Uncharted Worlds: Origins

Advanced

The Advanced grew up in prosperous, high tech societies, well ahead of the galactic technology curve, enjoying an unprecedented quality of life. Technologies and gadgets that would be rare or fantastical elsewhere were considered commonplace.

Descriptions: Angular, Robust, Strapping, Carefree, Lazy, Arrogant.

Skills

Cutting Edge

Interacting with new, advanced technology comes naturally to you. On the other hand, dealing with old, clunky, obsolete dreck is rather aggravating. You gain +1 to your Interface stat, to a maximum of +2.

Artificial Intelligence

You have the loyalty of a digital, artificial intelligence NPC. Give it a name and a 2–4 word description of its personality. It can enter, unlock and activate systems at your Command. Your AI can only be in one system at a time.

Custom Flyer

You own a custom-designed Class 3 shuttle or speeder vehicle. If that vehicle is ever lost, you can spend an extended period of time claiming a new vehicle as your Custom Vehicle, adding an extra upgrade to it.

Surveillance

After you Access someone’s personal systems, you can track that person’s public movements from then on (general location, interactions, transactions, etc). You can only have one surveillance subject at a time.

Brutal

The Brutal were forged in the most volatile conditions; war zones, slavery or in barbaric, bloodthirsty societies. Life was short and cruel, blood and pain are the norm. There was no room for weakness or mercy, no place for honor or fair play.

Descriptions: Tired, Disfigured, Suppressed, Cruel, Angry, Severe.

Skills

Branded

You have a prominent, recognisable physical mark (scars, burns, tattoos, prison barcode, slave brand), as a testament to the hardships you’ve survived. You gain +1 to your Physique stat, to a maximum of +2.

Assassination

Any successful (10+) Move that results in someone’s death also leaves no evidence that you committed the act.

Toughness

You can suffer two injuries of each severity, rather than one.

Sneak Attack

When you get the drop on someone, roll +Mettle.

On a 10+, choose one.
On a 7-9, the GM will give you two of the following options, choose one of them.

Colonist

The Colonists are born and raised out on the fringes of galactic civilization, living in domes, colony pods or habitation modules, working diligently and tirelessly to terraform planets to make them more hospitable for the next generation.

Descriptions: Hard, Serious, Calloused, Dusky, Solid, Prudent.

Skills

Resourceful

You’re good at making do with limited resources, and getting the most out of what you have, making you a bit of a hoarder. You gain +1 to your Expertise stat, to a maximum of +2.

Tinker

You can assemble the following from scrap metal and spare parts:

Custom Vehicle

You own a custom-designed Class 3 land vehicle. If that vehicle is ever lost, you can spend an extended period of time claiming a new land vehicle as your Custom Vehicle, adding an extra upgrade to it.

Heavy Lifting

Ignore the Clumsy trait inflicted by heavy weapons, heavy armor, encumbrance and high gravity.

Crowded

The Crowded have lived their lives shoulder-to- shoulder with humanity. They come from the cramped confines of heavily-populated hive cities, underground facilities, domes and space stations. They are one face among billions.

Descriptions: Lively, Compact, Stout, Spare, Loud, Agoraphobic.

Skills

Affable

You get along well with almost everyone in your own way. You are most comfortable around others, and get lonely quickly. You gain +1 to your Influence stat, to a maximum of +2.

Contacts

You have acquaintances and contacts all over the galaxy. When arriving anywhere civilized, introduce a contact. That NPC operates here.

Network

You can simultaneously track the location and health of a dozen willing subjects through a console or HUD. You are able to remotely Get Involved or issue Commands.

Bribe

You can use Acquisition to purchase the following:

Forlorn

The Forlorn are the lost, the forgotten, those far away from the bones of their ancestors. They were abandoned, or abducted, or are simply the last of their kind. The Forlorn grew up surrounded by societies and people that didn’t understand them, that may have even feared or reviled them. In their hearts, the Forlorn know that they are alone. That they can rely on no one but themselves.

Descriptions: Distrustful, Intrepid, Grim, Mismatched, Independent, Rude.

Skills

Insolence

When you solve a problem by defying customs, propriety, and the desires of those around you, you can roll +Mettle instead of whatever the usual stat would be. This will likely be selfish, rude, and possibly hurtful.

Boldly Go

When leading an expedition into the unknown, roll +Mettle.

On a 10+, choose one.
On a 7-9, the GM will choose one.

You encounter…

When you plan a long voyage, choose one. The voyage will be:

Trinkets

Whenever you successfully engage a foreign society (visit, experience, infiltrate, attack, etc.), gain a Class 1 Cargo of miscellaneous baubles, trinkets, and other cultural detritus.

Galactic

The Galactics are born and raised in orbital stations, starships, and asteroid mining colonies. Most have lived their whole lives among the stars, surrounded and protected by machinery and electronics, breathing recycled air and eating hydroponic food.

Descriptions: Sharp, Guarded, Stoic, Isolated, Energetic, Graceful.

Skills

Fine Tuning

You’re adept at interfacing with climate controlled living spaces; natural environments tend to be uncomfortable. You gain +1 to your Interface stat, to a maximum of +2.

Program

When you Access a system, choose a behavior that the system could perform and a condition that will trigger that behavior.

Weightless

Ignore the Clumsy trait and/or movement restrictions inflicted by micro- gravity, low-gravity, freefall, climbing and jump jets. A successful (10+) Move while in those situations lets you describe a moment of exceptional acrobatic grace.

Repair

When using a repair bay or workshop, your Patch Up can be used to install replacement parts and perform major reconstruction on machines. This repairs critical and fatal breakages.

Impoverished

The Impoverished grew up on the margins, in the slums, in slavery and prisons and filth. They have little to call their own, only what they could scrape and scrounge together. They’ve fought tooth and nail to survive against oppressive conditions.

Descriptions: Gaunt, Haggard, Sickly, Filthy, Vulgar, Fierce.

Skills

Scrappy

Life has beaten you down, but you never, ever give up. No matter how bad things get, you rarely back down, even when you really should. You gain +1 to your Mettle stat, to a maximum of +2.

Stealth

Whenever you can move around freely and are unobserved, you can choose to vanish without a trace. While missing, you may show up in the midst of events, as long as you can explain how you got there.

Recklessness

When you make a needlessly risky Move where the odds are a million to one, roll 1d6 instead of making a normal Roll. On a 4, 5 or 6, the Move is a fantastically lucky success. On a 1, 2 or 3, the Move is a spectacularly awful failure with harsh consequences.

Criminal

Any successful (10+) Move that involves theft, smuggling, extortion or similar crimes also leaves no evidence that could indict you.

Occult

The Occult grew up surrounded by the strange and the powerful. They come from cultures deeply rooted in mysticism and the supernatural. Their way of life has been molded by rituals and secrets. They hail from heretic cabals or prestigious mystic academies. Many lived on the very edge of the abyss, and have spent their lives gazing into the dark heart of the cosmos.

Descriptions: Peculiar, Solitary, Bleak, Haunted, Raving, Eccentric.

Skills:

Ritual

When you entrust a situation to the power of your rituals, fortunes, hexes, and charms, you can roll +Expertise instead of whatever the usual stat would be. This will likely be complicated, unpredictable, and deeply unsettling.

Alchemy

When using a Ritual Kit to Patch Up a person, object, or material, choose from this list instead of the standard Patch Up:

Relic

Create a Class 3 melee weapon. Choose one:

A Relic is almost indestructible. If you become separated, you always have a vague, painful sense of where it is.

Animate

Choose a collection of objects. Those objects become a Class 1 Artificial Crew with an upgrade that matches the materials used. You can only have one Animated Crew at a time.

Primal

The Primal hail from savage, primeval worlds. Their lives lack all but the most basic technologies. They are forced to fight for survival, for dominance, red in tooth and nail. From this crucible come the fiercest beings to step onto the galactic stage. Whether they are from a lost colony, an exiled people, or an uplifted species, they are intelligent, adaptable, passionate, and fierce beyond measure.

Descriptions: Feral, Brutish, Titanic, Stilted, Slow, Ravenous.

Skills

Strength

When you handle a situation with rage, violence, and brute force, you can roll +Physique instead of whatever the usual stat would be. This will likely be loud, ugly, and possibly painful.

Terrify

When your presence becomes known, roll +Influence or +Physique.

On a 10+, people are meek and respectful.
On a 7-9, people are cautious and worried.
On a 6-, people are panicked and hostile.

Launch

You can propel small, inanimate objects with deadly speed and precision using +Mettle. Large, oddly shaped or defiant subjects (small vehicles, people) tend to be clumsier projectiles, and are propelled with +Physique.

Stronger

Your unarmed and melee attacks are Destructive, Impact, and Penetrating.

Priveleged

The Privileged are the nobility of the galaxy, the elite. Their families hold great power and influence, be it financial, political or religious. Moving in such exalted circles, wielding their family name and power, they have grown up expecting courtesy and respect.

Descriptions: Manicured, Plump, Groomed, Snobbish, Sleek, Pompous.

Skills

Decorum

You are well versed in the rules of etiquette, civility and propriety. You can carry yourself with grace in formal affairs, but are ill-at-ease in casual settings. You gain +1 to your Influence stat, to a maximum of +2.

Luxury

Your clothing, belongings and quarters are all lavish and expensive. Gain one of the following NPCs as a retainer: Butler, Assistant, Consort or Advisor. Name the NPC and give them a 2-4 word description.

Fame

Decide what you are famous/infamous for. Factions, groups and people of importance always know who you are when you meet them. Allies may use your +Influence if they speak in your name, but you’ll suffer for any faux-pas.

Scapegoat

When you would suffer social, legal or financial consequences, name someone and roll +Expertise.

On a 10+, they suffer instead.
On a 7-9, as above. They know it was you.
On a 6-, it didn’t work, and they know what you tried to do.

Productive

The Productive live in societies, cultures or groups that place high importance on education and social responsibility. From a young age they begin training for their destined profession, devoting any spare time to higher education and secondary vocations.

Descriptions: Slight, Curious, Faded, Greying, Detached, Introverted.

Skills

Vocation

You’ve spent many years training in a variety of techniques and trades. Sadly, you’ve never had time for fun or relaxation. You gain +1 to your Expertise stat, to a maximum of +2.

Calibrations

When you diligently calibrate your favorite console or vehicle, make a Get Involved using Interface and record the result. The next time anyone uses it, the result of the Get Involved applies.

Education

When you gain one or more Data Points about a subject, each ally that was present or involved also gains a Data Point about the subject.

Acumen

When you first visit a market or environment, you may ask one of the following questions, and the GM will answer honestly:

Programmed

Where others have childhoods, the Programmed have indoctrination. Some are sleeper agents, living weapons in the arsenal of their creators. Others are members of interconnected hive-minds, carrying deeply-rooted genetic memories. They carry dormant knowledge and directives in their minds, never knowing when their latent indoctrination will surface next.

Descriptions: Harmless, Exhausted, Skittish, Mercurial, Orderly, Interested.

Skills

Abnegation

When you black out and allow your programming to take over in order to solve a problem, you can roll +Interface instead of whatever the usual stat would be. Your programming won’t undermine its own agenda.

False Identity

You maintain a number of fake identities that have neutral standing with all factions. As long as a chosen identity holds, your actions do not incur Debt or earn Favor.

Obsession

Choose the subject of your Obsession. When you would gain a Data Point about a tangentially related subject, gain a Data Point about your Obsession instead.

Linguist

You can communicate passably in the languages of all known societies and species. A successful Assessment of a newly-encountered or long-dead culture grants you permanent access to their written and/or spoken language.

Regimented

The Regimented have lived very strict lives. Whether in a militaristic society, a religious organisation or an authoritarian government, they have been indoctrinated to the advantages of discipline, obedience and loyalty.

Descriptions: Athletic, Meditative, Sturdy, Organised, Formal, Strict.

Skills

Discipline

You know the rules, the codes, the processes, the scripture, the laws. They give you stability. You don’t deal well with change. You gain +1 to your Mettle stat, to a maximum of +2.

Leadership

You have a hand-picked, elite Class 3 Crew. Given enough time and training, you can replace lost members of this crew with new NPCs.

Tactics

When you Open Fire or Launch Assault, you choose one or more consequences on a partial success (7-9), not the GM.

Deduction

When you first witness a situation, you may ask one of the following questions, the GM will answer honestly. Who or what…

Rustic

The Rustic were raised on the very edges of galactic society, on the most inhospitable and savage worlds. With only basic machinery and tools, they were forced to toil by the sweat of their brow, shaping the hostile landscape.

Descriptions: Wrinkled, Creaking, Wiry, Aged, Weary, Strong.

Skills

Hard Labor

You can perform long grueling hours of physical labor with minimal rest. You’ve collected a wide variety of aches, pains and minor ailments from doing this. You gain +1 to your Physique stat, to a maximum of +2.

Construction

A few hours of work creates a small structure with one of the following traits, or adds that trait to an existing room.

Survival

You can scrounge up the following from all but the most barren, inhospitable surroundings:

Chemistry

When creating an antidote, vaccine, drug, poison or pathogen in a lab, state the effect you want it to have and its method of transmission (spray, injector, pill, etc). Roll +Expertise.

On a 10+, you successfully create it.
On a 7-9, it will have reduced potency or have unintended side effects.

Spiritual

The Spiritual are born to serene lives of quiet contemplation. They come from distant monasteries, secluded temples and hidden shrines. Surrounded by strict asceticism, far away from temptation and worldly concerns, they train their bodies, minds, and souls for the eventual day when they must leave their cloistered lives.

Descriptions: Venerable, Serene, Abstinent, Stern, Demure, Sensible.

Skills

Tranquility

When you handle a situation with the wisdom of a koan, parable, or aphorism, you can roll +Influence instead of whatever the usual stat would be. This will likely be soft, subtle, and slow.

Pact

Create a Faction consisting of just your deity. You gain 1 Favor and 3 Debt with it. You communicate with your deity through prayer and can call in Favors. Your deity makes demands and calls in your Debts through dreams and prophecy.

Precognition

If your mind is clear, you may suffer a minor mental debility (headache, nausea, vertigo, etc.) to declare that a roll you just made was merely a glimpse of possible future. Briefly describe the immediate or long-term consequences of that future, then reroll.

Inspiration

Choose an emotion and the medium/art with which you convey it, then roll +Influence or +Physique.

On a 7-9, the emotion takes hold of your audience.
On a 10+, as above, and choose one: