Character Class for Skulls Without Number

Every character in Skulls Without Number belongs to one Character Class, chosen during character creation.

Rogue Trader

The bearer of the Warrant of Trade and the peer of the Imperium. The heart of every Rogue Trader crew. Whether pious or prideful, swaggering or subtle, Rogue Traders cut impressive figures. They have only two fates: glory beyond measure or swift ignominy among unknown stars.
A Rogue Trader may make themselves good at whatever they wish, be that combat or expertise. However, they will never be quite as powerful as their companions who have fully devoted themselves to their pursuits. A Rogue Trader is best when they complement their household, and of course, provide the necessary support and decisive leadership.

Rogue Trader Class Abilities

Comrade: You are the axis of the Rogue Trader expedition; you are the commander of your ship and master of your crew. You can raise them up in the moments of true crisis. Once per day per PC ally or subordinate NPC ally, as an Instant action, allow them to reroll a roll they just made of any kind. Your or another Rogue Trader’s Comrade ability can’t help you, however.
The Rogue Trader receives an extra starting Focus (noted in the table as "Warrior" and "Expert".) This Focus must be related to the Rogue Trader's background and must be a combat Focus for Warrior, and a non-Combat focus for Expert. In case of uncertainty, the GM decides whether or not a focus is permitted.

Free Skill: Lead

Starting Equipment

• Best-Craftsmanship Laspistol OR Best-Craftsmanship Revolver OR Plasma pistol
• Best-Craftsmanship monosword (Medium Prim. Weapon) OR Poor-craftsmanship Powersword
• Microbead
• Voidsuit
• Clothing, noble
• Xeno-pelt cloak OR Impractically large hat (Enc. 0)
• Best-Craftsmanship Armored Voidsuit OR Carapace Armor

Arch-Militant

The Arch-Militant is a master of arms, a war-chief of the crew, and a potent dealer of death themselves. These supreme warriors often serve either as captains, generals, or bodyguards.
An Arch-Militant is good at killing with any implements they choose. Only Void Masters operating voidship-sized weapons outclass them in pure killing power. Additionally, they are tough, and can endure vicious attacks far longer than most of the rest of the classes.

Arch-Militant Class Abilities

Killing Blow: Whenever an Arch-Militant inflicts damage with any attack or special ability they may add half their character level, rounded up, to the damage done. This damage is also added to any Shock they may inflict.
The Arch-Militant receives an extra starting Focus (noted in the table as "Warrior".) This Focus must be related to the Arch-Militant's background and must be a combat Focus. In case of uncertainty, the GM decides whether or not a focus is permitted.

Free Skill: Any Combat

Starting Equipment

• Best-Craftsmanship Rifle OR Hellgun OR 2 Bolt Pistols
• Best-Craftsmanship monoweapon (Small, Medium, or Large Prim. Weapon)
• Microbead
• Voidsuit
• Guard Flak Armor
• Bolt shell keepsake
• Medkit
• Manacles
• Arms Coffer OR 3 doses of Lift

Astropath Transcendent

The Astropath is a specially trained psyker, capable of sending psychic messages through the Warp, and binding the Imperium together. They are valued in a Rogue Trader's crew for this alone, but those that climb their way into a Rogue Trader's household also have potent psychic abilities beyond mere communication.
An Astropath is a psyker. While they may excel in a few other small areas, they primarily solve problems through their psychic powers. Psychic powers are dangerous, and may invoke the Perils of the Warp.

Astropath Class Abilities

Psychic Effort: You have an Effort score, which can be used to fuel psychic abilities. Your maximum Effort is equal to your highest psychic skill (minimum 0).
Psychic Techniques: You have the ability to learn Techniques from any psychic skill at level 0 or higher. When you get your level-0 skill, you get access to the Core Technique for that skill. Every time you increase the skill, you gain a free Technique in that skill. The Technique's level must be equal to or lower than your rating in the psychic skill. Further Techniques can be purchased with experience points.

Free Skill: Telepathy + 1 Psychic Skill

Starting Equipment

• Laspistol OR Autopistol
• Best-Craftsmanship monodagger (Small Prim. Weapon) or Shock Staff
• Secure Clothing
• Personal charm (Enc. 1)
• Voidsuit
• Microbead
• Psy-focus (Enc. 1)

Explorator

Explorators are the names given to those Priests of Mars, the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus, who choose to go into unknown regions and catalogue the universe for the glory of the Omnissiah. Any Rogue Trader worth their salt will have a cadre of enginseers to maintain their voidship and equipment, but they will only elevate those Explorators of exceptional skill and vision to their inner circle.
Explorators are highly skilled in dealing with technology, whether maintaining a voidship or deciphering alien ruins. They also have the ability to get more cybernetics while maintaining high System Strain. Explorators also receive special powers through Rites.

Explorator Class Abilities

Educated: When the Explorator advances an experience level, they gain a bonus skill point that can be spent on any non-combat, non-psychic skill. They can save this point to spend later.
Vitruvianic Frame: Those inducted into the Cult Mechanicus undergo extensive modifications, requiring them to first receive the Rite of Vitruvius. This ancient surgery, dating back to the Dark Age of Technology, allows the frail flesh of a human to accept more and more cybernetic implants, in a way that does not overstrain their body or extinguish their soul. Patients are filled with electro-grafts, electoo inductors, cyber-mantles, potentia coils, and many miles of cranial circuitry. The Explorator gains additional System Strain equal to half their level (rounded up). The Explorator starts with two cybernetic implants of Rare Availability or less.
Secret Rites of the Mechanicus: While many of the rich and powerful in the Imperium bear transhuman and posthuman forms, the Cult Mechanicus trains its members in the secret lore of their cybernetics, allowing them to unlock its true powers. The Explorator starts with one Rite, and gains additional Rites as detailed in the table below. Rites give benefits as long as the Explorator has two of the three listed pieces of cyberware.

Free Skill: Fix and Cogitomancy

Mechanicus Rites

Rite of Combat: In combat, as an On Turn or Reaction, gain 1 System Strain and gain a +2 to your attack roll or AC as long as you have two of Combat Mechadendrite, Twitchlock Actuators, or Holdout Cavity.
Rite of Tech-Use: Gain +1 to Fix or Cogitomancy skill rolls made to interact, examine or use technology or devices as long as you have two of Utility Mechadendrite, Panspectral Optics, or Eelskin Capacitor Mesh.
Rite of Forging: The time required to fabricate items or install mods is halved, and 1 fewer Archeotech components are required, as long as you have two of Utility Mechadendrite, Pain Ward, or Immunofiltration Systems.
Rite of Orthopraxis: Gain a +2 to reaction rolls with group from the Mechanicus, and your party's Reputation with the Mechanicus can't go below -2 as long as you have two of Adrenal Suppression Pump, Gastral Bionics, or Stabilization Overrides.
Rite of the Genator: Gain a +1 to Heal or Know Scholastic rolls when scanning or chemically altering organisms, and the time to install cyber is halved, as long as you have two of Toxin Injector, Medicae Mechadendrite, or Bioadaptation Augments.
Rite of Servitor Mastery: Double the number of servitors you can control each turn, and one Servitor can be controlled as an On Turn action, as long as you have two of Servitor Control Link, Ghost Talker Transciever, or Binary Chatterbox.

Starting Equipment

• Best-Craftsmanship Lasgun OR Bolter OR Poor-craftsmanship Hellgun
• Best-Craftsmanship Suit Ripper OR Poweraxe
• Secure Clothing
• Multikey
• Voidsuit
• Sacred Unguents
• Microbead
• Combi-tool
• Dataslate
• Servo-skull familiar

Missionary

The Missionaria Galaxia is the arm of the Ecclesiarchy dedicated to bringing the light of the Emperor to fallen, benighted worlds. Missionaries are cut different from the common preachers and confessors of the Imperium; they are trained to face the most fervent blasphemies with an iron mind, and should they judge it right, an open hand. They travel alongside Rogue Traders to lift humans out of ignorance and into faith - by rod and flame, if necessary.
The Missionary is a hybrid class, combining some aspects of a warrior with special arts. These arts allow the Missionary to specialize, giving them abilities that support their comrades, sway heathens, or strike down the powers of psykers. They are also one of the only classes that have powers against Daemons of the Warp, a threat that is otherwise very difficult to deal with.

Missionary Class Abilities

Missionary Arts: Ministers of the Missionarus Galaxia are trained to face the boundless and overwhelming darkness that exists in realms beyond the Emperor's light. They are trained to face the horrors of the void and the great beyond, and to lead the ignorant and misguided populations of lost worlds back into the Imperial fold. Starting from the first level, the Missionary can learn the Missionary Arts at the rate shown in the table below.

Free Skill: Pray

Missionary Arts

True Hand: The Missionary receives a bonus to hit rolls against Daemons and Warp cultists equal to half their character level, rounded up.
Favor of the Emperor: As a Main Action, bless a particular plan or undertaking currently sought by the target. During the plan’s execution or while seeking the desired end, the blessed subject can reroll one failed skill check or one missed hit roll. The blessing lasts until it is used, the plan is finished, or one day per level has passed. Only one plan can be blessed at a time.
Condemnation of the Golden Throne: As a Main Action, condemn a visible enemy in the inviolable words of the Imperial Creed. They suffer a -2 penalty to hit rolls, damage rolls, and Shock damage for the rest of the scene. If they miss an attack with a raw to-hit die roll less than the Missionary’s Pray skill, they accidentally hurt themselves for normal damage. Only one condemnation can be applied at a time.
Dread Awe: The Missionary has cultivated a fearsome reputation, and adorned themselves with grisly sigils of their devotion to the God-Emperor. They stare with a holy burning fury. Gain a +1 bonus on all skill checks related to intimidation or threat. They can spend a Main Action cursing their foes in battle; those who hear suffer a -1 penalty to their next Morale check. They can do this only once per scene.
Fortress of Faith: The Missionary gains a level in Ironclad Mind focus.
Gift of Tongues: Gain the Connect skill as a bonus skill. The Missionary can learn a local human language with no more than a week of study with a native speaker.
Holy Healer: The Missionary is a trained and capable healer, whose reassuring words and fervent prayers are as good as any bandage. Gain a +1 on all Heal skill checks; once per day, as an On Turn action, automatically succeed at a skill check to stabilize a Mortally Wounded subject.
Holy Sanctity: The Missionary appears as the perfect priest, an incorruptible beacon of faith and devotion. Gain a +1 bonus on social skill checks and reaction rolls with adherents of the Imperial Creed. Henchmen receive a morale bonus equal to Pray.
Litany of Expulsion: The Missionary can spend a Main Action to make a Pray/WIS or Pray/INT skill test against one Daemon in their unaided sight. On a success, that Daemon is exorcised from the Materium and disappears instantly. The difficulty of the check is 5 plus the Daemon’s HD. On a failure, this power cannot be attempted on that Daemon again.
Litany of Hate: Once per day, the Missionary can spend a Main Action gives all allies who can hear them a +1 bonus to hit against a hated group of enemies. If the enemies are part of a group which the Missionary has a negative Faction Relationship with, the bonus is +2. Once per day, on a successful Pray/CHA skill test, the priest can either stir up a mob to a hateful act, or redirect a mob to a different target. The difficulty of this check is 14 minus the mob’s reaction roll.
Purity of Arms: Any weapon or unarmed attack counts as a psychic weapon for the purposes of affecting targets only subject to psychic weapons.
Righteous Fire: The Missionary’s personal weapons or unarmed attacks are limned with blazing fire, adding their character level in damage to all successful hits. Against Daemons and Warp cultists this damage is always inflicted, whether or not the attack roll hits. Whenever using a flamer or other flamethrowing weapon, roll damage twice and take the higher result.
Sacrilegious Scorn: Gain a +2*Pray bonus to all saving throws against magical or mundane effects created by Daemons or Warp cultists.
Shield of Faith: The Missionary gains an AC bonus against Daemons and Warp cultists equal to half their level, rounded up.
Storm of Desecration: Once per scene as a Main Action the Missionary can erupt in a frenzy of violence that allows them to make an attack roll against up to six targets within range of their weapon, or within 10 meters for melee weapons. Each attack is rolled separately and each target can be attacked only once. Only supremely skilled Missionaries of level 5 or higher may take this Art.
True Eyes: The Missionary may make a Mental saving throw to automatically pierce any illusions created or disguises adopted by a Daemon or psyker. Failure means a new attempt cannot be made until a new scene begins.

Starting Equipment

• Best-Craftsmanship Staff (Large Prim. Weapon) OR Chainsword
• Best-Craftsmanship Lasgun OR Flamer
• Clothing, Ecclesiarchal vestments
• Guard Flak Armor
• Aquila pendant (Enc. *)
• Censer and incense (Enc. 2)
• Microbead

Navigator

The most accepted mutants in the Imperium, the Navigators are necessary for any warp travel. With their baleful Third Eye, they can peer into the Warp without going mad, guiding ships through the snares and shoals. Navigators are typically the only members of a Rogue Trader crew that are a peer to the Rogue Trader, as the Navigator is inherently nobility, born from Navis Nobilite houses.
Navigators are like psykers, in that they primarily rely on their special powers and abilities to solve problems. A Navigator is somewhat more likely to be skilled and socially capable. Navigators must contend with mutations that slowly twist them as they level up.
Navigators are immensely important for starship travel. As such, if no player is playing a Navigator, an NPC from the Navigator complement on board the ship will be used.

Navigator Class Abilities

Educated: When the Navigator advances an experience level, they gain a bonus skill point that can be spent on any non-combat, non-psychic skill. They can save this point to spend later.
Navigator Power: Navigators are endowed various powers, thanks to their fundamental mutation: the Third Eye, also known as the Navigator Eye or the Warp Eye. Its most common use in the Imperium is allowing the Navigator to look into the Immaterium without going mad. However, Navigators can train themselves to wield their connection to the Warp and their third eye to achieve sorcerous effects. Navigators gain the Navigator Powers listed in their class table and described below.
Navigator Effort: Navigators have a pool of Effort to power their abilities. Navigator Effort is equal to the Navigator's Navigate skill, plus the better of their WIS or INT (minimum 0).
Navigator Mutations: Unfortunately, though they are labeled "stable" and useful mutants, Navigators are still mutants. As time wears on, they are exposed to more and more of the Warp. The growth of their powers results in the degradation of their bodies, growing more and more inhuman over time. Navigators gain Navigator Mutations as they level up, as shown in the class chart below, in addition to the normal methods for gaining Mutations and Malignancies.
Navigator House: A Navigator belongs to one of the vaunted houses of the Navis Nobilite. They are noble houses just as much as Rogue Trader dynasties or the families of Imperial Governors. While there are many houses, those in good standing in the Imperium are grouped into three broad categories: Magisterial, Nomadic, and Shrouded houses. At character creation, a Navigator's player must declare the house to which their character belongs. They receive a +1 to Faction Bonus to that house, and additional effects, as follows. Magisterial Houses (Benetek, Vor’cle): The Navigator starts with -1 Mutation. Nomadic House (Term’L, Xan’Tai and Aleene): The Navigator can spend a Fate Point to regain an Effort, but starts with -2 HP. Shrouded House (Modar, Yeshar, the Rey’a’Nor): The Navigator gains +1 starting mutation, but gains +1 Effort.

Free Skill: Navigate and Any Non-Psychic Skill

Navigator Powers

Lidless Stare: Commit Effort for the scene, and gain one System Strain. The Navigator opens their Third Eye and spills the Warp into the materium. The Navigator deals 1d10 damage, plus 1d10 damage per Navigation skill level, to all who can see them (friends and foes alike) within 15 meters and fail a Mental Save. If the Effort is instead committed for the day, the Navigator can make a Navigation/INT test against difficulty 7 + the HD of one intelligent enemy; on a success, the enemy is instantly slain. The range of the Navigator's gaze is reduced to 5 meters in fog or mist. A Navigator's Third Eye draws in others' vision; characters can only actively attempt to shield themselves with ample warning (from the previous round), and such actions only gives +4 to the Mental save.
Warp Navigation: Navigators can peer into the warp, determining the path that must be taken in the Warp, and allowing for safer transit in and out of the Immaterium.
Baleful Watcher: The Navigator uses their third eye to see past the material illusions, and discern the truth in their gaze. Commit Effort for the scene and choose one individual creature. The Navigator learns the AC, HD, HP, Effort amount remaining (if any), and any secret defenses (force fields or psychic techniques). If the Navigator has Navigate-2 or greater, they also learn about the Psychic Disciplines and Techniques the target has.
Cloud in the Warp: The Navigator watches the Immaterium, hiding and obscuring their spiritual presence. Commit Effort. As long as the Effort is committed, the Navigator and anyone within Navigation * 2 meters can't be seen by psychic-sight and Daemons.
Evil Eye: The idea of a three-eyed mutant who can cast Daemons upon you with a glance is common across Imperial cultures, but it is not strictly true. While none but the most depraved, mutated, or sorcerous Navigators can actually summon Daemons, many Navigators are trained to spiritually "mark" targets, attracting malign entities that harry the mind and soul. Commit Effort for the day. One target is cursed by the Navigator's Evil Eye. The target suffers a -2 to attack rolls and a -1 to all skill tests. Daemons will target them first for attacks. If they are a psyker, they always roll Perils of the Warp, regardless of whether or not they are torching.
Gaze into the Abyss: Commit Effort for the day. The Navigator learns whether a creature or object holds the taint of the Warp or is a psyker while the Effort is committed. Psykers and daemons aware of the Navigator's invisible gaze can attempt to conceal themselves with a Sneak/WIS test opposed by the Navigators's Navigate/WIS. Any attempt by a targeted creature to use psychic powers or invoke Daemonic powers must succeed on a Psychic Power/WIS or Psychic Power/CON roll against the Navigator's Navigate/STR. This power ends when the creature leaves line of sight.
Temporal Tides: As an Instant action, the Navigator can Commit Effort for a scene prior to rolling Initiative. The Navigator's initiative is treated as one better than anyone else in the scene. If there is another creature using this ability or a similar ability, roll initiative to see which of them go first, then have all such creatures go before the other combatants.
Tracks in the Warp: All ships leave trails in the Warp as they travel through space; a well-trained Navigator can see these trails and use them to track their quarry. Commit Effort. As long as this Effort remains committed, the Navigator can detect the warp trail of a ship. They know the rough size of the ship (Transport, Raider, Frigate, Cruiser, etc.) and the type of Warp Drive it has. They can detect trails up that are a number of time periods old equivalent to their Notice skill (min 1 for Notice-0), with the time period being determined by their Navigation skill: 0: days, 1: weeks, 2: months, 3-4: years.
Warped Step: The Navigator has perfected the art of shifting themselves into the Warp to bend time and space. Commit Effort for the scene. As a Move or a Reaction action, the Navigator moves up to 5 meters away from their current location, to another location they could have reached normally. At Navigate-1, the range becomes 10 meters; at Navigate-2, it becomes 100 meters; at Navigate-3 it becomes 1 kilometer; at Navigate-4 it becomes 10 kilometers.
Withering Gaze: A Navigator's stare need not kill to harm; a Navigator can focus and direct the currents of the Warp to sap vitality and rend minds. Commit Effort for the scene. All those who can see the Navigator in range (as with the Lidless Stare), must make a Mental Saving Throw. On a failure, they take triple the Navigator's Navigate skill in System Strain, and must make a Morale check with a penalty equal to the Navigator's Navigate skill. However, this process inflicts one System Strain on the Navigator as well.

Navigator Mutations

Whenever a Navigator gains a Mutation (either at character creation, due to gaining new Navigator powers, or due to Corruption), they do not roll on the normal Malignancy chart. Instead, they roll on the table below:

Starting Equipment

• Best-Craftsmanship Revolver OR Hellpistol
• Best-Craftsmanship Staff (Large Prim. Weapon)
• Best-Craftsmanship Armored Undersuit
• Emperor's tarot deck (Enc. 1)
• Clothing, Nobilite robes
• Silk headscarf OR Triocular diadem OR Blinding Tiara (Enc. 0)
• Personal charm (Enc. 1)
• Microbead

Seneschal

Accountant, diplomat, scholar, spy. The seneschal can be any and all of these things for their Rogue Trader. As the situation and personal focus dictates, they can be the face of the crew or the shadow in the wings. They weave schemes and plots as a second nature, and carefully monitor the vast amounts of information the Rogue Trader enterprise generators. They are often the first to spot threats, be they without, within, or beyond.
A Seneschal is going to be the most skilled character in any Rogue Trader crew. While they may not have quite as much technical ability as the Explorator or as much fervor as the Missionary, they will likely have the broadest array of skills, and their abilities make them more likely to succeed.

Seneschal Class Abilities

Educated: When the Seneschal advances an experience level, they gain a bonus skill point that can be spent on any non-combat, non-psychic skill. They can save this point to spend later.
Masterful Expertise: Once per scene, the Seneschal can reroll a failed skill check, taking the new roll if it’s better.
The Seneschal receives an extra starting focus (noted in the table as "Expert".) This Focus must be related to the Seneschal's background and must be a non-combat Focus. In case of uncertainty, the GM decides whether or not a focus is permitted.

Free Skill: Know Common AND Administer, Sneak, or Trade

Starting Equipment

• Best-Craftsmanship Hellpistol OR Plasma pistol
• Best-Craftsmanship monodagger (Small Prim. Weapon) OR Stun Baton
• Armored Undersuit
• Autoquill
• Dataslate
• Microbead
• Multikey
• Clothing, common
• Clothing, guilder
• Synskin
• Chrono
• Cameleoline cloak

Void Master

If it flies, drives, or hurtles through the void, the Void Master is its master. A Void Master is the stablemaster of the Rogue Trader's mechanical beasts, ensuring that they are well-kept, and when the time comes, put to good use. Void Masters typically specialize in one area, such as helming a voidship, shooting thunderous ordinance, piloting attack craft, or driving vehicles. However, no Void Master ever ascends to a Rogue Trader's side without some mastery of all of these.
The Void Master is a vehicle- and starship-based warrior. They prefer to fight at range, since they are far more fragile, but have abilities that let them dodge, and even hit automatically.

Void Master Class Abilities

Hotshot: Once per scene, as an Instant action, trigger this ability to gain one of two effects: an attack roll that just hit you is instead treated as a miss, or an attack roll you just made that missed is instead treated as a hit. This ability can be applied to vehicle weapons used by the Void Master, but it cannot protect against environmental damage, vehicle crashes, falls, or other harm that doesn’t involve an attack roll.
Voidsman's Fortune: Once per game session as an Instant action, when something bad happens to you such as an injury, a failed save, or a botched skill check, test your luck and roll 1d6. On a 1, the bad event is unaffected. On a 2-5, you somehow avert the consequences by blind chance. On a 6, it actually lands on an enemy or rival of the GM’s choice, if that’s possible. Only events that happened in this same round can be averted.
Machine Sympathy: Once per scene, reroll a skill check related to vehicles or ordnance.
The Void Master receives an extra starting Focus (noted in the table as "Operator".) This Focus must be related to the Void-Master's background and must be a Focus related to ordnance, vehicles, voidships, or sensors. In case of uncertainty, the GM decides whether or not a focus is permitted.

Free Skill: Pilot

Starting Equipment

• Best-Craftsmanship Lasgun OR Long-las
• Best-Craftsmanship Revolver OR Bolt Pistol
• Guard Flak Armor (Tanker pattern)
• Microbead
• Voidsuit
• Blessed ship token
• Atmofilter
• Uniform, Imperial Navy OR Clothing, beggar
• 2 Amasec bottles
• Pict-recorder
• Vox-caster