Character Creation
Creating a character is broken down into steps.
STEP 1: DESCRIPTION
Write up a description of your character's physical appearance. Are they tall, short, or average? Muscular, skinny, or average? Do they wear armor or every-day clothing? Do they have any weird features like a third eye, horns, or a tail? Try to keep your character's appearance sensible within the narrative you're going to play. For example, you may not be able to play a robot in a high fantasy world with no technology and it is impractical for you to go on adventures if you're bigger than a skyscraper or smaller than a pencil.
STEP 2: PERSONALITY
Label your character's role from a narrative perspective. This can be something like "comedic relief," "fearless leader," "lovable jerk," "dark mysterious one," or even an anime trope like "tsundere," "cool rival," or "darudere" and whatnot. Then, write up a short description of your character's personality and mannerisms. Do they talk a lot? Are they always eating or telling jokes? Do they prefer to be quiet or loud? Are they friendly or mean? When nothing in particular is going on, what are they usually up to?
STEP 3: ATTRIBUTES
You begin with an array of modifiers: 2, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0. Assign each of these to one of your attributes.
STEP 4: ORIGIN
Choose your character's origin: alien, android, cyborg, human, or mutant. All origins listed here are of roughly the size, weight, and physical and mental capacity of a normal human adult unless noted otherwise by your stats.
STEP 5: BACKGROUND
Choose your character's occupation. It can also describe what they do to contribute to their adventuring troop as a whole. Examples include:
- Agriculturalist (farmer, colonizer, rancher, terraformer, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Con or Str
- Cleric (priest, reverend, shaman, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Cha or Con
- Creative (actor, artist, dancer, musician, performer, etc.) +1 Cha, +1 Wis or Dex
- Criminal (con artist, fence, gambler, scammer, scoundrel, smuggler, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Cha or Int
- Domestic (cook, maid, waiter, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Con or Cha
- Emissary (ambassador, celebrity, diplomat, leader, politician, PR representative, etc.) +1 Cha, +1 Wis or Int
- Enforcer (bodyguard, bouncer, muscle, police officer, soldier, etc.) +1 Str, +1 Dex or Con
- Hunter (assassin, big game hunter, bounty hunter, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Con or Dex
- Investigator (detective, private investigator, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Int or Cha
- Laborer (farmhand, sanitation worker, warehouse worker, etc.), +1 Con, +1 Str or Wis
- Mechanic (engineer, inventor, repairer, etc.) +1 Int, +1 Dex or Wis
- Medic (doctor, xenobiologist, zoologist, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Int or Wis
- Mentalist (criminologist, illusionist, magician, psychologist, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Int or Cha
- Navigator (astronavigator, guide, ranger, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Con or Int
- Operative (agent, assassin, infiltrator, spy, thief, etc.) +1 Dex, +1 Wis or Cha
- Pilot (chauffer, delivery driver, fighter pilot, etc.) +1 Dex, +1 Cha or Wis
- Scientist (astrophysicist, geologist, meteorologist, etc.) +1 Int, +1 Wis or Con
- Scholar (academic, archeologist, researcher, etc.) +1 Wis, +1 Int or Dex
- Tycoon (businessman, CEO, entrepreneur, industrialist, etc.) +1 Cha, +1 Wis or Int
STEP 6: COMPLICATIONS
Every interesting character has some complications be it a code of honor they must keep, a reputation or secret to protect, a motivation they must fulfill, etc. Select one or more complications. Work with your GM about creating your own.
STEP 7: LANGUAGES AND PROFICIENCY
The maximum number of languages a character can know is 2 + half their Cipher or Civilization modifier (whichever is better). Your first language must be Common. You can only select common languages unless you encounter uncommon or rare ones in the story or have a specific ability that allows you to do otherwise.
Choose three attributes: Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. You begin play trained in saving throws of the select attributes.
Choose (5 + INT) skills. You begin play trained in the skills you select.
STEP 8: HIT POINTS
Hit points are a measure of your nearness to defeat.
- You begin at 1st level with (15 + CON) hit points.
- Every level thereafter you gain (5 + CON) more hit points (minimum 1).
- This retroactively changes if your CON changes.
Rest can restore lost hit points. If you run out of hit points, your character is gravely wounded and may even perish.
STEP 9: FOCUS POINTS
Focus points are a measure of your concentration, mental focus, and willpower.
- You begin at 1st level with (15 + WIS) focus points.
- Every level thereafter you gain (5 + WIS) more focus points (minimum 1).
- This increases retroactively if WIS increases.
Rest can restore lost focus points. If you run out of focus points, your character is mentally fatigued, and may fall unconscious.
STEP 10: ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES
The final step is to select 3 special abilities of your choice for your character (plus whatever their origin gives them). This game is still being developed so if there's a power you want that's not listed, simply talk with the GM about making a new one for you. We're pretty flexible.
You can also willingly take on Weaknesses in order to gain more abilities in exchange.
GEAR
You're assumed to have basic gear and access tools such as a communicator, clothes, government ID, digital wallet, at least one email/social media account, and one free self defense device (ex. common civilian pistol, survival knife, pepper spray, etc.)
For all other gear, you buy Item-based special abilities for them. If you buy an item and haven't leveled up or don't have an item-based ability to swap for it, you can instead expend a surge to temporarily gain a special ability and/or weaknesses you normally wouldn't have. If you're out of surges, you can spend 1/2 your max FP to gain these benefits. If you're also out of FP, you have bigger problems and are probably in the middle of a fight.
STEP 11: SURGES
You can have up to a number of surges at a time equal to 2 + 1/5th your level and begin play with your surge pool full.