Beginning the Journey: Character Creation

What Makes a Charater in Suikoden?
Every PC in Suikoden follows the same general template:

- Has Hit Points (HP)

- Has Magic Points (MP)

- Can equip at least one rune on one hand, with a potential second rune on the other, and even a third one on their forehead. This enables magic casting.

- Has a melee weapon that can attack from short, medium, or long range.

- Can equip armor and accessories.

- Can partake in Combat, War Battles and Duels.

Races, archetypes, boons and drawbacks all affect how these come into play. These are all outlined in this section. The rest, however, is left up to the player. Where they come from, what they believe, how they act, who they interact with is up to the player (and acceptance by the GM, of course). Many players enjoy deriving a character that conforms to established lore in the Suikoden universe, other players simply enjoy conjuring up an incredibly unique concept. The great thing is both kinds of characters can exist. The following steps outline how to create a character in a Suikoden universe.

'Session Zero'
One of the great things about Suikoden is the vast timeline and multiverse that the series happens in. However, it is important from the start that both the Game Master (GM) and the players with their characters (PCs) have good, open communication with each other. Everyone should come collectively to a conclusion about their role-playing goals and ideas, as well as working out things between the GM and the players. In role-playing terms, this is often called a “Session Zero”: A pre-campaign session where everybody gets together and talks to each other.

The first thing that should be done is figuring out the type of game that will happen. They should determine if and where the game is set in the Suikoden timeline, as well as the location if such things are relevant to the GM and the players.

Determining the scope of the game is important. Is this a one shot that will only take place over three weeks? Then perhaps players should start at a higher level and have the GM create a partially developed headquarters. Long term campaign? Then everyone should be very comfortable with their characters and the setting. Will there be wars and duels? If so, PCs should think about taking those talents.

Another point the GM should also establish with his PCs is what is and is not restricted. Perhaps he will not let a PC be a Tenkai Star, or want descendants of other stars, or people who want to be part of the Howling Voice Guild. If the PC goes into the game with a preconceived notion for a character in mind, then this should be discussed with the GM to make sure that it is acceptable.

The goal is, obviously, to have fun! Making sure everyone is on the same page and that there’s honest and open communication with each other is paramount to reaching that goal. One everyone is on the same page, then character creation can begin.

Step 1: Understanding Attributes
Playing Game, there are seven primary stats or attributes. Every character that is generated will have these attributes.

All of these attributes have a corresponding grade, from F to S. The grade value is equivalent a number up to 12. When the GM gives a Difficulty Rating (DR), roll a d12 and add your grade to the skill on the bottom row. These are consistent.

Each attribute has a number of available slots underneath it, which is where talents go in and are explained in their own section.

One may choose to raise any one of the seven stats they have naturally. However, to raise talents (discussed later), one must visit a person with appropriate tutelage talent. Those grades can only be raised as high as the tutor is capable. In other words, a tutor cannot raise someone else’s grade higher than their own.

Note: There are other means to inflate your grade higher. However, S-grade my only be achieved and learned through tutoring. It cannot be artificially reached in any given situation (such as using a strategist’s combat strategy talent in battle).

F to B grades cost one attribute point to raise an attribute or talent to the next grade.

B+ to A grades all cost two attribute points to raise an attribute or talent to the next grade.

A+ and S grades both cost five attribute points to raise.

Step 2: Picking a Star
PCs now get to pick which Star of Destiny they want to be. Picking a star can inherently give the Destined boon. Many stars also come with additional bonus abilities and talents, as well as more stat bonuses and modifiers. If a character that has picked a boon, then proceeds to get that boon when picking a star, those skill points are refunded to the PC and may be used elsewhere. If the appropriate stat modifiers also allow for further change of the character, then they may be applied retroactively.

When considering picking a star of destiny, it is often best to keep the idea of your character intact. While it might be tempting to just pick the Teni (1) star (offers Damage Mitation talent) or the Tenyu (2) star (+1 POW slot), it might be more fun and rewarding to pick a star with a boon/drawback that plays into your character. The notes listed with each star often give good guidelines whether or not that star is appropriate for the type of characters PCs wish to play.

''Note: The GM will have ultimate discretion whether or not your character will be able to be placed under a certain star. GMs are suggested to also keep within the spirit of the stars as much as possible.''

Step 3: Select a Race
The world of Suikoden is a large one populated by numerous types of sentient humanoids. These types include not just humans, elves, dwarves, and kobolds, but other even stranger races as well as different kinds of humans, separated from other humans so far geographically and ideologically as to be statistically different.

Races of Men Most humans can be quickly and easily categorized into the sophisticated and cosmopolitan townsfolk category and indeed, the Townsfolk Human is the basic racial template upon which all other races are based. However, certain types of humans live lifestyles so different from their city-dwelling cousins (and are often regarded so differently by those same cousins) as to be considered separate types of humans. Racism and racial mistrust is often present in the world of Suikoden and is a constant source of conflict.

Inhuman Races  The vast groups of the inhuman races have no homeland and instead seem to be spread out relatively evenly throughout all countries of the Suikoden world. The two most notable cases are the omnipresent elves and kobolds, who seem to be present in every imaginable corner of the world, but this category also includes more settled races such as the Nay-Kobolds and the Lizardmen of the Great Hollow.

Monstrous Races Every now and then, a monster will show up as a star of destiny (e.g.: Abizboah from Suikoden 2). Stats for such creatures are not covered in the Player’s Guide, but can be worked out with the GM, should a PC have his heart set on playing a mystic monster. The GM, however, gives final approval for such creatures.

Townfolk Human
Townsfolk Humans are the city dwellers of the Suikoden world, often well-educated and financially secure. They are knowledgeable about their own local history and often display significant amounts of patriotism, but are just as likely to be found far from their homes wandering and seeking adventure. Wanderlust and the desire for material acquisition are as common in the streets of Gregminster or Muse – often even more so – than it is among, for example, the tribes of Karaya.

Townsfolk Human is a catch-all category that can describe just as effectively a human raised in Gregminster with a penchant for magic and another human raised in Matilda who longs to be a knight; while their belief systems and aspirations are different their upbringings have been surprisingly similar. As such, this is a baseline race that offers no penalties or advantages. Townsfolk Humans are unique in that they are not restricted in what archetypes they may select. Certain secretive or exclusive societies such as the Ninjas of Rokkaku, the Dragon Knights, and the Howling Voice completely ignore the ‘barbarian’ races when recruiting for their number.

Notable Townsfolk Humans: Tir McDohl, Riou. Jowy Atreides, Chris Lightfellow, Geddoe, Lazlo en Kuldes, Freyjadour Falenas

''Townsfolk Human Racial Breakdown Requisites: None Racial Attributes: None Racial Abilities: None Racial Deficiencies: None ''

Alma Kinian
The secretive and mystical people of the Alma Kinan tribe are characterized by the fact that no one really knows what characterizes them. Virtually unknown outside the Grassland tribes (though the Zexen and Harmonians are peripherally aware of their existence), this all-female tribe has an unusual reputation as mysterious seeresses and sorceresses.

The village of the Alma Kinian people is hidden deep within the shadowy depths of Kuput Forest, on the eastern edge of Grassland territory near the Harmonian border. Little is known about them. There are no men among the Alma Kinian and it is unknown how the tribe reproduces, or what is done with male babies. They are renowned for their magical natures though their real talents lay in areas other directions than raw magical destruction. The magical field that, until recently, protected Alma Kinan was only the prime example of their unparalleled powers over warding and protection magic. Their long association with the Grassland earth spirits has also given them an unusually high instance of clairvoyant powers among their children.

When forced to battle, an Alma Kinian woman prefers to defend herself at range by bow or crossbow while defending and healing herself and her comrades with magic. They’re a solitary people who are unused to and in many ways unsuited to combat, as their long isolation has rendered them frail. Alma Kinians found outside Grassland (or even outside Kuput Forest) are astonishingly rare but stay in the village is voluntary rather than compulsory; the women are free to come and go as they please. The most common archetype among them is Magician, but Adepts with a strong magical focus are also common. The Alma Kinan are a strange people with strange rites that in some cases even involve human sacrifice, but while largely uninterested in the world at large, they aren’t a cruel or evil people. Their territory was penetrated by Harmonian elements during the second coming of the Fire Bringer, and their powerful barrier was destroyed by Yuber. What the future holds for these people is unclear. Their chief is the archer and earth mage Yuiri.

Notable Alma Kinian: Yuiri, Yun, Yumi

Alma Kinian Racial Breakdown Requisites:
 * Gender Must Be Female

Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Defencies
 * Archetype must be Adept, Magician, or Strategist.
 * +1 INT Talent slot
 * -1 POW Talent slot
 * The Rune (Earth or Water) talent is free.
 * Gather Information (Clairvoyance) talent is free.
 * Alma Kinians may not take the Brute Strength or HP Bonus talents.
 * Alma Kinians must use a bow or crossbow as their weapon, making them long range users.

Homunculus
Less a race than a crime against nature, the exact number of Homunculi currently at large in the world is completely unknown and may be as low as one, Bishop Sasarai of Harmonia.

Ages ago, the mysterious Sindar people developed a magical method by which they could create life unnaturally. From small magical jars containing the basic building blocks of human life, the Sindar could create living, breathing humans without going through the messy process of gestation and birth. Why they would develop this technique is unknown. What is known is that it was later rediscovered and resurrected by the mysterious Archbishop of Harmonia, Hikusaak, to create a pair of vessels to house the True Wind Rune and the True Earth Rune. Those two Homunculi were the twin ‘brothers’ Luc and Sasarai.

Luc died during the second coming of the Flame Champion and the True Wind Rune was lost, but Sasarai survived the conflict, learned of his true nature, and willingly returned to Harmonia and his ‘father’, Hikusaak. Whether or not Hikusaak created any other Homunculi is unknown.

Homunculi player characters are likely to be either willing servants of or refugees from Hikusaak’s rule, and will generally speaking either possess a True Rune or be searching for one. The primary purpose behind the Homunculi seems to be a concrete way for Hikusaak to protect and display his growing collection of True Runes, so any new Homunculi are likely to be dedicated to that purpose, or else fleeing from it. The seeress Leknaat also seems to have an interest in Homunculi; she as the one who ‘liberated’ Luc and his True Wind Rune from Hikusaak. Because of their Sindar heritage and Harmonian upbringing, Homunculi are enormously talented mages, but their fabricated bodies are very, very weak. In temperament they are practically indistinguishable from humans.

Notable Homunculi: Luc, Sasarai

'Note: Homunculi make interesting and compelling player characters but GMs should be careful about making unrestricted use of such a mysterious and potentially powerful race. The characteristics of the Homunculi as established by the game are not particularly defined, so what follows is primarily speculation. As such, inclusion of Homunculi in any campaign is strictly at the discretion of the GM.'

Homunculus Racial Breakdown:

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: magic.  Racial Deficiencies:
 * Gender must be Male
 * Archetype must be Magician
 * +2 MAG Talent slots
 * -1 POW Talent slot
 * -1 SPD Talent slot
 * -1 LUCK Talent slot
 * Homunculi get the MP Bonus Talent for free.
 * Homunculi spend 0 boon points on Runic Mastery, allowing them to command all advanced spheres of 
 * Gain the Diminutive drawback, but not the points for it.
 * Gain the Psychosis(Magic) drawback, but not the points for it.
 * Homunculi cannot purchase the Good Stock boon.

Karayan
The nomadic people of Karaya are characterized by a strong spiritual streak and a fiercely independent warrior culture. Settled primarily along the southeastern edge of the rolling Plain Amur in Grassland, the tribesmen of Karaya are largely untouched (and apparently uninterested) in the affairs of the rest of the world at large. Until very recently their only real concern was the escalating hostility between themselves and the people of nearby Zexen. Their chief, Lucia, was peripherally involved in the war that ended in the formation of Dunan, fighting on behalf of Highland to avenge the murder of her father by Alec Wisemail of Greenhill.

For the most part the Karayans seem a welcoming people, open to trade. They seem to enjoy an especially close relationship with the Lizardmen of the Great Hollow and the nearby people of the Duck Clan.

Karayans worship an ephemeral pantheon of earth spirits and certain among their number have stronger connections to the earth than others. In battle, they favor lightly armed guerilla tactics and fight primarily in light armor using their distinctive long knives. Unlike their distant cousins, the women of Alma Kinan, there are few pure mages among the Karaya. Rather than overwhelming their opponents with brute strength or arcane magic, Karayans rely on a deadly combination of blinding speed and merciless accuracy when forced into battle.

Since the destruction of their village by Harmonian forces during the second coming of the Flame Champion, the Karayans have drawn even closer to the Lizardmen (refugees from the destruction took up temporary residence at the Great Hollow) while they struggle to rebuild their lives under the leadership of Lucia and their future chief, the True Rune Bearer, Hugo.

Notable Karayan Humans: Lucia, Hugo, Lulu, Aila

Karayan Racial Breakdown:

Requesites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Archetype must be Adept, Strategist, or Thief/Bandit.
 * +1 SPD Talent slot
 * -1 POW Talent slot
 * Karayans get the Fleet of Foot and History(Karaya) talents for free.
 * Karayans must take the Bound Basic Rune (Earth, Wind, or Shield) disadvantage, but not get the points for it.
 * Karayans cannot purchase the Brute Strength or HP Bonus talents.

Warrior's Village
The noble Warriors of the Toran Republic are a strong, proud people who live in the mountainous southern regions of the Lorimar province. The rocky, inhospitable landscape and the generally otherwise uninhabited area has created in the Warrior’s Village a distinct culture which is unique in all the rest of the world. They are a fierce group who value hard work and martial skill; their entire social structure is based around the union between women and men. For a Warrior’s Villager, adulthood is not something that happens; so much as it is something that is earned.

A boy in the Warrior’s Village can’t claim to be a man – regardless of age – until he has named his sword and then left the village on a journey of manhood, accompanied by his true love. Traditionally, a young man must engrave the name of his true love on his blade, and then travel the world seeking a challenge that will make him a man. There are no set rules as to what constitutes the end of a journey to manhood – except death – so the lengths of these journeys vary tremendously.

Some last for years. Some never end. The boy can’t return until both he and his true love agree that he is now a man. The Warrior’s Village is steeped in tradition and history and its people are expected to be able to recite its numerous different leaders and their accomplishments on command. Bashfulness and a retreating nature are valued in neither women nor men; brashness and hale behavior are cherished. Some gifted warriors who were also timid or withdrawn never returned to the Warrior’s Village at all, instead finding a different path by which to lead their lives.

While friendly to other people in the Toran Republic, the Warrior’s Villagers keep to themselves and see to themselves. They’re not reclusive so much as they simply are different, and so they don’t necessarily mingle well with other cultures. Their tendencies towards outspoken behavior and brazen opinions often make it hard for them to fit in with people from other cultures.

Notable Warrior’s Village Humans: Flik, Hix, Tengaar

Warrior's Village Racial Breakdown

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies: separation, etc.), both characters forfeit all of their LUCK-based talents. 
 * Archetype must be Weapon Master (males only), Adept, Magician (females only), or Strategist.
 * +1POW talent slot for males, +1MAG talent slot for females.
 * +1SPD talent slot
 * Both males and females start off with the History(Toran Republic) talent and the Adrenaline Boost boon.
 * Males start off with the Combat Prowess and Runic Constitution talents.
 * Females start off with the MP Bonus talent and Extra Rune Slot boon.
 * Females start off with the Defended boon at no cost. This character may be an NPC or PC, but this must be worked out between the GM and player.
 * A male PC must take the Defender drawback, but not get the points for it. This character may be an NPC or PC, but this must be worked out between the GM and player.
 * A male PC must wield a one-and-a-half handed sword (short range weapon). This weapon must be named after the defended female.
 * A female PC must choose a long range weapon.
 * (unique) If the bond ever breaks between the male and female (death, divorce, incapacitation, extended 

Kobold
Kobolds are the most thriving of the inhuman races. These biped dogs can be found in one form or another on virtually every continent, and are residents of virtually every country. They are a friendly, industrious people who get along well with all races.

The different breeds of kobold are as diverse as the different breeds of dog, and kobolds represent an equally diverse range of intelligences and personalities. They tend to pursue whatever tasks they take on enthusiastically and have a knack for the art of war, though they’re not gifted magicians. They’re not given, by nature, to subtlety, though General Ridley of Two River was an important commander on the victorious side during the Dunan Unification and a gifted strategist.

Kobolds are territorial and often live in the same comfortable, slightly musky smelling villages for generations and generations without fail. One of the most prominent kobold settlements is the kobold district in the ancient and distinguished city of Two River, but kobold villages can be found almost everywhere. They are fierce and vicious in defense of their homes. While they tend towards good and evil unpredictably, much like humans do, a truly evil kobold is extremely rare. For the most part they are good-natured. What is often perceived as mean or standoffish behavior on the part of a kobold is merely the kobold’s attempt to protect or defend his friends, a responsibility most kobolds take seriously.

Befriending a kobold means making a friend for life. They speak their own language of barks and growls and whines, and almost all kobolds speak a broken version of English but can easily make themselves understood.

Notable Kobolds: Kuromimi, Ridley, Gau

Kobold Racial Breakdown:

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Archetype must be Weapon Master or Strategist.
 * +1 INT talent slot.
 * -1 MAG talent slot.
 * Kobolds get the HP Bonus and Intuition talents for free.
 * Kobolds get the Likable boon for free.
 * Kobolds must take the Slow Study(MAG) drawback, but not get the points for it.
 * Kobolds cannot purchase the Quick Study boon.

Elf
While elves are not on the verge of extinction, they are not as common a race as humans or kobolds. They’re an ancient, solitary people who favor small communities even when those communities consist entirely of elves. Nature loving, they tend to gather in small enclaves of a few dozen in forested areas or places of great natural power. Elves are easily identified by their height – most elves stand over six feet tall – and their long, pointed ears. They also often wear earth-toned clothing and rarely cut their hair.

Elves live for hundreds of years and are often disdainful of the lesser races. Close association has bred a certain tolerance for humans in many areas, but humans often have trouble getting along with elves, whom they tend to perceive as stuck-up. Elves don’t get along with Wingers and are openly disdainful of kobolds.

Over the course of their lives, elves will pursue and eventually master many areas of study. They have hundreds of years, after all. As a result, they make excellent Adepts and are extremely well-rounded. In combat they often make use of Water and Wind Runes, and favor bows and one-handed swords as weapons. Their tall, slender frames make them slightly less durable than humans, and they have difficulty in social situations except with other elves.

Notable Elves: Kirkis, Stallion, Paula

Elf Racial Breakdown:

Requisites: Racial Attributes: None
 * Archetype must be Weapon Master, Adept, Magician, Knight, or Thief/ Bandit.

Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Elves get the Awareness talent for free.
 * The Eagle Eyed, Directional Sense, and Stratagem boons are free.
 * Elves are restricted to using long range weapons (bow and arrow specifically), unless they are a weapon master or knight.
 * Elves may not take the Adrenaline Boost talent.
 * Elvish magicians must take the Bound Basic Rune(Water or Wind) drawback, but not get the points for it.
 * Elves must take the Armor Reduction drawback if applicable, but not get the points for it

Lizardmen
Hulking and intimidating, it can be difficult to get close to a Lizardman. Easily the most inhuman of the Grassland tribes, Lizardmen are incredible warriors who often seem to live for, and hunger only for, the sound of blade on blade. By nature they are aggressive and warlike, and disdain even magic as diluting the pure, wild joy of battle.

Lizardmen reside in an enormous series of underground caverns known as the Great Hollow. While they are not coldblooded in the strictest sense, they tend to favor locales that are cool, dark, and damp, and so the Great Hollow, while not an ideal domicile for non-Lizardmen, is a perfect dwelling place for its green-skinned inhabitants.

While they are fierce warriors who rarely pass up an opportunity to go to battle, Lizardmen are also territorial and will rarely let their thirst for combat interfere with what is best for the Grasslands. In diplomatic matters they typically defer to the clearer heads of the now-extinct Safir Clan, or their closest friends amongst the tribes, the Karayans. They don’t have much contact with the Chishans or the Alma Kinians, but would certainly lay down their lives in defense of those people.

Notable Lizardmen: Dupa, Peggi

Lizardmen Racial Breakdown

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Archetype must be Weapon Master.
 * -1 SPD talent slot.
 * Lizardmen get the Brute Strength and Shove talents for free.
 * Lizardmen get the Mastery(Short or Medium) boon for free.
 * Lizardmen must take the Slow Study(SPD) drawback but not get the points for it.
 * Lizardmen may not take Martial Arts or Need for Speed boons.

Nay-Kobold
Much like their northern cousins, the kobolds, the Nay-kobolds of the Island Nation are a friendly, thriving race that enjoys mingling and trading with humans, a race with whom they share a close temperament.Biped cats, they tend to be less strong and more intelligent than the kobolds who have spread so far and wide amongst the countries to the north.

Nay-kobolds make their home on the island of Na-Nal, in the mountainous regions north of the human owned harbor. Like the kobolds, they are wildly enthusiastic and tend to throw themselves wholeheartedly into any task they attempt. They are well known in the Island Nations as affable, fair merchants, and are decent magicians as well, though they prefer to avoid war whenever possible. A nay-kobold will fight for any number of reasons, but they must be persuasive ones. They are, by nature, a docile and peaceful people, fond of games, play, trade, and socialization.

In combat, nay-kobolds often rely on their own natural claws as few have any weapons training. However, they have an inborn cunning that allows them to occasionally overpower stronger foes even when the odds are vastly against them. Cats do, after all, always land on their feet. Nay-kobolds are often childlike in demeanor, which belies their intelligence and cunning. They tend to have high, nasal voices when communicating in English, though their own language of purrs and coos is quite soothing. They are welcome in every port in the Island Nations for their loquaciousness and fondness for gossip and are often the enthusiastic harbingers of all kinds of good news.

While they are a rare people, known to settle only in the Island Nations, the humans of the Islands go out of their way to nurture and shelter the nay-kobolds, providing them with aid when they need it and protection when the occasionally naïve cat-people can’t protect themselves. They are a beloved and integral part of the economy of the Island Nations.

Notable Nay-Kobold: Chiepoo, Nalkul

Nay-Kobold Racial Breakdown:

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Archetype must be Adept or Thief/Bandit.
 * + SPD talent slot.
 * + LCUK talent slot.
 * -1 POW talent slot.
 * Nay-Kobolds inherently get the Gossip and Evasion Bonus talents for free.
 * Nay-Kobolds must take the Slow Study(INT) drawback but not get the points for it.
 * Nay-Kobolds cannot purchase the Quick Study boon.

Dwarf
Where elves are solitary, dwarves are secretive. They are a small, rare race, known to have settled permanently only in two parts of the world, one being underground in the Queendom of Falena, the other at the southeastern edge of the Toran Republic, where they maintain a massive, largely unexplored (by humans) system of caverns they carved from the mountains and earth. This settlement is ruled over by an old, tough dwarf known only as the King. While dwarves are occasionally found in other areas of the world, they are not known to establish permanent settlements, and tend to avoid others. In spite of their dislike of other, ‘lesser’ races, dwarves are an industrious and hardworking group. They enjoy workingwith their hands and developing new forms of technology.

A dwarven weapon, the Burning Mirror, annihilated with one attack huge stretches of Toran’s Great Forest during the fall of Scarlet Moon and was defeated only through the use of another dwarven weapon, the Wind Fire Cannon. These weapons are developed over a period of decades by hundreds of dwarves under the direction of the King, and combine mechanical ingenuity with runic magic.

When carving out their underground cities, dwarves often encounter precious materials and stones, and over the course of their history have developed a keen appreciation for these things. To be a merchant among the dwarves is considered a noble thing.

When not developing new weapons, dwarves love a good fight and make terrific weapon masters. They favor the axe as a weapon and most dwarves have at least a little bit of axe training. They also have a keen eye for value and worth and occasionally travel the world trying to turn a profit. Much like a kobold, when a dwarf makes a friend, a dwarf makes a friend for life, and they live for very long times, almost as long as elves. While dwarves aren’t given to expressions of affection, they like to drink and tell stories with friends and are fierce in the defense of those who have earned their loyalty.

Notable Dwarves: Dongo, Zunda

Dwarf Racial Breakdown:

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Archetype must be Weapon Master.
 * +2 INT talent slots.
 * -1 SPD talent slot.
 * Dwarves inherently get the HP Bonus and Trivia talents for free.
 * Dwarves get the Bonus Inventory and Mastery (Short or Medium) boon for free.
 * Dwarves must take the Diminutive drawback, but not get the points for it.
 * Dwarves may not take the Martial Arts or Need for Speed boons.

Wingers
Easily the most feared, despised, and misunderstood race, Wingers are a bat-like humanoid people. While their arms, torsos, heads, and legs are human, their legs end in hideous black talons and they all sprout leathery black wings from their shoulder blades.

Originally, Wingers (or ‘the Winghorde’, as they call themselves) made their home in the otherwise uninhabited mountains far to the north of Two River in Dunan, until strip mining operations drove them down from the mountains and into the fertile basin surrounding the Dunan Lake. After that, facing enormous prejudice from humans and kobolds who perceived the Wingers as encroaching on their lands, the horde dispersed. Many settled in Two River, claiming a poor and dilapidated district at the city’s edge for their own, but still others wandered far and wide, searching the world for new experiences.

Since leaving the mountains, Wingers have been ostracized to the outermost reaches of human society. They are rarely welcome in cities and are distrusted when they enter such places. It’s rare to see a human face in the Winger district of Two River. As a result, many city-dwelling Wingers (or simply Wingers who live in close proximity to humans or kobolds) take up the art of thievery merely to survive. Some make a living that way; others hope for more.

The Winghorde is led by an elderly matron known as a Great Mother. The process by which she is selected is not shared with outsiders. Most Wingers are expected to be appropriately reverent towards the Great Mother; many are not. The constant struggle the Wingers face merely to survive in the civilized world has led many to abandon their old culture and old ways. Practical concerns, such as filling their bellies, take a front seat.

Wingers have a learned dislike for humans and kobolds that is passed down generationally. While they get along well with their own kind they rarely mingle intentionally with the other races and tend to be standoffish and abrasive when they do. A human befriending a Winger is rare, and even in such cases the Winger is unlikely to be prone to affectionate behavior; such a friendship is practically guaranteed to be a fragile, guarded thing, easy to break and impossible to rebuild.

Notable Wingers: Chaco, Landis

Winger Racial Breakdown:

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Archetype must be Weapon Master or Thief/Bandit.
 * +1 SPD talent slot
 * -1 POW talent slot
 * Wingers get the Combat Prowess and Pilfer talents for free.
 * Wingers get the Eagle Eyed and Stratagem boons for free.
 * (unique) Wingers can fly. Movement is still calculated the same, but this ability does allow for accessing areas easier or not otherwise attainable.
 * Wingers must take Outcast and Armor Reduction drawbacks, but not get the points for it.
 * Wingers may not take the Likable boon.

Ducklings
Nestled along the banks of a large, nameless lake in the center of the Grasslands lays the Duck Village, eponymous home of the people of the Duck Clan. These biped, humanoid ducks have lived in that location for generations. They are generally a placid people, fond of comfort and good food, but they are also pragmatic, and know that anything valuable is also worth defending.

The Duck Clan maintains strong ties with the Karayan people, especially in the wake of the aborted Harmonian invasion. Hugo, future leader of the tribe of Karaya and a True Rune bearer, was trained in the arts of combat by Sergeant Joe (short for Jordi) of the Ducklings. They have always been two close tribes in terms of proximity, temperament, and trade. Ducklings have a natural affinity for water magic and tend to favor the adept class. When threatened, these normally calm and optimistic birds can be stirred to great feats of weaponcraft and valor. They fight primarily with spears and other pole-arm type weapons. In spite of their rotund, feathery appearance and their tendency to quack when excited, Ducklings are strong warriors who are welcome on the frontlines of any battle that includes them.

Notable Ducklings: Sergeant Joe, Rhett, Wilder

Duckling Racial Breakdown:

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Archetype must be Weapon Master, Adept, or Strategist.
 * -1 SPD talent slot
 * Ducklings get the Elemental Absorption (Water) talent for free.
 * The Rune (Water) talent is free for Ducklings.
 * The Extra Rune Slot boon is free for Ducklings, if applicable.
 * Ducklings must take the Bound Basic Rune(Water) drawback but get no points for it.

Beaver
Almost completely unknown outside their homeland in the Queendom of Falena, and often misunderstood within Falena, few races are as introverted and reclusive as the Beaver people.

Though they live within the borders of human lands, they tend to ignore the Falenan government, and the Falenan government, in turn, tends to ignore them. Small in stature and covered with coarse, brown fur, Beavers have small, dark eyes and can be difficult to tell apart to non-Beavers. People outside of their species often have trouble even telling the gender of a Beaver by sight alone. Their thick, bushy eyebrows and slouching posture give them a comical appearance; they also often have trouble moving very fast when on foot due to their swaying gait. They are, however, speedy and efficient when moving through water.

The already very small race was decimated during the Falenan war of succession when the Godwin family targeted them for extinction by their Nether Gate assassins. While the Beavers had previously resisted attempts by the Prince of Falena to draw them into the war, the act galvanized the reclusive people into fighting for Falena as its citizens. While they have had a more active role in Falenan politics since then, the Beavers retain a strong autonomy and still tend to prefer their own company to that of their human neighbors. Mistrust runs deep, especially amongst the oldest surviving Beavers.

The Beavers are an ingenious people with a knack for building and other forms of engineering, particularly when working with wood. They are renowned throughout Falena for their engineering prowess, and Beaver-made dams govern Falenan waterways. They are rarely found outside of Falena. Their village is ruled by a Beaver elder, and they also have a seat in the Falenan senate subsequent to the events of the war of succession. While they have given up some of their autonomy, relations between humans and Beavers continue to improve.

Notable Beavers: Fuwalafuwalu, Muroon, Maroon

Beaver Racial Breakdown:

Requisites: Racial Attributes: Racial Abilities: Racial Deficiencies:
 * Archetype must be Adept or Strategist.
 * +1 INT talent slot
 * +1 MAG talent slot
 * -1 POW talent slot
 * The Combat Reflex and Gather Information(Beaver Network) talentsare free for Beavers.
 * The Sea Legs boon is free for Beavers.
 * Beavers must take the Awkward and Diminuitive drawbacks, but not got the points for them.

Step 4: Picking an Archetype
An archetype is a structural build in which a character is formed. An archetype will define how a character will develop throughout the campaign. It determines HP and MP growth, number of runes, number of allowed talents (slots) as well as various other bonuses. Most importantly, it determines the type of character a PC wishes to be.

The tables in each section outline all starting attributes and slots. Bonus talents gained do not count against slots. All archetypes start with 1 level 1 MP.

Weaponmaster
For better or for worse, the world is full of danger, and therefore, the world must also be full of people capable of defeating that danger. A weapon master is such a person. Whether for justice or crime, revenge or protection, a weapon master is an unparalleled master of combat, be it melee or ranged.

Weapon masters represent one of the broadest ranges of character types among all the archetypes and can be developed in a number of ways. Some weapon masters focus on strength at the expense of other statistics; this often produces potent warriors who deal high damage but perhaps have a lower speed.

Warriors like Suikoden 1 and 2’s Viktor are this type of weapon master. Another weapon master might sacrifice strength for speed to become a dazzlingly accurate warrior with a pretty good damage potential, such as Genshu. This weapon master might not do as much damage, but will hardly ever miss.

Because of their high damage potential and HP, weapon masters of all kinds are found at the frontlines of battle, supporting adepts and ninja while protecting the magicians. A good weapon master is often the backbone of a solid team. Their primary weakness is their magic, which is among the poorest of all archetypes. Many weapon masters compensate for this deficiency by building their offensive strategies around a single, powerful Rune, such as Oulan’s Fire Dragon Rune or Pahn’s Boar. They also make among the best use of Killer and Double-Beat Runes.

Two-handed swords and other such heavy weapons are common amongst weaponmasters, though some are known to concentrate on lighter, more elegant weapons such as one-handed swords, katana, or tonfa are not unheard of. Bows, crossbows, and thrown weapons aren’t all that common and are found more in the hands of Adepts.

Magician
Masters of manipulating runic energies, magicians are physically frail characters without many hit points. While weaker than weapon masters or most other archetypes at level 1, a high level magician is an indispensable part of any powerful adventuring team. While they suffer from being unable to command physical prowess like their more offensive archetype cousins, they can still inflict grievous wounds and cause mass destruction though commanding magic appropriately.

While magicians don’t inherently represent the same range of possible character types as a weapon master or an adept, in many ways they are still the most versatile archetype to be had. With the highest capacity for MP and the ability to gain forehead rune slots, magicians can command an enormous array of powers to destroy enemies or aid allies. Even a level 1 magician has a number of options: equip an earth rune to defend allies, a fire or lightning rune for quick damage in a pinch, or a water rune for healing?

Because of their frail bodies and low hit points, magicians are best served in the rear of battle with the archers, where they can be protected by weapon masters and adepts. From there, they can observe the flow of combat and work to influence its outcome with their arcane powers.

Starting out, magicians are not an easy class to play. Physically weak and with initially low MP, they are among the toughest archetype to use. At mid- to high levels, however, no party should be without the awe-inspiring power of a magician equipped with powerful Runes.

Adept
Between the polar opposites of weapon master and magician there is a middle path. This path requires study and devotion to both the arts of magic and the arts of weaponcraft. Though an Adept will never be the equal of a weapon master in combat or a magician in runecraft, Adepts are among the most adaptable units in the game, comfortable fighting in the front lines or retreating to the back to regroup and assist with powerful magic.

Adepts require a more solid spread of statistics than any other class; a weak statistic in one area can hurt them very badly in the long term. After all, an Adept with a very low strength is just a not-particularly-talented magician.

However, a solid Adept is a very straightforward class to pick up and start playing right away, though their magical development is weaker overall than magicians and they will never deal as much damage as a weapon master.

An Adept should tailor his abilities to fit the group; if the party already has a magician capable of dealing enormous amounts of damage with fire or lightning magic, the Adept might be best served by shoring up the party’s defenses with Water, Wind, or Earth. A group with a powerful healing magician could probably use the damage granted by an Adept specializing in efficient lightning magic. Players should take advantage of their archetype’s flexibility to complement its members.

Some adepts are solid front-line warriors with magical powers, such as Flik, Geddoe, or Helmut, while others are long-range combatants with better magical abilities, such as Cleo, Tengaar, or Sigurd. Make sure to tailor your position in the combat lineup to the dispersion of your statistics to maximize your effectiveness in combat.

Most of the Tenkai stars (excluding Thomas) can be considered extremely powerful versions of the Adept archetype.

Ninja
While a Ninja will never be as gifted a fighter as some of the other archetypes, the benefits of having a Ninja in a party will soon become obvious. Masters of covert intelligence gathering and assassination, they rely on speed and skill to overcome opponents instead of resilience and high damage. A wise Ninja recognizes that things could take a turn for the worst at any time and is always ready to make escape a priority.

While Ninja are passable magic users, many prefer to augment their low damage output with high-risk, high-reward Runes such as Shrike or even Falcon. Failing that, Hazy makes a good choice to help them survive when the fighting becomes thick. They are among the most speedy archetypes available. They also have the exclusive Assassinate talent, which can dramatically increase the amount of damage a ninja can do.

Most ninja owe their ultimate loyalty to the ninja clan based in Rokkaku, in the Toran Republic. The Rokkaku clan is an oft-mercenary group that raises and trains the most renowned ninja in the world. Ninja trained in Rokkaku served alongside McDohl in Toran, and on both sides of the conflict in Dunan. Watari, a Rokkaku-trained ninja, was a vassal of the Blights who fled after Luca’s death. Flight from the Rokkaku clan is a betrayal of the clan chief, Hanzou, and is punishable by death. Rokkaku ninja hunting former Rokkaku ninja are known for their dogged pursuit of their prey.

Strategist
A strategist will never rule the grand melee with weapon skills or incredible magical power. The power of a strategist is subtler, and sometimes too esoteric to be applied in many situations.

Instead, strategists apply their considerable intelligence to understanding the ebb and flow of combat, but where a weapon master might concentrate on the art of single combat or dueling, a strategist learns how best to direct hundreds, if not thousands, of men. What they lack in direct martial prowess they compensate for in their ability to direct large-scale combat. A good strategist is never caught off guard, and his or her actions can determine the fate of entire nations, if not the world.

The finest strategists are either members of the old and famous Silverberg family, or else the protégés of a Silverberg. The Silverberg family has been involved in all the major conflicts of the last two hundred years, from Elenor Silverberg’s role in the liberation of the Island Nations to the brothers, Caesar and Albert Silverberg, who faced each other from opposite ends of the battlefield in the Grasslands. However, not all great strategists are Silverbergs: Apple and Shu were both trained by Silverbergs, but General Ridley of Two River and Lucretia of the Falenan Civil War had no connections to the Silverberg family at all.

Strategists have low HP and decent magic. They possess the exclusive talent combat strategy, which allows them to direct and inspire characters involved even in a small-scale battle. While other archetypes might dabble in the artsof strategy, there is no substitute, when armies are ready to clash, for a gifted strategist among your forces.

Theif/Bandit
One fact is not in dispute: injustice is everywhere in the world. How people respond to this injustice varies tremendously. Whenever a person takes to thievery or robbery to survive in the world, no matter what that person’s motivation, it is a response to injustice.

Bandits and thieves are scrappy fighters who come from all walks of life. Some are heartless brigands, self-absorbed and downtrodden, who want nothing but to make their own way in the world at the expense of all others, while others are purehearted swashbucklers who target only the sinful and give the proceeds of their illegal actions to the poor, or else use it to work against the evil they fight against. Illegal activity, such a person will happily tell you, isn’t immoral just because it’s illegal. Thieves of both varieties have, at various times, found their names inscribed on the Tablet of Fate.

Most bandits are itinerant survivalists who need to be able to thrive in almost any situation. They SPD to help them land blows and avoid damage, as well as escape tough spots. A bandit is likely to pick up a little bit of everything in his travels or exploits and has respectable magic, as well as having access to some pretty good armor. They favor single handed or long-ranged weapons in combat and inherently acquire the abilities Skirmisher and Pilfer. Not all Bandits have the Wanted drawback, but some aren’t as able as others to operate beneath the radar.

Knight
Sometimes, more than a powerful offense, a strong defense and a principled temperament is needed. A Knight is a powerful warrior whose skills are tempered by virtue and chivalry; they are charming, graceful, deadly, and noble.

Knights are powerful, hearty warriors at home on the front lines of the battle along with the weaponmasters and adepts. In many ways, they are among the world’s most talented fighters. Outfitted in the heaviest armor, they don’t deal damage as efficiently as weaponmasters do, but have tremendous hitpoints and a nearly unstoppable defense.

Most Knights are servants of lords or nobility who have dedicated their lives to and sworn oaths of fealty to that person or territory. Their duties typically include law enforcement and defense, though some nations – notably Matilda in Jowston – have whole armies composed of these talented warriors. Not all Knights are noble at heart – and a knight who has fallen from or never learned the arts of chivalry is a dangerous foe indeed – but most are strong-willed individuals who hold themselves to a higher code than most men and women.

As a result of their close contact with regional lords and other bureaucratic systems, they’re adept at managing the complicated world of political intrigue and acquire the Gather Information (Bureaucracy) talent inherently.

Trickster
BY AUTHOR NOTE, TRICKSTER IS NOT CURRENTLY PLAYABLE

Dragon Knight
BY AUTHOR NOTE, DRAGON KNIGHT IS NOT CURRENTLY PLAYABLE

Howling Voice Gunner
A secretive agency under the command of the Harmonian government, very little is known of the Howling Voice Guild. They guard their secrets closely and anyone who has ever claimed to have an inside understanding of the Guild has met an untimely or mysterious end.

Members of the Howling Voice Guild are in fact drawn from all walks of life and may include characters from almost all archetypes, but elite amongst their number are the deadly Gunners. They are the secret enforcers of the Guild’s will, striking at the Guild’s enemies with their unique and mysterious guns.

Only Gunners can advance to the highest level of the Guild’s hierarchy and enter the confidence of the Harmonian Bishops who give the Guild its marching orders. Their ranks are arcane, esoteric, and never explained in detail to outsiders. While a member of the Howling Voice might work openly with other people in pursuit of one of the Guild’s missions, such a person would fade back into the shadows and vanish shortly after his or her mission was complete. Howling Voice members rarely make deep emotional ties with anyone, even other Guild members (though this is not unheard of).

The firearms used by the Guild are developed via a secret process known only to the most highly ranked members of the Guild and disseminated to the Gunners strictly at the whim of the Guild’s leadership. Theft of any of the Guild’s firearms, whether by a stranger or an MIA guild gunner, is immediately punishable by death. In this matter, the guild members are judge, jury, and executioner, a law unto themselves.

Howling Voice Gunners are comfortable at the rear of the battle where they can pepper enemies with shots from their guns. All Howling Voice Gunners have special access to the Guild’s network of spies and informants, which only they have access to.

Narcissist
A Narcissist is someone with a taste for, and a flair for, the finer things in life. They are often nobles or wealthy private citizens who have had time to indulge their more sensual side. Narcissists are proud, well educated, and appreciators of art, music, and the human body.

A good Narcissist is a snazzy dresser and a lover of bright colors and flowery outfits. They are often excessively, almost overwhelmingly, extroverted; always assuming themselves to be in the company of their very best and closest friends. While their eccentric and extravagant behavior is often confusing and off-putting to others, narcissists are in fact a delightful, effervescent bunch, who are rarely prudish or snobbish.

Narcissists are reliable fighters who favor dueling weapons such as rapiers, which they regard as relics of a more dignified age when combat was a gentlemanly art to be undertaken for highly moral reasons. When combat comes down to one-on-one, Narcissists are gifted duelists. Well-educated and reasonably skilled, they also possess good magical abilities and are well-rounded characters.

Step 5: Picking Talents
Each attribute is further divided into subsets, known as talents.

Talents are graded the exact same way as attributes are, and may not be graded higher than an attribute. During character creation, the purchasing of new talents starts them out at the starting grade of that archetype’s attribute. Purchasing new talents during the campaign starts them out at F. Raising talents works exactly the same way as raising attributes.

To perform talent checks, PCs are given a Difficulty Rating (DR), and must beat that rating to succeed. This is done by rolling a d12, adding or subtracting modifiers as appropriate.

''E.G.: Flik is making a History talent check, in which his talent is C, or numerically a 4. The GM reasons this is reasonably arcane knowledge, so he makes the DR 10. His GM also imposes a penalty of -2, as Flik's specialty is History on Toran’s Warrior’s Village, not the Grasslands' Karaya Clan. Therefore, Flik must roll an 8 or better (4 - 2 + roll >= 10) to succeed.''

Each archetype can fill up to 9 slots, even if they have more. The list below details all of the abilities or talents PCs may purchase for their character.

Power Talents
Brute Strength – A catch-all talent for testing psychical feats of strength or athletics.

Combat Prowess – This talent is added as part of your check to hit an enemy.

Damage Mitigation – For physical attacks, you may subtract this talent × 2 directly from the final damage roll.

Feint – If you are in range, you may attempt to nullify an enemy counter attack. Roll this talent DR 10, increasing by 2 for every successful feint in combat after that.

HP Bonus – Every time this talent is raised, gain +3 extra HP to your total HP. This talent may be applied retroactively if bought during character creation.

Sharpshooter – (Long Range weapons only) For every grade you raise this talent, you may add it to your to hit roll if the target.

Shields – (Weaponmasters and Knights only) Your character can equip a shield. You may subtract one (1) weapon level per two grades of this talent from an enemy from an enemy’s attack (in effect lowering the to hit roll). This also applies when an enemy rolls for damage (calculation done before determining before dice rolled).

Shove – After a successful attack, you may attempt to push the enemy away if there’s room. Roll this talent DR - 11. On a success, push the enemy up to three squares away. Shoving them into a wall, object, or other solid inflicts additional d10 damage equal up to the number of spaces unable to be moved.

Intelligence Talents
Ancient History – How much you know offhand about ancient history is determined by this talent. This excludes Sindar knowledge without the appropriateboon also taken.

Combat Strategy – (Strategists only) This talent allows for the temporarily raising of attributes and talents by one grade on a successful roll during combat. The strategist pics a PC and an attribute for that PC. On a success, that PCs attribute and their talents increase by a grade. The DR starts at 9, and increases by 1 with every success. This talent is not retroactive, and wears off at the end of battle.

Diplomacy – Sometimes, knowing how to act out of battle is just as important as in battle. When politically maneuvering your way, use this talent to bolster your case.

Forgery – Creating false documents, fake merchandise, and other imitations is done with this talent. This talent is also used to identify fake items as well.

History (City, Tradeskill, etc.) – Determines how much you know about recent or local history. Unlike Ancient History, this usually only applies locally and for recent events.

Medicine – You are an expert on health. You can identify debilitations such as festering wounds or toxins, and can with time tend to and care for the injured.

Research – Having access to a library or other font of information, a player can use this skill to look up specific topics to find information.

Runic Knowledge – This talent determines how much your character knows about runes and magic in general.

Trickery – This Boon is associated with the Trickster Archetype, and is currently unavailable. Can be used at GM discression.

Trivia – Catch all talent that quizzes your knowledge of certain things that do not fall into any of the other categories.

War Strategy – All tactics that require an ability dealing with combat on a massive scale require this talent. The total number of uses of this talent is equal to the grade, halved, unless the player’s archetype is that of strategist.

Tutelage: Combat – Allows for the raising of grades permanently by the tutor. Attributes/Talents may not be raised higher than the tutor’s own ability. Talents that may be raised with this talent include all power and speed talents.

Tutelage: Magic – Allows for the raising of grades permanently by the tutor. Attributes/Talents may not be raised higher than the tutor’s own ability. Talents that may be raised with this talent include all magic and magic defense talents.

Tutelage: Study – Allows for the raising of grades permanently by the tutor. Attributes/Talents may not be raised higher than the tutor’s own ability. Talents that may be raised with this talent include all intelligence (including this and other Tutelage talents!), skill, and luck talents.

Speed Talents
Assassinate – (Ninja only) While in stealth, if you make a successful attack roll, roll this trait DR 12. Success means that, after rolling damage, you may double that number.

Combat Reflex – When determining the turn order in combat, add this talent to your roll.

Evasion Bonus – This talent makes it harder to hit your character with incoming medium and long range attacks You can add this value directly to your armor rating when avoiding oncoming long range attacks.

Extra Attacks – This talent adds extra attacks. All attack attempts follow the same combat rules and checks. This talent does not require a check, but instead follows its own rules: F to B- - 1 attack; B to A+ 2 attacks; S - 4 attacks.

Fleet of Foot – A catch-all talent for testing dexterous feats or other general speed-related tasks.

Skirmish – (Thief/Bandit Only) After a successful attack, roll skirmish DR 10. On success, you may attack another enemy that is in range of your weapon. For every subsequent roll of this talent in the same combat round, add 2 to the DR. You may not attack the same enemy using this talent.

Stealth – How good are you at hiding in shadows and moving around undetected? This talent determines how well you hide on a successful check.

Skill Talents
Awareness – Getting a read on your surroundings uses this talent.

Charisma – Situations sometimes are affected by your natural charm. This talent affects people based on how you look and act.

Duelist – The iconic Suikoden duel uses this talent.

Focus – The catch-all talent for testing otherwise mundane and common tasks in stressful situations.

Gather Information (Clairvoyance, Bureaucracy, Howling Voice, Beaver Network, Headquarters, other) – This talent means you have access to a special information network that can potentially give you information if it is appropriate. Success with this skill represents clarity and speed in which the information gets to you. Howling Voice is exclusive to Howling Voice Gunners.

Gossip – Have you heard the latest? Let me tell you all about it! Roll gossip to either socialize and hear the most recent dirt, or to spread some of the latest dirt you may have heard on your own!

Influence – Influence is the skill used to verbally persuade, convince, lie, or intimidate others.

Intuition – This talent lets you get a read on people who may not be direct or forthcoming.

Investigate – Actively looking or searching for something uses this talent.

Parry – Your character has a chance to fend off using an incoming medium or long range attack with their weapon. You can add this grade to your armor rating if the attack is medium or long range (see combat section for complete details).

Star Specific Skill Talents

''The following talents are only available when the appropriate star of destiny is picked during character creation, and they may not be obtained otherwise. In any Suikoden game, these skills are always found within the halls of the home castle by someone. In The Genso Suikoden Tabletop Role-Playing Game, it is no different. These talents may seem useless, silly, or both; but they can wind up being very helpful to players in a campaign. In addition, they add a unique flair to any character, should they decide to pick them. While it may be tempting to be a standard weaponmaster going for stat bonuses, maybe you’re the castle gardener as '' well, tending to your gardens. Or perhaps in addition to combat, you also really enjoy fishing. Maybe they will end up as an NPC companion during the adventure. The combinations are endless. 

Appraisal – Has the ability to appraise “?” items on a successful roll. See the Appendix section for details.

Bathematics – This talent allows running of the prestigious bath.

Blacksmithing – You have the ability to sharpen weapons. For every level you rank up in this talent, you may sharpen weapons to an additional level. You may not sharpen weapons past your talent grade, and to sharpen weapons from 13-16, you need access to special hammers (see the Weapons and Runes section for further details).

Business Owner (Armor, Item, Inn, or Rune) – You maintain a business of running a shop, either armor, item, or runes. Rune Shop Owners automatically get the Rune Master 6-point boon for free.

Cooking – When given the correct ingredients, you may, on a successful roll, cook meals that your friends may consume. Note: This talent can also be INT based.

Detective – Able to perform in depth investigations on members of the HQ.

Elevators – Includes the ability to operate and enhance the HQ elevator.

Fishing – Allows you to catch a variety of fish at a body of water.

Gambling Hall – Owner of the HQ Gambling Hall.

Gardening & Farming – Tending to the fields of the headquarters is a very important task.

Journalism – Publication reporting the goings on in the kingdom/empire. A higher rank equates to more influence and readers.

Keeper – You manage the HQ storeage and warehouse. Higher ranks reflect more storage space.

Librarian – The keeper of tomes and knowledge at the HQ.

Sculpting – Master of Statues and sculpting in the HQ.

Scroll Maker – You have the ability to turn runes into scrolls, one-time magic cast items.

Singing – Gifted with natural singing talent, your voice is a valuable tool for morale in the HQ.

Trading Post – You have a knack for business and an instinct for prices, and are the master tradesmith in the HQ.

Troubadour – You have a prowess with instruments, and use your talents to entertain in the HQ.

Window Maker – A glassmith and design artist, you specialize in the windows of the HQ.

Magic Talents
Rune (Element/Magic Type) – To be able to harness the powers of any given rune, you must have the appropriate talent listed. In order to use different runes, you must have the appropriate talent as well. Elements and magic types include: Fire, Lightning, Water, Earth, Wind, Darkness,  Sword and Shield, Punishment, Resurrection, Blinking, Pale Gate, and Sun. Note: You must take the Runic Mastery (rune-type) boon to be able to use Resurrection, Darkness, Punishment, Pale Gate, and Sun magic. 

MP Bonus – Every time you raise this grade, you gain an additional magic point. Maximum magic points cannot exceed nine. This talent follows its own rules, and works retroactively during character creation. F - extra level 1 MP; D - extra level 1 MP; C - extra level 2 MP; B - extra level 2 MP; A - extra level 3 MP; S - extra level 4 MP;

Magic Defense Talents
Magical Defense – With the successful raising of this talent, the damage taken by a magic attack is reduced by 2 × this talent grade.

Repel (Fire, Lightning, Water, Earth, or Wind) – When one of these spells is cast on you, you may attempt to “repel” the magic into nothing with a successful roll DR 11, plus two for every subsequent attempt in battle. A failed roll means the spell hits you normally.

Runic Constitution – When failing a save with a magical status effect (some poisons, sleep, bucket, etc.), immediately roll and add this grade to that roll. Beating a DR of 11 (plus or minus GM modifiers) prevents the status from taking hold.

Luck Talents
Adrenaline Boost – If you lose more than 4/5ths of your HP in a single blow, be it by magic or an attack, you may check to see if your adrenaline kicks in. A successful roll of this talent (DR: 12) means that you are healed completely for full HP, and may roll double damage dice for the rest of battle. This may only be invoked once per battle.

Chain Magic – With this luck talent, you may cast the same spell repeatedly. You must roll and pass as many times equal to the number of times you wish the spell to be cast. E.G.: If Viki wishes to chain magic a spell three times, she must have three MP, and pass her chainspell check three times. DR starts at 12, and increases by 2 for every additional chained spell. A failed chainspell roll makes the spell only go off once, but the MP were spent as if though it went off repeatedly. Attempting chainspell must be declared before casting a spell.

Counterattack – You may counterattack an enemy when they miss you with a physical attack. The enemy must be within range of your weapon. The DR is 12, and goes up by 1 for every subsequent counter until the end of battle.

Critical – When rolling d10s, for every ten you roll you may keep the ten and roll that die again (AKA “explodes”). The number of explosions a player can make is equal to this stat.

Probability Control - This ability allows for you to reroll an outcome. This may be used for a roll you make, or a roll the GM makes. It can either be either a d10 or a d12. This ability grants a certain number of rerolls, and once exhausted is only replenished on a subsequent level up. F – C+: 1 Reroll, B-A+: 2 Rerolls, S: 4 Rerolls

Step 6: Picking Boons and Drawbacks
What sets Suikoden characters up is the vast multitude of personality traits and quirks that they bring to the table. This section is where characters spend boon points to further flesh out their character; and possibly spend any additional points they have gotten in character creation thus far.

They can also gain more boon points by choosing drawbacks, but they cannot get more than 9 boon points from choosing drawbacks even if the chosen star would break this limit. All characters get 10 boon points initially.

Boons and drawbacks are defined below. They take effect at all times during the course of the campaign. They cannot be stacked unless otherwise defined as such. Drawbacks give the points listed.

Boons
Additional Slot(Attribute) – 6 points You may purchase an additional attribute slot in an attribute for a new talent. This is not retroactive.

Ally – 3 points It’s good to have friends in the Suikoden world, for they can provide allies, troops, or information to you. A PC who takes “Ally” finds themselves with a very valuable NPC friend who will be there for him/her in the future. The PC and GM should work out such an NPC.

Inventory – 3 points Your character has four inventory slots instead of three.

Bound Advanced Rune – 7 points for command or passive runes, 11 points for others You have a personal rune. It could just be a common rune that you are bound to, or it could be a true rune. Regardless, it belongs to you and it cannot be removed. GMs must approve of the rune.

Directional Sense – 3 points This boon prevents you from ever getting truly, hopelessly lost. You always know which way is north, and have a general idea of distance if you’ve traversed that way before.

Defended (person) – 3 points There’s someone with you. Be it guardian, lover, or biggest fan; if your HP is less than half, then they stand in front of you and take damage for you until they have fallen. This does not apply if both are in an area of effect range. That person must have the deficiency Defender (your name) on their sheet for this to work, and must also be in play.

Destined – 0 points When a character picks a Star of Destiny, they can get the destined trait. This special trait protects the PC from death. Characters may still fall in battle (to 0HP or less), but after all battles are revived for 1HP. They can also be resurrected with the resurrection rune during battle. The only time a PC can ever be removed from play permanently is with the PC’s permission. ''Note: This ability requires that a PC be a star of destiny, and cannot be bought otherwise. PCs may also pick the “Undestined” deficiency if they so choose instead. Additionally, just because a PC cannot be killed, does not mean that it somehow makes them invulnerable. There are fates much worse than death in the Suikoden world. Imagine what would have happened if the Young Master McDohl lost the battle with his father, the Jowston Army fell to Luca Blight, or if the Hero of the Island Nations lost the final duel against Troy.''

Eagle Eyed – 3 points You have no problems seeing in darkness or low level light areas -- you automatically pass all stat checks made in regards to vision. You may also add three to your roll for all checks involving intuition.

Extra Rune Slot – 6 points If you cannot attain maximum rune slots, you may purchase this ability to increase your rune slots by one. The level that you acquire this rune slot is 30 + the level you get your last rune slot according to your archetype. A PC can never attain more than 3 slots, and this ability cannot be purchased if it would increase rune slots to more than 3. You may not take this if you buy the Missing Rune Slot disadvantage. This boon may only be bought once.

Fades into the Background (PC) – 3 points You are the lesser known member of a well-known pair, which is fine by you. You may, on your turn, opt to forego your turn to let your counterpart have a second attack, if they are within 2 squares of you. Your opposite number must have gone before you in the turn order to make this boon work. This ability cannot be purchased if the target person also has Fades into the Background. Do your best!

Good Stock – 7 points If you have a racial deficiency or limitation, you may buy away that deficiency, pending GM approval. This boon may only be purchased once, and is not available for homunculi.

Healing(SKL or INT) – 7 points You have the know-how on how to heal people after battle, be it magically or physically. (SKL or INT grade)d10 dice at the end of every battle and heal that HP. All status ailments are also cured at the end of battle. Players must decide which attribute to use – when taking this boon, and they do not stack. If this boon conflicts, then whoever gets the highest roll at the end of every combat is what is healed.

Inspired(Other PC, talent) – 4 points You get inspired by another member of the entourage when they successfully perform a skill! When the mentioned PC makes a roll using that skill, if they succeed, you may add two to a later roll using that same talent. Stacks up to three times, disappears on use.

Likable – 5 points There’s something inherently likable about you. When making charisma or influence checks, add 3 to your roll.

Loyalty (Other PC) – 2 points or 4 points One of your companions aids and supports you, and in return has earned your everlasting loyalty and confidence. Just being near them inspires you. As long as you are fighting within ten feet of the named PC, you automatically pass all checks for status ailments or instant death, except for attacks from a True Rune(2 points), and you can add 10 to either rolls to hit or combat damage (4 points).

Mastery (Short or Medium) – 3 points for short range, 7 for medium range You are familiar and in tune with your weapon so much, it does not drag you down. The range on your weapon doubles.

Martial Arts – 5 per ability, martial arts weapon required (fists, bo staff, etc.) You have been trained in martial arts, and can do the following in combat once per round: Maximilian Heritage – 6 for lineage (human knights only), 3 for protégé The Maximilian Knights are an order of knights dedicated to traditional knightly values of chivalry and protection. They actively hunt down and right wrongs, and are dedicated to justice in the world of Suikoden. Need for Speed – 4 points Think fast! Add two to your movement speed and add two to your place in the turn order during combat.
 * Move your full movement after using a physical attack an enemy.
 * When getting attacked by an enemy, if you have not attacked, you may attack before the enemy.
 * If you miss an attack, you can follow through with a second. If this connects, roll half as many dice.
 * 6 points: Take the last name Maximilian. In situations that require to stand up for what’s right, add 4 to any DR rolls. In combat, when fighting genuinely evil monsters or aberrations, add two to all rolls.
 * 3 points: During combat, when standing next to a Maximilian Knight, you may also add two to all rolls.

Quick Study – 4 points You’re a quick study! When raising a particular grade talent, the point costs are reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.

Runic Mastery (Darkness, Pale Gate, Resurrection, Punishment, Sun) – 6 points for Adepts, 4 points for Magicians, 0 for Homunculi You’ve mastered the intricacies of runic magic, to a point where you can understand how to work highly advanced runes. This ability allows for you to equip runes in the Master class category. Only Magicians and Adepts may take this ability.

Rune Master – 3 points for basic, 6 points for mystic. The handling of embedding and removal of runes is a very delicate process, and can cause harm to both the master and the target if not done correctly. A basic rune master can embed any basic type of rune, while a mystic rune master can embed more powerful runes that fall into the advanced category and onward. Only adepts and magicians may take basic rank, while only magicians may take mystic rank. Owns a Shop (Rune Masters) automatically have the 6– point boon.

Sea Legs – 3 points Vast oceans, lakes, rivers, and seas all cover the world of Suikoden. You automatically succeed in navigation and steering of water–faring vessels, and pass all checks when it comes to being in water (swimming, holding breath for extended periods, etc.)

Silverberg Lineage – 5 for strategists, 8 for others Those who wish to be in the Silverberg line get to buy this ability. Adopt the last name of Silverberg, get an additional INT slot and INT talent, and if the character’s archetype is Strategist, then all the Silverberg advantages in war. You may not take the Silverberg Tutelage ability. You must be of Race: Human.

Silverberg Tutelage – 3 for strategists, 6 points for others You were tutored by a Silverberg, so you know much about war battle and strategies, although you are not quite as good as one with Silverberg blood in them. Gain an additional INT slot, and if the archetype is Strategist, then gain one Silverberg advantage in war battles. PCs may not take the Silverberg Lineage ability when taking this ability. This boon can be taken more than once.

Sindarian Specialty – 5 points The Sindar are an ancient and mystic race, one that habited the world before going completely extinct. Many masters of magic and archaeologists have come across examples and knowledge of the Sindar in the form of ruins, artifacts, and the like. Taking this boon allows you to roll Ancient History to answer Sindarian questions and puzzles.

Stratagem – 8 points, 4 for strategists Your scouts and spies have been able to get discernible information on the enemy. For upcoming war battles, invoke this boon to get the GM to tell you troop size (number of dice) and potential boons.

Throw Out the Play Book – 4 points Part of being a good tactician is being able to anticipate the enemy’s movements and attacks. Use this boon when you want to nullify the enemy’s war bonuses at the expense of your own. In other words, nobody can have strategist advantages.

Unite Attack – Variable You and another person (or people) in the party have some kind of common bond. Maybe you’re both magic users. Maybe you’re both young and pretty. It’s something. You are able to work together in such a way that you can combine your powers for some unique damage. When creating a unite attack, establish the following rules: The greater the positive effects, the more boon points it should cost.
 * How to determine who rolls to hit (who rolls to hit dice).
 * How to determine which enemies get hit (area of effect, one enemy, etc).
 * How to determine damage dealt (how many d10s, who rolls them, etc.).
 * How often it can be used (every round, every other round, etc.).
 * Any other effects.

Special Ability – Variable Boons not covered here can be worked out with the GM. The GM must approve all special abilities given to the PC.

Drawbacks
Awkward – 2 points You’re kind of weird, and you don’t socialize very well. Charisma DRs increase by 2 for you.

Armor Reduction – 4 points The armor you use is one stage lighter. In other words, if your archetype normally wears heavy armor, you wear medium. If you archetype normally wears medium, then you wear light. Light armor archetypes may not take this drawback. You also may not take the shields talent.

Bound Basic Rune – 3 points For some reason, you cannot get the rune off your person. When a Rune Master tries to remove it, they simply cannot. It is permanently stuck to your person; maybe because it’s a true rune. Perhaps it is a personal rune. Whatever the reason, it cannot be removed for any reason.

Creepy – 5 points There’s something off about your demeanor that just sends chills down people’s spines. You may not attempt charisma or influence checks (auto failure), and trying to gossip increases the DR by 6. In addition, buying items at anywhere else other than the headquarters results in double the prices for you and your friends.

Defector – 2 points, 3 if taken with wanted You have defected from your homeland and have switched sides. As part of your backstory, develop from where you defected. Any interaction that comes as part of this defection have their DRs increased by 5, and are at constant risk of being confronted.

Defender (person) – 3 points There is someone in your life you MUST protect. If that person is in danger, you willingly try to trade places with them, and must take all damage when that person is weak in battle (less than half of their HP). This effect stays in place until your defended person has been healed, or until you are unconscious. This does not apply if both are in an area of effect range. The defended person must have the Defended boon.

Diminutive – 4 points You’re a bit smaller than everyone else. You move in combat two spaces less, and may not take any boons or equip runes that increase your movement speed. You also suffer a 5DR penalty when making brute strength checks.

Elemental Weakness (element) – 5 points One of the five elements happens to be your bane. When this type of elemental damage is inflicted on you, the attacker gets to roll an additional 5d10. This cannot be nullified by using talents, gear or anything else; this has priority.

EXP Penalty – 5 points You require more EXP to level up and continually lag behind the rest of your party mates. Instead of the typical 1,000 exp needed to hit the next level; you need 1,250.

Feeble – 5 points You’re weak. You do your best, but eating right and exercise can’t compensate you entirely for the weak constitution you were born with. Maybe you’re recovering from a long illness, or you’re simply really, really old. You suffer a –1 stat penalty after every three rounds of combat (this lowering your talents). Resting at an inn, or between game sessions resets your stats. Add 5 to all DRs involving Brute Strength.

Missing Slot – 4 points Magic’s not your thing. Rather than being able to equip the maximum number of rune slots your class allows, you are able to equip one less than that. PCs are not allowed to have zero rune slots, and must have a minimum of one. If taking this drawback would put the PC at 0, then it cannot be taken.

Nemesis – 4 points There is someone out there who wants you dead. They will stop at nothing, until you are dead. They show up at the most inconvenient of times, and prove to be the most annoying of adversaries. Eventually, it will come down to either you or your nemesis, and only one shall win!

Slow Study(attribute) – 3 points Talents of a specific attribute do not come to you naturally, and you must work harder for it. Pick an attribute. Raising talents in that attribute cost double. This drawback takes priority over Quick Study if the two come into conflict.

Psychosis (attribute) – 9 points You are mentally unstable, whose meaning is tied directly to an attribute of yours. Whenever you invoke this attribute, you must make a check to keep your wits about you. The DR for this check works a bit differently: The DR starts at 16, and decreases by 1 until you pass. You add the direct attribute to this check. Once this check passes, then you temporarily lose control of all talents associated with this stat, as determined by the GM.

Stat Tradeoff – (maximum of 3) Are you willing to sacrifice some of your personal attributes to be better rounded? Then Stat–Tradeoff is what you’re looking for. Sacrifice one grade of the seven major stats (and thus lowering all talents) for 1 boon point. This can be only done for a maximum of 3 boon points.

Wanted – 2 points, 3 if taken with defector Your character is a criminal. They are wanted by some force, be it a small town or the Harmonian Empire. Either way, there’s a force out to get you, and being caught means certain negative impact. Your character goes to great lengths to avoid the person or people looking for them, to a point where it may hamper the party’s agenda. Any interaction that comes as part of being wanted have their DRs increased by 5, and are at constant risk of being arrested.

Undestined – 9 points When the Stars of Destiny are gathered, they are destined to live up to their fate. There is some extraneous force in the world that prevents them from dying until they have served their purpose. One cannot escape their destiny… …unless they are simply undestined. By not being a star of destiny, they do not have to live up to the expectations that come with being a star. They can, instead, do what they want, when they want. However, because destiny is not looking out for them, they are subject to the same harsh realities of the world around them as regular people are. Destiny is not there to guide them. This drawback forfeits the star picked in the “Pick a Star” section, and leaves the fate of the PC in the hands of the GM. If the PC with the Undestined deficiency falls in battle, it is the GM’s discretion if it is a permanent death. Destiny is a fickle thing that way.

Unlucky – 5 points Fortune and destiny are two different things. Some people are just unlucky. Once per game session, a GM may intervene with a non–combat related roll, and call the roll a failure.

Weak Constitution – 4 points Your body is weak and feeble. You cannot stand up to being smacked around in much as frontline combat as others. Every four levels, you do not gain an HP stat up. You may not take the Runic Constitution talent.

Special Deficiency – Varied A PC and GM may work out any special deficiencies that a PC may have for his or her character. The reward for skill points varies.

Step 7: Remaining Starting Equipment
In regards to weapons, all PCs get to determine what weapon they fight with. Guns are not readily available to all players except those who are of the Howling Voice Gunner archetype. It is encouraged that PCs determine what their weapon means to them. Perhaps it is just a means to an end. Perhaps their best friend gave it to them. Perhaps they fight with a really heavy book. All of these are possibilities. Weapons that are unusual or unique, like the “Star Dragon Sword”, may be worked out between the GM and the PC.

Rather than buying newer, stronger weapons; a character uses his or her weapon throughout the course of the game. Weapons get stronger by visiting blacksmiths who can forge their weapons into stronger ones (increase their level). The higher a weapon’s level, the more damage that is inflicted.

There are three range types of weapons: Short range, medium range, and long range. Each have various pros and cons.

All PCs get to determine what weapon they fight with. Guns are not readily available to all players except those who are of the Howling Voice Guild.

Runes are divided up into five categories: Basic, Advanced, Master, Unique, and True. A PC may pick any basic rune to fill in their rune slot. Advanced, Master, Unique and True Runes must be approved by the GM. Please see the appendix section for a complete list of available runes and how runic magic works.

All PCs start with the most basic type of head and body armor, as determined by their archetype (light, medium, or heavy). Armor is a reflection of the mechanical and not literal nature, and therefore not dramatically affect your PC’s appearance.

A PC’s inventory has, by default, six equipment slots: A PC uses inventory spaces when equipping accessories, but also to hold items as necessary, namely medicine or other items or treasure that they may come across in their adventure.
 * Head
 * Armor
 * Shield (not used unless character can use shields)
 * Inventory Space 1
 * Inventory Space 2
 * Inventory Space 3

The currency of Suikoden is called potch. Every PC starts with 1,000 potch.

Example of Character Creation
''Flik has a character concept in mind. First, he picks the star he wishes to be and opts for the Tenan star, gaining the Combat Prowess talent free.''

''Next he picks his race, deciding to be a Warrior’s Village male. He notes that he gets a few bonuses, a POW talent slot, but at the cost of a SPD talent slot. He also gets the History(Toran Republic) talent and Runic Constitution talents for free, as well as Combat Prowess (though this is redundant because of his star, he does not gain anything additional by it). He also gets the Adrenaline Boost boon. He also notes that he must take the Defender drawback, opting to name fellow PC Odessa as the person he’s defending. He also is restricted to a one-and-a-half handed sword, which puts him with a short-range weapon. He also notes the unique drawback that comes with being a Warrior’s Village male.''

''After picking race, he looks at archetypes and adept appeals to him. Again, he makes a notes of all the talent slots, which is 2 per attribute. However, he takes one slot away from SPD and adds another POW slot, as per racial rules. He also slots in all the free talents he got earlier, marking them all starting with a D-grade.''

This currently puts him at 3 POW talent slots + Combat Prowess; 2 INT talent slots + History(Toran Republic); 1 SPD talent slot; 2 SKL talent slots, 2 MAG talent slots, 2 M.DEF talent slots, and 2 LUCK talent slots.

''With slots sorted, he moves onto filling those slots with other talents. Rules state he is permitted to fill 9 slots, even if he has more. HP Bonus, and Damage Mitigation talents. Flik notes that HP bonus is retroactive, and gains +6HP (3 HP per grade, grade is at D). He picks for INT War Strategy and Diplomacy. For speed talents, he buys Evasion Bonus. For SKL slots, he takes Duelist. He is a fan of lightning magic, and decides to open up Rune(Lightning) talent, as well as Rune(Darkness), making a note that he must take the Runic Mastery boon to be able to use this talent. For magic defense, he buys Magical Defense. He rounds out his talents by purchasing the Critical talent. ''

''Next he moves onto spending his ability and boon points. Flik’s unique Rune(Darkness) magic trait costs 6 points from the get go so he can purchase the boon Runic Mastery(Darkness). He decides to create a Unite Attack with Viktor called the Cross Attack, that hits one enemy for 1.5 damage within range. Both characters spend 5 of their points doing so. Flik has already exceeded his maximum boon points(10, he’s spent 11), so he needs to purchase some drawbacks to get more. Flik takes the Bound Basic Rune drawback for three points and the Nemesis drawback for another four, working out that the NPC Sanchez will fulfill that role. This gives him six more points to work with. He decides to buy Loyalty (Odessa) for two, and Inspired(Odessa, Diplomacy), for four.''

''Finally, he takes a Lightning Rune, which cannot be removed thanks to the Bound Basic Rune drawback, and names his one-and-a-half handed sword Odessa, as determined by his racial statistics. His starting equipment is medium-armor.''