Character Creation and Origins

Purpose

Character creation should define who player is, where they begin, what early board work feels natural, and what kind of starter package they receive.

It should create identity and direction without creating permanent class traps.

Character Setup Goals

• creation should finish fast enough for browser play, ideally in 2-5 minutes
• choices should shape early experience, not hard-lock whole account
• starting package should support immediate useful play on first town board
• chosen homeland should matter for spawn, contacts, climate familiarity, and early knowledge
• archetype should suggest role and loadout, not force permanent class ladder

Browser-Fit Rule

Creation should use one short guided flow with live preview.

Recommended steps:

1. choose name and appearance
2. choose Race
3. choose Homeland
4. choose Archetype
5. choose Background
6. review starter package and confirm

No hidden math screen. No giant skill spreadsheet. Player should always see resulting start town, starter contacts, starter gear bias, and first recommended board work before final confirm.

Creation Design Rules

1. Identity, Not Permanent Class

Creation should shape early strength and flavor. It should not decide final build ceiling.

2. No Starting Skill Above Familiar

Creation should create direction, not skip progression.

All skills not touched by creation start at Untrained.

3. Overlap Converts Into Starter Utility, Not Power Inflation

If archetype, background, and homeland all touch same skill, creation should not push that skill above Familiar.

Duplicate overlap should instead convert into one of:

• extra starter supplies
• extra codex entry
• better starter tool or kit quality
• stronger local contact trust
• one extra local recipe or map note

4. First Session Must Reinforce Choices

First town board, starter contacts, and tutorial prompts should visibly reflect chosen homeland, archetype, and background.

5. No Reroll Traps

No single creation choice should make character nonviable for launch content.

Recommended Character Inputs

Input	What It Changes	What It Must Not Do
Name and Appearance	identity, portrait, layered SVG presentation	no mechanical advantage
Race	visual identity, passive trait, cultural hooks	no hard class lock or dominant combat multiplier
Homeland	starting region, start town, climate familiarity, early contacts, local knowledge	no permanent travel restriction
Archetype	starting affinity package, role suggestion, starter loadout bias	no permanent class path
Background	small support bonus, tools, recipes, supplies, local reputation flavor	no endgame power ceiling

Starter Package Assembly

Each new character should be built from layered grants.

Race Grants

Race should grant:

• one small passive trait
• one cultural or economic hook
• one flavor hook for contacts, codex, or faction reception

Race bonuses should stay narrower than archetype bonuses.

Homeland Grants

Homeland should grant:

• starting region and town
• one local guide or contact
• climate familiarity for that homeland's basic conditions
• one or two starter codex entries
• one known beginner route strip or site rumor

Archetype Grants

Archetype should grant:

• Familiar in four linked skills
• one recommended role core or starter loadout bias
• one starter equipment package bias
• one first-board mission bias

Background Grants

Background should grant:

• Familiar in two support skills or one support skill plus one non-skill utility grant
• starter supplies, tool, recipe, or contact advantage
• one economy or knowledge hook that affects first few expeditions

Starting Skill Rule

Recommended default:

• archetype grants Familiar in four skills
• background grants Familiar in two support skills
• homeland grants familiarity through climate, contacts, route knowledge, or codex, not direct extra combat power
• race grants passive effect or context hook, not raw band inflation

This gives new character enough shape to succeed early without invalidating skill-based growth.

Race Examples

Races should be flavorful and situational.

• Humans: flexible, politically widespread, easier faction integration, broad social acceptance
• Dwarrows: strong crafting tradition, mountain and mine familiarity, better early workshop trust
• Sylvans: forest and fae affinity, quiet travel bias, stronger herb and route familiarity in wild regions
• Ashborn: desert and volcanic resilience, heat familiarity, better early survival posture in arid routes
• Tidekin: coast and marsh adaptation, fishing and trade hooks, stronger early port and water-route familiarity

Race should never decide whether player can become arcanist, fighter, crafter, or trader later.

Homeland Examples

See world-structure.md for regional model. Homeland should decide where player begins and what feels legible on day one.

Homeland	Start Identity	Early Pressure	Typical First Board Bias
Frontier Marches	farms, border roads, goblins, wolves, ruins	balanced starter zone	escort, hunt, gather, simple survey
Frost Tundra	fur trade, cold routes, barrows, ice beasts	fuel and cold pressure	hunt, escort, fuel supply, survival survey
Sunscar Desert	caravans, oases, tomb delves, dust predators	water and route pressure	caravan, escort, water delivery, tomb scouting
Storm Coast	ports, fisheries, raiders, cliffs, sea-caves	storm and route instability	fishing, escort, salvage, hazard survey
Ashwood Wilds	herbs, beasts, fae borders, cursed groves	visibility and wildlife pressure	herbalism, hunt, route survey, grove warning work

Archetype Examples

These should match launch affinity packages already defined in progression docs.

Archetype	Starting Familiar Skills	Starter Bias	First Board Bias
Vanguard	Shielding, Heavy Armor, Endurance, Combat Judgment	shield, sturdy armor, repair basics	escort, patrol, holdout defense
Ranger	Archery, Tracking, Routefinding, Hunting and Trapping	bow, travel kit, scouting tools	hunt, survey, route scouting
Arcanist	Arcane Theory, Elementalism, Ritualism, Warding	implement, reagents, focus support	delve, ward support, anomaly response
Warden	Restoration, Field Medicine, Campcraft, Herbalism	medicine satchel, sustain gear	rescue, medicine delivery, hazard recovery
Artificer	Tinkering, Smithing, Carpentry, Salvage Recovery	tools, repair kit, utility pack	gather, salvage, civic project support
Duelist	Blades, Light Armor, Evasion, Endurance	light kit, pursuit gear	bounty, pursuit hunt, named-target work

Background Examples

Backgrounds should color early economy and knowledge play.

Background	Support Skills or Utility	Early Benefit
Farmhand	Cooking, Preservation	better ration familiarity, farm contacts, field labor trust
Caravan Guard	Caravan Handling, Routefinding	convoy trust, escort discipline, transport contact
Temple Scribe	Scribing, Appraisal	codex access, archive familiarity, ritual record hooks
Hunter	Tracking, Hunting and Trapping	field dressing knowledge, local game rumors, pelt familiarity
Apprentice Smith	Smithing, Tinkering	workshop access, repair flow familiarity, starter tool quality bump

Starting Town and Contact Rules

Every new character should begin with:

• one start town selected from homeland package
• one civic contact such as quartermaster, board clerk, guide, healer, or workshop foreman
• one archetype-aligned contact
• one background-aligned contact or supply lead

Contacts should matter immediately for tutorial framing, not only later for flavor.

First Board Experience

Creation should feed directly into first visible board state.

Recommended starter bundle:

• one low-risk archetype-aligned expedition
• one background-aligned economy or utility task
• one homeland-aligned route, survey, or delivery task
• one always-available safe fallback task for players who ignored recommended role

This makes player feel chosen package in first 5-15 minutes.

Starter Gear and Supply Rules

Creation should not grant full optimized builds, but it should avoid naked starts.

Each new character should receive:

• simple clothing or armor appropriate to archetype bias
• one starter weapon or tool package
• small ration and water pack
• one utility item matching background or homeland
• one saved starter loadout suggestion

Starter items should be Common quality and intentionally replaceable.

Canonical Launch Packages

Use a few canonical creation packages as implementation test cases. These are not only flavor examples. They are balance and onboarding reference packages for launch.

1. Frontier Scout

• Race: Human
• Homeland: Frontier Marches
• Archetype: Ranger
• Background: Hunter
• Starter town profile: march border town with farm board, hunter contact, and safe road corridor
• Starter contacts: board clerk, local tracker, tannery buyer
• Starter loadout suggestion: bow, light travel gear, scout pack, knife, route markers
• Starter board bundle: wolf cull, roadside survey strip, hide delivery

What this package teaches:

• hunt loop
• route safety and survey basics
• first gather-byproduct sale

2. Desert Convoy Hand

• Race: Ashborn
• Homeland: Sunscar Desert
• Archetype: Vanguard
• Background: Caravan Guard
• Starter town profile: oasis caravan stop with water board pressure and escort work
• Starter contacts: quartermaster, caravan master, well steward
• Starter loadout suggestion: shield, sturdy armor, water skins, rope kit, convoy pack
• Starter board bundle: water convoy escort, road-marker survey, raider watch patrol

What this package teaches:

• escort stability
• water logistics
• route pressure and civic work

3. Ashwood Remedy Walker

• Race: Sylvan
• Homeland: Ashwood Wilds
• Archetype: Warden
• Background: Temple Scribe
• Starter town profile: forest-edge shrine town with herb pressure and fae warnings
• Starter contacts: healer, archive keeper, grove guide
• Starter loadout suggestion: medicine satchel, light ward gear, herb knife, field wraps, annotation kit
• Starter board bundle: herb recovery run, warded route verification, injured traveler rescue

What this package teaches:

• healing and sustain play
• codex and hazard-note value
• survey plus rescue overlap

4. Cold Forge Runner

• Race: Dwarrow
• Homeland: Frost Tundra
• Archetype: Artificer
• Background: Apprentice Smith
• Starter town profile: cold trade outpost with repair demand and fuel pressure
• Starter contacts: forge foreman, fur trader, sled repair hand
• Starter loadout suggestion: hammer or hatchet tool, repair kit, cold wraps, utility pack, spare bindings
• Starter board bundle: broken-sled repair delivery, fuel haul support, shallow salvage run

What this package teaches:

• repair and utility economy
• cold-route preparation
• civic project support

Beginner Trust Band

Creation should feed into a protected early-state band so player can learn chosen package without reroll panic.

Recommended rules while beginner_trust_band is active:

• board favors low-risk homeland and archetype-aligned work
• failed starter expeditions retreat safely instead of cascading into severe loss
• starter gear can degrade, but should not be permanently destroyed by early mistakes
• player contract visibility should default to trusted, low-abuse postings first
• route UI should show strong recommendation markers and clearer warnings
• one archetype or background correction remains available

Recommended exit conditions:

• complete 3 expeditions
• manually leave protected mode after tutorial warnings
• depart homeland starter circuit by explicit player choice

First Three Expeditions Rule

First three expeditions should teach systems in controlled order.

Expedition 1: Archetype Proof

• very low-risk
• strongly aligned to chosen archetype
• teaches role core, supplies, and basic result screen

Expedition 2: Homeland Utility

• region-specific pressure
• teaches why homeland matters
• usually delivery, survey, herb, fuel, or escort utility task

Expedition 3: Mixed Pressure Test

• combines role, route, and small economy consequence
• teaches repair, injury, knowledge, or contract completion in same run
• should be last guided step before full open board browsing

Correction Rule

Player should have one low-risk correction window early.

Recommended rule:

• before first 3 completed expeditions or before leaving beginner trust band, player may swap archetype or background once
• swap should rebuild starter loadout recommendation and first-board guidance
• homeland and race stay fixed identity choices, but player can travel away normally after start

This reduces reroll pressure without making creation meaningless.

UI and Scene Rules

Character Creation scene should show:

• live visual preview
• short summary card for each choice
• resulting start town
• resulting starter skills and starter contacts
• recommended loadout and first board bias
• final review screen with no hidden modifiers

Scene should feel like guided setup, not spreadsheet editor.

Technical Model

Core Records

Store:

• race_template
• homeland_template
• archetype_template
• background_template
• starter_package_template
• starter_contact_grant
• character_creation_snapshot
• character_origin_choice

Commands

Support commands such as:

• preview_character_origin_package
• create_character
• confirm_character_creation
• apply_starter_correction

Character Creation Snapshot

At creation confirm, write immutable snapshot containing:

• chosen race
• chosen homeland
• chosen archetype
• chosen background
• granted Familiar skills
• starter contact grants
• starter town
• starter loadout suggestion
• starter codex and route knowledge grants

This makes onboarding and dispute review deterministic.

Related Systems

• world structure
• character progression and roles
• skill catalog
• loadouts and safety rules
• town simulation and supply
• client and SVG pipeline