Character Creation

Character creation is the process of conceptualizing and developing a new Player Character or non-Player Character (NPC). A lot of different factors come together to shape a Character, but it doesn't need to be overly complicated; this guide will help you establish a method for building a Character in a straightforward way, at least until you're familiar enough with Horizon to make executive decisions on your own. Have fun!

Character Creation Index:

Making a concept

Choosing priorities

Skills and Paths

Equipment

Traits and Passives

Finishing touches

Before building a Character, it's usually a good idea to have some thoughts about the type of Character you would like to play. If you're new to Horizon: out of the ashes, this might be more difficult, since you won't have a lot of knowledge about what the game can offer, so think simple. Whether new or experienced, the main points of a good concept are:

• Who is the Character and what are they like? - What kind of person do you see yourself playing and unless you're experienced with roleplaying, don't try to create something that is too far away from your own personality, since it may make decisions difficult in the future. Is your Character curious, aloof, kind, cruel, flamboyant, sensible; you can make any type of person you like. Remember that physical appearance may also have a factor on how you imagine the Character, including age.
• What does the Character do? - Imagine the Character you want to play. What kind of life does this person pursue? They could be a mercenary, whether benevolent or ruthless. They could be a professional of some kind; most jobs on Horizon today have some immediate practical use, like hacking, medicine, armoring, weapon smithing, trading and so on, but they could also do something more obscure, like investigation, archeology, cartography and so on. They could be an assassin or hitman for whatever motivation suits the Character, whether it be elimination of corrupt officials or simple blood money. They could be a thief or a con man. They could be one of the many scavengers who raid abandoned cities and fallen wrecks for technology and parts. The sky is the limit; be creative!

Once you have a good idea of these two factors, a few more things should be taken into account. Horizon is a wild place; there is no universal law, and no recognized government besides whatever chain of command exists in any given settlement. People guard their liberties fiercely and survive using whatever means they can. In light of this, several factors need to be planned for if you don't want to get caught in a bad situation:

• Your Character will face combat at some point. Whether it's the knife of a lone thief or the arsenal of a mercenary band, have a plan for how your Character will meet this turbulence in their daily life, even if combat is not their forte. This doesn't mean every Character should buy the biggest gun they can; often a supportive role is just as potent during a fight, offering healing or tactical awareness which enable more combat-oriented Characters in the team to lead the fight themselves.
• Your awareness is often the greatest defense you have. The first step in getting your Character killed is walking into danger and Horizon has many threatening conditions you may not anticipate. Whatever form this danger takes, you have a far better chance of overcoming it if you are aware in advance and can either avoid it entirely, or at least be more prepared. Don't underestimate the value of sharp senses and fast reflexes, especially in your enemies.
• Social interaction is powerful. There are people in the world who use their words and wits to manipulate others with great effect - and so can you! It is possible to talk your way out of being robbed, killed or virtually anything else, as long as you have an opportunity to communicate. Equally, it is possible for your Character to be deceived into believing something false, or having information tortured out of them if they are captured. If you realize that your communication is being monitored, convincingly delivering false information to your enemies can turn the tables decisively. Remember that words can be a weapon.

Once you have a strong idea of who you want your Character to be, a good step before starting the build is setting out priorities for our different areas of performance. This will make decisions easier as we go and help to avoid long periods of time deliberating over many options. This can be a significant hurdle early in a Character's development, because resources are very limited when starting out.

• What is the Character's main role? - Do you favor a Character with strong combat capabilities? What about their ability to support their team? Are they rugged and tenacious or do you see them as surviving with their wits alone? The four Traits used by every Character represent these qualities in a general way, so think of the Character's Traits for now as a priority list. The Traits are:
  • Focus - The Character's intelligence and willfulness. The Focus Trait increases the number of dice rolled for many supportive Skills like Medicine, Hacking, repairing equipment, Trading, and Strategy.
  • Instinct - The Character's sharp senses, intuition and fast reflexes. The Instinct Trait increases the number of dice rolled for many specialist Skills, like Social Skills, Sneak and Perception.
  • Physique - The Character's physical power and agility. The Physique Trait increases the number of dice rolled for all attack tests, whether they be Unarmed, Melee, Thrown weapons, Explosives and guns.
  • Vigor - The Character's toughness and tenacity. The Vigor Trait increases the number of dice rolled for durability Skills and Talents. Durability Skills include resisting AP and Stamina loss when being attacked or avoiding unconsciousness from going into shock. Talents include the Character's Skills for playing music, creating art, cooking and other creative pursuits.

For now, order your traits from most important to least important, using your Character's concept. To make things simple for yourself later, do not allow yourself any “ties”, it must be in a strict order of descending importance. Don't worry about getting everything perfect the first time through though; until a Character actually begins play, any of their stats can be changed freely. If you start using a new Character and find it doesn't play as you expected, be open about this with your Director; where possible they may allow you to adjust your Character even after play begins, especially if you're new to Horizon.

At Character Creation, the Director will decide what level the Player Characters should start at for their adventure. All bonuses the Character would normally gain as they level up will be granted immediately for each level they begin with.

• For example: if a Character starts at level 3, then they would begin with 3 Spec Points to spend and 1 Perk Point. This is because Spec Points are gained once for each level, while Perk Points are gained only every third level. Since Characters must earn 4XP to gain each level, this also means a level 3 Character would begin with 4XP x 3levels = 12XP to spend ranking up their Skills before play begins.

Character levels represent the Character's growth as they endeavor through their journey on Horizon. A Character can gain an infinite number of levels throughout their lifetime, but their starting level will vary, depending on the Director's conditions for their game. The basic elements of level progression are as follows:

• Characters gain a level for every 4XP they earn in-game.
• Each time a Character gains a level, they receive 1 Specialization point. These can be spent to rank up a Specialization of the Player's choice, granting a +5AP bonus whenever that Spec is used.
• Every 3 levels, a Character gains a Perk Point in addition to the Spec Point for that level. Perk Points can be spent to gain Perks, such as unlocking new Skills or granting bonuses to existing ones.