Officer

The Officer excels at command and control. He’s mastered the art of planning; he is extremely adept at the Big Picture rules for planning an operation, and can plan so well that he features the use of Foresight, allowing the player to retroactively declare that his character had prepared for the current situation. Furthermore, his high rank and administration skill makes him top-notch at Pulling Rank, ensuring that he and his group gain required resources when they need it most. Finally, Psi-Wars doesn’t support Mass Combat out of the box, but should your game include Mass Combat, the officer’s high levels of Strategy, Administration and Intelligence Analysis make him particularly well suited to it.

The typical officer is a Naval Officer, serving either the Alliance or the Empire, where they bring their tactical acumen and exceptional leadership to bear in fighting the grand naval engagements that define the war between the Alliance and the Empire. Out in the Rim, pirate lords and warlords turn their tactical cunning and their command of rare capital ships into total dominion over a few star systems and become minor kings or serve a minor king until they can remove him. But not all Officers are naval officers. Some, such as the Alliance Spymaster, use their tactical and organizational excellence to act as spyhandlers or administrators. Others, like the Mercenary Commander, might command ground troops as well as, or instead of, naval units.

Officer Lenses

Alliance Naval Officer

Dreadnought Warfighting


Naval Officers are to dreadnoughts what Fighter Aces are to starfighters. They offer the player an opportunity to deeply invest in perks and techniques to specialize and differentiate themselves from other naval officers. While these perks and techniques are intended for Officers who take a naval officer lens, any officer can take them, at the GM's discretion.

Perks: Battle Stations!, Battlefield Brutality, Feel of the Ship, Fighter Screen, Juggernaut, Orbital Dead-Eye, Ship Breaker, Technique Mastery (Yomi).

Techniques: Collision Training (Shiphandling) [1-3], Coordinated Electronic Warfare [varies]; Coordinated Gunnery [varies], Coordinated Repair [varies], Space Tactics (Defensive, Offensive or Pursuit) [1-3], Tactical Initiative [1-2], Yomi [1-3]


Point Cost: 50 points

The aristocracy lead the Alliance in battle, but they defer to their excellent naval officers for commanding their dreadnoughts and working out intricate battle plans. Generally, a wise aristocrat chooses excellent officers to command in his name, and then handles the broader politics of the conflict, and leaves the details of warfighting to his officers. Alliance Officers do not serve the Alliance as a whole; the Alliance learned from their mistake with Leto Daijin. Instead, Officers serve a house specifically; they serve in larger alliance navies at the discretion of their ruling lords.

Advantages:

  • Intuitive Admiral +4 [40]; Military Rank (Alliance Navy) 4 [20]; Status 1‡ [0];
  • Add the following to the advantage options list: Patron (Maradonian Noble, 6 or less or 9 or less) [10 or 20], improve Military Rank to level 5 for 5 points.

Disadvantages:

  • Duty (House; Extremely Hazardous, 12 or less) [-15]; Choose an additional -5 points from the disadvantage list.
  • Add the following the Disadvantage list: Fanaticism (House or Alliance) [-15], Intolerance (Imperials) [-5], Sense of Duty (House or Alliance) [-5 or -10].

Skills:

  • Shiphandling (H) IQ+41 [4]-17; Choose one of Savoir-Faire (High Society or Servant) IQ+2 [4]-15, Politics or Public Speaking, both (A) IQ+1 [4]-14, Diplomacy (H) IQ [4]-13 or Intimidation (A) Will+1 [4]-15;
  • Add Spacer (A) IQ+41 [2]-13 to the list of optional secondary skills.

Perks and Techniques: Choose six points of optional perks and techniques from from the Dreadnought Warfighting sidebar; spend any unspent technique/perk points on advantages.

Officer

Point Cost: 250 points

Attributes: ST 10 [0], DX 12 [40]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 11 [10].

Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs; HP 10 [0]; Will 14 [5]; Per 13 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [5]; Basic Move 6 [0].

Advantages: Foresight 1 [10]; Luck [15].

  • Choose one 50-point Officer Lens;
  • Choose a total of 25 points from the following: improves IQ [20/level] or HT [10/level], Ally (Robot, 50%, almost all the time) [6], Ally (Aide or Bodyguard, 60 points, 125 points, 250 points, almost all the time (15 or less)) [3, 6 or 15], Ally Group (Bodyguards; BAD 2, BAD 5 or BAD 8, x5 members, almost all the time (15 or less) [5, 12 or 24], Ally Group (Bodyguards; BAD 0, BAD 2 or BAD 5, x10 members, almost all the time (15 or less) [4, 8 or 18], Charisma +1 to +4 [5/level], Cheaper Gear (Any) [1], Chessmaster [1], Contacts (Aristocrat, Corporate Supplier, Lobbyist, Mercenary, Spy, Skill 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less) [1, 2 or 3], Contact Group (Corporation, Military Branch, Intelligence Agency, Mercenaries, skill 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less) [5, 10, 15], Eidetic Memory or Photographic Memory [5 or 10], Favor (Any) [varies], Hard to Kill [2/level], Heroic Inspiration [1], Higher Purpose (Against Impossible Odds) [5], Looks Good in Uniform [1], Penetrating Voice [1], Rapier Wit [5], Reputation (Conqueror, War Hero, almost everyone) +1 to +2 [5 or 10], Reputation (Good Officer, military men only -50%) +1 to +2 [3 or 5]; Serendipity [15/level], Signature Gear (Any) [varies], Signature Ship (Any) [varies], Top Brass [1], Voice [10], Wealth (Comfortable or Wealthy) [10 or 20], Improve Luck to Extraordinary Luck [30] for 15 points.

Disadvantages: Take any disadvantages required by your Lens and choose an additional -30 points (up to -50 total) from optional Lens disadvantages or from the following:
Choose -30 points of ST -1 [-10], Basic Move -1 or -2 [-5 or -10], Bloodlust [-10], Callous [-5], Chummy or Gregarious [-5 or -10], Code of Honor [Varies], Bully [-10*], one of Overweight [-1], Fat [-3] or Very Fat [-5], Greed [-15*], Honesty [-10*], Jealousy [-10], Laziness [-10], Lecherousness [-15*], No Sense of Humor [-10], Obsession (defeating a specific foe) [-5], Overconfident [-5*], Reputation (War Criminal, not among own faction, -2 to -4) [-5 to -10], Secret (Unsanctioned missions or war crimes) [-10 or -20], Selfish [-5*], Sense of Duty (Team or all men who serve or served under him) [-5 or -10], Skinny [-5], Trademark (Characteristic tactics) [-5 or -10], Trickster [-15*], Workaholic [-5], Unfit or Very Unfit [-5 or -15],

Primary Skills: Administration (A) IQ3 [2]-13; Intelligence Analysis (H) IQ12 [4]-13; Leadership (A) IQ123 [2]-13; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ12 [1]-13; Strategy (H) IQ12 [4]-13; Tactics (H) IQ12 [4]-13;

Secondary Skills: Beam Weapons (Pistol) (E) DX [1]-12; Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-13;

  • Either Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-14 or Karate (H) DX [4]-12;
  • Either Judo (H) DX [4]-12 or Wrestling (A) DX+1 [4]-13;
  • Choose three of Beam Weapons (Rifle or Projector), both (E) DX+1 [2]-13; Area Knowledge (Any), Current Affairs (Headline News, Politics, Regional)3 both (E) IQ+1 [2]-14, Architecture, Cartography, Public Speaking3, Propaganda3, Research, Teaching, Writing all (A) IQ [2]-13, Diplomacy3, Engineering† (Civil or Starship), Expert Skill (Military Science)12, History (Military)12, Psychology or Mathematics all (H) IQ-1 [2]-12, Hiking (A) HT [2]-11 or Intimidation (A) Will [2]-14.

Background Skills: Computer Operation (E) IQ [1]-13; Navigate (Hyperspace) (A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Pilot (Contragravity, Starfighter or Corvette) (A) DX-1 [1]-11; Vacc Suit (A) DX-1 [1]-11;

  • 20 points chosen from a background lens.

*Modified by Self-Control Rating
† Requires Mathematics
‡ Imputed from Rank
1: Add +4 if you chose Intuitive Admiral; this has already been worked into the skills of the Alliance and Imperial Naval Officers.
2: Add +4 if you chose Born Tactician; this has already been worked into the skills of the Alliance Spymaster.
3: Add +4 if you chose Intuitive Statesman.

Customizing the Officer

The Officer is at his strongest when he’s analyzing existing data, engaging politicians and bureaucrats, and when he’s planning. He also has decent knowledge-gathering skills, social skills (and the option of gaining access to considerably influential contacts), and reliable, if not great, combat skills. He’s no front-line soldier. If you find you need frontline soldiers, consider taking an Ally or an Ally Group, which grants you a near-permanent body guard and fighting force that you can command in battle. For Officers that focus more on bureaucratic matters and seek personal advancement, consider a focus on improved Rank Charisma, Contacts, Patrons and Favors, all of which allow the Officer to shift his focus away from battlefield tactics and more towards personal career advancement; it also (more importantly) makes them a master of Pulling Rank!

Officers who focus more exclusively on naval affairs might spend additional points on the optional perks and techniques in the Dreadnought Warfighting sidebar. Heroic leaders might invest in perks and techniques that keep their ships alive and inspire their crew to greatness. This includes Feel of the Ship, Fighter Screen, Heroic Inspiration and Space Tactics (Defensive) or Coordinated Repairs, as well as improving their Leadership. Characters who use their dreadnoughts as great and terrifying weapons of aggression might take the Juggernaut perk, Battlefield Brutality, and Space Tactics (Offensive or Pursuit), Collision training and improve their Shiphandling. Strategically insightful officers might instead favor stand-offish tactics and take Battlestations, Orbital Dead-Eye, Ship-Breaker, Coordinated Gunnery, and pair Technique Mastery (Yomi) with the Yomi Technique, and improve their Strategy and Tactics as much as they can.

Imperial Officers almost always take the Imperial Academy background, though Officers from Humble Origins aren't unheard of, and tend to be more popular than the Ivory tower-types. Alliance Officers tend to be Aristocratic less than one might guess, and tend to more often come from the Humble Origins background.

Mercenary Commanders stereotypically come from Humble Origins, but any background will do; Warlords can also come from any background. Those who grew up in a mercenary or pirate fleet might have the Wanderer background, while an Officer who endured hardship might have the Survivor background. Outcasts who work with pirates might rise to the lofty ranks of an Officer, and Slaves are often asked to fight, and the greatest of these Slaves might become an Officer, though they're unlikely to retain their status as a slave for long.

After initial character creation, Officers tend to benefit the most from upgrades that improve their prestige. A psychic officer also has unique opportunities to bring their powers to bear, especially if they are telepathic or have ESP. Officers tend to at least dabble in philosophy more than most; Neo-Rationalist-trained officers are so common as to be cliche, as their logic and precision make them peerless Officers. Many Officers in the Alliance have a deep respect for the precognitive capabilities of the Akashic Order. Officers are unlikely to be trained in the arts of True Communion or the Cult of the Mystical Tyrant, but both philosophies do make use of Officers.

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