In this post, I’ll draw up a second/professional level acolyte for players to use when they don’t have a character ready to play. Characters get to buy one of each type of character element per level, so we will add two more attribute points, skill points, and perks in each section. In addition, the PC will get two hero points to spend at the beginning of each day.

The character concept is a fun mental exercise; just make suggestions about a character you think would be interesting to play. It’s pretty easy to tie your character elements, which you determine later, to your concept, and you can come back and change your concept at any time.

Concept: Adrianne is the daughter of a war-priestess. Her upbringing was conflicted; a daughter is a gift from the god of war, but also a burden because war-priestesses have the choice to give their children up or raise them alone, in order to not burden the other war-priestesses. Adrianne learned early on that focus would bring her greater blessing and keep her out of trouble in order to avoid her mother’s ire.

Goal: convert others to the faith of war.
Flaw: she gets tunnel vision when she focuses on a task.
Hero points: a short prayer gives her weapon magical guidance, even in darkness.

Now that we know who the acolyte is, we can pick out the remaining character elements with relative ease.

Of her three attributes, Metaphysical best represents the faith that makes her a good acolyte, so that gets her highest score (12). Being a bit on the smaller side, her lowest score goes to Physical (8), which leaves her middle score (10) for Mental. Lots of combat training brings up her Physical score with her two bonus points.

Attribute scores: P 10, M 10, MP 12
Bonuses: P 0, M, 0, MP +1

Adrianne is an able combatant, but she spent even more time learning war-magic, so she spends her two skill points on two magic skills: shell 1, and cure 1.

Skills: magic (shell 1), magic (cure 1)

She took more benefit from her defensive combat training than offense, so Adrianne takes the Armor Training perk for brigandine armor: the war-acolyte’s armor of choice. The Tough perk increases her max physical damage by four points, which will be a sign of her increased combat endurance.

Perks: armor training (brigandine), tough (14)

War-priests, and their acolytes, complement their brigandine armor with morningstars and large shields (the latter since they spend little time on horseback). Since the morningstar is a crude instrument, Adrianne affixes a small charm to her weapon to remind her and others of her faith: a silver token (shaped like an ancient elf-glyph). Note that her armor and shield reduce her physical score while increasing her protection and defense.

Gear: morningstar d8, brigandine armor d8 (d6, pp2), large shield (4 parry, pp1)

The acolyte’s sheet is complete. Adrianne’s favorite pastime is showing others the importance of learning to defend themselves. She uses her Shell spell in unknown circumstances (when attacks could also be Mental or Metaphysical, like in spell combat), and likes to start combat by using a hero point on her morningstar to intimidate foes. Her defensive prowess makes her well-suited to hold the line (door) while her allies regroup or retreat, and she can bless (cure 1) allies before or after combat to ensure survival.

Character sheet:

Adrianne the acolyte of war, level 2
Concept: Adrianne is the daughter of a war-priestess. Her upbringing was conflicted; a daughter is a gift from the god of war, but also a burden because war-priestesses have the choice to give their children up or raise them alone, in order to not burden the other war-priestesses. Adrianne learned early on that focus would bring her greater blessing and keep her out of trouble in order to avoid her mother’s ire.
Goal: convert others to the faith of war.
Flaw: she gets tunnel vision when she focuses on a task.
Hero points: a short prayer gives her weapon magical guidance, even in darkness.
P 7 (10), M 10, MP 12
Skills: magic (shell 1), magic (cure 1)
Perks: armor training (brigandine), tough (11)
Gear: morningstar d8, brigandine armor d8 (d6, pp2), large shield (4 parry, pp1)