Templates

The character-creation rules are simple, but offer a vast number of options in order to give players all the choices they could want. The sheer volume of material might overwhelm new players – especially gamers who are accustomed to RPGs that offer less flexibility. One way to make character generation less daunting is to use "templates."

A template is a "quick start" technique. It is a partially completed character sheet that contains only those traits required for a character to fill a certain role believably. It lists the point costs of those traits, and gives the sum as the template's "cost."

When you select a template, pay its cost out of your starting points. Use your remaining points to customize the template by buying traits specific to the character concept you have in mind. You can customize further by choosing personal disadvantages and quirks ... which will in turn give you a few more points you can spend on abilities that define who you are.

There are two main types of templates: character templates and racial templates.