Standard of the Man: Character Generation

Roger Burton West
20 April 2007

Table of Contents

1. General rules

The points budget is 220, with up to 75 points of disadvantages (though it should probably be less). Racial templates and their components do not count towards the disadvantage limit. The advantage of being a part-owner of the ship, and the consequent debt, are considered common to every character and will not appear on the character sheet.

Plan to put about 20-70 points into racial templates, wealth, implants, biomods, AI allies, and such like things.

Although this crew consists of Vacuum Cleaners, the core skills shouldn't take up the entire points budget. Bear in mind that freelance VCs often get hired in for casual work in orbit, since they're already on-site and it's cheaper than moving the Exact Right Person for the Job in from somewhere else. Practically any marketable skill might be useful.

1.1. Advantages

Cultural Familiarities are Western, Oriental, Japanese, Indic, Islamic and African.

I'd like every player to consider taking at least one level of a Talent.

Some sort of extended zero-G tolerance is required; for an organic this is Microgravity Biochemistry, providing No Degeneration in Zero-G [1].

Some sort of radiation tolerance is strongly recommended; DNA Repair nanomods are available, giving Regeneration (Slow; Radiation Only) [4].

It would be unusual for an organic character not to have an Ally (Virtual Interface or Wearable), Constantly Available (x4), Minion (+50%).

Wealth should normally be Wealthy [20]. Sustainable combinations of Status and Wealth require this many hours per week of work (noting that a "normal" lifestyle in this sort of field has about 10-30 working hours per week):

  -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
M4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12
M3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12 120
M2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12 120  
M1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12 120    
FR 0 0 0 0 1 2 12 120      
VW 0 0 2 2 6 12 60        
W 1 2 7 10 24 48          
C 3 4 18 24 60 120          
A 5 8 36 48 120            
S 10 16 72 96              
P 25 40                  

though in practice you'll probably be working longer hours than this indicates.

The only language requirement is English (Spoken) at Accented or better. (This is necessary for all space crew who might have to deal with traffic control.)

Contacts (other Vacuum Cleaners) or perhaps even a Claim to Hospitality are likely.

Other likely advantages:

1.1.1. AI allies

These are some typical AIs that could typically be put in VIIs (implants) or VIGs (goggles). Note that the cost to the PC of having an Ally is based on the Ally's point total, as at B36-37; normally an Ally of this sort will be a Minion that is Constantly Available (x4), though if you want to take the Microsoft option and risk having your implanted gear being down for maintenance 5% of the time (or it's an external cybershell that needs more maintenance than an implant) you could drop this to x3. The costs would be:

Value Cost x3 Cost x4
<=55 5 6
56-110 9 12
111-165 14 18
166-220 23 30
221-330 45 60

Charlesfoster-M (157 points): Wearable AI to handle basic accounting and financial activities, as well as some limited general assistance (spotting memetic manipulation, for example). If installed in a VII, 99 points.

Cortez-Ghao "Faraday" (84 points): Wearable technical assistant to handle comms, data searches, and basic vehicle handling.

EDI "Bhisti" (138 points): ruggedised portable computer for military use; handles communications, sensor watch, and calls for help when the meatbag gets shot.

GenTech BR-Secretarial (36 points): VII to train bioroids. Some keep it around after they have matured.

Note that all these are examples, and AI allies have full character sheets; if you'd like something different, that's no problem.

1.2. Disadvantages

It would be very unusual not to have Sense of Duty (Close Friends and Crew) [-5].

Other likely disadvantages:

1.3. Skills

1.3.1. Essential skills

Put at least a point in each of these.

1.3.2. Major skills

Most Vacuum Cleaners will have at least some of these.

1.3.3. Minor skills

Someone ought to have these.

1.3.4. Non-space job skills

In a larger company, these would be dealt with by the admin department. In a small one, the crew have to cover them.

1.3.5. Off-duty skills

The sort of thing a typical Vacuum Cleaner does when off-duty. Suggestions only.

1.4. Equipment

Basic starting wealth is $30,000; Comfortable will double that.

The Virtual Interface Implant that most characters will possess should be bought with points (see above under Advantages).

A full vacc suit could cost as much as $5,500 with all the options.

2. References

2.1. Fiction

2.2. Game books

2.3. Moving pictures

2.4. Web