Mano a Mano:Character Creation

Character Creation

To create a character, you need a pencil and a character sheet. You also need to know your Character Point allowance and what templates you can use. Character Point allowance and template selection depend on the specific game being played. Usually one player (the "Game Master") will tell the other players to create characters with a certain Character Point allowance from a list of templates.

Name   Age   Sex   Template   Occupation(s)
Abilities & Qualities   Modifier     /       /       /       /       /       /       /       /       /       /       /       /	Mass   /   kg Length   /   m Length Type   Variability     Speed   /   Agility   /   Strength   /   Toughness   /     CP Value   /
Equipment & Natural Defenses   Features   Mass   Heft   Power   Attack   Defense       kg               kg               kg               kg               kg               kg               kg               kg               kg               kg
Carrying Capacity   kg Equipment Mass   kg Encumbrance   Ground Movement   m Water Movement   m Air Movement   m Best Absorption   Total Cover   Grapple Attack   Melee Defense   Missile Defense   Grapple Defense
Stun Stamina   Damage

Choose a Template

The selection of Templates depends on the game you are playing. Select a Template with a CP no greater than your Character Point allowance. Subtract the CP of the template from your Character Point allowance. Copy the features of the Template to the Character Sheet in pencil:

• Copy the template's average Length and Stride
• Copy the template's Abilities and Ability Levels
• Copy the template's Mass, Reach, Agility, Power and Absorption to the "Body" line of the Equipment ("Equip.") list.
• Copy the template's Natural Weapons and Armor to the Equipment ("Equip.") list.
• Add the character's Power modifier to his Natural Weapon power modifier.

Customize the Character

Select abilities and modifiers from the following options. The total CP of these changes may not be more than your remaining Character Point allowance (See Character Points/Character CP.)

• Give the character new Abilities and Disabilities.
• Ability Levels (added to the template ability level if the template already has the ability.)
• If so desired, change the character's Build, adjusting Agility, Power and Absorption if needed (See Character CP/Body.)
• The character could be missing natural Limbs listed on the template.

Update the character sheet:

• Combat Modifier (Cmb) - Agility + the appropriate ability bonus for that weapon in the case of a hand to hand weapon. In the case of projectile weapons, use only the appropriate ability bonus for that weapon. List the character's Agility in the "Cmb" column of the "Body" line of the character's Equipment ("Equip.") list.

• Encumbrance (Enc) - Encumbrance is the mass of the character's equipment, divided by the character's CC, rounded down. For example, if the character's CC is 10, and his total equipment mass is 29, his encumberance is 2. (29/10 = 2.9, rounded down = 2.) Obviously this is 0 when the character doesn't have any equipment. Encumbrance is the number of hit points the character must keep in his "other used hit point pool" in order to continue using all of his equipment.

Description

Finish your character by filling out their description. Name, Age, Sex, Length, and Occupation usually don't affect the character's CP. Certain parts of a character's description may have different names, options, measurements or limitations in various games. Some Templates may be sexless, or height may be replaced by length or wingspan. You can also invent a more detailed description and background for your character, appropriate to the game being played.

• Name - The character's name
• Age - Exact age or category ("child", "youth", "adult", "old", or "ancient")
• Sex - "male" or "female"
• Template - The Template used to generate the character
• Occupation – Optional title with advantages, disadvantages, duties or privileges
• Length - Length (or height) of the character in meters or feet and inches
• Stride - Distance the character moves for each hit point used to move.

Occupations

An occupation is an optional title with advantages, disadvantages, duties or privileges. Occupations can provide character development opportunities during the game.

Each game should have it's own occupation system. Just one example is that it may be helpful to rate the relative value of each occupation, perhaps on a scale of one to five (with one being “peasant” and five being “King.”) On this scale, a Knight or Assassin might be a three, while a Blacksmith or Robber might be a two.

Here are two optional examples of occupations: Knight and Robber. (It should be noted that if two characters are identical, except for their occupations, the Knight would be considered to have an advantage over the Robber.)

Knight – is required to have ability level 3 law and ability level 2 sword fighting (including Hand to Hand.) To maintain the occupation of Knight, the character must always obey the law in public, must always resist attempts to break the law in public, and must obey all direct orders from the King. Knights are always entitled to 50 CP worth of equipment from the King. (If this equipment is damaged or lost, it may be restored at the King's armory.) Knights are entitled to the property of any Robber they capture. In this case, (in addition to that Robber's property,) the Knight also receives a reward of equipment from the King, equal to the personal CP of the Robber.

Robber - is required to have ability level 2 stealth and ability level 1 in any armed combat ability. Robbers can always trade in stolen items for half of the item's CP on the black market. A Robber may lose these privileges if he aids in another Robber's capture.

If a character meets both of these occupation's requirements they may begin as either a Robber or Knight. If this character begins as a Robber, but gains the reputation of being a hero who is loyal to the king, and if he ceases to take advantage of his robber privileges, the King may choose to give this character the occupation of “Knight.” If this character begins as a knight, but proves himself disloyal to the king by participating in unlawful activity, he may become a Robber, loosing all of his Knight privileges.