Character generation specifics? (No, not FaceGen)

[galsiah]

I've checked around a bit, but can't find much specific explanation of character generation. If I've missed it, please point me there.

What (I think) we know so far:
40 points to distribute between 6 attributes (which never change thereafter).
Choice of gender (doesn't make much difference).
Choice of background (affects starting guild (if any), and reputations).
No class. No race.
Skill points allocated directly.


Where the answers aren't closely guarded future exclusive interview secrets, it'd be nice to know some of the following:
(*) Restrictions on initial attributes. Maximum 10? Minimum...? Any other restrictions?
(*) How is skill point allocation handled? Is it a question of distributing X points between all skills in any way desired, or are there restrictions?
(*) How many initial skill points are there to allocate?
(*) Is there a maximum value for starting skills? A minimum?
(*) Are any skills tagged etc. (as in Fallout) so that they become easier to develop?
(*) Does anything else (e.g. attributes, initial skill) make some skills faster to increase than others?
(*) Does background define initial equipment (if any)? Do skills? Or something else?
(*) Would it be fair to say that initial attribute choice is much more important long-term than initial skill choice?
(*) Are there any other character generation choices to be made (e.g. initial traits)?

And one character progression question:
(*) Are there any direct character stat choices to be made in game apart from skill point allocation, or does everything else (e.g. new traits...) happen as a result of game world decisions?

Any other thoughts?
Thanks.

 

[Lumpy]

Also, does your background affect your starting skills?

 

[Vault Dweller]

40 points to distribute between 6 attributes (which never change thereafter).

Correct.

Choice of gender (doesn't make much difference).

There is a difference and some gender checks. Female assassins can kill with a poison kiss (dialogue option, alchemy skills and certain alchemy techniques required)

Choice of background (affects starting guild (if any), and reputations).

Correct.

No class. No race.Skill points allocated directly.

Yep.

(*) Restrictions on initial attributes. Maximum 10? Minimum...? Any other restrictions?

Min 4, Max 10, no other restrictions.

(*) How is skill point allocation handled? Is it a question of distributing X points between all skills in any way desired, or are there restrictions?

No restrictions. Any way desired.

(*) How many initial skill points are there to allocate?

INT x 2

(*) Is there a maximum value for starting skills? A minimum?

Nope. Starting skills value is determined by attributes, i.e. STR x 3 + Dex

(*) Are any skills tagged etc. (as in Fallout) so that they become easier to develop?

Nope.

(*) Does anything else (e.g. attributes, initial skill) make some skills faster to increase than others?

Nope.

(*) Does background define initial equipment (if any)? Do skills? Or something else?

Minor skill bonuses and equipment. Thief gets lockpicks, a dagger, and a rope, for example.

(*) Would it be fair to say that initial attribute choice is much more important long-term than initial skill choice?

What does initial skill choice mean? Anyway, initially your stats are very important, however, as the game progresses and your skills develop, the importance will slowly shift from attributes to skills. There are some stat checks though for actions that don't have skills: bashing, climbing, pushing, noticing, handling poison, etc

(*) Are there any other character generation choices to be made (e.g. initial traits)?

No. You earn different traits in the game.

(*) Are there any direct character stat choices to be made in game apart from skill point allocation, or does everything else (e.g. new traits...) happen as a result of game world decisions?

As a result of game world decisons.

Also, does your background affect your starting skills?

Yes, you get bonuses.

 

[galsiah]

(*) How many initial skill points are there to allocate?

INT x 2

(*) Is there a maximum value for starting skills? A minimum?

Nope. Starting skills value is determined by attributes, i.e. STR x 3 + Dex

I see - I should have thought of that possibility. I had presumed that initial skills were largely player chosen, rather than calculated from attributes. That answers my attribute vs skill question, since they're really the same choice (apart from the 2xINT, which won't be significant long term I guess).

 

[Lumpy]

There is a difference and some gender checks. Female assassins can kill with a poison kiss (dialogue option, alchemy skills and certain alchemy techniques required)

And male assassins can't kill a woman with a poison kiss?

 

[HotSnack]

They can kill them with a poison somthing. Hur hur hur.

 

[denizsi]

There is a difference and some gender checks. Female assassins can kill with a poison kiss (dialogue option, alchemy skills and certain alchemy techniques required)

And male assassins can't kill a woman with a poison kiss?

Indeed, and what about gays? Men kissing men, women kissing women? For a comparison, ancient Greece had quite many gays, as far as I know

 

[Mantiis]

ancient Greece had quite many gays, as far as I know

Common mistake that it was limited to the Greek City states. Hell it was suggested that Ceaser was King Kicomedes IV Philopator's bitch.

 

[Mefi]

ancient Greece had quite many gays, as far as I know

Common mistake that it was limited to the Greek City states. Hell it was suggested that Ceaser was King Kicomedes IV Philopator's bitch.

non sine rumore prostratae regi pudicitiae, as Suetonius puts it.

 

[suibhne]

(*) Restrictions on initial attributes. Maximum 10? Minimum...? Any other restrictions?

Min 4, Max 10, no other restrictions.

Why isn't the scale just from 1 to 7, then? ("But...this one goes to 10!" :wink: ) Is it a matter of balancing the PC with all of the NPCs in the gameworld?

 

[Vault Dweller]

1-10 range is easier to understand than 1-5 or 1-7. You know exactly where you stand and what 7/10 is. 1/7 is too vague. Why 4 is the limit? Well, I think that characters with stats below 4 are terminally ill or fucked up in other ways people, and they are physically and/or mentally unfit to go adventuring.

 

[MacBone]

In other words, a INT 1 character wouldn't get very far in AoD, eh? Actually, he's probably wander around, drool a lot, and do little else.

 

[Claw]

Damn, VD. This sounds suspiciously like realism to me, and you know we don't want that. :p

 

[ad hominem]

1-10 range is easier to understand than 1-5 or 1-7. You know exactly where you stand and what 7/10 is. 1/7 is too vague. Why 4 is the limit? Well, I think that characters with stats below 4 are terminally ill or fucked up in other ways people, and they are physically and/or mentally unfit to go adventuring.

That makes sense, but drawing from another thread I would be interested to see what would happen to a character with only 1 luck point.

 

[Vault Dweller]

6 attributes are: Str, Dex, Con, Per, Int, Cha. No Luck.

 

[whatusername]

They can kill them with a poison somthing. Hur hur hur.

Poison pee pee?