Messy Characters

I run mostly one-shots and short-form campaigns, so it's no surprise that I like my character growth quick and messy. 

Slowly increasing scores and damage output over months of play just doesn't mesh with how I use the game, so that's how you end up with my current home-variant of Into the Odd: Quick and Messy. 

Three Established PCs

The messiness starts from the very birth of a character, with the goal of making characters equally interesting, if not equally powerful. 

I'll let you in on how I'm currently generating new characters. 

So as you know, you roll 3d6 each for STR, DEX, WIL, and d6 for HP. You can swap two scores if you want, but I dare you not to. 

You also get d6x10p in pocket-change. Forget shopping; Pennies are lunch-money at best, but at least you'll be able to afford a drink. 

STARTER PACKS

-           Match your Highest Ability Score against your HP to get your first Starter Pack.

-           Match your Lowest Ability Score against your starting money for your second. 

-           Characters that receive an Oddity roll d100 here

-           A weapon states its damage, and perhaps a detail. For unusual weapons, the Referee clarifies questions about its use and limitations. Weapons causing d6 damage use one hand, and d8 two hands. 

-           If a player rolls the same starter pack as another, they take the next pack instead (right, then next row).

Highest Ability and Hitpoints

	1hp	2hp	3hp	4hp	5hp	6hp
9 or less	Spike-Gun (d8) Oddity	Musket (d8) Oddity	Pump-Gun (d8) Oddity	Alleygun (d8) Oddity	Funnelgun (d8) Oddity	Hatchet (d6) Oddity
10	Rifle (d8) Oddity	Carbine (d8) Oddity	Claymore (d8) Oddity	Bladdergun (d8) Oddity	Pistol brace (d8) Oddity	Halberd (d8) Grappling Hook
11	Shotgun (d8) Oddity	Club (d6) Oddity	Speargun (d8) Oddity	Long-Pistol (d6) Oddity	Maul (d8) Whiskey	Longaxe (d8) Blowtorch
12	Hammer (d8) Oddity	Pocketknife (d6) Oddity	Mace (d6) Oddity	Flamethrower (d8 cone), Rum	Truncheon (d6) Rocket	Duckpistol (d6) Marbles
13	Handcannon (d6), Oddity	Sports Bat (d6) Oddity	Pole-Club (d8) Firebomb	Harpoon (d6) Net	Cleaver (d6) Putty	Bonesaw (d6) Stethoscope
14	Pole-Axe (d8) Oddity	Pick-Axe (d8) Bomb	Chain (d6) Grease	Nail-Plank (d6) Barbed Wire	Crossbow (d8) Bolt Cutters	Knife (d6) Spyglass
15	Mallet (d6) Tongs	Scalpel (d6) Brandy	Shovel (d8) Flute	Rapier (d6) Smoke Bomb	Pitchfork (d8) Holy Book	Polehook (d6) Beast Repellent
16	Cane (d6) Pocketwatch	Bow (d6) Ether	Crowbar (d6) Cigars	Machete (d6) Fake Pistol	Cutlass (d6) Parachute	Sabre (d6) Magnifier
17	Sledgehammer (d8), Drill	Staff (d8) Glue	Whip (d6) Shackles	Pistol (d6) Bug Book	Dirk (d6) Acid	Garotte (d6) Poison
18	Sap (d6) Whistle	Fork (d6) Gum Collection	Spear (d6) Puppet	Axe (d6) Wheelbarrow	Poker (d6) Wig Collection	Tiny Pistol (d6) Exquisite Pie

Lowest Ability and Pennies

	10p	20p	30p	40p	50p	60p
3	Minor Fame, Fake Jewellery	Pet Eagle Frilly Shirt	Perfect Memory Fur Cloak	Pet Hound Fine Jacket	Pet Parrot Monocle	Gills Long Scarf
4	Gifted Singer, Puffy Hat	Pet Mutt with Mind Link	Pet Canary Always Dirty	Bodyguard (5hp, d8 Halberd)	Pet Pigeon Heavy Boots	Society Connections
5	Idiot Twin (d6 club), Cape	Pet Kestrel Scruffy Hair	Book Smart Floppy Cap	Language Skills Fashion-Wear	Dark-Vision Rat Hat	Especially Small Rope Belt
6	Peg Leg Animal Expert	Gifted Engineer Fox Hat	Wooden Body Mock Life	Glorious Hair, Missing Finger	Pet Cat Fine Gloves	Elderly Bloody Clothes
7	Cold Blooded, Wide Hat	Pet Donkey Perfect Memory	Pet Ferret Naval Tattoo	Iron Hand Old Uniform	Magic Trick Fancy Shirt	Slave Brand, Cool Pipe
8	Acute Scent, Feather Hat	Pet Goat Crazy Tattoos	Double-Jointed, Mask	Appraisal Skills, Old Suit	Political Connections	Toxin-Immune Hunchback
9	Street-Smarts, Stolen Gear	Raised in Wilderness	Toothless, Shoeless	Never Sleep, Mad Stare	Loved by Beasts Puffy Shirt	Hook Hand Burnt Clothes
10	Formal Wear, Gifted Dancer	Gifted Cook Gaudy Clothes	2g Bounty Warts	Visibly Diseased (benign)	Cult Believer Pet Rat	Bad Reputation Studded Jacket
11	Bald,  Illiterate	Ugly Loud Whistle	Eyepatch,  Echolocation	Barely Literate, Filthy Clothes	Needs Glasses Hated by Beasts	Unusually Large Thick Accent
12 or more	1g Debt Bloody Eye	Cannot Swim, Wonky Face	Mute,  Eats Raw Meat Only	Lice Infested Patchy Hair	No Nose Small Clothes	Alcohol Allergy Burnt Face

Characters Growth happens in a number of ways, most notably through a refinement of my previous Scars system. 

SCARS

When you are taken to exactly 0hp, you get a Scar.

-           Your first Scar adds d6hp to your Maximum.

-           Scars only occur in deadly situations, not training.

-           When Non-humans take a Scar, the Referee may forgo the table for their own creativity.

-           Specialists overcome negative effects for a price, but a mark always remains.  

Roll d6 plus the damage caused by the attack.

2: Busted Foot - Reduced to a limp until fixed.

3: Lasting Pain - A nasty scar that causes intense pain if pressed on.

4: Busted Lung - Your breathing is loud and you cough up blood often. It’s gross.

5: Smashed Jaw - You lose a lot of teeth and get a speech impediment.

6: Bloody Mess - It needs lots of Stitches, and you don’t benefit from Resting until it’s done by a Specialist.

7: Shaken Nerves - You stammer, twitch, or shake, unless you use something to calm your nerves.

8: Disfigurement - The injury leaves your face totally disfigured.

9: Mind Splinter - A specific element of this injury is stuck in your psyche. Lose d6 WIL each time you're forced to confront it.

10: Gouged Eye - A random eye is gouged out.

11: Obsession - Do not benefit from rests until you achieve revenge.

12: Hewn Limb - One of your limbs (1: right arm, 2: left arm, 3: right leg, 4: left leg) is torn off or in need of amputation.

13: Terrible Fracture - A random limb (1: right arm, 2: left arm, 3: right leg, 4: left leg) is broken in the worst way. It can be set by a specialist, but until then you cannot use it, or benefit from Rests.

14: Lost Sense - One of your senses is lost (1: Sight, 2: Hearing, 3: Scent, 4: Taste).

15: Heart Damage - This vital organ is in critical state. If you suffer this Scar again, you die.

16: Shadow of Death – You feel a cold hand on your shoulder and have nightmares. Any time you sleep, pass a WIL Save or scream through the night.

17: Fractured Skull - You drool and slur. If you suffer this Affliction a second time your skull is utterly split open and you die.

18+: Doomed to Die - You shouldn't have survived that. You have nightmares of your own death. If you fail your next Save against Critical Damage you die horribly. If you pass, remove this effect.

 PRESTIGE

When you achieve all the following criteria, you reach Prestige Status and add d6hp to your Maximum.

-           Bravery: You have at least one Scar.

-           Legacy: You have an apprentice and heir.

-           Prominence: You have sold at least one treasure worth 10g or more.

-           Eminence: You have been awarded a medal, title, or another honour.

Then, roll d12 for your Vice. When you indulge your Vice, re-roll your maximum HP on 3d6, keeping it if the result is higher.

Roll d12

1: Grandiosity – Spend at least 10g on something frivolous.

2: Greed – Take something worth 10g from its rightful owner.

3: Bloodlust – Kill ten sapient beings in one day.

4: Wanderlust – Visit a Far Land you have not visited before.

5: Vanity – Earn a medal or other honour from a figure of genuine respect.

6: Self-Preservation – Return from an expedition without having taken any Ability Score Damage.

7: Zeal – Find a cult that you like and convert a new member.

8: Nurturing – See your heir or apprentice reach Prestige Status.

9: Wrath – Utterly break somebody that has wronged you.

10: Hatred – Kill a specific rival or legendary creature.

11: Pride – Have somebody swear their life to you.

12: Malice – Aid in the collapse of an organisation or group that you dislike.

FOREGROUND GROWTH

Scars and Vices are just one example of Foreground Growth, alongside the obvious changes that come with increased wealth. 

The inevitable consequences of boat ownership.

Now I try to give significant NPCs and Monsters a way to permanently alter the characters through interaction with them. Something direct, not giving the gift of EXP to be spent abstractly. 

Let's take three of the example monsters in the core book, which I'll give a quick update to my current methods. I've bolded the examples of Foreground Growth opportunities. 

Dust Hag

STR 8, DEX 13, WIL 11, 7hp. Claws (d6), Dust Staff (Spray dust, DEX Save or Blinded until the Hag is dead or lifts the curse). 

- Turn to dust at will, ignoring physical attacks (cannot do this if wet). 

- Direct one of her eyes to fly independently, but she can still see through it. If you help her, she will offer to pull one of your eyes out to give you the same gift. 

- Lives to manipulate others, and has no agenda besides stirring up trouble and gaining influence. 

Beckoning Shadow

STR 10, DEX 17, WIL 13, 6hp. Shadow Form (Immune to any attacks, but bright light repels it, and being trapped in light destroys it). 

- Moves across walls as a shadow, mimicking with mocking exaggeration. 

- Lures the unwary to touch hands, then grabs for d6 WIL loss each turn until they break free. At WIL 0 they are absorbed into the shadow. 

- If someone breaks free from the shadow, it flees, but the victim's shadow becomes a pit to nothingness until the shadow is destroyed. 

Strange Hunter

STR 13, DEX 13, WIL 12, 14hp, Glossy Body (Armour 1), Beam-Gun (d8, Disintegrates on Critical Damage), Alien-Blade (d8, one-handed). 

- Speaks an unfathomable language and phases from this place to his Far Land at will. 

- Looks at you with disgust but only wants to find big-prey to hunt. 

- Keeps a watch on you, and if it witnesses you kill some big-prey it grants you the Cosmic Mark on your forehead (if you allow it). Intelligent beings from other Far Lands will respect and fear this.