I find it a lot quicker to generate characters in Savage Worlds than I do in Dungeons & Dragons. One of the big departures is the lack of classes. This can be daunting for those who are accustomed to classes (I've had players back out of games in the past for that reason), but it can also pave the way for more flexible characters.
To help illustrate things, I'm going to walk through the character build of Talmar, a human fighter which I'm borrowing from Richard Woolcock's Fantasy Archetypes. I highly recommend picking these up; they provide a set of eight characters ready to pick up and play for your run-of-the-mill fantasy setting, and the set's available on DriveThruRPG for a dollar. There might be another set in the works soon, so I'm looking forward to that.
Anyway, let's begin. This will be a long post, so get a comfy seat and put the kettle on.
1. Concept
First order of business is to choose your character's concept. Don't think about mechanics at this point. There'll be time for that later, but the more you flesh out here, the easier it'll be to build up on.
Talmar was initially a farm boy who enjoyed hearing tales of heroic deeds, and dreamed of leaving the farm to seek his fortune. When he was old enough, he enlisted in the local lord’s household militia, but found it no more exciting than working the lands. He later joined a free company, where his talents were better appreciated, but he found that mercenary work was unreliable. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave the unit in a hurry after a dispute turned ugly, and has since gone into business for himself as an adventurer.
2. Ancestry
The first mechanical stage of character generation is your Ancestry. Your character’s Ancestry gives you Ancestral Abilities, both positive and negative. Most of the D&D species have equivalent ancestries in this system (with a large number added in the Fantasy Companion). I'll talk about this in greater detail in a future post.
Talmar is a Human. His only Ancestral Ability is Adaptable, which gives him a free Edge of his choosing. I’ll talk about that in a minute, so hold on to it. Humans could be considered the "default" ancestry, and might be the only available ancestry in some settings.
3. Hindrances
This is the next big departure from D&D. Hindrances are your character’s flaws and drawbacks. These could include physical or mental disabilities, personality flaws, or even external forces that work against you. Some Hindrances have an in-game effect, while others are there for roleplaying. Taking Hindrances into account when roleplaying is a good way to earn Bennies.
Hindrances are optional, but taking Hindrances gives you Hindrance points which may be used elsewhere in character creation (more on that later). Major Hindrances are worth two Hindrance Points each, while Minor Hindrances are worth just one. You can take as many Hindrances as you want, but the maximum number of Hindrance Points you’re allowed is four.
Let's look at Talmar’s Hindrances based on his Concept:
- Firstly, we'll say that his old mercenary company still hold a grudge against him. I'll give him the Enemy Hindrance, which means they will act as a recurring nemesis during the campaign. This can be Major or Minor, which determines how much of a threat the enemy is or how frequently they'll show up. It's taken as a Minor Hindrance, which gives him one Hindrance Point.
- He’s eager for excitement and riches (especially riches), so he has the Greedy Hindrance. This is a roleplaying Hindrance that can also be Major or Minor, which determines how far you’re willing to go for extra loot. Talmar has the Minor version, which means he’ll argue for more than his fair share of rewards (and might miss important details or events while he’s busy looting bodies).
- On the subject of excitement, he has a Quirk Hindrance, another roleplaying Hindrance which represents an amusing foible. In Talmar's case, he brags shamelessly about his skill with a sword. This can provide some humour, but may also get him into trouble. This is a Minor Hindrance, and gives him another Hindrance Point.
- Once he’s in a fight, Talmar will do whatever it takes to survive. This takes the form of a Ruthless Hindrance. Once again, this is a roleplaying Hindrance that can be Major or Minor, which determines how far you're willing go to accomplish your goals. He has Minor version, which means he’ll stop short of true harm to anybody who isn’t directly opposing him.
That’s four Minor Hindrances, which gives him four Hindrance Points. I’ll talk about how and where you can spend these in each section, but I'll spend mine at the end.
4. Attributes
Attributes are a form of Trait (which I discussed this in the previous chapter here), which represent passive abilities that are generally rolled to react to things. Everyone has five Attributes:
- Agility represents your reflexes and co-ordination, and is rolled to evade certain types of attacks.
- Smarts represents your general intellect, and is rolled to resist certain spells or effects.
- Spirit represents your confidence and willpower, and is rolled to resist fear.
- Strength represents your muscle power, which is used for melee damage and calculating how much you can carry.
- Vigour represents your stamina and endurance, which is rolled to resist environmental effects.
Attributes are the equivalent of Ability Scores in D&D; Agility is Dexterity, Smarts is Intelligence, Spirit is a blend of Wisdom and Charisma, Strength is...erm...Strength, and Vigour is Constitution.
You start with a d4 in the five Attributes, and can upgrade them with Attribute Points. Each point invested in an Attribute increases it by one die type, to a maximum of d12. You have five Attribute Points with which to invest, and you can purchase additional ones for two Hindrance Points each.
- Talmar’s Attribute Points have been distributed evenly, raising all of his Attributes from d4 to d6.
5. Skills
Another type of Trait, these are your active abilities which are rolled to perform actions in the world. Each skill is linked to an Attribute, which determines the cost of that skill. Physical skills tend to be linked to Agility, intellectual skills are linked to Smarts, and most social skills are linked to Spirit.
By default, you start with five “Core Skills” which reflect innate abilities that aren't covered by Attributes:
- Athletics is linked to Agility, and represents general physical ability. It's rolled for most physical activities (such as climbing, swimming, and throwing).
- Common Knowledge is linked to Smarts, and represents how well the character knows their world. It's rolled to recall general knowledge of people, places, and things in the world.
- Notice is linked to Smarts, and represents general awareness and perception. It's rolled to see, hear, smell, or otherwise sense the world around you. It's also used to read people and determine if they're concealing details as they're talking.
- Persuasion is linked to Spirit, and is rolled to convince others to do what you want (through asking nicely and constructive arguments).
- Stealth is linked to Agility, and is rolled to sneak or hide.
Your Core Skills start at d4, and you can purchase or upgrade skills with Skill Points. It costs one Skill Point to buy a d4 in a new skill or raise an existing skill by one die type, providing the new die type is less than or equal to the Attribute the skill’s linked to. It costs two skill points to raise a skill by one die type above its linked Attribute. You have 12 Skill Points to spend (although some modern and futuristic settings may give you 15), and can purchase additional points for one Hindrance Point each.
Let's look at Talmar's skills:
- Core Skills: He raises his Athletics and Notice to a d6. His Common Knowledge, Persuasion, and Stealth remain at d4. That’s two points spent so far, ten remaining.
- Fighting d8: This is linked to Agility, and represents his proficiency in hand-to-hand combat. It’s rolled when making melee attacks. It costs one point for the d4, and another point to raise it to a d6. Since Talmar’s Agility is currently at d6, the d8 costs two points. That’s four points altogether, and six points spent so far (six remaining).
- Shooting d6: This is linked to Agility, and represents proficiency with ranged weapons such as bows or firearms. It’s rolled to make attacks with such weapons (thrown weapons use Athletics). That costs two points, and he has four remaining.
- Battle d6: This skill is linked to Smarts, and represents knowledge of tactics and strategy. It’s often rolled to coordinate troops in Mass Battles or recall military knowledge (such as history or protocol). He's got two points left.
- Intimidation d4: This is a Spirit-linked skill, and is rolled to influence people similar to Persuasion. While Persuasion represents asking nicely, Intimidation represents getting what you want through threats and coercion. That costs one point, and he has one remaining.
- Riding d4: This is linked to Agility, and rolled to control mounts or animal-drawn conveyances (such as carriages or wagons).
- For any skills he doesn't have, Talmar rolls a d4 with a -2 penalty.
6. Edges
Edges are your character’s special abilities which give them advantages in certain situations. They’re basically the equivalent of Feats and Class Features in D&D. Two characters might have identical Traits, but they’re set apart by their Edges.
Edges can be purchased for two Hindrance Points each, but you have to meet the requirements for taking them. These include having a minimum die type in a certain Trait, or even another Edge. I’ve got four Hindrance Points to spend, but I’ll spend them later.
- As a Human, Talmar has one free Edge of his choosing, providing he meets the requirements. He has taken the Soldier Edge, which represents his martial training. This requires Strength and Vigour to be a minimum of d6, which he has. Accustomed to carrying heavy loads and enduring harsh conditions, he treats his Strength as one die type higher for Minimum Strength and Encumbrance (I'll talk about these in a minute), and gets a free reroll on Vigour rolls made to resist environmental hazards.
- Failing such Vigour rolls can result in Fatigue. Each level of Fatigue imposes a -1 penalty to all Trait rolls (up to a maximum of -2). Depending on the source, three levels of Fatigue can incapacitate or even kill a character (I'll talk about Incapacitation next week). Unless stated otherwise, Fatigue is recovered by one level per hour of rest.
7. Derived Statistics
These are miscellaneous abilities that are either calculated from Traits or have set values. They can also be modified by Edges, Hindrances, and Ancestral Abilities. Some settings may have their own Derived Statistics, but there are four default ones:
Pace
Pace is a measure of your character’s mobility, and determines how far you can move in a turn. If we assume that you're playing on a table-top with miniatures, then your character can move a number of inches equal to their Pace (1” is two yards). You can also run on your turn, rolling a running die and adding the total to your Pace for that turn. The running die is not a Trait, therefore it doesn’t include a Wild Die, nor does it Ace (one of the few rolls that doesn't).
The default Pace is 6, and the default running die is d6. This means you can move 6” on a turn, or 12 yards in the real world. If you run, you can move a maximum of 12” (24 yards).- Talmar doesn’t have any Edges or Hindrances which affect Pace, so he has the default Pace of 6 and a d6 running die.
Parry
Parry is a measure of how well your character can defend themselves in hand-to-hand combat, and serves as the Target Number for all melee attacks (in other words, it’s what somebody has to roll to hit you).
The default Parry is 2, but if you have a die type in Fighting, you can increase your Parry by half your die type. Parry can also be increased by certain types of gear, such as shields. Equipment bonuses are typically listed in brackets next to your total Parry.
- Talmar has a d8 in Fighting, which gives him a base Parry of 6.
Size
Size represents your character’s height and weight in comparison to an average-sized human being.
The default Size is 0, which represents a height of 4’1” to 6’, and a weight of 126 to 250 lbs. A player character's Size cannot be less than -1 or greater than 3.
- Talmar’s Size is 0.
Toughness
Toughness represents your character’s damage threshold, and serves as the Target Number for all damage rolls (in other words, it’s what somebody has to roll to hurt you).
The standard Toughness is 2, plus half your Vigour die, plus your Size. Toughness can also be increased by wearing armour. The bonus from armour is listed in brackets next to your total Toughness, but some weapons have an Armour Piercing value which can negate some or all of this.
- Talmar’s Vigour is a d6, and his Size is 0, so that gives him a base Toughness of 5.
8. Gear
All characters start with the clothes on their back. Weapons, armour, and adventuring gear have to be purchased. The default starting funds are $500, unless modified by Edges or Hindrances. You can also start with an additional $1000 (or double the standard starting funds for the setting) for one Hindrance Point each.
You may also have to consider Encumbrance and Minimum Strength. You can carry up to 20 lbs of gear for each die type in Strength. This is known as your Encumbrance limit. If the weight you carry is above the limit, you reduce your Pace by 2 and suffer a -2 penalty to running rolls, Agility and Agility-linked skill rolls, and Vigour rolls made to resist Fatigue. If the load is more than three times the Encumbrance limit, your Pace is 1, and you have to make a Vigour roll to resist Fatigue after a number of rounds equal to your Vigour die (one round is approximately six seconds). You can carry a maximum of four times your Encumbrance limit.
- Talmar has a Strength of d6, but he treats it as a d8 for the purposes of Encumbrance due to his Soldier Edge. That means he can carry up to 60 lbs of equipment without penalty, and can carry a maximum of 240 lbs. With a d6 in Vigour, he can carry 180 lbs or more for six rounds before he needs to roll for Fatigue each round thereafter.
Minimum Strength is what it says on the tin; the Strength die you need to use certain types of gear without penalty. Failing to meet the Minimum Strength of gear depends on the type of gear:
- For melee or thrown weapons, the weapon's damage die is capped by your Strength die.
- For ranged weapons, you suffer a -1 penalty to Shooting rolls for each die type the Minimum Strength exceeds your Strength.
- For armour and worn gear, you suffer a -1 penalty to your Pace, Agility rolls, and Agility-linked skill rolls for each die type the Minimum Strength exceeds your Strength.
I tend not to use Encumbrance in my games unless it's something dramatically appropriate (such as looting a store in a zombie apocalypse or carrying bulky items such as chests). I don't include the weight of armour being worn, since that's covered by Minimum Strength.
Anyway, let’s see Talmar's gear:
- Long Sword: This costs $300, deals Strength+d8 damage and has a Minimum Strength of d8. Talmar’s Strength is a d6, but he treats it as d8 for the purpose of Minimum Strength thanks to his Soldier Edge. This allows him to use it without penalties (he still rolls a d6 for Strength on the damage roll). If he didn’t have the Edge, his Strength would cap the weapon’s damage die so he’d only roll Strength+d6.
- Medium Shield: This costs $100, and gives him +2 Parry when it’s equipped, so his total Parry is now 8 (2). It also imposes a -2 Cover penalty to incoming ranged attacks (assuming he can adequately defend himself).
- Thick Hide Jacket: This costs $80, and provides +2 Armour to his torso and arms. His Toughness is now listed as 7 (2).
- He has $20 remaining, which he’ll save for the adventure.
9. Hindrance Points
With all that out of the way, it’s time to spend the Hindrance Points. Here's a reminder for what they can be spent on:
- Additional Attribute Points: Two Hindrance Points each
- Additional Skill Points: One Hindrance Point Each
- Additional Edges: Two Hindrance Points each.
- Additional Starting Funds: One Hindrance Point gives you the equivalent of double the normal starting amount.
Let's spend Talmar's Hindrance Points:
- He spends two Hindrance Points to bump his Agility up to a d8. This actually means his Fighting die only costs three Skill Points now, and gives him an unspent Skill Point. I’ll use it to raise his Shooting to a d8.
- His other two Hindrance Points will be spent on a new Edge. I’ll give him Trademark Weapon, and apply it to his longsword. This Edge requires a d8 in the skill appropriate to the weapon (in the case of melee weapons, Fighting). With the Edge, Talmar’s longsword is practically an extension of himself. He adds +1 to Fighting rolls when attacking with it, and has +1 Parry when it’s equipped. Combined with the shield, this gives him a Parry of 9 (3).
With that, he's ready for his adventure. But before I wrap up, I'll talk about Advancement.
10. Advancement
Instead of experience points and levels, you have Advances and Ranks. All characters are created at Novice Rank, and there are four ranks that follow: Seasoned, Veteran, Heroic and Legendary. You may receive an Advance at the end of a session, and you go up in Rank on every fourth Advance. In my games, I usually have players Advance at the end of every session until they get to Seasoned Rank, after which point they'll Advance every other session. Alternatively, I may have Advancement occur at set intervals.
Each Advance can be spent on one of the following bonuses:
- Attribute Increase: Raise an Attribute by one die type, but this can only be taken once per Rank
- Greater Skill Increase: Raise a skill by one die type above its linked Attribute
- Lesser Skill Increase: Raise two skills by one die type up to their linked Attributes (this includes buying new skills at d4)
- Edge: Choose a new Edge you meet the requirements for
- Buy off a Hindrance: Remove a Minor Hindrance, or reduce a Major Hindrance to a Minor version if there is one
In some campaigns, you might start at Seasoned Rank. If that’s the case, you just go through the process I’ve already outlined to make a Novice Rank character, and then give them four Advances right away. You can’t buy off Hindrances with these Advances, but everything else is fine.
I’ll demonstrate with Talmar, giving him four Advances to bump him up to Seasoned Rank:
- Advance 1 – Edge: He's going to take First Strike. This is requires at least a d8 in Agility (which he has), and allows him to make a free attack once per round against an enemy who moves into melee range.
- Advance 2 – Attribute Increase: He raises his Agility to d10. He’s limited to one Attribute increase per Rank, so he can’t raise any more Attributes until his fourth Advance (when he goes up in Rank).
- Advance 3 – Lesser Skill Increase: He'll raise his Fighting and Shooting to a d10. If he hadn’t raised his Agility on the previous Advance, then he would only have been able to raise one of those skills on this Advance. By increasing his Fighting, he has also increased his Parry to 10 (3).
- Advance 4 – Edge: This is Talmar’s first Seasoned Advance, and he's going to take Frenzy. This Edge requires a minimum Rank of Seasoned and at least a d8 in Fighting. It allows Talmar to roll a second Fighting die on one melee attack per turn, which he can apply to the same target or another adjacent target. He still gets a Wild Die, ignores the lowest roll, and makes separate damage rolls for each roll that hits.
Putting it altogether, we've got a cocky mercenary who is eager for fortune and glory. With a d10 in both Fighting and Shooting, he’s highly proficient with a bow and a blade, but his Edges gear him more towards melee combat (especially with his Trademark Long Sword). On the defence, he can use First Strike to attack an enemy who closes the distance, possibly dispatching them before they can attack him. On the offence, he can use Frenzy to try and land two hits on one attack.
Phew, that took a while. Thanks for visiting, and please join me again next week as I'll be discussing the basic combat mechanics.
Special thanks to Richard Woolcock for giving me permission to reference his characters. You can find his other works on DriveThruRPG here.
This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. It is unofficial Media Content permitted under the Media Network Content Agreement. This content is not managed, approved, or endorsed by Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Certain portions of the materials used are the intellectual property of Pinnacle, and all rights are reserved. Savage Worlds, all related settings, and unique characters, locations, and characters, logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group
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