Cutie Mark Crusader Character Creators! (Yay!)

Character creation in My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic is designed to be a group activity, both with the other players in the game group and with the GM. It deals more with interpretation, conceptualization, and definition of a character than with choosing options from a list or allocating points. As such, while character creation can be done individually, it is better (not to mention more fun) to work together.

Focus on What You’re Already Good At

New players (and some experienced ones) often tend to try to design a character in a pen and paper roleplaying game to ‘min-max,’ or try to get the numbers to work before coming up with a character concept. This is natural, as many times a player has to find out what kind of character is possible before they know if a concept will work. In My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, however, there is significant flexibility in character creation to make or adapt a character concept, to allow players to think first about their character, then about the mechanics.

For this reason, players are encouraged to design their characters ‘concept first.’ Much of character creation in My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic asks the player to explain or define their character’s concept, and adapts the mechanics to fit—thus it makes character creation much more fun and easy when the character concept is already being developed.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Many roleplayers have a natural tendency to try to do everything right from the start with their characters. In My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, this is called being a ‘Trixie.’ Character creation is designed to give players a large degree of freedom and flexibility to make a well-rounded character, instead of being forced to focus on one specific area of ability. However, there is still a trade-off between versatility and specialization, and the system is designed to have plenty of room for characters to grow and evolve, and widen their scope of ability.

For these reasons, it is best during character creation to focus on what is essential to your character, instead of trying to encompass everything you want them to have or do in the long run. A character who tries to do everything right from the start, after all, often ends up not being able to do anything very well.

There’s Nothing We Can’t Overcome

A balanced character who focuses on a reasonable number of areas is especially well-suited to My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, due to the group nature of character creation. When creating characters, don’t be afraid to work together with other players to create a well-rounded group of friends. Unlike many game systems which assume that characters are strangers at the beginning of the game, My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic assumes that the players’ group of characters are already friends—or are at least destined to become friends.

For this reason, it is important to work together to create characters who compliment each other in terms of their personalities as well as their abilities. For example, a character who is very shy might work well with a character who is very charismatic or adventurous, and vice versa. A character who is very bold might work well with a character who is very artistic, and vice versa. The important thing to remember is that temporary conflict within a group of friends is natural, but that the group should not be designed to be inherently adversarial with each other. There is a reason the characters are already (or soon to be) friends, and character creation is the time to develop the nature and origin of that friendship.

It’s A Good Thing I’m So Organized

Character creation follows sixteen steps, from beginning to end. For reference, these steps are as follows:

1. Choose your character’s race, whether pony or dragon.
2. Choose your character’s age category.
3. Define your character’s Special Purpose and Cutie Mark.
4. Determine your character’s Primary Attributes.
5. Determine your character’s Secondary Attributes.
6. Choose your character’s Talents.
7. Define your character’s Job.
8. Define your character’s Skills.
9. Apply your character’s Unique Abilities.
10. Choose your character’s Guiding Element of Harmony.
11. Define your character’s Flaws (if any).
12. Determine your character’s appearance and style.
13. Determine your character’s possessions and assets.
14. Determine your character’s background and history.
15. Determine your character’s starting point into the game.
16. Spend any experience points available to your character.

All The Different Kinds Of Ponies

The first step of character creation is to choose your character’s race, whether it is one of the breeds of ponies, or a dragon. In My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, there are four playable races: Earth Ponies, Pegasus Ponies, Unicorn Ponies, and Dragons. Each race has its own strengths, areas of talent and skill, and signature abilities which the other races do not, making each and every character special.

Earth Ponies

Earth Ponies are the hard-working and stout-hearted ‘everyday’ residents of Equestria. While they lack the unique powers granted to the other breeds of ponies, Earth Ponies share a strong and deeply personal connection to the earth. By the virtue of not having the inherent abilities of the other breeds, Earth Ponies are no strangers to hard work, ingenuity, determination, and cooperation. They often take life lessons to heart more readily than other ponies, and usually have a deeper (albeit more ‘common sense’) understanding of the world around them.

All in all, Earth Ponies tend to be very ‘salt of the earth’ type ponies—from bakers, to farmers, to builders, to teachers and community leaders, Earth Ponies make the world go ‘round and are always ready to do what is necessary. That is not to say that they are not just as varied and unique as the other breeds; indeed, Earth Ponies have been known to be world-renowned musicians, artists, designers, and even athletes. It simply means that Earth Ponies—whatever their vocation—are passionate, steadfast, and connected to not only nature, but all the important and subtle things which make the world go ‘round.

While it may appear that Earth Ponies are the least ‘powerful’ of the pony breeds, in some ways, the reverse is true. While they do not gain the unique abilities of flight or magic that the other breeds do, Earth Ponies have a significant advantage when it comes to experience points and advancement. Early on, Earth Ponies tend to be ‘all-around’ and versatile characters, able to fill a variety of roles within the group. However, as they advance, Earth Ponies have the potential to become better in more areas than other ponies do. While the other breeds of pony may have aerial acrobatics or magical mysticism at their disposal, Earth Ponies have the grit and determination to be the best at whatever they do.

Mechanically, Earth Ponies gain a +2 bonus to their Heart attribute, a +1 bonus to their Mind attribute, and their unique racial ability called “The Earth Pony Way.”

Notable Earth Ponies include:

• Sapphire Shores, entertainer and the Pony of Pop
• Ace, fourth-best tennis player in all of Equestria
• Hoity Toity, premier Canterlot fashion mogul
• Cheerilee, Ponyville’s head schoolmistress
• Photo Finish, famous fashion photographer

Pegasus Ponies

Pegasus ponies are high-flying, athletic ponies gifted with wings and the ability to interact with clouds. While not all Pegasus Ponies are sky-bound speedsters or aerial acrobats, all Pegasus Ponies can move through the air as quickly and easily as they can on the ground, making them overall a bit more naturally athletic and physically capable than the other breeds of ponies. After all, being capable of flying all day and carrying things while doing so is a great way for a pony to end up in outstanding physical condition.

In general, Pegasus Ponies tend to be very passionate about their goals and drives in life; it is not uncommon for a Pegasus Pony to go out on a limb or take a risk to accomplish something important to them. While this does not mean that Pegasus Ponies are reckless (indeed, some of them can be timid), it does mean that more often than not they tend to be the trailblazer in a group adventure—whether through an adventurous spirit or a curious mind.

Pegasus Ponies have the unique gift of flight, as well as the wondrous ability to interact with clouds in ways no one else can—and even create weather effects themselves. If Earth Ponies have a unique connection to the earth, Pegasus Ponies have a unique connection to the sky. From lightning strikes to rainstorms, Pegasus Ponies can use clouds to create weather effects—and can even create certain effects (such as whirlwinds, or contrails of lightning or rainbows) by themselves. Aside from this, all Pegasus Ponies have some inborn talent for flight—even if they rarely show it. This talent can take time to develop, but it is always present to one degree or another.

Mechanically, Pegasus Ponies gain a +2 bonus to their Body attribute, a +1 bonus to their Heart attribute, and their unique racial ability called “Sky-Bound Soars And Daring Dives.”

Notable Pegasus Ponies include:

• Rainbow Dash, only known practitioner of the Sonic Rainboom
• Ditzy Doo, notoriously incapable avian migratory guide
• The Wonderbolts, Equestria’s premier aerial acrobatic team
• Derpy Hooves, famous paper-bag-wearing adventurer
• Daring Do, heroic explorer and world traveller

Unicorn Ponies

Unicorn Ponies are the most magical and intellectual of the pony breeds, capable of performing magical acts and casting spells by the virtue of the horn protruding from their forehead. Unlike the other breeds of ponies, whose abilities are more subtle, Unicorn Ponies manifest their unique and magical connection to the world around them overtly. Unicorn Pony magic is difficult, if not impossible, to hide—and few Unicorn Ponies would seek to hide it anyway, as it is their magic and spellcasting ability which makes them unique among the breeds of ponies.

By and large, Unicorn Ponies are a proud breed of pony, and take great pleasure in being a part of important and interesting things. Whether it is seeking to be a vital part of high society, becoming the very best in a chosen area of interest, taking on a dangerous mission for the fate of Equestria, or simply being a part of a wonderful friendship, Unicorn Ponies can often be found at the heart of important events. While not all Unicorn Ponies are prideful, and indeed humility is not an uncommon trait, all Unicorn Ponies are well aware that they are special—and that there is no hiding that fact.

Unicorn Ponies have arguably the most powerful unique ability in their spellcasting and wielding of magic. From their ability to magically manipulate objects to the unique and varied ways in which they learn to use their magical talents, Unicorn Ponies have a power that no other breed of pony can match directly. However, it is the overt nature of their magic which is also its drawback; a Unicorn Pony has no way to hide their magical power, and is often in the proverbial spotlight whether they want to be or not.

Mechanically, Unicorn Ponies gain a +2 bonus to their Mind attribute, a +1 bonus to their Body attribute, and their unique racial ability called “Magic Makes It All Complete.”

Notable Unicorn Ponies include:

• Twilight Sparkle, star pupil of Princess Celestia
• Star Swirl the Bearded, father of the amniomorphic spell
• DJ Pon3, disc jockey and master of vinyl scratching
• Prince Blueblood, royal nephew of Princess Celestia
• Fancypants, the most important pony in Canterlot

Dragons

Dragons are the mysterious and largely unknown reptilian race of fire-breathing serpents. While the existence of Dragons in Equestria has been known for a long time, not much is known about their society, or how they age, or about their life cycle in general. What little is known about Dragons comes mainly from unconventional sources of lore and wisdom, and thus is not generally widely known to the rest of the world.

Dragons have an inherently value-driven way of viewing of the world; they typically have a clear and instinctual understanding of the importance of things. For this reason, Dragons struggle with tendencies toward possession for its own sake. On the one hand, a Dragon’s natural inclination is to gather and protect things of value and importance. This is not limited to objects of monetary worth, but may include anything a Dragon places value on, or anything a Dragon is aware that someone else places value on. This can even be conceptual things, such as a friend’s feelings, the happiness of others, or the safety of a love interest. Because of this, Dragons (especially those exposed to a group which reinforces moral behavior) can be among the most powerful and staunch allies to their friends and community.

On the other hand, a Dragon struggles with taking this protective tendency too far, into the realm of becoming territorial or possessive. For example, a Dragon gains a new assistant for their job—one they feel is important; the Dragon may become territorial over their job, viewing their new assistant as a threat and attempting to remove them. Or a Dragon gains the ability (or status) to accumulate objects of value; the Dragon may become possessive, trying to accumulate everything of value they can. It is important to note that a Dragon who ‘hoards’ in this way is not evil, but is being guided by a deep, instinctual desire to fulfill the role of a guardian to important things. Although they are taking it too far, the Dragon is attempting to protect and safeguard this perceived wealth.

Dragons are intrinsically magical creatures—just like ponies—though their magical nature is less immediately evident and overt; in many ways, they share traits with Pegasus Ponies and Unicorn Ponies more than Earth Ponies, though they can certainly identify with, and get along with, anypony. The key difference is that, while ponies tend to have magical connections to things, or may harness and wield magic, Dragons embody magic with their very existence. From their ability to breathe flame, to the development of their wings, to their magical growth in response to their hoarding nature, Dragons are living, breathing magical creatures.

Mechanically, Dragons gain a +1 bonus to each of their Mind, Body, and Heart attributes, and their unique racial ability called “King Of The Hoard.”

I am a big pony!

The next step of character creation is to decide how old your character is, by choosing an age category. Often, the age of the characters will decide part of the tone of the story, as well as how it is approached by the game group. For example, a given situation might be handled differently by very young ponies than it would be by older and more experienced ponies. While it is usually best for all of the characters to be the same age category, it can sometimes be interesting and fun to vary the characters’ ages somewhat. If this is done however, it is important to keep in mind that a character’s age category determines, to a limited degree, how ‘powerful’ they are at the beginning of the story; varying the characters’ age categories should be done carefully.

Foals

Foals are ponies who have recently left their infancy stage and are beginning to explore the world. They are still considered youths, however, and follow many of the same rules as children. Foals attend school regularly, live with and are taken care of by a family member or other guardian, and typically (in the case of Pegasus and Unicorn Ponies) are not capable of utilizing their unique racial abilities—or at least not to their full extent. They do not support themselves by holding down a job, and are often not required to perform any jobs or tasks for their community. It is during their Foal stage of growth and development that a pony typically figures out their Special Purpose and thus gains their Cutie Mark.

It is important to note that Foals are not necessarily treated in exactly the same way that very young children are; in human terms they can range anywhere from elementary school to high school in their experience and social freedoms. It is not uncommon to see Foals out at recess or performing in a talent show during the school day, yet sometimes going out without parent or guardian supervision to a bowling alley. Likewise, sleepovers and tree-house fan clubs are not uncommon things for Foals to engage in, yet some Foals occasionally go into the Everfree Forest without supervision.

Because of these freedoms, it is not uncommon for Foals to have adventures together without the presence of older ponies to supervise, but these adventures tend to be of a smaller scale and a more limited scope. Where older ponies might go on an adventure to rescue a kidnapped friend or answer the summons of Princess Celestia, Foals might go on an adventure to find a missing chicken or gather what they need to put on a musical number for a talent show. Whatever their adventure, however, Foals tend to approach situations with a wide-eyed innocence and a sense of child-like wonder and enthusiasm which older ponies sometimes lack—and likewise, Foals tend to lack the experience and ability which older ponies have developed over time.

Mechanically, Foals have one attribute point to spend during character creation, the “Tireless” Talent (as a temporary Talent; see below), and the option to be a ‘Blank Flank’ instead of beginning play with a Special Purpose and Cutie Mark. In addition, Pegasus Pony and Unicorn Pony Foals may suffer diminished use of their unique racial abilities (or unique uses of their abilities), as detailed in the racial abilities section. Earth Pony Foals, whose age does not affect their unique racial abilities, gain 10 experience points to use at the end of character creation to purchase character advancements.

Foals gain the “Tireless” Talent as a bonus to represent the energy and exuberance most children display. However, this is not a permanent gain; many Foals who grow up lose their boundless youthful energy, and a few retain it into adulthood. To represent this, when a Foal character grows up into the Filly/Colt age category, they are faced with a choice; they may purchase the Tireless Talent for 5 experience points (a discount from its normal cost), or lose it. A character who took the Tireless Talent during character creation keeps it regardless of growing up, and if a character elects to lose it when growing up, they may always purchase it as normal later for its full experience point cost.

Examples of Foals include: Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara, Pipsqueak, Twist, Sunny Days, Peachy Pie, Snips, and Snails. Typically, stories featuring Foal characters tend to be low-powered, light-hearted, and are reminiscent of the fun and carefree episodes featuring the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Fillies/Colts

Fillies (female) and Colts (male) are ponies who have left the Foal stage behind and have entered the beginnings of adulthood. While no longer considered youths, Fillies and Colts nevertheless occupy a unique place in Equestria society somewhere between childhood and full adulthood. It would perhaps be most accurate to say that Fillies and Colts represent the ‘young adulthood’ of the pony life cycle. Some Fillies and Colts live on their own in this stage of life, starting their own businesses, supporting themselves independently, or even going to work for somepony else; however, others might still remain a student, or apprentice themselves to another pony.

Fillies and Colts almost universally hold down one sort of job or another, though these can vary wildly—from leading a town’s weather patrol, to running a farm, to being a baker’s apprentice. In this way, Fillies and Colts have ‘grown up’ beyond the Foal stage in terms of their responsibilities and day-to-day activities, but often retain elements of their childhood exuberance, curiosity, and wonder at the world. While some older ponies can tend to be pragmatic or lead simple lives, Fillies and Colts usually have an aspect of idealism and romanticism to them in approaching the world. In short, they are older in body—but still young at heart.

Their age brings a measure of experience which younger ponies lack, which makes Fillies and Colts more ‘powerful’ and capable overall than younger ponies. However, Fillies and Colts tend to still be somewhat diverse in their abilities and areas of skill, reflecting their tendency to experiment and try new things as they seek their place in Equestria. While they have found their Special Purpose and gained their Cutie Mark, the world does not automatically provide a place for Fillies and Colts to call home, or a way for them to express their passions and what makes them special. It is this experimentation and wandering, learning, growing, and ‘finding yourself’—at the young-adult level—which defines the unique stage of pony life which the Fillies and Colts age category embodies.

Mechanically, Fillies and Colts have two attribute points to spend during character creation, and gain 25 experience points to use at the end of character creation to purchase character advancements. Earth Pony Fillies and Colts, however, gain 35 experience points (instead of 25) to use at the end of character creation to purchase character advancements.

Examples of Fillies and Colts include: Trixie, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Derpy Hooves, Heartstrings, Golden Harvest, Roseluck, and Braeburn. Typically, stories featuring Fillies and Colts tend to be medium-powered, centering on self-discovery and learning, and are reminiscent of normal ‘slice of life’ episodes featuring the Mane Six.

Mares/Stallions

Mares (female) and Stallions (male) are ponies who have progressed beyond the Filly and Colt stage and have grown into full adulthood, both physically and in terms of their maturity and place in the world. While Mares and Stallions tend to be less energetic and idealistic than younger ponies, this is typically because they have moved beyond the ‘experimentation’ stage and have emerged with their goals and views on life refined by their experiences. It would be unfair to say that Mares and Stallions are ‘boring’ or are less ‘fun’ than younger ponies; they simply have finished their youth and now focus on their passions and interests with the steadfastness of maturity.

Mares and Stallions hold not only a job or vocation, but also tend to carry some measure of social status, even if it is only on a local or personal level. For example, while one stallion might be the most important pony in a major city, another might hold a minor but distinguished public office; one mare might be a beloved teacher in a small town, while another might sway the opinions of the celebrity elite. This reflects that Mares and Stallions tend to be recognized, on one level or another, by those around them as they have been making their mark on Equestria. A Mare or Stallion might not be an advisor to Princess Celestia herself, but it is a near-guarantee that somepony knows them.

Having lived and worked in Equestria well into their adult life, Mares and Stallions are more experienced and capable than younger ponies. They have had time to not only accomplish more over the course of their life, but also refine and focus their efforts. Because of this, it is unusual to find Mares or Stallions who dabble in a little bit of everything; most have found their preferred way to express and cultivate their Special Purpose, and have focused themselves to work toward bettering themselves in that area. While younger ponies tend to be more focused on growth and development, Mares and Stallions tend to focus more on the accomplishing of goals, making their mark on the world, and social issues.

Mechanically, Mares and Stallions have three attribute points to spend during character creation, and gain 50 experience points to use at the end of character creation to purchase character advancements. Earth Pony Mares and Stallions, however, gain 60 experience points (instead of 50) to use at the end of character creation to purchase character advancements. In addition, Mares and Stallions automatically begin play with the ‘Toast of the Town’ character advancement for free.

Examples of Mares and Stallions include: Mr. Breezy, Mr. & Mrs. Cake, Zecora, Fancypants, Prince Blueblood, Big Macintosh, Hoity Toity, Cheerilee, Aunt & Uncle Orange, and Sheriff Silverstar. Typically, stories featuring Mares and Stallions tend to be high-powered, centering on accomplishing a task or goal, and are reminiscent of the two-part ‘adventure’ episodes dealing with serious issues.

Hatchlings

The best-known kind of dragon which has been encountered and is not already a massive size is Hatchlings, sometimes called “baby dragons.” This term, however, can be misleading; a Hatchling is fully capable of growing into a full-sized adult in a very short span of time by indulging in their possessive tendencies. The danger of doing so is that it can cause a Hatchling to spiral out of control and become a rampaging, feral monster; and a dragon who has grown in this way who then resists their tendencies and keeps them at bay reverts back into a Hatchling. A Hatchling is roughly equivalent to somewhere between a Foal and a Filly or Colt character, and is best suited to adventures with those age groups.

Mechanically, Hatchlings have two attribute points to spend during character creation, and gain 15 experience points to use at the end of character creation to purchase character advancements.

Examples of Hatchlings include Spike, Twilight Sparkle’s number one assistant.

Drakes

Dragons who have reached their ‘teenage’ years are called Drakes. Drakes found in dragon society are typically brutish, cruel, uncivilized, and highly competitive, though certainly not all Drakes are alike. Physically, the Drake stage is when a dragon begins to truly mature and grow some of the signature features of dragons; most notably, their wings. While a Drake still runs the risk of greed-induced growth into a feral monstrous dragon, they also gain considerable power from their advancing age. A Drake is roughly equivalent to somewhere between a Filly or Colt and a Mare or Stallion character, and is best suited to adventures with those age groups.

Mechanically, Drakes have three attribute points to spend during character creation, gain a +1 bonus to their Body attribute, and gain 35 experience points to use at the end of character creation to purchase character advancements.

They all say that you will get your mark

Now that your character has their most basic information (breed and age) set, the next step in character creation is to develop their Special Purpose and Cutie Mark. A pony’s Special Purpose is potentially their most powerful mechanical asset, reflecting that it is the central drive and core passion in a pony’s life, as well as the area of ability in which they truly excel. From the moment they first discover it, a Special Purpose defines—and empowers—a pony in their efforts to shape the world around them. Mechanically, when a pony’s Special Purpose applies to a task, they get half-again their roll result as a bonus. This is explained in more detail later.

A Special Purpose is often within a pony, waiting to be discovered, before it ever manifests itself as a Cutie Mark; young ponies usually find that their Special Purpose—once discovered—turns out to be related to something in which they already had exhibited a unique talent or special interest. Because of this, all ponies have skills and abilities which are largely in line with their Special Purpose; creating one for a character sets the tone and theme for that character and is the first major step in developing them and making them unique.

Dragons, on the other hand, do not have a Special Purpose or Cutie Mark; they instead gain a mechanic called ‘Dragonheart,’ which allows them to use their inborn, instinctive force of will as a source of power—but also as a risk factor, as letting that primal power build too high can cause a dragon to begin to grow into a monster.

Special Purposes

There is no set and exact formula for developing and defining a character’s Special Purpose; they are just as diverse, and vary just as widely, as ponies themselves. However, there are a few guidelines which can assist with creating a character’s Special Purpose. Often, no one guideline sets a pony’s Special Purpose; usually it is a combination of how a few apply to them which provides the basis for their Special Purpose—though ponies can certainly embody a particular guideline almost exclusively. Thus, when creating a character, it is best to use these guidelines as a way of measuring the validity of a Special Purpose; the more appropriately (or abundantly) the guidelines apply, the more justified the Special Purpose. Of course, the GM has the final say on all characters’ Special Purposes to ensure game balance, and should work with players to help develop ones which are unique.

All Special Purposes can be expressed comfortably in a single sentence beginning with “My Special Purpose is…” If a Special Purpose is too long to fit comfortably into this one sentence, it is likely too specific, or too complex; a Special Purpose is often simple and straightforward. For example, “…to find gems, make clothes, be beautiful and fabulous and refined, and run a successful boutique in Ponyville selling dresses” does not fit comfortably into the above sentence, and is an example of a Special Purpose which is far too complex and specific. Something like “…to bring out the beauty in the world” fits comfortably into the sentence and is thus a much better Special Purpose, as it is broad enough to apply to many specific things but is still narrow enough to relate to certain talents and areas of interest.

For a Special Purpose, as in many other things, it is best to keep it simple.

A pony’s Special Purpose often relates to one or more of the following six dimensions of their character concept: their Goals, their Passions, their Calling, their Convictions, their Heritage, and/or their Destiny.

A Special Purpose which relates to a pony’s Goals has an end result, or a logical conclusion, which the pony strives to accomplish. While a pony may never reach that conclusion within their lifetime, it remains as a well-defined end result to work toward. For example, a Special Purpose such as “To be the best flier in Equestria” relates to a pony’s goals because it has a stated end result, and because it can be achieved through effort. Although it may never be done, it still forms the basis for the Special Purpose. The best embodiment of this dimension of a Special Purpose is Rainbow Dash.

A Special Purpose which relates to a pony’s Passions is very personal to them, and involves a deep need to express or embody an ideal or concept in their own unique way. It is usually artistic in nature, but doesn’t need to be defined by any particular form of art. For example, a Special Purpose such as “To bring out the beauty in the world” relates to a pony’s passions because it involves the expression of beauty as a personal ideal which is interpreted individually. The best embodiment of this dimension of a Special Purpose is Rarity.

A Special Purpose which relates to a pony’s Calling is often in service to others directly, and involves concepts of selflessness, compassion, and duty. While this lends itself to nurturing and caring for others, it can easily be more bold; as it relates to service and duty, a Canterlot Royal Guard is likely to embody this kind of Special Purpose as well. For example, a Special Purpose such as “To care for those in need” relates to a pony’s calling because it is in service to others. The best embodiment of this dimension of a Special Purpose is Fluttershy.

A Special Purpose which relates to a pony’s Convictions has to do with how that particular pony thinks the world should be, in relation to how it currently is, and what can be done about it. For example, a Special Purpose such as “To bring joy to everypony” relates to a pony’s convictions because it assumes that the world is currently not joyous enough, and that the pony should strive to change that by making others happy. The best embodiment of this dimension of a Special Purpose is Pinkie Pie.

A Special Purpose which relates to a pony’s Heritage involves not just their familial lineage, but also their traditions, their roots, and their responsibilities. For example, a Special Purpose such as “To run the family farm” relates to a pony’s heritage because it assumes the mantle of tradition and responsibility according to their roots. The best embodiment of this dimension of a Special Purpose is Applejack.

A Special Purpose which relates to a pony’s Destiny is the hardest to define, but has to do with a pony’s fate, their cognizance and faith in having a greater destiny, and factors which are largely out of the pony’s control—but are tied into who they are at heart. Often, a Special Purpose which relates to a pony’s destiny is unknown to the pony, or is at least nearly impossible for them to put into words, as it is more of a feeling than a statement and is generally only able to be defined in words when their life is looked at in retrospect. For example, a Special Purpose such as “To be a legendary magician” relates to a pony’s destiny because much of it has to do with factors outside the pony’s control, yet it is tied to the kind of pony they are at heart rather than guiding what they seek to accomplish, and is almost impossible for a pony to define as a statement until after the fact. The best embodiment of this dimension of a Special Purpose is Twilight Sparkle.

Mechanically, a Special Purpose allows a pony to shine when they are attempting to do things which are in line with it. Whenever a pony does something which is appropriate to their Special Purpose, they gain a bonus on the roll equal to one-half (rounded up) the number on the dice after it is rolled.

Cutie Marks

A Cutie Mark is a mark on the flanks of a pony which is always somehow indicative of a pony’s Special Purpose, though the relation between them can be vague, symbolic, or even metaphorical. While there is no set formula for determining a Cutie Mark, as with the Special Purposes they represent, there are a few guidelines which can be helpful.

First, a Cutie Mark may relate to a pony’s name in some way. For example, Applejack’s Cutie Mark involves apples, and Rarity’s Cutie Mark involves gems, which are rare. However, this is not a set-in-stone rule; Pinkie Pie’s Cutie Mark does not appear to relate to her name more than that pies are sometimes found at parties. While names are important, a pony gets their name well before they discover their Special Purpose or Cutie Mark; the two may not correlate directly.

Second, a Cutie Mark may relate to a pony’s personality in some way. For example, Fluttershy’s Cutie Mark uses soft, shy pastel colors, and Rainbow Dash’s Cutie Mark is very bold and prominent. While this relation may be subtle, it is usually always present to some degree.

Third, a Cutie Mark may relate to their unique method of fulfilling their Special Purpose. For example, Pinkie Pie’s Cutie Mark indicates parties, which is her particular unique method of bringing joy and happiness to others and thus fulfilling her Special Purpose.

Finally, a Cutie Mark is often a play on words, or a clever symbol, rather than a direct and literal representation of their Special Purpose. For example, Rarity’s Special Purpose is a trio of gemstones; gemstones are found within rocks, which symbolizes bringing out the beauty in things.

Blank Flanks

At various times when they are Foals, ponies discover their Special Purpose and develop their Cutie Mark. However, for a period of time before they do, a pony is a Blank Flank. Being a Blank Flank is an option for Foal characters, and is taken in lieu of having a Special Purpose and Cutie Mark. A Blank Flank has a few advantages over a pony with a Special Purpose, due to their lack of definition of that same Special Purpose. A Blank Flank might be good at anything, from being a famous scientist to an influential artist.

Mechanically, this is reflected by a special ability. Once per scene, a Blank Flank character may choose one roll and gain the normal bonus they would gain as if that roll were in line with their Special Purpose. This gives Blank Flank characters much more flexibility than a character with a Special Purpose.

However, being a Blank Flank is not a perpetual condition; eventually, everypony gets their Special Purpose and Cutie Mark. Each time a Blank Flank character succeeds at a roll in which they used their special ability bonus as noted above, they earn one Crusade Point, and should note what the task was that they succeeded at (for later use, detailed below). Each time they fail at a roll in which they used their special ability bonus, however, they lose one Crusade Point. Once a Blank Flank character has earned ten (or more) Crusade Points, they must discover their Special Purpose and gain their Cutie Mark. However, each time they earn a Crusade Point, if their roll was a Critical Success, they immediately gain Crusade Points enough to reach ten—and must discover their Special Purpose and Cutie Mark accordingly.

When a Blank Flank is forced to discover their Special Purpose and gain their Cutie Mark in this way, their past actions should inform the nature of their Special Purpose. For example, a character who, as a Blank Flank, earned several Crusade Points by defending their friends from frightening monsters, might develop a Special Purpose according to that kind of behavior or tendencies.

At the GM’s discretion, this forced development may be put off until the end of a play session or even the end of an Episode, but may not be put off any further than that. If the GM does put off this forced development, the character may continue to use their special ability bonus for being a Blank Flank until the GM decides they must fulfill this forced development; potentially earning further Crusade Points and thus further context to inform their Special Purpose once the character discovers it. However, after reaching ten Crusade Points, a character can no longer lose them; in essence, they cannot ‘negate’ their forced development by losing subsequent rolls while the development is being postponed.

Dragonheart

Dragons, the mysterious and powerful race of reptilian guardians, are known far and wide for their fire breath; but in truth, that is only an indication of their true power. Dragons have a fiery and passionate heart, which they can kindle in times of need to push themselves to heroic feats, or restore their strength of will. All dragons have this powerful will and strength of heart, but all too often it turns to pride, greed, and hatred. A dragon’s greatest danger is from itself, as a dragon’s heart is prone to greed—and once a dragon has started down the path of greed and selfishness, it is difficult to stop.

This is reflected by the dragon’s equivalent of a Special Purpose, which also serves as its main weakness. On the one hand, a dragon can ‘kindle’ this instinctual strength to accomplish feats normally beyond them; but on the other hand, the bestial nature of this strength can serve as their undoing—causing them to become fiercely selfish more easily, growing in size and power, until they are unstoppable and entirely out of control. A dragon character thus must be aware of how powerful their instinctual will is in comparison with their conscious will; letting either fall out of balance can be dangerous.

Mechanically, a dragon character gains a pool of ‘Dragonheart Points,’ which they can either use to give themselves a temporary bonus to their rolls for the duration of a scene, or to restore lost Willpower. However, this pool of Dragonheart Points also serves as a measure of their instinctual will and power, and can cause them to lose control over themselves as they give into their instinctual desire to hoard things of value; their tendency for greed.

During character creation, a dragon character gains a number of Dragonheart Points equal to their Heart attribute score. How these points are gained and used, as well as what bonuses and penalties they carry, is discussed in the following sections.

A Steady Diet To Make Growth Speed

A dragon character gains Dragonheart Points in two ways: by spending experience points to gain them voluntarily, or by gaining them involuntarily when exposed to situations in which they are tempted to indulge their greedy heart. Having too many Dragonheart Points is dangerous, as it can cause a dragon character to start going out of control; however, having too few deprives a dragon character of their most powerful ability—their deep, inborn will and strength of heart.

Any time a dragon character could spend experience points to gain character advancements, they may choose to spend experience points to add Dragonheart Points to their pool. This reflects a dragon character who is getting in touch with their ‘inner dragon’ through self-discovery, reflection, and discipline. For each experience point spent, the dragon character gains a number of Dragonheart Points equal to their Heart attribute score. Unlike involuntary points gained from exposure to temptation, however, spending experience points to gain Dragonheart Points cannot increase a dragon character’s total number of Dragonheart Points above their maximum Willpower score. Any ‘extra’ Dragonheart Points which have been gained in this way instead become points of Willpower restored to the dragon character, up to their maximum. If they are already at their maximum Willpower, any extra points are simply lost.

For example, a dragon character has a Heart score of 4, a Willpower score of 8 (out of 10 maximum), and 7 Dragonheart Points. They choose to spend one experience point to add Dragonheart Points to their pool. They add four Dragonheart Points (equal to their Heart score) to their total, which would normally give them 11 Dragonheart Points total. However, as this voluntary gaining of points cannot increase them above their maximum Willpower (10), they instead have 10 Dragonheart Points (not 11), and the extra point becomes a point of restored Willpower—increasing their Willpower to 9 (out of 10 maximum). Thus, they end up with Heart 4, Willpower 9 (out of 10), and 10 Dragonheart Points.

When a dragon character is exposed to a major temptation to indulge in greed (as explained later), they gain a number of Dragonheart Points equal to their Heart attribute score. Unlike voluntarily gaining points, however, this involuntary increase can raise their total number of Dragonheart Points above their maximum Willpower—and it is then that a dragon begins to have trouble restraining their desire to hoard and indulge in greed (as also explained later).

For example, a dragon character has a Heart score of 5, a Willpower score of 10, and 7 Dragonheart Points. They are exposed to a major temptation to indulge in greed, and immediately gain five Dragonheart Points (equal to their Heart score), bringing their total to 12 Dragonheart Points. Because their total number of Dragonheart Points (12) is higher than their maximum Willpower (10), they will begin to struggle with their instinctual tendencies toward greed.

Kindling Dragonheart

There are two ways a dragon character can use their pool of Dragonheart Points to their benefit. The first is by ‘kindling’ their instinctual will and power, spending Dragonheart Points to gain a bonus to all of their rolls for the duration of a scene. This allows a dragon character to go into a ‘heroic’ state, accomplishing difficult and dangerous tasks they would normally be unable to perform. Kindling their abilities in this way is taxing on a dragon’s will, requiring a conscious and focused decision to harness their inner power. For this reason, this ability may only be used once per play session.

To ‘kindle’ their ability in this way, a dragon character first spends a point of Willpower. This point of Willpower does not convey its normal bonus; it is simply the cost to use their ability, reflecting the focused act of will it takes to tap into their instinctual power. Once the point of Willpower is spent, the dragon character may choose to ‘kindle’ a number of Dragonheart Points up to their maximum Willpower. Each Dragonheart Point ‘kindled’ in this way is lost, and the dragon character gains a bonus to all rolls for the duration of the scene equal to the total number of Dragonheart Points ‘kindled.’

For example, a dragon character has a Willpower score of 8 (out of 10), and 6 Dragonheart Points. To use their ability, they spend one point of Willpower (reducing them to 7 out of 10), and choose to ‘kindle’ four Dragonheart Points. This reduces their total number of Dragonheart Points to 2 (their previous total of 6, minus the 4 spent), and gives them a +4 bonus (equal to the number of Dragonheart Points ‘kindled’) to all rolls until the end of the scene. Once they do this, however, they may not use this ability again until the next play session.

Stoking the Flames

In addition to using their instinctual will and strength of heart to empower their actions, a dragon character can harness their inner power to bolster and restore their conscious will. This reflects a dragon character making peace with their ‘inner dragon,’ reconciling their bestial and instinctual will with their conscious self. In effect, they subsume their instinctual will to restore their conscious focus. This is costly, as it suppresses their instinctual power, but can serve a valuable purpose in maintaining their control and focus.

To subsume their instinctual power and restore their conscious will, a character may, once per play session, choose to ‘sacrifice’ a number of Dragonheart Points to restore their Willpower. Each Dragonheart Point sacrificed in this way is lost, and restores one point of Willpower (up to the character’s maximum). However, the instinctual will of a dragon can never be entirely suppressed; a character cannot use this sacrificing of points to reduce their total number of Dragonheart Points below the number of their Heart attribute score.

For example, a dragon character has a Heart score of 5, a Willpower score of 4 (out of 10), and 8 Dragonheart Points. Once per play session, they may choose to sacrifice Dragonheart Points to restore their Willpower. They can sacrifice up to three Dragonheart Points (lowering their total from 8 to 5, but no further, as their Heart score is 5), restoring three points of Willpower (bringing them from 4 to 7 out of 10). Once they do this, however, they may not use this ability again until the next play session.

Then, the Resulting Bigger Size

A dragon must always keep their instinctual nature in check; it is all too easy for them to succumb to greed and become a monster if their deeper instincts gain the upper hand over their conscious will. This is reflected by a dragon character’s number of Dragonheart Points, as it compares to their maximum Willpower. For as long as a dragon character keeps their Dragonheart Points equal to, or less than, their maximum Willpower, they retain full control over themselves. It is when their Dragonheart Points are above their maximum Willpower that they risk their instinctual nature taking over.

The difficulty with giving in to their instinctual power is that, the stronger it grows, the more powerful the dragon grows; if caught early, a dragon losing control can be captured and restrained—but a fully grown dragon is almost impossible to defeat for all but the most powerful characters in Equestria. Thus, a dragon losing control over their inner power might be thought of as a snowball rolling down a hill—easily caught early on, but unstoppable once it has grown too large.

Whenever a dragon character is exposed to a situation in which they are tempted to indulge in hoarding, greed, and selfishness, they gain a number of Dragonheart Points equal to their Heart score. In this way, a dragon’s passion and will can work against itself. When exactly a tempting situation arises is up to the GM, though a player whose character encounters a situation in which they would be tempted is encouraged to bring it to the attention of the GM, and let the GM decide if the situation warrants adding Dragonheart Points to their total. Once a dragon character’s total number of Dragonheart Points is higher than their maximum Willpower, they may begin giving in to their instinctual nature.

A dragon character goes through five ‘stages’ of giving in to their instinctual nature, from the initial awakening of their greedy heart, through their growth and increase in power as well as aggressiveness, finally to the point where they lose control of themselves and become the frightening monster most dragons are thought to be. Each of these five stages is explained in the following sections, including how they are encountered, what effects they have on the character, and how they can be reversed.

Stage One: What’s Happening To Me?

The first stage of a dragon’s growth, and subsequent loss of self-control, is when their instinctual nature first begins to assert itself. During this stage, the dragon grows deceitful and sneaky, like a proverbial serpent. They may lie to their friends, act as if they are in full control, and deceive others to get what they want. Because they have not physically grown during this stage, they tend to be non-confrontational about accumulating things of value, rather relying on stealth, deception, and manipulation to get the things they want. It is only through a conscious act of will that they can refrain from this behavior, though they may lack the willpower to overcome their instincts.

When a dragon character’s number of Dragonheart Points first exceeds their maximum Willpower, they enter Stage One. A dragon character’s player should let the GM know that they have entered Stage One, but if possible, should not let the rest of the play group know. It is not disastrous for the rest of the players to know, but the dramatic narrative of a dragon beginning to lose control can be more fun for the group as a whole if the players must discover it has happened as well. While in Stage One, a dragon character should change their behavior slightly, trying to accumulate things of value without drawing attention to themselves by doing so. If the player does not follow this guideline, however, the GM may take temporary control of their character from time to time to make the character do so.

A dragon character may attempt to avoid Stage One by focusing their will against their instinctual nature. This is done by spending Willpower points. For each point of Willpower spent to fight back their greed, the character’s number of Dragonheart Points is reduced by one. If this reduces their total to equal to or below their maximum Willpower, they return to normal (returning to normal is covered in more detail later).

A dragon character rarely lasts in Stage One for long. Each time a dragon character in Stage One succeeds at acquiring something of value and secreting it away, they gain an additional Dragonheart Point. They no longer gain Dragonheart Points through temptation; once their instinctual nature has begun to take over, they only gain Dragonheart Points through acquisition of valuable things. What constitutes a valuable thing to the character, however, is up to the player and the GM to decide.

Once they have a number of Dragonheart Points higher than their maximum Willpower plus their Heart attribute score, the dragon character progresses to Stage Two. Because this can be a very narrow window of time, it is the best time to catch and prevent further progress, before the cost and difficulty of doing so becomes too high.

For example, a dragon character has a Heart score of 4, a Willpower score of 2 (out of 10), and 9 Dragonheart Points. Upon being tempted to give in to greed, the GM gives them four additional Dragonheart Points (equal to their Heart score), bringing their total to 13; because this is higher than their maximum Willpower (10), they enter Stage One. While in this stage, they can spend Willpower to reduce their number of Dragonheart Points, and they must attempt to secretly acquire things of value, increasing their number of Dragonheart Points. If their number of Dragonheart Points is reduced to 10 or less (equal to or less than their maximum Willpower), they return to normal. However, if their number of Dragonheart points exceeds 14 (their maximum Willpower plus their Heart score, or 10 plus 4), they progress to Stage Two.

Stage Two: Beginning to Mature

Upon reaching Stage Two, a dragon character no longer actively fights their nature. They grow, physically, enough to not need to be quite as sneaky as they were before, but are not yet a rampaging monster taking everything in sight. A dragon in Stage Two will still cooperate with their friends, but tend to be a bit erratic in their behavior when things of value can be acquired. They might steal from friends, justifying that their friend ‘really doesn’t need this anyway,’ or might choose to acquire something valuable rather than help their friends with the task at hand. However, the accumulation of valuable things is now less important to the character than is the coveting of, or desire for, valuable things.

A dragon character in Stage Two grows to roughly the size of a Mare or Stallion, and gains a bonus to their Body score equal to half of their normal Body score (rounded up), to reflect their newfound strength and physical ability. The bonuses for growth should be tracked independently of a character’s base Body score, as they do not increase the associated secondary attributes (Energy, Fortitude, and Willpower), and they lose the bonuses upon returning to normal.

While in Stage Two, a dragon character should become a bit more confrontational about acquiring valuable things, but should not seek to harm their friends directly. While a Stage Two dragon might steal from a friend behind their back and justify it that it was something the friend wouldn’t miss, they would not try to fight that friend for it directly; while they might neglect to help a friend who is fending off a monster in order to dig up a gemstone, they would not lead their friend into danger intentionally to get them out of the way.

In Stage Two, whenever a dragon character acquires something of value, they gain two Dragonheart Points; however, they gain one Dragonheart Point even if they fail to acquire it, reflecting their covetous side coming out. Like Stage One, they may spend Willpower to reduce their number of Dragonheart Points. If their number of Dragonheart Points is reduced below the necessary amount for them to have progressed to Stage Two in the first place, they immediately return to normal (returning to normal is explained in more detail later). However, if their number of Dragonheart Points exceeds double their maximum Willpower plus their Heart attribute score, they progress to Stage Three.

For example, a Stage Two dragon character with a Heart score of 5 and a maximum Willpower of 10 returns to normal if their Dragonheart Point total reaches 15 or less (being the threshold between Stage One and Stage Two), and progresses to Stage Three if it exceeds 25 (reaching 26 or more).

Stage Three: Running Wild

Upon reaching Stage Three, a dragon character begins to rampage. This means that the player is no longer always in control of their character; the GM takes over the majority of control, and the player may sometimes regain it. This is the primary danger of Stage Three; the loss of control of the dragon. Dragons in Stage Three are likely to do anything—from attacking friends to doing considerable property damage—in order to acquire things of value.

A dragon character in Stage Three grows to roughly three times the size of a Mare or Stallion, and gains a bonus to their Body score equal to three times their normal Body score, to reflect their newfound strength and physical ability. This bonus does not stack with the bonus from Stage Two; it replaces it. The bonuses for growth should be tracked independently of a character’s base Body score, as they do not increase the associated secondary attributes (Energy, Fortitude, and Willpower), and they lose the bonuses upon returning to normal.

A dragon character in Stage Three is not controlled by their player, but rather by the GM; however, they may spend a point of Willpower to regain control over themselves for a single action. This allows the character’s player to use their character’s increased power to do something good in the midst of their rampage; regaining control like this is often portrayed as a temporary ‘change of heart.’ Once a dragon character runs out of Willpower in Stage Three, however, they do not become sidelined as normal; instead, their Willpower is treated as being at one point, and they may not ‘regain control’ using it for the rest of Stage Three.

A Stage Three dragon is beyond the ability to fight off their own instinctual nature through an act of will; they must be brought down and stopped by others. A dragon character in Stage Three must be sidelined by other characters to be stopped. Once they have been stopped, however, they immediately return to normal.

During Stage Three, a dragon character no longer tracks their growth through Dragonheart Points; the GM decides if, how, and when they proceed to Stage Four.

Stage Four: Greedy Old Thing

Upon reaching Stage Four, a dragon character is on their ‘last legs’ before completely being lost to their monstrous growth and bestial instincts. A Stage Four dragon is what most picture as the image of a dragon; a massive reptilian monster terrorizing the countryside, building a horde and guarding it fiercely. What separates a Stage Four dragon from one which is completely out of control, is that a Stage Four dragon might still return to normal—though the chances are very slim.

During Stage Four, a dragon character’s attribute bonuses are no longer tracked; they are a narrative character under the control of the GM, for all intents and purposes. The one exception is that a Stage Four dragon has one final chance to return to normal before they are lost forever to their instinctual nature. One time during Stage Four, when presented with the unique opportunity for a friend to appeal to their ‘true self,’ or the character they are underneath their emerging instinctual monstrous power, the dragon character may expend all of their Willpower to give their friend a bonus on the attempt to appeal to them. This represents the last flicker of goodness and friendship within a dragon character.

The dragon character grants the friend a bonus equal to their maximum Willpower on the roll that friend makes to appeal to the dragon character’s ‘true self.’ If the friend’s appeal succeeds (if their task attempt is successful), the dragon character immediately returns to normal. If it fails, however, they progress to Stage Five—and are lost forever as a friend and as a playable character.

Stage Five: Completely Out of Control

A dragon character who reaches Stage Five is no longer a playable character; they have entirely succumbed to their instinctive nature, and have become another of the monstrous dragons which inhabit Equestria. This is the dangerous fate which all dragon characters fear; that their power will ultimately lead to their loss of control over themselves. Whether this is the ultimate fate of all dragons, or whether a dragon can avoid it through the power of friendship, is not yet known.

A Stage Five dragon is lost to the group; their player should create a new character to play. Even if the character is encountered later, and defeated in one way or another, they cannot shrink back down and return to normal—unless the GM decides to override this rule for the purposes of the group’s setting or story. It may be possible to redeem a formerly friendly dragon, but the truth of this is unknown.

Prevent Him from Practicing Greed

A dragon who ‘returns to normal’ from any stage of growth, returns to being the Hatchling or Drake they were when their instinctual nature began to take over. Any bonuses to their Body score are lost, and they are reduced to one point of Willpower and zero Dragonheart Points. This reflects the intensely draining process of a dragon reversing its growth and temporarily defeating its instinctual nature in order to return to normal, eliminating most of its power in the process. While a dragon character can rebuild from that point, the process may be slow and difficult; a dragon who has avoided a monstrous fate has done so at great personal cost.

I am the Iron Pony!

The next step of character creation is to determine your character’s Primary and Secondary Attributes. Every character has their own unique and inherent strengths and weaknesses which make them special. To reflect these individual areas of ability, every character has three Primary Attributes (Mind, Body, and Heart) and four Secondary Attributes (Energy, Courage, Fortitude, and Willpower). Each one represents an area in which a character might have considerable strength, weakness to overcome, or a harmonious balance. Low scores in a particular area does not mean that a character is deficient or bad, but rather that they have realistic flaws to overcome in that area. A character may be just as interesting for their flaws as for their strengths.

Primary Attributes

Primary Attributes are the three main categories of a character’s inborn, inherent ability. Everything from their physical strength and grace of movement, to their intellect and artistic creativity, to their willpower and compassion for others is based upon the three Primary Attributes of Mind, Body, and Heart. These Primary Attributes do not reflect job training or skill levels, but rather the character’s natural level of ability.

Mechanically, all Primary Attributes begin at 1, and increase based on bonuses from a character’s race, as well as Attribute Points spent during character creation (each Attribute Point increases a Primary Attribute by one point), and increases due to advancements purchased with experience points. Whenever a character attempts a task, they work with the GM to decide which Primary Attribute (or two) the task is governed by; this forms the basis for calculating the success or failure of the task.

Mind

The Mind attribute represents many overall things about a character. First, it represents their intellect, reasoning, problem-solving ability, and logic; their analytical ability. Second, it represents their memory and knowledge; how much they can remember, and how much sheer information they have access to. Third, it represents their perception and senses; how well they see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and notice about those senses. Finally, it represents their artistic ability and creativity, as well as their adaptability and versatility.

Characters with a high Mind score tend to be all-around clever, intellectual, creative, and perceptive characters. They approach situations intelligently and rationally, and notice things others do not. They are likely to find solutions no one else has thought of, and remember important facts no one else did. They are often natural leaders, but can also be some of the best advisors and educational characters in any group of friends.

Body

The Body attribute also represents several general aspects of a character. First, it represents their physical, muscular strength and power. Second, it represents their toughness, stamina, and ability to resist injury and fatigue. Third, it represents their speed, quickness, and reaction time; their overall swiftness. Finally, it represents their agility, dexterity, flexibility, and bodily coordination; their ability to maneuver and move gracefully.

Characters with a high Body score tend to be stout, strong, athletic, and fast characters. They approach situations with a mentality of being ready for hard work, and are undaunted by difficulty. They are likely to succeed in a clinch, and can usually be depended upon to accomplish any task set before them. They are often the go-to characters in many situations, and can be some of the most relied-upon characters in any group of friends.

Heart

The Heart attribute, like the others, represents a few broad aspects of a character. First, it represents their charm and force of presence; their charisma and bearing. Second, it represents their sensitivity, empathy, compassion, and care; their ability to connect with other creatures. Third, it represents their willpower and determination; the force of their spirit. Finally, it represents their vitality and vigor; their inclination to be energetic and their ‘get-up-and-go.’

Characters with a high Heart score tend to be strong-willed, compassionate, charismatic characters. They approach situations from their own perspective, and often help avert disaster with their personalities. They are likely to make friends and allies with the most unexpected creatures and characters. They are often supporting characters in most situations, though when they see what must be done, they can become a rallying force in any group of friends.

Secondary Attributes

Secondary Attributes are the main assets a character has to face difficult or dangerous situations, and to push themselves to new heights when they need to. Everything from a character’s steadfastness in the face of adversity, to their determination to try harder than ever before, is based upon the four Secondary Attributes of Energy, Courage, Fortitude, and Willpower. Unlike Primary Attributes, Secondary Attributes are not determined by racial bonuses or spending points, but rather by adding together two or more Primary Attributes. Characters may lose points in these Secondary Attributes in a number of ways, and if a character reaches zero in any Secondary Attribute, they may become ‘Sidelined’ (explained later).

Mechanically, whenever a character is exposed to a situation or effect which is hazardous to them, they must make a roll using either Energy, Courage, or Fortitude as a bonus. Succeeding at the roll means that the character has resisted the worst of the harm; failure means that they have not, and causes them to lose points in one of those categories. Willpower, however, functions as a pool of points a character may spend voluntarily to ‘try harder’ at a task, gaining a significant bonus to their roll at the expense of a Willpower point.

Energy

The Energy attribute represents a character’s resistance to fatigue; it is their stamina and vigor. Whenever a character is exposed to a draining situation or hazard, such as thirst or starvation, exhaustion, or even being turned to stone or magically made drowsy, they may lose Energy. A character regains Energy by resting, eating, drinking, or other means which fight off fatigue. A character’s maximum Energy is determined by adding their Mind and Body attributes together, and increases when they are increased.

Courage

The Courage attribute represents a character’s resistance to intimidation; it is their stoutheartedness and bravery. Whenever a character is exposed to a frightening or intimidating situation or hazard, such as facing the fearsome roar of a deadly beast or being publicly humiliated, they may lose Courage. A character regains Courage by triumphing over adversity, being encouraged by friends, being safe and secure, or other means which lift their spirits. A character’s maximum Courage is determined by adding their Mind and Heart attributes together, and increases when they are increased.

Fortitude

The Fortitude attribute represents a character’s resistance to injury; it is their health and wellness. Whenever a character is exposed to a physically harmful situation or hazard, such as being wounded, exposed to an illness, or even poisoned, they may lose Fortitude. A character regains Fortitude by being given proper medical care, taking a restorative potion, healing naturally, or other means which rejuvenate the body. A character’s maximum Fortitude is determined by adding their Body and Heart attributes together, and increases when they are increased.

Willpower

The Willpower attribute represents a character’s ability to push themselves temporarily to new and greater heights of ability; it is their determination to try harder at the task at hand. Whenever a character makes a roll, whether by attempting a task or by being forced to react, they may choose to spend a point of Willpower to gain a significant bonus to that roll, at the expense of the point of Willpower. In addition, Unicorn Ponies may ‘risk’ Willpower by casting certain spells and using magic in certain ways, and Dragons may use their racial ability to gain bonuses by spending Willpower, as well as restore their own Willpower. A character regains Willpower at the conclusion of each scene in which they embody their Guiding Element of Harmony, though only one point at a time. Characters also regain their Willpower all at once at the conclusion of an Episode. A character’s maximum Willpower is determined by adding their Mind, Body, and Heart attributes together, and increases when they are increased.

It Just Comes Naturally

After determining your Primary and Secondary Attributes, the next step of character creation is to choose your character’s Talents. If Primary Attributes represent your character’s overall level of ability in certain broad categories, Talents represent the specific areas in which your character has outstanding ability, or ability which their attribute score would not normally indicate. For example, a character might have a high Body attribute and the ‘Strong’ Talent, representing that even though they are all-around athletic and in good physical condition, they are also physically stronger than their Body score would normally indicate. Or, a character might have a low Heart attribute and the ‘Sensitive’ Talent, representing that even though they don’t have much willpower or charisma, they still have a strong sense of compassion and empathy.

Mechanically, whenever a Talent reasonably applies to a task or a roll, the character may make a second roll of the dice and take the better of the two results as their dice roll for the purposes of determining the success or failure of the roll or task. Multiple applicable Talents do not grant additional ‘re-rolls;’ only one extra roll of the dice may be granted per attempt. Characters gain their choice of any two of the following Talents during character creation:

Strong

The Strong Talent indicates outstanding physical force and muscular power. A character who has the Strong Talent might be particularly more brawny than their build would normally be, or might have an unexpected hidden strength.

Tough

The Tough Talent indicates outstanding durability, endurance, and bodily health. A character who has the Tough Talent might be stout and seemingly impervious to harm, or might simply always seem to recover from injury.

Fast

The Fast Talent indicates outstanding swiftness, speed, and reaction time. A character who has the Fast Talent might be known for their incredible quickness, or might just be more swift than they appear.

Agile

The Agile Talent indicates outstanding dexterity, coordination, and grace. A character who has the Agile Talent might be a daredevil acrobat, or maybe just more flexible and nimble than they seem to be.

Wary

The Wary Talent indicates outstanding awareness, perception, and readiness. A character who has the Wary Talent might always be on edge and aware of what is going on around them, or might be simply more perceptive than normal.

Smart

The Smart Talent indicates outstanding intellect, memory, and reasoning power. A character who has the Smart Talent might be truly brilliant or a genius, or might just be more knowledgeable than the average pony.

Adaptable

The Adaptable Talent indicates outstanding versatility, improvisation, and quick thinking. A character with the Adaptable Talent might be a master of making the best of a situation, or might simply be a bit more versatile than average.

Creative

The Creative Talent indicates outstanding ingenuity, unique style, and artistic ability. A character with the Creative Talent might have a truly unique and revolutionary artistic flair, or might be more of a ‘diamond in the rough’ with hidden style.

Charismatic

The Charismatic Talent indicates outstanding influence, force of presence, and majesty. A character with the Charismatic Talent might be majestic and possessed of a powerful force of presence, or might simply be a convincing and influential speaker.

Sensitive

The Sensitive Talent indicates outstanding compassion, empathy, and insight. A character with the Sensitive Talent might be able to tell at a glance how someone feels and what is on their mind, or they might have a ‘sixth sense’ about when something is wrong.

Willful

The Willful Talent indicates outstanding determination, mental fortitude, and boldness. A character with the Willful Talent might be an indomitable and bold individualist who faces down danger without fear, or might simply show impressive courage from time to time.

Tireless

The Tireless Talent indicates outstanding vigor, vitality, and energetic essence. A character with the Tireless Talent might be an exuberant and inexhaustible ball of energy, or simply a ‘night owl’ who never seems to need much sleep.

What Does Everypony Do?

After determining your character’s Attributes and Talents, the next step of character creation is to define their Jobs and Skills. Jobs and Skills are one of the ways in which a character becomes unique from other characters who might be similar—or identical—in terms of their basic concept. Where Attributes represent a character’s natural inborn abilities and strengths, and Talents represent a character’s areas of outstanding or surprising ability, Jobs and Skills represent a character’s areas of training and practice.

When defining your character’s Jobs and Skills, consider their background up until the current time in your group’s game. What have they done? What have they learned? Where have they been? Who have they known? What challenges have they overcome? All of these questions can help to inform what areas of your character are suitable for development through Jobs and Skills.

Jobs

A Job is a character’s profession. It is a broad area of training and education that a character knows and is able to practice reliably in a variety of ways. Everypony has a Job, representing that characters in Equestria all have some function to perform or role to play in the world—and some industrious characters may even have multiple Jobs. Perhaps your character is a performer, or a farmer. Maybe they help make the weather, or teach children. They might even be a gourmet chef, or a sturdy royal guard. Whatever their exact profession, this core social function is likely to be their Job.

Mechanically, Jobs are broad areas of training which can provide a bonus to rolls a character makes. Any time a character attempts a task which a Job applies to, they gain a bonus to the roll equal to the Level of the Job. Multiple applicable Jobs do not stack; the applicable Job with the highest Level is the one which grants the bonus. Jobs can stack with Skills, however, and vice-versa.

During character creation, a character gains one ‘Job Point’ to spend. A Job Point can be spent to either create a new Job that character has access to (Jobs are created at Level 1), or increase the Level of one of their existing Jobs by one. The exception to this rule is that Earth Pony characters gain two Job Points (instead of one) during character creation.

Creating a Job

Instead of choosing Jobs from a list, players in My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic work with their GM to create and define their character’s Jobs. This allows a level of nuance and flavor which might otherwise not be present in a more generic list. However, it also requires some work and a good grasp of a character’s concept, as well as an understanding of how a Job is created and defined.

First, the player should come up with roughly five ‘duties’ which define what the character does in their Job. These are much like listing the duties and responsibilities of a profession when listing it on a professional resume; they should outline what fulfilling the Job entails, though they can be reasonably vague or non-specific. For example, a player might put down “manage a gourmet kitchen,” “develop new recipes,” “cook a variety of dishes,” “present food artistically,” and “manage a pantry inventory” as the duties of their character’s Job.

From this list of duties, the player and the GM should work together to define the Job using a professional title. This can be reasonably non-specific, as it applies to an area of training and knowledge instead of an employment rank. In the example above, the player and the GM might work together to come up with “Head Chef” as the Job the example duties seem to embody. While “Chef” might have sufficed, the duties of “manage a gourmet kitchen” and “manage a pantry inventory” seem to have a more managerial inclination to them, so “Head Chef” might better define the Job.

Finally, once the duties and the title of the Job have been defined, the player marks down all of it on their character sheet as one of their character’s Jobs. During play, the Job’s duties help to inform when the Job may or may not reasonably apply to a task; and if further definition of the specific duties and areas of training that the Job entails come to light, they can be added to the Job’s entry with the GM’s approval.

What to Avoid

A normal tendency of new players (and some more experienced ones) is to confuse a Job with a Skill. The most important difference is that, where a Skill is specific, a Job is broad and may potentially encompass a variety of skills within its duties. For example, where “Painting” might make a good Skill, it is too specific to be a Job; a Job which could be in line with that concept might be something along the lines of “Artist.”

However, it is important not to make a Job which is too broad. Typically, it is the GM’s role to limit the scope of a Job, but it is important for players to understand what might make a Job too broad. A Job which cannot be reasonably and mostly defined with a list of roughly five duties is more than likely too broad. For example, “Citizen” is too broad to be a Job, as it encompasses many more duties than could be listed normally, and indeed might encompass other Jobs entirely.

Skills

Where Jobs are broad areas in which characters have general training, Skills are individual areas where a character has focused their efforts to gain more specialized training. A character’s Skills allow them to branch out from their Jobs, or to focus on specific areas of their Jobs where they want to excel. Usually, characters tend to have a mix of both types of Skills. From an area of expertise within their Job, to a hobby outside of it, a character’s Skills tend to be just as diverse and varied as they are themselves.

Mechanically, Skills function identically to Jobs, albeit on a more focused scale. Any time a character attempts a task which a Skill applies to, they gain a bonus to the roll equal to the Level of the Skill. Multiple applicable Skills do not stack; the applicable Skill with the highest Level is the one which grants the bonus. Skills can stack with Jobs, however, and vice-versa.

During character creation, a character gains a number of ‘Skill Points’ to spend equal to their Mind attribute score. A Skill Point can be spent to either create a new Skill that character has access to (Skills are created at Level 1), or increase the Level of one of their existing Skills by one. The exception to this rule is that Earth Pony characters gain a number of Skill Points equal to one-and-a-half times their Mind attribute score, rounded up (instead of equal to their Mind attribute score) during character creation.

Creating a Skill

Skills, like Jobs, are not chosen from a list, but rather are created and defined by the player and the GM. However, unlike a Job, a Skill does not use a method of listing duties to help define its scope. Instead, to define a Skill based on an area of training you seek to turn into one, consider whether or not that area of training could be covered by a school course focused on it, or if it is too specific to be the subject of a focused course, or if it would require a more ‘general overview’ type of course to cover.

If it could be covered by a focused course, it is probably appropriate to define with a Skill. If it is too specific to form a focused course around, it may be too specific to define with a Skill; widening the scope of the subject may reveal a slightly larger topic which would be better defined with a Skill. If it would require a ‘general overview’ type of course to cover, it may be too broad to define with a Skill, and may be more appropriate to being (or being a part of) a Job instead.

For example, a character who is meant to have a hobby as an amateur scientist might have the Skill “Chemistry.” Chemistry could be covered by a focused course, making it a suitable subject to be defined by a Skill. If the character had chosen “Covalent Bonds” instead, it would have been too narrow, as it would be part of a larger subject more appropriate to being defined as a Skill. Likewise, if they had chosen “Science” instead, it would have been too broad and would require a ‘general overview’ type of course to cover, making it inappropriate to be defined by a Skill—though it might work as (or as part of) a Job such as “Scientist” instead.

What to Avoid

A normal tendency of new players (and some more experienced ones) is to confuse a Skill with a Job. The most important difference is that, where a Job is broad and may potentially encompass a variety of Skills within its duties, a Skill is focused and specific. For example, where “Artist” might make a good Job, it is too broad to be a Skill; a Skill which could be in line with that concept might be something along the lines of “Painting.”

However, it is important not to make a Skill which is too specific. Typically, it is the GM’s role to limit the specificity of a Skill, but it is important for players to understand what might make a Skill too specific. A Skill which could not be listed as the subject of a focused school course, but rather would be part of a larger subject which would be more appropriate to being the topic of a focused course, is likely too specific. For example, “Nails” is too specific to be a Skill, as it is more appropriate to being part of “Carpentry,” which would be more appropriate.

A Part of Who You Are

The next mechanical aspect of character creation is to apply the unique, racial abilities your character gains due to their race and breed. Every race gains a unique ability, and it is these unique abilities which separate them from the other races and give them their power. A race’s unique ability sets part of the tone for characters who are a member of that race; for example, Earth Ponies tend to be adaptable and highly skilled due to their lack of more ‘magical’ abilities, Pegasus Ponies tend to be ‘go-to’ characters because of their physical advantages, Unicorn Ponies tend to be planners and leaders due to their ability to use magic to shape situations, and Dragons tend to be either heroic guardians or valuable assistants because of their natural instincts.

There are four unique abilities in My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic. First is the Earth Pony unique ability, called “The Earth Pony Way,” which grants extra experience points, gives a discount to experience point costs for character advancements, and allows them to avoid disaster from time to time. Pegasus Ponies have the unique ability “Sky-Bound Soars And Daring Dives,” which gives them additional bonuses to their flight- and weather-based abilities. Unicorn Ponies have the unique ability “Magic Makes It All Complete,” which covers their spellcasting and gives them the ability to ‘improvise’ spells and achieve powerful effects with help from friends. Finally, Dragons have the unique ability “A Dragon’s Heart Is Prone To Greed,” which allows them to perform heroic deeds, but also puts them in danger of giving in to greed.

In this section, each unique ability is explained in detail.

The Earth Pony Way

Earth Ponies, the straightforward residents of Equestria, lack both the gift of flight and weather-shaping which Pegasus Ponies gain, as well as the ability to wield spells and magic the way Unicorn Ponies do. This does not mean that Earth Ponies are any less unique than the other breeds of pony; it simply means that Earth Ponies must work harder at things than the other breeds do, and aren’t able to rely on fantastic powers to get the job done. However, out of this work ethic comes a powerful practical ability: the ability to learn quickly, readily apply knowledge, and adapt to a variety of situations. It is this straightforward, hooves-on approach to the world which is the Earth Pony way.

Quick Learners

At the conclusion of each Episode of My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, players and the GM work together on the group’s ‘letter to the Princess.’ In this phase, the positive lessons on life and friendship which the group identifies that their characters learned over the course of the Episode are what determine how many experience points the group is awarded for completing the Episode (the ‘letter to the Princess’ phase is explained in more detail later). The experience points are given evenly to the whole group, but Earth Ponies always seem to learn just a little more than their winged and horned friends.

Mechanically, every time the group goes through the ‘letter to the Princess’ phase and is awarded experience points, Earth Pony characters gain one additional experience point. For example, at the conclusion of an Episode, the group develops their ‘letter to the Princess’ and identifies three lessons their characters learned. Normally, this would mean that each character gains three experience points. However, the Earth Pony characters in the group gain one extra, for a total of four—giving them slightly more than the rest of the group.

It is important to note that Earth Pony characters do not gain extra experience points in this way as a result of any flaws they might have; this bonus to earned experience only applies to experience points earned during the ‘letter to the Princess’ phase at the conclusion of an Episode.

More than gaining additional experience points as the game progresses, however, Earth Ponies gain additional benefits right from the beginning of the game. They gain additional Job Points and Skill Points (detailed in the Jobs and Skills sections), and gain extra experience points during character creation based on their age category (detailed in each age category section).

Hard Workers

Because of their lack of more mystical abilities, Earth Ponies are able to readily apply their knowledge and experience better than most ponies. After each play session (or more frequently, at the GM’s discretion) of My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, characters are given the opportunity to spend experience points to purchase advancements, increasing their abilities or gaining new ones. There are a variety of advancements, each one with its own cost in experience points which must be paid in order for a character to gain it. In addition, characters may spend experience points to gain a bonus to their dice rolls for the duration of a scene, essentially buying a temporary bonus (advancements and temporary bonuses are explained in more detail later). Earth Ponies have a discount on all of these costs.

Mechanically, whenever an Earth Pony character spends experience points, whether to purchase advancements or a temporary dice roll bonus, they spend one less experience point per purchase—to a minimum of one experience point per purchase. For example, if an Earth Pony character wants to buy a three-point temporary bonus (or a ‘Major Bonus;’ a +6 to all rolls for the duration of a scene) which would normally cost three experience points, they instead pay two experience points due to their one point discount. As a further example, if an Earth Pony character wants to buy three advancements, each costing five experience points (for a total of 15 experience points), they would instead pay four experience points each (for a total of 12 experience points) due to their one point discount per purchase.

It is important to reiterate that an Earth Pony’s experience point cost discount cannot lower the cost of a purchase below one point; they must always pay at least one experience point per purchase they make.

Down to Earth

Characters always run the risk of bad luck, and always have the potential to have good luck. In My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, this is represented by the ‘Rule of 1’ and the ‘Rule of 20,’ respectively. Whenever a character makes a task attempt, if their dice roll comes up as a 1, their attempt is automatically a failure—and more than that, is automatically a ‘critical failure.’ Likewise, if their dice roll comes up as a 20, their attempt is automatically a success—and more than that, is automatically a ‘critical success.’ Critical failures and critical successes are explained in more detail later.

Critical failures and critical successes represent that sometimes, things go much worse than a normal failure would indicate, or much better than a normal success would indicate. For example, if a character suffered a critical failure when jumping over a log, they would not only fail to clear the log, but would also suffer some further bad luck—such as waking up an angry snake sleeping in the log. If they gained a critical success, however, they would succeed as well as have some particularly good luck—such as the height of their jump revealing the tracks of a missing animal they have been searching for.

Sometimes, however, particularly good luck is unnecessary or cannot easily be expressed—and sometimes, particularly bad luck can be disastrous. Earth Ponies, lacking the magic to turn events in their favor, are fortunate enough to occasionally avoid catastrophic bad luck.

Mechanically, Earth Ponies have the ability ‘bank’ a critical success, and use it to offset a critical failure later. When they would normally gain the effects of a critical success, an Earth Pony can choose to bank it instead of gaining its effects (it remains a success, but is not treated as a critical success). Earth Ponies can only have one critical success banked at a time. Any time they have a critical success banked, if they suffer a critical failure, they may choose to spend their banked critical success to avoid the effects of the critical failure (it remains a failure, but is not treated as a critical failure). This removes the banked critical success, and the Earth Pony must wait until they again gain a critical success to bank another.

While this ability in and of itself can be useful for immediately offsetting a critical failure when one pops up, it does not need to be declared that it is being used until after the GM has described the effects of a critical failure; however, it must be declared that it is being used before anything further occurs. Likewise, a character can bank a critical success after the GM has described what that critical success would have done, but nothing else may have happened. In either case, the player and the GM should work together to decide how the critical success, or critical failure, was avoided or negated. Typically, this takes the form of a ‘close call.’

For example, an Earth Pony character is painting a banner in preparation for a festival, when they roll a critical success. The player decides immediately that they don’t need the critical success, and declares that they are ‘banking’ it before the GM describes its effects. Later, when hanging the banner, they roll a critical failure. This time, they wait until the GM describes the effects the critical failure: the banner falls down, touches a torch, and is lit on fire. Before anything else happens, the player declares that they are spending their banked critical success in order to offset the critical failure. Together, the player and the GM decide that just before the banner would have touched the torch, a sudden wind extinguished the torch. Thus, while the character still failed to hang the banner, they had a ‘close call’ avoiding what might have been disastrous bad luck.

Sky-Bound Soars and Daring Dives

Pegasus Ponies, the winged weather shepherds of Equestria, are descended from an ancient society of noble and proud warriors. Although they have, for the most part, become a more peaceful breed of pony, Pegasus Ponies still carry the strength of their ancestors in their inborn talent for flight and their ability to manipulate the weather. While not as overtly magical as Unicorn Ponies, nor as down-to-earth as Earth Ponies, Pegasus Ponies have the gift of versatility. Where the other breeds are limited to staying on the ground, Pegasus Ponies can perform sky-bound soars and daring dives—and while others may be able to cast spells, Pegasus Ponies have the fury of thunderstorms, as well as the peaceful calm of a sunny day, at their command.

Pegasus Ponies may fly as easily as they walk or run, and gain the use of their wings as a racial ability. This means that Pegasus Pony characters may hover, glide, and fly instead of standing, walking, and running. Pegasus Ponies typically have a great deal of control over their flight, even being able to carry on conversations while hovering upside-down without needing to concentrate. They can also walk on clouds and interact with them as if they were solid objects, and even use clouds (or their own bodies) to invoke weather effects.

Pegasus Ponies gain two additional attributes (sometimes called ‘Flight Attributes’): Aerobatics and Weathercraft. These extra attributes are treated as bonuses to any and all rolls a Pegasus Pony makes which involve the use of their ability to fly or control the weather. During character creation, a Pegasus Pony character determines the starting score of both attributes (explained below), and may improve them by buying advancements as if they were Primary Attributes (Mind, Body, and Heart). Although the starting scores of Aerobatics and Weathercraft are based on a Pegasus Pony’s Primary Attributes, improving their Primary Attributes later does not change the score of Aerobatics or Weathercraft; after character creation, they effectively become their own independently-advanced Primary Attributes.

To determine the starting scores of these extra attributes, a Pegasus Pony character first adds in a Primary Attribute, then may ‘spend’ a number of points equal to another Primary Attribute, split as they choose between the two extra attributes, as follows: Aerobatics begins with a score equal to the Pegasus Pony’s Body attribute score, and Weathercraft begins with a score equal to the Pegasus Pony’s Mind attribute score. The Pegasus Pony character may then spend a number of attribute points equal to their Heart attribute score, split as they choose between Aerobatics and Weathercraft, to improve them further.

For example, a Pegasus Pony with Mind 2, Body 3, and Heart 3, must determine their Aerobatics and Weathercraft attributes. First, they set Aerobatics at 3 (equal to their Body), and Weathercraft at 2 (equal to their Mind). They then have three attribute points to spend (equal to their Heart) to improve these two attributes. They spend one point on Aerobatics and two on Weathercraft, bringing them each to a total of four (3+1 and 2+2). Their starting attributes, including the ones they gain from being a Pegasus Pony, are thus: Mind 2, Body 3, Heart 3, Aerobatics 4, Weathercraft 4. As they go on playing the game, however, increasing their Mind, Body, or Heart scores will not increase their Aerobatics or Weathercraft scores; once set during character creation, they are then no longer ‘linked’ afterwards and must be advanced on their own.

Aerobatics

All Pegasus Ponies have an inborn talent for flight. Although they may develop it later than most or show it only at great need, every Pegasus Pony has skill in both speed and maneuvering while airborne. This is reflected by the Aerobatics attribute. Whenever a Pegasus Pony character attempts a task which deals with their speed, maneuvering, or stability while flying, they gain their Aerobatics attribute as a bonus on their roll result—in addition to the Primary Attribute the roll is already based on.

For example, a Pegasus Pony character must fly through a shower of falling rocks without being hit by one of the boulders as it tumbles from the sky. The player and GM decide that the task is Body-based, and that it qualifies for the character’s Aerobatics attribute to apply as well. Thus, when making their roll, they will add both their Body and Aerobatics attributes to the dice roll, giving them a higher chance of success.

Weathercraft

Pegasus Ponies also have the ability to interact with clouds, and to create weather effects using them—or even using their own bodies. This is typically a more advanced ability to learn how to use, and thus is more common among older Pegasus Ponies than among younger ones—though certainly younger Pegasus Ponies may have great skill in manipulating the weather as well. This ability is reflected by the Weathercraft attribute. Whenever a Pegasus Pony character attempts a task to manipulate the weather, whether through using clouds or using their own body, they gain their Weathercraft attribute as a bonus on their roll result—in addition to the Primary Attribute the roll is already based on.

However, Pegasus Ponies do not simply create weather at will, or manipulate it from out of nowhere. A Pegasus Pony character’s player must work with the GM to rationalize how their character is creating or manipulating the weather before they are able to make an attempt at doing so. For example, simply saying that their character “makes it rain” is not a valid task attempt; it would be better to say that they jump up and down on a raincloud to make it rain from the cloud—or that they try to leave a contrail of small raining clouds as they fly. This gives the GM a basis for determining what aspects of a character apply to the task, and how difficult it is to accomplish; in the example above, using a cloud to make it rain, or trying to create small rainclouds by flying, might allow different Jobs and/or Skills to apply to the task.

For example, a Pegasus Pony character must make it rain on a burning house to put out the fire. The player and the GM work together to decide that there are clouds in the nearby sky, and the player declares that their character is grabbing a raincloud, positioning it over the house, aiming, and squeezing it to make it rain on the fire. The player and the GM decide that the task is Mind-based, and that it qualifies for the character’s Weathercraft attribute to apply as well. Thus, when making their roll, they will add both their Mind and Weathercraft attributes to the dice roll, giving them a higher chance of success.

Pegasus Pony Foals

As a Foal, a Pegasus Pony does not typically have full use of their racial abilities; they develop as the pony reaches adulthood. Like Unicorn Pony Foals, Pegasus Pony Foals’ racial ability limitations are based primarily on discovering their Special Purpose and developing their Cutie Mark. A Pegasus Pony Foal normally cannot fly or manipulate the weather if they are a Blank Flank (except for “Pegasus Pony Prodigies;” see below), although they do still gain some benefits. Effectively, a Pegasus Pony gains use of their racial abilities in a staggered fashion; first having limited use of their wings, then developing their full abilities later.

A Pegasus Pony Foal who is a Blank Flank still gains Aerobatics as an extra attribute, though it starts identical to their Body score and they do not gain points based on their Heart score with which to increase it. Although they cannot fly, a Pegasus Pony Foal who is a Blank Flank may use their Aerobatics bonus (with GM approval) on applicable tasks where they would be able to make use of their not yet fully developed wings. This might be anything from flapping to help them run faster or jump higher, to propelling a scooter, or even slowing a fall.

Upon discovering their Special Purpose and developing their Cutie Mark, the magic inside them causes a Pegasus Pony’s racial abilities to come to fruition. They gain the full benefit of their racial abilities, and determine their Weathercraft score, as normal (Aerobatics, however, has already been determined; it is not ‘re-determined’ at this time). In addition, at the time they discover their Special Purpose and develop their Cutie Mark, a Pegasus Pony gains the normal Heart-based number of points to spend between Aerobatics and Weathercraft to improve them.

Pegasus Pony Prodigies

Some Pegasus Ponies learn to fly before others; this may be because of special training such as attending Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, or simply due to sheer natural ability. While nothing but discovering their Special Purpose and developing their Cutie Mark can allow a Pegasus Pony Foal to manipulate the weather, some Pegasus Pony Foals are able to overcome their natural inability to truly fly before that point.

A Pegasus Pony Foal who is a Blank Flank may be declared to be a Pegasus Pony Prodigy during character creation, or at any time they could spend experience points to purchase character advancements. Doing so lifts the ban on full flight for that character, allowing them to fly immediately afterward. This does not change how their Aerobatics attribute score is determined (as explained above), but it does change how their abilities develop later, diminishing the increase in power the Pegasus Pony Foal experiences upon discovering their Special Purpose and determining their Cutie Mark later on.

A character who is a Pegasus Pony Prodigy has come into a portion of their ‘inner magic’ early, and as such does not experience as dramatic an increase in power as most Pegasus Ponies do later, but gain the ability to fly earlier than most. When their abilities come to fruition upon discovering their Special Purpose and developing their Cutie Mark, a Pegasus Pony Prodigy does not gain the full number of points from their Heart attribute score that they would normally gain. Instead, they gain two points less than they would normally be entitled to, to a minimum of one point.

For example, a Pegasus Pony Foal who is a Blank Flank and a Pegasus Pony Prodigy would determine their Aerobatics score as normal for a Blank Flank, and would be able to fly immediately. However, upon discovering their Special Purpose and determining their Cutie Mark, they would gain two less points to spend between Aerobatics and Weathercraft, to a minimum of one point. So, if their Heart score was 4, they would gain two points (4 - 2); if their Heart score was 2, however, they would still at least gain one point to spend.

Magic Makes it all Complete

Unicorn Ponies are the noble and majestic practitioners of the arcane; by virtue of their horns, they are able to learn and cast powerful spells, and manipulate the mystical forces of magic itself. Unicorn Ponies have been the wardens of magic for so long that they are synonymous with it; even the most simple and practical Unicorn Pony knows spells and uses magic as part of their everyday life. Because of this, magic is very personal to Unicorn Ponies, and although they all utilize it, very few utilize it in the same way. While they have training and talents just like anypony does, from a Unicorn Pony’s perspective, the simple truth is that magic makes it all complete.

During character creation, Unicorn Pony characters may choose a number of Magical Aspects equal to their Mind score to know, though they may not choose any Prime Effects as part of these selections (without GM approval). In addition to the ones they select, they automatically know “Animate,” as well as the Prime Effect “Telekinesis.” Unicorn Pony characters also gain a number of ‘Spell Points’ equal to twice their Mind score to use to create and enhance spells. Each Spell Point may be spent to either create and learn a new spell at Level 1, or increase the Level of a spell they know by one. Unicorn Pony characters automatically know the spell “Telekinesis” (which begins at Level 1), which allows them to make use of the Prime Effect “Telekinesis.” They may spend Spell Points to increase the level of this spell in the same way that they would any other spell.

For example, a Unicorn Pony character has a Mind score of 3. During character creation, they may choose three Magical Aspects (equal to their Mind) to know. They automatically gain Animate and Telekinesis, and they select Know, Animal, and Plant as the three they are entitled to. They then gain six Spell Points (equal to twice their Mind) with which to develop their known spells. They automatically gain the spell Telekinesis (Level 1). They work with the GM to create three more Level 1 spells (costing three Spell Points, one per spell created), then select one of those spells to increase to Level 2 (costing one Spell Point, one per Level increase from 1 to 2), and select another of the spells to increase to Level 3 (costing two Spell Points, one per Level increase from 1 to 3).

Magic Kindergarten

Magic and spellcasting in Equestria has a long history, dating back at least to the Pre-Classical Era. However, modern magical practices and spellcasting techniques are found in a few standards which every Unicorn Pony uses, and it is these foundations which make up the Unicorn Pony racial ability. In short, magic is composed of combinations of ‘Magical Aspects,’ and is used via improvised and/or trained ‘Spells’ created from these combinations. It takes study, talent, focus, and willpower to utilize magic, and while magic can be improvised, doing so is risky and unstable. Typically, spellcasting and the use of magic is a scholarly and academic pursuit learned through schooling, though it is not unheard of for Unicorn Ponies to be self-taught. Whatever the origin of their ability, however, any Unicorn Pony with magical power must have the intellect, discipline, training, and willpower to utilize it properly—as Magical Mishaps are a very real danger of failure.

Magical Aspects

The foundation of magic is in the 25 Magical Aspects which make up its effects. A Magical Aspect can be one of three types: Effects, which describe the manipulation or action of a spell, Subjects, which describe the object or physical component of a spell, and Prime Effects, universal effects which are considerably more powerful, useful, and rare than any others. It is best to think of Effects and Prime Effects as verbs, and Subjects as nouns. Magical Aspects are combined to form spell effects by coupling one or more Effects with one or more Subjects to reasonably describe the intended action. The more Aspects in a description, the more a spell does, the more specific and complex it is, and thus the more difficult it is to develop, learn, and eventually master.

For example, starting a campfire might be expressed by combining the Effect “Forge” with the Subject “Heat.” Likewise, extinguishing a campfire might be described by combining the Effect “Diminish” with the Subject “Heat.” The combination of “Forge Heat” could also be used to make a fire burn more brightly, or melt snow. The combination of “Diminish Heat” could also be used to cool or freeze an object. “Animate Earth” could be used to bend metal or raise rock walls out of the ground. “Modify Mind” could be used to bring suppressed memories to the surface of a character’s mind. “Reveal Water” could be used to identify what ingredients are present in a bowl of punch.

However, as stated, more Magical Aspects may be part of a spell than just one Effect and one Subject—though this makes the spell more complex and specific, and thus more difficult to master. For example, “Animate Modify Earth Mind” could conceivably bring a statue to life, and “Animate Diminish Forge Modify Body Heat Mind” might even allow a particularly powerful magic-user to conjure a Windigo from nothing—though this kind of spell would be among the most powerful and difficult spells they might ever be able to learn. More complex spells such as these might also likely be approved very sparingly by the game group’s GM, if at all.

In addition to the standard method of combining Effects and Subjects, characters may potentially gain access to Prime Effects. These are stand-alone spell effects which typically can universally affect things in a specific way, or perform a uniquely specific function, and are never combined with other Effects or Subjects to make more complex spell effects. Currently, there are only three known Prime Effects, though according to the setting and story your game group is participating in, the GM may create or allow additional Prime Effects.

Because of this flexibility there are many, many possible combinations of Magical Aspects, and many ways to express the same spell effect using different combinations of Magical Aspects; it is up to the player and the GM to determine which combination best expresses the intended effect of a Unicorn Pony’s use of their magic, and it is up to the GM to decide what uses are appropriate or not appropriate for their group’s story and setting. The total list of all Magical Aspects found in My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, as well as their descriptions and examples of how they might be used as part of a spell, can be found below.

Effects

The following is the list of Magical Aspects which are ‘Effects;’ the part of the spell effect description which is the ‘verb’ or action of the spell effect. A spell effect always has at least one Effect unless it is a ‘Prime Effect’ (explained later).

• Animate is the Effect which governs physical manipulation of something, whether through concentration or by self-manipulation. For example, Animate could be used to bend, push, pull, or otherwise manipulate something as if the character were doing it with their hands (or hooves, as the case may be). However, Animate could also be used to give something a self-manipulating capability according to its normal function. For example, Animate could be used to cause a stopped clock to function, a door to open or close on its own, a wagon to pull itself along, or a doll to walk around as if it were alive. In traditional spellcasting systems, Animate is closest to Telekinesis.
• Combine is an Effect which allows for the merging, or fusion, of multiple elements into a whole, or a functional hybrid. For example, a character could use Combine to merge a friend with a giant diamond, making them sparkle like diamonds. Combine could be used for assembly of things; for example, taking the component parts of a device or other object, and assembling them into a finished product—such as assembling a clock out of the mechanical parts which make up a clock, or creating a cake out of the ingredients which make up a cake. Combine also allows for traversal through joining; for example, a character could use Combine (in conjunction with Separate) to allow them to be ‘absorbed’ by an open flame—and then emerge from another open flame, effectively teleporting through the fires. In traditional spellcasting systems, Combine is closest to a fusion of Transmutation and Teleportation.
• Deceive is the Effect which obscures or hides things from detection, or gives things false characteristics. The most obvious use of Deceive would be for a character to turn themselves, someone else, or an object invisible, though this is not the only use. Deceive could also be used to prevent a character from remembering something (or give them false memories of something which never happened), or even make them not take notice of a pit right in front of their hooves. In traditional spellcasting systems, Deceive is closest to Illusion.
• Diminish is the Effect which makes something a ‘less perfect’ version of itself, damages it, or even eliminates it entirely. For example, a character could use Diminish to cause a room to become colder, fight back overgrown weeds, dispel magical effects or barriers, cause an area to become darker, or even outright destroy something. In traditional spellcasting systems, Diminish is closest to Destruction.
• Forge is the Effect which is the reverse of Diminish; it creates something from nothing, or (more often) improves something, making it a ‘more perfect’ version of itself. For example, a character could use Forge to heal wounds or soothe weariness, cause a fire to burn more brightly, purify contaminated water, spawn a glowing ball of light from nothingness, and even repair damage inflicted on a character’s psyche. In traditional spellcasting systems, Forge is closest to a combination of Conjuration and Restoration.
• Modify is the Effect which gives something a property or ability it does not normally have according to its function or standard capabilities. For example, Modify could be used to cause a mouse to take the shape of a horse, an apple to take the shape of a carriage, or to alter the characteristics of things. With Modify, a character could make a swarm of parasprites no longer hunger for food—but instead hunger for everything except food. Modify could alter a character’s mood, appearance, even change them into something else entirely—or reverse changes. In traditional spellcasting systems, Modify is closest to the concept of Transmutation.
• Reveal is the Effect which is the reverse of Deceive; it reveals hidden things and imparts knowledge about things. For example, a character could use Reveal to read another character’s memories, understand a language they are not fluent in, see into the past (or, potentially, the future), discover the properties of an object or item, or view a distant location. In traditional spellcasting systems, Reveal is closest to Divination.
• Separate is the Effect which is the reverse of Combine; it splits things into their component parts to various degrees of specificity. For example, a character could use Separate to disassemble a complex piece of machinery into its component pieces, remove certain ingredients from an already-mixed bowl of punch, remove the poison from an injured character’s body, or even dissolve a boulder to reveal the gemstones within. In traditional spellcasting systems, Separate would be closest to a variation of Transmutation.

Subjects

The following is the list of Magical Aspects which are ‘Subjects;’ the part of the spell effect description which is the ‘noun’ or object the spell effect is acting upon. A spell effect always has at least one Subject unless it is a ‘Prime Effect’ (explained later).

• Air is the Subject which encompasses atmosphere, gasses, smoke, and other gaseous materials. Vapors and mists could conceivably fall into Air as well.
• Animal is the Subject which encompasses lower animals such as cats, dogs, and birds; animals which cannot speak. Creatures such as ponies, buffalo, dragons, and other ‘higher creatures’ are considered separate from Animal.
• Body is the Subject which encompasses the physical bodies (but not the minds) of higher creatures such as ponies, buffalo, and dragons; creatures with the ability to speak.
• Construct is the Subject which encompasses manufactured objects, some with multiple interacting component parts, such as clothing, musical instruments, doors, vehicles, and machinery.
• Earth is the Subject which encompasses stone, dirt, sand, metal, gemstones, and other non-living solid material found naturally underground. Lava and magma could also be considered part of Earth.
• Energy is the Subject which encompasses pure non-magical energy and exotic energy-like effects, such as electricity, plasma, and radiation. Fire, however, is considered separate from Energy.
• Force is the Subject which encompasses solid barriers of magical energy; impassable shields and force fields composed of mystical, arcane magic.
• Heat is the Subject which encompasses thermal matters such as warmth and coldness, as well as the associated effects of fire, melting, combustion, and freezing.
• Light is the Subject which encompasses pure light, but not elements which naturally give off light, such as fire. Light can be as simple as manipulating illumination and shadow, and as complex as creating illusory images.
• Magic is the Subject which encompasses pure magical power and the mystical energies which make up spell effects, as well as exotic energies (such as chaos) which are not typically found within spellcasting. While this can allow for the manipulation of spells and related effects, it does not allow for the direct creation of effects.
• Mind is the Subject which encompasses the minds of higher creatures such as ponies, buffalo, and dragons; creatures with the ability to speak. It includes thoughts, senses, memories, dreams, and associated elements of the mind.
• Plant is the Subject which encompasses natural plants and flora, including trees, flowers, grass, vines, bushes, and other greenery, as well as plant creatures and entities.
• Sound is the Subject which encompasses noise and perceived sound, including music, voices, and other tones.
• Space is the Subject which encompasses locations and spatial dimensions; it deals with areas of reality and the general spatial elements of locations.
• Time is the Subject which encompasses the temporal dimension of reality and the persistence or passage of time.
• Water is the Subject which encompasses all non-solid fluids and physical liquids, not only water itself.
• Weather is the Subject which encompasses natural weather effects, including clouds, lightning, wind, rain, snow, thunder, and hail.

Prime Effects

Prime Effects are powerful, base uses of magic which are not constructed by combining Effects and Subjects; they function on a more foundational level, and either affect things universally or perform a unique and specific function. Universal application gives them considerably more versatility than other magic, and unique function gives them considerably more power, and thus they are very rare and difficult to learn. There are only three currently known Prime Effects, though the GM may, to suit your game group’s setting or story, create additional Prime Effects. To reflect their rarity, Prime Effects cannot be learned in the same way that other Magical Aspects are; the GM must decide on the unique conditions by which each can be acquired, or if indeed they cannot be acquired, according to the group’s setting and story.

• Channel Friendship is the Prime Effect which allows a Unicorn Pony to perform feats of magic beyond the realm of normal spellcasting by tapping into the power of friendship itself; this can include utilizing powerful artifacts such as the Elements of Harmony, or conjuring mystical forces such as the Fire of Friendship.
• Move the Heavens is the Prime Effect which has allowed the Unicorn Ponies to raise and lower the sun and the moon since the ancient days before the founding of Equestria. Although all Unicorn Ponies have the potential to use Move The Heavens, only a few manifest the ability.
• Telekinesis is the Prime Effect which allows all Unicorn Ponies to magically move, handle, and manipulate objects as if they were doing so with their own hooves. Unlike the other Prime Effects, Telekinesis is exceedingly common; all Unicorn Ponies have the ability to use it at will, as long as they don’t try to do too much.

Creating A Spell

Unicorn Pony characters, for the most part, make use of magic by casting Spells. A spell is a specific magical effect which the player and GM work together to define using Magical Aspects, as well as a method of manifestation (explained later). To create a spell, the player should first have in mind a conceptual idea of what they would like the spell to do when it is cast. This can be a simple statement, for example, “start a small fire” or “freeze something.” However, it can be more complex, for example, “conjure a rock golem and control it mentally” or “erase a memory and implant a false one.” In general, the more complex the statement, the more difficult the spell will be to learn, perform, and master. The GM has final say in what is, or is not, a valid spell concept statement.

When creating a spell’s concept statement, it is important to remember that a Unicorn Pony’s magic is usually in line with their Special Purpose. This can be a loose connection, such as a chef having heating and freezing spells, or a builder having spells which shape and alter stone, wood, and other materials; it does not need to so specific as to make the spell worthless when not being used for the character’s Special Purpose. In general, if the spell could be useful to the character for fulfilling their Special Purpose, it is likely to be an appropriate spell for the character to know. It is best to work with the GM to develop a spell’s concept statement so that it has a connection to your character’s Special Purpose, and the GM has final say in whether or not that connection is sufficient.

Once the concept statement has been defined, the player and the GM work together to decide which Magical Aspects would be involved in executing the spell’s effect. For example, “start a small fire” most likely involves Forge and Heat, whereas “freeze something” most likely involves Diminish and Heat. For more complex concept statements, more Magical Aspects will likely apply. For example, “conjure a rock golem and control it mentally” most likely involves Animate, Combine, Forge, Modify, Earth, and Mind. “Erase a memory and implant a false one” most likely involves Deceive, Diminish, and Mind. It is important to note that a spell does not need to only involve Magical Aspects the character knows; while knowledge of Magical Aspects allows a character to improvise spells, when creating a spell for a character to learn, they may involve any Magical Aspects. This reflects the difference between being familiar enough with an area of magic to improvise with it, and the knowledge of a specific spell for a specific effect.

After the spell’s Magical Aspects have been identified and defined, the player and the GM work together to decide the list of methods of the spell’s Manifestation, or all of the ways it can take effect. The spell’s method of Manifestation sets all the ways the spell can be used, and affects the versatility—and thus difficulty—of the spell. For example, starting a fire could manifest as a flame at the tip of a Unicorn Pony’s horn, a flame at a point the Unicorn Pony aims for, and/or on an object the Unicorn Pony can see close by; and it might last only as long as the Unicorn Pony concentrates on it, for a set duration, or it might be permanent. Spell Manifestation is explained in more detail later.

With the concept statement, Magical Aspects, and method of Manifestation all determined, the player and the GM work together to come up with an appropriate name for the spell, and the GM determines the Difficulty of the spell according to its Magical Aspects and Manifestation methods. Once these final steps are complete, the spell may be learned by a character by paying the experience point cost as determined by the spell’s Difficulty (spell Difficulty is explained in more detail later).

For example, a player wants to create a spell which their character could learn which would allow them to create and control a small floating ball of fire. They begin with the concept statement, “Create and control a small ball of fire.” Working with the GM, they decide that the spell involves the Magical Aspects of Animate, Forge, and Heat. They also decide that the spell has limited Manifestation methods—it must remain close to and in sight of the character, but persists for a while on its own; this means that it has the Manifestation methods of Amniomorphic and Temporary. The GM uses all of this information to determine that the spell’s Difficulty is 5, and the player names the spell “Ghostlight.”

Spell Manifestation

Spells always have at least two Manifestation methods, chosen from both of the two types: Range and Duration. These are fundamental limits on how the spell functions, and informs the effects of the spell as it is cast, as well as the implications of casting it. Range covers how a spell is ‘aimed,’ or what it can affect. Duration covers how a spell is maintained, and/or how long it persists before the effect ends. Every spell has at least one Range selection and at least one Duration selection. Each Manifestation method added to the spell affects the Difficulty of the spell, making it more or less difficult to use and more costly to learn.

A spell’s Manifestation in terms of its Range has three possible selections: Contact, Amniomorphic, and Spectacle. Multiple Range Manifestation methods allow a character to use a spell in different ways; for example, raising a spike out of the ground, and being able to raise a ring, or wall, of spikes with the same spell due to having multiple options for Range.

• Contact denotes that a Unicorn Pony must touch the spell’s target with their horn or that the horn is the target (or that the Unicorn Pony is the target). Typically, this type of Manifestation method creates a glow at the tip of the Unicorn Pony’s horn. The Contact Manifestation method has no effect on a spell’s difficulty.
• Amniomorphic denotes that a Unicorn Pony must be able to see their target and have a clear and unobstructed ‘line of effect’ to them; if they threw a pebble at their target, it shouldn't hit anything along the way. Typically, this type of Manifestation method creates a glow around the target of the spell’s effects, or a ‘beam’ of some kind connecting the Unicorn Pony’s horn with the target. The Amniomorphic Manifestation method adds an additional 1 to a spell’s Difficulty.
• Spectacle denotes an effect which targets things in a defined area, or targets something the Unicorn Pony can’t see or doesn’t have ‘line of effect’ to as noted above. Typically, this type of Manifestation method has an impressive display which is nearly impossible to miss. The Spectacle Manifestation method adds an additional 2 to a spell’s Difficulty.

A spell’s Manifestation in terms of its Duration has four possible selections: Instant, Concentration, Temporary, and Persistent. Multiple Duration Manifestation methods allow a character to tailor a spell to the situation more effectively; for example, creating a magical barrier and focusing on it, and being able to create a barrier which lasts for a full scene on its own due to having multiple options for Duration.

• Instant denotes that the Unicorn Pony creates a single-use effect which does what it is intended to do in a split-second, and is then finished (such as teleporting, making a flash of light, a clap of thunder, freezing an object solid, or starting a fire). The Instant Manifestation method has no effect on a spell’s Difficulty.
• Concentration denotes that the Unicorn Pony must keep focusing on maintaining the spell; at the GM’s discretion, if the Unicorn Pony tries to do too many other things aside from focusing on maintaining the spell, the spell ends. If it is the only Duration selection, the Concentration Manifestation method subtracts an additional 1 from a spell’s Difficulty; otherwise, it has no effect on a spell’s Difficulty.
• Temporary denotes that the Unicorn Pony creates an effect which lasts, on its own, for the duration of a single scene. The Temporary Manifestation method adds an additional 1 to a spell’s Difficulty. With GM approval, the spell’s duration can be longer than one scene, though this increases its Difficulty as well. For each scene beyond the first which the spell can continue to function, the spell’s Difficulty increases by 1.
• Persistent denotes that the Unicorn Pony creates an effect which is permanent. This is typically due to the effect being perpetually magically sustained (such as a permanent magical lock on a door). The Persistent Manifestation method adds an additional 2 to a spell’s Difficulty.

Spell Difficulty

Magic is a powerful force, and only the most disciplined and intrepid Unicorn Ponies can harness it; only the most talented and well-trained can master complex spells. All spells have a level of Difficulty to reflect their relative level of power, and thus how much effort it takes to learn them and how risky they are to cast.

The Difficulty of a spell is the base starting number of experience points it costs to learn the spell or increase the spell’s Level (advancements are explained later). It is also the minimum required Mind score necessary to cast the spell safely, and reflects the severity of danger if something goes wrong. For example, a spell with a Difficulty of 5 would cost 5 experience points to learn, would use 5 as its base experience cost to increase its Level, and would require a Mind score of 5 to cast without risk or danger (failure to cast, and the dangers of doing so, are explained later).

The exception to this rule is that during character creation, when spending Spell Points, a spell’s Difficulty is not taken into account in terms of cost; each Spell Point can create a spell or increase a spell’s Level by one, regardless of the spell’s Difficulty. Typically, this is best taken advantage of to create the more potent spells a character is supposed to have, as waiting until after character creation and spending experience points instead is more costly.

In general, a spell’s Difficulty is the total number of Magical Aspects it involves, plus or minus the influence of the Manifestation methods it has, plus or minus any special alterations the GM may apply. For example, a spell which involves three Magical Aspects and the Manifestation methods of Amniomorphic, Spectacle, and Concentration would have a Difficulty of 5 (3 Magical Aspects, plus 1 from Amniomorphic, plus 2 from Spectacle, minus 1 from Concentration being the only Duration selection). Created spells cannot have a Difficulty of less than 1.

What to Avoid

A common mistake when creating a spell is to make the spell too specific to a situation, instead of designing it for use in a variety of situations. For example, creating a spell which “ignites a campfire” is probably too specific, as it pertains only to a campfire. A better spell concept statement would be “ignites a small fire,” as it could then be used for the initial effect, but could also be used in other situations.

It is also important to consider how you plan to develop your character, and plan your spells accordingly; creating a spell which has a slightly higher Difficulty than what your character can safely cast may be a bad idea if you aren’t planning to increase their Mind, or potentially a good idea if you are. A spell which might go haywire every now and then could be a spell your character learns to harness over time.

Additionally, it is important to remember that a spell which is being learned and trained does not need to be created involving only the Magical Aspects your character knows; only improvised spells are restricted to known Magical Aspects. This gives a character two distinct areas of ability: the ability to train in any kind of spell so long as they put the effort in, and the ability to learn Magical Aspects to let them improvise magic on the fly.

Finally, remember that spellcasting does not define a character; a character defines their spellcasting. The guideline on ensuring that spells are in line with a character’s Special Purpose is in place to serve as a reminder of this. A character’s spells should be a set of tools they have developed based on the kind of person they are, not based on the accumulation of power; for Unicorn Ponies, their spells are an extension of themselves. As with the rest of a character’s development, their spells should be approached ‘concept first.’

Improving Your Spells

Once a spell has been learned by a character, it can be improved. Spells are learned at Level 1, and have no maximum Level they can be trained to; a character with enough time and experience could master and wield a wide variety of powerful spells. By and large, however, most characters tend to end up with an array of spells they know, but only a handful they focus on training; because spells can be costly to improve, characters generally improve them slowly—unless spellcasting is an area of focus for them.

When improving a spell, a character spends experience points to increase its Level by one step at a time. While character advancements are covered in more detail later, it is important to know how a spell’s Difficulty influences the experience point cost to improve it. A powerful spell, with a high Difficulty, incurs an increased experience point cost until it reaches a Level equal to its Difficulty. When paying experience points to improve a spell, a character pays an amount equal to the Level the spell is advancing to, or equal to the spell’s Difficulty, whichever is higher.

For example, a spell with a Difficulty of 4 will cost four experience points per Level to improve from Level 1 to Level 4, as its Difficulty is higher than its Level until that point. From then on, it will cost experience points equal to each Level it advances to; five experience points to reach Level 5, six to reach Level 6, seven for Level 7, and so on. This reflects that, while difficult spells can be much harder to learn at the beginning, a spellcaster who puts enough time and experience into developing their spells eventually comes to comprehend them all at the same pace.

Spellcasting

A Unicorn Pony can use magic naturally; as long as they are familiar with the Magical Aspects required to accomplish a feat of magic, they can make the attempt by improvising a spell. However, studying and learning spells gives them an edge in using magic by granting them bonuses to their task attempts when using those spells. This is reflected by the two distinct areas of magical ability that Unicorn Ponies may know: Magical Aspects, which allow them to improvise magical effects; and Spells, which allow them to study, know, and practice specific feats of magic in an organized way.

Because of the versatility and the adaptable nature of spells, casting a spell is done as if it were any other task attempt; instead of the casting of a spell being the full action a character takes, a character casts a spell for an intended effect—using it as the basis of a task, not the task itself entirely.

For example, a Unicorn Pony who is fending off a dangerous creature could use their spell “Bonfire” in a number of ways and for a number of effects. Where in traditional spellcasting systems they might have to choose between a fireball spell or a wall of fire spell, in My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, they decide how they are using their spell. They might try to create a flame between themselves and the monster, or try to hurl a ball of fire at it, or try to ignite the nearby trees, or any number of other things.

However, because of this task-oriented use of magic and spells, characters must make rolls and task attempts to use magic; they do not always succeed at spellcasting, and failure can be dangerous, as magic can cause powerful mishaps when it goes awry.

Spells You Know

When casting a spell your character knows, you gain a bonus to the dice roll equal to the Level of the spell. This reflects that, while trying to do too much with a spell can still bring about failure, the more your character trains in the use of a spell, the more likely they are to succeed at casting it.

Success when casting a spell you know is typically not reflected in any mechanical change; your character used the spell successfully and accomplished the task they were trying for. A Critical Success might have an extraordinary bit of additional positive effect to it as well; a spell meant to soothe pain might heal wounds too, and a spell meant to cook food might inexplicably make the food taste better than it would normally.

Failure when casting a spell you know typically takes the form of failing to even conjure the necessary power to try the intended effect; essentially, the spell was never cast in the first place. Failure can have certain ill effects as well, depending on the spell’s Difficulty; though, if the spell’s Difficulty is less than or equal to the character’s Mind score, failure has no ill effect—this reflects that the character has enough control over the spell to ensure that even in failure, nothing goes haywire. If the spell’s Difficulty is higher than their Mind score, however, failing to cast the spell causes them to lose one point of Willpower; this reflects that their training in the spell enables them to avoid the spell going haywire, but the difficulty of ‘stifling’ the magical power in this way drains them.

A Critical Failure when casting a known spell imposes the normal point of Willpower loss which failure does, but also typically has some form of backlash along the lines of its intended effects; a spell meant to freeze an object might freeze the caster instead, or a spell meant to crack open a boulder might cause an avalanche.

Spells You Don’t Know

Unicorn Ponies are not restricted to only the spells they have studied and trained in the use of; their knowledge of Magical Aspects allows them to ‘improvise’ spells on the fly. Doing this is dangerous, however, as the character hasn’t spent the time necessary to study, train, and develop the spell; they are attempting to ‘force’ magic to do their bidding—and sometimes, magic just doesn’t cooperate.

To ‘improvise’ a spell, a character creates a temporary spell using only the Magical Aspects they know. Unlike a normal spell, this spell is specific to the task being attempted with it, and is not added to their list of known spells. Just like normal for creating a spell, the player and the GM work together to decide on the spell’s Magical Aspects, Manifestation methods, and Difficulty—with the exception that only Magical Aspects the character knows may be involved in the improvised spell. The character then attempts to use the spell, though they gain no bonus to their roll from the spell; it is effectively a Level 0 spell for the purpose of its bonus to their dice roll.

If the character succeeds at using the spell, they lose one point of Willpower; this reflects the effort required to improvise a spell. A Critical Success negates this Willpower loss, but does not usually give additional bonuses as is normal for Critical Successes; the GM may override this rule, however, to suit your group’s setting and story.

Failure to cast an improvised spell is always bad, and runs the risk of being disastrous. Upon failing to cast an improvised spell, a character loses a number of Willpower points equal to the Difficulty of the spell, as well as losing one point of Energy; this reflects the extreme drain of trying to reign in an out-of-control spell with no training.

A Critical Failure imposes all the normal loss of Willpower and Energy points which failure does, but also causes a ‘Magical Mishap.’ These are explained in more detail later, but are typically the effects of magic going haywire—anything from a teleportation spell scattering a group all across Equestria, to a Unicorn Pony temporarily losing their ability to use any magic at all, can result from a Magical Mishap.

The Fire of Friendship

While improvising a spell is always dangerous, assistance from friends can give a Unicorn Pony the ability to go beyond what they would normally be able to do when improvising a spell. For each of their friends who spend a point of Willpower and do nothing but assist them in casting the spell, a Unicorn Pony can use one Magical Aspect they do not know to improvise a spell. At the GM’s discretion, this can include Prime Effects, though it does not normally.

For example, a Unicorn Pony has two friends who each spend a point of Willpower and spend their actions to assist them in improvising a spell. The Unicorn Pony may choose two Magical Aspects they do not know, and may improvise a spell using those Magical Aspects as if they know them. Once the spellcasting attempt has been resolved, however, they do not retain access to those Magical Aspects; it is a temporary power.

Critical Failures and Magical Mishaps

In general, failure to cast a spell reflects that the spell was never cast in the first place; a spell meant to freeze something, for example, simply never formed enough to take effect. However, Critical Failures and Magical Mishaps are the exception to this. In these cases, the magical energy of the spell was summoned, but the Unicorn Pony wasn’t able to control it. The resulting uncontrolled power has to go somewhere, and typically takes detrimental effects—or strange ones—as it goes haywire.

A Critical Failure refers to rolling a Critical Failure when casting a spell a character knows. In this case, the magical power typically ‘backfires’ somehow, though it usually does so in accordance with the theme of its intended effects. For example, a spell meant to put someone to sleep might put the caster to sleep instead, or a spell meant to cause a tree to grow tall and strong might make the tree shrink.

A Magical Mishap refers to rolling a Critical Failure when improvising a spell. In this case, the magical power has gone completely out of control, and the GM may have nearly anything occur as a result. While a Magical Mishap typically still has some effect vaguely related to its intended effects, it does not need to; a Magical Mishap has an inherent element of pure chaos to it as magical energies clash and twist, and might have nothing to do with the original intent of the improvised spell. A spell meant to grow a flower might cause a blizzard of flower petals, a spell meant to temporarily animate the statue of a pony might bring it to life as a fully living and breathing pony instead, and a spell meant to look into the past might even cause its Colt-aged spellcaster to temporarily revert into a Foal.

It is important to note that Magical Mishaps are rarely permanent, though the GM may override this rule if they feel it is necessary or appropriate to the setting, story, or situation.

Unicorn Pony Foals

Unicorn Pony Foals, like Pegasus Pony Foals, suffer diminished use of their racial abilities. However, as their racial ability of spellcasting and wielding magic is potentially the most overtly powerful one, the limitations they suffer as a Foal are the most restricting. During character creation, a Unicorn Pony who is a Blank Flank does not gain any free Magical Aspects or Spell Points. While they may spend experience points to learn them, a Unicorn Pony Foal who wants to begin using magic while they are a Blank Flank does not gain anything for free—they must work hard to develop their magic early. This early development may even include the purchase of the Prime Effect “Telekinesis” (which automatically grants the spell of the same name, at Level 1).

Regardless of any training they may undergo to develop their spellcasting abilities early, Unicorn Pony Foals who are Blank Flanks sometimes get surges of magical power as their abilities begin to awaken and develop. Until the character is no longer a Blank Flank, they follow the ‘Magic Surges’ rules below. Upon discovering their Special Purpose and developing their Cutie Mark, a Unicorn Pony gains full use of their abilities as normal, and no longer has these surges of magic power.

In addition, a Unicorn Pony gaining full use of their magic for the first time (as part of discovering their Special Purpose) typically has something strange and special happen to them. This might take the form of being magically dragged by their horn to a symbol of their Special Purpose, or being a conduit for magical power beyond their ability to harness. Whatever form it takes, a Unicorn Pony’s magic always does something special when it first fully awakens within them.

Magic Surges

Unicorn Pony Foals who are Blank Flanks make a single d20 roll at the beginning of each play session. If the roll result is between 1 and 10, their character plays as normal. However, if the roll result is between 11 and 20, the character’s player may choose one scene during the play session to have their character be considered to be undergoing a ‘Magic Surge’ for the duration of the scene. This Magical Surge can be invoked at any point during the scene, but only lasts until the end of the scene, and a character may only undergo one Magical Surge per play session. A Magical Surge does not have to be used, but an unused Magical Surge cannot be ‘saved’ from one play session to the next; it is lost at the end of the play session in which it is gained.

A Magical Surge is when a Unicorn Pony Foal’s developing magical abilities flare to life briefly. While undergoing a Magical Surge, a Unicorn Pony Foal may ‘improvise’ spells as if they knew every Magical Aspect (except for any Prime Effects which they do not already know, except for Telekinesis). They follow all the normal rules for improvising spells, as well as all the costs and dangers associated with doing so. Upon discovering their Special Purpose and developing their Cutie Mark, a Unicorn Pony Foal no longer undergoes Magical Surges.

King of the Hoard

Dragons are powerful, reptilian creatures whose inherent magic rivals any other race even in their youth; once they become adults, there are few beings anywhere who can contend with a Dragon. From limited spellcasting, to flight, to their different tails and other physical features, hardly any two Dragons are entirely alike—and this is reflected in their personalities as well as how they wield the potent magic they embody.

To reflect their wide variation and unique aspects, Dragons gain traits—some of which are pre-set, and some of which must be chosen—during character creation. Some of these traits are based on how old the Dragon is; for example, a Hatchling has not yet grown their wings. Some of these traits are based on the Dragon’s temperament, or lineage. But all of these traits help to form the core of a Dragon character. As a Dragon ages, they gain traits they become eligible for, such as a Hatchling who grows into a Drake gaining wings.

Universal Traits

The following three traits are ones which all Dragons, regardless of age, gain during character creation. Two of them are decisions which must be made, and cannot be altered once selected. These trait choices form the foundation of a Dragon’s style and unique existence, and are very personal to them.

Heritage

A Dragon must choose their Heritage, or what type of society they were hatched in and spent their formative early infancy in. This early rearing period has a profound impact on a Dragon, and instills them with a special ability. These Heritage choices are not necessarily literal, but may be thought of as archetypes.

A Dragon who hatched in an Equestrian society spent their early infancy in a loving, caring, nurturing environment. Because of this, they have the “heart of a pony,” so to speak, and have a strong tendency toward optimism and cooperation. Dragons with an Equestrian Heritage gain a pseudo-Special Purpose. They develop their ‘Special Purpose’ in the same way that a pony character does, but they receive a diminished effect due to not being a pony themselves. Rather than the standard ‘half-again the dice roll’ which a pony’s Special Purpose provides, a Dragon’s ‘Special Purpose’ provides only half the effect it would if it were a standard Special Purpose—effectively being ‘one-quarter-again the dice roll,’ so to speak.

A Dragon who hatched in a Draconic society spent their infancy in a harsh environment which required a constant struggle to survive in. Because of this, they learned the value of relentless willpower and ambition, and have a strong tendency toward suspicion and aggression. Dragons with a Draconic Heritage generally have a powerful will stemming from their tendency to be aggressive and combative. Whenever their Energy, Courage, or Fortitude attributes drop to zero, and they would normally become ‘sidelined,’ they may choose to immediately ‘burn’ a point of their Willpower. Doing so spends the point of Willpower, and restores one point to whichever attribute would have been reduced to zero, preventing the Dragon from becoming sidelined. This allows them to continue to face a difficult or dangerous situation for as long as their Willpower holds out.

Tail Type

A Dragon must choose the type of tail they have; all Dragons have a tail ending in some type of weapon or tool, though the exact type varies from Dragon to Dragon. Regardless of which type of tail is chosen, the Dragon may treat it as being an Appropriate Tool for the purpose of gaining a Tool bonus to any tasks attempted using the Dragon’s tail which are appropriate for its type. Tools, and Tool bonuses, are explained in detail later in this book. The three types of tails are: Club, a heavy bludgeon like a hammer or a mace, Spade, a shovel-head-like tip with a sharp edge, or Spikes, retractable piercing spines from the last length of the tail itself.

Immune to Fire

All Dragons are immune to heat, flame, and even lava which would be deadly to other races. The only exceptions to this rule are that a Dragon is not immune to a phoenix’s flame, the flame of another Dragon, or the magical flame of another mystical creature.

Fire Breath

Dragons may breathe fire whenever they wish, and may count their flame as an Appropriate Tool for the purpose of gaining a Tool bonus to any tasks attempted using the Dragon’s fire breath which are appropriate to its use. Tools, and Tool bonuses, are explained in detail later in this book.

Hatchling Traits

Even at a very young age, a Dragon has some level of power. Hatchlings and Drakes both gain the following traits during character creation.

Dragon Magic

Dragons have the ability to learn some small amount of magic and use it via their flame breath. This is not the same as a Unicorn Pony’s spellcasting ability, but allows Dragons to gain a little grasp of magic; enough to know a useful trick or two. Dragons do not begin play knowing any spells; any magic they wish to gain they must learn as they make their way in the world (at the GM’s discretion, this restriction may be waived).

A Dragon does not gain access to Magical Aspects the way that a Unicorn Pony does, and thus cannot ‘improvise’ spells the way they do; they are restricted entirely to set spells and so have very little flexibility. A Dragon may purchase spells with experience points in the same way that a Unicorn Pony does, with a few exceptions and limitations. First, they may only learn a spell which a Unicorn Pony character they are friends with (or who would teach them) already knows; a Dragon can be ‘taught’ spells in this way, but cannot research them and create them on their own the way a Unicorn Pony can. Second, a Dragon can only learn a spell they could reasonably utilize via their fire breath; the exact nature of how this is justified and manifested is subject to GM approval, and should be developed with the GM’s assistance. Finally, a Dragon cannot learn a spell with a Difficulty higher than their Mind score. Spells and magic are explained in more detail in the Unicorn Pony racial ability section.

A Dragon may only know a number of spells less than or equal to their Mind score; if they wish to learn a new spell, they can choose to ‘forget’ one they know, and replace it with the new spell, though doing so permanently removes their ability to use the replaced spell.

Thick Scales

Dragons have thick scales which can protect them from harm in the same way that armor protects the wearer from some types of injury. Whenever a Dragon rolls to resist harm from a physical injury which armor would help to protect against, they may treat their scales as being an Appropriate Tool for the purpose of gaining a Tool bonus to the resistance roll. Tools, and Tool bonuses, are explained in detail later in this book.

Drake Traits

As a Dragon ages, they gain more power and ability; upon reaching the Drake stage of growth, a Dragon gains access to the following traits; these may be gained during character creation, or upon growing up to the Drake stage.

Dragon Migration

Drakes grow a pair of leathery wings which allow them to fly in much the same way that Pegasus Ponies do. However, this is flight only; Dragons cannot manipulate clouds, produce weather effects, or do any of the other magical things Pegasus Ponies can do due to their wings. Dragons also do not gain the Flight Attributes which Pegasus Ponies gain; they are typically not as fast or graceful as a Pegasus Pony is when airborne.

Big, Bad Dragon

Drakes grow physically as they mature, becoming stronger, faster, and all around more physically powerful. Drakes automatically gain their choice of one of the following Talents: Strong, Tough, Fast, or Agile. If the Dragon already has all four of these, then this ability has no effect on them.

The Spark that Resides in the Heart of us all

After applying your character’s unique racial abilities, the next step of character creation is to decide upon their Guiding Element of Harmony. The Elements of Harmony are powerful magical artifacts in and of themselves, but they are the embodiments of deeper, philosophical ideals which make up the foundations of friendship. As such, the Elements of Harmony as artifacts can be thought of as simply being objects which channel the deep power of these virtues, whereas the true Elements of Harmony are the virtues themselves; virtues every friend has, to one degree or another.

While a good friend has some amount of each Element of Harmony within them, they also embody one Element more so than the others. For example, while Fluttershy is certainly generous and loyal, she most embodies the Element of Kindness; while Rainbow Dash is certainly fun-loving and honest, she most embodies the Element of Loyalty. This is the key to a character’s Guiding Element of Harmony; which of the six Elements of Harmony they embody the most. Every character has a Guiding Element of Harmony, and it informs many aspects of their personality.

Mechanically, a character’s Guiding Element of Harmony has fairly minimal impact on gameplay in its standard form, though it can certainly be the key for considerably important story elements (such as controlling the Elements of Harmony artifacts themselves) if your group’s story involves them. In its standard form, a character’s Guiding Element of Harmony performs two functions. First, embodying your character’s Guiding Element of Harmony in their roleplaying during a scene may help them recover lost Willpower. Second, your character’s Guiding Element of Harmony determines any additional effects they get from their ‘second wind,’ as well as any additional effects they grant to others when inspiring them to recover from being sidelined. All of these functions are explained in more detail in the individual entries for each Element of Harmony, or later in this section.

The Elements of Harmony

There are six Elements of Harmony, of which characters may choose one to be their Guiding Element of Harmony: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Magic. Each one embodies a number of philosophical concepts and ideals which can inform a character’s personality and outlook on life, helping them to make decisions and react appropriately to situations. However, it is important to note that a character’s Guiding Element of Harmony does not restrict their behavior in any way; as stated before, a character has aspects of each Element within them. Their specific Guiding Element of Harmony is simply the one which they best exemplify.

The Element of Kindness

The Element of Kindness is found in characters who have a deep compassion for others, and an acceptance of others for who they are. A kind character seeks not only to do no harm, but also to heal hurts in others, and nurture them. While they aren’t necessarily as generous, encouraging, or devoted as others might be, a character who embodies Kindness has a deep compassion and empathy for others which most do not. They are more aware of someone’s feelings and well-being, and how their actions—and the actions of others—might affect them. For this reason, a kind character tends to be reluctant to engage in confrontation and might try to stop it before it starts, but would be the first to make peace afterward and take care of those who were harmed.

When a character whose Guiding Element of Harmony is Kindness uses their ‘second wind’ to recover from being sidelined, or spends Willpower to inspire another character to recover from being sidelined, if they are restoring their own (or the other character’s) Fortitude, they restore an amount equal to the character’s Body or Heart score, whichever is higher. Becoming sidelined, as well as the methods of recovering from it, are explained in more detail later.

The Element of Laughter

The Element of Laughter is found in characters who are optimistic at their core, and seek to use their positivity and energetic good cheer to make the world a better place. A cheerful character tends to be upbeat and rarely discouraged or fearful; even when things are at their worst, they can find the silver lining in the dark clouds. While they can tend to be odd and appear to not take things seriously, this is often not the case; a cheerful character generally understands the gravity of a situation, but chooses to focus on the positive and fun aspects of it instead of dwelling on the grim and negative. For this reason, a cheerful character tends to be more apt to encourage others than to oppose them; they are more likely to throw a party to try to change someone’s attitude than to argue with them.

When a character whose Guiding Element of Harmony is Laughter uses their ‘second wind’ to recover from being sidelined, or spends Willpower to inspire another character to recover from being sidelined, if they are restoring their own (or the other character’s) Energy, they restore an amount equal to the character’s Mind or Body score, whichever is higher. Becoming sidelined, as well as the methods of recovering from it, are explained in more detail later.

The Element of Generosity

The Element of Generosity is found in characters who readily make sacrifices for others, giving of their time, effort, possessions, and even opportunity. While Generosity is similar to Kindness, it differs in that while a kind character might nurture someone by making sure that they get the medical care they need, a generous character would absolutely insist on taking care of the person themselves. It’s not enough for a generous character to make sure someone gets something nice or something they need; a generous character has a deep need to make, give, or deliver it themselves, personally. This can get them into trouble by causing them to try to take on too many responsibilities, but it is this theme of dedicated self-sacrifice which is the mark of a character who truly embodies the Element of Generosity.

When a character whose Guiding Element of Harmony is Generosity uses their ‘second wind’ to recover from being sidelined, or spends Willpower to inspire another character to recover from being sidelined, if they are restoring their own (or the other character’s) Fortitude, they restore an amount equal to the character’s Body or Heart score, whichever is higher. Becoming sidelined, as well as the methods of recovering from it, are explained in more detail later.

The Element of Honesty

The Element of Honesty is found in characters who focus on personal integrity, responsibility, and straightforward morality. An honest character is more than simply someone who doesn’t tell lies; they have an ‘honest heart,’ and try to be exceedingly dependable in all aspects of their life. An honest character usually has very strong self-discipline, and firm convictions in what they think is right or wrong; they rarely (if ever) lie or cheat, even with their enemies. To an honest character, a commitment they have made is a sacred duty; an oath or vow that they must fulfill at any cost. This can lead to an honest character being blind to the assistance others can offer, as they focus on their own personal responsibility and how important it is to their ‘honest heart’ that they make good on their promises. But it is this dependability and firm moral core of steadfast integrity which defines an honest character.

When a character whose Guiding Element of Harmony is Honesty uses their ‘second wind’ to recover from being sidelined, or spends Willpower to inspire another character to recover from being sidelined, if they are restoring their own (or the other character’s) Courage, they restore an amount equal to the character’s Mind or Heart score, whichever is higher. Becoming sidelined, as well as the methods of recovering from it, are explained in more detail later.

The Element of Loyalty

The Element of Loyalty is found in characters who place immense value on those who they consider important, and choose those friends over others—and even themselves. A loyal character desires value and acceptance from their friends, and regularly does things in service to their friends which they do not—or cannot—do in service to others. While a loyal character shows aspects of the other Elements in the things they do, they usually show them more when serving their friends; while they might help others and reap the glory for themselves, when helping friends they are likely to do so even to their own detriment. This is the difference between a loyal character and anyone else: a loyal character will push themselves far beyond the lengths they would normally go to when they do so out of loyalty to their friends.

When a character whose Guiding Element of Harmony is Loyalty uses their ‘second wind’ to recover from being sidelined, or spends Willpower to inspire another character to recover from being sidelined, if they are restoring their own (or the other character’s) Courage, they restore an amount equal to the character’s Mind or Heart score, whichever is higher. Becoming sidelined, as well as the methods of recovering from it, are explained in more detail later.

The Element of Magic

The Element of Magic is found in characters who approach the world with an outlook of faith and wonder, and strive to see what makes things special. A wondrous character focuses on the unique and the important, looking for what makes each pony, each situation, each experience, ‘magical.’ Often, a wondrous character tends to have an innocent, even naive, outlook on life; they have an optimism which is similar to (but more restrained than) a cheerful character’s. A wondrous character approaches situations with a unifying faith in the world around them and their friends, and more often than not, it is they who more readily see the ‘magic’ of friendship for what it truly is.

When a character whose Guiding Element of Harmony is Magic uses their ‘second wind’ to recover from being sidelined, or spends Willpower to inspire another character to recover from being sidelined, if they are restoring their own (or the other character’s) Energy, they restore an amount equal to the character’s Mind or Body score, whichever is higher. Becoming sidelined, as well as the methods of recovering from it, are explained in more detail later.

The Power of Harmony

In addition to informing a character’s behavior and giving them an edge in recovery, a character’s Guiding Element of Harmony is the primary method they have of recovering lost Willpower over time. While every character regains all of their lost Willpower at the conclusion of an Episode, it is by acting in accordance with their Guiding Element of Harmony that they can recover lost Willpower sooner, albeit at a slower pace.

At the end of each scene in which the GM and the player agree that the player’s character acted in accordance with their Guiding Element of Harmony (albeit in their own way), that character regains one point of lost Willpower. This ‘one at a time’ rate of restoration can be slow or fast depending on the pace of the game, and characters who often use Willpower to push themselves are likely to find that they still run low. However, this way of restoring Willpower ensures that characters who are roleplayed well can always push themselves that extra mile when they really need to.

A Big Old Storm of Chaos

The other side of positive character aspects like the Elements of Harmony is that many characters also have flaws. Flaws are entirely optional; a character is not required to have any, and players and the GM should work together to decide if they are appropriate to use for the group’s setting or story. Flaws can give a story flavor, giving characters something to overcome within themselves; but they can also be dangerous, as flaws affect a character’s mechanics and make it harder for them to achieve victory in the situations they apply to. On the other hand, flaws may award characters additional experience points, making the game progress a bit more quickly. All in all, taking a flaw is always risky, and should not be done casually.

Flaws, Fears, Faults, and Failings

In this section are ten pre-made flaws which players may work with their GM to adapt to their characters. These pre-made flaws are not the only options for flaws; a player who has an idea for a flaw may work with their GM to create one of their own. However, the following pre-made flaws should serve as guides and examples for how to create a flaw; a flaw should impact, but not cripple, some mechanical or conceptual aspect of a character. Flaws should apply in a certain general type of situation; remember that a flaw is not specific to a single scene or encounter, but rather is something a character might have to struggle with themselves over regularly.

Fraidy-Pony

Your character is timid and more than a little skittish; they do not handle fear and intimidation well. Whenever your character loses points of Courage, they lose an additional point.

Plum Tuckered

Your character tires out more easily than others and is simply not built for handling hard work. Whenever your character loses points of Energy, they lose an additional point.

Delicate

Your character does not deal with pain or injury well, and can be more easily hurt than others. Whenever your character loses points of Fortitude, they lose an additional point.

Shy

Your character has a hard time with social interactions, being shy and nervous around others. When your character makes a roll involving their Heart attribute for the purpose of social interaction, they don't apply their Heart attribute score as a bonus to the roll.

Clumsy

Your character is uncoordinated and is not suited to acrobatic or athletic pursuits. When your character makes a roll involving their Body attribute for the purpose of feats of acrobatics or athletics, they don't apply their Body attribute score as a bonus to the roll.

Dense

Your character isn’t as well-educated as others, and has trouble applying themselves to academic and scholarly tasks. When your character makes a roll involving their Mind attribute for the purpose of academic study or application, they don't apply their Mind attribute score as a bonus to the roll.

Intense Phobia

Your character is intensely afraid of something, and can’t stand being near it for long. Work with your GM to decide on an appropriate focus for your character’s phobia. When your character is in the presence of the focus of their phobia, they must make a Courage check each round; each time they fail this check, they lose one point of Courage.

DO NOT FEAR US

Due to some aspect of your character, whether it be their heritage, past actions, or even rumors and gossip about them, most characters distrust your character and react fearfully to them in some way, until they get to know them.

You Are So Random

Due to your character’s reputation for being unreliable, odd, or even just random, most characters don't take your character seriously until they get to know them.

Low Society

Due to your character’s social standing, most higher-class characters tend to treat your character with disdain until they get to know them.

Never Lose Faith in Your Friends

The primary benefit of taking a flaw (or a few) is that flaws can help a character earn extra experience points. At the end of each Episode in which a character suffered meaningful difficulty or hardship as a result of one (or more) of their flaws, the character gains one experience point. This must be more than a simple ‘speed bump’ of inconvenience; a character must be considerably hindered by a flaw for it to grant the bonus experience point.

For example, a character with the Fraidy Pony flaw probably wouldn’t earn extra experience by losing one extra point of Courage, but they probably would if they suffered a few extra points lost, which led to their becoming sidelined during an important scene. A character with the Low Society flaw wouldn’t gain extra experience by being looked down upon by high society ponies visiting their town, but might if they had to work much harder at convincing those high society ponies to trust them about an important matter.

Multiple flaws do not grant multiple bonus experience points; a character can only gain one experience point per Episode through their flaws. The main benefit of having multiple flaws, then, is that it gives a character a higher chance of encountering a situation in which one of their flaws might apply. Of course, it is also dangerous for characters to have too many flaws, as a character who is hindered by one flaw, and another who is hindered by five flaws, both only earn one bonus experience point for the Episode.

Chic, Unique, and Magnifique

With the mechanical aspects of character creation finished, all that remains is to flesh out your character in terms of their unique style and aspects of their life and history. The following sections will guide you through key elements of these ‘flavor’ parts of development, meshing your character’s concept with their reality, and reminding you of certain aspects to make sure they are not overlooked. First is the character’s physical appearance, style, and mannerisms.

Short Tails are ‘in’ this Season

A character’s body type and physical features are important, as it denotes how they move, stand, and present themselves—as well as how others react to them. For example, a stout workhorse and a tall majestic stallion might have the same mechanical aspects, but might be roleplayed differently. A simple and plain filly and one with very elegant features might be treated differently by others. And a chubby dragon, versus one with more sleek, angular features might present themselves entirely differently. A character should at least have a well-defined body type, coat color, eye color, and mane/tail style and color. Additional features provide more information and are always helpful, but these are the essential features to define.

The Rainbow Wig Just Kills it for Me

In addition to physical features is a character’s style of dress and any accessories they may have. From a fancy gala dress to worn work duds, from a hoof-stitched Nightmare Night costume to the shining golden armor of the Canterlot Royal Guard, a character’s style of dress (or lack thereof) can influence them considerably. When considering you character’s style of dress, think about if they would change outfits often, or stick to a standard one. Do they prefer frills and frippery, or plain and practical? Often, a character’s style can inform much of how they act.

THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE

Just as important as how a character looks and dresses, is how they speak and interact with others. This is not just their tone of voice, but also the language and vocabulary they use, and their level of formality. A character who speaks plainly on the farm and in a royal court might find that the two societies react differently. A character who uses a complex vocabulary among scholars and among construction ponies might find themselves misunderstood. Does your character talk real plain-like? Or do they utilize an alternate and more elegant lexicon? Do they use crazy-wazy made-up words? Or are they more radical and awesome when they talk? Um… are they soft-spoken? OR DO THEY USE THE TRADITIONAL ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE? As the saying goes, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

Mine!

Personal possessions and assets can be tricky to define for a character. On the one hand, having more things can help a character from time to time, whereas having less gives them less to work with. But it is important to note that most characters only have a few things which are important to them, and that a character’s personal possessions can often be simplified instead of being extensively catalogued. During character creation, it is important to work with your GM as well as your fellow players to determine what is fair for each character to have.

This is Smartypants

First is personal items; these are things generally carried on, or with, the character. For example, a hat, or a toolbelt, would be examples of a personal item, whereas a carpentry shop would not. This can include items which a character may retrieve easily, such as an old stuffed doll, or a sewing kit. In general, anything which the character is carrying with them, or may carry with them easily, is a personal item.

Go Gummy, it’s Your Birthday

Pets, animal companions, and number one assistants, are generally not granted in this section. Because they represent a potentially important asset which can make accomplishing tasks and overcoming challenges easier, they are gained by spending experience points to purchase character advancements for each type. However, there is one exception. Animals such as barnyard animals, which are not necessarily domesticated pets or companions, can be granted in this section, as they are not much of a mechanical advantage.

Welcome to Carousel Boutique

Structures such as homes and businesses can be important to a character’s concept; a character who makes and sells dresses needs a shop in which to make and sell those dresses, and a librarian needs a library. Even vehicles, such as wagons, chariots, and hot-air balloons, can fall into this type of holding. Perhaps your character lives in a covered wagon which can unfold into an impromptu shop, or has a stately mansion in addition to their bustling retail business. While it is important to keep things fair and agreeable to everyone at the table, these types of assets are important.

We take Cash or Credit

Unlike in many traditional roleplaying games, money and wealth are much less important in My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic. Rather than keep track of exactly how many Bits a character has, it is better to come up with a general level of wealth they possess. For example, instead of listing ‘1254 Bits,’ it is generally better to define a character’s wealth as something like ‘rich enough to buy wagons and supplies, but not mansions.’ However, if your group’s setting or story demands more precise accounting, listing Bits and gems may be more appropriate.

The Story of My Whole Entire Life…

A character’s backstory and outlook are important to have developed, but it is also important to leave some ‘wiggle room’ to adapt to the story as it develops. At its most basic level, this can mean to try to avoid absolute intolerance or hatred; a character who hates and always attacks Earth Ponies, for example, is far too inflexible. However, a character who dislikes them—but can still tolerate them—is much more viable. No character emerges from character creation fully formed; every character changes over time as experiences and their own decisions affect them.

Above its most basic level, however, it is important to keep a character’s backstory from being too rigid. It can be fun, for example, for a GM to work with a player to introduce a character who is a ‘cousin’ or ‘old friend.’ So, rather than listing in detail every event of a character’s life up until the present day, it is better to give more broad overviews and general summaries, and fill in details as the game goes on. Good roleplaying develops a character both forward and backward.

…Up Until Today

What is your character doing now, at the time the story starts? It is best to work with the GM and your fellow players to decide upon the situation of the characters at the time the game begins. Sometimes, a story involves something happening which disrupts the everyday life of the characters; whereas other times, it involves a character beginning the inciting conflict themselves. Regardless, it is good not just to know where your character has come from with their backstory, but also where they are now as the game begins.

Not just another Jane Doe

The final step of character creation is to spend the experience points your character is entitled to as part of character creation, to purchase character advancements. These initial character advancements serve to give your character their first truly freely-chosen and unique improvements; almost no two characters are ever alike after these experience points are spent to develop them. Character advancements are explained in more detail later.

These experience points do not disappear at the end of character creation; any which are not spent stay with the character. However, experience points on their own do not do much, and by default, character advancements must be purchased before or after a game session, not in the middle of one. Thus, it is best to spend these experience points during character creation, instead of saving them. More often than not, characters end up with ‘leftover’ experience anyway.