Phases:

Step 1: Select Aspects
Players pick one or more aspects to represent important elements of the character that can tie into the events
of the phase.

Aspects are used to describe any element of the character. Aspects include things like attributes (Strong, Weak, Agile, Charismatic, Tough, Fast, Slow), descriptors (Dutiful Charming, Alert, Dramatic), careers (Knight, Mercenary, Musketeer, Cutthroat) or even ties to the setting (Merry Man of Sherwood, Initiate of the Blue Wind, Fiodario Fencing Academy). Aspects may be good, bad or both but they should always reflect some important element of the character.

When an aspect is chosen the character gains one level of that aspect, noted as follows:

1 Knight (Fair)
An aspect may be chosen again on a subsequent phase, in which case it goes up a level and is noted as:
2 Knight (Good)
And then
3 Knight (Great)

The GM sets the maximum number of levels that can be chosen in a given aspect is 3

Step 2: Skill Ranks
Skill ranks, as the name suggests, are spent primarily to purchase skills, but they can also be invested in resources.

Buying Skills
Skill ranks may be spent to buy new skills or to improve existing ones. Acquiring a new skill costs one skill
rank, and sets the skill at Average. Spending a skill rank to improve a skill raises it one step per rank spent
(from Fair to Good, for example, or Superb to Epic.). Skills will generally be selected from the skill list.

Once the aspects are chosen, the player then picks four skill ranks appropriate to the events of the phase. If
the player had spent the phase training in an order of knights, then skills like swords, riding or heraldry would
probably be appropriate, while skills like garrotte or needlework would not (barring a very odd order of
knighthood).

Skills are described according to the adjective ladder, and default to Mediocre. Spending one skill rank
increases a skill to Average, spending a second increases it to Fair, spending another increases it to Good and
so on. Players may spend those four skill ranks any way they like with only one limitation: there must always
be one more skill in the next rank down. This means that a character must have two skills at Fair to have a
skill at Good (and must have three skills at Average to have the two skills at Fair). Because of how this looks,
it is referred to as the skill pyramid. When the rules are observed, the pyramid is considered to be balanced.
The pyramid must be balanced at the end of every phase.
This process is repeated for each phase.

Maximum 1 skill at rank 4.

Select Character Goal
Finally, the player should pick what direction they want the character to go
in next. This is expressed as a goal, which should be the next aspect the
player would like for the character. Itís possible that the player will not have
an idea, and thatís fine, but the goals help tell the GM the sorts of things the
players are interested in
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:40, Tue 30 July 2019.

Phase 1: Birth (Racial Aspect)

Phase 2: Childhood (Family and Friends' Influence)

Phase 3: Adolescence (Education)

Phase 4: Adulthood (Choices of Life)

Phase 5: Employment (Working Skills)

Phase 6: Adventure Time (Exploring the World)

Sample Aspects
Anger
The characterís rage simmers just below the surface, awaiting opportunity to burst.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Vent his frustration, usually through explosive action towards
whatever heís mad at.
The GM might invoke this to: Cause the character to lose his temper at an inappropriate moment.
Interfere with any action that requires calm.
Bookworm
The character is an academic, well versed in all manner of obscure lore. His knowledge, unfortunately, is
almost entirely from books, and theory is not always the same as practice.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Dig up an obscure fact or other bit of knowledge at the right.
Research like a fiend.
The GM might invoke this to: Cause problems when the character is faced with the need to apply his
knowledge under the stress of ìReal Worldî conditions.
Cowardly
The character is a firm believer in the better part of valor, either out of meekness, deep self interest, or some
other motivator.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Run, hide, or otherwise get away from something dangerous.
The GM might invoke this to: Inspire the character to flee when he really need to stand his ground.
Curse of Toads
When the character tells a lie, a live toad pops out of his mouth.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Gross someone out, or convince someone who knows of the
curse that he is honest.
The GM might invoke this to: Complicate things when lies would be more convenient.
Duty
The character owes a duty to some one or thing which should come out of creation. Alternately, the character
may simply take all of his responsibilities very seriously.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Perform an action which directly upholds the duty.
The GM might invoke this to: Present a player a choice between upholding his duty or doing
something more practical. Raise an issue of responsibility at an inconvenient moment.
Intelligent
The character is smart, simple as that.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Know useful things, or find them out if they arenít known.
The GM might invoke this to: Unless there are monsters that specifically like eating big brains, thereís
not much the GM can do with this.
Meticulous
The character is very thorough in his approach to almost everything.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Get a bonus to any task where
he has the time and resources to do a thorough job, ìdiscoverî that
he packed just the right tool.
The GM might invoke this to: Interfere with the character being
spontaneous.
Onianos
A curved blade carved from the purest Moonstone, this sword has been
passed down through generations of heroes. In the hands of the unworthy,
its edge is dull and its balance shoddy, but in the hands of a true (or
potential) hero, it strikes sharp and true.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Swordfight, or have the sword
conveniently available.
The GM might invoke this to: Steal the sword. Require some ritual to
renew the swordís magic.
Panasta Dados
Panasta Dados is the Master of Thieves of the city of Alverado, and at some
point he took the character under his wing and taught him some of what he
knows.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Perform a thiefly task, ìHereís a
trick Old Pan taught me.î Get some information about Alverado,
get information directly from Panasta.
The GM might invoke this to: Have Pan call in a favor. Have Panís
enemies try to strike at him through the character.
Priest
The character is a member of the priesthood, and is expected to support the
appropriate dogma, as well as accept whatever duties, responsibilities and
powers come with the position.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Give a stirring sermon. Resist
the powers antithetical to his faith. Attempt to use the resources of
his church.
The GM might invoke this to: Deliver inconvenient orders from a
superior. Present temptations that contradict the Priestís Dogma.
Raise the ire of opposed religions.
Self Destructive
For whatever reason, the character seeks his own destruction, though he is
unwilling to take direct action to do something about it. Instead, he throws
himself wholeheartedly into dangerous situations in the hopes that this time
will be his last.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Do something stupid and
dangerous.
The GM might invoke this to: Keep a character from
doing the safe, reasonable thing.
Raello
The characterís family estate, it is a place of rest and refuge
from the troubles of the world.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Draw upon the
resources of the house.
The GM might invoke this to: Threaten the house.
Treacherous
The character has a knack for betrayal. Heís the one who
shows up on the movie screen and everyone watching
knows that heís the one whoís going to whisper lies in the
kingís ear and try to seduce the naive princess. Betrayal
comes easily to the character, and while he may be steadfast
and true in the end, it would be so easy not to be.
A player might invoke this aspect to: Lie, spy or
generally connive.
The GM might invoke this to: Incite suspicious
reactions from NPCs, especially when the character
is telling the truth. Offer opportunities to stab
comrades in the back.
Veteran
The character is the survivor of many battles, and the experience has shaped him. This is appropriate for a
seasoned campaigner who has seen many battles (in contrast to Veteran of Gishal Falls, below).
A player might invoke this aspect to: Keep his wits about him in a fight. Assess a tactical situation.
Pitch camp in unfriendly country.
The GM might invoke this to: Invoke flashbacks. Introduce old rivals from the other side of the
battlefield.
Veteran of Gishal Falls
The Battle of Gishal Falls was fought over the course of 4 months in the swampy, disease-infested valley
below the falls. Both the Nadulians and the Asts consider the battle a defeat, and the casualty rates on both
sides were obscene.
A player might invoke this aspect to: As Veteran, but also to resist disease or carry on activities in a
swamp.
The GM might invoke this to: As Veteran, but the GM now knows who the opposing side was, and
what people think of the battle. Some may consider the character a reminder of the Armyís
embarrassment, or resent them for surviving while a loved one did not.
Amnesia - The character has a hole in his memory of some size. The good
and ill of this are somewhat subject to GM whim.
Banjo - The Demon Horse. Heís fast, tough and smart, but he also eats
meat. Especially rabbits.
Barbarian - Raised in the wilds, this character may be good at hunting
and fighting, but lacking in social graces.
Courtier - Experienced with the ebb and flow of courtly intrigue, this is
useful for dealing with those intrigues, but less useful for convincing an
angry mob that youíre really one of them.
Delusional - The character has some firmly held delusion. This tends to
be useful on those occasions the delusion is useful (think Don Quixote), but
otherwise problematic.
Fae-touched - The character knows something of the ways of Faerie, but
this comes with some drawbacks, such as an aversion to Iron, the necessity
of an invitation to enter a home, or just the attention of faeries.
Famous - The character is well known, which is useful for dealing with
people who like him, but less useful when trying to avoid attention.
Holy - The characterís convictions run so deep as to be a beacon in the
darkness. This beacon may provide illumination, but it also is likely to draw
attention.
Fop - A cultured gentleman can turn to excess. While Fops are usually
skilled in social arts, they are also prone to a variety of vices, and have a
most unwholesome reputation.
Gambler - Know when to hold ëem, know when to fold ëem, but very
rarely know when not to play the game.
Hunted - Someone (or something) is after the character. Useful for
evading or confronting pursuers, but with obvious drawbacks
Irish - Useful for drinking, brawling and spinning yarns, less good for
stopping drinking and keeping your temper.
Kind - Kindness is a virtue treasured by healers and those who bring
succor, but it is ill-suited to many of lifeís cruelties.
Large - Useful when being big and strong comes in handy, but less useful
when trying to do things like hide (or buy clothes that fit).
Ninja - Can you ever really have enough ninjas?
Rich - Outside of the events of play, the character has significant wealth.
which is useful in many ways. Sadly, what he has, so many others want...
Rival - The character has a rival who he wants to defeat in some fashion.
While this aspect may help with the rivalry, the rival himself is likely to cause
problems.
Strong - Break things!
Vengeful - The characterís been wronged, and seeks to make it right. This
is useful for pursuing that revenge, but such focus can often turn into
tunnel vision.
Weapon Master - The character kicks ass with weapons. People who
kick ass this much tend to draw attention from others out to prove how
much they kick ass.

Skill list

Acrobatics
Area Knowledge (Specialized)
Art
Awareness
Bluff
Climbing
Craft (Specialized)
Diplomacy
Etiquette
First Aid
Forgery
Herbalism
History
Hunting
Languages (+1 Language per rank)
Linguistics
Lockpicking
Lore (General or Specialized)
Performance (Specialized)
Pickpocket
Research
Riding
Rope Use
Running
Search
Sense Motive
Sneak
Spot
Streetwise
Survival
Swimming
Tracking

Bows - Bows, Crossbows
Brawling - Improvised weapons
One Handed Edged - Swords, Knives, Axes
One Handed Blunt - Maces, Clubs
Polearm - Halberd, Spetum, Staff
Shield - Facility with a shield - grants an additional +1 if used as skill for an all out defense
Thrown - Knife, Shuriken
Two Handed - Two-Handed Sword, Greataxe
Unarmed Combat - Boxing, Wrestling, Martial arts

Magic

Mage characters need to purchase a Magical Talent aspect and a spellcasting skill.
It is possible that those go under other names, such as Wicca or Thaumaturge with their Old Magick and
Thaumaturgy skills. Generally speaking, this is just for color, but it may have some game effect (see below).

To cast a spell, simply determine its difficulty and make a spellcasting roll to meet or exceed the difficulty
level.

Difficulty defaults to Average (0), and is increased or decreased by the effects of the spell as follows.

The spell's scope encompasses...
Nothing: +0
The Caster: +1
A room: +2
A building: +3
A town: +4
A state: +5

If the spell targets...
No One: +0 difficulty
1 Person: +1 difficulty
Small Group: +2 Difficulty
Neighborhood: +3 Difficulty
Town: +4 Difficulty

Note: Most spells either have a number of targets or a scope, not both. Thus, a spell to put everyone in a
room to sleep would be based on targets, while one to illuminate the room would use scope. When in doubt,
use the higher difficulty.

If the spell is...
Irritating or inconvenient: +1 Difficulty
Damaging: +2 Difficulty
Incapacitating: +3 Difficulty
Fully transformative: +4 Difficulty
Mind Altering: +2 Difficulty (over and above other modifiers - mind control is effectively incapacitating
and affects the mind)
Instantly Lethal: Impossible

If the Casting takes...
A few moments (i.e. in combat): +1 Difficulty
A few minutes: +0 Difficulty
A few Hours: -1 Difficulty
A few Days: -2 Difficulty

If the spell requires:
Nothing: +1 Difficulty
Easily acquirable, portable components: +0 Difficulty
Components are very inconvenient or hard to acquire: -1 Difficulty
Components are very inconvenient and hard to acquire: -2 Difficulty
Note: if the spell requires components, their exact nature is determined by the GM - it is cheating to decide that your spell
needs a rare ingredient you just happen to have on hand. This drawback is generally only appropriate for researched spells
(see below)

If the spell lasts...
An instant (generally long enough for a combat attack): +0 Difficulty
A few seconds: +1 Difficulty
A few minutes: +2 Difficulty
A few Hours: +3 Difficulty
A few days: +4 Difficulty
A few Months: +5 Difficulty
A few Years: +6 Difficulty
Forever: +7 Difficulty
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:50, Tue 30 July 2019.