Refined Backgrounds

Refined Backgrounds

1. Socialite
2. Negotiator
3. Heart-Soul
4. Hacker
5. Jury-rigger
6. Mechanic
7. Orphan (Special)
8. Orphan
9. First-Aid/EMT
10. Soldier/Hunted
11. Criminal
12. Outlaw
13. Worker
14. Penal-Worker
15. Scientist
16. Tradesman
17. NHP Specialist
18. Off-worlder (Special)
19. Sleeper (Special)
20. Augment (Special)

Social Roles

Socialite

You’re a vibrant personality, someone who can light up a room—or turn it into chaos. You thrive on social interaction, whether through charm, leadership, or calculated deception. In a world overshadowed by oppression, your presence stands out, offering moments of levity or stirring the pot. Whether you use your charisma to rally others, manipulate enemies, or simply entertain, you have a way of making people notice you.

Example Triggers:

• Charm: Win people over with your charisma or wit.
• Lead: Take charge in social or group situations.
• Inspire: Motivate others to act with confidence or purpose.
• Read the Room: Gauge social dynamics or pick up on unspoken cues.
• Bluff: Convince others of something that isn’t entirely true.

Negotiator

You have a talent for finding common ground and resolving conflicts, even in the most heated situations. Whether through diplomacy, persuasion, or sheer stubbornness, you’re skilled at getting people to see reason. In a world fractured by oppression and rebellion, your ability to de-escalate tensions and broker agreements makes you an invaluable asset—but also a potential target for those who prefer violence or division.

Example Triggers:

• Convince: Persuade others to see your point of view or act on your suggestions.
• Bargain: Negotiate deals, trade-offs, or compromises to achieve mutual goals.
• De-escalate: Calm down tense or volatile situations before they explode.
• Mediate: Facilitate discussions between opposing parties to find common ground.

Heart-Soul

You are a beacon of hope and emotional support, offering solace, comfort, and inspiration to those around you. Whether you’re a natural empath, a community leader, or just someone who understands the weight of human struggle, your presence steadies and uplifts others in times of crisis.

Example Triggers:

• Inspire: Motivate someone to overcome fear, despair, or uncertainty.
• Comfort: Calm someone in distress or offer emotional support.
• Connect: Build rapport or strengthen bonds between people.
• Empathize: Read and respond to the emotions of others.
• Rally: Reignite morale or unity in the face of adversity.

Technical Roles

Hacker

You’re a master of the unseen world of code and systems, with a talent for bending technology to your will. Whether self-taught or mentored by another rebel, your skills are invaluable to the cause. But in a world where the ruling Elite monitors every transmission and tracks every anomaly, your work comes with immense risk. One wrong move could bring the full weight of the system down on you—and anyone around you.

Example Triggers:

• Hack: Access, manipulate, or disrupt computer systems and networks.
• Decode: Break encryption, analyze patterns, or interpret data.
• Research: Gather and analyze information to uncover hidden truths.
• Improvise: Adapt quickly to unexpected problems or opportunities.

Jury-rigger

You have a knack for taking the broken, discarded, and hopelessly outdated and turning it into something useful. Whether it’s cobbling together makeshift weapons, patching up mechs, or improvising solutions on the fly, your ingenuity shines in moments of crisis. You don’t always have the tools or materials you’d like, but you’ve learned how to make do with whatever’s at hand—and somehow, it usually works.

Example Triggers:

• Patch: Repair damaged equipment, vehicles, or systems in the field.
• Improvise: Adapt quickly and creatively to solve problems or overcome obstacles.
• Build: Construct functional (if not elegant) devices or structures.
• Scavenge: Find or salvage useful items, components, or resources.

Mechanic

You’re a skilled professional, hired (or pressed into service) for your expertise in fixing and maintaining machinery. From infrastructure to mechs, your hands keep the rebellion’s tools running and its gears turning. You understand the intricacies of machines, seeing them not just as tools but as systems with their own quirks and personalities. Whether working in the field or in a workshop, your contributions are the backbone of survival and resistance.

Example Triggers:

• Repair: Fix or maintain broken machinery, vehicles, or equipment.
• Build: Construct or modify machinery, tools, or devices.
• Operate: Use complex or specialized equipment effectively.
• Analyze: Diagnose issues, study systems, or evaluate designs.

Orphan Roles

Orphan / Special

You’ve lost your parents to an industrial accident, the rebellion, or the relentless oppression of the ruling elite. Left to fend for yourself, you’ve learned how to survive by whatever means necessary. Whether scraping by on the fringes of society, leaning on a found family, or joining the rebellion, your life has been shaped by loss and the will to endure.

Example Triggers:

• Survive: Endure dangerous situations or scavenge for essentials.
• Scrounge: Find useful items or make the most out of limited resources.
• Evade: Escape from pursuers or avoid notice.
• Stay Cool: Keep your composure in high-pressure scenarios.
• Get Somewhere Fast: Navigate quickly through chaotic or hostile environments.

Care Roles

First-Aid/EMT

You’re the first responder, the one who arrives before anyone else, navigating chaos to save lives. Whether stabilizing the wounded, comforting the dying, or holding the line in the aftermath of destruction, your work is critical—but it takes a toll. The rebellion relies on your quick thinking and steady hands, but the weight of the lives you couldn’t save is always with you.

Example Triggers:

• Treat: Provide medical care to heal injuries or illnesses.
• Stabilize: Prevent a condition or injury from worsening.
• Comfort: Provide emotional support to calm or reassure someone.
• Analyze: Assess injuries, medical conditions, or environmental hazards.

Soldier/Hunted

You’ve always had the mind and instincts of a warrior, though you may lack formal training. Whether you were part of the Elite forces and broke away, a self-taught combatant fighting for survival, or a natural talent who’s never seen a battlefield, you carry both skill and burden. Now, you’re on the run—hunted by the very system you once served or opposed.

Example Triggers:

• Assault: Lead an attack or engage in direct combat.
• Blow Something Up: Set explosives or destroy a key target.
• Stay Cool: Keep your focus under fire or in a tense situation.
• Threaten: Use your presence or skill to intimidate or cow others.
• Evade: Escape from pursuit or avoid detection.

Rebel or Outsider Roles

Criminal

You’ve lived a life on the wrong side of the system, bending or breaking the rules to survive. Whether it was theft, fraud, smuggling, or something darker, you’ve managed to avoid capture—or worse. Somehow, you’ve slipped through the cracks of Elite scans or “retraining” programs, either by skill or sheer luck. Now, your past life lingers like a shadow, shaping your skills and relationships in ways you can’t escape. Whether you’re working for redemption, survival, or personal gain, you know the rebellion offers opportunities—and risks.

Example Triggers:

• Steal: Take something that doesn’t belong to you, from pickpocketing to heists.
• Skulk: Sneak through enemy lines or avoid detection in dangerous situations.
• Hack: Manipulate systems to bypass security or gain access to restricted data.
• Bluff: Convince others to believe your lies or misdirect their attention.

Outlaw

You were born into the rebellion or pushed to the margins of society, existing without an official identity or legal status. The system calls you a criminal, but you see yourself as free—a fighter for survival, justice, or simply your own terms. Whether you’re driven by ideology, revenge, or necessity, you’ve lived your life outside the rules, making your own way in a world that doesn’t recognize you.

Example Triggers:

• Charm: Convince or manipulate others with your charisma.
• Survive: Endure harsh conditions or find ways to make do with nothing.
• Show Off: Perform daring feats or draw attention to yourself.
• Take Someone Out: Eliminate a threat quickly and decisively.
• Skulk: Move unseen or operate in the shadows.

Worker Roles

Worker

You were the backbone of the empire, toiling in factories, shipyards, fields, or mines. Your labor ensured the wheels of industry turned, though your contributions were rarely recognized. From operating machinery to assembling intricate components, your skills are born from necessity and repetition, but they’ve made you invaluable to the rebellion. Whether you’ve left your old life behind or still carry its weight, you know the strength of those who work—and the cost of being overlooked.

Example Triggers:

• Labor: Perform physically demanding or repetitive work.
• Operate: Use industrial or specialized machinery, including mechs.
• Endure: Push through pain, exhaustion, or harsh conditions.
• Build: Create, repair, or improve structures or tools.

Penal-worker

You’ve committed a crime—or been accused of one—and were caught. Instead of “retirement” or imprisonment, your skills were deemed too valuable to waste. Now, you live a life of restricted freedom, working under constant supervision or with monitoring devices to ensure compliance. The system tolerates your existence, but true liberty is always out of reach.

Example Triggers:

• Survive: Adapt to harsh conditions or endure under duress.
• Apply Fists to Faces: Resolve disputes with physical strength or intimidation.
• Word on the Street: Pick up on rumors, hear useful gossip, or uncover secrets.
• Spot: Identify details others might overlook or assess your surroundings for opportunities or threats.
• Endure: Push through pain, exhaustion, or emotional hardship to complete your task.

Scientist

You’ve always been driven by curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. Though you occupy the lowest rungs of academia or industry, your intellect sets you apart. You weren’t born into the Elite, but your test scores or work ethic earned you a position—barely. You're not indoctrinated, but you know you’re skating on thin ice; a misstep could land you as a Penal-worker or worse. Now, your skills are critical to the rebellion, but your past associations and secrets might come back to haunt you.

Example Triggers:

• Investigate: Research, analyze, or uncover information.
• Invent or Create: Design or build something new.
• Get a Hold of Something: Procure resources, blueprints, or rare items.
• Blow Something Up: Apply your expertise to destructive ends.
• Patch or Analyze: Repair technology or diagnose a problem.

Tradesman

You’ve mastered the art of acquiring, appraising, and exchanging goods, walking the delicate line between legitimate business and the shadows of the black market. Whether through charm, connections, or sheer resourcefulness, you’ve thrived in a world where survival often hinges on access to scarce resources. The rebellion values your ability to navigate networks and procure what’s needed—but your past dealings may bring as much trouble as they do opportunity.

Example Triggers:

• Barter: Negotiate deals or trades, often in high-pressure situations.
• Network: Leverage connections to gather information or gain access to resources.
• Appraise: Assess the value, quality, or authenticity of goods.
• Convince: Persuade others to see your side, close a deal, or grant favors.

NHP Specialist

You’ve spent your life working with the complex systems that keep the empire’s factories, industrial plants, and supply chains running. From assembling precision robotics to maintaining factory-wide Non-Human Persons (NHPs)—the sophisticated AI systems that oversee production—you are an expert in bridging the gap between human ingenuity and machine efficiency. Whether as a technician, programmer, or overseer, you’ve seen firsthand the capabilities and dangers of these systems. While your skills are invaluable to the rebellion, your past ties to factory operations and advanced AI may invite suspicion—or even danger.

Example Triggers:

• Stay Cool: Maintain composure in high-pressure or dangerous situations.
• Read a Situation: Assess environments or systems to uncover key information.
• Invent or Create: Design, assemble, or modify advanced machines or devices.
• Investigate: Study or analyze NHP systems, robotics, or industrial processes.