FEAR THE REAPER

^{come on, baby.
don't fear the reaper.}soul eater | 1970s | university-style | discord only
semi-casual | player-oriented | pairs/teams
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• PREMISE
• RULES
• SETTING & WORLD
• JOINING & CHARACTER CREATION
• DEATH WEAPON PATHWAY & MEMBER MISSIONS
• RESERVES
• PRESERVER [open!!!]

ABOUT

ON THIS PAGE:
1. IC GROUP PREMISE
2. OOC GROUP SUMMARY
3. IS FEAR THE REAPER FOR YOU?-PREMISE:EARLY JUNE, 1976 - DEATH ISLE, ENGLAND.You would be forgiven for thinking that Nevada's DWMA (Death Weapon Meister Academy) was an entirely unique creation; it is, after all, the most famous, and by far the most successful of its type - not least of all because the soul of LORD DEATH, the Grim Reaper himself, is bound to its very existence.But it's a fractured world far beyond the safe confines of Death Valley. There are threats to human life all across the world, and dangers that lurk uncomfortably far from the furthest reaches of LORD DEATH’s eye. There will never be enough hands on deck to handle all of the evil bubbling under the surface across the world.And, frankly, not everyone is a child prodigy. Not everyone is born into a long lineage of meisters or weapons. Not everyone gets their soulmate on their first try, aged twelve. Not everyone even knows they're a weapon or a meister until they're triple that age or more. Some of us have responsibilities. Some of us simply can't afford to study full-time while also supporting our families.Following the First World War, and as the practicality of trying to train up human weapons began to flag the human part, LORD DEATH arranged for a few of his children to manage a satellite school or two — positioned at key points around the world, that would have the appropriate capacity to train mature students, part-timers, late bloomers, second-triers, and last-chancers. Initially, these were very small - no more than maybe ten or twenty pairs, and a few trusted souls keeping the lights on - but following the forties, and the changing dynamics of the home, and an entire generation of souls discovering their callings on the muddy battlegrounds of the Western Front, their student populations have ballooned.The Death Isle DWMA is one of these satellite schools.Death Isle is a small island at the very south of England, burdened by unpredictable tide patterns and a constant threat of erosion. It's home to a single but heavily populated town, Dyde (mostly home to weapons, meisters, and those denizens of the underground who, despite the dangers of being so close to those who could vanquish them, respect the safety and semi-respect of the place) and linked to a larger civilian island (the Isle of Wight) by a causeway that is often swallowed by the changing tides.Operating out of an old monastery near the easternmost point of the island, the Death Isle DWMA is not, by any means, comparable with the reputation or the grandeur of its parent academy. The number of successful Death Weapons it has created in the over half a century since its inception remains in the double digits. The Nevada DWMA knows this; the Death Isle DWMA is the butt of more jokes than not, a little underfunded, a little ramshackle, a little ignored for its more successful siblings.On the subject of less successful siblings: Seiji Morimoto and Hisaya Morimoto, two of LORD DEATH'S younger children, have been tasked with running the satellite school, and bringing its students to success against adversity. It is, after all, an interesting time to be responsible for the world's safety; a sizeable chunk of Europe (which Death Isle is meant to specialise in!) is behind the Iron Curtain, the last stragglers from the Vietnam War have come home bruised and empty, and all-over geopolitical tensions remain high. There's a question hanging in the air -is Death Isle worth it?Is there anyone here who can really make a change, or protect the people relying on them? Are these satellite schools worth the effort being put into them, or should LORD DEATH cut his losses and bring only the best and most promising of their ranks back to Nevada's DWMA to be properly trained? The Morimoto siblings are hesitant to answer, afraid of condemning their school....But for now, it's the long, hot summer of 1976 - a historic heatwave has run through Europe, but especially the United Kingdom, with temperatures peaking as high as 35C / 95F.The sun heaves and huffs in the sky above the hot sand beaches of Death Isle. Your melting ice cream has started to drip down your fingers. The kitschy old pier and its iconic helter-skelter rings faintly off the esplanade....No, of course. You're probably not as young as you once were. And you have a very real duty and a very real goal in creating a Death Weapon for LORD DEATH.But you might never have a summer as glorious as this one again.

GROUP SUMMARY:FEAR THE REAPER is a long-running, potentially open-ended supernatural action-adventure roleplay group, based on and using mechanics from the anime/manga Soul Eater. Your character is either a meister or a weapon, in a pair or triad, and is an adult student at the satellite Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) outpost on Death Isle in the south of England, in June 1976.The group has a slow-burn overarching plot with whole-group activities, events, and involvements, while also encouraging own-pace engagements with the Death Weapon Pathway (a prompt-based challenge aimed at helping players challenge themselves and their writing/drawing/roleplaying capabilities) and through Member-Run Missions (MRMs).FEAR THE REAPER is a story about last chances, about underdogs, about those who’ve stumbled beforehand and are trying to figure out who they are in the shadow of failure - or of being failed. FEAR THE REAPER is a story about complicated and often jaded people, balancing their very human flaws with the inhuman pressure of protecting mankind against the tide of evil.But FEAR THE REAPER also seeks to explore the complex and intricate relationships that people have with one another. What does it mean to bare every unlikeable and difficult part of yourself to someone, to reach out with your soul and listen for an answer? And after all that you’ve experienced, after being left behind, and counted out, and always having been on the defensive, how can you trust another fallible human with your own fragile heart?-IS FEAR THE REAPER FOR YOU?FEAR THE REAPER might be a good fit for you if:You’re interested in writing mature, complex, and well-considered characters. While we all want to have fun and be a little silly with it, when the going gets tough, you should be comfortable with taking your characters seriously and thinking about their reactions to serious things - and with other players taking your characters at their word, too! Your character’s actions might face consequences - we’re looking for players who are more interested in their character’s flaws than their perfections.You’re self-motivated, comfortable with putting yourself out there, while also valuing being part of an ensemble. Every character should get their chance to shine; we’re looking for characters (and players by extension) who are willing to seize opportunities without taking them away from others. Find ways to resonate (ha ha) with your fellow RPers and help them get their time in the spotlight - don’t fight them for scraps!You like writing underdogs, late bloomers, second-chancers, last-chancers, older or underrepresented characters, or generally just exploring types of characters we don’t often get to see in the dArp community. We’re really hoping to see a wide variety of characters - international students drawing on the geopolitical state of the world, disabled characters and veterans, characters from marginalised backgrounds and communities, characters who are >40, married (or divorced) characters - the sky is really the limit, and we’d love to see that reflected in the roster.You’re genuinely interested in the settings and the themes it provides! We’re hoping to build a 1970s setting that is simultaneously critical and appreciative of the time period. If you’re interested in writing characters who are a product of the world they’ve grown up in and who engage with the world beyond a superficial “groovy 70s aesthetic” level, we’d like to strongly encourage that!!You’re curious, encouraging, and motivated! We want to build a community that’s active and supportive - not only in-character, but out-of-character too. We’re looking for members who enjoy other members’ writing, who want to become better writers alongside each other, and who appreciate the work the others are putting in.Does this sound like you - or at least sound reasonable to you? We’d love to see you in the preserver!

• HOME

RULES

ON THIS PAGE:
1. RULES
2. MOD INTRODUCTION
3. FAQ (LINK)
4. ADVICE FOR HISTORICAL WRITING (LINK)-RULES:Hi there! We're a small mod team who want to do our best to make FEAR THE REAPER a stimulating but relaxing place to be.Our rules are fairly straightforward, and are all in the benefit of making a positive and friendly environment for all applicants and members.BE NICE. Proactive, friendly, and kind applicants are the best kind. Please extend a hand outside of your immediate friend group both in preserver and in the group itself. Get to know your fellow applicants and be encouraging of one another. Please avoid cliques, even if you know each other from other groups.ASK FOR CONSENT, NOT FORGIVENESS. Roleplay is at its best when we're working together to create something beautiful. Please don't try to bamboozle people with potentially triggering content, godmod/powerplay their characters without their permission, or make other players uncomfortable if they say they're not comfortable/on-board with a concept of yours.WORRIED ABOUT ANOTHER APPLICANT OR MEMBER? TALK TO A MODERATOR. Whether this is in-server behaviour or you've had an encounter previously that has made you uncomfortable, please talk to us about it, preferably with screenshots if possible. We will try to get to the bottom of things the best we can.(We reserve the right to add rules to this if needed as the group continues to develop.)

MEET YOUR MODS!Sieg (she/her) is 26 and has been playing in and modding RP groups on and off for a decade, and RPing for longer, though this is her first publicly hosted/open RP group in a few years. This group is her indulgent baby; she loves human weapon tropes, historical settings, and any excuse to do a deep dive on something. Soul Eater was her first ‘real’ anime in 2009-2010, at the beginning of her preteen weeb years, and she forced her irls (read: Bear) to watch it with her. Crona 4ever.When she’s not talking about her blorbos in-server, she’s probably embroidering, thinking about the Winter Soldier, or watching aviation disaster breakdown videos on YouTube (or, commonly, all three at once).💀💀💀Bears (they/them, he/him) is 25 and has dipped their toes in modding an RP group recently, and is raring to dive into another endeavour. A long time RPer and enjoyer of writing the most emotionally wrought old people you’ve ever met. Soul Eater was also his first anime (thanks, sieg) and a major obsession through the teen years that’s been reignited by the invitation to mod this group. Death the Kid ilu.When they’re not yapping like crazy about blorbos in server, they’re probably playing Tetris, thinking about Zemo, or watching the worst horror movies known to man.💀💀💀--
Got a question that you're sure should've been answered? Check out the FAQ document below. If you still can't find the answer to your question, come ask us in the preserver!Alternatively, if this is your first time writing in a historical setting, we've put together some advice and a statement on history. It's completely optional to read (and, honestly, it's way too long for what it is) but we hope it can be of a little help and reassurance for anyone nervous about writing seriously in a past setting!

• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
• HISTORICAL WRITING ADVICE
• HOME

HOW TO JOIN

ON THIS PAGE:
- JOINING / CHARACTER RULES
- WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- WRITTEN & VISUAL APPS (LINK)
- STATS & SKILLS SUBPAGE (INSIDE WRITTEN APP LINK)
- SUBMISSION FORM (LINK)-WELCOME TO THE DWMA!
We'd love to have you here on sunny Death Isle, England.First things first: you're going to need to make a student.Please note the following before you start:- Characters should be 18 at minimum. We're strongly encouraging people to make older characters - late-bloomers, second-chancers, new-leafers, returning drop-outs, and everything else under the sun.NOTE: This doesn't necessarily mean your character has to be new to the DWMA as a concept - maybe you've broken things off with your previous partner and are starting fresh, or you had to drop out previously for financial reasons and have spent the last fifteen years managing a coffee shop. Maybe you've only just found out about this whole weapon thing at the ripe age of 55. Maybe you dropped out to become a parent, and transferred to Death Isle so your teenage kids wouldn't have to grow up in a desert. Maybe you got expelled from the DWMA in Nevada and appealed the expulsion and ended up here (hi, Israa!) or maybe you're here as an international exchange student (hi, Amador!).- That being said, your character/pair will be starting the group off at zero souls. Whether this means they're a new pair, or have had to restart their count due to a slip-up/punishment on the field, is totally up to you.- Your character needs to be either a meister or a weapon - they can't be both, or neither. See the FAQs for fringe cases, but they've got to be one or the other even if they're also a secret third thing.- Your character can be from anywhere in the world, though please keep in mind the geopolitical status of the mid-seventies when you're writing your characters.(If your character is from behind the Iron Curtain, for example, their family probably wouldn't have been told they'd been sent to a flashy school in the west - but this means they may not be able to go home without graduating, making a Death Weapon, and being stationed in their home country.)- Characters can be from established weapon/meister lineages, or be otherwise from a family of all humans. There are a number of Death Weapons and their decorated meisters throughout the world, usually one in every country; if your character is an undiscovered weapon or meister, these alumni probably detected their souls and came to recruit them.-WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?We're looking for multifaceted characters with interesting depths, who'll have interesting thoughts and feelings about the world. Your characters will need to bare themselves to their partner(s), show every flaw and vulnerability to them. How do they feel about that? How is their relationship with their partner at the start of the group, and what do they still need to learn about each other so they can go on to greatness?On the subject, we're looking for interesting pair/trio dynamics. How do your characters' flaws and traits mesh with or rub up against one another? What do they think of each other? What do they still need to learn about each other? Teams shouldn't be perfectly matched to one another from the get-go -- but they should have the potential to be, together, something much greater than the sum of their parts.We're also looking for a varied cast - whether they've been a student at the DWMA since they were a preteen themselves, or they're a 40-something recovering Vietnam vet who's only just had this whole 'soul wavelength' malarkey explained to them and thought everyone's fingers turned into knives sometimes as a party trick. There are so many angles to the setting that remain unexplored - please go wild and embrace what interests you!Sound good to you? You'll find the written and visual apps linked below:

• WRITTEN APP TEMPLATE (including guidance on stats & mechanics)
• VISUAL APP TEMPLATES

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Next, you need to decide how you want to join.1) IN A PAIR. This is the most "conventional" style: one meister, one weapon. You'll essentially be ride-or-dying with your partner, as you'll be applying as one cohesive unit. You should make sure your partner is someone you enjoy writing with in-depth, and maybe someone you like collaborating with artistically too, as you're going to be spending a lot of time together!2) IN A TRIO. Like a pair, but there's three of you. This will almost always be one meister who dual-wields two weapons, unless you've cleared a different configuration with us privately. As above, you're ride-or-dying with both of your partners, and you should make sure you're comfortable writing and creating alongside both of them.3) SINGLE RIDER. If you're not applying with anyone, and you've not found anyone you immediately click with in the preserver, you can apply individually to be added to the solo queue. This means that we'd be the ones pairing you up if you got in - likely with someone else from the same queue. This is the riskiest option, as you'd be teaming up with someone you might not know, and getting into the group might be dependent on the number of others in the same queue versus the pairs/trios who've applied.Once you've worked out how you'd like to apply, please submit the below Google Form, once per applicant (not per team! there's a slot on there to tell us who you're applying with!):

• SUBMISSION FORM (tba - will be added during preserver!))
• HOME

HOW DOES IT WORK?

ON THIS PAGE:
- DEATH WEAPON PATHWAY
- PATHWAY PROMPTS (LINK)
- MEMBER-RUN MISSIONSFEAR THE REAPER is a semi-plotted and semi-sandbox/SOL group, which is mostly propelled by member-run cases and by Pathway prompt fills.NOTE: this isn't to say that we won't be running whole-group events - we absolutely will, and we have a wider plot planned for the group! - but the primary mechanic that we're very proud of is our prompt-based Death Weapon Pathway, which requires teamwork and creativity.We're strongly encouraging collaboration both within your team and with other teams in your cohort. A rising tide lifts all ships, and the scourge of kishin are a lot easier to keep in line when you're working with your classmates!-WHAT IS THE DEATH WEAPON PATHWAY?It's how you make a Death Weapon, of course!The Death Weapon Pathway is a list of prompts.Pairs have to complete 99 prompts in order to receive their final prompt and become a Death Weapon.Trios have to complete 148 prompts in order to receive their two final prompts and become Death Weapons.

• THE PATHWAY (blank template)

This might sound like a lot, but it's something we're encouraging you to work towards slowly, steadily, and as a team! They're also not by any means compulsory - if you want to, you can stick to the slice-of-life side of the roleplay, and keep working towards your Death Weapon goals as a secondary goal. We won't judge.These can be filled through roleplay, art, writing, mixed media, or anything you deem worthwhile. Everyone has the same prompt list, and it's up to each pair/team to decide how to fill it out.Note: as this is a team challenge, we expect mostly equal participation. No more than two-thirds for a pair (66) or half for a trio (75) of the pathway should be completed by only one of its members. While you're welcome to complete as many prompts as you like, and we'd love to see players going for a full bingo, anything beyond those numbers will not be counted towards the pathway unless your piece is a collab piece with another member of your pair/trio!Equally, please be measured with your submission rate. The pieces you submit should be finished and something you've taken some time to complete - there's no need to rush them. While we don't have an official submission limit in mind as we know everyone works at different speeds, if there's spam of low-effort or rushed pieces, we may have to implement one.WHAT'S A MEMBER-RUN MISSION (MRM)?A Member-Run Mission is a mini-event hosted by a member rather than being moderated by a mod. These aren't typically plot-important events and may be run for much smaller groups than a typical Big Group Event(TM). These could be small missions or cases to take out kishin or witches in a multi-pair team, or could be as simple as hosting events or festivities on Death Isle.Running a Member-Run Mission (MRM) based on a prompt will earn you 5 automatic prompt fills to use as you please, while joining an MRM as a player and participating actively / seeing it through to completion will earn you 3 automatic prompt fills - so the more active you are, the quicker you'll be able to make a Death Weapon. We want to reward you all for your effort put into the group, after all!We ask that all members take their time and put effort into the prompt fills, while still having fun. Solo art of your own character is fine, but gift art including other player characters and creating pieces featuring your full pair/trio are heavily encouraged. If we notice that one player is filling their pair or trio's pathway with solo art, we might reach out to you and encourage you to diversify and try new things - and, equally, we'd like to include rewards for being proactive and generous players!(The precise mechanics of the Pathway and of MRMs are still under development and we're more than happy to receive any and all feedback/ideas, if you'd like to share!)

• HOME

WRITTEN APP -
TEMPLATE & GUIDANCE

ON THIS PAGE:WRITTEN APP TEMPLATE (WITH GUIDANCE/NOTES) (LINK)
WRITTEN APP TEMPLATE (BLANK) (LINK)
STATS & MECHANICS BREAKDOWN-Here, you'll find the written app. The annotated version has guidance notes on it, but the blank version is easier to make a clean copy of - so please use whichever you find most useful.There's also no requirement to use this exact format! If you prefer to make your apps on Carrd, Toyhouse, Google Sheets, or any other method that clicks best in your brain, that's completely fine and we encourage it - but we'd prefer that, if you create your own format, that you also have a plain copy using the template below. This is just for our behind-the-scenes usage, and to make sure that all the information is here and accounted for.

• WRITTEN APP (with notes)
• WRITTEN APP (blank)

-STATS AND MECHANICSHad a look at the stats table provided in the template and balked? It's alright - we'll explain it all for you. If you're struggling with the stats at the app process, don't panic; if you're accepted, we'll reach out to you and help you fix them. That being said, it's always a pleasure to see people master the stat system, so our explanation is as follows:FEAR THE REAPER utilises a d20 system, similar to something you might recognise from Dungeons and Dragons or other d20-based TTRPGs. We're quite rules-lite, as we want to make sure rolls are being implemented only in ways that enhance gameplay and roleplay, and not in ways that make it a chore. During an event, or during a Member-Run Mission (MRM), the DM can call for rolls as often or as rarely as they see fit, and it's at their discretion whether or not they accept specialty invocations based on how you as the player justify it.Below, we've filled out an example version of the stats table for a dummy character, and we'll be using him as an example to help you fill out your own!TL;DR:
Stats are the barebones simple stats you'll be rolling the most.
Specialties and Weaknesses are things you're really good at or really bad at, respectively.
Harmony / Discord determines how well you're able to resonate with your partner.
Underdog rolls give you an opportunity to catch up if you take deliberate debuffs or have bad luck.
Soul Skills are a level-up system that give you cool new abilities the more you participate.

STATSEvery character has five base stats - these are the bog-standard characteristics of your character, and these are divided intoStrength (STR) - physical strength, brawl
Dexterity (DEX) - athletics, speed, reaction
Endurance (END) - Constitution, resilience (physical or mental)
Intelligence (INT) - Smarts, wisdom, 'common sense'
Charisma (CHA) - People skills, charm, emotional intelligenceAt base level, you have 15 points to distribute between these five stats. You can gain additional stats through engagement with the group, through the Death Weapon Pathway, or in group events.
You cannot have a 0 in any stat. The highest a single stat can be at this point is 8, or +5.You can translate your stats into their appropriate modifier by adding or subtracting from 3, the base stat.
In the example, Artemiy has a 4 in Strength and in Endurance, meaning his modifier is +1, but his 2 in Intelligence and Dexterity has given him a -1 as his modifier for these stats.You can also use the table below as an example:5 - +2
4 - +1
3 - +0
2 - -1
1 - -2A character's base HP is 10 + their Endurance stat.
This calculation uses their Endurance stat, NOT their Endurance modifier.
Even if you have a 1 in Endurance, that means your HP is 11 (10 + 1), not 8 (10 - 2)! We're nice.-HARMONY & DISCORDHarmony and Discord are two sides of the same coin, and are a representation of the pull and push forces on the minds, bodies, and souls of teams during Soul Resonance. Acting as something of a sanity or concentration roll, a DM might ask you to roll a d20 with your Harmony/Discord modifier while you're fighting, to ensure you and your weapon are focused and working together.
Multiple low rolls could leave you struggling to resonate, or even injure yourself while trying to wield or be wielded by someone whose wavelength is rejecting you. As you can imagine, this isn't great news in the middle of a fight!HARMONY means you're resonating well, moving as one, and your souls are, well, harmonious. Any stat above 0 is considered harmonious.
DISCORD means your resonance is being impacted by a dissonance between you, or a tension, causing difficulties. Any stat below zero is considered discordant.At the DM's discretion, if you fail multiple Harmony/Discord checks in a row, your characters' wavelengths will begin rejecting each other. Your OC could be injured if they continue fighting and attempting resonance; it might be best if they disengage and attempt to fix things, but some teams work best under adversity and strain, and will be able to fix things as they move. (Any physical or mental strain this causes should be discussed with you during the RP.)A team's Harmony/Discord should be at a base level of 0. This can be impacted and temporarily changed by your team's behaviours in events and other roleplays - if your characters have a big blowout in public chat or in a thread, for example, and are struggling to get along with each other by the time of the mission RP, you may take a -1 penalty into discordance until they're able to make it up and get on the same page. A team's actions and reactions during a case can also temporarily impact their Harmony/Discord levels; disagreements, getting into fights, or even unspoken frustrations with each other can cause your discord levels to rise, while working together, connecting with each other, or talking through your differences can give you a temporary harmonious boost.Now, we want to be clear that you are NOT being penalised for having relationship ups and downs. We hope that these temporary debuffs can inspire your characters to work together in a pinch - and if they can't, and their development together needs to come later, then that's in itself a character growth moment. But to fully prove that we want these things to happen, if you enter a MRM or an event with a modifier below zero, or if your discord levels drop below zero during a case, you will receive an Underdog roll inversely proportional to the modifier. For example, if your H/D is at -2, you'll receive two Underdog rolls to reward you for playing your characters in adversity and risk-reward.-UNDERDOG MECHANICSThe Death Isle DWMA is an outpost school. It's a school for the sorts of folks people stopped believing in a long time ago.
It's a school full of scrappy, chip-on-your-shoulder underdogs. And we want to acknowledge and reward that!Underdog rolls are awarded sometimes as a consolation prize and sometimes as a mechanic. They're a stackable resource. You can receive them at DM discretion for failing a roll or making interesting but perhaps emotionally counterproductive roleplay decisions, or by default for:- deliberately invoking one of your Weaknesses to take a debuff on a roll;
or
- having your Harmony/Discord stat fall below zero at the beginning of or during a MRM/event, through RP with your partner.You can use a single underdog roll to add a +2 modifier to a roll of your choice, or stack 3 underdog rolls to become Lucky and roll with advantage (i.e. to roll two dice and take the best roll) on an action of your choice. (If this action requires multiple dice rolls, at the DM's discretion you can maintain your Lucky status until the action is complete and continue rolling with advantage.) You can also use an underdog roll to help a Harmony/Discord check while resonating with your partner.-SPECIALTIES AND WEAKNESSESAs a part of our Underdog system, we've also built in provisions for characters to excel or to falter at particular traits exclusive to them.SPECIALTIES are skills or traits that your character uniquely excels in, or that come naturally to them. These could be positive physical or emotional attributes they're known for (e.g. approachability, open-mindedness, resourcefulness, elegance, or a particular aptitude with a skill they've honed (e.g. larceny, intimidation, arts and crafts).
Your character will have three specialties; one that has a +3 modifier to rolls invoked using it, one with a +2 modifier, and one with a +1 modifier.
Specialties are a way for your character to shine doing something they're good at.WEAKNESSES are skills or traits that your character distinctly struggles with. As with specialties, these could be negative physical or emotional attributes (e.g. meanness, social ineptitude, paranoia, a war wound, frailty) or a skill they particularly struggle with (e.g. stealth, persuasion, hand-to-hand combat).
Your character will have three weaknesses; one that has a -3 modifier to rolls invoked using it, one with a -2 modifier, and one with a -1 modifier.
Weaknesses are an RP opportunity (how does your team react to failure, and how do they work around it?) and a risk-reward mechanic, as invocation of an appropriate weakness can earn you an Underdog roll.As you'll see in the example below, our dummy student Artemiy has a mixture of physical and emotional specialties and weaknesses. You can see as well how some of the traits feed into one another:
- his over-alert nerves mean he has good reflexes for sharp-shooting, but also make him paranoid and defensive.
- Perhaps the same incidents that made him such a good fighter were the same incidents that made him wary of those higher than him on the social structure.
- And perhaps when everyone thinks of you as something intimidating and frightening, you begin to see yourself that way, and let your temper get the better of you.This isn't to say that your traits have to all relate to one another - but it's fun to see a character fully come together, to live and breathe, and it's worth making sure that your character makes sense. At the very least, if their traits seem to contradict each other, consider why that is, and make sure that characterisation makes sense for them.Underneath the example, you'll find a list of possible specialties and weaknesses. These are by no means comprehensive, and you're welcome to come up with some of your own, but we ask that you put some thought into these. Not just because you'll have to explain your reasoning to us in the app, but also because we want these to be genuine proficiencies and genuine flaws that can be played off of in fun and interesting ways! If you app in with a character whose weaknesses are "peanut allergy, blunt honesty, can't cook" - traits that could be interesting in the right hands, but that would be difficult to invoke in an RP, or that are too mild to be used in interesting ways, we'll have to ask you to rework them.Don't be afraid of giving your characters interesting flaws - and don't be modest about giving your characters things they excel at, either! We all have something we're genuinely good at, whether we recognise it as a true skill or not.