Character Creation: It Came From Swanton Ohio

Seriously, that's where Stellar Games was based.

The Game: It Came From the Late, Late, Late Show
The publisher: Stellar Games
Degree of familiarity: Some. Played it once or twice, ran it a couple years back at Origins.
Books Required: Just the core.

 

I could have made a character from Slasher if it was out, or something like kill puppies for satan if I had it, but for now, let's go with the lighter side of the holiday.

It Came From the Late, Late, Late, Show (or "Lateshow" for short) was a game I picked up back in Toledo, around the time I picked up Nightlife. It's a game in which you play an actor playing a role in a bad horror movie, so even if you "die" it just means you're out of the movie. There are rules for the film breaking, for walking off the set, and for holding the film hostage until the Director gives you a break of some kind. I like running it because it's fun to describe cheesy special effects.

So anyway, let's do this. Whee, random chargen!

There are five Abilities: Build, Dexterity, Brains, Looks and Fame. Need me to explain those? All righty, then. This handy site gives me 38, 39, 32, 31, 20 and if I assign those in order, I get an actor whose quick and tough, not altogether un-smart or homely, but just hasn't made a real splash yet. He's looking for his big break. He's in LA, and he's gonna make it, man. God gave him a gift. He was so good in his...high school production of...Brigadoon. (I'm quoting a David Cross routine. Just seemed appropriate.)

Anyway, my actor's name is Trap Martindon (it's totally a stage name). Trap is from...fuck, someplace inane. Juneau, Alaska. He came to LA to be the next THAT GUY (insert your favorite actor here), and he's gonna make it. He knows he is. But to make it, he's got to do his time in cheesy horror movies first. That's how Johnny Depp started, you know. Kevin Bacon, too.

So Trap is working for Buckets o' Blood Studios or whatever. They love him because he can do his own stunts convincingly. He always gets cast in the role of the Corporate Guy That Tries to Buy the Monster And Then Gets Eaten (see also: Carter Burke) or the Apparent Bad Guy That Reforms And Sacrifices Himself At the Last Minute (I dunno, what's a good example?). So obviously, I'll be needing some Props. I get 2 props (my Fame/10) and they have to be chosen from the list for Fame 1-30. I'll pick a Watch, Pocket and a Pet, Hamster (I know the comma after "Pet" is unnecessary; that's the way it's written in the book). The hamster was my agent's idea. Makes me a good PETA spokesman. Not that they've returned my calls yet - might have been the burger commercials I did...

Anyway, now Skills. I roll 20d10 and add those numbers to a given stat for the Skill rating. Oy. So here's my list:

Unarmed Combat 47
Spear 45
Pistol 46
Acting 40
Carousing 66
Etiquette 40
Gambling 30
Lying 40
Motorcycles 45
Sports (Football) 44
Screaming 36

Sounds good. Note the best skill: Drinking. 

Character Creation: Æternal Legends

Gotta love games that require me to open up a tab for Alt codes.

The Game: Æternal Legends
The publisher: Mob United, originally, but I don't see anyone but eBay selling it
Degree of familiarity: None. I've read it, that's it. Playing it would be fun, but I say that a lot, don't I?
Books Required: Just the core. 

 

OK, Æternal Legends is about modern fantasy, about being a Legend and a hero. It's got shades of Changeling: The Dreaming and Unknown Armies, which is cool. I think I'd like to have seen more examples in the book - character creation, powers in action, actual play, that kind of thing, because after reading I'd have a hard time explaining it. But, Stew helpfully made us a character a while back, so I betcha I can do it, too.

Step 0: Concept. I know I want to play a gnome. I like their description here, how they're about invention and creation and inspiration. And, I admit, as I'm making more characters I'm seeing a trend toward mercurial, trickster and (of course) jumpy/flippy sorts. So why ignore what I love?  

My gnome is loosely (loosely) based on Robert from Munich, the toymaker-turned-demolitions guy. That is, he was a toymaker and specialized in intricate clockwork and radio-controlled toys, but never made the same one twice and sold them at a fraction of what they were probably worth. When he became Aware of his Clade and realized the struggle between Light and Dark, he turned his talents to more martial pursuits, largely because he saw it as an interesting challenge. He works with traps more than bombs, though. Bombs are easy. Traps, especially a trap that can fascinate a target long enough to nail him, are fun.

I won't sweat nationality, because I'd go with wherever the game was set. I do think that the character always has something wiry and clockwork to fiddle with. Probably a big clanky bag of spare parts that can use to whip something together for whatever reason, whether it's to win favor with a child or open a difficult lock.

Names. Argh. He was born Timothy Adlerman, but he goes by "Tink" (for "tinker"). Yes, this does sometimes get people thinking "Tinkerbell" and giggling, so he had a Tinkerbell tattoo put on his shoulder and dyed his hair blond and did it up in a Tinkerbell-like 'do. Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.

Oh, and his Sphere is definitely the Beauty, and his role is the Mad Inventor. That's an easy one.

Step One: Attributes. We've got four here, with 7 points to divvy up. I'll put three each into Body and Mind; I want this guy to be quick, nimble and smart. The last point goes into Presence; as far as charisma goes, he's just average (he's cute, but he's annoying sometimes and he tends to take apart your microwave). That leaves Ethos at 1, but that's OK - I see Tink as unfocused and unsure of what he really believes. He's trying to find his place as a Legend, and doesn't like where other people try to put him.

Now, along with my Attributes, I get Edges and Flaws. I add one Edge and one Flaw to my Attributes. I automatically have the Body Edge: Nimble and the Mind Flaw: Oblivious for being a gnome. I'll give Tink the Presence Flaw: All Hands; he just can't leave well enough alone and has to touch everything. And then I think he needs the Mind Edge: Creative. Duh. He can turn alarm clocks into watchdogs.

Step 2: Traits. Derived stuff; Health, Conviction, Wits, Will. It's pretty much just the linked Attribute +4, and I'm not sure why we do it here rather than at the end, but whatever. Health 8, Conviction 5, Wits 8, Will 6, Magic 5.

Step 3: Aptitudes. These are kind of like professions. I get two, and then four points to divvy up, so let's look at the list and see if any of them work. Well, sure. OK, it makes sense for Tink to be good at Enchantment magic, so I'll take the Enchantment Aptitude. I'll also take Engineer, because, well, duh. I'll put three points into Engineer and one into Enchantment - Tink's just starting to use his powers magically.

I get one Skill to apply to one of my Aptitudes. I believe I will apply "Clockworks" to my Engineer Aptitudes. Because I'm a gnome, that adds 2 dice rather than just one.

And now, my Expertise. Obviously, what Tink's good at is creating devices, but let's get more specific than that. I'm going to call it "Tinkerer" - that's his name, that's where his true passion lies, so that's what he's best at. He can disassemble and reassemble just about any device, and make it better (or at least more interesting) in the process.

Step 4: Beliefs. This has to do with self-identity, which is a point of struggle for Tink. I get one Belief (since I have Ethos 1), and I'll phrase it this way: "Everything can be improved."

Step 5: Clade. Did that already. He's a gnome.

Step 6: Sphere. Did that already. Beauty, and Mad Inventor.

Step 7: Social Class. There's a chart. Hang on. For the Unaware, I'm Lower Middle Class. For the Aware, I'm Upper Middle Class, on account of my knowledge of Enchantment. I'm considerably richer among the Aware. My Revenue for Unaware sources is 5, but for the Aware it's 7.

Step 8: Equipment. Lots of spare parts in a big sack. Probably nothing in the way of real weapons, though I can see Tink building a blunderbuss or something in future.

OK, then, I think that's done. 

Character Creation: Unknown Armies

Very weird game, this.

The Game: Unknown Armies
The publisher: Atlas Games
Degree of familiarity: Not as much as I'd like. I played it at Origins a few years back and really enjoyed it, and that game didn't even involve any PC-used magick.
Books Required: Just the core. 

 
Having read through most of the 2nd edition core book (I love the section on combat especially), and now getting into the avatars section, I just have to make one of those. I've never played anything other than a street-level UA game, but I'd love to play in a story that made best use of the avatars as well as the adepts. Unlikely, sadly, but if I ever do, I'll have a character.

The character I want to make is following the path of the Masterless Man. This avatar is a free man, much like a ronin or a gunfighter of the old West, but isn't wandering by choice. He's lost his purpose and seeks a new one, but it's got to be worth his time.

My character was a politician named Adam Yancy. He was actually the mayor of some medium-sized city at one point (I'd choose the city based on the game's setting, of course). He was elected in a landslide, and started making national news with reform. He initially had illusions about doing things by the book, but learned quickly that it just doesn't work that way. You have to grease palms, embezzle money legally, scratch backs - that's how politics is. And then you get promoted.

He thought it was weird that people talked about getting elected to higher office as though the decision was made by the politicos, not by the People. But he let it pass, and he was eventually up for a seat in the House of Representatives. He went to Washington to meet with some other reps from his state, but got lost in the convention center, took a wrong turn down a hallway, and went into the wrong room.

And there, he swears, were the Secretary of State, the Vice President, the White House Chief of Staff, George H. W. Bush, and (here's the weird bit) Ronald freaking Reagan. And they just turned and looked at him, and he looked back, and finally Bush said, "We're not ready for you yet." And he got up, and shut the door in Yancy's face.

Yancy staggered outside and stared up into the night, trying to get a grip on the what the hell just happened. And he saw the city around him as it was - a vast network of favors, lies and dirty money. And he knew that if he allowed himself to be part of it, it would have him, and he would take a seat at that table.

Screw that. Adam walked away. He never went home again, and the world just seemed to close up around his absence. His wife remarried, to a successful banker, and a new fellow ran for mayor. The political engine churns on. But Yancy's still out there, and he still knows the system and where the cracks are. And he's looking for the right crack to dig his fingers into to pull the whole fucking thing down.

Yancy's obsession is politics. The endless dance of favors, money, bribes and saying exactly enough to get votes, but not enough to upset anything. He's obsessed with it because he hates it.

Now, Passions.

OK, my Fear Passion is Men in Black. Ever since the "Meeting of the Secret Masters," Yancy occasionally sees men in black suits and earpieces following him. He knows that they aren't human, not really - they're people like him, who have been subsumed by the system. He extends that fear to any uniformed thug or guard, to some degree.

My Rage Passion is Spin. Yancy hates it when politicos and their mouthpieces take something they know is false or half-true and spin it to make the other guy look like, say, a terrorist. All politicos do it. He did it, too. That's why he hates it so much.

And, the Noble Passion is Truth. He wants to bust it all wide open, even if that means the country needs to tear itself apart to learn what's really happening. Actually, people already know what's happening. Yancy wants them to face it.

So why is this guy the Masterless Man instead of the Pilgrim? Because he doesn't trust anybody. Anyone who wants to be a leader shouldn't be. Anyone who is qualified is probably doing more good where they are. But we need a leader, if for no other reason than most people won't do anything without being told. Yancy knows he can't be the leader, so he's looking for someone who can - but he's far too burned and suspicious to trust anyone for very long.

Right, stats. Yancy, to me, is a global character, which gives me 240 points to build my stats. I could got 60 across the board, but I think Yancy's Soul should be a little higher. So I'll do it like this:

Body 50
Speed 50
Mind 60
Soul 80

ETA: Oops, forgot the descriptors. For Body, I'll put "Lean and hungry;" Yancy lives day to day, hand to mouth. For Speed, I'll say "Ready to Run." Mind gets "I Saw That," since Yancy is ever watchful for the hand of the Masters. And for Soul, I'll give him "Still Believes in the Dream."

Now, Skills. I get 70 bonus points, and I have points in each category equal to the relevant stat (so I have 50 points for Body Skills). My maximum in any one Skill is 70%, but I do note that in Unknown Armies, your Skill percentage is what you can do under the gun, rather than any old time.

Oh, and I get an obsession Skill. I'll think about that; it'll probably be something Soul-based.

Oh, oh! And I get Avatar Skill: The Masterless Man, which is Soul-based. I'll have to remember to take points. Interestingly, the book tells you how to make an avatar during play, but not whether they're any maximum you can stick into that Skill during chargen.

OK, Body Skills. I get 50 free points. I'm putting 30 points into General Athletics, because Yancy lives on the street and running is important. Likewise, I'll put the other 20 into Struggle for the same reason. I start with 15% in each of those, so that puts me to 45 and 35, respectively. If I want more Body Skills, I'll need to use my bonus points.

Speed Skills: Dodge isn't a bad idea, so I'll throw 10 points there for a score of 25%. I don't see Yancy as driving much, so I'll leave that one alone. Initiative, however, should be a big one for Yancy, since he's so paranoid, so I'll put 30 points there. That leaves 10 points, which I'll put into a Skill called Sneaking Around, since Yancy's good with dark corners.

Mind Skills: I'll throw 15 points into Conceal; seems like something Yancy would be decent with. General Education needs a boost, since Yancy is smart and eloquent. Let's put 25 points into it, giving me a score of 40. I'll put 20 points into Notice, for a score of 35. That's my 60, but I'll be coming back here for more Skills.

Soul Skills: Well, right off the bat, I need the Masterless Man Skill. I'll put 40 points in; that'll give me a chance to boost my wounds, which given Yancy's rootless, unsure existence is great. I'll put the other 40 evenly between Charm and Lying, for 35 in both.

Which gives me:

General Athletics 45
Struggle 35
Dodge 25
Driving 15
Initiative 45
Sneaking Around 10
Conceal 30
General Education 40
Notice 35
Avatar: Masterless Man 40
Charm 35
Lying 35

With 70 bonus points. OK, obviously I need some knowledge of the Political Machine, which I figure is a Mind Skill. I'll throw 40 points and make that my obsession skill. I'll put 20 into Sneaking Around, and the other 10 I'll put into Working the System (Soul-based). In fact, I'll strip five points of Charm and Lying to boost that one to 20.

One more change: I'll pull 20 points out of General Athletics for a Body Skill called Insomnia - Yancy doesn't sleep much, and can function on very little rest. 

Character Creation: Edge of Midnight

Things I learned today: 

Chainsaws are fun.

When you try to burn wood that's too fresh, it hisses as the water inside it boils out. I'm quite sure that some primitive tribe somewhere attached significance to that.

Grilled asparagus is awesome.

With all of that happiness in mind, I'm going to make a character for a dark brooding game with voiceovers.

The Game: The Edge of Midnight
The publisher: Studio 2
Degree of familiarity: None in play. I've read it, and it's a compelling game. It's probably going to be the next thing I run.
Books Required: Just the core, though sourcebook exists (I don't have any, at least not yet).

 
Edge of Midnight is a noir/supernatural kind of setting, set in an alternate universe similar to ours, but with some key differences. "United Commonwealth" instead of "United States." In fact, there are no states, and cities have much more governmental power. At first, I wondered what the point was, and then I read the book and understood. This game has awesome in it.

There are warlocks, but their magic isn't hocus-pocus and religious garbage. It's science, but it's science that can fling cars into the air. You need to be license to use magic legally, but plenty of people study it illegally. My character, in fact, will be one such, because I haven't made a magic-user character in a while.

Flipping to the character creation section, I see a bunch of questions. Let's do it!

Which three terms most accurately define your character? I'll say "suspicious" (he can't trust his own memory and he knows it), "aggressive" (he has a hard time keeping his passions down) and "thorough" (he doesn't let go of a thought until he's wrung everything out of it).

What does your character look like? He's a white man in his 40s. He still has most of his hair, and he has a distinguished air to him, until he starts talking. Then that downtown New Eden accent comes out, and he sounds like a mook. He always carries a piece, and he reminds himself that shooting somebody is betting than flinging them into a building with magic, from a legal standpoint.

What does he do for a living? Mitch Wiley is a rogue scientist, and he scrapes together a few bucks by answering questions about magic, snitching to the local crystal ball squad, selling off his services when he has to, whatever he can make ends meet. His goal isn't fiscal.

What does your character do best? Wiley is a good warlock, but that's because he learns. Wiley is a genius at lateral thinking, taking what's at hand and spinning it to solve a problem.

What kind of quirks or mannerisms does your character have? Wiley's a randy bastard. Loves ladies; that's about the only thing that can coax him away from books for any length of time. And he's not really a gent about it, either - he's pretty blunt. But he finds that works more often than the "nice guys" thinks. Wiley also has a habit of twirling pens, sticks, whatever he picks up.

What does your character do to relax? Women. Women. Lots of pretty women (Def Leppard, sadly, doesn't exist in this world). He also loves a good baseball game, but the New Eden Grays are a bunch of bums.

How does your character feel about magic? It's the only thing he really believes in. He feels that somewhere in the study of rogue science, he'll find a way to unlock the secret of the War, and figure out what is going on.

How does your character feel about gaunts? He's had nightmares about them since he was a kid...at least, he thinks he has. He does now, anyway, and they feel familiar. He's OK with being around gaunts for a short while, but they terrify him. They're monsters, and some part of his mind tells him that we should be killing monsters.

Did your character fight overseas? Wiley remembers the war. He remembers bombs and bullets and tanks being flung through the air by magic. His own skills saved his life, but his comrades died screaming in fire. But was he studying magic before the war? He must have been, if he used magic during the war. But then where did his books go?

What is your character's greatest regret? Not saving his squad. He could have, he thinks, if he hadn't been so scared to reveal his magic. But if he had revealed it, they might have shot him anyway. He doesn't know, he just knows he screwed up, somehow.

What is your character's greatest desire? To know what he really knows. To remember his past, clearly, to know his childhood and where he really comes from. Where everyone comes from. To know what is going on.

What is in your character's family? How well does he get along with them? He knows he has a brother, but he can't remember where he lives or what his name is. He knows his mother died when he was a boy, but he can't remember where she's buried. He never really thought about these contradictions until after the War, and now he can't get them out of his head, not unless his head is in a book or between a pair of soft, smooth thighs.

Does your character have any loyalties besides himself? Only his cause. He doesn't trust anyone else, but he's willing to put his life in almost anyone's hands, if he thinks it might lead to some real answers.

Does your character have a code by which he lives? What lines will he refuse to cross? Mitch refuses to let people on his "side" die. Anyone who he considers a comrade in arms gets his full protection, even if that means magic in public. Ironically, he still assumes that his comrades in arms are working against him and will turn on him, but having already lost a squad because of inaction, he won't have any more deaths on his conscience. And besides, dying can't be worse than living in a haze like this.

Whew. OK, that's a lot of background. On to Attributes! I get 30 points to divide up.

Obviously I want a high Brains, given how good Mitch is with puzzles and lateral thinking. Guts is going to be high, too, since it's about leaps in logic and intuition. And I see Mitch with a high Moxie, since he's good with the ladytypes. Brawn and Build are going to get shafted, I think.

Brains 7
Brawn 3
Build 4
Gut 6
Moxie 6
Smoothness 4

That 8 in Gut hurts, but that's Wiley's forte.

OK, now Skills. I get 35 points to divvy up, and I can't take more than 5 in any one Skill with these points.

Well, obviously I want some magic skills. I see Mitch at being good with Kinetic and Gravity, so I'll put 5 points into each.

I think Mitch has been looking for info on the war, so I'll take Lore: The War at 3. Perception is a must; 5 points (it's used for seduction). Pick Lock is good for nosy folks (2), and Puzzles are, of course, essential for this guy (3). 26 points.

Stealth 3, Streetwise 3, Etiquette 1, Evasion 3, and Firearms 2 round me out.

Backgrounds! I get three, and I have to take Magical Aptitude in order to be a warlock. I could take it twice, or I could take it once and use my Profession to take it again (see, I have to "activate" each of my magical skills so I can actually use them for magic). I'll use two Backgrounds, because I've already got a Profession in mind. For my last Background, I take Wise. This jacks my Gut up by 2 and allows me to re-roll a single die once per session.

Profession! I get one, or I could take 10 experience, but I want the Lady-Killer Profession. I'm damned smooth with the dames. I get to ignore the effects of partial success when seducing women, and that's not a bad thing, baby.

Money and stuff! I have $140 bucks to my name, which I should use to buy equipment, but I'm not going to bother with that. Mitch has a service pistol from his military days (he thinks), he rents a crappy apartment in New Eden, and he has a collection of notes and books that he's cobbled together.

And that's about it. My Magical Aptitudes give me +2 to my magical skills, and I note that I can affect objects weighing up to 500lbs with Gravity or moving up to 60mph with Kinetics. More than enough to cause a nasty car wreck, fling a person into the air, or even deflect (but not stop) a bullet. Awesome.  

Character Creation: Wraith: The Oblivion 1st Edition

 Today I finished my final draft for A Little Meatier, and tomorrow I get to start working on my first draft for Next Phase. Yee-ha! Werewolfy goodness all around!

Tonight, though, I want to make a character, because I can stay up and do it and I don't have to get up early. I'm gonna go get a drink first, though. OK, I'm back.

The Game: Wraith: The Oblivion 1st edition
The publisher: White Wolf
Degree of familiarity: Lots. Wraith was the first WoD game I ran, and that chronicle was the first one in which I gave serious though to theme, mood and other high-falutin' concepts. My second Wraith game died out before its time, but it had some interesting moments. Wraith remains one of my favorite games of all time.
Books Required: Just the Wraith core, which is good, 'cause it's all I have.

If you died today, what would go on your character sheet? I wrote an essay on running this game some time back, y'know.

Anyway, I'm doing Wraith today because I have a concept. I was watching Dead Like Me last night, and thinking about the business of "reaping" the newly deceased. And then I thought about my school and how I have to help out the kids who are trapped behind their own voices sometimes (that's OWoD poetic, ain't it?).

So the concept I had was of a man who worked as a custodian at an elementary school. He loved the kids, but had a special place in his heart for the lonely, the sad, the misfits, the freaks, the ones that just never quite got it. He'd been like that, once, and through a series of twists and turns, this is where he ended up. He liked the work, but he always regretted not having a family of his own. And then he died one morning, driving to school. The train track's crossing guards malfunctioned and didn't fall, and he zoned out and didn't see the train...

He was Reaped by a ghost who haunted those train tracks, a ghost who, fortunately, was kind and understanding. The custodian (his name is Sylvester Cotto - the kids called him "Mr. Sly") realized as he learned about the Hierarchy that a lot of ghosts don't get treated so well. In fact, they get put straight into slavery. To Sly, that just wasn't acceptable.

That takes care of Life, Death and Regret. I think that for Nature, this guy is a Caregiver. He Reaps newly dead people and helps them steer clear of the slavers for the Hierarchy, even at risk to himself. For Demeanor, though, he's a Critic. He always had a cynical side; it was tempered before, but death put an edge on it.

On to Attributes! Sly is a Social animal, probably Physical secondary, leaving Mental tertiary. I put Charisma up to 5, Manipulation to three and Appearance to two. Sly is damned likeable. Everyone always say.

For Physical, I throw one into Strength and Dexterity and the rest into Stamina. Sly is tough. Always has been.

Mental, I make it even. I may raise Intelligence later, or I may let Abilities do the talking.

Speaking of which: Sly has been a custodian and handyman for a long time, so I think that puts Skills first (he also served in the Army, I think). Knowledge is secondary; Sly likes to read on his off time, and he does work at a school. That leaves Talents last.

Skills: I put one into Firearms (old military training), and one each into Melee and Leadership for the same reason. Three into Crafts, three into Repair (his job), one into Stealth, one into Etiquette (for dealing the parents) and two into Drive.

Knowledges: Three into Bureaucracy (military and then school? C'mon), and then one each into Computer, Enigmas, Investigation (lookin' through lockers!), Linguistics (Spanish), Politics and Science.

Talents: One each in Athletics, Awareness and Brawl, and two in Empathy. I think my freebies might go here.

Advantages: I get five dots in Arcanoi. Ooh! Spectral power! Well, let's think. I'm going to spread out my points, here. I take the first dot in Argos, Lifeweb, Fatalism, Outrage and Castigate. All useful abilities for his existence as a Reaper.

Backgrounds: Seven dots. Woo! I'll take Memoriam, first off. The kids remember Mr. Sly, and sure enough, the place just doesn't run as well without him. Three dots there. I'll put two into Status (Renegades). What he's doing is technically against Hierarchy policy, and so he's kind of a Renegade, though he wouldn't see it that way. I'll put one dot into Haunt (his janitor's office at school) and the remaining dot into Artifact. Sly's ring of keys followed him into the Shadowlands, and he can use it to unlock any door, provided it isn't magically sealed.

Passions: OK, here's where we're off the lists and high on life! Death, rather! First passion: "Ease the transition into death." The emotion there is "Compassion," and I'll give that 4 dots. Since I want a school-related Passion, I give Sly "Keep the school running smoothly" focused on Pride (2 dots). Finally, I take "Protect the misfits", focused on Pity, at 4 dots. Pity doesn't really seem right for that, though. Sly was a misfit when he was a kid. How about we focus that on Envy, instead? He always wanted to be one of the cool people, but he wasn't and never will be. So he helps the underdogs to find their own way, not wanting the "beautiful people" to always get their way.

Fetters: 10 dots here, too. Well, definitely the school. Three dots; that's an important one. His Purple Heart from when he was in the Army gets 1 dot. The letter than his fiancee, Marla, wrote him when she dumped him to move back to Jersey with her old boyfriend gets three (remember, he always wanted a family). The train crossing where he died gets one - why did he zone out that morning? He was always a careful driver... And, finally, the book he was reading when he died, currently behind the desk at the school library, Slaughterhouse Five.

OK, now I get 15 freebies. Let's look at Talents. I spend 12 right away, buying Alertness, Awareness, a third dot of Empathy, a dot of Expression and two Streetwise. That leaves three. Normally I'd take extra freebies by giving them to my Shadow, but I don't think it's appropriate for Sly. In fact, I think I'll use those extra three points to buy Eidolon 2, and up the Artifact to 2 (because for what it does, I think it should probably be 2, since I can affect the Skinlands with it).

Speaking of the Shadow...

Sly's Shadow, I think, is just bitter. It hates children for their youth and how they squander it. It hates mopping up their vomit and listening to their stupid fights, catching them making out in the halls and dealing with the disrespectful tones. And it really hates ripping the cauls off newly dead idiots when it could be selling the little shits. This Shadow is a Director. It knows it doesn't have much time in power, and so when it does manage to snatch control away, it sets things up as best it can. It's already used Sly to sell a newly dead person into slavery, and it reminds Sly of that whenever it's feeling vicious.

Angst: I roll 5 dice at difficulty 6, and get three successes. My permanent Angst rating is 3.

Dark Passions: I get seven points to assign here. Well, first, Sly's Shadow hates kids, and wants to see them humiliated and broken. So that's "Break children's spirits" (Hate) at 4. The Shadow also wants to see Sly go get a job Reaping for the Hierarchy, which would be custodial, but also be party to slavery. "Join Hierarchy" (Greed) at 2. Finally, the Shadow blames Sly's own Reaper, Lois, for his death. "Harm Lois" (Bitterness) at 1 dot.

Freebies: I get 10 to spend on the Shadow. Definitely want Dark Allies, because I can see Spectres wanting a piece of Sly. 3 points. I'll also spend 3 points on Bad Luck - very nasty for my character's clever Shadow. Finally, I'll put the other four into temporary Angst, giving the Shadow 2 points.

And that's everything. This being a 1st ed game, I take a Charisma Specialty (Approachable) and a Stamina Specialty (Workhorse). But beyond that, I'm good to go and ready to jump into death!

Character Creation: L5R

Or, if you're not pressed for time: 

The Game: Legend of the Five Rings 2nd Ed
The publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group, at that point
Degree of familiarity: Not much. I played L5R at MarCon a long time ago, and really enjoyed it, but I haven't done more than read it since.
Books required: Just the L5R Player's Guide.

 
I played a shugenja the one time I did play L5R, and I really enjoyed playing a magic-user in a fantasy game that didn't suck. I have since played in a lots of other fantasy games that do magic better than D&D does (not a difficult task), but using Fury of Osano-Wo to nuke an enemy bushi sticks out in my mind.

Oh, one thing about L5R - it takes place in not-Japan. When the GM was explaining it, he described the Unicorn clan as romping around in not-Europe and not-the-Middle-East. Rokugan. It's fine with me, because I'm a white dude with no understanding of Japanese history, and this allows me to play to the romanticized versions of samurai culture without sweating the details.

Anyway, I turn to the chargen section of my handy players guide and see what's doing. We start out with 20 questions, so let's do it that way.

What clan does your character belong to? I've had requests for Scorpion and Lion, but let's have a look. OK, in reading them, I got as far as Dragon before a concept smacked me in the head. So I'm going with Dragon.

How would you describe your character? My character is male, and at first glance he looks ungainly. His left leg is noticeably shorter than his right leg, and it gives him a funny walk. He's got a weird smile and a bizarre sense of humor. His voice is even and measured, and he's got a great poker face.

Is your character a bushi or shugenja? I think this concept works better as bushi, so I'll go that way.

What about your character's family? Mirumoto. They're all about adaptability and the two-sword technique, which is totally what I want here.

What is your character's main motivation? Balance, which, as he'll happily tell you, is different from symmetry. It's perfectly possible to be lopsided but in perfect harmony. A warrior in harmony with his surroundings and himself cannot be stopped - he can take on an army.

Who is the one person your character trusts most? His mentor, the samurai who taught him to compensate for his physical infirmity (which he barely notices anymore). I'll come up with a name later.

What is your character's greatest strength? Greatest weakness? Greatest strength: His sense of humor. He's learned to laugh at himself and at situations that seem hopeless and oppressive. He's found that everyone can laugh, it's just that some people's humor is too dark to be allowed free reign. Greatest weakness: His obsession with balance. He's shot himself in the foot more than once by not playing to his strengths out of fear of growing too reliant on them.

What does your character think of bushido? As RPGs in the genre go, L5R is worlds better- oh, right. He went through a phase where he decried it as stifling, but has since learned that the code of bushido has its own inherent balance. Following the code leads to harmony, because if one follows it properly, one is balanced.

What is your character's opinion of his own clan? Wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, maybe those Togashi take themselves a little too seriously, but it takes courage to get all inked up like that - those markings are permanent, and permanence is hard.

Does your character have any prejudices Oh, don't we all? He's not crazy about samurai who see etiquette as the end-all, be-all. It's not that it isn't important, but it gets in the way sometimes, and he hates waiting around for the diplomats to finishing polish each other's knobs so that something can get done.

Is your character married? No. He's never been considered a great catch. He's weird, and he's lame, and that's kept him out of the running.

To whom does your character owe the most loyalty? His sensei, but he also loves his father very much. Dad was the parent who supported him (mom just wanted him married off, and never thought he'd survive as a warrior).

What are your character's favorite (and least favorite) things? He loves swordplay, and is happiest when he can watch a true master, of any weapon, not just swords. He doesn't like it when his surroundings are too clean - order feels forced to him. He'd rather be outside, where nature maintains its own harmony.

Does your character have any recurring mannerisms? He has a habit of setting his helmet a little off-center, which just makes him look more crooked. He has that weird smile, too. He tends to use the phrase "Balance isn't the same as symmetry" a lot (yes, I yoinked that from Even Cowgirls Get the Blues).

What about your character's psychology? He feels what he feels and has gotten practiced at just feeling it and not letting it rule him. Like I said, good poker face. That said, Shadowlands taint and magic in general weirds him out, because he has no understanding of it.

How would your character handle an insubordinate servant? Hmm. On the one hand, it'd be easy to say he'd let it slide because of his views on etiquette. On the other hand, he's big on bushido, and I think he'd probably smack down someone giving him lip, because that's harmonious, as he sees it. I think it would depend on the situation, or at least, he'd like to think it would.

How would your character's parents describe him? Father: "He has worked hard to overcome his adversity, and watching him fight now, I am proud. He is a credit to the Mirumoto family and the Dragon clan." Mother: "He still walks so strangely, even after his sensei trained him. It is unfortunate that he has not overcome this imbalance."

What are your character's highest ambitions? He wants to become a recognized master of Niten, and to have students seek him out to train with them. He wants to be known as the "crippled master," just to rub it in Mom's face a little.

How religious is your character? Not very. He'd never mock faith, but he's very self-reliant. Again, he's freaked out by magic, and so he avoids religion on kind of the same grounds.

If you could, what advice would you give your character? "Symmetry isn't balance, but neither is contrariness."

OK, on to numbers! I start with 2 in all of my Rings and Traits, and since I'm a Mirumoto, I get to add 1 to a Trait of my choice. I'll add it to Agility, since I want to be a great swordfighter. I get another freebie from being from the Mirumoto Bushi school, so I'll put that into Reflexes. I start with 1 Glory, 2 Honor and 5 boxes, whatever that means.

I jot down the five Skills I get from my School, as well as my Rank 1 Technique.

Now I get 30 Character Points. Let's see here. Skills. I want to be good at swordplay, so I'll raise Kenjutsu to 5. That costs 14. Jesus. I'll buy up Defense to 2 (2 points; 16 total spent) and buy Shintao 2 and Sincerity 4 (13 points; 26 total spent).

Advantages and Disadvantages: Well, being a Dragon, I'd be silly not to take Ambidextrous. That's 28 points. I'll take a Sensei (mentioned him earlier). I want him to be a real master, so I'll put him at School Rank 5. That eats 5 more points, which puts me at 33 spent. I therefore need at least 3 points in Disadvantages. I don't want to take Lame; the whole idea here is that my character has learned to compensate for his leg.

Well, I'll take Contrary. It's not that he has an opinion about everything, but he doesn't like seeing anything get one-sided, and that makes him argue even if he shouldn't. That's 3 points. I'm back at 30 points spent. I'll take Fascination: Swordplay (that could get me into trouble). I'll take Meddler for the same reason as Contrary. I'm now back on the positive side at 3 points.

Skills? Yes, please! I'll buy up Kyujutsu to 2, and spend that last point on Artisan: Jester.

That's all my points. I now figure my derived stats. My Wound boxes get a 4, and I have 110 Insight.

Now I just need some names. My character's name is Kazuo. My sensei's name is Master Shin.

I could go into more history for Kazuo, but I think I've got a pretty good sense of where he's coming from and what he wants to do. I figure he's got some pretty ratty armor and gear; not rich, and his parents (well, his mother) really never wanted to spend much money on him. Shin, however, has his back - the master sees great potential in his young student.