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

Extra CP

Total CP

A character's total CP value is the sum of the character's template CP and extra CP. Total CP must not be greater than your Character Point allowance. (See Game Design/Templates/Template CP.)

Extra CP

Extra CP is the sum of the character's extra ability, qualities, toughness, power, agility and speed CP.

Maimed Characters

A character who has lost (or never had) the use of a limb may have the lame quality, missing natural weapons or reduced natural weapon quantity. Typically, players need the GM's permission to create characters with missing or disabled limbs. If the character's natural weapons are different from their template, recalculate their template CP. (See Game Design/Players and Characters, Game Design/Abilities/Disabilities and Game Design/Templates/Template CP.)

Extra Ability CP

Ability CP is ability level times ten. An extra ability modifier of 1 (student) is worth 10 CP, 2 (expert) is worth 20 CP, 3 (master) is worth 30 CP and 4 (legend) is worth 40 CP.

Extra Quality CP

If a character has extra qualities beyond what his template defaults to, use the CP normally used for template qualities.

Extra Toughness CP

Each point of extra toughness is worth 3 CP. Extra toughness can be positive or negative. For example -3 extra toughness is worth -9 CP.

Extra Power CP

Each point of extra power is worth 5 CP. Extra power can be positive or negative. For example -2 extra power is worth -10 CP.

Extra Agility CP

The CP value of 1 extra agility is 20 CP. The CP value of -1 extra agility is -20 CP.

Extra Speed CP

If speed is 1/4, 1/2, or 1, doubling speed is worth 20 CP. If speed is 1/2 or 1, halving speed is worth -20 CP. If speed is more than 1, one additional speed is worth 20 CP.

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:

• If the template provides a range of values for length or mass, give the character a length or mass in that range. If the template only provides an average value for length or mass, choose a value close to that average.
• Copy the template's Reach, Agility and Power.
• Copy the template's Abilities and Ability Modifiers
• 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.
• Give the character Ability Levels. A character's ability modifiers are their template's ability modifiers plus their ability levels. Or in other words, a character's ability level is the difference between their personal ability modifiers and their template's ability modifiers.
• If so desired, change the character's Build, adjusting Agility, Power and Absorption if needed (See Character Points/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 encumbrance is 0 when the character doesn't have any equipment. Encumbrance reduces a character's movement. (See Action/Movement.)

Character 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.

• Make up a name for your character
• Record the age of the character in years or a more general age category, such as "child", "youth", "adult", "old", or "ancient".
• The character's sex should be "male" or "female" (assuming the character's species has two sexes.)
• Record which template was used to generate the character. If there are separate templates for each sex or age group, the sex or age group does not have to be repeated here.
• You may be able - or required - to give your character one or more occupations which give the character advantages, disadvantages, duties or privileges
• Movement is the distance the character can move each turn while standing on the ground. (See Action/Movement.)
• AS (Arm strength) is a character's power multiplied by four (4xPwr from the character's template) added to their strength ability modifier. Use this total and the following table to find the mass of the biggest weapons the character can wield easily. Any weapons larger than this are unwieldy. If the weapon is unwieldy, it may only be used to do one quick action per turn (and no powerful actions.) A weapon that large may increase your encumbrance penalty too, reducing your speed and movement.

AS mass 0 0 g 1 1 g 2 3 g 3 10 g 4 25 g 5 50 g 6 100 g 7 200 g

AS mass 8 300 g 9 400 g 10 500 g 11 700 g 12 1000 g 13 1500 g 14 2000 g 15 2500 g

AS mass 16 3 kg 17 4 kg 18 5 kg 19 7 kg 20 10 kg 21 15 kg 22 20 kg 23 25 kg

AS mass 24 30 kg 25 40 kg 26 50 kg 27 70 kg 28 100 kg 29 150 kg 30 200 kg 31 250 kg

AS mass 32 300 kg 33 400 kg 34 500 kg 35 700 kg 36 1000 kg 37 1500 kg 38 2000 kg 39 2500 kg

AS mass 40 3 tons 41 4 tons 42 5 tons 43 7 tons 44 10 tons 45 15 tons 46 20 tons 47 25 tons

AS mass 48 30 tons 49 40 tons 50 50 tons 51 70 tons 52 100 tons 53 150 tons 54 200 tons 55 250 tons

• A character's CC (Carrying Capacity) is the amount of equipment they can carry without encumbrance. CC is 10 times the mass that corresponds with the characters' arm strength (AS) in the table above.

Choosing Occupations

A character may have any occupations, as long as they meet the requirements for those occupations. The game may impose additional limitations, like a minimum or maximum number of 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.)

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.)

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.

6 extra toughness (+2) 20 one-handed weapons (+4) 10 craftsmanship (+2) 10 natural weapons (+2) + 155 template CP 201 total CP value

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