The Character Generation Thread

Welcome to Multiverser.

This thread has been set up to walk you through the process of creating a character. You can post your responses here, or open a new thread, as you prefer.

Let me emphasize for clarity that you will be playing yourself, that is, starting as a version of yourself, a character derived entirely from who you are right now, what you can do, what you own and carry. Do not give me the description of some fantasy or science fiction character you want to be. You can become that character over time, if that is your objective, but it's much more interesting to start as yourself.

There will be three posts below. Please answer them one at a time, in separate posts, and be prepared to answer questions. I would rather these were done on separate days, because there are already plenty of people playing, and I need time to digest and copy your materials in addition to running their games.

This is a slightly modified version of our On-the-Fly character generation system--modified to work better in forum play. It creates an incomplete character, on the assumption that it hits all the important points and the details will be added as needed during play.

--M. J. Young

Give me your full name—the name a god would know, just in case you ever meet one. Write any nicknames you use or are commonly used for you where it says A.K.A., along with any qualifying notes concerning who uses them. In other words, if your mother calls you Sonny, put that; if everyone on the Internet knows you as MJ but everyone at home calls you Mark, tell me both of those.

On Attributes, there are only a couple of questions. Begin by looking over this list of attributes, then answer the three questions below:

Persuasion
Charisma
Animal Magnetism

Strength
Stamina
Resistance

Flexibility
Agility
Hand/Eye

Intellect
Intuition
Education Level
Will Power

First, do you believe that you are or might be outstanding, on the order of the top two percent or one out of fifty, on any of the attributes listed there? This means Mensa intellect, star athlete, professional model, or something else that identifies you as outstanding. Tell me which ones, just how high you are (e.g., 1 in 100, 1 in a thousand), and why I should believe this.

Second, how intuitive are you? I discuss intuition in some detail in the RPGnet article Intuition and Surprise; the short version is that we all gather information subliminally and process it subconsciously, with the result that we reach conclusions without knowing how we got them. These come into our awareness as hunches or feelings. Do you notice more than most people, are you aware of details in your surroundings, do you have good hunches and instincts about people, places, events? How do you compare to others in this regard?

Third, what is the last grade of school or degree program or post-secondary education you completed or attended? Also, have you taught an undergraduate or higher course or program?

For weaknesses, all I want to know now is whether you have any medical conditions or limitations, including vision irregularities and allergies.

Give me a physical description of yourself. Include Height, Weight, Current Hair Color and Style, Age or Apparent Age, Eye Color, Facial Hair, Birthmarks, Tattoos, or other unusual markings, and any Other Description that might matter (racial characteristics, deformities, anything people would notice that hasn't been asked).

This completes the first section. When you hear back from me, you may proceed to the second section, Skills.

--M. J. Young

This is the second section of the character generation process, covering skills. You probably have hundreds of skills, but we’re only going to worry about a few right now.

First, I need to know if you have any skills at all at which you would be considered professional or expert. Professional means that you could be paid for work doing that, and expert means that professionals would consult you for advice. If you think you're an expert at something, prove it to me--tell me what books you've written or patents or copyrights you hold or courses you've created or taught. If you think you have extraordinary skill in something in which no one is generally paid, such as swimming or poker, make the argument for it.

Second, do you have any skills on the cutting edge of technology, such as in robotics, genetics, space travel? Be specific.

Third, do you have any abilities you would consider psionic or magical? I’m open minded about this, but my brain hasn’t fallen out either. I distinguish magic from psionics thus: if the power comes from inside yourself, it is psionic; if it comes from beyond the universe, it is magic. I also distinguish magic into holy magic and arcane magic, where holy magic involves working with or through a god or spirit and arcane magic involves manipulating supernatural energies directly. Describe what you can do and how you do it.

Fourth, have you studied any martial arts or acrobatics? Again, give details. Martial arts styles are usually categorized as slow or fast, aggressive or defensive, but these are generalizations to help create the details. They are specifically classed as weapon-averse (fighter may not use any weapon, e.g., most forms of karate), weapon-utilizing (fighter can use a weapon or not, e.g., Jackie Chan and most martial arts movies), and weapon-dependent (e.g., fencing, kendo, styles built around weapon use), which must be stated. Also, if there are particular maneuvers or techniques which you would be likely to name in play, such as a feint, a disarm, a particular kind of strike or kick, list and describe these as well.

This completes the Skills section; again, please wait for a response before moving to the third section.

--M. J. Young

This is the third and final section of the character generation process, where you equip your character.

I am often asked for guidance in what to take, how to equip a character. I can offer little. You do not know where you are going or what you will find or do when you get there. You are leaving home forever, and nothing you do not take will ever be with you again. Take what matters, take what is useful, take what you need, take what you want. You will probably be able to get many kinds of things, some like what you have, some unimaginable, in the places you are going, but you cannot predict what that will mean.

To some degree, I will be looking at what you take to help me determine who you are and where you should be going.

You start with everything you are currently wearing, so write it all down to the color and style of your underwear and the coins in your pocket, because sometime you might need that white flag or piece of elastic or 1992 dime.

You also get an additional 200 pounds of anything you want, within these restrictions:

• it must exist--you cannot take the ray gun you imagined;
• it must belong to you or to a member of your family who would not mind you using it without permission--your brother's dictionary, the gun your uncle lets you use when you go hunting with him;
• it must not be physically attached to anything you’re not taking by more than a yank or single twist release--if the VCR is connected by quick disconnects you can take it, but if it uses screw connectors the television must go also;
• you must have a rough idea of where it is right now--your garage, your room, your attic, your office.

I need specific information about these points:

I need to know if you are taking anything large or bulky that might be awkward to carry, such as a TV or bicycle.

You must describe any case or carrier, backpack, suitcase, duffel, wheelbarrow, wagon, in which things will be carried.

If you are taking any weapons, we need to discuss them. Describe them in detail.

That concludes the character generation process; everything else will be done during play. I will respond to your equipment post and, if things are sufficiently established, point you to a starting game thread.

Again, welcome to the verse.

--M. J. Young

Name: John David Mastick
Attributes:Persuasion : 2@2 Strength: 1@8, Resistance 2@1, Hand-Eye: 1@5, Intellect 2@1, Intuition: 1@5, Willpower: 2@2, Education: AA degree, BS Police Science, BSRN, one semester shy of graduation: (Lev:2@3)
Weakness: Total Knee replacement
Physical: 6'05'-250lbs-Blonde(med. length)-53yrs.(look mid 40s)-Eyes, Brown, Facial Hair-clean shaven- Marks, tatoos, etc. 8" scar on right knee- Pigmentation, caucasian, fair-skinned-

Good so far. Next post.

--M. J. Young

Skills:

Shooting Skills: Qualified as Expert w/S&W .40cal semi-automatic-Remmington 12gauge shotgun, AR15 sniper rifle
Certified Brown belt in Akai-JuJitsu(fluid fast motions can be passive/aggressive- more defense oriented, weapon utilizing) Tae Kwon Do(fast, kick centered, defense oriented, weapon utilizing
" Red " in Tae Kwon Do
Nursing skills, certified EMT
Certified by American Motorcycle Assoc.
Professional drummer as per Percussive Arts Society
Martial Arts Weapons: Proficient w/ nun cks. sai, bo,
Hand to Hand Combat: Able to disarm an armed assailant using a handgun, knife,etc.

I'm going to address the details tomorrow; let's move on to the next post.

--M. J. Young

O.K., sorry for the delay, but here are my notes on skills.

On weapon use skills, we have a narrowing of application with each advance in level. The way it works, generally, is something like amateur level at pistol, professional level at Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, expert level at this Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol which is in my holster.

Thus I'm going to give you 2@10 skills--the highest professional ability below expert--in each of the weapons you listed, unless you also have on your equipment sheet the particular individual weapons you used. Thus we have

• 2@10 Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol T6@1
• 2@10 Remmington 12gauge shotgun T6@1
• 2@10 AR15 sniper rifle T6@1

but if you happen to own any one of those weapons and bring it with you, we'll note a 3@5 instead of the 2@10.

A quick explanation of this system: the 2@10 here (or 3@5) is your "Skill Ability Level" or SAL; that's how good you are with it. 1@ SALs are amateur, 2@ are professional, and 3@ are expert, as we discussed. That's the level; the number after the @ is the intensity, which for SALs runs from 1 to 10, and then rolls over at the next level back to 1 again. There is nothing better than 3@10; it is ludicrous to talk about being better than that.

The number after the skill name is the bias level of the skill. Here, T stands for Tech, short for "Technology", which means that this is a technological skill--it uses tools and science and an understanding of how these work. Bias levels generally run from 0@0 to 15@10, but they don't change; they are an indication of how complex a particular skill (or the use of a device, which is the same thing) is relative to other skills in the bias area. Thus, skills related to guns, 6@ skills, require a better understanding of technology that skills related to levers, 3@ skills, but not so much as skills related to electronics, 10@ skills.

The martial arts styles and weapons are all B7@1 skills, where B stands for Bod, short for "Body", skills based on physical abilities. I'm going to give each a few numbers based on your descriptions:

• 2@2 Akai-JuJitsu B7@1 Att x2 Weapon Utilizing +5 Att SM -15 Def SM
• 1@4 Tae Kwon Do Att x2 Weapon Utilizing kick based, +10 Att Damage Mod -15 defense SM
• 1@5 Nunchaku B7@1 damaging RF2
• 1@5 Sai B7@1 damaging RF1 +10 on disarm maneuvers
• 1@5 Bo Stick B7@1 damaging RF1
• 2@1 Disarm weaponless B7@5

Again by way of explanation--

• Att x2 means that for an amateur with ordinary ability, the style allows you to roll the dice for two attacks each minute. This is something of compromise. In reality you're going to "try" to hit your opponent more than once or twice in a minute, but you're going to fail far more often than you succeed. The game rules streamline combat by assuming you have a decent chance to succeed twice. Because you also have a 2@ skill ability level in Akai-Ju Jitsu, along with its two attacks, you get four attacks in that style--you're good.
• Att SM means "Attack Situation Modifier" or "Attack Sit-mod". It means that your chance of success on an attack is increased by that number. Because in Multiverser your successful attack roll is also your damage roll, this increase boosts the average damage you do by boosting the maximum damage you can do.
• Att Damage Mod means "Attack Damage Modifier". This is added to the value rolled on the dice after determining success but before determining damage; it increases both the maximum and the minimum damage you can do, but has no effect on your chance of success.
• Def SM means "Defensive Situation Modifier"; this number decreases the chance your opponent has to hit you, and thus also decreases the average damage he will do if he does hit you.
• RF means "Repeat Factor", and is the number of attacks an amateur would get in a minute with that weapon, in the same way that att x2 does fro a martial arts style.

If you've more questions, please feel free to ask; some of this will become clearer when it comes up in play.

2@2 Medical Diagnosis T10@0
2@2 Medical Treatment T10@1
2@5 Operate Motorcycle T8@1
2@5 Drums M0@0

I'm looking forward to seeing your equipment.

--M. J. Young

Hi,
It's me Scott. I'm new to this so please bear with me...I am, as a lot of men, very literal, so I will be "scroling" up and down the page to answer.

1. My full name is "Robert Scott Glenning." I am known on some web sites as "MrG" or "MrGlenning". Usuallly, MrG.
2. I'm not really sure what you want regarding the "list" of stuff that you want. So I'll first describe myself. I am 5 foot 7 inches tall. The hair of my head is cut to about a 1/4 inch. I continously shake or tremor during my waking hours (in my sleep I do not shake or tremor). I have "gross" motor skill but lack fine. This happened in an accident that happened on September 1, 1981. As a result of this and my preconcivied ideas of what society says about disabled people, I have a poor self image, as can be expected.
3. As far as attributes go, I would probably judge myself to be average. As far as I can see I excel in no area, although I am friendly and try to befriend most people. As explained eariler, my hand/eye coorindation is off.
4. I love science fiction, especially space travel, aventure, archaeology.
5. As far as intuition or reading between the lines goes, I don't know how good I am, but I would like to think I can at least "do it" some times. I've guessed certian things before they happened a couple of times, big things not usually everyday events.
5. My last grade in schooling was receiving a Batchlor is Science in Bible, Pastoral Ministry as my major. I did this in 5 years as opposed to 4 years, but I did it none the less.

That seems to be me in a NUT-shell. LOL.

Hi again,
Me, Scott again. Oh, I have a beard, mustach and a slight limp in my right side. My tremors are slightly worse on my right side.

I'm marking down a 1@8 Intuition, 1@1 Density, and 2@2 Education level; you'll get a better understanding of what it all means as we progress, and there will be a "complete" character sheet of everything we put to paper once we have it all together.

Go ahead with your skills.

--M. J. Young

1. I don't think I have any professional skills. I do work as an aide in the school system (in a computer lab), but I hold no certificates. I just know a little about computers.
2.
3.
4. Years ago when I was a teen I took karate (ti kuan do). I received my 3rd blue belt.
I claim no call to fame. I'm just a ordinary person. As I try to fill out this post I realize how ordinary I am. I also ran cross country in 9 and 10 grade and wresled in 11, 12.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, inn my eariler years I was an EMT.

It sounds to me like you've got a number of useful skills.

I do work as an aide in the school system (in a computer lab), but I hold no certificates. I just know a little about computers.

And they pay you for the little that you know, so you've got a 2@1 Computer Use T11@0 skill. Do you know any computer programming?

I just did Tae Kwon Do for the other person presently joining the game, so I'll list you as 1@5 Tae Kwon Do Att x2 Weapon Utilizing kick based, +10 Att Damage Mod -15 defense SM, based on my discussion of that style with him.

Cross country running is not something I could ever do. Does your present infirmity impede your ability to run? Give me some sort of baseline I can use for your ability in this--how far can you run in what time? Do you have a rough idea of how long it would take you to run a mile? a marathon? I'm happy to list your running ability as a skill, particularly as you probably still can outrun me (I'm no runner, and never have been), so I have nothing but respect for that.

Wrestling is a sort of martial arts style, and you were an above average amateur if you wrestled on the high school team, so I'll put down 1@8 Wrestling B7@1 and work out the details later.

EMT is a professional level of medical skill--and as Harry recently observed, it's amazing how much of what you learned will come back to you if you need it. We'll call it 2@1 Medical Diagnosis T10@0 and 2@1 Medical Treatment T10@1.

I'm needing the answers on the computer programming and the running speeds/distances, but otherwise you can start the equipment.

--M. J. Young

I am take taking a lap top and mouse, a survival knife and bayonett that I received from my dad, from when he was in 'Nam'. I am presently in PJ bottems anda t-shirt, but my day clothes include taan pants, blue shirt, socks sneakers or black dress shoes, reversable belt, a heavy leather jacket with liner and a zip fleece hoody. My inderal (medication), a depressent to slow my tremors down. A tooth brush. A Pillow and three heavy quilt like blankets.

As far as I can run, a lot has changed. No computer programing skills, no ti kwan do weapons training. I can run for short distances, I have fooled people before. Wrestling, haha...I won 1 match in a year and a half, then quit, because I accomplished what I set out to do. I can walk far in 1 night I walked about 20 miles, from bridgeton to the Rook store on highway 77 (in present condition).

O.K., here is your character sheet, as it stands at the moment; it will of course be revised and expanded as play progresses.

Name Robert Scott Glenning
a.k.a. Scott
Mr. G on some web sites
MrGlenning on some web sites

Attributes
Persuasion
Charisma
Animal Magnetism
Strength
Stamina
Resistance
Density 1@1
Flexibility
Agility
Hand/Eye
Intellect
Intuition 1@8
Education Level 2@2
Will Power

Averaged Attributes
Ranged Strike Value
Martial Strike Value
Target Value
Damage Value

Best Relevant Attributes
Tech
Psi
Mag
Bod

Bias
Tech
Psi
Mag
Bod

Weaknesses
Continously shake or tremor while awake (due to 1981 accident), has gross motor skill but lacks fine, slight limp on my right side, tremors slightly worse on right side, poor self image due to preconcivied ideas of societal views of disabled people.
Description
5' 7", dark hair cut to about 1/4 inch, beard, mustache.

Skills

Tech
2@1 Medical Diagnosis T10@0
2@1 Medical Treatment T10@1
2@1 Computer Use T11@0

Psi

Mag

Bod
1@5 Tae Kwon Do Att x2 Weapon Utilizing kick based, +10 Att Damage Mod -15 defense SM
1@8 Wrestling B7@1

Equipment
Lap top and mouse
Survival knife
Bayonett ('Nam era)
PJ bottems
T-shirt
Tan pants
Blue shirt
Socks
Sneakers
Black dress shoes
Reversable belt
Heavy leather jacket with liner
Zip fleece hoody
Inderol (medication, depressent to slow tremors)
Tooth brush
Pillow
Three heavy quilt-like blankets

Stage 1

World List

With that, you can begin play by going to the new thread, <i>Mr. Glenning to the Information Desk, Please</i>; you can also follow the mechanics in the behind the screens thread.

--M. J. Young

Equipment: Note: All items are to be packed in two standard issue U.S. military green canvas, waterproof duffle bags.

Clothing: Two pair Wrangler "straight leg" jeans-Two Old Navy "Hoodie" sweatshirts-One pair Nike "Air Max" running shoes-One pair Timberland hiking boots-One pair "Doc Martens" combat style jump boot w/laces and zipper for quick on/off.-Several pair of Hanes underwear including shorts and T-shirt. Five pair of WigWam sweat socks-One thermal insulated skull cap-One North Face arctic jacket-Two pair of white, loose fitting scrubs, top/bottom-Several white hankies(for showing, not for blowing) To indicate surrender or peaceful intentions.-One black leather Garrison belt-One cammo rain poncho.

Weapons: One S&W .40 cal semi-automatic pistol w/three extra 15 round magazine clips-One S&W .357 magnum six-shot revolver-One shoulder harness holster and one in pant clip on style holster for both.-One Remmington "double barrel (over-under )shotgun.-One Swiss Army multi-blade pocket knife-One "butterfly" style knife-One Bowie double edge dagger with cutting stone-Two boxes Remmington .40cal(hollow point ammunition) Two boxes .357cal(hollow point ammunition) Total 100 rounds of each-100 rounds of 12g. "rifle slug" shotgun ammunition-Two six-shot speed loaders for .357mag. revolver.

Etc:Back pack style first-aid kit fully stocked including sewing kit-Six cell "Mag" flashlight and 24 spare batteries-Two rescue blankets-One thermal blanket-Two boxes wooden kitchen matches-One Zippo lighter and two cans of fluid-$100 cash US currency-One personal picture ID-One carton Marlboro light cigs. One drinking canteen filled w/tap water.

If I didn't think it would overload me (or would it?) My 85lbs. Female Rotweiller

Quick questions--

Several pair of Hanes underwear including shorts and T-shirt

"Several" is not actually a number; can you be specific? Thanks. Same with the hankies.

What is a rescue blanket, and what is a thermal blanket? Are either of these "space blankets"?

I'm putting down the canteen, but unless the canteen is stored with the water in it (which strikes me as unlikely) it goes with you empty. You'll have to fill it when you get somewhere that has water.

You can have the dog; what's her name?

Once I've got the answers to these questions, I'll post your sheet here.

To get to the beginning of your game, click the link: John Four On the Floor.

--M. J. Young

3 crew neck T-shirts, 3 briefs (tighty whitties)-3 white hankies-1 rescue blanket (shiny silver for insulation purposes and can also be used for reflective purposes) This item is usually folded, packed in a plastic sterile package. Strike the thermal blanket and insert instead a standard outdoor camping style blanket made of natty material. Warm, practical, not too comfortable. Used in extreme conditions outside of the bedroom.

Freda is my German-born "Rotty" She is five years old, current on all vaccinations and in perfect health. She is licensed, registered with the AKC and also some German registry of breeders. She was obedience trained when she was a pup and is a faithful and loyal companion.

O.K., this is you, as far as we've gotten:

Name John David Mastick
a.k.a.

Attributes
Persuasion
Charisma
Animal Magnetism
Strength
Stamina
Resistance
Density
Flexibility
Agility
Hand/Eye
Intellect
Intuition
Education Level
Will Power

Averaged Attributes
Ranged Strike Value
Martial Strike Value
Target Value
Damage Value

Best Relevant Attributes
Tech
Psi
Mag
Bod

Bias
Tech
Psi
Mag
Bod

Weaknesses

Description

Skills

Tech

2@10 Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol T6@1
2@10 Remmington 12gauge shotgun T6@1
2@10 AR15 sniper rifle T6@1
2@5 Operate Motorcycle T8@1
2@2 Medical Diagnosis T10@0
2@2 Medical Treatment T10@1

Psi

Mag
2@5 Drums M0@0

Bod
2@2 Akai-JuJitsu B7@1 Att x2 Weapon Utilizing +5 Att SM -15 Def SM
1@4 Tae Kwon Do Att x2 Weapon Utilizing kick based, +10 Att Damage Mod -15 defense SM
1@5 Nunchaku B7@1 damaging RF2
1@5 Sai B7@1 damaging RF1 +10 on disarm maneuvers
1@5 Bo Stick B7@1 damaging RF1
2@1 Disarm weaponless B7@5

Equipment
standard issue U.S. military green canvas, waterproof duffle bag
standard issue U.S. military green canvas, waterproof duffle bag
Wrangler "straight leg" jeans
Wrangler "straight leg" jeans
Old Navy "Hoodie" sweatshirt
Old Navy "Hoodie" sweatshirt
pair Nike "Air Max" running shoes
pair Timberland hiking boots
pair "Doc Martens" combat style jump boot w/laces and zipper for quick on/off
3 crew-necked T-shirts white
3 pairs briefs (tighty-whities)
Five pair of WigWam sweat socks
thermal insulated skull cap
North Face arctic jacket
white, loose fitting scrubs, top/bottom
white, loose fitting scrubs, top/bottom
3 white hankies(for showing, not for blowing)
black leather Garrison belt
cammo rain poncho
S&W .40 cal semi-automatic pistol
three extra 15 round magazine clips
shoulder harness holster
in pant clip on style holster
S&W .357 magnum six-shot revolver
shoulder harness holster
in pant clip on style holster
Remmington "double barrel (over-under )shotgun
Swiss Army multi-blade pocket knife
"butterfly" style knife
Bowie double edge dagger with cutting stone
Two boxes Remmington .40cal(hollow point ammunition) Total 100 rounds
Two boxes .357cal(hollow point ammunition) Total 100 rounds
100 rounds of 12g. "rifle slug" shotgun ammunition
Two six-shot speed loaders for .357mag. revolver
Back pack style first-aid kit fully stocked including sewing kit-Six cell "Mag" flashlight and 24 spare batteries
rescue blanket (shiny silver for insulation purposes and can also be used for reflective purposes) This item is usually folded, packed in a plastic sterile package
standard outdoor camping style blanket made of natty material. Warm, practical, not too comfortable. Used in extreme conditions outside of the bedroom
Two boxes wooden kitchen matches
Zippo lighter
two cans of fluid
$100 cash US currency
One personal picture ID
carton Marlboro light cigs
canteen
Freda (Rotweiller)
Stage 1

World List

Again, you can begin play by clicking this link.

--M. J. Young

Name: Andrew James Pessarchick
AKA Drew
Attributes : Strength 1@8, Intellect 2@1, Intuition 1@6, Willpower 1@5, Education: High School and some college, extensively read on a wide variety of subjects but nothing formal.
Weaknesses: need glasses to see anything, coughing fits brought on by heavy prolonged exertion.
Physical: 5’10” – 300 lbs – Light Brown Hair (short) – 30 yrs old – Blue Eyes – Mustache and Beard – No Tattoos – Scar on back of right wrist – Fair skinned Caucasian

I've been lurking and reading about multiverser for years now, but only just tried to order a copy within the last week. Hoping to be playing in person as soon as I can round up some people.

Interesting handle Grendel. That's the name of the spaceship in Jason X. Can't remember where it came from though.

Welcome, Andrew.

John, Grendel is the name of the monster in Beowulf (or possibly the monster's mother, I can't remember now), I believe. Quite a draconian name.

Education level will be 2@1. You've claimed a 2@1 intellect; have you got any evidence to support this claim? (Not that it's outrageous, but not everyone can be in the top two percent.)

Let's see your skills, and welcome to the game.

--M. J. Young

Skills:
Actually, having read more of the forums I will admit that 2@1 might be a little high, but I did score a 1420 on the SAT's when they were out of 1600 and did finish in the top 1% in my training in small computer specialist training in the Marines. Feel dree to adjust it as necessary.

Shooting skills: Qualified as Expert w/M-16A2 assault rifle in the Marines, definitely in the top 2% of the general population. Also trained in bayonet and hand to hand in the military but wouldn’t want to rely on that except against someone who has little formal training. Knowledge of small squad tactics and basic wilderness survival
Computer Skills: good training in software support and helpdesk as well as general use, but very little programming knowledge. Can custom build PC’s but have no experience with OS’s other than windows.
Basic first aid training focusing on wound treatment, stabilization and CPR

It's the name of the monster. The mother never gets a name, though she's referred to by quite a number of creative anaphors.

1420 is impressive, and I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on that, so 2@1 intellect it is.

I'm not sure what it takes to qualify that high on the rifle, but I suspect it puts you in the upper professional level (I'm hesitant to say lower expert range, because that usually implies that you're the go-to guy for how to do it, and since they didn't get you to instruct and didn't single you out for sharpshooter, I'm sticking to professional). We'll call it 2@9 M-16A2 Assault Rifle T6@1. Are you currently active or in reserves such that you've got one assigned to you? That would make it "yours" for the purposes of equipment.

I'll put down 1@5 Military Hand-to-Hand B7@1 and 1@5 Bayonet Use T3@3. Since you wouldn't rely on it against someone trained, I won't worry too much about the details at the moment.

I'm sure I've got a listing somewhere for tactics, but I rarely put it down unless someone is giving it as a professional skill--better just to let you tell me your tactics, and see how they work. I do list survival, but always with a special focus. For example, if you say that you have survival: forest, that's different from survival: desert. Typical environments are forest, desert, arctic, mountain, prairie, sub-arctic, marsh/bog, tropic, meadow, and volcanic, and there's an adjacency rule by which you can list forest and get mountain, prairie, and marsh/bog included at a penalty, subartic, desert, tropic, and meadow at a slightly larger penalty, on the theory that some but not all of the skill is transferable (e.g., a forest-trained survivalist might not know the edible plants in the tropics). So focus me on what sort of environment or environments should be listed as your skill areas, and whether you're amateur or professional in these.

On the computer skills, there should probably be listings for Build Computer T11@5, Repair Computer T11@4, and Computer Use, which sounds like your focus, probably 2@6 Computer Use T11@0. I'll need a bit more help placing you on the other skills. Also, you said "very little programming knowledge", and I want to know whether that means actually none at all, or whether you're an average amateur with BASIC, or you've had some training in C++, or just what exactly constitutes "very little programming knowledge" for someone who has scored in the top 1% of a small computers training program.

The medical skill bias will be 7@1, and I'm guessing from the way you put it that you're not a corpsman or medic, but just an amateur trained in CPR. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking 1@5 First Aid/CPR T7@1.

Those are my questions on your skills; answer them, and hit me with the equipment.

And thanks, Scott, good to see you, and that's what I thought but it's been a while since I read it.

--M. J. Young

Unfortunately I'm not in the reserves, so I have a skill but nothing to use it on. As far as survival goes I was taught decent forest survival, probably at a fairly low level, and desert survival theory, but never any actual practice. Mainly they taught us what you can and can't eat and what animals to watch out for.
As far as the computer building I would say I am at an amateur level, with computer repair at a low professional level since that's what the military was paying me for. And computer programming I actually listed it mainly for completeness since I can't claim anything other than a couple of mostly forgotten C+ classes and some minor self taught programming in C and Basic, so I wouldn't even rate myself a skill.
First aid is also right on the money for what I was taught.

Equipment:

Clothing: One pair black jeans, one pair blue jeans. One dark red t-shirt, one olive green t-shirt, light gray hoodie, two pairs boxers, four pairs white athletic socks, black work boots, brown suede winter weight jacket, one pair thinsulate driving gloves, currently wearing white undershirt, boxers, black slacks, maroon dress shirt, blue slippers, black leather belt.

Weapons: Black steel folding knife with partially serrated blade, Zatochi style sword with red lacquered handle/case and brass fittings

Pockets: Black leather wallet with $9 american, two quarters and a nickel, keys to house,car and several padlocks, 512 Mb USb jump drive, Zippo lighter with extra flint underneath, 80 page flip top notepad, three black pens, checkbook, safety box cutter, Sony Cleo palm pilot

Survival Items: olive drab military style back pack, roll of duct tape, roll of electricians tape, set of four screw drivers, Hammer, Wrench set with metric from 7mm to 15mm sizes and English 5/16th’s to ½ inch, 2AA sized flashlight, 4 AA batteries, 2 notebooks, 80 pages each and partially used, sewing kit, large box of kitchen matches, half empty bottle of zippo fluid, queen sized blue fleece blanket.

Miscellaneous Items:
NY state drivers license, four credit cards, one half empty pack of menthol Kool’s (12 left), AC adapter for Palm Pilot.

That's all the equipment you're taking? I took probably 3X that amount. Of course, I probably haven't used 75% of it, so maybe you have the right idea.

I figured that the equipment you end up with grows from world to world, and anyway, the chances of me ending up in the middle of the city toting a shotgun are fairly good at some point. I personally don't want to end up on an episode of Cops somewhere in the verse, and most of the gear I have is multipurpose and would get through almost anywhere, with the exception of the sword. And with a little luck that can pass as a fancy walking stick or be concealed easily enough.
Plus, everything is around the house and almost everything has some kind of at least minor personal significance.
Also, on the aesthetics side, I figure that the odds of nobody noticing the wackjob carrying 200lbs of gear and babbling about this being a coma dream or a hallucination is fairly low. And I would rather not spend the first couple of worlds experiencing the wide variety of narcotics available in the fine psychiatric facilities in the verse.

Based on those responses, I'm putting down 1@6 Survival: Forest T0@1 and 1@2 Survival: Desert T0@1.

Your denigration of your skill in programming is perhaps appropriately modest, but in point of fact if you were to see the coding in a BASIC program you would have a considerably better notion of what it does than someone with no such background. The same would be so of C and C+, and (as I know from having transferred considerably less understanding of BASIC to applications in other programs) some ability to figure out what some other programming language was saying. Thus I'm going to list you with 1@1 Read/Write Computer Program T11@1. We'll make it 2@3 Repair Computer T11@4, since as you say that's why you made the medium bucks, and 1@4 Build Computer T11@5 to round out those skills.

You've identified two objects as weapons or potential weapons, so I want to ask some questions about these.

First, the Black steel folding knife with partially serated blade--how long is the blade, and does it lock? Is it designed for fighting, or for some other primary purpose (e.g., whittling/carving, gutting/cleaning game)? Is it, as I suppose, a single blade knife?

Next, I confess my ignorance concerning what a "Zatochi style" sword is. I could look it up, but since you've obviously got one I'll let you tell me what that means.

Is the electrician's tape the sort of plastic tape I was taught to call "Plastic Electrical Tape" or the gooey black cloth tape that I think was called "Friction Tape" or something like that (drawing on really old memories, but I think they still use that in high-power systems).

Do you want to list what kind of screwdrivers you have (e.g., slotted, crosspoint, star point), or let the dice determine whether you have a driver for any screw you encounter? It doesn't come out too differently in the long term, really.

How big a sewing kit--a pocket emergency kit (needle, five colors thread, plastic case) purse-sized travel kit (several colors, multiple needles, thimble, threader, scissors), or something bigger?

Are the kitchen matches safety (strike only on the box) or strike anywhere? Are they the large or small wooden matches?

Is there anything in the Palm Pilot (data, programs) you want to list so that we know it's there?

I've obviously got a few loose ends to manage, but nothing that can't be addressed in play, so let's play.

Welcome to the verse; your game starts in Andrew On the Island.

--M. J. Young

Well, I think I'll bite the bullet and make a character sheet. One big plus to Multiverser is that the gaming group (well, the GM and core folks) don't suddenly fall off the Internet or close the game in a fit of pique like a number of games I've been in or tried to join lately.

Give me your full name:
My mundane name is Carl Steven Vex. But spirits may know me better by another name, Valdahraeddur. I won't repeat the second and third words in that name, since a certain ancestoral demoness took umbrage when I gave the whole name in a prior post, visiting me with oral boils until I edited it out.

Nicknames: Laser Breath (in grade school), Esteban (those who knew me in my Spanish phase in high school), Uncle Carl (my nephews and neices), Cousin Hex (my quadruple cousins).

On Attributes, there are only a couple of questions. Begin by looking over this list of attributes, then answer the three questions below:

Persuasion - no
Charisma - no
Animal Magnetism -no

Strength - no
Stamina - no
Resistance -no

Flexibility -no
Agility - no
Hand/Eye - no. I'm both higher and lower than average here. Lower due to medical quirks, higher due to extensive practice and work overcoming those quirks.

Intellect - Not Mensa level, but not far short either. I was classified as "mentally gifted" in school from an early age.
Intuition - Frighteningly high. I don't get accurate hunches, but I do get sudden intuitive leaps of deduction and new approaches to a task spontaneously coming to me (sometimes without me even knowing what the task is, as several complete spells have come to me this way). I also spot fine details quite well, to the point that I get handed paperwork regularly on the job to proofread before a final version is printed.
Education Level - College, no degrees.
Will Power - unsure. I'm not a Thelemic mage, but I have honed my will considerably over the years.

For weaknesses, all I want to know now is whether you have any medical conditions or limitations, including vision irregularities and allergies.

Bad teeth (mostly gone, with just a few in front relatively intact).
Prescription glasses (severe myopia, mild astigmatism).
Prone to heavy nosebleeds.
Chronic, low level septicemia. Asymptomatic for the most part.
Carrier of malaria.
Mild asthma/allergies (grass, wool, pollen). Possible allergy to something commonly used to cook chicken, but not to the chicken itself.
Heavy calluses on my feet that need to be trimmed (with scissors) every few monthes or they start to bleed internally.
Severe dandruff that doesn't itch much. And it's brown, not white.
Four "venom glands" in my mouth that are prone to fill up with a white or yellow-white fluid, one on each side of each jaw (upper and lower).
Unidentified neurological problems. My eyeballs generate enough electricity to partially mask my brainwaves, interfering with testing.

Give me a physical description of yourself. Include Height, Weight, Current Hair Color and Style, Age or Apparent Age, Eye Color, Facial Hair, Birthmarks, Tattoos, or other unusual markings, and any Other Description that might matter (racial characteristics, deformities, anything people would notice that hasn't been asked).

5' 10" tall
Age - look like I'm in my late twenties, but am actually quite a bit older.
Weight ~220 lbs (a bit of a paunch)
Complexion - Fair, noticable tan.
Hair - Black, mullet
Scruffy beard (think of old Castro photos)
Eyes - Brown
Birthmarks - Giant "freckle" on the outside of my right forearm.
Genitals are twisted to the left, and have a ridge of scar tissue along the underside, origin unknown but I suspect it was surgery shortly after birth as there were other problems corrected then.
Faded scar on my right knee from a childhood fall.
Two lumps under the skin of my back, the remnants of a pair of extra arms removed when I was an infant.
Smallpox vaccination scar on back of right shoulder.

Two lumps under the skin of my back, the remnants of a pair of extra arms removed when I was an infant.

I've seen videos of a baby born with 3 arms. Two on the left and one on the right. Are you serious about this? Were the arms functional, or just dead stumps?

I don't know, John. They were facing backwards.

Really? That's interesting.

Sorry it has taken so long to get here. My reliability seems to have fallen a notch over the past week or so.

I'm listing:

Intellect 1@10
Intuition 2@4
Education Level 2@1
Will Power 1@10

You addressed Hand/Eye, but it's not 2@ by your own assessment so I'll give consideration to it when it becomes necessary.

I think it's time for skills.

--M. J. Young

First, I need to know if you have any skills at all at which you would be considered professional or expert.

English. Good enough to regularly impress my teachers in college, good enough to serve as the final set of eyes that check important paperwork for errors at work, and good enough to have won prizes (1st and 4th place) in both creative writing contests I entered in grade school. Also good enough to mangle the language in a regular fashion on the fly when playing the role of a dimwitted ogre in an online game.

Computer graphics. This is what I'm actually paid to do.

Typing. I do a lot of this on the job as well.

Second, do you have any skills on the cutting edge of technology, such as in robotics, genetics, space travel? Be specific.

NO. While I do know something of robotics and have built a few simple robots, there are nowhere close to being considered "cutting edge".

Third, do you have any abilities you would consider psionic or magical?

Quite a wide repertoire, I'm afraid.

At times I speak in tongues, sometimes acquiring new words of uncertain meaning from what I said that I then incorporate into intentional spell practice.

I can enter a trance state to attain visions of random things or to astrally project into spiritual planes. I don't try to use astral projection to view things elsewhere in the physical world. I've made short visits to Jesod, Hod, Gamaliel, Nahemoth, and Svartalfaheim in this manner. I would think that there are both psionic (visions) and magical (spirit plane travel) skills here.

I can utilize my personal energies to alter the sensitivity level of my sight or hearing. I can also use qi to attempt to concentrate a specific force in my lungs, and to expel that concentrated mass from my body on my breath, sacrificing some of my qi to relieve problems that force was involved with. It doesn't cure an affliction, but it palliates it and gives my body a chance to fight it more effectively.

Some spirits I commonly invoke and their aid:
Rittiw - Called upon when running, he gives me my second wind immediately, and a little more speed than I usually manage. But when he departs, my energy crashes, I'm wheezing, and suddenly short of breath. A quarter of a mile is about the farthest he's stayed with me.
Tarec and Rexol - A pair of spirits I invoke for protection, both personal and upon the area or vehicle I'm in. Tarec operates through making people in the area obey the laws, reducing accidents and intentional attacks. Rexol is more of the classic 'you cannot hurt me' sort of defender, his power manifesting to psychic vision as a force field-like effect.
Chostine - Guardian of the Dark, she grants me the ability to surround someone (typically myself) with darkness (in the spiritual sense, not the physical one). Hiding from scrying (psychic invisibility), making it harder for the darkened person to call upon the forces of light (they appear to be evil with it up) or to be recognized as a foe by those of darkness (they blend in with their evil).
Comyndria - Her healing power lets me take on some of the strain and stress of an ailing person so they don't suffer as much. Like, urm, a second person helping carry a heavy weight. I also invoke her to relieve my own aches and pains at times, and a few times I've used her power to bolster Rexol's.
Abraxas - I use his power in self-defense against other mages and psychics, reversing the sender and target of a hostile force to rebound it on the caster, or to pull a spell closer to me to attack it more readily.

Fourth, have you studied any martial arts or acrobatics?

I have studied a bit of Pa Kua Chang and Taijiquan, but have never tested for a belt nor worked on speed and reflexes to use them in tournament or field conditions.
Pa Kua Chang is slow and defensive in nature, while the form of Taijiquan I learned focuses far more on qigong than on martial applications. I did attempt to take a course on Krav Maga in college, but had to drop it the first week, so nothing applicable there.

Since people are typically professional at their native languages and you make a good case for being better than that, I'm listing you as 3@1 English P0@0.

Is computer graphics more a technical programming skill, or more an artistic skill utilizing software with strong user-friendly interface? If the former, with what languages are you familiar?

I'm listing 2@5 Use Typewriter T4@0, the operation of the simple machine. I suspect that you probably do not much use that simple mechanical device, and probably even the electric typewriters have fallen into disuse in favor of computer-based word processing, but the skill is much the same, it's just that the equipment is easier to use and should be bonused (in worlds in which it should work).

You wrote

While I do know something of robotics and have built a few simple robots, there are nowhere close to being considered "cutting edge".

That's probably a communications conflict--robotics itself is "cutting edge" technology, so even minor skills in the area give you that benefit, as it means you understand the technology behind robotics.

Tell me a bit more about these robots, and what your part in creating them was--e.g., are the built from a kit, or designed by you, and what do they do?

I don't want to make assumptions about these skills, so I'm going to let you tell me what you think about them. Let's recognize three categories, and you put the skills in each category as you think they connect:

1. Psionics: the power comes from within yourself, your soul, spirit, or mind. Psionic abilities are not considered "magic" under Multiverser definitions, which is a term reserved for things which draw power from outside the universe. Looked at another way, there is a "natural scientific explanation" for psionic skills which comes to people having the power to impact reality from their thoughts or feelings or spirits directly, and there is no "natural" explanation for magic, which is itself supernatural.
2. Arcane magic: the power comes from the supernatural realm, but is drawn and manipulated directly by you, almost as if you were able to stick a plug into an outlet or a straw into a glass and suck the energy out for your own use.
3. Holy magic: you still direct the outcome, but do so by petition/prayer to a being in the supernatural realm who then acts on your behalf.

I'm going to recount your stated skills, in abbreviated form, and make a few italicized notes on them, in the hope that together we can better define what it is you're doing.

• At times I speak in tongues....This is usually a holy magic skill, an ability granted by a deity, but I can see it being otherwise.
• I can enter a trance state to attain visions of random things....This seems like a magical remote viewing, and I gather from the description that you have little or no control over what it is you see, only that you can initiate the effort to see something. As it is coupled with the next, I'm guessing that you see things in the present solely, not future nor past things. You seem to think this psionic; do you think the randomness is due to your lack of ability to control it, or a feature of what you are attempting to accomplish, or the very nature of the skill?
• ...astrally project into spiritual planes....This I take to mean that your spirit leaves your body, and I agree that it sounds magical, probably arcane magic, something you control.
• I can utilize my personal energies to alter the sensitivity level of my sight or hearing. This sounds like psionic manipulation of senses. By "sensitivity level" do you mean that you can see in lower light levels and hear fainter sounds, or do you have something else in mind?
• I can also use qi to attempt to concentrate a specific force in my lungs, and to expel that concentrated mass from my body on my breath, sacrificing some of my qi to relieve problems that force was involved with. It doesn't cure an affliction, but it palliates it and gives my body a chance to fight it more effectively.This sounds like a sort of psionic self-healing, but limited to something like fatigue; on the other hand, you might mean that you are using psionic energy to expel spirits or oppressive psionic attacks from yourself. Can you clarify this?
• Rittiw - Called upon when running, he gives me my second wind immediately, and a little more speed than I usually manage. My question in connection with these spirit-related skills wants to distinguish them to one of two things:
  1. You praying to a spirit or spirits to seek aid in an area in which that spirit/those spirits are known to be particularly helpful; this then would mean that these are prayers seeking the stated result (in this case, speed and second wind in running) offered to the specific named spirits.
  2. The alternative is that you are summoning the spirits, possibly with a control element that enables you to command them or possibly then relying on their willingness to aid you, but that your skill lies in drawing the spirits to yourself, not in directing what they do once they have arrived. The difference is best analogized to freeing a djinni from a bottle: your power at that point is to summon the djinni, while it is the one able to do what you want to have done. By contrast, if you were to pray to God for something to be done, you have no power to summon him, but are instead directing His power to meet your needs. It seems a fine distinction, but is rather important.
  Here, then, the distinction is between you praying that a spirit will act on your behalf to do what you direct, and you summoning a spirit to your side whose natural ability or your control over it will tend to cause it to do what you desire.
• Tarec and Rexol - A pair of spirits I invoke for protection, both personal and upon the area or vehicle I'm in. Tarec operates through making people in the area obey the laws, reducing accidents and intentional attacks. Rexol is more of the classic 'you cannot hurt me' sort of defender, his power manifesting to psychic vision as a force field-like effect. In addition to the comments just made, I want to know whether this is one skill that has both effects, or two separate skills that you could perform separately.
• Chostine - Guardian of the Dark, she grants me the ability to surround someone (typically myself) with darkness (in the spiritual sense, not the physical one). Hiding from scrying (psychic invisibility), making it harder for the darkened person to call upon the forces of light (they appear to be evil with it up) or to be recognized as a foe by those of darkness (they blend in with their evil). Same questions about summoning versus petitioning.
• Comyndria - Her healing power lets me take on some of the strain and stress of an ailing person so they don't suffer as much. Like, urm, a second person helping carry a heavy weight. I also invoke her to relieve my own aches and pains at times....Again, summoning or petitioning.
• ...a few times I've used her power to bolster Rexol's. In what way, and is this a distinct skill from the other? This seems a very different application, and thus causes me to think that these are not summonings so much as petitions--that you call upon this spirit to do something for you, and whether the spirit "comes to you" or not is incidental to whether it does what you ask.
• Abraxas - I use his power in self-defense against other mages and psychics....Again, this sounds like distinct skills--one versus magic and the other versus psychics--and thus like petition rather than summoning.

1@1 Pa Kua Chang B7@1 slow defensive RF1, tell me a bit more about it--what sort of attacks and maneuvers does it tend to use? E.g., Tae Kwon Do is heavily dependent on kicks, while traditional Kara Te uses strikes with the hands primarily and Jui Jitzu is more into grappling and throwing.

When you say that Taijiquan "focuses far more on qigong than on martial applications" do you mean that you personally don't have any combat use of it although there are those who train for use in combat, or that you learned to fight with it but that's not what it's really about? I suppose what I'm after here is, if you were to use this in a game situation, what would you be doing with it?

--M. J. Young

Is computer graphics more a technical programming skill, or more an artistic skill utilizing software with strong user-friendly interface? If the former, with what languages are you familiar?

Artistic, using commercial software and often computers specifically designed for graphical applications. I do have some computer programming skills, but they are far below professional quality.

That's probably a communications conflict--robotics itself is "cutting edge" technology, so even minor skills in the area give you that benefit, as it means you understand the technology behind robotics.

Tell me a bit more about these robots, and what your part in creating them was--e.g., are the built from a kit, or designed by you, and what do they do?

They were engineering class projects, designed and built by three person teams. One simulated the functioning of a traffic signal, with changes in the LED display responding to pressed buttons (walk signal, cars coming or not coming, rush hour) for data input. A second was a mobile "mouse" with sensors to try to thread a simple maze.

At times I speak in tongues....This is usually a holy magic skill, an ability granted by a deity, but I can see it being otherwise.

I would concur. I don't know who is granting it though.

I can enter a trance state to attain visions of random things....This seems like a magical remote viewing, and I gather from the description that you have little or no control over what it is you see, only that you can initiate the effort to see something. As it is coupled with the next, I'm guessing that you see things in the present solely, not future nor past things. You seem to think this psionic; do you think the randomness is due to your lack of ability to control it, or a feature of what you are attempting to accomplish, or the very nature of the skill?

The nature of it, possibly my own lack of control. I've tried to hold onto a given vision to examine what I'm seeing further, with only limited success. And I have no idea whether a given vision is in the past, present, future, or even in this Earth as opposed to being in someone else's mind. I have definitely had a few visions that were in my own future, but they came uncalled for, and appeared to be memories of the past until they came to pass. Foreseeing an ad campaign that wouldn't happen for half a decade, for instance, or sitting in a chair in a house I'd never been in at the time.

I can utilize my personal energies to alter the sensitivity level of my sight or hearing. This sounds like psionic manipulation of senses. By "sensitivity level" do you mean that you can see in lower light levels and hear fainter sounds, or do you have something else in mind?

That is correct. Heightened sensitivity also makes me more susceptible to discomfort from bright or loud things, as appropriate as well.

I can also use qi to attempt to concentrate a specific force in my lungs, and to expel that concentrated mass from my body on my breath, sacrificing some of my qi to relieve problems that force was involved with. It doesn't cure an affliction, but it palliates it and gives my body a chance to fight it more effectively.This sounds like a sort of psionic self-healing, but limited to something like fatigue; on the other hand, you might mean that you are using psionic energy to expel spirits or oppressive psionic attacks from yourself. Can you clarify this?

As this is the most recent "spell" that's spontaneously come to me, less than three months ago, I'm not at all certain of the limits of what the technique can or can not do. At the time, I was recovering from a bad respiratory infection that has been going around the region, with coughing severe enough to leave bruises under my ribcage. I'd gotten over the main illness, and was well enough to return to work, although still wrecked with coughing fits, and in the middle of composing an image I became, urm, aware of an accumulation of yin qi in my lungs and heart, which are yang organs. This "spell" or technique is what arose in my thoughts as how to clean them, concentrating the yin in the depthes of my lungs, weaving threads of healthy yang qi around it, and then expelling the yin in a explosive exhalation followed by swiftly severing the threads still connecting the disased mass to me so it wouldn't be re-absorbed.

As to the matter of spirits... Rittiw is the only one of those listed who routinely appears (astrally) when I call upon him, which may be a function of his particular gift. I would definitely say that in general I'm petitioning these spirits, not typically summoning or commanding.

Yes, I can call upon Tarec and Rexol individually as well as together. Tarec tends to be the better choice for vehicles, Rexol for buildings, if their willingness to respond is any indication. Calling on Comyndria and Rexol together during a bad storm was a way to keep storm damage and water leaks down, without attacking or trying to drive the storm off.

I don't really see why Abraxas' Reversal would be two skills, but if that is how you wish to work it, so be it. I will note that Abraxas' Reversal does not appear to have a range limit. I used it with great success against curses and a spirit sent at me through email from Russia.

Pa Kua Chang focuses on mobility, evading the attack with both body and feet, turning the force of the attack aside or locking them with your palms. Open hands, not fists characterize the style, as do circular, smooth motions. Change, and flow with the change. While I know the circle walking and single change palm techniques, I'm far from ready to learn the double change palm technique which is the next step. In China, Pa Kua Chang is typically taught in conjunction with the more offensive Xingyi, but I only learned one of the pair.

Taijiquan practice doesn't get into fighting until much later, the higher belts so to speak. What I know is philosophy, training forms, and basic qigong with a little knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine.