There are many aspects to characters in Stars Without Number. This is meant to provide guidelines on how to create a character.

You can download the core rules from drivethrurpg or you can find them on scribd.com
They're free so it doesn't matter how you get them.

 1. Attributes (p10): These are measures of basic aptitudes of the character. These are determined by rolling 3d6 per attribute, and then assigning each number straight down the list as presented here.

Strength (Str)
 Intelligence (Int)
 Wisdom (Wis)
 Dexterity (Dex)
 Constitution (Con)
 Charisma (Cha)

A Character will earn modifiers associated with attributes based on the attribute value.

18, +2
 14-17, +1
 8-13, No Modifier
 4-7, -1
 3, -2

After all attributes are rolled and modifiers determined, you may bump any one attribute you desire to 14, granting it a +1 modifier. Read on about classes and skills before making your choice. If the cumulative modifiers after applying the 14 are -1 or worse, then reroll.

Stanley McDougall’s Attributes are, rolled as follows:

Str 9
 Int 12
 Wis 13
 Dex 10
 Con 7 (-1)
 Cha 13

Looking ahead, It is decided that Stanley will be a Psychic, so the 14 is placed in Con a primary attribute for Psychics. The new attributes are:

Str 9
 Int 12
 Wis 13
 Dex 10
 Con 14 (1)
 Cha 13

Stanley gains a +1 Modifier to Con now.

2. Classes (p11): These are the archetypes of your character. There are three classes, each associated with a pair of suggested attributes. Each class has a unique ability directly related to their strengths, as well as other features.

Warriors [p22] (Str, Dex) Ability: May automatically dodge one successful attack per combat. Features: Best Hit Dice and attack bonuses, class skills are primarily combat related, but also include the likes of stealth, athletics, and leadership

Experts  [p18] (Int, Cha) Ability: Once per in game hour, the expert can reroll a failed skill check. Features: Middling hit dice, but high rate of skill accumulation and class skills include all but combat skills, tactics, and tech/psitech.

Psychics [p20] (Wis, Con) Ability: Psychic Powers. Features: Low Hit Dice, limited selection of class skills but has access to Psychic Powers, which includes arts such as Biopsionics (healing), telekinesis, telepathy, and teleportation.

Stanley is now officially a Psychic, his hit dice will be a D4, and his special ability will be Psychic powers, which will be determined later.

3. Skills (p16): Skills are the bread and butter of the warrior and the expert. The Psychic is more focused around its special ability, but these still play a roll. Skills determine what weapons you are proficient with, what vehicles you can drive, how well you know a place or culture, your proficiency at deceiving people, and how well you can sneak up on somebody (In conjunction with associated attributes).

A character’s starting skills are determined by two selections: Background and Training Packages. Background Packages are skill sets available to all classes, while training packages are unique to each class. Each Packages contains a list of skills the character gains when the packages is selected.

Background Packages (p13) include the likes of Armsman, Soldier, Politician, Scholar, Transport Specialist, Noble, and Deck Crew. These supply a certain general aspect of your character’s history.

Stanley selects Street Op (A Background from Darkness Visible, an espionage supplement for SWN) as his background package. This grants him the skills Culture/Criminal, Culture/World, Combat/Any, and Stealth.

Training packages (page after class of choice) supply where, how, possibly what ends lead your character to become the class of choice. The warrior for instance includes the likes of Space Marine, Mercenary, Templar, and Assassin.

Stanley chooses the training package Rogue Psychic, granting Culture/Any, Combat/Any, Persuade, Stealth

After selecting each package, make a list of all skills included in the packages. Every skill included in a single package is now rank 0, which represents basic training and allows you to make the skill check without penalty. If you happen to have a skill that appears in both background and training packages you gain rank 1 in that skill, which gives a +1 to all associated skill rolls.

Stanley’s packages provide skills as follows
 Culture/Criminal
 Culture/World
 Culture/Any
 Combat/Any
 Combat/Any
 Persuade
 Stealth
 Stealth

Persuade only has one occurrence therefore it will be rank 0. Stealth has two occurrences, therefore rank 1. Culture/World, Culture/Any, and Combat/Any offer a bit of freedom to choose from a selection. Stanley chooses Psitech as Combat/Any’s specialization. Using both instances to make Combat/Psitech rank 1. He could also have chosen to learn Combat/Primitive (Primarily Swords and the like) or Combat/Projectile (SMGs and Shotguns) or any other Combat at rank 1. He could also have chosen to learn two combats at rank 0, to be midly proficient at multiple methods of fighting. He turns Culture/Any into Culture/Criminal, which stacks with the previous instance of culture/criminal and becomes rank 1. Culture/World means he must select a specific world to specialize in. He chooses his homeworld of Phoenix. The final set appears as follows.

Culture/Phoenix (0)
 Culture/Criminal (1)
 Persuade (0)
 Stealth (1)
 Combat/Psitech (1)

Side note: If seeking to make either naval or stealth/espionage oriented characters I can provide a small selection of additional background packages and training packages as I own supplements focused on those kinds of characters.

4. Hit Points: Roll your class’s hit die, and add the constitution modifier to determine your hit point total.

Stanley rolls 1d4 and gets a 4, adding his +1 Constitution modifier for 5 HP

5. Saving Throws and Attack Bonus: On each class’s introduction page in the core rulebook it chart’s their Attack Bonuses and Saving throws, based on level, be sure to record these.

Stanley’s Chart appears as follows

Attack Bonus: 0

Saving Throws
 Physical Effect: 13
 Mental Effect: 12
 Evasion: 15
 Tech Save: 16
 Luck Save: 14

6. Credits: All characters start with 400+1d6*100 credits. Roll and record for now, I’ll be getting into starting equipment later.

Stanley rolls 1d6 and gets a 3, for 300+400. Stanley has 700 Starting Credits

7. *Psychics Only* Psychic Disciplines (p25): At creation, each Psychic may select two disciplines to learn the first power of. One discipline will be selected as Primary Discipline, which you must always put one of your two points in until its maximum level is unlocked. The other point you acquire at first level and every level thereafter may go to whichever discipline you choose. After selecting powers, determine Psi Point Totals. At level 1 the total is 1+ your better primary attribute’s modifier.

Stanley chooses to make his primary discipline Biopsionics, and chooses Telepathy as his secondary discipline at this rank. He can now use the powers Biostasis and Empathy. At level 2 Stanley must increase his Biopsionics to level 2, granting him Psychic Succor, but may choose to gain another discipline at level 1 (Such as Metapsionics granting him Psychic Harmonization) or increase telepathy to level 2 (Granting him metalinguistics). Stanley’s Psi Point Total is 2 at level 1. He begins with one point but gets another due to +1 to his Con.


Also, choose a language for every point of intelligence modifier you possess. The languages are more or less built on modern ones. All PC’s know English, which is the latin of the stars. Other languages would include new takes on any current earth language. Feel free to get a little creative.

Stanley McDougall’s name has long been known, and his homeworld is Phoenix. He has no modifiers in intelligence, so he only knows English, the primary language of Phoenix. Aside from selecting gear, which we will discuss later, he is now a fully functional member of the Stars Without Number universe.


The sheet would look like this, by the way.

Stanley McDougall
 Street Operative
 Rogue Psychic

Homeworld: Phoenix

Psychic Lvl. 1
 HP: 5

Stats (Modifiers)
Str 9
Int 12
Wis 13
Dex 10
Con 14 (1)
Cha 13

Skills
Culture/Phoenix 0
Culture/Criminal 1
Stealth         1
Persuade 0
Combat/Psitech 1

Psionics
 Biopsionics 1
 Telepathy 1

Psi Points 2


Attack Bonus 0

Saving Throws
 Physical Effect  13
 Mental Effect    12
 Evasion          15
 Tech Save        16
 Luck Save        14


Credits         700