# Let's begin
To create a GNAT character, take a copy of the [[character sheet]] and follow the instructions below.
* Set your *Talent* (and maximum Talent) to 9
* Set your *Vitality* (and maximum Vitality) to 3
* Set your *Fortune* (and maximum Fortune) to 3
* Gain two *Basic Skills* from the list below
* Pick a *One-handed, Long or Two-handed Weapon* (you may choose any type, e.g. axe, sword, mace)
* If you took a *One-handed Weapon* you may take a **Shield**
* Gain 1 **ration** and **10 gold pieces**
Optionally, you may reduce your maximum (and current) Talent by one to gain another Basic Skill. You may do this up to three times.
## Skills
*Climbing*, *Diplomacy*, *Larceny*, *Linguistics*, *Naturalist*, *Occult*, *Search*, *Stealth*, *Swimming*, *Tracking*.
Your character is defined by two numbers: **Talent** and **Vitality**. Talent covers your luck and expertise, while Vitality measures your will to survive and capacity to endure harm.
## Talent and Vitality
### Testing Talent
While playing you will be asked to Test your Talent. Roll two 6-sided dice and compare to your current Talent score; you succeed if the result is less than or equal to your Talent. A natural roll of double 1 (a **critical**) always succeeds, while a double 6 (a **fumble**) always fails.
Some rolls have modifiers, (e.g. Test your Talent at -3). Apply this to your Talent before rolling.
Occasionally ill-luck or misfortune can result in a loss of Talent. In this case you will be told to *Lose 1 Talent*, which affects all tests from then on. You may also be told to *Restore 1 Talent*. Restoring Talent will not raise your score above its maximum value. Talent cannot go below zero.
### Skills
**Skills** supply a bonus (+2) to your Talent if you possess them.
If you are asked to (for example) *Test Climbing*, then you Test your Talent, adding +2 if you have the Climbing Skill. Sometimes you are still allowed to roll at -2 even if you don't have the skill.
* **Climbing**: Climbing, balancing, and athletics
* **Diplomacy**: Used to negotiate with others
* **Larceny**: Locate and disarm traps
* **Linguistics**: Used to translate dead languages
* **Naturalist**: Knowledge of plants and animals
* **Occult**: The supernatural and spellcasting
* **Search**: Used to find hidden things
* **Stealth**: Sneaking and hiding
* **Swimming**: Used to swim and fight in the water
* **Tracking**: Follow trails and find people
### Vitality
Your Vitality score measures your ability to push on and endure harm. When it reaches zero, your character is overcome — dead or severely injured. Damage to your Vitality is measured in **Wounds**. If you are told to *Take a Wound*, you reduce your Vitality by one. (Sometimes you may be told to *Take two Wounds*, or more).
You may sometimes be told that damage ignores armour (e.g. from drowning or hunger), in which case the loss cannot be prevented by armour (see below). You may also be told to *Heal one Vitality*, which allows you to heal a point of lost Vitality. Healing will not raise your Vitality above its maximum value.
Most adventures will tell you what to do if you reach zero Vitality. If they do not, your character dies and the adventure is over.
Some adventures offer opportunities to *Rest*, which generally involves consuming a **ration** (see Equipment, below). When you rest you will usually be told to restore some Talent and heal some Vitality. Sometimes, if you don't have a ration, you will lose Talent or Vitality instead.
### Spells
Spells are magical rituals that must be inscribed on scrolls, tablets, or other items, because unleashing the spell destroys the item that contains it. If you have a spell, you may cast it when instructed (e.g. *Cast Fly*) by *Testing against a 10*. If you succeed, the spell is cast, otherwise the spell is destroyed without effect, unless you choose to *Take 1 Wound, ignoring armour* in which case you keep the spell.
### Fortune
All characters have a pool of three Fortune. You can spend a Fortune point after any dice roll to re-roll one of the dice. You can do this after you've used any other re-rolls, and you can continue to spend Fortune and roll again until you like the result. Regain a Fortune each time you *Gain Experience*, or when told to *Gain 1 Fortune*. You may not have more than 3 Fortune.
## Combat
When you face combat, you will be told to *Fight*. To Fight, Test your Talent. If you pass, you win the fight. If you fail, you *Take a Wound*.
Many combats involve a penalty, to represent the strength of the opponent, and some last multiple rounds — which means you must test your Talent multiple times. For example if you are told to Fight three rounds at -3, that means you must test your Talent three times, with a -3 penalty on each roll, suffering one wound for each round you fail. If you are still alive at the end of the three rounds, you win the fight.
If you *Fumble* in combat, take an extra Wound.
### Weapons, Shields, and Armour
Your character can carry multiple weapons, a shield, and a suit of armour, each of which give bonuses in combat. If you are carrying more than one weapon, you choose which to use at the start of combat. If you have no weapon, fight at -1.
**One-Handed Weapons** require one hand to use, so you can combine one with a shield.
**Two-Handed Weapons** require both hands to use (so you cannot use a shield). A two-handed weapon may re-roll the first 6 rolled each round — you must take the second result.
**Long Weapons** (such as spears) require both hands to use (so you cannot use a shield). They may sometimes provide an extra bonus where their length is relevant.
**Ranged Weapons** (such as bows) require both hands to use (so you cannot use a shield), and do not give a bonus in combat. However, you may find certain actions only open if you have a ranged weapon.
**Shields** require one hand to use. Shields reduce any combat penalty you suffer by 1.
**Magical Weapons** give you *Advantage* (see below).
**Armour** comes in Light (1 protection), Medium (2 protection), and Heavy (3 protection). When you *take a wound* while wearing armour, you may choose to ignore the wound — and you may do this a number of times per adventure equal to the protection value. Some adventures may offer the chance to *Repair your armour*, which restores its protection value to full.
When wearing armour, you take a penalty to *Stealth* and *Climbing* skills equal to the undamaged protection value.
### Advantage and Disadvantage
When you fight with a distinct advantage — such as when you are flying and your target is not — you have *Advantage*; you may re-roll any one dice, taking the second result. You make this re-roll after any other non-fortune re-rolls (e.g. from a two-handed weapon).
Sometimes the opposite is true. In this case you have *Disadvantage* and must re-roll the first 1 or 2 you roll each round when fighting, taking the second result.
## Equipment
Equipment is marked in bold, such as a **jewelled dagger**, a **ration**, a **flight spell**, or a **pickled serpent's head**. When you take equipment, you add it to your character sheet. You also have a *Coin Pouch* that holds any number of gold pieces (gp).
You can carry as many of these normal items as you wish, but the same is not true of *Heavy Items*. The total number of heavy items you can carry is equal to twice your *maximum* Vitality. (For a new character, this is 6.)
Weapons, shields, and armour are all heavy items. If some other item is heavy it will be listed in the adventure where you find it, e.g. **barrel of ale (heavy)**.
Some items give a bonus to a Skill (e.g. **Tome (+1 occult)**). In this case you count this bonus to your Talent whenever testing that skill. If you carry multiple items that give a bonus to the same skill, only the highest applies.
### Keywords and Titles
During your adventures you may gain vital clues, or participate in certain events, which are marked by **Keywords**, which are given in italics, e.g. "Gain the keyword *Arbalest*". Keywords are not equipment, and aren't lost if you lose your items. You can mark keywords on the list at the back of the book.
You may also be awarded **Titles**, which are measures of respect and rank. Titles may give you access to certain restricted parts of adventures.
Keywords can be removed when an adventure is finished, but Titles are retained from adventure to adventure.
## Experience
If you are successful in your adventures, you will be awarded one or more *Experience Points (xp)*. You can spend these points to increase your abilities as follows:
**Increase Talent**: pay experience points equal to your current maximum Talent to raise it by one level. For example, to increase from Talent 6 to Talent 7, pay 6xp.
**Increase Vitality**: pay experience points equal to twice your current Vitality to raise it by one level. For example, to increase from Vitality 3 to Vitality 4, pay 6xp
**Advance a Skill**: pay experience points equal to your current Skill bonus to give it a +1. For example, to increase from Climbing +2 to Climbing +3, pay 2xp.
**Gain a Skill**: pay 2 experience points to buy a new *Skill* at +2.
You may spend experience any time you take a *Rest*, or between adventures.
## End of Adventure
If you are not dead at the end of an adventure, you may *Restore your Talent and Vitality*, spend experience, and buy from the standard item list.