STEP ONE: Pick a BACKGROUND: MY CHARACTER IS A:

1. Fighter: You make your living fighting in some way, or being ready to fight, at least
2. Magic person: You can cast spells on/with a pistol or other firearm.
3. Holy person: You can use divine magic.
4. Thunderheart: You are one of the eleven tribes native to the lands West of The Great River.
5. Frontiersman (includes Frontierswoman and Frontiersperson): You're none of the above-- but even though your life doesn't rely on fighting, there's always a risk of it...



BACKGROUNDS:

Fighters (You get 1 extra hp and 1 combat skill for free):

Bounty Hunter: You get hired to hunt down outlaws. You prefer not to deal with actual monsters... though sometimes you have to if your bounty dies and comes back from the dead.

Deserter from The Company: For whatever reason, you used to work for the company in some fighting capacity (probably a guard), but for reasons of your own (probably you realized The Company is kinda evil and the main thing getting humans cursed?), you've quit. But that's serious, because it means you're basically a runaway indentured servant. So now you're kind of a drifter, hoping no one from the Company realizes who you are and that you're in breach of contract...

Outlaw: You live outside the law. There may or may not be any warrants for your arrest yet, but you basically take what you want out of life, and you don't always respect the laws of towns, The Company, nor social convention.

Lawman (includes Deputies): It's your job to enforce the law... and to protect humans from the monsters The Curse sends...

Soldier for The Company: You work as a fighter for The Company.

Elite Company Troubleshooter: When The Company needs a special job done (almost always monsters/undead), they send you.

Cowboy: You don't want no trouble-- it's just your job to move the dogies (cattle) from one place to another, whether that's so they can graze, or to deliver 'em to market... But your gun'll keep the dogies and yourself safe from irritated tribes who say you're grazing on their grass... or from monsters looking for an easy meal... (You can get the rope use (including lassoing) skill for free, OR the Riding skill for free, OR the using firearms skill for free. You can HAVE both, but you only get 1 for free.)

Gunslinger: You're just a gunslinger lookin' t' make a name for himself or herself... and occasionally get paid for something now and then...

Guard (bank, wagon train, bodyguard, etc.): You don't work for The Company, but you're not a lawman, either-- you're just a private guard that rich men pay to keep their stuff (or themselves) safe.

Elite Church monster hunter: When The Church needs a special job done (almost always monsters/undead), they send you. (Note: you do not get to start with any Magic Trait/Skill, but you can pick up the Divine Magic skills as you level up if you wish.)



Frontiersmen (includes Frontierswomen, or Frontierspersons) (CHOOSING ONE OF THESE BACKGROUNDS GETS YOU AN EXTRA FREE NON-COMBAT SKILL):

Prospector: There's gold in them thar hills! And silver! And iron! And even copper-- the New World needs lots of copper for their newfangled "teleographs," or whatever they're called! You can make a fortune out here! ...If you can stay alive...

Dancehall Gal: You're just an entertainer, really... but when the audience tips in gold nuggets, why would you ever leave? If any outlaws or monsters come for you, well, you've got a derringer they'll get the business end of...

Scout: It's not your job to fight... it's your job to go see what's over the next hill, and come back and report about it, without ever getting caught. If what's over the next hill is a band of outlaws or a monster or a horrible army of the undead, that's not your problem... as long as you never get caught...

Journalist: The people have a right to know... everything. And you're gonna be the person who lets them know, and I mean the real truth, about everything... even though some people want to shut you up...

Tribal liason agent (liason to one or more Thunderheart tribes): It's your job to try to keep the tribes peaceful, but it gets harder every week, what with human outlaws intruding on their territory and The Company stomping all over what's always been their land and resources...

Grifter/Snake-Oil Salesman: There's so much money changing hands, you hardly know where to look. Now to get it into your hands.

Gambler: You make your living at games of chance... but you've got a weapon ready in case of trouble, too...

Dude: You're from the New World, but from east of the Great River, so to the locals, you're "from back east." They make fun of you, say you can't ride, say you're a "greenhorn." But you've got a reason for being here, just like they do... and you're not leaving until you get good and ready... maybe you're never going back...

Express Post Rider: It's your job to deliver the mail, no matter how risky a job that is. So how is it that you keep getting roped into extra problems?

Merchant: You're just here to make money. Doing it here on the Frontier means it's danger money. But hey, danger money is big money.


Magic Folks (You get 1 Magic skill for free):

--Arcane Gunslinger: What the hell kind of land is this, where you need a gun to do magic spells? What is this Curse that's warping this land? Well, if that's the only way to cast spells here, so be it...


Holy Folks (You get 1 Divine Magic skill for free):

Preacher: There are souls to be saved, and you're the one to do it.

Circuit Rider: It's your job-- whether because the church has assigned it to you, or because you've chosen it for yourself-- to ride from place to place, offering divine comfort to those who live too far from a sizable town to otherwise worship with a man of the cloth. But it's dangerous-- now more than ever...


Thunderhearts: (If you choose, Thunderheart characters may choose Magic skills, which they may use with bow and arrow or firearms (they usually choose to use it with bows and arrows). You may also choose the Druidic Magic skill, if you wish.)

Thunderheart Chief: You are the leader of your own sub-tribe of Thunderhearts, who's currently traveling alone on tribal business... (You get 1 extra HP OR 1 extra FATE point for free, and 1 Thunderheart move for free)

Thunderheart Warrior: You are a tribal warrior, pursuing your own agenda... (You get 1 extra hp for free, and 1 Thunderheart move for free)

Thunderheart Shaman: The newcomers have badly lost their way, and they'll drag the tribes along with them if you don't fight it... (You get 1 Thunderheart move for free, and you get 1 Divine Magic Skill for free)


STEP TWO: Toughness/Fate points

Toughness is basically your HP (health points). A Fate Point must be spent any time you want to use any type of Magic skill.

Everyone starts with 3 Toughness and 2 Fate points.

Then, distribute 5 more points however you want between your Toughness and Fate. Many Backgrounds get 1 extra point for free to start with.


STEP THREE: CHOOSE YOUR TRAITS AND SKILLS:

Everyone starts by choosing 2 Traits, and 3 Skills that come after those traits (that's total, NOT three PER Trait).

Most Backgrounds give you some additional skill to start with for Free...


--Thinking:
--using logic
--solving puzzles
--outwitting someone
--reading runes
--speaking languages

--Fighting:
--up-close combat with weapons,
--weaponless brawling,
--feats of strength

--Foraging:
--surviving (in the wild),
--medicine,
--tracking,
--archery (incl. using thrown weapons, but not firearms),
--rope use (including lassoing),
--using firearms,
--guiding,
--scouting,
--riding (includes driving a carriage or wagon)

--Sneaking:
--dodging,
--escaping bonds,
--hiding,
--concealing something,
--moving quietly

--Crafting:
--forging (doesn't include guns/ammo),
--repairing,
--building,
--appraising,
--gunsmithing (includes ammo)

--Carousing:
--drinking,
--cooking,
--charming,
--haggling,
--making music,
--telling stories,
--gambling

--Magic:
--Elemental Bullet (Magic) (fire=burn, ice=freeze, lightning=shock, air=knockdown, etc.)
--Piercing Bullet (Magic) (ignores armor AND can ignore cover)
--Blur (Magic): (+1 Armor but can make you drop your gun)
--Heal Wounds (Divine Magic)
--Turn Undead (Divine Magic)
--Sanctify Ground/Water (Divine Magic)
--Animal Link (Druidic Magic)
 (You may create new ones with the GM.)



STEP FOUR:


Choose 2 from below:
__ two pistols, one for each hip (Comes loaded, with 3 extra ammo)
__ one rifle (Comes loaded, with 3 extra ammo)
__ one pistol (Comes loaded, with 3 extra ammo)
__ one shotgun (Comes loaded, with 3 extra ammo)
__ one small, easily-concealable derringer (Comes loaded, with 1 extra ammo)
__ a fine shiv (easily-concealable)
__ a tomahawk (for fighting up close, or throwing)
__ a bow (Comes with a quiver with 3 extra ammo)
__ Adventuring Gear (3 uses, 1 use can be used for Prospecting Gear)

Choose 1 from below:
__ A horse named _____. (Can carry you and saddlebags and maybe 1 extra passenger)
__ A mule or burro named _____. (Can carry you and heavy saddlebags, or more if you're walking)
__ A special horse (extra large or extra well-trained somehow-- Can carry you and saddlebags but doesn't like to carry extra passengers)
__ A dog named _____. (can help with fighting, tracking)
__ Adventuring Gear (3 uses, 1 use can be used for Prospecting Gear)

Everyone gets:
__ a week’s rations
__ a bedroll and a pack OR saddlebags
__ holy book/holy symbol if they want it
__ won't-spoil-soon types of food and water to last for several days
__ Supplies (coins to buy stuff, in other words). The Party starts with 2 points of Supplies (after they get all of the above, that is).
__ Adventuring Gear (3 uses). When you need something specific-- rope, a crowbar, a piece of flint for starting a fire-- just mark off one of your three uses of Adventuring Gear, and say "I pull a length of sturdy rope from my pack." You can get more Adventuring Gear (up to 3 again) at any Haven.





Sample character creation:

--Zeb, Human Lawman
As a Lawman (fighter), Zeb gets 1 extra hp and 1 combat skill for free. So:
--Toughness: 9 (3 to start with, then 5 more, then 1 extra).
--Fate: 2.

--Fighting:
--weaponless brawling, FREE COMBAT SKILL

--Foraging:
--using firearms,
--riding (includes driving a carriage or wagon)

--Sneaking:
--dodging


Zeb gets 2 Traits and 3 skills to start with. Then he also gets 1 combat skill for free, so he chooses Brawling, which is nice because it means he also gets the Fighting trait for free.



__ two pistols, one for each hip (Comes loaded, with 3 extra ammo)
__ one shotgun (Comes loaded, with 3 extra ammo)
__ A special horse (extra large or extra well-trained somehow-- Can carry you and saddlebags but doesn't like to carry extra passengers)
__ a week’s rations
__ a bedroll and saddlebags
__ won't-spoil-soon types of food and water to last for several days
__ Supplies (coins to buy stuff, in other words). The Party starts with 2 points of Supplies (after they get all of the above, that is).
__ Adventuring Gear (3 uses). When you need something specific-- rope, a crowbar, a piece of flint for starting a fire-- just mark off one of your three uses of Adventuring Gear, and say "I pull a length of sturdy rope from my pack." You can get more Adventuring Gear (up to 3 again) at any Haven.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:51, Fri 17 Mar 2023.