Chapter 3 of 100
Chapter 3
10 min read2,425 words
This is a detailed version of Chapter 1: "Character Creation."
The content is the same, so those who are not interested can skip it without any impact.
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I stood at the classroom door, my head still groggy, wondering why I was in Akira's room, a friend from middle school.
No one else was in Akira's room, and on the kotatsu (a low table with a heater underneath) that was always there, there were two ten-sided dice and a rulebook for TTRPG (Tabletop Role-Playing Game) titled "Tunnels & Dragons" (T&D).
(Ten-sided dice. How nostalgic... What was it called again? "Tunnels & Dragons," abbreviated as "T&D." It's quite bold to copy like this... (Note: Upon seeing the title, I thought it was a copy of the famous TTRPG "Tunnels & Trolls" (T&T) and "Dungeons & Dragons" (D&D).)
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"Hey, Yataro, Yataro! Hurry up and create your character. You're so slow!"
Suddenly, Akira's voice rang out.
I couldn't see him, but I replied without much concern.
"Sorry. I haven't even read the rulebook yet. Can you wait a bit longer?"
"Alright. Just hurry up."
I opened the T&D rulebook and started reading.
As I read on, I realized it wasn't much different from the TTRPGs I knew, so I skimmed through the parts that didn't interest me.
While being urged by Akira, I picked up the TTRPG rulebook—a B5-sized book about 200 pages thick.
As I flipped through the pages, familiar game descriptions lined the pages.
(How nostalgic. TTRPG rulebooks feel different from game manuals... )
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Welcome to the world of "Tunnels & Dragons (T&D)."
This game is a Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) set in a world of swords and magic.
Create unique characters and fulfill your dreams.
Note: Tunnels & Dragons and T&D are registered trademarks of Trinity World Creators, Inc. (TWC).
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(Well, let's start by creating a character.)
I began flipping through the rulebook to start creating my character.
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1. Create Your Character
This section explains how to create your character, your form in this world.
To create a character, you need to set the race, status, talents, special abilities, and birth environment.
Basically, you roll two ten-sided dice (the red and white ones included) and create your character based on the numbers.
If you roll a bad number and decide to reroll, you can do so only once before moving on to the next step.
Note: If the Game Master (GM), who acts as the game's deity, gives special instructions, follow the GM's directions.
First, let's decide on the race.
If the GM doesn't give special instructions, the race is randomly determined by rolling two ten-sided dice.
If the number rolled is equal to or greater than the following, you will be born into that race.
Dragonkin: 100, Demon: 96, Elf: 91, Dwarf: 81, Beastkin: 66, Human: 1
Let's decide on the race right away.
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(Starting with the race. But in previous TTRPGs, you could choose your race. This is a bit different.)
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2. Determine Status, Talents, and Special Abilities
Next, let's determine the status and talents.
Status consists of ten items, and the numbers are determined by rolling two dice, resulting in a number between 1 and 100.
For a typical human NPC, the average value is 50, with a standard deviation of 10. In other words, only one in a thousand people will have a value of 80 or higher.
Talents and special abilities are determined by Character Points (CP), which are used to grant innate abilities.
CP can also be used to improve status or set birth environment conditions.
CP is determined by the product of three dice rolls, resulting in a number between 1 and 1,000.
Status
(a) Strength: Affects the ability to lift objects and attack power.
(b) Reflexes: Affects quick judgment, initiative in combat, and attack evasion.
(c) Physical Control: Affects hit rate and success in physical activities.
(d) Endurance: Affects Hit Points (HP) and stamina.
(e) Magic Power: Affects Magic Points (MP) and vitality.
(f) Mental Strength: Affects resistance to mental attacks.
(g) Intelligence: Affects knowledge acquisition and magic success rate.
(h) Craftsmanship: Affects success in crafting, trap setting, and removal.
(i) Appearance: Affects the first impression among your own race.
(j) Charisma: Affects likability and negotiation.
The following status values are derived from the above:
(k) Vitality (HP): Endurance × (100 + Combat Skill Level) ÷ 10
(l) Magic Power (MP): Magic Power × (10 + Magic Level² ÷ 100)
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(Standard status... Oh? There's no "Luck." I thought there usually was... Ah, there's something written about luck...)
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Did you notice that there is no "Luck" parameter in the status?
In T&D, luck is determined by the GM at the beginning of the campaign.
This is based on the idea that it's impossible to have good luck all your life, or that such a life would be boring.
The GM can randomly determine or set luck, but it is not disclosed to the players.
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(That's an interesting setting. Indeed, having a rhythm would be good. A character with unusually good luck might lack excitement... Next is the talent section...)
Akira's voice rang out again.
"Yataro, hurry up. I want to start soon."
"Sorry. Just a bit more, please."
I apologized to Akira and started reading the talent section.
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Talents
Talents refer to the innate upper limits and learning speed for each skill.
Talents are divided into five levels, from 1 to 5, and the upper limit and learning speed of skills change accordingly.
Level 0: Upper limit 50, Learning speed 1.0x
Level 1: Upper limit 60, Learning speed 1.5x, Required CP 5
Level 2: Upper limit 70, Learning speed 2.0x, Required CP 15
Level 3: Upper limit 80, Learning speed 3.0x, Required CP 40
Level 4: Upper limit 100, Learning speed 4.0x, Required CP 70
Level 5: No upper limit, Learning speed 5.0x, Required CP 100
Here are some guidelines for talent levels:
Talent Level 1: Village best (1 in 100)
Talent Level 2: City best (1 in 10,000)
Talent Level 3: Master (1 in 100,000)
Talent Level 4: Genius (1 in 1,000,000)
Talent Level 5: Once-in-a-century genius (1 in 100,000,000)
To make it easier to understand, let's use baseball as an example:
Talent Level 1: Star in amateur baseball
Talent Level 2: High school baseball champion
Talent Level 3: Second-tier professional player
Talent Level 4: Top-tier professional player
Talent Level 5: Hall of Famer in Major League Baseball
These are just examples. In reality, effort is also required, so not everyone with talent will reach these levels.
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(I see. Even with talent, you won't become a professional without effort. It's a surprisingly realistic setting.)
After looking at the talent levels, I skimmed through the list of talents.
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List of Martial Talents (CP required varies by level)
- Swordsmanship: Talent for attacking with swords
- Spear Mastery: Talent for attacking with spears
- Axe Mastery: Talent for attacking with axes
- Staff Mastery: Talent for attacking with staves
- Unarmed Combat: Talent for attacking with bare hands
- Archery: Talent for attacking with bows
- Throwing: Talent for attacking by throwing objects
- Throwing Weapons: Talent for attacking with special weapons
- Shield Defense: Talent for defending with shields
- Evasion: Talent for evading attacks
List of Magic Talents
- Magic Talent (20 CP per attribute, 100 CP for all attributes)
- Required talent to use magic
- Magic Efficiency (50 CP)
- Reduces magic usage by 50%
- Magic Defense (20 CP)
- Reduces damage from magic attacks (reduces damage by the magic level)
- Magic Infusion (50 CP)
- Talent to infuse magic into tools and weapons
List of Production Talents (CP required varies by level)
- Agriculture: Skills related to farming (includes knowledge of edible plants)
- Hunting: Skills related to hunting (includes knowledge of animals)
- Fishing: Skills related to fishing (includes knowledge of fish and marine or river environments)
- Carpentry: Skills related to building houses and furniture
- Smithing and Metalworking: Skills related to crafting weapons and armor
- Civil Engineering: Skills related to civil engineering
- Herbalism: Skills related to making medicine (includes knowledge of poisons)
- Pottery: Skills related to making ceramics
- Weaving: Skills related to making cloth and clothing
- Craftsmanship: Skills related to making tools and accessories with leather, wood, and metal
- Cooking: Skills related to cooking
List of Other Skills (CP required varies by level)
- Acrobatics: Skills related to special movements (climbing, breakfall, etc.)
- Affects attacks in unstable positions and damage from falls
- Horsemanship: Skills related to riding and mounted combat
- Sailing: Skills related to sailing
- Swimming: Skills related to swimming
- Training: Skills required to train animals
- Negotiation: Skills related to interpersonal negotiation. Affects success in price negotiations and interrogations
- Calculation: Skills required to handle numbers
- Memory: Skills that affect the speed of learning
- Perception: Skills to detect danger, enemies, and traps
- Stealth: Skills to hide one's presence
- Traps: Skills related to setting and removing traps
- Singing: Talent for singing
- Dancing: Talent for dancing
- Drawing: Talent for drawing
Special Abilities
- Hardy (10 CP)
- +50% bonus to Endurance and Mental Strength. Reduces penalties from HP loss
- Disease Resistance (20 CP)
- Enhanced resistance to diseases. +50% bonus to disease resistance. Reduces damage
- Poison Resistance (20 CP)
- Enhanced resistance to poisons. +50% bonus to poison resistance. Reduces damage
- Mental Resistance (20 CP)
- Enhanced resistance to mental attacks. +50% bonus to mental resistance. Reduces damage
- Enhanced Vision (20 CP): Improved vision and night vision
- Enhanced Hearing (20 CP): Improved hearing
- Enhanced Smell (20 CP): Improved sense of smell
- Sixth Sense (50 CP): Grants a sixth sense. Randomly detects danger
- Desperation (20 CP): Increases ability values by 100% when HP is below 10%
- Past Life Memory (50 CP):
- Retains memories from a past life. Allows the application of modern knowledge during the game
- Identification (10 CP): Reveals the name and simple description of touched objects
- Ambidexterity (10 CP): Can use tools with both hands without penalty
- One-Hit Kill (100 CP)
- Increases critical hit rate (Combat Level × MP consumption × 0.01%).
- Disables attacks and evasion for 0.01 seconds × MP consumption
- Magic Combat (20 CP):
- Wraps oneself in magic to increase success in attacks, defense, and evasion
- Guardian Spirit (200 CP)
- Can contract with a guardian spirit to protect the player. Abilities depend on the player's level.
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(There are so many. Without understanding the combat system, it's hard to decide which to choose. Let's decide on the status and character points first, and then reconsider...)
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Birth Environment
- Family Lineage
- Royal Family: 100, Nobility (Duke: 99, Marquess: 98, Earl: 96, Viscount: 93, Baron: 85), Knight: 70
- Great Merchant: 65, Landlord: 55, Merchant: 50, Artisan: 45, Peddler: 40, Farmer: 15, Outlaw: 6, Slave: 1
- Family Environment (Prosperity: 90, Harmony: 70, Stability: 40, Decline: 30, Collapse: 1)
- Birthplace (Capital: 95, City: 70, Town: 50, Frontier: 30, Disputed Territory: 20, Wilderness: 1)
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(I understand the family lineage, but the family environment is a bit confusing. "Prosperity" means being wealthy and on the verge of moving up a social class, "Harmony" means being economically well-off and having good family relationships, and "Collapse" means the worst family relationships. In a collapsed family, you need to determine if you can grow up safely... I definitely need to avoid "Collapse." Being a slave is too difficult. Outlaws can become adventurers, so I'll avoid being a slave...)
"Yataro, hurry up! Just get it done!"
Akira's irritated voice urged me on.
"Alright, alright. I'm about to roll the dice, so don't interrupt me."
I focused on rolling the dice and warned Akira.
After reading through the rulebook, I finally decided to start creating my character.
(First, let's decide on the race. But in previous TTRPGs, you could choose your race. This is a bit different.)
I picked up the red and white ten-sided dice, which look like rhombuses from the side.
As usual, I placed the dice with the "0" facing up on my palm and flicked them onto the kotatsu's top.
(This feeling. The excitement as they don't stop rolling. It's really nostalgic...)
The dice rolled like spinning tops and slowly came to a stop.
I watched the rapidly changing numbers with bated breath.
Finally, the dice stopped.
The numbers were "4" and "1."
(Forty-one. A human. I would have preferred a dragonkin or an elf, but even if I rerolled, two-thirds of the time it would still be a human. This is fine.)
I decided to be a human and wrote it down on my notepad, then moved on to the next section.
As I was about to decide on the status, I suddenly remembered that I could reroll once.
(Since I can only reroll once, it's better to decide on the important numbers first. If I use up my reroll and then get a bad number later, I'll definitely regret it... Character Points (CP) are more important than status, no doubt. The rulebook doesn't say I can't decide on CP first, so I'll start with that.)
I rolled the dice several times, entrusting my fate to the red die that seemed to be in sync with me.
(If this number is over 300, it will be very advantageous. Come on, my luck!)
I sent a useless prayer to the dice and rolled them onto the kotatsu's top.
Rattle... The number that came up was "9."
(Yes! Good job!)
I sent another prayer to the dice and rolled them again.
Rattle... "10"
I made a fist in the empty room.
(Huh? Where did Akira go? Oh well. If I get a 4 or higher, I'll reach the target of 300.)
For the third roll, I put in some effort and rolled the dice with a "Tee!" sound.
Rattle... "2"
(Ah, a "2" at this point. CP is 180... Let's consider the reroll.)
I slumped, thinking about whether to use my one-time reroll.
(The probability of getting a worse number on a reroll is one in ten, and the probability of getting a better number is eight in ten. The probability of a good return is much higher than the risk. It's definitely worth it... Alright, I'll cancel it!)
I canceled the third roll and chose to reroll.
I gathered my resolve again, sent a prayer to the ten-sided dice