13th Age, only a few pre-order copies left. Be one of a 1000 heroes before Christmas 2012. The following introduction of Gorm will hopefully convince you to take a closer look.

13th Age: Gormhast Ghosttalker, 1st level human Ranger (Art by Jeff Preston)

Welcome foreigner,

I am Gormhast Ghosttalker and this is my story. My original name is Gormhast of Shamahn – most of the people just call me Gorm.
You ask me why I am calling myself Ghosttalker? My home town Shamahn were razed by dreadful demon loving dark elves. The High Druid may strike down these servants of the triple-faced Elf Queen and the Diabolist. I came too late – everybody was dead. These evil spawn of the underworld left no one alive. Since that day my ancestors talk to me about the past, the present and the future. And when they do, they are right, even if I do not understand them initially. I listen to the dead and the Dragon Empire is not what it seems!

The Dragon Empire is a mad place. Here, I will tell you about my fate and how I became the man I am now. My character has been forged on the incandescent anvil of the 13th Age (V06).

13th Age: Gormhast Ghosttalker, a 1st level Ranger (character sheet page 01)

I am a human Ranger of the 1st level.

Yes, the Empire gives many other races (dwarfs, gnomes, „untrustworthy“ elves and other half-breeds – to name a few) an „unwelcome“ home, but we humans are the center of the culture.

I might be a bard, a cleric, a fighter, a rogue, a paladin, a wizard, a sorcerer or a wild barbarian. There are more ways to follow and I have not seen them all, but I am a proud ranger, an Eye of the Circle.

This is a material world and we need everything quantified. You can see my abilities, stats, attributes or whatever you call them here (as shown in the character sheet page 1). I am quite nimble and apt, or?

My One Unique Thing is, as I mentioned before, that my ancestors speak with me about the past, the present and the future. What makes you special?

13th Age: Gormhast Ghosttalker, a 1st level Ranger (character sheet page 02)

We don’t have the typical skill lists over here. I come from there and go to somewhere. We are defined by broad backgrounds. I am a Pathfinder of the Hight Druid. The Circle needs his Eyes everywhere. From time to time I give them mine. As a boy I helped my blacksmith father and handled the animals of Shamahn.
Now, my ghostly forefathers and elders speak to me. You can only change what you perceive and since that grim day my perception of the world has changed.

Nobody is alone in the world. Everybody has a patron or other relationships to the 13 lcons of the Dragon Empire. Even a bad example is an example. I serve the High Druid and the day will come, when the Elf Queen reveals to me her relationship to the Diabolist. I will have my revenge …

Rangers are gifted with special talents and feats and I am filled with strange powers by the ghosts of the past (see page 2).

Creating Gormhast proves to me that 13th Age is an evocative reimagination of Dungeons & Dragons with stereotypical class features, but also with strong storytelling aspects. The system components of the Backgrounds, the Icon Relationships and the One Unique Thing inspire a comprehensive characterization with a few words. Furthermore they are strong adventure hooks for a responsive Dungeon Game Master.

Finally, you can download the 1st level Ranger Gormhast Ghosttalker (13th Age character sheet (PDF)) before you visit the Dragon Empire of the 13th Age yourself.

Sources:
13th Age product page by Pelgrane Press
Gormhast Ghosttalker (13th Age character sheet (PDF))
Portrait via A Terrible Idea

Character sheet / Images:
Portrait by Jeff Preston via A Terrible Idea. These images are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Character sheet and some personal screenshots of the 13th Age character sheet. Permission by the authors on 12 December 2012.