Character Creation

Creating a character in Duskara involves defining who they are through a series of Tags that capture their essence, abilities, and relationships. These Tags will guide your role-playing and influence your dice rolls throughout the game.

Step 1: Concept

Your character's Concept is a brief phrase that captures their core identity. It should evoke their role in Duskaran society, their background, or their approach to life.

Examples:

• Wind-Blessed Navigator
• Thermal Prospector from the Day Margins
• Deep Roads Archive Keeper
• Storm Season Festival Organizer
• Geothermal Engineer
• Weather Worker Apprentice
• Nomadic Water Trader
• Night-Side Resonance Singer
• Windkeeper Councilor
• Warmth Circle Elder

Wind-Kin Clans:

As part of your Concept, consider which Wind-Kin clan your character belongs to. These cultural affiliations shape your character's heritage and worldview:

• kin-Hanga (Wind Clan): Surface dwellers, weatherworkers, those who work with wind patterns and atmospheric mastery
• kin-Moto (Fire/Geothermal Clan): Thermal specialists, geothermal engineers, day-side workers who harness heat and volcanic energy
• kin-Maji (Water Clan): Water managers, hydroponic specialists, conservationists devoted to protecting precious fresh water
• kin-Babu (Elder Lineage): Knowledge keepers, historians, data archivists, and cultural preservationists who maintain tradition
• kin-Kivuli (Shadow Clan): Deepkin, night-side cave dwellers, those who thrive in permanent darkness and deep geothermal environments

Clan affiliation is optional and informal in daily life, but significant in formal settings. See the Duskaran Names Guidelines (Worldbuilding section) for how to integrate clan into your character's full name.

Your Concept can add a Chance Die when it's relevant to your action.

Step 2: Skills

Choose three Skills that represent your character's training, expertise, or natural talents. Skills in Duskara often reflect the unique demands of the setting.

Sample Skills:

• Wind Pattern Reading
• Thermal Suit Operation
• Vertical Farming
• Weather Working
• Ancient Technology
• Cave Navigation
• Storm Ship Piloting
• Water System Maintenance
• Psychic Resonance
• Geothermal Prospecting
• Archival Research
• Wind Turbine Engineering
• Thermal Sensing
• Deep Bonding
• Settlement Politics
• Survival (Day Side / Night Side / Deep Roads)

Each Skill can add a Chance Die when you use it.

Step 3: Frailty

Every character has a Frailty—something that challenges them or makes certain situations more difficult. This isn't a flaw that weakens your character, but a human vulnerability that adds depth.

Examples:

• Overwhelmed by Thermal Noise
• Uncomfortable in Enclosed Spaces
• Haunted by the Lost Earth
• Overconfident in Their Abilities
• Struggles with Weather Working Focus
• Distrusts Night-Side Cultures
• Addicted to Storm Chasing
• Poor Wind Sense

Your Frailty adds a Risk Die when it comes into play.

Step 4: Gear

Choose two pieces of Gear that your character typically carries. Gear in Duskara is often multi-purpose and reflects the setting's sustainable technology.

Sample Gear:

• Thermal Suit (rated for marginal day-side exposure)
• Wind Compass (reads current patterns)
• Comm Crystal (synced to settlement network)
• Climbing Kit (for towers or caves)
• Water Reclamation Unit (personal scale)
• Data Crystal (containing Earth archives or technical schematics)
• Resonance Bell (for deep-cave communication)
• Storm Goggles (protects against wind and dust)
• Thermal Lance (mining/cutting tool)
• Bio-Monitor (tracks environmental exposure)

Each piece of Gear can add a Chance Die when relevant.

Step 5: Goal

What does your character want to achieve? Your Goal is your driving ambition, the thing that pulls you into adventure.

Examples:

• Decode the Twilight Codex fragments
• Establish a new settlement in the twilight belt
• Master weather working to legendary status
• Map the complete Deep Roads network
• Find a way to restore contact with Earth
• Discover the origin of Duskara's ancient structures
• Protect their settlement from a rival's expansion
• Recover lost technology from the day side

Your Goal can add a Chance Die when you're working toward it.

Step 6: Motive

Your Motive explains why you pursue your Goal. It's the emotional or philosophical drive behind your ambition.

Examples:

• To honor the sacrifices of the Stellar Horizon crew
• To prove that humanity can truly thrive on Duskara
• To ensure their settlement's independence
• To understand their psychic connection to the planet
• To preserve knowledge for future generations
• To find meaning in a world they didn't choose
• To protect those they love from hardship
• To satisfy an unquenchable curiosity

Your Motive can add a Chance Die when it's directly relevant.

Step 7: Nemesis

Choose a Nemesis—a person, organization, force, or concept that opposes your character or complicates their life. This creates built-in drama and conflict.

Examples:

• A rival weather worker from another settlement
• Windkeepers who restrict access to Earth data or resources
• The day side's relentless environmental pressures
• A family member who thinks their Goal is foolish
• A corporation exploiting geothermal sites irresponsibly
• The mysterious phenomena in the Deep Roads
• Their own psychic abilities, which they fear or distrust
• A settlement that competes for the same resources

Your Nemesis adds a Risk Die when they're involved or relevant.

Step 8: Relationships

Establish two Relationships with other player characters. These should be connections that create interesting dynamics and story hooks.

Examples:

• Taught them weather working basics
• Saved their life during a superstorm
• Grew up in the same settlement
• Rival for a romantic interest
• Siblings separated by cultural differences
• Partners in exploring the Deep Roads
• Mentor and former student
• Competing for the same settlement contract

Relationships can add Chance Dice or Risk Dice depending on the situation and how the relationship is currently standing.

Character Trait Reference Lists

The examples below are a comprehensive reference for creating your character's Concept, Skills, Frailties, and Gear. These traits emerge from Duskaran culture, professions, and the challenges of living on a tidally locked world. You're not required to choose from these lists—you can create your own traits anytime—but these examples show the range of possibilities.

Concept Examples (36 Options)

Choose or adapt one of these to define your character's role and place in Duskaran society:

1. Wind-Blessed Navigator
2. Thermal Prospector from the Day Margins
3. Deep Roads Archive Keeper
4. Storm Season Festival Organizer
5. Geothermal Engineer
6. Weather Worker Apprentice
7. Nomadic Water Trader
8. Night-Side Resonance Singer
9. Windkeeper Councilor
10. Warmth Circle Elder
11. Settlement Archivist
12. Salvage Specialist (Day Side)
13. Hydroponic Farmer
14. Caravan Guard Leader
15. Psychic Researcher
16. Cave System Mapper
17. Wind Turbine Technician
18. Water Conservation Officer
19. Settlement Diplomat
20. Deep Bonding Master
21. Bioluminescent Cultivator
22. Storm Wall Scout
23. Thermal Vein Locator
24. Data Crystal Keeper
25. Community Healer
26. Corruption Investigator
27. Settlement Defense Coordinator
28. Thermal Device Craftsperson
29. Wind-Song Performer
30. Underground Mining Foreman
31. Psychic Containment Specialist
32. Relay Station Operator
33. Resource Rationing Administrator
34. Ruins Investigator
35. Settlement Educator
36. Inter-Settlement Trade Negotiator

Note: Consider which Wind-Kin clan your character belongs to (kin-Hanga, kin-Moto, kin-Maji, kin-Babu, or kin-Kivuli) for cultural depth. See the Duskaran Names Guidelines for how clan affiliation shapes identity.

Skill Examples (36 Options)

Choose or create three Skills that represent your character's training and expertise:

1. Wind Pattern Reading
2. Thermal Suit Operation
3. Vertical Farming
4. Weather Working
5. Ancient Technology
6. Cave Navigation
7. Storm Ship Piloting
8. Water System Maintenance
9. Psychic Resonance
10. Geothermal Prospecting
11. Archival Research
12. Wind Turbine Engineering
13. Thermal Sensing
14. Deep Bonding
15. Settlement Politics
16. Survival (Day Side)
17. Survival (Night Side)
18. Survival (Deep Roads)
19. Bioluminescent Cultivation
20. Resonance Communication
21. Council Mediation
22. Caravan Route Knowledge
23. Equipment Repair
24. Psychic Phenomena Recognition
25. Climbing and Rappelling
26. Negotiation and Diplomacy
27. Salvage Identification
28. Geothermal Heat Management
29. Hydroponic System Design
30. Storm Forecasting
31. Data Crystal Decryption
32. Settlement Defense Tactics
33. First Aid and Healing
34. Inter-Settlement Trade Routes
35. Psychic Ability Training
36. Environmental Conservation

Frailty Examples (36 Options)

Choose or create one Frailty that represents a vulnerability or challenge your character faces:

1. Overwhelmed by Thermal Noise
2. Uncomfortable in Enclosed Spaces
3. Haunted by the Lost Earth
4. Overconfident in Their Abilities
5. Struggles with Weather Working Focus
6. Distrusts Night-Side Cultures
7. Addicted to Storm Chasing
8. Poor Wind Sense
9. Afraid of Deep Water
10. Traumatized by Psychic Backlash
11. Grieving a Deep Bonded Loss
12. Guilt Over Resource Waste
13. Fear of Authority Figures
14. Obsessed with Pre-Human Artifacts
15. Struggles with Settlement Politics
16. Easily Disoriented in Darkness
17. Claustrophobic in Cave Systems
18. Resistant to Innovation
19. Prone to Thermal Exhaustion
20. Distrustful of Psychic Abilities
21. Haunted by a Failed Mission
22. Resentful of Collective Decision-Making
23. Fearful of Superstorms
24. Isolated by Rare Psychic Ability
25. Struggling with Survivor's Guilt
26. Prone to Overextending Self
27. Avoids Conflict at All Costs
28. Struggles with Rapid Change
29. Fear of Failure in Critical Role
30. Burden of Supporting Settlement
31. Troubled by Inter-Settlement Tensions
32. Anxious About Resource Scarcity
33. Paralyzed by Multiple Loyalties
34. Haunted by Past Betrayal
35. Struggling with Self-Doubt
36. Resistant to Psychic Advancement

Gear Examples (36 Options)

Choose or create two pieces of Gear that your character carries:

1. Thermal Suit (rated for marginal day-side exposure)
2. Wind Compass (reads current patterns)
3. Comm Crystal (synced to settlement network)
4. Climbing Kit (for towers or caves)
5. Water Reclamation Unit (personal scale)
6. Data Crystal (containing Earth archives)
7. Resonance Bell (for deep-cave communication)
8. Storm Goggles (protects against wind and dust)
9. Thermal Lance (mining/cutting tool)
10. Bio-Monitor (tracks environmental exposure)
11. Wind-Powered Lamp
12. Heat-Insulated Flask
13. Rope and Harness (professional grade)
14. Salvage Detection Scanner
15. Geothermal Thermometer
16. Portable Hydroponics Kit
17. Psychic Focus Crystal
18. Emergency Shelter (fold-able)
19. Preserved Food Supply (3-day ration)
20. Medical Kit (settlement-grade)
21. Weather Map (hand-drawn, updated regularly)
22. Bioluminescent Marker Set
23. Wind-Chime Alert System
24. Water Testing Kit
25. Notebook and Writing Tools
26. Tool Kit (general purpose)
27. Binoculars (wind-resistant frame)
28. Ground Anchor (for high winds)
29. Geothermal Heat Pack
30. Resonance Crystal Set
31. Emergency Signal Mirror
32. Insulated Gloves and Boots
33. Water-Proof Satchel
34. Moonstone Pendant (cultural item)
35. Settlement Authorization Token
36. Ancient Artifact (mysterious, fragmentary)

Psychic Abilities (Likely for Duskaran Characters)

Most Duskaran characters will have manifested psychic abilities—a product of the planet's evolutionary pressures. If your character has such abilities, choose one to start. More can be developed through play. (Not all characters need them, but they're normal and common on Duskara.)

See the Psychic Abilities section for details on how these work mechanically.

A Note on Conditions

During play, your character might gain temporary Conditions from harm, exhaustion, fear, or psychic strain. Examples include Injured, Exhausted, Frightened, or Psychically Drained. Conditions add Risk Dice when relevant and persist until you recover (through rest, medical attention, or narrative resolution). You don't define these during character creation—they emerge during play based on what happens to your character. See the Conditions section (p. 663) for full details.

Example Character

Kaelen kin-Moto Velkara

• Concept: Day-Side Salvage Specialist
• Skills: Thermal Suit Operation, Ancient Technology, Survival (Day Side)
• Frailty: Overconfident in Their Abilities
• Gear: Thermal Suit (heavy-duty), Thermal Lance
• Goal: Recover the Stellar Horizon's navigation core from the day side wreckage
• Motive: To prove humanity can reclaim what was lost
• Nemesis: The Day Side Trading Consortium who claims exclusive salvage rights
• Relationships:
  • "Trained Zhiren in thermal sensing before their Awakening"
  • "Owes Thalen kin-Hanga Stormridge a life-debt after a rescue mission went wrong"
• Psychic Ability: Thermal Sense (Novice)