Off we go, into the wild chargen yonder.
The Game: Fuel Priest
The Publisher: Timeless Caverns LLC, but buggered if I can find anywhere online you can buy the game
Degree of Familiarity: None, I've read it
Books Required: Just the one
Fuel Priest is an interesting, and more than a little disappointing, indie game, but there's a big asterisk by the word "disappointing." It's got a strong premise and it devotes a good amount of space to talking about the aesthetic of the game, how it looks and feels, and I don't know why, but as I get older I appreciate that kind of discussion more and more. There's a balancing act, sure - it's fine to have a game inspired by a particular piece of media, but I shouldn't feel like I'm reading a one-sheet for that movie or whatever (Edge of Midnight managed this nicely, whereas Damn the Man, Save the Music!, as much as I love Empire Records, feels kinda like a one-trick pony).
But with that said, Fuel Priest does sometimes feel like it has an aesthetic more than a setting. There's background info and some history, but there's also a lot of "make up your own shit." That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely more narrative load on the players than, say, Blades in the Dark.
And, not to sound like a stuck record, but an example of play to see the mechanics in practice would have been awfully nice.
Well, let's make a Fuel Priest. All characters in this game are Fuel Priests, meaning that they were born with oil for blood, due to the miraculous intervention of the Maiden of Oil. They fly kick-ass airplane powered by the blood of the Priests - like, hooked up to spigots in the character's body. That's horrifying and evocative.
So, we start with the character's Creed. This requires me to pick one of the Words of the Maiden (the "words" are actually tenets of her moral code) and define how my character interprets it. If I were making this character with a group, I would have to have a Word in common with at least one other player, but then I could have one that isn't shared. Since it's just me, however, I shall choose two and move on with my life.
Well, one of the Words is "Do not suffer stagnation." I think that my character interprets that as a call to be watchful that a tradition or practice has outlived its usefulness. That is, "because it's how we've always done it" is a huge red flag, and if that's ever cited as a reason for doing something, it's time to change it.
And then I'll also pick "Be not selfish with your knowledge or your talents." My character interprets this to mean, basically, with power comes responsibility. If he has the ability to help, he has an obligation to do so.
Now I choose a specialization for each of the four parts to my airplane (Wings, Fuselage, Engine, Guns). For Wings, I'll pick Glider - I know about an intriguing secret area in every new place I visit. For Fuselage, I'll pick Ostentatious (once per takeoff or landing, I can direct all attention to myself). For Engine, I'll pick Aggressive - I can act first when things get tough, which I think is in line with my Creed. And for Guns, I'll take Jury Rigged (when I get violent, I can't stop until it's finished).
I get a tag from each part, so I'll take Leisurely, Supportive, Honest, and Stubborn.
Fuel and Favor are fixed values; I start with 2 Favor and therefore 6 Fuel, so that's easy.
Next up, I need to describe my Home Cathedral. I'm gonna say that my character's home is halfway up a mountain, and glider-style aircraft are very common for the poor to get down the mountain. Most of the time they have to climb back up, but the Old Money types can use personal hot air devices. The Maiden and Her teachings aren't very well received here, because tradition is huge. It largely revolves are gliders, kite flying, and other wind-related stuff. I picture a lot of colorful festivals that distract folks from the exploitation of the Old Money. The village is called Zephyr.
I need to define a Port in a Storm NPC, someone from Zephyr that grew up with my character but isn't a Priest. They share one tag with me, too. I'll say my NPC's name is Bayring, and he's a dyer - he helps make all those colorful kites and glider wings (and knows a bit about chemistry, too). He gets two tags, so I'll give him Supportive and Warm.
Finally, I have to define my character's look and and plane. I'll start with the plane, because I have an idea there. My plane is a glider that my character and Bayring modded out, fitted with an engine and guns, and then painted black in stark defiance of the colorful, happy gliders of Zephyr. However, at the flick of a switch, my character can ignite the oils on the guns, making the plane blaze with fire and smoke (hence the Ostentatious Fuselage). The plane is called the Harbinger.
My character's name is Erren. He's slim, square-jawed, and he's got black hair that tends to be singed in places. He's generally pretty laid-back, and despite his disdain for how tradition-bound his village is, the patience and calm required to ride air currents is something he's cultivated.
And that'll do it!
