First character

[Marras]

So, after reading character generation I decided to give it a spin. I had somewhat clear view of him on my mind based on a movie (of different genre).

As this was my first 'Bastards character I went with Priorities instead of Tiers.

My goal was a martially proficient physician with a gambling habit.

Priorities
A - Skills
B - Proficiencies
C - Attributes
D - Social Class
E - Edges & Flaws

Attributes
Strength: ***
Agility: ****
Stamina: **
Speed: ****
Acumen: ***
Cunning: ***
Willpower: **
Social: **

Skills
Education: ***
Horsemanship: ***
Intrigue: ***
Manipulation: ****
Medicine (First Aid, Surgery): ****
Steel (gore): ****
Streetwise: ****
Teamster: ***
Warfare: ***
Mercenary: ***

Proficiencies
Messers: ***** ***
Brawling: oooo*
Sword & Buckler: oooo*
Firearms: ****

Edges
Hardened (Minor)

Flwas
Enemy (Major)
Old Injury (Minor)
Greedy (Minor)

Story Aspects
"I will protect my friends no matter the cost"

Process
This didn't go exactly as planned but I am pretty pleased with the result but then again only time would tell how viable the character would be. The gambling "aspect" of the character diminished to background because even minor addiction felt too severe for this character. So I chose social skills that might help in a gambling tests (like manipulation) but also something that can be used while playing cards to learn a gossip or two.

The character is definitely a low born who somehow got an education above his status (perhaps someone took a pity on him and took him under his/her wing and tutored him the profession of a sawbone). Later on he joined a mercenary company and acted as a physician seeing a lot of horrible things and also took active part in battles. I wanted him to be some sort of duelist but somehow such a low born character seemed to be much less refined and I ended up giving him messers as the top proficiency. I also wanted him to be able to use firearms, so there went 4 dots.

After retiring from the mercenary company he met again his old friend from the mercenary company and the friend's older brother. The friend had heard about a small town that needed someone to be a head of the guards and that friend wanted to get that job. The character decided to join just to keep his friend safe, besides there could be new chances for gambling.

At the town they met opposition from a small but vicious gang and after these three protagonists had killed two of the gang members there is a war brewing between them and the gang (thus getting the enemy).

I think the lack of "support" for gambling affected a great deal how I ended up presenting the character. As an after thought now he seems bit of a Dr. Watson even though I never thought about him when designing the character

I still have to come up with a proper name and background not to mention all those names for NPCs and organizations. Couple more SAs would be nice but I knew this would be a hard part for me.

[Agamemnon]

Very cool. Love the story of it. It's interesting how we kind of fill in the blanks as w go and wind up with a fair bit of depth to the character.

This didn't go exactly as planned but I am pretty pleased with the result but then again only time would tell how viable the character would be. The gambling "aspect" of the character diminished to background because even minor addiction felt too severe for this character. So I chose social skills that might help in a gambling tests (like manipulation) but also something that can be used while playing cards to learn a gossip or two.

I have never made a character for this game that went exactly as planned during creation. As you start making choices about edges and flaws, skills, and so on it starts springing all kinds of little details to mind that flavor the character.

I wouldn't worry about not having a background and SAs yet, though. In my experience, those sorts of things are usually the result of band creation. They are much harder to come up with in a vacuum.

[Korbel]

Nice! A mercenary, fighting with swords. So, are you going to play this very character here? If so, then I believe I'm inclined to my second character idea (the first was thought as a saber user), who is a ranged combat specialist.

[Marras]

Nice! A mercenary, fighting with swords. So, are you going to play this very character here? If so, then I believe I'm inclined to my second character idea (the first was thought as a saber user), who is a ranged combat specialist.

I don't know how this character ended up in this section as it was just a practice character to test out the system

I have been extremely busy these past few weeks but depending on how often you have to post I might join after all (maybe with this character). The only problem is that I might not be too fluent in English to play a character that ended up being surprisingly skilled in social situations

[Marras]

Very cool. Love the story of it. It's interesting how we kind of fill in the blanks as w go and wind up with a fair bit of depth to the character.

Thanks! I had part of the story in my mind but some of it was created based on priorities I picked.

I have never made a character for this game that went exactly as planned during creation. As you start making choices about edges and flaws, skills, and so on it starts springing all kinds of little details to mind that flavor the character.

Character concepts are just rough sketches that serve as a guideline when making those choices. You would need an incredible amount of options to be able to create just the character you envisioned but that would be in league with GURPS Besides I find it much more cool that game mechanics actually help me shape the character and thus a specific seed (character concept) could end up as quite different.

I wouldn't worry about not having a background and SAs yet, though. In my experience, those sorts of things are usually the result of band creation. They are much harder to come up with in a vacuum.

Band creation is a cool concept that should have been in use already 20 years ago so we would have created a functional groups instead of occasional ranger in a city based campaign or character concepts that just didn't work together.

[higgins]

I don't know how this character ended up in this section as it was just a practice character to test out the system

That would be my fault. I somehow assumed it was for the upcoming Venice game and moved it here when I created the subforum. Just tell me where you meant to be and I'll move it back.

[Korbel]

That would be my fault. I somehow assumed it was for the upcoming Venice game and moved it here when I created the subforum.

It's a sign!

[Marras]

That's okay. No need to move this anywhere. After all he might end up in the game

[Marras]

I think I will change the main proficiency to Sword & Buckler. I will probably have a ranged proficiency as well but I have to think which one I choose as a main proficiency.

I will keep Horsemanship just because of his background as a mercenary. I will ditch Teamster and get a more appropriate skill instead.

I am still debating what other secondary proficiency I will take in addition to Brawling.

[Korbel]

I am still debating what other secondary proficiency I will take in addition to Brawling.

If you want to stick with background-based build, than you can take Lance - it must've been effective when fighting on horse. It's not gonna be very useful here, though. The Spears are a nice alternative.
Or maybe Polearms? As a guard town you probably swung a halberd or something. There is a samll chance you will be fighting with such a weapon, just like with spears.
But if you want something useful and universal, than a Dagger never hurts, I believe. As a physician you should know how to cut people with a knife or dagger, whether to hurt or help them

[Marras]

Yes, I think the Dagger proficiency might come in handy. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Marras]

Cirillo Bondesan
Priorities
A - Skills
B - Proficiencies
C - Attributes
D - Social Class
E - Edges & Flaws

Attributes
Strength: ***
Agility: ****
Stamina: **
Speed: ****
Acumen: ***
Cunning: ***
Willpower: **
Social: **

Skills
Athletics: ***
Education: ***
Intrigue: ***
Manipulation: ****
Medicine (First Aid, Surgery): ****
Steel (gore): ****
Stealth: ***
Streetwise: ****
Warfare: ***
Mercenary: ***

Proficiencies
Sword & Buckler: ***** ***
Brawling: oooo*
Daggers: oooo*
Crossbows: ****

Edges
Hardened (Minor)

Flaws
Enemy (Major)
Old Injury (Minor)
Greedy (Minor)

Story Aspects
"I will protect my friends no matter the cost"

----
So, I changed proficiencies and skills a bit and came up with a name Background is still a bit hazy but he is definitely a Venetian by birth.

I had a thought that he was in the same mercenary company as that other mercenary PC so we would know each other beforehand. Would that be OK? Perhaps Cirillo will be the one that drags his friend from his retirement?

[thirtythr33]

Just though I would pop in here so you knew I had been reading it. Not much to comment on except that it looks like your likely to be the groups socialite.

Have you put any more thought into what kind of gang it is that Cirillo wronged? If it's a major flaw and they are low class (ie, not very powerful) it probably has to be a pretty powerful personal hatred.

[Marras]

I was thinking that the enemy would be either a local street gang or maybe Cirillo made an enemy when he left the mercenary company.

Me, the group's socialite? I suppose it will be good practice for me

[Marras]

If Giorgio was fighting for a German noble I don't think Cirillo would have been in the same company. There is nothing in my vision why he would have been fighting in the ranks of a German noble. Unless they simply paid better