Down to business. Here's how to create a character, from the very start to a finished, playable jumble of numbers and words. Lets take this one step at a time.
Step One: A concept.
Yeah, that seems so obvious, something a million people have said before. Well that's because it's really the most important part. This is a roleplaying game, the role you play is the whole point. This can be a difficult and complex thing to come up with though, so I'll talk briefly about it here and in more depth in a later post.
My best advice would be, "Either start really big, or start really small." By this I mean that, in my experience at least, creating interesting and enjoyable characters is easier if you start simply.
Lonely Renegade. Honorable Centurion. Greedy Senator. Grieving Mother.
All you have to do is read two words and your mind will automatically start filling in the details. This is a good thing! It is a natural human inclination, especially for people with good imaginations and a creative streak, like us roleplayer people! Hell, don't stress yourself out trying to think of a cool idea, let your subconscious do all the work. Start cobbling together some random adjectives and nouns until your inner storyteller strikes gold.
He's lonely because his brother and partner in crime got captured so he could escape. Okay, good. Then what? Their escape went wrong because they were betrayed to the law for a reward. Okay, good. Then what? Who betrayed them? What crime were they trying to commit? Why was there a reward on them? What happened to the brother? What is the renegade doing now? Etc, etc.
Thinking along those lines will eventually result in you knowing enough about your character that filling in the numerical details rules wise will be both fast and easy.
The other way is to start small. Like, so small it's trivial. It's not even a character at this point it's a single random fact or tidbit of information.
Owns a bent coin. Is afraid of the sound of grasshoppers. Lights three candles every single night and lets the wind blow them out. Was teased as a child.
And just go from there. The bent coin is special because it was a gift from a Greek philosopher. Okay, good. Then what? The philosopher gave it to you as he was dying. He said it was a guide to your destiny. You had no idea what he was talking about because you aren't Macedonian and the philosopher didn't speak very good Latin. So now you go around and ask every learned man and oracle you can find about the bent coin.
See what I mean? Just start either very small and specific or very large and vague, and just keep going one step at a time until you are satisfied. Honestly, you don't need to write out a 20 page life history. Shucks, you don't have to write anything down. Just have this stuff in your head while doing the rest of the steps, and it will almost be like the character stats choose themselves.
Step Two: Guts, Grit, & Glory.
These three are the corners of your statistical triangle. At character creation every player has 15 points to spread between the three. All three have a minimum value of 2, so logically the highest possible number is 11. How you distribute them is mostly influenced by your character concept, the better you know your character the easier this should be to distribute. The following are descriptions of each.
- Guts - Guts represents a
character's overall physical health. It does not directly relate to
muscle mass, so while a big, strong, fit character will probably have a
decent or high Guts score, it is not automatic. Guts represents your
resilience to disease, your stamina, your reflexes and coordination,
your hearing, your eyesight, your ability to get hurt and keep going,
and basically everything else related to the well-being and quality of
your body. The average for all humans is 4-5 with about 80% of the
population between 3 and 6, though of course people vary drastically,
and Guts is not necessarily tied to gender or age or body weight.
Guts goes up and down for a few different reasons, most commonly injury and recovering from said injuries, so it's important to keep track of your current Guts score and your maximum Guts score.
Guts is connected, rules wise, to Physical Injury, Death and Dying, Disease, Poison, Starvation and Dehydration, Healing and Recovery, Running, Jumping, Hearing, Eyesight and "other things of a bodily nature not listed right here at this moment".
- Grit - Grit is, in general, how
tough you are and how hard or long you can push yourself to your
limit.When everyone else is collapsing from the heat and the thirst and
the many miles of walking, Grit is what keeps you on your feet. When
you're hanging off a cliff by a rope, and your arms are screaming and
your hands slipping, Grit is what keeps you holding on. Grit is also
mental. When fire is crackling all around you, when you're drenched
and weary and lost in the woods, when the cavalry is charging right towards
you, that's the time Grit comes into play.
Like Guts, a character's current Grit goes up and down. Unlike Guts though, Grit is spent at the choice and under the control of the player and is used to modify the results of dice rolls. A player may spend a point of Grit in one of two ways. They may add a +3 modify to a roll that has YET to be made, adding the three to whatever number comes up, or they may spend it AFTER a roll has been made but BEFORE the results of the roll are revealed by the Gamemaster, allowing them to re-roll the dice. You may not use multiple Grit to stack the +3 bonus's but you may keep re-rolling the dice as long as you have Grit to spend. You may also not use Grit to grant a re-roll if you also used Grit to provide a bonus for that same roll and vise-verse, though both forms may be used in a single turn on separate rolls.
*The exception to the rule about only re-rolling before the results are revealed does not apply to opposed rolls, which are often made in Guts, Grit and Glory games. A player may elect to re-roll even after seeing the result of the opposition's dice. This mostly comes up during combat.*
Aside from spending it to modify dice results, Grit is also connected to, rules wise, Hunger, Fatigue, Intimidation, Alcohol, Fear, Dying, Injuries, Extreme Heat and Cold, and "other things of a similar nature not listed right here at this moment".
- Glory - Glory lives in the heart of every Roman, Barbarian, and Hero. But what is Glory?
Holding the breach against vastly superior numbers, standing firm and fighting to the last man? Rescuing innocent civilians from marauders? Rising from nothing to a respected and accomplished senator? Vanquishing a mighty champion in single combat? Winning an elite contest of skill or beauty? Building the richest trade and commerce network in the known world? Personally discovering something that will change the course of history?
No, not one of those is glorious. At least, not inherently. Those things display courage, valor, nobility, and virtue. They are impressive feats worthy of renown and praise, bringing honor and dignity and reward to those few able to accomplish them. But that is not what glory means.
That which distinguishes a monument from an ordinary building, statue, etc is not found within it's construction, location, or appearance, but what it stands for. Glory occurs only in the name of something greater than yourself. Be it martial, social, spiritual or anything else, what you do is irrelevant to glory. What matters is why you did it.
That which is "greater than yourself" can take many forms. It could be a political entity, a philosophical ideal, a culture, or even a dream. What matters is that your actions and the results of those actions, for good or bad, are associated by others with the higher concept equally, if not more so, than they are associated with you.
Note that a character's Glory score is NOT a measure of how "good" they are. A person can be a kind, lawful, honest, and even outright heroic individual and still have little Glory. Glory is not a measurement of morality but rather a way of thinking and acting.
Aside from being a core concept of the game on a stylistic and storytelling level, Glory has in-game uses and effects, as described below.
- Glory may be used to automatically succeed at any one die roll so long
as the action is of a glorious nature. The character, if they choose
to spend Glory, may do after seeing the result of their die roll and
even after the GM has informed them they have failed, so long as they do
so immediately after being informed of their failure but before the
effects of failing have occurred.
For a basic example: a player that is climbing a tall ruined building with intent to place a banner at the top may use Glory to automatically succeed at a climbing roll to reach the peak, even if they had moments ago failed that same roll. Regardless of the result of the die roll, that player subtracts one Glory from their current amount and their turn/overall play continues as normal.
This automatic success may strictly not be used for any action which would kill or physically defeat another person, the reason for this to prevent instant, undeserved victory in combat. It may also not be used for actions which are disgraceful or would bring shame on the character/the higher concept. Just because the immediate action would result in glory, if the long term outcome or deeper purpose to that action is selfish or dishonorable, Glory may not be used.
The above example is very straightforward and obvious. Many situations though, are more nuanced and complex. The issue of what is and is not Glorious will naturally vary with each gaming group and the opinions of individual players. There is no hard and fast guidelines or criteria to meet, but it is important to remain consistent, and crucial that each player has a mutual understanding of how Glory can be used. This is discussed in more depth in a latter section.
In general, Glory is not meant as an "I win button". If the Gamemaster feels a player is abusing the Glory system simply to succeed, they may veto the point, and that player does not lose the Glory point but does not automatically succeed. Also of important note, Glory may represent a shining moment, but it's not supposed to allow people to do the impossible. Improbable and unlikely yes, but not impossible. You may not use Glory to leap across 30 foot gaps, recover perfectly in minutes, or other implausible things, even if those things are for a clearly glorious goal. Mortar & Flame is rooted in reality, "automatic success" or not.
- Glory can give a circumstantial modifier to rolls, if the Gamemaster
believes Glory to be relevant. A character with high Glory might get a
bonus to repair rolls when working on a damaged historical building, or a
character with low Glory might receive a bonus to the rhetoric skill if they are making a speech standing up for what they believe in for the first time. These bonuses are on a per-situation basis and are at
the discretion of the Gamemaster.
- A high Glory score should influence the reactions and decisions of
Non-Player Characters. The senate is much less likely to hurl a
character with a high Glory score into exile based solely on questionable
evidence than a character with a low Glory score. A butcher might offer
reduced prices if the person buying it has a high Glory and informs them it is for an award ceremony. The
local Magistrate's gorgeous daughter much more likely to flirt with a character if they, through
a high Glory score, give her the impression of a storied, accomplished hero.
Skills and the points put into them represent the things a character has practice and experience doing. Everything from a hobby to a profession, if you have to study, practice, and work to get better at it, it is usually a Skill. Every character begins the game with 15 Skill points, which they can distribute among skills of their choosing. You may put up to 4 points in a single skill during character creation, with 5 as the maximum any skill may rise to. Below if a brief reference of what different skill levels mean. Note that skills do not represent what your character can DO, they represent what your character is GOOD at. Rank 0 does not imply your character is a clumsy, clueless incompetent, merely that they are not better then everyone else.
- Rank 0 - Plebeian: If you can do it, anyone can do it. Rank 0 in a skill does not in any way mean you can't try, but if you succeed is as much a matter of luck as intentional effort. You have no proper training in this skill and while you may have done it before during your life, you are not practiced enough to make a difference.
- Rank 1 - Able: You aren't all that great at this but you know what you're doing and can hold your own. You're better than the average bear, with practice and knowledge, either self taught or trained.
- Rank 2 - Steady: You can definitely pull your own weight when it comes to this skill. You are capable of directing and leading others in use of this skill, and you can act for long times independently without needing any assistance. Even to the untrained observer, you appear competent and reliable.
- Rank 3 - Deft: You clearly know your stuff in regards to this skill. You are trusted by all to get the job done and done well, and people come to you with requests for help and ask you to teach them. You're publicly known to be good at this skill, and you succeed at it even under pressure and in tough situations.
- Rank 4 - Master: No one doubts your skill and expertise. You are respected by your brethren in this skill and held as an example to others. People gladly work with you and under you, and you know you can drive a hard bargain for your services or aid. You are bored by the day to day use of this skill and always look for new things to challenge you.
- Rank 5 - Legendary: You are a legend across the Empire for your abilities in this skill. Everywhere you go people tell tales of you and your accomplishments. You are one of the very best and your peers are few and far between. Your name and your deeds will be forever tied to this skill.
The following is a list of 62 example skills to pick from. These are NOT the only skills in the game, and if you wish your character to have something not listed here, just run it by the Gamemaster for approval and carry on. For those with an * you pick a specific focus when taking that skill, such as "Harp Playing" or "Armour Maintenance/Repair".
- Acrobatics
- Animal Husbandry
- Artillery
- Axes
- Blacksmithing
- Bows
- Brawling
- Brewing
- Carpentry
- Cart/Wagon Driving
- Cartography
- Climbing
- Construction
- Cooking
- Dancing
- Dicing
- Dog Handling
- Dollmaking
- Engineering
- Farming
- First Aid
- Fishing
- Gardening
- Glass-making
- Herbalism
- Herding
- Hiding
- Horse-riding
- Instrument Playing*
- Knives
- Leatherworking
- Maintenance/Repair*
- Midwifery
- Mining
- Moving Stealthily
- Navigation
- Observation
- Painting
- Pickpocket
- Poetry
- Preaching
- Recordkeeping
- Rhetoric
- Ropework
- Rowing
- Sculpting
- Sewing
- Singing
- Sleight of Hand
- Spears
- Surgery
- Swimming
- Swords
- Teaching
- Thrown Weapons
- Tracking
- Trapping
- Washing
- Whistling
- Woodcarving
- Wrestling
- Writing
Step Four: Possessions
In Guts, Grit, and Glory it is assumed that characters own more than
they literally carry around with them all the time. Some characters own
more than others of course but most have homes, filled with everything
from animals to artwork to cloths to food to keepsakes to whatever. People
have valuables stored away in vaults, or hidden on their land, or just kept
in a jar by the bed. The point is you typically own a lot of things, far
too many to literally list down every single item. Fortunately in Guts,
Grit, & Glory you only need keep specific, detailed track of what
you happen to have on you during times you are away from home, and even
then not every single thing.
During character creation, as you don't yet know where, when, etc, the
Saga starts, you don't need to draw up a specific inventory. Just take a
piece of paper and write down a general list of stuff, both vague and
unique, that your character has access to and may use. Let the
Gamemaster look over this list for approval, and that's enough for right
now. Before the first encounter of the first game session, the
Gamemaster will set the scene, and everyone will take a quick moment to
work out, as a group and with the Gamemaster, what they happen to have
on them at the time, as realistic for the opening scenario.
Inventory and Possessions are discussed in more elaborate detail in a later section.
Step Five *Optional*: Aspects.
Step Five *Optional*: Aspects.
Aspects are short one sentence blurbs about your character that speaks
to an essential part of who they are and their lives up until the start
of gameplay. They are partially a roleplaying guide for the character
but can provide tangible benefits and penalties during play. They are
the most difficult to explain piece of creating a character, as well as
being 100% optional. Since they are strongly recommended but not
mandatory to play, they will be described in full during a later
section.
Since it is possible for one player to desire using aspects with their
character during play and others to not, it is recommended that
everyone, especially the Gamemaster, at least glance over the Aspect
section of the rules. Note that Aspects give just as much grief and
trouble as they do reward and benefit, so don't worry about your
character being underpowered or less important during gameplay if you
choose not to use them.
Step Six: Basic Information
Some of these things have no significant effect on gameplay, but players
should take a moment and write down on their character sheet basic
information about their characters, including but not limited to things
such as:
Age, Gender, Height, Weight, Hair/Eye Color, Ethnicity, Distinguishing Features such as scars or tattoos, Family such as spouses, brothers, children, etc, the location of their home, and "other things of a similar nature that may not come up often but are good to have written down and figured out before you start playing."
Age, Gender, Height, Weight, Hair/Eye Color, Ethnicity, Distinguishing Features such as scars or tattoos, Family such as spouses, brothers, children, etc, the location of their home, and "other things of a similar nature that may not come up often but are good to have written down and figured out before you start playing."
--|-- There you have it. Making a character, more or less. A few things
are doubtlessly going to be confusing or hard to understand at this
moment, but rest assured those things will all be clarified, elaborated
on, and discussed in upcoming posts and segments. Please also remember
that this ENTIRE game is a work in progress, and thus it is all subject
to modification at any point in the future. I would love to hear any
questions you may have, just leave a comment. Trust me I gladly read
them all and would be happy to answer queries and listen to
advice/ideas. More posts coming soon! --|--
