For your convenience, here’s a quick summary of the character creation process.
Note that some steps indicate that you should roll or pick skills, The first time you roll or pick a skill, it starts at level-0. The second time, it becomes level-1. The third time, you can instead pick any other non-psychic skill of your choice that’s less than level-1. No novice hero’s skills can exceed level-1 during character creation.
New characters always start at 1st level.
1. Roll your six Attributes or assign them from an array, using Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Attributes reflect the basic potential of your hero.
- Roll 3d6 six times and assign them in order
- or use an array of 14, 12, 11, 10, 9, 7 assigned as you wish. If you randomly roll your scores you may then pick one attribute to change to a score of 14
2. Mark down your attribute modifiers for each score.
When rolling dice that are affected by an attribute, you don’t apply the whole score; instead, you apply the attribute modifier.
| ATTRIBUTE SCORE | MODIFIER |
| 3 | -2 |
| 4-7 | -1 |
| 8-13 | +0 |
| 14-17 | +1 |
| 18 | +2 |
3. Pick a background from the Character Backgrounds list, one that most closely reflects your hero’s past experiences.
You gain the Skill listed under the background name at level-0, which equates to an ordinary working knowledge of it.
4. Decide whether to roll for additional skills or pick them.
If you pick skills, you can choose two more skills from the Learning table for your background, with the exception of entries that say “Any Skill”, which you may not pick. You cannot pick entries from the Growth table.
If you’re not sure what to pick, just take the “Quick Skills” listed for your background at level-0, which include your background’s beginning skill.
5. If you choose to roll for your skills, you can roll up to three times, dividing up your rolls between the Growth and Learning tables as you wish.
When you roll on the Growth table, some results may say “+2 Physical” or “+2 Mental”.
In the former case, you can add two points to either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution, or one point to two different stats. In the latter case, you can add two points to either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, or divide the bonus between two of them.
6. Choose your class, representing those talents you have that are most relevant to an adventurer’s lifestyle.
Available classes include:
- Warrior
- Expert
- Adventurer
- Psychic
- Arcanist (Runeling "Wizards" Only)
- Magister (Circean "Witches" Only)
7. Choose your foci from The Focus List, representing the side talents or particular specializations of your hero. You can pick one level of a focus of your choice.
Characters with the Expert class or the Partial Expert feature of the Adventurer class get one level of a non-combat, non-psychic focus for free in addition to this. They can spend both levels on the same focus, starting with level 2 in it if they wish.
Characters with the Warrior class or Partial Warrior feature of the Adventurer class can do the same in choosing one level of a combat focus.
8. Optionally, you may choose to play a race other than a Baseline of Paeleo-Humanity.
Other Biological and AI Clades exist, and may be used.
Any Clade under the "Races" section with the "type" Unknown is playable. N/PC Races are conditional provided GM approval. NPC Races are not playable.
There is a table on the character creation dashboard that list playable Clades/Races.
9. Now pick one non-psychic Skill of your choice to reflect your hero’s outside interests, natural talents, hobby expertise, or other personal focus.
10. If you’ve chosen the Psychic class or chosen to be an Adventurer with the Partial Psychic ability, you are a psychic PC, with powers described in the Psionic Rules section.
Psychics can pick two Psychic Skills, while Partial Psychics can pick one. If a Psychic picks the same skill twice, they get it at level-1 expertise, and can pick a free level-1 technique from those listed for that discipline.
Both Psychics and Partial Psychics get the level-0 abilities associated with their skills, as described under each Discipline they possess. Both also have a maximum Effort score equal to 1 plus their highest psychic skill plus the better of their Wisdom or Constitution modifiers.
11. Roll your maximum hit points on 1d6, adding your Constitution modifier.
Even a penalty can’t reduce your hit points below 1.
Warrior PCs and Adventurers with the Partial Warrior class option add 2 points to this total.
Hit points indicate how close your hero is to being defeated.
12. Note down any base attack bonus you may have.
The higher the attack bonus, the easier it is for your hero to land a telling blow or shot on a hostile opponent.
For most PCs, this bonus is +0. If you are a Warrior or an Adventurer with the Partial Warrior class option, it’s +1.
13. Purchase starting gear listed on the equipment dashboard.
In most situations, player characters have 10,000 credits to spend on starting gear.
You may not spend more than 5,000 credits on any one item.
Cyberware costs only 50% of its listed price during character creation. Remember that for most cultures, overt, external cyberware is considered tacky.
14. Mark down your total hit bonus with your weaponry.
This is equal to your base attack bonus, plus either your Punch, Stab, or Shoot Skill depending on the kind of weapon it is, plus your relevant Attribute modifier.
The Ranged Weapons and Melee Weapons tables will tell you what attribute is used for a particular weapon.
If two attributes are listed, use the best one for your hero.
If you haven’t even got level-0 skill, take a -2 penalty.
15. Note down the damage done by your weapons.
This is equal to its base damage dice plus its attribute modifier.
If it’s a Punch weapon, you can add your Punch skill as well.
16. Record your Armor Class, the measure of how hard it is to hurt your hero in a fight.
Different suits of Armor grant different Armor Classes; if you aren’t wearing any armor at all, your base AC is 10.
Add your Dexterity modifier to this.
In order to hurt your PC, an enemy has to roll an attack roll on a d20, adding their attack bonus and equaling or exceeding your Armor Class.
17. Note down your beginning saving throw scores for your Physical, Evasion, and Mental saving throws.
- Physical saves against poison, disease, or exhaustion are 15 minus the best of your Strength or Constitution modifiers
- Evasion saves to dodge sudden perils or dive away from explosives are 15 minus the best of your Intelligence and Dexterity modifiers
- Mental saves to resist psychic influence or mind-bending technology are 15 minus the best of your Wisdom or Charisma modifiers
To resist these perils, you need to equal or beat the save on a d20.
18. Lastly, wrap up your PC with a name and a goal. Every hero needs to have a goal when they set out adventuring. This goal might change, but your PC should always have some reason to go out and interact with the world before them.