The World of Novi

SELECTABLE BACKGROUND OPTIONS

© Lowell R. Matthews 1999

Revised February 4, 1999

General Information
(Adapted from Rolemaster Companion IV)

The selectable background options tables allow players to choose to purchase specific background options for a character, if they so desire, or to use the old system of random rolls. When characters are created for the World of Novi, most of these tables are used as originally presented in the Rolemaster Companion IV. Therefore, only the new Gift Table, adapted from one of the Chaotic Lord tables in the Rolemaster Companion III, is included in this article. Copyright concerns restrict republication to the new costs and the old ability names.
Each background option available to a race is worth 100 points, which may be spent at the player’s discretion subject to the following guidelines:

  • A random roll on any table costs 100 points and requires strict GM adjudication.
  • Disadvantages are worth negative points and add to the point total available to spend.
  • The Gift, Skill at Arms, and Skill at Magic Tables contain the most powerful beneficial abilities; therefore, characters may only purchase one such beneficial ability from each of these tables. (The fact that many of the abilities listed on the Gift Table also appear on either the Skill at Arms or Skill at Magic Tables provides an exception to this rule in some cases.)
  • Certain races (e.g. Orcs) have limited background options. These are still worth 100 points each, but cannot be used on the Gift, Skill at Arms, or Skill at Magic Tables. They are probably most effective when used to negate racial disadvantages. ;
    Gift Table
    (Adapted from Rolemaster Companion III)
    d100PointsAbility
    01100Accelerated Mending.
    02100Acute Hearing.
    03100Acute Smell.
    04100Aggression.
    05200Archetype.
    06100Archmage Abilities.
    07150Armored Skin.
    08100Aura.
    0975 Bane.
    Multiple "Banes" may be purchased without counting against the table limit.
    10100Blessed.
    11150Breath Weapon.
    Its OB development point cost is 1/5. Multiple uses may be purchased for 50 points each.
    12100Danger Sense.
    This ability may be purchased multiple times without counting against the table limit, raising the chance of warning to 2 x IN, 3 x IN, etc.
    13*Dark Temptation.
    The point cost is either –25 or 100, depending upon whether or not Dark Temptation is a disadvantage to the character.
    14100Destiny Sense.
    15100Agility Focus.
    16100Constitution Focus.
    17100Memory Focus.
    18100Reasoning Focus.
    19100Self-Discipline Focus.
    20100Differing Eyes.
    2175Directed Weapons Master.
    2275Disarm Skill.
    This ability requires a 75% action; it may be used in "must parry" rounds.
    23150Eloquence.
    24200Enchanted Quality
    25125Enticing Eyes.
    2675Ethereal Sight.
    27200Exceptionally Enchanted.
    2850Eye of the Tiger.
    29100Favored.
    30100Hammerhand.
    31125Immovable Will.
    32100Firewalker.
    Multiple uses may be purchased for 50 points each.
    3375Power-taker.
    A character’s absorption capacity may be increased by one point for 25 background points each; however, he may never absorb more power points from a particular spell than are present in that spell.
    34100Infravision.
    35150Innate Magician
    36150Invincible.
    "Stunned, unable to parry" rounds become "must parry" rounds.
    37100Chaney.
    3850Beman.
    39125Leg Spring.
    40150Lightning Reactions.
    41100Light Sleeper.
    Waking rolls are made as a "medium" moving maneuver instead of the normal "absurd" maneuver.
    42100Lore.
    For an Archmage or Arcist, Lore has the same effect as Archmage Abilities, reducing the cost of Spell List Acquisition to half normal.
    43100Lucky I
    (Bonus): Character may add +5 x 1d20 to any roll once per day; he must decide before making the roll.
    44100Lucky II
    (Reroll): Character may reroll one die roll per day.
    45100Lung Capacity.
    46100Mana Reading.
    4775Mana Sensing.
    48100Martial Arts Training.
    4975Master Tactician.
    This ability may be purchased multiple times without counting against the table limit, raising the chance of success to 2 x IN, 3 x IN, etc.
    50200Mind Over Matter I (Moves).
    51150Mind Over Matter II (Defense).
    52125Mover.
    53*Multiple Limbs.
    If this result is determined randomly, the character has 1d4 extra limbs; otherwise, the cost is 50 points per limb.
    54100Natural Archer I.
    55100Natural Assassin.
    56100Natural Facility with Armor.
    57150Natural Physique.
    58100Natural Weapons Master.
    Multiple similar weapons categories may be purchased without counting against the table limit.
    59 75Neutral Body Odor.
    60150Awareness.
    61175Nimble Skeleton.
    62150Outdoorsman.
    63200Power.
    If higher level spells are available on the list, they may be purchased for 25 points each.
    64 75Portage Skill.
    65*Psionic:
    Character has an additional set of power points based on his PR stat to use with the lists in Space Master (or the Spell-User's Companion); the lists may be developed as if the character were a Semi-Telepath. The character may purchase the capacity to learn 1–6 lists at 25 points each.
    66225Quick Concentration.
    67150Quick Stride.
    68100Regenerative Power.
    This ability may be purchased multiple times, increasing the healing rate, without counting against the table limit.
    69100Resiliency I.
    70200Resiliency II.
    71100Resiliency III (Class I).
    72200Resiliency IV (Class II).
    73 50Resiliency V.
    74100Resiliency VI.
    75 50Resiliency VII.
    76100Resiliency VIII.
    77 50Resiliency IX.
    78100Resiliency X.
    79 50Resiliency XI.
    80100Resiliency XII.
    81100Resistance.
    Resistance may be purchased multiple times without counting against the table limit, but bonuses must be taken in separate categories, not stacked.
    82100Scope Skills.
    83400Shape Change I.
    84200Shape Change II.
    85200Shape Change III.
    86400Shape Change IV.
    87100Spatial Skills.
    88 75Spell Invincibility I.
    89100Spell Invincibility II.
    90100Spits Contain Acid.
    Its OB development point cost is 1/5. Multiple uses may be purchased for 50 points each.
    91 75Subconscious Preparation.
    92100Survival Instinct.
    93 75Taste Bad.
    94100Temporal Skills.
    95100Tolerance.
    96150Null Factor.
    97 75Unnatural Stamina.
    98200Unusually Strong.
    99150Withstand Pain.
    00200Wings.
    Gift Table Extensions
     300Resiliency XIII (Class Large):
    Character uses the Large Creature critical tables.
     500Resiliency XIV (Class Super-Large):
    Character uses the Super-Large Creature critical tables.