Seablight Antilles Character Creation
This page provides a step-based guide to help players and Game Moderators (GMs) to create a Seablight Antilles character.
This section is informed by the step-based character creation process outlined in the Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine (BRP) core rule book (pages 9-108), and is presented as follows:
1. Select a Power Level
2. Character Name and Characteristics
3. Powers
4. Age, Characteristics Rolls, Derived Characteristics, and Personality;
5. Profession, Skills, and Education
6. Cultures
7. Possessions
8. Size and Distinctive Features
9. Finishing Touches
Each step also notes special rules for creating a Seablight Antilles character.
1. SELECT A POWER LEVEL
The BRP core rule book (see page 9) offers four Power Levels for players and GMs to jointly select before a role-playing game session or campaign commences. These are Normal, Heroic, Epic, and Superhuman.
Seablight Antilles is designed for Normal or Heroic power levels. These power levels match the Blightdark Epoch’s fantastical but grounded setting of a post-Seablight Deluge and Century of Deconstruction Antilles Archipelago.
Players may choose Foundation Professions from the BRP rule book (see page 22 and pages 26-31) to become mercenaries, scavengers, gunslingers, sailors, or merchants. Heroic Professions are also available with the GMs discretion.
The presence of Psychezoa mutations, psychic powers, Ancestor gadgets, and cybernetics in this setting does, however, provide scope for Epic and Superhuman game play. A Seablight Antilles game or campaign may begin at a Normal power level and increase over time.
After a power level has been selected, Seablight Antilles characters are created using a blank BRP character sheet. These character sheets are from the Chaosium website – BRP Character Sheets section (scroll down).
2. CHARACTER NAME AND CHARACTERISTICS
Apply Step One: Name and Characteristics as detailed on page 10 of the BRP rule book.
In addition, players and GMs should decide whether your character will be Dice-based or Points-based.
Dice-based characters should be Normal Power Level and 250 starting points (see page 11 of the BRP rule book). The recommended character point budget for a Normal power level game is highest characteristic ×½ (round up). Players may purchase Powers that Diminish or Enhance their characteristics. Alternatively, Points-based characters should apply the adjustments as explained on page 17 of the BRP rule book.
Regardless, the following character options may also be applied:
- Higher Starting Characteristics,
- Education (EDU) Characteristic,
- Cultural Modifiers, and
- Non-Human Characters.
Quick Start Randomiser Table
The following table provides players a randomised quick guide to generate a character’s name, key characteristic, stylistic flare, personality, age, and power preference.
3. POWERS
Characters in Seablight Antilles may be created with powerful mutations, psychic abilities, and/or cybernetic (‘cibernetic’) superpowers.
Sorcery is not possible in the Blightdark Epoch, however GMs may choose to introduce the occult into their game sessions and campaigns in collaboration with their players.
Players may next apply Step Two: Powers on page 10 of the BRP rule book when creating their characters, taking into consideration Mutations, Psychic Powers, and Cybernetic Powers .
Mutations: Characters that have survived Parasitic or Symbiotic Seablight Touch will gain Blightsense (psychic abilities) and develop genetic anomalies. These Seablight mutations occur through Mutagenic Exposure, Evolution, and/or Transformation.
Alternatively, characters may have been experimented on using advanced Ancient gadgets.
Note that mutations in Seablight Antilles can have both beneficial and detrimental effects.
Regardless, follow the rules for mutations presented on pages 65-70 of the BRP rule book.
Psychic Powers: Players with psychic powers are usually linked to a Parasitic Seablight Madre Hyve or a Symbiotic Seablight Nest. Characters with psychic powers should follow the rules presented on pages 70-78 of the BRP rule book. Note that the following psychic powers are not possible in Seablight Antilles and cannot be selected:
• Astral Projection
• Cryokinesis
• Intuition
• Levitation
• Precognition
• Psychometry
• Pyrokinesis
• Sensitivity
Its possible for a character to gain the Divination psychic power if they have survived Seablight Touch with a Parasitic Seablight Madre Hyve or a Symbiotic Nest. See the Low Blightspeaker profile in Heroic Professions for further details.
Cibernetic Powers: The 25th century of the Blightdark Epoch features humans modified through Cerebrosynth Solution; enhanced by advanced cybernetics and genetic manipulation; and transformed through Seablight Touch. These diverse science fiction fantasy tropes provide a wide scope for Seablight Antilles characters to be created using a variety of BRP superpowers and physical enhancements.
The following superpowers, however, are not applicable to the Blightdark Epoch and cannot be selected for character creation:
• Alternate Form
• Density Control
• Drain
• Force Field
• Intangibility
• Pyrokinesis
• Invisibility
• Teleport
• Transfer
• Weather Control
The Superpower Super Identity failing is not applicable to Seablight Antilles (unless a strong case involving the Masqued Guildas is made to the GM).
Seablight Antilles includes the various energy types presented on page 95 of the BRP rule book.
4. AGE, CHARACTERISTIC ROLLS, DERIVED CHARACTERISTICS, AND PERSONALITY
After confirming a character’s Power Levels and Super Powers, follow these steps as presented on pages 10-11 of the BRP rule book:
• Step Three: Age;
• Step Four: Characteristic Rolls;
• Step Five: Derived Characteristics; and
• Step Six: Personality
GMs may decide to include Fatigue Points or Sanity Points in their sessions or campaigns. Discussion about cosmic horror and survival themes are presented in Chapter 9: Scenarios of the Seablight Antilles Setting Guide PDF.
5. PROFESSION, SKILLS, AND EDUCATION
For Step Seven: Profession and Skills of the BRP core rule book character creation proceess, players may select a ‘Foundation Profession’. These are chosen from the profession list presented on page 26 of the BRP rule book, with the following exceptions::
• Occultist becomes Kongregan. This profession involves worship of a Low or High Blightspeaker.
• Players may choose to be a Seafarer: an independent traveller that may be drifting
across the Antilles Archipelago, lost their way, or undertaking an honourable quest.
• Wizard cannot be selected in this setting.
Additional Heroic Professions are also available during character creation, at the GMs discretion. Heroic Professions can be selected on game start, or attained by advancing a Foundation Professions Advancement requirements and steps are also noted in within each Heroic Profession profile).
Players may choose to have Increased Personal Skill Points, as described on page 16 of the BRP rule book, in discussion with their GM.
Players may also consider the Education options presented on page 19 of the BRP rule book. Educated characters are most likely to come from the Hopesail Confederacy or Masqued Guildas, although the case can be made for a unique character background.
6. CULTURES
Characters can originate from one of four major cultures and/or 22 distinct factions that exist with in the Antilles Archipelago of 2467 CE.
Characters from one of the four major factions receive the following base skills improvements:
Hopesail Confederacy
Etiquette (various) 10%
Heavy Machine (various) 5%
Knowledge (various) 5%
Literacy (various) 10%
Technical (various) 5%
Masqued Guildas
Disguise 10%
Dodge 5%
Fine Manipulation 5%
Parry 10%
Pilot – vintage sailing ship 5%
Pyrate Republic
Firearm (various) 10%
Knowledge – Natural World 5%
Navigate 5%
Pilot – vintage sailing ship 5%
Gambling 10%
Blighted Tribes
Brawl 10%
Knowledge – Natural World 10%
Track 5%
Sense 5%
Swim 10%
The Cultures page presents the following additional information for each of the four major cultures:
• Culture Overview
• Sub-culture Information
• Appearance
• Demeanor
• Language(s)
• Occupations
• Religions
• Arms and Armor
• Cultural Skills
• Cultural Items
7. POSSESSIONS
The Cultures page provides information on the typical possessions (arms, armour, and cultural items) carried by members of each major culture.
This information can be used during Step Eight: Possessions of character creation, as presented on page 16 of the BRP rule book.
Alternatively, suggested pre-arranged currency, weapons, equipment, and supply templates for starting players are presented in Chapter 7: Equipment of the Seablight Antilles Setting Guide PDF.
Players may also consider the vessels presented on the Vessels page when creating their character.
Players are unlikely to start the game the owner of a powerful vessel and NPC crew, but this can be negotiated with the GM. Suggested methods involving vessels for GMS s are presented in Chapter 9: Scenarios of the Seablight: Antilles Setting Guide PDF.
8. SIZE AND DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Follow Step Nine: Size and Distinctive Features on Pages 16 and 25 of the BRP rule book.
Characters from the Blighted Tribes culture and/or Cambiaformas Heroic Profession may have above or below average size characteristics and distinctive physical features.
Players from other factions may negotiate with the GM for above or below average size and distinctive features, perhaps due to Seablight Touch, genetic manipulation, or cibernetic enhancement.
9. FINISHING TOUCHES
Finally, follow Step Ten: Finishing Touches on page 16 of the BRP rule book.
Character creation is now complete. Your Seablight Antilles adventure may begin!
