Making a character

Generations ago our ancestors were reaching for the stars when the Earth was shattered by their hubris and technology.

The synthetic Gods they trusted with the care and safety of their own planet turned upon one another, and in a jealous rage, these Gods murdered the world.

Amidst the chaos of that time, our forebears had seen fit to prepare for such an event. They knew we could rebuild the world from the ruins.

And so, while the terraforming event twisted man and beast, and the nuclear fire turned the world to ash, the Morrow Project did sequester themselves to wait out the holocaust.

Much time had passed before the world had calmed and our Worthy Brethren could once again build new temples and restore that which was Lost.

And so begins our Great Undertaking, to rebuild civilization in an age determined to see it remain a specter of the past.

With the wisdom we keep within our sacred order, we will raise this world from death, to build a place where Pure Strain Humans and Homo Superiors can live in harmony.

Be ever vigilant, lest the foes of civilization rend you asunder, be they servants of the Machine Goddess, mutated reavers of the wastelands, or mercenary bands of slavers,

all will threaten our progress in rebuilding the world. When encountered, dispatch them with haste.

And so now you enter to aid in recovering from the ashes of our world, and in doing so diligently, help to further advance our most noble enterprise.

Survive, and perhaps one day you will be raised to the illustrious degree of Master Architech and preside over a Lodge of your own.

We'll start with a 150 Point Character.

Pick a Template.

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There are various groups at different Tech Levels, for example, only 1% of the Pure Strain Humans live in a TL8 society, 90% live in TL3 villages, usually with a few mutants.

Pure Strain Humans start at Tech Level 8 but there are many pockets of lower tech survivors, including TL0.

There are 100,000 Pure Strain Humans left in North America

.5% at TL10

.5% at TL9

1% at TL8

1% at TL7

2% at TL5+1 (Steampunk with 5+2 Transportation)

90% at TL3 (with some TL4 to TL7 Weapons)

5% at TL0

Humanoids start at Tech Level 3 but there are a few hidden mutants within Pure Strain Human settlements.

Mutant Animals and Mutated Plants start at Tech Level 0 and of course a few escaped experimental critters of higher tech level.

Roll 1d100

01-100% Pure Strain Human: Add on a 50 point Lens. You might have a higher tech level than a typical mutant, but freaks with super or psionic powers are probably going to eat you...

101% Humanoid (Mutant Human): Roll 1d4 for the number of physical mutations then roll 1d4 for the number of mental mutations. Spend 50 more points on your mutations.

102% Mutant Animal: Same as Humanoid and pick or roll for what kind of animal then spend 50 points on yer mutations.

103% Mutant Plant: Roll 1d4 plant mutations and 1d4 mental mutations. And 50 more points in mutations for you too plant boy.

If you rolled a 101 or higher for your race on a d100

you obviously are already a mutant, good job freak.

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Soldier (150 point template)

You are very good at war.

Attributes: 60 points

ST 10 [0]

DX 10 [0]

IQ 11 [20]

HT 14 [40]

Secondary Characteristics: -10

Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.

HP 10 [0]; Will 9 [-10]; Per 11 [0]; FP 14 [0]

Basic Speed 6 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]

Advantages: 61 points

Awesome 4 [60], Signature Gear [1]

Perks: 2

Quick Reload (Detachable Magazine) [1], Walking Armory [1]

Disadvantages: -40 points

Partial Amnesia [-10], Sense of Duty (Team) [-5],

Skinny [-5], Weirdness Magnet [-15] and

Pick one of the following

Overconfidence [-5], Incurious [-5], Intolerance [-5],

Trademark [-5] or Truthfulness [-5]

Skills: 71

Guns (Rifle) (DX/E)+10 [20]-20

Swimming (HT/E)+4 [1]-18

Guns (Light Machine Gun, Pistol, Shotgun and Submachine Gun), all (DX/E) Default+1 [1]-19

Guns (Grenade Launcher and LAW), both (DX/E) Default+1 [1]-17

Savoir-Faire (Military) (IQ/E)+4 [1]-15

Fishing and Scrounging, both (Per/E)+4 [1]-15

Brawling, Fast Draw (Magazine and Pistol) and Knife, all (DX/E)+4 [1]-14

Boxing, Drive (Car) and NBC Suit, Spear, Stealth, Wrestling, all (DX/A)+4 [2]-14

Gunner (Machine Gun), Parachuting, both (DX/E)+4 [1]-14

Survival (Arctic) and Tracking, both (Per/A)+3 [1]-14

Armory (Small Arms and TL0 Weapons), Artillery (Cannon), Electronics Operations (Com),

Explosives (Demo), Leadership, Mechanic (Any), Navigation (Land), Soldier, Scuba,

Teaching and Traps, all (IQ/A)+3 [1]-14

Engineer (Combat), Expert Skill (Epidemiology), Hazardous Materials (Radioactive),

Math (Applied), Physician, and Tactics, all (IQ/H)+2 [1]-13

Surgery (IQ/VH)+1 [1]-12

One More Skill:

•Pick One of

Piloting (Heavy Airplane or Helicopter), Riding (Horse), all (DX/A)+4 [2]-14

Technique: 6

Targeted Attack (Rifle/Eye) (H) [6]-16

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In addition to the Raiders, Slavers and Cannibals there are some tribes that everyone hates just as much...

Dirtmen -15 points (TL 1-7 Pure Strain Human and Humanoid)

Dirtmen are the descendants of 20th-century farmers, trying to scratch a livelihood from the uncooperative soil. They live in small settlements, often situated near the ruins of the Ancient Ones.

While Dirtmen from one settlement will not necessarily resemble those from another, all are influenced to some extent by their ancestors’ religion or politics.

Dirtmen may be half-starved skeleton men or strong-backed pioneers. They can be descended from practically any religious, political or ethnic group (often reflecting their heritage in an exaggerated or seriously flawed manner).

Advantages and Disadvantages: None are required.

Recommendations: Many Dirtmen possess murderous Xenophobia towards any outsider - or, at least, serious Intolerance of

those who do not share their beliefs. A Dirtman might come from a settlement using black powder weapons.

Friends and Enemies: Dirtmen react to strangers at -1 to -6.

The modifier used will depend upon their particular beliefs, and whether the strangers appear to be

Dirtmen (-1 or -2) or plains rovers (-3 or worse). Likewise, other nomads react to Dirtmen at -3 or worse.

Likes and Dislikes: The likes and dislikes of a Dirtman PC will depend a great deal on

the beliefs of his settlement. Generally, what a Dirtman likes, he likes with Fanaticism.

What a Dirtman dislikes, he hates (Fanaticism) or fears (Phobia) to the very core of his being.

Weapons and Armor

Dirtman weapons will be as diverse as their beliefs. Some will have nothing better than wood, stone, and bronze (Tech Level 1).

Others use weapons forged of iron or steel (TL2 or 3). A few possess “firesticks” artifacts from the Old Times, or black powder

weapons of newer make - TL5 to TL7. These are limited in number and highly prized. Armor varies from furs and hides.

Ganiks -45 points (TL 3 Pure Strain Human and Humanoid Tribes)

Ganiks are the descendants of rabid back-to-nature organic farmers and environmentalists.

Their isolation saved them in the time of the Great Dyings.They bear little resemblance to

their forebears and are the most savage, stubborn and purposely backward folk of Mehrikah.

There are two types of Ganiks: Farmer-Ganiks and Rover-Ganiks.

Rover-Ganiks wander the land in large raiding bands. Rovers are fanatically

intolerant of non-Ganiks who violate the precepts of Ohrgahnikahnsehrvaishun.

Farmer-Ganiks live in pathetic squalor as subsistence farmers, until

forced to move on by those disgusted by their practices and beliefs.

Advantages and Disadvantages: Weak Ganiks wind up in the stewpot; therefore, no Ganik may be created with a HT below 10.

Any Ganik PC has 15 points of Odious Personal Habits, leading to a -3 reaction from non-Ganiks. Mainly due to a total lack of personal hygiene.

All Ganiks also have a -10 point Bad Reputation (-4 reaction; all neighboring peoples; all the time) for sadism, cannibalism, and sexual deviation.

No Ganik may start with the Blacksmith or Armorer skill, due to their religious refusal to hot-work metal.

Ganiks start with only $200 for filthy clothing and poor-quality weapons.

Recommendations: Rover-Ganiks should have high Scrounging and Tracking skills, plus Brawling and at least one weapon skill.

Farmer-Ganiks will have the 30-point Pacifism disadvantage because of their faith.

A Ganik might also have the disadvantage of Intolerance for those who do not adhere to the precepts of all “rahtlivin’, land-lovin’ Ganiks.”

A few Ganiks, mostly of the McCoy (“Muhkohee”) family, are giants (see Gigantism).

Friends and Enemies. Ganiks have no racial friends or allies.

Their unprepossessing appearance and odor earns them a -3 reaction

from utter strangers, this falls to -7 when their behavior is discovered.

Likes and Dislikes: Ganik dislikes are defined by their religion. Their likes do not bear discussion.

“Take all of the detested and heinous abominations of conduct despised and almost universally prohibited

by races or communities of civilized man, and you had the mundane, everyday practices of your average,

run-of-the-mill Ganik . . .”

In particular, they torture their victims before eating them, and the eating may begin before the torture ends.

Don’t let the Ganiks take you alive.

COMBAT

Turn Sequence

The combatant with the highest Basic Speed goes first.

Tied Speeds: If multiple NPCs on the same side have the same Basic Speed, the GM simply decides – it isn’t important. If PCs are involved,

ties go to the highest DX. If there’s still a tie, roll randomly.

A “maneuver” is an action that you can take on your turn. Each turn, you must choose one of the following maneuvers:

1. Aim

Movement: Step. Exception: You cannot step if using a braced, twohanded weapon.

Active Defense: Any, but you automatically spoil your aim and lose all accumulated benefits.

If you are injured while aiming, you must make a Will roll or lose your aim.

2. All-Out Attack

Attack any foe with a ready weapon, making no effort to defend against enemy attacks.

If you are making a melee attack, you must specify one of these four options before you attack:

• Determined: Make a single attack

at +4 to hit!

•Double: Make two attacks against the same foe, if you have two ready weapons or one weapon that does not have to be readied after use.

Attacks with a second weapon held in the off hand are at the usual -4 unless you have Ambidexterity.

•Feint: Make one Feint and then one attack against the same foe. The Feint applies to this attack instead of one you make on your next turn.

• Strong: Make a single attack, at normal skill. If you hit, you get +2 to damage – or +1 damage per die, if that would be better.

This only applies to melee attacks doing ST-based thrust or swing damage, not to weapons such as force swords.

• Determined: Make a single attack at +1 to hit if you are making a ranged attack

Movement: You may move up to half your Move, but you can only move forward.

Active Defense: You may make no active defenses at all from the point you take this maneuver until your next turn.

If someone attacks you after you make an All-Out attack, all you can do is hope he misses – you can’t dodge, parry, or block!

3. All-Out Defense

• Increased Defense: Add +2 to one active defense of your choice: Dodge, Parry, or Block. This bonus persists until your next turn.

• Double Defense: Apply two different active defenses against the same attack. If you fail your defense roll against an attack, you may try a second,

different defense against that attack.

For instance, if you fail a block, you may try a dodge or a parry. If you try a parry (armed or unarmed) with one hand and fail, a parry using the other

hand does count as a “different defense.”

Movement: If you choose Increased Dodge, you may move up to half your Move. Otherwise, the only movement you may take is a step.

Active Defense: You may choose any legal active defense, with bonuses as described above.

4. Attack

Movement: Step. You may step and then attack or attack and then step – your choice. To move further and still attack, take All-Out Attack or Move and Attack.

Active Defense: Any.

5. Change Posture - Valid postures are standing, sitting, kneeling, crawling, lying prone (face down), and lying face up.

Movement: None. You remain in place as you change posture.

Active Defense: Any. Postures other than standing penalize your defense rolls, but also make you a smaller target for ranged attacks.

6. Concentrate - If you are forced to use an active defense, knocked down, injured, or otherwise distracted before you finish, you must make a Will-3 roll.

On a failure, you lose your concentration and must start over.

Movement: Step.

Active Defense: Any. However, it interferes with concentration as noted above.

7. Do Nothing

Movement: None!

Active Defense: Any (unless you’re tied up, etc.). If you are stunned, however, your active defenses are at -4 until your next turn – even if you recover.

8. Evaluate - A melee version of Aim. An Evaluate maneuver gives you +1 to skill for the purpose of an Attack,

You may take multiple, consecutive Evaluate maneuvers before you strike, giving a cumulative +1 per turn, to a maximum of +3.

Feint, All-Out Attack, or Move and Attack made against that opponent, on your next turn only.

Movement: Step.

Active Defense: Any. This does not spoil your evaluation.

9. Feint - A Feint is good for one second! But if you Feint and then make an All-Out Attack (Double), the feint applies to both attacks.

Movement: Step.

Active Defense: Any. However, if you Feint and then parry with an unbalanced weapon, you cannot attack on your next turn, making your Feint pointless.

10. Move

Movement: You can move up to your full Move score. If you run forward you can sprint for two or more turns in a row for a bonus movement on second and later rounds.

Active Defense: Any.

11. Move and Attack

-4 to skill, and your adjusted skill cannot exceed 9.

Movement: As described under the Move maneuver – but since you are trying to do two things at once, you are -2 on any rolls the GM requires to avoid falling,

tripping over obstacles, etc.

Active Defense: Dodge or block only. You cannot parry and you may not retreat (see Retreat, p. 377).

12. Ready

Movement: Step.

Active Defense: Any.

13. Wait

Movement: None until your Wait is triggered. At that point, you may move as allowed by the maneuver you specified (Attack, Feint, All-Out Attack, or Ready).

Active Defense: You may defend normally while you are waiting or after your Wait is triggered. But if you defend while taking a Wait, you may not transform your

Wait into an All-Out Attack; you must convert your Wait into an Attack instead.

Your choice determines what you can do on your turn, and sets your options for active defense and movement.

MELEE ATTACK OPTIONS

Before making a melee attack, you may specify some additional options.

Hit Location

It is assumed that you are attacking the target’s center of mass (the torso, on a human), unless you specify otherwise.

Deceptive Attack

You may designate any melee attack as “deceptive” before you roll to hit. A Deceptive Attack is intended to get past an opponent’s defenses through sheer skill.

You can use this option to represent any number of advanced fighting techniques.

For every -2 you accept to your own skill, your foe suffers a -1 penalty on his active defenses against this attack.

You may not reduce your final effective skill below 10 with a Deceptive Attack, which normally limits it to skilled fighters.

Rapid Strike

A Rapid Strike is a melee attack executed swiftly enough that you get one extra attack. You must take an Attack or All-Out Attack maneuver, and you must use a

ready weapon to make the extra attack.

Make two attacks, both at -6 to skill. You can target multiple opponents this way.

If you already have multiple attacks, for whatever reason, you can replace one of them (and only one!) with two attacks at -6.

WOUNDING MODIFIERS AND INJURY

Any damage left over after subtracting DR from basic damage is “penetrating damage.” If there is any penetrating damage, multiply it by the attack’s “wounding modifier.”

This is a multiplier that depends on damage type:

• Small piercing (pi-): x .5

• Burning (burn), corrosion (cor), crushing (cr), fatigue (fat), piercing (pi), and toxic (tox): x1 (damage is unchanged).

• Cutting (cut) and large piercing x 1.5

• Impaling (imp) and huge piercing (pi++) x2

The damage after this multiplier determines the injury: the HP lost by the target. Round fractions down, but the minimum injury is 1 HP for any attack that penetrates DR at all.

Reduce the victim’s current HP total by the injury sustained.