Building Characters
Characters in Nephibis are built from two files: a Species (what you are) and a Type (what's been done to you). Understanding how these interact is the foundation of character creation. There are no levels — sheets record stats directly, and growth comes from use.
The Species/Type Split
Every character has a biological origin (Species) and, optionally, a modification (Type):
| Species | Uses Type? | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Yes | Human Baseline, Human Mutant, Human Cyborg |
| Beastkin | Yes | Beastkin Mutant, Beastkin Baseline |
| Halfkin | Yes | Halfkin Baseline, Halfkin Splice |
| Demon | No | Demon (progression stages replace Type) |
| Angel | No | Angel (progression stages replace Type) |
| AI | No | AI (core-based progression) |
| Android | No | Android (absorption-based progression) |
Species files define biology: starting stats, stat caps, equipment slots, vital spots, kill conditions, health tier guidance, and racial abilities. Do not store level caps, per-level growth, or per-level pool gains on Species — those fields are legacy. Caps may carry per-build variance (tank → CON, mental → INT/WIS).
Type files define modification: cap variance, pool access, and breakthrough eligibility. Do not store level caps or per-level growth on Types either. Mutant and Nano types flag Omega eligibility and power-stat variance; Cyborg flags Energy pool access and implant headroom.
The naming convention is always [Species] [Type]: Human Mutant, Beastkin Cyborg, Demon (no type), Angel Seraphim (progression stage).
Resource Pools — The Critical Decision
Each character accesses one or zero resource pools beyond HP. This is determined by their Species/Type combination:
| Resource | Who Gets It | Scales from |
|---|---|---|
| Stamina | Mutant, Nano-Enhanced | CON × build multiplier |
| Energy | Cyborg, Frame, Android, AI | Species/frame stat × build multiplier |
| Mana | Demon, Angel | WIS or CHA × build multiplier |
| None | Baseline Human, Beastkin, Splice, Halfkin | — |
Common mistake: giving non-Demon/Angel characters Mana, or giving non-Mutant/Nano characters Stamina. Mutants have abilities that cost Stamina, not Mana. Nano-Enhanced have abilities that cost Stamina, not Energy. Only Demon/Angel have spells that cost Mana.
The Six Stats
All characters have six stats: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA. Starting values come from the Species file's baseStats, then get adjusted based on backstory. The sheet's stats are those values plus use- and training-awarded gains, held inside caps — no level term.
Key scaling relationships:
- STR → melee damage, carrying capacity, crit damage
- DEX → ranged damage, accuracy, dodge, crit chance, speed
- CON → max HP, stamina, resistances, passive healing
- INT → tech damage, crafting, nano abilities, Frame piloting
- WIS → perception, willpower, ability proficiency, magic resistance
- CHA → social skills, summon strength, leadership
Caps vary per build. Immersion uses printed caps (baseline 20; demons and angels 150 → 300 → 1,000 through stages; mutants and nanos open with power-stat variance). Grounded pulls every cap toward baseline-human range with build variance. Full Anime raises or removes caps for everyone including baseline humans.
Health Scaling — Stat-Direct, No Level Term
The HP formula scales directly from CON with no level multiplier, so damage (which scales from stats) and HP stay proportional within each build:
Max HP = 50 + (CON × 5) + (CON × HealthTierBonus) + (CON × BuildMultiplier)
HealthTierBonus (0–3, set by the GM from the character's build): 0 = Frail, 1 = Standard (+2), 2 = Tough (+4), 3 = Tanky (+6). BuildMultiplier: Grounded +2, Immersion +4, Full Anime +6.
Tier remains the primary driver of HP differences between builds of the same species; build multiplier keeps each build's fights lethal at its own scale.
Use-Based Growth — Design Stat-Movers, Not XP
Stats move from stressed use (taking hits → CON, running/sneaking → DEX, hauling → STR, study/craft → INT, scouting/resisting → WIS, leading → CHA), with decay from neglect, sickness, injury, or hostile powers. Build gyms, tutors, hazards, missions, and downtime arcs that clearly stress one stat so the GM can award 1–3 point gains. Nothing passes its cap; breakthroughs (Omega tiers, Android/AI awakening) raise caps. Skills improve separately, through use.
Omega, Awakening, and Offspring — What Builders Encode
- Omega tiers (mutant/nano only): Omega → Planetary → Galactic → Universal → Omega God, unlocked in order. Each tier adds to caps rather than setting a flat max, with a larger bonus to the pushed stat, plus retroactive HP/Stamina and new tier-flavored abilities split across mutant and nano sources. Omega God is uncapped. Encode tier, pushed stat, and new abilities on the sheet.
- Beyond Your Limits is mandatory on every mutant and nano sheet: spend HP when Stamina runs short (Stamina first, then HP; faint rather than die below the floor), raising the hidden Omega roll's odds until combat or consciousness ends.
- Android awakening: cap the emotional stat (CHA or WIS) → emotional experience unlocks feeling → extreme surge triggers awakening with greatly raised caps.
- AI awakening: uncapped INT from the start, physical stats at 1 or 0 with bodies supplying physicals and the AI's mentals carrying over; awakening unlocks feeling and removes CHA/WIS caps. The core is the life; backups are costly, slow, and destructible.
- Offspring: children average both parents' stats as starting stats with caps set above that start so they can surpass the parents (except Omega God, uncapped). Only Omega-tier-plus mutant/nano parents pass enhanced caps and powers; chrome is not genetic and non-Omega nano parents yield baseline children. A child of two Omega holders is born at the lower parent's tier with retroactive bonuses applied. Encode powers by inheritance (blend favored, new rare, none rarest), looks blended from parents (lore → genre → GM for cross-species), and legacy hooks so a dead parent's name still moves rooms.
Building a Character — The Checklist
- Table confirms build. Immersion, Grounded, or Full Anime — one only.
- Player chooses Species. This determines biology, starting stats, caps, and equipment slots.
- Player provides backstory. Background, personality, goals, relationships.
- GM assigns starting stats. Start from Species
baseStats, adjust for backstory. No level bonus. - GM sets derived stats. Calculate HP, Stamina/Energy/Mana (if applicable), Speed, Perception from stats directly.
- GM assigns starting skills. 4–8 skills at 1–25 based on backstory.
- GM assigns equipment. Modest starting gear (Tier 1–2). Cyborgs must start with a Power Cell.
- GM records racial abilities from the Species file, plus Beyond Your Limits for every mutant/nano.
- GM creates the character sheet with all current values set to maximum.
Critical: currentHealth = maxHealth at creation. Same for Stamina, Energy, Mana. Characters start at full resources.
Casting Humans
Human, Baseline Human, and human-passing Halfkin characters span the full range of real-life ancestries and skin tones. Set ancestry explicitly on every one, describe skin tone, hair, and features in description, and prompt portraits from that written look. Rotate across the cast; reserve narrow looks for families and culturally rooted origins.
Equipment Slots
Standard slots: Head, 3 Body layers, Hands, Left/Right Hand (Melee), Left/Right Hand (Ranged), Legs, Feet, Belt, Back, Necklace, up to 10 Rings, and Implant slots (count varies by race).
Racial variations: extra arms get extra hand slots, wings get wing slots, tails get tail slots.
Two-handed weapons require both hand slots unless STR is ≥2× the weapon's STR requirement. Races with extra arms can wield two-handed weapons in one pair and hold another weapon in the free pair.
Frames — Baseline Humans Only
Frames (power armor) are restricted to baseline humans. The onboard AI scans the wearer's biology and locks out anyone with genetic modification, nanomachines, or demonic energy. This is a design choice — Frames were built to level the playing field for unmodified humans.
A Frame occupies its own equipment slot and overrides all combat stats. The pilot's STR/DEX/CON don't apply to combat — only INT (targeting) and DEX (handling) matter for piloting.
A character with light cybernetics (1–2 implants) can still use a Frame. Moderate or heavier chrome triggers the Frame's rejection system.