Chapter 18 — Step 4: Spend XP & Outfit
Your Wanderer's past is set. This step gives you control back: a budget of credits to outfit them and a pool of experience to refine them into the character you have in mind. Do the outfitting and the spending in whatever order you like — they're independent.
Index§
- Starting credits & gear
- Earn extra XP with starting Banes
- Spend your XP
- Outfitting and spending at random
Starting credits & gear§
Every Wanderer starts with Cr2,000, then makes two choices about how to round out their kit. The gear tables referenced here live in Chapter 24; what credits actually buy — cost of living, passage, hiring help — is in Chapter 28.
First choice — pick one:
- Cr1,500, or
- Two rolls on the Modern Gear table (TL 5–9) in the Gear Catalog (re-roll duplicates), or
- Two rolls on the Random Gear generator — one at Provenance 3 (TL 7–9), one at Provenance 4 (TL 10–12).
Second choice — pick one:
- Cr1,500, or
- Two rolls on the Equipment table (re-roll duplicates) plus two rolls on the Trinkets table (re-roll duplicates).
Take credits both times and you start with Cr5,000 and no rolled gear. Roll both times and you start with Cr2,000 and a full kit. Mix and match as you like. Credits awarded by career D66 events and Life Events add to your total as normal.
Earn extra XP with starting Banes§
Before spending, you may earn additional XP by taking Banes — short tags that give your character Disadvantage in specific situations (Chapter 9). You may take up to two Banes at creation, earning 5 XP each, straight into your pool.
A Bane never costs XP to add — it is a drawback that pays you: 5 XP up front for each of your first two, and 1 XP for every later session it is invoked in play. Taking starting Banes is voluntary, and a good way to lean into a character concept while funding your early purchases. Because the up-front XP is paid whether or not the Bane ever bites, the GM vets a starting Bane for real impact — specific enough to matter, broad enough to come up — exactly as they would a Boon (Chapter 9); a flaw chosen to be harmless earns nothing. Beyond your two starting Banes, you may take on more at creation or in play; these grant no up-front XP but still earn 1 XP per session invoked.
Spend your XP§
Every character begins with 40 free XP, regardless of how many careers they ran. Add to that any XP earned from career term rolls, D66 events, Life Events, and starting Banes. Spend the total pool on any combination of:
- 10 XP = increase any skill by one rank
- 10 XP = remove a Bane (a short tag giving Disadvantage; normally done in play, when the fiction supports it)
- 5 XP = purchase a Boon (a short tag granting Advantage in relevant situations)
Raising a skill from Untrained (−3) to Trained (+0) also costs 10 XP, and creation is the only time you can do it directly — in play, Untrained skills advance only through XP, never through marks (Chapter 20). Careers give you specific skills at Trained; XP lets you fill the gaps and round out the Wanderer you have in mind. Reaching Trained in the skills your concept depends on is usually the highest-value spend here.
Masteries wait for play. A skill at Expert (+3) unlocks Masteries (Chapter 20) — but those are earned in play, bought only at a session end, never during creation. A starting Wanderer may reach Expert here, yet cannot field a Mastery at the table on day one even with the 20 XP set aside for it; you grow into your signature techniques across play.
Banes are not bought with XP — they only ever add to it. You can, however, spend 10 XP to remove one once play begins (Chapter 9); buying off a starting Bane is a net loss, since it gave 5 XP and costs 10 to clear.
You do not have to spend everything now. Any unspent XP carries into play, where it can advance skills or buy Boons and Banes between sessions. Holding a little back is a legitimate choice.
When your kit and your skills reflect the character you set out to make, go to Chapter 19 to finish up.
Outfitting and spending at random§
This step is normally all choice — it's where creation hands you the wheel. When you'd rather finish a fully dice-driven Wanderer, the rolls below make those choices for you. The gear, skill, and Boon/Bane contents already come from tables (Chapter 24 for gear, Chapter 8 for a random skill, Chapter 9 for a random Boon or Bane); these rolls just decide which option and how much.
Outfitting — first choice. Roll 1D6.
| 1D6 | Take |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Cr1,500 |
| 3–4 | Two rolls on Modern Gear (Chapter 24) |
| 5–6 | Two rolls on the Random Gear generator — one Provenance 3, one Provenance 4 (Chapter 24) |
Outfitting — second choice. Roll 1D6.
| 1D6 | Take |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Cr1,500 |
| 4–6 | Two Equipment rolls plus two Trinkets rolls (Chapter 24) |
Starting Banes. Roll 1D6 for how many to take; roll each on the Boon/Bane table (Chapter 9) and reword it to fit.
| 1D6 | Starting Banes |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | None |
| 3–4 | One (+5 XP) |
| 5–6 | Two (+10 XP) |
Spending the pool. Total your XP — the 40 free, plus everything careers, Life Events, and starting Banes added. Then, while 5 or more XP remain, roll 1D6:
- 1–4 — Skill rank (10 XP). If you hold fewer than 10 XP, treat this as a Boon instead. Otherwise roll a random skill (Chapter 8) and raise it one rank; Untrained becomes Trained. Reroll a skill already at Expert.
- 5–6 — Boon (5 XP). Roll a random Boon (Chapter 9).
Stop when fewer than 5 XP remain and bank the rest; it carries into play. Banking early is always legal, so a dice-driven Wanderer may also simply stop here and save the pool. Reroll any single result that makes no sense for the character — the tables draw a coherent person, not a contradictory one.