May 18, 2025 2:55 am
A place to compare notes, ask questions, or merely seek guidance on your character.
Character Creation
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May 18, 2025 2:59 am
I've been working on a GP character sheet in case others want to use it. I got some feedback. please tell me if there are others so I can update it before people start using it.
[ +- ] Case & Soul
Create character
Basic Information
| Name: | Look: |
| CASE: | STATION: |
| Past: | |
| Future: |
Playbook:
| I strive Strive: for/to |
| Action is bound/locked for me because . |
| If I am a STATION, my station is: |
Attributes & Actions
Strive is part of the Skin/Steel/Spirit attribute for me.
Bonus Dice
Strive is part of the Skin/Steel/Spirit attribute for me.
Bonus Dice
| Type | Name | Dots | Roll |
| Attribute | Skin | d6 | |
| - Action | Rush | d6 | |
| - Action | Skulk | d6 | |
| - Action | Steady | d6 |
| Type | Name | Dots | Roll |
| Attribute | Steel | d6 | |
| - Action | Access | d6 | |
| - Action | Blitz | d6 | |
| - Action | Duel | d6 |
| Type | Name | Dots | Roll |
| Attribute | Spirit | d6 | |
| - Action | Sway | d6 | |
| - Action | Sync | d6 | |
| - Action | Discern | d6 |
CASE (CASE playbooks only)
CASE DESIGN: (choose 1)
Assault (5 load, slow)
Frontline (4 load)
Recon (2 load, fast)
Armament (choose 1)
A fine melee weapon
A fine mid-range weapon
A fine long range weapon
Your Armament is an iconic part of your CASE. You are always assumed to have it or to have access to it quickly, and all Armaments inflict 2 harm.
LOAD USED (see DESIGN for max)
CASE DESIGN: (choose 1)
Assault (5 load, slow)
Frontline (4 load)
Recon (2 load, fast)
Armament (choose 1)
A fine melee weapon
A fine mid-range weapon
A fine long range weapon
Your Armament is an iconic part of your CASE. You are always assumed to have it or to have access to it quickly, and all Armaments inflict 2 harm.
[ +- ] CASE Gear
| In Use | Lost/Broken/Used Up | Name |
| A rack of missiles | ||
| An autocannon or laser/beam weapon | ||
| An antipersonnel weapon | ||
| A fine magazine or charge pack | ||
| A melee weapon | ||
| Armour | ||
| Add +Heavy to armor | ||
| Fire suppression system | ||
| Environmental refits | ||
| Passenger space | ||
| Jumpjets | ||
| An empathic drive system |
LOAD USED (see DESIGN for max)
XP & BEATS & MOVES
XP Track:
NUMBER OF ADVANCEMENTS: 0
BEATS:
STASHED BEATS:
HEAT:
MOVES
XP Track:
NUMBER OF ADVANCEMENTS: 0
BEATS:
STASHED BEATS:
HEAT:
MOVES
| Name | CASE/STATION/SOUL | Description |
| | ||
| | ||
| | ||
| | ||
SOUL GEAR
My LOAD for this mission is:
Heavy (5) (slow, loud)
Medium (4)
Light (3) (quick, quiet)
LOAD USED (see LOAD for max)
My LOAD for this mission is:
Heavy (5) (slow, loud)
Medium (4)
Light (3) (quick, quiet)
[ +- ] GEAR
| In Use | Lost/Broken/Used Up | Name |
| A concealable melee weapon | ||
| A pistol | ||
| A second pistol | ||
| A large/uncommon weapon | ||
| A fine magazine or clip | ||
| A frag or flash grenade | ||
| Armour | ||
| Add +Heavy to armor | ||
| A sign or badge of your STATION (no load cost) | ||
| Fine equipment befitting your STATION | ||
| Toolkit | ||
| Breach charge | ||
| Demolitions kit | ||
| Climbing/mobility gear | ||
| Survival gear | ||
| Outfit (no load cost) | ||
| ADd +Functional to Outfit |
LOAD USED (see LOAD for max)
STRESS & HARM & HEAT & FALLOUTS
STRESS:
CASE/STATION HARM:
SOUL HARM:
HEAT:
FALLOUTS
BOUND:
LOCKED:
VULNERABLE: CASE/STATION reduced by and SOUL reduced by
STRESSED: Maximum STRESS reduced by
BUSY: Perform 1 less downtime activity.
DISTRACTED: Maximum BEATS reduced by 2.
WANTED: Take +1 HEAT.
STRESS:
CASE/STATION HARM:
SOUL HARM:
HEAT:
FALLOUTS
BOUND:
LOCKED:
VULNERABLE: CASE/STATION reduced by and SOUL reduced by
STRESSED: Maximum STRESS reduced by
BUSY: Perform 1 less downtime activity.
DISTRACTED: Maximum BEATS reduced by 2.
WANTED: Take +1 HEAT.
May 18, 2025 3:04 am
Oh, and some questions about how the system works. When the game says "Strive is part of your Skin/Steel/Soul", what does that mean? Does that mean you get 3 dots in the corresponding resistance? When it says you get 3 dots in your strive, is that for skin, steel, or soul, or is that to put in actions that are under that category (meaning if skin I could put them under rush, skulk, and/or steady)?
Also, I see we get 3 dots based on our past and 2 based on our future. I assume these are the 9 actions. Does having a dot mean you start with 2d6, or is 1 dot just 1d6 and having no dots means the 2d6 keep lower roll?
This is my first forged in the dark game, so I feel like i get 80% of the rules but stuff like this is where I've never had anyone to ask this too before.
Also, I see we get 3 dots based on our past and 2 based on our future. I assume these are the 9 actions. Does having a dot mean you start with 2d6, or is 1 dot just 1d6 and having no dots means the 2d6 keep lower roll?
This is my first forged in the dark game, so I feel like i get 80% of the rules but stuff like this is where I've never had anyone to ask this too before.
May 18, 2025 3:31 am
Okay, so, Skin, Steel, and Spirit aren't like other stats, you can't raise them directly. Instead, their value is determined by how many of the Actions in their category you have at least one dot in.
For the sake of example, if someone had a single dot in Skulk and Steady, their Skin would be rated at 2. If they buy another point of Skulk as an Advancement, that doesn't impact their Skin because they already have Skulk.
Strive being moved into a particular category means that there's a forth stat in that category. That means that, immediately, their Resistance is one level higher (because Strive comes with dots in it), but also that they can take it one level higher than most other people.
For a task, you roll a number of dice equal to the number of dots you have in that action. If you have zero dots, you can still roll, but you roll 2d6 and take the lowest (this is why being Bound or Locked is worse than simply having no dots in something, your odds might not be great going in untrained but at least you can try).
As an interaction, remember that you can always spend 2 Stress to Push Yourself and gain +1D to a test. This includes stuff that you have no dots in. (If something is Locked, you can't even do this. If it's Bound, you can Push Yourself to make an attempt, but don't get the +1D).
For the sake of example, if someone had a single dot in Skulk and Steady, their Skin would be rated at 2. If they buy another point of Skulk as an Advancement, that doesn't impact their Skin because they already have Skulk.
Strive being moved into a particular category means that there's a forth stat in that category. That means that, immediately, their Resistance is one level higher (because Strive comes with dots in it), but also that they can take it one level higher than most other people.
For a task, you roll a number of dice equal to the number of dots you have in that action. If you have zero dots, you can still roll, but you roll 2d6 and take the lowest (this is why being Bound or Locked is worse than simply having no dots in something, your odds might not be great going in untrained but at least you can try).
As an interaction, remember that you can always spend 2 Stress to Push Yourself and gain +1D to a test. This includes stuff that you have no dots in. (If something is Locked, you can't even do this. If it's Bound, you can Push Yourself to make an attempt, but don't get the +1D).
May 18, 2025 1:05 pm
Okay, so skin, soul, and steal are not things you invest in, but rather that have 1 dot per action you have invested in at least 1 dot, and strive becomes an action under one of those 3 resistance categories so that category can have 4 dots potentially but the others have a max potential of 3 dots?
May 18, 2025 4:31 pm
Yes (though you wrote "Steal" instead of "Spirit" - that's okay, I've been saying Resistances when I should be saying Abilities). Abilities are kind of how FitD incentivizes you to spread your points around instead of hyper-specializing. Of course, that interacts kinda interestingly with Strive and Bound/Locked Actions, which effectively specialize you anyway.
You get weird little design nooks like that when one person builds off another's game engine. I find it interesting, but I'm also glad that I have a little experience with more conventional FitD games to contextualize it.
You get weird little design nooks like that when one person builds off another's game engine. I find it interesting, but I'm also glad that I have a little experience with more conventional FitD games to contextualize it.
May 18, 2025 4:53 pm
Okay, I think I understand better. I may update the character sheet I made to be a bit more automated based on this knowledge, like having the amount of points in skin be based on how many of the 3/4 actions you have a point in rather than making you say how many points you have.
Before I look at playbooks, what is the recommendation of party composition regarding CASE and STATION playbooks? Is it best we are all case or all station or is it good to have 1 or 2 case and the rest station?
It sounds like a station playbook can't really deal meaningful damage to someone in a case, so if there are going to be gifts and someone is a station are they a liability?
Before I look at playbooks, what is the recommendation of party composition regarding CASE and STATION playbooks? Is it best we are all case or all station or is it good to have 1 or 2 case and the rest station?
It sounds like a station playbook can't really deal meaningful damage to someone in a case, so if there are going to be gifts and someone is a station are they a liability?
Last edited May 18, 2025 4:54 pm
May 19, 2025 8:29 pm
Here is a revised version of the character sheet based on by better understanding of how the abilities and actions work. If you put at least 1 point in an action, the correct attribute will get +1 point. Additionally, the bound and locked section was moved next to the actions instead of being a text box you had to list out and remember to look at
[ +- ] Case & Soul v2
Create character
Basic Information
| Name: | Look: |
| CASE: | STATION: |
| Past: | |
| Future: |
Playbook:
| I strive Strive: for/to |
| Action is bound/locked for me because . |
| If I am a STATION, my station is: |
Attributes & Actions
Strive is part of the Skin/Steel/Spirit attribute for me.
Bonus Dice
Strive is part of the Skin/Steel/Spirit attribute for me.
Bonus Dice
| SKIN Action | Dots | Roll | Blocked | Locked |
| Rush | d6 | | ||
| Skulk | d6 | | ||
| Steady | d6 | | ||
| Strive? | d6 |
| STEEL Action | Dots | Roll | Blocked | Locked |
| Access | d6 | | ||
| Blitz | d6 | | ||
| Duel | d6 | | ||
| Strive? | d6 |
| SOUL Actions | Dots | Roll | Blocked | Locked |
| Sway | d6 | | ||
| Sync | d6 | | ||
| Discern | d6 | | ||
| Strive? | d6 |
| Attributes | Roll |
| Skin | d6 |
| Steel | d6 |
| Spirit | d6 |
CASE (CASE playbooks only)
CASE DESIGN: (choose 1)
Assault (5 load, slow)
Frontline (4 load)
Recon (2 load, fast)
Armament (choose 1)
A fine melee weapon
A fine mid-range weapon
A fine long range weapon
Your Armament is an iconic part of your CASE. You are always assumed to have it or to have access to it quickly, and all Armaments inflict 2 harm.
LOAD USED (see DESIGN for max)
CASE DESIGN: (choose 1)
Assault (5 load, slow)
Frontline (4 load)
Recon (2 load, fast)
Armament (choose 1)
A fine melee weapon
A fine mid-range weapon
A fine long range weapon
Your Armament is an iconic part of your CASE. You are always assumed to have it or to have access to it quickly, and all Armaments inflict 2 harm.
[ +- ] CASE Gear
| In Use | Lost/Broken/Used Up | Name |
| A rack of missiles | ||
| An autocannon or laser/beam weapon | ||
| An antipersonnel weapon | ||
| A fine magazine or charge pack | ||
| A melee weapon | ||
| Armour | ||
| Add +Heavy to armor | ||
| Fire suppression system | ||
| Environmental refits | ||
| Passenger space | ||
| Jumpjets | ||
| An empathic drive system |
LOAD USED (see DESIGN for max)
XP & BEATS & MOVES
XP Track:
NUMBER OF ADVANCEMENTS: 0
BEATS:
STASHED BEATS:
HEAT:
MOVES
XP Track:
NUMBER OF ADVANCEMENTS: 0
BEATS:
STASHED BEATS:
HEAT:
MOVES
| Name | CASE/STATION/SOUL | Description |
| | ||
| | ||
| | ||
| | ||
SOUL GEAR
My LOAD for this mission is:
Heavy (5) (slow, loud)
Medium (4)
Light (3) (quick, quiet)
LOAD USED (see LOAD for max)
My LOAD for this mission is:
Heavy (5) (slow, loud)
Medium (4)
Light (3) (quick, quiet)
[ +- ] GEAR
| In Use | Lost/Broken/Used Up | Name |
| A concealable melee weapon | ||
| A pistol | ||
| A second pistol | ||
| A large/uncommon weapon | ||
| A fine magazine or clip | ||
| A frag or flash grenade | ||
| Armour | ||
| Add +Heavy to armor | ||
| A sign or badge of your STATION (no load cost) | ||
| Fine equipment befitting your STATION | ||
| Toolkit | ||
| Breach charge | ||
| Demolitions kit | ||
| Climbing/mobility gear | ||
| Survival gear | ||
| Outfit (no load cost) | ||
| ADd +Functional to Outfit |
LOAD USED (see LOAD for max)
STRESS & HARM & HEAT & FALLOUTS
STRESS:
CASE/STATION HARM:
SOUL HARM:
HEAT:
FALLOUTS
VULNERABLE: CASE/STATION reduced by and SOUL reduced by
STRESSED: Maximum STRESS reduced by
BUSY: Perform 1 less downtime activity.
DISTRACTED: Maximum BEATS reduced by 2.
WANTED: Take +1 HEAT.
STRESS:
CASE/STATION HARM:
SOUL HARM:
HEAT:
FALLOUTS
VULNERABLE: CASE/STATION reduced by and SOUL reduced by
STRESSED: Maximum STRESS reduced by
BUSY: Perform 1 less downtime activity.
DISTRACTED: Maximum BEATS reduced by 2.
WANTED: Take +1 HEAT.
Last edited May 19, 2025 9:10 pm
May 19, 2025 9:16 pm
As for what i'd want to play, assuming we are playing a Front-Line or Vanguard group, I'm thinking I'll play a Tactician (with rush bound) if it would be good to play a CASE or a Tanker station playbook. Engineer might also be good.
May 19, 2025 11:57 pm
So, there isn't really a default ratio here. The important thing to me is that everyone plays something they want to play. There are benefits to both CASE and STATION playbooks. That said, the STATION playbooks are kind of intrinsically support books, if there are no CASE pilots they aren't really holding anything up. You can cludge it with stuff like the Tanker, Captain, and Soldier, but you're kinda choosing to ice skate uphill at that point.
I guess, if you held me at gunpoint, I'd say that I'd prefer there be a minimum of one CASE pilot, but I can work with anything from 1 - 3. It just colors the kinds of stories that can be told -- and I have ideas for quite a few.
I guess, if you held me at gunpoint, I'd say that I'd prefer there be a minimum of one CASE pilot, but I can work with anything from 1 - 3. It just colors the kinds of stories that can be told -- and I have ideas for quite a few.
May 20, 2025 9:22 pm
I build a CASE Tactician and a CASE Ace today, if either of those will work.
Aha, I see Ironmonger42 brought on of those to the party already so I’ll look harder at my Ace. (Cel, my old PC would have been the Tactician, but since this timeline is a little earlier… she could certainly be an Ace or something else and later turn into a Commander / Tactician.)
Question, are there just the five pips for Actions coming from Past and Future?
Aha, I see Ironmonger42 brought on of those to the party already so I’ll look harder at my Ace. (Cel, my old PC would have been the Tactician, but since this timeline is a little earlier… she could certainly be an Ace or something else and later turn into a Commander / Tactician.)
Question, are there just the five pips for Actions coming from Past and Future?
May 20, 2025 9:52 pm
If our 3rd player also wants to play a CASE then we can decide if we want to all be case playbooks and really focus on the mech play or if I should play a a station playbook to facilitate missions that call for mechs but need a man on the ground to make things happen
May 21, 2025 6:04 am
Hmn. From what I recall of your old pilot, Harr, I think a Commander with Bound Sway would be a good fit. The extra Spirit from her Strive would help with her bullet proof reputation, but her unwillingness to indulge in social niceties was also well established. That said, that version of the character was pushing 40 -- there's certainly no reason she wouldn't be cutting her teeth as an Ace today.
Yes, you get 3 Dots from your past, 2 Dots from your Future, and of course your Strive which is there to make sure you're quite competent at what your playbook focuses on. Also, a reminder, characters are starting with [2] moves (my concession to how relatively slowly pbp levels up).
Yes, you get 3 Dots from your past, 2 Dots from your Future, and of course your Strive which is there to make sure you're quite competent at what your playbook focuses on. Also, a reminder, characters are starting with [2] moves (my concession to how relatively slowly pbp levels up).
May 21, 2025 6:35 pm
Should we all play CASE playbooks (as opposed to a mix of case and station?
Yes
Vote to view results.
No
Vote to view results.
May 22, 2025 12:01 pm
I see we have 2 votes (me being one) that wanted to all be CASE playbooks. I would say we should wait to see what the 3rd player says, because if they really wanted to play a station, I wouldn't want to force them to not do that. I was thinking we all be CASE if we are all on board with that (so 3 votes yes, even 1 vote no means no kind of thing)
May 22, 2025 5:15 pm
As someone new to the system, I don't have a clear understanding of the difference. Unless it means something like that if one person plays station, they are risking being put into a side thread that might not exactly be running parallel to the rest of the action.
May 22, 2025 5:21 pm
I am new to the system too, but my understanding is that CASE playbooks all get a mech, and none of the stations do, but stations get a set of tools or people that could be very useful depending on the type of game we want. I imagine stations support cases, but can't fight enemy cases. A station might infiltrate an enemy base on foot and find a prisoner of war while the cases cause a distraction and fight other mechs, for example (I think)