http://www.pathguy.com/d20modern.htm is a very, very useful site for trying out different types of character concepts. Not all of the material presented there is used here and there is additional material here that is not used there.

• Open or Print the Character Sheet
• Choose Concept
• Generate Ability Scores
• Assign Ability Scores
• Choose Species
• Choose Class(es)
• Determine Starting Occupation
• Select Talents
• Choose Allegiance/Origin
• Optional: Psionics
• Optional: Grid Piloting
• Optional: Cyberware
• Optional: Mutation
• Apply any Level adjustments
• Assign skills
• Select feats

• Determine: Defense, Speed, Initiative, Base Attack Bonus, Reputation, Saving Throws, Melee Attack Bonus, Ranged Attack Bonus, Action Points, Wealth
• Equip your character
• Roll for vitality points (if needed)

insert ABILITY MODIFIERS table here ABILITY MODIFIERS Score Mod 1 -5 2-3 -4 4-5 -3 6-7 -2 8-9 -1 10-11 +0 12-13 +1 14-15 +2 16-17 +3 18-19 +4 20-21 +5 22-23 +6 24-25 +7 etc. etc.

insert EXPERIENCE AND LEVEL BENEFITS table here EXPERIENCE AND LEVEL BENEFITS Class Cross-Class Character Skill Max Skill Max Ability Level XP Ranks Ranks Feats Increases 1st 0 4 2 1st - 2nd 1,000 5 2 ½ - - 3rd 3,000 6 3 2nd - 4th 6,000 7 3½ - 1st 5th 10,000 8 4 - - 6th 15,000 9 4½ 3rd - 7th 21,000 10 5 - - 8th 28,000 11 5½ - 2nd 9th 36,000 12 6 4th - 10th 45,000 13 6½ - - 11th 55,000 14 7 - - 12th 66,000 15 7½ 5th 3rd 13th 78,000 16 8 - - 14th 91,000 17 8½ - - 15th 105,000 18 9 6th - 16th 120,000 19 9½ - 4th 17th 136,000 20 10 - - 18th 153,000 21 10½ 7th - 19th 171,000 22 11 - - 20th 190,000 23 11½ - 5th 21st 211,000 24 12 8th - 22nd 234,000 25 12½ - - 23rd 260,000 26 13 - - 24th 286,000 27 13½ 9th 6th 25th+ +26,000 Lvl +3 Lvl+3 1/3 1/4 +(1000/3 Lvls) 2

In addition to the levels benefits shown on the chart, characters always receive 1 Character Point per level (including at 1st level). Character Points are used to purchase Perks and to “pay off” Flaws, freeing a character from their effects.

Levels

Perks are benefits you can purchase for your hero with Character Points. You gain Character Points before play by choosing flaws for your character, and can gain additional Character Points during play by role=playing your motivations well and by attaining new character levels. Flaws, of course, are weaknesses or limitations you place on your character. Perks and Flaws are explained and described in Chapter 5. Motivations are described be-low.

Allegiances are not entirely unlike motivations; they do often provide motivation to characters, and they can be extremely important to heroes. There are differences, how-ever; allegiances represent devotion and loyalty to specific people, organizations, or belief systems. They are indications of what the hero values in life, how he identifies himself, and how he is likely to act in a wide variety of situations.

Like Motivations, allegiances are not a required trait for every character and they can be discarded at any time, or even stripped from a character if the GM decides that the character is behaving in a way counter or detrimental to his professed allegiance.

When creating a character, you may choose up to three allegiances, ranking them in order from most important to least important. New allegiances can also be declared any time your character gains a level, and there is no ultimate limit to the number of allegiances a hero can have—though multiple Allegiances can get tricky as they don’t always have the same interests or beliefs.

Having an allegiance implies an informed choice, so a character must have both Intelligence and Wisdom scores of three or more to have any allegiances. Allegiances include, but need not be limited to, the following examples:

Person or Group: This includes a lead-er or superior, a family, a group of linked individuals (such as a band of adventurers or a cell of secret agents), or a discrete unit within a larger organization (such as your squad or platoon, or individuals for whose safety you are responsible).

Organization: This may be a company or corporation, a gathering of like-minded individuals, a fraternal brotherhood, a secret society, a branch of the armed forces, a university, a town, province, or colony, and employer, or any otherwise well-established authority.

Nation: This can mean one of the Stellar Nations or an independent Verge government. It might even be a discrete nation on a single planet with multiple nations. It may or may not be the nation in which the hero now resides. It may be the nation of her birth, or a nation she has (or hopes to) emigrated to.

Belief System: This is usually a particular faith or religion, but can also be a specific philosophy or school of thought. Belief systems could also include political beliefs (conservatism, liberalism, democracy, social-ism, etc.) or philosophical outlooks (Taoism, existentialism, etc.).

Ethical Philosophy: This is represented by two opposing philosophies: law and chaos. Lawful individuals tend to tell the truth, keep their word, respect authority, and honor tradition, and she expects others to do like-wise. Chaotic individuals tend to follow their instincts and whims, favor new ideas and experiences, and behave in an open and objective way in their dealings with others, and they respect those who do likewise.

Moral Philosophy: Represented by good and evil, this describes one’s attitude toward others. While most people (even many who are truly evil by the definition be-low) consider themselves basically good, but good here refers specifically to a respect for and valuing of innocent life, a sense of altruism, and a concern for the dignity of other creatures. Evil, in this context, encompasses those who are willing to (not necessarily driven to) hurt, oppress, and kill others, and to debase or destroy innocent life.

In addition to providing your character with role-playing opportunities, an allegiance can create a bond with others of the same allegiance. With the GM’s permission, a hero can gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with some-one who knows that she shares an allegiance with the hero. Conversely, a hero may suffer a –2 circumstance penalty to the same skills when dealing with a character who knows that the hero has an allegiance opposed to her own.