Welcome to Gaia! ::

So, as part of the new system, you may have noticed some new terminology kicking around and such. This thread is going to not only help you understand the new setup, but also assist you with creating a character using these new features. Without any further ado...

ASPECTS
God's gift to a crew member

What are Aspects?
Aspects are just what the name suggests they are. They're parts of your character which make them unique or interesting in some way. They're a handy way for us in the crew offices to make things up which apply to you specifically. Basically, when you add an aspect to a character, you're telling us what you want to see in game. For example, if one of your aspects is 'I Talk a Big Game', you're probably expecting the character to run his mouth, and I as a game maker can help to create situations where you can do just that, for good or for ill.

Aspects can be:
Š
Š Relationships (Mama’s Boy, Apprentice to Ancient Mai)
ŠŠ
Beliefs (The Lord Is My Shepherd, Nothing Is Forever)
ŠŠ
Catchphrases (Can’t Keep My Mouth Shut, “It’s Not My Fault!”)

ŠŠ Descriptors (Wiseass Wizard, Rugged as the Road)

ŠŠ Items (Sword of the Cross, My Mother’s Pentacle)

ŠŠ Pretty much anything else that paints a vivid picture of the character (Big Man On Campus, Anger Is My Constant Companion)


Here are some tips to help you create a good Aspect courtesy of the Dresden Files RPG.

What is a 'Good' Aspect?
Strictly speaking, the most beneficial aspects for your character are the ones that are most interesting; in this case, “interesting” specifically means that they are double-edged—useable to both the character’s benefit and detriment in different situations.

Aspects like Often Drunker Than a Skunk, A Born Sucker, Stubborn as Hell, and I Can Never Tell a Lie all suggest situations where the character will have to act a certain way—making an a** of himself at an important social function, falling for a line of bull, failing to back down when it’s important to do so, or speaking truthfully when truth is the path to greatest harm.
So why put such aspects on your sheet if they’re only going to make trouble for you?

Simple: you want that kind of trouble.

A “negative” aspect adds interest and story hooks for a character in a way that purely positive aspects can’t. This sort of interest means time in the limelight. If someone’s trying to take advantage of the fact that your character’s a Sucker for a Pretty Face, that’s an important point in the story and the camera is going to focus on it. They also immediately suggest story ideas to your GM, providing her with ways to hook your character in.

However, an aspect that has only negative connotations could be limiting to your character in certain ways. Aspects that are more “positive” are the channels for what makes your character special and awesome, allowing him to excel in situations where others might not.

Likewise, you also don’t want an aspect that has only positive connotations. Dramatically speaking, they’re kind of boring. Stories about characters who are always competent and always succeed are lacking in conflict and surprise. If your character starts to become predictable and boring, he’s probably going to stop being a focus of the story.

So, you definitely want to have hints of both.


What Types of Aspects can I Choose From?
Once you decide on an idea for an aspect, you need to figure out a name that best describes what you intend. There are usually many possible names for a desired aspect, which can make this choice somewhat difficult. However, most of the time an aspect is going to be a phrase, a person, or a prop. These categories of aspects aren’t hard and fast, and there can be some overlap among them—they’re just intended to give you an evocative
way to think about aspects and help break mental blocks.

A phrase can be anything from a simple detail (Strong), to a short description (Troll’s Blood Gives Strength), or even a literal quote (“No One Is Stronger Than Throgbal!”). Phrase aspects come into play based on how often the character’s current situation matches or suggests the phrase. A colorful phrase adds a lot of flavor and innately suggests several different ways to use it. This potentially makes phrase aspects some of the most flexible aspects in the game.

A person can be anyone important to your character. A friend, an enemy, a family member, a sidekick, a mentor—as long as someone matters to your character, that someone makes an appropriate aspect. A person aspect is most easily used when that person is in the scene with your character, but the aspect can come up in other ways, depending upon the person’s history and relationship with your character (ideally, the relationship should be stated in the wording of the aspect).

For example, a character might take My Old Teacher Finn as an aspect. Beyond the obvious applications of having Finn show up, a player might also invoke this for a bonus and justify it by talking about “hours spent in Old Finn’s knife throwing classes” or something similar.

Keep in mind that an organization can be used in the same way, representing both the ability to call on that organization’s resources for aid and the obligation to work for that organization’s best interests, even when they conflict with your own. So, Wizard of the White Council is technically a “person” aspect in that sense; it gives a character the ability to call on the Council for aid, but also requires that character to deal with whatever problems the association might bring.

Props are things, places, or even ideas— anything external to your character that isn't a person. A prop can be useful if it’s something your character has with him or if it’s the crux of a conflict, but it may also imply things about your character or even be significant in its absence
(Ah, if only I had my Trusty Toolbox!) and thus be important.

Again, keep in mind that these categories are allowed to blur if need be—an aspect like “Time to Call the Mayor!” has elements of both a phrase and a person, and that’s just fine.

Aspects also tend to divide into two camps— situation and story—and it’s a good idea to make sure you have aspects of each type. The distinction between these is better illustrated with examples, but here’s a general definition: situation aspects describe circumstances and events that routinely happen to the character, while story aspects describe the reasons why those things tend to happen.


Why Do I Need a Super Cool Name for my Aspect?
Aspects are one of the major sources for igniting ideas and story hooks for your character. They’re the first thing a GM will look at on your sheet when trying to work out what sorts of stories to throw your way. This is powerful juju, and the best part is that you are in total control of it with the words you choose for your aspect. If one character has the aspect Quick and another has the aspect Sworn Enemy of the Secret Brotherhood of the Flame, which one do you think suggests more ideas for the GM? Your aspects give you a “vote” in what sort of game you’re going to be playing in. Don’t let it go to waste. (If nothing else, you have just established that the Secret Brotherhood of the Flame exists in the setting, and the GM will probably turn to
you for further details.)

The most powerful aspects are easy to spot: they’re the most interesting ones. An aspect you can use to your advantage, but which can also be a disadvantage, has the most mechanical potency. What’s more, aspects that tie into the setting (connecting your character to a group or a person) help you fill in the cast of characters in a way that is most appealing to you.

Here are a few “good—better—best” examples:

ŠŠ Tepid: Wizard.
Toasty: Wizard Private Eye.
Fuego!: The Only Listing Under “Wizard” in Chicago’s Yellow Pages.

ŠŠ Tepid: Strong.
Toasty: Troll-Blood Strong.
Fuego!: Strong-Man of the Winter Court.
ŠŠ
Tepid: Dark Past.
Toasty: Reformed Evil Cultist.
Fuego!: The Ebon Shroud Cult Wants Me Dead.

In each of these cases, the “tepid” option certainly suggests its uses, but it doesn’t really jump off the page as something that suggests story. The “toasty” option is better since it’s more specific; both GM and player can see some potential story hooks in these, and they serve to differentiate themselves from their lukewarm predecessors. But in terms of rocking the house and suggesting story left and right, “Fuego!” is what you want.