Character Concepts and Creation

I wanted to offer some general guidelines for character creation and encourage you all to get started on the process. EP chargen is on the more complex end of the spectrum and will take some time and thought.

1. As a sci-fi game, a party of the usual archetypes is fine, but due to the setting's environmental, technological and sociological diversity it will prove useful to make sure that all the essential roles are covered.

2. With intention, the process allows individual characters to be very good in a couple of areas - like pilot/weapons specialist, or medic/computer hacker, or social manipulator/infiltration expert. Generalists are viable/fun too, but difficulty penalties are common, so even then it would be good to have some focus.

3. As long as you don't get too crazy or exotic, I am fine with just about any character concept and starting morph you want to play, recognizing that the variety of polities in the solar system will make life interesting (and more fun!) for anyone in the ends of any curves. The core book and supplements have lots of sample characters you can use for inspiration - or simply use.  

4. The EP core book uses a point-buy char-gen system. The latest supplement, "Transhuman," introduces a package-build system. They are supposed to be fully compatible so feel free to use the one you prefer. Whichever you use, build your characters using the standard starting values.

5. EP has features (like point-buy and negative traits) that allow you to make characters with "realistic" skills, interests, knowledge and meaningful disadvantages. Be creative and try to build characters that will provide us cool roleplaying hooks and opportunities.

6. The only restriction I have for your characters is that you build them based on an origin and history (ethnicity, nationality, family, job, personal problems) on Pre-Fall Earth or in Earth orbit. There is a lot of sociopolitical coolness in the setting but to take advantage of it we have to have some potential for conflict.

7. Do not worry about initially kitting out your characters. This will happen in-game, so don't bother with starting gear or money.

8. Once it seems like you have all settled on a concept, morph and background, I will send around a Google Survey to collect some specific information about each of your characters. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions or want to bounce around some ideas.

Bill has generously bought a group license for us for "Singularity" - the Eclipse Phase character generator. Thanks Bill!