RACES OF THE MASS EFFECT UNIVERSE

The Milky Way is populated with dozens of races. Some are valued members of Citadel space, working to build a better galactic community; others are lawless, caring nothing for the Citadel Council's edicts; a few are outcasts, but all are unique. The following chapter will provide a the stats needed to role play a character in the Mass Effect universe along with biological and cultural background information to flesh out characters in the setting. themselves too: for example, they prefer to live in CITADEL RACES shared spaces aboard star-ships even if there are alternatives available. The asari possess the largest single economy in the galaxy. They have extensive trade ASARI and social contacts. Craft guilds, such as those The asari, native to the planet Thessia, are within the cities Serrice and Armali, hold a virtual often considered the most influential and respected monopoly on advanced biotic technology. sentient species in the galaxy, and are known for their elegance, diplomacy, and biotic aptitude. This is partly due to the fact that the asari were among SPECIES ABILITIES the earliest races to achieve interstellar flight after the Protheans, and the first to discover and settle the Citadel. A mono-gender race, the asari are distinctly feminine in appearance and possess maternal ● Wound threshold: 9 + Brawn instincts. Their unique physiology, expressed in a ● Strain threshold: 11 + Willpower millennium-long lifespan and the ability to ● Starting Experience: 90 xp reproduce with a partner of any gender or species, gives them a conservative yet convivial attitude ● Special Abilities: Asari begin the campaign toward other races. Favoring compromise and trained and with one rank in either Charm or cooperation over conflict, the asari were Leadership. They still may not train Charm or instrumental in proposing and founding the Citadel Leadership above rank 2 during character creation. Council and have been at the heart of galactic ● Natural Biotic: Asari may use any of their society ever since. characteristics as their biotic characteristic when Traditionally, asari spread their influence selecting a biotic career specialization. through cultural domination and intellectual superiority. They invite new species of advanced development to join the galactic community, DRELL knowing that their ideals and beliefs will inevitably The drell are a reptile-like race that were influence the existing culture. The asari tend rescued from their dying home world by the hanar toward communal, consensus attitudes among following first contact between the two. Since then, the drell have remained loyal to the hanar for their whom they pray to in varying situations. camaraderie and have fit comfortably into galactic Many of the older traditions of the drell civilization. have begun to die out. The younger generations no Drell are omnivorous reptile-like humanoids longer believe the old ways of their ancestors can with an appearance very similar to asari and help them now, with so many other ways to humans, but their muscle tissue is slightly denser, interpret one's place in the universe. Many drell giving them a wiry strength. Their skin is infused have embraced the hanar Enkindlers or the asari with a venom mild enough to be served in drinks, philosophies. and may cause mild hallucinations on "oral contact". The drell also possess eidetic memory, SPECIES ABILITIES an adaptation to a world where they must remember the location of every necessary resource (vegetation, drinkable water and prey migration paths) across vast distances. The memories are so strong that an external stimulus ● Wound threshold: 9 + Brawn can trigger a powerful memory recall. ● Strain threshold: 9 + Willpower The debt of gratitude that the drell owe the hanar is referred to as the Compact, which the drell ● Starting Experience: 90 xp fulfill by taking on tasks that the hanar find difficult, ● Special Abilities: Drell begin the campaign such as combat. Any drell may refuse to serve, but trained and with one rank in either Stealth or as being requested to serve is a great honor, few Acrobatics. They still may not train Stealth or turn down the offer. Acrobatics above rank 2 during character creation. Most drell are content to live on Kahje, the hanar home world, but those who do leave tend to be adventurers. These solitary drell travelers often ELCOR seek out new species elsewhere, and in turn adopt The elcor are a Citadel species native to that species' culture. Such drell number in the the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive thousands, and are scattered across the galaxy, creatures, standing on four muscular legs for tending towards quiet, integrated lives. increased stability. Their large, heavy bodies are Most drell are deeply religious, believing incapable of moving quickly, an evolved response that they have souls separate from their bodies. to an environment where a fall can be lethal. This They see death as a departure from the body, and has colored their psychology, making them they also state that a person's body and soul form deliberate and conservative, but they possess a a Whole. When the soul is traumatized or rather imposing stature and immense strength, as otherwise disrupted, or the body is ill or injured, a well as thick, tough skin. They move using all four person is no longer Whole. The drell religion is also limbs to support and balance their massive bodies. polytheistic, with the drell having multiple gods Elcor speech is heard by most species as a flat, ponderous monotone. Among themselves, scent, extremely slight body movements, and sub- SPECIES ABILITIES vocalized infra-sound convey shades of meaning. Since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the elcor prefix all their dialog with non-elcor with an emotive statement to clarify their tone ● Wound threshold: 20 + Brawn The elcor were just making their first forays ● Strain threshold: 10 + Willpower into space travel when the asari made contact with them. Within a single lifetime they had established ● Starting Experience: 80 xp a regular trade route to the Citadel, quickly ● Special Abilities: Elcor begin the campaign with becoming one of the more prominent species in one rank in the Durable talent. Citadel space, though they still have to share an embassy with the volus. ● Lumbering: Due to their unique biology, Elcor Elcor are not suitable for making the spur- can never have an Agility score higher than 1 and of-the-moment decisions necessary in combat Elcor can never train any agility based skill more situations. Instead, they rely on sophisticated than one rank. Elcor can not make more than one VIcombat systems. These war machines can movement maneuver per turn. choose between thousands of gambits developed ● Living Tanks: Due to their immense size, Elcor and polished over centuries by elcor strategists. count as being Sil 2 and count as having 1 vehicle The slow speed and immense size of the elcor customization hardpoint. Elcor can additionally makes them easy targets. Fortunately, their carry up to two passengers. durable hide allows them to shrug off most incoming fire. Elcor warriors don't carry small arms; their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for HANAR the same size of weapons typically mounted on The hanar are a species resembling Earth's Alliance fighting vehicles. jellyfish and are one of the few non-bipedal Citadel Elcor usually prefer to stay on their races. Hanar are known for their intense politeness colonies rather than travel in space, which may be when speaking, and their strong religious beliefs why few elcor are seen on the Citadel or on other regarding the Protheans, whom they refer to as worlds. Possibly because of their size or evolution "the Enkindlers". The hanar "stand" slightly taller in the open air, the elcor find the necessary than a human, although most of their height is in confines of space travel uncomfortable, and many their long tentacles. The invertebrate, water-native modern elcor indeed prefer the open sky to the hanar cannot support their own weight in normal former. gravity. When interacting with mainstream galactic society, they rely on contra-gravitic levitation packs

Illustration 1: Images courtesy of Nach77 and Imperator Alicia that use mass effect fields. Their limbs can grip ● Amphibious:Hanar can breath underwater tightly, but are not strong enough to lift more than a without penalty and can move through any fluid few hundred grams each. Hanar also possess the liquid without suffering movement penalties. ability to secrete natural toxins ● Floating: Hanar float overland and typically will The hanar communicate using not touch the ground as they move. They are not sophisticated patterns of bio-luminescence, but able to fly higher than a few feet from the ground when dealing with other species, speak with but do not suffer the usual penalties for moving scrupulous precision and extreme politeness. Most over difficult terrain. hanar take offense at improper language, and must take special courses to unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other species. HUMAN The hanar have two names, a "face name" Humans, from the planet Earth, are the and a "soul name." The face name is used as a newest sentient species of notable size to enter the general label for use by strangers and galactic stage and are the most rapidly expanding acquaintances. The soul name is kept for use and developing. among close friends and relations, They never Humans first came to the attention of the refer to themselves in the first person with galactic community after a brief but intense conflict someone they know on a face name basis: to do with the turians, known by humans as the First so is considered egotistical. Instead they refer to Contact War. The conflict began when the turians themselves as "this one," or the impersonal "it." It attacked a human fleet attempting to activate a is only around those who know their soul name dormant mass relay , illegal under Council law. The that they would ever consider using the first conflict caught the attention of the Citadel Council, person. Even when flustered or angry, a hanar will which wasted no time brokering a peace, thus still maintain exquisite poise, and will remain formal introducing humans to the galactic community. even with those it wishes dead. Humans are generally seen to be very The hanar government is known as the intelligent, abnormally ambitious, highly adaptable, Illuminated Primacy, and according to Citadel individualistic and thus, unpredictable. They have a gossip, the hanar are considered likely prospects powerful desire to advance and improve for a Council seat in the near future, though what themselves, and do so with such assertion that the great deed the hanar did for the Council to warrant normally staid Council races have been taken consideration is not publicly known. The hanar aback by their restlessness and curiosity. Their military is relatively small, but is supplemented by economy, while much smaller than any of the drell combat specialists: accomplished spies, Council races, is very powerful relative to their saboteurs, and assassins trained from a young size, and their military prowess is among the age. The hanar however do not normally commit greatest in the galaxy, despite the fact that only 3% their drell allies to open warfare. The Hanar are of humans volunteer for the Alliance military, a far also known for using automated weapon systems smaller proportion than other races. Their ability to for defense, most famously around their home engage the turians in the First Contact War world of Kahje. demonstrated graphically the potential of human military strength and is therefore a subject of SPECIES ABILITIES concern for many races, who fear the consequences of another human-turian conflict. Some species feel that humanity is overly expansive in its colonization efforts and aggressive attempts to advance its position in galactic affairs. ● Wound threshold: 8 + Brawn Unlike many species in Citadel space, humans have no close allies among the other races, though ● Strain threshold: 8 + Willpower they are trade partners with the turians and asari. ● Starting Experience: 100 xp Without alliances or key political positions, humans have had to follow the edicts of the Council without ● Special Abilities: Hanar begin the campaign having much influence on their decisions. trained and with one rank in either Computers or Mechanics. They still may not train Computers or Mechanics above rank 2 during character creation. SPECIES ABILITIES SPECIES ABILITIES

● Wound threshold: 10 + Brawn ● Wound threshold: 10 + Brawn ● Strain threshold: 10 + Willpower ● Strain threshold: 10 + Willpower ● Starting Experience: 100 xp ● Starting Experience: 100 xp ● Special Abilities: Humans begin the campaign ● Special Abilities: Salarians begin the campaign trained in any two skills. trained and with one rank in any one Knowledge skill. They still may not train any Knowledge skill above rank 2 during character creation. SALARIAN The second species to join the Citadel, the salarians are warm-blooded amphibians native to the planet Sur'Kesh. Salarians are noted for their TURIAN high-speed metabolism, which allows them to Originally from the planet Palaven, turians function on just one hour of sleep a day. Their are best known for their military role, particularly minds and bodies work faster than most sapient their contributions of soldiers and star-ships to the races, making them seem restless or hyperactive. Citadel Fleet. Turians gained their Council seat The drawback of this active metabolism is a short after defeating the hostile krogan for the Council lifespan of around 40 human years. Additionally, during the Krogan Rebellions. The turians then salarians are haplo-diploid egg-layers, though filled the peacekeeping niche left by the once- social rules prevent all but a fraction of eggs from cooperative krogan. being fertilized. As a result, 90% of the species is Turians typically stand over six feet tall, male. have two long, proportionately thick fingers and an Salarian names are quite complex. A full opposable thumb on each hand, and a set of name includes – in order – the name of a salarian's mandibles around their mouths. The most home world, nation, city, district, clan name and distinguishing feature of turians is their metallic given name. carapace, which contains trace amounts of Salarians are known for their observational thulium. Although life on Palaven is carbon-based capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests and oxygen-breathing, it is built on dextro-amino as an aptitude for research and espionage. They acids. This places the turians in a distinct minority are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it on the galactic stage; the quarians are the only is generally accepted that they always know more other sapient dextro-protein race. The food of than they are letting on. The salarians see humans, asari, or salarians will at best pass information gathering and even spying as a matter without providing any nutrition. At worst, it will of course when dealing with other races. Though trigger an allergic reaction that can be fatal if not their military is nothing special, salarians are immediately treated. currently seen as the premier intelligence and The turian military is the center of their information-gathering arm of the Council. As such society. It is not just an armed force; it is an all- they are well respected, but some races, including encompassing public works organization. The a few humans, see the salarians as manipulators. military police are also the civic police. The fire The salarian race also includes the brigades serve the civilian population as well as Lystheni "offshoot." How the Lystheni are distinct military facilities. The corps of engineers builds and from mainline salarians and why they are currently maintains spaceports, schools, water purification unwelcome in Council space is unknown. Lystheni plants, and power stations. The merchant marine salarians may be found living among batarians, ensures that all worlds get needed resources. exiled quarians, and other galactic refuse. Turians are respected for their public service ethic but are sometimes seen as imperialist or rigid by other races. There is some animosity between turians and humans, largely due to the turian role in the First Contact War. This bitterness is slowly beginning to heal, but many turians still their source world rather than species name (i.e. resent humans, and vice versa. "Earth-clan" instead of "human"). A notable exception to this is that they refer to quarians as SPECIES ABILITIES "Migrant-clan", or "clanless", due to their lack of a homeworld. They also tend to refer to themselves as "Vol-clan". The volus government is known as the Vol Protectorate. Rather than being a fully sovereign ● Wound threshold: 10 + Brawn government in its own right, the Protectorate is a client state of the Turian Hierarchy. In return for ● Strain threshold: 12 + Willpower falling under the protective umbrella of the turian ● Starting Experience: 90 xp military, the volus pay a tax to the Hierarchy, as well as deferring to the turians in all foreign policy ● Special Abilities: Turians begin the campaign matters. trained and with one rank in either Cool or Ranged (Heavy). They still may not train Cool or Ranged (Heavy) above rank 2 during character creation. SPECIES ABILITIES

VOLUS The volus are an associate race on the Citadel with their own embassy, but are also a ● Wound threshold: 8 + Brawn client race of the turians. They hail from Irune, ● Strain threshold: 10 + Willpower which possesses a high-pressure greenhouse ● Starting Experience: 80 xp atmosphere able to support an ammonia-based biochemistry. As a result, the volus must wear ● Special Abilities: Volus begin the campaign pressure suits and breathers when dealing with trained and with one rank in either Deception or other species. Traditional nitrogen/oxygen air Negotiation. They still may not train Deception or mixtures are poisonous to them, and in the low Negotiation above rank 2 during character pressure atmospheres tolerable to most species, creation. their flesh will actually split open. ● Volus Pressure Suit: While a Volus' pressure Because they are not physically adept suit is removed or sufficiently damaged in an compared to most species, volus mostly make their environment that is not similar to the Volus' influence felt through trade and commerce, and homeworld of Irune, they must pass a Daunting they have a long history on the Citadel. However, (♦♦♦♦) Resilience test every hour or suffer a critical they have never been invited to join the Council, injury. which is a sore point for many volus individuals. Volus culture is dominated by trade, ● Small: Due to their small stature, a volus counts whether it be of land, resources, or even other tribe as being Sil 0. members. The volus have a reputation as traders and merchants, and many work as some of the best financial advisers in Citadel space. Due to the NON-CITADEL RACES volus not being physically adept, they tend not to be violent, and can even seem overly-pacifistic and cowardly to other, more militant species. The volus ARTIFICIAL home world Irune is remarkable for having done INTELLEGENCES away with warfare as an institution of the state, as An Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a self-aware the volus lack the romantic view of war found in the computing system capable of learning and galaxy's more aggressive species. Physical independent decision making. Creation of a skirmishes between groups rarely last long, and conscious AI requires adaptive code, a slow, are almost always ended by social castigation, expensive education, and a specialized quantum bargaining agreements, or harsh economic computer called a "blue box". Other than the geth, sanctions. whose methods are unknown, an AI cannot be Volus have two names but no family transmitted across a communication channel or names. Possibly because of their tribal origins, computer network as without its blue box, an AI is volus tend to refer to members of other races by no more than data files. Loading these files into a construction, AIs start the game with one rank in new blue box will create a new personality, as the Enduring talent. variations in the quantum hardware and run time ● Mechanical Being: AIs cannot select a biotic results create unpredictable variations. career or biotic specialization. The physical hardware belonging to an AI can be as varied as the purpose for their creation, though AIs designed to integrate with society BATARIANS typically have average humanoid proportions. A race of four-eyed bipeds native to the When it comes time to repair or upgrade the world of Khar'shan, the batarians are a physical components of an AI, modification of the disreputable species that chose to isolate itself physical hardware is possible as long as the blue from the rest of the galaxy. The Terminus Systems box remains unmodified. are infested with batarian pirate gangs and slaving Artificial intelligence is a key concern for rings, fueling the stereotype of the batarian thug. It the Citadel races, one that pre-dates the should be noted that these criminals do not emergence of sentient geth, though the geth are represent average citizens, who are forbidden to seen as a perfect example of how organic and leave batarian space by their ubiquitous and synthetic life would struggle to co-exist. The paranoid government. history of the geth's creation and evolution serves Despite several disagreements with the as a warning to the rest of the galaxy of the Citadel and simmering hostility toward humans, potential dangers of artificial intelligence and to the most batarians prefer profitable pursuits such as legally enforced, systematic repression of artificial drug running and slave grabs to out-and-out intelligences throughout galactic society. warfare. They have a reputation for being shrewd Some AI masquerade as Virtual businessmen and merchants, though in more Intelegences (VI) to allow them to travel through lawless regions of the galaxy negotiations with a Citadel space unmolested, as VIs are a crucial batarian are likely to be conducted at gunpoint. component of most sapient species' societies. Body language is an important part of Still, since several notable incidents involving batarian society. For example, tilting one's head to rogue VIs are known to have occurred, AIs acting the left is a sign of admiration and respect. When a as VIs are not beyond scrutiny and face the danger batarian tilts their head to the right, however, it is a of being deactivated if they are discovered. sign that they consider themselves to be superior to the person whom the gesture was directed SPECIES ABILITIES towards. Therefore, this gesture can easily be interpreted as an insult by batarians due to the high value that they place on social caste. The rest of the galaxy views the batarians as an ignorable problem, though their government, ● Wound threshold: 10 + Brawn known as the Batarian Hegemony, is still hostile to the Systems Alliance. It is not known what the ● Strain threshold: 10 + Willpower average batarian thinks about their enforced ● Starting Experience: 180 xp isolation, as the Department of Information Control ● Special Abilities: AI begin the campaign trained ensures that only government-approved news and with one rank in any two skills. They still may enters or leaves batarian space. not train any skill above rank 2 during character Despite their isolation, the batarians still creation. provide up-to-date glossaries and linguistic rules to the rest of the galaxy, though it is suspected that ● Inorganic: AIs do not need to sleep, eat, or this is only so they can continue exporting breath, and are unaffected by toxins or poisons. propaganda. Batarian languages have become the AIs have a cybernetic implant cap of 6 instead of unofficial language used in the Terminus Systems their Brawn rating. Since AIs are inorganic, they due to the prevalence of batarians in the region. do not gain the benefits of recovering via medicine checks. AIs do recover naturally by resting as their systems attempt self-repairs. Otherwise, AIs need to be tended to with a Mechanics check, using the same difficulties and results of medicine checks for organic beings. Due to their resilient metallic legendary krogan "blood rage" adds to the race's SPECIES ABILITIES reputation for being notoriously difficult to kill or incapacitate in normal combat scenarios. In this state, krogan become totally unresponsive to pain and will fight to the death regardless of injury level, with the side effect of reducing their capacity for ● Wound threshold: 11 + Brawn logic and self-control. Due to the genophage, a bio-weapon used ● Strain threshold: 11 + Willpower by the Citadel races to combat krogan expansion ● Starting Experience: 90 xp during the Krogan Rebellions, krogan numbers have steadily declined over the last millennium, ● Special Abilities: Batarians begin the campaign leaving them a scattered and dying people. Faced trained and with one rank in either Coercion or with the certainty of their extinction as a species, Resilience. They still may not train Coercion or most krogan have become individualistic and Resilience above rank 2 during character creation. completely self-interested. They typically serve as mercenaries for hire to the highest bidder, though many still resent and despise the Citadel races that KROGAN condemned them to their tragic fate. The krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world SPECIES ABILITIES known for its harsh environments, scarce resources, and overabundance of vicious predators. Ultimately, the krogan destroyed their home world in a nuclear war that reduced their race into primitive warring tribes. ● Wound threshold: 12 + Brawn Krogan typically stand over 7 feet tall and weigh upwards of nearly 200 kilos. The most ● Strain threshold: 10 + Willpower amazing physiological feature of krogan biology is ● Starting Experience: 70 xp the multiple instances of major organs. These secondary (and where applicable, tertiary) systems ● Special Abilities: Krogan begin the campaign are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of trained and with one rank in either Brawl or Melee. damage to the primary biological structures. They They still may not train Brawl or Melee above rank have, for example, two hearts, four lungs, and four 2 during character creation. testicles. Krogan also have a secondary nervous ● Krogan Rage: Each time a krogan involuntarily system using a neuroconductive fluid, meaning loses wounds during an encounter, they gain an they are almost impossible to paralyze. additional rank of Enduring and Frenzied Attack Aside from redundant systems, the until the end of the encounter. QUARIAN SPECIES ABILITIES The quarians are a nomadic species of humanoid aliens known for their skills with technology and synthetic intelligence. Since their home world Rannoch was conquered, the quarians ● Wound threshold: 9 + Brawn live aboard the Migrant Fleet, a huge collection of star-ships that travel as a single fleet. ● Strain threshold: 11 + Willpower Approximately three hundred years before the ● Starting Experience: 90 xp events of 2183, the quarians created the geth, a species of rudimentary artificial intelligences, to ● Special Abilities: Quarians begin the campaign serve as an efficient source of manual labor. trained and with one rank in either Piloting (Space), However, when the geth gradually became Mechanics, or Computers. They still may not train sentient, the quarians became terrified of possible Piloting (Space), Mechanics, or Computers above consequences and tried to destroy their creations. rank 2 during character creation. The geth won the resulting war and forced their ● Quarian Enviro-suit: While a Quarian's creators into exile. Now the quarians wander the pressure suit is removed or sufficiently damaged in galaxy in a flotilla of salvaged ships, secondhand an environment that is not completely sterile, they vessels, and recycled technology. must pass a Resilience test every day or suffer a The most distinguishing feature of quarian critical injury. The difficulty of the check starts as biology is their weak immune system, compounded easy but increases by one for each day the suit is by centuries of living in sterile environments. As a still removed or damaged and the difficulty result, all quarians by necessity dress in highly increases for each failed check. sophisticated enviro-suits, to protect them from disease or infection if they are injured. Along with their suits quarians also have extensive cybernetic VORCHA augmentations integrated into their bodies. Known for their unique biology and The quarians' top priority is the survival and aggressive behavior, the vorcha of Heshtok are a sustainability of the Migrant Fleet. Most of their primitive race that live among the galaxy's darker laws and customs revolve around this goal. and more dangerous locations. Families are thus very small and close-knit Vorcha have clusters of non-differentiated because every quarian depends on his or her cells, which allow the vorcha limited regenerative crew-mates to survive. abilities, as well as the ability to adapt quickly to its Young quarians are required to undertake a environment, such as developing thicker skin after Pilgrimage outside the fleet in order to pass into full being burned or increased musculature to survive adulthood. The Pilgrimage is an opportunity for in high gravity. When a vorcha is injured or in quarians to experience the world outside the distress, these cells move to the affected area and Migrant Fleet, interact with other cultures, and rapidly (~1 week) mature to specialized forms that learn to appreciate life among their own people. will alleviate the issue. Generally, vorcha can only Their departure is a major event; the whole crew adapt to a single environment within their brief lives assembles to see them off, and they are given as the vorcha are the shortest-lived sapient many gifts to aid them on their journey, along with species currently known, with an average lifespan immunity-boosting injections and advice on of only 20 years. However, what cells are replaced surviving on the outside. The young quarian cannot allow them to heal rapidly, and even to regrow lost return to the flotilla until they have found something limbs over a period of months. of value to bring back. The vorcha originate from Heshtok, a small, hostile, overcrowded planet which has been largely stripped of natural resources by successive generations of this fast-breeding, savage species. The lack of resources has resulted in a tight-knit, clan-based society in which rival clans wage constant war against one another for control of scarce resources. Even as their population grows, the vorcha constantly fight each other in fierce competition over basic necessities. This incessant warfare has made each generation of vorcha stronger and more aggressive than that which preceded it, but their continual lack of resources SPECIES ABILITIES has kept vorcha society extremely primitive. The vorcha are extremely aggressive, both against rivals of their own species and against any alien who stands in their way. Vorcha who have managed to escape their home world have a ● Wound threshold: 11 + Brawn tendency to occupy uninhabited areas of space stations or larger spaceships. ● Strain threshold: 9 + Willpower The vorcha do not have a recognized ● Starting Experience: 90 xp single government that would allow them membership in any galactic league. Alliances ● Special Abilities: Vorcha begin the campaign between bloodlines are tenuous at best, and the trained and with one rank in either Survival or vorcha's short, violent lives ensure there are few Perception. They still may not train Survival or lasting institutions. Perception above rank 2 during character creation. ● Vorcha Regeneration: Vorcha begin the campaign with one rank of the Durable ability and if given enough time, can re-grow lost limbs and recover from almost any permanent condition.

Illustration 2: Image courtesy of Urbanator CLASSES AND SPECIALIZATIONS OF MASS EFFECT

A career is more than just what a character does for a living – it is their way of life, encompassing their goals, their passions, their training, and their destiny. Areas of focus may change over time but a character will never truly stop being whatever it is they chose to be at their core. Specializations on the other hand, represent a character's current areas of interest and focus. Where a career expresses the nature of a character, a specialization expresses what the character really does in the galaxy. BIOTIC

A Biotic's eight career skills are Cool, Coercion, Sentinels gain Computers, Cool, Mechanics, and Coordination, Discipline, Knowledge (Biotics), Vigilance as added career skills, and may get a Perception, Ranged (Light), and Skulduggery, free rank in two of them if this is the first selected They automatically gain a rank in four of the skills specialization for the PC. When selecting the without spending experience, and gains a discount Sentinel specialization, chose either Willpower or on increasing them with future experience points. Presence to be used as the BIO stat for all Sentinel abilities. A BIOTIC'S ROLE VANGUARD – THE FRONT LINE Biotics are the ability of some lifeforms to create mass effect fields using element zero nodules Vanguards are feared for their high-risk high- embedded in body tissues. These powers are reward combat style, closing quickly on enemies accessed and augmented by using bio-amps. and destroying them at close range with weapons Biotic individuals can knock enemies over from a and biotic abilities. Enveloping themselves with distance, lift them into the air, generate biotic fields, they become living weapons, thriving gravitational vortices to tear obstacles or enemies in chaotic close-range combat. apart, or create protective barriers. Vanguards gain Brawl, Cool, Melee, and Ranged (Heavy) as added career skills, and may get a free BIOTIC SPECIALIATIONS rank in two of them if this is the first selected specialization for the PC. When selecting the The three Biotic specializations are based on how Vanguard specialization, chose either Brawn or they choose to use their biotic gifts; some augment Agility to be used as the BIO stat for all Vanguard their combat or technical skills while others focus abilities. on perfecting the creation of mass effect fields.

ADEPT – THE BIOTIC SPECIALIST

The Adept is the ultimate biotic, able to affect the physical world with the power of the mind. Adepts are durable and powerful manipulators of mass effect fields; they can use biotics to violently manipulate objects in the environment, including nearby enemy targets

Adepts gain Discipline, Knowledge (Biotics), Ranged (Light), and Vigilance as added career skills, and may get a free rank in two of them if this is the first selected specialization for the PC. When selecting the Adept specialization, chose either Intellect or Cunning to be used as the BIO stat for all Adept abilities.

SENTINEL – VERSITLE AND DURABLE

Sentinels are unique, bringing both tech and biotic abilities to the battlefield. While they lack the specializations of adepts and engineers, they are versatile and can handle any situation. Sentinels are trained in generating stable mass effect fields that provide barriers to themselves and their allies. Biotic: Adept Talent Tree Career Skills: Cool, Coercion, Coordination, Discipline, Knowledge (Biotics), Perception, Ranged (Light), Skulduggery Adept Bonus Career Skills: Discipline, Knowledge (Biotics), Ranged (Light), Vigilance Biotic: Sentinel Talent Tree Career Skills: Cool, Coercion, Coordination, Discipline, Knowledge (Biotics), Perception, Ranged (Light), Skulduggery Adept Bonus Career Skills: Computers, Cool, Mechanics, and Vigilance Biotic: Vanguard Talent Tree Career Skills: Cool, Coercion, Coordination, Discipline, Knowledge (Biotics), Perception, Ranged (Light), Skulduggery Vanguard Bonus Career Skills: Brawl, Cool, Melee, and Ranged (Heavy) TALENTS

Player Characters are often distinguished by their special abilities, and talents provide a game mechanic for a character to perform tasks with a supernatural flair and ability. These generally represent specialized techniques that a character has mastered – typically through intense practice and study. This chapter will provide details on the talents found in the new career specializations previously detailed. If there is a discrepancy between the information in this chapter and the information found on the specialization talent tree's graphic, use the more comprehensive information found in this chapter. TABLE 1-1: TALENT LIST Name Activation Ranked BIOTIC TALENTS Ability Trait: Biotic Charge Active (Action) No Ability Trait: Barrier Active (Action) No Biotics talents are divided into two kinds of talents; Ability Trait: Force Dome Active (Action) No Biotic Abilities and Ability Traits. Ability Trait: Nova Blast Active (Action) No Ability Trait: Shockw ave Active (Action) No Each biotic specialization has access to a single Ability Trait: Singularity Active (Action) No unique Biotic Ability that becomes a core mechanic Ability Trait: Throw Active (Action) No of that specialization. A Biotic Ability is the first Ability Trait: Warp Active (Action) No talent that a character can purchase from their Adpet Mastery Passive No Biotic career specializations. A character can Armor Master Passive No have multiple Biotic Abilities but since they typically Battlemaster Passive No require actions, it is unlikely that more than one will Biotic Ability: Biotic Blast Active (Action) No be used in a single turn. Biotic Ability: Biotic Shield Active (Action) No Ability Traits are the special and varied ways the Biotic Ability: Vanguard Strike Active (Action) No the Biotic Ability manifests. When using a Biotic Biotic God Active (Incidental) No Ability from a Biotic career specializations, the Biotic Sight Passive Yes character may choose one of the available Ability Controlled Nova Blast Active (Incidental) No Traits to enhance the Biotic Ability. Ability Traits Dedication Passive Yes can only be used to enhance the Biotic Ability at Disabling Force Dome Active (Incidental) No the top of their talent tree (example: Ability Trait: Durable Passive Yes Warp cannot be used to enhance Biotic Ability: Effortless Barrier Active (Incidental) No Vanguard Strike). Characters may use the same Enduring Passive Yes or different Ability Traits each time they use a Biotic Explosive Shield Active (Out of Turn) No Ability, and characters may also choose to use no Forceful Throw Active (Action) No Ability Traits. Frenzied Attack Active (Incidental) Yes Gearhead Passive Yes TALENT DESCRIPTIONS Grit Passive Yes Hard Headed Active (Action) Yes A description for each of the talents used in MASS Hard Headed (Improved) Active (Action) No EFFECT follows. Every entry includes the Improved Biotic Charge Active (Maneuver) No information required for game play: Knockdow n Passive No ● Activation explains whether a talent is always in Piercing Warp Active (Action) No use (Passive) or if a character must take an action Pure Biotics Active (Incidental) No to activate it (Active). If activation is required, the Quick Strike Passive Yes type of action necessary is indicated. Some Rapid Reaction Active (Out of Turn) Yes talents can be activated on other character's turns. Reaving Blast Active (Action) No If this is the case, the Activation will also include Regeneration Active (Action) No the “out of turn” note. Resolve Passive Yes ● Ranked indicates if a talent can be purchased Sentinel Mastery Passive No multiple times (Yes) or only once (No). Sixth Sense Passive Yes Superior Reflexes Passive Yes ● Trees references the specialization trees from Technical Aptitude Passive Yes this document that provide access to the particular Toughened Passive Yes talent. Note that for ranked talents, some of these Unstoppable Passive No trees may allow the character to purchase the Vanguard Mastery Passive No talent more than one time. Well Rounded Passive Yes ● The final paragraph details the specific game mechanics involved in using the described talent. BIOTIC TALLENTS ABILITY TRAIT: BIOTIC CHARGE ABILITY TRAIT: SINGULARITY Activation: Active (Action) Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No Ranked: No Trees: Vanguard Trees: Adept Each point of defense spent on a Vanguard Strike Biotic Blast changes gains the Blast (BIO) and attack increases the range band of that Vanguard Stun Damage qualities. Any target critically hit Strike attack by one. Prior to the Vanguard Strike must pass a Resiliance check of difficulty equal to attack roll, move this character into engaged range the adept's BIO rank or become Immobilized for with the target. This talent is an Ability Trait for the one round. This talent is an Ability Trait for the Biotic Ability: Vanguard Strike. Biotic Ability: Biotic Blast.

ABILITY TRAIT: BARRIER ABILITY TRAIT: THROW Activation: Active (Action) Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No Ranked: No Trees: Sentinel Trees: Adept While the Biotic Shield is active, this character Targets hit by Biotic Blast must make a Brace gains ranks in Durable equal to half their sentinel check equal to the amount of critical hits inflicted BIO characteristic (rounded down). This talent is by the attack. If the check is failed, the target is an Ability Trait for the Biotic Ability: Biotic Shield. moved one range band of the Adept's choice and becomes Prone. Objects contacted by a target ABILITY TRAIT: FORCE DOME moved in this manner must pass the same check Activation: Active (Action) or become Prone. This talent is an Ability Trait for Ranked: No the Biotic Ability: Biotic Blast. Trees: Sentinel While the Biotic Shield is active, apply the benefits ABILITY TRAIT: WARP to all characters in engaged range of the sentinel. Activation: Active (Action) This talent is an Ability Trait for the Biotic Ability: Ranked: No Biotic Shield. Trees: Adept Biotic Blast changes gains the Pierce (BIO) ABILITY TRAIT: NOVA BLAST quality. Each critical hit inflicted with this attack Activation: Active (Action) increases the damage dealt with this attack by 1. Ranked: No This talent is an Ability Trait for the Biotic Ability: Trees: Vanguard Biotic Blast. Vanguard Strike gains the Blast (BIO) quality and each point of defense spent on the Vanguard ADEPT MASTERY Strike increases the base blast damage by 1. This Activation: Passive character is immune to the damage caused by Ranked: No their own Nova Blast. This talent is an Ability Trait Trees: Adept for the Biotic Ability: Vanguard Strike. The adept counts their adept BIO rank as being one higher than normal (this can allow the adept's ABILITY TRAIT: SHOCKWAVE BIO rank to exceed 6). Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No ARMOR MASTER Trees: Adept Activation: Passive Biotic Blast changes its range to Short. Each time Ranked: No a target suffers a critical hit, choose one target Trees: Sentinel within one range band of the last target hit and When wearing armor, this character increases their resolve the damage of the original hit on the new total soak value by 1. target as well. Multiple targets can be hit in this way but a target cannot be hit twice by this attack. BATTLEMASTER This talent is an Ability Trait for the Biotic Ability: Activation: Passive Biotic Blast. Ranked: No Trees: Vanguard Vanguard Strike attacks can be used as Melee (BIO) and damage modifiers from equipped weapons are added to the damage rolled. BIOTIC ABILITY: BIOTIC BLAST BIOTIC SIGHT Activation: Active (Action) Activation: Passive Ranked: No Ranked: Yes Trees: Adept Trees: Adept As an action, an adept may make a Biotic Blast The adept can remove up to █ █ due to attack. The attack is a Ranged (Light) check using environmental conditions when making Biotic Blast the adept's BIO rank instead of Agility using the attacks. following profile; Range: Medium, Damage: BIO, Critical: 2. Critical hits from the Biotic Blast do not CONTROLLED NOVA BLAST roll on the critical hit table – instead they provide Activation: Active (Incidental) different side effects based on the Ability Trait Ranked: No chosen. Biotic Blast may use the following Ability Trees: Vanguard Traits; Shockwave, Singularity, Throw, and The vanguard can spend advantage to not hit Warp. targets with Nova Blast as if they had additional ranks of Selective Demolition equal to their BIOTIC ABILITY: BIOTIC SHIELD vanguard BIO rank. Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No DEDICATION Trees: Sentinel Activation: Passive As an action, the sentinel may activate Biotic Ranked: Yes Shield which lasts for one round, but the sentinel Trees: Adept, Sentinel, Vanguard may use a maneuver at the start of their next turn Each rank permanently increases a single to keep the Biotic Shield active an addition round. characteristic of the player's choice by one point. While active, the sentinel increases their soak This cannot bring a characteristic above six. value by an amount equal to their sentinel BIO rank. If an event cause the sentinel's wounds or DISABLING FORCE DOME strain to exceed their threshold, the Biotic Shield is Activation: Active (Incidental) automatically deactivated. Biotic Shield may use Ranked: No the following Ability Traits; Force Dome and Trees: Sentinel Barrier. Enemy characters in the area affected by the sentinel's Force Dome suffer a number of setback BIOTIC ABILITY: VANGUARD STRIKE die equal to half the sentinel's BIO rank (rounded Activation: Active (Action) down) to all rolls. Ranked: No Trees: Vanguard DURABLE As an action, a vanguard may make a Vanguard Activation: Passive Strike attack. The attack is an unarmed Brawl Ranked: Yes check using the character's vanguard BIO rank Trees: None instead of Brawn. Before the attack roll is made, The character may reduce a critical injury result the vanguard can reduce their defense stat any they suffer by 10 for each rank of Durable, to a amount (to a minimum of 0) to add the same minimum of 1. amount of boost die to the attack roll Vanguard Strike may use the following Ability Traits; Biotic EFFORTLESS BARRIER Charge and Nova Blast. Activation: Active (Incidental) Ranked: No BIOTIC GOD Trees: Sentinel Activation: Active (Incidental) A Barrier may be maintained as an incidental Ranked: No instead of as a maneuver. Trees: Adept As an incidental, the adept may spend a Destiny ENDURING Point to set the Critical value of Biotic Blast to 1. Activation: Passive Ranked: Yes Trees: None Character gains +1 soak per rank of Enduring. EXPLOSIVE SHIELD Discipline check. If successful, they are no longer Activation: Active (Out of Turn) staggered or disoriented. The difficulty of this Ranked: No check decreases by one per additional rank of Trees: Sentinel Hard Headed, to a minimum of Easy (♦). When the character's Biotic Shield is deactivated, the sentinel may resolve an average Blast (BIO) HARD HEADED (IMPROVED) attack using the sentinel's BIO rank with the Activation: Active (Action) sentinel as the origin point. The sentinel is immune Ranked: No to damage from their own Explosive Shield attack. Trees: Sentinel The character may use their Hard Headed action FORCEFUL THROW to recover from being incapacitated due to Activation: Active (Action) exceeding their strain threshold. On their next turn Ranked: No after being incapacitated, they may make a Trees: Adept Formidable (♦♦♦♦♦) Discipline check as their Targets failing their Brace check from Throw can Hard Headed action (this action may be performed be moved up to two range bands and any targets even though they are normally barred from failing a Brace check caused by Throw also suffer performing actions). If they succeed, decrease damage equal to the adept's BIO rank that ignores their strain to one below their threshold. The soak. difficulty of this check decreases by one per additional rank of Hard Headed, to a minimum of FRENZIED ATTACK Easy (♦). Activation: Active (Incidental) Ranked: Yes IMPROVED BIOTIC CHARGE Trees: None Activation: Active (Maneuver) When making a Melee or Brawl combat check, the Ranked: No character may suffer a number of strain, then Trees: Vanguard upgrade the ability of their combat check by that The vanguard may suffer 2 strain to use Biotic number. The number cannot exceed ranks in Charge as a maneuver instead of as an action. Frenzied Attack. KNOCKDOWN GEARHEAD Activation: Active (Maneuver) Activation: Passive Ranked: No Ranked: Yes Trees: Vanguard Trees: Sentinel After hitting with a melee attack, the character may Remove █ per rank of Gearhead from all knock the target prone by spending ɸ. If the target Mechanics checks. In addition, the price to add is larger it requires an additional ɸ for each mods to attachments decreases by 50%. This silhouette larger. does not increase with multiple ranks of Gearhead. PIERCING WARP GRIT Activation: Active (Incidental) Activation: Passive Ranked: No Ranked: Yes Trees: Adept Trees: Adept, Sentinel, Vanguard Each critical hit applied by Warp increases the Each rank of Grit increases a character's strain base Pierce value of Warp by 1. threshold by one. PURE BIOTICS HARD HEADED Activation: Active (Incidental) Activation: Active (Action) Ranked: No Ranked: Yes Trees: Adept Trees: Sentinel Once per session, the character may re-roll a The character may perform a Hard Headed action. Biotic Blast attack roll. On any turn in which the character is staggered or disoriented, they may perform the Hard Headed action (this action may be performed even though they are normally barred from performing actions when staggered). They make a Daunting (♦♦♦♦) QUICK STRIKE SIXTH SENSE Activation: Passive Activation: Passive Ranked: Yes Ranked: Yes Trees: Vanguard Trees: Vanguard When performing a combat check, the character The character gains +1 ranged defense. adds █ per rank of Quick Strike to combat checks against any target that has not yet acted in the SUPERIOR REFLEXES encounter. Activation: Passive Ranked: Yes RAPID REACTION Trees: Vanguard Activation: Active (Out of Turn) The character gains +1 melee defense. Ranked: Yes Trees: Vanguard TECHNICAL APTITUDE The character may suffer a number of strain to add Activation: Passive an equal number of successes to any Vigilance or Ranked: Yes Cool check to determine initiative order. The Trees: Sentinel number may not exceed the character's ranks in For each rank, the character reduces the amount Rapid Reaction. of time needed to complete computer based tasks by 25%. REAVING BLAST Activation: Active (Incidental) TOUGHENED Ranked: No Activation: Passive Trees: Adept Ranked: Yes The adept may spend two advantage from any Trees: Adept, Sentinel, Vanguard Biotic Blast attack to reduce their wounds by one. Each rank of Toughened increases a character's This may be done an number of times per attack wound threshold by two. up to their adept's BIO rank. UNSTOPPABLE REGENRATION Activation: Passive Activation: Active (Incidental) Ranked: Yes Ranked: No Trees: Sentinel Trees: Vanguard If the percentile roll made when the character The vanguard may spend two advantage from any receives a critical injury is one or is reduced to one, Vanguard Strike attack to restore one defense that character does not receive the critical injury point spent on adding boost die to the Vanguard and suffers none of the effects. Strike attack. This may be done multiple times per attack up to the amount of defense points spent. VANGUARD MASTERY Activation: Passive RESOLVE Ranked: No Activation: Passive Trees: Vanguard Ranked: Yes The vanguard counts their vanguard BIO rank as Trees: Sentinel being one higher than normal (this can allow the When the character suffers strain, they suffer one vanguard's BIO rank to exceed 6). less strain per rank in Resolve, to a minimum of one. This does not apply to voluntary strain loss. WELL ROUNDED Activation: Passive SENTINEL MASTERY Ranked: Yes Activation: Passive Trees: Adept Ranked: No The character chooses any two skills. They Trees: Sentinel permanently become career skills. The sentinel counts their sentinel BIO rank as being one higher than normal (this can allow the sentinel's BIO rank to exceed 6). GEAR AND EQUIPMENT IN THE MASS EFFECT UNIVERSE

While the galaxy is made up of thousands of different cultures and planets, the discovery of the mass relays has allowed for the development and proliferation of every possible kind of technology. Either through the numerous manufacturers and vendors in citadel space, or the roguish smugglers and trading clans of the terminus systems, goods and services are constantly being acquired. From omni-tools to body armor, biotic amps to rocket launchers, this section will detail some of the exotic and unique technologies found in the Mass Effect universe along with game play changes for using existing equipment found in any of the published source materials. CURRENCY & ECONOMY ALDRIN LABS

Credits are the standard galactic currency Aldrin Labs is a human manufacturer in the Mass Effect universe. The credit was based on the Luna colony. Providing established as the standard galactic trade currency basic, reliable equipment at an affordable by the Citadel's Unified Banking Act, a piece of cost has made them a primary supplier of legislation enacted by the Citadel Council. This armor, omni-tools and bio-amps to the legislation was drafted by the volus, due to their Systems Alliance military. Aldrin Labs expertise in financial and commercial matters. The also manufactures hand-held stunners. Act also laid out regulatory guidelines for determining the value and exchange rate of the ARIAKE TECHNOLOGIES credit in relation to the currencies of the individual Citadel member races. An Earth-based electronics firm, The credit has a managed floating Ariake Tech is best known for their exchange rate, calculated in real time by the high grade omni-tools. Recently they central bank to maintain the average value of all have branched out to develop a line participating currencies. Some regional currencies of high grade armor with an are worth more than a credit, and some less. When enhanced ablative weave to provide extra the Systems Alliance joined the Citadel, its various protection. national treasuries were linked into the credit network. A human with a bank account of Mexican ARMALI COUNCIL pesos, Japanese yen, or Indian rupees can purchase any item priced in credits at fair market The Armali Council is an affiliation value. All economies that participate in the credit of asari manufacturing guilds network are required to price items in both local recognized for maintaining currency and credits. consistent standards of excellence. Hard currency can be stolen or Armali make high-grade omni-tools counterfeited, so electronic fund transfers are the and their bio-amps are widely recognized as the norm. More importantly, physical transactions finest money can buy, though these are only cannot be easily tracked, making them ideal for tax available to a select list of clients. evasion or the purchase of illegal goods. While non-Citadel member races are not ARMAX ARSENAL bound by these rules, the value of credits are still recognized by anyone who wishes to barter (or The main supplier of elite turian bribe) within Citadel space. Local currencies are military units, Armax Arsenal also used within their spheres of influence, but for weapons and armor are high exchanges across political boundaries, rare and quality, high priced and very precious materials are just as good as credits. difficult to acquire for most non- turians. Armax Arsenal also runs a popular MANUFACTURERS simulated combat arena on the Citadel that broadcasts matches across the galaxy. Manufacturers produce a wide variety of goods and equipment which are sold across the BATARIAN STATE ARMS galaxy. Some make simple items, such as omni- tools or medi-gel, whereas others market entire Batarian State Arms is a military- lines of military-grade weapons, armor, or bio- controlled hardware manufacturing amps. The following is a list of the most prominent company. The batarian government manufactures in the Mass Effect universe. does not trust private industry to All weapons, armor, and equipment from create their military hardware. BSA is the existing source materials is assumed to be a vast nationalized institution that is made from one of the following manufactures in infamous for its waste and corruption. It produces a the Mass Effect universe. Unless specified by the vast line of effective, if unethical, weapons. elsewhere, these items have the same stats and rules as detailed in the source material. CERBERUS SKUNKWORKS HAHNE-KEDAR

The operatives of Cerberus produce Reliable and efficient, Earth-based their own specialist hardware for black Hahne-Kedar has become a major ops wetwork. Their weapons include supplier to the Systems Alliance advanced particle beams with military. Their weapons are stock excellent shield penetration, damage, quality at best, though their armor and accuracy. Their field hardsuits feature lines are generally recognized as above average. It advanced protective measures and sophisticated has at least one known subsidiary organization, the anti-hacking measures. Hahne-Kedar Shadow Works.

DEVLON INDUSTRIES HALIAT ARMORY

Devlon Industries is best known One of the smaller turian weapons for producing basic armor models manufacturers, Haliat Armory was that can withstand a variety of given permission by the Hierarchy to environmental extremes such as sell excess units on the galactic cold, heat or toxic exposure. They also market a market. Rather than trying to compete complete line of military grade weapons. with high end manufacturers, Haliat specializes in lines of basic, but high quality weapons. ELANUS RISK CONTROL SERVICES JORMANGUND TECHNOLOGIES Elanus Risk Control Services is a private security corporation that A rising star of post-contact human originally began as a privately- industry, Jormangund Technologies owned turian security firm. Their returns consistent profits through affordable yet reliable armor, aggressive integration of alien weapons and omni-tools are popular with security technologies. Mainly known for personnel and mercenaries looking for lethal and advanced optical computers and AI "blueboxes", non-lethal options. the company has recently begun developing advanced personal weapons. ELKOSS COMBINE KASSA FABRICATION A volus manufacturer based in the Terminus Systems, the Elkoss A human-controlled private Combine produces less expensive company, Kassa Fabrication is versions of items carried by high-end known to make the some of the manufacturers. Functional yet finest body armor in the galaxy. affordable armor, weapons and omni-tools are all When it comes to personal protection suits, no available from the Elkoss Combine. In addition to expense is spared, as reflected in the exorbitant weapons and armor, they also manufacture a wide cost of their products. Kassa also makes top variety of other products such as skycars. quality weapons and has begun to manufacture omni-tools. GETH ARMORY ROSENKOV MATERIALS Few details are known about the manufacture of geth equipment, A human corporation of though their weapons and armor supposedly Russian origin, are of the highest quality. However, Rosenkov Materials has forged most geth weapons in Citadel a reputation as one of the space are spoils of war for the fortunate few premier armor manufacturers in Citadel space. It who've faced Geth in combat and survived. also has seen some success with a line of rapid fire sniper rifles. SERRICE COUNCIL UPGRADING WEAPONS AND An asari consortium, the Serrice ARMOR Council is the creator of the most powerful bio-amp on the market. Not In the Mass Effect universe it's common for just concerned with profit, they typically soldiers, explorers, mercenaries, and merchants make customers undergo a rigorous to modify stock equipment to give them the screening process before being competitive or critical edge to survive. These approved to purchase their products. modifications can range from simple to complex, Serrice Council amps are incredibly rare—and but all have the end result of creating a tougher or highly prized—items on the galactic market. deadlier product. Each time a character wishes to upgrade a SIRTA FOUNDATION weapon or piece of armor, it requires an amount of credits (representing the parts and tools needed) The Sirta Foundation is a human bio- and a mechanics check (representing the skill of medical firm renowned for its the person performing the upgrade). The cost is humanitarian efforts and ground-breaking the base price of the item, multiplied by the number research into genetics. Sirta refuses on of upgrades applied to the item, including the principle make weapons or similar upgrade being purchased. The difficulty of the "offensive" products, but they do offer mechanics check is equal to the number of basic protective or utilitarian items ranging from upgrades applied to the item, including the armor to omni-tools to bio-amps. upgrade being applied. If the check is successful, then the player can choose one of the upgrades listed in the following tables. A mechanics check is automatically successful if the character has ranks in mechanics equal to the number of upgrades applied to the item, including the upgrade being OUCH! applied. If the mechanics check is failed, then the character is unable to modify the item further with Most weapons in the Mass Effect universe their current knowledge and must wait until their are micro-scaled mass accelerators, using mass- mechanics skill is high enough to automatically reducing fields and magnetic force to propel pass or find someone else who does. miniature slugs to lethal speeds. Unlike the energy Each upgrade can only be applied to a based weapons of the Star Wars universe, it is not weapon or piece of armor once. possible to switch a weapon between a “Stun” setting and a lethal one. To fill this need, some TABLE 1-2: WEAPON UPGRADES weapon manufacturers, such as Elanus Risk Control Services and Aldrin Labs, provide special Weapon Upgrade lines of non-lethal weapons. +1 Base Damage -1 Critical Rating Weapons with the “Stun Setting” quality -1 Encumbrance gain no special benefit in combat and can only be +1 Hard Point used to deal damage as wounds. Any weapon with the “Stun Setting” quality can be purchased as a non-lethal variant with the “Stun Damage” quality TABLE 1-3: ARMOR UPGRADES instead at no change in cost. Unlike stun weapons Armor Upgrade in the Star Wars universe, ranged weapons +1 Defense purchased in this way do not suffer any range +1 Soak penalty for dealing stun damage. -1 Encumbrance +1 Hard Point UNIQUE EQUIPMENT

In addition to the myriad of equipment LOW QUALITY BIOTIC AMPS choices provided in the source material, the Mass Effect universe, there are a few items both When higher quality amps are not available or common and exotic that do not have a suitable affordable, economically priced biotic amps are match. Included here are rules for Biotic Amps, possible alternatives. While species like the asari Omni-Tools, and exotic weapons. make use of such biotic amps casually, species with less technological prowess or cultural taboos may treat low quality amps as treasured or rare BIOTIC AMPS items. Low quality biotic amps do not provide an Biotics manipulate mass effect fields using additional benefit other than allowing the user to dozens of element zero nodules within their use their full BIO value when using biotic abilities nervous system that react to electric stimuli from or making Biotic checks. the brain. Bio-amps allow biotics to synchronize the nodules so they can form fields large and AVERAGE QUALITY BIOTIC AMPS strong enough for practical use. Amplifiers can improve a specific discipline or talent. Designed for users who expect to need their biotic An implant is a surgically-embedded talents, higher quality amps are available which interface port into which amps are "plugged in". improve performance and minimize the typical side They are also known as "wetware" because of their effects of amp use such as headaches, nausea, cybernetic nature. In humans, the implant is and hallucinations. Some species, such as usually placed at the base of the skull for humans, consider amps of this quality as military convenient access, though the user must be grade equipment and are hesitant to issue such careful to keep it free of contaminants. equipment to civilians. Implant ports can fit a variety of amps, and Average quality biotic amps add █ to all there is a growing market for modifications and Biotic checks made by the character. add-ons. The finest quality implants and amps are manufactured by asari artisans, but the Systems Alliance's L3 implants represent a significant step HIGH QUALITY BIOTIC AMPS forward for human bio-amp manufacturers. When purchasing biotic-amps, a character Expensive and rare, biotic amps of this quality are has the option to choose low, average, or high highly sought after for their potency. Typically quality biotic-amps. produced by asari consortiums, most species do not have the technological expertise necessary to create amps of this caliber. High quality biotic amps upgrade all Biotic checks made by the character and the character PLUG IN! takes only half of any strain damage suffered from disadvantage rolled during their own biotic check. Once a person has been identified as having biotic ability, they may be outfitted with a surgically TABLE 1-4: GEAR AND EQUIPMENT implanted amplifier, usually installed around the Item Price Encum Rarity time of puberty, in order to make their talents strong enough to be useful. Some races have Biotic Amps experimented with biotic drugs to stimulate power Low Quality Biotic Amp 2,000 0 3 instead, such as red sand. They must then develop Average Quality Biotic Amp 4,000 0 6 conscious control over their nervous system, which High Quality Biotic Amp 10,000 0 9 is a long, slow, difficult ordeal (except for the asari, Omni-Tools who possess a degree of control naturally). Low Quality Omni-Tool 300 0 2 Average Quality Omni-Tool 1,500 0 4 When a non-asari biotic character uses their biotic High Quality Omni-Tool 6,000 0 6 talents without an amp, they treat their base BIO value as 1. OMNI-TOOLS

Omni-tools are multipurpose diagnostic and AVERAGE QUALITY OMNI-TOOLS manufacturing tools as well as computers used for a variety of civilian and battlefield tasks, such as This level of omni-tool is desired if interfacing with hacking,decryption, or repair. When activated, an a complex machine or computer is required on a omni-tool can appear over either of a person's regular basis. Used primaraly by merchants and forearms and/or hands, and occasionally both, as engineers, there are also military uses for this level an orange hologram. Versatile and reliable, an of omni-tool. omni-tool can be used to analyze and adjust the Average quality omni-tools provide one of functionality of most standard equipment, including the listed benefits, chosen when the omni-tool is weapons and armor, from a distance. purchased or found. The fabrication module can rapidly assemble small three-dimensional objects from common, reusable industrial plastics, ceramics, HIGH QUALITY OMNI-TOOLS and light alloys. This allows for field repairs and modifications to most standard items, as well as Combining cutting edge technology with a focus on the reuse of salvaged equipment. performance, these omni-tools are used by elite When purchasing omni-tools, a character soldiers and scientists, as well as anyone with has the option to choose low, average, or high enough credits to afford one. These omni-tools quality omni-tools. The different qualities of omni- have the most advanced VIs to help the user with tools determine how effective they are. The any task set before them and can be tailored to following is a list of possible benefits provided by any purpose. an omni-tool: High quality omni-tools provide three of the listed beinifits, chosen when the omni-tool is ● 1 additional rank in the Computers or purchased or found, though the same benefit may Mechanics skills. not be selected twice. ● 1 additional rank in the Bypass Security, Code-breaker, Defensive Slicing, Expert Tracker, Surgeon, Gear-head, Solid Repairs, Fine Tuning, or Galaxy Mapper talent. ● The omni-tool counts as having the Enhance Optics Suite armor attachment. ● The omni-tool counts as having the the Under-barrel Flame Projector or Under- barrel Grenade Launcher weapon attachment (if either or option is taken, the OVERCLOCKED omni-tool will count as a restricted item). ● The omni-tool counts as a a Combat Like any computer, an Omni-tool can be Knife. reprogrammed to meet a range of needs. Should a character wish to change one of the benefits provided by an Omni-tool, the character must LOW QUALITY OMNI-TOOLS attempt a Hard (♦♦♦) Computers check. If the check is successful, the character may choose Designed with practical applications in mind, these new benefits to use with the restriction that the omni-tools are sufficient when time or efficiency are same benefit may not be selected twice. not critically important. Typically without restrictions on their purchase, this quality of omni-tool makes Reprogramming an Omni-tool requires time and a up the majority of those used by civilians. great deal of focus. Characters attempting to Low quality omni-tools do not provide an reprogram an Omni-tool while in combat or additional benefit other than allowing the user to attempting to meet a deadline upgrade the difficulty interface with computers and equipment that of the check at the GM's discretion. require such an interface. EXOTIC WEAPONS

ACOLYTE

Designed for asari resistance, the Acolyte's barrels ACOLYTE fire advanced ammunition similar to that of an impact-triggered resonant warp bomb, which has a devastating effect on shields and biotic barriers. The specialized nature of the warp field means it does not pierce armor as effectively, but the shooter's biotics are expected to make up for this shortcoming. When a target is hit with an Acolyte, the attacker may spend {*}{*} to reduce the defense of the target by 1 until the start of the attacker's next turn. This has no effect on defense provided by ADAS ANTI-SYNTHETIC RIFLE cover.

ADAS ANTI-SYNTHETIC RIFLE

Named in memory of the quarians killed in the Morning War on the planet Adas, this weapon's electrical attack has been optimized for medium- to long-range firefights. Alliance marines take issue COLLECTOR SUBMACHIINE GUN with calling it a "rifle" since, technically, it has no rifling in its barrel. The quarians shrug this off, as quarian weapon terminology rarely translates flawlessly into human languages. The Adas Anti-Synthetic rifle has two critical values, the first is used for organic targets, the other for synthetic targets and vehicles.

COLLECTOR SUBMACHINE GUN

GRAAL SPIKE THROWER This short weapon is a hybrid of mechanical and organic parts, some more advanced than the Collector assault rifle. It vents heat automatically rather than requiring thermal clips and, when wielded by a Collector, extends a neural link to their skin at the wrist. Its ammunition is effective against armor and low recoil makes it a good weapon for sustained suppression. The collector submachine gun requires an additional (V) to cause the weapon to overheat during the encounter. Additionally, the collector submachine gun cannot run out of ammunition. KISHOC HARPOON GUN TABLE 1-5: EXOTIC WEAPONS Name Skill Dam Crit Range Encum HP Price Rarity Special Exotic Weapons Acolyte Ranged (Light) 5 4 Short 1 2 800 8 Cumbersome 2, Vicious 4 Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle Ranged (Heavy) 7 5(2) Long 4 4 1,200 6 (Synthetics Only) Collector Submachine Gun Ranged (Light) 4 4 Medium 1 1 4,000 10 Auto-Fire, Pierce 6 Graal Spike Throw er Ranged (Heavy) 9 2 Short 4 2 1,000 5 Vicious 2, Cumbersome 3 Burn 3, Cumbersome 2, Kishock Harpoon Gun Ranged (Heavy) 8 3 Long 5 3 (R)1,500 6 Inaccurate 1, Pierce 2 Accurate 1, Auto-Fire, M-90 Indra Ranged (Heavy) 10 3 Extreme 6 4 (R)4,500 8 Cumbersome 4 M-300 Claymore Ranged (Heavy) 14 2 Short 6 3 2,500 8 Cumbersome 4, Knockdow n M-358 Talon Ranged (Light) 8 3 Short 2 2 (R)800 5 Blast (8) Auto-Fire, Blast (6), Striker Assult Rifle Ranged (Heavy) 8 4 Medium 7 4 (R)1,100 6 Cumbersome 4

GRAAL SPIKE THROWER M-90 INDRA

The Graal is one of a long line of krogan weapons The Indra's low-powered scope leaves it most used to hunt thresher maws. Its ammunition effective at medium range, but many soldiers consists of over-sized flechettes meant to pierce believe this limitation is offset by the gun's rapid thresher hide and create deep wound channels rate of fire. The Indra is the first military-grade, fully leading to massive blood loss. For additional automatic sniper rifle. It has an extremely efficient firepower, the weapon is double-barreled, and, as heat-sink system that allows a surprisingly large a last resort, possesses blades to cause internal number of shots to be fired before the weapon injuries if the wielder is swallowed by the thresher. ejects its thermal clip. Using a Graal on a humanoid target has predictably grisly effects.

KISHOCK HARPOON GUN M-300 CLAYMORE

This powerful sniper rifle fires a harpoon-like spike Very rare krogan shotgun. Deals high damage at that causes massive internal bleeding, and its short range; less effective at long range. It is of miniaturized disruptors will also destroy synthetics. human design but is mainly used by krogan, due to The rifle’s biggest drawback is that it must be the fact that the kickback from a single shot has reloaded after every shot, but for those with steady enough force to break a human's arm. Protected aim and good timing, one shot is enough. by Fabrication Rights Management (FRM) The Kishock's burn quality represents the technology, this weapon is nearly impossible to lingering effects of the harpoon wound and is not reproduce and is prohibitively expensive. extinguished like chem-fire. Stopping the damage requires passing a Hard (♦♦♦) Medicine check (or Mechanics check for Synthetic chracters) to represent removing the projectile.

M-90 INDRA M-300 CLAYMORE M-358 TALON

The Talon is a close-range pistol favored by Cerberus Guardians. Firing heavy-gauge shotgun pellets, it delivers massive trauma to unarmored targets. Its waste heat is sufficiently excessive that it carries six separate ammunition blocks, rotating like a twentieth-century revolver to prevent shaver jam or misfire due to premature melting of the shot. M-358 TALON STRIKER ASSULT RIFLE

The Striker is a fully-automatic weapon that functions more as a grenade launcher than a rifle, firing high-impact slugs that detonate on contact. The weapon increases its rate of fire the longer the trigger is held, which is devastating if the weapon can be kept on-target. In an attempt to market the Striker outside of the Krogan DMZ, the gun was STRIKER ASSULT RIFLE designed to be fired by non-krogan, but its recoil tends to off-balance smaller species. Enthusiasts point out that the target on the receiving end of a Striker has far worse things to worry about than its shooter's balance.

WEAPON ATTACHMENTS

In addition to the range of modifications COMBAT ATTACHMENT available in the source material, there are additional modifications that can be made to From permanent spikes to deploy-able omni- equipment in the Mass Effect universe. The blades, mounted weapons have ensured that following is a list of modifications available. soldiers are never unprepared for close quarter engagements. This type of modification is available ARMOR PIERCING MOD to all types of weapons, though their names and exact functions may be different. Affectionately called “Shredders”, by attaching Base Modifiers: Enables the weapon to be used additional capacitors to the kinetic coil generators, as (Melee; Dam +1; Crit 3; Range (Engaged)). a weapons penetration qualities can be improved. Modification Options: 0-2 Hard points for the These types of modifications are available to all attached weapon mods. types of weapons, though their names and exact Hard Points Required: 1. functions may be different. Cost: 100 Base Modifiers: User may reduce the base damage of this weapon by 2 to reduce the cover LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS defense value of targets by 1 when making ranged attack rolls with this weapon. Superior lightweight alloys replace weapon parts Modification Options: 0-2 Weapon Quality making the weapon less obtrusive and easier to (Pierce +1) Mod, User may reduce the base handle. This type of modification is available to all damage by an additional 2 to reduce cover types of weapons, though their names and exact defense value of targets by an additional 1 mod. functions may be different. Hard Points Required: 2. Base Modifiers: -1 Encumbrance value. Cost: 1,500 Modification Options: Innate Talent Mod (Quick Draw), -1 Encumbrance value mod. Hard Points Required: 1. Cost: 250 TABLE 1-6: ATTACHMENTS Item Price HP Required Rarity Wepaon Attachments Armor Piercing Mod 1,500 2 6 Combat Attachment 100 1 3 Lightw eight Materials 300 1 7 Armor Attachments Medical Interface 850 1 4 Shield Modulator 2,500 1 6 Targeting VI 1,000 1 6 Tech Armor 5,000 2 6 Ammo Modifiers Cryo Rounds 500 1 6 Disruptor Rounds 500 1 6 Incendiary Rounds 500 1 6

ARMOR MODIFIERS

MEDICAL INTERFACE TECH ARMOR

Specialized microprocessors wired into a combat Using the same field projection technology as suit monitor vital functions and release small, omni-tools, tech armor is deployable holographic localized doses of medi-gel to accelerate the armor that boost the character's defensive abilities. healing process. Tech armor can be activated or deactivated with a Base Modifiers: Upgrade all Medicine checks maneuver. Characters may spend {*}{*}{*} or ɸ to made on the wearer by 1. break through a target's tech armor, deactivating it Modification Options: 0-1 Skill (Resilience) until the target activates it again. While active, the Bonus. wearer gains +3 to their soak value. Hard Points Required: 1. Base Modifiers: Allows wearer to activate tech Cost: 850 armor. Modification Options: None. SHIELD MODULATOR Hard Points Required: 2. Cost: 5,000 Advanced VI systems monitor incoming enemy fire to redirect energy to vulnerable points, maximizing the effectiveness of a suit's kinetic barrier shields. Base Modifiers: +1 Defense Modification Options: None. Hard Points Required: 1. Cost: 2,500 TARGETING VI

A special purpose VI system provides additional feedback based on environmental conditions and target tracking to allow for more precise aiming. Base Modifiers: Innate Talent Mod (True Aim) Modification Options: 0-1 Innate Talent Mod (Sniper Shot) Hard Points Required: 1. Cost: 1,000 AMMO MODIFIERS DISRUPTOR ROUNDS

In the Mass Effect universe, characters can Disruptor rounds are powered by an electric field use additional ammunition types to enhance the that does additional damage to shields and can effectiveness of their weapons. Of these options, temporarily disable enemies. only one can be active at any time. Activating or Base Modifiers: Reduce the personal ranged deactivating an ammo modifier can be performed defense value of targets by 1 when making ranged as an Incidental action (which can be part of the attack rolls with this weapon same incidental action if switching from one type of Modification Options: 0-2 Weapon Quality (Stun ammunition to another). +1) mods. Hard Points Required: 1. Cost: 500 CRYO ROUNDS INCINDIARY ROUNDS Cooling lasers collapse ammunition into small Bose-Einstein condensate - a mass of super- Incendiary rounds consist of a thermite paste cooled subatomic particles. which clings to and burns through nearly any Base Modifiers: Weapon Quality (Disorient 2) known substance. Modification Options: 0-2 Weapon Quality Base Modifiers: Weapon Quality (Burn 2) (Disorient +1) mods. Modification Options: 0-2 Weapon Quality (Burn Hard Points Required: 1. +1) mods. Cost: 500 Hard Points Required: 1. Cost: 500 CONFLICT AND COMBAT

The galaxy is a dangerous place. Beyond the expected conflicts that exist in the lawless terminus expanse, Citadel space sees a variety of Intra-species conflicts, galactic espionage, and underworld deals that get resolved with the pull of a trigger rather than a sharp tongue. The following section will outline changes to the standard combat system found in the source material. PERSONAL COMBAT PLANETARY COMBAT

DEFENSE DEFENSE

In the Mass Effect universe there are a wide variety Vehicles are capable of housing much more of ways for characters to protect themselves. powerful shield generators than can be carried However, no form of protection is insurmountable. by an individual. Even weakened, they still Characters taking cover behind objects gain provide a measure of protection. Vehicles between one and three defense depending on the upgrade all incoming attack rolls by one as long quality of the cover. Thin walls or large objects not as one facing has a non-zero defense value. designed for protection in combat would provide only Characters attacking or operating a one defense while armored doors or ship bulkheads vehicle or ship rolling disadvantage or despair could provide up to three defense. Additionally, while use table 1-10 instead of table 7-6. a character is benefiting from at least one point of defense from cover, they upgrade all incoming attack rolls once. OFFENSE Characters also have access to kinetic or biotic barriers, and talents which provide additional Vehicles employ a wide range of weapons to protection. These values are reflected in the fight off enemies, from rapid firing laser weapons equipment and talents worn or purchased by each disabling small attack craft to kilometer long character. Additionally, while a character is benefiting railguns designed to pierce dreadnought armor from at least one point of personal defense value, across a star-system. Attacking characters using they upgrade all incoming attack rolls once. vehicle weapons rolling advantage or triumphs In the Mass Effect universe, the benefits of use table 1-9 instead of table 7-5. cover and personal defense are cumulative, and if a character is benefiting from both cover and a personal defense value, they add the two defense BULLSEYS, BROADSIDES, values together when determining the number of setback die to apply to an opposing roll, and upgrade AND BARNS all incoming attack rolls twice. Attacking characters rolling disadvantage or Some weapons in the Mass Effect universe are despair use table 1-8 at the end of this section designed for a specific role in mind. Burst firing instead of table 6-2. lasers are effective at repelling enemy assault craft and fighters, but suffer getting through OFFENSE frigate armor at range. Likewise, heavier rail cannons are too cumbersome to effectively While having a strong defense is critical to survival in target smaller and more nimble craft. a firefight, characters can still be flanked, barriers can be overloaded, and the battlefield can change in a In the Mass Effect universe, all personal and moments notice. In addition to the new ways that planetary combat checks start with the base characters can gain defense, attackers can spend difficulty listed in source material table Table 6-1: advantage to reduce or eliminate a target's defense. Ranged Attack Difficulties. The difficulty is then To reflect these differences in combat, attacking increased or decreased based on the minimum characters rolling advantage or triumphs use table silhouette of the firing weapon compared to the 1-7 at the end of this section instead of table 6-3. silhouette of the target. For targets two points Additionally, if an attacker would count a larger than the firing weapon, the difficulty is target's personal or cover defense as zero through reduced by one, plus an additional one for each weapon abilities and modifications, or through additional point larger. For targets two points abilities, then the target does not upgrade the smaller than the firing weapon, the difficulty is difficulty of the attack once (or twice if both types of increased by one, plus an additional one for defense are present but ignored). each additional point smaller.

Weapons carried by a person are considered to have a minimum silhouette of zero. TABLE 1-7: {*} AND ɸ IN COMBAT TABLE 1-8: ۞ AND (V) IN COMBAT Cost Result Options Cost Result Options Recover 1 strain (This option may be selected more than The active character suffers 1 strain (this option may be (or (V ۞ once). selected more than once). An opponent may perform an immediate free maneuver in Add █ to the next active allied character's check. response to the active character's check.

Notice a single important point in the ongoing conflict, Add █ to the active character or an allied character's next .such as the location of a blast door's controls or a w eak ۞۞ or (V) check point on an attack speeder. Add █ to the targeted character's next check. Inflict a Critical Injury w ith a successful attack that deals {*} or ɸ damage past soak ( cost may vary). The active character falls prone. Activate a w eapon quality ( cost may vary). or (V) The active character loses the benefits of a prior ۞۞۞ maneuver (such as from taking cover or assuming a Reduce the non-cover defense of the targeted character Guarded Stance) until they perform the maneuver again. by 1 until the start of that character's next turn. The active character grants the enemy a significant advantage in the ongoing encounter. Reduce the cover defense of the targeted character by 1 until the start of that character's next turn. (V) The character's w eapon overheats, or has exhausted its thermal clip or magazine. The character's w eapon cannot Perform an immediate free maneuver that does not be fired during the next round. exceed the tw o maneuver per turn limit.

The character's w eapon critically overheats or the Add █ to the targeted character's next check {*}{*} or ɸ (V)(V) character has run out of ammunition. Add █ to any allied character's next check, including the active character.

Negate the targeted character's personal defensive bonuses until the end of the current round.

Negate the targeted character's cover defensive bonuses until the end of the current round.

Ignore penalizing environmental effects until the end of the active character's next turn.

When dealing damage to a target, have the attack disable {*}{*}{*} or ɸ the opponent or one piece of gear rather than dealing w ounds or strain. The effect should be temporary and not too excessive.

Gain +1 melee or ranged defense until the end of the active character's next turn.

Force the target to drop a melee or ranged w eapon it is w ielding.

Upgrade the difficulty of the targeted character's next check.

Upgrade any allied character's next check, including the ɸ current active character.

Do something vital to turn the tide of battle.

When dealing damage to a target, have the attack destroy ɸɸ a piece of equipment the target is using, such as their w eapon or their shield generator. TABLE 1-9: {*} AND ɸ IN STARSHIP TABLE 1-10: ۞ AND (V) IN AND VEHICLE COMBAT STARSHIP AND VEHICLE COMBAT Cost Result Options Cost Result Options Add █ to the next active allied character's Piloting, If piloting a ship, sudden maneuvers force the ship to Gunnery, Computers, or Mechanics check. reduce its current speed by 1.

(or (V ۞ Notice a single important point in the ongoing conflict, The active character's ship suffers 1 system strain (this such as the location of a blast door's controls or a w eak option may be selected more than once). point on an attack speeder. An opponent may perform an immediate free maneuver in {*} or ɸ Inflict a Critical Injury w ith a successful attack that deals response to the active character's check. damage past soak ( cost may vary). Add █ to the active character or an allied character's next Activate a w eapon quality ( cost may vary). .or (V) action ۞۞

Reduce the defense of the targeted facing by 1 until the Add █ to the targeted character's next Piloting or Gunnery start of that target's next turn. check.

Perform an immediate free maneuver that does not exceed the tw o maneuver per turn limit. The Initiative slot being used by the active player drops to the last in the initiative order. Add █ to the any allied character's Piloting, Gunnery, Computers, or Mechanics check, including the active ۞۞۞ or (V) The active character loses the benefits of a prior {*}{*} or ɸ character. maneuver (such as from taking cover or assuming a Guarded Stance) until they perform the maneuver again. Add █ to targeted character's next Piloting or gunnery check. The active character grants the enemy a significant Reducing the targeted facing's defense to zero until the advantage in the ongoing encounter. end of the current round. The w eapon system that the character is using Ignore penalizing terrain or stellar effects until the end of overheats, or has a temporary issue loading ordinance the active character's next turn. (V) The w eapon cannot be fired during the next round.

When dealing damage to a opposing vehicle or ship, have The active character suffers a minor collision w ith the attack temporarily disable some important component another ship or object in close range, or w ith the stellar of the attacker's choice rather than dealing hull damage or phenomena/terrain that the character is driving through. {*}{*}{*} or ɸ system strain, leaving it completely inoperable until fully repaired. The w eapon system that the character is using critically If piloting the ship, perform one free Pilot Only maneuver overheats or breaks-dow n It is disabled until it is (provided it does not break the limit of breaking the repaired. number of Pilot Only maneuvers in a turn). (V)(V) The active character suffers a major collision w ith Force the target ship to veer off, breaking any Aim or another ship or object in close range, or w ith the stellar Stay on Target maneuvers. phenomena/terrain that the character is driving through.

Upgrade the difficulty of the targeted character's next Piloting or Gunnery check.

Upgrade any allied character's next Piloting, Gunnery, ɸ Computer, or Mechanics check, including the current active character.

Do something vital to turn the tide of battle.

When dealing damage to a opposing vehicle or ship, have the attack destroy some important component of the ɸɸ attacker's choice rather than dealing hull damage or system strain, leaving it completely inoperable until fully repaired.