Character Creation Mechanics

This is a purely mechanical description of the requirements for building a character. For a more in depth guide on how to think about a character concept and build it into a character see How to Build a Character.

Please email any character builds to larp-refs@srcf.net, and include a brief description of the character's Paradigm and history. Please don't send as attachments, plain text in the email is best. Putting them in wiki format is perfect, and we have a template for this:

Character sheet in wiki format {{charsheet |name= |species= |nation= |faction= |background=Their job before becoming an Agent |skills= * YOUR FACTION SKILL (at -1 XP per level so free at the first level) *ANOTHER SKILL *A FURTHER SKILL |para_short= One line description of your characters paradigm |para_full= Longer text for if you have any interesting points or facets of your characters paradigm to discuss |biography=Tell us about your PC }}

Characters must be approved by the refs before entering play. Characters that go against the brief such as double-agents, cultists etc. are only available at ref discretion. There will be opportunities to play these, please do ask us about this if you're at all interested.

It is not possible for your character to start with magical items other than that granted by your Skills (Trade 3 and Talismancy 3 for example). The Refs may offer the opportunity to buy equipment out of your first week's income before entering play. Your PC is assumed to have access to any weapons or armour they can use.

Faction Membership

• Each Nation, Guild and Church is a Faction.
• You can only be a member of one Faction.
• You can play any race or national origin in any faction.
• Your Faction has trained you in one specific Skill that they expect all ranking members to be proficient in. You can read this on the Faction or Skills pages. You have a 1 XP discount on every level of this skill. This means that L1 is free.

Background

• Pick one description of a trade or other skill. This was your PC’s specialist training or career before you became an agent for a Faction.
• Examples: Archivist, Lawyer, Tracker, Sailor, Siege Engineer, Forger, Priest, Gambler.
• This skill represents your background and history, and the refs may take this into account in appropriate situations.

Skills

Basic Skills

{{#lsth:General_Rules|Player Character Specifics}}

Buying New Skills

• Every Skill costs Experience Points (XP) equal to its level
• This week, any new PCs have 48 XP.
• The first 15XP you spend must be on skills of L3 or below.
• Unspent XP may be saved.
• Any character may buy any skill line. You can for example be an Ozgur in the Vendicsal Faction and have Transmutation trained.
• You must buy up numbered skills in order. So you require Will 1 to buy Will 2, and Will 2 to buy Will 3.

For a list of skills, visit Skills

Character Progression

• Characters gain 1XP per week.
• Characters gain an extra 1XP if you played them for more than 30 min this week. We will not clock-watch on this, so don't feel you need to stay in for exactly 5 minutes more for some XP.
• You gain 1XP for an existing PC you didn't play this week if either you:
  • Played NPCs for more than 30 min of the Interactive.
  • Played NPCs on the Linear.
• You may spend XP in Downtime, or before the Linear if you are going on it.
• Characters may have a maximum of 60 XP.
• L5 skills will need to be made available by PC action.
  • Current unlocked and locked level 5 skills.

Sample Character Builds

Each of these character builds includes some initial skill ideas, a few ideas for ways to roleplay the character. They also include variants on the basic idea for other Factions.

Don't feel bound to the suggested Backgrounds or Paradigms - if you like one of these concepts but have a strong idea for their former life or worldview, go for it. The suggestions here are simple ideas for if nothing else springs to mind.

Antiquarian’s Guild Ruins Raider
A daring rogue who left home to seek adventure with the Antiquarians, with a happy-go-lucky wanderlust; or a careful expert carrying tools for every eventuality, who takes calculated risks but isn't afraid of danger. Backgrounds: Tomb raider, ruin exploration expert. Alternatively: Caravaneers Guard Captain Hegemony Supply Sergeant (Trade 2, Talismancy 1 (Discount)) Vendicsal Raider (Trade 2, Biomancy 1 (Discount))
Paradigms: "I'm just that charismatic - I can inspire my allies to keep going, and drive my enemies back through sheer force of personality," or "The ancient power of countless lost ruins has rubbed off on me, and I can use its echoes for my own benefit."
Hits: 8 in light armour	Stamina: 4
Skills: Armour 1 (1) Health 2 (3) Shield 2 (3) Stamina 2 (3) Corpus 1 spell: CURE 3 (1) Force 1 strike: KNOCKBACK (1) Trade 3 (3) (discount)
Effects: 1 Stamina for a KNOCKBACK strike. 1 Stamina for a ranged CURE 3 spell. Use a Shield. 8 Hits in Light Armour. 64 Ducatto bonus income. May send letters by Ritual. May disperse rumours in downtime. Gets a random item each week.

Research Mage
A curious and avid learner whose first reaction to anything and anyone new is to ask questions about it; or an arrogant mage convinced of the superiority of their own approach to learning. Backgrounds: Research Mage, Scholar of [Choose a Subject!] Alternatively: Explorer Church Priest (Identical stats, but Knowledge as faction discount skill)
Paradigms: "One who understands the world can, through force of will, affect the energy within it," or "The world is made of four elements - I strike my enemies with blasts of fire and drive them back with gusts of wind." It's common for Mages to deliberately construct their own paradigm, so this concept is well-suited to a Paradigm that's quite aware of the fact that it's the belief that it works that makes it work.
Hits: 5 in armour	Stamina: 6
Skills: Stamina 3 (6) Force 1 spell: DISARM (1) Force 2 spell: MAGIC TRIPLE (2) Movement 1 spell: 3xKNOCKBACK (1) Movement 1 spell: Instantaneous KNOCKBACK Knowledge 2 (3) Transmutation 2 (1) (discount)
Effects: 1 Stamina spell for 3 uses of KNOCKBACK over the next 10 seconds. 1 Stamina for a ranged DISARM spell. 2 Stamina for a ranged MAGIC TRIPLE spell. Orison for minor magical effects. Transmute water into various useful liquids. Lead a ritual to move effects from one target to another. Can lead a Ritual to charge up energy for controlled explosions. Can determine at least the Strength of an Effect on someone or something. Can expose themself to an effect to learn about it.

Democracy Guard
A calm, collected soldier, confident of the superiority of the Democracy way and dedicated to its protection; or an Ozgur consumed by the quest for perfect martial skill, seeking new challenges to test their training against and learn from. Backgrounds: Guard, soldier, student of battle. These stats can work as a guard in any Faction - just replace Meta-Rituals 2 with 2 levels in your Faction skill.
Paradigms: "I am very strong," or "Study of battle is the true path to martial power - by understanding myself, my weapons and my enemies, I can rule the battlefield."
Hits: 7 in a Breastplate	Stamina: 5 in a Breastplate
Skills: Armour 1 (1) Health 1 (1) Stamina 3 (6) Two Handed 2 (3) Force 1 strike: KNOCKBACK (1) Force 2 strike: DISARM (2) Meta-Rituals 2 (1) (discount)
Effects: 1 CRUSH resist whilst in a Breastplate. Can use a stab-safe spear, or a non-stab safe polearm, or a two-handed weapon. 1 stamina for a KNOCKBACK strike. 2 stamina for a DISARM strike. Can spend 1 Stamina to Analyze a ritual or person, gauging their Stamina. Can perform a Ritual to call DISRUPT once per 10 seconds while stationary or walking.

Explorer Church Surgeon
A sympathetic healer who helps patients work out if they made any mistakes they can avoid next time; or a grumpy surgeon whose cynical exterior masks a potent dedication to their patients. Backgrounds: Surgeon, explorer. These stats can work as a healer in any Faction - just replace Knowledge 1 with a level in your Faction discount skill.
Paradigms: "The body is a complex machine, and my understanding of anatomy allows me to repair it" (this gets you a fairly standard real-world-esque surgical style), or "Injuries are an external influence on the Truth of how a body should work; I can move these influences from the body to a piece of crystal, thereby returning the body to its proper form."
Hits: 5 in armour	Stamina: 6
Skills: Stamina 3(6) Corpus 1 spell: touch-range CURE 3 (1) Corpus 2 spell: touch-range RESTORE (2) Healing 3 (6) Knowledge 1 (0) (discount)
Effects: 1 stamina for a touch-range CURE 3 spell. 2 stamina for a touch-range RESTORE spell. Determine at least the Strength of an Effect on someone or something. CURE 1 to a dying PC with 10s roleplay. Determine Hits or Wounds on a PC with 10s roleplay. Suppress up to 4 levels of Wounds. Heal CRUSH or all Hits with appropriate RP in a non-stressful situation. Remove all Wounds in a medical venue with 5 min roleplay.

Aspirant Church Scout
A grinning daredevil who sees each battle as a test of their perfection; or a focused warrior who seeks out and battles oppression, so the weak are free to seek their own perfection. Backgrounds: Military Scout, Caravan guard, Hunter Alternatively: Antiquarian Hunter (Necromancy 0, Trade 2 (discount)) Explorer Church Explorer (Necromancy 0, Knowledge 2 (discount)) Hegemony Archer (Necromancy 0, Talismancy 2 (discount))
Paradigms: "Luck conspires to help me out - my enemies trip or get their feet tangled just when I need them to," or "I approach the Aspirant's perfection, and my God lends me miracles to aid me in the pursuit of my holy duties."
Hits: 7 in full armour	Stamina: 4
Skills: Armour 1 (1) Health 1 (1) Ranged 3 (6) Stamina 2 (3) Movement 1 spell: Instantaneous Knockback (1) Movement 2 spell: ENTANGLE (2) Necromancy 2 (1) (discount)
Effects: 1 stamina for a ranged Instantaneous KNOCKBACK spell. 2 stamina for a ranged ENTANGLE spell. 7 Hits in Light Armour. Can reanimate a body for 1 Stamina given 30 seconds. Rises on 1 Hit, SINGLE. Can cooperate to reanimate a body with more hits or as a more useful minion. Can use a bow or crossbow for TRIPLE CRUSH STRIKEDOWN. Can throw javelins for TRIPLE STRIKEDOWN or small weapons for SINGLE.

Hegemony Enforcer
A knee-breaking thug given to darkly humourous threats; or a war-veteran sergeant who's seen it all before. Backgrounds: Blacksmith, military reservist, militia member, Guild enforcer All the Factions have guards, and some parts of the Caravaneers and Antiquarians might use enforcers like these in support of their legal monopolies. These stats will work for any such character; just replace Talismancy 1 with a rank in your faction discount skill.
Paradigms: "I am very strong," or "The Hegemony marches unstoppably onward; as its representative, I have the implacable might of my whole Nation behind me."
Hits: 9 in heavy armour	Stamina: 4 in heavy armour
Skills: Armour 2 (3) Health 2 (3) Stamina 3 (6) Force 1 strike: KNOCKBACK (1) Force 2 strike: STRIKEDOWN (2) Talismancy 1 (0) (discount)
Effects: 1 CRUSH resist in Metal Armour 1 stamina for a KNOCKBACK strike. 2 stamina for a STRIKEDOWN strike. Make a Talisman of any skill under 2 Stamina. Salvage a Talisman for parts.

Celebrant Church Alchemist
A cheerful priest-alchemist who tries to help others relax, look on the bright side, and enjoy themselves; or a quiet healer who takes pride in helping others do things they can be proud of. Backgrounds: Recreational alchemy vendor, Priest of the Celebrant Alternatively: Democracy politician-mage (Psychomancy 2, Meta-Rituals 1 (discount)) Guild of Mages alchemy researcher (Lose KNOCKBACK or the buckler; Transmutation as discount skill)
Paradigms: "By mixing various ingredients, I can create concoctions having a wide variety of effects," or "The miraculous power of the Celebrant allows me to transform things to better celebrate our successes - whether those things are clean water or other people's feelings."
Hits: 5 in armour	Stamina: 6
Skills: Shield 1 (1) Stamina 3 (6) Corpus 1 spell: touch-range CURE 3 (1) Force 1 strike: KNOCKBACK (1) Psychomancy 3 (3) (discount) Transmutation 2 (3)
Effects: May use a buckler up to 15” wide. 1 stamina for a touch-range CURE 3 spell. 1 stamina for a KNOCKBACK strike. 1 stamina to Induce Emotion by 10 seconds talking. Orison for minor magical effects. Transmute water into various useful liquids. Lead a ritual to move effects from one target to another. Lead a ritual to create drugs and emotional poisons. Make someone talkative or give an Effect, object or animal a voice for a while for 2 stamina. Lead a ritual to give all participants a 1-shot Inflict Emotion effect.

Alfar Reaver
An arrogant and disdainful duellist seeking a truly worthy opponent; or a dashing adventurer who laughs in the face of danger and takes a trophy from their most memorable foes. Backgrounds: Reaver, duellist, hunter. Alternatively: Democracy assassin (Trade 0, Meta-Rituals 1 (discount)) Guild of Mages swordmaster (Biomancy 0, Transmutation 1 (discount))
Paradigms: "I am extremely awesome and spectacularly good at what I do," or "Tales are told of my skill with a blade - as the protagonist of a true Vendicsal epic, I can perform the feats of a true hero."
Hits: 8 in light armour	Stamina: 4
Skills: Ambidextrous (1) Armour 1 (1) Health 2 (3) Stamina 2 (3) Force 1 strike: KNOCKBACK (1) Force 2 strike: DISARM (2) Force 3 strike: TRIPLE (3) Biomancy 1 (0) (discount) Trade 1 (1)
Effects: Use a weapon in each hand 1 stamina for a KNOCKBACK strike. 2 stamina for a DISARM strike. 3 stamina for a TRIPLE strike. Mark an unresisting target. 32 Ducatto additional income. Can send rumours.

Builder Church Priest
A bombastic preacher whose impassioned words inspire the faithful in battle; or a quietly devoted priest who will tolerate no threat to the people they serve. Backgrounds: Wandering Preacher, military chaplain. Alternatively: Guild of Antiquarians battlemage (Will 2, Psychomancy 0, Trade 2 (discount)) Hegemony military officer (Will 2, Talismancy 1 (discount))
Paradigms: "I speak the word of the Builder, and She lends me miracles to do her work," or "I am the heart of my community, and wield the power of our unified wills."
Hits: 5 in armour	Stamina: 6
Skills: Stamina 3 (6) Corpus 1 spell: touch-range CURE 3 (1) Movement 1 spell: STRIKEDOWN (1) Movement 1 spell: 3xKNOCKBACK (1) Movement 2 spell: Instantaneous MASS KNOCKBACK (2) Psychomancy 1 (1) Will 3 (3) (discount)
Effects: 1 stamina for a ranged STRIKEDOWN spell. 1 stamina spell to call KNOCKBACK to any 3 targets. 1 stamina for a touch-range CURE 3 spell. 2 stamina for an instantaneous MASS KNOCKBACK spell. Restore an ally's stamina. Bond together a group to ignore each other's area-effect spells. Lead a ritual to charge a large number of ranged KNOCKBACK calls until you move from the spot. Lead a ritual to COMPEL a target within line of sight. Spend 1 stamina to induce emotion by 10s of talking.

Caravaneers Reporter
A curious journalist who wants to get to know everyone and find out their angle; or a cynical hack who cares about the story, but not the feelings of the people involved. Backgrounds: Journalist, travelling trader, wandering entertainer. Alternatively: Explorer Church Reporter (Trade 2; Knowledge is discount skill) Mage's Guild Investigator (Trade 0, Transmutation 1(discount))
Paradigms: "I'm just an extremely charming person who know how to ask questions," or "I'm the one who tells the stories - the stories tell themselves to me, and I choose how that comes across to everyone else."
Hits: 5 in armour	Stamina: 4
Skills: Stamina 2 (3) Biomancy 2 (3) Knowledge 3 (6) Psychomancy 2 (3) Trade 1 (0) (discount)
Effects: Mark an unresisting target. Lead a ritual to modify a target's appearance to create a disguise. Determine at least the Strength of an Effect on someone or something. Expose themself to an effect to learn about it. Lead a ritual to discover information and secrets about a person, location, or object. Spend 1 stamina to induce emotion by 10s of talking. Lead a ritual to give each participant an emotion-inducing ability. Make a character talkative, or allow an inanimate object, creature or magical effect to speak. Gains 32 Ducatto extra income. May submit a rumour in downtime.