Overview¶

Backgrounds are a predefined set of skills adhering to a specific skill. Picking a background makes it easier to build a character, but is only optional. A background costs a certain amount of CCP and comes with a set of skills that are unlocked and bought up to a certain rank, and usually with an ability increase. This increase in ability rank stacks with whatever you have chosen at character creation.

These backgrounds are also slightly cheaper than picking all these skills by hand, although not by much. Backgrounds also represent special jobs and careers a character could have gone through before choosing a life as adventurer.

Creating Backgrounds¶

It’s of course up the game master to design and incorporate new backgrounds to his game. A background should always come with at least one ability rank increase and set of skills unlocked and at a lower tier rank. Each ability rank counts as costing five (5) CCP. Then add the costs for the skills together and round down to the next number dividable through five 5.

Buying Backgrounds¶

Backgrounds can only be bought at character creation, as they represent a past education, career or lifestyle. Although it is possible to buy more than one background at character creation.

For example someone who wishes to buy an arms dealer would perhaps by the Criminal and Trader background. A combat medic (Corpsman) would pick the Soldier and the Paramedic. A space trader might be a Spacecraft Pilot and Trader at once, and maybe add a few covert skills to this mix to become a smuggler.

If two backgrounds provide the same bonuses (ability increases or ranks in skills) only the highest one applies. The ability increases however do stack with whatever ability modifications you made at character creation.