Character Creation: Sigmata

Can't stop the Signal, Mal. There, I said it once, it's out of my system, let's move on.

The Game: Sigmata: This Signal Kills Facsists
The Publisher: Land of NOP LLC
Degree of Familiarity: None
Books Required: Just the one

This is the same company (and the same game system) as Cryptomancer, although this game feels a lot stronger. Not necessarily mechanics-wise; it still has the same issue where you roll a pool of d10s and d6s but 1s cancel successes, which feels to me like it would lead to failure a lot of the time. But the setting is pretty awesome, and, sad to say, feels topical.

Basically McCarthy got elected president instead of getting reprimanded, led the US into some really disastrous wars, but more importantly focused the US on "internal threat" to the point that now the cops and the military have effectively merged (like for realsies, not what we have going on now where the cops are playing dress-up with APCs). So people are getting executed in the streets for "treason" (which is really loose), but there are some folks who are Receivers, who get cybernetic superpowers when they're exposed to the Signal. So the game is about spreading/activating said Signal. Oh, and it's set in 1986, so it's that level of tech.

The writing is really solid. There's a lot of fiction snippets, but they're evocative and snappy and help convey the world. The system breaks down different kinds of scenes - combat, evasion, and intrigue - and the book goes into a lot of detail about insurgency and methods (within the universe, obviously; it's not like it's a primer for real-world resistance because people in the real world can't throw trucks). So, like, game looks cool, let's make a character.

Oh, one minor complaint: the damn PDF isn't bookmarked. Robble robble.

Select a name. Receivers have real names, and they have handles in l33tsp3@k. My character's name is Marc Cannon. His handle is b00g3ym@n. He's got his reasons for that.

Define a surface. Marc is big (like, lorge), friendly, and manly. Like, runs the grill at the BBQ, hikes, camps, hunts, married, two kids (whether that's still his life remains to be seen). Thick arms, mostly bald, tried growing a mustache once but it made him look like a Bond henchman. 

Define a story. Marc is gay, and that's a big deal in-setting. He's only ever come out once (before joining the Resistance), and that was to his brother when they were in their 20s. His brother freaked the everloving fuck out and threatened to tell their parents if Marc ever "did anything gay." (Marc didn't know how to tell him that he'd been doing gay things for years at that point.) Marc chose his handle deliberately; he's the monster in the closet. 

Distribute 13 points among 4 core processors. Said processors are Aggression, Guile, Judgement, and Valor. Each one has to have at least 1 point, and nothing goes over 5. Let's see what the heck these means.

OK, so I think Marc needs high scores in Valor (physical strength, empathy) and Judgement (patience, situational awareness). Let's put 5 into Valor, 2 each into Aggression and Guile, and 3 into Judgement. 

Select 2 blades. Blades are cybernetic powers, and they're focused on one of the three major types of scenes (combat, evasion, intrigue). Let's see what would be good for Marc.

Well, I like Tracer Step, which lets me leave behind an after-image in combat. I also dig Liquid Cooling; if I take 10 exposure (which is what kills you), I can keep functioning into the next round. 

Select a subroutine configuration. More biomechanical powerz. I can take four Elementals, 2 Elementals and one Standalone, or 2 Standalones. I...don't know, actually. Let's have a look. I probably want to pick subroutines that key off of Valor, since I need to prime them before using and that requires a good roll. (You know, as I think about it, there are some similarities here to Demon: The Descent.)

OK, well, I want Wrecking Ball, which allows for amazing feats of strength (crashing through walls, leaping up buildings, stuff like that). That's a standalone, so I can take either 2 elementals or one more standalone. Elementals, I think, because I want Wall of Sound (does exactly that), and then I'll take Gremlin Uprising (I make electrical devices work for me).

Select an Ultimate Subroutine. These are like hugely powerful "I win" buttons. Oh, I gotta take Glitch Wraith, that's just badass. I can turn into a digitized spectral figure and anything I pass through gets displaced.

Select 1 Library. A library is a collection of skills, and I don't see it on the sheet? Oh, no, there it is! Let's see, I want Mimic. That focuses on disguise and improvisation, and I think it fits with Marc being used to masking.

Define 1 Memory. This is literally a memory, linked to a core processor, that I can invoke once a session to convert any failed (but not botched) roll to a success. I'm gonna say it was Marc's memory of coming out to his brother, and it's linked to Guile.

Define 3 Peripherals. These are gear or gadgets that are important to the character and that he's never without. So let's say his are: A set of brass knuckles a guy at a gay bar gave him one night (the guy said "trust in God, but keep these in your pocket"). These are linked to a tactic (which is a type of action), so I'll link the brass knuckles to Storm.

How about Marc's wedding ring? He is married, and he does love his wife, but "love" is a multi-faceted thing. And the wedding ring helps when he's trying to pass himself off as an upstanding citizen. I'll link it to Gel, obviously (adhering to the "normal" rules of society). 

And, finally, let's say Marc has a sturdy pair of boots. He keeps them oiled and in good condition, because you don't want blisters when you're hiking the trails or running from the fascists. I'll link the boots to Deny (good for kicking in doors to make noise). 

And that's it, kids. Marc is ready to pop out from under the Regime's bed and kill it, I guess.