Character Creation

For players, the first step is to create a character. Will they be a brilliant academic or a two-fisted detective? An abrasive reporter, or a lady of the upper classes? Players keep their character for the duration of the game.

There's more to a character than what's in the following sections, so we encourage you to consider your background "life story" in addition to choosing your skills and profession.

NB: You can click here to download the character creation document in Word format. Yes, it is very long.

Character Statistics.

These four statistics create the basic framework for your Nightmare Circle character and are scored from 0 to 20. You have 50 points total to distribute between the four statistics. It is recommended that you allocate at least 3 points to each one. No stat can be higher than 20 at character creation. The average human ability falls between 8 and 12.

Education (EDU)

Education represents how much book-learning a character has, and is not necessarily the same as a character’s intelligence. A well educated, academic sort of character will have a high education score, while an unskilled or uneducated character will have a much lower one. Your character’s education score determines your starting skill points.

Power (POW)

Power represents your character’s awareness of their surroundings, and your surrounding’s awareness of your character. It is linked to intuition, charisma and the occult. Characters with high power scores tend to be memorable, able to pick up psychic residue and with the right knowledge, perform occult feats.

Constitution (CON)

Constitution represents the physical strength and hardiness of your character. It determines how much punishment they can take before going down and is used in determining your character’s hit points.

Sanity (SAN)

Sanity represents how mentally stable your character is and how prepared they are to face the unusual. A high sanity score indicates either worldliness or a stiff upper lip, while a low score would make your character easily frightened or paranoid. It is the score that is most likely to fluctuate during the game and players are strongly recommended to invest at least 10 points to ensure they do not go insane with the first encounter.

JOCK or ACADEMIC

Once you have decided on your character’s base stats, you must decide whether your character is a more physically inclined person or a more academically inclined person, and certain modifications will come into play. These modifications may take your starting score above 20.

If your character is a jock:

+ 2 points of CON

- 3 points of EDU

If your character is an academic:

+ 2 points of EDU

- 3 points of CON

Number Crunching

With your character’s basic statistics established, you can work out a few derivative scores:

Health Points = CON x 2

Magic Points = POW

Sanity Points = SAN x 5

Character Skills

Your character will have three sets of skills:

Professional Skills: The skills your character has accumulated in the course of pursuing their profession or primary occupation in life. You spend your skill points (equal to your EDU score) on your professional skills, which you may choose from either the main skill list or the Advantages list.

Non-Professional Skills: Every character has 10 points to spend on skills that the character has picked up through hobbies or general life experience. Again, these may be chosen from the main skill list or the Advantages list.

Advantages and Disadvantages: Less learned skills but rather, the advantages and disadvantages allow you to choose certain circumstances for your character. Choosing disadvantages will grant you more points to spend on skills and advantages.

Main Skill List

Skill Descriptions

In order to use a skill, you must let a Keeper know you are using it. They will tell you what you learn, what happens, or make arrangements for it to happen. Some skills, such as First Aid, do not a Keeper present to use.

Accounting

(Cost 2 points) Accounting and bookkeeping procedures. This skill is used to check financial ledgers, manifests and books for inconsistencies and embezzlement. The character understands complex financial transactions and may search old ledgers for clues as to how a person or business made its money and how the money was spent.

Anthropology

(Cost 4 points) This skill pertains to the study of human culture. It is used to glean information on the practices and beliefs of various cultures, as well as to identify the cultural or racial origins of a particular individual. The anthropologist may make simple predictions of an individual's behavior based on what the character knows about the person's background and beliefs.

Archaeology

(Cost 4 points, perquisite History) A character uses this skill to identify the time period and source of ancient and Prehistoric artifacts. If the character has the opportunity to study an archaeological site thoroughly, they may make deductions about the culture of the former inhabitants.

Athletics

(Cost 2 points) The character has devoted time in the pursuit of physical fitness and skill thorough sporting or similar activities. A player taking this skill may add 2 points to their CON stat.

Biology

(Cost 4 points) The study of the human body, this skill gives the character intimate knowledge of how the human body works at an anatomical and cellular level. It is an absolute essential skill for doctors but given that by itself is only theory, biologists do not have the power to treat people./

Botany

(Cost 4 points) The science of identifying plants and knowledge about their uses and misuses. The botanist is able to identify any plant or fungus known to mankind and is able to make educated guesses about those that are unknown.

Chemistry

(Cost 4 points) Given time, a character can analyze and identify a host of chemical compounds. With the proper chemicals and equipment, the character can concoct simple explosives, poisons, gases, or acids.

Contacts

(Cost 1 point) The character has contacts with people of influence in an organization such as a university, the police or military, or even the underworld. The contacts skill may allow the character to access special information before an event or influence NPCs during (or after) an event. “Look, I know the chief constable, call him, he will straighten things out!” Multiple contacts may be purchased.

Cryptozoology

(Cost 2 points) A study of creatures not found in ordinary wild life manuals. A character with this skill has knowledge of creatures of legend and horror stories and has the potential to identify them or similar creatures, should they ever chance to encounter them.

Electrical Repair

(Cost 3 points) Knowledge of the construction and repair of electrical equipment. The character can repair or modify electrical gadgets and attempt to identify the purpose of an unknown piece of technology. This skill is used to disarm alarm systems, repair damaged radios and transmitters, hot-wire cars, and numerous similar actions. Special tools may be required.

Fine Arts (Literature/Performance/Visual)

(Cost 3 points) This is not only an appreciation and knowledge of art, drama, and literature, but also the requisite talent to produce works of creative genius. The character can identify rare works of art and recall basic facts on the person or culture that produced it. This skill is necessary for any successful artist, author, or actor. The player chooses whether their character will specialize in the field of Literary, Performance or Visual arts. While the character has a basic understanding of all fine arts, more information is gleaned by this skill when the work identified is in their primary field of interest.

Firearm

(Cost 2 small; 3 medium; 4 large)

These are firearm, weapons that fire some kind of projectile or other. Buying this skill enables your character to use a particular class of firearm:

Small: Does 4 HP damage. Allows you to use weapons such as a .22 automatic, or a .25 derringer, or a .32 automatic, or even a 7.65mm revolver.

Medium: Does 6 HP damage. Allows you to use weapons such as a .38 or 9mm revolver, or a p08 luger, or a shotgun, or even crossbow.

Large: Does 10 HP damage. Allows you to use weapons such as the Thompson, or an Elephant gun, a .44 magnum, or a .45 revolver or automatic.

First Aid

(Cost 2 points) This skill is a basic understanding of how to treat shock, bind wounds, set broken bones, and other simple medical tasks. Of course, the wounded character must still be alive for the treatment to have any appreciable effect. Characters may also use first aid to revive unconscious characters.

Forensics

(Cost 2 points, prerequisite Medicine) The character knows the police science of forensics and can perform autopsies on recently deceased bodies. They may examine a corpse to identify the manner and general time of death. The use of forensics can discover if the body was moved after death, how long the victim took to die, and possibly discover clues to the murderer's identity on the victim's body.

Geology

(Cost 4 points) This permits a character to tell the approximate age of rock strata, recognize fossils, and identify rocks and minerals. The geologist recognizes potential landslide areas, earthquake zones, and places that are likely to contain caves, underground springs and oil deposits.

History

(Cost 4 points) The character is knowledgeable about important events in human history. The character can recall background information on personalities, cultures, artifacts, or events in human history

Language

There are three ways in which a character may acquire a language:

OOC Fluency: If you are fluent in a particular language out of character, then your character may also have the language at no skill point cost.

Country of Origin: If your character is from a non-English speaking country, then they may have the language of that country at no skill point cost, provided that an accent is consistently roleplayed for the character.

Extra Language: Additional languages are purchased at the cost of 2 points, and this enables a character to be fluent in reading, writing and speaking the modern form of the language.

Law

(Cost 4 points) The character has an extensive understanding of the legal system. They may ascertain the legality of various actions, cut through legal paperwork and red tape, use this knowledge of law to gain access to certain restricted areas, and filibuster with the best of them.

Library Use

(Cost 2 points) Use of this skill enables a character to find a given book, newspaper, or reference in a library, assuming that the reference exists.

Linguistics

(Cost 4 points) This is a comprehensive understanding of ancient dialects and root origins of any language spoken by the character. This skill is required to translate any document dating before the mid 1600's, as well understand texts written in unusual regional dialects, with alternative spellings or archaic phrases. The linguistics skill applies to all languages spoken by the character, but only to those languages.

Mathematics

(Cost 4 points) This skill bestows knowledge of higher math and abstract equations. It is a prerequisite for several of the sciences and it permits the character to solve staggeringly complex mathematics and geometric calculations.

Mechanical Repair

(Cost 3 points) The character has a special understanding of mechanical devices. They are able to identify and repair machinery, fix broken autos, pick locks, and similar actions. Special tools may be required.

Medicine

(Cost 4 points, perquisite First Aid and Biology) The character may diagnose disease, treat poisoning, and deliver babies, and has knowledge of drugs and their effects. The doctor usually has a medical bag in their possession, containing drugs and equipment to diagnose and treat ailments. The drugs in the medical bag may be used once during the game to save the life of a character that would otherwise perish. Treatment must begin within five minutes of the character's death.

Meditation

(Cost 2 points) A character uses the meditation skill to regain expended magic points at a faster rate. Every five minutes a character spends in meditation restores one Magic Point otherwise, all magic points are regained after eight hours of sleep. Meditation may also be used to regain Sanity Points, at the rate of one Sanity Point per 10 minutes.

Melee weapon

(Cost: 2 small; 5 large)

This skill allows the competent use of melee weapons.

Small includes weapons such as knives, hatchets, blackjacks, sword canes, whips, or a foil.

Large includes weapons such as swords, an axe, a battle-axe, medieval mace, a large club, a lit torch, or a spade.

Mysticism

(Cost 8 points, perquisite Occult and minimum POW 13) This is a step far beyond the study of the occult. The character has trained their mind to the point where they can perform psychic feats. The character can read psychic residue from an object and learn information about past owners and handlers. The mystic may sense positive or negative emanations from individuals, objects, or locations, and can attempt other psychic feats at the Keeper's discretion. The Keeper explains the use of psychic powers to any character that has Mysticism. The intensive training and study required to become a Mystic make it beyond the reach of most characters, save those who dedicate their lives to Mysticism.

Navigation

(Cost 3 points) The character is familiar with map reading, polar co-ordinates, the constellations, and compass navigation. Successful use of this skill allows pilots to plot their courses correctly, and scholars to identify and decipher ancient maps. If the characters become completely lost, they may become reoriented through the use of this skill.

Occult

(Cost 3 points) The character recognizes occult paraphernalia and words, as well as magic grimoires and occult codes, when they see such items. Note that this skill does not apply to spells, books, legends, and magic, but as magic is often tied to traditional occult beliefs, this skill may be useful.

Physics

(Cost 4 points, perquisite Mathematics) The character has an excellent knowledge of the scientific principles that move and shape our universe. The character is familiar with nuclear physics, applications of the theory of relativity, space sciences, and a host of other fields on the cutting edge of modern science. The character may identify complex scientific equations and realize the ramifications of space-time manipulation through non-Euclidean geometry. The physicist is familiar with the known planets of our solar system and astronomical science.

Psychoanalysis

(Cost 4 Points, prerequisite Psychology) Characters use this knowledge of the human psyche to cure temporarily a neurotic or psychotic patient. It takes time to perform, but will permit the madman to behave somewhat normally through the rest of the adventure.

Psychology

(Cost 4 Points) An understanding of the workings of the human mind and emotions; knowledge of how outside influences affect a person's behavior, and how to manipulate the emotions. This skill allows the character to study an individual and tell if they are overtly psychotic or not. Given time to conduct observation, the character may try to learn from what specific ailment the individual suffers, and guess as to the individuals desires and needs. Not only the realm of the purely academic, Psychology is also used extensively by such professions as detectives, writers, and artists.

Surgery

(Cost 2 points, prerequisite Medicine) The Medicine skill is fine for general practitioners, but the Surgery skill is required for a doctor who wants to open up patients and put them correctly together again. The surgeon may remove cancerous growths, diseased organs, and foreign objects deep within the body, and may even attempt organ transplants or the reattachment of severed limbs.

Track

(Cost 2 points) An character uses this skill to follow trails left by passing animals, monsters, or humans. Many factors influence the success of this skill. Weather and soil conditions, vegetation, size of the creature, and the time elapsed will all affect a tracker's success.

Weapon Specialist

(Cost 4 points) The character has received training in the finer arts of one field of combat The player must have purchased the prerequisite combat skill and should have a plausible character background. The result of the skill is to add 50% of the base damage to an attack (rounded up) reflecting the players knowledge of how, where and when to attack their opponent. In the spirit of the game a player taking this skill should nominate one specific type of weapon they have specialized in for the damage bonus.

Zoology

(Cost 4 points) The study of living creatures, from amoebae to zebras. The biologist can identify animal species known to mankind, their behavior, tracks, and habitat. They may also study an unknown species or individual creature and make educated guesses about its lineage, diet, and habitat.

Advantages

Blessed

(Cost 2 points)

For one reason or another, you have the blessing of some god or supernatural intelligence. Your character won’t necessarily know this as a blessing as such, but at some stage in the future you may be helped by this entity. Detail the of the history of this advantage must be detailed by the player, but the exact nature of the blessing will be up to the Keeper to define.

Celebrity

(Cost 1 point)

Your character is known in their chosen field of expertise. Your name and face are known, and people who know of you are honored to make your acquaintance. This could be used to your advantage, if you encounter a fan. But fame has a price, and can work as a disadvantage, attracting unwanted attention or being easily identified when you would rather be anonymous.

Connections

(Cost 2 points)

You have strong connections with law, Government, the criminal underworld or some kind of occult organization. You might be able to draw on these connections during the game, in times of need. This could prove very useful in obtaining information, getting out of jail, having charges dropped against you, getting your hands on special equipment, having a safe haven or even having evidence of your movements erased for all time. Depending on the nature of your connections and the circumstances you find your self in, these connections might work against you if you find yourself in the hands of your foes. You must be able to contact our connections in order for them to help you, it would be no use if you were thrown in a small dark place, where no one can see or hear you.

Lip reading

(Cost 1 point)

You have developed the ability to read lips. You must be able to observe the conversation in progress in order to use this ability. The Keeper will give you the gist of the conversation. This ability does not extend to conversations being had by members of the NPC GROUP when they aren’t in character, or to the Keeper either.

Owed a favour

(Cost 1 point)

You are owed a favour of some kind; this will be typically from an NPC of the Keepers choosing. At some point during the game you may ask for help, if it is within their means. This is the easiest advantage to gain and lose in the game.

Perceptive

(Cost 2 points)

You must have a POW of at least 12 to have this advantage. You are skilled at always keeping an eye out for the out of place or the unusual. What others miss you will see. The Keeper may occasionally point out something special to your character when all others have missed it, or failed to make the connection.

Disadvantages

Amnesia

(Gain 3 points)

You should have no more than 12 POW. Your long-term memory is gone and only your functional memory such as abilities, Skills, and basic social competences remain. The Keeper picks one more Disadvantage for no points and keeps it secret until this unknown disadvantage manifests itself during play.

Blind

(Gain 3 points )

Your character is totally blind, or retains very little eyesight. Any test that uses a skill that requires sight is automatically rated as unskilled. The Keeper will expect you to role-play this disadvantage at all times during the game.

Deaf/Mute

(Gain 2 points)

Your character is completely deaf, and or completely mute. You are unable to speak to any one other than the Keeper at all times during the game, and are expected to role-play this disadvantage. You may only communicate with other players via written messages, sign language or charades. You may have the lip reading advantage at no cost. This can be a difficult disadvantage to play, as you have to pretend not to hear conversations and events that are outside of your line of sight. Seek Keeper advice before selecting this one.

Dark past

(Gain 3 points)

At some stage in the past, your character committed a terrible transgression- a dark crime, a terrible betrayal, or perhaps even an affront on humanity itself. The Keeper may work out details of your past, but you are concealing the dark secret from the other players. You must be alert at all times, for one day the past is likely to catch up with you. Be careful choosing this disadvantage, it allows a good number of points, but your Keeper may have some fiendish trick up his sleeve.

Odious habit

(Gain 3 points)

Your character has some annoying habit that is likely to rub the other characters the wrong way or prove to be a disadvantage during the game. You will be expected to role-play this habit through out the game.

Inept

(Gain 4 points)

Your character has a run of clumsiness or bad luck that caused things to go badly for them, often to the annoyance of heir fellow characters. The Keepers will detail exactly how this Disadvantage plays itself out and what happens.

Wanted

(Gain 5 points)

Your character is a known felon, or somehow wanted by the authorities. You may be a criminal on the run, and escaped prisoner or mental patient, or perhaps wanted by a powerful government conspiracy. Whether you actually committed the crime, are wrongfully accused, are a pasty, or a mere victim of circumstance, the authorities know your identity and they are looking for you. Details should be worked out with the Keeper. Other player character may or may not be aware of your status, but the NPC police, bounty hunters and government agents will be dogging your trail.