FAST RPG VERSION 1.0
tl;dr: In these quick storytelling role-playing rules, the Game Master (GM) describes scenes and challenges while players narrate their characters’ actions, rolling two six-sided dice (2d6) when attempting risky tasks. Success depends on the difficulty (4+ for easy, 8+ for hard, and 12 for extreme), with Bonus or Hindrance modifiers adjusting the roll by adding a helpful or hindering third die. Players may collaborate on rolls or spend Story Points for greater successes or narrative advantages. They can earn more points by introducing compelling story complications. Combat uses the same task rules, with damage tracked through injuries and mitigated by Armor against attacks’ Severity ratings. Social influence and magic use the same mechanics, each offering creative effects like persuasion, deception, or supernatural harm. Players may always use an X-card to skip scenes for safety or comfort, ensuring shared storytelling remains respectful and enjoyable.
BASIC RULES
Playing the Game: The Game Master (GM), the central narrating player, describes scenes, settings, events, and challenges, while other players describe what their characters say and do in response. When characters attempt something risky or uncertain, dice are rolled to see if they succeed or fail. In scenes of rapid action, such as combat, players may initiate actions during turns, all of which happen roughly at the same time during a 10-second round. The results help shape the shared story as it unfolds through collaborative imagination and chance.
Playing Pieces: Each player will need at least three six-sided dice (d6s), something to track story points (cards, coins, beads), an “X” card, and something on which to record story notes (paper and pen, digital tablet or smartphone).
X-Card Safety Tools: During play, players can tap or hold up an “X” card to signal they want to skip or modify a scene without explanation. The game then moves forward, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants. An “X” card is not spent when used, and there is no limit to the number of times a player may invoke it.
* More info via John Stavropoulos: https://shorturl.at/YG3UJ
Task Rolls: When a character attempts an action, the player describes the intent and rolls two six-sided dice (2d6). If the roll meets or exceeds the target number, the action succeeds, and the player describes the outcome. If the roll is under the target number, another player or game master introduces a harmful complication into the story.
* Easy Task: Succeeds on a total of 4 or more.
* Hard Task: Succeeds on a total of 8 or more.
* Extreme Task: Succeeds only on a 12.
Bonus: If the character has one or more relevant specialties in a task or a situational advantage, roll three dice (3d6), discard the lowest die, and use the total from the two highest dice. Bonus modifiers may include:
* Related specialization in skills, talents, or heritages.
* Exceptional tools ideal for the task.
* Extended time to prepare or act carefully.
* Prior experience with similar situations.
* Reliable reference materials or schematics.
* Emotional connection or strong motivation for the task.
* Social interactions with friendly audiences.
Hindrance: If the character is injured or at a disadvantage, roll three dice (3d6), discard the highest die, and use the total from the two lowest dice. Hindrance modifiers may include:
* Suffering from one or more injuries.
* Attempting to do two separate tasks during the same turn.
* Repeating a task that has just failed in the previous turn.
* Rushed timing or forced improvisation.
* Distractions or active interference from an adjacent character.
* Harsh environmental conditions (rain, darkness, wind).
* Attacking a target behind cover or concealment.
* Attacking a target at a distance between a weapon’s ideal and maximum range.
* Emotional turmoil (fear, grief, rage).
* Unfamiliar language, cultural values, or technology.
* Social interactions with hostile audiences.
If a character has both Bonuses and Hindrances, they cancel each other out one for one. If there’s an imbalance, apply whichever is more numerous. Multiple remaining modifiers only add a third die to the task roll, not one per Bonus or Hindrance.
Opposed Tasks: When two characters directly compete, both roll at the same time using the normal task rules (including any Bonuses or Hindrances). If both roll the same total, reroll all dice. If one or both roll 8 or more, the side with the highest total succeeds and describes the outcome. (The Game Master may vary the difficulty to easy or extreme for the opposed task, requiring a minimum of 4 or 12 for any success.)
Teamwork: When multiple characters collaborate on the same task, each player makes a task roll as normal. The group then uses the two highest dice from all rolls to determine the result.
Story Points and Complications: All players’ characters start with a Story Point that may be used to create clever or cinematic turns in the course of events. Each Story Point may be expended to gain any of the following benefits:
* Change one task die roll to an automatic result of 6.
* Instantly remove one injury from a character, vehicle, or piece of gear.
* Instantly recover from being Shaken.
* Perform two actions during a turn without Hindrance.
* Move a distance equal to Short range during a turn.
* Increase an attack’s Severity rating by 1 for one hit.
* Find a useful piece of gear or equipment.
* Meet an unexpected friendly ally.
Players may earn additional Story Points by proposing interesting complications, twists, or obstacles that make the character’s adventure more dramatic, difficult, or surprising. The GM must approve these contributions as meaningful to award the point.
As a rule of thumb, each complication should impose story tension and one Hindrance lasting 1d6 rounds for some necessary task. Other possible ideas may include:
* An offense causes an ally to become neutral, or a neutral character to become hostile.
* An accident creates smoke, debris, or other obstacles that block lines of sight.
* Communications between characters and/or allies is cut off.
* A task allows enemies to learn of the characters’ actions or location.
* Equipment or weapons are dropped and scattered out of reach (beyond Adjacent range).
* A gadget runs out of power, or a firearm runs out of ammunition, requiring one turn to renew before reusing.
* Innocent bystanders interfere with the character’s goals or get caught in crossfire.
* Security alarms or automated defenses are triggered.
* The area around the characters collapses, floods, or catches fire.
* An enemy’s reinforcements suddenly arrive.
A player may hold no more than three Story Points for a character at any given time. No more than three Story Points may be used to influence the same task during a turn.
Attack Tasks: In combat, players describe what their characters intend to do: move, attack, or take some other action. All those attempting to make and avoid attacks roll at the same time, using the standard task roll rules. If a character does not move or attack and only focuses on evading attacks, that character gains a Bonus on the task roll.
For each opposed task, the side with the higher total wins the exchange and chooses one of the following outcomes:
* One side suffers one or more injuries based on the attack’s Severity (minus the target’s Armor).
* One side is prevented from taking tasks until the end of the next round (blocked, pushed, pinned down).
* One side instantly recovers from one injury (shakes off previous damage). This result may only be done by each character once per battle.
Shaken and Stun Damage: If a target suffers a hit from stun damage, a character may become Shaken for the next 1d6 turns. Physical and mental hazards can also cause a character to become Shaken, such as coming in contact with high voltage or confronting a horrific scene. A character should be allowed a task roll to avoid the Shaken effect with a difficulty set by the GM:
* Easy (4 or more): Electrical discharge from a small device battery (laptop, cordless tool). Discovering a dead body. First encounter with a scary creature.
* Hard (8 or more): Electrical discharge from a medium device battery (e-bike, solar panel, telecom equipment). Discovering the dead body of a loved one. First encounter with an alien horror.
* Extreme (12 or more): Contacting an electrical current from a 120-volt wall outlet or an electrified security fence. Witnessing the death of a loved one. First encounter with a gigantic alien horror.
While Shaken, a character suffers one Hindrance on all tasks. If the character is Shaken again (from stun damage or another effect), roll another die and add it to the current duration to extend the total time affected. Expending a Story Point can instantly end this Shaken effect regardless of duration.
Injuries: If a target suffers one or two injuries, it has a Hindrance on all further task rolls until healed or repaired. A target may suffer three injuries before becoming unconscious, unable to move or act on tasks. A target that suffers five or more injuries is killed or destroyed. (“Higher level” character may suffer more injuries before becoming unconscious or being killed.)
If able to rest and heal, a character automatically removes one injury every 24 hours since last being injured. Resting under medical care doubles this rate to remove two injuries instead. Expending a Story Point can instantly heal one injury.
Attack Severity and Armor: Some more deadly weapons and hazards may cause two to five injuries per hit. Armor reduces Severity on a one-to-one basis. If armor reduces a hit to zero or less, the target suffers no harmful effects.
* Severity 0: Stun-only weapons (shock batons, tear gas).
* Severity 1: Unarmed strikes (punches, kicks, grapples), burning torches.
* Severity 2: Small melee weapons (knives, clubs, crowbars), campfire, an hour of exposure to a contaminated area.
* Severity 3: Large melee weapons (swords, axes, spears) and ranged weapons (longbow, crossbow), small firearms (pistols), large animal attacks (bears, wolf pack, jaguars), burning room, a minute of exposure to a contaminated area.
* Severity 4: Huge melee weapons (polearms, greatswords), large firearms (rifles, shotguns), and energy weapons (lasers, plasma guns), vehicle collisions, burning forest, and a round of exposure to a contaminated area.
* Severity 5: Explosives, grenades, rockets, missiles, a turn of exposure to vacuum (if not wearing an exosuit/vacc suit).
Expending a Story Point can increase the Severity of an attack by one.
Compare to Armor ratings…
* Armor 0: Civilian clothing, robes, bare skin.
* Armor 1: Leather jacket, animal hides.
* Armor 2: Tactical vest, Kevlar-lined clothing, chainmail.
* Armor 3: Full plate armor, riot gear, survival exosuits (vacc suits).
* Armor 4: Powered combat armor, sci-fi battlesuits.
Wearing multiple layers of Armor does not add up ratings, but instead only uses the highest single rating giving protection.
Movement and Ranges: Distances are typically described in general ranges for personal weapons, broadcast signals, perception, sensors, and various effects from superpowers.
* Touching: Grappled, held, or otherwise connected.
* Adjacent: Up to 3 meters, or 10 feet.
* Close: 4 to 25 meters, or 11 to 80 feet.
* Short: 26 to 100 meters, or 81 to 320 feet.
* Medium: 101 to 300 meters, or 321 to 980 feet.
* Long: 301 to 750 meters, or about a half mile.
* Very Long: 751 meters to 3 km, half mile to 2 miles.
* Distant: 3 km to 25 km, or 2 to 15 miles.
* Very Distant: 25 to 250 km, or 15 to 150 miles.
* Orbital: 250 to 1,000 km, or 150 to 620 miles.
* Beyond: More than 1,000 km, or 620 miles.
Over clear ground, a character may move to a point up to a distance equal to Close range during a turn. Expending a Story Point allows a character to move up to Short range during a turn. Difficult terrain or complex movements (such as climbing or swimming) drop these distances by one range (Short to Close, close to Adjacent).
When a weapon is used to attack a target at a distance between ideal and maximum range, the attack task suffers one Hindrance. As a rule of thumb….
* Unarmed Attacks, Melee Weapons: Adjacent range only (no Hindrance).
* Thrown Weapon: Ideal up to Adjacent range, maximum to Close range.
* Bow, Crossbow: Ideal up to Close range, maximum to Short range.
* Pistol: Ideal up to Close range, maximum to Short range.
* Shotgun: Ideal up to Close range, maximum to Short range.
* Rifle: Ideal up to Short range, maximum to Medium range.
* Sci-Fi Rifle: Ideal up to Medium range, maximum to Long range.
Social Influence Tasks: Both sides roll at the same time. The highest result describes what happens and chooses one of the following outcomes:
* One side must truthfully answer one question.
* One side must accept a falsehood as truth.
* One side must obey a single non-harmful request.
Social outcomes that would be obviously harmful to a target, such as revealing a state secret or following a suicidal command, are automatically ignored.
Magical Tasks: Spells, curses, potions, and other forms of sorcery can be used as attacks or social actions targeting a foe’s body, mind, or spirit. Both the magic user and the targeted character roll simultaneously, or use a difficulty if there is no single specific targeted character. The magic user may gain a Bonus on the roll by automatically suffering one injury. (Armor does not reduce this damage.) Groups of magic users may work together to invoke the same effect.
The higher task result roll determines what happens, choosing one of the following effects described with vivid magical flair (examples in parentheses):
* One side suffers one injury that bypasses non-magical Armor (spirit attack).
* One side teleports to a Distant safe location (up to 25 km/15 miles away).
* One side instantly recovers from one injury (may be repeated during battle).
* One side must truthfully answer one question (divination or telepathy).
* One side must accept a falsehood as truth (enchantment, illusion, or phantasm).
* One side must obey a single non-harmful request (charm, fear, mind control).
* One side gains Armor 3 for the battle (stone skin, force fields, guardian spirits).
* One side gains use of a specialty or superpower until the end of the next round.
CHARACTER SPECIALTIES
Starting Characters: A “level 1” new character starts with three specialties based on the genre of the shared story:
* Fantasy: One skill/talent, one fantasy profession, and one fantasy heritage specialty.
* Horror: One skill/talent, one fantasy profession, and one modern profession.
* Modern: Two skill/talent specialties and one modern profession.
* Superheroes: One skill/talent, one superhero origin, and one superpower specialty.
* Cyberpunk: Two skill/talent specialties and one sci-fi profession.
* Sci-Fi: One skill/talent, one modern or sci-fi profession, and one sci-fi heritage specialty.
Alternately, human-based character may swap out heritage for another specialty.
Higher Levels: As stories continue, characters may become more experienced and powerful. At the GM’s discretion, a character may “level up” after key events and gain two benefits:
* Add one additional specialty per the story’s genre.
* Add one injury that may be taken before suffering unconsciousness or death.
General skills and talent specialties…
* Aware (sight, hearing, other senses, and intuition about surroundings)
* Blessed (divine favor, miraculous endurance, lucky outcomes, sacred insight)
* Charismatic (force of personality, confidence, leadership, and charm)
* Cunning (deception, misdirection, trickery, telling convincing lies)
* Dextrous (coordination, quickness, reflexes, and agility)
* Educated (academic and technical knowledge, use of technology)
* Elite (recognized fame, privilege, and influence across society)
* Empathic (reading emotions, comforting or manipulating through feelings)
* Haunted (connected to spirits, sees the dead, marked by past trauma or fate)
* Intelligent (logic, reason, memory, creativity, and adaptability)
* Menacing (physical presence alone inspires fear or obedience)
* Persuasive (negotiation, diplomacy, seduction, getting people to do what you want)
* Powerful (supernatural abilities such as magic, psionics, and superpowers)
* Primal (outdoor survival, weather sense, knowledge of animals and plants)
* Quick (faster than normal speed on land, climbing, and swimming)
* Strong (physique and brawn, lifting, carrying weight)
* Tactical (strategic planning, reading terrain or opponents, commanding)
* Tough (stamina, endurance, and resistance to disease)
* Wise (mental clarity and sanity, willpower, grace with the world)
Fantasy and supernatural profession specialties…
* Alchemist (transforms matter, crafts potions, binds magic to objects)
* Anagakok (spirit communication, weather magic, healing through trance)
* Apothecary (mixes remedies, cures, and elixirs from rare ingredients)
* Archer (archery, crafting and repairing bows, long-distance vision)
* Archivist (organizes scrolls, arcane tomes, secret treaties, and records)
* Bandit (ambush tactics, survival on the run, ruthless greed)
* Barbarian (untamed strength, tribal tradition, fierce survival)
* Bard (storyteller, musician, diplomat, and subtle spellcaster)
* Beast-Rider (animal bond, mobile tactics, primal command)
* Berserker (battle frenzy, pain resistance, reckless ferocity)
* Blacksmith (creates weapons and armor, may work with rare materials)
* Bowyer (crafts bows, crossbows, and arrows of great precision)
* Cavalier (chivalric code, mounted mastery, shining presence)
* Cleric (serves a deity through prayer, healing, and divine magic)
* Cook / Camp Steward (prepares meals, rations, and morale boosters)
* Court Wizard (serves royalty with arcane counsel and magical protection)
* Diviner (interprets omens, visions, and magical signs of the future)
* Druid (nature, weather, animal, and plant magic, herbal lore, shapechanging)
* Duelist (specializes in single combat, speed, and finesse)
* Enchanter (specializes in imbuing items, charms, and magical bindings)
* Exorcist (identifying possession, banishment rites, holy symbols, sacred texts)
* Gladiator (arena combatant, crowd-pleaser, master of spectacle)
* Herald (messenger of nobility, voice of law, bearer of crests and edicts)
* Inquisitor (roots out heresy, interrogates with divine authority)
* Jeweler (creates decorative and enchanted rings, amulets, and gems)
* Knight (noble warrior code, armored combat, battlefield leadership)
* Monk (ascetic discipline, unarmed combat, inner harmony)
* Monster Hunter (lore of beasts, traps, tracking, supernatural resilience)
* Monster Trapper (using bait, nets, and lore to capture beasts alive)
* Myrmidon (loyal formation fighter, deadly precision)
* Necromancer (animating corpses, commanding dead spirits, defiling rituals)
* Ninja (stealth mastery, sabotage skill, silent lethality)
* Noble (recognized family name, legal privilege, large land ownership)
* Noble Warrior (code of honor, dueling skill, commanding presence)
* Occultist (forbidden knowledge, dark rites, summoning, ritual artifacts)
* Oracle (receives visions, speaks prophecy, interprets fate)
* Outlaw (stealthy escape, ambush skill, hunted reputation)
* Paladin (holy knight sworn to a cause, smites evil, heals the innocent)
* Paranormal Investigator (ghost hunting, EMF detection, spirit communication)
* Peasant Hero (humility, unshakable courage, strength through hardship)
* Pilgrim (wanders in devotion, spreads faith, seeks holy places)
* Pirate (sea combat, cunning raids, rebellious nature)
* Prophet (divine visions, cryptic warnings, voice of destiny)
* Psychic (extrasensory perception, telepathy, precognition, mental resistance)
* Ranger (wilderness scout, archer, tracker, guardian of the wilds)
* Royal Cartographer (maps far lands, old ruins, and magical ley lines)
* Royal Tutor (educates noble children in magic, etiquette, and languages)
* Runesmith (carves magical symbols onto objects, weapons, and armor)
* Sage (learned in many fields, ancient texts, and esoteric knowledge)
* Sailor (navigation, knotwork, weather reading, life at sea, maritime survival)
* Samurai (blade mastery, strict discipline, ancestral duty)
* Savage (wild tactics, survival instinct, fearsome aura)
* Scout (trail awareness, enemy spotting, fast movement)
* Scribe (writes scrolls, maps, ledgers, and magical contracts)
* Shaman (speaks with spirits, heals through trance, crafts wards and omens)
* Sorcery (spell rituals, arcane knowledge, magical constructs, curses)
* Street Magician (performs minor tricks and illusions for coin and cover)
* Summoner (calls forth spirits, elementals, or demons to obey commands)
* Swashbuckler (graceful combat, charming bravado, agile acrobatics)
* Thug (intimidation, street fighting, brute loyalty)
* Tinker (repairs gear, works with clockwork, small tech, and knickknacks)
* Warrior (brawling, melee and bow weapons, martial discipline, stamina)
* Warlock (bargains and pacts with otherworldly beings, invocation magic, hexes)
* Witch (herbal magic, curses, charms, seasonal rituals, coven knowledge)
* Wizard (magical study through books, schools, and spell formulas)
* Wu Jen (elemental mastery, arcane ritual magic, mystical taboos)
Fantasy heritage (species and racial) specialties…
* Angel (delivering divine messages, healing and protection magic)
* Banshee (terrifying wail, ghostly beauty, harbinger of death)
* Bugbear (ambush predator, brute strength, tribal cruelty)
* Cat Folk (seeing in near darkness, stealthy and graceful movement)
* Centaur (horse-bodied, speed, archery, poetry, divination magic)
* Cloud Giant (sky-dwelling nobility, weather magic, long-range vision)
* Cyclops (single-eyed sight, crafting prowess, volcanic strength)
* Demon (destructive and corrupting magic, vulnerable to holy items)
* Devil (politics, power plays, crafting wish-granting soul pacts)
* Dragon (iron-hard scales, sensing treasure, flight, breathing fire)
* Dryad (speak with tree spirits, rapidly grow and control plants)
* Dwarf (stonework, metalcraft, brewing, resiliency against magic and poisons)
* Elemental (body of water, earth, air, or fire; control over native element)
* Elf (archery, enchantment magic, nature lore, ancient traditions)
* Ettin (two-headed brute, independent minds, club mastery)
* Faerie (glamour magic, hidden secrets, riddles, binding pacts with oaths)
* Fetch (phantom twin, omen of death, mirror magic)
* Frost Giant (icy strength, towering size, blizzard survival)
* Gargoyle (stone skin, rooftop vigilance, night movement)
* Genie/Jinn (wish-granting fire and air magic, cunning magical contracts)
* Ghost (manifesting visions, passing through solid objects, possessing bodies)
* Ghoul (corpse hunger, paralyzing claws, graveyard cunning)
* Gnome (clever inventions, magical illusions, speaking with woodland animals)
* Goblin (stonework, scavenging, making traps, magical tricks, sneaking)
* Gorgon (petrifying gaze, serpent hair, cursed beauty)
* Gremlin (sabotage magic, tool curse, tech-bane trickster)
* Hag (curse weaving, coven rituals, shapeshifting crone)
* Halfling (stealth, cooking, storytelling, and community-centered resilience)
* Harpy (flight, claws, shrieking song that controls mortals’ minds)
* Hobgoblin (military structure, tactical warfare, conquest-driven)
* Human (adaptable, ambitious, innovative, both compassionate and cruel)
* Ifrit (desert survival, ancient lore of ruined civilizations, fire and fury magic)
* Kobold (trap crafting, tunnel living, cowardly teamwork)
* Leprechaun (trickery and escape magic, gold sense, pacts with mortals)
* Merfolk (ocean magic, rapid swimming, seeing in underwater darkness)
* Minotaur (using horns in battle, navigating flawlessly through mazes and labyrinths)
* Naga (serpentine spellcasters, temple guardians, ancient memory)
* Naiad (breathing underwater, summoning currents, causing or stopping floods)
* Nephilim (supernatural endurance, divine magic tied to angelic heritage)
* Ogre (cannibalistic hunger, brute strength, crude tactics)
* Orc (physical brawn, surviving in wastelands, tribal loyalty and honor)
* Rakshasa (tiger spirit demon, disguises, illusion magic, feeding on flesh and fear)
* Reptile Folk (holding breath underwater, surviving in swamps, fast swimmers)
* Sasquatch (hidden presence, immense strength, forest guardian instinct)
* Satyr (goat-legged stride, music, tricks, panic and pleasure magics)
* Scarecrow (possessed husk, fear aura, stalks in silence)
* Shadow/Shade (two-dimensional form, drains strength, stalker of light)
* Siren (singing enchantress, sea-bound lure, storm caller)
* Spriggan (forest survival, treasure sense, transforms into giant when angered)
* Sylph (elemental control of wind and sky currents, flight)
* Tengu (bird warrior monks, mischief and wisdom, wind magic)
* Titan (colossal strength, ancient power, elemental dominion)
* Treaefolk (ancient tree-being, forest protector, crushing limb strength)
* Troll (regenerates quickly from wounds, adept at living in swamps and caves)
* Unicorn (divine purity, healing horn, elusive grace)
* Vampire (surviving on blood, ignoring physical harm, vulnerable to sunlight)
* Wendigo (flesh hunger, icy aura, cursed madness)
* Werewolf (tracking by scent, using claws and fangs, vulnerable to silver)
* Wraith (draining life force by touch, immaterial form, vulnerable to sunlight)
* Yeti (snowy stealth, bone-crushing power, icy endurance)
* Zombie (never sleeping, ignoring physical injuries unless hit in the head)
Fantasy heritage (mythic cultural) specialties…
* Amazon (warrior sisterhood, unmatched archery, honor-bound culture)
* Atlantean (travel and water magic, Poseidon worship, ancient lore)
* Aztec (ritual sacrifice, sun and jaguar cults, obsidian magic, blood divination)
* Babylonian (star-mapping, law-code magic, dreams and omens, scribes)
* Celtic (fey dealings, sacred groves, bardic lore, otherworldly crossings)
* Cherokee (balance of nature, sacred syllabary, river magic, sacred serpent lore)
* Chinese (alchemy, dragon lore, celestial bureaucracy, balance of forces)
* Dinka (river magic, cattle blessings, thunder deities, oral epic lineages)
* Egyptian (death rites, solar gods, necromantic lore, balance of Ma’at and chaos)
* French (courtly refinement, dueling, fashion and art, religious fervor)
* German (engineering, lore on folktales, changelings, and forests)
* Greek (philosophical inquiry, Olympian divine lore, civic pride and hubris)
* Hittite (storm god lore, ironworking, treaty magic, hybrid pantheons)
* Igbo (ancestral veneration, forest spirits, masked rituals, storytelling)
* Inuit (ice spirit negotiation, dreams and snow, survival magic of the tundra)
* Iroquois (diplomacy, wampum memory lore, sky-woman myths, dream magic)
* Italian (cunning merchants, artisan skills, church and sorcery intertwined)
* Japanese (discipline and honor, spirit folklore, swordcraft, kami worship)
* Korean (ancestral rites, mountain spirits, scholarly magic, martial balance)
* Navajo (holy wind lore, sandpainting spells, skinwalker myths, chantways)
* Norse (runic frost and fire magic, prophecy and bravery in the face of doom)
* Nubian (Kushite lore, gold and ivory trade, archery, rivercraft)
* Persian (light and darkness magic, fire temples, djinn lore, desert survival)
* Phoenician (sea trade and shipwrights, coded alphabets, merchant rituals)
* Roman (military precision, architecture of power, bureaucracy as ritual)
* Russian (survivalism, lore of winter spirits, witch-hags, hearth, and forests)
* Saracen (equestrian mastery, faith-driven valor, desert-born tactics)
* Scythian (steppe riders, burial magic, vision quests, tattoos as spirit wards)
* Sioux (sun dance rituals, vision quests, thunder beings, plains survival magic)
* Spartan (military discipline, austere lifestyle, unwavering loyalty)
* Vedic (Sanskrit spellcraft, fire sacrifice, cosmic hymns, dharma-bound magic)
* Yoruba (divination and spirit possession, worship of Orisha deities, sacred drums)
* Zulu (ancestral dreams, lightning magic, spirit herding, kingship rites)
Fantasy heritage (homeland) specialties…
* Arctic Homeland (frozen survival, layered insulation, snow navigation)
* Coastal Homeland (fishing skill, tidal timing, storm watching)
* Desert Homeland (scorch resistance, water finding, sand travel)
* Faerie Homeland (glamour sense, trickster wisdom, pathfinding between worlds)
* Forest Homeland (camouflage skill, herbal knowledge, treebound paths)
* Jungle Homeland (venom awareness, vine mobility, dense canopy tracking)
* Lunar Homeland (low gravity agility, crater mapping, radiation shielding)
* Mountain Homeland (high-altitude lungs, cliff climbing, echo awareness)
* Plains Homeland (open-horizon vision, long-distance running, herd tracking)
* Shadowlands Homeland (dimlight vision, ghost lore, resistance to fear)
* Swamp Homeland (mud walking, disease resistance, hidden trail memory)
* Underdark Homeland (low-light vision, tunnel navigation, silence under pressure)
* Underwater Homeland (breathing beneath waves, pressure adaptation, echo communication)
* Wasteland Homeland (scrap use, radiation resilience, distrust of strangers)
Modern profession specialties…
* Actor (performing roles, embodying characters and emotions, adapting to direction)
* Anthropologist (human societies, languages, rituals, cultural evolutions)
* Antiquarian (historical knowledge, rare item appraisal, museum access)
* Archaeologist (excavating ruins, dating artifacts, interpreting ancient cultures)
* Architect (planning, structural insight, aesthetic judgment)
* Artist (creating visual or conceptual works, expression through various media)
* Assassin (silent killing, poisons, stalking targets, escape plans, disguises)
* Athlete (conditioning, endurance training, competition strategy, discipline)
* Bartender (social intuition, local gossip, calm under pressure)
* Bodyguard (threat detection, defensive positioning, protective escort routines)
* Bounty Hunter (tracking fugitives, restraint tools, negotiating legal loopholes)
* Celebrity (public persona cultivation, media appearances, branding deals)
* City Official (urban infrastructure, zoning, public services, and local policies)
* Clergy (faith, moral authority, community influence)
* Corporate Executive (strategic planning, decision-making, mergers, acquisitions)
* Cowboy (ride skill, survivalist grit, frontier justice)
* Criminal (breaking and entering, fencing stolen goods, forgery, evasion, blackmail)
* Detective (crime scene analysis, deduction, surveillance, suspect profiling)
* Dilettante (wide but shallow knowledge of arts, culture, sciences, and society)
* Diplomat (negotiation, cultural etiquette, conflict resolution, treaties)
* Dock Worker (strength, logistics, rough crowd savvy)
* Engineer (designing structures, machines, or systems with physical mechanics)
* Espionage (disguises, infiltration, intel, surveillance, sabotage)
* Farmer (planting, animal care, weather signs, irrigation, crop rotation)
* Fence (trades in stolen goods, underworld connections, pricing knowledge)
* Financial Expert (markets, accounting, investment, fraud detection, monetary policy)
* Firefighter (bravery, emergency response, physical toughness)
* Gambler (risk taking, odds, bluffing, luck manipulation)
* Gangster (underworld ops, smuggling, protection rackets, criminal alliances)
* Grifter (deception, quick thinking, fast exits)
* Hacker (interfacing with devices, software manipulation, electronics)
* High Society (etiquette, social networking, wealth, patronage, status hierarchies)
* Historian (research, knowledge of past people, places, and events)
* Hunter (tracking, marksmanship, knowledge of prey)
* Journalist (investigating leads, interviewing sources, identifying public interest)
* Judge (authority, discernment, lawful presence)
* Laborer (endurance, practical tools, get-it-done mindset)
* Lawyer (argumentation, legal knowledge, influence networks)
* Librarian (research skill, information networks, quiet observance)
* Linguist (speaking, decoding, and learning multiple languages or dialects)
* Mechanic (tool use, repair knowledge, problem solving under pressure)
* Medical Science (first aid, diagnosis, healing, medicines, diseases, surgery)
* Mercenary (weapons handling, contracts, field survival, combat experience)
* Military (battlefield tactics, logistics, chain of command)
* Miner (endurance, geology basics, underground instincts)
* Missionary (persuasion, language fluency, cultural crossover)
* Musician (composing or performing music, mastering instruments or vocals)
* Natural Sciences (biology, astronomy, chemistry, physics, planetology)
* Nomad (adapting to varied environments, resourceful and mobile survival)
* Photographer (observation, framing, capturing truth or beauty)
* Pilot (aircraft instruments, navigation and maneuvers, airport procedures)
* Police (law enforcement procedures, arrests, interrogation, patrol tactics)
* Politician (public speaking, deal-making, influence networks, reading crowds)
* Private Investigator (surveillance, deduction, walking the line of the law)
* Professor (advanced teaching, academic research, publishing scholarly work)
* Psychologist (empathy, insight into behavior, mental resilience)
* Religion (lore and rites about various deities and their followers)
* Rock Star (captivating performances, media presence, touring, using fame)
* Scientist (experimentation, data analysis, lab work, scientific literature)
* Secret Agent (disguise, covert tactics, loyalty conflicts)
* Secretary (organization, access to info, underestimated leverage)
* Shopkeeper (haggling, local knowledge, personal relationships)
* Sleight of Hand (picking pockets, using ropes, and performing simple tricks)
* Social Sciences (psychology, economics, politics, anthropology)
* Soldier (discipline, combat training, teamwork)
* Stealth (moving silently and remaining unseen from observers)
* Street Punk (street smarts, defiance, improvised tactics)
* Survivalist (foraging, hidden shelter building, tracking, weather prediction)
* Taxi Driver (city map mastery, night driving, overheard secrets)
* Teacher (curriculum planning, explaining complex topics, guiding development)
* Teamster (operating large vehicles, freight logistics, route planning)
* Technician (tools, machines, diagnostics, repairs, engineering basics)
* Trade (assessing value of goods, finding buyer in markets, negotiating prices)
* Valet (reflexes, etiquette, access to high society)
* Waiter (grace under fire, people reading, constant movement)
* Zealot (conviction, relentless drive, unshakable worldview)
Science-fiction profession specialties…
(Many modern specialties still work for sci-fi as well.)
* Agent (cover identities, alien intel gathering, tech infiltration)
* Asteroid Miner/Belter (zero-g labor skill, vacuum survival, ore detection tech)
* Colonist (habitat construction, environmental control, terraform tools)
* Communications Officer (signal decoding, languages, diplomatic protocol)
* Drone Operator (combat drones, recon bots, remote piloting, swarm tactics)
* Engineer (FTL drives, emergency repairs, power optimization)
* Exogeologist (alien mineralogy, tectonics on foreign worlds, excavation tech)
* Explorer (planetary navigation, survival, xenoecology fieldwork)
* First Contact Expert (alien diplomacy, semiotics, universal translator tech)
* Genetic Engineer (cloning, mutagenics, designing synthetic lifeforms)
* Mecha Pilot (neural reflexes, cockpit mastery, urban warfare tactics)
* Medic (trauma response, zero-g surgery, alien biology treatment)
* Memetic Engineer (culture-shaping ideas, viral concepts, ideological warfare)
* Merchant (cargo appraisal, trade negotiation, cross-species etiquette)
* Noble (galactic diplomacy, elite education, command presence)
* Operations Officer (system monitoring, crisis management, crew logistics)
* Orbital Farmer (hydroponics, algae vats, nutrient cycles, food chain maintenance)
* Red Shirt (minimal survival odds, unwavering loyalty, expendable bravery)
* Robotics Expert (automaton repair, AI behavior tuning, drone command)
* Rogue (ship hacking, smuggling networks, fast-talking escape)
* Scholar (ancient knowledge, alien languages, artifact analysis)
* Science Officer (sensors expertise, anomalies, xenotech theories)
* Scout (long-range sensors, system navigation, planetary survey)
* Security Officer (threat analysis, personal combat, passenger screening)
* Ship’s Counselor (psychological insight, stress mitigation, cultural empathy)
* Soldier (ranged combat, vacuum tactics, squad coordination)
* Space Marine (orbital assault, powered armor training, boarding tactics)
* Starship Captain (command presence, strategic decision-making, crew loyalty)
* Starship Navigator (star charts, FTL plotting, course correction instinct)
* Starship Officer (ship operations, faster-than-light navigation, sensors)
* Street Cyborg (urban combat, illegal bionic enhancements, and drugs)
* Tactical Officer (target analysis, ship weaponry, space combat strategy)
* Terraformer (climate engineering, atmosphere seeding, ecological controls)
* Uplift Coordinator (working with enhanced animals, post-sapience ethics)
* Xenobiologist (alien ecosystems, physiology, field sampling, biosafety)
Psionic, psychic, and weird sci-fi profession specialties…
* Astral Projector (spirit travel, ethereal scouting, unseen presence)
* Biokinetic (body enhancement, accelerated healing, cellular manipulation)
* Clairsentient (remote perception, hidden object location, unseen insight)
* Cryokinetic (freeze generation, temperature suppression, ice shaping)
* Dimensional Guide (alternate dimensions, multiversal anomalies, odd physics)
* Electrokinetic (lightning projection, electronic disruption and shielding)
* Empath (emotional sensing, mood manipulation, pain sharing)
* Mind Police (psi surveillance, memory interrogation, thought suppression)
* Psi Noble (psionic discipline, social caste training, thought governance)
* Psi Vampire (psychic drain, emotional feeding, aura corruption)
* Psychometrist (object reading, emotional residue sensing, history vision)
* Pyrokinetic (fire projection, heat control, combustion resistance)
* Telekinetic (object manipulation at a distance, pressure control)
* Telepath (mind reading, silent communication, lie detection)
* Teleporter (location locking, instant relocation, escape mastery)
* Temporal Physicist (time travel theory, paradox analysis, temporal anomalies)
* Time Traveler (chronological knowledge, paradoxes, historical adaptability)
Science-fiction heritage specialties…
* Abandoned Ringworld (artifact scavenger, gravity endurance, ancient machine lore)
* Alien Colony (xeno-cultural fluency, hybrid customs, mistrust of human norms)
* Alien Prison (scarred body, paranoia reflexes, hardened willpower)
* Android (precision tasks, data interfacing, logic-driven analysis)
* Asteroid Native (stunted growth, calloused hands, extreme light sensitivity)
* City World (quick reflexes, streetwise instincts, strong crowd navigation)
* Cloning Vat Lineage (identical siblings, redundant organs, unstable memories)
* Colony Ship (generational memory, enclosed-habitat skills, communal identity)
* Desert World (weathered skin, high heat tolerance, water conservation instincts)
* Drone Hive World (binary-influenced thought, rhythmic speech, shared dreams)
* Floating City (acrophobic empathy, storm prediction, glider-based mobility)
* High Gravity Homeworld (dense stature, stronger muscles, thick bones)
* Ice World (pale complexion, high body fat, cold-adapted metabolism)
* Isolated Colony (inbreeding traits, intense loyalty, distrust of outsiders)
* Low Gravity World (long limbs, agile movements, fragile bones)
* Luxury World (soft hands, etiquette mastery, shallow tolerance for hardship)
* Megafauna World (beast-tamer culture, oversize weapons, motion-detection reflexes)
* Outlaw Haven World (hidden settlements, trust-by-trial, communal defense code)
* Prison World (scarred survival instincts, coded loyalty, institutionalized behavior)
* Psionic Testing Facility (mental shielding, psionic powers, fragmented personality)
* Quarantine World (biohazard discipline, genetic immunity, isolationist paranoia)
* Radiation World (bald or mutated, tumor resistance, glowing scars)
* Science Lab Born (precision-trained mind, emotion suppression, experimental exposure)
* Slum Arcology (resource scrounger, distrustful of elites, tight kin network)
* Space Station (zero-G coordination, floating gait, vitamin-enriched diet)
* Starship Born (strong ship systems understanding, distrust of “planet-bound” types)
* Sunless World (echolocation skills, pale or translucent skin, underground navigation)
* Tide-Locked World (hardened to extremes, internal clock, sunblind or cold-blooded)
* War-Forged Planet (military upbringing, embedded command code, trauma normalization)
* Water World (webbed fingers, expanded lung capacity, excellent swimmers)
Superhero heritage specialties…
* Alien Heritage (offworld biology, cultural dissonance, cosmic birthright)
* Ancestral Totem Bearer (linked to ancient spirits, tribal power, cultural stewardship)
* Android / Sentient AI (inhuman perspective, logic-driven motives, upgradeable form)
* Artifact Wielder (ancient power, psychological toll, hard-to-control abilities)
* Avatar of a Forgotten Deity (divine channeling, unstable surges, ritual obligations)
* Bionic Cyborg (cybernetic augmentations, system diagnostics, tech dependence)
* Blood of the Deep Ones (amphibious resilience, cold intellect, oceanic calling)
* Celestial Being (radiant presence, reality-bending power, distant morality)
* Child of Super Parent (public expectations, powers trained since birth)
* Chosen by Cosmic Entity (unearned power, moral burden, watched by unknowable forces)
* Corporate Test Subject (branded powers, monitored existence, escaped liability)
* Cursed Bloodline (family legacy, inherited burden, lurking transformation)
* Cursed Object Host (sentient item, bargain-bound, creeping possession)
* Dark Ritual Survivor (arcane energy scars, shadow manipulation, deals with demons)
* Deal with the Devil (great power, hidden price, cursed destiny)
* Demigod (superhuman strength, bound by prophecy, watched over by jealous deities)
* Dimension Walker (fractured reality sense, exotic abilities, strange logic)
* Eldritch Spawn (alien physiology, fractured mind, whispers from the stars)
* Energy Being (body of light or plasma, constant containment, inhuman presence)
* Fallen Hero Turned Villain (once noble, now bitter, retains heroic skills)
* Genetic Clone of Superhero (perfect replication, identity crisis, rapid adaptation)
* Ghost-Infused (partially dead, cold aura, senses the supernatural)
* Government Super-Soldier Program (combat reflexes, code of conduct, hidden kill-switch)
* Lab Experiment Gone Wrong (enhanced physiology, memory loss, hostile creators)
* Living Construct (artificial origin, unerring logic, emotional awakening)
* Mad Scientist (reality-warping gadgets, unstable genius, unintended consequences)
* Magical Prankster (chaotic enchantment, humor-as-weapon, unreliable loyalty)
* Monster (inhuman appearance, unstoppable strength, inner turmoil)
* Multiversal Echo (collapsed timeline survivor, unstable reality presence)
* Mutant Birth (innate powers, outsider status, unpredictable development)
* Mythic Race (Olympian, Aesir, etc.) (divine beauty, mythic wrath, god-tier hubris)
* Narrative Manipulator (fourth-wall breaches, fate editing, meta-awareness)
* Radioactive Accident (glowing scar, power instability, immune system rewired)
* Self-Made Vigilante (no superpowers, peak training, trauma-fueled mission)
* Star-Touched Dreamer (prophetic visions, psychic bleed, reality distortion)
* Starseed Soul (reborn alien mind, hidden galactic past, fragmented memory)
* Super Agent Training (peak conditioning, tactical mastery, covert support)
* Time Traveler (knowledge of future, causality paranoia, temporal side-effects)
* Undead Revenant (death-defying body, eerie calm, unquiet spirit)
* Urban Legend Come to Life (myth-based abilities, fear as weapon, reality distortion)
* Urban Vigilante (burned past, focused purpose, single-minded obsession)
* Warlord’s Bastard (battlefield legacy, hardened resolve, inherited enemies)
* Weird Science Augmentation (implanted systems, tool-based powers, hardware dependency)
Superhero power specialties…
* Beast Hybrid (animal traits: claws, fangs, heightened senses, flight or swimming)
* Blaster (ranged energy projection, focused area destruction)
* Brick/Powerhouse (super strength, invulnerability, shockwave punches)
* Cosmic Herald (faster-than-light flight, energy blasts, universal awareness)
* Dimensional Powers (teleportation, portal creation, multiversal awareness)
* Elemental Powers (control over fire, water, earth, or air, often paired with flight)
* Gadgeteer (build and use tech-based weapons, armor, vehicles, and gear)
* Grow/Shrink Powers (become microscopic and/or gigantic in size)
* Healer (regenerates bodies from injuries, creates protective shields)
* Healing Factor (resilient against harm, regenerating from injuries, relentless)
* Illusion Powers (creates visual or sensory illusions for distraction or misdirection)
* Living Weapon (blades, guns, or other enhancements built into the body)
* Luck Manipulator (bending probability, dodging danger, overcoming odds)
* Martial Artist (peak physical training, precision strikes, high mobility)
* Shadow Powers (invisibility, moving through solid barriers, summoning darkness)
* Shapeshifter (can mimic forms, faces, or superpower functions)
* Sorcery Powers (magic against interdimensional and supernatural threats)
* Speedster (superhuman velocity, rapid strikes, time perception distortion)
* Spider Powers (wall-crawling, shooting and swinging on webs, danger sense)
* Tactician (superhuman instincts, planning, and analysis of enemy weaknesses)
* Tank (armored defender, force fields, absorbs physical damage)
* Telepath (mind reading, thought and emotion control, mental defense and assault)
* Weather Powers (flight, summon storms, lightning, change temperatures)
Animal heritage specialties…
* Ant (tireless labor, swarm logic, community focus, strength-to-size ratio)
* Bat (echolocation, inverted rest, swarm coordination, nocturnal resilience)
* Bear (immense strength, protective rage, hibernation resilience, imposing presence)
* Bee (hive hierarchy, sting defense, flight coordination, floral memory)
* Bull (unmovable stubbornness, brute power, charging force, combat instinct)
* Cat (graceful movement, self-reliance, sharp reflexes, curiosity-driven logic)
* Cheetah (blinding speed, short bursts of power, intense focus, heat endurance)
* Crocodile (ambush instinct, armored hide, primal durability, water ambivalence)
* Crow (problem-solving, mischief-making, sky patrol, uncanny memory)
* Dog (loyalty, social intuition, protective drive, scent-based tracking)
* Dolphin (social intelligence, sonar awareness, playful cunning, aquatic grace)
* Eagle (visionary insight, sky authority, sharp precision, aerial dominance)
* Elephant (deep memory, emotional depth, raw physical force, communal loyalty)
* Fox (clever misdirection, light-footed movement, adaptability, survival instinct)
* Hawk (keen eyesight, high-speed dives, aerial grace, tactical patience)
* Horse (stamina, speed, herd awareness, strong fight-or-flight reflexes)
* Lion (charismatic dominance, roar of command, regal poise, explosive aggression)
* Lizard (sun-seeking, rapid escape, skin-shedding adaptability, stillness mastery)
* Octopus (flexibility, camouflage, puzzle-solving, multitasking limbs)
* Owl (silent flight, night vision, solitary wisdom, uncanny awareness)
* Panther (shadowed grace, lethal silence, territorial intuition, night stalking)
* Ram (head-first impact, mountain mobility, territorial defense, thick skull)
* Raven (tool use, mimicry, dark omens, secret-watching intelligence)
* Shark (blood-sense, endless motion, apex efficiency, cold detachment)
* Snake (stealthy movement, venomous bite, patience, sudden strikes)
* Spider (trap-building, patience, web-sense, silent strikes)
* Stag (regal motion, seasonal cycles, vigilance, forest balance)
* Tiger (solitary strength, ambush tactics, fearsome agility, jungle awareness)
* Turtle (protective shell, slow patience, longevity, quiet wisdom)
* Wolf (pack instincts, territorial drive, endurance hunting, lunar sensitivity)
Robots…
* Agricultural Unit (durable frame, crop-cycle programming, soil analysis sensors)
* Archivist Bot (long-term memory storage, data integrity focus, anti-corruption routines)
* Assassin Automaton (lethal efficiency, stealth cloaking, mission priority override)
* Combat Drone (target lock precision, reinforced armor, limited autonomy)
* Companion Unit (social subroutines, emotional mimicry, loyalty heuristics)
* Construction Robot (crane arms, rebar fingers, blueprint implementation AI)
* Exo-Frame Interface (worn by humans, strength amplifier, responsive movement AI)
* Experimental Prototype (unstable systems, hybrid features, unpredictable innovation)
* Exploration Rover (adaptive sensors, extreme environment endurance, slow but persistent)
* Hazmat Robot (radiation shielding, containment protocols, decontamination tools)
* Infiltration Bot (shifting appearance, falsified IDs, voice mimicry)
* Interrogator Model (truth detection software, pressure analysis, moral bypass coding)
* Labor Frame (heavy lifting capacity, power cell endurance, low-speed operation)
* Maintenance Crawler (limb flexibility, magnetic grip, subterranean adaptability)
* Medical Android (diagnostic accuracy, steady hands, empathy emulation)
* Protocol Droid (multilingual processing, etiquette database, cultural sensitivity)
* Recon Scout (stealth plating, long-range optics, terrain mapping software)
* Riot Control Bot (non-lethal dispersal options, crowd analysis, reinforced plating)
* Sentient AI Shell (independent thought, curiosity glitch, unpredictable growth)
* Service Unit (polite demeanor, multi-tool appendages, programmed loyalty)
Aliens…
* Amorphous Shapeshifter (fluid form, voice mimicry, unstable identity)
* Bioluminescent Alien (glowing skin, emotion radiance, mind-touch empathy)
* Bone-Armored Scavenger (natural plating, scavenging habits, pack behavior)
* Cold-Void Alien (radiation resistance, zero-temp mobility, speechless signaling)
* Crystalline Consciousness (psychic resonance, hard-light construction)
* Energy-Wrapped Being (intangible form, tech interference, light-based communication)
* Gelatinous Drifter (amorphous body, nutrient absorption, chemical memory)
* Silicate Lifeform (mineral body structure, extreme durability, slow metabolism)
* Silken Hive Mind (ritualized diplomacy, layered hierarchy, toxin-laced beauty)
* Symbiotic Collective (merged species mind, shared memories, host adaptability)
* Void-Born Predator (stealth fields, hunger instincts, silenced heartbeat)
Post-Apocalyptic Tribes…
* Enduring Tribe (hardship survival, generational memory, stubborn resilience)
* Fighting Tribe (warrior training, defense of territory, tactical raiding)
* Fixer Tribe (mechanical ingenuity, tool crafting, salvaging expertise)
* Honorable Tribe (ancestral law, ritual justice, proud legacy)
* Hunting Tribe (tracking skill, animal knowledge, ranged combat)
* Reading Tribe (literacy preservation, knowledge sharing, ancient lore)
* Riding Tribe (mounted combat, herd mastery, nomadic range)
* Seeking Tribe (relic searching, exploration, map lore)
* Supply Tribe (resource gathering, trade savvy, storage knowledge)
* Talking Tribe (diplomatic charm, oral tradition, language fluency)
* Wandering Tribe (endless travel, pathfinding, story collecting)
* Worshipping Tribe (religious rites, divine prophecy, sacred artifact care)
Lab experiments…
* Aggression Induction Subject (combat trigger conditioning)
* Auditory Tuning Subject (enhanced hearing, echolocation, sound sensitivity)
* Brainwave Synchronization Subject (telepathic link development or hive-mind interface)
* Crowd Control Experiment (fear-signal broadcast, pacification aura)
* Cyborg Reconstruction Case (repaired with artificial limbs or organs)
* Dimensional Breach Host (connected to alternate planes or entities)
* Emotion Regulation Subject (rage inhibition, happiness control, empathy suppression)
* Endurance Prototype (extreme stamina, oxygen efficiency, long-term exertion)
* Exosuit Bonded Subject (physiologically fused to combat gear)
* Immune System Amplifier (disease resistance, toxin filtration)
* Isolation Study Case (sensory deprivation, language deprivation, psychological stress)
* Magneto-Kinetic Trial (metal manipulation, sensitivity to magnetic fields)
* Memory Alteration Subject (implanted, wiped, or edited memories)
* Mutagen Exposure Case (random mutation triggered by unstable compounds)
* Neural Interface Subject (can control machines via implants)
* Neural Overclock Prototype (faster cognition, logic prioritization, burnout risk)
* Obedience Conditioning Subject (implanted commands, loyalty overrides)
* Pain Suppression Subject (pain response muted or removed for combat utility)
* Phasewalker Prototype (can shift through matter, partial invisibility)
* Plasma Conduit Host (channels or stores energy, explosive risk)
* Radiation Absorption Subject (survives and possibly feeds on radiation)
* Regeneration Subject (healing factor acceleration, limb regrowth)
* Sensor Platform Host (uses external feeds as senses, vision, targeting, surveillance)
* Sixth Sense Subject (danger sense, foresight flashes, aura detection)
* Speed/Reflex Trial Subject (nervous system acceleration, twitch-response training)
* Strength Enhancement Subject (muscle amplification, bone reinforcement)
* Thermal Tolerance Subject (heat/cold resistance)
* Time Distortion Subject (slow-time field generation, unstable perception)
* Touch Sensitivity Case (hypersensitive nerves for fine detail or pain)
* Visual Spectrum Expansion (sees infrared, ultraviolet, or psychic residue)
MODERN GEAR EXAMPLES
* Automobile (Car): Seats up to 6; Armor 3 for itself and those inside; takes 10 injuries to disable, 12 to destroy.
* Automobile (Motorcycle): Seats up to 2; Armor 2 for itself; takes 7 injuries to disable, 9 to destroy.
* Automobile (Sports Car): Seats up to 2; exceptionally fast; Armor 3 for itself and those inside; takes 10 injuries to disable, 12 to destroy.
* Automobile (Truck): Seats up to 4 plus up to 40 tons of cargo; Armor 3 for itself and those inside; takes 14 injuries to disable, 16 to destroy.
* Disguise Kit: Adds a Bonus to tasks attempting to deceive others about identity; fails against biometric scans.
* Drugs (boost by ability type): Adds a Bonus associated with one specific skill or talent for 1d6 hours, after which the user immediately suffers one injury. (Armor does not reduce this damage.)
* Forged Identification: Gives the user the Elite specialty for a task, but if task roll fails, the character immediately triggers multiple complications (police alerted, assets frozen, real person becomes aware of fraud, and so forth).
* Internet Access: Adds a Bonus on research or hacking tasks; requires a connected device and makes the user vulnerable to being traced back and tracked from a current location.
* Medical Care (Hospital): Allows a treated character to double injury recover during a single day.
* Military Vehicle (Armored Personnel Carrier, APC): Seats up to 20 soldiers; Armor 4 for itself and those inside; takes 20 injuries to disable, 22 to destroy.
* Military Vehicle (Attack Helicopter): Seats up to 14 soldiers; Armor 4 for itself and those inside; takes 28 injuries to disable, 30 to destroy. Usually also has weapons mounted on it. (Example: UH-60 Blackhawk; some attack helicopters will be smaller.)
* Navigation Gear: Adds a Bonus for tasks to determine the user’s current location. Includes a compass, maps, a GPS receiver, an electronic torch (flashlight), and signaling flares.
* Pepper Spray: When used for an attack task against a target within Adjacent range (3 meters/10 feet), a successful result blinds the target and causes one Hindrance until the end of the next round. Non-living creatures, or creatures without eyes, are unaffected.
* Suppressors (aka Silencer and Flash Suppressor): Adds a Bonus on tasks to avoid being noticed when shooting a firearm.
* Surveillance Gear: Adds a Bonus to see and hear from a remote location, including special senses (infrared/thermal vision, broadcast signals, and motion detection). Can also record everything detected within a specific time frame.
* Taser: Causes stun damage in attack tasks against living targets within Adjacent range (3 meters/10 feet). Targets that fail a task roll to resist are Shaken for the next 1d6 turns.
* Tool Kits: Specialized details vary (forensics gear, lockpicks, databanks, survival gear, mechanical and electronic gadgets), but each adds a Bonus to a specific skill, talent, or profession.
SCI-FI GEAR EXAMPLES
* Chameleon Cloak: Full-body covering adds two Bonuses on tasks for hiding and infiltration; ineffective against thermal scans.
* Codebreaker Tablet: Hand-held device adds one Bonus for tasks bypassing digital security. This device is illegal in most societies.
* Echo Scrambler: Jams surveillance equipment and listening devices within Long range (up to 750 meters, or about half mile); user may set its effective distance to a shorter range. Adds two Hindrances against attempts to break through interference.
* Emergency Medkit: Hypospray of nanotech regenerators repair damaged tissue and bones while purging toxins and infections. Allows a character to instantly remove three injuries. May only be used once per 24 hours. (No effect if used more frequently.)
* EMP Disruptor: Hand-held device disables electronic devices within Close range (up to 25 meters, or 80 feet) for 1d6 rounds but risks affecting the user’s own gear.
* Hibernation Pod (aka Cryogenic Sleep Pod): A coffin-sized container that suspends bodily functions for long-term space travel or survival. Awakening takes 1d6 minutes.
* Laser Sword (or Plasma Blade): A shaft of energy emitted from a hand-held hilt that counts as a Severity 4 weapon in melee combat. (Comes in a variety of colors such as “brave blue,” “wise green,” “evil red,” and “total badass purple.”)
* Memory Scrambler: Requires being attached to a person, who must make a task roll against a hard difficulty. If the target fails, the device wipes the last 1d6 minutes of memory from a target’s mind. Against advanced cybernetics, a target gains one Bonus to resist.
* Memory Wafers (aka Skill Chips): Requires a cybernetic slot or plug into the user’s brain. Add a specific profession specialty when inserted, but each first use has a 1 in 6 chance of causing one injury due to format corruption. (Armor does not reduce this damage.)
* Micro Drone Swarm: Tiny flying cameras. Add a Bonus on tasks for scouting and reconnaissance. The drones are fragile and can be jammed.
* Neural Interface Jack: Plug surgically implanted into the user’s brain. Adds a Bonus when interfacing with computers or cybernetics, but the user becomes vulnerable to reverse mind hacking attempts and potential physical damage.
* Personal Communicator: Hand-held device (or built into a spacesuit or battlesuit for hand-free use). Data, audio, and video media signals can reach Orbital range (up to 1,000 km, 620 miles), or further if relayed through starships or other rebroadcasting sources. Range may be hindered by local interference (underground in dense minerals, ion storms, subspace anomalies, jamming, or dampening fields).
* Personal Tricorder: A hand-held scanning device. At Very Long range (up to 3 km, or 2 miles), it can detect general environmental conditions, radiation levels, life signs, and large structures. At Medium range (up to 300 meters, or 980 feet), high-resolution scans can identify DNA, detect microscopic pathogens, and analyze material composition down to the molecular level. Within Close range (up to 25 meters, or 80 feet), this device can pinpoint a cloaked ship’s distortion field.
* Psi Shield: A helmet that provides the equivalent of Armor 4 against attacks by psychic powers, and also gives two Bonuses for task rolls to resist telepathy or psionic mind control. It does not provide any physical Armor protection.
* Exosuit/Spacesuit/Vacc Suit: Works as Armor 3, protects the wearer from radiation, provides up to 12 hours of breathable air, and usually has a built-in personal communicator.
APPENDIX 1: EXAMPLE CHARACTERS
ROBIN HOOD, 11th century outlaw, leader of The Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, famed champion to the poor and infamous bane to the usurper Prince John, his corrupt sheriffs, and England’s greedy nobles.
* Archer (archery, crafting and repairing bows, long-distance vision)
* Charismatic (force of personality, confidence, leadership, and charm)
* Outlaw (stealthy escape, ambush skill, hunted reputation)
MORGAN LE FEY, 6th century Welsh noble, scheming enchantress, both loves and hates her half-brother, King Arthur Pendragon.
* Elite (recognized fame, privilege, and influence across society)
* Persuasive (negotiation, diplomacy, seduction, getting people to do what you want)
* Witch (herbal magic, curses, charms, seasonal rituals, coven knowledge)
DR. VICTOR VON FRANKENSTEIN, 18th century relentless medical visionary, called by some a “mad scientist” for his monstrous experiments on the dead.
* Educated (academic and technical knowledge, use of technology)
* Mad Scientist (reality-warping gadgets, unstable genius, unintended consequences)
* Medical Science (first aid, diagnosis, healing, medicines, diseases, surgery)
SHERLOCK HOLMES, late 19th century master consulting detective, famous for solving difficult criminal cases across London.
* Aware (sight, hearing, other senses, and intuition about surroundings)
* Detective (crime scene analysis, deduction, surveillance, suspect profiling)
* Educated (academic and technical knowledge, use of technology)
HUA MULAN, 5th century female warrior disguised as a man to join the Wei dynasty army in place of her father.
* Chinese (alchemy, dragon lore, celestial bureaucracy, balance of forces)
* Dextrous (coordination, quickness, reflexes, and agility)
* Warrior (brawling, melee and bow weapons, martial discipline, stamina)
APPENDIX 2: TECHNOLOGY LEVELS
In some stories, especially interstellar science-fiction travels, characters may encounter worlds and societies with
* Extremely Low: Stone age tools from natural materials, simple shelters.
* Very Low: Metal tools, industrial manufacturing, science, and mathematics.
* Low: Mechanical to atomic ages, electricity in wide use, viral science and vaccines.
* Moderate: Early stellar age, varied power sources, bionics and cybernetics.
* High: Slow faster-than-light space travel, antigravity tech, terraforming.
* Very High: Quick faster-than-light space travel, perfect cloning, recorded memories.
* Extremely High: Self-aware starships, custom lifeforms, orbital teleporters.
* Ultra High: Interstellar teleporters, manufactured worlds, mobile planets.
(Per Arthur C. Clarke, “sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from magic.”)