Additional Species
Angara
The angara are creations of the Jardaan, an advanced alien race native to Heleus that were also responsible for creating the Remnant machines. The Jardaan designed the first angarans centuries ago and seeded them on several planets within the Heleus Cluster. The reasoning behind the creation of the angara is unknown.
They thrived in the Heleus Cluster, founding many colonies, until the appearance of the Scourge ruined most of their worlds and set their civilization back into a pre-industrial dark age which lasted a century. After rediscovering spaceflight and reestablishing connections between their colonies, they found that in the isolation, culture on the separated colonies had developed into diverging directions.
Since the arrival of the Kett in the Heleus Cluster, the angara have lost most of their military fortitude and have resigned to a passive, threatened existence, with the exception of the Angaran Resistance, which still fights against the invaders.
- Wound Threshold: 11+Brawn
- Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower
- Starting XP: 100
- Starting Skills: Angara begin the game with one rank in Cool, Charm, Discipline or Survival. They obtain this rank before spending experience points and may not increase this skill above rank 2 during character creation.
- Environmental Adaptability: When making skill checks, Angara remove one 1 Setback imposed due to cold environments.
- Sunlight Dependency: If an Angaran is not exposed to natural or artificial sunlight over the course of 24 hours, they "go dark", reducing their wound and strain threshold by 2. This condition remains in effect until the Angaran is exposed to sunlight again for at least an hour.
- Bioeletric Focus: Angara may spend personal strain to cast Tech powers. When doing so, they gain a boost die on the Tech power check.
- Lack of Biotics: Angara can not become Biotic or acquire a biotic skill rank by any means. They can not use biotic powers, but they can be affected by them. At your GM's discretion, you may ignore this restriction. Angaran are considered to not have trained Biotics due to lacking the necessary implants. With the arrival of the Milky Way races, this could of course be changed.
- Heritage Talent: When eligible for a Tier 2 Talent, instead of purchasing one, you may select Energy Transfer as your Heritage Talent. You may ignore the restriction to synthetic characters on this talent.
Prothean
An ancient race from the previous cycle, the Protheans headed a galaxy-spanning empire which subjugated all other space-faring civilizations. They were rendered extinct by the Reapers in the last cycle's harvest, about 50,000 years ago.
Current civilizations presume them to be the creators of the Citadel and the mass relays (though this was or is to be disproven), and are the source of mass-effect technology for most space-faring species today, discovered through Prothean ruins on various worlds.
- Wound Threshold: 9 + Brawn
- Strain Threshold: 11 + Willpower
- Starting Experience: 80
- Skill Training: A Prothean starts with one rank in Discipline or Perception. They obtain this rank before spending experience points and may not increase the skill above rank 2 during character creation.
- Dark Vision: When making skill checks, Protheans remove up to 2 Setbacks imposed due to darkness or concealment (but not defense).
- Psychometry: As an action, your character may touch an object or creature to gain information about it. When toughing an object, make an easy Discipline check. If the check succeeds, you learn the objects purpose and abilities. 3 Advantage or a Triumph may be spent to know who created it or to learn about the previous creatures that touched it. When touching a creature, make an opposed Discipline vs Discipline check. If the check succeeds you can learn its emotional state and current thoughts. 3 Advantage or a Triumph may be spent to discover other thoughts or memories. All information gained this way is subject to your GM's discretion.
- Heritage Talent: When eligible for a Tier 2 Talent, instead of purchasing one, you may select Heightened Awareness as your Heritage Talent.
Gear and Equipment
Table 1: New or Updated Weapons
| Name | Skill | Dam | Crit | Range | Encum | HP | Price | Rarity | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-99 Saber | Ranged (Heavy) | 9 | 3 | Long | 5 | 3 | 1650 | 7 | Accurate 2, Cumbersome 3, Pierce 1 |
| Scorpion | Ranged (Light) | 7 | 5 | Medium | 3 | 2 | 500 | 8 | Blast 6, Limited Ammo 4, Proximity Mine |
| Gorgeous Nova | Ranged (Light) | 7 | 5 | Medium | 2 | 1 | 600 | 8 | Blast 6, Limited Ammo 3, Proximity Mine |
Weapons
M-99 Saber
A heavy-duty semi-automatic rifle favored by elite marksman, the M-99 Saber is jokingly referred to as "The Big Iron" for its sheer stopping power. Each unit is configured specifically for its owner, making it one of the Alliance's more expensive weapons.
Scorpion
Stats have been readjusted to be more balanced, also rarity now more befits the exclusivity of an STG weapon before the Reaper War.
Gorgeous Nova
A Hanar adaption of the Salarian Scorpion pistol, from the Agency's R&D labs. Reducing the weight of the weapon to make it more usable for Hanar operatives, but at the cost of reducing ammo capacity and customizability.
Cybernetics
Emotional Response Analyzer
A small implant that combines a fast analysis unit with a database of common facial expressions and body movements for a wide array of species. A user of this cybernetic is provided with a parallel analysis of a person they engage in conversation with, which can help to detect lies or ascertain the others emotional state.
A character with this implant adds bb to checks to discern whether another character is lying as well as to checks made to ascertain another character's mental and emotional state.
Concussion Fist
A replacement piece for a user's forearm and hand, this cybernetic features a small mass effect field generator which can greatly increase the kinetic energy of its user's physical attack. Unlike most replacement libs, cybernetic is traditionally not covered by regenerated skin, both to assist in heat-dispersion after its use and due to the menacing effect its appearance has.
The concussion fist counts as a Brawl weapon with the following profile (Brawl; Damage 8; Critical 3; Range [Engaged]; Concussive 1, Slow-Firing 2)).
Retinal Tracker Implant
Consisting of microsensors implanted directly behind the user's retinas and a tiny tracking computer installed at the base of the skull, a retinal tracker aids the user in targeting imminent threats. A simple thought impulse activates the system, which projects a targeting reticule directly onto the user's retina. Though not infallible, the system can increase the user's accuracy when trying to land precision shots or hit multiple foes with a heavy weapon.
A retinal tracker provides automatic a on Gunnery and Ranged (Heavy) checks.
Medical
Antishock Blanket
Circulatory shock poses a grave danger to anyone who has suffered a traumatic injury. As the body increaes blood flow to a wounded area, it must decrease blood flow to other areas. When the wounded area is experiencing blood loss, it can leave some organs starved for critical nutrients. An antishock blanket can be used to compression and thermal stabilization of the patient, reducing the risk of shock.
When a character applies an antishock blanket to someone shortly after they have suffered a Critical Injury, they may reduce the difficulty to heal that injury by one to a minimum of Easy (d).
Bioscan
A healer must be able to recognize any anomalies in a patients biological makeup in order to properly cure an injury. A bioscan is capable of identifying an individual's species, age and condition based on a pre-programmed set of parameters. It can also recognize disruptions to the anatomy from injuries or diseases as well as deliberate modifications such as cybernetics.
A character using a bioscan can remove bb from any Medicine check they make.
Nullicaine
A staple of field treatment, used to allow soldiers to fight on despite injuries. While it does little to treat the injury, it addresses many of the symptoms for a short time. Spraying on this anesthetic deadens any pain with only minor numbness.
A character may apply nullicaine to themselves or an engaged character by making an Easy (d) Medicine check and choosing 1 Easy (d), Average (dd), or Hard (ddd) Critical Injury the target is suffering from. If the check succeeds, the target suffers 3 strain and ignores the effects of the chosen Critical Injury until the end of the encounter.
Plasma Protein Replicator
Replenishing an individual's vital bodily fluids from an external source can reduce the recovery time from particularly traumatic injuries, such as those that incurred major blood loss. A plasma protein replicator creates synthetic bodily fluids as appropriate for a target species.
When a character uses a replicator to help heal a Critical Injury, they add an automatic s to the Medicine check made.
Spray-On Cast
Quickly immobilizing a limb injury after it happens can prevent the extremity from becoming more seriously damaged through accidental misuse. Prompt action reduces the patient's overall healing time, even though further treatment may be required. A spray-on cast is an easily portable tool that can be used in field conditions, to reinforce a wounded limb from the outside, preventing it from bending and exacerbating tissue damage.
A character can make an Easy (d) Medicine check to apply a spray-on cast to a limb that has been crippled or disabled due to a Critical Injury. If successful, the Critical Injury heals automatically after one week of narrative time.
Drugs
While not all substances listed in this section are illegal, procuring them may still prove difficult based on their need for permits, prescription or simply their limited supply in the galaxy. Thus, the necessity of a Streetwise check to find a vendor instead of a Negotiation check is up to the GM.
Creeper
Hallex
A controlled substance, taken in pill form, which induces heightened senses and extreme euphoria in its user. It sees high popularity in the nightlife of many civilized worlds, and is said to pair well with the effects induced by melding with an Asari.
A character under the effects of Hallex experiences a state of euphoria. When they suffer strain, they reduce the amount of strain suffered by three, to a minimum of one. This does includes voluntary strain loss. Additionally, they upgrade the difficulty of all Cunning and Presence related checks once. The effects of one dose last until the end of an encounter or for an hour of narrative time.
Minagen X3
A highly illegal and dangerous drug, Minagen X3 can be inhaled or injected to amplify a person's biotic potential. The degree of enhancement depends on the form of exposure and dosis taken, however prolonged use of Minagen X3 can prove very dangerous to to the user's health.
For transport and storage, the substance is usually moved in small, pressured, containers. As a single dose, it is most commonly sold in vials that feature a small injector needle or can be crushed to release the drug.
Each dose of Minagen X3 upgrades the ability of all Biotic checks by one, provided they are able to use biotic abilities. When inhaled, this effect lasts until the end of the character's next turn, when injected, the effect persists until the end of the encounter. Additionally, any character exposed to Minagen X3 must make an Average (dd) Resilience Check for a single dose or a Hard (ddd) Resilience Check for two or more doses or suffer 2 wounds. If injected, the difficulty of this check is upgraded once.
Red Sand
Red sand is a stimulant with biotic-enhancing properties, originally created by criminal triads on Mars from refined element zero. It finds high use among non-biotic friends and relatives of biotics, often out of a misguided desire to understand what their loved ones are experiencing. The substance is sold in small bags of powder and its sale is considered legal on multiple worlds in the Terminus systems, as well as on Illium (provided the vendor has a permit). When taken nasally, the drug creates a brief but intense euphoria and grants the user short-term biotic abilities. However, its use comes with noticable sideeffects such as red-tinted vision and discoloured teeth and it is addictive even in small doses.
A character taking a dose of red sand who has no ranks in Biotics counts as having 1 rank in Biotics. They may use biotic abilities even if they were normally unable to, but they may not add any modifiers to the powers they use. A character who already possesses biotic abilities adds b to all Biotics check for each dose taken. Asari and Batarians are immune to red sand.
Videlicit
A complex chemical stimulant that improves short-term memory and mental focus. It is a favourite among people having to work in investigation, negotiation or other businesses that benefit from quick wits and heightened senses. The substance is legal but traditionally regulated through prescriptions. Long-term use may prove addictive.
A dose of videlicit lasts for one encounter and allows the user to add b to all Cunning and Presence based checks until the end of the encounter.
Table 1: Gear and Equipment
| Item | Price | Encum | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cybernetics | |||
| Emotional Response Analyzer | 4,000 | - | 8 |
| Concussion Fist | 4,750 | - | 7 |
| Retinal Tracker Implant | 2,500 | - | 6 |
| Medical | |||
| Antishock Blanket | 250 | 2 | 2 |
| Bioscan | 2,000 | 1 | 2 |
| Nullicaine | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| Plasma Protein Replicator | 2,500 | 3 | 4 |
| Spray-On Cast | 55 | 1 | 1 |
| Drugs | |||
| Creeper (1 dose) | 30 | 0 | 7 |
| Hallex (10 doses) | (R) 500 | 1 | 6 |
| Minagen X3 (1 dose) | (R) 125 | 1 | 9 |
| Minagen X3 (20 dose container) | (R) 2,500 | 6 | 9 |
| Red Sand (1 dose) | (R) 100 | 0 | 6 |
| Red Sand (20 dose crate) | (R) 2,000 | 2 | 8 |
| Videlicit (1 dose) | 25 | 0 | 4 |
| Detection, Security and Surveilance | |||
| Lockpick Set | (R) 115 | 1 | 6 |
| Micro Surveilance Drone | (R) 1,200 | 0 | 6 |
| Surveilance Scanner | 750 | 2 | 5 |
| Survival | |||
| Camouflage Netting (Roll) | 100 | 4 | 3 |
| Portable Power Generator | 500 | 10 | 2 |
Detection, Security and Surveilance
Lockpick Set
A small collection of probes, picks, tension spanners, and other tools used to open mechanical locks. There are some commercially available sets, sold typically to hobbyists and locksmiths, however professional infiltrators and lockbreakers may prefer more personalized sets with additional more niche tools to help with more difficult locks.
A lockpick set counts as a tool kit for the purposes of opening mechanical and simple electrical locks.
Micro Surveilance Drone
A tiny autonomous drone, small enough to fit in a human palm, but outfitted with a camera, microphone, and small antenna to relay all data gathered to any linked datapad or omnitool. A favourite amongst spies and private detectives, these devices can easily be planted on a person or programmed to make their way through vents and pipes.
Planting this device without being noticed requires an opposed Skulduggery versus Vigilance check. Once in place, a character trying to detect the bug must make a Daunting (dddd) Vigilance or Perception check to locate it.
Surveilance Scanner
Surveillance scanners are handheld devices used to detect active and passive surveillance systems. Typically used to check roomsfor bugs or searchfor hidden observers or electronic surveillance, these scanners can detect and locate comms signals, electromagnetic fields, power fluctuations, and more, depending on the model.
Surveillance scanners have a range of up to long, and using them upgrades the ability of any checks made to locate bugs, sweep roomsfor hidden cameras, pick up data streams, or engage in any other counter-surveillance activities once.
Survival
Camouflage Netting (Roll)
This sophisticated and versatile camouflage is often used by military and paramilitary organizations to conceal encampments, supply caches, vehicles and other high-value assets. Made from photoreactive fibers that mimic their surroundings, it is a cheap and quick solution for disguising presence.
The netting upgrades the difficulty of all Perception checks to detect items hidden by it once. One roll of netting can conceal an object of up to silhouette 2, two rolls can conceal an object of up to silhouette 3. An object of silhouette 4 or larger is too large to be concealed by the netting alone.
Portable Power Generator
Out in the field, power is just as important as food, water, medical supplies and ammunition. As such, many independently working teams, or adventuring parties chose to bring along a generator to supply them with power for the various other pieces of equipment they carry.
A portable power generator can supply energy to various pieces of equipment and even larger pieces of machinery. Limitations for the size of machinery or compatability are left to the GM's discretion.
| Cargo | Price | Encumbrance | Rarity | Examples | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Goods | ||||||
| Low-Tier Technology | 3,000 | 4 | 2 | Furniture, clothing, decorations | ||
| Mid-Tier Technology | 5,400 | 4 | 4 | Household appliances, terminals | ||
| High-Tier Technology | 6,000 | 4 | 6 | Security scanners, surveillance gear | ||
| Common Minerals | 1,500 | 10 | 5 | Unrefined common ores; aluminium, copper, graphite, iron | ||
| Rare Minerals | 2,500 | 10 | 7 | Unrefined rare ores; iridium, osmium, platinum, titanium, vanadium | ||
| Common Metals | 2,400 | 10 | 4 | Refined common metals, see minerals above | ||
| Rare Metals | 3,400 | 10 | 6 | Refined rare metals, see minerals above | ||
| Element Zero | 35,000 | 10 | 9 | The unique material responsible for the mass effect | ||
| Foodstuffs | 1,500 | 6 | 2 | Rations, vegetables, animal products, tomato sauce | ||
| Medicine | 4,200 | 4 | 5 | Common medication, saline solutions, protective gear, medical tools | ||