First you will need a character sheet.  This one is in HTML format.  Save it to your desktop and edit it in a simple text editor, HTML editior, or a WYSIWYG web page builder, such as Netscape Composer.  If you don't know how to do this, get in touch with the room owner, or another member.  We will be more than happy to help you.

For Vampire:  The Masquerade Characters:  You can use this character sheet and follow this link for the creation process, located at the site for San Diego by Night.  Once there, click Technical at the bottom and the process and necessary links are detailed for you.  It's also my site.  *winks*

Step 1:  Character Concept
This step is fairly simple.  Select a concept, basically a background, for the character.  This can be virtually anything as it is mostly what the character was before their First Change if Garou, or first discovered they were Kin if Kinfolk.  Also, after this, select your Breed, Auspice, and Tribe.

Step 2:  Attributes
Note that all Attributes begin with one dot before you add any.  Prioritize the three categories:  Physical, Social, and Mental (7 dots to spread in the first important, 5 dots to spread in the second important, and 3 to spread in the least important.  More experienced players will understand this coding 7/5/3).
Choose Physical Traits, which are:  Strength, Dexterity, Stamina
Choose Social Traits, which are:  Charisma, Manipulation, Appearance
Choose Mental Traits, which are:  Perception, Intelligence, Wits

Step 3:  Select Abilities
Prioritize the three categories:  Talents, Skills, Knowledges (13 dots to spread in most important, 9 dots to spread in second important, 5 dots to spread in least important.  More experienced players will recognize this coding 13/9/5).
Choose Talents, Skills, Knowledges

Step 4:  Select Advantages
Choose Backgrounds (5 dots to spread -- some may be restricted due to Tribe), Gifts (3 -- one Gift from each, your Breed, your Auspice and your Tribe), and assign your Reknown points according to your Auspice.

Step 5:  Finishing Touches
Record Rage (determined by your Auspice), Gnosis (determined by your Breed), Willpower (determined by your Tribe) and Rank 1 (Cliath).
Spend your Freebie Points (15)

List of Backgrounds and Brief Description of Each
Allies:  Your friends, whether they're human or wolf
Ancestors:  This Background describes your character's ability to speak with and channel the knowledge of his ancestors
Contacts:  Who you know, primarily in human society
Fetish:  You own an item of some sort with a spirit bound within it.  See Fetishes and Talens for more information
Kinfolk:  The number of relatives you're in regular contact with -- human or wolf, and all are immune to the Delirium
Pure Breed:  Your lineage and pedigree among Garou
Mentor:  A Garou elder who's taken an interest in you and advises you
Resources:  Your personal wealth and possessions, as well as your regular income
Rites:  Describes the number and/or level of rites you have learned.  See Rites pp. 154-167 of Werewolf:  The Apocalypse WW 3801, or consult with the room owner or another Garou's player
Totem:  A pack's totem is a unique spirit.  Each pack member may contribute to this Background to create it.  See pp 293-294 for more information on building totems.  Or ask the room owner or another Garou's player.

Reknown
See the Auspice descriptions for beginning Reknown.  Also refer to Garou Society, Rank and Reknown in the Reknown section, and in the Rank section for advancement rules.

Rank
All new characters (unless said otherwise by room owner/Storyteller) begins play at Rank 1 Cliath  See Garou Society, Rank and Reknown in the Rank area for more information.

Rage, Gnosis, Willpower
See as follows:  Auspice for Rage, Breed for Gnosis, and Tribe for Willpower.  Also see Rage, Willpower, and Gnosis for more information on their use and so forth.

A chart for Freebie Point Cost and Experience Point costs for everything will follow.
 
 

Special Notes On Spending Experience Points
Experience can be used to purchase the items in the chart above, at the rate you see displayed.  As you can see, they vary in cost.  With the exception of Totem, a character cannot increase his Background Traits with experience points.  Only through the course of events in the game can Backgrounds increase, decrease, be gained or lost.

Permanent Rage points can be bought, of course, with experience points.  This can be as hazardous as it is beneficial many times.  The higher your Rage score is, the greater the chance you would frenzy.  Its a good idea for your Permanent Rage score to not deviate more than one point difference from your Permanent Willpower score.

Permanent Gnosis may also be purchased with experience points.  Like Rage, there are several story themed ways of gaining a higher permanent rating in Gnosis.
 
 

Source Material taken from Werewolf:  The Apocalypse Third Edition; Copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing and Gaming Studios, Incorporated.