[ The Campaign | Character Creation ]

Character Creation Information

     The tech level of this campaign is PL 8: Energy Age according to the Alternity RPG. The galaxy has had PL 8 technology for the last several centuries and miniaturization has continued onward as well as standardization. Power packs for personal energy weapons have been standardized although power usage between weapons varies allowing between 5 & 100 uses, some even require multiple power packs or even a power generator.
     Droids are available & very commonplace, but they tend to be used as tools to get jobs done. Droids are, in many ways, the appliances of the universe, with unique models for the most specialized tasks. Considering the disdain by the general public droids have no citizenship privileges. Most of the resentment is due to the Kargon Wars over 2 millenium ago when droids joined forces to try to wipe out all other sentient species. Since that time full-sized combat droids have become illegal & all non-combat droids have been hard-wired & programmed so that they can not knowingly hurt another being. Combat droids are limited to fixed installations & typically the limited intelligence droid brains are mounted to picket guns. Most of these must request permission to attack, however a few installations give them orders to fire on those not wearing the appropriate broadcast identification badge.
     Cybertech is available, but those that use it tend to be seen as 2nd rate citizens.
 

XP Level
Chart Summary
Lvl
Total
XP
Skill
Points
Earned
1
0
0
2
6
6
3
13
7
4
21
8
5
30
9
6
40
10
7
51
11
8
63
12
9
76
13
10
90
14
11
105
15
12
76
121
13
138
17
14
156
18
15
175
19
16
195
20
17
216
21
18
238
22
19
261
23
20
285
24
 
1) Develop a Character Concept - This is the most important aspect of character creation as this is where initial Achievement Points are received. Characters start with 6 APs (2nd level) plus whatever additional APs that are given out for Background information. Some of the Background areas are -
  • History - the history of the character should include the reasons for taking up their current occupation & reason for joining the campaign.
  • Planet - the planet of origin for the character. Due to the billions of inhabited planets in the galaxy it's impossible for one person to create them all. A name and general description of the planet & what the character remembers of it is required.
  • Species - if other than human, the character's species needs to be defined. If the character is human I would suggest mentioning something about culture in which the character grew up in.
  • Motivation - the motivation of a character is his defining purpose, the reason he does what he does. A character may have any number of motivations, but all must have at least one.
2) Pick a Profession - Select an Alternity Profession - Combat Spec, Diplomat, Free Agent, Mindwalker, or Tech Op - that logically encompasses your character's career. Each profession provides special benefits to the characters who belong to it. Note: talk to the GM prior to choosing Mindwalker as a profession.
3) Assign Ability Scores - Divide 65 points among the six Abilities - STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIL, PER - and assign those Ability Scores to your character, making sure to arrange them so that your character meets the minimum requirements for his profession and the racial limits for his species.
  • Determine Options - if you have cleared it with the GM, use the optional Alternity rules for Mutants or Cybertech.
4) Purchase Skills - Each character starts with six free broad skills depending upon the character's species. The number of additional broad skills your character can start with, and the number of points he receives to purchase additional skills, depend on the character's species and Intelligence score. See Table P5: Hero Starting Skill Points below. Chapter 4: Skills in the APHB contains complete information on how much skills cost & what each one enables a character to do. Modifications are listed below.
5) Select Perks & Flaws - You may purchase up to 3 perks for your character and select up to 3 flaws. See Chapter 5: Perks & Flaws in the APHB for details.
 

Skill Selection*

     In addition to the free broad skills determined by race selection, a new character has a number of skill points equal to 30 plus 3 times his Intelligence score available to purchase skills during character creation.
     This replaces the skill point allocations indicated on Table P5 in the Player's Handbook. Under the old system, an alien hero with an Intelligence score of 9 received 40 skill points for initial skill purchase; under the upgrade, he receives 30 + (3 x 9) or 57 skill points. A human hero of the same Intelligence score would begin with 62 skill points if using this optional rule.
     During initial skill purchase, a character may not learn more than six additional broad skills, not counting his racial broad skills. Modify this number by the hero's Intelligence-based resistance modifier (Table P2, pg 32 APHB).
     The table to the right follows the changes in the previous 3 paragraphs & replaces Table P5 (pg 34) in the APHB.

Skill Improvement*

     The cost to purchase rank 2 or higher in a specialty skill is either the list price or the list price -1. The number of ranks a character currently possesses in the specialty skill does not increase the cost of advancing that skill.
     This replaces the second bullet point under Cost of Skills on page 61 in the Player's Handbook. As originally written, advancing a specialty skill from rank 4 to rank 5 (for instance) would cost a number of skill points equal to the original purchase price +4. This rule modification changes the advancement of skills so that a character simply buys the skill again at its normal purchase price in order to advance his skill rank.
     Note that a hero may not begin with a specialty skill rank of more than 3 at character creation, and that a character cannot improve a skill rank more than once per achievement level.
Table P5:
Hero Starting
Skill Points
INT
Score
Skill
Pts.
Broad
Skills
4
42
4
5
45
5
6
48
5
7
51
6
8
54
6
9
57
6
10
60
6
11
63
7
12
66
7
13
69
8
14
72
8
15
75
9
16
78
9
 

Skill Name Cost PR
STR Skills
Unarmed Attack
5
C
Power martial arts
4
C
DEX Skills
Acrobatics
7
F
Defensive martial arts
5
CF
Vehicle Operation
3
T
Air vehicle
5
T
Capitalship piloting
?
T
Space vehicle
-
-
Starfighter piloting
5
T
Space transport piloting
5
T
CON Skills
Movement
3
-
Race
2
-
Swim
1
-
Trailblazing
3
F
INT Skills
Computer Science
7
T
Hacking
5
T
Knowledge
3
-
Computer operation
1
-
First aid
2
-
Navigation
6
T
Astrogation, drivespace
4
T
PER Skills
Leadership
4
-
Inspire
4
CD
Skill Changes

     The skills listed have been modified for this campaign in certain ways. You will notice that most of them are the ones listed in Blue in the APHB.


     Power Martial Arts - can be used untrained as long as the character has the Unarmed Attack broad skill. However, Power Martial Arts damage inflicted by someone untrained in Power Martial Arts, but has the Unarmed Attack broad skill inflicts normal Unarmed Attack damage.
     Defensive Martial Arts - can be used untrained as long as the character has the Unarmed Attack strength broad skill. However, using Defensive Martial Arts untrained can be dangerous. Using Defensive Martial Arts untrained does only stun damage equal to his Strength damage adjustment & is considered low impact (LI). If someone fails a check while using Defensive Martial Arts untrained they suffer double the damage the attacker would normally inflict if the attacker succeeded in his attack, normal damage if the attacker failed his attack, & if there was no attack the character suffers damage equal to that normally done by Defensive Martial Arts (d4s/d4+1s/d4+2s)
     Air Vehicle - Air Vehicle has been replaced by several other skills more accurate for the vehicles. Anti-Gravity is an example.
     Anti-Gravity -
     Wheeled Vehicle -
     Space Vehicle - Space Vehicle has been replaced by several other skills more accurate for the vehicles. Those skills include Capitalship Piloting, Starfighter Piloting, & Space Transport. These new skills may be used untrained as long as the character has some skill or is being directed by someone trained in the skill.
     Capitalship Piloting -
     Starfighter Piloting -
     Space Transport Piloting -
     Race -
     Swim -
     Trailblazing -
     Hacking -
     Computer Operation -
     First Aid -
     Astrogation, Drivespace -
     Astrogation, Hyperspace -
     Astrogation, Jumpspace -
     Inspire -

*   Skill Selection & Skill Improvement both implement Optional Rules 2 from WotC's Gamemaster's Station & has been reprinted here along with an actual table for clarity.