Savage Base Character Creation

Great heroes are more than a collection of statistics and numbers, but in a game system this is certainly where they begin. To make your hero, download a Savage Worlds character sheet from our website (www.peginc.com) or

1. Race

Humans are the most common characters, but some settings may feature bizarre aliens, graceful elves, or other exotic races—some examples of which you'll find on page 20. You can choose to play any race available in your particular setting.

• Humans are the standard race in Savage Worlds, and start play with one free Edge (see Step 3).

2. Traits

Characters are defined by attributes and skills, collectively called “Traits,” and both work in exactly the same way. Attributes and skills are ranked by die types, from a d4 to a d12, with d6 being the average for adult humans. Higher is better!

Attributes

Every character starts with a d4 in each attribute, and has 5 points with which to raise them. Raising a d4 to a d6, for example, costs 1 point. You're free to spend these points however you want with one exception: no attribute may be raised above a d12.

• Agility is your hero's nimbleness, quickness, and dexterity.

• Smarts is a measure of how well your character knows his world and culture, how well he thinks on his feet, and mental agility.

• Spirit reflects inner wisdom and willpower. Spirit is very important as it helps your character recover from being Shaken

• Strength is raw physical power and general fitness. Strength is also used to generate your warrior's damage in hand-to-hand combat.

• Vigor represents endurance, resistance to disease, poison, or toxins, and how much pain and physical damage a hero can shake off.

Skills

Skills are learned abilities such as Shooting, Fighting, scientific knowledge, professional aptitudes, and so on. These are very general descriptions which cover all related aspects. Shooting, for example, covers all types of guns, bows, rocket launchers, and other ranged weapons. You have 15 skill points to distribute among your skills. Each die type costs 1 point (starting at d4) as long as the skill is equal to or less than the attribute it's linked to (listed beside the skill in parentheses). If you exceed the attribute, the cost becomes 2 points per die type. As with attributes, no skill may be increased above d12.

Example: Fighting is linked to Agility. A character with a d8 Agility can buy Fighting for one point per die type to d8. Buying a d10 costs 2 points, and a d12 costs another 2 points.

Derived Statistics

Your character sheet contains a few other statistics you need to fill in, described below.

Charisma is a measure of your character's appearance, manner, and general likability. It's 0 unless you have Edges or Hindrances that modify it. Charisma is added to Persuasion and Streetwise rolls, and is used by the GM to figure out how nonplayer characters react to your hero.

Pace is how fast your character moves in a standard combat round. Humans walk 6” in a round and can move an additional 1d6” if they run. Write “6” on your character sheet beside the word Pace. This is 6” on the table-top—every inch there represents 2 yards in the “real world.”

Parry is equal to 2 plus half your character's Fighting (2 if a character does not have Fighting), plus any bonuses for shields or certain weapons. This is the Target Number (TN) to hit your hero in hand-to-hand combat. For stats such as d12+1, add half the fixed modifier, rounded down. For instance, a Fighting skill of d12+1 grants a Parry of 8 (2+half of d12), whereas a d12+2 gives a Parry of 9 (2+half of d12+2).

Toughness is your hero's damage threshold. Anything over this causes him to be rattled or worse. Toughness is 2 plus half your hero's Vigor, plus Armor (use the armor worn on his torso). Vigor over a d12 is calculated just like Parry.

3. Edges & Hindrances

Great heroes are far more than a collection of skills and attributes. It's their unique gifts, special powers, and tragic flaws that truly make them interesting characters. Characters can take Edges by balancing them out with Hindrances. You'll find a complete list of Edges and Hindrances later in this chapter. Look for more in our Savage Settings. You can take one Major Hindrance and two Minor Hindrances. A Major Hindrance is worth 2 points, and a Minor Hindrance is worth 1 point.

For 2 points you can:

• Raise an attribute one die type, or

• Choose an Edge

For 1 point you can:

• Gain another skill point, or

• Gain additional money equal to your starting funds (if you start with $500, you gain an additional $500)

4. Gear

Next you need to purchase equipment. Some settings may provide your hero with all the gear he needs. In others, you may be assigned a certain amount of money with which to purchase your starting gear. A list of some common gear and weapons can be found in Chapter Two. Unless your setting book or GM says otherwise, the standard starting amount is $500.

5. Background Details

Finish your character by filling in any history or background you care to. Ask yourself why your hero is where she is and what her goals are. Or you can just start playing and fill in these details as they become important. You might also want to talk to the other players. Maybe your characters know each other right from the start. Or you might collectively decide to optimize your group a bit and ensure you've got a good assortment of skills and abilities. If so, make sure you're playing what you want to play. There's no point in being the party's magical healer, for example, if that's not a role you're interested in.