Play@YSDC

Post your characters here.
I’ll post a primer ASAP, and have some pregens if you’d rather. But if you already have a copy of the rules, you’re welcome to post your character now!

Character creation

Choose occupation (see post below for examples - once you've chosen I'll elaborate on skills, contacts etc.)
Characteristics – distribute 280 points between STR, CON, DEX, INT, POW
• Average 50, min/max usually 30/80
• Note half scores (hard success) – rounding down
Luck – 2d10+50
Magic points 1/5 POW
MOV 8 unless ‘Speedy’ or age modifier
Age – MOV 8 if under 40
• MOV-1 if in 40’s to MOV-5 if in 80’s
• If under 18, certain occupations limited
Advantages – take 1 major or 2 normal advantages
Skills – 30 in all common and combat skills
Boost 6 skills to 60
• Must include required occupation skill
• Some/all recommended occupation skills
• Other common/expert skills
• If Magical advantage taken, one boost must be in Magic skill
Language (own) at 60 or INT (highest)
• Other languages at same level if bilingual, or 30 (or ½ INT if higher) if not fluent
Magic practitioners roll for Signare (page 165)
Magic practitioners gain 2 first order spells and 1 second order spell (page 179)
• One must be Werelight if Newtonian
• One first order spell mastered
Factor in Investigator Experience Package if necessary

Backstory
What did ‘family’ mean as a child?
• What does it mean now?
What did ‘home’ mean as a child?
• What does it mean now?
Where did you live as a child?
• Where do you live now?
What culture were you brought up in?
• How does it (or gender, sexuality etc.) affect you now?
What was your first brush with the supernatural?
• How did you feel?
• How did it affect your life?
• What did you do about it?

Affluence rating – can only be wealthy or rich if associated Advantage taken

Friends and family – who do you trust and go to for advice?
• Occupation contacts provide examples

Equipment – See Occupation equipment
• Plus any reasonable spend based on Affluence
• Warrant card or Folly consultants card
• Weapons – within the law!
Finally, name and description!

Suggested occupations:

Antiques dealer
Architect
Artist
Athlete
Author
Chancer
Clergy, member of the
Computer specialist
Criminal
Dilettante (must have the Rich advantage)
Doctor of medicine
Driver
Entertainer
Farmer
Firefighter
Influencer
Journalist
Lawyer
Lecturer
Librarian
Nurse
Paramedic
Parapsychologist
Police officer/detective
Private investigator
Service member (e.g. military)
Social worker
Special agent
Tradesperson

Advantages:

Connected
Damage bonus
Fast reactions
Magical (major)
Natural toughness
Rich (major)
Scary
Signature firearm
Signature weapon
Silver-tongued
Speedy
Steadfast
The knowledge
Wealthy

Common Skills:

Athletics
Drive
Navigate
Observation
Read Person
Research
Sense Vestigia
Social
Stealth

Combat Skills:

Fighting
Firearms

Expert Skills:

Accounting
Acting—see Art/Craft
Animal Handling
Appraise
Archaeology—see Science
Art/Craft (various specialisations)
Astronomy—see Science
Biology—see Science
Botany—see Science
Chemistry—see Science
Computer Use
Cryptography—see Science
Demolitions
Disguise
Diving
Engineering—see Science
Fine Art—see Art/Craft
Forensics—see Science
Forgery—see Art/Craft
Geology—see Science
History
Languages (various specialisations)
Law
Locksmith
Magic (must have the Magical advantage)
Mathematics—see Science
Mechanical Repair
Medicine
Meteorology—see Science
Occult
Pharmacy—see Science
Photography—see Art/Craft
Physics—see Science
Pilot Aircraft
Pilot Boat
Read Lips
Ride
Science (various specialisations)
Sleight of Hand
Survival
Tech
Track
Zoology—see Science

As I'm not that familiar with the world of 'Rivers of London' I'll just roll with a pre gen. If thats OK?

Hey, JP. Let me know if this works.

SaintMeerkat

Investigator Name: DC Leo Dansby

STR 50 (25)
CON 50 (25)
DEX 40 (20)
INT 60 (30)
POW 80 (40)

Luck = 2d10+50
Magic Points: 17

Occupation: Police Detective (Detective Constable)

MOV: 8
Age: 32

Advantage: Magical

Common Skills
Athletics 30 (15)
Drive 30 (15)
Navigate 30 (15)
Observation 60 (30) 1
Read Person 60 (30) 2
Research 60 (30) 3
Sense Vestigia 60 (30)
Social 30 (15)
Stealth 30 (15)

Expert Skills
Computer Use 60 (30) 4
*Law 60 (30) 5
Magic 60 (30) 6

Signare: Wheezing, groaning sound; a waft of dank air, hot steam

First Order Spells: Werelight, Impello*
Second Order Spells: Shield (Basic)

* - mastered

Combat Skills
Fighting 30 (15)
Firearms 30 (15)

*required

Language
English 60 (30)

Affluence Rating: Average


Leo Dansby was a freshly-minted Detective Constable in Cambridge when he came to the attention of Dr. Harold Postmartin. After showing exceptional acumen during one of his first murder investigations there on campus, Postmartin approached Dansby to see if he would be interested in being part of the initial wave of the Folly Expansion plan. He had been in the Covent Garden area the night of the incident and felt the magic in the air, so he never bought the official line that incident, so the apparent existence of "weird bollocks" caused a lot of mental stones to fall into place; he eagerly volunteered.

For Leo, family was his parents and his two brothers and three sisters, and aunts, uncles, and cousins that regularly came by their Brownstone at regular intervals. He never wanted for a playmate, and got along with everyone for the most part. Although he is still close to his siblings and aging parents, he know thinks of his chosen family of friends and co-workers as providing the most support.

When he came out as gay to his parents as a late teen, they were incredibly supportive, as were his brothers and sisters. Only one of his older aunties turned a disapproving eye, but she wasn't brave enough to cross her sister over it. He auditioned for, and made, the London Gay Men's Chorus while still in school. Though the copper hours forced him to drop out, he still has a lot of friends that sing. He goes to as many concerts as possible.

For Leo, home was the brownstone in Wimbledon where he spent many happy hours as a child. Now, he is more at home in a pub that is filled with noisy, loud, obnoxious patrons, and the more that are fellow coppers, the better.

A brownstone in Wimbledon was Leo's childhood home, and his aging parents still live there with his youngest sister handling most of their day to day arrangements.

The Dansby family was mostly of Anglo-Saxon stock. Leo's father was a scientist by heart, if not by trade, so while he and his siblings didn't have a religious upbringing themselves, one of his uncles married a Jewish lady from there in the community, and he has attended all of his cousins' bar and bat mitzahs over the years.

Although he didn't know it at the time, Leo's first brush with the supernatural was when he was almost overpowered by Beverly Brook's vestigia during the flooding at Covent Garden. It left him with an indescribable feeling of wonder, and a newfound sense that there might be more to this mundane world than he previously believed. He never bought the official explanations that followed, but when he found out from Harold Postmartin that magic was real, suddenly that evening made sense.

EDIT: In honor of (and in thanks for) the incredibly diverse world that Ben created, I believe I will break with my tradition of playing CIS characters and play a gay male. I have updated the background accordingly.

EDIT 2: Corrected number of magic points and made a few grammatical corrections in the background.

EDIT 3: Added photo.

EDIT 4: Corrected number of boosted skills

BoyBlunder78 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 16, 2022 9:40 pm As I'm not that familiar with the world of 'Rivers of London' I'll just roll with a pre gen. If thats OK?

Sure. What kind of occupation would you like?

@SaintMeerkat don’t forget to add an extra magic point for mastering a spell

@jp1885 Oops! Good catch. I have made that correction.

jp1885 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 17, 2022 10:18 am

BoyBlunder78 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 16, 2022 9:40 pm As I'm not that familiar with the world of 'Rivers of London' I'll just roll with a pre gen. If thats OK?

Sure. What kind of occupation would you like?

May I be Eli Venturini?

Sure thing (feel free to change the name and any other details if you want).

Eli Venturini
Occ: Lecturer
Age: 49

STR: 50/25
CON: 60/30
DEX: 40/20
INT: 80/40
POW: 50/25
MOV: 8
LUCK: 60

Advantages: Silver Tongued, Wealthy.

Common skills:
Athletics: 30/15
Drive: 30/15
Navigate: 60/30*
Observation: 30/15
Read Persons: 60/30*
Research: 60/30*
Sense Vestigia: 30/15
Social: 60/30*
Stealth: 30/15

Expert Skills:
History: 60/30*
Language:
English 80/40*
Latin 60/30*
Greek 30/15
Spanish 30/15

Combat:
Fighting 30/15
Firearms 30/15

Backstory:
You grew up in a small town in Kent, the so called Garden of England, where you attended the local grammar school. After University you put down roots in London and have stayed there ever since. You found out at a young age that you and your sister were adopted. You've always wandered about contacting your birth mother but have never quite plucked up the courage to do it. It's funny that you became a History lecturer - it's almost as if you prefer to delve into everyone's history but your own. The 17th century is your period with an especially interest in the life of Sir Isaac Newton. Indeed it was your chosen specialist subject on a well known TV quiz show, and following that appearance, you were contacted by someone from the Folly. Turns out you have a mutual interest!

Affluence:
Wealthy
Equipment:
Folly Consumtants card, University I.D. card, Leather-bound journal, fountain pens, mobile phone and spare batteries.



Is there a link where I can see the Advantages? So I can see what I gain from them?

I’ll elaborate on your advantages when I fire up the laptop later

Thank you,very much appreciated. I'm currently reading the first book to get a grip on this world

Here you go BoyBlunder78

Silver-Tongued
Prerequisite: none.
Your character has the gift of gab and could sell ashes to the devil. You gain a bonus die on Social skill rolls when attempting to win someone over with eloquence and persuasion. All other Social skill rolls are made without the bonus die.

Wealthy
Prerequisite: none.
Being Wealthy means your character acquires the Wealthy Affluence Rating. (Kinda like having a high Credit Rating in Call of Cthulhu)

Hey SaintMeerkat, I've just noticed you've got two too many boosted skills - Law and Magic should be part of your six

jp1885 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 18, 2022 4:51 pm Here you go BoyBlunder78

Silver-Tongued
Prerequisite: none.
Your character has the gift of gab and could sell ashes to the devil. You gain a bonus die on Social skill rolls when attempting to win someone over with eloquence and persuasion. All other Social skill rolls are made without the bonus die.

Wealthy
Prerequisite: none.
Being Wealthy means your character acquires the Wealthy Affluence Rating. (Kinda like having a high Credit Rating in Call of Cthulhu)

Cool, thanks

Here’s my idea for a character:

Destiny ‘Des’ Orivo (17)

“Man, wat happen der?” Des looked around but no one was watching her. She slipped over to the wall and touched it experimentally. It was solid. She’d been seeing ghosts since she was three - ‘shades’ her Mama called them - but that weren’t no shade. It was a living, breathing man, as real as her, and he had just walked through a brick wall!

Her lip curled as she smelled Old Spice and overcooked vegetables. Now where had she smelled that before?

What did ‘family’ mean as a child? Her mother left when she was young and Des was brought up by her paternal grandmother (Mama) with occasional visits from her father (Desmond (Des) Powell) and her aunt (Precious Orivo). Her father has twin girls from another relationship but they are younger than her and she doesn’t spend a lot of time with them.

What does it mean now? Mama is in a local authority studio flat in Kentish Town. It’s just about big enough to swing a cat and staying visitors aren’t encouraged (not that there’s room).

What did ‘home’ mean as a child? Her Mama’s two bedroom Council flat near Finchley Road. It’s all she ever really knew, remembering very little of the time before then.

What does it mean now? Mama moved into a studio flat when her benefits stopped covering the rent. Des wasn’t allowed to take over the rented flat and although the Council found her somewhere to stay, drug-taking and violence there was rife and she’s been alternately sofa-surfing or living on the streets for the past three months.

Where did you live as a child? Her Mama’s flat near Finchley Road.

Where do you live now?Alternatively sofa surfing or on the streets.

What culture were you brought up in? A typical, matriarchal West Indian culture.

How does it (or gender, sexuality etc.) affect you now? Although she never had any serious run-ins with the Police, she has a distrust of the Police brought about by decades of over-zealous policing of the West Indian community.

What was your first brush with the supernatural? Her Mama told her she had a ‘gift’ when she found out that Des had been seeing ghosts. Nothing concrete, more shadows that flickered around the edge of her vision, which became more acute particularly as she entered her teens.

How did you feel? It was something she grew up with so wasn’t scared, although she sometimes senses ghosts who are malign. She gives those ones a wide berth.

How did it affect your life? Des finds that the impact has been relatively minor, so far. It’s helped avoid some situations in which she might otherwise have found herself involved e.g. a bus crash were some people were injured or, more benignly, avoiding the traffic jams when the Arsenal play at home.

She also seems to have a knack for missing keys. She has no idea if the two are related.

What did you do about it? She was teased by friends when she mentioned it and when a teacher found out, she was referred to CAMHS for assessment. She tried to pass it off as a joke and hasn’t mentioned it to anyone else since then.

Affluence rating – zero.

Friends and family – who do you trust and go to for advice? Her Mama, although her memory is becoming increasingly unreliable. Her Dad, when he’s not at work (refuse collector).

She doesn’t see much of her Aunt Precious but she does see Precious’ eldest son, Malcolm (her cousin). He can often be found in local pubs, playing pool with his mates. Malcolm doesn’t work but isn’t short of money either, which makes Des wonder what he does for cash… Precious’ long-term boyfriend, Marland, runs a semi-legal shebeen and he’s offered Des work in the past but she’s wary of the kind of people who drink there.

Des has a number of casual contacts among the people who live on the streets, particularly the girls, who learn quickly how dangerous it can be and to look out for each other.

- - -

I’ve not statted her as I wanted to run the character past you first. Also, I don’t know which of the occupations would be the best fit? Criminal, perhaps? She’s not an out and out criminal but she is living outside of the normal expectations (partner, house, job, car, etc.) and she has been known the shoplift from time-to-time when her options are limited.

jp1885 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 18, 2022 5:31 pm Hey SaintMeerkat, I've just noticed you've got two too many boosted skills - Law and Magic should be part of your six

Understood. I wasn't certain about that part, so I put the numbers 1-6 at the end of those lines to make them easily identifiable later.

I will un-boost Stealth and Social.

Philulhu, looks great!
I suggest going with the Chancer occupation. Alternatively go with Criminal, but reformed.

Ok, thanks. What are the skills for Chancer?

I’ll dig them out when I get home this evening

Here you go...
Required skills: Observation, Stealth.
Recommended skills: Athletics, Fighting, Navigate, Read Person, Sleight of Hand.
Suggested contacts: businesses who employ staff on a casual basis (manual labour, delivery drivers, etc.), criminals, police, homeless, gang members.
Equipment: potentially nothing more than the clothes on their back, though they may have the tools associated with their current job.

If anyone else needs any extra information (occupations, skill descriptions, advantages, spells etc.) please PM me and I'll copy 'n' paste the relevant bits

Des Orivo

STR 60 (30)
CON 70 (35)
DEX 75 (37)
INT 65 (32)
POW 70 (35)

Luck: 2d10+50

Magic Points: 14

Career: Chancer

Common Skills:

Athletics* 60 (30)
Drive 30 (15)
Navigate* 60 (30)
Observation* 60 (30)
Read Person* 60 (30)
Research 30 (15)
Sense Vestigia 30 (15)
Social 30 (15)
Stealth* 60 (30)

Combat Skills:

Fighting 30 (15)
Firearms 30 (15)

Expert Skills:

Sleight of Hand* 60 (30)

*boosted skills.

Advantages:

Fast reactions (Des has to keep her wits about her on the streets)
The Knowledge (She has roamed far and wide, keeping herself busy, out of trouble and safe).

If all that looks ok, I’ll put it all together.

I had meant to have my character completed a lot sooner than this but she's all done now! I'll post in the relevant thread and make any changes via edit if needed

Phil and Trivun: both looking good!

How would you feel about a private investigator? I'm picturing relatively young, East-Ender, ex-military. I'm a big Guy Ritchie fan and feel like the characters in Ritchie movies wouldn't be out of place in Ben A's Rivers novels (except for the magic).

But if that won't work, sing out!

Sounds good to me!

Cool! What are the skills for a PI?

Here you go...

Required skills: Law, Research.
Recommended skills: Art/Craft (Photography), Computer Use, Disguise, Drive, Locksmith, Observation, Read Person, Social, Stealth.
Suggested contacts: law enforcement, clients.
Equipment: notebook, pens, camera, covert surveillance equipment

Investigator Name: Raymond "Skipper" Pearson

STR 70 (35)
CON 55 (27)
DEX 60 (30)
INT 40 (20)
POW 55 (27)

Luck = 65
Magic Points: 11

Occupation: Private Investigator

MOV: 8
Age: 35

Advantage:
Damage Bonus
The Knowledge

Common Skills
Athletics 30
Drive 30
Navigate 30
Observation 30
Read Person 30
Research 60*
Sense Vestigia 30
Social 30
Stealth 60

Expert
Art/Craft (Photography) 60
Computer Use 60
Law 60*

Combat Skills
Fighting 60
Firearms 30

*required

Affluence Rating: Average

Equipment: notebook, pens, camera, covert surveillance equipment
Backpack
Small mobile phone operated drone
Mobile phone
Pack of cigars
Zippo lighter

Backstory:
Raymond "Skipper" Pearson is the product of a large and very broken home, or more accurately several broken tenement block units, in London's East End. Before they finally ODed, Skipper's parents produced seven or eight siblings or half siblings. Skipper's childhood was your basic textbook example of urban disaster.

Having somehow survived to the end of school, Skipper ran afoul of local gang rivalry and suddenly joining the Royal Navy seemed a wise choice. The RN was a better training ground for him (better paid, better food, more brutal) and ultimately he became quite adept with surveillance and recon technology.

Eight years in, Skipper was manning the scanning equipment in the back of an RN Sea King helicopter when it was shot down in the Middle East. Skipper survived but the rest of the crew were killed. To his horror, the dead crew "woke up" and chatted with him while he waited for rescue. Something about a nearby temple having an effect, they said.

A very creeped out and rather injured Skipper was medical-ed out and returned to London. His Navy days have left Skipper with the nickname, a collection of current and ex-Navy friends, a few tattoos, some savings and some compo pay.

Skipper's phone hacking skills were quite in demands with several dodgy journo's but subsequent parliamentary inquiries ended that career. Nonetheless, Skipper discovered private investigation was not the worst sort of job. Navy money paid for the retraining. Now fully licensed, Skipper spends his days photographing spouses behaving badly or tracking down missing persons.

In his free time, he's taken up Brazilian jujitsu to keep the kilos at bay.

2d10+50L

Dr. Jordan Schneider
Occupation: Doctor
Age: 38

STR: 70/35
CON: 70/35
DEX: 40/20
INT: 70/35
POW: 30/15
MOV: 8
Luck: 60

Advantages: Damage Bonus, Natural Toughness
Damage Bonus: +1

Common Skills:
Athletics: 30/15
Drive: 30/15
Navigate: 30/15
Observation: 60/30*
Read Person: 60/30*
Research: 60/30*
Sense Vestigia: 30/15
Social: 60/30*
Stealth: 30/15

Expert Skills:
Language (English): 70/35
Medicine: 60/30*
Science (Biology): 60/30*
Science (Chemistry): 30/15
Science (Forensics): 30/15

Combat Skills:
Fighting: 30/15
Firearms: 30/15

Backstory:
Jordan Schneider is tall, strong, and tough, but he also has a brilliant mind that most people don't see at first glance. He always strives for honesty, and his compassion for his fellow human beings led him to become a doctor. He studied hard in school, and later at university and in medical school, but he also made time to have fun. He played rugby, where his large frame proved useful and his keen intellect came up with good tactics. As a black man in the UK, he only rarely encountered racism, unlike in his parents' and grandparents' days, but that changed when he met and fell in love with a white nurse named Sarah. He was surprised to encounter opposition from white and black people alike, but he followed his heart and ultimately married her. They now have two children, a 14-year-old son named Robert and a 6-year-old daughter named Caroline.

After completing his residency, Jordan took a job in the medical examiner's office, where he didn't have to worry about the possibility of making a mistake that killed a patient, as his patients were all dead before he ever saw them. That didn't stop one of them from getting up and walking out right before he was about to make his first incision. He had been too startled to react at the time, but he told what really happened in his report. There had been cases before where someone thought to be dead and sent to the morgue had actually still been alive, but as a doctor, Jordan was certain that this one had been dead. His report got someone's attention, because he was soon brought in as a consultant to what was known as the Folly.

Affluence:
Average

Equipment:
Folly Consultant's Card, mobile phone and spare batteries, high visibility jacket, and a doctor's bag containing photo ID, a prescription pad, safety alarm, alcohol wipes, PPE, alcohol gel, sharps bin, small torch (flashlight), specimen bottles, syringes, dressings and surgical tape, stethoscope, blood pressure monitor, thermometer, paracetamol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen, penicillin, adrenaline (epinephrine) auto-injectors, and asthma inhalers (among other things).