Character Creation

The player characters (PCs) in Gloomtrail start out as ordinary people who, driven by a relentless desire, set out to explore the world in search of something that matters to them. When creating a character, focus first on imagining who they are, what they know how to do, what that thing they long for is, and what drives them.

Descriptors

While building their characters, the Players should think about the following aspects: Vocation, Distinction, Drive, and Bonds.

Vocation

Who is your character? What do they know how to do?

ALCHEMIST: Maker of potions, elixirs, and explosives.

ARCHER: Specialist in ranged combat with bows and arrows.

ASSASSIN: A professional killer, master of stealth and poisons.

BANDIT: A highway robber surviving on the fringes of the law.

BARBARIAN: A fierce warrior from savage lands.

BARD: A traveling performer who enchants with tales and songs.

BEASTMASTER: Trainer capable of subjugating and commanding wild beasts.

CARTOGRAPHER: Mapper of uncharted regions and dangerous routes.

CULTIST: Fanatical follower of obscure entities or forbidden gods.

DRUID: A guardian of nature and the primal forces.

ENGINEER: Inventor and builder of mechanisms and siege engines.

EXILE: Banished from their homeland, searching for a new purpose.

EXPLORER: An adventurer who seeks out the unknown.

FALLEN ARISTOCRAT: A noble who lost their lands and influence.

GLADIATOR: An arena fighter, used to the spectacle of death.

HEALER: A physician or herbalist able to treat wounds and diseases.

HERETIC: A former cleric or cultist who questions the gods.

HUNTER: A stalker of beasts and a knower of the wild.

ILLUSIONIST: A weaver of mental and visual tricks.

INQUISITOR: A hunter of heretics and a fighter of unholy forces.

KNIGHT: A noble combatant who follows a code of honor.

LANCER: A soldier specialized in using the spear in combat.

MAGE: A master of the arcane arts and hidden lore.

MERCENARY: Fights for whoever pays the most.

NECROMANCER: Mage of the dark arts who manipulates death and the undead.

ORACLE: Mystical seer capable of interpreting omens and foreseeing the future.

PALADIN: A holy defender of justice and faith.

PIRATE: A thief of the seas, an adventurer and plunderer.

PRIEST: The spiritual leader of a cult or temple.

RANGER: Guardian of the borders and protector of the wild roads.

SCHOLAR: A student dedicated to ancient tomes, history, and forgotten languages.

SCOUT: A nimble tracker who ventures into hostile territory.

SHAMAN: A communicator with spirits and mystical forces.

SMUGGLER: A trafficker of forbidden goods.

SORCERER: Innate magic user, bearer of a mystical bloodline.

SPY: An infiltrator in courts and organizations, gathering secrets.

SQUIRE: Apprentice to a knight, responsible for maintaining weapons and mounts.

THIEF: An expert in theft and silent break-ins.

TRICKSTER: Charismatic deceiver specialized in scams and social manipulation.

WARLOCK: A user of magic who made a pact with supernatural forces.

WARRIOR: A combatant trained for war.

Distinction

What sets your character apart from others who share the same vocation?

SUBVERTED EXPECTATION: A personality trait, belief, or talent that completely subverts the clichés associated with the character's vocation, such as a scholarly barbarian, a rogue who is afraid of the dark, or a party-loving cleric.

EXAGGERATED TRAIT: An ordinary trait taken to an extreme, definitive, or tragic degree that defines the character's presence. For example, a knight who is the last of their order, a rogue wanted across the entire continent, or a gladiator who has never lost a fight.

STAIN OF THE PAST: A dark event, an irreparable mistake, or an unwanted reputation that haunts the character's decisions and shapes how society sees them. Some examples are an excommunicated healer, a deserter soldier, or a bankrupt noble.

OPEN FLAW: A human, tangible weakness that frequently sabotages the party's plans or the character's own, adding tension and dramatic weight. They might be a bard addicted to gambling, a kleptomaniac sorceress, or a drunken pirate.

TRADEMARK: A striking visual, physical, or audible detail that identifies them instantly in a crowd. For example, a paladin with a burned face, a smuggler with a glass eye, or a shaman in a cloak of raven feathers.

Drive

What draws your character to the wilds and the unknown roads?

PIONEER: The character feels a visceral need to map unknown and dangerous regions, moved purely by the longing to set foot where no one else has and to see what is not on any map.

GET RICH: An honest, safe life pays poorly. The character is willing to risk their own skin in ancient ruins and wild lands because the promise of gold and untold treasure speaks louder.

ESCAPE: Life in their homeland was unbearable, whether from crushing boredom, poverty, or oppressive obligations. The road, for all its dangers, is the only place where they feel truly free.

MARVEL: The character grew up listening to bards' songs and reading ancient tomes. They left the safety of home to witness with their own eyes the impossible phenomena, creatures, and landscapes of the world.

PROVE YOURSELF: Staying in town brings no glory. The character actively seeks out the most inhospitable places and the deadliest challenges in the world to test their physical and mental limits, forging their name into history.

COLLECT: Settling down in one place is useless for someone who wants to find exotic relics, rare specimens of flora and fauna, or fragments of legends scattered across the four corners of the earth.

UNDERSTAND: The world is an enormous puzzle of forgotten truths. The character travels ceaselessly in search of pieces of knowledge that can only be found in the ashes of lost civilizations.

EXPERIENCE: The character believes life is only worth living if it is felt to the fullest. They embrace the road for the sheer thrill of the adrenaline, the looming dangers, and the unpredictable stories that take shape at every camp.

FIND INSPIRATION: Stagnation is the death of creativity. Whether a bard, an artisan, or an alchemist, the character needs to experience the dangers and oddities of the world to forge their masterpiece, seeking references their homeland could never offer.

TRANSCEND: The character seeks to alter their own physical, mental, or magical essence. They know the metamorphosis they desire demands rituals, toxins, or extreme trials that can only be found in the most dangerous regions of the continent.

TRADE: Safe wealth lies in the hands of the urban guilds, but the character knows that exponential profit lies in scarcity. They open up forgotten routes to carry common goods where they are rare and bring spices and delicacies back.

CHRONICLE: The world is changing, kingdoms are on edge, and history is being written. The character left comfort behind to act as a chronicler or observer, wanting to be present in the eye of the storm where the great events unfold.

Bonds

What kind of relationship does your character have with at least one other member of the group?

BLOOD TIES: You and another character are bound by blood (siblings, cousins, etc.) and carry together the weight of a shared family past. There is love, friction, and memories that bind you, but loyalty always speaks louder.

DEBT, OATH, OR DUTY: You promised something to another character, out of honor, faith, or guilt. Perhaps they saved your life, or simply believed in you. Ever since, you have walked at their side, not out of friendship, but because the promise became sacred.

FRIENDSHIP OR CAMARADERIE: You and another character forged a deep bond through battles, travels, or years spent together. You know each other's gestures, trust without words, and have chosen to cross swords and paths side by side until the end.

PRAGMATIC ALLIANCE: You and another character belong to the same order, guild, or organization. You are not friends, but you work well together. You share tasks, trust each other's competence, and know that success depends on the partnership running efficiently.

The Character Sheet

Once you have a sense of who your character is, what they want, and how they intend to get it, follow the sequence of steps below to fill out their sheet:

Step 1: Ancestry

Choose an ancestry and note down the skills, ability, and speed of the character according to the chosen ancestry.

Step 2: Starting Skills

The character begins the game with the following starting skills:

• One at Great (+3).
• Two at Good (+2).
• Three at Average (+1).
• And all the rest at Mediocre (0).

If you are unsure which skills to choose, you can use one of the pre-set skill kits.

Step 3: Equipment

Your character starts with 1,500 coins to buy their starting equipment. Any money not spent during character creation is lost when the game begins, so buy everything you need at this point.

Keep in mind that the character can only carry enough items to fill up to 6 + Physique inventory slots without suffering penalties.

Step 4: Devotion (Optional)

If your character is at least Average (+1) in Will, they may choose to become devout to a deity and perform miracles through it. Define the deity by choosing up to 3 domains for it. The character has access to any miracle related to the tenets of those domains, but must respect its taboos.

Step 5: Spells (Optional)

If your character is at least Average (+1) in Occultism, they may buy spells and a grimoire to register them. During character creation, each spell costs 250 coins to acquire.

Step 6: Alchemy (Optional)

If your character is at least Average (+1) in Create Concoction, they may buy an alchemy kit, concoction recipes, and a grimoire to register them.

Step 7: Remaining Attributes

Besides skills, your character has three other important attributes that need to be recorded:

HEALTH: 6 + (2 × Physique). See page .

STAMINA: Current value of Health. See page .

PROTECTION: The sum of the Protection of every layer of armor the character is wearing. See page .