Characters
Character Creation
- You must choose one of the nine Imperial nations or the Imperial Orcs
- Human characters may choose one of the six known lineages
- You have 8 points to spend on skills for your character
- You must choose one personal resource for your character
- You should submit a background for your character
- You may choose an archetype for your character
- You may join a band (banner, coven, or sect) if you have agreed with the players in the band beforehand
The character you create for Empire must be an Imperial citizen. This means you must choose one of the nine Imperial nations that your character is from or else play an Imperial Orc. Your choice represents the nation that your character is formally identified by the civil service as being part of. Your character may have travelled across the Empire and it is even possible to have been a foreigner who has taken citizenship in the Empire, but whatever your background you must begin play as an Imperial citizen who is a member of one of the nine nations or is an Imperial Orc.
If you are playing a human character then you may choose to possess one of the six lineages. Imperial Orcs do not possess lineage so you cannot choose a lineage if you are playing an orc.
You have eight character points to spend on skills for your character. Your choice of nation and lineage does not affect the cost or availability of the skills. If you are playing an Imperial Orc, then the skill costs are unchanged, but you cannot purchase religious skills for your character. Your skills represent your character's unique heroic abilities, the things that separate them from the common people of the Empire.
In addition to your skills, you pick one personal resource. Your resource will provide your character with wealth or influence at every event you attend.
It is a good idea to create a background for your character so that you have an idea of who your character is and what they want to do in the game. If you submit the background when you make the character on the system then our plot team will be able to check the details to ensure they fit with the setting.
The character generation asks if you want to choose one of the Archetypes for your Nation. You do not have to do this - they are not an exclusive list of all the possible characters in a Nation. Sometimes our plot team will write plot opportunities directed at a specific archetype.
The character generation asks if you want to join a Band from your Nation, and gives a drop-down list. You do not have to do this. All the bands listed are player-created, and you should ensure that you have the permission of the players who are part of a band before joining when creating a new character.
Advancement
- Players gain one experience point if they attend one or two events in a year
- Players gain two experience points if they attend three or four events in a year
- Unspent points may be spent on a new character
- Once points are spent on a character you cannot get them back
- Points may be spent at an event
Players that attend one or two events in a year gain a single point to spend on new skills for their character after their first event. Players who attend three or more events in a year get a second point to spend on new skills after their third event.
Players can save experience points accumulated to buy expensive skills. If a character dies, then the player keeps any unspent points that were gained in play and may spend them on their new character.
Players can spend points on their character on the run up to an event using the website. Players can also spend points by training with another character at an event. The character should find a suitable mentor and then roleplay accordingly. After completing the roleplaying, the player can register the points spent on their character’s new skills. In most cases this can be done using player PCs, or personal devices connected to the PD_PUBLIC wifi network. It is necessary to speak to GOD if e.g. learning a ritual that is not part of Imperial lore.
Once points are spent on a character they are locked to that character, they are spent and you cannot get them back. Even if you later drop a skill through retraining, the returned points are still locked to that character. Any points spent on a character are gone and cannot be used again for a different character.
The exception to learning a new skill is that sometimes a skill is not general knowledge. The most common reason for this is that a ritual has been formulated, but not made part of Imperial lore. In this case, the only way to learn that ritual is to study the appropriate ritual text - a special item that contains the details of how the ritual is performed.
One Character at a Time
- Each player is allowed to play one character
- You must retire your current character if you wish to play a new character
- You may not play a new character with the same name as a previous character you have played
Players are only allowed to play a single character at any one time during the campaign. If you wish to begin playing a new character, then you must retire your current character. If your character held an Imperial title, they are assumed to have resigned from the position when they retire.
Once you retire a character, then it is not possible to play the character again at a Profound Decisions event. The only exception that we will consider is on compassionate grounds in exceptional circumstances that are approved by the game team (email matt@profounddecisions.co.uk).
You may not create a new character with the same name as an old character - if a character is dead or retired then you must create a new character. If you wish to change your skills or other details of the character then you should use the standard options or email us with any non-standard request.
Character Death
- Go to GOD to register your character's death
- Hand in any game items that were on your character's body at the moment you stopped phys-repping the body
- If your character dies outside of a main Profound Decisions event then you must register the death online
- In-character possessions can optionally be bequeathed through in-character wills
If your character has died then you must go to GOD to register your character death. Any materials, coins or similar game items that were still on your character's person at the point where you stopped phys-repping the body must be taken with you and handed in.
If your character has died at a sanctioned event then you must log into your character profile and select "Report Character Death".
There is no automatic line of inheritance in the Empire world; characters may choose to leave a will detailing their wishes for their personal resource and possessions, otherwise these are traditionally distributed by the character's friends and family.
Creating Characters at Events
- Please ask if you want help with ideas or costume for your new character
If you need to create a new character at an event then you can do so at any time by going to GOD. It can be difficult to source costume and create a concept at an event so if you would like any help with rules, ideas, costume, or make-up then please ask. Members of crew are available to help you create an interesting character that you can play straight away.