Character Creation

When you have decided on what kind of character you would like to create. You can record all your character stats and information to the character sheet provided: Metaforce Character Sheet (Template)

This Google-Sheets version of the Character Sheet can auto-calculate various stats based on the Attributes, Level and starting parameters given.

Default Values

As a Game Master, you can set up characters however you like for your game setting. This is a list of defaults if you are unsure:

Parameter	Recommended Value	Description
Base HP	10	Starting amount of Health Point.
HPLV	4	Extra health given for each Level and Body point.
Base MP	12	Starting amount of Meta Points.
MPLV	3	Extra Meta-points given for each level.
Base Body	5	Starting amount of Body Core value, may be affected by character creation options.
Base Reflex	5	Starting amount of Reflex Core value, may be affected by character creation options.
Base Mind	5	Starting amount of Mind Core value, may be affected by character creation options.

Attribute Setup

To create a character foundation you start with their Attribute Points and Tiers. Depending on your game settings, some of these steps may be changed or skipped. This is a breakdown of the typical Attribute setup.

Step 1: Racial-Adjustments

A character's species and/or genetic base can serve physiological and cultural adjustments to Attribute scores. Because each species can vary, this step is very dependant on what is written on the Racial information of each species.

Other attribute-based bonuses and features will be present, but the most relevant one here are the Attribute Points given. +1s and +2s are common with species who are naturally keen in these areas. Negative scores are also possible.

If the game or character doesn’t support/use racial adjustments, this step can be skipped.

Step 2: Pick a Core Value

Ask the player:
"Which of the Core Values do you want your character to specialise in?
Body, Reflex, or Mind?"

The player's choice will determine their starting Attribute point allocations, this stacks with points gained from the character's race/species. The character always gains +1 to their primary core Attributes. They then get three Attribute points to distribute to any Attributes affected by the Core value.

Core Value Allocations are as follows:
Core Value	Primary Attributes (Mandatory +1s)	All affected Attributes (Three +1s to any Attributes shown)
Body	Strength & Endurance	Strength, Endurance, Agility, and/or Charisma
Reflex	Agility & Perception	Strength, Agility, Perception, and/or Intellect
Mind	Intellect & Charisma	Endurance, Perception, Intellect, and/or Charisma.

If the character or scenario doesn't use or support racial adjustments, then increase the mandatory +1 values to +2s.

A player can opt to move one Primary Attribute +1 to another Attribute (even a secondary attribute), but they must have at least one primary attribute intact. i.e. Choosing Body as a Core can let you swap out Strength or Endurance for Agility or Charisma, but not both.

Step 3: Level up to First Level

Just like with any level up, the character gains an Attribute point they can assign to any Attribute, even if it raises it higher than their level. Then to finish, the character gains benefits as if they had increased their Level to 1. They gain a Training point and stats are updated to the new level. If the character acquires anything at 1st level, they gain it now.

Starting Metaphor Arrays

Primary Metaphors
Normally, each character starts with a +4 and +3 Metaphor, meaning one can create a Metaphor with a +4 Rank, and another Metaphor at +3 Rank. In addition, these Metaphors also start with a number of Metaphor components equal to their rank, or combine ranks to singular components.
 
"A character decides they want their +4 Metaphor to have two Components at +2 instead of having four at +1. This is allowed because they combined Component ranks together to enhance one of their remaining choices."

Secondary Metaphors
An additional array of +2, +2, +2, +1 is given to players to fill out their other skills and abilities. These denote the ranks of each Metaphor and like before, they start with a number of Metaphor Component ranks of equal value.

Players may choose a different array with more potent Metaphor values in exchange for variety. Other arrays they can choose include:
• (+3, +2, +1) for a more rounded distribution of Metaphors, or
• (+4) for master of one style of gameplay.

Calculating Derived Stats

After figuring out a character's Attributes, several stats can be calculated. These are Hit Points (HP), Meta-points (MP), and the defense stats Deflection and Evasion. Status Thresholds and Core Values are also determined at this point.

HP and MP

A character's Max HP is calculated by adding base HP to the sum of
HPLV * (Level + Body).
If the character's Size is greater than 1, then multiply their HP and Max HP by their Size-Rating.

A character's Max MP is calculated by adding their base MP to the sum of
MPLV * Level.
No core value directly affects Max MP, but you can spend experience to increase it by one and fully restore missing MP in the process (if allowed by the GM).

Deflection and Evasion

A character's Evasion is simply their Reflex core value.
A character's Deflection is simply their Body core value.

Although regardless of a character's slowness, Evasion can never be less than 6, as 6 is considered the necessary accuracy to hit anything that can defend itself. Immobilised or Incapacitated creatures will have an Evasion of 0.
 
Deflection can never be less than their Evasion, and if a character's Deflection is more than 10 points higher than its Evasion, their Evasion becomes Deflection - 10. Some protective equipment and armours can decrease this value to raise Evasion sooner and higher.

Core Values / Status Thresholds

Calculation to solving Core Values can be read in the article Core Value. Once these values are known, they serve as the necessary magnitude needed for a Status effect to bypass the character's natural protections.

Post-Creation

After a character has been created at level one and their Traits, Attributes, and Metaphors are completed, the character should now be in a playable state.

Character Arcs

Characters may have multiple progression tracks known as Arcs. They can be progressed by levelling up, or by meeting certain conditions or goals. These can be compared to mechanics such as Character Classes, or unlocks for one's species and/or role.

Character Levels

Characters gain levels by spending Experience, which turns into Level Points. Having enough Level points allows the character to go through the Level-up process. Levels can only be gained incrementally, so a level 1 character must ascend to level 2 before they can ascend to level 3.

Calculating HP and MP

Raising a character's level will increase their Maximum HP and MP, the amount is determined by the character's HPLV and MPLV parameters. A number of Attribute points they can add to their Attributes, more Attribute-Training Opportunities (ATOs) and may unlock features on any of their Progressions.

Rules on applying Attribute points
When adding multiple Attribute points granted by a level, you can't add two points to the same attribute, you can, however, raise attributes higher than the character's level this way.

Training Points

A character gains a Training Point (TP) at creation and another one for every Level-up, these can be used in conjunction with Experience points improve characters further. Spending experience on these improvements does count towards a character's next level. 

♦ Increase Attribute: By spending Experience and a Training Point, a character can improve one Attribute by +1, up to their level. Experience cost is treated as if they were improving a Metaphor rank.

♦ Learn Metaphor: Same as above, a character can gain a new Metaphor for any skill, power or ability they could realistically obtain. The cost is one Training Point, plus the number of Metaphors the character owns plus one in Experience. The created Metaphor starts at +1 with a +1 Metaphor component installed for free.

"A character wants to learn a new Metaphor, they already have six Metaphors learned. They need to spend a Training Point plus 7 experience if they want to learn a seventh Metaphor. This Metaphor manifests at +1 and comes with one component at +1.

♦ Raise Attribute Tier: A character can permanently increase one Attribute's tier to the next highest one. Tier increases are treated the same as Attributes in that you can't raise the Tier to be higher than the character's own level. The experience cost is equal to the Target Attribute Tier number, and the Training Point cost is equal to the Target Attribute Tier number.

"A character wants to improve their Tier 1 Strength Attribute to Tier 2. But to do this, they must have at least +1 in their Strength bonus (as a Tier 2 should), then they need to spend 2 Training Points and Experience to complete the transaction."

Alternate Progression

Metaphors can be created and improved in the ways described above Although Metaphors can be granted and improved more naturally by doing various tasks and roleplay. Examples like practising and training during their downtime, being trained by someone who knows the skill/ability, or reading training materials like books. When making Training checks, the maximum number of attempts is equal to the user's level. If they fail to achieve the TN within the attempt limit, the user must start over again.

When it comes to learning a new Metaphor, the character must succeed a Progress check of TN 10 each day, if they succeed they learn the Metaphor at +1 with no components. If they fail, half the result is saved and the character can try again the next day.

When it comes to improving a Metaphor to the next rank, the TN is 10 times the rank the character is training for (+2 = TN20). Failed attempts save half the result for future attempts.

Training Save
If a character is on their final attempt and fails to meet the necessary TN to learn/improve the Metaphor. They can spend a number of experience points equal to the difference to 'Save' the training attempt to learn/improve the Metaphor. This Save can only be performed on the final attempt when the result would fail.

Improving Attributes and Tiers
When permitted by the GM, characters can also naturally train to raise their Attributes to new heights. Unlike Metaphors, training for Attributes or their Tiers has no time or attempt limit, instead the requires TN to trigger the change is drastically higher than a Metaphor. Furthermore, a character can't train an Attribute or Tier to be higher than their level, so this should be only undertaken once a character has achieved enough levels.

Training to improve an Attribute point requires a Progress check of 25 times the target Attribute value. So if one wishes to improve Strength to 2, it will require completing a Progress check of TN50.

If Training involves raising an Attribute tier, this requires a Progress check of 50 times the target Attribute tier. Raising a Charisma tier to 6 will require beating a TN of 300.