Character creation

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The character creation screen.

As with most modern RPG games, Tyranny allows the player to customize their own character's appearance, background, abilities and initial attribute distribution.

Appearance[edit | edit source]

The initial character creation aspect lets players determine the character's:

  • Gender: Male or female.
  • Body type: 3 different body types.
  • Skin: 5 different skin tones.

Further customization can be applied to:

  • Face and hair: face type, hair style and beard style.
  • Hair color
  • Voice style
  • Tattoo: Shape, primary and secondary colors.
  • Portrait

History[edit | edit source]

The second aspects involves picking the player's background history as they came to be part of Kyros' army. This choice has an effect on conversion options in certain situations as well as impact related skills.

History Effects Description
Diplomat
  • +3 Lore
  • +5 Subterfuge
Though they would never tell you why, Kyros bestowed great wealth upon your family for some unmentioned service, and your parents used this wealth to have you raised far from home - your childhood was a nomadic tour of Terratus with hired tutors and fleeting friendships. Where others had stability and routine, you had a worldly and varied education.

A careless word in a far-flung city landed you in legal trouble, and you were taken before Tunon the Adjudicator and made to stand trial. Not only did you plead your innocence, but you turned the accusations around on the accuser for wasting the Court's time, and the Archon of Justice concurred. Amused by your wit, wisdom, and adaptability, Tunon claimed you as his newest enforcer.
Guild Apprentice
  • +2 Magic Staff
  • +6 Lore
Deeply proud of your intelligence, your parents always knew you were too smart for a life spent with your hands in the soil. Looking to secure a better future, your parents struck a bargain with the Seven Tree Guild, a small magical order willing to teach you letters, numbers, and magic - if you proved capable.

For several years, you learned much from the mages, mastering reading and writing faster than the rest, and eventually learned the basics of mystic theory and spellcraft. Your magical studies came to an abrupt halt when the Voices of Nerat, Archon of Secrets, deemed the Guild 'a peacetime distraction' that must be disbanded for the upcoming war, its mages assigned to proper armies. While your peers went on to other guilds, your mind was seen as too valuable to be wasted on the armies - instead, your life was claimed by Tunon, Archon of Justice.
Hunter
  • +3 Bows
  • +2 Dodge
  • +3 Subterfuge
When the leader of your home village spoke out of turn one time too many, agents of the Overlord put the whole town to the torch to contain the spread of insubordination. The Bounding Viper tribe came across the smoking ruins of your village, and when the Beasts' matriarch found you frozen but unafraid, the mighty leader took you in and raised you with the protection of her tribe.

For years you lived with these wild Beastmen in their migratory homes throughout the mountains, but the Bounding Vipers were a dying breed. Each long winter took a greater toll than the last, and once the dwindling tribe was too weak to defend its lands, Disfavored soldiers came to dispense of the ravenous scavengers your tribe had become. Finding a human amongst the wild tribe, the Disfavored soldiers made a point of taking you alive. News of the wild child of the North eventually spread to the Archon of Justice - and he ordered you released from captivity and delivered unto his court.
Lawbreaker
  • +2 Thrown Weapons
  • +6 Subterfuge
Accused of a crime you most certainly did commit, you stood before Tunon the Adjudicator, Archon of Justice, and argued your case with eloquence and conviction. Impressed by your logic, reason, and confidence, he found you guilty anyway.

It is rumored that Tunon selects many of his agents from his prisoners - who better to catch the wicked than those versed in such ways?

In his mercy, Tunon offered you the choice of two sentences: decades languishing in prison or a lifetime serving him in the court of Fatebinders. The choice was an easy one, and instead of seeing the inside of a cell, you were trained in letters and numbers, magic and war. The laws you once broke are now yours to interpret and enforce.
Noble Scion
  • +4 Two-Handed Weapons
  • +2 Lore
  • +2 Parry
Born to noble parents, you were groomed for leadership - your youth spent on letters, history, rhetoric, and other matters of culture and statecraft. Though you had wealth and creature comforts, you were expected to grow up quickly and bear the honor of shepherding others through prosperity and war.

When your parents came under accusation of sedition, you were sent to the court of Tunon, Archon of Justice, to defend your family's actions. Your parents were found guilty - their sentence: the dissolution of the treasonous estate. Eloquently pleading your own ignorance on your family's actions, you negotiated your most important deal yet - immunity from the crimes of your family for the simple cost of swearing fealty to the Archon himself. Despite the unwilling induction, your education and savvy made you a valuable addition to the Archon's cadre of enforcers. And so long as you remain in good standing, your family just might be allowed to live.
Pit Fighter
  • +2 Dual Wield
  • +3 One-Handed Weapons
  • +3 Unarmed Combat
Not wishing to pay to feed and house two, the madam that purchased your mother sold you to the Proving Grounds, the Northern Empire's bloodiest, most notorious fighting arena. Given only enough training to assure the show isn't over too soon, your natural prowess and survival instinct led you to one victory after another. There was no elegant swordplay, no formalized duels - just brutal melee and the stench of blood, shit and bronze with each day's gruesome necessities.

It is said that any fighter that slays a dozen others in the grand melee is given their freedom, but in three hundred years, only three warriors have ever walked away from the Proving Grounds. When the closing horns sounded and thirteen corpses lay about your feet, you became the fourth to be granted freedom to thunderous applause - but this autonomy was short-lived. Within days, word of your accomplishment made its way to the Archon of Justice.
Soldier
  • +2 One-Handed Weapons
  • +2 Athletics
  • +4 Parry
Unable to settle the year's accounts with grain, your parents offered you as a tithe to the Overlord instead. Seeing your first battles as a child, you've known all your life how to fight, how to stay calm at the sight of blood and disembowelment, and how to rely on your fellow warriors. Deemed smarter than the average killer, you were groomed for command and given an education in letters and numbers.

With rumors of war, it seemed recruitment into the Disfavored legion would be the obvious match for your skills, but the Archon of Justice is known to say that good iron is not used for swords and good minds are not used for soldiers. Claimed by Tunon, you were instead drafted into the Court of Fatebinders, where your martial skills were put to use in the enforcement of Kyros' laws.
War Mage
  • +2 One-Handed Weapons
  • +4 Lore
  • +2 Parry
Few have the combination of wits and courage to be accomplished casters and warriors, and those cursed with such a combination of talents are invariably pulled from their mundane lives and assigned to the armies of the Archons. Your earliest memories are a painful slog of training, study, lecture, and exhaustion - all the elements of being groomed for battle. You knew better than to ask what became of your family, nor to question the missives allegedly penned by their hand that were part of your earliest lessons in reading.

When you reached adulthood, Tunon the Adjudicator came to the barracks and laid claim to your life. Seeing you as too valuable for the crucible of battle, the Archon of Justice deemed your life better spent dedicated to the art of punitive legal remedies. Though you had much to learn in matters of civil discourse, none could deny your bright future as Tunon's next great enforcer.

Expertise[edit | edit source]

Another part of the history aspect lets players pick the primary and secondary expertise of the combat style they were trained in. These expertise also determine what initial abilities are available for the player at the beginning of the campaign.

Note: The table displays two different values for each skill in a given field of expertise. The final values applied depend whether the chosen expertise is a primary or secondary one (in that order).

Expertise Type Effects (Primary / Secondary) Abilities Description
Dual-Wielding Physical
  • +6 / +2 Dual Wield
  • +5 / +2 Athletics
  • +5 / +0 Parry
  • +3 / +0 Subterfuge
Pick either:
  • Flurry of Blows (Agility)
  • Slice (Agility)
Wielding two weapons give you the advantage of versatility as each weapon can deal different types of damage.
Javelin Physical
  • +6 / +2 Thrown Weapons
  • +5 / +2 Athletics
  • +3 / +0 Dodge
  • +3 / +0 Parry
Pick either:
  • Heart Shot (Range)
  • Hobble (Range)
Wielding a javelin is a good compromise between melee and ranged. Thrown weapons deal more damage than bows, but cannot attack from as far away. They also have the benefit of being able to switch between ranged and melee attacks depending on the enemy's distance.
  • Greatsword
  • (War Mace)
Physical
  • +6 / +2 Two-Handed Weapons
  • +5 / +2 Athletics
  • +5 / +0 Parry
Pick either:
  • Cleave (Power)
  • Sunder (Power)
Wielding a two-handed weapon puts your focus on power rather than speed. This is a slow attack style, but the damage you deal will often overcome the armor of your enemies.
Shortbow Physical
  • +6 / +2 Bows
  • +3 / +0 Athletics
  • +3 / +0 Dodge
  • +5 / +2 Subterfuge
Pick either:
  • Heart Shot (Range)
  • Hobble (Range)
The shortbow is the weapon of choice for those who choose to attack from a distance, avoiding direct engagement with their enemies.
  • Sword and Shield
  • (Spear and Shield)
Physical
  • +6 / +2 One-Handed Weapons
  • +4 / +2 Athletics
  • +5 / +0 Parry
Pick either:
  • Shield Slam (Defense)
  • Sunder (Power)
Wielding a sword and shield puts you in the front line of combat, standing between enemies and your allies. Holding a shield will slow down your attack rate slightly, but give you good defensive bonuses.
Unarmed Attacks Physical
  • +6 / +2 Unarmed Combat
  • +5 / +2 Athletics
  • +5 / +0 Dodge
  • +3 / +0 Subterfuge
Pick either:
  • Flurry of Blows (Agility)
  • Palm Strike (Power)
Unarmed fighting is one of the more challenging combat styles. Damage is generally lower, but this is offset by the speed of your attacks. A good style for someone interested in being challenged.
Atrophy Spells Magic
  • +8 / +2 Control Atrophy
  • +2 / +1 Magic Staff
  • +3 / +0 Dodge
  • +5 / +5 Lore
  • Touch of Atrophy (Sigil)

Double expertise: either:

  • Charged Strike (Magic)
  • Energy Shield (Magic)
Atrophy magic drains the skills and attributes of your enemies, weakening their attacks and making them easier to kill.
Frost Spells Magic
  • +8 / +2 Control Frost
  • +2 / +1 Magic Staff
  • +3 / +0 Dodge
  • +5 / +5 Lore
  • Frozen Grasp (Sigil)

Double expertise: either:

  • Charged Strike (Magic)
  • Energy Shield (Magic)
Frost magic is an offensive school that focuses on slowing enemies as well as dealing cold damage.
Shock Spells Magic
  • +8 / +2 Control Lighting
  • +2 / +1 Magic Staff
  • +3 / +0 Dodge
  • +5 / +5 Lore
  • Charged Fist (Sigil)

Double expertise: either:

  • Charged Strike (Magic)
  • Energy Shield (Magic)
Mages skilled in shock magic can frequently interrupt their enemies, preventing them from executing their attacks.
Vigor Spells Magic
  • +8 / +2 Control Vigor
  • +2 / +1 Magic Staff
  • +3 / +0 Dodge
  • +5 / +5 Lore
  • Titan's Touch (Sigil)

Double expertise: either:

  • Charged Strike (Magic)
  • Energy Shield (Magic)
The School of Vigor is a utility branch of magic that focuses on granting bonuses to yourself and your allies.

[edit | edit source]

This is the secondary cosmetic customization focusing on color tints on worn armor and the player's banner displayed within the game.

  • Character colors: Primary and secondary color tints for armor.
  • Banner: Symbol, primary and secondary colors.
  • Name

Attributes & Skills[edit | edit source]

The attributes distribution section.
Main article: Attributes & Skills
Attributes

There are six core attributes to characters in the game. These affect the level of skills and other secondary modifiers (such as health, defense, resistances etc.).

At the character creation screen all attributes are set to a base level of 10. The player receives 8 points to distribute amongst them. It is possible to lower an attribute as low as 8 (it will simply incur a malus per point lowered).

Skills

There are three types of skills: weapon, support and magic. All weapon and support skills are available to all characters while the different magic skills are only available if a character has learned them first.

Every skill has a primary and secondary attribute associated with it. The base values of skills are determined by the six core attributes and it is not possible to lower them below these base levels. The player receives 20 points to distribute amongst them.

Note: The game will emphasize which attributes and skills would be of benefit to the character (gold/silver bullets) based on their chosen history background and expertise (unless disabled through game settings).

Conquest mode[edit | edit source]

Main article: Conquest mode

The conquest plays over the 3 year period the Overlord's forces used to conquer the Tiers. The player will decide their actions during Kyros' invasion. These choices will affect the player (gaining new talents and leveling skill ranks) in addition to how the major factions in the Tiers will react to them.

There is an option to play through the conquest mode to get the most control over the starting state of the game world or choose one of the pre-existing templates. It is possible to replay the conquest before continuing with the game.