Character Creation - Basics for all mortal characters

Attributes         : 5/4/3
Skills             : 11/7/4 (5th dot in any skill costs an additional point)
                   : Depending on the profession selected, the character should choose 2 skills
                     as their "Asset Skills" and at least 1 ranks in each of these skills
Specialities       : 3
Bonus Speciality   : 1 (can only be applied to a Asset Skill)
Merits             : 10

Secondary Attributes
Size               : 5
Health             : Stamina + Size
Willpower          : Resolve + Composure
Defense            : Lower of Dexterity or Wits + Athletics
Initiative         : Dexterity + Composure
Speed              : Strength + Dexterity + 5
Integrity          : 7
Touchstones        : 5
Aspirations        : 3

Notes - Integrity

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All mortal characters possess an Integrity rating which is a mixture of their morality as well as inner strength and self identity. Whenever they do anything that would test their morality, or if they reach a breaking point, the character will need to roll against their Integrity.

Integrity can be reduced for an additional 5 XP per point at character generation, to a minimum value of 5 Integrity for a maximum bonus of +10 XP.


Virtues and Vices

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The character gets to pick two anchors, their Virtue and Vice.
The virtue is difficult to act on and hard to ignore, but is rewarding when the character accomplishes it.
The vice however is an easy path, a solution that brings short-term comfort but doesn't help with their own personal improvement drive.

Regaining Willpower
+1 Willpower per night of rest.
+1 Willpower if a character accomplished their vice during the previous day.
+2 Willpower if a character accomplished their virtue during the previous day.
ALL Willpower regained if a character accomplished their virtue at significant risk to themselves or others during the previous day.
Bonus Willpower will be offered as rewards for additional in-game actions, as determined by the GM.

Virtues

• Competitive
• Honest
• Loving
• Peaceful
• Trustworthy
• Patient
• Courageous
• Righteous
• Generous
• Just
• Loyal
• Charitable
• Faithful
• Fortitude
• Hopeful
• Just
• Prudent
• Temperence

Vices

• Ambitious
• Pessimistic
• Hateful
• Deceitful
• Arrogant
• Untrustworthy
• Treacherous
• Cruel
• Sadistic
• Violent
• Corrupt
• Cowardly
• Hasty
• Secretive
• Jealous
• Competitive
• Greedy
• Envious
• Gluttonous
• Lustful
• Proud
• Slothful
• Wrathful

Aspirations

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Aspirations are what drives a character, their overall goals. They should have a mix of short and long term goals, and each aspiration should have a clear and obvious way to know when it has been met.

Example Short-Term Aspirations

• Find a new job
• Find out why my sister has not called me back
• Get beat up by a bully / beat up a bully
• Go on a date / meet someone new and meaningful
• Have meaningless sex with a stranger
• Indulge an addiction
• Mug someone / steal something of value
• Put myself in mortal danger
• See a ghost
• Show myself that I am not cursed

Example Long-Term Aspirations

• Become a parent
• Destroy the beast that killed my lover
• Discover what happened when my father disappeared
• Figure out what happened during those weeks I cannot remember
• Find my soul mate
• Find out who was really living in the culvert near my childhood home
• Prove my mother isn't crazy
• Put my daughter's ghost to rest
• Take over the company
• Break the family curse

Touchstones

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Each character should select 5 touchstones. This is increased by 1 from the main book.
These can be people they know or a location to which they have a strong attachment - they are people or places which helps to ground the character. Not all of these touchstones can be positive as someone that elicits a strong emotional response can act as a touchstone.

Of the five touchstones, at least two should be considered in more detail than the others. Who are they, what is the relationship with the character, how does the character feel for them, etc??
The remaining three can remain as concepts and fleshed out later in the game as the need arises, and as such the information about them should remain generic. However, once fleshed out the Touchstone cannot be changed.

This also applies to Merits such as Ally, Contact, Retainers and Staff. The details of them can be generic to begin with, but as the game progresses further detail can be added and once

Example Touchstones

• Wife / Husband / Partner / Lover
• Ex-partner
• Child
• Family member (cousin, aunt, uncle)
• Close friends
• Co-workers
• School friends
• A rival or competitor

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:14, Mon 31 July 2023.

Character Creation - Checklist

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When creating characters, players should decide how their character was before they became aware of the supernatural as well as how they have changed after they became aware. All players should run through the following list

• Consider the background questions (and/or come up with their own, if necessary) to give an idea of who or what the character is, as well as offering some suggestions as to how they were brought up and their personality; how they were made aware of the supernatural and how, if at all, it has changed them
• Determine concept and type (mortal, psychic, deviant, etc)
• Determine profession of character
• Determine aspirations and goals
• Determine virtues and vices
• Determine touchstones
• Allocate attributes and skills
• Allocate merits
• Determine secondary attributes and statistics

If a player wishes to play a character that is a deviant or another alternate mortal character, they can. However mortal characters will gain certain benefits at the start of play such as additional merits to purchase as well as increased XP during the course of play.

Before putting together the statistics for the character, you should have an idea of who they are and what they have experienced so far. You should consider answers to some or all of the following questions:

1. Where were you born?? Where were you raised?? Were you always there, or did you move around?? If so, how frequently and why?? Where do you consider "home" (if anywhere)?? Was it an isolated rural community, a small town or a large bustling city?? What was it like growing up there?? How does the outside world view people that come from this area?? How did growing up here affect or change you??
   
2. Who are your family and friends?? How close are you now?? Who is/are your role models??
   
3. What were your ambitions when you were younger?? Did you achieve your potential?? How successful were you??
   
4. What is it that prevents you from sleeping at night?? The cause of the recurring nightmare every time you close your eyes?? What or who do you see?? Is this a memory, a dream or knowledge of something yet to come??
   
5. What was the worst act that you have committed?? Who else was there?? What were the consequences, if any?? How do you feel about this act and/or the consequences you faced??
   
6. What is the character's greatest fear(s)?? What is/are their pet peeve(s)?? How do they react to people that annoy them, or who possess their pet peeve(s)??
   
7. What is the character's greatest aspiration?? Where do they see themselves in the future?? In 2 years?? In 10 years?? In 20 years??
   
8. How much experience of the supernatural world do you have?? How long have you known?? What happened to open your eyes to this world?? How did it affect you??
   
9. How do you feel about the supernatural?? What do you want to do with the knowledge you have??

Touchstones
Normally, Touchstones are created close to the end of the character development stage. However, to help develop the characters and who they are consideration for who the character's Touchstones are should be done close to the beginning of the character development process.
If a character uses a different method of creating Touchstones (Deviants, for example) then this will help to create an idea of what the character has lost by becoming a Reborn, and creates a little more background to the character that can be used and enhanced upon.

For example, at the start of play a character decides that their wife and son will be two of their five touchstones. However, during the course of character development as a Deviant they lose both of these touchstones in favour of developing others. While they still have access to the normal game feature of Touchstones, the character will have lost contact with their wife and son and this can be developed further with the GM.

Background Merits - Resources & Safe House
Notice must be made to the Resources and Safe House merits.
If a character wants to rent or own property, they must take at least one dot in Resources.
If a character instead chooses, they can take a -• flaw and become Destitute - meaning they have no property and no income.

If a character chooses to have Resources but does not put a point into Safe House, then their home is not secure at all and they should take a -• flaw for Safe House (. A single point in Safe House provides a small, secure space for upto 2 people.

More than one character can add dots into the Safe House merit, meaning that the safe house is larger, better equipped and potentially more secure. If a character wishes to have a home away from a collective safe house they can - but they must

This message was last edited by the GM at 09:59, Sat 29 Oct 2022.

Every character needs a profession, or at least a way to describe what they do to live and earn money. There is a list below that can be used for help with this (taken from Hunter: The Vigil). In order to be recognised in that profession, the Professional Training merit should be taken, and at least 3 skill points should be distributed between the 2 Professional Asset Skills listed - but each character should have a minimum of 1 rank in each of their professional skills.

The number of starting merits has been increased to allow this to happen without detracting from other aspects of the game, and all characters who have a job / livelihood should start with at least 1 rank in this merit. Note that the number of ranks in this Professional Training cannot be higher than the highest ranking asset skill associated with that profession.

Please do not discount Wealth either especially if you have a job and a regular income. If selected, describe where the wealth is coming from and ensure it makes sense. If you want to be independently wealthy and jobless, then please include an inappropriate background merit (such as Status) to support this.

Of course, discuss with the GM if you feel there is a reason why your character should not have a profession / asset skills / professional training / wealth at character creation (vagrant, teenager or youth, independently wealthy and has not worked a day in their life and has servants who do everything for them, etc). I want this to create a realistic feel at the beginning of the game, but I am flexible provided the character makes sense. In order to be a high-flying, recognised expert in a particular field you will need the skill itself but also the background merits to support it and sufficient wealth to ensure a steady income. That is not to say that a successful academic is rich, they could have a good income but be deep in debt (bad investments, ongoing court case, divorce, etc) and therefore only have a single dot in wealth (or none at all, and be sleeping on a friend's couch). You could be a home-taught genius in a particular field of expertise with no wealth and no professional training (a gifted youth still living at home with their parents, for example), but you will not be recognised within society as gifted without the merits to support it.

Lastly, all characters should have curious minds and a thirst to investigate and explore the unknown for whatever reason. This is a game of horror about exploring the supernatural and, hopefully, dealing with at least some of the threats lurking in the shadow. If a character wants to explore then run away from what they find then great, but they would at least be involved in the exploration and will be leaving those that don't run away to the consequences of what they have found.

Example Professions

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What follows are examples of professions that can be used, along with example linked asset skills.
In order to be viewed as being competent in the chosen profession, the character needs to have at least 3 points of skill split between these asset skills.
The merit Professional Training cannot be higher than the combined total of skill points assigned to both Asset skills.

Characters can use these professions, or can discuss with the GM about creating their own.
See the Professional Training merit below for details of bonuses that each level gives to the character.

Profession	Asset Skills
Academic	Academics, Science
Artist	Crafts, Expression
Athlete	Athletics, Medicine
Cop	Streetwise, Firearms
Criminal	Larceny, Streetwise
Detective	Empathy, Investigation
Doctor	Empathy, Medicine
Engineer	Crafts, Science
Hacker	Computer, Science
Hit Man	Firearms, Stealth
Journalist	Expression, Investigation
Labourer	Athletics, Craft
Occultist	Investigation, Occult
Politician	Politics, Subterfuge
Professional	Academics, Persuasion
Religious Leader	Academics, Occult
Scientist	Investigation, Science
Socialite	Politics, Socialise
Stuntman	Athletics, Drive
Survivalist	Animal Ken, Survival
Soldier	Firearms, Survival
Technician	Crafts, Investigation
Thug	Brawl, Intimidation
Vagrant	Streetwise, Survival

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:16, Mon 31 July 2023.

There will be two methods of gaining experience - the usual BEATS gained for in-game experiences, but also the practical experience system from Hunter the Vigil.

Gaining Experience

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Characters will gain a beat whenever they experience the following:

• Fulfills an aspiration (the aspiration will need to be changed by the beginning of the next chapter)
• Resolving a condition
• By choosing to make a failed roll a dramatic failure
• Whenever the character takes lethal damage in their rightmost health box
• At the end of a chapter
• Any time the character risk a breaking point
• Any dramatic moment the GM feels it is warranted

For every 5 beats, the character gains +1 XP.


Practical Experience

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Practical experience is what the group will receive in their quest to understand and combat the spread of the supernatural. It is used mostly for development of the cell itself, such as collective merits, but can also be used as additional experience by players if it can be agreed that the character in question has truly earned the bonus.

• +1 for every character who participated meaningfully in the chapter (including NPCs)
• +1 for every exceptional success rolled when acting directly against a monster
• +1 for every exceptional failure rolled
• +1 if the monster(s) displayed powers that were supernatural in nature and unknown by at least half of the group
• +1 if the group used a tactic successfully
• +1 if the tactic has never been used in the field before
• +1 if the cell saved the life of an innocent
• +1 if the cell drove the monster off
• +2 if the cell immobilised or captured the monster
• +2 if the hunters used a creative new approach or strategy against the monster
• +3 if the cell killed or destroyed the monster, rendering them harmless
• -1 if any bystanders come to harm
• -1 for any instance of team-mates working against each other, friendly fire or one-upmanship
• -1 if any member of the cell puts another in direct and real danger
• -2 if any bystanders are killed (not cumulative with the "come to harm" penalty above)
• -2 if the hunters were forced to flee (if a retreat was already planned, this does not apply)
• -2 for every derangement gained
• -3 for every hunter killed

Can be spent on the following:

• Group-based merits
• Character skills and merits
• For a character to regain a Willpower point

Spending Experience

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Attribute: 4 XP per dot you wish to raise it to
Merit: 1 XP per dot
Skill: 2 XP per dot you wish to raise it to
Skill speciality: 1 XP
Integrity: 1 XP per dot you wish to raise it to

This message was last edited by the GM at 16:08, Tue 09 Aug 2022.

Example Character Creation

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Character Concept
Profession: Computer programmer (secret hacker).

Statistics
Attributes
Mental (Primary): 5 Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 2
Physical (Secondary): 4 Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2
Social (Tertiary): 3 Presence 1, Manipulation 1, Composure 3

Skills
Mental (Primary): 11 Academics 1, Awareness 1, Computers 3, Science 3, Technology 3.
Physical (Secondary): 7 Athletics 2, Crafts 3, Drive 2.
Social (Tertiary): 5 Empathy 2, Expression 3.

Specialities
Standard: 3 Computer (Programmming), Technology (Computers),
Profession: 1 Computer (Hacking)

Touchstones
Suzie - ex partner.
Very physical and emotional relationship, however she was very needy and demanding. Despite their relationship being toxic, he felt a real connection with her. When she left him, she broke the character's heart. However, somehow, he is still very much in lust with her. The problem is that, despite everything that has happened, when she needs him he will drop everything to help. And she knows it.

Carol - wife.
Everything that Suzie was, Carol is the opposite. Considerate, caring, patient, loving. This is the woman that the character wants to spend the rest of his life with, to have children with. And yet he feels that there is something lacking in their relationship. She just isn't Suzie, and will never excite him the same way. The character loves Carol without question

Chad - best friend from school.
Overconfident jock style persona. Free spirit, has never settled down, and enjoys the lifestyle of the singleton a little too much and often. He is frequently in the company of different woman on different nights, and is well known to be a heavy drinker.

Terri - work colleague.
Quiet yet extremely capable and reliable. Is a workaholic, and an OCD perfectionist and hypochondriac.

Martin "Marty" - nephew.
His sister's marriage has broken down, and she finds herself working all the hours she can. With no children of his own, the character has taken over the male role-model for the boy, and his nephew is frequently found at his house being cared for by himself (or more accurately, Carol his wife). Unfortunately, as an only child, he is now a spoiled, selfish and highly opinionated eleven year old. He holds an attitude that everything he wants he is entitled to, and this leads him to take what isn't his. So far he has acquired a small number of trinkets and small amounts of money, but he is getting braver and taking larger and more valuable items and quantities of money.


This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Thu 03 Aug 2023.