Nasir for AFF2e

By popular demand – i.e. one request – here is Nasir, a Saracen and former Assassin who enters Robin's story as an ensorcelled thrall of the black magician, Baron de Belleme.  

Hero: Nasir (Player: Mark Ryan)

SKILL 7

STAMINA 16

LUCK 10

MAGIC 0

Talent: Ambidextrous

Special Skills

Combat

Swords 1, Thrown 2

Movement

Acrobatics 1, Climb 1, Dodge 2

Stealth

Awareness 2, Stealth 3

Knowledge

Arabic 4, English 2, Religion Lore 1, Tracking 1, Secret Signs 1, World Lore 2

Treasure: 2d6 silver pennies

Provisions: 2

Equipment

1 Scimitar (treat as ‘Short Sword’)

2 Scimitar (treat as ‘Short Sword’)

3 Throwing Daggers x3

4 Throwing Daggers x3

5 Long Bow

6 Quiver w. 20 Arrows

7 Leather Cuirass

8

9

10

Nasir’s starting Talent is an obvious choice – his whole shtick is two-weapon fighting. As a former Assassin, I have given him points in Movement and Stealth skills, and given set him up so that his highest ‘effective SKILL’ in combat is with his throwing daggers, not his sword – it seems to me that Will Scarlet and Robin ought be the best out-and-out swordsmen in the Merry Men, though Nasir’s ability to fight with two scimitars makes him very effective in his own right. In addition, rather than giving a point in Forest Lore or City Lore, etc. at character creation, I have given Nasir an extra point of World Lore to represent the fact that he is much better travelled than the rest of Robin’s band. I’ve also created the Special Skill Tracking, as I thought that Hunting didn’t really capture Nasir’s skill at finding and following the trail of humans.   

I considered giving Nasir an extra Talent, in exchange for a point or two at character creation. However, the Talents that I was considering – such as Combat Reactions – I am reserving as the ‘unique’ characteristic of other characters. Plus, I didn’t want to engage in ‘power creep’.

I also considered giving Nasir some MAGIC, to represent the uncanny disciplines and techniques that he may have learned while an Assassin, or even as a result of his service to de Belleme. Cantrips such as Extinguish and Noise would, indeed, be useful powers for an Assassin, but I decided that these would do too much damage to atmosphere of Robin of Sherwood. In a ‘vanilla’ AFF2e game, an Assassin should absolutely have some low powered magic that will help him move unseen and get the drop on his targets.