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The second COTW this week is an exiled Celtic warrior,
forced to wander the country on a futile errand...
Angus MacManus; outcast warrior on a quest
(c) copyright 2001 Brandon Cope
Total Points: 95 Points
Age mid-30s; 6'2"; 215 pounds; a tall red-haired,
red-bearded man with light green eyes and a pale
complexion.
ST 12 [20] - thrust 1d-1, swing 1d+2
DX 12 [20] - basic speed 5.25, move 5, dodge 6*
parry
(broadsword) 8*, block (small shield) 10*
IQ 12 [20] - senses 14
HT 12 [20]
WL 12 [-] - fright check 14**
*includes +1 from Combat Reflexes, but not armour
PD
**includes +2 from Combat Reflexes
ADVANTAGES: Alertness +2 [10]; Combat Reflexes
[15]; Rapid Healing [5]; Toughness
[10].
DISADVANTAGES: Code of Honor (Celtic) [-10]; Social
Stigma (Outlaw) [-15]; Stubborn [-5];
Unluckiness [-15]; Vow (Retrieve Amulet of Tears)
[-10].
QUIRKS: Likes to sing, even though he doesn't know how;
Drinks a great deal after a battle (and sometimes before
...); Talks excessively about his clan; Distrusts all who
use magic. [-4]
SKILLS: Area Knowledge (Highlands)-12 [1]; Bow-11
[2]; Brawling-12 [1]; Broadsword-14
[8]; Cooking-11 [.5]; Fast Draw
(Broadsword)-13* [1]; Fast Draw (Knife)-13*
[1]; Heraldry-12 [2]; Intimidation-12
[2]; Knife Throwing-12 [1]; Knife-14
[4]; Musical Instrument (Bagpipes)-10 [1];
Naturalist-8 [.5]; Riding (Horse)-12 [2];
Shield-14 [4]; Survival (Woodlands)-12
[2].
*includes +1 from Combat Reflexes
LANGUAGES: Goedelic (native)-12 [0]; Latin-11
[1].
EQUIPMENT
Angus MacManus is outfitted with a broadsword (1d+1 imp,
2d-1 cut), a hunting knife (1d-1 imp, 1d cut), four throwing
knives (1d-2 imp, 1/2D 7, Max 12), a short bow with a quiver
of 18 arrows (1d-1 imp), a chainmail vest (PD 3, DR 4),
leather leggings and bracers (PD 2, DR 2), a small shield
(PD 2), a set of bagpipes, hunting clothes, cavalry horse,
and finally various outdoors-related gear.
BIOGRAPHY
Angus the Piper was a respected warrior of his clan until he
was disgraced for something that was not his fault. In a
skirmish with a group of free-booters passing through his
clan's holdings, a mage ensorcelled Angus, forcing him to
run from the battlefield screaming. To his fellows, this
constituted cowardice, and there was an immediate demand for
his permanent expulsion from the clan for dishonoring
it.
Angus pleaded that he had been the victim of wizardry and
that if any of the other warriors been magicked they would
have reacted the same way. The chieftain considered the
problem for three nights and finally reached a compromise:
Angus would be expelled until he could prove his bravery in
a test.
The clan's wise-woman was summoned and the bones were cast.
It was divined that in order to prove his honor and bravery,
Angus would be required to recover the Amulet of Tears, an
ancient artifact that had once belonged to Angus' clan - it
had been used by the great warrior Culbridge Trollbreaker to
unify the realm's assorted clans against invasion. It had
disappeared following Trollbreaker's death some three
centuries ago, after his greatest victory.
To the clan, this impossible task was undeniable evidence of
Angus' guilt. He was not willing, however, to give up so
easily; he packed his possessions on his horse and rode
south, in search of the Amulet.
ENCOUNTERED
The single most important part of Angus MacManus' character,
in terms of interacting with others, is his Celtic Code of
Honour (see p.CM53). In essence, this code consists of three
principles: Hospitality, Truthfulness and Revenge. These are
the driving duties of the Celt, and just because he has been
driven from his village, Angus is no exception. (Note that
the value of this disadvantage increases to -15 points in a
non-Celtic campaign; this demonstrates exactly how
dominating it is to the Celtic mindset.)
AMULET OF TEARS
This is a gold amulet with the Celtic knot on one side and
an inscription in Hilandish on the other. It reads, simply,
"Victory through loss." Unknown to all is that the Amulet is
more of a curse than a blessing.
While the Amulet will, on demand, grant the user a +1 to +8
bonus to any action or skill roll, in less than a week a
"payment" will be taken. For a +1 or +2 bonus, a valued item
may break or be stolen, or a friend may sustain a modest
injury. A +3 or +4 bonus will destroy several smaller items
or one larger one (such as a house) or the loss of a prized
animal (such as a war-horse or hunting dog) or a lasting
injury to a friend. A +5 or +6 bonus will destroy one very
large item (a castle, or even town), kill a prized animal or
permanently injure a friend. A +7 or +8 bonus results in the
death of at least one person. The user has no control over
exactly what is affected; the GM determines what is precious
to the user - and he should be malicious about it, bearing
in mind the penalty/bonus relationship. Note that a person
who requests a +7 or +8 bonus, but has no one dear to him,
is signing his own death warrant... (This is what happened
to Culbridge Trollbreaker; he knew what would happen if he
pushed the Amulet too far, but he desperately needed an
incredibly high Strategy result for his final battle, and
was willing to pay the ultimate price.)
If the GM is so inspired, the Amulet of Tears would be an
ideal candidate for being a Willful Item. These are covered
in minor detail on pp.CM71-72. For those with access to the
Pyramid Online archives, there is an article there titled
"Willful Weapons" written by the authors of "GURPS Celtic
Myth", which covers the topic in greater detail. (For those
without access to Pyramid, the article will be published in
"GURPS Pyramid 1", coming soon.)
CANONICALITY
Angus is designed using normal GURPS rules, with the
exception that his Code of Honor does not count towards his
40 point limit.
WHAT IF?
Although Angus is designed for a generic fantasy setting, he
can easily fit in most Celtic Myth campaigns. With a bit of
tweaking (changing the object of his quest, for instance),
he could even be added to a Swashbucklers campaign.
Presently, Angus' native tongue is Goedelic, the language
spoken in Ireland and Scotland. If the GM wants to place
Angus elsewhere in Britain, his language should be
Brythonic. His second language is listed as Latin, but could
just as easily be Greek, or Gaulish, or even something more
extravagant. In a fantasy campaign, it could be a demihuman
language, such as Elfin or Orkish.
CAMPAIGN USES
There are several ways a GM can use Angus MacManus,
depending on the mood of the setting. In a serious campaign,
Angus should be run as a tragic figure, searching for an
object he is unlikely to ever find but unwilling to stop
looking. In a more light-hearted campaign, he could be
viewed as comic relief.
In either case, the best way to use Angus as an NPC might be
to have him cross paths with the party of PCs several times,
perhaps every third or fourth adventure. He need not play a
significant role - they could simply pass him on the road,
for example. The party will get used to his presence in the
campaign. What the GM then does with Angus depends on the
party. If they are sympathetic, the PCs might run across
vital clues about the Amulet and decide to pass it on to
Angus the next time they run into him... They may even
choose to actively search for him - an adventure in itself -
if the information is especially useful. If the party is
less sympathetic, Angus could become a target of the PCs'
schemes, exploited for his hospitality or inclination to
seek revenge when slighted. And if the PCs are indifferent,
Angus simply remains a fixture in the background of the
campaign. And finally, there is no reason Angus can't be run
as a PC, if his story fit into the existing narrative.
- written by Brandon Cope (copeab@yahoo.com)
- editted and formatted by andi jones
(andi@angelwerks.com)
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