Mage Character Creation - Overview
So here we go. The run down of making a character for my mage campaign.
Setting
I am thinking of it being in modern day Boston. Probably sometime around 2006-2008 and being the modern day obviously the times are dark and brooding.
Step 1: Background
Your characters should be at the earliest late teens and probably no older then late twenties to start though I am always open to other ideas if they are presented well. They can have any kind of background but one that isn't to closely tied to the government would be preferable. Best way to start is with a mortal lifestyle and build your mage off of that as there will be preludes to build more on the mage side of your character. Ideas can start as simple as "College football rockstar" or "Single female lawyer".
At some point in there life will come a life changing experience that will lead your character to one of the watchtowers where their name is written giving them a beacon from which to call their magic from. This comes in either the form of a journey of your soul while your body sleeps or a waking dream where reality is twisted and changed to your eyes only. The possible watchtowers are described under paths in the other character creation post.
Players will have a prelude session each that goes though their awakening from mortal life and into a mage so if you want anything specific to happen during the awakening for your character's background let me know otherwise I'll take what you picked for the mage aspect of your character and whip up an awakening for you.
Step 2: Attributes
These are just like most other White Wolf systems. The points are distributed as (5/4/3). If you wish to have 5 dots in something you must spend 2 points on the last dot.
Step 3: Skills
The skills are fairly self explanatory and work like the typical White Wolf skills system. The points are distributed as (11/7/4). If you wish to have 5 dots in a skill then you must spend 2 points on the last dot.
Step 4: Skill Specialties
Select 3 skill specialties on any combination of skills. You can have 3 skills each with 1 specialty or you can have 3 specialties on 1 skill. Each specialty that applies to a roll with the associated skill gives you 1 extra die to the dice pool.
Step 5: Add the mage template (See other post Mage Template)
Step 6: Determine traits.
Defense = Dex or Wits whichever is lower
Size = 5(Average adult human)
Wisdom = 7
Health = Stam + Size
Initiative = Dex + Composure
Speed = Str + Dex + 5
Willpower = Resolve + Composure
Step 7: Choose 1 virtue and 1 vice
These are the way you regain willpower during sessions. Viture and Vice have replaced nature and demeanor.
Virtues: Charity, Faith, Fortitude, Hope, Justice, Prudence, Temperance
Vices: Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Wrath
Step 8: Choose merits
The ones in the base WoD book and the Mage book are available for characters. These merits also encompass some traits that use to be called backgrounds. You get 10 points of merits. You may not raise your gnosis above 3 at character creation. You can gain more points for merits through taking a flaw but such flaws will need to be discussed for what they do and how many extra points they are worth.
Experience Costs
Attribute: New dots x5
Skill: New dots x3
Skill Specialty: 3
Ruling Arcana: New dots x6
Common Arcana: New dots x7
Inferior Arcanum: New dots x8
Rote: 2 points per dot of highest arcanum
Merit: New dots x2
Gnosis: New dots x8
Wisdom: New dots x3
Setting
I am thinking of it being in modern day Boston. Probably sometime around 2006-2008 and being the modern day obviously the times are dark and brooding.
Step 1: Background
Your characters should be at the earliest late teens and probably no older then late twenties to start though I am always open to other ideas if they are presented well. They can have any kind of background but one that isn't to closely tied to the government would be preferable. Best way to start is with a mortal lifestyle and build your mage off of that as there will be preludes to build more on the mage side of your character. Ideas can start as simple as "College football rockstar" or "Single female lawyer".
At some point in there life will come a life changing experience that will lead your character to one of the watchtowers where their name is written giving them a beacon from which to call their magic from. This comes in either the form of a journey of your soul while your body sleeps or a waking dream where reality is twisted and changed to your eyes only. The possible watchtowers are described under paths in the other character creation post.
Players will have a prelude session each that goes though their awakening from mortal life and into a mage so if you want anything specific to happen during the awakening for your character's background let me know otherwise I'll take what you picked for the mage aspect of your character and whip up an awakening for you.
Step 2: Attributes
These are just like most other White Wolf systems. The points are distributed as (5/4/3). If you wish to have 5 dots in something you must spend 2 points on the last dot.
Step 3: Skills
The skills are fairly self explanatory and work like the typical White Wolf skills system. The points are distributed as (11/7/4). If you wish to have 5 dots in a skill then you must spend 2 points on the last dot.
Step 4: Skill Specialties
Select 3 skill specialties on any combination of skills. You can have 3 skills each with 1 specialty or you can have 3 specialties on 1 skill. Each specialty that applies to a roll with the associated skill gives you 1 extra die to the dice pool.
Step 5: Add the mage template (See other post Mage Template)
Step 6: Determine traits.
Defense = Dex or Wits whichever is lower
Size = 5(Average adult human)
Wisdom = 7
Health = Stam + Size
Initiative = Dex + Composure
Speed = Str + Dex + 5
Willpower = Resolve + Composure
Step 7: Choose 1 virtue and 1 vice
These are the way you regain willpower during sessions. Viture and Vice have replaced nature and demeanor.
Virtues: Charity, Faith, Fortitude, Hope, Justice, Prudence, Temperance
Vices: Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Wrath
Step 8: Choose merits
The ones in the base WoD book and the Mage book are available for characters. These merits also encompass some traits that use to be called backgrounds. You get 10 points of merits. You may not raise your gnosis above 3 at character creation. You can gain more points for merits through taking a flaw but such flaws will need to be discussed for what they do and how many extra points they are worth.
Experience Costs
Attribute: New dots x5
Skill: New dots x3
Skill Specialty: 3
Ruling Arcana: New dots x6
Common Arcana: New dots x7
Inferior Arcanum: New dots x8
Rote: 2 points per dot of highest arcanum
Merit: New dots x2
Gnosis: New dots x8
Wisdom: New dots x3