CHAPTER 1: The Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>Table 1-3: Social BackgroundTable 1-6: Reason for Taking the Black, Highborn2d6 RollResult2d6 RollResult2-6 Criminal7-9 Lowborn10-12 HighbornTable 1-4: Lowborn Background Events2d6 RollResult2 Your lord’s taxes bankrupted your family.3 Your village was razed as the result of a battle.4 Plague decimated your village.5One of your family members waskilled by a highborn noble.6 You served within a noble household.7You gained some fame in your village for asignificant deed (drove off a band of brigands,saved a family during a fire, or similar).8 You once hosted your liege lord.9 You served in a levied militia.10 You were made a scapegoat for a crime.1112You had an affair with amember of the nobility.You gained a reputation for excellenceat your particular trade.Table 1-5: Criminal Background Events2d6 Roll2ResultA substantial reward was offeredfor proof of your death.3 You were betrayed by someone close to you.4 You were orphaned at a young age.5 You were disfigured by injury or disease.6 You were wrongly accused of a crime.789101112You came later to your life of crime,generate a lowborn event instead.You traveled around the Seven Kingdomswith a band of like-minded individuals.You traveled across the narrowsea to the free cities.A highborn noble hired you toattack his or her rival.Your deeds earned you fame orinfamy among the nobility.You once served in the house of a lord,use Table 3-3 in the SIFRP core rules.2Your house was destroyedand your family dissolved.3 You are an embarrassment to your family.4 You are fleeing a scandal.56-8You were on the losing sideof political intrigue.Your brother now has heirs of his own,and you are extraneous to your house.9 You were on the losing side of a battle.101112Your family has always devotedone son to the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>.You believe in the ideals of the<strong>Watch</strong> and volunteered.Your family’s enemies sought touse you as a political pawn.Table 1-7: Reason for Taking the Black, Lowborn2d6 RollResult2 Your village was wiped out.3 You left rather than burden a poor family.4 You are avoiding a scandal.56-891011You came to make somethingmore of yourself.You were recruited by one ofthe wandering crows.You believe in the ideals / purposeof the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>.You were part of a military unitthat was defeated.Your village sent you to repaya debt to the <strong>Watch</strong>.12 Your liege lord’s house was destroyed.2d6 Roll23-56-89-1112Table 1-8: Reasons for DesertionResultYour character refuses to killa perceived innocent.Your character cannot sit idlewhen his family is in danger.Your character refuses totolerate callous cruelty.Your character demands recognitionfor his accomplishments.Your character refuses to benda knee in subservience.31
CHAPTER 1: The NIght’s <strong>Watch</strong>Relevant Qualities from SIFRPThe following benefits, found in the core rules, are particularlyapplicable to a Night’s <strong>Watch</strong> campaign.BBBBBBAbility Qualities: BeastfriendFate Qualities: Animal Cohort, Hardy, Night Eyes, TerrainSpecialist, TradeHeritage Qualities: Blood of the First Men, Blood ofthe Wildlingsperson he has become. Moreover, many of the men on the Wall findthemselves there through events that are often influenced by their virtueand vice, in some capacity. Should you need inspiration, or want togenerate your characters virtues and vices separately, use Tables 3-5 and3-6 in the SIFRP core rules.A final, optional element of background that your Narrator mayrequest is your character’s reason to desert. While taking the black isa lifelong commitment, desertion can and does happen and is an importanttheme within the books. Understanding what your character’slimits are, how far he can be pushed before he snaps, gives you valuableinsight as a player and helps your Narrator plan stories that reflectthe things your character holds important as well as those that testhis limits. Chose at least one element that would drive your characterto desert his vows, or roll 2d6 and compare the result to Table 1-8:Reasons For Desertion.Step Three: Assign AbilitiesYour character’s Ability scores are determined in the same manner as astandard character, using the rules presented on page 47 of the SIFRPcore rulebook. While most members of the <strong>Watch</strong> have more experiencewith combat than a normal character for SIFRP, it is advised thatyou think about your character’s function and role within the blackbrotherhood as well.Step Four: Assign SpecialtiesAs with Ability scores, a Night’s <strong>Watch</strong> character purchases his Specialtiesusing the standard rules for character creation, found on page 48 ofthe SIFRP core rules.Step Five: Destiny Points & BenefitsBrothers of the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong> start with one fewer destiny point thanwould normally be available for their age category (Table 3-10: Age &Destiny Points in the SIFRP core rules). Instead, all Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>characters start with the benefit Brother of the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong> from theSIFRP core rules. For ease of reference a revised version of this benefitis reprinted on page 32. Note that this means Old and Venerable charactersgain this benefit for free.There are a number of new benefits included in this book that areof particular use in a Night’s <strong>Watch</strong> campaign. While many only havemeaning among the members of the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>, they should beconsidered available for any character at creation. They are detailed onpage 33.Step Six: DrawbacksNight’s <strong>Watch</strong> characters take drawbacks normally, according to therules in Chapter 5: Destiny & Qualities of the SIFRP core rules.Additionally, this book includes a selection of new Drawbacks availableto all characters, though they are particularly useful to those involved ina Night’s <strong>Watch</strong> campaign. These are found on page 34.Step Seven: EquipmentAs a man of the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>, your character has forsworn any inheritance,gold or glory that he might have had. Other than a particularpiece of equipment provided by a purchased benefit (such as a Valyrianblade) you character starts with only a sword, a set of warm clothes, ablack woolen cloak, a medium wooden shield, and whatever minor toolshe needs to complete his tasks on the Wall. At the Narrator’s discretion,players may also start with a bow or crossbow. Highborn characters maypurchase equipment normally, using a Status test to afford additionalstarting possessions.Step Eight:Derived Stats (as normal)Your character’s Health, Composure, and other derived statistics arecalculated normally, as explained on page 49 of the SIFRP core rules.Fill out the rest of the information on your character sheet, and yourcharacter is ready to take his place on the Wall and defend civilizationagainst the barbarous forces of the Far North.New & Revised BenefitsBrother of the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>FateYou have forsworn any claims to kin or lands to serve as a brotherof the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>.You are a Sworn Brother of the Night’s <strong>Watch</strong>, and as such, you are immuneto your house’s fortunes. Your status drops to 2, and you lose Heirand Head of House benefits (though you regain the invested DestinyPoints). Whenever you gain Coin or Glory, you may not invest them inyour house, but may invest them in your division (Castle Black, ShadowTower, or Eastwatch-by-the-Sea). Based on your abilities, you may besorted into the rangers, builders, or stewards. You gain an additionalbenefit based on your order.BBBBBBRanger: You may add your Cunning rank as a bonus to all Survivaltest results.Builder: You gain the Trade benefit for free. The specific trademust be of a benefit to the Wall such as woodsman, mason, carpenter,or miner. Alternately, if you fulfill the Requirements, you gainthe Defensive Engineer benefit for free.Steward: You may add the number of bonus dice assigned toStewardship to all Persuasion test results. Alternately you gainthe Trade benefit for free. The specific Trade must be of a Benefitto the <strong>Watch</strong> such as hunting, farming, sewing or animal husbandry.32
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