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Happy New Year!
Staring at a blank character sheet can feel like the BBEG of any TTRPG campaign. So how do you come up with character concepts? How do you make them feel real and motivated and interesting and someone who you will become attached to?
In Tales from Myriad, you're presented with a who range of odd and random traits to inspire your character and make them unique as possible. As such, all stats, equipment, traits and homelands are recommended to be rolled randomly to get the best and most unique results.
From there you can flesh them out further, to figure out how they fit in to your campaign.
So, let's build a character shall we?
The first thing you need to do is roll your stats. In this game the stats are:
Each stat has a score that can be decided by rolling 2D6 and assigning the number to each stat in the order above. If you want to, you can switch one score with another, but only once.
I rolled.
Great, we have a starting point for this character. After this you choose a job for them, and the game provides you a list of options that you could already be interested in or think about how to apply it to your current scores.
The job you choose changes your stat scores, so picking wisely is important. But at the same time, it's always worth remembering that negative scores on any of your stats doesn't make them a bad character. It just makes them more skilled in some ways than others, and leads to more fun roleplay.
I am going to choose a Performer to match with my scores in Insight, Charm and Luck. So, my scores are now:
Ok, I'm pretty charming and insightful, but lack Power or an understanding of Occult magic, but that is fine by me. I'll get by using my words and my wits!
Not every character is perfect, but with every bane comes a boon. When you create your character, you need to select one bane and one boon.
Again, there's a list to choose from or you can roll for it. I'm going to roll for it.
For my bane, I've rolled Phobia, which means my character will have a common phobia (think spiders, open water, tight spaces etc.) which means that I will gain the Frightened condition when in the presence of this.
I'm going to pick spiders. Let's hope arachnids aren't a big part of this campaign!
For my Boon, I rolled Earthspeak, which means that "You can glean knowledge from listening to the natural world, understanding the intent and emotion of plants, animals, and the stars, even if they do not communicate in a language that you know".
Ok, let's hope that I really don't need to speak to any spiders, spider monkeys or spider plants throughout this entire campaign.
I need to roll for my starting equipment and weapons, which is determined by my job.
I have rolled for a light weapon, and got a Katar (a dagger), and a ranged weapon and got a wrist mounted crossbow which is sick!
My starting armour is a literal fishnet covered in baubles. What a strange little guy.
My starting hat is a hat made out of a giant leaf. Am I a Korok?
My job as a performer will also tell me that I am skilled in persuasion, deception, diplomacy and of course, performing. And my main stat is Charm.
I can also choose to become Skilled in one general skill of my choice that is not naturally included in the Performer job due to my starting ability Natural Talent.
This performer with fishnet armour and a leaf mask is quite the interesting combination of traits. But now I need to decide which of the games Kindred I choose from. Will I be a human-like Manling, a behoofed Sylvan, a web toed Froglin, or something else?
I think I'm going to roll for it.
I have rolled a Beastkin, which are described as "bipedal animal beings based on any and all varieties of land mammals and reptiles. So diverse and interconnected are they that family name rarely matters across Myriad, but they usually come from a land similar to the environment of the creature they represent."
A bipedal animal with a leaf mask and a fishnet armour? I think I need to be a lizard of some kind, so let's say that I am an iguana-like humanoid who covers his face with a leaf mask and tries his absolute best not to chew on it when he's bored.
And that leaves me with just my Homeland to choose. And as a performer, I need to choose between Frogland, Three Kingdoms and Crosswind Vale.
I think it has to be Frogland, "A distant, hidden land beyond mist and reeds, from which warrior froglin make their pilgrimage, allegedly."
So there we have it. A performing iguana beastkin from Frogland who hides his face behind a leaf mask and is protected by a fishnet covered in baubles. Your honour, I love him.
So now that we have Gerald.....yes I called him Gerald....how do we fit him into the narrative.
Tales from Myriad is a game where you discover a character by playing them. As many of the character elements you get are meant to be random, it’s very hard to determine exactly how your character will function in a mechanical sense before you’ve played. But once Myriad gives you a character with skills, abilities, and trinkets, you get to decide who they are. Creating interesting personalities for your characters will be critical for roleplay and story-building.
The best way to create a character who is both suitable for the setting and who is as engaging as the player is through a simple two-step process:
Step One: Begin with an archetype, or even a stereotype. Who does this character look like at first glance? A haughty noble, a brave warrior, a bookish scholar?
Step Two: Give them a character trait that directly conflicts with their archetype. For example, a creepy, dark character who is primed to be a villain, may in fact have a heart of gold, or a golden, beaming hero may have faked their way into fame, and so on.
Gerald is going to be the stereotype of a kid who has been destined to become a performer his entire life, having come from a long line of dancers and movers and shakers.
But, the sad thing is, despite his families best attempts, he suffers from a severe bout of social anxiety and so performing in front of a crowd is his idea of hell!
To fix it, he's now going on a quest to try and find his confidence. He's sure that if he looks under every rock, behind every leaf, in every pot, then he might just find it. And he means that literally.
Tales from Myriad is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game designed to be silly and accessible for newer players - such as the fashion for character creation, and a simple-on-the-surface ruleset - as well as crunchy enough for players and Game Masters who seek the thrills and challenge of cobbling together the tools you are provided.
You can grab a digital or physical copy in our US and EU stores.
https://eu.metalweavegames.com/collections/tales-from-myriad/products/tales-from-myriad-corebook-eu
