◅◈ CHARACTER CREATION◈▻
◈ WHAT / WHO ARE YOU? ◈
Durus has primarily humans and heavily altered humans populating the world.
Humans and other races can be extremely customized through Science and Mystic Arts to bring a character idea to life
The technology in Durus is mostly Steam punk or Diesel punk with grimdark supernatural elements
HUMAN
The main inhabitants of Durus almost in every corner of the world
SPLICER
Mutant humans either naturally occurring or descendants of experiments with science and medicine.
STITCHER
With Mystic craft;
A transformative curse was used to become tough ghoulish beings that perish slower and miserably
PILLBUG & OYIN
Pillbugs, Oyin and other small cave dwellers of all kinds from the under dark.
GRUKON
Large
insectoid people.
Mostly from caverns & deserts.
OUTSIDER
From The Grey or beyond; born from or changed by the supernatural . . .
You are an outsider - tread carefully
◈ WHERE ARE YOU FROM? ◈
There are several locations in Durus with rich history and different aesthetics and problems that your character could be tied through.
You can look for basic information in the WORLD MAP or the CODEX
◈ WHAT CAN YOU DO? SKILLS & PROFESSIONS ◈
There are brief descriptions of technology flavours that exist in this world HERE
This is a breakdown of skills that a character may have.
Skills can include the [ TYPE ] , and how much [ EXPERTISE ] your character is in the skill. Their career or their nature may have an effect on this.
Additionally, characters over time can acquire [ METTLE ] which affects how much a character can over-extend themselves or apply their skills in exceptionally unique or stressful ways.
MUNDANE | TECH | BIO | MYSTIC | ARCANE | WEIRD
Apart from the mundane, which covers most normal types of forces, there are 3 categories of skills that are most relevant to this world . . .
TECH | BIO | MYSTIC
◈ TECH / BIO / MYSTIC ◈
One can interact with the skill types with little to no basic knowledge or expertise but creating and using different skills in the world will require expertise in one of the three fields or you may start to sharpen your knowledge in a skill-type.
There are experiences and abilities that are exclusive to each type. There are also multiple ways to achieve things with either skill type but ultimately what other elements of the world are relevant to you or obstacles will change instead.
COMBINING SKILLS & CAREER
Some skills, abilities and careers make use of a fusion of multiple skill types either through theory/knowledge or materials and method of execution…
◈ MUNDANE ◈
This covers everything ordinary and traditionally present in the world.
There is a threshold where the mundane meshes quite well with the other skill-types.
There are many skills and abilities that do not require categorization in the world.
◈ TECH ◈
This covers the intricately constructed feats of technological and industrial progress man or otherwise has created.
Engineering genius, prosthetics & augmentations, Vehicles, Constructs & Robotics, Steel Defender Automatons, Experimental weaponry.
The ability to comprehend other inventors' machinations or unfamiliar logic.
Not all inventions need to be TECH. Some MUNDANE equipment, items and weaponry exist, but the more intricate, advanced and unique the problem and solution, the more you lean into TECH.
Eg. Ballistic ammo / Modded weaponry using robotics, crystal tech or alchemy.
◈ BIO ◈
This covers the intuitive and academic knowledge of how the world and its bodies change and interact with each other. How to work with the building bricks of life and its Animals, Medicine, Mutations, Disease, Forensics, Splicing and Genetics.
Alchemy, Herbalism, Chemical & Biochemical inventions.
The miracle of medicine and science to grow and breed bio-tech, to flip and splice the tiles of DNA through chemical reaction.
For those subject to biomutation and the ever changing scape that is your own body’s architecture there is control, understanding and sharpening of your innate natural skills, weapons and instinct. Some of it is of course intuitive but true mastery over one’s body still requires intent and experimentation, maybe you will find a special technique.
◈ MYSTIC ◈
This is durus' version of magic which is tied explicitly to self-cultivation type magics. Supernatural and occult abilities or mental strength & physicallity interfacing with the world.
Through instinct and scholarly practices you understand the role of THE CONSCIOUS OBSERVER.
Monk’s aura and physical empowerment.
Mentalist’s scholarly psionics and understanding of physics.
Psion’s use of established symbolism and language of psionic witches, druids & clerics.
Quick breakdown;
MYSTIC ARTS IS ;
AURA-CHI / PSIONICS / SUPERNATURAL & METAPHYSICAL INSTINCT & MENTAL PRACTICE
MYSTIC ARTS IS NOT ;
MANA / LEYLINES, ARCANE ENERGY, DIVINE MAGIC, ELEMENTAL SOURCERY.
Abilities are based on the character’s personal interpretations or taught skills, so more traditionally divine or druidic skills are just one’s inner beliefs and faith manifesting as psionics or supernatural connection.
Mystic magics is more subtle or sneaky and supportive in most ways.
The more expertise in Mystic, the more your mind is bolstered and abstract concepts can be interfaced with, interpreted & manifested terrifically.
◈ OTHER SKILL TYPES ◈
These are not typically acquired but potentially experienced or become relevant depending on story developments.
In many cases there are entities that predate on the energy of these types and carrying or wielding something yourself in these categories is extremely dangerous under particular contexts.
◈ ARCANE ◈
The other magics, sorcery, warloc-dom, the divine, magical weaves and leylines.
None of these ever reach Durus, only their remnants or faint traces.
Durus is like a dead-magiczone to these forms of magic and are mysterious and foreign to Mystics. Typically attributed to being a disaster that outsiders have brought with them.
◈ WEIRD ◈
Weird is a subcategory of the unknown. Which covers the fantastically-abstracted, the completely aberrant and eldritch.
Its origins are from places that, like other dimensions, have their own math and syntax of the conventions for the conscious observer far beyond the screaming void.
Weird dances adjacent to the supernatural, brushes against the wall and provokes vulnerable and longing minds waiting for the moment to fold the conscious into a beautiful kaleidoscope
◈ METTLE ◈
Mettle is a re-roll / dice advantage modifier mechanic. You are pushing your character to an extreme to deal with a uniquely difficult hardship.
Mettle is accumulated over time and earned through suffering and training.
You can have fun creating unique consequences to expending all of your Mettle during a scenario.
In-short; Mettle is used in unique and difficult situations where a skill being applied starts to test a character’s limits. You can gain and lose Mettle while improving your skill modifiers
A similar but not exact comparison is INSPIRATION DICE system in D&D
◈ CHARACTER SHEET ◈
- NOT MANDATORY BUT HELPFUL
- FIRST TWO PANNELS HELPFUL CHEAT-SHEET, THE REST IS FLUFF & DOCUMENTATION IF YOU WANT
- GOOGLE SLIDES AS A GUIDE / THEMED CHARACTER SHEET THAT CAN BE EXPORTED INTO PNG