Character Generation

Before you can play Broken Worlds, you will need to create a character and their clan.

It's not too hard to build up a character. We've broken the process down into several steps to help. The most important thing is to think about what you'll have fun playing. The numbers can come later.

There are some sample characters available to give you a rough idea, and skimming over the traits and skills should give you some ideas. If you are having trouble, feel free to Email us for help.

Each player has 16 experience points to spend.

These are used to purchase your character's starting Skills, Traits, Clan Influence, and Clan NPC, as described later. There are some options that have a negative point cost. If you take these, you will get more experience points to spend. You can only gain 6 extra points in this way.

Each player picks 1 Positive Clan Trait for their clan.

These describe the more general aptitude of the rest of your clan. Similar to experience points, there are negative traits. For every negative trait you take, you may take an additional positive trait. You can only gain 3 Additional Positive Clan Traits in this way. Clan traits are bought separately.

The most important thing is to come up with a character concept that you'll have fun playing. This section should help you do that. Your concept is broken into three areas:

1. Who you are: The hero of this story.
2. Where you come from: The clan you hero represents.
3. Who else is important: The other people in your clan.

Again unique to your character, these are the meat and veg of what your character is good at. You purchase skills at different levels. The higher the level, the better you are. You can also purchase specialisations at this point.

Skills are purchased from your Experience Points

Character traits are unique to you, rather than your clan. They are an eclectic mix of blessings and curses that will certainly make your character's life more interesting. Most positive traits will support one type of activity or another, so see if there is anything that fits with your concept.

Positive quirks are bought using your Experience Points, while negative ones provide you with additional points to spend.

Only a fraction of magical knowledge is known by the clans of the Archipelago. Some areas are reasonably common knowledge. Others are only the vaguest rumors. Advancing this knowledge could bring fame and fortune to your clan.

A career in magic is started based on the traits you buy at character traits. Some of these will be obvious, such as Stormtouched; others, less so. You will always get the things in the trait description, but if that trait could be an entry into magic you will be given the opportunity to develop your character's magical ability. Another thing to bear in mind is that character traits are not the only thing to affect this; the family trait Mystics, for instance, can give your clan an ability to predict the future in some shape or form. Hopefully it's easy to see that this can be a useful lead into magic for a PC.

This describes how important you are in your clan. Influence is a double edged sword. On one hand it means you can tell your family what to do. On the other it means that you're more responsible for keeping them alive.

Clan Influence can change very quickly in game. You can purchase starting influence using some of your Experience Points.

Clan Traits are used to describe the talents and weaknesses of your family. Each trait grants in-game advantages and/or penalties.

You must take one positive trait, and you have the option of purchasing more.

As part of generating your clan you can also generate an NPC who is also from your clan, with more specific skills and goals than the other members of your clan. You can give them various specific attributes by spending experience points, or make them disadvantageous to your character and get points back.