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Character Creation

Name, Careers, Background

First, choose your PC’s name, pronouns, appearance, and other such details. Next, make up to 4 Career Choices. A PC’s career informs their potential knowledge and skills. See Careers. Also see Appendix G for implementing a character’s age into the number of Careers they might’ve had.

Ability Scores

Player Characters (PCs) have just three attributes: Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), and Willpower (WIL). When creating a PC, the player should roll 3d6 for each of their character’s ability scores, in order. They may then swap any two of the results.

Optional Rule: Luck

Luck is an optional fourth attribute of sorts. A character starts with 10 Luck. Whenever you would otherwise roll a Luck Die (d6) to determine an outcome or situation, the player rolls a d20 instead.

  • If they roll equal or under their Luck, the situation favors them. For example: There is in fact a bale of hay under the window they are planning to jump out of. Gaining a favorable outcome ‘burns’ 1 Luck point – permanently.
  • If they roll equal to their Luck, they gain a favorable outcome, and gain 1 Luck instead. This is the only way to regain Luck.
  • If they roll above their Luck, the situation is unfavorable. This might mean there’s no bale of hay, or even that there’s a patch of brambles, instead. Luck can also be used to enhance Saves, after they’ve been rolled. If a PC makes a STR Save with a STR of 8 and they roll a 12, they can ‘burn’ 4 Luck to succeed, instead. Luck is intended to slowly run out over the course of a PC’s adventures. Choosing to use Luck should be an interesting dramatic choice.

Hit Protection

Roll 1d6 to determine your PC’s starting Hit Protection (HP), which reflects their ability to avoid damage in combat. HP does not indicate a character’s health or fortitude; nor do they lose it for very long (see Healing).

Fantasy Species

If desired, you can pick one of the following attributes, to play as a fantasy species of choice.

  • Tough (dwarves, orcs, etc.) - once per day, when you would be reduced to 0 hp, you may choose to be reduced to 1 hp instead.
  • Arcane (elves, demons, etc.) - once per day, you can attempt to perform a minor magical feat related to your ancestry: Describe what you would like to happen. The Warden will decide who needs to make a WIL Save, if any.
  • Cunning (halflings, goblins, etc.) - once per day, you may reroll any saving throw.
  • Adaptable (humans, half-humans, etc.) - once per day, you may choose to use one attribute for a check instead of another.

Inventory

Characters have a total of 10 inventory slots. Items in your inventory can be divided into 2 categories: equipped and stored. Weapons and armor are equipped if they are in use; your sword is either in your hand, or in its scabbard on your back or side. Any equipment that is stored is assumed to be in your backpack. The backpack can also double as an emergency sleeping bag but only if emptied of its contents.

In an emergency, such as sudden combat, you can drop your backpack, thus ‘clearing’ your inventory of all stored items, granting you access to more empty inventory slots – and allowing you to use more abilities that generate Fatigue (such as blocking, dodging and magic). Beware, however, that this means that all previously stored items are now left on the spot, up for grabs by your enemies. Dropping your backpack during a chase, for instance, means you lose your items!

Most items take up one slot, and small items can be bundled together. Slots are abstract and can be rearranged at the Warden’s discretion.

Bulky items take up two slots and are typically two-handed or awkward to carry. Anyone carrying a full inventory (e.g. filling all 10 slots) is reduced to 0 HP.

A PC cannot carry more items than their inventory allows. Carts (which must be pulled with both hands), horses, or mules can increase inventory. Hirelings can also be paid to carry equipment.

Weapons

Your character can pick up any weapon and use it to hurt others - it’s not hard to apply the pointy end to your enemy’s soft bits. Making full use of a weapon’s capabilities requires dedication and training (see the Weapons section for more). When creating a character, choose one Damage Type Proficiency (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing) to be proficient in. This means you gain the benefits that the damage type gives, such as bludgeoning ignoring 1 Armor. You can gain more Damage Type Proficiencies by training, or picking a Career Skill that grants proficiency.

Choose one weapon to gain Weapon Skill Proficiency in, meaning you can use the weapon’s tag (Bleed, Brutal, Shock) right away. You can also add this weapon to your inventory.