To better understand how certain things will change, you will need to know all the hands you can get. Or at least ones that will come up, since some of these are not generally better or worse than anything else. In order, from least to greatest, are nothing, Ace High (Having no other usable hand, but a single ace), Pair (two matching cards), Jacks (A pair of Jacks), Two Pairs, Three of a Kind (Three cards with the same number), Straight (5 cards in numerical order, no matching suit), Flush (5 cards are all the same suit, not in numerical order), Full House (Three of a kind and a pair), Dead Man's Hand (two black Aces, two black 8s, and a Jack of Diamonds), Four of a Kind, Straight Flush (5 cards, same suit in numerical order), and the Royal Flush (10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit.)
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
The first step in character creation is physical attributes. There are five of these: Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Health, and Speed. Each of these will, obviously, have different effects. Strength is used for, well, feats of strength: pushing a boulder, for example. Agility is used for avoidance, primarily, but has other uses, as well. Dexterity is used to pick pockets, shoot a gun accurately, etc. A character would use Health for resisting poison or surviving some magic. Speed is used to determine combat order, among other things.
The cards drawn for this can be arranged in any order you wish, of course.
For every hand you get above nothing, you get one point toward special traits. These points can be used to purchase normal traits, as well, but special traits may be more valuable. Also, the hand you get determines your starting HP. Having nothing gets 8 HP, and each hand above that gives an additional 2 points. Having a royal flush or dead man's hand starts you with 40 HP.
MENTAL ATTRIBUTES
The next step is determining mental attributes. These are Perception, Willpower, Education, Intuition, and Charisma. Perception is used to hear, see, or otherwise pick up concepts. Willpower is the control over one's own mind. One's Education is used for more abstract ideas, while Intuition is used for things learned without formal education. Charisma is how your character reacts to the world and, more importantly, how it reacts to them.
As with physical attributes, the hand cards can be organized as you wish.
For every card you get above nothing, you get one point for special traits. These points can also be used to get regular traits.
SPECIAL TRAITS
Each has a point cost, and the points that can be spent are dependent on your hand for both physical and mental attributes. If the point cost of the trait is a single number, then that is the cost. If it's a point range or lists multiple numbers otherwise, read the description for what each cost means.
7 Adept: Your character is a natural conduit of magic. They can choose up to five touch or self-targeting spells from any arcane study tree. They can use these spells whenever with no cost. However, if they get a useless hand, they have to draw one more card. This card is the nonlethal HP damage they take, with an ace being 14. If this card is a joker, another card is drawn, which makes them take lethal HP damage. As these are not actual spells, but innate abilities, any negative effects for failing don't take effect. This can be taken with Tempest, but the penalties are in addition to the Tempest ones.
2 Ambidextrous: Your character can use both hands equally. There is no penalty for dual-wielding (unless of course you're trying to dual-wield two 2-handed weapons. If that's the case, however, the penalty is cut in half).
1-7 Arcane Blood: Your character comes from an ancient magic bloodline. You must choose a specific line of magic, however. The available lines are Blood Magic, Sorcery, and Tribal Magic. The number is the degree of concentration of the bloodline. If it is completely pure, it's 7. For each point less, there is less concentration of the bloodline. These bonuses are used when casting spells. How they're used depends on the spells, but remember that with great power comes great responsibility; if you fail with a high concentration of magic blood, the drawbacks can be dangerous. Only one arcane bloodline may be chosen, even if both parents have different ones; one will always overpower the other. However, one with arcane blood can still choose an arcane study. An average rank is used (rounded down) in the study if this is done. Typically, Arcane Blood is the minimum hand the character gets automatically, though this is up to the GM and the spell in question.
1 Giant: Your character is huge. This causes a loss of 1 level of agility, but raises strength by two levels. This cannot be chosen if it raises strength above an ace.
3 Natural Languages: Your character can learn languages fairly quickly. It just comes naturally. There is a requirement for this trait, however: your character must start knowing at least three languages at no less than two levels each.
1-7 Natural Tech Skill: For some reason or other, your character is a natural at taking things apart and putting them back together. When using tech skills, they gain bonuses (dependent on the skill in question). Cannot be taken with regular Tech Skill. Higher than 4 levels of Natural Tech Skill negate the need to perform basic tech tests. With 7, only very complex machines or dangerous situations need to be tested.
1 Pretty: Your character is exceptionally pretty in comparison to others and gets +2 on charisma tests when peacefully persuading people.
6 Quick Learner: Your character gains an additional 10% points in addition to the normal ones gained at the end of a session, a campaign, or a campaign arc, rounded up.
4 Quick Study: Can't be taken with Quick Learner. Learning new skills costs two fewer points, to a minimum of 1.
1 Small Frame: Your character is tiny. This lowers strength by one level, but raises agility and speed by a level. This cannot be chosen if it raises agility or speed above an ace.
3 Tempest: Your character can use one spell from any arcane study tree. This cannot be taken with Arcane Blood or Arcane Study, however. This is the only spell they can use. They draw 5 cards for this spell, regardless of any other circumstances that would raise or lower it. The downside is that they automatically cast it if they get surprised and it CAN affect them. The target is randomly selected from everyone in range of the spell. This includes themselves, even if the spell says otherwise. If it's a spell that drains HP and gives it to the caster, and it targets your character, you only take damage; it is not negated by healing, since you lose the healing effect when targeting yourself. If it is a continuous drain effect, it will simply be a continuous damage spell.
7 Veteran of the Wastes: Your character knows how to survive in the wastelands between civilizations. They can find things easily and they know how to make things. They get a free point each in Scavenging and Tinkering, among other benefits at the GM's discretion.
NORMAL TRAITS
The number of normal trait points you get is any transfered from special traits, plus Intuition and Education. Face card values are 11 for a jack, 12 for a queen, 13 for a king, and 14 for an ace. Negative traits may give you points now, but be prepared to roleplay them later and face the consequences.
1-5 Account: Your character starts with an additional 200$ per level of this trait, and they can always ask for more during the game. The GM may give them more if it's necessary.
-1 to -5 Addiction: Your character is addicted to something, be it drugs, sex, gambling, or something else. They have to do this at least once a day (at -1) to as much as five times a day (-5). If they don't, they get a -1 for each day spent without it (to a maximum of -5). Once this penalty reaches -5, the addiction level goes closer to 0 (from -5 to -4, for example) every three days, but the penalty stays at -5. Once the addiction reaches 0, the penalty gets one step closer to 0 each day. They do, however, have triple the risk of gaining other addictions if they lose an addiction. Note that more dangerous addictions are also at a higher penalty than normal; addiction to impaling oneself on a spear, for example, would probably net a -5, while even an extreme addiction to making paper flowers wouldn't likely net much higher than a -1. The GM may increase or decrease the times required to overcome addictions, though a character's Willpower should play a roll in the curing of the addiction if this is the case.
-1 to -5 Allergy: Your character is allergic to something. The points gained for it are a combination of severity and rarity of the offender. A peanut allergy that could kill you (in modern times) would be a -5, while an allergy to dragon blood that causes a severe rash is only a -1.
2 Apt Pupil: The character can know one more starting spell than normal. This can be taken up to 3 times.
3 Arcane Prodigy: When learning a new spell, your character needs to spend only half the time to learn it.
1-7 Arcane Study: Your character has learned magic, probably from a book or years of study. The more points spent in this trait, the more power spells have. Only one study may be chosen. The studies include, but are not limited to: Necromancy, Divine, Geomancy, Hexing, and Mimicry.
-2 Bad Ears: Your character is hard of hearing. This is a -2 with perception tests related to hearing.
-2 Bad Eyes: Your character is near- or far-sighted, or maybe their vision is dim. They could even have light-sensitive eyes. This is a -2 with perception tests related to sight without appropriate correction (glasses, sunglasses, dark ambient light, bright ambient light, etc.)
5 Blandness: Your character looks perfectly average. So average, in fact, that it is a lot harder to pick them out from a crowd. Cannot be taken with Pretty or Ugly.
-10 Blind: Your character can't see at all. Cannot be taken with Bad Eyes, and it's not recommended to take Bad Ears or Deaf.
2 Contortion: Your character can bend in unnatural ways. The GM can determine what you can and can't do. Just ask if they think it's plausible.
-5 Coward: Your character is scared of pretty much everything.
-4 Curious: Your character wants to learn things. A lot of things. Even if common sense demands they avoid it. What's down that other hallway, with all that fire burning at the end? Were those gunshots?
-6 Deaf: Your character can't hear at all. You probably should avoid giving them Bad Eyes or making them Blind, but either way, they can't take this with Bad Ears.
-3 Elderly: Your character is over 80 years old. They lose 2 levels of Strength and Health.
5 Familiar: Your character has a pet. This pet can share basic senses and understand simple commands. It also shares telepathy with your character up to fifty feet away. If your character has the traits Arcane Blood: Sorcery, Arcane Blood: Tribal Magic, Arcane Study: Hexing, Arcane Study: Geomancy, or Arcane Study: Mimicry, the effect of a touch, self-targeting, or any effect centered on the caster can be centered on the familiar, as well. This familiar can be any animal the GM allows, though it's typically a bird or small mammal. If the familiar dies, your character will have nightmares of it for a week, getting no sleep. In addition to the fatigue penalty, they will also have a -3 on ALL tests for the first half of that week.
-2 Greedy: Your character wants it all, and more. They take everything they think they can sell if they don't think someone might miss it. Or if they think they will miss it. That depends on the greedy person in question.
-1 to -5 Hate: Your character hates a certain group of people. The amount of points you get depends on how common that group is. If the entire campaign takes place in Chinatown and your character hates asian people or tourists, and that'll be a -5. If your character lives in a vault and hates outsiders, and they never leave that vault, it's most likely a -1.
-3 Horny: Your character wants sex. Constantly. Despite society in big cities being sexually open, your character is still looked down on.
-5 Illiterate: Your character can't read at all until they have mastered a language (5 levels of the appropriate language), and even then, they can only read the most basic words. This includes their native language.
-3 Impulsive: Your character does things without thinking. Common sense rarely comes into play. Impulsive characters are often also Curious.
-3 Limp: Your character has a severe limp. They move more slowly. This can be doubled if they have a missing leg instead and have to use a crutch. That applies other penalties, too, of course.
-2 to 5 Living Arrangements: Your character starts with money equal to 300 plus 100 times their level of Living Arrangements. -2 is homeless, while 5 is disgustingly rich.
-5 Loyal: Your character would take a bullet for their friends. Or recent acquaintances. Or people they just met and have only introduced themselves to.
1-7 Martial Arts: Can be taken for multiple martial arts, with each rank being the mastery of each.
-4 Mechanic's Bane: Your character breaks things. Often. The GM can have fun with this one. Keep that in mind.
-6 Night Terrors: Your character has horrible nightmares every night and gets almost no sleep. They almost constantly have a fatigue penalty. These dreams, however, are inspired by spirits, and do occasionally give useful information...if you can decipher the dreams.
-6 Night Terrors: Your character has horrible nightmares every night and gets almost no sleep. They almost constantly have a fatigue penalty. These dreams, however, are inspired by spirits, and do occasionally give useful information...if you can decipher the dreams.
-2 Overconfident: Your character rushes into danger because they think they can handle it. No matter what.
5 Pain Tolerance: Your character isn't as likely to feel the effects of pain. This is also a required trait for the Arcane Blood: Blood Magic trait to use blood arcana.
1 Performer: Your character is naturally gifted at performing. They get +1 to draws for performances.
-2 Poor Health: Your character has poor health and is often sick. This gives a -2 to some tests, at the GM's discretion.
1-5 Something Nice: Your character starts out with something nice, like an engraved pistol. The value of the item must be equal to or less than 250$ times the level of this trait. This trait can be taken multiple times for each item. The character does not get the remaining cash, however.
1-5 Something Nice: Your character starts out with something nice, like an engraved pistol. The value of the item must be equal to or less than 250$ times the level of this trait. This trait can be taken multiple times for each item. The character does not get the remaining cash, however.
2 Stamina: Your character makes half as many Health draws when running and gets a +2 to most health draws. The GM has the final word on when this bonus applies.
5 Tech Skill: Your character often used technology before the start of their new adventuring career. They need to perform far fewer tech tests than others. The GM will know exactly when to perform the checks.
-1 Ugly: Cannot be taken with Pretty, obviously. Your character is very ugly. Your character gets -2 when trying to peacefully persuade people.
-3 Underage: Your character is under 15 years old. They lose two points each of Strength and Education.
-5 Unlucky: Bad things happen to your character. Very bad things. Often. The GM is allowed to have very improbably bad things happen to your character, depending on the situation, if you fail something. If you fail, you fail horribly.
SKILLS
Your points in Skills are any extra points from Traits and Education + Intuition + Willpower. Each skill has a linked attribute for those who do not have the skill, but those tests will be done with fewer cards (three fewer, to be exact). Skills can have up to 5 ranks unless otherwise stated. To use a skill, you draw a hand with as many cards as the related attribute plus the level in the skill. Skills each have different hands that are required, based on the difficulty of the specific task.
Academia (Education): Your character has taken specialized classes. This skill must be taken for each class if you want your character to have more than one, and it cannot be taken alone. The classes include: The Occult, Religion, Technology, and Technomancy. Study of the Occult is used when trying to identify magic, among other things. Religion MUST be taken by anyone wanting to be a priest, along with Arcane Study: Divine. Technology is used to identify the purpose of a machine. Technomancy is the study of using magic to power machines or machines to power magic.
Bluff (Intuition): Your character knows how to lie to people. Effectively, at least.
Bravery (Willpower): Your character is not quite as afraid as others.
Climbing (Agility): Your character can climb effectively. Your character automatically has one level of this.
Connections (Charisma): Your character knows people who can find things out or do things for them. Every once in a while, they may run into them. This should be taken for individual contacts who may be helpful, but it can be taken on its own, as a general way of finding a reliable person.
Cybercombat (Education): Your character can make computer viruses that target specific things on a computer.
Disguise (Intuition): Your character can pretend to be someone else. They'll need appropriate disguises, of course.
Dodge (Speed): Your character can, at the cost of their highest combat action, once per round, avoid a bullet, bolt, or melee attack. They must know where the shot comes from. The minimum to avoid a bullet is a queen, or one lower per level in this. The minimum to avoid a melee attack is a 9, or one lower per level in this.
Driving (Intuition): Your character can drive a car. Just because they have the skill to do so doesn't mean they won't run out of gas.
Faith (Willpower): This must be taken with the Arcane Study: Divine trait in order to use divine arcana.
Forgery (Dexterity): Your character can imitate writing for practically anyone.
Gambling (Intuition): This must be taken with the Arcane Study: Mimicry trait in order to use mimicked arcana.
Hacking (Education): Your character can hack into other computers. This is just to get into and do things on the other computer, as well as making programs. This does not include cybercombat.
Hardware (Education): Your character can make and repair computer parts, if they have enough spare parts and the tools to do so. A single card is drawn for this skill, with a regular target. This target number is reduced by the level in this skill.
Hexslinging (Perception): This must be taken with the Arcane Study: Hexing trait in order to use hex arcana.
Instrument (Intuition): Your character can play a musical instrument. This must be taken for each individual instrument your character can play.
Intimidation (Charisma): Your character can scare someone into doing things. Or not doing things.
Language (Intuition): Your character speaks another language in addition to their native language. Arcane classes may want to take additional languages so they can learn from arcane texts. These texts are typically in Welsh, Latin, Greek, or Swedish.
Local Knowledge (Intuition): Your character knows their area fairly well. This is generally limited to the district they live in, but the GM may allow you to have knowledge of another area if your character is new. Your character automatically has two levels of this.
Lockpicking (Dexterity): Your character can pick locks. Each level affects a level of lock.
Medicine (Education): Your character can do first aid. 4 or 5 levels and your character can do basic surgeries.
Melee Weapons (Agility): This must be taken for each class of melee weapon your character can use. The classes are knives, one-handed swords, two-handed swords, clubs, and improvised. The last category is used for things picked up, like signs, ladders, and anything else that wouldn't fit into another category. Clubs covers any heavy weapon, generally. Cannot be taken alone.
Persuasion (Charisma): Your character can convince someone to do something.
Ritual (Intuition): This must be taken with the Arcane Study: Necromancy trait in order to use necromancy arcana.
Quick Draw (Speed): This can be taken for any weapon, melee or ranged. Must be taken for individual weapon classes and cannot be taken alone.
Scavenging (Perception): Your character can find things that may be useful.
Shadowing (Agility): Your character can follow another without being noticed. While it does use agility for stealth, perception checks must still be made to follow them, as normal.
Shooting (Perception): This must be taken for each class of gun your character can use. These classes are pistols, rifles, shotguns, crossbows, heavy guns, and rocket launchers. Cannot be taken alone.
Singing (Intuition): Your character can sing. You never know when this might come in handy.
Sneak (Agility): Your character is sneaky.
Speed Load (Speed): Your character can quickly load pistols, rifles, and shotguns. This must be taken for individual classes, not all.
Teaching (Charisma): Your character can teach things to others. There is a -2 penalty to try to teach physical skills.
Tech Arcana (Education): This trait must be taken with Academia: Technomancy if you want to incorporate technology into your magic or vice versa.
Theft (Dexterity): Your character's a thief. They steal stuff. That's what this is for. Specifically picking pockets.
Throwing (Strength): Your character could be a master pie-thrower. The more levels in this, the more accurate a throw can be.
Tinkering (Dexterity): Your character is good at taking things apart, putting them together, and making new things. They can fix things, too.
CONDITION
Your character isn't just a collection of skills and traits. They have HP, too. Two sets, in fact: Lethal and Nonlethal. If lethal HP reaches 0, they're dead. If nonlethal HP reaches 0, they pass out and wake up with 1 nonlethal HP after a few minutes. They can continue to take damage, though all damage when non-lethal HP is 0 is considered lethal, meaning their lethal HP will go down even for what would normally be non-lethal damage.
Starting lethal HP is Health plus Strength. Starting nonlethal HP is Health plus Willpower. The minimum is 9, though, so even someone with 2 Strength and Health won't die getting hit by a pebble.
