All Creation Character Creation

Character Creation rules for All Creation.

Merits and Flaws

Merits and Flaws are allowed within reason, with appropriate changes and restrictions:

1. Merits and Flaws that force the ST's hand are banned
2. Merits and Flaws with incorporated mechanics are removed.
3. Merits and Flaws with 1e-specific mechanics need updating
4. Some Merits and Flaws require clarification (see below).
5. Limit of 10 points of either for minor characters, 20 points for major. No real limit for main characters.
6. In all cases, merit and flaw combinations need approval, though this is a loose requirement. Abusive is fine, game-breaking is not. Game-breaking is making situations where you are nigh-invulnerable for one reason or another.

Banned Merits

• Destiny is not permitted. Characters forge their own, and all that.
• Legendary Artifact is banned. Not that they won't come into play, but such things need to be agreed upon by all Storytellers.

Banned Flaws

• Dark Fate - again, characters forge their own.
• Disciple
• Dying

Removed Merits

• Alternative Divination - just use the 'Divination Art' - it will cover all applicable methods.

Clarified / Changed Merits

• Amnesia - the 5-point version is banned. Characters get 2 bp for every bp they devote to 'secret' traits.
• Driving Passion applies to your motivation (Duh) - making it stronger. Instead of gaining the xp award, the player may choose to have the merit apply to her next Motivation.
• Eternal Vow needs to be worked out with another Player.
• Holy Mien - No Moons and Zeniths with this merit pay only 5 points for the full Priest advantage. This Merit grants its bonus against all creatures of darkness.
• Jack of All Trades is already possessed by all Exalted, and they have no need to take it. Non-Exalted must take this merit in order to avoid the -2 die penalty for untrained abilities.
• Mutations use the new Wyld Mutations, and apparently, no longer cost extra to be 'properly functional'. That is, the value of a mutation is 1, 2, 4, or 6 (merit only), depending on it's nature.
• Prodigy may be purchased for Attributes, at 5 points, with similar effects - it buys a 'favored' attribute. No character may have more than two favored attributes.
• Tactical Instincts uses the War ability, rather than the Lore ability.
• True Paragon has nothing to do with the Paragon Nature, since they don't exist any longer.

Purchasing Merits in Play

Characters may end up wanting to buy merits in play. For Major and Main characters, this is generally allowed, as long as a decent reason is present.

Backgrounds

See the Backgrounds link for the Lieutenant background.

Main Characters

Players are initially permitted one Main Character (a Celestial Exalted) per Chronicle.

• No two main characters of a player may share a caste, nor may two PC characters share a caste within a Chronicle. Diversify!

Characters may not begin with Sidereal Martial Arts, Solar Circle Sorcery or Void Circle Necromancy.

• Character and anima descriptions are mandatory.
• XP will be awarded for backgrounds based on the length of time the game has been progressing, to give late characters a chance to catch up. Thus, they are only 'required' after the game has begun.

Solars

• Begin with 10/8/6 for Attributes
• Begin with 35 ability dots, instead of 28
• Begin with 5 background dots, instead of 7
• Begin with a thirty (30) Charms instead of 10, fifteen of which must be Favored or Caste
• Begin with an Essence of three (3) instead of two
• Begin with 60 bonus points, instead of 15

Lunars

• Begin with 10/8/6 for Attributes
• Begin with 35 ability dots, instead of 25
• Begin with 10 background dots, instead of 7
• Begin with twenty (20) Charms or Knacks instead of 8, at least ten of which must be knacks or favored/caste abilities
• Begin with an Essence of three (3) instead of two
• Begin with 60 bonus points, instead of 15

Non-Main Characters

Minor Characters

Players may make additional characters as Henchmen (heroic mortals), Retainers (normal mortals), or Followers (normal mortal extras). These may be allied with their main or major characters with the appropriate background, or simply built as general antagonists or scenery.

Such characters are expected to be treated appropriately. Those not allied with a main or major character should act that way.

Major Characters

The Lieutenant Background describes what qualifies as 'major' characters, who actually utilize experience points. Those not allied with a main character are expected to be played appropriately. Players are expected to diversify their free major characters in a chronicle appropriately.

4 and 5 dot characters ought to be unique individuals. Players are not to control more than one ●●●●○ Lieutenant of a given type per Chronicle, and no more than one ●●●●● character. This limitation does not apply to main characters that they have as lieutenants of another main character.

Major character purchases and developments must be approved like any other. They are expected to be played.

• Major characters require a background and description. They don't need to be long - a few sentences describing history, goals, personality and appearance is fine.