V. Gender, Race, and Class
The next step in the character creation process is selecting the gender and race of your character. Gender has only one important role: Determining whether you can use the Cavalier (male only) or Valkyrie (female only) classes. Otherwise it is mainly a role-playing consideration.
Each race has some benefits and some drawbacks - no race has a definitive advantage over the others. Where one race might be physically strong and able to do lots of damage in melee combat, another may excel in magic, allowing them to make use of more spells and magical items. Finding the right race for you is a matter of taste and style of play, but with one additional caveat: the race that you have chosen will affect the range of classes from which you are able to select, so be sure to take that into consideration.
The races you may choose from are as follows. If you want to view more information about a specific race, as well as to see a list of classes that is possible for that race, click on the link for that race.
After choosing your name, gender, and race, you can choose your first class.
Four main categories make up the class range for adventurers: thief, mage, cleric and fighter. Throughout your character's career, they will have the opportunity to choose one class from each of the four categories. As with races, each class has benefits and drawbacks. There is no one perfect race and class combination and so it comes down to personal choice.
The classes you may choose from are as follows. If you want to view more information about that specific class, as well as to see a list of proficiencies or spells to which that class has access, click on the link for that class.
Attribute Selection
Once you've selected your gender, race, and class, you will be able to select your attributes. This is done randomly based on the character choices you have made. Pick the roll that you think will benefit your character the most, then approve your character settings made to this point. Remember, you can always increase your attributes later, through training and by obtaining special items.
Keep in mind that each class has a "prime" attribute, one that the class needs most of all in order to learn the skills of that class. Gaining points in your prime attribute can also increase the number of skills that you can automatically increase as you progress through levels of experience.
"Hardcore" Characters
Materia Magica offers a special style of character known as a "Hardcore" character. In exchange for it being easier to train and gain experience, your character will be given a limited number of incarnations. Death is likely in Materia Magica - it's not a question of if it will happen, but when. When Hardcore characters die a certain number of times, the character is gone forever. You shouldn't select this if you aren't already quite familiar with the game and the potentially fatal pitfalls in the game world. It is advised you select "N" when asked if you wish to make your character Hardcore.
Now you're ready to enter the game with your new character and begin exploring the world of Alyria.
Next: Basic Commands
Previous: Skills: Proficiencies and Spells
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