You know who you are...but what can you do?
High-fives all around! You've crafted an awesome character, delved into their backstory, and maybe even mapped out their family tree – you're rocking it! But hold up a sec... how's your character going to slay in the game? Time to talk about the cool stuff – those magical things called "Traits, features, and natural abilities" that make your character a true legend! Let's dive in!
Traits
Let's delve into Traits – those distinct qualities that define your species, shaped by the cultural tapestry surrounding them. Take, for instance, the Gnomes, born with a knack for fast-talking and trading, or the Goblins, celebrated for their tinkering prowess. With cultures so deeply entwined in these skills, it's second nature for them to inherit these traits through cultural osmosis – a blend of upbringing and exposure to their kind and broader worldviews. Embrace the uniqueness – many species boast traits that are simply part of who they are!
Features
Let's explore Features – the capabilities influenced by your physical appearance and how the world perceives you. It could manifest as a character's ability to intimidate owing to their imposing size, for instance. While features can be linked to your species, they aren't exclusively tethered; birthplace can play a role too. Certain areas carry renown that can bestow unique abilities. In essence, features can be regarded as lore-based skills, adding depth and nuance to your character.
Natural Abilities
Embrace your character's innate strengths! Natural Abilities are the unique talents that effortlessly come to your character based on their species. Take the majestic
Dragonfolk, for instance, with their wings that grant them the remarkable ability to soar through the skies. Each species boasts its own set of Natural Abilities, adding distinctive flair and functionality to your character's repertoire!
So how does this all work?
I'm glad you asked! Before you start playing with your character, you're going to need to determine the Traits, Features and Natural Abilities of your character! This is a simple process, overall, but be aware of one thing: The DM has the ability to remove an ability from a new player, to keep the game functioning/to prevent any mary sue/gary stu'ing!
- Traits/Natural Abilities: These will be in your species lore page, and are pre-determined! You don't need to do anything for these, just add them to your character sheet!
- Features: These are a bit more fun! You will need to determine two Features you want your character to start with!
Before you begin, please be aware of some general guidelines when determining you Features:
- These are STARTING features only! Don't make your character OP out of the gate, this will only lead to the DM removing these from you.
- Really think about your lore. Really think about where your character is from, what species they are, their history, etc. Are they a farmer? Maybe your Feature can revolve around agriculture! Are they a chef? Why not give them some features involving cooking! Are they from Ríocht? Why not give them a feature involving learning skills?
- Whatever you do, just keep things simple and don't overthink it!
Now that we got that out of the way, how do you build these features? Simple! Starter features must all follow a simple formula of Rolling dice vs the DM/other players. To keep things easy, take the template below and fill in the RED with your own features!
[NAME OF FEATURE]:
[FLAVOR TEXT OF FEATURE]
[CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING]
- {Roll a d20, must get 15 or higher to perform action [SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESFUL OUTCOMES AND CONSEQUENCES]}{OPTIONAL: Natural 20 gives +1 to outcome, but natural 1 causes +1 detrimental effect}
OR
{Roll a d6 against DM, must win roll [SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESFUL OUTCOMES AND CONSEQUENCES]}
For some examples of Features, see below:
FAST READER:
Growing up in the libraries of Ríocht, books are second nature to you!
- Roll a d20, must get a 15 or higher to perfectly memorize a single document, any new rolls for FAST READER will replace current document with new one. Rolling a natural 20 will let you stack memory of documents, rolling a 1 will cause you to forget everything.
GOURMAND: You've honed your skills as a Chef in the finest kitchens in Ávra, letting you add that 'little bit of magic' to your dishes!
- Roll a d20 when cooking, must get 15 or higher to create a dish that heals whoever eats it for 3 health. Roll a natural 20 and dish completely heals the consumer. Rolling a 1 will cause the dish to fail and be inedible.
INTIMIDATING AURA: Hailing from Radicchiolo, your reputation proceeds you
- Roll a d6 against DM/character you wish to question and intimidate, must win roll to force the character to tell you the absolute truth to your question
In conclusion....
Hopefully you're able now to write yourself two Features for your character! Don't worry if that seems complicated! You can always contact the DM/Moderators to get assistance, in the Discord!
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