Use this thread to coordinate character creation. Your team of 4 (or 5... we'll see) was specially selected because your skills go together perfectly. As such, it makes most sense to me if you figure out your characters together.

So far we have:

Slot 1: Xavier Angel Solomon (master of handguns)
Slot 2: Miri Ankh (investigator)
Slot 3/4: Tobias Byrne (tech/specialist)
Slot 4/3: Finley Kenny (telecom tech by weekday, hunter by weekend... maybe end up being a slot 3/4 hybrid, or a slot 4 depending on build)
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:31, Mon 15 June 2009.

This was brought up in PM: when you do create your characters, don't make them useless in combat. This is not necessarily a combat-oriented game, but if your character hides in the corner every time bullets start flying, that's not much fun for anyone.

Ok, we have found our fourth player, and your character sheets should all be enabled. The first in-game post will be next Monday, whether your characters are ready or not, so get chatting :)

Hrm... I just realized that I'm not sure if anywhere on the multitude of game threads I posted what level we are starting at: we will be starting at level 6.

You, sir, have just made my day.

I've been moved to role 3, and Tobias will be filling the special role 4 position. While my theoretical knowledge of d20 modern is pretty good, my practical knowledge is more lacking. So which skills, in your practical experiences, would be useful for a skill-monkey in d20M to take?

As the resident skill-monkey in previous games, I suggest the following:

Language skills
computer use
disable device
research
repair
all knowledge skills
demolitions, if no one else has it
forgery, same as demolitions

Language and Knowledges I'll look into then, as much as plausible.

Computer use, disable device, research, and repair generally seemed useful.

Does anybody have Demolitions or Forgery? :P
I'm planning to go into Shadowjack, since it's the most IT-focused advanced class out there (a bit weak on the physical systems aspect); and that doesn't have Demolitions as a class skill (and because Smart Hero does, I don't think I can get it with an occupation).

Everything Tobias said is on track. In addition I would add:

Profession is useful, since you will have to purchase your own equipment (while you are technically employees of the company, you are really closer to outside consultants).

You can probably ignore drive and pilot completely, as cars/airplanes + online = horrible beyond belief.

Craft isn't important, but if you invest in it I will make sure that you have downtime to use it. Gamble is fun for roleplaying purposes, but uness you play a compulsive gambler, I wouldn't expect it to be used a lot.

Also, you can choose a skill from an occupation that is already a class skill. In that case you get a +1 bonus, and the skill stays a class skill for all your classes. So if you decided to take demolitions, you could take (*picks from top of head*) the Military occupation, and take Demolitions as one of your class skills. If your first class is Smart hero, you get an automatic +1 bonus to your Demo rolls, and no matter what classes you move into after that, they treat Demo as a class skill. It adds a whole new level of fun when you are trying to forward-plan as to what advanced/prestige classes you want to take!

Ah. My last DM ruled for whatever reason that they don't stack. Hmmm...
This message was last edited by the player at 04:51, Mon 15 June 2009.

It's an oft-confused rule.

I feel like I'm doing something wrong. The skill workups and stuff feels...off, somehow. Would you folks mind looking at it?

Smart 1/Dedicated 1/Smart 4

Languages: English 2, Gaelic 2, Spanish 2, Mandarin 1, Arabic 1, Russian 1, Japanese 1, French 1

Computer Use +24 [9 ranks]
Repair +21 [9 ranks]
Disable Device +20 [9 ranks]
Demolitions +15 [9 ranks]
Knowledge (earth & life Sciences) +15 [9 ranks]
Knowledge (technology) +15 [9 ranks]
Search +13 [9 ranks]
Navigate +12 [8 ranks]
Profession +11 [9 ranks]
Craft (electronics) +10 [6 ranks]
Craft (mechanical) +10 [6 ranks]
Research +9 [5 ranks]
Knowledge (behavorial sciences) +5 [1 rank]
Knowledge (physical sciences) +5 [1 rank]
Investigate +5 [1 rank]
Craft (chemical) +5 [1 rank]

Class Abilities:
Savant (Computer Use) +5
Skill Emphasis (Computer Use)
Savant (Repair) +5
Savant (Disable Device) +5

Feats
1) Simple Weapons Proficiency
1) Cautious
1) Personal Firearms Proficiency
3) Gearhead
3) Armor Proficiency (light)
4) Educated (earth & life sciences, technology)
6) Heroic Surge
This message was last edited by the player at 11:34, Wed 17 June 2009.

I like to do it 1 level at a time so I don't get confused. This is especially helpful since you gained an Int point at 4th level.

1 = 48 ([9+3]*4)
2 = 12
3 = 12
4 = 11 (7+4)
5 = 11
6 = 11
--------
103 points.

I count 104 total ranks, so you are over by 1 if I calculated everything correctly. You don't gain a skill point in Speak Language if you increase your Intelligence after level 1, and that's probably what you did.

Optimization-wise, I'll let the other players answer. I wouldn't want to bias you :)

What is Irish?


Got that covered.

Got that too.

And that.

And that.

Overlap certainly isn't bad, especially on the research skill. The others, though, one of us might want to pull ranks and put it into something else (can't do that with research and decipher script, as those are needed by my advanced class).