Away Team – Characters

Characters
- Stats
--- 5 of them, range 1 to 5, 2 is average

- Skills
--- range 0 to 3, skill talent

- Talents
--- core and additional

- Archetype

- extras
--- hp and stress
--- focus

Player Agenda
- You’re a hero
- You’re a human/mortal
- In battle, bonds are forged

Session 0
Session 0, or the prep-session, is….

Before you start

Before you start making characters during session 0, it’s a good idea to have discussed Crews (pg.
xxx), Missions (pg. xxx), Settlements (pg. xxx) and the Setting and Setting Truths (pg. xxx).

Characters
before you start
- think about and discuss character concepts. Do this as a group if possible.

Attributes
- 5, like many pbta (Brawn, Agility, Brains, Wits, Charm)
- 8, 7, 6, 6, 5 (standard array)
- don’t increase over time (but might be able to swap them???)
- additional +1 to any attribute from background

- brawn (force)
- agility (co-ordination)
- brains
- wits (sharp)
- charm

Skills
- come in levels, 1 to 5
- can trigger additional hits when making moves, if fictionally appropriate
- at level 1, also come with an associated ability (see Uncharted Worlds)
---- (gunslinger, ranger, cqc, infiltration
- ‘unskilled’ characters (don’t really exist)

Skills

Academics
Activities: - history, geography, art/design, xenobiology
Skill Ability: Can Spend any data point that they have to ask The MC a question about subject on
which they don’t have a data point. They choose which data point they lose.

Athletics
- athletics, acrobatics,
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Computing
- programming, hacking, technician
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Investigation
- research, deduction, searching
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Larceny
- larceny,- sleight of hand, lock picking, palming
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Lore
- religion, nature, bureaucracy
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Mechanics
- engineering, repair, designing, construction
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Melee
- blades, bludgeons, unarmed
Activities:
Skill Ability:
Observation
- insight, empathy, perception
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Persuasion
- deception, rhetoric, negotiate/barter
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Piloting
- riding, sailing, driving, flying, astronavigation
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Presence
Presence is….
Activities: performance, intimidation, command, etiquette
Skill Ability: A individual skilled in presence….

Ranged
- archery, firearms, gunnery, thrown, tricks
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Stealth
- shadowing, sneaking, hiding
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Survival
- animal handling, wilderness survival, streetwise, navigation, tracking
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Tech Use
- drones, medical, engineering
Activities:
Skill Ability:

Talents
- the specialised moves and abilities that come from archetypes
- some talents are passive abilities and some are entire new moves made available to the character.

- find archetype talents with the arachetypes and general talents at the end of the chapter.

- general talents???
----- second background skill
----- talent from other archetype
Archetypes
- character types/classes available to players (warrior, rogue, wizard etc.)
- archetype skill list
- core talent(s)
- archetype focus (‘sub-class’)
- additional talents

- choose additional talent and spend skill points

Focus
- second wind: gain 1d6 health points
- focus: gain positive momentum
- apply yourself: act as if skilled 3, don’t gain skill ability.
- shrug it off: ignore one cost
- gain boon
- some abilities/moves

Renown
- starts at 0, goes up to 5
- can be used in place of skills
- can be a pre-requisite for things

Creation
- talk with the group and conceptualise etc.
- assign attributes
- create background, choose background skill and +1 attribute
- choose archetype and apply to character
- choose 2 additional talents (archetype or general)
- pick equipment
- make hooks/connections
- record health, spirit, focus etc.
- record name, pronouns, descriptive tags etc.
 Archetypes
Each character will have an archetype.

Elements of an Archetype
- skill list
This is the list of available skills to a character of this archetype. They pick a selection of the skills
from this list at character creation, and can gain the other ones as they complete missions/episode
and gain XP.

- core talent
Core talents are abilities which every member of this archetype has and that they gain automatically
at character creation. There is usually just one core talent but there can be more, depending on
archetype.

- career focus

- additional talents

- XP Trigger

- Descriptor Tag Suggestions

- hooks and connections

Applying archetype
- choose 2 skills
- core talent
- choose focus
- record XP Trigger

Archetypes
- soldier
----- hoplite (shield), blademaster (single handed), commander

- barbarian
----- ajax (two-handed), berzerker

- ranger (wayfinder)
----- beastmaster, scout (archer), skirmisher (archer)

- rogue (scoundrel)
----- thief, assassin, charlatan

- bard
----- singer, loremaster, battle

- mage
----- boom (elementalist), seer, illusionist

----- have an ‘office’, a mechanical archetype and narrative role that they fill on the ship.
---------- security,
---------- science, (physics and biology)
---------- medical, (including counselling)
---------- engineering,
---------- ambassador
---------- weird
---------- operations
---------- specialist (piloting/helmsperson, navigator)

- Soldier (warrior/fighter)
- Operative (rogue/ranger)
- Scoundrel (face/bard/rogue)
- Specialist (skill/profession expert)
- Psion (space wizard)
- Engineer (tech person)
- Pilot (it’s sci-fi in space and there are probably vehicles)

The Soldier
Every monster hunting party needs a few good fighters. Even with the best intentions, the going
often ‘gets rough’.

Skill List
-

Team Attack Ability

-

Core Talent
Weapon Master (Core Soldier Talent)
You have trained in the most effective use of weapons. Pick one of the following options. You can
use it whenever you use an applicable weapon and action in combat.
- Eye to Eye: You gain a +1 equipment bonus whenever you use a melee weapon to make an
Attack, Flurry or Combat Maneuver action.
- Eagle Eyed: You gain a +1 equipment bonus whenever you use a ranged weapon to make an
Attack, Burst or Combat Maneuver action.
- Brutal: When you use a melee weapon in combat to take an Attack or Flurry action, you add an
additional d3 damage on a successful hit. This additional damage is added before any reductions.
- Deadeye: When you use a ranged weapon in combat to take an Attack or Burst action, you add an
additional d3 damage on a successful hit. This additional damage is added before any reductions.

Career
- hoplite (shield)

- blademaster (single-handed)

- commander

Additional Talents
- Action surge

- second weapon master:

A soldier with this talent can spend an additional X Xp to purchase a second option from those
presented above. The same option can not be chosen multiple times. This extra can be taken once.)

- Slings and Arrows:

Once per scene, can use the Second Wind focus power without the need to spend a focus point.

- Combat Tricks:
Can perform advanced combat manoeuvrers at the cost of focus. Choose a number of them from
list. Once per action scene, can use a combat trick without the need to spend focus.
Extra
- can use tricks for free twice per scene
- purchase additional tricks

- signature weapon

- trained in armours

Marine

Veteran (Marine Core Talent)

- Once per encounter, can use a Combat Manoeuvre as part of a regular Attack action for free.
- core talent: combat trick (once per action scene, can use a combat trick without spending focus)
Commander

Battlefield Tactics (Commander Core Talent)

- Once per turn, can issue a command to a single ally (1AP)
(Move, Move, Move / On My Mark / Rally / Bring it Down / )
Extra
- Can spend 1 focus to issue a command to upto 3 allies with the same action (1AP).

Senior Officer (Optional Commander Talent)

-

- secondary talent: loud voice (more than 1 target for commands)

XP Trigger
-

Suggested Narrative Tags

- muscled, tanned, athletic

Hooks and Connections

-
-

The Barbarian
Every monster hunting party needs a few good fighters. Even with the best intentions, the going
often ‘gets rough’.

Skill List
-
Team Attack Ability
-

Core Talent
Combat Haze (Vanguard Core Talent)
- Reduced damage- : adrenalin surge (damage resistance and ignore wound penalties)

Career
- ajax (two-handed)

- berserker

Additional Talents
- Action surge

- core extra (A soldier with this talent can spend an additional X Xp to purchase a second option
from those presented above. The same option can not be chosen multiple times. This extra can be
taken once.)

- Back in the Fight (passive, focus)

Adrenaline is your friend. This feat alters the Second Wind focus power. When you use it, you can
roll 2d6 when seeing how many Health boxes you recover, rather than 1d6.

- Shrug It Off (passive)

- ignore wounded
Extras
- ignore heavily wounded

Prime Target (secondary talent)

- threat creation

Razor’s Edge (secondary talent)

- hit bonuses and penalties

- quick to anger
You, and your side, always acts first in combat as long as you aren’t being surprise or ambushed.

XP Trigger
-

Suggested Narrative Tags

- muscled, tanned, athletic
Hooks and Connections
-
-

The Wayfinder
Every monster hunting party needs a few good fighters. Even with the best intentions, the going
often ‘gets rough’.

Skill List
-

Team Attack Ability

-

Core Talent
Weapon Master (Core Soldier Talent)
You have trained in the most effective use of weapons. Pick one of the following options. You can
use it whenever you use an applicable weapon and action in combat.
- Eye to Eye: You gain a +1 equipment bonus whenever you use a melee weapon to make an
Attack, Flurry or Combat Maneuver action.
- Eagle Eyed: You gain a +1 equipment bonus whenever you use a ranged weapon to make an
Attack, Burst or Combat Maneuver action.
- Brutal: When you use a melee weapon in combat to take an Attack or Flurry action, you add an
additional d3 damage on a successful hit. This additional damage is added before any reductions.
- Deadeye: When you use a ranged weapon in combat to take an Attack or Burst action, you add an
additional d3 damage on a successful hit. This additional damage is added before any reductions.

- Hunter
bonuses to finding things and looking out.

Career
- beastmaster
you have a beast friend

- scout (archer)

- Skirmisher

Additional Talents
- Action surge

- core extra (A soldier with this talent can spend an additional X Xp to purchase a second option
from those presented above. The same option can not be chosen multiple times. This extra can be
taken once.)

- eyes of night

- survivalist

- trapper

XP Trigger
-
Suggested Narrative Tags
- weathered

Hooks and Connections

-
-
 The Scoundrel
Every monster hunting party needs a few good fighters. Even with the best intentions, the going
often ‘gets rough’.

Skill List
-

Team Attack Ability

-

Core Talent
- Skill Focus (passive) 1
- choose skill. 6’s explode
- special: increasing cost (increase in tier / multiplier??)

- Skill Mastery (passive) 3

- choose skill
- always roll with advantage
- special: increasing cost (multiplier)

Career
- Thief
breaking and entering

- Assassin
sneak attack

- Charlatan
snake oil

Additional Talents
- Jack of all Trades (passive)
- when you take a test and are not already using a skill (adding dice for skills to the dice pool), you
may add one dice, as if you had the first level of an appropriate skill.

- Cunning Combatant (passive)

When in combat, you rely on your speed of thought, mental co-ordination and spacial awareness
rather than your physical prowess. This is particularly useful when using weapons that are quicker
and easier to wield. You can roll+Wits when using light weapons to make attacks, instead of using
+brawn or +agility.
Special: A character with the Martial Artist talent (pg. xxx) can use this talent if they treat their unarmed attacks as light
weapons.
Extras
Choose one kind of medium weapon (longswords, heavy pistols, auto-rifles etc. Talk to your MC if
you need guidance or clarification as to which weapons would count), you can use Cunning
Combatant with this kind of weapon in addition to light weapons.
Special: A character with the Martial Artist talent (pg. xxx) can choose ‘unarmed’ as the weapon type when purchasing
this extra.

- Artful Dodger
- can dodge twice a round if using the dodge reaction
Extras
- evasive: can dodge once per round in addition to another (non-dodge) reaction.
- really artful: can dodge 3 times a round when using the dodge reaction, instead of twice.

- disarm
locks and traps

- additional skill
Gain an additional non-archetype skill. When you take this talent, the skill starts at level 2.

- danger sense
You get a bad feeling about this. You cant be surprised or ambushed in combat.

XP Trigger
-

Suggested Narrative Tags

- muscled, tanned, athletic

Hooks and Connections

-
-
 The Bard
Every monster hunting party needs a few good fighters. Even with the best intentions, the going
often ‘gets rough’.

Skill List
-

Team Attack Ability

- +1 pure damage for each PC involved in the move.

Core Talent
Weapon Master (Core Soldier Talent)
You have trained in the most effective use of weapons. Pick one of the following options. You can
use it whenever you use an applicable weapon and action in combat.
- Eye to Eye: You gain a +1 equipment bonus whenever you use a melee weapon to make an
Attack, Flurry or Combat Maneuver action.
- Eagle Eyed: You gain a +1 equipment bonus whenever you use a ranged weapon to make an
Attack, Burst or Combat Maneuver action.
- Brutal: When you use a melee weapon in combat to take an Attack or Flurry action, you add an
additional d3 damage on a successful hit. This additional damage is added before any reductions.
- Deadeye: When you use a ranged weapon in combat to take an Attack or Burst action, you add an
additional d3 damage on a successful hit. This additional damage is added before any reductions.

Career
- singer

- loremaster

- battle bard

Additional Talents
- Action surge

- core extra (A soldier with this talent can spend an additional X Xp to purchase a second option
from those presented above. The same option can not be chosen multiple times. This extra can be
taken once.)
- minor magical talent

- major magical talent

XP Trigger
-

Suggested Narrative Tags

- muscled, tanned, athletic

Hooks and Connections

-
-
 The Magi
Every monster hunting party needs a few good fighters. Even with the best intentions, the going
often ‘gets rough’.

Skill List
- lore

Team Attack Ability

- team attack damage counts as magical.

Core Talent
- Spellcaster
----- Choose a stat
----- Cast a Spell (move)
----- Choose spells (3)

- Minor Wonders
----- (prestidigitation/thaumaturgy/cantrips)

- Magical Scholar
Whenever you take the Gain Additional Spell talent from the additional talents of this archetype,
you gain knowledge of 2 new spells, instead of one. These spells can be from the same or different
schools.

Career
- Mancer (boom)
The Mancer is a magi who’s focus is the physical and the elements. Count as skilled (2) when
casting X (elements or material) spells. Gain an additional spell from X (the elements or material)
spell list.

- Illusionist (illusion/enchantment)
Count as skilled (2) when casting X (mind or prime) spells. Gain an additional spell from X (the
mind or prime) spells list.
- Soothsayer (divination)
The soothsayer is a seer. They live in a world dominated by space, time and fate. Count as skilled
(2) when casting X (seeing or prime) spells. Gain an additional spell from X (the seeing or prime)
spells list.

Additional Talents
- Gain additional spell.
Choose a spell to learn from any of the schools of magic.

- career mastery
----- increase effective skill level

- Rote Spell
------ cheaper focus cost

- Signature Spell
------ advantage on spell casting roll

- Ritual Casting
------ Can extend the casting time of any spell they Invoke to 1 scene, don’t need to spend focus to
cast the spell. Still take stress damage on a failure.

- Metamagic (weaving)

- Breadth of knowledge
----- Free extra spell choice daily. Has to be of a level they could cast (i.e. equal or under thier
Invoking Skill level)

- Use Arcane Focus

----- can use something to gain a +1 equipment bonus when using the Cast a Spell move.

XP Trigger
-

Suggested Narrative Tags

- muscled, tanned, athletic

Hooks and Connections

-
-

SPELL Name
Spell effect and description
- lesser effect (possible cost)
- greater effect (boon)

spell schools
- elements
- mind
- spirit
- body (material)
- space / time / fate

General Talents
General Talents

Resilient (passive)
- Tier: 2 - Prerequisite: n/a.
You are mentally tough, used to shrugging of set backs or wilfully facing down difficult situations.
Alternatively, you just don’t care or don’t seem to notice. Why ever it may be, you gain an
additional 5 stress boxes (to a total of 15) that can be filled before you acquire a trauma and the
stress track resets.
Extras
Nothing fazes you, at all. You are very mentally resilient and gain a further 5 stress boxes (to a total
of 20).
Hardy (passive)
Having seen many a combat and much training, or just naturally, you know how to take a beating.
Your body can take a surprising amount of punishment before it succumbs to injury. You gain an
additional 4 Health boxes (16 total) which can be filled before you fall unconscious and gain an
injury. Theses don’t change the point at which you are wounded (6 remaining) or heavily wounded
(3 remaining).
Extras
Others are stunned by the amount of damage and punishment you can go through. When you
purchase this extra, you gain a further 4 Health boxes (20 total). You can purchase this extra a
second time to gain even more Health, another 4 Health boxes (24 total).

Tough (passive)
- you can have an additional injury (4 rather than 3) before you die/have to retire.

Trick Rider
- bonus (adv.) to tricks when riding an animal or vehicular mount
- defensive bonus (+1d.) in combat while mounted

Personal Development (passive) 2

- take a second background skill and gain it’s talent.

General Career Talents

Expanded Horizons (25XP)
- take non-core talent from another archetype
- can be taken up to three times

Career Focussed (35XP)

- take the core talent of another archetype. You don’t gain a career in that archetype.

Combat Talents

Rapid Reload (passive)

For whatever reason; pure experience, excellent technique, personalised tinkering with hardware
and software etc. you can ignore the reload property of any of the weapons that you use.

Two Weapon Fighter (passive)

- choose melee or ranged, no -1 when using those weapons in two weapon fighting.
Extras
- Two Weapon expert: choose the other weapon type, can now gain the bonus with those weapons as
well.
- Dual Savagery: do normal damage (not half) with second weapon.

Weapon Focus (passive)

- choose a weapon type: Melee light, medium, heavy, ranged light, medium or heavy.
- add attribute to damage when using those types of weapons
Special: A character with the Martial Artist talent (pg. xxx) can choose ‘unarmed’ as the weapon type when purchasing
this talent.
Extras
- choose additional weapon type.

Martial Artist (passive)

- can use agility
- medium not light weapons
- can act as if two weapon fighting
Extras
- Haymakers: when not two weapon fighting, can act as a single heavy weapon.
- Rough and Tumble: grappling

Combat Trick (active, focus)

- cool moves

Sniper
- ranged combat speciality

Brute
- heavy melee combat

Tech Talents
- computing, drones, engineering etc.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weapon Master (Core Soldier Talent)

You have trained in the most effective use of weapons. Pick one of the following options. You can
use it whenever you use an applicable weapon and action in combat.
- Eye to Eye: You gain a +1 equipment bonus whenever you use a melee weapon to make an
Attack, Flurry or Combat Maneuver action.
- Eagle Eyed: You gain a +1 equipment bonus whenever you use a ranged weapon to make an
Attack, Burst or Combat Maneuver action.
- Brutal: When you use a melee weapon in combat to take an Attack or Flurry action, you add an
additional d3 damage on a successful hit. This additional damage is added before any reductions.
- Deadeye: When you use a ranged weapon in combat to take an Attack or Burst action, you add an
additional d3 damage on a successful hit. This additional damage is added before any reductions.
Extra
A soldier with this talent can spend an additional X Xp to purchase a second option from those
presented above. The same option can not be chosen multiple times. This extra can be taken once.

Dangerous:
Once per action scene, can gain +1AP without the need to spend focus. This AP can only be spent to
make an attack, meaning they can make two attacks or an attack and a second action in the same
turn.
Extra
- can use it twice per scene.

Operative (The Rogue)

(scoundrel, spy, assassin, gunslinger, martial artist, bounty hunter, scout, outrider???)

Psion (The Wizard)

Face (The Face)

(fixer, performer/starlet, trader/charlatan

Fixer

Performer

???

Specialist (The Skilled)

(artisan??, scientist/savant, priest/cleric???
- core talent: Skill Focus (choose skill, full re-roll once per scene. +1 skill point)

Hacker

Scientist/academic

Medic

Engineer (The Techy)

(artisan???
- fix it up (core)
Drone Controller

Control Two (core)

Either give two drones an action or give one drone both an action and a manoeuvre.

Drone Nexus (secondary)

When not directly controlling a drone but networked with it, the drone gains a +1 dice bonus to all
Action Tests that it makes.

Mechanic

Artisan
- builder/designer

Pilot (The Specific)

(outrider???)

- Ace (core)- core talent: ace (once per scene, full re-roll of piloting test)

- basic mechanics

- stunt driver

Fighter

Racer

Captain
- core talent: commands (action scenes, spaceship battle only)

----- have an ‘office’, a mechanical archetype and narrative role that they fill on the ship.
---------- security,
---------- science, (physics and biology)
---------- medical, (including counselling)
---------- engineering,
---------- ambassador
---------- weird
---------- operations
---------- specialist (piloting/helmsperson, navigator)

- Soldier (warrior/fighter)
- Operative (rogue/ranger)
- Scoundrel (face/bard/rogue)
- Specialist (skill/profession expert)
- Psion (space wizard)
- Engineer (tech person)
- Pilot (it’s sci-fi in space and there are probably vehicles)