MtA: Character Creation Steps

[AST Jim]

To make a Mage character, you must first get an Avatar roll.  Normally this is a background, but on RIbN, it will be determined by a roll made by staff using the following scale (whatever you get is awarded for free of cost):

01 - 05:  Avatar 5
06 - 15:  Avatar 4
16 - 50:  Avatar 3
51 - 90:  Avatar 2
91 - 00:  Avatar 1

Each mage character will also begin 20xp that will be spent during character creation. 
Once you have your Avatar rating, you can begin to create your character.  Character creation is done in five steps:

Step One: Concept and Identity
Choose your concept, archetypes (Nature and Demeanor), Essence, and Affiliation/Sect

Step Two: Select Attributes
Prioritize primary, secondary and tertiary Attribute categories.  7/5/3; 5 freebies per dot.  No 5s entering play

Step Three: Select Abilities
Prioritize primary, secondary and tertiary Ability categories. 13/9/5; 2 freebies per dot.  No 5s entering play
Assign Lores (6)

Step Four: Select Advantages
Select Backgrounds: 7, 1 freebie per dot
Assign Affinity Sphere
Define Focus (paradigm, practice, instruments)

Step Five: Finishing Touches
Beginning Willpower: 5, 1 freebie per dot (Max 8 )
Beginning Arete: 1, 4 freebies per dot (Max 3)
Beginning Quintessence: as per Avatar rating, 1 freebie per 4 dots
Beginning Paradox: 0
Beginning Spheres: 6 - Must assign at least one dot to Affinity Sphere.  No Sphere may exceed beginning Arete rating, 7 freebies per dot
Spend 15 freebie points

Please note, the following Backgrounds are not in use/available:
Chantry
Node
Certifications
Spies
Influence
Rank

The following Backgrounds do not follow the typical rules:
Arcane & Fame: Every dot taken in Arcane lowers the maximum available Fame.  So if you take 2 dots in Arcane, you cannot take Fame higher than 3.
Requisitions & Secret Weapons: Not available outside the Technocracy
Enhancement, Sanctum/Laboratory & Totem: Cost double; Enhancement available only to technomages; Totem available only to Shamanic characters

Merits & Flaws:
You cannot take more than 7 points in Flaws.  The Ties and Dark Triad Merits are banned.

*Please note that, unlike Willpower, Rage, Gnosis or a vampire's Blood Pool, Quintessence and Paradox will be strictly maintained between threads.  If you have 4 points of Quintessence and 6 Paradox when thread one ends, that is what you will have when thread 2 begins.  So you will need to be careful with the use of magic when you have multiple threads going on at the same time.

**After review, kinfolk mages are not being permitted