[Interest Check] Wunderous Gaia - An 'anime-ish' world with player agency

[Twisted Crow]

World Building Thread

Wunderous Gaia is an original, adult, anime-inspired world that I have been working on every day for a number of weeks now. It is both made with the idea that I could have solo stories to build upon it as well as organize a group to further expand it. I have a person interested in this world already, but I was mainly curious to see what sort of people might be interested in a world like this. Want to play a gun-wielding magic user that listens to music on his mobile phone? Have an idea for a character that is like a stand-user in Jojo's? What about a pugilist that uses energy to heal and ward evil magics? While I have a loose structure being established and expanded continuously, I am also trying to keep things loose for players to (within reason) make their own stars.

In short, I build this world and in a sense, so can the players that get choose to get involved in it. Feel free to ask questions, share thoughts or otherwise express interest here.

At the moment I could use a character sheet template. So I am digging around and thinking on something simple and concise.

[Twisted Crow]

Q & A Section

Q & A

Q  What sort of world is Gaia?

A  Think of Gaia as a Final Fantasy-like mashup. It could have castles, knights, swords and magic while having cars, power plants, the internet and many technologies we might have in our own world. For more information, see the World-Building thread I'm working on for more of an idea.

Q  So, is this solo or group?

A  Both. They might work independently from each other, as their own canon. Or they might work alongside each other. An event in a solo story might create something for the group and vice-versa. I haven't completely committed to how I want to do this, just yet.

Q  What kind of characters can I play in this world?

A  Ideally, this was created with the idea that many of the players would be taking on roles as "specially-gifted" characters. These are called Wunders. However, there is always a bigger fish and an ordinary human being can still have a significant impact on this story. A lot of this is to be left to what the players do with a story angle. The characters people might want to make can also help build up more locations and lore for the world and so on. For now, I would like to focus on the Godwin Academia area as a springboard to set things up. It doesn't mean that players have to be good guys, they can have some evil ambitions, be morally grey or flip-flop based on how a player sees their character. But they are going to be in Godwin Academia or the city of Tantalus for some reason or another.

Q  Can we create our own races for this world?

A  I suppose you can. At this phase of world-building, I am okay with this... as we are still working with a lot of open canvas, so far. But you would have to screen it by me first. Be clear on what they are like, what they can do, what their limitations are, etc. For one, I would need to know where to put these folks on the map. But what I don't want happening is players just whipping up ambiguous races that can have a bunch of ex-machina on the fly.  Or players just giving themselves powers in the middle of a story without any build-up or anything beforehand. So, you can... but it has to go through me, first.

Q  How are things like death, non-con, god-modding, etc. in this game.

A  Much like how these things are a part of our world, people can be killed, raped, etc. Characters can be harmed or be in serious peril. However, players are often going to have reasonable control over their characters' fate. Characters are going to have some plot armor to protect them unless players intend to take it off. I prefer to give as much control as possible while still working with the world and not against it. If a player wants to get their character into peril, then in a lot of cases, that would largely be communicated between the players involved in whatever scene they want to create. I want OOC communication between players in these situations. In short, I want players to be given the power to tell their own stories within this world. So I am not completely heartless here, if they are going to jump into situations where they would be in obvious danger, I might ask why and if they are sure. I would also prefer that players similarly ask questions "Can my character do X, Y, Z?". It all goes back to OOC communication, really.

Q  Could you elaborate on what sort of adult content might be in this world?

A  For the group, it would depend a lot on the players involved and how they wanted to engage with others. The, uh... "Smut-Plot ratio" dilemma that some people have may or may not be a problem in this game: As a man that enjoys both on the same tracks, players should expect to see both in this game's story. They will still have control over their own characters.

Q  You said that this is anime-inspired. What kind of artwork can we use as a face claim?

A  At the time of this post, you can look to the right and see my avatar. This is anime-like with some realistic and 'aged-up' aesthetic. I would rather have similar art that matches the theme of the world. Blending real models and actors with this just hurts the overall tone. Some fantasy art can also work if they don't clash too much with this, as this world has some fantasy elements blended in. I have a Finders and Seekers thread (for approved members) that should serve as a frame of reference here on the site. It doesn't necessarily have to be photorealistic, but that the style be more adult-like as opposed to the cutesy  'notice me senpai' look. They have to look more like adults and not like kids, in other words.

Q  Is this system or freeform?

A  Freeform. I have no plans to incorporate systems for this particular group, as it would be a colossal pain to manage.

Q  LGBTQ+?

A  This is a really difficult answer. Some fetishes like futa usually sort of... squick me out. So I might be rather selective in this for Gaia. As far as gender identity and dysphoria, I know of some Lieges that don't like being "reminded" of things like this. This is made more with the idea that someone like a trans-____ player can simply play a male or female without feeling like they are some sort of "other" or "not a real _____, though". I would prefer sexual preferences kept pretty loose as long as I (or others) don't need to do a bunch of Google searching to understand what it even means (things outside of hetero, gay, bisexual, etc.). I don't want to do homework to tell a story. I don't want players to feel obligated to, either. So I would prefer to keep a healthy balance between simple and approachable.

Q  I saw that Sovereigns are the most powerful beings in this world. Can I play as a Sovereign off the bat?

A  No.

Q  But I just--

A  No. The only options right now are both Fain or Wunder. Sovereigns are off-limits for plot reasons. They are the closest thing I have to Gods, right now.

Q  So, what kind of powers can wunders have?

A  They can be fighting focused, magically-inclined, etc. There is a loose and shortlist of umbrella types in the WB thread above that can be used to mold a particular character.

Q  How powerful can characters enter the story?

A  It depends on how much I know of the player and the character. I want players that are more interested in having fun and telling a story with their characters, not those trying to power game. I would likely favor weaker characters played by players that want to develop them as opposed to players that want a God-like hero from the start. An NPC I made is quite capable as a key character for the first story arc, but he has significant weaknesses and limitations that I feel give him character.

Q  How will wunder characters grow? What might be factored into it?

A  Generally, a character will have to reflect their growth within scenes in the story. A heroine with a big sword might try to learn some powerful technique (something like the Windscar from Inuyasha, or something). She could learn this after a few or more scenes of practicing or attempting this technique with failure. A foundation has to be built for that growth, first. Then they can later have their crowning moment of awesome when using this new technique for the first time in the story. What I don't want to happen is sudden "off-screen" savviness where characters say they've suddenly learned a new ability out of nowhere and expect me to just accept that shit. 

Players that are also more willing to put their characters through some tragic or tough moments can benefit character growth with less objection on my part. Magical power is an essential part of Gaia and it's people. Especially wunders. So, a wunder's personality, ambitions, emotions and experiences are often what facilitate and determine the extent of such growth. For example, if a player goes all out to pour into what is essentially a damsel in distress, they can earn some good will and foundation for growth. They gave the character some emotional experiences and they created story opportunities for other players to get involved. That sort of "good will" can eventually see the same (or their future) characters becoming badasses. A character's growth determines a lot on how much a player invests and commits to it, really. And how much they "give back" to other players in the group. Think of it like... earning 'adversity points', perhaps.

Tantalus & Godwin Academia

[Twisted Crow]

Rules and Etiquette Section

1.    Fun is important. Your fun, my fun, their fun.

2.    Players in this group need to be of a mind that cares about building other characters up, not only just their own. This helps a group stay healthy. And it just so happens to be one of the better ways to progress your character anyway. To quote Vekseid's personal profile text: "In order to expect service, one must first serve."

3.    OOC communication is important in helping everyone realize what you as a player are attempting with a character. Think of it this way; if you want help building a house... talking to others around can help others get a better idea of what you need to build that house. Without sufficient communication, you may only end up with glue and popsicle sticks to build it with. You don't have to be a glass house in every post, but you can't just spring surprises on everyone. OOC participation helps everyone stay involved, and helps inform how they can possibly get involved.

4.    Please keep drama at a minimum. This includes (but is not limited to) past grievances with members that decide to be a part of this group. Keep all of that out, please. Thank you.

5.    There's being friendly and genuine with fellow partners with the occasional innocent "pillow talk" that might happen on Elliquiy. Then there is just making things weird for everybody. Do not create this ongoing perception of exclusivity in front of everyone in the group OOC chatter. Possessiveness is not civility, either. These are core site policies, really. All I ask for is some common sense here for the sake of not distracting too much from the group focus: Please try keep excessively "flirtsy" affections somewhere private (PMs, Discord Messages, etc.). Like I do...   

6.    No more than three (3) characters per player. I might lift this if needed, but for now this should be enough, I think. Players are advised not to take on more characters than they can handle.

[Twisted Crow]

Ways that Players can expand the World

More than likely, I am just going to start with just a few continents that I have already and some key locations that exist. I am open to players filling out other areas of the canvas if it seems to work with what I have.

A player might not want their character to be from Tantalus, for instance. They might want to be from the East Orience. Their character could be from Hanguk (Gaia's mirror to our world's Korea). They could even make up a town or city that they are from. Chance are, I would be fine with this since I haven't quite colored that part of the map just yet.

Other ways they could expand the world would vary on how they wanted to create their characters. Perhaps they didn't like any of the Foci types available, I could be open to letting them make one of their own. If it can wrap my brain around it and see it fit with Gaia, then it's a part of the world at that point.

At some point the canvas will fill up, but for now a lot of this is going to be a bit loose for players that might have ideas of their own.

[Twisted Crow]

Plot Arcs

Main Stories in Wunderous Gaia are likely going to be grouped into separate arcs (a la, Sagas in Dragonball Z) or 'Seasons'. These will likely have a central theme and focus. For the first Season, I am going to start simple and let the world sort of expand around the players in it as needed. For this reason, I generally want players to be in a close proximity. And it would help if they started out affiliated with Tantalus or Godwin Academia, as these places are going to be where everything begins. That doesn't mean that everyone has to be a good guy, but they need to at least be someway connected at first. Build up character motivations and whatnot before we have characters on all different spots on the map. This is to also not overwhelm people with a bunch of pointless geography.

I already have an idea for what the first two plot focuses can be. From these as a foundation, we can develop these characters and see where they go. Players characters can have pre-existing relationships with other player characters, be them friends, rivals, siblings, etc. For right now, I can't have players try to run leading villains... as I do have some general directions that I want to take with this world, first.

Still, let's just see if we can even get through a season/arc first. There is also the possibility of letting characters have side-stories worked into the canon later, if it doesn't create too many problems with group health. But the main story comes first unless a player opts for a character where it isn't expected to be in the main story. I imagine players can also choose to play a role like a teacher in the academy, or some other role where the plot doesn't frequently need them to move forward.

[Twisted Crow]

Canon and How it works

At the moment, I see solo games and the group possibly going hand-in-hand. If a character exists in a canon solo game between myself and another partner, then the same character most likely exists (or once existed) somewhere in the group game. They might never make an appearance, they might make a cameo. Who knows. But they still exist in the universe. Some events that take place in a canon solo might affect the group and vice versa... it is the same world, after all. If some magic goes wrong and blows up a military base somewhere in the world during a solo, then the same incident happened in the group even if all the group characters are safe somewhere else. As far as world-building goes, if it pops up in either a solo or the group; that place now exists for both. It all depends on which comes first in that scenario.

Solos can also be non-canon (or perhaps it's own canon). In that case, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the group. In any solos that I might do with other players, I am going to watch how it lines up with what is happening with the group and make a judgement call on whether it is a part of the group canon or not. It is also possible that I might make solos take place at a different time, like the past. That'll be a lot of playing be ear on my part to see if it fits or if it doesn't.

The solos are an option for some that usually aren't too crazy about groups.

[Twisted Crow]

An example of a character in this world. Here is Wren, an esper with some serious strengths and weaknesses.

Wren Garland

Male Wunder, 22 years-old
Aura Affinities - Stoicism, Strategy, Honor
Foci: Prodigy - Esper (3), Psychic Magic (1)

Wren often finds solace in rain.

Wren Garland was born in the Militasi Empire to the west – where he was raised for nearly ten years.

When the Militasi started to violently purge its lands of its aura-touched citizens, Wren's parents had been tragically killed. It had happened during a wild crossfire in the city streets between Imperials and desperate wunders trying to survive. He fled away and was eventually found and cared for by Ada Evelyne, the Chief Doctor of Godwin Academia's infirmary. Though he always knew that he was in some way different, his Aura awakened to confirm this at 15 years old. Strangely, his aura was none other than Kensai, the Herald of Swordsmanship. For five years, Wren has practiced his abilities as now one of the most gifted Espers in the academy. His diligence has also rewarded his talents to extend a bit beyond other Espers to dabble in Psychic magic. Though his affinities bar him from ever being able to master it, Wren never intends doing so. He feels that some of the more 'basic' psychic abilities can help him use his Herald more effectively.

Understandably, Wren has no love for the Militasi and aspires to make them answer for the Purge. This is a blurry and sensitive subject for Wren, as it isn't exactly clear whether or not he wants justice or revenge. Outside of this, Wren is kind and slow to anger, often looked to by others as seen as a gallant role model. Wren also has a mind for tactics, both in military and singular combat engagements. Although he does not possess the martial skills themselves, he has a remarkable analytical understanding of them. He tries to adapt this knowledge for his herald's benefit, primarily Kensai's defense techniques and counter-offensive strategies.

Wren's body is ravaged by a strange magically-formed disease known as "the Blight", though this is not known by anyone other than Dr. Evelyne and himself. This unfortunate condition hinders his otherwise outstanding potential, affecting his life in a number of ways. His heart is weaker compared to most, even compared to a healthy Fain. In addition to this, the bone tissue in his legs is malformed. Wren must use a cane to walk around the academy and the surrounding city of Tantalus, and he cannot stand for very long unless his mind is working with Kensai. Like anything affected by the Blight, both his legs and heart are beyond modern medical solutions. Wren refuses to seek magical healing as he fears that those that try would be at risk of infecting themselves. Considering that it is a guarded secret however, Wren doesn't bother to explain any of this and refuses magical healing "for a number of reasons". His visible condition remains a curiosity among peers, as not many at the academy walk around with a cane. Sometimes he claims that this condition motivates him to be stronger mentally. However, there is an air of dread that can sometimes be seen in Dr. Evelyne as she looks to him with motherly concern.

Kensai, Herald of Swordsmanship.

Kensai is a rather powerful Herald to wield, and rather complimentary to Wren's talents. Just like with any Herald, Kensai is an extension of Wren's motivations, passions, and perceptions. The young Esper holds himself to a sense of collective honor, a noble stoicism that spoke to a very capable Herald. In the Rift, Heralds are essentially powerful spiritual entities that had lost their purpose and passion until they rediscover it within a host; an Esper. The relationship between both Esper and Herald is best described as symbiotic. Kensai is part of what changed Wren's attitude toward religion and spiritual matters to a more positive disposition, provided that such beliefs are considered healthy and not overzealous or harmful to others. As Wren was mostly friendless in his teenage years, his grief over his lost parents grew far more than he could bear. Alone in the rain, he let out a desperate, tear-filled plea; a prayer to whatever God or Goddess might listen to him. It was to have the strength to bring justice to his birth parents and protect others from those like the Militasi. A kindred spirit was soon found for the Herald, and so it was Kensai that would answer him that day. It is also for this reason that Wren often finds a strange comfort during rainy days.

Kensai is a powerful Herald, wielding a rather large katana with the power to slay many evil creatures in a single stroke. Like virtually all Heralds, he is not without his weaknesses, however. Any Heralds is only as capable as an Esper's will. In many ways, Wren is Kensai. And Kensai is Wren. And as such, Kensai shares and adopts many qualities as his Esper host. Kensai is often defensive, preferring never to commit to a strike unless he can curb an enemy's momentum and defeat them with a single powerful counter-attack. This trait originates from Wren's instincts, as the young esper is often afraid of taking risks that might put him (or others) in danger. Another mirror between Wren's personality and Kensai's capabilities is that Wren prefers to quickly resolve problems through precision. Meanwhile, Kensai is a close-ranged combatant that prefers precise and powerful draw-cuts with his sword. Rather than leave himself open, Kensai would rather wait until his enemy is exposed.

Due to Wren rarely using his Herald openly in serious situations, Kensai's power potential and limitations are not yet fully known.

Strengths

1. Powerful Herald - As a prodigious esper, Wren is quite blessed to have such a rare and capable Herald in Kensai. Kensai's strikes can come with considerable collateral damage. The force of his sword slashes can split open a short row of cars while streaking a long narrow gash in the street. The wind from a commited swing can even cause small cracks down a sidewalk. Wren's strategic acumen also often synergizes with Kensai, compensating for Kensai's blind spots after a powerful draw cut would otherwise leave him vulnerable to counter-attack in most circumstances.

2. Brilliant Tactician - Wren's combined foresight and maturity are rather remarkable for a man of his age. This has also translated to his competence as an Esper. Wren has a keen eye for attack patterns and military formations, as well as exploiting the weaknesses found within them. Every move he makes is cautious, deliberate and calculated, though this also creates a different problem for him (see weaknesses, below).

3. Rain of Renewal - For Wren, there is nothing more comforting than rain, especially on a warm day. If Wren is ever feeling despair or fear, he often immediately finds some solace when rain begins to fall.

Weaknesses

1. Starblight Sickness - The brightest flame burns quickest, as they say. Wren is infected by a magically-induced disease known as Starblight (commonly called 'the Blight', for short); a condition that is gradually killing him. As it stands, there is no reliable method of curing Starblight. Even magical healing carries a considerable risk of passing the infection.

2. Crippled - Related to his terminal affliction above, Wren must use a cane in order to walk, even preferring to take it with him for short distances in his own dormitory. He also cannot normally stand for extended periods of time. Activity such as climbing, swimming, running or dancing are out of the question. Unless he's willing to accept the serious injury those would bring.

3.  Afraid of Taking Risks - While his strategic mastery is quite exceptional, part of his caution comes from his fear of taking unnecessary risks. This is especially true for situations that suggest more potential losses than gains. It can stretch a mode of indecisiveness even further when overly-stressed. While he understands that some loss is inevitable, the weight of responsibility is certainly felt in every choice he makes. This includes the guilt of the missed opportunities later discovered when caution gets the better of him.

[Twisted Crow]

Character Name

BASIC INFO:
Age:  (Players are strongly advised to pick an ideal age that enables their characters enough interaction with the group. I have more on this to come in the Rules and Etiquette section.)
Sex:  (Male or Female, for now.)
Nature:  (All people in Gaia have two subtypes available to players; Wunders and the Fain.)
Nationality:  (What continent/region your character was born; Cauthessian, Militasi, Tantalus Islander, Zhonguo, Yamato or Hanguk.)
Sexual Orientation: (It is advised to not to pick sexual orientations that people will have to Google search. But this is entirely up to you.)



Character Ambitions:  (What are your character's goals and motivations?)
Character Destiny:   (What do you want the GM or other characters to do with this character? Character Destiny is different from their ambitions, as a character might desire something different from what their author wants. This also relates to sexual matters, as an example: dubious and/or non-consent are options in this world setting.)


PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Build: (What kind of body does your character have? Feel free to include measurements here if you wish.)
Hair color:
Eye color:
Appearance: (Pictures can go here. As mentioned all over regarding art; it is preferred that reasonably detailed anime and/or fantasy artwork be used to fit the tone of this setting. Remember, these images must look like they are adults. Put one or more into seperate img links below this line. As long as I don't see anything wrong with it, the face claim should be okay as long as they aren't being already used by someone else.)


Aura Affinities/Abilities/Personality/Etc.:

Aura Affinity (Wunders only. This defines your character essentially in 3 words, followed by at least one focus. Every aura is summarized with three values that speak to your character's essence. These are often reflective of his/her powers and abilities, how they grow and how they came to be. If they are an Esper, be sure to note that here as well. Foci are placed beside their aura descriptors.) Ex.  Passion, Pride, Deceit

Foci:: (Wunders only. These are what your character focuses on followed by a numbered rank from 1 to 6 to suggest their current competence in that focus. 1 is introductory level. 5 is considered mastery. 6 is reserved for truly peerless capabilities in that focus. Note that this is relative to the character's experience. Young upstarts are likely not going to be any higher than a 1 or 2 in most focuses... especially if they have more than one focus. These can be specific or general.) 
Example:  Fighting - Swordsmanship (1), Spirit Magic - Blight (2).

Herald - (For Espers only. Their name, description and picture go here)

Strengths:  (Please list 1 to 4 advantages that your character may have. Are they a promising fighter? A skilled marksman? Are they in tune with animals? Do they focus on any schools of magic? Be creative, but keep in mind I am going to have to go over them before I approve them.) Ex:
1. Strength Name - Description here

Weakness: (As above, but list around 2 to 5 weaknesses here. These are things that can be a problem for your character, areas that challenge them in their growth. Fears, traumas, insecurities, physical limitations. If they have magical abilities, are these hindered when under various conditions? Again, be creative.)
1. Weakness - Description here.

Signature Abilities: (Optional, for now. These are your character's big trademark abilities/moves/spells that they have learned. Goku has moves like Kaioken and Kamehameha. Inuyasha has abilities like Windscar and Blades of Blood. I might allow fresh youths to have one to start with. Or in the case of magic users, a few magical abilities that they have been working on. But I prefer that players leave room to build the character up with these cool things over the storytelling. So, this is likely to be kept minimal for young startup characters.)
1. Signature Ability - Description here.

Personal Items: (What types of things does your character often have with them? Gear, Packs, Weapons, Accesories, Trinkets, etc.)
Item - How it is used

BIO & PERSONALITY: (Please write up at least a short bio -- can be long if you wish -- about this character. You may include existing relations with existing characters as long as you get it cleared with said players or GMs. Considering that Godwin Academia & Tantalus Island are likely where this story is starting, it is conceivable that some characters might be acquainted and possibly even have established relationships. That being said, the entire Academia is a big place in Tantalus Island -- nobody meets everyone. Still, you are welcome to have a fresh character who knows nothing of the other characters, be them a new student or just one that often blends in the crowd. It's mostly up to you.)

CHARACTER RELATIONS: (NOT REQUIRED -- Your character might be entirely new -- PM other players in the game. See if your characters have crossed paths and in what capacity.  This can, and should, be edited later on to mirror any characters they meet in-game - NOT REQUIRED)

[Twisted Crow]

[Just in case I need more space later]

[Twisted Crow]

[Just in case I need more space later]

[AndyZ]

I'll keep an eye on this.

[Twisted Crow]

Well, that's one. :) I am also open to questions. They might end up in the Q & A section above to save people's time in the future.

[TheBlackThrone]

You have my interest so far. I'm still reading through your lore. 

[Twisted Crow]

Still trying my best to keep a consistent foundation while leaving room for players to expand on it. It is a bit of a challenge, but this is built up and molded each day.

[Crensler]

It certainly is an interesting concept.  I'll keep an eye on this as well ^^

[Twisted Crow]

Filled out sections dedicated to explaining Plot Arcs, how I anticipate Canon working, possible ways how players could expand the world and... added a 2-character limit that might change in the future.

Still fooling about with an ideal character sheet. And I am still slow on drafting the world map at the moment. Off to world-building fixes and consistencies.

Naming the central mainland 'Cauthess'. South of that is the island of Tantalus, which is likely going to be a part of Cauthess in some way.

Wanting to give the East Orient Nations their own name for sensible reasons. I am not sure what they might call themselves. I haven't decided just yet. Renaming them as 'The East Orience' for the western people, though.

[TheBlackThrone]

I'm excited for your idea. I have a suggestion. For the canon stuff, it may be best to have a section that keeps a log of all in-game events. This way, everyone knows what happened in game and can better implement it in their posts. You already probably thought about this (telling by how detailed this is already), but I was just commenting in the case you haven't.

[Juggtacular]

Yep. I'm sold on it. Count me in.

[Twisted Crow]

I'm excited for your idea. I have a suggestion. For the canon stuff, it may be best to have a section that keeps a log of all in-game events. This way, everyone knows what happened in game and can better implement it in their posts. You already probably thought about this (telling by how detailed this is already), but I was just commenting in the case you haven't.

Yeah, I am imagining that I will have to do something like this anyway for people that might enter later in the story. A log of important events along with a "previously/currently on Wunderous Gaia..." sort of recap might help bring people up to speed.

[TheBlackThrone]

I already got a character concept idea. I may build them in private until you are ready to take this out of interest check phase. 

[Twisted Crow]

I just need to rig up a character sheet, but other than that... I feel like I nearly have an adequate springboard here.

[Twisted Crow]

(updated character example above)

I am undecided on using this for a character sheet template to follow. The stylized stuff seems neat, but I am a little worried if it might scare people off. That and it feels like it is missing some things that others might want on a character sheet?

There is also a "simpler" sheet on my WB thread, btw.

Edit: It occurs to me that I don't have a section in either for learned noteworthy abilities. Something like skilled martial artist can be likely taken as delivered. Yet, a signature ability like 'Kaioken' or 'Windscar' are more in need of a section.

I dunno... any thoughts on this?

[TheBlackThrone]

I am undecided on using this for a character sheet template to follow. The stylized stuff seems neat, but I am a little worried if it might scare people off. That and it feels like it is missing some things that others might want on a character sheet?

There is also a "simpler" sheet on my WB thread, btw.

Edit: It occurs to me that I don't have a section in either for learned noteworthy abilities. Something like skilled martial artist can be likely taken as delivered. Yet, a signature ability like 'Kaioken' or 'Windscar' are more in need of a section.

I dunno... any thoughts on this?

I think the template is handy for those writers who don't care about template design and just like to plug information into a sheet. However, if you are expecting a dissertation, not all writers provide that much information in a CS. So I would set your expectation bar somewhat low. If you get writers that write that much information about their characters, then you are in good business, but from my GM experience, you get two types: 1. The person who doesn't like filling out character sheets and half-asses a CS; and 2. The one who gets really into the character building and goes all out.

I was looking between this sheet and the one you have in your WB thread. I think you solved your own issue by making the signature abilities section.

[Twisted Crow]

I polished off the character sheet and included a 'Foci' below the Aura Affinities. These are mostly going to just be guidelines to hint at a character's focus and their competence in it.

Also 'established' 6 main categories of magic and their relativity in what they govern. Also guidelines, mostly:

Magic Subtypes

• Elemental   (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, etc.)
• Meta   (Protection, Dispel, Alteration, True Seeing, etc.)
• Creation   (Summoning, Manifestation, Physical Illusion, etc.)
• Spirit.  (Holy, Blight, Healing, Curses, etc.)
• Psychic   (Mind Reading/Control, Mental Illusion, Psychic Protections, etc.)
• Cosmos   (Time/Space, Dimensional Warp or Travel, Teleportation, etc.)

These are mostly like "families" that can contend within one another. A player might have a character dedicated to one element or generally try to study all of them. These things aren't going to have a hard rule, but mostly require some common sense and a bit of mutual collaboration. Water might smother a wall of fire. At the same time, intense heat can also evaporate water.

I am considering the overall numbered tiers, however. I am unsure of whether or not to stick with having each focus have tiers or just have characters be tiered as a whole unit and let players dictate what their own strengths and weaknesses are.

[Amarlo]

I'm intrigued... I'll be keeping an eye on this.