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DON'T PANIC!

Creating Characters

Don't Panic! can be played with previously created characters taken from the various different versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or with a new set of characters designed and created specifically for the purpose of having a good time.

In game terms, the universe is divided into froods and strags. A frood is a player-controlled character, while a strag is a Guide-controlled character. Character creation process applies to both, with players creating froods and the Guide creating strags.

The guide entry on froods can be found here.

It is entirely possible that the Guide and players do not wish to introduce new characters, but would rather use characters previously created, either by Douglas Adams (such characters can be found here) or for the game (for these characters, go here). Otherwise, on with character generation...

How To Make a Character

Straight to the basics. As you progress through character creation, you should use a character sheet to record the decisions and point allocations that you make, so that you and the Guide have a permanent record against which a character's progression through game sessions can be tracked.

A character sheet can be downloaded here.

Character Concept

Before generating character abilities (or lies, damned lies and statistics), its worth remembering that Don't Panic! is a game about personalities. The background and portrayal of a character drives the story far more than how strong, fast or slick he or she may be.

Personality, style and tone will determine how you want to see the character progress. There are four basic elements for a player to consider when working out a character concept:

Callings

Callings define a character's true vocation. Everyone has a natural aptitude or leaning towards a particular kind of lifestyle that sits at the very heart of his personality.

Goals

Everyone has goals or objectives in life - something they have been driven to achieve either by nature or by circumstance.

Secrets

Secrets steer a person's adventures in directions they were never expected to go. Even without knowing them, a character will have one or more such secrets in his life.

Vibes

Vibes are unique personal characteristics which, regardless of how the character may want to be perceived, will play a major part in how he is seen and treated by those around him.

Determining Abilities

Once you have determined these character elements, you are ready to move on to determining a character's abilities. Again, there are four basic elements:

Statistics

Statistics, or stats, are those basic attributes and values that determine a character's physical and mental capacity, and will be used as a basis for all tests and challenges that will take place within the game.

Properties

Properties, or props, are those areas of specialist knowledge or skill which have been acquired as a result of personal experience, and will be used to modify some of the tests and challenges posed to reflect this.

Quirks

Quirks represent those unique features which set characters apart from normal human beings. They may be powers which allow them to exceed the bounds of human possibility, or they may be handicaps which prevent them from doing things that humans take for granted.

Probability Points

Probability Points separate the froods from the strags. They represent a character's cosmic footprint, his potential interconnectedness with all things, his influence on the universe around him and, more importantly, his significance to the plot.

Finishing Touches

The last few things to record before the character is ready to play, are outlined below:

Things

Things are the items that a character can carry on his person, and they are often suggested by calling, but it is up to the Guide to agree what objects are and are not reasonable.

Credit

Credit is a proxy used to determine how wealthy a character is or, more accurately, how easily he can get access to his wealth through bar tabs, charge-cards, loose change and IOUs.

Memberships

Memberships are like things, but more abstract. They give characters ways of knowing or interacting with others to secure favours, discounts or special privileges that would not otherwise be available to them.

Back story

The back story is perhaps the single most important element of a character's creation, capturing all of the otherwise intangible aspects of a character's make-up (origins, upbringing, significant life-changing events etc.).

Metabaron	Latest page update: made by Metabaron , Oct 13 2009, 3:23 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by Metabaron view changes - complete history)
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