Quick and Dirty Features
"Quick and Dirty Features" from The Watchtower Report, pages 30-31.
1. The Sketch
Make a list of Traits. No die ratings or statements yet, just the raw Trait names:
- List the six Values.
- List the Relationships the character has.
- If you're building up a character who appears on the Pathways chart, the chart will tell you what Relationships they get.
- If the character is new, not on the chart, try to give them a number of Relationships equal to the number of Leads in the game, plus 2. (This doesn't have to include all of the Leads, but probably will.)
- Skim through the list of Assets. Pick 4-8 that seem appropriate. Maybe 10 for a real heavy-hitter.
- List three Resources (Extras or Locations). They can be already-existing ones, or new.
2. The Budget
Now's when we assign die ratings. Each Feature should have a number of die steps roughly equal to the Leads. A Lead created through the Pathways chart up through Life-Changing Events (just the first page) has 21 steps (not including Values); one that's gone all the way through the second page (like we did) has 31 steps (again, not including Values).
Assume that the Leads have succeeded in Growth about half the time, so add half the number of episodes you've played so far.
Assign die steps to the list of Traits you've already got (except Values). Start off assigning one step to each Trait, to get them all up to d4. Decide which Traits are most central to the character, with high die ratings, and spend steps on those.
If the Feature has Abilities, each Ability gets one Special Effect for free. Additional Special Effects can be bought for one step each.
3. Values
You get another 15 steps to spread among the six Values. Do that now.
You might also want to come up with statements for the Values and Relationships now, but consider saving a few Relationship statements to define in-play. When your Feature first meets a Lead, you can give them a statement based on their first impression of that Lead.
4. Finishing Up
Name and description, if you didn't start off with those.
Write down the Triggers for any Assets.
