02. Characters

2. Characters

Put simply, your character is you in the game world, the persona you play in the game. The character is the focus of all roleplaying games—an abstraction of physical and mental abilities, skills, and other descriptors. You interact with your gamemaster in that world through your character. Most characters controlled by players are player characters (PCs).

Your gamemaster describes the setting, the environment, and the encounters to the players. Your gamemaster has at their disposal a roster of other characters, called nonplayer characters (NPCs). Both player and nonplayer characters use the same rules, though generally nonplayer characters are less detailed than player characters, as NPCs rarely face the same variety of situations player characters do.

Chapter 11: Creatures describes how your gamemaster can create appropriate nonplayer characters and includes a roster of ready-to-use nonplayer characters (as well as monsters and other creatures) for a variety of settings and eras. This section deals with player characters and is essential reading for you and your gamemaster alike.

When a “character” is mentioned, the term applies to player characters and nonplayer characters.

Power Level

Throughout this chapter and elsewhere in the rules are references to the game’s power level. This describes how reasonably competent the player and nonplayer characters are, and where on a scale from “realistic” to “mythical” gameplay will feel like.

There are four game power levels, described below.

Normal

Characters have no powers or very few, unreliable powers. Sometimes characters are defined by a single power, barely more than an extraordinary talent. This is the most suitable power level for horror or modern adventure games, where technology and wits are often the decisive factor in survival.

Heroic

Characters have a few strong powers or a wide range of mid- to low-level powers. This is suitable for games featuring inexperienced, costumed heroes or apprentice wizards in training, the mutated survivors of a radioactive apocalypse, vigilante heroes, or a high fantasy world of wizards and warriors. Some futuristic settings might be created using this power level, with citizens having many minor powers granted by genetic manipulation.

Epic

Characters are incredibly skilled or powered, such as arch-mages, or formidable supernatural beings. Sample games might be full of veteran costumed heroes or villains, or veteran supernatural heroes fighting the forces of darkness in the shadows of the modern world.

Superhuman

These characters have immense capabilities and are the mightiest of heroes. Games might feature extraordinarily powered costumed superheroes, galactic guardians, or even modern incarnations of great demigods.

Your gamemaster should make it clear to you and your fellow players what power level your game is, to set expectations and to guide the rest of character creation.

Creating a Character

You first need a character. Following is a system for developing your character. This system creates reasonably competent characters. Suggestions are provided in each step for more powerful characters. You should have a blank character sheet handy, and maybe another sheet of paper for notes. At chaosium.com you can download digital versions.

When you get ready to create your character, your gamemaster and the other players should have already decided what sort of game you’ll all play, whether it be a science fiction, fantasy, modern horror, historical intrigue, espionage, pulp action, techno-thriller, or any number of other genres.

Your gamemaster should be prepared to guide you and the other players through the character creation process, knowing what professions are allowed and appropriate to the game or campaign, and what level of competency the characters should exhibit. These issues are most important to Step Seven and may influence Step Three.

Step One: Name and Characteristics

Write your character’s name at the top of the page. This should be appropriate to the setting and game being played. If no idea suggests itself yet, wait until later. You can write your own name on the character sheet as your gamemaster may need to keep track of which character belongs to whom.

• Choose your character’s gender and write it in the correct space.
• Roll 3D6 for the characteristics Strength (STR), Constitution (CON), Power (POW), Dexterity (DEX), and Charisma (CHA). Enter the results in the appropriate places on your character sheet.
• Roll 2D6+6 for the Intelligence (INT) and Size (SIZ) characteristics.

These numbers provide the bare bones of your character, determining what characteristics the character is strong or weak in.

• If you wish, redistribute up to 3 points between your characteristics.
• No characteristic can begin at more than 21 points.
• If you aren’t satisfied with the characteristics you have, and your gamemaster approves, you can start over.

If the campaign is using one or more types of powers, your gamemaster may allow you to increase your starting characteristics (see 04. Powers, particularly Diminish/Enhance Characteristic).

Choosing Characteristic Values (Option): Traditionally, characteristics are rolled in order, with up to 3 points redistributed. Instead, you may roll 3D6 seven times and choose where results go. In this case, SIZ and INT cannot be below 8.

Higher Starting Characteristics (Option): For a higher-powered game, roll 2D6+6 for all characteristics.

The Education (EDU) Characteristic (Option): Roll 2D6+6 for Education (EDU) for this characteristic, for characters from societies with formalized education. An EDU of 12 indicates a high school graduate-level education, with higher values indicating college or advanced degrees.

Cultural Modifiers (Option): Cultural modifiers emphasize characteristic differences between different species (such as elves or dwarves) or for different human cultures. Initial characteristics may be adjusted or limited at this point. See Cultural Characteristic Modifiers (Option).

Non-human Characters (Option): Non-human characters may use different dice rolls and modifiers to determine initial characteristics. See Chapter 11: Creatures.

Point-based Character Creation (Option): Usually, characteristics are rolled randomly. Instead, players can purchase characteristic points from a pool. See Point-based Character Creation (Option).

Step Two: Powers

Read this carefully! If the game you’re playing in involves magic, mutations, psychic abilities, sorcery, or superpowers you may begin with some of these powers. Ask your gamemaster about it and refer to Chapter 4: Powers for more information. These systems require more explanation than is provided in this chapter.

If there are no powers in the campaign, ignore this step and proceed.

If there are powers, the following types are available:

• Magic: Simple spellcasting with a wide variety of applications.
• Mutations: Strange genetic anomalies, some beneficial, some adverse.
• Psychic Abilities: Using the power of the mind to manipulate reality.
• Sorcery: A more baroque type of spellcasting, including elemental and demonic summoning.
• Superpowers: Mighty abilities that defy imagination.

More detail on each appears in their relevant sections.

Step Three: Age

The default age for characters is 17+1D6 years old. Your gamemaster may choose to alter this based on the requirements of the game setting. If you wish to begin play with a character younger or older, choose an age that seems appropriate and meets your gamemaster’s approval.

• For every full 10 years added to the rolled starting age, based on the level of the campaign, modify professional skill points by +0 (Normal), +20 (Heroic), +30 (Epic), or +40 (Superhuman) (see Step Seven).
• Any fraction of years below 10 does not qualify for this skill bonus. Based on level of campaign, for every year below the minimum age (18) described above, subtract 0 (Normal), 20 (Heroic), 30 (Epic), or 40 skill points (Superhuman) from your character’s professional skill points.
• Your gamemaster may limit available professions to characters below 18 years of age.
• At age 50 and every full 10 years above, modify one of STR, CON, DEX, or CHA (your choice) by –1. At age 80 and every full 10 years above, modify three of these characteristics. See Aging and Inaction (Option).
• For every year below the original rolled age above, modify any one characteristic other than EDU (your choice) by –1. Your gamemaster may require that you make SIZ one of these lowered characteristics. These points can be gained through play (experience), training, or gradually through natural means (gamemaster’s discretion). See Aging and Inaction (Option).

Your gamemaster may also choose to simply ignore these rules, based on the game’s power level. This allows for elderly adventurers, child geniuses, and is generally more enjoyable for all players.

Education (EDU) (Option): If you’re using the EDU characteristic, your character’s starting age must be at least EDU+5 (representing time spent learning). Every full 10 years added to your character’s starting age, adds +1 to your character’s EDU characteristic. Be sure to increase the relevant skill points generated in Step Six.

Step Four: Characteristic Rolls

Here’s where you determine your characteristic rolls. By now you should know what your final characteristics are, but if not, hold off on this step until you’ve finalized them. Each has a place on the character sheet.

• Multiply STR×5 for your Effort roll.
• Multiply CON×5 for your Stamina roll.
• Multiply INT×5 for your Idea roll.
• Multiply POW×5 for your Luck roll.
• Multiply DEX×5 for your Agility roll.
• Multiply CHA×5 for your Charm roll.

Knowledge Roll (Option): Multiply EDU×5 for your Knowledge roll (if EDU is being used).

Step Five: Derived Characteristics

Now it’s time for the derived characteristics: damage modifier, hit points, power points and experience bonus. If you’re using optional systems, you should also determine your initial fatigue points and sanity points. Write the results on your character sheet.

• Damage Modifier: Add STR+SIZ and find the damage modifier corresponding to your character’s total on the Damage Modifier table.
• Hit Points: Add CON+SIZ and divide by 2 (rounded up). Circle that number in the Hit Points box on your character sheet and write it below. This is your character’s maximum hit points. If your character loses hit points, mark them off, and erase the marks as hit points are healed or otherwise restored.
• Major Wound Level: Your major wound level is 1/2 hit points, rounded up.
• Power Points: In the Power Point box, circle the number equal to POW and write the total on the line below. This is your character’s maximum power points. These fuel magic spells, mutations, psychic abilities, or superpowers. Mark power points off as they’re spent and erase the marks as they’re recovered or otherwise restored. The number written in the space, equal to your POW, is the value your power points return to with rest.
• Experience Bonus: Your character’s experience bonus is equal to 1/2 their INT, rounded up.
• Move (MOV): Your character’s MOV measures how fast during a combat round they can move. Human characters can normally move 10 units per round. A unit is a somewhat variable amount usually equaling 1 meter. See Movement Rates.

Skill Bonuses (Option): If using characteristic-based skill category bonuses, calculate the bonus for each using the Skill Category Bonus table. Write these values in the spaces for each category. This bonus adds to the base chance for every skill, if any. For each category:

• Add +1% for every point in the primary characteristic over 10; subtract 1% for every point below 10.
• +1% for every 2 points in the secondary characteristic above 10; –1% for every 2 points under 10 (rounding down the bonus if required).
• –1% for every point in the negative characteristic above 10; +1% for every point under 10.

Hit Points per Location (Option): With the optional hit location system, determine the number of hit points for each hit location. The head, abdomen, and each leg have 1/3 of your hit point total, the chest has 4/10, and each arm has 1/4 of the total hit point value. Round all fractions up.

Fatigue Points (Option): If fatigue is being used; add your character’s STR+CON to get their fatigue point total. In play, as your character expends energy or perform rigorous physical activity, they will lose fatigue points. They recover rapidly through rest and other means and change frequently.

Sanity (Option): If Sanity is being used; multiply your character’s initial POW score by ×5 to get their current Sanity (SAN) total. In play, mark these off on your character sheet when your character loses sanity points. When your character reaches 0 SAN, they are considered unplayable.

Step Six: Personality (Optional)

Study your character’s characteristics and imagine the sort of person you would like them to be. Choose one of the options below or roll 1D4 for a random result. These packages of skills are a quick way to develop your character—there will be more skills in the next step. Skills are defined in Chapter 3: Skills 37–52 and classes of weapons are described in Chapter 8: Equipment.

Personality Types

Result	Description
1	Brutal: Your character thinks first of solving problems by means of physical force and brawn. Give 20 skill points each to Brawl, Climb, Dodge, Grapple, Insight, Jump, Ride, Sense, Stealth, Swim, Throw, and to any two Combat skills.
2	Skilled: Your character believes that technique, craft, and expertise are the secrets of success. Give 20 skill points each to Appraise, any one Craft, Disguise, Dodge, Fine Manipulation, First Aid, any one Knowledge skill, Navigate, Pilot, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and to any one Combat skill.
3	Cunning: Your character first tries to outsmart an opponent to gain an advantage. Add 20 skill points each to Appraise, Bargain, Disguise, Insight, any two Knowledge skills, Listen, Research, Sense, Spot, Stealth, any one Technical skill (appropriate to setting), and any one Combat skill.
4	Charming: Your character enjoys persuading other people to work, while they make the decisions. Give 20 points each to Appraise, Bargain, Command, Etiquette, Fast Talk, Insight, Perform, Persuade, any one Language (Other), Language (Own), Sense, Status, and any one Combat skill.

Your gamemaster may have other personality types, or you can create your own, choosing 13 skills and adding 20 points to each skill rating (with your gamemaster’s approval).

When distributing these skill points, add the bonus to the base chance for each skill, usually presented as a value in parentheses after the skill, such as Fast Talk (15%). Write that total after the skill.

For example, adding 20 skill points to Fast Talk (15%) yields a rating of 15+20=35%.

Step Seven: Profession and Skills

To determine the starting skills for your character, turn to the professions list. Choose a profession there. Professions are described fully later in this chapter. Your gamemaster may restrict available professions, so ask before making this choice. Some professions provide special advantages, such as the use of magic. Note these on the character sheet.

Once a profession has been chosen, determine the character’s professional skill point pool. This represents what your character has learned in that profession, whether through training or on-the-job experience. As always, skill points are added to any bonuses granted from previous steps and to the skill’s base chance.

The campaign’s power level determines the initial skill point pool. Your gamemaster should have decided by now what kind of game they will run, and how powerful and competent player characters should be.

• Normal: Allot 250 points to professional skills. No skill should begin higher than 75%. If you are using the optional skill category bonus, the limit is still 75%, and you must spend any points above this on other skills. If a combination of bonuses increases the skill to more than 75% before this step, do not add any additional skill points.
• Heroic: Allot 325 points to professional skills. No skill should begin higher than 90%, with the same restrictions as above.
• Epic: Allot 400 points to professional skills. No skill should begin higher than 101%, with the same restrictions as above.
• Superhuman: Allot 500 points among professional skills, with no limit to skill ratings. See Skill Ratings Over 100% (Option).

For an original profession, allot the power level’s number of skill points, as above. Your gamemaster may have some restrictions on how these skill points can be spent.

Once all professional skill points have been allocated, multiply your character’s INT×10 to determine their personal skill point pool. Spend these skill points on any skills you like, with your gamemaster’s approval. Add points spent on a skill to its base chance, profession bonuses (if any), professional skill point allocations, and skill category bonuses (if any).

The total must not exceed the skill limit for game type set above. Your gamemaster may impose a cap of 50% on personal skills that range too far outside a character’s profession. This skill cap is higher based on the level of the campaign: 75% for heroic, 90% for epic, and 100% for superhuman. Skills that naturally exceed these numbers through prior bonuses can have no additional points spent on them.

Calculate the final rankings for all character skills from base chance, personality type, professional skill pool, personal skill pool, and the optional skill category bonuses (if used). You might want to shift some points around at this time but keep the professional skill points and personal skill points separate.

Education (Option): If Education (EDU) is being used, instead of a base 250/325/400/500 skill point pool, make the initial skill points be based on EDU×20 for normal characters, EDU×25 for heroic characters, EDU×30 for epic characters, and EDU×40 for superhuman characters.

Cultural Skills (Option): For a game with significant differences between human cultures, your gamemaster may have this influence starting skills or beginning skills allowed. See Culture and Characters.

Increased Personal Skill Points (Option): The INT×10 personal skill point total may be increased to INT×15 for heroic characters, INT×20 for epic characters, or INT×25 for superhuman characters, as appropriate. This option is recommended for games where characters are tremendously competent and skilled beyond what their current profession would indicate.

Step Eight: Possessions

Most characters have some sort of possessions, whether gear or weapons. The front of the character sheet has a section for weapons, and the back a space for possessions. Your profession describes your character’s beginning wealth level and the Status skill can provide guidelines for what sort of additional equipment that your character might be able to lay hands upon. It’s not necessary to list every item your character owns, but merely those that might be important in play.

In most cases, your character has the following:

• A complete set (or sets) of clothing appropriate to their environment and setting.
• An amount of pocket money and personal savings based on their wealth level.
• A personal item showing some relation to their family or background. This can be an heirloom, keepsake, or some trinket with a strong emotional connection.
• Any trade tools or equipment suitable to their profession, if appropriate.
• Any weapon they have a skill of 50%+ in, if appropriate.
• Based on the setting, profession, wealth level, and Status, they may have a vehicle such as a horse, wagon, bicycle, automobile, personal flier, small space transport, or some other means of transportation. This is subject to your gamemaster’s approval.
• No detailed rules for finances are provided: the suggested wealth for professions and the Status skill are the best guidelines for determining what items and funds they begin play owning or having access to. Your gamemaster should be able to help you describe this in an appropriate level of detail and may have additional restrictions or suggestions.

Step Nine: Size and Distinctive Features

This step is primarily cosmetic and is not entirely necessary.

You may now choose to determine your character’s height and weight, based on SIZ. Generally, the SIZ range of 10–13 represents the human range of average weight and height. A person of SIZ 8 (normal minimum) is relatively small, and someone of SIZ 18 is exceedingly large. You can define this as you wish, either through exact numbers for height and weight, or with descriptions such as “Tall” or “Slender”.

If using the Distinctive Features option. Note these features under your character’s name on the character sheet.

Step Ten: Finishing Touches

This is the final step for various aspects of your character. If you couldn’t think of a name beforehand in Step One, now is the time. Beyond that, you can come up with the rest of this section before play begins or as you get a feel for your character.

As desired, you should fill in all the blank spaces that describe the character, mentally and physically, and come up with some ideas about their background. In Step Nine you determined your character’s distinctive features, so you should decide whether your character has other, less distinctive, features. What colors are their hair, skin, and eyes? How do they dress? Do they have any interesting mannerisms, or a motto or saying they use often? Do they have an interesting reputation?

If it is relevant, determine where your character is from. Where did they go to school (if at all)? What is their relationship with their family? Is the character a member of any significant organizations? Do they have an interesting past? Do they have any significant religious or political beliefs? If appropriate, you should work with your gamemaster to determine these issues before play begins, or at least do some thinking about them ahead of time. In play you can also flesh out other details of your character’s background as necessary or leave these aspects undetermined if they are not relevant.

The back of the character sheet has space for additional descriptive or background elements. Fill out as many or as few of these as you’d like, and check with your gamemaster to make sure that they know about them and that they’re suitable for the game.

Point-Based Character Creation (option)

Standard character creation uses dice rolls to determine starting characteristics, but you and your gamemaster may choose to use a point-based system, offering more control over your character’s creation. If so, the following adjustments are made to Step One.

• All characteristics (STR, CON, SIZ, INT, POW, DEX, and CHA) begin at 10.
• You have 24 points to spend on characteristics. This is the equivalent of the ‘normal’ power level for a campaign. No initial characteristic can be raised to higher than 21.
• Each point of STR, CON, SIZ, or CHA costs 1 point.
• Each point of DEX, INT, and POW costs 3.
• You can choose to lower your starting characteristics below the starting value of 10, to a minimum of 3.
• For each point of STR, CON, SIZ, or CHA you reduce below 10, you get 1 point to spend on other characteristics.
• For every point of DEX, INT, and POW you reduce, you get 3 points back.
• Only with a gamemaster’s permission can you raise or lower a starting characteristic beyond the range of 3–21. For higher power levels (epic and superhuman), the characteristic maximum should be ignored.
• For games with powers, you may apply any unused points from characteristic generation to your power budget. This is only with your gamemaster’s permission, as it may result in you losing points overall.

If point-based characteristic generation is allowed, the next step for a game with powers would be the alternate Step Two described in Chapter 4: Powers. For a non-powered game, character creation should then skip to Step Four.

Higher Starting Characteristics (Option)

For higher-powered campaigns (with a roll of 2D6+6 instead of the normal 3D6), the starting point total for above is 36 points, equivalent to the heroic power level. Epic power level characters begin with 48 of characteristic points, and superhuman power level characters begin with 60 points. The normal characteristic maximums should not apply.

Education (Option)

If the EDU characteristic is being used, your gamemaster should assign a value to EDU based on your character’s age (described in Step Three) and background. You can modify this with any points you choose. Each point of EDU costs 3 points.

Cultural Modifiers or Non-Human Characters (Option)

If your gamemaster is allowing cultural modifiers for starting characteristics, these modifiers should be applied to characteristics afterwards. If non-human characters with cultural modifiers to starting characteristics are available, your gamemaster should adjust your starting points and/or initial characteristics, as appropriate. Chapter Eleven: Creatures contains advice on allowing non-human characters.

Characteristics

Your character is measured and defined by a set of characteristics, values that represent their physical and mental capabilities. Higher characteristic numbers are usually better (though a high SIZ can work against you for stealth). Characteristic values indicate raw natural gifts your character has. Characteristic values can change over the course of play. Injuries or adverse conditions can decrease characteristics, while training, exertion, and conditioning can increase them.

• Physical characteristics (STR, CON, SIZ, DEX, and CHA) have a maximum of 21 for humans.
• Mental characteristics (INT, POW, and EDU) can usually be raised without limits.
• Under most conditions 3 is the lowest value for any characteristic other than SIZ or INT, which have a minimum value of 8.

If other races or species are allowed in the campaign, they may have higher or lower characteristic maximums. Magic, mutations, psychic abilities, sorcery, or superpowers can also raise characteristics, without limit.

Strength (STR)

Strength measures brawn and raw muscle power. The Effort roll (STR×5) is its characteristic roll. STR helps determine how much a character can lift or carry, push or pull, or how tightly they can hang on to something. In combat, STR limits what kind of weapons a character can wield, as well as helping determine how much extra damage (if any) they inflict with any hit. STR can be increased through exercise, while certain injuries and diseases can permanently reduce STR. A character with STR 0 is an invalid, unable to rise from their bed.

Constitution (CON)

Health, vigor, and vitality are all measured by Constitution. The Stamina roll (CON×5) is its characteristic roll. CON determines how well a character can resist fatigue, poison, disease, drowning, and other hardships, and is a factor in calculating hit points. CON can be increased through conditioning. Diseases, poisons, and some injuries can temporarily or permanently reduce CON. A character dies when their CON falls to 0 for whatever reason.

Size (SIZ)

Size defines height, weight, and bulk. There is no SIZ-associated characteristic roll; on the character sheet the space is used to note your character’s damage modifier. Resistance rolls using SIZ can determine whether a character can stand firm against resistance, see over an obstacle, or squeeze through a crack. A character’s SIZ, as body mass, helps determine hit points and damage modifier (if any). Factors like gluttony or rigid diet can increase or decrease SIZ, at your gamemaster’s discretion. Some powers may also affect SIZ. Severe injuries (like lost limbs) can also permanently decrease SIZ. A character dies if they lose more than half their SIZ (round up) due to starvation or extreme diet. A character reduced to SIZ 0 through magic or other influences simply disappears, wasting away to nothing. Your gamemaster should be the arbiter of any involuntary SIZ changes, as these are uncommon.

Intelligence (INT)

Representing reason, mental acuity, and wits, INT measures how well a character learns, remembers, and analyzes information. The Idea roll (INT×5) is its characteristic roll. INT is critical in determining initial skill values. Possibly the most important characteristic, INT has no fixed maximum and can conceivably rise indefinitely through study and mental exercise. Wounds to the head, prolonged exposure to harmful drugs, or certain types of diseases can reduce INT. A character with an INT 0 has been reduced to a vegetative state, unable to survive independently.

Power (POW)

The most intangible of characteristics, Power represents willpower, magical aptitude, and spiritual development. POW is essential to leadership, intuition, and magic. The Luck roll (POW×5) is its characteristic roll. POW serves as the determiner for initial power points and initial Sanity points. Like INT, human POW has no set maximum, and can rise indefinitely. Magical influences can reduce POW (temporarily or permanently) and some magic is fueled by the permanent sacrifice of points of POW. For powers (see Chapter 4: Powers), POW is probably the most important characteristic. POW is the suggested basis for initial power choices, so a character with higher POW will have more powers (or more levels in those powers). A character whose POW score reaches 0 has lost their soul and becomes catatonic without any will or life force.

Dexterity (DEX)

Dexterity score measures balance, agility, speed, and deftness. Characters rely upon DEX when reacting to an attack, climbing, performing delicate work, or moving stealthily. The Agility roll (DEX×5) is its characteristic roll. Injuries or nerve diseases can reduce DEX, while rigorous training can quicken reflexes and improve balance. A character with DEX 0 is utterly immobile.

Charisma (CHA)

Charisma determines how likable or attractive a character is to others, and is based as much on presence, personality, and demeanor as simple physical appearance. The Charm roll (CHA×5) forms its characteristic roll. CHA is used to measure first impressions and indicates how eager others will be to associate with someone, through physical attraction or an appealing personality. CHA can be raised through physical conditioning, cosmetic surgery, or careful application of grooming and etiquette. It could even be improved by a small amount by possession of particularly impressive gear. It can also be reduced through injury or disease. A character with a CHA 0 is either utterly odious, provoking disgust from all who encounter them, or has become so nondescript that they barely register.

Cultural Characteristic Modifiers (Option)

Some cultures might receive modifiers to basic characteristics, such as SIZ. This can be a potentially sensitive topic. Your gamemaster is encouraged to award such bonuses with caution, and to balance positive bonuses with negative ones, or to equalize play by giving all cultures an equivalent bonus, though maybe to different characteristics or attributes. It is emphatically not recommended to penalize INT, no matter what the apparent justification. No player should be penalized for choosing a particular culture. It is also recommended that this be used only for settings where such distinctions are commonly acceptable, such as in fantasy worlds where bloodlines are unique or in science-fiction settings where humanity has been shaped by genetic manipulation and has adapted to the galactic environment.

Characteristic Rolls

Some challenges do not intuitively map to particular skills. Can a hunter stay awake in a blind all night waiting for their quarry? Can a hardened detective piece together the tantalizing clue hidden in the scraps of evidence? In these situations, your gamemaster can call for a characteristic roll: a D100 roll against an appropriate characteristic, multiplied by another number. Your gamemaster decides which multiplier to use based on the difficulty of the task. Standard characteristic rolls use a multiplier of ×5, though extremely difficult tasks may require a multiplier of ×2, or even be based on the characteristic itself as a percentage. For more details on task difficulty and modifier selection, see Chapter 5: System.

Effort Roll (STR×5)

Most feats of strength involve matching STR against the SIZ of the lifted object on the resistance table (see Chapter 5: System). In cases when a SIZ rating is not available or is difficult to determine, use an Effort roll. Effort rolls can also be used as an easy way to determine things such as whether a character can pull themselves up onto a ledge. Are they worn out at the end of a long hike? An Effort roll is a quick way to decide.

Stamina Roll (CON×5)

Based upon CON, Stamina rolls measure endurance. Use a Stamina roll whenever physical or intestinal fortitude is in question. To list a few examples, a Stamina roll might determine whether a character can stay awake all night, or endure seasickness, ill-prepared food, or strong drink with no ill effects.

Idea Roll (INT×5)

An Idea roll represents the ability to make clever guesses, informed hunches, or reasonable deductions based upon nothing but observation and raw intellect. When no skill seems appropriate, an Idea roll can show understanding of a concept or the ability to unravel a puzzle. Memory is also part of the Idea roll: use an Idea roll to remember an important detail, retrace steps through a labyrinth, or memorize a lengthy formula.

Your gamemaster may also allow an Idea roll if you are stalled, getting you back on track by revealing a hidden meaning of some already uncovered clue, or letting them know that something ‘doesn’t quite seem right’ about a particular person, place, or thing. This type of Idea roll should only be granted at your gamemaster’s discretion and is not generally solicited by players.

Your gamemaster may also require an Idea roll if you wish to have your character think or behave in a manner that represents player knowledge vs. character knowledge. If a character is a primitive hunter encountering modern technology, for example, your gamemaster may require an Idea roll for them to be able to grasp basic concepts of the item, even if the player automatically knows what it is based on its description.

Luck Roll (POW×5)

Luck is the knack of being in the right place at the right time, having things work out despite the expectation, or the uncanny ability to escape a random peril unscathed. Does your character just happen to have that one special bit or equipment? Will a friendly passerby lend a hand if they are stranded by the side of the road? Does the hideous creature attack the character or a nearby nonplayer character? Does a character fall through a weak floor, or snag their clothes on a splintered plank and escape plummeting to death? Luck rolls can be used to answer all these questions. Successful Luck rolls can create fortunate coincidences under normal circumstances or save someone from certain doom in an emergency.

Agility Roll (DEX×5)

Whenever a feat of deftness, balance, or agility is called for and no appropriate skill exists, use an Agility roll to measure success. An Agility roll might, for example, determine if a character can keep their balance on a heaving ship’s deck, gather up all the pieces of a broken vase in a hurry, run carrying a precious elixir without spilling any, or grab the vine at the edge of a cliff before falling off.

Charm Roll (CHA×5)

Use Charm rolls to adjudicate interpersonal reactions not covered by an existing skill. Making a good first impression, seducing an acquaintance, or becoming the person a group turns to first for guidance are all good uses for a Charm roll. If a character is standing outside a trendy night club wanting to be let in, a successful Charm roll will get them noticed and waved through the door.

The Education Characteristic (Option)

The seven main characteristics serve for most games, regardless of setting, but Education (EDU), an optional eighth characteristic, can be used to help generate starting skill points. EDU works best in modern or futuristic settings but can be easily adapted to any campaign setting.

Education (EDU)

Education measures a character’s grasp of general knowledge gained through a rounded educational system or some other broad learning method. It is not a substitute for specific knowledge about a field—instead it represents general knowledge of the world. Whether gained through formal study, training, or hard-won experience, EDU can also measure how many years a character has trained or studied to reach their current knowledge level.

EDU does not automatically correlate to 1 EDU point = 1 year in school. It can also represent general life knowledge as well as dedicated study. Not all years in school are educational, just as all time spent outside school does not mean nothing is learned. EDU can be readily adapted to most settings—its meaning is obvious in settings with standardized educational systems. In a medieval setting, it might represent tutoring or study in collegiums, lyceums, or monasteries, or extensive travel along exotic trade routes and to foreign ports.

Memory loss can reduce EDU, while a year of hard study or intensive training increases it by +1. An EDU 0 indicates a void of knowledge of the outside world, though this does not mean that everyone is a near-amnesiac in campaigns where this characteristic is not used. EDU does not apply to animals or creatures without an EDU characteristic—their knowledge is either instinctual or is based on different precepts.

Use of EDU should also be paired with the Know roll (EDU×5).

The Knowledge Roll (EDU×5) (Option)

The Knowledge roll covers the facts and trivia that the average person knows as ‘general knowledge.’ Know rolls can be used to recall different kinds of facts, depending on the setting and even the culture of a given character. A medieval peasant might use a Knowledge roll to remember the name of a noble lord or the details of the lives of saints, while a modern citizen of the USA would recall important presidents or remember what happens if bleach and ammonia mix. Knowledge rolls should rarely take the place of a more specialized Knowledge skill, and deal strictly with facts. Making good use of those facts is a function of INT.

Derived Characteristics

In addition to characteristics (and their attendant characteristic rolls), a character is also defined by a set of derived characteristics, figured from their characteristics. If injuries, magic, or other factors increase or decrease a characteristic, all characteristics derived from that characteristic immediately change to reflect the new value.

For example, your character (CON 16, SIZ 14, HP 15) falls victim to a deadly poison, which reduces their CON value to 10. Your character’s maximum hit points immediately drop from 15 (16+14=30, divided to 15) to 12 (10+14=24, divided to 12). Additionally, their major wound total drops from 8 to 6. If wounds had already brought your character lower than 12 hit points, they would not take any additional damage, but they are limited to the 12 hit point maximum until their original CON is restored.

Damage Modifier (STR+SIZ, see table)

Bigger, stronger characters and creatures are more powerful in physical combat, inflicting more damage than average with each strike. Smaller, weaker beings inflict less damage with their attacks. The damage modifier reflects this advantage, expressed in terms of damage dice added or subtracted from the damage of successful attacks.

A character adds their full damage modifier to all hits with brawling or melee weapons. In the case of a negative damage modifier, subtract the appropriate dice from any inflicted damage. If the total is 0 or less, the blow is too soft to inflict any harm. An attack never does negative damage, so if the modified damage roll goes below 0, count it as 0.

Missile weapons don’t allow a character to use their full damage modifier. If your character’s damage modifier is positive, divide the results in half (round up) when using a thrown weapon or a bow. If the damage modifier is negative, keep the modifier as is. Self-propelled weapons (firearms, energy missile weapons, etc.) do not receive a damage modifier.

To calculate damage modifier, add the character’s STR and SIZ, and find the result on the Damage Modifier table (following).

Damage Modifier Table

STR+SIZ	Damage Modifier	STR+SIZ	Damage Modifier
2–12	–1D6	73–88	+4D6
13–16	–1D4	89–104	+5D6
17–24	None	105–120	+6D6
25–32	+1D4	121–136	+7D6
33–40	+1D6	137–152	+8D6
41–56	+2D6	153–168	+9D6
57–72	+3D6	Each +16	Additional +1D6

Experience Bonus (1/2 INT)

The smarter a character is, the faster they can learn, especially under stress. To determine their experience bonus, divide their INT by 2, rounding up. Add the experience bonus to the learning roll for each experience check your character makes to improve a skill or characteristic. Consult Chapter 5: System and Skill Improvement.

Hit Points (Average of CON and SIZ)

Hit points represent your character’s capacity to withstand punishment and physical injury. When you take damage, you subtract hit points from your total. Calculate maximum hit points by adding your character’s CON and SIZ scores, then divide the total by 2. Round all fractions up.

Your character loses consciousness when their hit points are reduced to 2 or less, and if their hit points reach 0, they die at the end of the following round. You can lose more hit points than you have, so keep track of any negative value. Lost hit points heal naturally at a rate of 1D3 points per game week, though medical attention can speed recovery. See Damage & Healing.

Total Hit Points (Option)

For hardier player-characters able to survive quite a bit more damage, use CON+SIZ to determine hit points, without dividing by 2. This results in characters who can handle themselves well in combat, take injuries without much inconvenience, and makes major wounds much less common. Injuries caused by special and critical successes are much less likely to kill characters outright. This optional system can easily be used with the hit points per location system, increasing the chances that characters will remain attached to their limbs, and vice versa.

To draw a major distinction between player characters and weaker “cannon-fodder” nonplayer-characters, your gamemaster might have only the player characters and important nonplayer-characters use hit points equaling CON+SIZ, giving all other nonplayer-characters hit points based on (CON+SIZ)/2. This gives a significant advantage to player characters, and allows them to survive more than a few solid injuries. It also allows for player characters who can take on large numbers of nonplayer-characters without significant fear of being killed by one critical blow.

Hit Points by Hit Location (Option)

For more detailed combat, hit points are divided among your character’s body parts. If an attack is successful, a D20 roll determines where the blow lands. If using the optional hit location system (see Hit Locations), your character’s hit points are divided among their various hit locations. Use the following formula for humanoids, rounding up for each location:

Location	Hit Point Value
Leg, Abdomen, Head	1/3 total hit points
Chest	4/10 total hit points
Arm	1/4 total hit points

The humanoid hit point spread is provided below based on Maximum Hit Points.

Location	1–2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11–12	13–15	16–17	18	19–20	21
Each Leg	1	1	2	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	5	6	6	7	7
Abdomen	1	1	2	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	5	6	6	7	7
Chest	1	2	2	2	3	3	4	4	4	5	6	7	8	8	9
Each Arm	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	5	5	6
Head	1	1	2	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	5	6	6	7	7

The sum of your character’s hit points by location exceeds their maximum hit points, but whenever a character is wounded, the rolled damage is subtracted from both that location’s hit point total and your character’s maximum hit points.

Damage exceeding a location’s total hit points renders it useless. Damage equal to twice a location’s hit point total crushes or severs it. See Damage per Hit Location.

For example, your character has 14 hit points, with 5 hit points in each leg, 5 hit points in the abdomen, 6 hit points in the chest, 4 hit points in each arm, and 5 hit points in their head. Even though their hit points in all locations total 34, your character will die if they suffer a total of 14 hit points of damage.

The Major Wound system is not easily compatible with the hit location system and should a gamemaster choose to use the optional hit locations and Damage by Hit Location systems, the major wound system should be eliminated or adapted considerably, perhaps with the nature of the major wound being chosen by your gamemaster where applicable.

Major Wounds (1/2 of HP)

Divide your character’s hit point total in half, rounding up if necessary. This total is their major wound level. If your character takes this amount of damage from a single wound, they may suffer horrific side-effects as well as simple hit point loss. See** Major Wound**s in Chapter 6: Combat.

Power Points (Max = POW)

Power points (PP) represent your character’s vital essence, their reserves of spiritual or life energy. Your character spends power points to cast or resist spells. Your character’s maximum power points are usually equal to their POW characteristic. Generally, spent power points regenerate at a rate of 1 per hour of sleep or total rest, or 1 for every two hours of normal activity. See the Power Point Recovery Rate Table for rates for higher POW scores. If your character is engaged in strenuous activity, they cannot regain power points. When your character’s power point total falls to 0, they are completely exhausted, and faint until regaining at least 1 power point. You cannot have negative power points.

Power Point Recovery Rate Table

Max PP	Asleep	Awake
1–24	1 per hour	1 per 2 hours
25–48	2 per hour	1 per hour
49–72	3 per hour	1 per 40 minutes
73–96	4 per hour	1 per 30 minutes
97+	+1 per hour	divide time in half

Unlike hit points or fatigue points, power points can climb above the maximum for brief times under certain conditions. As noted, if your character receives additional power points (usually through the use of a power), they can store up to twice their POW characteristic in extra power points. Any power points beyond that are lost. If your character uses any power points while over their normal maximum, these must come from the extra power points first. These extra power points are not renewed and do not regenerate as normal and dissipate entirely after a night’s sleep or a suitable juncture determined by your gamemaster.

Items that store power points and allow the wielder to use the stored power points do not count against this total, as long as the power points are not stored in the user’s own power point reserve. In most cases, the power points are used straight from the item’s reserve, and do not affect the user’s own power points. See Chapter 8: Equipment for more on items with power point reservoirs.

Other Kinds of Power Points (Option)

Due to the variety of powers in Chapter 4: Powers, “power points” is used in place of other names like “temporary power” or “magic points.”. If desired, your gamemaster can change the name to “energy points” or “magic points” or whatever is appropriate to the setting. If systems other than magic or sorcery are used, it is recommended to keep them called power points, to avoid confusion. It is advised not to use two different names for power points in the same game.

Movement (MOV)

All human and humanoid characters begin with a movement (MOV) attribute of 10. This measures how much distance your character can move in a combat round. A unit is a flexible distance, and can range from 1–5 meters, depending on how quickly your character is moving.

• A walk is 1 meter per MOV.
• A run is up to 5 meters per MOV.
• An average rate of movement in combat is 3 meters (yards) per unit, meaning that on average, your character moves 30 meters a combat round.

Movement rates are described further in Movement Rates in Chapter 5: System.

Fatigue Points and Sanity Points (Option)

Some optional systems and powers refer to fatigue points and sanity points. For a more detailed encumbrance and fatigue system, your gamemaster should use fatigue points (described below). Games based on horror, blasphemous sorcery, or indescribable atrocity will depend heavily on the use of the sanity system (also below).

Fatigue Points (Max = STR + CON)

Fatigue points (FP) measure your character’s endurance, such as how long they can engage in strenuous activity before exhaustion sets in. Your character’s maximum fatigue points are equal to their STR+CON. Your character expends 1 fatigue point per combat round of strenuous activity (melee combat, swimming, sprinting, climbing, etc.). Sprinting or backbreaking labor costs 1 fatigue point per turn. Forced marches cost 1 fatigue point per hour. Unlike hit points and power points, your character can continue to act with negative fatigue points.

When your character drops below 0 fatigue points, they suffer a penalty of –1% per negative point of fatigue to all skill, characteristic, and resistance rolls. When your character’s negative fatigue point total equals their base fatigue value (STR+CON), they are incapacitated by exhaustion, incapable of action. An exhausted character may fall unconscious (gamemaster discretion), and even if they remain awake, they cannot act until their fatigue point value regenerates to a positive number. Your character’s encumbrance value (ENC) also affects their base fatigue value. See Encumbrance.

Your character regains 1 fatigue point every minute (5 rounds) where they do not spend fatigue points. Resting, walking at a slow pace, or riding a beast or vehicle does not expend fatigue. An average character recovers from 0 to their full fatigue point total in 20 minutes (assuming a STR 10, CON 10, and 1 fatigue point recovered per minute of rest).

Simple Fatigue

For a simpler version of fatigue eliminates fatigue points altogether, your gamemaster may declare that after some massive endeavor or extreme physical hardship, your character is fatigued. They are either ready for action, or they are fatigued. Your gamemaster may allow a Stamina roll to escape being fatigued after a period of physical exertion.

Using this method, your character grow tired after spending CON×3 uninterrupted combat rounds in battle or difficult physical activity. After that, your character is automatically fatigued, and all skill rolls are Difficult.

After spending CON×4 uninterrupted combat rounds in battle or difficult physical activity, your character makes all their skills as if they were 1/4 the normal skill rating and must make a successful Stamina roll to do anything physical before the skill rating can even be attempted.

After CON×10 rounds of such activity, your character is utterly exhausted, and is barely able to lift their weapon, stand upright without something to lean on, etc. At this point, your character must make a Difficult Stamina roll to do any basic action, and your gamemaster may rule that any skill roll is Impossible or limited to your character’s POW×1.

Sanity Points (Max = POW×5)

As described in Sanity (see Chapter 10: Settings), sanity points (SAN) represent your character’s mental and emotional fortitude, and their ability to withstand shock, terror, and cosmic awfulness. Your character’s base SAN points equal their POW×5.

Whenever your character is exposed to a horrifying situation or mind-bending strangeness, they must roll D100 against their current SAN point total. If your character fails (or perhaps even if they succeed) they lose sanity points.

A character who suffers sufficient SAN loss will likely go mad. Your character’s temporary insanity score (like a Major Wound Threshold) equals ½ their current SAN. Losing this many SAN points in a five-minute period results in some form of temporary insanity.

Sanity points do not naturally regenerate and can only be recovered under very specific circumstances. Characters can gain SAN beyond their base value, to a maximum of 99. Certain types of blasphemous knowledge can limit a character’s maximum allowable SAN score.

Distinctive Features (Option)

Distinctive features are a way of describing notable features about your character. These are descriptive only and have no mechanical value. They serve to help make your player character seem more real. The further from average—higher or lower—your character’s Charisma (CHA) characteristic, the greater number of distinctive features they have.

Distinctive Features

CHA	Number of Features
3 or less	4
4–7	3
8–9	2
10–11	1
12–14	2
15–16	3
17+	4

Roll 1D10 or choose a category below for each distinctive feature your character has. You can choose the same category multiple times. Then choose a feature or features from the entry. These are all cosmetic and do not affect game values, but it is useful to keep your character’s characteristics and skills in mind when picking distinctive features.

If your character’s CHA is low (9 or lower), these features may be unpleasant, unattractive, or unusual looking. If your character’s CHA is high (12+), the features are attractive or impressive-looking, even if the feature would be normally not one thought of as attractive. However, this is not restrictive, and appearance is not always indicative of actual charisma.

As you choose, picture your character in your mind, and imagine how they appear in the game’s setting. You can also combine different features in interesting ways. Your gamemaster may veto certain distinctive features if they would be out of place, depending on the setting.

1—Hair on Head: Bald, bald on top, blond, black, braided, brown, crew-cut, curly, dirty, full of lice, glossy, gray, long, lustrous, matted, oily, perfumed, receding, red, shaven, spiky, very long, wavy, wig, feature of your choice.

2—Facial Hair: Arched eyebrows, braided beard, bushy beard, curled and perfumed beard, enormous mustachios, eyebrows grown together, goatee, long beard, no eyebrows, sideburns, strange designs cut in close-trimmed beard, thick eyebrows, feature of your choice.

3—Facial Feature: Birthmark, black eyes, blue eyes, bright eyes, broken nose, broken teeth, brown eyes, deeply tanned, double chin, earrings, enormous chin, even teeth, eye patch, fleshy lips, gap in teeth, gray eyes, hairy ears, high cheekbones, hooked nose, large eyes, large nose, long eyelashes, jagged teeth, nose ring, pale, pockmarked skin, pointed chin, pointed teeth, prominent incisors, pug nose, round face, scar, sensuous lips, stained teeth, tattooed, thin lips, tiny ears, turned-up nose, warts, weak chin, white teeth, wide-eyed, yellow teeth, feature of your choice.

4—Expression: Adoring, alluring, arrogant, bemused, bright-eyed, curious, cringing, dour, drunken, friendly, guarded, haughty, lecherous, leering, meek, mischievous, naïve, outgoing, piercing, pleasant, proud, seductive, sneaky, sneering, squinting, expression of your choice.

5—Clothes: Ancient style, armored hat, athletic, barefoot, clothes leave wearer too hot or too cold, conical hat, embroidered with special emblem, expensive, fashionable, fine boots, for wrong sex, formfitting, full of holes, garish, gaudy, ill-fitting, lots of cheap jewelry, new, nightclothes, partly nude, peaked hat, prim, rich, sandals, satiny, sexy, skintight, sporty, subdued, too much ornamentation, uniform, utilitarian, vulgar, wide hat, clothes of your choice.

6—Bearing: Angry, casual, clumsy, confident, ethereal, fearful, graceful, humble, jaunty, languid, military, nimble, plodding, pushy, reserved, slouching, sprightly, stiff, swaggering, sensual, swaying, wary, weary, yielding, bearing of your choice.

7—Speech: Accented, affected, aggressive, deep, demanding, drawling, faint, hesitant, high-pitched, imperious, musical, mumbling, nasal, raspy, sharp, sensual, shrill, slow, smooth, soft-spoken, strong, throaty, unintelligible, whining, speech characteristic of your choice.

8—Arms and Hands: Birthmark visible, bracelets or other arm jewelry, bulging biceps, calloused hands, deeply tanned, hairless, hairy, knobby elbows, large knuckles, left-handed, long arms, long fingernails, muscular, one arm longer than the other, one finger missing, one too many fingers present, pointed elbows, pointed fingernails, powerful arms and hands, rings, scar, slender, smooth-skinned, tattooed, unlined, very hairy, very pale skin, feature of your choice.

9—Torso: Barrel-like, belly ring, birthmark visible, broad-shouldered, curvy, every bone shows, flat stomach, hairless, high waist, lean, long torso, many scars, muscular, narrow, no navel, one nipple gone, potbellied, prominent scar, short, shrunken chest, sinewy, sleek, slender, slim-hipped, svelte, tall, tan lines visible, tanned, tattooed, thick, thin, very hairy, very pale, willowy, feature of your choice.

10—Legs and Feet: Birthmark visible, bulging thighs and calves, calloused feet, deeply tanned, hairless, hairy, knobby knees, limping in one leg, many scars, muscular, one toe missing, one too many toes present, scar, scars from flame or acid, sleek, smooth, tanned, tattooed, toe ring, very hairy, very long legs, very pale skin, very short legs, weathered skin, feature of your choice.

Come up with distinctive features of your own if these are not sufficient. For games featuring non-human races, feel free to add new and unique features, or disallow inappropriate features.

Professions

In addition to being defined by characteristics, your character is also defined in terms of their skills. These are learned through life experience, often as part of education and a profession. A profession is a job or vocation your character is assumed to be a part of when they begin play (or was a part of before play began), guiding skill allocation. A profession is just where they start when play begins and is not a limit to what they can do and become. They can grow and change over the course of a campaign far beyond their profession.

Professions by Setting

Following is a listing of the more common professions, with notes about the settings in which they would be commonly encountered. These settings are described in Chapter 10: Settings. Some profession titles and initial skill lists may not be suitable for each setting and should be adjusted by the players and gamemaster as required.

For example, in campaign set in ancient Japan, your gamemaster tells you that the warrior profession is called samurai, assassin is a ninja, the thief is a bandit, the criminal is a yakuza, and the noble is a courtier.

These lists are not exhaustive but represents the most suitable professions for player characters in each general setting. These professions can be expanded as desired, and even unlikely choices are possible. Our own modern world still has small pockets of tribespersons and shamans, for example, though they are hardly common.

Settings and Skills

You and your gamemaster should make sure the skills associated with a profession fit the game’s setting. For inappropriate skills, substitute a different specialty if that makes it work, and if no other specialty is appropriate, choose another skill within the same category. See Chapter 3: Skills for more information on skill specialties and skill categories.

Skill Category Bonuses (Option)

If you and your gamemaster want your character’s characteristics to influence their skill ratings, you should employ this system. As described in the Chapter 3: Skills, each skill is grouped into skill categories. Each category is linked to one or more characteristics that are used to compute a skill category bonus for each category. To compute the bonus for each skill category, note the primary, secondary, and negative characteristics of each category (or use the chart below):

• Primary characteristics add +1% for every point over 10 and subtract –1% for every point under 10.
• Secondary characteristics add +1% for every 2 points over 10 and subtract –1% for every 2 points under 10. Round down.
• Negative characteristics subtract –1% for every point over 10 and add +1% for every point under 10.

Skill Category Modifiers

Category	Primary	Secondary	Negative
Combat skills	DEX	INT, STR	—
Communication skills	INT	POW, CHA	—
Manipulation skills	DEX	INT, STR	—
Mental skills	INT	POW, EDU	—
Perception skills	INT	POW, CON	—
Physical skills	DEX	STR, CON	SIZ

For example, your character has the following characteristics: STR 14, CON 13, INT 8, SIZ 12, POW 10, DEX 12, and CHA 8. Their skill category bonuses are:

• Combat: +3% (+2 for DEX, +2 for STR, –1 for INT)
• Communication: –3% (–2 for INT, 0 for POW, –1 for CHA)
• Manipulation: +3% (+2 for DEX, –1 for INT, +2 for STR)
• Mental: –2% (–2 from INT, 0 for POW, EDU is not used in this campaign)
• Perception: –1% (–2 for INT, 0 for POW, +1 for CON)
• Physical: +3% (+2 for DEX, +2 for STR, +1 for CON, –2 for SIZ)

See Chapter 3: Skills for more information about skill categories, category bonuses, and base skill chances.

Skill Bonus Table

Value	Primary	Secondary	Negative
1	-9%	-4%	+9%
2	-8%	-4%	+8%
3	-7%	-3%	+7%
4	-6%	-3%	+6%
5	-5%	-2%	+5%
6	-4%	-2%	+4%
7	-3%	-1%	+3%
8-2%	-1%	+2%
9	-1%	-0%	+1%
10	+0%	+0%	-0%
11	+1%	+0%	-1%
12	+2%	+1%	-2%
13	+3%	+1%	-3%
14	+4%	+2%	-4%
15	+5%	+2%	-5%
16	+6%	+3%	-6%
17	+7%	+3%	-7%
18	+8%	+4%	-8%
19	+9%	+4%	-9%
20	+10%	+5%	-10%
21	+11%	+5%	-11%
Etc.	+1%/	+1%/	-1%/
	point	2 points	point

Simpler Skill Bonuses

If calculating skill category bonuses is too complicated, each category bonus can instead be defined as 1/2 of the primary characteristic (round up). This method results in higher initial skill chances and eliminates the chance of a category penalty. If desired, use the simple skill category modifiers from the following table.

Simple Skill Category Modifiers

Category	Primary
Combat skills	DEX/2
Communication skills	CHA/2
Manipulation skills	DEX/2
Mental skills	INT/2
Perception skills	POW/2
Physical skills	STR/2

Professions A Through Z

Most of these professions are generic enough to be suitable for many settings or eras. Each includes a general description, a list of appropriate skills, and a suggested wealth level. Each setting in Chapter 10: Settings suggests appropriate professions.

These professions are not exhaustive. Depending on the setting, your or your gamemaster may create additional professions, or adapt existing professions even more. Information on creating new professions or adapting existing ones is found in Creating New Professions.

Your gamemaster may limit your choices of profession or ask you to determine your profession randomly, but it is usually preferable to choose a profession, to prevent being forced to play a character you will not enjoy.

Skills: These skills are the main skills used by members of that profession. Your character will spend their professional skill points on these skills during character creation. Your character does not have to have all these skills, but these are a suggestion of which skills would be appropriate. With your gamemaster’s permission, you can substitute any of these skills for another if the skill does not fit with the era, setting, or your character concept.

For example, you wish to play a constable with a penchant for deduction in a campaign set in 12th century England. You look at the professions list and see that the Detective template lists the Firearms (Pistol or Revolver) skill. It would be wholly reasonable to switch this with Melee Weapon (Sword) for that setting.

Wealth: An average wealth level for a character in that profession. In some cases, a range is provided, allowing for you and your gamemaster to decide the most appropriate to the setting. The description is meant to be a suggestion only; you and your gamemaster may choose to adjust the suggested wealth level up or down depending on your character concept.

An alternate method of determining initial wealth level where a range is presented is to begin with your character at the lowest of the wealth ranges, adjusted upward for each successful Status roll you can make. This should be done after your character has been created.

While the Status skill describes the ways in which Status and wealth relate to one another, a brief description of each wealth level is below.

Special: This indicates whether a member of the profession is likely to have powers, described in Chapter 4: Powers.

Wealth

Ultimately, wealth represents what your character’s economic status is at the start of play, and what they are accustomed to. Each level below describes the relative state of someone in that wealth level. Wealth is covered further in Chapter 8: Equipment, as it determines what sort of possessions your character can initially own and acquire in play.

Destitute

Penniless, your character must scavenge food and drink or rely on charity. Homeless, they sleep wherever they can find a dry and safe spot. They may have some small possessions other than what they can carry, but these are not particularly valuable and are hidden away, stolen if discovered. This level of poverty is probably reflected in your character’s appearance, and they may have difficulty performing normal tasks due to prejudice against the destitute.

Poor

While your character has some money and does not want for a place to sleep or food to eat, their life is without much luxury. They do not have much free cash. With this level of wealth, their abode is humble and potentially in a poor or undesirable part of town. They are partly employed, unemployed, or work hard for meager wages.

Average

Your character has a comfortable income and lives without much difficulty, though major purchases must be weighed carefully. They have an average home or apartment somewhere and may have a reasonable amount of money in savings, though few would think them anything other than middle class or of average income. They can pay their bills and expenses, and can splurge occasionally on luxury items, but they are generally living a lifestyle common to most people in their culture and era.

Affluent

Your character is doing quite well and has a considerable income or stream of money with which they can live opulently and enjoy life. Living accommodations are very upscale, and your character does not need to think twice about making major purchases. They have a large amount of money saved and may live a life of excess and luxury without any consequences.

Wealthy

Your character has vast material wealth from a near-inexhaustible source. They can make purchases of considerable expense without a second thought, with a quality of life enviable to most. They have a great amount of money saved, and due to their level of wealth, are likely to have social and business opportunities far beyond those of any other income level.

A List of Professions

Artist	Gambler	Scholar
Assassin	Herder	Scientist
Athlete	Hunter	Servant
Beggar	Journalist	Shaman
Clerk	Laborer	Slave
Computer Tech	Lawkeeper	Soldier
Occultist	Lawyer	Spy
Crafter	Mechanic	Student
Criminal	Merchant	Teacher
Detective	Noble	Technician
Doctor	Writer	Thief
Engineer	Pilot	Tribesperson
Entertainer	Politician	Warrior
Explorer	Priest	Wizard
Farmer	Sailor

Artist

You make your living through making art, whether drawing, painting, sculpture, design, photography, filmmaking, or any other means of creative expression in a physical or digital medium. Performers should refer to the Entertainer profession.

• Wealth: Any, but usually Poor or Average.
• Skills: Any two Art skills, any Craft, Insight, one appropriate Knowledge skill, Language (Other), Language (Own), Listen, Research, Spot.

Assassin

As a coldblooded professional assassin, death is your trade. Whether you kill for money or some other cause, you are skilled in the termination of other living beings, usually in secrecy.

• Wealth: Average or Affluent. You may also have a wide range of weapons and false identities, as appropriate to setting.
• Skills: Dodge, Hide, Listen, Spot, Stealth, and five of the following as appropriate to setting: Brawl, Disguise, Drive, Electronics, Grapple, Firearm (any), Fine Manipulation, Martial Arts, Melee Weapon (any), Missile Weapon (any), Ride, Throw, Track.

Athlete

Whether professional or amateur, state-sponsored or still in school, you excel in a style of sports or exercise, honing your body and resolve for solo or team athletic competition.

• Wealth: Poor through Wealthy, usually Average or Affluent.
• Skills: Climb, Dodge, Jump, Stealth, Throw and choose five of the following as appropriate to setting and sport: Brawl, First Aid, Grapple, Insight, Listen, Martial Arts, Spot, Ride, Swim.

Beggar

You survive by begging for money, food, and other necessities. You may call yourself a hobo, homeless, or a wandering vagabond. Perhaps you had a run of bad luck, are of a discriminated-against group, have a criminal past you cannot escape, or insanity or substance abuse drove you to this state.

• Wealth: Destitute, though some beggars are actually Poor and only pretend to be worse off.
• Skills: Bargain, Fast Talk, Hide, Insight, Knowledge (Region: local area), Listen, Persuade, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Stealth.

Clerk

You spend your days at a desk, usually working in some financial field. This profession could be one where you deal with customers, such as an accountant or salaried employee in a company, government, or other organization.

• Wealth: Average.
• Skills: Bargain, Etiquette, Knowledge (Accounting), Knowledge (Law), one other Knowledge, Language (Own), Persuade, Research, Status, and either Technical Skill (Computer Use) or Literacy, as appropriate by era.

Computer Tech

You could be a corporate software engineer or an illicit hacker. Alternately, you could be working in any of the many fields of software development. Much of your life is spent interfaced with a computer, often connected to the world’s information network. Lines of code, data, and other virtual assets are as real to you as the tools and materials of other craftsmen.

• Wealth: Average to Affluent.
• Skills: Craft (Computer Hardware or Code), one Knowledge skill, Language (Other) (a programming language), Repair (Electrical), Repair (Electronics), Research, Science (Mathematics), Status, Technical (Computer Use), and choose one of the following skills as specialties as appropriate to setting: Accounting, Hide, Knowledge (Law).

Crafter

Whether a village blacksmith, a glassblower, or a maker of finely tuned watches, you make trade goods by hand and sell them to interested buyers. You usually work in a shop, whether you own it or are merely employed there.

• Wealth: Poor to Affluent, usually Average.
• Skills: Appraise, any one Art, Bargain, any two Craft skills, Spot, Research, Status, and choose two of the following as appropriate to setting and trade: Fine Manipulation, Heavy Machine, Repair (Electrical), Repair (Electronics), Repair (Mechanical).

Criminal

You make your way through the world by breaking the law, whether by strong-arm theft, organized crime, picking pockets, or some other means of gaining valuables or money illegally.

• Wealth: Poor to Affluent, sometimes Wealthy, usually Average.
• Skills: Bargain, Hide, Stealth, Drive or Ride, and choose any six of the following as appropriate to setting and racket: Appraise, Brawl, Climb, Fast Talk, Fine Manipulation, Firearm (any), Gaming, Grapple, Insight, Jump, Knowledge (Law), Listen, Martial Arts, Melee Weapon (any, usually knives or clubs), Persuade, Spot, Throw.

Detective

Whether employed by the police or working privately, you use skills of observation, deduction, and criminology to determine who has committed crimes. You may have a wide range of forensic and scientific skills or operate on gut instincts.

• Wealth: Average or Affluent.
• Skills: Firearm (Handgun), Knowledge (Law), Listen, Persuade, Spot, Research, and choose four of the following as appropriate to setting and concept: Art, Brawl, Disguise, Dodge, Drive, Fast Talk, Firearm (any), Grapple, Hide, Insight, Knowledge (any), Language (Other), Language (Own), Medicine, Ride, Science (any), Technical (Computer Use), Stealth, Track.

Doctor

You have made it your calling to treat the injured, infirm, sick, and otherwise unhealthy, using diagnostic skills and medical practices gained through extensive training and study. You may have taken an oath to help any who need it, no matter what they have done or who they are.

• Wealth: Average to Affluent.
• Skills: First Aid, Language (Other), Medicine, Persuade, Research, Spot, and choose four of the following as appropriate to setting: Insight, Language (various), Psychotherapy, Science (any), Status.

Engineer

You build, repair, or maintain machines, work in construction, or are a mechanic dealing with technology appropriate to your era and setting, from simple stone architecture to highly advanced spaceship drive systems. Some engineers maintain and operate a large and complex vehicle of some sort, from a sailing ship to a space cruiser, while others are employed in the creation and maintenance of siege engines or architectural structures.

• Wealth: Poor to Affluent, usually Average.
• Skills: Craft (any), Repair (Mechanical), Repair (Structural), Spot, Status, and five of the following, as appropriate to setting and concept: Art (usually Drafting), Drive, Heavy Machine, Knowledge (any), Pilot (any), Repair (Electrical), Repair (Electronics), Science (any), or Technical (Computer Use).

Entertainer

You use your performing talent to entertain audiences of all sizes, improvisational or scripted, in person or through broadcast transmission or prerecorded distribution.

• Wealth: Destitute to Wealthy, usually Average.
• Skills: Art (any), Disguise, Fast Talk, Fine Manipulation, Insight, Language (Other), Language (Other), Listen, Perform (any), Persuade.

Explorer

You have made it your life’s work to seek out the unknown corners of the world, go where none have gone before, and to bring back knowledge of what you have found, either for glory or in the name of discovery.

• Wealth: Affluent or Wealthy.
• Skills: Climb, Language (Other), Language (Own), Persuade, Research, Spot, and four of the following as appropriate: Knowledge (Anthropology, Group, History, Natural World, or Region), Drive, Fast Talk, Firearm (Pistol, Revolver, or Rifle), Navigate, Pilot (Aircraft or Boat), Ride, Science (Geology), Swim, Track.

Farmer

As a farmer you dwell in a rural or barely tamed area, coaxing a living out of the land through growing crops or tending animal herds. It is a hard life with long days of backbreaking labor, but nonetheless satisfying.

• Wealth: Poor to Affluent, usually Average.
• Skills: Bargain, Craft (any), Knowledge (Natural History), Listen, Spot, and five of the following as appropriate to setting and concept: Brawl, Drive, Firearm (Rifle or Shotgun), First Aid, Heavy Machine, Knowledge (History), Repair (Mechanical), Ride, Science (Biology, Botany, or Geology), Track.

Gambler

You survive by the whim of chance, or by cheating fate in games of luck and skill. Inevitably, you travel around; drifting from one gambling arena to another, sometimes one step ahead of the law, hoping your luck won’t dry up.

• Wealth: Poor to Affluent, usually Average.
• Skills: Bargain, Brawl, Dodge, Fast Talk, Gaming, Insight, Knowledge (Accounting), Persuade, Sleight of Hand, Spot.

Herder

You make your living tending herd animals, riding the open range and taking care of the herds, finding strays and bringing them to market when it is time to sell.

• Wealth: Poor to Average, occasionally Affluent.
• Skills: Craft (usually knots), Firearm (Rifle), Knowledge (Natural History), Knowledge (Region: the Range), Listen, Navigate, Ride, Spot, Throw, Track.

Hunter

Whether for survival or for the thrill of the hunt, you specialize in tracking and either trapping or killing wild animals or other beings.

• Wealth: Poor or Average, unless a big game or sport hunter, then Wealthy.
• Skills: Climb, Hide, Listen, Navigate, Spot, Stealth, Track, and three of the following as appropriate to setting and concept: Firearm (Rifle or Shotgun), Knowledge (Natural History or Region), Language (Other), Melee Weapon (usually Spear), Missile Weapon (any), Ride.

Journalist

Whether a columnist for a weekly paper, a web journalist, a photojournalist, a television anchor, or a gonzo commentator, you make a living from the coverage and analysis of events, to be broadcast or distributed in some other medium. This may come with some measure of fame or notoriety.

• Wealth: Average to Affluent.
• Skills: Fast Talk, Insight, Language (Own), Listen, Persuade, Research, Spot, and three of the following as appropriate to setting and concept: Art (Photography), Craft (Photography), Disguise, Hide, Knowledge (any), Language (Other), Status, Stealth, Technical (Computer Use).

Laborer

You are a blue-collar worker, whether on a factory line, in a warehouse, or simply heavy labor. Your muscle and ability to do repetitive tasks are more important than any brainpower you can muster.

• Wealth: Poor or Average.
• Skills: Climb, Craft (any), Drive, Brawl, Grapple, Heavy Machine, and four others, as appropriate to setting: Appraise, Fine Manipulation, Language (Other), Literacy, Repair (Mechanical), Repair (Structural), Technical (Computer Use).

Lawkeeper

You have the authority and the jurisdiction to uphold and defend the law, ideally in defense of the common folk. Your enforcement of the law and legal code is supported by the power structure in your community.

• Wealth: Usually Average. Corrupt lawmen are sometimes Affluent.
• Skills: Brawl, Dodge, Fast Talk, Knowledge (Law), Listen, Spot, and four of the following, as appropriate to setting and concept: Drive, Firearms (any), First Aid, Grapple, Insight, Knowledge (Region or Group), Language (Other), Martial Arts, Melee Weapon (any), Missile Weapon (any), Pilot (any), Ride, Status, Technical (Computer Use), Track.

Lawyer

You are trained in law and use the legal system to prosecute or defend, or you represent the legal interests of individuals, organizations, or governments. Though you have no authority above or beyond that of the common citizen, your inside knowledge of the legal system gives you considerable power within the legal system.

• Wealth: Destitute, Poor, Average, Affluent, Wealthy
• Skills: Bargain, Fast Talk, Insight, Knowledge (Law), one other Knowledge skill, Language (Own), Perform (Oratory), Persuade, Research, Status.

Mechanic

A grease-monkey, you spend your time maintaining, repairing, and sometimes building machines, vehicles, or more complex constructions. You are good with tools, and able to easily decipher technical problems or issues.

• Wealth: Poor to Average, usually Average.
• Skills: Bargain, Craft (Metalwork), Drive, Fine Manipulation, Heavy Machine, Repair (Electrical), Repair (Electronics), Repair (Mechanical), Repair (Structural), Spot.

Merchant

You make a living in retail or wholesale, purchasing resources for less and selling for more. You might work in or own a shop, or you might be mobile: a traveling salesman, a wandering tinker, an adventuresome spice merchant, or an international sales representative.

• Wealth: Average to Wealthy, usually Affluent. Your gamemaster and player should determine whether the character owns their own shop or trade vessel.
• Skills: Appraise, Bargain, Fast Talk, Knowledge (Accounting), Knowledge (Business), Persuade, Research, Status, and any two other skills as specialties, as appropriate to setting and concept.

Noble

You were born into wealth and a ruling class. In a society that recognizes such social distinctions your status is often associated with ranks and titles, but even if such titles are meaningless you are still easily recognized as among the elite. You are accustomed to an elegant and extravagant lifestyle, and you know and are known to the wealthy and other highborn of society.

• Wealth: Affluent to Wealthy, usually Wealthy.
• Skills: Bargain, Drive, Etiquette, Language (Own), Language (Other), Literacy, and Status, plus any other three skills as hobbies or fields of interest.

Occultist

You are a student of obscure secrets, hidden lore, and magical power, believing in the influence and primacy of supernatural forces. If appropriate to the setting, your gamemaster may allow you to use powers (probably magic or sorcery) perhaps studied while a member of an occult organization or secret society.

• Wealth: Poor to Wealthy, usually Affluent.
• Skills: Fast Talk, Insight, Knowledge (Anthropology), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Occult), Language (Other), Language (Own), Research, and any two other skills as appropriate to setting, usually from the following: Art (any), Craft (any), Knowledge (Archaeology), Medicine, Science (any), Status.
• Special: If magic is present in the setting, you may have magic powers. See Chapter 4: Powers for more information.

Pilot

Whether on land, on or below the water, in the skies, or through the deeps of space, you are trained in guiding and piloting a vessel of some sort, steering it for commercial, official, or military ends. Your job ranges from space fighter pilot to tramp steamer captain, depending on the setting.

• Wealth: Average to Affluent. If you own your own vessel, Affluent.
• Skills: Drive, Heavy Machine, Listen, Navigate, Pilot (any), Spot, plus any four of the following skills, as appropriate to setting: Bargain, Climb, Command, Craft (any), Knowledge (Region), Repair (Electrical), Repair (Electronics), Repair (Mechanical), Language (Other), Persuade, Science (Physics), Science (Astronomy), Technical (Computer Use).

Politician

You have been elected or appointed to a position of authority and make your living taking part in or directing government activities, whether city-wide or greater. You could be a medieval magistrate or a galactic senator, depending on the setting.

• Wealth: Affluent to Wealthy, usually Affluent.
• Skills: Bargain, Etiquette, Fast Talk, Insight, Knowledge (Law), Persuade, Status, plus any three other skills as appropriate to the setting, usually from the following: Knowledge (Accounting, Group, History, or Region), Listen, Language (Other), Language (Own), Perform (Oratory), Research.

Priest

Your faith and belief in the divine have led you to the calling of the priesthood, and you spend your time preaching or in activities befitting the worship of your deity (or deities). You could be an acetic monk or a televangelist, depending on the setting.

• Wealth: Poor to Affluent, usually Average, possibly Wealthy if you are the religious leader of a large group of worshipers, at your gamemaster’s discretion.
• Skills: Fast Talk, Insight, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Philosophy), Knowledge (Religion), Language (Own), Perform (Ritual), Persuade, and two of the following: Knowledge (Occult), Language (Other), Listen, Literacy, Perform (Oratory), Research, Status, Teach.
• Special: Your affiliation with a faith or cult may grant you access to magical or supernatural powers. See Chapter 4: Powers for more information.

Sailor

You ply the ocean waves, working hard to maintain your vessel’s integrity, whether as a pirate, a naval officer, or an ancient world trader.

• Wealth: Poor or Average, usually Average.
• Skills: Climb, Craft (any), Dodge, Grapple, Navigate, Pilot (Boat), Swim, and any three of the following: Artillery (any, usually shipboard), Command, Language (Other), Listen, Repair (Mechanical), Repair (Structural), Spot.

Scholar

Study and learning define your life, and you specialize in one or more fields of knowledge, eagerly seeking out all there is to know within your intellectual domain. You might teach this knowledge to students or hoard it for your own use.

• Wealth: Average or Affluent, usually Average.
• Skills: Language (Other), Language (Own), Persuade, Research, Teach, and choose five Knowledge or Science skills appropriate to setting and related to your field of study.

Scientist

Whether employed by a corporation, educational institution, government, or working on your own, you explore a field of science through rigorous speculation, experimentation, and observation, repeating the process and refining the base of knowledge.

• Wealth: Average or Affluent, usually Affluent.
• Skills: Craft (any), Persuade, Research, Status, Technical (Computer Use) or Heavy Machine, and any five Knowledge or Science appropriate to setting and related to your field of study.

Servant

You are employed as a helper or servant, tending to the household affairs and domestic needs of an affluent employer. You might be a gentleman’s manservant, the adjutant of a general, or you could be a scullery maid in a sprawling castle.

• Wealth: Poor to Average, though sometimes servants have limited access to their employer’s lifestyle of Affluent or Wealthy, at your gamemaster’s approval.
• Skills: Craft (any), Etiquette, Hide, Language (Own), Listen, Stealth, and choose four of the following as personal specialties, as appropriate to the setting and concept: Bargain, Drive, First Aid, Insight, Knowledge (Accounting), Language (Other), Persuade.

Shaman

You are a tribal magician, skilled in contacting the spirit world and lending advice and aid to your chieftain and the members of your tribe. You have secret knowledge, passed down from mentor to student, and you may have the ability to use magic. Most shamans are members of a more primitive culture, though there are some modern practitioners.

• Wealth: Poor or Average, at a tribal-level existence.
• Skills: Art (any), Insight, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Occult), Language (Own), Listen, Perform (Rituals), Persuade, and two of the following as specialties, as appropriate to setting and concept: Craft (any), Fast Talk, First Aid, Hide, Knowledge (Anthropology), Language (Other), Medicine, Science (Pharmacy), Status.
• Special: Depending on the setting, you may be able to use magic. See Chapter 4: Powers for more information.

Slave

Captured and enslaved or born into captivity, you are a slave or indentured servant to an individual master, or to an organization or religion. You might be treated well: the head of a household’s staff, or perhaps you are beaten and regularly punished and live in fear. To be classified as a slave, it is assumed that most of your life has been spent as a slave. If you were captured and enslaved recently, use your previous profession instead.

• Wealth: Destitute to Poor, though sometimes slaves have limited access to their owner’s lifestyle of Affluent or Wealthy, at your gamemaster’s approval.
• Skills: Craft (any), Dodge, Etiquette, Fast Talk, Hide, Insight, Language (Other), Listen, Stealth, and one other skill as an occupational specialty.
• Note: This profession should be picked with sensitivity to the other players and gamemaster, and it is recommended that any character with this profession be escaped or emancipated when play begins.

Soldier

Whether through enlistment or conscription, you are a professional soldier, charged with the defense of your country or organization. You might be a mercenary or sellsword, or you might actually believe in the cause you fight for. Either way, you’ve received martial training, and work in a squad of other soldiers, doing what you’re ordered to.

• Wealth: Poor or Average, but frequently given access to expensive or otherwise-prohibited equipment.
• Skills: Brawl, Climb, Dodge, First Aid, and six of the following, as appropriate to setting: Artillery, Command, Drive, Firearm (usually Rifle, but any), Grapple, Heavy Weapon (any), Hide, Language (Other), Listen, Jump, Medicine, Melee Weapon (any), Missile Weapon (any), Navigate, Repair (Mechanical), Ride, Spot, Stealth, Throw

Spy

You are skilled in subterfuge and infiltration, entering countries or organizations under cover or in secret, finding out their secrets, and reporting them back to an enemy or interested party.

• Wealth: Average or Affluent, depending on the setting.
• Skills: Dodge, Fast Talk, Hide, Listen, Research, Spot, Stealth, and three of the following, as appropriate to setting: Art (Photography), Brawl, Disguise, Etiquette, Firearm (any), Grapple, Knowledge (any), Language (Other), Language (Own), Martial Arts, Navigate, Pilot (any), Psychology, Repair (Electronics), Repair (Mechanical), Ride, Swim, Technical (Computer Use), Throw, Track.

Student

You spend your time studying, either as a general student or an apprentice to some master. Your curriculum may be at a prestigious university, a martial arts academy, a wizard’s school, or at some private and exclusive institution.

• Wealth: Poor to Wealthy, usually Average.
• Skills: Language (Own), Research, and choose eight other skills as courses of study, as appropriate to the setting and concept. Common choices are from the following list: Art (any), Craft (any), First Aid, Insight, Knowledge (any), Language (Other), Listen, Medicine, Repair (any), Perform, Persuade, Psychotherapy, Science (any), Technical (Computer Use), and one Physical skill (if involved in athletics).
• Special: Students of the arcane arts may have access to magic or sorcery, or you may be at a school to help you control your superpowers, mutations, or psychic abilities. See Chapter 4: Powers for more information.

Teacher

You are an instructor of one or more subjects, teaching groups or tutoring a single student. Whether employed by a university, a high school, or other educational institution, you instruct students in an academic setting towards some standard of achievement.

• Wealth: Average or Affluent, usually Average.
• Skills: Language (Own), Persuade, Research, Status, Teach, and choose five other skills as areas of expertise, as appropriate to the setting and concept. Common choices are from the following list: Art (any), Craft (any), First Aid, Insight, Knowledge (any), Language (Other), Listen, Medicine, Repair (any), Perform, Persuade, Psychotherapy, Science (any), Technical (Computer Use).

Technician

Specialized in maintaining, repairing, and utilizing complex machinery, computers, or other electronics, you are highly capable at dealing with engineered systems. You do not design these machines, though you possibly know them better than their creators did.

• Wealth: Average or Affluent.
• Skills: Fine Manipulation, Heavy Machine, Listen, Repair (any), Science (Physics), Research, Spot, Technical (Computer Use), and two other skills from the following list as a specialty, as appropriate to setting and concept: Craft (any), Drive, Pilot (any).

Thief

You take what you want, either to survive or because it appeals to you. You could be a lowly pickpocket, an infamous brigand, or a glamorous international jewel thief. You flaunt the law to steal, either armed, through clever deception, stealth, or some combination of all three.

• Wealth: Any, subject to gamemaster’s approval.
• Skills: Appraise, Dodge, Fast Talk, Hide, Stealth, and five other skills from the following list, as appropriate to setting and concept: Bargain, Brawl, Climb, Disguise, Fine Manipulation, Firearm (Pistol, Revolver, or Shotgun), Grapple, Insight, Listen, Jump, Knowledge (Law), Persuade, Repair (Mechanical), Spot.

Tribesperson

Hailing from a primitive culture, you are an accepted member of a tribe, and are unfamiliar with most of the elements of civilization. You survive through hunting or foraging, and your world is a small one: your village and the surrounding environment.

• Wealth: Destitute to Poor, at a tribal-level existence. Or you may be a noble of the tribe, with a higher wealth level, depending on your Status.
• Skills: Craft (any), Dodge, Grapple, Hide, Knowledge (Natural History), Spot, Throw, Track, and two of the following skills, as appropriate to setting: Brawl, Climb, First Aid, Listen, Jump, Knowledge (Occult), Melee Weapon (usually Spear or Club), Missile Weapon (Bow), Language (Other), Ride, Stealth, Swim.

Warrior

You specialize in individual combat, surviving by your reflexes and your weapon skills. Perhaps you adhere to a code of honor like chivalry or bushido, or you are a mercenary or barbaric adventurer. Soldiers fight in groups or squads, while warriors look only to their own prowess.

• Wealth: Destitute to Average, usually Poor.
• Skills: Brawl, Dodge, Grapple, Melee Weapon (any), Missile Weapon (any), and five other skills from the following list as specialties, as appropriate to setting and concept: Climb, Firearm (any), Hide, Listen, Jump, Language (Other), Martial Arts, Ride, Spot, Stealth, Swim, Throw, Track.

Wizard

You understand and can use magic or sorcery. Through chant and gesture, you can produce magical effects, and you dedicate yourself to improving and increasing your repertoire of spells and your personal access to power points.

• Wealth: Poor to Wealthy, usually Affluent.
• Skills: Craft (any), Insight, Knowledge (Occult), two other Knowledge skills, Language (Other), Listen, Perform (Rituals), Persuade, Research.
• Special: You can use magic or sorcery. Work with your gamemaster to determine your initial spells (see Chapter 4: Powers).

Writer

You write prose, poetry, scripts, or some other form. You are most comfortable communicating in writing, and your words have the power to entertain, inform, or persuade those who read them.

• Wealth: Poor to Wealthy, usually Average.
• Skills: Art (writing), Insight, Language (Own), Persuade, Research, and five other skills from the following list as specialties, as appropriate: Fast Talk, Knowledge (any), Language (Other), Listen, Status, Technical (Computer Use).

Finishing Touches

At this point you’re finished with character creation, assuming your game doesn’t have magic spells, mutations, psychic abilities, sorcery, or superpowers for your starting characters. If these are available, turn to Chapter Four: Powers and begin selecting those, with your gamemaster’s assistance.

Background is often an important part of a character, but this is the least quantifiable in game rules. Try to come up with elements of experience or identity that drive your character, asking some simple questions such as any of the following:

• What tragedies and successes have they experienced?
• Where did they grow up?
• Who was the most influential person in their life?
• Who are their family? Are their parents still alive?
• Are they in love? Are or were they married? Children?
• Are they happy in life?
• Do they have many friends? How about enemies?
• What do they want to achieve?

You can examine your character sheet and reflect on the choices you’ve made during character creation. Perhaps some of the skills indicate a personality type, such as studious, eclectic, violent, or some other such adjective. You might try to find the character’s ‘voice’, or some other means of expression that makes them come alive at the gaming table. Not everyone wants to be a method actor, though, and don’t feel that you need to come to the table with an in-depth personality and back-story for your character. Some of that will come during the roleplaying experience, and some of it will come naturally as your character is faced with adventure and adversity.

The hard part is over—now the fun can begin!

Culture and Characters (Option)

Many settings, particularly historical or fantasy, offer distinct and original cultures, usually with qualities common to their denizens. These qualities can be defined as races, cultures, or even all denizens of a planet. Your gamemaster may choose to develop cultural backgrounds appropriate to an original or adapted setting. Sometimes these can lead to stereotypes, and your gamemaster should consider these with care.

Cultural backgrounds are not necessary—members of a culture are inevitably different enough to allow a diverse set of skills and characteristics, but you and your gamemaster may feel that they add a valuable element to the game setting. Each cultural background description can contain some or all the following:

Leader: The ruler, president, authority, or other governing body of the country or region.

Culture: The dominant culture of the area. Usually human, though Chapter 11: Creatures contains examples of non-human races.

Appearance: One or more of the distinctive features may be common to the culture or group, such as coloration or facial features.

Demeanor: If appropriate, personality traits may be common to the culture or group. Not everyone is like this, however, and these can be ignored if desired.

Language(s): The language or languages commonly spoken or known by natives of this region.

Occupations: Professions common to the folk of the region. These are not the only ones practiced here—they are merely the most common or emblematic of the society. Three is a good number of these.

Religions: What god or gods are worshiped commonly in this region? If allegiances play a part in the campaign, then religion should be included.

Arms and Armor: In historical or fantasy settings, medieval-style arms and armor is often quite different country-to-country, and armies of each land tend to train with different weapon styles. This is less distinctive as settings become more modern, though your gamemaster can use this information when equipping nonplayer characters.

Cultural Skills: Some skills may be commonly taught and used within this culture as a part of socialization and common education. At your gamemaster’s discretion, these skills might gain a small bonus. If bonuses to skills are used, it is recommended that every culture gain equal bonuses, though to a different set of skills.

Items: This might include a significant possession common to someone from this culture, often of religious or having social significance. It does not have to be valuable, and characters from this culture are under no compulsion to retain possession of this item.

Creating New Professions

If this list of professions does not offer a profession you would like your character to be, you can create your own with your gamemaster’s approval. Your gamemaster also might want to devise new professions for a particular setting.

First, describe the new profession to your gamemaster. Determine if this new profession is like another provided here. If it’s nearly identical to an existing one, then you can alter a few of the required skills until the new profession matches your concept. You can also vary the wealth level according to the new profession.

For example, you decide that ‘taxi driver’ is a new profession. Your gamemaster recognizes that this is basically a land-bound version of the Pilot profession. From here, you and your gamemaster choose to modify your character’s wealth level from Poor to Average, and amend the skills list to: Bargain, Drive (Automobile), Knowledge (Accounting), Knowledge (Region: the City), Listen, Navigate, Language (Other), Repair (Mechanical), and Spot.

Voila, a taxi driver profession!

If you wish to create an entirely new profession:

• Decide on a title of the profession.
• Describe (verbally or in writing) the profession to your gamemaster, including what they spend their time doing, what training they might have, and maybe an indicator of their position in society.
• Decide an appropriate wealth level or range of wealth levels.
• Choose ten skills that are essential or most used by a member of this profession. This can also include a “pick one (or more) from the following” option as long as the total number of available skills is equal to ten.

For example, you might want to play a completely new profession: a professional translator. Your gamemaster agrees that this is a unique enough profession to warrant a new write-up. First, you both decide that a translator’s wealth level is generally Average. Secondly, for the initial skills, you choose: Etiquette, Fast Talk, Insight, Knowledge (Anthropology), Knowledge (Linguistics), Language (Own), Language (Other), Listen, Persuade, Research, and Teach. The new profession is finished and ready for use.