DeadlandsCharacterCreation

The Stuff Heroes Are Made Of And yellow-bellied cowards, too | Back to Main Page |

TRAITS Traits are the bare-bones capacities of a character - how strong, smart, tough, and perceptive they are. They're not a measurement of any kind of training. If a character was stricken with amnesia and forgot how to do everything they once knew, these Traits would still be useful in describing their capacities. All Traits are rated one through five, with the minimum being one and the maximum being five. Players have thirty (30) points to spread among the ten Traits. Characters may have no more than one Trait at a five to start. For games purposes, a two is considered an average Trait. Corporeal Traits Mental Traits Deftness The deftness Trait is used for hand – eye coordination as well as manual dexterity. Aptitudes associated with the Trait are shootin', filchin' and shootin'. Cognition This Trait is a measure of the characters perception and alertness. Cognition is tied to Aptitudes such as search, scrutinize and trackin'. Nimbleness Nimbleness covers the characters agility and overall athleticism. Aptitudes associated with this Trait are: Climbin', Horse Ridin', Dodge and Fightin'. Knowledge This Trait is used to measure a characters book-learning and logical ability. Academia, Professional, trade, languages and medicine Aptitudes are covered by Knowledge. Quickness Quickness Trait is used for the characters speed and reflexes. While this Trait is not associated with many Aptitudes, only Quick Draw, the characters will use this to determine who goes first in combat. Mien This Trait is used to measure a persons social graces. It measures the characters presence, influence, and charisma. Aptitudes tied to Mien are: leadership, overawe and tale tellin'. Strength Strength is a measure of a characters raw muscle and brawn. It is used for lifting, damage in hand to hand and melee combat.. Smarts This Trait covers a characters wits and deduction. This Trait is used to piece together clues. Aptitudes covered by Smarts are: survival, streetwise, and tinkerin'. Vigor Vigor is a measure of a hero's endurance, constitution and general fortitude. Vigor is not a trait that is tied to any Aptitudes but will often be used in conjunction with tasks that require effort over a long period of time. Climbing a steep cliff, a long run, mining, etc. Spirit This Trait is a measure of the characters psyche and spiritual presence. Very few Aptitudes are tied to the Spirit Trait but they are important to many types of characters. Faith and guts are the Attributes tied to Spirit. APTITUDES Characters begin with a number of aptitude points equal to the sum of their Cognition, Knowledge, and Smarts, multiplied by three. Aptitudes start at zero, and cannot go above five. Everyone has a degree of skill in Area Knowledge (2), Climbin' (1), Search (1), and Sneak (1). Everyone starts with a free native language. For example: Joseph the Farmer has a Cognition of two, a Knowledge of two, and a Smarts of two. he has a sum of 6, and so starts with eighteen Aptitude points. Aptitudes Corporeal Aptitudes Mental Aptitudes Aptitude Associated Trait Description Aptitude Associated Trait Description Aptitude Associated Trait Description Bow Deftness Shooting a bow. Artillery Cognition Firing, loading, and sighting an artillery piece Leadership Mien Inspiring folks to follow you. Filchin' Deftness Stealing things from pockets. Arts Cognition Must be defined. Painting, Sculpting, etc. Overawe Mien Glowering at folks and intimidation. Lockpickin' Deftness Picking locks. Scrutinize Cognition Empathy, spotting liars, etc. Performin' Mien Must be defined. Acting, Dancing, Singing. Shootin' Deftness Operating a firearm. Search Cognition (1) Noticing things in the environment. Persuasion Mien Convincing folks to do things. Sleight o' Hand Deftness Acts of prestidigitation. Trackin' Cognition Following trail signs, of animals or people. Tale Tellin' Mien Telling stories in inspirational or entertaining fashion. Speed Load Deftness Loading a firearm rapidly. Academia Knowledge Must be defined. Literature, History, Occult, Bluff Smarts Lying with a straight face and utmost sincerity. Throwin' Deftness Chucking things. Area Knowledge Knowledge (Home County 2) Must be defined. New York, Dodge City, the Great Maze Gamblin' Smarts Expertise at games of chance. Climbin' Nimbleness Crawling up vertical surfaces - walls or mountains. Demolition Knowledge Setting explosives without injury to oneself. Ridicule Smarts Making fun of people. Dodge Nimbleness Getting out of the way of people or things intent on hurting you. Disguise Knowledge Looking like someone else. Scroungin' Smarts Finding useful things among what others have tossed aside. Drivin' Nimbleness Directing a steampunk vehicle of some kind. Must be defined. Air Carriage, Ornithopter, Steam Carriage. Language Knowledge Speaking a foreign language. Two is fluency. Streetwise Smarts Awareness of proper protocol where scoundrels are concerned. Fightin' Nimbleness Putting a hurt on someone else, whether by fist or cavalry saber. Mad Science Knowledge Inventing unknown contraptions. (Must possess the associated Arcane Background.) Survival Smarts Must be defined. Arctic, Desert, Forest. Horse Ridin' Nimbleness Riding a horse. anyone can ride a horse - this covers riding a horse under less than ideal circumstances. Medicine Knowledge Fixing up others folks and animals. Tinkerin' Smarts Building things. From blacksmithing to air carriages. Sneak Nimbleness (1) Moving silently, avoiding notice. Professional Knowledge Must be defined. Journalism, Law, Politics. Faith Spirit A measure of belief in the divine. Swimmin' Nimbleness Swimming in non-ideal circumstances. The waters of the Great Maze are never ideal circumstances. Science Knowledge Must be defined. Biology, Engineering, Mathematics. Guts Spirit Standing tall in the face of fear, horror, and intimidation. Teamster Nimbleness Driving a wheeled vehicle. Trade Knowledge Must be defined. Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Tailoring. Quick Draw Quickness Drawing a firearm with alacrity. Animal Wranglin' Mien Befriending, training, and domesticating animals. HINDRANCES You may take up to ten points of Hindrances. Points from Hindrances may be spent to improve Aptitudes, or buy Edges. You may take more than ten points of hindrances, but you may only gain a maximum allowance of ten Hindrance points. Hindrance Cost Description Hindrance Cost Description Ailin' -1/-3 There are some things doctors just can’t cure. If you get a rash in your crotch from time to time, it’s damned inconvenient. If you’ve got consumption, you’d better make arrangements with the local undertaker. (-1 is something annoying or painful. -3 is something which causes constant agony and may eventually kill them.) Lame -3/-5 There’s an old chestnut that says when something’s chasing you, you’ve only got to outrun one person. Unfortunately, you’re usually that one person. (-3 is a lame leg. -5 means the leg is completely missing) Bad Ears -3/-5 The quick and the deaf (-3 is bad hearing - people need to shout to be heard. -5 is complete deafness.) Loco -1-5 You're out of your gourd, pardner. Maybe you gotta wash your hands fifteen times a night, or maybe you see things no one else does. (Specific insanity and severity determine value) Bad Eyes -3/-5 Sometimes it’s better not to see what’s coming after you. (-3 is bad vision. -5 is complete blindness.) Loyal -3 You may not be a hero, but your friends know they can count on you when the chips are down Big Britches -3 It’s good to be confident, but only a fool charges 600 cavalrymen into 5,000 Sioux. Miser -3 A miser knows the price of everything and the value of nothing Big Mouth -3 A little lip-flapping can cause a whole passel of trouble. Mean as a Rattler -2 You think the whole world pissed in your canteen. Maybe it did. Big 'Un -1/-2 Your horse really hates to see you coming. Fortunately, it’s pretty hard to bust up someone your size (-1 is overweight//husky. -2 is morbidly obese.) Night Terrors -1 The Indians say nightmares are glimpses into the Hunting Grounds—a mad limbo where evil spirits devour the souls of the newly dead. Your nightmares make you think there might be some truth to this. Bloodthirsty -2 Some folks are just plain mean. Others don’t believe in leaving their enemies alive to come back and haunt them later. Oath -1-5 A person is only as good as his word. Cautious -3 A good plan can turn a posse into an army. But no army ever won a war sitting on its kiester. Obligation -1-5 A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do. Curious -3 If it killed the cat, think what it can do to you. Outlaw -1-5 The only authority you abide by is the “law of the West.” And even that’s flexible when it suits your needs Clueless -3 Some folks can’t find a needle in a haystack when they’re sitting on it. The needle, that is. One-Armed Bandit -3 There are a lot of folks who lost limbs in the war. Fortunately it only takes one finger to yank a trigger. Doubting Thomas -3 Some folks have a hard time believing in supernatural events even when they they’re halfway down some critters’ gullets. Pacifist -3/-5 Being a pacifist doesn’t mean a fellow is afraid of a fight. It’s just that he’d rather find a different way. (-3 means your character will only kill if its absolutely unavoidable. -5 means they will never kill, under any circumstances) Enemy -1-5 The past has a nasty way of coming back to haunt a cowpoke. Remember that every foe you put down likely has some friends or family who might come looking for you later. Poverty -3 A fool and his money are soon parted, and what little cash you’ve got in your pocket is burning a hole straight through your jeans Ferner -3 No man’s an island. Sooner or later, a fellow needs a hand, and if they can’t understand you, they can’t help you. Randy -3 If it moves… School marms run in terror at the sight of your drooling lech Geezer -3/-5 You may not have teeth, but you’ve still got a bite. You’re practically a fossil in the Weird West, and most cowpokes call you “old timer”. You’ve got one foot in the grave and the other in Hell. Self-Righteous -3 If you’re not always right, then you’re at least sure the ignorant masses are always wrong. Given a chance, you’r sure you can prove it. Greedy -2 It’s one of the seven deadly sins. But while your mortal soul might be damned to Hell, you’ll sure have a good time here on earth rolling in loot. Squeamish -3 You can’t hold your chow when you see blood and gore. It’s embarrassing compared to your gunslinger friends who don’t flinch even with half their guts hanging out. Habit -1-3 Folks aren’t much on cleanliness in the Weird West, but that doesn’t mean they like to watch some tinhorn shove his picker up his nose Stubborn -2 It’s your way or not at all. If the rest of the world is too stupid to realize you’re right, they can go hang themselves with an itchy rope Hankerin' -1/-3 If you just can’t think without a stogie in your pie-hole, you’ve gotyourself a habit. If it’s alcohol or opium you’re craving, welcome to Addiction City, population one. (Substance determines value of addiction.) Superstitious -2 Owls never hoot “just for the Hell of it,” and black cats should be shot if they try to cross your path. You keep a rabbit’s foot in your pocket, and you rarely wonder why it didn’t seem to do the rabbit any kind of good Heroic -3 You’re a sucker for someone in trouble. Ever hear of nice guys finishing last? Heroes who go chasing down wild critters aren’t likely to finish at all. At least they’ll write something nice on your tombstone. Tinhorn -2 Dudes using “two-dollar words” are adime a dozen in the Weird West after gold and ghost rock were discovered in California. Those who live on the frontier don’t take kindly to these fasttalking dudes and their New York ways. High-Falutin' -2 High-falutin’ snobs turn up their noses so high they usually drown when it rains Ugly As Sin -1 It’s too bad the old saying about “stopping a bullet with your face” isn’t true. If it was, you’d sure never have to worry about being shot. Illiterate -3 Ye can't read. Not even your Bible. Hope your padre's dealing you square. Vengeful -3 The world needs to be taught a lesson, and you’re the schoolmarm. Impulsive -3 Some folks just can’t keep their pistol in their pants (no, not that pistol—that’s the randy Hindrance). We mean this one literally Wanted -1-5 Your hombre’s wanted for some crime. He may not be guilty, but he’s on the run and doesn’t want to be caught. Intolerance -1-3 There’s some folks you just can’t stand. They don’t cotton to you, and you’d like to push them off a tall cliff. Yearnin' -1-5 Your character has a dream or goal of some sort. Maybe he wants to own his own cattle ranch or become the town mayor of Gomorra. Law o' the West -3 You’ve heard the expression “nice guys finish last?” There’s some truth to it. A true gentleman of the West won’t draw down on an enemy until the foe draws first. Boot Hill hides the bones of many of these honorable folks. Yeller -5 You usually get shot in the backside and you’ve got the stitches to prove it. EDGES Edges are the advantages which make your character unique. You start with zero points of Edges, but you may use points left over from the acquisition of Hindrances to purchase Edges. Edges Cost Description Arcane Background 3 Your character possesses unusual abilities of some kind. Details (and spoilers!) in the Arcane backgrounds section. Belongin’s 1 - 5 If a cowboy’s gun is his best friend, his horse is his mistress. These two commodities satisfy most folks, but a few have something they consider equally valuable. (See Table Below) Big Ears 1 Some folks got “head handles” as big as a donkey’s. Those who do can usually hear a soft-toed critter creeping over stone at 100 yards (This doesn't actually require you to have large ears - just provides acute hearing) Brave 2 Most folks aren’t really brave—they’re just too stupid to know better. Maybe you’re different. Dinero 1 - 5 Money talks in the Weird West. If you can’t take out the bounty hunter after you, a little “dinero” might hire someone who can. (See Table Below) Eagle Eyes 1 Sharp-eyed folks can spot a fly on a raisin cake at 20 paces. Others might just wonder what’s so chewy. Faction Rank 1-3 Rank within a specific faction. See the Factions page for more details. Friends in High Places 1 - 5 It’s not who you know—it’s who knows you (Must be defined.) Gift of Gab 1 There are a lot of languages spoken in the Weird West. It helps to understand a few. If some strange German-speaking hermit asks you and your posse to dinner, you’d best make sure he wants to feed you instead of eat you Keen 3 Frontier veterans expect the unexpected. Other folks are just jumpy. The thing they’ve got in common is that they can both sense a mountain lion creeping up on them from 50 yards away Kemosabe 2 Anyone who wanders into the Sioux Nations or the Coyote Confederation better know how to say “howdy” without making anyone angry. Likewise, an Apache who doesn’t know to spit in the spittoon instead of on the floor probably won’t endear himself to the barkeep (Must be defined to a specific culture.) Level-Headed 5 Veteran gunmen claim speed and skill are vital, but they’re overrated compared to keeping your cool, aiming at your target, and putting it down. A hothead who empties his hogleg too fast soon finds himself taking root in the local bone orchard. Mechanically Inclined 1 Mechanical devices aren’t common on the frontier, and neither are those who know how to fix them. Mysterious Destiny 2 Some folks get untapped potential. You're one of them. Nerves o' Steel 1 Some of the Weird West’s heroes are too darn stubborn to run even when their boots are full of “liquid fear.” Purty 1 They say an ugly fellow can stop a bullet with his face. A good-looking one might not get shot at in the first place. Renown 1/3 A reputation’s a funny thing. The bigger it gets, the more most folks stay out of your way. But the fellows who don’t get out of the way are most likely gunning for you. The Stare 1 There’s something in your stare that makes others nervous. When your eye starts twitching, someone’s about to get carried to Boot Hill The Voice 1 A gunslinger with a gravely voice is much more threatening when he calls out some scoundrel from Back East than some tinhorn with a voice like a mouse. (The Voice may be bought three times, as there are three versions of The Voice. When purchased, note if you have purchased the soothing, threatening, or mocking Voice.) Two-Fisted 3 A rare few are just as good with their left hand as they are their right. These folks make deadly gunfighters and better cheats. Veteran o' the Weird West 0 Please consult with the GM before taking this Edge. Belongings Dinero Rank Examples Base Income Rank Starting Cash Daily Income 1 $500 in cash; Some shares in a profitable railroad, a fast horse, a fancy pistol, 12 silver bullets. $8 1 $250 $10 2 $1000 in cash; A boat, a work of art, a silver dagger, an incredibly fast horse $38 2 $500 $50 3 $5000 in cash; A pistol used by Jesse James, a tomahawk blessed by a powerful Indian shaman, a Gatling gun, a riverboat. $150 3 $1,000 $200 4 $20,000 in cash; A ship, a saloon or other business. $375 4 $2,000 $500 5 $50,000 in cash; a train, a pardon for all deeds past and present in a certain region or state. $750 5 $5000 $1000 GEAR Characters with the Poverty Hindrance start with $50. Most characters start with $250. Characters with the Belongings or Dinero edge (possibly) start with more. Please note - disregard damage and armor references in the below images. Weapons will have a flat rate of damage based on type and quality. All Gear can be purchased at five quality levels: El Cheapo: Half Cost. x .5 Poor: Three-Quarters Cost. x .75 Average: As listed. x 1 Fine: Half Again Cost. x 1.5 Extraordinary: Double Cost. x 2 Equipment costs are available on the Gear page. Gear QUESTIONS The first three questions are mandatory. The remaining twenty are a grab bag - answer five questions, at minimum, and feel free to answer as many as you'd like. 1. What is your character's motivation in general?  (Power, protecting a family, wealth, sex...) 2. What is your character's motivation to be in Gomorra?  (Escaping trouble, making a stake, etc) 3. What is your character's greatest nightmare?  (At least a paragraph) 4. What are your character's favorite things?  5. What are your character's least favorite things? 6. What is your character's greatest virtue? 7. What is your character's greatest hubris? 8. Does your character have any dependents? 9. How does your character feel about national and international politics? 10. How does your character feel about religion? 11. Where is your character from? 12. What are your characters prejudices? 13. If your character's story was a movie, (and not a western) what genre would it be? 14. What is your character's orientation, and on and offs? 15. What is the best event that has happened to your character? 16. What is the worst event that has happened to your character? 17. What is your characters code of morality? 18. What would tempt them to break that code?  19. Is your character a Veteran of the Weird West*? 20.  What is the most important thing to know about your character?

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