Character Building

Step One: Choose Species

• Pick your Species.

  • Your Species determines your starting Talents (before increasing Talents in Step Two), your starting Resources (before increasing Resources in Step Three) and your Species limits in all Talents. You cannot have a Talent level higher than your Species limit in that Talent.

  • In addition to Talents, Species limits, Resources and Skill reductions, you also gain all Heritage Traits listed under your Species.

Step Two: Choose Traits

• Divide the two categories of Talents (Physical and Mental) into Primary and Secondary.

  • Increase the levels of your Primary Talents by a total of 5.

  • Increase the levels of your Secondary Talents by a total of 3.

  • The starting level of each Talent is based on your Species.

  • Your maximum level in a Talent is determined by your Species.

• Increase the levels of your Skills by a total of 20.

  • You can only have a level of 4 or less in a Skill right now (you can raise them further in Step Five).

Step Three: Record Resources

• Increase your Resources (Soul, Arcanum, Divinity, Primal and Health) by a total of 6.

  • Soul represents the innate power of your soul and caps much of your potential.

    • Some things can damage your soul, reducing your Soul points. If you would take Soul damage but are at zero Soul, you are killed.

    • You can spend 1 Soul point yourself to reroll a roll after you make it but before it is narrated.

    • You can spend Soul points to power certain Traits or Techniques.

    • You gain Soul points from magic that restores souls or by doing something fulfilling for your character.

  • The Magic Resources are Arcanum, Divinity and Primal. You cannot have a level in any Magic Resource higher than your Soul level. You gain 2 points in each Magic Resource after a full night’s sleep.

    • Arcanum powers Arcane Spells, learned through training and understanding of the cosmos.

      • You cannot have a higher level in an Arcane Domain than your Arcanum level.

      • You can meditate for an hour and roll Arcanum (difficulty 4) when in contact with a source of arcane power (usually places where potent Arcane magic has been used in the past) to gain 1 Arcanum per Success.

    • Divinity powers Divine Spells, gained through authority granted over aspects of the cosmos.

      • You cannot have a higher level in a Divine Domain than your Divinity level.

      • You can meditate for an hour and roll Divinity (difficulty 4) when in contact with a source of divine power (usually temples, monuments or other places of worship) to gain 1 Divinity per Success. If the location is dedicated to your Patron Deity, the difficulty is reduced by 2.

      • If you have a Divinity level of 1 or more, you must pick a Patron Deity.

    • Primal powers Nature Spells, achieved through unity with the natural forces of the cosmos.

      • You cannot have a higher level in a Nature Domain than your Primal level.

      • You can meditate for an hour and roll Primal (difficulty 4) when in contact with a source of natural power (usually locations of natural wonder) to gain 1 Primal per Success.

  • Health represents the physical wellbeing of your body. The more Health you have, the further you are from dying.

Step Four: Choose equipment.

• If your character is more or less well off than an average starting character, take the Wealthy and Impoverished Traits respectively (see Step Five).

• A character starts with a mundane weapon, padded armor, appropriate traveling gear and rations for 2 weeks. You have enough income for a small apartment in a city or modest house in the country. You can afford to rent a room at an inn and other  necessities when you travel. You can own a donkey and cart, or equivalent method of transport. You would still struggle to support a dependant.

  • Choose a Weapon.

  • Record Class 2 Armor.

Step Five: Use Bonus Points

• Spend Bonus Points.

  • You start with 24 Bonus Points

  • Freebie Point Costs

    • Talent: 5 Points per level

    • Skill: 2 Points per level

      • You can put up to 6 in a Skill now.

    • Art or Domains: 3 Points per level

      • Your level in an Art cannot be higher than your Soul level.

      • Your level in a Domain cannot be higher than your level in the Magic Resource that fuels that Domain.

    • Combination Spell: 1 Point per Spell

    • Soul: 1 Points per level

    • Arcanum: 1 Points per level

    • Divinity: 1 Points per level

    • Primal: 1 Points per level

    • Health: 1 Points per level

    • Trait: Cost equal to Trait level