Character Creation Guidelines for Project TENEBROUS.
Characters will be built on the 40-stone scale. All characters will
have the one-stone Challenge: "Mutant".
There are three types of characters which I am anticipating for this
game. It is important to note that for each of these types there is a
"Carrot" and "Stick" which must be designed.
- The Criminal. Someone who self-identifies as a criminal or a
thief. They commit crimes to make their living. They are approached by
the CIA and offered new identities, payment, an eventual pardon, and
the
force of the Agency to keep the authorities from being too much of a
hassle, in return for their service (Carrot.) They also are threatened
with various measures should they revolt against the Agency, including
re-incarceration, targetting of their families and/or friends and
associates, etc. (Stick.)
- The Naif. Someone who committed a minor crime, but because
of their mutant powers, was placed at the Castle. Again, the CIA
offers them the opportunity to eventually get their lives back (the
carrot) and threatens the destruction of that life should they revolt
(the stick.)
- The Volunteer. Someone with mutant abilities and some
connection to the military, the police, or the government, who has a
particular shady goal or nasty enemy that they want to defeat, offered
the opportunity to go after that goal or enemy if they cooperate with
the Agency (carrot), and something that the Agency can threaten if they
revolt (stick).
If you want to come up with a character type that's not on this list,
by all means please do, but make sure you maintain the theme of Carrot
and Stick: the promises and threats the Agency is using to get you to
do what they want you to do.
DO
- Make a character who has a fully-formed personality (even if their
personal life was ruined by being sent to prison.)
- Make an outline of a background and fill in details as necessary.
- Make a character who wants things, even if it's just "a normal
life" or "lots of money."
DO NOT
- Make a character who is so sociopathic and/or insane that the CIA
won't be able to reliably keep tabs on you via the "carrot and stick"
method. (This does not mean you have to like the deal you are offered.)
- Make a character who is so sociopathic that they would rather
sabotage the success of the group than get along with them even in a
"professional" way.
- Make a character without consulting with other players. The Agency
is intentionally picking people not only that it can control, but whose
abilities, training, skills and talents will complement each other.
Don't make a character who will so violently object to the expected
actions of another character that it will irretrievably disrupt the
team, past their "carrot and stick" control.
Equipment and gadgetry bought with character stones are yours, and can
be recovered after you are released from the Castle. Other equipment
will be provided to you by the Agency, so you don't have to spend any
stones on, say, pistols, silencers, rifles, cars, whatever, so long as
you don't mind it coming and going with the mission requirements.
Contacts are free and can be invented freely to fit with your
background, but all Contacts are traceable and vary in usefulness and
willingness to help unless you purchase the Network of Contacts
Modifier. (See House Rules.)
Back to the TENEBROUS index.