races, wiped out the vran, kil ed all but a few hundred of the werebbubbs, built their cities way, North’s different from the
on top of elderfolk cities, and depending on where you are they’re still kil ing elderfolk by the black ones or the Ofieri or the
score every day. But they’re not all bad. Heh, most mages are human and they may destabilize Zerrikanians. Friendly enough
countries and plunge the world into chaos, but they’ve also made the world better with magic once ya get to know ‘em but un-and science. Human are a clever bunch, and in a pinch, a human you know well will probably til then it can be rough sleddin’.
have your back.
Rare a Northerner’ll hide their
–Rodolf Kazmer
intentions though. Heh, if some
big Kaedweni bastard wants to
Perks
cave your face in, you’ll know
Trustworthy
Blindly Stubborn
it, trust me! Guess I’d call ‘em
In a world where non-humans can’t be trusted, Part of the human race’s greatest strength is its honest. Traveled the south a bit
humans look more trustworthy. Humans have willingness to charge forward endlessly, even
and it never felt as honest. Too
an inherent +1 to their Charisma, Seduction, into truly life-threatening situations. A human much plottin’ and too many
and Persuasion checks against other humans.
can summon up their courage and reroll a failed
fake smiles.
Resist Coercion or Courage roll 3 times per
–Rodolf Kazmer
Ingenuity
game session. They take the higher of the two
Humans are clever and often have brilliant solu- rol s, but if they still fail they cannot re-use the tions to difficult problems. Humans gain an in- ability to roll again.
herent +1 to Deduction.
25
Lifepath
Random Chance
While you can choose from
In the world of The Witcher your early life can be very important. Not only does it amongst these options to craft
tell you what land you grew up in, but also what kind of environment you lived in,
the specific character you want
what the people around you were like, and even what skills you learned. This is also
to play, roll from scratch first
the point at which you decide which of the three sides of the Third Northern War
one or two times just to see
you hail from. This may not reflect what side you are on now, but it will tell you
what you’ll get.
what you grew up knowing about the conflict and what people will expect of you.
Homeland
The Elderlands
As a non-human you can
Roll
Region
choose to come from one of
Roll
Northern
Vassal
Origin
Origin
the traditional homelands
Odd
Northern Kingdoms
of the elder races: the Ma-
(Go to Northern Origin)
1
Redania
Vicovaro
hakaman Mountains or Dol
(+1 Education)
(+1 Education)
Even
Nilfgaard
Blathanna. This is not manda-
(Go to Nilfgaardian Origin)
2
Kaedwen
Angren
tory and you can roll on the ta-
Non
Elderlands
(+1 Endurance)
(+1 Wilderness Survival)
ble for your homeland instead.
Human
(Go to Elderland Origin)
3
Temeria
Nazair
(+1 Charisma)
(+1 Brawling)
4
Aedirn
Mettina
Roll
Nilfgaardian Origin
(+1 Crafting)
(+1 Ride)
Witcher Lifepath
5
Lyria & Rivia
Mag Turga
As a witcher you roll on a
1-3
The Heart of Nilfgaard
(+1 Resist Coercion)
(+1 Endurance)
(+1 Deceit)
witcher-specific Lifepath in the
6
Kovir & Poviss
Gheso
“Running a Witcher” Section
4-10
Vassal
(+1 Business)
(+1 Stealth)
(Go to Vassal Origin)
on pg.237. If you want, you can
7
Skellige
Ebbing
roll on the Lifepath tables to see
(+1 Courage)
(+1 Deduction)
what the family you were tak-
Maecht
Race
Elderland Origin
8
Cidaris
en from was like, but they are
(+1 Sailing)
(+1 Charisma)
most likely dead.
Elf
Dol Blathanna
9
Verden
Gemmeria
(+1 Social Etiquette)
(+1 Wilderness Survival)
(+1 Intimidation)
Dwarf
Mahakam
10
Cintra
Etolia
(+1 Crafting)
(+1 Human Perception)
(+1 Courage)
Homeland
You can find more informa-
Roll
Family
tion on your homeland in
Familial Fate
Even
Your Family Is Alive and Together
the World section, starting on
(Go to Parents)
Along the course of your life it’s all
pg.179. If you rolled Cintra as
too common for something to go
Odd
Something Happened to Your Family
your homeland you’ll have to
horribly wrong. After finding out
(Go to Family Fate)
look under Nilfgaard. Cintra
where you grew up roll on these
was only captured a few years
two tables to find out how lucky
Roll
Parents
ago, and many still hold hope
your family was as you were grow-
of taking it back from Nilf-
ing up.
Even
Your Parents Are Alive
(Go to Family Status)
gaard.
Odd
Something Happened To Your Parents
(Go to Parental Fate)
26
Family Fate
The Kazmer Family
If you rolled that something happened to your family over the course of your life, roll on the table below. Not everything on this list affects your family directly. Some of the events Eh, life’s never easy for elderfolk
below involve your interactions with them. These events affect not only your parents but
growin’ up in the North. Heh,
also your siblings. Roll 1d10 or choose below, then go to Parental Fate.
had it easier than the elves but it
still wasn’t exactly a walk in the
Roll
Northern Status
Nilfgaardian Status
Elderland Status
park. Think most of the reason
Your family was scattered to the Your family was indentured for Your family were marked as we didn’t get more trouble was
1
winds by the wars and you have crimes against the Empire or
human sympathizers and are
my Pa was one tough older
no idea where most of them on trumped-up charges. Only not particularly loved in their
are.
you escaped.
homeland.
dwarf and he made sure every-
body knew it. Nah, real problem
Your family was imprisoned Your family was exiled to the
for crimes or on trumped-up Korath Desert and you likely Your family was ostracized
was my brother, Agoston. Heh,
2
charges. You were the only one spent most of your early life for dissenting opinions and
joined the Scoia’tael a few years
to escape. You may want to free struggling to survive in the now people won’t socialize with back. Said he’d had enough
them...or maybe not.
deadly wasteland.
you or your family at al .
with the ‘damn dhoine’ runnin’
Your family house was cursed Your family was killed by a Your family died in the
roughshod over us dwarves. See
and now either crops won’t rogue mage who either had a Northern Wars. They may have
where he was comin’ from but
3
grow or specters roam the hal s. vendetta against your family, or actual y fought in the war, or It became too dangerous for just wanted blood. Either way, were casualties of war who just there ain’t no sense in huntin’
you to stay in this home.
you are alone.
happened to get in the way.
down innocent humans to get
With so many wars your fam- Your family disappeared and Your family has been caught in
back at the real bastards. Ma
agrees with me but Pa’s aways
4
ily’s livelihood was destroyed. you have no idea where they a feud for centuries. You may
Your family turned to crime to went. One day they just up and not remember why this feud
been the, uh, ‘militant’ sort. Heh,
survive.
left.
started, but it is dire.
realy split the family up. Let me
Your family accumulated a Your family was executed for Your family was stripped of its
tell ya, family reunions ain’t no
5
huge debt through gambling or treason against the Empire. You title for some reason. You were favors from others. You need were the only one to escape this evicted from your home and
picnic! Ya can count on at at
money desperately.
fate.
left scrambling to survive.
least one broken table and half a
Your family has fallen into a Your family was stripped of
dozen crumpled goblets.
feud with another family. You its title for some reason. You Your family turned to raiding
–Rodolf Kazmer
6
may not even remember why were evicted from your home human settlements early in
this feud started in the first and left scrambling to survive your life to get food and per-place.
among the un-washed masses. haps strike back at the humans.
Due to some action or inaction Your family name was
Your family house is haunted.
Sounds Grim?
your family has become hated tarnished by a magic relative Most likely this is because your If these tables seem some-7
in your home town and now who flaunted their magical gift home was the site of many,
no one there wants to have any- disgraceful y like a Northern many deaths during the war
what depressing or ominous,
thing to do with them.
mage.
against humans.
remember that in a truly me-
dieval world life is often nasty,
One day everything you had You disgraced your family in Your family has been split by a
the eyes of the Empire. Some- human in-law who was brought
brutish, and short.
8
was ripped away by a bandit
mob. Your family was massa- thing you did or failed to do has into your family by a sibling or cred, leaving you entirely alone. ruined your personal name and relative. Some of your family harmed your family.
like them and some hate them.
Your family has a deep, dark Your family has a deep, dark Your family was killed by hu-
secret that if discovered would secret that if discovered would mans who thought they were 9
ruin you all completely. You destroy them and their name Scoia’tael. They may have been
can decide what this secret is, forever. You must protect this slaughtered or hung with no or the Game Master can decide. secret with your life.
court proceedings or trials.
Your family has come to despise Your family was assassinated. Your family is descended from each other. No one you grew up They may have been in the way an infamous traitor. It taints 10
with will talk with each other of someone’s plan or they may your family’s interactions with any more and you’re lucky to have been used to get at some- others of the elder races and
get a passing hello from your one more powerful. Either way, has made living in the elder-
siblings.
your family is gone now.
land difficult.
27
Parental Fate
If you rolled that something happened to your parents over the course of your life, roll
Which Parent
on the table below. Not everything on this list affects your parents directly. Some of the events below involve your interactions with them, such as having been sold or given
Roll
Parent
away at a young age. Roll 1d10 or choose below, then go to Family Status.
1-4
Father
Roll
Northern Status
Nilfgaardian Status
Elderland Status
5-8
Mother
One or more of your parents Your father died in one of the One or more of your par-
9-10
Both
were killed in the Northern Northern Wars. He may have al- ents were accused of being
1
Wars. Most likely your father, but ready been in the military or he Scoia’tael. The people around it is also possible that your moth- may have been conscripted into you give your parents sidelong er fought or was a casualty.
service during that war.
glances.
Brandon’s Parents
One or more of your parents One or more of your parents One or more of your parents
left you in the wilderness to were poisoned. This may have turned on your own people and
When I was growing up in
2
fend for yourself. Maybe they been the work of a professional sold out the elder races to the Oxenfurt it was quite an open
couldn’t afford to keep you; rival, or it may have been to get humans. Your parents are un-and freewheeling city. There
maybe you were an accident.
your parents out of the way.
welcome in your homeland.
was the ferment of advanced
One or more of your parents The secret police took your One or more of your parents
thought everywhere. Every once
were cursed by a mage or due parent or parents for ‘question- killed themselves out of despair.
in a while a profes or or student
3
to the intense hatred of some- ing.’ The next week their bodies With no hope of regaining the one they encountered. The were found hung in the streets glory of the past, they gave up
would be arrested for heresy,
curse took their life.
of the city.
&nb
sp; and ended it.
but other than that, Redani-
One or more of your parents One or more of your parents While traveling, one or more of
an control was largely unseen.
sold you for coin, or perhaps were killed by a rogue mage. your parents fell prey to human Even though the students were
4
traded you for some goods or Most likely they tried to turn racism. They died in a pogrom
often too poor to buy my fa-
service. Your parents needed the mage in question in to the and their bodies were displayed ther’s shoes, it looked like a vital
the money more than you.
Empire and paid the price.
on pikes.
and carefree way of life. When I
One or more of your parents One or more of your parents One or more of your parents
and my siblings were older and
were imprisoned for unlawful have become obssessed with
5
joined a gang. You saw this
some had perished of the usual
gang often and were sometimes magic. Maybe they actual y regaining the former glory
childhood maladies, my mother
forced to work with them.
commited the crime or maybe of their race. They sacrifice
it was a setup.
everything for this cause.
was able to take a job cleaning
house for an alchemy professor.
One or more of your parents One or more of your parents One or more of your parents
were exiled to the Korath De- were exiled from your
I sometimes went with her and
6
were killed by monsters. It is
your decision as to what they sert. Likely they committed a homeland. There are many pos-
saw science all over the floor,
may have fallen prey to.
major crime but killing them sible reasons, from crime to
would cause trouble.
dissenting opinons.
wals and ceiling. It was then
that I realized my caling was in
One or more of your parents One or more of your parents One or more of your parents
the humanities.
7
were falsely executed. They may were cursed by a mage. The were cursed. You can decide
have been a scapegoat for some- mage likely had a vendetta what this curse is or, the Game
–Brandon Of Oxenfurt
thing or just in the wrong place. against them.
Master can decide.
One or more of your parents Your parents simply left you Your parents gave you to an-
8
died of a plague. There was one day. You may not even other family so that you could
nothing that could be done but know why they did it. One day survive, because they couldn’t try to ease their passing.
The Witcher Pen & Paper RPG Page 6
