Character Creation: Crap Game Friday

OK, here we go.

The Game: Archangel
The publisher: Visionary Games (their website is now defunct, which implies they've gone under, thank god).
Degree of familiarity: More than I want
Books required: Just the core. To my knowledge, nothing else was ever released.

 

I posted the review I wrote (ETA: though it's probably not accessible anymore), so let's just get to it, shall we? Sooner I'm done, sooner I can go make coffee.

All right, so first up, I create a class. Since the game covers a large span of "history," and there's no GM, there are a lot of variables here that I can't account for. I think, therefore, that my character will be an angel. More specifically, I'll make an Avenging Angel, since they can "harness the power of God to bless others and summon dark spirits."

I guess we'll do Attributes next. I have 110 points to divvy up. I can't go higher than 20, and going higher than 17 costs extra. I could do 11 each with a few left over, but I figure my angel is stranded on Earth with only a vague idea of what he is supposed to be doing (God's a dick that way). His body is also a little weak - it's in good health, but not terribly fit. So. I'll put 8 points into Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina, 12 into Constitution and Intelligence, and 15 into Focus, Appearance, and Charisma, and the other 17 into Awareness.

Skills! Oh, hell. I'd forgotten how annoying this was. OK. I get 65 points, but it's not one-for-one. It's...well, let's consider my Investigation skill. I want my angel to be good at Investigation, because that will mean that I can ferret out the enemies of God more easily. Or something. Let's say I want the max skill level I'm allowed for Investigation, 7 points, which grants me a 35% chance to succeed (roll 65 or better on a d100, higher is better).

For skill levels 1 through 5, I pay one point each (5). For skill levels 6 and 7, I pay 2 points each (4, 9 total). So I pay 9 of my 65 skill points for Investigation 7.

Seriously, you see what I'm up against, here? Palladium makes more sense.

OK, making some stab at concept, here, my angel basically woke up on Earth without a clear idea of his mission. He knows he's good at figuring stuff out (Investigation), and has some middling skill in sneaking around (Sneaking and Shadowing), fighting (Brawl), and tracking (Tracking). I'll divvy my points up among those four skills...wait, can't, the points don't work out even. OK, I wind up with scores of 7 for those four, and I'll take ratings of 4 in Disguise and Language (Apollyonal, a demonic language). And then with my remaining 12 points, I'll take my max in Gaming and 3 in Speaking. There.

I get Faith 3 as a free Perk, and I have to take Code of Honor, but since those are the only Perks and Flaws I'm allowed to take, that's that. My Health is Con x 3 (36), my Courage is 16 + 10 for being an angel, my Willpower is 27, also +10 for my angelic pedigree, and I have Holiness 13. My Vitality starts equal to my Holiness. I get a +20 bonus to Initiative, since my Awareness is high. I don't start with any money, just a bronze weapon, a leather breastplate and one set of regular clothing. I swear, I'm not making this up.

I'm a messenger angel (level one, which means I suck). I get to choose an element to "control", and I'll pick water, for the heck of it.

Oh, and I need a name. I think that among people, he's called Gad, and he doesn't use his angelic name.

OK, I could figure some of the other derived traits, speed, shield levels, but that would entail reading this book some more, and you know what? Screw that.

DONE. Now to go play something clever and highbrow like KAMB to cleanse my brain.