# Ideas for "One Unique Things"



## cavalier973 (Jan 18, 2014)

Ace is widely thought to be responsible for the Elf Queen's being in a family way.  He isn't, of course.

Buck carries around a purple rose that signifies the favor of the High Druid.  He found it lying in an alley in Axis.

Chet bears an uncanny resemblance to the Dragon Emperor.  Once, when he was much younger, he and the Dragon Emperor actually traded places for a few days.  Nobody believes him, though.  If he could just get in to see the Emperor....

Dale once traded some magic beans he had for a poor farmer boy's cow.


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 18, 2014)

I'm far more likely to run 13th Age then to get to play in a game. But I think this OUT is a doozy...

_Elric is the Emperor's clone._


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jan 18, 2014)

Farnt is the daughter of a shepherdess and the god of lightning...making her the demigoddess of static electricity.

Goloth Bloodaxe has perfect pitch, and can master any instrument in a day...but he hates music.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jan 18, 2014)

Homme can tell if a chicken will be a good egg producer, just by petting it.

Igsteht naturally faces magnetic North.


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## GMforPowergamers (Jan 18, 2014)

Jasmin was once the lover of the Lord of shadows

Varris died, then he woke back up not knowing how,

Dex always knows the way to go, even if he shouldn't

Keel has a golem arm to replace the one that was ripped off fighting a demon

Tialia knows the secret to making dragon slaying weapons, but she doesn't know how, they just come to her in dreams...


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## Tun Kai Poh (Jan 18, 2014)

I'm not just a halfling paladin with thieving skills and a Trickery domain - I'm the one and only Mortal Sword of the Monkey King.


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 18, 2014)

Roland Dragoblad the Thousand and First is indeed the 1000th descendant of the original Roland Dragoblad. If there is a reason that it is so important that every generation have a Roland Dragosblad, it has been lost to history.


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## cavalier973 (Jan 18, 2014)

Kari was dishonorably discharged from the Imperial army for blowing up a building that her commanding officer had ordered her to protect. She blew it up because of a top secret order from the Emperor himself--an order that her commanding officer was not privy to.

Lex persuaded one of his parishioners to not commit suicide. The parishioner is now a vocal critic of Lex's faith, and is leading other members of the church to abandon the faith.​


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## keterys (Jan 19, 2014)

A few from the game I'm in...

Ozymandius is the most trusted sage and prophet in the land, but is actually a thief disguised as him.
Bobbi has a cast iron stomach and can (and will) eat anything.
Amelia sees and can speak with the spirit of anyone she kills. They don't have to help, but her Dad usually tries.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jan 19, 2014)

> Amelia sees and can speak with the spirit of anyone she kills. They don't have to help, but her Dad usually tries.




Niiiiiice.


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## Kwalish Kid (Jan 19, 2014)

Here's what we're rolling:

The character is a golem made by the High Druid, but is also the last golem anyone was able to make.

The character is a goblin librarian that marks books with his snot. (The gooey-decimal system.)

The character is a mage that believes, and evangelizes, that magic works differently than all the magical scholars of the land.

The character is a tree brought to life by the high druid.

The character has been hired by the Elf Queen to kill the Orc Lord.

The character's twin died in the womb, but he has one of the twin's eyes and that eye sees into the world of the dead.

The character (a turtle-humanoid) was the turtle that held up the world before being ripped away by an ancient Diabolist, causing the opening of the Abyss.


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 19, 2014)

Kwalish Kid said:


> The character's twin died in the womb, but he has one of the twin's eyes and that eye sees into the world of the dead.




That's a pretty cool one!


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## Quickleaf (Jan 20, 2014)

Contrary to popular opinion, Dalbeth's pack mule is actually calling the shots; the wizard's courage has been grossly exaggerated.

The last time Jeth saw his beloved Sonya she was being carried away on a makeshift raft over a waterfall; he would go to the ends of the earth to find her, and indeed he has.

Lightfingers seems to be blessed with magic pockets that produce all kinds of interesting things. No, he doesn't know what happened to the wizard's spellbook. Oh, wait, look at that!


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jan 20, 2014)

Whisper is a kinetic savant: she can run at top speed through the tightest spaces or the most crowded room without touching a single person or object as long as she doesn't get distracted.  Unfortunately, she is easily distracted by shiny things.  That's why she wears a bandanna- it doubles as a blindfold...


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 20, 2014)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Whisper is a kinetic savant: she can run at top speed through the tightest spaces or the most crowded room without touching a single person or object as long as she doesn't get distracted. Unfortunately, she is easily distracted by shiny things. That's why she wears a bandanna- it doubles as a blindfold...




That's a cool idea. It comes a little close to impinging on the 'no combat effects' rule for Uniques, though. As a DM I'd make sure the player knew they weren't going to be able to use this to charge through a battle whenever they wanted.


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## cavalier973 (Jan 20, 2014)

Max has the ability to magically create a nutritious and delicious meal--in his stomach, which he must then vomit up in order to eat.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jan 20, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> That's a cool idea. It comes a little close to impinging on the 'no combat effects' rule for Uniques, though. As a DM I'd make sure the player knew they weren't going to be able to use this to charge through a battle whenever they wanted.




Like I said- easily distracted by shiny things: she tries to use it in battle, all the flashing metal will break her concentration.  Of course, if she wants to run into battle with a blindfold...


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## mlund (Jan 20, 2014)

Sedgwick Surefoot is haunted by the spirits of his ancestors - Halfling barbarians who conquered and settled what is now called Old Town. They are a tad disappointed in their doughy descendants and demand Sedgwick restore the Old Ways.

Nathaniel, aka "The Gnat," was the Imperial Matchmaker until he had to quietly resign the position to escape the machinations of the Emperor's Spymaster.

Tython is the only man to lead survivors back from the doomed first Imperial expedition against the Orc Lord. Consequently, some in Axis consider him a liability.

- Marty Lund


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## Pelgrane (Jan 21, 2014)

*A few...*

A dwarven ranger who is the motile unit for a Koru behemoth
A half-elven assassin whose shadow is hunting him down
An elven sorceror whose heart is clockwork fashioned by the Dwarf Lord
A human paladin who was hatched from an egg
A drow wizard who killed the 14th icon


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## Herobizkit (Jan 23, 2014)

A pixie craftsman with the uncanny ability to perfectly craft any scale replica of a building by hand.


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## Zephrin the Lost (Jan 23, 2014)

My 13th age PC's OUTs far:

Incendious Locke; Dwarven miner who's clan trespassed in the Diabolist's realm. He made a deal to be her herald: he walks the earth telling everyone how great she is. She gave him a magic hammer and there's a 1 in 4 chance that when he lands a killing blow the foe he defeats is sucked into the earth and into the diabolist's lair and somewhere, she releases a dwarf. 

Clement: Gnome with supernatural acute sense of timing. In combat we flavor outcomes of his actions to be the result of spectacularly well timed effort. It's a lot of fun because he understands what's going to happen so completely that he almost never hurries.    

Fetch: elf ranger in service of Elf Queen. Was captured and tortured by Orc Lord, lost his eyes. Prince of Shadows freed him and gave him a mask that lets him see. Of course he can never remove it. Queen won't explain why she didn't rescue him and Prince of Shadows wont explain why he freed him/gave him mask. 

I've run a couple of 13th age campaigns, one in Ravenloft one in the campaign setting. Player PC's have been good overall and a lot of fun to incorporate into the campaign.


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## GMforPowergamers (Jan 23, 2014)

Zephrin the Lost said:


> I've run a couple of 13th age campaigns, one in Ravenloft one in the campaign setting. Player PC's have been good overall and a lot of fun to incorporate into the campaign.




what did you use for Icons in raven loft.


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## Zephrin the Lost (Jan 23, 2014)

GMforPowergamers said:


> what did you use for Icons in raven loft.




I used various figures from the Ravenloft campaign settings. There's a full write up in the campain wiki: https://ravenloft-13thage.obsidianportal.com/wikis/icons-of-the-kingdoms-of-mists

This was my first 13th age campaign. I learned quite a bit from it and would plan the icons differently if I were doing it again. However it was great fun and ended horribly for the PC's but not in a TPK way, rather in a Ravenloft kind of way.


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## demoss (Jan 26, 2014)

Zephrin the Lost said:


> I learned quite a bit from it and would plan the icons differently if I were doing it again.




I would love to hear you elaborate on this! I'm just starting with my own 13th Age campaign and am thinking about the role the icons are going to take...


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 26, 2014)

From yesterday's game:

- A wizard who invented Magic Missile, only to have the idea stolen from him by the Archmage.
- A Forgeborn construct built for unknown reasons by the Prince of Shadows.
- A blind ranger who uses echo-location and has a giant bat companion.


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## cavalier973 (Jan 26, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> From yesterday's game:
> 
> - A wizard who invented Magic Missile, only to have the idea stolen from him by the Archmage.




Did he waste his family's fortune trying to sue the Archmage for copyright infringement?


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 26, 2014)

cavalier973 said:


> Did he waste his family's fortune trying to sue the Archmage for copyright infringement?



Close, he actually blew his money on failed magical startups!

Hilariously, the player decided to roll for his starting gold and rolled a one. He then said, "I guess that's appropriate."


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jan 27, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> - A Forgeborn construct built for unknown reasons by the Prince of Shadows.




Hellbox, is that you?


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## Zephrin the Lost (Jan 27, 2014)

demoss said:


> I would love to hear you elaborate on this! I'm just starting with my own 13th Age campaign and am thinking about the role the icons are going to take...




I think the biggest misstep I took when writing my own icons was to choose models with less reach than is needed for their influence to be felt even in scenarios that do not directly hinge upon them. Also to place many intermediaries between the icons and the PC's, so it's not the icons helping out and /or messing with them directly but rather their agents or operatives. 

Another part of icon involvement that gave me trouble at first was reconciling icon roll benefits and outcomes. I was almost treating the icons like divine beings who were unduly invested in the PC's activities. That was actually reasonable for some of the icons in the Ravenloft setting who were powerful liches and vampires, but was inappropriate for those more grounded in the physical world.  one solution was I let the PC who had a positive relationship with the Dr. Frankenstein-like icon to find a collection of the good Dr.'s papers. We would then credit any beneficial icon rolls to the PC's study of the papers. This culminated in using a 6 to reattach another PC's arm that had been ripped off by a bugbear. It was right on the money for that icon.  

Another thing I learned is to ask the players if they want to cash in an icon roll, and not just cash it in for them and award them a success on a check or an item etc. It's really fun when it's a 5 I'm asking about because they know I've come up with the good and the less good so it makes the moment a little more anxious. 

Hope that helps!


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 27, 2014)

Zephrin the Lost said:


> Another thing I learned is to ask the players if they want to cash in an icon roll, and not just cash it in for them and award them a success on a check or an item etc. It's really fun when it's a 5 I'm asking about because they know I've come up with the good and the less good so it makes the moment a little more anxious.



This is a really intriguing idea. So basically, you ask if they want gold for their roll up front or an unspecified bonus later in the session?

My main concern would be that the players might simply always choose gold.


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## DMZ2112 (Jan 27, 2014)

This thread makes me sad that all my players are idiots.


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## cavalier973 (Jan 27, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> This is a really intriguing idea. So basically, you ask if they want gold for their roll up front or an unspecified bonus later in the session?
> 
> My main concern would be that the players might simply always choose gold.





You could hint at what the alternatives (weapons/armor/information) _might_ be to entice them to turn the cash down.


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## Zephrin the Lost (Jan 27, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> This is a really intriguing idea. So basically, you ask if they want gold for their roll up front or an unspecified bonus later in the session?
> 
> My main concern would be that the players might simply always choose gold.




Well what I do is everyone makes their icon roles at the start of the session. I make a list of the 5's and 6's, who got them and what icon and what relationship. The players should note their rolls as well. Then throughout the session a player can make a suggestion about how he wants to use his roll, or I may make a suggestion. I try to have a very open mind about what they can use them for- everything from a re-roll in combat to a boost on a ability check to a power recharge etc.  The players have to convince me it makes sense- so the barbarian who rolled a 6 conflicted with the orc lord could tell me that his experiences with the orc tribes give him a benefit in this battle with orcs, and use his 6 and use an extra rage or so on. 

If I make a suggestion, it's usually when the players are struggling or stuck. This team doesn't have a rogue. They were faced with a blocked passage that knock didn't seem to have the juice for. I knew he bard had a 5 with the archmage so I said if we wants to use that now he can use his experience in the archmage's employ to put a little extra kick in the spell and get the passage open. He agreed and they got the passage open but as it was a 5 there needed to be some complication in the outcome so I said he opened the portal so forcefully it damage the structure in a way that effected the ensuing combat. 

Dos that make sense?


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## demoss (Jan 27, 2014)

Zephrin the Lost said:


> Also to place many intermediaries between the icons and the PC's, so it's not the icons helping out and /or messing with them directly but rather their agents or operatives.



This is really interesting to me. I'm having trouble deciding one the amount of intermediaries myself. My current thought is to model things a bit after the Three Musketeers: even when they do missions for the King, but the missions come to them through intermediaries -- but when they do good, the King will hear it was them who did it.

Did you find that the intermediaries confused things, or watered them down, or what? 



> Hope that helps!



Awesome, thanks!

(Um, oh, threadjack? Sooorry...)


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## cavalier973 (Jan 27, 2014)

DMZ2112 said:


> This thread makes me sad that all my players are idiots.




What do you mean?


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## cavalier973 (Jan 27, 2014)

demoss said:


> (Um, oh, threadjack? Sooorry...)





Not a problem! I'll enjoy the reputation of someone who starts interesting threads.


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## Alzrius (Jan 27, 2014)

My bard character's OUT is that he wrote the song "One Unique Thing" as part of the boy-band _Know Direction_. Today, he keeps this fact hidden, lest adoring mobs of tween girls or hateful mobs of everyone else tear him apart.


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## DMZ2112 (Jan 27, 2014)

cavalier973 said:


> What do you mean?




I originally wrote, "This thread makes me want to play 13th Age," and then I had a mental image of painstakingly developing a campaign for months only to be faced at character generation with a table of players whose ideas of "One Unique Thing" amounted to "Best rouge evar" and "Knows 300 different ways to weaponize dysentery."

I hate players.


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## cavalier973 (Jan 27, 2014)

DMZ2112 said:


> I originally wrote, "This thread makes me want to play 13th Age," and then I had a mental image of painstakingly developing a campaign for months only to be faced at character generation with a table of players whose ideas of "One Unique Thing" amounted to "Best rouge evar" and "Knows 300 different ways to weaponize dysentery."
> 
> I hate players.




I imagine that character creation in 13th Age takes a lot longer, as it is a collaborative effort between player and DM.  If I ever DM a game, then I'm likely to pass out pre-mades and give them time to customize the characters with OUT, Backgrounds, and Icon Relationships.

In a couple of the podcasts I've listened to with Rob Heinsoo, he seems to do a good job molding people's OUT to fit the game better.  That is, if he thinks a OUT would provide a unique advantage, he tones it back ("You're just a level one adventurer; you might be able to fly around with your wings at some point, but right now they seem to get in the way more often than not.  You'll take a penalty to some check rolls, but you don't take as much damage from falling.")


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## demoss (Jan 27, 2014)

Back on track -- the OUTs and some backgrounds from our table:

Ex-Head Librarian to the Elf-Queen: "I've done something the Elf-Queen cannot forgive." It's been mostly established that this involved accidentally reading out loud from the wrong book in the Little Reading Room, leading to troubles with tentacles and shifting dimensions. The worst has been cleared up, but the signs still say "DO NOT GO TO THE STACKS ALONE" for a good reason. (High Elf Wizard)

"I'm a dwarven artifact from a bygone age, discovered and activated by the drow in the deep underworld." A hydraulic dwarf-made golem that runs with crystals distilled by the drow from the poison of the underworld. (Forgeborn Fighter)

"I see dead people." Yeap, straight from the book. ...but wait for the background: Trained by my father, a priest of shadows, to succeed him as a temple thief to the Priestess. If you've listened to BJ Shea's 13th Age podcasts, I *must* say that this came 100% from the player -- twisted minds think alike. (Human Rogue)

"While captain of High Druid's rangers, I took advantage of unique circumstances and bound the creatures of the Blood Wood to defense of the Sea Wall; the High Druid was not pleased." (Half Elf Ranger)

"Unknown to myself, I'm the reincarnation of the 1st Age Orc Lord." He's actually a very human-seeming orc, raised by a paladin of the Great Gold Wyrm in secrecy. He believes he carries a taint of some undefined sin and must redeem himself through good deeds. (Half-Orc Paladin)

...I just flat out love how they came out.


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 27, 2014)

DMZ2112 said:


> I originally wrote, "This thread makes me want to play 13th Age," and then I had a mental image of painstakingly developing a campaign for months only to be faced at character generation with a table of players whose ideas of "One Unique Thing" amounted to "Best rouge evar" and "Knows 300 different ways to weaponize dysentery."
> 
> I hate players.



Well the book advises that when a player suggests something that you drill into it a bit. This can work really well with something that seems either overpowered, or silly. If you start asking "Why does your player do this?" or "How did this happen?" you start to get some interesting answers which can help to make the OUT more workable.


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## DMZ2112 (Jan 28, 2014)

Dungeoneer said:


> Well the book advises that when a player suggests something that you drill into it a bit. This can work really well with something that seems either overpowered, or silly. If you start asking "Why does your player do this?" or "How did this happen?" you start to get some interesting answers which can help to make the OUT more workable.




I apologize -- it was not my intention to criticize 13th Age or derail this thread.  I think this mechanic (if it can be called such) is a great idea, and my only point in posting was to express regret that I don't think I have the right kind of group for it.


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## Dungeoneer (Jan 28, 2014)

DMZ2112 said:


> I apologize -- it was not my intention to criticize 13th Age or derail this thread.  I think this mechanic (if it can be called such) is a great idea, and my only point in posting was to express regret that I don't think I have the right kind of group for it.



Oh I wasn't taking it as criticism!

I was only saying that you don't necessarily need to have the most creative players that ever lived to play this game. But sure, it's not for every group. The game has a pretty strong storytelling emphasis, and if your players aren't into that it may not be right for them.


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## cavalier973 (Jan 28, 2014)

Mad_Jack said:


> They travel with a human ranger who used to serve the wizard and is now in service to the monkey. His duties mainly include explaining that the monkey is a powerful wizard and shouldn't be messed with...




I once had a job very, VERY similar to this, when I was trying to get into politics.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jan 28, 2014)

Mad_Jack said:


> A highly intelligent chimpanzee who dresses as a human, communicates using sign language and rides an intelligent talking horse. The chimp is the former familiar of a powerful wizard (one of the Archmage's favorite apprentices, in fact), who was Awakened when his master died, and the horse was formerly the wizard's own mount.
> 
> The chimp also just so happens to be a powerful wizard in his own right, having spent years observing his former master at work.
> 
> ...




First came Sir Bearington, then Chicken Boo, now we have the Great and Powerful Bonzo!


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## djhyland (Feb 1, 2014)

Nella was once an ancient oak tree. The wizard who came to her grove and shapechanged into a tree to retire from the world taught her in turn to take human form. With her newfound freedom, she wanders the world to sate her curiousity, but someday she plans to return to her grove and become a tree again.


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