Character Creation: Devil's Run

Time to have a lovely cup of tea and make a character for this nice, quiet, cozy-

SQUEEDLY-DOW!

The Game: Devil's Run
The Publisher: Nightfall Games
Degree of Familiarity: None
Books Required: Just the one, because I'm using the 2d20 rules

WELL. This game is not heavily inspired by Fury Road, because according to the author's foreword it predated the movie (though nothing says the earlier Mad Max movies mightn't have played in). The author talks about playing Car Wars when they were young, and hey, that was actually some of the first gaming I did. My friend Mike ran Car Wars and I'm pretty sure just blithely ignored the rules, but I remember enjoying the theater of the mind style game that happened (I also enjoyed shooting the window out of an enemy's car and tossing a grenade in. It's the little things). 

So in this game, much of what is now the USA is an irradiated hellscape, there are zombies prowling around, and out in San Francisco there are lots of factions romping about trying to survive and/or thrive. I have to admit that a lot of this book did not hook me, but I think it's the layout and color scheme as much as anything; it just kinda put me to sleep. But that doesn't mean the game itself doesn't work! Let's do this! 

The first thing I'm asked to do is pick a faction, and conveniently there's a table to roll on if I don't have a preference (which I don't). The roll gives me Freelancers. Just a moment, let me read their section. Oh, OK, that's exactly what they are: people who sell their services out and insist on not being part of another faction. Groovy. I like that fine, but it doesn't help with concept. SAVE ME ITUNES.

That's "Novocaine for the Soul" by Eels. I really like that song (I'm a thorough Gen Xer), but it's a little quiet for this high-octane game, innit? That's fine, though. It's actually pretty good for the setting, as I think of it. 

OK, so I think I want my character to be someone who lived through the apocalypse, and is slowly dying of radiation poisoning. Thing is, he's not on a last-ditch drive to get somewhere or do something or get revenge on someone. He's just...waiting. He takes what jobs he can and he undercharges (but makes it clear up front that he's kinda got a death wish). 

So it's your basic happy-go-lucky Matt character, innit? Yep. (What's funny is that when I actually do play in games, a lot of my characters are pretty happy-go-lucky, and I have a thing for playing lovable klutzes of late.)

Well, this guy is neither lovable nor klutz. On we go. Faction determines Attributes, so I get Agility 8, Awareness 8, Brawn 9, Coordination 9, Intelligence 7, Personality 7, Willpower 8.

And then I get +2 Expertise/+1 Focus in Traffic, +1 Expertise/+1 Focus in Firearms and Stealth, +1 Expertise in Survival, 1-handed melee or ranged weapon, a medkit, and my Starting Talent is Traffic. I have no idea what most of that means, but we'll figure it out.

Next step is Archetype, and although I have a better sense of concept I don't have a preference for this step, so screw it, let's roll again! Pit boss, what's that mean? Eh, that's leadership, which I actually don't see working for this guy. Although actually, sure, I think I can roll with it. Being a Pit Boss bumps my Personality to 9 and my Willpower to 8. I get +1 Expertise in Command, Counsel, Discipline, Firearms, Gang Warfare, and Persuade. I get 2 Merch (which I imagine is currency, but I dunno) and Gang Colors, which is amusing since I'm a freelancer. And I get Talent in Command. 

Next I get to customize, which allows me to bump up an Attribute, take more skills, or take a Talent. I'm gonna wait on that decision, actually, because I want to figure out how Expertise works. I also get an upbringing. I could roll for it based on my archetype, but I like Devil on the Run.

That gives me the Adrenaline Addict Trait, sounds cool. Oh, wait, Traits are flaws, basically, they can get triggered in play to give you Momentum. That in mind, I'll say my character's is Rad Poisoned. 

OK, back to Skills n' shit. The way it works is that Skills have Expertise and Focus. Expertise makes you more likely to succeed, Focus gives you the potential to succeed bigly. Skills also have attached Talents. F'rex, let's look at Traffic, since I get a Talent there. Traffic is about influence trading and favors, and pretty much all the other Talents in the tree key off Pedlar (which...is not a word. Did they mean "Peddler?" Is that a British spelling I'm unaware of? Oh, it is. Huh, learn something new every day), so I'd better take that.

And then I have a Talent in Command, too. Let's see. Oh, same drill, they all key off Listen Up. 

OK, now that I have a better understanding of this system, what do I wish to do for customization? I could take a Talent if I have the pre-reqs. Maybe something in Firearms or Melee? Oh, wait, I don't have Melee. Firearms, then? Or Stealth? Nah, neither of them are much fun. Let's just raise Personality to 10. 

Equipment! I have 5 Merch. I...hate shopping. I'm gonna skip, both because I hate it and because it allows me to just use the first page of the character sheet. 

Anyway, that just leaves the "wildcard" step. This allows me to repeat one of the preceding steps (Faction, Archetype, Customization, Equipment). I think I'll take Customization again, and bump up three Skills with less than Expertise 1. I'll bump up Firearms, Drive, and Medicine. 

My guy's name, back before the world ended, was Ted Elling, but since he's been hiring himself out he's usually just called "Boss." He's willing to take shooty/drivey jobs, but he's good with people and commanding them so I think mostly he gets hired as a underboss sort of thing, kind of a project manager of the wasteland. Ted is tall, gaunt, eyes are sunken and he has a dry cough that just won't go away. Tom Noonan could have played him when he was a little younger.