MORE STUFF FOR NEW PLAYERS
Everything here is speculative and known to all player characters.
It's entirely possible, and in fact likely that what is listed here will be contradicted during the campaign. In this event, what is written in the campaign supersedes and invalidates anything here.
I could be intentionally misleading you.
Technology -- Similarly to most fantasy settings, this story is set around the time of the historical High to Late Middle Ages. If you have no idea what that means, think of the technology present in D&D, Lord of the Rings, the Wheel of Time, the Sword of Truth, etc.
Magic -- It's popularly believed that magic exists, but no one has ever seen any magical effect or creature.
Religion -- Religions are present, but most are political entities spreading a particular agenda rather than embodiments of any divine will. Like magic, no divine power has ever been witnessed, but many believe.
Relative Character Power -- Characters begin no differently than anyone else in the world. In D&D terms, this would make you level 0. You're welcome to use any system you like to aid in creating a well-rounded character, but the point should be to flesh out your character beyond John Q. Adventurer.
Character Development Aids --
History (upbringing, personal philosophy, general temperament, goals)
Occupation (you won't see any weak blacksmiths, clumsy hunters, or illiterate scribes; a crop farmer would know lots about plants but less about animals than a farrier [who knows nothing about birds compared to a falconer], and both fletchers and hunters would know about bows)
Some sample occupations suitable for the times:
Atillator - makes crossbows
Barber - cuts hair, practices dentistry, surgery, and blood-letting
Blacksmith - forges iron and steel into useful shapes
Carpenter - builds flooring, roofing, furniture, and other machinery
Chaplain - provides spiritual services
Dyer/Clothier - Maker of clothing
Glazier - works with glass
Laird - a minor baron or small landlord, the lowest of the nobility
Miner - digs tunnels for foundations or in search of precious metals/minerals
Shoemaker/Cordwainer - makes shoes
Weaver - a person who makes cloth for assorted purposes
Foresters - cut timber to make into lumber
Coopers - barrel makers
Chandlers - make candles
White/Gold/Silver Smiths - as blacksmiths, different materials and uses
Bakers - duh
Huntsmen - for deer, rabbits, etc.
Painters - both artistic and domestic
Potters, Tilemakers - work with clay and other fired materials
Scholar/Scribe - one who studies and copies books and other written material
Shipwrights - build ships, boats
Butchers - prepare and sell meat
Fishmongers - sell chicken of the sea
Farmers - of all sorts: corn, wheat, etc, cows, sheep, etc.
Innkeeper - keeps an inn
Apothecary - sells medicines and herbs
Doctor - maybe knows a bit more than the apothecary, if it's not a charlatan
And of course many others not listed.
Physical Attributes (strength, speed, beauty)
Recreational Activities and Secondary Occupational Skills (does your innkeeper brew beer, or is he a member of the city militia? Was the dam to the watering hole that all the farm kids swim in built by that miner who digs for silver two days north?)
Start of Campaign Area -- Mid-sized town of about 500, including outlying farms. The climate is temperate, and the nearby terrain is predominantly hills and forest. The town lies on a large lake (approx 10,000 acres or 15 square miles). No other towns of any comparable size are nearby, although there are a few small communities within a 3 day's ride.
Subject: New Player Info