DEVELOPING CHARACTERS
by Richard Hamblen
The players may wish to keep their characters from game
to game and have them gain in strength depending on their success. These rules
allow a player to keep a character from game to game and develop his strength.
1. The Development section on the back of each character card is used.
The first time a character is used he starts at his first stage of development,
with the appropriate combat counters, Spells and equipment.
2. During each game, each character must record and acquire a number
of victory points equal to the next stage in his development. Thus, if a character
was at his first stage of development he must record and acquire two victory
points; a fourth-stage character would have to acquire five victory points.
(Players who prefer longer games can agree to double or triple these numbers
if they wish.)
3. When a character fulfills his victory conditions, he wins and the
game is over.
3.1 Each character who has survived without being killed gains one combat
counter. He gains one of the counters listed in the next stage after his current
stage, and can use it in the next game.
3.11 A character who is at first stage and who has two extra counters
is still at first stage.
3.12 When a character gets all three of the counters of a stage, the
next game he starts at that new stage with the appropriate Spells and equipment.
3.2 The character who won the game jumps a full stage in the next game.
If he were first stage with one extra counter, the next game he would be second
stage with one extra counter.
3.3 A character who is killed drops a full stage for the next game.
3.31 If the revival rule is being used and a character is killed, he
loses the stage before he is revived - and if he is killed again he loses another
stage.
3.32 A character can never be lower than first stage.
4. When a character reaches fourth stage he should
continue to keep track of the stages and counters he has earned even though
he cannot get additional counters.
4.1 Instead of extra counters, a character gains certain advantages for
each full stage he has earned above the fourth (he gains nothing for counters
that do not complete a stage). He takes these items when he places his first
hex tile.
4.11 Fifth stage and above: 15 extra GOLD.
4.12 Sixth stage and above: Take one random treasure card from any native
group.
4.13 Seventh stage and above: 10 NOTORIETY and 5 FAME.
4.14 Eighth Stage and above: Take one horse from any native group.
4.15 Ninth stage and above: Gets bonus phase every day.
4.16 Tenth stage: Take one weapon or armor counter from any native group;
or record one extra Spell of any type.
4.17 Eleventh stage: The character should be declared an 'immortal' and
retired, and his owner should start over with a new (and preferably different)
character. Over the really long haul the players can compete to see who can
reach 'immortal' status with the most characters.
4.2 A character must record and acquire extra victory points for his
excess stages of development, so a seventh-stage character needs eight points
to win.
5. The players will find that games can end quickly
when some of the players are at low stages; when a game ends too quickly the
characters can leave the board setup, move to the start of the next lunar month
and start the next game from there.