CharacterYou are a hero, an adventurer, a person of great potential who has been selected and empowered by Mana for great (or terrible) things. However your story unfolds, the first thing you as a player must do is create the character you will portray. This is a simple process in which you'll decide your character's Race, Concept, Background, and Assets.
Though character creation generally happens in this order, there is no prescribed method written in stone; feel free to create your character in any order you choose, tracking back to re-write or looking ahead at new options as you so please. Note that once the game begins, however, your decisions are locked in and can only be changed if the GM allows. When considering who your character will be, take into account the needs of the narrative and the dynamic of the group along with any suggestions the GM might have as to how your character could contribute to the larger story. The last thing you want is to be a brooding assassin in a group of happy-go-lucky heroes or a ridiculous joke-character in the midst of serious role-players. Consider not only your own enjoyment, but what your character will bring to the table in terms of both ability and overall tone. The process of character creation need not be one of constant analysis, hemming and hawing over which option will lead to the most powerful character. In fact, it is often more rewarding to play a character who is deeply flawed or has a glaring weakness to overcome. What’s most important is that you, the player, have a vested interest in your character’s well-being and a desire to see them achieve their goals, whatever they may be. |
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CHARACTER ESSENTIALS
Choose your RacePick your Race Select an Ethnicity Gain your Racial Asset Choose one Feature associated with your Race Spend funds on basic Armaments Note your starting Supply rating Decide your Homeland Pick a Language from your Homeland (you also speak Common) When the Sphere was created, the Mortal soul took shape based on the nature of the various worlds it came to inhabit and became the first of the Mortal races. Since then, many other groups of genetically and culturally distinct peoples have come into being. And though each can call a dedicated corner of the Sphere their own, at least a small population of each race can be found anywhere civilization takes root.
Name: Every culture has different naming conventions. Depending on Ethnicity and Homeland, a Hero may follow these conventions or break with them completely.
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Ethnicity: Within each Race are several sub-groups, different peoples with unique ancestries and cultural heritage. Every people group emphasizes different social moors, moral philosophies, and cultural interests. Because of this, each Ethnicity offers a unique array of Features to choose from. Pick one Feature associated with your Ethnicity.
Racial Asset: The unique biology and culture of each Race affords most of its people with a special benefit. Only members of a certain Race can acquire and use its Asset, and all do so at the Basic Level. When you are able to pick an Asset later on in character creation, you can either take a totally new Asset at the Basic Level or push your Racial Asset to the Advanced Level.
Features: Different cultures emphasize different strengths, offering a variety of Features for you to choose from. You'll gain one Feature of your choice associated with your Ethnicity (you will get to pick more Features from a larger list later on).
Starting Funds: Your Ethnicity contributes to a pool of funds you'll use to purchase starting Armaments (weapons and armor) before the game begins. You'll also start the game with a number of Crowns (the most widely used currency) as on-hand cash.
Homeland: Where your character is from. There is no restriction on the land you call home, but certain Races are more prevalent in some worlds and nations than in others. When you choose your Homeland, pick a language associated with that place which you speak. You speak both this language as well as the Common tongue.
Decide your ageAdventurers are a diverse group, differing from one another in many ways, not the least of which is age. How old your character is has little bearing on their ability to venture through the Sphere and more to do with how they see the world. Children and youths tend to be more optimistic, emotional, and immature while wisdom, rigidity, and more than a little cynicism creeps in as the years creep by.
Age for Player Characters isn't measured in years, but in four stages: Child, Youth, Adult, and Elder. The specific age range for each of these stages appears on each Race's page since different Races age at different rates. Decide which of these stages your character is in.
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Determine your appearanceDecide all the finer details about your character's appearance; their hair and eye color, their gender, their height and weight, and any other distinguishing features they may have. Each Race has some suggestions regarding what hair/eye colors, and height to weight ratios are most common amongst its males and females, but as an adventurer living life outside the norm, it's not required for you to color inside these lines.
Bear in mind that none of the choices you make here have any (numerical) effect on gameplay, but may affect how other characters in the story react to you. Distinguishing FeaturesIf you'd like to give your character a distinguishing feature, but aren't sure what to give them (or just want some inspiration), you can roll 1d20 and consult the table below or just pick the one you like best.
1: A prominent scar cuts its way across your face 2: A severe burn mars your features 3: Your eyes are a bright and unusual color 4: Your hair is a bright, absurd color 5: An elaborate tattoo covers your face 6: You have an extra finger on one hand 7: You have vitiligo; dark skin with light patches 8: You have an abundance of freckles all over 9: Your breasts/genitals are uncomfortably large 10: You have a long, large, prominent nose 11: Your eyes are two completely different colors 12: You are exceptionally tall for your race & gender 13: You are exceptionally short for your race & gender 14: You have an odd birthmark in a visible place 15: You have a large, prominent mole on your face 16: Your nose is crooked, having been once broken 17: Your hair is unnaturally gray for your age 18: You've gone bald prematurely 19: You always wear a distinguishing piece of clothing 20: You speak with a stutter, lisp, or thick accent |
Personality, Morality & APPEARANCE
Example: Self vs Others. The circle closest to Self indicates that the character is likely to prioritize himself and his own needs first. The circle closest to Others indicates that the character is more likely to set his own needs aside for others. The circles in the middle of the two extremes represent varying shades between.
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BONDSIn order to easily leap into the story, each character should have some connection to another PC, a major NPC, or a Guild or organization pivotal to the story. This helps draw the character into the action (even if they wouldn’t otherwise get involved) and gives some explanation as to how and why these characters come together to form a cohesive group.
Though you may have up any number of relationships to any number of PCs, NPCs, and groups it is recommended that you have at least one relationship with a PC of your choice and one link to a major NPC or organization (the GM can help you with this part). Sample Relationships
A list of sample relationships can be found below and you are encouraged to come up with your own connections. A good relationship
I’m completely in love with __________. I hope they feel the same way about me. __________ saved my life and I owe them a debt of honor. I am following after __________, hoping they’ll teach me their ways. Even if we aren’t directly related, I consider __________ a part of my family. I have seen a disturbing prophecy concerning __________. I am sworn to defend __________ with my life. __________ is the only person who’s ever beaten me in a fair fight. One day, I’ll fight them again and win. __________ knows more than they’re letting on. I intend to find out what they know. I’ve heard stories about __________, but I never thought them to be a real person. I’ve saved __________’s life many times. They would be in real trouble without me around. __________ and I are related by blood. I’ve done terrible things in the past, especially to __________. Helping them is the least I can do to atone. I’m fascinated by __________ and want to learn all I can about them. __________ is so well-loved. Maybe if I stick with them long enough, some of their renown will rub off on me. I made a promise to __________’s mother/father concerning them and I intend to honor it. The stars have told me __________ is someone important, someone I must journey with. __________ is painfully naive. I’ll teach them the ways of the world. I admire __________ and want to live up to their example. __________ and I are constantly at odds with one another. I can’t let them one-up me. __________ is paying me to protect them. I stole something from __________ and they haven’t realized it yet. __________ and I once fought a war on opposing sides. My elaborate plans for revenge involve __________ and they don’t even realize it. __________ and I are bound by a strange magical pact. No one seems to realize it, but __________ is a bad person. I’ll expose them for what they are. __________’s family asked me to track them down and bring them back home. |
PAST & PRESENT
PICK A backgroundChoose a Background Pick an Asset from your Background Choose one Feature associated with your Race Gain extra funds to spend on basic Armaments Gain a bonus to your starting Supply Everyone has a past. Your Background is a shorthand summary of what you've been through (and perhaps are still dealing with) before the events of the game take place. Background offers you several benefits as well as opportunities for personal growth.
Features: Your past has given you certain skills and compentencies in areas related to your experiences. Pick one Feature associated with your Background (you'll be able to pick more Features from a longer list later on).
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Asset: Your experiences have allowed you to acquire a certain advantage, an Asset which functions at its most Basic Level. When you are able to pick an Asset later on in character creation, you can either take a totally new Asset at the Basic Level or push an Asset you already have (from Race or Background) to the Advanced Level.
Equipment: Your Background contributes to a pool of funds you'll use to purchase starting Armaments (weapons and armor) before the game begins. You'll also start the game with a bonus to your Supply stat (items and equipment you can have on-hand for exploration and survival).
Challenges: Every Background comes with a handful of obstacles and opportunites called Challenges. Challenges are plot hooks the GM can use to rope your character into the action or introduce new elements (and complications) into the story to keep things interesting. Discuss with your GM which Challenges might work best depending on your character's backstory and how you envision their tale playing out.
FeaturesChoose three Features You can pick any Feature from the full list of Features Features are special things about your character, quirks and specialties that set you apart and give you an advantage in certain situations. You may have picked them up during your adventures, as a part of your upbringing, or maybe its something you've always had a bit of a knack or fascination with.
Whenever you make a Feat, you gain a +1 bonus for each Feature that could conceivably help you succeed. You may also be restricted from attempting actions that require a very specific set of skills and knowledge (like picking a lock or translating a language) unless you have a Feature that relates to the task at hand. |
aSSETSChoose a new Basic Asset - OR - Upgrade one of your existing Assets to the Advanced Level During your journey so far, you've surely accumulated some resources, made some connections, or attained something that will help you in the days to come. Assets are attainable only during character creation and cannot be otherwise obtained or advanced except through in-story events.
Every Asset exists on two levels; Basic (the simplest, most straight-forward version of the Asset) and Advanced (a more powerful version of the Asset). So far, you have one Racial Asset and one Asset from your Background. At this point, you can either gain a new Basic Asset of your choice or Advance the Asset from your Race or Background to the Advanced Level, realizing its full potential. |
B.A.S.I.C.
ROLL & distribute BASICRoll 1d6 and 5d4. Record the number shown on each dice. Discard a dice of your choosing. This will leave you with a set of five numbers. Record this set of numbers. Repeat this process two more times so that you have three sets of numbers. Pick which set of numbers you'd like to use. Assign each of the five numbers to one of your BASIC stats as you see fit. |
Your BASIC scores sum up all the strengths and weaknesses of the many parts of your body, mind, and spirit. BASIC is an acronym that stands for Brawn, Awareness, Skill, Intellect, Charisma (see below). Any time you want to do something meaningful, you'll roll a number of dice (d6) equal to the most relevant BASIC, plus one extra dice for every Feature related to the task at hand. You may want to be well-rounded or you may want to laser-focus on a specific area, counting on the rest of your team to take up the slack. Whatever your specialty, the higher your relevant BASIC score, the more likely you are to succeed on Feats related to it. You'll roll 1d6 and 5d4 and discard one dice of your choosing. This will leave you with a set of five numbers - write these down. You will repeat this process two more times so you have three sets of numbers. Pick which set of numbers you'd like to use and discard the other two. Then assign each number in your chosen set to one of your BASIC stats as you see fit. |
Example:
John is creating a character, one he imagines is very strong and charismatic. He sets out to roll BASIC and rolls:
John is creating a character, one he imagines is very strong and charismatic. He sets out to roll BASIC and rolls:
- 6, 4, 1, 1, 3, 2 (discards a 1, leaving him with 6-4-1-3-2)
- 5, 3, 2, 1, 1, 3 (discards a 1, leaving him with 5-3-2-1-3)
- 5, 3, 4, 4, 2, 3 (discards the 2, leaving him with 5-3-4-4-3)
BrawnSamson, Hercules, The Hulk, Conan the Barbarian, Kratos
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AwarenessSherlock Holmes, Daredevil, Predator, Geralt of Rivia
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SkillLegolas, Robin Hood, Batman, Indiana Jones, Ezio Auditore
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IntellectArtemis Fowl, Odysseus, Tony Stark, Hermione Granger
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CharismaTyrion Lanister, King Arthur, Captain America, James Bond
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Strength, agility, endurance, and general athleticism. Brawn is a measure of how much power your muscles can exert, the sharpness of your reflexes, and how powerful and coordinated your movements are.
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Perceptiveness, empathy, alertness, and the ability to assimilate stimuli from the senses into useful data. Awareness allows a hero to discern everything about their environment before making a decision.
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Mental and physical dexterity, talent, and the ability to creatively apply yourself to solving a problem. Skilled heroes have many tools at their disposal and always seem prepared to handle anything.
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IQ, understanding, and mental aptitude. Intellect reflects your ability to learn, retain, and recall information. It is a measure of memory, reasoning power, and the ability to puzzle through various obstacles.
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Courage, luck, willpower, spirit, and personality. Charisma is a measure of how bold and likable you are as well as the strength of your personal fate. Where strength may fail, relationships and resolve will win out.
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Action Survival Smash the Problem |
Investigation Exploration Identify the Problem |
Problem-Solving Jack of all Trades Outplay the Problem |
Gather Intel Use Knowledge Study the Problem |
Socialize Role-Play Get Help w/ Problem |
STATS & BUILD
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There are several other stats that describe the various nuances of your character's abilities and limitations. To fill in these Secondary Stats, you'll either pick a preset Build or customize your own.
Hit Points (HP): A measure of how much damage you can take before injury and death. You can recover lost Hit Points be rolling (and thus expending) Resolve during a Short Rest. Recover all HP after a Full Rest.
Resolve: A measure of your mental and physical resilience. Resolve is a pool of dice (all the same size). You can roll Resolve to recover HP but once you roll a Resolve Dice, you must finish a Full Rest before recovering it.
Actions: The number of things you can do during your turn. Actions encompass your speed, coordination, and decisive ability to act quickly and effectively. If you have a lot of Actions, it simply means you're able to get a lot done in a short time. Your Actions score also indicates the number of Reactions you can take outside your turn.
Speed: How quickly you move from point A to point B. You can move a number of meters equal to your Speed when you use an Action to move. Speed also helps determine the order of Initiative during combat as every combatant rolls 1d20 and adds their Speed to the roll; those with higher numbers go before those with lower numbers.
Focus: Reserves of mental energy, your will to hone your desires into action using Mana's power. Focus is the fuel for many special abilities and the more Focus you have, the more special things you can do during a Scene. You recover all your Focus whenever you take a Short or Full Rest.
Melee: Your skill with hand-to-hand combat, using close-quarter weapons to damage enemies adjacent to you. Melee attacks usually deal the most damage but also put you most at risk.
Ranged: Your aim with long range weapons like bows, firearms, and thrown weapons. Ranged weapons may not hit as hard, but they are often quite accurate and offer the safety of range.
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Misc. StatsListed here are Secondary Stats that are important, but not necessarily affected by the Build you choose. The parameters for deciding the value of these stats is described below.
Endurance: Temporary Hit Points. When you would take damage, lose any Endurance you have before losing HP. Endurance starts at 0 and is only ever temporarily gained.
Attunement: The depth of your spirit, the power which you are able to invest in magical items and bring them to life. The more powerful an item, the more Attunement is required. Attunement starts at 1 and increases by 1 every time you gain a Leveel.
Supply: How well-prepared you are for adventure. Supply is an abstraction meant to represent the gear and supplies you're carrying on your person and in your pack. You don't need to pre-purchase anything - whenever you need an item from the Supplies List, simply tick an appropriate number of boxes and it was already in your pack, ready to go. When you run out of available boxes, you don't have any more supplies available. Some items (like food and drink) are consumed upon use (and typically have a low cost because of this) while others (like a bedroll or climbing kit) remain in your possession. You can reset your Supply boxes by finding more supplies in your adventures or by spending coin in town to resupply.
Vulnerability & Resistance: When you are Vulnerable to a type of damage, you take an extra 1d6 damage from it for each point of Vulnerability you have. When you have Resistance, you reduce incoming damage of that type by 1d6 for each point of Resistance you have. All Vulnerabilities and Resistances start at 0. |
Spellcraft: Your ability to cast Spells and weaponize your connection to Mana through Focals like wands, tomes, and the like. For magic-users, Spellcraft is vital both in and out of combat.
Defense: Your ability to block, dodge, resist, and otherwise protect yourself from incoming harm. When targeted by an attack of a physical nature, you can use a Reaction to Defend in response.
Save: Willpower, resilience, and tenacity. When you need to resist mental trauma or attacks of a supernatural nature, you can use a Reaction to Save. You'll also Save to end status effect when prompted.
Builds
Pick one of the Builds below to determine your Secondary Stats. If your GM allows, you can use the advanced option below to customize your own Build.
Note: when rolling your starting Hit Points, roll three times and use the result of your choosing.
Note: when rolling your starting Hit Points, roll three times and use the result of your choosing.
The ADVENTURER
All purpose hero, ready for anything
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The ARTILLERIST
Highly mobile ranged specialist
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The CASTER
Strong in magic, low on durability
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The RAKE
Fast and flexible utility player
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The SOLDIER
Tough and skilled melee fighter
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The TANK
Durable and defensive frontliner
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ADVANCED OPTION: CREATE A CUSTOM BUILD
customizing a build
Use the starting values given in the Custom Build below
You have 125 Build Points (BP) with which to customize your Build
You have 125 Build Points (BP) with which to customize your Build
custom buildUse 125 Build Points (BP) to customize
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ARCANUM
SELECT ARCANUMPick one Prime Arcanum Make any follow-up selections indicated by the Prime Arcanume you've chosen Pick an Arcanum from the same Axiom as your Prime Arcanum Pick a second Acanum from any Axiom or Upgrade the first Arcanum you selected Every time you gain a new (non-Prime) Arcanum or Upgrade an existing Arcanum, increase the Rank of the parent Axiom by 1. When destiny chooses a hero for greatness, it also equips them with the power they will need to fulfill this destiny, oftentimes in ways which compliment and undergird the hero's natural strengths. A singer finds her voice can hold others in a supernatural thrall. A thief discovers the power to become invisible. A scholar of the arcane begins to understand the Mystery of magic and the invisible world. Heroes wield a variety of unique abilities in the service of destiny. In the story, these abilities may be referred to as powers, spells, disciplines, or any number of other names. In game terms, your special abilities are called Arcanum.
Types of ArcanumThere are two types of Arcanum; normal Arcanum and Prime Arcanum. Prime Arcanum are character-defining abilities, those which set the tactical tone for the character's adventures and help determine the role they play in a team setting. You will only get to choose one Prime Arcanum during character creation, but will have the option to take a second when you reach Level 5.
Your normal Arcanum all have a basic effect and an Upgrade which improves the effectiveness of the ability or opens up new tactical possibilities. Unless otherwise noted, Arcanum can only be Upgraded once. |
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Axioms
Each Arcanum belongs to a group of similarly themed abilities called an Axiom. The effectiveness of all your powers within a particular Axiom depends on that Axiom's Rank - how skilled you are at using such abilities. Each time you Upgrade or gain a new Arcanum within a particular Axiom, that Axiom's Rank increases by 1 (this only occurs with normal, non-Prime Arcanum). The effectiveness of most Arcanum increases as your Rank in the parent Axiom improves.
There is no limit to the number of different Axioms you can learn Arcanum from; any character can learn any ability from any Axiom (though the GM may ask for an in-character explanation of why this choice makes sense given a character's personality, talents, goals, high concept, etc.). Be advised, however, that spreading yourself too thin among many different Axioms instead of focusing on one or two may result in less effectiveness overall.
There is no limit to the number of different Axioms you can learn Arcanum from; any character can learn any ability from any Axiom (though the GM may ask for an in-character explanation of why this choice makes sense given a character's personality, talents, goals, high concept, etc.). Be advised, however, that spreading yourself too thin among many different Axioms instead of focusing on one or two may result in less effectiveness overall.
starting equipment
Purchase equipmentPurchase Armaments using the total funds allocated by your Race and Background selections Start the game with a Supply rating based on your Race and Background selections There are many different kinds of weapons, items, and wonders you can acquire during your travels through the Sphere. Characters will start with a small arsenal of weapons and armor as well as a pack full of supplies. You'll decide what's in your pack as your story unfolds.
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Starting Armaments
Your Race and Background selections afford you an amount of funds with which to purchase the weapons and armor you'll start the game with. Combine the money from your Racial selection with the funds allocated by your Background and purchase starting Armaments with the total amount. Unspent Crowns are converted to on-hand cash when the game begins.
SUPPLY
Supply is an abstraction meant to express how prepared your character is for their adventure. It is represented by several blank boxes on your character sheet. Whenever you need an item from the Supplies List, you can check an appropriate number of these boxes to show that your character has it in their pack and ready to go. Once you have no more empty boxes, you have no more supplies available.
You can replenish your supplies (and untick Supply boxes) by looting enemies, chests, foraging, hunting, etc. or purchasing more supplies from an outfitter in town (it's recommended that every 5 Crowns spent at an outfitter unticks one box, but the GM can increase or decrease this amount based on supply & demand for such equipment in the local economy).
Note that Supply is used to reflect what is already in your character's pack (we just don't know it yet). You are not summoning items to your person or creating them from thin air. Supply simply reflects what you've brought on your journey without the need for a great deal of accounting and inventory management.
Your starting Supply rating will come from both your Race and Background selections.
You can replenish your supplies (and untick Supply boxes) by looting enemies, chests, foraging, hunting, etc. or purchasing more supplies from an outfitter in town (it's recommended that every 5 Crowns spent at an outfitter unticks one box, but the GM can increase or decrease this amount based on supply & demand for such equipment in the local economy).
Note that Supply is used to reflect what is already in your character's pack (we just don't know it yet). You are not summoning items to your person or creating them from thin air. Supply simply reflects what you've brought on your journey without the need for a great deal of accounting and inventory management.
Your starting Supply rating will come from both your Race and Background selections.
character growth
DETERMINE YOUR KEYPick one Key to determine how you gain ExP and advance in Level When you conclude a gaming session, gain 1 ExP for each of your Key's questions which you can honestly answer "yes" to Keys are the means of unlocking your character's potential. A Key summarizes a character's motives, drive, and personal growth arc. You may be able to change your Key as the story progresses, your character grows, and their motives change. Talk to your GM when and if you feel there is a character and story appropriate moment to change Keys.
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Contained within each Key are three questions. Whenever you conclude a gaming session, take a look at these questions. For each one you can honestly answer "yes" to, gain 1 ExP.
EXP
ExP (short for Experience Points) are a way of measuring how close a character is to reaching their next Level. No matter what Level you are, you'll need 10 ExP to gain a new Level.
Once you've reached a new Level, ExP resets back to 0 and you'll need 10 more ExP before you Level up again.
Once you've reached a new Level, ExP resets back to 0 and you'll need 10 more ExP before you Level up again.
character levelLevel is an "at-a-glance" means of determining how strong your character is and what challenges they are ready to face. Early on, you'll have only your core competencies to rely on and will need to carefully consider what you can face and what you must flee from. But as you grow stronger and more knowledgeable, you'll become more and more capable of taking on difficult quests and enemies until you are truly a hero of legend.
Every time you gain a Level:
All player characters start at Level 1 and reach their maximum potential at Level 30, where no more Levels can be earned. |
CHARACTER POINTS (CHP)Whenever you gain a new Level, you'll earn 100 Character Points to spend however you see fit (in addition to any other gains you receive from a new Level). You can spend Character Points in the ways listed below and may keep any unspent Character Points until you're ready to spend them.
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