What are Character Templates?

We’ve gotten some questions on character templates recently and felt it would be a good idea to talk about them in more depth.

Character templates are iconic frameworks that you can use to base your character upon. There are over a dozen character templates in R.A.S.H. Engine Fantasy, comprised of many recognizable titles such as fighter, thief, cleric, wizard, knight, and more.

What do character templates do?
They give you a reference to base your character and provide you with a little more power in a certain area of expertise. For example, the thief has one of the longest skill lists available and is given bonus skill points at character creation. A wizard however, has a far shorter skill list but is granted extra Specialization Points for purchasing damage spells.

It’s in your best interest to take a character template that suits what you want your character to focus on early in their adventuring career.

Can I take more than one character template?
The short answer is “no”, unless of course your GM has been working on some homebrew rules to allow for this. It isn’t necessary to have more than one character template, as you get to choose how your character progresses using the R.A.S.H. Engine game system.

Am I restricted once taking a character template?
Absolutely not! How your character progresses is up to you. Let’s say for example you’ve chosen the fighter character template, but as you adventure you notice you could really stand to have some magic. For a little gold, you can learn some useful spells to aid you.

What if I chose the wrong character template and want to be something else?
We’ve all rolled up a character or two that didn’t really click with our playstyle before, it happens. The R.A.S.H. Engine however, is very forgiving and flexible. If you’re not happy with how your character is playing at the moment, think about what would make it better and improve with that in mind. If you’re truly unhappy with your character, you could talk to your GM about creating a new one, though in most cases it’s not necessary.

What’s the difference between templates and classes?
This is our most asked question, hands down. A number of games also have iconic character types known as jobs or classes. However in many of these systems, classes restrict your character’s options for growth. Fighters, for example, usually never gain magic abilities, and if you’re lucky you might be able to cross-class to get the abilities you want... maybe.

This is where character templates differ. Templates determine your starting abilities only – where you go from there is up to you.