Character Creation

[Marullus]

I don't know which tech company yet. Is the core SWN book the best place to look at tech or are there some better sources to look at?

It will probably be easiest to make it up. Let's start with the core principals. It is an Earth-9 based corporation, and its power base is here. Earth-9 is focused on not losing it's TL4 technology to entropy and collapse. It has customers who fund its work.

Region/City: Pick either Russian or Greek influence for the society (tying to the same region as our religious folks). Make up a city your company is based in (or use the heavily-theocratic-influenced Deluga). Tell us something about the city.

Business: Chose one area that the company used to perform at TL4, and is desperately trying to keep from sliding to TL3. Or, it is a new wildy-successful upstart company providing a TL3 good (i.e. real world feasible) product better/cheaper than ever expected.

Postech: Tech Level 4 (page 63)

• Costly but feasible creation of interstellar starships
• Basic gravity control with large, heavy devices
• Expert system creation, and sometimes VIs
• Varying degrees of cyberware development
• Basic genetic manipulation of humans and other life
• Limited organ, limb, and tissue cloning
• Starship or small-building-sized fusion power plants
• Energy projection weapons of various kinds

Customers: Choose who buys this commodity.

• The poor in the Badlands (i.e. everyone can afford it, it is a staple good. A TL4 method of manufacture, not a TL4 end-product.)
• The masses in the city (cheaper product sold to everyone, part of the city's standard of living, considered a "must have" to set themselves apart from the poor)
• The wealthy of the city (why are they willing to buy it? What do they use it for?)
• The Oligarchs on Glendore station (can only they afford it, or do they demand exclusivity?)
• A secret contract with Langtang station that you weren't even supposed to know about
• The dwindling number of Space Traders (why is the trip to Earth-9 for your commodity worth it?)

You: your character was groomed/made for a purpose. What role did you and your powers play in preventing the degredation of their production capacity? (Varies depending on the powers you pick. Did you help scientists boost their research? Does their production rely on Magic or Psionics that you can boost? Did your efforts help ensure competative edge/reduce competition? Did you help black ops teams collect their test subjects?) Remember that this corporation is likely to be a BBEG. Are they channeling energy from Heaven/Hell? [Shadows/Pacters] Are they exploiting psychics (who are feared/persecuted and not missed) by draining their mental powers until they die? Only define as much as your character would know from their own role. You should also leave some things as suspected or unknown and I'll work them into gameplay.

I like this name generator: https://www.scifiideas.com/scifi-compan ... generator/

Indentured servitude is going to be part of the background story.
My escape is going to be 2 years ago. I think that would fit into the timeline based on the House Rules section.

That works for me. A fugitive with a bounty on them (especially an unjust one) is a great place to start a story.

Great cast of characters so far! Today I'm going to try to finalize Faraday's backstory details. Also the Agent can be sort of a quarrelsome asshat (it's his Mutation's Flaw, so I interpret it as his *sensitivity* makes him extra touchy) but he'd get along well with any of the PCs.

Sounds good! Touch base with cybersavant and greyarea on if you wanted to coming on a common offworld ship, or if you've been here a while.

[redwarrior]

Hansel was raised in what he now knows was a life of privilege, though he grew up believing that his circumstances were common throughout Georghiad, this was the one society that had gotten it right and managed to support the common good of all people. He started to realize that something wasn’t quite right when he joined the military and found soldiers under his command who seemed horribly uneducated and with odd claims about their lives before the military. But he didn’t let it trouble him too much. Once he was recruited into the Georghiad Protective Information Service and was judged properly loyal, he was suddenly sent on missions that exposed both the underside of his planet’s government, in how it treated its less-valuable (value, what a concept for people!) citizens. Even more shocking, as he spent time on orbital platforms, running shuttles, and on other planets, he found that outsiders were not as uniformly evil as they had been advertised. The fact that the GPIS frequently used mercenaries from Munos for deniability off word shook him, as did the fact that the bounty hunters he dealt with kept to a much higher standard of loyalty than his superiors did.

However, the final straw was when he was sent on a mission to discover the group behind several attacks on food processing plants, drawing on family contacts – food factory administration was the family business – he found the group behind it and uncovered the justification for their attacks, which had been concealed by the government as anarchist in nature. In his final attack on the insurgents, he ‘accidentally’ triggered an explosion that destroyed the factory offices as well as several high-ranking food production administrators. He’s never told anyone, government or otherwise, what he saw. A review of his actions did not find any wrongdoing on his part, and the accident story is the official one, but the very next day he found out that his father and siblings had been demoted to less important positions with less access and fewer perks. They made it clear that they wanted nothing more to do with the Hero of the Plant 4358 raid.

Han resigned his position and left on the next available freighter, which happened to be destined for Earth-9. Now, down to his last few credits, he decides he will follow in the footsteps of the bounty hunters from Munos, the only people from his old life he felt he could trust. Communism is a lie, as is justice. Credits and strength determine the truth. Han is fresh out of idealism, or so he says. But if he can give a common man a fair break, he will do so.

[Marullus]

That's awesome.

[jemmus]

Really nice.

[redwarrior]

Ambiance: Smooth Operator
Hansel needs food badly...
As he sits admiring the fact that he is a newly minted Marshall, and devours the breakfast in front of him....

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Writing this out long-form, to help ME make sure I'm understanding the mechanics as I go through P56
3XP assumed, as needed for L2
----
Starting was HP 10
I'm raw rolling 2d6, +4 (2 per level as a partial warrior), + Con bonus * 2 (2*2=4)
So 2d6 +8
The outcome will be current +2 (12) or the result of the 2d6+8 roll ....
L2 HP [2d6+8]=7+8=15
So new HP = 15
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Attack bonus goes up to 1.5 (partial warrior starts at +1 at L1), but is rounded down, so no practical change.
----
Saves increase by 1, so baseline is now 14, modified by appropriate attribute.
----
Gain 3 general skill points
Gain 1 (partial expert) point to spend in non-combat, non-psychic skill.
Costs 1 SP to gain a skill at SL0
Costs 2 SP to move from SL0 to SL1
Can increase 1 attribute by 1 at the cost of one SP, Can increase a 2nd attribute by 1 at a SP cost of 2.
----
Focus: At L2, can gain a new focus, or level up an existing (if it comes with skills, referenced skills have 3 "dedicated skill points" (if not completely used, carry over to future levels)
----
OK, think that's all the rules.
----
Think it makes sense to look at foci first, as biggest potential bang for the buck. ...
Current Foci: Close combat, Gunslinger, Specialist - All at L1
GS 2 - on turn reload + even a miss does 1d4 damage.... Me like...
S 2 - Notice goes from 3d6k2 to 4d6k2, or could take another L0 skill at 3d6K2 -seems like there are better options for that now
CC 2 - shock damage as if opponents were AC 10 -- haven't been doing a lot of close combat

Others to look at:
Healer - gain Heal as bonus skill (at SL1, but roll 3d6K3), I like the narrative of deciding to study up after trying to keep the bartender alive..
Diplomat -- raises talk 3 dedicated SP (SL2 possible), know all common languages (like the spy tie-in)
Sniper -- raises shoot 3 dedicated SP (SL2 possible)
Wanderer has good in-game effects for being able to get around, common languages, Survival at L1, finding transport anywhere

All build nicely on the character concept of an ex-spy/bounty hunter/rogue. So far, Hansel shots things and talks purty. So, playing to strengths, strike CC2, S2, H, and W.

Leaves GS 2, D, S. GS 2 is nice, but both D and S allow a path to SL2, making Hansel a true standout in one or the other.

Sooo... L2 build
15 HP as rolled, Attack bonus unchanged, Saves improved by 1
Hansel spends 2 skill points to raise shoot from SL0 to SL1
and 2 skill points to raise talk from SL0 to SL1 (1 general point + the "expert" point)
and, after a lot of back and forth, it really seems that talking has won the day for Hansel more than shooting...
So, he takes the Diplomacy focus, bumping his Talk to SL2

I love the approach to HP, it guarantees that you always go up at least a little and that you aren't cursed by an early bad roll. Though 20 HP would have been AWESOME! The leveling system really makes you think about how you want your character's story arc to go. I was actually really jonesing after 13 foci, not just the 7 I discussed above, but had to decide if I wanted to have a few strong skills or be a "jack of all trades, master of none." Especially with this concept, that's a hard choice. I love the simplicity + nuance of this system.

[Marullus]

Attack bonus goes up to 1.5 (partial warrior starts at +1 at L1), but is rounded down, so no practical change.

New level (2) divided in half is 1, plus 1 for warrior is 2.

Normal characters get base attack bonus at even levels (2, 4, 6, 8, 10).
Partial warriors get a bonus at 1 and 5, so (1, 2 , 4, 5, 6, 8, 10)
Warriors get every level.

[redwarrior]

Awesome! Updating sheet now. Ah... I see the nuance I missed.

[Enoch]

Roll Additional Hit Points: I roll 2x (d6+Con); if higher than total, take that; otherwise a flat +1 HP.

Level 2 HP: [2d6+2]=4+2=6 He has 6 HP already, so that gets bumped to 7.

Improve Attack Bonus: Attack bonus is 1/2 level rounded down. It will go from +0 to +1.

Improve Saving Throws: each save drops by 1.
Gain and Spend Skill Points: I get 3 skill points, which can be used to increase skills or attributes. Some thoughts: Notice-0 would be nice. Bumping Connect or Know Magic to -1 would be useful. Shoot is already at max (though the Gunslinger focus would let me bump that to 2). Cast Magic would be useful if I take the Limited Study focus. (In fact, in that case it would be almost necessary, as spellcasting time increases drastically without Cast Magic equal to spell level-1.
It would also require an investment in skill levels in the future if I changed it out.)

Bumped Notice-0 to Notice-1 and took Stab-0.

Choose New Foci: At 2, I get a new Focus. Per Purity of Arms, this can be an Arcane Warrior focus. Some interesting options:

• I could take Limited Study and learn a level-1 Arcanist or Magister spell. Lesser Shadow Ward is the obvious choice here.
• Arcane Physique could raise my Dex bonus by 1. That would improve initiative in particular (with the twitchlock actuators, missing in ranged combat is not a big threat).
• I could take Level 2 of Shadow Companion and give Grim a new ability (more HP, a less-disturbing shape, improved AC or melee attacks, flight, carrying capacity, suicidal obedience, better damage, the ability to store things in its home environment, communicating with others). The most interesting part of this is that, like many Level 2 abilities, it continues to improve on its own.
• Witchfinder is certainly thematic; it lets me take Know Magic as a bonus skill, and allows me to identify spells. I'm not sure it gives me much in terms of practical benefit, though.
• Alert gives me Notice and prevents me being surprised, as well as improving initiative. This is probably better than Arcane Physique.
• Die Hard gives me +2 HP/level, which would be really helpful.
• Gunslinger would let me increase Shoot to 2 and add +2 damage.

Taking Alert.

Godhunter Abilities:

• Sacriligeous Scorn: I get a +2 bonus to saves vs. magic or mundane effects from Shadows or Shadow cultists.
• Armor of Contempt: I gain a +1 AC bonus against Shadows and Shadow cultists.

[greyarea]

Subject: OOC

My apologies for being late leveling up. Still getting the hang of SWN.

Here are my changes, I invite suggestions:
Second Level
Hit Points level 2 [2d6+2]=6+2=8

Added Robes of Discipline focus and upped Sunblade skill to 2 (3 point cost)

Nice! You get more stuff, though. I'll help. Remember to post the changes to Character Creation as it is easier to reference there than in PMs.

Hit points:
Hit Points level 2 [2d6+2]=6+2=8
I can't tell what you had at Level 1 anymore; if you had 8 then you get +1 for 9. If it was less than 8 you now have 8.

Skill Points:
You get 3. You aren't allowed to buy a Skill-2 skill with normal skill points until you are level 3. You need to spend these particular points to round out your character with other skills at Skill-0 or Skill-1. (You can still get Sunblade-2 with a focus, see below.)

Sunblade Ability:
You picked Robes of Discipline (who wouldn't??). That makes your AC equal to 16 + Dex + Level, so that's AC 20, not AC 18.

Other things to add...
Base Attack Bonus:
This goes up at every even level, so at Level 2 you go from +0 to +1. You need to modify the to-hit bonus for each weapon. This applies to any weapon (so modifies your punch). Your Sunblade Wielder benefit goes up every odd level, so when calculating to-hit with your actual sunblade pistols, you effectively add Dex + Skill + full level.

Sunblade Effort:
This equals your Sunblade skill (so if your focus raises it to 2, then your effort goes up to 2). You don't have a Sunblade Ability chosen that spends effort, so this is inconsequential at the moment.

Focus pick:
All characters get a Focus pick at level 2, which is in addition to the Sunblade Ability pick you already made (which you get at every even level). Focus Picks happen at levels 2, 5, 7, and 10 so they don't normally overlap but at level 2 they do.
As a Sunblade, you can use this focus pick for a normal Focus, for an Arcane Focus (from Black Sun), or for another Sunblade Ability (from your class). You don't get to do that again until level 5.
ALSO - if you pick a focus that gives you the Shoot ability or Any Combat ability (like Gunslinger), you can use it to raise to Sunblade-2 skill level and exceed the skill level cap. This is a special loophole on page 57 that is most beneficial at level 2.

Weapon Damage:
Your sunblade revolvers are "small ranged weapons" and so do "2d6+2+skill" but also still add your Dex, which is a seperate general rule. Assuming you take a focus that lets you raise to Sunblade-2 (above) that's 2d6+2+2+2 or 2d6+6. If the focus adds skill to damage (like Gunslinger) then this is a special exception where you add your skill level twice. (Rules prohibit you adding it twice from foci, but this is 1 foci and 1 class ability.) That means gunslinger would make it 2d6+8 and if dual-wielding your pistols, 2d6+10. That's kind of crazy-superfluous.

Assuming you get Sunblade-2 from your focus:

== Offensive Abilities ==
Base Attack Bonus: +1
Primary Weapon: SunShooter [1d20+6] Damage: [2d6+6] Range: 50m Magazine: Unlimited
Dual-wielding SunShooters [1d20+5] Damage: [2d6+8] Range: 50m Magazine: Unlimited
Secondary Weapon: Punch/Unarmed [1d20+1] Damage [1d2+2] No Shock

If the Focus adds skill to damage, like Gunslinger:

== Offensive Abilities ==
Base Attack Bonus: +1
Primary Weapon: SunShooter [1d20+6] Damage: [2d6+8] Range: 50m Magazine: Unlimited
Dual-wielding SunShooters [1d20+5] Damage: [2d6+10] Range: 50m Magazine: Unlimited
Secondary Weapon: Punch/Unarmed [1d20+1] Damage [1d2+2] No Shock

Considering Gunslinger:
It seems like an obvious choice, doubling down on his role as a gunslinger character. It gives him 1 level (3 points) in Shoot, which is enough to raise Sunblade over the cap to Sunblade-2, and then also adds it twice to his damage roll.
The third effect of the focus, "You can draw or holster a Stowed ranged weapon as an On Turn action," is a bit specific and superfluous. Your gunbelt has Readied weapons, not Stowed, and any character can draw a Readied weapon as an On Turn action. This ability lets you pull a not-readied (Stowed) weapon from your backpack, etc.

Gunslinger is the only one that gives both the skill point and bonus damage, but you may have something else more appealing than the bonus damage. Close Combatant gives the skill point, but then also removes penalties for using pistols in melee and makes you immune to the shock damage from melee. (That already saved Faraday's life in Chapter 1.) Sniper gives you the skill point and then gives you an improved roll for lining up an Execution Attack at range (which doesn't use normal attack/damage).

There are Arcane Warrior foci in Black Sun -- they take 2 Foci picks instead of one, but offer interesting flavors. You would save this level 2 pick and at level 5 get access to one of the following by spending both picks together: you can consider Elemental Warrior (arcane focus) which lets you attune to one energy type (like heat or cold). You resist 2hp/level damage per round of that element damage type, you can freely do minor effects with the chosen element, you add skill to your damage rolls [like Gunslinger] (as the element type, so your bullets burn if you choose heat), AND you can fire elemental energy directly (1d10+2+Dex+Skill+Skill) if disarmed. You could take Arcane Physique and raise your Dex bonus to +3, which impacts AC, to-hit, and damage. You could take Occult Resilience as a wanderer no longer need to eat, drink, or sleep and are immune to the vacuum of space.

Taking this from DM to here...

Great. I went with Close Combatant, which helps round him out. Added the Connect skill and raised Dex and Cha each by 1 (Not enough for a bonus but getting there).

Double check that I didn't screw up? I think Close Combatant gets me to Sunblade-2 but in case it doesn't...

[Marullus]

Great. I went with Close Combatant, which helps round him out.

Good choice!

Added the Connect skill and raised Dex and Cha each by 1 (Not enough for a bonus but getting there).

Cost for raising attributes (not 'per attribute') goes up. So raising Dex by one is 1 skill point, raising Cha by one is 2 skill points. Raising either one again is 3 skill points and requires level 3. So, raising both requires all 3 points right now and you can't afford Connect. I recommend being more selective with attribute raises.

Perhaps raise only Dex or Cha, add Connect-0, and then add another skill at -0.

Double check that I didn't screw up? I think Close Combatant gets me to Sunblade-2 but in case it doesn't...

Yep, sure does!

So this should be your correct block:

== Offensive Abilities ==
Base Attack Bonus: +1
Primary Weapon: SunShooter [1d20+6] Damage: [2d6+6] Range: 50m Magazine: Unlimited
Dual-wielding SunShooters [1d20+5] Damage: [2d6+8] Range: 50m Magazine: Unlimited
Secondary Weapon: Punch/Unarmed [1d20+1] Damage [1d2+2] No Shock

He's really potent as long as he never gets disarmed from his magic gun...

[greyarea]

Sweet. Thanks.

[Marullus]

I decided to allow a slightly faster advancement. (Because, #1, why not, and #2, you guys still have really low hit points!)

Please advance to Level 3 before we open the new Chapter 3 thread.

Follow the rules on page 56/57 in the rulebook again for advancement. You get 3 points to spend into skills. You can now purchase skills at level 2 (which takes all three skill points to get it there from an existing Level 1). You re-roll 3d6 for your hit dice, plus warrior and CON bonuses (they can't go down from your current total +1.) Also, improve your savings throws by 1.

I think Balygyr also gets level 2 spells.

...ask any questions here.

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gangleri

skill:
fix 2

my saves stay until level5



oops, was supposed to roll and add to 5

[jemmus]

Sorry for the delay, all. I'll get to leveling up Taavi as soon as possible.

[jemmus]

Taavi Level 3 level up
HP [1d6+2]=3+2=5[1d6+2]=3+2=5[1d6+2]=1+2=3 = 13. Level 2 HP was also 13. New HP 13+1=14.
Attack Bonus - no change.
STs improved by 1.
New skills
- Telekinesis - 0 (Costs 1 skill point, satisfies the requirement to spend at least 1 point on psychic skills)
- Telekinetic Armory - Level I (Costs 2 skill points)
No skill points saved.

Look about right, no mistakes?

[greyarea]

Emile

hit points [3d6]=6 whelp, that sucks. I guess my hit points stay where they were.

Sunblade Wielder level 2

[jemmus]

Dang. I think GM said you get +1 to your current HP at level up.

[Marullus]

General note: At level 3, anyone can raise any skill to skill-2 (it costs all 3 points to raise it from skill-1 to skill-2). You can't get skill-3 until you reach Character Level 6.

Dang. I think GM said you get +1 to your current HP at level up.

Rules as written say: "If the total is greater than their current hit points, they take this new total. Otherwise, their current maximum hit points increase by one."

I am/will be a little more generous. I treat it "as if you rolled a 1" instead of "+1" so you still gain the benefit of Warrior class or CON bonus with it.

Emile
hit points [3d6]=6 whelp, that sucks. I guess my hit points stay where they were.

You had 8. You rolled 3d6 and got 6, but you neglected your +1 Con bonus (for +3) for a total of 9.

Alternate method is 8, +1 min roll +1 Con = 10 hit points instead.

Sunblade Wielder level 2

You already had Sunblade skill 2. You can spend your skill points on something else.

Your Base Attack and Sunblade Wielder combine to give a +1 every level (each give half). So at level 3, it is +3 with your sun-guns, +1 with other weapons.

Taavi Level 3 level up
HP [1d6+2]=3+2=5[1d6+2]=3+2=5[1d6+2]=1+2=3 = 13. Level 2 HP was also 13. New HP 13+1=14.

Your rules-as-written is correct.

Alternative method, 13 +1 min roll +2 CON = 16 hit points.

New skills
- Telekinesis - 0 (Costs 1 skill point, satisfies the requirement to spend at least 1 point on psychic skills)
- Telekinetic Armory - Level I (Costs 2 skill points)
No skill points saved.

Look about right, no mistakes?

You need add the benefits of your Level 2 of Psychic Training. You gain an extra point (4th point) toward Telepathy (only) each level. Since you need to be level 6 to get Telepathy-3, you will have banked the four points to buy it at 6th level automatically (3, 4, 5, 6). You should not it under Saved Points, just to be sure.

Spending the other three points to get both Telekinesis-0 and Telekinesis-1 (then gaining Telekinetic Armory for free with it), works great. That means you have:
Telepathy-2
Telekinesis-1
Teleportation-0
Precognition-0

You need to add the Oracle technique to your sheet (1 minute into the future) and remember to use it. Also, add the increased capability of your Telepathic Contact at level 2 (you can actually read minds, now). Telekinetic Manipulation to 200kg, too.

[Enoch]

Shadrach:

HP: [3d6+3]=9+3=12
I really can't get a good roll on HP!

BAB remains at 1.
Saves decrease by 1.

3 skill points:

• I'll spend 1 to bump Con from 17 to 18. He gets hurt a lot, but he's tough. That will also give him +3 HP.
• That does not leave me enough to bump either Shoot or Notice to -2, unfortunately. I can bump a single skill-0 to skill-1, or take 2 skills at skill-0. I'll take Know Magic-1; he's becoming more familiar with the necromantic arts than he'd like.

At level 3 Godhunters get the ability True Eyes:
The Godhunter may make a Mental saving throw to automatically pierce any magical illusions created or magical disguises adopted by a Shadow or cultist. Failure means a new attempt cannot be made until a new scene begins.

Grim goes up by 2 HP, gains +1 to-hit, and gets -1 to Saves.

[greyarea]

Seems my character sheet is out of date...

I'll take the 10 hp.

Can I take Pilot-0 and raise Notice-0 to Notice-1?