Chapter 2: Character Creation
From Summoner
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Character Creation
Returning home had been hard. He’d left with ambitions, convictions, and purpose. On those angry streets, filled with smoke and empty of people, he found despair, doubt, and death. When he signed on, he did it because he believed. He was America. He was freedom. He was safety and right. He was good.
Now, he didn’t know what he was. What anything was.
Reading through his mail, he smoked. He’d picked up the habit overseas. His old buddy called it the soldier’s suicide. Leo just liked the taste. He didn’t know where that old buddy had ended up, but Leo knew that, wherever he was, he smoked more than Leo ever would. As he pored through bills and notices, he came across a hand-written envelope, taller but shorter than the rest. The address was his old house, the one where his ex-wife lives. He was a husband. He was a father. Now, someone else was both.
Inside was a Hallmark card. A simple print of flowers were on the front. He opened it, and the smell of wax rose up to meet him. In crayon, he saw himself. Crude as it was, it was him. And he was smiling, waving a flag. And in large, careful print, he saw the words: My daddy is a hero.
Something stirred in Leo, and he acted as if in a dream not entirely his own. He cast the card into the ashtray and lit a match. Words not his own escaped his lips. He closed his eyes. He dropped the match.
Leo opened his eyes, and as the moment shattered, he found that he was not alone.
Long hair rose and danced in the air, living flames bound by a golden halo. Her skin was ashen pale, as tongues of flame licked with thirst from her eyes, her lips, her wrists. Armor that gleamed with pride and glory was shattered in places, leaving pure, innocent flesh beneath exposed. And yet her frame spoke of power, and her banner, though tattered and singed, held a sharp and wicked point. When she spoke, her voice was soft, but a furnace roared in its wake.
« Ne craignez pas. Je suis vous. Vous étés moi. Ensemble, nous allons a Dieu. Réjouissez! «
In a great wave of flame and power, she was gone, as abruptly as she’d arrived. Though the vision faded, the feeling of warmth remained. The card was still there. His cigarette has ashed down to a nub. He saw the words again: My daddy is a hero.
He knew them to be true. Now, Leo knew.
He only wish he knew French.
Step 1: Character Concept
Every character must first have a concept, an imagining of who he or she "is". And in a game of this nature, the concept guides every step of the character's development. A beginning concept could be as simple as "beat cop", "penitent teen", or "magazine journalist", but is likely to grow and mature as more traits are assigned and the numbers turn into a living, breathing person, with strengths, shortcomings, and quirks.The concept can either lead to or be influenced by later choices of affinity Arcana. A cop with Justice tendencies is obvious...but one also ruled by the Devil can lead to interesting complications...
Step 2: Select Attributes
As per the World of Darkness rulebook.
Step 3: Select Skills
As per the World of Darkness rulebook.
Step 4: Select Skill Specialties
As per World of Darkness rulebook.
Step 5: Add Summoner Template
Trumps
Each Summoner has certain natural tendencies to his point of view. These are made manifest by an expressed Affinity for certain themes that have been codified into the Major Arcana of the tarot deck. As a further distinction, each of these Arcana are further separated into Trumps.
The Trump is, in essence, the way in which a Summoner defines herself. Upon Drawing the Fool, the Summoner's soul makes a declaration that is written upon the Ego of the newly awakened. This perspective establishes the basis for that Summoner's initial development, and the nature of his first Alter Self.
Trump determines one of three of the character's Affinity Arcana, as well as their favored Art. Based on the Trump, the character also receives a free specialty in one of three Skills that touch on the themes of their Trump.
Estates
Many Summoners take part in loosely connected factions called Estates, but do so for a variety of reasons. Some simply rely on the support that a strong base of allies can present against the many threats to their Ego that they face on a daily basis. Others find that a given Estate matches their ambitions perfectly, and dedicate themselves to these groups as a part of their expression of self. Regardless of reason, each Estate offers information, resources, training, or supernatural boons that would be difficult or impossible to acquire otherwise.
Each estate is tied to one of the Minor Arcana, and offers access to special Arts tied to these concepts. They guard these secrets carefully, if only because Summoners usually find it difficult to trust or relate with others in the first place. When a Summoner makes a commitment, those secrets are often kept as a part of their self-definition. There are, of course, exceptions, but those make for engaging stories in and of themselves.
Ego
The act of summoning the Alter Self is not done by reaching out to any part of the universe. There are no special chants, no incantations of real power. The true source of the power of a Summoner is himself, and that power manifests into what many of their number refer to as Ego. The strength of this Ego determines the limits on the power of their Alter Self, and how much they can express their Id into the various Arts and Definitions that Summoners can perform. It represents how much they can draw on their unique identity in times of need. Characters with a high Ego know who they are in a deep and meaningful sense. They may not be happy with it, and may still fight to change the things they dislike about themselves...but they cannot look away. When they see themselves in the mirror, they are aware of every detail. Characters with low Ego are still uncertain of themselves, and have difficulty translating their identity into power. Many find themselves either uncomfortable in their own skins or unable to see their nature as a source of power.
a
All starting Summoners receive a single dot of Ego to represent the pivotal moment of Drawing the Fool. At character creation, three starting merit points may be spent per additional point of Ego, up to Ego 3, to represent a focus on strengthening one's identity.
Id
Id represents the desire to achieve a goal because that goal is somehow intrinsic to one's identity. "Because I am me, I will do this" is the silent declaration made when a point of Id is spent. Id isn't measured in dots, and is spent and gained over time for various Arts, Definitions, and to draw on aspects of the Alter Self in times of need. A character begins play with full Id; methods to regain it will be explained in a later section.
Arts
When a Summoner first comes into his own, he quickly finds instruction in the beginnings of the Arts, methods of drawing on their Alter Self for additional effect. This can be taught by a mentor, hidden tomes, secretive text messages, or even from one's own Alter Self. A character begins play with three dots in Arts, with at least one dot placed into the Art that has affinity with his Trump.
Definitions
As an alternative to the more direct Arts, the player may also purchase a single dot in Definitions, which are rituals to create unique changes in the world based on the power of Ego. Coincidence, rumor, consensus, Schrodinger's Cat...these sorts of effects are reliably manipulated by one with the proper Definitions. Each dot comes with a free ritual.
Step 6: The Alter Self
The primary weapon of the Summoner is his Alter Self. As his power grows, so does the nature of his spiritual alter ego. Each Alter Self has its own appearance, personality, and sense of humor. There can be common themes, especially with the powers of certain Arts, but once an Alter Self is expressed, it takes on a nature all its own. It is the character's reflection from a single facet, the most powerful and prominent of the many masks he wears.
Step 1: Concept
The most important aspect of an Alter Self, the player must select the Arcanum, name, and general nature of the spirit that is drawn out from the character's ego. Note that this can be quite a surprise, or even a disturbing shock to a character. Imagine the beloved father and fire-and-brimstone preacher who finds his Alter Self to be an Chariot demon, a hateful monster drenched in someone else's blood, with a penchant for poetry and Scripture...
Step 2: Attributes
An Alter Self begins with nine points to spread out between Power, Finesse, and Resistance
Step 3: Influences
An Alter Self gains 2 dots in Influences, and a free dot of Influence in the Alter Self's arcanum.
Step 4: Numina and Ego Points
Each Alter Self gets two Numina for free, from the approved list. A Summoner gets a number of points equal to their total possible Id to assign to the purchase of Attributes(2x new dots points), Numina (3 points), Influences (new dots in points), and additional Bonuses(see W:tF totems.)
Step 5: Assign Bonuses
An Alter Self can grant a Summoner and even his allies additional power in their everyday lives. This can be expressed in additional Attributes, Skills, the effects of some Arts, Id, or Willpower. See The Alter Self for details.
Step 6: Assign Strengths/Weaknessnes
Each Alter Soul gains a single Strength and Weakness automatically. These fall under broad categories like Fire, Guns, or Mind Control. Treat each Strength like the character has already spent a Willpower to resist the effect. For a weakness, the attacker gains the benefit of a spent Willpower automatically, after all other bonuses and penalties.
Step 7: Finishing Touches
Record Willpower(Resistancex2), Id, Speed(Power+Finesse+Size modifier), Defence(Equal to higher of Power or Finesse), and Corpus (Resistance + Size)
Step 7: Merits
As per the World of Darkness rulebook, though Summoners cannot possess the Unseen Sense Merit.
Step 8: Advantages
Willpower: As per the World of Darkness rulebook.
Identity: This Advantage replaces the standard Morality trait in the World of Darkness core rulebook, with additional sins specific to the nature of Summoners.
Virtue and Vice: As per the World of Darkness rulebook.
Step 9: Spark of Life
One of the core questions to the theme and feel of Summoner is Why. Once traits are put down to paper, put some thought into what each dot can do to expand the character? Why does he have 2, and not 1, or even 3 in Firearms? Was he content with competence? Did he try for competitive shooting and barely manage to hit targets, much less compete? Is he a terrible shot who practiced for hours a day? These little questions can build up the details that make a character truly memorable, and bleed into the mechanics of the game in the form of Alter Selves.
Then, look further, into questions not answered by a character sheet? What is your character's hair color? His favorite food? His best subject? The smallest thing can add depth and texture to a character. Think of all the tiny, insignificant things that get you going. Your character has them too, but his own. From a framework, build a person, and from that person, you can build a compelling story.
The Prelude
"Don't be such a baby, Drake. It's just a game. Are you scared of a little board?" Helena was a bitch, but Drake wanted her. Really wanted her, and not in some stupid high school way. He wanted to wrap his fingers into her lush, red hair and tie those fingers into knots. He wanted to yank her face into his teeth and maul her with kisses. He wanted to break her body with his. She played with him like he was a pet. Drake was barely barely restraining a beast.
Together, they touched hands along the Oija pointer. Mark was a dick, Drake thought, and was only there to use Helena like a rag in Drake's own house. Lisa was a waste. She was there to watch Mark do it, and wish she was writhing under him. Drake hated them both, and hated Helena the most. He wanted her, wanted what she didn't have to give. As the board moved, he faded out. He knew what he wanted from that wicked, hateful thing. He wanted her innocence.
"M...I...N...O...S?" Lisa blinked, and everyone stared at each other. "Do you know anybody named My-Nose, Helena? Apparently, he likes you..." Everyone turned to look at Drake, but Drake wasn't seeing them anymore.
Take time to consider the events that led up to the pivotal Drawing the Fool. A symbolic covenant is made to call out the Alter Self? Did your character literally draw a card at random, only to find he drew a blank, or worse, a Joker that he never had? Did he sign away on a record deal, enlistment papers...or was there a true contract, written in blood? Did he Draw the Fool as a child and forget the truth until it arose? Did it come in dream? And what then, what comes after?
Running through introductory stories with a Storyteller is a great way to finetune dots on a sheet, and to continue the fleshing out done earlier in this step.
Storytelling Advice
Important Character Questions
Traits
New Advantage: Ego
Within everyone, there is ego. It is the part of our natures that run the balance between the definitions and desires of the World, as opposed to our own selfish wants and needs. It served as both a stabilizer and a limiter on the soul, or so the Wand Peasants theorize. Most egos remain dormant, passive thing, a greater part of the tapestry of the World. A rare few, due to some stimulus or threat, awaken to a higher self, taking on a true, conscious Ego. They define who they are, and neither their wants nor the World's impositions will hold them back.
Gaining dots in this advantage represents a growing comfort with exerting one's self against both inner and outer controls, allowing the Summoner to exert greater control over the World itself through Arts and Alter Selves. Even the limits of human potential begin to fade as Ego allows a Summoner to redefine his personal 'human definition'.
New characters begin with a single dot of Ego, to represent the gunshot against the World's whispers that is Drawing the Fool. More dots can be purchased at character generation at the cost of three Merit dots each. After character generation, the purchase must be rationalized. The character must know who they are, at least more than they previously did. This can be expressed in many ways, however, from literal epiphanies to a more general 'readiness to act'.
As a Summoner's Ego grows, so does her capacity to express himself, both as one aspect and in multiple facets at once. While she only has one 'primary' Alter Self at a time, the Summoner may bear an additional number of Selves as her Ego expands. Also, the limits of the Alter Self's traits expand as Ego grows, allowing for greater concepts to be expressed without overwhelming the Summoner's being.
Lastly, Ego's unique nature grants a Summoner additional defense against the powers of other supernatural creatures. The more Ego the Summoner possesses, the more dice he can roll to resist supernatural effects.
The Danger of Ego
As Ego grows to its heights, Ego begins to define a person more than the World ever could. This has a profound effect on a Summoner's potential, but also removes some of the security that being 'part of the system' allows. As a Summoner's Ego grows, he finds that the safe island of 'good conscience' begins to erode, allowing doubt to reach into him and develop into derangements. The normal rule that derangements cannot be applies to Morality of 7 or above begins to fade away from their Identity.
Also, as Ego grows, so does the ability to define reality as the Summoner perceives it or wishes it to be, rather than to perceive truth. As time goes on, it becomes more difficult for Summoners to resist degeneration.
| Ego | Max Att/Skill | Id/Per Turn | Max Att/AS | Erosion | Number of Souls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 10/1 | 5 | -1 | 2 |
| 2 | 5 | 11/2 | 6 | -1 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | 12/3 | 7 | -2 | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | 13/4 | 8 | -2 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | 14/5 | 9 | -3 | 6 |
| 6 | 6 | 15/6 | 10 | -3 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | 20/7 | 12 | 7 Lost | 8 |
| 8 | 8 | 30/8 | 15 | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | 9 | 50/10 | 19 | 9 | 10 |
| 10 | 10 | 100/15 | 25 | 10 | 12 |
New Advantage: Id
Ego opens new horizons to a Summoner's World, but he has limits. He possess a finite amount of energy to enforce his Ego against the world, and this is presented through Id, or life energy. There are rumors of stranger emanations from the Ego that serve a similar function, but they are just that: rumors. Any Wand Peasant, however, will tell you that rumors aren't something to be discounted when dealing with the strange nightmares of the Mirror.
Id is measured in points, and can be spent at the same time as Willpower. A number of points of Id can be spent per turn, based on the user's Ego trait. A point of Id can be used to:
- Activate an Art. Some Arts require the use of Id to reinforce their mystic techniques.
- Activate a Symbol. Feeding your own identity into these objects gives them a resonant moment with your own Ego, bringing their odd powers to life.
- Draw Out the Alter Self. A point of Id can call forth an Alter Soul and give them a brief time as material beings.
- Empower Numina. Certain Numina require the use of Id to bring into effect, or can be further strengthened by the expenditure. The Summoner must spend Id for his Alter Soul.
- Assert Identity. A Summoner may continue in the face of dangers and pains, beyond normal mortal limits. A point of Id can remove a single level of bashing damage. Lethal or aggravated damage cannot be affected thus.
Spend Id can be recovered in numerous ways. A Summoner can store varying points of Id based on his Ego. (See chart.)
- At Storyteller discretion, up to 3 points of Id can be regained between stories, to represent downtime.
- Id can be regained by satisfying the nature of the Alter Self, a character's most prominent expression. Only one's 'primary' Alter Self can be used in such a manner. To satify the Alter Self's nature, the character must spend a scene satisfying either it's Virtue or Vice (which can differ from the character's). Doing so restores between one and three points of Id, depending on the depth and meaning of the indulgence or virtuous action, up to Storyteller decision.
- Whenever a character significantly upholds his identity, the Storyteller may reward the character with an additional point of Id.
- Demons and Alter Selves may have their own stores of Id, which can be granted and harvested with the appropriate Arts. Certain 'safe' places in the Mirror also naturally hoard free Id.
- A more troubling way to regain Id, certain Arts allow for Id to be drawn from other beings. Devouring from a human is an Identity sin of 5.
Merits
Commitment (O to OOOOO)
This Merit represents a bond between a Summoner and his Alter Self that goes beyond the usual. As long as the Summoner possesses that Alter Self, he may apply his dots in Commitment as additional Id when calculating the demon's traits. Each dot of Commitment counts as 3 additional points to spend, which can be banked to save for later powers. These dots are tied to a single Alter Self, and are lost if that demon is either lost, exchanged, or fused. However, if this Self metamorphoses naturally as a character's Ego improves, these points are not lost.
Language: Babel (O to OOO)
The Summoner can speak the tongue of raw thought and concept, a language that is occulted from the minds of common folk. When this language is written or spoken, it looks and sounds like a foreign language unknown to the listener, unless the listener also speaks Babel. Which language they see or hear is dependent entirely on the language they would expect to hear.
Speaking this tongue to demons, who naturally speak Babel fluently (but can bend it enough to make themselves understood anyway, when they want to), it may offer slight bonuses, at Storyteller discretion.
Vicious (OOO)
Requirement: Ego 2
The Summoner possesses a second Vice, and may use it appropriately. Without moderation, this can make the Summoner into a rather petty and indulgent being, however, and may unnerve some people. This Merit may be purchased repeatedly, but a Summoner may have no more Vices than his dots of Ego.
Virtuous (OOO)
Requirement: Ego 2
Either by the nature of their awakening, or through interaction with an Alter Self, the Summoner has developed a second Virtue. Though the Summoner may be a better person for it, the effect can still make less virtuous people uneasy.This Merit may be purchased repeatedly, but a Summoner may have no more Virtues than his dots of Ego.
Trumps
The "born" group, including the differing Arcana.
Estates
The "joined" group, their philosophies, and their opinions on the outside world.
