Aug 31, 2025 12:30 pm
@Edmund_Balworth I don’t see it. Try one more time please.
Character Creation and Setting Discussion
load previous
Aug 31, 2025 3:04 pm
GreyGriffin says:
I've submitted a character, but I do wonder if my stunts are too restrictive looking at the other sheets floating around. 
Aug 31, 2025 3:30 pm
Alright, I've submitted my character sheet for review (Background is currently empty, but with how much of it is covered by the Aspects I don't want to slow things down). The two new Aspects are a little longer, but I wanted to make their Compels more clear.
It might be worth pointing out that if you want other players to be able to see your character sheet, you'll need to click the little book next to the character in your list. In FATE games, I know I find it handy to know what Aspects are on the table, if only to suggest Compels (Fate Points are yummy, and Drama is compelling).
@GreyGriffin I think that's a reasonable restriction. From what I've seen of the other characters, I don't think that's going to be a problem for this group.
It might be worth pointing out that if you want other players to be able to see your character sheet, you'll need to click the little book next to the character in your list. In FATE games, I know I find it handy to know what Aspects are on the table, if only to suggest Compels (Fate Points are yummy, and Drama is compelling).
@GreyGriffin I think that's a reasonable restriction. From what I've seen of the other characters, I don't think that's going to be a problem for this group.
Aug 31, 2025 6:04 pm
I occurs to me that this is the most Careful I've seen in an FAE game. Like, ever.
Aug 31, 2025 6:51 pm
LoL, are you asking the GM to force a bit more risky behavior right it is the gate? Glyfix is still traumatized from his captivity, Cal Tan is obviously still suffering from his loss. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to go out there with a full kit and hope we don't encounter and troublesome situations. :)
Aug 31, 2025 8:05 pm
Merely observing. Generally my experience is that everyone takes Careful at +0, +1 at best. Here, we're all at +2. Even the prodigious psi-warrior that can punch out one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. It's funny to me.
Aug 31, 2025 8:13 pm
In my case, there a few contributors. First, I tend to be risk-averse. My default array for FAE tends to include Quick followed immediately by Careful; I think it would be too one-note to have an array of Forceful+Quick+Flashy but then forego Sneaky/Careful/Clever, as I see some approaches as too adjacent (Forceful and Quick are close and Flashy is not too distant; Careful and Sneaky are close to each other). Finally, I think Careful is not a bad fit for a monk-with-the-serial-numbers-filed-off archetype.
I mostly wanted to play a character who is Forceful in all three of mêlée, magic/psi, and social situations, so I picked Forceful for that and Quick to not be a clumsy brute. Careful fills in a lot of the 'thoughtful or slow-and-steady' territory that is both good for the concept (noticing stuff, doing delicate slow work) and my own manner of playing.
I mostly wanted to play a character who is Forceful in all three of mêlée, magic/psi, and social situations, so I picked Forceful for that and Quick to not be a clumsy brute. Careful fills in a lot of the 'thoughtful or slow-and-steady' territory that is both good for the concept (noticing stuff, doing delicate slow work) and my own manner of playing.
Aug 31, 2025 8:48 pm
Ah, the characters. I though you were talking about the game setup. I myself have been debating if Glyfix is more careful or quick. Clever is his dominant approach and forceful his least, with flashy just above that. I have been debating between having his captivation push the careful over the quick. I will have to go back over my origin story and decide how deeply the captivity would have impacted him vs his peoples natural inclinations.
@Celestine : I don't think I ever responded to your question about your arsenal. That totally is something Glyfix would want to do.
I was also planning to talk about passing out communication devices to the team, I think my aspects should cover that.
I noticed the other characters have several narrative Aspects while mine are primarily functional. Several of mine overlap so I am working on merging some and getting one or two as more related to my own character origin.
# Primary:Techno-Wizard Drone Smith
"Why fight face to face when I have magic and drones?"
Having spent years developing their Techno-Wizardry, Glifix has accumulated dozens of designs. Integrating key pieces into magitech automotones, Glyfix now commands dozens of drones that act as his eyes, ears, hands, and spell conduits, allowing him to stay hidden while his creations do the dirty work. Each part of the Swarm can be remote piloted, operate autonomously, or coordinate as part of the collective drone swarm gestalt.
# Trouble:Coalition States Fugitive
Glyfix was put onto the CS radar early in his time on earth due to his activities in coordinating several Fraanid research teams and soon captured. His subsequent resistance as a prisoner and escape angered and embarrassed key CS Officers and Officials. Glyfix has no idea who it is but it is clear they have some clout. He believes he has so far managed to keep his current career as a Tomorrow Legion agent separate from his Fraanid identity. But with his ongoing success in his new career he likely has a dossier created on his current activities and should his two identities be linked it is only a matter of time till the CS moves on him once more. Glyfix’s trauma from the imprisonment runs deep, and Coalition symbols trigger both fear and fury. His emotions can cloud his judgment, especially when a chance for revenge presents itself.
# Fraanid Artificer Mystic Tech Tinkerer
Glyfix is a brilliant craftsman, equal parts arcane engineer and psionic machine manipulator. A mere 13 inches tall with a massive intellect with exceptional psionic/magical aptitude. While he is vulnerable outside his personal spherical shuttle, which each Fraanid has and never leaves, but devastating from within it. Like all Fraanid his exceptional understanding of devices allows them to intuitively dismantle, modify, and rebuild almost any technology, while their psionic abilities, especially Telemechanics, let them interface directly with machines using their minds.
# Information & Systems Analyst
Originally a peaceful visitor and interdimensional researcher, Glyfix specialized in project and research integration. Now he has taken those skills and uses them to keep his team safe and thwart the opposition on and off the battlefield. As a master of observation, analysis, and data manipulation he uses a variety of systems, his own and those that have not been properly hardened against his intrusion, to monitor and direct events to his advantage.
# Infiltration Mech
After his escape Glyfix decided to take the fight to the CS but needed to do so without attracting too much attention. To accomplish this he created a mech that can host his shuttle while able transform into human-scale forms, project false identities, and entirely mask its presence with ease. This combination of disguise and Stealth makes for an ideal Infiltration agent. Unfortunately Glyfix’s wooden performance often gives him away in social settings unless he keeps things brief and quiet.
With the help of his shapeshifting mech, drones, and cloaking fields, Glyfix excels at slipping past defenses, undermining infrastructure, and vanishing without a trace.
# Information Broker
After the Rift the Fraand used to come to earth closed, Glyfix aided in the dimensional research before he was captured by the CS. His knack for being able to integrate had him working with many Fraanid and their allies. After escaping from prison Glyfix maintained many of these contracts to create an information network. While primarily used as a scientific exchange he is so able to kebab his widespread finest for a variety of information.
# Tomorrow Legion Saboteur
Upon joining tht Legion Glyfix was trained to turn his magitech abilities a method that allowed him to hit the enemy tech where it hurts. Whether laying magical traps, disrupting systems, or directing coordinated strikes from afar. While he serves the Tomorrow Legion with precision and focus, his real passion lies in dismantling Coalition assets, system by system, brick by brick. He is also adept at finding and traps and identifying and exploiting weakness of any complex system, especially technology. He’s determined to turn Earth into a safer, freer place, one explosion at a time if he has to.
@Celestine : I don't think I ever responded to your question about your arsenal. That totally is something Glyfix would want to do.
I was also planning to talk about passing out communication devices to the team, I think my aspects should cover that.
I noticed the other characters have several narrative Aspects while mine are primarily functional. Several of mine overlap so I am working on merging some and getting one or two as more related to my own character origin.
[ +- ] Revised Aspects
# Primary:Techno-Wizard Drone Smith
"Why fight face to face when I have magic and drones?"
Having spent years developing their Techno-Wizardry, Glifix has accumulated dozens of designs. Integrating key pieces into magitech automotones, Glyfix now commands dozens of drones that act as his eyes, ears, hands, and spell conduits, allowing him to stay hidden while his creations do the dirty work. Each part of the Swarm can be remote piloted, operate autonomously, or coordinate as part of the collective drone swarm gestalt.
# Trouble:Coalition States Fugitive
Glyfix was put onto the CS radar early in his time on earth due to his activities in coordinating several Fraanid research teams and soon captured. His subsequent resistance as a prisoner and escape angered and embarrassed key CS Officers and Officials. Glyfix has no idea who it is but it is clear they have some clout. He believes he has so far managed to keep his current career as a Tomorrow Legion agent separate from his Fraanid identity. But with his ongoing success in his new career he likely has a dossier created on his current activities and should his two identities be linked it is only a matter of time till the CS moves on him once more. Glyfix’s trauma from the imprisonment runs deep, and Coalition symbols trigger both fear and fury. His emotions can cloud his judgment, especially when a chance for revenge presents itself.
# Fraanid Artificer Mystic Tech Tinkerer
Glyfix is a brilliant craftsman, equal parts arcane engineer and psionic machine manipulator. A mere 13 inches tall with a massive intellect with exceptional psionic/magical aptitude. While he is vulnerable outside his personal spherical shuttle, which each Fraanid has and never leaves, but devastating from within it. Like all Fraanid his exceptional understanding of devices allows them to intuitively dismantle, modify, and rebuild almost any technology, while their psionic abilities, especially Telemechanics, let them interface directly with machines using their minds.
# Information & Systems Analyst
Originally a peaceful visitor and interdimensional researcher, Glyfix specialized in project and research integration. Now he has taken those skills and uses them to keep his team safe and thwart the opposition on and off the battlefield. As a master of observation, analysis, and data manipulation he uses a variety of systems, his own and those that have not been properly hardened against his intrusion, to monitor and direct events to his advantage.
# Infiltration Mech
After his escape Glyfix decided to take the fight to the CS but needed to do so without attracting too much attention. To accomplish this he created a mech that can host his shuttle while able transform into human-scale forms, project false identities, and entirely mask its presence with ease. This combination of disguise and Stealth makes for an ideal Infiltration agent. Unfortunately Glyfix’s wooden performance often gives him away in social settings unless he keeps things brief and quiet.
With the help of his shapeshifting mech, drones, and cloaking fields, Glyfix excels at slipping past defenses, undermining infrastructure, and vanishing without a trace.
# Information Broker
After the Rift the Fraand used to come to earth closed, Glyfix aided in the dimensional research before he was captured by the CS. His knack for being able to integrate had him working with many Fraanid and their allies. After escaping from prison Glyfix maintained many of these contracts to create an information network. While primarily used as a scientific exchange he is so able to kebab his widespread finest for a variety of information.
# Tomorrow Legion Saboteur
Upon joining tht Legion Glyfix was trained to turn his magitech abilities a method that allowed him to hit the enemy tech where it hurts. Whether laying magical traps, disrupting systems, or directing coordinated strikes from afar. While he serves the Tomorrow Legion with precision and focus, his real passion lies in dismantling Coalition assets, system by system, brick by brick. He is also adept at finding and traps and identifying and exploiting weakness of any complex system, especially technology. He’s determined to turn Earth into a safer, freer place, one explosion at a time if he has to.
Last edited September 1, 2025 12:33 pm
Sep 1, 2025 8:27 am
@JoshuaMabry, I hope my questions didn't get lost?
Meanwhile, I'm thinking of more Aspects. I think of the remaining two, I'm inclined to go with Graduate of the Decade for one, representing a combination remarkable proficiency with the monastery's teachings as well as the correspondingly high expectations/reputations in situations when others know of this distinction (which likely includes anyone involved in the recruitment for the Legion and probably many legionnaires, for starters).
I'm still thinking on the seventh one. And about the background details that may be influenced by unanswered questions. Actually, now that I see some glimpses of what kind of other species are available in the setting, I wonder if there's a full list I can find somewhere? Because the wiki seemed sparsely populated.
Meanwhile, I'm thinking of more Aspects. I think of the remaining two, I'm inclined to go with Graduate of the Decade for one, representing a combination remarkable proficiency with the monastery's teachings as well as the correspondingly high expectations/reputations in situations when others know of this distinction (which likely includes anyone involved in the recruitment for the Legion and probably many legionnaires, for starters).
I'm still thinking on the seventh one. And about the background details that may be influenced by unanswered questions. Actually, now that I see some glimpses of what kind of other species are available in the setting, I wonder if there's a full list I can find somewhere? Because the wiki seemed sparsely populated.
Sep 1, 2025 3:14 pm
vicky_molokh says:
I do not trust my writing quality to be good enough for that kind of stuff even in PMs, heh.Some questions for fleshing out the character and background:
- From what regions do the Xanatoans recruit candidates?
- What are the languages typically in use there?
- What are the naming conventions like in the world at the time, particularly for those who are taken into Xanatoa and raised there?
Sep 1, 2025 3:17 pm
JoshuaMabry says:
Some recruits adopt new names during training.Sep 1, 2025 3:27 pm
JoshuaMabry says:
@vicky_molokh I’ll let you decide that.
Sep 2, 2025 12:44 am
The important thing to understand about most races and cultures in Rifts is that Kevin Simbieda got really excited by something he saw on the History channel, got pumped enough to write 2 pages about it, then moved on to the next thing. The wiki is pretty sparse because adding more information would be either speculation or copyright infringement.
That utterly deranged energy is part of what makes the setting fascinating, but sensitivity, depth, and subtle thematic interplay is something you bring to your reading of it.
That utterly deranged energy is part of what makes the setting fascinating, but sensitivity, depth, and subtle thematic interplay is something you bring to your reading of it.
Sep 2, 2025 4:19 am
OK my character is about ready. Simplified/streamlined the aspects and background a bit. A couple last questions.
1. How often are Fate points expected to be used/recovered? The last couple games I played were mostly story/role play but few fate points were exchanged via invoking or compelling. Still learning this an willing to picking it up on the fly but as of now I am unsure when I will/should invoke/compel
2. My last stunt is something I want to reflect my characters use of preparation/magic/tech to overcome/resist others. Here is what I have but I think it is too much so am looking for feedback/suggestions. Options I came up with would require time to bring the needed tool to bear or only have this as a defensive response/reaction
The mech, drones, and any of several devices allow Glyfix to overcome challenges he might otherwise have trouble with. Roll using Clever instead of other approach after analyzing a situating by using Magi-Tech to overcome all situations
1. How often are Fate points expected to be used/recovered? The last couple games I played were mostly story/role play but few fate points were exchanged via invoking or compelling. Still learning this an willing to picking it up on the fly but as of now I am unsure when I will/should invoke/compel
2. My last stunt is something I want to reflect my characters use of preparation/magic/tech to overcome/resist others. Here is what I have but I think it is too much so am looking for feedback/suggestions. Options I came up with would require time to bring the needed tool to bear or only have this as a defensive response/reaction
Quote:
Analytical Tecnomancy compensationThe mech, drones, and any of several devices allow Glyfix to overcome challenges he might otherwise have trouble with. Roll using Clever instead of other approach after analyzing a situating by using Magi-Tech to overcome all situations
Last edited September 2, 2025 4:20 am
Sep 2, 2025 7:03 am
So, I don't play a lot of Fate, but when it comes to narrative games that offer conditional bonuses, I feel it's kind of important for them to be reasonably conditional. A stunt that says my character is right-handed, and thus gets a bonus to fight when using their right hand, is hardly conditional.
What you've got there is basically saying you want your Clever to be 2 higher as long as you're not doing something grossly out of character. That's not terribly conditional. And that's basically covered by your existing aspects.
While stunts can definitely be utilitarian, I think the intent is that they are either useful when you've made sure the situation is to your advantage, or they are something that can be strategically acted against. You want to ask - when doesn't this apply? And making the conditions where it doesn't work an interesting story beat or a tactical or narrative challenge to work around.
So, I mean, I think you want to back up and ask what you want to get out of that one. It feels entirely too broad, to me.
I'm a little concerned that a few of my stunts are too broad and am looking at ways to make them a bit more interesting and conditional myself.
What you've got there is basically saying you want your Clever to be 2 higher as long as you're not doing something grossly out of character. That's not terribly conditional. And that's basically covered by your existing aspects.
While stunts can definitely be utilitarian, I think the intent is that they are either useful when you've made sure the situation is to your advantage, or they are something that can be strategically acted against. You want to ask - when doesn't this apply? And making the conditions where it doesn't work an interesting story beat or a tactical or narrative challenge to work around.
So, I mean, I think you want to back up and ask what you want to get out of that one. It feels entirely too broad, to me.
I'm a little concerned that a few of my stunts are too broad and am looking at ways to make them a bit more interesting and conditional myself.
Last edited September 2, 2025 7:09 am
Sep 2, 2025 1:46 pm
Thanks GreyGriffin, that helps.
I lost track of the fact it is to be conditional and was looking to combine several similar ideas and ended up combining them into a big mess.
So to keep it simple, conditional, and a single idea I ended up with a couple ideas:
+ 2 on rolls vs being captured, restrained, or incapacitated
or
Once per session Glyfix can avoid any effect or condition that would restrain or incapacitated him in any way
How do those look? Suggestions?
I lost track of the fact it is to be conditional and was looking to combine several similar ideas and ended up combining them into a big mess.
So to keep it simple, conditional, and a single idea I ended up with a couple ideas:
+ 2 on rolls vs being captured, restrained, or incapacitated
or
Once per session Glyfix can avoid any effect or condition that would restrain or incapacitated him in any way
How do those look? Suggestions?
Last edited September 2, 2025 1:58 pm
load next