The final day of the January character creation challenge & we wrap it up with the okay-ish Terran Trade Authority RPG from Morrigan Press. Powered by the Omni system, a generified version of Talislanta’s core mechanic, the game is based on those classic Stuart Cowley picture books so many of us drooled over as pre-teens.

The book itself is no easy thing to navigate, but once you’ve got three or four bookmarks in the necessary spots chargen goes surprisingly quickly. Step one is to choose your race. In the TTA there are three: humans, Alphans, & Proximans (who hail from Alpha & Proxima Centauri, respectively). At this point the book would have you wade through, I kid you not, 80 pages of fluff about the three cultures, but let’s go with human for the sake of simplicity. There are eight primary attributes: Intelligence, Willpower, Strength, Constitution, Perception, Charisma, Dexterity, & Speed. The base value for each is 0. Humans’ base attributes are all 0 & they get +3 to distribute as they like, & must put a -1 somewhere. We’re going for the best damn pilot in the galaxy stock character, so we divide them thus:

INT 0, WIL 0, STR +1, CON +1, PER +1, CHA 0, DEX 0, SPD -1

All humans get a set of certain basic skills at set values. They also get one free positive quirk (virtue, benefit, boon, gift, you know the drill). In later stages it’ll cost 2 skill ranks to buy a positive quirk, but you can earn 2 back by taking a negative one.

Skills: Computers (personal) 1, Lore (Sol System) 4, Lore (Terra) 6, Etiquette (Terran) 6, Speak (Language) Native, Speak (Language) Basic
Quirk: Single-Minded (halves penalties caused by distractions)

The PC now gets to fiddle their attributes a touch more, adding a +2 to one attribute or +1 to two, & applying one -1. A pilot doesn’t depend on main strength so we let it cancel out the +1 in STR.

INT 0, WIL 0, STR +1-1=0, CON +1, PER +1, CHA 0+1=+1, DEX 0+1=+1, SPD -1

Next, the PC goes through at least two life paths. Everyone starts with one of four background paths (Rural, Urban, Offworld, or Outcast), then takes at least one advanced one, amassing attribute modifications, skill ranks, maybe quirks, & equipment. A gritty, low-power campaign may have only one path after the background, while a real Buck Rogers game may allow four. Skills taken in multiple paths are additive. The PC is free to repeat paths if they like, but we won’t.

Background Path: Rural
Attribute Adjustment: +1 STR or +1 CON; we choose to get the STR back
Skills: Drive (civilian vehicle) 2, Literacy 1, Profession (surveyor) 2, Survival (forest) 2
Gear: garments (casual), work boots, backpack, 250 credits

The low rating in Literacy doesn’t mean that our hero is barely literate, just that they read their second language a bit poorly.

Next, two advanced paths. (The basic power level assumes three total, including background.) Our hero leaves home to become a commercial pilot, but their derring-do has them continually pushing the envelope

Path: Interstellar Courier
Attribute Adjustment: +1 SPD
Skills (12 ranks): Astrogation 3, Computer (personal) 1, Pilot (small spacecraft) 5, Navigation 3
Gear: databuddy, recaller, personal computer, GalPOS, light spacesuit, personal communicator, Errand Mek, 1000 credits, oh, & a Skymaster 28 or similar! That’s right, if we were to stop there we would already be kitted out with a pretty sweet ride, a small cargo hauler.

Path: Hotshot Pilot
Attribute Adjustment: +1 DEX
Skills (12 ranks): Astrogation 2, Pilot (medium spacecraft) 4, Lore (system) 1, Computer (tactical) 2, Defensive Martial Arts 1, Weapon (pistol) 2
Quirks: Redline (push your ship beyond its design limits), Infamy (you’re mistrusted because of something you did, or are reputed to have done)
Gear: Terran 9mm pistol, flight suit & helmet, rucksack, boots (hiking), light spacesuit, Avery Frost Orion or similar, 1500 credits

From humble beginnings as one of the few municipal office workers on a frontier settlement world, Tilo Schwyzer-Vogel’s wanderlust led to signing on first as crew, then as a pilot with one of the many firms hauling goods around the sector. It didn’t take long for her to become known for her quick thinking & masterful piloting, dodging pirates, debris & weird spatial phenomena alike. Soon she was one of the top couriers in that part of space, the person you call when it absolutely, positively has to get there before the next solar cycle – especially when there are forces arrayed that would much rather see it, whatever it is, blasted to pieces instead. But a dark reputation follows her. Yes, she always makes her escape from desperate situations, but others on the scene don’t always. Word has begun to circulate that Tilo doesn’t have much compunction about leaving the slow behind. “If you can’t keep up, don’t step up” is her motto. It may just be the last thing you ever learn.

Name: Tilo Schwyzer-Vogel

INT 0, WIL 0, STR +1, CON +1, PER +1, CHA +1, DEX +2, SPD 0

Hit Points 21, Psi 0, Piety 0, Renown 0

Skills: Astrogation 5, Computer (personal) 2, Computer (tactical) 2, Defensive Martial Arts 1, Drive (civilian vehicle) 2, Etiquette (Terran) 6, Literacy 1, Lore (system) 1, Lore (Sol System) 4, Lore (Terra) 6, Navigation 3, Pilot (medium spacecraft) 4, Pilot (small spacecraft) 5, Profession (surveyor) 2, Speak (Swiss German) Native, Speak (English) Basic, Survival (forest) 2, Weapon (pistol) 2

Quirks: Redline, Single-Minded, Infamy

Gear: garments (casual), work boots, backpack, databuddy, recaller, personal computer, GalPOS, light spacesuit, personal communicator, Errand Mek, Terran 9mm pistol, flight suit & helmet, rucksack, boots (hiking), light spacesuit, Avery Frost Orion or similar, 2750 credits