UPDATES – 21 June 2016 – Overdue Post Is Overdue

UPDATE TABLE OF CONTENTS

RULES ADDITION: Gather Information [Tactical Assessment]

By studying troop movements, the lay of the land, and other details of a potential combat area, a less-well-armed combatant can provide themselves with an advantage over less prepared opponents.
Using Gather Information for tactical advantage requires an uninterrupted hour (at a minimum) and a clear view of the area to be fought in. If there are known potential opponents within 20 kilometers (or 2 light minutes in space) of the area, the commander or tactical officer making the skill check must have an additional hour to observe them and learn their behavior patterns. This makes scouts and sentries extremely important and useful to a tactical assessment officer, as their reports will suffice for this requirement.
Once these conditions are met, a commander or tactical officer may make a check against a DC of 10 plus 5 for each major hazard or group of opponents (a solitary creature counts as a group, as does a ship without escorts). Major hazards would include traps, obstacles that would provide cover or concealment bonuses,  or unusual ways into or out of the area (such as a balcony or underground passage). Opponent groups would be every single type of ship or unit involved in the upcoming battle. Fighter wings each count as a separate group.
A successful check provides a +1 circumstance bonus to all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws for the next day. This bonus is gained by the commander or tactical officer making the skill check and one of his allies (or allied unit in a military situation) for each point of Charisma bonus the commanderor tactical officer (or their communications officer) possesses. Because a bonus provided by this skill only lasts 24 hours, it must be capitalized upon quickly.
This bonus is lost completely as soon as a new hazard presents itself or an unobserved group of opponents enters the fray. If the commander or tactical officer with Gather Information desires and has the uninterrupted time to do so, they may take a full-round action to re-roll the Tactical Assessment check (raising the DC to account for the new conditions) to regain the bonus. They must be able to communicate freely to their allies for them to regain the bonus.
Retry: Not until a new factor is present in the situation (some other group or hazard). You may introduce this factor yourself to gain the retry.
Special: Each additional hour spent studying the situation adds a +1 competence bonus to the skill check. If any new opponents or hazards enter the area being studied, this bonus is immediately negated until these new factors are removed somehow. A commander or tactical officer can only effectively study an area for eight hours each day. The competence bonus granted from additional study can not grow higher than twice the user’s Wisdom score in any case.
Commanders or tactical officers using vehicles or vessels may add half the vessel’s Intelligence bonus to their Gather Information checks though doing so may, at the Games Master’s discretion, make it more likely for the user to be detected while gathering data. Scout vehicles can be assumed to use mostly passive sensors, reducing or negating this risk, but other craft may be less subtle.

RULES ADDITION: Knowledge [Culture (<SPECIES>)] [Practice Etiquette]

Practice Etiquette (Move Action): You may display knowledge of the nuances of polite society — appropriate fashion, precise etiquette, local customs, and proper observances — to win over a target. Make a Knowledge [Culture (<Species>)] check vs the target’s Will defense as a move action. If the target’s disposition toward you is helpful or better, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your check; conversely, if the target’s disposition toward you is hostile or worse, you suffer a-2 circumstance penalty to your roll. With success, your target is thoroughly impressed by your knowledge and warms up to you, granting you a +2 circumstance bonus with all rolls to alter the target’s disposition for the duration of the current scene.

RULES ADDITION: Mechanics [Quick Repair]

DEVELOPER NOTE: I was always hesitant to make something like this since I felt that it might upset the balance of power between Mechanical/Biological, but of course I also never execpted anyone to actually play a Mechanical, so here we are.

Quick Repair (requires a nanopack): As a full-round action, you can administer field repairs a damaged drone, vehicle, or object.  If you succeed on a DC 15 Mechanics check, the target regains a number of hit points equal to its character level, +1 for every point by which your check result exceeds the DC.  If the skill check succeeds, the tended object cannot benefit from additional quick repairs for 24 hours.

RULES ADDITION: Persuasion [Battle of Wits, Mediate]

Battle of Wits (5 Minutes): Select one target to humiliate. Assuming the target doesn’t ignore your attempt entirely, you and the target spend 5 minutes engaging in a back-and-forth contest of ridicule, then make opposed Persuasion checks. If the contest is primarily verbal (i.e. insults, etc.), you may each add your Charisma modifiers to this skill check. If the contest is primarily physical (i.e. arm wrestling, weight-lifting, etc.), you may each add your Strength modifiers to this skill check.
The loser of this opposed check suffers takes a –2 morale penalty with all Charisma-based skill checks made for the duration of the current encounter (which may turn into a combat encounter).

Mediate: You may use Persuasion to mediate a dispute between two groups. This requires that you be in contact with both groups. Face-to-face mediation is usually the quickest, most efficient method, requiring only 4 hours per Persuasion check, while particularly slow forms of communication (such as messengers) drastically increase the time required.
The dispositions of both parties toward you must be no worse than neutral, and both parties must agree to at least exchange civilities before the mediation may begin.
The base DC for mediation is 10, modified by the parties’ dispositions toward one another and various conditions, as follows.

Each party that considers another party an adversary

+10

Each party that’s hostile toward another party

+5

Each party that’s unfriendly to another party

+2

Each party that’s friendly to another party

–2

Each party that’ helpful to another party

–5

Each party that considers another party an ally or better

–10

Each party that’s friendly to you

–2

Each party that’s helpful to you

–4

Each party that considers you an ally or better

–8

Either you or one of the parties must use a translator

+5

Each party is making unreasonable demands (surrender of valuable territory with no recompense, disarmament with no assurance of protection)

+10

Each successful mediation check improves both parties’ dispositions toward the other by one grade. When both parties’ dispositions toward each other reach neutral, a deal is reached.

Retry: Yes, but each failed mediation attempt increases the DC of future mediation attempts between the involved groups by +2 unless a one-day break is taken between mediation sessions.

RULES ADDITION: Treat Injury [Medical Specialities]

Characters with medical training beyond basic first aid skills tend to be professionals in the field with a leaning towards certain kinds of medicine and a preference for practicing one kind of treatment over another. Assuming that a character’s background permits the choice of a speciality and they meet the prerequisites required for one, the character may select one of the following specialities as an indication of this preference. Note that even characters with a speciality understand basic medicine and can always take full advantage of their skill trainings, even if their specialisation is far removed from the task at hand.

Toxicology (Knowledge [Life Sciences] trained, Knowledge [Physical Sciences] trained, Treat Injury trained):
When a toxicology specialist makes a Treat Injury check to treat any kind of disease or poison, he gains a +2 circumstance bonus to the roll and can heal one point of ability score loss associated with the condition with an hour’s treatment even if the check fails. Poisons and diseases made by a toxicologist always inflict +1 point of attribute damage whenever they deal damage or reach their incubation period.

Pediatrics/Geriatrics (Gather Information trained, Persuasion trained, Treat Injury trained):
A specialist in these field is an expert at dealing with either children or the elderly and picking up on their less intelligible clues for what ails them. This kind of specialist gains a + 1 circumstance bonus on all Gather Information, Persuasion, or Treat Injury checks made with their preferred type of patient.

Pharmacology (Knowledge [Physical Sciences] trained, Treat Injury trained):
The study of drugs, especially biological derivatives, allows a Pharmacologist to get the most from any medical chemical he creates or administers himself. As long as a Pharmacologist can take ten full minutes to tailor and refine a drug, it will always have its maximum listed effect and/or work in the shortest amount of time possible.

Trauma Care (Survival trained, Treat Injury trained):
A trauma specialist is adept at working on emergency cases with very little time and minimal equipment when necessary.  A specialist in this field does not need a medpac to administer first aid and if a medpac is available, they gain a +1 equipment bonus to their Treat Injury checks.

Veterinary (Knowledge [Life sciences] trained, Perception trained, Profession [Veterinarian] trained, Treat Injury trained):
A veterinarian can treat animals and nonsentient lifeforms as effectively as a medical doctor treats communicative patients. They gain the ability to make Persuasion checks without penalty when attempting to change the attitude of non-sentient creatures with intelligence 2 or less, and non-sentient creatures are automatically 1 disposition step better towards the veterinarian unless their disposition is hostile or worse.

Xenobiology (Knowledge [Life Sciences] trained, Skill Focus [Knowledge (Life Sciences), Treat Injury trained):
A xenbiologist has expanded their medical knowledge beyond their own species to include that over other species as well.  A xenbiologist suffers no penalty for working on species other than their own, and if a species would normally be difficult to treat with medical gear designed for the xenobiologist’s species then the difficulty is removed (example: a Xenobiologist can prevent a Proximan from exploding with a DC 25 Treat Injury check using a Terran medkit instead of a DC 35)

RULES ADDITION: Culture Bonuses

This rules component was intended to bring Humans onto a more level playing field with other species, but I’ve branched it out to include other species as well. It’ll work the same way for them, only with different lists of places, and correspondingly different bonus languages and recommended options.

This rule is currently in effect for JolKoar/Dwellers, Humans, Lissonians, and Proximans.

HOW THIS WORKS: Look up where you are from or where you call home to check the recommended options and bonus languages.  You earn one of those bonus languages as a language known, and choose from the options listed below the nations/localities.  You do not have to pick one of the recommended ones for that location, they are just suggested choices.

OPTIONS

Adaptable – You adapt quickly to changing situations and are rarely fazed by new environments or unexpected stresses. You receive a +1 bonus to your Will defense and +1 to your Survival skill.

Agricultural – You are from a society where farming, hydroponics, or other agricultural industries are of prime importance. You have a basic knowledge of agriculture, botany, and livestock biology that comes from time spent on farms and ranches. You receive a +3 bonus to Perception checks where they relate to food products or livestock grown on farms, either by hand or through automation. In addition, you have a +2 bonus to any Knowledge [Life Sciences] check involving botany or biology that relates to commercially grown products you could reasonably be expected to be familiar with. For example, if you are evaluating damage to the hydroponics section of a spaceship you are on, you could use this feat to help determine the health of plants you’ve seen before, but identifying a new type of alien fungus infesting the crops would not be subject to the bonus.

Born Pilot – You grew up in a society where flying vehicles was taught at an early age. In addition to constant practice with such craft, you are also uncommonly talented with them. You receive a +2 bonus with all Pilot checks, and in addition, you may select a specific type of craft in which to specialize, receiving a further +1 with that vehicle. Some classes you may select from include civilian transit vehicles (aircars and airbuses), fixed-wing aircraft, VTOL craft, fighters, shuttles, small starships, large starships, cargo spacecraft and the like.

Charming – You have a natural charm that makes others see you as interesting and attractive. This has little to do with physical appearance – it’s the way you carry yourself, how you make eye contact, your self-confidence, and many other little things that add up into a singularly charming whole. You receive a +1 skill bonus to Deception and Persuasion checks. These bonuses are doubled when dealing with a human who could be sexually interested in you, or any reasonably humanoid alien who might consider a human attractive in some way (for example, a Dweller or Lissonian or might be susceptible to a human’s charms, but probably not a Proximan or Xylat). However, if that individual has reason to dislike you, perhaps through some negative action you performed in the past, or a bad reputation, these doubled bonuses are treated as penalties instead’

Cold Tolerance – You come from an area where cold weather and conditions are far more common than hot ones. You receive a +3 skill bonus to all Endurance, Survival, or Treat Injury checks directly related to cold weather, such as hypothermia. In addition, you receive a + 1 to any skill check to any related sporting events or winter-specific activities such as skiing or ice skating. Also, fatigue that relates to cold weather affects you at only half the normal rate as a normal person, so if a rule states that players must roll once every hour for fatigue effects, you roll only once every other hour. Unfortunately, you are not very used to hot weather, and do not stand up to warm conditions. All Endurance, Survival, or Treat Injury checks related to warm weather are at a —2, and fatigue in similar situations affects you twice as much as a normal person. You can still participate in warm-weather sports without any other penalties, however.

Connoisseur – You have spent a good deal of your life appreciating the finer things, so your senses are more acute than others. Where a typical person might sip a glass of wine and think,"that’s pretty good," you can taste it and immediately  recognize it as a fine twenty-year-old Chardonnay from Bourgogne. You receive a +3 bonus to all Perception checks relating to anything that can be judged directly by your senses of sight, taste, and smell. Thus, you could appreciate a fine wine, sample a gourmet meal, view a piece of art, or touch a foreign substance to your tongue to determine its nature, but anything that require a scientific analysis would not receive this bonus. Similarly, an item of value by weight, such as a lump of gold, would not fall under this feat. The object in question must be ‘artistic’ in nature, either through cooking, drawing, sculpture, and so on.

Desert Dweller – Your home is in or near a region that can be classified as desert – arid land with little rainfall, usually rocky or sandy with little vegetation. You are highly familiar with this terrain and know how to survive and travel in it without much difficulty. You receive +2 on the following skill checks when you are in a desert area: Endurance, Perception, Stealth, Survival. You also receive +1 on any rolls to avoid heat-related injury, such as sunstroke or dehydration, that result from hot conditions.

Distrustful – Simply put. you don’t trust anyone or anything. Even when someone tells you an obvious truth, you are doubtful and suspicious. This can make you difficult to get along with, but your skeptical eye makes it much easier for you to detect mistruths and deceptions. You receive a bonus of +3 on all Perception checks to sense motive , and making the evaluation takes only half as long as usual. You can even attempt this roll when dealing with person not physically present, such as on the other end of a communications device or in a written work. The Games Master may also permit you an automatic check during a very quick encounter, depending upon the circumstances, although the DC for this should be fairly high – at least 20, and more likely 25. However, because your suspicious nature makes you somewhat caustic around others, especially in social situations, you receive a -2 to all Persuasion checks.

Efficient – You are adept at finding the optimal solution to any problem. Faced with a number of possible routes to a destination, all of which will get you there eventually, you inevitably locate the most efficient path. If you succeed in a Gather Information, Mechanics, Treat Injury, Profession, or Use Computer check, you may make a second roll, and if successful, you reduce the time required by 25% due to your phenomenal optimization abilities. Failure in this second check has no effect on the attempt or time requirement, but if you roll a 1, the required time factor is increased by 25% while you needlessly debate the possible routes you can take to achieve success. You may also attempt this roll when you take 10 or take 20, but you may not take 10 or 20 on the optimization roll itself.

Explorer – You like to travel and see new things. Blazing new trails is your favorite hobby, and you know many things about various places and terrains that the average person just doesn’t realize. You receive a +1 to each of the following skills: Climb, Perception, and Survival. Select a favored type of place you like to visit – your Survival bonus in that area is +2 instead of +1. Select that favored type of place from the following list: Desert, Forest, Mountain, Sea, or Exotic, the latter referring to airless, dangerous or toxic environments that are generally hard to get to (on Earth, the only such locations would be deep underwater or on Antarctica).

Forester – You are at home in forests, either because you have spent a great deal of time exploring them or because your job takes place in woodland areas. Perhaps you are a lumberjack or trapper, or you might simply enjoy camping and hunting in your native woods. You receive +2 to each of the following skills whenever they are attempted within or while travelling through forests or forest-like areas: Climb, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Forward Thinking – You are adept at coming up with long-term plans and solutions. When a task requires a significant period of time to complete, such as designing a complicated computer program or preparing a detailed analytical report, you can collect all your thoughts at once in your head – even if the project is extremely complicated – and prepare a detailed plan to achieve the objective Because of this, you receive a + 1 to +3 bonus on any skill roll required to carry out a long-term project. The actual size of the bonus depends on several factors:

Relatively simple project involving only yourself and things you are familiar with, and that will require only a short amount of time (several hours to a day or two)

+1

Moderately complex task requiring quite a bit of research and planning, possibly including a few other participants, and taking a reasonable amount of time (no more than a week)

+2

Complicated job involving a team of individuals working together, more than a week of time, and comprehensive planning efforts

+3

If a task requires multiple rolls, such as a project with several steps, the total overall bonus for the entire job should not exceed +3. The Games Master can alter the bonuses as he sees fit depending on the various factors involved in the project. For example, an extremely complex but short-term job could receive a +1, +2, or +3 bonus depending upon how much knowledge and preparation time the Games Master feels is available to the player.

Glib Tongue – You can speak confidently with anyone about anything, even allowing you to go so far as to make up wild stories and make them sound perfectly reasonable. You receive a +2 bonus to Deception checks and a +1 bonus to Persuasion checks.

Good Listener – You are trained in the art of listening to others, paying attention, and providing feedback about what you heard. Whenever you are talking to anyone one-on-one, you have a remarkable ability to pick up on underlying feelings and collecting insight about their true motives. You can also do this to a limited extent when observing someone speaking from a distance or on a video record. You have a +3 bonus to Perception and Persuasion checks when speaking directly to an individual, and a +2 bonus to Perception checks when watching them from afar.

Gregarious – You prefer the company of others and are comfortable in large groups. Public speaking causes you no fear, and you have no trouble with stage fright. You receive a +2 bonus to Persuasion and Profession checks when they have to do with group activities, such as giving a speech or putting on a show before a large audience.

Guerrilla Fighter – You are from a culture that teaches methods of fighting and resisting oppression by avoiding direct combat, instead striking from hiding and retreating into your native land. You are very good at stealth and quick. precision attacks, but prefer to avoid long, drawn-out actions. You receive a + 1 on your Stealth checks, doubled to +2 if you are involved in a military action such as scouting a base or acting as a sniper against a specific target. All bonuses are lost if you engage in a general melee and then try to flee – you are only good at this if you strike quickly and then retreat, like a true guerrilla.

Heat Tolerance – You come from an area where hot weather and arid conditions are far more common than cold ones. You receive a +3 skill bonus to all Survival or Treat Injury checks directly related to hot weather, such as heat stroke or sun poisoning. In addition, you receive a + 1 to any related sporting events or summer-specific activities. Also, fatigue that relates to hot weather affects you at only half the normal rate as a normal person, so if a rule states that players must roll once every hour for fatigue effects, you roll only once every other hour. Unfortunately, you are not very used to cold weather, and do not stand up to cool conditions. All Survival or Treat Injury checks related to cold weather are at a -2. and fatigue in similar situations affects you twice as much as a normal person. You can still participate in cold-weather sports without any other penalties, however.

Historian – You have a knack for history, and the education to go with it. You know a lot of things about Earth’s past and quite a bit about the rest of the explored galaxy. In addition, you tend to pick up new historical data very easily. When you receive this feat, select both a primary specialty and a secondary group. The primary specialty must be a Terran Alliance colony or one of the Earth national organizations (e.g., European Union or United Arab States). The secondary group may be any other organization, such as the Belt Alliance, Proximan Honored Sword-Bearers of Naicun I, Teuthidoid Knowledge Cults, and so on. A single species cannot be counted as the secondary group. You receive a +4 to your Knowledge (History [human]) checks for your primary specialty, a +3 to checks within your secondary group, and a +2 to all other Knowledge (History [<species>]) checks provided you have at least some knowledge of the subject. If you encounter a new race for the first time, you could not make a Knowledge (History) check about them, but after studying their historical texts for a few days, you would learn enough to benefit from a bonus on future rolls.

Industrious – Your people come from a nation where hard work and dedication are highly prized, and you have brought yourself up to follow those beliefs. You do not shy away from hard labor or difficult challenges. When called upon to undertake a backbreaking task, such as digging yourself out of a cave- in or moving large pieces of equipment, you generate fatigue only half as quickly as others. In addition, you receive a +2 competence bonus to Profession, Survival, and Swim checks when they relate to matters of sheer endurance – e.g., you would not receive the bonus if attempting to avoid drowning, but would if determining how long you could stay afloat or how far you can actually travel without becoming exhausted.  Additionally, if you have to make a Magery, Nanite Control, or Psionics check to maintain an effect, you gain a +2 bonus on that check.

Jack-of-All-Trades – You do not specialize in anything, but spread your interests out over many areas of expertise. You also enjoy a number of different hobbies in which you have extra skill. You gain a +1 bonus in three different skills, as long as those could be reasonably assumed to be hobbies for you.

Jungle Dweller – Your home is in or near a region of heavy, thick forests, particularly of a tropical rainforest nature. You are highly familiar with this terrain and know how to survive and travel in it without much difficulty. You receive +2 on the following skill checks when you are in a jungle or jungle-like area: Climb, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Level-Headed – Very little fazes you.. You are a rock of stability in the midst of chaos. You receive a +2 bonus to your Will defense and a +2 bonus to any Magery, Nanite Control, or Psionics check you have to make to maintain an effect.

Light Sleeper – You have become used to getting less sleep than normal people. You need one hour less sleep per day than a typical person of your race. Humans generally require seven hours of sleep per day, but you would need only six without suffering any fatigue or other penalties. In addition, you can sustain yourself for longer periods without sleep, doubling the amount a normal person can last before any negatives begin to apply. Finally, in any situation where you are asleep and need to be awakened suddenly, you receive a +2 bonus to Perception or other appropriate checks.

Low-G Tolerance – You come from a world where the gravity is significantly less than Earth normal. Prolonged exposure has made you better able to operate in zero-G or low-G situations, but higher gravities can be a significant problem. You ignore the first two points of Dexterity penalty for low-gravity situations, so you suffer no reduction in low G, -2 in very low G, and -6 in microgravity. Jump distances and lifting capacities are increased by 1 multiplier, so a x2 would become a x3, x4 would become x5, and so on. Additionally, you receive a +2 bonus on all Acrobatics checks related to low or zero-G conditions. Higher gravities present a bigger problem, however. All dexterity and strength modifiers are increased by two, so high G penalties are -4, very high are -6, and extreme are -10. Jump distances and lifting capacities are increased by one fractional point, so 1/2 becomes 1/3, 1/4 becomes 1/5. and 1/8 becomes 1/9. This represents the effects of atrophy on the muscles and skeletal structure that come with living in such an environment for so long.

Militaristic – You hail from a nation-state with a high level of military history or compulsory military service. Throughout your time there, you studied and practiced military theory, battle tactics, and individual combat. You receive a + 1 to your attack bonus with any single weapon type of your choice, representing specific training in that particular weapon. In addition, you receive a +1 competence bonus to any skill check directly related to military leadership or battlefield tactics, including those dealing with the morale of troops under your command.

Miner – You have a background in mining and underground exploration. In addition to a general knowledge about mine construction and mineral extraction, you also enjoy being below the surface, especially in natural caves and tunnels. One side effect of this is that you are not bothered by darkness, even the total black of an underground setting. You also have no problem with claustrophobia (the fear of being trapped in an enclosed area), and if anything would be subject to the opposite fear, agoraphobia (open spaces). You have a +1 bonus to each of the following skills when they relate to underground tunnels or caves: Acrobatics, Climb, Knowledge, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. You also gain a + 1 bonus to Will defense when faced with stressful situations or fears in underground settings.

Mountaineer – You are from a mountainous area and are used to travel in and around such terrain. You receive a +2 skill bonus to Climb checks in natural mountains, e.g., for scaling cliff walls or descending into a ravine, whether you have the proper equipment or not. You also receive a + 1 bonus to the following skills when they directly relate to mountainous areas: Jump, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Open-Minded – You tend to be unusually tolerant of others, including alien viewpoints that differ widely from your own. In general, you tend to accept things at face value, rather than with any sort of preconceived notions. "To each his own" is probably one of your favorite sayings. Because of this, others react well to you in social situations, giving you a +3 bonus to Persuasion checks. You also treat any other relevant skill as two points higher in any situation where, in the Games Master’s opinion, a clear head will help you see the forest for the trees. For example, if you are questioning witnesses about who they might have seen hanging around a seedy tavern, you might receive a +2 bonus on your Gather Information check if the data you receive is widely varied or contradictory. After all, people tend to perceive things in different ways – they might all be correct, from their point of view. Unfortunately, your willingness to believe what you hear makes you somewhat gullible on occasion. You receive -1 on Perception checks to sense motive and a similar penalty to your Will defense to resist psionics. From a roleplaying point of view, you tend to accept anything you are told at face value initially, although you will be just as quick to dismiss it once the truth is discovered.

Professional Sportsman – You are not only good at a particular sport, you are (or were) actually paid to perform it as your profession. You may select a single sport (see list below) and treat it as a Profession skill, but with a different ability score modifier. You are trained in this skill. If circumstances permit, you can take a job or earn money using your chosen sport. Note that jobs for professional sportsmen are not particularly common – you could, however, make money selling autographs or photos, or as a coach or teacher. In addition to the bonus above, you automatically earn a special synergy bonus on one or more other skills or abilities related to your chosen sport. A possible list of these appears below. More sports definitely exist and can be used at the Games Master’s option.

Football/Soccer (Constitution)

+1 to attack with any kick attack (unarmed strike)

Baseball or Cricket (Dexterity)

+1 to attack with any thrown weapon attack, such as a grenade

Basketball (Dexterity)

+2 dodge bonus to Reflex defense when avoiding attacks of opportunity

Wrestling (Strength)

+1 to any grappling checks or attempts to do subdual damage with an unarmed attack unarmed subdual

Track & Field (Dexterity)

+1 to Acrobatics, Climb, and Jump checks

Swimming (Constitution)

+3 to Swim checks for purposes of endurance; e.g., for purposes of distance or fatigue, but not to resist drowning or avoid being pulled under by heavy weights

Vehicle Racing (Dexterity)

+2 to Pilot checks

Gymnastics (Dex)

+2 to Acrobatics checks

Hockey (Constitution)

+1 dodge bonus to Reflex defense

Shooting (Dexterity)

+1 bonus to attack with one ranged weapon of your choice

Religious Influence – You are a religious leader of some note. You might be a priest, rabbi, or some other sort of ordained minister, or you might have been appointed to lead religious services in your area. You might also be a missionary. depending on your background. Whatever the case, you have certain powers and responsibilities that stem from your position. You receive +4 to any Knowledge (Culture) checks related to your religion, and a +2 to any religion-based Knowledge (Culture) checks for any faith similar to yours. For example, a Catholic priest would know something about Judaism or Islam, both of which are Abrahamic religions like Catholicism, but not of Buddhism or Taoism. On a regular basis, you are expected to lead a religious service. This might be done daily, weekly, or on some other schedule. In some religions, such as Islam, this occurs at a specific time, while others allow greater flexibility. If you are not available, you can appoint someone else to do this duty for short periods. Some religions, such as Catholicism, have specific holy days that occur irregularly. Others have special practices that take place at various times of year – Hanukah for Jews, Ramadan for Muslims, and so on. You are expected to take part in these celebrations and festivities and cannot simply miss them without good reason.  The religious organizations generally provides a place for its own to live, for example. Although you do not draw a paycheck for personal use, you receive simple meals at no cost. The church might also be able to draw upon other resources you lack, primarily knowledge about obscure subjects. On rare occasions, you might also receive aid from other sources, such as other priests or followers – but they will need a good reason for assisting you. The GM will be the final arbiter of your organization’s abilities in this regard.

Repetitious – Your life revolves around repetition and redundancy, possibly even to the point of obsession. When you brush your teeth, you always make the same number of up-and-down strokes. You prefer each day to be as close as possible to the previous one. Work is a series of repetitions of the same basic procedure over and over. You would be quite at home on an assembly line, where each action is identical and quality is exactly the same with everything you do. You may choose any single skill or ability you possess as your favored action. This may not be a combat activity, but can be literally anything else you have the capability of doing. You practice with this constantly and repeatedly, until you can do it in your sleep. You receive a +1 per level bonus with this skill or action in any circumstance where you could reasonably expect to benefit from your consistently repeated practice. For example, if you have spent your life endlessly creating forged identification cards, producing a similar one earns the bonus, as would determining whether a given card of that same type was, in fact, a forgery. However, creating a different son of forged document, such as a certificate or license, would not earn the bonus. There is no upper limit to this bonus. Levels only count if the skill or activity is a class skill or otherwise appropriate to the class (in the case of Prestige Classes).

Savoir-Faire – You are at home in high society. High-class soirees are a walk in the park, and important personages do not faze you in the least. You could carry on a pleasant conversation with a member of the Royal Family or the President’s staff as easily as if they were your next-door neighbor. You receive a +2 bonus to your Deception, Gather Information, Perception, or Persuasion checks whenever they take place in a high society setting. For example, you cannot use this bonus when trying to determine whether a high-ranking military officer is lying during a briefing. However, if you met him later at a party or state function, you could question him in a more comfortable setting that might make him reveal a little bit more information that he otherwise would.

Seagoing – You are from a culture where boats are still in use as more than just pleasure craft. You might be a fisherman, or sail cargo ships, or perhaps even live on a houseboat, or you have been trained in the use of these vehicles for military purposes. Whatever the reason, you are perfectly at home on the water. You receive a +2 bonus to your Pilot skills where they relate to seagoing craft – be they sailboats, motorboats, hydrofoils, yachts, submarines, or even an aircraft or spacecraft as it takes off or lands on the water. You also receive a +1 bonus to all Swim checks.

Specialist – Your education and training has focused primarily on a specific technical aptitude, with which you excel above all others, to the detriment of other skills. Select one specialist area from the list below. You gain a +3 competence bonus to skill checks made in this activity.

  • Knowledge:
    • Any Knowledge skill counts as a specialty
  • Mechanics Specialties:
    • Design — coming up with ideas, creating new innovations and improvements, and planning the creation of new devices
    • Construction — physically building or creating an object, system, or device
    • Repair — fixing and maintaining already existing devices
  • Treat Injury Specialties:
    • Paramedic — immediate first aid and urgent care; stabilization; dealing with short-term poisons
    • Doctor — long-term care of injured, diseased, or poisoned victims
    • Surgeon — complicated medical procedures
    • Veterinarian — animal medicine
  • Use Computer Specialties:
    • Operations — use and understanding of various systems
    • Programming — designing and implementing new programs

Streetwise – You come from a city or municipality where life was unusually difficult. In order to survive, you were forced to adapt to living in a low-class level of society. Although you are not necessarily a criminal by nature, you are no stranger to stealing in order to survive. You have little concept of saving money or long-term planning, so even if you do get a job, it is only for a very specific purpose and does not last. Your life is an endless series of struggles. If play begins at level 1, you receive only half the normal amount of starting money available to your class, and may not begin the game trained in any of the following skills: Mechanics, Pilot, or Profession.  These skills are always considered cross-class skills for you, regardless of your actual class.  However, you receive + 1 to each of the following skills: Acrobatics, Deception, Perception, Stealth.  These skills are always considered class skills for you, no matter what class you take.

Stubborn – You do not give up easily. When you fail at any die roll and have an opportunity to make the same attempt again, you do so at a +1 bonus on each retry. This is not a cumulative bonus, but applies only once. You do not earn this bonus if you take 10 or take 20 on any of the attempts. This feat does not give you the ability to make a second attempt on skill checks that normally do not permit one.

Surgeon’s Touch – You have an uncanny ability to learn complicated medical procedures and put them into practice. You receive a +3 to your Treat injury skill when performing operations with the assistance of at least two other doctors in a properly outfitted hospital or medical bay, provided you have the appropriate level of training to accomplish the task. You also receive a +2 bonus to Treat Injury checks involving long-term care and a + 1 to all other Treat Injury checks, provided they deal with the care of a member of the species you are most familiar with.

Team Player – You work well with others, especially those with whom you are familiar. You may or may not be a leader, but your follower skills are outstanding. Your receive a +2 competence bonus to any of the following skills whenever they involve team efforts in some way: Gather Information, Mechanics, Treat Injury, Profession, Survival, and Use Computer. To qualify for the benefit, at least two others must be assisting or working with you, and all must be trained in the appropriate skill. The Team Player bonus stacks with any other group assistance benefits, but cannot be combined with a similar bonus from another player with the same ability.

Trader – You have a natural affinity for trading, and given the proper motivation, you can negotiate the sale of iceboxes to Eskimos. You receive a +2 bonus to your Deception, Persuasion, and Perception checks where they relate to buying, selling, or haggling over prices. In addition, you suffer only half the normal effects of a botched roll or critical failure in such circumstances.

Tunnel Rat – You have developed an almost instinctive sense of where the tunnels on Luna lead, what is above them and how to best navigate them. When underground, you can make a Survival skill check (DC 15) to locate yourself relative to any three specific surface features on Luna. You also gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Reflex Defense when underground or in cluttered, tunnel-like surroundings, as your training allows you to use cover and the environment to best defensive effect.  This does not stack with the feat of the same name.

Unflappable – You are very difficult to surprise, shock, or faze. Whenever you are concentrating on an effect and have to make a Magery, Nanite Control, or Psionics check, or are making any Profession check, you receive a +2 bonus to that check.  In addition, when you fail one of these checks (or simply choose to, with Profession), you can roll again at a -4 penalty. However, if you choose to utilize this ability, you must live with the consequences of the second attempt.

Vehicular Engineer – You are a natural when working with vehicles, either modern versions or classics. Glancing at the broken engine of a car, you can tell within minutes that the fuel cell power coupling needs realigning, and given the proper tools you can fix it without access to a shop. You receive a +2 bonus on any, Knowledge, Mechanics, or Profession skill checks that relate to vehicle evaluation, diagnostics, or repairs. Your skills only apply to vehicles you have seen before or received the proper training for. If you don’t know a thing about alien shuttles, you cannot use your exceptional abilities until you’ve at least had time to study one. You are, however, a quick learner, picking up such training in only half the time a normal person would.

Wealthy – You gain the Wealth talent as a bonus talent.

NEW EQUIPMENT

CALENGIL SHOTWEAPONS [SPECIAL RULES]
CALENGIL SHOT-WEAPONS AT RANGE – For every 10 squares a target is away from the firer of the weapon, the attack suffers a -2 penalty to damage.

CALENGIL SHOT-WEAPON CHOKES – Calengil shot-weapons all have adjustable chokes.  Chokes are set on standard by default, but can be set to Open or Full with 1 minute of work and a DC 10 mechanics check.
FULL CHOKE: Instead of the normal penalties for range, attacks with the weapons suffer a -1 penalty on damage for each 10 squares of range to the target instead of a -2.
OPEN CHOKE: +1 circumstance to attack, but 1/2 range increments.

CALENGIL SHOTWEAPON SPECIAL AMMUNITION
Boomyshot (Hardshot+Explosive)
Burnyshot (Incendiary, available in flappyshot, hardshot, and runnyshot)
Breakyshot (Armor Piercing, available in flappyshot, hardshot, and runnyshot)
Fancyshot (Anti-Shield+Hardshot)
Flappyshot (NEW [Birdshot] (same cost)) – Similar in design to Runnyshot, Flappyshot is designed for taking out aerial prey.  The shot pellets are smaller and more numerous.  Attacks with Flapshot suffer a -2 penalty on damage but gain a +1 bonus to attack.
Funnyshot (Gel+Hardshot)
Hardshot (NEW (same cost)) – Makes the weapon function like a standard slugthrower that does the damage equal to the non-adjacent damage.  Attacks made with Hardshot do not suffer from the range increment damage penalty.  Hardshot can only be used in weapons with an open choke.
Mobbyshot (Hardshot+NEW (x3 cost)) – Functions like a standard slugthrower but does 2d4 nonlethal damage if fired at a target.  On the round that it is fired, the shell fills the four squares adjacent to it with a cloud of irritant that causes eyes to fill with tears.  On the following round, the cloud fills all squares within a 2-square radius.  The cloud disperses after 10 rounds, though a moderate wind disperses the smoke in 4 rounds, and a strong wind disperses it in 1 round.  Anyone caught in the cloud is subjected to an attack vs Fort defense of +5, failure renders them stunned for 1d6 rounds.  This counts as a gas-based attack, and some armor makes you immune to it.  A wet cloth held over the eyes, nose, and mouth provides a +2 bonus to Fortitude defense.
Runnyshot (Standard Ammunition)
Safeyshot (Frangible, available in flappyshot, hardshot, and runnyshot)
Shockyshot (Shock Rounds)
Shrappyshot (NEW (x4 cost)) – +1d4 stacking bleed damage, +1 CON damage if the target is moved down the condition track by the attack.
Stabbyshot (Flechette, available in flappyshot, hardshot, and runnyshot)

Adhesive Gloves [Equpment]
Cost: 300 Lissionian Exchange Units
Weight: 1 kg

This item is common in Lissonian space, especially on Lisson, and is also becoming common in Calengil space as well. Lissonian dwellings and cities harken back to the time when they were an exclusively tree-dwelling species, so a fair amount of climbing can be required to get around them. To aid visitors who aren’t skilled in climbing, these gloves were developed. Appearing to be a pair of ordinary black gloves with a thick cuff around the base, microscopic inspection reveals microchannels crossing the glove’s palm and fingers. These microchannels fill with a slightly tacky adhesive contained in the cuff when the gloves are pressed against a surface. This adhesive gives the climber a +2 equipment bonus to their Climb checks. Each pair of gloves contains enough adhesive to climb 750 squares before requiring a recharge. Replacement cuffs can be obtained for 20 Lissonian Exchange Units.

All-Weather Durability Underliner [Generic Uniforms and Non-Combat Armor]
Cost: 75 Terran Alliance Credits
Weight: 4 kg
Developed with stakeouts and wilderness exploration in mind, this form-fitting bodysuit is perfect for bounty hunters, researchers in the field, and just about anyone who might spend excessive time exposed to the elements without having time to acquire or change into the proper gear.
Slim and form-fitting with the proper insulated areas surrounded by moisture-venting polymers and layered with a molecular level particle repellent, the durability liner is perfect for users who need to wear their environmental protection under their armour or clothing. Its tear-resistant fabric offers slight protection against punctures and abrasions, and anyone wearing the liner can ignore half (round down) of the negative effects from natural weather directly applied to them (exhaustion and fatigue, but not lack of visibility) while adding +2 to their Fortitude defense against the effects of heat or cold. Additinoally, the underliner provides Damage Reduction of 1.

Armored Attire [Generic Uniforms and Non-Combat Armor]
Cost: 400 Terran Alliance Credits (Fancy), 350 Terran Allliance Credits (Utility)
Weight: 6 kg (Fancy), 8 kg (Utility)
Bounty hunters and Sector Rangers are always aware that they are in danger when working, as are members of many other occupations. Those who never know when trouble might arise will want to wear protection as much as they can, but must also be able to function in their everyday lives without looking like they are expecting an assassin’s bullet at any time. The result is the multi-layer polymer and composite system of armoured attire.
Designed and produced by dozens of different companies, armoured attire is manufactured with tiny platelets of internal armour baffling built into the fabrics. This process makes the clothing very durable and surprisingly resistant to damage from physical or energy-based sources. It also makes the clothing considerably heavier and less flexible than other clothing, but otherwise the visual look of the clothing is no different than the types of wardrobes it is designed to match.
Armored Attire of either type provides Damage Reduction of 2, but it provides no bonuses if worn in conjunction with a normal suit of armor.

Armored Longcoat [Generic Uniforms and Non-Combat Armor]
Cost: 500 Terran Alliance Credits
Availability: Restricted
Weight: 10 kg
A throwback to the older days of gun slinging bounty hunters and roguish trackers who enjoyed the ‘look’ as much as the usefulness of it, the armored longcoat is still a favourite amongst many professions. It is a loose-fit coat that comes in a rainbow of colours and style-alterations for every purchaser. It has seven different pockets (two external, five internal) that can hold up to two Small-sized objects each. Three of the internal pockets can be adjusted into a much longer single ‘sleeve’ for one Medium-sized object instead.
The cloth used in the manufacture of the armored long coat is extremely tear-, abrasion- and fire-resistant, having an effective Hardness of 10 against attempts to directly harm the coat itself. Between the external and internal layers of the coat are long, multi-segmented plates of a non-ferrous alloy that can withstand considerable punishment and offer adequate protection to the wearer. The alloy plates will set off any sort of weapon or metal scanner, so the wearer should know not to try and sneak around such devices while wearing the long coat, assuming they don’t have the appropriate license to possess one.
An Armored Longcoat provides Damage Reduction of 3 and a +2 armor bonus to Reflex Defense, but it provides no bonuses if worn in conjunction with a normal suit of armor.

Arrow, Grenade [Ammunition]
Cost: 1 Terran Alliance Credit plus the cost of the grenade

Grenade arrows deal the normal damage of an arrow plus the effect of a grenade of your choice. The area of effect of the grenade is halved (minimum 1 square with no burst or blast), and any direct damage it does is halved. All other effects of the grenade remain normal.

Arrow, Signal [Ammunition]
Cost: 1 Terran Alliance Credit
Signal arrows do nonlethal damage but make a loud whistling noise that can be heard up to two kilometers away in quiet situations.

Bullet, Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) [Rifle Ammunition]
Cost: x3 Normal
APDS rounds have a maximum range of medium and take a -2 penalty to attack, but they ignore 5 points of Damage Reduction or hardness, along with 5 points of armor or natural armor bonus to Reflex Defense. Against targets with Damage Reduction, hardness, or a combined armor and natural armor bonus to Reflex Defense of 5 or less, this bullet does half damage.

Bullet, Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFS-DS) [Rifle Ammunition]
Cost: x5 Normal
APFS-DS rounds take a -1 penalty to attack, but they ignore 5 points of Damage Reduction or hardness, along with 5 points of armor or natural armor bonus to Reflex Defense. Against targets with Damage Reduction, hardness, or a combined armor and natural armor bonus to Reflex Defense of 5 or less, this bullet does half damage.

Bullet, Boat Tail [Rifle Ammunition]
Cost: x2 Normal
Boat tail bullets do -2 damage but increase the size of their range categories by 25%.

Calengil Autoshot-Rifle [Weaponry]
Cost: 4000 Calengil Blood-Markers
Medium Rifle
3d8 or 2d8 Piercing Damage
Rate of Fire: Semiautomatic, Automatic
Ammo Capacity: 10 rounds [removable magazine]
Weight: 6 kg
Availability: Restricted, Common (Sirius [Trade Station 01] or anywhere else where the Calengil have a presence) or Rare (everywhere else)

A rifle version of the Shot-Pistol, this weapon is capable of fully automatic fire.  Automatic fire with a shotgun acts differently than normal automatic fire.  When adjacent to a target, automatic fire adds +4 dice of damage to the attack instead of making the attack an area of effect attack.  When firing at nonadjacent targets, the autoshot rifle targets a 4×4 area instead of a 2×2 area.

Calengil Heavy Autoshot-Cannon [Weaponry]
Cost: 6000 Calengil Blood-Markers
Large Heavy Weapon
4d8 or 3d8 Piercing Damage
Rate of Fire: Automatic
Ammo Capacity: Belt-Fed
Weight: 10 kg
Availability: Military

Representing the upper end of Calengil soldier-portable weapons technology, the Heavy Autoshot Cannon is a larger, meaner, version of the Autoshot Rifle.  Firing a larger caliber round, it functions the same as the Autoshot Rifle, but is only capable of full-auto fire and does more damage.

Calengil Shot-Pistol [Weaponry]
Cost: 900 Calengil Blood-Markers
Small Pistol
3d8 or 2d8 Piercing Damage
Rate of Fire: Single
Ammo Capacity: 3 rounds [internal magazine, breech loading]
Weight: 3.1 kg
Availability: Common (Sirius [Trade Station 01] or anywhere else where the Calengil have a presence) or Rare (everywhere else)
Lacking any real predators, Calengil weapons technology never really needed to develop into self-defense forms until they developed gunpowder and began to use it to war with each other.  Even then, the weapons still slanted towards ones that could be used to quickly and efficiently harvest food – so Calengil firearms technology has always leaned towards firing shot rather than bullets.  The Shot-Pistol packs all the power of a standard human shotgun into a compact pistol form, easily wieldable by the Calengil’s smaller frame.  It is a breechloading firearm, with three individual barrels in a triangular layout.  Calengil weapons designers continually argue over whether putting the third barrel on top of the two barrels or below the two barrels is the superior design, but everyone agrees that stacking all three in a line is stupid. Calengil Shot-Pistols do 3d8 damage to adjacent targets or 2d8 damage to a non-adjacent 2×2 square area within range.  When the choke on the Shot-Pistol is altered, it only affects one of the three barrels, allowing for each barrel to have its own choke settings.

Chrysoari Disintegrator [Weaponry]
Cost: 5,000 Chrysoari Protectorate Credits
Large Rifle (Exotic Weapon for Non-Chrysoari)
3d10 or 6d10 or 12d10 Energy Damage (See Details)
Rate of Fire: Single
Ammo Capacity: 50 charges/Chrysoari Power Pack
Weight: 5 kg
Availability: Military (Chrysoari), Illegal and Rare (All Others)
A testament to Chrysoari energy weapons technology, the Disintegrator disrupts the molecular cohesion of its target.  The sickly green beam it emits often leaves a target as a smoking pile of ash when used on the highest setting.  While charging to higher settings, it emits a characteristic whine, giving potential targets a chance to flee and the user a potent intimidation tool.  When fired as a standard action, it consumes 5 charges to do 3d10 damage.  If a standard action is spent to charge the weapon before firing, it inflicts 6d10 damage and consumes 10 charges.  If a full round action is spent to charge the weapon before firing, it inflicts 12d10 damage and consumes 20 charges.  If a target would be killed by the damage from a 12d10 shot, the target and all their equipment are disintegrated, up to a Large-sized target. This weapon requires a Chrysoari-made power pack, which costs 100 Chrysoari Protectorate Credits and cannot be recharged by the end-user.

Chrysoari Personal Shield Generator [Equipment]
Cost: 2,000 Chrysoari Protectorate Credits
Weight: 2 kgs
The Chrysoari are regarded as the current masters of energy shielding technology.  While some species have developed shields to protect against kinetic damage, and others have developed shields to protect against energy damage, Chrysoari energy shields protect against both.  This shield generator can operate constantly for two hours when powered by three power packs.  It provides a Shield Rating of 15, but if the shield rating is reduced to 0 then the power packs are depleted and must be recharged or replaced.  Sold standard, these devices are fitted for Chrysoari use, and have to be re-fitted for any other species.  This requires a DC 30 Mechanics check, or a Chrysoari technological specialist (who usually charges 200 CPC).

Commercial Data Feed [Generic Equipment]
Cost: 300 Terran Alliance Credits
Little more than a small earpiece (or alien equivalent) tucked inside the auditory organ of the user, the Commercial Data Feed streams constant market information to the wearer. This may seem a bit hectic and confusing at first, but those who get used to the market-babble can make subtle adjustments and quick changes when making decisions on their trades and deals. High-tech raiders have also begun to use these devices to get a better idea as to where or when a shipment might come through a specific transfer, allowing them better ambush windows. Wearers of this device gain a +1 equipment bonus to Knowledge (Business) checks, but suffer a –2 penalty to any check that requires concentration at the same time.

Decker Arsenal "Exterminatus"
Cost: 30,500 Terran Alliance Credits (includes 500 Terran Alliance Credit Destructive Device Tax)
Large Rifle
3d6 Piercing Damage
Rate of Fire: Semiautomatic [Recoil-Action]
Ammo Capacity: 9-Chamber Cylinder, Break-Action Reload (Speed loaders available)
Weight: 8 kg (unloaded)
Availability: Military, only available on Earth
Accurate (no penalty when firing at targets at short range)
Mastercraft (+1 equipment bonus to Attack)
Ammo Skip System (As a free action, you can cause the Exterminatus’s cylinder to cycle to the chamber of your choice.)
Produced by the nigh-infamous and somewhat-revered Decker Arsenal of Dallas, Texas in Southern States of America, the “Exterminatus” is a handcrafted, newly-produced rifle, created as a successor to the popular "Ordinatus" pistol that the company manufactures.  The weapon fires the same 21x60mm rocket-assisted round as the Ordinatus, and functions in the same role as the Ordinatus.  However, the Exterminatus is a revolver-style weapon, storing its ammunition in a 9-chamber cylinder, rather than the dual-barrel breech loaded method used by the Ordinatus.  Combined with the integral Ammunition Skip System, this allows the Exterminatus to not only store more rounds than the Ordinatus, but it also provides the user to field a variety of ammunition types without having to fumble with magazines or reload in a hurry.
The Exterminatus is a recoil-operated weapon, utilizing the recoil from the sizable amount of gunpowder that propels the 21x60mm round out of the weapon to cycle the cylinder to the next chamber.  This allows a higher rate of fire than the Ordinatus, but it also increases the complexity and mass of the weapon.
A user with lower than 12 Strength who attempts to use the weapon automatically misses on their attack, suffering 4d6 damage and moving -2 steps on the condition track.  This condition track penalty is a persistent condition, treatable with a DC 15 Treat Injury check made to Perform Surgery.  A user with lower than 14 Strength suffers a -4 penalty on their attack rolls with the Exterminatus.
The 21x60mm rocket-assisted ammunition used by this weapon costs 300 Terran Alliance Credits per round for regular ammunition, but it comes in a variety of additional standard types: Armor-Piercing, Explosive, Frangible, Gel, and Incendiary.  Each round weighs a whopping 0.5 kg.
As a handcrafted, made-to-order piece, the Exterminatus is extremely expensive for a personal firearm – costing 30,500 credits.  The Ordinatus is technically not a rifle according to Alliance weapons law, falling into the category of "Destructive Device" due to its large caliber.  Due to this, there is a 500 credit fee attached to all sales of the Ordinatus to pay for the Destructive Device tax that Decker Arsenal must pay each time they manufacture one of the weapons (this fee is included in the listed price).  The proper license for the weapon costs 6,100 Terran Alliance Credits as well, placing this weapon well out of the reach of the general public.

Fost Plasma Caster [Weaponry]
Cost: 1,000 Fost Divine Sanctifications
Small Pistol (Exotic Weapon for Non-Fost)
3d6 Energy Damage
Rate of Fire: Semiautomatic, Automatic
Ammo Capacity: 30 shots per gas cylinder, 60 shots per power pack.
Weight: 0.5 kg
Availability: Licensed (Fost), Illegal (Non-Fost)
This wrist-mounted weapon accelerates magnetically-confined plasma at a rapid rate towards its target.   If a character holds an item in this hand they suffer a -5 [equipment] penalty to attack rolls with this weapon and any skill checks they make with this item. If the item is a weapon they suffer an additional -5 [equipment] penalty to attack rolls in addition to those for wielding more than one weapon. These weapons cannot be disarmed when worn. New gas cylinders for this weapon cost 10 Fost Divine Sanctifications.

Nanopack [Equipment]
Cost: 200 Station Credits
Weight: 0.5 kg.
Availability: Common Availability (Sirius [Trade Station 01] or anywhere else where the Hive have a presence) or Rare (everywhere else)
One of the few exports of the Hive that is something they developed as opposed to goods they merely assemble for other people, Nanopacks are like a more advanced version of Universal Sealant.  Available in spray and gel form, the nanites contained in nanopacks are actually rudimentary versions of the Hive’s own constituent universal assemblers (without the advanced intelligence hardware).  When deployed, these universal assemblers cannibalize each other, minerals in their storage and dispersal media, and surviving bits of the damaged areas on the target to repair damage via the Quick Repair functionality of the Mechanics skill.  Once used, a nanopack is expended, even if the Mechanics check is not successful.

Personal Secretary [Generic Equipment]
Cost: 150 Terran Alliance Credits
Weight: None, add-on to a commlink or computer

A common program to install on a commlink or computer, and certainly an extremely useful one, a personal secretary contains sufficient artificial-intelligence routines to automatically sort messages, assign tasks to to-do lists and record information pertinent to the owner. Using a personal secretary gives the character a +2 equipment bonus to their Profession checks due to the computer’s superior organizational skills.

"Power Converter" (literal translation) [Weaponry]
Cost: 3,000 Fost Divine Sanctifications
Medium Advanced Melee Weapon (Exotic Weapon for Non-Fost)
2d8 Slashing/Energy Damage
Weight: 1 kg
Availability: Licensed, Custom Order Only
The actual name for this type of weapon has much more connotation in Fost.  This deceptively simple cylinder is one of the most advanced melee weapons available on the open market, and one of the few lethal energy weapons approved to be sold on Trade Station 01 due to its status as a melee weapon.  The cylinder produces a magnetically-confined blade of high-temperature plasma, using the same advanced plasma generation technology that the Fost use in all their energy weapons.  These weapons can cut through almost any material imaginable, and are deadly to a poorly-trained wielder due to the ‘unnatural’ nature of a blade that has no appreciable mass.  Powered by a special Fost-made energy cell (1,000 FDS purchase cost), they can run for an extremely long amount of time.
The plasma blade can be activated as a swift action and deactivated as a free action while it is wielded.  This weapon ignores all damage reduction and armor bonuses unless otherwise specified.
A non-proficient wielder with no Simple or Advanced Melee Weapon proficiency suffers a -12 penalty to attack.  Simple and Advanced Melee Weapon Proficiency each reduce this penalty by -4.  If a non-proficient user misses an attack by 5 or more, they deal the minimum damage of their attack to themselves.  If they miss by 10 or more, roll damage as usual and apply it to the wielder.  If they roll a natural 1 apply damage as usual for a miss of 10 or more, and if the damage beats the wielder’s damage threshold then the wielder suffers a randomly-determined injury requiring cybernetics (consult the tables in the background section).
Culturally, the Power Converter represents the pinnacle of Fost martial prowess – the honed skills of a Hast plus the technological skills of the Fuuer.  No mass-market production of power converters is available, the Fost consider such impersonal manufacturing of anything to be the grossest kind of blasphemy.  These weapons are crafted specifically for a given user after they have proven their ability to wield one without being a threat to themselves.  As such, there is a great deal of personalization that goes into each power converter.  The statistics presented above are for the most common one used, and variations and customizations are listed below.
Dagger-Form: change size to small, change damage to 2d4 but either slashing and energy or piercing and energy, change weight to 0.5 kg, activation time is a free action, -5 penalty to Deflect and Block and Redirect (does not stack with itself) [3000 FDS]
Duelist-Form: change weight to 0.3 kg, you gain a +1 equipment bonus on attack rolls made as part of attacks of opportunity when using this weapon [3000 FDS]
Fan-Form: change size to small, change damage to 2d4, +5 bonus to Deflect and Redirect (does not stack with itself) [3000 FDS]
Finesse-Form: can be considered a small weapon whenever that would be beneficial to the wielder, but cannot be wielded two-handed [4500 FDS]
Off-Hand Form: change size to small, change damage to 2d6, change weight to 0.5 kg [2500 FDS]
Spear-Form: change size to large, change damage to "2d8 energy and slashing" or "2d6 energy and slashing and 1d6 bludgeoning" [the second set of damages is for using it as a double weapon], -5 penalty to Deflect and Block and Redirect (does not stack with itself), can be used with 1-square reach but you suffer an additional -2 to Deflect/Block/Redirect while doing so [4000 FDS]
Twin-Form: change size to large, change damage to 2d8/2d8 energy and slashing [double weapon], increase weight to 2 kg [7000 FDS]
CUSTOMIZATIONS: All power converters get one customization for free.  Additional customizations can be added for 1,000 FDS each by a trained craftsperson.
Fiber Cord: One end of this small cord of metal fibers attaches to the hilt of the weapon.  The other end is attached to a piece of armor or a metal gauntlet, making it more difficult to disarm the wielder.  When the wielder of the weapon with a fiber cord is disarmed, the disarming character cannot catch the weapon or call it to their hand.  The weapon is still considered "dropped" and the wielder must spend an action to pick it up, though it hangs by its fiber cord until the wielder does so.
Mage-Activated: This rare customization removes the activation button from the weapon’s exterior.  To activate the weapon, the wielder must make a DC 5 Magery check as a swift action (this can be done as part of drawing the weapon, as with normal activation).  If this check fails, the weapon does not activate.
Master Detail: Only found on the weapons of the true masters of power converter use, this cosmetic modification is customized for each weapon and can be applied after the weapon has been manufactured.  It provides favorable circumstances on Persuasion checks against all Fost and anyone else who knows the details behind power converters.
Interlocking Hilt: This customization is usually applied to pairs of weapons and intended for users who prefer to wield two weapons simultaneously.  The creator of the weapons grafts a small, interlocking mechanism at the base of each weapon.  As a swift action, the hilts of the two weapons can be locked together, turning the weapon into a double weapon (considered to be one size category larger than the largest of the two weapons).
Pressure Grip: One of the most popular modifications, the pressure grip is a staple featured on most power converters.  The pressure grip senses when the wielder’s hand no longer grips it, deactivating the weapon immediately when it is dropped or disarmed.

Radiation Grenade [Weaponry]
Cost: 500 Terran Alliance Credits
Simple Weapon
3d8 Energy Damage (plus see below)
Weight: 0.5 kg
Availability: Illegal, Rare
Outlawed by every sane organization, banned by numerous articles of war, and universally reviled and feared, the radiation grenade releases a cloud of radioactive particles that sicken any character unfortunate enough to be exposed to them. A radiation grenade explodes in a burst of light smoke, affecting everything within the 2-square burst radius. The grenade detonates on contact after it is thrown, dealing damage in the same round it is hurled.
When you make an area attack with a radiation grenade, you make a single attack roll and compare the result to the Fortitude Defense of every target in the grenade’s burst radius. Creatures you hit take full damage, and creatures you miss take half damage. A target with the Evasion talent takes half damage from a successful attack and no damage if the attack misses.
The target also takes the effect of exposure to radiation. The radiation grenade is treated as Moderate radiation for the purposes of damage and Treat Injury checks.

NEW EQUIPMENT MODIFICATIONS

WEAPONS

Aerodynamic Grenade
Cost: 30 Credits
Modification Slots: 1
Availability: Military
This modification can only be applied to grenades and similar weapons. The size of the range categories for an aerodynamic grenade are four times larger than normal for a thrown simple weapon.

GENERIC COMBAT TECHNIQUES [ADDITIONS]

  • Armored Deflection
    With a quick adjustment to your position, you place the maximum amount of protective gear between you and your attackers.
    Prerequisites: Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium)
    As a swift action once per encounter, you can double your equipment bonus to Fortitidue defense from your armor along with any Damage Reduction you might have from species abilities, classes, or equipment. This doubling lasts until the start of your next turn.
  • Armor Optimization [Stance]
    By taking care to minimize the exposure of weak points in your armor, you improve it’s ability to protect you.
    Prerequisites:     Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium)
    You increase the bonuses your armor provides to your Fortitude and Reflex Defenses by 2. In order you maintain this extra protection, your movements become determined and ponderous, lowering your speed by 2 squares.
  • Breathing Room
    By taking a bit more time to catch your breath, you gain a buffer between you and a critical injury.
    Prerequisites: None
    By taking an extra swift action when you use the Second Wind action, you gain a number of bonus hit points equal to your level. Any damage you take is deducted from these hit points first, and they go away at the start of your next turn.
  • Cantina Shootout [Stance]
    With a panache and brashness that belies your true skill, you are a truly terrifying opponent in a close-range shootout.
    Prerequisites: Point-Blank Shot
    While
    you are in this stance, you gain a +1 bonus on all ranged attack rolls made against targets within 10 squares of you and a +1 bonus to Reflex Defense against ranged attacks made by opponents within 10 squares of you. Because you are so focused on the opponents near you, however, you double all range-related penalties to attack rolls and, if applicable, damage rolls.
  • Dual Shot – Divided
    Using your peripheral vision, you target two separate enemies and fire one of your weapons at each.
    Prerequisites: Dual Weapon Mastery I
    Once per encounter as a standard action,
    you can make one attack with each of the ranged weapons you are wielding, to a maximum of two. Each of these attacks must have a different target, and they each take a -5 penalty on top of the normal penalties for fighting with two weapons.
  • Dual Shot – Focused
    You draw a bead with both of your weapons, squeezing off a shot with each at your target.
    Prerequisites: Dual Weapon Mastery I
    Once per encounter as a standard action, you can make one attack
    with each of the ranged weapons you are wielding, to a maximum of two. Each of these attacks must have the same target, and they each take a -2 penalty on top of the normal penalties for fighting with two weapons.
  • Dual Strike
    You make a series of attacks meant to bring each of your weapons into play.
    Prerequisites: Dual Weapon Mastery I
    You make one attack with each of the melee weapons you are wielding or each end of a double weapon, to a maximum of two. Each of these attacks take a -2 penalty on top of the normal penalties for fighting with two weapons.
  • Duelist [Stance]
    You concentrate on combat with one enemy, becoming less aware of the rest of the fight.
    Prerequisites: None
    While you are in this stance, you gain a +3 bonus to Reflex Defense and +1 to all melee attack rolls against one target, chosen when you initiate this maneuver. Against all other opponents, you take a -1 penalty to Reflex Defense and attack rolls.
  • Intercept Grapple
    You have been trained to make enemies regret trying to grapple you.
    Prerequisites: Grapple Resistance
    You may use this maneuver when an enemy attempts to grapple you (upon them making the initial attack roll). Make an immediate melee attack against that enemy as a reaction.
  • Non-Combatant [Stance]
    Militaries across the galaxy recognize the benefit of letting medics from either side move about unaccosted. Even those who don’t often understand that they’re much more useful alive than dead.
    Prerequisites: Trained in Treat Injury or GM Permission (such as for utility drones that do not appear harmless)
    While under the effect of this stance, you can force an opponent to reroll a successful attack against you once per turn. Your status as a non-combatant limits your options, though, keeping you from wielding or brandishing a weapon while you are in this stance
  • Patch Up
    You quickly patch an ally’s wounds, letting them return to the battle more quickly.
    Prerequisites: Trained in Treat Injury
    Once per encounter, you can use the First Aid aspect of the Treat Injury skill as a standard action, rather than a full-round action.
  • Roll With It [Stance]
    You move and turn with impacts, improving your survivability and reducing the damage you take.
    Prerequisites: A source of Damge Reduction
    Your Damage Reduction gained from species abilities, classes, or equipment is doubled
    against one enemy (chosen when you assume this stance) as you concentrate on your defense against that foe. Consequently, your Damage Reduction is halved (roudned down) against all other enemies.
  • Stabilize
    When attending to potentially mortally wounded allies, you’ve learned to make every second count.
    Prerequisites: Trained in Treat Injury
    Once per encounter, you can use the Revivify aspect of the Treat Injury skill as a standard action, rather than a full-round action.
  • Stim Pack
    By applying a liberal dose of chemical stimulants to one of your allies (or yourself) you can help them get back into the fight quickly.
    Prerequisites: Trained in Treat Injury, trained in Knowledge [Life Sciences]
    Once per encounter you can make a Treat Injury check as a standard action. The result of that check determines the effect this technique has on the target, which must either be adjacent to your or must be yourself. You must have a medpac available to use this technique, but it does not consume the medpac:
    DC 15: Target moves +2 steps up the Condition Track
    DC 25: Target moves +3 steps up the Condition Track
    DC 35: Target moves +4 steps up the Condition Track
  • Thrasher [Stance]
    Upon initiating this brutal form, you become a terror in melee combat; a whirling mass of elbows, knees and vibroblades.
    Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes
    While in this stance, you gain a +2 bonus to all melee attack rolls and whenever an opponent makes a ranged attack while you are adjacent they provoke an Attack of Opportunity from you. Your focus on melee attacks makes you more susceptible to taking damage yourself, as your Reflex Defense suffers a -2 penalty. Additionally, you take a -2 penalty on all grapple checks as you tend to be precariously balanced and focused on direct attacks rather than trips or pins.
  • Tight Profile [Stance]
    By minimizing your physical profile and utilizing available cover while keeping potential attackers off-balance with a barrage of fire, you can keep yourself safer than might otherwise be possible.
    Prerequisites: Dodge
    While in this stance, your Reflex Defense against attacks from non-adjacent opponents gains a +2 bonus. Unfortunately, your focus on ranged enemies makes you less able to deal with those you are adjacent to, giving you a -2 penalty on attack rolls and Reflex Defense versus them.
  • Weapon Grapple
    You use your chosen weapon to initiate a grapple attempt, either by using it to force your enemy off-balance or actively using it to trap their limbs.
    Prerequisites: Weapon Focus with a weapon you are trying to use with this maneuver.
    Make an attack with a melee weapon that is your size category or smaller (a one-handed weapon). If successful, this attack deals no damage, instead acting as the initial attack for a grapple attempt. If you have a feat that allows you to deal unarmed damage with a successful grapple check (such as Throw or Crush) you may choose to deal damage with the weapon you used for this maneuver instead.

NEW TRAINING OPTIONS

CALENGIL SHOTGUNNER

  • RESTRICTION: Must be a Calengil
  • Tune Shot-Weapon: As a move action, a Calengil can alter the choke on a shot-weapon in their possession.  When altering the choke, the Shotgunner can apply the following changes:
    • Change the weapon’s choke between Standard, Full, or Open as a move action instead of taking 1 minute of work.
    • Alter the area of effect of the shotgun.  It must still hit 4 squares, but they can be in any arrangement as long as all squares are directly adjacent (not diagonally).
  • Rapid Reload: Calengil Shotgunners can reload Calengil shot-weapons one step faster.  Standard actions become move actions, move actions become swift actions, swift actions become free actions.  When reloading weapons with an internal magazine, this means that you can reload them as a swift action.

NEW FEATS

Calengil Shotweapon Adept
Prerequisites: Calengil Shotgunner training
Benefits: When you are wielding a Calengil Shot-Weapon, you gain certain benefits depending on the weapon you are using.
Shot-Pistol: You can fire two of the three barrels of the shot-pistol as a single standard action.  Each attack is resolved separately, but must be made against the same target or include that target in its area of effect.  You are knocked prone in your square after firing.  These attacks are made at a -5 penalty.
Autoshot-Rifle and Heavy Autoshot-Cannon: All AoEs made with the rifle are 1×1 larger (3×3 and 5×5)

Calengil Shotweapon Master
Prererequisites: Calengil Shotweapon Adept, BAB +9 or higher
Benefits: When you are wielding a Calengil Shot-Weapon, you gain certain benefits depending on the weapon you are using.
Shot-Pistol: You can fire all three barrels of the shot-pistol as a single standard action.  Each attack is resolved separately, but must be made against the same target or include that target in its area of effect.  You are pushed back 1 square in a direction opposite your line of fire and are knocked prone in that square after firing – the pushback resolves after the attack for the purposes of range.  These attacks are made at a -10 penalty.
Autoshot-Rifle: You can Autofire in a 2×2 area for 4d8 instead of 2d8 damage.
Heavy Autoshot-Cannon: You can Autofire in a 2×2 area for 5d8 instead of 3d8 damage.

Hobbling Shot
Chasing down marks that are fleet of foot can be tiring and frustrating for a bounty hunter, so you have practiced the expert ability to slow down your target from afar. By making a wellaimed shot to the legs (or other movement source) of a target, you can severely impede its ability to flee with a drastically reduced chance of killing it outright.
Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (ranged weapon or weapon group that includes ranged weapons)
Benefit: By taking a full round action to aim at a target, you can then attempt a Hobbling Shot with a -2 penalty to hit, but this attack gains all the usual benefits of aiming. If this shot hits, all damage done to the target after Damage Reduction is split in half (round up). Half of this damage is immediately applied to the target’s Hit Points as normal. The other half is applied to the character’s Speed at a ratio of 1 square of speed lost per 5 points of damage. A target cannot be reduced below a speed of 1 square by this feat. Speed damage is healed at the same rate as Hit Point damage, but must healed before Hit Points.

Perfected Attitude
You are well-versed in the social aspects of the galaxy, and you are what could be called a ‘social chameleon’ in most of them. You know exactly what to say, how to stand and generally everything necessary to do exactly the right thing to the right people in order to get them to do what you need them to. In one instance you might need to speak slowly and calmly for dramatic effect, at other times you might have the Hands of Friendship extended to all the right people. No matter where you are, if you are given a few moments to watch the locals, you can be at home in conversations and social gatherings.
Prerequisite: Trained in Perception, Charisma 13+
Benefit: By taking 1d6 minutes to watch the people in an enclosed situation (barroom, senatorial meeting, and so on) you can adopt many of their mannerisms and social graces (or lack thereof in some cases) to your advantage. After studying them, you can then add +2 to all the following skills in that specific situation: Deception, Perception, and Persuasion.

NEW PSIONIC POWERS

Calm [Mind-Affecting] – You forcibly calm yourself, ensuring that you are more focused.
Time – Swift Action
Target – Self
Make a Psionics Check.  The result of the check determines the effect, if any:
DC 15: Gain a +2 Psionics bonus on your next Dexterity-based attack or skill.
DC 20: As DC 15, except you gain a +3 bonus
DC 25: As DC 15, except you gain a +4 bonus
DC 30: As DC 15, except you gain a +5 bonus
Special – You may spend a Hero Point to gain an additional +2 bonus.

Confusion [Mind-Affecting] – You cloud the mind of your target, making it difficult for them to distinguish friend from foe.
Time – Standard Action
Target – One creature within your direct line of sight.
Make a Psionics Check.  The result of the check determines the effect, if any:
Compare the result to the target’s Will Defense.  If the check result equals or exceeds the target’s Will Defense, the target is affected as determined by the results of your Psionics check.
DC 20: The target refrains from making any attacks against you until the beginning of his next turn. The target may still attack your allies and other creatures normal.
DC 25: The target uses the Aid Another action to suppress an enemy of your choosing that is within his range.
DC 30: The target uses the Aid Another action to assist any ally’s next attack roll made before the end of his current turn.
DC 35: The target makes a single melee or ranged attack against any one opponent of your choosing. The target may move freely to place an opponent within his range.
The effects of confusion are lost if the target breaks line of sight with you. Regardless of the outcome, the effects of confusion last until the beginning of the target’s next turn.

Puppetmaster [Mind-Affecting]- You seize control of a creature, forcing it to move and act as you dictate.
Target – One creature within 12 squares and direct line of sight.
Time – Standard action.
Make a Psionics check. If your check equals or exceeds the target’s Will Defense, apply effects as follows:
DC 25: The target is held mute and immobile (effectively helpless) and may not take any actions (including free actions) of its own choosing for one round.
DC 30: As DC 25, and you may move the target up to your speed in any direction. If the target is moved out of range of puppetmaster, the effect immediately ends. If the target is suspended when the effect of puppetmaster ends, the target immediately falls and takes appropriate falling damage.
DC 35: As DC 30, and you can force the target to perform a single action on its turn (no full-round actions). The target is still otherwise helpless (see DC 25).
DC 40: As DC 35, but you can force the target to perform up to two actions on its turn (no full-round actions). When this power ends, both you and the target move -1 step on the condition track.
DC 45: As DC 40, but you can force the target to perform up to three actions or a single full-round action on its turn. When this power ends, both you and the target move -2 steps on the condition track.
Special – This ability may only be used against a particular target once per encounter. If you fail, you may not attempt to use puppetmaster on the target again for until you partake in a standard rest period for your species (8 hours for Humans).
You can only force your target to perform actions that the target could perform under normal circumstances; you can’t, for example, non-spellcaster to cast spells. The target does not gain the benefit of any talents, feats or other abilities that you possess unless the target already possesses them. The actions you force your target to perform must conform to the normal rules for the number and type of actions allowed in one round.
You can extend the duration of puppetmaster by spending a standard action each round to maintain the power. If you take damage while maintaining puppetmaster, you must make a Psionics check equal to 10 + amount of damage taken in order to continue maintaining the power.
You can spend a Hero Point to reduce by 1 step the distance you move down the condition track when this power ends (minimum 0 steps). Additionally, once per encounter, you can spend a Hero Point to modify a target’s action as if it were your own action.
Theoretically, you could force the target to say something, but since this power only grants control of the target’s movements and not its mind, this will probably meet with limited success. The target is aware that it is being controlled and can resist if it gets the opportunity.
If Puppetmaster is successfully rebuked via rebuke psionics and is not successfully rebuked a second time, the initiator loses their standard action for the next round. If Puppetmaster is rebuked twice, both the initiator and the target lose their standard actions for the next round.

Roomsweep Scan [Mind-Affecting] – A potent tool for psionically-talented to locate missing persons or objects.
Target – All targets within line of sight and within 18 squares of you.
Time – Full-Round Action
Make a Psionics Check.  The result of the check determines the effect, if any: Compare the result to each target’s Will Defense.  If the check result equals or exceeds the target’s Will Defense, you learn if the target has current or recent knowledge (within 5 minutes) of a person or object of your choice.  If you beat their Will Defense by at least 10, you can instead lightly prod the target by blasting an image of the person or object into their subconscious and sensing their reaction to it.  However, anyone affected by this immediately knows that they have been affected.  Additionally, anyone with Psionics as a trained skill is immune to this ability, possibly giving you a way to sense other psions in your midst.

NEW SPELLS

Atmospheric Dampening – You utilize magic to make the air around you denser in order to slow and dampen incoming attacks.
Time – Standard Action
Target – Self
Make a Magery check.  The result of the check determines the effect of this spell, if any.
DC 20: You reduce any damage taken by you by 5 until the start of your next turn.
DC 25: As DC 20, but the damage reduction is 10.
DC 30: As DC 20, but the damage reduction is 15.
DC 35: As DC 20, but the damage reduction is 20.
Special – You can spend a Hero Point to increase the damage reduction by an additional 5.

Bastion – You use magic to reinforce yourself and become an immovable bastion.
Time – Move Action
Target – Self
Make a Magery Check: The result of the check determines the effect, if any.
DC 15: Your movement speed is reduced to 0, and you cannot be moved or knocked prone by another character. Your damage threshold is increased by 2. These effects last for one round.
DC 20: As DC 15, except your damage threshold is increased by 5
DC 25: As DC 15, except your damage threshold is increased by 10
DC 30: As DC 15, except your damage threshold is increased by 15
Special – This spell can only be used while on a solid surface (i.e. cannot be used in water, vacuum, etc.). A character using this power cannot charge.  This power may be maintained from round to round. Maintaining this power is a move action.  You may spend a Hero Point to impose a -5 penalty to any enemy who attempts to tumble through your space or threatened area. 

Crush [Telekinetic] – You lift an enemy into the air and brutally crush them, overload their senses, and slam them into the ground.
Time – Standard Action
Target – 1 creature within 6 squares and line of sight
Make a Magery check and compare the result against the target’s defense of your choice.  Any damage dealt by Crush is considered to be originating from a single source and is applied in one sum against the target’s damage reduction and damage threshold.
DC 20: If your Magery check equals or exceeds the target’s Fortitude Defense, it feels a crushing force constructing around them, dealing 3d6 bludgeoning damage.
DC 20: If your Magery check equals or exceeds the target’s Reflex Defense, it is lifted off the ground and slammed back down, dealing 3d6 bludgeoning damage.
DC 20: If your Magery check equals or exceeds the target’s Will Defense, it is helpless against your assault and suffers 3d6 untyped damage as its senses are overloaded by the pain.
DC 30: As DC 20 except you target two Defenses and deal 3d6 per defense exceeded.
DC 40: As DC 20 except you target all three Defenses and deal 4d6 per defense exceeded.
DC 50: As DC 20 except you target all three Defenses and deal 5d6 per defense exceeded, plus you add half your heroic level as bonus damage per defense exceeded.
Special – You can spend a Hero Point to compare the damage provided by your Magery Check against each eligible Defense separately.  Each damage total is only then compared individually to the target’s Damage Threshold.

Destruction – In an imitation of the true power of Destruction contractors, you call forth a destructive blast of power and concussive force.
Time – Standard Action
Target – 1 creature within 6 squares and line of sight
Make a Magery check.  The result of the check determines the result, if any.
DC 28: The target takes 3d8 damage.  If your Magery check matches or exceeds the target’s Reflex Defense, you may push the target 1 square in any direction and knock it prone.
DC 33: As DC 28, except the target is pushed 2 squares.
DC 38: As DC 33, except the target takes 4d8 damage.
DC 43: As DC 38, except the target takes 5d8 damage.
Special – You may spend a Hero Point to move the target -1 step on the Condition Track when you successfully hit with Destruction.

Glide – You use magic to help you glide through the air.  It isn’t true flight, but it is useful.
Time – Move Action
Target – Self
Make a Magery check. The result of the check determines the effect if any.
DC 15: Fall up to 10 meters and 1 square from starting position, taking no falling damage.
DC 20: Fall up to 15 meters and 2 squares from starting position, taking no falling damage.
DC 25: Fall up to 20 meters and 3 squares from starting position, taking no falling damage.
DC 30: Fall up to 25 meters and 4 squares from starting position, taking no falling damage.
Special – You may spend a Hero Point to fall any distance, 8 squares from starting position.

Gravity Manipulation – You bend the very fabric of space around you, placing the weight of proverbial worlds on the shoulders of your enemies and crushing them beneath the unforgiving wrath of physics.
Time – Full-Round Action
Target – All creatures within 6 squares of you.
Make a Magery check.  The result of the check determines the effect, if any.
DC 28: Any target that was in flight immediately falls to the ground, and no target may take flight until the beginning of your next turn.  Any targets grounded by this effect take falling damage.  Additionally, compare the result of the Magery check to each target’s Fortitude Defense.  If the Magery check equals to exceeds the target’s Fortitude Defense, the target is knocked prone and has its speed reduced by half on its next turn.
DC 33: As DC 28, but any target for which the check exceed their Fortitude Defense takes 1d6 damage. This damage ignores DR.
DC 38: As DC 33, but the damage is increased to 2d6.
DC 43: As DC 33, but the damage is increased to 3d6.
Special – The results of this spell are greatly dependent upon the gravity where the user casts it. All damage dice are replaced with d4s in Low-Gravity Environments, and replaced with d8s in High-Gravity Environments. This spell automatically fails if used in a Microgravity Environment.

Maelstrom [Telekinetic] – Using telekinesis, you devastate the area around you with a whirlwind and protect yourself at the same time.
Time – Full-Round Action
Target – You plus all enemies within 6 squares of you and in your line of sight.
Make a Magery check.  The result of the check determines the effect, if any.
DC 15: You gain a Shield Rating (SR) of 5 until the beginning of your next turn.  Unlike other shields, this shield is made of pure telekinetic energy and cannot be recharged by any other means.  In addition, compare the result of the Magery check to each other target’s Reflex Defense.  If the attack hits, the target takes 4d6 points of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (GM’s choice based on available debris).  If the attack misses, the target takes half damage.  This counts as an area of effect attack.
DC 20: As DC 15, except you gain SR 10.
DC 25: As DC 15, except you gain SR 15.
DC 30: As DC 15, except you gain SR 20.
Special – You can spend a Hero Point when you cast this spell to increase the spell’s SR by 5 and increase the damage dealt by +2d6.

Overflow – You spend time building up power for an unstoppable attack, but this extra power comes at a high post to use.  You are drained from focusing on such a powerful show of force.
Time – Standard Action
Target – You
Make a Magery check.  The result of the check determines the effect, if any.
DC 30: On the next spell (but not incantation or true incantation) you use that deals damage, you deal an additional 4 dice of damage. You take a -15 on Magery checks for 6 rounds after the effect is resolved.
DC 35: As DC 25, except you deal an additional 6 dice of damage.
DC 40: As DC 30, except you deal an additional 8 dice of damage.
DC 45: As DC 35, except you deal an additional 10 dice of damage.
Special – You may spend a Hero Point to reduce the time the penalty lasts by 2 rounds. If there are additional modifiers in the next spell that is used, apply the modifier(s) to the extra damage given from this spell. If you don’t resolve the effects in the encounter the charge dissipates at the end of the encounter and is lost.

NEW MAGE TECHNIQUES

Drain-Resistant Overflow – Reduce the penalty on Magery checks from Overflow to -10 instead of -15.

Extended Destruction – The base range for your Destruction spell increases to 12 (instead of 6)

Improved Destruction – You may spend a Hero Point to target a 2-square-by-2-square area with this power. Compare one Magery check to all effected target’s Reflex Defenses.

Improved Overflow – Add 2 dice of damage to the effects of Overflow.

Lethal Destruction – Your Destruction spell now also applies the effects of a Mild Radiation to targets that take damage from it. At level 12 this increases to Moderate Radiation, Severe Radiation at level 16, and Extreme Radiation at level 20.

NEW ELEMENTAL ABILITY/BOUND SPIRIT POWER [Refined Electromagnetic Control]

This is added as an option for Granted Powers for the Electromagnetism bound spirit and to the list of Electromagnetism elemental abilities for Diverse and Focused elementalists.

Refined Electromagnetic Control [SPECIAL: Requires level 7+]
You can make a Magery check to perform one of the listed actions.
EMP: As a standard action, you may release a burst of broadband microwave radiation, scrambling electronics and fusing circuits. This burst is centered on you, and affects all electronics within a radius equal to 4 squares + 1 square/character level (though you may willingly decrease the radius if you so desire). The results of your Magery check determine the duration that electronics in the vicinity are scrambled, and the extent of the damage caused to them:

Result

Time

Damage

Up to 15

1 round

1

16–20

2 rounds

1d4

21–25

3 rounds

2d4

26–30

4 rounds

2d6

31+

5 rounds

2d8

The damage caused by this ability ignores any hardness the electronics may have. Electronics specially shielded against EMPs or harmful radiation are immune to this action.  Once activated, you must wait 5 rounds before using this ability again.

Maser: As a swift action, you can activate this ability and make a Magery check.  The result of your check determines the duration of this ability.  Once this ability ends, you must wait 5 rounds before using it again.

Result

Time

Up to 15

1 round

16–20

2 rounds

21–25

3 rounds

26–30

4 rounds

31+

5 rounds

While you have Maser is active, once per round as a move action you may concentrate a stream of microwave radiation at an opponent as a ranged touch attack. This uses thrown weapon ranges. If you hit, you inflict 2d4 nonlethal damage, +1d4 nonlethal damage for every 2 character levels you have, adding your Wisdom modifier to the result.  If you score a critical hit with this attack, the damage is considered lethal damage. This damage is treated as radiation, and any bonuses the target has to their Fortitude defense vs radiation also applies to their Reflex defense vs this attack.

NEW NANOAUGMENTATIONS

Commlink Range Increase (Requires: Subcutaneous Comlink): This nanoaugmentation installs a deployable antenna in your head.  Deploying this antenna is a move action, and while it is deployed the range of your subcutaneous comlink increases to that of a long-range comlink.

Ear, Stress-Detector – This nanoaugmentation tunes the recipient’s ears to help detect minute variances in voice patterns, revealing stress or lies.  This provides a +2 bonus on Perception checks made to Sense Deception or Sense Influence.

Penetrator Upgrade (Requires: CEC Neural Implant; Eye, Infrared Sensor; HUD) – The Penetrator Upgrade is an additional software suite for the CEC Neural Implant.  Utilizing visual-light and infrared input from the recipient’s eyes, the software suite highlights weak points in armor and structural weaknesses in targets.  A recipient of this nanoaugmentation ignores half the damage reduction and hardness in targets they attack.

NEW TRAITS

COMBAT

  • Back for More: Anytime an opponent confirms a critical hit against you, you gain a +2 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls against that foe until the end of your next turn.
  • Broken, Not Beaten: You automatically stabilize when reduced below 0 hit points. Once per day when brought below 0 hit points, you can accept 1 point of damage to regain consciousness for 1 round, though you remain staggered and are only able to take a single move or standard action.
  • Catch Off Guard: You are skilled at making the most of catching your targets off guard due to your use of unexpected attacks and unexpected weapons. Against foes denied their Dexterity bonus to Reflex defense, you gain a +1 trait bonus on damage rolls with exotic weapons, improvised weapons, and thrown weapons (including grenades).
  • Increased Caution: You have learned additional defensive moves from your trainers. You gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to Reflex defense while you fight defensively.

SKILL

  • Cunning Liar: You were forced into hiding or willingly went on the run at a young age, and learned to read others’ interests to inform your lies. You can use your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier in place of your Charisma modifier on Deception checks.
  • Diligence: You grew up helping with a family business or were mentored by an expert in your profession, who taught you diligence. Select one specific Profession skill. You can take 20 with that skill in half the amout of time normally required to take 20.

SOCIAL

  • Carnal Attraction: You know how to ask the wrong questions the right way, granting you a +2 trait bonus on Gather Information and Knowledge [Culture] checks regarding whichever vice fascinates you: drugs, forbidden lore, gambling, illegal fighting, or a similar debauchery or indecency.
  • Cultivated: You grew up speaking multiple languages. You learn one additional language. Additionally, when attempting a Gather Information check to learn news and rumors using this language, you can do so in 1d6 x 10 minutes, rather than the normal 1d6 hours.
  • For the Money: You gain a +2 trait bonus on skill checks to haggle prices or negotiate payment; this bonus increases to +4 if you are in a position of military or economic power over your target. You also gain a +1 trait bonus on any Knowledge check made to appraise something’s value.
  • Good Folk: People’s faith in you tends to run deeper than their trust of others. You gain a +2 bonus on Charisma checks and Charimsa-based skill checks with creatures that have a friendly or better attitude towards you.
  • Vigilant Spycatcher: Paranoid parents or a military trainer taught you to keep vigilant for spies. If you roll less than 10 on a Perception check to see through a disguise, determine your result as if you had rolled a 10.

NEW TRAININGS

INCONSCPICUOUS

  • One of the Multitude: You don’t stand out in any way from the majority of your kind, but consequently this lets you blend in and use this to your advantage. You gain a +2 untyped bonus on Deception, Persuasion, and Stealth checks when within 2 squares of at least two other members of your species, or species similar enough to you that you can pass yourself off as one of them or they you. If you are successfully disguised as another species, then you count your species as that species for the purposes of this training while disguised. In addition, you gain a +2 untyped bonus on attacks of opportunity made while flanking.

NEW STORY FEATS

Betrayed [Story]
 Believing in a just cause left you with a knife in your back. Now you hoard your trust in others, rarely sharing it.
Prerequisite: You must have had a valuable item stolen by a former ally, have been left for dead by a former ally, or have the Betrayal or Imprisoned background.
Benefit: When you are in a harmful area of effect created by an ally (through a spell or other means), that ally has to roll their attack or skill check roll twice and use the worse result (but only versus you). If you do so, your shaken trust means you do not provide flanking bonuses to any allies for 1 hour.
Goal: Track down the people who betrayed you, and either bring them to justice or slay them. At the GM’s discretion, certain members of this group can be spared if they provide important information leading to more prominent targets.
Completion Benefit: You grow more confident in reading others, if not exactly more trusting of them. Your allies and enemies no longer provide cover bonuses on attacks you make against other creatures. You also gain a 20% miss chance against any attacks of opportunity made against you, as long as an ally is threatening the creature making the attack.

Cursed Love [Story]
Your love forces you to endure the harshest of endeavors, despite the fact that most people would view your romance as madness.
Prerequisite: You must have a romantic interest who has fallen to some dark influence and rejects you out of shame or fear of newfound capabilities, or must have the Troubled First Love or Temptation background.
Benefit: You are well versed in a dark society’s way of thinking and in weathering abuse. Select a form of ‘corruption’ that your lover fell to or willingly embraced: magic, psionics, crime. You gain a +2 bonus on Persuasion and Perception checks when dealing with such matters, and a +2 bonus on your defenses to resist any effects from those sources. Once per day, when you would normally be reduced below 0 hit points by an attack from such a source, you instead mmediately gain a number of temporary hit points equal to half your character level.
Goal: Find a way to be with your lover in a
permanent fashion, either by persuading your lover to reject the influence of the ‘corruption’ or by willingly embracing the same corruption.
Completion Benefit: You no longer suffer abuse from those with whom your lover associates, and instead command a measure of their respect. You gain a +2 bonus on Persuasion checks made to intimidate against members of your chosen form of corruption. If you are level 10 or higher, this bonus increases to +4. When you would normally be reduced below 0 hit points by an attack from such a source, you instead immediately gain a number of temporary hit points equal to
your character level.

Dead Inside [Story]
You are devoid of both hatred and joy. While many regard you as callous, you have no particular malice in your heart.
Prerequisite: You must have been successfully affected by at least five different fear effects, or you have the Betrayal, Bullied, Death in the Family, Troubled First Love, Major Disaster, or The War background.
Benefit: When you are the target of a fear effect, the source of the attack must roll twice to affect you and use the worse result.
Goal: You overcome your detached state by taking part in an important emotional event, such as finding true love or taking great pleasure in an act of unrepentant evil. Alternatively, you divest yourself of all emotion by severing your remaining emotional ties.
Completion Benefit: You master your emotions. You can ignore any morale bonuses or penalties applied to you by outside forces, though other emotion-based effects (including fear) still affect you if you as normal.

Gruesome Butcher [Story]
You dedicated yourself to the cause of slaughter against a specific group or people, either for country, for vengeance, or perhaps just for sport.
Prerequisite: You must have been rendered unconscious and left for dead on a battlefield between warring factions or have the Fell in With a Bad Crowd or The War background.
Benefit: Select a particular nation, organization, or species. You gain a +4 bonus on Perception checks to determine whether a given creature is affiliated with that group and a +4 bonus on Deception and Persuasion checks to conceal your animosity toward members of that group.
Goal: Deliver the killing blow to a number of your hated foes whose combined Hit Dice total is equal to 10 × your current character level.
Completion Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Deception, Knowledge, Perception, and Survival checks against foes of your selected type, and a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them.
Special: By meeting the goal of this feat, your name becomes known to your enemy. Creatures of your chosen enemy faction gain a +1 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls against you should they become aware of your identity with a successful Knowledge (culture [your species]) check (DC = 20 – your character level).

Overachiever [Story]
Others made you feel small for too long, and now you drive yourself hard and never settle for second place.
Prerequisite: You must have been defeated by the same individual, organization, or creature type at least four times, or have the Private Academy, Competition Champion, Mentorship/Patronage or Ordinary Childhood background.
Benefit: You take only half the normal penalties from exhaustion. Choose one skill upon selecting this feat. Once per day, you can forgo rest to study or practice, gaining a +3 bonus on all checks attempted with your selected skill for 24 hours but becoming fatigued in the process. If you rest to recover from this fatigue, this bonus ends (but not if you recover from your fatigue in other ways).
Goal: You must utterly humiliate a member of your hated group by besting that creature at an activity for which it is known or in which it takes pride. This opponent’s Hit Dice must exceed your current character level by at least 1.
Completion Benefit: Each time you forgo rest to study or practice, you can apply this feat’s +3 bonus to a different skill. If you are level 10 or higher and trained in the selected skill, this bonus increases to +6.

RULES ADDITION: Downtime Day Rules

So it started to become a problem where people were utilizing NPCs that other people wanted to use, denying everyone else access to them for the entire day. So…I needed to figure out a solution to this.

Each day is divided into 4 6-hour periods, which can each be used to do varying things – Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night. NPCs have schedules that they keep to, so they might be unavailable during a given time period.

During each day, a character needs to use at least one of these time periods to rest. However, AI can function for 4 days without requiring a rest period. Failure to meet this rest period requirement causes a character to move -1 persistent step on the condition track. Missing it subsequent times moves the character another step down, possibly to the point where they pass out and get rest without their desire to do so.

During each time period, you can take an action from the list below. Some actions require less than a full time period, others require more than a single time period.

Blackmail (3 Time Periods): You can spend 3 time periods to learn an incriminating secret about someone. To learn a secret about your target, you or a team must succeed at a Gather Information check with a DC equal to 10 + target’s character level + the target’s Charisma modifier. On a successful check, you can pay 10 of the predominant currency per challenge (not character) level of the target to learn the secret. You can reveal this secret at any time to gain a +5 circumstance bonus on a single Persuasion check made to intimidate your target. On a successful check, the target’s attitude remains friendly toward you for 1d6 days, rather than 1d6 × 10 minutes, then degrades by one category each day until the target’s attitude become hostile. Alternatively, you can reveal a secret while coercing your target (see below) to automatically succeed at your Persuasion check made to intimidate that target. Once a secret has been revealed, you can’t use it again.

Coerce (3 Time Periods): You can spend 3 time periods to browbeat a person or team with a successful Persuasion check made to intimidate (DC = 15 + target’s character level + target’s Wisdom modifier). If you succeed, you can coerce the foe to perform a downtime activity on your behalf, or no activity for the next 3 time periods. Whether you succeed or fail, the target’s attitude becomes unfriendly.

Craft Item (1 Time Period): You can spend a time period to perform 4 hours of work crafting an item, as per the rules listed in the Mechanics skill.

Establish Alibi (1 Time Period): You may spend 1 time period and make a DC15 Deception or Persuasion check. If you succeed, you establish an alibi that grants you a free reroll on any Deception checks to convince others you were uninvolved in a specific event in the past 48 hours or will happen within 24 hours. You may choose whether to use the result of the reroll or the result of the initial roll.

Extended Training Regimen (1 Time Period): You can spend 1 time period to undergo any training regimen you have access to. Unlike undergoing these normally (which takes an hour), spending a full time period to undergo the regimen causes the bonuses to last 4 times as long. If a training regiment provides temporary Hero Points, it instead provides four times the normal amount.

Improve Relationship (1 Time Period): You may take one time period to attempt to improve your relationship with another character via the Persuasion rules. Note that most NPCs have some form of job, and therefore will not be available at all times.

Learn Language (1 Time Period, Must be performed 40 times): Learning a language through this method requires an NPC of better than Indifferent attitude who speaks the language you are trying to learn and a language that you speak. You can learn a number of languages via this method equal to 1 plus your Intelligence modifier.

Promote Business/Self (1 Time Period): You may attempt to promote your business or your skills. This requires a DC50 Deception or Persuasion. Every time period you spend after the first allows you to try again at a +2 cumulative bonus to these checks for this purpose.
A successful attempt to promote grants you a +10 bonus on checks made to perform Skilled Labor for 7 days, and a permanent +1 cumulative reputation bonus to those checks after that (usable up to +10 reputation). The bonus is halved if your business has no physical location, but the reputation bonus is not.

Research Information (1 Time Period): You may attempt one Knowledge check about a subject matter for which you have failed prior by researching it for one time period; you may gain bonuses as appropriate based on the wealth (or squalor) of information available (GM’s discretion).

Shop [Black Market] (2 Time Periods, Must know where the local black market is): You take the twisting, secretive route down through winding cooridors, looping back on yourself, and giving the secret passwords to be allowed into the local black market.

Shop [Normal Market] (1 Time Period): You go shopping at legal outlets.

Skilled Labor (2 Time Periods): Select any Knowledge skill, Mechanics, Persuasion, Pilot, Profession, Treat Injury, or Use Computer; roll that skill twice and add the results together. You earn the sum of these results in the dominant local currency, or double the sum if you have Skill Focus in that skill.

Train Teamwork Tactics (1 Time Period, Must be performed 40 times): You may train yourself and others in a selected [Team] feat. Doing so requires the presence of all beneficiaries. After 40 time periods of training, you are treated as having the selected [Team] feat, but only when working with the character you trained together with. You must still meet all prerequisites of the [Team] feat you are taking. You may benefit from this training a maximum number of times equal to 1/2 your character level.

REORGANIZATION AND ADDITION: Training Regiments

These used to be listed under Magic and Psionics, but I’m removing them from there and putting them in a dedicated page for better meshing with the new downtime rules.

Basic Close Quarters Combat Training
You spend some time training with a sparring partner, making sure your close quarters combat skills are up to par.
Time: 1 Hour
Requirements: An appropriate area for sparring, blunted or nonlethal versions of your weapons (if you are using them), a sparring partner.
Make a Melee Attack roll with the weapon you are training with.  The result of the roll determines the benefits of the regimen.
DC 18: You gain 1 temporary Hero Point which you can only apply to attack rolls with this weapon.  If this Hero Point is not used by the beginning of the next day, it is lost.
DC 24: You gain 2 temporary Hero Points which you can only apply to attack rolls with this weapon.  If these Hero Points are not used by the beginning of the next day, they are lost.
DC 30: You gain 2 temporary Hero Points which you can only apply to attack rolls with this weapon.  If these Hero Points are not used by the beginning of the next day, they are lost.  In addition, you can reroll an attack roll with this weapon once before the beginning of the next day.

Basic Ranged Weapons Training
You spend some time at the range, refamiliarizing yourself with a ranged weapon of your choice and making sure your marksmanship is up to par.
Time: 1 Hour
Requirements: A shooting range long enough to shoot at the maximum range of your weapon, or one capable of simulating that range, such as the one located on the middeck of the Terran Alliance’s Shackleton-class Deep-Range Scout.  This regimen also expends double the ammunition capacity of your weapon in ammunition.
Make a Ranged Attack roll with the weapon you are training with.  The result of the roll determines the benefits of the regimen.
DC 18: You gain 1 temporary Hero Point which you can only apply to attack rolls with this weapon.  If this Hero Point is not used by the beginning of the next day, it is lost.
DC 24: You gain 2 temporary Hero Points which you can only apply to attack rolls with this weapon.  If these Hero Points are not used by the beginning of the next day, they are lost.
DC 30: You gain 2 temporary Hero Points which you can only apply to attack rolls with this weapon.  If these Hero Points are not used by the beginning of the next day, they are lost.  In addition, you can reroll an attack roll with this weapon once before the beginning of the next day.

Oxygen Bottle (Requires: Magery as a trained skill)
This difficult regiment trains you to master environmental manipulation.  You must first empty a glass bottle of air, creating a perfect vacuum inside.  Then you must allow only oxygen to slip past a seal created by magic, eventually filling the bottle with pure oxygen before placing the vac-seal stopper.  This regimen requires you to use magic in a nearly molecular level, as well as training your ability to sense the elements.
Time: 1 hour.
Target: You.
Requirements: A glass bottle with a vac-seal stopper
Make a Magery check.  The result of the check determines the benefits of the regimen:
DC 26: You fail to create a vacuum in the bottle before the regimen begins, resulting in an imperfect mixture.  You gain a +2 Force bonus to your Fortitude Defense against inhaled poisons and non-corrosive atmospheric hazards.
DC 32: You create a vacuum in the bottle, but let other molecules enter through your magic seal, creating an imperfect mixture.  You gain a +5 Force bonus to your Fortitude Defense against inhaled poisons and non-corrosive atmospheric hazards.
DC 38: You complete this regimen perfectly, resulting in a bottle full of nothing but pure oxygen.  You become immune to inhaled poisons and non-corrosive atmospheric hazards.

Psychic Eyes (Requires: Psionics as a trained skill)
This regiment trains you to sense images that you cannot normally see by reading the surface thoughts of others.  During this regimen, an assistant holds a two-dimensional image viewer so that you cannot see the images being displayed on the screen.  As the image viewer cycles through different images of common objects, you must read the surface thoughts of the assistant to determine what image is being displayed on the screen at that time.
Time: 1 hour.
Requirements: A two-dimensional image display and an assistant.
Make a Psionics check.  The result of the check determines the benefits of the regimen:
DC 13: You successfully read one-third of the assistant’s surface thoughts.  You gain a +1 Force bonus on Psionics checks made to use the Telepathy application of the Psionics skill.
DC 18: You successfully read two-thirds of the assistant’s surface thoughts.  You gain a +2 Force bonus on Psionics checks made to use the Telepathy application of the Psionics skill.
DC 23: You successfully read all of the assistant’s surface thoughts.  You gain a +2 Force bonus on Psionics checks made to use the Telepathy application of the Psionics skill.  In addition, if you successfully use Telepathy against an unwilling target, you can also sense the target’s surface emotions and stray thoughts (as determined by the GM).

Quiet the Mind (Requires: Psionics as a trained skill)
This regimen trains you to block out distractions and stray thoughts.  It requires little more than finding a quiet, secluded spot and slipping into a meditative trance to clear your mind of doubt, questions, fear, and the chaos of the world around you.  Time: 1 hour.
Target: You
Make a Psionics check.  The result of the check determines the benefits of this regimen:
DC 13: You meditate, but your mind is still clouded by external stimuli.  You can add one use of the Farseeing power to your power suite, but once it is used, it cannot be regained by any means.
DC 18: You meditate, quieting your mind except for but a few small distractions.  You can add one use of the Farseeing power to your power suite for the day.
DC 23: You meditate, quieting your mind entirely.  You can add one use of the Farseeing power to your power suite for the day, and you gain the benefits of the Visions talent (if you do not already know it).

Telekinetic Practice (Requires: Magery as a trained skill)
This regimen hones your skill with telekinetic manipulation and enhances your precision.  You begin by placing a deep bowl on the ground, with an orb at the bottom of the bowl.  First, you must use telekinesis to hold the bowl perfectly still and pin it to the ground.  Then you roll the ball slowly up the side of the bowl, keeping it in contact with the bowl at all times, until it reaches the upper rim.  The orb is then held in place for 5 minutes, and must remain perfectly still.  You then roll the orb slowly back to the bottom of the bowl, moving it with telekinesis and not allowing the orb to move under gravity’s power.
Time: 1 hour
Target: You
Requirements: A deep bowl and a polished stone orb
Make a Magery check.  The result of the check determines the benefits of the regimen.
DC 18: You let the bowl move during the regimen.  You gain 1 temporary Hero Point which you can apply only to a Magery check to cast a spell with the [telekinetic] descriptor.
DC 23: You let the orb roll under gravity’s power back to its starting position.  You gain 2 temporary Hero Points which you can apply only to Magery checks to cast spells with the [telekinetic] descriptor.
DC 28: You complete the regimen perfectly.  You gain 2 temporary Hero Points which you can apply only to Magery checks to cast spells with the [telekinetic] descriptor or use to reroll a Magery check made to cast a spell with the [telekinetic] descriptor (you must keep the second result, even if it is worse).

RELATIONSHIPS SCORES

I mulled over whether or not to port these rules over, but decided it probably would make things easier.

A relationship with an NPC can be friendly or competitive—you get to choose which kind you wish to pursue. Some in-game events can spontaneously change a relationship from friendly to competitive, or vice versa—if you want to deliberately change a relationship from friendly to competitive on your own, you can do so by reducing your Relationship Score by half.

When you first meet a significant NPC, the GM will inform you that you can build a relationship with that NPC. If you’re interested in building a relationship with that NPC, record the NPC’s name on your character sheet, followed by the current Relationship Score you have with that NPC, and whether your relationship is friendly or competitive. Your initial Relationship Score with a significant NPC is equal to your Charisma modifier (this can be a negative number), but you will have the chance to increase that score as the campaign progresses.

Improving Relationships

You can increase your Relationship Score with an NPC in the following four ways.

  1. Charisma: Since your base Relationship Score with any NPC is equal to your Charisma modifier, when your Charisma score changes permanently, your total Relationship Score with NPCs changes as appropriate. Short-term changes, such as from ability damage, ability drain, or temporary bonuses, do not alter Relationship Scores.
  2. Companionship: Every time you gain an experience level, you may increase your Relationship Score with one significant NPC still active in the campaign by 1 point.
  3. Gifts and Insults: A special gift can increase a friendly Relationship Score with an NPC, while a perfectly crafted insult can increase a competitive Relationship Score. Gifts and insults can’t be just anything—each significant NPC has three categories of gifts and three categories of insults that work particularly well with that NPC. You’ll need to learn what most of these are by observing the NPC in play. You can give a gift or an insult to an NPC once per character level — when you think that you have the right kind of gift (be it an item you found, built, or purchased; in most cases, the cost of the item is irrelevant as long as it’s an honest gift) or have composed the right insult, simply inform the GM of what you intend to do, then make a Persuasion check. If you roleplay the gift or insult’s delivery particularly well, the GM might award you a +4 bonus on this check, at his discretion. Likewise, if you roleplay the interaction poorly, or if you time things badly enough (attempting to give a gift in the middle of combat, for example), the GM could inflict a –4 penalty on the check. The DC for this check is equal to your current Relationship Score with the NPC. If you succeed at the check, your Relationship Score with that NPC increases by 1 point. If you exceed the DC by 10 or more, your Relationship Score increases by 2 points instead.
    Giving a gift to a competitor actually reduces your Relationship Score, as does insulting a friend. You must still make the appropriate skill check Persuasion); a success reduces your Relationship Score by 1 or 2 points, as above.
  4. Special Events: Certain events in the campaign can alter your Relationship Score with some NPCs—the GM will inform you of these adjustments if and when they occur.

Relationship Levels

As your Relationship Scores with NPCs increase, your Relationship Level with an NPC increases as well, as listed below.

Relationship Score Relationship Level
5 or less Assocation
6-11 Friendship/Competition
12-30 Fellowship/Rivalry
31 or more Devotion/Enmity

Association: You and the NPC know each other, but not well enough to have formed a significant opinion about each other.
Friendship/Competition: You are a good friend or known competitor of the NPC. The first time you reach this Relationship Level with an NPC, you gain 400 XP. Whenever you gain this Relationship Level with another NPC for the first time, you gain 200 XP.
Fellowship/Rivalry: You have strong ties to the NPC, either through deep mutual respect and admiration or through a strong sense of competition and conf lict. As long as the other NPC is alive, you gain a +1 morale bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks. The first time you reach this Relationship Level with an NPC, you gain 1,200 XP. Whenever you gain this Relationship Level with another NPC for the first time, you gain 600 XP.
Devotion/Enmity: You and the NPC are devoted to each another, or are actively opposed to one another. If you reach this Relationship Level with the NPC associated with a Story Feat, the bonus granted to you from your Story Feat doubles. The first time you reach this Relationship Level with an NPC, you gain 3,200 XP. Whenever you gain this Relationship Level with another NPC for the first time, you gain 1,600 XP. In addition, your relationship with the NPC is strong enough to grand you a boon, whether your relationship is friendly or competitive. The nature of this boon differs for each NPC—your GM will inform you what kind of boon you earn at this stage. The effects of this boon last for as long as the NPC is alive and active in the campaign.
You cannot gain XP bonuses from an individual NPC more than once (such as if you decrease your Relationship level with an NPC and bring it back up).

ROMANCES

Not all gaming groups are comfortable with the concept of PC/NPC romance, so these rules are more optional than most. Consult with your GM to determine whether romance is an option in your game.
Each significant NPC has a Romance Score known only to the GM. In order to begin a romance with an NPC, your Relationship Score with that NPC must exceed the NPC’s Romance Score. Once per level, you may attempt a Perception check (DC equal to the NPC’s Romance Score) to determine whether an NPC is potentially interested in a romance with you. If the NPC is interested in a romance with you, you must make a successful Persuasion check (DC equals 10 + the NPC’s level + the NPC’s Charisma modifier) to begin the romance. The romance ends if your Relationship Score with an NPC ever drops below that NPC’s Romance Score. Each time a romance ends, that NPC’s Romance Score increases by 5.
Note that a PC can have a romance with an NPC with whom she has a competitive relationship—opposites do sometimes attract, after all—but this kind of romance can be more difficult to begin. If the PC’s Diplomacy check to start a romance is successful, the romance begins, and the nature of the PC’s relationship with that NPC immediately changes from competitive to friendly. This change does not necessitate reducing the Relationship Score by half in this case.
Romances do not grant additional in-game bonuses or benefits, but might grant situational benefits, opportunities, complications, or even dangers during the course of an adventure, usually at the GM’s discretion. The exact detail to which the romance is played out at the table should be determined by the comfort level of your group—the GM should make sure he understands
what this comfort level is before proceeding with this type of addition to the campaign. Unless the GM rules otherwise, an NPC can only be involved in a romance with one PC at a time.

NEW FLUFF

Anders-Class Scout: The fate of [ATS04] T.A.S.S. John W. Young (NVY-182) has been revealed.