Building a Character

Aug 14, 2024 7:40 pm

Here are the guidelines for creating a character. The only thing demanded is for him to be a high school freshmen.

[ +- ] OVA - The Anime RPG

Step 1: First things first, create a concept for your character, think of how you would briefly describe him. This can be achieved by choosing or creating a monster race and the most important detail of him, be it an occupation, hobby, archetype, vocation, trope etc. After that, an adjective for extra coloring would be welcomed. E. g. Responsible Isonade Maid.

Step 2 is abilities, which is what the character is good at. One of the things about OVA is that the game doesn't have anything like base attribute scores or the equivalent- a character's only starting qualities are their Health and Endurance, which are the same for all starting characters. Every part of the character's strengths are defined through the Abilities taken at character creation. All abilities are rated in terms of a number from +1 to +5, with +1 being "above average" to +5 being "Just beyond". In general, most of a character's starting abilities should be +1 to +3, with +4 being very rare and +5 just not being a thing that characters should start with. Keep in mind that this is a freeform game at heart, with lots of guidelines to help the players, instead of beating your head over how to make that one power for your character with the abilities the game gives, you can just came up with the Ability/Weakness/Perk/Flaw that you want!

Step 4 is dealing with weaknesses, which tie into just how you build your character in other ways. Weaknesses are parts of your character that cause them problems (if it doesn't cause problems, it's not a Weakness) and other complications in their life. Weaknesses are rated between -1 and -3, with -1 being a darn inconvenience and -3 being a character-defining, near-mythic vice or flaw.

Your total Ability Bonuses cannot exceed the total Weakness Penalties by more than 5 points. It is as if you started with 5 points to distribute between you Abilities, and gained one more for each point in Weaknesses you had. Another limitation is that: When combined, a character’s Abilities should rarely give a total Bonus of more than +5 to any single roll (this will be checked by the GM in the character application).

That's when you set up your Health and Endurance - everyone has the same starting total, which can be modified through Abilities and Weaknesses.

Step 5 are Finishing Touches and Fluffing. A character should have a description of: background (Who is your character? Where does he come from? What is the story behind her? What does your character hope to obtain?); appearance (How does your character dress? What is her build, hairstyle, and eye color?), personality (How does your character act? How does he react to different situations? Does she have any particular quirks that make her distinctive?), powers (Does your character have any special talents? A distinct fighting style? Can he do something most people cannot?), Which include (but are not limited to!) his innate powers of his monster race; and, most importantly, Goals (what drives you?).

Some additional suggestions for fluffing are: possessions (Does your character have an item that she holds particularly dear? Are there any important weapons or gadgets that are part of his profession?); schticks (Are there any habits that set your character apart? Does her hair always blow dramatically in the wind, or does he always adhere to a strict military code?); Hobbies (What your character likes to do?) and any additional detail that you seem fit.

Some addendums:
about ages: the characters, being first year students, are supposed to be 15 years old, or 14 if they're still to have their birthday (the date of which could be a nice detail to have), the school year starting at April. It is possible that they're a bit younger, if they're prodigies and skipped some years.
About appearance: You character has either a human and monster form. Most of the time, they'll be in their human form (it's generally prohibited to be in your monster form inside the school campus, though it isn't something that's much enforced, actually). The human form should have some traits that resemble and point to your monster form (if possible), but still being able to go undistinguished from a normal human. There are however, records of monsters who struggled to keep their monster form completely hidden, showing a tail or pair of ears, for example, specially when startled. Finally, the school's uniform for freshman are: a white shirt, an aquamarine blue blazer or a cream jersey, a scarlet tie (or lace for the girls), and olive green pants, or a checkered olive green, dark green and red pleated skirt. Students are seem lacking a piece or another, loosing some bottoms, or even customizing their uniform to reflect their personality; but only the more daring (or uncaring) would dismiss the uniform in its totality.

Moyreau

Aug 14, 2024 8:23 pm

Abilities & Weaknesses

Here follows the list of abilities and weaknesses, with a brief summary of their effects (more details on the rulebook)

[ +- ] Quick Reference List

[ +- ] Abilities

Agility: The closest thing that this game has to Dex. This is all about your balance, poise, and graceful movements, and as a plus, it can also help you hit things if you really need to.

Armored: Basically any always-on thing that reduces potential incoming harm. This reduces the damage multiplier of incoming attacks.

Art of Invisibility: You are a hedge. This is your level of instruction in the art of How Not to Be Seen. Moving silently, hiding, and tailing folks.

Attack: The hitting stuff real good ability. Every level in this increases your base damage multiplier, and if you want to, you can build yourself a suite of special moves using perks (more on that later) for your combat encounters.

Barrier: This represents your character's ability to put up a barrier that can deflect damage, whether magical or technological. You roll Barrier dice as you would any other defense, but any damage that gets through can be bought off with Endurance.

Beautiful: What it says on the tin. You turn heads and know how to use that to your advantage.

Charismatic: You're just got what it takes to make people like you. This is all about helping other people see things your way and make them wonder why they didn't do that sooner.

Combat Expert: You know a thing or twelve about fighting. Not only does this help you hit things, but it helps you size up your opponents and get idea of what exactly you're up against this time.

Companion: This gives you a loyal tag-along of some kind, defined by you, that follows your character on their adventures. They are built as a character with a stat total (+Abilities-Weaknesses) restricted by your level in this Ability, but they are a Secondary character only, so they have a reduced Health and Endurance total of 20 each.

Connected: It's not what you know, it's who you know. Goes from knowing a guy who can sneak you into a club all the way to being the sort of character who's owed a favor wherever they go.

Cute!: Exclamation point non-optional. You are kawaii uguu. Just generally disarming and approachable and that can just help sometimes.

Dexterous: The other half of Dex. This is used for the other set of thief skills, like lockpicking, pickpocketing, being a bomb squad member, or other things that require a seriously steady set of hands.

Dimensional Pocket: You have access to a pocket dimension with a curious amount of stuff crammed inside of it- you can't really get specific items from it, though. What you do with the dice from this ability is roll against a difficulty chart to see whether or or not it furnishes anything useful to your current (possibly perilous) situation.

Endurance Reserve: This increases your Endurance, with some strings attached. This is meant to represent external items that allow you more oomph for certain things. While it grants more Endurance per level than the other END-boosting Ability, it can't be used for tasks related to stamina, it can't be used to buy more dice, it doesn't help you take hits in combat, and it doesn't automatically recharge between encounters- it takes whatever the equivalent of a Long Rest would be.

Evasive: You're just good at not being in the way of harmful things, for one reason or another. Besides the obvious bonus to defense rolls in combat, this can be used to escape other harmful situations.

Famous: For some reason, you're known for doing or being something pretty grand by at least a small following of people you may have ne ver met. This is for purely positive fame- being well-known for other reasons is something we'll cover in Weaknesses. It ranges from having a cult following at your local scene of some kind to being a living legend that people will do just about anything for.

Flight: You can fly! You don't need to roll for flying, just if you want to do anything really fancy with it.

Gear: You have an item or items that let you do cool things. Every level you spend in Gear gives you a point in another ability- You can give weaknesses to your gear to increase the level of abilities available to your gear, and these also stack with the ones your character have. The downside is that you can lose your gear.

Healer: For some reason or another, you can heal others in a meaningful way in the middle of combat, but only once per person per encounter- plus you have to give up your entire round's action to apply your healing.

Heightened Sense: One of your senses is way better than it has any right to be for some reason or another, and you roll this when using that sense to pick out details that could be otherwise missed. (You must pick a specific sense)

Illusionist: However you're able to do it, you have the ability to make people believe they are seeing or hearing things that aren't actually real. When you create your illusion, your roll sets the difficulty that anyone has to beat in order to see through it, the roll being modified by the complexity of the illusion.

Incorporeal: You can phase through solid objects or otherwise circumvent them as though they didn't exist. Your level determines how well you can use it as a defensive reaction in combat.

Intimidating: When you really want people to understand that it'd be a big shame if something happened to the nice place they've got here, this is what you use to do it.

Intuitive: You may not be well-read or whatever, you're really quick on the uptake and pick up on nuances that others might miss when it comes to mental endeavors.

Inventor: You're just good at (potentially) inventing useful things. You always have to roll, though against a difficulty determined by the complexity of what you're trying to invent, and some things may require more than just what you have around the house.

Invisibility: As opposed to the Art if Invisibility, this is about just being able to not be seen. The level affects how complete your disappearing act really is, though you still may be picked out by other appropriate abilities- after all, you're still there, you just can't be seen.

Iron-Willed: Basically your ability to resist things that strike against your mental endurance, like temptation, fear, and mind-control.

Knowledge: Like the Knowledge skill in many other games, this is what you roll when discussing an area of particular studied interest of your character. Points in this Ability count for half towards point limits.

Life Support: Extraordinary ability to deal with environmental hazards and similar problems. This ranges from being more resistant to common everyday hazards, like cold or being underwater, all the way up to being a completely independent actor from one's environment and requiring nothing to live. Vehicles with this ability provide it to their passengers.

Lucky: You just have the darnedest luck- the devil's own, maybe. points spent in this give you free dice you can toss into any roll you make, but are largely only available on a per-session basis.

Magic, Arcane: This Ability allows you to confer Abilities on others or self. This ability doesn't require you to spend Endurance, but rather requires you to commit Endurance, reducing your maximum while the buffs granted by this Ability remain active. Conferring abilities equal or greater than your Arcane level requires a roll.

Magic, Witchcraft: Like the above, but for Weaknesses. Since Weaknesses only go down to 3, higher levels make it more difficult to get rid of the curse.

Minions: For whatever reason, you have a band of followers who will do whatever you say. The level affects how many you can call up at any time. As these are minor characters, they have even more restricted stat totals than Companions do. For each Level you have in Minions, you may summon twice that many reinforcements. Each of these allies has a Health and Endurance of 10, and when their Abilities and Weaknesses are combined, they cannot have a total of Levels greater than +1

Passion: There's something that you are really, really into, and when that thing is front and center in your escapades, you get bonus dice to all actions relating to that one thing.

Perceptive: Like Intuitive, but for the physical senses rather than mental gymnastics. You're quicker to pick up on things that are out of place and shouldn't even be there.

Performer: Stage fright is not a thing you have. Whatever it is you do up there, you're better at it than most.

Pilot: You pilot things. This is just a general pilot thing you do, and it applies to any vehicle you may want to strap yourself into. If you want your Pilot skill to be more narrow, take Knowledge instead.

Position of Power: For some reason or another, you are a person of importance that other people listen to. The level determines the scope of your influence, going from a small group to being a one-person Illuminati.

Psychic: This is what covers the various uses of your brain to enter someone else's head and have a look around, as well as maybe rearrange some of the furniture. This is usually opposed, and your own dice are modified by the kinds of things you're trying to do. Talking to someone via mind transmission is free, though.

Quick: You're just faster than the average bear. This applies to not only getting away from things, but also seizing the initiative as well.

Resistance: This allows you to pick a thing and just give penalties whenever that kind of thing is used against you against your will, like say, fire, or mind-control, or whatever.

Shape-Shifter: You can change shape. The degree to which you can suddenly change your appearance is based on your level in this ability, and you have to pay up to the higher levels in order to make the jump between species.

Sixth Sense: Basically spider sense. You use this when you want to get a premonition of any unseen or unforseen threats.

Smart: This is just your general degree of learning and the ability to apply it, and this stacks with a bunch of other learning-based abilities, like Invention, Magic, and so on.

Spirit Medium: This is all about your character's ability to deal with the notorious inhabitants of the other side, and be able to speak with them, banish them, or even control them.

Strong: Just your ability to do things that require heavy lifting. Aside from adding damage in hand-to-hand combat, it also allows you to better try for lifting extremely heavy things, like, say a car or whatever.

Telekinesis: You may collect your Randi prize now. This is your ability to manipulate objects using your mind. For heavier things, you need to use the difficulty chart in the Strong Ability.

Teleport: You have the ability to move without crossing the intervening space, however you accomplish it. Small distances are easy, and it can even be used for defense, but longer distances are a bit risky and need to be rolled for. Thankfully, failing just fails. Generally.

Time Freeze: This is your ability to mess with the flow of time to give yourself an advantage. While it takes an action to activate, this Ability eliminates the penalty for multiple actions a number of times depending on its level.

Tough/Vigorous: Gives you a boost to Health or Endurance, respectively.

Transformation: Your POWERFUL SUPER MODE. Any points spent here allow you to build a transformation with twice as any points to spend on Abilities, with the caveat this is only the kind of thing you do maybe once an episode. This may also take bonuses from a single ability above +5, so better eyeball the math.

Unique Ability: If there's something that you don't feel is covered by the vast array of Abilities in this book already, there's always room to work it out with the GM. You may use this one liberally.

Vehicle: You have a Vehicle, and you can build it out of its own set of Abilities. It's also generally assumed that characters have some appropriate means of getting around other than on foot- this Ability is if you want a more special ride.

Walking Arsenal: This ability allows you to reconfigure Abilities like Gear or Vehicle more or less whenever you want.

Wealthy: You are in, on, and under the money. Ranges from comfortably well-to-do to Scrooge McDuck level of buying anything.

[ +- ] Weaknesses

Absent-Minded: You sometimes forget things at times when it's inconvenient for you, your friends, or other things besides. This ranges from mildly forgetful to Goldfish memory.

Accidental Transformation: You get transformed whenever you come in contact with a specific something or experience a certain event, and this transformation hurts far more than it helps, with the level determining the degree of nuisance. The book says that if you want an uncontrollable transformation that makes you stronger, take Transformation and the Trigger Weakness instead.

Ageism: You are either too young or too old to be taken seriously. The level is determined by how much of a babby or a fossil you really are. The book notes that characters with Abilities like Position of Power should be disqualified from this, as respected elders and such are a thing.

Airhead: You're just not good at being explained to, for some reason or another.

Amnesia: For some reason, you don't remember things in your past that might've been important, but who knows? The severity determines how far back your blank is, ranging from happening a long time ago, to Protagonist-level, where you may not remember anything before the start of the story.

Arrogant: There's self-esteem, and then there's whatever this is. Ranges from being willing to treat a few people with respect, to treating maybe a few as equals, to it's all about ME

Awkward Size: You are too big or too small to function smoothly in a normal-sized world. The severity indicates the degree of huge or tiny that you are.

Bizarre Appearance: For some reason, you can't really pass off as a normal human or whatever is default. This ranges from obviously different but generally non-threatening, all the way to being the sort of creature who might have to constantly tell others to be not afraid.

Clumsy: Opposite of Agile, with the appropriate penalties to boot.

Code of Conduct: You strictly follow some rules of behavior that restrain your conduct in some fashion. The degree is based on how complicated and pervasive these rules are in your living.

Compulsion: There is something you just can't resist doing, even if it's inconvenient. The level of this is based on how potentially self-destructive this compulsion is.

Cowardly: You have seen danger and decided that you don't really get along with it too well. Ranges from "will probably leg it if things even begin to look slightly bad maybe" to "Always runs and hides".

Crybaby: You have plenty of whine to go with your cheese, and are a known complainer when things don't go your way. Ranges from being just the complainer all the way to "May cry about it even when things do go their way."

Dense: Not the brightest bulb in the crayon box, which makes this the opposite of Smart, with all the appropriate penalties.

Dependency: You have a severe physical or mental need for something, and going without it for too long causes problems, with the degree determining the penalty you get when you go without. This isn't necessarily an addiction or anything- In the character samples, Miho's Dependency is that she's Solar-Powered.

Dull: The anti-charisma, with associated penalties: Ranges from somewhat dull to people will fake injury to avoid talking to you.

Easily Distracted: You're the one who actually looks when someone goes "Hey, look over there!"

Emotionless: You're not good with emotions, due to either suppressing them or not even having them to begin with. ranges from Stoic Hero to "you may be a robot, and you may not really comprehend the difference between right and wrong, either."

Endurance Use: One of your abilities now requires you to use Endurance, with the level of the Weakness determining how much you need to spend.

Fear: There is some specific phobia that you have to deal with. In a sense, this is the opposite of Passion, in that you take penalties to act when in the presence of that fear.

Focus: One or more of your abilities depend on the presence of a particular item, and the severity depends on just how many of your abilities are dependent on it. The game makes it quite clear that this can't be applied to Abilities that are already items, like Gear or Vehicle.

Frail: Penalty to maximum health.

Fussy: There's being organized, and then there's having standards that are in some proximity to impossible.

Greedy: You are on the quest for more. The penalty depends on the degree of your avarice.

Guardian: For whatever reason, either moral obligation or employment, your life is at least partially an escort mission. The degree of this depends on how endangered your target is, and maybe even their own propensity for flinging themselves into trouble.

Hatred: KYOOOOJIII! You have an intense hatred for a particular person or thing, and this explodes into irrational, uncontrollable rage when you're confronted by it. Your level of berserking is reflected in the level of this Weakness.

Impaired Sense: One of your senses dun work they way it should, if it does at all. The game takes time to once again stress that if it's not a problem, it's not a Weakness.

Impulsive: Quite a few protagonists will probably have this to some degree. It's a measure of how far you're willing to leap before you look.

Ineptitude: There's some common activity that you're worse at than the average person. It's the opposite of Knowledge, and subject to the same half-value.

Infamous: Whether it's true or not, you're well-known for all the wrong reasons. The degree decides how much it actually affects your attempts to live.

Jittery: People learn very fast not to make sudden moves around you. Ranges from merely jumpy to seeing the world as a collection of vaguely hostile shapes.

Kind-Hearted: Not just generically kind, but rather a bit too quick to forgive and forget. The level is based on how potentially damaging this might be.

Languid: Not really a go-getter. Penalty to max Endurance.

Lecherous: Eugh. Whatever your urges are, you're not the best at controlling them. Ranges from mildly more of a (public) horndog than average to "Jail time in a decent society" level.

Limited Uses: Pick one of your abilities- that can only be used a certain number of times per adventure/session. The degree of weakness affects how few times you can use it.

Loner: One's company and two is intolerable. Ranges from mild preference to "stay out of arms reach if you don't like hurting". Probably not the best attribute for a character in a party-based tabletop RPG.

Love Interest: Your character has a significant other that introduces some complications into your life. Ranges from "stable relationship with strong time commitments" to "Montague and Capulet have activated the giant robots again."

Love Magnet: For whatever reason, your character has a following of competing and inconvenient love interests. Ranges from "Not that many, and of those, most are just playing around," to "New Challengers arrive on a daily basis."

Mute: Not up on this whole talking thing. Ranges from "Not being good at speaking", to "Language just isn't a thing you do."

Naive: You might be convinced that the Moon is made of Cheese. The degree of the Weakness affects what level of nonsense you're likely to fall for.

Nosebleeder: While a common feature of comedy anime, in your case it's also an actual medical condition. Ranges from comedy-level to "Actually pass out."

Oblivious: The opposite of Perceptive, with the appropriate penalties.

Obsession: You have the intense desire to have or achieve something, and the degree determines how much real estate this occupies in your brainmeats.

Outcast: You do not belong here and there are people who won't hesitate to remind you of it. The degree determines the size and scope of the organizational forces in play.

Overconfident: You were a fine student under Master Dunning and Master Kreuger. The degree affects how deep your overestimation goes.

Pacifist: You don't like fighting and will exercise other means. Ranges from a general preference to Total Pacifism.

Poor: Opposite of wealthy, this is more about what you can't afford rather than what you can.

Quirk: Not a superpower, but rather some habit you do that might make people just generally uncomfortable. Ranges from merely eccentric to things like building a literal armchair.

Restricted Freedom: For whatever reason, whether your birth or other duties, you are limited in where and when you can go and what you can do. Ranges from needing to put in for vacation time to "royal heir" level of structuring.

Rival: There is someone you feel the need to beat, or feels the need to beat you, and this may or may not be mutual. Ranges from annoying nuisance to Gallant Char.

Room for Two: For whatever reason, you've got something else living rent-free in your head that has opinions about you and what you're doing. Ranges from "supportive, but you get funny looks when you hold a conversation with it" to "The very persuasive devil on your shoulder".

Rude: Common manners are common, but you buck the trend. Ranges from "Somewhat coarse" to "lOOK, i'M JUST SAYING WHAT EVERYON'ES THINKING, RIGHT, FREE SPEECH"

Secret: There's something about yourself that you'd rather keep secret, and with good reasons. The degree of the weakness is based on the consequences of this getting out, ranging from mild embarrassment/unwanted celebrity status to "You would rather die than let this happen."

Sensitivity: Lots of people have buttons that can be pushed, but you have one that's much bigger and redder than most, and it might not even be about anything actually important. The degree depends on how big the explosion is when someone pushes it.

Servitude: You are in cahoots with some organization or institution other than your immediate party. The degree of weakness is based on the degree of the obligations placed on you.

Short-Tempered: It takes somewhat less to get you angry than it does most other people. Ranges from being somewhat irritable to all anger, all the time.

Shy: People are something you'd rather not interact with, if you can avoid it. Ranges from "Small social circle" to "As little contact with others as is humanly possible."

Slow: Opposite of Quick, with the appropriate penalties.

Soft Spot: There is something that you like in this world so much, that you can be influenced by it. Ranges from "Somewhat partial" to "Can be bribed with Yu-Gi-Oh cards."

Split Personality: There is just plain one or more other yous that like to express themselves sometimes. Ranges from "Concerningly different" to "Actively dangerous".

Stubborn: You're a perfectly reasonable person until someone disagrees with you about anything. Level of weakness is affected by how hard-headed you really are.

Suppressed Power: One of your abilities does not work at full strength until there's an item, emotion, or event that you don't normally have access to. Subtract this Weakness from the level of one of your Abilities.

Trigger: One of your Abilities requires some kind of special person, place, or thing to activate, and the level of Weakness depends on how common or rare this thing is in your setting.

Unique Weakness: If none of the Weaknesses here fit what you had in mind, talk to your GM- you can probably come up with something.

Unlucky: Opposite of Lucky. This affects the degree of your misfortunes.

Vulnerability: Opposite of Resistance.

Wanted: Some organization is after you for some reason that may or may not be your fault. Ranges from "Harmless but inconvenient" to "Danger to you and maybe anyone close by."

Weak: Opposite of Strong, with appropriate penalties.

Weak-Willed: Opposite of Iron-Willed, with appropriate penalties.

Moyreau

Aug 14, 2024 8:42 pm

Perks, Flaws & Special Moves

The next section is Perks and Flaws, which are modifiers to Abilities that you can use to increase their capability at the cost of Endurance, or limit their capability to reduce Endurance cost. While these are mainly applied to attacks, these can be applied to other Abilities, with examples given like Area Healing or giving your Barrier a damage multiplier that affects enemies who miss. Their main purpose is to make special moves with you Attack Ability

[ +- ] Perks & Flaws reference list (with End. costs)

You can create a suite of attacks, each possessing the same Bonus to your Damage Multiplier, but you may modify them with a variety of Ability Perks and Flaws. No attack may have a negative cost of Endurance.

Affinities are a special kind of perk that has no Endurance cost. It serves to describe the source of an Ability, with it's main use being on the Attack ability, This not only gives more color to your character, being a cosmetic choice; but also serves for the purpose of defining Bonuses and Penalties from the Resistance and Vulnerability Ability and Weakness, for example.

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