Spending XP
After choosing Species, Occupation, Background, and Flaws, spend your remaining XP to customize your character. XP is a universal currency. It buys everything.
These costs apply both during character creation and during advancement between sessions. The only difference is the creation limit on Skills (see below).
XP Costs
| Purchase | Cost |
|---|---|
| Train a new Skill (Skill 0) | 5 XP |
| Train a new Discipline | 5 XP |
| Cross-train a Discipline | 5 XP (first rank free) |
| Raise a Skill one rank | 5 × new rating |
| Buy a Specialty | 10 XP |
| Raise an Ability one point | 10 × new rating |
| Feat (in-occupation) | 5 / 10 / 15 per tier |
| Feat (out-of-occupation) | 10 / 20 / 30 per tier |
| Second Occupation | 15 XP |
Cross-training applies when you already have a discipline under the same base skill. A character trained in Combat: Firearms who wants to learn Combat: Melee pays 5 XP and begins at Skill 1 instead of Skill 0. The shared foundation makes the transition faster. This does not apply when training an entirely new skill.
Skill Costs
| From | To | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Untrained | Trained (Skill 0) | 5 |
| Skill 0 | Skill 1 | 5 |
| Skill 1 | Skill 2 | 10 |
| Skill 2 | Skill 3 | 15 |
| Skill 3 | Skill 4 | 20 |
| Skill 4 | Skill 5 | 25 |
Ability Costs
| From | To | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 20 |
| 2 | 3 | 30 |
| 3 | 4 | 40 |
| 4 | 5 | 50 |
Creation Limits
During character creation, no Skill may be raised above 2. This represents a starting character — competent in their field but not yet a master. Skill 3+ represents years of dedicated practice and should be earned through play.
Abilities are not capped during creation beyond species limits. If your Species allows an Ability of 3 and you can afford the XP, you may start there.
Derived Stats
After spending XP, calculate your derived stats:
- Defense — higher of Agility or Perception (unless modified by species traits or feats).
- Wound Capacity — Strength + Will.
- Willpower Pool — Will + Focus (0 if untrained in Focus). Humans with Intrinsic Will add +1.
Veteran Characters
Not every character is fresh out of training. Sometimes the story calls for a crew of seasoned professionals, a retired officer pulled back into service, or a Freelancer who has been running jobs for twenty years. The Veteran Characters system allows the creation of more experienced starting characters with GM approval.
After completing normal character creation (Species, Occupation, Background, Flaws, and XP spending with the standard creation limits), the GM and player agree on how long the character has been active in their profession. The GM then awards bonus XP based on the following guidelines:
| Experience Level | Bonus XP | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Seasoned | +25 | A few years beyond standard. Knows the ropes. |
| Veteran | +50 | A decade or more. Reliable, respected, dangerous. |
| Elite | +75 | The best at what they do. Sought out by name. |
| Legend | +100 | Decades of experience. Reputation precedes them everywhere. |
Bonus XP is spent using the normal XP costs, but the creation limit of Skill 2 does not apply. Veteran characters may raise Skills to 3, 4, or even 5 with their bonus XP. Abilities may also be raised beyond their starting values.
Veteran characters should be the exception, not the default. A table of Seasoned characters is a slightly more competent crew. A table with one Legend and three Green characters is a recipe for spotlight problems.
The best use of this system is when the entire table agrees on an experience level. "We're all Veteran Freelancers" sets a tone and ensures nobody is dramatically outclassed.
When mixing experience levels at the same table, the higher-level characters should have narrative reasons for not simply solving every problem — their expertise is in a narrow domain, they are past their prime, they have obligations that limit their freedom, or the situation is genuinely outside their experience.