Character and World Creation (OOC)

World
We can create the world at the same time as we create the characters, these processes tend to intertwine and inform each other.

It might help to have a vague idea of the sort of world we are feeling like playing in, just to get us started.

Is it mostly 'our world', but with a bit more magic and magic regulation? Our world at a time when magic is/was more 'acceptable'? A completely unique fantasy world? Some existing setting?

Are there 'magic schools' that funnel people into this exam? And if so, did any of you go to one and how did you hide your true nature for the whole time while there?

Is this exam a school-independent, state-run institution --like a drivers' licence-- run by the Department of Wizarding Practitioners (DWP)?

Team
This practical exam is done as a team, you all pass or you all fail.

How did this team form?

Do you all know each other from before, and did you conspire together to cheat this exam together? If so, how do you know each other? Do you trust each other?

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Do you not know each other, and maybe not even know (improbable coincidence that it is) that all the rest of your team are also trying to blag their way through and avoid letting on that they are pretending to be wizards... um I mean that they are definitely Definitely Wizards... true story...?

Maybe you all sat the written portion at the same time, and were surprised to learn that that meant you had to work as a team for the practical?

If you don't know each other you should assume you will learn, fairly soon, that the others are in the same Wild boat you are. Else it will be hard to Cover for each other.

Characters
I would suggest the simple way of using the rules:

Look at the lists of options; either pick what you like, or roll and then decide if you want to keep the roll, or pick or roll again... ad fatigum.

Maybe we try to keep the characters 'unique' unless there is a fun reason for specific duplication.

What are we thinking?

A Simple Character Sheet:

[table=htl rolls right compact]
Stat               | Roll
Wild=[_Wild=3]     | 1d6
Wizard=[_Wizard=3] | 1d6
[/table]

I definitely like the 'keeping classes unique' idea. I'll roll for my character class (until I get one I like), but I'm open to changing things if someone else is really interested in what I'll get. There's 10 classes, so I'll just roll a D10 (ignoring Custom)

I also think I prefer if we do already know each other and that we're not Wizards. But maybe we only recently met, during prep for this exam.

For the setting, I kind of like the idea of a high-tech setting, with the challenges taking place in rooms kind of like in Portal. But that's just my first thought. Nothing we need to stick to.

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Chosen One: You have been Chosen by a god, demon, or other powerful being, and you can call on them for guidance and aid.
Your spells vary by patron, but may include divine attacks, dark invocations, or anything a bit culty.

Muscle Magic: You are just like, incredibly jacked, and with the right emotional provocation your strength grows beyond belief. One might say that no one likes you when you’re angry.
Your spells include incredible feats of punching, a yell like a sonic boom, and any other WWE-type nonsense.

Hm, neither of these is really one I would have picked, but they might be interesting. Either some dark, demon-powered cultist or just a really punchy puncher. I'll think about it

Or, roll again, again... :)

A common system is to look at the option one above and one below the dice result to see if that fits our inspiration better.

We can also make a custom list with just the ones we are interested in and then roll the appropriate-sized dice for that list.

I could also just pick one, but for a game like this, I like the idea of maybe playing something I wouldn't necessarily have picked. I'll see what others are going for before making a final decision

Agreed.

My process would probably be to wait for others to pick and then roll on the small list that is left, but that is just me.

Sounds good. I'm going to roll randomly. There are only like 2 classes I'm not interested in so the odds are in my favor.

Edit: I'm a Collector and my props are a familiar and a costume-quality amulet. Sounds great!

Well I guess I'll roll a D8 since we've had some classes chosen/rolled for already.

Edit: Well since I'm not sold on either of those I think I'll go for 2D6 Familiars in a Trenchcoat, unless anyone else wants it (them?)

Props are "robes and a pointy hat" and custom, which I'll say is a bell collar.

Right, I should roll my props as well
Maybe my character and Tickett's shop at the same clothing store

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I also think I'm going for the muscle wizard. That's pretty far from what I would usually play, so that should be fun.
Wait a second... Big burly character with lots of pouches? Am I a Liefeld character?

How many (roll 2d6) and what sorts of familiars are they?
Only one? Are the other (lower?) Familiars jealous? :)

Ah yeah, should probably roll the number. I'm thinking cats, though bats did tempt me.

The others are, of course, jealous but they know the order of things... for now.

Edit: That's... a lot of cats and/or bats. Must be a set of enchanted coat and robes.

Those are only one letter off from each other, you could go for both and they might not notice? I mean, how well do you think they can spell? :)

Seriously, they don't all need to be the same type.

The more varied the more options you will have, but that may result in inner-conflict. :)
Were it me, I might adjust the type and general size based on the number, so 2 chimps, but 12 ravens. 7 is slap-bang in the middle of the range, so cats/bats are purrfect.

Hey guys! I’ll read everything carefully as soon as I’m on my computer. but Just before I loose it, I rolled a "hopeful and careless nonbinary person who has unrequited feelings for someone and is also a trader". Let’s see how that fits in 👍

Do you want that 'someone' to be one of the other PCs? Do they have any idea?

If not a PC, do you want that 'someone' to feature in the game? It is a fairly limited setting and you probably won't have much time to explore your lives outside the Exam. We can arrange for your special someone to be involved if you want, just tell us who they are.

A player sounds good. Probably the reason I got into this exam in first place 👍

So a magician with a massive tome and something I create

I don't have the book because Itch keeps giving me an error page before I enter payment. I've tried on a few devices.too. What options are left?

We have a collector, a muscle magic, a magician and a 2d6 Familiars in a Trenchcoat. That leaves:

Given the nature of the game, I'll just disclaim that I'm a heterosexual cis-person and I really hope I won't misrepresent this character in any way. I know most players and feel this won't be a problem in-game, but this could be relevant particularly given the game is public.

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I was thinking, based on Women are Werewolves game, that a character's fluent gender expression could easily be materialized in a fantasy setting, so maybe being a sort of doppelgänger type could work. Shape-shifting could totally be affected by wild magic and that it would match very well with the magician concept, since they could try to disguise it as eccentric illusionist tricks.

When bowl rolled chosen one I though that would be a perfect crush, but since I'm a trader, I think Nezz's collector would be a very suitable target of my unrequited feelings. If he's ok with that, then I think my second prop should be something related with his PC, maybe a old valuable tarot deck I use as a arcane focus as, you know, real wizards do

I am sure you will do your best. We can talk as a group if any issues come up. If being Public is a problem we can deal with that, but I don't see that it should be.
It can be easier in a fantasy setting, but I have found that such topics tend to get watered down when surrounded by all sorts of fantastic creatures that might not have anything like the 'expected' genders or physiology.
So, you are your own 'beautiful assistant'? :)
Your past experience with doing that might have boosted your confidence to try it in the Wizard Exam? Did you propose this idea to (some of) the others?
So, no love for the suit of cats? :)

oooh Vampire or Druid....I rolled those which do you think?

Both! The last option is actually to mash two classes 🤣

Or even make up something from scratch if you really want. (Sorry I can not help you decide.:)

That's true, I guess my main concern it's actually that I might try to overcompensate (with the risks associated with a comedy game) to avoid it getting it 'watered down'. We'll see, just let me know and I'm happy to retcon everything :D
Now for sure 👍
I was thinking mostly as an adaptation to the wizardry school environment, since we are all basically faking it. It's always a worry that I may accidentally shape-shift at a bad moment and give it away. Thinking about it, the massive tome could indicate I'm the sort of 'top of the class geek' actually 🤔 so this is clearly a super hard advanced spell to master that I totally learned (level 9 says D&D!). Obviously some other player (or all of them) would have caught me at some point 😅
You just made me a dog person with that 🤣🤣🤣 Everyone knows you can't trust a cat now can you? Devilish creatures! Not only they are all into some dark witchcraft plot, there's rumors they even put on trench-coats!

True. If that happens we can make a plan.
So you were in wizard school? How do they feel about your being a stage magician? How did you manage to conceal the fact that you have only ever been able to learn to cast a few of the very simplest spells, and only about half the time at that?

Your being in a wizard school means that sort of thing does exist, but does not mean the others need to have gone to one.
Indeed. If your Wild goes above 6 that might well be what happens.
Or it could be a surprise to them when it happens in game? Up to you guys.

You are welcome to fill in such details as we play, if they happened in the past they can appear in flashbacks.

unnatural vampire druid it is. I almost want to go with a Bunnicula vibe where I suck the sap/juice/etc from plants

What we have so far:


Possibly a 'high tech' world, that has some Wizard Schools (remember, this is a 'professional exam' that allows you to get a job, not a 'school exam'.)?

Anyone else has any ideas about the world?

Note that these Props are the 'Wizard Props' mentioned in the Costuming Rule. They could be vital to you making it through the Exam. Think about how you would use this 'bell collar' to make yourself look more like a Wizard.

If you can't immediately see ways to potentially use it for that game mechanic, maybe you want to take something else as your mechanical Prop?

You can still have the item and it can feature in the story, but you would also have another more mechanically viable Prop.

OK.
I am not familiar with the character --though the portmanteau is fairly obvious. If that is what you want, and it is not too silly, then go for it.

Roll `1d6,1d6` for Props

I think a dreary corporate world like Wizard Office Space. Spells are written as tax forms and you have to sign long contracts for each spell you learn. Not to mention the insurance forms for when something goes wrong!

That fits with the base assumption of the need for these certificates to allow you to work in the magic industry.

I got a pointy hat and create your own item. Can I do a clockwork animal? im.thinking an owl or a raven, basically a steampunk robot familar

oh yeah I forgot it was an advanced tech setting. Is magic like real magic or tech based by the way. I was thinking maybe the problem is that we have real magic an they don't like it

Same point as with Tickettbror 'bell collar', if you can see a way that it will make you look like a real wizard then it is fine. Given that familiars are on the list I don't see how this would be any different, so go for it.

Is the incongruity with you being a Druid but having a mechanical animal deliberate?

Well, that was a suggestion. If we don't like it we can go with something else. But I kinda do like it (though, without having thought about how it would work...).
Could be. Official 'magic' is clearly very defined and regulated, what you guys are using is a lot wilder and less 'scientific'. I can see reasons for a high-tech society to want to stamp out such magics if they tend to interfere with the more important technology.

Ahah I’m totally imagining magic working like the internet now. You need to access the "weave" through a standard protocols and regulated APIs 😆 it would impossible to fake it if they keep a record though

It could be something like that. Obviously they don't keep such close records that you can't try to fool them, but your limited access to any such weave might be why you are only only able to do the simplest of these official spells.

The question, then, is: Where does your Wild magic come from? Per the book: "Your class abilities are powerful enough to pass the test easily", so you are, possibly, stronger than other 'real' wizards, you just have to hide this fact.

Well, the way I understand my class, I'm basically just really strong. I'm pretty much that meme where a barbarian hits someone with a pan and says 'I cast iron'

Though with some very limited access to actual wizard magic

Yep, that's how I understand that 'class' too. Though there is implication in there of super-human levels of strength? Maybe you need to add another 'really' to your description?

Your 'Wild' Stat could be represented by your pretending to do more advanced spells while actually just hitting, pushing, or throwing things? The trick is to fool the examiners that you did it with 'magic'.
I don't know what memes are (anymore), so I will take your word for it. :)

That was my thinking.
That oft-repeated joke

I kind-of like the idea that there's some spirit inside the clockwork. like Bob the Skull. I think it will work despite my nature ties.
I feel like I'm missing how you figure out Stats..or are we not there yet?

Cool.
You start with 3 in Wizard and 3 in Wild. That is all there is. :)

Isn't that always the case. :)
I can imagine.
This is not for your ID, so it is OK if you don't have your Props for this image. This is what you look underneath?
Or... overcompensating?

Don't worry, got a plan for that. Submitted my character!

Cool. We can always change anything that we find is not working after playing for a bit.

Not that there is much in these sheets, but if we want the other players to be able to see our character sheets we need to permit that by adding them to the library.

To do that you need to mark the grey 'note' icon that says Add to Library on your character list.

Red means others can see the sheet.

If you paste the below code into our character sheets it will enable a few features.
You will be able to change the Stats easily without needing to edit the sheet.
You will be able to click on the Roll column on the character button below the dice roller, and have it enter the relevant roll into the dice roller for the system to do the comparison and tell you how you did (we can tweak this code, I just did the simplest version).

Also include any descriptive text, as well as the Class and Props.

[table=htl rolls right compact]
Stat               | Roll
Wild=[_Wild=3]     | 1d6
Wizard=[_Wizard=3] | 1d6
[/table]

Maybe after you pass the exam?

Or is that just a fake name for the Alakexam? :)

Talk about your relationships and who of the others you each know, and how well.

Are you happy to be stuck doing the exam with this lot?

I will roll up the first Chamber/test tomorrow if we are ready. Does anyone have a preference or should I just let the dice decide?

I kind of like the connection that my character and Tickett's both have a pointy hat, so maybe we bought them together, meaning we at least were already friends before the exam.

I'd say just roll the test randomly, but feel free to fudge or reroll if you're not happy with it

I also have a pointy hat
it is the pointy hat club

pointy hat club is like a subculture in future wizard world. While everyone is using cybermods, we wear a pointy hat 🤣

If you attended some sort of school, then you are graduating around the same time.

If anyone does not want to know the others that well, or does not want their character to have gone to school, that is fine, you will still have sat and passed the written exam with the rest and be teamed up to do these trials.

Everyone let us know if you were in school with the others:


I don't want to force everyone to be the same age, so if we have a school connection let's maybe say it was 'tertiary education'? Maybe a trade-course, or diploma-mill? Some people can have done many years to get them from level 0 to level x; while others could have done mere months, only bone up on the exams?

That could be an interesting reveal. @Tickettbror, who knows --at the start-- what is under that trench-coat?

The Pointy Hat Club

Then what's the deal with Hooligander and Ari?

Do you two not have point hats or just not wear them (maybe Hooligander as a 'fashion statement' and Ari following their lead to impress them)? Did you two just not yet earn the right to wear pointy hats in your little clique?

Else, if we don't want to make a thing of this lack, you two could still wear pointy hats, they just are not the Props you use.

Very cool idea.

Hooligander still has a familiar, though, and Abigail has a mechanical one. So we would need to work out with them how this fits (are these replacements?).

We also need to make sure the others are happy to have had familiars (and lost them).

Aside from Fuzzypaws there are 6 others (unless you want to adjust that number to fit the current number of players?). Where did the other ones comes from? Were there more members of this party at one time?

I was sorta hoping for anything but the two way mirror (judge 2), but so be it. I will probably roll again --hoping for something more interesting-- for later chambers.

Happy to let others weigh in. I'm not set on the idea if the others would rather not have their familiars involved / would like the replacements idea.
Could be other members of Fuzzypaws' gang who helped him persuade the others? I'm happy to drop the numbers down to fit with the numbers in the group as well.

I like the idea that wizard school is not like regular school but some sort of trade or guild professional training actually. like the driving licence that was mentioned. Want to drive a truck? Need a truck licence. Want to cast spells? Need a wizard licence!

I love all the ideas floating around! I kind of think that rather than stolen a familiar one or 2 of the cats are druid companions of Abigails that she lost somehow?

Indeed, the extra familiars/companions could all be replacements that the other PCs went through.

My familiar is a chameleon named Karma. Hooligander doesn't wear hats because it gives him hat hair.

Why would that matter, it is hidden under the hat. :)

Happy to say I used to have a familiar and lost it

No familiars for me. I'm in this just to impress Hooligander