Starting Backgrounds

You have a fully documented and maintained alternate identity. If you Alias is exposed, you can replace it. It takes three downtimes to time to craft a new identity, and it replaces the other alias you had. You can take this merit multiple times. You may combine this Merit with others such as Citizenship, Contacts, and similar as desired.

1) Large number of conventional weaponry. Any conventional equipment within your Resource range.
2) Restricted Items. Modified Weaponry. Police Equipment. Specialty Gear.
3) Illegal Items. Military Firearms. Antique Weapons. Improvised Explosives.
4) Highly Illegal Items. Specialty Firearms. Hand Grenades. Military Armor.
5) Anti-Tank Mines. Plastic Explosives.

In any given Downtime, you can obtain two of each type of grenade (or mini-grenade) and 20 ounces of C-4 without having to roll (assuming you have Arsenal to the appropriate level). You can also
obtain small quantities of firearms, ammunition, and the like (but not explosives, gas, or anything that affects multiple targets) without having to roll.

For any additional items, you must make an Arsenal roll at Difficulty 7. If you succeed, you obtain one item or 20 ounces of C-4. If you fail, you can’t roll again for that type of item until the following Downtime. If you botch, you can’t draw from your Arsenal until the following Downtime.

An Arsenal is often comprised of a series of stashes. Thus, establishing a new stash does not allow you to obtain items without rolling; you are only moving part of your stash from one location to another.

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 4

In a world where data flows at the speed of light, sometimes being anonymous is difficult indeed. For every level in Cipher,
anyone investigating you adds +1 Difficulty and deducts -1 die from their rolls.

0) Available: Your public documents/identity are available to anyone who should care to look.
1) Covered: +1 Difficulty/-1 dice pools
2) Hidden: +2 Difficulty/-2 dice pools
3) Secure: +3 Difficulty/-3 dice pools
4) Buried: +4 Difficulty/-4 dice pools
5) Invisible: +5 Difficulty/-5 dice pools
When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 5

For every level in this background, you are recognized as a legal citizen of a given country. You are entitled to all the benefits and duties being a citizen entails. Indicate which countries you are citizen of.

0) Only your home country claims you.
1) Citizen of your home country plus 1 additional country
2) Citizen of 2 additional countries
3) Citizen of 3 additional countries
4) Citizen of 4 additional countries
5) Citizen of your home country plus 5 additional countries

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 5.

This Background represents a certain amount of iron will and sanity even when exposed to madness or forced to make tough morality calls.

Each time you receive a Derangement, you may roll your rating in Clear Conscience at Difficulty 8. Success negates the Derangement. If you Botch a Conviction check, you still lose the point of Morality, even if you negate the Derangement.

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 3.

Do you have friends in the police force? Were you once a Catholic altar boy? A journalist? Could you find a fence if you needed one? How about some hired muscle? Contacts covers who you know and what you can get out of them. For each level in Contacts you have one major area of influence (which must be detailed at character creation).

0) You just fell off the turnip truck, no contacts
1) One major contact
2) Two major contacts
3) Three major contacts
4) Four major contacts
5) Five major contacts

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 5.

These individuals are not your friends per se, but can get you what you need when you need it (though they will often require return favors or cash payments). Players must roll Contacts at Difficulty 7 to reach useful contacts in their area of influence. A botch indicates that Contact cannot be used for the remainder of the game.

For example, if a character with Contacts 5 who has Military contacts botches an attempt to reach a Military contact, he will not be able to Military contacts for the remainder of the game, but will still be able to use his other four contacts.

It is possible to acquire an Arms Dealer contact. With an Arms Dealer, nothing is acquired without rolling (as with Arsenal); you must roll for each item. If you fail a roll, you can’t obtain anything else that month (as if you had botched with Arsenal). You must pay your Contact for all items.

Database allows access to private records. The time required to obtain information increases with the rating. Thus, a phone number could be obtained almost immediately, but accessing CIA records might take weeks.

You have access to information at your rating or below, as follows.
1) Phone numbers and addresses.
2) Credit checks, driving records, employment history.
3) Criminal history, local and state government records.
4) Records of some federal agencies, such as the FAA and the IRS.
5) You have a variety of “keys” to almost every major database in the world. Includes access to the records of highly secure national and international agencies, such as the CIA, FBI, Interpol, and the military.

Database may be awarded as a Gift at 5.

Be it as a celebrity, politician, or something else, you are well known and renowned. You find it easy to attract the attention of the news or the public. Beware, because this may come with increased scrutiny, obsessive fans, and other kinds of unwanted attention.

How well you’re known depends on your rating.
1) Local Name
2) Subculture Hero
3) Regional Figure
4) National Recognition
5) International Celebrity

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 3.

Fame and Status are often awarded together, as they are related. In this case, one would be awarded at 3 and the other at 2. In every case, events must justify the award. This could require a Side Game, if events and the character’s actions in the Game do not fully justify the award.

Fame can only be increased one rank per Downtime, and each increase must be fully justified by
roleplay.

This trait represents years of experience consistently dealing out damage through unarmed combat. Bare knuckle boxers, martial artists, hard core brawlers, and similar will have Hands of Death.
For every level you have in Hands of Death, one damage die resulting from a Brawl or Martial Arts attack will be considered an automatic success.

Note that this Background does not add damage; it just
makes the damage you would deal more likely to “stick.” If you make more than one attack in a round, this applies in full to every attack.

Example: If you have Hands of Death 2, five damage dice, and make
four attacks (all of which hit), you would roll three damage dice for each attack; the other two will automatically be successes and need not be rolled.

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 3.

Laboratory represents the equipment and tools that you own for purposes of experimentation. Laboratories are fairly specific, due to the wide range of scientific fields to choose from, and do not come with experimental subjects.

During Downtime, you may roll your Laboratory at difficulty 7 (5 with Mad Scientist) to gain one study point per success. This does not stack with other Study Point Generators, and may be applied to abilities which may be covered by the laboratories specified field.
1) Basic lab equipment set
2) Advanced lab equipment set
3) High school lab
4) University Lab
5) Professional level laboratory

When received as a gift it is awarded at 3-5 depending on how complex the subject the study points are being spent on.

This trait represents years of experience consistently dealing out damage through Ranged combat. Snipers, hunters, gunfighters and similar will have Lethal Accuracy.

For every level you have in Lethal Accuracy, one damage die resulting from either a Firearms or Thrown attack will be considered an automatic success. Note that this Background does not add damage; it just makes the damage you would deal more likely to “stick.” If you make more than one attack in a round, it applies in full to every attack.

Example: If you have Lethal Accuracy 2, make three attacks (all of which hit), and have eight damage dice on each attack, you would roll six damage dice for each attack; the other two will automatically be successes and need not be rolled.

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 3.

Library represents a body of research material that you personally own. While your library may cover many subjects, it is only assumed to relate to mundane subjects unless specifically noted.

During downtime you may roll your Library rating at difficultly 7 to earn Study Points for purchasing specified traits. You may only make one such roll per Game, and it does not stack with other Study Point Generators. However, your Library rating may be used in some research rolls as bonus dice or similar if you have access to it.

1) Extremely limited
2) Some useful data
3) Research Library
4) Extensive Data
5) Vast resource of rare and useful data
When received as a Gift, Library is awarded at 3 to 5 depending on how elaborate the traits the study points may be spent on.

Mentor rating determines the efficacy of your character’s teacher. Depending upon what your mentor specializes in, study points generated here can be applied to almost anything that is not purely internal.

During downtime, you may roll your Mentor at difficulty 7 (5 with apt pupil) to receive one study point per success. You may make one such roll per downtime, and it does not stack with other Study point generators. However, your Mentor may be used in some research rolls as bonus dice or similar if you have access to it.

1) Limited teachings
2) General purpose instruction
3) Highly useful and broad education abilities
4) Master in their field
5) Grandmaster

When received as Gift it is awarded at 3-5 depending on how comprehensive it is (what the study points may be spent on}.

This Background represents a lifetime of tight situations and violent encounters. You are probably a soldier, cop, or similar. When Initiative rolls are made, add your rating in Nerves of Steel as a bonus.

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 3.

This trait represents years of experience consistently dealing out damage through Melee combat. Samurai, butchers, barbarians and similar will have Precision Striking.

For every level you have in Precision Striking, one damage die resulting from a Melee attack will be considered an automatic success. Note that this Background does not add damage; it just makes the damage you would deal more likely to “stick.” If you make more than one attack in a round, it applies in full to every attack.

Example: If you have Precision Striking 2, five damage dice, and make four attacks (all of which hit), you would roll three damage dice for each attack; the other two will automatically be successes and need not be rolled.

When received as a Gift, it is awarded at 3

Resources covers your sustainable income and gives an overview of what sort of gear you may acquire. Resources are received once per Downtime. If you spend more than your Resource limit, you are out of money, though you may roll Resources at Difficulty 8 to attempt to borrow against future income. If you fail a Resources roll, your credit is frozen. If you don’t have Resources, you begin with 1d10 x10 in cash, and will be unable to replace equipment or afford transportation, etc.
1) Part Time Job-Resource Limit: $150
2) Lower Class-Resource Limit: $1000
3) Middle Class-Resource Limit: : $10,000
4) Upper Class-Resource Limit: $100,000
5) Wealthy-Resource Limit: $1 Million

Resources is awarded as a Gift at 4. A character who already has at least two ranks in Resources may have it raised to 5 as a Gift.

Resources cannot be awarded through roleplay. Obtaining money through roleplay only results in the appropriate amount of money; the character does not receive an increase in Resources. That said, resources can be raised as high as 10 with XP purchases

Status is the regard of your peers in a professional capacity, such as a lawyer’s reputation among other lawyers, and the like.
1) You are a competent individual, though you do not stand out.
2) You seem to have a knack for this, people look foward to your future exploits
3) You are well regraded as an expert in your field
4) When you talk, your coworkers listen
5) People hang on your every word

Depending on the score of your Status (what organization you belong to) Status may be awarded af 1-5 as a Gift.
Fame and Status are often awarded together, as they are related. In this case, one would be awarded at 3 and the other at 2. In every case, events must justify the award. This could require a Side Game, if events and the character’s actions in the Game do not fully justify it.

Status can only be increased one rank per Downtime, and each increase must be fully justified by roleplay.