Happy_Potato Character Creation

The Rudhir

What you need to know:
The Red Bloods are humans gifted with great physical strength. They draw favor from the Heroic Lion Spirit, an amalgam of all those human destroyers, warmongers, and strongmen who came before. As a result, they suffer mentally, to compensate for the increase in power.
All six of the Purebleeds have a "predominant type" which is very strong in their primary Virtue, and weak in others, not only their main weakness but other stats as well. They also have a "more neutral" version that is more on the level. If you desire, there is also a child version with altered stats.

Predominant Rudhir: Leon 6, Eyrie 4, Grand 4, Enlight 3, Nemesis 3, Daimon 5
Neutral Rudhir: Leon 5, Eyrie 5, Grand 4, Enlight 3, Nemesis 4, Daimon 5
Adolescent Rudhir: Leon 4, Eyrie 5, Grand 3, Enlight 2, Nemesis 3, Daimon 4

Lore:
Predators will avoid killing the Rudhir unless necessary, but may test them to prove the human's loyalty to the Lion Spirit. They tend to be formidable athletes, performing combatants, and soldiers. The most common place in Trimachae to find them is the Continent of Mountains, including such places as Enyon and Thenos. The more neutral personalities (typically the women in more traditional Rudhir societies, since they are less inclined to rampant destruction) have to keep a close eye on the dominant personality and especially the super-strong Bright-Blood variant (not available for play atm). Child rearing in Rudhir cultures is closer to training a very intelligent, potentially dangerous pet. Long hair is commonly seen as a symbol of power, with no gender norms. Not all men have it on top of their head, choosing instead to have a glorious beard. Bearded women are still rare, but not so much as in non-Rudhir cultures.
In ancient times, Rudhir cultures saw the rise of "Mother Earth" figures who were strong enough to fend off male raiders. The bigger and stronger the woman, the more noble her status. They also produced raiding tribes of men who turned their proclivity for destruction to their advantage. The ancient Rudhir only answered to a source of greater power; anyone weaker could not survive their onslaught. This breakdown led to the formation of "man's world" and "woman's world." Men were to be given respect when out in the field, but submit to women at home. Women were to be given respect at home, but were expected to keep their heads down and be calm when abroad. Over time, male-dominated cultures became more prominent, and female-dominated cultures slipped into the background. They still exist as tribes, but the scheme of global politics goes to Patriarchal societies. This is the same for all of humanity. Most Earth Mother cults became infiltrated by Demons, losing their bright red blood and becoming Cambions. Very few matriarchal Rudhir clans remain today.

Please read this material to confirm whether you want to play this, or would like to look into something else. I'll get started on your next step.

I'm ready to start making my character when you are. As my first go around I'm trying a Rudhir first.

Rudhir are the Red-Blooded People, blessed with the gift of the Lion Spirit, but rejected by the Sun Spirit. This is because they are so prone to displays of rage, brute strength, and overt destruction, having a slightly higher Leon PV, at the cost of a lower Enlight PV to represent their diminished reason and ignorance.

Do you want any more Birthrights to look at, or are you sure you're sticking with Rudhir?

Yeah, I'll start there first. It feels like the best fit to what kind of characters I play.

If you are willing to proceed as a Rudhir, please select if you are "Predominant," "Neutral," or a child, as explained above. Once you have, you have the option to reduce and boost according to the rules as written. Please reply with your choices. Taking reductions and boosts is not required. However, if you want a boost, you must take a reduction.

Neutral Rudhir: Leon 5, Eyrie 5, Grand 4, Enlight 3, Nemesis 4, Daimon 5
No boost or reductions

Next up is your basic class. You have a choice between Juggernaut, Fury, and Aesthete (last one looks cludgy, but it's just pronounced ace-theet).

Juggernauts have three Physical Powers: Lion's Mane, Lion's Strike, and Lion's Roar.
Lion's Mane increases your strength and damage based on how long your hair is. If you're beardy, you can instead use a beard that is longer than your head of hair.
Lion's Strike makes your every movement destructive and amps up your strikes with blunt or shock weapons. You can turn it off, but it is on by default, and turning it off will lose you all of its benefits until you switch back.
Lion's Roar makes your talking and shouting much more intimidating, at the cost of making your subtler speaking less effective. This too you can deactivate, but it is on by default.
When selecting subclasses, you will pick from the Destroyer type subclasses (melee combatants), the Ardent type (ranged or mounted), or the Scholar (uses strength for reasons other than combat, but can still fight if pressed). More details on that if you pick this basic class.


Furies have three Physical Abilities: Eagle Eye, Falcon Dive, and Hawk Wing.
Eagle Eye gives you telescopic vision over great distances, and lets you quickly examine things at short range.
Falcon Dive empowers your slashing or piercing attacks, but weakens your blunt attacks, and makes your movements harder to see. You can also use it to cross fragile surfaces or water, but hazardous liquids will still be an issue. Like Lion's Strike, this can be switched off.
Hawk Wing allows you to replace segments of your move speed with fly speed, limited to being 5 ft. off the ground. This allows you to mitigate the negative effects of things like rough terrain, traps, and holes in the ground.
When selecting subclasses, you will pick from the Assassin type subclasses (melee combatants), the Elite type (ranged or mounted), or the Scholar (uses skill for reasons other than combat, but can still fight if pressed). More details on that if you pick this basic class.


Aesthetes have three Mental Attributes: Serpent's Gaze, Lovers' Embrace, and Move with the Pack.
Serpent's Gaze weighs your Daimon against the target's Nemesis, and can be used to control and mesmerize the weak through prolonged eye contact.
Lovers' Embrace weighs your Daimon against the target's Daimon, and can be used to alter sensory stimuli through skin contact.
Move with the Pack weighs your Daimon against the target's Enlight. Anyone who is lesser than you in this way will see you as indistinguishable from the group you're in, provided you have traits in common. For example, if you're all wearing white robes, or all in chain mail, or all have fair skin and red hair and roughly similar heights, you will appear to just be "one of the group."
When selecting subclasses, you will pick from the Socialite type subclasses (distance projector), the Winsome type (close-up or mounted), or the Martial Jester (uses charm for its useful applications in a direct fight). More details on that if you pick this basic class.

Going with this one

Juggernauts have three Physical Powers: Lion's Mane, Lion's Strike, and Lion's Roar.
Lion's Mane increases your strength and damage based on how long your hair is. If you're beardy, you can instead use a beard that is longer than your head of hair.
Lion's Strike makes your every movement destructive and amps up your strikes with blunt or shock weapons. You can turn it off, but it is on by default, and turning it off will lose you all of its benefits until you switch back.
Lion's Roar makes your talking and shouting much more intimidating, at the cost of making your subtler speaking less effective. This too you can deactivate, but it is on by default.
When selecting subclasses, you will pick from the Destroyer type subclasses (melee combatants), the Ardent type (ranged or mounted), or the Scholar (uses strength for reasons other than combat, but can still fight if pressed). More details on that if you pick this basic class.

What about names and character sheet layout?

The name actually comes last, unless "The One" occurs to you somewhere else in the process. Don't worry about character sheet layout. I don't have an official template yet, so we'll just get out all the information here, and then write it down in a way that works best for your viewing pleasure. Anyway, next we're doing subclass.

Destroyer Type
A label referring to the Fighter and Shieldmaiden, two subclasses designed for the infantry -- that is, fighting on foot with melee weapons. They are not limited to this, being capable of throwing, firing ranged weapons, or even magic, but that is their intended design, their strong suit. Take the Destroyer if you want to focus on being ready for a fight at any moment, to wear armor and swing a weapon, and ply the full destructive potential of your basic class against your enemies.

Ardent Type
A label referring to the Combat Bow, Sky Piercer, and Knight, three subclasses designed for work at a distance, be that with archery or mounted combat. They are not limited to this, being capable of dismounting or taking up arms as you like, but they are specialists of one way only. Take the Ardent if you want to focus on shooting fast, shooting accurately, or riding a dedicated steed.

Scholar Type
A label referring to those who eschew the typical destruction of the more combat-centric Juggernauts. They are not incapable of fighting, but prefer not to use their more violent arts if at all possible. Take the Scholar if you want to focus your strength on something other than the art of war. The subclass options here are many: Blacksmith, Carpenter, Laborer, Leon Mage, Miller, Mining, Shipwright, and Woodcutter.

Pick the type you want, and we'll go into more detail about the subclasses in it.

Destroyer Type
A label referring to the Fighter and Shieldmaiden, two subclasses designed for the infantry -- that is, fighting on foot with melee weapons. They are not limited to this, being capable of throwing, firing ranged weapons, or even magic, but that is their intended design, their strong suit. Take the Destroyer if you want to focus on being ready for a fight at any moment, to wear armor and swing a weapon, and ply the full destructive potential of your basic class against your enemies.

An odd question, but do I roll for beard length?

Lion's Mane increases your strength and damage based on how long your hair is. If you're beardy, you can instead use a beard that is longer than your head of hair.

No you do not. You get to pick from my list, ranging from clean shaven to varying lengths of beard. You will make your choice under the full knowledge that I can take that beard away with the snap of my fingers. If you charge into a burning building, or get attacked by a dragon, or a sword cuts it off, or a Time spell makes it grey and fall out, etc etc etc. Just because your knee-length beard gives you this awesome power does not mean the beard is magically protected or immune to the whims of fate.

That being said, if you start with it relatively short and let it grow naturally, I will be significantly more motivated to let you keep it. Bear in mind as well, that some damage to the face could limit your hair growth for the foreseeable future, like third degree burns or getting all cut up.

All of this goes for your head hair as well, just fyi.

Oh, important question. Will you be wanting to try my magic system as a mage, or wait until you get some other source like a magic item? Bear in mind that it limits your class features, but not the subclasses you can select. EVERYTHING has a magic version, every option in the game.

That being said, we have the Fighter (or Magic Warrior). The Fighter is the epitome of the Juggernaut, a force of destruction and raw power, who takes up arms and armor to press the offense. While they are perhaps too willing to relinquish defense, their movements and attacks hit more often, and they hit hard every time. Fighters are consummate masters of weaponry. They pick up skill with their preferred weapon, but can also develop a widely varied arsenal of other weapons that fill out what their favorite lacks. They are different than the Brave Fighter and Rogue, from Atlas and Fury respectively, because they eschew finesse and endurance for an impressive display of force.
In addition to the Juggernaut's powers, you get a Combat Style, 2 Fighter Abilities, and the choice of 1 Fighter Trait from a list of 3.
As you gain levels, you become highly trained in various styles of combat, gain daily rerolls of your Trained bonus on attacks, gain powerful Leon-based upgrades, and develop more control over movement and attacks.
The Magic Warrior is limited in some of these aspects, generally not being as strong a melee combatant, and gains supernatural powers from their magical training in return.

Then we have the Shieldmaiden, or Shield Bearer if you're male (the Mystic Guardian is the magic variant). The Shieldmaiden takes up arms and armor to hold the line. They are part of a long tradition originally started by women, defending what they value most in life: be that their home or chief, their loved ones, or their fellow Shieldmaidens. They were deemed necessary in many cultures, especially those where the men had little interest in protecting their own lives, or those of others. Their mode of attack is focused on protection, meaning they lack the damage-dealing potential of the Fighter; despite this, they are still capable of slaying enemies if need be. They are defensive experts, training specifically in ways that help them protect someone. They are set apart from the Wild Guardsman and Bouncer in that they are a mighty power directed toward aid, rather than destruction.
In addition to the Juggernaut's powers, you get a Combat Style, 2 Shieldmaiden Abilities, and the choice of 1 Shieldmaiden Trait from a list of 3.
As you gain levels, you learn to use skills more safely, rather than gaining bonus ranks like the Fighter, and you receive additional defensive training, gain powerful Leon-based upgrades, and develop more control over your defenses on the battlefield.

I'll go the magic variant route with the Shield Bearer (Mystic Guardian)

As a Mystic Guardian, you may only choose one Shieldbearer Ability. If you choose to take none, then you may choose one Trait from the Shieldbearer's list, or from the Mystic Guardian's special list of magical traits. Here's the summaries. I'll give you the full rules of the one you pick. Oh also, the Ability can only be used once per day unless recharged, and the Trait can be used any number of times in a day.

Ability - Resounding Arms
Changes the Defensive Technique (Block), making it more powerful.

Ability - Shield Bash
Deals 1 point of Lucky Hair damage (a representation of luck sorta like AC), and might push the enemy back. If the push fails, it stuns the enemy instead.

Shieldmaiden Trait - Get Behind Me
The Shieldmaiden gets in the way of an attack intended for an ally, and rolls Defensive Technique (Riposte). The intended target of the attack is spared.

Shieldmaiden Trait - Form Up
The Shieldmaiden combines defenses with the person or people next to them, forming a defensive stance that benefits them all.

Shieldmaiden Trait - War Chant
Inspires allies and demoralizes enemies in one move.

Magical Trait - Holographic Shield
Like Resounding Arms, it adds something to Defensive Technique (Block), but special damage reduction instead of interfering with the attacker directly.

Magical Trait - Energy Pulse
Whether the Mystic Guardian successfully defends against a spell that deals damage, or it causes them to be harmed, they can drain energy from the spell to expand the reach at which the MG can use defensive techniques. Instead of blocking, parrying, etc. an attack directed at them, or throwing themselves into an attack for an ally's sake, they can reach out with a pulse of energy and intercept the attack.

Magical Trait - Repulsor Blast
When the MG is hit by three spells of any kind, the mage stores residual energy from them. On command, they can release the energy in a blast the throws back everyone and everything in 20 ft.

Magical Trait - Energy Pulse
Whether the Mystic Guardian successfully defends against a spell that deals damage, or it causes them to be harmed, they can drain energy from the spell to expand the reach at which the MG can use defensive techniques. Instead of blocking, parrying, etc. an attack directed at them, or throwing themselves into an attack for an ally's sake, they can reach out with a pulse of energy and intercept the attack.

Next up is skills. You get 9 skill ranks. You can put 2 ranks into any one skill, but this will increase as you level (the formula is 1/4 Eyrie PV + level). The recommended skills for a Juggernaut with magic are Athletics, Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Gymnastics, Shipwright, Swim, Trapping, Knowledge (occult), and Knowledge (religion). There are other skills though, so the important question we have to answer is...

What do you want this character to be able to do? Think about types of knowledge they've studied, or learned through experience. Think about what things they can make or repair, if at all. Think about standard fantasy stuff like whether they move like an athlete or gymnast, if they can perform and how, if they're good at diplomacy or bluffing, things like that. There is a list, but it is long, so I'd just like to see where your mind goes. If you can't use up all the ranks, I'll ask more pointed questions.

Going off the recommended skills I get a kind of corsair or privateer vibe. This gets me to thinking about building him around a navel theme, sailor maybe. Could be the captain of the ship, maybe second in command or even a bodyguard. I don't think he would be much of a builder but being on a ship he might pick up a few things so maybe shipwright. Athletics and swimming are a must. Not sure about knowledge (occult) or knowledge (religion) unless he is some spiritual adviser as well though I'm not sure he would be a good fit for that role. Trapping might be a useful skill as well so put that as a maybe. I want him to be somewhat intimidating as well and if he is the captain or second in command he would probably have to be diplomatic.

Definitely: Athletics, Swim, Shipwright
Maybe: Trapping, Knowledge (Occult) or Knowledge (religion)

I'd like to steer away from a nautical theme. I have an entire world that is mostly fleshed out...on land. Not ready for islands and seafaring juuust yet. Now, if you want a character who's got a background as a corsair or privateer and has the accompanying skills, I'm all for that. Just know that we probably won't be setting sail.

That being said, do you want to stick with what you proposed?