Character Creation

From SteelStorm

Contents 1 Creating Your Character 1.1 Character Name 1.2 Stat Allocation 1.2.1 Example 1.3 Additional Misc. Details 1.4 Selecting a Race 1.5 Defining Physical Features 1.5.1 Example 1.6 Choosing a Class 1.7 Selecting Skills 1.8 Selecting a Default Tactic 1.9 Determining Starting Equipment 1.9.1 Example 1.10 Creating Your Backstory 1.10.1 Example 1.11 Finally: Moving In 1.11.1 Example 1.12 And you're done! 1.12.1 Sample Character Format

Creating Your Character

So, you want to create a character, do you? It's actually (relatively) easy. Well, kinda. Just follow this multi-step process, and you'll have a character in no time at all!

If you like, you can also use the semi-automated system located here, although the information contained there may not be up to date - because of this, you may want to reference this page as well if you decide to use that system.

Character Name

Okay, here's the easiest step. Pick a name for your character! It can be any name you want, but remember to consider what type of character you want to roleplay, as you may find that some names may better fit certain types of characters. Steel Storm does not place any restrictions on what you can name your character, aside from forbidding names that are obviously obscene or intentionally offensive. For our example, we're going to use the name Dr. Testchar.

Stat Allocation

Next, head on over to the Stat Allocation Page and roll yourself up some stats! This program will allow you to create your essential stats, as well as some optional ones that can help round out your character.

Or, if you want to do it the old-fashioned way:

There are seven main Statistics: Physical Power, Tactical Dexterity, Magical Prowess, Technical Prowess, Tactical Prowess, Robustness, and Persuasiveness. You get 175 initial stat points, which can be distributed however you wish between those 7 stats, with the following caveats: no initial prowess stat can be higher than 35, and no other initial stat can be higher than 40. Additionally, it is possible, although inadvisable, to have stat levels below 5.

From here, it is possible to calculate your H and M points (H can stand for Health, Hit, or whatever you like, and the same can be said for M: magic, mana, etc. It doesn't really matter). H Points are Robustness multiplied by 5, while M Points are Magical Prowess multiplied by 12.

Finally, the automated script allows you to automatically roll for Abilities.

Example

• Physical Power: 40
• Tactical Dexterity: 40
• Magical Prowess: 30
• Technical Prowess: 10
• Tactical Prowess: 10
• Robustness: 40
• Persuasiveness: 5

• Ability Roll: 95

• HP: 200
• MP: 360

Additional Misc. Details

It's time for a few other details that you can optionally consider as a way of assisting with rounding out your character. One of these is the hometown table, which is available on the stat roller page, and can also be determined by hand:

• 0-20: Born/Raised in Forefront
• 21-35: Born/Raised in Seahaven
• 36-40: Born/Raised in Tekal
• 41-50: Born/Raised in Empirix
• 51-60: Born/Raised in Small Outlying Town
• 61-70: Born/Raised in Medium Outlying Town
• 71-75: Born/Raised in Encampment/Traveling With Parents
• 76-80: Born/Raised in Frontier Outpost
• 81-85: Born/Raised in Abandoned Precip Facility
• 86-90: Born/Raised in Outlying House/Farm (not affiliated with town)
• 91-95: Born/Raised in Underwater Facility
• 96-100: Born/Raised outside of Lore

In addition to these, you may want to consider such things as: birth order, number of siblings, economic status/societal position of parents, and so on - all of these can be used to help in defining a character, if you don't already have an idea of your character's background. Also, remember that you can also select an alignment and temperament, as well as your position in the ongoing debate between magic and science.

Selecting a Race

Race (and/or species) is something that is still under development, but you can select a race for your character. The only races currently available are Human and Precip, a race that is currently non-playable. At the moment, Race does not really determine anything about your character, aside from background.

Defining Physical Features

Now that you have race defined, you'll want to define a few other physical features, to help get an idea of your character. Some common attributes are listed below - feel free to omit any that might no apply to your character as a result of your race.

• Sex
• Age
• Height
• Weight
• Eye Color
• Hair Color
• Skin Color
• Posture
• Build
• Ocular State (i.e. glasses)
• General Style

Example

• Sex: Male
• Age: 37
• Height: 5ft 11in
• Weight: 150
• Eye Color: Evil Red
• Hair Color: Evil Lime Green
• Skin Color: Evil Beige
• Posture: Evilly Stooped
• Build: Thinly Muscular
• Ocular State (i.e. glasses): Thick Polycarbonate Lab Goggles
• General Style: Casually Evil

Choosing a Class

Now that you have some basic information together, you need to decide what kind of character you want to be. This is generally done by selecting a class. Classes will give you some additional starting benefits, equipment, and suggestions for RP temperament and interests. Choose your class wisely, as it will certainly affect the way that you play Steel Storm.

Selecting Skills

Once you have chosen your class, it's probably a good idea to choose some skills. to go along with it. Skills are quite important in Steel Storm, as they are used in both problem-solving and battle. Be sure to choose your combat skills carefully, based on your desired style of combat, and remember that some combat styles may be better or worse suited to a given class. There are far too many skills and skill rules to list in this overview, so use the skills page to assign your initial skills.

Selecting a Default Tactic

Now that you have some basic skills, it's time to choose your starting default tactic. All characters posess a set of basic tactics:

• Full Attack - Bare Hands
• Full Attack - Basic Weapons
• Full Defense - Take Cover (shield/any available shelter)
• 50/50 Attack/Defense - Use Shield/Weapon
• Hang Back and Attack - (ranged weapons only) - low accuracy
• Flee

You can choose one of these as your default tactic - that is, the general-purpose tactic you use in a situation where you do not post the tactic you want to use in a particular battle. Additionally, your class and your skills may unlock additional tactics that you can set as a default tactic in battle. Be aware, though, that more complex tactics may not always be generally applicable, and may not serve you well as a default tactic in all battles.

Determining Starting Equipment

At this point, you might as well inventory your starting equipment. All characters recieve this base starting equipment:

• Two pairs of "operating" clothes, for acting in the capacity of their class
• One pair of regular, casual clothing
• One suit of entry-level armor, in the style of their class
• Two entry-level weapons
• 500 TCs (which should have automatically been assigned to your account, if you are a registered player on the Technomancer Forums)

In addition, you recieve whatever bonus equipment is listed for your class.

Note that these items are somewhat undefined - you are free to describe them, using some of the suggestions based on the style of your class, or creating your own entirely new style. All newly created weapons/armors must first be approved by an official RP moderator before they can be used.

Example

• Business Clothes - a cloak of evil. Pure, utter, unadulterated evil.
• Regular Clothes - purple leisure suit.
• Armor - technological armor of some sort, that I'm too lazy to describe.
• Weapon 1 - a blaster of some sort, firing blasts of powerful energy.
• Weapon 2 - Bic ballpoint pen, coated with a complex biological neurotoxin.

Creating Your Backstory

Now that you have everything else in place, it's time to start with the really creative part - coming up with your character's backstory, personality description, and other characteristics! This can be as detailed or as brief as you like, but the more detail, the better! I can't tell you how to do this stage - it's up to you how you want to develop your character. Just make sure that your character stays true to their other attributes (class, temperament, other stats)!

Example

Backstory

Dr. Testchar grew up in a small, dark, sealed room, and the only things ever admitted, through a tiny slot in the high ceiling, were relatively clean air, relatively polluted water, and fried SPAM. He had no contact whatsoever with anyone, and so predictably turned into a raving lunatic. Through an unexplained plot twist, Dr. Testchar suddenly attained all standard human knowledge upon turning twenty years old, and subsequently broke out of the room by smashing through the balsa-wood floor. Ever since, he has sworn to take revenge on humanity in general, for no particular reason other than the fact that, well, he just freakin' felt like it.

Character Description

Dr. Testchar is, apparently, kind of evil. Not really evil in a social-injustice sort of way, more evil in a crazed, homicidal psycho way. However, despite that, he is brilliant at what he does - namely, creating various mechanical devices aimed at destroying all human life. Luckily for humanity, though, he really isn't all that successful at it. When not building weapons of mass destruction (or weapons of mass rust, as most refer to them), he can usually be found scouring the countryside for abandoned Precip technology that he can incorporate into his next invention.

Finally: Moving In

At this stage, you can also create a starting residence, based on the guidelines set forth in your class. In general, your description of your residence should reflect the restrictions set forth in the class description, but you are free to personalize the description to your taste from there. The rates for starting up your residence in various towns is as follows:

• Forefront - Residential District- 10 TC community fee
• Forefront - Commercial District - 100 TC shop fee
• Forefront - City Center - 500 TC price premium (real estate in high demand)
• Forefront - Technomancer Sector - must be a Guild-affiliated Technomancer
• Forefront - Compound of the Order - must be an Order trainee
• Forefront - Back Alleys - Free
• Seahaven - Town Square - 300 TC premium
• Seahaven - Marketplace - 50 TC shop/stall fee
• Seahaven - Port District - 10 TC patrol fee
• Seahaven - Black Market District- 200 TC protection fee
• Seahaven - Shantytown - Free
• Seahaven - Tavern District - Free
• Empirix East End - Paladin Compound - must be a paladin
• Empirix East End - Shrine District - 500 TC premium
• Empirix East End - Clerical Sector - 100 TC cleric's guild fee
• Empirix East End - Golden Sector - 1000 TC premium (rich district)
• Empirix East End - Residential/Commercial Complex - 100 TC condo fee
• Empirix West End - Alchemical Corridor - 50 TC premium
• Empirix West End - Necromancer's End - Free (save for your soul!)
• Empirix West End - Dark District - Free
• Empirix West End - Forbidden Marketplace - Free
• Tekal - Tekal Proper - 200 TC moving fee
• Tekal - Tekal Marketplace - 300 TC (moving + marketplace fee)
• Tekal - Technomancer Facility - only open to graduates of Technomancers' Guild training
• Abandoned Precip Facility - Free, but unlikely to come across, so you might not get this if you choose it
• Outlying Outposts - 1000 TC resident protector bonus
• Encampment - Free
• Underwater Facility - most are still under construction by the Technomancers' Guild, and the existing facility is currently full, so you can't reside here just yet!
• Outside of Legend - currently, you are not allowed to reside outside of the realm of Legend.

This is, quite possibly, the only information that doesn't go in your character profile, except in reference - the actual description will be created as a new page linked to one of the areas in the various cities of Steel Storm. Your residence is where you will live, and have your workshop - it is also where you will store the bulk of your equipment that you're not carrying on a particular quest, mission, or journey.

Note that these fees are not finalized, and some areas may define what you can do there (for example, if you want a shop that actually sees foot ttraffic, you'd want to set it up in one of the market districts).

Example

• Note: you can make your description much more detailed that this, detailing all parts of your residence. Don't go overboard, though - your class will give you a good idea of what your starting domicile will most likely look like.

Residence: Empirix West End - Dark District

Dr. Testchar's house is located in the darkest part of Expirix Dark District, on the far west end of town. It is a normal style of residence, aside from the fact that it is evil. Well, okay, it's not thqat normal, but all it really is is a standard, run-of-the-mill, one-story house with a big sign tacked to the front of it, that lists the word EVIL printed in cracking red tempera paint. Oh, and the neighbor kids usually throw rocks at it, and unsurprisingly are turned into various swamp animals a few seconds later. Note that this is just an example, and your residence can be significantly more detailed.

And you're done!

That's just about all there is to creating a Steel Storm character. Now that your character is set up, you're all set to explore the lands of Legend, purchase additional equipment, begin building your new invention, or join a group of like-minded players for an exciting adventure!

Sample Character Format

Here are a few character pages you can look at, to see a finished character and the proper formatting.

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