Discovery

With all these tools, prompts and options available to you for creating a character, there’s one last origin method to consider: discovery. This method places your character in a vulnerable state of amnesia with little to no equipment. This method can be exciting for newcomers and veterans alike, but asks a bit of lifting by both player and GM.

Discovery asks that players lean in to skill sets and ideas as they unfold during play, while GMs stay highly aware of these cues to reward memories. It can feel a bit open-ended at fi rst, but trust the adventure, and each other. There are no hero points in these fi rst few discovery sessions, just collaborative revelation of our heroes’ identities.

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• The Opener: If your group is using discovery-style character creation, much of who your character will be relies on the nature, details, and themes of the opening moments. These can be summarized in three parts…

  • Location: Where does the story begin, and why is it cool? A remote cavern? A dismal tomb? A sinking ship? Choose something everyone is excited about.
  • Condition: What condition are our heroes in? Asleep too long? Imprisoned? Freezing cold? Materialized by magic? Buried alive? This is no meet-up in a tavern.
  • Time Pressure: What is about to happen, or pushing our heroes to action? Something needs to initiate the action, and soon… 1d4 rounds soon. The chamber fi lls with water, a blizzard breaks windows, walls of fi re close in, air runs out or a giant grinder-machine grows ever closer.

• One Little Memory: As heroes seek to escape or get moving, a fleeting shadow, reflection, or strange feeling triggers one small memory for each character. This memory takes the form of a single skill, granted at value 6.

• Stuff Lying Around: On their way to whatever lies ahead, characters find 1d4 useful items in their immediate area. A rusty iron spear? A ragged leather vest? A snow-crusted blanket? This is all they have for now.

• I Remember My Name: After a few exciting moments, rolls, or events, the GM will notice key details and announce, “At that moment, shaking the panic of it all free, gaining a bit of your wits, you remember a name… your name.” Record this name when so instructed. Soon enough, the group will know itself a little better, and the discoveries are ready to begin. “Free of the ice cave, it collapses behind you with only seconds to spare. Beyond, the vast ice fi elds await, and daylight fades fast…”

• Finding Memories: As the early struggles of the first session unfold, both GM and player should be keenly aware of exciting moments, unlikely successes, clutch dice rolls, bumps on the head, nostalgic items, or other triggers for unlocking hero memory. When such a moment occurs, the GM will announce that another memory has surfaced, spreading them evenly between heroes. This could be an increase to a skill, a new skill, a piece of character background, or even a flaw. Expect 3~5 of these memories per character in session 1.

• Finding Gear: Players will be gear-hungry to say the least. Remember that in CROWN and SKULL ‘usable’ or ‘useful’ inventory is somewhat rare, even if the world has objects lying about. Expect each character to find 1~3 useful inventory in session 1.

• Finding Your Past: Skills and equipment are useful, but to know who you are is the real pay dirt of a discovery session. This may not even occur in session 1, but all characters are encouraged to seek their history.

• Origin Revealed: In the next few sessions, when a character reaches a moment of truly epic success, poignant role play, or powerful luck, the GM may announce “At that moment, you remember everything…” Once this occurs, memories come flooding back. The next time the revealed character is in rest and safety, gain these rewards:

  • 2 skills, each at value 9 “I was a blacksmith… yes! And a good one!”
  • 10 points of basic equipment “This cache was left for you, sir.”
  • A Core Ability “The hands are starting to remember…”
  • Memory of how you got into all this “We must find Castigere!”

Play then continues as normal, with heroes earning points in play.