Mass Effect Mass Effect Mass Effect Mass Effect Ledition

Thanks to BioWare, EA, Bozark.
com, WestCoastGames,
all MASS EFFECT and Star Wars modders and fans.
By Leniu 2010 ver.:1.11
1|MASS EFFECT LeDition

Basics
things around him, including the ability to interact with others.
Character Creation Technical: Your characters ability to manipulate, repair, and
To make a character, youll need to select a template from modify technology.
within this book or make your own. When you put dice in an attribute, you can either put whole
dice in each attribute, or you can give each a mixture of
Defined Limits whole
If you wish to make your own starting character from scratch, dice and pips. Each die equals three pips.
without a template but with defined limits on what can be put Example: Youve distributed most of your attribute dice, but
into attributes and skills, use these guidelines. This chapter you have four dice left to put in Perception and Technical.
describes each characteristic in more detail, including You
examples on how you can split the dice. could put 1D in Perception and 3D in Technical, or 1D+2 in
Perception and 2D+1 in Technical, or some similar
combination.
Attributes
Distribute 18 dice among the seven attributes. The minimum
for a normal Human character is 2D and the maximum is 4D Skills
in all attributes except The Biotic attribute, which remains at Skills are more specific applications of an attribute. For
0D for most characters. example, the skill dodge is a more specific use of your
characters Dexterity. Characters learn them through
Other Stats instruction or experience. Skills are areas of expertise that
are not necessarily common to every living creature. Some
Choose trained skills for each attribute, then distribute 21 skill creatures simply dont have the capacity to learn certain
points among the chosen skills. The maximum number of skills. All skills beneath a given attribute begin without any
skill points you can add to any skill is 6. skill points. To highlight skills in which the character has
Move: This equals 10 meters per round for average human. trained or has some experience, add skill points. When
Ranged Defense Value: Ranged Defense Value equals: creating your character you have to choose trained skills for
three times number of dice on Dexterity attribute, plus any each attribute.
pips, plus skill points in Dodge skill. The number of trained skills under each attribute is equal to
Melee Defense Value: Melee Defense Value equals three number of dice and pips on this particular attribute plus
times number of dice on Strength attribute plus any pips plus number of dice on your knowledge.
skill points on Melee Parry skill.
Example: Youve chosen your attribute scores, including
Brawling Defense Value: equals three times number of dice
putting 2D+1 in Technical and 3D+2 in Knowledge. Now you
on Strength attribute plus any pips plus skill points on
can choose 6 trained skills that falls under Technical
Brawling Parry skill.
attribute and 7 trained skills that falls under Knowledge
Vehicle Defense Value: equals three times number of dice
attribute. After that you can put up to 21 skill points among
on Mechanical attribute plus any pips plus skill points on
your trained skills. Remember that you can place up to 6 skill
Rover Operation skill.
points in one skill.
Starship Defense Value: equals three times number of dice
Example: Youve chosen your attribute scores, including
on Mechanical attribute plus any pips plus skill points on Pilot
putting 2D+1 in Technical. If you wanted her to be a little
skill.(Pilots are required to have Capital and StarFighter DV)
better in the demolitions skill, you could add one skill point to
Damage Resistance: equals: the dice and pips in Strength
the base attribute to get a demolitions skill score of 2D+1+1.
plus and any armor character is wearing.
If you decided to add two skill points to the base attribute, the
Brawling/Melee Damage: Strength plus Lift divided by 2
demolitions score becomes 2D+1+2. It is important to
Hit Points: equal 3 times Strength +20
separate pips of attribute from skill points for cost of
Biotic: Decide whether to make your character a Biotic.
improving skills later.
Credits: Credits measure how much wealth your character
has at start of the game. All characters start with a base
3Dx250 credits. Look under Credits in this chapter for Specializations
additional information. You can also specialize in skills. Specializations reflect a
Character Points: Characters start with five Character greater familiarity in a particular area covered by a base skill.
Points. One skill point equals two specialization skill points.
You dont need to have any extra skill points in the base skill
Attributes in order to take a specialization in that skill, but when you
Each character has seven attributes, which measure basic give your character specializations in that manner, they are
physical and mental abilities that are common to every living treated as separate skills. If you give your character
creature (and some nonliving things), no matter what specializations in base skills he already has, those
universe or dimension they exist in. specializations are considered bonuses to the base skill
Dexterity: A measure of how physically articulate your when attempting tasks of that type.
character is, including his eye-hand coordination and agility. You can only specialize in skills which you have chosen
Strength: Measure of your characters physical power and when creating you character.
ability to resist damage. Once youve chosen at least one specialization and put one
Mechanical: Your characters prowess at operating or two skill points in it, you have to use the remaining
mechanical equipment like vehicles, shields, starships, and specialization skill points to either purchase more skill points
sensors. in the same specialization or purchase one or more skill
Knowledge: Measure of your characters overall intelligence, points in other specializations. You roll the specializations
"common sense" and academic knowledge. die code only when you use the specific item or knowledge
Perception: Your characters awareness of himself and reflected by the specialization. Otherwise, you roll the base

skill (or attribute if you didnt put additional dice in the full Characteristic Modifier
skill). 1D in Perception -1D
Example: If your characters Technical is 2D+2 and her 1D in Knowledge -1D
demolitions is 2D+2+1, you could give her a demolitions 4D or more in Perception +1D
specialization of vehicles of +1 (which means that, when 4D or more in Knowledge +1D
shes attempting to blow up planetary vehicles, she rolls +5 or more in business skill or its +1D
2D+2+1 and adds 1 to the total). You would then have two specializations
specialization skill points to place among other
specializations. With these, you could further improve her
demolitions: vehicles specialization, or you could pick one or Equipment
more other specializations in the same or other base skills. Players of starting characters may select one small weapon
You decide that with one other specialization pip, youll give and a little protective gear plus a few tools of their characters
your character vehicle repair: ground vehicles, but you wont chosen trade, unless there is equipment already listed on the
take the full vehicle repair skill for her. This allows your template sheet. Some basic equipment is explained in the
character to have vehicle repair: ground vehicles at 2D+2+1 Equipment chapter; the GM may allow other options.
(add 1 to the die code of the base attribute, Technical, which
is 2D+2). Thus, when your character attempts to fix a Character Features and
hovercraft, you roll 2D+2+1, but if she tries to make Other Details
adjustments to a boat, you only rely on the attributes score, The character sheet provided in this book and most other
which is 2D+2. The maximum number of skill points the templates include spots for your characters name, career,
character may start with in any base is 6 or specialization species, gender, age, height, weight, and other information.
skill is 12. Unless specified by the template or your GM allows it, your
characters species is Human. Everything else in these
Move sections you are free to fill in as you like.
This number (usually 10) represents how many meters your
character moves in a round at maximum walking speed in Advanced Skills
standard (1 g) gravity. (The running skill can increase this If there is an "(A)" listed in front of a skill name, it's an
rate. It also serves as the base for other movement skills). "advanced skill." Advanced skills demand years of disciplined
study to master and cannot be attempted unless a character
Biotic has the skill. Some examples include (A) medicine, (A)
Players wishing to play Biotic character have to ask GM for Energy Weapons and other. A character may learn advanced
the permission. skill when the character meets the "prerequisite skills"
requirement. When a character uses one of the prerequisite
Special Abilities skills, add the advanced skill to the prerequisite skill's roll.
Special Abilities are unusual talents or powers the character Example: A character has first aid at +6 and (A) Medicine at
has that most other dont have. Humans, mostly, dont have +1. He rolls only +1 for Medicine checks, such as when
any special ability except for bonus trained skill. Special performing surgery or diagnosing an unusual disease.
Abilities are mostly attached to Aliens. However, if the character makes a first aid check, he gets to
roll +7.
Paragon, Neutral and
Renegade Moralities How long does it take?
Decide whether you want your character to start the game Firing a ranged weapon takes only a split second, but
with 2 Paragon Points, 2 Renegade Points or 1 of each. This programming a mech or fixing a starship can take hours,
edition of Mass Effect does not deal with the idea of "good" sometimes days. So how do you figure out how long it takes
and "evil" but of being brutal or gentle in various situations. to do something?
Its not about being good or evil, well not entirely but its Some skills may only take a round, but require such
about being selfish or selfless. If you're playing a morally concentration that the character can do nothing else in the
good person who helps the locals fight off a Geth attack for round first aid, computer use or driving a rover are good
no reward and refuse any money, you could be awarded with examples. Several skills list a range of times, such as "one
a Paragon Point for your efforts. On the other hand, if your round to five minutes" or "one round to two hours." GM must
character is shady and selfish and you stick with it, estimate how long it takes to complete the task. Rely on your
demanding payment after saving the locals, you could be "best guess."
awarded a Renegade Point for your efforts. The paragon
and renegade points will beside of showing the nature of the
individual, give him a mechanical bonus. Checks
For every 6 Paragon points, the character gains a +1 Sometimes you try to do something to which no specific skill
bonus to Con and Persuasion tests as he is cautious and applies. In cases, you make an attribute check: Roll number
calm in nature. For every 6 Renegade points, the of dice of particular attribute. The GM assigns a DC, or sets
character gains a +1 bonus to Command, and up an opposed check when two characters are engaged in a
Intimidation tests because of his blunt and agitating. contest using one attribute against another. The character
who rolls highest wins. In some cases, a test of ones
attribute doesnt involve luck. Just as you wouldnt make a
Credits height check to see who make a height check to see who is
All characters start with a base of 3D x 250 credits. Use the
taller, you don't make a Strength check to see who is
accompanying table to adjust this number of additional stronger. When two characters arm wrestle, for example, the
credits. Include any modifiers to attributes due to stronger character simply wins. In the case of identical
Disadvantages or Special Abilities. scores, then make opposed Strength checks.
Determining Credits

EXAMPLE ATTRIBUTE CHECK KEY ATTRIBUTE greater than the difficulty number, your attack hits. It's not
Forcing open a jammed or locked door Strength always that simple, however - the target might dodge (that's
Tying a rope Dexterity a "reaction skill") or might be partially protected by cover.
Navigating a maze Perception The "ranged combat" skills include: firearms, missile
Remembering to lock a door Knowledge weapons, throwing and granades. (Gunnery and Heavy
Getting yourself noticed in a crowd Perception Gunnery are also "ranged combat" skills, but they're covered
by Mechanical.)
Wild Die Using Melee Combat Skills

Whenever any player, including the gamemaster, makes any Strength has "melee combat" skills which cover any type of
roll, one of the dice must be different from the rest (in size or hand-to-hand attack. They're brawling and melee combat.
color). Designated as the Wild Die, this odd die represents Each melee weapon has a different difficulty number. If the
the vagaries of life like the direction of the wind affecting character rolls equal to or higher than the difficulty number,
the flight of a bullet that are too small to warrant their own the attack hits. Of course, just like ranged combat skills, it's
difficulty modifiers. not always that simple. The target might parry the attack
If the player rolls a 6 on the Wild Die, this is called a Critical using a "reaction skill" or might be partially protected by
Success and she may add the 6 to her total and roll the Wild cover.
Die again. As long as she turns up Critical Successes on that
die, she may continue to add them to her total and continue Using Full Reaction
to roll. If she rolls anything other than a 6, she adds that Full Reaction - a character ads 10 to his appropriate
number to the total and stops rolling. If the player rolls a 1 on defense. However, a character making a full reaction
the initial toss of the Wild Die, this is called a Critical Failure. can't do anything else in the round.
The Critical Failure cancels out the highest roll. Then the
player adds the remaining values, and the roll is determined
normally,but a complication occurs. The gamemaster gauges Learning and Improving Skills
the significance of the complication by the total generated Players whose characters have been through at least one
from a funny, nearly didnt do it result for a high total to a adventure can use Character Points, accumulated from
serious, we have a problem obstacle for a low total. completing adventures, to learn new skills and improve old
ones. Spending Character Points this way may be done only
between adventures. In addition to Character Points, the
Using Character Points character needs experience with the skill, either through
training or by attempting to use the skill (through rolling its die
A character can use a character point in two ways. A player
may choose to spend Character Points before or after he code or its governing attributes die code, regardless of the
makes a roll or both but always before the gamemaster outcome) during an adventure. If the GM decides that there
determines the result. The gamemaster need not tell the is a significant amount of training involved (such as improving
player whether he should spend more points to improve a a skill beyond +10), or the character needs to find a suitable
roll. Extra Wild Dice gained from spending Character Points teacher, that might become an adventures focus. (The
each work like a normal Wild Die except that a Critical Failure teacher must have a skill points code higher than the one the
counts as a 1; it does not adversely affect the roll. Because potential student currently has.)
of the special nature of Character Point Wild Dice, the player Learning new skills: The cost of getting a new skill equals
may wish to roll these dice separately from his normal Wild five minus the number before the D in the governing
Die. Once used, the character loses the point. Players get attributes die code. Final cost cannot be lower than one.
Character Points for their characters by overcoming Improving skills:
obstacles, roleplaying well, and having fun. They can also The cost to get one skill point in a trained skill equals the
use Character Points to improve skills number of the skill points the skill will have after
improvement.
Example: A character has a dodge of +5 and wants to
Skills increase it. To raise the skill by one skill point to +6, the
Time: How much time it takes to make a check with this skill, character must spend six Character Points. To increase the
if that information hasn't already been covered elsewhere. skill to +7 after the next scenario, the character must spend
Description: The skill description tells you what the skill seven Character Points.
covers and gives a few sample difficulties and modifiers. Improving specializations:
Specializations: Possible examples of specializations. The cost to improve an existing specialization by one skill
Retry: Any circumstances that apply to successive attempts point equals one-half of the skill points the skill will have after
to use the skill successfully. If this paragraph is omitted, the improvement (round up).
skill check can be tried again without any inherent penalty A character does not need the governing skill to get a
other than consuming additional time. specialization in it. However, if he does have one, getting a
Special: Any special notes that apply, such as rules specialization in it acts as a bonus to the base skill when
regarding untrained use and whether or not you can take 3 or taking actions of that type, but it does not also improve all
take 6 when using the skill. If this paragraph is omitted you uses of the base skill.
cannot take 3 or 6 when using this skill. Example: For a character with +9 in ranged weapons to gain
a specialization, he needs to spend one Character Point to
Using Ranged Combat Skills get a +1 in the specialization. The full ranged weapons skill,
Dexterity has several "ranged combat" skills covering however, stays at +9.
weapons that can be used to attack someone from a Specializations that are associated with a full skill do not
distance. These skills all work the same way. When a improve when the base skill improves.
character shoots a ranged weapon, the difficulty number is A character may improve a skill or any of its specializations
based on the range to the target: the further away a target, but not both. In other words, a character may improve as
the higher the difficulty number. If your skill roll is equal to or many specializations as he desires at the same time, thought

he cannot improve them at the same time as hes improving Generally, a single attribute may be raised only one pip per
the governing skill. Skills and specializations may only be adventure, though its possible that the effects of the situation
improved by one skill point each in between each adventure. influence the characters physical makeup for a while or the
GM may decide that the situation was so life-changing that
Learning new Advanced Skills: more than one attribute may be boosted by more than one
pip. There is an upper limit using this method: Every time an
The cost of getting a new advanced skill equals five minus
adult character boosts a Dexterity, Strength, Perception
the number before the D in the governing attributes die
Mechanical, Knowledge and Technical attribute, the player
code multiplied by two. Final cost cannot be lower than two.
rolls that attributes new die code and the GM rolls one die
Improving Advanced Skills: less than the maximum die code for the species, including
The cost to get one skill point in a advanced skill equals any appropriate Special Abilities. If the GMs roll equals or
the number of the skill points the skill will have after exceeds the players roll, the attribute improves. If it does not,
improvement multiplied by two. the attribute does not improve, the character gets half the
Character Points back, and the character has reached her
Attributes upper limit for that attribute.
The attributes you choose for your character usually
represent her maximum potential. Most of the time, youll Changing Hit Points
improve your characters attributes by training in one As a characters Strength goes up or is altered by Special
particular aspect (improving skills), through temporary means Abilities, youll need to change the Hit Points amount. Do not
(taking drugs), or with implanted equipment. Nonetheless, reroll the characters entire Strength only the amount that
some freak industrial accident or bio-manipulation changed.
experiment might provide you with a reason to improve your Wound Level Hit Points Left
characters base attributes. Lightly Wounded 99%-81%
To boost an attribute by one pip costs 10 times the number Wounded 80%-61%Very Wounded
before the attributes D in Character Points. 60-41%Severely Wounded 40%-21%
Mortally Wounded 20%-1% Dead
0

Races
Asari
Attribute Dice: 18D
Dexterity: 2D/4D
Knowledge: 3D/5D
Mechanical: 2D/4D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 1D/3D
Technical: 2D/4D
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
Persuasive: During character creation for every 1 skill point spent in Perception: Persuasion, gains 2 instead (maximum of 6)
Biotic Aptitude: Asari do not require biotic amps to control their Biotic Talents, also during Character creation every 1D spent on
Biotic Attribute gives 2D instead (maximum of 4D)
Joining: Asari have the ability to entwine their nervous system and minds with a partner. While this occurs, the two share sensations
and thoughts. With a Difficult Willpower roll the Asari can even relive the partners most recent memories. Joining can also be used
against an unwilling target. With an opposed Willpower roll versus the targets Willpower skill the Asari can implant simple instructions
as follows: Simple (defeat your opponents roll by 16 or more), Complex (defeat your opponents roll by 26) and Permanent (defeat
your opponents roll by 36+). This is a vile and vicious act and if used too often it will incur the full wrath of the Asari people and
Citadel Spectres. Using this ability costs 3 Character Points and if used against someones will awarded with Renegade Points.
The Asari, native to the planet Thessia. They are often considered the most powerful and respected sentient species in the known
galaxy. This is partly due to the fact the Asari were the first race after the Protheans to achieve interstellar flight, and to discover and
inhabit the Citadel.An all female race (however, see below), the Asari are known for their elegance, diplomacy, and biotic talent.
Their millennia-long lifespan and unique physiology - allowing them to reproduce with a partner of any gender or species - give them
a conservative but convivial attitude toward other races. The Asari were instrumental in proposing and founding the Citadel Council,
and have been at the heart of galactic society ever since. Because of their long lifespan, Asari tend to have a 'long view' not common
in other races. When they encounter a new species or situation, the Asari are more comfortable with an extended period of passive
observation and study than immediate action. They are unfazed that some of their investments or decisions may not pay off for
decades or centuries. Matriarchs can seem to make incomprehensible decisions, but their insight is evident when their carefully-laid
plans come to fruition. In interstellar relations, this long view manifests in the unspoken policy of centrism. The Asari instinctively
seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power. Traditionally, Asari spread their influence through cultural
domination and intellectual superiority. They invite new species of advanced development to join the galactic community, knowing
that their ideals and beliefs will inevitably influence the existing culture. The Asari tend toward communal, consensus attitudes
among themselves too: for example, they prefer to live in shared spaces aboard starships even if there are alternatives available.
Asari believe that their offspring acquire the best qualities of the 'father' from the melded genes, but evidence is anecdotal. They
frown upon interspecies conception, believing that, as genetic traits and cultural insight can be gained from mating outside their
species, it is wasteful for Asari to reproduce together. The results of such unions are occasionally referred to as 'purebloods', which
is a great insult among the Asari. It is unknown if this is merely a social convention, or if the added genetic diversity is truly
advantageous. Clearly, the Asari were quite successful when they had no other species to mate with, and returning to the old way
does not seem to result in 'inferior' offspring.
Personality: Asari can live to be over 1,000 years and have three stages to their life: Maiden, Matron, and Matriarch. In the Maiden
stage, Asari seek to go out and learn as much about the galaxy as they can. Military service is also common in this stage. In the
Matron stage, Asari seek to mate with interesting partners in order to have daughters of their own. The Matriarch stage grants an
Asari great power and influence over other Asari as they will defer to the wisdom of the Matriarchs in times of crisis.
Physical Description: Asari have no body hair and blue skin that grows in hue as they age. They always appear as women.
Homeworld: Thessia
Languages: Asari speak, read, and write Asari and Basic.
Example Names: Liara T'Soni, Mallene Calis, Nassana, Benezia, Sha'ira.

Salarians
Attribute Dice: 18D
Dexterity: 1D+2/3D+2
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 2D/4D
Perception: 2D+2/4D+2
Strength: 1D/3D
Technical: 2D+2/4D+2
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
Espionage: During character creation for every 1 skill point spent in Knowledge: Survival, Knowledge: Law Enforcement,
Perception: Investigation, Perception: Hide, Perception: Sneak Perception: Search, Technical: Electronic Devices, Technical:
Decryption, they gain 2 points (maximum of 6).
High Metabolism: Salarians may take one additional action each turn without incurring --3 to either. If more than two actions are
taken in a turn this bonus is negated and full negatives are incurred. Also Salarians only require one hour of sleep each day. This
does not give them the healing benefits of 8 hours of rest in only one hour, only mitigates the need for 8 hours of sleep. Natural
healing still works as normal.
Breathe Underwater: As amphibious creatures, Salarians can't drown in water.
Expert Swimmer: A Salarian may choose to reroll any Swim check, but the result of the reroll must be accepted even if it is worse.
In addition, a Salarian may choose to take 10 on Swim checks even when distracted or threatened.
Low-Light Vision: Salarians ignore negative modifiers from darkness.
The second species to join the Citadel, the Salarians are warm-blooded amphibians with a hyperactive metabolism; Salarians think
fast, talk fast, and move fast. To Salarians, other species seem sluggish and dull-witted, especially the Elcor. Unfortunately, their
metabolic speed leaves them with a relatively short lifespan; Salarians over the age of 40 are a rarity. Salarians are known for their
observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly
experimenting and inventing, and it is generally accepted that they always know more than they are letting on. Salarians excel at
invention, preferring to use cutting-edge technology rather than settle for anything less. For example, their GARDIAN starship
defenses put emphasis on high performance over reliability even though a malfunction could cost lives. Even Schells rejected a
cheating device that used 'brute force', spending five years to refine it into a more sophisticated, undetectable system. The Salarians
see information gathering and even spying as a matter of course when dealing with other races, but this is not underhanded: they
simply embrace the dictum of 'knowledge is power'. Alliance counterintelligence agencies are constantly uncovering Salarian agents
and cyber-warfare incursions, but there is little they can do to stop them. As a Salarian information broker told David Anderson in
Mass Effect: Revelation, "Your species has been transmitting data across the extranet for less than a decade. My species has been
directing the primary espionage and intelligence operations for the Council for two thousand years." Unusually this information broker
was female. Normally, the rare Salarian females are cloistered on their worlds out of tradition and respect. Powerful female
Dalatrasses are dynasts and political kingpins. They determine the political course of their respective regions through shrewd
negotiation. Though male Salarians rise to positions of great authority in business, academia, or the military, they rarely have any
input on politics, though the Salarian representative on the Citadel Council is male. Due to their method of reproduction, Salarians
have no concept of romantic love, sexual attraction, or the biological impulses and social rituals that complicate other species' lives.
Male-female relationships are rare (due to the scarcity of females) and more akin to human friendship. Sexuality is strictly for the
purpose of reproduction. Ancient social codes determine who gets to fertilize eggs, which produces more daughters to continue the
bloodline. Fertilization generally only occurs after months of negotiation between the parents clans, and is done for purposes of
political and dynastic alliance. No Salarian would imagine defying this code.
Personality: Salarians have a faster than normal metabolism, often appearing jittery. They also possess a keen intellect, rarely
forgetting any fact or figure.
Physical Description: Amphibian creatures, Salarians have no hair, long faces, and large, black eyes.
Homeworld: Unknown as of the first game.
Languages: Salarians speak, read, and write Salarian and Basic.
Example Names: Kirrahe, Schells, Chorban, Anoleis.

Turians
Attribute Dice: 18D
Dexterity: 2D/4D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 2D/4D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 2D/4D
Technical: 2D/4D
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
Military Upbringing: All Turians gain +2 to Dexterity: Ranged, Dexterity: Grenade, Strength: Melee, Knowledge: Tactics and
Perception: Command skills (maximum of 6).
Detective Souls: During character creation every 1 skill point spent on Perception: Investigation, Knowledge: Law Enforcement,
Knowledge: Streetwise gives +2 (maximum of 6).
Fearless: Turians gain +12 Knowledge: Willpower rolls versus any command (natural, Biotic or synthetic) that breaks their code of
honor.
Honor: Turians have a strict honor system, anytime a Turian would spend a Character Point to increase a skill in combat to aid a
friend, ally or client, increase the bonus for that round by 2D instead.
Honorable and brave, the Turians think of the welfare of the group before themselves. Taught from a young age to own every
decision they make, only the rare exception will lie about their own actions. This does not mean they won't try to get away with
criminal activity, just that they will not lie when directly questioned. Known for their militaristic and disciplined culture, the Turians are
the most recent of the Citadel races invited to join the Council. They gained their Council seat after defeating the hostile Krogan for
the Council during the 'Krogan Rebellions'. The Turians deployed a Salarian-created biological weapon called the genophage, which
virtually sterilized the Krogan and sent them into a decline. The Turians then filled the peacekeeping niche left by the
ncecooperative
Krogan, and eventually gained a Council seat in recognition of their efforts. Originally from the planet Palaven, Turians are best
known for their military role, particularly their contributions of soldiers and starships to the Citadel Fleet. They are respected for their
'public service' ethic - it was the Turians who first proposed creating C-Sec - but are sometimes seen as imperialist or rigid by other
races. There is some animosity between Turians and humans, largely due to the Turian role in the First Contact War. This bitterness
is slowly beginning to heal - shown by the cooperation of the two races on the construction of the SSV Normandy but many Turians
still hate humans, and vice versa. Turians are noted for their strong sense of public service. It is rare to find one who puts his needs
ahead of the group. Every citizen from age 15 to 30 serves the state in some capacity, as anything from a soldier to an administrator,
from a construction engineer to a sanitation worker. Turians have a strong inclination toward public service and self-sacrifice, so they
tend to be poor entrepreneurs. To compensate, they accepted the mercantile Volus as a client race, offering protection in exchange
for their fiscal expertise.
Turian society is highly regimented and very organized, and the species is known for its strict discipline and work ethic. Turians are
willing to do what needs to be done, and they always follow through. They are not easily spurred to violence, but when conflict is
inevitable, they only understand a concept of "total war." They do not believe in skirmishes or small-scale battles; they use massive
fleets and numbers to defeat an adversary so completely that they remove any threat of having to fight the same opponent more
than once. They do not exterminate their enemy, but so completely devastate their military that the enemy has no choice but to
become a colony of the Turians. It is theorized that another conflict between the rapidly advancing humans and the Turians could
annihilate a large portion of known space.
The Turian military is the center of their society. It is not just an armed force; it is an all-encompassing public works organization. The
military police are also the civic police. The fire brigades serve the civilian population as well as military facilities. The corps of
engineers builds and maintains spaceports, schools, water purification plants, and power stations. The merchant marine ensures that
all worlds get needed resources.
Other species see Turians as "men of action," and they are generally regarded as the most progressive of the Citadel races (though
some species believe humans are rivaling this position). Since their culture is based on the structure of a military hierarchy, changes
and advances accepted by the leadership are quickly adopted by the rest of society with minimal resistance.
While Turians are individuals with personal desires, their instinct is to equate the self with the group, and to set aside all personal
desires for the good of all. Turians are taught to have a strong sense of personal accountability, the 'Turian honor' that other races
find so remarkable. Turians are taught to own every decision they make, good or ill. The worst sin they can make in the eyes of their
people is to lie about their own actions. Turians who murder will try to get away with it, but if directly questioned, most will confess
the crime.
Homeworld: Palaven
Languages: Turians speak, read, and write Turian and Basic.
Example Names: Garrus Vakarian, Nihlus Kryik, Saren, Arterias, Chellick, Septimus.
Personality: Turians are taught to have a strong sense of personal accountability, the "Turian Honor" that other races find
remarkable.
Physical Description: Tall and of an avian build, they evolved skin armor to protect them from the radiation of their homeworld. It is
common for Turians to wear the facial markings of their home colony.

Humans
Attribute Dice: 18D
Dexterity: 2D/4D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 2D/4D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 2D/4D
Technical: 2D/4D
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
Adaptability: During character creation, choose any 2 basic skills, for every 1 skill point spent in one of those skills gain 2 instead.
(maximum of +6)
In 2148, human explorers on Mars uncovered a long-ruined Prothean observation post, with a surviving data cache that proved
Protheans had studied Cro-Magnon humans millennia ago. While religions tried to assimilate this discovery into their doctrine, a
global rush began to decipher the petabytes of data from the outpost. Discovering information on a mass relay orbiting Pluto,
explorers managed to open the Charon Relay and discovered it led to Arcturus. With the help of the fledgling Systems
Alliance,humans expanded to other systems, opening any mass relays they could find. Humans first came to the attention of the
galactic community after a brief but intense conflict with the Turians, known by humans as the First Contact War, begun in 2157. The
conflict began when the Turians attacked a human fleet attempting to activate a mass relay (illegal under Council law) and then
occupied the human colony of Shanxi. Led by Admiral Kastanie Drescher, the Second Fleet then launched a massive counter-attack,
which caught the Turians by surprise and expelled them from Shanxi. The conflict caught the attention of the Citadel Council, which
wasted no time brokering a peace, thus introducing humans to the galactic community. As a consequence of the Alliance's swift and
decisive action during the First Contact War, the Alliance became the representative and supranational governing body of humanity.
Since then, humans have rapidly risen in prominence. Humans have a fairly robust physiology. Their internal makeup and
reproductive processes are typical of most bipedal mammals, and their size and proportions give the appearance of being strong,
fast and agile. In comparison to the Council races, humans are physically weaker than Turians, and less agile than Asari (whom they
closely resemble), though fit human males are likely to be stronger than the average Asari. Humans would appear on average to be
stronger than salarians but not as fast, due to the extremely elevated metabolisms of the latter. Like most organic races, humans are
also capable of producing biotic individuals but there is a high risk of medical complications. Humans can live to about 150 years,
and recent medical advances have eradicated almost all known diseases that afflict them. However, as humans only emerged on the
galactic stage within the last thirty years, it is highly likely that the introduction of new technology into their society will greatly
increase their average lifespan. Humans reach physical maturity at eighteen years of age, at which point they have usually finished
their academic education and either directly enter the workforce or begin training for a profession. Humans, represented by the
Systems Alliance, have had an embassy on the Citadel since 2165. While the humans lack a seat on the Citadel Council, some other
species dislike their sudden ascendancy compared to their status as relative newcomers on the galactic stage. Some species feel
that humanity is overly expansive in its colonization efforts and aggressive attempts to get a seat on the Council. It took other
species centuries to achieve what humanity has done in decades. Humans have also been doing what the Council could not:
colonize planets in the Attican Traverse, the Skyllian Verge and along the borders of the Terminus Systems. They came into minor
conflicts with the Batarians over the Verge, as they saw those planets as theirs. The Batarians asked the Council for assistance but
were refused, and relations have been hostile ever since. However, unlike many species in Citadel space, humans have no close
allies among the other races. Without alliances or powerful fleets to help defend their interests, they would have to follow any ruling
the Council passes. Their embassy has been pushing to induct a human into the Spectres, the Council's elite operatives, as the first
step to getting a seat. Once humanity does get a seat, they will be able to influence the Council's rulings, protect their own interests
and have a say in the governing of Citadel space. Humans are generally seen to be intelligent, aggressive, highly adaptable and
thus, unpredictable. They have a powerful desire to advance and improve themselves, and do so with such assertion that the
normally staid Council races have been taken aback by their restlessness and relentless curiosity. Their economy, while much
smaller than any of the Council races, is very powerful relative to their size, and their military prowess is amongst the greatest in the
galaxy, as evidenced by their ability to defeat the Turians in the First Contact War. Humanity is referred to as a "sleeping giant," as
only a small percentage of humans serve in their already capable military compared to other races. Since First Contact, humans
have not come into serious conflict with any other species except the Batarians, who competed with humans for territory in the
Skyllian Verge, and were repelled from attacking the colony of Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz before being decisively defeated on
the moon of Torfan in 2178.

Quarians
Attribute Dice: 17D
Dexterity: 1D/3D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 2D/4D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 1D/3D
Technical: 3D/5D
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
Technical Aptitude: During character creation, for every 1 skill point spent in a Technical skill gains 2 instead. (maximum of +6)
Technical Scholars: During character creation, Quarians may take twice more Technical skills than other races.
Technical Society: Quarians can use Technical Talents without an Omnitool, but incur a -6 penalty (other races cannot use
Technical Talents without an Omnitool).
Spacers: All Quarians were born aboard the Migrant Fleet thus all of their race are familiar with flying spaceship, all Quarians have a
base of 3 in skill of Space Transports.
Rig Masters: Quarians incur a -3 to all Technical repair skills instead of the -6 when not using an Omnitool.
Facemask & Envirosuit: Quarians cannot remove their facemasks due to lack of immune system and if they do they are at a
heightened risk of developing diseases and any or all can be fatal. The mask and suit protect Quarians form temperature, air and
pressure loss. Special :Quarians live aboard sterile starships and thus have developed virtually no natural immune system. Without a
protective suit or sterile environment, a Quarian is subject to disease. The first time the Quarian is exposed, and once every hour
thereafter, make an attack roll (3d+3) against the character's Strength. If the attack succeeds, the character takes 1d6 points of
damage and moves -1 persistent step down the condition track. This attack occurs again each day the disease remains untreated.
Treating the disease requires a successful DC 20 Treat Injury check. A basic replacement suit costs 2,000 credits (500 on a Quarian
vessel), and a year's supply of filters costs 200 credits (50 on a Quarian vessel). Quarian characters begin play with these items at
no cost.
Geth Hatred: Any Quarian character that goes out of their way to destroy or capture a Geth should be given 1 character point (at
GM decision)
Pilgrimage: Quarians cannot return to the Migrant Fleet until they have obtained something of value, typically an artifact, equipment
or even some piece of knowledge.
The Quarians are a nomadic species of humanoid aliens known for their skills with technology and synthetic intelligence. Since their
home world was conquered, the Quarians live aboard the Migrant Fleet, a huge collection of starships that travel as a single fleet.
Approximately three hundred years ago the Quarians created the Geth, a species of rudimentary artificial intelligences, to serve as
an efficient source of manual labor. However, the Geth gradually became sentient, rebelled against their Quarian masters and drove
them into exile. Now the Quarians wander the galaxy in a flotilla of salvaged ships, secondhand vessels, and recycled technology.
One of the factors of life aboard the Migrant Fleet is population control. It is illegal for Quarian families to have more than two
children to maintain zero population growth - unless the restriction has been lifted to keep numbers stable - so families tend to be
small. Along with the fact each Quarian relies on the others for survival, this means the bonds between Quarians tend to be very
strong, compared to a more individualistic race like the Krogan. Loyalty, trust and cooperation between Quarians are essential for the
survival of their species. Quarians enjoy storytelling, and hold dancers in high esteem. Some ships from the Fleet linger in orbit over
planets used as drive discharge sites, to sell refreshments, supplies or trinkets made by their children to passing crews. Young
Quarians place low value on personal possessions, evaluating objects by their usefulness, and often barter items that are not being
used to the rest of the crew via their ship's trading deck. Even when at home, Quarians wear their environmental suits at all times,
partly out of caution and partly as a psychological reaction to the lack of personal space. Because their suits make it harder to
identify individuals, Quarians have developed the habit of exchanging names whenever they meet. Their technology and relations to
synthetic life have had a profound effect on Quarian culture. As a result, in contrast to other races, Quarians are reluctant to trust
virtually - or artificially - intelligent machines, but they are also far more likely to treat them as if they were living beings.
Personality: Quarians are creative and inquisitive, but tend to be defensive as they are well aware of how other species view them.
Physical Description: Quarians are generally shorter and of slighter build than humans. Quarian hands consist of a thumb and only
two fingers, while their feet have only two large, prominent toes. They dress in a scavenged assortment of materials, hiding their
faces behind visors, goggles, or breathing masks. Some believe the Quarians are cybernetic, a blend of machine and biology that
can survive for a time in the cold vacuum of space. Others believe the Quarians are simply so used to living on their substandard,
makeshift ships that they never remove their survival suits.
Homeworld: Having no natural world to call home the Quarians wander the galaxy in a flotilla of salvaged ships, secondhand
vessels, and recycled technology.
Languages: The Quarians speak, read, and write Quarian and Basic.
Example Names: Tali'Zorah nar Rayya; First name + "Nar" (Child of) or "Vas" (Crew of) + name of the ship. Immature Quarians are
still "Nar" and are identified as a child of the colony or ship. Once a Quarian has completed their rite of passage and earned their
place on a homeship they use "Vas" instead of "Nar."
10 | M A S S E F F E C T L e D i t i o n
Krogan
Attribute Dice: 15D
Dexterity: 1D/3D
Knowledge: 1D/3D
Mechanical: 1D/3D
Perception: 1D/3D
Strength: 4D/6D
Technical: 1D/2D
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
War Prone: During character creation for each 1 skill point spent in Strength skill gain 2 points. (maximum of +6).
POW: Due to the fact that Krogan have a wider point of view they have +3 to Perception: Search and the combat initiative roll.
Bruiser: Krogan have a +3 when determining Melee and Brawling Damage.
Technological Idiots: Raising Tech Skills for Krogan character is twice expensive. Also Krogan may only pick half the normal
amount of technological skills during the character creation.
Genophage: The Genophage makes only 1 in 1000 Krogan births viable. You were a lucky one!
Extraordinary Recuperation: Krogan dont need a Rest Period, and may make a Natural Healing Roll every 30 minutes after taking
damage.
Immunity: Krogan are immune to poison and cant get stunned in course of received wounds.
Frenzy: Most Krogan tend to be short tempered. When fighting Krogan must make a moderate Willpower (or Knowledge) roll or turn
frenzy and fight till all enemies are defeated.
The Krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environments, scarce
resources, and overabundance of vicious predators. Unfortunately, as Krogan society became more technologically advanced so did
their weaponry. Four thousand years ago, at the dawn of the Krogan nuclear age, battles to claim the small pockets of territory
capable of sustaining life escalated into full scale global war. Weapons of mass destruction were unleashed, transforming Tuchanka
into a radioactive wasteland. The Krogan were reduced to primitive warring clans struggling to survive a nuclear winter of their own
creation, a state that continued until they were discovered by the Salarians two thousand years later. With the help of the Salarians,
the Krogan were 'uplifted' into galactic society, and lent their numbers and military prowess to bring an end to the Rachni Wars.
Unfortunately, after the rachni were eradicated, the rapidly-expanding Krogan became a threat to the galaxy in turn, starting the
Krogan Rebellions and forcing the Turians to unleash the genophage. This genetic 'infection' all but sterilized the entire Krogan
species. Unless a cure is found, the Krogan will likely die out within a few generations.. Their large shoulder humps store fluids and
nutrients, enabling them to survive extended periods without food or water. A bigger shoulder hump is seen as a sign of high status,
showing how successful an individual Krogan is at hunting. Their thick hides are virtually impervious to cuts, scrapes or contusions,
and they are highly resistant to environmental hazards, including toxins, radiation, and extreme heat and cold. These markings
darken to brown or tan over time, showing their age. Biotic individuals are rare, though those who do possess the talent typically
have strong abilities. The most amazing physiological feature of Krogan biology is the multiple instances of major organs. These
secondary systems are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of damage to the primary biological structures. Krogan also have
a secondary nervous system using a neuroconductive fluid, meaning they are almost impossible to paralyze. Krogan bleed a yellow
or orange fluid when shot, which may be this fluid or actual blood. Sheer physical hardiness means an individual Krogan can expect
to live for centuries. Krogan have always had a tendency to be selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt. They respect strength and self-
reliance and are neither surprised nor offended by treachery. Krogan have powerful territorial instincts which serve them well in
combat, but can create problems; when traveling on starships, for xample, Krogan find sharing quarters nearly impossible. Since the
genophage, the Krogan can no longer afford the casualties of the old horde attacks. The Battle Masters are a match for any ten
soldiers of another species. Battle Masters are not 'spit and polish,' but they do believe in being well-armed and equipped, preferably
with a gun for each limb. They are callous and brutal, but methodical and disciplined. They use any means at their disposal to
achieve their goals, no matter how reprehensible. Hostage-taking and genocide are acceptable means to ensure a quiet occupation
with few Krogan casualties. Biotics are rare among the Krogan, especially since the practice of surgically creating Krogan biotics has
been discontinued (due to the high mortality rate). Those that exist are viewed with suspicion and fear. The Krogan see this aura of
fear as a useful quality for an officer, and often promote them. Combat drones and other high-tech equipment are likewise in short
supply. This solitary attitude stems in part from a deep sense of fatalism and futility, a profound social effect of the genophage that
caused Krogan numbers to dwindle to a relative handful. Not only are they angry that the entire galaxy seems out to get them, the
Krogan are also generally pessimistic about their race's chances of survival. The surviving Krogan see no point to building for the
future; there will be no future. The Krogan live with an attitude of 'kill, pillage, and be selfish, for tomorrow we die.' Female Krogan
rarely leave their home worlds, focusing on breeding in an attempt to keep Krogan numbers from declining too quickly. The few
remaining fertile females who can carry young to term are treated as prizes of war, to be seized, bartered or fought over.
Personality: The harsh Krogan homeworld conditioned the Krogan psychology for toughness just as it did the body. Krogan have
always had a tendency to be selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt. They respect strength and self-reliance and are neither surprised nor
offended by treachery. The weak and selfless do not live long. In their culture, "looking out for number one" is a matter of course.
Physical Description: Large and massive, Krogan have a humanoid lizard shape.
Homeworld: Tuchanka
Languages: Krogan speak, read, and write Krogan and Basic.
Example Names: Urdnot, Wrex.
Volus
Attribute Dice: 16D
Dexterity: 1D/3D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 2D/4D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 1D/3D
Technical: 2D/4D
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
Pressure Suits: Volus Have pressure suits which protect them from all environmental dangers such as lack of air, pressure. Volus
suffer from limitations outside their native atmosphere. Without their special atmospheric suits, a Volus is considered blind, begins to
suffocate and takes 3d6 damage each round. A replacement suit costs 2,000 credits (1,000 in Volus Space or on the Citadel). Volus
characters begin play with these items at no cost. The ammonia tank is poisonous to other species and the increased gravity makes
them suffer as if in a high-gravity environment.
Small Statue: all Volus have +4 to Perception: Hide
Financial Aptitude: At character creation, for every 1 skill point spent in Perception: Bargain, Perception: Persuasion, Perception:
Con, Perception: Forgery, Perception: Gambling, Knowledge: Bureaucracy & Business, Knowledge: Alien Species, Knowledge:
Value gain 2 points instead (maximum of +6)
Low-Light Vision: Volus ignore modifiers from darkness.
The Volus are an associate race on the Citadel with their own embassy, but are also a client race of the Turians. They hail from
Irune, which possesses a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere able to support an ammonia-based biochemistry. As a result, the
Volus must wear pressure suits and breathers when dealing with other species. Because they are not physically adept compared to
most species, Volus mostly make their influence felt through trade and commerce, and they have a long history on the Citadel.
However, they have never been invited to join the Council, which is a sore point for many Volus individuals. The Volus home world
Irune features an ammonia-based ecology and a gravitational field 1.5 times that of Earth, as well as a high pressure atmosphere.
This is reflected in the physiology of the Volus themselves. The Volus are unable to survive unprotected in an atmosphere more
suitable to humans and other carbon-based life forms, and as such require protective suits capable of providing the proper
atmosphere, as well as being pressurized to support the Volus. Traditional nitrogen/oxygen air mixtures are poisonous to them, and
in the low pressure atmospheres tolerable to most species, their flesh will actually split open. Volus culture is dominated by trade,
whether it be of land, resources, or even other tribe members. The Volus have a reputation as traders and merchants, and many,
such as Barla Von, work as some of the best financial advisers in Citadel space. Because the Volus are not physically adept, they
tend not to be very violent, and can even seem overly-pacifistic and cowardly to other, more militant species. Their inability to provide
adequate soldiers for themselves and the Citadel is a primary reason for not yet being inducted into the Council. Volus have two
names but no family names. According to Volus sensibilities you cannot own a person, so using a family name would essentially be
laying claim to their offspring. Possibly because of their tribal origins, Volus tend to refer to members of other races by their source
world rather than species name (i.e. 'Earth-clan' instead of 'human'). The Volus government is known as the Vol Protectorate. Rather
than being a fully sovereign government in its own right, the Protectorate is a client state of the Turian Hierarchy. In return for falling
under the protective umbrella of the Turian military, the Volus pay a tax to the Hierarchy, as well as deferring to the Turians in all
foreign policy matters and providing auxiliary troops to the Turian armed forces. They still maintain an embassy on the Citadel,
making them an associate species of the Council, though they currently share their embassy with the Elcor. The Volus are not
physically cut out for combat, be it a full-scale war or even a bar room scuffle. As such, they are highly dependent on the Turians for
defense, although the Volus themselves do provide some auxiliary troops to the Hierarchy. The Volus will support the Turians in any
war they might pursue, and the Turians will support the Volus in any war they might pursue. Possibly for this reason, Volus weaponry
tends to be utilitarian rather than high-grade. Some Volus manufacturers specialize in cheaper, lower-grade copies of expensive
Turian equipment.
Personality: What they lack in personal bravery, they more than make up for with their cunning and tenacity, often using their expert
negotiating skills to get them out of scrapes.
Physical Description: Their home planet's gravity is 1.5 times that of Earth's, with a high-pressure ammonia-based atmosphere,
making their bodies short and almost spherical, and requiring them to wear protective suits in order to function in environments
conducive to other species.
Homeworld: Irune
Languages: The Volus speak, read, and write Volus and Basic.
Example Names: Doran, Jahleed, Barla Von
Batarians
Attribute Dice: 18D
Dexterity: 2D/4D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 2D/4D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 2D/4D
Technical: 2D/4D
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
Merchants: Many Batarians tend to be business people be it legal or illegal, they are fierce negotiators and tough merchants.
During character creation only, all Batarians gain 2 skill points instead of 1 when spending them on Perception: Bargain, Con and
Persuasion, also Knowledge: Value and Willpower. (maximum of +6)
Four-Eye Vision: For Batarians it is possible to use their sets of eyes independently, giving them advantage while searching and
reacting to abrupt situations. All Batarians have a +4 bonus to Search.
Racist: Batarians think of themselves as the better race, so they tend to be arrogant toward other species.
A race of four-eyed bipeds, the Batarians are a disreputable species that chose to isolate itself from the rest of the galaxy. The
Terminus Systems are infested with Batarian pirate gangs and slaving rings, fueling the stereotype of the Batarian thug. It should be
noted that these criminals do not represent average citizens, who are forbidden to leave Batarian space by their omnipresent and
paranoid government. Despite several disagreements with the Citadel and simmering hostility toward humans, most Batarians prefer
profitable pursuits such as drug running and slave grabs to out-and-out warfare. They have a reputation for being shrewd
businessmen and merchants, though in more lawless regions of the galaxy like Omega, negotiations with a Batarian are likely to be
conducted at gunpoint. In the early 2160s, humans began to colonize the Skyllian Verge, a region the Batarians were already
actively settling. The Batarians asked the Citadel Council to intervene and declare the Verge an area of "Batarian interest." When the
Council refused, the Batarians closed their Citadel embassy and severed diplomatic and economic relations, becoming an inward-
looking rogue state. Money and weapons funneled from the Batarian government to criminal organizations led to many brutal raids
on human colonies in the Verge, culminating in the Skyllian Blitz of 2176, an attack on the human capital of Elysium by Batarian-
funded pirates and slavers. In 2178, the Alliance retaliated with a crushing assault on the moon of Torfan, long used as a staging
base by Batarian-backed criminals. In the aftermath, the Batarians retreated into their own systems, and are now rarely seen in
Citadel space. Batarians place an extremely high value on social caste and appearance, and overstepping your place is frowned
upon. Casting aspersions on the monetary worth of a social better is considered a serious insult. Batarians strongly believe that
species with less than four eyes are less intelligent; they often gain the upper hand in inter-species arguments because other races
find it difficult to know which eyes to focus on when speaking to them. Body language is an important part of Batarian society. For
example, tilting one's head to the left is a sign of admiration and respect. When a Batarian tilts his head to the right it is a sign that he
is (or considers himself to be) superior to the one that the gesture was directed at. Therefore this gesture can also be interpreted as
an insult. The rest of the galaxy views the Batarians as an ignorable problem. Their government is still hostile to the Systems
Alliance, but beneath the notice of the powerful Council races. It is not known what the average Batarian thinks about their enforced
isolation, as the Department of Information Control ensures that only government-approved news enters or leaves Batarian space.
Given the Batarian government's oppressive and totalitarian ideals, it is speculated their supreme leadership is one of fascism or
absolute monarchy. The Batarians blame humanity for their troubles and claim they were forced to fend for themselves, despite the
fact that their exile is largely self-imposed. However, the Batarians still provide up-to-date glossaries and linguistic rules to the rest of
the galaxy (allegedly so they can continue distributing propaganda). Possibly due to the prevalence of Batarian criminal gangs,
Batarian languages have become lingua franca in the Terminus Systems.
Homeworld: Bataria Prime

Languages: Batarian
Example Names: Balak, Charn Edan Had'dah Eluam Ran'perah Groto Ib-ba Jath'Amon Jella
Elcor
Attribute Dice: 18D
Dexterity: 1D/3D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 1D/3D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 4D/6D
Technical: 2D/4D
Move: 8/10
Unique Abilities
Thick Hide: Elcor gain +12 defense to resist fall damage (also lift, throw etc.)
Story Factors: Monotone Speech: Because of an Elcor's deliberate speech and tendency to explain their emotions they suffer -6 to
Knowledge: Intimidate and Perception: Persuasion skill rolls
The Elcor are a Citadel species native to the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive creatures, standing on four muscular
legs for increased stability. Elcor move slowly, an evolved response to an environment where a fall can be lethal. This has colored
their psychology, making them deliberate and conservative. Elcor speech is heard by most species as a flat, ponderous monotone.
Among themselves, scent, extremely slight body movements, and subvocalized infrasound convey shades of meaning that make a
human smile seem as subtle as a fireworks display. Since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the Elcor
often go out of their way to clarify when they are being sarcastic, amused, or angry. Elcor evolved on a high-gravity world, making
them slow, but incredibly strong. Their large, heavy bodies are incapable of moving quickly, but they possess a rather imposing
stature and immense strength, as well as thick, tough skin. They move using all four limbs to support and balance their massive
bodies. Given their method of communication, they likely have highly-attuned olfactory senses and sophisticated scent glands. Like
Earth's dinosaurs, prehistoric Elcor travelled across Dekuuna in large tribal groups. These groups were likely led by the oldest and
most experienced Elcor. This may have later developed into the Elcor culture of Elders, whose wisdom could keep the tribe safe
provided they followed the correct guidance (see below). According to their ambassador, the Elcor were just making their first forays
into space travel when the Asari made contact with them. With their help, the Elcor discovered the closest mass relay and, within a
single lifetime, had established a regular trade route to the Citadel. The Elcor quickly became one of the more prominent species in
Citadel space, though they still have to share an embassy with the Volus. Elcor usually prefer to stay on their colonies rather than
travel in space, which may be why few Elcor are seen on the Citadel or on other worlds. Possibly because of their size or evolution in
the open air, the Elcor find the necessary confines of space travel uncomfortable. Evolving in a high-gravity environment where a fall
could be lethal has made Elcor psychology deeply cautious and conservative. Their culture is built on small, tight-knit groups, and
their conservative nature means the Elcor government is extremely stable. The Elcor follow the recommendations of their Elders,
who spend years poring over ancient records of jurisprudence to determine the precedent that should be followed in any given
situation. The Elders record closely argued and minutely detailed instructions on what course to follow in any theoretical crisis. These
are filed away in huge libraries of data discs and consulted at need. This makes Elcor policies very predictable, provided one has
done a great deal of research. The Elcor economy is small, only slightly larger than the Alliance's, but extremely well developed.
They see no point to rushing things, and are fond of making thorough, century-long development plans. They don't need to trade for
any resource - they have all they require to supply their own needs, and trade only in finished goods. Any attempt to embargo their
space would be fruitless. Because their slow, conservative psyche is not suitable for making the spur-of-the-moment decisions
necessary in combat situations, the Elcor rely on sophisticated VI combat systems. These war machines can choose between
thousands of gambits developed and polished over centuries by Elcor strategists. The slow speed and immense size of the Elcor
makes them easy targets. Fortunately, their durable hide allows them to shrug off most incoming fire. Elcor warriors don't carry small
arms; their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for the same size of weapons typically mounted on Alliance fighting vehicles.
Homeworld: Dekuuna
Languages: Elcor, Basic
Example Names: Calyn, Petozi, Xeltan
Hanar
Attribute Dice: 17D
Dexterity: 1D/3D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 2D/4D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 1D/3D
Technical: 2D/4D
Move: 10/12
Unique Abilities
Oceanic: Hanar move twice as fast underwater as on land
Politeness: Being extremely polite Hanar gain a +6 to Perception: Bargain, Perception: Persuasion and Perception: Con skills
Story Factors: Levitation Packs. Hanar cannot support their physical forms and must use mass effect contra-gravitic levitation packs
to move around. Without a pack, a Hanar cannot move on land.
The Hanar 'stand' slightly taller than a human, although most of their height is in their long tentacles which have three fingers at the
base. However the invertebrate, water-native Hanar cannot support their own weight in normal gravity. When interacting with
mainstream galactic society, they rely on contra-gravitic levitation packs that use mass effect fields. Their limbs can grip tightly, but
are not strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each. It is not known if Hanar have more than one gender, or are
asexual (as some jellyfish species are). Despite evolving in water, Hanar also appear able to breathe air, or use technological means
to enable this. The Hanar homeworld, Kahje, has 90% ocean cover and orbits an energetic white star, resulting in a permanent
blanket of clouds. Due to the presence of Prothean ruins on Kahje, many Hanar worship them, calling them the "Enkindlers". Hanar
myths often speak of them as an elder race that uplifted and civilized them by teaching them language. The Hanar communicate
using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescence - which other species need machine assistance to translate - and speak with
scrupulous precision and excessive politeness. Most Hanar take offense at improper language, and must take special courses to
unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other species. The Hanar have two names, a 'face name' and a 'soul name'. The
face name is used as a general label for use by strangers and acquaintances. The soul name is kept for use among close friends
and relations. Hanar never refer to themselves in the first person with someone they know on a face name basis: to do so is
considered egotistical. Instead they refer to themselves as "this one," or the impersonal "it." Few Hanar are willing to deal with other
species. Economic contacts are limited to a handful of trade stations on their borders. Due to this self-imposed isolation and the
unique physiology of the race, their economy is small and isolated from the rest of the galaxy. Few standard technologies (designed
for bipedal and fingered species) are available in their space, and they produce very few goods that are usable by others. The Hanar
government is known as the Illuminated Primacy. Other races sometimes see the Hanar as elitist snobs because of their intolerance
for 'incorrect' speech (and occasionally refer to them derisively as 'jellies'). The Hanar are also known to get vocal if their religious
rights appear threatened in any way, which occasionally causes clashes with other Citadel races.
Homeworld: Kahje
Languages: Hanar
Example Names: Opold, Delanynder
Drell
Attribute Dice: 17D
Dexterity: 2D/4D
Knowledge: 2D/4D
Mechanical: 1D/3D
Perception: 2D/4D
Strength: 3D/5D
Technical: 1D/3D
Move: 11/13
Unique Abilities
True Believers: Drell like Asari do not need biotic amps to control their Biotic Talents. They also have a maximum of 3D in Biotic
Attribute during the character creation.
Low-Light Vision: Drell ignore negative modifiers from darkness but are partially colorblind.
Adaptability: During character creation, choose any basic skill and for every 1 skill point spent in this skill a Drell gains 2 instead.
(maximum of +6)
Dry Homeworld: Drell do not tolerate high humidity, if the humidity on a planet is higher than 75% they suffer -6 to all tests or have
to wear an Environmental Suit or Armor.
Technical Weakness: Drell pay twice as much for advancing technological skills.
Perfect Memory: The Drell posses perfect memory not only photographic but also smells and sounds. In order to remember the go
in a kind of trans. For a Drell to come out of that trans, the player has to pass a moderate Willpower check.
The Drell race is not broadly known throughout the galaxy, but they hold a reputation as highly efficient killers and mercenaries.
Nevertheless the Drell unlike Krogan are stoic, calm and religious race. The Drell ancestors emerged from dry, rocky deserts on the
barren world of Rakhana. Eight centuries ago, the already-arid Drell homeworld began its swift descent into lifelessness due to
disastrous industrial expansion. At the time, the Drell lacked interstellar flight capacity, and with their population bursting at 11 billion
they faced certain doom. It was around this time that the Hanar made first contact with the Drell race. In the following ten years, the
Hanar would transport hundreds of thousands of Drell to the hanar world, Kahje. The remaining billions left on Rakhana would perish
on their dying planet, warring against each other for diminishing resources. The Drell now thrive co-exhibiting with the Hanar and
have been a part of the galactic civilization for roughly two centuries. Most drell are content to live on Kahje. They are afforded every
opportunity to thrive by the Hanar, yet some outsiders and even some Hanar regard the Drell as second class citizens. However it is
quite the opposite, they have integrated themselves into every level of Hanar society as respected, productive citizens. Those who
leave Kahje, tend to be adventures. These solitary Drell travelers often seek out new species elsewhere, and in turn adopt that
species' culture. Such Drell number in the thousands, and are scattered across the galaxy, tending towards quiet, integrated lives.
Drell are omnivorous reptile-like humanoids with an average lifespan of 85 galactic standard years. Drell appearance is very similar
to Asari and Humans, but their muscle tissue is slightly denser than that of humans, giving them a wiry strength. Many of their more
reptilian features are concealed, however one unique characteristic is the hyoid bone in their throats, which allows them to inflate
their throats and produce vocal sounds outside of the human range. Because the Drell ancestors emerged from arid, rocky deserts,
the humid, ocean-covered Hanar homeworld of Kahje proved tolerable only when the Drell stayed inside a climate-controlled dome
city.
Homeworld: Kahje (actual homeworld Rakhana)

Languages: Drell
Example Names: Thane Krios, Feron
SKILLS
Dexterity: Perception
Acrobatics Bargain
Archaic guns Beast Riding
Artillery Command
Dodge Con
Ranged Forgery
Energy Weapons (A) Gambling
Bows Hide
Grenades Intimidation
Heavy Weapons Investigation
Sleight of Hand Persuasion
Thrown weapons Search
Vehicle Weapons Sneak
Knowledge: Strength
Alien species Brawling
Bureaucracy & Business Brawling parry
Cultures Climbing/jumping
Languages Lifting
Law enforcement Melee
Planetary systems Melee parry
Scholar Stamina
Streetwise Swimming
Survival
Tactics
Value Technical
Willpower VI
AI (A)
Mechanical Armor Repair
Biotic Amp Repair
Archaic starship piloting, Capital Ship Mechanics
Astrogation Capital Ship Systems
Capital ship gunnery Electronic Devices
Capital ship piloting Cybernetics (A)
Capital ship shields Demolitions
Communications Decryption
Rover operation First aid
FlyCar operation (A) Medicine (A)
Rocket pack operation Modding
Sensors Repair
Space transports Space Transport/Stafighter Mechanics
Starfighter piloting (A) Space Transport/Starfighter Systems
Starship gunnery Synthetics
Starship shields Weapons Repair
Energy Weapons Repair(A)
TALENTS
In Mass Effect D6 player have a variety of unique and entertaining abilities to have their characters peruse in their adventures. These
powers fall into three categories:
Biotic: Characters that can manipulate dark energies to lift objects and immobilize enemies or create barriers around themselves
and allies use Biotic Talents.
Combat: Characters that use weapons (both ranged and melee) to ruthless effectiveness to blast multiple opponents apart with a
shotgun, spin in place and cleave enemies in half with a massive Battle Cleaver or take an enemy down with one well placed shot
with a sniper rifle use Combat Talents.
Tech: Characters who omnitools and knowledge of modern computers and weapons can disable a Geth from a distance, destroy a
shotgun or lock an enemy Biotic Attributes use Tech Talents.
Balance between the powers makes it so a particular specialist is strong versus one of the other specialists and weak versus the
final (Combat is strong vs. Tech and weak vs. Biotic; Biotic are strong vs. Combat and weak vs. Tech; and Tech is strong vs. Biotic
but weak vs. Combat). See the Wheel of Death on the next page for a more thorough explanation on the idea of balance between
the powers. Each set of Talents is broken into two types: Offensive and Defensive. Generally speaking Offensive Powers are used
against enemies or objects and Defensive Powers are used on the character and his allies. Usually the weakness of Combat Talents
are their reliance on modern technology, you can't use Carnage if you don't have a shotgun. But multiple weapons allow for multiple
Talents. Tech on the other hand are strong against synthetics and enemies that rely on one type of combat style. Non-synthetics and
characters that have multiple weapons or combat styles prove the weakness of this Talent set. You can't use AI Hack against a
Krogann or can you instantly destroy all weapons a soldier might be carrying. Biotics have many uses but a weakness against other
enemies that can block their Biotic Talents. A Biotic can throw enemy soldiers around a battle field making retaliation difficult. But if a
Tech blocks your Biotic Attributes you can't repel enemies or create barriers.
At character creation you can choose Powers based on these factors:

Biotic Talents: 1 Power per "D" in Biotic Attribute
Combat Talents: choose any Power you have the prerequisites (i.e. if a Character has ranged: shotguns +18 and ranged: pistols
+18 they can choose the Combat Talents Carnage and Marksman).
Tech Talents: similar to Combat Talents, Tech Talents are chosen based on whether you meet the requirements to take a Talent
(IE a character with any 3 Tech skills at +9 and ranged weapons repair +9 may choose the Tech Talents Electronics and Sabotage)
During game play it costs 5 Character Points to learn a new Talent.

Unless stated otherwise, all the Talents have a 2 round "cool-down" (they cannot be used again for 2 rounds whether you
succeed at your rolls or not). Each Talent set also has its strengths and weaknesses.
Biotic Talents
Biotic Talents are accessed by characters using implants that enhance natural abilities to manipulate dark energy. These abilities
include hurling enemies around with the mind, raising shields that are resistant to enemy fire but still allow the player to fire through
them, and creating small singularities that cause destructible parts of the environment to fly at enemies. Biotic Specialists manipulate
the world around them through the use of dark energies and can have devastating effects on people, furniture and in truly powerful
cases even vehicles and starships. Most Biotic Specialists eschew learning more mundane skills like Combat Talents and usually
rely heavily on their abilities in combat situations rather than modern weapons. All characters that become Biotic start off with a
natural ability to manipulate dark energy. These un-enhanced abilities are rather weak and it takes implants in the body to attune the
person and allow them to effect a greater amount of dark energy to create barriers, hurl objects and freeze enemies. These implants
are called Biotic Amps. There are many Biotic Amps in a person, that work together to focus the dark energy being manipulated to a
more powerful force. Usually placed under the skin near the brain or nerve centers, Biotic Amps become a part of the character.
Biotic Amps are not perfect, the early works of humans turned out amps that could cause tumors, schizophrenia and eventually
death. Modern amps are far more stable but no Biotic Specialist forgets that amps can be a danger to their minds and bodies.
A Character without a Biotic Amp cannot use Biotic Talents.
A character with Biotic Attribute starts the Game with one Talent per 1 D in Biotics.
To increase a Biotic Attribute it costs the 3 times the D before the attribute plus any pips after thr D.
Talents may be increased independently of their Biotic Attribute (ie. a character can have Biotics 3D but +8). If the
Talent has yet to be improved the character spends Character equal to the Talent points he wishes to improve to.
Most Talents are opposed rolls. This means you roll your dice in a Biotic Attribute and a particular Talent versus the targets
defense roll. Each Talent tells which other skill is a defense roll against it. Some Powers have difficulty rolls based on what
you want to do. Some Talents add their die code to other skills or yours or another characters defense rolls. Look at each
Talent for the rules on using and defending against them.
Almost all races have a beginning maximum of 2D in Biotics Attribute.
Biotic Talents List
Throw
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Biotic 1D
This Talent allows a character to push an object or character with dark energy. This power is used in a similar fashion to Lift but
instead of being tossed up their thrown backwards away from the character. Throw can be used in two ways: to move an object or to
damage it. When used against a character or character's weapon to move it their defense roll is that character's Strength. When
used on an object the difficulty is 5 for the first 25kg and 5 more for every 50kg more it weights. If successful the target it thrown 10
m away from its original point and an additional 5m for every 5 above the roll.
Resistance
Time Taken: one round
This Power allows a character to resist any outside forces from dark energy or Tech Powers. You may roll your Resistance and
Biotic dice instead of any defensive roll against a Biotic or Tech Power. This Power can be activated and sustained for -3 to all
actions and may be used whenever you are the target of a Biotic or Tech Power.
Lift
Time Taken: action
This Talent allows a character to violently toss an object, person or even vehicle into the air. While in the air the target cannot act.
When using, roll your skill in Lift versus the targets defense. If used against another character or their weapon the defense roll is that
character's Strength. If used against an object the difficulty is 5 for the first 25kg of the object and an additional 5 for every 25kg, till
100kg. After that it is 5 for each 100kg more. If successful, the object or person is lifted to a height of 5m and floats there for the
remainder of the round, falling back to the ground at the start of the next round. For every 5 points roll above the targets defense roll
it floats in the air for an additional round. While floating a character my not take any actions. Lift has a range of 30 meters.
Shield
Time Taken: action
Characters utilizing this skill pour dark energy in front of them slowing any object that comes at them. To use the character makes a
roll with his Biotic Attribute and Shield for 20. For this round the character adds his skill in Shield to all defensive rolls vs. ranged
damage that comes at the character in a 90 degree arc in front of him.
Special: Shield has a cool-down of 3 rounds instead of 2 since its more difficult to control the dark energy in this way than normal.
Warp
Time Taken: action
Warp is a biotic talent that lowers the armor on a target, increasing the damage the enemy takes. Roll Biotic and Warp versus the
targets defense (for characters Strength, vehicles hull). If successful, the target looses 50% of his armor DR. Additionally target takes
+1D damage from all attacks against it. This power lasts one Round and one Round for every +5 against the target.
Barrier
The main defensive Talent for Biotic Specialists is Barrier. With this skill a character can make one roll and if successful has the
potential to negate damage. When activated roll your Barrier and Biotic. Note the total. When taking damage, the opponent rolls
damage as normal and subtracts your roll for the Barrier Talent. Any remaining damage is rolled vs. the character's defense as
normal.
Pull
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Biotic 3D and Throw or Lift at +9
With this Talent a character can pull a character or object towards them. If used against a character or character's weapon, roll
versus the targets Strength. If used against an object the difficulty is 5 for the first 25 kg and 5 more for each 25kg the object weights.
If the roll is successful the target is pulled off their feet (if a character) out the character's hands (if a weapon) or slides towards the
character using Pull 10 m and an additional 5m per 5 beyond the defense roll. Alternatively the character can try to pull themselves
and/or other with them towards an object. This can only be done if the target is at least twice as heavy as the character. The difficulty
is 20 if successful, the character is pulled towards the object 10m plus an additional 5 for each 5 above the difficulty. Pull has a range
of 30 meters.
Protect
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Resistance +9
When activated, you choose another character and that character may use your dice in Protect and Biotic, as defense against any
Biotic or Tech Powers used against them for the remainder of the round. This Power can be activated and sustained for -3 to all
actions and may be used whenever the chosen character is the target of a Biotic or Tech Power.
Stasis
Time Taken: action
By using energy similar to that of Throw or Lift but instead using it as a inertial damper to stop its movements completely. Stasis can
be used as a reactionary skill to stop a charging opponent from reaching you. Stasis can only be used against other characters,
beasts or vehicles. When used, roll versus the character's Strength. If successful the target is stopped at a point you choose along
its original path. Stasis lasts until the end of the current round and while under the effect of Stasis the target can take no further
actions. If a target is in stasis it cannot be attacked and it cannot attack.
Note: This talent may be sustained (at cost of -9 for every round) up to total D of characters Biotic skill.
Shockblast
Time Taken: action
This talent allows a character to draw dark energy onto him and then release it in a violent torrent of energies that damages and can
knock away nearby object. When used all objects and characters within range of players amount of D in Biotic in meters take
damage equal to the character's dice in Biotic and Shockblast. In addition to being damaged, for every 5 points of damage sustained,
the characters and objects are pushed away 5m.
Shockwave
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Biotic 4D and Shockblast +6
This talent allows a character to draw dark energy onto him and then release it in a violent torrent of energies that damages and can
knock away nearby object. When used all objects and characters in a point in a line of sight and within range of amount of D in Biotic
skill in meters from this point, take damage equal to the character's dice in Biotic and Shockwave. In addition to being damaged, for
every 5 points of damage sustained, the characters and objects are pushed away 5m.
Wall
Prerequisites: Biotic 4D or Barrier +9
As Barrier but effects an area equal to 5m in diameter around the character. Any characters inside behind the Wall are protected as
per Barrier. Any character firing through the Wall get the same damage negating effects. Wall works both ways.
Note: Wall has a 3 round cool-down instead of 2.
Singularity
Prerequisites: Biotic 4D or Warp +9
Singularity is a powerful ability to create a dense cloud of dark energy at a point no more than 30m from the character. All objects
and characters with 15m of the Singularity must make a Strength roll vs. the users Singularity or Distortion skill or be pulled towards
the Singularity. The object or character starts moving when they fail the roll and arrive at the Singularity at the end of the current
round.
Crush
Time Taken: two rounds
Prerequisites: Biotic 4D and at least 3 other Biotic Talents
The most potent telekinetic use of dark energy allows a biotic to crush an enemys armor around them, making them less effective in
combat situations and potentially killing them. This process involves surrounding the enemy in dark energies and collapsing it in on
their bodies. To activate, choose a target within 40m that you can see and begin focusing dark energies around them. This effect
gives the target -3 to all rolls for this round. On your initiative during the next round, if you can still see your target, roll your skill in
Telekinesis or Crush versus the enemies Armor DR. If you win, the opponents armor is contorted around them, negating their DR
modifier to defense rolls, also apply the armors DR as a negative modifier to all rolls and lowers their movement rate by 5. These
effects last until the opponent successfully removes their armor, each round the opponent makes a Moderate Strength check, if
successful they can remove their armor. This armor is considered Collapsed.
Special: If you use Crush against a target with Collapsed armor, roll your skill in Telekinesis or Crush as damage vs. their
Strength. Crush has a cool-down of 3 Rounds.
Biotic Charge
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Biotic 4D, Shockwave at +6 and Shockblast at +6
Biotic Charge allows the character to propel at a target with pure biotic power, striking it with incredible force. You can charge
through chasms or escape dangerous situations instantly. The power allows to travel up to 30m in a straight line in 5 seconds. You
deal so much damage and you get additional bonus to armor against hurting yourself, as your Biotic Charge value.
Slam
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Biotic 4D and Lift +9
This Talent allows a character to violently toss an object, person or even vehicle into the air. While in the air the target cannot act.
When using, roll your skill in Lift versus the targets defense. If used against another character or their weapon the defense roll is that
character's Strength. If used against an object the difficulty is 5 for the first 25kg of the object and an additional 5 for every 25kg, till
100kg. After that it is 5 for each 100kg more. If successful, the object or person is lifted to a height of 5m and then slammed to the
ground with tremendous force inflicting damage of Biotic and Slam Talents die code.
Reave
Prerequisites: Biotic 4D and Warp +9
The power employs mass effect fields to biotical attack the target's nervous system and prevent healing. After rolling Biotic Attribute
and Reave against the targets Strength, Reave restores health and takes Hit Points from the target adding them to adepts, but only
when the power is used against organics.
Note: This power travels in a straight line from the user to the target, hitting instantly.
Dominate
Prerequisites: Biotic 5D and 3 Biotic Talents at +11
With an understanding of how the mind works, a Adept can use Dominate to implement a thoughts. Roll Biotic Attribute + Dominate
versus the targets Willpower. A success grants certain power over an individual based on how well you beat the opposing roll. See
the chart below to see what you can do:
0-10 Confusion: target suffers --9 to all rolls for 1 Round and +1more Round for each +3 in Dominate
11-15 Hypnosis: target will follow simple commands, such as Stop, Shutdown, Run, Drop Weapon, for 1 Round and +1round for
every +3 in Dominate
20 + Slave: gain control over the individual for 1Round and +1Round for every +6 in Dominate. While under your control the
individual will follow any command you give it that it can carry out.
Combat Talents
Combat Talents increase a character's abilities with different weapons and armors. Combat Talents emphasize flexibility and
damage potential, either with rifles, pistols and grenades but also with hand-to-hand combat and melee weapons. Anything that can
deal damage is an extension of the Combat Specialist. The other side of the Combat Power set is based on their armor: increasing
damage protection, recharging failed shields and even limited protection of others.
Combat Talents have a cool-down of 2 rounds unless specifically stated within the power itself.
Combat Talents are dependent on the equipment the power is attached to. Without weapon or armor the power cannot be used.
However, any weapon can be used for the power as long as it matches it. Activating a power does not take any time but must be
done at the start of your turn within the round; however, a power that can be used as a reaction does not need to be activated and is
used as any other reaction skill.
Combat Talents List

Marksman
Time Taken: none
Prerequisites: Ranged: Pistols +18 (specialization)
This power allows a character to increase their efficiency with a pistol for one well placed shot. If the shot is successful it does
increased damage. When used, roll damage twice and hit twice for no penalty.
Carnage
Time Taken: none
Prerequisites: Ranged: Shotguns +18 (specialization)
Carnage is a devastating Talent that dramatically increases the damage of the character's next successful shotgun attack. This
attack also affects an opponent within 5m to the original target left and right. When activated add your skill in Ranged: Shotguns
Is added to the next attacks damage, if there is a target within 5m to the left and right he is hit to. Additionally the range of the
shotgun is doubled for the purposes of this attack. Roll damage only against successful hits.
Special: Carnage has a cool-down of 3 rounds instead of the usual 2.
Overkill
Time Taken: none
Prerequisites: Ranged: Assault Rifles +18 (specialization)
This Talent allows a character to fire an assault rifle far more often in a round than normally able to. When activated for every 9
points in Ranged: Assault Rifles you gain a free shot per round without a negative modifier per additional action. This allows a
Combat Specialist with enough skill in Ranged: Assault Rifles to fire a remarkable number of times
Assassination
Time Taken: 2 rounds
Prerequisites: Ranged: sniper rifles +18 (specialization)
To activate, choose a target within range of your sniper rifle and take aim shoot, the armor is ignored. (not the kinetic barriers).
Note: Assassination has a cool-down of 3 rounds.
Charge
Time taken: one round
Prerequisites: Melee or Brawling + 9 (at least 10m)
This Talent allows the character to charge at an enemy or group of enemies with a bonus of Charge Talent number (to damage dealt
and against damage received) for the first round.
Disarm
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Melee +9
With this Talent a character can remove enemies melee or ranged weapon from their hands. Make a melee attack roll plus your skill
the opponents melee parry roll (if disarming a melee weapon). If successful, the target loses their weapon and cannot pick it up gain
until the next round, which takes an action to do.
Special: If you beat the opponents roll by 30, you remove the hand holding the weapon instead and the target becomes
incapacitated.
Precision
Time Taken: none
Prerequisites: Grenades +9
This Talent allows a character to place a thrown grenade more precisely. Grenades thrown by the player have additional 1D
damage.
Combat Armor
Time Taken: None
Prerequisites: Stamina +9
Lessen the penalties for wearing armor. You ignore the first -3 for dex skills.
Shield Boost
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Combat Armor Talent
This Talent allows a character to recharge their failed shields. To activate, make a moderate die roll Strength and Stamina. If
successful, recharge your shields +3. For every 5 points above the difficulty, recharge another +3.
Immunity
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Shield Boost Talent
Immunity allows you to increase the power of your shields for a few moments and allow them to absorb more damage than they
normally would. This power can even be used if your shields have failed. When activated, double Your Kinetic Barriers for the next
hot. Immunity works until the end of the round.
Fitness
Time Taken: none
Prerequisites: Any Strength Skill at +11
Through many battles your character gained additional hardness and for a character ignores the first -3 modifiers after being hit.
Assault Training
Time Taken: none
Prerequisites: Lifting +11
With this ability a Combat Specialist can shrug off and ignore being stunned.
.
Adrenaline Burst
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Assault Training Talent
Adrenaline Burst allows Talents cool-downs instantly. Make a Moderate difficulty roll versus your Strength and Stamina, if successful
any Power that is on cool-down, has its cool-down finished and is then immediately ready for use.
Note: Adrenaline Burst has cool-down of 5 rounds instead of the normal 2.
Special: Adrenaline Burst may only be used a number of times per session equal to the number before Strength.
Concussive Shot
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Marksman or Carnage or Overkill or Assassination Talent and Ranged at+9
When activated, the player's weapon fires a single high-powered round that damages a target and can stun it for one round. Against
Tech Armor the effectiveness of Concussive Shot is 2 times that of the normal effect.
Fortification
Prerequisites: Krogan Only and Immunity Talent
Fortification reinforces armor with a non-Newtonian fluid that hardens when struck, providing a brief, huge bonus. The character
gains a +12 bonus to the first damage he takes.
Inferno Grenade
Prerequisites: Precision and Grenades at +11
It launches a volatile grenade that explodes on impact, sending fragments flying in all directions that causes extra damage. This fire
damage is effective against armor, so the armor is being lowered for the purpose of this attack by 6. Also another Positive Wild Die is
added.
Tech Talents
Your average techie in Mass Effect can repair a damaged Drive Core, reprogram a VI, apply Med gel, or even attach a cybernetic
limb to someone. These are mundane abilities when compared to what a Tech Specialist can do. Through intimate knowledge of
certain skills and the proper application of the Omnitool, a character with Tech Talents can wipe an enemy AI's programming
instantly rewriting new commands with AI Hack, override a weapons heat sinks and overheat it making it useless with Sabotage,
they can even apply the transmitter power of an Omnitool to cause misfires in an opponent neurons, possibly killing them, with
Neural Shock. Much like the Combat Talents, Tech Talents are based on skill in the Tech attribute skills. The talent Sabotage for
example, is gained through knowledge of how ranged weapons deal with the heat of firing rounds. With enough skill in ranged
weapon repair, the Tech Specialist is able to bypass the safety features and ruin a weapon so it cannot be used against him.
All Tech Powers require an Omnitool (Omnitools are explained in Equipment) to function. Unless otherwise
stated a character cannot use a Tech Talent without an Omnitool.
Tech Talent List

Damping
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Biotic Amp Repair +6
With knowledge of how Biotics send and receive signals from their Biotic Amps, a Tech Specialist can corrupt the impulses and
cause them to misfire and fail. Roll Technical + Biotic Amp Repair versus the targets defense (usually Willpower or Resistance), if
successful the target cannot use any Biotic Talent for 1Round.
Special: for every +6 in Biotic Amp Repair, it affects the target another Round.
Hacking
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Synthetics +6
With an understanding of how synthetics operate the player has the ability to disrupt their targeting and defense systems. Roll
Technical + Sythetics Skill versus Difficult. For every +6 in Sythetics Skill all synthetics have one level higher difficulty of hit you.
Detonate
Prerequisites: Demolitions +9
A Tech Specialist that has experience using demolition ordinances can set them off from a distance with this Talent. By flooding an
area with specific radio waves and microwaves, this Talent can prematurely detonate ordinance safely from a distance. Detonate can
even be used on an enemies grenades to devastating effect. When activated, make a Very Difficult check versus your Technical +
Demolitions. If successful any mines, grenades or bombs of your choice, within an radius of 2,5m and in range of 30m detonate,
causing damage to anyone within their range.
Sabotage
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Weapons Repair +9
This Talent allows you to jam signals that modern weapons receive, causing them to misfire or their damage to be weaker. To
activate, make a difficult check versus Technical + Weapons. If successful, any opponent that targets the user or any other character
within 10m of the user, ads one difficulty level to hit you and deducts your one dice from the damage their weapon deals. Sabotage
lasts 1 Round and +1round for each +6 in the Weapons.
Note: Sabotage cool-down begins after it drops and has a cool-down of 4 rounds instead of the normal 2.
Tech Armor
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Armor Repair +9
By constant repairing of character armors and their Kinetic Shields a Tech Specialist can squeeze more juice from their own Kinetic
Shields, sometimes far beyond what they normally could do, helping to absorb damage that their light armors would normally not be
able to handle. Make a Difficult roll versus Technical and Armor Repair, if successful add your skill in Armor Repair, to any damage
defense roll that adds Kinetic Shields to it. Additionally should Tech Armor end, a burst of kinetic energy with the force of the Kinetic
Barriers capacity is depleted. This short burst of kinetic energy is capable only of stunning targets around the character.
Special: a character can keep Tech Armor up, they suffer -3 to all non-Tech Armor rolls while active.
Note: Cool-down begins when the character lets Tech Armor drop.
Combat Drone
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Electronic Devices +9
The power spawns a tech drone that draws enemy fire and can electronically stun targets while damaging their shields. Only one
drone per character can be active at a time. Specializing in multiple skills increases the duration of this power. When depleted the
drone automatically advances to the nearest target. For every +6 in Armor Repair the drone gains 1D in DR. While at the target the
drone will try to stun the target. For every +6 in Electronic Devices the drone gains 1D in stun damage, for every 3 points of damage
the target is stunned one round. The targets add their DR and Armor and Stamina Skill to counter the stun. to If the drone is
destroyed it disintegrates into nothing. The drone may be kept up but the specialist has a -3 to all rolls.
Electronics
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: 3 Tech Skills at +11
Having more experience in dealing with how modern equipment functions, allows a Tech Specialist to increase their abilities for a
few moments to do things no other techie could. Make a Technical roll versus a Easy difficulty, if successful lessen your difficulty of
all your rolls for Tech skills for the remainder of the current round by 2 levels.
Medicine
Time Taken: none
Prerequisites: Medicine Skill +6
Using Medicine talent heals twice the amount of hit points while using medigel.
Neural Shock
Prerequisites: Requires First Aid +9 and Medicine Talent
Using their knowledge of amp placement and how they interact with a beings brain, a Tech Specialist can send a shockwave rippling
through their neurons causing severe pain to the Biotic and potentially devastating their minds. To activate, choose humanoid
creature within 40m that you can see, and begin attuning your Omnitool to their particular brain wave signature Roll Technical +
Medicine versus targets defense (Willpower defense ). This stuns the target for 1 Round and 1 Round for every +5 above his Roll.
Note: Neural Shock has a cool-down of 3 rounds.
Overload
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Synthetics +9 and Armor Repair+9
Overload is best used at the beginning of a battle to give you an instant edge, allowing you to spend less time attacking an enemy's
shield and more time killing them. It is effective against larger enemies like Geth Armatures or Mechs, who often fully recharge their
shields when close to death. Overload will also damage the hexagonal 'Geth Barriers'. Roll Technical + Electronic Devices Skill
versus targets defense (Technical or Willpower)to shut down their shields. Overload automatically shuts down any kinetic barriers of
a personal armor.
Tactical Cloak
Prerequisites: Decryption +11 and Sabotage Talent
Cloak is the best way of ambushing your opponent while combat, or sneaking through hostile environments. Character has the ability
to change the reflection of light thus making him invisible. The player rolls his Technical + Decryption versus Heroic and becomes
invisible for all other beings around him for one round + one round for every +5 above the difficulty. If any hostile action is taken by
the player (i.e. hitting someone or making other offensive maneuver) the Tactical Cloak falls. While active all kinetic barrier of the
player are turned off and have to regenerate in standard manner.
AI Hack
Prerequisites: AI +6 and Hacking Talent
With an understanding of how artificial AI programming works, a Tech can use an Omnitool to implement a virus that can wipe layers
of programming and insert various commands. Roll Technical + AI versus the synthetics willpower. A success grants certain access
to the root commands of a synthetic based on how well you beat the opposing roll. See the chart below to see what you can do:
0-10 Corrupted Systems: target suffers --9 to all rolls for 1 Round and +1more Round for each +3 in AI Hack
11-15 Access Basic Commands: target will follow simple commands, such as Stop, Shutdown, Run, Drop Weapon,
for 1 Round and +1round for every +3 in AI Hack
20 + Access Root Command System: gain control over the synthetic for 1Round and +1Round for every +6 in AI Hack. While
under your control the synthetic will follow any command you give it that it can carry out.
Drain
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Overload and Tech Armor
Energy Drain saps enemies' kinetic barrier power to boost your shields. Roll Technical + Decryption versus targets DR and Shields.
If successful for every 5 points of difference you steal +3 and your target looses -3 from his kinetic barriers.
Note: This power travels in a straight line from the user to the target, hitting instantly range 30 meters.
Incinerate
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Detonate and Weapons Repair +11
It is a high-explosive plasma round fired from the user's Omnitool that inflicts damage to all nearby enemies in the area of 1 meter
and permanently stops their health regeneration and bypasses their armor. The damage this ability deals is specialists Technical.
Note: If fired the power travels in a straight line instantly hitting the target.
Cryo Blast
Time Taken: action
Prerequisites: Neural Shock and Modding +11
When activated, the user's Omnitool fires a mass of super-cooled subatomic particles capable of snap-freezing a target. If the
target's health is low enough (50%) when frozen, it is possible to shatter it through the use of weapons or other damage dealing
abilities. Frozen enemies are more susceptible to damage (they lose half of their overall DR). If the enemy is hit by a Cry Blast the
specialist rolls Technical versus the targets Strength if successful, the target is frozen for one round. When the targets health is 50%
or below he gets frozen for 3 rounds.
Note: If fired the power travels in a straight line instantly hitting the target.
Combat
Combat is an important part of Mass Effect, and these rules Cover
help you run exciting battles in your game. You can hide behind objects - such as walls and parked
Combat is normally fought in 5 second rounds. rovers - which provide cover. Add the cover modifier based
Each attack in an action uses the game's basic rules: on how much of the target character is covered.
Determine the difficulty number to hit the target.
The attacking character rolls his attack skill. Target is:
If the roll is higher than the difficulty number, the 1/4 covered +3 to Difficulty
attack hits and causes damage (see "Damage"). 1/2 covered +6 to Difficulty
3/4 covered +12 to Difficulty
Remember this: the Game Master has the final say. Fully covered if cover provides protection, attacker
cannot hit target directly; attacker must eliminate cover
first (typically by blowing it up)
Ranged combat
Each weapon description lists its damage die code and
effective ranges. Remember, if you target an enemy beyond Scale
the weapon's effective range, the damage of the weapon is The game uses "scales" to show the differences between
reduced to 0D. sizes and types of objects. You add or subject dice to attack
Edge II Pistol: 3D damage, 20m range (The pistol causes rolls, dodge rolls and damage rolls to show these differences.
3D damage; that's explained under "Damage"). The listed Scale Modifier
range is its effective damage range, for this pistol, anything Character
that's within 20 meters of you when you fire has a potential to Rover 4D
take 3D worth of damage if you hit. For any target beyond 20 Starfighter 6D
meters the weapon cannot produce enough force to deal Capital 12D
damage. Citadel 24D
To check difficulty, follow this chart: The targets of the same scale are shooting at each other,
Very East (5) - any target within 5 meters of you is ignore the modifiers; just roll attack dice, dodges and
considered "Point Blank". damage die codes normally. It's when thing of a different
Easy (10) - any target between 6 meters and 10 meters from scale are affecting each other that you use these rules.
you is considered "Short Range". - Apply the difference between the two scale: this is now
Moderate (15) - any target between 11 meters and 15 called the "adjusted modifier."
meters is considered "Medium Range". Lower against higher. When a "lower" scale character or
Difficult (20) - any target between 16 meters and 20 meters vehicle is shooting at a "higher" scale character or vehicle:
is considered "Long Range". -The lower scale attacker gets to add the modifier to the
Any target beyond 20 meters, add +5 to the difficulty of attack roll. If the target makes a dodge (or vehicle or starship
the roll to successfully hit. dodge), it just rolls its maneuverability (and dodge skill).
Estimating Ranges. Rather than measure out ranges every -The higher scale target adds the modifier to the roll to resist
round, you can use estimates: damage; the lower scale weapon deals damage normally.
- Targets very close to each other - within 5 meters are Remember: the modifier is added to the total roll to resist
considered "Point Blank". damage, not to the hull and the kinetic barriers.
- Most combat indoors is at short range. If the room is fairly Higher against lower. When a "higher" scale character or
large and the combatants are at opposite ends of it, ranged vehicle is shooting at a "lower" scale character or vehicle:
weapons could still be considered at short -The higher scale attacker rolls its normal attack roll; the
range. lower scale target adds the "adjusted modifier" to its dodge
Most combat outdoors is at medium range, though a pistol roll.
might not be as useful in this situation because enemies -The higher scale attacker adds the "adjusted modifier" to its
might be at ranges beyond their effective damage range, but damage roll.
the difficulty is still the same.
- Outdoor combat at great distances is generally at long
range. Initiative
The character with the highest value in the characteristic
goes first, and so on. Once a character has a spot in the
Melee Combat order, it doesnt change, regardless of how other
Melee combat covers any hand-to-hand combat weapon, characteristics compare. Ties are broken by moving to the
including swords, daggers and similar weapons. Most melee next factor and looking at those values.
attacks use the melee skill (or Strength attribute). Every The order: (1) ability or talent that allows the character to go
melee weapon has a difficulty to use, ranging from Very Easy first, (2) Perception, (3) search, (4) Agility, (5) dodge, (6)
to Heroic. (Pick a specific difficulty number for the attack.) special equipment or situation that allows the character to go
If the attack roll is equal to or greater than the difficulty before another character.
number, the attack hits; roll damage. Melee combat also
includes brawling, any attack made with a character's bare
hands (or claws or tentacles or whatever) If the character's Surprise
brawling skill hasn't been improved, roll his Strength attribute. When characters are surprised, their attacks can
Brawling attacks have a difficulty of Very Easy. If the attack automatically take their first action before the "surprised" side
roll is equal to or greater than the difficulty number, the attack can act. The "surprised" side cannot roll defensive skills to
hits; roll damage. dodge or parry this first action.
Quick Draw A character who's Very Wounded falls prone and can take
This option allows the character to act rapidly or draw and no actions for the rest of the round. The character suffers a
fire a weapon in the same round as one action. The penalty of 9 to all skill and attribute rolls until he heals.
character may use any combat skill or appropriate A Severely Wounded character falls prone and is knocked
specialization. If she is also using a weapon, it must be unconscious for 10D minutes and has a -12 to all skill and
suitable for quick drawing. Before initiative is rolled, the attribute rolls. The character can't do anything until healed. A
player must announce that she intends for her character to character making a Moderate first aid total can revive an
draw her weapon quickly. The player may then take some of severely wounded character. The severely wounded is no
the skill dice and add them to the Perception die code for awake, but is groggy, cannot use skills and can only move
purposes of increasing initiative for that round only. The half his normal rate.
player must leave at least +3 in her skill. If the character A mortally wounded character falls prone and is
wants to make multiple attacks, she subtracts -3 for each unconscious. The character can't do anything until healed.
attack beyond the first from the number of dice in the skill The character may die - at the end of each round, roll 2D. If
shes using before the player moves dice around. She does the roll is less than the number of rounds the character has
not take a penalty for the draw. All attacks by the hero in the been mortally wounded, the character dies. A character
same round must be made with the same skill, though the making a Moderate first aid total can "stabilize" a mortally
results are determined differently and they all occur at the wounded character. The character is still mortally wounded
same die code because the multi-action penalty was already but will survive if a MEDIGEL or GELTANK is used on him
figured in. within one hour otherwise, he dies.
A killed character is... killed. Start rolling up a new character.
Damage Wild Die Lightly Wounded 99%-81% -3 to All (First Aid Difficulty 5)
When rolling damage the wild die can only have a positive Wounded 80%-61% -6 to All (First Aid Difficulty 10)
effect unlike normal Wild Die. Very Wounded 60%-41% -9 to All (First Aid Difficulty 15)
Severely Wounded (STUNNED) 40%-21% -12 to All(First Aid
Head Shots Difficulty 20)
Mortally Wounded (STUNNED) 20%- 1% -15 to All(Stabilize
When a character declares aiming, he can try to kill someone First Aid 15)
with a head shot. The difficulty is raised 2 levels for the sake Dead 0 (Medicine 15)
of that action, and an additional Damage Wild Die is added.
Healing
Targeted Shots The body heals naturally during the course of the day. The
When a character declares aiming, he can try to shoot more rest characters get, the faster their wounds heal. Using
someones arm or leg to slow him down or make him lose his the Hit Points chart, the character rolls his Strength plus
weapon. The difficulty is raised 2 levels for the sake of that any appropriate Special Abilities or Disadvantages and a
action, shot cannot kill the target at most cripple him. The modifier based on how much rest shes had that day. A
damage is normal. If shot in the leg, the target falls and has character gets a modifier of +13 on each full day of rest
to get up, and if hit in the arm the target loses the weapon he (sleeping, reading, or other sedentary activities). If she is
is holding in hand. involved in light activity, such as walking or singing, the
modifier is zero. However, if most of the day is spent fighting
Damage and running, the modifier is -3. The character receives the Hit
Points back at the beginning of the next day. Use the Rest
When an attack hits, the attacker rolls damage. Ranged
Period chart and the characters Wound level to determine
weapons normally do a set amount of damage: for example:
how long the character needs to wait before attempting the
a Lancer Assault Rifle has a damage of 4D+1.
natural healing roll. The gamemaster then multiplies the
A melee weapon might have a damage code of Str+1D
result by 3 to figure out how many Body Points were healed.
- that means, the attacker rolls their Strength and adds one
EQUIPM
additional die for damage. (If there's a maximum listed
such "maximum of 6D" - that's the maximum damage for the Body Points Healing
weapon regardless of the user's Strength"). Strength Roll Body Points Total Recovered
For brawling attacks, the attacker rolls his Melee Damage. 0 0
The target character subtracts his Damage Resistance and 15 2
Armor from the damage taken to see how many hit points he 610 3
lost and what kind of consequences follow. 1115 6
1620 9
Lightly Wounded suffers a penalty of 3 to skill. Talent and 2125 12
attribute rolls for the rest of the round and for the next round. 2630 15
A light wound no longer penalizes a character after the 30+ 18
second round, but it is still "affecting" him for half an hour ENT
unless the character rests for one minute. A character Rest Period
making an Easy first aid total can treat a lightly wounded Level of Wound Rest Period
character. Lightly Wounded 1 minute
Wounded characters fall prone and can take no actions for Wounded 3 days
the rest of the round. The character suffers -6 to skill, talent Very Wounded 3 days
and attribute rolls until he heals (through MEDIGEL or natural Severely Wounded 2 weeks
rest). Mortally Wounded 5 weeks
Equipment
Weapons
All modern infantry weapons from pistols to assault rifles use micro-scaled mass accelerator technology. Projectiles consist of tiny
metal slugs suspended within a mass-reducing field, accelerated by magnetic force to speeds that inflict kinetic damage. The ammo
magazine is a simple block of metal, often referred to as a "slug box". The gun's internal computer calculates the mass need to reach
the target based on distance, gravity and atmospheric pressure, then shears off an appropriate sized slug from the block. A single
block can supply thousands of rounds, making ammo a non-issue during any engagement.
Top-line weapons also feature smart targeting that allows them to correct for weather and environment. Firing on a target in a
howling gale feels the same as it does on a calm day at the practice range. Smart targeting does not mean a bullet will automatically
find the mark every time the trigger is pulled; it only makes it easier for the marksman to aim.
Mass Accelerators
A mass accelerator propels a solid metal slug using precisely-controlled electromagnetic attraction and repulsion. The slug is
designed to squash or shatter on impact, increasing the energy it transfers to the target. If this were not the case, it would simply
punch a hole right through, doing minimal damage. Accelerator design was revolutionized by element zero. A slug lightened by a
mass effect field can be accelerated to greater speeds, permitting projectile velocities that were previously unattainable. If
accelerated to a high enough velocity, a simple paint chip can impact with the same destructive force as a nuclear weapon.
However, mass accelerators produce recoil equal to their impact energy. This is mitigated somewhat by the mass effect fields that
rounds are suspended within, but weapon recoil is still the prime limiting factor on slug velocity. Though most melee weapons are
just pieces of metal with a sharp edge, some have mass accelerators and computers that decrease the mass of the weapon while in
the motion of swinging it and then instantly increase the mass just before impact to increase its effectiveness.
Pistols are the basic sidearm found throughout the galaxy. They are reliable, have decent range and accuracy but usually overheat
quickly do to their smaller size an. A typical pistol carries a slug box that contains about 1,000 rounds.
Assault Rifles are the main infantry weapon used by almost every military in Citadel Space. The average assault rifle has a higher
range than a pistol, though lower accuracy and have more heat sinks built in to allow rapid firing, and give unmodded assault rifles
the ability to be fired up to four times a round and carry a slug box with 4,000 rounds.
Shotguns are the weapon of choice for thugs, pirates and other denizens of the Galaxy's underworld do to the weapons ease of use
and high damage, though these weapons usually have a low firing rate and shorter range of effectiveness, a shotgun's slug box
holds roughly 1500 rounds.
Sniper Rifles are the ultimate in potential damage inflicted on the character scale. These weapons have a huge range, excellent
accuracy potential and very high damage. Unless modded, the high amount of damage causes extreme recoil and makes sniper
rifles incapable of firing more than one a round and a slug box which holds about 2000 rounds.
Repeaters are the largest scale weapons that can be used by only one character. These weapons have a high rate of fire, but low
accuracy, effective range and damage. These weapons are meant to be fired many times to drop enemy shields. Unmodded
repeaters can be fired a maximum of seven times a round.
Melee weapons like swords, axes or daggers are not usually used by modern day militaries but are still a favored item of civilians.
Most of these weapons are unsophisticated, being little more than pieces of sharp metal, though some have mass accelerators and
computers that allow them to be modded.
Artillery Emplacements require more than one character to operate and used against large vehicles and starships that are traveling
in atmosphere. Given that these weapons are meant to do extreme damage to its target, they have a very low rate of fire. These
weapons cannot be modded.
Pistols
This list of pistols is by no means the only ones found in the Galaxy and giving a complete list would be impractical since new
weapons are added every few months. Pistols have a base Hardness of 3D.
Name/Manufacturer Cost Av MS Range Damage

Edge Ekoss Combine Edge Pistol 700 Common 1 20m 3D
Striker Elanus Risk Control Services Pistol 900 Common 1 20m 3D+1
Judgement Batarian State Arms Pistol 1000 Common 1 20m 3D+2
Harpy Cerberus Skunkworks Pistol 1100 Common 1 20m 4D
Kessler Hahne-Kedar Pistol 1200 Uncommon 1 25m 3D
Stiletto Haliat Armory Pistol 3000 Uncommon 2 25m 3D+1
Stinger Devlon Industries Pistol 3500 Uncommon 2 25m 3d+2
Karpov Rosenkov Materials Pistol 8000 Uncommon 2 25m 4D
Razer Kassa Fabrication Pistol 9000 Rare 2 25m 4D+1
Raikou Ariake Technologies Raikou Pistol 11500 Rare 3 25m 4D+2
Brawler Armax Arsenal Pistol 25000 Rare 2 30m 5D
HMWP Basic Spectre Gear Pistol Unknown Rare 3 30m 5D
HMWP Advanced Spectre Gear Pistol Unknown Rare 3 30m 5D+1
HMWP Master Spectre Gear Pistol Unknown Rare 3 30m 5D+2
Shotguns
With high damage and short ranges, Shotguns are a fairly simple weapon that are used mostly by those without military training.
Shotguns have a base hardness of 4D.

Hurricane Elanus Risk Control Services Shotgun 1200 Common 0 15m 4D+2
Executioner Batarian State Arms Shotgun 1600 Common 1 15m 4D+2
Storm Hahne-Kedar Shotgun 2000 Common 1 15m 5D
Hydra Cerberus Skunkworks Shotgun 2500 Common 1 15m 5D
Tornado Haliat Armory Shotgun 3500 Common 1 15m 5D+1
Katana Ariake Technologies Shotgun 4500 Uncommon 2 15m 5D+1
Viper Hahne-Kedar Shotgun 9000 Uncommon 2 15m 5D+2
Firestorm Devlon Industries Shotgun 32000 Rare 2 15m 6D
Sokolov Rosenkov Materials Shotgun 18000 Uncommon 1 20m 5D+1
Armageddon Kassa Fabrication Shotgun 36000 Uncommon 2 20m 5D+1
Avalanche Armax Arsenal Shotgun 45000 Uncommon 2 20m 5D+2
Savage Jormangund Technology Shotgun 90000 Rare 2 20m 6D
HMWSG Basic Spectre Gear Shotgun Unknown Rare 3 20m 6D
HMWSG Advanced Spectre Gear Shotgun Unknown Rare 3 20m 6D+1
HMWSG Master Spectre Gear Shotgun Unknown Rare 3 20m 6D+2
Sniper Rifles
Sniper Rifles have two damage codes. The first and smaller is when the weapon is fired from the hip, the second and higher is used
when you spend an action during that round to aim (suffering -1D to other actions). Sniper Rifles have a Hardness of 3D.
Reaper Elkoss Combine Sniper Rifle 2500 Uncommon 1 75m 1D+2/5D+2
Hammer Elanus Risk Control Services Sniper Rifle 3800 Uncommon 2 80m 1D+2/5D+2
Avenger Hahne-Kedar Sniper Rifle 6500 Uncommon 2 90m 2D/6D
Titan Cerberus Skunkworks Sniper Rifle 8750 Uncommon 2 100m 2D+1/6D+1
Lightning Strike Batarian State Arms Sniper Rifle 15200 Uncommon 2 110m 2D+2/6D+2
Equalizer Haliat Armory Sniper Rifle 30900 Rare 3 120m 3D+2/7D+2
Python Hahne-Kedar Sniper Rifle 13200 Rare 1 120m 2D+1/6D+1
Naginata Ariake Technologies Sniper Rifle 16100 Rare 1 130m 2D+2/6D+2
Striker Devlon Industries Sniper Rifle 25500 Rare 2 120m 3D+1/7D+1
Volkov Rosenkov Materials Sniper Rifle 27300 Rare 2 130m 3D+2/7D+2
Harpoon Kassa Fabrication Sniper Rifle 57000 Rare 2 130m 4D/8D
Punisher Armax Arsenal Sniper Rifle 115000 Rare 3 130m 4D+1/8D+1
Helix Jormangund Technology Sniper Rifle 160000 Rare 3 130m 4D+2/8D+2
HMWSG Basic Spectre Gear Sniper Rifle Unknown Rare 3 140m 5D/9D
HMWSG Advanced Spectre Gear Sniper Rifle Unknown Rare 3 150m 5D/9D
HMWSR Master Spectre Gear Sniper Rifle Unknown Rare 3 160m 5D/9D
Assault Rifles
The versions shown below are of a civilian hunting rifle, the typical military grade and a favored among galactic bounty hunters.
Assault Rifles have a base Hardness of 4D.

Avenger Elkoss Combine Assault Rifle 1000 Common 1 35m 4D
Banshee Elanus Risk Control Services Assault Rifle 1350 Common 1 35m 4D+1
Terminator Batarian State Arms Assault Rifle 2750 Common 1 35m 4D+2
Lancer Hahne-Kedar Assault Rifle 4800 Uncommon 1 35m 5D
Thunder Haliat Armory Assault Rifle 6400 Uncommon 1 35m 5D+1
Diamond Back Hahne-Kedar Assault Rifle 3780 Common 2 35m 4D
Tsunami Ariake Technologies Assault Rifle 6100 Common 2 35m 4D+1
Raptor Devlon Industries Assault Rifle 8400 Uncommon 2 35m 4D+2
Kovalyov Rosenkov Materials Assault Rifle 11500 Uncommon 2 35m 5D
Breaker Kassa Fabrication Assault Rifle 18700 Uncommon 2 35m 5D+1
Torrent Jormangund Technology Assault Rifle 23300 Rare 2 35m 5D+2
Crossfire Armax Arsenal Assault Rifle 97000 Rare 3 40m 6D
HMWA Basic Spectre Gear Assault Rifle Unknown Rare 3 40m 6D+1
HMWA Advanced Spectre Gear Assault Rifle Unknown Rare 3 40m 6D+2
HMWA Master Spectre Gear Assault Rifle Unknown Rare 3 40m 7D
Submachine Guns
Lightweight and easily concealed, this submachine gun fires in long deadly bursts. Very effective against shields and biotic barriers.
Inaccurate at long range. Weak against armor. Hardness of 3D.
M-9 Tempest
Popular Manufacturer(s): Elanus Risk Control Services M-9 Tempest Submachine Gun
Type: Submachine Gun
Scale: Character
Skill: Ranged, Submachine Guns
Cost: 1000
Availability: Uncommon
Mod Slots: 1
Range: 20m
Damage: 4D
Description: Lightweight and easily concealed, this submachine gun fires in long deadly bursts. Very effective against shields and
biotic barriers. Inaccurate at long range, weak against armor. The commonality of kinetic barriers has led to increased demand for
rapid-fire weapons like the Tempest. Produced by Elanus Risk Control Services for the Eclipse mercenary band, the Tempest is an
expensive but deadly addition to anyones personal arsenal.
Melee Weapons
Though all melee weapons are essentially used only for close range combat, they are by no means useless. The advantages of
melee weapons are: ability to bypass kinetic barriers since they move to slowly to cause them to activate and most are immune to
the effects of a Tech Specialist since they have no moving parts or complex computer systems to fry. Melee weapons come in two
types: small to medium, one handed weapons and larger two handed weapons. Swords, knives, even maces make effective
weapons when used by a strong, skilled combatant.
Daggers
These weapons are small in size, usually 20-30 centimeters in total length from hilt to tip. Most daggers are too small to incorporate
Mass Accelerators or Mod slots, but some more expensive models can have either or both, for a price.
Flash Knife
Model: Gothran Combat Series Dagger
Type: One Handed Melee Weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: melee, one-handed
Cost: 100 credits
Availability: Common
Mod Slots: 0
Range: melee
Damage: Str +1D (maximum: 5D)
The Salarian defense manufacturer Gothran specializes in basic melee weapons that contain no mass accelerators or smart
computers. The Flash Knife series is well priced and easily attainable, with decent impact damage potential.
Acker Blade
Model: Archon Industries Mass Accelerator Series Dagger
Scale: Character
Cost: 1,950 credits
Mod Slots: 1
Range: melee
Damage: Str +2D+1 (maximum: 6D)
Archon Industries , a new addition to the combat Mod industry, based on Earth also creates a highly reliable Mass Accelerator Series
of melee weapons, called Ackers. The Acker Blade series offers not only more potential damage than normal daggers, but even
contains enough circuitry to be modded.
Swords and Cleavers

One handed swords come in varying sizes, but typically range from 60 to 100 centimeters in length. Most swords have the size to
incorporate Mass Accelerators and Mod slots, though the cheapest lack these to conserve costs.
Cleavers are two handed weapons are massive in size and weight and reflect the look of ancient axes. The cost between these
larger scale weapons without Mass Accelerators and Mod slots and those with them was not high enough to warrant a cheaper more
simple variant. As such, all cleavers have these advances added to them.
Razor Longsword
Model: Gothran Razor Series Long sword
Scale: Character
Cost: 300 credits
Mod Slots: 0
Range: melee
The Gothran Razor series long sword is just shy of 100 centimeters in length, but offers good damage at an affordable price. Along
with other Gothran offerings, this series of weapons has no Mass Accelerators or Mod slots.
Krogan Battle-Cleaver
Model: Talmarr LLC Krogan Battle-Cleaver
Type: Two Handed Melee Weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: melee, two-handed
Cost: 5,100 credits
Availability: Rare
Mod Slots: 2
Range: melee
Talmarr LLC is a relatively unknown manufacturer of advanced weapons that offer extremely high damage potential with the latest in
Mass Accelerator and Mod slot technology. The Krogan series Battle-Cleaver is based around the ancient weapon favored by
Krogan warlords of centuries past. At 120 centimeters, this massive weapon has the potential to slice clean through enemies.
Acker Rapier
Model: Archon Industries Mass Accelerator Series Sword
Scale: Character
Cost: 2,500 credits
Mod Slots: 1
Range: melee
Damage: Str +3D+1 (maximum: 7D)
The Archon Industries Acker Rapier line of melee weapons have the highest damage potential for the size of the blade, 85
centimeters in total length. Though high in price and relatively difficult to acquire, it is worth the effort.
Grenades
Disk-shaped grenades can glide long distances and can also latch onto targets or flat surfaces to be remotely detonated. All
grenades have a timer setting of five to thirty seconds. Additionally, grenades can be remote detonated with the correct radio signal
from an omnitool. Though grenades have a compact size, they still have enough room for a mod slot that takes grenade specific
mods. A grenades maximum damage potential is within close proximity when it explodes. Therefore the grenade deals max damage
to those within a few meters, losing power against those further away. Grenades have a base Hardness of 4D. Fusion Detonators
have a base Hardness of 3D.
Fragmentation Grenade
Model: Standard Fragmentation Grenade
Type: Explosive
Scale: Character
Skill: grenades
Cost: 500 credits
Mod Slots: 1
Range: 20m
Blast Radius: 0-2/4/6/10
Damage: 5D/4D/3D/2D
This standard grenade is found among almost all militaries in the galaxy, these are usually illegal for civilians to obtain or use, which
of course means most civilians with enough credits can get them without much trouble.
Fusion Detonator
Model: Talmarr LLC Portable Demolition Charge
Type: Explosive
Scale: Character
Skill: grenades
Cost: 2,500 credits
Availability: Extremely Rare
Mod Slots: 1
Range: 20m
Blast Radius: 0-2/8/12/20
Damage: 10D/8D/5D/3D
A Fusion Detonator packs a huge punch into a small package. Though illegal in Citadel Space, they still can be found by intrepid
individuals and are a highly prized part of any bounty hunter or privateers arsenal. Fusion Detonators have a massive blast radius
and are known for destroying entire buildings.
Armor
Combat hard-suits are a dual-layer system to protect the wearer. The inner layer consists of fabric armor with kinetic padding. Areas
that don't need to be flexible, such as the chest or shins, are reinforced with sheets of a lightweight ablative ceramic called Dura-
Tanium. Dura-Tanium, or Durable Titanium Alloy, is a thin mesh that is strong and light. It is applied in layers on the non-flexible
parts of armors. Becuase Dura-Tanium gets stronger with each layer, it can be used in all types of armors: from non-restrictive "scout
armors" that offer some defense and no movement penalties, to heavy "juggernaught" armors that can stop a large powered round,
but reduced movement. The downside to Dura-Tanium is its tendency to disrupt signals from Biotic Amps or interfere with Omnitools
at higher layers. Therefore, most Biotics and Tech Specialists abhor the heavier armors, while soldiers and those that don't use
Biotics or Tech Talents employ the heavier suits. The outer layer consists of automatically-generated kinetic barriers. Objects
traveling above a certain speed will trigger the barrier's reflex system and be deflected, provided there is enough energy left in the
shield's power cell. Armored hard-suits are sealable to protect the wearer from extremes of temperature and atmosphere. Standard
equipment includes an onboard mini-frame and a communications, navigation and sensing suite. The mini-frame is designed to
accept and display date from a weapon's smart targeting system to make it easier to locate and eliminate enemies.
Kinetic Barriers
Kinetic barriers, commonly called "shields", provide against most mass accelerator weapons. Whether on a starship or a soldier's
suit of armor, the basic principle remains the same. Kinetic barriers are repulsive mass effect fields projected from tiny emitters.
These shields safely deflect small objects traveling at rapid velocities. This affords protections from bullets and other dangerous
projects, but still allows the user to sit down without knocking away their chair. The shielding afforded by kinetic barriers does not
protect against extremes of temperature, toxins or radiation.
Damage Protection and Shields
All armors have two basic stats: Damage Protection or DR, is the number added to your Strength whenever you suffer damage,
whether it be from a sword, shotgun or even a fist. KB, or Kinetic Barriers/Shields, is the number added when you suffer damage
from certain sources, such as a ranged weapon, shrapnel from an explosion, or other similar sources.
How Kinetic Barriers Work
When you take damage from a source that activates kinetic barriers, you roll your Strength + Damage Protection + Kinetic Barriers to
resist the damage. Each time your shields are activated and stop damage, they weaken suffering -1D to their protection. When your
Shields "D" is 0 they fail and offer no more protection.
Shield Regen - Unmodded shields on character armors restore at a rate of 3 per round you are not taking damage. You must go an
entire round without taking damage to regenerate. For example, if your character is wearing a Field Vest that offers +3 DR and +3
KB and get hit by a shotgun blast for 15 damage. You add your defense of Strength (in this case 3) +3 DR and+3 KB, . You suffer 6
damage and your shields lose -3 of their protection. You now have 0D KB. If you don't take any damage in the next round, at the end
of that round you regain 3 of your shields and can then add it to your next damage.
Armor Classes and Types
Modern armors fall into three classes based on how many layers of Dura-Tanium is used, how many kinetic barrier batteries they
carry and the resulting weight that comes with it. Within these classes are different types of based on how much of the body they
protect, what extra abilities are standard issue.
Classes
Light - Armors in this category have relatively few layers of Dura- Tanium and a low number of shield emitters, resulting in lower
weight and more flexibility in movement, no Biotic Amp signa degredation and no Omnitool lag.
Medium - Dura-Tanium layers and Shield emitters are higher in this category causing higher weights and impaired movements,
Biotic Amp signal degredation and lag with Omnitools.
Heavy - With the most layers of Dura-Tanium and the highest number of emitters, these armors are inflexible and cause heavy Biotic
Amp signal degradation and large Omnitool lag.
Types
Field Vest - This type covers the torso, shoulders and upper arms, but does not include a helmet.
Body Armor - These armors have increased protection of the torso, shoulders, upper arms and thighs. some include helmets but not
all.
Combat Suits - With a helmet that can be sealed against vaccum with 10 minutes of breathable atmosphere standard, protection for
the torso, shoulders, upper and lower arms, hands thighs and shins, and boots that can be magnetized in zero G environments.
Light Armors
Explorer
Model: Devlon Industries Explorer Series
Type: Light Combat Suit
Scale: Character
Cost: 2,500 credits
Mod Slots: 0
DR: +3
KB: +3
Penalties: none
The Exlporer series by Devlon Industries is the most common form of armor for civilians. Its affordability and ease of use make it a
favorite for first-in colonists and anyone else not familiar with wearing armor.
Duelist
Model: Rosenkov Materials Duelist Series
Type: Light Body Armor
Scale: Character
Cost: 8,010 credits
Mod Slots: 1
DR: +7
KB: +3
Penalties: none
Rosenkov Materials' Duelist line is the armor of choice for most Tech's since the Damage Protection to price ratio is good, whilst the
Kinetic Barriers are low they usually supplement them with their own abilities.
Infiltrator
Model: Aldrin Labs Infiltrator Series
Type: Light Combat Suit
Scale: Character
Cost: 27,630 credits
Availability: Rare
Mod Slots: 2
DR: +8
KB: +6
Penalties: none
The Aldrin Labs Infiltrator line is standard issue on the Citadel for most of the Presidium's guards since it offers excellent protection
and ease of use and doesn't interfere with Biotic Amps or Omnitools.
Medium Armors
Guardian
Model: Vendren Creations Guardian Series
Type: Medium Field Vest
Scale: Character
Cost: 975 credits
Mod Slots: 1
DR: +6
KB: +3
Penalties: -3 Dex/Str skills; -6 Biotic Talents; -6 Tech Talents
The Guardian series armors are standard issue with most of the civilian law enforcement agencies throughout Citadel Space, which
usually slot a Shield Modulator into the armor's mod slot.
Mercenary
Model: Ekoss Combine Mercenary Series
Type: Medium Body Armor
Scale: Character
Cost: 3,100 credits
Mod Slots: 1
DR: +6
KB: +6
Penalties: -6 Dex/Str Skills; -9 Biotic Talents; -9 Tech Talents
Originally designed for the Turian mercenary lord Grevan Kerinshon, Ekoss Combine was unable to deliver it before his so-called
untimely death. It has since become a favorite armor of bounty hunters and mercenary organizations in the Attican Traverse.
Gladiator
Model: Arena Archetypes Gladiator Series
Type: Heavy Combat Suit
Scale: Character
Availability: Rare
Mod Slots: 2
DR: +8
KB: +9
Arena Archetypes began creating the Gladiator series armors for the Batarian games. Being a Volus company, when the Batarian
left the Citadel and shunned the council and its conventions, the company had no other option than to sell this armor on the open
market. Lucky for them, it has since become a prime armor choice for riot police among the Turian Hierarchy's territories.
Heavy Armors
Colossus
Model: Aldrin Labs Colossus Series
Type: Heavy Field Vest
Scale: Character
Cost: 8,935 credits
Mod Slots: 2
DR: +9
KB: +9
Penalties: -9 Dex/Str skills; -15 Biotic Talents; -15 Tech Talents
With the success of the Explorer series, some more fringe colony projects asked for a sturdier armor, the result is the Colossus line
which is now standard issue to all first-in colonist amongst the Systems Alliance.
Titan
Model: Rosenkov Materials Titan Series
Type: Heavy Body Armor
Scale: Character
Cost: 7,890 credits
Mod Slots: 2
DR: +12
KB: +6
This series of armors forgoes more shield emitters for increased layers of Dura-Tanium and the resulting stopping power it offers.
Juggernaught
Model: Talmarr LLC Juggernaught Series
Type: Heavy Combat Suit
Scale: Character
Availability: Rare
Mod Slots: 3
DR: +13
KB: +12
The Juggernaught series of armors, created by the reclusive Talmarr LLC is hard to come by, but any soldier that is lucky enough to
get their hands on a suit has their life expectancy increased tenfold just by wearing it. Believed to be modeled after the mercenary
Talon's own suit.
Armor Table
Armor Manufacturer C DR KB Tech/Biotic MS Human Krogan Quarian Turian Price
Thermal Devlon Industries LA 3 3 0 1 No No No Yes 250
Liberator Devlon Industries LA 3 4 0 2 Yes Yes Yes Yes 2500
Hydra Aldrin Labs LA 3 6 0 1 Yes No Yes No 2600
Duelist Elanus Risk Control LA 7 3 0 1 Yes No No Yes 8010
Guardian Elanus Risk Control MA 6 3 -3Dex/Str,-6Bi/Tc 1 Yes Yes No Yes 975
Mercenary Ariake Technologies MA 6 8 -6Dex/Str,-9Bi/Tc 1 Yes Yes No Yes 3010
Mantis Hahne-Kedar MA 6 9 -6Dex/Str,-9Bi/Tc 1 Yes Yes No Yes 4150
Scorpion Hahne-Kedar MA 7 9 -6Dex/Str,-9Bi/Tc 2 Yes Yes No Yes 6050
Ursa Hahne-Kedar HA 9 9 -9Dex/Str,-15Bi/Tc 2 Yes Yes No Yes 1935
Titan Rosenkov Materials HA 12 6 -9Dex/Str,-15Bi/Tc 2 Yes Yes No Yes 7890
Explorer Devlon Industries LS 3 3 0 0 Yes Yes Yes Yes 2500
Survivor Devlon Industries LS 3 4 0 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes 5240
Onyx Aldrin Labs LS 3 5 0 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes 6830
Phoenix Sirta Foundation LS 3 7 0 1 Yes Yes Yes Yes 8010
Predator Hahne-Kedar LS 6 9 0 2 Yes Yes No Yes 11240
Assassin Elkoss Combine LS 7 9 0 2 Yes No No Yes 23570
Infiltrator Aldrin Labs LS 8 6 0 2 Yes No Yes Yes 27630
Silverback Hahne-Kedar MS 6 9 -6Dex/Str,-9Bi/Tc 2 No No No Yes 9050
Gladiator Elkoss Combine MS 8 9 -6Dex/Str,-9Bi/Tc 2 Yes No No No 43850
Predator X Armax Arsenal MS 9 12 -6Dex/Str,-9Bi/Tc 3 Yes Yes No Yes 110250
Colossus Kassa Fabrication HS 9 9 -9Dex/Str,-15Bi/Tc 2 Yes Yes Yes Yes 8935
Warlord Elanus Risk Control HS 12 12 -9Dex/Str,-24Bi/Tc 3 No Yes No No 91310
General Equipment
Carbon Thread
Cost: 100 credits
25m of high grade steel twine with a comfortable layer of rubber surrounding it makes Carbon Thread the most highly valued "rope"
in Citadel Space. It can sustain a weight of 250kg without breaking.
Field Backpack
Cost: 550 credits
A durable an lightweight backpack with a micro-sized Mass Effect field allows for easy and comfortable carrying of heavy weights.
When activated, the field reduces the weight of all objects within it by 1/2 for up to three hours.
Space Tape 2
Cost: 50 credits
Availability: Extremely Common
Developed by Talmar LLC, Space Tape 2 is a high grade synth-tape with a layer of molecular bonding glue on one side. When
applied to a surface the glue begins to adhere on the atomic level creating a seal that is almost permanent and can be used to seal
small to medium hull breaches. Because of a few incidents, Space Tape 2 does not bond to organic tissues, dramatically lowering
the chance of lost fingers or thumbs while applying.
Rebreather
Cost: 250 credits
A plastic facemask that covers the nose and mouth of most humanoid species, it creates a seal and has enough breathable
atmosphere for 20 minutes.
Medigel
Cost: 25 credits
Basically Medigel is a substance which after being applied on a wound, heels it much faster than naturally, for every Medigel heal 3
hit points.
Omnitools
Omnitools are handheld devices that combine a computer micro frame, sensor analysis pack, and manufacturing fabricator.
Versatile and reliable, an Omnitool can be used to analyze and adjust the functionality of most standard equipment, including
weapons and armor, from a distance. The fabrication module can rapidly assemble small three-dimensional objects from common,
reusable industrial plastics, ceramics and light alloys. This allows for field repairs and modifications to most standard items, as well
as reuse of salvaged equipment. Omnitools are needed for all Tech based skills (basic and advanced) and all Tech Talents. A
character without an Omnitool suffers -6 to all Tech skills and cannot use Tech Talents.
Though a basic Omnitool functions the same as a more sophisticated version, the more expensive ones can help the tech work
faster and more efficiently. Some of the most high end Omnitools even have mod slots. A character may have more than one
Omnitool on them, but only one may be active at a time. It takes no time to shut one Omnitool down and start another up, but its
takes the new one 30 seconds (5 rounds) to build the holographic interface and begin functioning, until then the character cannot use
Tech skills, basic, specialized or advanced, or Talents and the tools bonuses do not begin until the interface is finished initializing.
Basic Omnitool
Cost: 25 credits
Tech Skill Bonus: none
Tech Talent Bonus: none
Mod Slots: 0
The basic Omnitool created by Ariake Technologies offers a typical suite for use with modern technologies.
Bluewire Tool
Cost: 815 credits
Tech Skill Bonus: +2
Tech Talent Bonus: +2
Mod Slots: 0
A more advanced offering from Sirta Foundation, it has enhanced interfaces with over 200,000 repair schematics for
standardtechnology repairs. It also comes with a suite of tools for blocking and disrupting Biotic Amp signals.
Dirktooth Interface
Cost: 2,595 credits
Tech Skill Bonus: +6 to all "repair" skills
Mod Slots: 1
Created to quickly diagnose common issues with modern technology, the Dirktooth line is a favorite of repair Techs, both civilian and
military.
Psyche Blaster 9000

Cost: 2,890 credits
Mod Slots: 1
The name earns quite a few raised eyebrows amongst the tech community in Citadel Space. Though its a more ridiculous
title to have, none-the-less, this Omnitool is excellent at what it does: specifically it forgoes any processing power or memory
storage space for more mundane repair and likewise schematics to have a remote x-ray unit to see where a Biotic's Amps are
situated, a diagnostic suite for all known Amps of a each race and many other tools for fighting BIotics.
Logic Arrest Tool

Mod Slots: 2
Availability: Rare
Created by Aldrin Labs, the Logic Arrest Tool enhances the power of an Omnitool, increasing a Tech Specialists abilities and with
over 1 million schematics and faster processors and a suite of diagnostic tools, it makes the average Tech's job that much easier.
Even with a high price and low availability it is one of the most sought after Omnitool in Citadel space.
CyberTronics Master-tool
Cost: +9 - 17,500; +12- 27,300; +15 - 40,000+
Tech Skill Bonus: special
Tech Talent Bonus: special
Mod Slots: 2
Availability: Extremely Rare
The Talmarr LLC CyberTronics Master-tool is unique to each individual that owns one. When purchased the tool arrives "blank" with
a certain amount of points to distribute anyway between Tech Skills and Tech Talent Bonuses. For Example, if someone purchases
a "+15" model, they can have +6 Tech Skills and +9 Tech Talents; +12 Tech Skills and +3 Tech Talents; or +15 Tech Skills and +0
Tech Talents. Once the "points" spread is chosen it cannot be changed again. Though a used CyberTronics tool is still highly useful,
it is not unique to the new owner and has whatever points spread the original owner chose.
Wetwire
Wetwire is a small attachment that hooks around the ear or at the base of head, plugging into existing implant and increases the
signal generation and response time of internal amplifiers, which can get more powerful effects. A character can have only one
Wetwire active at a time and it takes 5 minutes for a new one to synch with the characters internal Amps.
Polaris
Biotic Attribute Bonus: +3 to one Biotic Talent
The Polaris Wetwire created by Kassa Fabrication, a human controlled corporation that is known to make the finest body armor in
Citadel Space, is considered basic compared to others, but being the lowest price on the mass market makes it easier to obtain.
The Polaris line comes in three version, one designed to increase a character's sensitivity to each Biotic Attribute and is chosen
when the item is made. A Difficult biotic amp repair roll can reset the Wetwire so it can effect a new talent. This takes 20 minutes and
requires a the use of a Workbench. You do not gain a new Talent when this is applied.
Unity
Biotic Attribute Bonus: +6 for 3 Biotic Talents
Sirta Foundation's Unity amp increases the effectiveness of a Biotic Amp when using them against another character. When you roll
your skill dice with any Talent that requires another an opposed roll from a character, increase your roll by +6. Example, you have
Throw at +6 and roll versus a character, you would had +6 to your roll. If you used Throw against an object, you would not add the
dice.
Prodigy
Biotic Attribute Bonus: Special
Availability: Rare
The Asari manufacturing guild Armali Council is widely recognized as the finest created of Wetwire in Citadel Space and the Prodigy
line is said to be one of the best money can buy.
Special: Once per combat, you may maximize the effect of one of your Biotic Talents to its full effect, you may use it as if you had
rolled a 6 on all the dice beside the wild die .
Savant
Biotic Attribute Bonus: +9 to all Biotic Talents
Availability: Very Rare
An Asari consortium creates the Savant line of is considered the finest Wetwire you can purchase in Citadel Space, so powerful is it
that the Asari limit the sale to a handful per system and usually can only be found on the Citadel itself.
Modding
Now that you have your weapon, armor and various other paraphernalia, you may want to upgrade or customize it to your likings, to
suit different situations; weapons that fire particular ammo for different enemies, armor that protects from Biotics, increases your
hand-to-hand damage, even adding tech specs to your Omnitool to fix exotic engines on a ship you've never been on before. This is
modding. What exactly do we mean by mod slots, mods and modding? As explained earlier, modding is the act of upgrading an item
to suit specific needs. Mod slots and mods are a little more complex.
Mod Slots are not actually little slits in your gear that accept chips to automatically change your weapons stats, what they are is
more a representation of how much and how sophisticated a weapon, armor or Omnitools modifications can be.
Mods can be barrel extenders, added batteries for shields, or an OSD filled with helpful tips and directions for fixing rovers for your
Omnitool. Mods can also be a chip that changes how your weapon processes its ammunition, but not always.
Attaching and Swapping refer to the act of placing a mod in a piece of equipment that doesn't already have one or changing one
mod with another that's already in the item, respectively.
Mod Levels indicate the sophistication of a particular mod. For the most part, level 1 are easily Attached or Swapped but do not
greatly improve the items; level 2 mods are the general choice because of the improvements they offer, the relative ease of their use
and moderate price; level 3 mods are the most expensive and change many aspects of the item and are difficult to apply, but they
offer the most impressive benefits. These require detailed knowledge of how mods work and finding a tech with the necessary skill
can be taxing. The price range is 15,000+ credits for the mod itself but can be higher if you have to pay someone else to install them.
All level 3 mods require a Workbench to attach or swap.
Workbenches are found almost everywhere in the galaxy, most notably on larger starships, in tech labs and in civilian electronic
stores. Workbenches don't just help with mods, they add +3 to any Tech roll using them. The standard Workbench includes VI
assisted instructions, more delicate tools and antistatic barriers to protect the items being worked on, more expensive benches have
better tools, faster processing of issues and various other items needed by techs.
Difficulties are dependant upon the level of the mod itself. To attach or swap a level 1 mod requires a Very Easy Tech or modding
roll, these can be switched at any time, even as part of your actions in a given combat rounds (called swapping on the fly) and do not
require a workbench; level 2 mods require a Tech: modding roll versus a Moderate difficulty, do not require a workbench yet may still
be attached or swapped on the fly; level 3 mods require a Very Difficult Tech: modding roll, a workbench and cannot be swapped on
the fly.Note: a character that does not have the modding skill cannot swap or attach level 3 mods.
Time Taken is dependant on the mod itself, but usually level 1 and 2 mods take between 1 round to attach or swap, while level 3
mods usually take between 5 minutes to a couple hours based on their sophistication. Your GM can change these times at will and
based on your current activities, IE in combat, at your workbench you know very well or sneaking into another person's lab and using
their tools while trying not be detected.
Weapon Mods
From increased processing power for your weapons onboard computer system that increase its targeting, a prototype barrel that
adds force to the ammunition and even a new scope for your sniper rifle are all types of mods for your weapon. These cover both
ranged and melee weapons, though they are not interchangeable.
Ranged Weapon Mods
Combat Optics can include ram for the processing of the onboard computer, uploaded schematics of the current area, even a live
feed of the weather conditions of your combat area, all of which increase your chance to successful hit your target.
Level 1: +2 to hit rolls with the modded weapon (Cost 1000 Credits)
Level 2: +4 to hit rolls with the modded weapon (Cost 3000 Credits)
Frictionless Materials mod a weapon to lower the heat generation when firing by replacing the normal slug box with metal that is
lighter and uses less energy to produce the same force, increasing your weapons rate of fire.
Level 1: Ignore Wild Die 5 result (Cost 1000 Credits)
Level 2: Ignore Wild Die 4 result (Cost 2500 Credits)
High Caliber Barrels either extend the length of the original weapons barrel or completely replaces it, though this increases the
damage of the weapon but subsequently lowers its Rate of Fire. Note: a weapon's Rate of Fire cannot be lowered below 1 through
modding.
Level 1: +1D damage and -3 to Skill (Cost 3000 Credits)
Shock Absorbers include stronger firewalls and increased sturdiness to protect it from the effects of Biotics, Techs and just plain old
wear.
Level 1: +2 Weapon Hardness (Cost 1000 Credits)
Level 2: +4 Weapon Hardness (Cost 2500 Credits)
Level 3: +6 Weapon Hardness and if the weapon would be destroyed by a Biotic or Tech Talent it instead shutdowns for 2 rounds
then can be reused. This effect cannot happen more than once a combat. (Cost 15000 Credits)
Kinetic Coils increase the accuracy of your weapon and its damage potential by totally replacing its barrel with one that has barrier
emitters along its entire length that remove any connection between the ammunition and the barrel.
Special: Kinetic Coils requires a weapon with at least 2 mod slots and takes up 2 slots for its own use.
Level 3: +6 to hit rolls and +2D to all damage rolls (Cost 30000 Credits)
Tungsten Rounds add a static charge to each round fired that damages electronics that can make your weapon more lethal against
synthetics such as the Geth or Combots.
Level 1: +1D damage vs Synthetics (Cost 2000 Credits)
Level 2: +2D damage vs Synthetics (Cost 4000 Credits)
Shredder Ammo changes the nature of each round so that it splinters on impact, sending shards of metal into the fleshy bits of the
target, increasing damage against organic targets like animals and people.
Level 1: +1D damage vs Organics (Cost 2000 Credits)
Level 2: +2D damage vs Organics (Cost 4000 Credits)
Phasic Rounds add a wobbling energy field to your weapons pellets that cause them to slow down at the very last moment to trick
an enemies Kinetic Barriers to misfire and not activate totally.
Level 2: -2D damage; your attacks ignore the targets KB (Cost 8000 Credits)
Electromagnetic Rounds create an electromagnetic pulse at the moment of impact that causes no damage to the target but can
disrupt their Omnitool and its uses.
Level 3: Weapon damage is reduced to 0; Moderate base Tech check or Omnitool and Tech Talents unuseable for 2 rounds.
Special: this mod requires a weapon with 3 Mod Slots and takes up all of them to function. (Cost 12000 Credits)
Antimatter Core duplicates the pellet, causing a normal matter round to hit the target first, squishing the antimatter pellet into it
causing antimatter annihilation for dramatic increases in damage and slightly increasing the heat caused while firing.
Special: this mod requires a weapon with 4 mod slots and takes up all the slots to function.
Level 3: +4D damage; -3 to Skill (Cost 30000 Credits)
Double Whammy is a prototype mod that replaces the barrel, slug box and targeting computers to allow the weapon
to fire twice each time, causing the first round to potentially increase the damage the of the second and usually confusing
the sensor suite of an armor's kinetic barriers, though it also increases the heat generated.
Special: this mod requires a weapon with at least 2 mod slots and takes 2 slots to function.
Level 3: Each time you successfully hit, roll your wild die twice, taking the higher of the two rolls. (Cost 18000 Credits)
Temperature Regulators have massive heat-sinks that not only increase the weapons Rate of Fire but also protect it
from extremes of external temperatures from the environment.
Special: this mod requires a weapon with at least 2 Mod slots but only takes a single slot to function.
Level 3: Reduces the penalty for the third shot ; +3D weapon hardness vs heat damage (Cost 16000 Credits)
High Exploisve Rounds coat each pellet with unstable uranium causing a relatively massive explosion that causes weapon
damage against enemies with range of the original target, though dramatically increasing heat generation.
Special: this mod requires a weapon with at least 3 Mod slots and takes up 2 slots to function.
Level 3: Rate of Fire reduced to weapon always overheats after the shot, it may not have its Rate of Fire increased; Roll
damage versus the target and any enemies within 2 meters of it. (Cost 30000 Credits)
Melee Weapon Mods
Feather Core is a fanciful name given to a mod that essentially makes the melee weapon lighter, allowing it to be swung faster for
quick defensive mauevers.
Level 1: +3 to melee parry (Cost 3000 Credits)
Level 2: +6 to melee parry (Cost 6000 Credits)
Magnetic Chain comes with a mesh that wraps around the hand you wield the weapon with and creates a magnetic link between
them, making it more difficult to knock the weapon loose. Higher levels increase the magnetic strength.
Level 1: +3 versus the Combat Talent Disarm (Cost 2000 Credits)
Level 2: +6 versus the Combat Talent Disarm (Cost 4000 Credits)
Level 3: Immune to the Disarm Combat Talent (Cost 10000 Credits)
Polonium Edge coats the blade in radiation, lowering its physical effects but causing severe damage to an organic target via the
irradiated Polonium. This Mod gives the weapon a slight green glow.
Special: this mod requires a weapon with 2 mod slots and takes up all the slots to function.
Level 3: -3D Damage; this weapon ignores the targets armor. (Cost 30000 Credits)
Viscious Blade laser etches the weapon increasing its damage, higher levels sharpen the weapon farther. These enhancements
may increase your melee damage beyond the weapon's max.
Level 1: +2 melee damage (Cost 2000 Credits)
Level 2: +1D melee damage (Cost 6000 Credits)
Level 3: +2D melee damage (Cost 12000 Credits)
Armor Mods
Whether increasing an armors Damage Protection by adding layers of Dura-Tanium, inserting Medigel emitters to hasten healing
during combat or bonding motorized joints to the exterior increasing run speed, and even adding foldable glider wings, armor mods
can make an already indispensable piece of equipment that much more useful. The mods themselves fall into three categories: Kits,
Modules and Exoskeletons. Kits can be added to any armor type since they incorporate changes centered around the chest piece.
Modules can only be added to Body Armors and Combat Suits since they either require additional anchor points or parts that Field
Vests don't cover like the legs or lower arms. Exoskeletons can only be added Combat Suits since they require many points to
anchor too and need coverings that even Body Armors don't cover.
Kits
Sneaking colors the armor a dark color that absorbs light causing no reflections. When used in a shadowy area or at
night, the suit helps hide the wearer from view.
Level 1: +3 Perception: hide (Cost 2000 Credits)
Level 2: +6 Perception: hide (Cost 4000 Credits)
Emergency Shields adds a small emergency generator that automatically boosts energy to your depleted shields. The
generator is a one-time shot and needs 10 minutes of recharging to be used again.
Level 1: When your shields fail, spend 1 action to regenerate +3 (Cost 4000 Credits)
Level 2: When your shields fail, spend 1 action to regenerate +6 (Cost 8000 Credits)
Ablative Coating increases the aftermarket layers of Dura-Tanium, increasing the armors physical protection.
Level 1: +1 DR (Cost 2000 Credits)
Level 2: +2 DR (Cost 4000 Credits)
Shield Regenerator adds ion cores to your shield batteries that increases the rate of regeneration.
Special: the Level 3 mod requires a weapon with 2 Mod Slots and both of them to function.
Level 1: +3 Shield Regeneration (Cost 3000 Credits)
Level 2: +6 Shield Regeneration (Cost 9000 Credits)
Level 3: No bonus regeneration, shields regenerate at normal at the end of each round, even if taking damage. (Cost 20000 Credits)
Shield Modulator increases the number of emitters on your suit allowing for greater protection versus modern ranged weaponary.
Level 1: +3 KB (Cost 6000 Credits)
Level 2: +6 KB (Cost 12000 Credits)
First Aid Interface places nozzle which can spray medigel when damage is taken to speed up healing and even numb areas so a
character can continue to act.
Level 2: Once per round, if you would take enough damage to become Lightly Wounded, ignore this effect, this consumes 1 unit
of Medigel. Also, if another character uses First Aid on you, they gain +3. (Cost 5000 Credits)
Modules
Glider adds a pair of hardened Dura-Tanium wings to the back of the suit, when activated they extend allowing for limited flight for a
short amount of time by dramatically lowering your overall mass. Without any means of propulsion however, this can only be used to
move downwards. The mass effect generators require 1 hour of recharging before they can be used again.
Level 2: Spend an action to deploy; when deployed, allows for 50m of Gliding before the mass effect generators fail.
Motorized Joints through the addition of micro-servos at prime locations such as the elbows, shoulders and knees, this
modification increases the force applied with a punch or kick, it also helps the character compensate for the weight and rigidity
of the armor so they can move easier.
Level 1: +3 Brawling Damage (Cost 3000 Credits)
Level 2: +6 Brawling Damage; reduces the penalties to your Dex/Str skills by 3 (Cost 18000 Credits)
Jet Pack much as the name implies, includes twin ion busters which can lift a character into the air, giving them controllable flight for
a few minutes before being refueled with element zero. This requires an action to ignite and the skill jet pack operation to
use.
Special: Refueling cost of the level 2 variant is 500 credits and the level 3 cost is 2,000. Each use burns 30 seconds of fuel even
if you do not fly that long. Also, both versions require a suit of armor with at least 2 mod slots, but only use 1 to function.
Level 2: Up to 2min of flight (Cost 2000 Credits)
Level 3: Up to 5min of flight (Cost 10000 Credits)
Scout Rotors compensate for different gravities while simultaneously taking advantage of it with micro jets for lower gravity worlds
and motors for high gravity worlds.
Level 2: +10 Movement by Low Gravity(.80G or less); +5 Movement by High Gravity (1.20G or more ) (Cost 6000 Credits)
Exoskeletons
Medical Exoskeleton takes stubbornness to a new level by incorporating not only Medigel nozzles, but also including servos that
operate as muscles weaken and injectors for synth-adrenaline which can keep a character sharp and active.
Special: This mod requires a suit of armor with at least 2 Mod Slots, taking both to function.
Level 2: Twice the round, if you become Lightly Wounded or Wounded, You gain +3 to all Dexterity and Strength skill rolls. If you
become Very Wounded increase the same rolls by +6.
Note: These bonuses only apply if you are injured, if you are healed they stop applying (Cost 18000 Credits)
Kinetic Exoskeleton the pinnacle of barrier mod design incorporates enhanced battery rechargers, stronger ion cores and smart
computing to make an armor's KB even more efficient.
Special: This Mod requires a suit of armor with at least 2 Mod Slot and taking both to function.
Level 3: +6 KB, +3 Shield Regeneration. Shields Regenerate each round regardless if damage is taken or not. (Cost 35000 Credits)
Crusher Exoskeleton series of mods was designed for the Batarian Arenas to make matches more bloody and violent and thus
more exciting. It adds power sources to run stronger servos that are installed throughout the suit, making impacts from brawling
attacks more lethal and allowing for easier movement.
Special: This mod requires a suit of armor with at least 2 Mod Slots, taking both to function.
Level 3: +6 brawling damage, reduces Dex/Str penalties by 6 and increases your movement rate by 2. (Cost 35000 Credits)
Starships
Starships are space craft capable of traveling between star systems, using mass relays and the FTL mass effect drive.
Larger Warships
Frigates
Frigates are small, fast ships used for patrolling and for screening larger vessels. On their own, frigates do not pack much of a
punch, but when operating in "wolf-pack flotillas", they can often overwhelm larger vessels. Geth dropships are classed as frigates.
Systems Alliance frigates are named after great battles of human history (Agincourt, Normandy). Frigates are capable of entering a
planet's atmosphere and landing on the surface, but must first deactivate their kinetic barriers for reentry.
Cruisers
Cruisers are middle-weight combatants, faster than dreadnoughts, and more heavily-armed than frigates. Cruisers are the standard
patrol unit, and often lead frigate flotillas. In the Alliance Navy, cruisers are named after Earth cities (New Delhi, Tokyo). Cruisers
normally cannot land on planets, but do possess the ability to land on low-gravity planets.
Carriers
Carriers are dreadnought-sized vessels which carry a large number of fighters. They are usually kept at a distance from any
engagement because they are not maneuverable enough to survive heavy bombardment. Alliance carriers are named after great
humans in history (Einstein).
Commander Shepard describes fighter carriers as an example of humanity demonstrating its ability to "think outside the box", which
is evidenced by the fact that the Systems Alliance was the first to field these vessels.
Dreadnoughts
Dreadnoughts are kilometer-long capital ships mounting heavy, long-range firepower. They are only deployed for the most vital
missions. A dreadnought's power lies in the length of its main gun. Dreadnoughts range from 800 meters to one kilometer long, with
a main gun of commensurate length. An 800-meter class accelerator is capable of accelerating one twenty-kilogram slug to a
velocity of 4025 km/s (1.3% the speed of light) every two seconds. Each slug has the kinetic energy of about 38 kilotons of TNT,
about two and a half times the energy released by the fission weapon that destroyed Hiroshima.
The Treaty of Farixen stipulates the amount of dreadnoughts a navy may own, with the turian peacekeeping fleet being allowed the
most. As of 2183, the turians had 37 dreadnoughts, the asari had 21, the salarians had 16, and the Alliance had 6 with another under
construction. During the year 2185, the dreadnought count is 39 turians, 20 asari, 16 salarians, and 8 humans. Alliance
dreadnoughts are named after mountains of Earth (Everest, Kilimanjaro).
Dreadnoughts are so large that it is impossible to safely land them on a planet, and must discharge their drive cores into the
magnetic field of a planet while in orbit. The decks of large vessels are arranged perpendicular to the ship's axis of thrust, so that the
"top" decks are towards the front of the ship and the "bottom" decks are towards the rear of the ship.
Small Military Vessels

Smaller vessels are exclusively used in a support role to the warships during combat:
FIGHTERS are one-man craft used to perform close-range attacks on enemy ships.
INTERCEPTORS are one-man craft optimized for destroying opposing fighters.
Starships: Freighters
Freighters are small to medium sized ships, mostly smaller than Cruisers. Used by traders, corporations, mercenaries or pirates,
their armor, weapons and drives vary.
Starships: Shuttles
Shuttles are rather very small craft used by military and commercial organizations. Mostly they have small range and no weapon
systems but some militarys like human System Alliance or Batarian Pirates like to use them as drop ships for their assault teams.
Starships: Quarian Liveships

There are few wide-open spaces in quarian spacecrafts; liveships are the exception. Each ship is a massive hydroponics facility,
growing thousands of tons of genetically modified staple crops under artificial light and in highly enriched soil.
The surface of a liveship is studded with docking bays so as many shuttles as possible can distribute the foods throughout the flotilla
on a daily basis. When received, the crops are sterilized with radiation, ground up into nutritious paste, and pumped into quarian
suits through feeding tubes. In return, waste products are that could be used as fertilizer or compost are returned to the liveships
through an efficient (if odorous) recycling program.
Liveships do not hold animals. The quarians consume a vegan diet, driven not by ethics but by practicality. Captive animals require
living space, and consume large amounts of water and plant matter. The quarians cannot afford such an inefficient resource-to-
calorie ratio, to say nothing of a live animal's disease or allergen potential. As a result, when the flotilla arrives in a star system where
life is based on the same dextro-amino acids that the quarians consume, pastes based on animal proteins fetch highly inflated
prices, and the vendors are typically mobbed by quarians wanting a new taste sensation. The sickness that often follows these
binges is treated much the same way as hangovers are in human culture; painful, but part of the overall experience of excess.
Space Combat
Space Combat: Combat Endurance
Heat limits the length and intensity of ship-to-ship combat. Starships generate enormous heat when they fire high-energy weapons,
perform maneuvering burns, and run on-board combat electronics.
In combat, warships produce heat more quickly than they can disperse it. As heat builds within a vessel, the crewed spaces become
increasingly uncomfortable. Before the heat reaches lethal leaves, a ship must win or retreat by entering FTL. After an FTL run, the
ships halts, shuts down non-essential systems, and activates the heat radiation gear.
Combat endurance varies by ship design and by the battle's location. Battles in the deep cold of interstellar space can go on for
some time. Engagements close to a star are brief. Since habitable worlds are usually close to a star, battles over them are usually
more frantic.
Space Combat: General Tactics

Shells lofted by surface navies crash back to earth when their acceleration is overwhelmed by gravity and air resistance. In space, a
projectile has unlimited range, it will keep moving until it hits something.
Practical gunnery range is determined by the velocity of the attacker's ordinance and the maneuverability of the target. Beyond a
certain range, a small ship's ability to dodge trumps a larger attacker's projectile speed. The largest-ranged combat occurs between
dreadnoughts, whose projectiles have the highest velocity but are the least maneuverable. The shortest-range combat is between
frigates, which have the slowest projectile velocities and highest maneuverability.
Opposing dreadnoughts open with main gun artillery duel at EXTREME ranges of tens of thousands of kilometers. The fleet close,
maintaining evasive lateral motion while keeping their bow guns facing the enemy. Fighters are launched and attempt to close to
disruptor torpedo range. Cautious admirals weaken the enemy with ranged fire and fighter strikes before committing to close action.
Aggressive commanders advance so cruisers and frigates can engage.
At LONG range, the main guns of cruisers become useful. Friendly interceptors engage enemy fighters until the attackers enter the
range of ship-based GARDIAN fire. Dreadnoughts fire from the rear, screened by smaller ships. Commanders must decide whether
to commit to a general melee or retreat into FTL.
At MEDIUM range, ships can use broadside guns. Fleets intermingle, and it becomes difficult to retreat in order. Ships with damaged
kinetic barriers are vulnerable to wolfpack1 frigate flotillas that speed through the battle space.
Only fighters and frigates enter CLOSE "knife fight" ranges of 10 or fewer kilometers. Fighters loose their disruptor torpedoes,
bringing down a ship's kinetic barriers and allowing it to be swarmed by frigates. GARDIAN lasers become viable weapons, swatting
down fighters and boiling away warship armor.
Neither dreadnoughts nor cruisers can use their main guns at close range; laying the bow on a moving target becomes impossible.
Superheated thruster exhaust becomes a hazard.
Space Combat: Planetary Assaults

Planetary assaults are complicated if the target is a habitable garden world; the attackers cannot approach the defenders straight on.
The Citadel Conventions prohibit the use of large kinetic impactors against habitable worlds. In a straight-on attack, any misses
plough into the planet behind the defending fleet. If the defenders position themselves between the attackers and the planet, they
can fire at will while the attacker risks hitting the planet. Successful assaults on garden worlds hinge upon up-to-date intelligence.
Attackers need to determine where the enemy's defenses are, so they may approach from an angle that allows them to fire with no
collateral damage. Note: this is not necessary for hostile worlds. Once control of orbit has been lost, defensive garrisons disperse
into the wilderness. An enemy with orbital superiority can bombard surface forces with impunity. The best option for defenders is to
hide and collect reconnaissance in anticipation of relief forces. Given the size of a planet, it is impractical to garrison entire
conquered worlds. Fortunately, colonization efforts tend to focus on building up a dozen or fewer areas. Ground forces occupy the
spaceports, industrial facilities, and major population centers. The wilderness is patrolled by unmanned aerial vehicles1 and satellite
reconnaissance. If a defender unit is spotted, airmobile rapid deployment units and satellite artillery are used to pin down and destroy
them.
Space Combat: Pursuit Tactics

Dependent on light, sensors cannot detect objects moving at a faster-than-light speeds. No ship can be detected at interstellar
ranges. Detection at interplanetary ranges suffers from light speed lag: observers see ships not where they appear to be but where
they were when the light bearing their image left them, minutes, hours, or days before. To counteract light speed lag, battle fleets
surround themselves with spheres of screen and scouting frigates.
Pursuers cannot detect ships and directly intercept them. Instead, pursuers track where objects were, where they were heading, and
at what speed they were moving. Such data reliably predicts an object's future location and for pursuit along its light-lagged "wake".
Ships trying to evade pursuit follow erratic zigzag courses, requiring pursuers to make stops to update their projections.
Space Combat: Trans-Relay Assaults

The crucial choice for any attack through mass relays is how to divide the fleet for transit. The accuracy of a relay's mass-projection
depends on the mass being moved and how far its going. Any long distance and/or high mass jump will see "drift". That is, a ship
may be hundreds or millions of kilometers from its intended drop point, in any direction from the relay. Distance can't be chosen by
admirals, but a relay is told how much mass to transit. For example, if told to move a million metric tons of mass, the relay will scan
the approach corridor, find four 250,000-ton freighters, and transit them together, maintaining their relative positions. A commander
has the option of moving his fleet as one large, coherent formation that may be wildly off-position, or breaking it up into many smaller
formations that will be individually closer to the intended attack point, but could be widely dispersed. Conservative assault doctrine
holds that fleets should be moved en masse, maintaining concentration of force and reducing the chances of collision. The only time
it is reasonable to split up a formation is during blockade running.
Starships: Crew Considerations
Cabins give each individual ten cubic meters of space. On larger vessels private rooms are common. As ships get smaller, the
number of crew packed into a single wardroom increases. Asari prefer shared spaces even on large vessels while krogan territorial
instincts make it impossible for them to cohabitate even on the largest ships. On smaller vessels, "hot bunking" is the norm. Crew
members are assigned different watches share the same bunk. When one gets off-duty, he wakes up the person in the bunk. While
that crewman is on duty, the first gets his rack time. Spacecraft compartments can be isolated by air-tight doors in case of
decompression. The cinematic version of explosive decompression is fiction; holed compartments either take enough damage that
the occupants are killed instantly, or leak slowly enough that they are able to reach protective gear. Compartments are equipped with
Emergency Life Supports Apparatus: fireproof plastic bubbles with air bottles. Small when stowed, ELSA comfortably accommodate
one individual inflated. Damage control procedure cuts off ventilation to burning compartments. Without oxygen to consume, fires die
in seconds. The compartment is re-pressurized afterward for crew recovery.
Mass effect fields create an artificial gravity (a-grav) plane below the decks, preventing muscle atrophy and bone loss in zero-gee.
Large vessels arrange their decks perpendicular to their thrust axis. The "highest" decks are at the bow, and the "lowest" decks at
the engines. This allows a-grav to work with the inertial effects of thrust. Ships that can land arrange their decks laterally, so the crew
can move about while the vessel is on the ground.
Warships normally turn off their a-grav systems during combat, reducing heat generated by systems and increasing combat
endurance. To provide a point of reference for navigating in zero-gee, floors are painted a different color from the walls and ceiling.
Vehicles: Combat Drones

Drones are small robots used to support and supplement organic soldiers on the battlefield. They have no artificial intelligence of any
kind, but follow fixed, minimally adaptive programs. Most varieties employ mass effect levitation to improve mobility. All modern
armies rely on veritable fleets of drones for routine soldiering (static garrisons, patrols, etc.). The use of drones in non-critical duties
keeps manpower need down and reduces casualties in low intensity conflicts. Less advanced races and cultures with less sensitivity
to casualties have correspondingly fewer drones in their inventory. Drones are of little use in conventional open field battles, as they
are poorly armed and armored. In addition to combat drones, support drones are used to assist organic units in the field.
Reconnaissance drones are small, stealthy craft that screen combat units in the field and warn commanders when enemies are
spotted. Electronic Warfare drones supplement battlefield technicians, serving as mobile jammers and ELINT (ELectronic
INTelligence) gathering platforms. Military and civilian police utilize "dazzler drones" equipped with powerful strobe lights to disorient
and subdue intruders using nonlethal force. Drone formations are officially referred to in wings (i.e., "Deploy the 4th Assault Drone
Wing on the left flank!"). Common soldiers often refer to friendly formations as flocks and enemy formations as swarms.
Starship Technology
Systems: Sensors
"Light lag" prevents sensing in real time at great distances. A ship firing its thrusters at the Charon Relay can be easily detected from
Earth, 5.75 light-hours (six billion kilometers) away, but Earth will only see the event five hours and 45 minutes after it occurs. Due to
the light-speed limit, defenders can't see enemies coming until they have already arrived. Because there is FTL travel and
communications but no FTL sensors, frigates are crucial for scouting and picket duties.
Passive sensors are used for long-range detection, while active sensors obtain short-range, high quality targeting data.
Passive sensors include visual, thermo graphic, and radio detectors that watch and listen for objects in space. A powered ship emits
a great deal of energy; the heat of the life support systems; the radiation given off by power plants and electrical equipment; the
exhaust of the thrusters. Starships stand out plainly against the near-absolute zero background of space. Passive sensors can be
used during FTL travel, but incoming data is significantly distorted by the effect of the mass effect envelope and Doppler shift.
Active sensors are radars and high resolution ladars (LAser Detection And Ranging) that emit a "ping" of energy and "listen" for
return signals. Ladars have a narrower field of view than radar, but ladar resolution allows images of detected objects to be
assembled. Active sensors are useless when a ship is moving at FTL speeds.
Systems: Cyclonic Barrier Technology (CBT)

Cyclonic Barrier Technology (CBT) attempts to solve the higher-end limitations of traditional kinetic barriers. Traditional barriers
cannot block high-level kinetic energy attacks such as disruptor torpedoes because torpedo mass effect fields add mass. The CBT
violently slaps aside rather than halting incoming linear force. By rotationally firing their mass effect field projectors, ships create
rapidly oscillating kinetic barriers instead of static ones. Shooting through the CBT is like trying to shoot at a target inside a spinning
ball.
Significant drawbacks to current CBT configuration prevent its use on anything other than frigates and fighters. Its many high-
frequency sensors and emitters require frequent maintenance and replacement. A partially damaged CBT can endanger its operator,
who is surrounded by rotating mass effect fields skewing in unpredictable directions. Fortunately, if an emitter is damaged, the CBT
corrects to become a traditional shield array, a safety feature that makes it most effective during opening volleys.
Systems: Disruptor Torpedoes

Disruptor torpedoes are powered projectiles with warheads that create random and unstable mass effect fields when triggered.
These fields warp space-time in a localized area. The rapid asymmetrical mass changes cause the target to rip itself apart.
In flight, torpedoes use a mass-increasing field, making them too massive for enemy kinetic barriers to repulse. The extra mass gives
the torpedoes a very sluggish acceleration, making them easy prey for defensive GARDIAN weapons. So, torpedoes have to be
launched at very close range.
Torpedoes are the main anti-ship weapon used by fighters. They are launched from point-blank range in "ripple-fire" waves
reminiscent of the ancient Calliope rocket artillery launchers (thus their popular nickname "Callies"). By saturating defensive
GARDIAN systems with multiple targets, at least a few will get through.
Systems: GARDIAN
A ships' General ARea Defensive Integration Anti-spacecraft Network (GARDIAN) consists of anti-missile/anti-fighter laser turrets on
the exterior hull. Because these are under computer control, the gunnery control officer needs to do little beyond turn the system on
and designate targets as hostile.
Since lasers move at light speed, they cannot be dodged by anything moving at non-relativistic speeds. Unless the beam is aimed
poorly, it will always hit its target. In the early stages of a battle, the GARDIAN fire is 100% accurate. It is not 100% lethal, but it
doesn't have to be. Damaged fighters must break off for repairs.
Lasers are limited by diffraction. The beams "spread out", decreasing the energy density (watts per m2) the weapon can place on a
target. Any high-powered laser is a short-ranged weapon.
GARDIAN networks have another limitation: heat. Weapons-grade lasers require "cool-down" time, during which heat is transferred
to sinks or radiators. As lasers fire, heat builds within them, reducing damage, range, and accuracy.
Fighters attack in swarms. The first few WILL be hit by GARDIAN, but as the battle continues, the effects of laser overheat allow the
attacks to press ever closer to the ship. Constant use will burn out the laser.
GARDIAN lasers typically operate in infrared frequencies. Shorter frequencies would offer superior stopping power and range, but
degradation of focal arrays and mirrors would make them expensive to maintain, and most prefer mechanical reliability over leading-
edge performance where lives are concerned. Salarians, however, use near-ultraviolet frequency lasers with six times the range,
believing that having additional time to shoot down incoming missiles is more important.
Lasers are not blocked by the kinetic barriers of capital ships. However, the range of lasers limits their use to rare "knife fight"-range
ship-to-ship combat.
Systems: Javelin
The Javelin is an experimental close-assault weapon fitted on a handful of newer Alliance warships. It consists of a "rack" of two or
more disposable disruptor torpedo tubes bolted or magnetically "slung" on to a ships exterior armored hull. The torpedoes are fired
on converging trajectories, and detonate in a precisely timed sequence that allows the dark energy emitted by their warheads to
resonate. This magnifies the resulting space-time warp effects.
Javelin mounts are most often fitted on swift frigates, which expect to enter "knife fight" torpedo ranges as a matter of course.
Javelins may also be fitted on heavier ships during short range engagements, such as trans-relay assaults. They are particularly
useful in this role for dreadnoughts, which are unable to lay their main guns on targets at close range.
Systems: Mass Accelerators
Mass accelerators propel solid metal slugs via electromagnetic attraction and repulsion. A slug lightened by a mass effect field can
be accelerated to extremely high speeds, permitting previously unattainable projectile velocities.
The primary determinant of a mass accelerator's destructive power is length. The longer the barrel, the longer the slug can be
accelerated, the higher the slug's final velocity, and therefore the greater its kinetic impact. Slugs are designed to squash or shatter
on impact, increasing the energy they transfer to it target. Without collapsibility, slugs would punch through their targets while
inflicting only minimal damage.
Rather than being mounted on the exterior, starship guns are housed inside hulls and visible only as gun portholes from outside.
A ship's main gun is a large spinal-mount weapon running 90% of the hull's length. While possessing destructive power equal to that
of tactical nuclear weapons, main guns are difficult to aim. Because ships must be able to point their bows almost directly at their
targets, main guns are best used for long-range "bombardment" fire.
Approximately 40% of the hull's width, broadside guns inflict less damage and can be mounted with greater numbers and more
flexibility. The modern human Kilimanjaro-class dreadnoughts mount three decks with 26 broadside accelerators apiece for a total
salvo weight of 78 slugs per side, firing once every two seconds.
However, mass accelerators produce recoil equal to their impact energy. While the mass effect fields suspending the rounds mitigate
the recoil, recoil shock can still rattle crews and damage systems.
Mechanics: Thrusters
A mass effect drive core decreases the mass of a bubble of space-time around a ship. This gives the ship the potential to move
quickly, but does not apply any motive power. Ships use their sublight thrusters for motive power in FTL. There are several varieties
of thruster, varying in performance versus economy. All ships are equipped with arrays of hydrogen-oxygen reaction control thrusters
for maneuvering.
Ion drives electrically accelerate charged particles as a reaction mass. They are extremely efficient, but produce negligible thrust.
They are mainly used for automated cargo barges.
The primary commercial engine is a "fusion torch", which vents the plasma of a ship's power plant. Fusion torches offer powerful
acceleration at the cost of difficult heat management. Torch fuel is fairly cheap: helium-3 skimmed from gas giants and deuterium
extracted from seawater or cometary bodies. Propellant is hydrogen, likewise skimmed from gas giants.
In combat, military vessels require accelerations beyond the capability of fusion torches. Warship thrusters inject antiprotons into a
reaction chamber filled with hydrogen. The matter-antimatter annihilation provides unmatched motive power. The drawback is fuel
production; antiprotons must be manufactured one particle at a time. Most antimatter production is done at massive solar arrays
orbiting energetic stars, making them high-value targets in wartime.
The exhaust of fusion and antiproton drives is measured in millions of degrees Celsius. Any vessel caught behind them will melt like
wax in a blowtorch.
Any long-duration interstellar flight consists of two phases: acceleration and deceleration. Starships accelerate to the half-way point
of their journey, then flip 180 degrees and apply thrust on the opposite vector, decelerating as they finish the trip. The engines are
always operating, and peak speed is attained at the middle of the flight.
Mechanics: Helios Thruster Module

Intended for next-generation fighter craft, the Heed Industries Helios Thruster Module propulsion system far outpaces the typical
liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen reactions that power a frigate's maneuvering thrusters. By using metastable metallic hydrogen, the
Helios boasts a fuel that burns at far greater efficiency than liquid H2/O2. Navigators can execute the numerous small course
corrections inherent to any long-distance travel without fear of exhausting the ship's fuel supplies. This net gain extends to forward
impulse as well: a ship powered by antiprotons can coast temporarily using the Heliios to reach an inferior but highly sustainable
speed. Such efficiency lowers antiproton consumption, a constant concern for any warship.
When a Helios-propelled ship must refuel, however, it typically relies on a large carrier or nearby planetary factory to synthesize the
metallic hydrogen. This process uses extremely dense mass effect fields to create the metal under pressures of over a million Earth
atmospheres, an activity most safely done while planetside. While that process may seem like a drawback compared to "skimmer
ships" that can gather hydrogen and oxygen from anywhere in the universe, the combat superiority of the Helios' maneuvering
capabilities is often a worthwhile trade-off. The same efficiency that allows for microburn course correction can power rapid bursts of
motion. Once a pilot becomes used to the ship's new energetic responses, she can easily put the ship wherever and at whatever
angle she desires.
Mechanics: Ablative Armor

A warship's kinetic barriers reduce the damage from solid objects, but can do nothing to block GARDIAN lasers, particle beams, and
other forms of Directed Energy Weapon (DEW). The inner layer of warship protection consists of ablative armor plate designed to
"boil away" when heated. The vaporized armor material scatters a DEW beam, rendering it ineffectual.
A scaffold was built around the interior pressure hull, with sheets of ablative armor hung from the structure. Ships typically have
multiple layers of armor separated by empty baffles, spaces often used for cargo storage. Cruisers, which lack the internal space to
fit dedicated fighter hangers, store the shipboard fighter complement in the baffles. It is not unknown for enlisted crew to build illicit
alcohol distilleries in some obscure corner of the baffles, safe from prying eyes.
Mechanics: Silaris Armor

Asari-made Silaris armor can resist even the tremendous heat and kinetic energy of starship weapons. The armor is nearly
unsurpassed in strength because its central material, carbon nanotube sheets woven with diamond Chemical Vapor Depostion, are
crushed by mass effect fields into super-dense layers able to withstand extreme temperatures. That process also compensates for
diamond's brittleness.
Diamond armor itself has two limiting disadvantages. First, while nanotubes and CVD-dimaond construction have become cheaper in
recent years, it remains prohibitively expensive to coat starships or aircraft larger than fighters in Silaris material. Second, the armor
must be attached to the ship's superstructure, so shock waves from massive firepower can still destroy the metals beneath the armor
itself.
A popular misconception holds that the diamond composition of Silaris armor gives it a sparkle. In fact, atmospheric nitrogen
impurities during the super-hot forging process give the armor a metallic gray or yellow sheen.
Mechanics: FTL Drive

Faster-than-light drives use element zero cores to reduce the mass of a ship, allowing higher rates of acceleration. This effectively
raises the speed of light within the mass effect field, allowing high speed travel with negligible relativistic time dilation1 effects.
Starships still require conventional thrusters (chemical rockets, commercial fusion torch, economy ion engine, or military antiproton
drive) in addition to the FTL drive core. With only a core, a ship has no motive power. The amount of element zero and power
required for a drive increases exponentially to the mass being moved and the degree it is being lightened. Very massive ships or
very high speeds are prohibitively expensive. If the field collapses while the ship is moving at faster-than-light speeds, the effects are
catastrophic. The ship is snapped back to sublight velocity, the enormous excess energy shed in the form of lethal Cherenkov
radiation.
FTL Drive: Appearance
New space travelers ask, "What does it look like outside a ship moving faster-than-light speed?" Part of the answer can be seen in a
simple pane of glass. Light travels slower through glass than it does through open air; light also moves slower in conventional space
than it does in a high-speed mass effect field. This causes refraction - any light entering at an angle is bent and separated into a
spectrum. Objects outside the ship will appear refracted. The greater the difference between the objective (exterior) and subjective
(interior) speeds of light, the greater the refraction. As the subjective speed of light is raised within the field, objects outside will
appear to red-shift, eventually becoming visible only to radio telescope antennae. High-energy electromagnetic1 sources normally
hidden to the eye become visible in the high blue spectrum. As the speed of light continues to be raised, x-ray, gamma ray, and
eventually cosmic ray sources become visible. Stars will be replaced by pulsars1, the accretion discs1 of black holes1, quasars1, and
gamma ray bursts1. To an outside observer, a ship within a mass effect drive envelope appears blue-shifted. If within a field that
allows travel at twice the speed of light, any radiation it emits has twice the energy as normal. If the ship is in a field of about 200
times light speed, it radiates visible light as x-rays and gamma rays, and the infrared heat from the hull is blue-shifted up into the
visible spectrum or higher. Ships moving at FTL are visible at great distances, though their signature will only propagate at the speed
of light.
FTL Drive: Drive Charge
As positive or negative electric current is passed through an FTL drive core, it acquires a static electrical charge. Drives can be
operated an average of 50 hours before they reach charge saturation. This changes proportionally to the magnitude of mass
reduction; a heavier or faster ship reaches saturation more quickly.
If the charge is allowed to build, the core will discharge into the hull of a ship. All ungrounded crew members are fried to a crisp, all
electronic system are burned out, and metal bulkheads may be melted and fused together. The safest way to discharge a core is to
land on a planet and establish a connection to the ground, like a lightning rod. Larger vessels like dreadnoughts cannot land and
must discharge into a planetary magnetic field1. As the hull discharges, sheets of lightning jump away into the field, creating
beautiful auroral displays on the planet. The ship must retract its sensors and weapons while dumping charge to prevent damage,
leaving it blind and helpless. Discharging at a moon with a weak magnetic field can take days. Discharging into the powerful field of a
gas giant may require less than an hour. Deep space facilities such as the Citadel often have special discharge facilities for visiting
ships.
Mechanics: Heat Management
Dispersal of heat generated by onboard systems is a critical issue for a ship. If it cannot deal with heat, the crew may be cooked
within the hull.
Radiation is the only way to shed heat in a vacuum. Civilian vessels utilize large, fragile radiator panels that are impossible to armor.
Warships use Diffuse Radiator Arrays (DRA), ceramic strips along the exterior of the armored hull. These make the ship appear
striped to thermographic sensors. Since the arrangement of the strips depends on the internal configuration of the ship, the patterns
for each vessel are unique and striking. On older ships, the DRA strips could become red- or white-hot. Dubbed "tiger stripes" or
"war paint" by humans, the glowing DRA had a psychological impact on pirates and irregular forces.
Strip radiators are not as efficient as panels, but if damaged by enemy fire, the ship only loses a small portion of its total radiation
capacity. In most cases, a vessel's DRA alone allows it to cruise with no difficulties. Operations deep within solar systems can cause
problems.
A ship engaged in combat can produce titanic amounts of heat from maneuvering burns and weapons fire. When fighting in a high
heat environment, warships employ high-efficiency "droplet" heat sinks. In a droplet system, tanks of liquid sodium or lithium absorb
heat within the ship. The liquid is vented from spray nozzles near the bow as a thin sheet of millions of micrometer-scale droplets.
The droplets are caught at the stern and recycled into the system. A droplet system can sink 10-100 times as much heat as DRA
strips. Droplet sheets resemble a surface ship's wake through water. The wake peels out in sharp turns, spreading a fan of droplets
as the ship changes vectors and leaves the coolant behind.
Starhips
Alliance Systems Assault Shuttle
Type: Military Space Shuttle
Scale: Fighter/Shuttle
Length: 20 m
Crew: 1+1 gunner
Passengers: 12
Consumables: 2 Months
Cargo Capacity: 50 Tons
FTL Speed: 33
Charge Saturation: 70 h
Discharge: 3 h
Atmosphere: 350; 900kmh
Speed: 6
Armor: 12
Kinetic Barriers: 9
Sensors:
Passive: (Thermographic/Radio/FTL) 90
Active: (Imaging/Data) 15
Weapons:
Main Anti-infantry Cannon
Fire Arc: Lower Turret
Crew: 1 (or pilot at +2 Fire Control)
Skill: starship gunnery
Fire Control: +8 or +2
Atmosphere Range: 100 meters
Damage: 9D (character scale)
Mass Accelerator Cannon
Fire Arc: Forward
Crew: Pilot or Gunner
Skill: starship gunnery
Fire Control: +6
Space Range: 1-3/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5 km
Damage: 5D (fighter scale)
MASS EFFECT TIMELINE
Before Council Period
48,000 BCE (Approximate)
The Protheans, a galaxy-wide civilization linked by the mass relay network, mysteriously vanish, leaving only ruins and artifacts
behind. Archaeologists will later believe that they were destroyed in a cataclysm.
1900 BCE (Approximate)
Tuchanka, the Krogan homeworld, enters the nuclear age. In a global conflict, weapons of mass destruction are released, triggering
a nuclear winter. In the resulting devastation, Krogan society devolves into a collection of warring clans.
1800 BCE (Approximate)
A supernova propels one of the mass relays out of its position. The dense nebula formed by the supernova means the relay's
position is effectively lost.
580 BCE
After developing faster-than-light space-faring capabilities based upon Prothean technology, the Asari begin to explore the mass
relay network, and eventually discover the huge Citadel space station at a hub of many mass relays.
520 BCE
The Salarians discover the Citadel and open diplomatic relations with the Asari.
Early Council Period (500 BCE - 2100 CE)

500 BCE
The Citadel Council is formed. The Asari and Salarians together colonize the Citadel and establish it as a center of the galactic
community, led by the Council. This year is also known as 0 GS, the beginning of the Galactic Standard (GS) timeline.
As a gesture of openness with their new Asari allies, the Salarian Union opens the records of the League of One. Under threat, the
League responds by assassinating the whole inner cabinet of the Union; STG operatives then wipe out the League.
The Turian Unification War begins.
500 BCE - 1 CE (Approximate)
The Council races begin expanding the galactic community, opening first contact with other space-faring races and integrating them
into the Citadel. This is a period of rapid growth and occasional conflict.
First contact is made with the Volus although at first they are not permitted a permanent embassy on the Citadel. With their
participation, a single galactic currency - the credit - is eventually established, linking all galactic economies.
200 BCE (Exact)
The Council agrees to grant the Volus the honor of being the first species with an embassy at the Citadel, but not a Council seat.
200 BCE - 1 CE
The Batarians post an embassy, a century or more after first contact.
The Asari stumble into the Elcor system, and help them to locate and activate their nearest mass relay. "Within one Elcor lifetime"
they establish a regular trade route to the Citadel and soon post an embassy.
First contact is made with the Hanar and the Quarians. The Quarians post an embassy.
1 CE : The Rachni Wars

The Citadel Council first encounters the Rachni, a species of highly intelligent hive-minded insects. They are discovered when an
expedition opens a dormant mass relay to their star systems. The Rachni prove to be hostile and begin a war with the rest of the
galaxy. The Council cannot negotiate because they cannot contact the Rachni queens that live underground on the toxic Rachni
home worlds.
80 CE (Approximate)
The Rachni Wars continue. The Salarians transplant the primitive Krogan to another world and manipulate them into acting as
soldiers for the Citadel Council. The Krogan are able to survive the harsh environments of the Rachni worlds, and begin a strategy of
eradicating queens and eggs.
300 CE
The Rachni are declared extinct. In gratitude for their aid during the Rachni Wars, the Council grants the Krogan a new homeworld.
Free of the harsh environment of Tuchanka, the Krogan population explodes.
300-700 CE (Approximate)
The Krogan begin to expand exponentially, colonizing many new worlds. Growing concerns about their expansion lead to the
founding of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel.
700 CE : The Krogan Rebellions

Krogan warlords leverage veterans of the Rachni Wars to annex territory from others in Citadel space. Eventually the Council
demands withdrawal from the Asari colony of Lusia, but the Krogan refuse. A pre-emptive strike is made on Krogan infrastructures
by the Council, using the newly-created Specters. The Krogan Rebellions begin.
First contact is made with the Turians. In response to Krogan threats, they declare war. After the Krogan devastate Turian colonies
with weapons of mass destruction, the Turians respond with a Salarian-engineered biological weapon, known as the genophage.
The Krogan population starts its decline.
The Turians accept the Volus as a client race within the Hierarchy.
800 CE
The Krogan Rebellions end. The Turians begin to fill the military and peacekeeping niche left by the decimated Krogan.
The Citadel Conventions are eventually drawn up, in the wake of the conflict.
900 CE
The Turians are granted a place on the Citadel Council, and their fleet acts as a galactic peacekeeping force.
1600 CE (Approximate)
First sightings are made of the Collectors, from the Omega-4 mass relay in the Terminus Systems. Little is known about this
enigmatic race, and most Council races dismiss stories of them as urban legends.
1900 CE (Approximate): The Geth War
The Quarians create the Geth, intended to be a source of cheap labor. The Quarians notice Geth showing signs of self awareness,
and plan to destroy them before they become a menace. The Geth start a rebellion against their Quarian masters and, in the
resulting war, reduce the Quarians to a species of space faring nomads aboard the Migrant Fleet. Contrary to expectations, the Geth
do not venture outside the former Quarian star systems, instead isolating themselves from the rest of the galaxy behind the Perseus
Veil. In punishment for their actions, the Citadel Council closes the Quarian embassy on the Citadel.
1900 CE-2100 CE
The galactic community continues to expand. With the exception of the Geth War, this period is a time of peace and prosperity.
Contemporary Period (2069 CE - 2155 CE)

2069 CE
July 20: Armstrong Outpost at Shackleton Crater is formally founded as the first human settlement on Luna, on the 100th anniversary
of the first lunar landing.
2103 CE
The European Space Agency's Lowell City in Eos Chasma becomes the first permanent human settlement on Mars.
2137 CE
Ashland Energy Corporation demonstrates helium-3 fuel extraction from the atmosphere of Saturn.
2142 CE
Construction of Gagarin Station (Jump Zero) begins beyond the orbit of Pluto.
2147 CE
Trace amounts of element zero are discovered on Mars.
2148 CE
Humanity discovers a small cache of highly advanced Prothean technology hidden deep beneath the surface of Mars on the south
polar region of Promethei Planum. Building on the remnants of this long extinct race, humans quickly explore the science of mass
effect fields, leading to the development of faster than light travel and beginning detailed exploration of the solar system.
2149 CE
Following information from the translated data cache on Mars, humans discover that Charon, Pluto's moon, is actually a massive
piece of dormant Prothean technology - a mass relay - encased in ice. Once activated, Jon Grissom leads the first team of explorers
through the relay. They discover that the Charon Relay allows instantaneous travel across thousands of light-years to a
synchronized mass relay in another part of the galaxy. The Systems Alliance charter is signed by the eighteen largest nations on
Earth. The Alliance soon becomes the military and exploratory spearhead of humanity.
2151 CE
To defend its rapidly expanding empire, humanity assembles a massive fleet and begins construction of an enormous military space
station at Arcturus, at the nexus of several key mass relays... even though they have yet to encounter another intelligent space-faring
species. An accident at Singapore International Spaceport exposes a human population to dust-form element zero.
2152 CE
The Systems Alliance begins settlement of Earth's first extra-solar colony world, the planet Demeter. Roughly 30% of the children
born in Singapore after element zero exposure suffer from cancerous growths. A human colony is founded on Eden Prime.
2154 CE
The media on Earth covers a second accident where humans were exposed to element zero.
2155 CE
The Systems Alliance occupies completed portions of Arcturus Station as a headquarters.
Humanity's Rise (2156 CE - 2179 CE)
2156 CE
Arcturus Station is inaugurated.
A small number of human children exposed to element zero exhibit minor telekinetic abilities. A mass relay is discovered at Pluto.
2157 CE
Pluto's orbit becomes circularized as a result of mass relay operations.
The First Contact War
Humanity makes first contact with another space-faring culture: the Turians. Unfortunately, the encounter is far from peaceful. The
Turians find the human fleet attempting to activate a mass relay, something forbidden in galactic law after the Rachni Wars, and
attack. Over the next several months, a brief but tense conflict known on Earth as the First Contact War ensues. Finally General
Williams is forced to surrender the garrison at Shanxi to the Turians. Admiral Kastanie Drescher leads the Second Fleet against
Shanxi, catching the Turians by surprise and evicting them from the planet. The Turians gear for a full war against humanity, but this
draws the attention of the Citadel Council. The Council intervenes before hostilities escalate further, revealing the existence of the
greater galactic community to humanity and brokering a peace between them and the Turians.
2158 CE
Humans learn potential of biotics. An international effort to track element zero exposures begins. Roughly 10% of exposed children
show some sign of biotic ability.
2160 CE
Systems Alliance Parliament formed. With the existence of human biotics firmly established, the BAaT program is set up on Gagarin
Station to train potential candidates and develop biotic implants.
"Red sand", a biotic drug, is used for the first time.
2161 CE
Amid concerns over gene therapy and genetic modifications being misused, the Alliance Parliament passes the Sudham-Wolcott
Genetic Heritage Act.
2162 CE
Construction of Arcturus Station is completed.
2163 CE
First experimental 'L1' biotic implants used in humans.
The NDC founds a colony on Noveria.
The Alliance begins charting the Voyager Cluster.
The Leviathan of Dis disappears, coinciding with the arrival of a Batarian dreadnought.
A survey team reports strange disturbances in the clouds of Logan. Upon investigation however, the signals disappear.
Second generation exposures by humans to element zero are orchestrated by the failure of drive systems over populated areas.
2165 CE
Humanity continues to expand, founding more colonies and establishing trade alliances with many of the other species who
recognize the authority of the Citadel Council. In 2165, the Council makes official recognition of humanity's growing power and
influence in the galactic community. Humanity is granted an embassy on the Citadel, the political and economic heart of the galaxy.
Tensions grow between humans and Batarians as they compete for territory in the Skyllian Verge.
The first human colony at Intai'sei is founded.
2167 CE
L2 biotic implants first developed and used in humans.
2170 CE
The human colony of Mindoir is attacked by Batarian slavers. Many colonists are killed or captured. Another human colony, Yandoa,
suffers catastrophic dust-form element zero exposure to its atmosphere when an Eldfell-Ashland Energy ship explodes in orbit. Many
children suffer birth defects; thirty-seven biotic children are born, including Gillian Grayson. Biotic training for humans is outsourced
to the military, to selected R&D companies, and to renamed divisions of the Conatix Industries.
L3 biotic implants are developed after the L2 implants prove to be dangerous.
2171 CE
In protest at the Council's refusal to check human expansion in the Skyllian Verge, the Batarians close their embassy, withdraw into
their home systems, and effectively become a rogue state.
2173 CE
A fly-by over the world of Armeni discovers odd surface protrusions. Upon closer inspection, they turn out to be elaborate crypts for
the Zeioph, a now extinct former space-faring race. Various human universities seek to perform excavation. Council Law forbids this
however, and a debate ensures.
2176 CE
Batarian-funded pirates and criminals launch a surprise attack on the human colony of Elysium, later known as the Skyllian Blitz. The
assault is repulsed by the Alliance Navy and ground teams. The Jon Grissom Academy is commissioned over Elysium, and
becomes home to the Alliance's new biotic training program, the Ascension Project.
2178 CE
The Alliance tracks several pirate FTL exit vectors during the 'Theshaca Raids'. In retaliation for the Skyllian Blitz, the Alliance
launches a major offensive against the moon of Torfan and destroys the criminal bases there, mostly populated by Batarians. The
threat against human colonies from Batarian extremists is curtailed. ExoGeni Corporation announces its decision to settle the world
of Feros.
2179 CE
A colony on Proteus is founded.
2183 CE
Humans and Turians collaborate on an engineering project co-founded by the Citadel Council - an experimental frigate with a
prototype stealth system, the SSV Normandy.
Saren Arterius's attack on Eden Prime is revealed to be part of a larger plan orchestrated by Sovereign, a Reaper seeking to return
the rest of its brethren to the galaxy. After suffering a vision from a Prothean Beacon, Commander Shepard and the crew of the SSV
Normandy track Saren, uncover the truth behind the Conduit, and defeat Saren and his Geth army aboard the Citadel while the
Alliance Navy takes on Sovereign. The Citadel Council is irrevocably changed by Shepard's decisions.
The events of Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station occur.
2184 CE
L4 biotic implants are developed.
MORE TO COME!

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1|MASS EFFECT LeDition

2|MASS EFFECT LeDition

3|MASS EFFECT LeDition

Wild Die Using Melee Combat Skills

4|MASS EFFECT LeDition

5|MASS EFFECT LeDition

6|MASS EFFECT LeDition

7|MASS EFFECT LeDition

8|MASS EFFECT LeDition

9|MASS EFFECT LeDition

Homeworld: Bataria Prime

Homeworld: Kahje (actual homeworld Rakhana)

At character creation you can choose Powers based on these factors:

During game play it costs 5 Character Points to learn a new Talent.

A Character without a Biotic Amp cannot use Biotic Talents.

Almost all races have a beginning maximum of 2D in Biotics Attribute.

Combat Talents List

Tech Talent List

Name/Manufacturer Cost Av MS Range Damage

Name/Manufacturer Cost Av MS Range Damage

Name/Manufacturer Cost Av MS Range Damage

Swords and Cleavers

Psyche Blaster 9000

Logic Arrest Tool

Small Military Vessels

Starships: Quarian Liveships

Space Combat: General Tactics

Space Combat: Planetary Assaults

Space Combat: Pursuit Tactics

Space Combat: Trans-Relay Assaults

Vehicles: Combat Drones

Systems: Cyclonic Barrier Technology (CBT)

Systems: Disruptor Torpedoes

Mechanics: Helios Thruster Module

Mechanics: Ablative Armor

Mechanics: Silaris Armor

Mechanics: FTL Drive

Early Council Period (500 BCE - 2100 CE)

1 CE : The Rachni Wars

700 CE : The Krogan Rebellions

Contemporary Period (2069 CE - 2155 CE)

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