FANTASYCRAFT CORE MECHANICS

Checks: When making any check, roll a d20 and adds a bonus. If the total result equals or exceeds the Difficulty, the check is successful, otherwise it fails. It can get more complicated, but How?is always 1d20 + X vs. Difficulty. Action Dice: Action Dice are the exclamation points of FantasyCraft. Each character starts a session with a pool of action dice. Additional action dice may be rewarded for playing in character, taking chances (especially heroic ones), furthering the story, solving problems, entertaining the group, and otherwise improving everyones experience. Theres no reason to hoard action dice all action dice not spent by the end of each gaming session are lost. Action dice may be spent in any of the following ways. Unless a rule says otherwise, characters may only use these options on themselves. 1. Boost a die roll [Explodes] A character may spend 1 action die to boost each attack check, skill check, Knowledge check, or saving throw. The character may also spend 1 action die to boost each lethal, stress, or subdual damage result. Action Dice may be rolled after the Check is rolled, so long as the outcome has not yet been described. This action die may explode. 2. Boost defense [Explodes] At the start of any combat round, a character may spend 1 action die to boost his defense by 2 for a number of rounds equal to the dies result. This action die may explode. 3. Activate a threat When a character scores a threat with an attack or skill check, he may spend 1 or more action dice to activate it as a critical hit or success. The choice to activate must be made before additional (e.g. Damage) dice are rolled and/or the outcome is described. 4. Activate an opponents error When an opponent within a characters line of sight suffers an error with an attack or skill check, the character may spend 1 or more action dice to activate it as a critical miss or failure. The choice to activate must be made before additional dice are rolled and/or the outcome is described. 5. Heal character [Explodes Vitality] Outside combat, a special character may spend and roll any number of action dice to regain vitality or wounds. For each action die spent, the character regains an amount of Vitality equal to the action dies result and 2 Wounds. During combat, a character must take a refresh action before spending action dice to Heal. An unconscious character may not spend action dice to heal. Threats, Errors & Criticals: When a check succeeds and the character rolls a natural number within his threat range (an actual roll of the number on a d20), he scores a threat a potential critical success. To gain the benefits of a critical success, the character spends 1 or more action dice. When a check fails and the character rolls a natural number within his error range (an actual roll of the number on a d20), or when a skill result is negative, the character suffers an error a potential critical failure. He only suffers the effects of the critical failure, however, if his opponent commonly the GM spends 1 or more action dice to activate the Critical Failure A Critical Hit from an attack is a special case and has the following effects: Special Character: The attacker may spend 1 action die to apply the damage directly to the targets wounds, ignoring any remaining vitality. Alternately, if the damage exceeds the targets Constitution score, the attacker may spend 2 action dice to inflict a critical injury.

Standard Character or Object: The attacker may spend 1 to 4 action dice to cause the target to automatically fail the same number of Damage saves. In the case of most standard targets, 1 action die is enough to knock them out of the fight. The GM and players are encouraged to come up with interesting descriptions for critical results, such as dramatic flourishes, cool maneuvers, and impressive strategic ploys. Combat: Each combat is carried out in four steps, as follows. Step 1: Most characters begin combat Flat-Footed they lose any Dexterity or Dodge bonuses to Defense (if positive) and is vulnerable to a number of special effects. A character stops being flat-footed by taking any half or full action, or immediately after being hit. Step 2: All characters in the combat roll 1d20 and add their Initiative bonuses. The resulting Initiative Counts determine when characters act during a Combat Round. Step 3: If any combatants are unaware of the others, a Surprise Round happens. Each combatant who is aware of one or more other combatants, from highest to lowest Initiative Count may take 1 Free, Half, or Full Action during this round. During a Surprise Round, a character who takes a full action may not break it into 2 half actions, nor may any character take more than 1 free action during a surprise round. Step 4: Combat occurs in Combat Rounds that each last 6 seconds. During each combat round, characters may act from highest to lowest Initiative Count. When two or more characters Initiative Counts are equal, the character with the highest Initiative bonus acts first (reroll ties). When a character gets the chance to act, he may take either 1 full action or 2 half actions. Characters may also take a variety of other actions using skills, class and feat abilities, and other character options. Additionally, if the character doesnt take any Movement Action during the round he may take a Bonus 5-ft. Step, moving 5 ft. in any direction. Finally, he can take any number of free actions, trivial, effortless activities that dont affect the characters ability to take full or half actions during the round. Typical Free actions include talking, performing simple gestures, and Dropping something. These general rules apply to actions taken during Combat. Skill checks may carry over from round to round. A character may take a half action to move and begin a full-action Disable check, which is resolved at the end of his first half action in the following round. This option is not available for combat actions, which must be completed in the round they begin. A character can combine 2 half actions gained from different sources to take 1 full action. All restrictions placed on either or both half actions apply to the resulting full action. For example, if the Surge of Speed feat is combined with another half action to take a full action, that action may not be an attack. Some rules reduce the time it takes to perform an action, but each individual action may only be affected by one such rule at a time. Range & Movement: Targets are located at one of three ranges: Melee Range (Reach), Close Quarters (Beyond Reach, up to 30 ft), and Long Range (Targets beyond 30 ft) Characters within 5 ft. are adjacent. Any character who moves into an area adjacent to an opponent must stop moving, unless that opponent is flatfooted or unable to attack him. While adjacent to one or more opponents, a character may only move by taking a Bonus 5-ft. Step, making a Tumble check, or taking a Standard Move action in which the first 10 ft. of movement does not leave him adjacent to any opponent.

Stances: A character may benefit from only one stance at a time. Entering a stance requires 1 half action and returning to normal is a free action. Characters who become helpless, prone, or sprawled immediately return to normal stance (no special benefits). Defense: A characters Defense= 10 + class Defense bonuses + Dexterity modifier. An objects Defense is equal to 5 + its Size modifier (stationary), 10 + its Size modifier (moving), or its holders Defense bonus + its Size modifier (carried). The Defense of a 5 ft. area (1 square) is 15, whether its occupied or not. Damage: When an attack hits, the weapon used determines the damage inflicted. No Weapon (Unarmed Attack): Attackers with the Unarmed proficiency inflict 1d4 + [Strength Modifier] lethal damage; otherwise, they inflict 1d3 + [Strength Modifier]subdual damage. Weapon: The character inflicts the weapons base damage. Strength Modifier: All unarmed, melee and non-explosive hurled attacks add the Attackers *Strength Modifier] to damage. Healing: Standard characters heal at the end of every scene. Special characters regain [Career Level] Vitality per hour of rest, and 1 wound per day of rest, if restricted himself to light activities during that time (i.e. no combat). Assisted Healing: When targeted with a successful Mend check (DC 15), a stable character heals 2d6 damage (if a special character, this is split evenly between subdual, vitality, and wounds, with the patient distributing any uneven excess). A character may only be Mended once per day, no matter how many characters are available to attempt perform the check. An unconscious character may be awakened with a successful Medicine check (DC 10). Conditions: The life of adventurers is never dull. On a disturbingly regular basis theyre tested mentally, physically, and spiritually, and the consequences of these assaults are many and varied. Conditions are a way of easily categorizing large numbers of lingering effects that might plague characters. Conditions are temporary. Sometimes their durations are defined by the rules that inflict them; other times their durations are fixed in the condition text. Regardless of their stated durations, however, all conditions fade at the end of each adventure. When a character suffers a graded (e.g. IIII) condition he already has, the conditions grade increases by 1. In all other cases, suffering a condition twice has no effect. Unless otherwise specified, the effects of all conditions stack. Terminal Situations: Characters sometimes find themselves in appalling peril. They fall from dizzying heights or wake to find assassins holding knives to their throats. Fantasy Craft calls these Terminal Situations. Outside combat only, the GM may declare that any situation from which a character cannot logically escape is a Terminal Situation. Until the situation passes, any opponents within Melee Range may spend 1 action die to cause the victim to either fall unconscious or die, as appropriate to the circumstances at hand.

THIRD AGE CAMPAIGN NOTES

And so, we had forgotten What happened, none can truly say. Was it as simple as the passage of time? Divine Wrath of a forgotten god? Or did we do it to ourselves? We are a fragment of what he once was, living in the shadows of his forgotten history. In that epoch of that history, the world had another name but none are left who remember it. Genre: Dark Fantasy with aspects of Political, Epic, and Heroic Era: Reason. While the world is still filled with chaotic wilderness, nations and city-states persist. Technological progress has been in a boom due to the reverse-engineering of the Remnant artifacts that still litter the world. Outside the cities, the Era ranges from Feudal to Ancient, depending on the region in question. Alignments: see Organizations

Campaign Qualities
Larger-Than-Life Heroes Sorcery Complex Heroes Miracles (Generous, Warring) Psionics Jacks Of All Trades Deadly Combat (PCs vs. Special characters only) Backstab (PCs vs. Special characters only)

House Rules
Ranged Weapons: Reloading a 1-handed ranged weapon is a half action, while reloading a 2-handed ranged weapon is a full action; reloading a Siege Weapon is two full actions. Any feats or abilities that reduce the load quality reduce this by one step (GMs call) Favored Classes is ignored at GMs discretion. Origin Skills grant a +2 bonus to that relevant skill Subplot: Each Character starts with at least one subplot. Mending: PCs may benefit and grant the benefits of a Mend check a number of times equal to their ranks in Mend.

HISTORY IN BRIEF
Early History The earliest days of the world are a subject of debate more than they are of fact. The only thing that is concretely known is that nearly 4000 years ago, the inhabitants of the world bore witness to a singularity event that removed the memories of everyone in the world. From what little journals can be

found of that time (often called the Chaos Era), patches of memory were removed, but other memories were left intact. Most of the memories that stayed intact were what could be considered the background of a person, items to reminisce about the past via some sort of trigger. However, thats where the concrete information about those early times ends. Exactly how we forgot is a question with too many answers and no way to narrow it down. There are many theories ranging from punishment for our sins to cosmic circumstance to a more man-made claim, but no one truly knows; they can only speculate and guess. According to the records, the early years saw the world reduced to a more tribal state, groups of people from various races arranging into small tribes with no less a focus on survival, the ancient cities and relics being used as improvised shelters as people moved from place to place as hunter-gatherers evading the numerous monsters that covered the world while chasing after the game that kept us fed. Were it not for the intervention of a select few, it likely would have stayed that way The Arrival Its unknown what the specific time-frame when they first made their presence known. Most historians place it as 2000 years ago at the earliest, but everything changed with them. They were not angels or gods, but men who seemed to possess knowledge far beyond their outward appearances. Wherever they arrived, knowledge became imparted to the numerous tribes; knowledge of technology, building, advancement... civilization. They called themselves the Gaira. Little is known about the Gaira. They appeared to be humanoid, albeit with an air of displacement as if they contradicted a law of the world by existing. Even with modern advancements they would be considered geniuses, possessing vast knowledge of various fields and studies, limiting what they shared to specific entries. They claimed to number in 200, and modern research from scholars has borne this out. Additionally, they claimed to have a leader named Solomon, but all further details about the Gaira are either missing or expunged. It was a slow process, but in time the first cities began to emerge as tribes merged under their word. The Gaira were planted as prophets and leaders by their knowledge, though they refused any sort of true authority. Cities gave way to nations, leading the world to appear somewhat tamed in the wilderness that covered it. Then, as mysteriously as they arrived, they vanished without a trace, leaving the new civilizations to the then-tribes that built it, now formed into the nations which persist to this day. The Third Age The world as it is now is one of rediscovery as much as it is discovery. Technology has proceeded to a point where reverse-engineering and understanding the ancient technologies from a forgotten past. On the other side of it, this has led to an open floodgate of nations and individuals hoping to make the next big discovery to give them an edge. To compound matters, political turmoil and arguments of succession have made a world that faces the possibility of a war anew, far worse than a tussle between tribes or nations. It is in this third age that our story begins, deep into the Third Age TIMELINE (note: many of the dates are tenuous due to the lack of a concrete calendar at the time) 2000 BG The Forgetting occurs, all time before this is referred to as the Lost Age. First Age begins 1900 BG early tribes form.

1500 BG The tribes begin merging into larger forms, the 12 great Houses trace their lineage to this point. 0 BG the Gaira make their appearance. The first cities are founded. Second age begins. 100 AG The Gaira disappear, the expanding cities become the central points for the 11 Nations 900 AG large masses of city populations leave the major cities for the wilds, forming the first generation of towns 950-960 AG The city/town skirmishes. Open warfare is nearly declared by several cities in attempts to annex the towns back into the Nations. A peace treaty is established in 960 to have the towns treated as co-dependent settlements. 1000 AG Formation of the Guilds, decentralized organizations based around specific vocations. 1550 AG First instance of DMP, leading to excavation of Lost Age ruins. 1600 AG Ruin Exploration becomes an open vocation, although artifacts from ruins are unusuable for then-unknown reasons 1700 AG Discovery of bloodline codes, search for the Solomon bloodline begins 1900 AG Sophia LNeef is discovered as the first person with the Solomon bloodline. Construction on the jumproad system begins 1950 AG Jumproad system completed between the cities. Artifact race begins 2000 AG Present day

LIFE IN THE THIRD AGE

A citizen in one of the cities can live a relatively comfortable life, the advances in technology allows anyone to pursue a trade or intellectual pursuit. While racial tension exists, outright racism is somewhat rare due to the tribal ancestry of many (resulting in half-races being fairly common in the cities). In recent years, there have been a rising number of cases of people having dreams of memories absent their own experience. Scholars have dubbed this DMP, or Displaced Memory Phenomenon and many believe this is tied into the memories lost in the First Age, but that is speculation at this juncture. Outside the cities there are more racially-inclined tribes and bands, some organizing into smaller towns. These places tend to place a lot of emphasis on their racial identity and often look down on those from the cities; believing themselves more pure than their city-based counterparts. While these cities are technically in the domain of the kingdoms in question, they tend to be treated as independent territories by officials. In these towns, life is much harder due to the lack of protection the cities provide. Currently, the cities and towns have a series of uneasy alliances, but that could break at any moment.

THE REMNANTS
Artifacts of the lost age, Remnants are items containing lost magic and knowledge. With the floodgates open into a discovery race in modern times, even the weakest Remnant can be worth a large sum of money. However, many of the remnants will not function unless activated by someone of Gairan bloodline. While many of the noble families and vocational guilds can find a few in their number, they are still a valuable asset. Additionally, research on remnants has given rise to second-generation artifacts via reverse-engineering. These imitations are inferior to the real thing, but far less powerful.

THE BERYL AND SHAJAD

Also known as the Lords of Light and Darkness, the beryl and shajad are believed to be the pantheon of the lost age, each one being the opposite of the other. Arranged in 7 diametrically opposed pairs (of those discovered so far), their worship dwindled after the Forgetting, but their worship has surfaced in small amounts in recent years. Its believed that this is due to the effects of DMP, but its unknown if this is the actual religion or merely a secondhand imitation. Beryl Mikael The Divine Soul Avatar: Any Angel Paths: Hope, Light, Divinity, Purity, Life Skills: Impress, Resolve, Medicine, Sense Motive Ritual Weapon: Long Staff Opposed Alignment: Any Shajad Beryl Uriel The Spirit of Freedom Avatar: Any Angel Paths: Travel, Freedom, Liberation, Truth, Independence Skills: Acrobatics, Impress, Prestidigitation, Sneak Ritual Weapon: Boomerang Opposed Alignment: Any Shajad Beryl Gabriel Lady of Feelings Avatar: Any Angel Paths: Creativity, Making, Aesthesis, Fortune, Beauty Skills: Impress, Acrobatics, Ride, Crafting Ritual Weapon: Fan Blade Opposed Alignment: Any Shajad Beryl Rafael Mother Nature Avatar: Any Angel Paths: Nature, Beasts, Spirits, Wilderness, Magic Skills: Spellcasting, Blend, Ride, Survival Ritual Weapon: Short Bow Opposed Alignment: Any Shajad Beryl Azrael Queen of Swords Avatar: Any Angel Paths: Heroism, Honor, War, Justice, Protection Skills: Tactics, Acrobatics, Resolve, Athletics

Ritual Weapon: Longsword Opposed Alignment: Any Shajad Beryl Barakiel The Perfect Soul Avatar: Any Angel Paths: Order, Civilization, Unity, Righteousness, Moderation Skills: Impress, Intimidate, Sense Motive, Investigate Ritual Weapon: Scholars Sword Opposed Alignment: Any Shajad Shajad Zemial The End of Days Avatar: Any Demon Paths: Death, Destruction, Chaos, Shadows, Gloom Skills: Bluff, Athletics, Intimidate, Survival Ritual Weapon: Jagged Sword Opposed Alignment: Any Beryl Shajad Jedah Puppet Master Avatar: Any Demon Paths: Secrets, Deceit, Impiety, Knowledge, Civilization Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Resolve, Intimidate Ritual Weapon: Chain Opposed Alignment: Any Beryl Shajad Noah The Dark Warrior Avatar: Any Demon Paths: Strength, Order, War, Discipline, Sacrifice Skills: Intimidate, Tactics, Resolve, Survival Ritual Weapon: Claymore Opposed Alignment: Any Beryl Shajad Erebus The Shadow of Dreams Avatar: Any Demon Paths: Gloom, Magic, Fleeting Shadows, Secrets, Prophecy Skills: Spellcasting, Blend, Sneak, Intimidate Ritual Weapon: Razor Opposed Alignment: Any Beryl Shajad Abbadon The Primeval Evil Avatar: Any Demon Paths: Evil, Curses, Deceit, Impiety, Suffering Skills: Intimidate, Disguise, Sense Motive, Resolve Ritual Weapon: Blade-Cloak Opposed Alignment: Any Beryl Shajad Eriol Chaos Incarnate Avatar: Any Demon Paths: Chaos, Fortune, Magic, Beyond, Truth

Skills: Spellcasting, Impress, Intimidate, Survival Ritual Weapon: Scythe Opposed Alignment: Any Beryl

THE CITY OF ILMORA

Ilmora is a supercity-like hub of the legal, the barely legal, and the illegal. Its a city that can ruin you or give you the footing to make your mark. Government: Ilmora is run by the Triumvirate, a 3-person council. Each triumvir has control of a Shard, a distinct district which comprises one quarter of the city (the Shards and Core are roughly the size of a modern metropolis). They collectively control the Core, the central district of Eschaton. Below them are the 28 Magistrates, local governors of smaller sectors inside each Shard, with 7 more for the Core. Defense: The primary defense force in Ilmora is the Order of the Lotus, a hooded company of militia who serve the Triumverate. They function as the police of Ilmora but have a tendency towards brutality in some areas and corruption in others. They are protected from their numerous enemies by oaths of secrecy and the white masks they wear under their hoods. Each Shard has several Lotus precincts, but the quality and number of officers varies wildly from one to another. Each triumvir has their own company of Justicar, also, but these elite mercenaries answer only to their one master and serve mainly as bodyguards and special agents. Some guilds and merchant houses have mercenary hirelings as well, but these hirelings are not particularly known for their loyalty or expertise. Inns and Taverns: Ilmora has a number of notable resthouses, each reflecting the character and subculture of its particular Shard. Supplies: The largest marketplace in Ilmora is the Tradehall, located near the exit from the Fastness in the Core. The Tradehall is home to several stalls and shops owned and operated by the assorted guilds and houses of the city. As a central center of commerce, it is constantly packed with an assortment of refugees, beggars, merchants, mercenaries, nobles, courtesans, and entertainers. The Rookery is home to a number of shadier marketplaces, including the Flea Market, a rooftop bazaar that specializes in slaves and blacklisted items. The Shards: Triumvirate-devised areas of the city, each are ruled by one of the three and they tend to leave the other triumvirs to take care of their own. These Shards are the Cromlech, a gothic undercity home to the various faiths and schools of the city; the Fastness the more militaristic wing of the City; and the Rookery, the merchantile end of the city. They also jointly rule over the Shard known as the Core, the lavish and political center of the city and their base of power. The Guilds: Numerous vocations in the city have an associated guild which regulates its activity. In order to operate in that vocation you need the proper license, unlicensed work is treated as a serious crime. If one is caught. The most popular one is the Adventurers guild, whose license is required for exploring ruins in search of Remnants.

ROLEPLAYING IN THE THIRD AGE

The Third Age, and more specifically the city of Ilmora, are intended to be portrayed as steampunk fantasy with aspects of other genres. Magic, miracles, and psionics are something that is not readily

available, but can be via certain processes. Chiefly among those processes are the Gairan bloodline and the Remnants, both first and second generation. Available Species: Human, Dwarf, Elf. Splinter Races on GMs call. Alignments: The Beryl and the Shajad When making your character, it is important to ask the following questions (bear in mind not all of them must be answered). Additionally, take special note if you were born in Ilmora, one of its neighboring towns, or if you came from another city: What emotion best describes your character? Find one primary emotion your character expresses. Try to use a colorful, specific word to describe it. For instance, instead of angry you might say vengeful or raging, or instead of happy you might say cheerful or exhalting. What emotion does your character evoke in others? How do others react to you? Do you impress, scare, calm, excite, or perhaps annoy? Again try to find the most specific term you can. Is this reaction different between friends and enemies? What does your character need most? If your character had everything he or she needed, why go on an adventure? Most peoples needs are fairly universal, although they can change over time. Common needs are survival, security, companionship, esteem, romance, family, or wisdom. Consider what your characters starting needs are, and where you want them to be by the end of the adventure or campaign. It helps to establish this need with the GM, to ensure it fits with the themes of the game. What is your characters goal in life? This should be the principle, underlying motivation for everything your character thinks, says, and does. If your character were lying on the brink of death, what makes him or her cling to life? What could your character lose that he or she would consider worse than death? This goal is often broad, and sometimes unachievable. Whatever the nature of the goal, it should be something your character can strive for his or her entire life. The best goals are ones that can be threatened, as they will help create more compelling adventures. Ideas include justice, revenge, protecting loved ones, redeeming ones self, or gaining some kind of power. When you think of something, ask yourself why? to make sure it isnt because of some larger, more important goal. How does your character believe this goal can be accomplished? Because the goal can often be ideological, the method to achieving it is sometimes equally insubstantial. Your characters methods should be strongly tied to beliefs (or lack of beliefs), and primarily be a decision of lifestyle. A character bent on revenge might consider perfecting a fighting discipline, while a character devoted to a cause might consider a religious or philosophical doctrine. Where did your character come from? Consider your characters initial roots, before he or she was a teenager. These times are what shape your character the most. Who were your parents? Where did you live? What was your familys economic and social status? How were you educated? What were the three most important lessons you learned? When did you grow up? Everyone begins taking responsibility for their own lives at different times and in different ways. Describe the events related to when your character started taking care of him- or herself. What values does your character hold? Name three things your character considers sacred, and three things he or she is ideologically opposed to. These things will usually stem from a combination of your goals and your personal history. Consider especially where the values came from. Was your character taught these values? Did they develop as a reaction to something your character considered noble or diabolical? Establish lines that your character will not cross in pursuit of his or her goal to add challenge to playing your character.

How does your character dress? Start generally with an overall statement of the quality of your characters appearance, such as projected social status, trade, common activities, or how groomed or slovenly your character is. Begin to hone in on telling details, especially those things that most people take for granted. How exactly does your character style his or her hair? What decorative articles does your character wear, such as jewelry, decorated buttons or buckles, a belt, gloves, etc.?One especially telling detail is footwear. Describe in detail what your character wears on his or her feet, including cut, tightness or looseness, heel height, sole hardness or softness, lacing/buckling/tying or lack thereof, toe shape (square, round, pointed?), color, material, shininess, cleanliness, repair or disrepair, and any other details you can think of. What are your characters means? Consider all the resources your character has. This should include material resources such as money and property, social resources such as friends and allies, and personal resources such as skill, courage, strength, wits, etc. It might help to make a list of all your characters resources that he or she might use to overcome adversity. Consider challenges like fights, puzzles, traveling, persuading (and being persuaded), and any others. What are your characters personal tastes? Name at least three things your character enjoys for no reason other than personal preference. A good place to start is with each of the five senses. Consider a sound, smell, taste, feeling, or sight that is uniquely pleasing to your character. Also consider activities such as hobbies or habits. Name three things your character dislikes, as well. What are your characters opinions? Decide upon at least three major aspects of local society and your characters opinion on them. This could be generalizations such as rich or poor people, more specific areas like a particular political or religious group, or very specific things like a prominent individual or an aspect of the characters job. Check with your GM for relevant things in the campaign to have opinions about. What is your characters comfort zone? What environment, activity, or mindset puts your character at ease? This can add a lot of color to your character during stressful moments, as he or she will have a place to go or a thing to do at these times. It helps to have a comfort zone broken up into the above parts so at least some of it is portable. Who has had the biggest impact on your characters life? Name and briefly describe at least one person who had a significant impact on how your character perceives the world today. You can name more than one, but they should each reflect different aspects of your characters beliefs. Use this as a reference point when your character has to make difficult decisions (i.e., What would so-and-so do?). What are some of your characters unexpected quirks? Name three things that are unexpected about the way your character behaves, such as things that go against his or her normal social status, age, or trade. How about three unexpected talents or abilities like being able to sing, or knowing some trivial knowledge, or being good at math? Three things your character cant do that most other people can such as whistling, swimming, or reading well? How about three things your character fears, such as heights, dogs, or insects?