Character Building

Step 1: Ability Scores

There are three Ability Scores: Kick Ass, Bad Ass and Smart Ass. The first step to creating a character to play, or any creature in the game, is to assign a number to each of these three scores. The total of all three numbers must equal 9, and no Ability Score can be below 1.

This means your character could have 3 in all three Ability Scores, meaning they are perfectly average in every score. They could also specialize in one Ability Score, putting 6 in the chosen Ability Score and putting 1 and 2 in the other two Ability Scores.

The 6 would make them a paragon of the chosen Ability Score, capable of competing with the most talented. But the 2 would make them inept in the Ability Score with it, and the 1 would represent the lowest reasonable competence. What this looks like in game varies by which Ability Scores are prioritized.

Kick Ass is the ability to cause damage or otherwise affect the physical world in a way not based on planning or finesse. If you want your character to be good at breaking down doors, lifting heavy objects, injuring enemies, rapidly climbing trees or anything similar, it will help to give them an above average Kick Ass.

Bad Ass is the ability to resist harm and hardship. It may represent a physically durable body, but could just as easily represent a powerful will that refuses to break or yield. If you want your character to be able to survive being poisoned, ford arctic wilderness without frostbite, walk away from a fight without a scratch, fall out of a tree without harm or anything similar, it will help to give them an above average Bad Ass.

Smart Ass is the ability to use reasoning, knowledge or skill to address problems through intellect or finesse. It represents mental processing power and information known, but also ingenuity, practical skills learned and even social presence and manipulation. If you want your character to be able to navigate a ruin from a cryptic ancient map, search the web for credible information on a cryptid while discarding uncreditable sources, tie knots that will turn a tarp into sturdy shelter in a storm, cast spells, track an escaped convict through woodland, convince a guard they are part of the cleaning staff, identify a tree or anything similar, it will help to give them an above average Smart Ass.

The three Ability Scores are very broad in application and affect on your character's abilities. You may want your character to be good at martial arts and therefore combat, but feel they are not very physically imposing or good at tasks requiring force outside of combat. Or you may want to make a character who is charming and persuasive, but not very intelligent outside of social situations.

This problem can be solved by making the associated Ability Score low, but choosing a Feature in Step 3 (see below) that directly improves your character's ability to do the specific thing you want them to be good at. For a character good at combat but physically weak, you can give them a Kick Ass of 1 or 2, but take the Martial Artist Feature. For a character who is socially intelligent but otherwise mentally ungifted, you can give them a Smart Ass of 1 or 2, but take the Skilled Feature for persuasion or social charming.

Similarly, if you feel that your character should be above average in all Ability Scores (higher than 3) or otherwise have higher scores than a total of 9 allows, you can take the Bigger Ass Feature in Step 3 (see below). On the other hand, you might feel that your character is not very good in any of the Ability Scores, which may lead you to lower one or more Ability Scores with the Smaller Ass Weakness. Ability Scores are central to much of your character's ability, but you can add to or alter the affect of Ability Scores in Step 3 (see below).

We encourage you not to put 1 for two of your Ability Scores, since role-playing exceptional incompetence in one score is often more enjoyable than trying to role-play exceptional incompetence in two different scores. However, nothing horrible will happen to your game if one or more of the players' characters start with a 7 in one Ability Score and a 1 in the other two.

We normally say you can have a score of 1 to 6 when assigning Ability Scores. That is because a maximum score of 6 lets the average score be 3, which is cleaner than an average score of 3.5. Some of you might have noticed that taking the Smaller Ass Weakness and Bigger Ass Feature would let you have a score of 7 without using up FP, even if this is technically done during Step 3 (see below).

Staying between 1 and 6 (prior to spending FP) is a guideline to make the scores easier to quantify and factor into a d12 (twelve sided die) based game. But nothing will go wrong because you violated this rule and it is already assumed that you can raise your Ability Scores over 6 in Step 3 (see below).

Step 2: Total Feature Points

After assigning Ability Scores (or before if you want), you must determine how many Feature Points (FP) your character has. FP is used to buy Features in Step 3 (see below). Talk with your Game Master to see how much FP you are starting with.

We assume that a character has 12 FP at the beginning of a campaign (the ongoing game with the same continuity in world and often same character throughout). However, a Game Master may want to adjust the number of FP the players' characters start with, either strengthening the starting characters by giving more than 12 or reducing their strength and options by starting with less.

We recommend that the Game Master give all players 1 FP each time your group finishes playing a session (when you sit down and play the game). The Game Master may choose to give more FP each session or only give FP every specific number of sessions.

Alternatively, a Game Master may want to give FP when your group completes certain tasks in the game. This can give the Game Master more control over the actions and motivations of the players, which can encourage some and frustrate others.

It is assumed that the Game Master will give the same amount of FP to everyone in the group, meaning everyone will always have the same number to work with. Some Game Masters may choose alternative systems, where participation in the game or in game actions can lead to some players having more or less FP than others. It is important to discuss such systems with the group and ensure everyone is comfortable with uneven FP distribution.

Once you know how much FP you currently have, you can write that number in the box under Total FP.

Step 3: Selecting Features

Now that you have determined how many Feature Points you have to work with, you can choose Features and Weaknesses. Features are modifications to the mechanics of your character, giving them scores or abilities they would not normally have and defining how they work in the game.

For example, you could have a character with 6 in Bad Ass, but want to increase your character's Bad Ass to 7. Spending 4 FP on Bigger Ass and selecting Bad Ass as the Ability Score to increase would raise your character's Bad Ass from 6 to 7. If you started with 12 FP, you would now have 8 unused FP.

Alternatively, you might want your character to be able to move objects with their mind. Spending 2 FP on Telekinesis would allow your character to move objects without the need to physically touch those objects. If you started with 12 FP, you would now have 10 unused FP, and only 6 FP unused if you also increased your Bad Ass with Bigger Ass.

Weaknesses are Features that have a negative FP cost, meaning you gain more unused FP when you take a Weakness. Taking a Weakness can be both a way to gain more FP to use on other Features and give opportunity for role-playing the effects of the Weakness or devising ways to work around it in game.

For example, you may want to play a vampire. Taking Creature Of Darkness would give your character 4 FP back and cause your character to weaken and eventually fall unconscious after spending to long in sunlight. If you started with 12 FP, you would now have 16 unused FP.

Alternatively, you might want to play a ghost. Taking Intangible would give your character 10 FP back and make it so they could not touch physical objects. If you started with 12 FP, you would now have 22 unused FP, and 26 FP unused if your character is a ghost vampire leading you to also take Creature Of Darkness.

It is not necessary to use all the FP you have available. For every 2 unused FP your character has, they get 1 Luck. You can use 1 Luck to roll a d12 a second time and use the higher of your two rolls. After a full rest, all your character's Luck is renewed. This means you can still gain a benefit from your unused FP. 

FP can be spent on Features during the game, allowing your character to grow and develop even during a session when you feel it is appropriate.