In the Game Links there is a link to the Alternity Game downloads page.  I recommend the Player's Fast-Play rules, a free download with the basics for playing Alternity.

We will use standard Alternity 1st Edition character creation rules with these boundaries:

In this game all characters begin play incarcerated.  The reason for the imprisonment depends on character background.  However, every character is good to the core, if not on the surface, at worst redeemable.  Whether they are guilty of the crime for which they were imprisoned, or of another crime but imprisoned for a false crime to impose a worse sentence, or innocent and framed, is up to each player.  Ideally, all the characters are opposed to the current system of bigotry, chauvinism, specism, and inequality of the Republic.  How far they would like to go, from reforming the law and society to complete overthrow of the Republic, is up to each player.  In some cases, the cause for their imprisonment is related to their resistance activities, political enemies or simply being a victim of the Republic’s brutal policies.  Roman characters are not required, aliens, recently ‘assimilated’ humans, etc are all very appropriate characters.  The Republic is the monolithic ‘empire’ bad guys in this campaign.  The info in the Background thread is for color, but many peoples resisting the Republic don’t know and don’t care.

Sample character concepts include Activist Doctor, Disillusioned Cop, Disgraced Soldier, Fallen Gladiator, Escaped Slave, Hacker Geek, Hot Shot Pilot, Political Activist, Psychic Militant, Rebel Patrician, Scoundrel, Terrorist Freedom Fighter, or such.

Please do not use an Anime portrait for your character.  Thank you.

1.  Allowable species: Human, Mutant Human, Tsa, Werren, Yazirian, Vrusk, Dralasite, and Mechalus.

2.  Allowable Professions:  Combat Spec, Diplomat, Free Agent, Mindwalker, and Tech Op.  Psychic Talents are not permitted, but a Diplomat/Mindwalker is possible.  I will limit the number of psychics in the group.

3.  60 points for ability scores.  Racial maximums are in effect.

4.  Mutant Humans are counted as non-human for skills purposes.

5.  Specialty skills costs are flat, all skill levels cost the same as first level.

6.  Don't bother buying any equipment, there is no starting money.

7.  Roman citizens cannot take the Dirt Poor flaw.

Some tips on skills that are always useful:

Stamina-endurance helps you withstand physical damage.

Resolve and the two specialty skills (Mental Resolve and Physical Resolve); the former helps resist emotional or mental stress, the latter with damage recovery.

Awareness and the two specialty skills Intuition and Perception.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:21, Thu 23 Dec 2021.

The Ability Scores

Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Willpower
Personality

Scores for Humans range from 4-14, purchased 1-1 with the 60 points given.

Each Profession has minimum requirements for Ability Scores

Combat Spec:  STR 11, CON 9
Diplomat:  WIL 9, PER 11
Free Agent:  DEX 11, WIL 9
Tech Op: DEX 9, INT 11
Mindwalker: CON 9, INT 9, WIL 11

Each Profession has a modifier to the Action Check Score(ACS) and one or more other abilities.

Combat Spec: +3 to the ACS, Pick one braod skill from the following list as a "weapon focus" and the base situation die for those skills improves by one (-1).  List: Armor Operation, Unarmed Attack, Heavy Weapons, Modern Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons, or Primitive Ranged Weapons.

Diplomat: +1 ACS, starts with Contacts and Resources (I'll get to that), and has a secondary profession.  You pay for skills from your secondary profession at the profession discount rate (list price -1.)

Free Agent: +2 ACS, Improve one Resistance Bonus by +1 step, increase the Last Resort point maximum by 1 and can spend 2 at a time.

Tech Op:  +1 ACS, Accelerated learning (gets extra skill points at level increase.)

Mindwalker:  +1 ACS, Choose one psionic braod skill and improve the base situation die by one step.

What follows is a lot of information on the Roman Federated Republic, including society, culture, names, etc.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:19, Tue 21 Dec 2021.

Dralasite

Ability Score Range

STR 7/15
DEX 5/11
CON 6/15
lNT 4/14
WIL 4/13
PER 4/12

Free Broad Skills

Strength/ Athletics
Constitution/ Stamina
Intelligence/ Knowledge
Will/Awareness
Personality/Culture
Personality/Interaction

Special Abilities

Elasticity: Dralasites can "grow" additional pseudopods to use as arms and legs, as well as enact
other physical changes due to the flexibility of their amoeba-like bodies. This change can be as minor
as growing a new ant or as dramatic as a dralasites absorbing all appendages and molding itself into a
large, living ball. Absorbing orgrowinga new ps udopod is not an immediate process and can take tip
to five (d4+1) minutes. Each limb must be added or removed individually; multiple limbs cannot be
grown or absorbed simultaneously. These changes take complete concentration, and a dralasite can
take no other action while performing the metamorphosis (although the change can be put on hold
until later if needed).

A dralasite can have up to a number of limbs equal to its Dexterity divided by two (rounded up).
This allows a hero with a Dexterity of 9 to have three arms and two legs, no legs and five arms, two
legs and two arms, or any other combination of five or fewer limbs. Although a dralasite can have
additional arms and legs, multiple legs do not increase movement rate, and numerous arms cannot be
used simultaneously.

The dralasite nerve bundle that functions as its brain can maintain control over  only two arms at once. The other arms are "dormant" limbs. While these limbs can still hold things in  their dormant state, they cannot manipulate objects, fire weapons, or perform other similar actions. An arm can grow smaller pseudopods that act as "fingers." A dralasite limb can be a maximum of one
meter long and a minimum of ten centimeters thick, while each finger can be a maximum of ten centimeters long and a minimum of one centimeter thick.

Lie Detection: A dralasite has an enhanced ability to tell when someone is lying to them. If the
dralasite is communicating face to face with the person in question, the Game master can make a
secret Awareness—intuition skill check for the hero with a +2 penalty. A successful result indicates
the hero has successfully seen through the deception. A Critical Failure means the hero adamantly
believes the exact opposite of the true situation (i.e., the dralasite might believe it is hearing a lie when
it is hearing the truth).