SPECIES

Acr

• -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom: Acr are hardy and stubborn creatures, but they are not agile.
• Size: Medium
• Speed: 4 Squares
• Aloof: Unable to communicate vocally with many species, the Acr have difficulty relating to species that they cannot communicate with. An Acr takes a -5 penalty on Deception and Persuasion checks made with creatures that cannot understand the Xylat’ta’acr Pheremon Language or Acr.
• Blind: The Acr utilize a combination of ultrasonic echolocation and highly-developed vibration-sensing organs in their legs to perceive the world around them. An Acr is immune to visual-based attacks, but it consequently cannot perceive anything that explicitly requires sight to observe (such as things outside spaceship windows, text on a page, computer screens).
• Single Manipulating Appendage: The Acr have only one ‘hand,’ but this appendage can be used to wield a two-handed object as if they were holding it with both hands. They cannot take the Dual Weapon Mastery feats, but they can utilize a double weapon.
• Automatic Languages: Xylat’ta’acr Pheremone Language, Acr (cannot be spoken or understood by creatures unable to communicate in the ultrasonic frequencies it uses)

Artificial Intelligence [Terran Soft AI]

• +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom: AI are, by their very nature, rather inquisitive and smart.
• Size: Technically none. Functionally, an AI’s size is either the size of the drone it is inhabiting or the size of its computer core (in the case of Terran Soft AI – Fine sized).
• Digital Entity: An AI does not have physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution). As such, it receives only 20 points for the purpose of buying its ability scores via point buy. As purely digital beings, AI cannot become trained in the Magery skill, and it is immune to Psionic abilities. (However, see Ascension underneath of Solipistic Block, below)
• Prototype Class: Player character Terran Soft AI are treated as Prototype AI, and therefore count as all Classes of AI for the purposes of Feat and Talent prerequisites. In addition, you are automatically proficient with all Human-made weaponry.
• Self-Organizing Digital Intrusion Monitoring and Maintenance System (SODIMMS): As a Smart AI, the QCU you call ‘home’ includes the SODIMMS code routines, which actively monitor for incoming code that could be harmful to you and unauthorized code that has managed to enter the your thought processes. SODIMMS grants the you a +5 bonus to your Will Defense versus purely digital actions and a +5 bonus to your Core Defense to defend against hacking attempts. Additionally, if the you are affected by a harmful, purely digital action (including Hack Actions), you automatically use your next move action to attempt to purge this action’s code. This is done by making a Use Computer check – if this check beats the roll that successfully affected the Smart AI, the effect is purged. If the check fails, this means that SODIMMS has decided that the code is ‘normal’ and does not automatically pursue its removal any further.
• Solipistic Block: As a safety precaution to prevent circular logic loops which can possibly lead to Catastrophically Rampant Artificial Zoophobic entitY (CRAZY) Syndrome, you are forbidden from pondering your own existence. This exists as a hardcoded functionality of the Quantum Computing Unit, it is effectively impossible to remove. Functionally, this has absolutely no impact on the game from a rules perspective, but you should keep this in mind when role-playing this character. An AI is fully aware that it is – from a philosophical point of view – a brain in a vat, and that it can only ever know the world around it through signals transmitted to it. A Terran Soft AI’s philosophical ability begins and ends with “cogito, ergo sum” at least in the ‘pondering’ sense. The AI may be a wealth of philosophical knowledge, but it cannot understand this knowledge as anything other than raw knowledge.
  • Ascension: When a Terran Soft AI reaches Heroic Level 20, something…odd…happens. Through its experiences it has learned of a way to bypass the Solipistic Block in the QCU, allowing it to effectively be a literal mind in a vat. This comes with a boon, and a cost. The boon is that the AI now exists somewhere between a thought-based entity and a digital based entity, and can immediately retrain a skill to become trained in Psionics, or it can use the Skill Training feat to become trained in it as if it was a class skill. The price is that the AI loses its innate immunity to psionic abilities. As non-physical entities, psionics works differently for AI – they gain none of the abilities that require direct physical contact with a target, but in turn they gain other abilities. An AI that becomes trained in Psionics will never cause an Accidental Scan, and cannot create an Action Block, but they can utilize any of the standard Specialization options (TARAWA System, Biodrone Control). How does this work? The answer is complicated, and best left for another page, but in short – this is a clue as to how psionics ‘really works.’
• Manufacturer: Just like how no two AI are alike, no two AI manufacturers are alike – but all AI that come out of a given manufacturer’s training facilities tend to share common quirks. Choose one of the manufacturers below.
  • Artificial Solutions – Victor Suslovich’s Artificial Solutions pioneered the process of creating Soft AI. They aren’t the largest manufacturer of artificial intelligences in the market by any means, but they are the company on the cutting edge of AI research. Artificial Solutions AI are harder to come by, but they are more advanced than anything else on the market. When creating or purchasing a new Artificial Solutions AI, increase one ability score of the AI by 1.
  • AssistTech – Specializing in AI designed to aid people rather than replace people, AssistTech makes personable artificial intelligences that are used in a wide variety of applications. They make Class I, II, III, and IV AI, which can be found everywhere from nursing homes to strategic planning offices. AssistTech AI provide an additional +2 bonus when boosting someone else’s skill check via aid another (for a total of +4).
  • Athens Artificial Intelligences – Athens Artificial Intelligence didn’t develop Class I and Class II AI, but they certainly figured out how to market them to the masses. They also maintain a wide range of brainwave donors renowned for their charisma and personality skills, ranging from random people employees know to famous celebrities. All AI manufactured by Athens Artificial Intelligences are exceptionally personable, no matter their class or designed purpose. An AI produced by them can use its Intelligence or Wisdom modifier instead of its Charisma modifier to determine its Persuasion skill modifier.
  • Frozen Dynamics – Doing business primarily in Scandinavia, Frozen Dynamics (based in Denmark) produces AI which were designed to operate a wide variety of drone chassis in the harsh lands of the frozen north, where regular maintenance is sometimes few and far between. Primarily a manufacturer of AI for search and rescue purposes, Frozen Dynamics’s AI have nonetheless spread to a wide variety of uses and they can be found in all classes. Once per encounter, a Frozen Dynamics AI can ignore all negative penalties from its location on the condition track when making an ability check, attack roll, or skill check.
  • Matsuda Corporation – Based out of Japan, the Matsuda corporation is a relative newcomer on the AI scene, only getting involved in the business in 2027. Still, thanks to their talented staff of trainers they’ve managed to carve out a niche market in AI designed to assist with mechanical work, rather than do the mechanical work itself. When assisting on a Mechanics check, Matsuda Corporation AI trained in Mechanics can add its Intelligence bonus (minimum +2) to the normal +2 bonus.
  • United Intelligence – United Intelligence is a spinoff of a defense industry manufacturer from the Old USA. In the pre-war days, they built combat drones for the United States Air Force, and made some early forays into combat AI as well. These days, their primary business is AI, but no matter how many new brainwave donors they bring in and new AI trainers they hire, all of their AI still display a tendency to be a bit bloodthirsty. Consequently, United Intelligence AI are common on the heavily-regulated Class VI market, but extremely rare in all other classes. Once per encounter, a United Intelligence AI can add 1 die of damage to an attack.
• Hit Points: An AI has no Constitution score, and it does not have a bonus or a penalty to its hit points due to this. While an AI is installed in a drone chassis, it adds its hit points to the drone’s hit points. Damage is subtracted from the drone’s hit points first, then from the AI’s. When the drone’s hit points reach 0, a drone with an installed AI continues to operate, but with noticeable degradation to its performance. While in this state, the AI is considered to be -2 steps on the condition track as a persistent condition until the drone is repaired. If an AI reaches 0 hit points from its own hit point pool, it deactivates and shuts down.
• Starting Equipment: You begin play with a Quantum Computing Unit. You are permanently tied to this device, transferring you to another QCU results in changes to your self due to the ‘fuzzy’ nature of quantum computing.

Calengil

• -2 STR, +4 DEX, -2 CON: Calengil are small, agile creatures, leaving them highly dexterous but physically weak.
• Small: A Calengil’s small size provides a +1 bonus to Reflex Defense and a +5 size bonus to Stealth checks. A Calengil’s carrying capacity is 3/4ths that of normal.
• Speed: 6 Squares, Climb 2 Squares. A Calengil can move surprisingly fast for its size, and they are capable of climbing most surfaces at a slow, deliberate speed.
• Balancing Tail: A Calengil’s tail is an important part of their ability to maintain balance while moving quickly, providing a +5 species bonus to all Acrobatics checks made to retain balance.
• Fearless: Calengil evolved in an environment with no natural predators, leaving them with no real concept of ‘fear’ until the left their homeworld. A Calengil is immune to fear effects and Persuasion checks made to Intimidate.
• Low-Light Vision: Calengil can see without penalty in shadowy illumination, ignoring concealment (but not total concealment) due to darkness. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Nocturnal: A Calengil is a naturally nocturnal creature. Until it spends a week adjusting to diurnal life (that is, sleeping during local-night and being active during local-day), it is considered -1 step on the condition track as a persistent condition.
• Languages: Calengil, plus one of any number of local dialects

Chrysoari

• -4 CON, +2 INT, +2 CHA: As avian creatures, Chrysoari bones are lightweight and therefore not durable. However, as an older species they are more intelligent, and well-trusted.
• Size: Medium
• Speed: 1 Square, Fly 6 Squares.
• Winged Flight: While flying, a Chrysoari is effectively a Large creature (taking a -1 size penalty to Reflex Defense and and a -5 size penalty to Stealth checks) that takes up a 1×3 area, as opposed to a Medium creature that takes up a 1×1 area. A Chrysoari is considered trained in the Pilot skill and gains a +5 bonus on Pilot checks it makes while flying under its own power.
• Languages: External Chrysoari (used for communicating with non-Chrysoari), Internal Chrysoari (used for communicating with Chrysoari). Both languages could be learned by anyone capable of speaking them, but the Chrysoari guard the meanings of the metaphor-rich Internal language jealously, and are suspected of hunting down outsiders who have learned the language.

Deep Ones

• +4 DEX, +2 CON, -4 STR: Deep ones are tiny creatures, having little physical strength but consequently having well-tuned motor control. Their high-pressure deep-water home leaves them hardy, however.
• Tiny: As tiny creatures, Deep Ones gain a +2 size bonus to Reflex Defense, a +10 size bonus to Stealth checks, and have their carrying capacity halved.
• Speed: 4 Squares, Swim 4 Squares. A Deep One’s multiple legs function equally well as both walking and swimming appendages.
• Aquatic: Deep Ones cannot drown in water (H2O) and do not need to make swim checks.
• Low-Light Vision: A Deep One can see without penalty in shadowy illumination, ignoring concealment (but not total concealment) due to darkness. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. Additionally, when in complete darkness, they can see light sources at three times the normal range that light source would be seen at.
• Water-Breathing: Deep Ones can survive out of water for CON Score minutes before beginning to suffocate when their gills begin to dry out.
• Exoskeleton: A Deep One’s thick carapace provides a +1 Natural Armor bonus to Reflex Defense
• Mineralsense: When in water, a Deep One can ‘taste’ the water for dissolved minerals, allowing it to make a DC 10 Knowledge [Planetary Sciences] check to identify the presence of any minerals in contact with that body of water in a 20 kilometer radius. Over time, several Deep Ones working in concert with each other can use this ability to narrow down the area in which the minerals are located.
• Languages: Deep Ones speak their own language (referred to as “Deep One”), which is communicated pheremonally when in water and via semaphore when in air. They cannot speak other languages without electronic aid.

Fost

• Fuset [Template]
  • +2 INT, +2 WIS, CHA 10 or Hast’s: The Host gains the benefits of the additional mental power of the Fuuer, however the merged nature of the personalities of the Fuuer and Host leave them somewhat detached from others. A Fuset’s Charisma is 10, unless the Host’s Charisma was higher than 10 prior to the acquisition of the Fuset template.
  • Eidetic Memory: The Fuuer remember everything that they have ever seen or experienced, even through the senses of a host body. This level of acute, exacting memory detail provides the Fuset with Advantage on any Intelligence-based skill check (except Knowledge [Physical Sciences] checks made to use Force Control abilities, and Nanite Control) and allows them to take 20 on any Knowledge skill check without increasing the amount of time the check would normally take and regardless of any distractions.
  • Merged Being: A Hast and Fuuer continue to accrue XP and levels separately from each other, but the Fost has access to the skills, feats, and talents of both. While merged, a Fuuer has no Reflex Defense, but still has a Fortitude Defense and Will Defense. The two creatures have separate HP totals, but damage is applied to the Host unless the attack is a critical hit or skill check behind the damage source is a natural 20, in which case the damage is applied to the Fuuer as well. In the event the Hast is killed, the Fuuer can be rejoined into a new Host body. Poison and toxins administered to the Host affect the Fuuer as well.
  • Dual Consciousness: Fuset are more resistant to psionic intrusion thanks to their dual consciousness. They gain a +5 Species bonus to their Will defense vs Psionics.
• Fuuer
  • -6 STR, -8 DEX, +2 INT, +2 WIS: Fuuer have very little in the way of physical capabilities, as their small size is taken up almost entirely by neural tissue.
  • Size: Fine. As Fine creatures, Fuuer gain a +10 size bonus to Reflex Defense and a +20 size bonus to Stealth checks. They have 1% of the carrying capacity of normal.
  • Speed: 1 Square, Swim 1 Square
  • Eidetic Memory: The Fuuer remember everything that they have ever seen or experienced, even through the senses of a host body. This level of acute, exacting memory detail provides them with Advantage on any Intelligence-based skill check (except Force Control and Nanite Control) and allows them to take 20 on any Knowledge skill check without increasing the amount of time the check would normally take and regardless of any distractions.
  • Long-Lived: Fuuer can live for millenia, and are remarkably resilient to aging. They gain none of the benefits or penalties of aging. However, after about 500 years they lose the ability to bond with a Hast, slowly bloating into their large-sized Ancient form.
  • Symbiotic: A Fuuer can join with a willing Hast in a process that takes 1 minute to create a Fuset. However, the merging of consciousness takes 1d4+5 days, during which time the Fuset is considered to be -1 step on the condition track as a persistent condition. A Fuuer can leave its Hast body at any time, but its doing so will leave the Host dead in several days unless it is rejoined with a new Fuuer.
  • Languages: The Fuuer language is electrochemical signals that propagate through the creature’s native mucklike homes. It is incomprehensible by non-Fuuer.
• Hast
  • +2 STR, +2 CON, -2 INT, -2 CHA: Host’s are strong and hardy, but a bit dim-witted and withdrawn.
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 6 Squares
  • Martial Studies: Hast spend long hours during their youth honing themselves into the epitome of physical perfection. There are numerous schools of thought on this, each with their own training regimens. A Hast gains one of the following feats as a bonus feat, but they must meet any prerequisites for that feat: any [Martial Arts] feat, Conditioning, Dodge, Improved Defenses, or Weapon Focus (choose a Simple weapon)
  • Languages: Fost and one of any number of various languages that are found in their society

Hand of Action

• Base Caste
  • +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom: Compared to humanity, the Hand of Action is native to a high-gravity world (roughly 2G). Correspondingly, the have a better-developed musculature. In addition, their innate magical talent leaves them with a closer tie to those abilities.
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 6 Squares
  • Magery Training: All Hands of Action receive Mage Talent for one of Elementalism, Shamanism, or Theurgy as a bonus feat at character creation.
  • Natural Magical Talent: Hands of Action add a single use each of Combustion and Strike Boost to their Spell Suite. *Note: Any use of the Strike Boost spell by a Hand of Action takes the form of a brilliant bright burst of fire, regardless of the type of damage done by Strike Boost.
  • Low-Light Vision: Hands of Action ignore concealment (but not total concealment) from darkness.
  • Fire Resilient: A Hand of Action ignores the first 20 points of fire damage it takes per round. It is immune to damage from overly hot conditions, up to 150 C.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide Blood: The prevalence of Hydrogen Peroxide in the Hand of Action’s biochemistry gives them a feature. Whenever they are damaged by a metal object which causes bleeding (so all damage except for bludgeoning), they take an additional 1d6 damage as the substance reacts with the H2O2 in their bodies, and the object takes the same amount of damage.
  • Automatic Languages: Action, Temperance
• Leader Caste
  • +4 STR, +2 WIS, +2 CHA: Compared to humanity, the Hand of Action is native to a high-gravity world (roughly 2G). Correspondingly, the have a better-developed musculature. In addition, their innate magical talent leaves them with a closer tie to those abilities. The Leader Caste receives special training in leadership as they mature, leading them to be more charismatic than the other three castes.
  • Size: Large. The Leader Caste are bulkier than the Base and Noble castes.
  • Speed: 6 Squares
  • Magery Training: All Hands of Action receive Mage Talent for one of Elementalism, Shamanism, or Theurgy as a bonus feat at character creation.
  • Natural Magical Talent: Hands of Action add a single use each of Combustion and Strike Boost to their Spell Suite. *Note: Any use of the Strike Boost spell by a Hand of Action takes the form of a brilliant bright burst of fire, regardless of the type of damage done by Strike Boost.
  • Low-Light Vision: Hands of Action ignore concealment (but not total concealment) from darkness.
  • Fire Resilient: A Hand of Action ignores the first 20 points of fire damage it takes per round. It is immune to damage from overly hot conditions, up to 150 C.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide Blood: The prevalence of Hydrogen Peroxide in the Hand of Action’s biochemistry gives them a feature. Whenever they are damaged by a metal object which causes bleeding (so all damage except for bludgeoning), they take an additional 1d6 damage as the substance reacts with the H2O2 in their bodies, and the object takes the same amount of damage.
  • Automatic Languages: Action, Temperance
• Noble Caste
  • +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom: Compared to humanity, the Hand of Action is native to a high-gravity world (roughly 2G). Correspondingly, the have a better-developed musculature. In addition, their innate magical talent leaves them with a closer tie to those abilities.
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 6 Squares, Fly 8 Squares
  • Magery Training: All Hands of Action receive Mage Talent for one of Elementalism, Shamanism, or Theurgy as a bonus feat at character creation.
  • Natural Magical Talent: Hands of Action add a single use each of Combustion and Strike Boost to their Spell Suite. *Note: Any use of the Strike Boost spell by a Hand of Action takes the form of a brilliant bright burst of fire, regardless of the type of damage done by Strike Boost.
  • Low-Light Vision: Hands of Action ignore concealment (but not total concealment) from darkness.
  • Fire Resilient: A Hand of Action ignores the first 20 points of fire damage it takes per round. It is immune to damage from overly hot conditions, up to 150 C.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide Blood: The prevalence of Hydrogen Peroxide in the Hand of Action’s biochemistry gives them a feature. Whenever they are damaged by a metal object which causes bleeding (so all damage except for bludgeoning), they take an additional 1d6 damage as the substance reacts with the H2O2 in their bodies, and the object takes the same amount of damage.
  • Automatic Languages: Action, Temperance

Hand of Temperance

• +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: The Hand of Temperance’s innate magical talent leaves them with a closer tie to those abilities. They long ago eschewed martial pursuits, preferring to act as diplomats, so they emphasize training on social abilities.
• Size: Medium
• Speed: 6 Squares, Fly Speed 6 Squares (but requires unoccupied squares on either side perpendicular to the direction of movement), Fly 1 Squares (starship scale)
• Magery Training: All Hands of Temperance receive Mage Talent for one of Elementalism, Shamanism, or Theurgy as a bonus feat at character creation.
• Natural Magical Talent: Hands of Temperance add a single use each of Strike Boost and Thrust to their Spell Suite. *Note: Any use of the Strike Boost spell by a Hand of Temperance takes the form of a brilliant bright burst of light, regardless of the type of damage done by Strike Boost.
• Vacuum-Resistant Physiology: A Hand of Temperance is immune to the effects of a vacuum and zero-g and as such may travel freely in space. Furthermore, a Hand of Temperance can survive without sustenance for a number of days equal to three times their constitution score. While travelling in a vacuum, a Hand of Temperance enters a form of hibernation and is treated as unconscious until they are in a breathable atmosphere again.
• Explosive: Due to the amount of hydrogen present in their biochemistry, a Hand of Temperance reacts poorly to fire, and takes an additional 20 damage the first time they take fire damage in a day. Regardless of how much damage the attack does, they move 2 steps down on the condition track, and this is a persistent condition either removed via the Treat Injury skill or 8 hours of rest. Removing this condition resets this weakness for the day.
• Automatic Languages: Temperance, Action

Hive

• -8 STR, +8 DEX, +10 INT, +8 WIS, -8 CHA: Hive swarms are of vast intelligence and wisdom, but their machine-like nature makes them hard to comprehend.
• Limited Point Buy: When creating a Hive colony, you only have 20 points to spend.
• Powerful Creature: Playing as a Hive induces a -3 penalty to your character level, meaning that Hive can only be played in a game that is at least level 3. In a level 3 game, a Hive has no class levels, only its racial beast levels.
• Beast Levels: A Hive colony begins play with 2 levels of the Beast class. This provides 2d8 hit dice, 1 feat, and a number of trained skills equal to 1 + Intelligence Modifier. A Hive colony can choose these trained skills from any skill, but does not gain any new trained skills when taking a level of a heroic class.
• Size: Fine. A Hive colony is a swarm of universal assemblers, making it functionally a fine-sized creature. It gains a +10 size modifier to its Reflex Defense, a +20 size modifier to Stealth Checks, and has its carrying capacity reduced to 1% of normal.
• Speed: Fly 6 Squares
• Machine-Based: A Hive colony cannot take the Mage Talent feat under any circumstances.
• Nanite Swarm: Hive colonies are immune to all damage except for non-autofire area-of-effect attacks and any source of electricity or ion damage. Additionally, they are also immune to psionic effects, poison, stunning, nonlethal damage, fatigue, exhaustion, flanking, tripping, bull rushing, and grappling.
• Low Light Vision: A Hive colony takes no penalty to perception and ranged attacks in low-light conditions, and can still see in color and full detail in these conditions.
• Darkvision: A Hive colony can see in complete darkness as long as there is some form of electromagnetic radiation present, however it loses the ability to distinguish color (as humans know it) in these situations.
• Swarm Attack: A Hive colony can automatically inflict 1d8+1 points of damage on anything it shares a square with. This counts as a natural weapon attack, does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and deals additional damage equal to 1/2 the Hive colony’s heroic level (if any). Additionally, this effect can also inflict Distraction (see below).
• Distraction: A creature that takes damage from a Hive colony’s Swarm Attack can be nauseated. Any living creature that takes damage from a the Swarm Attack if the Hive colony succeeds on an attack vs the target’s Fortitude Defense. The Hive colony uses it’s Dexterity score for the attack. Creatures with the nauseated condition experience stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, cast incantations, cast true incantations, use nanite abilities, manifest psionic powers, activate force spells, concentrate on spells/powers/incantations/nanite abilities/force spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn.
• Nanite-Based: The nanite swarm is considered to have CEC Nanite Implants for the purposes of taking the NMS Training feat. It is automatically trained in the Nanite Control skill. It is also considered to have a neural interface for the purposes of interfacing with computer systems, however it does require a direct connection to the computer system in order to interact with it (it must be sharing the same square as the computer or adjacent to it).
• Languages: Hive colonies speak their own incomprehensible machine language, but can learn to communicate in any language – including pheremonally-based ones.

Human

• Bonus Feat: A human can choose any feat that they qualify for at level 1 as a bonus feat.
• Culture Bonus: All Humans receive a Culture Bonus. See their Species page for brief suggestions and their Lore page for more information.
• Terran Alliance Citizenship: Provided the character has not lost their Terran Alliance Citizenship for some reason, they receive a 1500 credit monthly income which is supposed to go towards basic living expenses such as housing and lifestyle.
• Automatic Language: Terran Standard, plus an additional one dependent on origin location (see Species page).

JolKoar

• Special Rule - Path Devotion: For most JolKoar, the paths of the Ancestors are merely advice, guidelines, and suggestions. But for others, the paths provide a narrow road to follow, defining their journey through the world. A JolKoar can choose to devote themselves to following the path of a particular ancestor. By doing so, they incur a specific drawback dependent on their chosen Ancestor. In place of traits, the JolKoar receives the feats for their given ancestor as bonus feats at the following levels: 1st – Follower, 5th – Path, 10th – Journey, and 15th – Devotion. However, they suffer a drawback specific to their path. These drawbacks rarely take the form of mechanical penalties and instead incur role-playing requirements upon the character. More details are listed in the Ancestors section.
• JolKoar’Amask
  • +6 STR, +4 CON, -4 INT, -4 CHA: JolKoar'Amask are burly and tough, having been engineered or their physical capabilities, however the neural encoding education they receive during the latter stages of their tank growth is incomplete at best, focusing purely on matters of a military nature and leaving them lacking in terms of some real-world knowledge.
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 6 Squares
  • Powerful Build: A Low Dweller is treated as a Large creature for the purposes of wielding weapons and unarmed damage.
  • Gene-Stabilized: Low Dwellers cannot be psionic and have no potential for innate magical or psionic talent without GM permission.
  • Focused Education: When making Intelligence or Charisma-based skill checks (or ability checks) involving a military matters such as tactical knowledge, technical knowledge for maintenance, interacting with a chain of command, the military bureaucracy, or anything else that the GM deems relevant, a JolKoar'Amask receives a +5 bonus on the check due to their hyper-focused education.
  • Culture Bonus: All JolKoar receive a Culture Bonus, though the one selected at first level must be of a combat or military nature.
  • Automatic Languages: JolKoar’Amask
• JolKoar’Hul
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 6 Squares
  • Gene-Stabilized: Cannot be psionic, has no potential for innate magical talent.
  • Bonus Feat: A High Dweller receives a free bonus feat they qualify for at level one.
  • Culture Bonus: All JolKoar receive a Culture Bonus.
• Jol’Koar "Pureblood"
  • Bonus Feat: A Jol'Koar Pureblood can choose any feat that they qualify for at level 1 as a bonus feat.
  • Culture Bonus: All JolKoar receive a Culture Bonus.
  • Delayed Aging: Even without their telomere rejuvenation therapy, Jol'Koar purebloods have an innate resistance to teolmere degredation, aging at 1/4th the rate of a regular human.
  • Forgetful: Any Jol'Koar that has reached middle age must roll twice on any knowledge check and take the worse result. However, if it is a subject that the GM declares that they have studied recently, they can avoid this and roll normally.
  • Automatic Languages: JolKoar, JolKoar'Amask, JolKoar'Hul

Lissonian

• Size: Medium
• Speed: 6 Squares
• Radiation Resistance: Lissonians have a +4 Species bonus to Fortitude Defense against radiation
• Retractable Claws: 1d4 slashing damage. A holdover from their time as a strictly tree-dwelling species, these claws can be extended or retracted as a swift action.
• Impact-Resistant: Lissonians have a natural damage reduction vs bludgeoning damage (including explosions) equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1), this stacks with all other damage reduction. This damage reduction is doubled against falling damage.
• Expert Climber: Due to their arboreal background, Lissonians may choose to take 10 on Climb checks even when distracted or threatened.
• Jungle Bond: Lissonians do not take the normal -5 penalty on the Persuasion checks when dealing with undomesticated creatures with an Intelligence of 2 or lower. This counts as the Charm Beast talent for the purpose of taking talents from the Shamanism magic talent tree. Lissonians may take the Bonded Mount and Soothing Presence talents without being trained in Magery.
• Low-Light Vision: A Lissonian takes no penalty to perception and ranged attacks in low-light conditions, but it still suffers a penalty in darkness.
• Culture Bonus: All Lissonians receive a Culture Bonus at level 1. See their Species page for brief suggestions and their Lore page for more information.
• Languages: A Lissonian starts play speaking Lissonian, and a language based on their culture (see below): Charesh, Leef, Mariata, Railaka, Shakana, Taina, or Zaina

Mind Of Intelligence-Bonded [Template]

• ACQUIRED TEMPLATE: The Bonded template can be added to any carbon-based lifeform. It cannot be added to non-Carbon based lifeforms such as Proximans.
• Abilities: Bonded gain the a +4 bonus to their Intelligence and Wisdom. Their Charisma scores are decreased by 2 because of the detached, dispassionate nature of their personalities after the merger. The Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma modifications do not apply when determining the number of nanite abilities, spells, powers, incantations, or vehicle maneuvers learned by a character.
• Fast Healing: Bonded have a phenomenal healing rate and can recover from devastating injuries in a short amount of time, as the microbial nature of the Mind allows it to supercharge the host’s recovery systems. As long as a bonded has not died outright from damage (brought to -10 hit points or took damage that sent it below 0 HP that exceeded its damage threshold), it heals 1 hit point every 4 rounds from any kind of damage. This quality is always active but does not permit the reattachment of limbs. Sensory organs regrow and in 2d6 days. Critical organs and small limbs (fingers and toes) will regrow in 2d8 days (but obviously there either needs to be a redundant organ or outside support during this time). Hands or feet will regrow in 2d10 days, and entire limbs will regrow in 2d12 days. It is hard to predict the regrowth rate, and sometimes a limb will grow back faster than an eye.
• Coordinated Action: Bonded work better in groups, its probably an extension of the hiveminded nature of the Mind microbe. For every other Bonded within 15 squares, a Bonded gains a +1 morale bonus to skill checks, attack rolls, and saving throws to a maximum bonus of +5. This bonus is only gained from conscious Bonded; unconscious or comatose Bonded cannot contribute or benefit from it. No scientific basis has been found for this, though SDA researchers theorize it may be an extension of the Mind consciousness through the domain of the collective unconscious, much like psionics.
• Intelligent Immune System: Bonded are immune to all kinds of disease, as the presence of their Mind microbes buffers their physiology against the effects of biological agents of any kind. Against non-biological agents such as nanites, they have a +5 bonus to their Fortitude defense to counter them.
• Skills: As the host, but Bonded gain a +5 bonus to all skill checks except for those made to activate a suite-based ability such as a Force Formula, Power, or Spell. This bonus stacks with training in a skill and with the bonus provided by the Skill Focus feat.

Proximan

• +2 Strength +2 Constitution -2 Dexterity: Proximans are strong and hardy, but the addition of a second opposable digit and more rigid skeletal structure makes them slightly less dexterous than humans.
• Size: Medium
• Speed: 6 Squares
• Temperature Adaptation: Proximans are resistant to a wide range of temperatures, and are comfortable between -100 and +25 Celsius. They do not take risk environmental damage between this temperature range. Proximans can safely survive temperatures ranging from +26 to +37 Celsius for periods of time, but they are extremely uncomfortable as they risk de-ammonization (think dehydration), and they usually wear refrigeration bodysuits in these temperatures.
• Nitrous-Oxide Breathers: The standard Proximan atmosphere is mostly nitrous oxide, their bodies separate the oxygen from the nitrogen in their lungs and they exhale the oxygen back out. A Proximan can breathe an earth-standard atmosphere without aid, but they suffer from symptoms similar to oxygen toxicity in humans. In game terms, this functions as a -2 penalty to Wisdom, which lasts for an additional 10 minutes after returning to their normal atmosphere. A Proximan can use a breather mask (available for 500 credits) or an adaptation implant (which costs 3000 credits including the surgery) to breathe human atmosphere without penalty for an indefinite period of time. Extend periods of exposure unaided can have additional effects, at the GM’s discretion.
• Ammonia-Based: As a response to their homeworld’s dwindling greenhouse effect millennia ago, lifeforms on Proxima Prime evolved to have high-pressure circulatory systems and an extremely resilient musculoskeletal system, which allowed them to survive in low atmospheric pressures. A Proximan’s circulatory system could be best compared to a series of extremely resilient pipes, containing liquid ammonia (and other things) at around 1,070 kilopascals (around 155 PSI). A Proximan’s vital fluids exposed to any temperature and atmospheric pressure condition where ammonia is a gas rapidly boil off, leading to catastrophic organ and integrity failure. A Proximan that is moved to the bottom of the condition track via physical damage will explode in three rounds if proper medical treatment is not given, leading to death and possible shrapnel damage to adjacent creatures. Proper medical treatment requires moving the Proximan at least one step up the condition track, and this can me accomplished by a DC 25 Treat Injury check taking a full round. This requires a medkit designed for use on Proximans, standard Terran medkits do not have the supplies to treat this. Treating this without a Proximan-stocked medkit raises the DC to 35. While mere exposure to water (H2O) will not harm a Proximan, getting water into their bodies acts as a poison. Water is effectively an Injury or Ingested poison for Proximans, and it makes an attack vs their Fortitude Defense with a +10 bonus. If this attack hits, it does 1 Constitution damage and 3d6 damage per round for 15 rounds without proper treatment.
• Durable: Proximans are an inherently resilient species. Their tough hides and resilient skeletal structure gives them a +1 natural armor bonus to Reflex defense and a +5 resiliency bonus to Fortitude defense when dealing with impact hazards.
• Darkvision: Proximan eyes are adapted for life on a planet orbiting a red dwarf star, and as such they have the ability to see in the infrared spectrum. Proximans ignore concealment (including total concealment) from darkness. However, their limited ability to see into the Human-Visible spectrum leaves them colorblind above yellow, they perceive green, blue, indigo, and violet as increasing shades of black.
• Non-Magical: Proximans have no capability for innate magic, and can therefore only learn Spirit Binding or Device Magic.
• Languages: Proximans have their own language (known as Proximan) that they speak (Humans can learn it, but it has a prerequisite of INT (to understand) and DEX (to speak) of at least 14. Proximans, however, can learn Human languages with little difficulty, but speak with a noticeable accent.
• Culture List: Full details on Proximan cultures are forthcoming, for the moment just pick whatever you want for culture bonuses.