Designing A Character

Characters are usually recorded on a character sheet, which is a handy way of organizing all the information about the character. A blank character sheet is included Here, but it is recommended that you first design your character using scratch paper, and then transfer the information to a character sheet once you have gone through each step of the character creation process. Work through each element one step at a time before proceeding to the next. Use a pencil and have an eraser handy; certain numbers such as skill values will change several times during the character creation process.

Character Concept

The best place to start is to have some idea of what sort of character you want to play; a hardened warrior for example, or a cunning thief. Your character concept does not need to be elaborate here; simply an idea that will help guide choices you make such as your species or profession. A few character ideas are listed to provoke your imagination.

• Fierce barbarian hunter

• Young, naive mage

• Bad-tempered gemstone miner

• Chivalrous, yet disgraced champion

• Overly-curious explorer

• Unscrupulous mercenary

Non-Human Species

In a game of Dark Moon humans are not one of the peoples you will see walking the lands of Kerethad. Though they may seem exotic, you will likely find they share traits most sapient creatures do. The Species section of this book will provide further detailed attributes.

A player may choose to ignore this roll and play a krinn (either a Nährlkrinn or Ilukrinn), but if using Species Rolling they will roll randomly to determine which possible species you are capable of playing as a player for a character. The following table can be used:

Species Table

Characteristics

Every sapient creature, be it Krinn or monster is defined by seven characteristics. Each characteristic serves as the primary building block of a character telling you some thing about them; how strong or fast they are; how clever or healthy. They are necessary information to describe the mechanisms in game, but are also useful indicators how to roleplay the character.

The seven characteristics are:

• Strength (STR)

• Constitution (CON)

• Size (SIZ)

• Dexterity (DEX)

• Intelligence (INT)

• Power (POW)

• Charisma (CHA)

Strength (STR)

A character's capability with brute force, how much they can lift, and strength affects the amount of damage they deal as a component of the Damage Modifier. If a character has their strength reduced to zero, they lose the ability to move or lift objects becoming bedridden until their strength recovers.

Constitution (CON)

A character's measure of health and hardiness. It affects how much damage can be sustained in combat, as well as resistance to diseases and other ailments. Those with constitution that falls to zero for any reason dies. Constitution is a component in determining Hit Points and Healing Rate.

Size (SIZ)

Size measures the mass and helps indicate the height and weight of a character. Like strength and constitution, it affects the amount of damage a character can deal and how much damage they can take. Use size to help calculate Hit Points and Damage Modifier as well.

Creatures have a minimum value for size that represents the smallest example of an adult of that race; which in the case of Krinn is 8. If size drops below the species minimum they are considered to have wasted away to the point they are bedridden.

Dexterity (DEX)

Dexterity is the character’s agility, coordination and reflexes. This ability aids a character in many physical actions, including combat. Dexterity is an important aspect of Action Points, and Initiative Bonus. If a character is reduced to zero DEX they suffer functional paralysis, unable to move until the situation is rectified.

Intelligence (INT)

A measure of a character’s cognitive ability to think around problems, analyze information and creative potential. Intelligence is a factor of calculating Action Points, and Initiative Bonus.

Creatures with an intelligence score of 7 or below are considered sentient, retaining animal level instinct, and ability to react to stimuli. Individuals with an intelligence score of 8 or higher are considered fully sapient. If intelligence is reduced to zero the character becomes completely mindless.

Power (POW)

Power is a character's capacity to manipulate the veil and measure of their inner drive. This characteristic is beneficial for those interested in becoming accomplished in the metaphysical, as it governs a character's Magic Points and Luck Points. It represents the force of personal determination and if a character's power ever becomes zero they lose all independent will.

Charisma (CHA)

Charisma represents a character's personality, and is independent of physical appearance. It measures a character's leadership or social capabilities. It affects a character’s Experience Modifier. If this characteristic falls to zero, the character can no longer socially interact with others, becoming so painfully shy or antisocial they are ignored or even driven away.

Generating Characteristics

Each characteristic has a numerical value to determine how potent it is. Characteristic values can be calculated in one of several ways; either by random dice rolls or by allocating a predetermined number of points. Which method to be used is governed by the Games Master.

• Dice Roll: Roll, in order, the indicated dice for STR, CON, SIZ, DEX, INT, POW and CHA taking each rolled score as it comes. Since the results of these rolls can be somewhat random, it is often better to decide on a character concept after the dice are rolled. Otherwise the final characteristics may preclude a preconceived role. Roll 3d6 for STR, CON, DEX, POW and CHA; then 2d6+6 for SIZ and INT. Some species use the dice listed against their entry in the Species chapter.

• Dice Roll, Assign: As per normal generation, except the player may exchange values between Characteristics with the same dice range.

• Dice Pool: Roll 19 six-sided dice and assign three rolls to each Characteristic, save SIZ and INT which only get two, but start with a base value of 6.

• Point Build: Players assign Characteristic scores from a pre-determined pool of 75 points. Characteristics cannot be lower than the minimum rolled value, nor higher than the maximum. Points cannot be held over.

Attributes

Each character also has a set of attributes. These are particular capabilities derived from the characteristics, or determined by them that are used to govern certain factors of game play. The attributes are:

• Action Points

• Damage Modifier

• Experience Modifier

• Healing Rate

• Height and Weight

• Hit Points

• Initiative Bonus

• Luck Points

• Magic Points

• Movement Rate

Action Points

How often a character can act in a combat round (see the section on Combat) is determined by Action Points. How they are used is discussed in more detail in the Combat Actions section, but to determine a character’s base number of Action Points take the sum of INT and DEX, and consult the chart below:

Action Points Table

Damage Modifier

The bonus amount of damage a character inflicts when physically striking or applying force. It is an extra die roll which is either added to, or subtracted from, the damage inflicted by a weapon or tool. If a negative damage modifier takes a weapon's damage to zero or below then no damage at all has been inflicted.

Damage Modifier Table

Experience Points

Over the course of play characters improve their skill and capabilities. This is achieved through Experience Rolls which are explained in the Game Systems ➞ Experience Rolls section.

A character's CHA score may adjust the number of Experience Rolls the character has, reflecting the relationship with their peers and reputation in the world.

Experience Modifier Table

Healing Rate

After receiving injuries, a character needs to recuperate. Healing Rate determines how quickly you naturally recover from wounds. Depending on the severity of the injury (see Game Systems ➞ Healing from Injury), the Healing Rate denotes how many Hit Points are recovered per day, week, or month.

Hit Points

Hit Points represent how much injury an area of the body can withstand before it becomes useless, possibly resulting in incapacitation and ultimately the character’s death. The body of every creature is divided into separate locations; the head, chest, abdomen, arms and legs – each location with its own hit points.

To calculate the Hit Points of each location, add CON and SIZ together and cross-reference on the Hit Points table below.

Initiative Bonus

The moment at which someone reacts in combat is governed by initiative. Initiative Bonus acts as a modifier to initiative rolls; the higher the bonus, the faster one responds in a combat situation, determining when you can act. Further factors – armor for example – modify it. Initiative Bonus is the average of the DEX and INT characteristics.

Luck Points

Luck Points represent that strange force differentiating adventuring heroes from everyday folk. Call it fate, karma or simple good fortune. Luck Points can be used to:

• Re-roll the dice, if they are unfavorable

• Mitigate physical damage or other unfortunate circumstances

• Gain an edge at a vital moment in combat

Exactly how they are used, and when, is described in the Game Systems section on Game Systems ➞ Luck Points. Once a Luck Point is spent, the pool decreases; when one is out of Luck Points, no more are available – unless the Games Master makes an impromptu award – until the next game session when they replenish to their normal value.

Magic Points

Magical settings rely on Magic Points. For those who can utilize such powers, a character’s Magic Points are equal to their POW. These points are used to cast spells or trigger superhuman powers, the cost of which is dependent on the type of magic used. When the caster runs out of Magic Points he has exhausted his ability to cast any spells until they are replenished.

Movement Rate

Every creature has a Movement Rate – a number of meters that can be travelled during a specific period of time. Movement is not calculated from Characteristics but is a default value which differs from species to species. The base Movement Rate is 6 meters.

Standard Skills

By default, every Adventurer has a range of Standard skills allowing him to perform a variety of actions with varying degrees of expertise. These skills are detailed more fully in the Skills chapter, but cover a range of everyday activities and local knowledge which anyone can use without specialized training. At this point of character creation, players will only need to know the base values of each Standard skill.

The basic score of each Standard skill is determined by the sum of two characteristics or a multiple of a single characteristic. The value represents the character’s innate competence in a given area, in effect their raw talent before any formative training received as part of his culture and profession.

The Standard Skills Table shows how the basic values are calculated, along with a brief description of what the skill is and does. The score represents the percentage chance of success for a skill; so, an Athletics score of 25 is expressed as 25%. How skill percentages
work, and more detailed skill descriptions are provided in the Skills chapter.

Note that the basic percentages for some skills will be modified by both culture and profession, so these starting values will change as character creation progresses.

Standard Skills Table

Combat Styles

A Combat Style is the skill relating to fighting and the use of weapons. It is a diverse skill with many specializations related to the culture or profession which teaches it. Most fighting traditions encompass training in multiple weapons, along with the techniques required to use them all effectively, whether singly or in combination. In addition they often assume a situational element, such as fighting as close order infantry or whilst mounted. Therefore a Combat Style is an umbrella skill that melds together many related aspects of fighting under a single ability, removing the need to purchase multiple sub
skills.

Since most people can pick up a weapon and instinctively either swing, throw or fire it, Combat Styles are considered Standard Skills. Yet due to their potentially diverse nature, they are categorized and defined separately, under names suitable to the genre of the game
setting.

Characters learn Combat Styles as part of their culture and profession, as described in the following two chapters. Some sample Styles are offered opposite to show the range and versatility of Combat Styles – but these are simply suggestions.

Sample Combat Styles