Choosing Possessions During Character Creation
When creating a character, it’s important to think about which possessions make sense for our character to have at the beginning of their story. Consider the events that have led your character to this time in their life. Imagine what items your character would need to use as part of their current lifestyle. Does your character cares more about items with sentimental value or items with practical value?
We can also add narrative depth to our character by thinking about the possessions they don’t have.
Imagine you are creating a character who is a skilled Woodworker. It makes sense that they would own the tools needed for woodworking - saws, chisels, measuring sticks, hand planes, and more. But a collection of tools can be heavy, and is also valuable. Consider the reasons your character might not have these tools. Your character may have:
- Had them stolen
- Gambled them away
- Traded them to acquire something else of value
- Lost or misplaced them
- Been an apprentice and has not yet acquired their own set of tools
- Had an apprentice and gifted the apprentice all of their tools
- Broken some tools by making a mistake while using them
Choosing our character’s possessions is not about choosing the items that will provide the most benefit to our character while playing the game. Trust that the narrator will adjust the difficulty of the story to create a fun experience for everyone. Focus on the story of your character and how their possessions can tell their story. By adding more narrative elements and depth to our character, we are also creating opportunities for ourself and other players to engage with while roleplaying.
Items that your character does not start with, but that you want your character to acquire, can be meaninfgul subplots in the story. Talk with your narrator if there is an item your character is looking to acquire. Consider why your character is looking for this item and how they feel about not having it yet. If your character is a warrior who gambled away their family sword, how do they feel about that? Do they feel ashamed for gambling away a family heirloom? Do they feel like less of a warrior because they do not have a sword? And, as the story progresses, how do their feelings change? You and your narrator can create interesting and fun character development by exploring these ideas throughout the story together.
Narrative Points
When choosing possessions during character creation, we give each item a cost in terms of Narrative Points (NP). A character has 20 Narrative Points to spend on possessions.
Combat Equipment
Armor
| Name | Damage Reduction | NP Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Fiber | -1 | 1 |
| Wood | -2 | 2 |
| Antler or Shell | -3 | 3 |
| Metal | -4 | 4 |
Shields
| Name | Combat Skill Roll Bonus (when defending) | Combat Skill Roll Penalty (when attacking) | NP Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | +1 | 0 | 1 |
| Medium | +2 | -1 | 2 |
| Large | +3 | -2 | 3 |
Weapons
| Name | Description | NP Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Staff | 1 | |
| Spear | 3 | |
| Dagger | 1 | |
| Club | 1 | |
| Sword | 5 | |
| Axe | 3 | |
| Flail | 5 | |
| Greatclub | 5 | |
| Greatsword | 7 | |
| Greataxe | 6 | |
| Bow | 3 | |
| Arrows (12) | 1 | |
| Crossbow | 5 | |
| Sling | 1 |
Items
Traveling Gear
| Name | Description | NP Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Beeswaxed Cloak | 1 | |
| Small Tent | 2 | |
| Large Tent | 3 | |
| Pack of 6 Candles | 1 | |
| Whistle | 1 | |
| Flint & Steel | 2 | |
| Traveling Flask | 1 | |
| Climbing Pitons | 2 | |
| Rope | 2 |
Occupational Tools
| Name | Description | NP Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemist’s Tools | 5 | |
| Banker’s Tools | 4 | |
| Brewer’s Tools | 3 | |
| Cartographer’s Tools | 4 | |
| Cook’s Tools | 3 | |
| Farmer’s Tools | 4 | |
| Fletcher’s Tools | 4 | |
| Gambler’s Tools | 2 | |
| Glassblower’s Tools | 4 | |
| Herbalist’s Tools | 3 | |
| Jeweler’s Tools | 5 | |
| Mason’s Tools | 4 | |
| Merchant’s Tools | 4 | |
| Navigator’s Tools | 4 | |
| Painter’s Tools | 4 | |
| Potter’s Tools | 4 | |
| Scholar’s Tools | 4 | |
| Shepherd’s Tools | 2 | |
| Smith’s Tools | 4 | |
| Thief’s Tools | 4 | |
| Weaver’s Tools | 4 | |
| Woodworker’s Tools | 4 |