Character Creation Guidelines
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Character Level: 1
Stat Points: 40
Starting Funds: 300 GP
Races Allowed: Human, Dwarf, Moogle, Matango, Neko (no Optional Racial Abilities). The optional Robot race can be used at the GM's discretion.
Classes Allowed: No classes that use magic except Mana Magic are allowed (as no other magic appears until AFTER SoM). This rules out Black, White, Grey, Red and Blue Mages and Callers, plus Paladins, Dark Knights, and Magic Knights (and a lot of others, come to think of it). The revised Ranger doesn't use White Magic so they're okay. PBCS characters are allowed, but not the optional DanceFighter. All other classes - check!
Initial musings suggested using alternative Engineer rules from an article by Erich Lichnock, but our Engineer character doesn't seem to do so, so that idea went down the drain. I'd suggest Inventor characters being allowed to use any inventions they create, though.
Skill changes: The campaign tech level is quite high compared to SoM - pistols & rifles will be available. The Gun skill now counts as a normal weapon skill instead of a double-cost one.
Advantages and Disadvantages: Up to player preference (as long as the points balance up - although I would recommend careful thought and story planning over big, high-cost ones like Status)
Other Points: For my own campaign preference, I like characters to have a well-fleshed-out background with a history and goals for the future. As this game isn't based upon a Final Fantasy world as such, my players had a chance to heavily influence the history and background of the world, as well as having the rules broken (or bent) for them on occasion to incorporate their stories (if they were good ones...)
GMs take note: It should also be mentioned here and now that this WorldBook is not very well suited to varied campaigns. There is only one real campaign you could run here. The background info has been constructed so that the great Mana War, the construction of the Mana Fortress and all the other events mentioned in Secret of Mana occur only a couple of game-time months in the future. However, getting caught up in a world-shaking war is enough plot for an entire Final Fantasy game, and whatever intrigues and routes you choose to put your players through getting to the final conflict can be whatever you desire!