Character Auth Guide!

So you want to make your character's gameplay unique utilizing the roll system? Sure, you could simply give +10 to a certain stat and take a -10 to another, but getting creative can make roleplaying as a human job fun, and make flagging up as your character feel like a unique and special experience! In this short guide I'll discuss how to give yourself a fun, fair, and roleplay-enriching upside, an impactful but interesting downside, some fun side-grade options, and pre-made examples that you can choose for your character!

Part One: Choosing a Good Upside

The initial thought for a lot of people when making an upside usually defaults to "What gives me the biggest advantage?" While this isn't inherently a bad thing, remember that this isn't a standard game you're playing where there's a win or loss condition, but rather an RPG that thrives in player-driven character development. A good starting point when deciding how you want to build your character is considering what character archetypes in media are your favorite, or maybe even reflecting on yourself. Do you like characters that use their cunning wit to end conflicts before they start, or maybe quick-minded smooth talkers that would rather de-escalate a situation? Maybe you like big, strongmen with soft hearts, or give in to the edge and be a broken, sad little man.

It may seem like Gmod RP is limiting in terms of what you can do, but our unique roll system - with its similarities to D&D - gives you many, many options! If you want your character to thrive in combat, instead of simply asking for a bonus to combat with no other thought, a fun way to spice up gameplay and how your character approaches combatRP would be to tie a rollbonus to a specific action or condition, such as a bonus to sweeping someone to the floor, a bonus to contesting a tackle attempt, or a bonus to disarming. Having an upside outside of combat is just as if not better for roleplay however; The sky is the limit when it comes to what kind of bonus you can have. You can have a bonus to spotting things in your surroundings, a bonus to perform an instinctual action bred by your background, or a bonus to "Career Knowledge" not tied to playable classes, such as a bonus to Understanding law, cooking, efficiency in cards/gaming, etc. Pulling something from your personal life could be especially useful here, as having OOC knowledge about a certain topic - WHILE NOT REQUIRED FOR YOU TO HAVE THE IC KNOWLEDGE - can be very useful for PassiveRP.

Whatever your choice may be, remember that your upside should have two considerations when being chosen:
1) Will you reap the rewards of your upsides at least once a day?
2) Are you sure your upside won't negatively affect other players' experience, such as an oppressive combat bonus?

Part Two: Choosing an Engaging Downside

People usually see downsides as an annoying obligation they must endure to counterbalance the upside. While in very technical practicalities yes, downsides can be just as if not more impactful to your enjoyment to roleplay! An impactful downside can entirely shape how you play your character, and how you view the world around you. Simply dumping a skill that you know your character won't use much, such as Charisma for a GenSec character, is the most boring option you could choose, because not only are you forgoing the opportunity for unique roleplay, but you're restricting yourself from utilizing that stat in the few situations where it does come up.

A good downside is one that feels like a natural quirk your character has, rather than an entirely negative aspect that your character is simply "worse at" than other people. Phobias in particular are an amazing example of this. Anyone with a phobia will tell you that the source of their phobia isn't just "more scary than usual", it's crippling and sometimes paralyzing to be near the source of your phobia. In gameplay perspectives, your character may simply refuse to go closer to the source of their phobia within 10 ft. or else risk buckling under intense, irrational fear.

The steps and considerations to make an Upside unique applies just as much to downsides! Contrary to tying a bonus to a specific action or condition, tying a downside to a common action or group of actions will force you to think differently as your character, and approach situations in a different light and mindset. For example, maybe your character has an issue with their balance, preventing them from effectively tackling someone to the floor. Maybe you have a prosthetic arm, giving you a disadvantage to hand-eye coordination to stimuli coming from that one side of your body.

Just like above, there are two main considerations for a Downside:
1) Is the downside entertaining and fun to work around?
2) Is the downside impactful enough to come into play during daily activities?

Part Three: Guidelines

Here are the general categories of RollBonuses and what roleplay is balanced around. The Rollbonuses you get from your class are included in these numbers, so keep that in mind.

+5 | Hobby Skill
+10 | Proficient
+15 | Trained
+20 | Expert
+25 | Master
+30 | Peak Human
+35 and Above | Anomalous

Explanation of available skills and their applications: New Roll System Guide! (noclip.me)

Part Four: Pre-made Examples

Foundation Transfer | You've transferred from another facility, so this isn't your first rodeo. + Choose up to three SCPs not contained on-area for you to have considerable knowledge about. -10 to Charm and Fear resistance, as your resolve has been broken down over time after continued exposure to trauma.
Prosthetic Arm | You've lost your arm whilst in service to the Foundation, who have granted you a replacement. + You don't feel pain in this arm and don't trigger affects prompted by contact with living tissue. -10 to all physical rolls when not using your other arm as well.
Shell-Shocked | You've braved the horrors of bloody wars and lived to tell the tale, for better or for worse. +5 RB to a Combat ability of your choice. - If you roll a natural 20 or lower when rolling for Fear Resistance, you become incapacitated for a minute as you relapse into your traumas, yelling and crying incoherently.
SCP Familiarity | After being assigned to a specific SCP for an extended amount of time, you have the proficiency to show for it. +10 to CombatRP and Fear Resistance rolls against an SCP of your choice. -10 to CombatRP and Fear Resistance rolls if an SCP intentionally acts in a new or surprising way to counter you, throwing off your muscle memory.
Martial Artist | Instead of using your weight or force to resolve a CQC scenario, you know more efficient methods. +10 RB when sweeping someone's legs and disarming. -5 to tackling or similar actions, and cannot sweep someone's legs if either you or the target are moving.
Tough Guy | You're large and you know it, using it to your advantage. +5 to Physical ability, +10 to keeping someone pinned or restrained. -10 to CombatRP when someone is attempting to trip/tackle you and when you're on the floor.