Character Creation

Step 1: Concept
You may select more than one motivation, if applicable. It’s common for people to be motivated by several goals at one time. For instance, many visitors to Malifaux are spurred by a desire for both fame and fortune. Alternately, you can develop your own motivation if none of the ones described below are suitable.

Step 2: Race
This one is easy. Humans are the only playable Race in the Car Wars setting.



Step 3: Attributes
Characters start with a free d4 in each of the five attributes: Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, and Vigor.

You have 5 points to increase your attributes. Raising a d4 to a d6, for example, costs 1 point. You’re free to spend these points however you like. No attribute may ever be raised above a d12.



Step 4: Hindrances
Hindrances are listed in SWADE, starting on page 22. Select up to four points of Hindrances. Major Hindrances are worth 2 points, and Minor are worth 1 point. Hindrance points may be spent on the following:

For 2 points worth of Hindrances you can:
• Raise an attribute one die type, or• Choose an Edge
For 1 point worth of Hindrances you can:
• Gain another skill point, or• Gain another two skill specializations
New Hindrances: A number of new Hindrances are described below.

Banned Hindrances: Minimum age for autoduel competitors is the legal driving age (16 years old for the United States), which means the Young Hindrance is not available.



Step 5: Skills
Skills are described in SWADE, starting on page 29. Characters start with a free d4 in each of the following Core Skills: Athletics, Common Knowledge, Notice, Persuasion, and Stealth.

You have 15 points to put into these or any other skills (the core book starts you with 12, normally, but I'm beginning you all with a little extra). Each die type costs 1 point (starting at d4) as long as the skill is equal to or less than the attribute it’s linked to. If you exceed the linked attribute, the cost becomes 2 points per die type.

Skill Maximums: Skills may not be increased above d12 during character creation.

Languages: Characters get a free d8 in their native language (probably English), plus a free d4 in an additional language of choice. Any further languages must be purchased with skill points.

New Skills: Several new skills, not found in SWADE, have been introduced for this game.

Art (Spirit): This represents proficiency in a form of creative expression such as painting, sculpting, illustration, etc.
Trade (Smarts): This covers training related to a particular blue collar trade or occupation. The character must select a specific type of trade when taking this skill. Each type of trade counts as its own distinct skill.
Demolitions (Agility): This skill covers all aspects of demolitions and the use of high explosives. It can be used to set and defuse charges, and to estimate the amount of explosives necessary to demolish buildings and structures. With this skill, you can do the following:
Banned Skills: Faith, Focus, Psionics, Spellcasting, and Weird Science are not available in the Car Wars setting.



Step 6: Skill Specializations
In the Savage Worlds system, skills are intended to be very broad. In order to introduce a little more detail and granularity into the skills, this game is employing the Skill Specializations rule from SWADE. Essentially, this means that most skills require that the character specialize in a specific area. For instance, the Shooting skill no longer broadly covers all types of ranged weapons. Now, if you take the Shooting skill, you must also select a specialization such as Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Bow, etc. The specialization is noted in parentheses next to the parent skill.

All specializations function at the rank of the base skill. Thus if you have a d8 in Shooting, then all of your Shooting specializations are at d8. You can still use a specialization that you don't have, but doing so incurs a penalty ranging from -2 to -4. The exact penalty will vary based upon how much the two specializations differ. For example, a person with Shooting (Pistol) will suffer a -2 when using a rifle. If that same character is firing artillery, however, the penalty is most likely going to increase to a -4.

Starting Specializations: The character starts with one free specialization in each of her skills (if applicable), including Core Skills. She also gets an additional five specializations that she can put in any of her skills. Further specializations can be purchased with Hindrance points or as the character advances.

Some example specializations are listed below. This list is not intended to be exhaustive.


Step 7: Edges
Edges are described in SWADE, starting on page 37. Characters start with one free Edge. Any additional Edges may be purchased with Hindrance points. An Edge costs 2 Hindrance points.

Born a Hero: Car Wars makes use of the Born a Hero setting rule. This means that, at character creation, Rank requirements for Edges are ignored. Characters must still meet all other requirements an Edge might have. After character creation, Rank requirements are observed, as normal.

New Edges: A number of new Edges are described below.

Banned Edges: All Arcane Backgrounds and Power Edges, as well as Champion, Chi, and Danger Sense.



Step 8: Derived Stats
Pace: Standard Pace is 6" (12 yards/meters), but this may be modified by Edges and/or Hindrances. In Savage Worlds, 1" equals 2 yards/meters.

Parry: 2 plus half of Fighting. For example, a character with Fighting d8 would have a Parry of 6.

Size: Default Size is 0, unless modified by Edges or Hindrances. Cannot be less than -1 or more than 1.

Toughness: 2 plus half of Vigor, plus Armor and Size bonus (if any). Armor is noted next to Toughness in parentheses.



Step 9: Starting Gear
Unless you have Edges or Hindrances that modify your starting wealth (such as Rich, Filthy Rich, or Poverty), your character begins with $500 to spend on equipment. A list of common gear and weapons can be found in SWADE, starting on page 65. You retain any money that you don’t spend.



Step 10: Starting Vehicle
You begin with a vehicle custom-built for autodueling. See the Vehicle Creation & Customization thread about constructing your very own murder machine.

New Hindrances

Adrenaline Junkie

Crash Fetishist

Knight Rider

Road Rage



New Edges

Background Edges

Into the Groove

Sponsor

Trademark Vehicle


Combat Edges

Defensive Driver

Dirty Tricks

Leadfoot

Pinpoint Striker

Reverse Driving


Social Edges

Crowd Pleaser

Mentor

One Liner Ace

Vehicular Intimidation


Professional Edges

Getaway Driver/Wheelman

Mechanic

Race Car Driver

Stunt Driver



Construction Ahead
Road Hazards
Roadkill
Need for Speed
Speed Demon
Deer in the Headlights
Burning Rubber
Where the Rubber Hits the Road
Road Rage
Carmageddon
Wreck Fest
Wreck Age
Motor Mayhem

Driving Edges

Here are a few new driving-related Edges; most are applicable to Burning Rubber, while others are used for tactical driving. Edges which modify your Driving rolls stack with those granted by the Ace Professional Edge.

Defensive Driver
Requirements: Novice, Driving d6+
You’re good at getting out of the way. Whenever you’re on the receiving end of an opposed Driving roll, you get a +2 to your roll.

Fancy Driving
Requirements: Seasoned, Driving d10+
You’re a master behind the wheel. You can make two different driving maneuvers in a single round with no multi-action penalty. (Note that that’s two different maneuvers; you can’t Change Position twice in one round, though you could Change Position and then try to Catch Air.)

Getaway Driver
Requirements: Seasoned, Driving d8+
After a heist, you’re the guy they all want behind the wheel. You get a +2 to all your Flee and Shake a Tail rolls.

Grease Monkey
Requirements: Novice, Repair d6+
You’re a wizard with a wrench. You get a +2 to all your Repair rolls.

Offensive Driver
Requirements: Novice, Driving d6+
That’s not ‘offensive’ as in ‘you smell bad’ (although maybe you do...). Rather, you’re good at making other people get out of the way. You get a +2 to all your Force rolls.

Quick Off the Line
Requirements: Novice, Driving d6+
You’re particularly skilled at getting a head start in a chase or race. In the first round of the chase, draw three cards for Initiative and use thebest one. For any subsequent draws you draw only a single card.

Redline
Requirements: Seasoned, Driving d8+
You can push your car to the limit, squeezing more performance out of it than other drivers could ever dream of. When driving a car or motorcycle, the Top Speed of your vehicle is increased by 10.

Sharp Turn
Requirements: Seasoned, Driving d8+
Rather than using the Turn Template, you can make up to a 90 degree turn without making a Driving roll.

Tune-Up
Requirements: Novice, Grease Monkey, Repair d8+You can improve a car’s performance. When you tune up a car (make a Repair roll at -2; takes 4hours, -1 hour for each raise on your roll), the driver gets a +1 on all their driving rolls for their next chase. After each chase, the car must be retuned to retain the bonus.

Edge Alternates
If you want to keep the number of new Edges you introduce to a minimum, try using some of these Edges as Maneuver modifiers or the like instead:

Drive Defensively: Until your next turn, you get a +2 on all opposed Driving rolls where you are the defender. The only maneuver you can per-form while doing so is Change Position.

Drive Offensively: Until your next turn, you get a +2 on all Force Driving rolls, but you take a -2on all your rolls to avoid going Out of Control.

Tune-Up: Make a repair roll at -4. If you succeed, you can improve a vehicles performance until the end of it’s next Chase. You can either increase the top speed of the vehicle by 10 (this doesn’t stack with the Redline Edge) or improve its handling, giving the driver a +1 to all Driving rolls.