The Jack-of-All-Trades

No problem at all. I was apprenticed to a mason before I went on campaign with Duke Tybol. Of course, that was after my brief stint in the circus. I'll soon have that bridge fixed, and we can be on our way.

Everybody knows someone like this character. He is the sort of person who has never managed to hold down a single job for too long. He has no idea what he wants to do with his life, and he drifts from place to place, never remaining long enough to learn anything that might earn him a living. He might have begun as a baker's appren-

tice, but then enrolled into university dreaming of becoming a famous academician. Once those dreams fade, he enlists in the army, until his unit is disbanded and he is turned out penniless onto the streets. This prompts him to engage in a larcenous career until he has stolen enough to invest in a trade...and so on and so forth. Over the course of a life like this, a character can accumulate a vast array of different skills, but he will never be good enough in any one Ability to make a career out of it: a true jack-of-alltrades, but master of none.

In Mythic Europe, only those from a moderately wealthy background have the option to choose a trade for

A Jack-of-All-Trades character can end up embroiled in just about any kind of story.

A covenant has a contested vis source whose method of collection changes every year; for example, a magical sphinx poses a different challenge every year. The Jackof-All-Trades can usually be relied upon to gather the vis, since he can meet most challenges. However, the grog fails to return from one of his regular trips from the covenant, and the covenant has a dilemma. If they go ahead with the yearly task, they have a higher probability of failure, and may well be too late to save their valuable grog from whatever peril he has found himself in. However, if they devote resources to his rescue, they might allow others to capitalize on their failure. And what predicament is the grog in anyway? Perhaps he has been imprisoned by the covenant's enemy in an attempt to weaken them or extract information. Or maybe it is simply an accident.

A PROBLEM SHARED IS A PROBLEM INHERITED

The player characters first come across a jinxed grog as he struggles with a wagon that has broken an axle and is blocking the road. The quickest way to get by is to assist the flustered individual to reload his cargo and help repair his employer's wagon. However, the spilled load has angered a local faerie perhaps it was a consignment of iron horseshoes for the local town — and the faerie is incapable of distinguishing the responsible individual (the grog) from those who help him (the player characters). Throughout the course of their shared misfortune, the grog proves himself to be resourceful, and since he is probably going to be out of a job anyway (he's frightfully late with this cargo), he asks if there is perhaps a job for him with the player characters.

themselves; most peasants take on their fathers' profession, or that of the master to whom they are apprenticed. For someone from a humble background to become a Jack-of-All-Trades, something else must have driven him from home and prevented him from settling down. This might be as simple as a wanderlust, a thirst to see the world and witness new experiences that drives him ever onwards. Alternatively, he might make others uncomfortable due to poor hygiene, odious personal habits, outspoken beliefs, or a general aura of wrongness. Finally, he may carry some sort of curse or bad luck that discourages anyone from wanting to become his friend, for fear of being caught up in the backlash. This could

be a very lonely or pitiful character.

Despite mundane society having little use for a character who cannot manage to master a single trade, such a character can prove a boon to a covenant. Here, his very lack of focus can be a blessing to a turb, and he can find himself being paid purely because of his eclectic collection of knowledge and skills. When on expedition, a soldier who has the Abilities of Single Weapon, Craft: Cook, and Etiquette, in addition to being able to speak French and Ancient Greek and debate Philosophiae, can be of great value to a magus. He might not be the best warrior in the world, but his other Abilities more than make up the difference in the eyes of the covenant.

What follows are notes to help create Jack-of-All-Trades characters.

First, decide why the character has been unable to stay in one place; this could be due to any of the following Flaws: Craving for Travel*, Jinxed*, Lesser Malediction, Unlucky*, Social Handicap, or Tainted with Evil. The character should have at least one, and possibly two Virtues, allowing him to take Academic, Arcane, or Martial Abilities, and is likely to have extra experience points from Virtues such as Privileged Upbringing or Well-Traveled. The character probably does not have Puissant (Ability), Affinity with (Ability), or any other Virtue that indicates a particular focus, but the Jack-of-All-Trades* Virtue is highly appropriate. A character like this could be totally Carefree about his lack of focus and direction, or he could be depressed and Pessimistic instead. The Master of None* and Careless with Ability* Flaws represent a character who is mediocre at a lot of things, but highly unspecialized.

* See Chapter 6, New Virtues and Flaws.

Just about any Ability suits this character concept, and he is likely possessed of a number of Abilities that are unusual ones for grogs to have, such as Etiquette or Artes Liberales. It is likely that he is a soldier at base, which would enhance his usefulness in a turb by being able to turn his hand to anything, in addition to being able to fight as part of the trained group.

The character is likely to have taken several three-year packages, representing flitting from job to job in the course of his career. Just about any package is possible. He probably has spent the most time in professions providing Martial Abilities.

This character must be able to take Martial Abilities at character creation.

ABILITIES AT AGE 22: Animal Handling 2 (oxen), Area Lore 3 (jobs), Athletics 3 (climbing), Awareness 1 (being watched), Brawl 3 (punches), Chirurgy 3 (cuts), Craft: Wrought Iron 1 (nails), Folk Ken 2 (employers), Guile 2 (qualifications), Native Language 5 (wide vocabulary), Profession: Farmer 3 (plowing), Profession: Storyteller 3 (bawdy tales), Single Weapon 3 (15) (axe), Stealth 1 (inside), Survival 2 (on the road)

ABILITIES AT AGE 34: Animal Handling 2 (oxen), Area Lore 4 (jobs), Athletics 3 (10) (climbing), Awareness 2 (5) (being watched), Brawl 3 (5) (punches), Carouse 3 (drinking capacity), Chirurgy 3 (cuts), Concentration 1 (on watch), Craft: Wrought Iron 1 (nails), Folk Ken 3 (employers), Guile 2 (5) (qualifications), Hunt 2 (deer), Native Language 5 (wide vocabulary), Profession: Farmer 3 (plowing), Profession: Storyteller 3 (bawdy tales), Single Weapon 4 (10) (axe), Stealth 1 (inside), Survival 3 (on the road), Thrown Weapon 3 (dagger) ABILITIES AT AGE 46: Animal Handling

2 (oxen), Area Lore 4 (jobs), Athletics 4 (climbing), Awareness 3 (being watched), Bargain 2 (clothes), Brawl 4 (punches), Carouse 3 (drinking capacity), Charm 3 (women), Chirurgy 3 (cuts), Concentration 1 (on watch), Craft: Wrought Iron 1 (nails), Folk Ken 3 (employers), Guile 3 (qualifications), Hunt 2 (deer), Intrigue 1, Leadership 2 (10) (in combat), Native Language 5 (wide vocabulary), Profession: Farmer 3 (plowing), Profession: Merchant 2 (cloth), Profession: Sailor 2 (rivers), Profession: Storyteller 3 (bawdy tales), Single Weapon 5 (axe), Stealth 1 (inside), Survival 3 (on the road), Swim 2 (rivers), Thrown Weapon 3 (dagger)

A companion character might have a Story Flaw that prevents her from settling down, such as Enemies or Plagued by Supernatural Entity. With more Virtue points available, a companion character might be able to get a score in all possible Abilities, and can pick multiple Virtues that offer extra experience points to represent the wealth of experience that she has gathered over her years of wandering.

A grog Jack-of-All-Trades could easily blossom into a companion character by finally settling down into a trade — and discovering that she is remarkably good at it. This sort of Inauguration transformation might bring with it a number of Virtues which describe one's new-found excellence in a particular Ability, such as Puissant (Ability) and Cautious with (Ability).