Character Creation

San Fransisco is a vibrant and diverse town, and its Awakened counterpart, the Golden City, is much the same. Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating your character that are not optional to consider:

Though Golden Gateways is a period group, it is also fantasy. We will not be tolerating any racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or any other form of bigotry, no matter how period-specific. Elements of this may be included in character histories, but will not be present in actual roleplays.

Golden Gateways is plot-optional and character driven. Though there will be an overarching plot, you are not required to participate in it to any extent other than participating in events! The main idea is to have a spooky, period styled semi-casual group with a focus on roleplay first. Monthly activity checks will be implemented, and you will be askedto leave if you do not participate at all!

Canon is a jumping-off point. We are not aiming to stick totally to World of Darkness canon, and if you have an idea for a species or character that doesn't quite fit into the canon, please run it by a mod! We'll figure out how to make it happen for you. Don't feel limited by the World of Darkness catalogue.

We aim to create a rich, diverse group with dynamic and fun characters. That being said, please be careful when selecting a culturally significant creature to roleplay. Some creatures from closed cultures will not be accepted, including the w*ndigo/w*ndigoag, and other indigenous folkloric creatures. This will be considered if the player is of that culture. When in doubt, feel free to refer to the official World of Darkness species list for inspiration!

The following is a breakdown of the written portion of the application. This application is to be filled out completely, and any extra information you'd like to add can be added. Feel free to format this application in any way you want, as long as all the information is present. Below the first breakdown is the breakdown of the NPC application!

Name: your character's name! you can also include aliases and nicknames here.

Age: all characters must be 18+.

Gender: include pronouns please!

Species: the species your character belongs to, including their clan (kindred), tribe (fera), or a specific type if it applies.
Affiliation: the faction of the Golden City that your character is aligned with. for more info on factions, scroll to the bottom of the Glossary page.

Occupation: the job your character performs.

Attributes:

attributes are the measures of your character's physical, mental, and social skills. the minimum in each category is one and the maximum in each category is five. the meaning of each point level is as follows: 1 point is poor, 2 points is average, 3 points is good, 4 points is exceptional, and 5 points is outstanding. Anything above 5 is supernatural. you have 24 points to distribute, or 8 points per section. for more info on stats, check out the mechanics page!

Intelligence: ◌◌◌◌◌

intelligence refers to your character's schooling, booksmarts, and general classical intelligence. intelligence will determine checks made to know history, lore, and other academic questions.

Wits: ◌◌◌◌◌

wits refers to your character's street smarts, cleverness, and problem solving. wits will determine checks made to solve problems creatively or unorthodoxly.

Resolve: ◌◌◌◌◌

resolve refers to your character's determination and will of mind. resolve determines how affected a character is by magic, the abilities of other characters, and stressful/frightening situations.

Strength: ◌◌◌◌◌

strength refers to your character's physical strength. it's pretty cut and dry and will determine the outcomes of physical fights and feats of strength.

Dexterity: ◌◌◌◌◌

dexterity refers to your character's agility and nimbleness. it will determine how fast your character can move, how likely they are to dodge, and sleight of hand feats.

Stamina: ◌◌◌◌◌

stamina refers to your character's physical endurance, how long they can stay standing, and how many hits they can take. see mechanics for how stamina affects HP.

Charisma: ◌◌◌◌◌

charisma refers to your character's people skills, as well as their ability to blend in with the Sleepers. characters with high charisma will have an easier time blending in with the Sleepers.

Presence: ◌◌◌◌◌

presence refers to your character's appearance and aura. characters with high presence cast an intimidating air and have an easier time getting what they want through menacing means.

Composure: ◌◌◌◌◌

composure refers to your character's ability to remain cool under pressure, lie, stay hidden, and other sneaky methods.

Disciplines:

disciplines are used to refer to the abilities, either innate or learned, that your character possesses. at character creation, each character has access to two tier one disciplines of their choice, whether it be passive, primary, or supportive. each tier is progressively more powerful than the last, and anything past tier one must be purchased. passive disciplines are abilities that are permanent and cannot be turned off, such as a werewolf's immense physical strength or a vampire's keen sense of smell. primary disciplines are generally attack and combat-based abilities that must be activated, either consciously or unconsciously, and are often either defensive or offensive to be used in battle. examples include a shapeshifter's transformation, or a vampire's fangs. supportive disciplines are categorized as abilities that aide either the user or their allies. help is a broad term, and can be anything from a healing factor to a manipulative or illusory ability. be as creative as you want, but feel free to refer to the world of darkness or other ttrpg playbooks wiki for ideas and inspiration! disciplines are subject to mod approval, and you may be asked to change them for balance purposes.

Passive Disciplines:

II
III

Primary Disciplines:

III

Supportive Disciplines:

III

Boons: boons are innate advantages your character has due to their species, such as an affinity for water or darkness. please list three. boons cannot offer a stat bonus.

Banes: banes are the opposite, and are innate weaknesses your character has due to their species, such as a sensitivity to silver or sunlight.

Personality: please list and explain at least three positive, negative, and neutral traits.

History: this can be private or public, and should detail a) your character's entire life, b) how they ended up in San Fransisco, and c) a small blurb about their current state of affairs.

Trivia: anything else you'd like to add!

RP Info: your name, pronouns, preferences, etc.

NPC TEMPLATE

NPCs have a different role in the group than regular characters. They are cheaper to obtain, cannot gain more abilities than their base, and cannot earn doubloons from events. Any doubloons gained from NPC art or roleplays are halved in value. There is no limit to NPCs, and they are meant to be fun extras that can help further along plotlines.

Name: your character's name! you can also include aliases and nicknames here.

Age: all characters must be 18+.

Gender: include pronouns please!

Species: the species your character belongs to, including their clan (kindred), tribe (fera), or a specific type if it applies.

Affiliation: the faction of the Golden City that your character is aligned with. for more info on factions, scroll to the bottom of the Glossary page.

Occupation: the job your character performs.

Attributes:

Intelligence: ◌◌◌◌◌

intelligence refers to your character's schooling, booksmarts, and general classical intelligence. intelligence will determine checks made to know history, lore, and other academic questions.

Wits: ◌◌◌◌◌

wits refers to your character's street smarts, cleverness, and problem solving. wits will determine checks made to solve problems creatively or unorthodoxly.

Resolve: ◌◌◌◌◌

resolve refers to your character's determination and will of mind. resolve determines how affected a character is by magic, the abilities of other characters, and stressful/frightening situations.

Strength: ◌◌◌◌◌

strength refers to your character's physical strength. it's pretty cut and dry and will determine the outcomes of physical fights and feats of strength.

Dexterity: ◌◌◌◌◌

dexterity refers to your character's agility and nimbleness. it will determine how fast your character can move, how likely they are to dodge, and sleight of hand feats.

Stamina: ◌◌◌◌◌

stamina refers to your character's physical endurance, how long they can stay standing, and how many hits they can take. see mechanics for how stamina affects HP.

Charisma: ◌◌◌◌◌

charisma refers to your character's people skills, as well as their ability to blend in with the Sleepers. characters with high charisma will have an easier time blending in with the Sleepers.

Presence: ◌◌◌◌◌

presence refers to your character's appearance and aura. characters with high presence cast an intimidating air and have an easier time getting what they want through menacing means.

Composure: ◌◌◌◌◌

composure refers to your character's ability to remain cool under pressure, lie, stay hidden, and other sneaky methods.

Disciplines:

NPCs can only have tier I disciplines, and all three tiers are available at creation. disciplines are used to refer to the abilities, either innate or learned, that your character possesses. at character creation, each character has access to two tier one disciplines of their choice, whether it be passive, primary, or supportive. each tier is progressively more powerful than the last, and anything past tier one must be purchased. passive disciplines are abilities that are permanent and cannot be turned off, such as a werewolf's immense physical strength or a vampire's keen sense of smell. primary disciplines are generally attack and combat-based abilities that must be activated, either consciously or unconsciously, and are often either defensive or offensive to be used in battle. examples include a shapeshifter's transformation, or a vampire's fangs. supportive disciplines are categorized as abilities that aide either the user or their allies. help is a broad term, and can be anything from a healing factor to a manipulative or illusory ability. be as creative as you want, but feel free to refer to the world of darkness or other ttrpg playbooks wiki for ideas and inspiration!

Passive Discipline:

Primary Discipline:

Supportive Discipline:

Boons: NPCs only have two boons.

Banes: NPCs only have two banes

Personality: please list and explain at least three positive, negative, and neutral traits.

History: this can be private or public, and should detail a) your character's entire life, b) how they ended up in San Fransisco, and c) a small blurb about their current state of affairs.

Trivia: anything else you'd like to add!