Now that you know how the character sheet works, it’s time to fill it in.
First, you’ll want to pick your character’s race. This table on the following page summarizes each race and their respective advantages and unique abilities. The races are listed in descending order based on complexity. The further down the list you go, the more difficult it will be to roleplay your character well in a general setting (the order also loosely corresponds to how prevalent the races are in the equestrian wasteland). It is recommended that first time players pick a pony race, or at least not stray below Zebra.
Pay close attention to the racial attributes column. This section outlines the special advantages that each race receives that distinguish them from most other races, including their racial attribute bonus options. When creating a character of that race, you may pick one (or two, in several cases) of these racial attributes to receive an additional point. Normally, a character cannot start with a
Table I: Racial Summary Table
Race
Brief Description
Racial Attributes
Earth Pony
Well rounded and physically strong, Earth Ponies formed the back-bone of pre-war Equestrian agriculture and engineering. Good for first-time players, they receive two attribute point bonuses and a single free trait at character creation. Their dedicated nature grants them one additional skill point every time they gain a level.
STR, END, INT
+5’ move OR +50 wt cap
Free Trait
Unicorn
The magical abilities a unicorn possesses allow them to easily and effectively specialize into niche party roles, such as healer or repair technician. At higher levels magic can be quite powerful, but at lower levels their magical focus can make unicorn characters less skill-oriented.
PER, INT, LUCK
Magic (U/A)
Pegasus
Pegasi are rare in the wasteland compared to their earth-bound pony kin. During the last days of the war, most pegasi retreated above the clouds to escape the radiation, where they formed the Grand Pegasus Enclave. Their wings and agility make them highly versatile and very capable combatants.
PER, END, INT, AGI
Flight
Griffin
Griffin mercenaries made use of their wings and claws as perhaps the most deadly mercenary faction to participate in the zebra-pony war. Many of their mercenary clans still ply their trade in the wasteland today. Griffin characters tend towards combat and support roles.
PER, END, AGI
Flight
Zebra
Zebra magic and cunning eventually proved them more than a match for the superior technology of Equestria during the war. While they lack the raw power of ponies, Zebra characters have access to the very versatile magics of their ancient sires. They may also choose to forego magic in exchange for increased martial skill. Not recommended for beginners.
PER, END, CHA, INT
Magic (Z)
Alicorn
Alicorns in the wasteland are the long-term end result of magical experiments performed by Equestrian arcane scientists during the last years of the war. Their powerful magic and flight make them relatively formidable at lower levels, but they tend to gain power more slowly than other characters as they increase in level. Due to their origins as a race, Alicorns are difficult characters to roleplay. Not recommended for beginners.
INT, END, LUCK
Magic (U/A)
Flight
Large
Hell Hound/
Sand Dog
The Diamond Dogs were driven from their ancestral homes in the Maripony River Valley by Equestrian scientific and military efforts during the war.
The magical pollution that tainted their lands as a result caused those that returned home to develop into Hellhounds, fearsome creatures with razor sharp claws and teeth capable of digging as fast as their ancestors. Hellhounds are extraordinarily powerful characters in close combat, and are masters of ambush-tactics. Like alicorns, the hostile nature of hellhounds towards other races makes them non-ideal for beginning players.
Those that stayed where the ponies relocated them learned to specialize in pony technology; these Sand Dogs are masters of cybernetics, mining techniques, and holding grudges against lying, thieving ponies. Sand Dogs are excellent at repair, and their skill in cybernetics can make them invaluable to any party. They’re significantly easier to roleplay than hellhounds.
The digging abilities of both races allow them to rapidly scale walls and create situational cover in almost any environment.
Bat ponies are known to have composed Princess Luna’s personal night guard, but are otherwise a very mysterious race whose origins remain unknown to most, even in the wasteland today. Their flight and sonic screech abilities make them quite capable combatants (especially in the dark), but their inability to speak at frequencies other races can hear makes them difficult characters to roleplay.
PER, AGI
Sonic Screech, Flight,
Shadowflash*
Buffalo
The buffalo have always been a peaceful people, remaining neutral until the very end of the war. Despite their neutrality, the collateral damage that followed the end of the war quickly forced them into shelters, destroying the lands they held so dear. Their large stature makes them a force to be reckoned with in close quarters when threatened, but they tend to lack technological knowledge. Buffalo may receive an extra trait at character creation at no cost.
STR, PER, END, CHA
Charge Dmg Bonus*
Large Free Trait
Donkey
These wandering merchants were commonplace in cities on both sides of the war long before its end. Donkeys have no ancestral lands to call their own, which has lead them to become a thinly-spread, tough-as-nails, and renowned as merchants, bankers, and shrewd business owners. Donkey characters are excellent for players looking to make merchants or other charisma based characters, and start with a free trait at character creation.
PER, CHA, END, LUCKSterner StuffFree Trait
Minotaur
Loose allies of the zebra, these bipedal hulks fought pony-allied nations during the war. They bear many of the same social stigmas as zebra in Equestria proper as a result of this alliance. Their strength and endurance are legendary, and their massive stature makes them a good fit for tough-to-kill characters. Alternative character builds for minotaurs may make use of the fact that some minotaurs are capable of bringing the powerful magic of the zebra into play as well. Minotaurs are good for players who like powerful characters but are looking for a roleplaying challenge less complex than alicorns.
STR, END
Magic (Z)*
Biped
Half-Breed
Half-breeds are either the result of unusual genetic recombination within races or of interbreeding between two relatively similar species. They tend to be physically weaker than either of their sires, but with a combination of the abilities of both races. Each half-breed is treated as its own race; check out the long description for more details. Half-breed characters are difficult to roleplay, and are designed as a challenging option to more advanced players. You’ve been warned.
VariesFree Trait
*Requires a trait.
Ponies
There were many races that once flourished in and around the area that now comprises the Equestrian Wasteland. By far the most numerous among them were the ponies, Equestria having been their homeland. There are three playable types of ponies, outlined below. Each of the races has its own set of racial skill bonuses, abilities, and shortcomings. For first time players, playing a pony character is recommended – earth ponies and unicorns in particular are great for allowing first time players to get a feel for the system.
Please note that the listed height and weight ranges for all of the races on the following pages do not account for hindrances and traits (unless explicitly stated), some of which may alter the listed values significantly. These effects are listed within the hindrances and traits section in the long descriptions.
