[New Career] Reluctant Dissident: The First Steps of Rebellion
Subversive Lives in the Shadows of Power
It wasn’t about politics. It just felt… too wrong to stay silent."
The Role of the Reluctant Dissident
At the heart of the Empire—or any authoritarian regime—it isn’t the stormtroopers who keep the machine running. It’s the countless ordinary citizens who feed it every day. Some simply follow orders. Others begin to ask questions.
The Reluctant Dissident is the unseen worker, the restless student, the technician who glimpses the system’s inner workings—and, one day, quietly begins to sabotage them. These are conflicted individuals, aware of the injustice surrounding them, yet still trapped in their daily routines. They don’t belong to the Rebellion. They aren’t part of an organized cell. But with every small act of defiance, they bring the system one step closer to collapse.
In game, this career represents characters standing at the threshold between survival and political awakening. It can serve as the origin story for future rebel operatives or portray civilians swept into a conflict they can no longer ignore. It also offers a rich framework for ambiguous, morally complex NPCs—temporary allies, hesitant informants, or risky confidants.
Narrative and Mechanical Role
Designed for campaigns that emphasize the slow birth of resistance, everyday tension, and subtle repression.
Highlights the fragility and danger of early insurgency—moral dilemmas, clandestine acts, and the price of speaking out.
Ideal for depicting characters before radicalization—or for stories where hope begins in fear.
Common Traits of Reluctant Dissidents
Minimal or no combat training.
Strategic access to infrastructure, records, systems, or bureaucracy.
Personal or moral motivation—still diffuse and not yet ideological.
High risk of exposure, punishment, or blackmail—often operate alone, without formal support.
Background Examples
A rail terminal operator who discreetly alters schedules and manifests.
A lab assistant who sabotages key research results.
A merchant smuggling forbidden communication devices under the table.
A young thief who realizes the system wants him dead—and begins to strike back.
Creative Use in Play
For GMs: potent narrative catalysts—seeds of rebellion, conflicted informants, moral turning points.
For players: a slow-burn progression, where each new talent represents a step closer to conscious defiance.
Carrer Skills
The eight career skills of the Reluctant Dissident are Charm, Computers, Deception, Discipline, Streetwise, Perception, Brawl, and Knowledge (Education). The character automatically gains one rank in any of these skills (player’s choice) without spending experience points and receives a discount when spending experience to acquire additional ranks in any of them.
Relutant Dissident Specializations
1. Security Detail – Shield of the System
Before rebellions erupt and blasters are drawn, the first line of control lies in uniforms — guards, escorts, enforcers. Security Details are the silent backbone of authoritarian order: building security, patrol officers, private enforcers, corporate watchdogs. Some do it for the paycheck, others out of fear or conviction. But a few begin to question. And when they do, they’re already armed, armored, and trained to stand in harm’s way — whether to defend or defy.
The Security Detail gains access to the following career skills: Melee, Vigilance, Discipline, and Ranged (Light). They may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each at character creation without spending experience.
With their talents, they become resilient frontline operatives — skilled in defense, tactical awareness, and physical deterrence. While they may not be insurgents yet, their reflexes, restraint, and readiness make them dangerous in any conflict.
This specialization fits campaigns grounded in surveillance, patrol zones, or physical resistance to occupation. Whether guarding a corrupt executive, protecting civilians in secret, or turning their training against their former employers, Security Details walk the thin line between order and rebellion.
Talents
Tier 1: Toughened, Grit, Quick Draw, Rapid Reaction
Tier 2: Body Guard, Defensive Stance, Side Step, Brace
Tier 3: Durable, Barrage, Hard Headed, Rapid Recovery
Tier 4: Enduring, Improved Body Guard, Armor Master, Strategic Advance
Tier 5: Dedication, Improved Hard Headed, Heroic Fortitude, Situational Awareness
2. Corporate Operative – Invisible Architect
In the vast machinery of bureaucracy and corporate servitude aligned with the regime, Corporate Operatives survive through cunning. They are secretaries, administrative assistants, mid-level analysts, overworked clerks — invisible figures on the edges of power who, nevertheless, hold access to schedules, reports, and sensitive decisions. They keep the gears turning, but some begin to twist them just enough. A misfiled report. An omitted data point. A rumor shared with a smile.
The Corporate Operative gains access to the following career skills: Charm, Deception, Negotiation, and Knowledge (Education). They may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each at character creation without spending experience.
With their talents, they become masters of quiet influence — skilled at shaping narratives, destabilizing rivals with cutting remarks, or rallying allies with a few well-chosen words. Their greatest weapon is the illusion of harmlessness.
In play, this specialization shines in political or urban campaigns where direct combat gives way to social tension, corporate espionage, and ideological subversion. The Corporate Operative fights with paperwork, rhetoric, and presence — and wins battles before others even know they’ve begun.
Talents
Tier 1: Kill with Kindness, Plausible Deniability, Convincing Demeanor, Researcher
Tier 2: Inspiring Rhetoric, Scathing Tirade, Congenial, Nobody’s Fool
Tier 3: Dodge, Improved Inspiring Rhetoric, Improved Scathing Tirade, Well Rounded
Tier 4: Grit, Supreme Inspiring Rhetoric, Supreme Scathing Tirade, Natural Charmer
Tier 5: Steely Nerves, Dedication, Intense Presence, Influence Finesse
3. Dependent Student – Seed of Disobedience
They are young, smart, and stuck. Whether enrolled in a state academy, corporate youth program, or under strict family oversight, Dependent Students live in environments designed to shape obedience. But their curiosity begins to outpace their conditioning. A question in the wrong lecture. A book read too carefully. A system accessed a bit too often. Learning becomes resistance — not yet open rebellion, but the thoughts are forming.
The Dependent Student has access to the following career skills: Computers, Discipline, Knowledge (Education), and Perception. They may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each at character creation without spending experience.
With their talents, they develop into quick-thinking learners and subtle observers — capable of decoding hidden meanings, crafting creative solutions, and resisting ideological pressure. Their youth grants them resilience and adaptability, though often paired with naivety and inexperience.
In gameplay, this specialization thrives in stories of ideological awakening, secret research, or social rebellion sparked from inside institutions. Dependent Students are the first cracks in the wall — clever, underestimated, and slowly becoming dangerous.
Talents
Tier 1: Speaks Binary, Researcher, Outdoorsman, Codebreaker
Tier 2: Well Rounded, Tinkerer, Keen Eyed, Second Wind
Tier 3: Natural Student, Creative Solution, Confidence, Skilled Teacher (Sense Danger)
Tier 4: Knowledge Specialization, Natural Programmer, Intense Focus, Resolve
Tier 5: Stroke of Genius, Thorough Assessment, Dedication, Mentor’s Guidance
4. Industrial Technician – Saboteur in Overalls
They fix what’s broken and break what shouldn’t work. Industrial Technicians are mechanics, system workers, plant interns, or maintenance staff — people who know how to keep the lights on and how to make them flicker at just the right time. Most of their lives are spent in workshops, control rooms, and crawlspaces. But some of them start to notice patterns — and when they act, their sabotage looks a lot like routine maintenance.
The Industrial Technician has access to the following career skills: Computers, Mechanics, Vigilance, and Survival. They may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each at character creation without spending experience.
With their talents, they become expert tinkerers and improvised engineers, capable of field repairs, mechanical sabotage, and adapting tech on the fly. What they lack in charisma, they make up for with grit, creativity, and a deep understanding of how things fall apart.
In play, this specialization shines in infiltration, sabotage missions, or survival under harsh industrial conditions. They’re the ones who disarm alarms, reroute power, bypass systems, or collapse scaffolds — always with a wrench in one hand and a reason in the other.
Talents
Tier 1: Gearhead, Solid Repairs, Fine Tuning, Bad Motivator
Tier 2: Tinkerer, Utinni!, Redundant Systems, Grit
Tier 3: Contraption, Jury Rigged, Improved Bad Motivator, Enduring
Tier 4: Natural Tinkerer, Hold Together, Master Artisan, Vigilant Machinist (custom: converts Mechanics advantages into Vigilance boosts)
Tier 5: Dedication, Improved Contraption, Thorough Assessment, Supreme Inventor
5. Low-Level Criminal – Streetwise Opportunist
They don’t start out with grand causes or grand plans. Low-Level Criminals survive day by day — pickpocketing, smuggling, scamming, and dodging authorities in the maze of alleys, starports, or crowded plazas. They aren’t professionals yet, but they know how to lie, how to run, and when to disappear. Some keep going until they’re caught. Others learn to aim higher — and find that resistance pays better than crime.
The Low-Level Criminal has access to the following career skills: Streetwise, Skulduggery, Coordination, and Cool. They may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each at character creation without spending experience.
With their talents, they become agile tricksters, skilled in stealth, misdirection, and survival under pressure. Whether blending into a crowd or cracking a lock, their true power lies in knowing how to vanish and reappear with something valuable.
In play, this specialization shines in urban pursuits, petty thefts, infiltration, and con jobs. Their talents allow them to manipulate the criminal underworld, escape tight situations, or become unexpected saboteurs — small-time actors with big potential.
Talents
Tier 1: Street Smarts, Black Market Contacts, Indistinguishable, Bypass Security
Tier 2: Dodge, Hidden Storage, Grit, Swift
Tier 3: Stalker, Rapid Reaction, Shortcut, Soft Spot
Tier 4: Natural Rogue, Improved Bypass Security, Jump Up, Master of Shadows
Tier 5: Dedication, Coordination Dodge, Deceptive Taunt, Uncanny Luck
6. Manual Laborer – The Unbreakable Improviser
He holds no title, no status — just calloused hands and practical solutions. In forgotten industrial zones, remote colonies, or marginalized neighborhoods, the Manual Laborer survives through ingenuity and quiet strength. They've stacked crates to the ceiling, rewired panels with scrap wire, patched shelters with torn tarps. Their knowledge comes from doing. Their resilience from necessity. And their rebellion, from the simple act of enduring.
The Manual Laborer has access to the following career skills: Discipline, Survival, Athletics, and Resilience. They may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each at character creation, without spending experience points.
With their talents, they become rugged problem-solvers — capable of improvising repairs, enduring long shifts, and facing environmental or physical hazards. They’re the ones who hold the structure together… until they decide to bring it down.
This specialization shines in campaigns focused on grassroots resistance, technical sabotage, or survival under duress. Battered, dirty, but still standing — the Manual Laborer is the last to fall and the first to rebuild when everything else collapses.
Talents
Tier 1: Forager, Enduring, Grit, Toughened
Tier 2: Swift, Brace, Second Wind, Toughened,
Tier 3: Natural Outdoorsman, Second Wind, Blooded,
Tier 4: Enduring, Improved Second Wind, Utinni!, Heroic Fortitude
Tier 5: Dedication, Heroic Resilience, Last One Standing, Always Prepared
7. Bureaucratic Analyst – Architect of Patterns
They don’t carry weapons. They carry spreadsheets. Bureaucratic Analysts are clerks, data processors, junior archivists, and research assistants—those buried under layers of documents and algorithms. They aren’t trained to resist, but they begin to notice patterns others ignore: misreported figures, troop movements hidden in requisition codes, or asset flows that don’t match policy. In time, data becomes a weapon—and facts become the spark of subversion.
The Bureaucratic Analyst has access to the following career skills: Computers, Knowledge (Education), Discipline, and Perception. They may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each at character creation without spending experience.
With their talents, they become masters of pattern recognition, rapid research, coded communication, and institutional navigation. They don’t rebel with fire—they rebel with clarity, documents, and strategic insight.
This specialization excels in campaigns with espionage, academic conspiracies, and administrative intrigue. Whether exposing corruption, uncovering patterns in movement logs, or embedding resistance into policy drafts, the Bureaucratic Analyst is the rebel no one notices—until it's too late.
Talents
Tier 1: Respected Scholar, Speaks Binary, Technical Aptitude, Analyze Data
Tier 2: Researcher, Valuable Facts, Supporting Evidence, Grit
Tier 3: Codebreaker, Improved Researcher, Know-It-All, Encoded Communiqué
Tier 4: Confidence, Know-It-All (Improved), Natural Scholar, Supporting Evidence (Improved)
Tier 5: Dedication, Thorough Assessment, Stroke of Genius, Bad Press
8. Cultural Agent – Voice of the Streets
In alleys, plazas, and makeshift stages, truth is sung louder than law. Cultural Agents are street performers, muralists, spoken-word artists, musicians, and storytellers—creators who shape public consciousness through art. Their work is raw, mobile, and alive. Their performances question the system, ignite communities, and distract guards just long enough. They are the pulse of resistance, wrapped in rhythm and color.
The Cultural Agent has access to the following career skills: Charm, Deception, Streetwise, and Coordination. They may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each at character creation without spending experience.
With their talents, they become expressive, magnetic, and agile—capable of inspiring crowds, confusing opponents, or vanishing through clever misdirection. They move like dancers, speak like poets, and protest like performers.
This specialization thrives in campaigns centered on propaganda, popular unrest, or street-level resistance. Whether leading a protest with a beatbox, painting subversive murals, or mocking power in a crowd-pleasing stunt, the Cultural Agent performs rebellion with flair.
Talents
Tier 1: Smooth Talker, Kill with Kindness, Distracting Behavior, Convincing Demeanor
Tier 2: Improved Distracting Behavior, Congenial, Dodge, Jump Up
Tier 3: Improved Distracting Behavior (Expanded), Intense Presence, Natural Performer, Second Wind
Tier 4: Supreme Distracting Behavior, Grit, Toughened, Nobody’s Fool
Tier 5: Biggest Fan, Deceptive Taunt, Coordination Dodge, Dedication
Behavioral Signatures: Tactical Profiles Under Pressure
Each character (or NPC cell) adopts a dominant Operational Profile, representing their tactical and psychological tendencies when acting under pressure, secrecy, or risk. This profile influences:
The narrative interpretation of their decisions and dilemmas.
The priority of actions during covert or hidden scenes.
Conditional advantages in Covert Actions tied to their chosen category.
Choosing a Profile
At character creation (or optionally through a draw), the player or GM selects one of the six Action Classification categories as the character's dominant Operational Profile.
🟥 Survival — “Ghost”: Avoids confrontation; acts through withdrawal and silence.
🟦 Calculation — “Architect”: Plans meticulously before taking action.
🟩 Expressive — “Voice”: Acts through ideology, aesthetics, or cultural expression.
🟨 Manipulative — “Web”: Engages socially through deception and disguise.
🟧 Logistics — “Gear”: Moves and organizes resistance in the shadows.
🟫 Aggressive — “Blade”: Prioritizes direct impact, attacks, or sabotage.
Examples of Profiles
🟩 Expressive — “Voice”
Tendency: Creates, inspires, influences, protests
Table Weights: 🟩+3, 🟨+1, 🟥+1🟦 Calculation — “Architect”
Tendency: Solves, adjusts, avoids risk, gathers information
Table Weights: 🟦+3, 🟧+2, 🟥+1🟨 Manipulative — “Web”
Tendency: Manipulates, infiltrates, escapes, subverts
Table Weights: 🟨+3, 🟥+2, 🟫+1🟫 Aggressive — “Blade”
Tendency: Strikes symbolic targets, resists, sabotages
Table Weights: 🟫+3, 🟥+2, 🟨+1🟧 Logistics — “Gear”
Tendency: Connects networks, coordinates transport, secures resources
Table Weights: 🟧+3, 🟦+1, 🟨+1🟥 Survival — “Ghost”
Tendency: Avoids confrontation, hides, retreats
Table Weights: 🟥+3, 🟨+2, 🟫+1
GM Tools: Procedural Action Generation [BONUS]
This mechanic allows the GM (or an automated system) to generate organic NPC actions based on their narrative profiles, creating dynamic scenes aligned with their hidden agendas, functions, and allegiances.
When to Use
During tactical turns or open scenes involving multiple NPCs.
When generating covert actions for insurgent cells.
To trigger reactive narrative cues (e.g., surveillance detected, sabotage in progress).
In solo mode or partial improvisation setups.
Steps of Generation
1. Identify the NPC Type
Example: Expressive, Technical, Subversive, Dissident Militant, Logistic (see profile list).
2. Roll for Action Category
Use the weighted table that corresponds to the NPC’s profile.
Advanced dynamics will be covered in a future post.
Example: A Subversive NPC rolls with a higher chance of getting Manipulative (🟨), Survival (🟥), or Aggressive (🟫).
3. Consult the Covert Action Table by Classification
Each category (🟥🟦🟩🟨🟧🟫) includes a list of possible actions.
Example: “Set Spyware” is a Manipulative action tied to the Computers (🔷🔷) skill.
4. Apply the Action
If the action involves interaction with an environment, target, or system, the NPC performs a skill test.
Assess narrative consequences based on success, advantages, or threats.
In solo mode, this action can define the scene’s direction.
Quick Example
NPC: Industrial Tech
Profile: Technical 🛠 → weighted roll: 🟦+3, 🟧+2, 🟥+1
Result: 🟦 (Calculation)
Action Drawn: Set Spyware
Associated Skill: Computers (🔷🔷)
Outcome: The NPC begins monitoring cargo traffic → Computers test.
Coming soon:
🚜 Heavy Machinery Operator – Sabotage with steel and diesel.
🌾 Colonial Farmhand – Resistance grows where empires forget to look.
Note 1: This is a draft.
note 2: One to three unique talents will be developed for each Specialization in future updates.
Which dissident lives in your world?
Comment below with the Specialization you'd most like to explore, or share your own NPC idea.