeds the task’s DC (as determined by the Narrator,) the check (and therefore use of the skill) succeeds.

A MINSTREL Character (see definition) is comprised mechanically of two sets of numbers: Statistics, which tend to vary fairly frequently; and Attributes, which are relatively resistant to change.  Statistics are generally oriented toward combat, whereas Attributes are more often used outside (although there is, of course, overlap.)

Statistics:

• Hit Points (HP): The character’s degree of healthfulness ­ - essentially an abstraction of how much abuse the character can take and remain alive.  When abuse (usually damage) is dealt, the numeric value of this damage is subtracted from the Hit Points.  When the Hit Points reach 0, the character is unconscious; ­ when the Hit Points reach ­5, the character is dead.  HP is
  therefore a Pool Stat.
• Attack (AtK): ­ How capable of striking a target the character is.  This number is typically one integer that is between zero and fifty.  Ranged attack ability is handled separately (see Ranged Attack (rAtK))
• Mana (M): ­ The character’s ability to channel internal power into spells or similar abilities.  Mana regenerates at a rate equal to the character’s Intelligence bonus or 1 (whichever is higher) per day, and is depleted naturally via the casting of spells.  The lower a character’s Mana is, the more difficult casting of spells becomes.  Mana may drop into negatives in much the same fashion as HP ­ if it reaches 0 it remains so until replenished or further depleted; if it is below 0, it decreases at a rate of 1 per hour until ­10, at which point the character suffers burnout. Burnout returns the character to 0 Mana, but with triple casting costs and ­2 to all mental or physical rolls until Mana recovers to maximum.
• Defense (DEF): ­ An abstraction of how difficult to injure the character is.  Common notation for DEF is #/# ­ - for example, 5/2.  The first half is the Deflect value, the second the Diffuse.   When abuse is directed toward a character it only applies if the damage is in excess of the Deflect rating ­ and if it does connect, it is reduced by the Diffuse rating.  In the previous example, only damage of 5 or more would connect at al;l ­ but if it did, the total would be reduced by 2.
• Dodge (Do): ­ Measurement of the character’s ability to stay out of harm’s way, and dodge attacks and spells in combat.  Dodge is only fully effective in mobile armour, regular clothing, or less; in mobile armor it suffers a 50% reduction, and in heavy armour an 80% reduction.  Dodge is notated with a single number - ­ for example, 10 - which the attacker must pass with his attack roll in order to deal damage.  The minimum value for Dodge (without the influence of status effects) is 5, regardless of armour equipped.
• Star (*): ­ The character’s ability to escape abuse that cannot be prepared against otherwise.  This number is generally equal to the player’s level, and (along with relevant stat bonuses) is added to the die roll made against the situation’s Difficulty Check.

Attributes:

• Strength (STR): The character’s physical strength, brawn, and musculature.
• Dexterity (DEX): Cleverness of hands; skillfulness that does not pertain to speed.
• Agility (AGI): Raw speed, gymnastic ability, and balance.
• Vitality (VIT); Healthfulness and resistance to sickness and poisons, as well as general vigor.
• Intelligence (INT); Quickness of wit, quality of thought; retention of information and learning.
• Wisdom (WIS): General sense and understanding of self and others.
• Charisma (CHA): Strength of personality, glibness, and panache.
• Allure (ALL): Physical beauty and attractiveness.
• Sense (SEN): Use of eyesight, hearing, and other senses.

Each Attribute can be anywhere from 1­50, although commonly a character begins life with scores between 3 and 18.  For every two points over 10, a stat score provides a bonus of one to relevant rolls; for every two points below 8, a stat score incurs a penalty of one to relevant rolls.

Although the defined rules are clearly important, there are two which trump them directly and in all situations: the Gold and Silver Rules, which are for players and narrators respectively.

• The Golden Rule: A player may lower the results of any roll he makes at will, even to the point of outright failure.
• The Silver Rule: A narrator may at any time alter the function of any rule save the Golden Rule, so long as it benefits the plot.

Obviously, the implications invoked by these rules are widespread: the randomness of any check is directly modifiable, albeit in one direction; and whatever rules get in the way cease to exist.  They are powerful tools - and because of this, they must be applied with discretion.

First off, the Golden Rule is not a rule that may be danced around.  Any use in which in which a failure is technically a success - such as a player using the Golden Rule to throw a fight in which he has bet on the character’s opponent - is right out.  In that example, a charisma check made to imitate a hard-fought altercation would be appropriate.

What the Golden Rule is intended to combat is when a rule does not specifically restrict a character’s potency and this bothers the player.  For instance, a character is depressed because he has just learned of his mother’s death by sickness: the player feels that the character is therefore not as prepared for combat as usual, and penalizes his rolls as such.

The narrator is free to discuss the player’s choice with him, although overruling it directly is frowned upon.

The Silver Rule is more complex, and primarily relates to NaC management - the more plastic the rules are relating to NaCs, the easier it is to tell your story.  At the most basic level, the Silver Rule demands that a narrator fudge rolls when it is absolutely necessary, and relating to the NaCs.  Fudging of rolls relating to the PCs is a tool best kept minimal.

Before we go too crazy, it’s important I explain a little terminology that MINSTREL uses. This article may be revised or updated at any time: it will be noted here when (not if) this occurs.

• Abuse: Harm of any kind, save the sort that goes away and does not trouble the victim within an hour.  Example:  An injury is abuse, some pepper up the nose is not.  In other words, Abuse any effect that could kill a character.
• Armour: Protective clothing of any kind.  Comes in Mobile, Skirmish and Heavy variations ­ Mobile armour is the lightest, and has no Deflect value.
• Character: A player character, NPC, creature, monster, enemy, or entity ­ in essence, any sentient creature which does or could be represented with a character sheet.
• Damage: A specific form of Abuse which results in the lowering of a character’s Hit Points.
• Difficulty Check: The number which must be exceeded by die­roll in order to succeed in a given task.  For example:  A swimming check to move through a still pool of water might be DC 4; therefore
  d20 is rolled against DC 4, and if it meets or exceeds that value it succeeds.
• Defense Effect: A magical protection that offers defensive benefit, or otherwise shields the character from harm.  A casted Defense Effect automatically dispells any other Defense Effect on the character.
• Free Class: A character class that has no specific stat or roleplaying requirements; in other words, a Free Class is quite versatile and does not dictate very much of the character’s actions, personality, lifestyle or affiliations.  Classes that do not require a character live in a certain area or affiliate them with specific groups or individuals fall under this category.  See also: Involved Class.
• Involved Class: A character class that requires a character have history in a given region or with given people.  Example:  it would be quite impossible to create a Luminaire of Terane without the character having spent copious amounts of time with the Luminaire, hold certain
  shared beliefs with them, and be subordinate to the Luminaire order.
• Major Power: Abilities gained at fifth, tenth, and fifteenth level, chosen by character.
• Minor Power: Abilities gained at every level from “trees” of related skills, chosen by the character.
• Narrator: The person who prepares and “runs” each session of the game.
• Narrator Character (NaC): A character under the control of the Narrator.
• Player: A participant in the game.
• Player Character (PC): A character under the control of a Player.
• Sphere: A token or counter that is used or redeemed to increment skills or points, but which does not itself provide a bonus to any roll.

Tomorrow, I aim to begin explaining the base concepts of MINSTREL in detail - and tonight, I’m going to quickly mention the biggest things, and (not coincidentally) the bits I’m most excited about.  If you’re a Dungeons & Dragons gamer, this will be pretty jarring;  if you’re a White Wolf diehard, you will probably catch on fire.

• Hit Points are, for the most part, static.

This move is probably the hardest to justify and explain, because it’s the most alien from mainstream systems.  The reasoning for this is as follows: it is patently ludicrous that it becomes impossible to kill a character even with a critical, maxed-die strike with a waraxe.

Instead, as a character progresses he or she must become better at avoiding taking damage in the first place - or else.  Protective stats take on a new importance, and suddenly a commoner with a spear becomes a credible threat to a trained knight.  Sure, the knight will win - more than likely! - but if he keeps fighting peasants with spears, they’re eventually going to run him through.  Thus, realistic tactics will come to the fore.

• Skills are intuitive and not class-related.

Rather than gaining a pool of points to spend in skills, a character’s skills develop naturally over time after initial instruction or exposure.  As long as he or she uses the skill, it gets better.

• Characters only get better at combat if they practice.

The most visible example of this is that a first-level warrior will lay a tenth-level magician out in a fistfight - unless the magician has specifically trained for combat.  This sort of ties into the first point.

Furthermore, the referee (or Game-Master, or what have you) guide will emphasise instruction in character development and storytelling over dungeon-crawl preparation.  Not that combat and exploration won’t be important!

More than anything, the system is designed to foster an open and enjoyable atmosphere around the table or channel - Minstrel is a device through which stories should be told, both epic and otherwise.  Each character deserves a chance to be developed and shine - even the classically-hapless DM, who perhaps should not always be made to stuff his intrigue down the drain and hand out vorpal swords to maintain interest.

How can a system do this?  Via a radically new set of expectations, of course.

Although it’s doubtful that the project will ever be fully complete, there remains a baseline quantity and quality of content that is required before it can be considered salable, even if the material will be free.
We’re shooting for commercial and professional quality here - or better.

Before the project is in fact ready, a number of things need to happen:

• The specification for the Minstrel rules needs to be consolidated into a single, instructional document
• The classes and spells on the Wiki need to be converted to Minstrel
• Creation of detailed written copy describing all nations in Mithica, as well as their cities

The setting is, I must add, complete - it is merely an ongoing process involving copying and rewriting material from assorted, pencil-and-paper notes.  Minstrel is nearing completion - a playable revision of the ruleset has been assembled (with a few caveats; see below) and will enter extended playtesting later this month.

The major barriers against releasing Minstrel are threefold, although only the first relates to a dearth of written rules:

• No default character generation system exists. (finished Jun. 26)
  
• Character classes are incomplete.
• There are insufficient spells for the Magician class to be viable.

I am expecting these issues to be resolved within the next few days; more information is to come.