Post by Matt Droz on Sept 19, 2005 11:37:32 GMT -5
Figured I'd give a preview of some of the basics for character creation. Can at least give you an idea of what you might want to shoot for. Everyone will start with 400 Build points to create their characters with.
Metatypes:
Attributes
Everyone begins with attributes of 1, and it costs 10 BP to raise an attribute one step (10 to go from 1 to 2, 20 to go from 1 to 3). Except if you raise to the maximum. Then it costs the same as above, but with an additional 25 BP (A human going from 1 to 6 on Body would pay 50+25 = 75 BP, a Troll going from 5 to 10 on Strength would pay 50+25 = 75 BP, a Dwarf increasing his Reaction to 5 would pay 40+25 = 65 BP)
Edge, Magic and Resonance attributes are all purchased the same as Physical and Mental attributes. All races begin with 0 in Magic and Resonance and have a maximum based on their Essence. All characters begin play with 6 Essence that is decreased when purchasing Cyberware or Biotech (or through extensive damage... later on that).
Skills
Active skills (Climb, Negotiate, Pistols, Perception, Hacking, Spellcasting, etc.) cost 4 BP per rank. The maximum in any skill is 6 (modified by Qualities). During character creation, you can only have 1 skill at rank 6 and others at rank 4 maximum; or 2 skills at rank 5 and others at rank 4 maximum.
Knowledge skills cost 2 BP per rank, but you also start with (Intuition Attribute + Logic Attribute) x 3 BP worth of ranks for free.
Skill Groups (for Example: Firearms includes Longarms, Pistols and Automatics, Sorcery includes Spellcasting, Ritual Spellcasting and Counterspelling) allow you to raise all the skills of the group at once for 10 BP per rank. The maximum rank of any skill group is 4 during character creation.
Specializations are a way to get bonus ranks to specific skills (i.e. Revolvers from Pistols, Combat Spells from Spellcasting, Interrogation from Intimidate, or Jamming from Electronic Warfare). These cost 2 BP per Active skill, 1 BP per Knowledge skill.
Qualities
Think of these as Feats. There are Positive Qualities (Double-jointed, Codeslinger, Mentor Spirit) and Negative Qualities (Addiction, Elf Poser, Uneducated). The Positive qualities cost BP, the Negative give you more BP. Each quality has a different value and there are too many for me to list them all here.
If you are going to play a magic or technomancer characters, you must purchase the matching quality to gain access to abilities. You can have the skills of a mage or technomancer, but you cannot actually use the abilities unless you have the quality. Consider it book knowledge.
Adept (Physical Adept, Magical Adept) - This quality means you have some magical ability, but it's limited. Cost 5 BP.
Mystical Adept - This is mostly for Physical Adepts who also have some spellcasting ability. Cost 10 BP.
Magician - Full on spellcasters. Cost 15 BP
Technomancer - Hackers who don't need gizmos. Cost 5 BP.
Resources
Gear (guns, clothes, equipment, etc.): 1 BP gives you 5,000 nuyen to buy stuff.
Spells cost 3 BP each to learn during character creation. At creation, you can know only twice either your Spellcasting or Ritual Spellcasting skill ranks (whichever is higher) number of spells.
Magicians can begin play with the following as well:
Technomancers can begin the game with the following:
Characters can also begin the game with Contacts, which cost BP equal to the Connection rating of the contact plus the Loyalty rating of the contact.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Metatypes:
| BP Cost | Metatype | Body Min/Max | Agility Min/Max | Reaction Min/Max | Strength Min/Max | Charisma Min/Max | Intuition Min/Max | Logic Min/Max | Willpower Min/Max | Metatype Abilities |
| 0 | Human | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | +1 Edge |
| 20 | Ork | 4/9 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 3/8 | 1/5 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 1/6 | Lowlight Vision |
| 25 | Dwarf | 2/7 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 3/8 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 2/7 | Thermographic Vision, +2 Body dice to resist pathogens and toxins |
| 30 | Elf | 1/6 | 2/7 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 3/8 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | Lowlight Vision |
| 40 | Troll | 5/10 | 1/5 | 1/6 | 5/10 | 1/4 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/6 | Thermographic Vision, +1 Reach, +1 Natural Armor (stacks with worn) |
Attributes
Everyone begins with attributes of 1, and it costs 10 BP to raise an attribute one step (10 to go from 1 to 2, 20 to go from 1 to 3). Except if you raise to the maximum. Then it costs the same as above, but with an additional 25 BP (A human going from 1 to 6 on Body would pay 50+25 = 75 BP, a Troll going from 5 to 10 on Strength would pay 50+25 = 75 BP, a Dwarf increasing his Reaction to 5 would pay 40+25 = 65 BP)
Edge, Magic and Resonance attributes are all purchased the same as Physical and Mental attributes. All races begin with 0 in Magic and Resonance and have a maximum based on their Essence. All characters begin play with 6 Essence that is decreased when purchasing Cyberware or Biotech (or through extensive damage... later on that).
Skills
Active skills (Climb, Negotiate, Pistols, Perception, Hacking, Spellcasting, etc.) cost 4 BP per rank. The maximum in any skill is 6 (modified by Qualities). During character creation, you can only have 1 skill at rank 6 and others at rank 4 maximum; or 2 skills at rank 5 and others at rank 4 maximum.
Knowledge skills cost 2 BP per rank, but you also start with (Intuition Attribute + Logic Attribute) x 3 BP worth of ranks for free.
Skill Groups (for Example: Firearms includes Longarms, Pistols and Automatics, Sorcery includes Spellcasting, Ritual Spellcasting and Counterspelling) allow you to raise all the skills of the group at once for 10 BP per rank. The maximum rank of any skill group is 4 during character creation.
Specializations are a way to get bonus ranks to specific skills (i.e. Revolvers from Pistols, Combat Spells from Spellcasting, Interrogation from Intimidate, or Jamming from Electronic Warfare). These cost 2 BP per Active skill, 1 BP per Knowledge skill.
Qualities
Think of these as Feats. There are Positive Qualities (Double-jointed, Codeslinger, Mentor Spirit) and Negative Qualities (Addiction, Elf Poser, Uneducated). The Positive qualities cost BP, the Negative give you more BP. Each quality has a different value and there are too many for me to list them all here.
If you are going to play a magic or technomancer characters, you must purchase the matching quality to gain access to abilities. You can have the skills of a mage or technomancer, but you cannot actually use the abilities unless you have the quality. Consider it book knowledge.
Adept (Physical Adept, Magical Adept) - This quality means you have some magical ability, but it's limited. Cost 5 BP.
Mystical Adept - This is mostly for Physical Adepts who also have some spellcasting ability. Cost 10 BP.
Magician - Full on spellcasters. Cost 15 BP
Technomancer - Hackers who don't need gizmos. Cost 5 BP.
Resources
Gear (guns, clothes, equipment, etc.): 1 BP gives you 5,000 nuyen to buy stuff.
Spells cost 3 BP each to learn during character creation. At creation, you can know only twice either your Spellcasting or Ritual Spellcasting skill ranks (whichever is higher) number of spells.
Magicians can begin play with the following as well:
| Bound Spirits summoned that owe them 1 favor per BP spent (Max = Charsima). |
| Magical Foci bound to them for 1 BP per Force Point (Max = 5 x Magic Attribute) |
Technomancers can begin the game with the following:
| Complex Forms at 1 BP per rating point (max = 2x Logic) |
| Registered Sprites at 1 BP per task owed (max = Charisma) |
Characters can also begin the game with Contacts, which cost BP equal to the Connection rating of the contact plus the Loyalty rating of the contact.
Let me know if you have any questions.
