Thematically this could be a father passing on his sword and titles to his son, a young woman finding the magical staff of a long dead hero while exploring a cave, or anything else that might kickstart a new adventure.
This guidebook provides mechanical support for this type of role playing. Character customization offers four races, nine classes, six homelands, four lifestyles, and seven vocations for crafting items.
It also offers seven main attributes, fourteen skills, a variety of talents other games may call these feats , and dozens of special powers. Characters grow in level, become more powerful and learn new abilities by earning experience points. They earn these points by completing quests and encounters.
Game sessions vary in length depending on the number of players and how you like to play. Session length is only limited by the players. The game can be played in one-shot adventures or weekly continuous campaigns.
Happy gaming! For decades, Marvel Comics' superhero group the Avengers have captured the imagination of millions, whether in comics, multi-billion dollar grossing films or video games. Similar to the chronology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers video games first started with titles driven by single characters, like Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor and Captain America. Over time, the games grew to include more and more heroes, culminating in playing experiences that featured the Avengers assembled.
This is the first-ever book assessing the video games starring "Earth's Mightiest Heroes. All video games are covered in depth, with each entry including game background and a detailed review from the author. Some game entries also include behind-the-scenes knowledge from the developers themselves, providing exclusive details on the Marvel video game universe. In the chaos caused by this political upheaval, a shadowy conspiracy seeks the mysteries buried under the sands of Egypt, not sparing any who stand in the way of their ambitions.
One such aggrieved individual, Bayek, a Medjay from Siwa, now seeks revenge against this secret organization. Ultimately going back to the origins of the Assassin's Brotherhood, Assassin's Creed Origins is a rebirth of the Assassin's Creed franchise, adding a vast open world, a revamped combat system and RPG elements to the prolific stealth-action series.
This is the major plot hook that keeps your party together. You can use that same storytelling lever to deepen and make more complex your existing relationships.
This exercise will help you create character goals and enlist specific party members to aid you. Some of these activities will bring two characters closer together; others will drive them apart. Ask different party members to perform the exercise in order to create new connections.
I Need This should be related to a personal goal your character consciously pursues. Something related to your backstory or main character arc is perfect for this. It should be narrow in scope, a goal that could realistically be accomplished in a few sessions.
Some good examples are:. I might have to: choose one Convince him this is a righteous cause Pay her with a favor in kind Do something to earn their respect Reveal a secret about myself to her. I Long For This should be a desire your character is not consciously aware of.
It is a long-term character transformation that might play out over a significant period. It may be a goal that is completely unattainable but is interesting to chase after.
Status dictates how different characters view and treat one another. It can be based on concrete factors such as social standing, material wealth, physical power, and age, or it can be determined by subtle factors like character motivation, personal history, or physical attraction.
This section will help you unpack some of the methods you can use to play with status. This number represents their status. Here are some examples of what might give someone a high status or a low status. High Status This person is trustworthy. This person is strong.
This person is wise. You would not want to risk upsetting this person. There is an advantage in keeping this person happy. This person possesses valuable skills. This person is attractive. This person is charming. This person has shown courage. This is someone you want to impress. Her opinion matters. He holds power in society.
Low Status This person is weak. Her opinion is uninformed. They cannot be trusted. When push comes to shove, she will back down. This person is easy to fool. There is much this person cannot see. This person is a deviant.
This person is likely to embarrass himself and others. Upsetting this person carries no real consequences. This person is ugly. This person does not express herself well.
This person is a coward. Based on those statements, try picking a number for each character in your party. This does not tell you if a character is good or bad, but it does give a clue as to how other characters treat her, him, or them.
Agreement One of the most difficult things for new players to negotiate is which character in a given scene has high status. In a game all the players are protagonists, and for the most part, we are conditioned to expect protagonists to overcome obstacles.
When everyone in a scene agrees who has high and low status, it can make it easier to choose how to play out that scene. Imagine an adventuring party is making a purchase from a merchant. The scene has different possibilities based on who has high status. The merchant will attempt to keep the party in the shop. The merchant may offer unprompted gifts or compliments.
The merchant may be dismissive, impatient, or openly hostile as the party continues to shop. Playing into low status by bursting into tears might. Recognizing what status you bring to the table in any situation will help you avoid roadblocks in storytelling.
Transformation Status is not set in stone and can evolve as a story progresses and characters grow. The captain of the watch who originally dismissed your party members as rabble-rousers may grow to respect them after they save the town from danger. A troublesome vizier might become accommodating and demure if he worries you have compromising evidence against them.
Your party might treat the fighter differently once it discovers she is the princess in disguise. Transformation can play out slowly as major elements of the story unfold and your party grows in strength. It can also shift quickly within a scene when new information is revealed.
To change status, you have to introduce information that changes the scene. Actions That Would Not Change Status Threats that the merchant believes could not reasonably be carried out Attempts to appeal to qualities the merchant has not displayed Offers of goods the merchant has no need for Promises of fame or renown that mean nothing to the merchant. Being aware of your status lets you control the momentum of social scenes by knowing how to move forward. Answer the prompts to create deep motivations for your character.
Your breath is shallow and ragged. Your joints cry and ache. Every physical part of you longs to lie down and rest, come what may. Without a Clue The trail is cold. Following every clue has led you back to the same place of uncertainty from which you started. You can feel icy dread creeping over you as you consider the possibility of reexamining everything that brought you to this point. What physical object do you instinctively reach for in this moment?
What comfort does it bring? Lost Your Way In the pursuit of righting wrongs, the line between good and evil has become blurred. You have done things you could never have imagined doing before, but you are not sure if that crossed a line.
What words guide you toward your moral center? Who said them? Facing the Unknown You are faced with a locked chest deep within a dungeon. On your journey down, you have faced many clever traps and seen valuable rewards. Social Unrest You and your party are facing a serious problem and cannot agree on a solution. You have argued until you are blue in the face, and the temptation to go your own way is strong. What moment from your past makes you try again to reach the other members?
Pick details to inspire you and use them to answer the prompts. Choose a Size for Your Town Metropolis A sprawling city with thousands, perhaps millions of inhabitants. People and goods from many different places around the globe make their way through a place like this.
Despite being surrounded by people, it is easy to feel alone and lost here. Wealth and poverty live beside each other in stark juxtaposition. Infrastructure is vast and almost impossible for a single person to comprehend.
Town Home to hundreds or perhaps even a thousand inhabitants. Although there is a sharp social division between the ruling and serving classes, no one is separated by more than two or three degrees. Even the people not known to you by name are familiar in appearance. There are many organized institutions that make life in this place possible.
Village Home to at most a few hundred. It is easily possible to know everyone by name and profession. There can be no real anonymity because anyone trying to conceal her or his business quickly becomes known for being mysterious. Settlement is permanent, if disorganized. Many structures are grouped together out of convenience rather than careful planning. Tribe Home to at most a few dozen. Civic and familial bonds are blurred. Community obligations are approached with grave seriousness.
A tribe can be tied to a permanent location or an idea carried by nomadic people. Pack A small group. Even if not related by blood, members treat one another as family, with all the emotion, obligation, and loyalty that come with it.
A pack can weave in and out of larger communities or shun civilization altogether. Where Did You Call Home? For some characters this is a permanent room or residence. For others it is an abstract feeling about certain periods of safety and stability.
Finding those truths for your character will help you understand how he or she approaches the concept of home on the road. Where did you most often sleep? Where Did People Socialize? There are places of merriment and relaxation everywhere. This exercise will examine one of particular importance to your character. Choose two: The hearth was always warm when the wind was cold. The music moves your heart even in memory. The owner was wise or at least gave advice as though he were.
The food was cooked with quiet pride. It always seemed to hold a dazzling glow. Being there faded the weight of obligation just enough. You watched more than you took part. Everything was watered down.
It drew the most dangerous thugs and criminals. You were often present but never welcome. The spell it cast wore off all too quickly. You risked everything to be there. You could never ignore where the money went. What was it officially titled? What Did People Respect? Where people assign their respect shows us what they value. To get an idea of the values held by the people of your hometown, select everything you believe is true. People respected. Are these values you hold today? Who Was in Charge?
Any collective is under the rule of some other force. Even those who reject rule by other creatures are subject to the will of law or nature. This exercise explores the relationship between your character and authority. The force in charge of your hometown: choose two Was a thing of power and majesty Never spoke but was always heard Ruled with wisdom Demanded loyalty Understood kindness Worked diligently Was controlled by another Earned your hatred Was the product of divine right.
It killed without thought. It made many mistakes. It aged and died. It was eventually overthrown. It expected much from me. Based on this experience, when you picture a ruler, what does he, she, or they look like? What Was Your Place? It is useless to know your character was a student, noble, or blacksmith if you do not understand how he or she feels about it.
Finding this will solidify what your character is running away from and toward. If you could return to this role, would you? Not if the chains of hell dragged me back. No, I am now unworthy. No, I am too important. Yes, with great sorrow. Yes, but this time would be different. Yes, with great pride. What are you willing to risk to discover the truth and aid a stranger? A hero might stop to try and help someone in need, exposing themselves to danger.
A less remarkable traveler might keep to themselves and stay safe. An unscrupulous wretch might take a risk only for personal gain. Every action has consequences, and the more time you spend, the greater the danger.
Choose your actions carefully and answer the prompts to see how your choices affect you. You find a body in the road. It is beginning to grow dark, and this region is dangerous at night. Identify Try to discover who this stranger might be.
Search for proof. The highwayman was shot with more than one arrow over the years and should have scars on his chest. Rolling 5 — 6 on a d6 confirms this hunch. Rolling 3 — 4 on a d6 confirms this hunch. The ranger saved a family from an attacking wolf a few years back and has a scar on his leg. Rolling 1 — 2 on a d6 confirms this hunch. Investigate What do you wish to examine? Read the parchment. I cannot claim that I was a noble soul, but I seek judgment only from my god.
Please take a coin from my pouch to place blood has blurred some words under my tongue, two coins to return to my blood obscures more and the rest as payment for your trouble.
You find coins: one gold, two silver, ten copper pieces. Investigate the holy symbol. They worship a god of fortune. The copper shield is a discontinued symbol denoting rank in the watch. It was discontinued because the simple design was too easy to counterfeit.
His hand is missing four fingers. The wound. This is most likely the result of the blow that killed this traveler. It could have been made with an unusual weapon or strange beastly appendage.
It is beyond your ability to know which. Whatever did this was tremendously strong. Most likely this stranger died quickly. The tattoo. This is an elaborate strip winding symbols and lines.
There appears to be a pattern to it, but it would take some time to work out the meaning. Based on what you were able to put together, this person must have been a high- ranking member. The hand. Although they have grown pale, the scars make you wince. The implement responsible for this must have been sharp and regular since the cut is clean.
This is to prevent ex-thieves from using their skills outside the guild. A person missing a single finger may simply be someone who retired early. A person missing four likely betrayed the guild to the law. Burn it to keep it from being ravaged by beasts. Cover it in rocks to mark its place. Dig a grave and perform a rite that your beliefs tell you brings the dead good fortune. Leave it to rot. Add ten to the roll for each hour spent exposed on the road.
If your roll goes above fifty, you are attacked by the thing that killed the traveler. Fight or flee. What, if anything, do you do with the possessions found on the body? Much of this book is addressed in the third person and it gives the feeling of a great attentive Game Master working out character creation you the reader as the player.
We should all be so lucky to have such a GM and we should all be such thoughtful and creative players. I want to DM a campaign and I want to play in a campaign. I want to pick through the guide for nuggets of inspiration, for added depth to my next game world. I can think of no better endorsement other than "this book will be used". Sadly, I can't say that for the vast majority of my gaming collection.
It shoots straight, it works for what it is, and it feels open. It will certainly help to kickstart ideas for characters, stories, and situations that pure RPGers can get behind. I could even picture indie developers who may not have their own creative resources, utilizing this book to flesh out characters in their RPGs.
I tried to be a bit critical and think what this book lacked. Not expected to be delivered to Germany by Christmas. Description Ramp up your role-playing game RPG and make your character your own with this fun, interactive workbook-an essential addition to any player's gaming kit.
You've chosen your class, bought your weapons, and rolled for your stats, and you're now the proud owner of your own RPG role-playing game avatar. But before you begin your adventure, there's so much more you can do with your character to make him or her your own! Just how evil is she? What does his dating profile look like? Where did she get that scar? What does he want for his birthday?
With fill-in-the blank narratives, prompts, and fun activities to help you customize your character at the start of the game, or build out your backstory as you play, The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Book will help you fully imagine your character and bring them to life for the ultimate gaming experience!
Other books in this series. Add to basket. The Dungeonmeister Cookbook Jef Aldrich. Review quote "Your character creating journey itself seems like a game, there's space available to write in the book which I feel helps add to pencil and paper feel to the famed tabletop RPGs! What I like about this book is even if you don't want to play with others, you could entertain yourself by creating characters for fun OR to help you create characters for a book or short story.
From what I've read so far, this book is pure fun. If someone like me who knows little to nothing about traditional RPG's could enjoy this book, then other newcomers to the genre and returning heroes from past fellowships will find something in this for them. I've found myself reaching for the book when trying to come up with a clever little something to fit into a character's backstory while writing a script, and have had other writers suggest they'd use it to do the same.
It's not only a useful tool for building and fleshing out characters, it's also written in an incredibly entertaining way, making it fun way to get the creative juices flowing. It may also be a great way to teach your children how to begin to establish their own role-playing characters and make for a fun night of creativity and adventure for the whole family.
Sadly, I can't say that for the vast majority of my gaming collection. I've found myself reaching for the book when trying to come up with a clever little something to fit into a character's backstory while writing a script, and have had other writers suggest they'd use it to do the same.
It's not only a useful tool for building and fleshing out characters, it's also written in an incredibly entertaining way, making it fun way to get the creative juices flowing. You may not use every exercise in this book, but they're all worth reading.
That isn't to say I had been playing wrong of course, just that I had not considered every option available, or what the best option actually was. This was another reason why the book was popular among players I shared it with, and I feel both longtime and newcomer players of RPGs will get a lot out of it. I truly recommend it a great deal. I absolutely enjoyed this.
I tried to be a bit critical and think what this book lacked. There's really not much For me, this gave me the opportunity to delve a bit deeper into my own character in some rather interesting ways that I never thought about. Highly recommended. Again, as mentioned above, it's incredibly useful for those trying to get a kickstart into creating a story for their friends I can dig this guide and its purpose Anyway, there isn't a lot to dislike about this book. It shoots straight, it works for what it is, and it feels open.
It will certainly help to kickstart ideas for characters, stories, and situations that pure RPGers can get behind. Taking fear into account can make your role-playing character come to life by giving them a sense of humanity and creating interesting gameplay. That's something only D'Amato has realized and gamers will be the better for it I think it's also a great tool for aspiring character developers. The page book manages to cover all the intricate details of creating the perfect character for all of your favorite RPG games.
The book has a slew of activities and exercises to flesh out your fantasy character by pushing the reader to delve into their own imagination.
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