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Backgrounds

Backgrounds represent a character's (pre-campaign) training and experience. They consist of bundles of skills and abilities purchased at character generation at a net discounted Build Point rate.

Certain factions are more likely to contain people with certain backgrounds, which is represented by an additional Build Point discount. However, faction associations are not exclusive and any character can conceivably have any background. A character cannot purchase multiple Background packages, but for sake of flavor can have as convoluted of a backstory as the player desires to explain skill purchases.

Backgrounds cost 2 Build Points when purchased within faction, and 3 Build Points when purchased outside of faction.

A character begins play with an automatic 2 points in their choice of four of the associated Skills, and 3 points in the the fifth skill.

Example: Bob the Padawan has passed the Academy's rigorous tests for field work, and how has 2 skill points in Athletics, Melee, Awareness, and Empathy. He's doing particularly well with his mental disciplines, so starts play with a 3 in Integrity.

Note that once gameplay starts, Bob can still purchase Force Powers which are considered Dark even though his Background package does not grant that option; he simply does not have that option during chargen. Likewise a non-Force user could “discover” they have Force abilities during gameplay, and purchase those abilities with XP.

Republic

Jedi

Force-users who are trained almost from birth to overcome extreme emotional states and live their lives selflessly and passively.

Skills: Athletics, Melee, Integrity, Awareness, Empathy.

Special: May purchase Force Powers. At character generation, may not purchase any Force Powers which are considered Dark. Granted status as both diplomat and law enforcement, with status correlated to Legend Score.

Politician

Lawmakers, ambassadors, governors, and magistrates all working towards the idealized common good.

Skills: Command, Presence, Politics, Persuasion, Empathy.

Special: Holds authority over faction's law enforcement personnel. Station is correlated to Legend score.

Special Operative

Intelligence agents, counter-terrorists, and other government-sanctioned individuals who perform specialized roles under the auspices of the politicians.

Skills: Brawl, Marksmanship, Stealth, Awareness, Investigation.

Special: May maintain a number of airtight aliases within the Republic, up to a maximum of [Legend Score] in count.

Volunteer Militia

Formally trained and originally part-time citizen soldiers, many of whom have recently gone full career track out of necessity.

Skills: Athletics, Melee, Control, Marksmanship, Fortitude.

Special: Inserted into the faction's military command structure. Rank is correlated to Legend score.

Imperial

Sith

Voraciously embracing ambition and emotional extremism, they have unlocked dark secrets about the Force. They continuously crave more power for entirely selfish reasons.

Skills: Melee, Fortitude, Presence, Politics, Persuasion.

Special: May purchase Force Powers.

Royalty

Rulership in the Empire is determined by a combination of personal might as well as bloodline. The feudal structure has only three levels: Emperor/Empress, Lord/Lady, and Subject.

Skills: Command, Presence, Politics, Persuasion, Empathy.

Special: Holds authority over faction's law enforcement personnel. Station is correlated to Legend score.

Espionage Agent

Assassins, spies, saboteurs, and thieves, these specialists apply their particular and often unsavory talents as needed by their rulers.

Skills: Brawl, Marksmanship, Melee, Stealth, Theft.

Special: May maintain a number of airtight aliases within the Empire, up to a maximum of [Legend Score] in count.

Shock Trooper

Intensive training has created legions of startlingly destructive warriors. Their function is not only to overwhelm the enemy through firepower, but through intimidation and fear.

Skills: Marksmanship, Melee, Fortitude, Integrity, Presence.

Special: Inserted into the faction's military command structure. Rank is correlated to Legend score.

Cartel

Force Sensitive

Without the benefit of formalized training in the ways of the Jedi or Sith, most can only dabble in Force powers. Many view their abilities from an uninformed or primitive perspective, regarding them as magic, divine gifts, or simply luck.

Skills: Fortitude, Animal Ken, Presence, Integrity, Empathy.

Special: May purchase Force Powers, but of only one category (Telekinesis, Mental Manipulation, Energy Attunement, Precognition). May be considered a religious and/or mystical leader, if the player chooses. Status correlated to Legend score.

Smuggler

The galaxy is so large and diverse that illicit commerce might literally be the most lucrative industry of them all. Only the most daring and resourceful individuals are able to live through an average workday; it takes an extra special person to be able to make a long-term career out of it.

Skills: Brawl, Control, Marksmanship, Stealth, Theft.

Special: Knows a guy who knows a guy. May add [Legend Score] dice to any Wealth rolls used to procure goods and/or services.

Bounty Hunter

When you need someone captured or killed and don't have the tools to do it yourself, you call a bounty hunter. The larger the bounty, the better the hunter who might come around to collect.

Skills: Marksmanship, Stealth, Presence, Awareness, Investigation.

Special: May add [Legend Score] dice to any Investigation rolls when attempting to find or track a target.

Mercenary

If you need scores of troops for your current military project, consider hiring some mercenaries. The Empire tends to fill out their ranks with these guys while the Republic is desperately trying to win the bidding war and keep more working for them.

Skills: Brawl, Marksmanship, Melee, Thrown, Presence.

Special: A mercenary's reputation proceeds him. May add [Legend Score] dice to any Presence roll meant to invoke professional trust or unprofessional fear.

starwars/backgrounds/index.txt · Last modified: 2011/09/04 00:20 by mark