New lifepaths - Bodyguards, Gladiators, & More

The stats in this thread are working drafts. Please see the final versions on the Burning Empires Wiki.

Definitely not weenie LPs:

Bodyguard
Setting: Stewardship & Court
Time: 3 yrs
Resources: 1
Circles: 1
Stat Bonus: +1 M/P
Skills: 5 pts: Observation (Per), Inconspicuous (Wil), Concealed Weapons-wise (Per), Intimidation (Wil), Family secrets-wise (Per)
Traits: 1 Discreet, Cool-Headed, Loyal, Almost Like Family
Requirements: any lifepath or combination of lifepaths granting both the Close Combat and Security skills (e.g. Man-at-Arms; Merchant League Security; Soldier plus Military Police; etc.)

Arms Master
Setting: Nobility
Time: 6 yrs
Resources: 2
Circles: 2
Stat Bonus: +1 M
Skills: 5 pts: Instruction (Wil), Coeptir-wise (Per), Armiger-wise (Per), Training Accident-wise (Per), Field Dressing (Per/Agi)
Traits: 2 pts: Good with kids, Wise Aphorisms, Disciplined, Loyal, Mangled, Almost Like Family
Requirements: Lord-Pilot Anvil plus any one of the following: Matador, Bodyguard, Stentor, Sergeant, Stormtrooper, or Valet

Matador
Setting: Stewardship & Court
Time: 5 yrs
Resources: 1
Circles: 1
Stat Bonus: none
Skills: 7 pts: Conspicuous (Wil), Close Combat (Wil/Agi), Dangerous Beast-wise (Per), Mukhadish-wise (Per), Exotic Weapons-wise (Per), Fans-wise (Per), Seduction (Wil)
Traits: 1 pt: Strutting, Showboat, Brave, Charming, Public Figure, Mangled
Requirements: Mark of Privilege trait plus any one of the following: Noble Hunter, Courtly Hunter, Captive of War, Gladiator, or Grav Biker

Gladiator
Setting: Servitude & Serfdom
Time: 3 yrs
Resources: 0
Circles: 0
Stat Bonus: +1 P
Skills: 5 pts: Close Combat (Wil/Agi), Mukhadish-wise (Per), Dangerous Beast-wise (Per), Exotic Weapons-wise (Per), Grossly Unfair Odds-wise (Per)
Traits: 2 pts: Obsolete Equipment, Thousand-Yard Stare, Resigned to Death, Mangled
Requirements: Slave Labor, Condemned Prisoner, Prostitute, Punishment Battalion, Captive of War, Slave Jockey, Cultist, Hive Thug, or Boxer

Heheh.

You know that Mukhadish have slightly better stats than bovines, yeah? You could put Mangled as the second trait for Matador. The ones that AREN’T Mangled can always go on to be Performers or something.

What, you were thinking the fight would be fair to the Mukhadish? C’mon. Remember one of the prerequisite lifepaths is “Grav Biker” – you can just fly around the arena shooting at it and occasionally dive in close to impress the fans.

Oh, I see. Less “spanish tradition but with slaves” and more “Those About To Die by Daniel P. Mannix” then. Mmm nothin like a day spent watching animals die by the hundreds.

PS holy crap, i had no idea that book was posted on the internet: http://www.kurtsaxon.com/those_a_t_d/

Last I checked, the Spanish tradition of bullfighting involved picadores riding around on horseback, shooting the poor bull full of javelins before the matador struts in on foot…

Any thoughts on Arms Master or Bodyguard?

Really? And here I though the matador had to do all the work… oh well. There goes my dream… but seriously…

Bodyguard works okay, also another excuse to use your Almost Like Family trait. You could give them Conspicuous, too, if the LP covers the kind of bodyguards who are supposed to stand around a VIP and make him look important, but that’s probably not necessary.

Arms Master… eh, Burning Sands: Jihad covers LPs like that, since they are integral to Dune, but those are a bit over-powered for BE. Although the Good With Kids trait makes it a bit more than just a wussy version, gives it some needed character.

And if Gladiator is even open to prostitutes, do you really need requirements? I can see cultist, and the other ones are tough-guy LPs, but I can’t see all societies throwing the pros into the arena but not the tax debtors.

I just double-checked Burning Sands, and (besides remembering how cool it is), I think this Arms Master is sufficiently distinct: All the hardcore fighting skills and traits are in the prerequisite lifepaths, and the Arms Master LP itself is about teaching coeptirs and armigers – the only combat-useful skill is Field Dressing, but somehow I don’t think anyone’s going to be allowed to train future barons with deadly weapons and not know how to patch 'em up.

Conspicuous is a good skill for the Bodyguard. It brings the LP up to six skill points, which is a lot, so I think I’ll add a year.

As for Gladiator, you’re right: No requirements. Personally I think the odds of a working girl getting arenafied are much higher than, say, a pimp’s, both for the titillation factor and the too-poor-to-bribe-your-way-out factor, but it’s ludicrous for me to list every LP I think is in this position… So anyone can end up in the arena! It’s fun!

Actually, how about this for Gladiator: “Requirement: any lifepath from either the Servitude & Serfdom setting or the Outcast & Criminal setting.”

That works nicely.