Making a Character

The builder leads you through this, but every character begins with five decisions.

1. Choose a species

Pick from the species your campaign makes available. The compendium includes Fallout baselines such as humans, ghouls, super mutants, robots, and synths, but your setting decides which of them exist.

2. Choose an archetype

Your archetype is your training and role in the wasteland. It provides starting features, skill direction, and a health bonus.

3. Set your S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

You have 40 points across Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Each starts at 1; the normal creation maximum is 10 before species modifiers.

4. Choose skills and tags

Each skill begins at its governing attribute × 5. Choose up to three tag skills; each gains +15 at creation and costs half as many advancement points later.

You gain 4 + half your Intelligence, rounded down, in skill points each level.

5. Make the person

Choose a name, appearance, goals, fears, desires, and boundaries. You control your character’s thoughts, beliefs, and choices. Then select starting gear and connect them to the campaign’s location, factions, and people.

What the sheet calculates

The sheet calculates these values from your choices:

• Maximum Health: starting Health from Endurance and archetype, plus later level growth.
• Maximum AP: 65 + (Agility × 5).
• Maximum Stress: 10 + half your Endurance, rounded down.
• Maximum Resolve: 10 + Charisma + Intelligence.

Do not worry about entering those calculations yourself. Change the source—your attributes, species, archetype, level, or armor—and the sheet does the rest.