Chareacter creation: Alignment and Stats news

Hey fellows,

Today we have very big, tasty and juicy Update devoted to Game Mechanics of After Reset RPG. So lean back in in your armchairs and get ready to know more about Character Creation Process: let's talk about Alignment and Stats stages...

GAME MECHANICS: ALIGNMENT CHOICE

In the role-playing systems with rolls and dices, the Alignment parameter reflects the ethical and moral values of the character. Alignment is defined by the player when creating a character and affects role-play, and some abilities and limitations for the player.

In accordance with the rules of SACPIC, there are nine possible character alignments (three for each axis of a grid). The alignment for a neutral-neutral character, is usually called true neutral, or simply neutral.

Alignment can change throughout the game: a series of actions committed by a character that do not match their current Alignment will cause that character's Alignment to change in the long run. For example, an unprincipled thief and marauder (chaotic-neutral), seen sharing stolen stuff with the poor, will eventually become chaotic good.

Alignment strongly affects choice of character fractions to join and even professions. For example, a lawful-good (principled) character cannot join raiders or most of tribes; a mercenary of Black Sand faction should be neutral, and Corps Eater profession could be taken only by chaotic-evil characters.

GOOD-EVIL SCALE

The battle between good and evil is the defining narrative of human life. Though a player's character may work only towards his own goals and not the fight for the general good, it is assumed that a "good" character is fundamentally opposed to evil and frequently fights with evil creatures.

Goodness implies altruism, respect for life, and the personal dignity of conscious beings. Good characters often sacrifice themselves in helping others.

Evilness means that a character has the tendency to harm, harass and/or murder others. Some evil beings simply do not have compassion for others and kill without hesitation for profit or just to get the next obstacle out of the way. There are also others, who kill for sport or because of fanatical worship of an idol or master. Neutrality implies non-interference, whether in evil or good deeds.

Neutral characters may sympathize with the death of the innocent, but avoid the obligation to defend others or come to their aid. Neutral characters help others only on the basis of interpersonal relationships. Most of humans in After Reset setting are continuously shifting around Neutral Alignment.

Altruistic characters and creatures have a good alignment. Villains and terrible criminals, as well as inherently evil characters are of the evil alignment. Animals are generally neutral, even if they attack the innocent, in that they are acting on instinct, and they have no intellect or self-awareness to give moral value to their actions.

ORDER-CHAOS SCALE

Players often suppose that how lawful or chaotic their character is has less of an effect on their actions than how good or evil they are. Principled behavior does not necessarily mean a character will follow local laws, just as a chaotic alignment says nothing about whether or not a person will obey authority.

Lawfulness implies honor, honesty, obedience to lawful power, and predictability. On the other hand, principled behavior can mean naivety, reactionary adherence to tradition, making superficial judgments, and losing adaptability. Those who consciously adhere to lawfulness, suppose that society is only made of lawful behavior, in which people can rely on each other, and make the right choices while being fully sure that others will also act as they should.

Chaos implies freedom, adaptability and flexibility. On the other hand, chaotic behavior can mean recklessness, dissatisfaction in relations with lawful powers, unpredictability, and irresponsibility. Those who consciously conform to chaotic behavior, suppose that only unlimited personal freedom allows people to fully express themselves, and that all of society benefits from the potential each person in it possesses.

Those who are neutral, relate respectfully both to order and chaos, have no conflicts with power, and feel neither the need to obey, nor the need to rebel. They are honest, but they can lie or cheat others.

The human beings of the After Reset universe are more frequently neutral in their relation to law/chaos, than to good/evil. Individual factions, such as the sparsely-populated, and strong United Governments, have always been built on ordered behavior, while at the same time, most Survivors are the products of chaos.

LAWFUL GOOD (LG)

Characters with this alignment believe that organized, strong societies with well-functioning governments can work to make life better for the majority. In order to guarantee a certain quality of life, laws must be made and obeyed. When people respect the laws and try to help each other, society prospers as a result. For this reason, lawful good characters fight for things which bring the most noticeable benefit to the largest number of people, while doing the least possible harm.

An honest and hard-working resident of a small population, the good and wise tlatinini of the Toltecs, or a stern, but fair mayor are all good examples of lawful good people.

LAWFUL NEUTRAL (LN)

Order and organization are things of the highest importance for characters with this alignment. They believe in a strong and well-ordered government, be it a dictatorship, or a good-hearted democracy. The benefits of organization and systematization supersede any questions of morals which might slow their effectiveness.

An investigator for the UG Military Corps, who has decided at any cost to prosecute traitors, or a soldier, who never questions his orders, are good examples of lawful neutral behavior.

LAWFUL EVIL (LE)

Lawful evil characters believe in using society and its laws to achieve their own goals. Structure and organization elevate those who serve power, and represent a neatly defined hierarchy between master and servant. In this respect, lawful evil characters support laws and societies, which defend their interests. If someone is harmed, or suffers from laws that work for the benefit of lawful evil characters, all the worse for them. Lawful evil characters usually obey laws out of fear of punishment. Insofar as they can be made to carry out an unpleasant contract or oath they gave, lawful evil characters are usually very cautious about giving their word. They only break a contract if they can find a legal way to get out of it.

A gang leader with an iron fist, or a cunning and greedy trader are examples of lawful evil people. Cultists or Corporation’s leaders of the United Governments can also frequently be found among their ranks. This alignment is also represented by power-hungry and cruel characters that follow a certain "code of honor."

NEUTRAL GOOD (NG)

Neutral good characters believe that a balance of powers is important, but that the interests of order and chaos do not outweigh the necessity of good. Since the universe is vast, and populated by many beings, fighting for different goals, a determined pursuit of the good will not upset the balance, but can even work to its benefit. If for many, to bring about the development of the good, you need to support an organized society, then that is what must be done. If good can come only through the toppling of the currently existing societal order, then let that happen. The structure of a society has no meaning for them in and of itself.

A free mercenary, who refuses to carry out an employer's order because he considers them evil is an example of a neutral good character.

TRUE NEUTRAL (TN)

True neutral characters either believe in the balance of good and evil or deny the existence of such a dichotomy all together. As the majority of people have some kind of judgments about the world, true neutral characters are extremely rare. They try not to stand on the side of good or evil, law or chaos. Their credo is to make sure that all forces remain in balanced opposition. Sometimes, true neutral characters are forced to engage in very specific alliances. In large part, they are forced to stand on the side of the victor in any given situation, sometimes even changing sides when the former loser starts winning.

A true neutral mercenary can ally with the forces of one population, just as a check to a different population, only to later disappear or change sides when the losers are on the edge of destruction. He will work so that no one side in any world conflict becomes too powerful.

NEUTRAL EVIL (NE)

Neutral evil characters are first and foremost concerned with themselves and their own advancement. They have no particular objections against working with others, but they do tend to act alone. Their main interest is their own personal advancement to the top. If there is a fast and easy way to get a benefit, whether it is legal, in a grey area, or obviously illegal, they will take advantage of it. Though neutral evil characters are not bound to the principle “everyone for themselves” like chaotic characters, they will not hesitate to betray their friends and companions for personal gain. Their trust is based in power and money, making them especially well disposed to bribes.

An unprincipled raider, a common thief, or a lying informant, betraying people to those in power for their own end, are typical examples of neutral evil characters.

CHAOTIC GOOD (CG)

Chaotic good characters are strong individualists, with a marked streak of kindness and benevolence. They believe in all the value of good, kindness, and benevolence, but laws and rules mean nothing to them. They do not care for people who “want to be cruel to others and tell them what to do.” Their actions are directed by their own moral compass, which, though good, does not always completely agree with the rest of society.

A brave traveler, always on the move, while at the same time being watched by settlers, or a marauder, distributing stolen goods to the needy are examples of chaotic good characters.

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL (CN)

Chaotic neutral characters think that order and higher meaning are worthless, including in their own actions. Following this principle, they tend to indulge every whim which comes into their heads. For them good and evil do not come into play in the decision making process. It is exceedingly difficult to conduct business with chaotic neutral characters. They can willingly and without obvious reason bet everything they have on one roll of the dice, but at the same time this does not mean that they would try to ford a swiftly flowing river if there's a bridge nearby. They are practically incapable of earning others' trust.

A hermit, living by his own internal rules, or a thief, who steals for the sake of stealing are examples of chaotic neutral characters.

CHAOTIC EVIL (CE)

Chaotic evil characters are the opposite of all that is good and organized. They are driven only by the desire for personal benefit and pleasure. They see nothing wrong with taking what they want, and using any means to do so. Laws and governments are just instruments of the weak, who are unable to defend themselves. The strong have the right to take whatever they like, and the weak are only there to be used. When chaotic evil characters gather together, they are driven not by the desire to cooperate, but more often by the desire to take on strong enemies. Such a group can be brought together only by a strong leader, capable of forcing others to obey with an iron fist. Insofar as leadership is based only on brute strength, most often a leader will be dethroned at the first sign of weakness, and replaced with whoever can take his place, no matter how.

Bloodthirsty raiders, Biomass colonies, and vicious and vile cannibals are good examples of chaotic evil characters.

GAME MECHANICS: STATS ALLOCATION

Every primary statistic describes one of a character’s attributes and affects everything he does in the game. Primary statistic Modifiers are applied in certain situations, which change the stat by one point for every two basic stat points away from 10 (for example, the Strength Modifier for a character with 15 STR would be +2, and for one with 6 STR, -2).

When creating a character in the After Reset RPG every statistic can range from 4 to 20, in other words, you can’t start with any stat below 4 or above 20. A character starts with score of 8 in each of his six stats, and then draws upon a pool of 32 points to raise these stats. You can’t rise any base stat during character creation above 18 except for Racial Stats Adjustments. Moreover, as a stat score is raised to exceptional levels, it becomes more expensive to raise further, as per the following chart:

With time a character’s primary statistics will change. There is no limit to primary statistic levels. When any primary statistic changes, all related abilities and feats also change.

Character statistics can change due to any of the following events and circumstances:
• one point can be added to any primary statistic at level 4, and at every multiple of four after that (8, 12, 16, 20);
• consumption of drugs or stimulants can temporarily raise or lower current statistics;
• some items, equipment and implants can temporary raise or lower current statistics when they are held by, worn on, or implanted in the character;
• some rare items, equipment and implants, and certain operations can permanently raise or lower the primary statistics;
• poisons, diseases and other effects can temporarily lower the primary statistics (damage them); primary statistic points damaged in this way are restored with time;
• some effects such as radiation can permanently lower current statistics; primary statistic points lost in this way cannot be restored with time, but they can be returned by special effects (for example, blood transfusions and bone marrow regeneration).

Bonus or penalty effects for primary stats from any sources stick. Bonus or permanently effects for current stats from any sources don’t stick. Character with 0 Constitution dies. Character with 0 Charisma or/and Intellect can’t talk with humanoids. Character with 0 Agility or/and Strength can’t move.

STRENGTH (STR)

Strength indicates how developed a characters musculature and physical strength is. Strength can also affect your characters ability to carry heavy objects, and the damage your character can inflict with his bare hands or melee weapons.

Brute strength helps you carry heavy objects, and inflict heavy strikes in melee combat. A stronger character can carry more weight, cause higher damage in battle, etc.

The Strength Modifier is applied in such situations as:
- in Carrying Capacity*;
- in Damage Rolls for melee and throwing weapons.

AGILITY (AGL)

Agility defines coordination, swiftness, reflexes and balance of the character. Accuracy with firearms and throwing weapons as well as block and dodge chance also depend on Agility. A character with low Agility will be constricted and clumsy, his movements ridiculous and badly coordinated, which causes him to make a lot of noise when moving.

A character with high Agility will be nimble and flexible, his movements confident and graceful, with dazzling reflexes.

The Agility Modifier is applied in such situations as:
- in melee and throwing weapons Attack Rolls;
- when calculating Armor Class (AC) if armor does not restrict;
- in checks of Chance-of-Saving (CoS) for Reflex;
- in checks of skills related to Agility.

CONSTITUTION (CON)

Constitution affects the total health of the character, and the rate of water consumption when walking on the world map. Also, like Strength, this stat affects the amount a character can carry. If Constitution changes enough to change its Modifier, then your characters hit-points will change correspondingly. If Constitution falls down to zero, then your character dies.

A character with high Constitution can survive in places where others would die. Such a character will have high health and good resistance to disease and infection - even if he gets infected, he will easily and quickly recover.

The Constitution Modifier is applied in such situations as:
- in calculating hit-points received by the character at each level (but the possible penalty can never lower this stat beyond 1);
- in Damage Resistance (DR) for Physical and Environmental damage types;
- in checks of Chance-of-Saving (CoS) for Fortitude;
- in checks of skills associated with Constitution.

PERCEPTION (PER)

Perception reflects a quick eye of a character, his quick-wittedness, mental reaction time, and street smarts. If Intelligence reflects the ability of a character to analyze information, then Perception relates more to how well a character adapts to unexpected situations in the world around him. Perception also defines how far a character can see.

Good Perception sharpens all of a character’s senses, including touch, sight, taste, smell and hearing. It affects range with firearms and throwing weapons, and helps you to notice small things that could be important, etc. Characters with high Perception get more information from the world around them by noticing the little details others pass by.

The Perception Modifier is applied in the following situations:
- in Range-of-View (RoF) evaluation;
- in Angle-of-View (AoV) evaluation;
- in firearms weapons Attack Rolls;
- in checks of skills associated with Perception.

INTELLIGENCE (INT)

Intelligence defines how knowledgeable and erudite a character is, defines mental facilities and education. The higher a character’s Intelligence, and the more skills he will be able to master, and the more possible answers he can think up in conversations.

A character with low Intelligence often can not speak or pronounce words properly, has difficulty thinking out his movements, and often does not understand jokes. A character with high Intelligence is resourceful, knows a lot, learns fast, and is inclined to use technology and invent things.

The Intelligence Modifier is applied in such situations as:
- amount of skill points the character receives with each new level (but the possible penalty can never lower this number below 1);
- in field weapons and energy weapons Attack Rolls;
- in checks of skills related to Intelligence.

CHARISMA (CHA)

Charisma measures the strength of a character’s personality, his persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead others, and sex appeal. This stat reflects the way the character is perceived in society on appearance as well as on his inner charm.

Charisma combines looks and personal charm. The higher a character’s Charisma, the better he will communicate with other people. Charismatic characters have a higher chance of getting their way without resorting to violence, and can trade better than others. High charisma is important to characters who want to influence people with their powers of persuasion and lead them.

The Charisma Modifier is used in the situations such as:
- amount of companions the character can travel with;
- in checks of skills associated with Charisma;
- in checks of Chance of Saving (CoS) on Will, resistance to mind-effects, and similar effects.

Carrying Capacity* - determines how many weight and space character has for armor, weapons, equipment and other stuff to carry. Encumbrance indicates the effect that the weight of gear that a character is carrying has on his movement rate. There are 4 levels of encumbrance:
• None - The character can run and walk at full speed.
• Light - The character cannot run, but can walk at full speed.
• Heavy - The character cannot run, the character walks at 50% normal speed.
• Overloaded - The character cannot move.

The amount of weight corresponding to threshold between levels of encumbrance is dependent on strength. The table is repeated here for completeness:

At level 1 every character has 1 capacity slot for his or her Inventory. Characters gain one bonus capacity slot for their inventory per each 5 scores of primary Strength stat above 10 (15, 20, 25, 30). Extra capacity slots can be obtained by special feats. However total capacity slots can’t be more than 5 slots + 1 bag slot if a bag is used.

Drooling yet?) Thank you for your support and stay tuned!

Back us on Kickstarter.
Like us on Facebook.
Add us on Steam Greenlight.
Join After Reset™ RPG official website.