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Creating A Character

Characters for this game are created from blank slates, using the "Scratch Built Characters" method discussed in the Cortex Prime Game Handbook and Cortex Codex. Before beginning, it may be helpful to think of a general concept for your character, including whether they are a member of an extraterrestrial Sapient Species. Playing a non-human does not grant any mechanical bonuses or penalties, but it can be highlighted in Distinctions and other traits.

Default Method

These steps are taken from the process in the Cortex Prime Game Handbook.

Step 1: Assign dice to abilities

Rate three Abilities at and the remainder at . You can step a die up for every one that you step down.

Step 2: Choose distinctions and SFX

Three Distinctions, each with the Hinder SFX. Then add two or three additional SFX. You'll end up with five or six total SFX and at least one for each distinction.

Step 3: Highlight skills

For each Distinction, choose two highlight Skills.

Step 4: Step up skills

For each highlight Skill from your Distinctions, step that skill up by one step. All skills start at .

Once you have gone through the highlight skills, you have nine points to spend on additional increases. Each point steps up a skill by one die rating. No skill may be increased above .

Step 5: Choose specialities and signature assets

Players have five points to assign to Specialties (see Skills for details on Specialties) and Signature Assets at character creation. Each point may be used to:

• Add a specialty to a skill rated at a or higher.
• Create a signature asset at a .
• Step up a signature asset to a .

With your five points you might:

• Assign 5 specialties and create no signature assets.
• Assign 4 specialties and create one signature asset.
• Assign 3 specialties and create one signature asset.
• Assign 2 specialties and create three signature assets.
• Assign 1 specialty and create one and two signature assets.

Step 6: Biographical details

Your character needs a name and pronouns. To further flesh out your character background, look at the distinctions you’ve chosen and think about:

• Where you’ve been the last few years.
• Where you’re going in the near future.
• What you’re doing to keep your head above water.
• How you feel about the politics of the world.

Step 7: Select goals

Goals are important not just for helping you guide the story as a player, but because completing (or achieving) a goal contributes to your growth pool.

Alternate Method

In practice, we have found it easier to take the follow steps:

1. Choose a Sapient Species, if non-human

2. Assign dice to Abilities

3. Build Distinctions

   1. Choose two highlight skills for each Distinction
   2. Create a Hindrance and one other SFX for each Distinction
   3. Give the Distinction a name

4. Step up skills

5. Choose specialities and signature assets

6. Biographical details

7. Select goals

The main difference between this method and the default one is in how Distinctions are created. The overall order of the steps is the same, and the other steps are generally unchanged.