03b Quick Character Creation
Use this cheat sheet to quickly roll up a first-year student at the Cyorian Academy. For detailed lore and full explanations of these steps, please see 03 Character Creation.
Step 1: Choose a Background
Choose one background to define your character's past.
| Background | Starting Bonus |
|---|---|
| Noble Scion | +3 Attribute Points |
| Magical Lineage | +1 free dot in any Core School Proficiency |
| Street Rat | Free Social Chameleon merit |
| Scholar's Child | Free Eidetic Memory merit |
| State Orphan | +1 Willpower, +1 Stealth |
| Rural Outsider | +2 extra Flaw Points (max 6) |
| Temple Acolyte | +1 free dot in Ward |
| Merchant Family | Double starting funds + stipend |
| Industrial Pioneer | +1 Calculation, +1 Academics |
| Alchemist's Apprentice | +1 free dot in Alchemy + alchemy kit |
| Dungeon Scavenger | +1 free dot in Survival, +1 Awareness |
| Prodigy | Free Academic Prodigy merit |
| Foreign Exchange Student | +1 dot in Insight, +1 dot in Society |
| Military Brat | +1 dot in Melee Combat or Ranged Combat, starts with weapon |
| Disgraced Nobility | +1 dot in Deception, +1 dot in Academics |
| Syndicate Scion | +1 dot in Streetwise, +1 dot in Sleight of Hands |
| Monster Hunter's Heir | +1 dot in Survival, +1 dot in Awareness |
Step 2: Assign Attributes
You have 4 categories of Attributes: Magical, Mental, Physical, and Social.
- Base: All 22 attributes start at 1 dot.
- Maximum: No attribute can start higher than 3 dots.
- Points to Spend: (1 point = +1 dot)
- Magical (4 Points): Memory, Calculation, Finesse, Willpower.
- Mental, Physical, Social (Array): Use the array [9, 7, 5]. Choose one category to receive 9 points, one to receive 7 points, and one to receive 5 points.
- Mental: Academics, Investigation, Awareness, Survival, Crafting, Medicine.
- Physical: Might, Mobility, Sleight, Stealth, Melee Combat, Ranged Combat.
- Social: Charm, Deception, Intimidation, Insight, Society, Streetwise.
Step 3: Magic & Spells
- Base: All 8 Core Schools start at 0 dots.
- Points to Spend: 2 Points (Max 3 dots per school. Cannot buy Specializations yet).
- Spells Known: Choose exactly 1 Spell per dot spent. The spell's Tier cannot exceed your dots in that school. (Total starting spells = 2).
Step 4: Merits & Flaws
- Start with 0 Points.
- Take up to 4 Points of Flaws to gain an equal number of points to spend on Merits.
- (Note: You can use these to buy prerequisites for restricted magic like Soul Magic).
Step 5: Academy Logistics
- Pick 1 Mentor Professor (for afternoon time slots).
- Pick 2 Majors (initial classes).
Step 6: Calculate Derived Stats
- Mana Capacity:
(Willpower + Calculation) × 5 - Physical Health: 7 Boxes (Bruised 0 to Incapacitated)
- Mind Defense:
Willpower + Highest of (Divination or Abjuration) - Soul Integrity: 10 Boxes
- Sanity: 10 Boxes
- Ongoing Spell Limit: Equal to your
Calculationrating - Mastered Spells: Choose a number of your known spells up to
Memory × 2as Mastered. (They cost 1 less Mana, are cast silently/instantly, and cost 0 SP to master at creation).