Pilot

You're sensitive to the slightest vibration and yaw of ion, nuclear, and chemical rocket-propelled spacecraft, honed during many hundreds of hours of test flights, combat missions, and your personal zeal for piloting interplanetary craft between moons and planets. Your job combines sophisticated course plotting, long periods of gradual acceleration and deceleration, and, sometimes, intense moments of action where your reaction times make the difference between arriving at your destination and your spacecraft becoming one more drifting hulk in a decaying orbit. If the team’s mission requires an interplanetary trip, it’s your job to get everyone there. Should enemy craft threaten the trip, your superior piloting skills help keep everyone alive, up to and including the Soldiers who, scary as they may be, probably couldn’t last ten seconds piloting through an interplanetary naval engagement.

Background Options

• You grew up in a floating city above Venus, until a crack in the dome required evacuation. Fancy shuttle piloting saved you, but most people died. Ever since, you've tried to improve your own piloting skills.
• After mustering out of service three years ago, you’ve been taking odd jobs piloting cargo craft.
• Raised in an experimental AI creche later deemed unethical and illegal, you've taken pains to hide your past, but secretly feel that persecution of artificial people is unjust.
• Your niece recently contacted you, asking you to teach her how to pilot spacecraft.
• You and your family were selected to be part of the first crew in a generation ship, but rebels seized it, killing almost everyone. You still harbor thoughts of vengeance.
• Crashing an experimental warcraft four months ago ended your test pilot career.
• Not long ago you returned from a years-long outer-planet survey; only you survived.
• Due at least in part to your long absences, your marriage fractured last month.

Pilot Abilities

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

Born to Pilot (2+ Intellect): When you roll to pilot a spacecraft and your roll is less than a 9, treat the roll as a 9. (This means you don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1.) Spacecraft piloting tasks include specific maneuvers like safely docking the craft, turning or accelerating the ship gradually enough to avoid dangerously high gravity for sustained periods, noticing something unusual come up on the sensors, and so on. Effort: Increase the minimum number rolled for this ability by 3. This ability renews when you take a recovery. At tier 3, the minimum number rolled for this ability increases to 12. Action. Expert Space Pilot: You are trained in piloting spacecraft. At tier 6, you can become an expert in piloting spacecraft if you are already specialized, but you must gain the skill normally. Enabler.

Piloting Flourish: When you handle a spacecraft, your impressive piloting chops, diverting quips, and/or a certain something in the way you accomplish a maneuver entertains or impresses others. One creature you choose on or near the spacecraft who can see you or is otherwise aware of your maneuver gains an asset to their next task if taken within a round or two. At tier 3, you can impress up to three chosen creatures simultaneously. Enabler.

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Pilot Equipment Bundle

Choose the following equipment bundle to quickly outfit your character, or assemble your own starting equipment. A vacuum pistol and a weapon energy pack (50 shots), appropriate clothing, spray-on impact armor (ten uses), extra clothes and accessories for disguise, a smart device (glasses, badge, ring, and the like), a backpack, a breather, an environmental tent, a single-use vacuum suit, a first aid kit, 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.

Part of Hard Science Fiction