2023 Character Creation Challenge

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+0.50 Cows Starting Property
For some reason I udderly love that.

System :: Dungeons the Dragoning 40 k 7e
Version :: Both 1.2 & Telok

This character is min-maxxed out the wazoo and pretty similar in both versions. Perfectly acceptable and I'd be happy to allow the character at any game I ran.

Mr. Neebs, halfling wizard apprentice werewolf

Stats: strength 3, dexterity 4+1=5 (lightning reflexes), constitution 2, intelligence 4 (book knowledge), wisdom 1, willpower 2, charisma 2, fellowship 1+1=2, composure 2

Skills: academic lore(int) 2 (law), arcana(int) 3 (monsters), tech use(int) 1 (computers), forbidden lore(int) 1, common lore(int) 1, brawling 2, ballistics 0+1 (full-auto), larceny(dex) 0+1, stealth(dex) 1, drive(int/dex) 1, pilot(int/dex) 1, acrobatics(dex) 1, deceive(cha) 0+1, scrutiny(cmp) 1, disguise(fel) 1, persuade(fel) 1, animal ken(cmp) 1

Backgrounds: mentor 2 (cocaine wizard), contacts 2 (drug dealer, bounty hunter), backing 2 (halfling mafia family), inheritance 1 (mind interface unit - cybernetics)

Species: halfling, +1 fellowship, +1 deceive, +1 larceny, uses dex x6 instead of (wis+dex)x3 for static defense calculations.

Exaltation Werewolf

Class: Apprentice, sorcerer track

600 starter xp + 100 xp from hindrance: Bad Luck (can't use hero points to reroll dice), 100 xp Implement focus (reroll one die on a spell cast check), 100 xp Tested (less warpy crap from miscasting), 200 xp Illusion magic 1 (Blur spell), 100 xp Veteran (+1 dex, +1 ballistics, -1k0 socials with uneducated people, -1k0 biology knowledge rolls), 100 xp Education asset (start with 4 skill specialties = reroll 1s), Gifted: resilience (treats will, con, & composure as always in class for buying up). Note: concentration requires you to be conscious (kinda duh) and eats an action each round, the kind of action (reaction, half action, full action) limits your options each turn unless you want to drop the spell. So the number of simultaneous spells you can maintain is limited by how many actions you have.

Gear: Knife, Implement, Voidsuit, Autogun & 2 magazines, Charm, Sunglasses, Classy outfit, Mind Impulse Unit (+1k0 tech use, pilot, & drive with any enabled technology, functilnally a ShadowRun data-jack type of set up.)

Magic: Illusion(intelligence) 1, Blur: half action, target 15, somatic component, concentration(reaction), v1.2 effect= +3 static defense, vTelok= +3 static defense & +2 more per raise in the casting roll & -2k1 to be identified. Rolls 5k4 & reroll one die, dropping 10s is 90% 17+ & 50% 24+ with 1.6% chance of warpy crap, keeping 10s is 90% 21+ & 50% 30+ with 41% chance of warpy crap.

Fighty: unarmed brawl 3k2 for 3k1 impact, penetration 0, inflicts fatigue, autogun full-auto (full turn action) 3k2 reroll 1s for 2k2 impact, pen 0, rof s/10, range 90m, ammo 30, reload 1 full action.

Hp 8, resilience 3, armor 0, defense 36, dodge 6k5, perception 1d10-1, speed 8 & 48 run, mental defense 15, resolve 4, devotion 6(luna), hero points 2.

ToDo: buy up some stats to 3s, exit to the cleric track, a ship's officer track, or keep leveling up the sorcerer stuff.

Werewolf: The game I ran had a player run a werewolf. That made me rewrite them pretty massively. Differences in the spoiler
Original:
Shifting: full action + 1 resource point, breaks worn gear, take damage = armor points if wearing armor (damage divided by resilence & drop fractions equals wounds/hp taken).
Wolf form: +1k1 perception checks with scent, +2 dex & -1 size, +1k1 brawling bite weapon. Mr Neebs = defense 50 (fuck!), resilience 2 (bad), bite 3k2 @ 5k2 rending pen0 inflicts fatigue, dodge 8k7, speed 10/60
War-Form: limit turns = con+power stat, may only make attack actions or move towards an opponent, +2 str & size & con, + bite 2k1, +claws 1k1, bite & claws count as magical weapons.Gain Stuff of Nightmares trait (). Mr Neebs = time limit 4 turns, hp 12, resilience 4, defense 32 (still damn good), bite 3k2 @ 7k2 rending pen0 inflicts fatigue, claws same as bite but +1k0 damage, speed 10/60, on end of warform lose the extra con of hp (effectively take 4 more wounds if you have lost any hp)
Lycan resistance: non-stacking armor = power stat (90% useless), cannot die from non-magic non-silver impact & rending damage (our were died to four mook soldiers tossing low quality frag grenades but the trashy laser pistols would have been just as effective), may spend resource points to regain hp 1:1 as a free action if in combat.
Start with language(spirit tongue)
Silver bane: Halve your size for resisting silver damage. Mr Neebs = resilience 2, wolf resil 2, war resil 3. Note: calc for resilience is level+size/2 -> round up & +1. Shit that screws with size for damage calcs is just annoying.
Resource: rage @ composure + willpower + level, regains points = power stat 1/night at moon rise and at the start of any combat. (on our game the were was chronically low on resource points because they're what you use to get extra reactions, get more than 1 attack a turn, and resist stunning, also we were on spaceships/space stations a lot so no moons/nights thus he could only regain resource points at the start of combat most of the time)
Power stat 1: regenerate 1 hp/turn in wolf & war form if it's not explosive, energy, silver, or magic (so just normal impact & rending can be regenerated), and critical damage heals at 1/hour.
Power stat 2: power+wisdom roll to see into the spirit world
Power stat 3: shift as a half action

Telok's rewrite
Shifting: half action + 1 resource point, changing back in also a half action but no cost, armor breaks the same.
Wolf form: +1k1 perception for scent & hearing, +2 dex -1 size(do not change resilience), +1k1 bite, traits Darksight(see in darkness) & Quadruped (2x speed). Mr Neebs = defense 50 (fuck!), resilience 3, bite 3k2 @ 5k2 rending pen0 inflicts fatigue, dodge 8k7, speed 20/120, see in the dark
War form: imit turns = con+2x power stat, gain the feat Fearless(Angry) at TN 25 (immune to fear & pinning but disengage or backing down is willpower vs 15 25), gain Stuff of Nightmares & Darksight, +2 str & dex & con, claw & bite are both +2k1 & count as magical, on ending you can choose to shif back to humanoid OR wolf form. Mr Neebs is basically the same as the original war form rules but has 2 more turns of war form, darksight, fear & pinning immunity instead of being forced to attack or advance, and on losing war form only loses any extra hp over his normal maximum.
Lycan resilience: non-stacking armor, in humanoid form = power stat, wolf = power stat + con, war form power stat + con + will. silver, spells, and magic weapons bypass/ignore this armor. Mr Neebs humanoid = 1, wolf = 3, war = 7.
Fast healing: may always sped resource points to heal as a free action even if unconscious or paralyzed. In wolf & war forms gain regeneration 1. Critical damage heals 1/hour and must be completely healed before hit points can heal. Damage from silver, spells, and magic weapons/ammo cannot be regenerated/healed with this.
Silver bane: The armor & healing powers don't work on damage from silver, all silver damage causes an extra wound to a minimum of one wound.
Resource: rage @ willpower + level + 2x power stat, regains points = power stat + level 1/night at moon rise and at the start of any combat.
Power stat 1: power+wisdom roll to see into the spirit world & gain language (spirits).
Power stat 2: gain 1 resource point the first time a round you take a wound, when you take a critical damage you can't ignore, and if you lose resolve points. If you would gain more than normal max range check composure vs 15 or start fighting.
Power stat 3: power stat + fellowship to do a seance with actual spirits

Stuff of Nightmares: immune to the effects of poisons, diseases, the need to breathe, most environmental hazards, bleeding, stunning, and any critical result other than one that would destroy them outright unless caused by a Spell, Power Weapon, or similarly unusual source.
 
System :: Numenera (Cypher)
Version :: 1

4e2e779f7e44e17bcae1da7d91c0826c.jpg

Sheryn
Is a Charming Nano who Commands Mental Powers
Tier 1 Effort 1 Cypher Limit 3

Might 8 (Edge 0)
Speed 10 (Edge 0)
Intellect 18 (Edge 1)

Skills:
Trained in all tasks involving positive or pleasant social interaction.
Trained when using esoteries or special abilities that influence the minds of others.

Special Abilities:
Practiced with Light Weapons: No penalty to use Light Weapons. +1 Difficulty to Medium Weapons, +2 to Heavy Weapons.
Numenera Training: You are trained in the numenera and can attempt to understand and identify its properties.
Contact: Aeon Priest.
Inability: +1 Difficulty to tasks involving lore, knowledge, or understanding.
Inability: +1 Difficulty to resist mental attacks.

Esoteries:
Onslaught (Physical; 1 Intellect): 4 damage to enemy in sight. Action.
Ward: +1 to Armor. Enabler.
Telepathic (1+ Intellect): Speak telepathically with others within short range for 10 minutes (or 28 hours if 1 Effort is spent).

Background:
Sheryn trained for a time with a group of Aeon Priests, and they still look upon her with fondness. She remains in contact with the head of the group and may call on him for help.

Commentary: Finally got around making a character for this game. While some aspects of the system seem dubious to me, I was always intrigued by it and its esthetics. Character creation was quick and painless enough, and I probably spent more time trying to find a picture that screamed "Numenera" to me and fit my character concept than making the character. Though, I decided to skip picking her gear, which would've taken me more time, since I'm unlikely to ever actually play her.
 
Day 7
System: Dragonbane
Version: Beta v2.

I saved the best of the Free League for last, in my opinion. All the Year Zero games felt quick to learn and very playable, even if I'm ambivalent about the die mechanic, but this game just clicks for me. For Dragonbane, the character concept seemed to gel during chargen. The newly enlarged skill list made him less competent overall but still able to do things. This guy is intended to fill multiple roles; he is the face with good persuasion and bartering, he's also the crafter and decent in combat. If he survives the first session, he'll quickly improve with equipment - bigger sword, shield, armor, and crafting tools; the downside of getting the merchant skills was limited equipment. Initially, his mediocre evade paired with no armor will be scary. I was actually most torn whether to get master tanner to start making monster armor or master smith to make weapons and armor for the team. I'd pick up the 2nd soon.

Tym Silktonque is big, loud, and boisterous like a typical cart salesman. He started in making side of business but found he also enjoyed the game of moving coins from others to himself. He's not all talk though. He'll readily jump into a fight to defend what's his or what rightly belongs to someone else. He's not into magic but isn't superstitious - he sees is as just another skill or trade.

Tym Silktongue Human Merchant
Str 17 Con 16 Agl 11 Int 13 Wil 11 Cha 16
Abilities: Adaptive, Master Tanner
Str Damage 1d6 Movement 10 HP 16 WP 11
Short sword, sleeping pelt, torch, flint & tinder, rope (hemp), donkey, 5 food rations, 4 silver




Acrobatics (AGL) 5

Awareness (INT) 12

Bartering (CHA) 14

Beast Lore (INT) 6

Bluffing (CHA) 7

Bushcraft (INT) 6

Crafting (STR) 14

Evade (AGL) 10

Healing (INT) 6

Hunting & Fishing (AGL) 5

Languages (INT) 6

Myths & Legends (INT) 6

Performance (CHA) 7

Persuasion (CHA) 14

Riding (AGL) 5

Seamanship (INT) 6

Sleight of Hand (AGL) 5

Sneaking (AGL) 5

Spot Hidden (INT) 6

Swimming (AGL) 5



Axes (STR) 7

Bows (AGL) 5

Brawling (STR) 7

Crossbows (AGL) 5

Hammers (STR) 7

Knives (AGL) 5

Slings (AGL) 5

Spears (STR) 7

Staves (AGL) 5

Swords (STR) 14
 
It's this one:


And yes, the health track is a nice touch.


Everyone else, stay tuned to this thread - I'm sure we'll set the rest of you up with new systems as well:grin:! (As mentioned before, my next system shall be H+I...oh, and I bought myself Ninja City, just in case you're wondering whether I'm immune:gunslinger:!)
Sad Fishe Games, aren't they the ones that have already had their lawyers file against WotC? That counts for something, also its on sale for less pennies than it has pages.
 
Sad Fishe Games, aren't they the ones that have already had their lawyers file against WotC? That counts for something, also its on sale for less pennies than it has pages.
Same ones, AFAICT.

Also S SfgTAT might want to know we're talking about his game:grin:!
 
Day 7:

System: Icons
Edition: Assembled

Another randomly generated superhero!

Origin
(2d6=8) - Gimmick: my powers all come from devices of some kind, and I get +2 to a mental attribute.

Attributes
There's a chart for a result between 1 and 8 on 2d6.
Prowess (2d6=7) - 5
Coordination (2d6=8) - 5
Strength (2d6=7) - 5
Intellect (2d6=6) - 4
Awareness (2d6=7) - 5
Willpower (2d6=4) - 3

If the total were less than 20, I could restart, but the results are thoroughly average. I'll put the +2 into Willpower to bring it up to 5.

Powers
Number of powers (2d6=11) - 5(!)

Power 1: type (2d6=12) sensory; (1d6=1, 1d6=4) super-senses, (2d6=6) level 4.
To go with animal mimicry, I'll take enhanced and extended sight, and double enhanced smell.

Power 2: type (2d6=6) defensive; (1d6=4, 1d6=1) immortality, (2d6=6) level 4.
I come back from the dead in six hours.

Power 3: type (2d6=9) alteration; (1d6=4, 1d6=1) duplication, (2d6=7) level 5.
I can create 5 duplicates.

Power 4: type (2d6=9) alteration; (1d6=5, 1d6=1) animal mimicry, (2d6=4) level 3.
I can mimic the abilities of animals, one animal at a time, up to level 3 (flight from an eagle, super-speed from a cheetah, etc).

Power 5: type (2d6=4) control; (1d6=1, 1d6=4) element control, (2d6=9) level 6.
I can move an influence one element as if using Telekinesis at level 6. I'll take Plant, since that sort of fits with the animal mimicry.

Specialties
(2d6=8) 3 specialties
(1d6=1, 1d6=1) aerial combat - I'm skilled at fighting in the air and get a +1 to defensive combat tests while gliding or flying.
(1d6=3, 1d6=6) military - I was in the military and get a +1 to Initiative.
(1d6=1, 1d6=2) art - I'll choose drawing.

Qualities
Determination = (6 minus number of powers) 1
Stamina = (Strength + Willpower) 10

Meet Biome!

Biome.jpg

Abilities:
Prowess: Good 5
Coordination: Good 5
Strength: Good 5
Intellect: Fair 4
Awareness: Good 5
Willpower: Good 5

Stamina: 10
Determination: 1

Specialties:
Aerial Combat
Military
Art (drawing)

Powers:
Animal Mimicry: Average 3
Duplication: Good 5
Immortality: Fair 4
Plant Control: Great 6
Supersenses: Fair 4 (enhanced and extended sight, 2x enhanced smell)

Qualities:
Driven to prove herself.
"Yes sir!"
"No one gets left behind."

Sgt. Judith ('Jude') McLane was a decent paratrooper, but just wasn't able to distinguish herself enough to move up the ranks. When she heard about a mysterious military project looking for volunteers, she thought it would be a chance to make a name for herself and signed up. She (barely) passed a series of grueling tests to get in, and only then learned that the military scientists were testing cybernetic implants derived from alien hypertech. Desperate to stand out, she was one of only two who decided to stay with the project (the others had their memories wiped before being returned to regular duties).

The implants worked perfectly. Jude was able to connect to the earth's bio-energy field and draw on its power for a number of abilities. She learned to use micro-organisms' abilities to reproduce themselves to create duplicates of herself and to regenerate from any injury as long as one cell remained. She could assume the abilities of animals, and her senses of sight and smell were advanced to superhuman acuity. Finally, she could use plant growth near her as she willed.

The other candidate, Lt. William Prince, gained similar powers. He went rogue, using his powers to seek power and wealth as the supervillain Zoonotic. Seeing the risk from putting too much power in one person and worrying about enemy attempts to replicate the results, the military shut down the project and placed Jude on the inactive list to avoid her displaying her powers in the field.

Angered about the loss of her military career, Jude (calling herself Biome to keep her NDA with the military in place) went after Prince. She had to team up with other more experienced superheroes to finally bring him down, and they convinced Jude to continue fighting injustice as the superhero Biome!

One of her favourite tactics is to use Animal Mimicry to fly above a target, then drop four dupes with bear claws, electric eel shocks, or just elephant size.

(Art is DC's Poison Ivy, but I'm afraid I don't recognize the artist's signature.)
 
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Jan 8

System :: Pathfinder
Version :: 2nd Edition

Let's just say that the process of creating even a first-level character in this bloated mess of a system was such a painful, bewildering ordeal that it's put me off ever playing it. Yuk!
I quite like it, as a D&D 3.x/4e replacement. Late 4e when cleaned up is probably still the tighter system, tactically speaking, but PF2 is a pretty well balanced system. The biggest issue I have is that very few abilities seem very impactful, even though a lot actually are.

That said, it is not a lightweight system. For quick and fun character generation I'd never recommend it - I'd go with Worlds Without Number, as that's my (current) favourite game in the traditional D&D game space.
 
Day 2

System: Traveller: The New Era
Version: Mk1 Mod1

I'm not detailing all the rolls for this, so the spoilered generation is basically what you'd see on a chargen worksheet.

Boris' homeworld is a recently re-contacted world, joined the new state and was raised to TL9 with tech assistance from the other worlds.

Born to middle-class parents (they ran a small business), he was always a physical, outdoorsey sort of guy, but was smart and attentive, picking up good grades in school.

Gained entry to the state's (off-world) Navy Academy, after which he entered the Marines as an officer (2nd Lt.).

He served a term in the Marines and then transferred to Special Operations, in which he served for a further two terms before mustering out with an honourable discharge (i.e. he left on good terms).

One aging test (Agility), which is failed.

Name:Boris Wven
Race:Human

Basic Attributes:
Roll Mods Final
STR 8 +1 9
AGL 10 -1 9
END 9 9
INT 8 8
EDU 7 +1 8
CHR 7 -1 6

Additional:
PSI N/A -3 (age)
SOC 6

Homeworld:
SP E
Size Med (5-7)
Atm Std (6)
Hyd Dry (1-2)
Grv 0.8G
Pop Low (3-5) -1Cha
Gov Low (0-2)
Law High (8-9)
TL Early Stellar (9-A) +1Edu


CAREERS

1st: Naval Academy
Secondary: None
Special: N/A
Prom: N/A
Contact: 2 Military
Ship DM: 0

2nd: Marines
Second: Medical (First Aid)
Special: No
Prom: Yes (O2)
Contact: Miltary
Ship DM: 1 Trader

3rd:Spec Ops
Second: Painting
Special: Yes
Prom: Yes (O3)
Contact: Military (OW)
Ship DM: 2 Trader

4th:Spec Ops
Second: +STR (Y)
Special: Yes
Prom: Yes (O4)
Contact: Miltary (OW)
Ship DM: 2 Trader


SKILLS:
Anglic - 10
Ground Vehicle - 2
Survival - 2
Climbing - 2
Swimming - 2
Computer - 0
Willpower - 1
Slug Pistol - 4
Armed Martial Arts (Large Blade) - 1
Unarmed Martial Arts - 1
Environment Suit - 2
Grenade Launcher - 1
Ground Tactics - 4
Leadership - 2
Navigation - 1
Parachute - 2
Pilot (Interface/Grav) - 2
Sensors - 2
Survey - 1
Zero-G Environment - 2
Forward Observer - 2
Instruction - 1
Observation - 2
Muscle Transport (Skis) - 1
Medical (First Aid) - 1
Painting - 1


Initiative: 4 + 1 = 5

Age: 33

Hit Capacity:
Head:18
Chest:54
Other:36

Weight:80 + 4x(STR-AGL) = 80

Load:54

Throw Range:36

Unarmed Damage:1 x 9 / 10 = 0.9 -> 1

Starting Money:
1st term: 0 x 1000 = 0
2nd Term: 6 x 1000 = 6000
3rd Term: 6 x 1000 = 6000
4th Term: 6 x 1000 = 6000

Total: Cr18000

Final Contacts:
2 Military
2 Military, off-world

Final Ship Shares:
5 Trader
Day 2.png
Boris has rather good stats, and is a pretty typical TNE ex-spec ops PC. As is normal for officers in rpgs (and movies, etc.) he's better with a gun than he probably should be (the points should've gone into more 'boring officer' skills). He's also terribly optimised - every skill that's level-1 that isn't essential should be removed and the point spent on better Guns, etc., but I'm really bad at building specialists in any system that doesn't make me. Overall he's a functional, but not very exciting character.

I might try and do up some more interesting folks in TNE later.
 
And for 'Day 3' I'm going to 'cheat', with an NPC from my long-running (and currently on break) 'Traveller' game - initially set in the TNE period, run using GURPS 4e, and later becoming a dimension-hopping thing.

System: GURPS
Version: 4e

An example of going points-silly in GURPS.

Meet 'Princess' Matilda in her current instantiation - as a human-form android.

'She' started 'life' as a high-end courier ship's virtual intelligence system (not true AI, as that was beyond the capabilities of any known civilisation at the time), intended to act as a friendly front-end to the ship's expert systems. She was rather more capable than most such systems, because the ship (Princess Matilda) was actually a spy and espionage vessel with much larger computers than normal.

After a number of (mis)adventures she and the PCs she was with stumbled into a dimensional rift and emerged in a place inamicable to high tech devices. The universe's rules interpreted the ship as such and converted it to a pile of rock, but classified the VI as a 'spirit', so she found herself as a sapient disembodied spirit.

More adventures later, and several 'borrowed' bodies (it turned out that with a little magical help she could inhabit recently dead bodies) the group found a dimension with a nice high tech level society. There, Matilda got a nice cutting edge android body (real biological bodies are so icky, even when they're not dead and leaky), custom made by the best shop in the business (in exchange for the bits of a warbot made by the best shop in that business that the party 'happened' to have 'found', among other services), a high-end custom shell over a mostly combat-android inner chassis and machinery, with self-repair, extended lifespan NPU, and a 'true flesh' outer and digestive system to provide it with nutrients, etc.

Mostly it's 'human-plus' - stronger, better senses, no need to breathe, etc. The exception is the armour, both dermal and subdermal, which is sufficient to resist almost all small arms and some of the lighter man-portable support weapons. Her main vulnerability is EMP and other electrical attacks, as she's waterproof and vacuum and to great pressures and somewhat radiation proofed.

This character is stupidly high point value, but 846 points goes into Damage Resistance, and less than $100,000 of purchased armour can do the same in-setting (aside from not being nearly indetectable). The PCs are in the 900-1400 point range, and have comparable stats and higher skills - aside from being armoured and having above-human strength (not hugely useful in a high tech game) this character doesn't stand out in the party.

In case someone's feeling nit-picky - Matilda's incompetence in Swimming is from being far too dense to float. She has the Swimming skill 'illegally' because she picked it up before getting this body. Should she find herself in a suitable dense fluid, or in a less dense body, she could use the skill and swim.

As for the lade herself, she's quick-tempered and suffers fools badly. With friends she limits herself to cutting comments and snark. Matilda takes full advantage of her appearance as a relatively slight young women and her beauty to manipulate people when she wants something. If that doesn't work, well she's in a line of work where breaking things and hurting people is all too often 'just business', but she really hates getting blood and gore on her, so much prefers blunt trauma and distance work (or persuading friends to do the dirty work) to being up close and personal with sharp instruments.

Spoilered because there's five pages of stuff.

Day 3 - Matilda-1.png
Day 3 - Matilda-2.pngDay 3 - Matilda-3.pngDay 3 - Matilda-4.pngDay 3 - Matilda-5.png
 
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Day 7
System :: QUERP
Version :: unknown
Name:Vigo
Class:Berserker
Fighting:6
Magic:3
Strength:6
Charisma:1
Stealth:2
Knowledge:3
Starting Health:21
Starting Mana:6
DR:10
"+2 Dam for -2 Def in HTH"
Starting EQ:
2H sword, backpack, bedroll, clothing(average), flint & steel, 2 dats trail rations,waterskin, 50 silver
 
Day 8
System :: World of Dungeons 1979

No sheet this time, just some quick and dirty rolling for that PbP...

Hmm, this looks like a classic Fighter set of stats, which is what I wanted anyway, so huzzah. I was pretty pumped to roll that natural 12 to start things off on STR.

Skaldi Ragnarsson - Fighter - Lvl 1

A tall rangy man from the far north, Skaldi is a veteran of many raids who finds himself in the south and without a crew (don't ask). Does this bother Skaldi? Hardly - he has his shield, his sword, and he knows the shieldwall. There is always gold for a man who can swing a sword. Perhaps one of the these adventuring companies might provide some much needed lucre. He spends his last few silvers on supplies and sets off in search of companions who need a steady companion with a sharp blade.

STR +3DEX +1CON +2INT 0WIS 0CHA +1

Skills: Athletics, Awareness HP: 11 (5 + Hardy)

Special Abilities: Tough (+1 Armor) and Hardy (+6 HP)

Equipstuff: Short Sword (Light 1d6 Dmg); Light Armor (AV 1); Shield (Av +1); Travel Rations; Waterskin; 20ft Rope; Flint/Steel; Torches (4); a sadly empty coin purse; rather a lot of tattoos; the bleached skull of an honored foe
 
Day 8:

System: Nightbane
Version: 1 (Palladium)

Random! Can't get much more random than this! Never done more than flip through the books, but I did play some Palladium Fantasy and even Beyond the Supernatural ages ago, so how bad can it be?

Step one - eight attributes, 3d6 each.

IQ: 11
ME: 12
MA: 5 (ouch!)
PS: 11
PP: 11
PE: 12
PB: 11
Spd: 16, so +1d6, total 19

Average across the board, except a brutally low Mental Affinity (charm and charisma), and a ridiculously high running speed. That 19 in Speed grants "No special bonuses other than the raw, natural ability to run," so yay for getting a high roll there.:errr:


Step two - HP and SDC

Hit Points are PE (Physical Endurance) plus 1d6, so (1d6=4) 16.
Structural Damage Capacity (SDC) is either 1d4x10 for physical backgrounds, or 3d6 for everyone else. I have no idea of my character's background, so I'll go 3d6, and get 7 (ouch again!). Hopefully I'll be able to boost that later.


Step three - occupational, racial, or psychic character class (OCC, RCC, or PCC)

The name of the game is Nightbane, so I'm going with the Nightbane RCC of course.

Turns out what I rolled for stats above above is my Facade or mortal form; my Morphus gets +10 to PS, PE, and Spd (!!), and +6 to PP. So my Morphus stats are:
IQ: 11
ME: 12
MA: 5 (still not great!)
PS: 21 - +6 hth damage
PP: 17 (21, see below) - +3 parry, dodge, strike
PE: 22 - +14% to save vs. coma/death and +4 to save vs. poison and magic
PB: 11
Spd: 29 (!!) - I am so fast you guys

The rule under step one says "If an attribute is 'exceptional,' (16, 17 or 18) then an additional six-sided die is rolled and added to the total for this attribute." It doesn't say the 16-18 has to be ROLLED, so I'm going to approach this in the spirit of PFRPG back in the day and say that PP 17 is exceptional and gets another d6. So that adds 4!
PP: 21!

Turns out even the Facade gets an SDC bonus of 30, making it 37 thankfully! The Morphus SDC gets another (2d6x10=4, WTF dice) 40, for 77.

The Facade HP are the same, but the Morphus HP are (PEx2) 44, plus 2d6 per level, so right now at level one another 9, for 53.

Base Horror Factor for the Morphus (before the actual Morphus modifiers) is 6 (maximum 18).

PPE (Potential Psychic Energy, I remember that from Beyond the Supernatural) is PE+(3d6x10+20), or (22+130) 152. That looks like a lot!

Bonuses: In my Facade I get +2 to save vs. magic, +1 to save vs. disease, and +1 to save vs. horror factor. In Morphus form I get +1 to initiative, +2 to strike, parry, and dodge, +3 to roll/pull punch, +4 to save vs. magic, +3 to save vs. psionics, +3 to save vs. disease, and +3 to save vs. horror factor.

Skills: the Basic skill package is for Nightbane starting as normal young adults in 21st century US, so I'll go with that one. I also get to choose six secondary skills. I also have innate combat abilities equivalent to Hand-to-Hand: Martial Arts (all Nightbane do), and an additional melee attack.

(I remember PFRPG 1st having tables for skill scores. Nightbane doesn't, so I have to flip back and forth through the skill descriptions to get the base and level scores for each skill. Grr! Having a digital copy to keep open on the skill package list and a physical book to flip through for the scores right now is very helpful.)

I get Basic Math (45%), English Language (75%) and Literacy (55%), Computer Operation (55%), Play Guitar (one chosen Domestic skill, so why not this) (55%), and First Aid (one chosen Electrical, Mechanical, Science or Technical skill and this looks useful) (65%).

It then lists RCC related skills and I get to pick 10. The RCC says that "in addition to any of the skill groups" in the package I get to select six secondary skills. Other skill packages (like military) have different (smaller) numbers of related skills to pick, I guess to make up for the more adventure-useful skills in the main skill list. So I read this as saying all Nightbane RCC get however many related skills it says in the package, PLUS that extra six just for being Nightbane, so I'm pikcing 16 (!) skills.

The first two are Boxing and Gymnastics, of course, because in any Palladium game if you have the option you take those for the stat bonuses. That gives me an additional attack, +2 parry/dodge, +1 roll, +2 PS, and +3d6 SDC, plus an automatic knockout on a natural 20 for boxing; and a 2d4 kick, 55% sense of balance, 63% parallel bars and rings, 72% climb rope, 75% back flip, 25% climb or +7% to the climb skill, 30% or +5 to prowl, +2 to roll, +2 PS, +1 PP, +2 PE, and +2d6 SDC. And because these are skills for both Facade and Morphus (the list specifically suggests using skill choices for hth skills to use in Facade), these bonuses are going into both Facade and Morphus stats!

SDC went up 15 to 52/82, and PS is now 13/23, PP is 13/22, and PE is 14/24.

Next up, Acrobatics and Athletics, for the same reasons (bonuses!). 1d8 kick attack, 65% sense of balance, 43% walk tightrope/high wire, 82% climb rope, 65% back flip, 40% or +15% to climb, and 30% or +5% to prowl, +2 roll, +1 PS, +1 PP, +1 PE, and +1d6 SDC; and +1 parry/dodge, +1 roll, +1 PS, +1d6 Spd, and +1d6 SDC.

SDC went up 12 (nice!) to 64/94, and PS is now 15/25, PP is 14/23, PE is 15/25, and Spd is (1d6=3) 22/32 (!!).

I might as well take Climb (45+7+15=67%) and Prowl (30+5+5=40%) now.

That's six skills, 10 left.

I'll grab a Weapon Proficiency in bolt-action rifles and one in revolver, I guess I'm into sport shooting.

Gotta take Automobile (62%), and I'll grab Computer Programming (35%) and Computer Hacking (20%), so also Computer Repair (30%) why not. Research (55%) looks useful, as does Streetwise (24%). Finally, I'll take Swimming (55%) since it's potentially useful, and Advanced Math (50%) to go with all the computer stuff.

So my character is a gym rat comp sci major. Okay.


Step three point five - creating the Nightbane.

This is why I wanted to do this one - pages upon pages of completely random appearances and shapes for the Morphus form! I'm using the tables from the Dark Design sourcebook for more options.

First, how does my Nightbane transform? (%=83) Shadow Shift - I turn into a human-shaped silhouette, then into a Morphus-shaped silhouette, and then the shadow fades into the Morphus (or vice versa). It's faster than some other transformations and I only take 30% damage while shifting, but I can actually take damage from bright light alone.

Next, basic appearance. (%=87) Victim: the Morphus manifests some "deep psychological and/or emotional scars from some trauma." I roll (1d4=4, fun!) 4 times on any combination of Substance Abuse, Nightmare, Unearthly Beauty, Characteristics, and Stigmata tables, and once on the Victim table.

Since I'm definitely doing Victim, I'll start with that one. (%=70) Child: I look (1d6=2+9) 11 years old, and appear weak and timid. +1 initiative, +3 MA (yay!), +1 PB, +4 Spd (now 36!!!), +(3d6) 6 (bah) PPE, but -10% to Spd (-4 for 32), PS (-3 for 22), and PP (21).

Since there was a bonus to PB, I'll roll on the Unearthly Beauty table first. (%=25) Animal Magnetism: +8 to PB and MA, minimum 20! Both were below 12, so both are now 20. This is creepy.

I'll try again on this table to get away from the basic child look. (%=79) Fallen Angel: +6 PB, +(3d6) 6 (boo) SDC, and flight at (4d6) 15. PB is now 26, but at least it's not just a human-looking 11-year-old.

Since I got Angelic, Stigmata seems the next logical choice. (%=65) Leatherboy/girl: part or all of my skin has been replaced by polished leather, S&M straps, chains, and so on. +(5d6) 18 SDC and +(1d4) 1 (only?) to Horror Factor. Ew.

One more. I'll go with Characteristics. (%=15) roll on the Unusual Facial Features table. (%=12) Glowing eyes: I can see in total darkness up to 2000 feet, and +1 to Horror Factor. I have to wear mirrorshades if I want to hide the glow.

That's all the appearances. A terribly beautiful 11-year-old in BDSM gear with angel wings and glowing eyes. I somehow think that should be higher than just 8 for Horror Factor, but maybe that's just me.


Step three point five part two - Talents

I get one free Talent, and I can buy more by lowering my PPE score (which is now 158). Let's see how much PPE these cost to use before I go nuts buying up powers. No randomness here, these are chosen.

I'll pick Inferno Fist first, since it can be used to attack and to parry magical and energy attacks. It does +2d6 hth damage, and costs 5 PPE per melee round. I have a total of 171 HP and SDC, so if I average 9 damage a round it would take about 19 rounds, or 95 PPE, to put myself down. So I don't want to go spend too much permanent PPE buying new powers.

There are a lot to choose from, but I'm going with Infectious Control because it looks useful and incredibly creepy. It costs 20 PPE to acquire, so I'm down to 138, but if I 'feed' a target part of my body I can control someone and search their memories. Memory searching is slow and expensive in PPE, but the idea of a winged glowing-eyed bondage child taking over your body and rummaging through your mind by bleeding into your mouth is just too horrible not to run with.

And done, except for figuring out all the figured stats and bonuses! This one took a while!

Meet Jack Chaney / Jack of Chains!

Alignment: Scrupulous
Horror Factor: 8
SDC: 64 / 118
HP: 20 / 60
PPE: 138

IQ: 11 / 11 : no skill bonus
ME: 12 / 12 : no bonus
MA: 5 / 20 : Trust/Intimidate 0%/60%
PS: 15 / 22 : damage bonus +0/3d6+7 punch
PP: 14 / 22 : +0/+4 to parry, dodge, and strike
PE: 15 / 25 : +0/+20% to save vs. coma/death; +0/+5 to save vs. poison/magic
PB: 11 / 26 : Charm/Impress 0%/80%
Spd (ground): 22 / 32 : run 440/640 yards/minute, or 15 mph / 22 mph
Spd (fly): 15 : fly 300 yards/minute, or 10 mph

Skills:
Basic Math: 45%
Advanced Math: 50%
English Language: 75%
English Literacy: 55%
Research: 55%
Computer Operations: 55%
Computer Programming: 35%
Computer Hacking: 20%
Computer Repair: 30%
Play Guitar: 55%
First Aid: 65%
Pilot Automobile: 62%
Climb: 67%
Prowl: 40%
Streetwise: 24%
Back Flip: 75%
Climb Rope: 82%
Parallel Bars/Rings: 63%
Sense of Balance: 65%
Swimming: 55%
Walk Tightrope/High Wire: 43%
Acrobatics
Athletics
Boxing
Gymnastics
WP: Revolver
WP: Bolt-Action Rifle

Hand to Hand (Morphus):
Type: Martial Arts
Number of Attacks: 3
Damage: 3d6+7
Strike: +4
Parry: +6
Dodge: +6
Roll: +8
Initiative: +1
Punch Damage:
Kick Damage: 2d4 or 1d8
Knock Out: 20

Nightbane Morphus Appearance: Child (Victim); Animal Magnetism (Unearthly Beauty); Fallen Angel (Unearthly Beauty); Leatherboy (Stigmata); Glowing Eyes (Unusual Facial Features)

Nightbane Abilities:
Shadow Shift transformation: 9+ to transform in 1 attack instead of one round; take 30% of damage while transforming; take damage from light while transforming.
Nightvision: 200' in Facade, 2000' in Morphus
Regeneration: 10 SDC/HP per round.
Mirror Walk: 2 PPE.
Immunities: mind control, vampiric slow kill bit, transformations.
Inferno: 5 PPE/round; +2d6 hth damage; +1 to parry conventional melee attacks; -3 to parry energy attacks.
Infectious Control: 20 PPE to activate, and 20 PPE every half hour; save vs. magic or controlled.


Jack grew up in an orphanage in the rough part of town. By the time he was 12 he was working part-time to help support the orphanage and the other children there. He spent what little spare time he had in the gym bulking up and learning to fight. After he finished high school he started studying computers at night at a local community college.

Then the Dark Day happened.

Returning home, Jack suddenly transformed. Instead of a grungy young man, he was instead a child again physically, although an impossibly beautiful androgynous thing. From the neck down his skin had become sleek, shiny black leather, and spiked leather straps and fine silver chains were wrapped around him. Worse, his eyes burned, casting light wherever he looked, and he could feel wings flexing on his back.

He spent that night running and flying from hiding spot to hiding spot, terrified. He finally fell asleep in an abandoned warehouse, and woke up as himself again.

Over the next few weeks he encountered others with similar experiences, and learned that he was called a Nightbane. And over the next few months he discovered that the Nightbane were hunted by the Lords of Night, who sought to enslave Earth. And he and his fellow Nightbane dedicated themselves to using their strange and twisted powers to stand against the Lords of Night and their servants.
 
And for 'Day 3' I'm going to 'cheat', with an NPC from my long-running (and currently on break) 'Traveller' game - initially set in the TNE period, run using GURPS 4e, and later becoming a dimension-hopping thing.

System: GURPS
Version: 4e

An example of going points-silly in GURPS.

Meet 'Princess' Matilda in her current instantiation - as a human-form android.

'She' started 'life' as a high-end courier ship's virtual intelligence system (not true AI, as that was beyond the capabilities of any known civilisation at the time), intended to act as a friendly front-end to the ship's expert systems. She was rather more capable than most such systems, because the ship (Princess Matilda) was actually a spy and espionage vessel with much larger computers than normal.

After a number of (mis)adventures she and the PCs she was with stumbled into a dimensional rift and emerged in a place inamicable to high tech devices. The universe's rules interpreted the ship as such and converted it to a pile of rock, but classified the VI as a 'spirit', so she found herself as a sapient disembodied spirit.

More adventures later, and several 'borrowed' bodies (it turned out that with a little magical help she could inhabit recently dead bodies) the group found a dimension with a nice high tech level society. There, Matilda got a nice cutting edge android body (real biological bodies are so icky, even when they're not dead and leaky), custom made by the best shop in the business (in exchange for the bits of a warbot made by the best shop in that business that the party 'happened' to have 'found', among other services), a high-end custom shell over a mostly combat-android inner chassis and machinery, with self-repair, extended lifespan NPU, and a 'true flesh' outer and digestive system to provide it with nutrients, etc.

Mostly it's 'human-plus' - stronger, better senses, no need to breathe, etc. The exception is the armour, both dermal and subdermal, which is sufficient to resist almost all small arms and some of the lighter man-portable support weapons. Her main vulnerability is EMP and other electrical attacks, as she's waterproof and vacuum and to great pressures and somewhat radiation proofed.

This character is stupidly high point value, but 846 points goes into Damage Resistance, and less than $100,000 of purchased armour can do the same in-setting (aside from not being nearly indetectable). The PCs are in the 900-1400 point range, and have comparable stats and higher skills - aside from being armoured and having above-human strength (not hugely useful in a high tech game) this character doesn't stand out in the party.

In case someone's feeling nit-picky - Matilda's incompetence in Swimming is from being far too dense to float. She has the Swimming skill 'illegally' because she picked it up before getting this body. Should she find herself in a suitable dense fluid, or in a less dense body, she could use the skill and swim.

As for the lade herself, she's quick-tempered and suffers fools badly. With friends she limits herself to cutting comments and snark. Matilda takes full advantage of her appearance as a relatively slight young women and her beauty to manipulate people when she wants something. If that doesn't work, well she's in a line of work where breaking things and hurting people is all too often 'just business', but she really hates getting blood and gore on her, so much prefers blunt trauma and distance work (or persuading friends to do the dirty work) to being up close and personal with sharp instruments.

Spoilered because there's five pages of stuff.

Nice background. But, holy crap! That's a lotta stuff to keep track on a single character. Freaking GURPS! :shock:
 
Day 8
System: Doxy

Name: Miss Lollie Philpot
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Brown
Tits: Ooo la la
Arse: Big and Beautiful

Bitching: 6
Bonking: 5 (Strong)
Charming: 1 (Weak)
Cheating: 1
Daring: 1
Fighting: 4

Very Good at Anal
Good at Complaining
Good at Eating

Merits: Been Around the Block

Restrictions: Character Creation only.
Description: The Doxy has been on the Town for a while and has picked up a couple of extra tricks of the trade. She may have a couple of years on the other girls with all the cynicism and wrinkles that implies but these tricks are dead handy.
Rules Effect: The Doxy begins play with 2 Good At Advancements (see Good Ats above

Flaws; Dirty Blower

Dirty Blower
Cancels: A Bit of Class and Dell.
Description: The Doxy is known as a very dirty girl and thus loses her justification for the usual levels of Upfront Fees.
Rules Effect: The Doxy Subtracts 1 Rhino from all her Upfront Fees

Rhino: 2
Pull: 6
Notoriety: 3

Possessions: Notebook of Choice Insults

Background: It's your mum.
 
Day 8
System: Doxy

Name: Miss Lollie Philpot
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Brown
Tits: Ooo la la
Arse: Big and Beautiful

Bitching: 6
Bonking: 5 (Strong)
Charming: 1 (Weak)
Cheating: 1
Daring: 1
Fighting: 4

Very Good at Anal
Good at Complaining
Good at Eating

Merits: Been Around the Block

Restrictions: Character Creation only.
Description: The Doxy has been on the Town for a while and has picked up a couple of extra tricks of the trade. She may have a couple of years on the other girls with all the cynicism and wrinkles that implies but these tricks are dead handy.
Rules Effect: The Doxy begins play with 2 Good At Advancements (see Good Ats above

Flaws; Dirty Blower

Dirty Blower
Cancels: A Bit of Class and Dell.
Description: The Doxy is known as a very dirty girl and thus loses her justification for the usual levels of Upfront Fees.
Rules Effect: The Doxy Subtracts 1 Rhino from all her Upfront Fees

Rhino: 2
Pull: 6
Notoriety: 3

Possessions: Notebook of Choice Insults

Background: It's your mum.
I was waiting for someone to post a character like this. Glad I could count on you:grin:!

A Courtesans character tomorrow, if you accept requests:thumbsup:?
 
I was waiting for someone to post a character like this. Glad I could count on you:grin:!

A Courtesans character tomorrow, if you accept requests:thumbsup:?
Afraid not, that would break my "no repeats" rule because I did it previously. (It's essentially the same system anyway, just more high class PCs).
 
Afraid not, that would break my "no repeats" rule because I did it previously. (It's essentially the same system anyway, just more high class PCs).
When? Last year:shock:?

I might have missed it (or forgotten), I guess. But sure, wouldn't want to make you break your own rules!


My rule so far is "no more than 5 of the same system, preferably no more than 3", BTW. Then again, I have half a mind to use them as NPCs eventually...or even for pre-gens if I end up running something, so one only of each actually wouldn't be practical.

Also, how many Mythras characters have we got here? Are Raleel Raleel Necrozius Necrozius and CRKrueger CRKrueger participating at all:grin:?
 
System Midnight Boulevard
Version 2018 PDF

68492A6A-90B7-4C6C-8168-75E6DB27CCFC.jpeg

Billy Briggs

Strength (STR) 9 modifier +1
Dexterity (DEX) 9 modifier +1
Endurance (END) 8 modifier 0
Intelligence (INT) 12 modifier +
Education (EDU) 5 modifier -1
Social Standing (SOC) 6 modifier 0

Scar Coerced into working with criminal elements, the scheme was a success and Billy came out ahead $1,000 but the knowledge hangs over him like a dark, pregnant rain cloud. Anytime a situation arises that’s linked to this Scar Billy has a -2 Die Modifier to the throw.

Background Social Standing of 9 or less so he chooses to start with Persuade.

Career Cop, automatic skill Investigate.
I failed the Survival throw so Billy is pushing up daises. That’s the way it goes on the hard streets.

Midnight Boulevard is a noir game based on the Traveler SRD or you can use Cepheus Engine SRD. It isn’t a bad little game if you like the Traveler mechanics and there are a number of short adventures available.
 
Day 8
System: World of Dungeons

As I bid farewell to Free League, I move into a few days of PBTA. The systems seldom do much for me but some games take what's useful and shape it into their own thing, more Apocalypse Inspired than power by. Some of these, especially the lighter ones, I find quite playable.

The first is World of Dungeons, which tries to meld old school gaming and pbta. It largely succeeds but there are big gaps in the writing, even for an ultralight, as it assumes you're familiar with pbta and old school. Chargen is quick enough that I made two..



Rambler

Class: Ranger

Rambler likes to travel the wilds, often alone. He looks for opportunities to help other as he’s shy but lonely. He has been known to talk to squirrels, believing them to have the best intel.

STR +0DEX +2CON +1INT +1WIS +2CHA +1

Skills: Survival, Heal

HP: 4 Armor 1


Special Abilities: Scout(you always spot the target before it spots you)

Wild (you can converse with and attempt to command animals)


Weapons & armor: Short Sword (Light 1d6 Dmg); Short Bow; Light Armor (AV 1)

Equipment: Rations; Waterskin; 20ft Rope; Bandages, Caltrops

2 sp



Doyle

Class: Fighter

Doyle took up adventuring for money and glory. Mostly money. He can work in a team but makes sure to look after himself first.


STR +1DEX 0CON +1INT +1WIS 0CHA +1

Skills: Athletics, Lore

HP: 12 Armor 3


Special Abilities: Tough (+1 armor), Hardy (+6 hp)


Weapons & armor: Hand Axe (Light 1d6 Dmg); Shield; Light Armor (AV 1)

Equipment: Rations; Waterskin; 20ft Rope; Flint/Steel; Torches (4);
 
Day 8: Castles & Crusades

For those unfamiliar with Castles & Crusades, prime attributes work a little differently than they do in other d20 systems. Here, prime attributes are used to help the GM determine base difficulty for die rolls. For prime attributes, that base difficulty will be 12; for secondary attributes, it's 18. This base number is then adjusted up or down depending on how easy / hard the task is. Players roll their d20, add their level and attribute modifier and try to beat the resulting target number.

Name: Fenian
Race: Half Elf (favors human)
Class: Illusionist
Prime Attributes: Intelligence & Charisma
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Weapons: Club, dagger, dart & staff
Armor: None

Level: 1 HP: 4 HD: d4
AC: 10 BtH: 0

STR: 9 [+0]
DEX: 10 [+0]
CON: 9 [+0]
INT: 18 [+3]
WIS: 11 [+0]
CHA: 12 [+0]

Abilities:
Spell use - can cast arcane spells
Disguise (Charisma) - use magic and props to impersonate others
Sharp Senses - +1 bonus to all illusion-based saving throws.

Empathy - +2 bonus to charisma checks
Move Silently (Dexterity) - move up to half normal speed w/o penalty in wilderness areas; up to full speed at -5 penalty
Spot hidden doors (Wisdom) - grants check within 5 feet; if actively searching, gain +1 bonus to check.

Attribute check modifier - +2 bonus to secondary attribute*
Spell resistance - +2 bonus against spells/abilities that charm or sleep.

Ability modifiers: +2 find traps, +2 move silent

Spells:
lvl 0 - First Aid, Light, Message, Mending
lvl 1 - Change Self, Charm Person

Equipment: A spell book; clothing favoring dark purple and blue hues, accented with bright orange contrasts; dagger; staff; dart x4;

Gold: 86gp

*Fenian's favored secondary attribute is dexterity.

Who plays him in the movie: Jude Law

Background: Most people say that whatever it is Fen is into, he's in it for himself. While sometimes accurate, it isn't necessarily the case. It'd be more accurate to say that Fen is into it for his own reasons. What those reasons are, he doesn't say. Nor do they seem to follow any predictable pattern. In some situations, he seems to be malicious or at the very least ignoble. In others, he's clearly altruistic and heroic. Whatever the case, wherever Fenian is, trouble is bound to be there too.
 
Day 8

System: Action Dice
Version: N/A
Publisher: Zozer Games

System Notes: This is a very lightweight 2d6-based system that is heavily inspired by the Fighting Fantasy series. It's a generic game with options for creating powers and special abilities based on their effects. For this exercise, I'm creating a character that would be suitable for a 1920's Lovecraftian horror game, or maybe a pulp game as well.

Super basic for this game -- just need to generate Skill (1d6+5), Fate (1d6+5), and Hits (2d6+12), then assign either an extra point to Skill or Fate, or two extra to Hits. I get 7, 10, and 22 respectively, puting my extra point into Skill. Everything else is free-form.

Name: Landon Castlewood
Concept: Actor turned Adventurer
Combat Capable? Yes

Skill: 8
Fate: 10
Hits: 22

Powers: None

Identifying Features: muscular build, fine suit, sunglasses

Equipment: good clothes, silver cigarette case, pocket watch, .32 revolver in concealed holster, roadster, nice apartment

Backstory: Castlewood was a Hollywood actor of minor fame, being mostly known for appearing in various action serials and physical roles that required brawling, swinging on ropes, or running along the tops of moving trains. One day, however, he got into a major blow-up with an powerful studio executive (the details of which were never made public), and was fired from his job. The executive's power was such that Castlewood was effectively blacklisted from the rest of Hollywood as well, as nobody wanted to cross him, so he needed to find a new line of work. While he figures out his future, some adventurous friends have invited him to pal around on some globe-trotting adventures. With nothing much to lose, Castlewood figures why not?

This was very loosely inspired by a viewing of Three Amigos last night, FWIW.
 
Jan 9

System :: ForeSight
Version :: 1986 edition

Paging Agemegos Agemegos. I created a character in ForeSight. I'm not 100% sure I did everything right- the system is a bit unusual compared to other games and I was mildly befuddled, but there's a lot there that I like. One nice touch is that some skills depend on a combination of attributes rather than just one. Random rolls give a selection of reasonably well-balanced options rather than the simplistic "you rolled bad, your character's a potato" stuff I see elsewhere. That's also nice. Anyway, here is my character sheet.


Jan9_final.png
 
System :: Convergence Point
Version :: 1.9

Day 8 Josh "Hornet" Williamson

All this set of characters are based on the "anime" of The Neo Frontiers. The full anime series New frontier is not supposed to focus on any particular character but follows several characters throughout the course of the series. Although each one gets to be a star in one episode some just continue to follow their life. They are all interlinked around the high school "stage" characters. They will be at the level of when they first appear in the "anime".

Name: Josh "Hornet" Williamson, Cpt Retired US/UZ SDF
Core Trait: Human Space Marine Pilot of The Neo Frontiers Era
Also Spacer and Veteran


Josh Williamson wants to be "just another spacer moving things along". Unfortunately, his past prevents that. Captain Williamson, The Hornet, is a True Hero of the Six Years' War. He was a decorated Astro-Fighter Pilot. He and a squad of Space Marines he "borrowed", defended Luna City from a Chinese Incursion and an attack by Lunar Broggans (terrorists really). His piloting and leading of The Squad helped save over 100,000 lives in those domes.

After his induction into the UZ Space Defense Force and spending a few years training the next generation of SDF Pilots, he decided to muster out. A top pilot and captain of note had no trouble getting work. He is currently working for an NGO - Non-Corporate of The Wyrd Group. They move cargo, but often cargo that habitats and ships desperately need.

He still stops by Earth with Kato from time to time. He visits with his famous "super smart older brother" and his niece-older sister. He may be more famous in The Dark, but people still can know him here.

Write Up Convergence Point

Name: Josh "Hornet" Williamson, Cpt Retired US/UZ SDF
Core Trait: Human Space Marine Pilot of The Neo Frontiers Era
Lv 6 /EP Mod 1.9x ( 1.2 -.1x+.8x)

PHY 12 +4/8- "Work hard at this physique in Null G"
DEX 16 +5/9- "Want to play Darts?"
MEN 15 +5/9- "I am not as smart as my brother" (Who is a super genius)
EMO 12 +4/8- "We will do the right thing"
MPY 12 +4/8- "Luckier than I have any right to be"
CHA 12 +4/8- "Easy Charm"

Life Focus: VHL +F-VHL +COM +S/T +L-CMU -.1x

VHL+6 "NASA/UZSDF Ships" "Cargo Ship"
F-VHL+6 "Astro-Fighter" "His Ship"
COM+7 "Space Marine" "Hand to Hand" "Grappler" "Darts"
S/T+6 "Space Fighter Strategy" "Habitat Fighting Strat"
L-CMU+6 "Command" "Persuasion"

STA+2 Status+2 Hero of The Battle of Luna
CON+2: Contacts "Old Buddies" (Space Marines) and Luna City
GEE+2 "Null G"
TEC+1"Ship Systems"
V/I+0: "Interface"

Developing /Expanding sets

Old School Space Training GEE+2 "Null G" TEC+1"Ship Systems" +.3x
Veteran COM+1 CON+1 Old Buddies +.25x
Hero of the Battle of Luna STA+2 "Hero" CON+1 Luna City +.25x
Radiation Damage (B1)

1) Simone Williamson Synth-zed Student of the Neo Frontiers Era
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/2023-character-creation-challenge.8573/#post-389775

2) Kaede Tanaka Esper Student of Neo Frontiers
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/2023-character-creation-challenge.8573/#post-389976

3) Kathryn Puppe Synth - Mekenoid/Ai Assistant of The Neo Frontiers Era
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/2023-character-creation-challenge.8573/page-2#post-390222

4) Racheal Brown Alpha Student of The Neo Frontiers Era
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/2023-character-creation-challenge.8573/page-3#post-390574

5) Jill and Jane Human Athletic Students of the Neo Frontiers Era
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/2023-character-creation-challenge.8573/page-3#post-390954

6) Roberto "Mango the Great" Yee Human VR Gamer of the Neo Frontier Era
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/2023-character-creation-challenge.8573/page-4#post-391345

7) Dr. (Albert) Williamson Core Trait: Human BioScience Researcher in The Neo Frontiers Era
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/2023-character-creation-challenge.8573/page-4#post-391926

8) Josh "Hornet" Williamson, Cpt Retired US/UZ SDF Human Space Marine Pilot of The Neo Frontiers Era
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/2023-character-creation-challenge.8573/page-5#post-392416
 
Jan 9

System :: ForeSight
Version :: 1986 edition

Paging Agemegos Agemegos.

Hey!

I created a character in ForeSight.

Adventurous!

I see that she is inexperienced crew on a spaceship of some sort, probably a space-naval cadet training to be a deck officer/warfare branch specialist.

You rolled mildly well on semi-random attributes and did very nicely out of the goodies and bummers table, but an age of 19 is something that would make us groan back in the day. Replacing the age table with a fixed budget was one of the first universal house-rules.

I'm not 100% sure I did everything right- the system is a bit unusual compared to other games and I was mildly befuddled, but there's a lot there that I like.

You haven't noted what you rolled for a social background. I figure that it must have been "semi-employed permanent".

You neglected to assign an initial Temperature familiarity. You have the skill Search twice.

You seem to have under-spent your generation-point budget. You ought to have 240 points from age and 70 from social background for a total of 310. You have spent 80 on training Intelligence and Willpower, plus 80 acquiring the skills Starship Tactics, Starship Functions, Repair, Implement, Diagnose, Search, EVA, and Navigation, plus 64 points raising skill levels, and none on G, T, and E familiarities. That's only 224. Even if you paid 65 points to buy skills that are already on the character sheet (which the rules are not explicit are free at level one) you would seem to have 21 generation points left. Did you by any chance overlook Social Background completely, and buy years of education?

You have the Field of Knowledge Astrophysics without its pre-requisite Physics.

As your GM I would advise you that you would need the skill Recall to make use of your Science fields of knowledge, also that Initiative is not a lot of use with no combat skills.

You haven't calculated your PCSs, nor looked up Speed, Carrying Capacity, or Unarmed Combat Damage Class, but that's trivial.

Edited to add:

Maybe you overlooked the effect of Eidetic Memory on your Education Points, in which case you must have rolled a Social Background of "Rich Transient" or "Professional Permanent", in which cases your generation point budget would be 250 points. Diagnostic chargen is hard!
 
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Posting...well, very shortly after 00:00 h my time.

9 January

System: H+I
Ver: 2022 revised

3e2bb7c2baa132a639f3fa3de0b9deca.jpg

Jacqueline De La Croix
Female

Might: -1
Daring: 1
Savvy: 1
Flair: 4 (Max 6)

Melee 1
Brawl 0
Ranged 0
Defense 3

Lifeblood 9
Fortune Points: 6!

Motivation: Right Wrongs And Have Fun Doing That!

Languages:
Latin
French (Native)
Spanish (fluent)
Latin (fluent)

Careers:
Noble 1
Spy 1
Poet 1
Duellist 1

Boons:
Beguiling
Attractive
Fencing School: Spanish Style

Manouevres:
Flaws:
Double Life
Soft-Hearted

Bio: Jacqueline is the daughter of a noble. She is soon to be introduced to society, her father delaying because she was a bit unruly as a young adult. He attributes it to her mother's influence (but keeps his mouth shut because his wife can ruin his mood every day, as has been proven). Due to her mother's influence, Jacqueline even studied with a runaway Spanish swordmaster, some Don Jaime de...the father never remembers the name.
Either way, she has been a lot more...well, less unruly...lately. He suspects that it's due to the swordmaster's influence that she is retiring to her rooms early, after dinner. As M. Remy de la Croix very well knows, fencing teachers recommend such a regimen - though he himself never abided by it...
The truth is different, and far worse.
Jacqueline is the fearsome Chatte Noire, a vagabond that has been terrorising Paris lately - stealing bijoux (and kisses) from noblewomen, stealing money from tax collectors, stealing documents that should never see the light of day and exposing them! She is an outrage and should be punished, M. RdlC believes! Worse, she has cost him already the services of an associate, who got exposed by her as having been in the pay of the Wrong Crown (the Spanish one...) and had to suicide. The place is now open until a suitable replacement can be found (one who can purchase the post, too).
He'd be amazed if he knew La Chatte Noire is sleeping next door. Well, more like "next part of the chateau".
And then there's the third layer: La Chatte Noire is acting as a folk hero, but she is actually involved in a fight against the agents of Spain (and their paid flunkies), on behalf of the young King Louis! She is a trained spy, and the fact that she is using the Spanish style is just adding insult to injury...
Conversely, JdlC would be amazed and outraged if she knew it's her father who is pulling the strings of many agents she had been working to expose.

Note: Jacqueline is a powerhouse in combat. She plays her free Dodge every round, making her defense a staggering 6 (with a +1 bonus due to her rapier)! That means that hitting her requires to roll 15+ on 2d6+attribute+skill...or 17 if she decides to spend one of her many, many, many Fortune Points.
Furthermore, should she be struck, she can actually consider rolling her Cloak Parry, for a 2d6+5 attempt...well, "not bloody likely to succeed" against anyone who actually passed her Defense, for now, but she can raise her Melee further.
And then Jacqueline can attack, too. Feinting is done with Flair+Melee as well, and attacks after that are made with a Bonus Die. Quick Cut is also Flair-dependent. So she has a + 5 to those as well.
Luckily, she never kills. Amazing as they are. the exploits of La Chatte Noire are almost bloodless injuries have been delivered, but nobody has died...so far - except for one guy who took his life later on (and he was un traitre de France!)... but if she decided to kill, it would be over in seconds for most people. Despite her penalty to Damage, yes. She just has to stab you more times, that's all. But there's bloody nothing that even most trained fencers can do to prevent it.
So most people are just lucky to see her disappearing after she'd stappled their cloak or sleeve to the wall with a thrown knife, or pulls le tapis from under them, or the likes...Once, she even left her rapier in a wall.
Of course, she takes a normal rapier purchased in her second identity, when she goes on missions for the Crown. She'd been taught at least that much!
And, like her mother before her, she can send a witty repartee on the way. Often, in verse.

"En garde, messieurs!"


...OK, now I kinda want to play her. Or to have her as an NPC.


Also, I asked the GPT AI to draw me a female swashbuckler. Still waiting on the result of its efforts, but I'd add it to this post if it's worth seeing!
 
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No offense to anyone else, but I think Jacqueline De La Croix is my favorite character by far, so far. I even like the accompanying picture :smile:

EDIT: For what it's worth, I'm a complete sucker for swashbuckling, not-17th century fantasy. so I'm definitely biased.
 
No offense to anyone else, but I think Jacqueline De La Croix is my favorite character by far, so far. I even like the accompanying picture :smile:

EDIT: For what it's worth, I'm a complete sucker for swashbuckling, not-17th century fantasy. so I'm definitely biased.
It's a huge honour for me:heart:!

1673218983433.jpeg

tenor.gif
 
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I was gonna try out Shadowrun 6e originally, but character creation turned out to be a bit more complicated than I thought and dealt with new concepts that were unfamiliar too much and required more time reading the book (I hadn't even skimmed it recently till today). So Ima double down on Numenera.

System :: Numenera (Cypher)
Version :: 1

2f5e9cd4973dfffd64c3f4cf705139f0.jpg

Ellandra
Is a Mechanical Glaive who Fuses Flesh and Steel
Tier 1 Effort 1 Cypher Limit 2

Might 15 (Edge 1)
Speed 15 (Edge 1)
Intellect 12 (Edge 0)

Skills:
Trained in Balancing
Trained in all actions involving identifying or understanding the numenera.

Special Abilities:
Practiced in Armor: Can wear any armor. Reduced Might cost per hour and Speed Pool reduction for wearing armor by 2. Enabler.
Practiced With All Weapons: Can use any
weapon. Enabler.
Sense “magic”: Can sense whether the numenera is active in situations where its presence is not obvious by studying an object or location closely for a minute.
Inability: Has manner or an aura that others find a bit unnerving. The difficulty of any task involving charm, persuasion, or deception is increased by one step.
Enhanced Body: +1 to Armor, +3 to Might and Speed Pool. Enabler.
Special Healing: The first 5 points of damage taken can never be healed through traditional healing techniques or medicine, but through mechanical repairs.

Fighting Moves:
Bash (1 Might): Attack gains -1 to damage, but dazes target for one round.
No Need for Weapons: Unarmed attacks count as Medium Weapons. Enabler.

Esoteries:
Hedge Magic (1 Intellect): Can perform
small tricks. Action.

Background: An unexpected encounter with the Iron Wind (a cloud of nano-spirits dragged by strong winds like a storm) reconstructed Ellandra's body, leaving her partly mechanical. She now has a bond with the numenera, giving her an intuitive understanding of machines and the ability to fuse herself with technology to enhance her body.
 
I've been through exactly this with a number of systems I've tried blowing the dust off of. It's why I keep using lighter systems with quicker, easier chargen.

Yeah, I figured, "I've played Shadowrun before (granted, it's been decades, except for video games), how hard can it be?" Then I started reading Character Creation at the last minute and was like "...OK, what rules light systems do I have? Screw it! Ima go with Numenera again!"
 
I just like lighter systems. Though I'd probably post a LotW character as well before this month is over:smile:.
 
I just like lighter systems.
You and me, both. But I do have a few I like that are more involved. RuneQuest:Glorantha is one of them. And, earlier today I was thinking of making a Mindjammer (Fate) character for the fun of it, then I opened the book to character creation and saw it was something like a 30 step process. For a freaking Fate game! So, I noped right out and pulled BoL off the shelf instead.
 
Yeah, I started doing a World of Synnibarr character and gave up

maybe later in the month when I have some time off
 
You and me, both. But I do have a few I like that are more involved. RuneQuest:Glorantha is one of them. And, earlier today I was thinking of making a Mindjammer (Fate) character for the fun of it, then I opened the book to character creation and saw it was something like a 30 step process. For a freaking Fate game! So, I noped right out and pulled BoL off the shelf instead.
I was thinking of Mindjammer Traveller...but I'm simply in the mood for more swashbuckling.
 
Character 9
System: Crimson Cutlass
Version: Omnibus Edition

Name: Hugh Blackwood
Level: 0 (Landlubber)
Traits: Stout
Background: Rich
Skills: Brawler, Slaver, Hunter
Equipment: Purse of Coins
Language: English
Background: There's no way to put this nicely. Hugh Blackwood is a scoundrel and villain. His nature is so base that even most of his pirate companions mistrust the man. Born into a life of luxury (although not old money, which he has an enormous ship on his shoulder about), he is a slaver and a hunter of men. He likes the money, but he likes the cruelty more.
 
Character 9
System: Crimson Cutlass
Version: Omnibus Edition

Name: Hugh Blackwood
Level: 0 (Landlubber)
Traits: Stout
Background: Rich
Skills: Brawler, Slaver, Hunter
Equipment: Purse of Coins
Language: English
Background: There's no way to put this nicely. Hugh Blackwood is a scoundrel and villain. His nature is so base that even most of his pirate companions mistrust the man. Born into a life of luxury (although not old money, which he has an enormous ship on his shoulder about), he is a slaver and a hunter of men. He likes the money, but he likes the cruelty more.
A villain worthy of a well-placed blade:grin:!
 
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