Character Generation

Statistics • Racial Bonuses & Flaws • Other Bonuses & Flaws • Merits & Powers • Character Examples

Statistics

As a starting character, you have 30 points.  These are used to set your stats, buy powers, and get other bonuses.  However, these points are eaten up quite quickly.  To get stronger initially, you will need to take flaws.

First off, you have to put points into stats.  Of course, you can put no points into your stats and save your points for bonuses.  That gives you a character with the skill of a C-average high school student... who never went to college... who knows how to push back when pushed... who maybe had one date and she was as stupid and ugly as you... and you think magic only exists in cartoons.  Good luck. 

There are five primary stats in this game: Combat, Strategy, Magic, Social, and Intelligence.  These stats are on a scale between one and ten and represent your character's ability to interact with the story and the other players.  Depending on the situation, you would use either one or a combination of the following stats:

• Combat: This represents your ability to fight as a warrior.  Professional soldiers and black belts, who hone their fighting skills constantly, have high combat stats.
• Strategy: This represents your ability to out think your opponent.  Chess players, politicians, and admirals all use this same skill in different ways.
• Magic: This represents the character's magical abilities and their relative strengths in the arcane arts.  Ancient magi, who have studied the mystic ways, have high magic stats. 
• Social: This represents your ability to talk and interact with others.  Politicians, who spend hours upon hours debating legislation, would have high social stats. 
• Intelligence: This is your relative intelligence.  Scientists, who use their specialized knowledge to work, have high intelligence stats. 

Racial Bonuses & Flaws

There are several types of races that your characters you can play.  You can choose to be a human, vampire, ghoul, magi, horadrim, k'nes, jurvain, werewolf, or a caal.  Each have their individual bonuses and disadvantages. 

• Humans have no special abilities and are often disregarded.  However, their lack of powers forces them to develop their minds to compete with the supernatural.  +2 Social, +1 Intelligence, No Magic Ability
• Vampires live forever and are some of the most skilled diplomats and politicians.  However, they have an aversion to sunlight and have to drink blood.  +1 Magic, +1 Intelligence
• Ghouls are the mortal servants of vampires and gain some of their abilities and their longevity.  However, they can walk in sunlight, but require their master's blood to survive.  +1 Magic, +1 Strategy
• Magi are the most skilled magic users and can warp reality to suit them.  However, they are many of them, and they often have equally skilled adversaries.  +2 Magic, +1 Intelligence, -1 Combat
• Horadrim are an ancient race that has strange powers based on organic technology.  However, they've taken human form to survive and are often hunted for their skills.  +1 Magic, +1 Strategy
• K'Nes look like floating cats, but they are amazing traders, and cunning fighters.  +2 Social, +1 Strategy, -1 Combat
• Jurvain are tall, skinny humanoid creatures with pale greenish skin and three eyes.  They are also telepathic, but only with their own race, and find magic difficult.  +1 Magic, +1 Intelligence
• Werewolves are feared combatants and are the ultimate soldiers.  However, their unpredictable rages make them outcasts, trying to find their niche.  +2 Warfare, +1 Strategy, -1 Social
• Caal are ancient beings who can only survive by grafting their soul onto another dead body.  Hunted and reviled, they are incredibly knowledgeable, but their dependence on other beings limits their fighting ability.  +2 Intelligence, +1 Magic, -1 Combat

Other Bonuses & Flaws

Beyond simple racial attributes, you can juice up your character any number of ways.  Just check with your storyteller for permission.  Here are a few examples.

• Cybernetic - Increased stat ability at will (except Magic): 5 points.
• Night Vision - Able to see clearly at night: 1 point.
• Eidetic Memory - Photographic memory: 3 points.
• Sense of Direction - Always able to know where to go: 1 point.

But what if you need just a few more points to get that cool power ring that will go excellent with your character.  Too bad you blew it all on magic stats.  Well, you're in luck - with your storyteller's permission, you can take a flaw to give you a couple extra points.  For example:

• Blind/Deaf - unable to see/hear: 5 points.
• Massive Scarring - impaired senses, repulsive: 4 points.
• One Arm - unable to use your left hand: 3 points.
• Serious Addict - need to have a certain substance or you're impaired: 3 points.
• Attention Disability - unable to focus at times: 2 points.
• Stutter - have difficulty speaking - 1 point.

Merits & Powers

There are also several special merits and powers that a player can then choose from.  These include military rank and authority, financial resources, ancient relics, or underworld contacts.

Political Influence: Through money, power, or other means, you have some influence on some major faction.  There are various levels of influence from the local to multiple systems.

• Regional Level: Sure, we cut down a protected forest, but no one was using it.  1 point.
• Planetary Level: It's funny how those customs inspectors just disappeared...  literally!  2 points. 
• Upper Level: Gee, that fleet just happened to arrive in-system at the right time.  3 points. 

Political Power: Either through power or money, you have made it into the big time, and actually possess political power.  This is much better than influence, however, this time, you have to do the dirty work.  With this power, you can lead your faction to victory, but be careful.  One false move and you could lose everything.

• Regional Level: Amazing how many munitions factories you can construct in one city...  2 points.
• Planetary Level: You may not be the ruler, but who's really running the show on Minos?  4 points.
• Upper Level: Jumpgate construction along the frontier pulls millions into your accounts.  6 points.

Military Ranking: Never beats to have a commission, doesn't matter which armed force you belong to.  Of course, commissions are so cheap these days; even imperial dogwalkers are captains.  x2 for an actual naval command (e.g., attached to a ship).

• Captain / Lieutenant: 1 point. 
• Major / Commander: 2 points.
• Colonel / Captain: 3 points.
• General / Admiral: 4 points. 

Military Unit Command: Need some help?  How about a company?  Or a battalion?  Or even a division?  Rank commission is included. 

• Company (100 Troops): (Rank - Captain) 2 points, 3 platoons
• Battalion (300 Troops): (Rank - Major) 4 points, 3 companies
• Division (900 Troops): (Rank - Colonel) 6 points, 3 battalions
• Legion (5400 Troops): (Rank - General) 8 points, 5 divisions

Industry or Business: So you own an industry.  Great, a source of revenue!  Of course, there's always kickbacks to be made, regulations to deal with...  always more paper.  However, it's also good for information that might come your way. 

• Small Industry: Single small product, limited market.  1 point.
• Medium Industry: Moderate range of products, planetary scale.  3 points.
• Strong Industry: Making a common product or unique large scale product.  5 points.

Resources: From stocks to raiding the treasury, it never hurts to have money.  Do what you want with it.  Spend it.  Invest it.  Burn it.  Whatever. 

• 250,000 credits, 50,000 on demand, 1 point
• 1,000,000 credits, 200,000 on demand, 2 points
• 5,000,000 credits, 750,000 on demand, 3 points
• 10,000,000 credits, 1,250,000 on demand, 4 points
• 100,000,000 credits, 10,000,000 on demand, 5 points

Illegal Industry: There's always a market for narcotics and other uncontrolled substances that most (existing) governments still frown on.  Illegal ice (black market software) is always trouble.  Your product might not be technically illegal in one jurisdiction, legal in another, but there are tons of people who'll kill you for it. 

• Small time: Local pusher.  Fencer.  Nothing that will make most people take notice.  1 point. 
• Medium time: Small money runner, local distributor.  A lot of people would love to take your place.  But you're too slick to get pegged.  Right?  2 points. 
• Large scale: Running with the big dogs.  Planet wide distributors.  Major smuggling.  You're either on the hit list of several governments or you're working for them.  3 points. 

Starship Ownership: It is sure is nice to own your own set of wheels.  This is your basic starship ownership.  Starships are not cheap but they can be found.  Better if you ignore certain regulations.  All of these are planetary capable.  Triple cost if military armament. 

• Small Vessel: Yacht sized vessel or small freighter.  1 point.
• Medium Vessel: An average freighter or passenger liners.  2 points. 
• Large Vessel: A large freighter.  Most large shipping companies and the jewels of the passenger liners use these size ships.  3 points.

Personal Strike Group: For black ops, rescuing damsels in distress, or for simply saving your bacon.  Never hurts to have one of these...  but don't expect it to stand up to an army group of equal size, unless you got some other assets to call on. 

• Squad: 1 point. 
• Platoon: 2 points. 
• Lance (Two Platoons): 3 points. 

Contacts: Want to know the word on the street?  How about the word on every street in five systems?  Contacts are nice.  Knowledge is power. 

• Region wide contacts: 1 point. 
• Planet wide contacts: 2 points. 
• System wide contacts: 3 points.
• Universe wide contacts: 5 points. 

Membership: You may not have the power, but you're attached to someone who does.  You get the benefits of a larger organization, but you don't call the shots, and there are certain obligations. 

• Director: Mission coordinator for the Catholic church, Red Cross planetary president, or local organizer for a labor union.  1 point. 
• Associate: Sabbat Bishop, Director of Planetary Ops for the Neo-Marxist Party...  you're limited, but on the up and up!  2 points. 
• Vice-President: Personal assistant to a member of the ruling triumvirate...  it's good not to be the king!  3 points. 

Special Project: Either within a mega-corp or a government, you are in charge of a special project.  Whether its an advanced hyper gate travel or a bio-engineered humans, you are working on something that your benefactor wants to keep quiet.  However, the resources are great in the related field. 

• Medium sized Project: X ship design, awakening projects, and advanced powered armor projects, these are serious projects that your benefactor does not want to fall into another's hands.  1 points. 
• Large Scale Project: This is the biggest a single corp can pull together, running into the illegal and immoral.  If the public found out, they would firebomb your facilities.  3 points. 
• Galactic Scale Project: Project Oracle.  Project Exo-Genesis.  Project Vitek.  You know them, you love them.  Don't get caught because your benefactors help assassins to find you...  5 points. 

Allies: You have some people out there who (gasp) actually like you and go out of their way to help you out.  However, as much they will help you, they can't do everything.  Regular points - Associate, they use you as much as they use them.  X2 points - Friend, will bail you out of jail.  X3 points - Good friend, will pay for your lawyer.  X4 points - Best friend, will bury the body for you. 

• Small Fry: Planetary sultan, ship navigator, brigade leader...  known people, but limited.  1 point. 
• Movers and Shakers: Station commander, starship captain, division leader...  people who do the real work, and have the power to move it in your favor.  2 points. 
• Headline Makers: Admiral, general, political kingpin, major faction leaders...  people who can (literally) move planets.  3 points. 

Personal Control: You own someone.  Though either blackmail or honor, someone has to listen to you.  It just matters how important they are and how much they owe you. 

• Medium player: Bridge officer or a planetary chieftain.  Most people on a planet or ship have heard of them.  3 point. 
• Important player: Captain of a starship or a station commander.  6 points. 
• Major player: Fleet admiral, major political player, or prince.  Big time.  10 points.

Personal Organization: you have a personal organization that you control.  This can be a cult or a radical group that you lead.  (Double the price for complete outfit in equipment)

• Medium group: 50 people.  An organized group.  1 point. 
• Large Group: 200 people.  A large scale following.  At this point you are likely known by larger governments.  3 points. 
• Very Large Group: 1000 people.  A large organization.  At this point you need to appoint underlings to help leading and organizing the group.  5 points. 

Henchmen: These are simple employees.  You pay them and they work for you.  Not much more.  1 point per 5 employees.

Employee: You are an employee of a corporation.  Not really powerful in and of yourself but you can draw on the resources of the corporation. 

• Director: Embezzlement can be your game certainly, but you can manage some decisions.  1 point.
• Manager: You're responsible for a plant or a number of plants and can implement sweeping changes.  2 points.
• Vice-President: Important decision maker...  you can make thousands drool by your very whim.  3 points.

Items: A magical relic or technological piece of hardware.  Usually unique or of rare quality.  You will need to spend experience points to use them more effectively. 

• Low Power Item: One or two simple powers.  Invisibility ring, returning throwing knife, that sort of a thing.  Pretty lame in the overall since.  1 point. 
• Medium power: Getting better.  Flaming swords and super cyber modems.  3 points. 
• High level of power: Sword of Omens (Chris's version) and Fox's thief ring.  Good in a pinch.  But point it at the likes of Modred and he'll giggle at you.  5 points. 
• Powerful: A spikard, Excalibur (The Orb), or even Kuar.  Scary when fully developed.  8 points. 

Character Examples

All right, now that you've got the rules down pat, you're not exactly sure where your new character would fit on the grand scheme of things.  Fair enough - here we go!

LaShonda Dufrene - Starting Character

Mage

C: 5 - After all those years in the TI, she can go toe-to-toe with most nastiness.

St: 3 - Pretty well skilled, but not a strategic genius.

M: 6 - Lightning bolt?  Kids' play.  Thunderstorm?  Give me a moment.

So: 2 - She avoids getting into bar fights.

I: 5 - If there was a University of Deep Space, she'd have a Master's Degree.

Military Rank: Lieutenant, 1 pt.

Illegal Industry: Large, 3 pts.

Contacts: Universe-wide, 5 pts.

Personal Strike Group: Platoon, 2 pts

Minor Addict: Slight Addict, Alcohol, 1 pt

Power Item: Low, Invisibility Ring, 1 pt

Character Total: 30 points  

LaShonda grew up on the dirt ball of Proxima Centauri, to a lower middle class family.  When her arcane powers revealed themselves, she was drafted into the Tech Infantry.  After serving for ten years, and having risen to the rank of Lieutenant, the Caal struck.  Assigned to a distant planet, her unit was suddenly at loose ends when the Federation fell apart.  Not waiting to get her soul stolen, she fled until after the war was over.  Without a government to serve, she used her knowledge of Tech Infantry stockpiles to start selling government surplus to the highest bidder.  Other unemployed troopers joined in the fun and within a few months, she created a gun running business out of thin air.

Miro Creed - Experienced Character

Horadrim

C: 8 - Takes a licking, keeps on ticking.

St: 5 - Knows how to get what he's looking for.

M: 7 - Adept at using his horadrim skills.

So: 4 - Shoot first and ask questions later.

I: 5 - Knows what he's looking for.

Contacts - Nationwide: 5 points

Allies - Galactic Rock/Pop star Priscilla Savant - Mover & Shaker, Good Friend: 6 points

Employment -Priscilla Savant's personal bodyguard (equiv.  Manager Level/Small Corp): 2 points

Character Total: 40 points

Disappeared some time during Season 4.3 - Never heard from again...