Characters

Building A Character

Mechanical elements serve the story, not the other way around. Your thief isn't limited to "thief abilities" since there's no thief class. Your knight doesn't have to fight with sword and shield just because it's what they do in some book. You decide what your character's story is, then choose the pieces that best represent it.

Foundations: Level and Concept

Level in Level One is different from most systems in that it stands alone. Virtually everything else is subject to character concept. Your character's Level is the foundation everything else builds on. It represents health, experience, grit, and ability in a single number - but it's not tied to what you do for a living. Level does three crucial things:

• Durability - it's literally your health, as we'll see later
• Capability - attempt most things with just Level, though Roles help your chances
• Capacity - no Role can exceed your Level, so it defines your growth

Concept Drives Everything

Before you spend any Karma, get an idea who the character is, what their story is. What drives them? What would they risk their life for? Concept is the framework where every choice must fit. You're translating their life experience into game terms, not cataloging every quirk and skill they possess. The game assumes competent people can handle routine tasks - you only need mechanical representation for things they do well, and things that matter to them and their story, and that create interesting choices.