Cultural Modifiers

[Sneaky Git]

Let me start by saying that I understand, and agree with, the rationale behind cultural modifiers [i.e. - the Celts of Angharad tend towards the short and feisty.. resulting in an optional (I get that, too) -1d6 inches in height, +1AG, +1Wit, +1 Soc, -1TO, -1ST].  So, with that understood, here's my question:

What is the reasoning behind some of the negative Health (HT) modifiers?  More specifically, why do the inhabitants of the following countries really receive negative modifiers?

    Ahr (no reason given),
    Imjia (I'm assuming because it is a nasty place),
    Sarmatov and the Rzeczpospolita (harsh conditions),
    Svarastra (rampant disease resulting from large population),
    Zhibara (harsh conditions)

Especially when one considers that members of other cultural groups, living in similarly nasty conditions, do not receive these negative modifiers.  It almost seems counter-intuitive.. you've lived in a nasty place.. and survived.  So you're less healthy.  Huh?

I have always been under the impression (and yes, I know I could be mistaken.. won't be the first, nor the last, time) that "a measure of one's immune system and healing capabilities" (p8 - tRoS, revised printing) was more of a function of diet and levels of activity (active, well-fed folks tend to be healthier than sedentary, malnourished folks), than simple environment.  In fact, I would lean more towards awarding survivors of such nasty places a bonus.

I understand that I can simply do what I want.. it is my game.  Even so, I can't help  but be curious.  I mean, Weyrth is a well-though out, detailed world.  I like it.  I'm just wondering what you all think.

[Mike Holmes]

I'm guessing that it's diet (as you mention) and genetics. Keep in mind that a traveler takes his siet with him in terms of his preferences. Perhaps they have very little fruit where the character comes from, and he finds that he can only stand to eat the poor fruit of his homeland. When abroad, in areas where he might have an opportunity to eat better, he simply chooses not to.

And this is where the optional part comes in. If he takes the penalty, he is the sort that has the bad diet. If he does not, then he's more the sort who is willing to try a better diet as he travels. Better yet, start with the lower HT, and then increase it later represented by the improved diet the character is experiencing.

Or, if not, then the character is just subject to a genetic flaw in his country's pool that makes him less healthfull in some way. Take, for instance, the lack of immunity to small pox and other diseases that the Native Americans had.

Hmmm...are there commonalities in the stock of the races that seem to have this penalty? That would indicate genetics further. Aren't several of those countries near each other?

Mike

[Jake Norwood]

It'll also help to see what HT is used for--in normal game terms it's for healing, bloodloss, and disease. I like Mike's genetic approach to this one.

This is a good thread. Let's keep it rolling.

Jake

[Jaif]

I actually don't worry about the attribute bonuses.  I think they are minor things.  When I first started looking through the book with my powergamer hat on, I quickly locked in on the proficiency/vagary bonuses, and some of the more esoteric things like the people who could have a really high faith.  Stuff like that makes a tough character - worrying about a +1 or -1 here or there isn't worthwhile.  Minuses, especially, are easy to 'fix' in a session or two.

I don't remember all of it, but Gelure was a great starting place, I think Stahl was another, and a third was the ultra religious guys (wish I could remember who they were).

Again, all with a powergamer hat on.

-Jeff

[Jake Norwood]

I don't remember all of it, but Gelure was a great starting place, I think Stahl was another, and a third was the ultra religious guys (wish I could remember who they were).

Again, all with a powergamer hat on.

-Jeff

I played in a campaign with that mentality once--and boy did I pay for it! I got thrown into the Gelure military right away, and was out murdering children for Uglub (which did NOT jive well with my character)...

The ultra religious guys, though--Fahalanim--those are my favorite.

Jake

[Jaif]

Yeah, but my character with conscience was born and raised and trained in Gelure, but his backstory is that he ran away after seeing how evil they truly were. :-)

-Jeff, head munchkin

[Sneaky Git]

I can buy the genetics part.. and several of the countries with the penalties are located near one another.  That could lend itself to a commonality of stock.  It's tough, however, because the inhabitants of Imjia aren't really described in much detail (physically).  I'm not certain there is enough information to go either way with any certainty.. but it is definately an interesting supposition.

Again, all with a powergamer hat on.

Well.. how about we just jump up and down on that hat.. shall we?  ;) Seriously though, I wasn't really looking at this from a powergaming point of view.. I'm a little more interested in the story behind it all.

The ultra religious guys, though--Fahalanim--those are my favorite.

As for me, I'm partial to the Dardanri.. oh, and the Sarmat.  Gotta love Hussars.  Such snappy dressers.  And sabres.  And the mustache.  And really big egos.  And..

[Jaif]

...[health] was more of a function of diet and levels of activity (active, well-fed folks tend to be healthier than sedentary, malnourished folks), than simple environment.

Yes, but in the world we're talking about, everybody's active by american standards, and the diet is limited entirely to the local environment.  Things we take for granted, like vast amounts of meat, may be utterly foreign depending on where you are.

A place like imijia, where volcanic toxins litter the land and the people pray to be killed swiftly rather than die from disease and pestilance probably isn't the best place to raise a healthy child.

Ahr, a land bordered by jungle and marsh, probably isn't the healthiest place to live either.  Remember all those times you got sick growing up? Now imagine a world with no real medicine, those diseases killing many outright, and leaving permanent problems with the survivors.

I haven't looked through'em all, but the health minuses look good so far.

-Jeff

P.S. When I GM a new system, one of the first things I do is put my powergamer's hat on and make characters from that perspective.  I want to find any obivous areas that 'break' the game ahead of time.

[Jake Norwood]

As for me, I'm partial to the Dardanri.. oh, and the Sarmat.  Gotta love Hussars.  Such snappy dressers.  And sabres.  And the mustache.  And really big egos.  And..

The Sarmats come from the years that I lived in Poland (esp. eastern). As for the Dardanri--They're based off of Albanians. I'm interested to know, though, what aspects of the Dardan culture spoke to you?

[Lyrax]

I favor the Stahlners.  Just 'cause.  Celts are cool, too, and can be even more fun.

But they have to have somebody to pick on, so the Farrenmen exist to this end.  :-J

[Roy]

I don't have a copy of TROS yet, but every post I've read gets me more and more excited about it.  I'll do my best to get help it catch on in my area once I have the extra cash to purchase a copy.

Does Weyrth have a culture that corresponds to the Anglo Saxons?  Does anyone here know of any good resources for the Anglo Saxon culture?  I've read some scholarly pieces on them, but I'm really looking for something that captures the flavor of the people.

Roy

[Bob Richter]

I played in a campaign with that mentality once--and boy did I pay for it! I got thrown into the Gelure military right away, and was out murdering children for Uglub (which did NOT jive well with my character)...

The ultra religious guys, though--Fahalanim--those are my favorite.

Jake

Uglub had you out murdering children? Sounds like a poor use for the military machine. One of my characters is a deserter from the Gelurian Army (whose goal in life seems to be to get as far from Gelure as possible.) As he's a potent mage himself, he crafted a spell to destroy all matierial links that could be used to effect him, and then left, travelling far and fast, and with an eye turned ever over his shoulder. It's kinda fun, actually, though it might have been more fun to actually role-play his escape instead of just making it back-story.

Fahal. Eww.

[Jake Norwood]

Does Weyrth have a culture that corresponds to the Anglo Saxons?  Does anyone here know of any good resources for the Anglo Saxon culture?  I've read some scholarly pieces on them, but I'm really looking for something that captures the flavor of the people.

Yup. Called, suspiciously, "Savaxen." Check it out in the northwest corner of the Weryth Map

Jake

[Jürgen Mayer]

I don't remember all of it, but Gelure was a great starting place, I think Stahl was another

I favor the Stahlners. Just 'cause.

Jake, you've done the impossible: you created an RPG where the players actually want to play Germans. =) I think that was never accomplished before...

[Jake Norwood]

Jake, you've done the impossible: you created an RPG where the players actually want to play Germans. =) I think that was never accomplished before...

Hey-I'm good. I'm that good.

;-D