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ATTRIBUTES
A character's Attributes are numerical representations of his general capabilities: how strong, fast, and smart he is. Characters have 8 Attributes, with normal humans ranging from 1 - 7. (Heroes will eventually have the potential of reaching as high as 10.) There are two Attributes for each of 4 different Aspects: Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit. The two Attributes related to each Aspect are called Linked Attributes. They are as follows:
HEART
Empathy – understanding the motives of others
Charisma – influence others via speech and charm

MIND
Acuity – ability to process ideas and sensory input quickly
Reason – capacity for cognitive thinking and logic

BODY
Strength – physical power, toughness, and overall health
Coordination – manual dexterity and agility

SPIRIT
Power – magical potential and mystic strength
Purpose – inner strength, willpower, magical resistance

When creating a character, you’ll have 35 points to spread amongst all 8 Attributes. No Attribute can begin with a value higher than 7 (normal human maximum), and Linked Attributes may not be more than 2 points apart (example: Empathy 3 and Charisma 7 would be illegal, but Power 4 and Purpose 6 would not).


HIT POINTS
A character's hit points are a numerical representation of his physical endurance and toughness. These are calculated by:
3*(STR + CRD + HP bonus)


EXPERIENCE POINTS
As a player spends time in Amstaad (that's the name of the city we're creating), he will earn Experience Points as he successfully overcomes the challenges he faces. These Points are always linked to one of the four Aspects, depending on what sort of skills were crucial in overcoming the challenge. For instance, if Grog the Mighty slays 14 orcs in an effort to save the town smithy, he might earn 7 BX (Body Experience), which may then be spent to increase his Body Attributes or Body-related Skills (to be explained later). Experience awards are always at the discretion of the Mod, but generally should be consistent with the level of effort and risk involved in the challenge.

Spending Experience Points (XP)
As mentioned above, characters will earn Experience Points, which can (and should) be spent to increase the character's Skills and Attributes. This represents the character learning new Skills, enhancing the Skills he already had, and so forth. Remember that you may only spend XP of the appropriate type to increase a Skill (for instance, using BX to increase a Skill that keys off of Strength or Coordination).
Spending XP works as follows:

To purchase a new Skill at Rank 1 costs 10 XP of the appropriate type.
Increasing the value of a Skill by one Rank (i.e. from Rank 1 to 2) costs 10 x the new Rank (in the example, 20 XP). Note that this cost must be paid for each Rank increased; going from Rank 2 to Rank 5 would cost 120 XP (30 for Rank 3, another 40 for Rank 4, and 50 more for Rank 5).
Increasing an Attribute by one point costs 40 x the new Attribute value (i.e. raising a character's Reason from 6 to 7 would cost 280 MX).

QUALITIES
For Qualities, you get 2 points to spend, with the following restrictions:
All characters begin with a Karma of +1 before spending points.
Characters must start the game with a Reputation of 0.
You may decrease one of your Qualities to -1 (or your Karma to 0)to "buy" a third point to spend elsewhere if you wish. You may only do this once.
The four Qualities are defined as follows:

STATUS
- a character’s social standing, indicating his “place” in society
positive: the character is titled or has a position of influence.
negative: the character is a lower-class citizen or slave.
spent on: "calling in favors" amongst the politically connected, making an unpopular but necessary decision. For instance, a Captain who orders his troops into the gap to face certain death might have to spend a Status point in order to get the troops to obey... when the battle is done, he might be demoted for endangering his troops, or he might get the Status point back for heroism, at the discretion of the Mod.

REPUTATION
- a character’s renown, fame, or infamy
positive: the character is a hero, looked up to by many.
negative: the character is feared, reviled, or hated.
spent on: influencing others against their natural inclination on reputation alone, impressing people into giving the character special treatment or favors they might not already get, and so forth.

WEALTH
- a character’s monetary resources and overall worth WealthExplained
positive: the character has money to buy certain luxuries.
negative: the character is a pauper or is in debt to another.
spent on: making extraordinary purchases. Simply having a positive Wealth rating allows the character the latitude to live a certain lifestyle based on the rating. For example, if a character has a Wealth of 3, he can afford to stay in posh and expensive inns, eat fine foods, and so forth without spending a point. Purchasing land, for example, would be above and beyond that level of spending and would require spending a point to accomplish, thereby lowering the character's Wealth rating in the future. Basically, Wealth points are only spent if/when the size of the purchase made has a real chance of affecting the character's overall worth.

KARMA
- a character’s “luck”
positive: the character appears to be blessed with luck
negative: the character appears to be cursed with ill fortune.
spent on: changing the results of an action. Anytime the Mod adjucates an action in a manner the character finds unfavorable, he may spend a Karma point to influence the result and make it more favorable. For instance, the character challenges an NPC to a duel and loses badly, ending up mortally wounded in the process. The character might then spend a Karma point to alter the ending of the duel, and the Mod might say that the enemy duelist simply humiliated him instead of killing him. Note that spending a Karma point will never completely reverse the outcome of an action, only assist in making the results more favorable for the character.

How Qualities affect the game itself
Positive Quality points can be spent by the character for various beneficial purposes, each time shifting the value of that Quality by -1. Negative Quality points are spent by the Mods to hinder the character, each use shifting the value by +1. For instance, if Bobo the WonderMage? has a Wealth of 3 and wants to purchase a rare and powerful spellbook, he spends a Wealth point, obtains the spellbook, and now has a Wealth of 2. But let’s say he also has a Karma of -1. He goes back to his home, opens up the spellbook, and begins to read... but the Mod decides that’s the moment the evil warlock attacks looking to steal that book before Bobo can absorb any of the spells inside. Bad luck, you say? No, just the Mod spending a negative Karma point. Bobo has a setback, but now has a Karma of 0 instead of -1.
NOTE: Quality points are never purchased except during character creation. Once the game begins, they must be earned via roleplaying. Receiving a Quality point is an important event in a character’s life and should not be taken (or given out) lightly.

RACES
There are five main humanoid races that players may choose from when creating their characters (there are other races in the world, but these are the only five that are suitable for heroic PCs). All five races have racial modifiers listed after a brief description of the race itself; those modifiers apply afterThose races (and their racial modifiers) are as follows:
Humans (approx. 40% of total population) Humans are just like you and I, the regular people you see on the street every day in the real world. Males are generally between 5'6" and 6'6" tall, women between 5'0" and 5'10" (with weights commesurate to height accordingly). Skin tones can range from alabaster to dark brown, and hair and eye colors are typical as well (green, blue, brown, hazel, etc). They speak the Trade Tongue, a common language that all races in Amstaad have learned (which has been adapted from the humans' ancestral tongue).
Human racial modifiers: +1 PUR, +1 Karma

Humans (Tiktuk) The original inhabitants of Amstaad, the Tiktuk fared much better under the old Passani Empire than they do in the current city. While before they had much influence and power, the shift towards organized entrepreneurship has left the Tiktuk behind. Today, they are generally impoverished. Though their power is gone and influence diminished, the Tiktuk culture remains, preserved for thousands of years. They are still easily identifiable by their tribal markings, three long scars on the left side of each Tiktuk’s face, reminiscent of a cat’s whiskers. Their clothing is generally simple. They speak their own language, Tiktuk, as well as the Trade tongue.
Tiktuk racial modifiers: +1 PUR, +2 Karma, -1 Status, -1 Wealth

Humans (Passani) The Passani are the remnants of what was once a great Southern empire. Though their empire is long gone and they are no longer dominant in the city, they are still fiercely proud and protective of their heritage. They have carved out a niche for themselves in the banking, weaponsmithing, and engineering industries, but this remains a very closed society that may be hostile to outsiders. The Passani have aquiline features, and usually clothe themselves in vibrant flowing robes. They speak their own language, Passani, in addition to the Trade tongue.
Passani racial modifiers: +1 PUR, +1 Karma, +1 Status, +1 Wealth, -1 EMP

Elves (approx. 25% of total population) Elves are very similar to humans in basic physiology and appearance, but generally tend to be fairer-skinned and have distinctive points to their ears, the telltale sign that everyone looks for. They are also shorter than humans on average, with males ranging from 5'4" to 6'0" and females 4'10" to 5'6". They tend to be a bit lighter than humans as well, although not drastically so. Their skin is almost always fair, although they can tan if they spend a lot of time in direct sunlight (sea-faring elves are quite bronzed, for example). Eye colors are usually in the blue family, ranging from green to blue to purple. Hair colors are typical for humans, although elves do tend to have a higher proportion of blonde hair than humans do. Elves are often referred to as "The Fair Folk" in polite company (and "Tree-Loving Fairies" in not-so-polite circles). They have long lifespans (although they are not immprtal, as some legends claim), usually living 150-200 years. They speak their own language, Elven (which has its own alphabet) as well as the Trade Tongue.
Elven racial modifiers: +1 CRD, +1 POW, +1 CHR, -1 STR

Dwarves (approx. 15% total population) Dwarves are short, stout folk who are naturally subterranean but who have come to Amstaad to practice their crafts, most notably metalworking and gemcutting (although there are dwarves in nearly every craft and trade imaginable). They are much shorter than the other races, with males ranging from 4'6" to 5'2" and females from 4'4" to 4'10". Hair colors are almost always dark, ranging from auburn to black. Male dwarves tend to go grey quickly, and grey hair is not necessarily a sign of old age amongst them. Dwarves always have facial hair (regardless of gender), and they take great pride in it, grooming it carefully, often into intricate braids. Eye colors are generally various shades of brown, although green and grey eyes are not unheard of. Skin tones are generally ruddy, and they tend to favor earth tones when choosing clothing. They speak their own language (with its own alphabet) in addition to the Trade Tongue.
Dwarven racial modifiers: +1 STR, +1 PUR, +1 ACU, -1 CHR

Aerin (approx. 10% total population) Aerin are a race of birdfolk that have recently come to Amstaad in an effort to interact, trade, and learn from the other humanoid races. They are of a similar size to the Elves in height, but that's where the similarities end. They are, in effect, birds that walk upright: instead of arms they have wings with small claw-like appendages at the ends, their legs bend "backwards" like bird legs, they have typical bird feet, and their heads generally resemble a bird's head (complete with beak, feathers, and eye shape). Their feathers run the gamut of colors, with black, brown, and white being slightly more common. Eye colors are also rather unpredictable, but generally are either brown or grey. They speak their own language (but do not have a written alphabet), and most can speak the Trade Tongue as well, although awkwardly.
Aerin racial modifiers: +2 ACU, +1 REA, -1 CRD (unless flying), -1 CHR, Flight
Aerin HP are calculated using CRD while flying

Slith (approx. 10% total population) The Slith are a race of lizardmen who have only recently come to Amstaad. They resemble humans in basic form (having shed their tails and developed opposable thumbs0 over hundreds of years of evolution), although there is no mistaking a Slith for anything but a Slith. They stand between 6'2" and 7'0" inches tall, regardless of gender. Because of their reptile heritage, their skin tones are generally a shade of green, and their skin itself is usually covered in small vestigal scales. Slith eyes are always slitted, usually yellow or orange, and their tongues are long and forked. They are widely mistrusted (and oftentimes hated) by the general populace of Amstaad because of the race's tendency toward violence, but the Slith who remain in the City have, in general, been able to overcome the racial hatred by developing tight-knit communities. They speak their own language (but have no written alphabet), and many of them have also learned the Trade Tongue, although they are by no means a majority.
Slith racial modifiers: +2 STR, +1 PUR, +2 HP bonus, -2 CHR, -1 EMP, -1 Status, -1 Reputation

SKILLS
Skills are a measure of what a character knows how to do. Skills are always learned abilities, things that can easily be trained. During character creation, a player has a number of Skill points to spend amongst all of the skills (listed below under "Master Skill List") equal to the following formula:
5 + REA + either POW (if a Magick-user) ~or~ PUR (if not)

Those points may be spread amongst the Skills however the player chooses, with only one restriction: no character may begin with a Skill higher than 4 at the time of character creation. Note that, once the character is completed, the only way to raise the value of Skills is to accumulate and spend XP (described above).

Master Skill List

BODY Skills
Melee Weapons (must choose one of the following subcategories)
- Swords (CRD or STR, choose during creation)
- Knives & Daggers (CRD)
- Staves (CRD)
- Axes & Polearms (STR)
- Blunt Weapons (Maces, Clubs, Flails, etc) (STR)
- Exotic Weapons (by specific weapon) (STR or CRD, dependent on weapon)
Archery (CRD)
Unarmed Combat (CRD or STR, choose during creation)
Evasion (CRD)
Swimming (STR)
Climbing (STR)
Stealth (CRD)
Sleight of Hand (CRD)
Acrobatics/Tumbling (CRD)
Riding (Horse or specific mount type) (CRD)

HEART Skills
Animal Handling (EMP)
Negotiation (CHR)
Intimidation (CHR)
Bluff (CHR)
Intuition (EMP)
Leadership (CHR) **
Seduction/Charm (CHR)
Entertain (Play specific instrument, Storytelling, Singing, etc.) (EMP or CHR, dependent on style)
Faith (EMP)

MIND Skills
Knowledge (must choose one of the following subcategories) (REA)
History
Religion
Magick
Alchemy *
Culture
Criminal
Law
Etiquette
Commerce
Military
Engineering (REA)
Craft (choose specific) (REA)
Observation (ACU)
Command (ACU) **
Siegecraft (ACU)
Appraise (ACU)
Language (choose specific) (REA) (A rank of 3 or better is required to be able to read and write the language)

SPIRIT Skills
Alchemy (POW) *
Sorcery (POW)***
Divination (POW) ***
Conjuration (POW) ***
Ritual Magick (POW) ***
Focus (PUR) ****
Willpower (PUR) *****

Skill Footnotes
* There are two different skills called Alchemy: the Knowledge: Alchemy Skill represents a person's accumulated knowledge of the sort of things that have been and could be created via Alchemy, whereas the Spirit Skill Alchemy represents the person's ability to actually brew potions and so forth.

** Although Leadership and Command may seem to be different words for the same idea, there is a difference, as follows: Leadership represents
how willing people are to follow your lead, and Command is your ability to recognize a resource's usefulness and put it to good use in a leadership capacity. Leadership requires personal interaction (or at least a notable presence), whereas Command can be put to use "behind the scenes" in an advisory capacity. In medieval battlefield terms, the general who gives the rousing speech and spurs his troops on to victory probably has a high Leadership, while his war room advisors probably have a high Command.

*** All of these Skills represent a person's ability to utilize a specific form of Magick. Sorcery is the stereotypical "spellcasting" depicted in "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" books. It can have many different effects, from blasts of fire to flying high above the clouds. The limits of Sorcery are set only by the limits of the imagination of the magick-wielder. (NOTE: Sorcery never duplicates Divination or Conjuration.) Divination is the art of being able to use different ritual items to learn knowledge the diviner wouldn't normally have access to: crystal balls, tea leaves, astrology, etc. Conjuration is the magickal ability to summon objects, forces, and even living beings from other places or planes of existence. Ritual Magick is the ability to work with another magick-user to achieve a greater effect from one of the above Skills. Two or more magick-wielding people can both use their Ritual Magick Skill to attempt to combine their Skill ratings in another form of magick to produce a more powerful effect.

**** Focus is a abstract representation of a person's "ki" (his ability to harness his Spirit to assist a mundane action). People who do not actively wield magick may still harness the power of their Spirit by making a Focus check to temporarily raise another Ability. Generally these increases only last for one Action, although there are exceptions, as the situation will dictate.

***** Willpower is the ability of a person to resist an effect (magickal or otherwise) that might alter his will, actions, or desires. It is the Skill used to counter mind-control effects, possession by incorporeal undead, and paralyzing effects. It also allows a person to function while seriously wounded (a successful Willpower check allows a character to ignore the effects of his wounds for one Action).

These character creation rules are based on the FATE role-playing game system by Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue. Characters in this system have two major traits: a series of Aspects, describing who the character is, and a series of Skills, describing what the character can do.



The essential problem we found during development was that using Attributes contributed to maxing out characters during creation. In effect, people could create circus freaks, with characterization as an afterthought. After all, if the character's an insanely talented fighter, the rest will take care of itself, right?

That's not what we wanted Amstaad to be. When Dourgrim first created the basic divisions of Body, Heart, Mind, and Spirit, the intent was to create a world where all of these were important. Maxing out a character goes against the general spirit of the game we wanted to create. So we ditched the Attributes, which were the major contributing factor, and adapted a system more conducive to good storytelling.

Don't worry, the basic divisions of Body, Heart, Mind, and Spirit are still here, and still important. The only difference is that their importance is now intrinsic; we the mods are considering all of them in the storylines and quests we have created for you to interact with. You need these attributes because you will be roleplaying them. They just won't show up on a stats sheet anymore.



Character creation is divided into a few easy steps:

• [1] Choose a race for your character. This is your character's first Aspect. It is free. Each racial Aspect contains positive and negative traits, as well as the basic language skills your character will have because he/she is Human, a Dwarf, etc. All racial Aspects are value-neutral. This is the first piece in describing who your character is.
  
  [2] Describe your character's background in 5 steps (called Phases). In each Phase, choose an Aspect and 4 Skill levels to add to your sheet.
  
  [3] Each character gets 3 Fate Points at the time of creation. Note that down on the sheet.
  
  [4] Choose the Goal your character has.

Players can choose any one of the following races for their character:

(approx. 40% of total population): Humans are just like you and I, the regular people you see on the street every day in the real world. Males are generally between 5'6" and 6'6" tall, women between 5'0" and 5'10" (with weights commesurate to height accordingly). Skin tones can range from alabaster to dark brown, and hair and eye colors are typical as well (green, blue, brown, hazel, etc). They speak the Trade Tongue, a common language that all races in Amstaad have learned (which has been adapted from the humans' ancestral tongue).

Aspect: Human

• Gains Skill: Language -- Trade (Great)

The original inhabitants of Amstaad, the Tiktuk fared much better under the old Passani Empire than they do in the current city. While before they had much influence and power, the shift towards organized entrepreneurship has left the Tiktuk behind. Today, they are generally impoverished. Though their power is gone and influence diminished, the Tiktuk culture remains, preserved for thousands of years. They are still easily identifiable by their tribal markings, three long scars on the left side of each Tiktuk’s face, reminiscent of a cat’s whiskers. Their clothing is generally simple. They speak their own language, Tiktuk, as well as the Trade tongue.

Aspect: Human (Tiktuk)

• Poor
  
• Lucky
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Tiktuk (Great)
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Trade (Fair)

The Passani are the remnants of what was once a great Southern empire. Though their empire is long gone and they are no longer dominant in the city, they are still fiercely proud and protective of their heritage. They have carved out a niche for themselves in the banking, weaponsmithing, and engineering industries, but this remains a very closed society that may be hostile to outsiders. The Passani have aquiline features, and usually clothe themselves in vibrant flowing robes. They speak their own language, Passani, in addition to the Trade tongue.

Aspect: Human (Passani)

• Rich
  
• Closed-minded
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Passani (Great)
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Trade (Fair)

(approx. 25% of total population) Elves are very similar to humans in basic physiology and appearance, but generally tend to be fairer-skinned and have distinctive points to their ears, the telltale sign that everyone looks for. They are also shorter than humans on average, with males ranging from 5'4" to 6'0" and females 4'10" to 5'6". They tend to be a bit lighter than humans as well, although not drastically so. Their skin is almost always fair, although they can tan if they spend a lot of time in direct sunlight (sea-faring elves are quite bronzed, for example). Eye colors are usually in the blue family, ranging from green to blue to purple. Hair colors are typical for humans, although elves do tend to have a higher proportion of blonde hair than humans do. Elves are often referred to as "The Fair Folk" in polite company (and "Tree-Loving Fairies" in not-so-polite circles). They have long lifespans (although they are not immprtal, as some legends claim), usually living 150-200 years. They speak their own language, Elven (which has its own alphabet) as well as the Trade Tongue.

Aspect: Elf

• Fair
  
• Thin
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Elvish (Great)
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Trade (Fair)

(approx. 15% total population) Dwarves are short, stout folk who are naturally subterranean but who have come to Amstaad to practice their crafts, most notably metalworking and gemcutting (although there are dwarves in nearly every craft and trade imaginable). They are much shorter than the other races, with males ranging from 4'6" to 5'2" and females from 4'4" to 4'10". Hair colors are almost always dark, ranging from auburn to black. Male dwarves tend to go grey quickly, and grey hair is not necessarily a sign of old age amongst them. Dwarves always have facial hair (regardless of gender), and they take great pride in it, grooming it carefully, often into intricate braids. Eye colors are generally various shades of brown, although green and grey eyes are not unheard of. Skin tones are generally ruddy, and they tend to favor earth tones when choosing clothing. They speak their own language (with its own alphabet) in addition to the Trade Tongue.

Aspect: Dwarf

• Tough
  
• Short
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Dwarvish (Great)
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Trade (Fair)

(approx. 10% total population) Aerin are a race of birdfolk that have recently come to Amstaad in an effort to interact, trade, and learn from the other humanoid races. They are of a similar size to the Elves in height, but that's where the similarities end. They are, in effect, birds that walk upright: instead of arms they have wings with small claw-like appendages at the ends, their legs bend "backwards" like bird legs, they have typical bird feet, and their heads generally resemble a bird's head (complete with beak, feathers, and eye shape). Their feathers run the gamut of colors, with black, brown, and white being slightly more common. Eye colors are also rather unpredictable, but generally are either brown or grey. They speak their own language (but do not have a written alphabet), and most can speak the Trade Tongue as well, although awkwardly.

Aspect: Aerin

• Intelligent
  
• Uncoordinated
  
• Gains Skill: Flight (Average)
  
• Gains Skill: Unarmed Combat (Poor)
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Aerin (Great)
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Trade (Fair)

(approx. 10% total population) The Slith are a race of lizardmen who have only recently come to Amstaad. They resemble humans in basic form (having shed their tails and developed opposable thumbs0 over hundreds of years of evolution), although there is no mistaking a Slith for anything but a Slith. They stand between 6'2" and 7'0" inches tall, regardless of gender. Because of their reptile heritage, their skin tones are generally a shade of green, and their skin itself is usually covered in small vestigal scales. Slith eyes are always slitted, usually yellow or orange, and their tongues are long and forked. They are widely mistrusted (and oftentimes hated) by the general populace of Amstaad because of the race's tendency toward violence, but the Slith who remain in the City have, in general, been able to overcome the racial hatred by developing tight-knit communities. They speak their own language (but have no written alphabet), and many of them have also learned the Trade Tongue, although they are by no means a majority.

Aspect: Slith

• Strong
  
• Ugly
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Slith (Great)
  
• Gains Skill: Language -- Trade (Fair)

As can be seen with the racial Aspects, an Aspect is an attempt to take an important part of who a character is, and boil it down to a concise statement. Remember, each Aspect corresponds to a part of your character's life, and should extend from that. It can be a character trait (eg. Stubborn), a connection to another character in this world (eg. close to the Duke of _____), an item the character values (eg. Indiana Jones' fedora), an occupation (eg. Thief), and so forth. Aspects can be either positive or negative. The entire point is to describe your character, extending from his/her experiences, in a manner that both you and the mods can access to make roleplaying interesting.

Every time you choose an Aspect, you are putting a level into it. Levels for Aspects start at Fair (+2) and go up by 1 for each additional level. You can only add a maximum of 3 levels to any one Aspect during character creation. (More on levels below.)



The entire point of roleplaying gaming is to have an interesting experience. Think of your favourite books and movies. The most interesting characters were not perfect -- every one of them had flaws, and it was these flaws that made them interesting.

FATE is set up to reward players for interesting gaming, as opposed to "perfect" gaming. Fate Points, which allow you to have more control over your experience, get rewarded for good gameplay, most often when you are asked to work through your character's personal challenges. On the other hand, since Fate Points get paid out in instances where you feel you need to exert some control, so not having personal challenges is actually a .

Aspects are also the clearest way to communicate to the mods what want to see your character doing during the game. Particularly juicy Aspects provide entire potential storylines, and make for a much richer gaming experience. Feel free to be creative and descriptive in choosing your Aspects -- it can only be at most a phrase per Aspect, but you can pack a lot of information in that short amount of space.



To understand Skills, it is necessary to introduce two concepts. The first is the idea of levels. The levels in FATE (or the "ladder") look like this:

+7 Legendary
+6 Epic
+5 Superb
+4 Great
+3 Good
+2 Fair
+1 Average
0 Mediocre
-1 Poor
-2 Terrible
-3 Abysmal

We assume that has mediocre Skills as a default. (The only exception are the Aerin, who take a penalty to the Unarmed Combat skill to make up for gaining a Flight skill not available to anyone else.) Every Phase, you get 4 Skill levels to spend, which you can spend on any Skill. Each Skill level spent raises a Skill by 1 on the ladder. (So the first level gets you a Skill at Average, the second raises it to Fair, and so forth.)

So what's to prevent maxing out Skills? At the end of each Phase, your Skills have to obey a balancing rule, called the Skill Pyramid. The Pyramid simply states that for every Skill at a level, there must be at least one additional Skill at a lower level. For example, having 1 Good, 2 Fair, and 3 Average Skills is fine. So is having 1 Good, 3 Fair, and 5 Average Skills. However, 2 Good, 2 Fair, and 4 Average would not be (equal numbers of Good and Fair Skills violate the Pyramid).

A suggested list of Skills is here (this will be linked). This is intended to provide some guidance as to what might exist in Amstaad, but it is not exhaustive. Feel free to create a new Skill, as long as it makes sense from your character's background and doesn't contradict anything defined about Amstaad.



To help you roleplay, your character should have some motivation. What does he/she want to get out of life at this moment? What are his/her aspirations? These don't have to be grandiose, and can change over time, but in general it's what your character is trying to work towards right now.



Things that fall outside Aspects and Skills are called Extras. These might include special equipment, servants, special contacts, or other similar things.

Extras are bought with Skill levels. So if you wanted, for example, very keen eyesight, one Skill level would buy one level of this Extra. Extras do not go into the Skill Pyramid at all -- buying a level of an extra means one less Skill level that can be used to make your pyramid.

For more complex items, like servants, one Skill level would buy one Aspect for the servant. Further Skill levels could be used to buy Skills for the servant, essentially creating a mini-character associated with your character.

More powerful Extras will be scaled to fit the power level in the game. As with anything else, if you have a great idea for something and aren't sure exactly how to work it, just ask the mods.



Insert stuff about Magic.



Don't worry, there's an example below of a character made up by the mods. We'll also be around to read your sheets as you make them, so feel free to ask any questions or get any input you need.

Name: Oduro bel’Anath
Player: Yaw
Race: Elf

Description: Young looking, 5’9” with fine features. Tanned skin, green eyes, with shoulder-length light brown hair worn in thin braids.

Background:

Phase 1: Oduro grew up in Alathi, a small Elvish settlement in the deserts far to the south of Amstaad. His family were herders, and he shepherded the family flock.

Aspect: Solitary (Fair)

• Herder
  
• Observation x 2
  
• Survivalism

Phase 2: Bandits attacked and razed Alathi. Oduro survived by hiding, but his livelihood was destroyed and there were few survivors. Realizing his life in the desert was over, he travelled north to the Briaf city of Loag on the plains, and lacking any other options joined the army. He wanted to be strong enough to defeat the bandits, singlehanded if need be.

Aspect: Soldier (Fair)

• Swords (Sabre)
  
• Athleticism
  
• Archery
  
• Focus

Phase 3: The army post in Loag had been having increased reports of armed bandit activity. Patrols are dispatched to hit isolated bands of bandits while they're weak. Oduro is a part of these, putting his training into practice.

Aspect: Soldier (Good)

• Swords (Sabre)
  
• Riding (Hiran)
  
• Observation
  
• Athleticism

Phase 4: Despite killing several isolated bands, the threat of banditry has not abated. A spy came with news of their main camp, and the army was sent out to attack. The ensuing battle is an overwhelming victory, but Oduro is so blinded by what happened to his people that he goes too far, killing some of those who had surrendered after the battle ended.

Aspect: Soldier (Great)

• Swords (Sabre)
  
• Riding (Hiran)
  
• Berserker
  
• Focus

Phase 5: As a result of his actions, Oduro was given a dishonourable discharge. Ashamed, he left Loag and travelled to the only place nearby that is independent of the Briaf Empire: Amstaad. He now works as a sword-for-hire and sometimes fights in competition, trying to restore his lost honour.

Aspect: Repentant (Fair)

• Swords (Sabre)
  
• Survivalism
  
• Athleticism
  
• Faith

______________________________
Final Character:


O[col]Elf (Fair)O[col]Solitary (Fair)O O O[col]Soldier (Great)O[col]Repentant (Fair)


Swords (Sabre)[col]GreatObservation[col]GoodAthleticism[col]GoodRiding (Hiran)[col]FairFocus[col]FairSurvivalism[col]FairHerder[col]AverageArchery[col]AverageBerserker[col]AverageFaith[col]Average

Fate Points: 3

Goal: To atone for his past transgressions, and regain his lost standing within the Empire just outside the city state of Amstaad.

Equipment: Oduro carries a sabre and a buckler. He wears leather armour.



Go here for details. (Needs link added.)

There's the first draft of character creation if/when we switch to FATE. Please comment.

Couple of notes -- yes, some things need to be added yet (skills list, extras, magic, stuff about rules in an entirely new section that needs to be created yet). In addition to the things mentioned, something about equipping characters and money would be good (the equipment just appears on the sample here).

Also, I wanted that to be an ordered list...

Added additional section on Aspects (and why they go counter to mix/maxing philosophy), and filled in section about Extras. Comments?

Moved to rules discussion.

-JEEP

REPUTATION idea

I suggest the reputations segment to be divided into main sections such as:

Underworld (Mostly South Commoners District)
Merchants (Mostly South Mercantile District)
Nobles (Mostly Nobles District)
Commoners (Mostly North Commoners District)
Government (Mostly Government District)

etc. so players can spend more time in the areas where they want to build their reputation.

Reputation is old version. Not sure there is an equivalent under FATEified rules. Should there be?