A New Age: An introduction & character building guide for Modern Age
Hello and welcome to The Bard's College. I am The Bard and today I'll be highlighting a system that I've been following for a number of years now, Green Ronin's Adventure Game Engine more commonly called the AGE System. The AGE System began its life powering the Dragon Age ttrpg as the brainchild of famed designer Chris Pramas.
There's a bunch of variations on the engine at this point as the system has proven fantastically hackable, including licensed games for Dragon Age, The Expanse, and N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season, as well as a pair of setting agnostic versions called Fantasy Age and Modern Age. This latter version in particular has really captured my imagination, so today I'm going to walk you through the basics of Modern Age and discuss the character creation process for first timers.
And let me tell you, the AGE System has no shortage of stunt options. Modern Age alone has enough stunts to fill three double-sided reference cards included in the GM's Kit, and the nature of the AGE System makes it easy to borrow stunts (and other content) across lines. This also lends itself to gameplay that only asks for rolls when they're thematically valuable. While there are times where the GM will declare that a test simply can't result in a stunt (a rule introduced in the Modern Age Mastery Guide), these rolls should be exceedingly rare as any situation dramatically viable enough to require a test likely deserves the opportunity for dramatic results.
These simple mechanics lead to beautifully dynamic encounters and robust roleplaying. So clearly since I've talked this long about the game I'm recommending that you check it out. Any of the AGE games are honestly a great choice, with Fantasy Age or Dragon Age probably being the easiest transition from the enormous dragon in the room. Modern Age will take a bit more effort on the GM's part since it's so open to customization, but this can be made a bit easier by utilizing Green Ronin's Threefold setting for Modern Age or jumping to the very closely related Cthulhu Awakens if you're feeling more cosmic horror vibes. That said, the lift is no heavier for the GM than it would be for any custom setting and the relatively simple foundational mechanics mean it's incredibly easy to import settings and adventures from other games into Fantasy or Modern Age.
So what's the concept of Jack Sparrow? Well, he's lucky as all get out, plays the fool when he's actually highly clever, and at his core he's a moral person who values individual freedom over adherence to law. He's reasonably competent with a cutlass and can handle a pistol well enough to make it count when he needs to. So, pirate.
At this point if you're following along in the Modern Age Basic Rulebook (which you should totally pick up from Green Ronin's storefront or Drive Thru RPG) you're going to notice that the character creation rules include a lot of rolling and random tables. You always have the option to simply choose what suits your character best so don't feel locked into rolling for your options.
This is going to grant Jack a few more features. He gets an additional +1 to his Willpower, making it a 3 now. We get to choose his first Focus and while both of the options here would work well for Jack I think we've gotta start off with Communication (Deception). I mean you can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest, honestly.
This will again grant us a focus and since we've already got Communication (Deception) the real choice here is between Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) and Dexterity (Stealth). Jack displays both frequently on screen, but he gets caught sneaking around much more frequently than he does swiping things so we'll go with Sleight of Hand here.
In Jack's case there's a few you could make arguments for, but ultimately the Rebel drive fits Jack Sparrow like a glove. This will give him the choice between the Expertise and Improvisation talents and while again both could work I don't think there's a talent in the game more fitting Jack's antics than Improvisation so that'll be our third novice degree selected.
So let's see how this all pans out for Jack Sparrow. His starting resources have no modifications so he's at a 2, which is categorized as struggling. I'd say that fits how he first appears in Port Royal.
For Jack this is easy. Jack Sparrow, who looks like an unwashed Johnny Depp, is seeking to reclaim his beloved ship and perhaps get a little revenge on his mutinous first mate. He was close friends with Will's father and so feels a connection to Will, who's also potentially a means to achieve his goal. He didn't get any relationships, but we'll probably gain one with Barbossa as soon as that encounter occurs. All in all, this is about fleshing out the bigger holes in your character so they can come to the table with a reason to be there. Again, making this an explicit step in character creation is something every game should do and will pay huge returns over the course of play if everyone puts in the effort rather than skipping over these details.
Anyway, this has been a pretty long post so I think I'll go ahead and wrap up now, but I'm planning to write up more about Modern Age and the AGE System in general in the relatively near future so stay tuned.
As with all the AGE System games, the foundational mechanic of the system is rolling 3d6 with two dice of one color and one of another (or some other way to flag one die separately from the others, though color is the easiest for most players). When doubles (or triples) are rolled on any of the dice, the off-color "stunt" die determines the number of points that player has to spend on stunts, the AGE System's flagship mechanic which adds cinematic action and tactical consideration to what would otherwise be a simple crit mechanic.
The game also features "modes" which adjust certain rules to make the world more or less dangerous to the characters. Gritty mode is more realistic and lethal, cinematic more like an action movie, and pulpy floating in the middle. You'll choose a mode for your game before any characters are created (or customize the mode to suit your game even more closely, as outlined in the Mastery Guide).
Player characters are mechanically a combination of their ability scores (9 of them as we'll discuss below), a collection of skills called Ability Focuses, their Talents/Specializations which act as a hybrid of class/ancestry features and feats, and the stunts they choose. The stunts are great, but it should be noted that newer players may struggle with analysis paralysis when choosing which stunts to employ. It's strongly recommended that players read through the general stunts in advance and choose a few that they think would be most fun to employ regularly. There's no mechanical incentive for choosing favorite stunts, but it certainly can streamline play.
Outside the normal roleplaying dialogue you expect in a ttrpg the mechanical interactions all tend to follow the same basic structure, not terribly dissimilar to that other very widely marketed and published ttrpg IP that you're probably at least passingly familiar with. The GM calls for a test, usually a specific Ability and Focus combination, though players can suggest alternate Ability/Focus combinations to achieve the goal if they make a reasonable case for it. The player rolls 3d6, adds their Focus bonus if applicable (usually a +2), and compares their result against the Target Number (TN) set by the GM for that test. If they meet or exceed the TN, they check to see if they stunt, choosing the stunts they want to apply if they did, and then the results are narrated from there. This is the basic function of every mechanical interaction in the game, and while individual Talents/Specializations can affect specific circumstances, the foundation is pretty straightforward.
As for the other games in the line, The Expanse is a phenomenal sci-fi setting and I've heard very good things about the gameplay, though I've yet to actually play it or watch an actual play of it. Blue Rose is a deep well of setting that has been around for a while and seems very popular within its niche. Again, I've yet to play but I did pick up a Bundle of Holding a while back so it's on my to-play shelf. Lastly, The Fifth Season is still in production following it's successful crowdfunding campaign, but will hopefully be dropping this next year. It does seem much more esoteric than the others in the line, as one might expect given the source material. We'll need to wait and see what it's like when it officially releases, but there is a free quickstart guide available on Green Ronin's webstore (as there is for all of their games) so definitely check those out.
Let's Make A Character
Okay, so I've covered the basic mechanics, a bit of the history of the system, and clearly I'm a fan who's trying to get you to give it a try. So if I've gotten you this far, let's go ahead and try making a Modern Age character together.
Step 1: Concept
Before you get into the mechanical building of your character, always begin with a concept of who you want to be. This is specifically stated as step 1 in the character creation rules in the basic rulebook, but I think for most people is the first step in creating any ttrpg character regardless of system.
For the purposes of this example, let's pick a character that most of us are at least passingly familiar with at this point, Captain Jack Sparrow.
So what's the concept of Jack Sparrow? Well, he's lucky as all get out, plays the fool when he's actually highly clever, and at his core he's a moral person who values individual freedom over adherence to law. He's reasonably competent with a cutlass and can handle a pistol well enough to make it count when he needs to. So, pirate.
Step 2: Abilities
So for Jack, I'm going to go ahead and buy abilities which means I've got 12 points to distribute among the 9 stats (which all start at 0 and max out at 3 if you're buying abilities). Jack is surprisingly balanced in the abilities he displays so I think I'll start with 1 in everything except Strength since he never really relied on raw power in the movies. That uses up 8 of our points so from there I'll add a second point each into Willpower and Perception. Jack definitely observes the world better than your average pirate and his willingness to not only push back against authority no matter how much of a disadvantage he's at but also to make an enemy of both a marauding band of vicious, inhuman monsters and Davy Jones clearly shows a degree of courage and morale cut above the rest. With my last 2 points, I've gotta put both into Dexterity. While luck clearly plays a role the sheer variety of shenanigans Jack gets into merit a maxed out Dex for the sheer agility on display.
Also Luck isn't an ability stat in Modern Age so there you go.
Step 3: Background
One thing the AGE System utilizes that I have mixed feelings about is a division of backgrounds and professions into social classes. While this can contribute to the story in many settings and campaigns, it also assigns an inherent societal value to certain groups of people which may not always reflect the setting you're creating or goals you're looking to set. I'd strongly consider whether you want to include social class or not before starting your campaign, but I'll also admit that it could just as easily be one of those choices that fades into the background and has little or no further game impact. It all depends on your group and the game you're playing.
For the world of Pirates of the Caribbean social class makes perfect sense, and is even a secondary plot element in the relationship of Will and Elizabeth. Jack, as a pirate, is immediately an Outsider. While there are a few backgrounds that could suit him well, I think Outcast is the most befitting a pirate in the society we see on screen.
Next we'll pick a Talent from the two options here for Jack to gain the novice degree. Jack has a pretty extensive reputation so Living on the Fringe's ability doesn't really suit Jack. Misdirection however is textbook Jack Sparrow shenanigans so we'll take the novice degree there.
Lastly, when you choose your background you'll roll 2d6 to determine an additional benefit from your background's table (or just pick one if your group agrees). For Jack I rolled a 5 granting him the focus Fighting (Light Blades). Perhaps not the absolute best pick, but really I think any option from the table could've fit except perhaps for the Dexterity (Forgery) focus so we'll go ahead and keep it. Jack does know his way around a cutlass at least, even if he's not as skilled as Will.
Step 4: Profession
Profession again employs the social class we picked earlier and there are rules for choosing a profession outside your chosen class, but for Jack this won't matter because he's a pirate which makes him fit perfectly into the Criminal profession.
We also get another Talent, this time chosen between Burglary and Scouting. Both could work for Jack, but Scouting will cover the Stealth capabilities we skipped above so we'll grab the novice degree there.
Lastly, we'll get our starting Health and Resources from our profession, in Jack's case 15 + 1 Con and 2 respectively. Crime really just doesn't pay, or at least not well.
Step 5: Drive
Next up is something that I really love in Modern Age character generation. You need to pick what motivates your character to do what they're doing in the campaign. Literally, what drives them. This is not just another mechanical addition, but also a fantastic source of roleplaying inspiration that really takes a pile of stats and helps you turn them into a fully rounded person.
We also get to choose one of three improvements for him and while resources would be nice I think the most reflective of the character is to get the started on Jack's reputation. Call him the best pirate you've ever seen or simply a lucky bastard, either way you have heard of him.
Lastly, and for me this is the most important part, you're going to get a quality and a downfall. These traits of your character can help guide your roleplay and really build dramatic stakes in the shared narrative. For Jack his quality is innovation, reflecting his independence and unique perspective, while his downfall is defiance, which fits in perfectly.
Steps 6 & 7: Resources, Equipment, & Other Stats
These steps really kinda flow into each other in my experience. You'll determine your starting resources, which is listed in your profession and potentially modified by your social class and talents. Then you'll choose your starting equipment. Then we'll wrap it up with a bunch of stats that are derived from other stats.
Starting equipment is pretty straightforward. Jack has his "affects" which include his pirate clothes, hat, cutlass, and pistol with a single shot. All of this is pretty easy to categorize as the trappings of his profession as a pirate. He also has the compass he got from Tia Dalma which magically points not to the north but to the holder's heart's deepest desire. While this last piece is an extraordinary item that probably shouldn't be part of normal character creation, it's also mostly a plot device for the GM to guide the players so we'll go ahead and toss it in for fun.
The remaining stats are Health, which we determined back in the profession step as 16 and haven't modified since, Defense, which is 10 + Dex so 13 for Jack, Toughness which is used to reduce damage taken and is equal to Constitution so 1 for Jack, and lastly Speed, which is also 10 + Dex or 13 for Jack.
Steps 8 & 9: Wrap-up
The last couple steps are things you really already started outlining back in step 1. What are your character's name? What do they look like? What are the goals they're looking to achieve at the start of the campaign? What ties them into the other players' characters? Did you get any relationships back in steps 3-5?
Results!
And there you go, we've got captain Jack Sparrow ready to commandeer a ship of the royal navy and hit the seas of adventure. There's a good number of options to choose along the way, but building out Modern Age characters becomes really seamless if you've got a solid concept in your head at the start.
If I've intrigued you, definitely go pick up Modern Age or any of the other AGE System games that strike your fancy.
Game well, my friends.
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