PhoenixScientist Character Creation

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I've looked at the other posts. Looks like we have someone filling out a strong warrior type and someone still choosing, which doesbt lend to me knowing what to add.... So im going to ask.... Is there something you find interesting?

Well, the other person has a wide range of options, that weren't posted when you wrote this. Looks like they're aiming for a duelist/assassin sort of character, a scholarly mage, or a gentle giant. However, the strong warrior is also going to have magic. So really we're pretty open.

Leon is best for savage, destructive roles, Juggernauts who want to do a lot of damage when/if they can actually hit something. They demolish the very ground they walk on, and even when using a bow can still gouge holes in whatever they shoot at. They're not really inclined toward a particular kind of magic, and the Rudhir's natural inclination is toward Leon and away from Enlight, which is responsible for all Cosmic or Mind based magics.

Eyrie is no less a fighter, but approaches it differently. Furies are extremely fast, to the point of bending the rules of reality. Usually, they are quite graceful, but sometimes they just charge in headfirst, sting the enemy, and rush away like a wasp. They're much better at hitting people accurately, but not the best at causing massive damage with one hit. Like Juggernauts, they are not directly connected to a particular type of magic, but their natural skill makes anything a good match for their martial arts. The Zeel's natural inclination is toward Eyrie and away from Nemesis, which is responsible for all Nature or Soul based magics.

Grand is neither powerful nor swift and skilled, but a bundle of health and great at resisting harm. The Atlas subclasses are most compatible with heavy armor, and their powers are useful utilities when sleeping, eating, or lifting heavy loads. Any time you are struck by poison or disease, it is Grand that will protect you. Grand is connected to the Body magic type, which includes things like amping up your physical stats, using your bones as weapons, spewing acid, and blood magic.

Enlight is a refined art, of analysis and keen perception, and breaking the rules of reality by sheer intellect. The powers of the Judge basic class allow you to grasp the enemy with your shadow, stride across difficult or hazardous terrain, and will yourself to take less damage from attacks. And that's not even with their magic. A non-magical Judge is a shrewd prosecutor or a talented martial artist, capable of disposing of enemies without fuss or mess. With magic, they are most inclined toward Cosmic powers like Time manipulation, teleportation, or Creation of material things, as well as the psychic powers of the Mind magic type.

Nemesis is an art of conflict, of balance between light and dark, and reading between the lines. The powers of the Sage basic class allow you to read information on an object just by touching it, shift your skin to appear like someone else, and ward off physical attacks through a sort of "Spidey-sense." These are also available to all Sages, not just the ones with magical training. A non-magical Sage is a Visionary of combat tactics, a powerful Monk, or a gentle Therapist. With magic, they are most inclined toward Nature powers like Earth, Water, Air, or Fire, as well as the esoteric powers of the Soul magic type.

And finally, we have Daimon, the most shadowy and deceptive of the six. The powers of the Aesthete basic class allow you to mesmerize others with your eyes, control the senses of others through skin contact, and blend into crowds as if you were not there. While Daimon is not directly connected to a type of magic, it is inherently defensive against the most pervasive, cruel forms of magic, like Acid, rapid aging, and tormentation of the mind and soul. If you play an Aesthete, you might be a mischievous Hellraiser or Scapegoat, a gentle and cunning Escort, or the warped and psychotic Daimon Jester, who turns their manipulative tactics and power over people into the most demented form of physical combat.

Beyond that, it's a matter of what you want to play, as a person, not just their stats and powers. When reading books or watching movies, who have you always wanted to be, if you could step into their shoes and look through their eyes?

Actually, I think I'm going to go with a Neutral Porph mage type.

This build will give you Leon 3, Eyrie 4, Grand 4, Enlight 5, Nemesis 5, Daimon 5

With a build like this, all three mental basic classes are available -- the Judge, Sage, and Aesthete. If you want to make the Juggernaut, Fury, or Atlas available, you'll need to apply some boosts and reductions. This would also help if you want your Leon stronger than it is. Any reductions you want to take?

What really are the three options there? Just a little more info on Judge , Sage and Aesthe?

There's not much to go into that I haven't already. They have those three powers each that I listed, and a selection of subclasses, which are similar to each other, but differ in the basic class that has them. The Judge is more about analysis and revelation, the Sage is more about mystery and tactics, and the Aesthete is more about messing with people mentally, socially, and emotionally. Remember that the term "Basic Class" does not mean the same thing as the term "class" in other games. That's what the subclass is.

The Judge's subclasses are divided into three varieties: the Bright, the Martial Artist, and the Teacher, just terms meant to quickly give you an idea of what they do.
The Teacher is about elocution across a distance, and your options are the Prosecutor subclass and the Counselor subclass. Prosecutor is more about attacking people verbally, while the Counselor protects against such attacks.
Then we have the Bright, which is the more scrappy version of the Teacher, and divides into Talent, Erudite, and Overseer. Talent and Erudite are the up-close versions of the Teacher, while Overseer is like a Prosecutor on a horse.
Finally, the Martial Artist type, which only has the one subclass. Unlike the Talent, who blends wordplay and martial arts, the Enlight Artist subclass is all about using intelligence to enhance your lethal effect as a warrior.

The Sage's subclasses are divided into the Insight, the Martial Master, and the Recondite varieties.
The Insight is about tactics and crowd control across a distance, and your options are the Visionary subclass and the Matron subclass. Visionary is more about planning and executing the offensive from afar, while the Matron uses tactical genius to coordinate the defensive effort.
Then we have the Recondite, which is the more scrappy version of the Insight, and divides into Monk, Therapist, and Deliverer. Monk and Therapist are the up-close versions of the Insight, while Deliverer is like a Visionary on a horse.
Finally, the Martial Master type, which only has the one subclass. Unlike the Monk, who blends combat expertise and martial arts, the Nemesis Master subclass is all about using your past experiences to enhance your lethal effect as a warrior.

The Aesthete's subclasses are divided into the Martial Jester, the Socialite, and the Winsome varieties.
The Socialite is about buffoonery and crowd control, and your options are the Hellraiser subclass and the Diplomat subclass. Hellraiser is more about insulting your enemies from afar, so that they ignore your allies and come beat you up. The Diplomat cares not for battle, and uses their defensive manipulation of social situations to avoid or minimize bloodshed where possible.
Then we have the Winsome, which is the more scrappy version of the Socialite, and divides into Scapegoat, Escort, and Standard Bearer. Scapegoat's job is to charge into the fray, get the enemy's attention, and have them beat on you instead of your friends. The Escort is like a geisha or kunoichi. Their job is to charm, manipulate, and seduce outside of battle, disabling potential threats before they ever join the fight. If necessary, the Escort can protect the party by assassinating someone who has been taken totally off-guard, in the bathhouse or bedroom perhaps. The Standard Bearer is a beacon of hope. Instead of getting the enemy's attention, their job is to be a rallying point the party can look to, a high banner atop a valiant steed, to improve their morale.
At last, we come to the Martial Jester type, which only has the one subclass. But boy is it a doozy.

The Daimon Jester, the sole subclass of the Martial Jester type, is a master of chicanery. They like knives, whips, and cutting words. Their unusual abilities bend the line of what is plausible, allowing them to appear unarmed until they pull an oversized weapon from their sleeve; stash all kinds of useful goodies in their pockets; and fight enemies by JUGGLING! They can perform ambush attacks when the enemy is fully aware of their presence and identity, and can steal or plant items without people noticing.

As if that wasn't good enough, all subclasses of the Judge, Sage, and Aesthete can be modified for their magical variant. You lose a few basic features of the character, including some of your combat ability, but gain the phenomenal powers of magic!

Thinking of Aesthete Escort or Sage Insight depending on what would be needed for the campaign? I don't know what we might be dealing with.

Neither does anybody. Don't expect scheduled combats, or even a predominant focus on combat. You guys will pretty much be given free roam, and I will give you content based on what you do. If someone goes looking for a fight, or goes somewhere dangerous, there's gonna be combat (at least the potential for it). If someone explores a marketplace, or visits a temple, that's what you'll get instead of fighting. Make sense?

Now, with Insight, that's not actually what you're playing like Escort is. Insight means either Visionary or Matron (Patron if you're playing male, no functional difference). Do you want your character to be more aggressive or defensive?

I guess it would be either Aesthete Escort or Sage Insight Vision.
I want to have use both on and off the battlefield, and I dont know which, or either of those whould have that option.

They can both fight, but their skillsets are not typical in that way. The Visionary is more about moving allies and enemies into the desired position, so that the battle goes the way they want. They're like trappers, but using the mind. The Escort is much less capable in a fight, relying on the Art of Being Nice, an Engagement Style that convinces the enemy to stop fighting and help.

When the Visionary chooses their fighting style, they can choose unarmed martial arts or an Engagement Style called Visioncraft, which allows more effective manipulation of allies and enemies in the way I explained. Their abilities allow them to make skills safe when used nearby them, and boost their use of Nemesis PV checks in general. Their traits allow them to lower the enemy's Health and even move allies away from attacks directly. The magic variant of this subclass, the Magic Prophet, removes some of these features in return for magical versions and spells.

The Escort's abilities allow them to force obedience for hours and compel ignorance of negative feelings. Their traits give them massive +10 bonuses on Acting, Guile, and Posture skill checks. The magic variant of this subclass, Mystic Harlequin, removes some of these features in return for magical versions and spells.

I think Ill go with the Escort, maybe the Mystic Escort version. And ill take a reduction to increase the stat that needs and I dont know if I want to reduce my Grand or maybe my Leon. Haven't decided.

What do you think would be most interesting?

Oh geez. That's quite the question there. Are you talking about reducing your Grand or Leon being interesting, or the subclass, or something else?

The reduction being interesting.
Id assume your not going to design uninteresting classes.

That is a very flattering assumption, but I can only hope. I've done my best, but obviously some of them are more interesting than others, perhaps in an objective sense.

Well, here's how it looks. Leon is a very actiony Virtue. You'll use it for Athletics, Swim, most kinds of "do something" skills. It doesn't factor into your attack roll, but does appear when rolling some special techniques. All in all, a SAFE option.

Grand is a very passive Virtue. You're not going to see it popping up in action much, but it makes for the superior roleplay. Having reduced Leon is just stiff and frail by comparison to non-reduced. Having reduced Grand is making yourself a little more pale, a little more prone to sickness, and exposing yourself just a wee bit to poison, disease, and some forms of magic. If you wanted to roleplay your reduction, which I recommend, then Grand is the better ROLEPLAY option, but not as safe.