Bright Future Backgrounds

Backgrounds are where a character comes from, what defines them as who they are today. Backgrounds have a few options for starting occupations, using a starting occupation for a background gives you the ability to ignore the occupations prerequisites; if a character doesn’t want to hold one of those occupations they can choose unemployed or select another occupation as long as they meet the prerequisites for the new occupation.

A Characters background helps explain what skills and proficiencies they may have and what cash they’ve got in their pocket as well as items they may have picked up before settling into a different or the same occupation. Some even learn basic magic, cantrips which stick with them even if they’re not a magically inclined class. The Bright Future setting has magic more ubiquitous, but also pure magic users are much rarer.

Skills: Skills a character acquired from their background.
Proficiency: Proficiency a character has acquired from their background.
Cantrip: Selection of cantrips selecting this Background provides a character, replaces a skill proficiency.
Starting Occupations: Optional occupations you can start with and ignore pre-requisites for.
Personal Resources: Starting items and money for selecting this background.

Academic

Librarians, Scholars, Teacher, Professors, and other educational professionals who spend most of their time in buildings and or behind desks.
Prerequisites: Age 23+
Skills: Pick three of the following, or two skills and one cantrip: Arcana, History, Investigate, Nature, Religion.
Cantrips: Light, Prestidigitation.
Proficiency: Pick two languages.
Starting Occupations: Academic, Field Academic
Personal Resources: 2,000 Slips [8W].

Blue Collar

From the service industry to factory work, this covers a lot of jobs but usually not ones held behind a desk.
Prerequisites: Age 15+
Skills: Pick two of the following: Athletics, Persuasion.
Proficiency: Select one: Vehicles (Land) or Vehicles (Mecha).
Starting Occupations: Blue Collar, Criminal.
Guaranteed Downtime: 2 days a week.
Starting Funds: 2,000 Slips [8W].

Celebrity

Fame can strike anyone for almost any reason, but after the fifteen minutes are up, a person is a Celebrity based on if they’re still remembered and active, if they’ve survived it. Usually Actors, entertainers, newscasters, and other personalities.
Prerequisites: Age 15+
Skills: Pick one of the following: Deception, Persuasion, Performance.
Starting Occupations: Celebrity
Renown: + 1.
Personal Resources: 8,000 Slips [32W], Basic Tele-Scriber (Janis Magi-Comm)

Criminal

There are a long list of ways you can end up on the other side of the law. Cat burglars, muggers, swindlers, organized crime, gangs large and small, bank robbers and other “career criminals”.
Prerequisites: Age 15+
Skills: Pick two of the following: Acrobatics, Deception, Intimidate, Stealth, Slight of hand.
Proficiency: Vehicles (Land).
Starting Occupations: Criminal, Blue Collar
Personal Resources: 2,000 Slips [8W], A simple melee weapon.

Dilettante

Your money is likely old money, most Dilettante have no job, and don’t need to care for many things. However they find one driving passion to keep themselves from going mad; ranging from a charity foundation of their creation, perhaps a personal ideal or cause they believe in, or sometimes selfish desires to just enjoy all life has to offer.
Prerequisites: Age 16+
Renown: + 1.
Starting Occupations: Dilettante, Celebrity
Guaranteed Downtime: 5 days a week.
Salary: Comfortable
Down Time: Can not practice profession during down time.
Personal Resources: 104,000 Slips [416W].

Doctor

General Practitioner to specialist.
Prerequisites: Age 25+
Skills: Pick one of the following: History, Medicine, Nature. Gain Expertise in Medicine.
Proficiency: Medical Kit, Surgical Kit.
Starting Occupations: Doctor, Emergency Services,
Personal Resources: 12,000 Slips [48W], Medical Kit, Surgical Kit, Basic Tele-Scriber (Janis Magi-Comm).

Emergency Services

Medical professionals, firefighters, and other on call professionals.
Prerequisites: Age 18+
Skills: Pick two of the following, or one skill and one cantrip: Acrobatics, Athletics, Medical, Nature, Perception.
Cantrips: Light, Resistance, Spare the Dying.
Proficiency: Medical Kit, Vehicles (Land).
Starting Occupations: Emergency Services,
Personal Resources: 8,000 Slips [32W], Medical Kit, Emergency Jumper (Name sewn on)

Entrepreneur

Self-made individual, prefers to be their own boss, highly motivated, determined. Owning their own business is their passion and keeps them busy, but it’s also made them well known in their local area.
Prerequisites: Age 16+
Skills: Pick two of the following: Deception, History, Insight, Persuasion.
Renown: + 1.
Starting Occupations: Entrepreneur
Personal Resources: 12,000 Slips [48W].

Field Academic

A rough and tumble Archaeologist and other various field scientists.
Prerequisites: Age 23+
Skills: Pick three of the following, or two skills and one Cantrip: Athletics, Arcana, History, Investigate, Nature, Perception.
Cantrips: Light, Mending.
Proficiency: Pick two languages, Light armor, select one Martial Weapon or Personal Firearm, select proficiency in one: Vehicles (land), Vehicles (watercraft), or Vehicles (aircraft).
Personal Resources: 2,000 Slips [8W], a Simple Weapon, Day Pack, Flashlight.

Investigative

From Journalists to private eyes, police detectives to crime scene technicians.
Prerequisites: Age 23+
Skills: Pick two of the following: History, Insight, Investigation, Persuasion.
Proficiency: Evidence Kit, select one Personal Firearm.
Starting Occupations: Investigative, Law Enforcement
Personal Resources: 2,000 Slips [8W], Basic Tele-Scriber (Janis Magi-Comm).

Law Enforcement

Patrol officers, riot cops, SWAT members, military police, special agents.
Prerequisites: Age 16+
Skills: Pick two of the following: Athletics, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion.
Proficiency: Personal Firearms, Light armor, and Vehicles (Land).
Starting Occupations: Law Enforcement, Investigative,
Personal Resources: 8,000 Slips [32W], Personalized Light Duty Vest (Name on front and back).

Military

Armed services, from basic grunts to special operations.
Prerequisites: Age 16+
Skills: Pick two of the following, or one skill and one Vehicle Proficiency: Acrobatics, Athletics, Stealth.
Optional Vehicle Proficiency: Vehicles (Land), Vehicles (Watercraft), Vehicles (Aircraft), Vehicles (Mecha), or an Exotic Vehicle Proficiency.
Proficiency: Martial Weapons and Personal Firearms, Light and Medium armor proficiency.
Starting Occupations: Military, Blue Collar, White Collar.
Personal Resources: 2,000 Slips [8W].

Mercenary

Skilled in the art of combat, you sell your skills as a soldier of fortune.
Prerequisites: Age 16+
Skills: Pick one of the following: Acrobatics, Athletics, .
Proficiency: Light and Medium armor proficiency, select two weapons from Martial Weapons and Personal Firearms to gain proficiency in.
Starting Occupations: Mercenary.
Personal Resources: 32,000 Slips [128W], Select a Martial Weapon or a Lance Pistol; Light Duty Vest.

Religious

Everything from a cleric to a theological scholar.
Prerequisites: Age 16+
Skills: Pick three of the following, or two skills and one cantrip: History, Insight, Nature, Perception, Religion.
Cantrips: Guidance, Light, Resistance.
Proficiency: Pick two languages.
Starting Occupations: Religious.
Personal Resources: 750 Slips [3W].

Rural

Those who haven’t come into the walled cities, or those who work closer to nature. Farmers, hunters, and others of the like, they know how to defend themselves since most live in locations without law enforcement.
Prerequisites: Age 14+
Skills: Pick two of the following: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Nature, Survival.
Proficiency: Select one Martial Weapon or Personal Firearm to gain proficiency in.
Starting Occupations: Rural
Personal Resources: 2,000 Slips [8W].

Scavenger

Turning societies discarded trash into useful items, earning money off of selling things you find and made.
Prerequisites: Age 14+
Skills: Pick two of the following: Arcana, History, Nature, Survival.
Proficiency: Mechanical Kit, Electronic Kit.
Starting Occupations: Scavenger
Personal Resources: 500 Slips [2W].
Background Feature: Trash to Treasure: Pay a quarter the normal price when crafting, but items made carry a -1 penalty to any skill check, attack bonus, damage, or armor class.

Student

Still learning, College or University students, Undergraduate or Graduate students.
Prerequisites: Age 16+
Skills: Pick five of the following, or four skills and one cantrip: Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Performance, Persuasion, Religion, Survival.
Cantrip: Guidance, Light, Mending, Prestidigitation, Spare the Dying.
Starting Occupations: Student, Blue Collar, White Collar.
Starting Funds: 500 Slips [2W].

Magi-Technician

Magi-Tech Science and Engineering jobs.
Prerequisites: Age 23+
Skills: Pick two of the following, or one skill and one cantrip: Arcana, Investigation.
Cantrips: Light, Magic Battery, Toggle, Mending.
Proficiency: Pick two of the following: Computer, Mechanical Kit, Electronic Kit.
Starting Occupations: Magi-Technician, Blue Collar, White Collar.
Personal Resources: 8,000 Slips [32W], Basic Tele-Scriber (Janis Magi-Comm).

White collar

Office Workers, Middle Management, bank personnel.
Prerequisites: Age 23+
Skills: Pick two of the following: History, Investigate, Persuasion.
Proficiency: Computer
Starting Occupations: White Collar.
Personal Resources: 8,000 Slips [32W], Basic Tele-Scriber (Janis Magi-Comm).