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Chapter One: CharactersIn this simulation, you will create and portray--as an actor would--a character who is a member of Stargate Command. Do not be concerned if you feel you have a lack of acting ability or no professional theatrical experience. We are testing the decisions you choose to make within the context of the simulation, not your ability to deliver a convincing line of dialogue. Relax, do your best, and think. About the AttributesYour character has three defining attributes: Muscle, Flex, and Savvy. These attributes describe the character's innate abilities and in turn serve as the basis for the character's skills--what he can do and how well he can do it.Muscle measures a character's overall physical prowess, covering both strength and endurance. This governs his ability to lift heavy objects, to run a long distance, to withstand injury, and other general body functions. Flex measures a character's coordination and reflexes. This governs his ability to do somersaults, fire a gun, drive a car, throw an accurate punch, and other functions involving speed and hand-eye coordination. Savvy measures a character's intellect and knowledge, both from academic learning and direct experience, as well as his alertness and perception. This governs his ability to speak a language, pick a lock, understand quantum physics, win at poker, notice something sneaky going on, and generally get through life.
About the DiceThis simulation uses dice to simulate the randomness inherent in the application of human abilities. Will you succeed or will you fail? To some degree, the dice decide. The dice used in Stargate are of standard six-sided structure. Characters in this simulation are rated on their various attributes and skills. Each rating carries a die code. The die code is the number of six-sided dice you roll during the simulation when you use the attribute or skill; higher numbers are better. One die is abbreviated as 1D, two dice is 2D, three dice is 3D, and so on. Attributes and skills can also have additions to them, such as 2D+1 or 3D+2. (Additions never go above +2.) The addition represents a non-random amount added to the total of the dice rolled. An attribute or skill rated at 2D+1, for example, would be simulated by rolling two six-sided dice and then adding one point to the total: a 2D+1 roll of two and six, for example, would total to nine (2 + 6 + 1 = 9). For purposes of character creation, you need to understand the scale of human achievement represented by the dice. An ability rated at 2D is about human average for someone with basic training or life experience in that ability. An ability rated at 4D, on the other hand, represents a high degree of achievement--the level of a talented professional, for example. Higher ratings are certainly possible, and would be indicative of specialists and highly experienced individuals. During the simulation, you will be rolling dice in an effort to match or exceed a specific difficulty number. This number varies depending on what you are attempting. The higher the number, the higher the degree of difficulty. The better your die code is, the more dice you get to roll and the more additions you get to add, which gives you a better chance of rolling a higher number--and therefore a better chance of matching or exceeding the difficulty number for the situation at hand.
Selecting a TemplateAppendix II: Character Templates contains numerous profiles of possible character types. These are not completely realized characters as such. Instead, each template is a blueprint for creating a character. The variety of templates simulates the variety of personnel presently employed by SGC or hypothesized as possible SGC candidates, including federal employees (such as members of the military), private citizens (such as scholars and specialists), and even members of transplanted human cultures and xenogenics encountered through the Stargates. The first step in this simulation is to select a template from Appendix II. Look through all the templates and choose one that appeals to you. It is not critical that you select a template that resembles your real-life training, skills, and profession; we want you to eventually play many different characters over the course of the simulation period so that you better understand not just your role, but the roles of your fellow SGC personnel in our program. For purposes of this simulation, you and the other members of your training group will usually be working as SG-1, our first-contact team. SG-1 incorporates the widest variety of personnel types and deals with the most unusual situations. Our other SG teams are specialist teams; generally, they are the ones who follow the trail blazed by SG-1 into alien worlds. If you need guidance in selecting a template, consult your SGC Supervisor. The Supervisor administers each simulation session, serving as a sort of referee or moderator for the simulation. You will interact extensively with your Supervisor, who will portray the roles of the many individuals you meet in the course of the simulation. At the moment, your Supervisor will be familiar with the planned simulation sessions that await you, and he can guide you in selecting an appropriate template. Template selection is not necessarily a solitary endeavor. If possible, collaborate with the rest of your training group to ensure that there is little overlap in your template choices. An SG-1 team is composed of a variety of personnel and your group's selection of templates should reflect this. XXX BEGIN GRAPHIC #002 XXX
A Sample TemplateThe following template is taken from Appendix II. The notes by each section explain what the various components of the template are. Read these notes before continuing in this chapter. [insert any template here, with the notes below dropped in like word balloons in a comic strip] Personal Information: Name, template type, gender, species, age, height, weight, and physical description. These are the sorts of things that other characters will learn about you on first meeting. Attributes: Your character has three defining attributes: Muscle, Flex, and Savvy. These attributes describe the character's innate abilities. Skills: Each attribute has a variety of related skills. These are abilities you learn, such as First Aid or Cartography. Move: This rating shows how fast your character can move in five seconds. The number shown represents how many meters he can travel in that span of time. Most characters have a Move rating of ten. Equipment: This lists the standard equipment you take with you on every SGC mission. Background, Personality, Objectives: The template lists a basic explanation of how this type of character came to be, what he's like, and what his objectives are. You will customize and expand these categories to fit your particular character, or even disregard them entirely and make up your own. A Quote: People say distinctive things. You can use the quote supplied, or make up your own. It's sort of a personal catch-phrase. Examples might include, "Hasta la vista, baby," or "Wherever you go, there you are," or "I've got a bad feeling about this." XXX END GRAPHIC XXX
The Character SheetA blank character sheet is included in this simulation document which you may photocopy for your use. Your Supervisor may also have blank copies available for your training group. The character sheet is a record of your character's abilities and experiences. Initially, you will record basic, defining information here such as your characters name, attributes, and so forth. Over the course of play, you will use the sheet to note changes and improvements in your character, as well as to make notes on your character's experiences with SGC. Right now, you need to copy some information from the template you've chosen to your blank character sheet. You should copy the template type, the die codes of the three attributes (Muscle, Flex, and Savvy), the skills listed beneath each attribute, and finally your equipment list. Other template items--such as background, personality, and so forth--will be customized and expanded as explained in the following sections. Do not copy them verbatim.
Detailing a CharacterA character template is a starting point, but it's only a description of a type of character. There are numerous anthropologists working for SGC, for example--how do you make yours different from the rest?
Physical DescriptionWhat does your character look like? Appearance can say a lot about your character, so spend some time thinking about this. Figure out hair color, eye color, and other physical qualities. Is your character in shape or overweight? Attractive or plain? List anything unusual about your character's appearance, like tattoos, facial scars, birthmarks, or anything else that springs to mind. Think about your character's presence, body language, and mannerisms. Is he menacing? Shy? Outgoing and popular? Or does he walk with a limp, or have an accent? Does he have a nervous twitch when he lies? What kind of impression does your character give people on first meeting?
Attribute SnapsWhen you create your character, your three attributes will each have different numerical values, depending on which template you selected. Once you've chosen a template, you'll describe each attribute as it relates to your particular character. We call these brief descriptions snaps. Snaps explain how two characters with an identical attribute value are nonetheless different. They help you to portray your character, and they help your Supervisor to know what your character is especially good or bad at. Each snap should just be a short phrase, maybe five or ten words long at most. Here are some examples:
Muscle"Not strong, but lots of staying power." Flex"Lightning-quick." Savvy"Book-smart and street-stupid."
Get It?Snaps aren't bought with points or bound by any rules. They're here to help you with characterization--that is, to help you understand why your character is different from someone else's. Snaps give you, the other players, and the GM, a short and simple way to visualize your character and understand what he's like.
BackgroundThis tells you a little bit about what your character did up until the simulation begins. The background is for you and the Supervisor only--you only have to tell the rest of your group as much about your character as you want to. One of the major goals you should try to achieve in this stage is to establish how your character came to have the particular skills and abilities he now possesses, as well as how he came to be in the service of Stargate Command. Was he in the military? A professor? A scientist? Who contacted him for service in SGC? What was his first reaction when he was briefed on SGC's operations--skeptical, excited? You can develop a much more detailed background if you want to, and you are encouraged to do so. What kind of odd jobs has your character held? Where has he travelled and who does he know? What was his childhood and adolescence like? Who were his parents, siblings, relatives, and friends--and how does he get along with them? A well-developed background can give the Supervisor plenty of ideas for fine-tuning your simulation sessions, while allowing for new developments along the way. The more credible your character, the more successful the simulation.
PersonalityThis is how your character generally acts. He won't always act this way, but it's a good summary. You should spend a few minutes creating a personality that is interesting and challenging for you to portray. Characters should have both good points and bad points. In the course of your SGC work--as in every field of human endeavor--your colleagues are likely to have personality quirks that you find annoying or puzzling. Portraying a character who has such quirks should help you to better grasp the interpersonal issues that are a function of every collective enterprise. Good teamwork is essential to the success of our mission, and that means finding a way to get along with your teammates. Detail your character's personality. Is he perpetually worried? Too eager to fight? Does he have an almost neurotic need to assert authority? Think about your character's sense of morality. Naturally, we expect the best of our personnel. But everyone has gray areas of morality where they may doubt their own judgment. To best serve your duty under SGC, we encourage you to work to resolve such issues--whether your own or fictional--so that you are better prepared to deal with them in the real-life situations you will face when your simulation training is complete.
ObjectivesThis is what your character hopes to accomplish. What motivates your character? Need (for money, power, or something else)? Love? A sense of honor? A desire for adventure and excitement? Objectives can be immediate, short-term, or long-term. Some characters don't care much about anything past their next paycheck, while others have long-term goals, like writing a novel or becoming a top officer in their branch of the military. Goals can be noble or selfish, grandiose or modest, or whatever else you come up with. Character objectives can also change during the simulation. The objectives you make notes on at this stage are just what your character is interested in now.
Connection With Other CharactersObviously, all of the characters in your training group will be members of the same SGC team. But are there other connections? Perhaps two or more of you have served or worked together before. Perhaps you have strong loyalties, or stronger grudges. Before the simulation begins, you should take a blank piece of paper and list the names of the other characters in your SGC unit. Allow a generous amount of blank space between each name. As the simulation begins and progresses, use that paper to jot down notes on your fellow characters--first impressions, observations, praise, and criticism.
Pick SkillsWhile the three attributes cover a character's inborn abilities in certain areas, there are many other things that define your character. That's where skills come in. Each skill is explained in the next chapter, Attributes and Skills. Refer to that chapter as needed during this stage of character creation. When you create a new character, you have seven dice (7D) to spend on skills. You can add 1D or 2D to any of the skills shown on your template (but if the skill has a "+" symbol in front of it, refer to "Plus Skills," later in this chapter). All of the skills listed beneath a given attribute have an initial rating equal to that attribute's die code. For example, the skill Swim appears under the Muscle attribute. If your template's Muscle rating was 3D, then your Swim skill would have an initial rating of 3D also. You could add 1D or 2D to that skill out of your total of 7D available, gaining a Swim rating of 4D or 5D. Normally, you can only use skills listed on your template. If your Supervisor agrees, you may add other skills to your character during character creation that are not present on the template, reflecting the circumstances of your character's background. The anthropologist template, for example, does not include the skill Swim. If your anthropologist was on the swim team in college, your Supervisor could allow you to add Swim under the Muscle attribute. If you don't add any dice to a given skill--and you don't have enough dice to improve them all--then that skill has a rating equal to the parent attribute. If your Muscle rating was 3D and you added no points to your Swim skill (which has Muscle as a parent attribute), then your Swim skill would simply be 3D.
SpecializationsYou can spend 1D of your character's beginning skill dice to get three specializations; add 1D to each specialization. A number of skills listed in the next chapter have specializations--that is, specific areas of focus within a given skill that you can choose to specifically improve. You may create new specializations with the Supervisor's permission. You use the specialization's rating only when you use the specific item or knowledge covered by the specialization; otherwise, you use the basic skill (or the parent attribute if you haven't improved the skill). For example, if you have the Swim skill you could choose to specialize in SCUBA Diving. SCUBA Diving would then have a rating of 1D higher than your basic Swim skill. Specializations are really useful when a character is going to be using the same item over and over. For example, an Army character might choose to specialize in M-16 under the Firearms skill. Whenever that character used an M-16, he would have a better chance of success than when he used some other firearm.
Plus SkillsSkills preceded by a plus symbol (+) cannot be used unless their parent skill is at least 2D higher than the parent attribute. Plus skills always start at 1D, instead of the rating of their parent attribute, but if available may be improved during character creation. For example, the plus skill of Acrobatics has the parent skill of Dodge, which in turn has the parent attribute of Flex. If a character's Dodge rating was 2D or more than the Flex rating, you would have the skill Acrobatics at an initial rating of 1D and could spend 1D or 2D on Acrobatics during character creation. You can improve a parent skill in order to gain access to a plus skill. For example, let's say a new character has a Flex rating of 1D, which means that he also has a Dodge rating of 1D. Since Dodge and Flex are equal, however, the character can not use the Acrobatics plus skill. If you chose to spend 2D of your character-creation points on Dodge, it would be improved to 3D--2D higher than the parent attribute, Flex. Once this is done, the character immediately gains a 1D rating in Acrobatics for no additional cost. You could then expend another 1D or 2D on Acrobatics to raise it to 2D. If the parent skill is not at least 2D higher than the parent attribute, you cannot use the plus skill.
Plus Skills and Parent SkillsWhen you have plus skills available to your character, they also serve as bonuses to the parent skill when you use it during the simulation. For example, if you have the Acrobatics plus skill at a rating of 2D, and the parent Dodge skill at a rating of 3D, then any time you have to roll your Dodge skill during the simulation, you roll it at 5D (2D for Acrobatics + 3D for Dodge). This represents the way in which training in a narrow plus skill has broader applications to the parent skill. In the case of Dodge/Acrobatics, for example, your increased knowledge of Acrobatics also helps you to Dodge better. XXX BEGIN BOXED TEXT XXX
Optional: Creating A New TemplateYou're not limited to the templates supplied with this document. If your Supervisor allows it and approves the result, you can create your own template and use that to build your character. Your new template doesn't necessarily have to be a character type that any number of different characters could be created from--it can be very narrow in scope. "Creating a new template" essentially means building your character from the ground up, including customizing the attributes. First, decide what type of person you want to play and write up his background and personality. (Refer back to "Selecting a Template" for some hints.)
TypeYour template needs a "type": a short title that describes your character. Look at the template types listed in Appendix II and use them as inspiration--and to make sure you aren't reinventing the wheel, so to speak.
Select a SpeciesMost templates are humans, but you can also choose to be a transplanted human or a xenogenic. Several transplanted humans and xenogenics (with simulation statistics) are described in the chapter Aliens.
Attribute DiceEach species description has an "Attribute Dice" listing. Your template begins with an extra 3D for attribute dice. For example, humans have 6D attribute dice, to which you add your extra 3D for a total of 9D.
Determine AttributesEach species description has a listing for each attribute. The left number is the minimum attribute die code; the right number is the maximum attribute die code.
HumanAttribute Dice: 6D (+3D for template creation)MUSCLE: 2D/5D FLEX: 2D/5D SAVVY: 2D/5D Move: 10/12 Split up your attribute dice among the three attributes, making sure that each attribute is no less than the minimum and no more than the maximum die code. You can split a die (1D) into two or three additions (additions are +1 or +2, as described earlier). When you split a die, you can have either three +1 additions or one +1 and one +2 additions. You'll never see a +3--instead, the die code increases to the next full die. For example: 2D, 2D+1, 2D+2, then 3D, 3D+1, 3D+2, then 4D, and so on. For example, if you were creating a human character then you could spend your 9D attribute dice as follows. 3D for Muscle, 2D+1 for Flex, and 3D+2 for Savvy. Or it could be 3D+1 for Muscle, 2D+1 for Flex, and 3D+1 for Savvy.
MoveEach species' Move ability has two numbers. The left number is the normal Move for an adult of the species; your character starts with this Move. The Move rating is how many meters your character can move in a round--movement rules are discussed in the chapter Movement and Chases. The right number is the maximum Move a member of the species can have--the section "Character Advancement" tells you how you can increase your character's Move rate.
List SkillsList several skills under each attribute. There's no need to go overboard since a beginning character only has 7D for starting skills. (Your character can later learn a skill even if it's not listed on the template--only list the skills you want to be able to use right now.) The Supervisor can eliminate any unusual or advanced skills from a template, so have a good explanation for how the character could know these types of skills.
Starting EquipmentEach template has a list of basic equipment issued by SGC, plus a few items relevant to his specialty. Every character should have the following basic equipment: XXX DETERMINE LIST OF BASIC EQUIPMENT XXX. Beyond this, you will need to choose other equipment such as weapons, special equipment, and so forth that is appropriate to your new template. When you're done, show your new template to the Supervisor for approval and adjustment. The Supervisor can change or cross out anything that is inappropriate. To finish the character, go back to "Finishing the Template." XXX END BOXED TEXT XXX
Character AdvancementDuring the course of this simulation, your character will grow and change, just as you have. To simulate this growth, after each simulation session your Supervisor will grant you a variable number of character points. The better you did during the session, the more character points you will be awarded. Character points represent the experience and training you gain during the simulation. You can spend character points like you spend money, improving your abilities over time.
Improving SkillsYou can improve a skill by one addition (+1) between each simulation session, although you can improve multiple skills by one addition each (subject to the limit of the number of character points you have available to spend). The number of character points you spend to improve a given skill by one addition is equal to the number of dice (ignoring additions) the skill is already at. If the skill already has an addition of +2, the next increase takes it to the next full D, with no additions. For example, you could raise your character's Swim skill from 2D to 2D+1, your Dodge skill from 3D+1 to 3D+2, and your Firearms skill from 2D+2 to 3D. That would cost a total of seven character points: two for Swim (which was at 2D), three for Dodge (which was at 3D), and two for Firearms (which was at 2D). Normally, you can only improve your character's skills between simulation sessions. At the Supervisor's discretion, you can also improve a skill if there is a significant lull in the events of the session--enough time to practice the skill and get better at it, in other words. You still have to already have the necessary character points to make the improvement before improvement begins.
Improving SpecializationsTo improve a specialization between simulation sessions, the character point cost is one-half the number of dice the parent skill is already at (ignoring additions), rounded up. If the parent skill is improved, the specialization doesn't also increase. For example, your character might have a Firearms skill of 3D+2, and a specialization of Sharpshooting at 5D. To improve Sharpshooting, you spend two character points--half of 3D is 1.5, rounded up to two. If instead you improved your character's Firearms skill from 3D+2 to 4D, the Sharpshooting specialization does not change.
Improving Plus SkillsPlus-skill advancement works like specialization advancement, except that the character point cost is twice the parent skill's rating. In all other respects it is identical to specialization advancement. For example, your character might have a Dodge skill of 5D, and a plus skill of Acrobatics at 2D. To improve Acrobatics, you spend ten character points--twice 5D is ten.
Learning New Skills & SpecializationsBetween simulation sessions, your character can learn a new skill or specialization--that is, one that has not previously been increased above the parent attribute or skill's rating--by paying enough character points to advance it one addition above the attribute. The cost for a new skill or specialization is identical to that of improving an existing skill or specialization. New skills and specializations begin at the same rating as the parent attribute or skill prior to improvement and are only increased by one addition. Further advancement of a new skill or specialization beyond the one addition has to wait until after a future simulation session. For example, your character might have a Savvy attribute of 4D+2. You can learn the Persuasion skill and improve it by spending two character points (half of 4D is two), raising the new Persuasion skill from 4D+2 to 5D. If your character has already learned Persuasion and has it at 5D, you can learn the new Persuasion specialization of Bargain by spending three points (half of 5D is 2.5, rounded up to three), raising Bargain from 5D to 5D+1.
Learning New Plus SkillsYour character can learn a new plus skill between simulation sessions if the parent skill is already at least 2D higher than the parent attribute. Learning a new plus skill costs two character points. New plus skills are learned at a rating of 1D, and cannot be increased beyond 1D when they are first learned. Subsequent advancement has to occur after a future simulation session. For example, if your character has a Flex attribute of 3D, and the Firearms skill at 5D+1, you could learn the Heavy Weapons plus skill by spending two character points. You would then have the Heavy Weapons plus skill at a rating of 1D, but could not improve it further under after your next simulation session.
Improving AttributesYou may improve your character's attributes by one addition at a time between simulation sessions. The character point cost to do this is the existing rating of the attribute multiplied by ten. When you improve your character's attribute by one addition, all skills under that attribute (including specializations but not including plus skills) also increase by one addition. For example, you could improve your character's Flex attribute from 3D to 3D+1 by spending thirty character points--3D multiplied by ten is thirty. Your Firearms skill would increase from 5D+1 to 5D+2, and your Sharpshooting specialization (if you had it) would increase from 5D+2 to 6D. However, your Firearms plus skill Heavy Weapons would not increase. There is a limit to how high an attribute can go--a person can only be so smart or so strong. Improvement is difficult. When you spend points to improve an attribute, the Supervisor makes a die roll based on the attribute's maximum for your species (for humans, this is 5D). You also make a roll, this one equal to your character's hoped-for new attribute level. If your roll is equal to or less than the Supervisor's die roll, the character's attribute goes up as planned. If your roll is higher, the attribute doesn't go up but you get back half of the character points you spent. For example, if you were increasing your Flex attribute from 3D to 3D+1 as described earlier, you would spend the thirty character points required and then make a die roll of 3D+1. The Supervisor would make a roll of 5D, the maximum Flex attribute rating for your (human) character. You roll fifteen. If the Supervisor rolls fifteen or less, your Flex does go from 3D to 3D+1. If, however, the Supervisor rolls a sixteen or higher on 5D, your Flex remains at 3D and you get back fifteen out of the thirty character points you spent. It does not matter if you or the Supervisor rolls first, or if you roll simultaneously. You can flip a coin, or just decide.
Improving MoveYou may improve your character's Move score between simulation sessions by one meter at a time. The character point cost is the character's current Move rating before improvement. You may not improve your character's Move score above your species' maximum. (For humans, this is twelve.) For example, you could improve your Move score from ten to eleven by spending ten character points.
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