Building a Character Sheet

This step-by-step guide will walk you though creating your character for Steel Horizons. Use our fillable character sheet, which is custom to our game. Please use the CHARACTER LOG on the second tab of the sheet to track your expenditures at creation and through game play.
 

Ancestry

Select an Ancestry. Have in mind if you want to play a regular person, someone with cyber-implants, or a magic user of some flavor (mage, chi adept, or shaman). This will help determine your later edge and skill needs.
 

Attributes

Attributes in Savage Worlds are ranked by dice. You buy a level of die that you will roll in challenges. No Attribute may be raised above a D12 unless your Ancestry allows for it. A D6 is considered “average human.”
 

The list of Attributes are:
Agility: Nimbleness, dexterity, and overall physical coordination of muscles and reflexes.
Smarts: Raw intellect, perception, and ability to sort and make use of complex information.
Spirit: Inner strength and willpower.
Strength: Raw muscle power.
Vigor: Endurance, health, and constitution.

For example: Rick Deckard is fairly agile and has a D6 in his agility score. When there is an agility based challenge, he rolls the D6.
 

You start with a D4 automatically in each attribute.

You have 5 points to increase your attributes at character creation.

Each Attribute costs 1 point to increase.

Skills

Skills are learned abilities like firing weapons, scientific knowledge, etc. Skills are in the book: Savage Worlds: Adventure Edition. They are summarized below but more detail is provided in the book. Skills are limited to a D12 at character creation.
  A list of available Skills in brief can be found at: Skills, Edges, Hindrances
 

There are 5 core Skills (Athletics, Common Knowledge, Notice, Persuasion, and Stealth) that are innate abilities. You begin with a D4 in each of these.

You have 15 points to put into Skills after your five core Skills.

Each Skill costs 1 point to add or increase. Skills are limited by your abilities. Raising a Skill above the die you have for the linked Attribute costs 2 points, not 1.

For example: Johnny Silverhand wants to raise his performance skill another point. He has a spirit - the linked attribute - of D6. To raise his performance to a D8 would require him to spend 2 skill points instead of 1. If he had a spirit of D8, he would be able to buy a performance increase for 1 point.
 

Derived Statistics

Standard Pace is 5. Ancestry or Hindrances may affect this number.

Parry is equal to 2 + half your character's fighting die. For example: if your Fighting die is a D8, your parry would be 6 total (2+4). You would add from certain weapons and shields to this number. Your parry number is like your AC - the target number needed to hit you in hand to hand combat.

Size is 0 unless modified by Hindrances, Edges ,or Ancestry. You cannot be smaller than -1 or larger than +3

Toughness is your hero’s damage threshold. Damage rolls that equal or exceed this number cause harm. Your character’s toughness is 2 + half their vigor die. For example: if your Vigor die is a D6, your toughness would be a 5 (2+3), plus any additional bonuses from shields or armor.

 

Hindrances

Hindrances are flaws that give you bonus points to spend on your character creation. You can take up to 4 points of hindrances for benefit (you can take more but it will not earn you any points). Major Hindrances give you 2 points. Minor Hindrances give you 1 point.
  For 2 points you can:

Raise an attribute one die type, or

Choose an Edge.

For 1 point you can:

Gain another skill point, or

Gain additional starting funds equal to twice your setting’s starting amount (750 credits is starting amount)

Hindrances may come from Savage Worlds: Adventure Edition, Sprawlrunners, or the Street Wolves supplement. They are listed, in brief, here: Skills, Edges, Hindrances. It is highly recommended that you look up the full version in the noted book to have the most accurate wording.
  Please be aware there are some Hindrances and Edges that have been modified in our House Rules & Errata.
 

Edges

If you have a free Edge from an Ancestry or from taking Hindrances, you can take any Edge you meet the requirement for. Characters start at the “Novice” level and may take, at this time, “Novice” Edges.
 

To play a Spellcaster, you will need the Arcane Background Edge. You may choose from Mage, Chi Adept, or Shaman.

If you want to have Cybernetic Implants, you will need the Chromed Edge.

Note that magic and LOSTech do not get along. Keep in mind that Cyberware will give you negatives to Spellcasting.

 

Spellcasters

If you are a magic user (meaning you have selected the Arcane Background Edge), now is your time to select your Powers. Keep in mind your Powers get a “Trapping” that you select that allows you to customize your magic and how it looks. For example, two characters may have the spell Bolt but one may have jets of water and another may use firebolts.
 

Chi Adept: do not use the Spellcasting Skill. Start with 2 Chi points (page 21 in Sprawlrunners).

Mages: use the Spellcasting (Smarts) Skill. Start with 3 Powers (p 154 in SWADE). The list of spells is on page 23 of Sprawlrunners.

Shamans: use Spellcasting (Spirit) Skill. Start with 3 Powers and a totem (page 23 in Sprawlrunners). The list of spells is on page 24.

 

Gaining More Powers

Mages & Shamans gain additional Powers, or can add a Trapping to a Power they already have, with the New Power Edge.

Chi Adepts gain additional Powers with the Chi Mastery Edge and not with the New Power Edge. Darn those crazy monks.

 

Power Points

We do not use Power Points. When you cast magic, you will have a negative to your Spellcasting roll depending on the spell and any modifiers. The chart below indicates your penalty for casting depending on how many Power Points the spell would use.
 

Cyberware

The Chromed Edge gives you 2 Implant Points. If you are using cybernetic implants, select them at this time (p 53 Sprawlrunners).
 

Drive

Drive is a measure of your morality, it is fully explained in Streetwolves on page 89. Certain actions (killing a person, harming civilians, torture, ignoring requests for help, losing or harming relationships, etc) cause you to make a Drive check.
  Drive equals 2+ your Spirit die value. So if a hero has a d6 Spirit, then their Drive is 8. The sheet should auto-calculate this.
 

Relationships

You have 20 points to spend on Relationships that must be spread across at least four different areas. These represent contacts and allies you have within the city. These can be friendly, romantic, or simply an acquaintance. Include each of your four starter relationships on your sheet with how many points you have in each. These relationships should be specific people you have contact with - you can select from below or create your own as part of a background (we will add them to the worldanvil).
  Relationship levels are:

0: Busted

1-5: Acquaintance

6-10: Close

Your Relationships can be in one of the following areas:

Academia and Lore/Arc Runners

Business

Charities

Gatewatch/The Wilds

Government

Magic Community

News/Media

Oracles

Pop Culture

Street

Underworld

More information on these may be found in the Missions article.
 

Gear

Spend Credits to get Gear, you start with 750 credits. Use the Equipment List to choose your purchases. Equipment not listed will be considered on a case by case basis.
  You are assumed to start with a basic ID (Real or Fake of level 3) unless you have a story reason not to, have purchased a higher “clearance” level with credits, or later need to replace the ID.
 

Lifestyle

You are assumed to start with a modest or comfortable Lifestyle, unless you have purchased one of the following:

Edge: Rich or Filthy Rich

Hindrance: Poverty

And Finally...

When complete, open a ticket and submit your sheet for review.