Character Creation: Squeaks in the Deep

From the world of doggos, we turn to the world of rats, in the world of doggos.

The Game: Squeaks in the Deep
The Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
Degree of Familiarity: Been running Pugmire for quite a while now
Books Required: Squeaks and either Pugmire or Monarchies of Mau, both of which I have

Fun fact: Squeaks in the Deep came out around the same time as a game called Things That Go Squeak in the Night, which I backed on Kickstarter but haven't read yet. ANYWAY.

Squeaks is a supplement for Pugmire in which you play rodents, which have their own society much like dogs and cats. Their society, and the book that goes with it, is very focused on the Underneath, the tunnels and secret places below civilized society (as may be evident from the Tolkein-inspired title). I've used some of the stuff from the book in my Pugmire game but I haven't really used rodent NPCs yet, but the Cult of Labo Tor might make an appearance at some point just because I like them.

For today, let's do a character. First thing I'm meant to choose is a calling. Hmm. I think I would like to be psychic. My guy is a little white mouse, and was on the way to being inducted into the Cult of Labo Tor when the branch (lab?) he was being inducted by was hit by a strike team from the Monarchies. My mouse hid in a cupboard until the fight was over, and might have come away from this experience really hating cats, but he was able to experience the viciousness and rage and cold logic of the cultists as well as the kind of quiet nobility of the cats. That pretty much did it for his desire to be part of the Cult...but now what? 

As a psychic, I get Darkvision, Light Armor Aptitude, Simple Weapon Aptitude, Scamper, and either Closed Mind or Transcendentalism. Um, the second one, please, I want psychic powers.

Next step is to pick rodent type; I'm a mouse, that's easy.

Background: I think Refugee makes the most sense. That gives me Notice and Persuade as skills and the Diaspora Knack.

Ability Scores! I get the standard array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. I also get to pick two Upbringings, which each raise an ability by 1. Let's do that first. I see this little mousie as being Speedy and Wise, so I'll get +1 to Dexterity and Wisdom. So let's see.

I'll put the 15 into Wisdom, thanks very much. 14 into Dexterity (just playin' to my strengths here)...actually, no, the break in modifiers is at 14, so I'll put the 13 into Dexterity and the 14 into Intelligence. 12 into Charisma, 10 into Constitution, 8 into Strength. I get 6 stamina points because I ain't got no Con modifier (be gentle am tiny mouse). My favored Abilities are Charisma and Wisdom, so I get to add my Proficiency to saving throws for those.

I get two more skills from my calling. Well, Sense Motive sounds like something he'd have picked up by now. I'll take Know Religion, too. 

Got my Knacks already, so now it's time of psychic powers! Woo!

I get three for free: Burst of Electricity, Smell Life, and Temperature Control. My spellcasting ability is Charisma, so that's not bad. I need to pick a Tell that happens when I use my powers; let's say it's the chemical smell of acid, a nod to his Labor Tor beginnings. No slot for Tell on the sheet, tsk tsk.

Anyway! I get two Magnitude 1 powers from either the school of galvanism or humorism (but both from the same school; I can't take powers from the other one until I level up and take a refinement). Let's see. Let's take Chirurgeon's Eye (which locks me into humorism) and Bilious Touch. I'm also gonna say he hates using the latter power; it makes him feel icky.

Equipment! I get stuff from calling and background. Specifically, a few coins, a journal, a map (of Pugmire, I think), a set of light armor, a simple weapon (dagger, let's keep it basic), and a trinket or scientific device I acquired under mysterious circumstances. Let's say he's got a beaker with an odd red powder that he snagged from the lab where it all went south. I also have a trinket from my previous life; let's say he has a small metal key. He doesn't think it unlocks anything anymore.

Personality traits! What's most important to me is honesty, but not in a "never lie but find loopholes" way. More like "be genuine and don't try to love-bomb people into joining your stupid cult". Other people say that I'm a little too fond of cats. He has a kind of hero-worship thing going on. No matter what, I can't relax around other rodents, for what are probably obvious reasons. 

Speed is 25 or 35 if I drop to all fours, Defense is 13 (11 for light armor + 2 from Dexterity), and Initiative is +2. 

Rickatik Wheelrunner left his family behind to join the Cult of Labo Tor, and then left that behind to go to Pugmire. I think he didn't go to Pugmire on purpose, just stowed away on board a boat and wound up there because he was too broke or polite to say he wanted to go somewhere else. And really, does he want to go anywhere else? The Monarchies are more appealing on some level, but like, that's really intimidating. I think he's probably scampering around Riverwall, looking for something to happen. 

Ricky is a white mouse with red eyes. He chews his tail when he's nervous (which is a lot), and wears that key around his neck like a luck charm. 

That'll do it, I think.