I've recently been browsing through my copy of 13th Age (it finally arrived, hooray!) If I'm very, very lucky, I'll get a chance to play it on Saturday evening, assuming that anyone is brave enough to play it with me.

My general method of learning any new RPG is to create a character for the system. Then I read the rules governing how it works. So, here's the first character I've created for 13th Age. It's based somewhat on my old Amber character, but it's by no means identical.

Taliesin
Human Bard 1
Str 10 Dex 14 Con 10 Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 18

Initiative +3
HP 21, Recoveries: 8; Recovery Dice: 1d8
AC 13; Defenses: Physical 10, Mental 13

Longsword +3 vs AC, 1d8+2 damage, miss: 1 damage
Dagger +3 vs AC, 1d4+2 damage

ONE UNIQUE THING
Taliesin lost a bet with a mage, who cursed him to never be able to settle down in one place for too long.

BACKGROUNDS:
City-dweller +3
Forest-dweller +3
Wandering Minstrel +2

RELATIONSHIPS
High Druid (ambiguous/positive 2)
Prince of Shadows (ambiguous/conflicted 1)

RACIAL POWERS:
Quick to Fight (Roll initiative twice at start of battle and choose result)

BATTLE CRIES (all flexible melee attacks)
Move It! (natural even roll) One of your unengaged allies can move as a free action OR an engaged ally can make a disengage check as a free action
Pull it Together! (natural roll 11+; use only twice/battle) One nearby ally can heal using a recovery + 1d4 hp

SPELLS & SONGS
Battle Chant (ranged; one enemy; at-will; may use battle cry effect with this spell)
+5 vs MD, 1d4+4 thunder damage

Charm Person (ranged; daily; one nearby creature with <=40 hp; cannot be cast in combat)
+5 vs MD. Hit: Target believes you are its friend until your or friends take hostile actions; Miss: not detectable unless you miss by 4+or roll a natural 1.

Scorching Ray (ranged; at-will; one nearby enemy)
+5 vs PD, 1d6+4 fire damage, and if an even roll, also 1d8 ongoing fire damage

Song of Heroes (recharge 11+ after battle, quick action each turn; 11+ to sustain)
You and nearby allies gain a +1 attack bonus until the start of your next turn.
Final Verse: The effect ends immediately, but one ally gains a +2 on their next attack roll.

TALENTS:
Jack of Spells (Gain one spell from any class)
Spellslinger (choose additional bardic song or spell at highest level you know)
Storyteller (allows allies to reroll relationship dice)

FEATS:
Precise Shot (no chance of hitting ally in melee with ranged attack)
Pull it Together (adventurer upgrade, included)

EQUIPMENT
Longsword
4 Daggers
Leather Armour
Clothing
Purse with 25 gp

A few notes…

• Instead of REF, WILL and FORT we get Mental Defense and Physical Defence
• Backgrounds instead of skills; they're broader and more descriptive in nature.
• Bard Battle-cries are additional effects that trigger with melee attacks – if your natural number on the attack roll matches a trigger, you can trigger ONE matching effect.
• Sustain songs require the action each turn and a successful roll to sustain it; if you fail you lose the action and get the Final Verse effect. If you choose not to roll, you don't lose an action and get the Final Verse effect. Some songs have different initiative/sustain/final verse effects.
• Relationships indicate your links with the Powers of the world. You roll dice at the beginning of each session to see if the relationships will hinder or aid you in the session.

Taliesin will likely never see play (all my foreseeable sessions of 13th Age involve me as the GM), but he looks fun to play. I'd probably modify one or two things. I see him as being one of those characters who knows something about everything and is comfortable everywhere, but the curse makes him a wanderer. He's one of those characters that the GM can happily use to drive the plot. I *hate* playing characters that would rather stay at home. I hate DMing them even more!