Supporting Characters

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

All the characters that the main characters encounter throughout the course of a story, whose actions are controlled by the chorus, are referred to as supporting characters (non-player characters, or NPCs, in traditional role-playing game parlance). Most supporting characters will only require stats if they will have an impact on the progression of the story, interacting with the main characters in such a way that establishes, escalates, and resolves conflict.

COMPANIONS

Main characters will often have sidekicks, cohorts, familiars, and loyal followers. Companions are a special type of player-controlled identity (see below). The maximum number of companions a character is able to have should be decided upon by group-chorus consensus.

Companion Prerequisites: In order to have a companion, a character must:

1. Have a minimum potential of 3 (sum of attributes no less than thirty), and

2. Acquire an enhancement that represents the companion aligning their desires with that of the character.

So long as the main character achieves a potential of 3 upon taking a companion enhancement (going from an attribute sum of twenty-nine(29) to that of a thirty(30)), it is sufficient to satisfy the first requirement.

Companion Development: A companion character goes through creation the same way that the main characters do. However, all companion characters:

1. have a starting potential of 1, going through creation with ten creation points, and

2. begin play as minion allies (see below).

You must spend your own development points to increase the attributes of your companion characters. You may upgrade the companion enhancement in order to increase the companion from a minion, to a minor, to a major ally, in that order, each requiring their own development point expenditure.

ALLIES

Allies are supporting characters that aid main characters in the pursuit of their goals, controlled by the chorus unless they are companions.

ADVERSARIES

Adversaries are chorus-controlled identities that have goals of their own, oftentimes running in opposition to the main characters' goals. It should be decided by group-chorus consensus as to whether or not adversary characters are able to earn criticals. Whether the supporting character is an ally or an adversary, each follows a three-level progression of overall "toughness", relative to the main characters:

• Minor allies/adversaries only have vitality. When their vitality reaches zero, they are immediately negated.

• Medium allies/adversaries have vitality plus the first two shock levels. They are rendered inoperative at shock 2, and immediately negated upon sustaining injury thereafter.

• Major allies/adversaries are, in essence, full characters the same as the players. They have all four shock levels, and sustain hits the same way that player-controlled characters do.