Character Generation
Character Generation Help and Info
| Abilities | Archetypes | Merits | Flaws |
| Mage Chargen Info | Mage Charts | General Mage Help | Traditions |
| Paradigms | Practices | Instruments | Creating Companions |
| Bygone Info | Special Advantages |
| Paths and Rituals | Psychic Powers |
| Demon Info | Demon - General Help |
Important Notices
Starting Location
Please read the Setting and Theme pages. (Some are still being written) If you decide you want to play in Unity, please contact staff regarding your concept and for help with the nuisances of play there.
Age
Please keep in mind the following guidelines:
Earth Setting: Must be 18 or over.
Unity Setting:
If your character was part of the original 500 to the realm, you are 41+ years old.
At the time of the migration you had to be at least 18 years old.
If your character was born in the realm you are between 18-23 years old.
If your are a rare displaced character to the realm you may be 18+. (The character somehow fell through one of the ritual sites and landed in the realm. This is very very restricted concept at the start of game)
Rostered Characters
If you find the character generation process daunting, or have no idea what to make, or don't like writing backgrounds, staff have provided "roster characters" for you to choose from.
These characters are pre-genned by staff. They may have been played by previous players. They may come with established relationships, secrets, personalities etc. Basically, pre-genned character sheets.
Available Rostered Characters can be found here on the Rostered page
To apply for a roster character you will need to @mail Sphinx a valid email address, why you want to play a specific character, what you hope to accomplish with the character, and how much time you can devote to it. You will receive email from ascensions<dot>sojourns<dot>staff(at)gmail.com with any follow-up questions or with your password if approved for the character.
POINTS
Every Character MUST take at least 1 merit and 1 flaw in chargen. No character is perfect, and everyone has something good about them.
Bygone
There are quirks to the point allocation based on different types of "Bygones".
See: [ Bygone Chargen ] for more detailed info.
Attributes: 6 / 4 / 3
Abilities: 11 / 7 / 4
Backgrounds: 5 (consors must put at least one dot into Mentor.)
Willpower: Base 3
Special Advantages: Base 0 (limited to certain types of characters)
Essence: **Willpower x 5 (familiars only.)
Merits and Flaws: Base 0 (HR: You must take at least 1 merit and 1 flaw)
Charms: Base 0. (familiars only)
Freebie Points:
- Acolytes and backup agents get 15 points.
- Consors and other skilled allies get 21 points.
- Familiars get 25 points.
Starting levels in Abilities and Backgrounds may not be higher than four dots.
- Chargen should stop you at 3 dots, conserve your points if you want a 4-dot. Staff will set it for you at the end**
- Chargen should stop you at 3 dots, conserve your points if you want a 4-dot. Staff will set it for you at the end**
Mage
Attributes: 7 / 5 / 3
Abilities: 13 / 9 / 5
Backgrounds: 7
Willpower: 5
Spheres: 5 + 1 (Affinity)
Others:
Arete 1, Quintessence (Avatar Rating: 1 min), Paradox 0
Freebies: 15
Other Notables:
:Must choose at least 1 paradigm, 1 practice (from those associated with choose paradigm(s), and 7 instruments (1 being primary)
:least one
dot in an Ability that is associated with their practices and vocations, unless the magickal focus -depends- upon using a given Ability, like channeling magickal Effects through songs, then you need 1 dot of that Ability (Art in this example) per dot of whichever sphere effects that uses. see: Practices
Mortal/+
Attributes: 6 / 4 / 3
Abilities: 11 / 7 / 4
Backgrounds: 5
Willpower: 5
(Mortal+) Numina: 5 (no power above 3)
Freebies: 21
Available Abilities
Stat Changes in M20
Dodge - a primary talent in previous versions does not exist in M20. Use Dexterity + Athletics, instead.
Enochian - a secondary knowledge. Hermetic characters can not have more Enochian than they do Arete. This knowledge "demonstrates the mage’s understanding of the mystic and psychological implications of sounds used to interact with these Umbrood. A mage can not use more dots of any social Talent than they have dots in Enochian when interacting with Umbrood.
Banned Items
These stats will never be approved during or after chargen
Banned Archetypes and Concepts
- Loner (Nature/Demeanor)
- Abuse victim of any sort. Be creative.
- Minor. Your character must be 18+.
Banned Backgrounds
- Legend
- Resource 5(chargen limit) NPC only 8+
Node: Node is a HEAVILY restricted background. Not every mage can have a node. They are rare things. Staff will occasionally hold tourneys/wars when a new node is available for claiming. You will need to have enough saved XP as if you were buying the background to enter. Other requirements will be announced. If your background justifies you having access to an ancestral node this will be +noted on you by staff. Ancestral nodes must be tied into the founders of the realm. Contact Staff. See Node under mage house rules. House Rules
Banned Merits/Flaws
- License To... --> USE Certification Background instead
- Nephilim
- Taint of Corruption (may be reversed at some point, but for now, not allowed)
- Supernatural: Invulnerability
- Ghoul is not allowed as it does require a blood bond, and Vampire will not be an open sphere here.
Chargen Purchasable Only Stats
These stats may not be raised after chargen.
- Mentor (Background) - requires justification. See House Rules for more info.
RESTRICTED Chargen Stats
Stats listed in the sub-sections here will be looked at closely when it comes time for approval from chargen.
Archetypes
- Monster
Concepts
Character Back Story
If you choose to be one of the original transferees to Unity, you can not be a technocrat spy. disguised Hitmark or anything of the sort. See Settings for info
Backgrounds
Node: Per game setting there is only one node. Others may be created Icly but will require staff ran TP, and will not be easy.
- Node is still included in the background list in chargen for the sake of being thorough.
Status: restricted to 1 or 2 at chargen.
- Must have a reason for this tradition/convention "fame" in your history.
Merits/Flaws
NOTE: You can not take two merits or flaws that contradict each other and would allow you to bypass the effects of one or both.
- Bard's Tongue - a ton of people can't be right about everything
- Dual Perception OR Spirit Sight - can not take both
- True Faith
- Dark Fate
- Storm Warden -- Note: The Avatar Storm existed in full force from Jun 8, 1999 to Jun 9, 2000. Now and then random ripples of it might move across the realm, not unlike thunderstorms on earth. House Rule: Some Etherites and Dreamspeakers have learned to predict when these storms might occur.)
Fae Blooded (Kinain), Shapeshifter Kin (Kinfolk) are available on a limited basis at chargen.
'One of these is more likely to be granted to a mortal or mortal+ only.
- Note: Changeling, Shifter and Vampire are spheres that we have no plans to open and run. However, these types may appear during plots which might make these merits useful.
- Note 2: If you are mortal or mortal+ and take one of these heritage merits, you can assume to be in good standing with your house or tribe.
- Note 3: IF you are a mage taking Fae Blooded or Shapeshifter Kin, expect that you had to make a choice of which world to be a part of and you choose mage. You may still have some allies and friends in your 'other' family as long as you are in good standing.
- Note 4: A mage that becomes a ghoul can no longer follow the urging of their avatar. If your Arete is 3 or less, you can no longer increase your spheres. If your arete is 4+, your avatar is very angry that you turned your back on it and knocks you back down to Arete 3, which means your spheres all reduce down to 3. These can not be raised with XP as long as you are a Ghoul. To break the bond will a multi-session plot run by staff.
Notables
Families
Everyone that migrated into the realm is considered "Officially Dead' on Earth. In an attempt to give the feeling of familial ties that was had on earth every everyone took on the surname of the mage that accompanied.
For the moment, this is just a note, and will be strictly enforced once a hundred surnames are on the list.
You may click on a surname below to read about the family you are picking (which is done by using that as your last name when you do &fullname me=<name>. If you have questions about this, contact staff.
| Carpenter | Casale | Conway | Fitzgerald | Grenrod | Gyllenakr | Hicks | Holmes | Lott | Kautzer | Mullins |
| Murray | Parim | Rhodes | Tillman | Vance | Warren | Webb |
Arcane
- Arcane - [See Important Info Here]
Influences
Please note that the game theme makes some of the Influence background choices difficult or unusable if taken. We have high hopes the game theme will expand with player contributions making some of the available Influences more valid in the future. Please contact staff if you have questions.
Resources
Currently we are using a single Resources stat, but we are setup to make it a Differential Background per M20 pg 302.
*Game Theme Note* Those that migrated to the horizon realm would have found normal resources pointless. Instead, it is what they brought with them that held their wealth. You will be required to list what commodities you brought into the realm with you, and how you get more if you run low. The next thing that became a determinator of wealth is quintessence and tass. See the theme write up for more.
ALL Resource raises post chargen require Staff approval
Working poor: You live paycheck-to-paycheck, and that’s about it.
Slightly ahead of the game: You’ve got a small apartment and perhaps a cheap vehicle. By local standards, a working-class income.
Lower middle class: You’ve got a condo or apartment, plus a vehicle, some savings, and enough money for occasional indulgences.
Middle class with property: You either own or have decent equity in some property, plus a vehicle, investments, and savings. You could maintain a one-dot standard of living indefinitely.
Well-off: You own a large house, some property, and at least two vehicles, as well as notable levels of savings and investments. By local standards, you’re a millionaire, and although that’s not worth as much as it once was, it’s still nothing to sneeze at.
Welcome to the 1%: As a multimillionaire, you’ve got substantial holdings, investments, and savings.
Chargen Cap is 3 Staff may allow higher based on background. Be sure to save freebies if you'll want up to 5 at chargen.
Hollywood money: Whatever you want, you’ve got it.
Billionaires’ club. You can influence an entire business or industry.
NPC ONLY Bruce Wayne level wealth. You own companies.
NPC ONLY Tony Stark level wealth. You own industries.
NPC ONLY Bill Gates level wealth. You own governments.
Description Help
Skintone chart
