Before You Begin

You probably already have an idea of what you’d like to play, but please take a moment to review the current character limits.

• As of this writing, the following character types are not limited beyond the basic limit of one character per person per sphere:
  • Vampires, whether Anarch or Camarilla, who belong to one of the seven main Camarilla clans (Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, or Ventrue) or who are Caitiff, and ghouls for same.
  • Homid Garou who belong to tribes other than the Red Talons, Uktena or Wendigo, and kinfolk of same.
  • Mages who belong to any of the Nine Traditions, and consors associated with same.
  • Kithain who belong to any of the thirteen base kiths, and belong to the Seelie or Unseelie Courts; and kinain for same.
• The following character types are currently subject to a limit of no more than eight in play at one time, per category (not per type in a category — that is, up to eight Corax, and also any combination of Ananasi and Bastet that adds up to eight). Consulting with staff before creating one of these characters is strongly advised, and potential players should be aware that applications require two approvals (see Approval Scale).
  • Vampires belonging to the four Independent clans (Assamite, Followers of Set, Giovanni, and Ravnos).
  • Metis Garou who belong to tribes other than the Red Talons, Uktena, or Wendigo.
  • Ghouls from the four Independent clans.
  • Corax.
  • Ratkin.
  • Homid Ananasi or Bastet.
  • Kithain from a nonstandard kith (Ghille Du, Korred, Merfolk, Morganed, River Hag and Wichtel).
  • Kinain from a nonstandard kith.
• The following character types are currently subject to a limit of no more than four at one time, per category (again, not per type in a category). Consulting with staff before creating one of these characters is mandatory, and potential players should be aware that applications require majority approval (see Approval Scale) and will be held to a high standard.
  • Camarilla or Anarch-aligned vampires who are Daughters of Cacophony, Gargoyles, Lasombra, Nagaraja, Salubri, Samedi, or Tzimisce.
  • Lupus Garou who belong to tribes other than the Red Talons, Uktena, or Wendigo.
  • Kojin Kitsune or Homid Mokole.
• Character types that are currently not permitted include:
  • Characters who are or appear to be under 18 years of age.
  • Vampire clans or bloodlines not listed above (e.g., the True Brujah).
  • Sabbat-aligned vampires of any clan, or ghouls of same.
  • Garou from the Red Talons, Uktena or Wendigo tribes, or kinfolk of same; Metis Garou from tribes classed as Rare; Lupus Garou from tribes classed as Uncommon or Rare.
  • Ajaba, Gurahl, Nagah, Nuwisha, or Rokea.
  • Feline or Metis Bastet; Arachnid Ananasi; Roko or Shinju Kitsune; or Suchid Mokole.
  • Non-Garou Kinfolk.
  • Possessed, including Drones, Fomori, Gorgons, and Kami.
  • Mages who are Orphans, Marauders, Nephandi, members of the Disparate Alliance or the Technocracy; or consors for same.
  • Sorcerer or Psychic characters.
  • Hsien, Adhene, Inanimae, Lycians, Menehune, Nunnehi, Thallain, adherents of the Shadow Court, or kinain of same.
  • Character types from Wraith: the Oblivion, Hunter: the Reckoning, or Demon: the Fallen.

Concept and Backstory

There are as many potential character concepts for TowersMUX as there are people in the real world, and then some. We couldn’t possibly imagine enough of them to offer any real guidance on specific ideas, but we have some suggestions for general guidelines on coming up with a concept and a character backstory:

• Characters should fit in with the ‘cooperative’ part of ‘cooperative storytelling’. That doesn’t mean your character has to be a nice person; they don’t necessarily need to be kind to animals or generous to those less fortunate. Instead, think about how you expect the character to relate to others in their sphere or faction. Why will people want to have them around? How will you, as a player, interest others in their story? Characters who are based around antagonism toward others can work, but they need to have enough common interests to remain someone who those others will want to play with, and not someone who they’ll want to avoid.
• Characters should be realistic in terms of the world they inhabit. It’s fine to have characters who aren’t ordinary people-in-the-street, or to make use of some of the supernatural elements in the World of Darkness; just be sure to think through the potential consequences of unusual character elements and how the rest of the world may have reacted, or may react in the future, to them. Our version of the World of Darkness is a grounded place where people react like real people would if presented with the same situations. It’s closer to From Russia With Love than to Captain America, and far closer to Atomic Blonde than to Iron Man. If you’re not sure whether your idea fits in or not, check out some of the material in the Inspiration menus, or talk to staff.
• Characters should generally be focused on who they are and what they’re like now. If the time in which they’ll enter play isn’t the most interesting part of your character’s life, why not? How will you make sure that the character’s in-game time isn’t an anticlimax?
• Characters should be created with an awareness of what’s possible under the game’s rules. There are any number of ways to explain why a character with (for instance) more intense or extensive training than another doesn’t have that extra experience reflected statistically; you just need to make sure that one of them fits, or have some way of playing around that lack IC. We will not give out extra starting XP because a character’s history makes them out to be influential, powerful, knowledgeable, etc. — so make sure that the character fits what you can do with what you get.

Once you have a firm image in your head of who the character is and where they came from, you can begin to write out their backstory. The character generation room provides the commands you’ll need to set the appropriate notes. It’s fine to come back and edit what you’ve written later, or to wait until further in the character generation process to write out the notes, if you’re not completely sure about a particular backstory element.

A good backstory doesn’t need to be long. We’re mostly interested in who your character is today, how they got to be that person, and what they’re doing in London. Some spheres may have additional requirements, specified in their individual sections below, but only the most complex backstories should need more than 1,500 – 2,000 words total. This is not a requirement; if you can get your character’s backstory across in 250 words, staff will be delighted. Use more if you need to, but be sure you need to.

Character Age

Different spheres offer various ways to live beyond a normal human lifespan. The oldest PC characters on TowersMUX are approximately 150 years old; a character older than that (for whatever reason) will not be accepted. As previously noted, it is your responsibility as a player to provide an explanation as to why a character of advanced age may not be notably more accomplished than someone much younger.

Characters who are younger than 18 years, or who appear to be so, are not permitted.

Attributes

Attributes generally do not require explanation, but the effect of very high or low attributes is likely to be noticeable in one’s life. A character who is extremely intelligent, charismatic, or nimble (for instance) probably had their previous lives affected in some way by either the effort put forth to become so, or their natural talent. That, in turn, should affect what their backstory looks like. Characters who have more than three Attributes rated at four dots, or more than one rated at five dots, will require approval from two staff members.

Staff are likely to look very closely at characters with multiple Attributes set at 1 or at 5, respectively, even if the former are later raised with XP or freebie points. In general, don’t set an Attribute to 1 unless you plan to make your character’s ineptitude in that area a lasting part of your roleplaying.

You are entitled to, but not required to, set specializations for Attributes at 4 and above. They can be set with “+note/add me/Specialties=<Attribute Name>/<text>”

Abilities

The Abilities page outlines the Abilities supported on TowersMUX, and offers suggestions for substitutes for those that are not supported.

As with Attributes, high levels of Abilities will probably show up in your character’s backstory in one way or another. Characters who have more than three Abilities rated at four dots or higher, or any Abilities at five dots will require approval from two staff members.

Characters who have combat dice pools (e.g., Dexterity + Brawl / Melee/ Firearms) above 8 will draw additional scrutiny, and will require approval from two staff members. This limit applies to base human statistics (it does not, for instance, count the Attribute bonuses Werewolf characters receive in Crinos form, or to Vampire characters with Celerity and Potence).

Because we use more Abilities than the standard 30, we’re also providing additional dots to as a way to compensate for that. Character types that normally begin with 13/9/5 dots in Abilities (most major supernatural templates) begin with 17/13/7; character types that normally begin with 11/7/4 (specifically, mortals, ghouls, kinfolk, kinain, and familiars) begin with 15/11/5 instead. This is meant to allow characters to add breadth; having more 3s than 1s and 2s combined will draw closer scrutiny.

You are still restricted to spending no more than 3 dots in any given Ability at this stage (4- and 5-dot ratings must be purchased with freebie points or XP).

Please be aware that some Abilities require specializations whatever their dot rating. Other Abilities at 4 and 5 dots may, but are not required to, have specializations as well. They can be set with “+note/add me/Specialties=<Ability Name>/<text>”.

Backgrounds

As with Abilities, the Backgrounds page provides complete details on the Backgrounds supported for each sphere, and how they work on TowersMUX specifically.

All character types received 5 dots in Backgrounds as a base; we have opted to make Mage equal to the other spheres in this respect, rather than giving them 7.

As mentioned in the chargen room, each Background should have an explanatory +note accompanying it.

Some Backgrounds — Allies, Base of Operations, Contacts, Influence, Spies, and (for Garou and Fera) Rites — can be bought above 5 dots, to represent the ability to have influence in multiple areas. Any individual Ally, Contact, etc., is still limited to 5 dots in total. See the individual entries in Backgrounds for more details, and, when writing up +notes, please remember to detail the allocation of dots in these Backgrounds.

Powers

Please keep the Two-Thirds Rule in mind when purchasing powers in chargen. You don’t need to come out to exactly two-thirds, but characters who spend significantly more than this on powers will be asked for changes.

It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with any House Rules for your character type that might apply to powers, under “Game Rules -> Clarifications and House Rules -> <sphere> House Rules.”

• Vampire characters may begin play with at most one Discipline at four dots; this must be an in-Clan Discipline, and requires approval from two staff members. Two Disciplines at three dots is also permissible, and likewise requires approval from two staff members.
• Shifter characters may begin play with at most five Rank One Gifts appropriate to the character’s breed, tribe, etc. There is no limit on Rites.
• Mage characters may begin play with an Arete of no higher than three, and no more than two Spheres at three dots.
• Changeling characters may begin play with at most one Art at four dots, which requires approval from two staff members. Two Arts at three dots is also permissible, and likewise requires approval from two staff members. There is no limit on Realms.

Willpower, Humanity, Rage, Gnosis, Glamour, etc.

Raising any of these and other similar stats by two dots requires no special approval; raising one such stat by three dots requires approval from two active staff. For Vampire characters, the base Willpower for purposes of this rule is always 3, even if the character’s actual Willpower is higher due to a high Courage (that is, Willpower may not exceed 5).

Please note that, in a change from published rules, Lupus Garou and Rodens Ratkin begin play with a base Gnosis of 4, rather than 5. This is to balance out the limited time staff have available to bring out the disadvantages of these character types in play.

Merits & Flaws

The web pages under “Game Rules -> Clarifications and House Rules -> Merits” (or Flaws) contain information on the Merits and Flaws available to all characters and to each specific sphere, as well as notes on those that are not supported (and suggestions for possible substitutes, where applicable).

As mentioned in the chargen room, each Merit or Flaw should have an explanatory +note attached to it.

PCs are limited to a total of 10 points in Merits and 7 points in Flaws, whether purchased in character generation or afterward. Some Merits (Language, in particular) are not counted against the 10-point limit; conversely, your character may gain additional Flaws in play without necessarily being awarded additional points for them.

Freebie Points

As mentioned under General Clarifications & HRs, some items purchasable with freebie points have differing costs from the rules as written:

• Abilities cost 1 point per dot for dots 1-3, 2 points per dot for dots 4-5.
• Willpower costs 2 points per dot, and can be raised no more than 2 points total.

You should include a +note, as outlined in the chargen room (with “+note/add me/Chargen=Freebie Accounting/<text>”), listing your freebie spends and the point cost in freebies for each.

Freebie Point Costs

• Attributes: 5 per dot
• Abilities: 1 per dot until 3, 2 per dot for 4-5 (changed from the book)
• Backgrounds: 1 per dot
• Willpower: 2 per dot, maximum 2 additional dots (changed from the book)
• Merits: 1 per Merit dot (10 maximum)
• Flaws: 1 extra Freebie point per Flaw dot (7 maximum)

Vampire Freebie Point Costs

• Disciplines: 7 per dot
• Virtues: 2 per dot
• Humanity/Path: 2 per dot

Shifter Freebie Point Costs

• Gifts: 7 per Gift, level 1 Gifts only
• Rage: 1 per dot
• Gnosis: 2 per dot

Mage Freebie Point Costs

• Spheres: 7 per dot
• Arete: 4 per dot (maximum 3)
• Quintessence: 1 per 4 dots

Changeling Freebie Point Costs

• Arts: 5 per dot
• Realms: 2 per dot
• Glamour: 3 per dot

Languages

Remember to set any additional languages purchased (via the Language merit), following the instructions in the chargen room.

All characters are assumed to speak and understand English (it need not be their native language). Additionally, if your character’s backstory supports it, you may add a second language without needing to purchase the merit (although you are not required to).

Starting XP

Your starting XP can be calculated on the Starting XP page. You do not need to confirm the total generated by that page with staff, but can go ahead and set your stats to reflect your desired spends.

As with freebie points, you should include a +note (with “+note/add me/Chargen=XP Accounting/<text>”) listing your initial XP spends and the point cost for each. Check the XP and Advancement page to verify costs and requirements for spending XP; some purchases may require the approval of more than one staff member.

The Spirit of the Rules Clause

Adherence to the letter of these rules does not necessarily guarantee approval. Characters who appear to staff to be skating right on the edge of violating the guidelines, or who are likely to make the “cooperative” part of “cooperative roleplaying game” difficult, may be asked to rework. If we do ask this of you, we will provide specific requirements.

Sphere-Specific

Vampire

Please note that Generation above two dots has an additional cost, as detailed at the link.

Vampire characters should address the following questions in their backstories:

• What was your life like before the Embrace?
• What caused your sire to choose you for the Embrace? Do you know or believe that to be true IC, or do you believe they chose you for some different reason?
• If your sire is still in existence, what is your relationship with them like?
• How do you feel about your clan and your clanmates?
• What are your feelings on the various vampire sects? Why do you belong to the one you’re currently part of?
• How do you feel about the Jyhad?
• If you’re planning to follow a Path of Enlightenment, please read Humanity and Paths of Enlightenment carefully and make sure that your application addresses the questions raised there.

Ghoul

Please be sure to read Ghouls in London before applying for a ghoul character. Ghouls are challenging characters to play, and are not a good choice for beginners.

A ghoul’s backstory should address the following questions:

• What was your life like before you became a ghoul?
• Why did your domitor select you as a ghoul? If the answer is different, why do you believe, IC, that your domitor selected you?
• How much do you know about larger Kindred society?
• How do you feel about Kindred other than your domitor?

Additionally, please create a separate +note with “+note/add me/Chargen=Special/<text>” to answer the following:

• How do you, as a player, plan to overcome some of the challenges of playing a ghoul? If your domitor or other PC vampires exclude you from sphere-related roleplay for IC reasons, how will you deal with that? In the event of your domitor leaving the game, what would you like to happen to the character? What are your long-term plans for the character?

Werewolf

Please note that Pure Breed is currently limited to three dots maximum.

Werewolf characters should address the following questions in their backstory:

• What was your life like before the First Change?
• How did the First Change shift your perspective on the world and your place in it?
• What was your education in Garou ways like?
• How do you feel about the Garou Nation’s struggle to save Gaia? Is it on track or moving in the wrong direction? Do you see progress being made, or feel that the situation is hopeless?
• What do you think is the biggest danger facing the Garou?
• What are your feelings toward non-Garou shapeshifters?
• Which of the currently available septs do you belong to? Why? How do you feel about the other(s)?
• How do you feel about the spirit world?

Fera

Fera characters should answer the same questions in their backstory as Garou (above) do, substituting their own particular type for ‘Garou’; they do not, however, need to discuss sept membership. Additionally, please create a separate +note with “+note/add me/Chargen=Special/<text>” to address the following:

• Unlike the Garou, most other shapeshifters are not pack animals by nature, and there are often smaller numbers of them available to play with. How do you, as a player, plan to deal with the possibility of low numbers of other Fera? Where and how do you plan to pursue roleplay in the absence of others of your own kind?

Hengeyokai

Hengeyokai characters should answer the same questions in their backstory as Garou (substituting ‘Hengeyokai’ for ‘Garou’) with the exception of sept membership, and should also answer the additional question posed to Fera players.

Kinfolk

Please be sure to read Kinfolk in London before applying for a kinfolk character. Kinfolk are challenging characters to play, and may not be a good choice for beginners.

A kinfolk character’s backstory should address the following bullet points in their backstory:

• How long have you known about the existence of the Garou? What was your life like before you know, and what changed when you learned about them?
• How do you view your role in the struggle to save Gaia? What are your feelings about the Garou, and (if you know of their existence) about the other shapeshifters?
• How close is your relationship to the Garou on an ongoing basis? Are they a majority of the people with whom you associate, a minority, or somewhere in between?
• Which of the currently available septs are you associated with? Why? How do you feel about the other(s)?
• You have a unique ability to a part of the human world (in a way Garou cannot) and of the Garou world (in a way humans cannot). Do you take advantage of that ability? If so, how? If not, why not?

Additionally, please create a separate +note with “+note/add me/Chargen=Special/<text>” to answer the following:

• Although they often make valuable contributions to the cause of Gaia, kinfolk are frequently overlooked or treated disrespectfully by their Garou relations. As a player, how do you plan to deal with Garou characters who consider your character to be their inferior? In what ways do you envision the character contributing to RP in circumstances where direct participation would make it difficult or impossible for non-Garou to survive?

Mage

Please note that the maximum starting Arete is 3. Also, per the note above under Backgrounds, Mage characters begin with 5, rather than 7, dots in Backgrounds.

Awakened Mage characters should address the following questions in their backstories:

• What was your life as a Sleeper like?
• What were the circumstances surrounding your Awakening?
• How did you come to be a member of your Tradition? What was your training like?
• Which of the currently available chantries you belong to, and why?
• How do you view the Traditions as a group, and your own Tradition in particular?
• What are your views on the Ascension War and the other factions involved in fighting it?

Additionally, you should have a set of notes regarding each of the following, set with “+note/add me/Magick=<topic>/<text>”, where <topic> is one of:

• Avatar — if you do not have any dots in the Avatar Background, briefly discuss your character’s Avatar here. If you do have dots in the Background, discuss it in the Background’s +note.
• Paradigm — briefly discuss your character’s magickal paradigm and what allows the character to work magick. See How Magick Works for a discussion of what this and other terms mean on TowersMUX.
• Practices — discuss your character’s magickal practices (up to five), and how they relate to the character’s overall paradigm.
• Instruments — discuss your character’s magickal instruments (no less than seven, up to ten), how they relate to the character’s paradigm and practices, and how they are used in conjunction with a particular Sphere or Spheres.
• Personalized Instrument — note which of your character’s Instruments is considered Personalized. This should normally be an Instrument that’s associated with the character’s affinity Sphere.
• Surpassed Instruments — if applicable, list which Instruments your character has already surpassed. This will almost never be more than a single Instrument, and then only if your character begins with Arete 3. Remember that Instruments are surpassed in reverse order of importance, i.e., least important first.
• Sample Effect — give an example of an effect that your character might create. Describe how your character’s paradigm and practices accommodate the effect; what instruments might be used; what spheres are used for the effect; whether the effect is coincidental or vulgar; what the base difficulty of the casting will be, how many successes you estimate are required, and what (if any) modifiers you might potentially apply to the casting roll. This is not meant as a test of creativity — we’re just looking to make sure you know how to work through spellcasting from a game-mechanic point of view.
• Impossible Effects — give at least two examples of effects that are not possible at all under your character’s paradigm, even if the character has the right sphere at the level needed to accomplish the effect. These examples should ideally be from at least two different spheres.
• Resonance and Synergy — these are not currently used in the game mechanical sense. You’re welcome to set them at a level that fits your character if you wish; if and when we do implement associated game mechanics, all Mage characters will have the opportunity to review and reset them if they wish.
• Do — if your character is an Akashic who makes use of the Do Talent, briefly describe how their practice of it affects their life. Following the Way is a commitment that requires daily practice; how and when does your character make time for this? If your character is not an Akashic, or does not practice Do, this +note is not necessary.

Writing a Mage up is complex, so we’ve provided a sample Focus writeup to help clarify what sorts of things we’re looking for. If you have questions that are not answered by the sample writeup, please feel free to speak with staff.

Consor

Consors should address the following bullet points in their backstories:

• What your life was like before becoming aware of the existence of magick.
• How you became a part of the magickal world.
• How you became associated with a Tradition.
• How you view the Awakened and other members of the Traditions.
• Your views on the Ascension War and the various factions involved in fighting it.

Changeling

Kithain characters should answer the following questions in their backstory:

• What was your life like before the Chrysalis?
• What were the circumstances of your Chrysalis like?
• What challenges did you face in becoming part of Changeling society?
• Why are you a member of your current Court? Have you ever been a member of the opposite Court? If so, what led you to change?
• Do you have strong feelings toward any other kiths? Toward the nobility? Toward commoners?
• What is your attitude toward mortals?
• What is your attitude toward the coming of Winter? Is it inevitable or can it be avoided? Are you more concerned with staving it off as long as you can, with making the most of the time before it comes, or with something else?
• Which of the currently available Freeholds are you a member of, and why?

Additionally, you should have a set of notes regarding each of the following, set with “+note/add me/Changeling=<topic>/<text>”, where <topic> is one of:

• Kith Notes — summarize the Birthrights and Frailty appropriate to the character’s kith.
• House Notes — if the character belongs to a House, summarize the House’s Boon and Flaw. Otherwise this +note is not needed.
• Threshold — note the character’s Threshold and whether it is Musing or Ravaging, selected from the list on p. 261 and 263 of the C20 Core Rulebook. You may also defer the selection of a Threshold until the character is in play, although they will obviously not benefit from one in the meantime.
• Antithesis — describe the particular act that serves as a Banality trigger for the character. This should be a reasonably broad category of act (“destroying art”, for instance, is sufficiently broad; “destroying plays written by William Shakespeare” is too narrow.)
• Oaths — if the character has sworn any Oaths, note their exact wording here. Otherwise this +note is not needed.
• Contracts — if the character is currently under the effect of the Contract cantrip (see p. 203 of the Core Rulebook), note those effects here. Otherwise this +note is not needed.
• True Names — if your character knows the True Names of any characters other than themselves, note them here. Unless you have explicit agreement from staff or from another PC regarding someone’s True Name, you should assume that this +note is not required.
• Secret Society — if your character belongs to a particular Kithain secret society (as discussed in the C20 Players’ Guide), it should be noted here, along with a brief discussion of how they came to be a member. Otherwise, this +note is not needed. Not all canon secret societies are well-suited to the game’s setting, so you may wish to discuss your preferences with staff; it is likely that we will eventually have some additional game-specific options.

Kinain

Kinain characters should address the following points in their backstory:

• How did the ability to see chimera affect your childhood? How did your parents react?
• When were you introduced to Changeling society? What was it like?
• How do you feel about the differences that separate you from the Kithain? Do you think of yourself as fortunate, unfortunate, or some of both?
• What role have you played in mortal society?
• What role have you played in fae society?

Additionally, you should have a set of notes regarding each of the following, set with “+note/add me/Changeling=<topic>/<text>”, where <topic> is one of:

• Heritage Notes — summarize the Birthright appropriate to the character’s heritage.
• Oaths — if the character has sworn any Oaths, note their exact wording here. Otherwise this +note is not needed.
• Contracts — if the character is currently under the effect of the Contract cantrip (see p. 203 of the Core Rulebook), note those effects here. Otherwise this +note is not needed.
• True Names — if your character knows the True Names of any characters other than themselves, note them here. Unless you have explicit agreement from staff or from another PC regarding someone’s True Name, you should assume that this +note is not required.

Mortal

Mortal characters should address the following points in their backstory:

• Have you ever had any encounters with the supernatural? If so, what was it like?
• How do you feel about life in the World of Darkness?