Character Creation

Labyrinth has started running already.

If you are interested in playing please email the GM Team and we can let you know if we have capacity for you to either play or crew for the game.

In Labyrinth you play one of the key players in the Labyrinth's reopening. You have come to either exploit the Labyrinth for you or your state's gain, or to defend your place in it. Your character is a skilled and influential individual, either in the eyes of their state, or working in the shadows. All are destined for greatness… or perhaps tragedy.

To create a character for Labyrinth you need a character concept first. You can browse our character Archetypes to get a quick feel for ideas, or look at Sample Characters for inspiration. You can also browse the Setting pages of this wiki, come to the Character Creation Session or chat to the GMs.

Once you have a concept, you will need to go through the following steps to mechanically represent your character. There is a summary and visual representation of a character sheet below.

In Labyrinth we are allowing both the traditional in-person experience where your character turns up to the regular Sessions, and also adding the option for some to play remote online – interacting with PCs and NPCs over e-mails and submitting a Turnsheet as usual.

The main distinction is that remote players must be from factions inside the Labyrinth who do not wish or are unable to make it to the overworld gathering.

If you would like to play remote, please acquaint yourself with the remote play page.

The various states wish nothing more than to exploit and explore the Labyrinth. It is rumoured to hold untold riches, artefacts and the ultimate prize – the Imperial Crown of Tharena, said to be the most powerful artefact in existence. The state that you hail from will have bearing on your upbringing, culture, outlook and even loyalties.

Select from the appropriate faction list – overworld states or the three Labyrinth factions.

Overworld:

• The Northern Empire, a diverse and cosmopolitan land, combining many disparate regions under one imperial banner.
• The Southern Empire, a powerful and urbanised expanse of territory, utilising centralised authority to rally its many inhabitants.
• The Ezu Plateau, an ancient and archaic empire, steeped in tradition and a rigid caste system.
• The Land of Endless Sky, a nomadic yet unified collection of tribes, in tune with nature and the land they live on.
• The Free City of Dolom, a mercantile and independent city, with a vulnerable but powerful position as an international trade hub.

Labyrinth:

• The Collective of Kind Hands Helping One Another Thrive, a collaborative organisation, working to take care of everyone, treating all equally.
• The Allied Guilds, a collection of wealthy and skilled individuals, regulating and governing their trades.
• The 13th Legion, a militaristic force, driving its industrial complex forwards in search of progress.

Note: As a remote player, you must choose one of the Labyrinth factions.

Your species may be a chance of birth as much as where you were born. The different species have similar opportunities wherever they are, but different attitudes in the states lead to some variation. Different species also have different inherent traits that affect them in both positive and negative ways. These traits are intended for roleplaying purposes and to give each species their distinction, but they may in minor ways affect how effective your character is in some very specific circumstances.

Select from the list of species.

• The fierce Dragonblooded, individuals with draconic features, mighty and ready for combat.
• The obsessive Gentens, shelled people, driven by desires fixed from their birth.
• The communal Muella, a social mushroom-like people, able to commune with the mycelial networks around them.
• The amorphous Slimefolk, a Labyrinth-bound species that emerged in the last few centuries, made of malleable goo that can fuse with others.
• The industrious Ssar, numerous and efficient lizard-folk, adaptable across many environments.
• The emergent Wildborn, shape-shifters distinct from their animal kin, born as natural outsiders across much of the world.

Your standing in society is an important part of how you are perceived, both within your state and beyond it. Your social status is an indication of how seriously you will be taken as an important player in politics, culture, trade and the like. Higher status brings with it all sorts of benefits, but also drawbacks — the higher your status, the more is expected of you, from your liege, from society, from family. Conversely, lower status may not give you many privileges, but it is easier to pass under the radar, and few people care if you fail or succeed.

You may freely choose your social status from the ranks available in your chosen state (Rank 1 to Rank 5 at character creation, states may have other limitations on the rank you can choose). Bear in mind that choosing a higher rank will come with strings attached, and rank can change during the course of the game.

Select your rank of Social Status.

The 8 Skills represent your training in a variety of mundane activities. You may already have some aptitude in various areas, but skills are fundamentally expertise, knowledge and training applied to some broad categories. They have the biggest impact on how well you are able to accomplish something.

The 8 Paths of Magic represents your ability to use magic and the magnitude of the effects you can achieve in those Paths. Magic is an enabler, giving you a broad set of tools to achieve things that would not otherwise be possible with the mundane. It represents a combination of aptitude and training.

You have 5 points to spend on Skills and Magic.

You must take at least 2 different skills at rank 1 or more.

You must select a skill to have -1 in. This is something you are actively very bad at, and struggle with.

You may take up to 3 additional skills at -1. If you take at least 1 additional skill at -1, you receive an extra point to spend on Skills and Magic for a total of 6 points maximum (only 1 extra, additional -1 skills are for roleplay purposes!)

Quirks are unusual aspects of your character not entirely encompassed by their backstory, relationships or skills and magic. They represent the unusual circumstances of player characters. We also have a selection of playstyle quirks to help guide your turnsheet experience.

You may select up to TWO character quirks.

Note: Connections to NPCs, whether they are an annoying Aunt with a desire to see you married off, or your long-lost twin brother you don't know exists but is plotting your downfall, should be detailed as part of your backstory. You are welcome to make connections to existing NPCs or create your own. The GMs will be happy to work with you to have them be useful, threatening or surprising as appropriate, but the GMs cannot guarantee all your NPCs will turn up.

Consider your character — what is their place in the world, who are their allies and adversaries, why have they come to the Labyrinth? We will ask you for your character's backstory, which only you and the GMs will see, and a short public bio of what is common knowledge about your character to help other players interact with your character.

You will need a character name.

It may also help to visualise the process with a character sheet:

• Choose State and Species
• Pick a Social Status Rank
• Spend 5 points on Skills and Magic; Minimum two skills at rank 1; You must choose a skill at -1;
• Choose additional skills at -1 to gain 1 extra point to spend (6 total maximum)
• Pick up to two character quirks and select playstyle quirks.
• Choose name and background.