I am completely confused

[vuren]

i hate to ask, but could someone walk me through how to make a character, for some reason it's not making sense to me at all.

I wanted to have a 31 year old FWL mechwarrior from the duchy of anderian

[Labyr]

There are two ways you can make a character, life paths or point buy. I really recommend point buy, it is a lot simpler and quicker. I also recommend working in pencil, there will be a lot of erasing going on. I have made a few characters now, how I do it is I start with the skills and traits that are essential, then I make a list of skills and traits that would be nice. Figure out the cost for things that are essential, what you have left is your budget for attributes and the nice to have items. If you are a little bit over think about adding some negative traits.

Also check with your GM to see if you can get more starting XP for starting with an older character, it is an optional rule. Also see what your GM thinks is a good starting point for skills, especially mech skills if you are playing a mechwarrior in a game with actual mech combat. In one of my groups the average character starts out as a 3/3 and I'm a 4/4, which makes my character look a bit lame, I wish I had asked before hand.

[vuren]

There are two ways you can make a character, life paths or point buy. I really recommend point buy, it is a lot simpler and quicker. I also recommend working in pencil, there will be a lot of erasing going on. I have made a few characters now, how I do it is I start with the skills and traits that are essential, then I make a list of skills and traits that would be nice. Figure out the cost for things that are essential, what you have left is your budget for attributes and the nice to have items. If you are a little bit over think about adding some negative traits.

Also check with your GM to see if you can get more starting XP for starting with an older character, it is an optional rule. Also see what your GM thinks is a good starting point for skills, especially mech skills if you are playing a mechwarrior in a game with actual mech combat. In one of my groups the average character starts out as a 3/3 and I'm a 4/4, which makes my character look a bit lame, I wish I had asked before hand.

i am the gm, sadly, the rules for making characters to me see clumsy and un natural.

[Acolyte]

OK, so first of all, you need to know how many points your character is going to be built on. The default there is 5000 + 100 per year of age over 21. So in your case, 6000.

Next, 850 points are taken from that pool. This buys 100 xp in each attribute, puts 10 into the perception skill, and 20 into 2 languages, English and any primary or secondary of your affiliation. Marik affiliation give you a primary of English and secondaries of Greek, Hindi, Italian, Mongolian, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish and Urdu.

Stage 0: You've said you're from the Duchy of Andurian in Marik so you get - from Marik: Language/any secondary (+15 add to the one you got or get another), and arts/any (+10). - From Duchy of Andurien: WIL (+50, add to the 100 you got earlier), Combat Sense (+215), Compulsion : Hatred of House Liao (-100), Compulsion Atrean Opponent (- 50), Reputation (-30), Negotiation (+15), Perception (+10, Add to the perception you got earlier), and Protocol/Free Worlds League. This has cost you 150 points.

So at this stage you have a character that has:
Attributes
STR 100 (1)
BOD 100 (1)
RFL 100 (1)
DEX 100 (1)
INT 100 (1)
WIL 150 (1)
CHR 100 (1)
EDG 100 (1)

Traits
Combat Sense +215 (Needs 400 to open)
Compulsion: Hatred of House Liao -100 (Open at TP -1)
Compulsion: Atrean Opponent -50 (needs -100 to open at TP -1)
Reputation -30 (needs -100 to open at TP -1, or +100 to open at TP 1)

Skills
Perception 20
Language English 20
Language primary or secondary 20
Language Secondary 15
Arts/Any 10
Negotiation 10
Protocol/ FWL 15

So, the way the traits and attributes work is that every 100 buys you a point. For negative traits, every -100 gets you a negative point. For Traits that can be positive or negative, every +100 give you a +1 Trait Point (TP) or, if the balance is negative every -100 gives -1TP. Skill are bought on a chart, but basically 20 points opens it at 0 and and every level after is bought at 10 times the level bought (outside of fast/slow learner). You're going to add up everything you get at each Stage, and then use your left over points to round things out at the end.

You have now used 1000 points. 850 for starting, and 150 for affiliation.

Next Stage is how your character spent their first 10 years. This needs input from you.

[StCptMara]

i am the gm, sadly, the rules for making characters to me see clumsy and un natural.

How so?

If you do it by the points based, just use the values for skill levels, and pay out the XP,
giving yourself a 20% rebate on your three Fields. That is the easiest way.

If you are dead set to do them using the Life Modules, then: Each module costs that many XP,
and applies the listed points to attributes, traits, and skills. When you finish, you go through and
drop skills to their lowest level of activation, using those points to raise other skills to the next level.
I generally try to do these in 10 point increments.

Inner Sphere have to pay the points for their fields in the Life Modules,  but Clans have their fields
included in their Modules.

[Labyr]

i am the gm, sadly, the rules for making characters to me see clumsy and un natural.

Maybe we can be more helpful if you tell us which RPGs you are familiar with, so we can relate AToW to that.

[vuren]

Maybe we can be more helpful if you tell us which RPGs you are familiar with, so we can relate AToW to that.

mostly 3.0/3.5 d20, some exalted/scion dresden files, WHFRP

i did a life module system over the night, i'm not sure how you'd want me to post it(all at once, or module by module

[Acolyte]

mostly 3.0/3.5 d20, some exalted/scion dresden files, WHFRP

i did a life module system over the night, i'm not sure how you'd want me to post it(all at once, or module by module

Did you figure it out? Sounds like you did, but if you're unsure you could post it. I've generally found that after a couple of run throughs the life system can be quite fast and easy, but can be confusing at first.

   - Shane

[vuren]

Did you figure it out? Sounds like you did, but if you're unsure you could post it. I've generally found that after a couple of run throughs the life system can be quite fast and easy, but can be confusing at first.

   - Shane

this is the final product

it was Blue Collar / Military school / Military Academy / Tour of Duty / Tour of Duty

xp 972
Age 16+1+1+2+3+3=26
Prerequisites
BOD 4, RFL 4, WIL 5

Attributes
STR: 195=100+45+50
BOD: 350=100+50+100+100
RFL: 275=100+125+50
DEX: 150=100+50
INT: 125=100+25
WIL: 390=100+50-10+100+50+100
CHA: 140=100-10+50
EDGE: 100

Skills
Acrobatics/free-fall 30
Arts/any(Piano) 10
career Soldier 175=10+10+25+30+50+50
Computers 35
Demolitions 30
Gunnery/mech 215=10+30+100+75
Interest Battlemechs 35=5+30
Interest Solaris 5
Interest/Military History 55=40+15
Language/Primary 90=20+40+15+15
Language/English 20
Language/Secondary 15
Leadership 60=20+10+15+15
Martial Arts 170=30+30+40+15+40+15
Medtech 80=10+30+20+20
Melee Weapons 20
Navigation/ground 110=30+40+40
Negotiation 15
Perception 60=10+10+20+20
Piloting/mech 215=10+30+75+100
Protocol/FWL 140=15+30+15+40+40
Running 30
Sensor Operations 30
Small Arms 110=50+30+30
Stealth 30
Strategy 10
Survival/wilds 30
Swimming 30+15
Tactics/Land 30
Technician/mech 40=10+30
Tracking/Plains 30

Traits
Choose Vehicle 300=100+50+100+50
Combat Sense 225
Compulsion/Hatred Liao -100
Compulsion/Atrean Opponent -50
Compulsion/Alcohol -100=-50-50
Connections 65=15+25+25
Equipped 100
Fast Learner 100
Fit 15
Reputation -30
rank 320=20+200+50+50

[Acolyte]

OK, cool. Now the next step is to round off everything and get those points back. This is called optimisation. Basically, round everything to the next full point. For example, your Career/Soldier has 175 points in it. This gives you a level 5 skill (170 points) with 5 left over. These 5 get added back into your points pool. Or, you could also add 55 points to it to get a skill of 6 (230 points). The chart for this is on pg 85. All your attributes should be rounded to the next 100 (up or down, depending on whether you want them higher or lower). For example, your combat sense is at 215, which is not enough to open it as it take 4 Trait Points (400 XP). You can either lose the trait, gaining 215 back to your pool, or spend 185 to activate the trait. Your Attribute are similar, however you also have minimums, as you've noted. I'd spend the points now to get the minimums.

Next, use the last of your points to buy skills or traits you think are necessary, or to increase attributes or skills you think are too low.

   - Shane

[vuren]

OK, cool. Now the next step is to round off everything and get those points back. This is called optimisation. Basically, round everything to the next full point. For example, your Career/Soldier has 175 points in it. This gives you a level 5 skill (170 points) with 5 left over. These 5 get added back into your points pool. Or, you could also add 55 points to it to get a skill of 6 (230 points). The chart for this is on pg 85. All your attributes should be rounded to the next 100 (up or down, depending on whether you want them higher or lower). For example, your combat sense is at 215, which is not enough to open it as it take 4 Trait Points (400 XP). You can either lose the trait, gaining 215 back to your pool, or spend 185 to activate the trait. Your Attribute are similar, however you also have minimums, as you've noted. I'd spend the points now to get the minimums.

Next, use the last of your points to buy skills or traits you think are necessary, or to increase attributes or skills you think are too low.

   - Shane

wouldn't fast learner effect the skill levels??

edit: realized i had fast learner under skills not traits.

[Acolyte]

Yes, absolutely it does. You are correct, before optimising would be the time to buy that trait, if you're going to.

BTW, one of the easiest things to miss is the flexable XP that each stage gives you. I did the first time. For example Blue Collar gives you +10 to each of any 4 skills, attributes, or traits.

   - Shane

[vuren]

Yes, absolutely it does. You are correct, before optimising would be the time to buy that trait, if you're going to.

BTW, one of the easiest things to miss is the flexable XP that each stage gives you. I did the first time. For example Blue Collar gives you +10 to each of any 4 skills, attributes, or traits.

   - Shane

yup, i have all the stages still set out on my computer of what i did at each stage.

edit:  here they are

stage 0

I want to make a FWL Mech pilot, he'll be in charge of a 2 lances of mechs, 2 lances of vehicles, and 2 platoons of Infantry

so here goes

150 for FWL(Duchy of Andurien)
850 for required universal skills
so stats i have so far

Skills: Language/any Secondary +15xp
arts/any +10xp

Attributes Wil +50

Traits: Combat Sense +225
Compulsion/Hatred Liao -100
Compulsion/Atrean Opponent -50xp
Reputation -30

Skills: Negotiation +15xp
Perception +10
Protocol/FWL +15

end of stage 0

_________________________________________________

Stage 1

>>21915882
then choosing Blue Collar for Stage 1
fixed xp's of:
Attributes
STR +45
BOD +50
DEX +50
INT +25
WIL -10
CHA -10

Skills
career Soldier +10
Interest Battlemechs +5
Interest Solaris +5 (or are these 2 the same?)

FLexible xps of +10xp to any 4 attributes, Traits or Skills
Career/soldier
Technician/mech
Gunnery/mech
Piloting/mech

I have his parents as technicians for the local militia so he grew up helping them work on some of the mechs and wanted to become a soldier early on in his life
when not helping them he was in the arcade playing the simulators

end stage 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

for stage 2 i'm selecting Military School
He's earned the good graces of the co of the unit his parents work on that he is a promising person.

Prerequisites: WIL 3+

fixed:
Attributes
CHA +50

Traits
Connections +15
Fit +15
Rank +20

Skills
Career/Soldier +25
Computers +35
Interest/Mechs +30
Interest/Military History +40
Leadership +20
Martial Arts +30
Medtech +10
melee weapons +20
Protocol/FWL +30
Running +30
Small Arms +50
Strategy +10
Swimming +30

Flexible
Language/primary +40

end stage 2

____________________________________________

summery of stage 0 - 2

Prerequisites
WIL 3+

Attributes
STR: 100+45
BOD: 100+50
DEX: 100+50
INT: 100+25
WIL: 100+50-10
CHA: 100-10+50
EDGE: 100

Skills
Arts/any(Piano) 10
career Soldier 10+10+25
Computers 35
Gunnery/mech 10
Interest Battlemechs 5+30
Interest Solaris 5
Interest/Military History 40
Language/Primary 20+40
Language/English 20
Language/Secondary 15
Leadership 20
Martial Arts 30
Medtech 10
Melee Weapons 20
Negotiation 15
Perception 10+10
Piloting/mech 10
Protocol/FWL 15+30
Running 30
Small Arms 50
Strategy 10
Swimming 30
Technician/mech 10

Traits
Combat Sense +225
Compulsion/Hatred Liao -100
Compulsion/Atrean Opponent -50
Reputation -30
Connections 15
Fit 15
rank 20

_____________________________________________

Having shown that he was in the top 10 percent he was offered chance to go to a military academy

Stage 3
Military Academy(830+field costs(150+150+180)
prerequisites = BOD 4, RFL 4, WIL 5

Attributes
STR 50
BOD 100
RFL 125
WIL 100

Traits
Equipped 100
Rank 200

Skills
Interest/Military History 15
Leadership 10
Protocol/FWL 15
Swimming 15

Flexible xp 100
Fast Learner 100

Fields:
basic: Basic Training
Advanced: Mechwarrior
Special: Special Forces

at this point i realized i made a mistake for not putting 30 skill points in each skill for the field, but yes that was done

____________________________

summery of stage 3

Prerequisites
BOD 4, RFL 4, WIL 5

Attributes
STR: 100+45+50
BOD: 100+50+100
RFL: 100+125
DEX: 100+50
INT: 100+25
WIL: 100+50-10+100
CHA: 100-10+50
EDGE: 100

Skills
Acrobatics/free-fall 30
Arts/any(Piano) 10
career Soldier 10+10+25+30
Computers 35
Demolitions 30
Fast Learner 100
Gunnery/mech 10+30
Interest Battlemechs 5+30
Interest Solaris 5
Interest/Military History 40+15
Language/Primary 20+40
Language/English 20
Language/Secondary 15
Leadership 20+10
Martial Arts 30+30
Medtech 10+30
Melee Weapons 20
Navigation/ground 30
Negotiation 15
Perception 10+10
Piloting/mech 10+30
Protocol/FWL 15+30+15
Running 30
Sensor Operations 30
Small Arms 50+30+30
Stealth 30
Strategy 10
Survival/Plains 30
Swimming 30+15
Tactics/Land 30
Technician/mech 10+30
Tracking/Plains 30

Traits
Combat Sense +225
Compulsion/Hatred Liao -100
Compulsion/Atrean Opponent -50
Connections 15
Equipped 100
Fit 15
Reputation -30
rank 20+200
______________________________________________

Next is Stage 4
He will serve 2 tours of duty, i will do them separately

Tour of Duty (800)

Time +3 years

Fixed

Skills
Career/Soldier 50
Martial Arts 40
Navigation/Ground 40
Protocol/FWL 40

Traits
Connections 25
Choose Vehicle 100

IS only

RFL 50
WIL 50

Skills
Language/FWL 15
Leadership 15
Martial Arts 10
Medtech 20
Perception 20
Gunnery/mech 100
Piloting/mech 75

Traits
Rank 50
Choose Vehicle 50
Choose Compulsion/Alcohol -50

Flexible
BOD 100

___________________________________________

second tour of duty

Tour of Duty (800)

Time +3

Skills
Career/Soldier 50
Martial Arts 40
Navigation/Ground 40
Protocol/FWL 40

Traits
Connections 25
Choose Vehicle 100

Skills
Language/FWL 15
Leadership 15
Martial Arts 10
Medtech 20
Perception 20
Gunnery/mech 75
Piloting/mech 100


Traits
Rank 50
Choose Vehicle 50
Choose Compulsion/Alcohol -50

Flexible
WIL 100

[Acolyte]

OK, only thing I see is that if you repeat a stage 4 path, you don't get the attribute or trait points associated with it, just the skills. As GM you can house rule differently, but by the book, only the skills. This is on pg 53 under "Stage 4" BTW.

Apart from that, buy Fast Learner if you want, buy your necessary attributes and optimise!

Then spend the rest of your points. If you find you need more XP, this is the time you can get more negative traits.

   - Shane

[vuren]

OK, only thing I see is that if you repeat a stage 4 path, you don't get the attribute or trait points associated with it, just the skills. As GM you can house rule differently, but by the book, only the skills. This is on pg 53 under "Stage 4" BTW.

Apart from that, buy Fast Learner if you want, buy your necessary attributes and optimise!

Then spend the rest of your points. If you find you need more XP, this is the time you can get more negative traits.

   - Shane

the attribute was bought the the flexible xp, i will change the traits though

[Acolyte]

the attribute was bought the the flexible xp, i will change the traits though

Ya, one thing with the life paths is that it may not be worth the points to repeat stage 4. There's nothing that says that you can't just age your character to 31 without a path. Or you could go back to school, and take the Officer Training. It's an exception to the Stage 3 repeat rules, and your guy's a commander.

   - Shane

[StCptMara]

Ya, one thing with the life paths is that it may not be worth the points to repeat stage 4. There's nothing that says that you can't just age your character to 31 without a path. Or you could go back to school, and take the Officer Training. It's an exception to the Stage 3 repeat rules, and your guy's a commander.

   - Shane

Usually, how I handle it is do OCS as part of the initial stage 3. Also, remember: Unless you do OCS, you cannot be an Officer.
With what he listed, he would also be a Force Commander in rank(as that is a Battalion level force), or O4. Personally, though,
I am curious why he went with short Companies, leaving himself, essentially, as a 2/3 strength combined-arms Battalion?

[vuren]

Usually, how I handle it is do OCS as part of the initial stage 3. Also, remember: Unless you do OCS, you cannot be an Officer.
With what he listed, he would also be a Force Commander in rank(as that is a Battalion level force), or O4. Personally, though,
I am curious why he went with short Companies, leaving himself, essentially, as a 2/3 strength combined-arms Battalion?

currently he's an NPC, i don't want to throw a battalion at new players, especially since 1 has only played 1 game of battletech.  He is set to either be killed, become their CO, be disgraced by being defeated by them(at which point he tail spins into being a drunkard but after 2 years they will meet him on solaris where he is becoming a some what well known mech jock

[Acolyte]

Nice side plot! I like it.

One thing though, Companies are usually commanded by Captains or the equivalent, and that means officer. Not saying he needs the training, but it'd be helpful.

   - Shane

[monbvol]

Actually Mara is slightly incorrect.  You do not need Officer Candidate School to become an Officer.  Officer is just a  subset of rank.  The Officer skill field can only be obtained by going through Officer Candidate School.  Though it is possible to gain all the applicable skills through other means and even get the rebate XP for some through shrewd choice of schooling and even then there is no actual skill requirement to be an Officer.

[StCptMara]

Actually Mara is slightly incorrect.  You do not need Officer Candidate School to become an Officer.  Officer is just a  subset of rank.  The Officer skill field can only be obtained by going through Officer Candidate School.  Though it is possible to gain all the applicable skills through other means and even get the rebate XP for some through shrewd choice of schooling and even then there is no actual skill requirement to be an Officer.

Well, considering that OCS allows Officer Ranks through the life module system, and if you do not take it doing modules, you
are still enlisted?

[Acolyte]

Pg. 73 Officer training school: Characters require this training to access the officer ranks in the Ranks Trait. So, yes.

   - Shane

[monbvol]

Not entirely.  My copy of AToW(PDF most recent release) has a different mandate on page 73 for Officer Candidate School: "Upon completion, character may select the “O” grades on the
General Rank Table (see p. 124)".  While it could be implied that it is mandatory it isn't specified that a character cannot be made an Officer through some other means.  Checking page 124 offers nothing about restrictions on who can and cannot be made Officers.  As such it would seem that it is quite possible for other avenues to Officer ranks exist other than Officer Candidate School.

[Maelwys]

That's the note at the bottom, what does it say in the prerequisite?

[monbvol]

Ah there it is.  Still there is an interesting question here.  I still see nothing for notation about point buy characters actually needing the Officer Field to become Officers.  Nor anything about after character creation being finished that characters must go back to OCS.

Point buy characters and module characters being promoted to Officers have no reason or indication that they have to reference page 73 and get the proper training.

[Acolyte]

Yes they do. It's also listed in the Rank Trait description. Pg 124, just under the chart.

   - Shane

[monbvol]

How the hell have I gotten so bad at catching things anymore?  I used to be much better at it.  So yeah if you want to be an Officer at character creation it would seem the skill field is needed but once character creation is finished it is entirely up to the GM.

[Col.Hengist]

Tag for later.

[Acolyte]

How the hell have I gotten so bad at catching things anymore?  I used to be much better at it.  So yeah if you want to be an Officer at character creation it would seem the skill field is needed but once character creation is finished it is entirely up to the GM.

Hey, the first time through I missed the Flexable XP portion of some programs because they were with the skills. Had to remake the whole lance.

   - Shane

[Maelwys]

S'okay, on the older version of the boards I posted step by step the creation of a ProtoMech Pilot.

I completely missed the fact that I didn't have to pay for Clan Military fields (unlike IS fields, the Clan field cost is factored into the life path), and so I overspent on a lifepath by several hundred points.

And I didn't catch it until months later when someone made a comment about how fields worked in an entirely different thread.

Of course, no one watching me do the step by step caught it either :)