I did some refactoring of the lifepath code, and brought this post inline with that change. As I look at the lifepaths, they achieve a goal of creating an adversary for a Dungeons and Dragons game. They do not, however, provide a nuanced path nor insight into the person that becomes the Grandfather of Assassins.
H1: Bloodstone Pass was written for Dungeons and Dragons (D&D 📖) 1st Edition. Assassins are used rather frequently as opposition. In fact, the leader of the opposition is named the Grandfather of Assassins.
Below is my take on what it would take for the Grandfather of Assassins to rise to his current power. I did draw initial inspiration from Luke Crane’s Jihad: Burning Sands, the H-Series of Bloodstone, and the Old School Reference and Index Compilation (OSRIC 📖) reference document. See wikipedia entry on OSRIC
| Lifepath | Time | Resources | Stat | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initiate of the Brotherhood 𝜏 | 4 yrs | 5 | +1 P | City, Village, Servitude, Military, Outcast |
| Skills: 7 pts: Cooking, Repair, Climbing, Swimming, Apothecary, Trap-wise, Crossbow | ||||
| Traits: 2 pts: Quiet, Bitter, Cynic, Nimble | ||||
| Note: Initiate of the Brotherhood is considered a Poisoner and/or Desperate Killer for purposes of Lifepath selection. | ||||
| Brother of Assassins 𝜏 | 5 yrs | 10 | +1 M/P | Any |
| Skills: 7 pts: Inconspicuous, Stealthy, Poisons, Knives, Disguise, Falsehood, Lock Pick | ||||
| Traits: 1 pts: Merciless, Cold-Blooded, Hard-Hearted | ||||
| Requires: Initiate of the Brotherhood | ||||
| Father of Assassins 𝜏 | 5 yrs | 15 | +1 M/P | Any |
| Skills: 7 pts: Greathall Tunnel-wise, Assassin-wise, Extortion, Intimidation, Sword, Observation, Persuasion | ||||
| Traits: 1 pts: Arrogant, Prominent Scar, Precision Training | ||||
| Requires: Brother of Assassins | ||||
| Grandfather of Assassins 𝜏 | 7 yrs | 25 | +1 M, P | Any |
| Skills: 8 pts: Command, Fortress-wise, Noble-wise, Sorcery-wise, Logistics, Oratory, Strategy Games, Strategy; 1 pts: General | ||||
| Traits: 1 pts: Calm Demeanor, Domineering Presence | ||||
| Requires: Father of Assassins | ||||
|
† - This is a training skill. It costs 2 pts to open and may not be advanced. § - Indicates that this is a magical stock skill and costs 2 points to open. |
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| ß - Burning Wheel Gold; ¢ - Burning Wheel Codex; 𝜏 - TakeOnRules.com | ||||
Additional Lifepaths can be found at the Burning Wheel Wiki.