Soldier
The soldier is a specialist in weapons, combat and tactics, they know their gear, they keep it ship shape, because they know it'll save their lives. They have trained for combat, they know it well, and in many ways, it's probably the only thing that really makes sense to them. The soldier can fight for an army, a corporation, be the muscle for a crime boss, or part of a para-military wing of a police force.
A Well-Rounded Combatant
The soldier is comfortable with firearms, explosives, support weapons, and they can handle themselves in a bar fight. They are also comfortable with military vehicles and mounted weaponry. While they usually lack the stealth and hand-to-hand capabilities of the monastic, they work well with, and get the most out of, a team and they have a broad experience with battlefield strategies and systems.
It is more than likely that the soldier is post-career when they begin adventuring. Army life is, after all rather demanding of your time, and going off adventuring is probably equated to going absent without leave. Therefore, you should think about what your career was like, whom did you serve, and do they still hold any bonds on you. Why did you leave the service? Was it some crisis that threw you out of your career? What were the circumstances?
Finally, of all your possible careers, what led you to go adventuring?
Quick Build
You can make a soldier quickly by following these suggestions.
Choose Talents
Select the following 10 skills as talents:
Health, Energy, Strength, Resolve, Agility, Insight, Stealth, Deceive, Investigate, Cbt-Ranged.
Choose Background
Choose one of the infantry backgrounds to optimise your combat skill choices.
Apply Ranks Per Level
At each level (including the first), you distribute:
- 4 ranks to the range of skills, and
- 4 ranks to the range of techniques
presented under your chosen archetype.
The soldier's primary skill is Cbt-Ranged. You should try to have at least half your level as ranks on this skill.
Archetypes
The soldier has archetypes, represented by the titles: Guerrilla, Gunner, Sniper, Squad Leader and Trooper, and each are described under the following headings.
While the skill spreads are presented under each archetype, there are many skills that they all have in common.
Guerilla
The guerrilla is a specialist in asymmetric warfare, they will seek to weaken their opponent before coming into engage them. They use the terrain, and often let the enemy come to them.
There is some overlap between the guerrilla archetype and the bounty-hunter archetype from the investigator profession. Their main differences are that a bounty hunter is stronger on the investigation and analysis side, while the guerrilla is stronger in combat.
4 ranks spread to these skills
Climbers-Tools, Medicine-Tools, Scan-Tools, Surveillance-Tools, Vcl-Air, Vcl-Ground, Vcl-Mech
Strength, Perception, Resolve, Agility+BODY, Insight, Stealth+BODY, Deceive, Investigate, Persuade, Survival
4 ranks spread to these techniques
Interrogate (Investigate), Surveillance (Investigate), Track (Investigate), Spoil (Persuade), Bushcraft (Insight|Survival*), Revival (Resolve|Survival*), Tenacious-Save (Resolve|Survival*)
Dodge-Attack (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), First-Strike (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Grapple (Cbt-Melee), Overbear (Cbt-Melee), Skirmish (Cbt-Melee), Vital-Harm (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Wpn-Blades-Long (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Blades-Short (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Clubs (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Fistload (Cbt-Melee)
Dodge-Effect (Cbt-Ranged), Group-Fire (Cbt-Ranged), Multi-Attack (Cbt-Ranged), Retarget (Cbt-Ranged), Skirmish (Cbt-Ranged), Sniper (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Energy (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Flechettes (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Pistols (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Rifles (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Spray (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Thrown (Cbt-Ranged)
* You can choose any of these skills to base this technique.
** You can choose any of these skills to base this technique, if you need the technique under another skill, you must take the technique again, based on the new skill.
Gunner
Gunners would typically be part of the mechanised infantry: used to getting around in vehicles, and firing the big guns. You are well-trained in the operation of military vehicles, the weapons mounted on them, their maintenance and getting them from one place to another on the double.
4 ranks spread to these skills
Aegis, Scan-Tools, Cbt-Zero-G, Vcl-Air, Vcl-Ground, Vcl-Mech, Vcl-Space
Strength, Perception, Agility+SKILL, Resolve, Insight, Stealth+SKILL, Deceive, Investigate, Persuade, Survival
Cbt-Melee, Cbt-Ranged, Cbt-Tactical
Machinery, Materials, Neuronetics, Robotics
4 ranks spread to these techniques
Calmness (Resolve|Insight*), Clarity-Save (Insight), Track (Investigate), Inspire (Persuade), Revival (Resolve|Survival*), Tenacious-Save (Resolve|Survival*)
Dodge-Attack (Cbt-Ranged|Cbt-Tactical**), Dodge-Effect (Cbt-Ranged|Cbt-Tactical**), First-Strike (Cbt-Ranged|Cbt-Tactical**), Multi-Attack (Cbt-Ranged), Suppressing-Fire (Cbt-Tactical), Vital-Harm (Cbt-Ranged|Cbt-Tactical**), Wpn-Blades-Short (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Clubs (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Energy (Cbt-Ranged|Cbt-Tactical**), Wpn-Fistload (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Flechettes (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Pistols (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Rifles (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Spray (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Thrown (Cbt-Ranged)
Bypass (Machinery|Materials|Neuronetics|Robotics**)
* You can choose any of these skills to base this technique.
** You can choose any of these skills to base this technique, if you need the technique under another skill, you must take the technique again, based on the new skill.
Sniper
The sniper looks to make a specific kill, rather than take on a whole force. They focus on accuracy and effectiveness at distance, rather than all-out assaults. In military practice a sniper would usually be in a team of two or three, and would include a spotter and a specialist. These are assistants to the sniper (and hump a lot of the gear).
4 ranks spread to these skills
Climbers-Tools, Medicine-Tools, Scan-Tools, Surveillance-Tools
Perception, Resolve, Agility+BODY, Insight, Stealth+BODY, Deceive, Investigate, Persuade, Society, Survival
4 ranks spread to these techniques
Calmness (Resolve|Insight*), Clarity-Save (Insight), Interrogate (Investigate), Surveillance (Investigate), Track (Investigate), Spoil (Persuade), Bushcraft (Insight|Survival*), Revival (Resolve|Survival*), Tenacious-Save (Resolve|Survival*)
Dodge-Attack (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), First-Strike (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Vital-Harm (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Wpn-Blades-Short (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Clubs (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Fistload (Cbt-Melee)
Dodge-Effect (Cbt-Ranged), Multi-Attack (Cbt-Ranged), Retarget (Cbt-Ranged), Skirmish (Cbt-Ranged), Sniper (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Energy (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Flechettes (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Pistols (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Rifles (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Spray (Cbt-Ranged)
* You can choose any of these skills to base this technique.
** You can choose any of these skills to base this technique, if you need the technique under another skill, you must take the technique again, based on the new skill.
Squad Leader
The Squad Leader is more of a battle tactician and will co- ordinate with others for a more effective engagement. Their skills focus on advantages for their team, getting the most out of each individual. Squad leaders are most likely to have an infantry background, and would have attained the rank of corporal or sergeant when they were in service.
4 ranks spread to these skills
Medicine-Tools, Scan-Tools, Surveillance-Tools, Vcl-Ground, Vcl-Mech
Strength, Perception, Agility+BODY|SKILL, Resolve, Insight, Stealth+BODY|SKILL, Deceive, Investigate, Persuade, Survival
Cbt-Melee, Cbt-Ranged, Cbt-Tactical
4 ranks spread to these techniques
Calmness (Resolve|Insight*), Clarity-Save (Insight), Inspire (Persuade), Interrogate (Investigate), Rally (Persuade), Revival (Resolve|Survival*), Spoil (Persuade), Staunch (Persuade), Tenacious-Save (Resolve|Survival*), Track (Investigate)
Dodge-Attack (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Dodge-Effect (Cbt-Ranged), Evasion (Cbt-Ranged), First-Strike (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Leading-Fire (Cbt-Ranged), Menacing-Fire (Cbt-Ranged), Multi-Attack (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged), Skirmish (Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Suppressing-Fire (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Blades-Short (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Blades-Long (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Clubs (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Energy (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Fistload (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Flechettes (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Pistols (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Rifles (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Spray (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Support (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Thrown (Cbt-Ranged)
* You can choose any of these skills to base this technique.
** You can choose any of these skills to base this technique, if you need the technique under another skill, you must take the technique again, based on the new skill.
Trooper
The trooper gets the business done, they come up with a game plan, they scope out the location and the enemy, and then they hit ‘em hard, using weapons and equipment that they know well.
4 ranks spread to these skills
Medicine-Tools, Vcl-Ground, Vcl-Mech
Strength, Perception, Agility+BODY, Resolve, Insight, Stealth+BODY, Deceive, Investigate, Survival
4 ranks spread to these techniques
Calmness (Resolve|Insight*), Clarity-Save (Insight), Interrogate (Investigate), Tenacious-Save (Resolve|Survival*)
Dodge-Attack (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Dodge-Effect (Cbt-Ranged), Evasion (Cbt-Ranged), First-Strike (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Grapple (Cbt-Melee), Overbear (Cbt-Melee), Multi-Attack (Cbt-Melee|Cbt-Ranged), Skirmish (Melee|Cbt-Ranged**), Suppressing-Fire (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Blades-Short (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Blades-Long (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Clubs (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Energy (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Fistload (Cbt-Melee), Wpn-Flechettes (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Pistols (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Rifles (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Spray (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Support (Cbt-Ranged), Wpn-Thrown (Cbt-Ranged)
* You can choose any of these skills to base this technique.
** You can choose any of these skills to base this technique, if you need the technique under another skill, you must take the technique again, based on the new skill.