Psi Wars: Revisiting Background Lenses with Technology

The technological adjustments we made will certainly impact our background lenses, particularly with the addition of lower wealth, The Humble Origins certainly expands its skills to include a variety of new skills, including Engineering and Farming, and let's go ahead and add that Primitive and Wanderer Lens.

Ewok with Blaster

The Primitive requires us to deal with Tech Level, which is something I've avoided thus far.  Star Wars is a universe in stasis, where everything has been TL 11^ for  thousands of years.  Thus, tech level seems pointless, were it not for minor races like Ewoks and Tusken Raiders.  Still, Ewoks seemed more than capable of adapting to TL 11^ with startling speed.  Psi Wars should follow suit, giving a nod to the possibility that an alien race might lack the technological sophistication so common to the rest of the galaxy while still allowing such characters to jump right into the thick of things. Thus, I propose the following disadvantage to replace Low TL:

Confused (Technological) [-5*]: When confronted with modern technology that you are not familiar with (or, explicitly, Familiar with), the GM may require you to roll your Self-Control. If you fail, you are completely flabbergasted by it and have no idea how to use it, and will use it in a completely inappropriate fashion, certainly causing trouble. This can include accidentally firing weapons at people, racing off with vehicles in reverse (or riding the wrong way around), or worshiping unfamiliar robots as gods. This will never deliberately inflict harm on you: You won't point a force sword at your face and switch it on. Instead, your blunders tend to be mischievously comical. After such an episode, you may consider yourself sufficiently familiar with the specific technology that such an episode will not occur again.

Aristocrat 20 points

You have a title. You either descend from noble blood, or you have been lifted up to the position of noble as a reward for your heroic deeds.
Advantages: Title [1], Wealth (Comfortable) [10]
Skills: Savoir-Faire (E) IQ [1]
Additional Skills: Choose another 8 points from Carousing (E) HT [2], Connoisseur (Any), Leadership, Politics or Public Speaking all (A) IQ [2], Current Affairs (High Culture, Politics) (E) IQ+1 [2] Law (Galactic) (H) IQ-1 [2], or Dancing (A) DX [2], or improve Savoir-Faire to IQ+1 [2] for +1 point, or improve any lens skill by one level for 2 points; or improve any lens skill by two levels for 6 points.
Social Traits: You may also spend any left over points, or your template advantage points on Contact (Wealthy friend, fellow noble, politican, skill 12, 15 or 8, 9 or less, somewhat reliable) [1, 2 or 3], Contact Group (Politicians or Nobles) (Skill 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less) [5, 10, 15), Fashion Sense [5], Favor [varies], Haughty Sneer [1], High Heeled Heroine [1], Honest Face [1], Sartorial Integrity [1] or Additional Wealth [varies].
Optional Disadvantages: Add the following disadvantage options to your template: Bully [-10*], Callous [-5], Jealousy [-10], Overconfidence [-5*], Selfish [-5*], Unfit or Very Unfit [-5 or -10].

Humble Origins 20 points

You are neither wealthy nor despised. You come from a simple world and a simple people, and managed to make it to the stars!
Skills: Area Knowledge (Homeworld) (E) IQ+1 [2].
Additional Skills: Another 18 points chosen from Pilot (Contragravity) (A) DX [2], Computer Operation, Current Affairs (Homeworld) or Housekeeping, all (E) IQ+1 [2], Administration, Animal Handling, Electrician, Farming, Freight Handling, Mechanic (Contragravity or Robotics), Merchant or Professional Skill (Any) all (A) IQ [2], Engineering (Civil or Robotics), Scrounging (Per/E) or Carousing (HT/A); or you may increase any lens skill by one level for 2 points, or two levels for 6 points.
Social Traits: You may spend your template points, or any leftover lens points on Charisma +1 [5], Contact (Friend, family, neighbors, skill 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less, somewhat reliable) [1, 2 or 3], Contact (Neighborhood, local organization, Skill 12, 15 or 18, Somewhat Reliable, 9 or less) [5, 10 or 15], Favor [varies], Honest Face [1], Pitable [5], Reputation (Homeworld Only (Small group), Always) [2/level].
Disadvantages: You may add the following disadvantages to your disadvantage template: Gullibility [-10*], Honesty [-10*], Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5], Selfless [-5*], Sense of Duty (Homeworld) [-10] or Wealth (Struggling) [-10]

Slave or Escaped Slave 20 points

Your life is not, or was not, your own. Your slavery is a more romantic or cinematic one. You are a slave assassin or a slave spy, rather than some wretched laborer slowly dying in a spice mine. Alternately, you were a slave, and this experience deeply marked you.
The weapon skills noted represent experience gained in gladiatorial combat, and are focused on skills explicitly useful in Psi-Wars, but any weapon skill might fit.
Skills: Savoir-Faire (Servant) (E) IQ+1 [2] or Escape (H) DX-1 [2].
Additional Skills: Another 16 points chosen from among Knife (E) DX+1 [2], Broadsword, Dancing, Polearm, Shield, Shortsword, Spear, Whip all (A) DX [2], Holdout (A) IQ [2], Observation (A) Per [2], Carousing (E) HT+1 [2], Sex-Appeal (A) HT [2], or any Art/Sport version of the combat skills; or you may increase any lens skill by one level for 2 points, or two levels for 6 points.
Social Traits: You may also spend your remaining lens points, or some of your tempalte advantage points on Allure [5/level], Appearance (Attractive, Beautiful, Very Beautiful) [4, 12, 16], Contact (Fellow slave or rescuer, skill 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less somewhat reliable) [1, 2 or 3], Cultural Familiarity (Master) [1], Higher Purpose (Serve Master or Escape!), High Pain Threshold [10], Language [2-6], Patron (Master) [varies], Pitiable [5], Sexy Pose [1], Voice [10].
Disadvantages: Current slaves must take the following disadvantages as part of your -50 disadvantage points: Duty (to Master, 9 or less, Extremely Hazardous, Involuntary) [-15] and Social Stigma (Valuable Property) [-10], while Escaped Slaved may take Enemy ( Former Master, individual greater in power or entire group, 6 or less, hunter) [-5 or -10]. You may take the following disadvantages as part of your template's optional disadvantages: Intolerance (Slavers, Slave Owners or Escaped Slaves) [-5], Low Self-Image (Only when defying Master -50%) [-5], On the Edge [-15*], Obsession (Escape!) [-5], Selfless [-5*], Sense of Duty (Master) [-2], Stubborness [-5*] or Wealth (Struggling or Poor) [-10 or -15]. Distinctive Feature (Scar or Tattoo) [-1] are common quirks.

Primitive or Survivor 20 points

You come from a world lacking in the niceties and technologies of galactic civilization. Perhaps you grew up in a primitive tribe on the outskirts of civilization, or perhaps you were exiled or crashlanded such a world and lived to tell the tale. Either way, the experience made you hardy. Experiences tend to be shaped by your specific world.
Features: Primitives are required to take the language and culture native to their world as their native language and culture.
Skills: Area Knowledge (Planet) (E) IQ+1 [2], Survival (Arctic, Desert, Jungle or Mountain) (A) Per [2].
Additional Traits: Divide 16 points among:

• Desert World: Damage Resistance 1 (Tough Skin -40%) [3], Robust Vision [1], Sure-Footed (Sand) [1], Temperature Tolerance (Hot) [1/level].
  
• Ice World: Climbing (A) DX [2], Sure-Footed (Ice/Snow) [1], Temperature Tolerance (Cold) [1],
  
• Jungle World: Poisons (H) IQ-1 [2], Swimming (E) HT+1 [2], Resistant to Disease +3 or +8 [3 or 5], Resistant to Poison +3 [5]
  
• Volcanic World: Climbing (A) DX [2], Damage Resistance 1 (Tough Skin -40%) [3], Temperature Tolerance (Hot) [1/level].
  

Characters from any world may take Knife (E) DX+1 [2], Riding (Any) or Spear both (A) DX [2], Camouflage or First Aid both (E) IQ+1 [2], Navigation (Land) (A) IQ [2], Naturalist (H) IQ-1 [2], Hiking (A) HT [2] or Tracking (A) Per [2], or increase any lens skill by one level for 2 points, or two levels for 6 points.
Social Traits: Contact Chieftain, Mystic, Warrior, skill 12, 15 or 8, 9 or less, somewhat reliable) [1, 2 or 3], Contact Group (Tribe) (Skill 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less) [5, 10, 15), Language (planetary native language or Galactic Basic) [2-6], Cultural Familiarity (planetary native or Galactic) [1], Danger Sense [15], Fit [5], Hard to Kill +1 to +3 [2/level], Night Vision 1-3 [l/level], Rapid Healing [5] or Survivor [5/level]. A Survivor may spend any of his template Advantage points on the above traits.
Disadvantages: Primitives are required to take Confused (Low Technology) [-5*] and Social Stigma (Uneducated) [-5] as part of their [-50] template disadvantage points. You may optionally take Disiciplines of Faith (Mysticism or Ritualism) [-10 or -5], Clueless [-10], Gullbility [-10*], Odious Personal Habit (Disturbing Primitive Traditions or Refers to everything in supernatural terms) [-5] or Social Stigma (Minority) [-5]. Survivors may take Bloodlust [-10*], Callous [-5], Clueless [-10], Loner [-5*], No Sense of Humor [-10], Oblivious [-5], Shyness [-5 to -10], Stuttering [-10] or Wealth (Struggling or Poor) [-10 or -15]. Either may take Wealth (Struggling or Poor) [-10 or -15].

Outcast 20 points

Because of bad life choices, your race, or your poverty, you struggle to survive on the edges of galactic society.
Skills: Streetwise (A) IQ [2].
Additional Skills: Another 18 points chosen from Beam Weapons (Pistol), Brawling or Knife all (E) DX+1 [2], Filch (A) DX [2], Pickpocket (H) DX-1 [2], Area Knowledge (Planet or important starport) or Savoir-Faire (Mafia) both (E) IQ+1 [2], Gambling, Holdout or Smuggling all (A) IQ [2], Carousing (E) HT+1 [2], Running (A) HT [2], Scrouncing (E) Per+1 [2], Observation or Urban Survival both (A) Per [2], or Intimidation (A) Will [2]; 2 more points in any lens skill to raise it by one level; or 6 more points to raise it by two.
Additional Traits: You may spend any leftover points, or template advantage points on Contact (Fence, Fixer, Smuggler, trusted friend etc; Appropriate skill at 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less, somewhat reliable) [1, 2 or 3], or Contact Group (Gang, pirates, minority clan, skill-12, 15 or 18, 9 or less, somewhat reliable) [5, 10 or 15], Cultural Familiarity (Native to Homeworld or minority), Language (Native to homeworld or minority) [2-6], or Street Smart [5/level]
Disadvantages: You must take one of the following as one of your template disadvantages: Social Stigma (Criminal, Second-Class Citizen or Minority) [-5 to -10]. You may add the following disadvantages to your template disadvantages: Greed [-15*], Obsession (Regain former standing) [-5], Sense of Duty (Your minority) [-10] and Wealth (Struggling or Poor) [-10 or -15].

Wanderer 20 points

You spent much of your life on a starship wandering the stars. Perhaps you lived your life as a merchant or you come from a community of wanderers.
Advantages: Old Space Hand [1]
Skills: Area Knowledge (Region of Space) (E) IQ [2], Navigation (Hyperspace) (A) IQ-1 [1], Pilot (Starship) (A) DX [2], Spacer (E) IQ+1 [2], Vacc Suit (A) IQ [2],
Additional Skills: Choose another 10 points from Carousing (E) HT [2], Free-Fall (E) DX+1 [2], Area Knowledge (Region of Space or Starport), Current Affairs (Regional) both (E) IQ+1 [2], Cartographer, Connoisseur (Starship), Freight Handling, Mechanic (Starship), Merchant, Smuggler, or Vacc Suit all (A) IQ [2], Engineer (Starships) (H) IQ-1 [2], or Scrounging (E) Per+1 [2], or improve Navigation (Hyperspace) by one level for +1 point, or improve any lens skill by one level for 2 points; or improve any lens skill by two levels for 6 points.
Social Traits: You may also spend any left over points, or your template advantage points on Contact (Fence, port authority, smuggler, merchant, skill 12, 15 or 8, 9 or less, somewhat reliable) [1, 2 or 3], Contact Group (Smugglers, space wanderers) (Skill 12, 15 or 18, 9 or less) [5, 10, 15), Corvette Switchboard [1], Duct Tape Savant [1], Equipment Bond (Ship) [1], Feel of the Ship [1], Light-Jumper [1], Smooth Jump [1], Smuggler Lane [1], Standard Operation (Calibrations) [1], Signature Ship [varies].

Optional Disadvantages: Add the following disadvantage options to your template: Chummy [-5], Wealth (Struggling) [-10], Intolerance (Planet-siders) [-10], Phobia (Being off a ship) [-5*], Skinny [-5], ST -1 [-10].