Character Creation Process
(Mage)
• Step One: Character Concept
Choose concept and Order. Nature is optional.
Note Order’s Favored Abilities other benefits.
• Step Two: Select Attributes
Not that all Attributes start with one dot before you add any.
Prioritize the three categories: Physical, Social, Mental (7/5/3).
Choose Physical Traits: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina.
Choose Social Traits: Appearance, Charisma, Manipulation.
Choose Mental Traits: Perception, Intelligence, Wits.
• Step Three: Select Abilities
Note Order Abilities. (8 as determined by Order, Orphans and Solitaries choose
any 6).
Choose Favored Abilities (8; may not be the same as Order Abilities).
Choose Abilities (40 – at least 15 must be from Order or Favored Abilities; there must be one dot in each Favored Ability, but Order Abilities may have no dots; no Ability may start higher than 3 without spending bonus points).
Choose Techniques for Brawl, Martial Arts, or Melee (1 per dot in each skill.)
• Step Four: Select Advantages
Choose Backgrounds (7 – note that some Backgrounds may be limited).
Note Willpower (5 – may be increased with bonus points).
Note Arete (1 – may be increased with bonus points, may not be higher than
3 at character creation).
Choose Spheres (1 in Order Sphere; 5 to be distributed as desired. No Sphere may be higher than Arete rating).
• Step Five: Finishing Touches
Choose Rotes (up to five rotes).
Record Quintessence (equal to Avatar rating)
Record Health Levels (7).
Bonus Points
Bonus points (15) may be spent at any time during character creation.
Merits and Flaws
Each Merit costs bonus points, and each Flaw adds bonus points. No more than
seven bonus points may be gained from Flaws, but there is no limit to how many
bonus points may be spent on Merits.
These Merits may not be taken: Avatar Companion, Guardian Angel, Past Life (see the Background), True Faith, True Love, Twin Souls.
These Flaws may not be taken: Addiction to Caffeine, Dark Fate, Lifesaver
Allies – Close friends who help whenever they can. Have lives outside of
the character’s own.
Arcane – The ability to stay out of sight and to cover one’s background.
Avatar – The connection to the primal aspect of one’s self.
* Backing – Rank and influence within an organization.
Contacts – People who are willing to make deals.
Destiny – The quality of the character’s relative connection to his
ultimate fate.
Dream – The ability to access knowledge through humanity’s collective
unconscious.
* Familiar – A paranormal being that is bonded to the character.
Followers – Assistants or fans who devote themselves to the character’s
cause.
Influence – How well known the character is, and what he can get because
of his fame.
Library – A storehouse of knowledge, magical and otherwise.
Mentor - A learned instructor who can sometimes provide more than advice.
* Node – A wellspring of Quintessence, the power of the universe. Very
limited; no character may have more than 2 dots.
* Past Life – One’s connection to the lives his Avatar has shared
before.
Resources – How much money or simple buying power the character has.
* Sanctum – An area tuned to the character’s paradigm. Limited; no
character should have more than 2 dots.
* Wonder – A magical, spritual, or hypertech object with incredible abilities.
Advancement
Characters can gain anywhere from 1 to 3 experience points in a typical week,
with more possible from end of story and special awards.
Improving part of one's self, or discovering new skills, is not merely a matter
of spending points. Time needs to be spent studying and practicing. This study
time takes several hours every day. If the character is trying to improve more than one kind of trait at once (for example, working on two Abilities at the same time), the training time for both are doubled. However, the character can study more than one trait at once (for example, improving Strength while studying Brawl while learning a Sphere) with no penalty.