You can see Chapter 1's beta playtest thread HERE. Feel free to continue comments on that, since it's where the basic rules are!

Chapter Two: Human Resources focuses on character types and character creation. As with the previous chapter, I'm posting all this sequentially as it appears in the current version.

If it's not picked up for publication by the company I'm talking to, then I'm planning to Kickstart it (the final 'gamma' test), but I want to have 99% of the writing done before I do. (Right now it's about 98%.)

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Before you dive into character creation, be sure to talk to the Director. Find out if he or she is planning on certain types of adventures where particular Player Character concepts would work best. Groups with a good mix of occupations, qualities, skills, and even personalities, are often better equipped to face the challenges ahead.

To create your PC, follow each of the following steps: Concept, Core Competencies, Core Values, Skill Set, Traits, and Flux. Afterwards, you may purchase weapons and gear (Chapter 3: Expenses) and/or buy an asset (Chapter 4: Assets). Your Director may have limits on what equipment and assets are available in his or her campaign, so you might want to discuss your options before taking those last two steps.

STEP ONE: CONCEPT
For the most part, you can create any kind of PC you can imagine. Just be sure to create a character that interests you, and one that can work with other characters. Cooperation is key—at least, if you want your character to survive.

GROUP DYNAMICS
When you sit down to create your player character, there are at least three ways to do so. (You may discover many more.) The first, and most traditional, is to base your PC on a personal concept, putting Character Points into abilites you think your character would have, with little to no coordination with other players. None of the PCs know each other before the first time they appear together in a Corporia game.
Another option is to give your character a background that meshes with one or more other PCs. Perhaps your Hacker was once hired by a Suit to break into a competitor's server. You might say that the Hacker did a good job and the Suit paid on time (with a bonus), so you've been acquaintances and occasional co-workers ever since.
A third option is to build all the PCs around a single theme. This usually involves all the PCs being of the same or similar type. For instance, you might play a team of awakened Knights-Errant who want to focus on vanquishing monsters, seeking out magical items and hotspots, and aiding persons in need. Whatever your option, you'll need to have a serious discussion with the other players and the Director to make sure that everyone's interested and willing to commit to this theme. If one player decides to go against the group, it can disrupt the theme and cause problems.

CHARACTER CONCEPTS
The following pages detail the most common character types to populate the Corporia RPG. Use these base templates to build your own character—a unique individual whose personality will develop further with each passing game.

BACKGROUND. This section supplies some basic ideas, but you should consider
other, more personal, questions as well. Where is he from? How old is he? What was his childhood like? And so on. You should also consider the event
when your character's supernatural abilities awoke; it's usually quite dramatic.
For instance, Hackers often disrupt their company servers, Knights-Errant suffer seeming mental breakdowns, and Sorcerers and Witchers let loose a burst of arcane energy. Other symptoms includes accelerated strength and reflexes, with a reaction similar to an epileptic fit.

Naturally, the Knightwatch keeps a close eye on hospitals and news reports in
order to locate potential recruits. Why did your character join the Knightwatch? Well, that's up to you, but it should be an important part of your character's personality. Most members of the Knightwatch believe the world should be orderly, but don't support an oppressive corporate rule that subjugates the people and severely restricts liberty. On the other hand, they fight the Flux to prevent the world from falling into a wild, primeval chaos where humanity lives under the rule of magic and those who wield it. They stand between the extremes of Order and Chaos.

CHARACTER CONCEPTS
BADGE....................................P28
DRONE...................................P30
HACKER .................................P32
HEADHUNTER ........................P34
JOURNO .................................P36
KNIGHT-ERRANT ...................P38
RADICAL ................................P42
RUNNER .................................P44
SORCERER ..............................P46
SUIT ........................................P48
THINKER.................................P50
WITCHER ...............................P52
ZERO......................................P54

SIGNS AND PERSONALITY TRAITS. Here are listed some sample personalties, and astrological signs common to each concept. Starting characters should have three public traits and one private trait of your choosing. These traits define much about the character's life, such as his goals, motivations, and personality—primarily, how he reacts when encountering new people and new challenges. See pages XXX for more details.
Keep your private trait a secret between you and the Director. You can tell the other players what your character's public traits are, but don't let this be a substitute for role-playing—especially if you want to earn Flux Points!

NAMES. A character's name or alias usually reflects who he is; the name 'Razor' sounds like a Radical with violent tendencies and talent with a blade, while Alain Winterbottom the Fourth sounds like a Suit with high resources. Of course, you can also twist this around. There are lots of big guys nicknamed 'Tiny,' after all.

LOOK. Your character's 'look' is his style and clothing, but you should also consider his physical appearance. How tall is he? What color are his eyes? What is the style and color of his hair? Is he slim, fat, or muscular? Is he dark or pale? Knightwatch teams, who often need to move through the urban environment without drawing attention, aren't required to wear the company's standard Watchman uniforms. They are outside the PSC rank structure, though you should assume that each PC has received basic training in self defense and arrest techniques, firearms training, high speed pursuit driving, and other security enforcement subjects.

ROLE. A character's role is his typical position within the group dynamic, and any particular talent for combat or social combat. Of course, his level of enthusiasm for the job can vary. Even Knights-Errant may despair of the cruelty of the modern world, and follow their oaths as little as possible. Other character may be less interested in the magic and the monsters than in the steady job and the money. Drones may even be indentured to Valyant, and work grudgingly.

KEY CORE VALUES AND SKILLS. This section lists the most frequently used core values and skills for a particular character concept. If you decide to combine multiple concepts for your character, you'll need to decide what abilities your character focuses on mastering. See pages XXX for more details.

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT. Some character concepts are more suited to particular items. Sneaky characters are more likely to favor light, camouflage equipment and silent weapons, for instance, while street fighters might prefer heavy armor and loud but powerful firearms. See pages XXX for more details.

AUGMENTS. The term 'augments' is short for augmentations', which are biological, mechanical, nanotechnological, and similar improvements or additions to the human body. This section details the types of augments most common to a particular character concept. Start reading on page XXX of Chapter 3: Expenses for further specifics.

ASSETS. A character's assets include not only any supernatural abilities (depending on whether his Core Competency—see page XXX—was Touched, Gifted, or Fluxed), but also his funds, resources, and where he lives (an apartment, hotel, home, abandoned subway tunnel, for instance). See Chapter 4: Assets for more info.

INSPIRATION. Feel free to imitate character concepts from comics, novels, movies, or television, within reason. This section gives examples you may know.

LIFE IN THE CITY [SIDEBAR]
Welcome to 'The City'
It is a world like our own, but different. It is a glimpse into the future, or perhaps an alternate universe where history takes a different turn. It is the setting of the Corporia role-playing game.
Its name is unimportant, be it Arcadia, Ilium, or even a real-world locale like New York or London. Its inhabitants merely call it... The City.
To learn more, review the history and guide found on pXXX-XXX, but be warned—reading beyond those pages may spoil some of the excitement and mystery that the Director has in store for you!

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Next post, I'll start on the character concepts.

Here's the character concept for the BADGE.

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EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

Here's the character info for the Drone.

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EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

And here's the Hacker.

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EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

HEADHUNTER
Assassin living a secret double life

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

JOURNO
Reporter investigating mysterious crimes tied to the supernatural


EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

Okay, one more for now - the Knight-Errant!

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EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

RADICAL
Driven by revenge or philosophy to overthrow corporate rule

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

RUNNER
Urban acrobat delivering covert messages and illegal items

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

SORCERER
Spellcaster that mimics and manipulates tech

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

SUIT
Corporate manager able to work within the system

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

THINKER
Scientist driven to understand the secrets of the Flux

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

WITCHER
Spellcaster that manipulates living beings and elements

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

ZERO
Service worker or laborer with a big heart and a hard fist

EDIT: I've removed this post, since the rules have since changed a bit, and I hope to have the Kickstarter ready to go fairly soon (2+ months).

Okay, that's it for the character types. Now let me get into the creation process itself...

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STEP TWO: SELECT PERSONALITY TRAITS

Traits define your character's personality, covering a wide range of motivations, beliefs, duties, loyalties, and emotions. Each character should have a set of four traits: three public traits and one private trait. Unlike core values and skills, traits are not represented numerically. Instead, you define each trait with a descriptive word, short phrase, or sentence. Feel free to pick from the list on pXXX or use them as inspiration to create your own. If you can't decide on any traits yet, feel free to leave them blank and fill them in later based on experiences that happen during game sessions.

It's important for both player and Director to understand that these traits are your 'wish list' for what you'd like to happen in the game. Regardless of whether the traits seem positive or negative, they'll both benefit and complicate your character's life. For instance, if you decide that your character has a "Vengeful" personality trait, then you're also telling the Director that you want your character to occasionally be put in situations where he'll feel the need to inflict harm on some person or thing in retaliation for the harm that was done to him or others. Your character may get his
vengeance, but not without suffering first.

A seemingly positive personality trait, like "Courageous," is a fine trait to have
when you're confronting the horrors of the Flux, but it could also mean that your character is a little too quick to leap at these challenges when he should be backing away.

PUBLIC TRAITS
Public traits are those that other people can see from interacting with your character on a daily basis, and sound positive but may have both positive and negative consequences. These could include "Obeys Authority," "Generous," "Flighty," or "Sucker For A Pretty Face," just to name a few. Public traits can also be a method of earning Flux Points. See the Flux section on pXXX for more details but, in general, all that's required is for the player or Director to announce that a particular trait could come into play, then barter for the number of Flux Points it would take for the character to exhibit that trait.

PRIVATE TRAITS
These traits are those hidden thoughts, goals, phobias, or emotions your character keeps locked away inside and rarely expresses, and are usually negative liabilities. This could be something as simple as "Afraid of Heights" or as complex as "Double Agent," "Will Betray Friends for Wealth," or "Reincarnated as the Opposite Sex." It's actually not important whether the private trait is really a deep dark secret that could ruin lives or just a slightly embarrassing one; what matters is that the chararcter believes it must stay hidden. The Director may tempt you to reveal or exhibit a private trait during gameplay in exchange for Flux Points; see the Flux section
on pXXX for specifics.

A player may choose to take on additional private traits for an additional +1 Character Point per private trait (up to a maximum of +3, and only during character creation). Character Points can be spent on Assets, as detailed on pXXX.

PERMANENCY. Traits are usually permanent. It takes a major event for a character to give up one of his Traits, and the Director shouldn't let you do so lightly. In fact, if you do give up a trait, you should replace it with another that somehow relates to your reason for giving up the previous trait.
For example, if Johnny Akihabara has a "Loves Family" trait, but his family is
later slaughtered by vampire-like cryptids (aka sanguivores), he might easily give up that trait and replace it with a generic "Vengeful" or specific "I Will Avenge My Family" trait. If he manages to do so, he might then replace that trait with a phrase like "I Will Slay All Vampires" or the shorter "I Hate Vampires."

FREQUENCY. There is no specific limit as to how many times a character's traits may become relevant during the course of an adventure. However, both player and Director should be prepared to explain how a particular trait is relevant to the current situation. This may require a bit of creativity, so feel free to open up the question to group discussion, provided it doesn't take too much time away from continuing play.


SIDEBAR: To make choosing traits even easier, see the "Astrological Traits" document on pages 60-63. You can choose your PC's sign or roll it randomly with a d12. Your character isn't limited to only the traits listed under a particular sign. You can mix and match traits from multiple signs, or invent new ones yourself—just make sure your PC has three public traits and one
private trait.

SPECIAL TABLE:

Aries, the Ram (1): March 21 to April 20
Public: Adventurous, Aggressive, Arrogant, Easily
Bored, Easily Offended, Energetic, Foolhardy, Generous
to Friends, Headstrong, Impatient, Independent, Insecure,
Optimistic, Selfish, Short-Tempered, Strikes First,
Upbeat, Visionary
Private: Addict, Death wish, Gambling problem,
Guilty conscience, Orphan
Common Among: Badges, Hackers, Journos,
Knights-Errant, Radicals, Runners, Suits, and Zeroes

Taurus, the Bull (2): April 21 to May 20
Public: Dependable, Energetic, Fiercely Loyal, Greedy,
Hides Intense Feelings, Likes to Do Things His Way, Patient,
Reliable, Shy With Strangers, Stubborn, Strong-
Willed, Swayed by Emotion Over Reason
Private: Afraid of blood, Guilty of murder, In debt to
____, Jealous of ____, Wary of ____ technology
Common Among: Badges, Knights-Errant, Radicals,
Runners, Sorcerers, Suits, Zeroes

Gemini, the Twins (3): May 21 to June 20
Public: Adapts to Change, Clever, Devious, Easily Distracted,
Impulsive, Independent, Inquisitive, Jack of All Trades, Leaves
Many Projects Unfinished, Naïve, Nervous, Shoots First and
Questions Later, Superficial, Witty
Private: Jealous of __, Multiple personality, Sees conspiracies
everywhere, Steals from friends
Common Among: Hackers, Radicals, Runners, Witchers

Cancer, the Crab (4): June 21 to July 20
Public: Craves Attention, Dependable, Enjoys Simple
Pleasures, Loves Family, Loyal, Nostalgic, Sulky, Stands Up
For What's Right, Skeptical, Touchy
Private: Being blackmailed about ____, Clinging to a
past trauma, Finds it difficult to trust others, Formerly fat,
Holds a grudge about _____
Common Among: Drones, Knights-Errant, Witchers,
Zeroes

Leo, the Lion (5): July 21 to August 20
Public: Ambitious, Chivalrous, Courageous, Cruel,
Faithful, Forgives and Forgets, Gallant, Generous, Intolerant,
Loves Attention, Overbearing, Patronizing,
Pompous
Private: Abused by ____, Has a secret relationship,
Hates anyone else being a hero, Stirs up trouble to
avoid boredom, Will betray friends for power
Common Among: Badges, Hackers, Knights-Errant

Virgo, the Maiden (6): August 21 to September 20
Public: Analytical, Conservative, Detail-Oriented, Meticulous, Observant,
Pacifist, Perfectionist, Rational Thinker, Reliable, Shy, Skeptical, Slow
to Act, Will Not Be Dissuaded From Tasks, Worrier
Private: Believes all magics and monsters are fakes, Former teen rebel,
Someone died in her arms, Emotionally detached but pretends to care
about helping people, Virgin
Common Among: Drones, Hackers, Headhunters, Journos, Suits,
Thinkers

Libra, the Balance (7): September 21 to October 20
Public: Artistic, Diplomatic, Easily Swayed by Flattery,
Flirtatious, Friendly, Graceful, Gullible, Idealistic, Lazy, Loves
Beauty and Wealth, Peaceful, Romantic, Sociable, Sucker
for a Pretty Face, Sympathetic
Private: Criminal record, Lacks self-confidence, Nursing
a broken heart, Will betray friends for 'better' friendships
Common Among: Drones, Journos, Radicals, Witchers,
Zeroes

Scorpio, the Scorpion (: October 21 to November 20
Public: Bold, Confident, Enterprising, Fearless, Fiercely
Independent, Manipulative, Passionate, Resourceful, Suppresses
Emotions, Tactless
Private: Embarrassing nickname, Holds a grudge about
____, Jealous of ____, Obsessed with ____, Planning
world domination, Wants vengeance on ____
Common Among: Badges, Headhunters, Sorcerers,
Suits

Sagittarius, the Archer (9): November 21 to December 20
Public: Brutally Honest, Careless, Cheerful, Freedom-
Loving, Independent, Irresponsible, Jovial, Optimistic,
Reckless, Selfless, Straightforward, Unorganized
Private: Loved and left ____, Phony veteran, Regrets
a past deed, Wanted for arrest because of ____
Common Among: Hackers, Radicals, Runners, Sorcerers,
Witchers

Capricorn, the Goat (10): December 21 to January 20
Public: Cautious, Conceited, Enjoys Solitude, Humorous,
Intellectual, Miserly, Organized, Philosophical,
Punctual, Responsible, Scholarly, Self-Disciplined,
Unimaginative
Private: Afraid of needles, Holds a grudge about
____, Insecure about ____, Will sacrifice others for
the greater good
Common Among: Hackers, Headhunters, Radicals,
Sorcerers, Thinkers

Aquarius, the Water Bearer (11): January 21 to February 20
Public: Aloof, Easily Bored, Eccentric, Humanitarian, Independent,
Intellectual, Loyal, Needs Frequent Intellectual Stimulation,
Stubborn, Unpredictable
Private: On the run from ____, Thinks he's better than
everyone else, Was betrayed by ____, Pretending to be one of
the awakened Knights-Errant.
Common Among: Hackers, Journos, Sorcerers, Thinkers,
Witchers

Pisces, the Two Fish (12): February 21 to March 20
Public: Compassionate, Creative, Easily Led, Generous,
Idealistic, Indecisive, Lazy, Modest, Scholarly, Sensitive,
Trusting, Weak-Willed
Private: Has a secret master plan, Haunted by dreams
of ____, Superstitious
Common Among: Drones, Knights-Errant, Radicals,
Witchers, Zeroes