Chapter Two: Character Creation

Characters are the essential building blocks of any Continuum Wars campaign. The
Gamemaster may set the stage, devise plots, and present the story, but it is the players, by way of their
characters, that drive the action and forge the drama. There are five essential steps to creating a
character in The Continuum Wars: Concept, Abilities, Skills, Feats, and the Fine Print. Throughout this
process, the player's character will take shape from a basic idea to a fully realized character, with
strengths, flaws, motives, and depth. While creating your character, you should bear in mind that this
will be your vessel throughout your adventures in the Continuum, so you should be sure that the
character you create is one you will enjoy playing for the long term, as hopefully they will have a long
and eventful career as a dimension-hopping champion of Fate. Also, your character will most likely not
be alone in their adventures. Every player will have a character that they will also be trying to enjoy
playing. Therefore, when playing in a group, you should try to create a character which can contribute
to the overall plot and character development without alienating your fellow players. It's alright to play
an antisocial loner with no social skills, so long as it contributes to the overall drama. Your character
should not become an excuse to act like a jerk to the other players.
Step One: Concept
The first step in creating a character in The Continuum Wars is to come up with a believable
character concept. Simply put, the character's concept is a brief explanation of who the character is,
where they're from, what they do, and what the overall premise is for the character. When devising a
character concept, the player should check with the Gamemaster to determine what type of mood he is
trying to create with his game. If the GM is trying to run a dark, introspective game, a silly or comedic
character concept may not be appropriate, for example. The Fatemarked come from all walks of life,
from all over the Continuum, so practically any type of concept could be fit into a game. For instance, a
department store sales clerk may not seem like an immediately interesting character concept, but Bruce
Campbell made it look darn good in Evil Dead. This is an important distinction from many other game
genres, where characters are supposed to be extraordinary in some way, Continuum Wars characters are
marked by Fate, and can be perfectly normal, in fact, it's encouraged. Though it is assumed that the
player will be creating a character from the modern era, with the GM's permission, you may even
create a character from a different time period. Though the possibilities are endless, there are a few
things you may wish to look out for.
Plausibility:
Character concepts should make sense, and be at least somewhat realistic. Remember that heroes in
The Continuum Wars are supposed to represent real persons. While it is reasonable to create a character
from a military background, for instance, it is another thing to create John Rambo. And while it may be
acceptable to create a computer geek or hacker concept, try to steer clear of the kid who could hack the
Pentagon computers at age 12. While these are not rules, per se, they do make good guidelines. For the
most part, unrealistic concepts tend to fall into a couple of categories:
Mary Sues: Let's say you want to create a character who is fresh out of high school, looking for
their place in the world. No problem there. Now, let's say the character in question is pretty, very
popular, athletic, smart, and has an amazing talent at (fill in the blank). You have just delved into the
territory of the Mary Sue (or, if the character is male, the Gary Stu). The bottom line is, that while such
examples do exist, it is largely unrealistic to assume that a person should be good at everything. These
characters often take on the semblance of a largely idealized version of the player. If you want to go
this route, try and focus on one or two area of improvement, and make them logical jumps from the
original template. All in all, if a character seems to good to be true, they probably are.

More Tragic than You: This stereotype leans the opposite direction. Characters of this nature
are a tragically-hip cocktail of every disaster that could possibly befall a soul. Histories of abuse, lost
loved ones, mental illness, and traumatic encounters are all too real in this world, but we do them a
disservice when we overdose on the tragedy. An overemphasis on this aspect of the character can take a
character we would otherwise empathize with into a farcical caricature. As above, a little bit goes a
long way when it comes to characters and their tragedies.
Cliches: Another convention to try and avoid is the cliche. This is a character who so
exaggeratedly embodies as concept that it verges on the vulgar. Not only are these examples unrealistic
to the extreme, they can also be offensive to other players. Some leeway may be granted here, if the
campaign is designed to be comedic and off-color, but unless it is fitting to the premise of the
campaign, cliches should be used sparingly, if at all. Often times players unwittingly create a cliche
when trying to create a legitimate character from a culture or lifestyle they are not well familiarized
with. A good way to avoid this is to do some research on the culture you will be embracing, try not to
stress the differences between the two cultures, and stick well within your personal comfort zone.
Playability:
In addition to Plausibility, players should keep in mind the Playability of their character
concepts. The main reason you are creating a character is to have them take part in the game, so you'll
be shooting yourself in the foot if you come up with a character concept that limits your ability to play
the game. Some examples of characters with playability issues are:
The Reluctant Hero: While there are many books and stories about unwilling protagonists,
who go forth and save the world (or whatever needs saving) in spite of themselves, the concept of the
reluctant hero actually creates several hitches when actually trying to play one. For one, the character
will suffer from difficulties becoming motivated to take part in the plot, and result in the player
spending a lot of time on the sidelines trying to find some reason to get involved in the plot. For
another, the Reluctant Hero often has difficulty relating to the more active members of the party. This
can create inter-party strife and lack of enjoyment all around, as each session includes the obligatory
get the Reluctant Hero to go along with the plan scene. This takes away from the action, and
adversely effects the pace of the game. If you do decide to play this archetype, one way to avoid trouble
is to put at least one strong motivating force into the character's concept, that the GM or players can use
to get you off your butt when it comes time to take action. This way, you can have all the enjoyment of
playing the Reluctant, with all the action of playing the Hero.
Limitations: While it is true that adversity builds character, some players may want to play
concepts they are too adversely limiting to actually enjoy playing. Severe physical or mental handicaps,
for instance, psychological instability, and ethical objections, may prevent the player from fully
enjoying the experience of playing their character. While overcoming these limitations may present
some excellent role-playing opportunities, a little goes a long way. Try to avoid crippling your
characters with drawbacks, or you may wind up frustrated by your new character.
Min-Maxing and Pigeonholing: Min-Maxing is the process of engineering a character's
Abilities and Skills to make them supremely good at one very limited aspect of play (such as combat,
for instance) while severely limiting their ability to do anything else. While a certain amount of this can
be used to make sure a character lives up to his or her concept, one should be careful when using this
technique. For one thing, Min-Maxing often results in a character that is unrealistic, being far better at
one specific task than they should, by all rights, be. Also, Min-Maxing can restrict the character from
partaking in a lot of the activities the characters may be called upon to do. This type of Min-Maxing

can result in a Pigeonholing effect, forcing the character armed only with a hammer to wait until a
nail happens along to be really useful.
As you work up your character concept, try to answer the following basic questions, as they will help
you refine and develop your concept.
What is Your Character's Name: This is always a good place to start. Names tell a lot about a
character. For example, do they go by their full name, or do they use a nickname. Do they have a
proper, serious sounding name. Take some time, and come up with a name that suits your style.
Where are they From: Are they from a big city, or a small town. What country, or what state.
Did they travel a lot as children, or stay in one place. Regional differences can make a huge difference
in character concept. For example, a character from a small, rural town in Kansas isn't likely to be a
champion Surfer.
What do they Look Like: Are they tall, short, average. What color hair, what color eyes. Are
they a boy or a girl. Having a good picture in mind for your character can make answering other
questions about your concept surprisingly easier. How do they prefer to dress, for example.
What do they Do: Are they a student, a laborer; what do they do for a living. Why did they
choose that occupation. What do they do for fun. Do they have any hobbies. How do they spend a
typical day. An interesting way to answer all of these questions is to fill out a fictitious job application
for the character, including school history, work background, hobbies, and whatnot.
How are they Motivated: What moves your character. Do they have any dislikes, or what are
their likes. Are they firmly grounded in logic, or do they have their head in the clouds. Are they
compassionate or selfish. In general, what will make the character choose to take action.
Lastly, be sure to consult with your Gamemaster both before and after developing your character's
concept. They may have specific ideas about what sort of concepts they would like to see in their game,
or have some suggestions that may make your concept more enjoyable or fitting with the mood of the
story. But the most important rule in this stage of creation is to make sure you have a concept you feel
will be entertaining to play over several sessions, or even years!
Step 2: The Abilities
Once you have a working concept in your mind for a character, it is time to put that concept into
a form that fits into the game's rules mechanics. The first step in doing this is to generate the character's
Abilities. Simply put, the Abilities are numeric values that represent the character's aptitudes in various
areas. These Abilities are: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These
Abilities are represented by a numeric score, a score of one indicating the barest possible aptitude, and
twenty being the pinnacle of human potential. Note that Abilities higher than twenty do exist, but this is
considered the highest score an unaugmented human will possess.
Strength: Strength represents the physical ability to exert force. It determines a character's
lifting capacity, carrying weight, and the ability to inflict damage in hand-to-hand combat. Higher than
average Strength Abilities provides a bonus to any attempt to exert raw force, such as breaking down a
door, as well as skills such as Jumping and Climbing.
Dexterity: Dexterity represents agility, co-ordination, and motor control. It determines a

character's reaction speed, accuracy with ranged weapons, and ability to avoid attacks. Higher than
average Dexterity Abilities provide a bonus to attempts to utilize motor skills, such as catching a falling
object, as well as skills such as Open Locks and Balance.
Constitution: Constitution represents a character's toughness, resistance to injury, and stamina.
It determines a character's resistance to extreme temperatures, poisons and diseases, as well as
determining how serious of an injury a character can survive. Higher than average Constitution
Abilities provide a bonus to attempt acts of physical exertion, such as holding one's breath, as will as
skills such as Concentration and Survival.
Intelligence: Intelligence represents a character's ability to process information and book
learning. It determines a character's chance to recall information and starting skills. Higher than
average Intelligence Abilities provide a bonus to attempts at information recall and memory, as well as
skills such as Appraise and Spellcraft.
Wisdom: Wisdom represents a character's common sense, deductive ability, and willpower. It
determines a character's resistance to mental trauma and perception. Higher than average Wisdom
Abilities provide a bonus to attempts to use strength of will, such a resisting the effects of mind-altering
substances, as well as skills such as Sense Motive and Investigate.
Charisma: Charisma represents a character's strength of personality, personal flair and style,
and overall appeal to other beings. It determines other people's initial reaction to the character, as well
as the character's innate luck. Higher than average Charisma Abilities will provide a bonus to attempts
to get by on luck and charm, as well as skills such as Perform and Bluff.
Determining Abilities:
In the Continuum Wars, there are two different methods used to determine a character's initial
starting Abilities. One method relies on random dice rolls, while the other uses a set of points allocated
into the Six Abilities. Before generating the character's Abilities, the player should consult with their
Gamemaster to determine which method they would prefer you use.
Method One: The Random Method: The first option for generating Abilities involves a
random roll of dice to determine the starting Ability scores. While it is possible to roll very high scores
with this method, it is also possible to roll very poor scores. If you use this method, don't be daunted if
you roll a character with low Abilities. Abilities alone do not make a character successful in The
Continuum Wars, and a character with low Abilities may present an interesting challenge to role play.
To generate Abilities using this method, the player rolls 4D6, discarding the lowest die, and adds the
total of the remaining three dice. The player does this six times, recording the results each time. When
the player has rolled all six times, they then choose which roll to assign to which Attribute, and records
them on the character sheet, along with any applicable modifiers. When assigning Ability rolls, try to
keep in mind the character's concept. If you have decided to play an asthmatic researcher, for instance,
it makes little sense to assign Constitution as your highest Attribute. If you wind up with Abilities that
do not support your chosen concept, feel free to modify your concept at this point.
Method Two: The Points Method: This option allows the character to fine-tune his Abilities to
perfectly match the concept they have chosen for their character. While method one allows the
possibility of higher base Abilities than this method, method two tends to create a more balanced set of
Abilities, and gives the player more freedom of choice when generating Abilities. To create a character
using this method, the player assumes that all of their Ability scores start at a 10. The character then has

15 points to distribute to increase these Abilities. The character can gain additional points by lowering
an Attribute, to a minimum of 8. Use the Table below to determine how many points it costs to raise an
Attribute.
Ability Cost Table
Point Cost

Attribute
8

-2

-1

10

11

(+1)

12

(+2)

13

(+3)

14

(+4)

15

(+6)

16

(+8)

17

(+11)

18

(+14)

Again, keep in mind your character's concept when assigning points to Abilities. An out-of-work pro
wrestler, for instance, may want more than a 10 in Strength and Constitution, so you may have to make
sacrifices in regards to other Abilities.
Ability Modifiers:
Each Ability provides a modifier to all skills associated with that attribute. More about that can
be found in the skills chapter later in the book. Also, each Ability modifies other statistics in game.
Strength: Modifies the character's rolls to hit and to do damage in hand-to-hand combat.
Dexterity: Modifies the character's Defense, chance to hit with ranged weapons, Reflex
saving throws, and Initiative.
Constitution: Modifies Fortitude saving throws and Hit Points per level.
Intelligence: Modifies the number of skill points a character receives each level.
Wisdom: Modifies the character's Willpower saving throws.
Charisma: Modifies the character's Luck saving throw and Fate Points received per level.
If many of these terms are unfamiliar, don't panic. You'll be reading more about them later on. For now,
however, it is enough to simply be aware of these modifiers and to note them on your character sheet.
The amount that an Ability modifies it's associated rolls is listed in the table below:
Ability Modifiers
Attribute

Modifier

12

-4

34

-3

56

-2

78

-1

9 10

11 12

(+1)

13 14

(+2)

15 16

(+3)

17 18

(+4)

19 20

(+5)

Each Additional 2

(+1)

Step Three: Skills

Skills are a representation of a character's ability to preform various tasks, such as picking a
lock, investigating a crime scene, or surviving in the wilderness. In the Continuum Wars, skills are
assigned a value, called a Rank, to represent how proficient a character is at a given skill. Each time a
character gains an experience level, they gain new points to place in their skill ranks, to represent an
improvement in proficiency, or the obtaining of a new skill. However, players do not begin the game as
newborns, with no skill whatsoever. So, when creating a new character, the player must assign ranks to
skills to represent what they have already learned throughout their lives.
Initial Skills: New characters receive a pool of points with which to purchase ranks in
beginning skills. This pool of points is equal to 5, plus the character's Intelligence Modifier, multiplied
by four.
Trained and Untrained Skills: Skills come in two varieties, Trained and Untrained. Trained
skills represent skills the character has received formal instruction in, while untrained skills are mostly
self-taught and thus, less proficient at. To represent the character's background instruction, the player
selects a number of skills as Trained skills equal to four, plus his Intelligence Modifier. These skills
should be marked as Trained on the character sheet. When purchasing Ranks in Trained skills, each
point spent grants one Rank in the skill. When purchasing Untrained skill Ranks, each point spent
grants only half a Rank. Players will gain new Trained skills as their character advances, but gaining a
new Trained skill does not increase the Skill's Rank, it only means that the character gains more benefit
from skill points spent in that skill from then on.
Limitations: A character may not spend more points in a skill than his level plus three. Thus,
for a newly-created character, this limits the Rank of a starting skill to four for a Trained Skill or two
for an Untrained skill. Each level, this maximum increases by one skill point. Thus, it takes two
experience level gains to increase the maximum Rank of an Untrained skill.
Ability Modifiers: Each skill is modified by an Ability score. The corresponding Ability for
each skill is listed on the Table below. These Abilities add their Ability Modifier to any rolls relating to
the use of that particular skill. Make sure to note the corresponding Ability modifier for each skill on
the character sheet.

Skill

Skill Ability Modifiers

Corresponding Ability

Appraise

Intelligence

Animal Empathy

Charisma

Balance

Dexterity

Bluff

Charisma

Climb

Strength

Computer Use

Intelligence

Concentration

Constitution

Craft

Intelligence

Decipher Script

Intelligence

Demolitions

Intelligence

Diplomacy

Charisma

Disable Device

Intelligence

Disguise

Charisma

Drive

Dexterity

Escape Artist

Dexterity

Forgery

Intelligence

Gambling

Wisdom

Gather Information

Charisma

Handle Animal

Charisma

Hide

Dexterity

Intimidate

Charisma or Strength

Investigate

Intelligence

Jump

Strength

Knowledge

Intelligence

Listen

Wisdom

Move Silently

Dexterity

Navigate

Intelligence

Open Lock

Dexterity

Perform

Charima

Pilot

Dexterity

Profession

Wisdom

Psychoanalysis

Wisdom

Literacy

None

Repair

Intelligence

Research

Intelligence

Ride

Dexterity

Search

Intelligence

Sense Motive

Wisdom

Sleight of Hand

Dexterity

Spot

Wisdom

Survival

Wisdom

Swim

Strength

Treat Injury

Wisdom

Tumble

Dexterity

Step Four: Feats:

A feat is a special ability or feature that gives your character a new ability or improves an ability
they already possess. Unlike skills, feats do not have Ranks, you either have the feat or you don't. Feats
modify the game mechanics in specific ways depending on which feat you select. Characters gain new
feats as they progress, but at a slower rate than the gaining of new skills. Also, unlike skills, many feats
possess prerequisites, meaning that a player cannot select a feat unless they first possess they proper
skills, abilities, or other feats that let them meet the conditions for taking the feat. Some feats are also
limited to specific Advanced Classes, and can only be taken by characters who are members of that
Class. Starting characters may select four feats from the list in Chapter Five. When selecting a
character's beginning feats, make sure that the character meets all the prerequisites for the feats you
choose, and also keep in mind your character's concept. For example, Archaic Weapon Proficiency may
sound like a useful feat to have, but unless your character has spent a lot of time studying fencing or
hanging out at Renaissance Festivals, it may not be easy to explain how your modern-day character
possesses it.
Step Five: The Fine Print:
The final step in character creation is to fill in all the holes and refine your character concept to
it's final form. Several pieces of information need to be entered into the character sheet, and a few
decisions need to be made. At this point, the rough concept you started step one with should be
beginning to take on a life of it's own. If not, perhaps you should consider going back through the
previous steps and make adjustments to your selections, or re-invent your character concept to fit the
selections you have made. After you are satisfied with the selections you have made and your character
concept, you can proceed with step five.
Hit Points: Hit Points represent how much physical injury a character can sustain before being
rendered disabled. As the character takes damage, these Hit Points are reduced, until the character is
rendered disabled at zero Hit Points. As characters progress in experience, they will gain more Hit
Points. A beginning character in the Continuum Wars starts with 1D8 Hit Points, plus the character's
Constitution modifier. Some Gamemasters will allow a starting character to begin with the maximum
amount of Hit Points, making this eight Hit Points, plus Constitution modifier.
Defense: Defense is a rating of how difficult it is to strike a damaging blow to the character in
combat. It increases with certain types of armor worn, as well as Feats which help the character dodge
attacks. It also increases as the character's Dexterity modifier improves, representing the character's

enhanced ability to avoid attacks. A character's base Defense is equal to 10, but is modified by the
character's Dexterity modifier.
Saving Throws: A saving throw is a specific type of roll used in the game to avoid detrimental
effects from a variety of sources. There are four types of Saving Throws.
Reflex: Reflex Saving Throws are used when the character has a chance to avoid
damage by leaping out of the way or otherwise dodging a trap or area effect.. Reflex Saving Throws are
modified by the character's Dexterity Modifier.
Fortitude: Fortitude Saving Throws are used when the character would have a chance to
avoid injury by way of sheer toughness and stamina, such as resisting poisons or exposure to the
elements. Fortitude Saving Throws are modified by the character's Constitution modifier.
Willpower: Willpower Saving Throws are used when the character would have a chance
of avoiding an effect by sheer force of will, such as resisting interrogation or torture, or shrugging off
mind-affecting powers or spells. Willpower Saving Throws are modified by the character's Wisdom
modifier.
Luck: Luck is a special type of Saving Throw. A character may opt to use a Luck Saving
Throw in place of any of the other types of Saving Throws. It represents the character's ability to avoid
injury by sheer luck. Using a Luck Saving Throw requires the expenditure of Fate Points, which will be
discussed later on. A character's Luck Saving Throw is modified by the character's Charisma modifier.
As a character progresses in experience, the bonuses they receive to these Saving Throws increase.
Depending on the character's Class, they will either gain bonuses to individual Saving Throws, or will
receive Saving Throw points to increase whichever Saving Throw bonuses they choose. A beginning
character in The Continuum Wars starts with a modifier of +1 to their Reflex, Fortitude, and Willpower
Saving Throws, and a bonus of +2 to their Luck Saving Throws.
Initiative: Initiative determines what order character's take action during combat or other
stressful situation where reaction speed becomes important. A character's Initiative modifier is equal to
their Dexterity modifier, unless further modified by the selection of specific Feats or Class abilities.
Base Attack Bonus (BaB): This number is the basic modifier the character receives to rolls to
attack in The Continuum Wars. It is modified by the character's Strength or Dexterity modifier,
depending on the type of attack used, and can be further modified by the selection of specific Feats.
This number increases as the character progresses in experience. A starting character has no Base
Attack Bonus, it is +0.
Speed: This is simply how fast a character can move. A starting character's Speed is 10 feet per
round in combat, but can be modified by specific powers, feats, and equipment. Running increases this
number temporarily.
Fate Points: Fate Points are what separate the Fatemarked from the rest of the populace. It
represents the Favor of Fate, and can be used to various effects throughout the game, such as providing
a one-time bonus to skill tests, using a Luck Saving Throw, or preventing an otherwise certain demise.
This pool of points increases as the character progresses in experience. A character's stating Fate Points
are equal to eight plus the character's Charisma modifier. More on Fate Points and how they are spent
can be found in Chapter Six.
Class: A character's Class is a definer of what type or role they play in the Continuum Wars,
and what sort of abilities they possess. The default Class for Player Characters in the Continuum Wars

is that of the Fatemarked. All player's characters begin with this as their class. As they progress
throughout the story, they will most likely develop a secondary Class, called an Advanced Character
Class, that grants them a number of amazing abilities.
Level: Level is a general representation of how powerful the character has become. As the
character gains in knowledge and experience, they will subsequently increase in level. When a
character achieves a new level, they gain Hit Points, skill points, and other bonuses, such as new feats
and abilities. Upon gaining a new level, the player must choose whether or not to apply the new level to
the Fatemarked Class, or to one of their Advanced Character Classes. Depending on which they choose,
they gain different abilities and bonuses. Since newly-created characters are considered to be just
starting out in the Continuum, they begin at Level One.