Player's Handbook · Chapter 1

Creating Your Character

Step 1 — Choose a Concept

Decide who your character is. A disgraced soldier. A fast-talking merchant. A mechanic who talks to machines. The concept drives everything else — your skills, your techniques, your equipment, your place in the world.

Step 2 — The GM Assigns Your Skills

Your GM gives you 4 skills that fit your background. These can come from the standard skill list, or the GM can create new ones to match your concept. A merchant might get Barter instead of Persuasion. A starship pilot might get Piloting instead of Athletics. If your character's background calls for something specific, the GM invents it — same rules, same roll-under mechanic.

You do not pick these skills yourself. They reflect where you have been, not where you are going.

Step 3 — Roll Your Skills

Roll 1d100 for each of your 4 skills. The minimum result is 50 — re-roll anything lower.

Step 4 — Roll Your Stats

Roll 1d100 eight times. All rolls have a minimum of 50. Drop the lowest roll. Assign the remaining 7 freely to your seven stats:

StatControls
STRMelee damage, carrying capacity, brawling
CONHit Points, endurance
DEXDodge, ranged accuracy, stealth
WILMental resistance, opposed rolls, tech point pool
INTPerception, First Aid, Craft/Repair, untrained tech
CHAPersuasion, social skill targets
SPDInitiative bonus

WIL is especially important if your character uses techniques — it determines your tech point pool and the maximum tier of techniques you can learn.

Step 5 — Choose Your Techniques

Choose 3 techniques at Tier 1 with your GM, based on your concept. A wizard takes spells. A martial artist takes combat techniques. A hacker takes digital protocols. See Techniques for the full rules.

Your tech point pool equals WIL ÷ 10 (minimum 1). This refreshes after each long rest.

Derived Values

  • HP = CON. You fall unconscious at 0 HP. You die at –(Max HP / 2).
  • Dodge = DEX. Roll ≤ DEX to avoid being hit.
  • Max Tech Points = WIL ÷ 10 (minimum 1). Refreshes after a long rest.

Starting Equipment

Your GM provides equipment based on your background and the setting. A frontier scout starts with different gear than a city bureaucrat. Talk to your GM before the first session.


Alternative: Point-Buy Character Creation

If your group prefers to build characters without dice rolls — or if you are playing digitally and want more control — use this variant. The random roll method above is the default; this is an option.

Step 1 — Choose a Concept

Same as above. The concept comes first.

Step 2 — Assign Stats (Point-Buy)

You have 490 points to distribute across 7 stats. Each stat starts at a minimum of 50. No stat can exceed 100.

StatMinimumMaximum
STR50100
CON50100
DEX50100
WIL50100
INT50100
CHA50100
SPD50100

With 490 points across 7 stats at a minimum of 50, you have 140 free points to distribute. A balanced character might spread them evenly. A specialist might dump everything into 2–3 stats and leave the rest at 50.

Step 3 — Assign Skills (Point-Buy)

You have 200 points to distribute across 4 skills. Each skill starts at a minimum of 50. No skill can exceed 100.

SkillMinimumMaximum
Any 4 skills50100

With 200 points across 4 skills at a minimum of 50, you have 40 free points to distribute. This is tighter than stats — you must choose between breadth and depth.

Step 4 — Choose Your Techniques

Same as the random roll method. Choose 3 techniques at Tier 1 with your GM.

Step 5 — Derived Values

Same as above: HP = CON, Dodge = DEX, Max Tech Points = WIL ÷ 10.

Comparison

Random RollPoint-Buy
Stats7 rolls, drop lowest, assign freely. High variance — you might get three 90s or seven 60s.490 points, distribute freely. Predictable, controlled.
Skills4 rolls, minimum 50. Random but guaranteed competent.200 points, distribute freely. Tighter budget, more trade-offs.
Best forTables that like surprise and story in the numbers.Digital play, optimised builds, players who want control.

Both methods produce characters of equal power. The difference is variance versus control.

Manual updated Sep 17, 2026.