This is a step-by-step guide through the process of character generation. If you have questions beyond what is explained here, please do not hesitate to ask staff on game.
Step 1: Demographics
Fullname, Gender and age
Fill out with the required info. Please note that the character's age will affect the amount of points you can spend on merits, attributes and skills. When setting the age, you will receive an information about how many extra points it will grant you.
Organization (Nationality)
Pick the country of your character here, most often Terre d'Ange. For other countries of the known world, consult our geography page.
If the country in question is not on the list in the demographics room, put in a request for staff to set this manually.
Character Classes (Factions)
The setting supports the following five character classes:
- Nobles — d'Angeline nobility alone
- Courtesans — Servants of Naamah in all their variations
- Commoners — Tradesmen, retainers, sailors
- Foreigners — Ambassadors, merchants, adventurers
- Clergy — Priests, Acolytes
Cassiline guards will pick class Noble or Commoner, depending on their background. For more information on Cassilines, go here.
Nobles
As for now, titles higher than Vicomte/Vicomtesse are not open for application. This may change over time, but in the beginning the focus of the game will be less on larger scale politics and more on adventures and quests that enable characters to earn fame and maybe even a title. Check out our nobility guide that offers helpful information about creating and playing your noble character. If you are interested in creating a landed noble of Eisande, you can find an overview of currently available titles here.
Courtesans
There are four salons representing the variety of Mont Nuit offered in the Night Court of Marsilikos. Each salon represents a certain direction in canon, and each salon has its niche. To decide which salon to choose for your courtesan character, you should check out the respective wiki pages for more information: Lis d'Or, Rose Sauvage, Coquelicot and Glycine. Also check out our courtesan guide that offers helpful information about creating and playing your character.
Commoners
These will be local craftsmen/shop owners in Marsilikos, but also people serving in the retinue of nobles. A number of businesses are available to be filled, tailors, import goods, smithies and others. Tsingani characters will also be of this category. With Marsilikos being a port town, there will also be a number of seamen about.
Foreigners
Visitors, emissaries from other countries, currently stranded in Marsilikos.
Clergy
These will be Priests/Priestesses of the many temples. Eisheth foremost, but there are also temples of Elua, Naamah, Shemhazai, Camael, Kushiel, Anael and Azza.
Houses
Nobles set the name of their family as their house, for example Mereliot, Shahrizai, etc. Courtesans set the name of their salon, or the House of a noble mentor that has taken them on. Otherwise, you can put None here, or set this to Other first and ask staff to set a house that is not on the list (as would be the case with foreign nobility).
Occupations
Occupation is free form but should describe the position of your character.
Nobles
The position can be one of the following:
- Lord/Lady — unlanded nobility
- Baron/Baronesse of <landed holding>
- Vicomte/Vicomtesse of <landed holding>
You can also name an office here, i.e. Cassiline, lady-in-waiting, counselor.
Examples: Baronesse d'Aubagne , Lord, Counselor, Lady-in-waiting
Courtesans
The occupation should correspond to the status of the character (novice/adept/courtesan/head courtesan). The name of the salon does not need to be included, as it is obvious from the surname. The only exception here, 'Independent', in case the character is not part of the salons.
Examples: Adept, Novice, Independent Courtesan
Commoners
Examples: Smith, Tailor, Servant, Tsingani, Sailor
Foreigners
The occupation reflects social status and current occupation.
Examples: Ambassador, Merchant, Adventurer
Clergy
Examples: Priest of Naamah, Acolyte of Eisheth
Step 2: Special Merits
Special Merits
The next room in chargen is about Special Merits. As some particular merits can be essential to a concept, these are to be chosen before taking attributes and skills. Some of these merits cost points. More information about special merits can be found here. Additionally, adepts can set their Marque in this room, fixing the starting state of their progress so far by setting the percentage.
If none of this pertains to your character concept, you can go ahead and proceed to the next room.
Step 3: Attributes and Skills
Our game uses Faraday's FS3 Skill System, Second Edition.
Attributes
The following four attributes will influence your skill rolls. The ruling attribute of a skill will be included automatically when performing a skill +roll.
- Body
- Presence
- Mind
- Reaction
You may spend points to raise attributes as fits your character concept. Attributes must at least be at 1, and cannot be higher than 4 initially. You are allowed to spend as many points, as are needed for a 3-3-3-3 constellation. To find out which action skills rely on which attribute, use the command +rulingattr in game.
Skills
Novice Level 1-3
Professional Level 4-6
Veteran Level 7-9
Master 10 and above
Currently, you have 60 points (minus points spent on Scion merit and Gifts) to spend on raising skills and attributes, and are limited to three skills at high level (>=7). Bonus points are granted depending on the age of your character. The exact amount will be shown to you when setting your +age in the Demographics Room. You can check the amount of remaining points at your disposal through the '+points' command in the abilities room.
Action Skills
Limitations: Characters younger than twenty can spend no more than 32 points on Action Skills in chargen. For older characters there is a slight raise of this limit, ages 20-29 get 34 points, 30-39 get 36, 40-49 get 38 and 50-59 get 40 there.
- Axes
- Blades
- Composure
- Dodge
- Investigation
- Leadership
- Medicine
- Perception
- Polearms
- Politics
- Ranged
- Riding
- Seafaring
- Stealth
- Unarmed
Background Skills
These are freeform but should be chosen wisely, to complete the skill set of your character.
- Performing (Dancing, Singing, Playing an instrument, etc)
- Craftsmanship (Sewing, Fashion Design, Blacksmith, Goldsmith, Jeweler, etc)
- Art (Sculpting, Painting, Music, Poetry, etc)
- Persuasion, Seduction, Intimidation
- Games (Dice, Chess, Kottabos, Cards)
- Empathy
- Orate
- Anything else that may seem suitable.
Quirks
Freeform, taken to round off the character, flaws or some minor strange habits
Languages
Default is d'Angeline, additional languages can be learned, at the cost of 2 points per language. See languages on the geography page.
Part 4: Background
Background/History
The background is vital to define where your character is coming from, to lay out their history and explain certain motivations and possible plot hooks. Please note that the background is not public. You can add a brief public background in your +finger, and limit information about your character on the wiki, if you like. We advise against posting secret IC information to the wiki. While we all try to separate OOC knowledge from IC knowledge, we are all humans, in the end.
If you like to use parts of your background for some plot stuff, don't be afraid to ask staff to help you there. There are certain mechanics, like rumors, or dropping hints in scenes that can make this quite the dynamic experience.
Step 5: Final Touches
Description
Set up an in-game description for your character, and a shortdesc.
Finger Info
Setting Goals
Determining goals for your character is vital if you intend to develop the character further. it also helps to feel out your character and spark RP in general. If you have problems finding goals that suit your character, put in a request to staff, and we can try to help by suggesting options. Reaching goals will be rewarded through advancements, the details of which will be worked out in cooperation with staff.
For now, setting and handling of goals will be on request basis alone.