Method Vbis

This method, derived from Method V found in Unearthed Arcana (TSR # 2017), is usable to create PC or NPC of only human stock, of suel racial background in the Scarlet Brotherhood and to simulate the effects of eugenicism of the breeding program. It can be used in either rules of the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd or 4^th edition of the D&D game.

To begin with, you have to determine to which class belong the parents of the character, by choice or randomly. The citizens who are allowed to beget children are from the following classes : monk (brothers and sisters), assassins (uncles and aunts), thief (cousins), fighter (brave), cleric (pious) or magic-user (sorcerer). Choose one class for the father and one class for the mother or roll 1D6 twice:

1 = monk

2 = assassin

3 = thief

4 = fighter

5 = cleric

6 = magic-user

Both parents may be of the same class: in this case, you obtain the original Method V from the U.A. Statistics show us that the best probabilities to get above average ability scores for your child is when you cross:

-          a father monk with a mother assassin or thief

-          a father fighter with a mother assassin

-          a father cleric with a mother assassin or magic-user

-          a father magic-user and a mother thief

As a side note: if avatars of Norebo and Wee Jas had a child by this method (father thief and mother magic-user) the result is the worst probability to obtain above average ability scores. But enough with those matters…

To continue, take the appropriate table below corresponding to the couple of the parents’ class and read the line of the mother’s class to know the number of six sided dice you will have to roll to generate the ability score indicated on top of the column. Roll the dice and keep the three higher results, add them: this is your ability score. One try only by ability score. “Com” is for Comeliness, an optional ability score described in U.A.

This method should ensure to create high scores and reflect the background of the parents. Once the ability scores generated, you will have to meet the minima needed in order to select a class for your new born eugenicist child, but it should be easy.

Table 1 – Father’s class is Monk

Table 2 – Father’s class is Assassin

Table 3 – Father’s class is Thief

Table 4 – Father’s class is Fighter

Table 5 – Father’s class is Cleric

Table 6 – Father’s class is Magic-User

Examples of known characters

In the Greyhawk Adventures hardback (TSR # 2023), you have the stats for two famous members of the Scarlet brotherhood: Korenth Zan, the Father of Obedience and Alesh Marin, First Order Member.

Korenth Zan’s father is an evil fighter and his mother is an assassin (one of the best potential cross), so his scores should have been generated this way : Str: 8D6; Int: 5D6; Wis: 5D6; Dex: 8D6; Con: 8D6; Cha: 5D6; and the result is Str 17, Int 11, Wis 16, Dex 17, Con 18, Cha 13.

Alesh Marin is the daughter of two high level monks. So, similarly to Method V, her scores are generated with: Str 7D6; Int: 5D6; Wis: 9D6; Dex: 8D6; Con: 6D6; Cha: 4D6; and are as follows: Str 15, Int 10, Wis 17, Dex 18, Con 18 , Cha 9.

Ideas to create a party of agents from the Scarlet Brotherhood

Attention: somes spoliers ahead!

I do not encourage to role-play evil characters or evil parties, but I consider it is interesting to play a party composed only of characters from the Scarlet Brotherhood born in its breeding program. They have no external relationships and have to work together for the sake of the Brotherhood. Maybe they do not know anything about the Flanaess, as do a group of new players about the Greyhawk milieu.

Citizens of the Brotherhood are not all lawful and evil, some may be neutral or good and a few chaotic. So a party composed of 1^st level characters created with this Method Vbis could have LG monks, LN magic-users, LE clerics, Neutral fighters or NE assassins or whatever you may allow in your campaign.

Their first adventures should be to be sent in the outer (unknown) world to gather back to the Brotherhood lost suel artifacts or usable knowledge to conquer nearby states. But to spice the role-playing in the party, make each player choose, beyond a different alignment, a patron God as religion, an Office in which to make their professional career and a Faction to belong to as his or her secret agenda.

All these are described in The Scarlet Brotherhood accessory (TSR # 11374) and are summarized below:

-          5 Gods: Bralm, Llerg, Pyremius, Syrul and Wee Jas; 2 other Gods (optional): Nerull and Tharizdun.

-          9 Offices: Obedience (High Authority), Order (Internal affairs), Faith (Religious affairs), Sovereignty (External affairs), Thralls (Slavery), Purity (Breeding program), Arms (Military affairs), Diplomacy (Spies) and Sorcery (Magical researches).

-          17 Factions (Secret societies) between:

-          7 religious Factions: Brass Daggers (Pyremius), Cabal of the Everburning Flame (Wee Jas), Fangs (Llerg), Eyes of the Stern Lady (Wee Jas), Jade Wasp (Bralm), Speakers of the Black Smoke (Syrul) and Truth Scourge (Syrul).

-          5 philosophical Factions: Farseekers (explorers), High Unity (interbreeding), Homeland Nobility (monarchists), Millennialists (Huro’s prophecy), Pure Suel (extremists).

-          5 class-based Factions: Bankers (Thief), Brotherhood Arcane (Magic-user), Redblades (Assassin), Strong Hand (Fighter, Assassin and Thief), Thief’s Majority (Thief).

This shows that there is no unity within the Scarlet Brotherhood and a well mixed party can provide a sort of PARANOIA feeling to your campaign.

Sources

Unearthed Arcana, Gary Gygax, TSR # 2017

Greyhawk Adventures, James Ward, TSR # 2023

Greyhawk Player’s Guide, Anne Brown, TSR # 9578

The Scarlet Brotherhood, Sean Reynold, TSR # 11374