How Create A Character

Before Submitting your RSVP, you will need to create your character. This is the "persona" that you will spend the weekend playing (or improv-acting if you'd like), including the skills and abilities your character will need to survive. If you're new to LARP or D&D please read this primer FIRST, then head to the World tab and read all the content there. If this isn't your first game, head on over to the World tab. Do read everything - even if you think you know what you'll want to play, because you may find important hints and tidbits throughout.

A cautionary tale:

You are a lonely hero. You have no friends, and seldom make them. Orphaned at birth and raised in the wild you hardly know the ways of regular peoples...

And here you are stuck pretending to be a bumbling fool who yells at everyone and feels pretty lonely all weekend. Making the "lonely hero," a character type frequently seen across books (Bella Swan), Comics (Batman), and TV (The Witcher) looks and sounds really cool - until you're trying to play that character and people interact the way they would typically with someone who is standoffish, shy, or downright unpleasant: they don't. So don't set yourself up for failure. If you're like me and you are actually downright shy that's okay, just leave it out of your character description so it doesn't weigh you down or keep you from having fun.

A reminder: you are responsible for your costumes, including prosthetic for non-human characters. If you're running on a budget there's plenty of 'come and learn to make your gear' events pre-game at our place, but a Human might be your best bet (no ears!) if you're looking to save money. If it's going to keep you from playing, please let Ms. Hale know and we will find a way!

Now for the Good Stuff: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating a Character (you can actually go in any order you want, but this is how I find it's easiest):

Step 1

Character Culture. Select the Culture you want to be from (Elf, Human, Dwarf, Tremlin, Orc). You can check out Appearance and Gear to see the required prosthetic and read up on their realms on the World page if you're not sure what you want to go with.

Step 2

Character Class. Read up on the different Classes and Stats. For magic abilities and skills each culture and class has a set amount of points they can put into spells or skills. Sills cost only 1 point each and can only be used once per day per point spent. For players who do not select a magic class, you will still be able to spend points on culture magic, up to the total number of magic points for your culture and class. Everyone else may spend their points on either culture magic or class specific magic (you cannot take a spell that is not in your class). Once you run out of points to buy spells you can't get any more unless you find them in game or level up, but you may cast your chosen spells as many times per day as you'd like. Please note that primary spell casters can only carry 5 spell packets on their person at any given time and Paladins and Monks may only carry 2. You may cast as many of your chosen spells as much as you'd like but once you throw your five spell packets you'll need to take the time to pick them up. I would recommend using a fabric that is distinct to you.

Step 3

Character Deities. If your character class mentions a deity you need to read the Deities page. With the exception of Monks (who only follow one non-theistic religion), deities are specific to their culture and people from other cultures may not follow them. Most people don't have a deity, but certain classes require it (Shamans, Clerics, Paladins, and Monks).

Step 4

Character Background. If you haven't already, read the History and World pages. This will help you know some of the past, and some of the present of the world of Estel Úqua. While your characters won't be anyone famous, these things to help inform the background you select (for instance, your Orc won't be raised with Elves but certainly might have been raised with Tremlins). Make your character someone you'd like to meet and spend time with. Give yourself just enough background that you can talk about yourself. Because you will.

Step 5

Put it all together. This is the fun (or confusing part) You've picked a culture, class, know the background and are eyeing more skills and magic than you can probably handle - how do you put it all together? I've provided examples below:

Example 1: Dwarven Druid. I've decided to play a Dwarf who is a Druid, looking at the World page, I've decided they're from Canmouth and I've named him Aradmem. Aradmem comes from a long line of Druids and he's quite pretentious about it. Looking at the Stats page, I've determined that the stats for a dwarven druid are:

As you can see, this means that as a Druid, my Dwarf will have one less hit point than the average Dwarf, get a 2 damage with a weapon instead of a 1, have the skill Befriend Animal and get 2 more skills, have 8 magic points to spend, and also have darksight.

Knowing that skills can only be used one time per day, and considering my character's very traditional lineage, I'm going to take a look at the skills and decide that I want, as Aradmem, to be really good at herbs, so I'll take herbal lore twice so I can use it more times per day.

When looking at spells, I look at both the culture magic list and the Druid spell list. I note that, on culture magic the point sets needed to spend for Mold Earth is only 1 because I'm a dwarf, where as it's higher for others. I want to be able to mold hard earth so I'll be spending 2 point sets (or 2 of my 8 points) to do that. If I was, say, an elf that would cost me 6 points instead (but I'm not so I have 6 points left, yay! I spend my remaining points on: create water AND food (2 points to do both food and water), Gust, Healing (1 point each), and Frost Touch (2 points).

When I'm playing the game, I'll have made the required 5 spell packets for a first level character and that I can cast any of my spells as much as I want or need - as long as I don't lose or run out of my spell packets. I also know that any time I NPC I'll get my skills and hit points refreshed. I put a few more details into Aradmem's background and submit the character for review via the RSVP.

Example 2: Elven Bard -

7 hit points total

1 for damage with weapons

Skills: Forgotten Lore plus 2 more

Magic points: 9

I can detect magic naturally

For skills I choose: Entertain and Persuasion (I can use each 1 day, or NPC throughout the day to restore my skill points)

For magic I choose the spells Minor Illusion from culture spells, (costs Elves only 1 point), and from bard spells Heroism (4 points), Loosen Lips (2 points), and Charm Person (2 points).

This uses all 9 of my spell points, but I can cast them as many times during the day as I can find my 5 spell packets.

You may not carry more than 5 packets on your person at a time.