Strength

This attribute resembles pure physical strength. A character with superb (+2) strength is as strong as world-class weight lifter, while inferior (-2) character is like a few years old kid.

Endurance

This attribute reflects stamina, constitution and overall endurance of the character. A character with high endurance can go on longer while those ranked very low get exhausted very fast. If a character has no endurance, he is never tired. This applies to certain cybernetic constructions.

Agility

Character speed, balance, agility and such things are represented with agility attribute. High level attributes are possessed by olympic athletics, while those with poor agility stumble on stairs.

Awareness

Character perception, sight and smell. It also tells about character speed to react to certain situations, although agility is also important.

Willpower

This attribute resembles how good will and self-control a character has and how easily he is broken under stress. Those with low levels are usually easily irritated and break easily. Mindless things have no willpower.

Social

General appearance, social skills, charisma and such things. A character with high social is easily listened to and well liked, while those with low levels stutter, get paralyzed in social situations and do not have many friends.

Standard Attribute Levels

Superb (+2) (6 cp)

The character has top value in attribute. He might be world-class weight lifter, athletic or marathon runner, professional detective, have a will of iron or be a very successful journalist.

Good (+1) (2 cp)

Character has an attribute better than most average, but not very exceptional. He is good shape, fast or most of the time very calm and relaxed.

Average (+0)

This is the average level.

Poor (-1) (-2 cp)

Character is obviously inferior to average people. He almost always loses any appropriate physical effort, is easily irritated or cannot converse with people.

Inferior (-2) (-4 cp)

Character is clearly inferior to any other. He is easily pushed around, stumbles in stairs or is irritated and nervous all the time. In social situations, he gets frozen and stutters. Not recommended level for any attribute, people with inferior attributes can be considered as handicapped

Special Attributes

Addiction (nuisance -1 cp, severe -2 cp)

Character is severely addicted to some substance or possibly an action. Typical addictions are various drug addictions. A character may have drug addiction because of nerve breakdown which led to use of narcotics, cheap cyber- or bioware that requires antidotes and healing drugs to prevent tissue rejections etc.

Mental Problem (nuisance -1, severe -2 cp)

Some psychological quirk, like paranoia, over-confidence, arrogance, stubborness... Especially various hallucinations, phobias, scitzhophrenia and similar mental illnesses are common in a dark, poisoned and sick future. Years of various cheap drugs and synthetic food make people mad, and especially people with cyberware need various drugs to reduce rejections of the tissue, causing mental problems and addictions (see above). Or the character might have experienced a wetware recording which left a permanent scar in his brain. Note: cannot kill is a psychological limitation very common to most people. As nuisance, cold-blooded kills are problematic. With severe, even warm-blooded kills.

Physical Disadvantage (varies)

For missing limb or similar things, character gains more CPs. Apply -2 cp for missing hand, -3 cp for missing entire arm, others handicaps as determined by the GM. If the limb or bodypart is replaced with cyberware, you do not get points from that, nice try.

Likewise, any bad allergy and rash can be considered as a physical disadvantage. Various skin diseases and body disfunctions caused by bad synthetic food and drugs or by radiation or chemical weapons of the corp-war zones. These are usually worth 1 or 2 cps, see addictions and mental problems.

Skills

Skill levels

Non-skilled (level 0)

Character has no training with the skill. Depending on the skill, the character may or may not do anything related to it. For example, a gun can be fired without training and most people can drive a car even if they have not ever done it before - assuming someone starts it for them. On the other hand, helicopter flight is a different matter...

Skilled (level 1)

Character has basic training and some experience with given skill or expertise. He can handle rush hour in a major city while driving or land a plane.

Expert (level 2)

Character in an expert in his area. He can fight several opponents at the same time, land a plane in a storm or charm everyone with his manners in royal banquet. He also knows publicly known masters in his field of expertise.

Master (level 3)

Character is simply a master in tasks concerning his area. He can drive car in reverse in rush hour without colliding or speak completely fluently. He is usually well known by the other people dedicated to this area.

Grand Master (level 4)

Character is simple a grand master in his area. He is world famous and his guidelines are followed by hundred followers, or he might be a world-top acrobat. This level is available for player character only by GM permission.

'Skilled' levels are sufficient unless you really had to be an expert in your field.

Primary skills

Most frequently used skills are listed here, but as noted earlier, players are free to invent new ones needed by their characters. Primary skills cost 1 cp for skilled (1), 3 cp for expert (2), 6 cp for master (3) and 10 cp for grand master (4, only with permission from the GM).

Combat

Also known as coolness under fire, this skill tells how well the character can handle firefight situations. In general, no skill can be used in higher level than combat skill while in firefight.

If you want to be of any use in a firefight, you must have combat skill.

Computer

The skill to use computers effectually. A skilled (1) character is able to do all basic and some advanced operations with a computer, but for unauthorized work, expert level at least is normally needed. Having proper equipment is also very important thing. The character may specialize in networks, security or other aspects if need be. Otherwise, general knowledge especially about programs is attained.

To break into a corporate network, you must normally go into their building. Few really important systems are connected to GlobalNet.

Con

Skill to fluently speak about subjects not known to character or to get victim to do things he would not normally do.

Electronics

Ability to manipulate, fix and modify electronic devices like security cameras, electronic locks or other similar devices. Expert level knowledge is usually needed for any professional illegal work, but in any case, tools are very important.

Etiquette

Skill to act properly in trained social environments.

Gun

Skill to fire accurately with trained weapons. Some repair and basic maintenance is also possible.

Medical

Skill to treat wounds, bind them and avoid infections. Also includes long term healing, and analyzing the patient.

Melee

Skill to fight effectually in melee. Character is trained in appropriate weapons and technics; use of any other may give penalties for combat.

Pro

General professionalism. The character has trained himself to remember little details and has certain unconscious knack to do appropriate things, like to take those night vision goggles with him or not to jump in front of video cameras.

Stealth

Skill to move silently and hide effectually. Urban and rural environment should be both trained separately.

Secondary Skills

Secondary skills cost 0.5 cp for trained (1), 1.5 cp for expert (2), 3 cp for master (3) and 5 cp for grand master (4, only with permission from the GM).

Acrobatics

Skill to make impressive acrobatic flips, to walk tightropes and otherwise control own body. High agility is also important.

Climb

Ability to climb safely, quickly and skillfully steer surfaces, ropes and cliffs.

Driving

Skill to drive a selected vehicle, like a car, bike, helicopter, turbine plane, jet fighter or vectored thrust. Without the skill you can still operate the autopilot (if present), and can drive common land vehicle until gears etc. are needed. Must be selected to a certain vehicle.

Language

Character is trained in selected language. Each language must be learnt separately, not as specialization for this skill.

Leadership

Skill to inspire, lead and manipulate large masses.

Mechanics

Ability to fix, repair and modify mechanical devices like different machines. Must be specialized to some specific machine like cars, trucks, helicopters or hydraulic compressors.

Sleight of Hand

Various dexterous maneuvers like picking the pockets, building card buildings and doing magic tricks.

Throw

Skill to throw items accurately and long. Must train to throw more exotic items.

Free Skills

Characters can take, for free, any number of almost useless skills at suitable levels to enrich their past and education. Such skills include, but are not limited to the following: Ancient History, Artistry, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Complex Mathematics, Cooking, Dancing, Physics, Rappelling, Scuba Diving, Swimming, Weight Lifting

These skills can be added to character profile when needed later during game, if approved by the GM. No character should have many free skills at higher level than skilled (1), especially if character has not studied for many years.

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Background Options

Background options include all equipment, friends, contacts and other 'material' things the character has acquired in his past. Most of them are advantageous, and thus cost character points, while some of them are disadvantages, and the character having them gets more points to be used on other things. Note that if a disadvantage is not a disadvantage, it is worth no cp!

Standard equipment and stuff for the character include some equipment will less than 2000e (see equipment). He can also have a nice, rented apartment (if appropriate) and 50-2000e of cash (most of it in electronic currency). Standard equipment can be, for example:

A cheap gun with many boxes of standard ammunition, a sleeping bag and other survival stuff, a md player and equipment suitable to (former) job.

In addition, the character automatically has one free contact (see below) related to his former or current job.

For further background options, the character is (quite) free to select from the following list. Note that almost any advantage or disadvantage can be lost later on.

Backed (moderate 1 cp, strong 2 cp)

The character is backed up by some organization, which pays for his (reasonable) expenses and might get him out of trouble when in need. In return, the character is expected to pursue the assignment he has been given.

Contact (0.25 cp)

The character knows a man or a woman who could sell him information or aid. A typical contact could be: policeman, corporate officer, fixer, gunsmith, streetdoc, reporter, street gang member, cook, musician, hacker, professional sportsman, bodyguard, priest, pilot, soldier, army officer, hitman, politician, psychiatricist... Do not take another player character as contact, the GM decides if you know him or not.

Cyberware (2 cp and more)

Character is fitted with some cyber or bioware. See details from cyberware section.

Expensive Item (0.25 cp)

The character has an expensive or very illegal item or items not worth more than 5000e.

Forced Agent (forced -3 cp, suicidal -5 cp)

The character is hired by a powerful organization which has a way to force him. Blackmailing, threatening the character or his dependents, getting him addicted to some drug or placing a bomb or wetware trigger inside the character are useful ways. The character is expected to follow the orders or else... If the character succeeds in getting rid of this disadvantage, it is normally replaced with an appropriate hunted, possibly in multiple numbers.

Note: character must be backed by that organization, somehow. Select either moderate or strong.

Hunted (occasional -1 cp, continual -2 cp)

Character is hunted down by some powerful organization.

Friend (0.5 cp)

A friend is a bit like a contact but might do some services for the character for free, and is less likely to backstab when required.

License (0.25 cp)

The character has some special license not normally available to people, like a license to carry a gun.

Officially Dead (no cost)

The character is officially dead in all papers. This means that there is no data about him after his death. This can become quite hazardous. If you are officially dead, no one is interested if you get killed.

Second Identity (0.25 cp each)

The character has a second identity with all necessary documents, papers and history. This cover is not detected without very extensive checking.

Stranger (-2 cp)

The character is not native to the campaign area and does not know local habits, laws or culture. Such a character cannot take contacts or friends without the GM's permission. Native language must be different to local.

Superior Item (0.5 cp)

The character has a very expensive and/or illegal item or items worth less than 20000e (or one quite expensive vehicle).

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Optional Things

No optional things can be taken unless approved by the GM. These usually require some special campaign or setting, hey are not appropriate for normal game.

Special Attributes

These optional characteristics are mainly for very cinematic campaigns.

Ammo Hog (-2 cp)

This one is only for Hong Kong style cinematic campaigns, where no one has to change clips very often - maybe every now and then, but nonetheless far less often than in the ordinary world. This disadvantage forces the character to change clips almost as usually as in the ordinary world, and becomes often very irritating!

Classic Villain (-2 cp, NPCs only)

This is a classic supervillain disadvantage: when he has caught the player characters, he simply must tell his clever plans to them, and then leave them to a certain death they miraculously escape.

Lucky (lucky 1 cp, very lucky 3 cp)

This is a bit similar advantage like the pro skill is: The character can 'find' missing stuff ('ah, luckily I took this with me') but the GM should not warn about stupid tactical decisions; instead, the character has an amazing knack to survive from such situations.

Contributions

These disadvantages have nothing to do with the actual characters. Instead, they are ways to earn more points by agreeing to do something that enriches the campaign.

Campaign Log (-2 cp)

The player keeps a log of events in the campaign, and writes it to some place agreed with the GM.

Character Diary (-2 cp)

The player keeps some kind of diary of actions of his character and events around him. It is like a campaign log, but personalized and subjective. Should be placed to a place where it is readable by anyone.

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