Pre-made

Characters

© 2017

MVmedia, LLC

Roaring Lions Productions

INTRODUCTION

In my experience, what makes role playing games so fun is the role playing.
Yes, beating back a horde of Gnaw Maws that have invaded your village is
enjoyable as all get out, but can be boring if that is the meat of your role
playing game experience.

During a recent session of Ki Khanga, the players did not engage in combat at
all. The group preferred to strategize and negotiate their way through the
adventure. No combat, but everyone had a great time.

Developing and playing a character that really comes to life makes gaming
rewarding because you get to know and care about this creation that is,
ultimately, an extension of yourself. As one player put it, “I chose this
character because she represents me. I get to do things I would not ever get to
do in real life.”

I was elated to hear this because Ki Khanga was developed for gamers
who enjoy playing complex characters with a unique personality and
background. For gamers who enjoy the role playing experience. This is why we
don’t have character classes in Ki Khanga and Effects can be biological traits,
spells, songs, technological devices, psionic, or gifts from the divine and you
can rename those Effects to your liking. Like all things African, characters in Ki
Khanga should be unique to the player. It is about discovering that hero – or
villain – within.

Along with the premade characters that follow, I have included the Guide to
Creating Ki Khanga Characters, which will allow you to flesh your character out
even more; to make your character even more personal and, hopefully, even
more enjoyable and memorable for you and your fellow players.

This guide is designed to be fluid and intuitive, meaning you should only use
the sections you need when you need them. You certainly don’t need to fill out
every item, especially in the beginning when you just want to get your
character up and running.

I repeat: the Guide to Creating Ki Khanga Characters does not require that
every variable be assigned. You can start off with only one or two variables in
the beginning and add more as you get to know your character or as questions
arise. Of course, you are welcome to start off with a complete personality and
background profile; it’s entirely up to you. Either way, I hope you find this
supplement to Ki Khanga: The Sword and Soul Role Playing Game useful for
enriching your gaming experience.

Guide to Creating Ki Khanga Characters

Personality

When we talk about personality in a gaming context, what we want to know are
things like a character’s motivations, emotional state, worldview, and how he or
she behaves in various situations. Richness in a role playing adventure often
comes in the form of small details, quirky events, and surprising action, all of
which are more possible when the characters have personality elements that
make for unique play.

For instance, a warrior can certainly be played to indiscriminately fight every

monster they encounter, but it is more interesting if that warrior came into a
possession of a cursed sword – a sword he or she cannot get rid of or destroy –
that must drink blood once a fortnight – either the blood of the warrior’s
opponents, or the blood of the warrior – and THAT is why he or she hunts down
and kills monsters. It is this kind of insight about what makes a character tick
that allows for really fun and engaging adventures.

Motivations
In the broadest sense, your character’s Motivation is the underlying engine of
the character’s life. It is the foundational theme of his or her worldview and, at
a deep level, is what ultimately drives him or her to action. While any given act
might be tactically pragmatic in service to short-term goals, the Motivation is
there in the background influencing his or her aims and behaviors.

A single Motivation is entirely sufficient and even if you want more, it is

recommended to begin only with one. If you are inspired to have multiple
Motivations, we suggest you still choose one that is primary with others that
are secondary. The more Motivations you have, the less meaningful they
become in your gaming. In general, I’ve found it more interesting and playable
to go deeper with one Motivation than broader with more Motivations.

In the Ki Khanga Basic Rules, we give you several Motivations to choose from.
Below are several more you can choose:
Achievement: You are driven to overcome obstacles and succeed; to become
the best at all you do.

Acquisition: You have a powerful need to obtain possessions and wealth.

Adoration: You need to be cherished, admired, and wanted by others.

Balance: You seek to bring all things into harmony and equilibrium.

Beneficence: You are driven to protect the helpless, heal the sick, feed the
hungry, etc.

Chaos: You seek to disrupt, to cause confusion and to sow discord.

Competition: You seek out or create win or lose scenarios in order to defeat
others in contests.

Conflict: You seek out or create rivalry, fighting, or animosity.

Conquest: You are driven to conquer other peoples, to bring them into your
own culture under your rule or the rule of whomever you follow.

Corruption: You seek to despoil, ruin, humiliate, or make depraved.

Creation: You have a need to build or make new through art, culture,
invention and/or design.

Destruction: You seek to annihilate, exterminate, and unmake.

Discovery: You have a strong desire to explore, uncover mysteries, and pioneer

Domesticity: You have a powerful need to get married, have children and live
a family life.

Education: You desire to provide information, teach, enlighten, or train.

Entertainment: You live to entertain, amuse, and delight others.

Enslavement: You seek to force others into servitude.

Hedonism: You desire to enjoy all things sensuous.

Heroism: You seek to find valor and honor through battle or self-sacrifice.

Liberation: You seek to free the self and/or others from perceived captivity or
enslavement.
Love: You have a burning desire to experience and share affection and
emotional commitment, whether romantic or platonic.

Nobility: You seek to exalt ideals such as generosity, honesty, bravery, and
courtliness.

Order: You have a need to arrange, organize, and reduce chaos.

Play: You seek to have fun and to enjoy life.

Power: You are driven to control and lead others.

Proselytization: You seek to spread a belief system and indoctrinate others

into that belief system.

Purity: You seek to achieve a state of moral or spiritual perfection, of self

and/or others.

Rebellion: You fight against power structures and undermine authority.

Recognition: You have a powerful need to gain approval, social status, or

fame.

Service: You follow a person, government, order, religion, business, or ideal.

Torment: You seek to inflict pain and suffering on others and/or the self.

Understanding: You seek knowledge or wisdom (spiritual, scientific, magical,

etc.).

Vice: You enable or engage in self-destructive behavior.

You are certainly not limited to the Motivations in the Ki Khanga rule book, or
the ones above – but if you create your own Motivation, be sure to make
it general and thematic.

You can also choose a narrower version of the Motivations. For example, your
Motivation can be Invention rather than the more general Creation, or
try Popularity rather than Recognition. Just be careful not to make
it TOO narrow. And if you do pick a narrow Motivation, you are encouraged to
pick at least one other Motivation, just to keep your character from a too-
restricted range of action.

Emotion and Core Traits

Now we start to fill in some details about what your character is like. We want
to know how he or she feels and thinks so we can determine how he or she will
behave.

Emotional Disposition and Moodiness

We begin with the character’s Emotional Disposition and Moodiness. This

describes the general emotional state of the character. This doesn’t mean that
the character is limited to this state; it just informs you of the emotion the
character is most likely to be experiencing at any given time. This trait can be
used to help you determine how your character is likely to emotionally respond
to a situation, as well as how he or she appears to others. For instance, a
primarily joyous person will act and speak differently than one who tends
toward anxiety or contempt.

Moodiness describes how easily you feel strong emotions. It’s basically the
character’s level of emotional stability. Reactive describes being quick to
experience strong emotions and Composed describes being emotionally steady
and low-key.

Angry

Anxious

Apathetic

Ashamed

Calm

Contemptuous

Curious

Excited

Joyful

Melancholy

Moodiness

Composed

Even-tempered
Reactive

Mental Disorders
These are common human mental and emotional disorders. It seems unlikely
that most players would want their character to have a debilitating problem,
although it could certainly make for interesting play. This option might be
better suited to NPCs, giving the Griot something other than flat characters to
play. This list can also be used as ideas for the Player Character’s
Complications – and even expands on some Complications, such as Phobias –
and for curses or divine punishment.

Addiction: Chronic, compulsive indulgence in some substance or activity,

despite harmful consequences. Addictions can be mild, moderate, or severe.

Amnesia: Severe memory loss.

Bipolar Disorder: Erratic swings from periods of mania to major depression.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Anxiety disorder developed after exposure to

a terrifying event or ordeal resulting in potential re-experiencing of the ordeal,
nightmares, hypervigilance, trouble sleeping, being easily startled, and
avoidance of anything that is a reminder of the event.

Major Depression: Impaired physical functions (e.g., sleep, appetite); loss of

interest and pleasure; low energy & motivation; possibly accompanied by
severe pessimism, hopelessness, guilt, and suicidal thoughts/intent.

Fugue: Abrupt travel away from home, an inability to remember important

aspects of your life, and the partial or complete adoption of a new identity.

Hypochondria: Preoccupation with – and fear of – having a serious disease or

physical problem based on little or no real evidence.

Schizophrenia: Delusions – unreal beliefs, or assigning unusual significance

or meaning to normal events; hallucinations – unreal sensations (usually
auditory, i.e. “voices”); disorganized speech; grossly disorganized or catatonic
behavior; paranoia.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The existence of both regular compulsions

(an overwhelming need to engage in a ritualized behavior) AND obsessions
(persistent, often irrational, and seemingly uncontrollable thoughts).
Phobia: Extreme anxiety and fear associated with an object or situation. Can
include anything, for instance: specific monsters or animals, fire or water,
heights, magic, open or enclosed spaces, heights, or darkness.

Character Background
Below is a detailed list of background elements that can flesh out your
character. Of course, you aren’t required to address every issue here, and it’s
certainly possible to build on your narrative over time, filling in details as you
go.

As a general rule, when developing your background, try to be dramatic but not
over the top. In the long run, it is more interesting to have weaknesses,
barriers to overcome, and difficult goals to fulfill than to have abundance,
power, or effortless strength. Ideally, you want to address four domains in your
background:

1. Conflict: who or what does your character fight against or fight for?
2. Challenges: what limits your character?
3. Mystery: what doesn’t your character know?
4. Passion: what drives your character?
Brief Background
Writing a complete background can be time consuming. So, if you want
something quick and dirty, I recommend answering the following questions as
a good way to start:

• Where were you born?

• Who is your family?
• Name one mystery, conflict, or significant past event