SOTDL: Chargen
Primary Trait Sets[edit]
The first things to select and rank are your primary traits. Primary traits for this game are Attributes, Distinctions, and Skills. These represent the core of your character, and one of each primary trait is used in every dice pool, making up the foundation of each action.
Attributes[edit]
Attributes represent your character's innate potential, separate and apart from training. Each character is ranked in 6 attributes:
| Charm | Endurance | Finesse | Power | Reason | Will |
Rank one (1) at 
two (2) at 
and three (3) at 
Add one (1) Attribute die to your dice pool for every action
- Charm: How well you interact with people socially
- Endurance: Physical stamina
- Finesse: Agility and manual dexterity
- Power: Strength and raw physical force
- Reason: General breadth of knowledge and ability to discern and absorb information
- Will: Tenacity and strength of mind
Distinctions[edit]
Distinctions represent specific facets of your character. Each character has three distinctions, and each is ranked at
| Birthright | Role | Wyrd |
Add one (1) Distinction die to your dice pool for each action.
Birthright[edit]
You are an unlikely thing in the world. A hero out of time. Ages after the paragons of legend walked the earth, you find yourself unexpectedly face to face with an ancient darkness struggling free of the crumbling wards that once bound it to the deep places.
Your character's birthright distinction should tie them to the setting while at the same time suggesting a singular notable thing about them couched in the style of a heroic title.
Examples might include things like: Red Sword of Bar Kesh, Fisher King of Rune, Master of Wolf Gate, First Scout of the Druidan, or Warden of the Ferrous Waste.
Role[edit]
What do you do? How are you known?
Your character's role describes how they make their way in society and their primary area of expertise as a nascent hero.
There are seven (7) distinct roles to choose from. Click here to see PC Role Options.
Wyrd[edit]
Your character's wyrd distinction reveals the sort of magic that lingers in their bloodlines, struggling to awaken.
There are seven (7) distinct wyrds to choose from. Click here to see PC Wyrd Options.
Skills[edit]
Skills represent specific training your character has undergone. All skills start out ranked as 
Untrained.
Distribute fifteen (15) points among your skills as desired. Each point bumps a skill up by one die type. No skill may be raised above 
Add one (1) Skill die to your dice pool for every action
- Craft: Covers all instances of making things. Forge a sword. Craft. Forge a document. Craft, etc
- Fight: Covers all instances of physically attacking another being with fists, feet, or melee weapons or touching someone who might not be willing (hugs, handshakes), etc
- Fix: Covers repairs of all kinds, from carpentry and masonry to weapons and armor, etc
- Focus: Primarily used to resist Influence (persuasion, intimidation, etc)
- Influence: To persuade another to believe or do a thing. Used for persuasion, haggling, etc
- Know: Used to put together information or to check existing character knowledge of a thing
- Labor: Covers general muscling/sweating/activitying, etc
- Move: To get from point A to point B. Usually in a timely manner, but also when the way is dangerous or uncertain
- Notice: Covers seeing/hearing or otherwise . . . noticing . . . something you otherwise might not. Often used as a counter to Sneak
- Perform: The use of acting, dancing, singing, playing an instrument, etc, to move or impress an audience
- Pilot: To operate or assist in operating watercraft
- Ride/Drive: To ride a beast or operate simple land vehicles (wagons, carriages, chariots), etc
- Shoot/Throw: Covers accurately firing or throwing projectiles with tools, weapons, or by hand
- Sneak: Covers doing things unseen/heard
- Survive: Covers physical survival, usually of the elements, obtaining sustenance, finding or making shelter, etc
- Track: Following quarry by the markings and leavings of their passage
- Treat: Covers treatment of wounds, poisons, sickness, or psychological conditions
- Trick: Covers any kind of deception from lies to slight of hand, etc
Secondary Trait Sets[edit]
The next things to select are your secondary traits. Secondary traits for this game are Knacks, SFX, and Signature Assets. These represent optional specializations and resources you might be able to bring to bear on an action. Secondary traits are not automatically added to every roll, but if one or more applies to an action, it adds to the dice pool for that action.
Knacks[edit]
Knacks are player defined facets of a particular skill that they have chosen to specialize in. For example, a player with a high Fight skill might have a knack for wielding Improvised Weapons and get to add the die for that knack for using something that is not specifically designed to be a weapon (like a mug or a bench) as a weapon in a fight.
Knacks are only eligible to be used with the skill they are associated with. So a character with the Anatomy knack associated with their Treat skill cannot use it for an advantage when using the Fight skill (unless they also bought it for Fight).
Players begin with three (3) points to spend on knacks. Each point either buys a new knack at or steps up an existing knack one step. Untrained skills cannot have knacks associated with them, and no knack can be ranked higher than the skill it is associated with.
- Special: Characters with Know ranked
or higher may purchase the Tongues Knack. This has two (2) effects.
- First, the character is fluent in one additional language per (tongues) die step, starting at without needing to roll.
- Second, they may roll Reason/Know to understand or communicate roughly in languages they are not fluent in.
- First, the character is fluent in one additional language per (tongues) die step, starting at
SFX[edit]
SFX stands for special effects. These are rules exceptions unique to certain aspects of your character.
Each of your three (3) distinctions come with the Hinder SFX
- Hinder: Sometimes a distinction works against you. Roll
instead of 
to gain 1 PP
Additionally, players get to add two (2) custom SFX to one (1) or two (2) of their distinctions during chargen. More may be added later by spending XP during play.
Each distinction may accumulate up to three (3) SFX (including Hinder).
SFX guidelines may be found in the Prime handbook on pages 61-63 (excepting limits). Do not use the guidelines for distinctions found on pages 191-213. (Those are for Powers, which is not a trait this particular game uses).
If you do not have access to the book, just tell me what you want an SFX to do and I can write one up for you.
Signature Assets[edit]
Signature assets are permanent assets recorded on the character sheet rather than the Complications and Assets table, and as such they don't drop off at the end of a scene or a story arc.
They might represent a piece of gear or equipment or a meaningful personal contact. For this game, signature assets should not represent innate qualities or skills but only things external to the character.
Signature assets are always rated either or and may never be raised beyond
Each player starts the game with two (2) points to spend on signature assets. Each point either buys a new signature asset at or steps up an existing asset to
Optionally, players may opt to spend these points on additional knacks (or knack upgrades) instead of assets. The rules that Untrained skills may not have knacks and that no knack may be ranked higher than the skill it is associated with (of course) still apply.
Some clever Signature Assets I've seen in past games include a Boneweaver with the Fingerbone of a Warlord that he regularly used to get tactical advice, a Harbinger who made one of her Summoned Spirit Weapons a signature asset for the bonus attack die, and a Sidhekin with a pet Crow that came to her call so she always had a creature close at hand to merge with..
Note: It is possible for other characters to use another's signature asset within the fiction, but when they do they do not get to add that asset's die to their pool.
Note: signature assets may have up to two (2) associated SFX, and may have one (1). These, however, cannot be purchased during chargen. They are only available through the expenditure of XP during game play.
Background/Bio[edit]
When you are done with traits, the rest is all story stuff rather than mechanical. Name. Description. Short backstory, etc.
While you are writing your Backstory, be sure it answers the following questions:
- How did you come to be known by the title of your Birthright Distinction?
- What people were you born to? Corsair? Druidan? Islander? Kindred? Or from folk farther afield?
- This last option will require a little more description about your people.
- Where are you from?
- Again this will require a little more description if you are from off the established map.
When You Are Finished[edit]
Link your character sheet to your character's name on the character table at the top of the main page. If you use a wiki page, (with the supplied template or otherwise), there is nothing else to do. If you would rather use a google document or some other off-site format, just be sure to set your permissions so I can see the document with a single click, no sign in requirements, etc. (I do not need editing privileges).
Wiki Edits
- If you are waiting for moderation on your character wiki, go HERE to get put on the pre-approved list. They will need to know your handle here on the wiki to complete the request.