Lite Characters
A simplified method of defining characters, vehicles, vessels and equipment.
Lite Characters are an optional rule that provides a simpler and streamlined approach for defining player and non-player characters, vehicles, vessels, or equipment.
Lite Characters are defined by a set of capabilities rather than the separate skills, boosts, and gear used for normal characters. Capabilities are action-oriented and represent a character's overall potential or capacity to do something. Capabilities are rated using polyhedral dice indicating the capability level.
| Rating | Capability Level |
|---|---|
d4 | Basic |
d6 | Standard |
d8 | Enhanced |
d10 | Superior |
d12 | Legendary |
Lite Characters are the recommended way for directors to create non-player characters such as adversaries that don't require the added story detail or character progression provided by a full character. Capabilities provide a more intuitive approach to defining the control interfaces for things like vehicles, large vessels, and complex equipment.
Lite Characters may also be a good choice for player characters when playing one-shots, quick start adventures targeted at new players, kids' adventures, or mini-campaigns that don't require detailed backstory development or character progression due to their short duration. Lite characters can also be used for experienced players that prefer a simpler game play experience.
Lite Character Sheet
A Lite Character Sheet option is provided for all support platforms under Character Sheets.
Capabilities are a fast and flexible way to support any of the following kinds of character aspects:
Predefined Actions: Many players already design their characters by choosing skills, boosts, and gear with the intention of having them perform a pre-determined set of actions that represent how they view their character's core competencies. Capabilities provide a simple and direct approach to defining these kinds of predefined actions. A character might have a "Shoot Pistol" capability that allows them to attack an adversary, or a "Mind Control" capability to perform a psychic ability. Special abilities can still be supported by capabilities by adding one or more boosts to the description of the capability using the standard rules for boosts. The "Shoot Pistol" move might have a "Quick Draw" boost that allows the character to draw and shoot at multiple adversaries on a single turn. The "Mind Control" move may have a "Crowd Control" boost that increases the area of effect to everyone in a 15-foot radius.
Equipment Operation: Capabilities can be used to define the control functions available for a piece of equipment. For example, a backhoe can perform a variety of functions depending on the specific attachments that are configured. A backhoe might provide a "Control Bucket" capability for controlling the bucket attachment and a "Control Forklift" capability for the forklift attachment.
Vehicle/Vessel Operation: Capabilities can be used to manage vehicle operations and features. A tank might provide a capability called "Drive" to control the movement, and a capability called "Fire Cannon" to control aiming and firing the cannon. The "Drive" capability might have a "Turbo" boost that allows it to move at high speeds during a chase. The "Fire Cannon" capability may have a boost called "Heavy Hitter" that allows it to fire specialized shells that provide uncommon effects.
Large Vessel Operations: For large vessels such as a battleship or a space cruiser, capabilities could represent crew stations representing control functions such as "Engineering", "Helm" and "Weapons". Crew stations can be manned by separate characters to perform those functions combined with Complex Tasks and Group Tasks to coordinate large vessel maneuvers during ship-to-ship combat.
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