Essence and Behavior

This article complies with version 0.94 of Runarcana RPG

A character's essence is their most basic and internal characteristic. It reflects their nature and the starting point of that character in interacting with the world. Extremely linked to the concept of the character, the essence is the very guide of moral rules that a character follows.

A character's behavior does not always reflect his essence, yet a character who behaves in a way that directly conflicts with his essence is in constant battle within himself, with the results of this struggle affecting the character's actions.

Below are just a few examples of concepts for creating a character's Essence and Behavior:

• Architect - Building something truly lasting is what drives you
• Bon vivant - Life is there to be lived in the best possible way
• Chameleon - Adapting to any situation is the key and secret to everything
• Conformist - Everything is always fine, you are able to see that clearly
• Fanatic - Your cause is the most important thing in your life, or perhaps even the most important
• Authoritarian - Your way is the right one, as long as others understand that
• Cautious - The “how” to achieve is as important as the “achievement” itself
• Rebel - No one orders you around and you make your own rules
• Lonely - In the end, what matters is how you feel about things. *Competitor - Winning is always the most important thing
• Scientist - Understanding the path to success is the most important thing
• Celebrant - Victory is meant to be celebrated or it has no value
• Pedagogue - Teaching is important, passing on knowledge
• Survivor - In the end, the important thing is to survive another day
• Visionary - It's all part of something much bigger that is still in progress

Each of these words can have different interpretations, for this reason, it is important that the Essence and Behavior of a character are always discussed with the master, so that he understands the motivations of this character and understands when an action is in accordance with this essence, or when this action is a shortcut that the character uses in a difficult situation.

Adaptability

How important is faith in his divinity to a believer? How will he behave if he needs to deny his faith in order to survive? Will he succumb to it, causing damage to his essence, or will denying it in words have no meaning for him as long as he maintains his belief and can survive?

Not all behavior holds true for a character; some essences may excel at adapting and adjusting to situations, while others may struggle to do so. While a more volatile essence may adapt more easily, this means that that essence will rarely result in Prowess points.

Conflict and Transformation

A character's Essence is a very important starting point for them to begin their adventure. Being true to their essence can be very important and lead to great challenges, but it is important to remember that characters are not a fixed and unchanging concept.

In many cases, a player can create a character with a conflicted Essence, such as a former assassin seeking redemption by swearing to never take another life, or even a soldier who was loyal to his army and believed in its ideals until he realized that these ideals were nothing more than a way to manipulate him into carrying out the most terrible acts.

A character's path can be exactly the discovery of his true Essence, with his Behavior appearing to be his essence, while on the journey of self-discovery the character understands his essence and can change his behavior.

Prowess

Prowess points are a way of encouraging characters to follow their Essence, making them characters with behavior consistent with their ideas and concepts, with them being able to change during a story, but not being flexible to the point that characters are just a collection of numbers.

All characters lose and receive 1 prowess point upon successfully completing a long rest, meaning that these points earned daily do not accumulate.

The maximum number of Prowess points a creature can accumulate is equal to its proficiency bonus.

Receiving Prowess Points

Prowess Points are earned by characters who are true to their essence, who achieve achievements by following these precepts, even in the face of adversity. When a character is true to their essence in their actions, they can receive Prowess point rewards based on these achievements.

• 1 point - Achieving something by being true to your essence in a common situation
• 2 points - Achieving something by being true to your essence in an unfavorable situation
• 3 points - Being able to transform an adverse situation by being true to your essence

Spending a prowess point does not require an action, but can only be done when a character can act, whether through an action, reaction, or bonus action. Spending must always be declared before a roll is made and can only be done once per round, except in extreme cases.

Spending Prowess Points

Below are some ways to spend Prowess points:

• 1 point - Receive a +1 modifier on a roll
• 2 points - Roll a 20 on a non-combat roll
• 3 points - Receive advantage on a roll

Each of the ways to consume these prowess points is at the GM's discretion, for example, the GM can deny an advantage or a modifier from being added to a roll for an act that goes against a character's Essence.