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This character creation overview assumes you have access to the rulebook, and that you have opened the Character Submission form.
The Character Creation form requires that you enter things in a somewhat different order, however, the below order is probably best for a new player with no previous experience. |
CREATING A MYSTWOOD CHARACTER
Player characters are a special type of people- adventurers who are willing to travel to dangerous settlements on the edge of civilization, bringing their unique combinations of personality, Gifts, Occupations, and Advantages to the villages where our Mystwood events are set.
Your character is your persona in Mystwood. Like an actor in a movie, by portraying your character well, you will add to the enjoyment of those around you. Some people like to create very elaborate characters, with all sorts of roleplaying traits, an elaborate back story, and highly detailed persona. Others prefer to create a simple character that is basically their “real” self with a sword. There is no “correct” option, and players should free to build the character they desire, subject to these rules.
Your character is your persona in Mystwood. Like an actor in a movie, by portraying your character well, you will add to the enjoyment of those around you. Some people like to create very elaborate characters, with all sorts of roleplaying traits, an elaborate back story, and highly detailed persona. Others prefer to create a simple character that is basically their “real” self with a sword. There is no “correct” option, and players should free to build the character they desire, subject to these rules.
STEP ZERO: CHOOSE A NAME
Choosing the perfect name for your character is possibly the most important thing at Mystwood. We prefer names from real world European history, or names in the style of fantasy novels. Names which are deemed silly, do not fit with the theme of Mystwood's medieval setting, or are otherwise considered unsuitable will be rejected.
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STEP ONE: CHOOSE GIFTS (RULEBOOK, PG 47)Every person in the world of Mystwood has some Gifts. Your character begins as a talented, but not extraordinary person. You may choose up to 5 Levels of Gifts. If you choose to write a public Character History (see Step 6) you will gain an additional Gift Level for a total of 6.
These are your character’s core abilities. Do you fight? Wield magic? Heal others? Your Gifts are your most directly useful abilities during the game. There are six Gifts with ten “Levels” each. You could choose to take 5th Level in Courage, or 3rd in Courage and 2nd in Dexterity, or 1st Level in Prowess, Wisdom, Courage, Dexterity and Empathy, or whatever else you wish. Over the course of time you can increase your Gifts. A character who wishes to be a warrior might select Courage or Prowess 5, or some combination of those Gifts. A healer should look primarily at Empathy, while a spell caster should select Passion if they wish to do damage, or Wisdom if they wish to cast spells that affect movement and mental control. The Gift of Dexterity is necessary to a person who wants to use a bow, or who wishes to play a thief (but note that thievery is illegal!). Any combination of Gifts is perfectly viable, and you should not allow the above suggestions to limit you. |
STEP TWO: CHOOSE AN OCCUPATION (PAGE 53)
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You must choose an Occupation for your character, such as Squire, Monk, Fortune Teller, Town Guard Recruit, or Peddler. Your Occupation will give you certain skills- abilities mostly useful to aid and strengthen yourself and other characters, “Renew” your skills, and develop your Gifts. Your Occupation gives you a role in the world, something that will make your character useful to others and stand out.
You are allowed to change your Occupation once per year, so if you are one of eight cooks in town, for example, you are not stuck in that Occupation forever. In addition, you do not HAVE to choose an Occupation for your first event- you can pick one later if you like. One critical note: Your ability to wear Armor to gain extra Hit Points largely depends on your Occupation. If you have a suit of armor, and wish to wear it at Mystwood, choose an occupation that uses armor, such as Squire or Town Guard. |
There are many Occupations, representing jobs and skill sets which are important to the function of our pseudo-medieval setting. Your Occupation helps you find a place in the world of our game, a means of gaining income, experiencing role play opportunities, practice Craft Skills, and the like. On the other hand, if you are having a hard time choosing an Occupation because you do not know what you wish to portray, Adventurer, Gentlefolk, and Squire are Occupations which do not necessarily tie you to existing plots or act to define your existence, unlike Lay Cleric or Town Guard (for example). |
STEP THREE: CHOOSE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES (OPTIONAL) (PAGE 80)
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Some of these options are so character defining (such as Skin Changer, Divine Disfavor or Illiterate) that it is important to review the options before entering game. Other than that, many players find it best to select these Advantages and Disadvantages during or after their first Event, when they have a better idea of who their character is. |
If you like, you may customize your character by taking advantages and disadvantages. These often (but not always) represent some supernatural element in your character’s history- a bit of Fae heritage, a family curse or bond to a certain element, a touch of Chaos, or the blood bond of a vampire. You may, if you wish, wait and choose these later on at any point in your character’s career. You may also change them, if you can justify the change based on events during the game and the Staff agree. Advantages and Disadvantages taken later can be based on your adventures and mishaps, or on your character discovering more about their heritage and powers.
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STEP FOUR: RELIGION (CHOOSE A GOD, OPTIONAL) (PAGE 85)
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There are three gods to choose from: Justice, Mercy and Wild. They each give specific Karma abilities and have certain rituals which must be followed and sins to be avoided. In game, there is no “correct” option for worship of a god, no god, or paying simple respect (or disrespect!) to all three gods.
If you do choose to follow a deity, make special note of the duties and sins of the god. You may choose to change or omit a total of two Sins, Rituals, or Duties from the list. Once you have chosen a deity, and modified their duties and sins, you may not change again unless something extraordinary happens in your character’s life. This must be approved by the Staff. If you worship one of the three gods, you also have the “Follower of Justice”, “Follower of Mercy”, or “Follower of Wild” Trait. Role play of our in-game religions is quite common at Mystwood, however, you are not required to take part, and the game is perfectly entertaining without doing so. |
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STEP FIVE: CHARACTER BACKGROUND AND HISTORY (OPTIONAL)
Once you have chosen your basic Gifts, you may want to think about how your character developed those Gifts. You should examine the Mystwood background and geography. All first characters are from the villages, towns and castles of Eastmarch near the Mystwood- you may not play a “dark wanderer from beyond the sea” or the like for your first character. If you write a “Public History” and post it in the Mystwood Background section of the Mystwood forum, you may choose an extra Level of Gifts, thus starting at 6th Level.
Your public history is what people from your home area would know about you. Mystwood is a world of small, close knit communities, and you would be well known “back home”. You should read only the histories of those who are from your own home barony. In this way, you will have some connection to other characters, but will also be able to discover more about other characters by interacting with them during games. Finally, your public history is your chance to add interesting stories and details to the world of Mystwood. The Staff reserve the right to edit public histories, but they are unlikely to do so unless one is somehow very inappropriate. Your history should be rated PG-13 at most- you may not include rape, graphic torture and other such nastiness.
You may also write a “private history” for yourself detailing the darkest and most secret details of your character’s past. This is primarily for your enjoyment and role playing only, and should never be shared except during game. Different Chapters and different Triads may make use of your public or private histories, but this is not guaranteed.
Your public history is what people from your home area would know about you. Mystwood is a world of small, close knit communities, and you would be well known “back home”. You should read only the histories of those who are from your own home barony. In this way, you will have some connection to other characters, but will also be able to discover more about other characters by interacting with them during games. Finally, your public history is your chance to add interesting stories and details to the world of Mystwood. The Staff reserve the right to edit public histories, but they are unlikely to do so unless one is somehow very inappropriate. Your history should be rated PG-13 at most- you may not include rape, graphic torture and other such nastiness.
You may also write a “private history” for yourself detailing the darkest and most secret details of your character’s past. This is primarily for your enjoyment and role playing only, and should never be shared except during game. Different Chapters and different Triads may make use of your public or private histories, but this is not guaranteed.