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[theory]

See http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=7226.0

[theorel]

So, Savage Worlds uses "exploding" i.e. "acing" dice.  meaning that when you roll the highest number, you reroll and add.  There are 2 ways to do this:
1. roll, then if you get the max reroll.
2. roll with 1dXvX.  Where X is the die number.  In this case, you'll have to count how many times you aced, and add it up in the next post.  So, for example you could do:

Fighting 1d8v8 : 1, total 1
Wild Die 1d6v6 : 1, total 1

and then if anything aced, you'd add it up in the next post, otherwise you have your result right there.

I think that will be the most space-efficient method.  Of course rolling manually can be fun.  In that case you can do

Rolled 1d6 : 3, total 3

and then when that aces, you roll in the next post with

Rolled 1d6+6 : 6 + 6, total 12

[theorel]

And unfortunately since I can't control the number generator I can't make a truly effective example with actual rolls.
(Note that I aced the roll displaying the roll after acing, just for comedic effect)

[theorel]

Here are the edges and hindrances I have picked. 

Edges:

Arcane Background (tribal medicine/shaman)

Linguist


hindrances:


Major: old ways oath

Minor: vow (revenge mother)

Minor: delusional (about danonites)

Um...Linguist isn't an Edge in Deadlands, it's in Rippers.  It could probably be adapted, but it would probably be under-powered with languages coming up very seldom.

As for picking them skills/attributes:
All attributes are important for something.  In more modern settings Strength becomes less important (as compared to a fantasy setting where strength is very important), Westerns are a bit in between.  Guns rule the day in combat mostly, so strength is generally less important there (although melee combat is pretty viable).  But don't be surprised when the cowboys in the saloon make fun of your scrawny character.  And don't expect to be very effective in the bar-fight that's likely to break out after some unkind words are spoken.

But, if you want to excel at something, you have to accept some weaknesses.  So, you'll just have to decide where your character is weakest.

Agility: is tied to several skills, including most combat skills.  It's also used for agility tricks, and for resisting agility tricks.  (Tricks are the miscellaneous things that happen in combat which aren't direct attacks...things like throwing sand in someone's eyes, or giving them a swift kick to knock them off balance).

Smarts: is tied to several skills, mostly non-combat.  It can be used for Smarts tricks, and is used to resist Smarts tricks and Taunt tests of will.  (Smarts Tricks are just like agility tricks except using brain instead of aim.  Saying "lookout behind you!" for example, maybe flashing a light in their eyes.)

Spirit: tied to a few key skills (including Tribal Medicine and Guts).  Used to recover from being Shaken (a situation where you can't act on your turn due to taking damage or being tricked/taunted/intimidated, and are more easily damaged).  Used to resist Intimidate.

Strength: used to determine melee damage.  Necessary for certain unwieldy weapons (gatling shotguns for example).  Determines carrying capacity.  May be necessary for certain challenges (moving a heavy rock, breaking down a door, those kinds of things).

Vigor: used to determine how easy you are to hurt.  Also used to resist disease, poison, etc.  Used to "soak" damage (you spend a benny to try to cancel wounds).

Skills (I probably should have mentioned this before somewhere): You have 15 skill points, it costs 1 point to raise a skill up to the linked attribute, 2 to raise it past the linked attribute.
-You should probably have some combat skill (Fighting or Shooting or both)
-Notice is important, it's used to spot things, and as anyone who's played an RPG can tell you, you're frequently checking if you spotted something.
-Guts is generally important, I generally recommend people take at least a d4.  (You don't want to run scared the first time you run into a true "horror".)

-Healing is good for someone to have, usually good for 2 people to have in case the "healer" gets hurt.

Other than that, everything falls under the jurisdiction of whatever makes sense for the character.  For an assassin-type character:
stealth is important.  Fighting/Shooting.  Athletics (for climbing into high places and the general assassins don't just walk around but go through difficult passages).  Notice so that you can spot a target.  Potentially Survival/Tracking to find targets and live off the land.  And Streetwise for the social side of things.

And then as a shaman, you'll need Tribal Medicine.  Survival/Tracking are also good here just for the living-off-the-land side of things.

Knowledges are skills.  It's just an umbrella of several skills which all work the same way.  (i.e. you roll it to see if your character knows something).

[spiritbears]

Ok. Well I guess I'll take knack instead.
I'm still a bit confused about the skills. So is there a set list if all attributes and I can add to them (up to the 15 pts)? Or is there a set number of skills for my chsrscter and I raise some of these? I guess I need to do some more reading Up on this.

[ashersky]

I'll get something done today on my character, at least an intro post.  I'm finalizing character bits.

Theo -- do I have freedom in decided what my animal companion can do?  Or are there set attacks, actions, etc. (i.e., bite, distract, etc.)?

[spiritbears]

Ok. I read the whole thread and all of the links to try and understand this better
So here's ny stats redone:

Edges:

Arcane Background (tribal medicine/shaman)



hindrances:


Major: old ways oath

Minor: vow (revenge mother)

Minor: delusional (about danonites)


Attributes:


Agility: d6

Smarts: d6

Spirit: d10

Strength: d4

Vigor: d4


Skills


Tribal med(3):d12

Knowledge (1) (Shoshonean language):d6

Healing (3): d12

Guts (1): d6 (?)

Notice (1): d6   (?)

Tracking (1): d6 (?)

Survival (1): d4 (?)

Shooting (bow)(1): d6

Fighting (mele) (1): d4

Knowledge (occult) (1): d6

Knowledge (hunting grounds) (1): d10. (?)


The question marks are for skills I'm not sure are linked right. Let me know if hounded any potential or major problems. I will definitely need help with the derived stats. And will work on what I am bringing tomorrow

[theorel]

I'll get something done today on my character, at least an intro post.  I'm finalizing character bits.

Theo -- do I have freedom in decided what my animal companion can do?  Or are there set attacks, actions, etc. (i.e., bite, distract, etc.)?

You will control your animal during combat as an allied extra.  (Actually, in general you guys will control extras that are on your side during combat that's how Savage Worlds rolls).  BUT you should limit what your animal can do based on his animal intelligence.  Outside of combat, I'll control the NPCs.

(Warning: books are packed away at the moment, so this is from memory): I believe the way it works is that your animal has a few trained "tricks" it can perform.  Can be things like "attack", "fetch", or whatever.  So basically, the idea is that you have a trained animal.  You can have basic things like "heel", "sit", "stay" etc, without it being a trick, just if you want him to actively do something for you.  I believe you start with 3 tricks, but you can spend time training him in more tricks.  There isn't really a mechanic for this, so I'll make one up if you want to train him.  Probably something having to do with his Smarts and your Persuasion.

Also, (you didn't mention it here, but you'll probably want to know), your animal companion will advance like a character.  Whenever he participates meaningfully in a session, you roll a d6.  On a 5 or 6 he advances.

[theorel]

Ok. Well I guess I'll take knack instead.
I'm still a bit confused about the skills. So is there a set list if all attributes and I can add to them (up to the 15 pts)? Or is there a set number of skills for my chsrscter and I raise some of these? I guess I need to do some more reading Up on this.

It looks like you got it a bit...so I'll help with your character specifically.  But if anyone else has trouble with this, there is a list of skills and the linked attribute in the test drive rules (first link under the Rules section in the intro posts).  I've reproduced it here:
Skills
Skill               Linked Attribute
Boating          Agility
Climbing         Strength
Driving           Agility
Faith*            Spirit
Fighting         Agility
Gambling       Smarts
Guts             Spirit
Healing          Smarts
Intimidation   Spirit
Investigation  Smarts
Knowledge     Smarts
Lockpicking    Agility
Notice            Smarts
Persuasion     Spirit
Piloting          Agility
Psionics*       Smarts
Repair           Smarts
Riding           Agility
Shooting       Agility
Spellcasting* Smarts
Stealth         Agility
Streetwise     Smarts
Superpower* Special
Survival         Smarts
Swimming      Agility
Taunt            Smarts
Throwing       Agility
Tracking         Smarts
Weird Science* Smarts

Anyways, I think you're still missing something, so I'll try to help with that in the next post.

[theorel]

Attributes and Edges are good.

So skills...
Each skill starts untrained (rolling d4-2).  The first skill point put into the skill raises it to d4.
Each skill point after that increases the die one level (as long as it ends no higher than the linked attribute).
If it ends higher than the linked attribute it requires two skill points to increase it one level.
So, for your character with a d6 agility the skill progression for Fighting would go as follows:
1 skill point: d4
2 skill points: d6
4 skill points: d8
6 skill points: d10
8 skill points: d12

Or alternatively: 1 skill points takes it to d4, 1 more skill point to d6, then it takes 2 more to go to d8, 2 more to get to d10, etc.

I think you were missing the 1 skill point per increase part.  Which I can see how you would read that into the way that I had tried to shorten it.

Hopefully that clarifies.

Also, you do still have your 4 hindrance points to spend...you didn't take Knack yet, but even if you do you can take one more edge, one more attribute point, 2 skill points, or increase starting money (twice or with 1 skill point)

[theorel]

If you went with those points here's what you would have:

Skills

Tribal med(3):d8
Knowledge (1) (Shoshonean language):d4
Healing (3): d6 (actually you can't spend 3 in a Smarts skill with a d6 Smarts...so you either need to do 2 points for d6 or 4 points for d8.)
Guts (1): d4
Notice (1): d4
Tracking (1): d4
Survival (1): d4
Shooting (bow)(1): d4
Fighting (mele) (1): d4
Knowledge (occult) (1): d4
Knowledge (hunting grounds) (1): d4

So, that's a bit spread out.  You don't necessarily need all of those skills.  I would suggest picking 2 of those skills to lose, and 3 of them to increase to d6, OR increase healing to d8 and one other skill to d6.  Some degree of specialization is good (as is some spread).  3-4 skills at d4 is good for having more options to work with for your character, but 7 skills at d4 will result in you not able to do much.

If you would like more specific advice: I would pick one of Occult or Hunting Grounds to be knowledgeable about (and go to d6 in it).  And then I'd drop Healing completely actually, and increase Fighting, Shoshonean language (d6 is essentially fluency), and one of the other skills (any of Guts, Notice, Tracking and Survival are good targets).  This is because, especially if you're going to take the Healing power, and double-especially if you take the Breech Birth Knack, the Healing skill is mostly unnecessary.  You'll have plenty of alternative methods to heal the party.

That leaves you with either another Edge, or 2 more skill points to increase things further.

(Note: Another option, given your background is to take the Veteran of the Weird West Edge.  You'll pick up a random Hindrance and have to have d6 occult, but get 3 advances to fine tune your character (essentially 6 hindrance points).  Your background already has you "adventuring" a bit as working with the danonites, so you might have been exposed to a few things in your time there.  I would definitely say that compared to the other back-stories given here, your character seems more "experienced" in that sense.)

Don't feel compelled to do "what I would do".  It's not my character, it's your character.  And I think some amount of character ownership comes from making those decisions for yourself.  I'm offering an example of how you could get better use out of skill points, but it certainly isn't the only way.  You could NOT take any arcane healing for instance (no healing power/knack edge) and use your powers/edges to achieve more combat potential.  You could drop the knowledges, and use those skill points, or drop Survival/Tracking.  There are lots of ways to go here...Since the "build" was based on a misunderstanding of the rules, I'm not trying to criticize it, just offer suggestions on how to mold it.

[spiritbears]

I'm sorry. I really. Misunderstood. But I think I'm getting it now. I really appreciate your input and your willingness to help me with it!

[theorel]

FYI: Move temporarily postponed.  I'll be around this weekend (as much as usual), and not next weekend.

[ashersky]

Attributes:
Agility - d8
Strength - d4
Smarts - d8
Spirit - d8
Vigor - d4

Skills:
Each Power: d8 (3 point)
Fighting: d8 (3 points)
Guts: d4 (1 point)
Notice: d6 (1 point)
Riding: d4 (1 point)
Stealth: d6 (2 points)
Survival: d6 (2 points)
Knowledge (Hunting Grounds): d6 (2 point)

Hindrances:
Major - Blind
Minor - Loyal, Enemy

Edges:
Arcane Background (Chi Mastery)
Beast Master
Acrobat

Arcane Powers:
Beast Master
Boost/Lower Trait

Okay, updated stats.  I think that's all correct.  I took another Attributes upgrade instead of an extra edge.

Questions for theo:

1)  I could reconsider Acrobat.  I like the Agility Tricks, which I think I'll need to survive any fights.  I assume the buff applies to my pet as well?  If not Acrobat, is there something better that makes sense?

2)  With Boost Trait, I could increase my pet's attacks, or my own possibility to hit, right?

3)  For my pet's tricks/attacks, is there a list to work from, or can I make them up?  I was thinking of a "Growl" that would work as a Taunt to lower parry, for example.

4)  Will we be able to take on more Powers/Edges/Etc. as the game progresses?  (A la leveling up in a game?)

5)  Did I miss anything?

[theorel]

1. I'm not sure what you mean about the buff applying to your pet.  The Acrobat bonus (to acrobatic maneuvers/parry) does not apply to your pet.  The -2 parry from tricks applies to the target.  Anyone attacking the target in melee benefits from a successful trick against the target (until their next action).  Two things: 1. you need a d6 strength for the edge.  2.  You need to take Martial Arts (see 5 below).

2. Boost Trait can affect any trait, on yourself or anyone in range (= your smarts, so 8 squares at the moment).  You can boost any "trait", which is to say any skill or attribute.  Restricting to combat, you can boost: fighting for better chance to hit, strength for more damage, or vigor for better toughness, or agility/smarts for better tricks, or intimidate/taunt for tests of will, etc.  You could even boost your "boost" skill to make future boosts easier.  It also has out-of-combat applications.  It's a pretty versatile power, but note that the boost only lasts 3 rounds before needing maintained.

3. You can just make them up, but they won't grant him skills he doesn't already have.  So, if you wanted him to intimidate a target, he won't be very effective at it until he has the intimidate skill (which you could give it as an advance later).  I'd probably give a coyote a circumstance bonus for intimidating in many situations...but he'd still be rolling it untrained.  You could train in intimidate otherwise, and the coyote could provide a circumstance bonus there.

-as an aside: a coyote could intimidate, but not really taunt, at least outside the animal kingdom.

4. There is leveling up in this game.  I'd imagine you'll advance every few months (probably around the running time of a board game between advances).  But it depends on how quick you guys are to work through things.

5. 3 things:
1. You must take the Martial Arts edge to get the Chi Mastery Arcane Background.  So, although I agree with you on the usefulness of Acrobat, you have to take Martial Arts.
2. You said you wanted a d8 in each power, but you have 2 powers, so that's 2 skills.  Because of that, you're 3 skill points short of the skills listed.  Replace "Each Power" with the power's name when you've for sure chosen a power.
3. Did you want the Beast Friend power in addition to the Beast Master Edge?  (to clarify: Beast Friend lets you call animals to your assistance temporarily depending on surroundings, while Beast Master gives you a permanent animal companion.)  I don't think there's anything wrong with it, definitely makes a character with good animal relations...just trying to double-check it.

[Jorbles]

hey theorel, tomorrow I'm going to finalize my character (purchase gear), just fair warning, I want an El Cheapo Horse, you can make it crappy as you like.

Presumably I will have a deck of cards.

IC:
Anyone wanna play a friendly game of cards to pass the time on this stage coach?

OOC:
My character will cheat you, but if theorel allows it I would suggest we just pretend the results of any games that are lost if they involved gambling result in us having whatever money we'd actually have as characters. Retcon it so the winner started with less money than the loser.

[ashersky]

Attributes:
Agility - d8
Strength - d4
Smarts - d8
Spirit - d8
Vigor - d4

Skills:
Boost/Lower Trait: d6 (2 point)
Elemental Manipulation: d4 (1 point)
Fighting: d8 (3 points)
Guts: d4 (1 point)
Notice: d6 (1 point)
Riding: d4 (1 point)
Stealth: d6 (2 points)
Survival: d6 (2 points)
Knowledge (Hunting Grounds): d6 (2 point)

Hindrances:
Major - Blind
Minor - Loyal, Enemy

Edges:
Arcane Background (Chi Mastery)
Beast Master
Martial Arts

Arcane Powers:
Boost/Lower Trait
Elemental Manipulation (Air)

3. You can just make them up, but they won't grant him skills he doesn't already have.  So, if you wanted him to intimidate a target, he won't be very effective at it until he has the intimidate skill (which you could give it as an advance later).  I'd probably give a coyote a circumstance bonus for intimidating in many situations...but he'd still be rolling it untrained.  You could train in intimidate otherwise, and the coyote could provide a circumstance bonus there.

-as an aside: a coyote could intimidate, but not really taunt, at least outside the animal kingdom.

5. 3 things:
1. You must take the Martial Arts edge to get the Chi Mastery Arcane Background.  So, although I agree with you on the usefulness of Acrobat, you have to take Martial Arts.
2. You said you wanted a d8 in each power, but you have 2 powers, so that's 2 skills.  Because of that, you're 3 skill points short of the skills listed.  Replace "Each Power" with the power's name when you've for sure chosen a power.
3. Did you want the Beast Friend power in addition to the Beast Master Edge?  (to clarify: Beast Friend lets you call animals to your assistance temporarily depending on surroundings, while Beast Master gives you a permanent animal companion.)  I don't think there's anything wrong with it, definitely makes a character with good animal relations...just trying to double-check it.

Okay, I think I fixed the stats, again.

On the Coyote skills, do I spend the same 15 skill points on those as well as mine, or do they use mine already?  I guess I want to know what skills the Coyote has (or can have) so I can factor that in.  On intimidate/taunt, I was using them interchangably, I guess, to cover that mechanic in the game.

I misuderstood the "Each Power" thing.  Fixed that.  On Beast Friend power, I thought I needed that to talk to/direct my pet in action?  If not, I'll drop it and replace it with Elemental Manipulation.  If I do need it to interact with the Coyote, I'll keep it.

[ashersky]

(purchase gear)

Right, gear.

Theo, will you work with us for personalized stuff, or do we all start with the same types of things?

[theorel]

Okay, I think I fixed the stats, again.

On the Coyote skills, do I spend the same 15 skill points on those as well as mine, or do they use mine already?  I guess I want to know what skills the Coyote has (or can have) so I can factor that in.  On intimidate/taunt, I was using them interchangably, I guess, to cover that mechanic in the game.

I misuderstood the "Each Power" thing.  Fixed that.  On Beast Friend power, I thought I needed that to talk to/direct my pet in action?  If not, I'll drop it and replace it with Elemental Manipulation.  If I do need it to interact with the Coyote, I'll keep it.

Without the power, you can communicate with your coyote in the same manner that a person can usually communicate with an animal.  I hadn't really thought about the "speak with" part of Beast Friend before.  (Generally it's used more to control an animal that talk to it).  So, if you wanted to be able to communicate with the coyote in a better way, Beast Friend would do that.  The with the power you could give any complexity of commands you desired, while without using the power you'd be limited to the more basic "tricks" you had taught it.  Note: the power still might be more useful to bring in another animal that you can communicate with as an additional ally.

So, I guess it depends on what level of interaction you're looking for.

If you check out your character sheet (here, down at the bottom) I've already added the coyote's stats to it.  Those are the base coyote stats, and they look about right to me for what Beast Master should get you.

For gear, start with the stuff linked from the first post (link) and I can work with you on particulars that aren't there.  (Note: the Flood has more martial arts type equipment in the players guide: here, Page 20)

One more thing I noticed as I was copying skills over: should Notice be d4, or did you want d6 notice, and need to take a skill point from somewhere else?

[theorel]

Just trying to get a feel for where everyone is in the character creation process...


Galzria: Concept-Stage
Needs to name character, stat him out, buy gear, write up Worst Nightmare

Lekkit: Concept Stage + Name
Needs to stat out character, buy gear, write up worst nightmare

Spiritbears: Building Process
Needs to determine skills/powers, buy gear, write up worst nightmare

ashersky: tweaking
Needs a name, finalize skills/powers, buy gear, write up worst nightmare

Jack Rudd: Statted
EDIT: Needs to choose a Power.
Needs to buy gear, write up worst nightmare.

Jorbles: Statted
Needs to buy gear, write up worst nightmare.

I think that's where everyone is at the moment, let me know if you've done something and I missed it.

[Lekkit]

Seems like you got all I've done right. I'll sit down now and try to stat out my character. *Roll up my sleeves and spit in my hands*

[Lekkit]

I think I've finished stats and skills. I'm off for now, but will be back in a few hours to do equipment. If anyone wants to look over my stuff to see if I've made any mistakes I would be thankful. Also, theorel, could you describe the hindrances I've choosen a bit more detailed than Savagepedia did. I really like the sound of clueless, but it could be something I don't really want.

[Galzria]

I will run everything out this morning. I'm tied up for the next hour or so, but then I'm free for the next two after that. I just haven't had more than 15 minutes at a time this whole past week to sit down and do much of anything.

[theorel]

I think I've finished stats and skills. I'm off for now, but will be back in a few hours to do equipment. If anyone wants to look over my stuff to see if I've made any mistakes I would be thankful. Also, theorel, could you describe the hindrances I've choosen a bit more detailed than Savagepedia did. I really like the sound of clueless, but it could be something I don't really want.

Hindrance explanation, I'll look over the stats in a second.

Lyin' Eyes: -2 to all Persuasion/Intimidation rolls that involve lying.  Also a -2 to all Gambling rolls.

Heavy Sleeper: Notice Roll at -4 to wake up from sleep.  Also a -4 to vigor rolls to stay awake.

Clueless: -2 penalty to common knowledge rolls.  You should incorporate some roleplaying into this as well, in terms of being unaware of common things.

Mostly this sounds like a character that would be an "easy mark" for a con-man.

[theorel]

I will run everything out this morning. I'm tied up for the next hour or so, but then I'm free for the next two after that. I just haven't had more than 15 minutes at a time this whole past week to sit down and do much of anything.

Yeah, your VLA sounded like you were pretty busy.  But I think we're closing in on finishing character creation, so looking forward to seeing how he comes out.