CHARACTER OVERVIEW 

A Player Character, also referred to as a PC or character, is a player’s representation or avatar in the game world, functioning as their eyes, ears, hands, and mouth. 

In game terms, a character is composed of physical and mental attributes, skills, and secondary statistics derived from those attributes and skills.

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RAPID RANGE ATTRIBUTES

Each character has five attributes referred to as RAPID Range Attributes - Reason, Acumen, Physicality, Influence and Dexterity. 

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REASON: The ability to process data, think critically, and make logical assumptions.
ACUMEN: The mixture of instinct and cunning required for good situational awareness.
PHYSICALITY: A measure of athleticism, conditioning, discipline, and self-control. 
INFLUENCE: Any combination of charisma, charm, or attractiveness.
DEXTERITY: A reflection of agility, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination. 

Attributes start at 0 (Average) but can range from -2 (Diminished) up to +4 (Human Peak). Attributes for animals and machines can go as to +5 (Superhuman).

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A character's RAPID Range Attribute is also their Attribute Modifier (AMod), which applies to any dice check that involves that attribute. 

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TABLE 2: ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS

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​​​​​SKILLS

Characters have a variety of skills based on their life experiences. Most skills range from 0 (Untrained) to +4 (Life's Work), although several skills are vocational and start at -3 (Inept).

 

This skill level is also called Skill Modifier (or SMod), and players add it to any dice check using that skill.

Each skill is associated with an attribute, such as the Barter skill being tied to the Influence attribute or Unarmed Combat skill being tied to the Physicality attribute. Dice checks use both AMods and SMods. 

Certain skills require specific, often vocational training. These start at -3 (Inept) instead of 0 (Untrained) and are marked with an asterisk, such as Psychology*.

When a character has 1 level in that skill, they advance from -3 (Inept) to +1 (Beginner).

TABLE 3: SKILL MODIFIERS

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SECONDARY STATS

PCs have a series of Secondary Statistics that are derived from their attributes and skills and affect combat, social interactions, or influence the narrative.

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WOUND POINTS
Wound Points (WP) reflect how much damage a character can take before they become Mortally Wounded and Die. 

Characters start with 10 + Physicality AMod + Dexterity AMod Wound Points.

 

RESILIENCE POINTS
Resilience Points (RP) are a measure of how much damage or stress it takes to Incapacitate a character.

Characters start with 6 + Physicality AMod Resilience Points.

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DEFENSIVE MODIFIERS
Defensive Modifiers (DMs) lower the chance of getting hit and mitigate any damage that is dealt. 

A characters’ Melee Defense is equal to their Physicality AMod, and their Ranged Defense is equal to their Dexterity AMod.

 

INITATIVE MODIFIER
Initiative Modifiers (INIT) are added to initiative checks to determine the order in which participants act during combat.

Initiative Modifiers are the sum of a character’s Acumen + Dexterity AMods.

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ENCUMBRANCE
Encumbrance (ENC) is how much weight a character can carry before needing to stop and rest or drop something. 

Encumbrance starts at 6 + Physicality AMod.

 

PERCEPTION
Perception (PER) reflects how well a character picks up on subtleties and how tuned in they are to their environment. 

The Perception modifier is the sum of a character’s Reason + Acumen AMods.​
 

STRESS MODIFIER
Each character has a Breaking Point. Their Stress starts at 0 and culminates at 5.

 

FLESHING A CHARACTER OUT
THREE WORDS
Players should choose three words that define the PC’s core behaviors or personality traits. 

These words can serve as a roleplaying anchor and guide how a character reacts to people and situations during the course of the game.

Specific words like calculating, reckless, or stoic tend to be more useful than broad or generic ones such as good or nice, but anything that helps tie a player to their character is acceptable. 

These three words can be shared with other players, kept secret, or woven into gameplay by the GM.
 

COMPLICATIONS & MOTIVATIONS
Each character has both a Complication and Motivation that drives them and serves as roleplay and narrative tools. 

Players can choose from those listed on Tables 6 & 7 or roll 2d6 for random Complications & Motivations.

These can be shared, hidden, or part of the narrative.

 

TABLE 5: SECONDARY STATS