1d20 Character Archetypes for USR Tequendria.

The Eye by Alex Mitchell

Several years ago I wrote a pseudo-review for Tequendria, a Dunsanian Fantasy RPG. In it, I more or less yapped about the things I thought were neat about the game without really adding anything constructive or meaningful. That was perfectly on-brand and remains so, but I've recently acquired a copy of the system which Tequendria runs on- the Unbelievably Simple Roleplaying system. So, I decided to take a crack at making something for the game. Drawing upon Dunsany, Cthulhu Mythos, and a lot of Clark Ashton Smith, I've made a 1d20 character archetype table usable for Tequendria.

d20	Archetype
1	Acolyte of Nasht & Kaman-Thah
2	Adventurer of Uzuldaroum
3	Auburn Bard of Klarkash-Ton
4	Dim-Dweller of Carcosa
5	Disciple of Eibon
6	Druid of the Averones
7	Drummer of Skarl
8	Executioner of Mung
9	Handler of Pitsu & Hobith
10	Huntsman of Zesh
11	Inquisitor of Yhoundeh
12	Kindler of Gribaun & Habaniah
13	Mountaineer of Mhu Thulan
14	Page-Turner of Trogool
15	Ruffian of Dylath-Leen
16	Time-Shadowed of Yith
17	Trader of Leng
18	Voormi of the Eiglophians
19	Waste-Walker of Bodrahan
20	Weaver of Atlach-Nacha

Acolyte of Nasht & Kaman-Thah

You are servant and devotee to the duumvirate high-priest deities and comedic duo who guard the entrance to the Dreamlands. Your duties have taken you beyond the wall of sleep, and you now walk through the waking world, which feels more like the dream to you.

Starting Specialisms

• Dream Lore (Wits)
• Diplomacy (Ego)
• Occult Lore (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 1d6 x 10 shards
• Wine-colored robe
• Candles
• Soothing tea

Ability

• One Step, Not Seventy- When you go to sleep, you and any companions of your choosing may instantly enter the Cavern of Flame leading to the Dreamlands.

Adventurer of Uzuldaroum

You were raised on tales of the splendors of old Commoriom, and bore witness to the Zhaum-infested squalor it has fallen into. There are so many great and terrible things worthy of legend out there, including your own destiny.

Starting Specialisms

• Tactics (Wits)
• Boasting (Ego)
• Athletics (Action)

Starting Equipment

• 3d6 x 10 shards
• Copper helmet
• Old maps

Ability

• Abreast of Adventure- When you are in a settlement and you speak at least one of the languages spoken by its populace, you can learn about nearby points of interest and danger on a Wits test of 4+.

Auburn Bard of Klarkash-Ton

You studied the ornate, bewildering, and occasionally ribald works of the ancient Atlantean priest. You have donned the reddish-brown cloak that honors those drowned old vestments, and gone out in search of more cosmic oddities and distressing beauties.

Starting Specialisms

• Ancient Lore (Wits)
• Storytelling (Ego)
• Friendly (Ego)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Dogeared copy of the Commoriom Myth-Cycle
• Inkwell and pens
• Auburn hooded cloak

Ability

• Compelling Prose- Once per day you can use a selection of the ancient bard's prose to captivate and distract a small audience for up to one minute with an Ego test of 7+.

Dim-Dweller of Carcosa

You were born in that dismal city on the lake, but escaped its fickle nobles and their xanthous monarch. The things you have witnessed and lived with as part of daily life back home can shock and horrify others.

Starting Specialisms

• Occult Lore (Wits)
• Unsettling (Ego)
• Sailing (Action)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Cloudy vial of Hali water
• Yellow handkerchief
• Antique stringed instrument

Ability

• Born to Strange Tides- You can see perfectly through smoke, fog, and clouds.

Disciple of Eibon

You never met the Tsathagguan sorcerer-priest, but you once read an excerpt from the Book of Eibon. That is good enough to keep most people from bothering your study, either by spell or by virtue of them not wanting to be caught anywhere near you when an inquisitor shows up.

Starting Specialisms

• Magic Lore (Wits)
• History Lore (Wits)
• Religion (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 1d6 x 10 shards
• A page of the Book of Eibon written from memory
• Mummified wand
• Bat fur robe

Ability

• Peephole to Cykranosh- Once per day you can open a small portal into Cykranosh, the Saturnian realm of Hziulquoigmnzhah. It is not big enough to enter, but you may use it to ask one question of a Yhdeemian priest with a Wits test of 7+.

Druid of the Averones

By shadowy arts better left unmentioned and forgotten, you and a small number of your tribe escaped the advance of the pillaging Rómhánacha into Averonia. You are lost and alone, in strange and unwelcoming places, far from a home you can never return to.

Starting Specialisms

• Religion (Wits)
• Stealth (Action)
• Nature Lore (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Oak and mistletoe
• Sickle
• Old toadskin book

Ability

• Moon Door- Once per full moon under the night sky you can open an opaque door through the Aether. Upon entering, you find that it leads to a destination of your choosing with a Wits test of 10+. If you fail the test, it leads you and everyone who enters Somewhere Else.

Drummer of Skarl

Disciples of the enigmatic drummer who stands apart from the gods. They may drum for hours or even days without rest. It is their solemn duty to keep MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI at rest, and they are the sworn enemies of His priesthood.

Starting Specialisms

• Ancient Lore (Wits)
• Drumming (Ego)
• Endurance (Action)

Starting Equipment

• 1d6 x 10 shards
• Drum & mallets
• Bottled thunder

Ability

• Lulling Rhythm- After 5 minutes of drumming, you can put someone in a deep, restful sleep.

Executioner of Mung

You are a servant of the Lord of all Deaths. He is a busy god, tirelessly wandering the world ensuring that life is unfettered from hands and feet at its appointed time. You don his grim visage and root out those who have evaded the Sign of Mung.

Starting Specialisms

• Intimidating (Ego)
• Death Lore (Wits)
• Athletics (Action)

Starting Equipment

• 1d6 x 10 shards
• Skull mask
• Deep black cloak

Ability

• The Sign of Mung- You wave your hand before someone, just as Mung, Lord of all Deaths does when sundering life from bodies. Once per day, you gain a +2 to Intimidating. You do not need to intend to kill the target.

Handler of Pitsu & Hobith

You have lived around animals all your life, and they say the favor of the gods who stroketh the cat and calm the dog is upon you. Whether they be for battle, beauty, or burden, you know how to raise, handle, and train all manner of beast. Yet there are still so many more creatures out there to meet.

Starting Specialisms

• Athletics (Action)
• Reflexes (Action)
• Animal Lore (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Tamer's whip
• Folding chair
• Animal treats

Ability

• Friend to All- After 1 hour of interaction, you can befriend any mundane animal.

Huntsman of Zesh

You are at home in the sweltering jungle holdouts, with a spear in your hand and a tracking compy at your feet. But the advancing ice sheet is wiping out the last vestiges of dinosauria, and you must find new grounds in which to track and hunt and feel alive.

Starting Specialisms

• Endurance (Action)
• Survival (Wits)
• Tracking (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Declawed riding raptor
• Dinosaur leather jacket
• Trophy feathers

Ability

• Mimic Calls- You can perfectly mimic the sounds of most birds and reptiles after hearing them.

Inquisitor of Yhoundeh

You are a hunter and priest of the grim elk-goddess, whose sworn enemy is Tsathaggua and whose husband is Nyalathotep. You root out heresy and foes to her cult, ensuring that none may contest her power- certainly not any foul sorcerer.

Starting Specialisms

• Religion (Wits)
• Interrogation (Ego)
• Occult Lore (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Holy symbol of Yhoundeh
• Manacles
• Torturer's kit

Ability

• Sniff out Heresy- After 5 minutes of study and scrutiny, you can tell if someone is lying about matters of religion, lore, or faith.

Kindler of Gribaun & Habaniah

You were touched by fire at a young age. It didn't leave you traumatized or burned- not badly, at least. Instead, it left you with a deep and profound respect for the liminal gods who turn wood to ash and lord over the transitory embers. There are deeper secrets yet unlocked within the lapping tongues of flame- dear flame.

Starting Specialisms

• Firemaking (Wits)
• Endurance (Action)
• Nature Lore (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Flask of oil
• Stoking blowpipe
• Bundle of firewood

Ability

• Turn Wood to Ash- After 10 minutes of work, you can start a warm fire almost anywhere, no matter how wet the fuel is.

Mountaineer of Mhu Thulan

Your rugged homeland has become an icy frontier thanks to the unrelenting advance of the glacier from beyond Polarion. With the ice sheet come many unspeakable horrors, and fighting off or at least avoiding them has become the main focus of daily life among the mountain tribes.

Starting Specialisms

• Climbing (Action)
• Survival (Wits)
• Monster Lore (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 1d6 x 10 shards
• Heavy fur hat
• Sign of the White Sybil
• Nipping flask of alcohol

Ability

• Cragborn- For any test of balance or vertical movement, reduce the difficulty by one step.

Page-Turner of Trogool

You traveled south of south, to the Rim of the Worlds beyond which lies only the Beyond. There, you witnessed Trogool who is neither God nor Beast, turning the pages of night and day. Now you bear a lesser tome out into the worlds, to record all that is seen in preparation for THE END.

Starting Specialisms

• Ancient Lore (Wits)
• Writing (Wits)
• History (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• A decreasingly blank tome ending in 'Mai Doon Izahn'
• Black ink and glue

Ability

• Peel Back the Margins- Once per week you can peer back into the black pages of the unreturning past for a single piece of random, forgotten lore.

Ruffian of Dylath-Leen

You are a tough who frequents the wharves and taverns of the black basalt port-city. You work hard, play harder, and fight hardest in the dark streets of that thin-towered place. Others might find you uncouth, but you know what it takes to survive.

Starting Specialisms

• Gambling (Wits)
• Athletics (Action)
• Intimidating (Ego)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Dirty coat
• Dice
• Thagweed pipe

Ability

• Black Galley Breeze- You are not affected by noxious and revolting smells.

Time-Shadowed of Yith

Your day was progressing as normal, until all of a sudden it was five years later and you woke up in a poorhouse for the mentally ill. The only explanation for it is recurring dreams of alien vistas among primordial jungles, and a cyclopean cylinder-library of frightening age and size.

Starting Specialisms

• Ancient Lore (Wits)
• Investigation (Wits)
• Unsettling (Ego)

Starting Equipment

• 1d6 x 10 shards
• Maddened scrawlings
• Torn straightjacket
• Empty scroll case

Ability

• Trivia out of Time- Once per day, you can recall a minor snippet of eldritch, forbidden knowledge learned during your cushy captivity in Pnakotus with a Wits test of 10+.

Trader of Leng

You are one of the denizens of strange and far-off Leng. The lords of the moon have deigned you worthy of representing their interests abroad, and so you have been garbed to hide your hooves and horns, and taught to smile in such a way that does not reveal your too-many teeth. Wealth awaits.

Starting Specialisms

• Bartering (Ego)
• Jumping (Action)
• Appraisal (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 3d6 x 10 shards
• Ruby dust
• Ivory flute
• Lumpy turban, tiny shoes

Ability

• Piping at the Moon- During a clear night under a full moon, you can play a hideous song by flute which attracts the attention of a passing Black Galley on an Ego test of 7+.

Voormi of the Eiglophians

You are a howling, three-toed, umber-furred Voormi. Your kind are feared, reviled, and hunted for sport. Your mountain warrens have been ransacked, your people driven to the four corners beyond the high crags. But you have survived on less than nothing before, and you will not settle for it again. Father Toad watches over you.

Starting Specialisms

• Climbing (Action)
• Jumping (Action)
• Cave Lore (Wits)

Starting Equipment

• 1d6 x 10 shards
• Bone totem
• Filthy waistcloth

Ability

• Eyes of Voorm- Generations of living underground have honed your senses to the subterranean world. You can see perfectly in the dark.

Waste-Walker of Bodrahan

You hail from the City of Caravans' End, yet its surrounding deserts are your home. You were raised on the tales of camel drivers and elders in the markets, and you have sought out the wonders of the Desert of Deserts ever since. Mirthless Ranorada calls.

Starting Specialisms

• Survival (Wits)
• Desert Lore (Wits)
• Endurance (Action)

Starting Equipment

• 2d6 x 10 shards
• Cerulean headscarf
• Extra-large waterskin
• Walking stick topped with an eye

Ability

• Desert-lashed, Sun-kissed- You are not affected by mundane heat.

Weaver of Atlach-Nacha

You were caught in scintillating strands one night, while crossing over into dream. Rather than wrapping you up and divesting you of your bodily fluids, the Spider-God(dess) seeded your brain with eggs of inspiration that hatched into textile brilliance. You make works of silken beauty now, and find yourself unable to resist weaving deeper and more licentious webs of deception across the world.

Starting Specialisms

• Weaving (Wits)
• Seduction (Ego)
• Stealth (Action)

Starting Equipment

• 3d6 x 10 shards
• Caged spider
• Drop spindle set
• Silken vest

Ability

• Dreamcatcher- You can see, sift through, and steal dreams from a sleeping creature by waving a piece of your own weaving over their head (or other equivalent appendage).