Character Creation

Each Player interacts with the worlds of Irreverent RPG through their character. This section outlines how to build that character. Following the exact order of the outline is recommended, but certainly not required.

## Concept

First, spend some time considering the concept and theme of the character you wish to play as. Remember to consider the world the GM has created and try to make it fit in consistently with that. Your concept could be as simple as "Courageous Knight" or more complex such as "Frontier settler who dabbles in witchcraft to keep himself wealthy." Whatever your ideas, make sure to run it by your GM so you can get full approval to move forward with your character. You may also wish to discuss the role your character will play within the team with the other Players. Make sure your character has some sort of driving force or predisposition to adventure and at least a tolerable attitude toward teamwork. No one wants to play a game with a loner or coward too afraid to do anything.

*Character example: As a Player, Jessica has decided she wants to play Miriam, a songstress who is as sharp with her tongue as she is with her blade.*

## Backgrounds

Before they became an adventurer, your character had history. Feel free to write out as much or little as you need to get a good grip on where your character was before the game began. However, there are some mechanical requirements in Irreverent RPG to allow your character's past experiences contribute to the game. At creation, each character receives 6 Background Points to spend on their Backgrounds. Each Background should have a Name to identify it and 2-3 short sentences to concisely describe what that Background meant for the character. You must then assign at least 1 Background Point to the Background. For every point assigned to the Background, your character gains 1 Competency in that Background. Competency represents how much expertise your character gained in that particular Background. You may create as many Backgrounds for your character as you wish, so long as you assign at least 1 Background Point to each, and no Background may be assigned more than 5 Background Points. See Backgrounds for more information.

*Character example: Jessica gives Miriam two Backgrounds and puts 4 Background Points in the first and 2 in the second. Miriam's first Background is "Actress: Performed musical plays in front of large crowds. Memorized lines and difficult choreography. Attended important social events on the arms of wealthy merchants." Her second is "Cook: Kept a small tavern fed. Kept the books for ordering food and setting prices." Jessica feels inspired, so she writes up another couple paragraphs on how Miriam started life poor and it wasn't until someone noticed her singing that her life took off. These details are good, but don't count for the mechanical aspect of Backgrounds.*

## Race

While some worlds may only have a single type of playable character race, most fantasy worlds are full of diverse races. Choose a race that appeals to you and your character. See Races for a list of all currently supported races, although a GM can create many of their own. Race gives your character Speed and a small ability.

*Character example: Jessica sees Miriam as a Half-Elf, so she writes this down along with the Haf-Elf's ability: {[TODO]}*

## Skill Paths

A character's abilities and powers come from their choice of Skill Paths. Choose 7 Skill Paths for your character. Once you have picked all 7, write down all the Stat bonuses granted by the Level 1 of each Skill Path. Sum up any bonuses gained to the same stat. Remember to calculate your secondary stats first, then your primary. Once all your stats are calculated, write down your starting stats and abilities or spells gained from Skill Paths on your character sheet. If this is your first time ever playing, it is recommended to take at least 1 Weapon Skill Path, 1 Armor Skill Path, 1 or 2 Expert Skill Paths, and the rest as desired. This should give your character enough stats to be able to interact well with most aspects of the game.

*Character example: Jessica knows her first few choices are easy. She picks up Swords, Flexible Armor, Inspiring Words, and Haunting Voice without much hesitation. She decides she really wants to lean in to the supporting role aspect of Miriam, so she also adds Helpful Aura to her list. She still gets two more Skill Paths, so Jessica chooses Melody Magic and Blade Imbuement to give Miriam a more arcane focus.*

## Finishing Touches

Your character is almost complete. To finish it, write down other important details about your character and how they fit into the world. Describe them physically: include the basics like eye and hair color, but also try to point out anything distinguishing like a scar, tattoo, or particularly fluffy clothing. Give your character a reason to care about the world they are in. Give them a flaw or two. Try to make them real enough to you that you know how they would act, or could figure it out, for any situation.