Yeld's Jobs
When you start your adventures in The Magical Land of Yeld you'll be a normal kid form our world. You'll choose a Friend Type, like Bully, Big Sister, Know-it-all or Dog (an actual Dog). Later on, as you discover the secret door to Yeld and start to explore you'll choose your first Job.
I think the way this works is a lot of fun. As players, you get an adventure or two to get sued to playing normal kids with normal capabilities. You may be smart or brave or adventurous, but you're still a 10 year old! This changes when you accept your first Job in Yeld. Yeld's Jobs are the domain of heroes, and accepting one is a supernatural undertaking. When you take on your first Job you'll no longer be a normal kid. Suddenly you'll be stronger or faster or maybe even smarter than most adults you'll meet. You might be able to pick up a horse, or vanish into shadows, or read any language you see. You're still a kid, but now you have the power to face this strange new world and explore it. And the people of Yeld respect you and accept you as heroes.
The first Jobs you can choose are Yeld's traditional Heroic Jobs. These are roles that have shaped Yeld's society and are deeply respected or feared. Some of these, like Shepherd and Freelancer, are respected trades that are practiced by the people of Yeld even today. Others, like Witch, Black Mage and Oathbreaker, have dark histories and represent the bleakest points in Yeld's past. Taking on these Jobs is a responsibility. You may still be kids, but you've chosen a roll in Yeld's society (even if you don't understand it), and the people of Yeld will expect things of you. They'll know that an Oathbreaker will stand against injustice, but also be a source of unrest and rebellion. They'll know a Shepherd will protect their towns, but never be a true part of them.
As you explore Yeld you'll discover Advanced Jobs. Like the Heroic Jobs, these also represent important roles in Yeld's society, but Advanced Jobs are rarer and often more focused. Ghost Keeper's negotiate with the denizens of Yeld's afterlife on behalf of the living (and sometimes the other way around). Tax Collectors make sure that the Kingdom's funds are distributed fairly to the people of Yeld (which often involves defying the Kingdom itself). Red Mages are the Kingdom's popular heroes, sword wielding graduates from a legendary magical academy.
Since you aren't from Yeld, the magic of the land will change you as you get older, and after months or years you'll become a monster! That might be terrifying, but it also may be really cool! If you can't find your way back to your own world before you turn 13 you'll take a Monster Job. This isn't just a not-so-subtle metaphor for growing up! You'll chose what kind of Monster you'll become, and how your life will change. Will you join Yeld's ruling class as a Vampire? Will you be trapped as a ghost in a hulking suit of Armor as a Black Casket? Will you retreat from society for the safety and loneliness of the deep woods as a Hunter in Darkness? Taking a Monster Job literally changes you into a Monster, but it doesn't mean that you're no longer a person. You are growing and changing, and get to decide who you are going to become, how you'll fit into the lives of your friends and what your responsibilities to the people of Yeld will be. Yes, you may now have a giant evil spellcasting squid that lives on your head, but that doesn't make you any less of a person. And think of all the cool things you can do now!
Yeld is a game about constant growth. You'll be changing and improving your character every adventure, adapting to circumstances by collecting new Special dice, trying new spells and weapons and switching to new Jobs (and sometimes back to your favorite Job). Your character sheet is your record of your journey in Yeld, how you adapted to changes and who you became! The Magical Land of Yeld is available as a PDF and hardcover book from my site, DrivethruRPG, itch.io, Indie Press Revolution and Tabletop Bookshelf.
