Character Creation: Wicked Ones

Rar, monsters. 

The Game: Wicked Ones
The Publisher: Bandit Camp (ETA: now defunct, but you can download the game free here)
Degree of Familiarity: Haven't played this game, but it's Forged in the Dark and I'm very familiar with Blades in the Dark
Books Required: Just the one

I just got this game as part of a Kickstarter fulfillment not that long ago, and I don't normally do games for the project that soon after getting them, but I've been looking forward to this game. The basic idea is that the PCs are a band of monsters who are maintaining a dungeon, of the type that adventurers tend to raid. It's meant to be a game in which you play the bad guys, and so there's a lot of attention toward making being evil playable (not least of which is addressing PVP, which is going to come up in game like this, and I like the way they've handled it - basically you can power struggle with other players and that can look like whatever you want in the fiction, but there's no mechanical consequences). 

I know from experience that RPGs in which the characters are specifically evil (or at least harmful) take some focus and a strong guiding hand, and I think Wicked Ones really nails it. I was hoping this would be a game that, after I read it, I'd still be interested in running, rather than being disappointed that it didn't live up to its premise. Happy to say that I am indeed still wanting to run this at some point.

But, for today, just making a character. The first thing I do is pick a monster race. There's actually not a whole lot of mechanical difference between them. There are optional rules for making race more of a big deal, but I have a concept already. I want to play a kobold. 

Next step is to pick a calling, which is my character's job and function in the group. I want to be a brute. I'm thinking that this guy is tiny, yet surprisingly strong and just jumps on bigger foes to bite, stab, and beat them until they die. Kinda like Jack Large from season one of Blackadder. As a brute, I get the rage ability, which lets me spend stress to do superhuman (well, super-monster) feats of strength. I also get to pick one more calling ability from the list. Hmm. I think I want living weapon. I get to pick two edges for unarmed combat, and I'll take grappling and terrifying. My kobold attacks relentless, climbs up enemies, and never lets go. 

Now actions. I get one at three dots, which is my bread and butter. That'll be Smash, obviously. I get two at two dots, so that'll be Threaten and Skulk, and then two more at 1 dot. Scan and Banter, I think.

Dark impulse! As a monster, this is what I like to do, and what I like to do ain't very nice. Let's see. I don't think that he's necessarily cruel. He doesn't take joy in inflicting pain, it's mostly that he can't control himself. That sounds like reckless to me.

Revelry is how we blow off steam. I think my kobold likes drinking. 

Gear! I get four pieces of gear, and one gives me a defense against something. Hmm. I think my little kobold has shiny snakeskin armor, gloves with spikes on them, a length of rope, and a little dagger for the coup de grace. I'll say the dagger also gives me defense against containment; I can slit bonds or pick locks to free myself. 

Finally, I pick a vile friend. This would be a monster who shows up during the initial dungeon setup, but I'll just make something up. I'll say my vile friend is Hornt the Ogre. Hornt is a very smart and introspective fellow (you know, for an ogre) and he takes in stride the fact that sometimes this kobold just jumps on him (he can't help it, he just hates bigger things). They also have fun philosophical discussions about bigness and killing-itude. 

And that's everything, actually! My kobold's name is Blar. Blar is little (about average for a kobold, though) in height, but he's jacked. He hates things that are bigger than he is, because they always seem so damn uppity. Being tall isn't so great if you're made of meat. There's just more of you to stab! BLAR!

Ahem. That'll do it!