Party and Legend Creation

SUMMARY

The steps listed below are explained in greater detail below.

STEP 0: GROUP DECISIONS: The Monitor and other players discuss what sort of game they wish to play. It’s recommended that everyone have a hand in these matters.

Setting Details: The group should discuss the setting of the game. While Legendary offers a few assumptions and factions, they may be re-flavored, discarded, or reimagined as desired. When making these decisions, it is recommended to leave room for things to be discovered or left up in the air.

Party Background: The group should decide the party type. (Pioneer, Refugee, Researchers, Mass Warfare, Special Operations, etc). This decision defines the core gameplay loop for the Monitor, as well as establishing a tone for the setting.

Additionally, the group should decide party species/background composition: humans, aliens, AI, or a mixture.

Path Points: The group should decide the power level of the game by choosing the starting Path Points.

STEP 1: SPECIES, HERITAGE, IDENTITY AND HOMEWORLD This step will generate where your character is from and what Paths are available to them

A player first chooses a Legend’s background, whether human, alien, or AI. Players choose their two Starting Bonds. Players then choose their Heritage and Identity. Players Roll to determine their blood type handedness. Players choose or create their starting homeworld

STEP 2: CHARACTER CREATION: PATHS During Lifepath, your Legend will pick Paths that reflect their experiences and story up to the beginning of your adventure. It is encouraged that players generate Legends together, with each player picking one Path at a time, as perhaps Legends’ paths have crossed before. Paths will give changes to stats, skills, specialties, and provide Bonds, Boosts, Banes, and more.

Roll for starting ability scores and work through your character’s life. Players take turns choosing Paths and summarize their encounters with each other to form their Bonds.

STEP 3: DERIVED STATISTICS After LifePath generation, a Legend’s Hit Points, Willpower Points, Thought Actions, Quickness Actions, and Luck Points, are derived from their ability scores.

STEP 4: OBJECTIVES Players define Objectives that they are striving towards. These Objectives can change over time, but having a few starting goals will help the Monitor and all players to pull on narrative threads.

STEP 5: STARTING SITUATION

STEP 0: GROUP DECISIONS

As an option, the Monitor may have already decided these and should tell the party what sort of game they want to run, lending to the feeling of discovery by the players.

The Monitor may have prepared an adventure path or sandbox-style module, but the players should be made aware of the setting in order to create characters or choose from pre-generated characters.

SETTING DISCUSSION While Legendary offers a narrative sandbox, groups should decide which elements of the setting are interesting and that they want to explore and engage with.

What are the most interesting aspects of the setting that you want to engage in? These should give you a good idea of what excites everyone and inform the party focus. Are there any setting details that you would like to develop more together? These should tell you about dangling plot threads that players want to pursue Are there any setting details that do not interest you and you would like to ignore? These tell you what players are not interested in, and what components to use sparingly, if at all.

PARTY FOCUS After selecting setting features, the group of players, including the Monitor, must come to an agreement about the sort of group that their Legends will be working together in. This does a few things: Sets the expectations for what sort of game the Monitor will run Provides a reason for player characters to be working together Creates groups or organizations that new player characters can be drawn from in the event of character death.

A few suggestions are below:

Fighting and Combat

• Mass Warfare
  Enlisted soldiers and their officers on the war’s frontlines, be it a fireteam, platoon, squadron, company, or other tactical-level unit. Gameplay Loop: Battles, and Patrols

• Special Operations
  Elite soldiers and spies fighting clandestine wars with special weapons and tactics. Gameplay Loop: Missions, Battles

• Special Assignment
  The party might be a combination of soldiers, civilians, aliens, and/or AI assembled for their expertise to accomplish a special assignment. Gameplay Loop: Research, Missions

Exploration and Trade

• Pioneers Explorers pushing the limits of expansion on the universe. Gameplay Loop: Journeys, Camping, Construction

• Freetraders Scavengers, entrepreneurs, scalliwags, scum, and sometimes villains out to make a profit Gameplay Loop: Journeys, Bartering, Battles, Escapes

• Researchers Scientists and corporations looking for breakthroughs in their fields. Gameplay Loop: Research, Fieldwork

Mixed Party

• Refugees Ordinary folks attempting to survive catastrophic circumstances Gameplay Loop: Journeys, Escapes

PATH POINTS
The game’s Monitor will, with the help of the players, decide how many Path Points to utilize when choosing Paths during Lifepath character generation.

Path Points are a way to equalize characters in a rough and approximate way; characters will not be equal, but they will be equally capable.

The recommended number of Path Points is either 6 or 7.

PATH POINT VARIATIONS
Outside of uniform starts, where everyone receives the same number of starting Path Points, some variations are possible. Below are a few examples of how to play games with varying levels of Path Points between Legends.

Donations: determine a starting number of Path Points, and then players may donate Path Points to others to make ideal characters. In this variation, some characters may be stronger than others.

Satisfactory: players ignore Path Points entirely, venturing through Paths until they make a character that they want to play. This is a somewhat organic variation that could lead to wildly imbalanced characters.

Lone Wolf and Cub: for two player games. One player has significantly more Path Points than the other, prompting one Legend to be something of a protector for the other.

Milestone: This is the typical advancement rules. The Monitor dictates the number of starting points and play continues as normal. When play reaches a point of significance, the party uses the Downtime rules to move forward in time over a period of years, allowing characters to undergo appropriate Paths.

PATH POINTS CHART

STEP 1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Species and Background Heritage and Identity Starting Bonds

SPECIES AND BACKGROUND

Legendary allows for players of different species or backgrounds, including humans, aliens, and AI. Each background has different rules for creating characters.

Consult with the group and the Monitor to see what sort of game you are playing and if having a mixed party is even possible; what setting details your group chose to include may mean that after a rocky first contact, hatred and malice might sometimes make having a group of mixed species or backgrounds impossible. Some groups may find engaging with this dynamic interesting, others off putting.

However, the universe is large, and this is your game. If players decide that they want to have the galaxy’s first interspecies pirate squad, they’re more than encouraged to.

HOME

Pick a place where your Legend was born.

HERITAGE AND IDENTITY

Choose your Legends’ heritage and identity. There is no gameplay or setting restrictions that constrain your character’s race, culture, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Your heritage may be a reflection of their lineage.

BLOOD TYPE

Roll a d100

HANDEDNESS

Roll a d100.

BONDS

Bonds are characters in your Legend’s life that they maintain a vital relationship with. Some Paths provide Bonds.

Bonds a reason that your Legend presses on when situations become otherwise unbearable.

Whenever possible, choose another Legend as a Bond, working with that Legend’s player to establish their history together.

STARTING BONDS

Your Legend begins the Lifepath process with two up to Devoted Bonds representing your earliest familial connection. These might be your parents (biological or adopted) or someone important to your Legend early on in life. Bonds may be gained or lost during the Lifepath process.

STARTING BONDS WEALTH

Make a Luck test. See WEALTH below for more explanation.

Crit: Your starting Bonds can have up to the [Major Wealth] trait Success: Your starting Bonds can have up to the [Unusual Wealth] trait Failure: Your starting Bonds can have up to the [Standard Wealth] trait Fumble: Your starting Bonds have the [Poor Wealth] trait.

INCREASING BOND DISPOSITION DURING PATHS

If a Path would have you gain a Bond at a disposition higher than a Bond you currently have, you may change the lower dispo from an existing Bond to the new higher dispo instead of adding a new, different Bond. This narratively reflects a Bond becoming stronger over time during Lifepath character creation.

STEP 2: PATHS

Legends follow a LifePath, a series of events and happenings in their life that represent their skills, knowledge, and abilities. These events are reflected by Paths, a life experience that defines the Legend and influences how they experience the universe.

But be warned: life is an anomaly, and suffering is universal. While a Legend may not die during this process, they may come away with grievous injury or affliction.

OPTIONAL RULE: AGING

Players could choose to reflect age by altering ability scores, reallocating ability score points on a 1-for-1 basis each time a Path is taken, if so desired and the Monitor permits.

ROLL ABILITY SCORES

Roll 1d6+6. Assign this score to an ability. Repeat until you have assigned all six scores. Some Paths are limited by your ability scores.

TAKING PATHS

Taking a Path is how characters progress during the Lifepath process. Paths grant ability score and skill point gains, special training, Boosts, Banes, and other character features. Unless otherwise noted, during lifepath character generation, all ability scores max out at 18 and all skills cap at 90%.

A Path takes a specified amount of time; however, for the purposes of character creation this exact time is kept in flux for party timeline cohesion. Later, the time characteristic of Paths may reflect whether your character may take a Path as part of Downtime.

CHOOSING PATHS

Every Legend begins by taking a single Born Path, followed by a single Adolescent Path (some exceptions exist, but these are highlighted in individual Paths). After the Born and Adolescent Paths, take Paths until the agreed-upon Path Point maximum value has been reached.

Each Path also comes with a Closure test, which typically calls for a skill or ability test that determines the outcome of this Path.

OPTIONAL RULE: ALTERNATIVE CLOSURE TESTS

• GUARANTEED CLOSURE OUTCOMES: To fully build the characters that are desired, the Monitor may give a number of Closure outcomes to help guarantee a build, such as giving 2 Crits, 3 Successes, 1 Failure, and 1 Fumble for a 7 Path Point generation model, as an example.

• GUARANTEED SUCCESS: For easier character creation, consider taking the Success on a Closure test instead of rolling.

• PLAYER CHOICE: Remove the aspects of fate from Closure entirely by allowing players to choose the outcome of a Closure test based on what looks the most interesting to them.

UNDERSTANDING PATHS

Each Path has sections that should be followed or denoted in the order that they appear:

Traits Prerequisites Path Points Time Specialty Ability Scores Skills Bonus Detriment Closure Leads

Traits

Paths use traits as denoted in [brackets] to note what Paths are available when and to help a player to make more informed decisions about Paths.
Traits will be explained more below.

Uncommon Traits

[born] - the earliest years of your life, up until about the age of 8. Legends only get one [born] Path. An [adolescent] Path must immediately follow a Born path. City Upbringing Rural Upbringing Spacer Upbringing Orphan Upbringing

[adolescent] - your childhood growing up, from about the age of 8-18. Legends typically only get one [adolescent] Path and must take one immediately after a [born] Path. When a Legend undergoes their one [adolescent] path, you may choose to treat a fumbled Closure roll as a failure instead. Athlete Criminal Entertainer Farmer Indoctrination Journeyman Refugee Spacer Student Youth

[elite] - gated Paths that favor either the richest or most talented Legends with high rewards and some safety nets for failure. Elite Paths come with a minimum gain of one tier of Unusual Wealth, and some grant even larger gains of Wealth. Contractor Private Sector

[special] - these Paths usually have a prerequisite or are taken as a reward or consequence of other Path’s Closure tests. A rule of thumb is that access to these Paths can be given in place of a Closure test, at the discretion of the Monitor. Indoctrination Headhunter High Risk Mission Military Academy Military Promotion Military Retirement Pilot School Police Career

[training] - Paths with this trait give a normal amount of skill points, or a concentration of certain skills combined with Specialties or Boosts. They typically broaden either a Legend’s usage of skills via gaining Specialties, or large gains in skill ratings. Training Paths typically do not increase a Legend’s Wealth but are likely to point a Legend towards future Wealth. Basic Military Training Advanced Military Training Doctoral Degree Indoctrination Graduate Degree Medical School Military Academy Pilot School Police Academy Superhuman Selection and Training

Common Traits

[general] - the [general] Paths are available to anyone at any time, unless noted differently via a Prerequisite or as a result of a Closure test. Breakup/Divorce Children Criminal Imprisonment Leave Marriage Professional Promotion Relationship Rivalry Ship Ownership Tragedy

[civilian] - Paths with the civilian trait are the most common. The universe is open to anyone trying something different at any time, but success is not always guaranteed. Civilian Paths are not available to Legends who have taken a [military] Path as their most recent Path, unless otherwise noted. Athlete Basic Military Training Bureaucrat Contractor Criminal Doctoral Degree Entertainer Farmer Freedom Fighter Graduate Degree Investigation Intelligence Asset Journeyman Offgrid Medical School Pilot School Police Academy Police Career Political Office Privateer Privatee Sector Professional Career Renegade Refugee Spacer Student Teaching Technical School Undercover Undergraduate Degree Youth

[academic] - Paths related to schooling will typically reward more skill points while having a harsh but non-dangerous Closure test. Traits with the [academic] trait are only eligible for someone who has achieved a Success Closure test outcome from the Undergraduate Degree Path. Doctoral Degree Graduate Degree
Medical School Military Academy Teaching Undergraduate Degree

[criminal] - Paths that operate outside of the confines of the law can be rewarding, but typically have a higher risk and bad consequences to your Legend’s sense of freedom if the Closure test goes poorly. A [criminal] Path is typically done to increase personal wealth, meaning that a [criminal] Path has the option of earning at least Unusual Wealth. A criminal Path can be taken at any time during a Legend’s lifepath, but any Path with the [criminal] trait results in the Imprisonment Path as a consequence of a Closure test Fumble. Criminal Freedom Fighter Intelligence Asset Privateer Renegade

[military] - Paths with the [military] trait can have dangerous Closure tests. Closure tests that go poorly can have physical and mental consequences for your Legend. When you take a Path with the [military] trait, you must continue to take Paths with the [military] trait until you muster out, retire, or take a special assignment. Paths with this trait also give your Legend access to military equipment as long as your Legend stays in good standing with their employer. Wealth from [military] Paths is determined by a Legend’s rank. See MILITARY RANKS for more Advanced Military Training Basic Military Training Headhunter High Risk Mission Indoctrination Intelligence Officer Career Military Academy Military Retirement Peacetime Military Career Special Forces Career Special Forces Selection and Training Superhuman Selection and Training Wartime Military Career

[public service] - [public service] Paths involve working for the betterment of people. They are usually done for a governmental patron, and it can be expected to deal with a fair amount of bureaucratic red tape before anything can be accomplished. Public service Paths usually do not have dangerous Closure tests, and very rarely bring personal wealth, unless the [elite] trait is present. Police Career Political Office

[promotion] - these Paths typically reflect a higher level of Wealth and responsibility for your Legend moving forward Professional Promotion Military Promotion

[law enforcement] - Paths with the [law enforcement] trait can have dangerous Closure tests. Paths with this trait also give your Legend access to restricted equipment, powers of arrest, and the backing of a governmental authority as long as your Legend stays in good standing. Police Academy Police Career

[espionage] - similar to [criminal] traits, Paths with the [espionage] trait have a high risk. They can go very wrong during Closure, but have political elements, as they are usually sanctioned by governmental, corporate, or other ideological group sources. Headhunter Intelligence Asset Intelligence Officer Career Undercover

Prerequisite

This Path has an additional barrier or cost, typically accessed through Crits on closure rolls from other paths or having other requirements before this Path can be taken. Not every path has a prerequisite.

Path Points

This is the number of Path Points that a Path costs, unless specified otherwise.

Time

This value is expressed in either Weeks, Months, and Years. This value is primarily used during Downtime, so that Legends may have further chances at development and longer-term improvement. Otherwise, Time is abstracted so that Legends can keep track of their age. For more, see AGING below.

Aging In Legendary, age has no effect on ability score, skills, or other mechanical game functions; it is purely a narrative aspect of a Legend. Every Path lists an amount of time that it takes. It is suggested that your age and date of birth be entered after finishing character creation.

Specialty

This section lists Specialties that are granted. If a Path would grant a Specialty that your Legend already has, your Legend may gain another Specialty from the same skill that they qualify for, or a Specialty from a different skill with the same traits.

Ability Scores

This section lists additions and/or subtractions to a Legend’s current ability score.

Skills

This section lists additions and/or subtractions to a Legend’s skills. These changes occur to the skill’s base value or current value, if the current value is higher. Skills cannot exceed 90% during the LifePath process Increases to the Legend skill are only available to certain Paths. Other Legendary supplemental settings may also introduce unique skills, such as Ancestor in Legendary:Second Contact. Unless noted, these skills not eligible for improvement.

Bonus

This represents unique things that your Legend gains, usually Wealth, new Bonds or Boosts.

Any Bonds gained have the same level of Wealth that your character has at the time that the Bond is gained, unless otherwise noted.

Boosts are special aspects of your Legend that allow them to interact with the world in different ways, often manipulating rule mechanics. See BOOSTS for more details and a list.

Detriment

This represents negative things that happen on this Path, usually Bonds lost or Banes gained. Not every Path has a detriment.

Closure

This lists a skill or ability score to be tested, as a way to determine how well your Legend did during this part of their life. The outcome of the test determines what happens next.

Outcomes are listed in bullet points, usually with a flavor text. These outcomes should be viewed through a narrative lens, offering players a chance to explain what the outcome meant during that part of their Legend’s life. Some outcomes have decisions for the player to make, usually listed as bullet points within the outcomes.

The values below are adjudicated based on a success gradient, the same as other tests in the game:

• Crit
• Success
• Failure
• Fumble It is important to note that the Closure test occurs at the very end of a Path after any changes to ability scores and skills so Legends have a better chance of success.

OPTIONAL RULE: CRITS ON CLOSURE
If your Legend scores a critical success on a closure outcome, consider taking some of these more generic outcomes instead or (or in addition to) the Crit outcome. These options should make narrative sense; confer with the Monitor if unsure:

• Vacation: Immediately take the Leave Path
• Connections: Gain access to a Path your Legend might not have been able to take otherwise. Make sure the Monitor approves.
• Wealth: Undergo a Path that your Legend meets the prerequisites for with “Promotion” in the name
• Rival: Immediately undergo the Rivalry path
• Best Friend: Gain a Devoted Bond
• Practice: Gain a Boost with the [skill] trait
• Lucky: Gain a Boost with the [luck] trait

OPTIONAL RULE: FUMBLES ON CLOSURE
If your Legend scores a critical failure on a closure outcome, consider taking some of these more generic outcomes instead or (or in addition to) the Fumble outcome. These options should make narrative sense; confer with the Monitor if unsure:

• Tragedy: Immediately take the Tragedy Path
• Invasion: Immediately take the High Risk Mission Path
• Scandal: Lose access to a Path your Legend would have been able to take otherwise, or you are not able to take the same Path again immediately
• Instability: Choose one: Lose a tier of your current Wealth, lose your Ship (if you have one)
• Loss: Lose a Bond
• Disorder: Gain a Bane
• Major Injury: Lose 1d4 from two ability scores

Leads

Leads show recommended Paths first. Available Paths may be affected based on the outcome of the Closure test

CREATE A PATH

If there is not a specific Path that matches what a player wants for a Legend, a player may work together with the Monitor to create one. Paths are usually a reflection of the experiences from that slice of a Legend’s life. Some general guidelines are provided here

PATH TEMPLATE

Path Points: 0 if it is a life event, 1 if it is a normal path that simulates lots of development Time: usually listed as months or years. Time does not always equate to gains in other areas proportionately. Short trainings can have a large impact and take only months, such as pilot school or basic military Specialty: assign some traits for Specialties, but consider that Specialties may come from reaching a 20% threshold as well Ability Scores: Most paths offer from 4-7 points worth of combined ability score gains. Skills: Most paths offer from 50 to 70 skill points. Bonus: figure Wealth increases, any Bonds and their level, and any Boosts and their traits Detriment: Was there a loss or setback? Same considerations as Bonus Closure: Most tests are made with skills Crit: Give a bonus or allow for more choices from the Success outcome Success: Give a bonus or pick one or two items from a list Failure: Either nothing happens (good or bad), or allow only one pick from the success list Fumble: Something bad happens. Leads: list what traits the next eligible Path should have, or have that be part of Closure

PATHS

See the specific setting guide for available Path choices.