Character Creation Guide

AX.GHW.05.01 - Character Creation: The Hidden World

Overview

Character creation for this catalog follows the standard AxiomRPG process (AX.C.06) with setting-specific implementations. This guide walks through each step with the catalog's lineages, professions, and power traditions in view. Read this alongside the core creation rules; this guide provides setting context and recommendations, not a replacement for the mechanical process.

The core question character creation answers: Who is this person, and how did they come to know about the hidden world?

Every character in this catalog has a relationship to the hidden world, through lineage, through professional context, through a discovery event, or through a combination. That relationship shapes what the character knows, who they know it through, and what resources and constraints they bring to play.

Step 1: Campaign Power Level

Establish the campaign's power level before individual character creation. This determines the generation package, the pool of dice available for Attributes and Talents.

Campaign Level	Generation Package	Typical Characters	Common Starting Org
Street Level	6D	New to the hidden world; local scope; first encounter with major threats	Network (new contact), Safe Harbor, independent
Regional	9D	Experienced; multi-state scope; standard campaign baseline	BUA, Vanguard, Network (established), any org with track record
National	12D	Elite operatives; apocalyptic threat scope; significant institutional standing	Senior BUA/Vanguard, Order senior ranks, Bloodline Court leadership

Recommendation: Most campaigns start at Regional (9D). It gives characters enough capability to handle Standard and Elite threats without making Minion threats trivial or Standard threats routine. Street Level is appropriate for campaigns emphasizing discovery and survival. National is appropriate for campaigns built around characters who are already the hidden world's most capable operators.

Step 2: Lineage

Choose one of the six lineages. Lineage determines: - Health modifier applied at creation and each time Fortitude is improved through advancement - Cultural Talent (always free, does not come from the generation budget) - Inherited Perks, lineage-specific capacities that cannot be removed, lost, or improved except through advancement where specified - Attribute and Talent cap exceptions where noted - Power Access affinity, which traditions the character has an easier path toward, and whether lineage alone provides any starting access

Lineage Quick Reference

Lineage	HP Mod	Free Talent	Key Perks	Power Access Path
Human	+0	Lore 1D	Unremarkable (immune to supernatural sensing); one Attribute cap 6D; Applied Research (+1D after Lore ID, 1×/scene)	None from lineage; Profession only
Dhampir	+1	Deceive 1D	Low-Light Vision; Psychic Sensitivity (living at Close); Bite	Force or Resonance via Profession; Blood Sense affinity 2D
Skinchanger	+2	Notice 1D	Acute Scent; Claws; Regeneration/Minor; Body cap 6D	Form via Profession; Pact-Shifting affinity 2D
Haunt	+0	Resolve 1D	Redundant Organs; Psychic Sensitivity (dead at Near)	Resonance via Profession; Mediumship affinity 2D
Faeborn	+0	Persuade 1D	True Seeing; Enhanced Hearing; Wit cap 6D	Resonance via Profession; Glamourist affinity 2D
Marked (Shadow-Bound)	+1	Tactics 1D	Energy Absorption — Shadow; Hollow's Gaze; The Mark (Focus)	Force via Profession; Hollow Pact at 1D (no Talent cost) through Profession
Marked (Light-Bound)	+1	Tactics 1D	Energy Absorption — Radiant; Searing Presence; The Mark (Focus)	Force or Resonance via Profession; Sacred Fire at 1D (no Talent cost) through Profession

A note on lineage as character identity: Lineage is biological and metaphysical reality; it cannot be changed, hidden from supernatural awareness, or fully separated from the character. A Dhampir who never develops Blood Sense still has predator's awareness and the hunger as background features of their experience. A Skinchanger who never shifts still has Acute Scent and the beast as a constant. A Marked practitioner who never uses their tradition still carries the Mark and the contract. Lineage shapes character even when the character is working against it.

Lineage and the Hidden World

Different lineages have different default relationships with hidden-world structures:

Human characters often enter the hidden world through discovery or professional recruitment rather than community. They may lack the community context that lineage characters grow up with and compensate with institutional affiliation and the specific advantages of being unremarkable to supernatural perception.

Dhampir characters navigate a tension between community belonging (the Bloodline Courts and their bloodline family) and the predatory heritage that makes civilian life complicated. Their relationship to the hunger is a permanent character question.

Skinchanger characters manage two selves: the shifted form and the mundane form. Community governance is provided by the Compact of Lines, Regional Conclaves handle inter-pack territorial disputes and community representation, while the Line Registry maintains global lineage and territorial records. Many Skinchanger characters are from tight family units who engage with the Compact's structures selectively; the Compact governs relationships between packs, not individual packs themselves.

Haunt characters exist at the boundary of two states, alive and something else. Their Psychic Sensitivity to the dead and their awareness of their own liminality give them a perspective on the hidden world that other lineages don't share.

Faeborn characters carry heritage that connects them to something older than most of the hidden world's current organizational structures. Their True Seeing and Enhanced Hearing are always active; they have never had the option of not perceiving the world's hidden layers. The Threshold Society provides the catalog's primary institutional home for Faeborn, whose liminal nature maps directly onto its Veil-maintenance and inter-faction arbitration mandate.

Marked characters are defined by a compact relationship that precedes their individual existence. The Hollow entity or the Illuminated is a constant background presence; what the character does with the power the compact provides says something about what they think the compact means.

Step 3: Attributes

Distribute the generation package across three Attributes. Each Attribute starts at 1D; dice from the generation package increase them.

Attribute	Role	Combat Function
Body	Physical resilience, strength, endurance	Melee attacks; Body Save; Health modifier
Speed	Reflexes, agility, precision	Ranged attacks (firearms); Speed Save; Defense
Wit	Intelligence, perception, will	Social and knowledge rolls; Wit Save; most traditions

Maximum without lineage exception: 5D. Human characters may designate one Attribute cap at 6D. Skinchanger characters have Body cap 6D. Faeborn characters have Wit cap 6D.

Attribute recommendations by character concept:

Combat-primary characters (Hunters, Operators, Fixers): Body and Speed are both important, Body for melee capacity and Health, Speed for ranged combat (firearms use Speed + Precision) and Defense. Wit still matters for investigations and social situations. A balanced split with a slight lean toward the primary combat mode is more sustainable than a single-Attribute investment.

Investigator characters (Agents, Researchers, Lore Keepers): Wit is primary; the investigation work, social navigation, and tradition use (most traditions default to Wit) all key off it. Body and Speed still matter, investigators encounter threats, but can be lower. Consider how much the character expects to rely on direct combat vs. working around it.

Tradition-primary characters (Wardens, Bloodline Investigators, Glamourists): Match the Attribute to the tradition's governing Attribute, which is chosen at creation and permanent. Most traditions default to Wit. Body-governed traditions (Pact-Shifting for some practitioners, Binding for some Hollow Pact practitioners) exist but are the minority. A tradition practitioner who has not built their governing Attribute is less effective than one who has.

Resilience-primary characters (Skinchangers, Marked): The lineage's Health modifier and perk set already provide defensive capacity. Attribute investment in Body deepens this. Skinchanger characters often build toward the Body cap.

Derived statistics: - Health = 20 + Body Value + Lineage Health Modifier - Defense = 1 + (Speed Value + Armor Value) ÷ 3, round down (minimum 1) - Saves: Body Save = Body + Fortitude; Speed Save = Speed + Acrobatics; Wit Save = Wit + Resolve

Step 4: Talents

Distribute remaining generation budget dice across Talents. Talents represent training, skill, and practiced capacity.

Every character needs: - At least one combat-relevant Talent (Brawl for melee, Precision for firearms, Evasion for defense) - At least one investigation-relevant Talent (Notice, Lore, or tradition-specific perception) - At least one social Talent (Persuade, Deceive, or Intimidate depending on character approach) - Fortitude or Resolve for Save coverage (both if the budget allows)

Traditions as Odd Talents: Power traditions are purchased from the Talent budget like other Odd Talents. If the character will use a tradition, account for it in the Talent budget. Minimum useful tradition investment is 2D; 3D is standard for a character whose tradition is a primary tool.

Cultural Talent is free: The lineage's free Talent (Lore for Human, Deceive for Dhampir, Notice for Skinchanger, etc.) does not come from the budget. Do not use budget dice to bring it from 0D to 1D; it starts at 1D automatically.

Lineage affinity bonus: Characters whose Profession grants access to a tradition aligned with their lineage start with 2D rather than 1D (no Talent cost). This applies to Dhampir + Blood Sense, Skinchanger + Pact-Shifting, Haunt + Mediumship, Faeborn + Glamourist. Marked characters start at 1D regardless of lineage alignment, the Mark's +2D Focus bonus compensates.

Modern Talent list (abbreviated):

Physical: Brawl, Acrobatics, Fortitude, Stealth, Athletics Ranged: Precision (all firearms and thrown), Drive Knowledge: Lore, Medicine, Technology, Occult (specialized Lore for hidden-world knowledge) Awareness: Notice, Survival, Empathy Social: Persuade, Deceive, Intimidate, Command Technical: Security (locks/alarms), Forensics, Hacking Tradition: Mediumship, Glamourist, Blood Sense, Hollow Pact, Sacred Fire, Pact-Shifting (Odd Talents; require Power Access) Defense: Resolve, Evasion

Full equipment and Focus catalog: AX.GM.09.

Step 5: Profession

Choose a Profession from the catalog's organizations or the unaffiliated templates. Profession determines: - Favored Save (+1D to one Save category, applied permanently) - Power Access (whether and which tradition the character can use as an Odd Talent) - Starting Resources (equipment, credentials, contacts) - Progression Track (perks at 10/25/50 XP)

Power Access and tradition: A Profession that grants Power Access allows the character to purchase that tradition as an Odd Talent. Without Power Access, a character cannot purchase a tradition regardless of their generation budget. The exception: Marked characters have Power Access to their lineage tradition through the Marked lineage itself, formalized through a Profession that acknowledges the contract relationship.

Profession Options by Organization

Organization	Professions	Tradition Access	Best Fit Lineages
Bureau of Unusual Affairs	Special Agent, Analyst	Mediumship or Glamourist	Human, Haunt, Faeborn
Vanguard Unit	Operator, Specialist	Any (lineage-eligible)	Skinchanger, Marked
The Network	Hunter, Lore Keeper	None (lineage-native via Stage 2)	All lineages
Safe Harbor	Protection Specialist, Advocate	Mediumship or Glamourist	Haunt, Faeborn, Human
Order of the Warden's Flame	Warden, Archivist	Sacred Fire (Light-Bound Marked required for Warden)	Marked (Light-Bound), Human
The Grimoire Compact	Researcher, Field Researcher	Mediumship or Glamourist	Faeborn, Haunt, Human
Aldersham Institute	Institute Researcher, Field Investigator	Mediumship or Glamourist	Haunt, Human
Obsidian Solutions	Containment Operative, Artifact Broker	Blood Sense or Pact-Shifting (lineage-eligible)	Dhampir, Skinchanger
The Bloodline Courts	Court Advocate, Bloodline Investigator	Blood Sense at 2D (Dhampir required)	Dhampir
The Hollow Market	Broker, Fixer	Hollow Pact or Pact-Shifting (lineage-eligible)	Marked (Shadow-Bound), Skinchanger
The Threshold Society	Threshold Warden, Accords Mediator	Glamourist (Faeborn affinity 2D)	Faeborn, Haunt
The Sovereign Circle	Covenant Practitioner, Pact Intermediary	Hollow Pact (Shadow-Bound Marked required for Practitioner)	Marked (Shadow-Bound), Human
The Compact of Lines	Pack Advocate, Line Keeper	Pact-Shifting (optional; Skinchanger affinity 2D)	Skinchanger, Human
Unaffiliated	Solo Hunter, Civilian Drawn In, Reformed Threat, Freelance Occultist	Varies	All lineages

Affinity and starting tradition dice: - Lineage-affinity Professions (e.g., Dhampir taking Blood Sense through a Profession) grant 2D at no Talent cost - Non-affinity Professions granting access to a tradition start at 1D at no Talent cost - Additional dice beyond the starting grant are purchased from the Talent budget at standard cost

Multi-tradition access: Standard characters have one tradition through their Profession. A second tradition requires a Progression Track Stage that specifically grants additional Power Access, or an extraordinary circumstance established with the GM. Multi-tradition access is not a character creation option for most builds.

Step 6: Derived Values and Starting Resources

After Attributes, Talents, and Profession are finalized:

Calculate: - Health = 20 + Body Value + Lineage Health Modifier - Defense = 1 + (Speed Value + Armor Value) ÷ 3, round down - Three Save values = Attribute Value + Save Talent Value (if purchased)

Record Profession starting resources: Each Profession entry specifies starting equipment, credentials, and contacts. These are the character's baseline resources at play's start.

Note Lineage perks: Record all Inherited Perks from the lineage file. These are always active unless the perk entry specifies conditions.

The Mark: Marked characters should note that the Mark is always functioning as a Focus and is always visible to supernatural awareness. This is a permanent feature, not a conditional one.

Step 7: Background and Connection to the Hidden World

This is not a mechanical step in the core rules, but it is important for this catalog. Establish three things:

How the character came to know about the hidden world. Family lineage (they grew up in it), professional recruitment (an organization brought them in), discovery event (they encountered the hidden world directly and couldn't un-know it), or lineage revelation (they discovered what they were). The entry point shapes what the character knows, who they trust, and what gaps their knowledge has.

What the character wants from the work. Protection (of specific people, of a community, of ordinary society in general), understanding (what the hidden world is, what they are, what the rules actually are), belonging (finding a community that knows what they know), or mission (a specific ongoing purpose shaped by their history). Characters without something they want tend to be passive; characters with a specific want provide their own direction.

One hidden-world relationship that matters. A contact, a rival, a creditor, a community, a person they've lost. The organizational starting resources provide professional contacts. This is the human-scale connection that makes the work personal.

Character Build Examples

Street Level, New Hunter (6D)

Concept: A civilian who witnessed a supernatural threat and couldn't let it go. No organizational affiliation yet. Beginning to make Network contacts.

Lineage: Human, Unremarkable (can't be sensed by supernatural perception) is operationally significant for someone new to the work
Attributes: Body 2D, Speed 2D, Wit 2D (6D total; even spread, no specialization yet)
Talents: Brawl 1D (free Lore from lineage), Precision 1D, Notice 1D, Fortitude 1D, Lore 1D (Cultural), Persuade 1D, 5D spent, 1D remaining for a specialization (Stealth, Drive, or Medicine)
Profession: The Network / Hunter, no tradition access at Stage 1; Stage 2 unlocks lineage-native tradition if applicable
Favored Save: Body Save
Starting Resources: Personal weapon, one Network contact (node), verification protocol knowledge
Health: 20 + 2 = 22. Defense: 1 + (2 + 0) ÷ 3 = 1.

Notes: Fragile at this level, 22 HP is the baseline and Defense 1 means most attacks that hit, hit hard. The character survives by being unremarkable and by knowing when not to be in a fight. The Network's Stage 1 perk (Network Pull) starts building the information access that makes the character more effective over time.

Regional, Experienced BUA Agent (9D)

Concept: A federal agent who has been working supernatural cases for several years. Methodical, institutional, carries the specific kind of distance that comes from documenting things she can't explain in terms her supervisors will accept.

Lineage: Human, Unremarkable is useful in an investigative role; Applied Research (+1D after Lore identification) compounds with high Wit
Attributes: Body 2D, Speed 2D, Wit 4D (8D from package; 1D from Wit cap exception or standard cap)
Talents: Precision 1D, Lore 2D (1D free Cultural + 1D purchased), Notice 2D, Forensics 1D, Persuade 1D, Fortitude 1D, Resolve 1D, Mediumship 2D, 9D total with Lore Cultural free
Profession: Bureau of Unusual Affairs / Special Agent, Mediumship access (starts at 1D, purchased up to 2D); Wit Save favored (+1D)
Favored Save: Wit Save
Starting Resources: Federal credentials, BUA field kit, database access
Health: 20 + 2 = 22. Defense: 1 + (2 + 0) ÷ 3 = 1.

Notes: The Mediumship 2D gives usable tradition capacity without making it a primary tool, the agent is an investigator who happens to have a useful supplementary capacity. The high Wit compounds with Applied Research: a successful Lore identification roll at Threshold 2 gives +1D on the relevant follow-up, which for a 4D + 2D roll is already substantial.

Regional, Dhampir Court Advocate (9D)

Concept: A Bloodline Court Advocate with deep community standing and a developed Blood Sense practice. Navigates the space between Dhampir community interests and the wider hidden world.

Lineage: Dhampir, +1 HP, Deceive 1D free, Psychic Sensitivity (living at Close); Blood Sense affinity (2D at access)
Attributes: Body 2D, Speed 2D, Wit 4D (8D; Wit 4D is the practical limit without Faeborn lineage)
Talents: Blood Sense 2D (affinity, free, no Talent cost), Deceive 1D (free Cultural), Persuade 2D, Lore 1D, Notice 1D, Resolve 1D, Fortitude 1D, Stealth 1D, 7D total talents; 1D remaining for additional investment
Profession: Bloodline Courts / Court Advocate, Blood Sense at 2D (Dhampir affinity, free); Wit Save favored (+1D)
Favored Save: Wit Save
Starting Resources: Court credentials, Lineage Registry access, established external organization relationships
Health: 20 + 2 (Body) + 1 (Dhampir) = 23. Defense: 1 + (2 + 0) ÷ 3 = 1.

Notes: The lineage affinity bonus makes Blood Sense 2D effectively free, the Advocate begins play with a functional tradition without spending from the Talent budget on it. Additional Talent budget goes into the social and knowledge capacities that the advocacy role depends on. Health is 23 from lineage modifier.

Regional, Skinchanger Vanguard Specialist (9D)

Concept: A Skinchanger operator whose form capacities make them a tactical asset in direct engagements. Experienced, functional, and in the process of developing opinions about the Vanguard's operational posture that they're not sure what to do with.

Lineage: Skinchanger, +2 HP, Notice 1D free, Acute Scent, Claws, Regeneration/Minor; Body cap 6D; Pact-Shifting affinity 2D
Attributes: Body 4D, Speed 2D, Wit 2D (8D; Body toward cap)
Talents: Pact-Shifting 2D (affinity, free, no Talent cost), Notice 1D (free Cultural), Brawl 2D, Precision 1D, Fortitude 1D, Stealth 1D, Survival 1D, 6D talents total; 1D remaining
Profession: Vanguard Unit / Specialist, Pact-Shifting access (affinity, 2D free); Body Save favored (+1D)
Favored Save: Body Save
Starting Resources: Military-issue weapons, tactical gear, Vanguard threat materials inventory access
Health: 20 + 4 (Body) + 2 (Skinchanger) = 26. Defense: 1 + (2 + 0) ÷ 3 = 1.

Notes: Health 26 is the highest baseline in these examples, the Skinchanger's +2 HP modifier combined with a 4D Body investment creates a significantly more durable character than the standard baseline. Pact-Shifting 2D (free from affinity) gives form tradition access without budget cost. The character is primarily a physical operator whose tradition deepens the role rather than defining it.

National, Order Senior Warden (12D)

Concept: A Light-Bound Marked practitioner with substantial Order standing, deep Sacred Fire development, and the accumulated weight of hard doctrinal decisions made in the field over a long career.

Lineage: Marked (Light-Bound), +1 HP, Tactics 1D free, Energy Absorption — Radiant, Searing Presence, The Mark (+2D to Radiance rolls)
Attributes: Body 2D, Speed 3D, Wit 5D (10D; Wit toward cap)
Talents: Sacred Fire 4D (1D free through Profession + 3D purchased), Tactics 1D (free Cultural), Lore 2D, Fortitude 2D, Resolve 2D, Persuade 1D, 8D purchased talents
Profession: Order of the Warden's Flame / Warden, Sacred Fire access (1D free through Profession); Wit Save favored (+1D)
Favored Save: Wit Save
Starting Resources: Order credentials, Order-standard blessed materials, house authority (Stage 3 perk)
Health: 20 + 2 (Body) + 1 (Marked) = 23. Defense: 1 + (3 + 0) ÷ 3 = 2.

Notes: Sacred Fire at 4D with Wit 5D means rolling 9D for tradition applications (plus The Mark's +2D on Radiance applications = 11D). This is substantial and appropriate for a National-level character who has invested their career in tradition depth. The Favored Save on Wit + Resolve at this level is also a genuine defensive asset.

Advancement

Characters advance through XP (standard rate: 3 XP per session baseline). Progression Track perks unlock at 10, 25, and 50 XP. Between-Track advancement improves Attributes and Talents at standard costs:

New Talent at 1D: Governing Attribute Value × 2 XP
Improve existing Talent: Current Die Value × 2 XP
New Tradition at 1D: Governing Attribute Value × 2 XP (requires Power Access)
Improve existing Tradition: Current Die Value × 2 XP

Health on advancement: The lineage health modifier applies again each time Fortitude is increased through advancement. A Dhampir character who improves Fortitude from 1D to 2D gains an additional +1 HP from the lineage modifier.

Second traditions: A character's Progression Track Stage 2 sometimes grants secondary tradition access (BUA Special Agent's Stage 2, for example). Outside these specific cases, a second tradition requires extraordinary in-fiction justification and GM approval. The standard assumption is one tradition per character.

Quick Reference: Creation Checklist

Determine campaign power level and generation package (6D / 9D / 12D)
Choose Lineage, record HP modifier, free Cultural Talent, all Inherited Perks
Distribute generation package across Attributes (min 1D each; standard max 5D)
Distribute remaining package dice across Talents (Cultural Talent is free; tradition dice require Power Access)
Choose Profession, record Favored Save bonus, Power Access, starting resources
If Power Access granted: purchase tradition from Talent budget (or receive free starting dice through affinity); choose governing Attribute (permanent)
Calculate derived values: Health, Defense, Save values
Record starting resources from Profession entry
Establish background: hidden-world entry point, what the character wants, one relationship that matters
Confirm with table: each character has a distinct role in knowledge, combat, or social domains, no role should be fully covered by two characters and none should be uncovered