In 2005, Green Ronin published Blue Rose, a roleplaying game of romantic fantasy, basing the rules system off of their Mutants & Masterminds game but tweaking it to better fit the heroic fantasy genre in general and romantic fantasy in particular. The rules that resulted were eventually broadened into the True20 system and published as a separate book. Personally, I find the incarnation in Blue Rose a bit easier to play and infinitely easier to read.
Blue Rose presents the world of Aldea and specifically the central kingdom of Aldis. Aldis is ruled by a monarch chosen by a magic stag that lives in a stained glass window, and the kingdom is populated mainly by kind, open-minded people who accept all races and all views on sexuality. (The setting is very true to its literary roots, where humans and talking animals mingle freely and homosexual or even bisexual characters barely get a second mention.)
So, I'm going to make a Blue Rose character, and I'll follow the guidelines in Chapter 2 step by step. First, I generate ability scores. Blue Rose is based (though a few generations removed) on the d20 System of Dungeons & Dragons fame, so there are six abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. While D&D derives a bonus or penalty from a numerical score ranging (for most characters) from 3 to 18, Blue Rose dispenses with the score entirely and just allows you to buy the bonus (or take a penalty to get a few points back). All of the abilities start at +0, and I get 6 points to spend. (The only caveat at this stage is I cannot put more than 5 points in a single ability.) As I start imagining my character, I see him as a cerebral sort, frail but bookish, drawn more to magic than to feats of physical prowess. He is somewhat graceful, however, from a cultured upbringing that included lessons in dance and perhaps fencing. I end up with the following abilities: Str +0, Dex +1, Con -1, Int +3, Wis +1, Cha +2.
Next, I get to choose a background for my character. This includes various nonhuman races, but it can also be used to define the cultural background of human characters as well. My character is human, so I have to decide what culture he hails from. Immediately, from my concept so far, I know he is an Aldin, the cultured inhabitants of the central valleys and great cities of Aldis. Being a human gives me an extra known skill (I'll remember this for later, when I choose my role) and a bonus feat. As an Aldin, this feat will either be Fascinate or Jack of All Trades. I turn to the Feats chapter to read the entries, and I choose Jack of All Trades. My character has studied so many broad topics that is at least comfortable attempting just about any skill.
Next, I get to choose my role. I think this character is an adept, a fully-trained user of the arcane. I get to choose 4 skills to be favored (favored skills have a higher bonus if you are trained in them), and I get all Craft and Knowledge skills as free favored skills. What's more, my background gave me Diplomacy and Language as additional favored skills. For my choices, I pick Acrobatics, Concentration, Gather Information, and Sense Motive. I then get to choose 2 skills plus a number of skills equal to my Intelligence modifier, plus an additional skill for being a human, and I get all of these as known skills. I take Concentration, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge (arcana), and Knowledge (nobility), and Sense Motive.
After skills come feats. As an adept, I get 4, and I favor Arcane feat and General feats. I should note here that my arcane powers are taken with feats, specifically the Arcane Training feat. In order to train in a power, I need the talent feat for that category of power. With my highest ability score in Int, my character is best suited to shaping powers, so I take the Shaping Talent feat to gain access to them. I'll also take Arcane Focus (shaping) to increase the saving throw DCs of my shaping powers. To gain some powers, I take Arcane Training (Fire Shaping, Light Shaping) and Arcane Training (Move Object, Psychic Shield).
Now I can record the other traits derived from my role. As a 1st-level Adept, I get an Attack bonus of +0, a Defense bonus of +2, a Toughness bonus of +0, a Fortitude bonus of +0, a Reflex bonus of +0, a Will bonus of +2, and a Reputation bonus of +1. I also get 3 Conviction points. I have a Calling, based on the setting's version of the tarot. I choose the The Tower, a calling of "lowering the lofty". For alignment, my character is definitely a good person, so he is aligned with the Light. His Light nature is "inquisitive," while his Dark nature is "petty."
Finally, I choose possessions, and then I'm done. Blue Rose uses the Wealth system derived from d20 Modern. I start with a Wealth bonus of +5 plus my Charisma, for a total of +7. Anything with a purchase DC of 7 or less, I can purchase automatically. Anything with a DC of 8 or more will require a check and lower my Wealth score. So I'll go through and pick stuff that costs 7 or less first. As an adept, I'm only trained in simple weapons, so I pick up a light mace and a shortspear (for throwing) as well as a heavy crossbow. I'm not proficienty with any armor, so I'll skip that section. For adventuring gear, I pick up a backpack, a bedroll, a scroll case, and a belt pouch. Finally, I'll make a Wealth check to see if I can purchase a meditation stone with a +2 bonus (purchase DC 11). I roll a 22, easily purchasing it. This lowers my Wealth bonus to +6, however.
And that's it for this character. His name is Jacen Camaron, a minor noble raised in luxury who has grown tired of the complacency of his peers. He has taken to adventuring to show other nobles that there are things in the world worth struggling against.
Jacen Camaron
1st-level human adept: Initiative +1; Speed 30 ft.; Defense 13 (+1 Dex, +2 role); Attack +0 melee (+2 damage, light mace), +0 melee/+1 ranged (+2 damage, shortspear), +1 ranged (+4 damage, heavy crossbow); Alignment: Light; Wealth: +6; Reputation: +1; Saves: Tough -1, Fort -1, Ref +1, Will +3; Str +0, Dex +1, Con -1, Int +3, Wis +1, Cha +2; Skills: Concentration +5, Diplomacy +6, Gather Information +6, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +7, Sense Motive +6; Feats: Arcane Focus (shaping), Arcane Training (Fire Shaping, Light Shaping), Arcane Training (Move Object, Psychic Shield), Jack of All Trades, Shaping Talent; Arcana: Fire Shaping +7, Light Shaping +7, Move Object +7, Psychic Shield +5; Equipment: backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, heavy crossbow, light mace, meditation stone (+2), scroll case, shortspear.
