Character Creation

[Gunu]

In City of Mist, you will take the role of one of the lead characters, a Rift in the Mist. Your character may be a completely unexciting person or they may be living a very dangerous or complicated life. Either way, they were an ordinary person until their awakening.

At some point, your character became aware of a Mythos inside them: a living legend that grants them miraculous powers. Who did they become when their ordinary and legendary selves came together?

Guide to Creating a Rift

Your character has four major aspects, called themes, that describe either their legendary powers or their ordinary life. Themes that describe a character’s legendary powers are called Mythos themes; themes that describe their ordinary life (e.g., mundane abilities, qualities, resources, allies) are called Logos themes. You must have at least one Mythos and at least one Logos theme.

Each theme has 3 power tags and 1 weakness tag.

 

Infodump about Mythos, Logos, themes, and tags:

More about Mythos and Mythos theme types

Mythos is...

• The unknown: questions, doubts, dark places, subconscious, the void, a search for a higher or deeper truth, intuition, clues, visions, symbolism, loss of touch with daily life, and specifically the mystery in you character's existence:
  • questions your character has about themselves and their place in the world
  • things our character senses or feels but are vague and impalpable
  • symbolism that fascinates them
  • a wish to be more than what they are
  • what pulls your character to the edge

Your Mythos is largely unknown or unfathomable to your character: it is a part of them that they can never fully understand. A Mythos is often shrouded in mystery because it is miraculous and unpredictable. It can manifest and evolve in any number of ways, surprising even you, the Rift who is channeling it. Furthermore, a Mythos is forever veiled by the Mist, even within the psyche of your character. It's a thundering open question: the mystery that lies at the heart of your character's existence.

---

Mythos themes represent aspects of your Mythos powers and the different ways you can use them to affect the world. While they are often mythical or supernatural, they don't necessarily have to be obvious. Even subtle qualities such as irresistible beauty or the ability to understand the workings of any device can become legendary attributes that are amplified in your modern-day character.

Your character is not identical to their Mythos. You decide how to interpret the Mythos and how it is expressed in your character. You can spin it; subvert it; invert it; or play it straight. Most importantly, the fate of your Mythos in legend will not necessarily be your character's fate.

There are 7 types of Mythos themes:

1. Adaptation. Powers that can change according to the situation or powers with many different uses such as sorcery, shapeshifting, or gadgeteering.
2. Bastion. Powers that allow you to survive harsh conditions and protect yourself and others from harm, such as a body made of stone, invulnerability, or magical protection.
3. Divination. Powers that allow you to know or learn things beyond normal perception, such as special senses, the power to read minds, or the power to communicate with the dead.
4. Expression. Powers that you can project or unleash to affect or influence the world, such as a warrior's rage, blasts of ice, a healing touch, or mind control.
5. Mobility. Powers that allow you to move easily, fast, and unobstructed, such as the power to fly, to turn your body into water, or to miraculously escape confinement.
6. Relic. An object in your possession that channels the powers of your Mythos such as a magic ring, a flying broom, a diabolic mask, or a computer.
7. Subversion. Powers that allow you to act discreetly and hide your intentions and deeds such as trickery and illusions, invisibility, and the power to beguile others.

More about Logos and Logos theme types

Logos is...

• The known: answers, convictions, decisions, definitions, values, attachments, habits, clarity, safety, stability, and specifically your character's identity:
  • what your character knows about themselves
  • how your character defines themselves
  • what's important to your character
  • what your character appreciates, values, or loves
  • what makes your character feel safe in an unpredictable world

Your character's Logos is their everyday persona: what they definitely know about themselves, who they really are (or believe they really are). Your Logos can be just as interesting as your legendary aspects. Even though it's your character's ordinary side, it tells us interesting things about your character: who they love, what's special about them as a person, where they fail, and why they suffer. Whereas your Mythos presents you with questions, Logos offers answers. You rely on it in life: this fundamental understanding of what you should be doing every morning when you open your eyes. It's what the Mist utilizes to distract you from the mystery of who you are, but... you're thankful for that. When things get too intense or outright deranged with your Mythos, you embrace the safety of your Logos. Whatever happens, at least you have this. At least you know who you are. Don't you?

---

Logos themes represent ordinary aspects of your character: what your character knows, values, loves. It can include their mundane abilities, qualities, resources, and allies.

There are 7 types of Logos themes:

1. Defining Event. A pivotal moment or period in your life that has changed you irrevocably, such as a near-fatal accident, an earth-shaking revelation, or time spent at an orphanage.
2. Defining Relationship. A relationship with a person, a group, or an organization that is at the center of your life, such as your mother, your mentor, your gang, or the cult you belong to.
3. Mission. A goal you have set for yourself and that you strive to achieve, such as finding a cure to a disease, avenging your brother, or bringing a killer to justice.
4. Personality. Your character, temperament, or personal style, such as being charming, hard-boiled, flamboyant, or paranoid.
5. Possessions. Anything important you have in your possession, such as your fortune and assets, your old car, or an arsenal of firearms.
6. Routine. Your main everyday activities such as a job, caretaking duties, going to school, doing research, or just bummin' around.
7. Training. The expertise you have acquired in a given field, such as medical training, martial arts, or cooking.

You might be wondering: All of these are important! Your character almost certainly has a personality worth mentioning, a daily routine, important relationships, possessions, and a defining event or two. Maybe even a mission. How do you choose between these!?

The question that should guide you in choosing Logos themes is:

What should get more focus during the game?

You can still have a personality even if it's not your chosen theme. But making one of these aspects into a theme mean it will come into play more often, and more often be the focus.

 

Once you have a character concept (Logos) and legend (Mythos) in mind, create a thread in the Casting subforum using this general structure:
 

Post 1: Character Sheet. To fill out the Theme Cards, use the Themebooks. _{(Note: non-core rulebook themebooks from Shadows & Showdowns are also permitted.)}

Post 2: More information about your character's Logos (mundane persona) and Mythos (awakened legend within).

For Logos, describe your character's Personality, Appearance, and Background. Who are they as a person? What are their affectations, their mannerisms? Their attachments? Their worldview? Is there anything or anyone worth saving? Are they only out for themselves? How did they awaken? Develop your concept by speculating about why their Mythos manifested through them specifically.

For Mythos, provide the name and description of the legend that awakened within your character. What questions do they have about their Mythos? What do they think their Mythos wants from them? Who knows or suspects something about your character's Mythos?

Post 2 is important important for fleshing out your character, as it inspires me to put them in interesting situations. Additionally, in spoiler tags, tell me about their Secret Pain.

Post 3: Questions and answers.

Post 4+: Whatever else you'd like to include.

 

Questions

1. Name and describe a place of interest in the City.
2. Give me the name and description of a local Contact. It could be someone in your circle, or someone from your old life who you can still go to for help.
3. Where do you go to unwind?
4. What does this sprawling metropolis have in abundance?
5. What does it lack, or need more of?
6. What do you fear most about the world today?
7. What is a recent rumour that you've heard?

 

Edited January 13 by Gunu (see edit history)

[Gunu]

Have any questions about creating a character or about the setting and system? Ask away!

[Anyr]

Whenever I try to copy the example source code, it copies the entire box as well. How do I get the text alone?

[Gunu]

Well, shewt. I updated that post with pastebin links so you can copy the source code straight from there. Let me know if you encounter any other issues.

[Sapphic Reiver]

Are you allowing the use of Shadows & Showdown playbooks? Nevermind, Oce asked before I did!

Edited January 15 by Sapphic Reiver (see edit history)

[dalamb]

It has been forever since I created a PbtA character. Is the 2016 starter set rulebook adequate or do I need to get an updated version? I do see all the themebooks you have posted, and will look them over at some point, but I need to remind myself about the basics first.

[Gunu]

I'm not sure what rulebook you're thinking of! I have the first edition of City of Mist published in 2017, and don't think there have been any updates to the core book since then. If you're thinking of the Quick-Start Rules (which are free to download on the website), those are up-to-date and can be relied upon.

I'm also allowing non-core themebooks and expansion packs, but if there are any discrepancies between additional material and whatever is posted in the Quick-Start Rules and Player's Guide (see this thread), then I'll make rulings based on those publicly available versions.

Let me know if I can help with character creation in any way. :)

[dalamb]

What I purchased years ago just called itself the "city of mists starter set rulebook" and was copyright 2016. In any case I've downloaded the quick start rules from the link in the thread you mentioned.