Finalizing Characters

[The87]

Brant, about apprentices:

Are you looking for a minion who follows you around?  If so 10 rps

If you are looking for a relationship you buy it normally depending on how important the person is.

You could actually have a mess of students if you like.  You buy an affiliation and the second most important person in that group and they are your running crew.

I was looking for my "apprentice" that will carry on my work after I die. I'm pretty old, after all.

I figured that would fit under a 10rps relationship - is that correct?

[AfterCrescent]

if there are 3 or so things your character must have, what are they?  Must you have sorcery, must you be an exorcist?  I think you may have just one or two too many directions you are pulling

Hrm. 3 things... 1) A religious advisor to the Duke. 2) A secret cultist/summoner. 3) Second Sight/Aura reading.

The summoning I think works really well with the idea and ties in amazingly with the exorcist LP. So that's almost a guaranteed LP, I think.

look at this idea:
1 Born City
2 Temple Acolyte
3 Temple Priest
4 Heretic
5 Thinker
6 Adviser to Court

thinker gives you the lead you need.

I have no idea how I had blatantly missed Thinker... I guess I have to go back and look at that now...

Think of it like this.  If you want to be a heretic and advisor you must have 1 born, 2 acolyte of some kind, 3 Priest of some kind, 4 heretic and 5 advisor.  and you need a lead for 6. 

for a slightly different flavor you could go with Mad summoner

1 born City
2 neophyte Sorcerer
3 Mad Summoner
4 Sorcerer
5 Advisor to Court

Thats the base, if you want faith pick up temple acolyte

Okay, so I relooked at some things. City Born -> Cultist -> Mad Summoner -> Heretic Priest -> Thinker -> Exorcist -> Advisor.  Is that simpler/better, or still too complicated? I don't think I need the Faith trait, necessarily, although if I haven't worked out all the trait points, I may end up taking it.

[Josh]

Exorcist is a mainstream religious lifepath.  Meaning your character would have to enter the church.  It is like someone being a wiccan and then becoming a bishop.  It can happen just your character would not be a cultist they would be an unbridled mainstream loony.  Like a fire and brimstone revivalist.  Is that what you are looking to play?  You would be part of the orthodox church, a reformed cultist (though you would still have the same base beliefs).    And you would conceal the fact that you consort with demons, because it's ok when you do it. 

[The87]

Okay, here we go...

[spoiler]
LPs:

• City Born
• Student (noble)
• Arcane Devotee
• Sorcerer
• Rogue Wizard
• Archivist
• Scholar
• Advisor to the Court (4 yrs)

Stats:

• Age: 60
• Will: B5
• Perception: G6
• Power: B2
• Forte: B4
• Agility: B4
• Speed: B3

Attributes:

• Health: B4
• Steel: B6
• Reflexes: B4
• Mortal Wound: B9

Skills:

• Alchemy: G9
• Sorcery: G9
• Apothecary: G3
• Herbalism: G3
• Symbology: G3
• History: G6
• Foreign Languages: G6
• Philosophy: B4
• Instruction: B5
• Write: B5
• Research: G9
• Inconspicuous: B4
• Calligraphy: B3
• Read: G3

Traits:

• Base Humility
• Myopic
• Spooky
• Know-it-all
• Affinity for books/scrolls
• Gifted
• Cool headed
• Mind over matter

Gear:

• Clothes
• Alchemy Tools
• Manner (40rps Property)

Spells:

• White Fire
• Bilious Smoke
• Force of Will

Affiliations: Small scholarly group focused on philosophy (10rps)
Reputation: Notable reputation as a great scholar (25 rps)
Relationships: Student/Apprentice (10rps)
Circles: B3
Resources: B5
[/spoiler]

Open to criticism ... I still need to choose beliefs and instincts

[Josh]

For people who have not made characters before you want to keep yourself to 6 life paths.  Artha is not like experience points.  Artha is like having levels of your character that are not spent yet. 

You can advance skills quickly,  But you will fail at skills unless you have artha.  In order to advance skills you have to try impossible things in meaningful way. 

So for example if you want to advance a skill you need to take a challenge that will require you to roll all successes or even more successes than you have dice.  Even with artha you will often fail.  Without artha you will fail.  In order to get more traits you need to spend artha. 

Drop all lifepaths that don't give you what you need for your character.

[tsuyoshikentsu]

I wasn't aware that you had to pass skill challenges to level skills up.

[TheWordSlinger]

With a few exceptions, I don't think you do.

[Josh]

I wasn't aware that you had to pass skill challenges to level skills up.

You don't.  But you are not allowed to make non meaningful skill rolls.  

So don't plan on getting better with a sword unless you are willing to lose a swordfight.  Don't plan on advancing sneaking unless you are ready to get the crap beaten out of you when you fail.  

The number of rolls is also much lower.  You might make one skill check in a scene.  And that check might be "will the prince be my friend or enemy."

Artha is what makes characters cool.  Do not expect to be cool if you don't have artha.  

Oh and you gain artha generally when you screw yourself.  So like if you have the trait humble and you allow someone else to take what you wanted, you get artha.  (by the same token if you only have good traits, well you don't get artha). 

And, the GM is obligated to act as your adversary.  So you don't ever get it easy or luck out.  Your weaknesses are the things that happen to you and the things that you are good at are made with as horrible a consequence as you can stand. 

[Josh]

Okay, here we go...

[spoiler]
LPs:

• City Born
• Student (noble)
• Arcane Devotee
• Sorcerer
• Rogue Wizard
• Archivist
• Scholar
• Advisor to the Court (4 yrs)

Stats:

• Age: 60
• Will: B5
• Perception: G6
• Power: B2
• Forte: B4
• Agility: B4
• Speed: B3

Attributes:

• Health: B4
• Steel: B6
• Reflexes: B4
• Mortal Wound: B9

Skills:

• Alchemy: G9
• Sorcery: G9
• Apothecary: G3
• Herbalism: G3
• Symbology: G3
• History: G6
• Foreign Languages: G6
• Philosophy: B4
• Instruction: B5
• Write: B5
• Research: G9
• Inconspicuous: B4
• Calligraphy: B3
• Read: G3

Traits:

• Base Humility
• Myopic
• Spooky
• Know-it-all
• Affinity for books/scrolls
• Gifted
• Cool headed
• Mind over matter

Gear:

• Clothes
• Alchemy Tools
• Manner (40rps Property)

Spells:

• White Fire
• Bilious Smoke
• Force of Will

Affiliations: Small scholarly group focused on philosophy (10rps)
Reputation: Notable reputation as a great scholar (25 rps)
Relationships: Student/Apprentice (10rps)
Circles: B3
Resources: B5
[/spoiler]

Open to criticism ... I still need to choose beliefs and instincts

• City Born
• Student (noble)
• Arcane Devotee
• Sorcerer
• Rogue Wizard
• Archivist
• Scholar
• Advisor to the Court (4 yrs)

why would you not take Court Sorcerer? 

Also why rogue wizard?  Insane Criminal does not seem to fit in with this characters theme.
Also noble sorcerers are put in their place, city sorcerers are upwardly mobile (do not have the trait base humility).

Born City, Neophyte Sorcerer, Sorcerer, Court Magician is a good base then hook in student(city) and archivist. 

this makes a character who is a feisty Do'er, but is also a booky thinker.

Also white fire and force of will are great spells for you, but there are way better cheaper spells than bilious smoke. 

It would incidentally be your job as wizard to blast things the duke needed blasting and mind fuck the people he needed mind fucking. 

[Josh]

We are going to have an other player Z. 

And Meg will actually post her character sooner or later.

[Josh]

I will, when I can.

Have you gotten the book or pdf yet?

[AfterCrescent]

Exorcist is a mainstream religious lifepath.  Meaning your character would have to enter the church.  It is like someone being a wiccan and then becoming a bishop.  It can happen just your character would not be a cultist they would be an unbridled mainstream loony.  Like a fire and brimstone revivalist.  Is that what you are looking to play?  You would be part of the orthodox church, a reformed cultist (though you would still have the same base beliefs).    And you would conceal the fact that you consort with demons, because it's ok when you do it. 

That's exactly what I was thinking. Started as a cultist turned summoner. From there he learned about the benign spirits, not just demons, and turned to the heretic priest lifestyle, which lead him to thinker, where he realized God/angels were all in balance with nature spirits and Satan/demons.

His thinking led him to believe that the spirits are like beasts of burden, they're to be used, but he's not okay with the other way around, so he turned to exorcism. Cue the 'reformed cultist' ideal. As long as being an exorcist for the church helps him get what he needs, he has no problem doing so and keeping his 'tools' secret.

I'll try to finish burning this one up, asap.

[The87]

why would you not take Court Sorcerer? 

Also why rogue wizard?  Insane Criminal does not seem to fit in with this characters theme.
Also noble sorcerers are put in their place, city sorcerers are upwardly mobile (do not have the trait base humility).

Born City, Neophyte Sorcerer, Sorcerer, Court Magician is a good base then hook in student(city) and archivist. 

this makes a character who is a feisty Do'er, but is also a booky thinker.

I had a rationale for that particular series of LPs when I originally drafted them, though now I forget what it was. However, I like the idea of this character having gotten to where he is through an unusual path.

Is this a series of LPs that you are opposed to or are you just asking for justification?

Also white fire and force of will are great spells for you, but there are way better cheaper spells than bilious smoke. 

It would incidentally be your job as wizard to blast things the duke needed blasting and mind fuck the people he needed mind fucking. 

Yea, I wasn't so sure about that spell. I'll trade it out for something else.

[Josh]

why would you not take Court Sorcerer? 

Also why rogue wizard?  Insane Criminal does not seem to fit in with this characters theme.
Also noble sorcerers are put in their place, city sorcerers are upwardly mobile (do not have the trait base humility).

Born City, Neophyte Sorcerer, Sorcerer, Court Magician is a good base then hook in student(city) and archivist. 

this makes a character who is a feisty Do'er, but is also a booky thinker.

I had a rationale for that particular series of LPs when I originally drafted them, though now I forget what it was. However, I like the idea of this character having gotten to where he is through an unusual path.

Is this a series of LPs that you are opposed to or are you just asking for justification?

Neither.  I am making sure you understand your character.  In BW characters are the sum of their parts.  Your character is a scary crazy spooky wizard.  If that is what you want to play great.  I don't want your expectations to be that people will like you.  Fear yes, respect maybe, but you are not warm and fuzzy.

The other aspect is, you need a reason why people trust you.  So think about that for your beliefs.

[tsuyoshikentsu]

You don't.  But you are not allowed to make non meaningful skill rolls.  

So don't plan on getting better with a sword unless you are willing to lose a swordfight.  Don't plan on advancing sneaking unless you are ready to get the crap beaten out of you when you fail.  

The number of rolls is also much lower.  You might make one skill check in a scene.  And that check might be "will the prince be my friend or enemy."

Artha is what makes characters cool.  Do not expect to be cool if you don't have artha.  

Oh and you gain artha generally when you screw yourself.  So like if you have the trait humble and you allow someone else to take what you wanted, you get artha.  (by the same token if you only have good traits, well you don't get artha). 

And, the GM is obligated to act as your adversary.  So you don't ever get it easy or luck out.  Your weaknesses are the things that happen to you and the things that you are good at are made with as horrible a consequence as you can stand. 

As long as you allow for the possibility of my character succeeding, then we're cool.

[AfterCrescent]

[spoiler=Newly Burned Character]Thymar - Male Age 63

City Born              12yr Res:10
Cultist                4yr  Res:8 
Mad Summoner           8yr  Res:20 Stat:+1M
Heretic Priest         7yr  Res:6 
Thinker                15yr Res:5  Stat:+1M
Exorcist               6yr  Res:10 Stat:+1M
Advisor to the Court   4yr  Res:40 Stat:+1M
Advisor to the Court   4yr  Res:40 Stat:+1M


Artha: 1 Persona
       1 Fate

Stats:Will:B4
      Perception:G3
      Power:B2
      Forte:B4
      Agilty:B2
      Speed:B3

Attributes:Health:B4
           Steel:B5
           Reflexes:B3
           Mortal Wounds:B9

Traits: 13 points
        Zealot (1)
        Mad (1)
        Lunatic (1)
        Skeptical (1)
        Gifted (5)
        Second Sight (4)

Skills: 33 points & 9 General
       Cult Doctrine (2) G2
       Heretical Doctrine (2) G2
       Doctrine (2) G2
       Summoning-wise (2) G2
       Cultist-wise (2) G2
       Summoning (4) G4
       Philosophy (1) B2
       Strategy (2) G2
       Conspicuous (1) B2
       Falsehood (2) B3
       Persuasion (2) B3
       Demonology (2) G2
       Empyrealia (2) G2
       Oratory (1) B2
       Observation (2) G2
       Symbology (2) G2
       Aura Reading (4) G4
       Astrology (2) G2
       Read (2) G2
       Write (2) B2
       Exorcist Ritual (2)

Resources: 139 points
          Sacrificial Daggers (9rp)
          Astrology Toolkit (8rp)
          Riding Horse (5rp)
          Writing Toolkit (3rp)
          Circination Toolkit (8rp)
          Exorcism Toolkit (8rp)
          Nice little villa (15rp)
          Aether's Riddle (5rp)
          Mother's Call (5rp)
          The Binding (6rp)
          Abjure (5rp)
          Execration (8rp)
          Celestial Key (5rp)
          Corporal Key (6rp)
          Offering to Light (10rp)
          Relationship with a Bishop (8rp) [He hates me for being an 'ex-cultist' but can't excommunicate me because of my exorcism skills]
          Clothes (1rp)

Circles: B2
         1D affiliation with local summoners/cultist cabal (10rp)
         1D local reputation for knowing everything about every religion (7rp)
         1D affiliation with local church [as exorcist] (7rp)

Resources: B2

Beliefs: 1. Spirits, including gods and demons, are merely tools to an end.
         2. The stars say spirits are plotting to use the Duke, stop them.
         3. The spirit world is restless, I must figure out why.

Instincts: 1. Always carry more than one sacrificial dagger.
           2. If the answer is not clear, blame malevolent spirits.
           3. When meeting someone for the first time, read their aura.[/spoiler]

Okay, so I just have to name him and come up with two more beliefs. Sorry for any delay on my part...
Oh, also, who names the Bishop that my character has a relationship with?

[The87]

Neither.  I am making sure you understand your character.  In BW characters are the sum of their parts.  Your character is a scary crazy spooky wizard.  If that is what you want to play great.  I don't want your expectations to be that people will like you.  Fear yes, respect maybe, but you are not warm and fuzzy.

The other aspect is, you need a reason why people trust you.  So think about that for your beliefs.

That sounds pretty good to me. It wasn't exactly what I started out intending to play but I think I like it better anyway.

I'll get on those beliefs and instincts... I'm not sure where to take it though.

Any suggestions?

[AfterCrescent]

Updated my sheet above. Finished beliefs and named him.

[Josh]

I will be on a plane Thursday and next wed.  If people post characters I will be able to look them over then

[Mixplit]

Sorry I'm running a little slow. I temporarily lost internet at home. So for another 2 weeks I can only get online once or twice a week at the library. Should have broadband back at home around the 2 or 3rd of March.