RPM:Rules/Character Creation and Advancement

WIP

Epilogue Session: Defining the World

To start the campaign we'll be doing some world-building by playing the game Microscope

Session 0: Building your Characters

Building characters is play as we define how they know each other and interact with the world.

• Aspects
• Skills
• Stunts

Aspects

Each player will be writing up a list of possible aspects. Will be using the Non-Player Cards to seed aspects. From that list we'll trim it down to five.

• High concept (required)
• Trouble (required)
• Profession
• Trait
• Quirk
• Secret
• A relationship aspect with each other character

Skills

Each player will get to choose three modes from the following list: Combat, Intrigue, Banter, Aristocrat, Naturalist, Sage, Acolyte, Commoner. More details at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DkfbhrOtJBtFYYaZiLt8Z7gsYBo8FxKsS5YIEcVlHPw/edit?usp=sharing

After modes are selected each player can spend 7 points to improve skills.

Each player may choose one bonus ability from any of their selected skill modes.

Combat

Wounded (lasting): Combatants have an extra lasting condition that they can use to absorb four shifts of physical injury. When you’re Wounded, death is on the table when you’re taken out. To begin recovery, another character who is capable of seeing to your injury must overcome an obstacle of Great (+4) or higher, in quiet and ideal conditions (as in, not in the field). You recover fully at the end of the next session.

Intrigue

Wanted (sticky): The Wanted track has five check boxes. When you are Wanted, you’re in some amount of trouble with the law. People know who you are. They might even be a little afraid of you. You can use that to your advantage. When you trade on your reputation to convince someone to do something for you, you may check off boxes of Heat for a bonus on the roll, +1 per box checked.

The more boxes you have checked off, the more trouble you’re in; if you only have one or two checked off, you might get hauled in for questioning if you get taken out of a scene. With four or five checked, you might be imprisoned instead. In addition, any law enforcement agents looking for you get +1 to their rolls for each box of Wanted checked.

Every scene you spend not getting in trouble with the law (and not generating more heat) allows you to clear one check box.

Banter

Center of Attention: When you check this box, you are the star of the show. You gain a situationally appropriate aspect to reflect this in the scene for free. When you do this you gain a boost that you may give to another character, provided it fits in the narrative.

Talk Our Way Out of It: When you are the Center of Attention, you may use Rapport to defend from physical attacks as you attempt to confuse or negotiate your way out of the situation.

Aristocrat

Favors (sticky): The Favor track has three boxes. You may check a box to call in favors at any time, gaining +2 for each favor on any roll which would narratively apply. (Yes, they may all be stacked on a single roll.)

As you trade more and more favors you are drawn into the web of your connections and this will complicate your life. The only way to uncheck a favor box is to do a favor in return. Sometimes these favors are simple and only require an Overcome roll (+2, +4, or +6) to repay but from time to time there may be in-game ramifications to repay the favors.

Naturalist

Quarry: When you check this box, write down the target of your quarry. You need to have time to examine or consider your quarry, usually a few minutes or more. This may be a single creature or a small band of creatures. Until you declare a new quarry you gain +2 on Overcome and Create Advantage rolls to find or set a trap for them and Weapon:2 when attacking them.

At Home in Nature: You can survive only in nature for any length of time comfortably.

Trackless Step: You are skilled at traversing the environment and leave only a trail that the most skilled may follow. As a result, you may only be tracked by someone with a Survival skill equal to or higher than your own or someone who has an aspect related to skilled tracking.

Sage

Preparedness is Key: Any time that you create an aspect by researching a solution, gain an extra free invoke on that aspect.

Obsessed: Check this box to gain a +4 to any research roll while also gaining an aspect that represents what you gave up to get that knowledge, e.g. Up All Night, Owe a Favor to a Minor Devil. This aspect has a free invoke on it for the GM. Uncheck this box when this aspect has been resolved.

Acolyte

Grace: The Grace track has three stress boxes. When you check off a box of Grace, choose from the following:

• You gain Armor:2 from opponents of your faith for the scene.
• You gain Weapon:2 against opponents of your faith for the scene.
• You gain a +2 to an Overcome roll to aid another in removing a condition or aspect.

Commoner

Better Teamwork: When you work together with another character, instead of giving a +1 bonus you give a +2 bonus to the roll as long as you aren't the one making the roll.

Overlooked: When you check this condition, you are no one of consequence for the current scene and you gain a narratively fitting aspect until you take an action of consequence.

Stunts

Each player gets three free stunts and three refresh, which can also be spent on stunts provided that the player has at least one refresh.