Mano a Mano:Character Creation
Character Creation
To create a character, you need a pencil and a copy of a template. You may also need scratch paper to keep track of the character's CP value. The game or the GM will provide the players with a list of templates and limitations to create their characters. Typical beginning characters have no more than 300 total CP and no more than 4 ability levels beyond their template abilities. Customize the character with a description, build, abilities, occupation and equipment. You may also be allowed to give the character weaknesses, such as missing limbs or disabilities. Record the character's total CP in the left half of the CP value space. (See Gameplay/Players and Characters and Game Design/Templates.)
Description
Make up a name for your character. Choose a sex or age category allowed by the template. Characters can be male or female unless the template lists different options. Age can be described in years or as a category such as "child", "youth", "adult", "old", or "ancient". Characters within the template's normal variability can be youths, adults or older. To make a small child character without changing the template, you can reduce the mass, length, health and power to less than the template's variability suggests. You may also invent a more detailed description and background for your character, appropriate to the game being played. The portrait area of the character sheet can be used for a picture of the character or descriptive text.
Build
- more speed (20 CP)
- A character can have more speed if his template has medium or high variability. If the template's speed 1/4 or 1/2 the character's total speed will be twice the template's speed. Otherwise the character's total speed will be the template's speed plus 1. More speed is worth 20 CP.
- less speed (-20 CP)
- A character can have less speed if his template has medium or high variability and the template's speed is greater than 1/4. If the template's speed is 1 or 1/2 the character's total speed will be half of the template's speed. Otherwise the character's total speed will be the template's speed minus 1. Less speed is worth -20 CP.
- more or less agility (10 CP per level)
- A character can have more or less agility than his template depending on the template's variability: 1 point more or less if the template has low variability, 2 points more or less if the template has medium variability, or 3 points more or less if the template has high variability. Each point of agility is worth 10 CP. If a character's total agility is 2 levels less than his template's agility, then his reduced agility is worth -20 CP. If a character's total agility is 3 levels higher than his template's agility, then his increased agility is worth 30 CP.
- more or less toughness (3 CP per level)
- A character can have extra toughness up to half of his template toughness with low variability, as high as his template toughness with medium variability and up to twice his template toughness with high variability. Even a very fragile character usually has total toughness which is at least half of his template toughness. Each point of toughness is worth 3 CP. For example, -3 toughness is worth -9 CP.
- more or less power (5 CP per level)
- A character can have extra power up to half of his template power with low variability, as high as his template power with medium variability and up to twice his template power with high variability. A character with more than 0 template power can have negative extra power, but he cannot have low enough negative power to reduce his total power to less than 0. Even a very weak character usually has total power which is at least half of his template power. Each point of power is worth 5 CP. For example, -2 power is worth -10 CP.
- more or less mass
- A character can have from -30% to +50% his template's average mass with low variability, from half (-50%) to double (+100%) his template's average mass with medium variability and from a third (-70%) to triple (+200%) his template's average mass with high variability.
- more or less length
- A character can have from -10% to +10% of his template's average length with low variability, from -20% to +30% of his template's average length with medium variability and from -30% to +50% of his template's average length with high variability.
Big characters should have more toughness, power, mass and length, while smaller characters should have less toughness, power, mass and length. The following table is a guideline for characters with typical mass, length, toughness and power relationships, but characters are not required to fit these categories:
| Size | Extra Toughness, Power and Mass | Length | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tiny | less than half average | over 20% less than average | ||
| very small | between 1/3 and 2/3 average | between 10% and 30% less than average | ||
| small | between half average and average | between 20% less than average and average | ||
| normal | between 2/3 average and 50% more than average | between 10% less and 10% more than average | ||
| big | between average and twice average | between average and 30% more than average | ||
| very big | between 50% more than average and three times average | between 10% and 50% more than average | ||
| huge | more than twice average | over 30% more than average |
Disabilities
The consequences of negative qualities (Qualities with negative CP) should not be easily avoided. Players need the game or GM's permission to create characters with negative qualities that are different from their template. Characters should not have more than two negative qualities and may be allowed only one or none. A character who has lost or never had the use of a limb may have the lame quality or missing natural weapons. A player also needs the GM's permission to make a character with missing or disabled limbs. If the character's qualities or natural weapons are different from the character's template, recalculate the character's template CP. (See Game Design/Players and Characters, Game Design/Abilities/Disabilities and Game Design/Templates.
Character Abilities
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You may give the character new abilities from the list of abilities the game or template allows you to develop. The character can have an extra ability modifier, which reflects their level of talent, skill and experience. Usually new characters cannot have more than 4 levels of extra ability modifier. A character's total ability modifier is his template modifier plus his extra modifier. Write the total modifier in the left half of the Mod column next to the ability name in the Abilities and Qualities column on the character sheet. |
extra modifier | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | student | |
| 3-5 | expert | |
| 6-7 | master | |
| 8-9 | legend | |
Choosing Occupations
Typically you will select an occupation from a list provided by the game or GM. You may have the option of not giving the character an occupation, or the option to choose more than one occupation. Occupations give the character advantages, disadvantages, duties or privileges. A character may have any occupations as long as they meet the requirements for those occupations. (See Game Design/Occupations.)
Character Equipment
The power of a natural weapon is the character's total power. The combat modifier (Cmb) of a natural weapon is the character's total agility modifier plus total unarmed combat ability modifier. (See Game Design/Abilities/Other Abilities.)
The character usually begins with the basic equipment required by his occupation. The game or GM may give the character additional equipment or money to buy equipment. A character's modifiers when using an item are listed in the equipment section of the character sheet. These are determined by comparing the character's modifiers to the item's modifiers, and may be different from the values listed on the equipment list for that item. (See Game Design/Equipment and Character Development/Inventory Management.)
Encumbrance and Movement
- Carrying Capacity
- Carrying capacity is the amount of equipment a character can carry without encumbrance. Carrying capacity is determined by the character's power.
| Power | CC | Power | CC | Power | CC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 kg | 17 | 120 kg | 34 | 4000 kg | ||
| 1 | 0.5 kg | 18 | 150 kg | 35 | 5000 kg | ||
| 2 | 1 kg | 19 | 200 kg | 36 | 6000 kg | ||
| 3 | 2 kg | 20 | 250 kg | 37 | 7000 kg | ||
| 4 | 3 kg | 21 | 300 kg | 38 | 8000 kg | ||
| 5 | 5 kg | 22 | 400 kg | 39 | 9000 kg | ||
| 6 | 7 kg | 23 | 500 kg | 40 | 10,000 kg | ||
| 7 | 10 kg | 24 | 600 kg | 41 | 12,000 kg | ||
| 8 | 15 kg | 25 | 700 kg | 42 | 14,000 kg | ||
| 9 | 20 kg | 26 | 800 kg | 43 | 16,000 kg | ||
| 10 | 25 kg | 27 | 1000 kg | 44 | 18,000 kg | ||
| 11 | 30 kg | 28 | 1200 kg | 45 | 20,000 kg | ||
| 12 | 40 kg | 29 | 1500 kg | 46 | 22,000 kg | ||
| 13 | 50 kg | 30 | 2000 kg | 47 | 24,000 kg | ||
| 14 | 60 kg | 31 | 2500 kg | 48 | 26,000 kg | ||
| 15 | 80 kg | 32 | 3000 kg | 49 | 28,000 kg | ||
| 16 | 100 kg | 33 | 3500 kg | 50 | 30,000 kg |
- Equipment Mass
- Add up the mass of all of the character's equipment and write the total here.
- Encumbrance
- Encumbrance is the character's equipment mass divided by the character's CC and rounded down. If a character's CC is 10 and his total equipment mass is 29 then his encumbrance is 2. (29 divided by 10 is 2.9, and 2.9 rounded down is 2.) Encumbrance reduces a character's movement.
- Ground movement
- Ground movement is 4 plus running ability minus encumbrance. For example, if a character had a running ability of two and an encumbrance of 1, his stride would be 5 (4 + 2 - 1 = 5). (See Action/Movement.)
- Water Movement
- Water movement is swimming ability minus encumbrance. For example, if I had a Swimming ability modifier of 2 and an encumbrance of 1, my water movement would be 1 (2 - 1 = 1). (See Action/Movement.)
- Air Movement
- Only characters who can fly have air movement. Air movement is either flight ability modifier minus encumbrance or stride, whichever is greater. For example, if my stride was 1, and I had a flight ability modifier of 2 and no encumbrance, my air movement would be 2 (2 - 0 > 1). (See Action/Movement.)
- Climbing Movement
- While climbing, movement is one tenth of the difference between climbing ability and encumbrance. If a character's total climbing ability modifier is 3, and his encumbrance is 1, he would be able to travel 0.2 m per round because 3 minus 1 is 2 and 1/10 of 2 is 0.2. (See Game Design/Templates/Natural Weapons and Action/Movement.)
Make a Character - Character Generation Example
This example explains how to make a playable character. Consult the game-specific rules or the Game Master (GM) to find out what Templates and how many Character Points (CP) you can use to make characters. (See Character Creation.) The player starts generating the character with a "template" for the kind of character he is making.
1. Choose the Type of Character You Want to Make
Here we'll assume that we are allowed to use 201 total CP to make a single character whose template is "human." After subtracting the CP value of the template (155 CP) we still have 46 CP to customize the character. (See Game Design/Make a Template.)
human, 75 kg, 1.7 m height, medium variability, 155 CP
1 speed, 0 agility, 3 strength, 5 toughness, 5 running
2 hands (hand)
2 feet
2. Choose the Character's Build
Now we look at Steven's Template to see how it affects his dimensions and modifiers. Steven is a Human, so his height will be between 1.4 m and 2.0 m (within 20% of 1.7m), and his weight should be between 38 kg and 150 kg (50% to 200% of 75 kg.) We decide to make Steven a short-and-stocky tough guy: 1.6 m tall and 95 kg. We give him 2 extra points of toughness, which uses up 6 CP. Steven's agility (0), speed (1), strength (3) and running (5) will remain unchanged from the Human template. Steven's stamina is 14 (two times his toughness.)
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3. Use the Remaining CP to Customize the Character Now we will make Steven more competent and interesting by distributing the rest of his CP. After spending 6 CP to give Steven extra toughness, we have 40 CP remaining for enhancements. We decide that Steven does not have any disabilities or missing limbs, so we'll just distribute the rest of the CP among Steven's abilities. We give him a new one-handed weapons ability with a modifier of 4 (20 CP.) We use 10 CP to give Steven an extra craftsmanship ability modifier of 2. We use the remaining 10 CP to give Steven an extra natural weapons ability modifier of 2. The Human template does not have a one-handed weapons, craftsmanship or natural weapons modifier, so we write a 0 in the right side of the Modifier column for each ability. |
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4. Occupation and Equipment
Steven meets the minimum qualifications to be a Robber. We decide this suits the personality we envision for Steven, so we make his occupation "Robber". This occupation does not give Steven any equipment, but he has made a "machete". (See Game Design/Occupations/Occupation Examples and Character Development/Making Equipment/Equipment Generation Example.)
machete (81 CP, 0.5 kg, 3 heft, 5 power, sharp)
Steven only has one machete, so we list the item's name as "1 machete". We copy the item's features (just "sharp"), mass (0.5 kg), and heft (3) to Steven's character sheet. Steven's machete has an attack modifier of 4: Steven's agility (0) plus Steven's one-handed weapons ability (2). Steven's machete has a defense of 14: Steven's agility (0) plus Steven's one-handed weapons ability (2) plus 10. The machete's power is 5 and Steven's total strength is 3. Steven's machete power is the highest of these two values (5).
We also fill in the power, attack and defense of Steven's natural weapons. The power of his hands and feet is Steven's total strength, which is 4.. Steven's hands and feet have an attack modifier of 2: his agility plus his natural weapons ability (2). Steven's hands and feet have a defense of 12: his agility (0) plus his natural weapons ability (2) plus 10.
5. Grapple, Defense, Armor
Steven's grapple attack is his 0 agility plus his 0 grappling ability plus his 3 strength, for a total of 3 grapple attack Steven's grapple defense is his 3 grapple attack plus 10, for a total of 13 grapple defense. Steven's melee defense is the best defense of all his natural weapons and hand weapons. His machete has 14 defense, while his hands and feet have only 12 defense, so his melee defense is 14. Steven's missile defense is his agility (0) plus 10, which is 10 (10 + 0 = 10). Steven has no armor so his best absorption and total cover are 0.
Steven, adult male human robber, 95 kg, 1.6 m height, 201 CP
1 speed, 0 agility, 3 strength, 7 toughness, 14 stamina, 5 running
2 unarmed combat, 4 one-handed weapons, 2 craftsmanship
2 hands (hand, 3 power, 2 attack, 12 defense)
2 feet (3 power, 2 attack, 12 defense)
1 machete (sharp, 0.5 kg, 3 heft, 5 power, 4 attack, 14 defense)
14 melee defense, 10 missile defense, 13 grapple defense, 3 grapple attack
0 best absorption, 0 total cover, ____ stun, ____ damage