Storymap Preparation--Considerations for Character Generation

Here are some things to remember in order to avoid potential hang-ups in this process.

In Legends of Alyria, you are not your character. You should not approach character generation as a method of creating an alter ego. Rather, you are crafting the character whose story you are going to write and witness. Part of that process demands that you, as the player, sit in judgment on your character. Your character may believe things that you do not. He may think that murder is okay or that theft from the rich isn’t so bad. You, however, will mark down a Lauds/Compline in “Thief” or a Matins in “Murderous”. You will have to judge your character.

When choosing your character’s Attributes, remember that they are relative measurements, not absolutes. When you select your character’s clock faces in each Attribute, you are not defining the specifics of his physical and mental abilities. A Sext Force does not mean that your character is able to bench press a certain amount of weight. Rather, it shows how forceful your character is in relationship to the other characters in the storymap. This is important for two reasons. First, don’t let your Attributes affect your conception of your physical or mental abilities. A character with a Matins Insight could be quite intelligent, but he is just not able to apply his intelligence effectively in the context of the storymap. Second, by selecting certain Attributes, you are choosing your character’s general demeanor and communicating to the other players. Consider the difference between a villain with a high Force and a villain with a high Insight. A character with a high Force is probably going to be throwing his weight around a lot. In contrast, a villain with a high Insight is probably going to be more of a schemer, or perhaps an underhanded character.

When selecting the proper values for Virtues and Traits, remember to assign them based on your judgment as a player, not on your character’s evaluation of the matter. After all, your character might be deceiving himself, but it is your job as a player to be honest. This is particularly important with Traits. Ask yourself, “Would I want to be on the receiving end of this Trait?” If your answer is “No”, then the Trait should probably be Lauds/Compline or even Matins, regardless of what the character might think about it.