Creating a Character

Example Character Sheet: Specialist Transport - Porter

The Player Characters (PCs) usually represent the heroic Biosphere Guardians of the setting - individuals who are part of the Biosphere Project team, and have a job/role within the Biosphere.

Each PC will have a Career and Expertise, and a ranking in each of the 10 Skills in the game, each counterpointed within the Skills Matrix.

To Create a Character you can use the following steps filling in the Character PlayBook Template here. We suggest this order, but feel free to do it in any order you like. Equally, if you want to choose number instead of rolling a D6, your have our explicit permission!

Defining the Skill Matrix

Each horizontal pair of Skills in the matrix always totals 6 points - with a minimum 1 and a maximum 5 on either side.

Follow these steps:

• Roll 1D6. Choose one horizontal Skill pair. Enter the value rolled as the score for either the left or the right Skill.

• Add the remaining points up to the total of 6 to the other Skill. e.g. Alex rolls a 2. They choose the Skill pair “Influence - Handiwork” and place the 2 rolled in Influence skill and 4 in the opposite skill Handiwork.
• Repeat this process until you have scores for all Skills.

If you ever roll a 6, you may choose how you wish to split the 6 point total for any undefined Skill pair.

Skills are deliberately horizontally paired to make hard decisions a part of creating a well-rounded character. However, we are not saying these concepts are fundamentally, thematically opposed, only that a character makes a trade-off whenever they specialise in a skill.

Here's a list of the skills, and example ways that you can use or define them. Italitics are to suggested ways to use them in combat.

	Example uses and descriptors		Example uses and descriptors
Aid	Healing, Assisting, Counselling	Trickery	Deception, Sneaking, Lying, Sleight of hand, Stealth, Forgery,
Force	Physical strength, Manual Labour, Toughness, Intimidation, Breaking	Senses	Perception - All 6: Vision, Smell, Taste, Hearing, Touch, Presence
Nature	Practical knowledge of Animals, Plants, the Landscape and climate	Technology	Practical knowledge to human tools and devices
Logic	Knowledge - Book Smart - Processing of information	Agility	Coordination, Running, Jumping, Climbing, Speed, Martial Arts
Influence	Inspire, Manipulation, Charm, Debate, Inform	Handiwork	Crafting, Lock-picking, Handling, Mechanics, Precision and Accuracy

Choose a Career and Expertise:

Every Biosphere Guardians has a role within the project and we use the term Career to define broad categories of responsibility. Every Career has a list of possible Expertise that can define a characters specific set of aptitudes and interests, but you can also create your own if these don't fit your idea for a character.

Each Career comes with a set of Abilities the character can unlock as they advance in the game.

When a Player Character is rolling a skill check where they can leverage their Expertise keyword, they may roll that check with Advantage :-)

Choose or Roll a Career or Expertise from the table below:

Roll	Career	Expertise
		1	2	3	4	5	6	Create Your Own!
1	Specialist	Builder	Agriculturist	Animal Handler	Technician	Aquatics	Transport
2	Creative	Artist	Inventor	Writer	Software Engineer	Marketer	Geo-architect
3	Researcher	Geologist	Historian	Analyst	Geneticist	Zoologist	Botanist
4	Medic	Paramedic	Physiotherapist	Psychologist	Prosthetics Expert	Mortician	Veterinarian
5	Ranger	Scout	Counter-Poacher	Security	Survivalist	Emergency Rescuer	Navigator
6	Activist	Radical	Educator	Guide	Influencer	Diplomat	Public Relations

Favoured Skills

The first Career Ability that every characters gets is to choose one skill as Favoured meaning you fill in the little diamond next to the skill ♢

This skill is now has a -1 to every roll you make - even when rolling with advantage or disadvantage. This can make a bad or middling score much more usable.

However, a roll of 6 are always Critical Failures regardless, and a roll can never be modified to lower than 1.

Look here for more information on Careers and Expertise, including Career Abilities.

Choose Equipment and Protection

• Create or Choose a Protection - this keyword will help you ignore at least 1 condition if you can justifiably apply it. See Protection for a list of suggestions.
• Create or Choose a item of Equipment : Guardians are often well equipped, and you can usually find what you need if your at a Biosphere Base, but create or choose a weapon or a special piece of equipment, vehicle, or even just a personal item, that your character always has with them.

Finishing Touches

• Briefly describe your character and their background. Some prompting questions:
  • How old are they? Do they remember life before the Biosphere?
  • How did they get involved in the Biosphere Project?
  • What do they care most about in their lives right now?
  • What do they look like: imagine their silhouette - what's their clothing/apparel, hair and expression?

• Have a go at drawing your Character Portrait, or ask an artistic friend to do it for you (buy them dinner or something)
• Finally, create a Name for your character; ideally appropriate to the setting, themes and genre of your game.