Players can choose to give their characters Challenges, aspects of themselves that make life in Oshtigwanegon flavorful and complicated. Some Challenges are very mundane, such as being in debt, but they can also encompass the problems unique to unnatural creatures.

Challenges are the things that a character must struggle against when trying to uphold the norms of society and live a regular life in a very irregular world. They do not represent all of the problems that a character could have; rather, they are specifically those that the player wants to explore as part of that character’s story. Challenges can change as the seasons go on—new ones can be added and old ones can be removed as the Challenge is resolved or no longer a difficulty in the character’s story. Challenges intrinsically have drawbacks, but may come with perks as well—this represents the character’s strength through adversity or the way that their sacrifices have gained them new benefits. In general, the greater the potential gain from a Challenge, the greater its drawback.

Characters can have zero, one, or two Challenges at character creation. Additionally, you do not select from a list of prewritten Challenges. Instead, you will submit a description of the Challenge in no more than 4 sentences and the Storytellers will build a personalized Challenge for the character in cooperation with you (mechanics and all). Note that Challenges should be tailored to fit your character’s personal situation, that is, they should represent some aspect of your character not covered by other mechanics. The one exception to this are the Creature Challenges; please see that section below.

List of Example Challenges

The following is a list of examples Challenges that the Storytellers might generate for your character, with the request a player might have written followed by the specific mechanics that the STs would generate in response.

“Teenager” Request

"My character is still a minor, but mature enough to really feel the constraints of her age. She lives with parents or guardians, must attend school, have some sort of curfew, and are reliant on others for spending money (which totally sucks). Adults don’t take her as seriously as she would like."

Teenager Mechanics

Your character has a -3 to social draws where she should be taken seriously, or where she is trying to take command of a situation involving adults.

“Old” Request

"My character has lived a long and full life, and he takes things a little slower these days. He may not be as strong, as quick to react, or as mentally sharp as he used to be. While he might have other things going for him, such as his wealth of experiences and memories or his standing in Oshtigwanegon as an elder."

Old Mechanics

Your character’s Composure is considered two higher when defending against Social draws that attack or infringe upon his standing as an elder, but he takes a -2 penalty to all Athletics draws and treats his Stamina as one lower when calculating her Health boxes.

Additionally, here are some further Challenge mechanics to show the scope and scale of Challenge mechanics you will receive.

Addict Mechanics

When your character is presented with an opportunity to fulfill his addiction, he must draw Resolve + Composure. If he fails, then he must indulge in the addiction.

Overworked Mechanics

Once per season, the Storytellers will inform you that your character has to work “extra shifts” during the next between game downtime. For your character to do any actions during that time, you must select “Burn Down Your Life” when submitting a Downtime.

More Examples Challenge Titles: Veteran, Cursed, Uneducated, Pushy, Non-Christian, Ex-Con, Lonely, Transplant, Dependants, Debtor, Momma’s Boy, or Gay

Creature Challenge

Creature challenges represent the aspect of a character as part of the established supernatural creatures in the world. There are four main creature types, which are described here. Each of the Creature Challenges functions like a normal Challenge, but has a second requirement. Since these are meant to represent supernatural communities, common folklore, and a shared mystical background, each Creature Challenge also comes with a list of Required, Recommended, and Banned Advantages. The Required and Banned Advantages are so that each of the groups have common set of powers and stay true to their previously established story, while the Recommended Advantages exist as a Character Building tool for players who are pitching characters with one of the Creature Challenges.

Witch

Full Witches are innately able to sacrifice themselves for more power. They can inflict Lethal Damage on themselves, spending their Health Boxes as if they were Willpower boxes. They still must follow the usual limitations on using Willpower. Witches also start with access to a number of Rituals, which are determined after their character has been approved. These rituals are often communally shared between multiple Witches. All Witches have also sold or mortgaged their soul to the Devil, which comes with a variety of social problems should their true nature and source of their power ever be discovered. It also comes with a free “friend:” the Devil. Because of their pact, Witches have a -3 to any contested Social Draws they make with the Devil.

Required Advantages:

  • Touched by the Devil
  • Ritual Magic (••••)

Recommended Advantages:

  • Automatic Writing
  • Medium
  • Clairvoyance
  • Psychokinesis
  • Psychometry
  • Telekinesis
  • Agonize
  • Ride Corpse
  • Tempest
  • Bestial Tongue
  • Mentor
  • Numbing Touch

Banned Advantages:

  • Holy Strike
  • Exorcism
  • Warding and Lay on Hands must use Local Lore instead of Religion

Werewolf

Werewolves are apex Shapeshifters, and as such have +2 Special Ability Choices for their Strange Form. The Werewolf state is one that is often a curse though, with uncontrollable shape shifting at times. If the Werewolf is ever threatened, or during the night of a full moon, they must draw Resolve + Composure to resist slipping into their beastial skin. Different circumstances might make this draw more difficult, and the STs will inform the Werewolf of that when it comes up. In addition, silver and wolfsbane are quite poisonous to the Werewolf. Wielding them as weapons against the creature imparts +1 Damage, and converts any Bruising damage the attack would otherwise deal into Lethal damage.

Required Advantages:

  • Strange Form (•••••)
  • Acute Sense
  • Hunter

Recommended Advantages:

  • Hardy
  • Iron Stamina
  • Relentless
  • Iron Skin
  • Crushing Blow
  • Unholy Gift (Any Physical Attribute)
  • Terrify
  • Giant
  • Fortitude
  • Dread Attack
  • Beastial Tongue
  • Strong Stomach

Banned Advantages:

  • Agonize
  • Psychokinesis
  • Telekinesis
  • Tempest

Vampire

Vampires are the wondrous and ageless dead, and can heal themselves by their own force of will alone. They can spend Willpower to heal their Health Boxes, at a rate of 1 Willpower to Heal 1 Lethal Damage or 2 Bruising Damage. In addition, they don’t need to breathe, eat, or sleep. They can still do those things, of course, and many of them keep doing so even after death purely out of habit. Vampires do not gain any sustenance from eating or benefit from sleeping though, and must use their Drain Advantage to maintain their state. Vampires also have a number of weaknesses, the most famous of which is a stake to the heart. This stake should preferably be rosewood or ash, but any natural wood will do. If it is successfully pounded through the ribcage and fully into the Vampire’s heart, they will die permanently. Usually this requires the vampire to be restrained in some way first. Stakes are not the only way to kill a Vampire, as they can still die from the Wounded Condition as normal if they receive it—although it does tend to be much harder to give them that condition in the first place. Fire also serves as a bane to them, with damage from Fire ignoring their Fortitude Advantage and always dealing Lethal Damage no matter the size of the flame. Additionally, any Vampire in Sunlight suffers a -3 penalty to all Draws.

Required Advantages:

  • Drain (Must involve Blood)
  • Fortitude (•••)
  • Strong Stomach

Recommended Advantages:

  • Helper
  • Iron Stamina
  • Numbing Touch
  • Iron Skin
  • Hypnotism
  • Impress
  • Lurker in Darkness
  • Revelation
  • Unholy Gift
  • Acute Sense
  • Ride Corpse
  • Eye for Desire
  • Dread Attack

Banned Advantages:

  • Holy Strike
  • Lay on Hands
  • Exorcism
  • Warding
  • Telekinesis
  • Psychokinesis
  • Tempest

Demonblooded

Demonblooded are very social creatures, and have a knack for making themselves the center of attention. As such, they do not suffer the usual penalties to their Social draws when interacting with a crowd. In addition, Demonblooded gain double the usual benefits from taking a Teamwork action, but only if they themselves are the primary actor. Demonblooded are not mystically repelled or repulsed by holy objects or symbols, but touching those things burns their flesh. If they are wielded as weapons against the creature any Bruising damage the attack would usually deal is converted into Lethal damage. Finally, each Demonblooded bears a physical mark somewhere on their body, showing to those in the know that they carry the Devil within their veins. This is most often a distinctive red birthmark on the hands, chest, or back.

Required Advantages:

  • Touched by the Devil
  • Striking Looks (•+)
  • At least one of: Impress, Eye for Desire, Orator

Recommended Advantages:

  • Fame
  • Hypnotism
  • Impress
  • Eye for Desire
  • Orator
  • Fortitude
  • Terrify
  • Revelation
  • Psychokinesis (Pyro)
  • Unholy Gift (Any Social Attribute)

Banned Advantages:

None, but certain Advantages involving Religion might have extra risks involved (see above)

Custom Creature Challenges

Some characters might be more unique creatures, and that part of themselves might be represented as a challenge as well. Players can submit a request for a Custom Creature Challenge using the same method that they would use to submit any other Challenge request. Custom Creature Challenges don’t come with required, recommended, or banned advantages because they do not represent a broader group within the world of Ask Again Later.

Siren Example

Your character receives double the bonus one gets for spending Willpower on draws involving singing, seduction, or swimming. She must also be loudly singing or screeching to use her Unnatural Advantages. When presented with an opportunity to drown someone, your character must succeed on a Resolve + Composure draw not to at least attempt it.