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worldofbalance2013-10-14 05:35 am
the_ivorytower) wrote in worldofbalance2013-10-14 05:35 am
Entry tags:
Character Creation
This is the Character Creation section.
This section will detail the process of creating your character for a Libra: World of Balance game. While much of character-creation is actually mentioned on the class pages, it can be useful to know something about the classes before you start.
Your Character Sheet. [Link not included]
Step 1: Choose Your Aspect
Aspects represent the way elemental affinities affect the people of Libra. There are six aspects: Air, Ice, Fire, Earth, Life, and Death, and are loosely described as follows:
Air is the element of swiftness and of weather. Air attacks are swift, and deal double damage to Earth-aspected creatures. Air-aligned classes use the power of Earth to build up their strength and then unleash Air-based attacks.
Ice is the element of cold and stasis. Ice attacks slow others, and deal double damage to Fire-aspected creatures. Ice-aligned classes use the power of Fire to build up their strength and then unleash Ice-based attacks.
Fire is the element of heat and burning. Fire attacks deal additional burn damage, and deal double damage to Ice-aspected creatures. Fire-aligned classes use the power of Ice to build up their strength and then unleash Fire-based attacks.
Earth is the element of stillness and clarity. Earth attacks are slow, but deal a large amount of damage, dealing double damage to Air-aspected creatures. Earth-aligned classes use the power of Air to build up their strength and then unleash Earth-based attacks.
Life is the element of birth and vitality. Life attacks drain HP and sometimes resources, and deal double damage to Death-aspected creatures. Life-aligned classes use the power of Death to build up their strength and then unleash Life-based attacks.
Death is the element of death and decay. Death attacks restore HP, and deal double damage to Life-aspected creatures. Death-aligned classes use the power of Life to build up their strength and then unleash Death-based attacks.
Step 2: Choose Your Clade
Clades are broadly defined groups of individuals who are combat-capable, and use their skills in different ways. There are four Clades: Warrior, Ranged, Mage, and Shadow, and are loosely described as follows:
Warriors use the elements to empower their weapons and enhance their fighting abilities. Combined with an Aspect, Warrior attacks gain speed, delay, burning, increased damage, HP drain, or HP restoration.
Ranged use a variety of ranged weapons (bows, guns, javelins, throwing knives, alchemical concoctions) to fight their enemies, and usually have elementally empowered shots. Combined with an Aspect, Ranged attacks gain speed, delay, burning, increased damage, HP drain, or HP restoration.
Mages draw on the raw powers of the elements, using one element to gain power, and the opposing element to deal large amounts of damage, though draining their EP pools. Mages are also the only ones who can draw out EP from the world and cause it to manifest as monsters to fight.
Shadows are sneakier fighters, more fragile, but specializing in ambush tactics, thievery, and trickery. Combined with an Aspect, they use that Aspect in subversive ways to defeat their foes.
Infobyte: Opposite Aspects and Weapons
Every Aspect has its opposite, and as such, has both a strength and a weakness. If a creature of one Aspect is hit by its opposing Aspect, it exposes its weakness, dealing double damage. An Aspect also possesses a strength, and is resistant to another Aspect, dealing half damage. Aspects express their strengths and weaknesses in the following manner:
Air is weak to Earth, but resistant against Death.
Ice is weak to Fire, but resistant against Life.
Fire is weak to Ice, but resistant against Earth.
Earth is weak to Air, but resistant against Fire.
Life is weak to Death, but resistant against Ice.
Death is weak to Life, but resistant against Air.
When you are weak to an Aspect, you take 2.0x damage.
When you are resistant to an Aspect, you take 0.5x damage.
By that same token, every broad weapon type also has both a strength and a weakness, and functions similarly to how the Aspects function.
One-Handed weapons, such as swords, maces, axes, and daggers, have an Advantage over Polearm users, due to their wielder's ability to get inside their opponent's reach and a typically swifter attack style, and a Disadvantage against Bows, because of their opponent's superior range.
Two-Handed weapons, such as swords, maces, and axes, have an Advantage over Thrown weapon users, due to their inability to use their thrown weapons safely to defend themselves at close range, and a Disadvantage against Gun-wielders, due to their high damage and easy use in close quarters.
Polearm weapons, such as lances, pikes, long spears, staves, and two-bladed staves, have an Advantage over Bows, because they can use heavier attacks with a superior range, and a Disadvantage against One-Handed weapon users because of their swifter attack style.
Bows, whether they be short or long, have an Advantage over the wielders of One-Handed weapons, who have a shorter melee range, and a Disadvantage against Polearm users, who possess a superior melee range, and a harder striking set of attacks.
Guns have an Advantage over Two-Handed weapon users, due to their high damage and easy use, even in close quarters, and a Disadvantage against Thrown weapon users who can knock their aim off-balance.
Thrown weapons, such as spears, daggers, javelins, grenades and alchemical concoctions, have an Advantage over Gun-wielders due to their versatility and ability to knock their users off balance, and a Disadvantage against Two-Handed weapon wielders, due to their inability to defend themselves with their weapons safely at close range.
Step 3: Choose Your Class
Your Class is a combination of your Clade and your Aspect, creating a whole new kind of hero. Here are a list of the total classes:
Air-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Duelist
Mage-Clade: Druid
Ranged-Clade: Bard
Shadow-Clade: - Infiltrator
Earth-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Knight
Mage-Clade: Geomancer
Ranged-Clade: Hurler
Shadow-Clade: Earthwalker
Fire-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Gladiator
Mage-Clade: Grenadier
Ranged-Clade: Pyromancer
Shadow-Clade: Engineer
Ice-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Lancer
Mage-Clade: Cryomancer
Ranged-Clade: Raider
Shadow-Clade: Mirror
Life-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Dark Knight
Mage-Clade: Necromancer
Ranged-Clade: Sniper
Shadow-Clade: Assassin
Death-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Paladin
Mage-Clade: Cleric
Ranged-Clade: Alchemist
Shadow-Clade: Venomancer
Step 4: Assign Stats
Your chosen Class has details about your Stats, but this summarizes what each Stat does, and why you may or may not want it.
Stat Block
This system uses four stats: Strength, Agility, Will, and Vitality.
Strength - Strength represents physical prowess, and allows one to resist physical damage taken. Strength is the melee damage stat.
Agility - Agility represents manual dexterity, and allows one to avoid physical damage, as well as adding to one's speed. Agility is the ranged damage stat.
Will - Will represents insight, intelligence, and the ability to focus your elemental gifts, as well as adding to one's speed. Will is the mage damage stat.
Vitality - Vitality represents physical fortitude, and exertion that requires endurance rather than raw strength. Vitality adds to your hit points.
Step 5: Choose Skills
This system uses 14 skills, in conjunction with 4 stats. More details about this process can be found on your Class' page. This section contains Stat-Skill associations and definitions.
Athletics - Combines with Strength. Athletics is used for climbing, jumping, and running.
Arcana - Combines with Will. Arcana is used primarily for elemental combat, and knowledge of the elements and their various powers.
Craft - Combines with Will. Craft is used to build and create new things, including alchemical concoctions and armour.
Diplomacy - Combines with Will. Diplomacy is used for negotiations with individuals, including bluffing, lying, or intimidating others.
Larceny - Combines with Agility. Larceny is used for stealing and counterfeiting.
Medicine - Combines with Will. Medicine is used to evaluate the physical condition of others.
Melee - Combines with Strength. Melee is used primarily for physical combat.
Nature - Combines with Will. Nature is used to identify natural creatures, tracking, and plants.
Perception - Combines with Will. Perception is used to spot unusual things, including traps, but also whether or not people are being truthful.
Performance - Combines with Will. Performance is used to play musical instruments, sing, dance, and to speak convincingly to larger crowds.
Ranged - Combines with Agility. Ranged is used primarily for ranged combat, such as bows and guns, but also thrown weapons, like javelins or grenades.
Ride - Combines with Vitality. Ride is used to navigate and steer land-based creatures and vehicles.
Sail - Combines with Vitality. Sail is used to navigate and steer sailing and airships.
Stealth - Combines with Agility. Stealth is used to conceal yourself, to move quietly, and ambushing those who cannot detect you.
Step 6: Apply Your Items To Your Character
When you are finished with these parts of your character, you will notice that they have items with them. These items should be applied in the correct slots:
Weapon: You have 1-2 weapon slots. These weapons do not increase your damage, but will grant another quality when they are upgraded, and they also have upgrade slots.
Armour: You have 3 armour slots, and may upgrade to 4 with AP.
Consumable: You will be given an appropriate consumable, which should be added to your inventory.
Step 7: Generate Derived Stats
Derived stats are stats that you obtain by modifying other stats.
Dodge (Agility x 10) - If you dodge, take half damage from physical attacks. Dodge caps at 90%.
Resistance (Will x 10) - If you resist, take half damage from elemental attacks. Resistance caps at 90%.
Armour (Vitality + Items) - Reduces damage taken from physical attacks by a flat number after you dodge.
M. Armour (Will + Items) - Reduces damage taken from elemental attacks by a flat number after you resist.
Hit Points (Number + Vitality x 0.5) - Your hit points go up every time you level up.
Initiative (1d10 + Agility + Will) - You roll Initiative at the beginning of each round of combat. Actions take a certain amount of Speed to complete, which is subtracted from your rolled Initiative number. Whomever has the highest Initiative goes first. You must have at least one point of Speed remaining to act a second time in a Round, though you need not have the full Speed of an action remaining.
Dodge and Resistance
You may roll to reduce damage from a physical attack. This defense is called Dodge. When you Dodge an attack, it deals half-damage, to a minimum of one damage.
You may roll to reduce damage from a spell. This defense is called Resistance. When you Resist a spell, it deals half-damage, to a minimum of one damage.
Step 8: Create Spellbook
Now your primary character sheet should be done, so now it's time to create your Spellbook. This is a largely optional process, since players can choose to record their abilities however they like, but this is how I create my Spellbook.
Page 1: Passives
If a character has any entirely passive abilities, they are placed here.
Page 2: Actives
Here is where you place all of your character's active abilities.
Both Active and Passive abilities are determined via the Keywords section.
Page 3: AP Abilities
Here is where you can record all of your AP abilities, with their costs.
Page 4: Damage Sheet
Depending on how generally good you are at math, it may well be worth having a small list of how much damage you deal with your powers without having to hunt through the rest of your spellbook to do it.
Step 9: Finishing Touches
Finishing touches for your character will include a name and filling in a Nationality for your character. While the history section offers more details about the world at large, here is a brief explanation of each nation.
Your character should now be complete!
Step 10: Levelling Up
Should you be finished with Character Creation and now need to level up, this section has complete leveling up details.
This section will detail the process of creating your character for a Libra: World of Balance game. While much of character-creation is actually mentioned on the class pages, it can be useful to know something about the classes before you start.
Your Character Sheet. [Link not included]
Step 1: Choose Your Aspect
Aspects represent the way elemental affinities affect the people of Libra. There are six aspects: Air, Ice, Fire, Earth, Life, and Death, and are loosely described as follows:
Air is the element of swiftness and of weather. Air attacks are swift, and deal double damage to Earth-aspected creatures. Air-aligned classes use the power of Earth to build up their strength and then unleash Air-based attacks.
Ice is the element of cold and stasis. Ice attacks slow others, and deal double damage to Fire-aspected creatures. Ice-aligned classes use the power of Fire to build up their strength and then unleash Ice-based attacks.
Fire is the element of heat and burning. Fire attacks deal additional burn damage, and deal double damage to Ice-aspected creatures. Fire-aligned classes use the power of Ice to build up their strength and then unleash Fire-based attacks.
Earth is the element of stillness and clarity. Earth attacks are slow, but deal a large amount of damage, dealing double damage to Air-aspected creatures. Earth-aligned classes use the power of Air to build up their strength and then unleash Earth-based attacks.
Life is the element of birth and vitality. Life attacks drain HP and sometimes resources, and deal double damage to Death-aspected creatures. Life-aligned classes use the power of Death to build up their strength and then unleash Life-based attacks.
Death is the element of death and decay. Death attacks restore HP, and deal double damage to Life-aspected creatures. Death-aligned classes use the power of Life to build up their strength and then unleash Death-based attacks.
Step 2: Choose Your Clade
Clades are broadly defined groups of individuals who are combat-capable, and use their skills in different ways. There are four Clades: Warrior, Ranged, Mage, and Shadow, and are loosely described as follows:
Warriors use the elements to empower their weapons and enhance their fighting abilities. Combined with an Aspect, Warrior attacks gain speed, delay, burning, increased damage, HP drain, or HP restoration.
Ranged use a variety of ranged weapons (bows, guns, javelins, throwing knives, alchemical concoctions) to fight their enemies, and usually have elementally empowered shots. Combined with an Aspect, Ranged attacks gain speed, delay, burning, increased damage, HP drain, or HP restoration.
Mages draw on the raw powers of the elements, using one element to gain power, and the opposing element to deal large amounts of damage, though draining their EP pools. Mages are also the only ones who can draw out EP from the world and cause it to manifest as monsters to fight.
Shadows are sneakier fighters, more fragile, but specializing in ambush tactics, thievery, and trickery. Combined with an Aspect, they use that Aspect in subversive ways to defeat their foes.
Infobyte: Opposite Aspects and Weapons
Every Aspect has its opposite, and as such, has both a strength and a weakness. If a creature of one Aspect is hit by its opposing Aspect, it exposes its weakness, dealing double damage. An Aspect also possesses a strength, and is resistant to another Aspect, dealing half damage. Aspects express their strengths and weaknesses in the following manner:
Air is weak to Earth, but resistant against Death.
Ice is weak to Fire, but resistant against Life.
Fire is weak to Ice, but resistant against Earth.
Earth is weak to Air, but resistant against Fire.
Life is weak to Death, but resistant against Ice.
Death is weak to Life, but resistant against Air.
When you are weak to an Aspect, you take 2.0x damage.
When you are resistant to an Aspect, you take 0.5x damage.
By that same token, every broad weapon type also has both a strength and a weakness, and functions similarly to how the Aspects function.
One-Handed weapons, such as swords, maces, axes, and daggers, have an Advantage over Polearm users, due to their wielder's ability to get inside their opponent's reach and a typically swifter attack style, and a Disadvantage against Bows, because of their opponent's superior range.
Two-Handed weapons, such as swords, maces, and axes, have an Advantage over Thrown weapon users, due to their inability to use their thrown weapons safely to defend themselves at close range, and a Disadvantage against Gun-wielders, due to their high damage and easy use in close quarters.
Polearm weapons, such as lances, pikes, long spears, staves, and two-bladed staves, have an Advantage over Bows, because they can use heavier attacks with a superior range, and a Disadvantage against One-Handed weapon users because of their swifter attack style.
Bows, whether they be short or long, have an Advantage over the wielders of One-Handed weapons, who have a shorter melee range, and a Disadvantage against Polearm users, who possess a superior melee range, and a harder striking set of attacks.
Guns have an Advantage over Two-Handed weapon users, due to their high damage and easy use, even in close quarters, and a Disadvantage against Thrown weapon users who can knock their aim off-balance.
Thrown weapons, such as spears, daggers, javelins, grenades and alchemical concoctions, have an Advantage over Gun-wielders due to their versatility and ability to knock their users off balance, and a Disadvantage against Two-Handed weapon wielders, due to their inability to defend themselves with their weapons safely at close range.
Step 3: Choose Your Class
Your Class is a combination of your Clade and your Aspect, creating a whole new kind of hero. Here are a list of the total classes:
Air-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Duelist
Mage-Clade: Druid
Ranged-Clade: Bard
Shadow-Clade: - Infiltrator
Earth-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Knight
Mage-Clade: Geomancer
Ranged-Clade: Hurler
Shadow-Clade: Earthwalker
Fire-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Gladiator
Mage-Clade: Grenadier
Ranged-Clade: Pyromancer
Shadow-Clade: Engineer
Ice-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Lancer
Mage-Clade: Cryomancer
Ranged-Clade: Raider
Shadow-Clade: Mirror
Life-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Dark Knight
Mage-Clade: Necromancer
Ranged-Clade: Sniper
Shadow-Clade: Assassin
Death-Aspect
Warrior-Clade: Paladin
Mage-Clade: Cleric
Ranged-Clade: Alchemist
Shadow-Clade: Venomancer
Step 4: Assign Stats
Your chosen Class has details about your Stats, but this summarizes what each Stat does, and why you may or may not want it.
Stat Block
This system uses four stats: Strength, Agility, Will, and Vitality.
Strength - Strength represents physical prowess, and allows one to resist physical damage taken. Strength is the melee damage stat.
Agility - Agility represents manual dexterity, and allows one to avoid physical damage, as well as adding to one's speed. Agility is the ranged damage stat.
Will - Will represents insight, intelligence, and the ability to focus your elemental gifts, as well as adding to one's speed. Will is the mage damage stat.
Vitality - Vitality represents physical fortitude, and exertion that requires endurance rather than raw strength. Vitality adds to your hit points.
Step 5: Choose Skills
This system uses 14 skills, in conjunction with 4 stats. More details about this process can be found on your Class' page. This section contains Stat-Skill associations and definitions.
Athletics - Combines with Strength. Athletics is used for climbing, jumping, and running.
Arcana - Combines with Will. Arcana is used primarily for elemental combat, and knowledge of the elements and their various powers.
Craft - Combines with Will. Craft is used to build and create new things, including alchemical concoctions and armour.
Diplomacy - Combines with Will. Diplomacy is used for negotiations with individuals, including bluffing, lying, or intimidating others.
Larceny - Combines with Agility. Larceny is used for stealing and counterfeiting.
Medicine - Combines with Will. Medicine is used to evaluate the physical condition of others.
Melee - Combines with Strength. Melee is used primarily for physical combat.
Nature - Combines with Will. Nature is used to identify natural creatures, tracking, and plants.
Perception - Combines with Will. Perception is used to spot unusual things, including traps, but also whether or not people are being truthful.
Performance - Combines with Will. Performance is used to play musical instruments, sing, dance, and to speak convincingly to larger crowds.
Ranged - Combines with Agility. Ranged is used primarily for ranged combat, such as bows and guns, but also thrown weapons, like javelins or grenades.
Ride - Combines with Vitality. Ride is used to navigate and steer land-based creatures and vehicles.
Sail - Combines with Vitality. Sail is used to navigate and steer sailing and airships.
Stealth - Combines with Agility. Stealth is used to conceal yourself, to move quietly, and ambushing those who cannot detect you.
Step 6: Apply Your Items To Your Character
When you are finished with these parts of your character, you will notice that they have items with them. These items should be applied in the correct slots:
Weapon: You have 1-2 weapon slots. These weapons do not increase your damage, but will grant another quality when they are upgraded, and they also have upgrade slots.
Armour: You have 3 armour slots, and may upgrade to 4 with AP.
Consumable: You will be given an appropriate consumable, which should be added to your inventory.
Step 7: Generate Derived Stats
Derived stats are stats that you obtain by modifying other stats.
Dodge (Agility x 10) - If you dodge, take half damage from physical attacks. Dodge caps at 90%.
Resistance (Will x 10) - If you resist, take half damage from elemental attacks. Resistance caps at 90%.
Armour (Vitality + Items) - Reduces damage taken from physical attacks by a flat number after you dodge.
M. Armour (Will + Items) - Reduces damage taken from elemental attacks by a flat number after you resist.
Hit Points (Number + Vitality x 0.5) - Your hit points go up every time you level up.
Initiative (1d10 + Agility + Will) - You roll Initiative at the beginning of each round of combat. Actions take a certain amount of Speed to complete, which is subtracted from your rolled Initiative number. Whomever has the highest Initiative goes first. You must have at least one point of Speed remaining to act a second time in a Round, though you need not have the full Speed of an action remaining.
Dodge and Resistance
You may roll to reduce damage from a physical attack. This defense is called Dodge. When you Dodge an attack, it deals half-damage, to a minimum of one damage.
You may roll to reduce damage from a spell. This defense is called Resistance. When you Resist a spell, it deals half-damage, to a minimum of one damage.
Step 8: Create Spellbook
Now your primary character sheet should be done, so now it's time to create your Spellbook. This is a largely optional process, since players can choose to record their abilities however they like, but this is how I create my Spellbook.
Page 1: Passives
If a character has any entirely passive abilities, they are placed here.
Page 2: Actives
Here is where you place all of your character's active abilities.
Both Active and Passive abilities are determined via the Keywords section.
Page 3: AP Abilities
Here is where you can record all of your AP abilities, with their costs.
Page 4: Damage Sheet
Depending on how generally good you are at math, it may well be worth having a small list of how much damage you deal with your powers without having to hunt through the rest of your spellbook to do it.
Step 9: Finishing Touches
Finishing touches for your character will include a name and filling in a Nationality for your character. While the history section offers more details about the world at large, here is a brief explanation of each nation.
Your character should now be complete!
Step 10: Levelling Up
Should you be finished with Character Creation and now need to level up, this section has complete leveling up details.