Character creation

Numenera character creation is pretty straightforward, but let's use this to hammer out details / relationships etc. Also would like to set the tone for the group whom I've named 'Goldguard's Blacktusks' but could be easily convinced to come up with another name (or rather to enable another name to be chosen -- that's about as good as I can come up with at the moment).

:)

For context:

I've asserted:

(a) you are all part of a semi-organized group called Goldguard's Blacktusks. You can be the entirety of that group or a subset of a larger group as you desire. What are your thoughts?

(b) you work for Holiva the First. There are rumors that he's quite mad (as in, crazy) but certainly no one has said as much to him directly. if you have the CRB, you can read the section on Thaemor. The net-net is that the Vizier for Thaemor is Holiva's hand, whom he walks around in the low light speaking to and using as a hand puppet to speak back. of course, it's possible he's not crazy -- it's possible he has some numenera thing afoot...

(c) Thaemor is kind of a poor, and put-upon place that people look down on. It's been roughly handled over the past generation or so even as it's been well defended. Its rulers have been monumentally terrible or potentially insane. Are you citizens of Thaemor? It would make some sense, but it's not required. If you are, are you proud of your country? Are you cynical about it?

some additional context:

(i) you have all spent /some/ time together. some of you may have been together for longer than the entire group. I leave this to your discretion entirely.

(ii) we will start the game nearing your first objective in the search for the shadow herd.

Do we know anything about the Shadow Herd?
I like Goldguard's Blacktusks.
How close to Holiva are we? How well known are we?

a) I could see my character coming on for his experience with tracking and love of the hunt.
b) He's probably not all that bad... I mean I get my fill of hunting so the fellow can't be all that bad.
c) I'm a wondering vagabond learning from experiences in life.

i) I'm ready to do connections when others are done with char gen.
ii) I'm hoping these are actual animals otherwise my character is going to be disappointed (although it will be comical possibly)

Not really. The Hand of Merch is indistinct in its details, or the details Holiva has released to you. This undertaking is as much an investigative journey as it is a snatch-and-grab (or whatever). You have a lead from Holiva and are welcome to check it out. But whether or not the herd is there, or in fact, the lead has anything to do with the herd remains to be determined. I'll make sure and re-state this in the game thread when we get going.
Cool. I'm not married to it, but it was what I could come up with as being suitably 9th World.
No one is terribly close to Holiva but the vizier, the Hand of Merch. Of course, given it's a shadow puppet on his hand.. that's kind of weird. All the same -- y'all aren't too close to him.

How well known you guys are is somewhat up to you when you define the size/scope of the group. Happy to banter this back and forth and flesh it out with you!

Wait so The Hand of Merch is the Vizier (our boss?) is a hand puppet or the shadow of his (Holvia) hand?

I think they're one in the same. It is the shadow of his hand puppet that is the Vizier.

(a. / i.) I would vote towards a larger organization and introduces factions, competitions, rivalries, and characters galore. Re: How/Why my PC joined. I am enjoying the Your parent (or parental/mentor figure) got you involved to give you something to do and maybe "teach you some sense." Initial Link. Perhaps an uncle or maybe a mentor's friend is a member of the Blacktusks and my PC is kinda a third wheel for the unit at the start.

(b.) The hand seems to play as an effective monster since we don't know what it looks like and what it wants. It is also a nice exercise to think of cyberpunk/post-apocalyptic dolls and puppets. Or maybe I'm too gungho about the hand...

I keep thinking about South Park -- but yes, the Hand of Merch is the Vizier who is the hand puppet or shadow puppet of Holivia the First (who is your boss). In short.. the guy is three seskiis shy of a pack, if you know what I mean.

Nice avatar

I'm going with Honorable(?) Glaive who Absorbs Energy. Not quite sold on Honorable as my descriptor. If anyone reads my backstory and has a better suggestion, I am all ears.Falryx, let me know if any of that does not jive with your setting.

To answer your questions, falryx:
Subset of a larger group sounds interesting!
Awesome!
My character is definitely a citizen of Thaemor. I think my character would have been proud of his country at one time, but his experience with the horror of war has left his patriotic bonds in tatters. He is probably suspicious of the government but aims to do good from within the system.
My character will be a member of the 'old guard' of Blacktusks, but hasn't seen service for years. If anyone else wants to play a veteran Blacktusk, we might know each other.

Not veteran but my character has seen some things. Not from war on the battlefield but through other means.

Are there any gun type ranged weapons. I would use it just like a bow but for flavor. I found a picture I really like, but can easily say its a bow on his back.

Yes -- you could have a numenera weapon (numenera being the catch-all word for things that use science or magic). So as not to unbalance you versus the other characters, we'd cap its damage to a 'medium weapon' for 4 points (equivalent to a bow).

EDIT:

WHOOPS -- that was Remnant's character.

Heya Remnant --

Here's some stuff I spotted. I'm posting it here so others can take advantage of it in case they're having any similar concerns or issues.

1. i see you have picked medium armor. your practiced in armor eliminates the might cost, but you'll take a -1 to your speed pool while you wear it. have you noted that down?
2. it doesn't look like you picked your 2 fighting moves? I see muscles of iron but that's just one.
3. you should be specialized in climbing, swimming and jumping (training from Rugged, and specialized from Hunts with Great Skill)
4. I don't see your training in training, riding or placating natural animals?
5. I don't see your training in identifying or using natural plants?
6. rugged grants an explorer pack, but since glaive does too you pick up 50' extra rope (to 100), 2 more days worth of rations and an extra ranged weapon if you like.
7. your inability should be around social graces (rugged) and not what you have (perhaps you changed your descriptor?)
8. I don't see where you get training in might defense and intellect defense -- is that left over from some other descriptor or focus?
9. lastly your stat pools seem too high to me. I think you should have a total of 34, but you have 38. again this may be due to a descriptor change that gave you +4 to a pool?

Phil:

Here's stuff I noted for Gaz:

1. clever: your intellect pool should be 15 or you have 2 more points to spend on might or speed (you start with 30 points in your pool and can spend 6 how you like for 36. but clever gives you another 2 so you should have a total pool of 38).

2. make sure to record your inability somewhere (the difficulty of any task involving lore, knowledge or understanding is increased by one step)

3. you also only picked one trick of the trade (trained without armor) rather than 2. unless i miss something. :)

4. you should note your Eyed Adjusted on your sheet (see in extremely dim light as though it were bright light, can see in total darkness as if it were extremely dim)

otherwise, i think Gaz looks good.

Submitted my PC and renamed him from Soos to Ped Xing.

@Len Resilient, Driven, and Passionate seems to gel well too.

JK: Ped looks generally good. I think you should have an armor of 1 though, right (rather than 0)? Everything else looks ship-shape.

Noted. Thank you.

Could someone perhaps share a completed character sheet as an example? Just so I know how this should look when it's all done

This might be a iffy but it might help.

Used the wrong descriptor in the title changed to current one. Added in second move for Glaive. Rugged sounds good though too.

Apart from Connections, oddity, and cyphers I'm ready to go I think. Link to completed character sheet

Thanks! approved Mikkito.

I think im understanding this a bit better now, just a bit mentally tired from work at this very moment

You could go with
Altruistic
Devout
Driven
Empathic

I think Devout narratively figures into the character the best.

Currently toying with the idea of going with a Strong Willed Glaive that Controls Gravity though if we have enough Glaives I can switch to a different type

Hey everyone,

I've been mulling over my character concept and I just think it is too serious and is not going to be fun to play (for me or for everyone else). Mind if I change it?

Shestendeliath, an Aggressive Glaive who Absorbs Energy.



Shestendeliath is the result of a science experiment, an attempt to resurrect a dead God. Evil cultists grew him in a lab from the DNA of an massive, ancient spear, fully grown. The Blacktusks defeated these cultists on one such mission and awoke Shestendeliath. He has earned his place among them, and now wields that spear at their side.

In Shestendeliath's mind, he is a God reborn from a distant age, but his memories of that time are fleeting. Although his new vessel is far weaker than his past form, he is overconfident, prone to act before thinking, and never one to turn down a challenge. On the other hand, he is a joyous and loyal companion who comes truly alive when in the thick of action. Secretly, he hides self-doubt behind bravdo, not really sure of his place in the world.

If that jives okay with your game, falryx, I'll go ahead and submit that character sheet.

There is only three types, there is going to be overlap. Your characrer is defined by his descriptor, foci and whay abilities you take. You can have two glaives with the same descriptor but be totally different based on wjat abilities and foci they choose.
But with so many glavies I have decided to go nano, like I orignally planned. Changed it part way through my background write up due to not having a good reason to be a nano. Did some thinking and found a way to change the story and have it work.

If CO2 is useable there is always glints and seekers too.

CO2 is usable. Glints and Seekers are permitted.

Len: that concept will work fine. Religion is a weird beast in the Ninth World. There isn't any really defined or unifying religious principle. The closest they get are the Aeon Priests who have used the trapping of religion to advance what is really a secular/knowledge-driven objective. Most people will -- if pushed -- decide Shest (abbreviating) is either crazy, controlled in part by numenera, or a denizen of a prior world (and therefore to be feared, adored, hunted, abused, etc.) depending on how overt he is about his feelings/past.

I may be able to even do a little bit of tweaking with Gods of the Fall if this is a thing you want to play with more. But, given the Ninth World, the differentiation between a god and a suitably advanced bit of technology is somewhat of a matter of philosophy rather than actual power. :)

Does that make sense?

Definitely, falryx. Just to clarify, I have no expectation that my character is indeed a God. The cultists might have thought so, and now Shestendliath thinks so, but I leave it up to you what actually happened. Is Shess an AI downloaded into a human shell? A reincarnation of a powerful mortal from long ago? A genetic experiment? If we get to explore his origins in the campaign, great. If not, that's entirely cool too. He'll just keep on thinking if himself as a God reborn into a frail human shell. And who knows? With enough great deeds to his name, maybe one day far from now, people we actually start to worship in the name of Shestendliath. A high tiered numenera character is entirely godlike anyhow.

Submitted OOLIN, a Mechanical Jack who Fuses Mind and Machine (a cobbled jumble). The old "engineered assassin/saboteur, escaped and has amnesia" trope. I played this character before so I hope I've correctly reset the stats to factory default.

Jabes:

Oolin looks good. Though I'd clarify with Charm, Persuasion and Deception that this is an INability (e.g. difficulty increased one step).

Phil -- double-checked, have you updated your character?

Len:

Generally good - couple items:

1. you should note your inability somewhere. it can help me. :)
2. you should use the circle next to your skills (initiative tasks and jumping) to be 'T' rather than blank (this means trained)

Otherwise, I think this looks good!

Quick status update:

- Still waiting on characters for DM_Apexwolf and TGR.
- some minor fixes on a couple character still

Once we're done, we can start working through connections / etc. We can also flesh out the Blacktusks some.

Inability, yes. I thought that was what the I stands for in the column beside it?

I is for intellect.

Oh duh! I get it now: Attribute channel. M=Might, S=Speed. Okay. Thanks! Where should I be recording Skill Inabilities instead?

I just list it "Inability - skill you're not good at" and link it to the pool it goes off.

Added inability to notes, and clicked the circle to mark a 'T' beside the skills. Thanks!

Also my connection: who wants to be immune to my energy ability?
It won't really be a drawback mechanically until Tier 5 where I can use the absorbed energy to heal.

OK, got my character submitted.

That could be me. OOLIN's anatomy is so different anyway, she needs repair rather than healing. Speaking of which, who wants to be the one who knows a few things that can help when OOLIN's implants malfunction?

I'll take that. My guy is all about mechanics and numenera.

I then need someone who can use all the weapons, armor and tools I improvise.

For my link I picked the 4th one. What information could I have that the party needs to make a plan?

My guy could be the lucky one. It is all happenstance and weird but they just jive.

Re: Initial link, maybe Jerry brought us our latest lead for the Herd? Locations, tracks, and/or gossips sound good to me.

I'll take anything to use when hunting prey.

Missed the feedback. I made the suggested changes (hopefully correctly, and sorry for any delay!)

For the players, I had no actual character design when I put my character together. I just went with stuff I thought looked like it might be fun in game. First time out, so hopefully it all works.

Thanks for the character submissions -- will review and get them approved pronto.

Apex: Is this the connection you picked?

@Jabes: the healing energy from the Tier 5 Absorb Energy just restores 8 points to the pools of ANY character regardless of mechanical or biological bodies. But tier 5 is a long way away. Still interested?

Hey dudes sorry its taking me so long, life has required much attention, can drop out if im holding things up too much

Nope. The number 4 was for the Initial link to the party from my descriptor. My connection to the party from my foci is number 2.
2. Pick one other PC. For some reason that isn’t immediately clear, they are able to use all the weapons, armor, and tools you improvise as if practiced.

Did someone already volunteer for that? Because if not, OOLIN can be it.
It'd be a shame to be immune to a potentially healing energy but if somebody's gotta be it, OOLIN can be it. :-)

I was looking at Jerry's connection. I needed someone to see me give mercy to a beast I was hunting.

jkl123's Fooloish Jack sounded more on the nose with my connection. The fact thay this foolish person can use my stuff was more narratively pleasing.

ok, so who all still needs someone for their connection or needs a connection to someone else? I figure we're trying to not have those be the same person so the group is loosely connected.

That sound good. I am connected to OOLIN being able to help with her implants. Ped Xing is connected to me by being able to use the improvised items I make.

If Jabes takes immunity to my energy connection, I can witness Remnant showing mercy to a beast. That takes care of me.

Already mentioned but if we're going around the table: OOLIN is immune to Shestendeliath's (lenpelletier) energy ability. And when her implants malfunction, Jerry Riggs (Apexwolf)knows what to do.

Works for me Lenpelletier. I guess you'll be Mikkitto's voice of reason at times to show compassion.

That puts us at:
Manhunter both connections
Ped Xing's connection to someone else
The Great Ricktator both connection
Mikkitto's connection to someone else

His is known throughout the Blacktusks as Jerry Riggs. It was a goof name given to him because he doesn' ever speak.

Oh. So it results in some sort of ring. Pretty nifty.

Neat.

(note I'm here and present -- and largely happy to have you guys sort these things out without my getting involved! I haven't disappeared)

@Remnant: Shestendeliath will probably not make a good voice of reason for compassion. If you were hoping to have that dynamic with a character, we should probably switch sooner rather than later.

If Shestendeliath saw you give compassion to an animal, it would perplex him since you are a hunter and it was your prey, and he's pretty literal and without understanding of the nuances of humanity. I could see it leading to interesting discussions about the value of compassion, but Shestendeliath would be arguing against its value at first. Maybe your character could teach him about compassion, and the complexity of human nature in general.

That sounds like a fascinating character development.

Thanks Apexwolf - we'll see! I hope so :)

Falryx, I wanted to clarify a few things with the rules of my Focus, Absorbs Energy (Character Options 2, page 50):
So, to confirm:

1. If I have no stored energy, any time I take a physical impact or blow (does not include poison, fire, etc.), I can spend 1 intellect point to negate up to 5 points of that damage. I then have stored energy.

Question: If my armor absorbs all the damage,I assume I cannot use that impact to trigger this ability because I didn't take damage?

2. Any time I have stored energy, I can use an action to do 5 points of damage to a foe in long range.

Questions: This is an intellect task to hit the foe? Can i fire it harmlessly into the air or into the ground? Does it have any effect on inanimate objects like doors?

Thanks in advance.

I'm okay with this. Everything's fine.

I think you have to choose but it's situational, can you make a defense roll? You make the roll don't put any effort, if you get damaged I think you have to take the hit or use armor to absorb. It's up to the GM but I guess this is asking if direct damage can be buffered by armor (reduction) then gobble up to 5 points of damage with the ability. From my other game where someone took this foci here's what we've found out, the GM will let them release only up to the amount they absorb, if they take 3 low mob hits of 2 damage each they can absorb 2 and get hit for another 2 then another 2 (they absorb the first and take four from the other two attacks). She still had to wait until their next action before she could release it, mental damage wasn't something she could absorb since it wasn't kinetic. Getting hit by a two type damage you can only get one of the two (electric spear or slash that caused bleeding).

It's intellect to unleash if you're going to use effort, you could just burn it out on the air/ground but it's kind of a waste. As for objects it probably depends on the GM and the object (like what kind of door? If it's a older wooden door, it might have the effect of a doorknocker breach battering ram).

Hi Remnant, thanks for your reply.

That seems like a pretty major reinterpretation of the rules. I'm glad it worked for your group and it sounds like the player had a good time, so no criticism. But, I guess I'm a little bit worried now that this ability might be interpreted different than what I'm expecting so I'm going to assert what's in the text of the book just to check it against falryx's interpretation.

1. Absorb Energy says you absorb damage (max 5 points, anything more spills over and hurts you) from 1 attack and then you can't Absorb Energy again until you release energy. You can't negate multiple mob hits.

2. Release energy always does 5 damage, regardless of how much damage you've absorbed. It only works if the switch is on, and using it turns the switch off.

3. Release energy doesn't cost any points.

Again, not trying to rules lawyer argue you or criticize how your table does things Remnant.

Also, falryx, I'll respect your rulings on the ability, I just want to know what to expect before I get into a situation in the game.

Coming from DnD so I might be hearing it a bit differently but you sound right Len. It sounds like temp HP almost.

Len: let me read up on things and get back to you. I'm generally happy to go with RAW and not reinterpret things, but if we wind up having something weirdly unbalancing I'd talk to you about how to smooth it out a bit.

Thanks falryx. Sounds entirely fair.

Sorry again for prolonged silence, work has been kicking my brain-ass

Don't forget it's that time of year.

As promised, I read the details in Character Options 2. I think I agree with your reading of it, which means that even if you absorb only 1 point of damage, you can turn the energy of that into a 5 point strike. It's weird, but it is what it is (and I'll just have to keep in mind that I need to not have someone who can't hurt you as your only opponent... ;)).

As noted, if this starts to feel weirdly out of balance, then we'll chat and either rethink the focus / morph it or house rule it into something more appropriate. But for now we'll treat it RAW.

I see no damage and lots of status ailments being inflicted on us.

If my character is hurting anyone's fun, I'll be the first to support changing things :) I imagine Shess as soaking up a lot of damage and doing a cool laser light show in combat, but not stealing the show. Sometimes its nice for a GM to be able to have a place to focus damage without worrying about killing somebody, and sometimes its nice for other players to have someone take the hits so they can do their special thing. That's how I see Shess as being a team player.

There are still lots of ways of hurting Shess. He only absorbs kinetic energy. Lasers, electricity, fire, etc. get around the Absorb ability. And, it only absorbs up to 5 damage, so falling off a cliff is still just as lethal. Poison, disease, withering magic, etc. is also very effective.

Also, if he take multiple hits in a round, he *must* absorb the first one. If Shess is fighting a giant robot and a sentient mouse and the mouse attacks first, Shess absorbs that damage and the giant robot can then wallop him.

I'm not sure, but I believe Shess will not be practiced with the Release Energy attack (falryx, can you confirm?), so its a worse attack than his Sword Staff (less damage and less accuracy) but if I want to use the Absorb Energy, I'll have to use it. So, it actually reduces his damage output. Also, I will have less intellect to spend on effort to make those attacks hit when I need them to.

You won't be hurting anyone's fun, the last game I was in with Jabes I played someone more monsterous then human which was fun so there's a lot of things to explore. This game I agree is quite lethal. People will realize it when they have a pool dropped to zero (tell the GM, and there are varying effects depending on the pool). I would add though you choose what energy to absorb since there's a spend involved. So if there's Glass Joe punching you and Mike Tyson you can do your defensive rolls and opt to absorb off Mike since he hits harder. The gamble really is if you think (This guy is going to hit the hardest) someone is going to knock you senseless and it turns out the second hit is the real threat.

He might allow Release Energy as a skill to train since it cost XP but later on I'll remind you that you get other options with each tier on how to use the energy absorbed which won't translate possibly.

I'll add since XP and leveling is based off discovery and exploration we shouldn't look for fights first since not everything is gauged to be a fair fight for PCs. Some encounters I've been in could damage the group and fighting wasn't an option... *shakes fist at quick moving river rapids and the evil GM who put them on the trip*

The system and setting are quite interesting but there's a reason a lot of people don't adventure more than a few miles out of town or the 'safe travel routes' in the 9th world most things really are trying to kill us... XD

I'll read around a bit -- I don't think this is a thing. Otherwise, as an example, a nano (IIRC) isn't practiced with their esoterries. I think the practice re: weapons comes into play only for weapons because of their unwieldiness/skill required. Pointing your fingers or however you channel energy back out doesn't seem like the same bar to hit...