About - Session 0

WE CAN BE "HEROES"...

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The Player characters, or PCs, enter the world of Degenesis as protagonists. They have to push their agenda through against the resistance of others, oppose oppressors, and fight on various sides of countless conflicts. However, the most important thing they’ll have to do is decide on their position in this world.

Do they follow their Cult’s orders, or do they question the elders? Are they actually free thinkers? Do they become evildoers, or do they protect those who have already given up? What are their goals?

Numbers alone cannot answer these questions. That is why the Game Master, or GM, and the Players should sit down before the character creation phase and answer the following three questions together.

WHAT WILL BE THE GAME’S FOCUS?

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Two continents and hundreds of conflict zones are spread out before the Players. What is their main interest, where do they want to start? Do they intend to fight monsters? Alternatively, do they want to fathom the darkest moral recesses of the tangled web of intrigues in the Cult network of the huge metropolis of Justitian?

The sheer number of possibilities can be mindnumbing for newcomers. That is why the GM and the Players should agree upon the framework. Many Players are familiar with classic apocalyptic scenarios. The fight for survival in the ruins of Borca is the closest thing to this. Through the many Protectorate settlements and the Clan threat, the Players slowly learn what is special about Primal Punk. Are the PCs travelers open to the marvels and cultures of the world, or do they prefer to stay in their home region to become immortal through their feats?

Which genre piques the Players’ interests? The Psychonauts embody eldritch horror as alien creatures furthering their own strange plans. Crime stories develop in places where the human condition holds sway. When Cults collide and the power structure threatens to give under the pressure, we have a thriller. When the Sleepers or Pollen’s bizarre Fractal Forests come into play, we have arrived at mystery. Do the Players want to portray normal people in the harsh daily routine of Degenesis? Or do they want to become heroes—or criminals?

It is a start. The GM jots down the Players’ wishes and creates a schedule for the future, leaving room for delays and spontaneous changes.

A brief sketch is more than enough. The PCs’ ideas and goals will inevitably develop over the course of the game and deviate from the expected path.

WHY THIS GROUP?

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The Players have a vague idea of where the journey will lead. But who do they want to play? What are the PCs’ relationships to each other, and what are their motives?

RELATED

Family ties are one of the oldest motivations for great heroes and deeds. Father and son would be a strong combo and a role-playing challenge. If one is threatened, it would hurt the other immensely.

FRIENDS

The easiest starting point, offering the greatest leeway and the quickest access at once. Motivations often become clear only when the game has been afoot for a while.

IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND

The characters don’t know each other, but they have gotten themselves into a critical situation together. To escape it, they form a community of purpose. Over time, mutual respect grows and turns into friendship.

HIRED

Someone recruits the characters to solve a problem. They do not even have to like each other. The common enemy unites them. The starting point and possible developments are similar to those of “In for a penny, in for a pound”.

WHO PLAYS WHOM?

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PCs do not have to complement each other. A group of Spitalians with similar Skills has its benefits: such a game would profit from the doctors’ interaction with each other. But a group that wants to face a multitude of tasks should consist of several specialists with their various Skills. Every Cult covers several categories. A Spitalian is not only a healer: he also makes for a powerful fighter. Hellvetics are not only good at shooting: people also listen to them. Other characters may step in if the intended role allocation does not take place or a character develops in an unexpected way.

A typical group setup would consist of the following:

TWO DAMAGE DEALERS

They protect the group against threats that only violence can solve. Every Cult has its fighting faction, but Hellvetics, Judges, Scourgers, Anabaptists, Jehammedans, and Clanners are best suited for this role. Late in the game, a Spitalian Preservist offers a radical increase in fighting power.

AT LEAST ONE SUPPORT

He strengthens the front line with special Skills or weakens the enemy from a distance. This is a job for Chroniclers or Spitalians.

SPY OR ASSASSIN

He acts from the shadows and approaches the enemy unseen. He is good at setting and disarming traps. Palers, Scrappers, or Apocalyptics would fit this role.

HEALER

Groups going to war soon reach the limits of their abilities without a healer. A Spitalian would be the logical choice, but an Anabaptist Elysian or an Anubian could also step into the breach.

SILVERTONGUE

Guards need to be distracted, leaders need to be persuaded, opponents need to be outvoted, and merchants need to be haggled down. Neolibyans, Judges, and Apocalyptics are damn good at this.