Character creation is very free-form as Savage Worlds is a classless system, but there are Archetypes you can use as a guide or as an easy way to build up your character.
The first choice you need to make is which of the Ancestries you want your character to have. These provide several benefits based on your character's biology. If you don't see the one you want, it's easy to Ancestry Creation.
Hindrances are character flaws, physical limitations, or dark secrets drawn from your character's backstory.
You can take up to 4 points of Hindrances at character creation. A Major Hindrance is worth 2 points, and a Minor Hindrance is worth 1. A hero could take 2 Majors, four Minor, or any combination that adds up to 4 points.
This gives you more gameplay effects to help roleplay your particular hero, but also gives you additional points you can use in character creation.
For 2 points you can choose one:
For 1 point you can choose one:
Characters are defined by attributes and skills, collectively called “Traits.”
These are ranked by die types, typically from d4 to d12, with d6 being the average for adult humans.
Every character starts with a d4 in each of five attributes:
You then have 5 points to increase your attributes. You can spend these points however you like, except that no attribute may ever be raised above a d12 unless an ability or edge says otherwise. If it does, each increase beyond a d12 adds a +1 modifier.
Skills are learned abilities like firing weapons, using a sword, scientific knowledge, etc.
Skills in Savage Worlds are broad to keep it simple and straightforward. Shooting covers guns, bows, rocket launchers, etc.
There are five skills that all adventurers have a basic competency within due to how core they are to the adventuring experience. These skills are:
These are “innate” and unless some ability, Edge or Hindrance says otherwise, your character starts with a d4.
After core skills are assigned, you have 12 additional points to raise core skills or buy and raise new skills as you see fit.
Each die type costs 1 point (starting at d4) as long as the skill is equal to or less than the attribute it's linked to. If you exceed the linked attribute the cost becomes 2 points per die type.
Skills may not be increased above d12 during character creation unless the character's ancestry starts with the skill at d6. If the skill starts with a d6, increase her maximum to d12 + 1.
Your character sheet ocntains a few other statistics you need to fill in.
Pace is how fast your character moves in tactical situations like combat. Standard Pace is 6, which means six tabletop inches per game round. Each inch is two yards in the real world. See Movement.
Edges, ancestries and hindrances may modify this.
Parry is equal to 2 plus half your character's Fighting die type (a total of 2 if a character doesn't have Fighting), plus any bonuses for shields or certain weapons. This is the Target Number (TN) to hit your hero in hand-to-hand combat.
For Fighting skills higher than d12, such as d12 + 1, add half the fixed modifier, rounded down. For instance, Fighting d12 + 1 grants a Parry of 8, while Fighting d12 + 2 results in a Parry of 9.
Size is by default 0, unless altered by ancestry, Edges, or Hindrances. It cannot be less than -1 or more than +3.
Toughness is your hero's damage threshold. Damage rolls that equal or exceed this number cause harm.
Toughness is 2 plus half your hero's Vigor, plus Armor (use the armor worn on the torso). Vigor over a d12 is calculated just like parry, adding half the fixed modifier, rounded down.
Edges are what really differentiate player characters even if they have the same Traits. One focusing on taking Leadership Edges will play very differently to one that focuses on combat edges like Sweep or Frenzy.
Characters get Edges at creation by taking Hindrances and through Advances through play.
All players get a Class Edge, Background Edge, or Professional Edge at creation if they meet the requirements.