Character generation
Character Creation is a Player's step-one for participating in Tarnished Tale, whether the group is doing a one-shot adventure or a longer series of scenarios strung together into a coherent campaign. This page describes the full character creation process, which is suitable for the creation of Player Characters and major NPCs. For minor NPCs, it is likely better to use an abbreviated creation process or work from existing characters as much as humanly possible.
Facilitators should work with their players through Character Creation to ensure players have all the tools and materials they need in order to get character creation done, including that they have access to any setting-related information that they require.
Throughout this guide, in order to help make the process clearer, we're including a worked example of character creation. In this example, we're going to make reference to Howl Basin, which is developed explicitly to be a test setting for Tarnished Tale.
Step Zero: Character Concept and Research
Before you can create a character, you need to know who you're trying to create. This can be simple as a coarse idea relevant to your setting and scenario to something as involved as a recurring character you frequently use in a variety of settings that you now need to adapt.
At this time, you also need to review any heritages, as well as the backgrounds and occupations available in your setting to get an idea for the direction you're going to want to take.
We're going to be creating Jack Whittacker, a fairly architypical gunslinger-type character from the Howl Basin test scenarios series. He's a Jack Lagos, so it's a good time to read up on the Lagos and the other heritages they most frequently interact with to get some inspiration. Since we're making a gunslinger, it's also a good time to listen to some Colter Wall and binge a few classic Western movies.
Step One: Generate Base Aptitudes
Balancing base aptitudes is a matter of taste, and of all the character creation rules it is the area where we most expect to see house rules and variants become popular.
The standard rolls method of base aptitude generation is based on the knowledge that every point of an attribute score makes it 5% more likely that the character would succeed on a raw check bounded by that attribute. We also know that it's nice to bound these scores somewhere between, say, 8-14 for starting characters.
The standard rolls method is to do the following:
- Generate a score by rolling 3d6 and recording the result.
- Do this a total of seven times, so that you have 7 randomly-generated numbers.
- Assign each resulting score to the aptitude of your choice.
The facilitator in our game wants to use standard roll methodology, so Jack's player rolls for his scores and gets 14, 16, 10, 12, 11, 8, and 11. Because our player has a bit of experience in the Howl Basin setting and knows what skills they want, he assigns them in that same order to Willpower, Agility, Strength, Hardiness, Analysis, Presence, and Inuition.
Step Two: Apply Heritage Modifiers to Base Aptitudes, Create Aptitude Scores
If playing in a game that uses Heritage rules, and if using a heritage, apply those modifiers now.
Jack is a Lagos, and at the time of writing the Howl Basin setting gives Lagos +2 to intuition (to represent their heightened physical senses) and removes one point each from Strength and Hardiness (given that they are physically smaller and frailer than many other species in the Basin). Jack now records his aptitudes as well as the "aptitude check", which is simply 5 times the score.
Jack Whittacker, Lagosi Outlaw
St 9 (45) Ag 16 (80) Ha 9 (40) An 12 (60) Pr 8 (40) In 13 (65) Wi 14 (70)
Step Three: Select a Background
All characters have a Background which defines a few of their starting characteristics. They apply an adjustment to the wealth from the character's Occupation and help determine skill points.
Record the skill points gained from Background seperately as "Background Skill Points". This isn't a permanent feature of the character, so you can record it on scrap paper for now.
Step Four: Select an Occupation
All characters also have an occupation which defines more of their starting characteristics. Make a note of starting wealth and record it in consideration of the starting wealth modifier from Background. Also make note of which skills are occupation skills. Finally, compute your occupational skill pool based on the occupation description and record it alongside the background skill points.
Step Five: Spend on Skills
At this point, you now have two pools of skill points. One, your occupation skill points, is probably the largest, but you can only spend these points on skills marked as occupation skills. Your other pool, background skills, can be spent on anything. You can either use these to further raise the scores of your occupation skills or to fill out other skills you feel would be useful but aren't entitled to as part of your occupation. You must spend your full skill points pool.
A point from the skill pool can be spent to increase a skill's score by 1 above the base score. At this time, it'll also be helpful to record your score for any skills that have formulaic base scores but which can be used untrained.
Step Six: Recording Traits and Abilities
At this point, it's a good time to write down any traits you may have through your heritage. Additionally, you may select any one other trait available in your setting as long as you meet its prerequistes.
If you qualify for any abilities (which will be specific to your setting), record those now too. These qualifications are usually explicitly called out either in the ability description or, in some cases, in the explanation of the skill that governs your use of those abilities.
Step Seven: Compute Pools
If you have any pools, compute their base scores now. All characters have the mandatory hit points pool. Depending on your skills, abilities, traits, and setting, you may be entitled to additional pools that you should also now compute.
Step Eight: Purchase starting equipment
This process is highly specific to each individual setting because it depends so heavily on wealth. Your facilitator will work with you (possibly involving notes from the setting developer, if using a pre-created setting) to explain the wealth system in use in that setting and any ground rules for starting equipment beyond straight purchase.