# Alternate Skill System

This provides an alternate skill system that eliminates the skill tree and skill progression and replaces it with a character background system.

## Backgrounds

Skills are replaced with ten categories that represent the general backgrounds of characters. You can choose two of these backgrounds when creating a character, or you can roll 2d10 to choose your two backgrounds randomly.

| d10 | Background | Description                                                                                       |
| --- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1   | Military   | You have extensive military training and a dishonorable discharge.                                |
| 2   | Athletic   | You trained your entire childhood only to wash out of the pros.                                   |
| 3   | Mechanical | You can fix anything!                                                                             |
| 4   | Computer   | You speak assembly language better than English.                                                  |
| 5   | Psychology | You can convince anyone of anything.                                                              |
| 6   | Academic   | Your heterodox views got you shunned from the academy.                                            |
| 7   | Criminal   | You had a rough adolescence but took some street smarts away with you.                            |
| 8   | Corporate  | Your corporate loyalty was rewarded with a layoff the day before your stocks would become vested. |
| 9   | Rural      | You understand the ways of plants and animals.                                                    |
| 10  | Religious  | You attended seminary until you met the love of your life.                                        |

## Making Rolls

When a player suggests that their character take an action in alignment with one of their backgrounds, they gain \[+] on their roll.

## Progression

Character progression only occurs via [projects](/custom-items.md) and by increasing Stats or Saves during [Shore Leave](/house-rules/debt.md).


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