You may be familiar with the idea of choosing a Character’s “class” from other Roleplaying Games or Video Games, and that this describes a set of abilities your Character will have. In many ways a Class is synonymous with a Character’s job or career.
In Freedom Fantasies we instead describe the Character’s “class” in terms of their Role within the Story.
A Role describes how your Character’s abilities will develop as they progress though a Story by virtue of the type of Character they are. These abilities are intended to reflect the narrative significance of your Character, and are quite broad in terms of the Fantasies they aim to represent.
For example, in a Traditional Fantasy setting the “Hero” Role may represent an unlikely hero who rises from their job as a pig farmer to a legendary knight of the realm who helps end an intercontinental war, while in a Future Fantasy it might represent an unlikely Hero who rises from their job as a moisture farmer to a legendary star ship pilot who helps end an interstellar war.
Go to the Roles Page to see a breakdown of the different Roles available in Freedom Fantasies.
Initial Role Features
Once you have chosen your Role, it is time to add your Role features.
Each Role includes a brief description of the Fantasy the Role aims to deliver; the recommended Ability Bonuses for the Role; and a table and list of Features the Character will gain as they Level Up that Role.
We will return to the recommended Ability Bonuses in the next part of the Character Building guide.
At this point however, you need only concern yourself with the “Level 0 Features”.
Level 0 Features
The features awarded at “Level 0” represent your Character’s capabilities gained from that Role before their adventures began.
For example, a martially inclined Role may give a Character a higher Damage Limit and Training in Advanced and Complex Weapons, while a Spellcasting Role may grant the ability to Cast additional Cantrips.
Below is a summary of what features your Character may gain from Level 0.
Starting Ability Bonuses
Your Role will provide you with 6 options for your Starting Ability Bonuses. You may either choose one of these Arrays of Ability Bonuses, roll a d6 dice and use the corresponding result, or you may Choose your Ability Bonuses.
Damage Limit
When you choose your Role, your Character will have a Starting Damage Limit.
This represents how much Damage a Character can take before they become “Unstable” and begin taking “Wounds”, which ultimately may lead to their death or removal from the story.
- Add your Starting Damage Limit to the Damage Limit Section of your Character Sheet
Damage is discussed further on the Damage, Wounds and Healing Page.
Skill Bonus
Your Character’s Skill Bonus is added to any Checks where you are using a Skill, Tool or piece of equipment (e.g. a Weapon) which you are Skilled in. This is always +2 at Level 0.
Speed Bonus
Your Character’s Speed Bonus is added to any Movement Checks, and is also used to determine how many Spaces you may move when your Movement is tracked using a grid.
It is always +6, although certain features or the Heavy Property of Armor or Shield may modify your Speed Bonus.
Skill
Your Role will also grant you one Skill.
- Note this Skill in the Experiences Section of your Character Sheet
If you already have the Skill granted by your Role, you may choose a different Skills. The options include:
Athletics, Creativity, Lore, Medical, Social, Survival, Technology and Trickery.
Skills and the typical courses of action they may be used for are discussed further on the Skills Page
Weapons and Armor Training
Your Character will also gain Training in certain Weapons and Armor. Training represents your ability to use certain Weapons and Armor well.
All Roles are Trained in Light Armor and Simple Weapons, but some will also grant Training in other forms of Weapons, Armor and Shields.
Being Trained in a Weapon allows you to add your Skill Bonus to your Attack Bonus when using that Weapon
Being Trained in Armor and/or Shields meanwhile is required to gain the benefits of wearing certain Armors or Shields.
- Note the Weapons and Armor you are Trained in within the Experiences Section of your Character Sheet
For more information on how Training effects your ability to use Weapons and Armor, see the Weapon Properties and Armor and Shield Properties Pages.
Defense Skills
Your Character will also become Skilled in one of the two Defense Skills, Physical Defense or Mental Defense.
Typically, your Physical Defense Bonus is equal to the highest of your Physical Ability Bonuses (Strength, Dexterity or Endurance), meanwhile your Mental Defense Bonus is equal to the highest of your Mental Ability Bonuses (Charisma, Focus or Intelligence).
However, you are Skilled in a Defense, you will also be able to add your Skill Bonus to that Defense.
- Note your Defense Skill in the Experiences Section of your Character Sheet, and remember to apply your Skill Bonus to that Defense after your Ability Bonuses have been determined.
Cantrips
Some Roles will grant you one or more Cantrips at Level 0.
These are Spells which your Character may Cast without expending any Resources.
The Cantrips granted to your Character may be selected from one of four lists of Spells, also known as “Traditions of Magic”.
These Traditions are Arcane, Creation, Natural and Supernatural. To see which Cantrips you may choose, see the Page for the relevant Spell List.
The rules for Spellcasting are described on the Spellcasting Page, and rules unique to how your Archetype Casts Spells are found in the Level 1 Features.
- Make a note of each Cantrip you choose in the Spells Section of your Character Sheet.
Attacks and Defenses
At this point you will have enough information to determine your Character’s Attacks and Defenses. Follow the below guidelines to complete those Sections of your Character Sheet:
Attacks
Weapon Attacks
For each Weapon you have, we will add the details of that Weapon’s Attack to the Action Section the Character Sheet.
- First add the Name of the Weapon in the Weapon/Spell Section.
- For Weapons with the Versatile Property, or otherwise with a variable Damage Rating, add the Weapon twice (one for each Damage Rating it has).
- Next determine the Attack Bonus. Assuming you are Trained in the Weapon chosen and add this to the Attack Bonus Section, this will typically be either equal to your Strength Bonus + your Skill Bonus or your Dexterity Bonus + your Skill Bonus.
- Melee Weapons use Strength
- Ranged Weapons use Dexterity
- Weapons with the Finesse Property may use Dexterity or Strength (use the highest Ability Bonus)
- Next we determine the Damage Array. This represents the Damage caused by the Weapon on a Weak, Normal, Strong or Critical Hit. These are written in the Damage Array, with each number separate by a slash and the Normal Hit underlined for clarity. For example “3/5/7/9″. The values are found as follows:
- Weak Hit: Weapon’s Ability Bonus (typically Strength or Dexterity)
- Normal Hit: Weapon’s Ability Bonus + Damage Rating
- Strong Hit: Weapon’s Ability Bonus + 2 x Damage Rating
- Critical Hit Weapon’s Ability Bones + 3 x Damage Rating
- In the last entry field, properties, we will add any further information about the weapon, such as it’s Damage Type, Properties and, in the case of Ranged Weapons, their Short and Long Range.
You may wish to repeat the above for Unarmed Strikes and Improvised Weapons if you think it is likely your Character will use this Attack options.
Spell Attacks
If you are capable of Casting Spells which require a Spell Attack, you may wish to follow the equivalent steps described above for any Spell Attacks you have also. Note the Ability Bonus used for Spell Attacks relates to your Spellcasting Ability for those Spells.
Defenses
Armor Class
As both your Armor and your Ability Bonuses are known, you may use those to determine your Armor Class, Damage Reduction Bonus and Speed Bonus.
For example, a set of Armor may specify your Armor Class is 10 + your Dexterity Bonus.
- Note the value of your Armor Class to the Defenses Section of your Character Sheet.
If you have a Shield, you may wish to denote your Armor Class while wearing a Shield by placing two values here, separated by a slash. For Example, “13*/15*”.
Damage Reduction Bonus
You may also at this point determine your Damage Reduction Bonus.
Your Damage Reduction Bonus is equal to your Endurance Bonus, plus any additional Bonuses granted by your Armor.
- Note the value of your Damage Reduction Bonus to the Defenses Section of your Character Sheet.
Speed Bonus
In some cases a set of Armor or a Shield may include the Heavy(#) property. If your Strength Bonus is less than the value in parenthesis, your Speed Bonus is reduced by an amount equal to the difference between your Ability Bonus and that Value.
If you have penalties due to both Heavy Armor and a Heavy Shield you are wearing, subtract both penalties from your Speed Bonus.
Having an Edge in your Strength and being Desperate does not effect these penalties: having an Edge only benefits Bonuses used as part of a Checks.
On Levelling Up
As a Character progresses though their Story they will “Level Up” their Role, granting them more abilities consistent with them becoming a more competent and fantastical example of that narrative archetype.
Players may wish to look at the features granted by a Role at higher levels when choosing their Role, but be mindful that the Story you take part in may only see your Character progress through certain Levels. For example, features available to a Level 17 Hero would not see play within a Light Fantasy Story where Characters will only experience Levels 1-5.
Depending upon what Level your Story begins, you will need to Level Up your Character’s Role to the appropriate Level for the Story.
This will be covered after you have Chosen your Ability Bonuses.
On Diversifying
When your Character Levels Up, you may feel that your Character would be better represented by a combination of multiple Roles. Instead of increasing the Level of their initial Role, you may wish to acquire other features by taking Levels in other Roles.
Note that when you take Levels in another Role, you will not gain that Role’s Level 0 features.
See Diversifying for more on this.
On Choosing a Theme
When your Character reaches Level 3 in a given Role you will be able to Choose your Theme, which will allow you to pick a set of mechanics that will better lend a Role to fulfilling a specific idea. In many ways, a Character’s “Class” as described in other games is defined by this Theme.
Some Themes are available to multiple Roles, while others may only be selected by certain Roles. You may wish to consider what Themes are available to certain Roles when you build a Character.
See Choosing your Theme for more on this, and the Themes Page for available options.
Next Steps
By this point you should have incorporated all of the Level 0 features of your Role into your Character Sheet.
The next step of the process is Choosing your Bonds, so let’s proceed onto that step!
The previous Page in this series is Choosing a Trope.