Alpha 1.1

Story

Your character’s backstory and key experiences aren’t just fluff; they’re integral to who they are and how they interact with the world. This section dives into how your character's origins, defining moments, and traumas play a crucial role in shaping their journey, grounding their abilities in their personal story, and influencing their growth and decisions. Collectively, these elements are known as your character’s Story.

Lore

Your character's story is shaped by their choices and expressed through Lore Statements. These statements capture your character's background, significant moments, and personal challenges. They emphasize the key aspects of your character's journey and play a crucial role in shaping their experience throughout the campaign. Additionally, Lore Statements provide insight into your character's past and illustrate how those experiences impact their current and future actions and decisions. In this section, you will learn what Lore Statements are, see some examples, and discover how to use them effectively during gameplay.

  • Lore Statements are accurate representations of your character's story. They consist of statements about your character's life, drawing from past experiences, significant achievements, or emotional scars. These statements serve as narrative tools and also have mechanical effects in gameplay, directly impacting the world around your character.

  • Origins: Where did your character come from? What events shaped their early life? These experiences are included in the Lore Statements, providing advantages when your character's background is relevant to the challenge.

    Accomplisments: What crucial moments from your character's journey stand out? Lore Statements capture the essence of those moments, allowing your character to use them for a boost in gameplay when similar situations arise.

    Traumas: Not all experiences are positive. Traumas are difficult moments that leave a mark on your character. If one of your Lore Statements reflects a traumatic event, it might hinder your character's performance in certain situations, adding depth and emotional complexity.

  • A Lore Statement provides both a narrative anchor and a potential mechanical impact. Players and GMs collaborate to determine how these statements influence the character’s journey, offering advantages or disadvantages based on the situation. Below are a few examples to illustrate how different aspects of a character’s story can be reflected through Lore Statements:

    • "Raised in the shadow of the Black Mountain, I know how to survive in harsh and unforgiving environments."

    • "After vanquishing the Iron Tyrant, I became a renowned warrior feared by many."

    • "I still carry the scars of the day I failed to protect my village from the Crimson Wraiths."

  • Lore Statements are activated when they make sense in the fiction of the current moment. As a player, you can suggest how and when your character's background should impact the story, which may provide your character with an advantage. This enriches the narrative and enhances your character's development.

  • Player: "I want to use my Lore Statement, ‘Raised in the shadow of the Black Mountain,’ to gain an advantage on this Navigate check. My character knows how to find shelter in harsh environments, and I believe that skill would help us here."

    Game Master: "That makes sense. Given your background, you’d have a better chance at guiding the party through this rugged terrain. I’ll grant you advantage on your Navigate check." 

    This system encourages collaborative storytelling, where players and GMs work together to make the character’s history a living, breathing part of the game.