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Candela Obscura Player Tutorial

A guide to quickly familiarize yourself with Candela Obscura on Alchemy

Updated over 2 weeks ago

To return to this, or ANY Player/GM tutorial, you can find it within the settings cog at the bottom of the screen while in a game.

Character Creation Basics

  1. Choose a Role and Specialty: Select the appropriate character sheet by either selecting a Premade or clicking the dropdown and selecting a Role/Specialty

    1. Each character sheet will come with some Action Ratings and Drives prefilled in.

  2. Determine Action Ratings: Choose an action with 0 points and raise it to 1. Then distribute 3 Action points however you'd like. No Action can start above 2 at character creation.

  3. Determine Drives: Spend 6 points however you'd like. No Drive can start above 6 at character creation.

    1. In order to change your Drives you'll need to switch to the Mechanics tab and find the corresponding Drive tracker.

    2. The top, vertical, rectangles are represented by the Current Point Value and the bottom squares are represented by the Maximum Value within a Drive's tracker.

    3. All your Drive's Current and Max values should be equal at character creation. (the example below is just meant to show the corresponding values with their matching visual indicator)

    4. You can also change your current Drives you have under the Ratings panel while in-game (see Using Drives and Resistances below)

  4. Determine Resistances: When you fill a block of Drives (3), mark a Resistance.

    1. To mark a Resistance in a specific Drive you'll need to switch to the Mechanics tab and find the corresponding Resistance tracker.

    2. You can also change your current Resistances you have under the Ratings panel while in-game (see Using Drives and Resistances below)

  5. Gild Actions: Guild an additional action of your choice by clicking the diamond pip to the left of the Action. A gold pip represents a Guilded Action.

  6. Choose Abilities: Select one ability from your role and one from your specialty found in the Abilities tab.

  7. Add Character Details: Write your catalyst (why you joined Candela Obscura) and question (the answer you're hoping to uncover during your investigations). Record your name, pronouns, and style.

  8. Form Relationships: Share your character's details with the table. Then choose relationships and use the questions in the dropdown to facilitate conversation between players.


Circle Creation Basics

Your GM will share out a Circle Sheet "NPC" at the start of the game to facilitate the creation of a group Circle. This sheet should be accessible by any of the Circle members and the Gm at any time.

  1. Answer Circle Questions: Choose and answer circle questions (you can find the questions or roll them using the Answer Circle Questions Action found under your Actions panel.) Then ask any further clarifying questions to create your circle's backstory.

    1. The answer to this question and any further Circle Backstory can either be placed in your character sheet's Notes section, or on the Circle Sheet in the Chapter House section.

  2. Name Your Circle: Use a common theme you discovered together during character creation.

    1. For Example - the Circle of Quiet Commons, the Circle of Vim & Vigor, the Circle of Squares.

  3. Choose a Chapter House Location: You may place it in one of the districts of Newfaire or across the many regions of the Fairelands.

    1. For Example - our chapter house is located in the hidden cellar of Old Holt's Farmacy in Auriel, Tottergrass.

  4. Choose Circle Abilities: Select one ability at circle creation. A gold pip represents a selected Ability.

  5. Assign Resource Points: In each resource (Stitch, Refresh, and Train), assign a number of points equal to 1 plus the number of circle members.

    1. In order to change your Resources you'll need to switch to the Mechanics tab and find the corresponding Resource tracker.

    2. The top, vertical, rectangles are represented by the Current Point Value and the bottom squares are represented by the Maximum Value within a Resource's tracker.

    3. All your Resource's Current and Max values should be equal at Circle creation.

    The example below shows the Resources of a Circle with 4 members

Navigating the Alchemy UI

Panels

  • Ratings: Where you'll make your rolls and use assets like Drive and Resistances

  • Actions: Where you'll find the Answer Circle Questions Action by default and where you can create any sort of custom Action you'd like

  • Gear: Where you'll be able to say what Gear you bring along on your assignment

  • Journal: Where your Rolls, Actions will show or any in-game text chat will be shown

  • Notes: Where you can keep personal notes about the goings-on within your game

  • Trackers: Where you will keep track of your BODY, BRAIN, and BLEED

  • Handouts: Where you will find any Handouts your GM has shared with you

  • Circle: Where you can see who in your Circle is online, offline or is your GM

  • NPC: Where you will find your Circle Sheet and any NPCs your GM has shared with you.

Making an Action Roll

Whether it be a Nerve, Cunning or Intuition roll, all rolls are made the same way.

  1. Left Click the Action you'd like to roll; it will highlight green

    1. The diamond on the left shows whether or not the Action is Guilded

    2. The pips on the right show the number of dice in the Pool being rolled

  2. Left Click to add any EXTRA Standard or Guilded Dice to the roll using the dice tray that has popped up on the bottom center of your screen.

  3. Once you are satisfied with the amount of dice added to the roll, click the central "roll" icon.

Using Drives and Resistances

Maximum Drives (squares) and Resistances (Triangles) are shown within their button.

  • Empty squares represent used Drives

  • Empty triangles represent non-available Resistances

  • Filled shapes represent still available Drives and Resistances

By left clicking a Drive or Resistance button in the Ratings panel of the UI, you'll be given a Tracker popup to Adjust the amount of Drives you would like to use or gain.

These are purely to track the amount of Drives and Resistances you have at any point. It is up to you to use the Dice Tray popup (stated in step 2 above) to add the appropriate amount of dice to your roll for any reason.

To change the amount of Maximum Drives you have, check Step 3 of Character Creation Basics above.

Bringing Gear Along On Your Adventure

Under your Gear panel, you'll see a list of available options to all Investigators and your Specialty Gear. To choose which Gear you've brought along with you on your Assignment, simply click the small Circle to the right of the Gear you choose.

  • You're always free to add any more custom Gear to this list by clicking the Add Item button and creating or choosing more Gear.

Taking Marks (tracking health)

Under the Trackers panel you will find your BODY, BRAIN and BLEED trackers.

  • Once you gain three Marks in any of these, follow the rules for adding a Scar to your character, and place that information at the bottom of the Abilities tab within your character sheet.

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