Character Creation

[Marullus]

Just clarifying a norm: I've mentioned that mutations are native to Earth-9, and that cyberware is either from off-world or from the Earth-9 succession wars (and you're character is 50+ years old). The norm is that if you're both a mutant and have cyberware, you're probably an older native of Earth-9 and veteran of the succession wars in some way, because the TL4 capability to install cyberware has largely been lost in the current day TL3 world. Otherwise, the norm is an off-worlder with cyberware or a native with mutations.

Exceptions are allowed based on backstory; that's just the norms. For example, an off-world Agent Farraday who has a mutation from Maltech exposure makes sense. Cybersavant's mutant who was raised as a spacer and now is back home is also fine. The only character I'm tracking so far with both mutations and cyberware is Shadrach, and he looks like a Succession Wars veteran.

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gangleri scavenger originates from the Southern Archipelgo on Earth-9. He spent time in space, among a smuggler crew and gained some cybernetics. Recently, on a return trip to Earth-9, the smuggler ship crashed and burned. Báleygr Gangleri luckily survived, and is now searching for a way offworld once again.

[Mister-Kent]

Thanks Marullus--I noted the 3rd Foci somewhere but forgot all about it! Also yes, I believe the Agent is an offworlder but has likely been embedded on Earth-9 for some time.

My view of the Perimeter Agency Post-Scream - they still follow the Terran Mandate's Nihil Ultra ("Nothing Beyond") Directive, which dictates the acceptable limits of tech development:
Thou shalt not make tools of humankind - bans eugenics, nerve-stapling, mind control, etc
Thou shalt not create unbraked minds - bans unbraked AI creation
Thou shalt not create devices of planetary destruction - mass-use planet-killers, nukes, etc

Faraday's had trouble getting back in touch with his original handlers (possibly on Glendore?) and is just on autopilot, following his own leads and running his own ops.

[jemmus]

Looking at a Psychic for now. Attributes look decent, after I threw out a roll of 3 and replaced it with the 14. Background is Worker (low-paid lawyer traveling a circuit of small town courts presided over by judges, mayors, constables, local bosses and wealth owners, or any combination of all four-- all in one person).

[Faanku]

Sorry if I missed it, but what are we doing about all the t4 items from the Equipment Packages?

[Enoch]

I believe his feeling is we can have those items but may struggle to repair them, etc.

My biggest concern would be ammo for energy weapons: they require TL 4 ammo. Starting with an energy weapon could very well end up feeling like Fallout on a TL 3 world.

[Marullus]

Yeah, that was my thought. TL4 exists but is 10× to replace or repair. You can swap a TL4 item for an equivalent TL3 one at your option (laser pistol for revolvers, for instance). Or, if you are a technician trying to hold on to the past you can keep the starting TL4 item.

It's a lot of individual judgement calls, so take that general idea and shift towards the desired theme.

[redwarrior]

Yeah, that was my thought. TL4 exists but is 10× to replace or repair. You can swap a TL4 item for an equivalent TL3 one at your option (laser pistol for revolvers, for instance). Or, if you are a technician trying to hold on to the past you can keep the starting TL4 item.

It's a lot of individual judgment calls, so take that general idea and shift towards the desired theme.

So, getting closer to getting my character put together. Still a Bounty Hunter, fine-tuning the concept, but his provisional name is Han Kirk, so....

Quick question on the "three points". Not going the mutation path, looking at cyberware or attribute "bonuses", and wanted to make sure I am reading it right. Would the +1 be to the core statistic or to the BONUS/MOD?

[Marullus]

To the bonus/mod. Good question.

Edit: it does help with all rolls that I can think of that way. Your core attribute number still is used for Strength determining encumbrance and Constitution determining System Strain threshold, but I am not thinking of other situations.

[redwarrior]

Do we keep 1's for HP?

[Marullus]

Do we keep 1's for HP?

Sure, I'll let you re-roll a 1.

Nobody has considered healing / doctoring in their characters yet. I consolidated those rules here for you to take a look...

viewtopic.php?p=528377#p528377

[Marullus]

cybersavant - Báleygr Gangleri (Expert/Rectifier; Spacer scavenger and visible mutant) [Fix 1; Precog Talent/Biogun/Panspectral Optics/Bioadaptation]
Enoch - Shadrach (Godhunter; Old Veteran and Church Gunslinger) [Shoot 1; Shadow Companion/Phasing]
Faanku - Sister Amalia (Pacter; righteous summoner of God's will) [Cast Magic 1, Lead 1, Talk 1; Authority/Conjuration]
Mister-Kent - Agent Faraday (Expert/Warrior; Perimeter Agent) [Close Combatant/Savage Assault/Energy Sensitivity]
redwarrior - Hansel Shatner (Expert/Warrior; Former Spy now Bounty hunter) [Close Combatant/Gunslinger/Specialist: Notice]

greyarea - Sunblade with a mystical six-shooter
shroomofinsanity
jemmus
Craigers07

Analysis so far:
Strengths: This group has a lot of righteousness and skill at violence. They want to find and eradicate shadow cults, maltech, and people who prey on the weak. There's some minor programming skill. Báleygr Gangleri adds Fix skill and a desire to get good salvage and back off planet. Amalia adds interpersonal skill.

Weaknesses: The group doesn't have any medical/doctoring. No real pilots. Limited focus on making things work again. Nobody playing with psionics, arcanist, or war mage yet. Only one talker. Imo, a Yama King "circuit judge" would still be viable (who was looking at that?) and bring it together.

...all perfectly valid choices, of course. I can easily make storylines for a Wild Bunch of righteous gunslingers. We're still looking for characters from the others, so that helps them find roles. (Of course, more skill at violence is also reasonable.)

[redwarrior]

Heh. I considered playing with psionics, but I didn't really get the flow. Almost went with the wild talent, either the "immediate precognition" - forget the name - or personal apportation, both of which would work with my base concept.

REALLY went back and forth about Dermal Armor + Body Arsenal Array, a great setup for a bounty hunter/spy type, but didn't want it to be useless for too long while I waited for a TL 4 interface to recharge. Throw in "ghost radio" (not the right name, and you've got an awesome infiltrator.

[jemmus]

I just posted my (draft) character sheet. The PC is the itinerant lawyer-judge going from backwater town to town in a semi-functioning northern state called Ransu. Adventurer class (Expert-Psychic), Scholar background. Psychic training is from a shamanistic-revival tradition called by outsiders "Revivalists." I choose Healing focus and Pilot and Fix skills because we need those. They don't really fit the char RP-wise, so I may revise if we end up with PCs with those skills. (Except, to me the Healing focus does fit in with the shamanistic psychic background).

Or I could just revise the PC's backstory. With his Attribute rolls, he'd make a good pilot/driver and fix-it guy. Not an attorney, but instead more like the gyro captain guy in "The Road Warrior." Any thoughts?

[Marullus]

I like the traveling defense attorney! That's pretty cool. Shroomofinsanity mentioned he might be interested in the circuit judge - a defense attorney who travels together with a circuit judge to assure fair trials makes a great pairing.

I would say you don't have to be all the things - one character can't fill all the holes. Just pick what is going to be your fun story to tell.

As a Scholar background you always get the Know skill. If you're traveling and trying to bring back jurisprudence against the forces of barbarism, I would say having Administer is important and a lawyer probably needs Talk. You can pick those two skills from the Scholar list or randomly roll three times. You then get a free pick for a "hobby or interest" to fill in the needed thing you didn't get.

If you're a doctor instead of a lawyer, the Heal and Connect are sensible and the Healer focus makes you very competent. Just buy a medical kit and some Lift drugs.

If you want to focus on being a psychic from the Reclaimist community, perhaps drop a focus and be a full psychic so you can have more than one psychic discipline.

Pilot and Fix are fine as secondary skills for any road-mobile individual (driving a truck and keeping it running being an important part of traveling), but they remain secondary. Though, a road-hippy Reclaimist might find them primary.

I think all of those stories are good. Being a lawyer judge doctor psychic hippy pilot mechanic might be spread too thin.

[Enoch]

I'll second Marullus here: spreading yourself too thin leads to a character who is subpar at everything. Also agree with the advice to play a character that's interesting without worrying too much about filling holes. Sometimes the fun part is figuring out how to work around a group's weakness.

[greyarea]

My Sunblade character is nearing completion. Still trying to figure out who he is and how he got here. Tinkering with skills/foci. No idea how he'll fit into the group.

[Craigers07]

I'm leaning towards a Free Nexus from Earth-9 who once worked for different high-level tech companies. After the economic collapse, the PC uses their knowledge to help scavengers and techs with the parts trade. This would fit along the lines of the Escaped Familiar background.

[Marullus]

My Sunblade character is nearing completion. Still trying to figure out who he is and how he got here. Tinkering with skills/foci. No idea how he'll fit into the group.

A sunblade is mostly about his values, IMHO. What does he use his powers for?

We have three off-worlders, maybe the sunblade is working with Agent Faraday (their values could align) and they had passage on Báleygr Gangleri's crashed ship?

I'm leaning towards a Free Nexus from Earth-9 who once worked for different high-level tech companies. After the economic collapse, the PC uses their knowledge to help scavengers and techs with the parts trade. This would fit along the lines of the Escaped Familiar background.

Nice! I like Escaped Familiar. What company owned you? Were you a person or property? How recent is your escape?

[Enoch]

Just throwing this out there: you could always have him fleeing indentured servitude, which ties in to the Western theme very well!