Professions

Every character may choose a Profession at character generation. After a player gains their first point of Competency, the GM is encouraged to allow players to swap out a profession if they're not finding it fun. Later on, a player may choose to switch professions only whenever they reach a new competency level and if they've got sufficient justification for doing so. No player character may have more than one profession at a time; if they switch professions they lose all the bonuses and backings associated with their previous profession.
Each profession provides two abilities, one providing them with a unique bonus and the other providing new options for Plot Point usage. The player automatically gets access to both.
A table of professions is given below. Profession Name is the name of the profession. Organization describes who the profession works for. Description gives information on how the profession operates. Bonus 1 provides the unique bonus. Bonus 2 provides the unique PP option.

Profession Name	Organization	Description	Bonus 1	Bonus 2
Lièrén Shashou	Sun Dynasty	Lièrén Shashou are the Hunter Killers of the Shadow Hunters, those with the strongest predatory drive, they excel in missions to remove troublesome targets, or retrieve classified intelligence. The greater the challenge, and the more elusive their prey, the more determined a Lièrén Shashou becomes.	Predator's Focus: May make the special Intimidate combat action for 1 PP. This is a Willpower+Influence roll defended against by Willpower+Discipline. Failure inflicts Stun damage on the target as their will to resist slackens in front of the terrifying focus of the Lièrén Shashou. Against mindless targets, the Lièrén Shashou may instead spend 1 PP to increase the damage of a single attack by 2 steps instead.	Pointman: The Lièrén Shashou gains a number of phantom PP per story equal to their Competency bonus. This phantom PP may be only spent to modify combat rolls or pay the cost of Predator's Eyes.
Daopiàn	Sun Dynasty	"Daopiàn" or "Razor Blade" class are those who have honed their skills to the precision necessary to carry out the most delicate of assignments, ones that can require both cold blood efficiency and careful discretion. Favoring Drones and the element surprise over direct engagement Daopiàn pride themselves on often being the last thing their target never sees.	Drone Training: The Daopiàn may control an extra drone.	The Art of Surprise: Before the Daopiàn opens up a Surprise round, they may spend 1 PP to treat a single Aim action as three Aim actions, letting them set up ambushes with deadly speed and accuracy. The Daopiàn may also spend 1 PP to act during a Surprise Round if ambushed.
Heiyàoshí	Sun Dynasty	Heiyàoshí, or Obsidian Class are the most versatile of the hunters trained to assist other operatives however the mission demands. Be it direct fire support with heavy weapons, skilled intelligence analysis of political motivations, or a swiftly piloted getaway shuttle, to the Heiyàoshí no challenge is insurmountable, and no sacrifice too dear in the completion of their assignment.	Talented Generalists: Gain a +1 competency bonus per 4 competency (+1 for competency 0-3, +2 for competency 4-7, etc.) to all opposed rolls where the Heiyàoshí rolls a basic skill without specialties.	Crosstraining: The Heiyàoshí may spend 1 PP to treat a single roll as an opposed roll, thereby gaining the use of their Competency bonus.
Epée Véridique	Jewels of De Mairan	These members of the Couer Saphir, the Truthful Swords, act brazenly out in the open. They make no effort to hide their presence or intentions, dazing and diverting their opponents through sheer honesty. Don't mistake their actions as mere feints- they are willing and prepared to turn what may be derided as diversions into sheer bloody results.	The Illusion of Choice: The Epée Véridique may make a special Feint combat action for 1 PP. If the feint fails, the Epée Véridique may make another attack at a -2 skill step penalty. If the feint succeeds, the Truthful Sword increases the bonus to their next attack against that opponent by 1.	An Honest Weapon: Whenever the Epée Véridique spends PP in an opposed non-combat social interaction, it is counted as if the Truthful Sword had spent 2 more PP (1 spent = 3, 3 spent = 5, etc.).
Bouclier Menteur	Jewels of De Mairan	The Lying Shields protect the Jewels of De Mairan through subterfuge and observation. They usually operate alongside a Truthful Sword to take advantage of any panicking opponents, often disguised as servants, foppish nobles, or something else easily overlooked. They specialize in concealed weapons and careful preparation.	An Arsenal of Deceit: Cybernetically hidden weapons reduce their risk of cyberpsychosis by half. A Lying Shield may also always declare they have an emergency hidden weapon on their person without spending a PP, though the effectiveness may be limited by the rigorousness of an opponent's search and the DM's discretion.	The Unremarkable Face: The Bouclier Menteur gains a number of phantom PP per story equal to their Competency bonus. This phantom PP may be only spent to modify rolls meant to protect their identity or perform other out-of-combat covert operations.
Flying Executioner	Shung Dynasty	The Shung employ very few specialists, preferring to use martial strength over clandestine operations. Fleets and ACEs accomplish with brute force what others might try with subtler tactics. But when they're needed, their Flying Executioners may step in. These shadowy operatives operate some of the strongest and most advanced drones in the business, assassinating targets with grace and dignity.	Enhanced Uplinks: May control a number of additional drones equal to their Competency. The Flying Executioner does not gain a Competency bonus to any drone actions when operating with extra drones.	Swarm Computing: The Flying Executioner may spend PP to restore their Competency bonus to a single drone's action if operating extra drones.
Great Zealot	Covenant Progeniture	The Covenant Progeniture, as a radical theocracy, employ only the most faithful for their command. Though they may not be the most physically imposing or the best trained, the Great Zealots are unshakeable in their faith and are the most mentally resilient operatives in space as a result. This may explicitly be taken to represent other unaffiliated religious characters.	Paragon: The Great Zealot starts with the Faith trait for free. This automatically increases by one step for every bonus point of Competency the Great Zealot gains.	Great Works: Whenever the Great Zealot spends PP on a roll influenced by Faith, their Faith die is always maximized.
Slicer	New Economic Block: Altair Industrialized Computing	Slicers are the Altair Industrialized Computing anti-AI specialists. Their job is to find, bypass, and neutralize enemy AI systems. Over the years the Slicers have gotten frighteningly good at their remit and the mere presence of a Slicer may cause AI to panic.	Forced Compliance: May make the special Gibson Protocol combat action for 1 PP. This is a Willpower+Technical Engineering roll defended against by Willpower+Discipline- the Slicer tries to overpower an AI by sheer force of will. Success may effectively neuter the AI, breaking it to the Slicer's will. The AI first loses control of a number of drones or ACEs equal to the difference; after that the AI suffers a 1 ability step penalty per point of difference to all actions until the Slicer's connection is broken.	Stephenson Override: Whenever the Slicer spends PP on a Technical Engineering roll, that PP die is always maximized.
Bailiff	New Economic Block: Ares-Nova Guild	The Ares-Nova Guild is a small and disparate corporation, barely held together compared to the other corporations of the New Economic Block. They field few numbers of special operatives, but the ones they do make up for their quantity with quality. The Bailiffs are both internal and external secret police, possessing dozens of master-crafted weapons custom-made for their use.	Weapon Mastery: The Bailiff has mastered a number of weapons equal to their Competency bonus. The Bailiff may draw these weapons as a Free Action and are always considered to be armed for the purposes of determining surprise rounds.	Unstoppable Engine: The Bailiff gains 1 PP every time they kill an opponent with a mastered weapon. They cannot exceed 6 PP with this ability.
Saboteur	New Economic Block: Argo Astronautics	One wouldn't expect the ship-designers of Argo Astronautics to have operatives, but they do exist. An Argo Astronautics Saboteur is a demolitions and covert ops specialist, stealing designs and blowing up prototypes whenever necessary. They're rarely seen outside of NEB space, as there are few polities worth stealing or destroying... but such targets do exist and many dread the day a Saboteur comes to visit.	Clandestine Operations: Whenever the Saboteur rolls their Covert or Heavy Weapons out of combat, they reduce the Difficulty of the action by 1 step. If the roll is opposed, they add +1 to their Competency bonus.	Chain Reaction: Whenever the Saboteur spends PP to add novel complications to explosive reactions, it is counted as if the Saboteur had spent 2 more PP (1 spent = 3, 3 spent = 5, etc.).
Bondsman	New Economic Block: Blocks, Stocks, and Bonds	The Bondsman are assassins in the pay of Blocks, Stocks, and Bonds. In lieu of training or equipment, the Bondsman is simply rich. Money may not buy happiness but it smooths many roads and can buy all the weapons, cybernetics, and genetic enhancements they may ever need.	Buy-In: The Bondsman immediately gains 100,000 credits as a one-time bonus.	Capitalized Interest: At the beginning of every story, the Bondsman may choose to convert any amount of their starting PP to credits. Each point of PP spent in this way grants the Bondsman [50,000*Competency] credits.
DysonAce	New Economic Block: Dyson Power	Dyson Energy has invested most of their money and training into space combat, particularly their fighter aces. Their ships are advanced enough that even a small ship can have outsized impact. The Dyson Energy take is that the ground is meaningless; space is what matters. DysonAces go through rigorous training at a highly esteemed academy on Dallas Station.	Space Superiority: The DysonAce starts with an additional piloting maneuver.	Fighter Academy: The DysonAce gains a number of phantom PP per story equal to their Competency bonus. This phantom PP may be only spent to modify space combat rolls.
Master Sergeant	New Economic Block: General Manufacturing	The General Manufacturing Master Sergeants are generalists: faster, stronger, trained to a higher degree than others. Unlike other NEB operatives, they often work at the head of dedicated killsquads. Each Master Sergeant and their squad has an area of expertise they have trained vigorously in.	Squad Expertise: Once per story, the Master Sergeant may declare a number of skill specialties they own equal to their Competency. All members of their squad gain the same skill specialty, albeit at a -1 step penalty.	Esprit d'Corps: A Master Sergeant may spend PP at any time to improve the rolls of someone under their command. If the Master Sergeant has the Leadership edge at d6, this effectively increases the edge by 1 step.
Combat Reporter	New Economic Block: Hyperspace News Network	The Hyperspace News Network Combat Reporters aren't exactly much to talk about in terms of combat skill, but they're deadly enough in the political theater. They can hold their own, gain critical intelligence and disperse propaganda like true artists.	A Nose for Action: The Combat Reporter may spend 1 PP to make a special Investigate action out of combat. An Alertness+Perception roll made against a target's Covert+Discipline allows them to identify operatives, hiding potentates, and other people of interest.	Combat Survivor: Whenever the Combat Reporter enters an All-Out Defense stance, they gain 1 bonus PP. There is no limit to the amount of PP they may store with this technique.
RepoMan	New Economic Block: New Era Biomedical	Each member of the New Era Biomedical RepoTeams is a hated, half-human shell of a person stuffed to the gills with cybernetics, gene-grafts, and secondary organs. They're commonly sent to collect debts to New Era Biomedical customers, but they're often also employer to collect new and novel technology and genes out in the field. Every RepoMan is counting down the days to their forced 'retirement', where they finally become too insane to function and are parted out to create a new generation of RepoMen.	Strength Through Madness: Whenever a RepoMan undergoes a Cyberpsychosis roll, they may choose to suffer the difference between their roll and the difficulty as Stun damage to temporarily delay the effects of cyberpsychosis up to a number of days equal to their Competency. They may then spend 1 PP to suffer the effects of cyberpsychosis, granting them a number of Ability dice rerolls equal to the rating of their new Complication.	Post-Implantation Hypnotics: The RepoMan gains a number of phantom PP per story equal to their Competency bonus. This phantom PP may be only spent to modify cyberpsychosis rolls or induce cyberpsychosis via Strength Through Madness.
RCT Ranger	New Economic Block: Rowlken Construction and Terraforming	The RCT Rangers of Rowlken Construction and Terraforming are high-functioning aneurotypicals who have had parts of their brains excised and replaced with cybernetics. The Rangers are elite scout-engineers, designed to find and hold locations for their corporate masters.	Guardian Turret: For 1 PP, the RCT Ranger may use an action to deploy a Guardian Turret, the specialized drone tied to every RCT Ranger. This drone folds out to prepare a small barrier that provides Medium cover and an auto-targeting turret with an automatic weapon. The turret naturally rolls a d8+d10 to hit, though the RCT Ranger may take direct control.	Aneurotypical: When RCT Ranger flaws are played or invoked they provide 2 PP instead of 1.
Grocer	New Economic Block: Top Shelf Agriculture	Top-Shelf Agriculture hires a strangely large number of spies, in keeping perhaps with their CEO's legendary misanthropy and paranoia. The Grocers, as they are called in the sort of macabre puns favored by Rebecca de Winter, are little more than amoral terrorists. Grocers specialize in terror attacks, psychological combat, and brutal and terrifying assaults that would be considered war crimes if the universe was just.	Psychological Warfare: For 1 PP the Grocer may make a Willpower+Performance attack against any number of targets within sight or audio range. They may defend with Willpower+Discipline. Targets that fail their defense cannot spend or regain PP for a number of rounds equal to the Grocer's Competency.	Sadism: The Grocer may spend additional PP to perform acts of Psychological Warfare outside of combat. Each point of PP spent increases the number of rounds a target cannot spend PP by 1 round.
Kyodai	New Economic Block: Typhoon Initiative	These skilled operatives of the Typhoon Initiative are often recruited from freelancers the corporation hires and trusts. Unlike most NEB operatives, the Kyodai may include uplifts and hybrids, making them ideal for operating in any reach of space. The incredible amount of resources and backchannel contacts often give Kyodai access to new and exotic pieces of equipment, including alien technology and combat drugs.	Exotic Equipment: The Kyodai immediately gains an exotic weapon, support item, or combat drug of their choice at no cost or drawback, subject to the DM's approval.	Combat Zen: The Kyodai may spend 1 PP to add their defense Skill to an Innate Defense against effects such as Suppressive Fire or getting caught off guard.
Gemini	New Economic Block: Vayesk Technology Solutions	The cybernetic kill-teams of Vayesk Technology Solutions are unusual in the world of secret operatives. Instead of working as individuals or small teams, the Gemini work in pairs of two. Their skills are meant to complement the other, covering for each other's weaknesses or amplifying shared strengths.	Team Players: Gemini do not experience any penalty for firing into a crowd if their partner is in melee range, and do not hit their partner with a botch. They also may perform Feint actions with ranged weapons if firing at the same time as their partner.	Pooled Resources: Gemini may start each Story with additional PP equal to their partner's Competency bonus.
Freelancer	Unaffiliated	Freelancers are mercenaries, smugglers, and soldiers, men and women drawn to a hard life of living paycheck to paycheck. An open mind means a fatter wallet, and too many betrayals means a long cold death in space.	Thick and Thin Times: A Freelancer gets a number of dice rerolls per story equal to their competence bonus. This is not the full roll, only specific dice within the roll.	Will to Live: Whenever the Freelancer spends PP to reduce damage from an attack, the PP die is always maximized.
Space Pirate	Unaffiliated	The space pirates infest the human volumes of space, preying on the weak and the insufficiently wary. All are scourges, but if it's any consolation, most don't last long. Some rip themselves to pieces. Others piss off the wrong person and are hunted down like the vermin they are. Only the most cautious survive long enough to be of note.	Threat Analysis: The Space Pirate may spend 1 PP to make a special Threat Analysis action before combat begins. An Alertness+Perception roll at base difficulty of 7 gives the Space Pirate a rough idea of the offensive capability of their opponents, be they droid, ship, or angry soldier.	Voidborn: The Space Pirate may spend PP to negate unusual environmental effects at a rate of 1 PP per 2 skill steps (or +4 difficulty). This includes the Unstable Terrain attack penalty and the Poor Visibility bonus to defense, but not effects such as Cover and Range.
Merchant Marine	Unaffiliated	Not quite freelancer, not quite normal civilian, the Merchant Marine ply the space lanes at the behest of their masters. Some are New Economic Block, some are Neo-Human, and some are unaffiliated, but all draw from the same skillsets that have helped humankind traverse the stars.	Storm Tactics: The Merchant Marine may make a special attack when in Point-Blank range of an opponent for 1 PP. This special attack may be made with Automatic weapons and explicitly shotguns. Make 3 attack rolls against 3 different targets at -2 Skill steps each.	Running the Lanes: The Merchant Marine always knows the fastest and safest way to get somewhere. The Merchant Marine gains a number of phantom PP equal to their Competency bonus. This phantom PP may only be spent to modify rolls made to navigate somewhere. For instance, navigating through a burning wreck to safety and bribing a port official to let them ahead of the gate queue are both valid uses of this phantom PP.
Void Explorer	Unaffiliated	Ruins and derelicts interest the Void Explorers. Though looked down on as idiots at best and opportunists at worst, the Void Explorers scour the universe for interesting alien technology, bountiful planets, and the next great payday. All of this comes at a terrible cost, for only one out of a thousand survives long enough to cash in on the fruits of their labor.	Port in Any Storm: The Void Explorer is skilled at finding cover and using it to their best advantage. The Void Explorer may make the special Improvise Cover combat action for 1 PP. This is an unopposed Intelligence+Perception roll at base difficulty 7. This automatically creates temporary Light Cover for the character, though extraordinary successes may improve the quality and durability of the cover.	Feats of Derring-Do: Once per story, if a Void Explorer fails a roll they spent PP on, they may be refunded half of the PP they spent on the roll (rounded up).
Scientist	Unaffiliated	Science has somewhat stagnated in human space for several hundred years as both Neo-Human and Block societies focused inward. Now in the last few decades science is rising again, hurtling forward at unprecedented rates.	Research: The Scientist may start every story with a scientific project. The project is an extended roll made every 3 days, with a difficulty ranging from Easy (3, 1 step) to Impossible (31, 8 steps). Upon succeeding, at the end of the story the Scientist gains AP equal to the scientific project's steps, split across all members of the party. Fractional values are rounded up. Projects may be abandoned but a new one cannot be started until a new story.	Scientific Method: Once per story, if a Scientist fails (and does not botch) a Science Project roll they spent PP on, they may still apply half of the PP they spent on the roll (rounded up) to the result.
Engineer	Unaffiliated	Engineers aren't just mechanics, they're architects, designers, miners, and craftsmen. Most engineers found in space are mechanics, but more and more are finding their way to unexplored space.	Engineering Specialty: The Engineer starts with an engineering-based specialty of their choice in Mechanical Engineering, Scientific Expertise or Knowledge at the d8 level, and increase their Competency when rolling with this specialty by +1.	Measure Twice, Cut Once: Whenever the Engineer spends PP on a roll made with Mechanical Engineering, Scientific Expertise (anything Engineering related), or Knowledge (Engineering), the PP die is always maximized.
Bureaucrat	Unaffiliated	Bureaucrats are the administrators of the state. Though often derided as useless drones, they often serve an important function and are adept at keeping the wheels of an organization running smoothly.	Strangling with Red Tape: The Bureaucrat may make social rolls with their Knowledge (Bureaucracy) skill without needing to spend PP. The Duty and Leadership edges explicitly count towards these rolls. If the roll is opposed, they add +1 to their Competency bonus.	Synergistic Management: The Bureaucrat gains a number of phantom PP per story equal to their Competency bonus. This phantom PP may be only spent to modify the rolls of NPCs under their command.
Trader	Unaffiliated	There's money to be made out in the stars, and the Traders are out there to take advantage of it. These champions of entrepreneurship do whatever they can to scratch out a living in space.	Neverending Hustle: At the beginning of every story, the Trader may roll an unopposed Willpower+Knowledge (Mercantile) check at a difficulty of 7. If they succeed, they start the story with an additional [10,000*Competency] credits.	Good Faith Bargaining: Every time the Trader makes a deal that ends with them forgoing profit on purpose, they gain 2 PP. They may explicitly use a success from Neverending Hustle to activate Good Faith Bargaining.
Pilot	Unaffiliated	While piloting is considered a glamorous profession, the vast majority of pilots in space are little more than truckers and spend a truly excessive amount of time in the cockpit. AI don't often exist on humbler vessels.	Long Hauler: Pilots may make piloting rolls with their Vitality instead of Agility, and add their Piloting skill to any Endurance rolls made while behind the stick.	Expert Handler: Whenever the Pilot spends PP on a Piloting roll, it is counted as if the Pilot had spent 2 more PP (1 spent = 3, 3 spent = 5, etc.).
Techspert	Unaffiliated	From the humble IT department lackey to the anarchic hacker, the techsperts are needed to work with omnipresent technology. Though often outclassed by AI, there's never a bad time to have a techspert on your side.	Virtual Assistant: Once per story, the Techspert may create a virtual program with an Intelligence+Technical Engineering roll. The techspert may use the results of this roll on any relevant Technical Engineering roll for 1 PP.	Tech Adaptability: The techspert may negate technology-related penalties to any Technical Engineering rolls at a rate of 1 PP per -3 step penalty.
Socialite	Unaffiliated	There are people who move through social structures like salmon swimming upstream. They are the glue that holds societies together, from the smallest team to the largest nation.	Intoxicating Presence: The Socialite starts with the Allure trait for free. This automatically increases by one step for every bonus point of Competency the Socialite gains.	Social Butterfly: Once per story, if a Socialite fails a social roll, they may spent 1 PP to reroll and take the higher of the two rolls.
Politician	Unaffiliated	Politicians are to the state what doctors are to the body... except politicians aren't often called to the courts to answer for malpractice.	Crisis Leader: In times of crisis, the politician shines. Any extended rolls the Politician makes to shape society counts as an opposed roll for the purposes of Competency, and their Competency bonus is increased by 1 for this purpose.	Falling Upwards: If a Politician fails a social roll, they may spend any banked PP to increase the result by 2 until the result becomes a success. This cannot be used for botches.
Soldier	Unaffiliated	These are the bog-standard grunts of the universe. Often classically trained in military tactics, they are often literally built for battle.	Standard Augmentation: The Soldier starts with a free rating 2 augmentation, usually standardized based on what military they serve. This does not count against cyberpsychosis rolls.	Execute with Precision: Whenever the Soldier spends PP following the orders of a direct superior, they gain a +1 bonus to the result of their roll [max = competency].
Doctor	Unaffiliated	Every organization nowadays needs a doctor. Battlefield wounds, augmentation, and alien diseases run rampant through the universe, and a good doctor is worth their weight in asterium.	Rapid Stabilization: The Doctor may attempt to make Stabilize Patient rolls to prevent a patient's immediate death as a free action.	The Patient Above All: The Doctor gains a number of phantom PP per story equal to their Competency bonus. This phantom PP may be only spent to modify Medicine rolls.
Enforcer	Unaffiliated	Thugs, bounty hunters, police, security... call them what you want. These enforcers protect private or public interests and often specialize in proactively stopping problems and capturing subjects.	Run Down: The Enforcer may make a Run roll with their Vitality, and always add their Competency to the Run roll.	De-escalation Training: Whenever the Enforcer spends PP on an Influence roll to de-escalate a situation (such as Intimidation or Persuasion to talk down a threat), that PP die is always maximized.