Character Creation

The Character Creation is propably one of the most important decisions in the games, and any errors there can gravely influence the further game.

The classic character creation, where the Gypsy gives the player a quiz of the Eight Virtues to determine the starting class is featured in serval Ultimas. It orignally appeared in Ultima IV, where she used tarot cards and an abacus to show which virtues were out (black stone) and which still in (white stone).

In Ultima V, the Avatar claims to remember this, but now strangely, the symbols of virtue were shown in strange mist rising from bowls (although the questions are still the same). This changed further in Ultima VI, where the gypsy mixed a potion with 8 smaller potions colored after the virtues. These technicallies aside, the creation is always the same mechanism.

Creation Process
The creation of the character happens in an elimination-system that goes as follows: The gypsy asks seven questions in total. The first four have all eight of the virtues in them. Four of these virtues are now eliminated, and the remaining virtues again compete against each other in the second round. The two virtues then let go to the final question, where the favored virtue is determined.

The most important thing to know is, that not only the final virtue chosen is important. Each virtue that survives a round contributes to the stats of the character, meaning that careful selection of the virtues, which in the end still can be eliminated, can shape the character accordingly. In the picture example, Honor is chosen as primary virtue. However, not only the three choices of Honor contribute to the stats, but also the choices of Honesty, Justice and Spirituality.

Here how each virtue contributes to the stats each time it is chosen:


 * Honesty - +3 INT.
 * Compassion - +3 DEX.
 * Valor - +3 STR.
 * Justice - +1 DEX and +1 INT.
 * Sacrifice - +1 STR and +1 DEX.
 * Honor - +1 STR and +1 INT.
 * Spirituality - +1 STR, +1 DEX and +1 INT.
 * Humility - Contributes no stats at all.

This tells us several things. For one, chosing Humility is the worst thing one could do, as it gives no bonuses at all. Also, the problems of Justice, Sacrifice and Honor lie in the fact, that their bonus proportionally is smaller than that of Honesty, Compassion, Valor and Spirituality, which means wasting points.

Deviations
In two of the games, there exist deviations, where something extra also also determined with the final virtue chosen.

Ultima IV
In Ultima IV, the final virtue chosen literally becomes the player character, while from Ultima V onwards, the player is the Avatar. This has a very serious impact on the game, since numerous things are determined together with the final choice:


 * Starting position
 * Starting equipment
 * Which of the Companions can not join
 * The magical abilities are determined
 * Which weapoins and armours are forbidden

Ultima IX
The character creation of Ultima IX is very different. While the question system is the same, only the final choice of virtue determines the stats of the Avatar. Also the system has totally changed and stats are divided in 4 levels (1-4), starting with each stat at 1. Also, Karma -which is analogous to mana- is given in the process and the starting equipment is determined.

As a rule of the thumb, each class gets two stat-level raises (of the same or of different stats) and one karma raise of five points. The exceptions are the Ranger, who gets one level for each stat but no karma, and the Shepherd, who gets no stat-levels but a hefty +15 karma bonus

Note that this means that the Shepherd can never miximise his stats, since stats are only raised 8 times, and there are 9 possible levels.