Building character

For some tips on student types, see ETU Players Guide page 10. For some almost completed Archetypes, see https://www.peginc.com/store/etu-archetypes/ (or talk to me.)

Characters

You may want to use Savage Worlds for Hero Lab to create the character, but please use a printed character sheet during play. You will find the jk_etu.user file in our dropbox folder, along with a Template character for Hero Lab. Read the 'how_to_build_character_in_hero_lab.txt' file before you start.

At the start of the campaign, create a Freshman character as per page 8 of the Player's Guide, except as follows:

Forbidden Hindrances: Elderly, Townie, Young

State your High Concept (i.e. describe your character using no more than a couple of words, such as " Gangsta rapper wannabe...", "Wenger Mennonite on his Rumspringa...", "Jock with a heart of gold...".)

State your Trouble (i.e. continue the High Concept with the most important complication of your life, such as "whose twin brother is a major asshole.", "who once shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.", "who is functionally illiterate.") (Write this as the first line of your Personal Details in Hero Lab.)

Your High Concept and your Trouble might be reflected in your Edges and Hindrances, but should definitely be a focus of your backstory.

Your High Concept, Trouble, Edges and Hindrances are your major sources of Bennies in gameplay as you get Bennies for roleplaying them. (E.g. While searching a haunted house you state that your Curious character follows the bloodstains into the basement without telling the others...)

Or I might Compel one of them to cause you some trouble, either giving you a Benny if you accept, or charging you one if you don't accept my compel. (E.g. I might offer a Curious character a Benny to head down into the basement alone...) Other players can also choose to Compel other characters if they feel it would make for a better story if something were to happen. (E.g. Laura Compels Andrews's "Overachieving preppy... who can't resist snooping around where she shouldn't be." to head to the basement alone while the rest search the top floor, because she suspects the Dean has a Creepy Basement scene in store for them and would like to see how Andrew's character reacts to it.)

Skills for Majors/Double Majors (ETUPG p9 and 26):

Normally a Knowledge skill, usually named after the Major (or in the case of the ones with a parenthesised list, you should probably take one of the subjects listed inside the parantheses. Exceptions are possible if you have a good reason (such as being a General Studies freshman, in which case you use Smarts -1 as your 'Knowledge skill' until you become a Junior and *must* choose a Knowledge skill.)

I.e. each ETU character should have a Knowledge skill appropriate for the chosen Major(s). E.g. If you're majoring in Anthropology, take Knowledge (Anthropology) while an Art major should probably take one of Knowledge (Music), Knowledge (Painting) or Knowledge (Sculpting).

All Edges and Hindrances below can be found in Hero Lab:

New Hindrances, all from Horror Companion pages 3-5, see that book for details.

  • Bleeder (Major) - Bleeds heavily from wounds
  • Bullet Magnet (Major) - More likely to become an Innocent Bystander when the bullets fly
  • Combat Shock (Minor/Major) - Fear check when in any danger
  • Jumpy (Minor) - Make Fear check when surprised
  • Screamer (Minor) - Always screams when Fear check fails.
  • Victim (Minor/Major) - In a random selection of victim/target, hostiles always choose you

New Edges, all from Horror Companion pages 5-7, see that book for details.

  • Relentless (Novice, Spirit d8+) - Can take an action on recovering from Shaken TODO
  • Monster Hunter (Seasoned, Spirit d6+) - Ignores Fear checks for one type of creature TODO
  • One of the Chosen (Novice, Spirit d6+) - +1 to attack supernatural, or -1 to be hit by same TODO

New Hindrances, all from Deadlands Noir pages 9-10, see that book for details.

  • Impulsive (Minor) - Don't think, act!
  • Lyin' Eyes (Minor) - Bad liar.
  • Night Terrors (Major) - Sleep isn't always restful
  • Rebellious (Minor) - Fight the power!
  • Schmuck (Minor) - Gullible.
  • Short Temper (Minor) - Easily provoked.

New Hindrances, all from Lankhmar City of Thieves pages 12-13, see that book for details.

  • Amorous (Minor) - Sucker for a pretty face.

New Hindrances, from Savage Rifts Tomorrow Legion Players Guide page 68, see that book for details.

  • Monologuer (Minor) - Talks too much.

New Edges, from Savage Rifts the Tomorrow Legion Players Guide page 74, see that book for details.

  • I Know A Guy (Novice, Persuasion d6+, Streetwise d6+, Charismatic) - Knows a lot of people - temporary Connections.

New Hindrances, from Deadlands Reloaded Players Guide page 28, see that book for details.

  • Heavy Sleeper (Minor) - Too hard to wake up, too easy to fall asleep.
  • Slowpoke (Minor) - Moves slowly
  • Thin Skinned (Major) - Pain HURTS!

New Edges, from Deadlands Reloaded Players Guide page 28, see that book for details.

  • Wilderness Man (Novice, Smarts d8+, Vigor d6+, Notice d8+, Survival d6+, Tracking d6+)- Born to be wild (and neither get lost nor die of exposure)

New Hindrances, from Savage Suzerain page 17-18, see that book for details.

  • Doomed (Minor or Major) - The universe hates you. Personally. The Dean gets one/two Bennies per session to use against you.
  • Optimist (Minor or Major) - Don't worry be happy! You're annoyingly chirpy (-1/-2 Charisma) and tend to ignore danger ("Hold my beer!")/argue that no danger exists ("Come on! What could possibly go wrong?")