Chronicles of Darkness System

The Chronicles of Darkness (formally known as World of Darkness) is a TTRPG published by White Wolf.

In the Palimpsest Anthology, we use a simplified rules system to emphasize storytelling and roleplay.

Please support Chronicles of Darkness if you are able. Here is a digital PDF of the rulebook.

Here's a PDF of the Character Sheet.

Before answering that question, consider these first:

• What do I want to explore?
  • One shot horror sessions are unique settings to play with the esoteric and to dance with concepts that don't fit at most tables.
  • You can roleplay as yourself. (Maybe just use an alias) This almost always intensifies the experience, for good or bad.
• What is my goal at the table?
  • Do you want to be a focal point of the plot? Or perhaps is your goal to do everything to can to scare the shit out of your friend?
• What will tell a great short story?
  • We only have 8 hours at the table. If your character isn't interesting or fun without completing their arc, they might not be satisfying to play.

Ask the DM for advice! If we can embed your character deeply into the setting, you will have more options while playing.

To guide a fun experience, your character needs aspirations. These are goals for you to strive towards and to give your character some internal motivation.

Aspirations come in two flavors:

Short term aspirations should be something easy to accomplish within a single day. However, they should require some amount of diversion or roleplay to accomplish.

Once you achieve a short term aspiration , you will get a small benefit to boost a future dice roll.

Create 3 short-term aspirations for your character.

Long term aspirations are difficult to achieve, sometimes taking years or a whole lifetime. They keep your character looking forward.

In our one-shot sessions, you likely won't achieve this aspiration. Regardless, it will be rewarding to play with it in mind.

Create 1 long-term aspiration for your character.

This is where your character's personality deepens.

Anchors are the traits your character acts on in order to maintain their sense of self. It's what grounds them in reality.
A virtue is what you do when you are operating at your best. A vice is what you do to get short-term comfort.
Virtues and Vices are not subject to morality. It's even possible for one person's vice to be another person's virtue.
When you roleplay in accordance with your virtue and vice, you gain back willpower, which can be used to boost your rolls.

Choose a virtue and a vice for your character.

Breaking Points are events that push your character beyond their limits. Such as:

• The character performs an action that either violates their personal moral code or that is considered unacceptable in society.
• The character witnesses something traumatic, terrifying, or that rattles their understanding of the world.
• The character is the victim of a supernatural attack, whether physical, emotional, or mental.

The following questions should be considered to determine some breaking points for your character:

• What is the worst thing your character has ever done?
• What is the worst thing your character can imagine themselves doing?
• What is the worst thing your character can imagine someone else doing?
• What has your character forgotten?
• What is the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to your character?

CoD has 9 different attributes, grouped into 3 categories. (Mental, Physical, Social)

Attributes can also be reframed into archetypes. (Power, Finesse, Resistance)

Your proficiency in these attributes scales from ♦ (one dot) to ♦♦♦♦♦ (five dots).

You start with ♦ in all of your abilities.

Now, choose your favorite category (Mental, Physical, Social). You may put 5x ♦ into that category.

Put 4x ♦ into your 2nd category.

Put 3X ♦ into your 3rd category.

Like attributes, skills are grouped into mental, physical, and social categories. However, unlike attributes, you do not start with a ♦ in each skill.

In your favorite category, distribute 11x ♦. 2nd category, 7x ♦. 3rd category, 4x ♦.

To further customize your character, you can determine skill specialties. You get to make these up! But if you'd like recommendations, ask your GM.

These are niche situations in which your character is more proficient at a skill.

For example, if your character has ♦♦♦ in Expression, that says on average, they are experienced at communicating their thoughts and emotions. However, you might be exceptionally skilled at slam poetry. That's a skill specialty.

In the situations where you are expressing yourself through slam poetry, you will roll with ♦♦♦ + ♦.

Choose 3 skill specialties.

Merits are your character's unique abilities and assets.

They are meant as a means to customize your character and do cool things! A merit's name is just a suggestion, and can be changed to better fit the flavor of your character.

Merits are purchased with ♦. During character creation, you have 7x ♦ to spend.

Some merits have ability score prerequisites. Others must be leveled up incrementally by purchasing the same merit over again. And some can be purchased at a variable price, to get a boosted effect.

Take a look at the handbook and reach out if you have any questions.

Advantages are aspects of your character used to determine how well they do in some of the crunchier parts of the game. (Like Health or Defence)