New Player Guide

Developing a Character Concept

When developing a character concept, the most important question you should ask yourself is "What do you want to play?" There is a vast diversity of character concepts that can thrive and grow in the world of The 100. While we always appreciate you trying to fill an empty niche, we also want you to play a character you will truly enjoy.

While application to be one of the members of The 100 is now closed, there are still a wide array of possible Arker and Grounder (Trikru clan only at this point) characters available. As we open up additional playable options (based on PC actions), there will be yet more choices. If you need help developing a concept, members of STAFF are happy to brainstorm with you.

All characters must be 18 years of age or older.

Character Generation

This section will provide you a detailed walk-through of our character generation process. Each of these topics are linked in each of their corresponding rooms on the Chargen grid.

Demographics

  • Naming Conventions: There is no specific naming convention within the series, and so any Earthly name is suitable. Commonly used pop culture names are strictly off limits (i.e. Luke Skywalker, Malcolm Reynolds, Jon Snow, James T. Kirk, etc.). Many Trikru are named after bastardized versions of Washington, DC landmarks, but not all are. Mountain Men tend to be named after famous cultural icons (artists, writers, etc).
  • Age Limitations: Our minimum character age is 18. Since we are a mature rated game, it is essential that all characters be 18. We have no specific maximum age, though your sheet and background will be analyzed based on your age, so keep this in mind when deciding how old your character is. If your randomly-generated birthday and birth-month are before the current date, you will have to ask Staff to set your age down one year (the code just checks year, not month/day).
  • Male vs. Female: This is a post-modern world, with no distinctions between male and female roles.
  • Positions: The Skaikru and the Trikru have a variety of roles and titles. Please see Roles + Titles for a complete list and descriptions of our positions.

Abilities

Before you set any Abilities, type +reset to set up your +sheet. This will set base levels for your abilities, provide some basic defense skills, and give you the default language.

Attributes

There are four attributes that describe who your character is: Brawn, Finesse, Will, and Wit. Each of these covers a broad range of defining characteristics, which are generally summarized below:

Brawn - Physical Strength - Strength, toughness, constitution, and endurance, this attribute covers how much your character can lift, how hard he or she is to KO in a fight, how much he or she can drink, and how long he or she can keep up strenuous activity.
Finesse - Physical Flexibility - Dexterity, quickness, eye-hand-coordination, and fine motor control, this attribute covers how fast your character can run, how precise his or her movements are, and how fast his or her fast-twitch reactions are.
Will - Mental Strength - Willpower, charisma, determination, and presence, this attribute covers how able your character is to resist the suggestions of others, how strong his or her personality shines through, how able he or she is to drive through difficulty, and how resistant he or she is to temptation.
Wit - Mental Flexibility - Intelligence, creativity, memory, and speed of thought, this attribute covers your character's ability to understand complex topics, express his or her creativity, and sift through his or her memory quickly and efficiently.

Skill Level Restrictions

Here at The 100 MUSH, we encourage people to create well-rounded characters that are still developing and honing their skills when they come out of Character Generation. It can be challenging to decide what skills are necessary for you character's background, what level they should be at based on your age and experience, and what other character-defining skills you should take. When considering these things, here are a few guiding questions:

1. How does the skill level chosen compared to my character's age, position, access to training, etc.?

There are particular skills that require access to proper training and education. You should consider your character's age, wealth level, and background when deciding on skills. It is highly recommended you read through the skill descriptions to fully understand what each skill does.

Keep in mind that a 4 is a Professional level, that is to say, the level at which your character could theoretically make a living with that skill.

Since age is the greatest restriction on skill level, here is a general outline to help you determine your characters skill level based on age. Please note that we have a holistic approval process. Particular events in your character's life may earn the ability to have a skill a little bit higher than suggested here, however this is something we monitor closely. Additionally we may ask you to lower or raise a skill within a particular bracket (Novice, Professional, Veteran) to more closely represent your background.

Generally, characters who areā€¦

  • Under 20 years of age should not have any skill above 6.
  • Under 25 years of age should not have any skill above 7.

No character may start the game with any skill above 8.
No character may have more than 3 skills at 7 or higher — including after Chargen.
No character may start the game with more than one skill that is LIMITED for their clan, and that skill may not be higher than 2.
A characters with multiple skills at their age maximum are not likely to be approved.
No character may start with multiple combat skills at their age maximum.
Generally, we only allow a character to start with 1 skill at age maximum and no more than 2 at one step below age maximum.

We look for well-rounded characters with depth and potential. Obvious min-maxing will be questioned, and you may be asked to adjust your sheet before you are given approval, but we're generally pretty easy-going—we're all here to have fun, after all.

2. What skills should every character have?

The Dodge skill covers defending against all melee attacks and the Resolve skill covers defending against all social attacks, so it is highly suggested that your character have at least some level of Dodge and Resolve.

A combatant with a primary weapon skill below 4 is deficient as a fighter. These characters may be approved on a case-by-case basis, especially if particularly young or new to fighting, but no Grounder Warrior or Guardsman will be approved with a primary weapon skill below 3.

For examples of what a specific level means in a given skill, check our Skill Level Examples page.

We expect characters to be able to pick up new skills quickly. XP costs remain low for low levels of skills for this very reason, so don't feel bad if you don't have skills that you think will be vital later on but don't fit your starting concept.

Social Skills

Social skills are very much part of the game. Persuasion represents how well-said a truthful argument is, and can be used to sway the opinion of NPCs. Players may determine the reaction of their PC to the content of the argument freely. Deception represents how believable a false argument is, and can be used to sway the opinion of NPCs. Players may determine the reaction of their PC to the content of the argument freely. Basically, social skills provide context for PC-PC interactions, and direction for PC-NPC interactions.

Languages

All Skaikru speak English, as do the warriors of the Grounders and all members of the Mountain Men. All Grounders speak Trigedasleng and will receive 2 free points at Chargen to purchase the language. Only a few Skaikru speak Trigedasleng so far, although undoubtedly a few more will learn it through RP (at this point, the language can only be gained through RP and spending XP, not at chargen).

Specializations

Some of our skills represent broad ranges of abilities, Craft and Science in particular. Whenever a character chooses this skill, they must use a Quirk to list their character's area of expertise. For instance, they could be a leatherworker, a chemist, a seamstress, a hydrologist, or any other reasonable craft or science.

Any character may have a secondary specialization as well. This requires 2 Chargen points or 8 XP and the secondary specialization is rolled at the skill-2. This represents someone with training as woodworker and a metalworker, or a chemist and a mathematician.

Quirks

Quirks are entirely freeform, but there are some things you should consider when choosing how to phrase your quirks:

  • Importance: Quirks should be something that is important to who your character is. Using a particular weapon is not usually worthy of a quirk unless that choice means something important to your character.
  • Space: Quirks should be short, precise, and to the point. Long-winded quirks will get truncated by the +sheet. Two or three words is plenty.
  • Fame + Infamy: Quirks regarding fame or infamy will be approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. Where approved, the cause of that fame or infamy should be noted in +Finger (see +help +finger for more information).
  • Quirks should affect your character, not others. For instance, some characters may not find your character "Charming," but you could still try to charm people with "Frequent One-Liners."
  • In-Character Knowledge: Quirks should be what other people know or can find out about your character. Since +sheets are open, any true secrets should be kept in your background.
  • Character, Not Modifiers: Quirks should not suggest benefits to skills, but should provide uniqueness to your character. "Axe Master" is not an appropriate quirk, even if your character has an 8 Melee, but "Raging Berserker" might suggest a style of fighting and is definitely appropriate.
  • Crafts and Sciences: If your character has the Craft or Science skill, you must note which craft or science it represents by picking up a Quirk "Craft:<craft>" with either (P) or (S) following it to indicate if it is your character's primary or secondary specialization. For example, "Craft:Woodworking (P)" or "Science:Botany (S)." Remember that Secondary specializations take 2 Chargen points to purchase and are rolled at a -2.
  • Medicine: If your character has the Medicine skill, you must note if they are trained in Herbalism or Clinical Medicine. Skaikru are exclusively trained in Clinical Medicine, while Trikru are exclusively trained in Herbalism. With sufficient training on-grid, a character can pick up the opposing secondary specialization by spending 8 XP. Example Quirk: "Medicine:Clinical."

Background

When writing a background, please make sure to do so in a typical chronological description or timeline bullet points. The more direct and precise the background, the easier it is for the Approvals Staff to navigate. It is crucial to provide information on how this person got to be who and where they are, creating a complete picture of the character up until this point. It is okay to leave some vague areas that you intend to flesh out as the character evolves, but you may be asked to make adjustments to these post-Chargen if they don't fit your original concept.

Backgrounds don't have to be magnum opuses, just enough to get a feel for the character and get them rooted into the world and their starting circumstances. Backgrounds that provide goals or other drives for a character are wonderful.

Guiding Questions

  • What type of family was your character born into?
  • What was your character's childhood like? Was it happy, sad, typical, atypical? Were there any childhood events that shaped your character's story?
  • Did your character have any good friends that were important to their story?
  • Are there any skills on your sheet that are at Professional level that you haven't explained in your background? All skills that are at 4+ should have at least some mention in your background.
  • If a Grounder, what reason does your character have for interacting with Skaikru?

Description

Proper descriptions are required prior to approval process. Descriptions should accurately depict your chosen ability scores and the fashion of the setting.

Holistic Review Process

After you have submitted your character application for approval, a member of Staff will look over each component of your application. A critical eye is placed on both the background and the character sheet, ensuring that the age and experience of the character matches up with the proposed skills. Discrepancies between sheets and backgrounds are the most common reasons for rejection. You will always be asked to change your sheet to match your background, and not the other way around.

If there are places in your background where a Staff member needs you to revise or expand upon, they will do their best to give you reasons why these revisions are being requested. No matter the character's age, we believe that characters coming out of chargen should always be starting their story, so backgrounds with extensive successes, heroics, and major events may be asked to simplify their concept so that they are not at the end of their story.

As always, you can ask the Staff member assigned to your application to clarify their reasons for rejection.

Restricted Character Concepts

Non-Trikru Grounders: Applications are open for Grounders from Trikru (the Woods Clan) but not from other Clans within the Coalition.

Skaikru Siblings: Since couples are restricted to only a single child on the Ark, there is limited availability for sibling characters. You can, of course, be half-siblings or have grown up as close as siblings.

Members of The 100: All 100 of the Delinquents have been accounted for, either as PCs, a couple of specific NPCs, or killed off through the course of RP.

History-Interested Grounders: Most Grounders are too busy with day-to-day life to worry about what was before the Apocalypse, and we already have plenty of PCs who are interested in what came before.

Mountain Men: The surviving Mountain Men prisoners are very low in number, and the few adults among them are on perilous ground survival-wise. At this point, we are not looking for more Mountain Men PCs

Barred Concepts

AIs: Let's not have another A.L.I.E.

Reapers: These are NPC-only.

After Character Generation

The WIKI

The WIKI is a vital component of our game. Logs are posted, character pages are tracked, and theme is all updated on our WIKI. If you already have a wikidot user name, you can send it to Staff via +REQUEST. If you don't have a wikidot user name, you will need to create one. Once you have been given access to the WIKI, you can create your character page from the Dramatis Personae page.

If you need WIKI help, submit a +REQUEST or page an online Staffer.

Dive On In

Once you are all set up, feel free to jump straight into RP. We maintain information on our current story arc on our RUMORS +bboard (+bbread 11).

XP Costs to Raise Skills

Each week, every character gets 1 XP. XP can be spent to increase Skills, but never Attributes. Once you have raised a Skill, you must wait 7 days before you can raise another Skill (or the same one). XP Costs to raise a Skill from a given level are included below.

Current Level XP to next Level
0 1
1 1
2 1
3 3
4 5
5 8
6 10
7 12
8 15
9 18
10 21
11 24

Welcome to the ground.

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