Character creation info

[Nihtgenga]

Here's your handy step-by-step guide to making a Fallout PnP character!

As well as the filled out character sheet, please post a backstory. This can be as brief or detailed as you like, within reason. If your appearance notes don't fit in the available space, put this in your post too.

1. Character concept

Think about what your character will be like. Your character is your alter-ego in the Fallout universe. Will your character be a gun-happy sniper? A dune-buggy racer? A sneaky thief? A fast talker who can squeak past the armed guards with a good excuse? A boxing champ, strong but slow? A beautiful seductress who takes what she wants after the moment? The possibilities are endless. It might be a good time to familiarize yourself with the character sheets at this time, and learn a few terms.

Throughout the character creation process and a good deal of the game explanation, we will be following the examples of Jack and Jane, our unassuming and politically correct friends.

[Nihtgenga]

2. Race

Before going any further, the player needs to choose a race. Most PCs will be human, but occasionally a GM will allow a non-human race if it adds to the flavour of the campaign.

In the current campaign, humans and ghouls will be accepted. Super Mutants will not (The example character is one, but that's just because this is mainly a direct copy and paste from the book.). If this forum is successful and outlasts the current campaign, this may change.


Note that races have minimum and maximum statistic numbers; this means that the statistics for any given race cannot go below a minimum number or exceed a maximum number. The player will want to make a note of these numbers for later, when he or she assigns his or her character statistics. Each race has a certain number of Character Points as well, distributed among the statistics in the next state of creation. In addition, each race gains perks at a different rate; this can combine with various traits that effect how fast a character gains perks (see Traits, below). The player will want to note the rate at which his or her character gains perks on the character sheet, in the appropriate section by the experience points box.

Some races have innate Radiation and Poison Resistances bonuses. When calculating these secondary statistics (see Secondary Statistics, below), add these numbers to the character’s base resistances.

Humans

Your basic human. Two arms, two legs, two eyes. You and me. Humans gain no bonuses or penalties to their secondary statistics, except a 10% resistance to electricity, and gain a perk every 3 levels. Humans weigh anywhere from 110 to 280 pounds, and stand around 1.5 to 2.5 meters tall. They get 40 Character Points to distribute among their statistics. Most people in the Fallout world can still be considered human, even though many of them have minor mutations, like additional toes, greenish skin or complete lack of hair. Still, they are nowhere near ghouls or super mutants.

ST PE EN CH IN AG LK
Minimum 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Maximum 10 10 10 10 10 10 10


Ghouls

When the bombs hit, some people were irrevocably changed (and not just the ones who were atomized at ground zero, either). Ghouls are humans who were alive when the bomb went off, and the radiation altered them at a cellular level. Ghouls enjoy an extremely slow cellular mitosis rate, rendering them essentially immune to the effects of old age. The radiation also changed their outward appearance, forever marking them as outsiders. Their skin hangs off their bones, sometimes in shreds, and sunken eyes peer out from skulls twisted and burned by radiation, giving these unfortunate people their name. Their skin can be anywhere from pale white to dirt brown in color, with green and yellow the most common. When they do have hair remaining, it usually does not grow. Some ghouls were inexplicably merged with plant species, and have shrubs and moss growing out of various parts of their bodies. It might have twisted their bodies, but the radiation did not affect their minds, and they are forced to live as misshapen outcasts, fully aware of the society they were once part of, but also aware they can never rejoin it. For this reason, many ghouls have formed settlements of their own, or live in settlements with humans and mutants who do not mind their appearance. Unlike their mythical namesakes, ghouls do not eat human flesh. They do, however, require a small amount of radiation to survive, and for this reason, one can often find a population of ghouls around a leaky nuclear reactor or an impact crater from the war.
Ghouls age very slowly, and their lifespan is a whopping 300 years past when they were exposed to the radiation. Their unnaturally long lifespan does not mean that they can't be killed by other means, however, and ghouls are just as vulnerable to disease, falls, and bullets as everyone else. Ghouls usually weight anywhere from 80 to 160 pounds, and stand anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 meters tall. Whether or not ghouls can reproduce is a subject open to scientific debate. Ghouls have a natural 40% Radiation Resistance bonus along with a 10% Poison Resistance bonus. Ghouls gain a perk every 4 levels. Ghouls start with 5 fewer maximum hit points than normal; deduct this number after fully calculating HPs. For the remainder of the game, they gain HPs as normal. Luckily, Ghouls can wear any kind of armor that normal humans can wear. They get 42 Character Points to distribute among their statistics.

ST PE EN CH IN AG LK
Minimum 1 4 1 1 2 1 5
Maximum 6 14 10 9 13 8 10


Super Mutants

Super mutants (meta-humans,or just mutants, as they prefer to call themselves) are not the product of "natural" after effects from the war, but a race created by extensions of genetic and germ research from pre-war times. American scientists working deep inside a mountain created a biological agent called the Forced Evolutionary Virus, or FEV. The FEV virus was designed to drastically increase evolution, creating a kind of “super-soldier:” faster, smarter, and stronger. Most creatures exposed to FEV suffered only mild effects, but some were twisted beyond recognition. A member of an expedition into this base fell into the FEV vats and mutated into a super-intelligent, inhuman monster called “The Master,” who began creating a master race by exposing humans to FEV.

After "dipping" the person in a vat containing the FEV virus, the victim would emerge and undergo an intense physiological change. They grew much stronger and more intelligent, as well as growing in height and stature. Armies of Super-Mutants were once slaves to the Master and his dream to "dip" every human on the planet, but the Master was eventually killed and the mutants freed (although to hear them tell it, the Master was more of a Messiah than a madman). Like ghouls, mutants age very slowly, but not as slowly as their cousins.

There are two kinds of mutants on the West Coast. “Alpha” mutants, the leaders of the Master’s Army, were the result of dipping genetically pure humans. The “Beta” mutant footsoldiers – stronger, but dumber grunts whose brains were slightly damaged by the dipping process - are a result of dipping people with minor mutations caused by radiation or the airborne strain of FEV.

Alpha mutants are by far the less numerous of the two. Many of them were killed in the Master’s war, so in games set after this chain of events Alpha mutants are only allowed with GM's approval.

Mutants are huge, easily reaching 2.8 to 3 meters in height, weigh around 350 pounds, and come either male or female. Their skin is usually a greenish yellow color, and various bunions and growths cover their bodies. They have hair in all the usual places, but it usually grows slowly (a result of the slowed cellular mitosis from the FEV virus). The virus makes them completely sterile, although there are rumors of mutant scientists working on a cure for their sterility. Unfortunately, like ghouls, mutants are largely outcast from human society. Many of them prefer it this way, looking on human society as diseased or inferior because of the prejudice and corruption that still exist. Mutants were once part of what they see as an attempt to finally unite humanity and overcome humankind's weaknesses, and it is rumored that vats of the FEV virus still exist, and a mutant society is at work attempting to achieve this goal, even after the Master's death.

Mutants enjoy a 10% Radiation Resistance bonus, a 20% Poison Resistance bonus, a 0/35 initial Gas Resist, and gain a perk every 4 levels. Mutants get an extra 10 hit points to their starting total (this bonus applies only once, at the beginning of the game). Mutants cannot easily use small arms; when using a weapon that requires a roll on the small guns skill, mutants make the roll as if their Perception were two points lower. These giant humans have a form of built-in armor: they start with the following initial DT levels:

N:5 L:2 F:5 P:2 E:3

Note that a mutant’s DT/DR can never drop below those numbers. Mutants can easily live 200 years beyond when they were "dipped". Mutants cannot wear armor designed for humans; they just don't make it their size. Someone in that vast wasteland might, however. Alpha Mutants and Beta Mutants both get 40 Character Points to distribute among their statistics.

Alpha ST PE EN CH IN AG LK
Minimum 4 1 3 1 1 1 1
Maximum 13 10 12 8 11 8 10


Beta ST PE EN CH IN AG LK
Minimum 5 1 4 1 1 1 1
Maximum 13 10 12 8 8 8 10

[Nihtgenga]

3. Traits

Traits are the details that can make your character really unique. They can add more colors to the character. Traits can make the difference between an average human with all Primary Statistics at 5 and an average human with all Primary Statistics at 5 who is chem resistant. There are lots of combinations and each trait can give you lots of fun..or pain. Well, it happens.

Traits are an optional part of the character creation process. They simply describe an aspect of the character's personality or physical description, and permanently affect things like Skills, Primary Statistics, and Secondary Statistics. Some traits are not available to every race, and some traits are only available to robots or animal races.

A character can pick two traits, one trait, or no traits at all. A character can never have more than two traits.

Bloody Mess

By some strange twist of fate, people around you die violently. You always see the worst way a person can die. This does not mean you kill them any faster or slower, but when they do die, it will be dramatic. Just how dramatic is up to the Gamemaster.


Bruiser

A little slower, but a little bigger. You may not hit as often, but they will feel it when you do! Your total action points are lowered, but your Strength is increased. You get a 2-point bonus to Strength, but lose 2 Action Points. Ghouls cannot choose this trait.


Chem Reliant

You are more easily addicted to chems. Your chance to be addicted is twice normal, but you recover in half the time from their ill effects.


Chem Resistant

Chems only affect you half as long as normal, but your chance to be addicted is only 50% the normal amount.


Fast Metabolism

Your metabolic rate is twice the normal rate. This means that you are much less resistant to radiation and poison, but your body heals faster. You get a 2-point bonus to Healing Rate, but your Radiation and Poison Resistance start at 0% (racial modifiers are added later). Ghouls cannot choose this trait.


Fast Shot

Why take time to aim when you can spray your enemies with a rain of bullets? That’s your motto! You cannot perform targeted shots, but all weapons take one less action point to use. Note that the Fast Shot trait has no effect on HtH or Melee attacks.


Fear the Reaper

You have cheated death! You gain perks as if you were a human, but you are now on death’s short list. This means that once a month, you must roll against Luck or else drop dead. Only Ghouls can choose this trait.


Finesse

Your attacks show a lot of finesse. You don't do as much damage, but you cause more critical hits. All of your attacks lose 25% of their damage (after Damage Threshold, and round up) but you gain a 10% bonus to Critical Chance. Super Mutants cannot choose this trait.

Gifted

You have more innate abilities than most, so you have not spent as much time honing your skills. Your statistics are better than the average person, but your skills are lacking. You get 5 more Character Points to distribute among your Primary Statistics, but all skills get a 10% penalty and you receive 5 less Skill Points per level.


Glowing One

Extreme radiation exposure has left you glowing in the dark. Your glow eliminates modifiers from light in combat for both you and your enemies. In addition, you gain a +50% bonus to Radiation Resistance, but everyone around you takes 10 rads per hour (see Radiation under Damage and Death, below). Only Ghouls can choose this trait.


Good Natured

You studied less-combative skills as you were growing up. Your combat skills start at a lower level, but First Aid, Doctor, Speech, and Barter are substantially improved. Those skills get a 20% bonus. You get a 10% penalty to starting combat skills (Simple Weapons skills and Ranged Weapons skills).


Heavy Handed

You swing harder, not better. Your attacks are very brutal, but lack finesse. You rarely cause a good critical hit, but you always do more melee damage. You get a 4-point bonus to Melee Damage, but your critical hits do half of their normal damage (50%) and targets get a 50% chance to avoid a critical hit that would cripple a limb or cause blindness.


Jinxed

The good thing is that everyone around you has more critical failures in combat. The bad thing is: so do you! If you, a member of your party, or a non-player character have a failure in combat, there is a greater likelihood the failure will be upgraded (downgraded?) to a critical failure. Critical failures are bad: weapons explode, you may hit the wrong target, you could lose part of your turn, or any number of bad things. Failures are 50% more likely to become critical failures around the character or anyone else in combat.


Kamikaze

By not paying attention to any threats, you can act a lot faster in a turn. This lowers your Armor Class to just what you are wearing, but you sequence much faster in a combat turn. You have no natural Armor Class (Armor Class is therefore 0 regardless of Agility). You must wear armor to get an Armor Class. Your sequence gets a 5 point bonus.


Night Person

As a night-time person, you are more awake when the sun goes down. Your Intelligence and Perception are improved at night but are dulled during the day. You get a 1-point penalty to these Statistics from 0601 to 1800, and a 1-point bonus to these Stats from 1801 to 0600. Note that the bonus cannot take IN and PE above the character’s racial maximum or below the character’s racial minimum.


One Hander

One of your hands is very dominant. You excel with single-handed weapons, but two-handed weapons cause a problem. You have a 40% penalty to hit with two-handed weapons, but get a 20% bonus to hit with weapons that only require one hand.


Sex Appeal

This trait increases your chances of having a good reaction with members of the attracted sex. Unfortunately, this trait tends to annoy members of the sex that finds your unattractive. Jealous twats. When interacting with members of the attracted sex, you gain a 1-point bonus to Charisma for reactions only. When making Speech and Barter rolls, you gain a 40% bonus for each. When interacting with members of the unattracted sex, you have a 1-point penalty to Charisma for reactions only and have a 40% penalty to both Speech and Barter rolls. Only humans can choose this trait.


Skilled

Since you spend more time improving your skills than a normal person, you gain more skill points. The tradeoff is that you do not gain as many extra abilities. You will gain a perk at one level higher than normal. For example, if you normally gained a perk every 4 levels, you would now gain a perk every 5 levels. You will get an additional 5 skill points per new experience level.


Small Frame

You are not quite as big as everyone else, but that never slowed you down. You can't carry as much, but you are more agile. You get a 1-point bonus to Agility, but your Carry Weight is only 15 lbs X Strength.


Tech Wizard

You spent your formative years hunched over a bench learning all about the way things work. The trouble is that you’ve ruined your eyes! You get a +15% bonus to Science, Repair, and Lockpick skills, but you lose 1 Perception.

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4A. Primary statistics

After making a character concept, choosing a race, and picking a trait or two, the player must decide on a character's Primary Statistics. Primary Statistics influence the Secondary Statistics (see below), and are sometimes rolled against to determine different effects (Perception to notice a thief filching your wallet, etc). All characters start with a certain number of Character Points, determined by race, which are then distributed among the seven statistics. Statistics can never go below racial minimums and can never go above racial maximums, even with adjustments from Traits, unless otherwise noted. In addition, all Character Points must be used and distributed; a character can never “fault” himself and start with fewer than the entitled amount of Character Points.

If you chose a trait that affects a Statistic, keep this in mind as you are distributing your points. Remember to adjust Statistics for Traits after assigning your points.


Examples: Choosing a Race, Traits, and Primary Statistics

Jack wants to make a hand-to-hand fighting character. He thinks playing a fighting mutant would be fun, and his character concept is something along the lines of one of those lovable mugs like Rocky Balboa. Jack decides the Heavy Handed trait will work well for him. Statistically, Jack begins with:

STR 5 PE 5 EN 5 CH 5 IN 5 AG 5 LK 5

Since these statistics fit within the racial parameters for a Mutant, Jack is OK so far. Jack decides a fighter needs to be more agile and strong, so he allocates 2 points to STR and 3 points to AG:

STR 7 PE 5 EN 5 CH 5 IN 5 AG 8 LK 5

Jack decides his character doesn't need to be all that attractive, but could stand to be a little more lucky. He takes a point from CH and adds it to LK:

STR 7 PE 5 EN 5 CH 4 IN 5 AG 8 LK 6.

None of these statistics are too high or too low for the Mutant racial parameters. Jack's character is well on his way to becoming a post-nuclear pugilist.

Jane wants to make a character that can fast-talk her way out of any situation. She thinks a human would work best for that kind of job in the wastes, so she will be working with normal racial maximums and minimums. She also thinks the Sex Appeal trait will be beneficial, so she makes a note of that trait on her character sheet.

She begins by allocating 2 points to CH to make her character more likable, 2 points to IN to give her character a better grasp of the world, and 1 point to PE so her character is more aware:

STR 5 PE 6 EN 5 CH 7 IN 7 AG 5 LK 5.

Jane decides a character that relies on her wit doesn't need to be strong, so she takes one point away from STR and one from EN. She then allocates these to luck.

STR 4 PE 6 EN 4 CH 7 IN 7 AG 5 LK 7.

She now has a post-nuclear version of a lawyer.


Primary Statistics: Descriptions

A complete description of Primary Statistics, with their use, is provided below.

STRENGTH (STR)

A measure of your character's physical strength and muscle power. Characters with a high Strength probably spent a lot of time in the gym in high school. Characters with low Strength probably got beat up by the characters with high Strength. This statistic is used in the secondary statistics Carry Weight, Melee Damage, and Hit Points. All weapons have a minimum Strength requirement as well. Rolls against Strength are used when characters try to break doors down, bend the bars on their prison cell, and do other feats that require sheer muscle power.


PERCEPTION (PE)

Perception is your character's awareness and "street-smarts," sometimes called instinct or a "sixth sense." Perceptive characters notice details instantly, like smells, sounds, and sights that don't fit a "normal" picture. Perceptive characters tend to be able to read another person's reactions, and can even tell when another person is lying. They can also make long-distance shots in combat that no one else can make. Highly perceptive characters are private investigators or snipers. Characters with low Perception walk about in their own little world. This statistic is used in the Sequence secondary statistic, and in several skills such as Lockpick, Traps, First Aid, and Doctor. The primary use of this statistic is to determine the maximum distance your character can shoot a ranged weapon effectively. The better the score, the farther you can accurately shoot. A high Perception is imperative for a sniper. Rolls against Perception are used when there is a little detail the character has a chance of noticing, such as the glisten off the scope of the sniper taking an aim at his or her head.


ENDURANCE (EN)

Endurance measures the body’s constitution and overall health. Characters with a high Endurance have great immune systems, good cardiovascular fitness, and can outrun and outswim others. Characters with high Endurance can swim across the English Channel. Characters with low Endurance can drown in the kiddie pool. The Hit Point, Poison Resistance, Radiation Resistance, and Healing Rate secondary statistics are based on Endurance, which also modifies a character's Survival skills. Endurance is used to determine if burst hits knock characters down, or even unconscious. Rolls against Endurance determine things like whether your character can hang on to that rope over a canyon, or can resist the deadly cloud of bacteria some renegade scientist just sprayed in his or her face.

CHARISMA (CH)

Charisma measures how physically attractive your character is and how adept they are at knowing exactly what to say and do in social situations. Beauty as well as grace and leadership ability contribute to Charisma. A Charismatic character will be the leader of the pack, and everyone will follow his or her orders. John F. Kennedy was charismatic; Dan Quayle was not. No secondary statistics are based on Charisma. It heavily influences the Barter and Speech skills. Rolls against Charisma are made when a character is attempting to schmooze past some guards or trying to pick someone up in a bar.


INTELLIGENCE (IN)

Intelligence is a character's higher reasoning power. Characters with high intelligence have better memories and are better at solving problems than people with low intelligence. Albert Einstein, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great had high intelligence. General Custer, Forrest Gump, and the guy in "Sling Blade" did not. No secondary statistics are based on intelligence. Many of the non-combat skills use it for their base values, however. Intelligence also determines the number of skill points your character gains each level (see Advancement: Experience in Chapter V: Advancement). Rolls against Intelligence are made when characters are attempting to guess a password or determine the pattern sequence of electric charges running through the pattern on the floor.


AGILITY (AG)

Agility measures the speed of a character's reactions. More or less, Agility describes how quickly an impulse is received by the brain, is encoded into the appropriate message, travels through the Central Nervous System, and reaches the character's arm, which jerks out of the way right before a bullet hits it. Characters with high Agility are jugglers and acrobats. Characters with low Agility dance with two left feet. This statistic is the basis for the Armor Class and Action Point secondary statistics. It modifies the greatest number of skills as well, especially combat skills. Rolls against Agility are made when your character dodges a poison dart trap or attempts to jerk his arm out of the sewer before a mutated rat bites it off.


LUCK (LK)

Perhaps the most ambiguous statistic, Luck is everything and nothing. Characters with a high amount of Luck just tend to have things go their way, and characters with a low amount of Luck always seem to be standing under the scaffolding just when someone drops that brick. Luck directly affects the Critical Chance secondary statistic as well as influences Social skills. Rolls against Luck are made at the GM's discretion; Luck rolls can determine if, when your character is out of ammo and lying half-unconscious on the ground, he happens to find that loaded shotgun lying concealed and forgotten in the dust.

[Nihtgenga]

4B. Secondary statistics

After determining Primary Statistics, the player needs to calculate the Secondary Statistics. Remember that racial and trait bonuses and penalties need to be applied to Secondary Statistics. Formulae for determining initial levels of Secondary Statistics are given with the description of each stat. Secondary Statistics are in different places on the character sheet, usually grouped together – protective stats are all in one place, and attacking stats are in another.


HIT POINTS (HP)

Perhaps the most important statistic in the game, as hit points determine whether your character is alive and breathing or dead and rotting. Dead characters cannot be played or revived, ever. Hit points can be recovered with time, drugs, the correct skills, or an able doctor. The base number of hit points is 15 + (STR + (2 X EN)). In addition, a character gains more maximum hit points for every level equal to 3 + 1/2 EN, rounded down (see Advancement: Experience in Chapter V: Advancement). It should go without saying that hit points can never be healed above the maximum.

Note:
If hit points drop to zero, your character does not die instantly. A character whose hit points are between 0 and -5 is knocked unconscious; they slump to the ground and cannot move. That character begins to recover hit points as if they were resting (see Healing Rate, below). That means that an unconscious character will eventually wake up, although it may take several hours or even days. Until then, they must be carried or protected until recovery. For more information, see Damage and Death in Part III below.


ARMOR CLASS (AC)

Maybe the second most important statistic in the game, Armor Class increases the chance that a character can dodge a blow, or their armor will deflect a shot (or turn that shot into a non-damaging glancing blow.) Armor Class is measured as a percentage. Your character's base Armor Class is equal to her Agility. In addition, any armor she is wearing can make her Armor Class even higher. For instance, if your character's Agility is 6 and she dons a leather jacket with an armor class of 5, her AC is now 11(%). Armor class affects the chance to hit; in the above example, if the mutant sniper was trying to take a potshot at the girl in the spiffy leather coat, his chance to hit would be reduced by 11%.


ACTION POINTS (AP)

This is perhaps the third most important statistic in the game, as it may mean the difference between reloading your gun and firing that final shot, or staring at your empty sidearm as a rocket explodes in your chest. APs are the number of actions your character can take each turn in combat. Moving one hex (one meter) costs 1 AP. Reloading a weapon often takes 2 APs. Making a shot often takes 5 AP. A character’s base action points are equal to 5+ (1/2 AG, Round Down). Therefore, all characters start with at least 5 APs, and it is possible to have more than 10 APs.


CARRY WEIGHT

How much equipment your character can carry on his back, in his pockets, or in his backpack and fanny pack. Every item in the game weighs something. Carry Weight is 25 lbs + (25 X STR). A character with 6 STR can carry 175 lbs of equipment. Now, finding room for that much stuff may be a problem...


MELEE DAMAGE (MD)

This is how much damage your character does in unarmed combat and combat with melee weapons. The more melee damage your character does, the harder she or he hits. Strong characters can hit very hard; weak characters might do less damage or make blows so pitiful that they do no damage at all. Melee damage is equal to ST-5.


POISON RESISTANCE

Even in the post-nuclear world, there are certain chemicals that just don't mix well with human anatomy. Poison resistance is equal to 5 X EN. A character with an endurance of 6 will have a 30% Poison Resistance. That means they have a 30% chance of antibodies eliminating the poison. See Poison Damage in Combat: Damage and Death in Part III.

RADIATION RESISTANCE

In the post-nuclear world, radiation is always a concern. Some places are naturally radioactive, like the blast centers where nukes went off. Some are more radioactive than others; near the center of the blast, you are guaranteed to find more rads than 5 miles away. Radiation Resistance is equal to 2 X EN. It can be increased with chems (see Equipment: Chems) and with certain kinds of armor (see Equipment: Armor). A character with an 8 EN has 16% radiation resistance. This means that 16% of the rads that hit his skin do not go in. If he was standing at the rim of a blast crater and was taking 1000 rads every ten minutes (!), only 840 of those rads would enter his body. That still means he's going to glow like a lightbulb, but his skin won't fall off - right away.


GAS RESISTANCE

One of the nastier weapons in the wastes, gas attacks can cause massive amounts of damage to a large number of people, or cover a large area in a relatively small amount of time. Some gasses do not damage a target, but are merely designed to incapacitate it. Gas Resistance is based entirely on armor, race, and equipment. There are two kinds of gas attacks: Inhaled and Contact gasses. Inhaled gasses must enter the lungs before causing ill effects; Contact gasses are more like clouds of acid vapor, damaging any biological substance they come into contact with. Gas resistance is given in a X/X number, with the first variable representing Inhaled gasses and the second variable representing Contact gasses. Unless they have a racial modifier, starting Gas Resistance is always 0/0. Note that robots are never affected by gas attacks.


ELECTRICITY RESISTANCE

This measures how resistant a character is to electricity. Whenever the character takes damage from electricity, the amount of damage is reduced by their electricity resistance (a percentage). Unless a character’s race has built-in electrical damage, this number always starts at 0.

DAMAGE THRESHOLD

Damage Threshold represents the actual amount of damage that a piece of armor can stop. Note that on the character sheet, there is no Damage Threshold under Secondary Statistics; rather, it is under Armor. A character does not have any actual Damage Threshold until he or she is wearing armor of some kind, unless that character’s race includes some built-in armor. See Before Combat: Wearing Armor in Part III, below.


SEQUENCE

Sequence determines who goes first in a combat round. Of course, if you are the one initiating the combat, you automatically get to go first (you sneak up on a guard and clobber him in the head), but all the combat turns after that get broken down by Sequence, with highest Sequence going first, and so on down the line (see Combat: Sequence in Part III). Sequence is equal to 2 X PE.


HEALING RATE

Life possesses the remarkable ability to heal itself naturally. Your character's Healing Rate is the number of hit points they heal naturally in a day (24 hours) of activity, or in six hours of resting. Healing Rate is equal to 1/3 EN, Round Down.

A character with 7 EN would have a healing rate of 2 and heal 2 hit points in a 24-hour period where he or she was active (fighting, walking around, etc) and will heal 8 hit points in any 24 hour period where he or she is resting (sleeping, watching TV, etc.) See Healing under Combat: Damage and Death in Part III, below. Note that Robots do not naturally heal themselves, and therefore automatically have a Healing Rate of “0”.


CRITICAL CHANCE


This is the base chance to cause a critical hit in combat. High weapons skills and weapons of high quality can modify this number later. If a to-hit roll is successful and low enough that it fell within the character’s Critical Chance, the hit becomes critical (see Combat: Chance for Criticals in Part III). A base Critical Chance is equal to a character's Luck. A character with 3 Luck has a 3% base chance to critical hit.


Examples: Calculating Secondary Statistics and Adding Race and Trait Modifiers

Jack and Jane calculate their characters’ secondary statistics. Harry's maximum Hit Points is 32; Maverick's is 27. Harry's Armor Class is 8, and because he is a mutant, it probably won't get a whole lot better. Maverick's AC is only 5, but he can find some armor and protect himself a little better. Harry gets 9 Action Points and Maverick gets 7. Harry's Carry Weight is 200 lbs, where Maverick's is only 125. Harry's Melee Damage is a whopping 4 points because of his Heavy-Handed trait, and Maverick's is only 1. Harry enjoys a 45% Poison Resist and Maverick gets 20%; Harry's Radiation Resist is 60% because of his race and Maverick's is 8%. Neither character has any Gas Resistance, but Maverick has an innate 30% Electricity Resistance (Harry’s is 0). Harry has 10 Sequence, but Maverick is faster at 12. Harry's Healing Rate is 1 HP, and Maverick's is 1 as well. Harry gets a 6% chance to deal a critical hit (LK 6), but Maverick gets a 7% (LK 7).

[Nihtgenga]

5. Skills

Skill Families

One major difference between the computer Fallout games and the SPECIAL system introduced here is the inclusion of skill families and slightly different skills. Weapons especially are now organized differently, to reflect a more realistic approach to weapons knowledge – if you are good with a regular pistol, you are equally as good with an Energy pistol, for example. Also, the formulas for determining initial skill levels have been changed to reflect the latest SPECIAL changes. Everything else remains basically the same, with the exception of skills added for a more complete role-playing experience, such as Climbing and Swimming.

Tag skills

Every character gets three tag skills to start out with. These skills could best be described as the character's "gifted" areas, or areas of study in youth. Every character must take three tag skills, and only three, no more, no less (unless the character gets an extra tag skill because of a trait). Each tag skill value is immediately doubled after calculation (36% becomes 72%, etc.), and a tag skill grows twice as fast as a normal skill. When you spend skill points on a tag skill, it grows by 2% instead of 1%.


Skill List

This is a complete description of skills, and how one finds the base skill percentage. Base percentage is figured before ANY other skill adjustments are made - from tag skill adjustments, to traits, to addition of skill points. Skill points are added only after a character goes up a level (see Advancement: Experience in Chapter V: Advancement). Skills are based entirely upon four statistics – sometimes the same statistic used more than once – and have starting values ranging from 4 to 40.


Simple Weapons

Simple Weapons skills cover the most basic of attack tools – bare fists, claws, teeth, rocks, sticks, and clubs. It also covers more advanced versions of simple weapons, and the ability to throw weapons and other objects accurately. Factors such as strength levels and the ability to quickly land blows affect Simple Weapons skills.

Unarmed

This is the skill of beating people up with your fists and feet, from boxing to brawling to the martial arts. The better you are at this skill, the more likely you are going to hit them in combat. This skill also covers the use of weapons that enhance unarmed combat such as brass knuckles, spiked knuckles, and the legendary Power Fist. At higher skill levels, you will learn new techniques of fighting. See the Special Unarmed Attacks section directly below for a guide to the advanced martial arts techniques skilled users can learn. Initial level: Starting Unarmed skill is equal to STR+STR+STR+AG.

Special Unarmed Attacks

These attacks only become available to the true student of the unarmed arts. The requirement for each attack is listed, along with a description of the attack and the damage incurred.

Primary Punch Attacks:

Strong Punch

* Effects: +3 damage
* AP Cost: 3
* Requires: Unarmed 55%, Agility 6

Hammer Punch

* Effects: +5 damage, +5% critical chance
* AP Cost: 3
* Requires: Unarmed 75%, Agility 6, Strength 5, Level 6

Haymaker

* Effects: +7 Damage, +15% critical chance
* AP Cost: 3
* Requires: Unarmed 100%, Agility 7, Strength 5, Level 9

Secondary Punch Attacks:

Jab

* Effects: +3 damage, +10% critical chance
* AP Cost: 3
* Requires: Unarmed 75%, Agility 7, Strength 5, Level 5

Palm Strike

* Effects: +7 Damage, +20% critical chance, armor piercing (ignores armor class when dealing damage)
* AP Cost: 6
* Requires: Unarmed 115%, Agility 7, Strength 5, Level 12

Piercing Strike

* Effects: +10 damage, +40% Critical chance, armor piercing
* AP Cost: 8
* Requires: Unarmed 130%, Agility 7, Strength 5, Level 16

Primary Kick Attacks:

Strong Kick

* Effects: +5 damage
* AP Cost: 4
* Requires: Unarmed 40%, Agility 6

Snap Kick

* Effects: +7 Damage
* AP Cost: 4
* Requires: Unarmed 60%, Agility 6, Strength 6, Level 6

Power Kick

* Effects: +9 Damage, +5% Critical chance
* AP Cost: 4
* Requires: Unarmed 80%, Agility 6, Strength 6, Level 9

Secondary Kick Attacks:

Hip Kick

* Effects: +7 Damage
* AP Cost: 7
* Requires: Unarmed 60%, Agility 7, Strength 6, Level 6

Hook Kick

* Effects: +9 Damage, +10% critical chance, armor piercing
* AP Cost: 7
* Requires: Unarmed 100%, Agility 7, Strength 6, Level 12

Piercing Kick

* Effects: +12 Damage, +50% Critical chance, armor piercing
* AP Cost: 9
* Requires: Unarmed 125%, Agility 8, Strength 6, Level 15

Melee Weapons

This covers the use of melee weapons – basically, any weapon used in close combat to bludgeon, stab, slash, or wallop a target. Knives, spears, hammers, and crowbars are all melee weapons. Initial Melee Weapons skill is STR+STR+STR+AG.

Throwing

Whenever a character throws an object, this skill gets used. Throwing knives, small rocks, and grenades are throwing weapons. If you miss, the object still has to end up somewhere. It is possible to throw a weapon and have it end up right at your feet. If it's a knife, no big deal. If it's a grenade, that's a really big deal. The maximum distance you can throw a weapon is based on your character's Strength, and the type of weapon thrown. Starting Throwing skill is equal to STR+STR+AG+AG.

Ranged Weapons

When facing an opponent with a gigantic curved knife, it’s usually better to shoot them from afar rather than run up and see how close you can get. Ranged Weapons cover the art of plinking a target from a distance, whether the method of missile delivery be a hunting bow or a personal grenade launcher. Factors such as speed in combat, eyesight and targeting, understanding complex parts, and dealing with recoil all affect Ranged Weapons skills.

Primitive Missile Weapons

When the nukes hit, the factories that make ammunition for guns shut down. This means that ammunition can be very hard to come across in the Wastes, not to mention that no one is making guns anymore, and many people, especially Tribals and Raiders, have become quite adept at using bows, crossbows, slings, and other primitive missile weapons. Don’t let the name fool you: an arrow to the head, or a well-placed rock from a sling, can be just as deadly as a sniper’s bullet. Primitive Missile Weapons skill is also used when making or using primitive firearms, such as powder muskets. Initial Primitive Weapons skill is equal to PE+PE+STR+STR.

Small Guns

This skill covers the use of pistols, sub-machine guns, rifles, and shotguns. The higher your Small Guns skill, the easier it will be for you to hit your target, and the longer the effective range you will have in combat. Initial level: Starting Small Guns skill is equal to PE+PE+AG+AG.

Big Guns

This is the skill of flamethrowers, miniguns, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and other large support weapons. If it's a large weapon, you can count on Big Guns being the skill rolled against. Like Small Guns, the better your skill, the easier it will be to hit your target, and the longer the range of your shot. Initial level: Starting Big Guns skill is equal PE+STR+STR+AG.

Energy Weapons

The use of energy weapons is not a very common skill in the post-nuclear world. Energy weapons were just coming into actual warfare when the world blew up. Lasers and plasma weapons are covered by the Energy Weapons skill. Basically, if it uses an energy cell or power pack, and not cartridge ammunition, it falls under this skill. Initial level: Starting Energy Weapons skill is equal to PE+PE+AG+IN.


Healing

The ability to protect life can be just as important in Fallout as the ability to take life. These skills represent a character’s medical training as well as basic biological intuition and the ability to properly diagnose causes of illness and wounds that are not immediately apparent.

First Aid

The skill of minor healing. You will be able to heal minor wounds, cuts, and bruises with this skill. You can only use it three times a day, and it takes a little while to work. You can use it on yourself, or anyone you are feeling particularly nice to at the time. Each use of this skill takes 1d10 minutes and heals 1d10 Hit Points. In addition, a character can use a successful First Aid roll to prevent someone from taking damage from bleeding in combat. You can only use this skill 3 times a day regardless of how it is used. For more information, see Healing in Combat: Damage and Death, below. Initial Level: Starting First Aid skill is equal to IN+IN+IN+PE.

Doctor

A more advanced form of healing. You can heal serious damage and crippled limbs but not poison or radiation damage. Using this skill on crippled limbs takes a while to perform. Every crippled limb will add to the time required to use the Doctor skill. You can play Doctor with yourself (except if you are Blind), or any other person / critter you choose to be kind to. In addition, a character can prevent hit point loss from bleeding by successfully using the Doctor skill in combat, or restore those lost hit points by using the Doctor skill for 1d10 minutes after combat. You can only use the Doctor skill twice a day, regardless of how it is used. Initial Level: Starting Doctor skill is equal to IN+IN+IN+PE.

Thieving

No one ever said life in the Wastes would be easy. Some characters tend forego hard work in favor of the dishonest route to wealth and fame. The Thieving skills cover all the ways a character can pilfer, purloin, and place painful things on her rise to the top. These skills are derived from a character’s ability to move quickly, notice surroundings, and to use brains instead of brawn.

Sneak

The skill of being able to move quietly or out of sight. When you are sneaking, other people will be less likely to notice you - at a distance. If you get too close to a dangerous creature, no matter how good you are at sneaking, they will notice you. Of course, whether someone notices you is based on what direction they are facing, the amount of light in the area, the amount of cover you have, and a hell of a lot of luck. Such is the life of a thief. Successfully sneaking up on a person means you get a bonus should you want to try to steal from them. Your sneak skill is rolled when you start sneaking, and once a minute while still sneaking. Initial Level: Starting Sneak skill is equal to AG+AG+PE+IN.

Lockpick

If you need to open locks without the proper key, this is the skill for you. Use it to get what you want, but other people don't want you to have. Having an actual lockpick will improve your chances, but it is not necessary. There are two types of locks in the Fallout world: normal and electronic. Lockpicks work against normal locks, but to even attempt an electronic lock, you need an electronic lockpick. Certain locks can be harder to pick than others, and certain locks require that the picker has a lockpick. Initial Level: Starting Lockpick skill is equal AG+PE+PE+IN.

Steal

This is the art of removing things from a person or an object without being noticed. Even if you succeed, there is a chance that the critter might notice you. Larger objects are more difficult to steal than smaller objects. The more objects you try to steal, the more likely you are to get noticed. You cannot steal objects a person is using (guns they are holding in their hands, armor they are wearing on their body, etc). If you try to steal from a person, it might be a good idea to stand behind them so they can't see you as well. Initial Level: Starting Steal skill is equal to AG+AG+PE+IN.

Traps

Not only does the Traps skill involve setting and disarming devices that cause harm to others, but it also covers setting, timing, and handling explosives. The higher your Traps skill, the less likely it is a bomb will blow up in your face, a huge rock will crush your party, and the more likely it is that the timer you just set will go off when you want it to. Initial Level: Starting Traps skill is equal to AG+PE+PE+IN.


Technical

The Fallout universe is still a fairly technical place. Machines are everywhere, some in working condition, some just pieces of junk, and others waiting for the right repairperson to come along to make them work again. Technical skills cover everything from computers to cars, and the scientific ability to reason logically and solve problems. A character’s ability to examine a problem, solve it using reason, and to manipulate small parts all influence Technical skills.

Science

Science is the skill of working with electronic devices such as computers. It also covers how intuitive a character is. Characters with a high Science skill will notice things that others might miss, and characters who actively apply their Science skill to tasks can intuit answers to problems. Science skills are used when rolling to use (or break into) computers, determine what part a vehicle might need to run properly again, or to notice a vein of silver in an otherwise unremarkable rock. Science skill can also be used like First Aid to repair robots. Initial Level: Starting Science skill is equal to AG+PE+IN+IN.

Repair

Repair is the practical application of the Science skill. As things are constantly breaking in the wastes, and there aren't customer service hotlines anymore, a person with a high Repair skill is always good to have around. Repair covers fixing all manner of mechanical things, from guns to vehicles, and can also be used to intentionally sabotage or disable mechanical things. The Repair skill can also be used like Doctor to repair robots. Initial Level: Starting Repair skill is equal to STR+AG+PE+IN.

Pilot

This skill is how well a character can drive land-based vehicles (from Brahmin-driven carts to tanks), sea-based vehicles (from canoes to oil tankers), and air-based vehicles (from hang-gliders to vertibirds). Initial Level: Starting Pilot skill is equal to AG+AG+EN+PE.


Social

Social skills cover everything characters use in social situations. While combat may be a fun part of the Fallout world, most of the time characters will deal with NPCs on a more personable level, and a certain amount of social grace and tact will be necessary to successfully interact with most NPCs. The Social skills take into account a character’s witty nature, his general likableness, the ability to read another person, and plain dumb luck when choosing what another person wants to hear.

Speech

This is the skill of dialogue. The better your Speech skill, the more likely you will be able to get your way when talking to people. When there is a chance that an NPC might take your word, believe your lie, or just follow your instructions, this is the skill that is used. Initial Level: Starting Speech skill is equal CH+CH+IN+PE.

Barter

The skill of trading. In the post-nuclear world, currency is not always commonly used. Barter will allow you to get more for less when trading equipment, weapons, and other items. A high Barter skill will lower the prices you pay for items you purchase, and increase the money you get for selling excess equipment. A good Barter skill isn't important if you're killing everyone, but it certainly is a valuable skill for the non-berserkers out there. Initial Level: Starting Barter skill is equal to CH+CH+CH+PE.

Gambling

The Gambling skill covers a knowledge of and adeptness at games of chance. Someone with a high Gambling skill tends to win these games more often, or might notice if the game is dirty or rigged. Initial Level: Starting Gambling skill is equal to LK+LK+IN+PE.


Survival

Everyone has a built-in survival instinct, but how well those skills are honed is another story. Survival skills cover everything your character learned at summer camp: how to hunt, fish, build shelters, and survive in adverse and unusual conditions. They also include swimming and climbing, two of the most important skills when a character is out in the wilderness and cannot, for whatever reason, travel by road. A character’s stamina, resourcefulness, and pure physical prowess all contribute to his Survival skills.

Outdoorsman

This is the skill of outdoor living and survival in hostile environments. Basically, what they teach in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, modified for the post-nuclear world. Outdoorsman has many uses, from finding food and water in the middle of a vast wasteland to avoiding hostile creatures to knowledge about what plants and animals will help you or kill you. It's always good to have someone in the party who's an avid outdoorsman. Initial Level: Starting Outdoorsman skill is equal to IN+IN+EN+STR.

Climbing

As you might expect, the Climbing skill measures how well a character can climb. This includes not only finding purchases on sheer rock walls, but also covers avoiding falling when high above ground, either in combat or otherwise. If you plan on doing most of your fighting on top of buildings, Climbing is an important skill to learn. Initial Level: Starting Climb skill is equal to EN+EN+STR+STR.

Swimming

Naturally, the Swimming skill measures how well a character can swim. Swimming includes distance swimming, diving, and swimming underwater. Since the majority of the planet is still underwater, chances are your character will eventually encounter some of the wet stuff, and Swimming will be important when she does. Initial Level: Starting Swimming skill is equal to EN+EN+STR+IN.


Examples: Assigning Tag Skills and Calculating Skills

Jack and Jane first of all assign Harry and Maverick three tag skills. Jack decides that Harry will be extra-skilled in Unarmed Combat and Throwing. Jack considers that Harry might get into some long-ranged combat situations, so he gives Harry some Big Guns skills. Jane's diplomat needs Speech and Barter, and she decides that Maverick will be a good Gambler, too, so she tags that skill as well.

When the skills were all calculated, this is how the characters measured up to each other.

Harry:

* Small Guns 37%
* Big Guns (tag) 36%
* Energy Weapons 16%
* Unarmed Combat (tag) 80%
* Melee Weapons 50%
* Throwing (tag) 52%
* First Aid 26%
* Doctor 15%
* Sneak 29%
* Lockpick 23%
* Steal 24%
* Traps 23%
* Science 20%
* Repair 15%
* Pilot 26%
* Speech 26%
* Barter 16%
* Gambling 24%
* Outdoorsman 20%

Maverick:

* Small Guns 25%
* Big Guns 10%
* Energy Weapons 10%
* Unarmed Combat 48%
* Melee Weapons 38%
* Throwing 20%
* First Aid 22%
* Doctor 16%
* Sneak 20%
* Lockpick 21%
* Steal 15%
* Traps 21%
* Science 28%
* Repair 21%
* Pilot 22%
* Speech (tag) 55%
* Barter (tag) 48%
* Gambling (tag) 48%
* Outdoorsman 22%