GURPS/Snowcrash: Character Creation Guidelines

These are the rules for creating Snowcrash characters. Read these guidelines, and then any guidelines your GMs have for you.

Character Ideas

If what you really need are ideas for new characters, rather than rules for new characters, check out these pages:

Basic Characters

GURPS/Snowcrash characters are basically GURPS characters, with a few changes.

Gun skills are rare, as are guns.

Although more "mainline" people will have only one job, many of the people living on the edge will have several. (Hiro Protagonist works for the Costa Nostra, the CIA, and does some freelance programming.)

Cyberwear is very rare; almost unheard of.

Snowcrash characters can have any skills, but administration skills are more common than in other worlds.

Skills related to the use of the metaverse (a 3d world wide web) are quite common: Area Knowledge (Metaverse), and Savoir-Faire (Metaverse). Less common, but still found are: Computer programming, computer operations, and computer hacking.

If the character is involved in any transportation related business, the character is likely to have the Language: taxilingua skill.

GURPS Character Assistent

GURPS Character Assistent can be downloaded.

To create Snowcrash characters, use the standard basic.gdf, modlang.gdf, quirks.gdf, cyberpunk.gdf, and cyberwrld.gdf. You also need to use the snowcras.gdf file. There is also a char2.doc file, which contains the questions listed below. If you use a different GURPS character creation program, please email me, so I can provide snowcrash support files for it.

I'm still experimenting with other GURPS character software.

Adding a Little Complexity

All Snowcrash characters should have an origen or ethnicity. Remember that in the world of Snowcrash, European-Americans are a minority. Many people are from the pacific rim, latin america, or the old USSR.

(Adding a little ethnicity to your character does not mean making it a steriotype or adding _______. There are hundred of millions people living on the pacific rim, latin america or the rusted out remains of the old USSR. From each of these places come fat people, thin people, smart people, dumb people, all sorts of people...)

Characters from the Ex-U.S.S.R, will generally have a language skill like Russian, Belorussian, Tazik, Uzbek, or . And have area knowledge of one of the old S.S.R's (Uzbek, Azerbajiani, etc.)

Characters from South East Asia (SEA) will often have language skills like Vietnamese, Thai, or Khmer, together with area knowledge skills.

If you need names, I strongly recommend An Onomastikon (Dictionary of Names). This pages has last names in addition to the more common first names. It is sorted by ethnicity and sex, and is a great resource for any kind of role playing!

Fleshing Out the Character

I strongly suggest that as part of character creation you answer the following questions about your character, and write the answers down. They will help to flesh out your character:

1. Where does my character live? And who does he live with?
2. How does the character get around?
3. What sort of Avatar does the character use?
4. Does the character have a perminant presence in the Metaverse? If so, what sort of presence is it?
5. What job does the character have, or how does he make money?
6. What sort of money does the character have (both on-hand in access to)?
7. What sort of weapons does the character have (both on-hand and access to)?

Even More Details

If you've got the time, answering the following questions can provide even more detail on your character's personality:

1. What does your character wear?
2. How does your character get news?er

Random Character Creation

I'm not in favor of randomly creating characters. I think one of GURPS's strengths is it's character design system. But, if you need to create a character quickly, here is a random character creation method tailored for the world of Snowcrash. In each case below, if there is more than one item in the table, choose one

NPC Tables

The following tables are mostly for GMs to use in creating NPCs. Players can use them too, however.

Thugs (Rent-a-Cops, Gang Members, etc.)