Step #1: Picking a Hero
The first step in the process of creating a Servant is to pick your heroic spirit's identity. Heroic Spirits generally are beings that accomplished great achievements in life, such as saving the world and, after their death, became the object of worship and lore. Despite the term Hero, they are not bound to the common understanding of the word, thus even evil Heroic Spirits exist.
For a character, you can pick anyone from mythology, religion or history, and they will be treated as though they actually did exist in the past. Along with that, you could also create your own hero from the future, or a well known fictional characters, though they might not be regarded as having actually existed, depending (For example, Beowulf could be treated as 'real', while Aragorn would be a fictional Hero).
[Note: Coming up with the necessary story, deeds, strengths, weaknesses, powers and weapons for an invented character could be quite difficult]
Step #2: Classes
In order to properly function, all heroes are summoned into prepared vessels for a variety of "classes", depending on their powers and actions in life: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Berserker, and Assassin. If a Hero could fit into multiple classes, they will be put into either that which suits them the most, or whatever they quality for that is still free.
Class Specifics
- Saber: Servants placed within this class are agile and powerful melee warriors. It is one of the three Knight classes, together with Lancer and Archer and often possesses the Riding skill like the Rider class. An axeman would be a perfectly valid Saber.
- Archer: Servants placed within this class are usually proficient with projectiles and can survive longer without a Master nearby, due to their classes tendency for Independent Action. It is one of the three Knight classes, together with Lancer and Saber.
- Lancer: Servants placed within this class are very agile and skilled with long-range melee weapons, such as spears, lances, etc. It is one of the three Knight classes, together with Archer and Saber.
- Rider: To qualify for the Rider class, one must have either been known to have ridden something, a horse or chariot for example, or be connected to or owner or friend of a famous beast. Someone famous for having stolen dragons eggs, even if they never hatched the eggs for example, could be a Rider.
- Caster: To qualify for the Caster class, one must have been a great magi, have performed some extraordinary magical feet, or have some great magical artifact.
- Berserker: To qualify for the Berserker class, one must have gone mad at some point. Having recovered from the madness during life or not is irrelevant. Anyone summoned into the Berserker class loses their sanity as the cost for increased power.
- Assassin: While the Assassin class is usually Hassan-i-Sabbath, being the origin of the word itself, exceptions occur, and to be summoned into the Assassin class one merely needs to be famous for killing someone.
[Note: Depending on interest levels, multiple servants may be summoned from each class.]
Step #3: Class Abilities
All Servants are granted one or two class abilities ranked from E to A. Class abilities that can be chosen are:
Magic Resistance (B though D), Riding (B or C), Independent Action (B or C) and Battle Continuation (B or C)
Some classes receive a bonus for certain abilities. The Saber class may receive an A rank in Magic Resistance, the Archer class may receive an A rank in Independent Action, and Lancer may receive an A rank in battle Continuation. The Rider class
must have either an A or A+ rank in Riding.
The following abilities are restricted to specific classes: Territory Creation (A) is limited to the Caster Class, Mad Enhancement (A) is the only ability the Berserker class can take, and the Assassin class can take Presence Concealment (A or B) along with one other ability.
Ability Details
- Magic Resistance - grants protection against magical effects, this ability cancels the spells altogether. Important to note that the term "verse" seen below refers to a set of three lines. Thus, a chant of two verses is equivalent to a Six-Line incantation.
- A: Cancel spells of A-Rank or below. In practice, the Servant is untouchable to modern magi, so it would not be an exaggeration to title the Servant a "Magus Killer".
- B: Cancel spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for him to be affected.
- C: Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against Magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.
- D: Cancel Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.
Riding - is expertise to ride animals and vehicles.
A+: Creatures on the level of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast can be used as mounts.
A: All creatures but those of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast-rank can be used as mounts.
B: Most creatures and vehicles can be handled with above average skill. However, cannot ride the likes of Phantasm Races such as Monstrous Beasts
C: Most vehicles can be handled with average skill after some brief familiarization with their controls.
Independent Action - The ability to act without actively receiving mana from your master, freeing them to use their mana for spells, as well as how long a spirit can remain in the world without a master, giving them time to make a new contract.
A: Can remain in this world for a week even after losing his Master. However, to use Noble Phantasms of great mana consumption, back up from the Master is necessary.
B: Capable of remaining in this world for two days without an established contract. Also capable of living on for a short period of time after suffering extensive damage on his spiritual core.
C: Capable of remaining in this world for one day without an established contract.
Battle Continuation - is how long the hero can last after their endurance is overcome. Also, the ability to withdraw from combat and reach allied territory alive after being defeated.
A: Makes possible to fight even with deadly injuries and can remain alive so long as one does not receive a decisive fatal wound.
B: Increases damage as the hero becomes more injured, and the user can act as though they are uninjured when attempting to retreat.
C: Allows the user to go fresh into combat, ignoring previous received non-deadly injuries.
Territory Creation - is the skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus.
A: Allows the creation of a "Temple", becomes possible. The spirit receives a rank up to all statistics while acting inside their Temple.
Mad Enhancement -raises basic parameters in exchange of hindering mental capacities. In some cases, also seals away Personal Skills.
A: Increases all statistics on a character at the cost of their sanity.
Presence Concealment - is the capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant.
A: It is possible to disappear completely and become almost impossible to be detected. However, efficiency will decrease once preparations to attack are taken.
B: It is possible to disappear and become almost impossible to be detected through non-magical means. Effect is removed once preparations to attack are taken.
Step #4: Character Statistics
Servants are ranked based upon their statistics, which set the guidelines for how your character should respond when RPing. All Heroic Spirits have five basic stats; Strength, Endurance, Agility, Magical Power and Luck. Each statistic is giving a rank from A to E, each given a rough number value.
| Rank | Value | + |
|---|
| A | 50 | 100 |
| B | 40 | 80 |
| C | 30 | 60 |
| D | 20 | 40 |
| E | 10 | 20 |
As the average human would be ranked with a value of 1 for each stat, the E rank, classified as 10, indicates someone ten times above normal human ability. As it is far above the realm of what an ordinary human can achieve, this allows even the physically weakest of Servants to easily crush bones with a single hand.
When creating a Heroic Spirit, we recommend starting each statistic ranked at C, and then whenever you raise a stat up a rank, lower one a rank as well, and then increase one or two stats by one rank as a bonus. This is suggested to help keep heroes roughly balanced, though you are free to do otherwise. Example results (without bonuses) could be
| Statistic | Rank |
|---|
| Strength | A |
| Endurance | A |
| Agility | C |
| Magical Power | E |
| Luck | E |
or
| Statistic | Rank |
|---|
| Strength | D |
| Endurance | E |
| Agility | A |
| Magical Power | D |
| Luck | A |
Then, give one rank a + modifier, representing the capacity for a temporary boost in power if certain conditions are met, allowing a weapon or ability of a lower rank to surpass a higher rank for a moment. While a B+ is generally no match for an A, B+ may momentarily exceed A.
We recommend modifying one these suggested stats for the following classes. For
Saber,
Lancer and
Berserker, either Strength, Endurance or Agility. For
Rider,
Archer and
Assassin either Agility, Endurance or Luck. And for
Caster, Magical Power. Though other options could be equally as viable.
[Note: don't forget that Berserker gets a bonus Rank to every statistic in exchange for their sanity]
Keep in mind that Ranks are not an end all be all, and a variety of things can influence the results. For example, while a large character with a higher Agility is certainly superior in that aspect to a smaller character with a lesser one, while fighting in a thick wood could hamper the movements of the larger foe, giving the smaller character the advantage.
Stats Explained
- Endurance is your character’s overall energy. Heroes with a higher Endurance rank are able to take more blows and keep going, as well as being able to fight longer than others without suffering a lowering of their other stats.
- Agility is the quickness and speed of action, as well as determining the accuracy of ranged attacks, and effects how light on their feet a hero is.
- Strength is the physical strength of their body. This determines how much physical power a hero can consistently output in their blows, as well as how much they can shift and move, and helps decrease damage taken from individual attacks.
- Magical Power determines the hero's maximum capacity for storing magical energy, which limits how long they can stay in the world without receiving magic from their master before growing weaker and vanishing altogether, and helps them to resist magical effects. Additionally, it is how much magical energy can be handled and released at once, with higher ranks allowing for larger and more powerful spells cast (assuming the hero knows any) and potentially enhancing other stats temporarily at a high cost.
- Luck is the most nebulous, essentially detailing how lucky a hero is. This can have a variety of effects, from giving the chance to turn a fatal blow into merely a highly damaging blow, to detecting an enemy before they detect you, to being summoned by a compatible master or even getting favorable battle conditions.
Step #6: Noble Phantasms
All heroes posses a powerful artifacts or abilities called Noble Phantasms, symbols of their heroism during life. They can be general weapons, such as swords, lances, and bows, or support items, such as rings and crowns or pieces of clothing. They can also be abstract concepts, like abilities, curses, and changes to the environment and its physical properties.
Noble Phantasms are considered to be a Servant's trump card and are activated by channeling mana into them and releasing their true names. This can only be done by their true owners. Noble Phantasms far outrank other non-legendary items, meaning that a C ranked Noble Phantasm is the equivalent to an A or A+ ranked normal attack.
Examples of Noble Phantasms could be Seven League Boots, Excalibur, demonic swords, weapons that can only be used once but destroy mountains, legendary animals, a book with magical powers, a castle, etc.
Most attacks made with a Noble Phantasm have a classification, describing the types of intended target or use.
- Anti-Personnel: Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasms are those specialized against defeating other people in single combat. Compared to stronger weapons, they will not go beyond defeating other beings no matter how strong the magical energy or curse they wield. An invisible sword won't do any better at chopping down a tree than a normal sword. An Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm could be described as a bullet. A bullet can't stop an army, but can easily kill a single target. Noble Phantasms that target the user are also qualified as Anti-Personnel.
- Anti-Army: Anti-Army Noble Phantasms are those with a wide enough range to be specialized against armies. They are more powerful weapons than Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasms, capable of easily blowing them away, but they must be used more wisely because of their larger cost. Using an A rank Noble Phantasm takes a great deal of mana, so they must wait before they can use it again. An Anti-Army Noble Phantasm could be described as a missile. A missile can stop an army, and could easily kill a single target, but costs far more to do so than a bullet.
- Anti-Castle: This rank has powerful Noble Phantasms that can even blow away solid fortified structures. While the difference between Anti-Personnel and Anti-Army is the variation in area of effect, Anti-Castle Noble Phantasms are distinguished from other categories by the great difference in power.
- Anti-World: Noble Phantasms that affect the World itself are of this rank. While the actual output is similar to an Anti-Castle Noble Phantasm, these have effects that greatly change the world, such as ripping it open. Very rare.
- Anti-Magic: Noble Phantasms that effect magic. While they usually cannot harm or kill a person any more than the Phantasms' base form can, their effect is to change or destroy magic.
- Barrier: Noble Phantasms used to create defensive barriers belong to this classification, but it does not include those that are also used to attack.
All Heroic Spirits have at least one Noble Phantasm, though they could posses more. Additionally, a single Noble Phantasm could have multiple effects, such as Fate/Stay Night's Lancer's Gae Bolg's Anti-Personnel
Barbed Spear that Pierces with Death attack, a thrust that always strikes the heart, and Gae Bolg's Anti-Army
Soaring Spear that Strikes with Death attack, throwing the spear and dealing a massive burst of damage on impact.
When creating your Noble Phantasm/s and their effects, they should generally be something your hero was famous for having or using, or some detail about them that is superhuman. Give them ranks based on the effect and or cost of usage. There are no real limits here, just try to make things that make sense and would be fun to rp with/against.
Step #7: Personal Skills
Personal Skills reflect the abilities the Heroic Spirits had in life and their personal legends. Like other traits, skills are ranked from E to A. There are no specific limits to the number of skills a hero has, and indeed many heroes have a large number of skills in their stories. Please try not to go overboard however.
Example Skills
- Bravery: the ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. Not usable under the effects of Mad Enhancement.
- Charisma: is the natural talent to command an army. Increases the ability of allies during group battles. It is said that a rank of B in this skill is sufficient to lead a nation as its King.
- A+: At this point it is no longer popularity, but rather a kind of spell (curse) in itself.
- A: Can be said to have achieved the greatest level of popularity as a human being.
- B: Suitable for a king of a country.
- E: Leadership skills increase, but the morale of troops decreases extremely.
Divinity: is the measure of the level of divine blood a hero possesses. At high levels one is treated as a mixed race of a Divine Spirit, and the level declines when the Heroic Spirit's own rank as a Monster, Demonic Beast raises. It can also decrease due one's dislike for the gods.
Eye of the Mind (False): it refers to a natural talent to avoid danger on the basis of an innate 6th sense, intuition, or prescience, where accuracy of instinct has been augmented by experience -- somewhat overcoming the problem of visual obstructions that appear in the course of combat.
Eye of the Mind (True): is a heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.
Golden Rule: measures one's fortune to acquire wealth.
A: Money problems are completely unknown.
High Speed Divine Words: is the power to activate Thaumaturgy without the use of Magic Circuits. The language of the Age of Gods, back when words played a heavy role in spellcasting. As such, it is power long lost by modern magi.
A: High-Thaumaturgy-level Magecraft can be cast at the speed of Single-Action spells.
Instinct: is the power to "feel" the most favorable developments for oneself during battle.
Protection from Arrows: is an increased defense against ranged attacks by predicting the projectiles' trajectories through exceptional means, such as hearing the sound of air being cut, or sensing the killing intent of the enemy.
Mana Burst: is the increase in performance caused by infusing one's weapons and body with magical energy and instantly expelling it. Simply put, recreating the effect of a jet burst by expending large amounts of mana.
Monstrous Strength: is an ability possessed by monsters and beasts, temporary boost of the Strength parameter by one rank for a time limit determined by the ranking of this skill.
Migraine: is a curse inherited from the birthplace of one's previous life. Due suffering from chronic headaches, the success rate of mental Skills decreases considerably.
