There are a number of concepts presented in Tyranny which require more discussion than is prudent in a list of powers or a personality description. Therefore both GMs and players are encouraged to think about the following concepts.
Most RPGs have very clean cut rules on what a player character can and cannot be. Tyranny does not. As a general rule, if it has no more than 9 points worth of powers, it's totally fine. Still, while everything is possible, not everything is encouraged, so the following guidelines may be helpful in choosing what your character should be.
The Beasts are the unofficial primary PC family. They're mortal, making normal humans a real, although unintimidating threat. They don't have access to any powers that could give a GM a migraine trying to play around, and have no way of popping off to another plane when things get rough.
The Crafted most likely don't cross one's mind when creating a character, but an artifact can make for a surprisingly interesting PC. Either as an item with Mind Control, or a normal human with a demonic sword are as useful as any other demon in most situations, and while having a character who effectively can't be killed can be a bit of a turn-off for GMs, it should be noted that an artifact generally needs someone to wield it if it wants to get anything accomplished, and such a host can be quite vulnerable.
The Unliving are decidedly NOT intended as a PC family, for one very simple reason. They are not alive. The only Unliving demons with 9 powers or less are all forced by their father to stay in the land of the dead constantly torturing those who are imprisoned there. This does not make for particularly exciting adventures.
The Evils can work as PCs, but GMs should be careful of what they allow. Apart from the headaches caused by Twisted Quality and Sole Weakness, Evils tend to have the power to go places others can't. A Beast in a party full of Evils will most likely get quite bored as everyone else jaunts off to the astral plane. However, throwing one or two Evils into a group of Beasts can really help liven things up.
The Undead are not particularly suited for adventuring, as they are bound to the land of the dead 50% of the time. They are intended more as fairly powerful although seasonal foes.
The Righteous are the unofficial secondary PC family. Their forced morals and the fact that many believe they are not actually demons make them appealing to those who wish to have more heroic characters. It should be noted however that demons of any family can have a set of good morals, and it is entirely possible for one of the Righteous to be a cruel sadist. What can always be said of the Righteous however is that there is an all-pervasive tension between them and the other families, particularly the Evils, making friendships a very rare occurrence.
Finally, the Outsiders are very decidedly not intended for PC usage. They dwell in the astral plane, do not tend to have very interesting children, and for the most part are unthinking beasts that serve as more of an environmental hazard than characters. The one exception to this is Gelimba, who may at times merge with another being while on the mortal plane and have a child.
Tyranny's world is a world full of demons. Demons which senselessly slaughter and maim each other and the other creatures around them on a regular basis. Therefore, combat should almost always be a very gruesome affair. The lion demon the PCs are doing battle with should not be scratching at their chests, it should be slashing their stomachs spilling their guts to the ground. The fierce shark demon should not be biting chunks out of their legs, it should be biting those legs off entirely. Even characters without toughness or regeneration should be made to suffer the occasional life-threatening injury just to make sure things stay interesting.
It is not uncommon for people in Tyranny's world to name powerful demons when swearing. As many of these demons have the Answer Summons, the impact of such swearing is greatly increased, as there is a chance that should a character shout "If I lie, may Velkana strike me down!" there is a very slim chance that she will actually appear and do so.
While the power of Corruption does change one's powers, weaknesses, and official parentage, it does not in fact change one's mind. Thus should a player's character be corrupted at any time, they should be allowed to continue playing the resulting demon. However, in such situations, the corrupter usually gives a large number of orders to the corruptee which often force several changes in allegiance. It should also be noted that if these changes prove to be too intolerable, by virtue of effectively becoming one's own mother, suicide is out of the question.
In most RPGs, death is the end of the road for a character. In Tyranny however, it amounts to little more than a long vacation. Therefore, while it shouldn't occur with too much frequency or out of the blue, GMs are, on occasion, encouraged to actually kill characters. Not only does this keep things exciting, it is the only way in which a character can actually gain new powers.
While waiting around for a character to return from the dead, reach the age of twenty, and rejoin the rest of the group, the GM may wish to allow the other characters to pass the time terrorizing villages, raising new families, and pursuing other activities, using the same rules as determining a starting age.
Regarding the returning character, there are a number of interesting concepts the GM may wish to consider. If another character decides to pass the time by having a child, the GM may opt to incarnate the deceased as that child, effectively forcing one character to be the slave of another. Incarnating characters as weak defenseless humans would appear to be the next most torturous option, but as the returning character will eventually regain all powers and no weaknesses, it can actually be beneficial in the long run.
The most insidious joke a GM can play is usually to reincarnate a character as a being with fairly little demonic blood. While they will most likely acquire a new power in this manner, they will also be given an extensive new set of weaknesses. A little creativity can go a long way in this context. For example, t first glance, weaknesses such as Feminine or Manipulator aren't truly debilitating, as a player creating a character will often work them into the character's personality to begin with. Should they be forced upon a character through reincarnation however, much amusement can ensue.
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