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- Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Creating a character can be a fun and rewarding process. The following pages will walk you through the process and answer many common questions.
Character Concept
Character History
Character Sheets
Character Possession
Sample Starting Characters
Further Reading
Character Concept
All new characters must have at least an approved character concept before they play in their first event. If you submit a character history before the first time your character enters game, you do not need a separate character concept.What is a character concept?
A character concept is a quick out line of your character's history. It may be a paragraph or two, point form or even discussed verbally with the ADs.
What should be included in a character concept?Who and what your character is. Where they come from. Where they're going.
Any disadvantages you plan on taking and how your character acquired the disadvantage.
The AD's will check your character concept to ensure it is consistant with the Epoch Toronto world.
Who do I send my character concept too?After you have written your character concept, you should submit it to the Artistic Director(s).
Character History
What is a character history?A character history is a work of fiction that fleshes out who your character is. It would include information such as where your character comes from, and what their motivations are. The character history explains why your character behaves they way they do.
Who do I send my character history too?After you have written your character history, you should submit it to the Artistic Director(s).
Character History Rating System
The Artistic Director(s) will evaluate your character history and assign you extra XP on the following scale:
- 1 XP – For creating a history that will be of interest and might intrigue other players.
- 1 XP – For integrating your character into the Epoch world.
- 1 XP – For introducing something new that fits into the existing framework of the Epoch world. (This is a difficult point to achieve. This involves a lot of work, and generally, this info could go towards the common knowledge of the game. As well, it should be information that is potentially accessible to other characters.)
- 1 XP – For providing the AD something to work with.
- 1 XP - For an exceptionally interesting character history.
Character histories submitted after the character has been played for three events shall not be evaluated for bonus experience points. A newbie's first event does not count. The count of three events begins after the character has been mulliganed, and thus been finalized.
This means that if you submit your character history to the AD within your first three events, you may receive as many as 5 extra XP to spend on your character's skills.
Example Character History
Character Sheets
What is a character sheet?A character sheet is a page containing all the basic information about your character. It lists how your character's experience points (or XP) have been allocated and basic information about your character such as their name, race and so on. A character sheet defines what your character can do in game. At the bottom of this page you can find some sample character sheets.
Who do I send my character sheet too?Before your first game you must submit your character sheet to the Logistics Officer. The Logistics Officer will review your character sheet to ensure that you have not made any mistakes in how you have allocated your XP. You will also need to bring two copies of your character sheet to each event you attend.
Who can look at your character sheet?The logistics officer needs to look at it as part of their job. The club president, treasurer or ombudsman can ask to see it at any time during the event if there is something that needs to be cleared up. Under some circumstance the AD may need to see your sheet (for example: if some power being changes your race).
Where do I get a blank character sheetEpoch Toronto blank character sheets:
What you have to work withAll characters start with 20 experience points (XP). If you have 20 creation points (CRPs) you may double the XP to 40.
The club executive have decided to grant all new players 26 creation points to help them get started. This means you potentially have 40 points to construct your first character, plus any points that you get for writing a good character history or taking disadvantages.
All new players are allowed a mulligan after their first event. This means that you can either completely re-write your character or you can ajust anything that didn't work. If you put your remaining 6 free creation points toward doubling out from your first event, you can expect to have at least 52 points at the start of your second event.
Character Possessions
ClothingYour Character can bring into game any clothing you have costumes for. Players are discouraged from wearing jeans, running shoes or t-shirts with logos. Many players find that having a good costume helps them get into character. If budget is an issue, try talking to the existing members. They will have suggestions on where to pick up costume bits cheap.
Weapons, Shields and ArmourAll new players can bring into game whatever normal weapons, shields or armour they have props for. If you accumulate more amour props as you play you can bring that armour into game by submitting a story to the Artistic Director that describes how you happened to acquire the armour in game. To bring additional, weapons or shields into game they must be manufactured in-game.
If you want to bring in an exceptional or magical weapon, please speak with the Artistic Director.
All weapons, armor and shields must be safetied by one of the safety officers before they can be brought into game. If you are intending to construct an unusual weapon, it is recommended that you discuss your plans with one of the safety officers before you begin construction
If your character is a healer, a smith, an alchemist or has some other sort of tradeskill you can bring in trade tools with the character. Like weapons, you can basically bring in any tools that make sense for your character. For example, if your character has been running for their life, they probably have not been hauling the family anvil with them. But if they and their family are traveling to a new home then they might caring heavier goods. Replacement of these items in-game is handled on a case by case bases.
Alchemy RecipesAnybody who begins play with the skill of Alchemy starts play with recipes. The chart below specifies the number and level of the recipes. Recipes are very important to an alchemist, and they are often jealously guarded. The more recipes you start with, the more bargaining power you will have. You may want to take this into consideration if you are thinking of playing an alchemist.
| Level 1 Recipes | Level 2 Recipes | Level 3 Recipes | Level 4 Recipes | |
| Alchemy 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alchemy 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Alchemy 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Alchemy 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
To round out your character you may want to bring in additional props to game. These might include game, feast gear, jewelry, books, notes, letters or any other odds & sods that your character would have from their home / their travels / etc . And to keep all of this stuff in don't forget some pouches, boxes or baskets.
Sample Starting Characters
The following are some examples of 40 point starting character concepts, and points out some of the advantages and disadvantages to each of them. Remember that all new players get a "mulligan", a chance to completely re-write their character after their first event.
AlchemistConcept: Your master is dead, your supplies stolen and there is still much to learn but your knowledge is intact and you can make your way in the world.
Character Sheet
Advantages: Player characters that start out with the Alchemy skill will get recipes before their first game. The higher your initial starting Alchemy skill, the more recipes you start with, and the more you can do. Starting with more recipes also means that there's a good chance that you may have a recipe that another alchemist needs, and so you may be able to arrange a trade.
Disadvantages: This character has no real way to protect them self except to run away.
Props: Alchemy kit and recipe book
Costume: Character's clothes.
Hedge Mage
Concept: You've picked up a little magic here and there but have never really dedicated yourself to the study of a specific element.
Character Sheet
Advantages: This character has a lot of mana and spells to play with for a starting character. It will give you a good chance to try out the different types of magic in the game.
Disadvantages: None of these spells are very powerful. You might find it difficult to defend yourself.
Props: None.
Costume: Character's clothes and a bag for mana
Tank
Concept: Big, shiny and metal.
Character Sheet
Advantages:This character concept assumes that you have 40 points worth of armour to wear. It gives you a one-foot shield, which you can use to block spells, and the ability to ignore damage from monsters that are hitting for five health or less. The smith skill gives you the ability to repair your armour, however it will take a while.
Disadvantages: Stealth can be important in Epoch, and you may find it hard to be quiet while wearing forty points worth of armour. The majority of Epoch events are played in the summer, and you should not underestimate how hot forty points worth of armour will be. Finally, forty points worth of armour is likely to be heavy.
Props: Forty points worth of armor, a one-foot shield and a sword (long or bastard).
Costume: Character's clothes.
Healer
Concept: You’re mother was a healer; your grandmother was a healer and so on and so forth. They didn’t go in much for magic so you learned to heal the "old fashioned" way.
Character Sheet
Advantages: You can’t really run out of medical healing and there are always hurt people so there will always be something for your character to do.
Disadvantages: Healing this way takes time and is not as much use as magical healing in the heat of battle. You can only defend yourself from a distance.
Props: Medical kit, and some distance weapons like rocks, darts or even a bow with some arrows.
Costume: Character's clothes and furry hands
Scoundrel
Concept: OK, so there may be some Imperial and Confederate towns that think you’re a pirate and those at home who think you stole that big gold idol from the temple. And they maybe right. But you’re 'retired' now and just looking for a place to settle.
Character Sheet
Advantages: This character has a wide variety of skills. This should ensure very little down time for the character. If he isn’t off pursuing adventure or treasure, he can be trying to drum up a good card game in the inn.
Disadvantages: To steal things in Epoch, you must actually pick them up and walk off with them. If you have no talent for being sneaky in real life, you might find it hard to do so in game.
Props: A mace, deck of cards
Costume: Character's clothes.
Psychic Inquisitor
Concept: The spirits have given you great gifts of the mind and you have the ability to force wrong doers to speak the truth. Now you travel from town to town offering your services to the local law officials.
Character Sheet
Advantages: At the higher levels, psychics can be very powerful. They are also less prop intensive then some other skill sets so they are a good choice for a player short on resources.
Disadvantages: You states are a precious resource and you will really have to pick your moments in order to use them successfully.
Props: purple ribbon or tape
Costume: Character's clothes.
Mercenary
Concept: Have sword; will travel. People pay you to kill and protect. Thing you probably would have done anyways.
Character Sheet
Advantages: This is a good concept for someone who wants to play a straight fighter. The character starts with 20 health, which gives them the ability to take some abuse. Two handed swords have a lot of reach and can do a lot of damage.
Disadvantages: Orcs are mentally lazy, so the player will have difficulty if they decide they want their character to learn magic or literacy later on.
Props: Two-handed sword
Costume: Green face paint, tusks and character's clothes
Fire Mage
Concept: Raised in the "old ways" you attempt to make your way through this new world.
Character Sheet
Advantages: The elven racial package allows you to learn magic without a teacher.
Disadvantages: As an elf, you are bound to the Elven Code, which has the potential to cause your character serious problems. The verbal intolerance to all humans may make it hard to make friends.
Props: None
Costume: Character’s Cloths (elves must dress elegantly), pouch for mana and latex ears.
Smith
Concept: Sharp and pointy things... get your sharp and pointy things here... out fit your whole army with sharp and pointy things...
Character Sheet
Advantages: Dwarves don't need a teacher for smithing so you will be able to progress in this field quickly.
Disadvantages: Forges are large props that are not easily moved during a crisis so they can make easy targets.
Props: Smithing phys reps, a boffer hammer and a boffer mug
Costume: beard and character's clothes
Bodyguard
Concept: The woods can be dangerous; the town is worse. You stand ready to help those with more money then you have.
Character Sheet
Advantages: This character should not run out of customers so long as she maintains a good reputation. This character comes from a colourful family history, this gives you a lot to draw on for roleplaying purposes if you choose.
Disadvantages: No matter how much weapon skill you buy if you can't hit your opponent, it doesn't matter.
Props: Long sword and some sort of musical instrument
Costume: Character's clothes.
