Character Creation

To begin with, each character has four themes. (if you have the preview, and wish to use the themebooks, confine yourself to the origin themes for now. There will be plenty of opportunity to develop.)A THEME is a tag that describes a major aspect of your hero such as their temperament, backstory, or abilities, such as always attentive, goat herder of Milkrest, or gifted archer.Each theme can have additional TAGS attached to it, representing its minor, related, or secondary aspects. Usually, a newly-created themehas two more power tags (positive) and one weakness tag (negative).Each theme also includes a QUEST, a goal or personal journey of your Hero that is related to this theme.Tags are short descriptors (usually 1-3 words) that define important details about your Hero. They can describe almost anything including abilities, background, items, beings, resources, mental faculties, relationships, style, and more, as well as weaknesses, limitations, and flaws.Your power tags should be useful. Ask yourself: "What kind of actions would this tag support?"
Your weakness tags should be limiting. Ask yourself: "What kind of actions would this tag hinder?" or "How or when would it cause problems for my Hero?"
Tags like clever or wizard or rich are broad, meaning they can be used in a wide variety of situations and actions. Because of this, they usually require an extra action to use. Specific tags like whirlwind slash or sleeping spell can be used directly, but only in appropriate situations, so they are more focused and reliable. Try to have a balance of broad, specific, and somewhere-in-between tags.

Your Quests should be clear. Most Quests fall into one or more of these categories:
• Your Wish: Something you long for or aspire to
• Your Truth: A statement you believe in and want to uphold
• Your Home: Something you endeavor regularly to preserve
• Your Question: Something you yearn to know above all
Ask yourself: "What could be a Milestone for this Quest?" and "What kind of actions would be considered Abandoning this Quest?"

You and the Narrator must have an understanding about your tags and Quests. What they represent and when and how they can be used. Agree in advance on what each means. Talk about which tags are directly helpful to an action and which are only relevant in an indirect or roundabout way. This will be important during play.

Recruitment Thread

Okay, so I am thinking that the Far Isle is a stretch of islands in a coast/river delta that is inhabited by common folk living there for generations. I am thinking that ruler of the land like the King has not come to conquer this region and left it to its own because of past failed expeditions thinking it to be cursed. However, if asked it falls under his purview which he has given to his least capable subject, Lord Tagrie Molsner. Lord Molsner is a drunkard and hates the side of land that was given to him and spends most of his time in revelry. His wife has been unable to produce a male heir; however, he has three daughters. There is a rumor that he is impotent and his daughters are actually not conceived by him, but Molsner doesn't care and has taken several concubines instead. His house is in disarray, and much of the order in his lands is maintained by the Saturine church of the martyr goddess Llana. The church sends out friars and clerics who tend to the folk and spread the religious virtues and recruit crusaders, nuns, and caregivers. The church has gathered much of the support from the local people, but philosophers and critics think that Molsner is losing ground, and pretty soon the church will snatch ownership of this region by convincing the King.

Whatever influence the Saturine church has, it has not reached the Far Isles. Clerics and friars had often visited the area but had failed to convert any person to the religion. Goddess Llana is a martyr and benevolent goddess for whom the church never openly maintained any offensive presence, instead giving quest to questing knights, promising them the blessing of Goddess Llana and the guidance of more than 100 saints who have martyred themselves for the church. A loose organization of crusaders and templars exists for the church, but it is never spoken of openly. The warriors and knights perform their own duty until they are summoned for a 'holy quest'.

Okay, so this is what I have come up with the background lore. @Anirtak please check and modify as you like. I was planning to make my character as a questing knight who has been given a purpose to explore Far Isles and spread the benevolence of goddess Llana.

My image of the Far Isles was that they were far enough from any other land to be almost a self-contained ecosystem.

So, what if a ship of the King's navy have come and explored a bit, but left, thinking the land cursed. Maybe they spent the night on the isle of the dead. Either way, they did very little by way of conquest, but they did claim the land in the king's name - never mind that most of the people have never heard of him and would laugh at the idea of someone from over the water ruling them. Lord Tagrie Molsner has proved himself such an embarrassment that he has been appointed Lord of the Far Isles - largely in hopes of keeping him as far from court as possible. He dispatches ships periodically to attempt conquest, but the men he sends are little better than brigands, so the people of the Far Isles dread their coming. The Saturine Church has sent a few priests with these missions, to try to spread their faith and heal the damage caused by the Lord's men.

Your character's role is exactly as you described, except the voyage to reach the Far Isles is quite a bit longer.

I like this a lot! The voyage and far-away land seem much better than something poking on the horizon and disturbing the established setting of rustic fantasy of Far Isles. I love it. My character will choose to remain here until the next voyage arrives, questing in the name of Saturine Church and spreading benevolence and trying to influence people into the new religion. But, during his stay, he will quickly understand that there is something greater here in the Far Isles that will test his belief and understanding.

Awesome!

So, your next move is your four themes. Looking at what we've got, I'm seeing Saturine Knight or Templar of Llana, or something along those lines. Holy Orders for another. Stoic or Benevolent or some combo could be a third. Something to reflect his status as a foreigner could be a good 4th.

ALL of these are suggestions. Think about what defines your character, personality-wise as much as capability-wise.

okay, here's my guy.
My character will have the theme: FAITHFUL

His Quest is to serve the Gods of the seasons and the Earth and the Water and the spirits of his ancestors and the animals.

This gives him the Power of Knowledge he knows a lot about the land and the spirits around him from the stories passed down from the Gods to his ancestors and then on to him.
It also gives him a Power a gift from the Gods: Whether this be some sort of protection, or an ability, I’m not sure how magical we want to get with this so, I’ll come back to this after some input from you guys
His flaw attached to this will be that he can be Narrow-minded/Stubborn
As a second Theme: he’ll be a RANCHER
His Quest is to maintain the ranch and the herd. I imagine him as maybe a goat rancher, or something, but again it could be some kind of fantasy livestock like small dinosaurs or something? 

His Powers will be:Animal Handling - he has two dogs that he works with, he works the herd, he rides a horse. 

and Tools - He’s good at digging, fixing fences, building, chopping - Ranch work maybe with wood carving as a hobby
The Flaw is that he can be very isolated even from his closest neighbors, and is wary of outsiders, he can be very abrupt or socially awkward. He limits time going into town and will try to do all of his trading/shopping during his trips taking livestock to market. 

Third Theme: PROTECTOR
He is a father, his two sons, and two daughters all live on the ranch with him. One of his sons has a wife and a small baby. They all work together on the ranch, but as the Father he is responsible for the well-being of all of the people and animals on the ranch

Power: Good in a fight. Weapon of choice: Hammer or Axe
Power: Traps. Best way to fight a predator is to never have to fight them.
Flaw: Over Protector - He may not trust those in his protection to fend for themselves.

And Finally fourth Theme: PROVIDER
As the head of the ranch this is his primary role and his Quest attached to this is to always be looking for either a good trade, a good deal, or a Golden Opportunity. Although he is reluctant to leave the ranch under most circumstances, he can be easily persuaded if he feels like the overall benefit is it worth it. A new structure, new animals, more money, there is always a need for more of something at the ranch.

Power: Negotiator He’s good at getting a good deal
Power: First Aid: with animals or people his nurturing nature makes him competent at basic first aid.
Flaw: He might not be totally above being a little bit of a cheat or a thief if he thinks no major harm will follow if it’s to the benefit of the ranch or his family. 


Okay, so that’s what I’ve got for my Far Isles rancher, I’m hoping you guys can help me fill in some of the details. As far as the Faithful power, I’m totally cool with that being some form of witchcraft, or he could be out there leading a cult or his own little church or something, I dunno.
…. and if I am like totally way off with any of this stuff, just let me know what I should change.

Yeah, so I was thinking that the religion of Goddess Llana is partly monotheistic, because even though there is only one goddess at the head, the blessings are spread by praying to 100 different saints and maybe more angels devoted to her cause. So, I am guessing instead of directly going for the Goddess Llana or Saturine church, there will be a hierarchy that my character has to navigate through the order. How about Questing Knight of Saint Katherine? If this is the theme tag, we can go for the power tags as Thrice Blessed Platemail and Claymore of House Tenli. I am thinking my character's name will be Vormier Tenli. As for Saint Katherine, she was a beautiful woman who sacrificed her life by treating many plague-stricken patients and attained sainthood. For the negative tag, how about Stranger in a Strange Land?

I like!

Though for his weakness tag, maybe something more connected to the church "Oaths to Uphold" "Llana's Law" etc

Stranger in a strange land is great, but I think there's a lot of missed potential with his oath. And Stranger could be a whole other theme... there are a lot of pros. Anyway, it's all up to you, I'm just throwing ideas like a monkey throws

For my second theme tag, how about Benevolent, Idealistic but Stoic Warrior. For the power tags, Miracles of Saint Katherine and Defender of the Weak. The negative tag can be Unproven Valor and Conflicting Ideology.

The third theme tag Knights of Prowling Panther Training with the power tags, Stalking Stance and Disrupting Footworks with the other one being A Panther Surrounded is a Dangerous Foe!. As for the negative tag, Needs Time to Learn Prey.

I think Llana's Law seems really nice and dramatic. I will go with that.

All of this looks good. As far as the magic goes, I'm trying to avoid the D&D style godWizard and keep things with a rustic feel. Gift from the Gods (or spirits?) should be fine. As it's a fairly broad tag, I imagine it would be something you mainly use indirectly. Unless there is a specific thing it is or does, in which case the tag should reflect that?

Okay, let's keep it, gift from the spirits and maybe I'll have reflect some sort of uncanny luck or something

For my fourth theme I am going, Uncle Jude taught me Forging, with power tags, Fire and Water forge Tempered Steel and My Own forged Iron Broadsword. As for the negative tag, how about I only wanted your acceptance!

As for the quests, I have come up with this ones, 1st Quest (wish): I hope to see Saint Katherine bless me. 2nd Quest (truth): Everyone deserves a second chance for redemption. 3rd Quest (wish): I wish to bring honor to House Tenli. 4th Quest (question): Is Far Isles really a cursed place?

Looking a little closer at these: Unproven Valor and Conflicting Ideology feels like two separate things. You may want to choose one and add the other later - adding a weakness may seem line a bad call, but weaknesses are how you improve your themes, so you like them. Also, they make for more interesting stories.

Likewise, Stalking Stance and Disrupting Footwork feel like two distinct things. Again, you could choose one and add the other as an improvement.

Last, idealist, benevolent, stoic, warrior flles line you're packing a lot into one tag. What about Stoic Idealist or Benevolent Stoic? This tightens it up and makes it focused on his philosophy and personality. You have a pile of tags that serve you in battle. Putting a little focus on who he is when he's not fighting will round him out.

As always, my suggestions are suggestions.

This is a request, though: "A Panther Surrounded is a Dangerous Foe" is an awesome tag. It's easy to see its use, it's specific and it's evocative as anything. I have a picture in my head right now... probably different from what you picture, but probably not THAT different. Do you mind if I use it as an example?

This is all good stuff, but you have a broadsword here and a claymore in your other theme that seems to be different weapons? No reason not to have two swords, and now reason not to have two tags for one sword, but can we clarify? Either make the tags obviously reference the same sword, or obviously not.

You are right; stringing two tags for one won't be a good move. I think Benevolent Stoic is good for a theme tag. I will go with Disrupting Footwork because some defensive tags would be needed. I chose the "A Panther Surrounded" tag because it's like the fighting style is derived to combat many opponents quickly, and it's especially deadly if he's ganged up on. Plus, it can be used as a good, flavorful tag, maybe even outside combat. I will take out the "Needs time to learn prey" and replace it with Conflicting Ideologies tag. Ofcourse, you can use it as an example. The other negative tag is Unproven Valor.

So, do you want me to change the panther tag?

So that is a different sword, yes. It's a testament to his forging skill. Vormier himself crafted the sword, and it is probably not a mastercrafted sword like his house's claymore. I am thinking that the claymore is something of a unique weapon/heirloom that signifies his house as well as the symbol of his knighthood. Also, since the claymore is a really, really long sword, Vormier uses it when the enemy is dangerous and needs to be kept at bay. The broadsword is shorter and sees much more rough use. Also, it's made of iron (like, I don't know if there is fey involved in this setting, but they are said to be weak against iron?) instead of steel. As the story progresses, I am guessing that he might reforge his sword into something else if there is significant change in him. For example, something happens that changes him, and he realizes the need for defense, so he melts the sword, adds more metals, and crafts a shield; or maybe he melts it and crafts a hammer. The broadsword is a kind of symbolic representation of him.

No! Keep the panther tag. I just want your permission to cite it in future as an example of a really good tag.

OK, the swords make sense. One thing I have been kicking around is how magic works on this setting. Not anything we have to decide now, but as you forged your broadsword yourself, AND have a tag that touches on miracles, it could be imbued with some of Llana's power. As is, it is not a Magic Sword, but the groundwork has been laid.

Food for thought.

Yeah. I don't want Vormier to be like a full-on D&D paladin, but it is like a more dialed-down paladin, like maybe the OSR classes. I am thinking that the different saints have different miracles based on their sacrifices or deeds. Since Katherine is a saint who tried to help plague-ridden people, the miracles are more like healing, purifying and cleansing types, with maybe the truly powerful ones able to create blessed food and water or able to cure someone from almost uncurable disease/infection. But, I don't think he will have like a magic sword unless maybe it's blessed by another saint or Llana herself (like his thrice blessed platemail). From a story perspective, I am guessing he has to keep his sword in front of an altar and pray for a week by completely fasting to make it a blessed weapon.

And I don't want to push you towards being a paladin, or anything from D&D. I want him to be uniquely himself, and the themes and tags framework allows that. And I am trying to work off of your guys' input as much as possible, so now there's probably going to be a plague of some kind. :D

Hmmmm, so based on the descriptions I've read so far I think I want to try to lean into this island setting.

Very much a work in progress....

Themes
Fisherman/woman (Trade or Skill)
An archipelago setting? Gotta have a boat and be good in the water, right? Thinking it's nets or spear-fishing if this is a primitive setting
- Small Sailboat
- Deft with a Spear
- Superb Balance or Knot-work or Nose for the Weather
- Navigate True in Any Weather
* Salty Language
Quest: Legends tell of a mysterious, mist shrouded island somewhere to the East with a golden temple. One day I will see it for myself. (Now who or what really lives there.....)


Fae-touched (Trait)
We're in a land with Fae? What if they occasionally bred with the Human population? Maybe in the past and sometimes that heritage becomes especially prominent or possibly even now.
- Unnaturally Quick
- Cat's Eyes
-
-
* Expectations
Quest: I only know my Human heritage. Until I know what it means to be Fae I will never be complete.


Athletic (Trait)
- Strong Swimmer
- Hardened Physique
- Climbing
- Endure Through the Pain
* This Is Gonna Hurt Later
Quest: The Trails of the Threefold Path are held every third year when the three moons are in alignment. The three who finish first earn great respect. I shall be one of that trio.


Brook No $#%! (Personality)
Not everyone is pleasant but surly doesn't mean bad.
- I Will CUT You
- Razor Wit
- Won't Give in to Fear
- Aggressively Helpful
* Ruffle Some Feathers
Quest: If I had a larger boat and a well disciplined crew that followed orders, we could sail to distant lands.

Hi. Welcome
I like how your character is shaping up

Is there any benefit from the theme outside of the specific traits we select?

How's my idea's looking so far?

The whole benefit of the theme is in the tags and the quests. Remember that the name of the theme is also a tag. Remind me, do you know the way the mechanics work? This may be a good time to go over it, except I'm pressed for time, so I won't.

The idea is shaping up very nicely! It is now established that the fae occasionally have children with mortals. Which I heartily endorse. Is there any folklore where they don't?

The one thing is, each theme should have a quest. They don't have to be capital Q Quests (like the one you have) but can be things like a personal code (Llana's Law), an ideal aspired to (be as great a juggler as Joe), a question to answer (what happened to that guy with the nose?), an ongoing task (feed my family) etc.

As far as the quest you have, I think it works perfectly. You just need to pick which theme it applies to.

Ah yes, I thought that was how quests worked but when I looked back at the demo characters I didn't see any and thought I might be mistaken. Cool I'll fix that later today

Okay I think my themes are set, let me know how they look. Just need to figure out name.

I think I need to put all my themes in one place. So, here are my themes:

Themes

Questing Knight of Saint Katherine
Thrice Blessed Platemail
Claymore of House Tenli
Llana's Law
Quest(wish): I hope to see Saint Katherine bless me.

Benevolent Stoic
Miracles of Saint Katherine
Defender of the Weak
Conflicting Ideologies
Quest (truth): Everyone deserves a second chance for redemption.

Knights of Prowling Panther Training
Disrupting Footwork
A Panther Surrounded is a Dangerous Foe!
Unproven Valor
Quest (wish): I wish to bring honor to House Tenli.

Uncle Jude taught me Forging
Fire and Water forge Tempered Steel
My Own forged Iron Broadsword
I only wanted your acceptance!
Quest (question): Is Far Isles really a cursed place?

I can see that others have another pair of tags for each theme. Do I need to create like 4 tags for each theme?

Three moons!

Both characters look great! And thanks for this format, whoever came up with it. It's super helpful.

@db, can you help me with "expectations" as your weakness? Just a couple of situations where it may come into play? I'm not getting it, which is probably not at all your fault. My brain likes to miss the blatantly obvious.

Themes
Dino Rancher (Trade or Skill)
- Animal Handling
- Good with tools
-
-
Animals I get. Humans, not so much
Quest:For the good of the ranch


Faithful to the Spirits(Trait)
- Ancestral Knowledge
- The Blessings of the spirits
-
-
Narrow-Minded
Quest: To serve and to honor the spirits of the island


Protector (Personality)
- Good in a fight
- Get Behind Me
-
-
* Lookin for a fight?
Quest: You're under my care? I'm responsible for you.


Provider (Personality)
- I can get a better price for that
- I can fix it
-
-
* A little Shady
Quest: Just gotta find that one Golden Opportunity

Name: Balam

A question was asked about how many tags per theme.

The name of the theme is a tag. (Bold.)

Plus two power tags. (Blue)

Plus one weakness tag (red)

Also, a quest. (Green)

Some players have added additional power tags, in anticipation of improving the theme. These are in black, not folded, and have not in-game impact at this point.

How do you improve a theme? By using the weakness tag 3x. Either by (you, the player) tagging it on a roll, or by the GM tagging it to cause trouble for you. I will ONLY tag your weakness to cause trouble with your permission.

Yeah I think I was trying to decide myself. I was thinking that those who have prominent Fae traits might be held to a higher standard by the people. Or....or maybe the Fae take special notice of those who bear their traits. Maybe they're known to test them from time to time and it's not even necessarily clear why.

So we could change Expectations to be Held to a Higher Standard or Challenges of the Fae.

Hehe I do kind of like the idea of a random Fae just showing up at ANY time with an odd task, simple or complicated but rarely understood. But that could be annoying so good with Held to Higher Standard too.

The Dastardly Skald
Mighty
Enduring
Lusty

Seeks above all things Notoriety

My ideas so far for my character:

Street Kid, as a girl had to be sneaky and wary to avoid all kinds of abuse, and she is distrusting of the wealthy. She wants to enjoy luxuries that she could only dream of.

While breaking into a creepy mansion, her mind was Touched by Something, and since then she can slice the mind of people and peek into the future. She is desperate to learn about what touched her mind. However, the otherworldly whispers she can only hear, can be be very disturbing, both emotionally and in practice.

Friendship Matters for her, and she is trying to find Kialla, who disappeared a couple of months ago. She has the back of people who she eventually gets to trust.

She is a Literate Urchin, who read a thing or two about curses, and can blurt out bits of obscure history.

Man, this is going to be an interesting party. We have a Paladin/Knight (Vormier Tenli/my character) who is out of place, a dino-rancher with fae magic (Balam/TrustyJustin), a fisher/sailer with fae magic (dbcowboy), a skald (Jomsviking), an urchin with a possible magical patron (offbeat.lemur) and a hedge alchemist (sonofirony).

My inspiration for this character was the 5e warlock with a Great Old One patron, indeed.

But this time it's not a patron, and there is no pact. Dianne didn't agree to anything, the entity that touched her mind is trying to intrude into this world through her psyche. She sometimes uses the power that seeps through her, and holds her ground to keep the entity at bay. No mechanics behind it, though, this is only the narration.

Tell me about slicing minds. I've said elsewhere I'm trying not to do d&d with this game, and your character is obviously very inspired by d&d. Which isn't the end of the world or anything, but since you've gone for what looks like a pretty overtly magical, direct attack, and are introducing GoO into our world, I kind of want to put the brakes on.

Also, hello! Nice meeting you!

Elsewhere we've talked about fae/fey, and saints/gods being different cultural descriptions of the same spiritual/animistic "reality." The GoO can be yet another form of same, perhaps yours is older and stranger than the gods/fey we've touched on thus far.

I will want you to understand that the consequences of using such power and assaulting other's minds will not be inconsequential. You will be flying without a net.

When you say that this is just narration, I fear that you do not expect there to be any price to pay for this power.

I feel bad for you guys having to come up with a fellowship theme...

I already know there will be no cohesion. My job as the skald is to survive and let the world know who was the most wrong.

"So wait you joined a group of anarchists knowing full well they would die? And your idea was to profit on their misery?"

Yes I am a dastardly skald, that is what I do. But I didn't get into this for money. I am only interested in showcasing how awesome I am for living through it. The magnitude of my genius is truly frightening.

Æsop

The Dastardly Skald

Mighty as an olympian, for indeed he was a master of the Pankration.
Enduring as the foundation of the earth, as he trained his body to the pinnacle of athletic performance.
Notorious Philosopher, the Socrates of the isle
Fearsome warrior, known to be a skilled killer
Meat Wizard some of the physical feats Æsop does defy all logic or reason. Such as throwing a punch so swiftly it produces an explosion.
Lusty as a bull, the one thing Æsop enjoys more than chronicling the deviance and degeneracy of the, "Heroes," is the company of beautiful women.

Seeks above all things Notoriety
Æsop has followed the adventurers chronicling their stories and feats with objectivity. He only deals in facts, though these facts have a tendency to showcase failures rather than successes, and omit him as anything more than observer.

One theme down, 3 to go!

I'm going to say this, though. Seems super-troll-y. The idea of playing with a party member whose main goal is to s*** on the rest of the party seems less fun, than say, a root canal. If everyone else thinks it sounds like fun, I'm ok with it, since I'm just the GM. If anyone else has an opinion they'd rather PM me, PM me.

As I said, the warlock was just inspiration. I do not intend to introduce GoO into the world, it can be a dark fey or any other thing you've already established. Mechanically, it's just a power tag that I can only use to directly hinder someone, not to directly help. And I don't want any new mechanics with it, the Tinderbox Demo's rules are exactly what I'm looking for in this game.

I'd like a magic user who did not learn their magic, and for whom magic feels dangerous and, as a result, I will always describe her action when using magic as reluctant.

Also, in the veins of Fate (you said that LitM has a lot of Fate in its DNA), I'm happy to limit the Effects (on page 7 of the demo pdf) for which I can use this tag, just like Fate stunts can be limited to certain skills or action.

And it's a first idea, we can chisel it as much as we want -- for example, by renaming it.

This actually reassures me tremendously.

Slicing the mind IS a straight up psychic attack, though, have I got that right?

Here's why I'm asking. The dice in LitM and PbtA games generally are entirely in the hands of the players. I never roll to attack you. What happens is, you roll, and if you get a 7 or more, you succeed. If you roll a 9 or less, there are consequences. In a swordfight, the consequence is likely to be the other guy sticking you. Pretty straightforward. If you're researching the proper use of cheese on pizza, you may get misleading information or get pulled down some delicious rabbithole, etc.

With magic, the consequences are going to be magical. Since you've introduced our first direct magical attack AND given me a something that whispers in your mind... It's not like everyone whose mind your slice is going to be a psychic warrior who can slice back, so consequences are likely to come from your something.

Which will make using the power BE dangerous as well as feel dangerous. But only if you roll 9 or less.

Anyway, if you're good with that, I'm good with it.

Thanks for the explanation. I don't really mind the consequences, but I'd like to rename it. So, it could be disturbing visions, which is still a psychic effect, with probably the same consequences you described, but it's closer to what I'd like narratively.

I feel like the initial meetings would probably happen either en route or at the port on market day. The fisher woman and the Dino rancher may already know each other as well as anyone else who wouldn't be just newly arriving. New arrivals may have traveled together....

Just some thoughts

Not quite shit on them. More like Marco Polo. I see many fae magicians, each of them are agents of chaos, and will put their masters agenda before common sense.

I chose the name Æsop because his will be a book of hard won life lessons and more than likely a guide of how to not do things. A real story unlike a vainglorious depiction of heroics, it will just go to show these larger than life characters are at the end of the day merely mortal.

Like I said, if the other players are on board with an on board critic, it's ok with me.

But you still need three more themes.

Disturbing Visions works... and by all means, (for everyone) keep tweaking your characters until either you're happy, or we start.

Given the diverse origins and professions, etc, I'm thinking that we may need to contrive a situation that is pulling you all together.

Maybe something is calling them off of the main island and on to one of the more "wild" islands. limited options might put them all as unlikely travel companions together.

How do the themes:

Notorious Philosopher, the Socrates of the isle
Fearsome warrior, known to be a skilled killer
Lush, this man prefers the finer things to excess

Work for you?

Notorious Philosopher and Fearsome Warrior are good. Lush sounds line a weakness.

A theme, remember, is a title tag with two power tags, one weakness tag, and a quest. A giod mix of broad and specific tags is recommended.

In that case I would like to be a Meat Wizard

Is he Goku? Is he an artisinal gourmet? He is certainly not vegan.

I was thinking something along those lines. It will have to be something compelling enough to get our rancher to leave his ranch behind. So perhaps the spirits themselves are calling, which should serve to motivate him.

In my character sheet I added two power tags, one weakness and one goal for each theme. Any and all feedback is welcome about those.

1. Who's Kialla?
2. "good at instructing others how to find stuff in a town" feels convoluted. And only useful for others. Maybe "finding stuff in town"?

I was thinking about more practical applications to some of my themes. And maybe offering up a little bit more story hook type quests... Let me know what you think of my update

Theme 1
Dino Rancher (Trade or Skill) - Struthiosaurus

- Animal Handling -
- Good with tools -
-
-
Unkempt - Balam's clothes are torn, his hands have cuts on them, his appearance reflects the look of a man who spends his day working.
Quest: Balam would like to acquire a new animal for the ranch

Theme 2
Commune with the spirits (Trait) To Balam, interacting and speaking with the spirits, especially those of his ancestors, is a simple fact of his daily life. He speaks with them like one would speak with good friends. But he also asks them for guidance and protection.
- Ancestral Knowledge - On the spirit plane, the ancestors connect with much older spirits and pass their knowledge on to Balam
- The Protection of the spirits - Some people might call it Guardian Angels, some people might call it uncanny good luck, but it just seems like there is an unseen hand keeping Balam safe from harm.
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Stubborn - Balam's loyalty to the spirits, to his family and to his friends can make him unwavering and relentless.
Quest: From the spirits' perspective, Balam is their presence on Earth. So it is he who must do things that they cannot do for themselves. They have asked Balam to leave the island and retrieve something from one of the southernmost islands

Theme 3
Protector (Personality)
- Good in a fight - he's a brawler, he's stocky, he favors big heavy weapons that break things like axes and hammers
- Get Behind Me -Balam Is unafraid. he knows how to take a hit, and how to avoid them.
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* Lookin for a fight? - He can be quick to anger
Quest: It's time to send the old bull out to pasture. During the journey south, Balam plans to return Oltoloc back to his home in the wild where he can live out his remaining years before he is called back to join the spirits. Oltoloc is not so old that he's slow, but he has been with the herd long enough and it's time to retire him

Theme 4
Provider (Personality)
- I can get a better price for that
- I can fix it
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* A little Shady
Quest: Just gotta find that one Golden Opportunity. Balam is always on the lookout for a good deal, a big payday or anything of great value.

Name: Balam

Kialla's a childhood friend, she's been missing for a few months, and that's very non-characteristic of her. Dianne found some clues (I don't know what) which led her to the Far Isles. She probably cast a wide net and asked around in the port just in case, and she did gain some info.

Yeah, that tag felt convoluted for me as well, but I wanted something that is directly about helping her companions and connected to her experiences. I'll think about that.

These updates look great. The quests are going to make it a lot easier to get you on the road. Or the high seas.

This is shaping up well, too. One thing (just for clarification) when you say she found some clues that led her to the far isles, I'm taking that to mean she's not a local. Is that right?

So we have Trusty and Offbeat shaping up.

We have Stalker and dbcowboy who look about done, but haven't been heard from in a few. If you guys are still interested, give a yelp.

Then there's jomsviking whose character still needs tags, weaknesses, quests as far as I can tell.

And son of irony who hasn't shown up in the game yet.

I am up. Do you need anything else from the character creation for Vormier?

Yeah its hard to get motivated right now work and training are killing me.

Yes, that's the idea. I suppose I forgot to mention it now that you asked, but that was always my image of her. She left some other not-so-far-away part of the world, and came searching for Kialla on the Far Isles.

I think you're good, just need to put in on a character sheet, I guess.

No problem! Have you looked at the discussion of Stalker's background? You may be from the same place. Or not.

Is there a character sheet template available?

Sounds great! I am up for it. @offbeat.lemur

Is it possible that she stayed for a couple of days with Balam? He has a one-room cabin on the property that he sometimes rents out for money or trade mostly to hunters, but sometimes to astrologers, or campers or solitude-seekers. It is far enough away from the main house, that the occupant is mostly undisturbed by Balam and his family.

He also sometimes uses the cabins to house seasonal help and ranch hands. It isn't unusual for Balam to pick up labor from the port and put them to work fixing fence-lines, building projects or working the herd (depending on the occupants' abilities and the time of year) in exchange for some pay and access to a one-room cabin with a lockable door, a small stove, a bed and a desk.

However she paid, she's already left, but her room hasn't been touched since her departure.

Absolutely, she is ready to work for money, and if it's honest work, she's actually thrilled.

I don't believe so. Dianne, how did you do yours?

Æsop

The Dastardly Skald
Advocate of Devils
Emissary of Change
Paragon of Order

Mighty as an olympian, for indeed he was a master of the Pankration.
Enduring as the foundation of the earth, as he trained his body to the pinnacle of athletic performance.
Notorious Philosopher, the Socrates of the isle
Fearsome warrior, known to be a skilled killer
Meat Wizard some of the physical feats Æsop does defy all logic or reason. Such as throwing a punch so swiftly it produces an explosion.
Malefactor
Voice of Reason
Dependable to a Fault
Lusty as a bull, the one thing Æsop enjoys more than chronicling the deviance and degeneracy of the, "Heroes," is the company of beautiful women.
Emotionally Distant
Brooding
Superiority Complex

Seeks above all things Notoriety
Æsop has followed the adventurers chronicling their stories and feats with objectivity. He only deals in facts, though these facts have a tendency to showcase failures rather than successes, and omit him as anything more than observer.

It is not enough to be a skilled athlete. He wants to be the strongest man alive

I want to know everything

I would see my nations flag rise over every nation.

I'm not sure where the disconnect is, but once again:.

Each character has four THEMES.

Each THEME has two POWER TAGS (positive) and one WEAKNESS TAG (negative).

Each theme also includes a QUEST.

What you have is one theme with five power tags, one weakness tag and one quest.

So I need 3 of each but weaknesses. Just keeping it updated so I don't have to slog through the forum. Will likely just steal the format of someone elses build and cut it to form.

That is a lot of quests, how do they work in play?

You need a weakness for each theme as well.

How quests work in play...

1: When you achieve a SIGNIFICANT milestone on one of your quests, you mark a milestone. At 3 milestones (which should be when you achieve your goal, for a finite quest, or push it as close as humanly possible) you get to "evolve" or "expand" that theme. You can either replace it with another theme that represents your character's new direction, or you can expand it, by replacing another theme with a theme related to this theme.

2: when you turn away from your quest in a significant, you mark abandon. When you mark 3 abandon, you replace your theme with a new theme that represents your character's change in direction.

1 & 2: Both represent your character changing. If your character is already perfect, there are ways to reset the counters so they never change.

Just an empty custom sheet, and put the info into it.

Those more experienced with the site and the formatting option could help to put a sheet 'wireframe' together to have a consistent layout and look over the sheets.

I don't know how to write those codes to get the desired format. Is there a filled-up format available?

name of theme power tag, power tag
weakness tag
quest

If you quote this post, it should give you the formatting. Copy/paste for each theme.

Wait, I was thinking that there would be some codes to automate the dice rolls like all the custom-made character sheets present for the other games. If it's just writing, then I can definitely do it.

Sorry I've been absent but RL has become extremely busy and doesn't look to quiet down for at least a month or more. I'm going to officially withdraw. Hope the game goes well, may stop by and see how things are progressing.