Chapter 2: Archetypes
EVERY STORY NEEDS ITS PROTAGONISTS. SOMEONE WITH a drive to push the story forward, enough dirt on them to present some surprises and with some important subsidiary characters, friends and enemies, to support and hinder the protagonist. This chapter gives you the inspiration and rules to create your own set of player characters (the protagonists of the game) by using a rule framework called Archetypes.
WHAT IS AN ARCHETYPE?
Archetypes originate from movies, books, and other sources of inspiration for KULT: Divinity Lost. Archetypes provide a framework for players to quickly create compelling characters, so the stories they tell become more personal and unsettling. Archetypes also give the gamemaster (GM) an idea of what themes their players want to explore.
Each Archetype provides players with a set of character options, which help define a unique PC around a particular concept. A character could be The Veteran, who is tormented by side effects of medical experiments in their military past, The Avenger, who is obsessed with their quest to right a real or imagined wrong, or The Artist, who explores dark places in the mind through their art. Perhaps they are the disillusioned The Detective, who has sacrificed everything in the pursuit of an elusive serial killer, The Seeker, who has discovered a terrible conspiracy and is now hunted by faceless pursuers, or one of the myriad of other Archetypes available in this chapter.
However, Archetypes aren’t limited to being mere stereotypes, and can be individually adapted to the role the player really wants to portray.
Indeed, each Archetype can be reused repeatedly to create unique player characters. The rules serve only as a framework for creative direction, which assists both the players and GM in telling the story.
CHOOSING ARCHETYPES
There are twenty-five Archetypes outlined in this book. All of them are written to capture character concepts appropriate to KULT’s typical stories, and provide each player character with certain strengths and weaknesses.
Twenty Archetypes are considered Aware. An Aware PC is conscious of the inconsistencies in the world. Horrific occurrences - their Dark Secrets, page 93 - have caused the character to wake up from the self-imposed dream state the majority of humanity currently exists in.
Four Archetypes are Enlightened. Enlightened PCs have an advanced understanding of Reality and have unlocked powers (and curses) from their inner selves. Due to this knowledge, Enlightened PCs create (and require) different types of stories and are presented in Chapter 22 - The Awakening, page 348.
GM Note: One of the Archetypes is special. It’s referred to as The Sleeper, since PCs based on this Archetype exist completely within the Illusion, unaware that anything else exists. The Sleeper Archetype is played in a specific way, which may be disruptive to certain narratives. As such, to avoid complications, the entire group of players should discuss what effect this Archetype will have on their story prior to mixing Sleepers with other player concepts.
Before the players choose an Archetype, the GM should present all the Archetypes appropriate for their story. In Chapter 6 - Setting Up a Story, page 164, there are short summaries of each Archetype for quick reference. The GM can also print out the Archetypes, and let the players skim through them.
WHEN THERE’S NO GOOD FIT
On occasion, a player will have an idea for a character that doesn’t match an existing Archetype. In these cases, the GM and player can do one of the following:
- Make the character freehand
- Create a new Archetype
MAKE A CHARACTER FREEHAND
To make a character without an Archetype, follow these steps:
- Choose 1 or more Dark Secrets (see Chapter 3 - Character Traits), page 93.
- Select 2 Disadvantages of your choice (see Chapter 3 - Character Traits), page 96.
- Select 3 Advantages of your choice to begin with, and 5 others you can choose from later on when advancing your PC (see Chapter 3 - Character Traits), page 102.
- Assign the modifiers +2, +1, and +0 to Fortitude, Reflexes, and Willpower.
- Assign the modifiers +3, +2, +1, +1, +0, -1, and -2 to Charisma, Coolness, Intuition, Perception, Reason, Soul, and Violence.
- Detail the distinguishing features for your character’s Looks.
- Choose a name for your character, suitable to the locale in which the campaign is set.
- Determine what personal property your character owns and what their standard of living is.
- When the players introduce and establish their characters’ Relations, you can use this list:
- One character is your friend. Take +1 Relation to her.
- One character has betrayed or acted against you.
- You assisted another character in the past. She takes +1 Relation with you.
- One of the characters is an old acquaintance of yours.
- One of the characters is your sibling. Take +2 Relation to her.
CREATE A NEW ARCHETYPE
As an alternative to freehand creation, if you have time before the story starts, the GM can create a new Archetype suitable to the player’s character concept. Rules for creating new Archetypes are available at the end of this chapter.