Monday, August 17, 2015

Worlds in Peril Character Creation Summary

This is a summary of the character creation procedure in Worlds of Peril.

While these are listed in "Steps" you can do them in whatever order you want.



  • Step One - Character Concept
    • Code Names in Heritage have not been very common. But you can have one if you want. Winter and Rampage (see the character art) don't use their birth names. (They might not even remember their names after Denise Clancy messing about in their minds)
    • Real names in Heritage tend to be very dramatic and mythologically inspired so they serve the purpose of code names in a normal superhero setting.)
    • Costume - The costume aesthetic of Heritage was more "normal" clothing in theory, but in general leans toward MIB, Constantine and Matrix. As in distinctive clothing rather than spandex costumes.
  • Step Two - Choose an Origin and a Drive
    • The Origin represents either how your gate opened or how you decided to become a hero. There are 13 Origin Books and there is a link to the my dropbox containing those books on the main prep page.
    • The Drive represents the goals you are seeking to achieve. You start with one Drive book and you can open others as things happen in the game. Each Drive book and each move in the Drive books has certain requirements to unlock them.
  • Step Three - Choose Stats
    • Characters can place the following bonuses out: +2, +1, +1, +0, -1
      • Smash - used whenever your character performs a forceful, direct action or feat a strength. Using telekinesis for a direct attack would be just as much Smash as using super strength.
      • Influence - used whenever your character performs an action to sway another character's opinion or to get what you want from another person. Talking an enemy down or attacking their self-worth are uses of Influence.
      • Maneuver - used whenever your character performs a stealthy, speedy or agile action. Dodging attacks, sneaking through facilities or leaping around to come from unusual directions are all Maneuver uses.
      • Protect - used whenever your character acts to weather an attack or performs other defensive measures. Simply letting bullets bounce off of you or moving to brace a falling object to protect people from being crushed are both Protect uses.
      • Investigate - used whenever your performs an action requiring deduction, leaps of logic, knowledge or intellect. Conceiving an invention, hacking a computer, investigating a crime scene or telepathically sifting through memories would likely all be uses of Investigate.
  •  Step Four - Create a Power Profile
    • Decide on a power summary, consider what sort of myth you're using to inspire your characters. "Has the powers of a vampire." "Shapeshifting and copying other Heritage powers." "Super-Strength and the resilience of a giant." "Angelic abilities like summoning a light sword, calming emotions and flying." And so on.
    • Consider some things your character already knows how to do. If something isn't on this list, you can still try it, but you will have to roll to see if it is successful.
    • Choose 1 Simple, 1 Difficult, 1 Borderline, 1 Possible and 1 Impossible feat for your powers.
      • Simple powers are things that your character can do almost casually.
      • Difficult powers are things you do fairly often but require some sort effort or risk.
      • Borderline powers are things that either take a lot of effort to set up or else carry a high risk.
      • Possible powers are things you might have done once or twice when you were really desperate.
      • Impossible powers are things that you flat cannot ever do with your abilities.
  • Step Five - Determine Limits and Drawbacks
    • Consider what sort of limits and drawbacks your character has. Do their powers give them some sort of exotic physical weakness? Do they have a weakness due to an old injury or chronic illness? Was their gate opened unnaturally causing various troubles? Do people react poorly to their unusual physical appearance? Do they just have a horrible and aggressive personality?
    • Based on how frequently the drawbacks make normal life difficult you get some extra entries on your power profile and some extra bonds.
      • If fitting in and having a normal life is Occasionally Difficult you get:
        • 6 Extra Bond Points
        • 1 Extra Simple Power
      • If fitting in and having a normal life is Frequently Difficult you get:
        • 5 Extra Bond Points
        • 1 Extra Simple Power, 1 Extra Difficult Power
      • If it is Extremely Hard to Form Lasting Relationships you get:
        • 3 Extra Bond Points
        • 2 Extra Simple Powers, 2 Extra Difficult Powers
      • If you are Actively Ostracized by Most you get:
        • 1 Extra Bond Point
        • 2 Extra Simple Powers, 2 Extra Difficult Powers, 1 Extra Borderline Power
  • Step Six - Bonds and Backstory
    • Bonds represent your relationship with other people or organizations. 
    • Every character has 1 Bond with each other player character.
    • You have extra bond points based on your level of limitation. More powerful Heritages have trouble fitting in and making bonds.
    • A Bond of 0 means you have no relationship.
    • A Bond of negative value means you and the other entity have a hostile or dangerous relationship.
    • Standard options for Bonds would be the City and Law Enforcement. We can also add Heritage Foundation. If your character has a significant other that would be another person you would likely have a high bond with.
      • If you have Bonds with the City then the local people like and respect you.
      • If you have Bonds with Law Enforcement then the local cops like and respect you.
    • When you roll to use the Aid/Interfere moves with a character you get a bonus to the roll based on your Bonds with the target.
    • The maximum number of total Bonds you can have is equal to the total number of Bonds you start with. Though Achievements can be spent to improve that.
    • You can Burn a Bond to insure success on a roll.
      • 6- rolls become 7-9
      • 7-9 rolls become 10+
      • 10+ rolls become 12+
    • When you Burn a Bond your relationship with the related agency or person worsens somehow. This can happen right away and be related to the current scene and your actions or it can happen later due to unrelated circumstances.

In addition to character creation it is possible that you might be able to advance during the game.
  • Whenever you unlock a new Drive book or a new move in an unlocked book you gain an Achievement.
  • You can spend Achievements to improve your character.
    • Increase your stats
      • Increasing a stat from -1 to 0 costs 3 Achievements
      • Increasing from 0 to 1 costs 2 Achievements
      • Increasing from 1 to 2 costs 3 Achievements
      • Increasing from 2 to 3 costs 4 Achievements
    • Increasing your Bond Threshold (maximum number of bonds) by 1 costs 2 Achievements.
    • Adding a new entry to your Power Profile (without needing to do the Push move)
      • Adding a Simple Power use costs 2 Achievements
      • Adding a Difficult Power use costs 3 Achievements
      • Adding a Borderline Power use costs 4 Achievements
      • Adding a Possible Power use costs 5 Achievements
    • Raising the number of Critical Conditions you suffer before making the Last Chance move by 1 costs 3 Achievements
    • Removing a limitation you placed on your powers costs 3 Achievements and lowers your Bond Threshold by 1.


Back to the Heritage (Worlds in Peril) prep page

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