Character Creation Details

The following is not an official document endorsed by Monte Cook Games, but a brief synopsis of the writer's understanding of the material. The Strange or The Strange Player's Guide by Monte Cook Games should be reviewed for the complete details.

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In The Strange, a characters main attributes by three terms, called Descriptor, Type and Focus. These are expressed as the phrase: I am a D T who F’s. For example, you might be Lucky Spinner who Solves Mysteries.

Characters will start at Tier 1.

Choose your Descriptor, Type and Focus. Note that only specific Foci will be available during character creation as decided by your game master, but don’t worry, you’ll have opportunities to try other Foci.

1. Choose one Descriptor: Appealing, Brash, Clever, Fast, Graceful, Intelligent, Lucky, Sharp-Eyed, Skeptical, Stealthy, Strange, Strong, Tough. Other descriptors from Numenera may be available on a case by case basis

2. Choose one Type: Vector, Paradox, or Spinner

3. Choose one Focus (the following are available for The Strange West):

From the core rulebook: Adapts to Any Environment, Entertains, Is Licensed to Carry, Leads, Looks for Trouble, Operates Undercover, Solves Mysteries, Translates, Wields Two Weapons at Once

From The Translation Codex, by Ryan Chaddock Games): Carries a Badge, Draws Faster, Fights Dirty, Knows These Parts, Rides into the Sunset, Adopts Animal Qualities, Conducts Dangerous Experiments, Employs Fantastic Gadgets, Mixes Unstable Concoctions, Pursues Physical Perfection

4. Fill in your stat pools, as determined by Type

5. Fill in your Edge stats, as determined by Type

6. Additional Stats and Abilities, as determined by Type

7. Write in additional stats and abilities as determined by your Descriptor and Focus

8. Choose your possessions as determined by your Focus

9. List your attacks

10. Add your starting cyphers (none for The Strange West)

11. Add a brief background to the Notes

If be glad to do that with you . Do you want to be one of my connections?
What do you say, szemely?

Also, chocokiko, I'm thinking about picking you for my connection of does that work for you?

Sounds great!

Oh yeah. That would be good to post. Sorry Morrowlife. My character, AJ, is a Graceful Vector who Is Licensed to Carry. A young sharpshooter who became a hired gun in order to provide for his sister after their parents were killed by bandits.

I dig it! This is the kind of information I was hoping to get from everyone, because it helps to integrate my own character into others backstories (via connections and whatnot).

I have another connection to make:any takers?

I certainly don't mind Descriptors from the other books, but as I don't have all of the books, you'll need to send me the details of what you've chosen.

Works for me... I don't have any idea about connections. I have never played the strange. Maybe you could help me on mine?

Also I have no books at all and need to be lead by the hand the first few weeks.

That's totally what I expected, that at least one person would have little experience with Numenera, The Strange or the Cypher System in general. So my plan is to introduce and explain mechanics as they come up. Also, because it is our first time playing together, we might want to tweak some characteristics later on, so let's not worry too much about initial character builds being carved in stone.

Once we start, I'm going to set the forums as private, and post a mechanics summary for you all, which we can add on and discuss as needed.

Sure. It's pretty simple. I think it's you're type that will give you Connections for you to add some background and such to say, "hey I know this person from before." Should be a list to choose from. Do you have the book? Qralloq gave me mine since I don't have The Strange book. Although I am familiar with Numenera.

Nop I don't ahve any books

Hmmm, ok. Is Qralloq helping you make your character? He should have all that info.

Whoops! I think I miscounted on my connections. Diego Rey and AJ get +1 to speed defense tasks while fighting back-to-back and Diego invited AJ along to this journey as a thank you for AJ saving him. I don't know how, but chocokiko can get me guns and ammo for half the cost.

Got a small problem with character creation: my focus (Fights Dirty) doesn't have starting equipment. In fact, none of the ones from the Wild West foci have starting equipment.

EDIT: I've decided to just use one from the core book instead, but the foci in The Translation Codex still have this issue.

Diego laughs in your general direction!!

EDIT: I like it, sign Diego up.

For possessions for recursions from The Translation Codex, just pick stuff that makes sense, maybe using the core book as a guideline. One or 2 guns, some money...

I've reviewed your character sheets, and everything is looking awesome. I'm loving the backstories that you're writing.

A couple things:
- recovery roll: this is 1d6 + Tier, so will be 1d6+1 for each of you.
- starting money: To try and convert this to wild west era currency, let's use a simple rule of thumb of dividing by 10 your starting money as per your Focus. For examples of costs, a new colt revolver cost $10 to $25, a Springfield rifle $20, a horse $120, a drink at a saloon will be $0.05 for a shot of whiskey or a glass of beer, a hot simple meal $0.10, a days wages for a laborer $0.40 to $0.60...

Sounds good! I think I'll add Col. Mortimer to that list as well!

unique_exemplar, would it make sense if Clancy felt obligated to look after AJ? I'm sure he would know about his past experiences with parents and sister becoming murdered. Clancy would also feel kind of connected to him, because a similar thing happened in his past.

Sounds good to me. Being a fairly young man, AJ would seek validation from father figures.

Gameplay has started. I posted some background and setting information in a Prologue thread, and the initial description of Rio Grande City in the Chapter 1.0 thread.

There are four characters currently in play. Hyconner has joined the game but not yet submitted a character. Ultrann36 originally posted interest, but those posts have been deleted as has his PM to me. Harlandski has expressed interest and I'll allow him to join if Ultrann36 is a no show by Wednesday.

Ultrann36 has submitted his character, so we're up to 5 approved!

Glad to be aboard!