Techno Caste
The sophont species called Kraken by Humans have a highly organized social structure with three distinct castes. Menials occupy the lowest tier and are responsible for performing much of the physical labor and drudge work required to keep any civilization going. Supervisors occupy the top tier, being responsible for leadership and decision making. The middle caste includes all those who perform functions that require some skill or advanced training. Humans refer to this as the Techno Caste.
The Techno Caste is the "middle class" of Kraken society. Its members tend to be well compensated for their duties - enough to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle which, while not as extravagant as that of the Supervisor Class, still enjoys opportunities for discretionary activities that Humans might call hobbies or creative pursuits.
Because of this, there is a certain atmosphere of dedication to good performance more noticeable among the Technos than in the other castes. Among the best performers, a competitiveness arises as individuals desire to be recognized and "elevated" to the status - and rewards - of the Supervisor Caste.
Techno Caste Responsibilities and Privileges
Techno Caste members are responsible for the day-to-day development, implementation, maintenance, and operation of the technologies considered essential by the Kraken. These are the engineers, electronic technicians, mechanics, computer specialists, and even medical professionals of the society. A Kraken starship crew will always have at least one Supervisor acting as Captain, and may have a Menial or two performing steward duties, but the rest of the crew - engineers, bridge crews, turret gunners - will be Technos.The Techno Caste is the "middle class" of Kraken society. Its members tend to be well compensated for their duties - enough to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle which, while not as extravagant as that of the Supervisor Class, still enjoys opportunities for discretionary activities that Humans might call hobbies or creative pursuits.
Social Mobility in Kraken Society
Caste membership is not a birthright in Kraken society; one's caste is determined by one's usefulness to Kraken society as a whole. A Kraken whose education grants them functional expertise in any "skilled field" (i.e. Admin, Advocate, Animals, Art, Astrogation, Broker, Diplomat, Electronics, Engineer, Leadership, Mechanic, Medic, Navigation, Profession, Science, or Tactics) will find themselves in the Techno caste, but sufficient achievement and recognition may see them raised to Supervisor Caste status. Poor performers who are deemed unqualified to perform the skilled duties required of them may find themselves relegated to the Menials Caste.Because of this, there is a certain atmosphere of dedication to good performance more noticeable among the Technos than in the other castes. Among the best performers, a competitiveness arises as individuals desire to be recognized and "elevated" to the status - and rewards - of the Supervisor Caste.
Gamemaster Notes
The SOC attribute for Kraken characters and NPCs is an indication of caste. A SOC of 9+ is indicative of Supervisor status; a score between 5 and 8 describes a member of the Techno caste, and scores of 4 and below indicate Menials. Kraken social standing is not rigid, however, and can be changed based on achieving certain levels of expertise in various Skills. Social standing and caste membership are not true birthrights, either, but ones parentage (and thus the access one's family has to educational resources and advancement potentials) can make it easier for a Kraken youth to attain higher caste status.
When creating a Kraken Player Character or NPC, determine initial (potential) SOC when rolling initial attributes as normal. That score is used throughout the "career terms" portion of character generation. At the end of character generation, check the conditions listed below to determine how to adjust the SOC attribute score. Two notable exceptions to this rule: If, during character creation, the character enters either the Prisoner or Drifter career, their SOC is immediately reduced to 4 for the duration of character generation. (Upon completion of character creation, the conditions below may permit it to be raised again.)
Achieving expertise level 3 in any of the following Skills raises a Kraken's SOC to 9 if it is currently lower: Admin, Advocate, Broker, Diplomat, Medic, Profession (any non-physical), Science (any), Tactics (any). Subsequent increases in any of these skills increases SOC by an additional +1 per level.
Reaching expertise level 2 in the Leadership skill automatically raises a Kraken's SOC attribute to 10 (A) if it is currently lower.
Achieving expertise level 3 in Leadership raises SOC to 12 (C). Increases beyond 3 add an additional SOC +1 per level.
Gaining Officer Rank 5 in any of the Military professions (Army, Marines, Navy) automatically raises a Kraken's SOC attribute to 10 (A) if it is currently lower.
Reaching Officer Rank 6 raises SOC to 12 (C).
Kraken SOC increases do not "stack"; each skill or rank is considered individually; the resulting SOC is determined by the highest skill or rank contributor to standing increase.br]
A Kraken who has not achieved one of these conditions, but had rolled a SOC of 9 or higher has that SOC adjusted to a maximum of 8. (This can be raised again if a player character successfully completes in-game training.
Any higher caste Kraken convicted of a crime is automatically downgraded to a SOC of 4, placing them into the Menial Caste where they will remain regardless of future training. (A Kraken "born into" the Menial Caste can, however, rise out of this class by achieving one of the training conditions set forth above - even if they had been convicted of a crime.)
When creating a Kraken Player Character or NPC, determine initial (potential) SOC when rolling initial attributes as normal. That score is used throughout the "career terms" portion of character generation. At the end of character generation, check the conditions listed below to determine how to adjust the SOC attribute score. Two notable exceptions to this rule: If, during character creation, the character enters either the Prisoner or Drifter career, their SOC is immediately reduced to 4 for the duration of character generation. (Upon completion of character creation, the conditions below may permit it to be raised again.)
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