Mimesis Role Playing System

3.0 Character Creation

3.1 Attributes

Standard characters begin with 100 Character Points. All players start with 5 Narrative Points. Character Points are used to build the character and are a representation of how powerful, competent etc that character is. Narrative Points is how important the character is to the story and are used as a method of intervention in conflict resolution or plot development. In character creation, Character Points is usually more important, but in extreme cases, Narrative Points are required.

[[In all cases in the Mimesis system character point costs are linear. This is to ensure that the values are comparable. Other games have an increasing point value which means that they are less exact [GURPS example]. Instead, Mimesis uses Narrative Points for extreme cases.]]

Attributes are relatively fixed character abilities. The average value for an adult Armenian is '10' in each attribute. Each point above this value costs 10 Character Points to purchase. If a player wishes to allocate a points to an Attribute above 15 or below 5, this will cost them 1 Player Point as their character will be sufficiently extreme to be notable in the storyline.

Each point below provides an additional 10 points to the pool, or is worth -10 Character Points. The attributes, and their abbreviations, are Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Agility (AGI), Perception (PER), Intelligence (INT) and Spirit (SPI). If one wants to be particularly realistic about their character, the average young adult female will have an average STR of 8 and an average AGI of 11 and CON of 11, whereas the average male will have a STR of 12, and a CON of 9 and AGI of 9.

STR: Represents the character's physical size and brawn.
DEX: Represents the character's manual dexterity.
AGI: Represents the character's speed and flexibility.
PER: Represents the character's sensory awareness.
INT: Represents the character's cognitive speed and abstraction.
SPI: Represents the character's motivation and willpower.

Partial modifications can be made to attributes through Enchancements and Limitations. These are valued at 5 Character Points at +/- 1 point.

3.2 Characteristics

The core characteristics are a character's Nationality, Society, Religion and Family. The latter includes parental occupation. These have a Character Point cost depending on generally advantageous of disadvantageous they are to the character. Others may additionally be sufficiently unusual that they cost Narrative Points.

Characteristics also include various social and personal details which can modify the character's capacity at tasks. Typically they will cost 5 character points for a +1 bonus for a collection of skills, or -5 points for a -1 penalty.

3.3 Abilities: Talents, Skills and Knowledges

Talents are learned abilities are heavily influenced by their Attributes ("They have a natural talent in the activity"). Skills are learned abilities which are somewhat influenced by attributes ("They are skilled in the activity"). Knowledges are learned attributes which have a minimal influence by attributes ("They are knowledgeable in the activity"). A bonus of +1 in any Ability is valued at +1 character point.

#Talents (default from -1 to -3), Skills (default from -3 to -6), Knowledges (default from -7 to -10).#

3.4 Magical Arts

Characters may also have access to magical powers. As is appropriate to the time, these are based on the control the character has over classic elements (earth, wind, fire, water, aether) as expressed across the mediterranean to the far east (Hellenic, Hindu Tattva, Buddhist Mahabhuta, Chinese Wuxing, Japanese Godai, Tibetan Bon etc), control over psyche humours (sanguine, choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic) as used by Hellenic and medieval (Christian and Muslim) physicians, and access to divine or infernal powers (divination, summoning, enchantment?).

The ability of the paranormal (affecting the physical world), psychic (affecting the mental world) or supernatural (affecting the social world) is based on Character Points. These form a pool from which the character may manipulate at their will.

Include Principle of similarity and contagion.

3.5 Wealth and Equipment