Cultural Option

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Electrical Tolerance – You are from a location that experience constant electrical surges or lightning storms in the atmosphere. Your constant exposure to these effects has made your body naturally resistant to electrical damage. You receive a +2 to all defenses against attacks related to electricity, such as power surges, shocks, lightning bolts, and the like, and you receive a +2 bonus to all Perception checks when attempting to detect the type or location of an electrical disturbance, such as a shorted wire or electric fence.

Entertainer – You are from a society that enjoys and appreciates good entertainment, and you are now taking up the craft for yourself. You receive a +2 bonus to all Profession skill checks related to entertainment. In addition, select one of the following specialties: Singing, Dancing, Acting, Filmmaking, or News Reporting. You receive a further +2 bonus to any Profession check related to this field.

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

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

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

Relatively simple project involving only yourself and things you are familiar with, and that will require only a short amount of time (several hours to a day or two)	+1
Moderately complex task requiring quite a bit of research and planning, possibly including a few other participants, and taking a reasonable amount of time (no more than a week)	+2
Complicated job involving a team of individuals working together, more than a week of time, and comprehensive planning efforts	+3

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

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

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

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

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

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

High-G Tolerance – You come from a world where the gravity is significantly higher than normal for your species. Prolonged exposure has made you better able to operate in higher gravity situations, but lower gravities can be a significant problem. Characters with this feat ignore the first two points of Dexterity penalty for high-gravity situations. Jump distances and lifting capacities are increased by 1 fractional point, so a 1/2 would become a 1/3, 1/4 would become 1/5, and so on. Additionally, the character receives a +2 bonus on all Acrobatics checks related to high-G conditions. Lower gravities present a bigger problem. however. All Dexterity and Strength modifiers are increased by two. Jump distances and lifting capacities are increased by one multiplier point, so x2 becomes x3, x4 becomes x5, and x8 becomes x9. This represents the inability of the body to adapt to lower gravity, which is much more extreme to you than a normal member of your species.

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

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

Insulated Skin – You have a thick layer of skin with a considerable amount of sub-dermal fat and other natural insulation that keeps you warm in extremely cold conditions. You receive a +2 to all of the following skills where they relate to cold weather: Climb, Jump, Stealth, Survival, Swim, and Treat Injury. In addition, cold-related medical conditions such as hypothermia only affect you half as quickly as they would a normal person. For example, if a hypothermia check in an icy environment is called for once per hour, you would roll only once every other hour. Your recovery time for such conditions is halved regardless of the success of a Treat Injury check made to treat those conditions.

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

Jeweler – You have a background in working with valuable gemstones and fine jeweler, as well as an appreciation for such things. In addition to your ability to recognize the value of various rocks and minerals you might encounter, you also have a natural ability to pick them out of a crowd. You receive a +2 bonus to Mechanics, Perception, and Profession checks where they relate to gemstones and jewels, and a + 1 bonus to those same skills when working with less valuable metals and ores such as iron, copper, and the like. In addition, you own a piece of jeweler that holds special interest for you. Perhaps it is a family heirloom, or a gift from a relative, or just something from your own personal collection. It might be a gem-encrusted ring. a valuable necklace, or even a functional device such as a watch or belt buckle made of gold or other semi-precious metal. The item has a value of 1d6+500 credits, but is not something you will willingly part with except in the direst of circumstances. You might, for example, pawn your valuables to buy a ticket in order to avoid pursuit by bloodthirsty criminals, but you would not simply sell it in order to purchase some more equipment for your next mission. You might, however, use it as collateral for a loan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Primitive – You are from an extremely primitive culture and are unfamiliar with technology, but are better equipped to physical skills. Although you are used to a low-tech society, that does not mean you are uneducated. In fact, you have probably learned a great deal about the rest of the world. You are just not experienced with it. Because of your physical upbringing, you receive a +1 to all of the following skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Jump, Perception, Stealth, Survival, and Swim. These apply even in high-tech settings – you can transfer your climbing abilities to scale a large cargo pallet just as easily as you can a cliff face, for example. In addition, you also know how to use certain primitive weapons not used in modem society, such as boomerangs and blowguns, as appropriate to your culture. You are proficient with one weapon common to your people, regardless of if it is an exotic weapon or not. However, your inexperience with technology gives you a -2 penalty to each of the following skills: Hackcraft, Mechanics, Pilot, Profession, and Use Computer. You also cannot begin with any in Knowledge skill trained unless it is directly related to your culture, and you cannot know any languages that your culture would not know.

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

Football/Soccer (Constitution)	+1 to attack with any kick attack (unarmed strike)
Baseball or Cricket (Dexterity)	+1 to attack with any thrown weapon attack, such as a grenade
Basketball (Dexterity)	+2 dodge bonus to Reflex defense when avoiding attacks of opportunity
Wrestling (Strength)	+1 to any grappling checks or attempts to do subdual damage with an unarmed attack unarmed subdual
Track & Field (Dexterity)	+1 to Acrobatics, Climb, and Jump checks
Swimming (Constitution)	+3 to Swim checks for purposes of endurance; e.g., for purposes of distance or fatigue, but not to resist drowning or avoid being pulled under by heavy weights
Vehicle Racing (Dexterity)	+2 to Pilot checks
Gymnastics (Dex)	+2 to Acrobatics checks
Hockey (Constitution)	+1 dodge bonus to Reflex defense
Shooting (Dexterity)	+1 bonus to attack with one ranged weapon of your choice