RolePlay onLine RPoL Logo

, welcome to Gas Lamps and Steam

22:54, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Character Generation.

Posted by GM StarMasterFor group 0
GM StarMaster
GM, 2 posts
Mon 23 Sep 2013
at 22:35
  • msg #1

Characters

Although this is a freeform game, there are still some guidelines for your characters:

RACE and NATIONALITY
I’m still on the fence about allowing strange species, such as witches, Catfolk, and yeti, but if such DO exist, they are not known to the general populace. So, that being said, I’ll consider non-humans as long as you have a good explanation for their existence.

Racial prejudices still exist in many parts of the world, but it’s not a world-wide prejudice. So, depending on where you go, you’ll be treated decently (or else thrown in the slave mines or the stew pot).

I’m using a tweaked world similar to Space: 1889. There are several dozen countries that actually existed at the time that would have disappeared in the endless wars and revolutions if not for steampunk technology that allowed them to remain independent or gain independence. Also, in the midst of international diplomacy, many micro-nations have come into existence if for no other reason than nobody has bothered with them… yet. Plus, I’ve added a few dozen ‘fictional’ countries, among which are:
WESTERN EUROPE: Concordia, Florin, Freedonia, Govenia, Grand Fenwick, and Guilder.
BALKANS: Drackenburg, Evallonia, Graustark, Levitrea, Molduria, Moravika, Ruritania, Smyrkania, and Strackenz.
SOUTHEAST ASIA: Darmipoor, Ishtar, Mandalia, Shangri-La, and Shengoa.
SOUTWEST ASIA: Kabulstan and Karak.
CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA: Amapa, Counani, Curuguay, Hidalgo, Mosquito Coast, Parador, Patagonia, San Pedro, Santa Paragua, Teutonia, Tawantinsuyu (Inca nation), Vespugia, and Yucateco (Mayan nation).
WEST INDIES: Redonda, San Cristobal, San Cordova, and San Pascal.
AFRICA: Bourbony, Fezzan, Kambezi, Katanga, Kawandu, Kuba, Kush, Mafia, Opar, St. Helena, St. Thomas, Timbuktu, Tunda, Valeria, and Valeska.

The invention of the telegraph and airships has opened the world to the common man. Even if he’ll never get to visit most of these places, obscure and previously unknown countries are now places of wonder.

ASPECTS
Although I’m using a free-form style, characters need to fit within a couple of broad concepts. I won’t be using numbers to define a character, so no number crunching will be necessary, but I’d like to use the following basic definitions for the characters: three mental aspects include Charisma, Intellect, and Social Standing; and three physical aspects include Agility, Endurance and Strength. I’m going on the assumption that all the PCs are above average in all aspects, but I need you to pick one that is your primary and one that is your secondary. For example, if you are a pugilist, you’d probably choose Strength as your primary and Endurance as your secondary. You can also designate one as being under-developed. The pugilist might have a weak intellect or very low social standing.

CAREERS
In the Victorian Era, unless you were born into the upper class, the only way to get ahead, make a fortune or make a name for yourself was to go adventuring. That’s not to say that all adventures had to be in Borneo or darkest Africa. Sometimes, it could be found in your own backyard. But where’s the fun in that? So you should define your character with a pre-adventuring career and an adventuring career—essentially, what you used to do and what you are trying to do now.

Pre-Adventuring Career: For the most part, you had to have started somewhere. You don’t normally go out adventuring without some skills and usually a bit of experience. If you were under 30 years old, you were considered green. Appearances were usually more important than ability (at least until you proved them wrong).
Some options: actor, adventuress, archaeologist, Army, Aerial Corps, big game hunter, bounty hunter, bureaucrat, circus performer, college/university, colonial office, cowboy, craftsman, criminal (con artist, desperado, pirate, smuggler, thief), detective, doctor, engineer, explorer, factory worker, farmer, foreign office, gambler, gentleman adventurer, gunslinger, industrialist, lumberjack, merchant, miner, missionary, monk, musician, Navy, police (constable, judge, marshal, Texas ranger), politician, professor, pugilist, reporter, and scientist. Note that there are many more options, and even variations on most of these, so if you have an idea for something that’s not listed here, just run it by me; I’ll probably approve it.

Adventuring Career: Going out adventuring requires putting on a front or associating with someone of importance or status. For some, that front might be a gruff exterior—appearance and mannerisms that say ‘don’t bother me’. For others, it might be ‘Hey, look! I’m someone important! You may kiss my boot!’ Usually, though, it’s somewhere in between. Your adventuring career represents that front—the way you choose to interact with the world.
Some options: All of the pre-adventuring careers can also be chosen here, even the same one again, as well as mad scientist, master criminal and vampire hunter.

SKILLS
There’s no list because it would be way too lengthy. Instead, just pick 4-6 skills you think your character would be really good at. They can be anything that floats your boat: phlebotomy, fortune telling, thumb wrestling, subnuclear physics, arcane lore, accordion, climbing, running on empty, dancing in the moonlight, piloting a submarine, picking pockets, pottery, martial arts, etc.

PERSONALITY
Some idea of your personality would be good. Things like reserved, talkative, brave, foolish, creative, happy-go-lucky, cheerful, grim, charming, enthusiastic, gullible, cautious, impulsive, etc. will help me direct the story. Quirks and mannerisms are also cool, but I know how hard it is to maintain mannerisms (it is for me!).

MOTIVATION
You should have an idea why you are going out into the big, wide nasty world. Some possibilities are: adventure, curiosity, exploration, fame-and-fortune, god-glory-and-empire, mercenary, on the run, starting over, travel, vengeance, and that old standby “it seemed like a good idea at the time.” This can always change as the adventure progresses.

GEAR
The devil is in the details, so if there’re no details, then there’s no devil! Lists of equipment would entail costs, which in turn mean keeping track of your wealth and expenditures and lots of bookkeeping. So let’s skip all that. Just provide me a list of equipment you think your character would have and maybe a few things you’d like to have and I’ll determine if it’s reasonable (well, unreasonable might work, too).
This message was last updated by the GM at 00:47, Tue 22 Oct 2013.
Sign In