Infinite Adventures is a roleplaying game of adventure, intrigue, and derring do. IA itself is a set of rules one can base specific games upon, among them Mythus, Abyss, Changeling, and Unhallowed. In this first post we’ll be looking at Persona Production for the Mythus game, what most RPGs call character creation.
In Infinite Adventures one plays an Heroic Persona. Somebody out of the ordinary, who’s goal it is to have adventures, solve mysteries, investigate exotic places, and generally act the hero. For this reason an HP’s traits tend to be above the average. But before an HP’s traits can be determined we need first to determined the following.
01. Race and place of birth. Everybody comes from somewhere, everybody belongs someplace. In an IA game like Abyss, set as it is in a future where travel is easier and people tend to move around, anyone of any race can come from almost anywhere. Even then certain types will tend to come from certain locations, certain worlds. In a game like Mythus, or even Changeling or Unhallowed, what race or ethnic group an HP belongs to will have a big impact on where the HP is from. Where an HP is from will affect how will he performs certain tasks and so which Vocation he can adopt.
02. (Provisional) Socio-Economic Class. The HP’s position in society. In DJ there are 9 levels; lower-lower class, middle-lower class, upper lower class, lower-middle class, middle-middle class, upper-middle class, lower-upper class, middle-upper class, and upper-upper class. SEC is determined at this point in the Mythus game. In the others SEC is found once the HPs Vocation has been decided upon
03. Quirks and Counter-Quirks. Virtues and flaws people tend to have. An eidetic memory for example, or an allergy to some substance. A Quirk or Counter-Quirk can affect an HP’s abilities and career. A tone deaf HP would not do well as a musician, an HP with a knack for engineering would tend to go into a career as a Engineer.
04. Birth Order. Which could affect what an HP could be depending on the result determined. In Mythus a 7th child has special abilities not possible in children born elsewhere in the order. In Changeling what vocations are open to the HP in some societies depends on the society in question. In upper class British society the first born will inherit, the second born enter the military, and the third born the clergy.
05. Age. How old the HP is will affect what he can be, his traits, his skills, and his property.
06. Traits, Categories, and Attributes. The numerical qualities that measure and define an Heroic Persona. In IA these are nested characteristics; three Attributes make up a Category, two Categories make up a Trait, and an HP’s three Traits make up the person
07. Vocations. The Heroic Persona’s job, his career. What the Heroic Persona does for a living. Here, now, the results of earlier steps comes into play. The HP’s Quirks and Counter Quirks, his SEC — in Mythus — and where he is from. Even his birth order can make some Vocations more desirable than others, and may bar him from taking up others.
(Provisionally) 02. In Abyss, Unhallowed, and Changeling the HP’s choice of Vocation determines SEC instead of the other way around. with the exception of Changeling in certain circumstances. In effect, the HP’s SEC is found through his Vocation in these games
08. Universal Skills. The sort of thing most anybody can be expected to know and to practice with some ability. Etiquette, Perception, or Native Language for example. In a game like Abyss or Unhallowed most are going to know how to handle communication devices.
09. Property. What the HP owns and/or has in his possession. Which depends in large part on the HP’s SEC and how much he has in net worth and properties.
10. Friends, enemies, and contacts. Who the HP knows. Who he relies on, who relies on him. Who wouldn’t trust him with a burnt out match in an Indonesian typhoon. in other words, plot hooks.
So there you have, provisionally, the 10 steps taken in Persona Production in the Infinite Adventures line of games. There is more work to be done here, for this is but a summary of events. It is also open to more substantial revision, and maybe even ordering. Expect that work to be presented here in the coming weeks. Comments are welcome.
