Character Creation

In this chapter, you will learn how to create a character, taking them from a concept and translating them into the mechanics of the game. Fayrewood allows for a large amount of player freedom when it comes to the characters they play, and the advice in this chapter should be easy enough for players to follow themselves and build fair but unique characters on their own. However, the Storyteller should still be involved in the process to help answer questions and advice players on building characters that will suit the legend they are going to play.

To start with, it is helpful to form an idea for your character in your minds eye, before looking to write them onto the page.

Building a character follows four overall steps:

1. Decide who they were.
2. Decide who they will be.
3. Spend Soul points on aspects.
4. Decide on finishing touches.

Who they were

Every character must come from somewhere and this is represented by their background. A background describes what a character's life was like before they turned to adventure. Picking a background doesn't just provide narrative flavour to a character, it also grants some mechanical benefits that reflect the training, experience and habits of their former life:

• A rating of one in three skills
• A wealth rating
• A supplies rating
• A quirk

After picking a background, players should note the associated ratings and quirk on their character sheets.

Who they will be

Player characters have stepped away from their former, mundane lives and turned to a life of adventure. The exact circumstances around what drew a character away from their life can be a point of narrative interest for players as they design their characters.

Not all characters go about their adventuring in the same way, however, and this is represented in Fayrewood through a character's class. There are three classes: warrior, adept, mage. Players should be encouraged to pick their class based on how they want to interact with the game, as each class is tied to one of three broad playstyles.

A class determines the wounds, starting equipment and

Soul Points

Soul points represent a character's sense of self, the growth they have undergone, and the potential they still possess. They are used to purchase the aspects that define a character at the start of a legend. Further Soul points are gained over the course of play as that character grows and changes as an advancement system.

Soul points are spent during character creation and later duringdowntime. They may be used to improve aspects. The cost of increasing an aspect is equal to the new rating being purchased, so increasing an aspect to a rating of five costs five Soul points.

Aspects must be increased by one rating at a time. A player cannot increase an aspect directly to five without first purchasing ratings one through four.

Finishing touches

With the major mechanical choices complete, all that remains is to tie your character into the wider world and decide the details that give them personality, presence, and flavour.

Beliefs and relationships

A character’s beliefs and relationships help place them within the legend. They shape what the character holds to be true, what drives them onward, and which people, places, and bonds matter most to them.

Kith and appearance

The final step is to decide your character’s kith and what they look like.

A kith describes the broad kind of people to which a character belongs. It shapes their physical nature, grants passive strengths and weaknesses, and a quirk, but does not determine their culture, upbringing, or personality. These are instead shaped by their background, beliefs, relationships, and the choices made by the Player.

There are three playable kith in Fayrewood: Menfolk, Alfen, and Brunes. The Alfen and Brunes are both kinds of Fairfolk and share certain features and vulnerabilities despite their differences.

Menfolk

Menfolk are the most numerous folk in Eldyard. Hailing from the East, they now dominate the landscapes of the West with their settlements, laws, kingdoms, and faiths. They are the shortest lived of any kith, reaching ages no greater than 104. They vary greatly in height, build, features and appearance.

Their blood is rich in iron, a stubborn metal, that dampens their natural connection to Whimsy. This prevents them from casting even the simplest whims unaided, requiring the use of rare relics called Whimbraces to draw upon and shape magic.

The same iron also protects Menfolk from hostile whimcrafting. When making a Resist Toss against a whim, Menfolk characters step up their Wits dice.

As a quirk,

Fairfolk

The Fairfolk are beings innately bound to Whimsy who once ruled across the West before the arrival of Menfolk from the East. They come in many forms although they all share some common traits. They are long-lived compared to Menfolk, and all sport a pair of living branches that erupt from their temples like horns.

Their shared connection to Whimsy is tied to their copper blood, which is a rich shade of blue. It gives all Fairfolk the ability to cast whims without the need for any aid. However, their close connection with Whimsy can leave them vulnerable to hostile whimcrafting. Fairfolk characters step down their Wits dice when making a Resist Toss against a whim.

Fairfolk often face a great deal of distrust and prejudice within Menfolk communities.

Alfen

The Alfen are the taller of the two playable Fairfolk, standing on average 4 feet tall. Out of all the Fairfolk they most closely resemble Menfolk, albeit with much larger eyes, wider mouths, and smaller noses.

Brunes

After choosing a kith, players should decide the details of their character’s appearance. This might include their age, height, build, colouring, clothing, voice, mannerisms, and any features that make them especially recognisable. These details have no rating and need not grant any mechanical advantage, but they help establish how the character presents themselves and how others may perceive them.

A character’s appearance may reflect their background, class, beliefs, and relationships, but it need not conform neatly to any of them. Players should feel free to create a distinctive appearance that suits the person they wish to portray.