Character Creation
Points: You will start with 225 points to spend, and up to -30 points in disadvantages. Your starting TL is 5, which you cannot adjust. You also gain five extra points you can only use on tertiary skills (background skills with little gameplay benefit). The Game Master will provision more points if you fill out the following (as well as more game-specific questions):
- A description of your family.
- A description of what you consider home.
- Friends, nicknames, and hobbies.
- A short list of prejudices, enemies, and character flaws.
Traits: Apart from racial traits or magical traits specifically listed, no exotic or supernatural traits are allowed. There is a limit of 4 disadvantages total, not including any template disadvantages. You may take up to 5 quirks and perks.
Statistics: You may purchase up to +30% of your race's base IQ, DX, and HT, and up to +40% of your race's base ST. Secondary statistics can be up to +20% higher than the primary statistic.
Skills: Skills up to 16 are allowed.
Equipment and Wealth: You may begin the game with any equipment listed in the world, or MOST equipment up to TL5, if you can afford it. Ask the Game Master for any TL5 equipment that you think may not exist in this world. There is no limit on the Wealth you may begin with, though any level of wealth above Wealthy requires a good reason. If you purchase Signature Gear, the Game Master will require an explanation for how you obtained this gear.
Languages and Cultures: You may pick any of the qualified (Ex. Northern Telzian, Border Telzian, etc.) languages from
Languages and Dialects. You will understand all the languages of your group (Ex. Telzian) at Accented, which you may buy off for one point to native. Pick your culture(s) from the same pool; these may intersect with nationalities, but are not a complete match.
Two-Handed Weapons
When wielding a staff, two-handed sword, or two-handed axe (including one-handed weapons wielded in both hands), you may take one defensive or offensive Extra Effort per turn without spending the AP cost. This also applies to SOME polearms, such as the Pollaxe (as some polearms are just two-handed axes with some bits added).
Clues
Whenever a player rolls a check to gather information (perception, research, etc.) in a non-combat, non-time-limited situation, the Game Master will give basic information, and assign Clues to the player if he feels further information can be gleamed. Clues can be used to ask the Game Master (or another character, if applicable) one, specific question reasonably inferable from the roll, which will be answered (truthfully) either with a straight answer or a solid lead. A check grants 1 Clue on success, and 1 further Clue every 3 DoS further; players cannot bank Clues for later (though they may take a reasonable amount of time to think on their questions, if applicable).
The Game Master reserves the right to assign more, less, or no Clues depending on the difficulty of the check and whether he feels like the players are abusing the system. Each roll in a specific circumstance can only grant one set of Clues, even if multiple players rolls checks, though Extra Time can be used to retroactively grant DoS to gather more clues, if applicable.
Example: Nix takes ten minutes to scope out an enemy compound, and roll an 9 against an Observation of 14. She gathers two Clues, which could be used to ask questions like "How many guards are there?", "Are there any good entryways?", "How well-trained are these guards?", or "Do I think there are any surprises planned out?". The Game Master may answer "You think 20, but the rotation is strange. No more than 30, certainly.", "You can see an unguarded sewer exit, but it's unguarded because of a massive iron grate covering it", "The guards seems professional. Well-equipped, don't seem to be wandering off and are holding to patrols. Maybe professional mercenaries.", or "Nothing strikes you as obvious, but after watching for a moment, you see that the guards are avoiding two specific corridors; perhaps they're trapped?".
If Lark wants to help on this observation, he can either help with assisting on Observation, or roll a complementary skill such as Architecture to get his own set of Clues. However, if Lark rolled Observation without assisting, he would not get another set of Clues; the highest roll of Lark and Nix would be used for the total clues. If Nix wanted to get another Clue, and Lark doesn't assist, she could retroactively decide to take another ten minutes to gain a +1, and gain another Clue. Nix and Lark don't have to immediately use their clues; they can keep them in their pockets while each character roll their checks and to answer questions during planning, but they can't bank them for during the compound assault, and the Game Master may pressure them if he feels they are being too slow and considerate.
