CREATING CHARACTERS




Character generation is unchanged from the expanded game system. Abilities remain the same, although they are not as critical in the new system, which relies more heavily on skills. Abilities can cause column shifts, and the referee can still call for ability checks when appropriate.

The major new addition to a character's persona is his profession and occupational standing. At the start of the game, each player must choose a profession and an occupational standing for his character.

A character chooses a profession because of the job security and support it provides. Each profession respects and supports its own members above any other profession. There are reference centers, discount houses, and hotel-like facilities for each profession on most of the civilized worlds and space stations. When a character starts the game he receives 20 experience points, gleaned from years of study, practicing, apprenticeship, or whatever. Immediately 10 points are spent on joining a profession. In exchange, the character receives a bonus skill that is available only to members of that profession.

A character can belong to one of four professions: Enforcer, Techex, Scispec, or Explorer. There are also two more professions that are not considered here: Spacers, for campaigns using the Knight Hawks game rules, and Mentalists, an optional profession that is described in its own section. A character must belong to one of these professions and may not leave it at a later date.

Once a character joins a profession he can spend his remaining experience points on any of his profession's skills. Any skills purchased with the remaining 10 experience points are known by the character when the game begins.

After choosing a profession for his character, each player must choose an occupational standing: Star Law or some other law enforcement agency, a mega-corp employee, or self-employed. A character can change his occupational standing anytime the opportunity or need arises.

Every character, no matter what his profession, can find a position in any occupational standing. Just as characters of the same profession stick, so do professionals of the same occupational standing support each other.

The length of time that a character spends in a particular occupational standing is entirely up to the player. If, after a few adventures, a character wishes to quit Star Law and join a mega-corp, he may do so. Players should consider their characters' experience, financial condition, and seniority, and the effect the change may have on the campaign. While professionals with different occupational standings do work together occasionally, it is not common.

Occupational standings and professions that are not acceptable are those that are illegal: assassins, pirates, terrorists, professional criminals, Sathar agents, and so on. Those types of characters cannot be considered as anything but the enemy. Players should not be allowed to play these types of characters.

PROFESSIONS

Skills listed with an asterisk (*) are automatically gained when the profession is chosen.

ENFORCER
The purpose of the enforcer profession is to provide protection and enforce federation or planetary law, corporate rules, or employer interests, whichever fits the character's occupational standing. Typical enforcers work as Star Lawmen, corporate security personnel, private investigators, and mercenary soldiers.

Enforcers automatically gain the Endurance skill when they start the game. Enforcer professional skills include:

Body Speak
Communication Devices: Operate
Computers: Access & Operate
Cryptography
Endurance *
Forgery
Law
Ride Mount
Robotics: Identification
Running
Security Systems: Access & Operate
Security Systems: Deactivate
Security Systems: Detect
Security Systems: Open Locks
Vehicles: Aquatic
Vehicles: Atmospheric
Vehicles: Cars
Vehicles: Cycles
Vehicles: Transports
Weapons: Beam Weapons
Weapons: Demolitions
Weapons: Grenades
Weapons: Martial Arts
Weapons: Missiles
Weapons: P.G.S. Weapons
Weapons: Powered Assault Armor
Weapons: Repair

TECHEX
Techex is the common name given to a member of the Technical Expert profession. The techex's job is to build, direct, maintain, and repair his employer's technical equipment, computers, and robots. Typical positions held by a techex include Star Law computer expert, corporate robotics development, research and maintenance personnel, private contractor, or technology.

Techexes automatically gain the Agility skill when they start the game. Techex profession skills include:

Acoustics
Agility *
Computers: Access & Operate
Computers: Bypass Security
Computers: Defeat Security
Computers: Display Information
Computers: Interface Computers: Repair Bodycomp
Computers: Repair Mainframe
Computers: Repair Specialized
Engineer: Mechanical
Machinery Operation
Machinery: Repair
Optics
Physics
Robotics: Activate/Deactivate
Robotics: Alter Functions
Robotics: Alter Mission
Robotics: Identification
Robotics: List Functions
Robotics: Modifications
Robotics: Remove Security Locks
Robotics: Repair
Security Systems: Open Locks
Vehicles: Machinery
Vehicles: Repair
Weapons: P.G.S. Weapons

SCISPEC
Scispec is the common name given to a member of the Scientific Specialist profession. The job of the scispec is to oversee scientific expeditions, conduct experiments, provide medical aid, and create computer programs. Typical positions held by a scispec include Star Law science specialist, Star Law medic, exobiologist, corporate research expedition member, and independent doctor.

Scispec automatically gain the Intelligence skill when they start the game. Scispec profession skills include:

Archaeology
Biology
Bionics
Botany
Chemistry
Computers: Access & Operate
Computers: Program Manipulation
Computers: Program Writing
Computers: Program Bodycomp
Cybernetics
Exobiology
Forensics
Genetics
Intelligence *
Medical Devices
Medical Diagnosis
Medical Treatment: Disease
Medical Treatment: Infection
Medical Treatment: Infestation
Medical Treatment: Poison
Medical Treatment: Radiation
Medical Treatment: Wounds I
Medical Treatment: Wounds II
Medical Treatment: Wounds III
Medical Treatment: Wounds IV
Physics
Zoology

EXPLORER
The purpose of the explorer profession is to operate alone or in small groups on an unexplored planet or as guides or scouts for scientific or military expeditions. Typical positions held by explorers include Star Law scout, mercenary strike force or commando team member, corporate spy, and advance emissary to primitive cultures.

Explorers automatically gain the Charisma skill when they start the game. Explorer profession skills include:

Analyze Animal Behavior
Animal Taming
Animal Training
Body Speak
Camouflage
Charisma *
Climbing
Communication Devices: Operate
Communication Devices: Repair
Concealment
Find Directions
Geology
Geophysics
Haggling
Making Items/Structures
Medical Diagnosis
Medical Treatment: Veterinary
Persuasion
Ride Mount
Stable Mounts
Stealth
Survival
Tracking
Weapons: Martial Arts
Weapons: Melee Weapons
Weapons: P.G.S. Weapons

OCCUPATIONAL STANDINGS

Law enforcement and military organizations (such as Star Law or Spacefleet) have the distinct advantage of having the law on their side. The judicial and penal systems support them. They have solid financial backing, informational networks that are second to none, and they grant more individual authority and power than any private or mega-corp professional could hope for. The disadvantage is that there are certain legal procedures that must be followed, which sometimes hinder a character's performance. Bureaucratic red tape, politically ambitious superiors, and an unsympathetic public all contribute to the problems of a professional in this position.

Mega-corp employees enjoy fantastic financial backing, benefits, and, if they are willing to play by the company's rules, amazing promotion possibilities. The mega-corp laboratories and technical facilities are the finest in the galaxy. In addition, mega-corps offer great leeway in how a job can be accomplished, just so long as it gets done. Consequently, a character is not as limited in his options as, say, a Star Lawman.

One of the disadvantages is that corporate rivalries are constant and sometimes dangerous. Competition within the corporations themselves is intense and the possibility of being left out on a limb by an executive is very high.

Self-employment offers the most freedom from the hassles of manipulating superiors and narrow-minded bureaucrats. The approach taken to a mission is left up to the character and, more often than not, he decides his own fate. The major disadvantage to being self-employed is financial. Self-employed characters are almost always low on credits and under-equipped.

CONVERTING CHARACTERS

Veteran characters, those who were generated under the Alpha Dawn rules, can find a home in the expanded game. Military PSA characters can easily become enforcers, or even explorers. Technical PSA characters would feel comfortable in the techex or scispec professions, and Biosocial PSA characters can fit right into scispecs or explorers.

If a player wants to use a veteran character with these new rules, the player can either redefine the character's skills or redistribute his experience points.

Redefining existing skills requires the player and referee to look at the character's current skills and levels, then translate them to new skills with the same levels. This type of character is much more experienced and powerful in the new system. Every skill and subskill from the old system has a counterpart in the new one. Some have been split into many simpler skills. In this case the player should choose the single skill that suits him best.

Redistributing experience points requires the referee and player to figure out how many experience points the character has used in the past to gain the skills he has. The player reassigns these points as he likes, even gaining multiple levels in a skill if he desires.

The only time the referee may have to reshuffle skills and levels is if both methods are used for different characters in the same campaign. In this case he may be forced to decrease the levels of those characters who redefined existing skills.