Characters
Character Structure
A character is primarily defined by:
- Level
- Race
- Class
- Stats
- Attributes
- Skills
- Traits
- Features
- Equipment
- Hit Points
- Stamina
- Willpower, where granted by Class category
- Defence Score
- Damage Threshold
Levels
Characters progress from Level 1 to Level 20.
Advancement is milestone based. When a milestone is reached, the character completes the level increase after their next Long Rest or Full Rest.
Multiclassing does not exist. A character progresses within their chosen Class and may choose an optional Subclass at Level 5.
Character Creation
All five Stats begin at 0.
Character creation then grants:
- +1 to the Class Primary Stat.
- +1 to the Class Secondary Stat.
- +1 to each of the two Stats listed by the character's Race.
- +1 to each of two different Stats chosen for the character's Background.
No Stat may be higher than 3 at character creation.
The current Class framework also grants:
- +2 to one Attribute belonging to the Class Primary Stat.
- +1 to the other Attribute belonging to the Class Primary Stat.
- +1 to one Attribute belonging to the Class Secondary Stat.
Class Attribute modifiers are fixed by the chosen Class. Class Skills are chosen by the player as described in the Class Framework.
A Race does not grant additional Attribute or Skill increases unless one of its Features explicitly says otherwise.
Backgrounds
Every character has a unique Background created by the player during Session Zero with the Game Master's agreement. Backgrounds are not selected from a preset list.
A Background contains:
- A short backstory describing where the character came from, their morals and any other important information about their past.
- Two Background Traits invented by the player. These function like Race and Class Traits and are narrative unless the Game Master rules that one is relevant to a situation.
- Two different Stats chosen by the player. Each chosen Stat gains +1. The same Stat cannot be chosen twice.