Concept
- Start with a general idea of what you want to play. See Heroic Concepts if you need some ideas.
Culture
- Choose your character’s culture – the part of the world they come from. This has no game effect.
Hindrances
- Select up to four points of Hindrances (Major Hindrances are worth 2, Minor are worth 1).
- For 2 Hindrance points you can raise an attribute one die type, or choose an Edge.
- For 1 Hindrance point you can gain another skill point, or gain additional starting funds equal to twice your setting’s starting amount.
Attributes
- Attributes start at d4. You have 5 points to distribute among them. Each step costs 1 point.
- Attributes may not be raised beyond d12.
Literacy
In the world of Beasts & Barbarians most people are Illiterate. Rather than giving all characters the Illiterate Hindrance, you decide if your hero knows how to read and write or not: illiterate characters have an extra Skill point, to be spent on a Smarts-based skill.
Skills
- Athletics, Common Knowledge, Notice, Persuasion, and Stealth are core skills and start at d4 for free.
- You have 12 points to put into these or any other skills.
- Illiterate characters have an extra Skill point, to be spent on a Smarts-based skill.
- Each die type costs 1 point up to and equal to the linked attribute; then 2 points per step after that.
- Try to give your character a broad range of skills – there is much more to do in the world of Beasts and Barbarians than fighting!
Derived Statistics
- Standard Pace is 6″, but may be changed by Edges, or Hindrances.
- Parry is 2 plus half of Fighting.
- Toughness is 2 plus half of Vigor, plus any Armor. Note the amount of armor in parentheses like this—Toughness: 11 (2). This means 2 points of the total 11 Toughness comes from Armor. An Armor Piercing attack could bypass those 2 points but not the other 9.
Edges
- Because all characters are humans, they begin play with a free Novice Edge of their choosing (although they must meet its Requirements as usual).
- Use any leftover Hindrance points to take Edges if you like.
- Each Edge costs 2 Hindrance points.
Advances
Beasts & Barbarians heroes are more experienced than standard fantasy adventurers; they start the game at Seasoned Rank, so they can immediately take four Advances.
An Advance lets a character do one of the following (remember that no Trait may be raised above d12):
- Gain a new Edge.
- Increase a skill that is equal to or greater than its linked attribute one die type.
- Increase two skills that are lower than their linked attributes by one die type each (including new skills the character didn’t have before at d4).
- Increase one attribute by a die type. This option may only be taken once per Rank (so up to twice for new characters–once as a Novice and once with your fourth Advance, which takes you to Seasoned).
Gear
- Purchase up to 600 Moons’ worth of equipment.