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« Last post by Diskhotep on May 18, 2019, 08:12:53 PM »
As convention season approaches I've been working on ways to allow players a fast way to customize their own takers without having to be handed a totally pre-generated one-shot character or spend time creating a full character from scratch. Comments and constructive criticism are welcome.
Quick-Start Takers are created by combining two cards defining the type of Taker they are and their place within the crew. Players will first choose their Major, a Potential-based broad focus for their character inspired by the basic roles a group of Takers tends to gather. Majors assign two points to Potentials (added to the starting base of 1), and allot 10 points to skills.
MAJORS:
MELEE: Most Taker crews have at least one member able to get up and personal with trouble.
Potentials: STR +1, SPD +1.
Skills: Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Intimidation 1, Melee 2, Resistance 1, Scavenging 1, Self-Control 1, Stealth 1, Unarmed 1.
RANGED: Taker crews can always use someone who can deal with problems at a safe distance.
Potentials: SPD +1, ADP +1.
Skills: Awareness 1, Athletics 1, Foresight 1, Leadership 1, Resistance 1, Scavenging 1, Self-Control 1, Shoot 2, Stealth 1.
TECH: Tech characters support the group with their hands-on expertise.
Potentials: ADP +1, INT +1.
Skills: Athletics 1, First Aid 1, Foresight 1, Mechanics 2, Networking 1, Research 1, Resistance 1, Scavenging 1, Self-Control 1.
MASTERMIND: Taker crews can always use someone who knows useful information and the best way to capitalize on it.
Potentials: INT +1, CHA +1.
Skills: Awareness 1, Athletics 1, First Aid 1, Foresight 2, Networking 1, Persuasion 1, Research 1, Self-Control 1, Sensitivity 1.
NEGOTIATOR: Every Taker crew needs someone to get the good contracts and hustle up the best payout the market will bear.
Potentials: CHA +1, WIL +1.
Skills: Awareness 1, Athletics 1, Deception 1, First Aid 1, Leadership 1, Networking 2, Persuasion 1, Self-Control 1, Sensitivity 1.
SURVIVOR: Just being able to survive in the Loss for any amount of time is good enough for the majority of Taker crews.
Potentials: STR +1, WIL +1.
Skills: Awareness 1, Athletics 1, Deception 1, First Aid 1, Intimidation 1, Resistance 1, Scavenging 2, Self-Control 1, Stealth 1.
After the Taker has chosen their Major, they select a Minor to represent the tasks they focus on the most in the group, or reflect their experiences before and during the Crash. Minors assign more two points to Potentials and five more points to Skills, and provide some starting bounty and gear.
These are some sample Minors, though not the only ones. Suggestions for new Minors are welcome. Note that any pairing of Majors/Minors is allowed - they are not directly linked in any way, though some complement each other nicely.
MINORS:
SOLDIER: Lots of military personnel were left behind when the bridges blew. Either they were too slow or received their recall orders too late, or they chose to remain behind to protect the civilians in their care.
Potentials: SPD +1, ADP +1.
Skills: Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Profession: soldier 1, Shoot 1, Stealth 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Rifle, Knife, Binoculars. 5 bounty.
LAW ENFORCEMENT: Local law enforcement was often on the front lines when a vector outbreak would occur, but they had the advantage of training and equipment the average person lacked.
Potentials: SPD +1, CHA +1.
Skills: Athletics 1, Intimidation 1, Profession: police officer 1, Sensitivity 1, Shoot 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Handgun, Shotgun, Flashlight. 5 bounty.
DOCTOR: People with actual medical training are rare in the Loss, and they tend to be welcome wherever they go.
Potentials: INT +1, WIL +1.
Skills: Foresight 1, Profession: doctor 2, Research 2
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Blood Test Unit, First Aid Kit. 6 bounty.
COURIER PILOT: Before the Crash delivery drones were moving from novelty service into the mainstream. After the Crash they are vital for smuggling items to and from the Recession.
Potentials: ADP +1, INT +1.
Skills: Criminality 1, Drive 1, Profession: drones 2, Scavenging 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Laptop, Drone. 3 bounty.
SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT: You would think a zombie apocalypse would make certain jobs obsolete. But as long as there is Ubiq and a population starved for infotainment, there will be someone to provide cat videos and witty commentary.
Potentials: INT +1, CHA +1.
Skills: Networking 1, Persuasion 1, Profession: social media 2, Research 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Ubiq Specs, Soma. 5 bounty.
CONTRACTOR: People who know how to build things (and tear them down) can always find work in the Loss.
Potentials: STR +1, ADP +1.
Skills: Drive 1, Melee 1, Resistance 1, Profession: contractor 1, Scavenging 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Tool Kit, Warhammer. 6 bounty.
FERAL KID: Most children who survived the Crash did so with the help of an adult. But a few who were old enough (8-10 or so) and independent enough to look after themselves were able to make it through the last five years in the Loss on their own.
Potentials: SPD +1, ADP +1.
Skills: Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Scavenging 1, Self-Control 1, Stealth 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations. 10 bounty.
PIT FIGHTER: Before the Crash, "Ultimate Gladiator Martial Arts Xtreme!" was just a job - half fighting, half acting. Now it's a way of life.
Potentials: STR +1, SPD +1.
Skills: Athletics 1, Melee 1, Profession: G-MAX! star 1, Resistance 1, Unarmed 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Padded Gloves, Carpet Gauntlets/Greaves. 2 bounty.
PARK RANGER: Outbreaks are far more common in populated areas. Those who were far from the city when an outbreak occurred were far more likely to survive if they had the skills to stay in the wilderness for an extended period of time.
Potentials: SPD +1, INT +1.
Skills: Foresight 1, Profession: park ranger 1, Shoot 1, Shoot:bow 1, Stealth 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Bow, Knife, Ubiq Specs, Scent Blocker. 3 bounty.
CON ARTIST: Some people make an honest living by their wits. And others don't.
Potentials: ADP +1, CHA +1.
Skills: Criminality 1, Deception 1, Networking 1, Persuasion 1, Scavenging 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Lockpicker's Kit, Flashlight, Ubiq Specs. 4 bounty.
STREET PERFORMER: It takes a skilled performer to distract an enclave from the apocalypse outside its gates for more than a few moments.
Potentials: SPD +1, CHA +1.
Skills: Athletics 1, Deception 1, Leadership 1, Persuasion 1, Profession: busker 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Tomahawk, Suppressin K-7864. 3 bounty.
FIREFIGHTER: Physical training and the ability to assess a crisis quickly go far in the Loss.
Potentials: STR +1, INT +1.
Skills: Foresight 1, Melee 1, Profession: firefighter 2, Resistance 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, Axe, First Aid Kit, Helmet. 5 bounty.
VETERINARIAN: Very few people keep pets in the Loss any more. But a working dog is worth the bounty in both utility and companionship.
Potentials: INT +1, WIL +1.
Skills: Profession: animal handling 2, Profession:veterinarian 1, Research 1.
Gear: Backpack, Rations, First Aid Kit, Dog. 6 bounty.
After the Taker's Minor and Major have been chosen, they may then add 1 point to any Potential they wish (max 3), and allot 5 points to any Skill they want (max associated Potential/specialization). They may spend any bounty left over from their Minor on additional gear (I plan on having a set of gear cards to hand out so they can easily purchase what they want and mark upgrades/charges). Since it is for a convention game I am also planning on giving them each 2 free upgrades for their equipment to reflect things they purchased after their last job.
Any thoughts or suggestions? I plan on sticking to the 6 Majors I laid out (though if there are suggestions for alternate skill layouts please feel free to comment), but I'd love to see a lot more Minors if anyone has any ideas. I built them all on +1 to any two Potentials, and 5 points in Skills under those Potentials (that way when they are added to the Major they will not go over starting Potentials - Profession is an exception since I didn't give any Majors a Profession). I tried to keep gear fairly simple so the player can purchase their weapon of choice depending on how they spent their last 5 points.
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