Planescape: the Pantheon Crusade is a worlds-spanning campaign, running from levels 1-20, beginning on Quinternia but spilling out into the Outer Planes as the story progresses. Because of the intended local-to-infinite scale and long-term plotting, character creation includes more guidelines than previous campaigns to help preserve encounter balance and long-term party viability.
Character Creation: Level 1
A note on Casters
With the Inquisition ever-present and threatening to roll over into a full-blown crusade, its Inquisitors scrutinize all sources of magics wielded by the populace, i.e., where you get your magic matters. Wizards and bards studied, sorcerers were born that way, and druids and rangers learned from nature. Such magics are part of Quinternia and do not concern the Inquisition. Clerics and paladins of the pantheon are welcome, though have certain expectations to support the Inquisition and oppose followers of interloper deities. Warlocks of seelie fey lords or celestial beings might be granted leave to operate, albeit only after close initial scrutiny.
Clerics and warlocks of dark or interloper deities are forbidden, and subject to the question for their crimes. Any characters gaining magic from such sources must conceal their origins or risk imprisonment, forced renunciation and conversion, or even execution.
Character Concepts
Your concept is something beyond Class/Species/Origin that says something about who you are and what your role in the story might become. Presented are some examples of PC’s that would fit in the campaign. Players may choose one, mix-and-match traits, or use them as inspiration to make their own.
Levels 1-2: The Investigation (Quinternia)
Starting characters all hail from Quinternia as members of local constabularies, either as local guards, constables, or investigators. They may be in service to the local New Radiance government, the Scaled Bailiffs of Cinderton, or one of the temples involved in the Inquisition: Ahasitari, Isthalia, or The Bright Empress. Other concepts interested in fighting interloper deities or employed by these institutions also work.
Level 1 Concepts
The Bored Officer: Breaking up tavern brawls and picking up pick pockets never really interested you; sadly, that’s pretty much your life. So far, your training was the most intense part of the job. Still, it’s a fair wage. You don’t know what you’d do if you ever encountered something truly above your pay grade, though you don’t ever expect you will. Good thing, too, because deep down, you don’t feel remotely prepared to face the sorts of threats real heroes do.
The Eager Rookie: Finally done with months of training, you’re finally ready to hit the streets, to serve and protect. Hopefully, your overconfidence and zeal don’t get you or someone else hurt.
The Clinical Scholar: Mysteries exist to be revealed, puzzles to be solved. You’re an expert in your chosen field, and an accomplished scholar for one so inexperienced, and the organization calls you in when it needs to rely on your expertise. People, those are the real mystery to you, and constantly being forced to interact with them is both a stressor and the main thing holding you back from advancing.
The Washed-Out Mercenary: After multiple failed attempts to join a prominent fighting force, you had to fall back on local constabulary to make ends meet. While you feel over-qualified for your current role, deep down you fear that you don’t have the talent or disposition to ever rise higher, and it’s made you secretly bitter.
The Dirty Veteran: The job sucks, the criminals suck, your co-workers suck. At least your few years on the job have given you insight into a few organizations willing to slip you some gold to look the other way from their activities. You used to be more idealized; maybe that person’s still buried, waiting for the opportunity to be better.
The True Believer: The gods of the Quinternian Pantheon watch over all, and deserve all support and devotion. Moreover, the filthy cult followers of the interloping entities deserve to be exposed and handed over to the question, to receive excoriation as befits their crimes. In no world could you imagine that followers of external gods are worth any sort of mercy or innocent of their crimes. What sort of shades of gray might you encounter that could cause you either to soften or to further calcify your beliefs?
The Desperate Informant: Desperation drove you to a life of crime, and now you’re in over your head. You’re now looking for a way out, though you don’t know if such a thing truly exists for you, as you’re in too deep now. Maybe you got caught, or maybe you saw something you couldn’t stomach, either way, working with the local authorities seems the only way to get clear. Hopefully, you don’t get caught and branded a rat first.
Level 3 Concepts: Out into the Planes
As the campaign reaches level 3, the PCs’ investigation of mysterious events propels them out into the wider Outer Planes of the Multiverse, knowledge of which the starting characters likely have little to none. At this time, players will have a specific opportunity either to expand their starting character’s world(s)view or introduce someone more suited to adventuring in the Outer Planes. New characters are not restricted to the same origins as starting characters. The concepts below may represent a new character, or may add depth to a starting character as they grow…
The Wandering Outlander: The multiverse is a place of expansive wonder and weirdness, and you want to see it all. While you call no place home, the paths between the Planes themselves have always welcomed you. For you specifically, you’re chasing a mystery, one that intersected your life and left if forever altered. These new friends of yours seem to be chasing the same thing. They just might get themselves killed, however, and could use your help. Better make sure, though that when you get to the end of your journey, you get the answers you seek, regardless of the cost to them.
The Lost Scion: At home, you were an honored member of the ruling or upper class; however, your home is far away, inaccessible, or kicked you out, perhaps because of an encounter with a mystery that made you leave. For you to make your way, your fortune, or your way back home, you’ll first need to solve that mystery, and for that, you’ll need allies. Maybe these newcomers will serve you as befitting your station, so long as they never find out the real reason you had to leave…
The Rakish Portal-Hopper: The Multiverse is a buffet of riches for those that can navigate it. Out there are places ripe for plundering, and wealth beyond measure. Finding and traversing the myriad portals of the City of Doors always came naturally to you. Now, you’ve come across something that might be the biggest score of your career. Still, to be successful, you’ll need allies. Maybe these berks here might prove to be more useful as long-term allies than easy marks. You can always double-cross them later if the opportunity presents itself…
The Clever Faction Agent: While Sigil doesn’t have a strong presence for any one church, its Factions rule ideology. As a true believer for one of the factions looking to rise in the ranks by advancing its agenda, you see your interests align with these new berks. These berks might be fresh to the Cage, but they have knowledge you’re seeking, and at least some ability to survive, else they wouldn’t have made it this far. By helping them, you just might be able to help your people as well. Just be careful they don’t find out just how irreconcilable their goals are with your faction’s, else you be forced to betray them early.
The Desperate Treasure Hunter: The Planes are infinite, and thus must hold infinite riches and wealth. While part of you is just plain greedy, you’ve got debts to pay. Whether working off a hellish contract, buying a loved one out of bondage, or any other need, your obsession with wealth consumes you, but only partially for your own sake. Now, these berks right here are on the trail of something big…big enough to wipe out your debt in one go, and leave you set up for life besides. So long as they don’t find out your secret…
Character Questionnaire
Completing the questionnaire provides one piece of bespoke backstory-related loot earned during Session Zero.