Bonds represent how your Character feels towards a range of different parts of the world around them.
Target and Relationship
A Bond consists of a Target and your Character’s Relationship with that Target.
The Targets of a Bond can in theory be anything, but typically might include:
- Important Characters in your Character’s life, including family, friends or even villains!
- A Location which is important to your Character (such as a birthplace, where they live, or a place they wish to go to or discover)
- A significant Event in your Character’s life
- Your Character’s greatest Fears or deepest Desires
- An Oath, mantra or creed they live by.
Your Character’s Relationship towards a Bond meanwhile is described by a range of different descriptors, referred to as called Feelings. Like the Aspects of your Character, Feelings are described using adjectives.
Your Character’s Feelings towards a Target need not only consist of positive or negative adjectives. Many Bonds are complex in nature and include a mixture of the two!
The number of Feelings your Character has towards a Target is indicative of the strength of the Bond.
The minimum number of Feelings you can have for a Bond is 1, which would be typical of you having a weak relationship with a Target (e.g. such as between two acquaintances).
The maximum number of Feelings you can have for a Bond is 5, which would be typical of you having a strong and lasting relationship with a Target (e.g. such as between family members, long-time rivals or lovers).
Calling upon a Bond
Your Bonds can be both a source of Strength or Weakness for your Character.
Like with your Character’s Aspects, when you make a Check you may expend one Momentum Point to reroll one d20 used as part of that Check, provided your Character’s Feelings for the Bond are relevant to the Check.
For example, a Character who is defending a close ally they have a Bond with from harm may, on missing the aggressor with an Attack, expend a Momentum Point to reroll a d20 to potentially turn the Miss into a Hit.
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.
Exploiting an Aspect or 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.
Starting Bonds
When making a new Character, form five Bonds.
Choose any Characters, Locations, Events, Fears, Desires or Oaths you wish for the Targets of the Bonds.
The Strength of these Bonds is up to you: the number of Feelings you have for a Character is not an advantage as Bonds may be used both for or against you!
For each Bond, choose between one and five different Feelings.
Add these Bonds to the Bonds Section of your Character Sheet.
Forming New Bonds
At any time you feel a significant connection between your Character and an element of the Story they are participating in, you may declare that you would like to form a new Bond.
We recommend forming new Bonds gradually, and in some cases declaring changes in them (e.g. new or changing feelings), over time as the Story progresses. The intent is that what will start as a mixture of first impressions between your Character and the world around them will naturally deepen and become more complex through the the Story’s progression.
Over the course of your Story you should define no more than ten Bonds in total.
If you feel the need to add new Bonds after you have developed ten, you should replace any Bonds which no longer feel significant to your Character.
Bonding
You may also form Bonds or develop deeper Bonds with Characters during periods of Downtime through Bonding.
Bonding represents your Character dedicating time to spending time with people who are important to them.
See the Downtime Page for more.
You’re Done!
Congratulations, you have finished creating your very own Character!
From here however you may wish to learn how to develop your Character further.
For Characters which are not beginning at Level 0, you should proceed to the Levelling Up Page.
If you wanted to change any of the benefits granted by your Trope, or make your own, you may wish to return to the Choose a Trope Page and also read the Starting Inventory and Choosing a Perk Pages.
If you wanted to choose your own Ability Bonuses, you may also wish to read the Choosing your Ability Bonuses Page.
As you progress through a Story, you will be able to choose a Theme for your Character. For more information you may see the Choosing your Theme Page.
For Characters who may be better described by the benefits offered by multiple Roles should consider Diversifying. See the Diversifying Page for more.
As an optional extra, you may also wish to expand upon you Character’s background beyond that described by their Bonds by Writing a Backstory.
Lastly, if you have not already done so, you may wish to explore the Core Rules of the game, and in particular the Quick Start guide, to better understand how to play.