Character Aspects
Character creation begins with aspects. More than anything else, aspects are a player’s most explicit way of telling the GM, “This is the stuff I want to see in the game”. If the player picks an aspect like “Death Defying”, then he should be able to fully expect that the GM will put him in death-defying situations. GMs should want players to use their aspects; players should pick the ones they want to use, and GMs should encourage them to choose aspects that will be both interesting and useful.
Once a player decides on an idea for an aspect, he needs to figure out what aspect name best describes what he intends; there are usually many possible names for a desired aspect, which can make this choice somewhat difficult. However, most of the time, an aspect is going to be a phrase, a person or a prop.
Good and Bad Aspects
You may have noticed that a number of the aspects throughout this book are “bad” aspects – they indicate a downside for a character, either in their directly negative connotations, or in their two-edged nature. Aspects like Drunkard, Sucker, Stubborn, and Honest all suggest situations where the character will have to behave a certain way – making an ass of himself at an important social function, falling for a line of bull, failing to back down when it’s important to do so, or speaking truth when truth is the path to greatest harm.
So why put such aspects on your sheet if they’re only going to make trouble for you? Simple: you want that kind of trouble.
On a basic, game-rules footing, “bad” aspects are a direct line to getting you more fate points – and fate points are the electricity that powers some of the more potent positive uses of your aspects.
Outside of just the rules, a “bad” aspect adds interest and story to a character in a way that purely positive aspects cannot. This sort of interestmeans time in the limelight. If someone’s trying to take advantage of the fact your character’s a Sucker, that’s an important point in the story, and the camera’s going to focus on it. “Bad” aspects also immediately suggest story to your GM; they tell her how to hook your character in. From the perspective of playing the game to get involved and have fun, there’s nothing but good in this sort of “bad”.
Clever players will also find positive ways to use “bad” aspects. The Drunkard might get looked over more easily by prying eyes as “just a drunk”; someone who’s Stubborn will be more determined to achieve his goals. This brings us the secret truth about aspects: the ones that are most useful are the ones that are the most interesting. And interesting comes most strongly from aspects that are neither purely good nor purely bad.
As a rule of thumb, when picking an aspect, think of three situations where you can see the aspect coming into play. If you’ve got one reasonably positive situation and one reasonably negative situation out of that set, you’re golden! If they’re all of one type, you may want to reconsider how you've worded your aspect – try to put a little of what’s missing in there. Ultimately, though, one aspect that’s “all good” or “all bad” isn’t that much of a problem, so long as you have a good mix throughout your whole set.
Weak and Strong Aspects
Aspects are one of the major sources of flavor for your character; they’re the first thing a GM will look at on your sheet when trying to work out what sort of stories to throw you into. This is powerful juju, and the best part is, you are in total control of it with the words you choose for your aspect. Whenever you’re writing down the name of an aspect, ask yourself, “how much flavor does this aspect suggest?” If it seems fairly colorless, then you might well be off the mark, and it’s time to kick it up a notch. Certainly, don’t feel like you have to do this with every aspect you take, but if your character is served up as a bland dish, you may discover that your GM is at loose ends for keeping him involved in the story.
High Concept
Before doing anything else, think of a short phrase that sums up your character. This will be your character's first aspect.
Examples: Obnoxious Noble, Big Dumb Barbarian, Cunning Barbarian, Honorable Knight, Brash Knight, Hardened Mercenary, Stereotypical Dwarf, Clever Orc, Unlucky Halfling, Thrill-seeking Swashbuckler, Wandering Monk, Dishonored Samurai, Hunter of the Undead, Crusading Priest, Pius Priest, Conniving Grifter, Farmboy who hit the Big Time, Fierce Battle Mage, Arcane Investigator, Archeologist, Adventurous Scholar, Grandstanding Bard, Friendly Necromancer,
Phased Background
Further aspects come from your character's background. Background is divided into phases. These are not necessarily in chronological order.
Race and Culture
Determine your character's race, and the culture in which he grew up. If your Write down an aspect that describes your character's race, culture, and social class. The races chapter has many suggestions of typical aspects. Most races have a strong tendency towards one lifestyle. If your character is outside the stereotype, the aspect should reflect that. Likewise, if your character's upbringing or culture was unusual for his race, this is a good idea for an aspect, too.
This may overlap with your high concept, but it can add more depth to your origin. At least one aspect needs to explicitly mention your race. (Humans are exempt from this rule.)
Examples: City Human, Elf of Eriska Forest, Scion of the Axebeard Clan, Orcish Outcast, Born to Nobility, Street Urchin, Destitute Wanderer, Country Boy/Girl, Barbarian of the Frozen North, Desert Nomad, Raised in a Secluded Monastery, Human Raised by Dwarves, Half Orc Foundling, Goblin Raised by Worgs, Hobgoblin Runaway, Ambitious Lizardfolk, Bugbear Priest,
Training and Vocation
Player characters are talented people. Create an aspect explaining why your character is so badass. This is a good point to add a connection to an NPC mentor, or a group, like a guild or school.
These tend to fall into a few categories:
Fighting Men
Stalwart Knight, Swordmaster Bartagon, Axbeard Clan Hammer Fighting, Bear-Skin Warrior Lodge, Crucible of War, Veteran of the Borderland War, Elerial Fencing School, Brute Force Works!, The Art of Archery, Back Ally Brawler, Frenzied Berserker, Acrobatic Swashbuckler, The Strongest of my Tribe, Furious Tiger Monastery
Magic Users
Wizard of the Spiral Tower, Apprentice to Grandel the Great, Guild Wizard, The Demon Balphagor, Sorcerer's Blood,
Priests
Protector of the Flock, Smiter of Evildoers, Oath Soldier, Cult of the Liberator, Servant of the Lawgiver, Initiate of the Tomb Keeper, Sworn to Nature, Devoted to the Bloody-Handed One, Healer,
Wild Folk
Brotherhood of Rangers, Trailblazer, Abandoned in the Wild,
Rogues
Pickpocket, Burglar, Smuggler, Dashing Highwayman, Crooked Merchant, Wandering Monteback, Tomb Robber,
Ethos and Motivation
Why is your character an adventurer?
Examples: For my Liege, For the Greater Good, Scoundrel with a Heart of Gold, Cynical Mercenary, Bound by Honor, Starry Eyed Dreamer, Anarchist Revolutionary, Defender of the Downtrodden, Defender of Civilization, Help Those in Need, Oath of Loyalty, My New Clan, Brothers in Arms, Honor Among Thieves, Nowhere to Turn, Seeking an Honorable Death, Repaying a Debt, Out to Prove Myself
Wildcard
The remaining aspect can be anything at all. Here are some examples:
Personality Quirks
Hydrophobic, Compulsive Honesty, Reckless Courage, Insatiable Curiosity, Gambler, Wanderlust, Afraid of Spiders, Sworn Vegetarian, Animal Lover, Paranoid, Habitual Stealth, Over Equipped, Pedant, Collector of Trivia, Can't Resist a Challenge, Twitchy, Nightmares, Teetotaler, Superstitious, Gloomy & Fatalistic, Drunkard, Relentless Optimism,
Physical Aspects
Short, Big and Brawny, Old, Energetic, Hefty, Thin and Limber, Sensitive Ears, Deep Sleeper, Allergies, One Eye
Most Valued Possession
Sword of my Grandfather, My Master's Spellbook, Mother's Locket, Mysterious Signet Ring, Diary of Fitzjarl the Seeker,
Rivals and Foes
Undead Hunter, Giant Slayer, Exorcist, Fae Bane, Hates Orcs, Hunted by the Order of the Snake, In Debt to "Hacksaw" Fairweather, Wanted Criminal,
Skills
Next assign your skills. Select fifteen skills, at varying levels. The exact level of these skills depends on the campaign tier.
| Tier One | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Good |
| 2 | Fair |
| 3 | Average |
| 4 | Mediocre |
| Default | Poor |
| Tier Two | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Great |
| 2 | Good |
| 3 | Fair |
| 4 | Average |
| 5 | Mediocre |
| Default | Poor |
| Tier Three | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Superb |
| 2 | Great |
| 3 | Good |
| 4 | Fair |
| 5 | Average |
| Default | Mediocre |
| Tier Four | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fantastic |
| 2 | Superb |
| 3 | Great |
| 4 | Good |
| 5 | Fair |
| Default | Average |
Fate points and Refresh
Refresh rate is the character's starting number of Fate points. At the beginning of a new adventure, your FP reset to this number, even if you had more at the end of the last adventure.
Base refresh rate is determined by the campaign tier. A character can trade points of refresh rate for stunts.
| Tier | Rate |
|---|---|
| One | 6 |
| Two | 8 |
| Three | 10 |
| Four | 12 |
Stunts
Next you can add stunts. Each stunt costs one point of refresh rate. If you are playing a non-human race, you need to pay for your racial stunts, or have an aspect explaining why you don't have them.
Stress Tracks
Both stress tracks start at 5 boxes. Having a high Endurance or Resolve grants additional boxes, up to a maximum of three in each track.
The stunt Thick Skinned grants an additional Health box, and Unflappable grants an additional Composure box.
Starting Equipment
A character can be assumed to have the proper tools of their profession. Each skill lists the associated equipment.
Also, first tier characters start with the standard kit: backpack, dagger, 50 foot rope with grappling hook, flint and steel, a few torches, large sack, belt purse, bandages, bedroll, and a week's rations. Higher tier characters may replace the torches with sunrods at tier two, or an everburning torch at tier three.
Truly exceptional equipment, like major magic items, require the proper item stunts.
