Character Creation Thread

Here is where we discuss characters. Ask questions and what not.

I'm interested in playing an Immolator, for a silly reason. Ever since "Crush, Crumble, and Chomp" featured immolation as a monster ability, I've always loved the idea. What does everyone else think?

I like it, assuming you are using the one from the SRD page. That's the only place I see it. There could be some interesting RP experiences with that class.

Ok, looks like we have a full boat as it were. Let's spaceseeker19 is looking at Immolator and Jabes.plays.RPG is thinking Bard. What about the two new players?

I'm thinking either Fighter or Arcane Duelist, not sure yet

Arcane duelist gives us three magic based classes. That might give the group an interesting direction. Nothing wrong with Fighter though.

I was thinking about either a Druid or a Ranger. I'm leaning toward Druid with the current set of magic wielders so we could have someone a bit more tanky.

Don't worry to much about "party balance" in the traditional sense. Dungeon world doesn't hold to that philosophy to much. A fighter only has, at most, two more HP than any other character. The Bard and the Arcane Duelist are decent melee combatants on their own. Play the character that speaks to you, that has the most story to tell in your mind. That's what we want.

Arcane Duelist it is!

And Druid it is for me!

So the roster is: Arcane Duelist(Naatkinson), Bard(Jabes.plays.RPG), Druid(JoHoover), and Immolator(spaceseeker19)

Cool. Let's start talking about the characters. Who are they? What are they? How do they fit into the world? Keep in mind, all we know about the world so far is that there used to be an Oracle but since she revealed that the time of peace would be ending, nothing has been heard form her. There are SAges who have interpreted the signs and claim this prophesy is coming true. There are seven realms and the first adventure will take place in one of them and it will deal with the Dark Wood and the dangers within it. The final part of the prophesy is that if champions answer the call, peace may be preserved.

Jabes.plays.RPG has already submitted Elestren the Bard. You can reference this character to see what a character sheet should more or less look like. I'm not a stickler on layout. If you need to change the order up for your own reasons, feel free, just have all the important stuff there. If I don't see something I will ask.

Once you have a basic idea in mind, introduce your character and some details. Think specifically about the Bonds. Maybe look at the other classes and see if you like one of those for your character and put it out there. Give us a few background details, like age, or how long you've been a {Whatever Class You Are}.

Don't be afraid to introduce world details either. As the GM, I am told to leave holes in the map and let players fill in the details, or wait until someone asks for those details specifically and work plot hooks in to make the details important to the story. If you make a detail about the world here I will post about it in the world thread and eventually collect things into an index of sorts for all of us to reference.

So...first questions form me.
What role does your character believe they play in the prophecy of the Oracle? Are they one of the foretold "Champions"?
What Realm is your character from? What is it like? (monarchy, oligarchy, republic) (swamps, forested, dessert, mountains) {note: these are suggestions, not absolute choices. make up whatever you want} You don't all have to be from different realms, if someone suggests a detail you like, run with it, just don't trample over their ideas and make them unusable.

Hmm. Noticed something, Arcane Duelist doesn't have options listed for alignment. Want me to pick one from fighter?

Fighter of Wizard work, or make up your own using the class intro as a guideline.

The Good alignment on the Bard also makes sense: "Perform your art to aid someone else."

Female elf. Knowing eyes. Sensuous smile. Close-cropped silver hair. Travelling clothes. Fit Body. Some call her "The Silver Fox."

Elestren is a real heartbreaker. There probably isn't a town from here to Arunshire that hasn't got some poor lass whose heart she's broken. But her love for the Queen is true!

Being a bard, Elestren knows of the Oracle's prophecy, of course. But she doesn't believe it has anything to do with her.

Omen Hotstepper, human Immolator
Chaotic pyromancy enthusiast with smoldering eyes, a manic attitude and crackling voice. His body is festooned with strange scars and brands.

*************
Sheesh, I'm having a hard time answering the questions. Not because they're hard to answer, but because it's hard for me to not write a huge amount of background for the character, his country, religions and stuff (I already drafted a bunch of these things before realizing I was doing it without the collaboration of the rest of the group!). So here's a general, high-level description of some concepts:
He is from a mountainous realm with lots of volcanic activity called Zannidros. It's a conservative plutocracy; the Grand Church of Nistil, an organized religion, has flourished there and has effectively become the state pantheon, but there is an underground/cult that claims to follow the "old ways:" ancient beliefs in human transcendence to existence on the elemental planes. A devotee of this cult, my character took part in a ritual held in the caldera of a volcano. He emerged as Omen, with the power to shape and use fire. I'd love to hear ideas from you and the other players about the nation, the religions, what the ritual involved, whether the ritual went wrong or as planned, etc.
I'm inclined to think that Zannidros is not one of the seven realms of the prophecy, or perhaps the seven realms of the prophecy are regions more than nations, and Zannidros is within a region but its people consider themselves separate, exempt. OR it could be that the Prime Direction (head of the Grand Church) is one of the seven sages, and Omen doesn't consider the "Nistilish prophecy" as anything to do with him, a follower of the Old Ways.

But the Old Ways have prophecies of their own, foretelling that a Force of Shadow will oppose the elements and plunge all into darkness unless the elements can be united. Omen participated in the volcanic ritual because it was the first ritual step toward uniting the elements. But the ritual was considered a failure, because he can only manipulate fire, not all the states of matter. Rejected by the practitioners of the Old Ways as "not the Chosen One," Omen has ventured forth into the world to see how he can further the worship of plasma in the world, gaining power and influence until such point that he may ascend to the Elemental Plane of fire.

I know what you mean spaceseeker19, I had to stop myself from diving in and building everything all at once. But don't throw it all out, it could come in handy later.

@Jasbes.plays.RPG well...really @Elestren, Why can't the Queen return your love, even though she wants too? Next, Someone in the town near the Dark Wood has recently gone missing. Who are they and what is their connection to the Queen? Why has she sent you to investigate?

@spaceseeker19...but actually @Omen...The flames have given you a sign. What secret does the Dark Wood hold that will lead to your ascension? and Why does the Grand Church of Nistil hold such power among the merchant kings of Zannidros?

As a mountainous region, I'm seeing thinking that Zannidros is highly Dwarven controlled. They mine gems and precious metals and the human merchants sell them to the other nations.

Elestren comes from the elven woodland Kingdom of Vaeniria (is it still called a kingdom if it's ruled by a queen regnant?) at the foot of the mighty Q'sulth mountains. In Vaeniria, queens remain celibate. The Queen cannot return Elestren's love because if she did she would be required to abdicate.
In the old days the Vaenirian elves crafted gems that channeled the power of the land to heal, to build, and to defend their borders. But now all but one of the gems of old are lost. The one gem is the Queen's Heart, a ruby pendant worn by the Queen of Vaeniria, and the symbol of her rule. Just as there is only one gem left, there is also only one remaining gem-crafter: a blind, ancient elf named Tisharu, who has gone missing. The Queen is afraid to send soldiers because she suspects one of their commanders of plotting to supplant her. Elestren is the only one she can trust...

In our real-world, male-dominant way of thinking, yes a 'kingdom' run by a queen is still a kingdom, though queendom is fine by me. Simply calling it a Monarchy is fine as well.

Good details. Adding them to the 'map' as it were.

Brentheli

A male elf with wild eyes, braided white hair of exceedingly large frame for an elf. He wears practical leathers from the far north.

Brentheli comes from an ancient royal linage that burned out over a millennia ago because of the then kings penchant for South Sea dust (similar to cocaine but more mind addling). As he became more deranged and erratic the elven council took it upon themselves to force him out of power and take control of the throne from Brentheli's family, to avoid any further "weakness" from sitting on the throne.

Because of the shame associate with his Great Grandfather Brentheli was always seen as an outcast by his peers which drove him to withdraw from the populated lands and seek seclusion in the Frozen North. He has spent the last 40 years meditating and communing with the animals of the north which has left their mark on him. His stature has increased to combat the frigid winters and his hair has turned permanently white and hollow from his everprecense as a polar bear during his wanderings.

Recently he has felt a calling from the dark woods. A distress call if you will, but he is unsure who would be trying to contact him since he hasn't had any contact with anyone in centuries. Though he has heard of the prophecy he doesn't have any belief that he is involved.