Editing Theory (section)

== Character Creation ==
"''There is no right or wrong way to build your character. What type of character you want to be is entirely up to
you.''"

Theory is a classless system, that is to say that there are no character classes like "rogue", "fighter", or "mage." While it is still entirely possible to achieve these archetypes the player may choose to mix and match abilities to make hybrids or to shatter the archetypes altogether and go with something completely different. This allows players much more of a means for expression and utility without being bogged down by investing so many resources in things they aren't interested in.

In the beginning, players gain their starting experience with which to purchase their abilities, meta-abilities and stats. Games starting at different levels will have different values of starting experience. So for example, a level 1 character starts with 1,000 experience with which to purchase abilities, while a level 6 character starts with 21,000 experience. Many of the game's abilities begin with a relatively low experience cost which is doubled each time you take a rank in the skill (thus making it more powerful). These abilities are broken down into General, Magic, Martial, Mental, Weapons Master, and Faction abilities, with Meta-abilities for each.


'''General Abilities'''

General abilities are abilities that apply generally to every character, or to most characters. In this section players can buy health, mana, ability score increases, skills, and initiative bonuses. There are also meta-abilities under each that increase regeneration rates, and raise the lowest minimum roll you can get on things like initiative.


'''Magic Abilities'''

Magic abilities are abilities that apply to magic based characters, or to characters who would like to use magic to enhance their current characters. It is broken down into 7 sections: Fire, Frost, Terra, Light, Shadow, Arcane, and Chrono. These sections contain rules for using these forms of magic as well as specific abilities that these magic users can gain access to. Magic abilities are then further enhanced by use of Meta-Magic abilities. In theory, there are no pre-built spells. The player has full customization over what their spells will do using meta-magic abilities. These abilities are broken down into two types: Shape metas and Power metas. a spell is limited to a single shape meta (it can be a "fireball", but not a "fireballchain"). The caster may use any number of power metas, including "empowered", "surge", or many others to create a "Fireball surge" or an "Empower Fire chain." These Abilities are only limited by mana cost and a character's spell matrix (his intelligence modifier plus anything he has that gives him a bonus to his spell matrix).

Magic abilities may also be countered using special interrupt actions that will be covered later in the "Combat" section.


'''Martial Abilities'''

Martial abilities are abilities that apply to melee and marksman style characters. Offensive-style fighters will want to focus on offensive maneuvers and meta-offensive maneuvers. while defensive style characters will focus on defensive maneuvers and meta-defensive maneuvers. Specific to these types of characters are metamartial unlocks which are attained by first buying a martial ability and then buying meta-martial abilities to improve it. As an example, we'll use the "First Strike" Offensive maneuver:

"''First Strike- (Offensive Action) 500xp. You may only use this maneuver on your first attack of a combat scenario. For
every ''5 points your attack roll beats the opponents defense roll by, you may deal an extra 1d6 damage. These
extra ''damage dice are not multiplied with critical strike damage, but are rolled separately.''''''"

Below First Strike, we have its meta-martial unlocks:

"''Conspiracy- Upon spending 7 ranks in metamartial maneuvers to improve first strike, you gain conspiracy. ''your
first strike damage bonus is increased from 1d6 to 1d8.

''Paragon Strike''- ''Upon spending 10 ranks to improve first strike,'' ''your first strike ability becomes "Paragon
Strike."'' You gain your extra damage dice for every 2 points you beat their defense roll by.

''Master Conspirator''- ''upon spending 15 ranks in metamartial abilities to improve first strike you gain the Master
conspirator ability. ''Any time an opponent chooses not to spend an action to defend against one of your attacks you
may ''retroactively call that attack a first strike.'' ''your first strike attack costs will replace the attack costs of the
''original maneuver.''''''"

The Meta-martial abilities these skills reference are in the Meta-Martial abilities section. These abilities allow you to choose a maneuver an gain a bonus to hit, damage, critical strike chance, critical damage modifier, or to make the maneuver faster. So, with 7 ranks to improve the chance to hit with first strike, a player has successfully unlocked "conspiracy." Or, if the player wants to diversify they way they improve the ability, they can spend 3 ranks improving hit, 2 ranks improving speed, 1 rank improving critical strike chance and 1 rank improving critical strike damage for a total of 7 meta-martial ranks.

There are 5 schools of marksman abilities focused around speed, anti-mitigation, deception, sniping, and tactician. Each of these schools adds to the effectiveness of ranged combat in its own way. Speed allows for faster shots and free attacks. Anti-Mitigation allows shots to ignore and bypass armor and obstacles. Deception contains some of the role-playing abilities marksmen will need to infiltrate and silence their targets. Sniping includes precision, one-shot-one-kill style play. Tactician allows the marksman to line up his enemies and call attacks on each of them with a single shot.


'''Mental Abilities'''

Mental abilities are broken into two sections: Telekinesis and Nanotech. Telekinesis allows a player to push or crush his enemies with his mind, to create a psionic blade or to deflect their enemies attacks with preternatural skill and effectiveness. Nanotech allows the player to host colonies of microscopic robots which can do anything from fashion useful items with the duality school, to disrupting enemies while synchronizing allies with the dominance school, to spying and cloaking with the espionage school, to making themselves into a powerful weapon of war and destruction with the warfare school.


'''Weapons Master Abilities'''

Weapons master abilities are found in the equipment section. While this section does include the gear and items characters find and use, it also includes an ability-set that allows a player to specialize with a specific class of weapon or armor, making it more effective and unlocking new abilities which are inaccessible to anyone else. A simple weapon is never more effective than when in the hands of a weapons master.


'''Faction Abilities'''

Faction abilities are abilities that require the player to be a member of a faction, and will generally limit that players actions in some way. In exchange, they gain large bonuses against certain classes of enemies for low experience costs. Many of these abilities are focused on Heavy roleplay games. By far this section will be the most expanded upon and most updated of any section of this book.