Character Creation
(with excerpts from the book "Your First Steps" By Athlon M. Topia II)

     (The 'verse is a dangerous place, so like usual I've taken it upon myself to educate you on the ups, downs, and the quantum rocket surgery of the Patrolled Sectors. A few things to keep in mind first and foremost. Since all the different races in the patrolled sectors are obviously built a bit differently, so is their equipment. A Cerian can't use a Saurians equipment, just as a Terran can't use Machie'Na equipment. This goes for the majority of weapons, armor, and medical supplies. Also not everyone is gonna like you, you'll have to work hard to get on some races good side, and some folks will just never like you. All races also speak their own language, and their will be that barrier you'll have to over come in your travels, but thanks to the marvels of modern technology and a little cash it won't be that big of a problem. Of course you could do it the old fashion way and just listen for a while. One last thing to remember, Green is your best friend, I don't know why but if you ever see anything green, just touch it and your questions are always revealed. One of those unexplainable mysteries of the 'verse.

I would like to make an addendum to what I say above. Geeze, nothing like getting threatening GCmail from 20,000 different Terran lawyers. Terrans could technically use a Human's equipment, they're built nearly identical and all, but Terrans won't use any other race's equipment because of it's subpar quality and would be disloyal to the TCR. No Terran could possibly ever be disloyal to the almighty TCR. I've never been good with sarcasm. Worthless bags of flesh. No my loyal readers, the only bags of flesh I dislike live in the TCR, the rest of you worthless bags of flesh are all good in my books,,, wink wink nudge nudge.

Note 1
     Character creation is a complicated process in Tales From Space (TFS). Complicated in the fact that there is a lot of things to keep track of if you're doing it by hand. Not so complicated if you let a computer keep track of things for you.

     The first step, as in any game is to choose which race you want to play. Keep in mind that each race has different pros and cons. Example, the Humans while not as technically advanced as the rest of the races in the Patrolled Sectors, Humans are very adaptive and able to reverse engineer other races equipment for their own use. Humans are also average as far as their physical and mental abilities are concerned. Keep in mind, if you don't like what you've done with a character, you can always unlearn skills and learn new ones. The only thing you'll technically ever be "stuck" with is your chosen race. If you don't like the race, you'll have to delete it and start a new one. Only one character slot per server allowed. Note 2
     Statistics start at 5 and max out at 10 unless modified by racial traits. Example, Machie'Na are naturally more intelligent than other races, so their Int. stat will be higher than 10. Also you should keep in mind that throughout the game you'll have opportunities to advance stats far beyond their racial limits with things like cybernetics/bionics etc.

The primary statistics or Stats are
The GCN Customer Service Daemon would like to remind it's users that old data isn't always deleted in a timely manner and may sometimes conflict with new data. Illegal alteration of any data may result in a flatline.
• Strength-Str = Your physical strength, each point of Str. means you can bench 20 lbs. So 5 Str means 100lbs, which is about what the AVERAGE person can bench press.
• Agility-Agi = Your hand to eye coordination and how fleet of foot you are. Each point of Agi. gives you a 1.5% chance to dodge an attack.
• Endurance-End = Each point of End. equals 10 Hitpoints, or HP. Basically End. helps you live longer, and helps you fight off the effects of fatigue, poison, and stress to a lesser extent.
• Intelligence-Int = Int. is a measure of how smart you are, you can think of intelligence as an encyclopedia, it may contain all the info in the world, but it doesn't necessarily mean you comprehend it.
• Comprehenion-Comp = Comprehension goes hand and hand with intelligence, you can have one, or the other, but it's always nice to understand the things you know.
• Charisma-Cha = Charisma determines how likable you are. Charisma doesn't mean you're nice, or foul, just how well you can interact with others when you want to.
• Speed-Spd = This is a measurement of your running speed. The higher the number, obviously the faster you run.

Race relations determine how well you get along with other reaces. You may start out at neutral, but as you progress and grow you either start to like or dislike a certain race more and more. Some races, like the Cerian, just don't want to get along with anyone but the Bentrine, and other's, like the Terran, just don't know when to shut up so they take bigger hits on the negative, and smaller hits on the positive. The relations are in order from best to worst, Loved, Allied, Liked, Neutral, Disliked, Hated, War.

Race relations update -11-20-12
Race relations can be improved by gaining faction points. Each major race is considered a faction with their own interests and agendas. A PC can do things to increase or decrease their faction points with a chosen race by doing things for or against a target race. Things like trading in another races territory, taking missions which help or hinder a chosen race's interest, constantly targeting PCs of a specific race in PvP. The best and easiest way to start gaining faction is by doing missions on border planets of your target race, or trading commodities. Border planets tend to be a bit more lax in security so even if your respective races are at war, a being can still gain enough facton to eventually move onto the core worlds of a race. However, your own race may not like you trading with the enemy (as in life), plus you'll gain faction points slower, and or take bigger hits by doing negative things while your races are at war.

Human- Starting stats = 5 (average)
No homeworld, but can choose to start on the Terran world of "Prime", the Mon'Za moon "Moon" (Heh, the Mon'Za always think of the most original names), or the Saurian homeworld of "Siecko". Humans also get a racial ability unique to them which is the ability to modify other races equipment so that they can use it. Basically they can modify an item equal to half their skill level in "Duktape Engineering", not to be confused with "Reverse Engineering". No starting finances, and only "Basic" equipment.
Race relations:
Like Mon'Za
Dislike Terrans
Neutral toward everyone else.
     Humans are the newcomers to the Patrolled Sectors, having literally only been FTL enabled for about a year. While their technology is several generations behind the rest of the Patrolled Sectors, their uncanny knack to make anything work, even temporarily makes them formidable. As far as they're physically concerned, I'd say they're average, but pretty hardy. They seem to be able to adapt to any situation with ease and have taken to living on some of the most inhospitable of worlds. They also tend to get along with everyone except the Terrans. I'd wager it's because they look near identical to Terrans. So much so their is talk that Terrans are Humans, just transplanted from Earth several millenia ago.

Terran- Cha. +2 Str/End +1
Starts on "Prime"
Bonus +1 to "Haggle" and "Fast talk"
Gets "good" starting equipment, plus Terran mission rewards from Terran specific missions tend to be 10% higher. Terrans suffer double the penalties to negative race relations, meaning when they do something "bad" to another race, they get double the points of negative reputation with that race. Positive points for race relations are half normal.
Race relations:
Neutral to all
Dislike Humans
      Terrans got their noses into everything. They're the businessmen/women/things of the galaxy, fast talkers, leet speakers, omnipotent orators of all. Their abilities can't be denied, they are master traders, diplomats, and everyone just loves to hate them, or hates to love them. A young Terran starting out in the 'verse tends to be a bit more well off than his peers compared to say a Human, and they tend to look out for their own kind as well.

Cerian- Str/End. +2 Cha. -5
Starts on "4-Nubs" orbital training platform
Bonus +1 to any weapon type, also Cerian's MUST take one crafting skill for every one combat skill, and their combat skills can never out level their crafting skills. Cerians can use cybernetics and bionics to augment themselves however if they're not crafted and installed by another Cerian the non-Cerian crafter must have high skill levels in both Engineering/Cybernetics and Biology due to the unique Cerian physiology.
Starting equipment "Unique"
Race relations:
Neutral with Bentrine
War to all else, can never become higher than disliked.(Cerians consider theirselves at war with everyone else, but not everyone else thinks the same of them)
      Cerians as a whole are an odd lot. They have no home planet, at least none that I know of. They are born in space, live in space, and die in space. They've constructed many hundreds of large stations which they use as home bases, meeting spots, and trade depots. The oddest thing about them is that from birth they are sealed into a suit of organic body armor which takes on the form of the being inside. I have a couple of Cerian friends, one is a lithe and quiet fellow, and his armor reflects that with near invisibility in low light, while the other is an obnoxious brute of a female and her armor reflects that with menacing features such as spikes and blades. Cerian culture is hard to understand to those of us outside it. To them, if you can't build as good as you destroy, then you're not a true warrior.

Bentrine- Str/End. +3 Agi. -2 Spd. -4
Starts on Bentria
Racial bonus +3 to sonic weapons- +3 to piloting spacecraft
Starting Equipment "basic"
Race relations:
Neutral toward Cerian
Liked all else
I might do away with this race, make them NPCs. I feel they might be to difficult to work with. Since they are a fish people, I couldn't think of a reasonable way to make this race playable when most worlds are dry, a player would have to go through extensive cybernetic reconstruction to make them viable on land. I'll have to put more thought into these fine folks
      The Bentrine are a very exotic species. They're aquatic in nature as their homeworld has very little solid ground to walk on. Due to living in a 3d environment they make excellent pilots. Also swimming the majority of their lives makes them extremely strong and durable, however once out of water they tend to be very slow and not very nimble either. They are masters of sonic technology which they used for centuries in the depths of their homeworld, now adapted for nearly any atmospheric confrontations.

Saurian- Agi. +3 End. -4
Starts on Siecko
Bonus +2 to "Smuggle", +1 to "Fast Talk" and +1 to any other ONE criminal skill
Starting Equipment "stealth"
Race relations:
Neutral toward Humans
Disliked all else
      "Only good Saurian, is a dead one", is what most folks say. Saurians are natural born pirates, they've more or less mastered stealth and cloaking technology and love to suddenly appear in front of a merchant ship, shoot out an engine and demand cash. I've never met a Saurian who had actually worked a legitimate job in their entire lives. They are an honorable race though, do as they ask and you get spared. Oddly enough they have strict code of ethics that they follow, if a Saurian is suspected of not following these codes, well let's just say some of the best pirate hunters in the 'verse are Saurian.

Machie'Na- End/Int/Comp +3 Spd/Agi -4
Starts on "Prime", "Siecko", or "Moon"
Bonus +1 to any science/engineer skill and +2 to any GCN related skill and -3 to all combat skills (-3 doesn't apply if the character doesn't have to physically move for combat to take place) Only Cybernetics designed/Crafted by a Machie'Na with high skill levels allowed due to the nature of their physiology. No bionics allowed.
Doesn't need external "jack" to plug into ships or the GCN
Starting equipment "basic" and "tech"
Race relations:
Like all
      What can I say, we like everyone. We're the scientists, thinkers, and doctors of the galaxy. Because of our physiology, basically walking and talking liquid metal, we're very durable, but at the same time we're kinda slow. We also tend to shun physical combat. If we're going to fight, it's going to be in a way where we can use our natural abilities to OUR advantage. Which means combat on the GCN, or ship to ship combat where we can plug ourselves in and use our minds.

     The "Katon Mon'Za" are actually 3 sub species of one race. They differentiate themselves by calling each sub species a "Vision". I asked once why they call themselves that, and I just got the typical wink and "Cause we pretty and you not!" replies. The average Mon'Za has an ego problem.
Katon Mon'Za (Vision 1)- All stats +4, Spd. +6
Starts on "Moon"
+1 Bonus to all "psychic" skills, completely unable to use any sort of hand help items, unable to wear any armor, completely unable to pilot spacecraft unless very expensive modifications are made (ships cost 100% more), and cybernetics 400% more expensive, only MINOR cybernetics allowed.
Starting equipment none
Race relations:
Allied Humans
Hate Cerians
Neutral to the rest
     The enigmatic leadership of the mighty Mon'Za. When they say jump, all other Mon Za for lightyears around immediately jump several times, then ask how high, and jump several more times till they get a reply. Probably one of the strangest races of folk in the 'verse (that I know of anyway), they're quadrapedal and seem to show very high psychic potential.

Vision 2- Int/Comp/Agi. +3, Cha. -5
Starts on "Moon"
+3 to all crafting related skills. Refuses to wear or use any item they didn't make/build theirselves. Due to ego issues, only sells their items to other Mon'Za, Humans with a "Allied" relations, or any other race that has "Loved" relations. Only MINOR cybernetics allowed. (although they like peircings and modifications that only affect appearance)
Starting equipment "basic craft"
Race relations:
Neutral toward Human
Dislike all else
     The backbone and most populous of the Mon'Za people. They are the workers, pioneers, and thinkers of the race. If it gets done, a Vision 2 probably did it. They are a haughty people, they think they're better than every race outside of the Mon'Za and it takes a lot to get on their good side. Vision 2 wares are some of the best in the 'verse, but you'll be damned to get one to sell you anything until you've kissed their ass sufficiently to gain their favor.

Vision 3- Str/End/Agi. +8, Spd. +4, Comp. -5
Starts where the highest concentration of starting Humans is currently
+2 to any HtH weapons, +4 Brawling. Must have armor specially constructed and custom fit to them at 300% cost. -2 to ranged weapons, no penalty to use heavy weapons. Crafting skills take twice as long to raise. Unable to pilot a ship. No cybernetics/bionics allowed. (if limb replacement is needed, it will be force grown back on the Mon'Za Blackship and surgically reattached there for the same cost as a cybernetic replacement limb) Unable to learn any language other than their own.
Starting equipment None
Race relations:
Love Human
Like Machie'Na
Neutral to all else
     The muscle of the Mon'Za, standing taller than any other known race in the Patrolled Sectors. Unarmed they can go toe to toe with any other race armed with their best equipment and come out on top more often than not. I've seen a Vision 3 lift a damaged cargo vessel off trapped dock workers when it's landing gear collapsed as a testament to their might. But for all their strengths, they have the minds of children. Easily coerced, unable to learn other languages, and their psychological attachments to Humans has put many of these fine folks lives to waste.

Other races will be unlocked as the game progresses.
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