Character Creation

In APress, we use the acronym STTAKE to describe the process of building your character from scratch. Stats, Traits, Talents, Abilities, Knowledge, Equipment. These are the steps of character creation. Though they can be done in any order, it’s best if you start with your stats and traits. The other three can be done more easily after these selections have been made. Before we do those, however, we need to do a little housekeeping…

Step 1: Character Concept
Visualize the character you want to play in your head. To help you with your decision you can take ideas from the classes of other tabletop systems. If you're having trouble, several level one and level five builds can be found here to help the player mimic a classical archetype such as fighter, rogue, mage, or cleric from a different game.

Step 2: Consult the Progression Chart
The table found here is called the progression chart. It will help you keep track of the various ability points, talent points, and stat points your character is entitled to as they gain levels. Looking at the level one slot, you have plenty of things to distribute and choose from right away.

Step 3: Spend Your Stat Points
Going here, you can spend the 16 allotted stat points a 1st level character starts with. Note that the maximum you can ever buy a stat up to is 20, but you can always equip magical items or have magic cast upon you that raises you above that maximum.

Step 4: Choose Your Traits
Traits come in two types: Background and Racial.

Background Traits determine some of your skill specialization choices, ability choices, and starting equipment. All of them have "trinkets" that you can choose from to grant your character a specific boon or item associated with that background. Choosing two background traits automatically makes your character's race human.

Racial Traits can also determine some of your skill specialization choices, and ability choices, but always grant your character specific boons unique to the race chosen. When you choose to take a racial trait at 1st level, your character becomes the race you chose and gains all of the listed features.

Step 5: Choose Your First Talent
Unless your character is human, they only receive one talent point at 1st level. This can be spent in any of the primary seven "trees" yellow, blue, white, red, black, purple, or green. Once this choice has been made, you gain associated abilities and boons associated with that choice as described here.

Step 6: Choose Your Abilities
After your first talent has been chosen, it is time to make the decision of what abilities to take within your background and talent selection. Abilities help to define your role within the group, and can help you to mimic certain fighting styles, skills, and professions. You can find all the abilities here.

Step 7: Spend Your Knowledge
Knowledge represents your character's accumulated understanding of the various mechanics and workings of the world as they have experienced it. When you gain knowledge, it is added to a pool that can be draw upon at any time during a long rest. With knowledge you can buy skills, abilities, and spell components to outfit your character and help them grow in a meaningful way.

Step 8: Buy Your Equipment
The only thing left to do before your character is complete is to purchase their starting equipment. Your GM might have their own rules regarding this, but the default rules can be found here, along with a list of equipment and the various ways it can be acquired.