greyorderPrestige Class: The Gray Order


The Gray Order’s origins are shrouded in mystery since they hide their existence from the galaxy at large. Using the trappings of science and technology, members of this society are able to achieve effects often regarded as “impossible” by common sentients. The Order has always been a reclusive sect, seldom venturing from their places of power and even then rarely are the found in great numbers, when they do venture forth they often disguise themselves as commoners. To experts in the various scientific fields, they are the stuff of myth and legend, and are often dismissed as such. Only a select few know better. It is said that The Gray Order includes members of many space faring races. A separate clan within the order represents each area of scientific or intellectual expertise (the Artist clan, the Thinker clan, the Maker clan, ect). Their powers are many and varied, and the technologies that make them possible, are kept in deep secrecy. But not all of their powers are derived from technology. Members of the Gray Order are also astute judges of character, and extremely perceptive of the workings of the mind. While they have been known to do great good with their works, they are not to be trifled with. To phrase one of their own: “We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We have always been here, but few have seen us…”

Exploits: The few members of the Gray Order who become heroes are generally of the Seeker rank (level 1-5 of the class) or outcasts from their Order since the society urges secrecy above all else they often do not reveal their true allegiances even to those whom they consider friends. These heroes must conduct their adventures with caution and forethought, often manipulating the perceptions of their fellows through subtle means and chicanery. They seek knowledge above all things but need resources to conduct their studies. They may also have any of the noble or ignoble motivations that other adventurers have. Most are known for their cryptic nature and uncanny ability to appear when least wanted but most needed.

Gray Order members are quite often feared and distrusted by those who recognize them for what they are. They must always remain vigilant since a large number of individuals and corporations would very much like to get their hands on the exotic technology that the Gray Order members have at their disposal.


Characteristics: The member’s strength is his mind and his “spells”. Everything else is secondary. With the cybernetics and exotic knowledge at his disposal, the member’s power is both intuitive and logical at the same time. Many are proficient with a variety of weapons and most have vast knowledge of hidden lore. All Gray Order members are considered to have eidetic memory thanks to the computer implants they have in their brains.

Background: A Gray Order member typically starts out as an apprentice to a higher-ranking member in a way quite similar to that of a Padawan learner. Every member has his own method of learning, however, so only the rudiments of their “magic” may be learned from this master. Many remain with their instructor for years to focus their powers and less mundane skills.

Game Rule Information:
Members of the Gray Order have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Intelligence determines how powerful a spell effect a Gray Order member can channel. To use a spell effect, the member must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class of a saving throw against a member’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the member’s Gray Order level + the member’s Intelligence modifier. A good Constitution gives the member extra Vitality Points which are used to channel the energies to create the spell-like effects via his implanted technology and external creations.

REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN:
FEATS: Iron Will, Skill Emphasis in either the qualifying craft or knowledge skill (see required skills)
Skills: 1 Knowledge skill 7 or more ranks, 1 Craft skill 7 or more ranks
Forbidden Feats: Force Sensitive, Control, Sense, Alter, any Force Feats
Invitation by a Savant (10th level member) of the Gray Order
NOTE: At NO time may a Gray Order member become Force-sensitive. The delicate cybernetic paraphernalia required to be a member of the Order is rejected by large quantities of midichlorians.

LevelBABFortReflexWillDef.Rep.Special Abilities
1+0+0+0+2+2+2Implants, Perfect Recall
2+0+0+0+3+2+3Minaturization
3+1+1+1+3+3+3Gray Order Staff
4+1+1+1+4+3+4
5+2+1+1+4+3+4Tech Specialty
6+2+2+2+5+4+5Implants
7+3+2+2+6+4+5
8+3+2+2+6+4+5
9+4+3+3+6+5+6
10+5+3+3+7+5+6Implants, Tech Specialty

  • In order to advance to 6th level and achieve the rank of Adept, the Seeker must have 2 knowledge skills of at least 7 ranks and 2 craft skills of at least 7 ranks
  • To advance to 10th level and achieve the rank of Savant, the Adept must have 3 knowledge skills of at least 7 ranks and 3 craft skills of at least 7 ranks.
  • As a member of the Grey order, the character must advance at least every 2nd level gained after joining, to the Grey Order class until he or she achieves Savant status or leaves the order. Gaining 2 consecutive non-Grey Order levels automatically ends the members advancement in the order permanently and the results in the member becoming “disavowed” (see “Leavening the Grey Order” below)

    VITALITY: 1d8 per level

    Class SkillsKey abilityClass SkillsKey ability
    BluffCharismaListenWisdom
    Computer UseIntelligenceProfessionWisdom
    CraftIntelligenceRepairIntelligence
    DiplomacyCharismaSense MotiveWisdom
    Gather InformationCharismaSleight of HandDexterity
    KnowledgeWisdomSpotWisdom

    Skill points per level: 6+ Intelligence modifier

    Special Abilities
    Starting Feats: The Gray Order begins play with the following feat: Weapon Group Proficiency (simple weapons)

    Maximum Force Points / Force Resistance - Due to the alterations made to the bodies of the Gray Order members, they lose touch with the force and become more resistant to it while losing their ability to call on the force. The normal 5 Force Point cap for characters goes down as he or she advances and his or her resistance (which cannot be dropped to gain the benefits from force powers use on the Member) goes up.

    Perfect Recall - Upon receiving his first implants the Seeker gains the feat Perfect Memory.

    Implants - upon joining the Order the member undergoes several major surgical procedures to graft specialized circuitry and equipment to the Seeker’s body. As a result several organs are augmented, shifted, or replaced altogether. (In game terms the member loses 2 points of Constitution permanently, but on the upside, the character’s body is augmented and as a result he or she has a 50% chance to reduce critical hits to normal hits as well as a DR of 3 vs. physical attacks). In addition to the standard implants for channeling power to create spell effects, the member may have other implants added during the initial surgery or later upon attaining Adept or Savant rank, doing so incurs a permanent vitality loss as shown below: See pg 367-370 for details (partial points are rounded up), costs are 20x normal droid part costs. Members can also choose to sacrifice Wound points which count as 3 Vitality each for purchasing implants. The number in parentheses represents the cumulative negative modifier to force dice results caused by the implants.

    Eyes can have a maximum of 1 point of implants
    Chest area can have a Maximum of 8 points of implants
    Hands can have a maximum of 2 points each
    Head can hold a maximum of 3 points of implants
    Chest cavity can hold a maximum of 6 points of implants
    Legs can hold a maximum of 2.5 points each

    Implant [location]
    Implant [location](culmulative minus to force dice results)Vitality LossVitality Loss
    Commlink [head] (-1)0.25Telescopic Vision [eyes] (-1)*0.5
    Audio/Video Recorder [head] (-1)0.5 Diagnostic Sensors (type) [head] (-1)*1
    Holorecorder [head] (-1)*1 Shield Generator* DR 3 [chest] (-1)2
    Holoprojector [hand] (-1)*1 Shield Generator* DR 6 [chest] (-2)4
    Repulsorlift Unit* [legs] (-1)4 Shield Generator* DR 9 [chest] (-3)6
    Translator DC 10 [head] (-1)0.5 Internal medibots # [chest] (-1)3
    Improved Sensor Suite [head] (-1)0.5 Additional Air tank [chest] (30 min) (-1)2
    Infrared Vision [eyes] (-1)*0.5 Ion streamer [hand] (-1)1
    Low Light Vision [eyes] (-1)*0.5 Hold out blaster [hand] (-1)2
    Motion Sensors [eyes] (-1)*0.5 Flamer [hand] (-1)2
    Sonic Sensors [ears] (-1)*0.5 Remote I/O port [hand] (-1)1

  • *Items with this marking have a cumulative maximum force dice penalty of -3
  • *these implants can operate for 1 minute on internal power and then require 1 hour to recharge, after the charge is used up, the character may use vitality to keep the implants running at 1 Vitality point per round.
  • # the medibots are Microscopic-sized droid units that are contained within the body and act to accelerate the healing of wounds and vitality. They may only be employed when the host is at rest (taking no actions) and accelerate the healing of wounds and vitality as if the character was immersed in bacta. Upon removal from the host the droids are programmed to eat each other to prevent study.


    Miniaturization - Members of the Gray Order who create technological items learn how to make more sophisticated versions of normal equipment as well as how to reduce the sized of components. As a result the member can reduce the size of an item by 10% starting at level 2 and increasing the reduction by 10% each for each level taken in the Gray Order thereafter. Each 10% reduction increases the cost of creating the item by +50% so reducing an item to half the normal size (50%) increases the cost to make the item by +250%, so a miniaturized widget that needs 100 credits of parts would need 350 credits worth of parts to be made half sized.

    Spells - The Gray Order utilizes highly advanced technology to simulate the effects of magic.
    Spell examples can be found in the Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition Player’s Handbook. Although the member is not limited to arcane or divine spells, his selection of spells is limited to those that could be reasonably replicated by technology, I.E. no summoning, conjuration, healing, the GM is the final arbiter of what is feasible. At each level, the Gray Order member gains one or more new internal and external spells, as indicated. The Gray Order member must decide which “spells” are external and which are internal upon selecting the spells (no more than half of the spells known per level may be external).
    The DC of any spell is equal to 10 + Gray Order level + the spell level + the members Intelligence modifier.
    At each level the Gray Order Member may swap out spells known for other spells of equal level.


    Internal Spells - are those that are “cast” by the member using his internal technology, these spells tend to have a non-solid basis or are limited in effect to the Gray Order himself, good examples are Magic Missile, Invisibility, Fireball, ect. Channeling the energies needed to manifest internal spells uses vitality points equal to the spell level x2 for normal spells or x3 for offensive spells (0 level spells may be used for free a number of times per day equal to the up to the members Order level + his or her Intelligence modifier, per day and then they cost 1 vitality per additional use).
    External Spells - are the spell effects that require materials to achieve or have effects beyond the member’s body or have a more solid nature. Examples include Illusions such as Persistent Image, Shield, Web, Prying Eyes, ect. External spells require vitality equal to the level of the spell regardless of it’s type and require that the member create the necessary single use items ahead of time, the exact cost may vary but usually the parts outlay is equal to the spell level x 500 credits. In some cases reusable items may be created but at 10000 credits per spell level. Creating external spell items uses the crafting rules for time required.

    Spell Effects Known per level
    Lvl0th1st2nd3rd4th5thMax. Force Points/Force Resistance
    15400004/+1/
    26500004/+2
    36530003/+2
    46640003/+3
    57653003/+3
    67754002/+4
    77765302/+4
    88865401/+5
    98876531/+5
    108976541/+6


    Order Staff - At 3rd level, the Gray Order receives his Staff from his instructor. Each staff’s exact properties are different (GM assigns them) but they are generally developed to compensate for any student’s weaknesses. Example: one staff may allow the member to cast an additional spell per level; another may allow him to cast as if two levels higher, while still a third may augment the owner’s physical attributes by giving him the Alertness Feat and the Darkvision ability.

    Spell Lists: No spell list is included since many of the spells from the D&D 3.5E Player’s Handbook are easily converted. It is recommended that GMs use the following procedure for determining spells: First, the Player selects the spell that he knows. He must provide a brief write-up explaining the basics of how it works. Example: Norwen knows Hold Person. He jots down: By broadcasting a subsonic tonal pitch, an attuned wavelength along the invisible spectrum, and utilizing subtle vibrational harmonics, the member disrupts a target’s motor control and puts them into a temporary state of paralysis. The rest of the spell effects remain the same. Second, the GM should compare the stats with those provided in the 3.5E PH and make any changes that his campaign requires.

    LEAVING THE GRAY ORDER
    The sacrifices and oaths undertaken are not easily set aside, and while some Savants may retire from the Order after a few decades others may not voluntarily set aside the responsibilities and duties to the Order. In a few rare cases a member of the Order has developed problems, which made it dangerous for them to continue to function as members of the Order. In these cases it was up to the ruling body, known as The Circle, to decide the fate of these individuals. In a few cases the individual willingly underwent surgeries to permanently disable their implants and then spent the rest of their days as wards of the Order, in other cases the “damaged” members fled, spending the rest of their lives being hunted by the Order. In cases where the individual has turned to selfish and evil acts using their technology, or have abandoned the Order, the members are “disavowed”. Being disavowed has grave consequences, the primary one being that should the disavowed member be captured by The Order they will have their implants removed forcibly and without mercy, often being flayed alive, in addition the fact that other members of the Order will look for any opportunity to capture or kill the disavowed member and destroy the members work.

    Designer: William Travis




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