Suggested Backgrounds

One of the features of the Yazirian Clans article is that it gave a small benefit to the player character and I’ve incorporated that into these backgrounds. A player may use the yazirian backgrounds below and roll on the clan tables of the Yazirian Clans article but he does not gain any material benefit of the clan’s article. The purpose for rolling on the clan table is purely for generating a clan name and symbol. At the referee’s discretion the benefit from the yazirian clan tables may be allowed. Example: Yazirians from the Kuegla clan of Hentz begin play with a musical instrument; this is not a significant item of starting equipment and thus could be allowed. However, yazirians from the Gorlia clan of Hentz gain a bonus to their battle rage and it would not be appropriate to allow this benefit in conjunction with the yazirian background benefits listed below. In other words the a yazirian character will receive a material benefit from either the backgrounds below or from the Yazirian Clan article in Star Frontiersman #8 but not both.  

Some backgrounds confer a skill that does not match with any AD skill or PSA. These skills can be advanced by paying two times the skill level desired in experience points and are treated as in PSA. Finally the backgrounds below only reflect the Alpha Dawn Frontier map due to the time frame in history that it was developed for. Place of Origin: Choose one benefit based on place or origin. 

Mixed Race Colonies: Mixed race colonies (Triad, Outer Reach, Gran Quivera, and Pale) causes exposure to other languages; the character knows the native language of one other of the core four races. Choose one: (A) character can fluently speak or understand the language of one of the other races or (B) character has a deep understanding of one other race’s culture and gains +15% bonus when dealing with that race as well as +10% to wage when being hired by that race. Note vrusk vocal apparatus can not form words in any language but their own and the other races cannot pronounce the vrusk language so if this situation applies the character only gains understanding of the language not the ability to speak it.  

Legacy of the Sathar War: Due to how the populations of Truane’s Star and Dixon’s Star suffered from the depredations of the sathar they have an intense hatred for the worms +5% to melee attacks against the sathar and their creatures. 

Yazirian Heritage: A yazirian character may come from a very traditional family and is steeped in his or her heritage. Choose one: (A) a level of skill with the honor weapons (the zamra and the kha’dan), or (B) roll on the Yazirian Clans tables from Star Frontiersman #8. Note any yazirian can roll on the clan tables regardless of the colony they’re from and thus may represent a yazirian who has immigrated to another colony. 

Religious Yazirian: Yazirian society is dominated by the Family of One religion which is headquartered on Hentz in the Araks system. There is some resentment by yazirians from other colonies over the heavy handedness of this organization. Choose one: (A) two levels of theology and a +10 bonus when dealing with Family of One clergy, or (B) keeps a miniature domesticated wyvole pet (see “Opiate of the Osakar” article in SFman #15 for details) as a statement of defiance against the Family of One. 

Dralasite Culture, Inner Reach: Dralasites from Inner Reach paint their bodies in washable dyes to show their mood for the day. The rival planet in this system is a mecca for pirates and crime. All dralasites from this colony begin with a collection of dyes and a brush or two. Choose one: (A) two levels of artist skill with paints and dyes (may attempt to create works of art for extra money in between adventures as per the rules in the article, “Artisan Skill PSA” in SFman #9), (B) +5% melee bonus when fighting pirates or organized crime figures and -5% to reactions from pirates.  

Dralasite Culture, Fromeltar system: Fromeltar system is the location of some of the most prestigious dralasite academies. It’s also a system they share with the vrusk. Choose one: (A) fluently understand vrusk speach, (B) two levels of philosophy and +10 bonus when dealing with scholars, or (C) a deep understanding of vrusk culture +15% when dealing with vrusk and +10% to wage when being hired by a vrusk.  

Legacy of the Free World Rebellion: The Free World Rebellion on Kdi-kit in Madderly’s Star involved the human population evicting the vrusk population. Some atrocities occurred. Some vrusk distrust humanity because of this event; they have a -5% penalty to reactions involving humans but gain +15% to comprehension rolls when observing humans. A vrusk with this background is one of the refugees evicted from Madderly’s Star and now hails from some other colony. Humans from this colony are prone to prejudicial attitudes against non humans. The colony has a strong agricultural economy as well as exporting mercenaries. A human from this system can choose one of the following: (A) two levels of Horticultural/ Botanical/ or Animal Handling skill, or (B) starts with a free skein suit from previous paramilitary training but must have at least 1 military skill (no restrictions on PSA).  

Vrusk Business Experience; Resource Development: Vrusk from planets that have a resource development economy like Zik-Kit have an intimate understanding of the mining and the resource exploitation business. Choose one: (A) a level of geology skill, or (B) able to operate mining equipment and machinery as a level 1 technician would. In addition to the prior they also have the ability to make a LOG check while reviewing mining business records and spot problems or inconsistencies. 

Vrusk Business Experience; Agri-business: Vrusk from planets that have an agriculture based economy like Ken’Zah-Kit have an intimate understanding of the agriculture business. Choose one: (A) 2 levels of Horticulture/Botanical/ or Animal Handling skill or (B) able to operate farming equipment and machinery as a level 1 technician would. In addition to the prior they also have the ability to make a LOG check while reviewing farming business records and spot problems or inconsistencies. 

Vrusk Business Experience; Industry: Vrusk from planets that have an industrial based economy like Terledrom or Zik-Kit have an intimate understanding of industry. Choose one: (A) 2 levels of engineering (usually industrial but not starship engineering) or (B) able to operate factory equipment and machinery as a level 1 technician would. In addition to the prior they also have the ability to make a LOG check while reviewing industry records and spot problems or inconsistencies. 

Vrusk Business Experience; R&D: Vrusk from planets with major R&D centers like Kwadl-Kit have an intimate understanding of the research and development business. Choose one: (A) 1 level of a scientific skill (physics, chemistry, etc), or (B) owns a referee approved prototype piece of equipment with a small bonus over standard equipment (has degree of miniaturization that either reduces weight, or increases range, or reduces energy consumption). In addition to the prior they also have the ability to make a LOG check while reviewing R&D business records and spot problems or inconsistencies. 

Vrusk Criminal Experience; z’nk: The vrusk word translated mafia is z’nk and it was famously (or infamously) used as the basis for the name for the most famous vrusk criminal organization; the Zenk (see Dragon magazine #109). Vrusk criminal trade houses spring up from time to time. They don’t see themselves as criminal just businesses with a more ruthless set of practices. They raise their own young “in house”. When law enforcement dismantles the criminal organization the young are not prosecuted. Their fate is uncertain and some fall through the cracks in society while others end up wards of the state. These experiences can provide and edge. Choose one: (A) +5% bonus to comprehension ability, (B) 2 levels of knowledge skill tied to the vrusk underground, (C) +5% to PER checks when dealing with bureaucrats and government “systems”. Note: defecting form a still functioning z’nk organization is very difficult as the organization is likely to eliminate defecting vrusk as a security risk. 

Human Ag Colony background: Ag colonies like Rupert’s Hole, Kdi-Kit, Lossend and New Pale have a tradition of hard work. Any human character from these colonies gains either +5% to STR or STA. 

Military Boarding School: This background is usually for a human but could apply to other races. Some families send their young children away to boarding school (not college). Character gains +5 to LDR score. 

Gymnastic or dance Background: This background is typically for humans but could apply to the other races. Parents enrolled the character in dance school or they took dance or gymnastics as an extracurricular activity while growing up. Choose one: (A) 2 levels of dance skill, or (B) +5% to DEX. 

Spacer Background: Some characters spent their lives on ships and stations. Choose one: (A) able to operate small craft like launches and work pods without the requisite skill as a 0 level pilot and gain +10% bonus when they acquire the skill, (B) gains one level of astronomy (not astrogation), or (C) +10% to RS checks in 0g combat to retain control. 

Streetwise Background: For human characters in particular, a person that has grown up on the rough side of town in a major city like Port Loren, Prengular or Port Royal, Clarion has an edge from these experiences. Choose one: (A) +5% to INT or (B) +5% to RS or (C) 2 levels of knowledge skill tied to the criminal underground of a specific planet. 

Computer Geek Background: For human characters in particular, when a person grows up plugged into computers or robots they have an edge from those experiences. Choose one: (A) able to perform one sub-skill from the Computers or Robotics skills at one level higher than actual level (must have either Computer or Robotics skills), (B) gain the ability to write an extra computer program (example: can write 2 programs at level 1), or (C) +5% LOG.