[Stars Without Number] Jose De Santo, Space Marine

Stars Without Number is a sci-fi rpg that packs a tremendous amount into a relatively small package. It might well be one of the finest sci-fi rpgs ever made. Its production values and the creativity on display are breath-taking and beautiful. Just get it.

Anyway, creating a character. It's old school; we're talking 3d6 in order .So, I get:

Str 15
Int 06
Wis 12
Dex 13
Con 16
Cha 12

Of the 3 classes in SWN (Warrior, Expert, Psychic) looks like our chap is a perfect Warrior. Being derived from OD&D, stats aren't as important as they are in other versions of the World's First Roleplaying Game. You can readjust scores above 13 and below 8 by taking away from high scores and adding that amount to low scores. I'll do that now, and take 2 points from Con to add to Int.

So, our Warrior, Jose DeSanto, is pretty average bar his high Strength and Constitution. Not a bad set of scores! Warriors have the ability to automatically evade one successful hit per combat, which seems like a really neat way of encapsulating their battlefield prowess. Next we select a Background Package, which gives you a selection of skills. We'll make Jose a Soldier (shades of Starship Troopers). Next it's a Training Package, and these are particular to each class. We'll make him a Space Marine, an elite special forces trooper.

Each Package grants a selection of skills, all of which start at 0. If your background and training have the same skill listed, it starts at 1. Again, very elegant. We also have to select a Homeworld, and we'll play it safe and say Earth. Jose is very pro-Earth and tends to be quite defensive about it being the original human world.

We have 400 + 1d6x100 credits with which to buy equipment. 600 credits ain't gonna go far. I'm going to assume that Jose is no longer in the military for the purposes of this (if he was our friendly GM would probably allow him an exosuit and a void carbine. So, a dishonourable discharge for our somewhat chauvinistic chum.

Jose DeSanto
Level 1 Warrior (Soldier, Space Marine)


Str 15 +1
Int 08
Wis 12
Dex 13
Con 14 +1
Cha 12

HD: 1d8+1
HP: 8
AC: 5

Skills: Combat/Energy Weapon 0, Combat/Primitive 0, Combat/Projectile 0, Combat/Unarmed 0, Culture/Earth 0, Exosuit 0, Tactics 1, Tech/Astronautics 0

Languages: English


Special Ability: Veteran’s Luck
Once during each combat the warrior can completely
negate a successful attack roll against him or her. The
warrior may choose to wait until after damage is rolled
to use this ability. This ability does not function against
environmental hazards or other non-combat dangers,
and it does not apply to hits against a vehicle the warrior
is piloting or riding.

Equipment: Woven body armour, knife, Rifle, semi-auto pistol

45 credits