Characters will be created using the GURPS system.  In order to be successful character should be well balanced.  This doesn't necessarily mean that everyone should have magery, weapons skills, and thieving skills, but characters who choose a STR of 20 with one weapon skill at 18 and no social skills or abilities will likely quickly find themselves arrested for one thing or another.  Below is some baseline information.

Character Creation
125 points GM Edit
-40 points for Disadvantages, Decreased Attributes count against this.
-5 points for Quirks
Required: Magery 1 GM's Edit: Magery no longer required
No Psionics
No Exotic Advantages
No Weapon Bond or Signature Gear
TL 3:  High or low TL may be bought for +5/-5 points for one level only.  An appropriate back story should exist (growing up in Araterre for TL4 or the Nomad Lands for TL2)
High TL characters can buy TL4 weapons and armor at twice the cost for character creation.  After character creation, higher TL weapons will need a specific sidequest to buy or repair.
Max Magery 3 for beginning characters
Banestorm races will be used
All characters start with one language known at Native both spoken and written proficiency for free.  (Literacy is not required for many everyday characters, illiteracy is a disadvantage worth -3 points, or broken reading abilities for -2 points)
The portion of starting wealth is 1000 copper pennies ($1000).
Extra CPs can be used to buy another $200 in wealth at creation.
Humans make up 50% of Azer's population, Goblins and Halflings make up another 40%, with smatterings of other races breaking up the last 10%.

This is the additional information I will need in your character sheet.

Physical Description:
Provide a physical description of your character, including age, gender, race, height, weight, eye color, hair color and style, body type, and any other physically defining characteristics.

Background:
I don't need an epic tale, in fact it's probably better if your character doesn't have a whole lot of experience.  Let me know what your family situation is and a brief back-story to your disadvantages.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:17, Mon 04 Mar 2019.

Probably my biggest pet peeve of gaming here on RPOL is that months of time RL can lead to only a few hours of game play.  Adventures themselves may take upwards of a year to complete and then characters get a measly four character points with which to work.

Therefore, each of my adventures will reward on average 10 character points and I'll do my best to keep them short(ish).

On top of that I will add specific bonuses based on character involvement in the story line, character development, and creative roleplay.  A swordsman who posted one liners for the whole adventure but was a helpful part of the team may get a bonus of a +1 on his broadsword skill (an equivalent bonus of 4 Character points) while a mage who delved into his character, wrote descriptive posts, and was the driving force behind the story might get a bonus of +1 to IQ (an equivalent bonus of 20 Character Points).

Here's how the breakdown for how characters can spend points to advance their characters.

Hero Points
GM EDIT Either earned character points or hero points can be spent as hero points.  Hero points can be purchased at the beginning of an adventure for the cost of 2 CP.  They are essentially a one-time shot of a particular advantage.  Luck is a favorite (allowing you three dice rolls for a single action, from which you can take the best result) or Serendipity (allowing one random good thing to happen to you during an adventure at the GM's discretion).

Skills and Techniques
All skills can be bought at cost.  During adventures, skills can be increased (not bought) and in between adventures, new skills can be acquired (with a reasonable explanation) or increased.

Most Martial Arts Techniques require a style.  This requires a point to be spent in learning that style and then all skills/techniques can be learned or increased normally.  Techniques in the basic book (feint, etc.) can generally be learned without a style.

Advantages and Perks
Attributes can be bought in between adventures but only with a reasonable cover story.  For example Combat Reflexes would simply cost 15 points to buy with the back story of the character taking advanced training in the Warrior's Guild or dojo, where as gaining magery for the first time would require a significant in character side quest as well as the character points.

Disadvantages
The same as advantages, disadvantages can be bought off in between adventures with an appropriate back story.  A crippled limb could be bought off with the points and a cash penalty, with the back story of going to an advanced healer.  Alcoholism could be reduced to a quirk (never drinks alcohol) with an appropriate rehab, although breaking the abstinence could result in a full on relapse.

Spells
Magic in general requires a teacher.  However, if you wish to learn a spell on your own, you can do so in between adventures by first making a roll against thaumatology (the roll is at -5 for very hard spells) and then spending 2 CPs for the first point in the spell.  The spell can then be raised normally from there.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:11, Mon 20 June 2022.

The following are the common Megalan non-human races.  Let me know if there is interest in playing something else and I'll look at adding it.

GOBLINS
19 points
Goblins have green skin, pointed ears, and small, sharp, white teeth.
Magic fascinates many goblins, and they respect mages. There are few
mighty goblin wizards, but the race produces a remarkable number of
hedge magicians and dabblers. They are great traders and merchants. They travel everywhere, trading where they travel, and wherever they go, a few settle down. There are no exclusively goblin nations in Ytarria, but they are the majority in several parts of Megalos, particularly in the Duchy of Yibyorak (p. 100).  Goblins are small and slender; height is normal for their ST, but weight is 10 pounds less.
Attribute Modifiers
ST-2 [-20]
DX+1 [20]
IQ+1 [20]
Advantages
Night Vision 9 [9]
Disadvantages
Impulsiveness (12) [-10]
Many but not all goblins have the quirk “Interested in magic and
mages.” For some this is a Compulsive Behavior (Hang around with wizards).  Goblins are quite likely to have the Talents of Business Acumen or Smooth Operator, and their most successful merchants do not have Impulsiveness.

HALFLINGS
0 points
These small, peaceful folk are mainly interested in farming, eating, but they make determined warriors
when pushed. Halflings are stocky and round-faced; they almost never wear beards.  They react well to anyone who sets a generous table or offers to share his ale. Anyone who seems “wild” or “dangerous”
will get a cool reception from a village halfling, though city-bred or adventuring cousins will be less timid.  A bad reaction usually means snubs and closed doors rather than combat.  Rare is the halfling who will attack someone who hasn’t threatened his life or home.  Halflings are 1 1/2 feet shorter than normal humans of their ST but have normal weight for humans of their ST.
Attribute Modifiers
ST-3 [-30]
DX+1 [20]
HT+1 [10]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers
SM -1; HP+1 [2]
Basic Move-1 [-5]
Advantages
Halfling Ranged Weapon Talent 2 [10]
Silence 1 [5]
Social Regard 1 (Good Neighbor) [5]
Disadvantages
Chummy [-5]
Code of Honor (Halfling) [-5]
Gluttony (12) [-5]
Quirks
Dislike large bodies of water [-1]
Staid. [-1]
Many halflings have an Addiction to tobacco; a small minority have Alcoholism. Some replace Chummy and Staid with Xenophobia. Many, even if they have no need for it, have higher levels of Silence.

Each human language is easy to learn and has a written component.  Written language is common enough that most people with status 0 and above will know how to write in their native tongue.  Illiteracy may be bought as a disadvantage.

Anglish

The most common language spoken in Yrrth, and the established language in Megalos, Caithness.  All characters start with native Anglish for free.

Arabic

Established language in al-Haz and al-Wazif.

Arlaise

Established language in Araterre.

Northland

Established language in the Nomad Lands.

Sahudeese

Established language in Sahud.



There are also several Non-human languages of varying difficulty.  The most common are Elvish and Dwarvish.  Goblins have their own language, though they have been so well integrated into other cultures that it is becoming less relevant over time.  Orc and Reptile Men also have their own languages but finding someone to teach it to you would be harder than learning the language itself!