Building the Character

Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you. (Tyrion Lannister)

OBSS is a hard, dangerous, deadly system but also rich in satisfaction. Your characters are not heroes, they are not chosen ones. They are ordinary individuals who find themselves in endeavors where perhaps they will survive, and it will be at the expense of some companion. It’ **s not you who chooses the adventure, but it’ **s the adventure that impetuously drags you in. Be strong, brave, clever but not reckless.

Survive and claim your rewards, and you will see that as you level up, you will acquire extraordinary skills and abilities! Spes ultima dea!

First of all, prepare the character sheet in front of you and a sheet where you can take notes.

To create a character, try to answer these questions; they can help you imagine and shape the character:

Imagine what they look like
What is the character’ **s main Trait?
What are their tics, mannerisms, and habits?
What are their primary goals?
One curious thing, one funny thing, one embarrassing thing, and a typical expression of the character
What are they good at, what do they work hard at, and what are they bad at?
What are the character’ **s three main flaws and three main virtues?

Did they grow up in a family, in a clan, as a wanderer, or on the street… What brought them here and what choices did they make? What is their fighting style and typical strategy? Magic, sword, from the backline… cheering allies… running away…

And, no less importantly: what is their purpose? What made them leave the security of a normal life and embark on that of an adventurer?

Always remember that this is a cruel world, full of risks, traps, and monsters, but also opportunities that can make you powerful and very rich.

To begin, read the chapter on Races and identify that of your character.

Get a few d6 and roll!

Consult the Ability Scores chapter to see how lucky you were (p. ).

And if the Ability Score values didn’ **t come out as you expected, then let yourself be guided by chaos and create something different but equally fun and magnificent.

If you have Intelligence equal to or greater than 2, choose another language (p. ) spoken/written besides Common; if you have 3, you can choose 2 additional languages.

Choose your character’ **s Profession; Base Proficiencies are assigned based on this. Choose it carefully; in addition to the proficiencies provided by the chosen Profession, you can take a fifth one given by your background or increase by one the score in one already taken. Based on the background and chosen profession, you increase one ability score by 1, up to a maximum of 4 + racial modifier.

Move on to Active Proficiencies: here you have 1 point to distribute between Weapon Proficiency and Magic Proficiency.

Weapon Proficiency helps you hit better. Magic Proficiency is the only thing that allows you to use magic. Also remember that points in Weapon Proficiency must be declared to which Weapon List (p. ) they have been applied.

If you have no points in Weapon Proficiency, you can only use simple weapons (p. ) without incurring Attack Roll penalties and you cannot use medium or heavy armor.

Hit Points are equal to 8 + Constitution, add 3 if you have put 1 point in Weapon Proficiency (WP).

At this point, choose the Traits (p. ). Do it carefully, you are building your character and Traits outline the character with strong brushstrokes. Remember that they will be fundamental for the automatic assignment of the claiming Patron (p. ).

In the character sheet, in the Traits box, where there is the Patron column, write all Patrons that share that Trait, without interpreting the note as allegiance or choice. Highlight the Patron whose Guide Trait corresponds to your dominant Trait; in case of a tie, apply the procedure described in the chapter Traits. Only the claiming Patron can receive your formal allegiance and grant you powers linked to Traits.

Finally, remember that a Dissolute and Loyal character sounds good in a story where they are the only protagonist, but here you play in a group. Don’ **t take Traits in obvious opposition to others or play like a jerk, otherwise the character will naturally be pushed away by other characters and by the Game Master.

If you’ **ve put points in Magic Proficiency, also consider taking the Magic Adept Feat to enhance your magic (and learn an additional spell!).

Consult the Tome of Magic, p. , to understand how many spells you need to write in your Tome.

After choosing the spells in your Tome, you must decide which ones you have learned and can therefore cast. See Rules of Magic on p. .

Move on to Feats (p. ). At first level, you choose two; pay attention to prerequisites and to any Feats that your race grants you.

It’ **s the Feats you choose that increase the Saving Throws score. Remember that Saving Throws determine your ability to resist trauma and magic. In the sheet, indicate the single Ability Score that you want that Feat to improve (when you have four of the same).

Choose your equipment (p. ), armor (p. ), weapons (p. ), backpack, two torches, some food rations… a stuffed animal… whatever seems essential for the adventure. Then update the part of the sheet related to Defense by marking what bonus your armor and shield give you. Remember that you start with 100 gp, spend them carefully!

Get into the role, allow yourself to play this extraordinary character. If you ever get tired of playing it and want to try something different, talk to the Game Master, they will know how to advise you and suggest the best path. You have the advantage that in OBSS classes do not exist: the character grows, evolves, and learns based on what the player does and experiences. You can prepare your build in advance, but you can never be certain that the character will develop as planned. Let it live and grow!

Finally, remember your rewards. This world is fierce and often evil, and it will want to kill you all the more; yet those who survive receive rewards, under a law that not even the Patrons can violate. The Law is simple in its basic concept: To those who survive go the treasures and glory.

Narratore: Dysfunctional characters: the Game Master may grant, based on the type of campaign, that if the created character has all Ability Score values at 0 or less, it can be created again.

Leveling Up

But there are some things you can’ **t understand by thinking. You have to experience them. (The Neverending Story, Michael Ende)

Every time the Game Master confirms your level advancement, several operations must be performed to update the character sheet.

First of all, take the sheet, pencil and eraser, and dice (at least the d6)
Update the Experience Points
Update the Level by increasing it by 1
Distribute 1 point between Weapon Proficiency or Magic Proficiency
Increase the maximum and current Hit Points by 1d6+Constitution and add another 3 if you’ **ve given 1 point to Weapon Proficiency. If the die roll is less than Constitution, you can take the Constitution value as the result
If you’ **ve assigned a point to Weapon Proficiency, determine whether you take a new Weapon List (p. ) or deepen your knowledge of a list already learned
Check if you acquire a new Feat. You can take a new one or improve a Feat already learned, be careful of prerequisites. See Feats (p. ).
Update the Saving Throw score based on the new Feats taken.
Update the Attack Roll score based on the new Weapon Proficiency value, Feats, and bonuses given by the Weapon List.
Distribute (Int/2)+1, with a minimum of 1 point, among the Base Proficiencies (p. ) known or learned during adventures. Verify the Awareness score.
Update the Fate Points score $(20-level)/5$, rounded to the nearest integer
Increase the Traits score as the Game Master will tell you. Verify if you have reached a sufficient score to acquire powers related to Traits
Verify based on the new Magic Proficiency score and the Magic Adept Feat the maximum spell level (p. ) that can be cast and the Magic Points available (p. )
If you have increased Magic Proficiency, learn 1 new spell from the Magic Tome or you can learn two Cantrips (Level 0 Spells)
Update the second part of the sheet based on the new Magic Proficiency score

As you will have noticed, Proficiency scores are reduced; only a few points are available to distribute at a time. As players, you have the opportunity to prefer a specialized approach, that is, to focus on a few specific Proficiencies, or to dilute the points across more proficiencies to know a bit of everything and not have penalties in checks (the check is only done with 2d6 + Ability Score if you don’ **t have points in the Proficiency).

Power: A character’ **s perceived weakness is only an illusion; you will soon realize their true power. Play as a team and you will survive, for this world is harsh, spiteful, and deadly to the selfish.

Tips for having fun and surviving in OBSS adventures

How to Survive and Have Fun

We need a plan.

Since when do heroes need plans? (Final Fantasy XIII)

I love it when a plan comes together! (Colonel John Hannibal Smith, A-Team)

Every combat is potentially lethal. Decide with reason and approach it with care. Learn to run away, don’ **t be afraid to survive.
Not everything is on the character sheet. A character’ **s sheet is its perimeter, but it does not define what the character can or cannot do. Rack your brains, be creative, think of alternatives, and stay curious, but do not be suicidal or reckless.
Not everything is solved with a dice roll. Ask the right questions, talk with your companions, and describe carefully what you intend to do. The Game Master rewards accurate descriptions. Describing how and what you do can avoid having to make a check!
Low Ability Scores are only low Ability Scores; they do not define the character. Use Proficiencies and Feats, and try to roll as few dice as possible to solve problems.
Improvise, adapt, and overcome! (Tom Highway - Gunny, Movie). Or as some of my players preferred Improvise, Deceive, and overcome.
Live your character fully. Amplify their story, bring their past into the present. Help your companions to know you and the Game Master to build better stories around your stories.
One thing that no one can ever take away from you is being heroic, intelligent, resolute, determined, stubborn but not stupid.
Describe realistically what you do; it will help the Game Master and your companions. It is certainly better than saying I make an Awareness check. Be as detailed as possible when describing important actions; the Game Master will take them into account.
Always remember that the greater the danger, the greater the experience gained. The deeper the dungeon, the greater the treasures and experience acquired!
The goal is to have fun, make others have fun, and savor the challenge. Don’ **t create a character who opposes the other characters or always causes trouble. Balance your desires with the needs of the group, because you will survive only as a group, never as an individual.
Think before you act, but don’ **t keep others waiting. Use the time between your rounds to plan how to act best.
If you have difficulty understanding or imagining something, ask the Game Master for more information and clarification, they will be happy to provide it.
Embrace failure. Failing with style is much better than a boring victory.
Make sure your character is always concerned with something more than just their life.
Don’ **t be afraid to argue with other characters, but always make sure not to get personal with the players.