Future Genre Types: Imperial Space - Humanitys presence among the stars is no longer new. Space has been settled for centuriesperhaps even millenniaand vast interstellar empires dominate known space. These powerful states control hundreds or thousands of star systems, bound together by reliable and relatively economical faster-than-light travel. For governments, militaries, and commerce, interstellar travel is routine. For most civilians, however, life begins and ends on a single homeworld they will never leave. War is a constant feature of imperial life, though it rarely reaches civilian populations directly. Instead, its effects are felt through political upheaval, resource shortages, conscription, and shifting allegiancesoften more disruptive than invasion itself. Technological development may have plateaued or slipped into stagnation; innovation is rare, and new discoveries seldom change daily life. In some regions, ancient technologies persist long after their creators are forgotten, while critical knowledge slowly erodes. Interstellar conflict is frequent, fought between rival empires, against xenophobic alien powers, or by rebels and insurgents struggling to overthrow entrenched, authoritarian regimes. FeaturesBackgrounds:Characters come from many walks of life, though a large number of adventurers have military experience.Alien Presence:The role of alien races varies by setting. Some universes teem with countless species, others are largely human-centric, and some may lack sentient aliens entirely. Personal Spacecraft:When an encounter grants the character a personal spacecraft, roll {1d10}. On a result of 410, the ship is reasonably up to date with current technology. On a lower result, it is an outdated clunkerbarely competitive on the spacewaysoften relying on obsolete, temperamental, or dangerously antiquated interstellar travel systems.
Character Species: Human - Standard issue pure stain human being. This includes all it's faults and flaws humanity has been battling since the beginning.
Tech Level: Second Stellar Age - Most stellar colonies are independent of home planet. Faster-than-Light (FTL) drives now capable of rapid jumps between stars, crossing the gaps between stars in a matter of weeks. FTL communication allows information to travel between stars. Powerful non-laser energy weapons found on large ships and battle machines.
Home Culture: Dynamic - This is a culture marked by rapid growth, development and expansion. New lands or worlds are being discovered and claimed. Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, often progressing a full Tech Level within a generation or less. However, the fast growth also outpaces the ethical application of the new discoveries, leaving the culture wide open for future disasters. Governments are similar to Developing cultures, but access to political power moves out of the grasp of common people. Class stratification still exists as fewer and fewer people profit from new discoveries. It is a time of "Humanistic" theology, imagining the people of the culture to be the apex of creation, the "gods" of their universe. Gameplay Benefits: {1d6}. On a result of 3-5, select one Neutral trait. On a result of 6, select {1d3} Neutral personality traits and one trait Darkside Trait. Roleplay: Dynamic cultures are often self-centered, caught up in the wonderfulness of themselves. In their eyes, they can do no wrong. It is a culture of great Ego, one that believes that great risk taking and great intellect should earn greatthem reward. Moral bankruptcy has begun. A character from such a culture might share those values. Emphasis is placed on Neutral values.Survival Skills: (additional skills, GMs Discretion).
Social Status: Extremely Wealthy - They have heaps of money. Tthey view the merely Wealthy as cheapskates. Extremely Wealthy folk own estates the size of small countries, have armies of servants (and often at least one army), throw parties that would beggar most cities, and are often quite eccentric. This class includes heirs of old family fortunes who have continued to expand their holdings, world rulers, owners of huge, grosslysuccessful, multi-national or even multiplanetary, heavily diversified corporations. Chances are that a character from this Social Level will believe that money solves all problems. He may also never have been exposed to the seamier side of life and may have no concept of what it is like NOT to have a desire gratified instantly. Although cliche, the "spoiled rich" kid could easilyf it this character. Also see Wealthy roleplay guidelines.
Social Status: Nobility: Commoner - Commoner/Not of a Noble Line
Birth Legitimacy: Legitimate - Legitimate Birth
Family Members: Creche - Communal child-rearing.
Siblings & Birth Order: 5 - fifth of 6
Home World: Colony World - Colony World
Home World Types: Swamp world - Covered by endless marshes and swamps. Earthlike world. Much water, large land masses.
Place of Birth: Farm Building - The character is born in a barn or other agricultural outbuilding.
Unusual Events at Birth: 1 event
Unusual Births Events: A family member died the day that the character was born. Character could be blamed for the death, or he might be presumed to be a reincarnation of the deceased.
Other Family Relations: Sibling - Sibling.
Siblings: Brother - Brother
Parents/Family Details: Head of household has one occupation.
Sibling 1
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Dentist: fixes teeth that need repair.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has many enemies. The rivals seeks out the character.
Rivals: Who?: Sibling (older).
Rivals: Why?: Their distant ancestor's were rivals.
Rivals: What?: Jealous: Rival dislikes the character, and takes secret pleasure in embarassing, thwarting or beating him. Physical injury is usually not intended, but if it happens, it happens. Rival may be appear to be a friend or ally.
Rivals: Who?: An enemy of the family.
Rivals: Why?: Always trying to outdo each other in everything.
Rivals: What?: Intense: Rival hates the character, and goes out of his way to foil him. Secretly hopes for the chance to injure the character in some way (physically, emotionally, financially, socially, etc.)
Rivals: Who?: A former friend.
Rivals: Why?: An insult was percieved by one or the other.
Rivals: What?: Jealous: Rival dislikes the character, and takes secret pleasure in embarassing, thwarting or beating him. Physical injury is usually not intended, but if it happens, it happens. Rival may be appear to be a friend or ally.
Rivals: Who?: A professional rival, with the same occupation.
Rivals: Why?: They love the same person.
Rivals: What?: Intense: Rival hates the character, and goes out of his way to foil him. Secretly hopes for the chance to injure the character in some way (physically, emotionally, financially, socially, etc.)
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is very religious and constantly seeks to evangelize others to join his religion, faith, or cult.
Religion: Religions: Splinter faith. This religion believes in the same God as Universal Monotheists, but disagrees with the way that God is worshipped.
Religion: How it Begins: Friend's religion. A friend invites the character to come to his god's temple.
Religion: Religious Events: The character uncovers the activities of an evil cult. The cult seeks to have the character join them.
Religion: Religious Events: The character uncovers the activities of an evil cult. The cult seeks to kill the character.
Sibling 2
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Blue Collar & Moderate Income Jobs
Blue Collar & Moderate Income Occupations: Instructor: A Craft.
Crafts Table 2: Commercial Artist: prepares illustrations and material for use in publications.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has a Rival. The Rival seeks out the character.
Rivals: Who?: A friend (rivalry other than "friendly" is kept secret).
Rivals: Why?: They love the same person.
Rivals: What?: Jealous: Rival dislikes the character, and takes secret pleasure in embarassing, thwarting or beating him. Physical injury is usually not intended, but if it happens, it happens. Rival may be appear to be a friend or ally.
Sibling 3
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Marketing Specialist: knows how to promote and popularize people, consumer goods, corporations and so on
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC's relationship with his family involves one of the following. NPC is particularly loving towards family.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for or hesitant to speak of something that occured in his past. NPC is famous for the occurance of a Significant Event, possibly even a hero.
Significant Adulthood Events: Recruitment Attempt - A faction attempts to recruit the character; decide whether they accept, refuse, or escape.
Other Groups - Factions: Terrorist - A violent group motivated by hate and political chaos.
Other Groups - Terrorist: Children of the Last Star - A doomsday cult convinced the universe is collapsing and must be purified through catastrophic acts.
Sibling 4
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Courtier/Courtesan: an attendant in the court of a Noble or Royal ruler sometimes nothing more than a fancy prostitute (particularly the female courtesan).
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has a secret identity.
Social Status: Comfortable - This is the middle class of any Culture, regardless of the Tech Level or average wealth of its citizens. These folk usually live in clean, nicely apportioned homes or apartments, often in better neighborhoods. They eat regularly and occasionally very well. Children are schooled and often go on to higher education. They usually own conservative forms of transport - a modest ground car or other inexpensive vehicle. Luxuries include travel vacations, good food, the ability to hire occasional menial services, nice clothing, and leisure devices. This class includes "impoverished" nobility, upper level office workers, professors and teachers, skilled craftsmen and technicians, highly-skilled laborers, lower govem ment officials, low-ranking military officers, lesser clergy, and shopkeepers. Folk from this Social Status are considered to represent the mainstream of their Culture's beliefs and attitudes.
Social Status: Nobility: Commoner - Commoner/Not of a Noble Line
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Attorney: deals in the finer points of the law and defending the innocent against unjust prosecution. On the other hand he may spend most of his time going for the "deep pocket" of insurance companies in civil liabilities cases.
Sibling 5
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Research Scientist: Physics
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC was originally of a different Social Status.
Social Status: Comfortable - This is the middle class of any Culture, regardless of the Tech Level or average wealth of its citizens. These folk usually live in clean, nicely apportioned homes or apartments, often in better neighborhoods. They eat regularly and occasionally very well. Children are schooled and often go on to higher education. They usually own conservative forms of transport - a modest ground car or other inexpensive vehicle. Luxuries include travel vacations, good food, the ability to hire occasional menial services, nice clothing, and leisure devices. This class includes "impoverished" nobility, upper level office workers, professors and teachers, skilled craftsmen and technicians, highly-skilled laborers, lower govem ment officials, low-ranking military officers, lesser clergy, and shopkeepers. Folk from this Social Status are considered to represent the mainstream of their Culture's beliefs and attitudes.
Social Status: Nobility: Commoner - Commoner/Not of a Noble Line
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for or hesitant to speak of something that occured in his past. NPC is famous for the occurance of a Significant Event, possibly even a hero.
Significant Adulthood Events: Faction Asset - The character becomes an informal asset or problem solver for a group.
Other Groups - Factions: Alien Political Organization - A non-human civilization or alliance with its own laws, customs, and interests.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has an obsession regarding something that had happened (or might happen), something that dominates the rest of his life. The working out of a personality trait. - Neutral Trait
Personality Traits: Neutral: Immature - Immature: acts younger than age,
Significant Childhood Events:
Family gives the character a hunting lodge estate with {1d10} square miles of property on a distant forest world.
Significant Childhood Events: Character serves a Patron.
In the Service of - Who is the Patron: Patron is a mysterious alien being with super-scientific or supernatural powers.
In the Service of - Why a Patron: The patron needs all the friends he can get.
In the Service of - What happened: Patron trains character in blaster (energy-powered gun) use. (Increased Skills, GM's discretion)
Significant Childhood Events: Family has the a certain attitudes towards the character. Family encourages characters interests.
Significant Adolescence Events: Faction Symbolism - The character adopts clothing, symbols, slang, or ideology associated with a group, intentionally or not.
Other Groups - Factions: Criminal Syndicate - Organized crime groups involved in smuggling, black markets, and illicit trade across systems.
Other Groups - Factions, Crime Syndicate: Glass Serpent - Information brokers and blackmail specialists trading in secrets and identities.
Education : Outstanding Education.
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Business Owner: The type of activity the business performs is below. If the result makes no sense or is too difficult to work out, reroll. The character does not actually do this service, but has employees who do it.
Low Income Occupations: Household servant: Chauffeur
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Administrator/Manager: Oversees the operations of a large scale business or other organization.
Significant Adulthood Events: Wanderlust Nearby Star - For {1d6} years, the character journeys beyond their home system to a nearby star.
Otherworld Events: Other Worlds: Desert world. Has atmosphere but little or no water.
Otherworld Events: Reasons for Being Here: Vacation. The character and his family travel here to see the sights.
Otherworld Events: Events: While alone, the character stumbles onto the ruins of an ancient, lost alien civilization. The ruins themselves are a blank in the character's mind. He doesn't remember what happened there, only that afterwards, he was somehow changed ... Although initially unchanged, the character seems somehow "alien." Gains {1d3} Exotic traits. Modify them, if necessary so the attitudes or biases seem to reflect an alien personality.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Sexual Disorder - Sexual Disorder
Exotic Personality Traits: Sexual Disorders: Fetishism & Fixations. Sexually attracted to or excited by an animal.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Sexual Disorder - Sexual Disorder
Exotic Personality Traits: Sexual Disorders: Fetishism & Fixations. Sexually attracted to or excited by a women's clothing (not for wearing, though).
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Phobia - Phobia
Exotic Personality Traits: Phobia: Radiation fear of radiation and its causes.
Personality Traits: Neutral: Emotionless - Emotionless: rarely shows emotions,
Personality Traits: Neutral: Amoral - Amoral: no care for right or wrong.
Personality Traits: Neutral: Studious - Studious: studies often, pays attention to detail,
Personality Traits: Neutral: Conservative - Conservative: restrained, resistant to change for change sake, traditional valued, individualistic
Personality Traits: Neutral: Illogical - Illogical: may not use reason to make decisions.
Personality Traits: Lightside: Patient - Able to wait with calmness.
Personality Traits: Neutral: Foppish - Foppish: vain. preoccupied with appearance.
Significant Adulthood Events: Military Service Bureaucratic Error - The character mistakenly believes they are applying for a civilian government job and ends up enlisted.
Military Duties: Branch of Service: Mercenaries - Light Infantry. Unarmored foot soldiers.
Military Skills: Combat Skills: Learn additional weapon skin of choice.
Military Skills: Combat Skills: Military strategy- knowlegde in tactics and strategy (bonus GM's discretion)
Military Skills: Special Survival Skills: Specialize in survival in a specific environment. Choose hostile, forest, jungle. desert. mountain, or winter.
Military Skills: Special Survival Skills: Pathfinding, Finding one's way in the wilderness.
Military Rank: Platoon Sergeant/Chief
Military Experience: Character reenlists in a different branch of service for another four year hitch (see additional Military Events and new Military Duty)
Military Duties: Branch of Service: Aquatic Navy - Gunnery.
Military Skills: Combat Skills: Survival Sense - an instinct about combat, and how to cause the most damage (bonus GM's discretion)
Military Skills: Combat Skills: Field repair of weapons and armor.
Military Skills: Aquatic Naval Skills: Ship maintenance & repair.
Military Skills: Vehicle Skills: Gunnery. Use &maintainthe onboard weapons systems.
Military Rank: Sergeant major/Master Chief
Military Experience: Character reenlists in a different branch of service for another four year hitch (see additional Military Events and new Military Duty)
Military Duties: Branch of Service: Space Navy - Gunnery.
Military Skills: Combat Skills: Field repair of weapons and armor.
Military Skills: Combat Skills: Improve an existing military skill (bonus GM's discretion)
Military Skills: Space Skills: Repair a space craft.
Military Skills: Vehicle Skills: Drive unit's main vehicle.
Military Rank: Private/Seaman/Spaceman
Military Experience: Characters unit is involved in numerous minor skirmishes and police actions.
Military Experience: Characters unit is involved in numerous skirmishes and several erupt into a major battles (See Battle Ready!)
War Time: Regardless of the battle's outcome, the character is decorated for his heroism. If the character is an officer in the service of a Noble, the character is made a knight.
War Time: An act of the character reverses the battle's outcome - a winning battle lost
War Time: An act of the character reverses the battle's outcome - a losing battle is won.
Military Experience: Character learns a new weapon skill (players choice).
Military Experience: If the character is not a commissioned officer, he attends Officer Candidate School. If he is a commissioned officer, he is promoted one rank. Character is then reassigned to a combat unit within his general branch of service (Army, Navy, Mercenaries).
Military Experience: Characters unit is involved in numerous minor skirmishes and police actions.
Significant Adulthood Events: Offworld Misadventure - The character becomes involved in a dangerous or strange incident on another planet.
Otherworld Events: Other Worlds: Chunk. An airless asteroid.
Otherworld Events: Reasons for Being Here: Emergency landing. The ship carrying the character is in trouble and needs to make an unscheduled landing on this remote world.
Otherworld Events: Events: The character becomes lost in the planets unexplored wildemess. He is adopted by apparently primitive alien beings. Yet in spite of their lack of complicated tools, they have created a wonderland of biological miracles, including organic star drives, psionically operated bio-machines, symbiotic house
Significant Adulthood Events: misadventure - The character has a misadventure on another planet.
Otherworld Events: Other Worlds: Airless rock-ball. Like Earth's moon, this is heavily cratered.
Otherworld Events: Reasons for Being Here: Business trip. The characters job brings him here for an important meeting.
Otherworld Events: Events: While alone, the character stumbles onto the ruins of an ancient, lost alien civilization. The ruins themselves are a blank in the character's mind. He doesn't remember what happened there, only that afterwards, he was somehow changed ... Although initially unchanged, the character seems somehow "alien." Any physical or appearance changes take {1d6} years to manifest themselves. The character's appearance undergoes a drastic changes ({1d3}).
Appearances: Infirm - The character suffers from a visible, recurring illness or conditioncoughing, tremors, sores, discoloration, or other obvious symptoms.
Appearances: Professionally Identifiable - The characters occupation is immediately apparent from their clothing and gear.
Appearances: Hyperintense - The character reacts to situations with obvious urgency or emotional intensity.