Creation: Free From Thorns

IT IS TIME TO MAKE A CHANGELING. For those folks new to building a changeling character, the process may seem slightly daunting. This section is intended to provide an easy, quick tutorial with proper references to help expedite the process so that play may begin as soon as possible. For those who are already quite used to character creation involving Changelings, this section of the wiki can provide a useful refresher for things such as experience point costs. Before we begin however, please take a moment to peruse the following:
* READ THE BOOK READ THE BOOK READ THE BOOK.
:- Guess what? Changeling has a few interesting mechanics in it that are awesome and help add depth to the character and the story. Problem is, they can't exactly be condensed well. Unfortunately, even Storytellers don't remember everything from the top of their heads, so to make their job easier and not having to constantly stop the game to answer a question by reading Changeling: The Lost, and preferably the New World of Darkness Core rulebook as well.
* Don't fear being creative!
: - This game is CHANGELING. It is a game based on myths created by human fears and desires, on Lovecraftian and incomprehensible beings who morph and twist a Changeling bodies in ways that defy all known laws of physics. Would you like to create a living Ganesh, large and corpulent, waving his trunk about as he rides on the back of a massive chimerical rat? Do so. Would you like to create a small, quiet woman who rushes about unnoticed as work seems to finish itself in her wake, mysterious and elusive? Have fun with that. How about a raging Oni with a triat of eyes and a penchant for raw flesh? Dive right in. Feel free to draw upon myths and folklore from around the world, or perhaps build one of your own.
** ST Note: While creativity is encouraged and accepted, anybody caught making a Twilight knockoff will be laughed right out of the channel. There will be no sparkly faggot pseudovampires here thank you very much.
* Pay attention to the mundane as well as mystical.
: - It is fairly easy to make a Changeling who is a badass in the Hedge or in the dreams of others; however, specializing too intensely in such areas will cripple a character in the real world. A character sheet should reflect a character's background well. How does this character support his or herself here in Leitrim? Does this character have enough resources to afford a flat, or is this character doomed to sleeping in the streets? How is this money acquired? Thievery? A legitimate, blue-collar job? Construction work? Four dots in weaponry is nice, but it's not going to be much of a help in a sleepy little rural county like this one, population boom or not.
* Don't be afraid of the storytellers.
: - We tend to be reasonable, even-keel people. In fact, we pride ourselves on this. Don't be afraid to jump into the storyteller channel with questions regarding character creation ideas. You won't be laughed at, you won't be mocked, and you won't be treated like a blithering idiot if you have an idea that ends up not being workable for the game. We will try to work with you to get a concept and background that fits and is fun to play. We only ask that we be treated with the same respect and civility to which you will be treated.
Everything appears to be in order; let us begin pressing through the birth pangs of creation!
This is where the very skeleton of the Changeling is made. There are a few things that must be chosen here that will shape the rest of character creation.
* First, go to this website, log in, and begin your NWOD character sheet. When this link is submitted to the STs, it will be remade on a private account in order to manage experience spends, character notes, and the like.
* Choose a Seeming. This is the general 'type' of the Changeling. For further customization a Kith may be chosen to expound on whatever theme is meant for the Character.
* Next, choose a Court. Courts are incredibly important for Changelings; while one may go Courtless, (as sometimes occurs), that Changeling is usually regarded with suspicion and fear. See the main Changeling: the Lost core book for a better elaboration on the importance of Courts and implications of Courtlessness.
* Finally, choose the Virtue and Vice of the character. Virtues and Vices are used to flesh out a concept as well as provide ways of regaining willpower during a scene. Normally willpower is regained at a rate of one per day; fulfilling a Vice however awards one immediately, and fulfilling a Virtue? Complete refill.
In this section, beginning points will be placed in areas that flesh out a beginning character.
* Note: Mark down all of these spends on the sheet!
* First, Attributes should be handled. All Attributes are separated into groups of Physical, Mental, and Social, and begin at one point; subsequent points are added thereafter. A player must choose which groups of Attributes receive which designations:
** ST Note: No attribute may be above four at character creation; a PC may not have more than two attributes at four.
: - Primary: An Attribute group designated as primary is given 5 dots to spread around the three categories.
: - Secondary: Secondary Attributes are given 4 dots to spread about in the three categories.
: - Tertiary: Finally, Tertiary Attributes are allowed a mere 3 dots to spread about.
* Now Skills must be handled. Skills are the abilities that build upon raw Attributes; a high Dexterity score improves the dice pool of Stealth, for example. The system used for them works in the same way as attributes, however.
** ST Note: Just as with Attributes, no Skill may be above four at character creation; a PC may not have more than two Skills at four.
: - Primary: A Skill group designated as primary is given 11 dots to spread around the three categories.
: - Secondary: Secondary Skills are given 7 dots to spread about in the three categories.
: - Tertiary: Finally, Tertiary Skills are allowed a mere 4 dots to spread about.
* All players begin with 7 dots to spread among Merits of his or her choosing. Merits are incredibly varied, and certain combinations can be game-breaking. This is why they will be allowed/disallowed on a case-by-case basis. This has nothing to do with the player, nor is it meant as a slight on the player. It is simply to ensure game balance.
* Every player begins with 3 free specialties to be distributed as desired.
** Changelings, however, get an extra free specialty in either Athletics, Brawl, or Stealth.
* Finally, all players begin with 5 dots to spread around in Contracts.
** Note: At least two of these dots must be spent in either Court or Seeming Contract affinities.
** Note: A fifth dot may NOT be purchased at creation.
* Every player begins with 7 Clarity. Clarity may be lowered for more experience points, but this is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, it can be quite crippling, and is not recommended for new players. Please speak with an ST if this is the course of action you would like to take.
* Every player begins at Wyrd 1.
** Beginning at Wyrd 1 means that a player starts with 10 Glamour. This goes up by 1 per point of Wyrd.
* Here is the fun part. Players are allowed to flesh out the beginning statistics of a character with 35 experience points to spend however one wishes.
* Note: Only 1-dot Goblin Contracts may be purchased at creation. Period.
** As repeated above, no Attribute or Skill may be over 4 at starting.
** Also, no player may have more than 2 Attributes at 4 or 2 Skills at 4.
* Here is an experience point spend table for ease of use; have fun!
* Note: Please keep track of all experience spends on the sheet! If this is not done, you'll have to start over.
Trait 	Cost
Attribute 	New Dots x 5
Skill 	New Dots x 3
Skill Specialty 	3
Contract (Goblin) 	Dots x 3
Contracts (Affinity) 	New Dots x 4
Contracts (Non-Affinity)	New Dots x 6
Merit 	New Dots x 2
Wyrd+ 	New Dots x 8
Clarity 	New Dots x 3
Willpower 	8
* + Note: Wyrd may only be raised to 2 total for a starting character.
* Note: No character may start out in an Entitlement. HOWEVER: Please place the Entitlement desired on the character sheet! This ensures that the entitlement may be earned in-character through personal storyline. We hope to make the game more fun and the Entitlements seem more interesting in this manner.
* Note: For a Progressive Merit such as a fighting style, new dots does not mean a 3 point merit costs 6 experience points. Each point must be purchased individually, which means that a 3 point merit is 2 + 4 + 6 experience points: 10 total.
** However, a static Merit is purchased at the base cost. A three point static merit costs a mere 6 experience points, not 10
* Note: Willpower may not exceed a Character's Composure + Resolve score.
* Finally, there are a few extra additions that will need to be filled in on the sheet before it may be considered completely finished. Here is a quick cheat sheet on how to fill them out properly!
: - Defense: This is equal to the character's Dexterity or Wits; whichever is lower.
: - Health: Health is equal to a character's Stamina plus Size. Most characters begin at Size 5.
: - Initiative: This is equal to a Character's Dexterity plus Composure.
: - Clarity: This always begins at 7.
: - Size: The base value for Size is 5.
: - Speed: This trait is a character's Strength plus Dexterity plus Species Factor (for an adult human being, that would be 5. For a child, that would be 3.)
: - Willpower: This is equal to a character's Composure + Resolve. It may not be raised above this number at any time.
* Please mark down any starting equipment the character may have, as well as how it was obtained. This also applies to living quarters.
* Finally, here is the most important part of the creation process: a background! A well thought-out background is encouraged, as it helps develop a more three-dimensional character and gives Storytellers more to work with in regards to personal storyline. Please make an effort to make your background something stunning; the effort will be reciprocated.
Wonderful! It would appear that everything in regards to character creation has been completed. As stated earlier, simply save your character sheet and pop into #Darkling-Ops to show the link to a Storyteller. If no one is there, simply wait for one to arrive. Your sheet will be gone over and if there are any questions, you will be spoken to in the Ops room about whatever the stipulation may be. Feel free to remain in the OOC room, #Darkling-Thrush, until such a time as the character might be opped. Have fun and enjoy.All game information contained herein is property of White Wolf; it is simply reproduced here for ease of use.