Character Creation
Genetic Engineering
A small degree of genetic engineering is commonly available and socially acceptable. Either:
- use the chart on page 26 of the Chaos Earth Main book. You may pick one of the items and then roll from there.
- our house rules:
- Pick one attribute to increase by two points and another to increase by one these may not be the same attribute
- Optionally you may pick up to another two attributes to increase(or the same), one by upto 2 and another by 1, but for the additional increase you must pick two other attributes to subtract from by the same amounts.
- These adjustments done before determining whether to roll the bonus die at 16+ when rolling initial stats.
Non-Heroic Characters
If you roll more than one stat below 9 or any stat below 3 you do not need to and probably should not play this character. Send me your stats and start rolling again. I'll probably use them for something else.
Skill Affinity
for each affinity category roll 1d20
1 Major Affinity - probably formative in your character's life, possibly avoided intentionally
2-3 Major Affinity - penalties less than 10% ignored most other penalties halved
4-5 Minor Affinity - penalties less than 10% ignored
6-7 Unrecognized Minor Affinity - Your character has not conciously noticed this affinity, but has the same benefits
8-15 No Affinity, no aversion
16-18 Minor Aversions - no penalty, but your character has always been aware that other people are better at these skills than they are and has had to work harder to learn them.
19-20 Major Aversion - no penalty, but your character has never felt comfortable with this category of skills. They have always had a hard time learning them compared to other subjects
Affinity Categories: Psionics, Luck, Strange, Communications, Domestic, Electrical, I Espionage, Horsemanship, Mechanical, Medical, Military, Physical, Pilot, Pilot Related, Rogue, Science, Technical, Ancient Weapons, Modern Weapons, Wilderness
You may pick any skill from a category where you have an affinity as one of your secondary skills
Two Special Affinities
Luck - do unlikely but possible things happen to you?
Major Affinity to Luck - 1 in a 100 odds seem to happen to you half the time
Minor Affinity to Luck - 1 in 10 odds seem to happen to you half the time
Minor Aversion to Luck - luck good or bad is just not common, you might win raffles occasionally or have the cards fall against you, but nothing major is the result of luck.
Major Aversion to Luck - your life seems, to you, almost deterministic good and bad happens, but luck is not an observable part of it
Also applies as an affinity for Gambling.
Strange Affinity - do impossible things happen to you? Alien/supernatural encounters before the cataclysm
Major Affinity to Strange - you have been abducted by aliens, lived in a haunted home, etc.
Minor Affinity to Strange - you have seen ghosts, seen fairies or felt fairy rings
Unknown Minor Affinity to Strange - Strange things have happened but you have dismissed them either as normal or just don't believe them. They are well enough documented that it is a matter of belief against fact.
Psionics
1 Major Psychic - You should consider a Psychic OCC from Rifter #50
2-3 Major Psychic
4-5 Minor Minor Psychic
6-7 Psychics use Latent Psychic rules from Rifter #50
8-15 No Affinity, no aversion
17-19 Minor Aversion - your character considers psychic powers quite impossible until/unless proven elsewise.
20 Major Aversion - it is possible to play a psi-nullifier or nega-psychic from Psyscape if willing and desired.
The rules for picking psionics are as in the Chaos Earth main book and Rifter #50, the psychic powers available are in Rifter #50 and the Rifts Ultimate Edition Book.
Campaign starts Spring 2099
Maximum character age is 49, life expectancy at birth was 150 years due to advanced medicine
if you are over 40 you will have an extra secondary skill
Decide your character's history in 3 eras:
1. The golden age of technology 2028-2088
2. The New Cold war 2088-2098
3. The Great Cataclysm December 22nd, 2098 - March 2099
Starting Characters
- At some point you must have at least joined NEMA(North American Military) as at least support staff or a refuge. Consider that the military will generally issue orders in a rational fashion (no you can't change military assignment when all hell breaks loose) You may want to be an officer, if so, let me know.
- If you had a previous career pick an extra MOS, if you have not changed careers you will receive advanced rank, equipment, and starting xp(5000)
Alignments
pick your character's attitude in the following categories
1. Keeping your word
2. Lying and cheating
3. Attacking or killing unarmed foe
4. Harming or killing an innocent (also who is an innocent)
5. Torture to extract information or for pleasure
6. Killing for pleasure
7. Helping others in need
8. Working within the law
9. Breaking the law
10. Respecting authority, self discipline, and honor
11. Working within a group for the sake of the group
12. Accepting bribery, dirty or dishonest money
13. Betraying a friend
14. Respecting life and freedom
15. Attitude to good an evil? Do you consider yourself a good person?
Write as much or as little of your starting equipment on your character sheet as seems reasonable, feel free to add incidental items and request other items
Skills are X+Y/level meaning that at level 1 your skill is x+y at level 3 it will be x+3y. The max skill for any skill roll after bonuses and penalties is 98%