Noble

You descend from privilege, wealth, and power. Your family owns significant property, wields political control, and/or has vast wealth—or once did. You've stepped away from that somewhat, though you still carry a noble title, whether you want to or not. People recognize you in certain circles, especially those who've had dealings with your family.

With access to the privileges your title can command, you might be able and willing to pay for your group's passage on a starship, or even provide them with passage outright if your family's resources are extensive enough (assuming you are on good terms with your siblings and parents). But even if your title is more of an honorific handed down from better times, your nobility still grants access that you and your friends might not otherwise be able to attain.

Background Options

• You were adopted into the family and your siblings never let you forget it. Now your eldest is set to inherit, and you suspect they had something to do with your adopted parents' death.
• Some look down on you because your family only gained a noble title a few years ago.
• Your mother died a few months ago, and you've been under pressure to assume her role.
• Growing up, your only friend was the nanny's child, until the nanny and her child were cast out on allegations of theft. You've always wanted to find them again and make it right.
• You recently received a threat from a long-lost sibling who wasn't granted a noble's title.
• Orbital weapons recently destroyed another noble house; rumors say it wasn't an accident.
• Tales of derring-do in the border worlds kept you sane growing up, and now that you have funds of your own, you're keen to find adventure.
• You poured considerable family wealth into a project whose founder recently disappeared.

Noble Abilities

You gain all of the following benefits:

• Able to take two more minor wounds and one more moderate wound
• Add +1 to Might Pool
• Add +1 to Speed Pool
• Add +2 to Intellect Pool
• Add +1 Edge in Pool of your choice
• Freely use light and medium weapons
• Freely use light and medium armor
• Gain one weapon of your choice
• At tier 3 and tier 6, choose an ability from the Science Fiction Genre Abilities list

Exorbitant Reach: You have an exorbitant item of your choice, such as a personal force field or a small spaceship. Work with your GM to determine something appropriate for the setting. At tier 3, you gain another exorbitant item. Enabler.

Noble Bearing (2 Intellect): You are adept at claiming the rewards that a noble background can generate. When you use this ability, strangers who are not already attacking give you at least a round to have your say. Alternatively, you can secure a place to stay somewhere that provides accommodations (even if that means others are turned out), get into a restricted area, ignore rules (minor ones, anyway), get in to see and speak with an important person, or gain some similar benefit without needing to succeed on an interaction task (unless your GM determines special circumstances apply, in which case you gain an asset to the task). Enabler.

Retainer: You enjoy the services of a loyal level 2 follower who looks after your affairs, accounts, meals, clothing, and other trivial needs so you don't have to. Work with your GM to flesh out the details of your retainer.

By spending 2 Intellect, you can have your retainer take the attack meant for you. If the attack brings them to 0 health, they are unconscious but not dead and can be restored by using your resource points and arranging or providing for a few days of care. Your follower improves when you reach tier 3 and again at tier 5 (this is explained in the section about followers). Enabler.

Noble Equipment Bundle

Choose the following equipment bundle to quickly outfit your character, or assemble your own starting equipment.

A medium blaster and a weapon energy pack (50 shots), appropriate clothing, spray-on impact armor (ten uses), a smart device (glasses, badge, ring, and the like), a backpack, a breather, an environmental tent, a single-use vacuum suit, an auton, an everlight, two days of rations and water, a grooming and toiletry kit, and eyeshades. Your character also starts with currency equivalent to a moderately priced item, as well as something exorbitant; see Exorbitant Reach.

Part of Space Opera