Character Creation
Starting your journey
Your character is your connection to the world of Karovelon. Through their eyes you get to experience the journeys, encounters and adventures of the game world. During character creation, give some thought to what sort of person they are and to what their upbringing and experiences might be like. Are they kind? Are they well educated? Did they have a comfortable childhood or were they perhaps always having to move around? Do they have a family and, if so, do they get on with them? All of these sorts of things help to build an idea of the part you will be playing.
With that in mind, it is time to grab a character sheet and start rolling some dice and noting down some choices and numbers. Fill out each section of the sheet as you go.
There are a few things you will need to choose for your character to fully flesh them out and to then be able to play as them in a game …
Step 1 - Pick a Species
Three intelligence species live in the Mavros System, each either evolved there or is descended from evolutionary ancestors that arrived on a planet drawn by the pull of the singularity.
Pithiks - An ape-like species with largely bare skin, although the hair on their heads can grow down to their feet if they let it. The majority of males are capable of growing facial hair as well though many shave this off.
Arkoa - A bear-like species with thick fur and impressive physical strength. Known for their forcefulness and resilience, these beings are quick to anger and slow to retreat.
Erpons - A scaled, reptilian species with a light and agile frame. Known for their dexterity and high visual acuity. Some of the deepest thinkers and most advanced mathematicians in the system.
Step 2 - Plan a Class
Classes are the professions that characters can learn. These include Pilot, Engineer, Medic, Soldier, Corsair and Weaver. Have a think about which one your character would most like to be. Having this in mind will help you grow your character however in their first game your character is at Level 0, with no experience yet and as such no Class. As the game progresses you will get a chance to level up your character and make their dream Class a reality.
Pilots are trained at leading small and large spacecraft through the system, capable of avoiding dangers and skirting obstacles. Skilled pilots are invaluable in a space battle as they can avoid damage and allow for a well placed attack.
Engineers are well educated in Science and Maths with a good knowledge of working systems and of the physics of space itself. Engineers are imporant members of any crew as they can build and maintain many different devices and engines.
Medics are also highly educated, with their focus on biology and the treatment of injury and disease. They are integral to any crew as they can often ensure the survival of its members through many of the fiercest battles and harshest environments.
Soldiers are experienced combatants with a knowledge of melee weapons and blasters. They are good and pushing through hard defences and gaining access to otherwise impossible locations.
Corsairs are dealers and traders who make a living throught the system by procuring, delivering or removing whatever their employer may want. Often working outside the law, most have their own small ship and avoid populated, policed areas.
Weavers are holy and devout worshippers of Archos or Telos. They are learned in the scriptures and through deep meditation, prayer and practice they are capable of small acts of spacial and temporal manipulation.
Step 3 - Rolling Abilities
The next thing to do is to start rolling some dice. In particular, some six-sided dice! Roll 4d6 and discard the lowest of the 4 numbers. Add the remaining 3 numbers together and then note down this total.
e.g. you may roll a 4, 2, 6 and 3
In this case you would discard the 2, then add together the 4, 6 and 3 to get 13.
Do this five more times so that you have six of these values in total. These are your characters Core Ability Scores.
The Core Abilities are:
- Strength … how physically strong they are
- Dexterity … how steady and flexible they are
- Constitution … how healthy and resilient they are
- Intelligence … how clever and good at learning they are
- Wisdom … how much common sense they have
- Charisma … how friendly and likable they are
Assign your six numbers to these in whichever order you wish (giving some thought to the sort of person you imagine them to be).
For each of these scores you also then note down a Modifier. Use the table below to note down the modifier for each of your character’s Core Abilities …
| Score | Modifier |
|---|---|
| 3 | -4 |
| 4 | -3 |
| 5 | -3 |
| 6 | -2 |
| 7 | -2 |
| 8 | -1 |
| 9 | -1 |
| 10 | +0 |
| Score | Modifier |
|---|---|
| 11 | +0 |
| 12 | +1 |
| 13 | +1 |
| 14 | +2 |
| 15 | +2 |
| 16 | +3 |
| 17 | +3 |
| 18 | +4 |
Step 4 - Picking Skills
Now that you have an idea for the sort of abilities your character has, and for their plans and dreams, and for their natural aptitude, it is time to think about what skills they have.
There are nine skills available for your character to have practiced and grown proficient in over time. For a new character, you have 20 points that can be divided however you like between these nine. You do not need to pick all of them however do bear in mind that if your character does not have any points at all in a skill then it is not something they can attempt to do during an adventure. It is generally advisable to spread the points over a few different skills however you can stick them all in just one or two if you think that it would make sense for them.
The skills are:
- Agility … dodging, ducking, diving, everything that requires a flick of the wrist or a nimble movement.
- Brawn … strenuous physical activity, lifting heavy objects, climbing high peaks and running long distances.
- Deduction … everything from problem solving to investigation and following clues and trails.
- Healing … first aid, the preparation of remedies and the application of treatment for injury or illness.
- Intuition … insightfulness and a perception and awareness of the world around and the people in it.
- Nature … everything from handling animals and hunting prey to following tracks and surviving in the wilderness.
- Persuasion … convincing other people, deceiving them or, if it comes to it, straight up intimidation and manipulation.
- Science … study and knowledge of physics, chemistry and biology. Knowledge of history and of the gods.
- Stealth … everything from hiding to moving quietly and avoiding being seen.
For each of the skills you select your character to have points in, give some thought to how they came by that knowledge and practice. Did they perhaps learn stealth and intuition as a young outcast always in hiding? Or maybe they gained their skill in Science as they were interested in learning from a young age and went to an academy or university!
Step 5 - Money and Equipment
By now your character should really be taking shape. The next thing to do is to go shopping! Your character gets 1d20 x100 Credits to start with. These are digital coins that can be spent in the Mavros System on things like weapons, armour, equipment and medical supplies.
Have a read of the Money page to get a proper understanding of how much different amounts of Credits are worth.
Next, have a look at the Equipment pages and choose what your character buys with their money. It is generally best to make sure to include a weapon and some equipment to help them on their way to their desired Class.
It's worth not spending everything before you start though, as your character may need some money during their first game for things like food and somewhere to sleep or to pay their way on a ship.
Step 6 - Armour Class and Hit Points
Almost there! There are just a few more things to work out before your character is really ready to go.
First of all there is your character’s Armour Class. This number shows how easy or hard it is to attack them based on what they are wearing. All characters have a basic Armour Class of 10. For wearing clothes that goes up to 11 and then for every piece of armour they wear this number increases.
For example, a character may be wearing clothes and heavy armour. Their armour class is therefore 10 + 1 (clothes) + 5 (heavy armour), totalling 16.
Make a note of this number on your character sheet.
Next, there is your character’s Hit Points. This number represents how easy it is to knock your character unconscious and – if it comes to it – to kill them!
Each Species has its own Hit Dice …
| Species | Hit Dice |
|---|---|
| Pithik | d8 |
| Arkon | d10 |
| Erpon | d6 |
For a new character, roll 1 Hit Dice and note down the number as their maximum Hit Points.
Step 7 - Alignment and Name
One more piece of your character’s backstory now, where are they from and to which deity do they prey?
Followers of Archos, the goddess of creation, are orderly and usually rule-abiding. They usually have creative pursuits and a more optimistic outlook on life.
Followers of Telos, the goddess of destruction, are chaotic and tend to ignore rigid rules or structure in favour of their own goals and objectives.
Note down which of the goddesses your character worships, then also choose one of the following demi-gods based on your character's chosen goddess.
Demi-gods of Archos
- Klostis takes the form of a Pithik
- Yfantis takes the form of an Arkon
- Katharistis takes the form of an Erpon
- Paragogis takes the form of a Space Dragon
Demi-gods of Telos
- Trogon takes the form of a Pithik
- Xemperdevon takes the form of an Arkon
- Gelion takes the form of an Erpon
- Siopon takes the form of a Space Dragon
The demi-gods are known to appear within the Mavros system and help or hinder travellers depending on their devotion and current activity.
Step 8 - Picking a Name
There’s one more thing to choose for your character now … a name! This can be anything you like. Just remember that you will be hearing it and likely saying it a lot during the game so try and pick something you like.
And that’s it! You are now ready to play!
Pithiks - An ape-like species with largely bare skin, although the hair on their heads can grow down to their feet if they let it. The majority of males are capable of growing facial hair as well though many shave this off.
Arkoa - A bear-like species with thick fur and impressive physical strength. Known for their forcefullness and resiliance, these beings are quick to anger and slow to retreat.
Erpons - A scaled, reptilian species with a light and agile frame. Known for their dexterity and high visual accuity. Some of the deepest thinkers and most advanced mathematicians in the system.
