Character Creation

Character Guides All new characters must be approved by a character guide (CG) before being played at an event or on the forums. Character guides help provide new characters with proper guidance to fit into the world of Shadow Accord. They often ask a number of questions intended to help players gain a clearer picture of who their character is and what they believe. Character concepts should be discussed with the CGs before game if possible. Faction Shadow Accord consists of four basic types of creatures from which players can create a character. Each group has a significant effect on the basic attributes that your character possesses and how they will interact with the world. Information about the individual factions is found in their respective sections. You must choose a faction from the following: Human, Vampire, Shifter, or Wraith. Sub-Faction Within each faction you must choose one or more sub-factions. These indicate what, if any, supernatural powers you have and what their source is. This choice will have a significant effect on your role within your faction. Sub-factions are available according to the following chart: Faction Sub-Faction Human Commoner Formori Ghoul Gifted Kinfolk (choose a Tribe) Sorcerer Shifter Shifter Choose a Tribe, Breed, and Auspice (p. 33) Vampire Vampire Choose a Clan (p. 27) Wraith Wraith Choose a Legion (p. 39) Humans may choose a single merit at no cost. To become a Fomori, Ghoul, Kinfolk, Gifted Kinfolk, or Sorcerer you must purchase the appropriate merit. Restrictions Some sub-factions have restrictions that must be followed. Check the relevant faction section to see the restrictions on a particular sub-faction. Some sub-factions may also have an experience cost that must be paid in order to create a character in that sub-faction. The experience cost is determined by the tier of the restricted sub-faction. You may not pay this cost with freebies. Level Cost Tier 1 6 XP Tier 2 12 XP Tier 3 18 XP Passions (Wraith Only) A wraith must select two passions that represent the forms of emotion he is capable of feeding from. A wraith may only regain pathos from haunts that match one of his passions. Choose from the following: Love - friendship, romance, affection, etc. Hate - spite, jealousy, loathing, disgust, etc. Pleasure - joy, excitement, comfort, etc. Pain - suffering, depression, sorrow, guilt, etc. Anger - fury, revenge, animosity, etc. Fear - terror, panic, cowardice, anxiety, etc. Patron Patron indicates a powerful connection that your character has to a specific deity. The patron is aware of your character and may come to give advice, strike deals, or make demands, depending on the quality of your relationship. Shifters all have the option of beginning with a Gaian or Wyrm totem as a patron. Other characters may gain access through merit or lore choices. You may start with one of the following (CGs may approve others): Gaian Totems Rat Unicorn Stag Fenris Griffon Grandfather Thunder Owl Falcon Cockroach Raven Bastet Only: King of Cats Mistress of Cat Kind Ananasi Only: Queen Ananasa Wyrm Totems Black Fungus Green Dragon Hakaken Whippoorwill Demon Totems Requires Demon Lore (Speak to your CG). Advantages List any advantages as per your faction. Weakness List any weaknesses as per your sub-faction. Energy Type All characters begin with an energy pool of 10. Type is determined by faction and possibly sub-faction according to the following table: Faction Energy Type Commoner Vitality Sorcerer Essence Ghoul/Vampire Vitae Gifted Kinfolk/Shifter Gnosis Wraith Pathos Ananasi Blood Willpower All characters begin with one willpower. Willpower is your character’s mental resolve. No character may ever have more than 10 willpower. A character’s current willpower will refresh back to full at sunrise. Virtue Virtue type is determined by your faction. Virtue represents your moral character. Faction Begins with… Human 7 Humanity Shifters 7 Rage Vampires 6 Road Wraiths 4 Angst A wraith who has 10 virtue becomes a specter. He is permanently in catharsis and is permanently tainted. A vampire or shifter who has 0 virtue enters permanent frenzy and is permanently tainted. A human with 0 virtue must shed the trappings of civilization and behave as a beast. A character with 0 virtue has run wild and may not be checked in again. Skills Skills represent mundane or crafting skills that your character may possess. You begin with three points to spend on skills. Each level of a skill costs one point. Power Trees Powers are magical abilities that your character possesses due to his faction and subfaction. Powers are organized into trees with three levels. Your Innate Trees are determined by your faction and subfaction choices. Sorcery Trees Sorcerers possess powers in the form of Sorcery. You only need to learn a Sorcery tree one time but each level of the tree must be purchased in order. You must purchase level one before you may purchase level two, and you must purchase level two before you can purchase level three. Fomori Trees Fomori possess powers in the form of Fomori trees. You only need to learn a Fomori tree one time but each level of the tree must be purchased in order. You must purchase level one before you may purchase level two, and you must purchase level two before you can purchase level three. Purchasing the first level of a power from a learned fomori tree automatically gives you a mutation. Discipline Trees Vampires and ghouls possess powers in the form of disciplines. You only need to learn a discipline one time but each level of the tree must be purchased in order. You must purchase level one before you may purchase level two, and you must purchase level two before you can purchase level three. Gift Trees Shifters and gifted kinfolk possess powers in the form of gifts. You are not required to learn the first gift in a tree before you learn the second, or third. However, you must have no more level two gifts than you have level one, and no more level three gifts than you have level two. Arcanoi Trees Wraiths possess powers in the form of arcanoi. You only need to learn an arcanoi one time but each level of the tree must be purchased in order. You must purchase level one before you may purchase level two, and you must purchase level two before you can purchase level three. Innate Trees and Starting Powers Fomori Fomori pick one fomori tree as their innate tree. They begin with the first power in this tree. Ghouls Ghouls have the following disciplines as innate trees: Celerity, Fortitude, and Potence. They begin with level one Potence. Gifted Kinfolk Gifted Kinfolk have the Homid breed and their chosen tribe tree as innate powers. They start with one level-one gift from either of these two trees. Sorcerers Sorcerers pick two sorcery trees as their innate powers. They receive one free level-one power from one of their innate trees. Fellowship trees always count as learned, and a sorcerer cannot have more than one fellowship tree. Vampire Vampire’s innate trees are determined by their clan. They receive three innate powers at character creation. Shifter Shifter’s innate trees are determined by their breed, auspice, and tribe. They receive three innate powers at character creation. Wraith Wraiths choose three arcanoi as innate trees. They receive three innate powers at character creation.