CHARACTER CREATION GUIDE

## Getting Started

The best first step is to get a character sheet. It's easiest to create a Freelancer if you can write down your decisions as you go.

Character sheets are available [HERE] through Google Sheets. When directed to the character sheet, simply click "Use Template" in the top right to have your own editable version.

### Know Your Character

#### Choose your name.

Let's start at the first stat block, near the top left of the first page of your character sheet. The first column starts with your Freelancer's name. It's up to you to pick a name that suits you well. Some players may feel it's best to save the name for later, until they've decided a bit more about their Freelancer.

#### Choose your class.

It's time to pick a class. There are three classes in Alta Turre: Freelancers, each with three subclasses. Don't worry too much about choosing a single subclass, as this is something you can easily change as you play. Still, it's a good idea to read through the subclasses of each class to understand what kind of gameplay they excel at, allowing you to know what you're in for in the games ahead. Each class will have a thing or two they specialize in, granting them bonuses over other classes in certain actions. Each subclass will also bring further bonuses, gaining more unique abilities at levels 3, 6, and 10. Your level is the level of your Freelancer's overall progress, and transfers between subclasses.

Each class and subclass will also have access to a Style Skill, giving a player two to choose from at any given moment. These skills can be activated by spending 5 style points, which are awarded at will by your GM. Typically, style points are handed out for performing some sort of impressive, significant, or comedic act that stands out from the session. Using a style skill counts as a main phase action, unless otherwise specified.

A full detailing of each class, and their relevant subclasses, can be found at these pages:

* CRYPTECH
* MERC
* INFORMATION VENDOR

Once you've chosen your class, you can fill out you Crack charges box. As a level 1, the starting max charges are as follows.

* Cryptech | 10 charges
* Information Vendor | 7 charges
* Merc | 5 charges

#### Choose your background and skills.

Now that you've selected a class, you should have a good picture of the kind of Freelancer you are. It's time to choose a background. Your background is one of the many components of what defines you as a Freelancer, being one of several archetypes. This will have some functional bonuses, in the form of two Skills that are relevant to your past. Your background may also have more narrative weight, as a GM may choose to offer more information to you if your background would explain your knowledge of it.

A list of backgrounds, along with their description and relevant skills, may be found [HERE].

A list of all skills along with short descriptions may be found [HERE].

At this point, you should have a clear picture of who your Freelancer is. This is a good time to fill out your description and backstory boxes. Feel free to include more than one backstory. You GM needs to know your Freelancer as well as you do, but that doesn't mean your Freelancer has to be entirely honest with their party.

## Attributes

It's time to fill out your attributes. These are the foundational stats that affect the majority of your actions within Alta Turre. Many times, you'll be asked to perform checks or saving throws based on your attribute scores. Keep in mind that three of these have additional bearings.

* Your Fortitude affects your health, its modifier raising or lowering your max health in increments of 20 HP.
* Your Finesse affects your chance to hit, its modifier being added to or subtracted from your rolls.
	+ Your Finesse may also affect your evasiveness, its modifier being added to or subtracted from the base stat.
* Your Reflexes affect turn order, the associated modifier being added to or subtracted from your roll at the point of kick-off.
	+ Your Reflexes may also affect your evasiveness, the modifier being added to or subtracted from the stat.

There are two ways you can assign your attribute scores:

* For those feeling lucky, or wanting a more uncertain experience, you may roll for your attribute scores.
	+ Roll 3D20, 4D12, and 3D8. Record the value of each roll.
	+ You may reroll either 1D20, OR 2D12, OR 3D8 for a more satisfactory result.
	+ Distribute the results of these rolls across your attributes.
* For those who want to be more selective about where their stats fall, you may use a standard points assignment.
	+ You have a pool of 71 Attribute Points to distribute as you see fit.
	+ No more than two attributes may be at level 20.
	+ No attributes may exceed level 20.
	+ All attributes must have at least one point assigned.

After assigning your attributes, it's time to look over modifiers. Modifiers scale as an attribute goes through 5-point stages in its level. Below is the pattern by which modifiers are calculated. Use this to extrapolate from as you level your Freelancer.

* 1-5 Points = -2
* 6-10 Points = -1
* 11-15 Points = 0
* 16-20 Points = +1
* 21-25 Points = +2

Once you've assigned your attributes and figured out their modifiers, you now have what you need to fill in your Max HP and Evasiveness.

* All classes begin with a base HP of 100. Use your Fortitude modifier to increase or reduce this number by 20 point increments
	+ For example, a LVL 1 Freelancer with a Fortitude modifier of -1 will have a maximum of 80 HP.
* All classes begin with a base evasiveness of 10. Use your Reflexes or Finesse modifier to add to or subtract from this stat, as is most favorable to you.
	+ For example, a Freelancer with a +2 to Finesse and a -2 to Reflexes would choose to scale their evasiveness from their Finesse, resulting in a score of 12.
	+ Some subclasses receive bonuses to evasiveness. Be sure to include this in your adjusted score.
	+ Some clothing and armor pieces can affect your evasiveness. Be on the lookout for these when shopping.

## Wrapping Up Page 1

The last remaining blocks that need filling on the first page are:

* Kit Slots
* Backpack Slots
* Armor
* Proficiencies
* Alliances, Permits, and Passes

Let's begin at the first three.

### Armor, Kit, and Backpack Slots

When beginning a game with a new LVL 1 Freelancer, your GM may decide to allow you to have a certain number of items before play even begins. If you choose to do this, check an item's information card for its MSRP (found on each item's page on this wiki), as a means of understanding the relative rarity and value of any given item. Be sure not to kit out your Freelancer with items that would be unfair or unbalanced, as this can negatively affect your experience when playing.

If a GM decides that the players should instead begin without any equipment, your starting WECs may be used to go shopping. This is an excellent opportunity to see a bit of the city, as well as balance your kit based on what you can afford.

#### Armor

Your armor is granted by the clothing you wear. Some clothing items will no grant armor, and will denote so in their item card. The notation for armor types is as follows:

* A
	+ Active Armor. This type of armor is designed to disperse energy, affecting both Energy and Electrical damage.
* P
	+ Passive Armor. This thick armor is designed to deflect blows, affecting both Ballistic and Heat damage.
* N
	+ No Armored Effect. This indicates that a clothing item does not grant any armor effects.

Be sure to list any armor types you are currently wearing in the Armor block on your character sheet.

#### Kit Slots

The Kit Slots on your character sheet are your currently equipped items. This includes a Secondary (S), Primary (P), and Tactical (T) weapons slot, as well as two Equipment (E) slots. Different slots may hold different items, as listed below.

* Secondary
	+ Sidearms
	+ Small Implements
* Primary
	+ Shotguns
	+ Carbines
	+ Heavy Rifles
	+ Medium Implements
* Tactical
	+ Marksman Rifles
	+ Ordinance
	+ Large Implements
* Equipment
	+ Grenades and other Thrown Equipment
	+ Healing and General Aid items
	+ Any other item specifying it must be equipped or held to use.

#### Backpack Slots

Your backpack slots contain everything you're carrying with you that isn't in a Kit Slot. The backpack has 20 storage spaces, but that doesn't mean you can cram it full of any 20 items. Every item, weapon, or piece of equipment will have a storage size listed on its card. This gets entered into the block next to an items place in your backpack. Beneath your Backpack Slots block, you'll see the total amount of room you've taken up.

Be careful! Some areas require you to be unarmed, and you can't always hide what's in your Kit Slots. Make sure you have room in your backpack to hold what you may need to, or you'll be forced to either surrender your weapons to security staff until you leave such a location, or attempt to stash them somewhere nearby.

### Proficiencies

Your proficiencies are your special interests, tasks you have learned through study that may not align with your class. At Level 1, you begin with one proficiency point in a single proficiency.

A list of proficiencies can be found [HERE].

### Alliances, Permits, and Passes

As you venture through Alta Turre, you will begin making a name for yourself. Areas that may have been strongly protected or off-limits may become accessible to you. One way this can happen is through alliances, permits, and passes. This category can include access key cards, special provisions, or allyship with a faction within the city. While most campaigns will start without anything in these slots, a GM may see fit to begin your characters in a state that would grant them some form of access that would be included.

## Character Sheet Page 2

On the second page of your character sheet, there are a few notable sections. We'll start with possibly the most impactful, the Cracks.

### Cracks

Cracks are fast-use bits of code, deployed through a link or similar device, that can be used in a variety of circumstances. Not all classes may use all tiers of Cracks, but all Freelancers have access to at least Tier 1. The starting cracks for each class are as follows.

* Mercs, Information Vendors
	+ Five Tier 1 Cracks
* Cryptechs
	+ Five Tier 1 Cracks
	+ Three Tier 2 Cracks

While there are a limited number of slots for each tier, you have unlimited uses of each Crack while out of combat. In combat, each Crack will consume a number of charges equivalent to its tier. Your Cracks recharge as combat ends.

A list of all Cracks may be found [HERE].

### The Armory

Your Armory is located at your base of operations. Any items you own that are not on your person are kept safe in your Armory. Retrieval of these items, or the addition of new items into your Armory, typically requires visiting your base of operations. Some subclasses may have skills that negate the need to visit the Armory to transfer items.

### WECs

Your WECs, or World Economic Credits, is a measure of your wealth. The majority of jobs you pursue in your career as a Freelancer are all in the name of making this number rise.

Your GM will assign you a starting amount of WECs. If you begin without any other equipment, 5000 WECs is a typical starting amount for a level 1 Freelancer.

### Gig Tier

As you progress, you'll begin to make more and more of a name for yourself with your growing arsenal of skills. If you have nothing else to do, you can contact a Handler to request placement on gigs. The more gigs you complete, and the more you shape the LCD with your endeavors, the higher your Gig Tier will be. This opens up a wider variety of more challenging gigs. New Freelancers begin at a Gig Tier of 1.

### ATAS Heat

The name of law in the city of Alta Turre is the ATAS. The Alta Turre Automated Security are a fighting force of automatons, controlled by the central AI core most commonly known as the Hive. It's advised to stay out of the way of ATAS entirely, as their hulking alloy frames can take far more punishment than the average Freelancer can dish out.

Your ATAS Heat measures how much you've shown up on the Hive's radar. Completing jobs in a high-profile fashion, being seen often at crime scenes, and directly engaging the ATAS are all ways that your Heat may increase. At an ATAS Heat of 5, the Hive will use every resource available to it to hunt you down for capture or elimination.

If your Heat begins to rise, you need to devote some thought on how to bring it back down.

Some sources of Heat will simply decay with time, such as rumors or big scores. Other sources, such as being personally spotted by an ATAS drone, or directly engaging their forces, will require more drastic measures to vanish from the Hive's radar. Plastic surgery or extensive facial tattoos are always a good place to start.

### Faction Rep

As you perform tasks within the city, some of your jobs may have you working alongside or opposed to one or more of the city's factions. Your actions may win you favor or ire from each faction accordingly. Unless a GM's story demands otherwise, level 1 Freelancers start at 0 Rep with all factions. Rep can become positive or negative, all based on how you are perceived by these groups.

The Bankers, Enforcers, Posthumans, and Sisters are the dominant criminal syndicates within Alta Turre. These four families have a tenuous truce, sectioning off areas of the city as their turf. Gaining or losing Rep with these factions will heavily affect your experience in navigating through their respective territories.

Freelancer Rep is largely a measure of your reputation within the Freelancer community. Be sure to take care when interacting with other Freelancers. Lowering your Rep enough can get you blacklisted from many Handlers. Even worse, you may gain a burn notice, an all-out green light to kill you for a reward.

The Lawmen are a faction descended from the remnants of the old ATSF, the human city security force that preceded the ATAS. They've become the most violent faction in the streets, focused on a mission to eliminate all criminal syndicates. Any notoriety in illicit circles will lower your reputation with the Lawmen, but it may be best not to ally with them after all.

The Resistance is a scattered collection of pockets of ragtag civilians fighting back against the ATAS. They may not be the most experienced group in the city, but they're a helpful friend to have.

## PAGE 3

The third page of your character sheet lists your Armor and Apparel, as well as your Biomech components. You may want to speak to your GM to see if there are restrictions on what Armor, Apparel, or Biomech may be equipped to your new character.

A list of all Armor and Apparel may be found [HERE].

A list of Biomech components may be found [HERE].

## Closing

With that, you've completed your character sheet! Good luck out there, Freelancer.