During the era of the Galactic Federation, as the aristocracy became more concerned with internal politics and personal prestige, more and more of the actual running of economy and industry of the Galaxy fell to private entities, who often petitioned the Galactic Senate for, and gained, monopolistic control of certain aspects of the Galaxy. Soon, the leadership of these Galactic Megacorporations became a sort of “middle nobility,” greater than the common man by dint of their sheer wealth, but not quite as prestigious as the actual Maradonian Houses.
The rise of the Emperor changed the shape of their power. The Emperor seemed to move against the corporations, breaking many up and collecting them into the Imperial Combine which the Ministry began to run directly, but in practice, the chief executives of these companies retained a great deal of power. And in the Alliance, the nobility needed the industry of the corporations even more, and so directly invited them into their senate as sovereign powers.
Today, the owners of these corporations and their family remain in something of a limbo between the common man and the aristocracy. They often get invited to the most prestigious parties and enjoy access to the finest toys their corporation can buy, but they lack the breeding and class of the true nobility: no ancient legacy of psychic power and cosmic destiny impels them to greatness. In contrast to the aristocracy, they tend to be greedier, less virtuous, more cowardly, and useless in a fight, but they also have far greater freedom to innovate and explore and to live their lives unhindered by aristocratic expectations.
Corporate Heir
26 points
Traits: Heir (Corporate) [1]; Status +2 [5*]; Wealthy [20];
Skills: Spend additional discretionary points on Carousing (E) HT+1 [2], Sex-Appeal (A) HT [2], Current Affairs (Business, High Culture, Politics or Science and Technology), Games (Any), or Savoir-Faire (High Society) all (E) IQ+1 [2], Administration, Gambling, Leadership, Merchant, Politics, Propaganda, Public Speaking all (A) IQ [2] or Accounting (H) IQ-1 [2]
Additional Traits: Spend any additional discretionary points on Alcohol Tolerance [1], Appearance (Attractive or Beautiful, both Off-the-Shelf) [2 or 6], Business Acumen [10/level], Contact (Wealthy friend, fellow noble, politician, skill 12, 15 or 8, 9 or less, somewhat reliable) [1, 2 or 3], Contact Group (Businessmen, Politicians or Nobles) (Skill 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less) [5, 10, 15), Cheaper Gear (Corporation) [1], Courtesy Rank (Corporate) [1/level], Cutting Edge Gear (Corporation) [1], Fashion Sense [5], Favor (Any) [varies], No Hangovers [1], Patron (Corporate Owner) [varies], Permit [1], Rank (Corporate) up to 4 [5/level], Security Clearance (Corporate) [5 to 15], Signature Gear (Corporate toys) [varies], Trivial Reputation (Celebrity, "Famous for being Famous") [1/level], Versatile [5], or gain additional Wealth [varies]
Optional Disadvantages: Add the following disadvantage options to your template: -1 ST [-5], Addiction (Any) [Varies], Alcoholism [-15], Bully [-10*], Code of Honor (Professional) [-5]; Charitable [-15*], Chummy or Gregarious [-5 or -10], Compulsive Carousing [-5*], Cowardice [-10*], Curious [-5*], Debt [varies], Duty (Corporation, usually Non-Hazardous) [varies]; Fearfulness [-2/level], Greedy [-15*] Jealousy [-10]; Laziness [-10], Lecherousness [-15*], Low Pain Threshold [-10], Obsession (Personal project) [-5], Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5], Secret (Embarassing Scandal) [-5 to -10], Selfish [-5*]; Unfit or Very Unfit [-5 or -10], Workaholic [-5].
Customizing the Corporate Heir
Note that the Corporate Heir background is more than 20 points. You’ll need to take some of your discretionary template points and apply them to your background.
Despite the title of “Heir,” a Corporate Heir represents anyone who owns or is close family with someone who owns a corporation. In short, they profit directly from the corporation. They hold powerful sway over the corporation and can exert indirect power over everyone in the corporation, especially via the “Don't you know who I am?” rules.
Corporate heirs often seem to work for a corporation and enjoy Courtesy Rank. Unlike the Shinjurai, these Courtesy Ranks primarily exist to boost the ego of the Corporate Heir or their family figure, and to keep the heir busy and away from important matters. The corporate owner will often encourage this, as a way to let their heirs try their hand at the family business. The “good heir” tends to have traits like Business Acumen, Security Clearance, actual Corporate Rank, Duty to the Corporation, and Curious, Obsession or Workaholic.
The more stereotypical corporate heir enjoys the fruits of their family’s labor more than actually helping out with the family business. They tend focus on social advantages that represent leveraging their position, such as superior Appearance, contacts, Fashion Sense and additional Wealth. Their disadvantages tend to reflect their bon vivant lifestyle, with addictions, Compulsive Carousing, Laziness or Lecherouness; they may have accrued debts and have the new Debt advantage. They will often rely on their corporate family figure in the form of a Patron to get out of trouble.
In all cases, Corporate Heirs tend to have a love/hate relationship with genuine aristocracy. They often have disadvantages that contrast them with the “honorable” nobility, such as Cowardice, Low Pain Threshold, and Greedy. Their status comes entirely from their Heir trait and their wealth, and is not inherit to them, but to their position in the family. Characters with a fraught relationship with aristocracy tend to have Jealousy as a disadvantage.
Consider what corporation your character is heir to. This might not change the specifics of your character, but substantially shapes their context. Stellar Dynamics, Redjack and Syntech heirs work closely with the Alliance and Syntech also have a close relationship with Shinjurai royal family. The Hyperium Mining Guild has an entire board of directors, each of which represents the sort of power a Maradonian Duke wields, and each of their children and favored nephews or nieces can expect a warm reception throughout the galaxy, even the Empire, though they often find themselves overshadowed by the Arkhaian aristocracy in the form of House Tan-Shai.
Most heroic corporate heirs have the Diplomat template with the Corporate Negotiator lens. Many become corporate Security Agents, managing the high level view of their corporation’s security. A few of the bon vivant heirs are, in fact, corporate Spies, using their position and their seemingly reprobate lifestyle to distract others from their true intentions; obviously, such spies engage in corporate espionage, but they’re often keenly interested in political figures and the aristocracy, as these corporations depend on large contracts and monopolies to maintain their power. Finally, many of the less savory heirs use their position for less savory practices. Many a corporate heir learns to master business doublespeak and become glorified corporate Con-Artists, while others use their position to skirt laws and become Smugglers; this latter is especially common for those with Debts or who work for a corporation that wishes to trade with an enemy on the sly.
