Creation Rules

[NowhereMan]

Index

Character Creation Guidelines
Team Positions
Sample Character: Brandon Lane

[NowhereMan]

Player Characters will be built at the Veteran level, using the Cortex Core Rulebook. If you do not have access to this book, throw me a PM or an email. Here is the mechanical breakdown:

48 Attribute Points
4 Trait Points
68 Skill Points

There are also a fair amount of banned traits, mostly based on the fact that the institutions that backed them are now gone. Some examples follow, though common sense should reign:

Wealthy/Dead Broke: When civilization was obliterated, its economic systems went with it. Any wealth or lack thereof from before the apocalypse no longer applies. (This banning will not apply to "native" replacement characters, should they ever come up.)

Rank and Privilege: This can only be taken at creation by the Team Leader, at d4 (Morrow Project Team Leader). Others may be gained during play.

Blue Blood: This trait can be taken, but don't expect it to come up much, if ever.

Hideout: As this is a game about rebuilding the world, this trait may come up, but you will not have to pay for it. It cannot be bought.

Unstable/Pyro: Thanks to the intense psychological selection process of the Morrow Project, no Morrow Project personnel can start with this trait.

In addition, Alternate Identity, Contacts, Loyal Companion, Reputation, Infamy, and Rival can only be gained during play.

Finally, any starred trait, such as Strange Luck and Simple Needs, are permission-only, as most of them represent supernatural traits.

[NowhereMan]

This list was stolen from somewhere that I can't share, since I plan on using their stuff a lot. However, should the owner of said place come across this, he's welcome to play, and should he have a problem with this being here (for some reason), he's welcome to complain and I'll rehash the list. Also, this is a rough list, not hard and fast rules. Outside of the Team Leader, none of these are absolutely necessary.

TEAM LEADER

The Recon team is a quasi-military unit and requires someone who can ‘lead’.The team leader directs, supervises and manages the team’s functions. He (or she) must have excellent interpersonal skills, self-discipline and be able to ‘inspire’ (as Napoleon said: “A leader is a dealer in hope” ). The Team Leader would usually possesses at least a master’s degree and also extensive training in Mass Communication. He or she must also be skilled in small-unit tactics.
Note: This role could be combined with any of the ones listed below
Example Task: Set up a meeting between the leaders of 2 rival towns
Example characters: Captain Kirk, Malcom (Mal) Reynolds, Sgt Rock

INFORMATION/COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
Every team needs to give and receive information (communicating with the Morrow Project – and with survivors). The I/C Specialist is responsible for operating/ maintaining the team’s radios and computers. They are also trained for computer hacking and Electronic Warfare. The team I/C specialist is tasked with planning, advising, and assisting survivor projects to support the Reconstruction Effort. He or she would also be responsible for surveying, analyzing and repairing any surviving information and communications assets (ranging from libraries to newspapers to postal services to Ham radio networks).
Example task: set up a local newspaper
Example Characters: “Face” (from “The A-Team”), Chloe Sullivan(from “Smallville”), “Sam” Seaborn (from “West Wing”)

ENGINEERING/INFRASTRUCTURE SPECIALIST
A builder, a tinkerer. You want to be the one who fixes the town’s power plant or the county’s rail system? The team Engineering/Infrastructure Specialist is an expert on the construction, maintenance and repair of critical infrastructure such as transportation networks (road/rail/river) and public works such as sewage systems or energy distribution networks. This specialist also has training in Combat Engineering and Demolitions – he or she knows how to blow things up as well as build them.
Example Task: Building a windmill, converting a washing machine into a hydro-power plant, blowing a path through the minefield
Example Character: MacGyver, ’Scotty’, ‘Silent Bob’ , anyone from ‘Mythbusters’.

MEDICAL/HEALTH SPECIALIST
Want to play an EMT, or even a Doctor? The Medical/Health Specialist is not only the team’s Combat Medic, they are also tasked with planning and conducting medical assessments. This specialist would provide routine, emergency, and preventive medical and health care to survivors and Morrow Project personnel. He or she is also trained to carry out limited veterinarian and dental care, as well as environmental health programs. Ideally, a Medical specialist should know something about medicinal plants and other ‘low-tech’ medical techniques.
Example Tasks: Set up a pre-natal nutrition clinic. Find source of disease outbreak
Example Character: ‘House’, “Hawkeye’ (from MASH), Alex Taylor (‘Third Watch’ )

PUBLIC SAFETY SPECIALIST
You want to solve mysteries? Want to play something like an ex-cop or a firefighter? This Specialist is responsible for assessing the safety of the local environment and the status of ’Law and Order’ in a community – and providing solutions to any ‘public safety’ problems. They are likely to have some scientific training and be a veteran of the military or police/emergency services.
Example Tasks: train local militia, solve a murder
Example Character: Agent Gibbs (NCIS), CSI Detective Third Grade: Danny Messer (CSI: NY),

ECONOMICS/COMMERCE SPECIALIST
You want to be a wheeler-dealer? Save the world for the good of capitalism? The Economics/Commerce (E/C) Specialist is responsible for assessing the economic capabilities and demands of a survivor community. There are 3 main areas of training and expertise: Resources (evaluates what the survivors could potentially sell and what they need to buy), Market Reconstruction (advising survivors on HOW to create a ‘surplus’ – and acting as a middleman to arrange sales) Food and Agriculture (identify and assesses agricultural production capabilities and advise/assist with improving technologies and production to revive and/or grow a local food crop).
Example Task: set-up a farming co-operative, bargain with local arms merchant
Example characters: a reformed Yuri Orlov (“Lord of War”), Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Akroyd’s character in ‘Trading Places’),

GOVERNANCE/LEGAL SPECIALIST
This specialist has the necessary knowledge and training to facilitate the legal and orderly acquisition/use of surviving resources to restore a peaceful, stable and minimally corrupt government. This specialist could also help set up a Court system for civil and criminal cases. This specialist might have education/experience in Political science, Law and/or Public Administration.
Example Task: provide advice on running local elections, blackmail, persuade local leadesr to cooperate in setting up a new school
Example Character: Alan Shore (Boston Legal), Clifford Calley (“West Wing”)

Note 1: As specified in TM1-1, there will also be tasks/jobs that reflect duties involved in operating/maintaining the team’s vehicles: driver, commander, gunner, RTO, scout, etcetera.

Note 2: There will also be ‘infantry’ combat roles. These will depend on the size of the team but will usually involve forming fire teams (which will be based around one heavy weapon)

[NowhereMan]

Doctor Brandon Lane

Agi d8, Str d6, Vit d6, Ale d10, Int d10, Wil d8; Life
Points 14; Initiative d8 + d10.

Assets:
Good Natured d4: Brandon is simply a friendly person with good intentions. His demeanor as a “good guy” makes him come across well to generally everyone.
Higher Education d10: Brandon entered college at the age of fifteen and completed his first Doctorate by the age of 23. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and a generalized Medical Doctorate, both from MIT, for all the good his degrees do him now.
Head for Numbers d6: Brandon can solve calculus in his head, and he hasn’t owned a calculator since grade school.
Attuned to Technology d8: Friendly as he is, Brandon only truly feels at home when he’s elbow deep in machinery. His natural aptitude combined with his education means that he can turn the saddest piece of junk into a purring kitten with a few turns of a wrench.
Talented (Surgery, General Practice) d6: Brandon looks at the inside of the human body in the same way he looks at a pile of gears and loose wires, and his medical education only makes his ability to help others stronger.

Complications:
Impaired Senses (needs glasses) d4: Brandon’s eyesight has always been bad, and he compensates with a pair of thick, old fashioned horn-rimmed glasses.
Idealist d4: Brandon has a very strong sense of morals, and he tends to give people the benefit of the doubt even when he shouldn’t.
Insatiable Curiosity d6: An intellectual at heart, Brandon can’t help looking into any mystery he comes up against.
Memorable d6: Brandon is a Grade-A dork. White lab coat, sweater vests, horn-rimmed glasses, the whole deal. This made him stick out even before the end of the world.
Duty (never leave a man behind) d8: Brandon’s morals would never allow him to leave behind a teammate, or the remains of a teammate.

Skills:
Athletics d6
Craft d4
Discipline d6
Guns d6/Heavy Weapons d8
Influence d6/Persuasion d8
Knowledge d6
Mechanic d6/Repairs d8
Medical d6/Surgery d10
Science d6
Tech d6

Gear:
Morrow Standard Issue plus:
M9 w/ 3 magazines
2 AN-M8 HC smoke grenades
Surgical Kit
Large Medkit
Flask of Universal Antidote