Urban Decay: Beat 'Em Up Roleplaying is out this week in the UK and next month in the US. And we've got one more blog, giving you a sneak peek at some of your choices during character creation...

"Step 1: Concept

The first step is to come up with a concept for your Hero and possibly your Crew. The concept phase is important because it will help you make choices as you move through character creation. Do you want to play a brutish street tough or a Zen detective on the police force? Is your group a gang of car thieves or all members of a local dojo? Think of the concept as your Hero’s introduction to the other players.

Step 2: Record Basic Stats

In Urban Decay, you play one member of a Crew who sees the rising tide of corporate greed in your neighborhood and seeks to put that right. As Urban Decay takes place in our world, everyone is a normal human raised in this City. As such, your starting points are all the same. Your hero's attributes represent their capabilities in combat, while their skills represent their general ability at accomplishing tasks. Record the following values on your character sheet:

  • Move
  • Guts
  • Clash Points
  • Wounds

An illustration of a woman holding a knife crouching down to carefully avoid the paths of a lattice of red detection lasers

Step 3: Select Archetype

The first real step of making an Urban Decay character is to select one of the following Archetypes. A character’s Archetype defines how they make their way in the world. Once you select the Archetype, apply the bonuses to your character and record the Archetype’s Trait.

  • Angry
  • Charismatic
  • Fast
  • Skilful
  • Sneaky
  • Strong

Step 4: Select Background

This step involves selecting one of the following backgrounds. A character’s background explains what they did in the City before the corps moved in. Once you select the background, apply the bonuses to your character and select one of the background’s two Traits.

  • Criminal
  • Law Enforcement
  • The Sanctuary
  • Self-Trained
  • The Street

An illustration of a deserted and run-down city street by night, lined with shopfronts and neon signs. In the foreground a burger in a paper bag has been dropped on the floor.

Step 5: Select Training

All characters in Urban Decay received some specialized training at some point in their life. It gives them the skills and confidence to stand up to the invasion of their neighborhood. Once you select your character’s training, apply the bonuses to your character and record one of the Training’s two Traits.

  • The Second Story Worker
  • The Face
  • The Fighter
  • The Finder
  • The Weapons Master
  • The Wheels

Step 6: Select Code

All members of the Crew live by a code. Having one differentiates them from all the other people living in the City and marks them as the opponents of the amoral corporations. A code provides two benefits for a Hero: it provides them with bonuses like all the previous steps on the life path, and your code may be called on once per session to positively affect the outcome of a roll. It can turn a failure into a success or success into a Critical, assuming you can justify how it applies to the roll. Once you select your Hero’s code, apply the bonuses to your character, then select and record the Code’s Skill Talent.

  • The Agent
  • The Killer
  • The Knight
  • The Local
  • The Stoic
  • The Survivor"

Urban Decay is out next week in the UK and 5th December in the US.

Pre-order now.

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