Character Creation: Quest RPG

Here we go, the only game I own (that I haven't done a character for) that starts with "Q". 

The Game: Quest RPG
The Publisher: Primal Atom
Degree of Familiarity: None
Books Required: Just the one

Patton Oswalt has a bit on one of his albums where he talks about the sorts of comedians you saw at open mics in the 80s: people who were just off their nut/on drugs (which is kinda the point of the bit, but is incidental here), people who were clearly working their way toward really good work, and people who were, as he puts it, "funny, but who gives a shit?" I have no idea if this maps to other creative endeavors, but I see these categories in RPGs all the time, particularly when the RPG is produced by a single person or a small group. Quest very much falls into the category of "probably playable, but who gives a shit?" It's another D&D clone. There's an extensive and lovingly- (if not especially well-) written history and setting, races, lots of fun fantasy terminology...but what makes it different from other western fantasy games? Nothing that I can see.

Now, mind, I didn't finish reading the book, because the writing was making my eyes glaze over. With that said, some of the bits of the setting I read stuck with me, so that's good, I suppose. Let's do a character.

The first thing we must determine is race, origin, and homeland. Sure. I think I'll stick with human today. As usual, humans are kind of generic, but they get more freedom in chargen - most characters get 300 XP at the end of chargen with which to fuck around, I get 600. 

Homeland is up next. I'm gonna be from the continent of Balion, but from the city of Hydra, which is basically one big prison. My guy was born and raised there, however, so he's not a criminal, he was just raised by them. I get either +1 Craft or Swipe; I'm gonna take Craft. 

Origin...hmm. I can take Stoneborn (I was raised in a city) or Cageborn (raised as the child of slaves, or prisoners, in my case). I feel like given the particulars of Hydra, Cageborn would be more interesting. In very brief, Hydra is run by seven paladins whose spirits judge everyone in the city. The "better" you become, the lighter your robes get. When they're white, you can leave. I think there would be some interesting "nature vs nurture" to be had with a character literally born and raised to criminals ("Megamind vs. Metroman," if you will). I'll say my guy is Domestic Cageborn. I'll take a free point of Build for my trouble. 

Attributes! There's four (Muscle, Verve, Spirit, Mind), and I get 10 points to throw around. Really 6 points, because I have to take 1 point in each, minimum. There's no scale given, but the book says anything greater than four needs a rationale for being so proficient. 

Well, one point in each to bring everything to 2 would give me 2 remaining. I suppose I'll put one into Spirit and one into Verve. This kid ate scraps, he's not going to be muscular, and he's not terribly well educated. 

Secondary Attributes are next, and I have this niggling feeling I shouldn't be writing stuff in yet because I'll get XP at the end to boost stuff. Let's look ahead and check. OK, there are a bunch of specialized skills that cost XP, and I'm sure I'll want a couple of those, so I'll g'head and write stuff in. 

Health is (Muscle + Spirit) x 10, or 50 in my case. Speed is Verve + Mind (5). Magic points is (Spirit + Mind) x 10...50 once again. Carry is (Muscle + Verve) x 10, Lift is Carry x 2 (50 and 100 respectively). 

And now Skills...Oy. OK. Each Attribute gives you rating x 4 points to spend on Skills under that Attribute, but they're not 1-for-1, they're buy-each-level-as-you-go. Geez. Well, start with Muscle and move along, I suppose. I get 8 points there. Let's buy Stealth 2, Endure 2, Agility 1, and Rend 1. 

Moving right along to Verve: I get 12 points. I'll take Craft 2 (which really gives me 3 'cause I get a freebie), Heal 1, Swipe 1, Range 1, Build 2 (again, 3), Melee 2. 

Mind! 8 points again. World 1, Flora 1, Magic 1, Lore 2, Fauna 1, Science 1. 

Finally Spirit (12 points). How about Arcane 2, Awareness 2, Will 2, Spectral 1, Influence 1, Instinct 1. 

Cool. Now I have 600 XP to buy Specialized Skills (or probably other stuff, I dunno). Oh, actually, I'll take Weaponsmith and Armorer, meaning I get a bonus to make and repair weapons and armor. That oughta make me useful. 

Right, so, my character is Halley. Halley was born in Hydra. He never knew his father, but his mother raised him and kept him safe from the weirdness of the prison-city as best she could. As Halley got older and developed a talent for crafting and building, he took notice of things like the fact that his mother's robe was just a shade off white, as though she was all but ready to leave the city...but it had been like that for as long as Halley could remember. Finally, she told him that she was, for his entire life, caught in a loop - she wanted to leave and make a better life for her son, but that desire to leave and be free was enough of a temptation influence that it kept her there. 

Halley was not (and is not) educated enough or philosophical enough to get his head round that, but he developed his skills enough that he could leave, and take his mother with him. But she couldn't, not until she managed that one little nudge towards a white robe, and if she knows what it is she needs to do, she's not saying. She insisted, though, that Halley leave, and he spent a couple of years outside of Hydra learning to apply his skills to weapons and armor. He's not sure where all this will lead, but he's 100% sure that Hydra deserves to crumble and the paladin-spirits should die. 

Halley is in his 20s now. He's lean and callused, hands scarred from putting mail together and from forge-burns. He's got some natural magical talent but has never really honed it. Of late he's been thinking about offering his services to adventurers to do in-the-field repairs to their gear in exchange for a cut of whatever they obtain (or some similar hook for a group). Halley is blonde and has reddish stubble that never quite reaches the level of "facial hair," and fierce blue eyes.