Alright, let's start with Character Creation - 'REAL WORLD' SELVES ONLY.
Still no concepts for in-game characters, please. Thank you. ^_^
The stone count is 15+20 challenges, plus 6 stones for 'Fluff' actions/modifiers. Why 15+20? Because unlike several other GMs, I disagree that 5+5 or whatnot covers anything close to a real life person (unless said real life person was horrible at nearly everything, entirely unremarkable in all Abilities, with the willpower of a goldfish and the knowledge and life experience of a kindergarten kid). I think an average person with decent skills at whatever they are good at can easily be worth 20 stones, and also, I consider the players in a game to be akin to the Main Cast of a movie/series, the protagonists of a world that, in a sense, revolves around them. In other words, exceptional individuals. Which makes it even more likely for them to be worth even more than that, depending on what they do for a living.
Why 20w Challenges? Not because I think all of you should have 20w Challenges. Just because I know, for a fact, several people around me who DEFINITELY have around that much. It's far less uncommon than people suspect IMO, and most of us have disadvantages, difficulties to deal with, and troubles in life which can easily be worth several stones. Also, main characters without challenges can be rather boring. One thing that makes heroes still human... is their flaws.
What are 'Fluff stones'? They are simply used to buy actions that might have little relevance to an adventure/benefit little to the character in general, but might be fun to have and adds flavor to a concept. For example, cooking, playing guitar, fashion, drawing, are all possible actions that could be bought with Fluff stones. NOTE: Such actions do not get the normal (-1 CL) due to being relatively useless when bought with Fluff stones.
NOTE: If your concept is the employee of DataDrive, you get 10 more stones to be spent on intellectual/knowledge/technology/science based actions. DataDrive only hires the best and the brightest, and the character working there will have a key role to play in the story as one of the main plot devices for handing out info to the players.
HOUSE RULES TO KEEP IN MINDI don't have my books with me, so it's not an extensive list:
please keep in mind that I might have to tell you guys via PM about possible changes to basic rules and costs. Otherwise, here are the changes which will take place from the top of my head as far as real world selves Character Creation is concerned:
-Hair and Eye color: This is an anime-based universe, even in the real world, so unusual hair and eye colors are possible. Blue, pink, bright red and purple hair at birth are all things that can happen, though they might be less frequent than basic colors.
-Close Combat is CL=AN+1; it comes with an Ability bonus + Weapon modifier.
-Ranged Combat is CL=AN+2, also has Abl.bonus + Wpn.modifier.
-Acrobatics does not automatically grants stones of defense against Falls; it grants only half AN rounded up, and only if you can 'jump down', not if you're thrown or pushed. Those stones do not stack with stones in Acrobatics shifted to defense; if you want more you have to pay for it.
-Black Ops comes with an Int.bonus.
-General Knowledge comes with a free Efficient advantage.
-It is impossible to have no Social Skills if you are a sentient being unless you are entirely unable to communicate vocally, physically or telepathically. Ergo: Buy some. XD
-Toughness is CL=MN+1.
-Normal human maximums are: Int 8, Str 3, Agl 3, Spd 2, Dur 3 (though one of the Physical abilities can exceed those scores in very rare, near freakish exceptions; we're talking the strongest man alive, the most agile athlete of the decade, etc), Ref.Dodge 3, Toughness 2, Mental Defense +5. Anything over those is superhuman.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF you guys have questions, comments or whatnot... fire away!
Still no concepts for in-game characters, please. Thank you. ^_^