Character creation guide

To create a character you will start of with 150 character points to spend. Each stat, trait, attribute, characteristic, etc. that your character acquires may cost you points, while some things (disadvantages) will give you more points if you take them for your character.

There is no XP and levels like in D&D. Over the course of the game you will be awarded points which you can then spend to "level up" your character.

Things that give you more points to spend are denoted with a negative number (negative cost).

Primary Stats#

Primary stats represent the primary characteristics of your character.

The primary stats are:

• Strength (ST)
• Dexterity (DX)
• Intelligence (IQ)
• Health (HT)

A score of 10 in any attribute is free, and represents the human average. Negative scores are not possible. Most characters have attributes in the 1-20 range, and most normal humans have scores in the 8-12 range.

Higher scores cost points: * 10 points to raise ST or HT by one level * 20 points to raise DX or IQ by one level

Similarly, scores lower than 10 have a negative cost: -10 points per level for ST or HT, -20 points per level for DX or IQ. Meaning, if you lower your HT by 1 you get an additional 10 character points to spend on other things.

Strength (ST) (± 10 CP/level)#

Strength measures physical power and bulk. High ST lets you dish out and absorb more damage in hand-to-hand combat. Any adventurer will find ST useful for lifting and throwing things, moving quickly with a load, etc.

ST directly determines Basic Lift, basic damage, and Hit Points, and affects your character’s Build.

Dexterity (DX) (± 20 CP/level)#

Dexterity measures a combination of agility, coordination, and fine motor ability. It controls your basic ability at most athletic, fighting, and vehicle-operation skills, and at craft skills that call for a delicate touch. DX also helps determine Basic Speed (a measure of reaction time) and Basic Move (how fast you run).

Intelligence (IQ) (± 20 CP/level)#

Intelligence broadly measures brainpower, including creativity, intuition, memory, perception, reason, sanity, and willpower. It rules your basic ability with all “mental” skills – sciences, social interaction, magic, etc. Any wizard, scientist, or gadgeteer needs a high IQ first of all. The secondary characteristics of Will and Perception are based on IQ.

Health (HT) (± 10 CP/level)#

Health measures energy and vitality. It represents stamina, resistance (to poison, disease, radiation, etc.), and basic “grit.” A high HT is good for anyone – but it is vital for low-tech warriors. HT determines Fatigue Points (used for spells for example), and helps determine Basic Speed and Basic Move.

Secondary Stats#

“Secondary characteristics” are quantities that depend directly on your attributes. You can raise or lower these scores by adjusting your attributes. You can modify some of them directly: start with the value calculated from your attributes and spend the required points to adjust it away from that base level. This does not affect the related attribute scores.

Damage (Dmg)#

Your ST determines how much damage you do in unarmed combat or with a melee weapon. Consult the damage table for your basic damage.

There are two types of damage:

• Thrusting damage (thrust or thr): basic damage with a punch, kick, bite or thrusting weapons such as spears or rapiers
• Swinging damage (swing or sw): basic damage with a swung weapon such as an axe or sword

Damage Table#

ST	Thrust	Swing
1	1d-6	1d-5
2	1d-6	1d-5
3	1d-5	1d-4
4	1d-5	1d-4
5	1d-4	1d-3
6	1d-4	1d-3
7	1d-3	1d-2
8	1d-3	1d-2
9	1d-2	1d-1
10	1d-2	1d
11	1d-1	1d+1
12	1d-1	1d+2
13	1d	2d-1
14	1d	2d
15	1d+1	2d+1
16	1d+1	2d+2
17	1d+2	3d-1
18	1d+2	3d
19	2d-1	3d+1
20	2d-1	3d+2

Basic Lift#

Basic Lift is the maximum weight you can lift over your head with one hand in one second. It is equal to ST^2/5 lbs rounded down. The average human has ST 10 and a BL of 20 lbs. Doubling the time lets you lift 2xBL overhead in one hand. Quadrupling the time, and using two hands, you can lift 8xBL overhead.

The amount of equipment you can carry – armor, backpacks, weapons, etc. – is derived from BL.

Hit Points (HP) (± 2 CP per ± 1 HP)#

Hit Points represent your body’s ability to sustain injury. By default, you have HP equal to your ST. You can increase HP at the cost of 2 points per HP, or reduce HP for -2 points per HP.

You can temporarily lose HP to physical attacks (such as swords), energy attacks (such as lasers), super-natural attacks, disease, poison, hazards, and anything else that can injure or kill. You can also “burn” HP to power certain supernatural abilities. If you lose enough HP, you will eventu- ally fall unconscious; if you lose too many HP, you will die. ### Will (± 5 CP per ± 1 Will)

Will measures your ability to withstand psychological stress (brainwashing, fear, hypnotism, interrogation, seduction, torture, etc.) and your resistance to supernatural attacks (magic, psionics, etc.).

By default, Will is equal to IQ. You can increase it at the cost of 5 points per +1, or reduce it for -5 points per -1.

Perception (± 5 CP per ± 1 Perception)#

Perception represents your general alertness. By default, Perception equals IQ, but you can increase it for 5 points per +1, or reduce it for -5 points per -1.

Fatigue Points (FP) (± 3 CP per ± 1 Perception)#

Fatigue Points represent your body’s “energy supply.” By default, you have FP equal to your HT. For instance, HT 10 gives 10 FP. You can increase FP at the cost of 3 points per FP, or reduce FP for -3 points per FP.

You burn FP gradually during strenuous activity. Disease, heat, hunger, missed sleep, and the like can also sap FP. You can deliberately “spend” FP to fuel extra effort and supernatural powers (e.g., magic spells). As well, some attacks cause FP damage instead of or in addition to HP damage. If you lose enough FP, you will slow down or fall unconscious – and if you lose too many, you risk death from overexertion!

Basic Speed (± CP per ± 0.25 Speed)#

Your Basic Speed is a measure of your reflexes and general physical quickness. It helps determine your running speed (see Basic Move, below), your chance of dodging an attack, and the order in which you act in combat (a high Basic Speed will let you “out-react” your foes).

To calculate Basic Speed, add your HT and DX together, and then divide the total by 4. Do not round it off. A 5.25 is better than a 5! You can increase Basic Speed for 5 points per +0.25, or reduce it for -5 points per -0.25.

Dodge#

Your Dodge defense equals Basic Speed + 3, rounded down. For instance, if your Basic Speed is 5.25, your Dodge is 8. Encumbrance reduces Dodge.

Basic Move (± 5 CP per ± 1 meter/second)#

Your Basic Move is your ground speed in yards per second. This is how fast you can run – or roll, slither, etc. – without encumbrance.

Basic Move starts out equal to Basic Speed rounded down.

You can increase Basic Move for 5 points per meter/second or reduce it for -5 points per meter/second.

Encumbrance & Move#

“Encumbrance” is a measure of the total weight you are carrying, relative to your ST. If you are carrying up to and including your you are unencumbered.

Encumbrance is divided into 4 levels:

1. Lightly encumbered: 2xBL
2. Moderately encumbered: 3xBL
3. Heavily encumbered: 6xBL
4. Very heavily encumbered: 10xBL

For each level of encumbrance (1 through 4) your Move is reduced by 20% and your Dodge gets a penalty equal to that level. Encumbrance can never reduce Move or Dodge below 1.

Your Swim Speed is equal to Move / 5 rounded down.

Build#

The choices of height and weight may matter in game during play, for example when attempting to wear another person's armor, reaching a high ledge or hiding behind cover.

Starting Wealth#

Above-average Wealth is an advantage; it means you start with two or more times the average starting wealth of your game world. Below-average Wealth is a disadvantage; it means you start with only a fraction of average starting wealth.

• Dead Broke (-25 points): You have no job, no source of income, no money, and no property other than the clothes you are wearing. Either you are unable to work or there are no jobs to be found.
• Poor (-15 points): Your starting wealth is only 1/5 of the average for your society. Some jobs are not available to you, and no job you find pays very well.
• Struggling (-10 points): Your starting wealth is only 1/2 of the average for your society. Any job is open to you, but you don’t earn much. This is appropriate if you are, for instance, a 21st-century student.
• Average (0 points): The default wealth level
• Comfortable (10 points): You work for a living, but your lifestyle is better than most. Your starting wealth is twice the average.
• Wealthy (20 points): Your starting wealth is five times average; you live very well indeed. 20 points.
• Very Wealthy (30 points): Your starting wealth is 20 times the average.

Independent Income (1 point/level)#

You have a source of income that does not require you to work: stock portfolio, trust fund, rental property, royalties, pension, etc. Your monthly income is 1% of your starting wealth (adjusted for wealth level) per level of this trait, to a maximum of 20%. If your income derives from invest- ments, you need not specify their value; this trait assumes that you cannot or will not invade your capital.

This trait is unrelated to wealth level. A Filthy Rich heiress has Independent Income … but so do an Average pensioner and a Poor welfare recipient.

Debt (-1 point/level)#

You owe money. This could represent a loan, back taxes, child support, or alimony … or “hush oney” paid to blackmailers … or “protection money” extorted by gangsters. You must make a monthly payment equal to 1% of your starting wealth (adjusted for wealth level) per level of this trait, to a maximum of 20%.

If you cannot pay – or choose not to pay – there will be trouble. For bank loans, this means repossession of your worldly goods. For alimony, child support, fines, or taxes, this means a court date. And if you owe money to the mob, you might end up being strong-armed into criminal activities … or staring down the barrel of a shotgun.

It is assumed that you cannot easily rid yourself of this obligation. It takes more than money to buy off Debt – you must pay off the points and work out a logical in-game explanation with the GM.

Advantages#

Suggestions for Advantages#

Allowed#

Absolute Direction
Absolute Timing
Acute Hearing
Acute Taste and Smell
Acute Touch
Acute Vision
Alcohol Tolerance
Allies
Ambidexterity
Amphibious
Animal Empathy
Animal Friend
Appearance
Artificer
Autotrance
Blessed
Business Acumen
Catfall
Chameleon
Channeling
Charisma
Chronolocation
Claim to Hospitality
Clairsentience
Claws
Clerical Investment
Clinging
Combat Reflexes
Common Sense
Compartmentalized Mind
Damage Resistance
Danger Sense
Daredevil
Dark Vision
Deep Sleeper
Detect
Discriminatory Hearing
Discriminatory Smell
Discriminatory Taste
Doesn't Sleep
Double-Jointed
Duplication
Eidetic Memory
Elastic Skin
Empathy
Enhanced Defenses
Enhanced Move
Extra Attack
Favor
Fearlessness
Fit
Flexibility
Flight
Fur
Gadgeteer
Gifted Artist
Gigantism
Gizmos
Green Thumb
Growth
Hard to Kill
Hard to Subdue
Healer
Healing
High Manual Dexterity
High Pain Threshold
Higher Purpose
Honest Face
Independent Income
Intuition
Intuitive Mathematician
Invisibility
Language Talent
Less Sleep
Lifting ST
Lightning Calculator
Luck
Magery
Magic Resistance
Mana Damper
Mana Enhancer
Mathematical Ability
Medium
Merchant Rank
Microscopic Vision
Mimicry
Mind Probe
Mind Reading
Mind Shield
Musical Ability
No Hangover
Oracle
Outdoorsman
Parabolic Hearing
Penetrating Vision
Penetrating Voice
Perfect Balance
Peripheral Vision
Permeation
Photographic Memory
Pitiable
Plant Empathy
Police Rank
Power Investiture
Precognition
Psi Static
Psychometry
Rank
Rapid Healing
Resistant
See Invisible
Sensitive
Sensitive Touch
Shadow Form
Shrinking
Shtick
Single-Minded
Smooth Operator
Snatcher
Social Chameleon
Social Regard
Speak With Animals
Speak With Plants
Spirit Empathy
Status
Subsonic Hearing
Super Climbing
Super Jump
Super Luck
Talent
Teeth
Telekinesis
Telescopic Vision
Temperature Control
Temperature Tolerance
Terrain Adaptation
Trained By A Master
True Faith
Unaging
Unfazeable
Vampiric Bite
Versatile
Very Fit
Vibration Sense
Visualization
Voice
Wealth
Weapon Master
Wild Talent
Zeroed

Disadvantages#

Dwarfism -15 Skinny -5 Overweight -1 Odious personal habits -5 / -10 / -15 Fat -3 Very fat -5 Mistaken Identity -5 Unnatural features -1/level