Play straight away rules

Game Rules

Checking on the Coriolis Discord, I read that the publishers are OK with players recreating tables, figures and data from the RPG source material where the only purpose is the facilitation of playing their game and I hereby promise this is my only intent with this article. Here I've taken the Year Zero Engine to modify the Coriolis rules for my own games - Doctor Weather

Here I'm giving myself some guidelines to help me get people playing Coriolis with just say 10 minutes preparation time, even leaving some of the character build to happen during the first game. If I've time for a session zero then great, I don't need this, but if I need/want to go straight into session one then I can use this article.
Every step in character building that would require more than a single choice - a reference to the rules, to a lookup table or a combination of stats that come together - I've shortened into a single, independent choice. If a player group wants to go back for a second session and 'correct' their characters then great, as a longer game gives time for such things. If the character is only to be used for one session, then such accuracy doesn't seem to matter, as long as everything is still balanced.
I'm building this with all my rules variants in mind, as I'll definitely want to be running my own versions as much as RAW.

What do I need?

Players only something to takes notes on.
The GM needs to know the game to use these guidelines and will provide examples for each step below. I'd use my scenario introduction to set the scene, where needed.
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Describe your character

Use the two sections below to help work out how the PCs came together as a crew and describe your individual PC. We'll then build from this foundation.
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As a group

Choose a group concept
What's your ship and crew's reason for being / how do you earn your living? The following examples are from the Core Rules but are no means a limit on your imagination:

	GROUP CONCEPTS
Agents	Assassins, detectives, judicars
Explorers	Colonists, correspondents, Prospectors
Free Traders	Couriers, haulers, smugglers
Mercenaries	Corsairs, rebels, tactical team
Pilgrims	Circus, odd jobbers, nomads

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Players individually

Think through these parts of your character's history:

• What was your training, experience or occupation before joining the crew and what does that contribute to the crew now?
• Where are you in society's social order?
• Why have you left your family - if you have one - to go out out into the void between the stars? Adventure? Duty? Money?
• What might the future hold for your character, good and bad?

Choose a character concept / archetype
The following examples are from the Core Rules but are no means a limit on your imagination:

	CHARACTER CONCEPT / ARCHETYPE
Artist	Courtesan, musician, poet
Data spider	Analyst, correspondent, data djinn
Fugitive	Criminal, mystic, revolutionary
Negotiator	Agitator, diplomat, peddler
Operative	Assassin, guard, spy
Pilot	Driver, fighter pilot, freighter pilot
Preacher	Ascetic, missionary, prophet
Scientist	Archaeologist, medicurg, technician
Ship worker	Deckhand, dock worker, engineer
Soldier	Legionary, mercenary, officer
Trailblazer	Colonist, prospector, scout

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Define a few stats before play

A few stats up-front, defined by rules variant
Now we refine your ideas into stats to solidfy that foundation. You choose different things depending on what ruleset you're using but it's always just enough to start role-playing with. The rest of the stats you can decide as you play - you can do them up front too if you like but don't have to.

STAT CHOICE	GM style and Convention house rules	Dancer Rules variant	1001 Nights variant
My story What's your destiny? What story do you think - do you hope - people will tell about you after you're gone?			Y
Under Their gaze What's the blessing, knowledge or skill - be it genetic or a gift from the Icons - that sets you apart from everyone else? E.g. you can always fix cars; you're just better in front of a crowd; you always know when someone's upset			Y
Under Its gaze / Personal problem What's that one problem you always have - that one thing that always trips you up? Are you jealous, stubborn, reckless, have a rival, a curse?	Y Personal problem	Y Personal problem	Y Under Its gaze
Origin First-come, Zenithian... or humanite *? Humanite: as a genetic variant of humanity you'll get an extra talent but will usually be treated with fear and prejudice by humans	Y	Y	Y
Upbringing Where are you in the social order: plebeian, stationary or privileged	Y	Y	Y
Age * Adult, old or teen? Old age brings you 4 more skill points but also a medical condition that gives you an equivalent circumstantial penalty As a teenager you get an extra talent but get 1 less attribute point			Y
Social status Work out your number here - high and low both bring different benefits Privileged: 6 Stationary: 4 Plebeian: 2 Humanite: apply a further -2 Character concepts can increase or decrease this, depending on how respectable the profession is - anywhere between +2 and -2 extremes			Y
Reputation - Core Rules Work out your number here - high and low both bring different benefits Privileged: 6 Stationary: 4 Plebeian: 2 Humanite: apply a further -2 Character concepts can increase or decrease this, depending on how respectable the profession is - anywhere between +2 and -2 extremes	Y	Y
Reputation - 1001 Nights variant Does anyone love or hate you? Balance any love with some countering hate, for example Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor			If you want it
Ship position Captain, engineer, gunner, pilot, sensor operator	Y	Y	If you want it
Ship relationships Who's your closest friend and who don't you trust as much among the other PCs?	Y	Y	If you want it

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But decide the rest of your stats during play

These stats can be chosen as you stumble across the plot in the first game
The principle here is to give the players points to spend and slots to fill up front but let them do so as they go. A generous GM might allow people to move and change things around during play, as the players learn more of the game and wish they'd done things differently. This is effectively what they might do in between sessions 1 and 2 anyway to properly refine their characters with the knowledge they then have.

	GM style and Convention house rules	Dancer Rules variant	1001 Nights variant
ATTRIBUTES	14 points HP can be assumed to be 7 until Power and Co-ordination are chosen MP can be assumed to be 7 until Wits and Empathy are chosen	14 points HP can be assumed to be 7 until Power and Co-ordination are chosen MP can be assumed to be 7 until Wits and Empathy are chosen	14 points (altered by age) Resilience can be assumed to be 6 until Power and Co-ordination are chosen Fortitude can be assumed to be 6 until Wits and Empathy are chosen
SKILLS	10 points Or if you want to start with more experienced characters, you could add 5-10 more points	10 points Or if you want to start with more experienced characters, you could add 5-10 more points Specialisations are possible	16 points (altered by age) Or if you want to start with more experienced characters, you could add 5-10 more points Specialisations are possible
TALENTS	Choose a bonus for each talent type: 1 group - based on group archetype 1 Icon - based on Icon influence 1 personal (altered by origin) - based on character concept, archetype or description Players choose their bonus using these guidelines: A +2 skill bonus in a specific circumstance Make a small change to a scene in a specific circumstance Make a large change to a scene in a specific circumstance and give the GM 1 DP	Choose a bonus for each talent type: 1 group - based on group archetype 1 Icon - based on Icon influence 1 personal (altered by origin) - based on character concept, archetype or description Players choose their bonus using these guidelines: A +2 skill bonus in a specific circumstance Make a small change to a scene in a specific circumstance Make a large change to a scene in a specific circumstance and give the GM 1 DP	Choose a bonus for each talent type: 1 group - based on group archetype 1 Icon - based on Icon influence 1 personal (altered by origin and age) - based on character concept, archetype or description Players choose their bonus using these guidelines: A +2 skill bonus in a specific circumstance Make a small change to a scene in a specific circumstance Make a large change to a scene in a specific circumstance and give the GM 1 DP
GEAR, WEAPONS and ARMOUR	PCs have what seems reasonable in the moment based on their archetype	PCs have what seems reasonable in the moment based on their archetype	PCs have what seems reasonable in the moment based on their archetype

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Character refinement between sessions 1 and 2

Your choice after this
You could then go through real character creation in downtime between sessions and use the quick build above as a guideline. You could just tweak a few choices to match the proper rules. You could just play on and use the real rules for experience only.
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Contents

• What do I need?
• Describe your character
• As a group
• Players individually
• Define a few stats before play
• But decide the rest of your stats during play
• Character refinement between sessions 1 and 2

Related

• 1001 Nights variant overview
• Convention house rules
• Dancer Rules overview
• GM style overview
• House rules summary