I suppose we could come at this differently-

Card Shark, Confidence man/bug, __________________?

Edit: Vrusk Hustler as the broad archetype

with narrower career tracks as card shark, confidence bug, and maybe pick pocket?

Prime ability scores:

INT- intuition might be called for in certain situations to be able to know something is up/off/about to happen

PER- dealing with other characters this is somewhat obvious

DEX/RS- not just for combat but for confidence bug that goes in for the pea in the cup type games where the hand needs to be quicker than the eye

Edit

Not sure what the PSA should be. If you take bio-social PSA to excell at phsych-social skill then eventually you spend some exp on medical or environmental skill which kind of muddy's the character concept IMO

The vrusk's speed is an important feature for some expressions of this archetype- running away thus the character always wants to travel light and not trigger the encumbrance rule for half speed.

What skills?

Psych social to leverage empathy subskill and potentially hypnosis

Technician skill could come into play for disarming alarms and picking locks

And when all else fails being able to defend oneself can be an occupational requirement so at least some fighting skill. martial arts would be good for when you go into situations where weapons are checked.

Vrusk comprehension would make them good intelligence agents, not to mention private investigators. It might also make them good bounty hunters - that would possibly shift them into shadier areas: although a private eye and a bounty hunter are quite similar, there are various points where the latter would be more likely to work outside of the law. And by the very nature of their job, bounty hunters are more likely to take those risks. It may be that the wider Vrusk society sees Vrusk bounty hunters as almost criminals - or, at least, an undisirable element that uses their innate comprehension for possibly nefarious or shady purposes. There would be less of a stigma towards Vrusk who are private eyes, as they work more within the law.

Somewhat related to this is a Vrusk journalist - someone who can understand events and social situations and have insights into them that the other races might not have. That said, journalism is a very wide field so it would be up to the player to choose what sort of journalist they are and what their contacts might be.

Also, as a fun exercise for creating these sorts of characters, we could have a table of contacts, rivals, enemies, etc that a player can roll on when they roll up this sort of a Vrusk with any of these professions.

Broad Archetype: Vrusk Investigator

Narrower career tracks: Investigative Journalist, Private eye, Bounty hunter, and ? Security Analyst

Phsych-social skill for the journalist and Private eye

Technician skill for the private eye, and security analyst

Once I have a good concept and using the template that Bill Logan established for the archetype articles back in sfman these things write themselves.

So what we have here is the

Vrusk Hustler: Card Shark/Poker champ; Confidence bug, and petty pick pocket

Vrusk Investigator: Investigative Journalist, Private Eye, Security Analyst.

and KRingway's Double O vrusk but that concept needs a little more- Corporate Counter Espionage Officer, Secret Agent (government), Cadre Operative?

'Security analyst' doesn't really scream fun and excitment IMHO. I'm not sure how much mileage anyone could get out of that kind of role.

As for the intelligence agent, I was thinking that it was partially a spy-like profession but tied in with Vrusk comprehension. So in essence this means that the character is a particular kind of agent - one that is valued to for going into situations and being able to evaluate what's going on, who the major people are, etc. They're not so much a 007 kind of character as Bond is more brawn than brains, in his own particular way. An Vrusk intelligence agent is more like a private eye but for governments/militaries/corporations. They're also kinda like a ninja, in the sense that they're supposed to infiltrate and get out of a situation without being detected (i.e. without their cover being blown). What they bring back is an actual assessment of the social/interpersonal factors in any given place or situation.

I totally agree but I also see certain businesses specifically employing a "security analyst" to monitor patrons especially a casino since they really hate to be cheated.

Perhaps a security analyst is paid not based on skill level but based on comprehension score/10 and rounded up. which would mean that a beginning PC would start at 2nd level pay.

I'm not sure anyone would pick that as a character vocation, as it's a pretty narrow remit. If we're looking to develop archetypes IMHO we'd need to find careers/vocation that have a certain amount of playbility built into them from the get go. So maybe we need to think of it as a 'troubleshooter' - this is a Vrusk who's hired to keep oversee entertainment, or business, or various other social-based 'systems' to spot weaknesses, threats, illegalities, etc. So while it is security-based in a way, it also covers situations that have some overlap with the bounty hunter and private eye archetypes. So, a troubleshooter could be hired to oversee a casino but it would be more than just what goes on on the 'shop floor' of the venue. They'd have to oversee the whole social system within that casino - the staff as well as the patrons. This could potentially lead them into some shady areas, depending on what goes on in the situation they're tasked to oversee. They could be working in gambling, Tri-D studios/stations, sporting organisations, corporate affairs/marketing and similar civilian areas on the one hand to things such as diplomatic and similar events/situations on the other.

But in a nutshell, they'd be the type of character bought in to spot weaknesses in social settings/systems.

@ KRingway Security Troubleshooter sounds better than analyst and can still be rather broad in application.

Basically knowledge is power and comprehension can be employed to provide a PC with a substantial ammount of power in game but the play style for this wont be the shoot everything and let the EXP sort it out style of play but rather the thinking, problem solving sort of player may wish explore this archetype.

With an unparalleled ability to read a mark or victim, the vrusk hustler makes his way by grift, confidence games, and duping the unsuspecting. His comprehension enables him to spot a “tell” or manipulate social situations to his advantage. His crimes are his artform.

The Card Sharp/Shark uses his comprehension ability to read other players and their “tells”. He is looking to take advantage of less astute players for financial gain. He may not even be seen as doing anything wrong providing he is not employing cheating methods like false shuffles, false cuts, bottom dealing or second dealing (dealing the second card from the top).

His comprehension ability allows him to maximize his winnings and limit his loses at the card table. Because he has honed his ability to bluff, he can also use his comprehension score to modify attempts at bluffing. He’s stoic and gives nothing away at the table. He can usually find a game and has the poise to fit into any social setting. He may be a criminal or a legitimate player but he always spots who can be fleeced.

The Confidence Bug is a flimflam specialist, a grifter, and a cheat. Whether he plays the long game, as depicted in the movie Oceans 11, or the short game like 3 Card Monty or the shell game, he is always looking to con someone.

He uses his comprehension ability to identify and exploit characteristics of the psyche like credulity, naivete, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility and greed. His cons and tricks are at their heart voluntary exchanges that do not mutually benefit both parties.

If a con or confidence game ever falls apart, he is well able to flee using the greater speed of his species to outdistance most pursuers. For this reason, he likes to travel light.

The DEX ability score will be important for sleight of hand maneuvers during confidence games or cheating at cards. A referee may call for an INT check in certain situations that the vrusk hustler may find himself in. Since the vrusk hustler will be plying his trade by interacting with other characters the PER ability score will be important as well.

His species (racial) ability of comprehension must be developed beyond it’s starting level of 15%. As soon as possible the player will want to put at least 10 Exp into this ability and raise it to 25% giving his character a 1 in 4 chance of success. For 8 EXP more the character will have a 1 in 3 chance of success. Depending on the skill system being used this is the equivalent of gaining two skill levels.

Under the Alpha Dawn skill system psycho-social skill will aid the vrusk hustler in manipulating his marks. A level of technician skill will aid in schemes requiring the disarming of alarms and picking of locks not to mention the ability to operate vehicles for a get-away. The vrusk hustler should also consider gaining a level of martial arts as the subskills defensive throwing and nerve combat could be crucial in escaping a sticky situation. Under the Zebulon’s Guide skill system, bluff skill will greatly enhance the hustler’s capabilities.

Equipment

First and foremost, this archetype likes to travel light. When its necessary to run, you don’t want to be encumbered. Thus, the vrusk hustler avoids carrying a lot of equipment that might trigger the encumbrance rules where he would be slowed to half movement.

Owning a technician’s tool kit could be important but it might not be carried all the time. Civilian style defensive suits that look like normal civilian clothing and don’t telegraph that the hustler is ready for action will be worth the investment. A small concealable weapon or a tangler grenade can also come in handy when the heat is on.

When the hustler can afford it a holo screen will be a must. Holo disks that change the vrusk’s appearance to another vrusk may fool observers using infra-red optics into not realizing a holo-screen is in operation whereas a disk that changes the vursk’s appearance to another species or invisible will out him to IR optics.

Because there will be a chance that law enforcement may try to detain the hustler with subdual weapons solvaway capsules and the anti-shock implant should also be on the hustler’s must have list.

Employing his abiltity to read people in social situations the vrusk investigator is prised for his ability to analyze and predict what is happening in real time. He is always ahead of the game and rarely surprised by outcomes.

Character Concepts

The Investigative Journalist is a specialist in the field of journalism. They are not a "beat" or desk writer but dig into mysteries and stories looking to get to the truth. Many are freelancers but some work for established news organizations. Travel and danger are sometimes part of the job but the vrusk journalist uses his comprehension ability to keep himself safe and still get the story.

A Private Eye is the stereotypical gum shoe and investigator but the vrusk PI employs his comnprehension ability to read individuals and social situations. He is able to avoid or preempt violence and get his job done; not that he cannot engage in violence if he is forced to. He watches both his client and the target of his investigation and is able to minimize surprises.

The Security Troubleshooter is a common enough position throughout the Frontier but vrusk are prised in this profession. This security operative's primary goal is to investigate the business that hired him and minimize its exposure to loss as well as monitor its customer base to prevent issues from developing. The vrusk security troubleshooter is able to spot theft, cheating, and scams as they are happening and respond or direct others to respond.

I think all of these need to put more stress on the social aspects, because otherwise they don't seem particularly skewed at being Vrusk specialities. I wouldn't bother with edges and flaws - people can figure those out under the own steam as they play their character. The following is all just off the top of my head.

In general my feeling is that Vrusks are specialists for these roles because they have a perceived knack for seeing the wider picture but also for spotting the details. Most importantly, as they become more skilled, they have a better 'nose' for whatever situation they're involved in and thus can have a much better idea of what might possibly happen next. This doesn't mean that they have a sixth sense; rather, their powers of comprehension mean that they are much better at spotting connections and interpolating information in a way that gives them a particular understanding about what may unfold in any given situation. In a sense, they're a bit like at computer that can play chess - they can figure out in advance possible outcomes and predict how to change or prevent them, simply because they are better able to understand the various possibilities and permutations. However, chess is much less complicated than the affairs of sentient beings but skilled Vrusks can at least have an above average chance of guessing or winning 'the game' of whatever situation is under their scrutiny.

So:

The Security Troubleshooter is able to spot theft, cheating, and scams as they are happening and respond or direct others to respond. They may also be sent to discern whether certain situations may be being exploited or manipulated for untoward or nefarious reasons, and suggest methods for preventing or at least stymying them. Some troubleshooters specialise in corporate or diplomatic affairs, and are hired to prevent or subvert acts of intrigue, blackmail or espionage.