Ancestries
There are five primary Ancestries from which to choose from when creating a character for Steel Horizons. These ancestries are custom to our setting, using the SWADE rules for custom ancestries, and are not directly from any of the books.
Human
The most common ancestry in Olympia, Humans are considered the root ancestry of all other ancestries. All Ancients were Human before The Change and the coming of The Horrors.
Adaptable: Humans begin play with any Novice Edge of their choosing. They must meet its Requirements as usual.
Features
Elf
Elves are the second most common Ancestry in Olympia, and it was their resilience that helped the early Wasteland tribes survive upon leaving the Arks. The early Founding Tribes had elven members in leadership and advisory positions, and were key to the early negotiations by Jasper Sheen.
Low Light Vision: Elven eyes amplify light. Others often claim they can see stars in the elves’ eyes. They ignore penalties for Dim and Dark Illumination.
Mystic Constitution: Elves are immune to diseases.
Features
Dwarf
The least common of the common Olympian ancestries, Dwarves have always served as the backbone of Olympian trade and progress. Early on, Dwarves served as enforcers in the Founding tribes, and their dedication to hard work has kept Olympia running.
Strong: Dwarves start with a d6 in Strength. This raises their Strength Maximum to d12+1.
Infravision: Dwarves can see in infrared. Lighting penalties are reduced by half.
Slow: Due to their short legs, dwarves' Pace is reduced to 5 and their running die to d4.
Features
Orc
Orcs were uncommon in the Founding Tribes, and today, Orcs continue to be uncommon on Olympia's streets. Orcs typically live outside of Olympia in the Wilds, either as Raiders or First Nations. Although these tribes were contacted to join Olympia's founding, many decided not to, leading to their rarity inside the walls.
Burly: Orcs start with a d6 in Strength. This raises their maximum for Strength to d12 + 1.
Low Light Vision: The sensitive eyes of orcs let them see in the Dim and Dark lights of the skyscrapers’ shadows. Orcs have no penalty for Dim or Dark conditions.
Outsider (Minor): They suffer a -2 penalty to Persuasion rolls when dealing with city folk that are not other orcs.
Features
Troll
There weren't many Trolls among the Founding Tribes, and Trolls are uncommon in Olympia. During the Siege Period, raiding tribes of Trolls regularly assaulted Olympia's walls. Today, most Trolls live in the Wilds.
Strong And Sturdy: Trolls start with a d6 in Strength and Vigor. This raises their maximum for Strength and Vigor to d12 + 1.
Infravision: Troll eyes can see heat. Lighting penalties are reduced by half.
Outsider (Minor): Trolls suffer a -2 penalty on Persuasion rolls when dealing with city folk that are not other trolls.
Uneducated (Major): All citizens in Olympia are expected to attend school, but Trolls tend to fall through the cracks. They don't start with a d4 in Common Knowledge and suffer a -1 penalty to all Smarts rolls.
Features
Half Ancestries
If you would like to create a character that has a half-ancestry of any two of the above, there are no differences as far as mechanics. Choose one of the above Ancestries and adjust the visual cosmetics of your character as desired.
Custom Ancestries
Player-created custom Ancestries are not allowed.