When you first make your Character, consider who they are and what they excel at.
With this in mind, now either:
- Choose a Trope (recommended for New Players), or
- Make a Trope (recommended for Experienced Players)
Choosing a Trope
Tropes are preselected groups of mechanical benefits called “Perks” and narrative descriptors called “Aspects”, which together represent very popular Character archetypes which Players may wish to play.
A Trope might describe the fantasy of being an unparalleled Elven Archer, a brave Human Leader or a raging Orc Barbarian to name just a few of the many Tropes you may pick from.
Each Fantasy in the Game provides a number of ready made Tropes which you can choose from, and draw upon the Character options which are available to that Fantasy. They also each recommend which Roles they should be paired with and, on that basis, the Starting Inventory you should choose. For a list of available Tropes, go to the Tropes Page.
When you choose a Trope, take the following steps:
- Add the Title of your Trope to the Title Section of your Character Sheet.
- Note the name of Perks described by your Trope in the Features Section of your Character Sheet, and add their Cards to your Deck.
- Add the Size Category to the Features Section of your Character Sheet. If you are Small, add the Small Card to your Deck.
- Add the Aspects to the Aspects Section of your Character sheet.
- Add the Skill, Tool Skills and Languages to the Experiences section of your Character Sheet.
- Add the Starting Inventory to the Inventory Section of your Character Sheet. Add the Cards of any Equipment you gain to your Deck.
If you feel a different Title, set of Perks, Size Category, Aspects or Starting Inventory would better describe your Character, you may change any number of these you wish. Alternatively, you may create a Trope entirely from scratch with the Make a Trope Rules below.
Make a Trope
Each Trope consists of the following parts: a Title, three Perks, Size Category, three Aspects, Starting Inventory and Tool Skills and Languages. Below are guidelines for how to make your own choices for those parts.
Title
Your Title gives an overall description of your Character which helps Players quickly understand your Character. Your Title has no mechanical benefits, but use this as an opportunity to be creative and define what makes your Character unique!
You may change your Title at any time.
Perks
Perks are small mechanical benefits which in combination with each other and the features granted by your Role will describe the unique abilities your Character may use.
You may choose three Perks from those options available to the Fantasies you are using. Most Fantasies will have access to the Combat Perks, Utility Perks and the Magic Perks lists, while the Perks granted by your Fantasies are described in the Fantasy Perks list.
There are a vast range of different Perks to choose from, and full details on how to choose Perks can be found on the Choosing a Perk Page.
Changing your Perks
As you progress through the Story, you may find that the Perks you chose are no longer beneficial to you, or otherwise do not fit your Character concept.
During Downtime you may change a Perk you have by Training. Take care that you do not change a Perk which other Perks or Role features are reliant upon. Such Perks are considered “Locked In” unless you can remove or change those Features or Perks which are locking them in.
Creature Size
Most Tropes will allow you to choose whether you are Medium Sized ( the height of a typical human adult, anywhere between 4-8ft tall) or Small Sized (the height of a typical human child, anywhere between 1-4ft tall).
In some cases, Perks are restricted to Characters of a particular Size Category. If such Perks are included in your Trope, you will be restricted to choosing that Size Category.
If you wish to take a Trope whose Perks require you be a particular Size Category, your Character will have to choose that Size Category.
For the most part Small and Medium sized Characters are equally as capable as each other. Small Characters however have the following additional benefits and detriments:
- Benefits
- Small Characters are Small. They may find more opportunities to benefit from the Covered or Obscured Conditions due to their Size. See the Conditions Page for more.
- Small Characters are Nimble. They may Move through the Spaces of Hostile Characters. See the Combat Page for more.
- Detriments
- Small Characters have reduced Reach. The Reach of all their Melee Attacks have a -1 Penalty, meaning they are more easily Countered. See the Weapons and Ammunition Page and Conflicts Pages for more.
- Small Character are less capable of Grappling. Characters cannot successfully Grapple Targets who are more than one Size Category larger than themselves. See the Conflicts Page for more.
Aspects
Aspects each represent a narratively significant element of your Character’s overall identity.
You may choose three Aspects which describe your Character.
Aspects are always Adjectives. For example your Character might be Brave, Noble and Kind, or Sneaky, Deceitful and Hot-Headed.
You may at any point during a Story expend one Experience Point to change an Aspect. We recommend doing so in response to events which significantly alter your Character’s outlook.
Aspects however are not only used for descriptive purposes, and may be Called upon or Exploited to your benefit or detriment.
We encourage Players choosing their own Aspects to be creative, and specific in how they describe their Characters! You may wish to look at the Aspects used in Tropes for inspiration.
Calling upon an Aspect (or Bond)
When your Character makes a Check, they may Call upon an Aspect (or a Bond) of their Character in order to expend a Momentum Point and reroll one of the d20s used for that Check, provided that Aspect of their Character is relevant to the Check. In a very real sense, Aspects are a form of Perk you define for yourself based upon the personality of your Character!
There is no limit to how many times you may expend Momentum on a Check in this way (aside from how many Momentum points you have). However, when you do so, you must Call upon different Aspects (or Bonds) each time you expend Momentum in this way as part of the same Check.
For more information on Momentum Points, see the Momentum and Tension Page.
Bonds are discussed further on the Bonds Page.
Exploiting an Aspect (or a Bond)
The GM may at their discretion rule that in some instances a Bond or Aspect would cause you to have Disadvantage on a Check.
For example, they might rule that you would have Disadvantage when attempting to deceive a Character you have feelings of Loyalty towards. Or that in certain circumstances being Determined could be a detriment, such as when patience and care would be a benefit.
Skills, Tool Skills and Languages
Your Trope will grant you one Skill, and either two Tool Skills, two Languages, or one of each. You will also gain a Skill from your Role.
Learning a Skill will allow you to add your Skill Bonus to any Skill Check where you are able to make use of that Skill.
Knowing a Tool Skill will allow you to add your Skill Bonus to any Skill Check where you are able to make use of that Tool. If the Check already benefits from your Skill Check, using a Tool you are Skilled in as part of that Check will instead give you Advantage on that Check. Each Role will provide recommendations for Tools you may wish to learn.
Being able to speak a Language will unable you to better communicate with other Characters in the world.
All Player Characters are able to speak the most commonly spoken language within the Setting and do not need to choose this Language. This Language is often referred to as “Common”.
The Tools and Languages available to you will vary by Fantasy. A list of available Tools are provided on the Tools Page. Languages are likewise covered on the Languages Page.
Starting Inventory
The rules for choosing your own Starting Inventory are discussed in full on the Starting Inventory Page.
Next Steps
If you have followed the above steps you should have a pretty good idea about who your Character is, what drives them and have even chosen a number of mechanical benefits which fit that Character.
This means we’re now in a great position to decide on the Role your Character will take in the Story.
To continue with making your Character, let’s move onto Choosing a Role.
The previous Page in this series briefly is an overview of Making a Character.