Sea of Stars Character Creation
Adapted from Palaestra Character Creation by Wayne Peacock
Step 0: Ideas
It's good to know generally where you are headed. What kinds of adventure do you want to be involved in? Which culture do you want to explore, etc. The more you do up front to figure out what kinds of characters you might want to play the better.
Step 1: Generating Characteristics
A player may generate a set of characteristics using whatever method they choose subject to GM's approval.
Step 2: Cultural Association — Where are you from?
This is one of the major choices of character creation. Where is your character from? What sort of culture does your character belong to? How much influence did the Dragon Imperium exert up their upbringing? Has the character even seen a dragon?
The ranges of races and classes available to the player are dependent upon the culture she chooses to be a part of and, to a certain extent, influences her skills and abilities.
At this stage of character development, choose your homeland.
Step 3: Background
The society of the Sea of Star is fragmented into myriad social groups. These influence the skills and abilities of a character born within them. After choosing which culture the character hails from, choose the social strata that he or she grew up in. Each strata contains a brief description and lists the most common classes for both NPC and player-characters. These are not exclusive lists – they are merely for flavor.
Social strata also affects the wealth a player has to equip their character, representing the legacy of his or her background, both positive and negative. Each social level lists an amount that is added to the starting finances of the character. Items purchased do not necessarily represent booty, but may be heirlooms passed down in the character’s family.
Social Strata
Aristocrat / Noble
These are the highest ranking members of the Sea of Stars. These scions are provided with the best of education and equipment, indeed every advantage, so why do so many end up as adventurers?
PC Classes: Fighter, Noble, Wizard.
NPC Classes: Aristocrat, Expert, and Warrior.
Starting Wealth Bonus: +500 (or +1500 if Noble class taken at 1st level)
Criminal
Every society has them.
PC Classes: Fighter and Rogue
NPC Classes: Warrior, Expert
Starting Wealth Bonus: Roll 1d20 –10 and multiply by 10, add this total to starting wealth.
Farmer / Herder
These small holders make up the majority of the rural population. Many look for a way out of these dreary lives.
PC Classes: Fighter and Rogue.
NPC Classes: Commoner, Expert, and Warrior
Starting Wealth Bonus: 0
Merchant / Tradesman
Most of the urban population of the Sea of Stars falls into this category. Your parents may be simple crafters or members of a skilled trade.
PC Classes: Rogue.
NPC Classes: Commoner, Expert
Starting Wealth Bonus: +75
Priesthood
Your parents were members of the priesthood or perhaps only very devout. In either case you were raised in and around the Temples.
PC Classes: Cleric, Wizard.
NPC Classes: Aristocrat, Expert.
Starting Wealth Bonus: +50
Sailor / Fisher
Even now much of the commerce of the Sea of Stars travels over the water and food from the sea and rivers provides much of the local diet.
PC Classes: Fighter and Rogue.
NPC Classes: Commoner, Expert.
Starting Wealth Bonus: 0
Scholar
These men and women are the skilled class that catalog the world and teach. Most are exemplary in their tasks, though some do fall from grace.
PC Classes: Fighter, Rogue, Wizard.
NPC Classes: Expert and Warrior.
Starting Wealth Bonus: +100.
Sen’tek Survivor
The Sen’tek are taught from birth the skills needed to survive in the harsh and dangerous world around them.
PC Classes: Fighter and Rogue.
NPC Classes: Commoner, Expert.
Starting Wealth Bonus: 0, all Sen’tek start play with two daggers and a masterwork crossbow of choice with 20 bolts.
Slave
Slavery is endemic to many parts of the Sea of Stars, the Draconic philosophy of dominance insures the survival of such traditions.
Slaves begin play illiterate, but gain the player’s choice of the Endurance or Great Fortitude feat as a bonus feat at First Level.
PC Classes: Fighter and Rogue
NPC Classes: Commoner and Expert
Starting Wealth Bonus: -500
Soldier / Warrior
Raised in a military regime, you have learned the arts of war even if you have not followed the profession of arms.
PC Classes: Fighter and Ranger
NPC Classes: Warrior
Starting Wealth Bonus: A suit of medium or light armor (or 75 silver towards heavy armor) and a weapon of choice.
Tribesman
Many societies on the fridges of the Sea of Stars have reverted to tribalism.
PC Classes: Barbarian, Druid, Fighter and Ranger.
NPC Classes: Warrior.
Starting Wealth Bonus: 0, and a martial or simple weapon of choice.
Visse / Bureaucrat
The Visse, and others, provide the needed manpower to run the Imperial and local bureaucracies.
PC Classes: Rogue, Wizard.
NPC Classes: Expert and Warrior.
Starting Wealth Bonus: +100
Step 4: Choose Traits
Each character receives two traits, Sea of Stars campaign specific trait are available.
Step 5: Character Race and Level
Refer to the rules section on race and class. Generally speaking, humans are the most numerous race of the Sea of Stars. The other player-character races are: Dracovi, Dwarves, Elves, Half-elves, Sen’tek, Visse, various beastkine. The following ‘races’ may be available as player characters at a later time: Half Dragons.
Characters in this game start off at third level. Starting the PCs off with a few levels is not to make them “survivable,” or merely more powerful. Rather, it is so the players have a chance to develop their character’s background. This way it makes sense to say that a character has at least 2-4 years of experiences in their profession(s) to draw upon. Just as importantly, his or her background can actually be reflected in game stats by multiclassing, taking cross-class skills, gaining new feats, etc.
Title Option for Nobles
Characters who wish to begin the game as nobles must choose the aristocrat/ noble background and take the Noble class as their first class. This is the only chance to take this class. Taking it at first level will allow characters that would normally be static fighters, for example, to gain the basic skills of a nobleman. A PC may not take this class hereafter without GM approval, and in any case may not take it at second level, unless it is your first level class.
Characters who take the background, but do not take the Noble class at first level are assumed to come from noble blood, but have no lands or title. Perhaps they have been disowned, they are bastards or the family has lost its standing, etc. It is up to the player to work this into his or her character's background.
Characters who take Noble at first level begin the game with more wealth and greater social status.
Step 6: Beginning Character Experience
Characters begin at third level.
Starting Character Age
Use the age chart from the Pathfinder Core Book as a guideline for your character’s base age and then add the amount of time you think that your character has been out in the world to it.
Step 7: Beginning Character Wealth and Equipment
New characters must purchase all of their equipment (weapons, armor, and items), although these items should be rationalized as booty, or inherited goods from a character’s background. Along with the base starting gold (found at the end of each class description), the character gains 2,700 to represent 2-4 years of adventuring or other work and an additional amount based on their background.
If the character multiclasses, he or she gains the base starting wealth of his first class.
All characters begin with a set of clothes, but all other equipment must be purchased. Any extra money can be converted over to jewels, etc. on a 1 for 1 basis.
Wealth = Base Starting (rolled) + 2,700 + Social Modifier
Step 8: Character Background
At some point during the first two or three game sessions I will want at least couple of paragraphs on your character's history. The charts and tables from the Hero Builder's Guidebook may be an interesting start, but I will expect you to flesh this out with names, places and story ideas from the Sea of Stars.
There's a lot of blank spaces on the map, do not be afraid to create places and even bits of local history, etc. Indeed it is encouraged. “Infinite variety in infinite combination.”
Part of creating a character is naming him or her. However, there are no universal rules for naming characters in the Sea of Stars.
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