[Townsfolk] Thoughts on Chargen

[chronoplasm]

OK, so I had this idea for using a kind of lifepath system in my game, Townsfolk.

Basically, your character sheet will have a list of 'milestones' representing events in your characters life (marriage, parenthood, etc.)
You check these off to indicate that your character has reached these milestones.
Each milestone you check off gives you a wisdom point, each milestone left unchecked gives you a youth point.
Wisdom points increase mental skills and special abilities, youth points increase physical skills and combat abilities.
Each individual milestone has its own effect:

-Extra vote during town counsel.
-Extra time on the floor during town counsel.
-Extra initiative during town counsel.
--If the previous three are attained, you gain power of veto.
-Draw an extra card for pathos checks.
-Draw an extra card for ethos checks.
-Draw an extra card for logos checks.
--If the previous three are attained, draw an extra card at the beginning of the day.
-Draw an extra card for athletics checks.
-Draw an extra card for perception checks.
-Draw an extra card for movement checks.
--If the previous three are attained, draw an extra card at the beginning of the day.

So I was thinking that I would leave spaces where players can write down what event has to occur in order to attain these milestones and a brief description of the events to the side, but I also want to come up with default examples to give players some ideas.

My questions:
1) What would make good examples of milestones and what effects would you assign to them?
2) What would be some good ways that I can use wisdom and youth points?

[dindenver]

Hi!
1) I think you can use this opportunity to communicate the setting to the players. For instance, the following:
Draw an extra card for perception checks
Could be:
Ambushed as a child by living trees, you learned your lesson
or
Trained by the most skilled of hunters to spot the tiniest of disturbance in nature.
or
Possessed by the Sylph of the wind to see all that is nurtured by the air

  See what I mean, this is your one chance to interject setting that every player will see.
  And the choices you make will affect game play and mood.

2) I like the idea that youth and elders use different rules.
Like younger people have more passion, but less real world experience, so maybe they succeed less often, but they have critical success more often?
And the older guys should be more wizened, but more stuck in their ways. So maybe they succeed more often, but have some sort of spectacular success less often?
  Something like that might be cool...

[David Berg]

I think you can use this opportunity to communicate the setting to the players.

I had the exact same reaction on reading the opening post.  And I dig Dave's idea of describing how each milestone went down.

Have you written more about Townsfolk somewhere?  I have no idea what the game is about, or what the players spend their time doing.  As such, I can't really comment on the mechanical applications. 

Mechanics aside, I like the way this system would help me forge an idea of my character's prior experiences and inform play accordingly.

Ps,
-David

[chronoplasm]

Thanks guys!
I have the power 19 right here:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=26594.0

So I guess some good milestones for describing the setting would be...

Lived Through the Alchemical War
Survived a Raid
Flew on an Airship Once
Been to Another Land
Saw a Giant

[David Berg]

I totally intend to read through the thread you linked and give you some feedback.  I might forget, though, so feel free to remind me once October rolls around.