Hey all,

While both 1ed and2ed (beta) includes a lot of GREAT background material on character origins, it seems to me that the 2 ^nd edition goes out of their way to make the backgrounds restrict the game mechanics. There’s simply no need for that; one of the great things about RPGs is the ability to create your own unique character, not just follow a cookie-cutter mold. Why should all sanctified psykers be cold-hearted? You're telling me not one adeptus mechanicus carries a regular autopistol? I've been thinking about a far simpler chargen system that would allow players much more flexibility while giving the same level of power. Something like this:

Characteristics: Pick 2 “+” characteristics and one “-“ one. Follow build or rolling rules as written.

Skills: Pick 4 skills to advance to 2.

Talents: Pick a weapon skill talent. Pick a non-weapon-skill talent. (GMs could add more if they think this is too few)

Equipment: pick 6 items of availability -10 or better.

Origins bonuses: pick up to three bonuses from the list, no more than one from each category of home world bonus, background bonus, and role bonus. [this list would include all the specialized traits given in the chargen process, such as Home world bonuses, Background bonuses, and Role bonuses. It would also include things like Sanctified, Psyker, and some Talents that are pretty typically linked to an origin, such as Technical Knock for Omnissiah followers.]

Malignancies and Mental traumas: have some origin bonuses require a specific malignancy or mental trauma (example: taking the Shrine World home world bonus requires taking Signature mental trauma: lunatic’s denial). PCs who do not take bonuses that require a linked malignancy/mental trauma may pick one of each.

Voila! You're done. Feel free to build your Aramis was-a-priest-now-a-warrior or your Dresden investigator-with-psyk.

Thoughts?

To a certain extent, what you're proposing is absolutely fine. But I think the amount of freedom you're pushing for might be a bit much. All chargen needs some level of GM oversight, and this needs more oversight than any character created using the options presented in the book.

I think its meaningful for a player to create a character, not a statblock optimized for a certain style of play. To that end it may be appropriate to encoruage PCs to have skills that are not as inherently useful to their playstyle. Essentially, I see the options for characters now as a baseline. Any houserule/custom option should not be exceedingly more capable than anything I can build with the book.

But yes, I think its quite useful for players to be creative with these options; to not be constarined by them. But the book should provide guidance.

I'm not sure this needs to be written in the core book. It sounds like it might be fitting for the GM screen or some expansion book. But not the main book.

You might as well do away with backgrounds etc, and just give more XP for starting advancements.

Apart from the "special abilities", only your Role will really have a lasting impact on character development, mechanically speaking.

But I agree there should be some more options within the selections.

Voila! You're done. Feel free to build your Aramis was-a-priest-now-a-warrior or your Dresden investigator-with-psyk.

Thoughts?

Sure Shrine World/Ministorum/Warrior and Any Home World/Adeptus Astra Telepathica/Seeker with Psyker Elite Advance cover these pretty well?