Childhood Experience Templates
The classic childhood experiences are given below. If you have an idea for a classic childhood experience that I have overlooked, let me know.
- Colonist
- Loyalist to a cause
- Well-Educated
- Ship's Mechanic Apprentice
- Guild Trainee
- Companion/Geisha in Training
- Market Vendor's Kid
- Street Pickpocket
- Outlaw's Kid
- Scavenger
- Orphan
Colonist Template
Raised on a newly terraformed planet or moon, these kids are used to hard work, making do with limited resources, and facing the dangers of the frontier. Colonists learn resilience and self-reliance, often having basic survival, farming, and repair skills. The template assumes a farmer colonist, but you can change the KS: Farming and PS: Farming to Mining, Ranching, Gardening, etc., to represent the type of colony life they experienced.
| Cost | Ability |
| 2 | Survival (choose the environment such as Temperate, Tropical, Mountainous, etc.) 11- |
| 2 | KS: Farming 11- |
| 2 | PS: Farming 11- |
| 3 | Mechanics |
| 1 | Weapon Familiarity (choose which weapon) |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Loyalist to a Cause
Children of Loyalists to a particular cause -- whether to the Olympian Alliance, Browncoats, Terran Empire, or Rebels -- and whether officials or military personnel are brought up with strong beliefs in the power and necessity of the particular cause/power. They’re often well-disciplined, organized, and proud, though sometimes rigid in their views.
| Cost | Ability |
| 3 | Persuasion |
| 3 | KS: History and Politics of (choose Terran Empire or Olympian Alliance, etc.) 12- |
| 2 | Area Knowledge: Area where stationed 11- |
| 2 | Culture Knowledge: Area where stationed 11- |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Well-Educated
Raised in a family with access to the finest education, these children often grow up well-versed in literature, science, and politics. They may struggle with life on the run but possess analytical and strategic skills.
| Cost | Ability |
| 4 | +1 with all Intellect-based Skills |
| 3 | KS: Literature, Science, and Political Thought (INT) |
| 3 | Choose 3 points worth of Science, Literature, or other Knowledges |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Ship's Mechanic Apprentice
Growing up on or around starships, these kids learn to fix engines, patch leaks, and keep a vessel running. They’re often intuitive about machines and comfortable in cramped, loud, and isolated environments. If you prefer, you can change to SS: Starship Engines and KS: Starship Engines to be Hovercraft, Aircraft, or any other suitable craft that is the childhood experience you wish.
| Cost | Ability |
| 3 | Mechanics |
| 3 | Electronics |
| 2 | KS: Starship Engines 11- |
| 2 | SS: Starship Engines 11- |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Guild Trainee
Raised within one of the guilds—companions, pilots, teamsters, or craftsmen—they receive specialized training and discipline. Guild trainees are polished, socially adept, and usually skilled in their field, whether piloting, negotiation, or craftsmanship.
| Cost | Ability |
| 3 | Choose an appropriate PRE-based skill () |
| 3 | Choose an appropriate DEX-based skill () |
| 2 | Choose an appropriate Knowledge-based skill () |
| 2 | Choose an appropriate Professional skill () |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Examples
- Companion: Choose Charm, Acrobatics, KS: Interpersonal Techniques, PS: Companion
- Guild Pilot: Choose Persuasion, Combat Pilot, Navigation (Space) 11-, PS: Guild Pilot
- Teamster: Choose Persuasion, Combat Driving, KS: Local Area 11-, PS: Teamster
- Silk Craftsman: Choose Trading, Climbing, KS: Silkmaking 11-, PS: Silk Craftsman
Companion/Geisha in Training
Selected early by the Guild for potential, they’re trained in diplomacy, self-defense, and etiquette. Companions-in-training grow up in an environment of refinement but can handle themselves when situations turn dangerous.
| Cost | Ability |
| 3 | High Society |
| 3 | Charm |
| 3 | +1 CSL with Block, Dodge, and Strike |
| 1 | PS: Geisha 8- |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Market Vendor's Kid
Helping a family business at a bustling marketplace, these kids grow up haggling and managing goods. They’re sharp with numbers, persuasive, and have a knack for trade and commerce.
| Cost | Ability |
| 3 | Trading |
| 3 | Persuasion |
| 2 | KS: Goods and Services the family sells (choose) 11- |
| 2 | PS: Shopkeeper/Street Vendor 11- |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Street Pickpocket
Kids who grow up in the crowded, poorer parts of the planet often learn to survive through quick hands and quicker feet. Pickpockets are adept at stealth, survival in urban settings, and reading people.
| Cost | Ability |
| 2 | Survival (urban) 11- |
| 3 | Choose Concealment -or- Stealth |
| 3 | Sleight of Hand |
| 2 | Choose +2m Running -or- +1 with Sight Perception |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Outlaw's Kid
Growing up with a parent who is a criminal or in an outlaw gang, these children know the underworld as they keep on the run with their parents. They’re familiar with smuggling, forgery, or deception and often distrust the law and institutions.
| Cost | Ability |
| 3 | Streetwise |
| 2 | KS: Type of crime (smuggling, forgery, con artist, etc.) 11- |
| 3 | Choose an appropriate skill (Concealment, Forgery, Acting, etc.) |
| 2 | Minor Contact in the Underworld (choose) 11- |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Scavenger
Growing up on planets where salvaging is a way of life, scavenger kids learn to pick through trash for valuables. They know the market value of goods, can make quick repairs, and are skilled in bargaining.
| Cost | Ability |
| 3 | Analyze: Market Value (INT) |
| 3 | Mechanics |
| 3 | Trading |
| 1 | PS: Scavenging 8- |
| 10 | Total Cost |
Orphan
Whether due to war, illness, or abandonment, orphans survive on their wits, often in government homes or back alleys. They’re tough, adaptable, and usually have streetwise knowledge if they are orphans in a city.
| Cost | Ability |
| 3 | Streetwise |
| 2 | Survival (choose, usually Urban) 11- |
| 2 | 2 points worth of contacts (i.e., two at 8- or one at 11-) |
| 1 | Tough: +1 EGO |
| 1 | Tough: +1 PRE |
| 1 | Tough: +1 CON |
| 10 | Total Cost |