Ways To Play

This page contains suggestions for different approaches you could take in creating a character for Fourth Place, according to the aspects of the game that seem most interesting to you. Please treat the list below as a source of inspiration, rather than a prescriptive guide. Consult the Style and Tone page for more detail on the game's major themes.

A core theme of Fourth Place involves addressing humanity's legacy, including their creation of the four Kingdoms. Your character might feel indebted to humanity for granting their Kingdom sapience, or angry at them for stranding them in the wasteland. If you want to focus on this aspect of the game, you could consider:

• Playing a character more constrained by their nature, such as a Myconid with Rampant, or a Smartie.
• Worshipping humanity and its ruins, by associating with Hominism, or perhaps playing a character with Expertise in human history and language.
• Hating humanity for its mistakes, by associating with the Misanthropists.

Many characters and Organisations in Fourth Place may choose to look to the future instead, taking on their own goals and purposes. Your character might seek to rebuild society, or create something entirely new. They might have more personal ends that they selfishly pursue at the expense of others. They might simply try to protect those around them from the dangers of the wasteland. If you want to focus on this aspect of the game, you could consider:

• Playing a character capable of readily modifying itself, such as an Emulated, a Triffid, or a Myconid with Adumbriant.
• Taking self-improvement as your purpose, and associating with the Ascensionists.
• Aiming to rebuild human society, and associating with the Inheritors; or seeking to find a new path, and associating with the Feralists.

Most of the survivors in the wasteland of Fourth Place rely day-to-day on their communities. They find stability and security through co-operation. Some characters will seek to contribute positively to the growing community in the Fourth Place, while others will want to co-opt it for their own ends, or else to ignore it entirely. Some will seek unity amongst the different Organisations, while others will embrace factionalism and politics. If you want to focus on this aspect of the game, you could consider:

• Taking Kingdom Quirks related to communication and leadership, like Symbioticised for the Triffids, Superstructure and Shattermarked for the Myconids, or Pack Animal for the Smarties.
• Acting as a unifying force (or playing both sides) by associating with multiple Organisations: for example, you might play a member of the Ascensionist commune with a strong belief in Hominism.
• Seeking to control or help to distribute resources, by taking Kingdom Quirks such as Socket for The Emulated or Harvest for the Triffids.

A significant part of the intended gameplay experience of Fourth Place is exploring deep into the titular Fourth Place, in search of knowledge and resources. Not every character needs to engage with this fully, but most of the Kingdom Quirks (particularly those not mentioned above) are designed to provide tools to help with exploring the ruins. If you are particularly interested in this aspect of the game, you could consider:

• Taking the Weird Root Playstyle Quirk, if you are comfortable with perception-altering effects.
• Playing an especially insightful or perceptive character, by taking Kingdom Quirks such as Inhuman Sensors for The Emulated, Extrasensory for the Myconids, Heightened Senses for the Smarties, or Worldsense for the Triffids.
• Playing an especially mobile or dextrous character, or a character adapted to a specific kind of terrain, by taking Kingdom Quirks such as Ranger or Flight for The Emulated, any of the first four Kingdom Quirks for the Smarties, or Reacher for the Triffids.
• Playing a character with unique skills that could help to clear obstacles in the Fourth Place, by taking Kingdom Quirks such as Hardware Interface or Industrial Strength for The Emulated, Sharpened Fangs for the Smarties, Corrosion for the Triffids, or Expertise for any of the Kingdoms.
• Playing an especially hardy or durable character, capable of resisting and forging through the hazards of the Fourth Place, by taking Kingdom Quirks such as Ignifuge for the Myconids, or Hardy or Natural Veil for the Triffids.