Character Creation Guide
Building A Life in the Basilica
Welcome to Basilica Purgatory. This guide walks you through every step of creating a character. Read it fully before beginning your application — your Mentor is there to help at every stage.
How Character Creation Works
| Step | What You'll Do |
|---|---|
| 1. Choose your Splat | The broad supernatural (or human) type you'll play |
| 2. Choose your Subtype | The specific bloodline, tribe, seeming, dharma, school, or profession within your splat |
| 3. Assign Stats & Attributes | Distribute your starting points across the character sheet |
| 4. Write your Background | Your character's history, arrival in Basilica Purgatory, and ties to the world |
| 5. Submit your Application | Reviewed by a Mentor, then by Admin, before approval |
Choosing Your Splat
Basilica Purgatory supports eight playable splats. All splats except Hunter may join any of the five Factions.
| Splat | Type | Common Subtypes | Rare Path? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vampire (Lilum) | Supernatural | 6 Bloodlines | Yes — other bloodlines |
| Werewolf (Garou) | Supernatural | 6 Tribes | Yes — other tribes |
| Lost | Supernatural | 6 Seemings | Yes — Dreamborne Fae |
| Hellion | Supernatural | 5 Dharma paths | Yes — Thousand Whispers |
| Sorcerer | Supernatural | 6 Schools | No |
| Psychic | Human (Hidden) | 6 Types | No |
| Human | Mundane | 6 Professions + Half-Damned | No |
| Hunter | Mundane/Imbued | 4 Types | Yes — Bystander |
Full mechanics, strengths, weaknesses, and subtype breakdowns for each splat live on their own Denizens pages: Vampire · Werewolf · Lost · Hellion · Gifted (Sorcerer & Psychic) · Mortals · Hunter · Half-Damned.
Stats & Attributes
All characters use a modified version of the classic World of Darkness stat system. Your Mentor provides the full character sheet — the following outlines the core categories.
| Category | Attributes | Starting Points |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Strength, Dexterity, Stamina | 1 free in each; 7 points to distribute |
| Social | Charisma, Manipulation, Appearance | 1 free in each; 5 points to distribute |
| Mental | Perception, Intelligence, Wits | 1 free in each; 3 points to distribute |
| Talents | Alertness, Athletics, Brawl, Dodge, Empathy, Expression, Intimidation, Leadership, Streetwise, Subterfuge | 13 points to distribute |
| Skills | Animal Ken, Crafts, Drive, Etiquette, Firearms, Melee, Performance, Security, Stealth, Survival | 9 points to distribute |
| Knowledges | Academics, Computer, Finance, Investigation, Law, Medicine, Occult, Politics, Science, Technology | 5 points to distribute |
| Backgrounds | Splat-specific — see Mentor | 5 points to distribute |
| Splat Traits | Disciplines / Gifts / Contracts / Essence / Schools / Psychic Ability / Profession Perks | See Mentor for splat-specific allocation |
| Willpower | All characters | Starts at 3 |
| Freebie Points | Spend after all above | 21 points — see cost chart with Mentor |
Supernatural splats have additional trait categories not listed above (Blood Pool, Gnosis, Glamour, Essence). Your Mentor will walk you through these specific to your splat.
Writing Your Background
Your background is the most important part of your application — it tells us who your character is, how they survived to reach Basilica Purgatory, and why they're here.
Required elements:
- Who were they before? Life before the End of Times or during the Restoration.
- How did they survive? What did they endure, lose, or sacrifice to reach Year 200 TE?
- Why Basilica Purgatory? What brought them here specifically?
- What do they want? One short-term goal, one long-term goal.
- Who do they know? At least one NPC connection and one potential PC connection.
- What are they hiding? Every character has something they don't advertise.
| Path | Additional Requirement |
|---|---|
| Rare Subtype (any splat) | Full explanation of how it survived, how it functions today, and what it contributes to the Basilica. |
| Psychic (any type) | A detailed masking practice — how the character disguises their abilities as Sorcerer-style magic. |
| Dhampir | Explain parentage, how the character has survived given their rarity, and their relationship with both heritages. |
| Bystander Hunter | Explain what broke the Hunter's faith or cost them their abilities, and why they remain in the Basilica. |
| Dreamborne Fae | Explain survival, what service they provide their reigning Wyrd-born, and why they're inside the walls. |
The Approval Process
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Mentor Review | Submit your sheet and background. Your Mentor reviews within 72 hours. |
| 2. Revision (if needed) | Most applications need at most one round of revision. |
| 3. Admin Review | Once your Mentor approves, Admin reviews for sim balance, rare path approval, and integration with active storylines. |
| 4. Approval & Welcome | You receive your character tag, faction introduction, and a starting IC scene from your Mentor. |
Application checklist:
- Completed character sheet with all stats filled in
- Background covering all six required elements
- Splat and subtype clearly identified
- Faction preference noted (can be undecided)
- Rare path supplemental background, if applicable
- Psychic masking practice described, if applicable
Welcome to Basilica Purgatory. The city needs you. Whatever you are.