The process for creating a character in GI Joe is very similar to the one from Power Rangers, and very

different from other d20 systems:

0. Discuss with your GM & Other Players

This goes without saying in a lot of cases, but especially in something like GI Joe which had the
cartoon, the comics, the movies etcetera, you're going to have to talk with the GM about what KIND
of GI Joe you're running. Kid-friendly cartoon/stereotype? Somewhat more grim and gritty like the
comic? Lore-heavy (like the various ninja-clans)? It's great that it comes out and says that there's no
real one true way to run GI JOE, and that it's good to touch base with your GM and other players to
get an idea of what everyone else wants to play.

1. Character Concept

Again, very much GI Joe here, as one thing it suggests before you even start laying out stats is to
write up a file card for your prospective JOE, just like the ones that came from the preceding
chapter.

What are your character’s code name, real name, home town, and primary and second military
specialties? If you had two paragraphs to let people know your skills and interests, what would you
say to make your character stand out?

2. Set Starting Essences

Just like Power Rangers, you start with 12 points to distribute between the Four S-Stats. (called
essences)

Strength
Speed
Smarts
Social

This will be modified by the Influences, Origin, and Role that you select, so write this in pencil, not in
pen.

3. Select Influences

Basically, this is the "What do/did you do outside of the JOEs? You start with at least one Influence,
and can take up to two more, at the cost of taking a flaw (called a Hang-Up) for each extra Influence
you take. (Hang-Ups can be quirks etcetera that provide Role-Playing opportunities. Each Influence
comes with a Perk, and a suggested Hang-Up associated with the Influence that provides Edges and
Snags (something that Boosts or brings down your skill die when you roll certain types of skills, as
well as Generic Roleplaying Notes for what the average character with this Influence is like
(suggestions, not strait-jackets)
4. Choose an Origin

This is more of the "What got you recruited by the JOEs?" or "What were you doing when you got
Recruited? This is your Military/Civilian Background. Each Origin provides a single bonus point in
either a specific Essence, or between a choice of Essences (for example, the Army Origin allows you
+1 Essence in either Speed or Strength.) It also provides a free skill level (again, using Army as an
example, you get a skill level in one of the following Athletics, Conditioning, Targeting, or Initiative,
with the caveat that you have to choose a skill that matches the Essence Bonus point you took). It
also sets your base movement (and whether it's affected by wearing armor) and Starting Health
(usually 1 or 2). There are both military and civilian-based Origins

One good thing that I have to call out that I saw in this that I don't remember seeing in Power
Rangers is a paragraph that states that Starting Health is modified by ranks in the Conditioning Skill
as well as certain Perks. That was a major flaw in the Power Rangers book that sent me wandering all
over the place to try to find out how Health was calculated.

5. Select a Role

This can be described either as a Character Class or your team role. The book comes with Seven
Roles:

Commando, Infantry, Officer, Ranger, Renegade, Technician, Vanguard. Basically, they spell out what
your characters do FOR the Joes. I will (again) call out that there is no specific Ninja Role,
considering the influence of Ninja-Clans on JOE cannon, but the Commando Role (listed as "Shadow
operatives who specialize in infiltration, deception, and catching targets off guard." with suitable
backgrounds can be shoehorned in pretty well). Each Role provides a bonus to two status, and
training in a choice of skills related to the stats they boost. Each Role also has sub-Roles (called
Focuses) you can select (For Commando, the Focuses include Infiltrator, Sniper and Spy), and when
you chose a Focus, it provides the class benefits. Here's the Sniper Focus benefit at first level:

Gain +1 Speed Essence at 1st level, and again at 10th level. Alertness is considered a Speed Essence
skill for you. Your Skill Point from this Essence increase must be spent on Alertness, Acrobatics,
Infiltration, or Targeting or a Specialization for one of those skills. You are Qualified in weapons with
the Sniper trait. You gain access to a limited weapon with the Sniper trait and a Limited upgrade for
it during the Equipment Assignment and Requisition phase (see Chapter 8)

All roles get the YO, JOE! Benefit, which increases their Health, provides Standard Equipment
Certification, and provides the Battle Cry bonus, where in the first round of combat, if your first
action is a Move action, you can move 10 extra feet. (I'm thinking if I run this, I will require my
players to actually speak loudly "Yoooooo, JOE!" to get the benefit.)

As characters level up, new abilities become available.

Just like d20, play can be broken down into tiers (from the book)

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4). At this tier, the characters are recruits to G.I. JOE and are developing the skills that
define their roles and abilities. The threats they face are on a smaller scale, but if unchecked could
give Cobra advantages to take over the world.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10). The characters are now established as G.I. JOEs and have all the core abilities of
their Roles: access to more powerful gear, additional attacks, and Perks that can change the course
of a battle. They’re sent to investigate and stop threats that could bring nations to their knees.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16). G.I. JOEs of this tier are among the iconic characters of the unit, each with
abilities that separate them from JOEs and make them first picks in their environments of expertise.
Other JOEs seek them out for guidance and training, and their responsibilities in the unit keep G.I.
JOE on the cutting edge. The characters face international threats that could plunge a continent into
chaos or Cobra’s control, and Cobra agents know them by name.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20). The peak of G.I. JOE, characters stand among Duke, Scarlett, Lady Jaye,
Roadblock, and Snake Eyes as heroes among even veteran JOEs. They’re the go-to JOEs to send
against global threats, and Cobra Commander, Destro, and Baroness scheme for ways to thwart or
ruin them.

One thing that I'd like to call out that's on the not-so-great side is that they don't provide a
character creation example. That would have been a good option to help first-timers create their
first character, and help catch things that they might have missed.

I do like that it reminds people that your character will not be Snake-Eyes from the get-go, and you
won't be personally thwarting Cobra Commander from the start. But for those, who want higher
level play from the start, that is an option

6. Describe your Character + 7. Form your Squad

Basically, these two steps are post-character creation, as you come up with adjectives to help
accentuate your character, and confirm how your Character knows the squad, who they've worked
with before, etcetera.