Building Your Legend
Creating a character in Savage Worlds is like assembling your own superhero, anime protagonist, or fantasy adventurer. You start with a concept and build from there using a point-buy system that ensures everyone starts balanced but unique!
The Movie Trailer Method
Before diving into numbers, imagine your character's movie trailer. What three scenes would showcase who they are? For Spider-Man it might be: 1) Getting bitten and discovering powers, 2) Swinging through New York, 3) Saving someone while cracking jokes. This gives you their origin, abilities, and personality!
Character Creation Overview
Step 1: Concept and Background
Every great character starts with a compelling concept. This isn't about stats yet - it's about WHO your character is!
The Reluctant Hero
Examples: Frodo Baggins, Peter Parker, Shinji Ikari
Ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances
The Veteran Warrior
Examples: Aragorn, Captain America, Guts from Berserk
Experienced fighter with a troubled past
The Genius
Examples: Tony Stark, Shikamaru, Hermione Granger
Solves problems with intellect rather than brawn
The Chosen One
Examples: Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Naruto
Destined for greatness, whether they like it or not
Quick Concept Generator
Combine: [Adjective] + [Profession/Role] + [with a Secret/Goal]
- "Cheerful pilot searching for her lost sister"
- "Grizzled detective who sees ghosts"
- "Noble samurai seeking redemption"
Step 2: Choose Your Race
Your race provides your character's baseline abilities. The core rules offer a handful of sample races; here are four of them:
Building Custom Races
Want to play an elf, dwarf, or alien? Use these guidelines:
- Pick positive racial abilities - each one has a fixed point value from the Ancestral Abilities list in the core rulebook (under Creating Ancestries)
- Offset them with negative traits, which subtract points: a Minor Hindrance is -1, a Major one -2
- As a rule of thumb, aim for a net total of about +2 - roughly what a human's free Edge is worth
Example - Elf: Low Light Vision (+1), Attribute Increase: start with Agility d6 instead of d4 (+2), All Thumbs with technology (-1) = a net +2 race!
Why is an Attribute Increase worth twice Low Light Vision? It also raises that attribute's maximum by one step (to d12+1), so it's worth more than a point spent on attributes. Low Light Vision only helps in dim light. The GM still decides which abilities suit the setting, but the point values come from the book.
Step 3: Assign Attributes
You have 5 points to raise your attributes. All start at d4, and each die increase costs 1 point (up to d12).
Character Build Examples
The Spider-Man Build
- Agility d10 (3 pts) - Wall-crawling acrobat
- Smarts d8 (2 pts) - Science genius
- Strength d4 - Proportionate spider strength comes from powers
- Spirit d4 - Still learning confidence
- Vigor d4 - Relies on dodging, not toughness
The Captain America Build
- Agility d6 (1 pt) - Good reflexes
- Smarts d4 - Tactical, not scholarly
- Strength d8 (2 pts) - Super soldier strength
- Spirit d6 (1 pt) - Natural leader
- Vigor d6 (1 pt) - Peak human endurance
The Hermione Build
- Agility d4 - Not particularly athletic
- Smarts d10 (3 pts) - Brightest witch of her age
- Strength d4 - Books, not barbells
- Spirit d8 (2 pts) - Strong-willed and brave
- Vigor d4 - Average constitution
Step 4: Assign Skills
You get 12 points for skills. The five core skills - Athletics, Common Knowledge, Notice, Persuasion, and Stealth - start at d4 for free. Any other skill costs 1 point to buy at d4. Each step costs 1 point up to its linked attribute, then 2 points per step above that. (A human's free bonus is an Edge, not extra skill points.)
Skill Cost Calculator
Quick Skill Packages
The Fighter Package
- Fighting d8 (3 pts)
- Shooting d6 (2 pts)
- Athletics d8 (2 pts - core skill, d4 was free)
- Notice d6 (1 pt - core)
- Intimidation d6 (2 pts)
- Stealth d6 (1 pt - core)
- Common Knowledge d6 (1 pt - core)
- Persuasion d4 (free - core)
Total: 12 points (assumes Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6) - Perfect for warriors like Cloud Strife or Conan
The Face Package
- Persuasion d8 (2 pts - core, d4 was free)
- Notice d6 (1 pt - core)
- Common Knowledge d6 (1 pt - core)
- Stealth d6 (1 pt - core)
- Performance d6 (2 pts)
- Taunt d6 (2 pts)
- Research d6 (2 pts)
- Fighting d4 (1 pt)
- Athletics d4 (free - core)
Total: 12 points (assumes Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Agility d6) - Great for characters like Black Widow or Loki
The Scholar Package
- Research d8 (3 pts)
- Academics d6 (2 pts)
- Science d6 (2 pts)
- Notice d8 (2 pts - core, d4 was free)
- Common Knowledge d8 (2 pts - core)
- Persuasion d6 (1 pt - core)
- Athletics d4, Stealth d4 (free - core)
Total: 12 points (assumes Smarts d8, Spirit d6) - Ideal for Tony Stark or Bruce Banner types
Step 5: Finishing Touches
Calculate Your Derived Statistics
Hindrances and Edges
Every human starts with one free Novice Edge. To get more, take Hindrances - flaws that make your hero interesting. A Major Hindrance is worth 2 points and a Minor Hindrance 1 point, and you can take up to 4 points' worth. Spend those points like this:
- 2 points: raise an attribute one die type, or gain a new Edge
- 1 point: raise a skill one die type, or gain additional starting funds equal to your starting amount
Starting Gear
Heroes begin with:
- $500 (the common default - settings may change it)
- The clothes on their back
- A weapon or two based on concept
- Personal items that fit their story
Modern Hero: Smartphone, wallet, car keys, pistol, kevlar vest
Fantasy Adventurer: Sword, shield, backpack, rope, torches
Space Explorer: Laser pistol, commlink, spacer's toolkit
Room to Grow
Remember, starting characters are competent but not legendary. You'll advance by:
- Earning Advances - there's no XP; the GM typically awards one Advance per session
- Every four Advances moves you up a Rank (Novice, Seasoned, Veteran, Heroic, Legendary)
- Advances let you gain new Edges, raise skills or attributes, or shed a Hindrance
Think of it like leveling up in an RPG or training arcs in anime!
Complete Character Example: Web-Slinging Hero
Parker Peters - Definitely Not Spider-Man
Attributes
- Agility: d10
- Smarts: d8
- Spirit: d4
- Strength: d4
- Vigor: d4
Skills
- Athletics: d8
- Common Knowledge: d6
- Fighting: d6
- Notice: d8 (+2 from Alertness)
- Persuasion: d4
- Science: d8
- Stealth: d6
- Taunt: d6
- Thievery: d4
Derived Stats
- Pace: 6"
- Parry: 5
- Toughness: 4
- Bennies: 3
Edges
- Alertness (free human Edge)
- Quick (bought with 2 Hindrance points)
Hindrances
- Heroic (Major)
- Enemy (Minor) - School Bully
- Poverty (Minor)
Background
Nerdy high school student who recently gained amazing powers. Struggles to balance schoolwork, heroics, and hiding his identity. Makes bad jokes when nervous (which is always).
Point Check
Attributes: Agility d10 (3) + Smarts d8 (2) = 5 points. Hindrances: Heroic (2) + Enemy (1) + Poverty (1) = 4 points, spent on the Quick Edge (2) and two extra skill points (2). Skills: 12 + 2 = 14 points - Athletics 2, Common Knowledge 1, Notice 2, Stealth 1 (core skills, d4 free; Persuasion stays at d4), plus Fighting 2, Science 3, Taunt 2, Thievery 1. Every skill is at or below its linked attribute, so each step cost 1 point. Derived: Parry 2 + 3 (half of Fighting d6) = 5; Toughness 2 + 2 (half of Vigor d4) = 4.
Gear
- Homemade costume
- Web-shooters (when he gets powers)
- Smartphone with cracked screen
- School backpack
- $20 and a subway pass
Character Creation Checklist
- ✓ Concept - Who is your character?
- ✓ Race - Human or something exotic?
- ✓ Attributes - 5 points to spend
- ✓ Skills - 12 points (core skills start at d4 free)
- ✓ Derived Stats - Calculate Pace, Parry, Toughness
- ✓ Edges & Hindrances - Free human Edge, plus up to 4 Hindrance points to spend
- ✓ Gear - Starting equipment
- ✓ Background - A few sentences about their story