Character Creation

[This is a work in progress]
The main step to create a character in WoD is to decide what kind of supernatural you want to be. This guide has general steps for every supernatural and then sections where it will provide detailed information on the particulars of each supernatural being. 
= Step by step =
This section is the part that you can use for any type of supernatural.
==== Concept ====
The first thing to know is what you want to create. This could be something as simple as a sentence "An undead mage, a lone wolf, etc." to a fully fledged description. The second step would be determining what type of supernatural you want to be. It could be a Changeling, Garou, Ghoul, Witch Hunter, Mage, Revenant, Vampire or Wraith. Each type of supernatural has their own subgroup. These can be something like an Arcane Tradition, Tribe, Bloodline or other.
Once you come up with this, it is your time to decide the character's Nature and Demeanor. The Nature of your character is who they truly are, what they are on the inside below all the masks and lies. Your character's Demeanor is who they pretend to be. Their demeanor defines how they would act in front of those that they should not open to.
==== Attributes ====
These are the physical, social and mental aspects of your character. They determine how well your character is capable of doing a task without having any training in them. A character's attributes are divided in three tiers, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Every character unless otherwise stated has one starting dot on each attribute and then distributes 7/5/3 points among the primary, secondary and tertiary group respectively.
Ghouls and Revenants start with 6/4/3 dots to divide among their Primary, Secondary and Tertiary attributes.
==== Abilities ====
Like with attributes, there are three groups: Talents, Skills and Knowledges. Select Primary, Secondary and Tertiary groups and distribute 13/9/5. At this stage no Ability score can go beyond 3, although you can do that later with freebie points.
Ghouls and Revenants start with 11/7/4 to divide among their Primary, Secondary and Tertiary abilities.
==== Advantages ====
These are the character's Backgrounds and their powers. There is a section for each character's supernatural powers, which go under different names depending on the supernatural power, but backgrounds are common to all of them. Unless otherwise stated, every character should be able to access all the background options at the Storyteller's discretion (It would not make much sense for a Werewolf to have access to the Generation background, would it?).
Lupines and Vampires have 5 Background points to spend, while Mages have 7. Additionally, Lupines may have some restricted backgrounds determined by their tribe.
==== Finishing Touches ====
One of the last things that vampire characters must do is choosing your character's virtues. Put seven points in your character's Conscience, Self-Control and Courage. These scores will determine different aspects of your character, which can be seen in the individual section, but every character's Courage will determine their initial Willpower. Mages don't have virtues, but they start with 5 Willpower. Werewolf characters don't have actual virtues either, and their Tribe determines starting Willpower.
Finally, you have 15 freebie points that you can spend according to this table. If the Storyteller allows it, you can also chose Merits and Flaws to spend and gain more freebie points. The amount of freebie points you can gain from Flaws cannot exceed 7. Remember that freebie points are only used to raise the things that you already had. You cannot buy new Disciplines with freebie points if you hadn't put any points in them and the same goes for Abilities or other stats.
Freebie Points	Freebie Points
Trait 	Cost
Attributes 	5 per dot
Abilities 	2 per dot
Background 	1 per dot
Virtue 	2 per dot
Willpower 	1 per dot
Arete 	4 per dot
Discipline 	7 per dot*
Gifts 	7 per Gift (Level 1 only)
Gnosis 	2 per dot
Humanity 	1 per dot
Quintessence 	1 per four dots
Rage 	1 per dot
Spheres 	7 per dot
*Ghouls and Revenants must pay 10 freeby points for ta Discipline dot
== Character creation for each supernatural ==
=== For Garou ===
Garou have additional steps that decide the powers that Gaia bestows upon them. 
While in the Concept phase, you have to decide your Auspice, your Breed and your Tribe. Your Auspice is the phase of the moon with which your Garou feels more attuned with. Your Auspice will determine your starting Rage. As you saw before, you can increase the Rage by spending freebie points. You must also select your Breed, which is the original "race" your Garou belongs to before becoming a shapeshifter. Your Breed gives you your starting Gnosis. Finally, you must choose your tribe, that being the group of Garou you belong to. Each tribe has a different code of conduct and mentality and will determine your starting Willpower.
Additionally, each Garou gains three starting gifts. They are gifts that they must choose from their Tribe, Auspice and Breed. They could spend freebie points to get more Gifts from their list of available Gifts.
=== For Mages ===
Mages have to decide on their Avatar's personality. There are four types of avatars, Dynamic (ever-changing, willing to constantly experiment new things), Pattern (eager to make things that have a long-lasting value), Primordial (old like time itself and impredictable) and Questing (an immortal Galahad who has a cause to fight for). These work similar to the character's Nature and Demeanor, but it is mostly controlled by the Storyteller. Normally, a mage and their Avatar get along, the Avatar teaching the mage about manipulating reality. The Avatar's personality or Essence will be the determining factor in how they interact with the mage.
Additionally, a mage has other scores. Quintessence is the amount of "raw magick" they can store within themselves, and makes it easier to manipulate reality. Additionally, they have a score called Arete. This is their aptitude at using Magick, just like a Thaumaturge rolling Willpower, a mage rolls their Arete when performing a magickal feat. Every mage begins the game with one dot in Arete and they can buy more dots with freebie points, although it is advised that they don't have any more than three dots in Arete.
Finally, a Mage uses the Spheres to alter reality. Knowing from a sphere means being able to control everything that that sphere encases. A mage starts with one dot in the sphere of their tradition. Hollow ones put a dot wherever they want. A mage can increase their Sphere score up to 3 by spending freebie points.
=== For Ghouls and Revenants ===
Revenant and ghouls have the same creation process as vampires, described below, except for the lesser amount of Attribute, Ability and Discipline dots. Sabbat ghouls and Revenants start with 5 virtue dots instead of 7.
Ghouls and Revenants start with 1 dot in Potence and 1 dot in one of their regnant's or family's clan Disciplines. Additionally, the Storyteller may allow the Ghoul or Revenant to give up their dot in Potence and instead get a second dot in their regnant or family's disciplines.
=== For Vampires ===
Vampires select what clan they belong to during character creation. Their clan will determine their Weakness and their starting Disciplines. Caitiff vampires get to chose their three initial Disciplines.
Vampires also have Virtues, which represent their ability to restrain their Beast, their remorse and their courage. Assign seven points between the three Virtues, Self-Control, Conscience and Courage. These will determine their Humanity score (Self-Control+Conscience) and Willpower (Courage). Some vampires follow Paths of Enlightenment, which may alter their Virtues, replacing Self-Control by Instinct and Conscience. Vampires that start with a Path of Enlightenment cannot start with a Path rating higher than 4 unless the Storyteller allows so.
Vampires that level up virtues with freebie points don't get their Humanity or Willpower scores up.
Category:Mechanics