In this chapter are step-by-step instructions for creating your Open Adventure character. Before you begin, you may find it helpful to print a blank character sheet. A blank character sheet is included at the end of this book, and you can download character sheets at openadventurerpg.com.
Step 1: Choose an MO #
A character’s Modus Operandi (MO) represents the package of skills, talents, and tricks they use when adventuring. It also helps define their place in society, the types of occupations they are suited for, and how they are perceived by others.
Choose an MO from this list:
Additional information about each MO, AS well AS instructions for creating your own MOs, are found in Chapter 4: Modus Operandi.
Write the name of the MO in the MO box on the character sheet. The starting Score for the MO is 1. There is also a box on the back of the character sheet labeled MO where you can make additional notes about the MO’s description and traits.
Steve is making a character for an upcoming Open Adventure game. He wants to play a valiant knight, so he selects the Warrior MO and writes a 1 for his MO Score.Step 2: Choose MO Specializations #
Your character knows how to do a lot of extraordinary things thanks to their MO training, but Specializations represent the character’s areas of special expertise. For instance, every character with the Wizard MO has trained to cast spells, but one with a Specialization in Fire Spells has put in extra time and effort to improve their skill at casting spells involving fire. To reflect this specialized training, when a character performs an Action related to one of their Specializations, they add a +1 Benefit to the character’s Action Score.
The MO descriptions in Chapter 4: Modus Operandi include lists of suggested Specializations for each MO. The chapter also includes rules for creating your own Specializations.
Select five Specializations, and copy these into the Specializations box on the front of the character sheet. Put an M in the Source column for each Specialization to indicate that they originated from the character’s MO.
Steve imagines his knight AS an expert swordsman, so he selects the Swords Specialization. He also imagines his character AS a stalwart defender who willingly places himself between innocents and the enemy, so he selects the Block and Parry Specializations AS well. Steve envisions his character AS a soldier who left the army looking for better ways to serve his people. To reflect this, Steve selects the Soldiering Specialization. Finally, even though he might not start the game with a horse, he likes the idea that his knight is a skilled rider. For his last Specialization, he selects Riding.Reminder: Specializations are not your character’s only skills. Specializations are just the things they are especially good at among a whole host of skills and talents they learned for their MO.
Step 3: Choose a Lineage #
The character’s Lineage defines their core physical traits and determines their minimum and maximum starting Primary Attribute Scores.
Choose a Lineage from the list below:
Additional information about each Lineage is available in Chapter 5: Lineages.
Write the name of the Lineage you selected in the Lineage field at the top of the character sheet. On a separate sheet of paper, make a note of the Primary Attribute minimums and maximums for the Lineage AS listed in Chapter 5: Lineages. There is a box on the back of the character sheet labeled Lineage where you can make additional notes about the Lineage’s description, powers, and abilities.
Steve played elves in the last two adventures, so he decides to try a Human character this time. On a separate piece of paper, he notes that the Human minimum for all Primary Attributes is 1 and the maximum is 3.Step 4: Choose Exceptional Abilities #
The character’s exceptional abilities are traits that set them apart from the other people in the world and qualities that make them uniquely suited for life AS an adventurer. The Exceptional Abilities Table lists the exceptional abilities available in the Core Rules AS well AS the benefits the character receives if you choose that ability.
Select one primary Exceptional Ability and one secondary Exceptional Ability. The secondary Exceptional Ability must be different from the primary. The character gets the benefits listed in the corresponding benefits columns for their primary and secondary Exceptional Ability.
Write the character’s exceptional abilities and the benefits they provide in the Exceptional Abilities box on the back of the character sheet.
Steve’s Warrior is a combat specialist, and he expects the character to spend a lot of game time up close and personal with some pretty Dangerous enemies. Steve selects But I Get Up Again for his character’s Primary Exceptional Ability. This will allow the Warrior to quickly get back on his feet and return to the fight if things go poorly. Adventures, however, aren’t all fighting. Steve decides to take Reputation AS his Secondary Exceptional Ability. Since he plans to select Soldier for his character’s Background, a Reputation AS a brave and noble knight will help him during social interactions with other Soldiers.| EXCEPTIONAL ABILITIES TABLE | ||
| Exceptional Ability | Primary Benefits | Secondary Benefits |
| But I Get Up Again | Once per game session, instantly restore Mind, Body, and Spirit Points to their maximums. | Once per game session, instantly restore either Mind, Body, or Spirit Points to its maximum. |
| Extraordinary Potential | When creating this character, increase their Body, Mind, or Spirit Primary Attribute maximums by 2. | When creating this character, increase their Body, Mind, or Spirit Primary Attribute maximums by 1. |
| Follower | The character has a torchbearer. They will not engage in combat, participate in Challenges, or perform Action Checks. They will perform mundane tasks such AS handing the character arrows, readying a potion, holding the character’s Spellbook, or setting up camp. The torchbearer will accompany the character into Dangerous situations. | The character has a valet. They will not engage in combat, participate in Challenges, or perform Action Checks. They will perform whatever mundane tasks the character requests, although they will not accompany the character into Dangerous situations. For example, a torchbearer will enter the dungeon, but a valet waits back at camp. |
| Hard to Kill | +1 Benefit to Action Scores for Death Checks and + 2 Rounds to stabilize when Dying. | +2 Rounds to stabilize when Dying. |
| Heightened Senses | +1 Benefit to Action Scores for Reaction Checks. | +1 Benefit to Action Scores for Reaction Checks involving one specific sense. |
| Increased Vitality | +2 to Body, Mind, or Spirit Points and +1 to Recovery Checks of that type. | +2 to Body, Mind, or Spirit Vitality Points. |
| Lucky | Once per game session, reroll a roll you just made or force an NPC to reroll for an Action Check made against your character. Choose which result to use. | Once per game session, reroll a roll you just made. Choose which result to use. |
| Quick Draw | Unless surprised, your character always acts first in the first Round of an Encounter. They also gain a +1 Effect to Reaction Checks to determine Turn order. | The character gains a +1 Effect to Reaction Checks to determine Turn order. |
| Natural Armor | +1 Armor Score for Body, Mind, or Spirit. | +1 Armor Score for Body, Mind, or Spirit when the character is not wearing other armor. |
| Reputation | +1 Benefit to Action Scores for Presence Checks when dealing with individuals who are from the same Culture or have the same Background. | +1 Benefit to Action Scores for Presence Checks when dealing with individuals who have the same Background. |
| Scrounger | If the Adventure Guide rules the environment supports it, once per game day the character can scrounge up one meal worth of fresh food and water for themselves and the other Player Characters. No Action Check is required. | If the Adventure Guide rules the environment supports it, once per game day the character can scrounge up one meal worth of fresh food and water for one person. No Action Check is required. |
| Spellcaster | The character can cast spells. | The character can cast spells, but the point loss from failed Spellcasting Checks is doubled. |
Step 5: Set Primary Attribute Scores #
Characters have nine Primary Attribute scores: Strength, Coordination, Toughness, Intellect, Deduction, Willpower, Presence, Intuition, and Resilience. You have 20 points to divide between these scores. You may put AS many or AS few points AS you like in each score, but you must meet the minimum and maximum requirements for the character’s Lineage.
To give you a sense of what a “good” attribute score is, the Human Attributes Table lists scores from 0 to 6 and describes how good that score is for a Human character.
Human Attributes Table #
| Score | Description |
| 0 | Insignificant |
| 1 | Below Average |
| 2 | Average |
| 3 | Superior |
| 4 | Exceptional |
| 5 | World-class |
| 6+ | Legendary |
Primary Attribute scores are organized into three types: Body, Mind, and Spirit. For each of these types, there is an attribute corresponding to the type’s power, agility, and sturdiness. For example, Intellect is the character’s “Strength of mind,” while Presence is the character’s “Strength of spirit.” The table below illustrates this relationship.
| Trait | Body | Mind | Spirit |
| Power | Strength | Intellect | Presence |
| Agility | Coordination | Deduction | Intuition |
| Sturdiness | Toughness | Willpower | Resilience |
This distinction is to help clarify the role of each Primary Attribute in the game. It doesn’t change how you set the character’s Primary Attribute scores during character creation. A detailed description of the Primary Attributes is found in Chapter 6: Attributes.
Steve’s character is a Human. According to the description of the Human Lineage, the minimum score he can assign to an attribute is 1 and the maximum score he can assign is 3. He wants his knight to be an impressive Warrior so he loads up his Body attributes, assigning 3 to Strength, Coordination, and Toughness. For his Mind attributes, he wants at least average Intellect, so he assigns a 2 to Intellect, but he doesn’t picture the knight AS the puzzle-solving type, so he figures a 1 for Deduction is fine. He imagines the knight has an indomitable will, however, so he assigns a 3 to Willpower. With just 5 points left, he assigns a 2 to the character’s Presence, a 1 to Intuition, and a 2 to Resilience.Step 6: Calculate Secondary Attributes #
Secondary Attributes are based off the character’s Primary Attribute scores. The character’s Secondary Attributes are: Defenses, Body Points, Mind Points, Spirit Points, and Reaction.
Defenses: The character’s Defense scores are the numbers an NPC needs to roll to hit a character with an Attack Check. Each character has three Defense scores: Body, Mind, and Spirit. Defenses are explained in detail in Chapter 6: Attributes.
Body Defense = Coordination Score
Mind Defense = Deduction Score
Spirit Defense = Intuition Score
Each MO description includes a type of Defense Training. Add the character’s MO Score to the indicated Defense.
Steve’s knight has Coordination 3, Deduction 1, and Intuition 1. This means his Body Defense is 3, his Mind Defense is 1, and his Spirit Defense is 1. In addition, the Warrior MO lists Body AS the MO’s Defense Training, so he increases the character’s Body Defense to 4 (3 + Warrior 1).Body, Mind, and Spirit Points: The character’s Body Points, Mind Points, and Spirit Points represent their ability to withstand different types of injury, stress, and fatigue, AS well AS a pool of energy the character may draw on in times of need. These points are relatively easy to regain, but there is a danger: each time a character depletes one of these pools of points (reduces one of them to 0), the character gains a Wound. Acquire too many wounds and your character might die.
Maximum Body Points = Strength Score + Coordination Score + Toughness Score
Maximum Mind Points = Intellect Score + Deduction Score + Willpower Score
Maximum Spirit Points = Presence Score + Intuition Score + Resilience Score
Additional information about Body Points, Mind Points, and Spirit Points and the Effect of wounds is in Chapter 13: Injury, Wounds, and Healing.
Steve totals up the attribute scores of each type and gets 9 Body Points, 6 Mind Points, and 5 Spirit Points. He writes the results in the appropriate fields on the character sheet.Reaction: The character’s Reaction determines their likelihood to unconsciously notice danger and spot things that are out of place. It also represents their ability to avoid attacks that target an area, like a fireball spell. Finally, it determines when they take Actions during an Encounter.
A character’s Reaction Score is equal to the highest of their Coordination, Deduction, or Intuition scores, plus their MO score plus Benefits for abilities or powers that increase the character’s Reaction.
Steve takes his Coordination score of 3 (the highest of his Coordination, Deduction, and Intuition scores) and adds his MO score to it. Also, one of the advantages of being Human is a +1 to Reaction. Steve adds the numbers up and gets a 5 (3 Coordination + 1 MO score + 1 Human). He writes this in the Reaction box on his character sheet.Step 7: Choose a Culture #
The character’s Culture represents how (and often, where) they were raised. It is the foundation of their values, desires, and personality. It also sets the stage for how they think about other cultures, the things they find attractive or offensive, and even their loyalties. Choose one from the list below:
- Old Kingdom
- Shirefolk
- Stonekin
- Sylvan
- Wildling
You can find complete descriptions of each Culture in Chapter 7: Cultures.
It is important to note that Culture doesn’t determine how your character behaves—it’s just how they were raised. The character might take pride in their Culture’s traditions and values and work to uphold these when they go out into the world. On the other hand, they might reject some, or even all, of the things the Culture represents, rebelling against the expectations of society.
Fill in the Culture’s details in the Culture box on the back of the character sheet. The character also gets two Specializations from their Culture. Select two from the suggested Specializations for the Culture or come up with your own, and list these in the Specializations box. Mark each of these Specializations with a C for the source to identify the Specializations AS originating from the character’s Culture.
Steve wants his knight to uphold an ancient set of heroic ideals and values. He reviews the cultures and decides the Old Kingdom Culture is perfect for what he has in mind. He copies the information about the Culture onto the back of his character sheet. Steve may select two cultural Specializations. Steve selects Courtly Etiquette and Old Kingdom History and writes these on the front of the character sheet in the Specializations box. Finally, AS someone who grew up in the Old Kingdom, the character gains a +1 to his Mind Defense. Steve makes the change, increasing the character’s Mind Defense from 1 to 2.Step 8: Choose a Background #
The characters Background represents the occupation they pursued before they became an adventurer. Depending on the type of story you want to tell, the character might still practice their profession between adventures. Choose from the list of backgrounds below:
- Acolyte
- Arcane Apprentice
- Criminal
- Farmer
- Healer
- Merchant
- Noble
- Sailor
- Soldier
You can find complete descriptions of each Background in Chapter 8: Backgrounds.
Fill in the Background’s details in the Culture box on the back of the character sheet. The character also gets two Specializations from their Background. Select two from the suggested Specializations for the Background or come up with your own, and list these in the Specializations box. Mark each of these Specializations with a B for the source to identify the Specializations AS originating from the character’s Culture.
Some Backgrounds include modifiers to attributes, points, or scores. Apply any changes awarded by the Background.
Steve considers choosing the Noble Background, since he wants to play a knight, but after further consideration, he decides his character spent most of his time soldiering, even if he was born into a noble family. He selects the Soldier Background. The Soldier Background adds two Specializations, so Steve chooses Make Camp and Field Tactics. He writes these in the Specializations box on the front of the character sheet. Soldiers also get +1 to their Body Defense to reflect their time drilling and practicing for combat. Steve increases his Body Defense from 4 to 5.Step 9: Determine Equipment #
The equipment a character starts with is determined by the choices made in the previous steps. Each MO, Culture, and Background description includes a Starting Equipment section. Find the Starting Equipment sections on the descriptions of the MO, Culture, and Background you selected and copy the listed items into the Equipment box on the back of your character sheet.
Armor: If the character’s starting equipment includes armor, copy the Armor score listed for that type of armor into the Body Armor box on the character sheet.
Steve reviews the descriptions for the Warrior MO, Old Kingdom Culture, and Soldier Background to find the Starting Equipment section in each description. He copies the list of equipment into the Equipment box on the back of his character sheet. He notes that with the Warrior MO the character starts the game with Chainmail (Body Armor 2). He writes a 2 into the Body Armor box on the character sheet. Step 10: Add Finishing Touches #
The last step is to add a few finishing touches.
1. Story Points
Story Points allow players to influence the direction of the game, add new story elements to the adventure, and improve their character’s chance of success. Each character begins the game with 5 Story Points. Write 5 in the Story Points space at the top of the character sheet. Learn more about Story Points in Chapter 16: Advancement.
2. Chapter
Character advancement is measured in Chapters. Characters begin the game at Chapter 1: Call to Adventure, so write 1: Call to Adventure into the Chapter space at the top of the character sheet. Learn more about Chapters and Advancement in Chapter 16: Advancement.
3. Powers & Abilities
In the Powers & Abilities box on the front of the character sheet, copy any perks, powers, or special abilities from the character’s exceptional abilities, Lineage, Culture, or Background that you want to make sure to remember during the game.
4. Favorite Actions
The Favorite Actions section on the front of the character sheet is a place to pre-calculate Action Scores for the Actions the character uses the most. If you’ve never played, you might want to leave this blank until you’ve played a game or two. By then, you’ll have a good idea what Actions you want to calculate in advance.
5. Features
On the back of the character sheet at the top are spaces to list some additional traits and features for your character. These include height, weight, age, notable features, and the deity the character worships. You can choose anything you like for these.
6. Backstory
The character backstory section on the back of the character sheet helps describe your character’s personality, their history, and their motivations. You may fill these in with whatever you like, fill them in AS you learn more about your character while playing, or you can roll on the Backstory Tables in Appendix A: Backstory.
7. Name
Last, but not least, every hero needs a name! Choose a bold name worthy of an adventurer in the world where your stories take place. Make sure it is something people will remember. You’ll want them to get it right when they write songs about your character and their daring exploits!
Steve goes through and fills in the remaining blanks on the character sheet to complete his character. AS the final step he selects a name for his character: Warheart, Knight of the Old Kingdom. Steve is ready to play!