Skip to main content

Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells - Using a Character's Concept

Okay! The core rules have been covered in previous posts. Now it's time we dig in the complementary rules. Things that let you do some cool things in the game that kinda modify the way we use the core rules.

Today we take a look at the way we will use the character's Concept, which let's you define who the character is in more detail besides his Archetype.

Using the Character’s Concept


Characters are just like real people. The are more than just a single thing and have many layers of details on their lives. That’s what the character’s Concept does in this game. It established details and characteristics of said character, and this has an impact on how the game is played.

Every characteristic in a character Concept can possibly affect actions during the game and both the players and the Overlord may announce their effects in the game or propose a setback as described below.

Claiming Advantage


Whenever an action being attempted should benefit from a detail in the character’s Concept, the player may claim an advanced and receive a Positive Die on tests related to that action. The Overlord has the final say in whether the character Concept applies in the situation, but he should work the applicability with the player.

As the days have passed in the wastelands where Kaylia crashed, she started to doubt she will ever find a way out of there. Without food for a few days and down to the last droplets of water, she finds another ruin in the night. But from this one she can see the flicker light of a fire. Tired, with her body almost giving up, the Overlord says she will have to make a Difficulty 2 Physique test to reach the place before passing out on the sand. Looking at her character’s Concept, Alice notes she is a “Hopeful Mechanic from Isolated Planet”. She argues that the light is giving her hope to push forward and the Overlord agrees, giving her a Positive Die on her test.

Determining Disadvantage


When an action should be harder for a character because of something established by his Concept, the Overlord can determine he is in a disadvantage, and impose a Negative Die on tests regarding that action.

When Kaylia arrived in the ruins, she found a camp fire still lit but no one around. Tracks of a wheeled vehicle could be seen departing the place. On a improvised table was some sort of electronic mapping device she had never seen. Alice decided that Kaylia would try to figure it out, but the Overlord pointed out that since she is from an isolated planet according to her Concept, she would receive a Negative Die to decipher the device.

Accepting a Setback


If the consequences of a failure in some action seem interesting enough, to the Overlord can offer a setback to the player. In game terms, the character fails the test or perform an action that will lead him to a dangerous situation and, in exchange, he gains a temporary bonus of 1 point to his Luck score (that can be used as normal, but will go away at the end of the adventure). A player can also suggest his own setbacks to the Overlord, but the later still has the final say in the proposition.

Grabbing a motorcycle hid under rags in the ruins, Kaylia starts following the wheeled tracks through the wastelands. Halfway through she sees the wheeled vehicle turned back and is resting over a hill. A man, wearing a pair of goggles and ragged clothes comes out of it and calls her, saying he was looking for her for days. The Overlord, remembering Kaylia is a “hopeful” mechanic offers her a setback, giving her 1 temporary point of Luck if she follows him without the expected precaution.

If you like what you've just read, check out my books over RPGNow and Lulu.

Popular posts from this blog

How to never describe a dungeon!

Artwork by Luigi Castellani I've heard it a thousand times. You probably heard it too. Some people , I don't know why, say that dungeons , especially large ones, are boring . The endless repetitions of rooms and corridors and having to choose to go left, right, north or south depresses them. I don't know why. Actually, I do know why. Because they don't really know how to run a dungeon in play. It seems easy, effortless. Just say what's in the room the PCs are in and where the passages going out of it go. But it's not. They get bored with the "you get to a intersection and there is a door to the north and two passages, one going east and one going west" because that's a terrible way of describing a dungeon environment and gives nothing really useful to the players to choose from. You never describe a dungeon like that . There's a lot more going on that we can initially see. A good referee will take all the context of what the dungeon w

My RPG Zine Trilogy is on Kickstarter!

 I can't believe I didn't post about it here! The Dead are Coming, Screams Amongst the Stars and Running Out of Time are on Kickstarter right now! These are 3 complete games, made using the system of Electric Bastionland and Mausritter as the basis (and with some modifications to fit my vision for each of them). As with my games, they all come filled with many tools and tables to generate gaming content, adventures, locations, NPCs and much more. They are compact, easy to use, and equipped to provide you with years of entertainment! Here's a brief description of each of the games. The Dead Are Coming The first of them is called The Dead Are Coming, a minimalist, OSR style RPG about survival in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead have risen and other survivors can be much worse than the undead. Characters in this game are common people who have been struggling to survive, find their loved ones, keep them safe and just trying to keep living. They all carry resources like

Download the final text and sheets of Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells

Hello space hobos! Layout is about to begin and I have a surprise for you guys: The (as of right now) final text PDF of the Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells , together with the Character Sheet and Vehicle’s Sheet! With those, you can begin your crazy adventures in the Known Universe and try your luck under the cruel gaze of the Galactic Overlords. Try to earn a good amount of credits transporting goods or refugees through the sectors. Or even try to awaken a sleeping Star God to repair some of the damage the wars have brought upon our reality. So grab your Solar Blade and ready your Cosmic Spells! We are about to go on an adventure! SB&CS - Complete Text SB&CS - Character Sheet SB&CS - Vehicle's Sheet If you like what you've just read, check out my books over  RPGNow  and  Lulu .