Human Character Creation Overview

I detest page-flipping, so I condensed the character creation rules for Karma into a single two-page document:

1.         Find out from your storyteller what kind of campaign she has in mind.  If the ST is planning an espionage campaign set in modern-day America, a Viking warrior may not be your best bet for a character concept.

•   2.       Decide what kind of character most appeals to you as a gamer.  (Warrior? Scholar?  Stealth Specialist? Etc....)

     3.       Character Creation note:

 'It is better for a starting character to spread out their abilities over a greater range and slowly develop them over time, than to try and "max out" one or two abilities at the start and then struggle to even learn a new ability later.Experience rewards can be spent on any ability the character already possesses, but only training points can be used to develop new abilities.'

( Karma Core rulebook, page 30)

4.      Apply one point to each attribute to begin with.

•  5.       Think about the character concept you created in step two.  Apply additional attribute points as follows:

Primary attributes:  add 3 points

Secondary attributes:  add 2 points

Tertiary attributes:  Add one point

•  6.      Apply one attribute point to each group (except for magic).

•  7.       Apply an additional ten points, spread out among all ability groups (including magic).

•  8.      Look at all of your abilities.  Make a note of which ones have at least two points in them.  You now receive two points to assign to specialties in these abilities.  (You can't assign both points to the same specialty, however.)

•  9.      Choose a profession based on the type of campaign your Storyteller is running.

•  10.    Add one point to an attribute related to your character's profession.

•  11.     Add one point to each of two abilities related to your character's profession.

•  12.    Add one point to a specialty related to your character's profession.

•  13.    Calculate your character's starting Damage Threshold as follows:

Constitution + Will + Faith times 3.

•  14.     Calculate your starting Mana Points as follows:

Endurance + Willpower + Psychic or Faith times 3.  (Mana can be important for certain non-spellcasters such as martial artists.)

•  15.     Calculate your character's starting Karma score as follows:

Wisdom + Empathy + faith

•  16.     Non-spellcasters only:  Your character gains 15 additional character creation points which can be spent as follows:

Increase an attribute:  5 points per rank

Increase an ability:  2 points per rank

Increase a specialty:  2 points per rank

Increase Damage Threshold:  1 point per rank

Increase Mana:  2 points per rank

• 17.     Spellcasting Characters only:   Skip step sixteen.    Spellcasting characters do not gain these additional character creation points.

• 18.    Spellcasting Characters only:  Your character gains spell creation points as follows:

30 points per rank in a related magical ability plus 5 points per rank of Intellect.

[The use of Spell Creation Points is explained in the Karma Roleplaying System Core Rulebook, in the "elements of magic" section.]  Please keep in mind what kind of campaign the storyteller is running when selecting your spells.  If you choose a spell with the electronics impact and your ST is running a medieval fantasy campaign, you have wasted your points.

•  19.     Spellcasters only:  Calculate your starting Item creation points as follows:

(Magic ranks times 20) plus two points per rank in Faith or Psychic.

•  20.    Starting wealth and reputation ranks are assigned at the discretion of your Storyteller.

•  21.    Negotiate for your character's starting equipment with the Storyteller.