Difference between revisions of "OAAAA Character Creation"

Latest revision as of 02:21, 19 August 2008

Of Amor, Armor, and Alchemy

Characters will begin with between 50-100 character points. This will be based on character race, mostly, and which races get more/less points will be explicitly specified.
EDIT: based on player request, all characters will start at 75 points (25 points base, 50 points of disadvantages). Racial bonuses must be purchased out of these points, while racial disadvantages must be taken, even if this takes the character over 50 starting disadvantage points: additional points are lost. All Central Islanders get, as part of their everyman package, the following skills:
Language: Human, no literacy
Language: One other, no literacy
Climbing 8-
Conversation 8-
Deduction 8-
Paramedics 8-
Shadowing 8-
Survival (2 terrain types) 8-
Streetwise OR high society 8-
Trading 8-
One PS at 8-

Characters must take the "normal characteristic maxima" disadvantage, for 0 points, modified based on their race.

Characters cannot start the game with a speed greater than 3. Most character classes will not be allowed to advance beyond speed 3 until late in the game. The reason for this is that it allows us to bypass the speed chart entirely and act purely using "turns" in which everybody acts. It also makes high speeds a significant benefit for certain classes.

Players will need to assign their character to a series of classes: multi classes of 2 different classes will be permitted, as long as the requirements of both classes are met.

Group Hook: All characters must incorporate the following into their concept: 1.) They must be desirous of, or at least excited by, the concept of adventure. In a grander sense, they must desire to be sung in the sagas, to have their story told throughout the ages, much as in Dawnforge, as I understand it. 2.) They must care about the well being of their city/island-state. 3.) They must care and/or honor the importance of the auspice-bond (more on this later: in brief: on your island, it is believed that children born under the same auspice (a so far undefined/nebulous form of prophecy) have some form of shared destiny). 4.) they must be relatively young: ie, 15-25 5.)They must care about the high priestess of the forge (more on this and the auspice-bond later).
Free ShitEach character gets, as a freebie, a dagger forged by Daenerys herself. This was given to the characters for some birthday or other. Small armaments, or non-weapon items, will be considered for exchange, though they can't be much better than a dagger. Also, now that you know you will get this, I will NOT permit redistribution of points to build around it. The dagger counts as "unique" and starts with the following benefit: either a +1 to OCV or a +1 to DC.

Characters will NOT be permitted to take Power Frameworks. This includes magic users: the Hero Grimoire apparently recommends against allowing spells in frameworks because the discounts for them are already so large. The one exception may be to allow small, restricted variable power pools for certain types of spellcasters. If this makes you want to cry or hit me with a large side of beef, I can lay out a more extensive argument for why I think this is a good idea.
Some very powerful magic items will grant the character power frameworks, thus vastly increasing their value/usefulness.

Character Background: I DO NOT expect players to write an extensive background for their characters (not to say, no background). Your characters are young and just starting on their life path. I DO expect players to have ideas about how they want the story of their character to evolve: in other words, ONCE your character is famous and legendary, what sorts of things will be said about her/him? I would like to incorporate these ideas into the actual adventures. In most games, you start with most of the points you will ever get, so it makes sense that your character starts the game almost totally defined. But in this game, you will have doubled in points after 6 sessions or so, so your character's defining events/characteristics should reflect that. I would like players to come up with a list of events/concepts/etc that they want to have happen to them/for them/etc during the course of the game: these will become part of the story, I hope. I am still working on a mechanic for this.

Deadlands-esque Disad. System: your character begins the game with 50 points of disadvantages. Subsequently, characters may get into all sorts of tight spots, lose body parts, gain psychoses, or make enemies. All of these things are story elements that the burgeoning hero may take forward into his/her saga. The disadvantage system therefore works like this: disadvantages are not assigned, they must be bought (!!! wait for it...). A disadvantage costs ([cost of disad]/2, round down) in experience points. In any subsequent session where this disadvantage has a significant impact on the story (a simple guide is that it actually affects a dice roll), you get ([cost of disad]/5, round up) bonus xp that session. For you "what's in it for me" types, this means that if your disad shows up in 3 sessions, its more than paid for itself.
You are making a name for yourself in Amora, and in that quest your experiences are as often negative as positive, but these are the very things that help you grow.
Obviously, you can only take disads that actually fit the story elements that have occurred.

Advancement: characters will get 15 XP at the END of every session (possibly raised to 15 depending on the first few sessions), + any bonuses from disads., - any spent for laying down the law (see below/upcoming). Characters may spend their xp at any point it is appropriate, within the limits set out on this page. The base 15 xp is received regardless of attendance, although obviously no bonus xp can ge gotten during missed sessions.
Laying Down the Law:I have no interest in arguing about the rules with the players: I am happy to utilize whatever rules set the players prefer, as long as I am well aware of what that rules set is. We are using the hero system, specifically fantasy hero, and as far as I'm concerned, what it says in the book is Law, and i will obey it: if a player wants to call me out on a rule, feel free. Nevertheless, ambiguities will arise, and in the heat of the moment, someone will have to make a call: that person will be me, and i ask that players respect my calls for better or for worse. However, I understant that there are some things that are REALLY important to a player sometimes, even if the GM sees things differently. In a disputed situation, a player may "lay down the law" ONCE per session by spending one XP: in this case, I will yield to that player and allow them to make the judgement call for that situation. This ability will NOT change dice rolls, or the effects of spells, or anything like that. It affects RP situations and rules disputes ONLY. Other players may NOT spend additional XP to interfere with that rules/RP call: first come, first served, in this case.

Limitations: these limitations apply both during character generation and advancement: anything that fits within these guidelines is legal, although the guidelines may be changed by general consensus later.
1.) characters may always spend XP on any characteristic (2x cost for above maxima) OTHER than speed. speed can ONLY be increased by GM permission. otherwise, all characters MUST take a speed of 3 (not higher but also not lower).
2.) Characters may always spend XP on skills they already have, or they may open up skills that are reasonable for their class.
3.) Characters may always spend XP on non-magical equipment, as long as it could be reasonably found under the given circumstances (bought, taken off bandits, found in a wagon, etc): good RPing may extend said circumstances. All equipment must have the OAF disadvantage.
4.) Magical or Rare (designated as "unique") items may only be bought by GM permission, usually when a specific magic/rare item makes itself available during game time.
5.) Perks and Talents, may be taken by GM permission only (for most perks and talents, this will be relatively lenient, although RPing will likely be required.).
6.) HtH damage classes for martial arts may only be taken by GM permission. Martial arts maneuvers, if they are class appropriate, may always be taken: if not, by GM permission only.
6.)disadvantages may be taken by GM permission only.
7.)Powers other than luck can be taken by GM permission only: this is a very sweeping limitation, but its mostly in place to keep people from taking totally ludicrous stuff. Class appropriate powers that are reasonable in their scope will generally be immediately available.

Racial Traits: work in progress, these will be modified as time goes on. characteristic listings are the new MAXIMA, NOT what you start with: you must still buy as normal (although some stats may get cheaper). Disads. listed MUST be taken.

Only Humans may take skill modifiers (jack of all trades, etc). Humans get one Reroll (5pts) for free.

Elves: 25 Dex (26 for wood elves), 23 INT (except wood elves), 25 EGO, 25 COM. Your other basic language is Faerie. 4 points of Life support (1600 years). Distinctive Features -5pts. Social Limitation (type varies by elf-type: for sea elves, as an example, this is their inability to live and/or settle on land for long periods of time)-15 pts. (Frequently, Severe consequences, not limiting in some cultures).

Dwarves: 23 STR, 25 CON, 22 BOD PD 10 ED 10 End 55 Stun 55. -1" Running. Starting movement -1. Second Basic Language is Dwarf. 3 pts. life support. Distinctive Features -5 pts. Social limitation -10 pts (frequently, moderate, not limiting someplaces).

Bouan: 30 STR, 23 CON, 23 BOD. PD 10 ED 10 End 55 Stun 55 Int 17. Second Basic Language is Bouan. Distinctive Feature -15 pts. Reputation 3pts. Physical limitation Big -5 pts.

Faerie/Elementals: +13pts base character maxima/-6 base character maxima, distributed, +10 figured maxima OR +3 to movement, distributed. Second Basic language is Faerie. Faeries must take magesight 5pts. Faeries/Elementals distinctive feature -5 pts or more. Social limitation 10 pts/5pts faerie/elemental. ADDITIONALLY: all faeries must take the following disadvantage: psychological, uncommon, total: any oath sworn while gripping cold iron must be honored. Few non-faeries know of this effect.

Saurian: 23 STR, 23 CON, 17 EGO, PD 12 ED 12 End 55 Stun 55. Second Basic Language is Saurian or Imadigo. Distinctive Features -15pts. Reputation 3pts.

Imadigo: 25 Dex (26 for Jaguar), 25 PRE, 22BOD, 22 CON. Second Basic Language is Imadigo. Distinctive features 5 pts. Bad Reputation -15 pts.

Halflings: 23 Dex, 15 Str, 15 Con, 15 Bod, -1" starting movement. Distinctive features 10 pts. Reputation -10pts.

Centaurs: I'm not going to write an extensive description of these. they live on the plains with the orcs and are, like the bouans and humans, fighting a losing battle with them.

Character Concepts