Fire in the Skies [Final Fantasy d6 (Ivalice)| Not Recruiting Right Now]

[Sepsep]

So! I've had a game concept I've been toying around with for awhile, using some modified FFd6. As the thread title suggests, the general theme would be Skypirates, Adventure, a bit of Dungeoneering, and a healthy dash of Politics. And more Skypirates.

The setting would start out as the Sky City of Bhujerba, about five years into the Occupation of Dalmasca. But that'd just be the setting's tone, barely even the setting. After all, there's a whole Sky to explore via Airships~

Plot Hook

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Ivalice. A world of unfinished maps, of blank edges, and pockets of shadow bound in the borders of temporary kingdoms and lives.  Mighty empires fight for supremacy of the lands, crushing smaller kingdoms like grain against a millstone. People live their entire lives serving others and never leaving the safe boundaries of the Palings around their cities.

But such is not for you. For you, there is the taste of drifting clouds, the hum of crafted magicite, and the shock of circling Glossair Rings. Let the world turn below you, the Floating Lands are above and away from such things. Here in the sky, on the edge of the map, what weight do the words of kings have to those who fly?

Sound interesting~?

[Latooni Subota]

Heheh, already here.~ *Tweaks nose*

[Revelation]

I'd be interested, hard to say no to sky pirates.

[Lockepick]

I'd be interested!

[Sepsep]

Right, I knew I had a more detailed write-up somewhere!


How does one describe a world built by others, experienced by many, interpreted through a game system, and then reflected into something usable? I suppose I'll have to settle for a complicated answer of: Vaguely, with just enough details to let you fill in the blanks yourself. Or just click here.

Setting Info (For the Uninformed)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

The known regions of Ivalice are the three continents of Valendia to the north, Ordalia to the west, and Kerwon to the south; though the Galtean Peninsula is a crossroads for all three. The two dominant powers of the world are the Archadian and Rozarrian Empires, encompassing most of Valendia and Ordalia respectively. Both nations have a strong authority in their Imperial Families, but while Rozzaria has a powerful military faction and various political factions counterbalancing each other, Archadia distinguishes itself with its Judge system; effectively granting the military full Judicial Power. Caught in between the cold regarding of both empires for each other are all the countless kingdoms, regions, and cultures that are either too powerfully independent or too inefficient for either side to attempt to absorb.

But that is on the land, and we are in the skies themselves. The Purvama -the so-called Floating Lands- exist to the east, above the Naldoan Sea. Countless islands, hundreds or even thousands of feet above the water below, defying gravity by way of rich concentrations of levitating Skystone and elemental Magicite. Though officially the countless islands pay homage to the Skycity of Bhujerba -one of the largest and most westerly cities of the region- and its ruling Marquis, it is mostly lip service. The Floating Lands have no true law that extends farther than a few days travel by airship.

Socially, magic and magitek are commonplace. Such things as Palings -powerful magical walls that can surround entire cities- and even Airships are commonplace compared to most, but comparatively the wilderness of Ivalice is just as deadly. Civilization does not often extend farther than sight of a city or a few miles from the road. Likewise Mist -concentrated and often dangerously unstable magic that suffuses the air- and Jagds -areas where Magicite, Skystone, and even some spells can fail or behave unpredictably- make even the most ambitious cartographers unable to explore thoroughly. Both types of wild regions tend to have multitudes of threats, both environmental and monstrous.

Basically the plot would involve one person of the party being the 'Captain' and at least one person having 'Special Vehicle (Airship)'. Which, considering it's Sky Pirates, was likely to happen anyways. From there the opening plot would get some tweaks depending on what kind of characters arrive, and we'll see how things spiral out from there.

We'd be using some Homebrew Mechanics which I wrote up a while ago and have been slowly improving ever since. Some of them wouldn't come into play until much later on, but they're neat things to build towards.

Homebrew

These would be the basic Homebrew Changes.
These would be the Prestige Jobs, which have slowly been written and re-written over about a year.

And lastly, each available Race would gain its own benefits, as follows

Races of Ivalice

Though the majority of the populations in cities are Humes (Ranging from 50%-90%) the other races are no less important or civilized.

Click on a name to see a bit more about the race, if uninformed. Or just read some.

Hume
Humes make up the majority of the population in cities, for they are the makers of empires, the coiners of gil, and the traders of goods and ideas. Not much more needs to be said about the most prolific of the races.
-Humes gain any 1 Shared Ability *EXCEPT* Grand Summoner or Unusual Species for free.
-They gain +1 to two Attributes.
-They are Vulnerable to Shadow.

Bangaa
Whatever you do, don't call a Bangaa a lizard. It's a very bad idea. Their gruff voices tend to make magic difficult, but their stubborn dedication can overcome it given enough time.
-Bangaa gain the Forceful Intentions Dark Knight Ability for free.
-They gain either +2 PWR or RES.
-They are Vulnerable to Water rather than Shadow.

Viera
While most Viera still live in tribes in the great forests of Ivalice, more and more are drawn to the lifestyles of cities and are leaving the wilderness behind. What will result of this, only time can tell.
-Vieras gain the Aim Ranger Ability for free.
-They gain either +2 DEX or MND.
-They are Vulnerable to Earth rather than Shadow.

Nu Mou
Able to live for hundreds of years under the right conditions, most Nu Mou abhor violence. Some however revel in the powerful thrill of a well placed Firaga. Hope for the bark, fear the bite.
-Nu Mou gain the Clear Mind White Mage Ability for free.
-They gain either +2 RES or MND.
-They cannot put Skill Points in Swimming.

Moogle
Moogles built the first airships, crafted the first guns, and destroyed the first city they built within a decade. Then they built it again atop the ruined remnants, almost as if nothing had happened. If that doesn't describe them, nothing does.
-Moogles gain the Unusual Species (Tiny) Shared Ability for free.
--They gain +1 AVD.
--They gain +2 Stealth.
--They gain +2 to Opposed Rolls when their small size would help them.
-They gain either +2 PWR or DEX.
-They cannot put Skill Points in Swimming.

Seeq
Gruff, ill-mannered, and heavier than the other races, Seeq nonetheless defy initial expectations with subtle wit, instinctive reactions, and surprising dexterity. Still, you wouldn't want your daughter marrying one.
-Seeqs gain the Unstoppable Warrior Ability for free.
-They gain either +2 RES or DEX. 
-They are Vulnerable to Fire rather than Shadow.

Gria
Though native to Ordalia, Gria as a whole make it a matter of pride to shy from no challenge and face things head on. Natural wanderers, if they can't go around or over, they'll go through whatever obstacle is in their way.
-Grias gain the Bloodline (Aerial) Blue Mage Ability for free.
--They do not gain Aerial-Killer from their Bloodline.
-They gain either +2 PWR or MND.

I also have a spare sheet template for anyone interested.

Template

This is just a Free Sample. Feel free to come up with whatever format suits you, so long as it has at least as much information as this one has. Or heck, just shuffle things about here. So long as I can understand what you're going with, we'll be fine~

Name: x	PWR: x	HP: x/x	AVD: x
Race: x	RES: x	MP: x/x	ACC: x
Gender: x	MND: x	Force: x	Level: 3
Age: x	DEX: x	Finesse x	Exp: 0/5
	Arm: x	MArm: x	Destiny: 1/1

Basic Weapon Attack: 2d6+X +YACC, Z Effects

Job Levels
Levels 1-3

Abilities
Innate Ability (Innate): Effect
Racial Ability (Racial): Effect
Ability: Effect
Ability: Effect
Ability: Effect

Spells
Spell Name (MP Cost): Effect
Spell Name (MP Cost): Effect
Spell Name (MP Cost): Effect

Skills (Force Cap/ Finesses Cap)
Skill 1 Rank X
Skill 2 Rank X
Etc.

Equipment
(+800) Starting Gil

(-XXX) Item 1: Properties
(-XXX) Item 2: Properties

(+XXX) Remaining Gil

Proficiencies:

Description
Speaks for itself. Pictures are fine too~

Background
Stuff and Things~ Shouldn't be much more than 2-3 Paragraphs; you're only Lv2.

Goals
Goal 1:
Goal 2:
Goal 3:

Life Goal:

Remember, think of regular Goals as 'If a plothook related to these appears, I'll probably bite no matter what.' A Life Goal is more of a 'This is what drives my character to keep moving forwards when they have nothing else.'

Progression Concept
While you may be a character mostly just starting out, reaching the Skycity of Bhujerba that acts as the pseudo-gateway to the rest of the Floating Lands... well you won't always be.
Just gimme a rough concept of how you see your character developing, either mechanically, personally, or both. You'll eventually hit Lv15, and there's a lot of different things you can do with those levels mechanically. I can give advice on mechanics if you have a goal in mind but aren't much for CharGen, but in general like all RPGs it helps to have an idea of what you're going to do. And while Goals are a large part of how a lot of characters develop, they aren't everything; some dreams can't be defined as a Goal. Do you see your character becoming less naive over time? More spiritual? More open to working with others? Or perhaps less enamored with the dreams of their youth? Less encumbered with the burdens of their past? Less willing to die, or kill, for a cause? The more I know of how you view your character developing, the more I can adjust the various threads of plot to help~

[Lockepick]

I would suggest you not be afraid to make changes to the setting as needed, first of all.

Couple of other questions:
1) Are we using the latest 1.3 set of rules for the system? I don't think the latest rules set has mechanics for races -- not that I mind them, they look cool. Just wanted to confirm I was looking at the right rules.
2) Just confirming: we're starting at level 3? Based on the template, but wanted to make sure that wasn't an oversight.
3) Are you looking for sheets/concepts now? Are there 'roles' on the ship we should be applying for?

[Sepsep]

I would suggest you not be afraid to make changes to the setting as needed, first of all.

Couple of other questions:
1) Are we using the latest 1.3 set of rules for the system? I don't think the latest rules set has mechanics for races -- not that I mind them, they look cool. Just wanted to confirm I was looking at the right rules.
2) Just confirming: we're starting at level 3? Based on the template, but wanted to make sure that wasn't an oversight.
3) Are you looking for sheets/concepts now? Are there 'roles' on the ship we should be applying for?

Lesse here...
1) We're using 1.3, yes, which can be found here for those who don't have it. In addition would be the aforementioned Homebrew Rules, which apply to, well, many things. I'm both more than willing and able to answer any questions you have in regards to the system or how the Homebrew changes things; or even why I institute specific rules as opposed to what's in the book. The races are also a homebrew mechanics, something to differentiate between them on sheets, as well as a bit of a boost in starting PC power~

2) You will in fact be starting at Lv3, assuming there are plenty of players. I can run with 3-5, but I'd personally prefer 4. In part because of Balance, and in part because it's Final Fantasy and that just makes sense to me.

3) Yes and No, I suppose. I've certainly no objection to people working on characters, but this is still mostly an Interest Check to see what kind of ideas would spring up out of this. What kind of characters, what kind of preferred themes for a game, etc. I've a loose series of plot-threads planned to accompany the initial 'hook', but I've also plenty of concepts that aren't fully grounded yet, and are waiting on players to inspire the blanks to be filled in.

Which, speaking of, the only role that really matters in this case is 'Captain'. Normally they'd be the person who takes Special Vehicle, but other than that it's mostly a question of players building for the setting. And any roles that aren't filled by PC's can conceivably be filled by NPCs, or just trends in the plot. The role of Captain is important, though, because they would be the person I'd bounce some general questions off of at the start, since they'd be the ones quote-unqoute "Running Things", and thus providing a centerpoint about which to build an opening plot.

Also, the opening question of the write-up was rhetorical~  :P

[sleepingferret]

Hmm.... I'd have to a more thorough read thru of the system, as I've never played a game using it before.  I did enjoy many of the Final Fantasy games, and after both reading over this thread and a quick glance at the FFd6 rules, it has caught my interest.

[EndofDivine]

I'm tempted. Kinda depends on what kind of story you have planned though. Might need help with the actual system but I like to think I'm a pretty quick learner. Right now, I'm leaning toward some kind of eccentric inventor type that is the cheerful and ditsy stereotype that's in every final fantasy party ever. Sounds like it could be silly fun and it's not something I really ever play. One question about the concept though...would a companion be ok? I kinda like the idea of having a moogle that my character basically treats like a pet but who is always talking her into doing crazy things and is the 'brains' behind some of her more grandiose and explosive ideas.

[Lockepick]

I'm not sure a moogle is a 'pet,' it would be more of a cohort or an ally -- they're fully intelligent people after all. Unless we mean a sexy kind of 'pet'...

I don't believe there are any rules for allies/cohorts or anything like that in the book. Now there is a Shared Job Ability 'Animal Companion', which even uses a 'absentminded pixie' as an example -- but they only offer information to their master non-verbally.

That doesn't mean it's not feasible, I can't speak to that -- I just mean that based on the RAW, there is no way to have somebody mechanically bonded to you.

[sleepingferret]

After reading through the FFd6 book and your Homebrew stuff.... I'm a tad confused on Skill points now.  I understood the "by the book" rules, but could you clarify by say explaining how many skill points a level 3 Warrior with say a 3 Finesse would have, using your Homebrew rules.

[Sepsep]

After reading through the FFd6 book and your Homebrew stuff.... I'm a tad confused on Skill points now.  I understood the "by the book" rules, but could you clarify by say explaining how many skill points a level 3 Warrior with say a 3 Finesse would have, using your Homebrew rules.

Well let's see, by the books a Lv3 Warrior with 3 Finesse would have 22 Skill Points spent total, with a cap of 4. [18 at Start +2/Level Up]

Using the Homebrew, the same Warrior also has 22 Skill Points, but has a cap of 3 (For Finesse Skills. Arguably 4 for Force Skills based on Stat Points at Lv3) [18 at Start + 2 Level Ups worth (2+3 Finesse)/2)]

This may seem odd, but the base rule limits Skill Caps to Finesse+1, meaning a character /has/ to invest in Finesse to use Skills at all. And considering that it takes 4 Stat Points to increase Finesse or Force (3 Levels worth) but all characters gain 2 Skill Points at each level, longer games are very punishing skill-wise for characters that don't invest in Finesse. It makes a character either skillful, or not. With the Homebrew Skill Gains/Caps in place, Finesse still matters, but not having Finesse isn't as bad since your Cap increases as you level, meaning you can continue to dedicate towards specific skills you want.

I'm tempted. Kinda depends on what kind of story you have planned though. Might need help with the actual system but I like to think I'm a pretty quick learner. Right now, I'm leaning toward some kind of eccentric inventor type that is the cheerful and ditsy stereotype that's in every final fantasy party ever. Sounds like it could be silly fun and it's not something I really ever play. One question about the concept though...would a companion be ok? I kinda like the idea of having a moogle that my character basically treats like a pet but who is always talking her into doing crazy things and is the 'brains' behind some of her more grandiose and explosive ideas.

I'd have to say No, since a Moogle would technically be another person, and giving Players control of NPCs is something I'm hesitant about from past experiences. However, as has been pointed out, Animal Companion is a Shared Ability anyone can take, and it also mentions robots as options~

An actual Moogle I would object to. A sentient robot Mini-Mog that follows you around? Now that's just the sort of thing an eccentric inventor might have.

[sleepingferret]

Thanks Sep.  I'll start working up my character concept today/tonight and hopefully at least have a draft done by tomorrow.

[Latooni Subota]

Name: Aria	PWR: 1	HP: 165/165	AVD: 8
Race: Hume	RES: 13	MP: 9/9	ACC: 2
Gender: Female	MND: 3	Force: 3	Level: 3
Age: 17	DEX: 13	Finesse 4	Exp: 0/5
	Arm: 8	MArm: 8	Destiny: 1/1

"I'm not a monster . . I'm just trying to help!"

Basic Weapon Attack: 2d6+13 +2ACC, Concealed

Job Levels
Level 1 Monk
Levels 2-3 Geomancer

Hume Traits
Weakness to Shadow
+1 to RES and DEX

Abilities
Geotrance (Innate): As a Slow action, utilize the Offensive or Defensive Geotrance ability corresponding to the current terrain type. Upon rolling 6,6 to activate an Offensive Geotrance, the Maelstrom attack must be used in place of the normal Offensive ability.
Weapon Training (Racial): Gain access to two additional weapon categories (Concealed and Blade).
Unbreakable Form 2: Gain +20 extra Max HP per level.
Geoawareness: Activate Geotrances as a Standard action instead of a Slow action. Also drastically reduces the chances of being pre-emptively attacked at the GM's discretion.

Skills (Force Cap 3/ Finesses Cap 4)
Awareness 4
Inquiry 2
Language 4
Lore (Magic) 4
Nature 2
Perform 4
Scavenge 3
Swimming 3
Synthesis (Alchemy) 2

Equipment
(+800) Starting Gil

(-150) Dagger: T1 Concealed
(-450) Adventuring Gear: T2 Light Armor 8 ARM 8 MARM, Fire-Proof
(-20) Potion: T1 Consumable, +25% HP
(-20) Potion: T1 Consumable, +25% HP

(+160) Remaining Gil

Proficiencies: Arcane, Blade, Monk!Brawl, Concealed, Reach, Light Armor, Medium Armor

Description


Aria is an odd young woman, standing at a petite 5'0" with pale white skin. The bridge of her nose and her cheeks have a faint dusting of freckles along with a few other locations on her body like across her (admittedly unimpressive) cleavage and the small of her back. She has rather wild shoulder-length black hair, difficult to control most of the time and holding a few slim braids and trails of beads in it, framing a face of delicate features. Her lips are pouty and pink, and her eyes are wide and expressive, a nearly luminescent blue blue blue. She doesn't strike a particularly imposing figure, with her skinny limbs, small bust, slim waist and average hips. Taking after at least some of her elder sister's fashion sense, she tends to wear a cross between magician's gear and adventuring gear, enjoying wide and deep hoodies and light leather armor and bracers, paired off with hip-hugging leather pants and good sturdy boots, and don't forget the belts! You can never have too many belts! She carries herself with an odd air, staring just a little bit too long at things and people with laser-like focus, only to completely drift off and zone out for minutes at a time.

Background
Deep in the northwestern sea is a lone island, shrouded in mist and surrounded by coral wreathes. On this island is a small forest surrounding a single gigantic lighthouse, jutting up from the mist like a single pike standing on end. Inside this lighthouse is a mind-boggling array of wonders and nightmares, created and experimented on by a secretive cabal of mages. The ancestors of these mages stepped away from the mainlands long ago to research the deepest mysteries of magic, and have remained there ever since. A pair of sisters were born on this island, the elder named Luna and the younger named Aria.

Luna was a prodigy, a mage of great power able to bend time and space itself and summon creatures from beyond, while Aria . . wasn't. Aria proved to have no real talent for any magic at all, her only notable features being her exotic looks and her near-supernatural good health. Despite a bit of a complex about being compared to her elder sister, Aria loved her dearly, following her around like a little duckling. She might not be able to cast magic, but she could at least take notes, and ended up being quite knowledgeable about most matters mystical and what natural features and animals could be found on the island. She might not be important, but she was content.

One day though, this all changed as Luna stole the Ivory Tower's only airship and flew off with no warning, not even a simple goodbye or explanation to her younger sister. The entire tower was in an uproar over this unprecedented act of betrayal, debating what they'd do about it for hours. Aria? Aria used her head. She scoured her elder sister's bedroom and personal library, going over her own notes and records before she realized that her sister had taken with her a number of tomes of arcane lore, the most obvious clue being the missing book of theories and treatises on the nature of the Purvema region. In an incredibly impulsive act, Aria actually stole the small mundane sailboat that the old mages used for basic fishing and experiments in the ocean, and sailed her way to the mainland . .  almost immediately crashing it on the coast. It actually took her some time to make her way to Bhujerba, during the course of which Aria learned that she wasn't so non-magical after all. The group she was traveling with fell under attack by wild wolves, very odd considering they wouldn't normally attack a full caravan, and in the chaos of battle she found herself bending the very wind to lash out at the wolves and cut them to ribbons alongside musical tones and howls of pain. Not only that, but she found that the more she used her new powers, the more she . . . changed. While incredibly disturbed, Aria decided that these powers were her best bet at helping her survive the trip to find her elder sister amongst the floating islands scattered around the world, and slowly began the process of embracing them . . .

Goals
Goal 1: Investigate WHY Purvema is the only large concentration of floating islands in the world. "I have to admit I'm pretty interested in the region as well . . I mean, it's floating islands! How neat!"
Goal 2: Discover where her unusual magics actually come from. "I thought for sure I couldn't use magic, but then this happens . . and I keep hearing music . . ."
Goal 3: Find out what the outside world knows about the Ivory Tower. "I wonder . . just why does the tower stay so secluded? You'd think other places would want the services of powerful magi, right?"

Life Goal: To find her sister Luna and find out what exactly is going on! "I don't get it . . why would she leave me behind? What was so important that she stole an airship and magical tomes from the library?"

Limit Breaks
Limit Break 1 "EXEC_HYMME_PLUTONIUS/." 3 Destiny
Self Only (+1), New Form 11: Beast, Flight, Unusual Defense Physical, Stat Allocation 12 (11)
Aria taps into an unknown source of power, suffusing her body with arcane power and outright warping her physical form into a more bestial one. Her body covered with fine fur ranging from the same pale white of her skin to a soft lavender, her feet and fingers clawed, and the hair on her head wild and untamed. Her speed and destructive capabilities skyrocket, making her even more deadly of a threat . . . much to her chagrin.

Name: Aria?	PWR: 1	HP: 135/135	AVD: 11
Race: Hume?	RES: 3	MP: 3/3	ACC: 2
Gender: Female	MND: 1	Force: 1	Level: 3
Age: 17	DEX: 25	Finesse 6	Exp: 0/5
	Arm: 8	MArm: 8	Destiny: 1/1

Progression Concept
Geomancer, Geomancer, Geomancer. All the Geomancer. Aria's main goal might be to find her sister, but a close second is finding out just why she's able to utilize this unusual magic. Why her? Why not her sister? Or the other mages?

[Lockepick]

Idle questions:

1) Does the Racial Bonus to attributes allow you to go over the normal cap? Or still only up to the attribute cap?
2) Ninja's 'Sunken State' skill stays you stay invisible until you use another job ability -- does that include attacking? Does that include job abilities that are 'passive' and just add to a normal attack? (ie: Shadowbind adding 'Stop-touch' to attacks).
3) Can we 'save' skill points to use at later levels once the skill cap increases?

[Sepsep]

Snip

Lydia, Apprentice Black Mage

Name: Lydia	PWR: 1	HP: 71/71	AVD: 7
Race: Hume	RES: 7	MP: 44/44	ACC: 2
Gender: Female	MND: 12	Force: 2	Level: 3
Age: 17	DEX: 10	Finesse 5	Exp: 0/5
	Arm: 4	MArm: 12	Destiny: 1/1

"Ooh! Wait, I think I've got just the thing in my hat . . .~"

Basic Weapon Attack: 2d6+12 +2ACC

Conditions: Weak vs Shadow

Job Levels
Levels 1 Black Mage
Levels 2-3 Geomancer

Abilities
Geotrance (Innate): As a slow action do sweet location-based magical effects, Offensive, Defensive, or Maelstrom on a 6,6.
Bottomless Pockets (Racial): Have unlimited access to generic items.
Golden Gaze: Glowy golden eyes allow seeing through magical illusions, and always rolling an extra d6 on Lore Magic rolls. Can spend a point of destiny to instantly glean the surface thoughts of any sentient creature regardless of language barriers, via eye contact. Requires an opposed finesse check against Bosses, Notorious Monsters, and other extremely powerful individuals at the GM's discretion.
Elemental Seal: As an Instant Action once per combat, next Single-target spell or attack ignores the effects of MARM, removes Shell, and their MARM score is reduced to zero until the start of your next turn.
Favored Terrain: Permanent access to the Water Geotrance, but cannot use Maelstrom if not a Geomancer.

Spells
Blizzard (MP Cost 5): Single or Group, Elemental (Ice), Reflectable. (MNDx3)+2d6 vs single, (MNDx1)+2d6 vs group.
Thunder (MP Cost 5): Single or Group, Elemental (Lightning), Reflectable. (DEXx3)+2d6 vs single, (DEXx2)+2d6 vs group.
Spell Name (MP Cost): Effect

Skills (Force Cap 3/ Finesses Cap 4)
Awareness 4
Inquiry 4
Language 4
Lore (Magic) 4
Mercantile 4
Synthesize (Cooking) 4

Equipment
(+800) Starting Gil

(-150) Rod: T1 Weapon, Arcane
(-450) Apprentice Black Robe: T2 Light Armor, SOS-Protect
(-020) Potion: +25% HP
(-020) Potion: +25% HP
(-020) Ether: +25% MP
(-020) Ether: +25% MP

(+120) Remaining Gil

Proficiencies: Arcane, Brawl, Reach

Description
Lydia is an . . . odd duck. She stands at a diminutive 5-foot-even, clad from head to toe in the baggy robes and pants of the old-style iconic Black Mage, a wide-brimmed hat pulled low on her head to ensure that her face is always shrouded in darkness, save for her eerie (but oddly expressive) golden glowing eyes. Her unusual choice in wardrobe makes it difficult to get a proper look at her, but she does seem to be fairly lithe, with skiny (almost lanky despite her short stature) limbs and a small bust. Her fingers are thin and delicate looking, but dextrous enough to twirl a magic rod like a baton and thwap someone over the head with it. She seems to carry with her a nervous energy, her lack of obvious facial expressions made up for by exaggerated movements of her body. When she's anxious she hops in place or paces back and forth, when talking with someone she gesticulates wildly, when embarrassed she tugs the brim of her hat down low to completely cover her eyes from view and shuffles from side to side. Maybe odd is too soft a term for her . . .

Background
Deep in the northwestern sea is a lone island, shrouded in mist and surrounded by coral wreathes. On this island is a small forest surrounding a single gigantic lighthouse, jutting up from the mist like a single pike standing on end. Inside this lighthouse is a mind-boggling array of wonders and nightmares, created and experimented on by a secretive cabal of mages. The ancestors of these mages stepped away from the mainlands long ago to research the deepest mysteries of magic, and have remained there ever since. A pair of sisters were born on this island, the elder named Luna and the younger named Lydia.

Luna was a prodigy, a mage of great power able to bend time and space itself, while Lydia was . . . not so great. Still, Luna loved her younger sister very much and Lydia loved her big sister even more! Eager to please the older girl Lydia threw herself into her studies, causing a great many mishaps not limited to flooding the lighthouse's lower levels and freezing herself in a block of ice. Still, the girls were happy . . or at least that's what Lydia thought. With no real warning Luna stole several tomes of arcane and historical lore from the tower library, as well as their only airship. After eavesdropping on the elder mages, she overheard them theorizing that based on the books that she stole she was likely headed to the Purvema region of floating islands.

While the old men bickered back and forth about what to do about the missing magician and airship, Lydia did what any self-respecting apprentice black mage would do. She stole their sailboat and got the heck out of dodge, intent on finding her sister and figuring out just what could've possessed her to steal an airship and rush off across the world! Of course, Lydia immediately wrecked her boat and drifted her way to Dalmasca, SOMEHOW managing to have just enough money from selling off the boat to book passage to Bhujerba and begin her search properly. Big sisters are just so troublesome~

Goals
Goal 1: FRIENDSHIP famous sky pirates. "These guys! Th . . they're so cool! They FWOOSH around on airships, and shoot those gun-things, and swing off of ropes to other ships! HOW CAN YOU NOT FIND THAT COOL?!"
Goal 2: Investigate WHY Purvema is the only large concentration of floating islands in the world. "I have to admit, it is pretty interesting . . and as long as I'm up here . . ."
Goal 3: Discover the secrets of black magic. "I . . I wanna be strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with my sister!"

Life Goal: To find Luna, and figure out just what the HECK is going on! "Wh . . why did just . . . poof!? Leaving me all alone . . so mean!"


Progression Concept
Lydia will probably never QUITE get over her naivete` and awkward nature. If anything she'll probably just get MORE driven, and continue the search and making friends across Ivalice. She's going to end up with a bit o' red mage, then ALL BLACK MAGE ALL THE TIME, ending up as a Magus for sure. Being that this IS Elliquiy though, she may develop some more . . . interesting ideas about people as they go along. Really depends on how the other PC's and NPC's interact with her.

Looks good to me~ Mechanically sound, a backstory that gives reason to be in the Purvama's, and an ability to meld with pretty much any party. My only grump is that the goals are a bit... underwhelming, for the most part. The second and third make sense, but the third is fairly vague. And, the first doesn't really make sense at all. She's a mage who grew up in an isolationist conclave kinda society, but idolizes Sky Pirates? Why? There's nothing in her background to support that, or even to seem that she'd know what Sky Pirates are without someone explaining it to her.

Idle questions:

1) Does the Racial Bonus to attributes allow you to go over the normal cap? Or still only up to the attribute cap?
2) Ninja's 'Sunken State' skill stays you stay invisible until you use another job ability -- does that include attacking? Does that include job abilities that are 'passive' and just add to a normal attack? (ie: Shadowbind adding 'Stop-touch' to attacks).
3) Can we 'save' skill points to use at later levels once the skill cap increases?

Idle answers:

1) It can put you over the normal Attribute Cap, yes. In addition, I don't enforce a Minimum Attribute for starting above Lv1. After all, it's not like higher level characters weren't all Lv1 at some point.
2) Sunken State will keep you Invisible so long as you don't use any Slow, Standard, or Instant Actions to use a Job Abilities. So no, it won't effect Passive Bonuses~
3) Nope! Suffer the dastardlyness of not being an incompetent swimmer, or having learned to ride a Chocobo at a young age. Or, if you really want higher Skill Caps, pick up the Skillful Hero Shared Ability

As an aside, here's a good way to think about CharGen~

CharGen Thought Process (According to SepSep)

-Character Concept!
-Pick Job Levels (You can Change Jobs for Lv2 or Lv3)
-Spend Attribute Points
-Racial Bonuses
-Calculate Secondary Stats
--HP = ((RESxLevel)+(Job Bonus x Job Levels))
--MP = ((MNDxLevel)+(Job Bonus x Job Levels))
--Force = (PWR+RES)/4
--Finesse = (DEX+MND)/4
--ACC = (Job Bonus + (Level/2))
--AVD = (Job Bonus + (DEX/4))
--Skill Points = (Job Bonus+((2+Finesse)/2))
--Skill Caps = ((1+Level)/2)+(Secondary Attribute)/2))

-Pick Three Job Abilities (Two from your Job at Lv1, One from your Job at Lv2. Or from the Shared List)
-Choose Spells (If you get them)
-Spend your tiny sum of 800gil (I recommend a Weapon, Armor, and some Consumables)
-Make your Lv1, 10 Point Limit Break

-Spin out some background that's been brewing in your head. 2-3 Paragraphs is fine
-Come up with a Quote (It's a free point of Destiny)
-Come up with three Goals (Think of them as things you'd like to see happen in the game. Basically, plot-hooks you'll always bite.)
-Come up with a Life Goal (Think of it as a defining drive and theme for your character. An arc you want to happen in the game.)

[Lockepick]

3) Nope! Suffer the dastardlyness of not being an incompetent swimmer, or having learned to ride a Chocobo at a young age. Or, if you really want higher Skill Caps, pick up the Skillful Hero Shared Ability

It's actually less about NOT being good at something -- and more about my character having a million things he's 'okay' at. It's fine though, pretty sure I'm going a Ninja/Ranger, so Finesse will be high anyway! Dual wielding guns! Pew pew! I'm also trying to keep him modular so that if I want to slot in Special Vehicle/Piloting skill, I can. Though I'm happy to acquiesce that to anybody else.

4) Are 'remainders' in per level calculations lost or saved? ie: If my Finesse is 5, my calculations of Skill Points per level is: (Finesse 5 + 2) / 2 = 3.5. Do I gain 3 SPs per level, or would I gain 3 SPs, then 4 SPs, then 3 SPs...

[Sepsep]

Always round down~ And as an addendum, I like to use a lot of different Skill Checks throughout a game; so even those small bonuses can come in handy when you realize no one else invested in X.

Considering there's a swing of 2-12 for all rolls (Average 7) it's just as effective to keep a large number of Skills balanced as opposed to a few being really good.

[sleepingferret]

As a bit of "neat" freak, when it comes to character sheets; I did up everything in HTML and re-worked everything using Word and then printed it up in PDF format.

Here's the links to my current write ups:

HTML format Hiroshi Sagara
PDF file Hiroshi Sagara

Edit:  Updated for Job Feature "Unburdened Soul".  Die Roll for Kami here.

UPDATE: 4/17 5 PM PST/8 EST Character sheet(s) modified to reflect addition of Limit Break.

[Lockepick]

Considering there's a swing of 2-12 for all rolls (Average 7) it's just as effective to keep a large number of Skills balanced as opposed to a few being really good.

I just always get intimidated when I see how skill DCs go -- but then I remember to read examples of those skills and remember "Yeah, I'm perfectly comfortable with my character not being able to swim up a waterfall." I'm happy with the rules call either way, I just wanted to clarify my reasoning!

[Lockepick]

Benoit LaCroix
Hume Ninja/Ranger
Captain of The Green Shimmer
"Don't fret -- Each time the story gets retold, you'll seem all the more heroic and I'll be all the more formidable. Frankly, I'm doing you a favor..."

Character Sheet

Name:     Benoit LaCroix
Class: Ninja 1 / Ranger 2

Race:

Hume

Gender:

Male

Age:

23

PWR:	2		HP:	64 / 64		AVD:	10
RES:	6		MP:	27 / 27		ACC:	+3
MND:	9		Force:	2		Level:	3
DEX:	13 (15)		Finesse:	5 (6)		EXP:	0 / 5
ARM:	8		MARM:	8		Destiny:	1 / 1

Job Levels:
Level 1: Ninja
Levels 2-3: Ranger

Basic Weapon Attack:
- Apprentice Pistols (Dual Wielding: T1 Ranged / T1 Ranged)
+3 ACC; +15 DMG; Distance + Dual Wield

Abilities:
- Reversal (Innate): If attack misses Ranger, can be redirected to another target in Short Range.
- Special Vehicle (Racial): 'The Green Shimmer', Airship; PICK 2 FEATURES
- Sunken State (Ninja): Instant, 1/Session, Gain 'Invisible' (+3 AVD, Stealth, and Run Away) if in Darkness until taking another Job Action. Cast 'Twilight' as Slow Action with no MP Cost.
- Shadowbind (Ninja): All Weapons gain 'Stop-Touch.'
- Blackout (Ranger): All Weapons gain 'Blind-Touch.'

Spells:
- Twilight (0 MP): Slow; Local; Bright Light becomes Shadowy (-2 ACC), Shadowy becomes Pitch Black (Blind)

Limit Breaks:
Backhanded Compliment (T1)
"And just when you were doing so well..."
- Effect: (DEX x (Weapon Tier + 2 + 1)); Ignores ARM; Gain +1 Damage Step on DEX-Based Actions until end of game session.
- Abilities: Power Item: Ranged Weapon (+1) Attack: Weapon (-3); Piercing (-4); Stat Boost: Dex (-4)
- Description: Benoit dusts off his clothes or fixes his hair, otherwise trying to regain some composure from his injured state before firing off a round with a larger than normal muzzle flare. Another burst is visible when the bullet collides with the target, as if it burst right through the other side.

Skills: (Force Cap: 3, Finesse Cap: 4, +3 SPs/Level)

Synthesis (Weapon)		4 (Finesse)
Synthesis (Tinkering)		2 (Finesse)
Vehicles		4 (Finesse)
Systems		2 (Finesse)
Stealth		4 (Finesse)
Mercantile		4 (Finesse)
Negotiation		4 (Finesse)
Thievery		4 (Finesse)

Equipment: (Gil: 10)

Right Hand:		Apprentice Pistol (T1 Ranged)		Distance
Left Hand:		Apprentice Pistol (T1 Ranged)		Distance
Armor:		Dull Leather Armor (T2 Medium)		Attribute Bonus: Dex (+2 Dex)
Accessory:		-Empty-		n/a
Item #1:		Potion (T1)		+25% HP
Item #2:		Potion (T1)		+25% HP

Proficiencies:
Weapon - Blade, Concealed, Ranged, Dual Wield
Armor - Light, Medium

Description:
- Benoit LaCroix was raised to have good posture and poise, and the two years of open air and pirate activity have yet to break that from him. Bright red hair and eyes stand out against any backdrop. He favors leather armor that sits tight to a lithe form, and loose ornate cloth as ornamental features, showing a clear taste for the finer things.

Background:

Background

The LaCroix name is mostly known because of Judge LaCroix of Archadia; not referring to one Judge, but actually Three generations of Judges. When a family in Archadia is renowned, and bases all of their respect and power on a lineage of Judges, they are constantly under scrutiny. Any small misstep is controversial and would be used in attempts to shame and discredit the family. Benoit was raised in a strict home, where they simply found it safer to stay indoors instead of go out and risk sowing dissent and causing a scandal, no matter how small it was. Benoit was groomed from a young age to be a Judge, and had no idea there was options outside of that.

As a teenager, and as part of his training, he was given the chance to preside over the crimes of a thief. His training up until then did not counter the empathy when forced face to face with the accused. The thief had only stolen to feed an elderly parent, and the victim was wealthy beyond measure. Benoit let the thief go -- much to the humiliation and embarrassment of his Father. His Father was enraged, and much like the punishment he was supposed to uphold on the thief, Benoit's punishment was unjust for the 'crime' committed. From that point on, he decided to find his own way in the world, away from what he saw as an irrational level of law and order.

He was forced to continue his training and participation in the Judge program, regardless of how poorly he was doing. It was simply more shame for the LaCroix family for him to not succeed and drop out than for him to do poorly at the task. He played along, though it was only so that when he turned 21, he had the access and resources to escape -- taking one of Archadia's ships with him and becoming a wanted criminal at the same time. On top of a heavy bounty: The Judges have an additional incentive to capturing him. For Judge LaCroix the Third, Benoit's Father, it's a chance to redeem his name and remove the shame from the rest of his family. For every other Judge, it's a chance to further shame the LaCroix.

Benoit continues to use his true name; both to spit in the face of the authorities that try to bring him to justice, and as further insult to his family. He leaves behind a younger brother who is currently fifteen, and training to be the Judge that Benoit was supposed to be.

Goals:
Life Goal: Hero (or Antihero) Status; Respect and or reverence from the masses.
#1: Humiliate a Judge.
#2: Upgrade 'The Green Shimmer'.
#3: Gain a new Crew Member.

Progression Concept

Mechanically: I'm pretty certain I'll stick with Ranger all the way up until Fusilier.

Personality: Right now, Benoit's adventuring is mostly due to rebellion and adrenaline, where eventually it will simply become the preferred choice. His way of life isn't always comfortable, but it's better than what he would have had, because he has that freedom. I would love for his way of life to gain some validity -- fighting against some larger threat or giving back to the lower class.

Notes:
- The Name of the Ship is up for debate. I just wanted a place holder. 'The Green Shimmer' is supposed to refer to the green effect of the Ultima Spell -- for reference. I've also considered 'The Red Clock' to refer to the Haste spell (and general speed).
- The 'Abilites' of the ship have not been decided upon -- I wanted to get the crew's opinion on that.
- Skills can/will be swapped out if somebody else takes/wants them. ie: I don't need to be able to repair the ship if we've got somebody else who can -- but until then, I'm taking Systems and Tinkering to do so. I'll probably take SOME Vehicles Skill even if we have a pilot who is better at it, just for story sake.
- If this game won't take place near Archadia or the Judges -- I'll swap out his first Short Term Goal.
- I realized that I can only gain from swapping out one of my Ranged Weapons for a Concealed/Blade weapon (until I hit level 11) -- need to decide if the mechanics outweigh the visual in my head. So that might change.

[Latooni Subota]

Update: I totally changed my character. We Geomancy now! (Monk2 -> NOTHING BUT GEOMANCER, ALL DAY ERRY DAY!)

[Sepsep]

So, as it stands we look to be one shy of a full group. Any objections to holding out for a fourth?

[Latooni Subota]

One more player would be nice, but if the others insist I can live with a three player game.

[EndofDivine]

Sorry it took me so long, didn't have a whole bunch of time to read over everything and figure out what I'm doing over the last few days. Still need to read over the limit break stuff but I thought I'd throw out what I have already.

Character Sheet

Miracle
Hume Engineer 1/Thief 2
"This. Is. AWESOME!"

Race: Hume	Gender: F	Age: 18
PWR: 2	HP: 62/62	AVD: 9
RES: 6	MP: 0/0	ACC: 4
MND: 9	Force: 2	Level: 3
DEX: 13	Finesse: 5	Exp: 0/5
Arm: 8	MArm: 8	Destiny: 1/1

Basic Weapon Attack: 2d6+13 +4 ACC, Distance

Abilities
Steal: Standard action to roll Thievery vs. target's Finesse.
Skillful Hero (Racial): 5 more skill points and +2 to skill caps.
Efficiency: The character never takes penalties to Synthesis checks and gains a +2 bonus to Scavenge skill checks.
Sneak Attack: Gain Lucky during a successful Teamwork Attack and damage is increased by two steps.
Treasure Hunter: Always use Thievery in place of Awareness. Always succeed on an escape check to run away.

Skills (Force Cap: 5/ Finesse Cap: 6)
Athletics Rank 4
Acting Rank 2
Mercantile 3
Negotiation Rank 5
Scavenge Rank 4
Stealth Rank 4
Synthesis (Tinkering) Rank 5
Systems Rank 4
Thievery Rank 6

Equipment
(+800) Starting Gil

(-450) Leather Corset: +8 ARM, +8 MARM, +1 ACC
(-150) Pistol: Distance
(-20) Potion: Heals 25% Max HP
(-20) Potion: Heals 25% Max HP
(-20) Antidote: Cures Poison

(+140) Remaining Gil

Proficiencies:
Weapons: Brawl, Concealed, Huge, Ranged
Armor: Light, Medium

Background
The fact that Miracle is even alive is just that - a miracle. It was Captain Garrigan from the airship Rolling Thunder that found her as a toddler, landing his ship to investigate the smoldering wreckage of a traveling caravan that had obviously been attacked. The sole survivor was the three year-old girl hiding in a chest full of clothes, too traumatized to even speak. Having no idea what one was supposed to do with an unidentifiable and likely orphaned kid, Captain Garrigan decided to make the best out of a bad situation and unofficially adopted the girl, taking her along as he conducted his business as a sky pirate.

The crew became her family and the ship, her new toy. Miracle quickly became somewhat of a mascot for the men and women of the ship and the group was responsible for coining the nickname 'Miracle' when the girl met every attempt at asking her name with a shrug or a shake of her head - a name that just sort of stuck even as she grew up. Being surrounded by people that cared about her and constantly meeting new and interesting people quickly pulled her out of her self-imposed silence, with Miracle slowly adopting the boisterous nature of the pirates around her. Each of the sailors treated her like their own daughter, passing along the knowledge and skills they thought important, which in pretty much every case was how to be a better sky pirate.

Miracle grew, and around her the crew came and went, familiar faces replaced with new ones. The attitude aboard the ship slowly shifted as Miracle became a teenager and began trying to take on a more active role as a sky pirate, with Garrigan losing much of his former moxie in favor of safe and easy money. It was enough to drive Miracle crazy with boredom and drive a wedge between the formerly inseparable pair. The way Miracle saw it, her potential was being held back and wasted by the new cowardly Garrigan, a fate she refused to just sit around and accept. The next time the ship found itself restocking in Bhujerba, Miracle jumped ship and lost herself among the crowded streets, leaving behind her childhood home and the closest thing she had to a father in favor of pursuing her own idealized version of life as a sky pirate.

Goals
Goal 1: Miracle would like to learn more about her past; who her parents were, where she's from, why her caravan was attacked. It's more of a matter of curiosity, closure, and learning about herself than any kind of desire for revenge.
Goal 2: As part of her ongoing desire to become famous, Miracle wants something so unique and rare that whatever it is instantly sets her apart from every other sky pirate and becomes her personal trademark. A sword, a gun, a piece of armor, or a really cool airship - she doesn't care as long as it looks awesome and people recognize it.
Goal 3: It might sound strange, but Miracle would love to see her face on a wanted poster someday. It's all a part of the image she wants to craft for herself, and if someone wants to pay money to get rid of her then she's obviously turning heads and is one step closer to being the sky pirate legend she dreams of becoming.

Life Goal: Fame and fortune. She wants to become adored, rich, and have fun while doing it. And what better way than to live the life of a sky pirate? It's a bit of a selfish and short-sighted goal created by her somewhat immature and overactive imagination, and a whole lot of thought hasn't actually gone into it beyond 'Money's pretty cool.' It might be altered or be completely replaced as she grows and matures or if her circumstances drastically change.

Progression Concept
The only for sure change I see happening to Miracle's personality is that she'll become increasingly more confident, cocky, and more prone to taking risks as she grows. Depending on what kind of twists and turns the plot takes, she may end up just staying her usual cheerful and carefree self or becoming a bit more down to earth if she's ever forced to confront the fact that she can't keep living a perfectly carefree life with no responsibilities. I'm fine playing out either side of her; the girl that treats life-or-death situations like they're a game - or the woman that girl becomes when she realizes that they're not.

Mechanically...I don't know. I'll probably just bounce around and grab whatever sounds cool and fits my idea. More than likely I'll just hover around Engineer, Ranger, and Thief and take the prestige class for one of those three eventually.