5e:Phoenix Ash/Character Type
| Phoenix Ash Campaign Setting |
5e |
Every character belongs to a specific broad category of sentient being. This is often referred to as “character type”. These broad categories are:
You will also need to choose a character subtype. The subtypes are:
Established Species or New Species
If you choose an established species (see Creature List), the species you choose can inform your choices for Creature Traits.
Humanoid
Humanoids are creatures that are vaguely human in shape. They have manipulative digits and can speak and understand 3 languages (the trade language, known simply as Common and two others). A humanoid can be a stabilized species or a mutant (see below). Humanoids start with 2 Creature Traits.
Intrinsic Humanoid Traits
- Manipulative Appendage
- Power of Speech
- 2 other Creature Traits
Sentient Animal
Sentient animals (SA) are creatures that have human-like sentience, but may lack manipulative digits. They have the Power of Speech creature trait. As this option you will work with your GM to choose a base animal stock (see Beasts), and create its description in game mechanics. A SA may be either a stabilized species, mutant, or symbiote. Stabilized species and mutants start with 3 creature traits (one of which is usually Manipulative Appendage).
Intrinsic SA Traits
- Power of Speech
- 3 other Creature Traits
Sentient Plant
Sentient plants (SP) are plants that have a human-like sentience. Sentient plants may be a stabilized species, mutant, or symbiote. Stabilized species or mutants starts with Manipulative Appendage, Power of Speech, Mobility creature traits. They also have one other creature trait.
Intrinsic SP Traits
Sentient Robot
Sentient robots, as the name implies, are robots that have somehow obtained human-like sentience. As a rule, this sentience comes at a price, that of being unable to access their original programming and data, and may be unable to link to computers; the upshot of this is that a SR will not have access to any more of the ancient’s technology than any other character. SRs are considered a stabilized species or symbiotes. Non-symbiote robots start with 2 creature traits. Sentient robots cannot mutate, but may be modified.
Intrinsic SR Traits
- Manipulative Appendage
- Power of Speech
- 2 other Creature Traits
Creature Subtype
Stabilized Species
A stabilized species is unlikely to mutate due to environmental effects (radiation, mutagens, etc.). Instead, they will take damage. This means that there are other creatures like you. You are more likely to have a background that includes a village or other social group.
Mutants
Mutants are more likely to mutate than take damage due to environmental effects (radiation, mutagens, etc.). Being a mutant, you are one of a kind. Often mutants are ostracized and exiled from the societies that gave them birth.
Symbiote
Symbiotes (animal, plant or robot) require a host animal to be able to communicate and manipulate objects. A symbiote’s physical attributes (Str, Dex, Con) have a maximum value of 6. The host's mental attributes (Int, Wis, Cha) have a maximum value of 6.
If using the standard matrix, replace 12, 10, & 8 with 5, 4, 4 (these must be applied to the physical attributes). The host also uses the standard matrix, but replaces 12, 10 & 8 with 5, 4, 4 (which must be applied to the mental attributes)
If using the point buy system, you have 27 points to spend. The mental attributes are for the symbiote and the physical attributes are for the host. You then repeat the process with -22 points to spend; the physical attributes applied to the symbiote and the mental attributes applied to the host.
If you are using the dice rolling method, roll a 2 d6s for each ability and take the higher number for the ability score. These are the symbiote's physical and host's mental abilities. Roll 4 dice for each ability, discarding the lowest and adding the remaining dice to obtain the ability score. These are the symbiote's mental and host's physical abilities.
Symbiotes have 2 mental creature traits and the host has two physical creature traits to start and may be either a mutant or stabilized species. If a stabilized species, the symbiote can only form a symbiosis with one host species. If a mutant, it may form a symbiosis with any species with a Mental Gestalt of 7 or less. Work with your GM to create an acceptable host creature.
Symbiotes gain a minimum of 1 hp per level. When in combat apply all hit point loss to the host first, then the symbiote.
At select steps of character creation, we will include an example of those steps, with a player named Sue building her humanoid character, Kalor. Kalor is a tall shaggy humanoid called a Quim. She lived in the Green River village with others of her kind (so she is a stable species).
As a Quim, Kalor gains the following traits:
- Keen Sense (Smell and Hearing)
- Pack Tactics
Sources and Notes
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