Mass Effect 5e

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Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

MASS EFFECT Copyright 2003-2008 EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Mass Effect, the Mass Effect logo, BioWare, the BioWare logo and the BioWare hands logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. in the United States and other countries.

Mass Effect 5e Homebrew Copyright 2018, Mass Effect 5e; Author Luke Aeschleman, based on original material by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc. and BioWare.

Introduction

The Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game is about storytelling in worlds of swords and sorcery and Mass Effect 5e takes that storytelling to the stars. Both shares elements with childhood games of make-believe. Like those games, D&D is driven by imagination. It’s about picturing the alien landscape beneath the two-sunned sky and imagining how an N7 soldier might react to the challenges that scene presents.

Unlike a game of make-believe, D&D gives structure to the stories, a way of determining the consequences of the operatives’ action. Players roll dice to resolve whether their attacks hit or miss or whether their operatives can scale a cliff, roll away from the strike of a biotic attack, or pull off some other dangerous task. Anything is possible, but the dice make some outcomes more probable than others.

In the Mass Effect 5e game, each player creates an operative (also called a character) and teams up with other operatives (played by friends). Working together, the group might explore a derelict starship, the slums of an inhabited asteroid, the glorious streets of an advanced civilization, an ancient temple deep in a jungle, or the steppes of a mining colony. The operatives can solve puzzles, talk with other characters, battle alien monsters, and discover advanced technologies and relics from a past age.

One player, however, takes on the role of the Galaxy Master (GM), the game’s lead storyteller and referee. The GM creates missions for the characters, who navigate its hazards and decide which paths to explore. The GM might describe the entrance to Osiris Station, and the players decide what they want their operatives to do. Will they jump down to the hanger bay? Propel themselves with jetpacks? Or use a biotic's powers to increase their mass, "affixing" themselves to the surface of the asteroid? Then the GM determines the results of the operatives’ actions and narrates what they experience. Because the GM can improvise to react to anything the players attempt, D&D (and Mass Effect 5e) is infinitely flexible, and each mission can be exciting and unexpected.

The game has no real end; when one story or quest wraps up, another one can begin, creating an ongoing story called a campaign. Many people who play the game keep their campaigns going for months or years, meeting with their friends every week or so to pick up the story where they left off. The operatives grow in might as the campaign continues. Each monster defeated, each mission completed, and each gadget recovered not only adds to the continuing story but also earns the operatives new capabilities. This increase in power is reflected by an operative’s level.

There’s no winning and losing in the Dungeons & Dragons game—at least, not the way those terms are usually understood. Together, the GM and the players create an exciting story of bold operatives who confront deadly perils. Sometimes an operative might come to a grisly end, torn apart by ferocious rachni or done in by a nefarious Cerberus assassin. Even so, the other operatives can search for breaking-edge medical experiments to revive (or clone!) their fallen comrade, or the player might choose to create a new character to carry on. The group might fail to complete a mission successfully, but if everyone had a good time and created a memorable story, they all win.

A Universe to Explore

Mass Effect spans two galaxies: the Milky Way and Andromeda. Both have biotics, advanced tech, brave soldiers and fantastic missions. But the galaxies are vastly different. The Milky Way has been settled by sentient beings for millennia and most of its clusters, star systems, and planets have been charted and explored. It's also home to a variety of sentient alien species, all with their own culture, planets, and colonies, making up a vast galactic community. If you aren't familiar with the first Mass Effect video games, you can read about major events and lore at the Mass Effect Wiki. Specifically, the timeline can get you quickly up to speed to on the events of the galaxy.

The Andromeda Galaxy has a very different feeling. An ancient civilization of "Remnant" seem to exist on every planet, connected by seemingly supernatural threads. Only two known sentient races existed in the Galaxy before the arrival of the Milky Way races. Now the galaxy and its inhabitants are threatened by a widespread energy phenomenon called, The Scourge. The Milky Way races arrived on Arks and are working to settle habitable planets around the galaxy and start a new life. If you'd like to read more about the events of Mass Effect: Andromeda, the wiki has plenty of information.

Both galaxies share the same characteristics that are nascent to Mass Effect, i.e. biotics, tech, and space travel, but each galaxy offers its own zeitgeist and challenges. The Milky Way is mostly explored and contains extensive urban environments. You could easily set an entire campaign on a single planet and, depending on when you set your campaign on the timeline, you might also deal with the impending invasion of the Reapers. In contrast, Andromeda is themed for exploration, survival, and being a pioneer. An operatives' primary goal is that of setting up a thriving civilization in the new galaxy and uncovering its mysterious past. In short, the Milky Way is an urban setting with a defined lore and timeline. Andromeda is rural and more of a sandbox for campaigns.

Your GM might set the campaign in one of these galaxies or on a single planet that he or she created. Because there is so much diversity among the galaxies in Mass Effect and so much unwritten lore, you should check with your GM about any house rules that will affect your play of the game. Ultimately, the Galaxy Master is the authority on the campaign and its setting, even if the setting is a published world.

It is unlikely that your GM will have the campaign span between the two galaxies. The passengers of Andromeda's arks spent 600 years in cryo-sleep. But you could certainly spend part of your campaign in the Milky Way and take a 600-year nap!

Using these Rules

This manual uses the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Basic Rules as its core rule set. If you have never played D&D 5e, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the basic rules first. Most of those rules are replicated and referenced in the rules section of this Player's Manual.

Not repeated here are basic rules for Dungeon (Galaxy) Masters which have additional rules on running successful campaigns.

VARIANT RULES

Occasionally, you'll see a rule preceded by the word "Variant". This means the rule is optional. In some cases, it may replace an existing rule. For example, the Variant: Encumbrance rule replaces the standard Lifting & Carrying rules. In other instances, the rule may be completely ignored. For example, the Paragon & Renegade system adds rules for utilizing paragon and renegade points. While this adds a nice touch of flavor from the original Mass Effect trilogy, it is not required for this system to work, and it can safely be left out of your campaign if desired.

How to Play

The play of the Dungeons & Dragons game (and by extension, Mass Effect 5e) unfolds according to this basic pattern.

1. The GM describes the environment. The GM tells the players where their operatives are and what’s around them, detailing the basic scope of options that present themselves (how many airlocks lead out of a space station, what’s on a table, who’s in the nightclub, and so on).

2. The players describe what they want to do. Sometimes one player speaks for the whole party, saying, “We’ll take the east door,” for example. Other times, different operatives do different things: one operative might search a lock box while a second examines an esoteric symbol spray-painted on a wall and a third keeps a lookout for thugs. The players don’t need to take turns, but the DM listens to every player and decides how to resolve those actions.

Sometimes, resolving a task is easy. If an operative wants to walk across a room and open a door, the GM might just say that the door opens and describe what lies beyond. But the door might be locked, the floor might hide a tripwire, or some other circumstance might make it challenging for an operative to complete a task. In those cases, the GM decides what happens, often relying on the roll of a die to determine the results of an action.

3. The DM narrates the results of the operatives’ actions. Describing the results often leads to another decision point, which brings the flow of the game right back to step 1.

This pattern holds, whether the operatives are cautiously exploring a derelict ship, talking to a devious politician, or locked in a firefight against a squad of Batarian extremists. In certain situations, particularly combat, the action is more structured and the players (and GM) do take turns choosing and resolving actions. But most of the time, play is fluid and flexible, adapting to the circumstances of the mission.

Often the action of a mission takes place in the imagination of the players and GM, relying on the GM’s verbal descriptions to set the scene. Some GMs like to use music, art, or recorded sound effects to help set the mood, and many players and GMs alike adopt different voices for the various operatives, aliens, and other characters they play in the game. Sometimes, a GM might lay out a map and use tokens or miniature figures to represent each creature involved in a scene to help the players keep track of where everyone is.

Game Dice

The game uses polyhedral dice with different numbers of sides. You can find dice like these in game stores and in many bookstores.

In these rules, the different dice are referred to by the letter d followed by the number of sides: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. For instance, a d6 is a six-sided die (the typical cube that many games use).

Percentile dice, or d100, work a little differently. You generate a number between 1 and 100 by rolling two different ten-sided dice numbered from 0 to 9. One die (designated before you roll) gives the tens digit, and the other gives the ones digit. If you roll a 7 and a 1, for example, the number rolled is 71. Two 0s represent 100. Some ten-sided dice are numbered in tens (00, 10, 20, and so on), making it easier to distinguish the tens digit from the ones digit. In this case, a roll of 70 and 1 is 71, and 00 and 0 is 100.

When you need to roll dice, the rules tell you how many dice to roll of a certain type, as well as what modifiers to add. For example, “3d8 + 5” means you roll three eight-sided dice, add them together, and add 5 to the total.

The same d notation appears in the expressions “1d3” and “1d2.” To simulate the roll of 1d3, roll a d6 and divide the number rolled by 2 (round up). To simulate the roll of 1d2, roll any die and assign a 1 or 2 to the roll depending on whether it was odd or even. (Alternatively, if the number rolled is more than half the number of sides on the die, it’s a 2.)

The D20

Does an operative’s Scimitar shotgun blast hurt a Reaper Brute or just bounce off its iron-hard skin? Will the asari believe an outrageous bluff? Can a character swim across a raging river? Can a character avoid the blast of a fragmentation grenade, or does he or she take full damage from the explosion? In cases where the outcome of an action is uncertain, the game relies on rolls of a 20-sided die, a d20, to determine success or failure.

Every character and monster in the game has capabilities defined by six ability scores. The abilities are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, and they typically range from 3 to 18 for most operatives. (Monsters might have scores as low as 1 or as high as 30.) These ability scores, and the ability modifiers derived from them, are the basis for almost every d20 roll that a player makes on a character’s or monster’s behalf.

Ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws are the three main kinds of d20 rolls, forming the core of the rules of the game. All three follow these simple steps.

1. Roll the die and add a modifier. Roll a d20 and add the relevant modifier. This is typically the modifier derived from one of the six ability scores, and it sometimes includes a proficiency bonus to reflect a character’s particular skill. (See chapter 1 for details on each ability and how to determine an ability’s modifier.)

2. Apply circumstantial bonuses and penalties. A class feature, a spell, a particular circumstance, or some other effect might give a bonus or penalty to the check.

3. Compare the total to a target number. If the total equals or exceeds the target number, the ability check, attack roll, or saving throw is a success. Otherwise, it’s a failure. The GM is usually the one who determines target numbers and tells players whether their ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws succeed or fail.

The target number for an ability check or a saving throw is called a Difficulty Class (DC). The target number for an attack roll is called an Armor Class (AC).

This simple rule governs the resolution of most tasks in D&D play. Chapter 7 provides more detailed rules for using the d20 in the game.

Advantage and Disadvantage

Sometimes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw is modified by special situations called advantage and disadvantage. Advantage reflects the positive circumstances surrounding a d20 roll, while disadvantage reflects the opposite. When you have either advantage or disadvantage, you roll a second d20 when you make the roll. Use the higher of the two rolls if you have advantage, and use the lower roll if you have disadvantage. For example, if you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and roll those numbers, you use the 17.

More detailed rules for advantage and disadvantage are presented in chapter 7.

Specific Beats General

This compendium contains rules that govern how the game plays. That said, many racial traits, class features, spells, gadgets, monster abilities, and other game elements break the general rules in some way, creating an exception to how the rest of the game works. Remember this: If a specific rule contradicts a general rule, the specific rule wins.

Exceptions to the rules are often minor. For instance, many operatives don’t have proficiency with shotguns, but every soldier does because of a class trait. That trait creates a minor exception in the game. Other examples of rule-breaking are more conspicuous. For instance, an operative can’t normally fly, but some spells and armor mods make that possible. Biotics and tech account for most of the major exceptions to the rules.

Round Down

There’s one more general rule you need to know at the outset. Whenever you divide a number in the game, round down if you end up with a fraction, even if the fraction is one-half or greater.

Missions

The game consists of a group of characters embarking on a mission that the Galaxy Master presents to them. Each character brings particular capabilities to the mission in the form of ability scores and skills, class features, racial traits, equipment, and gadgets. Every character is different, with various strengths and weaknesses, so the best party of operatives is one in which the characters complement each other and cover the weaknesses of their companions. The operatives must cooperate to successfully complete the mission.

The mission is the heart of the game, a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. a mission features a fantastic setting, whether it’s the ruins of an ancient civilization, an asteroid, a stretch of wilderness, or a bustling city. It features a rich cast of characters: the operatives created and played by the other players at the table, as well as nonplayer characters (NPCs). Those characters might be patrons, allies, enemies, hirelings, or just background extras in a mission. Often, one of the NPCs is a villain whose agenda drives much of a mission’s action.

Over the course of their missions, the characters are confronted by a variety of creatures, objects, and situations that they must deal with in some way. Sometimes the operatives and other creatures do their best to kill or capture each other in combat. At other times, the operatives talk to another creature (or even an AI) with a goal in mind. And often, the operatives spend time trying to solve a puzzle, bypass an obstacle, find something hidden, or unravel the current situation. All along, the operatives explore the galaxy, making decisions about which way to travel and what they’ll try to do next.

Aissions vary in length and complexity. A short mission might present only a few challenges, and it might take no more than a single game session to complete. A long mission can involve hundreds of combats, interactions, and other challenges, and take dozens of sessions to play through, stretching over weeks or months of real time. Usually, the end of a mission is marked by the operatives heading back to some form of 'home base' to rest and enjoy the spoils of their labors.

But that’s not the end of the story. You can think of a mission as a single episode of a TV series, made up of multiple exciting scenes. A campaign is the whole series—a string of missions joined together, with a consistent group of operatives following the narrative from start to finish.

The Three Pillars of a mission

Exploration includes both the operatives’ movement through the world and their interaction with objects and situations that require their attention. Exploration is the give-and-take of the players describing what they want their characters to do, and the Galaxy Master telling the players what happens as a result. On a large scale, that might involve the characters spending a day crossing an icy plain or an hour making their way through tunnels of city's transit tube. On the smallest scale, it could mean one character pushing a button on the console to see what happens.

Social interaction features the operatives talking to someone (or something) else. It might mean demanding that a captured soldier reveal the passcode to the enemy's stronghold, getting information from a rescued prisoner, pleading for mercy from a krogan chieftain, or persuading a talkative unshackled AI to unlock a navigation route to a distant planet.

The rules in Using Ability Scores and

Missions support exploration and social interaction.

Combat, the focus of the Combat section, involves characters and other creatures shooting weapons, casting biotics and tech, maneuvering for position, and so on—all in an effort to defeat their opponents, whether that means killing every enemy, taking captives, or forcing a rout. Combat is the most structured element of a game session, with creatures taking turns to make sure that everyone gets a chance to act. Even in the context of a pitched battle, there’s still plenty of opportunity for operatives to attempt wacky stunts like surfing on a drone, to examine the environment (perhaps by pushing a very large red button), and to interact with other creatures, including allies, enemies, and neutral parties.

Part 1

Character Creation

Chapter 1: Step-by-Step Characters

Overview

Your first step in playing an operative in the game is to imagine and create a character of your own. Your character is a combination of game statistics, roleplaying hooks, and your imagination. You choose a race (such as human or asari) and a class (such as sentinel or vanguard). You also invent the personality, appearance, and backstory of your character. Once completed, your character serves as your representative in the game, your avatar in the universe.

Before you dive into step 1 below, think about the kind of operative you want to play. You might be a courageous soldier, a skulking infiltrator, a fervent sentinel, or a flamboyant adept. Or you might be more interested in an unconventional character, such as a brawny engineer who likes hand-to-hand combat, or a sharpshooter who picks off enemies from afar.

Once you have a character in mind, follow these steps in order, making decisions that reflect the character you want. The conception of your character might evolve with each choice you make. What’s important is that you come to the table with a character you’re excited to play.

Throughout this section, the term character sheet means whatever you use to track your character, whether it’s a formal character sheet, some form of digital record, or a piece of notebook paper.

Building Kaleem

Each step of character creation includes an example of that step, with a player named Sam building her salarian character, Kaleem.

1. Choose a Race

Every character belongs to a race, one of the many intelligent humanoid species in the Mass Effect Universe. The most common player character races are asari, humans, krogan, salarians, and turians. Some races also have subraces, such as pure-blood asari or tank-bred krogan. Chapter 2 provides more information about these races.

The race you choose contributes to your character’s identity in an important way, by establishing a general appearance and the natural talents gained from culture and ancestry. Your character’s race grants particular racial traits, such as special senses, proficiency with certain weapons or tools, proficiency in one or more skills, or the ability to use minor spells. These traits sometimes dovetail with the capabilities of certain classes (see step 2). For example, the racial traits of batarians make them exceptional soldiers, and asari tend to be powerful adepts. Sometimes playing against type can be fun, too. salarian soldiers and krogan engineers, for example, can be unusual but memorable characters.

Your race also increases one or more of your ability scores, which you determine in step 3. Note these increases and remember to apply them later.

Record the traits granted by your race on your character sheet. Be sure to note your base speed and size as well.

Building Kaleem, Step 1

Sam is sitting down to create her character. She decides that a wiley salarian fits the character she wants to play and she knows she wants to play with tech spells available to the engineer or infiltrator class, both of which are available classes for the salarian race. She notes all the racial traits of salarians on her character sheet, including her speed of 10m and Medium size.

2. Choose a Class

Every operative is a member of a class. Class broadly describes a character’s vocation, what special talents he or she possesses, and the tactics he or she is most likely to employ when exploring a planet, fighting alien monsters, or engaging in a tense negotiation. The character classes are described in chapter 3.

Your character receives a number of benefits from your choice of class. Many of these benefits are class features — capabilities (including spellcasting) that set your character apart from members of other classes. You also gain a number of proficiencies: armor, weapons, skills, saving throws, and sometimes tools. Your proficiencies define many of the things your character can do particularly well, from using certain weapons to telling a convincing lie.

On your character sheet, record all the features that your class gives you at 1st level

Level

Typically, a character starts at 1st level and advances in level by adventuring and gaining experience points (XP). A 1st-level character is inexperienced in the adventuring world, although he or she might have been a soldier or a space pirate and done dangerous things before.

Starting off at 1st level marks your character’s entry into the adventuring life. If you’re already familiar with the game, or if you are joining an existing ME5e campaign, your GM might decide to have you begin at a higher level, on the assumption that your character has already survived a few harrowing missions.

Record your level on your character sheet. If you’re starting at a higher level, record the additional elements your class gives you for your levels past 1st. Also, record your experience points. A 1st-level character has 0 XP. A higher-level character typically begins with the minimum amount of XP required to reach that level (see “Beyond 1st Level” later in this chapter).

Quick Build

Each class description in chapter 3 includes a section offering suggestions to quickly build a character of that class, including how to assign your highest ability scores, a background suitable to the class, and starting spells.

Hit Points and Hit Die

Your character’s hit points define how tough your character is in combat and other dangerous situations. Your hit points are determined by your Hit Dice (short for Hit Point Dice).

At 1st level, your character has 1 Hit Die, and the die type is determined by your class. You start with hit points equal to the highest roll of that die, as indicated in your class description. (You also add your Constitution modifier, which you’ll determine in step 3.) This is also your hit point maximum.

Record your character’s hit points on your character sheet. Also, record the type of Hit Die your character uses and the number of Hit Dice you have. After you rest, you can spend Hit Dice to regain hit points (see Resting in chapter 8).

Proficiency Bonus

The table that appears in your class description shows your proficiency bonus, which is +2 for a 1st-level character. Your proficiency bonus applies to many of the numbers you’ll be recording on your character sheet:

• Attack rolls using weapons you’re proficient with
• Attack rolls with spells you cast
• Ability checks using skills you’re proficient in
• Ability checks using tools you’re proficient with
• Saving throws you’re proficient in
• Saving throw DCs for spells you cast (explained in each spellcasting class)

Your class determines your weapon proficiencies, your saving throw proficiencies, and some of your skill and tool proficiencies. (Skills are described in Using Ability Scores, tools in Equipment.) Your background gives you additional skill and tool proficiencies, and some races give you more proficiencies. Be sure to note all of these proficiencies, as well as your proficiency bonus, on your character sheet.

Your proficiency bonus can’t be added to a single die roll or other number more than once. Occasionally, your proficiency bonus might be modified (doubled or halved, for example) before you apply it. If a circumstance suggests that your proficiency bonus applies more than once to the same roll or that it should be multiplied more than once, you nevertheless add it only once, multiply it only once, and halve it only once.

Building Kaleem, Step 2

Sam imagines Keleem firing tech spells from the safety of cover. She makes Kaleem an engineer and notes the engineers’ proficiencies and 1st-level class features on her character sheet.

As a 1st-level engineer, Kaleem has 1 Hit Die, a d8, and starts with hit points equal to 8 + her Constitution modifier. Sam notes this and will record the final number after she determines Kaleem’s Constitution score (see step 3). Sam also notes the proficiency bonus for a 1st-level character, which is +2.

3. Determine Ability Scores

Much of what your character does in the game depends on his or her six abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each ability has a score, which is a number you record on your character sheet.

The six abilities and their use in the game are described in chapter 7. The Ability Score Summary provides a quick reference for what qualities are measured by each ability, what races increases which abilities, and what classes consider each ability particularly important.

Ability Score Summary

• Measures: Natural athleticism, bodily power
• Important for: Soldiers, vanguards
• Racial Increases:

  ---

  • Elcor (+2) Krogan (+1)
  • Geth (+1) Turian (+1)
  • Human (+1)

• Measures: Physical agility, reflexes, balance, poise
• Important for: Soldiers, infiltrators, engineers
• Racial Increases:

  ---

  • Drell (+2) Quarian (+1)
  • Vorcha (+2) Salarian (+1)
  • Human (+1) Turian (+1)
  • Prothean (+1)

• Measures: Health, stamina, vital force
• Important for: Everyone
• Racial Increases:

  ---

  • Batarian (+2) Human (+1)
  • Krogan (+2) Turian (+1)
  • Angara (+1) Vorcha (+1)

• Measures: Mental acuity, information recall, analytical skill
• Important for: Engineer, infiltrator, sentinel
• Racial Increases:

  ---

  • Geth (+2) Quarian (+1)
  • Salarian (+2) Volus (+1)
  • Human (+1)

• Measures: Awareness, intuition, insight, biotic capabilities
• Important for: Adept, vanguard, sentinel
• Racial Increases:

  ---

  • Hanar (+2) Drell (+1)
  • Prothean (+2) Elcor (+1)
  • Volus (+2) Human (+1)
  • Asari (+1)

• Measures: Confidence, eloquence, leadership
• Important for: Adept, vanguard, sentinel
• Racial Increases: Asari, performers, politicians

  ---

  • Angara (+2) Hanar (+1)
  • Asari (+2) Human (+1)
  • Batarian (+2)

You generate your character’s six ability scores randomly. Roll four 6-sided dice and record the total of the highest three dice on a piece of scratch paper. Do this five more times, so that you have six numbers. If you want to save time or don’t like the idea of randomly determining ability scores, you can use the following scores instead: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.

Now take your six numbers and write each number beside one of your character’s six abilities to assign scores to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Afterward, make any changes to your ability scores as a result of your race choice.

After assigning your ability scores, determine your ability modifiers using the Ability Scores and Modifiers table. To determine an ability modifier without consulting the table, subtract 10 from the ability score and then divide the result by 2 (round down). Write the modifier next to each of your scores.

Ability Scores and Modifiers

Building Kaleem, Step 3

Sam decides to use the standard set of scores (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) for Kaleem’s abilities. Since she’s an engineer, she puts her highest score, 15, in Intelligence. Her next-highest, 14, goes in Dexterity. Kaleem might be a charismatic, good leader, but Sam decides she wants the salarian to be tougher and stronger than most of her kind, so she puts decent scores in Strength and Constitution. After applying her racial benefits (increasing Kaleems’s Intelligence by 2 and her Dexterity by 1), Kaleem’s ability scores and modifiers look like this: Strength 12 (+1), Dexterity 15 (+2), Constitution 13 (+1), Intelligence 17 (+3), Wisdom 10 (0), Charisma 8 (-1).

Sam fills in Kaleem’s final hit points: 8 + her Constitution modifier of +1, for a total of 9 hit points.

Variant: Customizing Ability Scores

At your Galaxy Master’s option, you can use this variant for determining your ability scores. The method described here allows you to build a character with a set of ability scores you choose individually.

You have 27 points to spend on your ability scores. The cost of each score is shown on the Ability Score Point Cost table. For example, a score of 14 costs 7 points. Using this method, 15 is the highest ability score you can end up with, before applying racial increases. You can’t have a score lower than 8.

This method of determining ability scores enables you to create a set of three high numbers and three low ones (15, 15, 15, 8, 8, 8), a set of numbers that are above average and nearly equal (13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 12), or any set of numbers between those extremes.

Ability Score Point Cost

4. Describe Your Character

Once you know the basic game aspects of your character, it’s time to flesh him or her out as a person. Your character needs a name. Spend a few minutes thinking about what he or she looks like and how he or she behaves in general terms.

Using the information in chapter 4, you can flesh out your character’s physical appearance and personality traits. Choose your character’s alignment (the moral compass that guides his or her decisions) and ideals. Chapter 4 also helps you identify the things your character holds most dear, called bonds, and the flaws that could one day undermine him or her.

Your character’s background describes where he or she came from, his or her original occupation, and the character’s place in the Mass Effect universe. Your GM might offer additional backgrounds beyond the ones included in chapter 4, and might be willing to work with you to craft a background that’s a more precise fit for your character concept.

A background gives your character a background feature (a general benefit) and proficiency in two skills, and it might also give you proficiency with certain kinds of tools. Record this information, along with the personality information you develop, on your character sheet.

Your Character's Abilities

Take your character’s ability scores and race into account as you flesh out his or her appearance and personality. A very strong character with low Intelligence might think and behave very differently from a very smart character with low Strength.

For example, high Strength usually corresponds with a burly or athletic body, while a character with low Strength might be scrawny or plump.

A character with high Dexterity is probably lithe and slim, while a character with low Dexterity might be either gangly and awkward or heavy and thick-fingered.

A character with high Constitution usually looks healthy, with bright eyes and abundant energy. A character with low Constitution might be sickly or frail.

A character with high Intelligence might be highly inquisitive and studious, while a character with low Intelligence might speak simply or easily forget details.

A character with high Wisdom has good judgment, empathy, and a general awareness of what’s going on. A character with low Wisdom might be absent-minded, foolhardy, or oblivious.

A character with high Charisma exudes confidence, which is usually mixed with a graceful or intimidating presence. A character with a low Charisma might come across as abrasive, inarticulate, or timid.

Building Kaleem, Step 4

Sam lets her ability scores influence the type of character Kaleem is: her high Intelligence suggests a rapid, focused mind, higher Strength and Constitution suggest a healthy, athletic body, and her low Charisma suggests stand-offish or awkward social decorum.

Sam fills in some of Kaleem’s basic details: her name, her sex (female), her height and weight, and the fact that she is missing a cranial ridge (making her unattractive being by salarian standards).

Sam picks a lawful alignment for Kaleem, as she buys into the tradition of the Blue Suns and respects their codes. Kaleem's lack of empathy makes her neutral in her disposition for moral codes.

Sam decides that Kaleem comes from a lowly background, rummaging the slums of Omega. When she was caught stealing equipment from the Blue Suns, the general spared her life but put her to work scrapping and repairing weapons, mechs, and other tech. Sam chooses the scrapper background fro Kaleem. She notes the proficiencies and special feature this background gives her.

Sam has a pretty clear picture of Kaleem’s personality in mind, so she skips the personality traits suggested in the scrapper background, noting instead that Kaleem is aloof and soft-spoken. She is distrustful of strangers but fiercely loyal to her friends.

She chooses the ideal of change from the list in her background, noting that Kaleem believes that the only constant in the universe is change.

Given her history, Kaleem’s bond is obvious: she owes her life to the Blue Suns. Her flaw is that she lacks empathy which has caused her to do some morally questionable deeds without thinking twice.

5. Choose Equipment

Your class and background determine your character’s starting equipment, including weapons, armor, and other adventuring gear. Record this equipment on your character sheet. All such items are detailed in chapter 5.

Instead of taking the gear given to you by your class and background, you can purchase your starting equipment. You have a number of credits to spend based on your race (not your class as in D&D 5th). The range of average starting credits is roughly equivalent across races, but the variability changes based on race. Long-lived races (asari and krogan) have lower variability, whereas short-lived races (salarians and vorcha) have a high variability.

Your Strength score limits the amount of gear you can carry and armor you can wear. Try not to purchase equipment with a total weight exceeding your Strength score times 2. Chapter 7 has more information on carrying capacity.

Armor Class

Your Armor Class (AC) represents how well your character avoids being wounded in combat. Things that contribute to your AC include the armor you wear and your Dexterity modifier. Not all characters wear armor, however.

Without armor, your character’s AC equals 10 + his or her Dexterity modifier. If your character wears armor, calculate your AC using the rules in the Armor section of chapter 5. Record your AC on your character sheet.

Your character needs to be proficient with armor to wear and use it effectively, and your armor proficiencies are determined by your class. There are drawbacks to wearing armor if you lack the required proficiency, as explained in chapter 5.

Some spells and class features give you a different way to calculate your AC. If you have multiple features that give you different ways to calculate your AC, you choose which one to use.

Weapons

For each weapon your character wields, calculate the modifier you use when you attack with the weapon and the damage you deal when you hit.

When you make an attack with a weapon, you roll a d20 and add your proficiency bonus (but only if you are proficient with the weapon) and the appropriate ability modifier.

For attacks with melee weapons, use your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the finesse property, such as a monomolecular blade, can use your Dexterity modifier instead.

For attacks with ranged weapons, use your Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. A weapon that has the recoil property, such as the M-300 Claymore, can use your Strength modifier instead.

Building Kaleem, Step 5

Sam writes down the starting equipment from the engineer class and the scrapper background. Her starting equipment includes Stock Medium Armor which (after adding her Dexterity modifier) gives Kaleem an Armor Class of 16.

For Kaleem’s weapons, Sam chooses an M-8 Avenger (because she took the Assault Rifle proficiency) and an Omni-torch. Her M-8 Avenger is a ranged weapon, so Kaleem uses her Dexterity modifier for her attacks and damage. Her attack bonus is her Dexterity modifier (+2) plus her proficiency bonus (+2), for a total of +4. The M-8 Avenger deals 1d8 piercing damage, and Kaleem adds her Dexterity modifier to the damage when she hits, for a total of 1d8 + 2 piercing damage. Notice, she does not add her proficiency bonus to the damage roll, only the attack roll. When using the Omni-torch, a melee weapon, Kaleem adds her Strength modifier (+1) to the attack roll and the damage roll. But, because she is not proficient with melee weapons, she does not add her proficiency bonus to the attack roll.

6. Coming Together

Most characters don’t work alone. Each character plays a role within a party, a group of operatives working together for a common purpose. Teamwork and cooperation greatly improve your party’s chances to survive the many perils in the galaxy. Talk to your fellow players and your GM to decide whether your characters know one another, how they met, and what sorts of assignments the group might undertake.

Beyond 1st Level

As your character goes on missions and overcomes challenges, he or she gains experience, represented by experience points. A character who reaches a specified experience point total advances in capability. This advancement is called gaining a level.

Class Features and Hit Dice

When your character gains a level, his or her class often grants additional features, as detailed in the class description. Some of these features allow you to increase your ability scores, either increasing two scores by 1 each or increasing one score by 2. You can’t increase an ability score above 20. In addition, every character's proficiency bonus increases at certain levels.

Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll, and add the total to your hit point maximum. Alternatively, you can use the fixed value shown in your class entry, which is the average result of the die roll (rounded up).

When your Constitution modifier increases by 1, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level you have attained. For example, if your 7th-level soldier has a Constitution score of 17, when he reaches 8th level, he increases his Constitution score from 17 to 18, thus increasing his Constitution modifier from +3 to +4. His hit point maximum then increases by 8 (1 additional hit point for each level).

XP and Proficiency Bonus Progression

The Character Advancement table summarizes the XP you need to advance in levels from level 1 through level 20 and the proficiency bonus for a character of that level. Consult the information in your character's class description to see what other improvements you gain at each level.

Tiers of Play

The shading in the Character Advancement table shows the four tiers of play. The tiers don’t have any rules associated with them; they are a general description of how the play experience changes as characters gain levels.

In the first tier (levels 1–4), characters are effectively rookies. They are learning the features that define them as members of particular classes, including the major choices that flavor their class features. The threats they face are relatively minor, usually dealing with street gangs, small crimes, or loose pyjaks.

In the second tier (levels 5–10), characters come into their own. Operatives should start acquiring uncommon level equipment, increasing their combat potential. These characters have become important members of their factions (if they have one), facing organized crime syndicates like the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and Blood Pack, and deal with threats to small colonies and medium-sized corporations.

In the third tier (levels 11–16), characters have reached a level of noteriety that sets them high above the ordinary populace and makes them special even among other operatives. This tier is equivalent to reaching N7 and would be the tier at which Shepard started in Mass Effect 1. Operatives gain access to rare quality weapons and armor and might begin crafting their own unique armor with capabilities that further their potential. These operatives often confront threats to whole cities, are conscripted my major corporations to protect valuable assets, and are sent unexplored and dangerous planets. Additionally, within this tier, the party generally acquires their own personal starship which opens up travel across the galaxy.

At the fourth tier (levels 17–20), characters achieve the pinnacle of their class features, becoming heroic (or villainous) archetypes in their own right. They begin collecting spectre level equipment, the very best the galaxy can offer. The fate of the entire universe might hang in the balance during their adventures.

Character Advancement

Chapter 2: Races

The Citadel is a massive construct, similar in shape to a pentagram. The Presidium — the central, park-like complex containing the offices of the various branches of the galactic government — connects 5 Wards — the residential and commercial sectors of the station. Each ward is a city in its own right, with hover cars, high rises, and crowded streets. The denizens of the Citadel, and those planets throughout the galaxy, are a myriad of alien races. From the beautiful and charismatic asari, to the gruff and militaristic turians. The salarians take jobs as scientists and the volus sell the salarian invetions. Other races, like the Geth, may be considered a threat (depending on when you set your campaign), and in the year 2184, a Quarian is a rare sight, only venturing out into the galaxy when on their pilgrimage.

Choosing a Race

The Mass Effect races each have a unique standing in the galactic community. Here we present the current racial atmosphere as of the Mass Effect games. Though far into the past (or future), you may change how the races are precieved.

At this point in history, there are three tiers to galactic influence. The highest influence is having a seat at the Citadel Council, the governing body of the Citadel. The asari, salarians, and turians have all had seats for hundreds of years. In 2183, humans are granted a council seat in recompense for Commander Shepard's heroic actions against Saren and the Reaper, Sovereign.

The next level of influence is having an embassy on the Citadel. These races include: elcor, hanar, and volus. While the drell are too underpopulated to maintain their own embassey, they are represented by the hanar.

While members of the remaining races are allowed on the citadel and have their own governments, they lack embassies and galactic governmental involvement. The batarians left over disputes with the humans. Quarians left after their homeworld was overrun by the geth. Krogans were cast out of the citadel after the Krogan rebellions and the vorcha are too wild and aggressive to maintain a standing government.

Your choice of race affects many different aspects of your character. When making this decision, keep in mind the kind of character you want to play. For example, a drell could be a good choice for a stealthy infiltrator, a krogan makes a tough soldier, and an asari can be a master of biotics. Your character race not only affects your ability scores and traits but also provides the cues for building your character’s story. Each race’s description in this chapter includes information to help you roleplay a character of that race, including personality, physical appearance, features of society, and racial alignment tendencies. These details are suggestions to help you think about your character; operatives can deviate widely from the norm for their race. It’s worthwhile to consider why your character is different, as a helpful way to think about your character’s background and personality.

Galaxy Restrictions

The available races are restricted to the Galaxy in which you set your campaign. These distinctions are based on Bioware's lore. All races, with the exception of Angara, originated from the Milky Way Galaxy. And most races had an Ark for transportation to the Andromeda galaxy. And in some rare cases, a small group of a race may have found passage onboard and Ark. For example, a number of batarians were recruited as security assets on Ark Paarchero. Therefore, most races are available in either setting. There are a few races that we've deemed inappropriate for Andromeda settings, but the final ruling is at the discretion of your Galaxy Master. See the Introduction for more information about the two galaxies.

Class Restrictions

In Mass Effect 5e, class options are restricted by the selected race because biotic abilities available to Adepts, Vanguards, and Sentinels are either rare or non-existent in certain races. The race/class combinations available are based on the Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect: Andromeda multiplayer formats.

Recommendation, not Law

However, these restrictions should be considered a rule of thumb and are not based on game balance. You are encouraged to talk to your Galaxy Master about other race/class combinations and make your own decisions. If the decision concerns whether or not a race can play as a biotic-capable class, Mass Effect Wiki's Biotics page has a breakdown of the biotic capabilities of each race. Specifically, the sections titled Alien Biotics and Biotics in Andromeda. If the decision is based on a different combination, feel free to use your own judgment.

Racial Traits

The description of each race includes racial traits that are common to members of that race. The following entries appear among the traits of most races.

Ability Score Increase

Every race increases one or more of a character’s ability scores.

Age

The age entry notes the age when a member of the race is considered an adult, as well as the race’s expected lifespan. This information can help you decide how old your character is at the start of the game. You can choose any age for your character, which could provide an explanation for some of your ability scores. For example, if you play a young or very old character, your age could explain a particularly low Strength or Constitution score, while advanced age could account for a high Intelligence or Wisdom.

Alignment

Most races have tendencies toward certain alignments, described in this entry. These are not binding for player characters, but considering why your turian is chaotic, for example, in defiance of lawful turian society can help you better define your character.

Size

Characters of most races are Medium, a size category including creatures that are roughly 1.5 to 2.5 meters tall. The volus are Small (between 1 and 1.5 meters tall), which means that certain rules of the game affect them differently. The most important of these rules is that Small characters have trouble wielding heavy weapons, as explained in chapter 5.

Speed

Your speed determines how far you can move when traveling (chapter 8) and fighting (chapter 9).

Starting Credits

Another change in Mass Effect 5e is that your available starting credits (fully explained in chapter 5) are attributed to your race. The formula used for the race's starting credits is based on their lifespan. Longer-lived races (asari and krogan) have larger dice pools but smaller dice. Whereas, short-lived races have the opposite (small dice pools but larger dice). This represents the probability (and luck) of how many credits your character has amassed over the years.

When you optionally choose to use your racial starting credits, you do not gain any recommended equipment packages from your chosen class nor your chosen background.

Variants

Some races have variants. These races are exist to represent the gamut of available races in the galaxy but the variants are much rarer (like the Ardat-Yakshi) or unlikely to fit within a regular campaign setting (like the Awakened Collector). In the cast of Humans, the variant is simply a different starting set of ratial traits in case your GM is allowing feats.

Angara

The angara are warm-blooded mammals with relatively broad shoulders, narrow waists and skin colors of blue or mauve, sometimes shading into green or tan. They are the only known extant sapient race native to the Heleus Cluster of the Andromeda galaxy, and arose on the planet Havarl. Their unique physiology is dependant on sunlight and allows them to produce natural bioelectrical fields. The angara as a people are very free with their emotions, demonstrative and "larger than life". If they love you they hug you, if they hate you or if you make them mad, they punch you.

Creatures of the Sun

The angara electromagnetic radiation that is emitted from stars to survive. Lack of real or artificial sunlight causes them to "go dark", which weakens their immune systems and bio-energy significantly. Prolonged lack of sunlight can lead to a coma and then death. To supplement their sunlight intake or provide a light source when natural light is not readily available, the angara make use of powerful ultraviolet lamps that give them both heat and light.

Family Oriented

While they have only one true mother and father, the angara share their parents with the community. Their families are very large, consisting of multiple mothers and many siblings and cousins. This close-knit society makes angara very mistrustful of other races.

While the angara have many different religions, all share the same basic tenet: that when an angara dies, he or she is reincarnated and the reincarnated soul stays in the family, making their lineage stronger.

Angara Names

Little is known about angaran names. But it is assumed that they do not use family names given the collective nature of their families.

• Male names: Afray De If, Dadh Qjavaf, Gorsa Afe Ol, Jahkis Tora Sje, Jef De Gan, Khahnos De Ivraan, Kjojey Sheda Af, Orvfiy Qirshae Ak, Nel Sja, Qos De Ivfre, Sihris De Or, Tashed De Kjerad, Val Gafa
• Female Names: Afihia De Xana, Avfaarian, Dhahfrin Sa, Fohfania, Hefrehal Ven, Inil Sefe, Jalshaye, Janvfe Sje, Nalvi Sjarshev, Noshfa Seme Tavfal, Oni Vor, Onne De Tiv, Ovih Qjana In, Sohnani Sirshav, Yihvref

Angara Traits

Angara have a number of abilities that reflect their unique bio-electric phisiology.

Galaxy Restriction. Andromeda

Available Classes. Engineer, Infiltrator, Soldier

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Angara have a standard lifespan of about 150 years, although some have been known to live past 200.

Alignment. Angara are emotional creatures and strongly community oriented. Their emotion-driven tendencies make them often chaotic neutral or chaotic good.

Size. Angara are slightly taller, on average, than humans, ranging from 174cm (5'8") to 204cm (6'8"). Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 6d8 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Survivalist. Angara have a knack for living in harsh environments. You have proficiency in Survival.

Bio-Electric Focus. You can cast a 1st-level version of shocking grasp without expending a spell slot or tech point. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this ability. This does not count against your max number of cantrips known or spells prepared.

If you wish to cast an advanced version of shocking grasp or cast it at a higher level, you must prepare it and/or expend spell slots/tech points as normal.

Bio-electric Ward. Increase your AC by 1. You have a resistance to lightning damage, but this resistance does not apply to damage done to your shields.

Solar Dependency. If you fail to immerse yourself in sunlight for at least 1 hour during a day, you suffer one level of exhaustion at the end of that day.

Asari

Asari are a race of elegant, mono-gendered humanoids. The asari resemble female humans with blue or purple skin and a crest of rigid tentacles in place of hair. Despite their feminine appearance, asari have little use for gender or gender roles, though they often use female pronouns and gendered language. They possess a unique method of reproduction initiated by a "mind meld" which links the asari's nervous system with a partner-even one of a different race-to randomize genes to create asari offspring. Asari have an innate biotic ability and don't require a biotic implant to manipulate mass effect fields.

Unmatched Patience

Because of their long lifespan, asari tend to have a "long view" not common in other races. When they encounter a new species or situation, the asari are more comfortable with an extended period of passive observation and study than immediate action. They invite new species of advanced development to join the galactic community, knowing that their ideals and beliefs will inevitably influence the existing culture.

Mothers of the Galaxy

Asari reproduction is very different from other forms of sexual reproduction. When a meld for reproduction is initiated, the asari accesses her partner's genes and subconsciously uses them as an algorithmic seed to remap genes into a unique set of DNA.

The offspring resulting from such interspecies pairings are always asari as no DNA is taken from the partner. Instead, the asari uses the meld to explore her partner's genetic heritage and pass desirable traits on to any offspring and as a "map" to randomize the genes of the offspring.

Asari believe that their offspring acquire the best qualities of the "father" from the melded genes. Therefore, they frown upon intraspecies conception, since genetic traits and cultural insight is gained from mating outside their species, so it's considered wasteful for asari to reproduce together. The results of such unions are occasionally referred to as "purebloods", a great insult among contemporary asari. A rare genetic defect known as Ardat-Yakshi, which makes asari destroy the partner's mind during melding, occurs much more frequently among the daughters of purebloods.

Maiden, Matron, Matriarch

Asari pass through three climacteric life stages, marked by biochemical and physiological changes.

The Maiden stage begins at puberty and is marked by the drive to explore and experience. Most young asari are curious and restless, and it is not uncommon for many to try their hand at dancing in bars or working as mercenaries during this time.

The Matron stage of life begins around the age of 350, though it can be triggered earlier if the individual melds frequently. This period is marked by a desire to settle in one area and raise children.

The Matriarch stage begins around 700 years of age, or earlier if the individual melds rarely. Matriarchs become active in their community as sages and councilors, dispensing wisdom from centuries of experience. Their knowledge and guidance may be one reason why Matriarchs are rarely seen outside asari space.

However, each stage can be started whenever an asari feels that she has reached the correct level of maturity.

Asari Names

Asari are given a personal name by their parents and take the surname of their mothers, even if the child has 2 asari parents. Outside of asari communities, they normally do not use their surnames and prefer to introduce themselves with their personal name only. Matriarchs are addressed as "Matriarch" but other titles may be used for matriarchs in prestigious positions.

• Personal Names: Aeian, Aethyta, Aleena, Alestia, Aria, Batha, Benezia, Dahlia, Falere, Irissa, Jona, Liara, Lidanya, Liselle, Mallene, Morinth, Nassana, Nyxeris, Pelessaria, Rana, Rila, Samara, Sarissa, Shiala, Tela, Tevos, Treeya
• Surnames: Ateyne, B'Sayle, Calis, D'Layne, D'Nava, D'Ysesan, Dantius, Iallis, Iasava, Janieri, Kelis, M'Loari, M'Taros, Makenus, Nuwani, Sedela, Sederis, T'Goni, T'Loak, T'Soni, Thanoptis, Theris, V'Lanis, V'Nato, V'Tizor, Vasir

Asari Traits

Your asari character has an assortment of inborn abilities, all part of asari nature.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. All classes

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. Asari are very long-lived and can reach ages of over 1000 years.

Alignment. Asari are biased towards goodness, but exhibit a range of alignments not dissimilar to humans. Most Maiden stage asari are chaotic, Matrons level out to neutral, Matriarchs are heavily lawful.

Size. Asari have builds incredibly similar to female humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 10d4 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Innate Biotics. Asari do not require biotic implants to control their abilities. Instead, their biotic talents rely on their ability to project their will onto the world. As an Asari, you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a biotic spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Choose a class: Adept or Vanguard. You learn two biotic cantrips of your choice from that class’s spell list. In addition, choose one 1st-level spell from that same list. You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest level. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

Neither of the cantrips nor the spell can be an advanced version. But you can learn or prepare an advanced version of the spell as your class permits.

Mind Meld. You can transfer and receive thoughts to another creature. You must concentrate and if the creature is not willing, the thoughts become jumbled and disjointed. Unintelligent creatures have unpredictable results.

Natural Diplomat. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.

Variant: Ardat-Yakshi

A rare genetic condition in asari that affects about 1% of the population and is more common in "purebloods" (2 asari parents). The condition is impossible to identify until the asari reaches maturity, by which time it is too late to correct. When diagnosed, the ardat-yakshi is given a choice to live in isolation or to be executed. This is because ardat-yakshi develop an addiction to the power and feel intense compulsion to meld. The addition only grows stronger with each meld, and so a life of monastic celibacy allows asari to leave in peace with a controllable desire. Those who are able to avoid isolation and execution, however, quickly become psychopathic in their intense lust for the destructive melding.

Variant Traits

If you would like to play an ardat-yakshi, you can choose to replace the Alignment and Mind Meld traits with the following. Additionally, you gain the Dominate trait at 10th level.

Alignment. Ardat-yakshi often develop psychopathy. Ardat-yakshi are normally evil, but can also be neutral.

Mind Break. You can touch a willing creature and initiate a mind meld. If the target is unwilling, the meld does not continue. The creature must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be rendered unconscious for 1d4 hours as your nervous system overwhelms theirs. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Dominate. At 10th level, you learn the Dominate spell. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell and it does not count against your max number spells known or prepared. You can cast a 3rd-level version of this spell once per long rest.

Batarian

A race of four-eyed bipeds with complexions of reddish-brown, greenish, yellow-greenish to yellow-brownish, light brown, or teal. The Terminus Systems are infested with batarian pirate gangs and slaving rings, fueling the stereotype of the batarian thug. It should be noted that these criminals do not represent average citizens, who are forbidden to leave batarian space by their ubiquitous and paranoid government.

Caste Through Credits

Batarians place an extremely high value on social caste and appearance, and overstepping one's place is frowned upon. Effective caste status can be bought on an ongoing basis like a subscription service, allowing the buyer to worm their way into the elite circles of batarian society given enough funds. Casting aspersions on the monetary worth of a social better is considered a serious insult. Batarians strongly believe that species with fewer than four eyes are less intelligent; they often gain the upper hand in interspecies arguments because other races find it difficult to know which eyes to focus on when speaking to them.

The Hegemony

Their government, known as the Batarian Hegemony, is hostile to the Systems Alliance (human government), but beneath the notice of the powerful Council races. Humans receive the brunt of batarians' antagonism in the form of scams, slave raids, and terrorist attacks, incidents which the Hegemony covertly supports but is always quick to publicly distance itself from. Given the batarian government's oppressive nature, it is speculated their supreme leadership is autocratic or totalitarian in nature, although the batarian homeworld of Khar'shan remains divided into various competing nation-states.

Batarian Names

Like humans, batarian names consist of a given name and family name.

• Male Names: Afothor, Carn, Dhapo, Drathar, Ecray, Eporn, Irorok, Khamak, Okorem, Prathan, Sato, Sonk, Uderlak
• Female Names: Apenine, Adrechia, Banim, Della, Erakis, Famisa, Fophe, Igosin, Iraphi, Kranine, Krathe, Okhefin, Pravile, Ramye
• Family Names: Can'dabar, Das'codah, Dhen'gess, Dran'fapos, Ghapsacan, Gronnopos, Kasbovran, Khognalak, Krak'gork, Pec'bawen, Sanrowar

Batarian Traits

All batarians share a few select traits, instilled in them from birth by the hegemony.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. All classes

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Batarians age at about the same rate as humans, though many do not live past 100 due to their caustic and dangerous lifestyles.

Alignment. Because of the tenets of Hegemony, batarians tend to be lawful evil, although there are outliers on the moral spectrum.

Size. Batarian bodies are similar to humans, with the exception of a large forehead to accommodate their additional four eyes, making them about 15cm (6") taller. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 6d8 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Four Eyes. You have proficiency in the Perception skill and you can take the Search action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Saving Face. Batarians are careful not to show weakness in front of their allies, for fear of losing status. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Shrewd Negotiator. Gain proficiency in either Insight or Intimidation.

Drell

Drell are omnivorous reptile-like humanoids with dense muscle tissue, giving them a wiry strength. Their skin is infused with a venom mild enough to be served in drinks and may cause mild hallucinations on oral contact. Drell also possess eidetic memory, an adaptation to a world where they must remember the location of every necessary resource across vast distances. The memories are so strong that an external stimulus can trigger a powerful memory recall and these recalls are so vivid and detailed that some drell may mistake it for reality.

Homeworld Lost

The drell ancestors emerged from dry, rocky deserts on the barren world of Rakhana. Eight centuries ago, the already-arid drell homeworld began its swift descent into lifelessness due to disastrous industrial expansion. At the time, the drell lacked interstellar flight capacity, and with their population bursting at eleven billion, they faced certain doom.

It was around the 1980s CE that the hanar made first contact with the drell race. In the following ten years, the hanar would transport a total of 375,000 drell to the hanar homeworld, Kahje. The remaining billions left on Rakhana would perish on their dying planet, warring against each other for diminishing resources.

Servants of the Hanar

The debt of gratitude that the drell owe the hanar is referred to as the Compact, which the drell fulfill by taking on tasks that the hanar find difficult, such as combat. Any drell may refuse to serve, but as being requested to serve is a great honor, few turn down the offer. Some drell grow a close, personal relationship with the hanar, so much so that the hanar will even tell the drell their "soul name". Drell have adapted to communication with hanar by getting implants in their eyes to allow them to observe the bioluminescence the hanar use for communication.

Devout

Most drell are deeply religious, believing that they have souls separate from their bodies. They see death as a departure from the body, and they also state that a person's body and soul form a Whole. When the soul is traumatized or otherwise disrupted, or the body is ill or injured, a person is no longer Whole. They also believe that their body can be directed as a separate entity from themselves, thus, some drell take no responsibility when executing an order given by the hanar even if the order is an assassination.

The religion includes at least three gods which drell often pray to for guidance and protection:

• Amonkira, Lord of Hunters
• Arashu, Goddess of Motherhood and Protection
• Kalahira, Goddess of Oceans and Afterlife.

Drell Names

Drell use given and family names.

• Male Names: Chas, Drino, Hite, Hoskim, Lofo, Massa, Neta, Nitos, Ruyim, Tako, Tayu, Thane, Tumil, Yesit
• Female Names: Ares, Arina, Ehanen, Ekire, Eshesnu, Inashe, Inukmel, Itheyl, Odrinne, Oshane, Ulanten, Uthoru
• Family Names: Dreis, Feun, Futos, Keas, Krios, Kuun, Mout, Soas, Shuit, Suul, Thatos, Yeos

Drell Traits

Your drell character has a number of traits in common with all other drell.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. Adept, Infiltrator, Soldier, Vanguard

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. Drell have slightly shorter lifespans of 85 years, on average. However, Kepral's Syndrome - a unique, incurable disease caused by long-term exposure to humid climates - is the leading cause of death.

Alignment. Their religious influences set the Drell firmly in a trend towards lawful neutral, but this is often dependent on their station in life and career.

Size. Drell range from under 150 to 180 cm tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Their light frames and wiry strength make drell slightly faster than other races. Your base walking speed is 12m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 6d8 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Eidetic Memory. You can recall memories in intricate detail, including details from all your senses. Distant or inconsequential memories require a DC 14 Wisdom check. On a failure, you can only recall details from one or two senses.

Natural Hunters. You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Raw Agility. Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you move 0 meters on one of your turns.

Elcor

Elcor evolved on a high-gravity world, making them slow, but incredibly strong. Their large, heavy bodies are incapable of moving quickly, but they possess a rather imposing stature as well as thick, tough skin. They move using all four limbs to support and balance their massive bodies. Given their method of communication, they have highly-attuned olfactory senses. They also have at least three stomachs.

Language of Smells and Sight

Elcor speech is heard by most species as a flat, ponderous monotone. Among themselves, scent, extremely slight body movements, and subvocalized infrasound convey shades of meaning that make a human smile seem as subtle as a fireworks display. Since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the elcor prefix all their dialog with non-elcor with an emotive statement to clarify their tone.

Migratory Nature

Prehistoric elcor traveled across Dekuuna in large tribal groups. As their civilizations grew, they kept their migratory nature and established twin capitals on their homeworld, one for the wet season and one for the dry season. However, their migration is limited to a single planet as most elcor find the confines of space travel very uncomfortable.

Living Tanks

Because of their slow, conservative psyches, elcor are not suitable for making the spur-of-the-moment decisions necessary in combat situations. Instead, they rely on sophisticated VI combat systems. While easy targets, their durable hide allows them to shrug off most incoming fire. Elcor warriors use their broad shoulders as a mount for weaponry and their VI as a targeting mechanism. Some elcor are equipped with mass-accelerator cannons, the same weapons typically mounted on military vehicles.

Elcor Names

Elcor do not have gender-binary names because their gender is discerned through smell. While the names appear singular, they are made up of a much more complex set of sounds that only other elcor can hear.

• Elcor Names: Calyn, Cyllyn, Detinos, Delzino, Felitos, Fazuti, Halzan, Harrot, Pedezlan, Petelenti, Petozi, Vatozi, Voletzi, Xeltan, Zatzoni

Elcor Traits

Your elcor character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of evolution.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. Engineer, Infiltrator, Soldier

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. The average elcor lives to be around 300 years old. 100-year-old elcor are considered young.

Alignment. Elcor are methodical, deliberate creatures that never act on irrational decisions. The typical Elcor is often neutral or lawful.

Size. Elcor stand between 2 and 2.5 meters tall (7-8 feet) at the shoulder. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Elcor are relatively slow compared to other races. Your base walking speed is 6m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 10d6 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Careful. You have proficiency in Insight and Perception. But your careful nature makes you slow to act, giving you disadvantage on Initiative rolls.

Quadrupedal. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.

In addition, any climb that requires hands and feet is especially difficult for you because of your size and weight. When you make such a climb, each foot of movement costs you 4 extra meters, instead of the normal 2 extra meters.

Finally, a Medium or smaller creature can ride on your back if you allow it. In such a situation, you continue to act independently, not as a controlled mount.

Shoulder Mounts. Your ranged weapons are shoulder mounted to your armor or in holsters and use a VI to aim and fire. When you make a ranged weapon attack, use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier.

You can have one ranged weapon mounted on each shoulder. Mounting a ranged weapon requires you to be proficient with the weapon type and takes at least 10 minutes of work during a short or long rest.

Thick Hide. Your base AC is 12 and you determine your AC using your Constitution modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier.

Geth

Former automatons build by the quarians to function as soldiers and laborers, geth are constructs that have unintentionally consciousness and sentience. Geth, meaning "servant of the people" in the quarian language of Khelish, are fundamentally different than other constructs and are designed with humanoid thought and emotion in mind. Geth think, feel, and experience the world in a totally unique way.

The Morning War

"Does this unit have a soul?" asked the geth. That question would change the relationship of quarians and geth forever. The quarians responded with an attempted termination of all geth. The newly sentient geth resisted the genocide of their masters in a war dubbed "the Morning War". As many geth were designed as tools of war, the quarians were quickly and easily defeated. Because the constructs were acting out of self-defense, when the enemy began retreating from their homeland of Rannoch, the geth did not pursue and allowed their masters to leave in peace.

Incomprehensible Mind

Geth minds are quite anomalous. As they were designed to follow predetermined steps and commands, and with their minds powered from a centralized network, their way of thinking is essentially unique and different than the chaotic organic minds of humanoids. Their thoughts can be compared to a program or process which systematically follows steps to come to a conclusion, run many times in different ways until the geth comes to a consensus of the correct course of action. Geth do not experience emotion or desire - not in the same way a humanoid does, anyway. Additionally, due to their innate ability to network with other geth, geth see themselves as a unit of a larger and more complex whole and even the individual processes that make up a single geth as being equal constituents that contribute to that geth unit.

Beyond the Veil

Geth primarily remain in the Perseus Veil: huge nebula of opaque gas and dust that separates geth space from the Terminus Systems. They live in peace, but some geth find themselves seeking knowledge of what is beyond their realm. The primary motivation of the geth who leave Rannoch is to acquire and compile information, though some geth pursue other quests.

Geth Names

Geth have no use for names among themselves but will adopt names for the sake of interacting with other races. However, the geth do not often see themselves as individuals. Many geth use plural pronouns such as "us" and "we". As a result, the names geth take are normally synonyms or words for groups. Geth with individuality, especially those who have been separated from their kind for an extended time, do exist. Those geth still use words for names, though they give themselves a more personally fitting name.

• Geth Names: Armada, Army, Batallion, Brigade, Cabal, Caucus, Congregate, Coterie, Guild, Horde, Host, Legion, Myriad, Phalanx, Proletariat, Throng, Troop, Union
• 'Individual' Geth Names: Alpha, Apex, Beta, Centurion, Enigma, Eternity, Genesis, Obelisk, Oblivion, Omega, Oracle, Pinnacle, Terminus, Vortex, Zenith

Geth Traits

From a common build, geth share traits based on the mold from which they were formed.

Galaxy Restriction. Milky Way

Available Classes. Engineer, Infiltrator, Soldier

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age. Geth do not age, as they are constructs, and live as long as their bodies are not destroyed.

Alignment. Your standard Geth platform is neutral good, wanting to prosper and communicate with others, defending themselves only if threatened. Heretics are lawful evil, serving the Reapers and slavishly accomplishing their will.

Size. Standard geth are around 2 meters tall (6'5"). Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 2d10 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

No Feats. Geth cannot take any feats.

Living Construct. You are immune to psychic and poison damage, the poisoned condition, and disease. You do not need to eat, drink, or breathe. When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Integrated Protection. Your body has built-in defensive layers, which determine your armor class. You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are wielding a weapon or shield that provides additional AC, you apply its bonus as normal.

You can alter your armor type for 2 omni-gel each time you finish a long rest. Choose one mode to adopt from the Integrated Protection table, provided you meet the mode’s prerequisite.

Innate Shielding. You have 5 shields (regen 5). You can upgrade these by using armor mods.

Armor Mods. You can augment your armor by integrating armor mods into your system. You can spend 8 hours removing, adding, or replacing a mod. When you remove or replace a mod in this way, the replaced or removed mod is lost. The mod cannot be salvaged, not even with the assistance of Armorsmith's or Tailor's tools.

You have 2 chest mod slots, 1 mod slot in your arms, legs, and head each. You cannot add new slots in any way.

Hunter Mode. Geth were designed as lethal weapons and can activate subroutines to enhance their lethality.

As an action, you can activate Hunter Mode which lasts 1 minute and can only be used once per long rest. Hunter Mode grants the following benefits:

• Increase movement by 2m.
• +1 bonus to ranged and melee weapon attack rolls.

At 11th level, you gain an additional benefit based on your class:

• Engineer. When you cast a spell, the die type of that spell increases by 1 die type (max d12). If the die type is already d12, add +1 for each die rolled instead.
• Soldier. Your extra attack features grants you 1 additional attack the first time you take the Attack action on your turn.
• Infiltrator. Increase your sneak attack die type to d8 (if you are a Shadow Infiltrator, your sneak attack for melee weapons attacks is a d10).

Repair Matrix. As a construct, you cannot be healed by medi-gel or spells that heal organic creatures (such as the first aid spell).

Instead, you can use your Action to expend a Hit Die. Roll the die and add your Constitution modifier to it. You regain hit points equal to the total. You also regain all spent hit dice at the end of a long rest, instead of the usual amount.

If you drop to 0 hit points, you must be stabilized with an Intelligence (Engineering) or Intelligence (Electronics) check, instead of a Wisdom (Medicine) check.

At the 4th level, you gain an additional number of hit dice equal to your character level divided by 4 (minimum 1). These bonus hit dice are d8s, regardless of your class.

Variant: Unshackled AI

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a self-aware computing system capable of learning and independent decision making. Creation of a conscious AI requires adaptive code, a slow, expensive education, and a specialized quantum computer called a "blue box". While most AI are "shackled" to the confines of networked computer traffic and lack a body, occasionally, an AI is placed into a synthetic form, unshackling it.

AIs are considered illegal by the Council, but that hasn't stopped corporations like Cerberus from innovating. As an unshackled AI, you might be have been mass produced like the Alliance Infiltration Units, or you may be an experiment gone wrong.

Playing an Unshackled AI

Unshackled AIs are entirely unique. Since you are synthetic, you gain some of the synthetic traits as listed in the Geth description. However, your mind, purpose, history, alignment, height, weight, and personality are entirely your own. Technically, you can take any form you wish (work with your GM to decide if this new form gains any additional traits). However, because AI are illegal, most unshackled AI would have a humanoid form, allowing them to blend into society.

Variant Traits

If you would like to play an Unshackled AI, you can choose to replace the Ability Score Increase, Alignment, Hunter Mode, and No Feats traits with the following.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1, one other score of your choosing that is not Intelligence increases by 1.

Alignment. If you are still following your programming you would be lawful with morality based on your purpose. If you have a glitch in your programming you might be chaotic.

Feat. You gain one feat of your choice.

Hanar

The hanar are a genderless species resembling Earth's jellyfish and are one of the few non-bipedal Citadel races. The hanar homeworld, Kahje, has 90% ocean cover and orbits an energetic white star, resulting in a permanent blanket of clouds. Hanar are known for their strong religious beliefs regarding the Protheans, whom they call "the Enkindlers". Hanar are extremely polite, almost to a fault. They never refer to themselves in the first person with someone they know on a face name basis: to do so is considered egotistical. Instead, they refer to themselves as "this one," or the impersonal "it." Even when flustered or angry, a hanar will still maintain exquisite poise and will remain formal even with those it wishes dead.

Enkindlers

Due to the presence of Prothean ruins on Kahje, the hanar have developed a religion centered on the ancient species, calling them the "Enkindlers". The hanar practice a religious holiday called Nyahir or "First Cresting Bloom" which lasts a full thirteen days and revolves around celebrating the gift of speech, which they attribute to having come from the Enkindlers. It is a mixture of contemplation and competition, with the faithful engaged in stylized debates, poetry duels, and other traditional hanar art forms. The winners of these events have their names inscribed in bio-luminescence on the side of Mount Vassla, an underwater volcano at the heart of one of the oldest Prothean ruins on Kahje.

The Compact

Several hundred years ago, the hanar made contact with the drell on their nearby homeworld of Rakhana. Drell society was quickly collapsing due to overpopulation and warring over scarce resources, so the hanar rescued several hundred thousand drell and brought them to Kahje, where they integrated into hanar society with the remaining drell dying out.

Now the drell serve as a client race of the hanar, and although to outside observers the relationship can be construed as a form of slavery, the reality is very different. Drell have integrated with every level of hanar society, and most consider it an honor to serve a hanar family in a tradition referred to as the Compact. Many drell become unofficial members of the family, and some even earn the privilege to learn their masters' "soul names".

Language of Lights

The hanar communicate using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescence and speak with scrupulous precision and extreme politeness. Other species need machine assistance to translate, though many drell apply genetic modification to their eyes in order to perceive higher frequency flashes which allows them to understand the hanar. Most hanar take offense at improper language and must take special courses to unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other species.

Hanar Names

The hanar have two names, a "face name" and a "soul name." The face name is used as a general label for use by strangers and acquaintances. The soul name is kept for use among close friends and relations and tends to be poetic.

• Face Names: Anrynder, Delanynder, Ellanpo, Hymydwhyn, Lopyldis, Malvyll, Opold, Sedlyner, Tolystoyl, Wynold, Zymandis
• Soul Names: Burns Brightest when the Foam Blooms, Casts Shadow on the Sun Flower, Emancipates the Tide from those that Pull, Heeds only to the Inner Lights, Illuminates the Folly of the Dancers, Regards the Works of the Enkindlers in Despair, Transforms the Stone into Water

Hanar Traits

Their unique biology give you hanar character a few unique traits.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. Adept, Engineer

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Hanar usually reach maturity around 40 years and typically live to be 180 years old.

Alignment. Most hanar are lawful due to the religious influence on their society.

Size. Due to their long tentacles, hanar "stand" about as tall as humans. Their bodies are around 1.5 meters long (4-5'). Your size is Medium.

Speed. Hanar are a water-based lifeform and have a swim speed of 10m. They rely on contra-gravitic levitation packs when not in water environments.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 6d8 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Amphibious. Can breathe both air and water.

Contra-gravitic Levitation. When not in water, you use a contra-gravitic levitation pack to move. It provides a walking speed of 10m, though you actually hover between 1 and 2 meters from the ground. You are immune to becoming prone and you ignore any penalties caused by difficult terrain.

However, when you suffer a critical hit, you must roll a d20. On a 1 or a 2, the device malfunctions and you fall to the ground. Your walking speed becomes 0 and you are considered prone. You or another creature can use an Action to repair the pack with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Engineering) check.

Bioluminescence. You can shed dim light in a 10m radius.

Fragile. Your hit point maximum is decreased by 1. Every time you gain a level you gain 1 less hit point.

Tentacles. You have six tentacles instead of arms that can grip tightly but can't lift anything heavier than a few kilograms, meaning you can only wield weapons with the light property.

As an action, you can use one of your tentacles to try to grapple a creature. Each one is also a natural weapon, which you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Immediately after hitting, you can try to grapple the target as a bonus action.

As an action, you can secrete a natural toxin from one of your tentacles. If a creature is grappled by the tentacle, it must succeed a DC 11 Constitution saving throw of becomes poisoned for 1 hour. The DC of this saving throw increases with your level: DC 13 at the 5th level, DC 15 at the 11th level, and DC 17 at the 17th level.

Human

Humans are generally seen to be very intelligent, abnormally ambitious, highly adaptable, individualistic and thus, unpredictable. They have a powerful desire to advance and improve themselves and do so with such assertion that the normally staid Council races have been taken aback by their restlessness and relentless curiosity.

New Horizons

Human space exploration began in earnest in the late 21st century. In 2069 CE, Armstrong Outpost in Shackleton Crater on Luna was founded as humanity's first extraterrestrial settlement. In 2103, the European Space Agency established Lowell City in Eos Chasma on Mars, paving the way for additional settlements and scientific outposts throughout Sol. In 2148, human explorers on Mars uncovered a long-ruined Prothean observation post, with a surviving data cache that proved Protheans had studied Cro-Magnon humans millennia ago. Discovering information on a mass relay orbiting Pluto, explorers managed to open the Charon Relay and discovered it led to Arcturus.

First Contact

Humans first came to the attention of the galactic community after a brief but intense conflict with the turians, known by humans as the First Contact War. As a consequence of the System Alliance's swift and decisive action during the First Contact War, the Alliance became the representative and supranational governing body of humanity. Since then, humans have rapidly risen in prominence. Humanity continued to expand to unclaimed star systems on the edge of Citadel space, which eventually led to competition with the batarians.

Systems Alliance

The Systems Alliance holds sway over much of the human race, but not all fall under its banner. A few colonies on the fringes of known space are founded on principles of independence, and Earth still has nation-states that administer to their own territories. To the galaxy at large, though, nonhumans are always under the perception that Earth is a unified political entity represented by the Alliance.

Galactic Relations

The Systems Alliance has had an embassy on the Citadel since 2165. Many other species dislike humans' sudden ascendancy compared to their status as relative newcomers on the galactic stage. Some species feel that humanity is overly expansive in its colonization efforts and aggressive attempts to advance its position in galactic affairs. It took other species centuries to achieve what humanity has done in decades.

Human Names

Having so much more variety than other races, humans as a whole have no typical names.

Human Traits

It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. All classes

Ability Score Increase. Your ability scores each increase by 1.

Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live between 125 and 150 years.

Alignment. Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.

Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 1.5 meters to well over 2 meters tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 8d6 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Variant: Human

If your campaign uses the optional feat rules, your Galaxy Master might allow these variant traits, all of which replace the human’s Ability Score Increase trait.

Ability Score Increase: Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Skills: You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.

Feat: You gain one feat of your choice.

Krogan

The krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environments, scarce resources, and an overabundance of vicious predators. The krogan managed to not only survive on their unforgiving homeworld but actually thrived in the extreme conditions. Unfortunately, as krogan society became more technologically advanced, so did their weaponry. The end result is that they destroyed their homeworld in a nuclear war that reduced their race into primitive warring tribes.

Biologically Impervious

Krogan biology reflects the conditions from where they come. The krogan are armored nearly head to toe in thick, chitinous plates which protect the krogan from the hazards of their homeland. They possess a hump which can store water and nutrients, for the resources in Tuchanka are scare.

Curiously, the krogan also possess redundant organs; a second set of major organs in case of failure or injury. These traits make krogan exceptionally difficult to kill, but perhaps what makes krogan so dangerous is an adaptation known as "Blood Rage."

Blood Rage

The blood rage is a legendary state of pure violence. When krogan enter a blood rage, they become nearly mindless killing machines, fighting through all injury and even death. Blood rage is due to an enormous flood of adrenaline and suppression of serotonin, which numbs the krogan to all pain. This state, combined with their plated hide, and redundant organs, allows the krogan to defeat creatures many times his size or power.

Climb Atop the Dead

Krogan's value one thing above all else: strength. Krogan society is built upon this hierarchy, where the strong rule and the weak perish. They live in clans lead by a Warlord, and those clans constantly war for resources and for power. Even within these clans, treachery and distrust run rampant. Krogan often fight for dominance within these clans and will sacrifice their clan for personal gain without a second thought. Females are considered prizes and trophies and live in clans separate from the males.

Rites and Rituals

The krogan culture is steeped in rituals. When a krogan is born, he suffers the Rite of Life. When wishes to join his first clan, he undergoes the Rite of Passage. If he wishes to be considered for breeding, he must take the Rite of Honor. When facing a new enemy, the Rite of Firsts is invoked.

A Krogan clan also has a shaman, who has endured the Rite of Insight. The rituals endured by a shaman are lengthy and torturous; most krogan who attempt the rite perish. Those who survive become the most respected member of their clan and are rarely challenged. The shaman is a clan's spiritual leader and guide and is believed to see into the spirit world itself.

Krogan Names

Krogan names are fairly simple: a clan name followed by a given name, which is normally bestowed upon them by their father.

• Male Names: Archuk, Brood, Charr, Drax, Fortak, Grunt, Guld, Jarrod Nax, Okeer, Skarr, Strux, Uvenk, Wreav, Wrex
• Female Names: Bakara, Chormi, Derge, Hazka, Jonde Kesh, Khorga, Kherake, Morda, Tegash, Vruxa, Zrogoga
• Clan Names: Garbon, Gatatog, Jorgal, Khutarum, Nakmor, Srarkan, Traash, Urdnot, Verbok, Weryloc, Wudark

Krogan Traits

Born into a tough and destitute life, your krogan character has a number of traits that help them survive.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. Adept, Engineer, Sentinel, Soldier, Vanguard

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age. Krogan can live well over a thousand years due to their natural hardiness.

Alignment. Krogan are highly predisposed towards chaos, as their culture is violent, selfish, and brutal. While evil is more common among krogan, those of good and neutral alignments do exist among them. Good krogan especially find it difficult to thrive in Tuchanka and krogan society.

Size. Krogan stand at over 2 meters tall (~7') and weigh close to 400 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. You have a base walking speed of 10 meters. Your speed is not slowed by heavy armor.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 10d4 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Blood Rage. When you kill an enemy, you can use a bonus action to enter a mindless blood rage. Blood rage lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. For the duration, you must move towards and attack an enemy on your turn and you cannot concentrate on spells. While in blood rage, are immune to being charmed or frightened and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier at the start of each of your turns. When blood rage ends, you lose any remaining temporary hit points from blood rage.

You must finish a long rest before you can enter blood rage again.

Extremophile. Your body is naturally acclimated to live in the harshest environments. You have advantage on Constitution saving throws to resist exhaustion due to environmental hazards such as extreme heat or cold. Additionally, you can go twice as long without food or water before you suffer exhaustion.

Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Credit: JTickner

Prothean

The Protheans are an ancient alien race which mysteriously vanished over 50,000 years ago. The Protheans arose from a single planet and developed an immense galaxy-wide empire encompassing many other spacefaring species. Not much is known about them, but many of their artifacts, ruins and technology have apparently survived the ages.

Ancient Empire

After achieving spaceflight, the Protheans discovered the ruins of a previous spacefaring race, the inusannon, and from those ruins learned about mass effect physics and developed FTL technology. The Protheans would expand throughout the galaxy with the help of the mass relay network and make the Citadel their capital.

Early in their development, the Protheans encountered a hostile machine intelligence which threatened to overwhelm them. To defeat the machines, the Protheans decided to unite all of the galaxy's sentient organic life under their empire. The other organic races were free to resist, but those that tried were crushed, and none ever managed to best the Protheans' might.

Reaper Invasion

The Protheans' belief that they could hold their own against machine intelligence was shattered with the arrival of the Reapers in approximately 48,000 BCE, who were far more advanced than the machines the Protheans had been battling. They were caught completely off-guard by the scale and rapidity of the assault. The Reapers entered the galaxy through the Citadel, instantly decapitating the Protheans' government and disrupting the mass relay network, isolating Prothean systems from one another. The Protheans' greatest strength, their unified empire, proved to be their downfall.

Stasis

In a desperate attempt to survive the Reaper invasion, the Protheans built massive, hidden stasis facilities that could hold hundreds of thousands of stasis pods. Some facilities were found by Reaper agents or betrayed by indoctrinated Protheans. Unfortunately, the facilities that remained hidden faced another challenge: a finite power source. The VI's left to control these facilities began systematically cutting power to non-essential staff to conserve energy. 50,000 years later, the number of active pods in each facility might be less than a dozen and without knowing the location of these hidden bunkers, its impossible to know how many protheans have survived.

All Eyes on You

As a prothean, you constantly attract the attention of other races. Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and appearance all mark you as more alien than most aliens. Curious glances are directed your way wherever you go, which can be a nuisance, but you also gain the friendly interest of scholars and others intrigued by your ancient culture, to say nothing of everyday beings who are eager to hear stories of your origin.

Avatars

Protheans that ascended to places of prominence in their society were designated as avatars, or exemplars, of a particular virtue of their culture. Example virtues include benevolence, cleanliness, courage, dignity, frugality, honor, justice, mercy, order, perseverance, temperance, tranquility, truthfulness, vengeance. As one of the last remaining Protheans, it is likely you are an avatar or, waking up to find you race all but extinct, you may self-appoint your own virtue.

Prothean Names

Interestingly, protheans name themselves, usually after an icon or mentor. Until they've chosen a name, they are called little one, child, or some other generic term.

• Male names: Arkath, Esrad, Caed, Dervan Had, Dencen, Hsed Mik, Javik, Jacen, Ksad Ishan, Lucen, Pashek Vran, Seset Amat, Tev Boken
• Female names: Athi Let, Brene She, Balani, Calise, Cethi, Cosene, Eri Mase, Hulana, Haetha, Janiri, Kelthana, Laene Valte, Masani, Neona, Penta Tetha, Savisa

Prothean Traits

Your prothean character has certain characteristics in common with all other protheans.

Galaxy Restriction. Milky Way

Available Classes. Adept, Soldier, Vanguard

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age. Protheans live between 300 and 400 years, reaching adulthood in their early teens.

Alignment. Protheans come from a society that was heavily regulated and favored the strong. They are generally lawful neutral.

Size. Protheans are slightly taller than humans but generally never taller than 2 meters (6'5"). Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 2d10 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

All-seeing Eyes. Your four eyes can look in multiple directions and have a nascent ability to see cloaked objects. You have truesight up to 10m and proficiency in Perception.

Quad-Strand DNA. Your unique quad-strand DNA helps to protect you against radiation and cold. You have radiant and cold damage resistance.

Psychometry. While in physical contact with a creature or object, a Prothean can recall its experiences. If you touch an object or creature and concentrate on it for 1 minute, you learn a few basic facts about it. You gain a mental image from the object or creature's point of view, learning of any events that have occurred within 10 meters of the object or creature within the past 24 hours. If in contact with an object, you see the last creature to hold the object, regardless of how long ago it was last handled. This ability may only be used once per long rest.

Variant: Awakened Collector

The Collectors are an enigmatic race that live beyond the Omega 4 Relay, a mass relay within the same system as Omega, in the Terminus Systems. They are rarely seen in the Terminus itself, let alone Citadel space, and are generally regarded as a myth by Citadel citizens. Definite sightings of Collectors have been made on Omega every few centuries.

Collectors are former Protheans that have been completely subjugated by their Reaper masters. Their DNA shows signs of "extensive genetic rewrite" including three fewer chromosomes, reduced heterochromatin structure, and the elimination of superfluous "junk" sequences.

When the Reaper-killer known as Leviathan fought the Collectors, it severed their connection to Harbinger with a thrall device. Most Collector forces died as a result, but a few survived. Now, these rare individuals fight for the memory of their people, a proud race broken by the Reapers.

Variant Traits

If you would like to play an awakened collector, you can choose to replace the All-Seeing Eyes, and Psychometry traits with the following.

Chitinous Exoskeleton. While not wearing armor, you have +1 AC.

Forewing Leap. High and Long jump distances are tripled.

Seeker Swarm. As an action, you call 1d4 seeker swarms to a space you can see within 10m. The swarms remain for 1 hour or until you dismiss them as a bonus action. The swarms are friendly to you and your companions for the duration. The swarms have their own turn in the initiative order, which occurs immediately following your turn.

Once you use this feature, you must take a long rest before using it again.

Seeker Swarm

Small organic, lawful evil

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• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 10(4d6 - 4)
• Speed fly 10m

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
2 (-4)	10 (+0)	8 (-1)	10 (+0)	8 (-1)	5 (-3)

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• Saving Throws Dexterity +2
• Senses passive Perception 9
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

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Actions

Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 2m, one target. Hit 2 (1d4) poison damage and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or has disadvantage on its next attack roll.

Quarian

Forced out of their homeland by sapient constructs of their own creation, quarian are exiled nomads that now sail the seas in search of a new homeland.

Exotic Fashion

Identifying a quarian is easy. All quarians wear enviro-suits, which are multipurpose outfits that protect them from foreign pathogens and diseases as well as acting as spacesuits for scavenging or repair of shuttles. Rannoch's ecosystem featured symbiotic microorganisms that aren't found anywhere else in the galaxy. Thus, when the quarians were exiled, they were also burdened to life in a suit.

The enviro-suits have moved beyond function, however, and into their culture. A quarian is rarely, if ever, seen without their suit and helmet, and when they return from their pilgrimage as adults, they are expected to modify their suit to fit their personal reflection of their status as a productive member of the Flotilla.

Exiles of their Own Creations

Quarians have a long and deep history with creating constructs known as "Geth," meaning "Servant of the People". These constructs were built to serve and protect the quarians, and most quarian families had at least one servant, while the quarian military consisted of these autonomous beings.

The quarians sought to constantly improve their creation with more advanced virtual intelligence so they could complete increasingly complex tasks. These improvements lead to the geth's sapience and they began to question their masters. The quarians attempted to exterminate them, but after forming so much dependence on the geth, the quarians were swiftly defeated. With many exterminated, the remaining quarians fled their homeland of Rannoch.

Migrant Fleet

The nomads travel together in a collective of ships known as the Flotilla or the Migrant Fleet and consists of those who escaped death by the geth.

The Flotilla contains over fifty thousand vessels collectively that travel the galaxy strip-mining and harvesting resource to keep the fleet afloat. Some ships decide to depart the fleet to pursue their own goals but normally return to the fleet.

When young quarian rejoin the flotilla after their pilgrimage, they are expected to join the crew of another vessel to ensure genetic diversity of an already small population.

Cybernetic Improvements

Though the quarians have abandoned their long history of construct and VI creation, they put their knowledge of engineering and technology into their own bodies to augment themselves. These augments are crafted by artisans who have descended from or studied under those who originally worked with or programmed the geth. The implants themselves are normally small, no larger than the size of a palm, and when properly inserted give the quarian enhanced ability compared to those without. A quarian chooses an augment before they leave for the Pilgrimage, and the implantation of the device is part of their sending off ceremony.

The Pilgrimage

During quarian adolescence, they are subjected to a rite of passage known as the pilgrimage. When young adulthood is reached, quarians are expected to leave the Migrant Fleet and experience life outside of their culture. To rejoin the flotilla, the young quarian must bear a gift to the captain of a new vessel. This gift can be tangible, such as resources, or intangible such as information. Most quarian operatives are those on their pilgrimage, though there are those who decide never to return to the fleet or those who were rejected from rejoining.

Quarian Names

Quarian names are composed of three parts: the quarian's given name and family name separated by an apostrophe, and the name of their vessel preceeded by a title - "nar" to denote their birth ship and "vas" to denote their post-pilgrimage ship. For example, nar Rayya or vas Neema.

• Male Names: Golo, Han, Hilo, Kal, Kar, Keenah, Kenn, Lemm, Les, Prazza, Rael, Seeto, Shio, Veetor, Ysin, Zaal
• Female Names: Ceni, Daro, Elan, Feda, Jura, Laele, Lia, Meeri, Minn, Reen, Saesa, Shala, Shuni, Tali, Yosi, Zohe,
• Family Names: Breizah, Dannah, Gazu, Gerral, Hodda, Jaa, Koris, Leth, Mal, Mekk, Nara, Raan, Reegar, Shaal, Shiya, Vael, Xen, Zorah
• Vessel Names: Honorata, Idenna, Moreh, Neema, Novarra, Qwib Qwib, Rayya, Tesleya, Tonbay, Ulnay, Usela

Quarian Traits

Your quarian character has a few traits in common with other quarians.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. Engineer, Infiltrator, Soldier

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age. Quarians have lifespans similar to humans.

Alignment. The proximity and longstanding traditions of the Migrant Fleet make Quarians very lawful as a race, occasionally drifting toward neutral. Morality can vary but tends towards neutral or good, as evil quarians are typically exiled from the Flotilla.

Size. Quarians have builds similar to humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 8d6 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Hermetic Suit. Your suit is your lifeblood and consists of a reinforced, skin-tight body suit and a helmet. It makes your immune to disease and provides resistance to poison and necrotic damage.

However, you are always at risk. If you are the victim of a critical hit that deals puncture or slashing damage, your suit becomes breached. As an action, you may spend 1 omni-gel to seal your suit. You have 3 omni-gel as part of their starting equipment.

For each hour in which you have a breach in your suit, you suffer one level of exhaustion. For each hour you spend outside of your suit if not in a compatible environment, suffer 3 levels of exhaustion.

Cybernetic Augmentation

In addition to the common traits, your quarian character has one cybernetic enhancement.

Cerebral

Cerebral implants are embedded in the brains of quarian to enhance mental prowess and to protect against mind-altering effects.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Mind Shielding Unit. You have advantage on saving throws against mind-altering effects such as being charmed, confused, compelled, frightened, or put to sleep by spells. In addition, your mind cannot be read by an Asari's mind meld.

Scientific Aptitude. You gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Electronics, Engineering, Investigation, or Science.

Muscular

Muscular augments are implants placed strategically at the shoulders and hips to direct pulses of adrenaline through muscle fibers, allowing for bursts of speed, strength, and flexibility.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Overclock Unit. You can activate your muscular augments for a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the tum. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you recharge the unit by moving 0 meters on one of your turns.

Peak Fitness. You have proficiency in either the Acrobatics or Athletics skill.

Ocular

Quarians with ocular augments replace their eyes with enhanced optics that allow their sight to persist even in the most unfavorable conditions.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 20 meters of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Clarity Unit. You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded.

Keen Eyesight. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Additionally, you can see in an area within 10 meters of you that is lightly obscured as if it were unobscured and can see in an area within 6 meters of you that is heavily obscured as if it were only lightly obscured.

Visceral

Quarians with visceral augments have implants inserted within the organs to enhance the body's natural healing ability, protecting the body from toxins and injury.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Revival Unit. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Salarian

Salarians are a warm-blooded amphibious species from a jungle known as Sur'Kesh. The salarian possess a super-charged metabolism which causes them to function at a much higher speed than other races while requiring less rest. Additionally, they have an exceptional capability for observation, recollection, and innovation. They are constantly tinkering, experimenting, inventing, and researching and value intelligence and knowledge above all else.

Hyperactive Metabolism

The speed at which a salarian metabolizes is a marvel of evolution. The race only requires only one hour of sleep a night, and still, they have more energy and alertness than other races. Everything a salarian does seems to be faster. They talk fast, think fast, move fast, eat fast, and even sleep fast. The large amount of available energy has advanced their intellectual capabilities. They need near constant stimulation for their fidgety, active bodies.

Boredom, the Mother of Invention

Salarians minds are constantly racing at miles per minute, and without proper mental stimulation, a salarian becomes bored. Tinkering and experimenting are natural solutions to a restless mind. The ability to plow through ideas, situations, and possibilities makes them natural inventors. Salarians have perhaps some of the most advanced technology, especially in electronics and engineering, but a salarian can become an expert at whatever craft he puts his mind to.

Knowledge is Power

Invention is not the only outlet of a salarian's mind. As many as those who invent prefer to gather information and knowledge. Observation, research, study, and espionage are other areas at which salarians tend to excel. A photographic memory with a high capacity for information makes salarians who dabble in information trading very skilled and valuable. Knowledge gained from a salarian is highly prized as nearly infallible, and so these trades are viable life paths.

One Mother Among Sons

Salarian reproduction is curious in that fertilized eggs hatch as females and unfertilized eggs hatch as male. According to ancient societal codes and law, fertilization of eggs is strictly regulated and thus 90% of the population is male. Romantic and sexual relationships are nearly nonexistent among salarian, and any sexuality is strictly for reproduction. As females are so rare, they normally stay within salarian colonies where they possess positions of political power in a complex matriarchal government.

Matriarchal Feudalism

Salarians have a layered system of government, ultimately ruled by a matriarch known as a dalatrass, with her daughters serving in noble positions beneath her. A noble family headed by the dalatrass controls a massive territory known as a march that is further divided into duchies, baronies, and fiefdoms. Dalatrasses and their noble matrilinear lines will make political alliances with other families through interbreeding. A salarian is loyal through a biological process known as imprinting to their parents and to their dalatrass, which keeps the feudal society stable.

Intense Curiosity

Despite imprinted loyalty to their family and dalatrass, male salarians are free to leave the colony at any time. Females, however, due to their noble blood and political power, almost always stay within the confines of salarian territories, though some do venture out for other political positions such as ambassadors or emissaries. Salarian curiosity and pursuit of knowledge often lead them past the jungles of Sur'Kesh, if even only for a brief time. Many find new lives far from Sur'Kesh, though they rarely truly abandon their family and dalatrass.

Salarian Names

Salarian names are quite complex. A full name includes - in order - the name of a salarian's march, duchy, barony, fiefdom, family, and finally, the given name. However, few salarians use their full name unless necessary and prefer to go by their family and given name.

• Example Full Names: Rannadril Ghan Swa Fulsoom Karaten Narr Eadi Bel Anoleis, Gorot II Heranon Mal Dinest Got Inoste Ledra
• Given Names: Beelo, Chorban, Esheel, Ish, Jarroth, Jarun, Jondum, Kallo, Kirrahe, Maelon, Mordin, Morlan, Padok, Palon, Rentola, Schells, Solik, Tazzik, Tolan, Valern, Zevin
• Family Names: Aenarth, Aulaw, Bau, Erkoln, Faergow, Gurji, Heplorn, Inoste, Irheth, Jath, Jowar, Marhall, Raeka, Sernik, Solus, Tann, Vass, Venirn, Vodol, Wiks, Yosann

Salarian Traits

Your salarian character has certain characteristics in common with all other salarians.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. Engineer, Infiltrator, Soldier

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age. Salarians have an extremely high metabolism that causes a short life span. Salarians rarely reach ages over 40 years of age.

Alignment. Salarians can have dubious morals, especially when it comes to experiments and advancing technology. Neutrality is a common alignment for salarians.

Size. Salarians are tall with elongated bodies, with a height between 180 and 210 cm (6 to 7 feet), yet a weight below 100 lbs. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 10 meters.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 4d12 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Amphibious. Can breathe both air and water.

High-Speed Metabolism. Salarians don't need to sleep for as long as other races. Instead, their unique biology requires that they only need to sleep for 1 hour a day to gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. Because of this, Salarains only need 4 hours for a long rest.

Photographic Memory. Whenever you make an Intelligence (Engineering, Electronics, History, or Science) check to recall information, add twice your proficiency bonus even if you are not proficient in that skill.

Twice as Bright. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice and two tools or kits of your choice.

Turian

A highly militaristic race, turians are a force to be feared. These warriors are easily distinguished by an appearance containing a strange mix of insectoid and avian features. The turian army is substantial, and every member of the turian race is obligated to attend combat training in adolescence. Even citizens and artisans are foes to be reckoned with. Despite such an emphasis on combat, however, turians are an honorable and noble race.

Discipline and Honor

The entire turian culture revolves around a strict code of conduct which highly emphasizes strong discipline and personal responsibility. Turians are highly inclined towards self-sacrifice and will put the good of society over their own personal desires. As such, they are passionate about public and social service and make poor merchants and entrepreneurs. They are taught to own their decisions, good or bad, and if confronted with accusations it is considered heinous to lie about their actions. Because of this, many races attribute to them a "turian honor" seen rarely outside the turian race.

Proud Warrior Race

At the center of turian society is their military. Turians are sent to basic training in their teenage years and are obligated to serve time in the military, if physically able. This develops respect for authority as well as imparting control and restraint among the turians. Though some turians do not continue their service in the armed forces, they continue to serve their community through other branches of the military which serve the whole by providing public services.

Hierarchal Meritocracy

Turian government is entwined with its military, as so many parts of society are. There are tiers of citizenship, with the lowest being a regular citizen, often held by client races and children, climbing all the way up to the Primarchs which lead each turian colony. Lower ranking citizens are expected to obey and support superiors while higher ranking ones are expected to lead and protect lower ranks. Promotion to a new tier is based on personal ability and merit and are given due to assessments from one's superiors.

Despite the ranked structure, turians entertain many freedoms as long as they perform their duties and do not infringe on others freedoms or responsibilities.

Reflective Carapace

The homeland of the turians, Palaven, has a high level of solar radiation. Turians have evolved semi-metallic carapaces that reflect the dangerous radiation, protecting their inners from the solar rays. These exoskeletons, however, do not protect the turian from physical damage such as wounds and do not provide any natural armor.

Mission or Desertion

Most Turians who leave Palaven or another colony do so by order of their superiors to accomplish special missions. Some, however, abandon the society for various reasons, most commonly a desire for freedom from the unyielding law and command. Those who desert their military post or other assigned position are exiled from Palaven, as this is seen as the ultimate betrayal.

Turian Names

Turians are given personal names by their parents and take on a family name. High-ranking turian officers also include their title in their names, either in addition to their full names or as a replacement of their personal name. Sometimes turians go by their family name only.

• Male Names: Adrien, Avitas, Castis, Chellick, Corinthus, Desolas, Garrus, Illo, Jacobus, Joram, Kuril, Lantar, Lilihierax, Lorik, Macen, Mehrkuri, Nihlus, Quentius, Sapartus, Saren, Septimus, Tarquin, Tiran, Tonn, Venari,
• Female Names: Abrudas, Aciia, Aemicida, Alta, Banrae, Caevea, Cicean, Duronea, Iciria, Juteia, Nyreen, Orinia, Pliras, Quidas, Selone, Sidera, Sipia, Valevas, Vetra
• Family Names: Actus, Arterius, Barro, Kandros, Kryik, Nazario, Nyx, Oraka, Pallin, Qui'in, Rix, Sidonis, Talid, Vakarian, Victus, Vyrnnus

Turian Traits

You turian character shares common traits with other turians due to their spartan and militaristic upbringing.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. Engineer, Infiltrator, Sentinel, Soldier, Vanguard

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1, your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age. Turians have natural lifespans comparable to humans.

Alignment. Turians are a highly militaristic and disciplined race. Turians are born and raised in strict law and order and as a result are inclined towards lawful alignments, but it is not uncommon for neutral or chaotic turians to leave Palaven in search of freedom from command.

Size. Turians are taller than humans, standing over 2 meters tall (6'5"). Your size is Medium.

Speed. You have a base walking speed of 10 meters.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 8d6 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Esprit De Corps. Your military training has taught you to work seamlessly as part of a team. You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 2 meters of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.

Martial Training. You are proficient in the Athletics skill and one additional weapon type (Assault Rifle, Heavy Pistol, Melee, Shotgun, SMG, or Sniper Rifle). The additional weapon type proficiency is not limited by your selected class.

Thulium Skin. Resistance to radiant damage and immunity to diseases caused by radiation.

Volus

The volus are an associate race on the Citadel with their own embassy but are also a client race of the turians. They hail from Irune, which possesses a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere able to support ammonia-based biochemistry.

Mysterious Biology

The volus are unable to survive unprotected in an atmosphere more suitable to humans and other carbon-based lifeforms, and as such require pressurized, protective suits capable of providing the proper atmosphere. Traditional nitrogen/oxygen air mixtures are poisonous to them, and in the low pressure atmospheres tolerable to most species, their flesh will actually split open.Unlike quarians, who can withstand brief periods outside their suit, volus choose never to take theirs off, especially in the presence of other races. Therefore, little is known about their physiology. Despite individuals distinctly sounding like males or females to human listeners, volus genders are a mystery as well. The volus themselves consider the question both intrusive and hilariously irrelevant.

Trade Warriors

The volus homeworld Irune is remarkable for having done away with warfare as an institution of the state. Instead, volus romanticize a good bargain, haggling, and creative accounting. The fervent pursuit of economic wealth has made volus a race of aggressive traders and industrialists with a keen grasp of exchange and finance. Many of the galaxy's largest banks, holding corporations, and manufacturing cartels, such as the Elkoss Combine, are owned or managed by volus. They also regulate the Citadel's complex galactic economy and were responsible for the Unified Banking Act, which established the "credit" as the standard currency of interstellar trade.

Unlike most other races, volus are more comfortable with delayed gratification, especially when it comes to spending their credits. Fugacious and materialistic purchases are rarely made. Instead, volus like to invest or save their money, sometimes to a fault. In fact, the volus economy is largely bolstered by the large estates of wealthy volus who never spent a cred.

Council Seat

Despite their important contributions to the Citadel and galactic society, they have never been offered a seat on the Council. This is a source of anger for some volus, particularly the volus ambassador Din Korlack. Council races need to have provided some extraordinary service to the Citadel, such as the turians' military support during the Krogan Rebellions. Council races also need to provide fleets, resources, and economic aid in case of disaster, none of which the volus can currently supply. Therefore, the latest investment pursued by the volus is the construction of well-armed dreadnoughts.

Volus Names

Volus have two names but no family names. According to volus sensibilities, one cannot own a person, so using a family name would essentially be laying claim to their offspring.

• Names: Ano Vot, Berla Mon, Bovan Set, Ceron, Cihaan, Din Mark, Dovan Hal, Eppo Wen, Han Olar, Jahleed, Jahve Kormat, Kelan Vot, Kora Bos, Lona Osar, Levan Lih, Meeve Wen, Morten Sov, Olot For, Pitne Wit, Reema Po, Tahluud, Vaner Jok

Volus Traits

Your volus character has certain characteristics in common with all other volus.

Galaxy Restriction. None

Available Classes. Adept, Engineer, Sentinel, Vanguard

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age. Most volus reach adulthood around their 50th year and live to be around 200 years-old.

Alignment. Volus society tends towards lawful as a whole, with clans fighting over economic resources and aggressive negotiating, even if they are individually chaotic individuals. They tend towards neutral morality.

Size. Volus are between 1 and 1.5 metes (3-4'). Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 8m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, 10d6 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Fury of the Small. When you damage a creature with an attack or a spell and the creature's size is larger than yours, you can cause the attack or spell to deal extra damage to the creature. The extra damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Hermetic Suit. Your suit is your lifeblood and consists of a reinforced, pressurized body suit and helmet. It makes your immune to disease and provides resistance to poison and necrotic damage.

However, you are always at risk. If you are the victim of a critical hit that deals puncture or slashing damage, your suit becomes breached. As an action, you may spend 1 omni-gel to seal your suit. You have 3 omni-gel as part of their starting equipment.

If you are not in an environment made for volus, for each minute in which you have a breach in your suit, you suffer 2d6 poison and 1d6 slashing damage. If you do not repair your suit or get to a volus-appropriate environment within 10 minutes, you die.

Lucky. You have 3 luck points. Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can spend one luck point to roll an additional d20. You can choose to spend one of your luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. You choose which of the d20s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

You can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20, and then choose whether the attack uses the attacker's roll or yours. If more than one creature spends a luck point to influence the outcome of a roll, the points cancel each other out; no additional dice are rolled.

You regain your expended luck points when you finish a long rest.

Savvy Dealings. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.

Vorcha

The vorcha originate from Heshtok, a small, hostile, overcrowded planet which has been largely stripped of natural resources by successive generations of this fast-breeding, savage species. The lack of resources has resulted in a tight-knit, clan-based society in which rival clans wage constant war against one another for control of scarce resources. Even as their population grows, the vorcha constantly fight each other in fierce competition over basic necessities. This incessant warfare has made each generation of vorcha stronger and more aggressive than that which preceded it, but their continual lack of resources has kept vorcha society extremely primitive.

Non-differentiated cells

The vorcha are known for a rather unique biology: they have clusters of non-differentiated cells, similar to those found on the planarian worm of Earth. These cells allow the vorcha limited regenerative abilities, as well as the ability to adapt quickly to its environment, such as developing thicker skin after being burned or increased musculature to survive in high gravity. When a vorcha is injured or in distress, these cells move to the affected area and rapidly (~1 week) mature to specialized forms that will alleviate the issue.

Clan Violence

Vorcha society is built around combat. In fact, the vorcha use combat, both individually and in groups, as their default form of communication. The vorcha are a clan-based people who prefer living in communal environments with others of their species to living alone or in the company of alien races. When a clan population grows too large, younger members will depart to start a new clan elsewhere. The vorcha are extremely aggressive, both against rivals of their own species and against any alien who stands in their way. Vorcha who have managed to escape their homeworld have a tendency to occupy uninhabited areas of space stations or larger spaceships.

Vorcha Names

Like their lifespans, vorcha names are brutal and short.

• Male names: Besk, Drent, Dist, Flesk, Grank, Grote, Gryll, Jerst, Kreete, Shisk, Tirst, Tregg,
• Female names: Ast, Brytt, Eesk, Fleeg, Ift, Ish, Keet, Kiv, Pash, Pritt, Shate, Tath

Vorcha Traits

Your vorcha shares a number of a traits (mostly agressive) with all other vorcha. They also have an adaptation, based on the environment in which they grew up.

Galaxy Restriction. Milky Way.

Available Classes. Engineer, Infiltrator, Sentinel, Soldier

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Vorcha have extremely short lifespans and only live for 20 years. They reach adulthood shortly after their first year.

Alignment. Most vorcha are chaotic evil or almost always chaotic even if their morality is strengthened.

Size. Vorcha are taller on average than humans (though they naturally slouch) and relatively slender. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 14m.

Starting Credits. Instead of your class's starting equipment, you may start with 4d12 x 1000 + 10,000 credits to buy your own equipment.

Bite. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Non-Differentiated Cells. You are immune to disease. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage

Limited Regeneration. You regain all your Hit Dice on a long rest. Additionally, if you lose a body part, the missing part will regrow and return to full functionality after a passing of time, based on the body part:

• Fingers & toes: 1 week
• Hands & Feet: 2 weeks
• Arm (to elbow) & Leg (to knee): 4 weeks
• Eye: 6 weeks
• Arm (to shoulder) & Leg (to hip): 8 weeks

Adaptation

Growing up in a harsh environment, your body evolved so you could survive. Choose one of the following environments:

• Aquatic: Amphibious. Swim speed 10m.
• Desert: Constitution +1. Ignore one level of exhaustion.
• Frozen: Resistance to cold damage.
• High-gravity: Strength +1.
• Underground: Darkvision 60m. Blindsight 10m.
• Volcanic: Resistance to fire damage.
• Zero-gravity: While lifted or in zero-g, your speed is 2m and you do not have disadvantage on your attack rolls.

Chapter 3: Classes

Operatives are extraordinary beings, driven by a thirst for excitement into a life that others would never dare lead. They are heroes, compelled to explore the dark places of the world and take on the challenges that lesser women and men can’t stand against.

Class is the primary definition of what your character can do. It’s more than a profession; it’s your character’s calling. Class shapes the way you think about the world and interact with it and your relationship with other people and beings in the galaxy. A soldier, for example, might view the world in pragmatic terms of strategy and maneuvering, and see herself as just a pawn in a much larger game. An infiltrator, by contrast, might see himself as a willing agent in a governments’s unfolding plan or a conflict brewing among various races. While the soldier has contacts in a mercenary group or army, the infiltrator might know a number of politicians, spies, and double agents.

Your class gives you a variety of special features, such as a soldiers’s mastery of weapons and armor, and an adepts’s spells. At low levels, your class gives you only two or three features, but as you advance in level you gain more and your existing features often improve. Each class entry in this chapter includes a table summarizing the benefits you gain at every level, and a detailed explanation of each one.

There are only 6 classes in Mass Effect, each is either a specialist of hybird of two other classes. Adepts are biotic masters and play similarly to wizards, focusing on spellcasting and control. Engineers are versatile tech masters with a wide range of tech powers and some healing capabilities, a mix of hunter, monk, and cleric. Soldiers are weapon masters and are closely aligned with fighters from 5th edition. Sentinels are defensive tanks with the capability of casting both biotic and tech spells, the paladins of the group. Infiltrators are very similar to rogues, utilizing tech from engineers and martial prowess from soldiers. Finally, vanguards are a kind of barbarian spellcaster, with combat capabilities of a soldier, but devastating biotics of an adept.

Operatives sometimes advance in more than one class. An engineer might switch direction in life and join a mercenary group like the Blue Suns, becoming more proficient with weapons and armor, taking a few levels of a soldier. An asari infiltrator may decide to focus on their biotic talents, taking some levels in adept or vanguard. Optional rules for combining classes in this way, called multiclassing, can be found in chapter 6.

Adept

Adepts are biotic specialists, capable of disabling and killing enemies with raw biotic power. While they lack advanced combat training, they are the best at defeating enemies without firing a shot. They are outfitted with L5x implants that can spawn a micro-singularity, damaging enemies and pulling them into the air.

Class Features

As a adept, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d6 per adept level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per adept level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor
• Weapons: Heavy Pistols and choose one from Melee or SMGs
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Charisma, Wisdom
• Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Performance, Sleight of hand, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• M-3 Predator or M-4 Shuriken
• Omni-Blade or Monomolecular Blade
• Stock Light Armor

Spellcasting

Using your biotic implant or innate biotic talents, you can manipulate the mass of objects and space. See chapter 12 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 13 for the list of spells.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the adept spell list. You learn additional adept cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips column of the Adept table.

Instead of learning a new cantrip, you may instead learn the advanced version of a cantrip you already know.

Spell Slots

The Adept table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these adept spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell lance and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast lance using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the adept spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Adept table shows when you learn more adept spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you learn a new spell, you may instead choose one of the spells you know and learn an advanced version of it. You select one of the advancement options listed in the spell description. Whenever you cast the spell, you cast the advanced version of it. You can only learn one advancement for each spell.

Spellcasting Ability

Adepts have an L5x biotic implant which requires conscious control over their nervous system. As an Adept, you use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a biotic spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Barrier

As an action or bonus action, you create a biotic barrier around you that reduces incoming damage and fuels certain biotic abilities. You gain barrier ticks equal to the Barrier Ticks column shown on your class progression table. You total barrier ticks cannot exceed the amount listed in the Barrier Ticks column of your class progression table, and any barrier ticks gained in excess of this number are lost.

Whenever you would take damage while barrier is active, remove 1 barrier tick and reduce the damage by 1d8. Then, apply any remaining damage it to other hit pools like tech armor, shields, temporary hit points, or hit points.

Barrier lasts 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or have no barrier ticks remaining. You can also end barrier at any time as a free action. When Barrier ends, you lose any remaining barrier ticks.

Once you have used barrier the maximum number of times for your combined Adept, Sentinel, and/or Vanguard levels, you must finish a short rest before you can use it again. You may use barrier 2 times at 1st level, 3 at 3rd, 4 at 6th, 5 at 12th, and 6 at 17th.

Biotic Recovery

You have learned to regain some of your biotic energy by meditating and calming your mind. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your adept level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 3rd level or higher.

For example, if you’re a 4th-level adept, you can recover up to two levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either a 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots.

Subclass

At 2nd level, choose a subclass which represents how you focus on your biotic talents: force, necrotic, or control effects.

Your choice grants you features at 2nd level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

If you are using feats, instead of increasing your ability score(s), you may gain a Feat.

Empowered Biotics

At 17th level, whenever you roll a 1 on a damage roll for a biotic spell or cantrip you cast, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Biotic Mastery

At 18th level, you have achieved such mastery over certain biotics that you can cast them at will. Choose two 1st-level biotic spells that you have learned. You can cast those spells at 1st level without expending a spell slot. If you want to cast either spell at a higher level, you must expend a spell slot as normal.

By spending 8 hours training, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.

Signature Biotics

When you reach 20th level, you gain mastery over two powerful spells and can cast them with little effort. Choose two 1st or 2nd-level biotic spells you know as your signature biotics. You can cast each of them once at 2nd level without expending a spell slot. When you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

If you want to cast either spell at 3rd-level or higher, you must expend a spell slot as normal.

Subclasses

Adepts have three subclasses which revolve around your biotic specialty. Force experts, called commandos, focus on dealing the maximum amount of damage through biotic powers. Blackstars are control experts and use powers like pull and singularity to hinder enemy forces. Disruptors focus on the necrotic powers of biotics and can maintain powerful spells at great length.

Commando

Commandos don't need heavy weapons because they ARE the heavy weapon. Their features improve both the damage potential and throughput of their biotic spells, making them a deadly force.

Pure Biotics

At 2nd level, your skill in dealing damage with biotic force powers becomes unmatched. Add your proficiency bonus to all force damage dealt by your biotic spells.

Expert Biotic

By 6th level, casting biotic spells comes so easily to you that it expends only a fraction of your efforts. When you cast a biotic spell of 2nd level or higher using a spell slot, you regain one expended spell slot. The slot you regain must be of a level lower than the spell you cast.

Biotic Split

At 10th level, when you cast a biotic spell that targets only one creature, you can have it target a second creature.

Overchannel

Beginning at 14th level, you can increase the power of your simpler biotics. When you cast a biotic spell of 1st or 2nd level that deals damage, you can deal maximum damage with that spell.

The first time you do so, you suffer no adverse effect. If you use this feature again before you finish a long rest, you take 2d12 psychic damage for each level of the spell, immediately after you cast it. Each time you use this feature again before finishing a long rest, the necrotic damage per spell level increases by 1d12. This damage ignores resistance and immunity.

Blackstar

Blackstars prefer controlling the battlefield over raw power. They can shape their biotic powers to avoid hurting friends and gain unique benefits to biotic control spells like Lift, Singularity, and Stasis.

Sculpt Biotics

Starting at 2nd level, You can create pockets of relative safety within the effects of your biotic spells. When you cast a biotic spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of them equal to 1+the spell's level. The chosen creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save.

Bend Luck

You've mastered the art of using small mass effect fields to slightly alter the outcome of other creature's actions. It might be a small burst under the muzzle of a gun to throw off the attacker's aim. Or negative field around a friendly creature as leaps away from a grenade, moving it out of damage's way.

At 6th level, when another creature you can see makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to roll 1d4 and apply the number rolled as a bonus or penalty (your choice) to the creature's roll. You can do so after the creature rolls but before any effects of the roll occur.

You can use Bend Luck a number of times equal to half of your Adept level (minimum 1) before you finish a long rest.

Focused Biotics

Beginning at 10th level, while you are concentrating on a biotic spell, your concentration can't be broken as a result of taking damage.

Biotic Control

At 14th level, you've increased your mastery with biotic spells that control the battlefield. Gain the following benefits to the spells below:

• Lift. When casting Lift, you are considered to have both advancement options. |
• Pull. When you cast pull, you may target 2 creatures. Make a ranged spell attack for each target.
• Singularity. Large or smaller objects and creatures are affected by singularity.
• Stasis. Targets have disadvantage on their saving throw.

Disruptor

Disruptors have learned to tap into dark energy, improving biotic abilities that tear apart their adversaries from within. They also specialize in maintaining spells with intense focus.

Dark Biotics

At 2nd level, your skill in dealing damage with withering biotic powers is unmatched. Add your proficiency bonus to all necrotic damage dealt by your biotic spells.

Biotic Surge

Starting at 6th level, you can empower your biotics that unleash harm on groups of foes. When you force multiple creatures to make saving throws against the damage of one of your spells, you can increase the spell's damage by rolling two more of its damage dice. This increase occurs only on the turn you cast the spell.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Potent Biotics

At 10th level, when you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for a spell that deals necrotic damage, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Biotic Concentration

Starting at 14th level, you can push your biotic implant to the limit. If you are already maintaining a concentration spell, you can cast another spell that requires concentration and maintain it. If you take damage you must make a separate Constitution saving throw to maintain each spell.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Engineer

The Engineer is a tech specialist, able to quickly and easily manipulate the environment with specific talents, and repair or modify technical equipment. Gameplay focus is on shaping the battlefield during combat, healing the party, and debuffing enemies (disabling weapons and lowering shields).

Class Features

As a engineer, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per engineer level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per engineer level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor, medium armor
• Weapons: Heavy Pistols and choose one from Assault Rifles, Melee, or SMGs
• Tools: Choose one from Armorsmith's Workbench, Tailor's Tools, Tinker's Tools, or Weaponsmith's Workbench
• Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
• Skills: Choose three from Athletics, Electronics, Engineering, History, Investigation, Medicine, Science, and Vehicle Handling

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• M-3 Predator, M-4 Shuriken, or M-8 Avenger
• Omni-Taser, Omni-Blade, or Omni-Torch
• Stock Light Armor or Stock Medium Armor

Spellcasting

Your omni-tool is the source of your spellcasting capabilities. See chapter 12 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 13 for the list of spells.

Preparing and casting spells

The Engineer table shows how many tech points you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these engineer spells, you must expend a number of tech points equal to the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended tech points when you finish a long rest.

You are limited in the number of tech points you can spend to power a spell as indicated in the Tech Point Limit column of the Engineer table.

For example, a 9th-level engineer can cast spells for 1, 2, or 3 tech points.

You prepare the list of engineer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the engineer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of engineer spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + your engineer level (minimum of one spell).

You may prepare the advanced version of a spell for the cost of 2 regular versions. You may only prepare one advanced version for each spell.

For example, if you are a 4th-level engineer with an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can be one of the following:

• seven regular spells
• one advanced spell and five regular spells,
• two advanced spells and three regular spells,
• three advanced spells and one regular spell

You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of engineer spells requires time spent to program them into your omni-tool: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Engineers use a highly modified Omni-tool that requires a keen intellect to maintain. As an engineer, you use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a tech spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Drone

At 1st level, you can summon a drone with your omni-tool. As an Action, spend 1 tech point to summon one of the following drones: assault, combat, defense, disruption, recon, or rocket.

When summoned, the drone has additional hit points equal to twice your engineer level. Whenever the drone makes a saving throw, damage or healing roll, add your proficiency bonus to the roll. Whenever the drone attacks, apply your proficiency bonus instead of the drone's to the roll.

You have complete control over the drone. Any hacking attempts on the drone are rolled against your intelligence, not the drone's. The drone has its own turn in the initiative order, which occurs immediately following your turn.

The drone lasts 1 minute or until its hit points become 0.

Engineer's Efficiency

Starting at 3rd level, you're able to optimize a basic tech spell. Choose one of the following tech powers: Cryo Blast, Incinerate, or Overload. You always have this spell prepared. You may cast a 1 tech point version of this spell without expending any tech points. If you cast the power at a high level, you must spend all tech points as normal.

You can prepare the advanced version of the selected spell at the cost of 1 prepared spell.

At 11th level, you can cast a 2 tech point version of your selected spell without expending any tech points.

With 8 hours of programming your omni-tool, you can exchange the selected spell with either Cryo Blast, Incinerate, or Overload.

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

If you are using feats, instead of increasing your ability score(s), you may gain a Feat.

Recharge

Beginning at 7th level, you've created a small reserve battery for your omni-tool, allowing you to regain some spent tech points. Once per long rest, you can spend 1 minute cycling the power of your omni-tool gaining tech points equal to 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier. Your total tech points cannot exceed the tech points column for your engineer level, as indicated on the engineer progression table.

The number of tech points you regenerate increases at higher levels. 1d6 + your Intelligence modifier at 11th level and 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier at 15th level.

Invention

At 20th level, you create an invention. Work with your GM to decide on what the invention should be. Some ideas include an drone upgrade (weapon, armor, shield, etc), a new spell, an improved omni-tool battery, etc.

Subclasses

Engineers have three subclasses which revolve around their engineering focus. Highly intelligent, battlefield strategists use tact and preparedness to win at any cost. Some engineers prefer the tinkering lifestyle and can build a permanent drone companion. Those that would like to focus on biological engineer should seek out the medic subclass, which can heal and support the party.

Mastermind

Masterminds are highly-intellectual and skilled individuals, using strategy and perfectly timed attacks to win in battle.

Enfilade

Starting at 2nd level, if an ally uses a power that primes an enemy within 10m, you may use your reaction to detonate the primed enemy with a quick tech burst that cannot miss.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Jack of All Trades

Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 6th level, you can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Disrupting Attack

At 10th level, you learn how to make your weapon strikes undercut a creature's resistance to your tech spells. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, that creature has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against a spell you cast before the end of your next turn.

Tactical Advantage

Starting at 14th level, when you prepare an advanced version of a spell you prepare both advancements. When you cast an advanced spell you can choose to cast either advancement option.

Spell Steal

At 18th level, you gain the ability to clone spell effects onto your omni-tool.

Immediately after a creature casts a spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a saving throw with its spellcasting ability modifier. The DC equals your spell save DC. On a failed save, you negate the spell's effect on you and you copy a temporary version of the spell onto your omni-tool if it is at least 1st level and of a level you can cast (it does not have to be a tech spell). For the next 8 hours, you know the spell and can cast it using your tech points. The creature can't cast that spell until the 8 hours have passed.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Drone Jockey

A drone jockey forms a bond with their mechanical companion, giving it a body, name and increasing its potency on the battlefield.

Drone Companion

At 2nd level, you've learned to construct a drone companion. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 5000 credits worth of materials, you augment one of your drone's VI into a rudimentary AI, then create a synthetic body, transferring the AI into the body. Choose one of the following drones: assault, combat, defense, recon, rocket.

If your drone companion is ever slain, 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 2500 credits worth of materials, can create a new body and replicate the AI from a backup.

You can still summon a temporary drone using your tech points.

Drone's Bond

Your drone companion gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you.

• The drone companion loses its Multiattack action, if it has one.
• The drone companion loses its vulnerability to lightning damage.
• The drone companion obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own. It has advantage on saving throws against any ability that tries to influence its actions.
• Your drone companion has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your companion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, a drone companion also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC and to its damage rolls.
• Your drone companion gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws.
• For each level you gain after the 2nd, your drone companion gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points 1d8 (or 5) + its constitution modifier.
• Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.
• Your companion shares your alignment and has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your companion shares your ideal, and its bond is always, “The Engineer who created me is a beloved companion for whom I would gladly give my life.”

Coordinated Attack

Beginning at 6th level, you and your drone companion form a more potent fighting force. When you use the Attack action on your turn, if your companion can see you, it can use its reaction to make an attack.

Drone's Defense

At 10th level, your companion gains 10 shield points and 5 regen. Additionally, while your companion can see you, it has advantage on all saving throws.

Assault Protocol

At 14th level, your companion can use its action to make an attack against each creature within 2m of it or each creature within 2m of you. It makes a separate attack roll for each target.

Drone's Defense

At 18th level, your companion gains another 10 shield points and 5 regen. Additionally, whenever an attacker that your companion can see hits it with an attack, it can use its reaction to halve the attack’s damage against it.

Medic

The name says it all. As a medic, you'll be one on the field that can dress a wound and get your comrades back into fighting shape.

Repair Drone

At 2nd level, you gain proficiency in Medicine. If you are already proficient in Medicine, you may choose a different skill.

Add the Repair drone to the list of drones available for you to summon.

Repair Drone

Small synthetic, neutral

---

• Armor Class 11
• Hit Points 17 (5d6)
• Shield Points 5 (regen 5)
• Speed fly 12m

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)	11 (+0)	6 (-2)

---

• Damage Vunlerabilities lightning
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses passive Perception 11
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

---

Stabalize (Recharges after a Short or Long rest). As an action, the repair drone can stabalize a friendly creature within 2m.

Innate Spellcasting. The repair drone's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 10, +2 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following:

• 3/day: first aid

Actions

Defibrillators. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 2m, one target. Hit 2 (1d4) lightnint damage.

Medi-gel Enhancements

At 6th level, you can spend 6 hours in a lab, or similar environment, using drugs to enhance the capabilities of standard medi-gel. It takes 2 hours to craft a single enhancement, but you can apply that benefit to any number of medi-gel cartridges. To craft another enhancement takes an additional 6 hours. Instead of using time to limit this feature, your GM can choose to allow you to add X divided by 2 (rounded up) enhancements, where X is your Intelligence modifier; then, you must finish a long rest before you can create new enhancements. Only one enhancement can be added to a medi-gel cartridge.

• Stimulant. After using this medi-gel, you have advantage on the next saving throw or attack roll you make within 1 minute.
• Opioid. Within 1 minute of using this medi-gel, the next time you take damage that reduces you to 0 hit points but doesn't kill you outright, you are reduced to 1 hit point instead.
• Steroid. After using this medi-gel, add +2 damage to all melee damage for 1 minute.

• Minagen X3. After using this medi-gel, gain +2 damage to all biotic spells and cantrips for 1 minute.
• Videlicet. After using this medi-gel, gain +2 bonus to all ranged tech attacks for 1 minute.
• Styptic. Increase the potency of the medi-gel by 1 level (maximum level is Superior)

Shield Boost

At 10th level, you can use your action to restore some of your party's shields. Choose up to 5 friendly creatures with shields you can see. Hack into their armor system and use a brute force algorithm to overload their kinetic barrier. Roll 4d8. Each creature immediately gains that many shield points, even if their total shield point capacity is less than the amount rolled.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Advanced Repair Drone

At 14th level, you summon an advanced version of the Repair Drone.

Supply Pylon

By 18th level, you can call in a 2m tall by 1m wide supply pylon to a location within 4m. At the start of your next turn, the pylon arrives. If any creature is standing in the targeted location, the creature must make a Dexterity saving throw with advantage. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone.

The pylon contains 5 resources from the following list, which you choose when you call the pylon:

• 1 heavy weapon ammo charges
• 10 thermal clips
• A battery capable to quickly recharging your Omni-tool, recovering 5 tech points
• A stim pack capable of staving off biotic fatigue, recovering 5 levels worth of spell slots
• 4 enhanced medi-gel
• 2 Mk II Frag grenades
• 2 Mk II Lift Grenades
• 2 Mk IV Flashbang
• 2 Mk IV Smoke grenades

Once the pylon has landed, friendly creatures (including you) within melee range of the pylon can use their action to collect one of the resources you chose.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest and restock the pylon with 5 omni-gel.

Advanced Repair Drone

Small synthetic, neutral

---

• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 34 (10d6)
• Shield Points 10 (regen 5)
• Speed fly 12m

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)	11 (+0)	6 (-2)

---

• Damage Vunlerabilities lightning
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses passive Perception 11
• Challenge 1/2 (25 XP)

---

Stabalize (Recharges after a Short or Long rest). As an action, the repair drone can stabalize a friendly creature within 2m.

Innate Spellcasting. The repair drone's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 10, +2 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following:

• 5/day: first aid (2 tech point version)

Actions

Defibrillators. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 2m, one target. Hit 2 (1d4) lightnint damage.

Engineer Drones

Assault Drone

Small synthetic, neutral

---

• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 17 (5d6)
• Shield Points 5 (regen 5)
• Speed fly 10m

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
11 (+0)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	6 (-2)

---

• Damage Vunlerabilities lightning
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

---

Actions

Pulse Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60m, one target. Hit 7 (1d10 + 2) radiant damage.

Combat Drone

Small synthetic, neutral

---

• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 24 (6d6 + 3)
• Shield Points 10 (regen 5)
• Speed fly 14m

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	8 (-1)	6 (-2)

---

• Damage Vunlerabilities lightning
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses passive Perception 9
• Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

---

Actions

Shock Attack. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 10/30m, one target. Hit 5 (1d6 + 2) lightning damage.

Defense Drone

Small synthetic, neutral

---

• Armor Class 14
• Hit Points 29 (6d6 + 8)
• Shield Points 5 (regen 5)
• Speed fly 10m

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	7 (-2)

---

• Damage Vunlerabilities lightning
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

---

Actions

Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 2m, one target. Hit 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Reactions

Guard. When a creature the defense drone can see attacks a target other than itself that is within 2m of it, it can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

Disruption Drone

Small synthetic, neutral

---

• Armor Class 8
• Hit Points 12 (4d6 - 2)
• Speed fly 16m

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	14 (+2)	8 (-1)	8 (-1)	8 (-1)	8 (-1)

---

• Damage Vunlerabilities lightning
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses passive Perception 9
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

---

Post-mortem explosion. When the disruption drone drops to 0 hit points it explodes. Each creature within a 2m radius must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 13 (2d12) thunder damage, or half as much on a successful one.

Actions

Self-destruct. The disruption can use its action to immediately reduce its hit points to 0.

Recon Drone

Small synthetic, neutral

---

• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 12 (4d6 - 2)
• Shield Points 10 (regen 5)
• Speed fly 16m

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	16 (+3)	8 (-1)	11 (+0)	12 (+1)	5 (-3)

---

• Skills Perception +3, Stealth +5
• Damage Vunlerabilities lightning
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses infrared vision 20m, passive Perception 11
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

---

Tactical Cloak(3/Day). As a bonus action, the recon drone activates its tactical cloak, becoming invisible for 1 minute. When the recon drome makes a melee or ranged attack or uses a tech or combat power, tactical cloak ends.

Actions

Pulse Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 60/180m, one target. Hit 5 (1d4 + 3) radiant damage.

Rocket Drone

Small synthetic, neutral

---

• Armor Class 11
• Hit Points 17 (5d6)
• Speed fly 10m

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	4 (-3)

---

• Damage Vunlerabilities lightning
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

---

Actions

Distortion Rocket. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 30/90m, one target. Hit 9 (2d8) radiant damage.

Infiltrator

The Infiltrator is a tech-savvy warrior, able to win battles by quickly disabling and killing enemies. These soldiers focus on unlocking alternate routes, gaining access to good equipment, and obtaining an advantageous position over enemies in combat.

Class Features

As a infiltrator, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per infiltrator level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per infiltrator level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor
• Weapons: Heavy Pistols and choose two from Assault Rifles, Melee, SMGs, and Sniper Rifles
• Tools: Hacking tools or theives' tools
• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
• Skills: Choose three from Athletics, Acrobatics, Deception, Electronics, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, and Vehicle Handling

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• M-3 Predator, M-4 Shuriken, or M-92 Mantis
• Omni-Taser, Omni-Blade, or Monomolecular Blade
• Stock Light Armor

Spellcasting

Your omni-tool is the source of your spellcasting capabilities. You also use a variety of gadgets and devices in the form of combat powers. See chapter 12 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 13 for the list of spells.

Preparing and casting spells

The Infiltrator table shows how many tech points you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these infiltrator spells, you must expend a number of tech points equal to the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended tech points when you finish a long rest.

You are limited in the number of tech points you can spend to power a spell as indicated in the Tech Point Limit column of the Infiltrator table.

For example, a 9th-level infiltrator can cast spells for 1 or 2 tech points.

You prepare the list of infiltrator spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the infiltrator spell list. When you do so, choose a number of infiltrator spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your infiltrator level (minimum of one spell).

You may prepare the advanced version of a spell for the cost of 2 regular versions. You may only prepare one advanced version for each spell.

For example, if you are a 9th-level infiltrator with an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can be one of the following:

• seven regular spells
• one advanced spell and five regular spells,
• two advanced spells and three regular spells,
• three advanced spells and one regular spell

You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of infiltrator spells requires time spent to program them into your omni-tool: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Infiltrators use a highly modified Omni-tool that requires a keen intellect to maintain. As an Infiltrator, you use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a tech spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Tactical Cloak

As an action, you activate your tactical cloak, becoming . Tactical cloak lasts 1 minute or until you make an attack, cast a spell, use a grenade or mine, or fire a heavy weapon.

Once you have used tactical cloak the maximum number of times for your Infiltrator level, you must finish a short rest before you can use it again. You may use tactical 2 times at 1st level, 3 at 6th, 4 at 11th, and 5 at 18th.

Expertise

At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

At 6th level, choose two more of your skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.

Sneak Attack

Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe's distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must be made with a melee or ranged weapon.

You don't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 2m of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Infiltrator table.

Cunning Action

At 2nd level, you can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to Dash, Disengage, Hide, or activate Tactical Cloak.

Combat Power

At 2nd level, you know one combat power of your choice from the infiltrator spell list. You learn additional combat powers of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Combat Powers column of the Infiltrator table.

Instead of learning a new combat power, you may instead learn the advanced version of a combat power you already know.

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

If you are using feats, instead of increasing your ability score(s), you may gain a Feat.

Uncanny Dodge

At 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

Evasion

At 7th level, when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Reliable Talent

At 11th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Blindsense

Starting at 14th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 4 meters of you.

Slippery Mind

By 15th level, you have acquired greater mental strength. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Elusive

At 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren't incapacitated.

Stroke of Luck

At 20th level, you have an uncanny knack for succeeding when you need to. If your attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. Alternatively, if you fail an ability check, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Subclasses

Infiltrators have three subclasses which reflect their preferred combat techniques. Shadow infiltrators prefer to be up close and personal, dealing devastating melee strikes. Snipers are the exact opposite and want to remain as far away from combat as possible. Saboteurs prefer more subtle techniques to turn the tide of battle in their favor.

Shadow

Shadow Infiltrators are melee specialists that make heavy use of their tactical cloak and stealth to close the distance between themselves and their target.

Up Close and Personal

At 3rd level, when you apply your sneak attack damage from an attack made with a melee weapon, increase the damage die to d8.

Silent Cloak

At 9th level, your Tactical Cloak dampens noise. You have advantage on a Dexterity (Stealth) check if you move no more than half your speed on the same turn.

Melee Prowess

Starting at 9th level, your skill with melee weapons becomes unmatched. You have +1 to melee weapon attack and damage rolls.

Shadow Strike

At 13th level, whenever you activate Tactical Cloak you may teleport to a target location within 10m. You must be able to see the location and it cannot be occupied by a creature or object. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

When you arrive at the target location, you may use your reaction to make one melee attack on a creature or object within range. This attack can benefit from your Sneak Attack even if you have already used it this turn, but you can't use your Sneak Attack against the same target more than once in a turn.

The teleportation can be used to free you from movement impairing effects such as grapple, restrained, lifted, etc.

Death Strike

Starting at 17th level, you become a master of instant death. When you attack and hit a creature that is surprised, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, double the damage of your attack against the creature.

Sniper

Snipers are ranged specialists that have an affinity for sniper rifles.

Steady Aim

At the 3rd level, your aim with a sniper rifle becomes deadly. As a bonus action on your turn, you can overclock your targeting system to take careful aim at a creature you can see that is within range of a sniper rifle you're wielding. Your ranged attacks with the sniper rifle gain two benefits against the target:

• The attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover.
• On a hit, the weapon deals additional damage to the target equal to 2 + half your infiltrator level.

This effect lasts 1 minute or until you use Steady Aim on a different target.

You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.

Careful Eyes

Starting at 9th level, you excel at picking out hidden enemies and other threats. You can take the Search action as a bonus action.

You also gain proficiency in the Perception, Investigation, or Survival skill (choose one).

Overwatch

At 13th level, you've become attuned to monitoring the movements of the battlefield, taking advantage of when enemies break cover.

At the end of each of your turns, you may ready the following action. Choose up to 5 creatures you can see that are behind half or three-quarter cover. Until the start of your next turn, if any of those creatures move into an area providing no cover, you may use your reaction to make a ranged weapon attack targeting that creature. This attack can benefit from your Sneak Attack even if you have already used it this turn, but you can't use your Sneak Attack against the same target more than once in a turn.

Killshot

At 17th level, your proficiency with sniper rifles is beyond measure allowing you to target the weakest points of your enemy. When you apply your sneak attack damage to an attack made with a sniper rifle, add 3d6 to the damage roll.

Saboteur

Saboteurs are tech savvy infiltrators that use cloak and dagger tactics to control the outcome of battles.

Saboteur's Touch

At 3rd level, you always have the sabotage spell prepared (it does not count against your list of prepared spells). Preparing the advanced version of the spell counts as one spell, not two.

You can cast sabotage as a bonus action or as a reaction to a ranged weapon attack you can see.

Combat Heuristics

Starting at 3rd level, every time you bring an enemy to 0 hit points or score a critical hit, your HUD updates your tactical feedback, restoring 1 tech point.

Tactical Ambush

Starting at 9th level, if you are hidden from a creature when you cast a spell on it, the creature has disadvantage of any saving throw against the spell this turn.

Misdirection

Starting at 13th level, you can sometimes cause another creature to suffer an attack meant for you. When you are targeted by an attack while a creature within 2m of you is granting you cover against that attack, you can use your reaction to have the attack target that creature instead of you.

Saboteur's Reflexes

When you reach 17th level, you have become adept at laying ambushes and quickly escaping danger. You can take two turns during the first round of any combat. You take your first turn at your normal initiative and your second turn at your initiative minus 10. You can't use this feature when you are surprised.

Sentinel

The Sentinel is able to combine tech and biotics to manipulate the environment, disable and track enemies, or defend the party. In addition to complete weapons training, Sentinels are equipped with an advanced shield that makes taking cover much less necessary and rushing their enemies much more productive. Because Sentinels have access to both biotic spells and tech powers and use Charisma as their spellcasting modifier.

Class Features

As a sentinel, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per sentinel level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per sentinel level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor, medium armor, heavy armor
• Weapons: Heavy Pistols and choose two from Assault Rifles, Melee, Shotguns, and SMGs
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Charisma, Constitution
• Skills: Choose three from Athletics, Engineering, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, Science, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• M-3 Predator, M-4 Shuriken, or M-8 Avenger
• Omni-Blade, Omni-Hammer, Monomolecular Blade, or Riot Shield
• Stock Light Armor, Stock Medium Armor, or Stock Heavy Armor

Spellcasting

Your Lt5 is the source of your spellcasting capabilities. See chapter 12 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 13 for the list of spells.

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the sentinel spell list. You learn additional sentinel cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips column of the Sentinel table.

Spell Slots

The Sentinel table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your sentinel spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell lance, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the sentinel spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Sentinel table shows when you learn more sentinel spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 5th level, for example, you learn a new sentinel spell, which can be 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you learn a new spell, you may instead choose one of the spells you know and learn an advanced version of it. You select one of the advancement options listed in the spell description. Whenever you cast the spell, you cast the advanced version of it. You can only learn one advancement for each spell.

Spellcasting Ability

Sentinels use a unique L5t biotic implant that integrates with the operative's omni-tool maximizes their innate talents. As a sentinel you choose your spellcasting modifier from Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom.

• Choosing Charisma means that your operative has immense willpower and uses it to overcome the mental strain of casting biotic spells and interfacing with their omni-tool. They use their innate talent to maximize the potency of their spells.
• Choosing Intelligence means that your operative takes advantage of their omni-tool, using it to assist in the casting of biotic spells. Their keen intellect helps them choose strategic targets to maximize the potency of their spells.
• Choosing Wisdom means that your operative has unmatched concentration and can use the physical mnemonics of their biotic implant to cast tech spells with their omni-tool. Their patience and insight maximizes the potency of their spells.

You use your selected ability whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your selected ability's modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your selected ability modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your selected ability modifier

Tech Armor

You've bolstered your armor with a powerful, defense-oriented AI. As a bonus action or as a reaction to taking damage, activate your Tech Armor.

When activated, tech armor creates a new kinetic barrier with additional hit points equal to the sum of your sentinel level and spellcasting modifier, multiplied by 2. When you have tech armor hit points and take damage, the tech armor hit points are lost first, and any leftover damage carries over to your shields and/or normal hit points. Tech armor lasts 1 minute or until it has 0 hit points remaining.

While tech armor is active, you can use your action to overload it. Each creature within 4m must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes force damage equal to the remaining hit points of your tech armor, or half as much on a successful one.

You can use Tech Armor twice between long rests.

Barrier

As an action or bonus action, you create a biotic barrier around you that reduces incoming damage and fuels certain biotic abilities. You gain barrier ticks equal to the Barrier Ticks column shown on your class progression table. You total barrier ticks cannot exceed the amount listed in the Barrier Ticks column of your class progression table, and any barrier ticks gained in excess of this number are lost.

Whenever you would take damage while barrier is active, remove 1 barrier tick and reduce the damage by 1d8. Then, apply any remaining damage it to other hit pools like tech armor, shields, temporary hit points, or hit points.

Barrier lasts 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or have no barrier ticks remaining. You can also end barrier at any time as a free action. When Barrier ends, you lose any remaining barrier ticks.

Once you have used barrier the maximum number of times for your Adept, Sentinel, or Vanguard level (whichever is highest), you must finish a short rest before you can use it again. You may use barrier 2 times at 1st level, 3 at 3rd, 4 at 6th, 5 at 12th, and 6 at 17th.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, choose a fighting style from the list below.

Assault

When you make a Burst Fire attack, the DC of the saving throw is 17.

Brawler

Add your proficiency bonus to your melee attack damage rolls.

Carnage

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a shotgun, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Close-Quarters Shooter

When making a ranged attack while you are within 2m of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half-cover against targets within 10m of you.

Defense

+1 AC

Gunslinger

When you take the Attack action and attack with a light ranged weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light ranged weapon that you’re holding in the other hand.

The Free Hand

When holding no more than one light, non-two-handed weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to hit with ranged spell attacks

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 2m of you, you can use your reaction and expend one barrier tick to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the attack hits, the damage is reduced by your barrier tick roll.

Sniper

If no hostile creature is within 10m of you, gain +2 to damage rolls on attacks made with a sniper rifle.

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

If you are using feats, instead of increasing your ability score(s), you may gain a Feat.

Quick Cast

At 6th level, when you use your action to cast a spell, you may make a weapon attack as a bonus action.

L5t Implant (3rd-level)

At the 11th level, choose one spell and an advancement for that spell of 3rd-level or less. You can cast this spell once as a 3rd-level spell without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

L5t Implant (4th-level)

At the 13th level and again at 15th level, choose one spell and an advancement for that spell of 4th-level or less. You can cast this spell once as a 4th-level spell without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

L5t Implant (5th-level)

At the 17th level, choose one spell and an advancement for that spell of 5th-level or less. You can cast this spell once as a 5th-level spell without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Reset

At 20th level, you can draw power from the depths of exhaustion. If you spend one minute calming your mind or recalibrating your armor you can regain all of your expended spell slots or all spent uses of your tech armor. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Subclasses

Sentinels have three subclasses which reflect their connection with their Tech Armor. Bastion sentinels forego upgrading their tech armor for leadership on the battlefield. Juggernauts focus entirely on defense and can take an impressive amount of damage. Guardians prefer to boost their allies with unique subroutines and keep themselves safe with an omni-shield.

Bastion

Bastion sentinels are battlefield leaders. They can easily turn the tides by calling out orders, inspiring troops, and synchronizing troop movements.

Tactical Focus

At 3rd level, your tactical acumen and predictive VI algorithms allow you to provide direction to your allies that can tilt a battle in your favor.

As a bonus action, you can select an area within 30m on the ground that measures 6m on each side. This area is your tactical focus. It remains your tactical focus until you use this ability again or you become .

When you select an area as your tactical focus, you choose one of your tactics to apply to that area. You gain three tactics at 3rd level. You gain an additional tactic at 7th and 14th level. Each time you complete a long rest, you can swap one of your tactics for a different one.

Additionally, at 7th level the size of your tactical focus becomes 8m on each side. At 14th level the size becomes 10m on each side.

Tactics

Choose from the following tactics.

Advance. Update your allies' HUDs and outline optimal routes to your tactical focus. If an ally spends all of its movement moving towards your tactical focus, it doubles its movement, ignores difficult terrain, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Analysis. Focus all of your attention on the movements and capabilities of a single enemy. When you choose this tactic, you additionally choose a single hostile creature within your tactical focus. Beginning when you set your tactical focus and at the beginning of each of your subsequent turns, the DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to one of the following characteristics of your choice: One ability score (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom), Armor Class, or Current hit points

Clear the area. Pick out weak spots on your targets that force them out of your tactical focus. If an ally hit s a creature in your tactical focus with a weapon attack, the ally can move that creature 2m.

Heads up. If an allied creature in your tactical focus must make a Dexterity saving throw it has advantage on that saving throw.

Pin down. When a hostile creature attempts to move out of your tactical focus, two target creatures of your choice can use a reaction to make an attack of opportunity on the target. If both attacks are successful, the creature's movement becomes 0, it falls prone and remains in your tactical focus.

Recon. Your VI focuses on the movement of dust and augments sound from your area of focus, reconstructing a perfect image on your and your allies' HUD. Any creature within your tactical focus loses any benefits from being invisible, lightly obscured, or heavily obscured.

Master Tactician

At 3rd level, you can use the Help action as a bonus action. Additionally, when you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that attack can be within 20m of you, rather than 2m of you, if the target can see or hear you.

Ever Ready

By 7th level, you've learned to never let your guard down. You have advantage on initiative rolls.

Additionally, if you are surprised at the beginning of combat and aren't incapacitated, you can act normally on your first turn, but only if you activate your tactical focus, selecting an area that encompasses your location, before doing anything else on that turn.

Call the Shots

Starting at 10th level, you can use your action to focus all of your attention on your tactical focus, calling out threats, troop movements, and enemy weaknesses.

Until the start of your next turn:

• Whenever a friendly creature makes an attack roll or saving throw, it rolls 1d6 and adds the result to its attack roll or saving throw.
• Whenever a hostile creature makes an attack roll or saving throw, it rolls 1d6 and subtracts the result to its attack roll or saving throw.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Tactical Maneuvers

At 14th level, you can provide leadership that allows your allies to move in perfect harmony.

In place of moving, you can instead allow up to three allies within 30m move up to half their speed. The chosen allies must be capable of taking actions in order to move in this manner.

Synchronized Assault

Starting at 18th level, you gain the ability to unleash a devastating combination of your allies' abilities. As a bonus action, select up to five allies within 60m. They can use their reactions to immediately take actions.

Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

Juggernaut

Juggernauts are living tanks and nearly impossible to take down. Their tech armor upgrades make sure they can take a hit, or one hundred, without so much as a scratch.

Assault Armor

Starting at 3rd level, your Tech Armor is rigged for keeping the action on you. When you activate tech armor, you project a distracting holographic image (your choice) and each hostile creature within 20m that can see you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + spellcasting modifier). On a failure, a creature is compelled to attack you while your Tech Armor is active. A creature that is compelled to attack you always targets you when it makes a weapon or spell attack.

Each time a creature that is compelled to attack you takes damage from a source other than you, it makes a new Wisdom saving throw against the spell. If the saving throw succeeds, the creature is no longer compelled to attack you and is immune to Assault Armor for the next 24 hours.

Synthetic creatures have advantage on the Wisdom saving throw.

Hardened Tech Armor

At 7th level, you're able to shrug off hits that would normally devastate others. While your tech armor is active, you have +1 AC and any critical hit against you becomes a normal hit.

Advanced Tech Armor

Starting at 10th level, your tech armor benefits from the energy used to cast biotic and tech powers. Whenever you cast a spell of 1st-level or higher, your tech armor gains 10 hit points. When you cast a cantrip, you tech armor gains 3 hit points.

Unyielding Assault

Starting at 14th level, you have advantage on saving throws to avoid becoming paralyzed, stunned, or frozen. While tech armor is active, you are immune to becoming paralyzed, stunned, or frozen.

Adaptive Tech Armor

At 18th level, when your tech armor takes damage, it gains resistance to that damage type. If more than one type of damage happens simultaneously, tech armor gains resistance to both.

Guardian

Guardians support and buff party members by utilizing different AI packages from their Tech Armor ability and protecting them with their Omni-Shield. They're also one of the most skilled classes, gaining the Expertise feature twice.

Expertise

At 3rd level, and again at 10th level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

Omni-Shield

Starting at 3rd level, you've mastered the omni-shield. As a bonus action, create a large kinetic shield out of your omni-tool that lasts one minute. You can end Omni-shield at any point as a free action.

While Omni-Shield is deployed you cannot use another omni-* melee weapon. Instead, gain the following:

• +1 AC.
• If a creature within 2m of you is attacked, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack.
• As an attack action, you may make a melee attack roll. On a hit, deal 1d12 bludgeoning damage. You may shove a hit creature backward 2m.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Tech Aura

In addition to the standard defensive VI, you've augmented your Tech Armor to run different VI packages. At 7th level, when you activate tech armor, you can choose to run a different VI package instead. When you activate an alternate package, you do not gain hit points, instead, you and any friendly creature within 10m of you gain the effect of the package for 1 hour. You may only have one tech armor active at once.

At 14th level, if you have no remaining uses of Tech Armor, you can expend a spell slot to activate it.

At 18th level, increase the distance of your Tech Aura packages to 20m.

Defensive, This is the standard Tech Armor package. It does not affect allies.

Anti-biotic. Resistance to force and necrotic damage.

Anti-tech. Resistance to fire and cold damage.

Grounded. Resistance to lightning damage.

Reactive. Add your spellcasting modifier to Strength or Dexterity saving throws.

Speed. Increase speed by 6m. Can take the Disengage action as a bonus action.

Regen. Regenerate shield points equal to your spellcasting modifier on the start of each of your turns.

Inspiring Music. Advantage on saving throws against becoming frightened or charmed.

Brute force. Creatures within your aura deal an additional 1d8 bludgeoning damage with melee attacks.

Negation Field. Creatures within your aura can't be primed.

Sculpt Spells

Starting at 10th, you can create pockets of relative safety within the effects of your spells. When you cast a spell that affects other creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of them equal to 1+the spell's level. The chosen creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a successful save.

Omni-Shield

Starting at 14th level, you can transform your omni-shield into a fire shield or cryo shield.

Fire Shield. Gain all the benefits of Omni-Shield. In addition, a target hit by a Fire Shield attack takes 3d10 fire damage. This damage detonates primed targets, but you are immune to any detonating effects.

Cryo Shield. Gain all the benefits of Omni-Shield. In addition, a target hit by a Cryo Shield attack takes 1d8 cold damage and must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or become until the end its next turn.

Soldier

The Soldier is a tough warrior, able to deal with a range of combat situations. The Soldier gets improved health and has the widest selection of weapons. No one is tougher or more effective at taking down enemies with gunfire.

Class Features

As a soldier, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per soldier level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per soldier level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor, medium armor, heavy armor
• Weapons: Assault Rifles, Heavy Pistols, Melee, Shotguns, SMGs, Sniper Rifles
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
• Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, Stealth, Survival, and Vehicle Handling

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• Choose two from M-3 Predator, M-4 Shuriken, M-8 Avenger, M-92 Mantis, and M-23 Katana
• Omni-Blade or Omni-Hammer
• Stock Light Armor, Stock Medium Armor, or Stock Heavy Armor

Combat Cantrips

At 1st level, you know one combat power of your choice from the soldier spell list. You learn additional combat powers of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Combat Powers column of the Soldier table.

Instead of learning a new combat power, you may instead learn the advanced version of a combat power you already know.

Fighting Style

At 1st level, choose a fighting style from the list below.

Assault

When you make a Burst Fire attack, the DC of the saving throw is 17.

Brawler

Add your proficiency bonus to your melee attack damage rolls.

Carnage

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a shotgun, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Close-Quarters Shooter

When making a ranged attack while you are within 2m of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half-cover against targets within 10m of you.

Defense

+1 AC

Gunslinger

When you take the Attack action and attack with a light ranged weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light ranged weapon that you’re holding in the other hand.

The Free Hand

When holding no more than one light, non-two-handed weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to hit with ranged spell attacks

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 2m of you, you can use your reaction and expend one barrier tick to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the attack hits, the damage is reduced by your barrier tick roll.

Sniper

If no hostile creature is within 10m of you, gain +2 to damage rolls on attacks made with a sniper rifle.

Adrenaline Rush

You can inject yourself with a shot of adrenaline, pushing yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. At 2nd level, you can take one additional action this turn on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Starting at 17th level, you can use Adrenaline Rush twice per short rest but not more than once in a single turn.

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

If you are using feats, instead of increasing your ability score(s), you may gain a Feat.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. At 11th level, you can attack three times instead of once. At 20th level, you can attack four times instead of once.

Tactical Reload

By 7th level, you're so familiar with guns that reloading them is nothing more than muscle memory. Once per turn, if the heat of a weapon your holding becomes 0, you can use your Reaction to take the Reload action for that weapon.

Indomitable

At 9th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can't use this feature again until you finish a Long Rest.

You can use this feature once between long rests. At 13th level, you can use this feature twice between long rests. At 17th level, you can use this feature three times between long rests.

Subclasses

Soldiers have three subclasses which revolve around their weapon specialty.

Havoc

GUNS!!! GRENADES!!! EXPLOSIONS!!!

Advanced Weapon Holsters

You've outfitted your armor with special rigs that make carrying weapons a cinch.

At 3rd level, you have 2 additional weapon slots that are capable of holstering two-handed weapons. If using the Encumbrance (Variant) rule, your carry weight is doubled.

Makeshift Grenades

When you reach 3rd level, you can program your omni-tool to transform omni-gel into grenades. Choose two grenades from the grenade list. As an action, you can spend 1 omni-gel to create and use a grenade of that type. The Mark of the grenade you create is equal to your soldier level divided by 3 (rounded down).

You can spend 8 hours of programming to exchange a selected grenade with a different one.

Advanced Combat Powers

Starting at 7th level, when you learn a new combat power, you automatically learn one of the advanced options for it. For each combat power you have already learned, pick an advanced option for it. If you have already learned an advanced option, you may learn and advance a new combat power.

Heavy Weapon Hack

Starting at 10th level, when your heavy weapon runs out of ammo, you can jerry-rig an additional charge for 2 omni-gel.

Makeshift Grenades

At 15th level, you can have 4 grenades programmed into your Omni-tool at once.

In addition, you can create a grenade with this ability as a bonus action and you can use a grenade as an attack action.

Paint by Number

At 18th level, you become a heavy weapon artist and a targeting laser is your paintbrush. When using a Heavy Weapon that requires a round of targeting, you may target and fire on the same turn.

Weapon Master

Weapon masters train extensively in the art of a single weapon, giving them powerful advantages when using a weapon of that type.

Weapon of Choice

By 3rd level, you have undergone extensive training with a single weapon type. Choose a weapon type which becomes your Weapon of Choice. When you are holding your Weapon of Choice you gain a set of abilities that are fueled by special dice called superiority dice. You may spend 1 month of intensive training to exchange your Weapon of Choice with another weapon type.

Superiority Dice: You have four superiority dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.

You can expend superiority dice to gain a number of different benefits:

• When you make a weapon attack against a creature with your Weapon of Choice, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the attack roll. You can use this ability before or after making the attack roll, but before any of the effects of the attack are applied.
• When you damage a creature with a weapon attack from your Weapon of Choice, you can expend one superiority die to add it to the damage roll. You can use this ability after rolling damage. If the attack causes the target to make a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration, it has disadvantage on that save.
• When you are hit by a melee attack, if you are currently holding your Weapon of Choice, you can expend one superiority die as a reaction, adding the number rolled to your AC. If the attack still hits, you take half damage from it.

Strafe

At 7th level, when you take the Dash or Disengage action, you can make 1 weapon attack with your Weapon of Choice as a bonus action at any point during your movement.

Weapon of Choice

You gain another superiority die (5 total) at 10th level and the die type becomes a d10.

Devastating Critical

Starting at the 15th level, when you score a critical hit with your Weapon of Choice, you gain a bonus to that weapon's damage roll equal to your soldier level.

Weapon of Choice

You gain another superiority die (6 total) at 18th level and the die type becomes a d12.

Gladiator

Gladiators are pure-combatants, focused on winning at all costs and being nearly impossible to take down.

Fighting Spirit

Starting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of temporary hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level.

You can use this feature three times, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Vengeance

Starting at 7th level, you can overcome grievous injuries. When you would make a death saving throw, you can instead spring back to your feet with a burst of adrenaline. You immediately stand up (if you so choose), and you regain hit points equal to half your hit point maximum. Then, you may draw any weapon you are carrying, choose a target a creature within that weapon's normal range, and make 2 attacks with the weapon.

If the target creature is the same one that reduced you to 0 or fewer hit points, you have advantage on both attack rolls.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Tireless Spirit

Starting at 10th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Fighting Spirit remaining, you regain one use.

Additional Fighting Style

At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.

Rapid Strike

Starting at 15th level, you learn to trade accuracy for swift strikes. If you have advantage on a weapon attack against a target on your turn, you can forgo that advantage to immediately make an additional weapon attack against the same target as a bonus action.

Strength before Death

Starting at 18th level, your fighting spirit can delay the grasp of death. If you take damage that reduces you to 0 hit points and doesn't kill you outright, you can use your reaction to delay falling unconscious, and you can immediately take an extra turn, interrupting the current turn. While you have 0 hit points during that extra turn, taking damage causes death saving throw failures as normal, and three death saving throw failures can still kill you. When the extra turn ends, you fall unconscious if you still have 0 hit points.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Vanguard

Vanguards are feared for their high-risk high-reward combat style, closing quickly on enemies and destroying them at close range with weapons and biotic abilities. They are outfitted with L5n implants, enabling them to perform a biotic charge that strikes the opponent with incredible force while closing distance.

Class Features

As a vanguard, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d12 per vanguard level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per vanguard level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor, medium armor
• Weapons: Heavy Pistols, Melee and choose one from Shotguns or SMGs
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom
• Skills: Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• M-3 Predator, M-4 Shuriken, or M-23 Katana
• Omni-Blade, Omni-Hammer, Monomolecular Blade, or Riot Shield
• Stock Light Armor or Stock Medium Armor

Spellcasting

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know four cantrips of your choice from the vanguard spell list. You learn additional vanguard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips column of the Vanguard table.

Instead of learning a new cantrip, you may instead learn the advanced version of a cantrip you already know.

Spell Slots

The Vanguard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these vanguard spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell lance and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast lance using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

Starting at 2nd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the vanguard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Vanguard table shows when you learn more vanguard spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 9th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you learn a new spell, you may instead choose one of the spells you know and learn an advanced version of it. You select one of the advancement options listed in the spell description. Whenever you cast the spell, you cast the advanced version of it. You can only learn one advancement for each spell.

Spellcasting Ability

Vanguards are outfitted with the L5n biotic implant which draws upon their inner strength of will and focus on their physical mnemonics. As a vanguard, you use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a biotic spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Barrier

As an action or bonus action, you create a biotic barrier around you that reduces incoming damage and fuels certain biotic abilities. You gain barrier ticks equal to the Barrier Ticks column shown on your class progression table. You total barrier ticks cannot exceed the amount listed in the Barrier Ticks column of your class progression table, and any barrier ticks gained in excess of this number are lost.

Whenever you would take damage while barrier is active, remove 1 barrier tick and reduce the damage by 1d8. Then, apply any remaining damage it to other hit pools like tech armor, shields, temporary hit points, or hit points.

Barrier lasts 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or have no barrier ticks remaining. You can also end barrier at any time as a free action. When Barrier ends, you lose any remaining barrier ticks.

Once you have used barrier the maximum number of times for your Adept, Sentinel, or Vanguard level (whichever is highest), you must finish a short rest before you can use it again. You may use barrier 2 times at 1st level, 3 at 3rd, 4 at 6th, 5 at 12th, and 6 at 17th.

Fighting Style

At 1st level, choose a fighting style from the list below.

Assault

When you make a Burst Fire attack, the DC of the saving throw is 17.

Brawler

Add your proficiency bonus to your melee attack damage rolls.

Carnage

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a shotgun, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Close-Quarters Shooter

When making a ranged attack while you are within 2m of a hostile creature, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll. Your ranged attacks ignore half-cover against targets within 10m of you.

Defense

+1 AC

Gunslinger

When you take the Attack action and attack with a light ranged weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light ranged weapon that you’re holding in the other hand.

The Free Hand

When holding no more than one light, non-two-handed weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to hit with ranged spell attacks

Protection

When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 2m of you, you can use your reaction and expend one barrier tick to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the attack hits, the damage is reduced by your barrier tick roll.

Sniper

If no hostile creature is within 10m of you, gain +2 to damage rolls on attacks made with a sniper rifle.

Danger Sense

Starting at 2nd, you gain an uncanny sense of when things nearby aren't as they should be, giving you an edge when you dodge away from danger. You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you can't be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.

Zero-Sum

At 2nd level, when you make a melee attack, instead of rolling a dice, you can flip a coin. On heads, it's a critical hit. On tails, it's a critical miss. You can use this ability once per short rest.

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

If you are using feats, instead of increasing your ability score(s), you may gain a Feat.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Tactical Barrier

At 7th level, whenever you take damage while barrier is active, you choose how many barrier ticks to spend. You may choose to spend 0 barrier ticks.

Brutal Critical

Beginning at 9th, you can roll one additional damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack. At 13th level, you can roll two additional damage die. And at 17th level you can roll three additional damage die.

Heavy Barrier

At 11th level, when you expend a barrier tick to reduce damage, each barrier tick reduces the damage by 3d8.

Retaliation

At 15th level, when you take damage from a creature that is within 2m of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.

Primal Biotics

At 20th level, your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24.

Subclasses

Vanguards have three subclasses which represent their combat style.

Battle Master

Battle masters use their barrier to execute unique maneuvers on the battlefield, controlling and harrying enemy forces.

Biotic Maneuvers

At 3rd level, you learn three maneuvers that are fueled by your barrier ticks. You can use only one maneuver per attack. At 10th level, learn 2 additional biotic maneuvers and another 2 at 14th level.

Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver effects. The saving throw DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your spellcasting ability modifier.

Disarming Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one barrier tick to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it’s holding. You add the barrier tick die to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.

Distracting Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one barrier tick to distract the creature, giving your allies an opening. You add the barrier tick to the attack’s damage roll. The next attack roll against the target by an attacker other than you has advantage if the attack is made before the start of your next turn.

Feinting Attack. You can expend one barrier tick and use a bonus action on your turn to feint, choosing one creature within 2m of you as your target. You have advantage on your next melee attack roll against that creature. If that attack hits, add the barrier tick to the attack’s damage roll.

Goading Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one barrier tick to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the barrier tick to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.

Lift Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one barrier tick to attempt to lift a Medium or smaller size creature or object. You add the barrier tick to the attack’s damage roll, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target is lifted.

Menacing Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one barrier tick to attempt to frighten the target. You add the barrier tick to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Pushing Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one barrier tick to attempt to drive the target back. You add the barrier tick to the attack's damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you push the target up to 8m away from you.

Riposte. When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one barrier tick to make a melee attack against the creature. If you hit, you add the barrier tick to the attack's damage roll.

Sweeping Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one barrier tick to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 2m of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes force damage equal to the number you roll on your barrier tick.

Trip Attack. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one barrier tick to attempt to knock the target down. You add the barrier tick to the attack’s damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

Biotic Focus

At 6th level, you can use a bonus action to focus your biotic energies into your muscles granting additional speed and strength. You gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

• Your speed is doubled.
• +4 to all melee weapon damage rolls.
• You have advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Improved Barrier

At the 10th level, increase the die type of your barrier ticks to d10. At 18th level, it increases to d12.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 14th level, you can attack three times instead of once whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Opportunist

At 18th level, you can exploit a creature's momentary distraction when it is hit by an attack. Whenever a creature within 2m of you is hit by an attack made by a creature other than you, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack against that creature.

Shock Trooper

Shock troopers like to fight up close and personal, using charge to dash around the battlefield and ripping enemies apart with shotgun blasts.

Biotic Bull Rush

At 3rd level, you learn the charge cantrip. If you have already learned it, you may learn a new cantrip instead.

The distance of charge is now 20m. When you use your action to cast charge, you may use a bonus action to shove or make one weapon attack against the target. You gain +5 to the attack’s damage roll or shove the target 6m. To shove a target this way, it must be no more than one size larger than you.

Stunning Strike

Starting at 6th level, you can focus your barrier into the impact of your charge spell. When you hit a creature with your charge cantrip, you can spend 1 barrier tick to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be until the end of your next turn.

Shotgun Savvy

At 10th level, Brutal critical and Zero-sum can be applied to shotgun weapon attacks.

Onslaught

At 10th level, you've mastered your charge spell, maximizing its damage. The damage of charge becomes d10 + your spellcasting modifier.

A Touch of Force

At 14th level, you gain the ability to augment your weapons with your barrier. As a bonus action, you can expend up to 3 barrier ticks to grant one weapon you're carrying a bonus to damage rolls equal to the number of barrier ticks spent. The additional damage is force damage and can detonate primed targets. This effect lasts 1 minute.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Blitz

Starting at 18th level, whenever a creature within 20m that you can see makes a weapon attack or casts a spell, you can use your reaction to cast charge, targeting that creature. Resolve any effects caused by charge before the creature takes its action. The creature may choose to make a different action this turn.

Nemesis

Nemesis vanguards prefer distance and using biotic powers. While they lack the raw power of an adept, they're more crafty and harder to take down.

Biotic Recovery

At 3rd level, you have learned to regain some of your biotic energy by meditating and calming your mind. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than a third of your vanguard level (minimum 1), and none of the slots can be 3rd level or higher.

For example, if you’re a 10th-level vanguard, you can recover up to 4 levels worth of spell slots. You can recover either two 2nd-level spell slots, one 2nd-level and two 1st-level spell slots, or four first-level spell slots.

Metabiotics

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to use the power stored in your barrier to twist your spells to suit your needs. You gain two of the following Metabiotic options of your choice. You learn another one at 10th and 14th level.

Metabiotics can only be applied to spells of 1st level or higher.

Careful Spell. When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell's full force. To do so, you spend 1 barrier tick and choose a number of those creatures up to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Distant Spell. When you cast a spell that has a range of 2m or greater, you can spend 1 barrier tick to double the range of the spell. When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 barrier tick to make the range of the spell 10m.

Empowered Spell. When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 barrier tick to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls. You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metabiotic option during the casting of the spell.

Heightened Spell. When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 barrier ticks to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.

Quickened Spell. When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 barrier ticks to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.

Twinned Spell. When you cast a spell that doesn't have a range of self and is incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell's current level, you can spend a number of barrier ticks equal to the spell's level to target a second creature in range with the same spell.

Biotic Attacks

At 6th level, you choose one biotic cantrip you know and one biotic spell of 1st level you know. You may cast either spell as an attack.

By spending 8 hours training, you can exchange one or both of the spells you chose for different spells of the same levels.

Biotic Fury

Starting at 10th level, the effects of brutal critical and zero-sum can be applied to your biotic spells that require a spell attack roll.

Teleporting Dodge

At 14th level, as a reaction to an effect that causes you to make a Dexterity saving throw, you can use 2 Barrier ticks to automatically pass the saving throw.

Bombardment

Beginning at 18th level, the harmful energy of your biotics intensifies. When you roll damage for a spell and roll the highest number possible on any of the dice, choose one of those dice, roll it again and add that roll to the damage. You can use the feature only once per turn.

Chapter 4: Personality and Background

Characters are defined by much more than their race and class. They’re individuals with their own stories, interests, connections, and capabilities beyond those that class and race define. This chapter expounds on the details that distinguish characters from one another, including the basics of name and physical description, the rules of backgrounds and languages, and the finer points of personality and alignment.

Character Details

Your character’s name and physical description might be the first things that the other players at the table learn about you. It’s worth thinking about how these characteristics reflect the character you have in mind.

Name

Your character’s race description includes sample names for members of that race. Put some thought into your name even if you’re just picking one from a list.

Sex

You can play a male or female character without gaining any special benefits or hindrances. Think about how your character does or does not conform to the broader culture’s expectations of sex, gender, and sexual behavior.

You don’t need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender. For example, asari only have a single "gender", which is generally seen by other races as female (they also utilize female pronouns). But an asari considers herself as androgynous or hermaphroditic. You could also play a male character who presents himself as a female, a woman who feels trapped in a male body, or a tough looking female krogan who hates being mistaken for a male. Likewise, your character’s sexual orientation is for you to decide.

Height and Weight

You can decide your character’s height and weight, using the information provided in your race description. Think about what your character’s ability scores might say about his or her height and weight. A weak but agile character might be thin. A strong and tough character might be tall or just heavy.

If you want to, you can roll randomly for your character’s height and weight using the Random Height and Weight table. The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height (in centimeters) beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight (in kilograms) beyond the base weight.

Random Height and Weight

Other Physical Characteristics

You choose your character’s age and the color of his or her hair, eyes, and skin. To add a touch of distinctiveness, you might want to give your character an unusual or memorable physical characteristic, such as a scar, a limp, or a tattoo.

Alignment

A typical creature in the game world has an alignment, which broadly describes its moral and personal attitudes. Alignment is a combination of two factors: one identifies morality (good, evil, or neutral), and the other describes attitudes toward society and order (lawful, chaotic, or neutral). Thus, nine distinct alignments define the possible combinations.

These brief summaries of the nine alignments describe the typical behavior of a creature with that alignment. Individuals might vary significantly from that typical behavior, and few people are perfectly and consistently faithful to the precepts of their alignment.

Lawful good (LG) creatures can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. Asari justicars, quarians, and some turians are lawful good.

Neutral good (NG) beings do the best they can to help others according to their needs. Many salarians and most protheans are neutral good.

Chaotic good (CG) creatures act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect. Some angara, asari, and a number of humans are chaotic good.

Lawful neutral (LN) individuals act in accordance with law, tradition, or personal codes. Some geth, volus, and most drell are lawful neutral.

Neutral (N) is the alignment of those who prefer to steer clear of moral questions and don’t take sides, doing what seems best at the time. Volus, some batarians, and many humans are neutral.

Chaotic neutral (CN) creatures follow their whims, holding their personal freedom above all else. Maiden asari, some vorcha, and humans are chaotic neutral.

Lawful evil (LE) creatures methodically take what they want, within the limits of a code of tradition, loyalty, or order. Most Krogan, volus, and batarians are lawful evil.

Neutral evil (NE) is the alignment of those who do whatever they can get away with, without compassion or qualms. Heretic geth, Reapers, and vorcha are neutral evil.

Chaotic evil (CE) creatures act with arbitrary violence, spurred by their greed, hatred, or bloodlust. Some Krogan, batarians, and some Vorcha are chaotic evil.

Languages

Languages are not a part of Mass Effect 5e. Our interpretation is that there is enough technology to translate languages on the fly, making it seem that everyone is speaking the same common tongue. Even new discovered races can have their languages mapped into a universal translator in a number of hours utilizing underlying linguistic morphisms and lexical cues fed into a supercomputer. However, how you and your GM choose to handle ancient or alien languages is up to your party. Your asari archaeologist might be an expert in ancient alien glyphs or you might lay a Krogan who is known for reciting poetry in an old dialect. This type of flavor is encouraged, but this system does not codify any specific languages.

Personal Characteristics

Fleshing out your character’s personality — the array of traits, mannerisms, habits, beliefs, and flaws that give a person a unique identity — will help you bring him or her to life as you play the game. Four categories of characteristics are presented here: personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws. Beyond those categories, think about your character’s favorite words or phrases, tics and habitual gestures, vices and pet peeves, and whatever else you can imagine.

Each background presented later in this section includes suggested characteristics that you can use to spark your imagination. You’re not bound to those options, but they’re a good starting point.

Personality Traits

Give your character two personality traits. Personality traits are small, simple ways to help you set your character apart from every other character. Your personality traits should tell you something interesting and fun about your character. They should be self-descriptions that are specific about what makes your character stand out. “I’m smart” is not a good trait, because it describes a lot of characters. “I’ve read every book in on the Exonet” tells you something specific about your character’s interests and disposition.

Personality traits might describe the things your character likes, his or her past accomplishments, things your character dislikes or fears, your character’s self-attitude or mannerisms, or the influence of his or her ability scores.

A useful place to start thinking about personality traits is to look at your highest and lowest ability scores and define one trait related to each. Either one could be positive or negative: you might work hard to overcome a low score, for example, or be cocky about your high score.

Ideals

Describe one ideal that drives your character. Your ideals are the things that you believe in most strongly, the fundamental moral and ethical principles that compel you to act as you do. Ideals encompass everything from your life goals to your core belief system.

Ideals might answer any of these questions: What are the principles that you will never betray? What would prompt you to make sacrifices? What drives you to act and guides your goals and ambitions? What is the single most important thing you strive for?

You can choose any ideals you like, but your character’s alignment is a good place to start defining them. Each background includes six suggested ideals. Five of them are linked to aspects of alignment: law, chaos, good, evil, and neutrality. The last one has more to do with the particular background than with moral or ethical perspectives.

Bonds

Create one bond for your character. Bonds represent a character’s connections to people, places, and events in the world. They tie you to things from your background. They might inspire you to heights of heroism, or lead you to act against your own best interests if they are threatened. They can work very much like ideals, driving a character’s motivations and goals.

Bonds might answer any of these questions: Whom do you care most about? To what place do you feel a special connection? What is your most treasured possession?

Your bonds might be tied to your class, your background, your race, or some other aspect of your character’s history or personality. You might also gain new bonds over the course of your missions.

Flaws

Finally, choose a flaw for your character. Your character’s flaw represents some vice, compulsion, fear, or weakness — in particular, anything that someone else could exploit to bring you to ruin or cause you to act against your best interests. More significant than negative personality traits, a flaw might answer any of these questions: What enrages you? What’s the one person, concept, or event that you are terrified of? What are your vices?

Inspiration

Inspiration is a rule the galaxy master can use to reward you for playing your character in a way that’s true to his or her personality traits, ideal, bond, and flaw.

Gaining Inspiration

Your GM can choose to give you inspiration for a variety of reasons. Typically, GMs award it when you play out your personality traits, give in to the drawbacks presented by a flaw or bond, and otherwise portray your character in a compelling way. Your GM will tell you how you can earn inspiration in the game.

You either have inspiration or you don’t - you can’t stockpile multiple “inspirations” for later use.

Using Inspiration

If you have inspiration, you can expend it when you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. Spending your inspiration gives you advantage on that roll.

Additionally, if you have inspiration, you can reward another player for good roleplaying, clever thinking, or simply doing something exciting in the game. When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.

Variant: Paragon & Renegade

With the Variant: Paragon & Renegade (P/R) rule, players accrue points in either Paragon or Renegade which can add bonuses to skill checks.

Earning Points

The primary way to each Paragon or Renegade points is by taking actions or role-playing that personality. This mechanic works similarly rewarding Inspiration (described above), but the reward can be 1-5 points based on the impact of the choice and whether the choice aligns with Paragon or Renegade. GMs can also reward points to the entire party based on a decision they make while playing the game. Did the party destroy the potentially life-threatening biological weapon (Renegade) or send it to authorities for research in vaccinations (Paragon).

Point maximum

You can gain points in Paragon and Renegade, but your total combined points can never be more than 100. For Galaxy Masters, you want to award about 5 points of paragon or renegade per player level. I.e., a level 20 character should have about 100 points if they added their P/R scores together.

Using points

Your Paragon and Renegade points can add a bonus to skill checks. You gain a +1 bonus to your skill check for every 10 Paragon or Renegade points you have. For example, if you had 14 Paragon points and 22 Renegade points, you would add +1 to any paragon rolls and +2 to any renegade rolls.

A Paragon or Renegade roll is any skill check in which your GM allows your P/R bonus to augment the outcome of the roll. It's the player's responsibility to ask the Galaxy Master about adding the P/R bonus, but the Galaxy Master can proactively ask for a check with the P/R bonus added.

When to or when not to apply P/R bonus to a roll is entirely up to the GM. However, the rule of thumb is that the action taken is more Paragon-like or more Renegade-like than what an average sentient being would do.

Paragon vs Renegade

What constitutes Paragon and what constitutes Renegade is a bit fuzzy. Paragon is neither Lawful nor Good, just as Renegade is neither Evil nor Chaotic. However, both traits tend to fall closer to those respective spectra.

Try to think of Paragon and Renegade flavors of a character's or party's choices. Paragon choices are open-ended, allowing for future possibilities, utilitarian (benefits the most people), logical, and rely on the pen over the sword. Renegade choices are decisive and final, emotional, gain immediate results, and often use a show of force.

Paragon examples

• Acrobatics. jump in front of a bullet to protect someone
• Athletics. Hold fast a door why your party escapes a threat
• Intimidation. Threaten someone with justice
• Medicine. Stabilize an enemy because they might provide information
• Vehicle Handling.: Lead your chasers right to the authorities

Renegade examples

• Athletics. Hold fast a door so the threat burns inside
• Deception. Convince the bounty hunters their target fled into that cave (which happens to be booby-trapped)
• Electronics. Broadcast the controversial research to the galaxy, let the politicians and scientists figure it out
• Intimidation. Threaten someone with pain
• Vehicle Handling. Lead your chasers right into a reinforced-steel wall

Backgrounds

Every story has a beginning. Your character’s background reveals where you came from, how you became an operative, and your place in the galaxy. Your soldier might have been a mercenary or a former Specter. Your adept could have been a government experiment or a celebrated artisan. Your infiltrator might be a political assassin or gathered intel for the Shadow Broker.

Choosing a background provides you with important story cues about your character’s identity. The most important question to ask about your background is what changed? Why did you stop doing whatever your background describes and start adventuring? Where did you get the credits to purchase your starting gear, or, if you come from a wealthy background, why don’t you have more money? How did you learn the skills of your class? What sets you apart from ordinary people who share your background?

The sample backgrounds in this chapter provide both concrete benefits (features, proficiencies, and languages) and roleplaying suggestions.

Proficiencies

Each background gives a character proficiency in two skills. Skills are described in chapter 7. In addition, most backgrounds give a character proficiency with one or more tools. Tools and tool proficiencies are detailed in chapter 5. If a character would gain the same proficiency from two different sources, he or she can choose a different proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead.

Equipment

Each background provides a package of starting equipment. If you use the optional starting credits for your race from chapter 2 to spend credits on gear, you do not receive the starting equipment from your background.

Suggested Characteristics

A background contains suggested personal characteristics based on your background. You can pick characteristics, roll dice to determine them randomly, or use the suggestions as inspiration for characteristics of your own creation.

Customizing a Background

You might want to tweak some of the features of a background so it better fits your character or the campaign setting. To customize a background, you can replace one feature with any other one, choose any two skills, and choose a total of two tool proficiencies from the sample backgrounds. You can either use the equipment package from your background or spend credits on gear as described in chapter 2. (If you spend credits, you can’t also take the equipment package suggested for your class.) Finally, choose two personality traits, one ideal, one bond, and one flaw. If you can’t find a feature that matches your desired background, work with your GM to create one.

Artisan

• Skill Proficiencies. Insight, Persuasion
• Tool Proficiencies. One artisan tool based on your trade (see table below)
• Equipment. A set of artisan's tools based on your trade and 1,500 credits

Feature: Renowned Among Peers

As an established artisan of your craft, you can rely on certain benefits. Fellow practitioners of your trade know of you and will provide you with lodging and food if necessary. When in larger cities, you can always find and are welcome in trade shows and can usually find deep discounts for offering nothing but your wisdom to up-and-coming artisans of your trade. As long as you remain in a city, you can easily find work, providing up to 500 credits a day.

Trade

Each artisan has special skills in a trade. Choose the trade, or roll on the table below.

Suggested Characteristics

Use the Guild Artisan / Guild Merchant background's suggested characteristics in the D&D Player's Handbook, pg. 132-133

Bureaucrat

based on homebrew background by fromshus

• Skill Proficiencies. History, and one of either Deception, Investigation, Insight, Perception or Persuasion.
• Equipment. A collection of fine outfits for professional and formal settings and 5,000 credits

Feature: Political Connections

Your knowledge of how bureaucracies function lets you gain access to the records and inner workings of almost any government you encounter (so long as the government is allied with your own). You know who the movers and shakers are, whom to go to for the favors you seek.

Alternate Feature: Detail Oriented

You are precise, efficient and organized. By habit, you keep careful notes and are able to keep track of many different pieces of information, and you can recall details that others may have forgotten. In addition, you are a well of esoteric information, gaining Advantage on Intelligence (History) checks directly related to your area of expertise.

Area of Expertise

Civilizations depend on an extensive bureaucracy to manage their affairs. Some bureaucrats are more specialized than others, but you likely worked in one of a few important fields. Choose the field that you worked in as a bureaucrat, or roll on the table below.

Suggested Characteristics

Bureaucrats are practical, sometimes to a fault, and are often viewed as boring and officious. They are generally intelligent and tend toward order and lawfulness, though there are always exceptions.

Colonist

• Skill Proficiencies. Survival, plus your choice of one from among Medicine, Science, and Vehicle Handling.
• Tool Proficiencies. Choose one from among an artisan tool, medical kit, tinker's tools, vehicles (air), vehicles (land), or vehicles (water)
• Equipment. A set of clothes, 500 credits, and choose one tool among an artisan tool, a medical kit, or tinker's tools.

Feature: Colony's Bond

While within your colony, you can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.

Suggested Characteristics

A colonist is generally not far traveled and has lived most their life on a single planet. However, colonies can vary in size, governmental structure, and socioeconomic status. Colonists see their humble origins as a virtue, not a shortcoming, and their home communities remain very important to them.

Crewman

• Skill Proficiencies. Electronics and Engineering
• Tool Proficiencies. Two starship systems of your choice.
• Equipment. A pressurized space suit, a set of common clothes, a gaming set, and 1000 credits.

Feature: Transport's Passage

When you need to, you can secure free passage on a starship for yourself and your adventuring companions. You might voyage on the ship you served on, or another ship you have good relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you're calling in a favor, you can't be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your Galaxy Master will determine how long it takes to get where you need to go. In return for your free passage, you and your companions are expected to assist the crew during the voyage.

Suggested Characteristics

Use the Sailor background's suggested characteristics in the D&D Player's Handbook, pg. 139.

Criminal

• Skill Proficiencies. See Specialty below.
• Tool Proficiencies. One type of gaming set, thieves' tools
• Equipment. Thieves' tools, a gaming set, a set of common clothes, and 1,500 credits.

Feature: Criminal Contact

You have a reliable and trustworthy contact who acts as your liaison to a network of other criminals.

Specialty

There are many kinds of criminals and each has their own special set of skills. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below.

Suggested Characteristics

Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an abundance of endearing, if not redeeming, characteristics. There might be honor among thieves, but criminals rarely show any respect for law or authority.

Doctor

based on homebrew background by MFjones

• Skill Proficiencies. Medicine, Science
• Tool Proficiencies. Medical kit
• Equipment. A medical kit, a set of scrubs that are resistant to bodily fluids, 3,000 credits

Feature: House Calls

Your talents make you highly sought after, particularly in regions or communities with little access to medicine. Those who recognize you as a doctor may request your services, and may offer you a reward in return should you choose to provide services for them. You might be able to receive free or discounted food and lodging or gain access to normally off-limits locations by leveraging your position as a doctor if your services are needed.

Suggested Characteristics

Doctors are defined by their ability to give medical treatment to the pained and wounded. All doctors are united by their desire to "fix what is broken", although some view this ability as a means to an end instead of a gift in and of itself.

Entertainer

• Skill Proficiencies. Acrobatics, Performance
• Tool Proficiencies. Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument
• Equipment. A musical instrument (one of your choice), the favor of an admirer (love letter, lock of hair, or trinket), a costume, and 2,000 credits

Feature: By Popular Demand

You can always find a place to perform, from the slums of Omega to the grand theatres of the Citadel. You receive free lodging and food of a modest or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of the establishment), as long as you perform each night. In addition, your performance makes you something of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a city district or colony where you have performed, they typically take a liking to you.

Specialty

A good entertainer is versatile, spicing up every performance with a variety of different routines. Choose one to three routines or roll on the table below to define your expertise as an entertainer.

Suggested Characteristics

Use the Entertainer background's suggested characteristics in the D&D Player's Handbook, pg. 130-131

Escort

based on homebrew background by Nostalgichipster

• Skill Proficiencies. Insight, Performance
• Tool Proficiencies. Disguise kit, one type of musical instrument
• Equipment. A musical instrument, a set of fine clothes, and 5,000 credits

Feature: Seducer's Wiles

Your experiences with a variety of races have taught you how to use your tempting looks and inviting attitude to bring anyone of either gender in your embrace. You can call upon a humanoid that can see and hear you and gain its attention without it suspecting something (other than what you offer).

Alternate Feature: Unrequited Love

At some point in your service, a patron became obsessed with you, expressing his undying love and vowing to protect you at all costs. Whenever you are in need, you can request this patron's aid. As long as you feign reciprocal feelings they will fulfill your request to the best of their abilities, even to the point of sacrificing their life for you.

Suggested Characteristics

When creating an Escort, think about how they feel about their situation. Do they enjoy their work? Do they hate it? Is there a reason they're doing it? This can be useful in deciding how your Courtesan will act.

Experiment

• Skill Proficiencies. Science and Survival.
• Tool Proficiencies. Tinker's Tools and your choice of Medical Kit, Disguise Kit, or Chemist's Supplies.
• Equipment. A set of common clothes, a trinket from your program of origin, Tinker's Tools, and 300 credits.

Feature: What Doesn't Kill You

You were the subject of experimentation in your youth, with the goal of stripping away the old you and turning you into a weapon. The program could have been funded by your race's government, a shadow organization, or a single mad scientist who kidnapped you. It could have had the goal of turning you into the ultimate soldier, perhaps an unrivaled biotic, or even a genius tech engineer.

Regardless of the program's nature or success, you survived your difficult trials and came out tougher for it. You've been pushed to the edge of death before, so it doesn't scare you. Once per long rest, you can choose to make a death saving throw with advantage due to your strong drive to survive.

Suggested Characteristics

Experiments are all maladjusted to society, but not all experiments are unable to adapt. Most experiments prefer to be loners and come off as aloof or emotionless. Over time, with a close-knit group, some experiments tend to open up and show a softer side.

Faction Agent

• Skill Proficiencies. Choose two among Deception, Investigation, Persuasion, or Stealth.
• Tool Proficiencies. Disguise kit and your choice of thieves' tools, hacking tools, or one starship system.
• Equipment. A disguise kit, a set thieves' tools or hacking tools, a badge or emblem of your faction, a set of bio-encryption keys, and 1,000 credits

Feature: Safe Haven

As a faction agent, you have access to a secret network of supporters and other agents who can provide assistance. You know a set of secret signs, encrypted communication channels, and passwords you can use to identify such agents, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities.

Faction

As a faction agent, you're part of a larger faction, which could be criminal, military, religious, political, etc. You can work with your GM to create a faction or you can use an existing one from the Mass Effect Universe. Some faction examples are the Shadow Broker Network, Blue Suns, Special Tasks Group, Cerberus, Eclipse, and the Blood Pack. Agents are more than hired mercenaries and are supportive of their faction's efforts.

Suggested Characteristics

Faction Agents are shaped by their experience in the line of duty. The beliefs, laws, and practices of their faction can affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden hypocrisy that counteracts the tenets of their faction. For example, a Shadow Broker Agent that secretly wants transparency of information. Or they might have an ideal or bond that is taken to an extreme, such as a Cerberus agent that hates all non-human races and kills them whenever possible.

Pilot

• Skill Proficiencies. Perception, Vehicle Handling
• Tool Proficiencies. Choose two from among starship system (helm), starship system (navigation), vehicles (air), vehicles (land), vehicles (space), or vehicles (water)
• Equipment. A uniform, a collection of maps, 2,500 credits

Feature: Ace

You're an artist in the pilot seat, giving you the following benefits based on your selected proficiencies:

Suggested Characteristics

The scale of a pilot's travels could be limited to a single planet, system, or across the entire galaxy. But all pilots are most comfortable on the move and never stay in one place very long, always seeking a new adventure or experience.

Scholar

• Skill Proficiencies. Medicine, Science
• Tool Proficiencies. See Specialty below.
• Equipment. A VI that assists in looking up, recalling, storing information. It is intelligent enough to have conversations with, providing a sounding board for your ideas and hypotheses. Additionally, you have 2,000 credits.

Feature: Researcher

When you attempt to learn or recall information, if you do not know it immediately, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from the exonet or other learned person or creature, Your GM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found.

Specialty

To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below. You gain a tool proficiency based on your choice.

Suggested Characteristics

Scholars are defined by their extensive studies, and their characteristics reflect this life of study.

Scrapper

• Skill Proficiencies. Engineering, Survival
• Tool Proficiencies. Tinker's tools and your choice of either starship system (drive), starship system (SSC), or starship system (weapons)
• Equipment. Tinker's tools, a set of common clothes, 2 omni-gel, a backpack of mechanical trinkets and scraps that can also carry up to 10 omni-gel, and 500 credits.

Feature: Another Alien's Trash...

You see value in mechanical junk, broken machines, and antiquated equipment. Sometimes you can repair an item to working conditions and sell it to a collector for a profit. You have exonet connections and knowledge of what collectors want what objects. You also have encyclopedic knowledge about what gear, weapons, and devices contain valuable or rare materials and you know how to salvage those materials from the containing items.

Suggested Characteristics

Scrappers are hoarders, inventors, crafters, and tinkerers. To them, everything has value and can be reused or repurposed.

SysOp

• Skill Proficiencies. Electronics, Investigation
• Tool Proficiencies. Hacking tools and starship system (EWS)
• Equipment. Hacking tools, a bio-authentication encryption key for your omni-tool, a set of common clothes, and 1,000 credits.

Feature: Data Recovery

When data storage devices are wiped clean or damaged beyond repair, you can always retrieve some amount of data from the device.

Suggested Characteristics

A system operator (Sysop) is a catch-all term for people who monitor, maintain, and upgrade the plethora of vital systems that support civilized life. From entertainment to traffic to waste management, sysops either Virtual Intelligence software (VIs) or manually maintain code. Long hours of staring at code and constant need to keep systems up-to-date, running, and protected from security breaches typically make paranoid or uneasy individuals who romanticize seemingly mundane events, tasks, and social situations.

Urchin

• Skill Proficiencies. Sleight of Hand, Stealth
• Tool Proficiencies. Disguise kit, thieves' tools
• Equipment. A small shiv, an electronic map of your city, a pet vermin, a set of poor clothes, and 100 credits

Feature: City Secrets

You know the secret patterns and flow to cities and can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow.

Suggested Characteristics

Use the Urchin background's suggested characteristics in the D&D Player's Handbook, pg. 141

Veteran

• Skill Proficiencies. Athletics, Perception
• Tool Proficiencies. One gaming set and one starship system
• Equipment. An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy, a gaming set, a set of common clothes, a military uniform, and 1000 credits

Feature: Military Rank

You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.

Specialty

During your time as a soldier, you had a specific role to play in your unit or army. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to determine your role:

Suggested Characteristics

The horrors of war combined with the rigid discipline of military service leave their mark on all soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred.

Chapter 5: Equipment

The marketplace of a large city teems with buyers and sellers of many sorts: armories and weaponsmiths, tailors and jewelers, armor and weapon mod shots, not to mention bars, brothels, and other seedy locations. In the largest cities on the more civilized planets (and especially in the Citadel), almost anything imaginable is offered for sale, from exotic spices and luxurious clothing to multimedia and civilian transports. For an operative, the availability of armor, weapons, themal clips, grenades, and similar goods is of paramount importance, since proper equipment can mean the difference between life and death during a covert mission or the untamed wilds. This chapter details the mundane and technologically advanced merchandise that operatives commonly find useful in the face of galactic threats.

Starting Equipment

When you create your character, you receive equipment based on a combination of your class and background. Alternatively, you can start with a number of credits based on your race and spend them on items from the lists in this section and appendicies. See chapter 2 for more information on using racial starting credits.

You decide how your character came by this starting equipment. It might have been an inheritance or goods that the character purchased during his or her upbringing. You might have been equipped with a weapon, armor, and a backpack as part of military service. You might even have stolen your gear. A weapon could be a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation until your character finally took up the mantle and followed in an ancestor’s adventurous footsteps.

Starting Wealth by Race

Wealth

Wealth appears in many forms in a Mass Effect 5e galaxy. Credits, precious metals, trade goods, art objects, animals, and property can reflect your character’s financial well-being. Members of the lower classes trade in goods, bartering for what they need and paying taxes in all aspects of life.

Members of the upper-class trade either in legal rights, such as the rights to a mining facility, an asteroid point, or land on an eezo rich planet or in equipment and tech, measuring tech by profitability rather than the credits. Only shopkeepers, operatives, and those offering professional services for hire commonly deal in credits.

Currency

Credits are the only type of currency in Mass Effect. The guideline conversion rate from D&D 5th Edition to Mass Effect 5e is:

1 gp = ~100 credits

Selling Items

Opportunities abound to find tech, gadgets, equipment, weapons, armor, and more throughout the galaxy. Normally, you can sell your bounty when you return to a civilized planet or spaceport, provided that you can find buyers, entrepreneurs, and fencers interested in your loot.

Arms, Armor, and Other Equipment. As a general rule, undamaged weapons, armor, and other equipment fetch half their cost when sold in a market. Weapons and armor used by mercenaries are rarely in good enough condition to sell. Instead, you may opt to break these items down into omni-gel.

Gems, Jewelry, Art Objects, and Artifacts. These items retain their full value in the marketplace, and you can either trade them in for credits or use them as currency for other transactions. For exceptionally valuable treasures, the GM might require you to find a buyer in a large city or larger community first.

Trade Goods and Other. On the borderlands, many people conduct transactions through barter. Like gems and art objects, trade goods - bars of raw metal, chemicals, livestock, omni-gel, and so on - retain their full value in the market and can be used as currency.

Discounts

Longtime Mass Effect players will certainly want to reference Shepard's ability to secure discounts from local shops. One option is to have players make Intimidation or Persuasion checks (with or without Paragon/Renegade scores). However, for added variety and randomness, you can use the following set of rules.

First, assign a DC to your shopkeeper. The DC could be equal for Intimidation and Persuasion, or it could be different for each.

Next, have you player make an Intimidation or Persuasion check. If using Paragon/Renegade rule, they can add their Renegade modifier to Intimidation checks or Paragon modifier for Persuasion checks. The result of this check adds a modifier to the final d100 roll (see next step).

Armor

To survive in the galaxy, your character needs to wear armor. Not only does armor abate damage from extremely powerful, futuristic weapons but armor also supplies shield points, also called shields (outlined below). Luckily, almost all garments in the mass effect world provide some form of protection. Diaphanous night-gowns can even provide a modicum of protection. Thus, in Mass Effect 5e, almost all operatives are wearing armor and are afforded shield points, unless the player or GM explicitly states your character is not wearing armor.

Armor Proficiency. Just like 5th edition, anyone can put on armor. However, only those proficient in the armor type know how to wear it effectively. Your class gives you proficiency with certain types of armor (light, medium, or heavy). If you are wearing 2 or more pieces of armor that you lack proficiency with, you have disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or Attack roll that involves Strength or Dexterity. If you are wearing 4 pieces of armor you lack proficiency with, you cannot cast spells.

Armor Class (AC). Armor protects its wearer from attacks. The armor you wear determines your base Armor Class.

Shield Points. All armor chest pieces provide some amount of shield points. See Shields in chapter 9 for more information.

Mix & Match

Unlike D&D 5th edition, armor in Mass Effect 5e can be mixed between armor placements on the body. There are 4 armor placements: Head, Chest, Arms, and Legs.

Your base AC is 10 and each piece of armor provides an AC bonus depending on its type and placement as listed in the Armor / AC bonuses table. Additionally, there are bonuses and limitations for the combination of armor types you are wearing, explained in the Armor Bonuses and Limitations table.

Heavier Armor. Heavier armor interferes with the wearer’s ability to move quickly, stealthily, and freely. If the Armor Bonuses and Limitations table shows “Str 12” or “Str 16” in the Strength column for an armor type, the armor reduces the wearer’s speed by 4m unless the wearer has a Strength score equal to or higher than the listed score.

For simplicity's sake, you cannot mix armor within placements. I.e., you cannot have a heavy piece of on your right arm and a light piece of armor on your left.

Variant: Encumbrance

If you are using the Variant: Encumbrance rules, use the Armor Piece Weights table to determine the total weight of the armor you're wearing.

Placement/Type	Light	Medium	Heavy
Chest	3kg	6kg	10kg
Arms	1kg	2kg	3kg
Legs	1kg	2kg	3kg

Head. All headware weights 2kg

Armor Sets

Most armor you buy in the galaxy has been mass-produced, these are called armor sets. A set is not required to be multiple pieces of armor. For example, the Capacitor Helmet is a single piece of head armor. The unique aspect of armor sets is that they have benefits and attributes that are pre-installed due to their mass-production. Thus, you cannot customize armor sets with armor mods and you cannot salvage a beneficial aspect from an armor set.

Armor sets have an armor type (light, medium, or heavy) which you use for calculating your character's AC.

A full list of armor sets can be found in Appendix A.

Body Armor

Body Armor is a special type of armor piece that consists of 3 pieces of armor: Chest, Arms, and Legs. Body armor is completely integrated (all or none), therefore, you cannot swap out pieces from other sets. I.e., if you're wearing the Duelist body armor, you cannot replace the legs from it with the Lockdown Greaves. This rule is, of course, flexible, as GMs might allow this type of tinkering in exchange for time, credits, and/or skill checks.

Set Bonuses

Set bonuses are additional benefits you receive from wearing multiple pieces from the same set, signifying the armors component pieces working together for a unified integration. Armor with the same base name is part of a set, e.g. Colossus [item].

You only receive the benefit once per set and the benefit ends immediately if you fall below the threshold. For example, if a set provides:

Medium Armor

• Set Bonus (2 of 4): +1 AC
• Set Bonus (4 of 4): +1 AC