HARACTERS

In order to play the game you'll need to create a character. Before you get out the pencil, first think about your character. What do you want to be able to do with this character? What kind of person is he or she? What is their background and motivations? Talk with the person running the game to see what kind of game they're planning, and make sure your character concept will mesh. Find out what the other players are creating and make sure you have a good blend of skills between you.

Characters are a collection of skills and talents. There are no classes, but we do have some character templates. Templates are simply suggestions for creating a type of character. The player is free to give their character any skills or talents they see fit, as long as they have the points to purchase them.

Skills

As mentioned earlier, skills are measured in Dice and Pips. Skills are bought with dice during character creation. Afterword skills are increased using character points.

Refer to the skill list and choose some skills. Skills start at 1D.

Characters get 15D, which is 45 pips, to build character skills. Spread the pips among the skills as you see fit. Your game master may give more starting dice if playing in a game requiring higher skilled characters.

Example: Nena's player starts her out with 5 pips in the Marksmanship skill. Since skills start at 1D her Marksmanship is now 2D+2. She has 13D+1 remaining to spread among other skills.

Obviously you will want to maximize the skills you plan on using most, but it's a good idea not to ignore your other skills as well. Nena will likely benefit from a few dice spent in some non-combat skills for those times when the problem can't be solved by firing her musket.

You will not be able to use a few of the skills unless you put at least one pip in the skill.

Character Points

Character Points (CP) are points awarded after a game session. They are mainly used to improve skills after the character has been created. A character's skill may be increased by spending character points equal to the number before the "D". Increasing a skill from 3D+2 to 4D costs 3cp, from 4D to 4D+1 costs 4cp.

Character Points can also be used during game play to aid in a skill roll. Spending 1cp allows the player to roll an additional die on top of what they're normally allowed. This die counts as a wild die.

Depending on the length of the game session, the overall challenge, and player involvement, 5 - 10 character points may be awarded.

Luck Points & Fate Points

Characters start each game with 5 Luck Points.

Characters begin their careers with one Fate Point, and only gain more at the game master's discretion. Fate Points are generally reward for doing something special or heroic, or completing a campaign.

Talents

Talents are special abilities that aren't easily represented by skills. They give the character a bonus to their attributes or skills, or provide them with access to something that the average human character can't do

A character gets one free talent, and with game master permission can buy more with their starting skill dice. One talent costs 1D in skills at creation time. More powerful abilities may take up more than one talent slot. If playing a non-human, and the race has a special ability listed, that ability must be bought as one of your talents. Your character doesn't get anything extra for playing another race.

Refer to the list of talents. This is by no means a comprehensive list. If you have an idea for a special ability not listed, ask the game master about it.

Purchasing a talent after the character has been created costs 5cp times the base cost of the talent. (Talent costs are listed in parenthesis.)

Defenses, Active and Passive

The skills Dodge and Stubbornness protect your character from attacks and may be used passively, without your character making a deliberate attempt to do so. An active defense attempt counts as an action in combat and may be combined with another skill. Neither is the case for passive defense rolls.

Wounds

Wounds represent damage received, usually during combat. Wounds are a disability and characters suffer a penalty to all skills based on their current wound level. Wounds don't represent any specific injury. One wound could be a deep gash while three wounds might be several gashes or total up to a broken rib.

Wounds can be a measure of physical damage, but not necessarily so. Wounds can also represent stun damage, shock, sanity, or a demoralized ego. It all depends on the nature of the combat.