Challenge

Character Creation in Age of Intrigue
Character Creation Application Rank Period Names Wealth Level Housing Benefit Challenge Skill Religion Politics Country of Origin Reputation Fashion Inventory

Basic RP in Age of Intrigue
Basic RP Rules Rules of Realism Timekeeping Posting Rate

Definition

A challenge is a disadvantage for your character at creation, and a role playing tool during the game. You must select enough challenges to balance the number of benefits you have, so that everybody starts equally. During the game your success will depend on how you manage to offset these challenges by your roleplayed actions. This may be reflected in your reputation.

Playing a Challenge

See Also Mischief Request Thread

Every character needs challenges. Perfect characters are boring to play and to play with, and real people have deficits in their character as well as positives. A well chosen and well played challenge rounds out your character and makes them much more interesting to read.

It is tempting when creating a character to select the most minor challenges available as none of us like to see our character in difficult situations, or with a ruined reputation, but this approach not only defeats the purpose of challenges but creates a very flat and two-dimensional character. Likewise it is all too easy to avoid situations where one's PC's challenges come into play, because we don't want them to get into negative situations, but that's not really embracing the fullness of your character. Everyone has faults, no one is perfect.

A more rewarding approach is to look at the kind of character you are trying to create, and see what challenges fit best with your character concept. When played these challenges then add to the overall impression of your character, giving them a rounded personality and circumstances. It also makes them more enjoyable to read, gives them a greater depth of character and may well open opportunities that would not otherwise have been available to your character. The gambler might find fellow kindred and establish an elite clique, the character with low alcohol tolerance might become known as the life of the party.

Playing one's character's challenges realistically makes one's character more real and makes others relate to and notice them more. Everyone likes to have their efforts noticed by other players and to see their character through the eyes of another character. When someone else writes about their character noticing yours, you always feel good and know that your writing efforts have made an impact.

The way your character’s challenges affect them and what situations might result from them depend entirely on how they are played, and other players and moderators alike enjoy a well played challenge.

Minor and Major

To help you judge if your own sheet is not "too easy" or "too difficult" for play we have given some challenges and benefits the distinction minor or major. In general flaws or boons that depend entirely on the role playing of a character will be minor. You can count on major flaws to be mercilessly upheld by the moderators.

Please note that we'll be calculating if your sheet balances up. The formula is as follows

• 0,5 for a minor benefit or challenge
• 1 for a standard benefit or challenge
• 2 for a major benefit or challenge

We prefer if you aim for no more than 4 points. The sum of benefit - challenge should be 0.

Characters should have at least one major challenge in their list, and no more than 2 minor ones, and only one of them physical.

List of Challenges

Benefit Overview

Name	Feminine Challenge	Masculine Challenge
Physical
Abnormal Looking/Unattractive	0,5	0,5
Addiction	0,5	0,5
Allergy	0,5	0,5
Bully	0,5	0,5
Clumsy	0,5	0,5
Disturbing Mannerism	0,5	0,5
Drunk	0,5	0,5
Fanatic	0,5	0,5
Fury	0,5	0,5
Mania/Phobia	0,5	0,5
Naive	0,5	0,5
Paranoid	0,5	0,5
Poor Senses	0,5	0,5
Shy	0,5	0,5
Sickly	0,5	0,5
Strong Accent	0,5	0,5
Weakling	0,5	0,5
Low Alcohol Tolerance	0,5	1
Financial
Poverty	3	3
Gambler	0,5	0,5
Status
Commoner	2	2
Illegitimate	2	2
Openly Catholic/Puritan/Muslim/Jew	1	2
Covertly Catholic/Puritan/Muslim/Jew	0,5	1
Anything other than Anglican, non-extremist protestant	0,5	0,5
Foreigner	1	1
Orphan	1	1
Out of Favor	1	1
Other
Beholden	1-2	1-2
Dark Secret/Blackmail	1-2	1-2
Enemy	1-2	1-2
Estrangement	1-2	1-2
Feud	1-2	1-2
Reputation	1	1

See Also

• Benefit
• Skill