Chapter 2 of 12 · about 8 minutes
Making your Persona
Origin, Archetype and the nine Traits, and how each number on your sheet is worked out.
First draft. This guide is a first draft. The rules and the game will keep changing, so expect corrections. Where something is a working guess it is marked Draft.
Three choices
Every Persona starts with three things. Your Origin is where your power comes from. Your Archetype is how your Persona deals with problems, with a history, a role in the group and special features. Your Traits are nine scores that say what you are good at.
There are fifteen Archetypes, from Assassin to Vigilante. A Sub-Type sharpens an Archetype into a specialty. Powers come from your Origin, and Abilities are skills anyone can train, granted by your Archetype and level.
The nine Traits
Each Trait has a Score from 1 to 100. Your MOD is the Score divided by 10, rounded down, so a Score of 62 gives a MOD of +6 and 49 gives +4. Only the tens digit matters for rolling. Every Trait Check you make uses one Trait.
| Trait | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Agility | Speed, balance and reflexes. |
| Control | Precision and discipline. |
| Insight | Reading people and situations. |
| Might | Raw strength. |
| Resist | Taking the hit and staying up. |
| Sneak | Moving unseen. |
| Study | Knowledge and research. |
| Tinker | Building, fixing and breaking in. |
| Track | Following trails and finding targets. |
| Score | MOD |
|---|---|
| 1 to 9 | 0 |
| 10 to 19 | +1 |
| 20 to 29 | +2 |
| 30 to 39 | +3 |
| 40 to 49 | +4 |
| 50 to 59 | +5 |
| 60 to 69 | +6 |
| 70 to 79 | +7 |
| 80 to 89 | +8 |
| 90 to 99 | +9 |
| 100 | +10 |
Adept Traits
Your sheet marks the Traits your Persona has trained as Adept (the small star). When you roll an Adept Trait you add your EXP as well as your MOD, and you roll with Prowess, which gives you a second chance at a good result. The next chapter explains Prowess.
The numbers on your sheet
| Number | How it is worked out |
|---|---|
| MOD | Trait Score ÷ 10, rounded down. |
| EXP | Level ÷ 2, rounded down, never below 1. |
| Guard | 10 + Resist MOD + Agility MOD. |
| Stamina | Level + 2. |
| Chance | As many charges as your EXP. |
| Load Capacity | Might Score × 2, plus any bonuses. |
| Vitality | Set by your Archetype and grows as you level. Your sheet keeps the number you type in. |
Example: A level 3 Vigilante
Resist 64 (MOD +6) and Agility 62 (MOD +6) give Guard 10 + 6 + 6 = 22. Level 3 gives EXP 1, so 1 Chance charge, and Stamina 3 + 2 = 5. Might 58 gives Load Capacity 116.
Draft. The sheet shows the rules value for Guard and Stamina next to your own number, with a "Use rules values" button, so you can see the difference. It never changes your numbers by itself.
Building one, step by step
- Pick an Origin and an Archetype that fit the Persona you picture.
- Spread your Trait Scores. Put your highest scores in the Traits your Archetype leans on.
- Mark your Adept Traits.
- Read off your Guard, Stamina and Chance. The sheet works them out.
- Choose gear, then give your Persona a name, a look and a few personality notes: what drives them, what they fear, who they care about.
Tip. The sheet has prompts for Personality, Drive, Bonds, Fear, Flaws, Catchphrase and Backstory. A line or two in each makes a Persona easy to play on the night.