Character Creation

Download and print the Character Sheet. This is optional, but it’s helpful to make your character.

If you would like a way to reference Character Creation quickly, print the Creation Quick Card on a 3x5 card.

1. Choose a Tradition and a Faction.

Assign your character’s statistics:

2. Attributes

You have three categories of Attributes – Physical, Social, and Mental. You must decide which of these is Primary, which is Secondary, and which is Tertiary. You’ll then get a number of levels to assign in each category.

Primary Category: One Attribute at 4, one Attribute at 3, one Attribute at 2.

Secondary Category: One Attribute at 3, two Attributes at 2.

Tertiary Category: One Attribute at 3, one Attribute at 2, one Attribute at 1.

Attribute Categories:

Mental: Intelligence, Wits, Resolve

Physical: Offense, Dexterity, Stamina

Social: Presence, Manipulation, Composure

3. Abilities

Choose one Ability to be at 4,

Four Abilities to be at 3,

Four Abilities to be at 2,

and Six Abilities to be at 1.

4. Backgrounds

Choose one Background to be at 3,

Three Backgrounds to be at 2,

and Two Backgrounds to be at 1.

5. Magic and Will

You have Willpower 4 and Arete 1 automatically.

You also get the first level of your Tradition’s Specialty Sphere automatically.

Option A: Increase Arete to 2, increase Specialty Sphere to 2, choose one additional Sphere at level 1.

Option B: Keep Arete at 1, and buy four more Spheres at level 1. (Total of five Spheres at level 1)

You will need to choose a Rote for each Sphere Level you take, from the default Rotes for each Sphere. That’s one Rote per Sphere Level – so if you bought Mind 2, you’d get one Mind 1 Rote and one Mind 2 Rote. You cannot transfer or combine these Rote levels, and must purchase additional Rotes with earned XP.

6. Minimum XP

Once the game is underway, new players, or players creating new characters, receive a certain amount of extra XP, so they’re not too far behind the other players. The XP is spent once you’ve finished Character Creation, according to the Experience Chart. When you submit your character, make sure you show clearly where you spent the extra XP.

Current Minimum XP: 0.

7. Choose an Avatar Essence.

Dynamic, Pattern, Questing, Primordial.

8. Choose a Virtue and Vice.

These describe, in very broad terms, what your character’s greatest strength and greatest failing are.

9. Choose a Cabal.

This is the political group of Mages that you belong to. All characters will be affiliated with one of them.

10. Think about your Paradigm.

Describe briefly how your character sees the magical world, starting with your Tradition’s foundation and building your own style from there.

11. Complete a Character History.

12. Select Rotes (one per Sphere Level) and submit with your character.

You must choose your starting Rotes from that page, although you may submit new names for them if you like.

13. Determine what kind of equipment your character would realistically carry, and submit the list with your character.

Be realistic – Mages don’t need ten revolvers, two layers of riot gear, and two broadswords on their back. Bring your primary weapon, maybe a secondary, and that’s all.

14. Read the Rules Summary. Learn to understand the system. If you can get together with another player, practice a little, make a few sample Challenges against each other.

15. Submit your finished character to an ST, work with them to make corrections and make the character more suitable for the game, then you’re ready to play!

Now that you’re done with your first character, it may be a good time to start a second character. If something happens to your first, you can start playing the second right away, without having it take so long for an ST to look it over and approve it.