Mage Blade: Character Creation

[Lance D. Allen]

Just a quick note to say I'm still working, and I think I've got an idea that will work for me. Once I round it out and bang on it a little bit to make sure it seems complete enough to bear some critique, I'll post it back up here for commentary.

For your edification, the bulk of the skill bit is riffed from Darcy. Once I've got that figured, I'll be looking into the trait bit, where I'll be looking more closely at some of the other suggestions here.

Thanks a lot, folks. This thread is made of gold and stamped with awesome.

[Simon C]

It sounds like you're going a different direction, but one way to avoid the "munchkin factor" is to have similar questions is different categories, with different results.  Burning Wheel does this with Health and Steel.  Surviving a wound gives you more Steel, but less Health.  You can do the same thing (and tie it to traits, like you wanted, too).  I'd make a list of questions for each Element:

For example:

Earth:
Have you been a professional soldier? +1 Earth
Have you been defeated in Battle? +1 Earth, "Haunted" trait.

Fire
Have you stood victorious on the Battlefield? +1 Fire
Are you undefeated in battle? +1 Fire, "Arrogant" trait.

Air
Have you lived a life of peace? +1 Air
Have you visited the cities of the East? +1 Air

Water
Have you lived amongst your people your whole life? +1 Water


Or something.  I don't know what you want each element to represent.