Faces of Thedas: Varric

Varric Tethras is many

thingsfriendly rogue, quick
wit, teller of talesyet hes
no scattered, flighty fellow. Those who get to know this
dwarf may discover heart behind his wit, a bit of romanticism within even his most sordid tales, and a surprising
depth of loyalty in his friendship. Despite hardship and
pain, Varric can find humor and joy even in the midst of
grim combat and heartbreak. Look to him after a bloody
battle and youre likely to find him making a joke about
his wounds. (Dear Varric, please learn to parry. Love,
your innards.)
Wherever he goes, Varric makes friends, learns the local
stories, and gleans the choicest scuttlebutt. Wherever
he goes, his prized and distinctive crossbow, called
Bianca, is sure to be at hand. Wherever he goes, he
seems to encounter trouble and treasures worth telling
tales about later on.
Whatever else Varric might seek in life, he is always
seeking a new yarn to spin and cohorts worth drinking
to. Surely your PCs are worth a toast or two, no?

I know everyone in this town worth knowing.

Varric, Dragon Age II

Faces of Thedas: Varric

Mary Kirby
Talks Varric
Mary Kirby has been writing for the Dragon Age world
for six years. When Dragon Age games are being made,
major characters like companion NPCs are assigned
to specific in-house writers at BioWare whose job it is
to create and maintain the voice and vision for those
characters through the long development process.
Various writers may write lines for characters other
than their own during the design and development of
plots, conversations, and banter but it is the job of each
characters dedicated shepherd to check over every line
and make sure it is consistent with the character. Mary
Kirbys imagination has given voice to fan-favorite
characters like Varric Tethras (Dragon Age II) and the
Qunari warrior, Sten (Dragon Age: Origins)
Kirby is an experienced pen-and-paper roleplayinggame player in addition to being an accomplished game
writer. She ran a homebrewed D&D campaign right up
until she started working at BioWare. Her first pen-andpaper RPG was Shadowrun. (I still get a little choked up
thinking about Trollish Street Samurai, she said.)

Spoiler Warning
Spoilers ahead! This Faces of Thedas entry doesnt reveal every secret of Varrics storyif youve played Dragon
Age II and its DLC youll notice some instances where weve chosen to allude rather than definebut it does
describe certain twists and revelations that come to light in other Dragon Age media. The Varric who appears in
your Dragon Age RPG campaign may differ from the Varric we meet in, say, comics like The Silent Grove. Your
RPG campaigns Varric might make different choices during Dragon Age IIs period of history than you made
in your most recent play through that game. Weve chosen to minimize some spoilers by leaving some stories
to be told in their own media but, still, beware of spoilers within.
Thankfully, Kirby was happy to answer a few questions
about writing and developing the character of Varric
for Dragon Age II:
Green Ronin: What was your inspiration or aim
for Varric as a fictional character? How did the
Varric we know emerge during the design and
production of Dragon Age II?
Mary Kirby: When I first met Varric, he consisted of
nothing but the description, Dwarf who narrates the
game. That was enough to hook me. I loved the metafictional angle of writing the guy whos writing the
games story.
We knew he would be a surface dwarf and we knew
hed be a rogue because we wanted to immediately
distinguish him from Oghren. Our lead concept artist,
Matt Rhodes, did the initial concepts for Varric in the
leather duster with the open shirt and that became
the jumping-off point for me in finding his voice and
personality. I based him a bit on Ed Bloom from Big
Fishif hes not outright lying, he is at least telling the
story the way it meant to have happened, but is nonetheless sort of loveable despite everything.
GR: How much do you need to know about a character before youre ready to write their dialogue
or behavior? Did you create a lot of background
lore for Varric?
MK: I am terribly detail oriented and will construct a
characters entire life story up to and including their
favorite foods before I write anything, even though
absolutely none of that may ever come up in game. For
Varric, I invented a whole messy, tragic family history
for House Tethras and, of course, the untellable tale of
how Bianca got her name
GR: How did the existing lore of Thedas inform
your writing of Varric? Was he built to reinforce or
defy some existing ideas about dwarves or rogues?

MK: We had gone to Orzammar in Dragon Age: Origins,

but we hadnt seen much of the surface dwarves.
Varric gave me a chance to explore what their culture
would be like. Hes very much not a traditional dwarf
and thats sort of the point. From his perspective,
tradition is a trap. A source of regret and frustration
thats ruined the lives of people he cares about. Hes
a rogue more in the sense of being a con man than a
pickpocket. Be careful if he tries to sell you a bridge
anywhere.
GR: What does Varric want? Why might he
join with (or oppose!) adventurers on quests
throughout Thedas?
MK: Varrics sense of responsibility is his Achilles heel.
Everything he does is motivated by a desire to look
out for his family or friends (and they all make this as
difficult as possible). But he has friends everywhere, on
all sides of just about any conflict. So it isnt that hard
for Varric to get roped into just about any adventure on
the grounds that someone he plays Wicked Grace with
asked him to participate, just this once, and its really
important
GR: Any advice for players and GMs trying to
get into character as Varric? Any guidance on his
style, methods, or demeanor?
MK: Varric doesnt use very formal language. Hes
always among friends, its just that sometimes they
dont know theyre his friends yet. Hes a showman.
Hes always in control, charismatic, confident, even if
he doesnt feel it. Varric tends to avoid direct confrontation whenever he can. Hate the Merchants Guild? Hide
from them. Family problems? Just stay at the Hanged
Man and dont go home. But his sense of responsibility will always drag him back to eventually deal
with whatever hes been ignoring or hiding from. Hell
always talk his way out of trouble given the chance and
resort to Bianca only when necessary.

Faces of Thedas: Varric

Background

Hallard told his sons, and setbacks only mean you took
a jaunt down one wrong road, not that youre done.

House Tethras earned its exile from the great dwarf city
of Orzammar by fixing the outcomes of otherwise honorable Provings. Of course, it takes more than a rigged bet to
ensure the outcome of a Provingat least some combatants must have been in on the action for the fix to work
yet only the once-noble dwarves of House Tethras paid
the price for the skullduggery. Some number of dwarven
combatants who threw their bouts went undiscovered
and unpunished. The theory among some of the nobility
was that such combatants either could not truly betray
the Proving, because the Ancestors see and influence all
on the Proving Ground and so their combats only end
as they should, or that crooked combatants would
pay some other price, in time, when the Ancestors decreed.

After Hallard died, Varrics older brother, Bartrand,

took on Hallards duties in the Merchants Guild.
Bartrand ran the family merchant business, pushing
House Tethras ever higher up the social ladder while,
behind the scenes, Varric looked after the family and its
retainers. Each seemed suited to his position.

In the meantime, the nobility of the great

dwarf city of Orzammar made an example
of House Tethras to warn anyone else who
would meddle in the cherished tradition of the Proving. The message
was simple: Those who would
undermine the Proving have
no business being dwarves;
out with them.
Varric was born three years
after the familys exile, into
the surface world of the
Merchants Guild, where
the Ancestors never
spoke and the great
Paragons of old were
the heroes in tall
tales told to young
dwarves.
Varric,
then, was raised in the
fallout of his familys
crimes, sharing in the
punishment for a crime
he had no part in. His kin
were born as dwarves of the
deep and wore their exile
with shame but for Varric the
world in sight of the sky was
no strange outland; it was the
normalcy he was born into.
Varrics father, Hallard, was
a hard-drinking dwarf, full
of vinegar and confidence, as
quick to laugh as he was to lash
out. His esteem for himself was
tempered by his familys exile but
his pride for House Tethras wit
and ingenuity seemed to never
waver. Living means risking,

Faces of Thedas: Varric

Lady Ilsa, mother to Bartrand and Varric, did not weather

well the trauma of her familys disgrace. She sought
solace in liquor and smoke. Varric strove to curb the
worst of her drunken rages, to keep her from becoming
a public scandal. He cared for her when her excesses
made her ill. Varric and Bartrand were never exactly
closemore like colleagues than brothers.
Varric has come to see the world differently than his family does. The Deep Roads
were never home for Varric, they were a
legendary and ancient place of stiff nobles
and forgotten treasures. They were a place
of risk and opportunity, worth the occasional venture, but home was where
the drinks were, where the laughter
was, where his friends were.
Yet Varric holds no real grudge
against the dwarves below. His
father made a mistakeeither in
committing the crime or in getting
caughtand the dwarves in
power did what dwarves
do as a result. Varric isnt
ashamed of who he is or
where he is, and why should
he be? Varric isnt the one
who did anything wrong.
Known, now, throughout
the Merchants Guild for the
stories he tells of adventurous
exploits (some of them his
own), Varric keeps tales of
his family and his history to
himself. Varric is happy to earn
renown for telling other peoples
stories well, yet he shies away from
using his familys connections for
quick coin or favors. Varric earns his
own favors, his own friends. Practically everyone who has set foot in
Kirkwalls Hanged Man tavern has
bought Varric a drink at one time
or another, to keep the stories
flowing.
Varrics own history is
marbled with stories. For
example, he tells a slew of tales about

Spoiler: Biancas Maker

Biancas true originthough not the secret of her nameis revealed in Dragon Age II: Legacy. She was built by
a clever dwarf craftsman named Gerav (ge-RAHV). Varric described him as a greedy, brilliant, son-of-a-nug
from the Carta. Geravs talent was considerable but he didnt take so much pride in his handiwork that he
bothered to put his mark on the crossbow that would come to be known as Bianca. Though his primary ambition at one time was wealth and he might have found true fortune making weapons, Gerav sadly got involved
with an ill-fated Carta cult that drew him away from his work and, eventually, his true faculties. Thus, Gerav
wont be making any more weapons like Bianca.

the origins of his famed and fabulous crossbow, called

Bianca: He won her in a game of Wicked Grace against
Paragon Branka; she was a gift from an old beggar
who disappeared into thin air; he bought Bianca off a
crooked merchant in Kirkwalls Lowtown, the previous
owners hand still wrapped around the trigger; she was
delivered to him by a talking gryphon from a far-away
land with a promise that shed be needed one day.
Sometimes asking about Bianca simply results in Varric
grinning and walking away.
The story probably most asked for, perhaps because
Varric never tells it? That must be the one about how
the beautiful Bianca got her name.

Varric & the

Champion of Kirkwall
If your campaign sticks to Dragon Age canon, Varric
eventually comes to know the Champion of Kirkwall
quite well. The dwarfs fortunes and reputation change
forever as a result of their time together. Varric and the
Champion explore the Deep Roads together, face danger
together, get rich together, and Varric comes to be known
in some circles as the Champions de-facto biographer.
After a falling out between Varric and his brother,
Bartrand, during their dangerous expedition into the
Deep Roads, Bartrand disappeared. Varric searched for
him for a time, seeking some combination of revenge
and closure, but with his brother gone, Varric had to take
over control of the familys stake in the local Merchants
Guildat least on paper. Varric seldom attends Guild
meetings, is hardly ever seen in the guildhalls chambers for House Tethras, and never answers his mail.
He conducts his business from the Hanged Man tavern
whenever hes able.
Should Varric ever commit to taking over for Bartrand
officially (after Bartrands final fate is determined,
during one of Varrics adventures with the Champion
of Kirkwall), he hardly embraces the role. Instead, official records for both Kirkwall and the Guild end up
attributing Varrics duties and decisions to nonexistent
aunts, uncles, cousins, and household pets. Varric is
busy doing other things.

Adventures
of V arric
Theres power in stories. Thats all history is: the
best tales. The ones that last. Might as well be mine.
Varric, Dragon Age II

Varric tells the Champions tale with practiced aplomb,

yet many who have heard it come to wonder whether
the dwarfs memoriesand motivesmatch the facts
as they happened or the history written by organizations like the Seekers or the Circle. Who all has heard
Varrics version of events? Does he tell your campaigns
heroes the same tale? Or does he tell their tales to some
other audience of Seekers or mages or templars?
Varrics life can be easily divided into three key eras:
before, during, and after the events of Dragon Age II. It
can be fun to involve the established history and lore
of Thedas into a campaign, weaving new tapestries
from some of the same threads. If you and your players
are striving to make your Dragon Age campaign reflect
and react to the official canon, you can involve Varric
in interesting ways. Your campaign can most easily
involve Varric before or after the events of that game.
Maybe, when your PCs meet him, the dwarfs a minor
figure in Kirkwall and its your PCsexperienced from
their adventures during the recent Blight in Ferelden
who are telling stories to Varric in exchange for some
piece of information he has that pushes your current
adventure forward. Now Varrics retelling the tale of
your campaign to date, too, perhaps increasing the
fame or notoriety of the PCs for better or worse.
Or your PCs might encounter Varric after the final
scenes of Dragon Age II, when the dwarfs responsibilities and experience are greater, when the fate of his
brother has been settled. Does he help the PCs defeat
some foe in the Free Marches? Does he help smuggle
some of the characters out of Kirkwall before powerful
enemies can find them? Does he offer advice for an
upcoming expedition into the Deep Roads and wish
them well? Varric knows people; he could be a useful
ally for your PCs to know, too.

Faces of Thedas: Varric

In the 38th year of the Dragon Age (between the

disappearance of the Champion of Kirkwall and
Varrics interrogation by the famed Seeker, Cassandra
Pentaghast, depicted in Dragon Age II), Varric and the
Rivaini pirate, Isabella, embark on a secret mission with
King Alistair of Ferelden. That mission takes Varric into
Antiva, to a variety of fabled locales, and even deeper
into the history and lore of Thedas. (See the comic-book
miniseries The Silent Grove for the whole account.) That
quest demonstrates Varrics willingness to face adventure and peril for the sake of prized alliesor a good
story. Hes a valuable comrade.
Alternately, Varric could be an antagonist in your
campaign. House Tethras might be rivals for some
lucrative dealing with the Merchants Guild in Kirkwall
or Varric might know something about the PCs that
they dont want him to tell anyonea forbidden story
of their own. What if your PCs are tasked with getting
Varric to tell some story he doesnt want told? What if
someone (like a PC!) wants to take Bianca away?
All that said, an era of Varrics life still remains: What if
your story overlaps with that of Dragon Age II?

Rewriting His Story

Varrics role as the narrator of Dragon Age II creates a
potentially fascinating and peculiar relationship between
the lore and the facts of Thedas. Whereas other NPCs
are easy to integrate in ways that simply define your
campaign as part of a playable but unofficial version of
events, as described in The Guide to Faces of Thedas, Varric
can participate in your stories in several distinctive ways.
First, consider the most grandiose ways that your
campaign might collide with the story of Dragon Age
II. Varrics role in your campaign might conflict directly
with what we see on screen in that game. Thats fine. In
your version of events, anythings possible.
Here are just a few ideas:
Varric leaves Kirkwall for another land when he
becomes the PCs biographer and follows them on
their adventures.
Varric runs off on some romance and leaves your
PCs to fill out the ranks of Bartrands Deep Roads
expedition.
Varric embarks on an adventure with Tallis (who
might be a PC in your campaign) and gets himself
killed in battle against some Antivan Crows,
spurring your PCs to get revenge.
Varric rounds up a party of adventurers and
returns to Orzammar, not to clear the Tethras
name, but to get its treacherous cohorts in the
fixing scandal exiled as well.
Alternately, your campaign might strive to adapt the
Dragon Age II tale in a new way. Maybe your campaigns

Faces of Thedas: Varric

PCs take on the role of the Champions of Kirkwall and

fulfill or change that story, with Varric still in place as
their chronicler?
The most complex ways to involve Varric in your
campaign (and put your PCs into the action of Dragon
Age II, in a fashion) may be the most intriguing. Take
advantage of the unexplored years in Varrics telling
of the tale and craft stories of your own set therein.
Between the years 9:30 Dragon and 9:40 Dragon, weeks,
months, and whole years of adventure may unfold that
involve Varric and your PCs but not the Champion
(and so dont come up when Varric recites the Champions tale to the Seeker, Cassandra Pentaghast, in Dragon
Age II). Thus your characters are in step with Thedas
lore, theyre just not on-topic during Varrics retelling
of Dragon Age II.
Finally, consider this subtler option: Your PCs play
some secret, vital role not only in Varrics life but in the
story of Dragon Age IIa role so secret, so controversial
or dangerous, that Varric doesnt dare include it in his
retelling to the Seeker. Maybe Varric knows the PCs
true role in the tale but doesnt share it or maybe hes
not the authority he seems to be. (Could your PCs be in
league with the Champion or the Chantry or the Circle
or the Qunari without Varric knowing it?)
If Varric is an unreliable narrator, and his whole version
of the story of Dragon Age II is suspect, then your
campaigns players have lots of room to play without
necessarily defying or rewriting the lore of the game
world. You could interpret the scenes between Varric
and Cassandra Pentaghast in Dragon Age II to be true
for your campaign and leave everything else open to
doubt. The PCs can embark on adventures throughout
Kirkwall and just say Varric got it wrong or claim he
was protecting them from Seeker Pentaghast.

Varric & Theme

When involving Varric in your ongoing campaign,

consider the themes he brings into play with him. If
Varric appears in a simple cameo or background role, he
might not make a thematic impact on your campaign. If
he plays a more important part, however, you can help
maximize his effect and make him feel more like Varric
by drawing on his themes.
Varrics family is important to him, more important than
he might admit. Depending on how much you want to
tinker with his lore for your campaign, Varrics relationship with Bartrand might be accounted for by Dragon Age
II. But House Tethras consists of more than just Varrics
immediate family. A dwarf PC in your campaign could
be a cousin, aunt, or uncle of Varrics, either part of
House Tethras itself or perhaps just removed from the
house enough to escape exile. That creates a meaty relationship with Varric that could be fun to play out. Alternately, dwarves among your PCs or established NPCs

RPG Game Stats

The following versions of Varric were built using the
character-creation rules for PCs. In this case, we gave
him the surface dwarf background, though keep in
mind thats not the background shared by some of
his kin. Varrics history begins outside Orzammar, but
some of his family remember that place clearly. A lot of
what makes Varric distinct is his personal style, which
doesnt change much even as he grows more experienced. To that end, we include game stats for equipment that Varric is likely to use throughout his career:
his distinctive overcoat, the tavern he calls home, and,
of course, Bianca.

Home Courts &

the Contacts Talent
The Contacts talent has great value whether your character travels throughout Thedas or dwells in a single
spot as a champion or defender of that place. The game
rules for the Contacts talent work well for characters
of both sorts, as written. To represent the difference
between a character who is at home, surrounded by
a network of familiar contacts, cohorts, and allies, the
GM simply sets the target number to reflect circumstanceslower for a friendlier or more familiar venue,
higher for an unfamiliar or less welcoming place.

could have had their Provings fixed by House Tethras

all those years ago and have their social standing questioned by other dwarves as a result.
The most prominent and effective theme of Varrics
must be about truth and tales. Wherever Varric goes, he
is either gathering or telling stories. You could make one
adventure in your campaign into Varrics version of your
PCs exploits, which hes telling to someone (a nobody
or a rival?) in the Hanged Man. How did he come by
your characters story? How much do you and the other
players decide it varies from what really happened? Is
Varric telling this story to celebrate the PCs or to throw
off a listener who might be chasing them?
Along with any question of truth and narrative comes
a dose of mystery. Varric knows very well that the
story thats held back is the story everyone most wants
to hear. Maybe Varric knows a story thatll reveal the
location of a treasure the PCs seek and the only way to
make him talk is to share stories from their own past
so each player gets to cook up and tell a tale (true or
false) of their characters history. The PCs are still the
protagonists of your campaign, after all, so make it
about them.

Varric, for example, gets the most use out of his Contacts
talent in the Free Marches. Likewise, he finds it easier
to make connections in Kirkwall than elsewhere in the
Free Marches and he finds it easiest of all to secure
favors and friendship on his home turf in the Hanged
Man tavern in Kirkwall.
Its not necessary to set default target numbers for
these venues, though, since the specific NPC being
approached and the favor being sought are such important factors, too, but the GM and a player can work
together to define a characters home-court advantages. Still, default target numbers do help create the
sense of familiarity that a character might have at home.
If your campaign is set largely in one place, consider
making a list of venues with associated default target
numbers so a PC with the Contacts talent feels the
difference between his own home court and someone
elses home court.
Heres a simple option. Define three strata of familiarity: the national (TN 15), the local (TN 13), and
the favored venue (TN 11). Select a characters strata
when the Contacts talent is first bought. For Varric, for
example, the national stratum is the Free Marches. His
local stratum is the city-state of Kirkwall. His favored
venue is the Hanged Man tavern in Kirkwall.
Each additional degree in the Contacts talent also
lowers the default TN for one stratum of the players
choice by one point. For example, when Varric earns the

Faces of Thedas: Varric

Varric

Level 1 Rogue

Varric

Varrics starting statistics.

Level 5 Rogue
Varrics experienced statistics.

Abilities (Focuses)

Abilities (Focuses)

Communication* (Bargaining, Persuasion)

Constitution

Cunning

Dexterity*

Magic

Perception*

Strength

Willpower
Combat Ratings

Speed

Health

Defense

Armor Rating

11

30

13

Attacks
Weapon

Attack Roll

Damage

Crossbow (Bianca)

+4

2d6+3

Bayonet (Bianca)

+4

1d6+2

Powers
Favored Stunts: Bon Mot and Lightning Attack.
Class Powers: Backstab and Rogues Armor.
Talents: Contacts (Novice).
Weapon Groups: Bows, Brawling, Light Blades, and Staves.
Equipment
Bianca and Light Leather Duster

Journeyman degree in Contacts, he lowers the default

TN for the Hanged Man by one point, from TN 11 to TN
10. When he earns the Master degree in the talent, he
could lower the default TN of the Hanged Man again
(from TN 10 to TN 9) or he could lower the TN for all
of Kirkwall or the Free Marches by one. The character
thereby either cultivates a sprawling reputation or
hones a local network.
Modify the default TN for individual tests to reflect
the unique relationship between the PC and the
NPC based on what they each think or want. Varric,
for example, might find it easy to discover that he
and a dwarf of the Deep Roads have acquaintances
in common (lowering the TN of the first Contacts
roll) while also learning that the Deep Roads dwarf
regards Varric as a disgraced nobody (increasing the
TN of the second Contacts roll). Likewise, if the PC
with Contacts shares certain focuses in common with
an NPClike Cultural Lore or Musical Lore, maybe
and that works into the conversation somehow, that
might help the two characters discover mutual friends
or colleagues. This is why Contacts require two rolls

Faces of Thedas: Varric

Communication* (Bargaining, Deception,

Persuasion)

Constitution (Drinking)

Cunning (Evaluation)

Dexterity* (Bows)

Magic

Perception*

Strength

Willpower
Combat Ratings

Speed

Health

12

50

Defense

Armor Rating

14

Attacks
Weapon

Attack Roll

Damage

Crossbow (Bianca)

+7

2d6+4

Bayonet (Bianca)

+5

1d6+2

Dagger

+4

1d6+2

Powers
Favored Stunts: Bon Mot, Lightning Attack, and Pierce
Armor (1 SP)
Class Powers: Backstab, Bluff, Rogues Armor
Talents: Archery Style (Journeyman with Bianca), Contacts (Journeyman)
Weapon Groups: Bows, Brawling, Light Blades, and Staves.
Equipment
Bianca, Dagger, and Tailored Leather Duster

its one thing to be recognized and another thing to be

trusted or liked.
Even using these options, the specific details of each
NPC can trump things like the home-court advantage.
This is as it should be. On the one hand, bringing a
little-known NPC to a favorite venue where the PC is
trusted and popular can cast the PC in a good light.
On the other hand, no number of bawdy tales and
back patting may easily prepare certain NPCs to risk
their lives, even for a persuasive PC with degrees in
the Contacts talent.
When setting the TN for a Communication (Persuasion) test to earn favors, consider the NPCs unique
circumstances, personality, and ambitions. Asking a
low-level rogue one hardly knows to risk his life may
be more difficult than asking an experienced and wellequipped mercenary warrior to risk hersthe rogue
may be skittish while the warrior might hardly blink

Signature Items For OTher Characters

As a GM, creating a signature item is easy. Instead of awarding the PCs with more masterwork or superior
weaponry over time, upgrade their existing gear by replacing its game stats with similar but better stats
while leaving the item cosmetically the same. This might happen on a predetermined schedule (which the
GM isnt obligated to reveal to a player), like Biancas, or it might happen whenever the GM would otherwise
award a new item during play. The object doesnt have to be a part of the characters arsenal at the start of the
campaign, eitherplayers might grow attached to an item found during their journeys and want to see that
upgraded rather than replaced. Thats fine.
This process is most logical if the object in question begins play as a masterwork or superior item but thats not
your only option. Swords can be reforged by master craftspeople. Armor can be patched or reinforced with
superior materials.
Here are a few simple explanations for how or why an item might upgrade over time, rather than being
replaced outright:
The item always had a threshold of benefit (see p. 35 of the Set 2 Gamemaster Guide) that the character
just didnt meet before. As the character gets to know the item, she gets more and more adept at tapping
its strengths.
The items masterwork background is discovered or revealed when the item is recognized by a wise
scholar or historian. (Why, thats the great Blade of Woe, wielded with honor during the Fourth Blight!)
The item touches a source of great magic, some thin part of the Veil, or is even briefly contacted by a
spirit from the Fade, thereby leaving it altered.

at risking her life again. Alternately, a low-level rogue

might think himself great and hardy, with the folly of
youth, while the battle-worn warrior might pick her
allies more carefully after years of combat. Individual
circumstances are vital.
For a quick guideline for determining the TN for
favors, you might add an NPCs Willpower (+2 for the
Self-Discipline focus if the NPC is resistant to the favor)
to the default target number to get an estimate for the
final TN. Modify that TN up or down, then, based on
the circumstances. Consider the NPCs previous dealings with the PC. Maybe the PC has risked his life for
the NPC in the past? Maybe this favor specifically hurts
someone the NPC hates? Rather than assigning a bonus
or penalty value for every possible detail, consider the
TN scale as a whole. How do all the details interact,
from the NPCs motives to the PCs home-court advantage on out.
Finally, be flexible. Reward PCs that cultivate relationships over multiple scenes or adventures. A failed
Contacts roll might mean two characters have no
common history, it might mean an NPC turns down
a request for a favor, but circumstances can change.
Remember, that Master degree of Contacts doesnt
call for a rollits up to the NPC to decide when her
opinion of the PC changes. Actions, sometimes, speak
louder than Communication (Persuasion).

The Hanged Man:

A Masterwork Tavern
Anything that can be made can be made masterfully,
so why not a masterwork tavern? (Masterworks are
described in detail starting on p. 34 of Set 2s Gamemasters Guide.)
The Hanged Man, in the Lowtown district of the port
city of Kirkwall, is not a handsome place, it sports no
superior craftsmanship or materials, and it is not well
known beyond the region. What makes it a masterwork is a delicate combination of happenstance and
history. Enough of Kirkwall has been milling about in
the Hanged Man for so long that it has been sharpened,
in a sense, to a fine edge. Taverns, like fine wines, sometimes get better with age.
As it passed from one owner to another, over the years,
the Hanged Man evolved into a place that serves a
variety of clientele in a variety of ways. The scum and
the villains who frequent the place in search of clandestine contacts and shady dealings are kept in check by
the city watch who sometimes drink away their off-duty
hours there. Travelers in search of stories can mingle by
the bar while locals looking for privacy huddle around
private tables. Whether its for illicit schemes, budding
romance, or a brief bar fight, the Hanged Man brings
people together.
In game terms, the Hanged Man grants a +2 bonus
to the first Communication test each PC makes in a
scene set there, provided the character has at least a

Faces of Thedas: Varric

Varrics Leather Duster

Armor

Armor Rating

Armor Penalty

Cost

Effects

Light Leather Duster

15 sp

Tailored Leather Duster

+45 sp

Lining with Concealed Pockets

+25 sp

+1 to Dexterity (Legerdemain) tests

threshold of 3 for the roll (see p. 35 of Set 2s Gamemasters Guide). Characters who cant carry themselves well dont know how to make the most of the
taverns ambience.

tailored, it has the usual Armor Penalty of 1. (Other

tailored leather masterworks can be made by master
craftspeople at the GMs discretion at a cost of 150% or
more of normal.)

Varrics Leather Duster

The addition of a custom-made Lining with Concealed

Pockets costs about 25 sp (in Kirkwall) and grants the
wearer a +1 bonus to Dexterity (Legerdemain) tests,
since it grants a place to hide coins and cards and the like.

One of Varrics most distinctive features is his wardrobe. He and his fine leather duster with oversized belt
are recognized throughout Kirkwall. Over time, even
if Varrics fortunes improve, he is unlikely to replace
his coat and more likely to improve it. For other characters of a similar bent, here are game stats for the coat,
including a couple of improvements made over time.
Use these as models for similar character-specific items
in your own campaign.
The Light Leather Duster is a stylish expression of light
leather armor.
The Tailored Leather Duster is a masterwork of heavy
leather armor, with shining silverite buckles, custom
tailored for Varric by a master craftsperson. When
worn by anyone except the character for whom it was

Faces of Thedas: Varric

Bianca
There was a girl, and I made a promise. Bianca is
the only story I can never tell.
Varric, Dragon Age II

Varrics crossbow is a marvel of dwarven craftsmanship, clearly the work of a master. The device sports
a spring-loaded bayonet that deploys with the touch
of a switch and a multiple-bolt loading mechanism
that prepares ammunition for firing with remarkable
ease. However, she bears no smiths mark. (Some say a
dwarven smith that Varric once knew wanted to create

Bianca Level Progression and Effects

Level

Damage

Short Range

Long Range

Min. Str

Reload

2d6+1

38 yards

75 yards

Minor action

Attack +1

2d6+2

38 yards

75 yards

Minor action

Bonus Archery Style degree,

attack +1

10

2d6+3

38 yards

75 yards

Minor action

Bonus Archery Style degree,

attack +2

15

2d6+4

45 yards

85 yards

Minor action

Bonus Archery Style degree,

attack +3

a repeating crossbow design but only one of the devices

functioned properly and Varric calls that device Bianca.)
Biancas stats and various effects over time appear on
the nearby table. Each levels stats replaces those of the
previous level. Notice, for example, that Biancas range
and base damage increase over time, as does the bonus
she grants to attack rolls. Level effects are based on the
level of the character wielding Bianca; she does not

Special Effects

earn or require XP of her own. Treat Biancas bayonet as

a dagger that gains the crossbows bonus to attack rolls
and does not require an extra hand to wield.
Reload Note: Bianca requires only a minor action to
reload in anyones hands but in the hands of an Archery
Style journeyman or better (including a wielder
enjoying a bonus degree in the style from Bianca),
reloading requires only a free action.

Credits
Faces of Thedas: Varric is copyright 2012 Green
Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
Reference to other copyrighted material in no
way constitutes a challenge to the respective
copyright holders of that material.
2011 Electronic Arts Inc. EA and EA logo are
trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. BioWare,
BioWare logo, and Dragon Age are trademarks
of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd.
All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Green Ronin, Adventure Game Engine, and their associated logos are
trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing.

Green Ronin Publishing

3815 S. Othello St. Suite 100, #304 Seattle, WA 98118
Email: custserv@greenronin.com Web Site: greenronin.com

10

Writing and devlopment: Will Hindmarch

Editing: Evan Sass
Graphic Design: Hal Mangold
Interior Art: Matt Rhodes, Ramil Sunga,
and Nick Thornborrow
Dragon Age RPG Design: Chris Pramas
Publisher: Chris Pramas
Green Ronin Staff: Bill Bodden, Joe Carriker,
Will Hindmarch, Steve Kenson, Jon Leitheusser,
Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas,
Evan Sass, and Marc Schmalz
Special Thanks to Mary Kirby, Mike Laidlaw,
and Matthew Goldman

Faces of Thedas: Varric