More Robot Wars Character Creation: Difference between revisions

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===Basics===
===Basics===
You have 70 points to design your character.  Any excess points can be saved for increase later.
Level 1 - 1 CP - Hobbyist<br>
Level 2 - 3 CP - Amateur<br>
Level 3 - 6 CP - Professional<br>
Level 4 - 10 CP - Skilled Professional<br>
Level 5 - 15 CP - Experienced Professional<br>
Level 6 - 21 CP - Expert<br>
Level 7 - 28 CP - Master<br>
Level 8 - 36 CP - Ancient Master<br>
Level 9 - 45 CP - Superlative<br>
Level 10 - 55 CP - Unmatched<br>
In short, to improve a stat costs (current level + 1)
===Stats===
These are the defining 'hard' characteristics of your character.
====Pilot====
Your character's Pilot rating is an overall measure of how well he or she pilots a mobile suit, covering the breadth of skills as opposed to the specific increases some other stats may provide. It also covers other pilotable things such as shuttles or spaceships as determined by the GM. Low Pilot does not in itself prevent access to a powerful suit, but even tremendous Newtype prowess and bleeding edge technology cannot replace basic proficiency in piloting skills.
====Gunnery====
You could be the hottest shot to ever shoot hotly, but if you can't put a bullet within a hundred meters of that battleship, you're no good outside the exibition grounds.  Because Pilot is the godstat, it's broken in two.
====Aleph====
Alephs (or colloquially, Newtypes) are, depending on whom you ask, the next stage in human evolution, an ability gained due to the invaders, their faith in God, or something that has been with us all along. Your character's Aleph rating governs her access to "magical" abilities.
====Physical====
This is the raw physical prowess of your character while she is on her own two feet, governing everything from proficiency with firearms, strength, agility, endurance, athleticism, and skill and/or talent in hand to hand combat. A character with a high rating in this category can make an excellent special forces combatant without other additions. However, it does not reflect her skill with the guns or melee weapons while inside her mecha - unless it has a motion capture system.
====Wits====
Your innate intelligence, as well as your ability to notice things and act on your feet.  It can be treasted a surrogate skill for whenever you're in a situation where instant actions are required (such as rolling initiative).  It is one of the Tactical skills, and if Wits is the highest your tactics and strategies will rely heavily on rapid improvisation and (re)actively adapting to circumstances as they come.
====Education====
How well you paid attention during school; a measure of your book learning.  It can be treated as a surrogate stat for whenever you'd be using complex systems, such as electronics.  It is one of the Tactical stats, and if Education is the highest your tactics and strategies rely on skill, knowledge and extensive analysis.
====Charisma====
Charisma measures the likeability of your character in several ways. Although few characters are anything but superior in physical attractiveness, those with high Charisma do tend to be the coolest or hottest, and they do tend to sell more figurines. More importantly though, charisma attracts followers, suitable romantic partners, and helps keep the faction together. Charisma is also the ability that governs your ability to get new or replace old/destroyed humanoid frames.  Charisma is the third of the Tactical stats, and if Charisma is the highest your tactics and strategies rely on the fact that you're such an inspiring leader and figure that those under you simply win though guts and determination.
===Specialties===
You may also buy '''Specialties''', which are substats giving you additional strengths in one field.  Each specialty is bought as per regular stats cost and adds during the appropriate situation.  For example, if a character has Pilot 4 and Melee Speciality (Pilot) 2, during mecha melee battleships he has effectively Pilot 6.
In ''especially'' appropriate situations, Specialties may add even more points to the stat.
Example for Physical: Sniper (superior gunmanship), Duelist (swordsmanship), Big Guy (brawling, clobbering, not-dying), Ballet (looking pretty), etc.
There are also a number of particularly important or common stats that are (almost) always bought as specialties.  They are detailed below
====Command====
====Command====
Command measures your character's trained proficiency at tactics, strategy, and his or her ability to make awesome plans and have them miraculously flow like water – most of the time. While low Command characters aren't necessarily stupid, high Command characters do tend to be the conspicuously smart or clever ones. Note that Command ability doesn't necessarily have anything to do with rank and is entirely optional - it is normally paired with Rank (see below).
Command measures your character's trained proficiency at tactics, strategy, and his or her ability to make awesome plans and have them miraculously flow like water – most of the time. While low Command characters aren't necessarily stupid, high Command characters do tend to be the conspicuously smart or clever ones. Note that Command ability doesn't necessarily have anything to do with rank and is entirely optional - it is normally paired with Rank (see below).
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===Extras===
===Extras===
These are things that are particularly limited in application or do not necessarily apply to character stats.  It can cover things like having a family heirloom of exceptional power, a lot of money in portable format, mutant powers like healing factor, etc.  Request one and the GM will provide a cost and effect.
These are things that are particularly limited in application or do not necessarily apply to character stats.  It can cover things like having a family heirloom of exceptional power, a lot of money in portable format, mutant powers like healing factor, etc.  Request one and the GM will provide a cost and effect.
'''Too Hot To Die'''
:Cost:  ??
:You are, as the name implies, too hot to die.  You gain your Attractiveness in -4 health levels and your Social in incapacitated health levels.


====Rank====
====Rank====
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In the past you’ve cultivated a rivalry with another skilled pilot, often the inevitable side-effects of not managing to finish the job in the previous season.  They will often bedevil you and while they can cause serious setbacks, they also mean that you can have episodes centered upon you and only you.  Plus, spoiling their undoubtedly villainous plots is sweet sweet victory.
In the past you’ve cultivated a rivalry with another skilled pilot, often the inevitable side-effects of not managing to finish the job in the previous season.  They will often bedevil you and while they can cause serious setbacks, they also mean that you can have episodes centered upon you and only you.  Plus, spoiling their undoubtedly villainous plots is sweet sweet victory.


====Advantages====
===Races===
'''Type Master'''<br>
Races are what you were born as or, less commonly, what you modified yourself to be and have little to do with pre-colonization 'racial identity', which is a social, not genetic construct. Pre-natal genetic modification has matured over centuries and few people born today have not had their or their ancestors' genomes sequenced before conception. It is a relatively inexpensive and mundane procedure, often subsidized by governments and while not 100% successful when dealing with something as complex as the entire genome of a human, still gives eminently acceptable results. Retroviral techniques to conduct systemic changes to adults are almost as old but are far more complex and difficult; consequently they are both much more expensive and rare.<br>
Cost: 3<br>
Origin is a general representation of where a given race can be expected to be found as well as what relative proportion of the population they areNote that it doesn't take into account specific circumstances; for example a gathering of Solar Federation captains would be almost all A- and S-types, with a minority of exceptional B-types.
You’ve intensive trained, having never been defeated in 2000 simulated engagements. Unfortunately your winning streak comes to an end when you encounter a Gundam. But just wait until you face off against a force of Mobile Dolls . . .
You are particularly skilled against a particular type of unit or pilot, such as Mobile Dolls, Super Robots, Mobile Armors, Gundams, Newtypes, etc. You can expect to have the equivalent of at least one rank increase in your piloting skill if facing off against said, due to your almost instinctive understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. Note that ‘Conventional Mecha’ is not a valid choiceThis stacks with both Pilot ''and'' any pilot specialty, making it particularly useful.


'''License Holder'''<br>
Racial bonuses modify the effective value of your stats; racial modifiers do not increase (or decrease) the cost of a given stat. It is of course entirely possible for a baseline to be smarter or stronger than even an S-type - exceptional individuals occur everywhere.  Note that depending on the campaign being run it may be entirely appropriate to provide cost breaks or cost divisors for transhuman templates; in the reality of More Robot Wars an S-Type is not penalized for being born superlative - they in fact have a huge leg upThis of course runs counter to game balance and GMs should be careful about travelling this path.  Consider carefully before doing so.
Cost: 4<br>
For whatever reason, you’ve been issued a ‘License.’ This effectively grants you autonomy from the command structure; you still get all the perks of your rank, but you can also chose to hare off on your own wild misadventures. While in theory a license holder answers to no-one but those who issued it, in practice excessive abuses will result in consequencesHaving a License generally comes with being a fairly important conspirator; nobody gives one of these to a wet-behind-the-ears novice.


'''Cybernewtype'''<br>
Cost: 4<br>
You’re a government experiment in pilot uniform. You got the benefits of being able to control funnels, dodge incoming blasts you shouldn’t really be dodging, but you also got the downside of ranging from ~moe pill~ addition, being eccentric to outright batshit crazy and also technically being government property.  You automatically get the Aleph Skills Newtype Flash and High Level Control at no Aleph point cost and may exceed whatever usual Aleph restrictions may otherwise apply.


'''Fan Favourite'''<br>
'''Grounders (Baselines)'''
Cost: 6<br>
:Most of the human population of known space inhabit planets and have minimal if any genetic alteration. Classed as E-Types in the Solar Federation, these baseline humans are often known as Grounder due to the fact that most unaugmented humans live (and stay) on planets.  While at the dawn of the colonization era these were mostly those who were too poor or too disadvantaged to get genetic counselling, in modern times it has become something of a badge of perverse pride or religious devotion to call oneself a Baseline, Flat, Grounder or other previously-derogatory term. Some jurisdictions actually treat having baseline children as child abuse, though this remains difficult to enforce, not to mention politically charged.
You are The Patrick. You might not be omnicompetent and flying the top-end craft like some, but your popularity ensures that you’ll survive all but the most ridiculous situations (or, of course, deliberate self-sacrifice). Note that generally this advantage won’t apply if you’re already just that awesome; Yazan Gable never needed to be a Fan Favourite to survive and kick ass even when surrounded by Newtypes.
:Grounders cost 0 points and have no modifiers.
:Origin:  Common on planets across known space


===Disadvantages===
'''Obsession'''<br>
Bonus: 3<br>
Perhaps you're a (very) persistent womanizer (no matter your gender), mechaphile or have some other sort of very noticeable personal trait.  Essentially have acquired an (un)healthy interest in someone or something else to the level that you have little self-control when faced with it.  This goes far beyond schoolgirl yuri or a wandering eye; at the extremes it can reach the level of creepy stalker crush.


'''Code of Honor'''<br>
'''Low Transhumans'''
Bonus: 5<br>
:Earlier or less drastic modifications to human genomes resulted in people that were only mildly changed from their parents.  These changes are generally preventative in focus, removing various biological inefficiencies and 'evolutionary baggage'.  Few actually have underground 'upgrades' in the conventional sense, the improvements these individuals see stems from broadly improved health and metabolism along with the (near-)elimination of genetic ailments like poor vision, etc.  In the 23rd century, these are 'normal humans' to most people, the archaic label of 'low transhuman' slowly falling out of common use.  In the Solar Federation these are typically ranked as D- or C-Type; Ds are simply 'fixed' humans, whereas Cs tend to have mild upgrades.
You abide by a code of honor consisting either of one huge schtick (never kill anyone – just disable their suits) or a general mode of behaviour, such as being polite at all times, not taking advantage of people when they're down and so on.  


'''Intolerant'''<br>
''D-Type Low Transhumans''
Bonus: 3<br>
:D-Types cost 20 points
You hate some group. Maybe baselines killed your father, or your little sister was captured by pirates. You never associate with them, abuse them if they're prisoners, and always go after them in combat with extra berserk.
:D-Type stat bonuses are +1 Physique
:D-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance
:Origin:  Common across known space


'''Adventurous'''<br>
''C-Type Low Transhumans''
Bonus: 3<br>
:C-Types cost 45 points
Whenever in a situation where direct instruction from higher command or even when direct instruction is somewhat interpretable, your instinct is to go ahead and drag along a partner along if you have one! This will put you in a lot of dangerous situations, though you will also have a useful streak of fearlessness.
:C-Type stat bonuses are +1 Physique and +1 Charisma
:C-Type specialties are +1 Fit
:C-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance
:Origin:  Common across known space


'''Damaged Goods'''<br>
Bonus: 3<br>
At some point in your past, you encountered something terribly traumatic that set your angst temporarily at 11. You may pick a circumstance, though if the GM doesn't think it'll affect things enough, he may pick one for you or expand on it. Often, people with this disad are very bright and cheerful but may have constant nightmares, try to keep themselves, and suffer debilitating flashbacks, seizures, or freezeups during battle.


'''Type Failure'''<br>
[[Image:hightranshuman.jpg|thumb]]
Bonus: 3<br>
'''High Transhumans'''
Your training had gaps, perhaps due to a rushed schedule or simple lack of experience. There’s one type of enemy unit or pilot that you simply cannot handle.
:The cautious early steps in human augmenation soon gave way to more drastic and significant upgrades to the human condition. The concept of 'Human-plus' became a reality as deliberately recoded DNA brought forth the possibility of ''everyone'' achieving abilities substantially beyond the human norm and 'transhuman' became synonymous with 'transgenic'. Cognitive upgrades were also part of the package, and 'high transhumans' were not just more physically fit but also more intelligent and more sociable.  Furthermore at this point inherent biological immortality (or at least exceptionally long lifespans) became the norm.  In the Solar Federation these are ranked B- or A-Types.
You are particularly unskilled against a particular type of unit, such as Mobile Dolls, Super Robots, Mobile Armors, Gundams, etc. You can expect to have the equivalent of at least one rank decrease in your piloting skill if facing off against said, due to your limited skillset, ''and it must be something that you can plausibly be pitted against.''


'''Berserker'''<br>
''B-Type High Transhumans''
Bonus: 4<br>
:B-Types cost 100 points
You go crazy in battle, forget to cover your friends and kill more shit then you need to. Even when you’re not in a berserker rage, you’re not likely to be terribly subtle. You may have a hair-trigger temper, or you just might have some ‘buttons’ that get pressed often.
:B-Type stat bonuses are +2 Physique, +1 Intellect +1 Charisma
:B-Type specialties are +1 Fit, +1 Perceptive, +1 Attractive
:B-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance
:B-Types have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
:B-Types may be Alephs, capped at 4
:Origin:  Solar Federation (common), Verge (uncommon)


'''Renegade Interrupt'''<br>
''A-Type High Transhumans''
Bonus: 4<br>
:A-Types cost 125 points
You've been implied, accused or caught on tape doing something not quite sufficient to get you discharged but certainly enough to merit a bad reputation. While some may applaud you doing 'what needed to be done', most will ask 'did you have to do it that way?'  Expect to be distrusted, even by those in your own chain of command and charisma penalties will be common. This can synergize well with License, in which case you're probably very dedicated (or simply promised a rich reward) to The Cause, to the detriment of your relations with those in your public association.
:A-Type stat bonuses are +2 Physique, +1 Intellect +1 Charisma
:A-Type specialties are +1 Dextrous, +1 Fit, +1 Intelligent, +1 Perceptive, +1 Attractive
:A-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance and +1 to any two Academic or Social skills
:A-Types have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
:A-Types may be Alephs, capped at 6
:Origin: Solar Federation (uncommon)


===Races===
Yes, you're seeing this right.  There is no point cost for races, even though S-types are vastly superior to grounders.  The Solar Federation is an intrinsically inequal system.  Of course, it's ''expected'' that an S-type will save the world twice before dinner, whereas a Grounder doing the same is a true hero.


'''Grounders (Baselines)'''
[[Image:outliersuperior.jpg|thumb]]
:Most of the human population of known space inhabit planets and have minimal if any genetic alterationClassed as E-Types in the Solar Federation, these baseline humans are generally known as GrounderThey get no modifiers
'''Outlier Superiors'''
:Over the past century, the intermixing of bloodlines, technological improvements, quest for perfection and simple luck of the draw has resulted in the occasional birth of individuals who have truly exceptional genes.  At the leading edge of the curve these superhuman individuals easily gravitate towards the peaks of power and responsibility.  Attempts have been made to replicate the full range of their abilities but as so much relied upon the vaguarities of chance, these have had mixed results.  Baroque breeding programs among the upper classes have become common, some ending up indistinguishable from dynastic marriages to seal agreementsIn the Solar Federation these individuals recieve the coveted S-Type classification.
:S-Types cost 230 points
:S-Type stat bonuses are +3 Physique, +1 Intellect +1 Charisma and two +1s that can be assigned to any two of Intellect, Charisma or Aleph
:S-Type get a +1 to ''all'' specialties
:S-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance and +1 to any three other skills
:S-Types have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
:S-Types may be Alephs, with no cap
:Origin: Solar Federation (rare)


'''Low Transhumans'''
:Earlier or less drastic enhancements to humans resulted in people that were only mildly changed from their parents.  In the Solar Federation these are typically ranked as C or D type and get a +1 bonus to Physical and Wits.


'''High Transhumans'''
[[Image:seraphupgrade.jpg|thumb]]
:The cautious early steps in human augmenation soon gave way to more drastic and significant upgrades to the human conditionAt this point inherent biological immortality (or at least exceptionally long lifespans) became the normIn the Solar Federation these are ranked A or B types and gets a +2 bonus to Physical, +1 to Wits and +1 to Charisma, with a minimum of 4 in Wits, Physical and Charisma.  They also have a ''maximum'' of Aleph 6.
'''Seraph'''
:One of the Seraphim Organization's purported goals and major successes has been the stabilization of a reproducible S-grade genetic template.  First developed in the late 22nd century they were introduced to the public in 2210 where they have became extremely popular among those wealthy enough to afford the complex upgradeA quirk of the specific genetic modifications makes them much easier apply to XX individuals as opposed to XY; consequently male Seraphs are much less common, making up less than 5% of the population of SeraphsThe flood of young standardized S-class transhumans and their gender disparity is already causing ripples in the Solar Federation.
:Seraphs cost 180 points
:Seraph stat bonuses are +2 Physique, +2 Aleph, +1 Intellect, +1 Charisma
:Seraph get a +1 to ''all'' specialties
:Seraph skill bonuses are +1 to any two Academic or Social skills
:Seraphs have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
:All Seraphs are Alephs, with no cap
:Origin: Solar Federation (rare), Seraphim Organization (common)


'''Superior Transhumans'''
:The pinnacle of the Solar Federation's power pyramid, Superior or S-Type transhumans are better than humans in almost all measurable ways.  Living in the lap of power has given them a nearly universal sense of arrogance and confidence, one well-warranted by their immense personnel abilities.    They also automatically get +1 Conspiracy for whatever ''Solar Federation'' organization they are in, thanks to preferential politics and recruitment. The following Races are all considered S-Class.


'''Outlier Superior'''
'''Floaters'''
:Many different projects, bloodlines, and retroviruses are at work in the human population. Just as humans may gain superlative abilities through chance of birth, effort, or cybernetics, S-class transhumans represent the leading edge of the curve. They enjoy a +3 bonus to Physical and a +1 to Wits, Charisma, Education and Aleph, with a minimum of 4 in Wits, Charisma and Education and 5 in Physical.  they also have as one free +1 to assign to Wits, Charisma or Education.
:Floaters have lived out in space on orbiting platforms, asteroid cities and the like for generations.  Some are the descendants of colonists who chose a life in space away from the heavily-controlled colony worlds. Others are ship or station crews from less well-off parts of explored space where sophisticated zero-gravity gene adaptations were unavailable.  No matter the origin, Floaters tend to be physically weak, though with an almost instinctive feel for three-dimensional movement; the result of long-term and poorly mitigated microgravity upon the human body. The Solar Federation generally labels these F-types, though few are citizens of the Federation.
:Floaters cost 0 points
:Floater suffer a stat penalty of -1 Physique
:Floaters also suffer a specialty penalty of -1 Manipulative
:Floaters skill bonuses are +2 Zero-G skill and +1 Engineering
:Origin:  Solar Federation (rare), Verge (uncommon), Rim (common)


'''Seraph'''
:Project Seraphim's goal is the mass production of S-class transhumans through human and alien technologies. Their successes display a +2 bonus to Physical and Aleph, and a +1 bonus to Education, Wits and Charisma, with a minimum of 4 in Physical, Wits, Charisma and Education. True Seraphs (iow, those actually part of the Seraphim Organization in some fashion) also gain +1 Conspiracy: Seraphim.


====Rim Transhumans====
'''Icarus'''
Outside of the pseudo-standardization of the Solar Federation, many colonists have taken their own paths towards perfection.
:Icarus upgrades are a 22nd century response to the needs of the expanding deep-space presence in what would become the Solar Federation.  Applying increased understanding of long-term low and microgravity effects on the human body to common transhuman templates, the Icarus became popular among those who settled on the high frontier.  In fact the introduction of the Icarus template is seen as one of the root causes of the spread of the Outbacker movement, to the point at which there are more Icarus upgrades in the Verge than in SolFed space.  The Solar Federation classes these individuals as O-types.
:Icarus Upgrades cost 50 points
:Icarus Upgrade stat bonuses are +1 Intellect
:Icarus Upgrade specialties are +1 Dexterity and +1 Friendly
:Icarus Upgrade skill bonuses are +2 Zero-G skill and +1 Engineering
:Origin:  Solar Federation (uncommon), Verge (common), Rim (uncommon)


'''Spacers'''
:Spacers have lived out in space on orbiting platforms, asteroid cities and the like for generations, generally the descendants of colonists who arrived in systems with no viable planets.  All Spacers get +1 Tuneup (Mechanic) and +1 Zero-Gravity, but suffer -1 Physical.  The Solar Federation generally labels these O-types, though few call themselves citizens of the Federation.


'''Alpha'''
'''Alpha'''
:A generalized blend of transgenic traits, broadly comparable to the B ranked transhumanis of the Solar Federation. Alphas have +1 to Physical, Wits and Charisma, with a minum of 4 in those stats.
:Originally a popular genofixing template from the late 21st century, 'Alpha' has since became a broad term for a generalized blend of transhuman traits.  They are considered loosely equivalent to B-Type transhumans, though Solar Federation genetic techniques are superior to those of the outer worlds and consequently Alphas lack the highly upgraded immune and healing abilities of SolFed High Transhumans.  Many citizens of the League of Outer stars are Alphas where there has been a government push via socialized genofixing to bring all children to this level.  Recently the so-called Alpha-Plus has entered the market, though those capable of providing the equivalent of cutting-edge Solar Federation science are rare.
 
''Alpha Upgrade''
:Alphas cost 70 points
:Alpha stat bonuses are +1 Physique, +1 Intellect and +1 Charisma
:Alpha specialties are +1 to one each of Physique, Intellect and Charisma
:Origin:  Verge (common), Rim (uncommon)
 
''Alpha-Plus''
:Alpha-Pluses cost 110 points
:Alpha-Plus stat bonuses are +1 Physique, +1 Intellect and +1 Charisma
:Alpha-Plus get a +1 to ''all'' specialties
:Alpha-Plus skill bonuses are +1 to any two skills
:Alpha-Pluses have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
:Alpha-Pluses may be Alephs, capped at 4
:Origin:  Verge (rare)
 
 
'''Atlas'''
:A popular (and some might say necessary) upgrade for heavy-gravity worlds, the Atlas template substantially upgrades the human body's musculature, skeleton and cardiovascular system.  This greatly improves both instantaneous and sustained strength, near-necessities for worlds with gravities 50% higher than Earth's.  Of course the Atlas upgrade lends itself well to soldierly pursuits and it is common to see them on the frontiers, clearing out nests of feral drones or local predators - or more ''human'' predators.  Atlases are not unattractive by any means but look stocky and solid next to the supermodel looks of Ishtars and the willowy grace of Omoikanes.
:Atlas Upgrades cost 125 points
:Atlas Upgrade stat bonuses are +3 Physique, +1 Intellect and +1 Charisma
:Atlas Upgrade specialties are +2 to Big and Fit
:Atlas Upgrades have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique
:Origin:  Verge (common)
 


[[Image:Ishtarupgrade.jpg|thumb]]
'''Ishtar'''
'''Ishtar'''
:The Ishtar upgrade was intended to result in an individual with exceptional warms and personality and is found throughout the Zodiac UnionThey get +2 Charisma, +1 Wits and +1 Physical, and must have a minimum of 5 in Charisma.
:The Ishtar upgrade was intended to result in an individuals with exceptional warms and personality, in which it succeeded admirably.  One of the second generation of transgenic upgrades from the early 22nd century, the Ishtar template substantially improves on the basic human ability for empathy and socialization, as well as memory and perception.  Standard upgrade techniques also improve their bodies, with Ishtars universally having leggy, perfectly-proportioned recruiting-poster builds and faces that merely start at 'attractive'.  Consequently Ishtars have spread throughout the Verge and often form the social glue of groups and organizationsIshtars also tend to have vivid, unnatural hair colors which contributes to their stereotype as flighty pop stars, no matter what their occupation.
:Ishtars cost 125 points
:Ishtar stat bonuses are +1 Physique, +1 Intellect and +2 Charisma
:Ishtar specialties are +1 Fit, +1 Quick-Witted, +1 Perceptive and +1 to all Charisma specialties
:Ishtar skill bonuses are +1 to Savoir-Faire, +1 to Ettiquete and +1 to any other Social skill
:Ishtars have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Charisma
:Origin:  Verge (common)
 


[[Image:omoikaneupgrade.jpg|thumb]]
'''Omoikane'''
'''Omoikane'''
:One of the more common upgrades in the Zodiac Union, Omoikanes give +2 Education, +1 Wits and +1 Charisma.  Omoikanes must have a minimum of 5 in Education.
:Like Ishtars, Omoikanes are second-generation upgrades, with a focus instead on intellectual abilities, in which they are supremely gifted. Capable of effortlessly grasping complex concepts and recalling vast amounts of information they find ready employment in any technical or intellectual field.  Thanks to the advances in cognitive science by the 22nd century they are not socially crippled robots either, and while not as capable of demonstrating bottomless well of effortless social acumen they are still quite socially adept.  One unique feature about Omoikanes is their neural processes are optimized for machine reading and neural interfaces work particularly well for them.  Most Omoikanes have light silver or stark white hair, which is actually pigmented white (as opposed to the progressive loss of hair pigmentation over normal human aging) and is something of a visible trademark.
:Omoikanes cost 125 points
:Omoikane stat bonuses are +2 to Intellect and +1 to Charisma
:Omoikane specialties are +1 to Dextrous, Fit, Quick-witted, Perceptive, Attractive and Friendly or Manipulative and +2 to Intelligent
:Omoikane skill bonuses are +1 Remote Operations, +1 Neural Interfacing and +1 to any two other Academic skills
:Omoikanes have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Intellect
:Origin:  Verge (common)


'''Full-Body Cyborg'''
===Careers===
:Those not born with the abilities of an S-class are not incapable of gaining something similar. A dangerous and expensive surgical procedure may remove a person's brainstem, then install it in some form of mechanical body. The most experimental and powerful of these rival or even surpass the superlative abilities of an S-class. Full-Body Cyborgs have +2 bonus to Physical, +3 bonus to Physical: Big Guy and +1 to Education: Computer Operation.  They get +1 Conspiracy for whatever Rim organization they are in.
Careers are what your character has been trained to do and presumably continues to do.  Each Career is a set package of stats, skills and traits and is generally the summation of a number of years of both experience and learning. Unlike Races, Careers do not provide modifiers, they provide base values which can then be increased as normal per skill improvement.<br>
Most Careers also have the option of taking one or more Vocations, which can represent additional or unusual training for the chosen Career or time spent doing 'something else.'  If a Career and a Vocation have bonuses to the same skill, the bonus from the Vocation is converted to points and then added against the cost to get to the next skill rank(s).


===Careers===
Some Careers might also have minimum stats - nobody's going to make it through special forces training with a physical of 1.
:Careers represent what your character does for a livingLike Races, they provide bonuses and penalties to stats and specialties; again like Races these modify the ''final'' value, not the inherent value (eg, what you calculate cost to buy with)Some Careers might also have minimum stats - nobody's going to make it through special forces training with a physical of 1.
 
====Universal Careers====
'''Spacer'''
:With hundreds of solar systems large and small connected via wormholes and thousands more (mostly uninhabited) reachable via continuous-wormhole drive, interstellar starships fill the same role as surface ships did back in the pre-space era on EarthAnd where ships go, crewmembers go onboard.  Of course those on interstellar ships are merely the tip of the iceberg and Spacers also includes crews for in-system ships as well as people who operate the myriad deep-space stations that support the human economy.
:Spacers cost
:Spacers get Physique 2, Intellect 3 and Charisma 2
:Spacers get Zero-G 3, Pilot 2, Awareness 2, Bureaucracy 1, Engineering (starships) 2, Helmsman 3
:Spacers may take any Universal Vocation
 
'''Guardsman'''
:Most worlds maintain some form of standing military in the vein of National Guards, tasked with roles ranging from planetary defense to disaster relief to riot controlTypically more lightly-equipped than heavy army 'shock' units or marines/espatiers, Guardsmen are also stereotypically seen as less well-trained.  That said, defending your loved ones can be a real morale-stiffener . . .
:Guardsmen cost
:Guardsmen get Physique 3, Intellect 2 and Charisma 2
:Guardsmen get Fit (Physique specialty) 2
:Guardsmen get Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Melee 2, Firearms 3, Endurance 2, Drive 2, Artillery 2, Awareness 2, Tactics 1, Etiquette (military) 2, Intimidation 1
:Guardsmen may take any Universal Vocation
 
'''Clearance Contractor'''
:The living machines created millions of years ago by the Nephilim still haunt the galaxy, ancient terraforming robots with hardwired orders to go forth and multiply.  Unfortunately the arrival of humanity's starfaring ships and quantum-gravitic babble has woken them from their long slumber.  Some systems of strategic or commercial import have become infested with these ancient feral drones and consequently many contractors now make a living clearing them out with attack ships and mecha.
:Clearance Contractors cost
:Clearance Contractors get Physique 3, Intellect 3 and Charisma 2
:Clearance Contractors get Perceptive (Intellect specialty) 1
:Clearance Contractors get Zero-G 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Melee 1, Firearms 2, Endurance 1, Drive 1, Pilot 3, Gunnery 4, Mecha Fighting 3, Artillery 3, Awareness 2, Academics (feral drones) 2, Engineering (weapons) 2, Tactics 1
:Clearance Contractors may take any Universal Vocation
 
'''Special Forces'''
:Not everything happens in space and all polities in the universe require personnel whose foremost proficiency is on conducting operations on his her feet. (+1 Physical, +1 Physical (Chosen Specialty), +1 Wits (Alertness), +1 Intellect (Security))


====Federation Careers====
'''Solar Fleet Pilot'''
'''Solar Fleet Pilot'''
:The many, the proud.  All SolFleet Pilot PCs are assumed to have already distinguished themselves in some wayThey get +1 Pilot, +1 Gunnery and Mid Rank, and all but the most exceptional cases will be at least Low Transhumans.
:The many, the proud, the Solar Federation Pilot Corps.  This overarching term masks the many subgroups that make up the Solar Fleet; not only functional ones like mecha pilots vs transport pilots, but also the national militaries that are the actual components of the Solar FleetNonetheless they are all trained to the highest standards using both VR sims and extensive 'stick time' (the concept of actually using flight sticks being slightly archaic but the term has stuck) and they are some of the most effective warriors in spaceFew pilots are anything less than B-type transhuman, though particularly talented C-types are not unheard of.
:SolFed Pilots cost
:SolFed Pilots get Physique 3, Intellect 3 and Charisma 2
:SolFed Pilots get Zero-G 2, Pilot 3, Gunnery 3, Firearms 1, Brawl 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Tactics 2, Artillery 3, Electronic Warfare 3, Etiquette (military) 2
:SolFed Pilots may take any Universal or Solar Federation Vocation


'''Solar Fleet Officer'''
'''Solar Fleet Officer'''
Line 221: Line 264:


'''INTACT Lictors'''
'''INTACT Lictors'''
:Lictors are the public face of INTACT, front-line warriors and troubleshooters.  Due to stringent testing and requirements, most Lictors are S-type transhumans, with a few A-types and some truly skilled 'lessers'. There are actually many different training paths for Lictors, but the kind you'll be playing get a +1 Pilot, +1 Pilot (Mobile Suit), +1 Gunnery (Mobile Suit), +1 Charisma (Diplomacy) and +1 Conspiracy (INTACT).
:Lictors are the public face of INTACT, front-line warriors and troubleshooters.  Due to stringent testing and requirements, most Lictors are S-type transhumans, with a few A-types and some truly skilled 'lessers'.
:INTACT Lictors cost
:INTACT Lictors get Physique 3, Intellect 3 and Charisma 3
:INTACT Lictors get Zero-G 2, Pilot 2, Gunnery 2, Firearms 2, Brawl 2, Melee 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Tactics 2, Etiquette (military) 2, Etiquette (diplomacy) 3, Subterfuge 2, Savoir-Faire 2, Command 2
:INTACT Lictors ''must'' take an INTACT Focus.
:INTACT Lictors may take any Universal or Solar Federation Vocation


'''INTACT Censor'''
'''INTACT Censor'''
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:The Legates are the commanders and leaders of INTACT, typically having authority over one or more warships, bases or ground operations group.  They recieve +1 Command (Universal), +1 Education (Politics), +1 Charisma (Diplomacy), +2 Conspiracy (INTACT) and High Rank.
:The Legates are the commanders and leaders of INTACT, typically having authority over one or more warships, bases or ground operations group.  They recieve +1 Command (Universal), +1 Education (Politics), +1 Charisma (Diplomacy), +2 Conspiracy (INTACT) and High Rank.


=====INTACT Foci=====
All INTACT members have specializations once they finish their extremely involved basic training.  Some go on to be investigators, others special forces leaders, others spymasters, yet others mecha pilots.
====League Careers====
'''League Combatsystem Operator'''
'''League Combatsystem Operator'''
:The League has few pilots, instead having 'operators' acting as telepresent squad leaders.  These men and women are rigorously trained to capably time-share their attention between various viewpoints and react to shifting engagements from a rear-area perspective. Combatsystem Operators recieve +1 Tuneup (Engineer), +1 Education (Computers), +1 Command (AI Mecha) and Mid Rank.
:The League has few pilots, instead having 'operators' acting as telepresent squad leaders.  These men and women are rigorously trained to capably time-share their attention between various viewpoints and react to shifting engagements from a rear-area perspective.
:Combatsystem Operators cost
:Combatsystem Operators get Physique 2, Intellect 3 and Charisma 2
:Combatsystem Operators get Quick-Witted (Intellect specialty) 1
:Combatsystem Operators get Zero-G 2, Gunnery 3, Awareness 3, Firearms 1, Brawl 1, Athletics 1, Tactics 2, Artillery 3, Remote Operations 3, Etiquette (military) 2
:Combatsystem Operators may take any Universal or League Vocation


'''League/Union Battlemanagement Director'''
'''League/Union Battlemanagement Director'''
:With the League's predisposition towards automated weapons, their leaders must be just at home managing complex info-combat systems as they are at managing people. Battlemanagement Directors recieve +1 Command (Universal), +1 Education (Computers), +2 Conspiracy (League Military) and High Rank.
:With the League's predisposition towards automated weapons, their leaders must be just at home managing complex info-combat systems as they are at managing people.
:Battlemanagement Directors cost
:Battlemanagement Directors get Physique 2, Intellect 3 and Charisma 3
:Combatsystem Operators get Intelligent (Intellect specialty) 1
:Battlemanagement Directors get Zero-G 2, Awareness 3, Firearms 1, Brawl 1, Athletics 1, Tactics 3, Strategy 3, Artillery 2, Remote Operations 2, Etiquette (military) 2, Command 3
:Battlemanagement Directors may take any Universal or League Vocation


'''Union Mechanized Vanguard'''
'''Union Mechanized Vanguard'''
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'''Republic Fleet Officer'''
'''Republic Fleet Officer'''
:The Republic entrusts these officers with some of the most powerful weapons ever invented by man.  To defend the Republic's interests, Republic Fleet Officers have +1 Command (Spaceships), +1 Education (History), +1 Conspiracy (Republic Fleet) and Command Rank.
:The Republic entrusts these officers with some of the most powerful weapons ever invented by man.  To defend the Republic's interests, Republic Fleet Officers have +1 Command (Spaceships), +1 Education (History), +1 Conspiracy (Republic Fleet) and Command Rank.
====Miscellaneous Careers====
These careers are generally exclusive to a certain polity or zone of space and consequently should only be taken if specifically relevant.
'''Seraphim Consor'''
:It's a rough galaxy out where civilization fades into the hiss of radio background and as an organization that has many investments in the Rim, the Seraphim maintain their own small but well-trained and equipped group of pilots and soldiers.  These Consors are called in for situations where locally-sourced security is either unavailable or insufficient for Seraphim needs.
:Seraphim Consors cost $$$$ and ''must'' be a Seraph transgenic template
:Seraphim Consors get Physique 3, Intellect 3, Charisma 3 and Aleph 3
:Seraphim Consors get Zero-G 2, Pilot 3, Gunnery 3, Awareness 3, Firearms 1, Brawl 1, Athletics 2, Mecha Fighting 2, Tactics 1, Artillery 3, Subterfuge 2, Telepathic Weapons 3
:Seraphim Consors may take any Universal or Solar Federation Vocation


'''Royalty'''
'''Royalty'''
:The extended ''de Godsforde'' royal family of the White Rose kingdom are accountable to no one. They are trained to lead and maintain the interests of themselves, their subordinates, and ultimately the state through policy. (+1 Charisma, +2 Conspiracy (White Rose), High Rank, License Holder)
:The extended ''de Godsforde'' royal family of the White Rose kingdom are accountable to no one. They are trained to lead and maintain the interests of themselves, their subordinates, and ultimately the state through policy. (+1 Charisma, +2 Conspiracy (White Rose), High Rank, License Holder)


'''Special Forces'''
===Vocations===
:Not everything happens in space and all polities in the universe require personnel whose foremost proficiency is on conducting operations on his her feet. (+1 Physical, +1 Physical (Chosen Specialty), +1 Wits (Alertness), +1 Smarts (Security))
====Universal Vocations====
'''Reservist'''
:The practice of maintaining military reservists is one that has gotten renewed interest since the Solar War and consequently many men and women spend weekends maintaining martial skills after being discharged from regular service.
:Reservist costs
:Reservists get Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Melee 1, Firearms 2, Endurance 2, Awareness 1
 
'''ARROWs Liason'''
:While INTACT focusses almost exclusively on fellow humans, ARROWs deals with the inhuman.  Those in its ranks range from cogscience lawyers to xenoarcheologists to combat pilots to theotechnicians.  A period in ARROWs is often seen as a way to escape the politicking that is so often common in Solar Federation organizations and see far more of known space than otherwise, while for those in the colonies it is a good way to get valued experience.
:ARROW Liasons costs
:ARROW Liasons get
 
====Solar Federation Vocations====


[[category:More Robot Wars]]
[[category:More Robot Wars]]

Latest revision as of 22:46, 20 May 2011

Basics

Command

Command measures your character's trained proficiency at tactics, strategy, and his or her ability to make awesome plans and have them miraculously flow like water – most of the time. While low Command characters aren't necessarily stupid, high Command characters do tend to be the conspicuously smart or clever ones. Note that Command ability doesn't necessarily have anything to do with rank and is entirely optional - it is normally paired with Rank (see below).

Command is normally bought for specific (if broad) circumstances, such as Aerospace Operations, Warship Command, Mecha Squadrons, Infantry Combat, etc. General Command can be bought and applies to all situations where Command would be used, but it is treated as being one-half of its stated rating (rounded down, you munchkins), and is generally used to represent a basic amount of training that military officers (or resistance leaders) get before they specialize in any one field.

Conspiracy

While Charisma is a measure of how well you deal with people, Conspiracy is a measure of how well connected you are to the political machinations that underpin the story. In essence, it is how much of the ‘big picture’ the character sees. Conspiracy is an effective way of acquiring information, supplies, allies and even new machines, but remember that depending on who you're aligned with, there may be no loyalty, only self-interest in this.

Conspiracy is normally bought for specific groups ('Conspiracies), ranging from the Solar Federation Senate to INTACT to The Futurists and similar 'true' conspiracies. Likewise, it can be bought in the 'unlimited' format, for those who truly have their fingers in every pie and is treated as having 1/2 of its stated rating, rounded down.

Finally, Conspiracy can be used more generally for investigation, streetwise, simple cover-ups and other general low-level skullduggery.

Tuneup

Tuneup represents your ability to squeeze just that extra bit of effectiveness out of whatever you're flying. Every level of Tuneup gives you one additional Mecha Build Point, to a max of the associated primary stat. Note that in all cases these require a certain level of 'maintenance', be it the only person who repairs (or touches!) your machine to having to spend hours every day flying it to keeping good relations with your secret patron.

Mechanic is Wits-based, and represents tinkering with your own (or someone else's!) robot to make it work better. It most commonly increases melee, firepower or speed.

Engineer is Education-based, and represents applying advanced principles and techniques along with a dose of fancy R&D equipment to your machine. It most commonly increaseses firepower, defense or special.

Crack Pilot is Pilot-based, and represents simply getting every possible sliver of red-lined performance out of a machine. It most commonly increases melee, speed or defense.

Special Connections is Conspiracy-based, and represents someone out there with special interest in you providing you with some nifty toys. It almost always increases special, with firepower and defense being distantly behind.

Extras

These are things that are particularly limited in application or do not necessarily apply to character stats. It can cover things like having a family heirloom of exceptional power, a lot of money in portable format, mutant powers like healing factor, etc. Request one and the GM will provide a cost and effect.

Too Hot To Die

Cost:  ??
You are, as the name implies, too hot to die. You gain your Attractiveness in -4 health levels and your Social in incapacitated health levels.

Rank

Rank represents your position in the hierarchy of the organization you're a part of. Rank is always bought in reference to a specific organization, such as INTACT, the Combined ZOCU Militias, the USMC, etc. Depending on the campaign, one or more levels of it may be automatically granted. Rank, essentially, controls how many NPCs you have under your control.

While the specifics may vary depending on the exact organization one is a member of, these are the typical ranks and bonuses. Also note that Rank is fairly interpretive, so it's entirely possible (if fairly implausible) to have a General who is 'Low Ranked', someone who for whatever reason flies alone.

Low Ranked
Cost: 0
This normally represents enlisted or otherwise non-commissioned characters, but also applies equally well to commissioned pilots who have no wingmen (or are wingmen themselves), or simply are part of an all-elite group. Low Ranked is the default.

Mid Ranked
Cost: 5
At this level you either have a single named NPC in a comparable suit who can solidly cover your back and can be trusted to not steal your limelight, or else a three-man element (wingman + additional pair) with inferior skills and equipment - but don't mock the power of numbers.

High Ranked
Cost: 7 points (requires Mid Rankged)
This is generally the level of experience pilots, who will either have a three-man element as above who are of broadly PC grade ability, an entire squadron of inferior NPCs, or else a cruiser (but no NPC pilots - the ship is the NPC 'pilot'). Note that the character themself doesn't have to be the one commanding the warship, just have functional authority or decision-making capability with it - we're in an anime, after all.

Command Ranked
Cost: 13 points (requires High Ranked)
You're the Big Cheese. You've got a squadron of reasonably skilled NPCs at your beck and call, or two squadrons of inferior NPCs and a cruiser to carry them around in, or else a battleship with escorts. At this level it would not be unreasonable to have another PC with High Ranked as the Wing CO, if the Battleship option is taken. In really weird cases it could even take the form of a quirky miniboss squad flying midseason uglies, fully the match of any PC with their own names, unique and powerful mobile suits and special attacks. Oh, and character shields.

Traits

Traits are particularly exagerated aspects of your character. All Traits are free, and while multiple can be taken, they should make sense.

Veteran
While most protagonists tend to be relatively new at this whole ‘heroing’ thing (though not, let it be known, does this mean it is solely the domain of the young – see James Links) there are some who have had their time in the spotlight in the previous anime. These characters are better pilots, generally higher ranked and simply more skilled, having had an entire season or more of combat under their belt (or the backstory equivalent, if you’re Roy Fokker). They get +1 to Piloting and +1 Gunnery or Command (specific). Unfortunately, all Veterans suffer a -2 penalty to their effective Aleph Potential.

Hot-Blooded!
God certainly must protect fools and lovers, because you're a fool that loves a good challenge. Your entire life is a litany of guts, determination and sheerest foolhardiness. For any one turn you can channel your hot-bloodedness to survive any (reasonable) amount of enemy fire. However, you can be psychologically vulnerable and be easy prey for enemy deception and tricks. You're also unable to understand that your subordinates might not be able to keep up with you or that your commanding officer has a plan more subtle than 'Charge and win!'.

No Such Thing As Overkill
You love big guns, though you'll also gleefully accept lots of guns. In any mecha with a firepower rating or 5 or more, for one turn you can do an 'Alpha Strike' which significantly boosts firepower at the expense of speed - you're too busy shooting to move! Unfortunately, you ignore melee weapons as useless and always act at -1 melee.

Blademaster
The way of the (beam) sword is the one you follow, and you have become particularly skilled in deflecting enemy melee attacks by doing a continuous parry and dodge. This gives you the ability to increase your defense in melee by sacrificing your opportunity to attack. You will either have a specially modified machine or simply ignore range weapons if possible, giving you a -1 to effective Firepower. Additionally, if properly equipped with energy melee weapons or similar, you can even potentially defend against ranged attacks with your melee power.

Made Of Iron
Your character shields are so strong they extend to your mecha, like some sort of slasher film bad guy. And like them, whatever you're flying just seems to soak impossible hits as it cra-a-a-a-awls across the screen. Maybe you know how to angle your torso unit just right so the shots deflect. No matter how you do it, anything you're flying acts at +1 armor and -1 speed the moment you get behind the controls.

Paragon Interrupt
Your past includes some notable incident of heroism in the line of duty. Perhaps you held the line around the perimeter of the refugee camps on Rwanda Minor, or saved the Loum Colony from crashing. No matter the specifics (which should be detailed in your bio) you are seen as an exemplar of proper behavior. This gives you a charisma bonus in most situations, especially where being a hero would be relevant and even your enemies will give you a certain amount of respect. The downside is that you are bound by honor and the expectations of your history; there are few things more despicable than a fallen paladin. Note that this does not imply a code of honor - a code of honor is internal to the character, whereas Paragon Interrupt is the expectations of others.

Rival
In the past you’ve cultivated a rivalry with another skilled pilot, often the inevitable side-effects of not managing to finish the job in the previous season. They will often bedevil you and while they can cause serious setbacks, they also mean that you can have episodes centered upon you and only you. Plus, spoiling their undoubtedly villainous plots is sweet sweet victory.

Races

Races are what you were born as or, less commonly, what you modified yourself to be and have little to do with pre-colonization 'racial identity', which is a social, not genetic construct. Pre-natal genetic modification has matured over centuries and few people born today have not had their or their ancestors' genomes sequenced before conception. It is a relatively inexpensive and mundane procedure, often subsidized by governments and while not 100% successful when dealing with something as complex as the entire genome of a human, still gives eminently acceptable results. Retroviral techniques to conduct systemic changes to adults are almost as old but are far more complex and difficult; consequently they are both much more expensive and rare.
Origin is a general representation of where a given race can be expected to be found as well as what relative proportion of the population they are. Note that it doesn't take into account specific circumstances; for example a gathering of Solar Federation captains would be almost all A- and S-types, with a minority of exceptional B-types.

Racial bonuses modify the effective value of your stats; racial modifiers do not increase (or decrease) the cost of a given stat. It is of course entirely possible for a baseline to be smarter or stronger than even an S-type - exceptional individuals occur everywhere. Note that depending on the campaign being run it may be entirely appropriate to provide cost breaks or cost divisors for transhuman templates; in the reality of More Robot Wars an S-Type is not penalized for being born superlative - they in fact have a huge leg up. This of course runs counter to game balance and GMs should be careful about travelling this path. Consider carefully before doing so.


Grounders (Baselines)

Most of the human population of known space inhabit planets and have minimal if any genetic alteration. Classed as E-Types in the Solar Federation, these baseline humans are often known as Grounder due to the fact that most unaugmented humans live (and stay) on planets. While at the dawn of the colonization era these were mostly those who were too poor or too disadvantaged to get genetic counselling, in modern times it has become something of a badge of perverse pride or religious devotion to call oneself a Baseline, Flat, Grounder or other previously-derogatory term. Some jurisdictions actually treat having baseline children as child abuse, though this remains difficult to enforce, not to mention politically charged.
Grounders cost 0 points and have no modifiers.
Origin: Common on planets across known space


Low Transhumans

Earlier or less drastic modifications to human genomes resulted in people that were only mildly changed from their parents. These changes are generally preventative in focus, removing various biological inefficiencies and 'evolutionary baggage'. Few actually have underground 'upgrades' in the conventional sense, the improvements these individuals see stems from broadly improved health and metabolism along with the (near-)elimination of genetic ailments like poor vision, etc. In the 23rd century, these are 'normal humans' to most people, the archaic label of 'low transhuman' slowly falling out of common use. In the Solar Federation these are typically ranked as D- or C-Type; Ds are simply 'fixed' humans, whereas Cs tend to have mild upgrades.

D-Type Low Transhumans

D-Types cost 20 points
D-Type stat bonuses are +1 Physique
D-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance
Origin: Common across known space

C-Type Low Transhumans

C-Types cost 45 points
C-Type stat bonuses are +1 Physique and +1 Charisma
C-Type specialties are +1 Fit
C-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance
Origin: Common across known space


High Transhumans

The cautious early steps in human augmenation soon gave way to more drastic and significant upgrades to the human condition. The concept of 'Human-plus' became a reality as deliberately recoded DNA brought forth the possibility of everyone achieving abilities substantially beyond the human norm and 'transhuman' became synonymous with 'transgenic'. Cognitive upgrades were also part of the package, and 'high transhumans' were not just more physically fit but also more intelligent and more sociable. Furthermore at this point inherent biological immortality (or at least exceptionally long lifespans) became the norm. In the Solar Federation these are ranked B- or A-Types.

B-Type High Transhumans

B-Types cost 100 points
B-Type stat bonuses are +2 Physique, +1 Intellect +1 Charisma
B-Type specialties are +1 Fit, +1 Perceptive, +1 Attractive
B-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance
B-Types have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
B-Types may be Alephs, capped at 4
Origin: Solar Federation (common), Verge (uncommon)

A-Type High Transhumans

A-Types cost 125 points
A-Type stat bonuses are +2 Physique, +1 Intellect +1 Charisma
A-Type specialties are +1 Dextrous, +1 Fit, +1 Intelligent, +1 Perceptive, +1 Attractive
A-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance and +1 to any two Academic or Social skills
A-Types have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
A-Types may be Alephs, capped at 6
Origin: Solar Federation (uncommon)


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Outlier Superiors

Over the past century, the intermixing of bloodlines, technological improvements, quest for perfection and simple luck of the draw has resulted in the occasional birth of individuals who have truly exceptional genes. At the leading edge of the curve these superhuman individuals easily gravitate towards the peaks of power and responsibility. Attempts have been made to replicate the full range of their abilities but as so much relied upon the vaguarities of chance, these have had mixed results. Baroque breeding programs among the upper classes have become common, some ending up indistinguishable from dynastic marriages to seal agreements. In the Solar Federation these individuals recieve the coveted S-Type classification.
S-Types cost 230 points
S-Type stat bonuses are +3 Physique, +1 Intellect +1 Charisma and two +1s that can be assigned to any two of Intellect, Charisma or Aleph
S-Type get a +1 to all specialties
S-Type skill bonuses are +1 Endurance and +1 to any three other skills
S-Types have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
S-Types may be Alephs, with no cap
Origin: Solar Federation (rare)


Seraph

One of the Seraphim Organization's purported goals and major successes has been the stabilization of a reproducible S-grade genetic template. First developed in the late 22nd century they were introduced to the public in 2210 where they have became extremely popular among those wealthy enough to afford the complex upgrade. A quirk of the specific genetic modifications makes them much easier apply to XX individuals as opposed to XY; consequently male Seraphs are much less common, making up less than 5% of the population of Seraphs. The flood of young standardized S-class transhumans and their gender disparity is already causing ripples in the Solar Federation.
Seraphs cost 180 points
Seraph stat bonuses are +2 Physique, +2 Aleph, +1 Intellect, +1 Charisma
Seraph get a +1 to all specialties
Seraph skill bonuses are +1 to any two Academic or Social skills
Seraphs have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
All Seraphs are Alephs, with no cap
Origin: Solar Federation (rare), Seraphim Organization (common)


Floaters

Floaters have lived out in space on orbiting platforms, asteroid cities and the like for generations. Some are the descendants of colonists who chose a life in space away from the heavily-controlled colony worlds. Others are ship or station crews from less well-off parts of explored space where sophisticated zero-gravity gene adaptations were unavailable. No matter the origin, Floaters tend to be physically weak, though with an almost instinctive feel for three-dimensional movement; the result of long-term and poorly mitigated microgravity upon the human body. The Solar Federation generally labels these F-types, though few are citizens of the Federation.
Floaters cost 0 points
Floater suffer a stat penalty of -1 Physique
Floaters also suffer a specialty penalty of -1 Manipulative
Floaters skill bonuses are +2 Zero-G skill and +1 Engineering
Origin: Solar Federation (rare), Verge (uncommon), Rim (common)


Icarus

Icarus upgrades are a 22nd century response to the needs of the expanding deep-space presence in what would become the Solar Federation. Applying increased understanding of long-term low and microgravity effects on the human body to common transhuman templates, the Icarus became popular among those who settled on the high frontier. In fact the introduction of the Icarus template is seen as one of the root causes of the spread of the Outbacker movement, to the point at which there are more Icarus upgrades in the Verge than in SolFed space. The Solar Federation classes these individuals as O-types.
Icarus Upgrades cost 50 points
Icarus Upgrade stat bonuses are +1 Intellect
Icarus Upgrade specialties are +1 Dexterity and +1 Friendly
Icarus Upgrade skill bonuses are +2 Zero-G skill and +1 Engineering
Origin: Solar Federation (uncommon), Verge (common), Rim (uncommon)


Alpha

Originally a popular genofixing template from the late 21st century, 'Alpha' has since became a broad term for a generalized blend of transhuman traits. They are considered loosely equivalent to B-Type transhumans, though Solar Federation genetic techniques are superior to those of the outer worlds and consequently Alphas lack the highly upgraded immune and healing abilities of SolFed High Transhumans. Many citizens of the League of Outer stars are Alphas where there has been a government push via socialized genofixing to bring all children to this level. Recently the so-called Alpha-Plus has entered the market, though those capable of providing the equivalent of cutting-edge Solar Federation science are rare.

Alpha Upgrade

Alphas cost 70 points
Alpha stat bonuses are +1 Physique, +1 Intellect and +1 Charisma
Alpha specialties are +1 to one each of Physique, Intellect and Charisma
Origin: Verge (common), Rim (uncommon)

Alpha-Plus

Alpha-Pluses cost 110 points
Alpha-Plus stat bonuses are +1 Physique, +1 Intellect and +1 Charisma
Alpha-Plus get a +1 to all specialties
Alpha-Plus skill bonuses are +1 to any two skills
Alpha-Pluses have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique, 3 Intellect and 3 Charisma.
Alpha-Pluses may be Alephs, capped at 4
Origin: Verge (rare)


Atlas

A popular (and some might say necessary) upgrade for heavy-gravity worlds, the Atlas template substantially upgrades the human body's musculature, skeleton and cardiovascular system. This greatly improves both instantaneous and sustained strength, near-necessities for worlds with gravities 50% higher than Earth's. Of course the Atlas upgrade lends itself well to soldierly pursuits and it is common to see them on the frontiers, clearing out nests of feral drones or local predators - or more human predators. Atlases are not unattractive by any means but look stocky and solid next to the supermodel looks of Ishtars and the willowy grace of Omoikanes.
Atlas Upgrades cost 125 points
Atlas Upgrade stat bonuses are +3 Physique, +1 Intellect and +1 Charisma
Atlas Upgrade specialties are +2 to Big and Fit
Atlas Upgrades have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Physique
Origin: Verge (common)


Ishtar

The Ishtar upgrade was intended to result in an individuals with exceptional warms and personality, in which it succeeded admirably. One of the second generation of transgenic upgrades from the early 22nd century, the Ishtar template substantially improves on the basic human ability for empathy and socialization, as well as memory and perception. Standard upgrade techniques also improve their bodies, with Ishtars universally having leggy, perfectly-proportioned recruiting-poster builds and faces that merely start at 'attractive'. Consequently Ishtars have spread throughout the Verge and often form the social glue of groups and organizations. Ishtars also tend to have vivid, unnatural hair colors which contributes to their stereotype as flighty pop stars, no matter what their occupation.
Ishtars cost 125 points
Ishtar stat bonuses are +1 Physique, +1 Intellect and +2 Charisma
Ishtar specialties are +1 Fit, +1 Quick-Witted, +1 Perceptive and +1 to all Charisma specialties
Ishtar skill bonuses are +1 to Savoir-Faire, +1 to Ettiquete and +1 to any other Social skill
Ishtars have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Charisma
Origin: Verge (common)


Omoikane

Like Ishtars, Omoikanes are second-generation upgrades, with a focus instead on intellectual abilities, in which they are supremely gifted. Capable of effortlessly grasping complex concepts and recalling vast amounts of information they find ready employment in any technical or intellectual field. Thanks to the advances in cognitive science by the 22nd century they are not socially crippled robots either, and while not as capable of demonstrating bottomless well of effortless social acumen they are still quite socially adept. One unique feature about Omoikanes is their neural processes are optimized for machine reading and neural interfaces work particularly well for them. Most Omoikanes have light silver or stark white hair, which is actually pigmented white (as opposed to the progressive loss of hair pigmentation over normal human aging) and is something of a visible trademark.
Omoikanes cost 125 points
Omoikane stat bonuses are +2 to Intellect and +1 to Charisma
Omoikane specialties are +1 to Dextrous, Fit, Quick-witted, Perceptive, Attractive and Friendly or Manipulative and +2 to Intelligent
Omoikane skill bonuses are +1 Remote Operations, +1 Neural Interfacing and +1 to any two other Academic skills
Omoikanes have a minimum unmodified requirement of 3 Intellect
Origin: Verge (common)

Careers

Careers are what your character has been trained to do and presumably continues to do. Each Career is a set package of stats, skills and traits and is generally the summation of a number of years of both experience and learning. Unlike Races, Careers do not provide modifiers, they provide base values which can then be increased as normal per skill improvement.
Most Careers also have the option of taking one or more Vocations, which can represent additional or unusual training for the chosen Career or time spent doing 'something else.' If a Career and a Vocation have bonuses to the same skill, the bonus from the Vocation is converted to points and then added against the cost to get to the next skill rank(s).

Some Careers might also have minimum stats - nobody's going to make it through special forces training with a physical of 1.

Universal Careers

Spacer

With hundreds of solar systems large and small connected via wormholes and thousands more (mostly uninhabited) reachable via continuous-wormhole drive, interstellar starships fill the same role as surface ships did back in the pre-space era on Earth. And where ships go, crewmembers go onboard. Of course those on interstellar ships are merely the tip of the iceberg and Spacers also includes crews for in-system ships as well as people who operate the myriad deep-space stations that support the human economy.
Spacers cost
Spacers get Physique 2, Intellect 3 and Charisma 2
Spacers get Zero-G 3, Pilot 2, Awareness 2, Bureaucracy 1, Engineering (starships) 2, Helmsman 3
Spacers may take any Universal Vocation

Guardsman

Most worlds maintain some form of standing military in the vein of National Guards, tasked with roles ranging from planetary defense to disaster relief to riot control. Typically more lightly-equipped than heavy army 'shock' units or marines/espatiers, Guardsmen are also stereotypically seen as less well-trained. That said, defending your loved ones can be a real morale-stiffener . . .
Guardsmen cost
Guardsmen get Physique 3, Intellect 2 and Charisma 2
Guardsmen get Fit (Physique specialty) 2
Guardsmen get Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Melee 2, Firearms 3, Endurance 2, Drive 2, Artillery 2, Awareness 2, Tactics 1, Etiquette (military) 2, Intimidation 1
Guardsmen may take any Universal Vocation

Clearance Contractor

The living machines created millions of years ago by the Nephilim still haunt the galaxy, ancient terraforming robots with hardwired orders to go forth and multiply. Unfortunately the arrival of humanity's starfaring ships and quantum-gravitic babble has woken them from their long slumber. Some systems of strategic or commercial import have become infested with these ancient feral drones and consequently many contractors now make a living clearing them out with attack ships and mecha.
Clearance Contractors cost
Clearance Contractors get Physique 3, Intellect 3 and Charisma 2
Clearance Contractors get Perceptive (Intellect specialty) 1
Clearance Contractors get Zero-G 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Melee 1, Firearms 2, Endurance 1, Drive 1, Pilot 3, Gunnery 4, Mecha Fighting 3, Artillery 3, Awareness 2, Academics (feral drones) 2, Engineering (weapons) 2, Tactics 1
Clearance Contractors may take any Universal Vocation

Special Forces

Not everything happens in space and all polities in the universe require personnel whose foremost proficiency is on conducting operations on his her feet. (+1 Physical, +1 Physical (Chosen Specialty), +1 Wits (Alertness), +1 Intellect (Security))

Federation Careers

Solar Fleet Pilot

The many, the proud, the Solar Federation Pilot Corps. This overarching term masks the many subgroups that make up the Solar Fleet; not only functional ones like mecha pilots vs transport pilots, but also the national militaries that are the actual components of the Solar Fleet. Nonetheless they are all trained to the highest standards using both VR sims and extensive 'stick time' (the concept of actually using flight sticks being slightly archaic but the term has stuck) and they are some of the most effective warriors in space. Few pilots are anything less than B-type transhuman, though particularly talented C-types are not unheard of.
SolFed Pilots cost
SolFed Pilots get Physique 3, Intellect 3 and Charisma 2
SolFed Pilots get Zero-G 2, Pilot 3, Gunnery 3, Firearms 1, Brawl 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Tactics 2, Artillery 3, Electronic Warfare 3, Etiquette (military) 2
SolFed Pilots may take any Universal or Solar Federation Vocation

Solar Fleet Officer

The brains of the most powerful war machine humanity has ever seen, commanding warships against the SolFed's foes. To carry out their task they have +1 Command (Spaceships), +1 Command (Mecha), +1 Education (Intelligence), +1 Education (History), +1 Conspiracy (Solar Fleet) and High Rank.

INTACT Lictors

Lictors are the public face of INTACT, front-line warriors and troubleshooters. Due to stringent testing and requirements, most Lictors are S-type transhumans, with a few A-types and some truly skilled 'lessers'.
INTACT Lictors cost
INTACT Lictors get Physique 3, Intellect 3 and Charisma 3
INTACT Lictors get Zero-G 2, Pilot 2, Gunnery 2, Firearms 2, Brawl 2, Melee 2, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Tactics 2, Etiquette (military) 2, Etiquette (diplomacy) 3, Subterfuge 2, Savoir-Faire 2, Command 2
INTACT Lictors must take an INTACT Focus.
INTACT Lictors may take any Universal or Solar Federation Vocation

INTACT Censor

Those few humans who have been born with exceptional Aleph powers are often enrolled in INTACT to serve as Censors. These mentalists recieve special training to focus their neuroquantum powers. As such, they recieve +1 Education, +5 Aleph Points and +2 Conspiracy (INTACT), and require a minimum of Aleph 5.

INTACT Legate

The Legates are the commanders and leaders of INTACT, typically having authority over one or more warships, bases or ground operations group. They recieve +1 Command (Universal), +1 Education (Politics), +1 Charisma (Diplomacy), +2 Conspiracy (INTACT) and High Rank.
INTACT Foci

All INTACT members have specializations once they finish their extremely involved basic training. Some go on to be investigators, others special forces leaders, others spymasters, yet others mecha pilots.

League Careers

League Combatsystem Operator

The League has few pilots, instead having 'operators' acting as telepresent squad leaders. These men and women are rigorously trained to capably time-share their attention between various viewpoints and react to shifting engagements from a rear-area perspective.
Combatsystem Operators cost
Combatsystem Operators get Physique 2, Intellect 3 and Charisma 2
Combatsystem Operators get Quick-Witted (Intellect specialty) 1
Combatsystem Operators get Zero-G 2, Gunnery 3, Awareness 3, Firearms 1, Brawl 1, Athletics 1, Tactics 2, Artillery 3, Remote Operations 3, Etiquette (military) 2
Combatsystem Operators may take any Universal or League Vocation

League/Union Battlemanagement Director

With the League's predisposition towards automated weapons, their leaders must be just at home managing complex info-combat systems as they are at managing people.
Battlemanagement Directors cost
Battlemanagement Directors get Physique 2, Intellect 3 and Charisma 3
Combatsystem Operators get Intelligent (Intellect specialty) 1
Battlemanagement Directors get Zero-G 2, Awareness 3, Firearms 1, Brawl 1, Athletics 1, Tactics 3, Strategy 3, Artillery 2, Remote Operations 2, Etiquette (military) 2, Command 3
Battlemanagement Directors may take any Universal or League Vocation

Union Mechanized Vanguard

Union command frames are typically piloted by Alphas, leading squads of robotic soldiers into combat. To this end they have +1 Pilot (Mecha), +1 Gunnery (Mecha), +1 Command (AI Mecha) and Mid Rank.

Republic Fleet Officer

The Republic entrusts these officers with some of the most powerful weapons ever invented by man. To defend the Republic's interests, Republic Fleet Officers have +1 Command (Spaceships), +1 Education (History), +1 Conspiracy (Republic Fleet) and Command Rank.

Miscellaneous Careers

These careers are generally exclusive to a certain polity or zone of space and consequently should only be taken if specifically relevant.

Seraphim Consor

It's a rough galaxy out where civilization fades into the hiss of radio background and as an organization that has many investments in the Rim, the Seraphim maintain their own small but well-trained and equipped group of pilots and soldiers. These Consors are called in for situations where locally-sourced security is either unavailable or insufficient for Seraphim needs.
Seraphim Consors cost $$$$ and must be a Seraph transgenic template
Seraphim Consors get Physique 3, Intellect 3, Charisma 3 and Aleph 3
Seraphim Consors get Zero-G 2, Pilot 3, Gunnery 3, Awareness 3, Firearms 1, Brawl 1, Athletics 2, Mecha Fighting 2, Tactics 1, Artillery 3, Subterfuge 2, Telepathic Weapons 3
Seraphim Consors may take any Universal or Solar Federation Vocation

Royalty

The extended de Godsforde royal family of the White Rose kingdom are accountable to no one. They are trained to lead and maintain the interests of themselves, their subordinates, and ultimately the state through policy. (+1 Charisma, +2 Conspiracy (White Rose), High Rank, License Holder)

Vocations

Universal Vocations

Reservist

The practice of maintaining military reservists is one that has gotten renewed interest since the Solar War and consequently many men and women spend weekends maintaining martial skills after being discharged from regular service.
Reservist costs
Reservists get Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Melee 1, Firearms 2, Endurance 2, Awareness 1

ARROWs Liason

While INTACT focusses almost exclusively on fellow humans, ARROWs deals with the inhuman. Those in its ranks range from cogscience lawyers to xenoarcheologists to combat pilots to theotechnicians. A period in ARROWs is often seen as a way to escape the politicking that is so often common in Solar Federation organizations and see far more of known space than otherwise, while for those in the colonies it is a good way to get valued experience.
ARROW Liasons costs
ARROW Liasons get

Solar Federation Vocations