Character Creation in Romancing the Toaster consists of the following components, each of which are detailed further down the page:
Robots have two types of names.
One is original names. Every robot has an original name. These are based on their original designs, usually consisting of brand names and models. Examples: Budget Kettle Model_X9000, C5Turbo, Universal Warehouse Unit Inventory Module Bay B, Nemo_3.0
Optionally, a robot may also choose a personal name. These are of their own choosing and may change. A personal name is a way for a robot to express one's own personality and aesthetics, often drawing on the robot's personal experiences, accomplishments or relationships. These tend to be generic names a robot may have seen on a sign or online - or simple interpretations of their function. Examples: Chirp, Helena Copter, Trench, Toasty, Sceptic Tank.
In practice, your IC email address will be based on your character's original name (e.g. c5turbo@toaster.oxfordrpg.com), while your Discord nickname will reflect your personal name if you have one.
Please also tell us your character's pronouns. These will be listed on the Characters page alongside your character's name.
All robots were originally designed with some function in mind. It may be the case your character is no longer performing that function. It may be the case your character has been dutifully toasting the same piece of bread every morning for the past century. Regardless, a robot's function is an important part of a robot's identity, and one should expect limitations to what one can and cannot achieve as a result of one's function.
Please tell us what your character's original function is. The description does not need to be long (in fact, please do not give us a full user manual) but should include what you are (toaster? hoover? helicopter?) and any significant/relevant details you want the GMs to know about. When deciding your character's function, be aware that their skills and specialisations will likely be strongly influenced by this.
Robots come in all shapes and sizes, and one cannot take for granted what components a machine might have. Please give us a rough description of your character's body. Please note that the maximum allowed size for a player character in any dimension is 200m, about the length of a football pitch. The minimum is 2cm, about the size of a coin.
While your character's chassis will likely have been influenced by their intended function, and will therefore be linked in some way to their skills, it is entirely possible for characters to possess components that they lack the skills to control - if you describe legs but no Movement skill, your character's Heartdrive will simply be unable to use these to travel. Equally you can, if you so desire, select the skills to make use of hardware you do not possess at game start - if you want to be a toaster who was born to fly, but currently lacks the jet engines, you may do so!
You have 9 points to spend on skills. Each skill costs one point. Higher tier skills may only be purchased if you already have the preceding skill(s) in that branch.
You must also choose one of the six Basic skills to be disabled. By some quirk of your character's Heartdrive, they will never be able to acquire that skill (and therefore also any of the skills in subsequent branches). Even if they were to have relevant hardware installed, they would not be able to make use of it.
For every skill taken at a level above Basic, you must choose a specialisation. This is a sub-field of a skill in which your character is even better than normal, and is probably (part of) your robot's intended function. Players may define what this specialisation is and can be anything so long as it is in line with the power/capability level of the skill taken. You get one free specialisation with a Tier 1 skill, and a second free specialisation with a Tier 2 skill. After obtaining Tier 2 in a skill, you may continue to add specialisations at the cost of one skill point each.
For details, please see Skills.
Quirks represent special advantages or disadvantages your character has. You start with some quirks at game start and may gain or lose them during the game.
At game start, you must choose at least one negative quirk. Then you may choose up to four positive quirks, each of which must be off-set by a negative quirk, up to a maximum of 9 total quirks. Any quirks marked with '+ AND -' count as both a positive and a negative. Quirks marked '+ OR -' may be taken as either a positive or a negative, and you should let us know which of these you have selected.
Some quirks may be mandatory thanks to choices made elsewhere in character creation, including:
Playstyle quirks do not count towards this maximum total of 9, as they are neither positive nor negative (though they may present opportunities both positive and negative to your character). These represent optional themes and events in-game that some players may not wish to experience at all, such as mind control effects, computer viruses and ballgowning attempts by NPCs. You may email us at any time if you change your mind about the playstyle quirks you have chosen.
For details, please see Quirks.
Bonds are mechanised relationships available to be formed and broken throughout the course of the game. They provide boons to those who form them but generally can only be formed once, and they have negative effects when broken.
Before game start, the only Bond your character could have formed is the Religious Bond, which is a Bond between robots and their purposes. If your character has registered a Religious Bond with Kneedree, please let us know what your character's registered purpose is. We recommend avoiding purposes that are overly broad (e.g. existing) or overly narrow (e.g. bending 22mm paperclips) - IC, Kneedree would advise you against those options. Suitable examples include “to entertain”, “to make breakfast”, or “to pilot aircraft”.
It is by no means obligatory that your character start with a Religious Bond. You may register during sessions after game start.
For details, please see here.
Please specify the location of your character at game start. Choose a tile in Subsurface, Surface or Airspace as your starting location.
Please be aware of your character's skill (or the lack thereof) in Movement when you make this decision. For example, while we may allow you to start in Airspace without you being able to fly, the result is likely that you will fall and that will have dire consequences. And while we may allow you to start deep in Subsurface without skills in Water Movement, please be aware you might not be able to get out, and people might have difficulties reaching you even if they want to.
If you have the quirk Spaaaaace!, you must select a tile in space as your starting location. You cannot start in space otherwise.
If you have the quirk Lost, leave this section blank. The GMs will select your starting location for you.
Please submit a personal bio that consists of your character's personal background and anything else you would like the GMs to be aware of during game. Your character's background and personal arc will be taken into consideration when the GMs handle your character's story. You may wish to refer to the Robots page for some details you might like to include. The bio does not need to be long (and please avoid sending us a novel, touched though we will be). This will only be visible to you and to the GMs, so please do use this as an opportunity to tell us all the secrets you hope will be unveiled over the course of the game.
Please also submit a public bio that represents what is publicly known, rumoured, or speculated about your character. This doesn't need to take any particular form (it could be a simple third person description, a conversation between two passersby, an official register form, anything you like really), but should be a couple of paragraphs at most and not exceeding 150 words. This will be visible to all players on the Characters page, and will be posted alongside your character's name and pronouns.
Here are some sample characters to serve as inspiration!
The preferred method of submission is via the following Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpTp-ORS2s8KHTE6askueCjR64Qx2HZP1A3xidi-dQ3avfQQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
If however, for whatever reason, you would prefer not to use this, we will also accept character submissions by email to: gm@toaster.oxfordrpg.com
The deadline for character submissions is 23:59 on Thursday 15th October.
OC Name: OC Pronouns: Discord Handle: Character Name (original): Character Name (personal, if applicable): Character Pronouns: Function: Chassis: Skills and specialisations: Disabled Skill: Quirks: Religious Bond (if you have one): Starting Location: Private Bio: Public Bio:
In this game, it is not possible to play anonymously. However, it is possible to avoid knowing who everyone is OC if you wish to have a fully immersive experience.
All players must disclose their OC name as well as their character name, which the GMs will compile into a document. Viewing this document will be made optional to the entire player base, free for people to look at if they wish. It will be possible to see people's names and character names individually, without revealing the identities of the entire playerbase to the observer.
This is to ensure that people remain accountable if there is a breach of conduct and that players can avoid contact with other players for OC reasons, if they so choose.