Character Creation

Creation Guidelines

Characters will be generated according to the standard system found in Everway. Since the game is out of print, I'll be describing it here for your reference.

Your characters should be able to work together in an adventuring mode typical to most RPGs. For instance, the phrase "my character would kill X on sight" should not appear in your writeup. Being reluctant to leave home is fine; being completely tied to a particular city (even Sigil) is a bad idea.

I'm only looking for a short background and some stats at first. You don't need to work out absolutely everything. You do, however, need to pick a Faction.

Character Types

Planescape was one of the first "dungeonpunk" type settings. Characters come out of the standard D&D mold, with more cool on them. You can easily recreate a wizard, cleric, thief, fighter, psionicist, barbarian, bladesinger, and more esoteric stuff with the rules below. Typical races are Human, Githzerai, Bauriar, Aasimar, Tiefling, and Modron; I like 'em. If you don't know those, feel free to go with more standard types.

Attributes

Characters are defined by their scores in the four classical elements:

• Air, which describes intelligence and oratory skill,
• Fire, which describes athletic ability and force of presence,
• Earth, which describes physical and mental toughness, and
• Water, which describes awareness and spiritual sensitivity.

You have 20 points to spend in total. You can spend these on Attributes at a 1:1 rate, or you can also spend them on Gifts and Magic. An attribute at level 3 is typical. Level 7 is clearly supernatural. No attribute can be less than 2 or more than 9 at character creation. Each level is roughly twice the level below it - someone with Fire 5 has a 50-50 change against four opponents of Fire 3 in combat.

There are no "skills" per se in this game, as all activity falls under one of the elements. You do have a free Specialty in each element, giving you a +1 bonus in that area. For instance, you might have Fire 4 with a specialty in Archery, which means that you treat your Fire as 5 for Archery.

You could also reclassify a skill based on its elemental affiliation. As an activity requiring endurance, Swimming would normally fall under Earth, but you could reasonably classify it as a Water skill.

Gifts

Gifts are minor magic, relatively narrowly defined. The facility of a Gift is usually governed by one or more Elements. Your score in the governing Element will help determine how well it works in a given situation.

Gifts cost character points depending on three factors:

• All gifts start off costing zero points.
• Is the gift Frequent? That is, does it come up all the time? If so, add one point to the cost.
• Is the gift Versatile? That is, can you do a few different things with it? If so, add one point to the cost.
• Is the gift Major? That is, does it give you an ability that is a deciding factor in a particular area? If so, add one point to the cost. Some gifts are very powerful and are considered "Twice Major," adding two points to the cost instead.

Gifts that are neither Frequent nor Versatile nor Major cost no points. Your character has one zero-point Gift for free, and one further zero-point gift determined by your Faction. (Faction Gifts will actually change if your allegiance changes.) Any further zero-point Gifts cost one point each.

You cannot spend more than six points on Gifts.

+ Show Examples from the Everway Playing Guide

Examples from the Everway Playing Guide¹

Companion

Pet Viper, 1 (major): A large, venomous viper has befriended you. All it can really do is strike those who threaten it or you; its poison sickens and incapacitates the average person (3-Earth). The viper's Elements are 1-Fire, 2-Earth, 1-Air, 3-Water.

Cat Familiar, 2 (frequent, versatile): An intelligent cat is your devoted companion. It can talk to you (and only you), and it is as intelligent as a child. It has no other special abilities. It can spy, carry written messages, stand guard, and so on. The cat's Elements are 1-Fire, 2-Earth, 2-Air, 5-Water.

Wolf Companion, 3 (frequent, major, versatile): A clever, loyal wold is your constant companion. It can do a few specific tricks, but it's just a clever animal; it does not have human-like intelligence. The wolf can fight, follow people by smell, stand guard, hear faint noises, and so on. The wolf's Elements are 4-Fire, 3-Earth, 1-Air, 4-Water.

Create Fire

Sweat Fire, 1 (frequent): You can make fire come forth from your skin. The flames are small enough that they do not improve your combat abilities much (though they may be very useful against monsters that are vulnerable to fire).

Throw Fire, 2 (frequent, major): You can produce fire from your bare hands. The fire can be formed into balls and thrown, and these large, hot flames can also be used to increase your combat ability.

Mastery of Flame, 3 (frequent, versatile, major): You can create heat, light, and flame at will. The flame can be used as a weapon in melee as well as over a distance.

Healing

Fast Healing, 1 (frequent): You recover from physical wounds seven times as fast as normal, so that a day's rest is as good as a week's would be to a normal person.

Instant Healing, 2 (frequent, major): Your wounds close nearly instantly, so that no wound last for more than a few seconds. A blow that kills you instantly, however, is still fatal.

Imortality

Ageless, 0: You do not age. While this ability may eventually be very useful, it has little direct effect on play, so it counts as a free Gift.

Unkillable, 2 (frequent, major): You cannot be killed, though you can still be hampered by wounds, sickened by poison, knocked down by blows, weakened by disease, and so on. Sphere-walkers' quests often bring them into danger, so this Power is frequent. It is major because it changes your abilities dramatically.

Invulnerable, 3 (frequent, twice major): you cannot be wounded or poisoned by normal means, though you can still be struck down by forceful blows, knocked unconscious from lack of air, or killed by hunger or thirst.

Invisibility

Standing Unseen, 1 (frequent): You can become invisible, but must remain still ans silent or be revealed.

Walking Unseen, 2 (frequent, major): You can become invisible an can move about without breaking the spell.

Persuasion

Winning Smile, 0: Your smile is charming. It helps you stand out and may make some people more favorably disposed toward you, but it won't sway the hearts of enemies and such.

Persuasive Voice, 1 (frequent): You have a soothing voice that can sway the hearts of others. It will not, however, sway those who are hostile to you.

Charming Voice, 2 (frequent, major(: You can win the affection of those that you talk to as tome length. It will not work on those who refuse to listen, and those who have been charmed may realize what's happened when they're away from you.

Dominating Gaze, 3 (frequent, major, versatile): By speaking firmly and gazing into a person's eyes, you can exert some control of the other person's will. The weaker the subject's Earth score, the more you can get him to do. This control is usually unpredictable, and it's possible for a controlled person to snap out of the spell.

Instant Control, infinite : A Power that would give you instant and complete control over another would ruin too many plots, so it is not allowed.

Priestly Powers

Priestly Rites, 2 (major, versatile): You can lead worship services and divine ceremonies to channel energy. Effects that fall within the scope of Priestly Rites include forging oaths, blessing unions, bringing fertility to crops, improving an army's fortune in war, and so on. You abilities depend on having a congregation to lead, and they are at their peak on holy days.

Invocation, 3 (frequent, major, versatile): You can, apart from any worshiping congregation, invoke the power of deities to bless people, sanctify oaths, provide guidance, and so on. The Power is frequent because you can use it without relying on a congregation.

Shapechange

Werewolf, 2 (frequent, major): You can turn into a powerful wolf that is immune to normal (nonsilver and nonmagical) weapons. (If you only shift on Full Moon nights, the Power is not frequent.)

Werehawk, 3 (frequent, twice major): You can turn into a powerful hawk, which is immune to nonsilver, nonmagical weapons. The power is twice major because the hawk can fly and is immune to most weapons.

Speech

Bird Tongue, 0: You can speak to birds. The birds, however, don't necessarily want to talk to you, and you may find they have little to say.

Speak to Animals, 1 (frequent): You can speak to all manner of animals. You may find that they don't want to talk, don't have much to say, or are unlikely to have useful anthropocentric information.

Shadow Whispers, 1 (major): You can speak to the dead (though some ghosts are in no shape to hold a conversation, and some simply don't want to talk).

Visions

Glimpses of the Future, 1 (major): During times of stress, you get visions of the future. These visions are not consciously controlled and are usually hazy, general, or incomplete.

Visionary Ritual, 2 (frequent, major): You can perform a ritual to gain visions of the future, though the visions are usually hazy, general, or incomplete.

Glimpses Through Time and Space, 2 (major, versatile): During times of stress, you get visions of the future, of the past, or of distant places. These visions are not consciously controlled and are usually hazy, general, or incomplete.

Mystic Eye, 3 (frequent, major, versatile): You can concentrate to gain visions of the future, of times past, or of distant places. The visions are usually hazy, general or incomplete.

All-Seeing Eye infinite : You can get clear visions of the past, future or distant places that would ruin plots that depend on mystery, so not allowed.

Magic

Magic is a strong, flexible ability that goes beyond the minor Gifts and provides a great deal of versatility. Relatively few characters know magic. It is effectively a fifth attribute for those characters who use it.

You can pick one of the four types of magic described below and buy levels in it at a 1:1 rate. The general guideline for power is that someone with a Magic score can do what someone with the same score in two different elements could do. For instance, someone with Fire 7, Earth 7 could run at a sprinter's pace for a day while loaded with gear, so a magical spell at level 7 might create a flying carpet capable of transporting a few people at high speed for a day.

You should choose a power source for your magic: Arcane, Divine, or Psionic. This has little game effect - many people come about similar powers through diverse means.

You cannot spend more than seven points on Magic.

((Note to self: each type of magic needs its power levels listed.))

Chaos Magic

Chaos magic bends the laws of the multiverse in unreliable ways, often with nasty side-effects. In fact, many chaos spells were originally side effects that proved more useful and more powerful than the intended primary effect. Chaos magic warps, changes, and destroys.

Near a chaos mage, the world is less predictable. Matches might burn hotter, or refuse to go out, or have hints of strange colors. The breeze carries the scents of ozone and smoke. A weapon forged by a chaos mage might hold shimmering, shifting patterns like an oil slick, or leave ragged trails through the air.

Law Magic

Law magic works through the application and exploitation of little-known multiversal laws. Its spells are created deliberately and carefully through the study of existing metaphysical phenomena. Law magic heals, restores, and protects.

Near a law mage, the world is more reliable. One might find that coin flips tend towards a perfect 50-50 split of heads and tails, or that water flows without eddies and whorls. The air favors the clear sound of a ringing bell over the racket of conversation or battle. A shield forged by a law mage might show perfect symmetry and a shining finish even after a hundred battles, and each blow against it would sound it like a gong.

Druid Magic

Druid magic works through the natural world - plants and animals, in all their odd forms throughout the planes. Druids of all persuasions think of their abilities less as spells and more as calls to action from the world around them. Their spells control growth, attract or repel beings, and direct the path of nature.

Near a druid, the world seems more alive. Animals follow them unconsciously, and plants germinate in their hair and clothing. Flowers smell more sweet, plants bear riper fruit, the sun beats down more strongly and winter wind bites more coldly. A potion brewed by a druid might bear the taste of spring water or nectar, or bring forth the memory of one's mother as it takes effect.

Song Magic

Song magic pulls at the heartstrings of the world and listens to its secret desires. The planes are living things to a song mage, shaped by the beliefs and actions of those who dwell on them. Its spells awaken perception and direct emotion, concentrating belief into tangible form.

Near a song mage, the world works in poetic ways. Those who are unaware find their actions ruled by drama and irony rather than rational thought, and yet the practical results are much the same. Many find themselves humming. A magical lantern made by a song mage would tend to reveal the hidden and conceal the obvious, its light changing hue with the mood of the day's events.

Virtue, Flaw, and Fate

((I need to write this section.))

Footnotes

1. These examples do not fall under the Creative Commons Attribution