Latest revision as of 11:26, 11 March 2009

Character Creation

Creating a character, especially the first time, can be daunting and confusing. Below is a step-by-step guide to the process.

Choosing your character

Take a little time to decide what you'd like to play. You might be with the character you create for a long time, and starting a new one will set you back.

Understand the game

The first thing to do is read a little of the game background in order to get a feel for the atmosphere. This will give you an idea of what sort of person you want to be and what sort of role you'd like to play in your squad.

Understand your peers

Chances are other people have already created characters. Try to find out who they are and what role they will play. This will give you more of a sense of belonging and will help create a balanced squad. Bear in mind though that you play for your enjoyment - it's better to struggle with a squad where everyone enjoys their characters than to have a perfect squad that everyone hates being in.

Choose a race

Read the sections on the various races and choose the one that most appeals to you and suits the personality of character you want to play. A human is always a good default if your percieved character doesn't fit any of the other races, and each have their advantages and disadvantages. While human characteristics vary massively, bear in mind that the other races are not so diverse and by playing one you will have to adhere to the way they are meant to be played or risk earning less experience.

• Human
• Frother
• Ebon
• Brain Waster
• Wraith Raider
• Shaktar
• Stormer

Choose a training package

Your training package will define your character's role in the squad. Training packages are not as restrictive as character classes in other RPGs, as any character can learn any skill, but they will give you an advantage in your required areas and will also give other squad members an immediate idea of what it is you do.

• Death Squad
• Kick Murder
• Investigation & Interrogation
• Medical
• Mechanics
• Piloting & Navigation
• Business
• Strike Squad
• Scout
• Media
• Point
• Sabotage
• Sector Ranger

Start a character sheet

Your final character will be recorded on a character sheet. At first use a scrap of paper or notepad file to keep track of things while you are spending your starting points and cash, but final stats, skills, equipment etc. should be completed on the character sheet. The character sheet will be used in game to track experience, money, ammunition, health etc. An Excel version is available here, which should be completed and a copy sent to the GM once finished.

Starting points

Players start with 300 points to spend on their character's stats, skills, advantages and disadvantages. I would suggest a skeleton character of reasonable stats, important skills, and character-defining advantages and disadvantages be set out first, then remaining points being used to round the character out by buying additional useful skills or interesting quirks. Note that any points not spent during character creation are lost - they cannot be stored as experience for later.

Stats

All stats start with a value of 5 and can be increased up to the character's racial maximum at a cost of 5 points per point of stat. Ebons can also buy flux in the same way, with a starting value of 10. Knowledge and Physique are derived from other stats and so do not need points spending to increase them. Stats are described on p132 of the main rule book.

Skills

Skills (including Ebon abilities) cost an amount of points equal to their rank. This cost is cumulative, so a rank 1 skill costs 1 point, a rank 2 skill costs 2 points, so to raise a rank from 0 to 2 will cost 3 points (rank 1 + rank 2). There are tables of relative and absolute skill costs on page 134 of the main rulebook, along with the skill descriptions. A skill's rank is limited by the stat that governs it, indicated by the section heading. Ebon abilities are limited to 10 plus their Formulae.

Racial skills

Each race starts with a handfull of skills at a low level. These are free and are added to the character before any points are spent. They are listed under the main race descriptions from p152 of the main rulebook.

Training skills

Each training package has listed a handfull of skills. These skills are added after all points have been spent and will raise an existing skill by 1 rank for free. If the character does not have a particular training skill, they will recieve it at rank 2. Training skills are listed on p147 of the main rulebook.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages and disadvantages can bring a character to life. Points can be spent on physical, mental, financial or social advantages that will add depth to your character. Likewise, points can be recovered by buying similar disadvantages. Advantages and disadvantages are mainly plot devices that the GM can use to add colour to the campaign, so care should be taken not to put too much emphasis on them. A few interesting quirks for the benefit of personality are far better than a broad range of minor ones to garner a few points or bonuses.

Starting equipment

In addition to the issued equipment listed on p148 of the main rules book, characters get 1500 credits (plus any from the financial advantage) to spend on weapons, armour and equipment with which to begin the game. Any credits left over from character creation can be kept and entered in the savings box on the character sheet. Remember that your character is just starting their career and many items of equipment will be well out of your price range for now.

Armour

Probably the biggest initial outlay for equipment is a character's armour. While not compulsary, most Ops feel some sort of armour is neccessary. In the case of Ebons and Brain Wasters their armour is their Deathsuit, which is also the device that enables them to use the Ebb. Armour has two stats - PV and ID. PV is the protection value of the armour, and the one stat applies to the entire suit. ID is the impact damage of the armour (the armour's hit points in effect) and has a value for each part of the body. Armour types are listed on page 234 of the main rulebook.

Weapons

Generally the next thing players spend their money on are weapons. All Ops start out with a FEN 603 automatic pistol and two magazines of 10mm pistol ammunition for it. Most, however, would like something more substantial or stylish. When purchasing weapons bear in mind how skilled you are in the use of it, how much ammunition is likely to cost for it, and how much you need it for the role you will play in the squad. Firearms have stats for range, rate of fire, recoil, and clip size. The other stats are taken from the rounds fired from it. Weapons stats and descriptions start at p225 of the main rulesbook.

Equipment

General equipment is usually purchased almost as an afterthough, but can be very useful. Also bear in mind though how much your character is likely to be able to carry. It might seem a good idea to have a laptop, medikit, weapons maintenance kit and toolkit to hand, but imagine how impractical it would be to lug it all around. This doesn't stop you buying equipment and leaving it at home (assuming you have a home) until needed. General equipment prices and descriptions begin on p235 of the main rulebook.

Drugs

Frothers in particular need to pay attention to their drugs, although it is recommended that most characters at least invest in some medical drugs. Players with a Frother character would be wise to take a little time to work out their daily, weekly, or monthly needs in order to feed their habit, and stock up accordingly. Note that a medical exemption certificate is required to purchase combat drugs (Frothers start the game with one). Drug effects and prices are listed from p248 of the main rulebook.

Science Friction

Ebons and Brain Wasters can buy Science Friction equipment from Dark Lament in order to boost their abilities. Descriptions, prices and effects are listed from p222 of the main rulebook.

Fill in the gaps

By this point most of the character sheet should be filled in and finalised. Complete the following areas if not already done:

• Name - Your character's name. Bear in mind the styles of name used by your character's race.
• Race - Your character's race.
• Package - The skill package you chose for your character.
• LAD (see Karma sourcebook) - Indicates a Life After Death account. Leave blank at this stage.
• SCL (p65) - All characters start with an SCL of 10. The middle and right boxes are for subdivisions of SCL as they are earned.
• PHYS & KNOW (p132) - Derived from the other stats.
• Movement rates (p118) - The speed at which your character moves.
• Encumbrance (p120) - The amount your character can lift and carry.
• Hit points (character sheet, p149) - Maximum values to the right of the first dash, current values to the right of the second.
• Armour (see above) - PV to the right of where it says PV, maximum ID to the left of the dash for each location, current ID to the right.
• Initiative phases (p117) - The amount of actions your character can make in a round, and on which phases they can be made. Put a cross in the box of each round your character can act in.
• Damage bonus (p132) - The extra amount of damage hand-to-hand attacks cause due to your character's strength.
• Weapon notes - Add which weapons are fitted with which pieces of equipment (laser sights, silencer, etc.).
• Age, hair colour, eye colour, complexion - You can make this bit up. Bear in mind the traits of your character's particular race.
• Height & weight (p150) - Again, up to you.
• Experience points - Starts at 0.
• Savings - Any leftover money from character creation.