Rules & Lore

Lifepath Character Creation

How to Build a Character in Seven Steps

All lifepath tests are tests of competition. Roll high.

  1. Choose a Career. Pick one of the six Galactic Careers, and apply. If you don't make it, you may enter The Draft. Roll 1D and start your career path with the service that corresponds to the number. Recognition is not available to draftees in their first term.
  2. Apply or Enlist. Enter the draft directly or apply by testing against the Application target. You may apply the modifiers to your Application test if you meet the ability score requirements (+1 for 1, +2 for both). Success starts your first term. If you fail, you may enlist in the draft anyway and have a career randomly assigned. Either way you pick up the Onboarding Skill for the service.
  3. Survive. Each term is a risk as you must test to survive it. Fail, and the character dies in service. Narrate the tragedy appropriately. Succeed, and your character picks up new skills.
  4. Learn. Each term, roll once on Personal, Service, or Specialist training; Advanced training is available if EDU 8+. Explorers (and only Explorers) roll twice.
  5. Get Recognized & Promoted. Once per term you may test to be recognized and begin gaining career levels through promotion. Once recognized, you may test for promotion immediately and then again in each subsequent term. Gain a new random Specialist or Advanced (if EDU 8+) skill when recognized and another when promoted.
  6. Re-Application & Aging. You must roll to re-apply. If you are successful, you may serve another term or you may choose to leave service unless you roll a 12. In that case, the character must serve another term unless they are aged 66 years or older. At the end of your fourth term and every term thereafter, you must make Aging tests.
  7. Separation from Service. When you leave service, roll on the Benefits table once for every term served -- plus a bonus roll if you were recognized, and another if you achieve rank 3 or higher. After 20 years of service (5 terms), you also receive an Imperial Pension of 2,000 SEC per year, plus 1,000 SEC per year for each term served after the fifth (6 terms: 3,000; 7 terms: 4,000; and so on).

Continue to resolve career terms until you've got a character you like -- or aren't willing to risk another Survival or Aging test on -- and start play.

Every career's numbers are on its own page, and side by side on the Careers Table.

If you don't want to do it by hand, try out the Character Generator.