GLORIOUS RULES COMPILATION (Sweet Finality).docx

Phase Shift Book 1

A SCI-FI/FANTASY TABLETOP RPGGame GuidePrint Version 1.4Copyright 2014 Brandon Jones

Download the Full Manual atwww.phaseshiftgame.comOr don't. I mean, I'm not forcing you.Table of ContentsForeword (The author thanking people and acting all important)Page 3

What is Phase Shift? (It answers the question it itself appears to be asking)Page 4

The Phase Shift Universe (For roleplayers and heavy readers)Page 5

Core Rules (Important for nitpicking and rules-lawyering)Page 15

Character Checklist (How to make a character really, really fast)Page 22

Classes (What the difference between a Spy, Rogue, and Thief is)Page 24

Races (What sort of alien horror you play as)Page 56

Items and Crafting (For optimizing and customizing your laser cannon)Page 73

Unique Items (How Scientists' bizarre creations are made)Page 92

Skills (What all of those skills that aren't Weapon Proficiency can do)Page 95

Magic (The thing that Mages do)Page 101

Psychic Abilities (The things that Psychics do)Page 108

Vehicles (How to drive a starship in 3 easy steps)Page 118

Rank Powers (Nifty things you can do when your character ranks up)Page 119

Character Backgrounds (Choosing your optional shady past)Page 123

GM Guide (How to drive yourself insane by running a game of Phase Shift)Page 128

Enemy Guide (Things that want to destroy you)Page 134

Glossary (Definitions of the stranger terms you might run across)Page 140

Note: If you're looking to make a character fast, go follow the character checklist on page 22.

Contributing Writers:

Brandon Jones

Geoffrey Pittman

Dedicated to a madman named KennyForeword

By Brandon Jones (or, possibly, Max Panic, depending on who you ask)

When I started writing the original manual for Phase Shift, I was insanely busy. Probably too busy to have started it when I did. Thankfully, I was incredibly stubborn and wouldnt quit, at the expense of some of my finals, and, with the help of my most excellent friend Chris, who put the pieces of the manual together and did all the amazing artwork, I was able to take the game to the first Awesome Con in Washington, DC. Thankfully, Mind of the Geek was running the game room and allowed me to run a full-length demo, and my god, did it take off from there. The table was packed with gamers and was even drawing people in from established games. If I could find and thank those people, I would, but I never imagined that it would be so well-received that Id need business cards or anything. Now I have the opportunity to release it to a much wider audience, and likely will have to print off WAY more than the 10 copies that the first print run manual had. I am honestly just humbled that Ive had the opportunity to work on such a great system. Sure, Ive had a power trip or two, and Ive scrapped certain sections out of sheer frustration, but the way its ended up is something that Im really proud of, and I know I couldnt have done it without the other developers who forged the way for this to get done. I want to thank everyone whos helped me create parts of this or test it, as I would have otherwise been a rambling madman.

But, enough about history. Im just amazed that all of this managed to be a real thing. Seriously, it shouldnt have. But the system is way too great to allow itself to stay unfinished. Im also probably never going to stop doing this, so by you buying this and spreading it around to your friends, youre justifying all the insane work Ive put into this. And lets keep going! On to book 2 someday, with new classes, races, and game mechanics. Its probably closer than you might think. But thanks for playing, and I hope you guys have as much fun playing Phase Shift as I had creating it. May the gods of battle smile upon us this day. -BrandonWhat is Phase Shift?Well, let me tell you.The simplest answer? It's a game. A slightly more descriptive answer? It's a tabletop RPG system. So, what makes Phase Shift different from other RPGs? The amazing, incredible, and insane game designers behind this have designed Phase Shift to keep gameplay as simple as possible without compromising customization or creativity. Our rolling system is streamlined to keep things moving as quickly as possible. Each class gets awesome, game-breakingly effective abilities, so no player feels left out at character creation. For instance, even a Thief, who isnt built to directly kill enemies, can make a fight completely one-sided by stealing an enemys weapons and armor or redirecting a giant energy cannon to fire back at the person who fired it. And all that can be done as a starting-level character.

And what makes Phase Shift so streamlined? Well, before you roll, you know exactly what number you have to hit. Roll a d20, add your bonuses, and if your total is 15 or higher, congratulations! You succeeded on whatever you were trying to do. While some more difficult actions might require you to roll more d20s and hit a higher number, youre still doing the same process.

But what about the setting? you might ask. Excellent question, reader. Phase Shift is set far, far, FAR in the future (someone else's future), in a universe where magic and science get all buddy-buddy with each other. Magic is qualntifiably real and magical fields can be manipulated by science. You can build a doom cannon that runs on soul power. Oh, and gods took physical form and are powered by those who worship them. Generally speaking, the galaxy is in chaos. Areas of the galaxy are generally controlled by factions, but for the most part theres no government strong enough to control all of the cosmic horrors that keep showing up. Generally, players belong to a mercenary organization known as the GDMA, who gives players pretty much free rein to be however murderous they want to be, as long as they more or less get the job done.

So how do you run a game? Well, someone has to step up to the plate and offer to be the Game Master, who comes up with the adventure and guides players through it. Being a GM requires patience, flexibility, and creativity. Youll have to be dealing with the players, who are preposterously powerful, and while youre technically controlling their enemies, your job is to make sure everything is actually fun for everyone involved. Youll also have to roll with the punches, as Phase Shift is notorious for ruining even the best-laid plans. If you dont have something prepared for every conceivable eventuality (you shouldn't), youll have to improvise. Also, if a mage is in the party, youll have to essentially haggle with them over the effects of their spells. Its actually a lot easier than it sounds. See the GM Guide in the back for more information on how to properly run a game. Dont worry about it too much, though, as even monstrosities of games in Phase Shift tend to get extremely entertaining.

If youre ready to jump into the Phase Shift universe, read on and godspeed!

The Phase Shift Universe

From the files of Gregor Hawken, Corporate Security Consultant for Apex IndustriesShut up, everyone. Seriously. I know that the last thing you want to do today is listen to me lecture at you, but Im sick to death of having to explain everything a hundred times to you grunts, so before you start your training, I should tell you this: If we were to send you out into the field night now, youd all die in record time. The kind of work we get involved in gets a lot of soldiers killed. Know why? Because grunts are stupid. So were instituting a new policy of shut-the-hell-up-and-listen-to-your-commanding-officer. Since most of you are probably agricultural colony rejects from wherever your home planets are, its likely that you have no idea of what happened a few hundred years ago. You also probably dont know what the GDMA is. Even if you do know, youre not good enough at being a soldier, or youd probably be working for them. Make sure you remember that everyones automatically going to be better than you. At any rate, make sure you listen to all of what I have to say or your survival rate will decrease DRAMATICALLY.

The MergerJust over 400 years ago, the universe was really more like two universes. One, Takaron, didnt have much in the way of technology, because the entire universe was chock full of thaumic energy, or as most people call it, magic. Space travel in that universe happened through magical ships that sailed across the stars really just because a person believed in them hard enough. And that actually made perfect sense to them and reliably worked. There wasnt much in the way of governance, mainly just a lot of independent planets acting on their whims. The other, Dekkai, was completely devoid of magical energy, but in lieu of all that mumbo-jumbo, the inhabitants completely mastered the physical laws of their own universe and created incredible scientific marvels. Their physical laws were unshakable, and every phenomenon could be explained scientifically.

Both universes flourished on their own until a theorist from Dekkai discovered evidence of another dimension existing parallel to the known universe. Simultaneously, one of Takarons Master Wizards began sensing more and more of a presence in the universe that she could not explain. The two, working independently, discovered that there were points in their respective universes where this presence was not only strong but growing stronger. People in both universes began swearing that they could see planets and even stars flickering in and out of existence.

About two standard months after the theorist and master wizard had first detected the anomalies, they briefly established contact between their two universes while remaining in their own. They actually met when studying an anomaly located at relatively the same point in space in both universes, and were able to use the anomaly to briefly communicate information about each others' universes. As they were not just from two different planets, but from two different universes, they initially experienced a considerable language barrier, but the theorist used an advanced linguistic analysis device and the master wizard used a clarifying spell to understand each other. It wasnt enough to really prepare themselves for what they both knew was going to happen; both Takaron and Dekkai were physically merging with each other.

About two years later, the event known as the Phase Shift occurred. Its hard to explain scientifically, and equally difficult to explain magically, but suddenly, star systems and planets that were in one universe or the other were now merged in one single universe. One of the most occupied planets happened to be in almost the same relative position in both universes, and when the Phase Shift happened, the planets merged together, and wizards and scientists suddenly became next-door neighbors on the same metropolitan planet. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of both universes, neither Takaronian magic nor Dekkan technology worked the same way it used to. The fusing of the two universes changed the fundamental laws of the universe to somewhere between the two old laws, so both civilizations rebuilt their infrastructure, schools of magic, and technological marvels from scratch. The most populated planet was renamed TDek after the merger, a symbolic gesture to bring together the people from both universes, and it became the center of the democratic entity known as the Galactic Federation. The Phase Shift also caused a few strange effects that didnt come from either universe. One such effect is the appearance of individuals with psychic powers across the galaxy in a mostly random pattern. Another unexpected effect was that gods began to take physical form and announce themselves to the general population. Whether they were cast down from a higher plane of existence after the merger or simply came into being because of it, their sudden physical forms sparked what is known as the War in Heaven.

The War in HeavenYou might think that a gods having a real, physical form would be enough of a reason to worship them, but the confirmed existence of gods in the mortal plane after the Phase Shift ended up serious deal breaker for many potential worshipers. This is because the gods that emerged, although exceedingly powerful and intelligent, were imperfect.

Even though the gods that emerged after the Phase Shift can manifest in physical form and enable potential followers to see their incredible power, most denizens of the TDek home galaxy are aware that the gods are not all-knowing or all-powerful. Also, most sentient beings in scientifically or magically advanced societies are uncomfortable with being forced to worship deities of any sort.

The seven primary gods that emerged after the Phase Shift are almost omnipotent and omniscient, but as with the thousands of demigods and other lower gods that emerged after the Phase Shift, it's obvious that being a deity is not all-powerful, as the gods can't just make people believe in them or create new beings to worship them. Thus, gods rely on significant public relations campaigns to get new followers instead of granting wishes or any such nonsense. It was discovered soon after the Phase Shift through scientific and magical analysis that each of the gods needs the power of worshipers in order to survive When this discovery became widely publicized, the gods lack of omnipotence became obvious because truly omnipotent beings would be able to survive on their own power, instead of relying on the power of faith.

Even with the widespread reluctance to worshiping gods, the seven primary gods still have so much power and so much intelligence that they have significant control over forces of artificial and magical nature! They can manipulate the aspects of the cosmos over which they have control (fire for the fire goddess, etc) to further their own purposes and in some cases have attempted to force sentient beings to worship them by threatening to use their powers to inflict calamities such as floods, earthquakes, or meteors. While some of the seven primary gods are more benevolent or malevolent than others, each is not totally pure or impure. Each, even the primary god of light, has committed atrocities, including the atrocities that caused them to possess their current levels of power and knowledge. All gods have the capability of being able to absorb the essences of gods of similar elemental type if they can overpower those gods in battle or otherwise kill them, and the seven primary gods have killed and then absorbed the essences of other gods to a far greater extent than the other gods that still exist.

The seven primary gods are:

Ikeru, The God of Light

Yohaku, The God of Darkness

Sho-Ka, Goddess of Flames

Gaes Eon, God of Earth

Aeolus, God of Wind

Maesuya, Goddess of Water

Void, God of Space and Technology

As there are actually a small number of potential worshipers out in the universe, deities are constantly fighting each other for access to those people who might actually be willing to become their believers. Because the seven primary gods, demigods, and lesser gods all need the power of worshipers in order to survive, deities send out their priests to evangelize in believer-rich areas, as well as perform tasks in service of their secret agendas. Priests are selected by the gods either because of their extreme devotion or because of their general willingness to become a deitys servant. After a priest or other worshiper offers a pledge of service to a deity, that deity has a binding claim on that persons soul.

The gods lend their powers not just to the priests and other worshipers who are willing to fight in their name, but to the various angels, demons, and other heralds they are able to summon to further the reification of their will. All gods can manifest angels, including Yohaku. While all of them can create demons, really, only Yohaku does, because it's bad PR for most.

The War in Heaven often takes the form of a secret, abstract war, though open conflict occasionally arises between priests or between churches devoted to the gods. Churches sometimes make deals with undeveloped planets to become the exclusive church for that territory, and the occasions in which the churches gain this exclusivity through subterfuge or coercion exemplify their frequent operation as clandestine and shady organizations. While the Galactic Department of Military Affairs does not particularly appreciate the often-insidious dealings of the churches, deities often assuage the departments concerns by allowing their priests to join the GDMA and establish mercenary contracts, raising money for the churches while developing goodwill with the GDMA.

While any god can be worshiped, and any sentient being can do so, it is fairly rare for non-priest characters to fully devote themselves to the service of a deity, especially because the gods tend to be much less open about their goals and don't advertise much. The gods have tried to suppress the information that all who are not gods, especially their own priests (who often have their own clergies), from learning that the laws of the merged universe enable any being with a sizable enough of a base of worshipers to obtain the spark of divinity. Perhaps if a mortal with significant influence over the galaxy learned of that truth, that mortal could transcend and become a god of such capability that the Primary Seven could be truly challenged

Galactic FactionsThe galaxy is territorially split up amongst various factions.

The Galactic Federation: A Cosmopolitan Republic The Galactic Federation, which is one of the most prominent factions in the galaxy, is a republic that includes tens of thousands of member planets and many space colonies. The Galactic Federation is the most political of the factions. As more planets are added to the ranks of the Galactic Federation, the Federation Senate grows in size. The capital world of the Galactic Federation is TDek, a heavily urbanized planet that serves as the Federations diplomatic and economic core.

TDek has a population of more than 2 trillion (2,000,000,000,000) individuals, most of whom live in buildings that are at least partially connected to the planets surface. Some of TDeks tallest buildings are spacescrapers, which are buildings of tens of thousands of meters in height that extend into the planets stratosphere or mesosphere and stand only through significant magical engineering. The tallest building on the planet that is one unified structure is the Primary Agricultural Complex, a spacescraper of about 150 kilometers in height that is so tall that government employees on its highest floors sometimes see spectral auroras borealis in clear detail below. Many buildings, including some spacescrapers, are linked via hyperspace elevators to floating or orbiting continuations of those buildings that are thousands of meters directly above them in real-space. There also are many structures hovering in TDeks atmosphere that are not connected to buildings on the surface, and some of these as well are connected via hyperspace elevators to continuations above. Although the technological limitations of hyperspace passages have prevented the passages from being able to connect objects that are more than about 6 kilometers away from each other in real-space, millions of starships in the TDek planetary system are capable of transporting people, resources, and commercial products from buildings on the surface of TDek or in its atmosphere to hundreds of space colonies in orbit around the planet and, more importantly, to both of TDeks moons.

The two planets that merged together to form TDek when the Phase Shift occurred each had a moon, and it was by chance that the moons had been far enough away from each other in their respective universes that they had not merged together during the Phase Shift or collided with each other or into TDek after the Phase Shift occurred because of the significant changes in gravitational attractions that each had experienced. Drex, the moon originally from Dekkai, orbits closer to TDek than Sapphira, the moon originally from Takaron. Drex does not have an atmosphere, and so its cities are primarily built either underground or within domes above ground that support life. Sapphira, like TDek, possesses an atmosphere that is breathable by most races in the galaxy. The soil on Drexs surface is distinctly red, and Drex revolves around TDek with a prograde orbit, traveling in the same direction that TDek rotates. The atmosphere of Sapphira is distinctly blue, and Sapphira revolves around TDek with a retrograde orbit, traveling in the opposite direction of TDeks rotation because the angular momentum it had immediately before the Phase Shift was not affected enough by the merger to change its orbital direction. TDek and its two moons are protected from potential meteor strikes by a network of devices located around the system that focus speed reduction spells upon the meteors, which causes them to move slow enough that ships can acquire them for mineral processing. These spells, however, can't completely protect TDek from outside threats using science or magic to counter, diminish, or reverse the effects of the protection spells or devices.

The Federation Senate is the main legislative entity of the Galactic Federation. Even though Senate representation is granted only to the 1,000 planetary systems in the Federation that have the highest population numbers compared to the others, laws passed by the Senate affect every one of the tens of thousands of planetary systems in the Federation. Each planetary system entitled to representation is able to elect five senators to serve in the Senate, for a total maximum membership of 5,000. The Constitution of the Galactic Federation identifies that for the purpose of calculating a planetary systems population to determine if it is entitled to representation in the Senate, its population includes all sentient organic beings, plus artificial technological beings that have at least the level of sentience of a human, plus magical or supernatural beings that have at least the level of sentience of a human. The president of the Galactic Federation is elected directly by the populations of all the planetary systems of the Federation and is able to veto laws passed by the Senate. Vetoes of the president, also known as the Galactic President (even though this title isn't recognized by other factions) can be overridden by the Senate with a vote of more than 75 percent in favor of the override. Senators are elected for a term of three standard years, while the president is elected for a term of five standard years. Individuals can be elected to serve in these capacities for only one term.

The Galactic Federation maintains its own army, called the Galactic Federation Corps (GFC), but the Federations greatest military asset is the Galactic Department of Mercenary Affairs (GDMA), which is a comparatively much more impressive military force, albeit a much less controllable one. During serious conflicts, the GDMA often is hired by the GFC, and the Federation bans any mercenaries from taking contracts with any other empires or from working for certain blacklisted organizations. The GDMA also often acts as a private police force, sending mercenaries to handle serious threats that planetary police cannot overcome.

The Galactic Federation also oversees the Brotherhood of Mages, which trains nearly all traditional practitioners of the magical arts in the TDek home galaxy. The Brotherhood also intervenes when certain mages start delving into areas they really shouldnt, abusing magic for their own purposes or working for enemies of the Federation. The Brotherhood of Mages is in charge of keeping tabs on magical activity, as its been known to be remarkably unpredictable. The Brotherhood has local academies and offices throughout Federation territory, and though the Brotherhood does not have a specific home base planet, it sends voting representatives to the Federation Senate, as does the GDMA. Male and female wizards are welcome among the ranks of the Brotherhood, which retains that name out of tradition.The Galactic Federation contains the home planets of the Ardani, Byakkarians, Gremlins, Elves, Dwarves, Nemminites, and hundreds of varieties of humans, along with innumerable other races. The Federation covers a huge territory compared to the other galactic factions, and contains the most diverse population in the galaxy among the factions. Almost all other races with home planets outside Federation territory but still within the galaxy have some sort of presence in the Federation, even though the homeworlds of some of these races are thousands of light-years from T'Dek.

The Holy Reddarian Empire: Realm of the God-KingThe Holy Reddarian Empire is a massive autocratic theocracy dedicated to the worship of the Grand High God-King, who maintains his rule through the religious conscription of his citizens.

The Holy Reddarian Empire maintains a formal standing army of conscripted citizens, known as the Holy Reddarian Army (HRA). The training system for HRA trainees involves more brainwashing and propaganda than actual weapons training, but it also serves to identify highly magically attuned prospective recruits for service in the Reddarian Justicars, an order of paladins that serve as officers and are tasked with missions in service of the Empire.

A very high number of priests are in the civilian service of the Empire, and each Reddarian Empire vessel is required by law to have at least one priest aboard, mostly for monitoring purposes by the God-King. Reddarian Empire priests and paladins favor flashy fire- or light-based spells for their casting as a show of their devotion to the God-King. The Reddarians use a four-pointed hyperbolic star as the symbol for their church, and the Reddarian Navy makes their dreadnaughts in the shape of the Reddarian Star. The Reddarian Army is disorganized, but massive, due to the huge population of the Reddarian Empire, and the entire empire is held together entirely by the divine powers of the God-King, who has been alive and a deity since a few centuries after the Phase Shift. The Reddarian Empire usually minds its own business and prefers not to be the aggressor in conflicts, aside from the occasional expansion or skirmish against the Federation or Protectorate. The Reddarian Empire contains mostly humans, but has a smattering of other races as well. The Reddarian Empire and the Federation are about evenly matched in terms of military power, so they leave each other alone for the most part. There is a small border area between the Reddarian Empire and the Federation that is highly suggested as off-limits to colonists, because neither side can legally deploy forces there.

The Protectorate: A Force to be Reckoned WithThe Protectorate is a small, rigidly-organized military society bordering the Federation towards the center of the galaxy. The population of the Protectorate is roughly a quarter of that of the Federation, and every single man, woman, and child is considered to be in military service from the day they are born to the day they die. To the Protectorate, the chain of command is a part of everyday life. Aboard each vessel and at each colony, each person knows exactly who to get their orders from and who to contact if their superior starts showing signs of weakness. Each Protectorate soldier is extremely highly trained up until maturity and serves in military service, not stopping until death. Colonies are considered forward bases and they are only established at tactically superior points. The Protectorate suffers a bit from bureaucratic slowdown in the higher levels of government, as those who accept higher command positions or administrative positions sometimes are those who are simply bad at being regular rank-and-file soldiers. The Protectorate prefers to exile criminals from its territory rather than execute them, leading to many of the Protectorate-based races appearing in areas like the Federation and the Kedrosian Territory. Most of the Protectorate are actually not humans. Humans are considered weak to the Protectorate, and they scoff at the Federation for being weak and for not following the Protectorate's spartan, militaristic ideal. Protectorate ships are very spartan and have almost no decorative or entertainment areas beyond those that are recommended for decompressing after battle. The Protectorate respects the Federation's borders, for the most part, and they have a well-established arms trading relationship with each other. The Protectorate maintains no diplomatic relations with the Holy Reddarian Empire and considers all Reddarian citizens to be dangerous cultists.

Titania: A Masterpiece of ConsciousnessTitania is the name for a collective hybrid synthetic-organic empire based around a hollowed-out planet that now houses a gigantic planet-sized AI. Titania has Mekkos and mechanically-meshed humans all working under the direct mental command of Titania (also the name of the AI). Life in Titania is somewhere between a scientific paradise or a dystopian hellhole, depending on who you ask. Titania doesn't work its citizens like drones, and for the most part allows them to operate independently at their individual assignments, but when a citizen gets a command directly from Titania, they are under Titania's absolute control for the duration of the command. Some manage to escape the grasp of Titania's command and move to other areas such as the Federation, but escapees are few and far between, thanks to Titania's sophisticated tracking system. Titania has a much smaller population than the other empires, but it makes up for it with its extremely advanced technology. Titania has a much heavier presence on the Galactic Net, and is rumored to have hacked into every corner of it. Some even say that Titania is the only thing holding the Galactic Net together. The Titanian Fleet is an extremely advanced fleet of gigantic destroyers that travel within Titania's borders with seemingly impossible speed. Titania doesn't maintain any sort of relations with other empires, and often engages on outright raids of strategic resources claimed by other empires, especially within the Kedrosian Territory. Conversely, smugglers from the Federation and Kedrosian Territory often steal bits of Titanian technology to sell to corporate buyers or other wealthy clients. It's considered illegal in the Federation to do so because the Federation wants to at least appear to not be behind such attempts. Most of the empires are reasonably afraid of what Titania can do because they're actually pretty secretive, and because nobody knows what Titania's end goals are.

The Kedrosian Territory: A Criminal ParadiseThe Kedrosian Territory is the collective name for an area of space with little to no laws, but a brutal coalition of powerful criminal organizations that operate with relative impunity. The Kedrosian Territory's name comes from Kedros, the name of the planet on which the most powerful of the criminal organizations is based. For the most part, the criminal organizations don't get involved in the day-to-day affairs of their members, but they do collect a hefty sum of protection money from each of their citizens. Because the criminal organizations aren't regulating anything, corporations that can't legally perform certain operations within the Federation have bases within the Kedrosian Territory. As long as they pay adequate protection money, they're generally safe from Kedrosian raids. In fact, as long as a client is wealthy enough, pretty much anything can be bought from the criminal organizations, and any sort of trade is acceptable to them. Slavery, smuggling, corruption, bribery, extortion, blackmail, and murder are all extremely common throughout the Territory, and, as long as you aren't doing it to someone particularly connected, you'll probably get away with it. Messing with the main organizations, though, is likely to lead to instant death. Kedrosians often finance raids on other empires and blame other organizations for them in order to avoid any organized repercussions. Kedrosians don't particularly launch attacks on other empires because they couldn't muster much of an organized fleet. The leader of the biggest organization in the Kedrosian Territory is a shadowy arms trader based out of Kedros, but nobody claims to know his/her/its name or what he/she/it is.

.The GDMAThe Galactic Department of Mercenary Affairs has played a heavy role in shaping the new universe. After the Merger, the galaxy became a new wild west, and mercenary activity went through the roof. The law could no longer fight it, so in the end the Federation legalized it and taxed it. The GDMA licenses mercenaries and provides their services for a fee. Most player characters are at least registered with the GDMA simply based on the fact that the GDMA gets nervous when unlicensed mercs start operating in various areas and steal what could have been their contracts.

The Galactic NetAt first glance, one might think that the Galactic Net is just another incarnation of the Internet on a massive scale. While thats one of its functions, the Galactic Net is much more sophisticated than that. The whole system is basically an artificially created plane of information and data. While most of the Galactic Net is just made up of video games or visual entertainment, occasionally sentient entities manifesting themselves from the code in the Galactic Net are able to come forth and essentially will themselves into existence. Such entities are called Programs. Mages and scientists have developed ways to use the Galactic Net for long-distance travel purposes (physically traveling through the Net) as well as communicating with other individuals.

The Brotherhood of MagesThe Brotherhood of Mages is the foremost authority on the use of magic in the galaxy. In order to legally be able to learn magic, a prospective mage has to submit to all of the rules and regulations of the Brotherhood of Mages, which includes a screening process for people with The Gift (psychic powers). The Brotherhood of Mages regulates all registered magic users and makes sure that nobody can get too powerful without proper authorization. Since psychic powers and magic mix in the most horrible way imaginable, its up to the Brotherhood to ensure that there arent any psychomancers running around wreaking havoc. The Brotherhood is a near-omnipresent force in the universe, and often finds itself at odds with the GDMA, especially when it comes to dealing with problems involving mages, but neither would ever start a war with the other, mostly because the GDMA pays way better and fields a large number of powerful psychics.

The Phoenix VirusThe Phoenix Virus is commonly referred to as a zombie virus, but that's only mildly accurate. Most strains of the Phoenix Virus are spread through direct contact with the bloodstream, so biting or injecting are common ways of contracting it. The Phoenix Virus is a pseudomagical entity that feeds off of the connection between an afflicted individual's body and soul. An afflicted individual's body slowly undergoes a transformation into either a zombie, a were-animal, or a vampire, depending on the victim's rank of Attunement (Normal, Super, or higher). After a few days, depending on the strain of virus and the victim's physical and magical disease resistance, the victim's soul is completely separated from their body, and their body completes the transformation into their new form, referred to as the death stage. If the victim is lucky enough to catch a strain such as the Tame Phoenix, they may retain control of themselves, but most strains such as the Wild Phoenix cause the afflicted to fly into a feral frenzy attempting to consume more soul energy. While the disease can be cured if it is treated before the death stage, there is no cure after the body-soul link has been completely severed. There are some rumors that the Phoenix Virus can be reversed after death, but there has been no confirmed case of such an event occurring. Necro-worlds, filled with sentient undead that coexist mostly peacefully, exist, but they are heavily avoided by the rest of the galaxy, for fear of somehow catching the disease. Some such worlds are havens for those who have been exiled due to the Phoenix Virus. They are Federation-recognized, but they are not offered the same level of protection as most planets, as they are constantly being threatened by anti-necro terrorists and not much is done to protect against them. Necromancers deal most heavily with the Phoenix Virus, and can modify it to reanimate corpses or otherwise modify bodies or souls. The Phoenix Virus is used as the backbone of many genetic modifications, as its body-altering power is extremely useful. In such cases, the virus is modified to avoid the death phase.

Core Rules

RanksPhase Shift is split up into 5 ranks. A character has a general character rank, which represents their character's general progression, and stat ranks, which represent how high each stat is. The five ranks are: Normal, Super, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic. Post-Mythic gameplay is technically possible, but beyond the scope of this guide. The seven character stats are: Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Attunement, Mind, Wits, and Dazzle. A stat from 1-20 is considered Normal rank. 21-40 is considered Super rank. 41-60 is considered Epic rank. 61-80 is considered Legendary rank, and 81+ is considered Mythic rank.

SkillsSkills are determined by your character's base skills listed under class skills, in addition to any SP purchases. Ranks in skills are purchased for 1 SP per rank. Skills have a cap on their maximum ranks equal to half of their respective stats, rounded down. For example, for the skill Engineering, the governing stat is Intelligence, so if the characters Intelligence is 25, the maximum skill would be 12. If the stat is dominant on the player's sheet, the cap is increased by 5, and if the stat is restricted, the cap is decreased by 5. Class skills (the ones listed under your class) have a 5 increased cap as well. If your character is a Scientist, in the previous example of Engineering, the cap would be increased by 5 from Intelligence being a dominant stat for the class and would be increased by another 5 for Engineering being a class skill, for a maximum of 22. If youre not trained in a skill, just roll your dice and dont add any bonuses. A list of many possible skills and their governing stats is provided under the Skills chapter of this guide.

RollingWhen making a skill check at Normal rank, roll 1d20 and add your skill level in the relevant skill, or, if making a straight stat roll, add your relevant stat bonus. If the result is 15 or above, the skill check succeeds. The GM may adjust the number required to succeed depending on the complexity or difficulty of the task, or may require a roll at higher rank.

Note: You are able to roll your skill's stat rank or below without penalty, and may roll up to one rank above, at a -15. See Rolling at Higher Ranks for specifics on how to handle higher ranked rolls.

Oppsed RollsIn the case of two forces working against each other, such as a spy trying to hide from a character who is actively searching for him, first the character initiating the check, which in this case is the spy who is attempting to hide, rolls a regular skill check. If the character succeeds, the opposing roller, in this case the spy, has the opportunity to roll an opposed check with the relevant skill. If the opposed check hits the target of a regular skill check (15/rank), then the two skill checks are compared to each other, and the highest roll wins. In case of a tie, the winner is the roller with the highest skill level. If the rollers have an equal skill level, the initiating roller (the one who made the first opposed roll) wins.

Example: A Normal soldier is trying to spot a Normal spy hiding in darkness. He rolls 1d20 because he is Normal rank, and rolls a 10. The soldier's Observation skill is 5, so he has a total result of 15, which is enough for a successful skill check. The spy now rolls Stealth as an opposed check. He rolls 1d20 because he is Normal rank, and rolls a 12. The spy's Stealth skill is 8, so he has a total result of 20, which is enough for a successful skill check. The spy's Stealth check of 20 is higher than the soldier's Observation check of 15, so the spy wins the check and remains hidden.

Untrained Skill ChecksIf you are not trained in a particular skill, you can still roll an untrained check with the skill's governing stat. Your bonus is only 25% of your stat, rounded down, when rolling a check this way, and the check has half effectiveness (whatever that may be). For example, if you don't have Acrobatics, you can still dodge an attack by rolling an untrained Agility check. Let's say you have an Agility of 17. You can roll an untrained dodge with a +4 bonus, but if you succeed, you will still take half damage from the attack (since halfway to no damage would be half damage).

Stat ChecksYou can also make checks with your stats, such as a Strength check to move an object or bash down a door. If you do, roll one or more d20s (as with skills) with a bonus to the roll equal to a quarter of your stat, rounded down (the same as if you were making an untrained skill check). For example, if a soldier with a Strength of 17 tries to bash through a locked door with a Strength check, she rolls 1d20 with a +4 bonus. If she gets a 15 or higher, she succeeds in bashing through the door. This does not apply to checks that would have a skill associated with them, so you can't simply use Intelligence checks instead of trained Engineering checks.

Assisting Skill ChecksPlayers can assist a player's skill checks. For instance, a player rolling an Athletics check to climb a wall can be assisted by another player rolling a relevant check, such as Athletics, Telekinesis, or perhaps Engineering. Ask the GM if the skill is relevant to the check beforehand. A successful assistance check grants a +2 bonus per rank of the roll to the main skill check, and an unsuccessful assistance check afflicts a -2 penalty per rank of the roll to the main skill check. Assistance checks are generally minor actions unless there is some heavy preparation required to assist, and there can be only one assist applied per player per check. Rolling at Higher RanksRolls at higher ranks than your character's stat rank add 1d20 per rank and give a -15 penalty, though you still have to hit the higher ranked target number. For example, rolling a Super Observation check (which is above stat rank if your character's Wits stat is less than 20), a character would roll 2d20 and add their skill bonus, then subtract 15, and if the result is still 30 or above, the check succeeds. A character takes no penalty for rolling skill checks at or below the stat rank for the governing skill. Each rank above normal essentially doubles the effectiveness of the roll. For example, if a Normal Strength check success would normally allow a character to lift a 300 pound object, a Super Strength success would allow that character to lift a 600 pound object. An attack roll at a Super rank would deal double the damage of a Normal roll on hit. An Epic roll would do four times the damage of a Normal roll using the same weapon. Opposed rolls at different ranks compare the results as usual (highest number wins), with one exception: Characters cannot make opposed rolls two or more ranks below the roll they would be opposing (you can't, for example, roll a Normal dodge against an Epic attack).Note: You probably wouldn't want to do this unless you have some ridiculous conditional bonuses or are feeling exceptionally lucky.Note: Some abilities allow you to roll at a higher rank without penalty, which refers to the -15.Critical Successes and FailuresWhen making a skill check, if the total number of 20's rolled is greater than the total number of 1's rolled, and the roll would normally be enough for a success, then the skill check is a critical success, which counts as a success of one higher rank. Multiple 20's in excess of 1's increase the rank even further. If a critical success would normally not be enough to pass the roll, the roll is instead a normal success.

If the total number of 1's rolled is greater than the total number of 20's rolled, and the roll would normally be too low to pass the check, then the skill check is a critical failure, which may or may not have an extra effect, up to the DM, but it may result in a character dropping his or her weapon or damaging themselves. Multiple 1's may, at GM discretion, cause even more effects. If a critical failure would normally be sufficient to pass the roll, the roll is instead a normal failure, or may decrease the effective rank of the roll if it was Super or above (generally, halving the effect).

Here are some practical examples:

Example: You roll a Normal Weapon Proficiency check with a skill level of 14. You roll 1d20 and get a result of 1 on the die. You technically have a result of 15, which would be enough to pass the check, but your roll of 1 means that your attack misses as if it was a normal failure.

Example: You roll a Super Weapon Proficency check with a skill level of 15. You roll 2d20 and get a result of 1 and 18 on the dice. You have a total result of 34, which would be a successful check, but your 1 means that you instead roll damage as if the attack were one rank lower (half damage).

Example: You roll a Normal Weapon Proficiency check with a skill level of 14. You roll 1d20 and get a result of 20 on the die. You have a result of 34, which would be enough to pass the check, but you rolled a 20, so your attack is treated as a Super roll (double damage)

Example: You roll a Super Weapon Proficency check with a skill level of 15. You roll 2d20 and get a result of 1 and 20 on the dice. You have a total result of 36, which would be a successful check. You rolled a 1 and a 20, but you have the same amount of critical successes as failures, so they cancel each other out and your check is successful. If your skill was 8 in this example, you would instead have a total result of 29, which would not be enough to pass your check (the 20 and the 1 would again cancel each other out).

CombatSometimes, kind words and a menacing glare aren't enough to get your character out of a given situation. In these cases, you'll need to enter combat. In combat, each participating character has a turn, which consists of a major action, a move action, and a minor action. Turn order is determined by all characters' individual Agility stats. The highest agility character acts first, followed by the second-highest, and so on. In the case of a tie, the character order is determined by a straight d20 roll. A turn is considered approximately five seconds of in-game time. At the start of a character's turn, they may delay their full turns until after another character has gone, but the turn order resumes normal order at the top of the round. Examples of possible major actions are making an attack roll, disarming a bomb, lifting a heavy object, or any other action that would take most of your turn or significant effort. Move actions are just that: actions involving motion. Examples would be running, walking, standing up from a prone position, or jumping over a significant obstacle. A minor action is a nonmajor, nonmove action that doesn't take more than a second, such as drawing or sheathing a weapon, pressing a button, doing a little dance, or making social checks. A character may choose not to spend all of their actions on their turn, or may downgrade actions, such as taking a move or a minor instead of a major action, or using a minor action instead of a move action. Depending on the circumstances, some actions may take more or less time than usual, or may require one or more full rounds of action. Once a character's turn is complete, they pass the turn on to the next character in the turn order, until everyone has had a turn, then the next round starts, starting with the character with the highest Agility again.

Attack rolls function exactly the same as skill rolls. A character rolls a skill check with their weapon's relevant attack skill (such as Weapon Proficiency: Pistols), and if they succeed against their ranked target, the attack is considered a hit. To calculate damage, take the weapon's damage, multiplied by two for each rank rolled above Normal, and then subtract the target's damage resistance (DR). Subtract the total from the target's current HP (unless the weapon specifically does MP or WP damage). If a character's HP is reduced to exactly 0, they are knocked unconscious and dying, and will die if any additional damage is taken or in 2d10 rounds unless they get medical attention. If a character is reduced to negative HP, they are dead. It is possible to revive dead characters, but only through specifically designed spells, devices or class exclusives. DR applies automatically to Ballistic or Energy damage. Weapons deal Ballistic damage unless otherwise specified.ResponsesWhen it's not a character's turn, they have one available response per round. Responses are declared after a roll succeeds against them and are treated as opposed rolls against the attack roll. Available responses to a successful attack roll are dodges, blocks, parries, or counterattacks. Dodges are governed by the Acrobatics skill. A successful Acrobatics opposed roll against the attack roll causes the attack to be treated as a miss instead of a hit. Blocks are governed by the Block skill, and require a shield or sufficiently shielding weapon. A successful Block opposed roll reduces the damage by an additional amount equal to the shield's DR. Parries are governed by the weapon skill of the weapon being used to parry. Parries can only be done in the special case of melee vs melee attacks, and are direct opposed melee weapon rolls. A successful parry negates all damage from the attack. A counterattack is governed by the weapon skill of the weapon being used to counterattack. A counterattack is an opposed roll against the triggering attack and receives any applicable bonuses to weapon attack rolls. If a counterattack is successful, the responder deals damage as if they had made a successful hit before the triggering attack deals damage (possibly taking the enemy out before they can damage you). The responder loses their next major action. OpeningsCombat isnt just hitting things with weapons in turns. If you act in a way that is not practical or taking in mind your position in combat, you give the enemy an Opening. An Opening is an action that exists alongside your Reaction, and happens before the action that triggered it. A character has only one Opening per round, and only gets to use it if they are given the opportunity to. An Opening allows a character to make a melee attack against the triggering enemy. While most Openings are given at GM discretion, a few actions automatically trigger Openings. One such action is moving away from a space adjacent to a character (without something pushing or pulling you or something). Others include firing certain ranged weapons, casting a spell, or using a psychic power within an enemys melee range. Heres an example: Youre wielding a melee weapon and standing adjacent to two enemies with rifles. Enemy 1 makes a rifle attack against you. Before he does so, he provokes an Opening, due to the fact that hes next to you. You attack him with your melee weapon before he gets to make his attack. If your attack doesnt kill him, he makes his attack. Afterwards, he moves away from you. While you would normally be able to get an Opening out of this, youve already used your Opening this round, so you cant make another attack. Enemy 2 then fires at you and walks away, which you cant do much about, because youve already used your Opening for the round.

CoverGenerally speaking, combat consists of more than just two people shooting at each other in the middle of an open field. Taking cover in combat is extremely useful, especially for ranged characters. There are three kinds of cover. Partial cover is provided by objects that dont cover the whole body, such as a chest-high wall or an overturned table. Full cover is provided by objects that do cover the whole body, but still allow a character to pop out to make attacks, such as the corner of a wall. Absolute cover is provided by solid walls or other objects that would make it impossible to hit a target from the other side of it. Cover provides a -2 penalty to attack rolls against the target, scaled to the character rank of the person taking cover. For full cover, all attack rolls against the target have a -4 penalty, scaled to the character rank of the person taking cover. Absolute cover is an automatic miss on attacks unless the attack actually destroys the object that is providing the absolute cover, in which case the attack has a -5 penalty instead. Absolute cover blocks line of effect. A target has to be aware of cover to take cover, and the cover has to be physically between the attacker and the target to be effective. If a target is in combat, then theyre automatically assumed to be taking cover. If theyre just walking around out of combat, theyre probably not taking cover.

Ambush RoundsSurprise is a powerful tool in Phase Shift. If an enemy or group is unaware of your presence, you are able to enter an Ambush Round at the start of combat. When you enter an Ambush Round, only you and any enemies who are aware of you are able to act. Each character who can act can only take one action, so, for instance, they could move OR attack, but not both. Also, characters who are surprised dont benefit from cover, use Reactions, or take advantage of Openings. This also works if youre the one whos surprised, so if, for instance, youre attacked by a group of ninjas you hadnt previously seen, they would get an Ambush Round, and they would each get one action, while you would get none.

MovementAs a move action, you can move a number of spaces up to your speed. Your speed is determined by the classification of armor you have. If you are wearing light armor or no armor, your speed is 8 spaces. If you are wearing medium armor, your speed is 6. If you are wearing heavy armor, your speed is 4 spaces. When moving while wearing medium or heavy armor, you can roll Medium Armor Proficiency or Heavy Armor Proficiency, respectively, in order to move up to 8 squares instead. If you fail, you fall prone in your original location. Some terrain, such as rubble, superglue on the floor, or thick vegetation might take up extra squares of movement when moving through it, depending on how thick it is. You can also jump or climb up to your speed instead of moving using Athletics or Acrobatics, depending on what you're trying to do.Line of EffectTo shoot something, there has to be a path for your projectile to hit it. Generally, this means that you have to be able to draw a line from anywhere on your space to anywhere on the space you're trying to attack. This is called a line of effect. Usually, absolute cover blocks line of effect. You can't hit a target that you don't have a line of effect to, unless you make a trick shot or have an otherwise curving projectile. Making a trick shot involves making an attack roll at a higher rank and dealing damage as if the attack was one rank lower.Character ProgressionCharacter progression advances mostly at GM discretion. Class Points (CP) will be awarded rarely, either for completing a story arc or for exceptionally awesome events. CP can be used to purchase class exclusive features under the character's Class section and are usually very powerful abilities. Stat points will be awarded occasionally at the end of play sessions. Stat points can be used to increase a character's stats for 1 point:1 level. Skill Points (SP) will be awarded at the end of almost every session. SP can be used to increase the skill level of a character's skills at a 1:1 ratio (except for certain skills such as schools of magic or Psychic Abilities). At GM discretion, once your character has been through enough sessions and most of your stats are at the next higher rank, your character may progress to the next character rank. Upon rank up, you pick one Power for your character to gain. A list of available Powers for each rank is available in the Powers chapter.

Your HP, WP, and MP are based on your race, class, and stats. Each race has a HP, WP, and MP pool associated with it, as does each class. After character creation, you can improve your characters pools by improving their Strength, Attunement, or Mind. Each point in Strength from 1-20 gives you a point of maximum HP. Likewise, each point in Attunement from 1-20 gives you a point of maximum MP, and each point in Mind from 1-20 gives you a point of maximum WP. From 21-40, each point in the corresponding stat grants you +2 to that pool. From 41-60, each point grants you +3 to that pool, and so on.

Here is a chart that might provide some examples:

Character ChecklistGDMA Registration and Orientation GuideListen up, because I'm only going to say this once. We at the GDMA get so many recruits now that we made our registration process unbelievably simple. Used to be that registration meant signing about thirty different forms, but now we have everything on one sheet. Were going green, and we get to send you out to get shot at that much faster. Its a win-win if you ask me.

1. We need to know your race. Last thing we need is for yet another lawsuit because some Merchant wasnt sent out with a qualified medic. Take the HP, MP, and WP for that race, and put those in the boxes on your registration form above "race". Take the stat boosts and drops and put those in on the stats section above race.

2. We need to know what class you are. Just last week some idiot decided to be funny and tell us he was a scientist when he knew about as much about computers as he did about how cannon fire affects his own life processes. Take the HP, MP, and WP for that class and put them on your registration form above "class", then do the same for stats.

3. Take the HP, MP, and WP numbers and add them up.

4. Figure out your Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Attunement, Mind, Wits, and Dazzle by taking the race and class numbers you just put in and adding the total from each line to 10. So if you were a Merchant Soldier, you'd have an agility of 8. Merchants get +3, and Soldiers get -5. Starting from 10, that means you add 3 and subtract 5. I hope you don't need me to explain basic math to you.

5. Add your bonus HP, MP, and WP scores from your stats. Since they should all be less than 20, this is pretty easy. Take your Strength and add it to your HP. Then take your Attunement and add it to your MP. Then take your Mind and add it to your WP.

6. Write down your characters class skills under the Class section, as well as what stats theyre governed by.

7. Write down your character's Class Powers, Class Flaws, Racial Powers, and Racial Flaws. If you're a Spy, you'll have to recalculate your HP now.

8. Buy Class Exclusives (under your Class section) with your 2 starting Class Points.

9. Buy up some gear. We at GDMA, out of our massive generosity, give you 2,000 credits to spend on your gear. Damn waste if you ask me. Prices are listed in the Crafting section. If you dont have a Scientist in your squad, or if you insist on buying all of your basic gear, increase prices by 25%.

10. Calculate your maximum possible skill levels based on your classs dominant and restricted stats, as well as whether the skill is a class skill.

Maximum Skill Level Adjustments Base Maximum Level: Governing Stat divided by 2, rounded down

Dominant Stat: Maximum Level +5

Restricted Stat: Maximum Level -5

Class Skill: Maximum Level +5

So let's say you're a Thief and have an agility of 17 and you want to improve your Athletics. Your base maximum is 17 divided by 2, rounded down (that's 8). Agility is a dominant stat, so that brings you up to 13. And since Athletics is already a class skill, your maximum is goes up another 5. That means you can have a maximum Athletics of 18. This doesn't mean that you have an 18 in Athletics, but you can spend points up to level 18 without increasing your Agility any more.

11. Finally, keep those maximum skill levels in mind, and distribute your 5 starting SP however you like among your skills. Add to what you have, or branch out. You can even add new skills. Its your choice. But make sure youve got some way to fight things.

For reference, here is a summary of the stat shifts for each available race (if you're going for a certain stat or something):

Alp: +4 MND, +2 DAZ, -3 STR, -3 AGI

Ardani: +4 INT, +2 WTS, -4 STR, -2 AGI

Byakkarian: +3 STR, +2 WTS, +1 AGI, -4 MND, -2 DAZ

Dwarf: +3 ATT, +2 MND, +1 WTS, -3 AGI, -2 DAZ, -1 INT

Elf: +3 DAZ, +2 ATT, +1 AGI, -3 STR, -3 MND

Gremlin: +4 AGI, +2 ATT, -2 DAZ, -2 STR, -2 INT

Human: +2 to any three stats, -2 to any three other stats

Mekko: +3 STR, +2 AGI, +1 INT, -3 ATT, -3 WTS

Merchant: +4 WTS, +2 AGI, -4 ATT, -2 MND

Nemminite: +4 ATT, +2 WTS, -4 DAZ, -2 INT

Shown below is the dominant stat for each class:

Mage: Attunement

Psychic: Mind

Scientist: Intelligence

Soldier: Strength

Spy: Wits

Rogue: Dazzle

Thief: Agility

Classes

So, you think you know what war is about, because you've been in a few gunfights? Sorry to say, grunts, you can't get away with only knowing how to handle yourself in a firefight. Not only will you find yourself against robots with giant laser cannons, but guys who will make you think your fellow men are robots with giant laser cannons. Some of these guys can light you on fire with a snap of their fingers. It's nice to know when you're going to be shot at versus when you're going to be turned inside out. Reading this list might give you the edge on the more nontraditional opponents, but remember, you still need to always have your firearms handy. These bastards won't shoot themselves, after all.

MageHP: 15MP: 25WP: 5

Dominant Stat: AttunementRestricted Stat: Mind

Stat Shifts: +5 Attunement, +2 Intelligence, -5 Mind, -2 Wits

Class Skills:

Arcane Sense 4

Enchanting 3

Magic Resistance 2

Alchemy 3

Light Armor Proficiency 2

Arcane Lore 3

Brotherhood Law 3

Phoenix Virus Studies 2

Magic (School 1) 3

Magic (School 2) 3

Magic (School 3) 3Note: All Magic Schools are class skills.

Background:For some, the study of magic is a dark road, fraught with perilous forbidden secrets and whispers of ancient magics. Thankfully, most of those people are rambling idiots. Magic does technically come from a persons life force, sure, but its a common misconception that using magic permanently damages a persons soul. Those who choose to take up the study of magic on a full-time basis learn to kick their metabolism of food into magical energy to a much higher level. Their bodies begin to adapt to high volumes of magical energy to the point where they can fling a fireball as easily as a normal person could throw a baseball. Fortunately for the galaxy, the Brotherhood of Mages keeps a registry of every proper mage in the Federation, so these loose magical cannons are kept on a tight leash. Since the Brotherhood cant possibly manage to keep millions of mages in check on their own, they often contract their more restless members out to the GDMA so that they dont start burning random things to the ground. The GDMA is greatly enhanced by the mages they employ because of the magical nature behind many of the galaxys problems. Mages can take on a variety of roles, but are generally too fragile to be on the front lines of combat. Depending on the mages chosen schools of magic and general player preference, they may take on more of a damage role, a healing/support role, or a battlefield control role. To some degree, any school of magic can be applied to one of these roles. For instance, while Biomancy could easily be used to regenerate health, it could also be used to deal damage to a person by injecting them with parasites or provide battlefield control by paralyzing the muscles of a group of enemies. Mages, by their nature, rely much less on equipment, but they can still benefit from having a weapon handy for when their magic runs out or against enemies with high MR.

Class Powers:

Mage Training: As a fully-trained mage, you find magic far less difficult than civilians do. As such, you start with 3 levels each in 3 schools of magic (already included under Class Skills) and you can purchase levels in the various schools of magic for SP at a 1:1 ratio. See the Magic chapter for more information on how magic works.

Thaumic Regeneration: Another fringe benefit of your training is that your magic regenerates faster. You receive a 50% bonus to MP regeneration from food and rest.

Class Flaws:

Unshielded Mind: Unfortunately, your mind is open to psychic attack due to your training. You take double damage from psychic attacks and all negative psychic effects have twice the duration on you.

Wizard Needs Food Badly: Casting spells takes a lot of energy. Thus, mages need more energy than normal people. A mage is required to eat (or the racial equivalent for non-biological races, generally, recharging from a power source or consuming souls) regularly to restore their physical energy. For every four in-hame hours you do not eat (or the racial equivalent), you take a cumulative -3 per rank to all spellcasting rolls. If you miss one full days worth of meals, your spellcasting is locked until you eat. Time spent sleeping does not incur this penalty, as long as the sleep is normal biological sleep.

Class Exclusives:

Hybrid Magic: You may combine more than one school of magic into a single spell. For every rank bought, you can include one extra school of magic in a spell. This costs more MP but may do additional damage or effects. Costs 1 CP.

Magic Schools Up: You gain 2 ranks each in 3 separate school of magic. Can be purchased multiple times. Costs 1 CP.

MP UP: Your maximum MP increases by 5 per rank permanently. Can be purchased multiple times. Costs 1 CP.

Novice Spell Empowerment: When casting, you may expend MP to gain a bonus to your casting roll at a ratio of 3 MP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +5 per roll. Costs 1 CP.

Advanced Spell Empowerment: When casting, you may expend MP to gain a bonus to your casting roll at a ratio of 2 MP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +10 per roll. Replaces Novice Spell Empowerment. Costs 2 CP.

Master Spell Empowerment: When casting, you may expend MP to gain a bonus to your casting roll at a ratio of 1 MP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +15 per roll. Replaces Master Spell Empowerment. Costs 3 CP.

Countermagic: You may cast a non-damaging defensive spell as a reaction. This can be used to increase DR, push an enemy away, or deflect attacks and will cost double the MP a similar spell would. Costs 2 CP.

Advanced Countermagic: You may cast an offensive or damaging spell as a reaction. This takes your next major action as if it were a regular counterattack. This costs double the MP a similar spell would. Requires Countermagic. Costs 2 CP.

Lore:

Mages are an incredible headache to plan to defend against. We might be able to make barricades or forcefields that stand against a fireball, but theres really no point in doing so if the mage decides just to turn your blood into acid instead. Or fill your lungs with mud. Or animate your gun and shoot you with it. Theres really no all-encompassing way to just deal with mages. Ive heard that they get turned into shuddering little girls when psychics get a hold of them, but I would rather get into a fistfight with a mage than trust a psychic to handle it, so your best method of killing mages is standing far enough apart so that one spell wont kill everyone in the room, and hoping that one of you shoots him in the face before he can think of a clever way to orchestrate your deaths.

PsychicHP: 15MP: 5

WP: 25

Dominant Stat: MindRestricted Stat: Attunement

Stat Shifts: +5 Mind, +2 Wits, -5 Attunement, -2 Strength

Class Skills:

Acrobatics 2

Light Armor Proficiency 2

Serenity 3

Mental Resistance 2

Encoding 3

Courage 3

Meditation 2

Psychology 2

Observation 2

Psychic Ability (X) 3

Psychic Ability (X) 3

Psychic Ability (X) 3Note: All Psychic Abilities are class skills.Background:People keep secrets. People have always kept secrets and will always keep secrets. Before the Merger, people were content that their secrets were safe apart from the occasional drunken confession or a random brainwave extraction. Once it became clear that some people were actually manifesting quantifiable and observable levels of psychic abilities, and that one of those abilities was reading a persons deepest, darkest secrets, those people got a lot more nervous. Unfortunately for all parties involved, The Gift (the ability to use psychic abilities) can manifest itself in any population, regardless of race, class, or creed. Many psychics desperately try to keep their powers a secret, but in some communities, tests for The Gift are widespread, and psychics are persecuted out of fear of their power. The GDMA has several methods of recruiting psychics into their ranks. One of these methods is to go to various communities that imprison suspected psychics, confirm that they actually have The Gift, and then bail them out. Another method, which may simply be a rumor, is that the GDMA sends agents out with knowledge of when and where the GDMA is recruiting psychics, without telling anyone, and then recruits those who show up to the meeting. Psychics often fill a battlefield control role by dominating the minds of enemies or sowing confusion in the enemy ranks, but they can specialize in more directly-damaging abilities such as Telekinesis. Psychics are naturally good at dealing with magic-users because their abilities have double effect on them, so areas with large numbers of mages often are the most suspicious of psychics. The GDMA uses them on sensitive operations in order to read the minds of those they are investigating and to disable dangerous opponents. Depending on the area a psychic wants to specialize in, it may be useful to buy backup weapons in case the psychic runs low on WP, or they may want to invest in heavier armor to increase their survivability.

Class Powers:

The Gift: You are one of the lucky or unlucky few individuals who can manifest psychic powers. You may purchase Psychic Ability ranks for SP as if they were normal skills. Psychic Abilities are similar to casting magic. Characters without this power or some simulacrum thereof cannot buy Psychic Abilities. You start with 3 skill levels in 3 different Psychic Abilities (already shown under Class Powers). If you gain this power after creation, you do not gain these skill levels. See Psychic Abilities for more information on psychic powers.

Sixth Sense: Common people tend to be afraid of psychics like you. Its mostly because psychic powers arent fully understood, as well as the fact that psychics make right awful messes of peoples minds. Fortunately, you can detect other nearby psychics and vice versa, as well as the use of mental energy, psychic-like abilities, and abnormal mental conditions, as long as you are within visual range of what he or she is detecting.

Class Flaws:

Mental Breakdown: You have become extremely dependent on mental energy to the point where you can't function and could even lose control temporarily when it's depleted. When character hits 0 WP or lower, you lose control of yourself or you become incapacitated until at least 1 WP regenerates. The GM may choose which happens based on the circumstances.

Psychic Lock: The way that psychic powers work is still somewhat of a mystery, but everyone knows one thing: Psychic powers and magic dont mix well. Psychomancy was outlawed by the Brotherhood of Mages the minute someone tried it due to catastrophic effects. You really dont want to know what happened to that guy. Thus, you cannot gain any levels in any schools of magic, and you cannot take this class if you have levels in any schools of magic.

Class Exclusives:Will Rank Up: Adds 5 maximum WP per character rank to your characters stat pool. Automatically upgrades as your character ranks up. Can be purchased multiple times. Costs 1 CP.

Psychic Power Up: You gain 2 ranks in each of 3 separate psychic abilities. Can be purchased multiple times. Costs 1 CP.

Stream of Consciousness: You may combine more than one psychic power into a single cast. For every rank bought, you can include one extra power per cast. This costs additional WP and may cause additional effects. Can be purchased multiple times. Costs 1 CP.

Novice Psionic Empowerment: When using a Psychic Power, you may expend WP to gain a bonus to your casting roll at a ratio of 3 WP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +5 per roll. You must select to use this power before you roll and you expend this WP even if the roll fails. Costs 1 CP.

Advanced Psionic Empowerment: When casting, you may expend WP to gain a bonus to your casting roll at a ratio of 2 WP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +10 per roll. You must select to use this power before you roll and you expend this WP even if the roll fails. Replaces Novice Spell Empowerment. Costs 2 CP.

Master Psionic Empowerment: When casting, you may expend WP to gain a bonus to your casting roll at a ratio of 1 WP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +15 per roll. You must select to use this power before you roll and you expend this WP even if the roll fails. Replaces Master Spell Empowerment. Costs 3 CP.

Quickened Mind: You may use a non-damaging Psychic Ability as a reaction. This can be used to increase DR, push an enemy away, or deflect attacks and will cost double the WP a similar Ability would. Costs 2 CP.

Quicker Mind: You may cast an offensive or damaging Psychic Ability as a reaction. This takes your next major action as if it were a regular counterattack, and will cost double the WP a similar Ability would. Requires Quickened Mind. Costs 2 CP.

Lore:

Psychics are a commanders absolute worst nightmare. Its easy enough to find scorch marks from waves of fire, or explosive residue from where your basecamp used to be, but most of the time, you will never know a psychic has even been there. Theyll get inside your mind and physically force you to shoot your commanding officer. Theyll probe your mind and find the security codes of the day, walk past you while making you look directly up at the sky, then rewrite your memories so that you have an uncontrollable urge to give up your post and become a seamstress. No matter how vigilant you are, you could always have had false memories planted within you. You might not be able to tell, but if you ever find yourself doing something ridiculous and you cant seem to figure out why, immediately stop. If you cant, youre probably being psychically dominated. Try to identify the psychic and shoot him in the face, and hope he didnt screw with your mind and make you think all of your fellow squadmates are psychic horrors.

RogueHP: 15MP: 10WP: 20

Dominant Stat: DazzleRestricted Stat: Agility

Stat Shifts: +5 Dazzle, +2 Intelligence, -4 Agility, -3 Wits

Class Skills:

Persuasion 3

Deception 3

Diplomacy 3

Intimidation 3

Public Speaking 3

Acting 2

Disguise 3

Leadership 2

Galactic Culture 2

Galactic Law 2

Weapon Proficiency (Guns) 2

Acrobatics 2

Background:Out among the spaceways, most making their living between the worlds are employed by the big corporations who can manage the myriad complications of interplanetary business through the sheer size of their workforce. But there do exist those rare individuals who are able to scrape a living in between the worlds, whose force of personality and cleverness give them an edge in the competition, as their ever-widening personal network and sheer ability to turn on a dime or take sudden, sometimes not strictly legal, opportunities, keep them in the black. These are among the most famous sources of Rogues, as they are called, the social dynamos of the galaxy whose passive psychic abilities allow them to turn their quick wit and charming smile into unparalleled weapons. Not all rogues are such galactic merchantmen, as there are great artists, politicians, diplomats, socialites, and many others who make their living on the back of their ability to charm their way out of anything. These passive psychics are sought fiercely by the GDMA as they are remarkably useful tools for leadership and negotiation for their mercenary groups, pulling teams out of delicate and questionable situations with practiced ease... and are helped to develop their passive psychic abilities as a weapon unto themselves. Rogues generally provide more of a support role, focusing on out-of-combat social skills and buffing teammates with Heroic Presence. Rogues need to invest more in good armor and weapons if theyre planning to be in the thick of combat, but can also utilize equipment with skill or stat bonuses to help their out of combat skills or Heroic Presence. Exceptionally well-geared Rogues can also purchase the more combat-oriented class exclusives in order to capitalize on their other Dazzle skills as well.

Class Powers:

Heroic Presence: Once per round, when you or an ally rolls a check and you dislike the result, you may roll a Diplomacy check at the rank of the roll being made (as long as you are legally allowed to roll at that rank). If you are successful, then you add your Diplomacy skill level as a bonus to the check.

Little Black Book: When rolling Dazzle or a Dazzle-governed skill against an NPC that isnt hostile to you, you have a 10% chance of turning that NPC into a contact upon a Normal Dazzle critical success, or a Super rank or above normal success. A friendly contact may be called upon later to provide assistance in situations relevant to their expertise, depending on the rogue's relationship with the contact. The amount of assistance provided by contacts is completely up to the GM. Some targets may be immune to this ability at the GM's discretion. This is much less effective when used against multiple people at once.

Class Flaws:

Stage Fright: Upon any failed Dazzle roll or Dazzle-based skill check, you lose 10% of your maximum WP rounded up, or the amount that you would have spent had your roll succeeded, whichever is more. If this penalty brings your character to 0 WP or below, your character is stricken with a momentary mental breakdown and is incapacitated for 1d4+2 rounds. This counts as a Fear effect and cannot be reduced in any way.

That's Not In The Script: When your character is taken by surprise, at GM discretion, you have to succeed a Mind or Serenity check at your character rank or else take a -2 penalty to all rolls for 1d4-1 rounds. If the duration is 0, you are considered to have saved successfully against the effect.

Class Exclusives:Connected: You acquire an additional contact of a random type (DMs choice). May be purchased multiple times. Costs 1 CP.

Gauging the Mark: You may make a straight Intelligence roll to get an idea of the target's receptiveness to various Dazzle techniques. Costs 1 CP.

Honest Face: You may expend WP to gain bonus to a DZZ based roll at a ratio of 3 WP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of 5 per roll. You must choose to use this skill before you roll. Costs 1 CP.

Advanced Honest Face: You may expend WP to gain bonus to a DZZ based roll at a ratio of 2 WP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of 5 per roll. You must choose to use this skill before you roll. Requires and replaces Honest Face. Costs 2 CP.

Master Honest Face: You may expend WP to gain bonus to a DZZ based roll at a ratio of 1 WP per +1 bonus, up to a maximum of 5 per roll. You must choose to use this skill before you roll. Requires and replaces Improved Honest Face. Costs 3 CP.

Soothe Foe: You may roll Diplomacy as a major action at the character rank of a target in order to make a hostile NPC cease hostilities for 2d6 turns or until an attack or other hostile action is taken against them. Does not improve disposition otherwise. Some targets may be immune to this based on GM discretion. Costs 1 CP.

Hannibal Lecture: As a full-round action, you may roll Intimidation one or more times in a row. With every successful Intimidation roll, roll 1d6 and remove that number of WP from the target's total current WP; when rolling a ranked Intimidation roll, you get the appropriate multiplier to the amount of WP removed (2x for Super, 4x, for Epic, 8x for Legendary, and 16x for Mythic). Upon the first Intimidation failure or 5 successes, whichever comes first, Hannibal Lecture ceases. Target may roll Courage or Serenity to save. Upon a successful save, WP drain is decreased by 1/2. Upon a critically successful save or a save above the rank of the Hannibal Lecture, WP drain is reduced by 3/4. Costs 1 CP.

Suit Up!: As a move action, you may pay 3 WP per character rank and roll Disguise. If you succeed, you gain your Disguise skill level as a bonus to your DR and MR for 1d4 rounds. Higher ranked Disguise rolls increase the DR and MR gained this way. Costs 1 CP.

Everybody Suit Up!: You may apply a successful Suit Up! bonus on a second and third party member within 5 spaces of you when you use the Suit Up! ability. Requires Suit Up! Costs 1 CP.

Intimidating Flourish: You may spend 2 WP and a minor action to flourish your weapon in a menacing fashion and roll Intimidation. If successful, until the start of your next turn, that weapon will deal additional damage equal to your Intimidate rank. Costs 1 CP.

Rattling Flourish: When hitting with an attack empowered by an Intimidating Flourish, you may pay 3 WP to render the hit enemy unable to make attacks against you for 1d4 rounds. Some targets are immune to this effect at GM discretion. Requires Intimidating Flourish. Costs 2 CP.

False Identity: You have all legal papers required to have a fully legal separate, false identity. Any indiscretions committed by your normal identity do not affect you when operating under the false identity and vice-versa. You may purchase this exclusive multiple times in order to have as many false identities as the GM will allow. Contacts only apply to one identity unless your true identity is revealed, or the contact knows about the separate identity. You require some type of disguise while operating under false identities; removal of this disguise may reveal your true identity. Costs 1 CP.

Theatrics: Huzzah!: As a full-round action, you may use your force of personality in order to give your allies a pep talk. Roll Diplomacy or a relevant skill at any rank you are legally allowed to; if your roll succeeds, your allies gain +2 per rank of your Dazzle roll to all of their rolls for 1d6+4 rounds. Costs 2 WP per rank. Costs 1 CP.

Theatrics: Cutting Remark: As a major action, you may roll Intimidate at a target's rank to stun the target for one round. Target may make an opposed Serenity or Courage roll in order to negate the effect. Target must be able to hear you clearly. This can only be done once per day per target. Costs 2 CP.

Theatrics: Blatant Falsehood: You may choose not to use your skill levels when rolling any Persuasion, Diplomacy, Deception, or Intimidation check. If your roll still succeeds, the roll is considered to be one rank higher. No bonuses may be applied to a Blatant Falsehood roll. Costs 1 CP.

Grisly Display: Declare your intention to use this power when attacking a target in a group. If you incapacitate that target, make an Intimidate check and the target's allies must succeed at an opposed Mind roll or be unable to act for one round. If they succeed in their roll, they will receive a -5 penalty (or ranked equivalent) to any roll made on their next round. If you kill your target, any target that fails the Mind check will surrender immediately, while ones that pass will be unable to act for one round. This power counts as a fear effect, and can only be used once per session by paying half your WP. You generally must use this power against the leader of the group, unless the group has no leader. The GM may declare certain targets specifically not affected by this power. Costs 2 CP.

Improved Sense Of Self-Preservation: Life on the wrong side of the law has sharpened your instincts, so you know in advance when bad things are about to go down. As such, you are apt not to be surprised and thus have a slight advantage in otherwise surprising situations. If there is a surprise round, you will act in it, no matter who initiates the surprise round. Costs 1 CP.

Tactical Retreat: When attempting to escape via opposing Agility rolls (or relevant skill checks) you may declare your intention to use this power before you make your roll. If you win the roll, you escape the battle as normal. If you lose the roll, pay WP equal to the difference between the minimum number required to make the roll and the number you actually rolled (if you needed 17 to escape and rolled a 6, you would pay 11 WP, for example). You are considered to have passed your roll. Costs 1 CP.

Theatrics: The Nick of Time: If an ally within 10 squares of you would die, instead roll Acting. If you succeed, your ally survives with 10% of their max HP, but may have serious injuries or status effects. You pay WP equal to the difference between the damage originally inflicted and the damage taken after using this power. You must adequately describe the rescue scene, with any skill checks the GM demands (generally, Performing). Costs 3 CP.

Theatrics: Duel: As a major action, roll Intimidate and choose a target during combat that is within 10 squares. If your roll succeeds, until either you or your target is incapacitated or dead, no other hostile entity will attack you and your target cannot attack anyone else but you. Your allies cannot deal damage to the target until this effect ends. Costs 3 WP per character rank per round to use or the effect ends. Costs 2 CP.

Theatrics: Improved Duel: During a Duel, your targets allies cannot attack you or your party, and your party cannot attack the target or its allies. You can choose whether or not you want to use this power at the start of the Duel. Requires Theatrics: Duel. Costs 2 CP.

Theatrics: Revenge!: After you or an ally has received incapacitating damage or a serious injury (more than 50% of their HP in a single attack), roll Performing at any rank you wish. You deal damage equal to the results of the roll to the entity who inflicted the damage or injury. You pay WP equal to half the damage inflicted, rounded up. Costs 2 CP.

Theatrics: Dramatic Reveal: When you and your allies would be surprising an enemy, you may declare that you are using this power. You do not act at all during this round, including free actions; instead, all enemies receive -2 per stat rank of your Dazzle stat to all rolls for the entire combat. You must pay 2 WP per round that this power is in effect or the effect ends. You can act after the surprise round. Costs 1 CP.

Lore:

Sometimes you'll run up against someone who's just too stylish to die. These rogues just seem to talk bullets out of their path. They'll just show up, convince half of your platoon to go take a coffee break, and walk right in the door. They'll seem like the nicest guys, and their magnetic personalities just make you want to trust them. They've also been doing this for long enough that they've got an army of people who owe them favors, so if a mining expedition suddenly bursts through the ground inside the building you're guarding, followed by orbital strikes on your position, you might be dealing with a rogue with serious connections. Unfortunately for them, they don't act nearly as brave when their friends arent backing them up, so you've got to be proactive and commence with face-shooting before they get a chance to get in place.

Scientist HP: 15MP: 15WP: 15

Dominant Stat: IntelligenceRestricted Stat: Wits

Stat Shifts: +5 Intelligence, +2 Mind, -4 Strength, -3 Wits

Class Skills:

Creativity 3