✎ player_s_guide_chapter_2 []

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====== Chapter 2: Roles and Levels ======

Prev: [[Player's Guide Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview]]

Each player controls a character of their own design in Triptycho. This chapter explains the building blocks that make up your character.
===== The Three Roles =====

Your character's core capabilities are determined by your chosen [[role|Roles]] and your current [[level|level]]. Each Role determines what cards you can use to build a deck, what kind of [[gear|Gear]] you can [[equip|equip]], which special ability you receive, when you should take your turn within a [[scenario|scenario]], how much damage you can take before being unable to contribute further to the scene, and an additional dice entry depending on the scenario.

A player character (PC) consists of three Roles: one [[class|Class]] (for [[combat|combat]]), one [[craft|Craft]] (for [[exploration|exploration]]), and one [[profession|Profession]] (for [[interaction|interaction]]). In addition, a PC has a “level,” which refers to the character's overall power. Level is denoted by a number that increases as the PC achieves success in gameplay. The DM decides when PCs gain a level, though this is typically at the end of an individual adventure module or story.  The maximum level achievable is 10.

The PC's level is used for all three Roles.  For example, a character that is a Warrior / Hunter / Bard will have one level that applies to Warrior, Hunter, and Bard.

===== Role Decks =====

Roles are used to create decks of cards, one each for combat, interaction, and exploration. In addition to cards unique to their Roles, players can include general cards, which are available to everyone. These cards simply say "Level" next to the level requirement on the card instead of listing a particular Role name. All cards within a deck must be intended for use within that scenario type and be at or below your level; for instance, you can build a combat deck using level-appropriate class cards and general combat cards. However, you cannot include any exploration or interaction cards in your combat deck.

Each deck must have between 30 and 50 cards with no more than 4 of any one card included. Some cards may have an even tighter limit on how many can be included within a single deck.

After initial creation, deck content can only be changed after a [[rest|rest]], an increase in character level, or, in a more limited fashion, after a change in character [[Power|Power]].

===== Backgrounds and Destinies =====

In addition to the Roles, every character has one [[background|Background]] chosen at character creation. Backgrounds define where a character came from, in terms of heritage, childhood, or pre-adventuring career. Each Background card provides an entry for exploration scenarios as well as an ability that may apply to any number of scenarios. Backgrounds cannot be changed once chosen.

At level 6, the Background is replaced with a [[destiny|Destiny]], as where a character is going is now more important than where they came from.  Destinies function identically to Backgrounds, having an entry for each scenario type that can always be used.

===== Stat Tracks =====

Each character has a set of [[stat track|Stat Tracks]], though they're only used within scenarios. There are four in total: Power, Resilience, Mind, and Skill. Each Role and Background provides a set of modifiers to the base values of your Stat Tracks; Roles not used within a scenario do not apply their effects to the Stat Tracks. So, in combat scenarios, you'd apply modifiers from your Background and Class, but not from your Craft or Profession.

Stat Track values range from -5 to +5, with each value other than -1, 0, and +1 having various effects within the scenario. These will be detailed in future sections.

=== Interpreting Tracks (Advanced) ===

Stat Tracks are not specific descriptions of your character's actual capabilities. Rather, consider them a set of relative advantages or disadvantages grouped together within a theme. It's up to you to interpret the meaning behind your base Stat Track values within each scenario. For instance, you might decide that your character's low Power in combat and exploration scenarios is a reflection of their low strength. However, you might instead wish to have a character that is physically quite strong, but hesitations, a defensive focus in training, or lumbering movements (or any other reasonable cause) might instead be the reason for the low base Power.

Because of this flexible approach, Stat Track values change quickly within scenarios.  That doesn't mean that, if your Mind jumps from +1 to +5, you're now five times more clever (or however you were interpreting your +1 Mind); rather, you've simply gained a set of very useful advantages that you can use in your favor. Look at the effects that provided the bonuses for clues on the best way to interpret these changes (if you're concerned about the details to begin with). For instance, if you gained Mind from playing a card that lets you read the thoughts of your foes, then the bonus is a result of your character quickly processing that information to develop a new plan. This is usually fairly obvious, so the change in Stat Track value tends to feel natural, not requiring extra effort to interpret.

===== Hybrids (Advanced) =====

[[hybrid|Hybrid]] properties provide a mechanism for including additional role cards in your deck. If you are new to the game, this topic might be a bit advanced, so you can safely skip it and return later when you have a strong understanding of the game.

Characters may gain Hybrid properties. Hybrid entries specify a particular role and level. A character with a Hybrid property can add the specified role's cards to their deck that are of the specified level. Characters must have reached that level to do this, so if a character somehow obtained a Hybrid property with a higher level than themselves, they cannot include those cards in ther deck. Hybrids of a role already possessed grant no benefits.

For example, assume a 4th level character with the Warrior Class gains Hybrid: Healer 3. This character could include level 3 Healer cards in their deck. If the character was only level 1, then they gain no benefit from the property.

In addition to including cards, the Hybrid property grants a very limited version of the specified role's ability. The hybrid version of the ability has no mechanical benefits apart from qualifying the character to play cards that reference the ability. For instance, many cards for the Brute class reference the Brute Force ability. A character with Hybrid: Brute gains the Brute Force ability, but it doesn't do anything except let them play Brute cards that require it. The standard bonus to Damage from Brute Force is lost. Restrictions on its use, however, do remain.

Next: [[Player's Guide Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Scenarios]]
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