MERC

## SUMMARY

The Merc is the hard-bodied, hard-hearted muscle behind most Freelancer operations. When it's time to hit the streets and get to work tagging bodies, a Merc leads the charge.

This class is for players who are looking for aggressive, firearms-focused combat, focusing little on Tech skills or stealth.

## Class Features

* After years of experience in job after job, the merc has learned a thing or two about doing what you can with what you’ve got. Mercs gain advantage at any non-combat Mechanics actions. This includes investigating contraptions or machines, opening analog or hardware locks, or tampering with any mechanical devices.
* Mercs have the highest health scaling, gaining 20HP with each level.
* Mercs begin with 5 Crack charges.

## Class Style Skill

* Rallying Cry
	+ Bolster your party. Use an opening-phase action to shout an inspirational message (metagame) to grant each party member the ability to reroll one skill check or chance-to-hit.
	+ This effect expires when combat begins or ends.

## Subclasses

### Heavy

* Level 1
	+ The heavy is the stable-footed brawler of any given group. A long history of punishing gigs has led the heavy to build an extreme tolerance for punishment. Heavy players gain +5 to evasiveness.
	+ As the rock of a party, the heavy’s job is to protect their fellow freelancers. Heavys may afflict one target with the Taunted condition once between the end of their turn, and the beginning of their next turn.
	+ A Heavy spends more time than their peers combined honing their physical form. Remove any movement penalties applied by heavy weapons.
* Level 3
	+ Tightening the gaps in their armor and bunkering down, Heavys gain the ability Fortify. A Heavy may choose to halve their movement speed and lose the ability to leap, jump, or dive, in order to reduce incoming damage by half (damage divided by two, rounded up). This effect lasts for one turn rotation.
	+ Using sheer willpower, Heavys can withstand that which should be impossible, gaining the ability Deathless Rage. Once per long rest, a heavy may trigger Deathless Rage at the beginning of a turn to attempt to rise from defeat. The Heavy must succeed on a FOR check of 18. If successful, the Heavy regains consciousness and 1D10 HP.
* Level 6
	+ Pain brings gains. After lugging heavy weaponry around, the load has seemed to lighten. Remove the movement penalties from the ability Fortify.
	+ Your increased strength comes with perks. Enemies grappled by the Heavy must succeed in a Fortitude saving throw or take 1D12 damage from sheer grip strength. If the saving throw is successful, this is reduced to 1D6 damage.
* Level 10
	+ Your body is a well-oiled machine. You are now immune to Biomech failure originating from non-physical damage or abilities.
	+ You live to fight, not to die. You gain the ability War Machine. On a successful Fortitude check of 10, gain 15 temporary HP. This effect may be triggered as an action once per turn-rotation. Any temporary HP granted through War Machine that causes you to exceed your normal maximum HP is deducted as combat ends.
* Subclass Style Skill
	+ Channel the Slayer
		- For one turn rotation, become immune to damage and undesired condition effects without defying the laws of physics.
			* For example, a Heavy crushed into an infinitely thin space cannot use this ability to survive.
* Weapons Availability
	+ Firearms
		- Sidearms
		- Shotguns
		- Carbines
		- Heavy Rifles
		- Ordinance
	+ Melee
		- Small Implements
		- Medium Implements
		- Large Implements

### Sharpshooter

* Level 1
	+ Nimble and precise, a Sharpshooter provides overwatch for their party. Gain the ability Rapid Reposition. Sacrifice two sequential actions of a turn to relocate to any position within double your movement range. While using Rapid Reposition, Sharpshooters will not trigger traps, draw fire, or be interrupted during travel. This ability may only be used during combat.
	+ Almost always operating as part of a group, the Sharpshooter has learned that keeping your team up is as important as putting their men down. Gain +5 to any Medicine or Biomech checks. Gain the ability to stock two healing items in one equipment slot.
* Level 3
	+ Luck is on the wind, and the wind blows your way. After a long rest, you may roll 1d8, stocking that many Meditated Shots until your next long rest. A Meditated Shot may be expended for a guaranteed critical hit, or the instant, lethal dispatch of any unaware, unarmored enemy.
	+ Waiting for the right moment to strike is crucial, a stakeout lasting anywhere as long as several days. Gain the ability Urban Ghillie. While using Urban Ghillie, the Sharpshooter is undiscoverable to enemies that they had not already engaged in combat. A Sharpshooter using Urban Ghillie cannot adjust their position without ending the ability. Attacking requires exiting Urban Ghillie. You may transition directly from Urban Ghillie to Stealth.
	+ The Sharpshooter is a master of precise, ranged attacks. Chance-to-hit rolls are no longer necessary with Precision Rifles.
* Level 6
	+ Gain the ability Smart Rounds. Once per turn, imbue an attack with Smart Rounds that are capable of reaching around an enemy's cover. The sharpshooter must reasonably be able to know the position of their target within a 5 foot margin of error. Targets struck by Smart Rounds are forced to leave cover until they can take an action to regain the in cover condition, if they so choose.
	+ Gain the ability Recon. Detect the location of enemies in a 25 foot radius from a point of your choosing. The Sharpshooter must have line of sight to the intended point.
	+ Standard stims may now be used at a range of 50 feet, deployed from a medical pistol. To hit, you must succeed in a Finesse check of 10. Failure on this check will miss, destroying the stim on impact. A hit within 10 feet does not require a check.
* Level 10
	+ Your skills in creative mobility have increased. You may now ascend or descend to a position of your choosing within a 30 foot range. This consumes one main phase action.
	+ Your experience has honed you to become a deadly assassin. You may consume one use of Meditated Shot to attack an enemy by dropping onto them from above, giving the same effects as a Meditated Shot otherwise would.
	+ Your communication with your party is flawless. Any enemy within line of sight of a party member capable of communicating with you may be shot through cover with any firearm at no disadvantage to hit or damage reductions due to cover.
* Subclass Style Skill
	+ White Death
		- Vanish into stealth. For one turn rotation, no attacks or other actions you perform will remove the stealth condition. You end this turn rotation in stealth.
* Weapons Availability
	+ Firearms
		- Sidearms
		- Carbines
		- Marksman Rifles
		- Ordinance
	+ Melee
		- Small Implements
		- Medium Implements
		- Large Implements

### Gunfighter

* Level 1
	+ The Gunfighter is the quintessential merc, a poster-child of wanton carnage. Gain the ability Suppressing Fire. Suppressing Fire allows a player to fire during a movement action, rolling chance-to-hit at a disadvantage. Suppressing Fire may instead be used to throw or drop one piece of equipment during a movement action.
	+ Sometimes you’ve gotta hit 'em where it hurts. Gain the ability Foulmouth. Speak mockingly or demeaningly to one target to inflict 1D4 Synaptic damage. This ability can be performed once per turn as a bonus action.
* Level 3
	+ The Gunfighter is no stranger to style, having extensively practiced less-than-practical maneuvers simply because they look irresistibly badass. With Tactical Grip, you may hold a small melee implement in your off-hand while wielding a sidearm. This allows you to melee strike and fire your sidearm on the same target in one action, or utilize either your sidearm or melee without taking a bonus action or action to change between the two.
	+ Gain the ability Bombs Away. As a main phase action, drop or throw two pieces of throwable equipment for the price of one. These equipment items may be intended for separate targets.
* Level 6
	+ You know what you’re good at, and that’s what counts. Gain the ability Cheap Shot, disabling any male foe with a well placed strike. Cheap Shot deals 1D6 damage, and causes the target to perform all checks at disadvantage for one turn-rotation. A target must be within melee range along a possible movement path. Using Cheap Shot requires the player move along this path, ending the action as if they had taken a movement action.
	+ Gain the ability Combined Strike. In one maneuver, kick an enemy while attacking them with a firearm. You must be within melee range to use this ability. Damage is calculated as normal per the weapon used to fire. A target must succeed on an opposed roll (target Reflexes vs Gunfighter Brawn or Finesse), or be knocked prone.
* Level 10
	+ You’ve stepped your game up, ensuring nobody could kick ass with more style than you. The ability Human Shield allows you to use grappled enemies to temporarily increase your evasiveness by 10. While using Human Shield, your movement is reduced by half.
	+ Sometimes, you just need a little breathing room. A Gunfighter can utilize Death Lotus, quickly spinning 360 degrees while dumping a magazine. Any enemies within half of your movement range are hit, not requiring a chance-to-hit roll. The weapon used is now empty, and cannot be used again until your next turn. This ability excludes marksman rifles.
	+ You live and breathe chaos. Take half damage from any damage sources originating from your own kit. If your own kit would inflict an undesired condition upon you, you are not afflicted by that condition.
* Subclass Style Skill
	+ Trial by Immolation
		- Rush a location within your movement range. Retrieve two grenades, lethal or non lethal, from your inventory or kit. You hold these aloft as they detonate, dealing no damage or undesired conditions to you. These grenades are not subtracted from your inventory.
* Weapons Availability
	+ Firearms
		- Sidearms
		- Shotguns
		- Carbines
		- Heavy Rifles
		- Marksman Rifles
	+ Melee
		- Small Implements
		- Medium Implements
		- Large Implements

### Operator

* Level 1
	+ The operator is typically a solo act, relying on high-speed tactics and a playbook of formidable maneuvers to overcome impossible challenges. This is who you send to kill the bogeyman. Gain the ability Vendetta, allowing the player to select one target that has damaged them and maintain a constant understanding of their position. Vendetta may be used once per combat encounter, and is considered a bonus action.
	+ Being exposed is bad for your health. Gain the ability to extend the range of cover-to-cover transitions by 15'.
* Level 3
	+ Discretion is your specialty, but it comes with some restriction in equipment. Your practice with concealable weapons grants you guaranteed critical hits with sidearms on targets within 60'.
	+ You are what goes bump in the night. When approaching an unaware target from behind, you may make a contested roll (player REP vs target FOR) to convince the target to flee the fight.
* Level 6
	+ A merc such as yourself has connections in high places. Gain the ability Overwatch. Once per combat encounter, Overwatch provides a strike on an enemy that has damaged you as a reaction. The target must be within line of sight of a rooftop if outdoors, or a window if indoors. The strike is treated as a critical hit by an OV-22 PHANTOM.
	+ You're quick on your feet, and that can be a life saver. If an enemy ends an action adjacent to an Operator who is conscious, the Operator may roll BRN opposed to attempt to grapple as a reaction. A successful grapple ends the target's turn.
* Level 10
	+ Sometimes, you just need more firepower. Gain the ability to dual-wield copies of the same sidearm (player must own two copies) at no penalty.
		- Chance to Hit is rolled once, counting for both sidearms. Damage is rolled for each independently.
		- While holstered, these twin weapons only occupy the single sidearm slot.
	+ Resourcefulness is key. While in melee range, an Operator may make opposed FNS checks against a target until the target succeeds, dealing 1D10+5 damage with each check as they use common objects within their environment as improvised melee implements. This ability consumes one action.
	+ Gain the ability Renown. When encountering enemy captains, bosses, or Freelancers, Renown allows a player to challenge one such target with an opposed REP check. On a success, the target will focus only the Operator, without assistance from the target's allies, until the target is damaged by an ally of the Operator, or dead. On a failed check, the target will order all allies under its command to focus the Operator for one turn-rotation.
* Subclass Style Skill
	+ I'm Thinking I'm Back
		- An Operator who has been rendered dying may use this ability as a reaction to return to consciousness with 1D20+5 HP.
* Weapons Availability
	+ Firearms
		- Sidearms
		- Shotguns
		- Carbines
		- Marksman Rifles
		- Ordinance
	+ Melee
		- Small Implements
		- Medium Implements

### Captain

Only one captain subclass may be in a party at a time.

* Level 1
	+ Gain the ability Restore. Supply a chemical healing item from your inventory to a party member within 30'. This item may be used within this action.
	+ Gain the ability Inspire. Once per turn-rotation, select a party member to auto-succeed on a chance-to-hit roll of their choice.
* Level 3
	+ Gain the trait Charitable. Once per turn-rotation, a member of your party may borrow a magazine from your loadout as a free action, allowing them to utilize special ammunition that you have equipped for their turn. The weapon your party member intends to use must match the ammunition you supply.
	+ Gain the trait Commanding. NPC mercs in your party do not need to roll at the point of kick off, instead acting directly after your turn.
* Level 6
	+ Gain the trait Defender. Once per turn-rotation, you may attack with a firearm as a reaction to a member of your party being targeted by a hostile character.
	+ Gain the trait Recognition. You are able to immediately identify whether an NPC is a merc or not.
* Level 10
	+ Gain the ability Violence of Action. For one turn rotation, once per combat encounter, your party members' evasion is increased by 10.
	+ Gain the ability Rapid Entry. If combat begins by breaching a closed location, your party members are automatically sorted to the top of turn order, in addition to any surprise actions or ambush abilities from other sources.
* Subclass Style Skill
	+ Overwhelming Force
		- For one turn rotation, all firearms within your party are treated as if they have Hardened Core. Chance-to-hit rolls are unnecessary, all shots are guaranteed critical hits.
* Weapons Availability
	+ Firearms
		- Sidearms
		- Shotguns
		- Carbines
		- Precision Rifles
		- Ordinance (Light)
	+ Melee
		- Light Implements
		- Medium Implements