====== Your character ======

===== Starting your character =====
  - Fill out the Basics
    - Create a new "home" for your character and the setting (country, space station, island, city, planet, alternate dimension, etc)
    - Create a new "faction" for your character and the setting (political, military, religious, academic/scholarly, criminal, terrorist group, etc).   You may or may not still be aligned with this faction.
  - Fill out your Concept: 
    - include a single strength And weakness.  
    - You have an additional strength/weakness that you may "Reveal" at any time.  
  - Choose your Skills.  Assign:
    - +2, +1, 0, -1, -2 
    - or +1, 0, 0, -1
  - Notable equipment.  Discuss if you should own or have access to any notable (uncommon) equipment. 

===== Basics =====
  * Character name
  * Character home
  * Character faction (present or former)
  * Character description
  * Player name


===== Concept =====

Your character is, first and foremost, is defined by their concept.  

4 entries for your concept.  I recommend a minimum of 6 words for each and using adjectives to get the most out of them
  - Your Role - Defines how most people see you, your primary skillsets, occupation, etc.
  - Your Background - Defines who you were and what "else" you bring to the table
  - Your Goal - Gives you a direction.
  - Strengths and weaknesses - Where you excel and fall short.  You will eventually gain many strengths and weaknesses.

Narrative format
Think about your concept in a narrative format:
  - Darin Rancer is the "daring, freelancer captain of the space freighter, Lancelot" is a "former Martian patriot and court-martialed marine" and who "seeks to redefine himself on the frontier of space".  Darin has a "keen eye for opportunity" but "has trouble with alcohol".  
From this description, we know that Darin has trouble with authority, likely has some old enemies and friends on Mars, is motivated by money and the next score, keeps a rifle close at hand, and likely has some business sense but needs his friends to dig him out of trouble.  Etc.

Your concept provides
  * a quick reference to aid in roleplaying,
  * an easy description when explaining your character to others, (i.e. effectively your character's ``class'' as used in other games such as D&D )
  * the type of items/weapons/knowledge/contacts/resources/skills that your character likely has access to

This last point is, mechanically speaking, the most important.  When deciding if your character has an item/weapon/knowledge/contact/resource/skill or can perform a particular action, always first look at your Concept first.  Using Darin as an example, he would likely need help navigating a library and appearing respectable at formal party.  He would have no problem with a fist fight or striking up a conversation with another vet.  Advanced mathematics and long periods of quiet are likely beyond his abilities. 

Three cases when deciding if your character has an item/weapon/knowledge/contact/resource/skill
  - It aligns reasonably with your concept: you have it.
  - It is counter to your concept: you don't have it or cannot perform that particular action. 
  - It is a stretch:  It comes with some cost.  E.g. -1 to your roll, it's not quite what you need, strings attached, extra cost, etc.  

==== Strengths and weaknesses ====

As players advance, they gain an equal number of strengths and weaknesses.  When a player chooses a new strength, the player must choose (or is assigned) a weakness roughly on the same "magnitude" of the strength.  The weakness and strength do not need to be related.  

Starting, players have 1 strength and 1 weakness

Examples:
  * First name basis with the space-station manager / you have a bounty out on your head
  * Hot-shot pilot / You tend to piss people off
  * Always prepared / You tend to take things that don't belong to you
  * Physically attractive / You struggle with multitasking
  * Advanced programming skillset / you have a mobility impairment


===== Skills =====
Actions in this game typically rely on one of the following skills:
  * <del>Education - Formal education.  University training, literacy, trade school, etiquette, etc.
  * Experience - Training by hard knocks.  Life on the streets, three years in the trenches, intuition, etc.</del>
  * Knowledge - Education, literacy, experience, life on the streets
  * Grit - Focus, discipline, determination, mental flexibility, attitude, etc.
  * Athleticism - Your physical abilities.  Fitness, strength, reaction time, and stamina.  
  * Interpersonal - Your social skills.  Ability to interact with, observe and influence others.  

(Two types of knowledge and a mental, physical, and social skill)

Skills range from -2 to +3. -1 is average for a common human, 0 is average for a relevant professional, and +3 is bordering on legendary.  

Starting, players assign +2, +1, 0, -1, -2 to the skills of their choice
(Optional, +2, +1, 0, 0, -1)


===== Notable equipment =====
Your character either possess or has access to any reasonable equipment that makes sense for their Concept or the Narrative.  

Anything else should be discussed with the Table (the GM and other players) and written down here.  

Examples: Spaceship, power armor, large bank account, scientific laboratory, etc.


===== Advancing =====
Characters do not "level up" in the traditional sense.  They sometimes gain a new strength AND weakness, and much less frequently gain a +1 to add to a skill.

====== Actions ======
For all actions, make sure it makes sense for your character, narrate what you are doing, determine what Skill is relevant, ask if there are any costs/penalties/bonuses, and roll 2d6 + relevant skill + bonuses/penalties
  * 6- Fail.  Contributes a failure token.  
  * 7-9.  Partial success or succeed at cost.  Typically contributes both a success token and a failure token.
  * 10+.  Succeed.  Contributes a success token.  


==== Basic ====
Most actions fall into one of two categories.  It is a mostly positive act or a mostly negative act.  This is despite the outcome or the intended provided justification.  (E.g. killing someone to save thousands is still a negative act).  

** this needs a serious rethinking **

^ Basic action name ^ Succeed/fail ^ vs. PCs ^ vs. NPCs ^
| Build up - Heal, repair, comfort, etc  | Success  | You achieve what you want.  (You and your ally both gain a bonus token) | You get what you want or contribute toward what you want (You gain a success token and a bonus token) |
| ::: | Partial  | Choose: \\ You mostly get what you want (you both gain a penalty token) or \\ You don't quite get what you want (you both gain a bonus token)  | You don't quite get what you want (You gain a success and a failure token) |
| ::: | Fail  | You do not get what you want and the GM tells you what happens.  (You and your ally both gain a failure token). | You do not get what you want or don't contribute toward what you want (You gain a failure token and a penalty token) |
| Tear down - Break, injure, sabotage, etc  | Success  | You achieve what you want, and you tell your opponent what happens.  (You gain a bonus token, and your opponent gains a penalty token)  | You get what you want or contribute toward what you want (You gain a success token and a penalty token) |
| ::: | Partial  | Choose: \\ You mostly get what you want (you gain a penalty token and your opponent gains a bonus token) \\ or You neither get what you want (your opponent get a bonus token)   | You don't quite get what you want (You gain a success and a failure token) |
| ::: | Fail  | You do not get what you want and your opponent tells you what happens.  (You gain a penalty token and your opponent gains a bonus token) | You do not get what you want or don't contribute toward what you want (You gain a failure token and a bonus token) |

Examples
  * Build up - You patch your allies wounds, you provide words of encouragement, you make a new friend, you rescue someone from a dangerous situation
  * Tear down - You embarrass someone, you subvert someone's authority, you injure or kill someone, you sabotage a piece of technology

==== Special ====
  * Narrate - provide details to a character/scene/setting.  As long as they are reasonable, they become reality.  No roll required.
  * Reveal (i.e. make up) - You provide details to a character/scene/setting that strongly benefit you.  This requires a roll and likely a flashback scene.
  * Dig deep - At **significant** cost, you may shift a Failure up to a Partial success
  * Assist/hinder - Some actions help or interfere with a future action or concurrent action by another.   Roll and if successful, provide a bonus/penalty (to be used immediately or in the future).  
  * Escalate - You choose to renew a fight by escalating.  The costs of escalating both go up accordingly and likely compound. 
  * <del> Win a fight - you tell your enemies what happens</del>
  * <del> Lose a fight - your enemies tell you what happens</del>

==== Costs ====
Costs are intentionally left vague.  They are typically made clear before an action is attempted (but not always) as a consequence for failure.  For example, the security alarm will go off if the guard sees you, your allies will abandon you if you embarrass them, you will not get paid for your mission if you don't arrive on time, etc.  

====== Tokens ======
There are two types of tokens: Success/failure tokens are managed by the GM.  Bonus/penalties are managed by each player.

==== Success/failure tokens ====
Some actions are performed by a group or require multiple rolls.  The GM first decides, based on the number of players, the number of successes required and makes this known.  The players work out a strategy, and the GM lets them know the costs of failure.  The players first narrate their actions up to some critical point, all roll and combine their success and failure tokens in the center of the table.  If the number of tokens match or exceed the requirement, the players win.  If below, the players lose.  Regardless of the outcome, failure tokens are given the GM.   Excess success tokens cancel out Failure tokens.  

The GM collects failure tokens and uses them to provide narrative disadvantages to the players.  This includes introducing a security camera to a back alley, blocking off the easy escape route, raising the cost of a particular action, etc.  The GM does not need a failure token to invoke a player's Penalty token.

==== Bonus/penalty tokens ====

Each game, a player always has a total of 5 bonus/penalty tokens.  If a bonus is gained or penalty used, exchange a penalty for a bonus.  If a penalty is gained or a bonus used, exchange a bonus for a penalty.  Each game typically starts with 3 bonus and 2 penalty tokens per player or as the GM says.  Only 1 token may be applied for each player's action.  

Bonus tokens are used by a player and 
  * provide +1 on any roll if added after the roll, and 
  * a +2 if added before a roll. 
  
Penalty tokens can be a player or by the GM against a player.  
  * Provides a -2 on any roll if added before the roll, and
  * and -1 if added after a roll.   

Earning tokens :
  * Tokens may be exchanged between players with an appropriate narrative scene or explanation
  * Build up and tear down actions generate tokens.  
  * Using a token (initiated by the player or GM) causes the token to be exchanged for the other type.  

====== Crew roles on ships ======

When filling a 

bridge
  * command - captain, first officer, second officer
  * operations - sensors, communications, tactics
  * flight - helm, weapons, navigation

below decks
  * medical - doctors, med-techs, psychologists
  * engineering - repair, maintanence, technology, tech specialists
  * security - guards, away mission combat, soldiers/marines
  * logistics - cargo, supplies, resource management
  * mission specialists - scientists, diplomats


====== Setting expectations ======
At the beginning of the first session, address the following:
  * High or low-pulp.  
    * Lethality, 
    * amount of realism, 
    * amount of silliness, 
    * your ability to strongly influence the world
  * Setting : Sci-fi, fantasy, etc.
    * Soft/hardness of setting.  (Hard/soft sci-fi,  Magic is rare or commonplace in a fantasy, etc.) 
    * specific technologies/magics (FTL is possible/impossible, etc)
  *