Savage Justifiers

The Verse

Setting Rules

The following Setting Rules are in play:

• Fanatics: Enemy thugs can take the damage for their masters.
• Fast Healing: Characters make natural healing rolls once per day instead of every five days, and recover a level of Fatigue from Bumps & Bruises every four hours instead of every day.
• More Skill Points: Start with 15 skill points instead of 12.
• No Power Points: Those with arcane backgrounds don’t track Power Points but instead subtract half the listed Power Point cost (round up) from their skill roll to activate the ability. Powers may be maintained as desired at a −1 penalty to all further arcane skill rolls.
• Wound Cap: Wild Cards never suffer more than four wounds from a single hit.

You're A "Beta"

A Beta-Class Sapient Humanoid Lifeform. Betas are anthropomorphic animal-people, genetically engineered and grown in artificial wombs.

Character Creation

PCs are all Betas, and can be made using the race creation rules (SWADE p. 18). Betas are made with two points of positive racial abilities; optionally, you can take up to four points of negative racial abilities as well to get more positive racial abilities.

Otherwise, Betas are made as standard SWADE characters.

All PCs start at Seasoned rank, with four Advances.

Beta Types

Betas are created from animal DNA. Although there are a wide variety of Beta types, the majority come from animals that humans interact closely with. Thus, there are many dog-, cat-, and white rat-Betas, but relatively few pangolin- or python-Betas. Exotic Beta-types definitely exist, but they are a distinct minority and were usually created either for a specific purpose, or as living art pieces to please extremely wealthy patrons.

There are no known Betas derived from fish, crustaceans, arthropods, or similar animals.

The Beta types are as follows:

Canids

Dogs, wolves, foxes and dingos, these Betas are reliable and loyal. They make excellent soldiers and guards, and work well with humans.

Suggested Racial Abilities

• Bite [1]
• Edge: Common Bond [2]
• Skill: Survival [1]
• Skill Bonus: Notice [2]
• Hindrance: Loyal [-1]

Felids

Ranging from small domestic house cats to large Siberian tigers, felid Betas are elegant and agile with an undeniable charisma. Although less sociable than canid Betas, they make skilled solo agents, excelling at tasks that involve stealth, climbing, and hunting.

Suggested Racial Abilities

• Attribute Increase (Agility) [2]
• Bite [1]
• Claws [2/3/4]
• Edge: Quick [2]
• Low-Light Vision [1]
• Frail [-1]
• Hindrance: Curious [-2]

Rodents

White rats and mice are common lab animals, and rat- and mouse-Betas are perhaps the most common variety, though rabbit-Betas are also popular. Though physically small, they have impressive scent and hearing and are adaptable and quick to learn.

Suggested Racial Abilities

• Adaptable [2]
• Burrowing [1]
• Leaper [2]
• Pace [2]
• Skill: Notice [1]
• Attribute Penalty: Strength [-2]
• Frail [-1]
• Hindrance: Yellow [-2]
• Size -1 [-1]

Ursids

Though rare, bear-Betas are large and imposing beings with exceptional strength. They tend to be relaxed people, preferring sedentary roles, and are often gourmands.

Suggested Racial Abilities

• Attribute Increase: Strength [2]
• Attribute Increase: Vigor [2]
• Bite [1]
• Claws [2/3/4]
• Hardy [2]
• Size +1 [1]
• Toughness [1]
• Attribute Penalty: Agility [-2]
• Big [-2]

Ungulates

A wide category that includes farm animals (horses, cattle, pigs and goats) as well as antelopes, warthogs, and others. Ungulate Betas tend to be fast runners and good team players, and make exceptional athletes and often messengers.

Suggested Racial Abilities

• Hardy [2]
• Horns [1]
• Immune to Poison [1]
• Pace [2]

Aquatic Mammals

Dolphin, seal and sea lion-Betas are occasional employed for marine missions, such as servicing underwater equipment and exploring ocean worlds. They tend to be highly intelligent and good-natured.

Suggested Racial Abilities

• Aquatic/Semi-Aquatic [1/2]
• Attribute Increase: Agility [2]
• Attribute Increase: Smarts [2]

Reptiles

Snake, turtle and lizard Betas are rare, but they do exist. Their slow metabolism gives them an edge in certain hostile climates, and their un-mammalian ability to focus allows them to excel at roles that mammals would find too distracting.

Suggested Racial Abilities

• Attribute Increase: Vigor [2]
• Armor [1]
• Bite [1]
• Hardy [2]
• Infravision [1]
• Poisonous Touch [1/3]
• Regeneration [2/3]
• Semi-Aquatic [1]
• Toughness [1]
• Wall-Walker [1]
• Cannot Speak [-1]
• Environmental Weakness: Cold [-1]
• Reduced Pace [-1]

Avians

Even less common than reptiles, avian Betas range from small songbirds or corvids to large, fierce raptors, to flightless emus and ostriches. They tend to be high-strung and needy, but very clever and adaptable. They are the only Beta type with wings, making them irreplaceable for certain specific roles.

Suggested Racial Attributes

• Claws [2/3/4]
• Flight [2/4/6]
• Low-Light Vision [1]
• Pace [2]
• Skill Bonus: Notice [2]
• Frail [-1]
• Hindrance: Phobia (claustrophobia) [-1/-2]
• Size -1 [-1]