Belter and Ringer Culture
In many ways, belter and ringers are the original spacers. The two are actually very different geographically and sometimes different culturally, but the similarities between their life style is often enough to warrant them being included in the same entry. They are a blend of Hiders/Isolates, Spacers, and sometimes even Skimmers, culturally occupying a spot that sits at the intersection of all three while being none of them.
Where Belters and Ringers LiveBelters and Ringers, as the name implies, are found in the asteroid belts of solar systems and within the gigantic rings of gas giants. These environments are often times more alike they are different, but where they are different, they are often considerably different: asteroid belts are often isolated places with only one asteroid every few million square miles, while planetary rings are often daunting affairs to fly through - more like the classic asteroid belt from Interplanetary movements, where debris is everywhere.
The difference in environments produces differences in approach to life styles. Both habitats often have a wealth of volatiles, which are extremely useful for a fusion economy, while only one, the asteroid belt, has the raw materials or metals necessary to produce any sort of metallic object or maintain any sort of local metallurgy. This isn't necessarily a problem - carbon is a miraculous material that can do a lot of different things - but raw metals are very useful all the same. This difference in mineral availability often leads to differences in architecture and outlooks, as well, so it often times isn't enough to simply say "they're like spacers" and leave it at that, although they often are. |
Belter and Ringer cultural traditionsBelter and Ringers can actually be rather different from one another in a lot of ways. The largest of these is their approach to social organization: Belters are often collectivist and realize that if they don't work together, they will often die. This engenders an entirely different way of viewing the world than Ringers, who are often solitary individuals that live hopping from body to body within a planetary ring system, mining what they need for their personal fabricator before moving on, rarely setting a permanent camp or if they do, they establish numerous camps that they can migrate between in a semi-nomadic existence. Beyond this, however, there are some similarities.
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Who Belters and Ringers are
Belters are often called the first spacers, and that's not wrong, but that isn't entirely correct, either. The first belter cultures emerged in the asteroid belt on Earth; from there, they spread to the trojan asteroids around planets and eventually to the Kuiper belt and beyond, where they were carried to the stars on their own winds, often working with backgrounder or hider groups to travel through the void to new locations. The first belter cultures have actually lead to some very unique belter cultures and clades, similar to spacers, which have a very distinctive feel that really hammers home how unique of a cultural organization style belters really have.
To contrast with belters, ringers are generally more isolationist; there isn't a single unified ringer culture but rather, different individuals throughout the various polities and in the various systems of the Verge and Bleed who decide to make the jump to becoming ringers. Thus, it usually isn't a culture on inherits but a lifestyle that one chooses; however, there are some minor ringer cultures that do emerge in some parts of the Verge and Bleed, which makes it more of a culture albeit a hardly unified one.
To contrast with belters, ringers are generally more isolationist; there isn't a single unified ringer culture but rather, different individuals throughout the various polities and in the various systems of the Verge and Bleed who decide to make the jump to becoming ringers. Thus, it usually isn't a culture on inherits but a lifestyle that one chooses; however, there are some minor ringer cultures that do emerge in some parts of the Verge and Bleed, which makes it more of a culture albeit a hardly unified one.
Belter and Ringer Culture Template . . . 20 points
Advantages and Perks
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Two of Cybernetics (Protected Sense) [5], G-Experience (Any) [5], Improved G-Tolerance (0.03G) [5], Radiation Tolerance 2 [5], or 5-point talent [5] ● 25 points from among points from among the previous or from among ST +1 to +2 [10/level], DX +1 [20], IQ+1 [20], Per+1 to +4 [5/level], Will +1 to +4 [5/level], HP +1 to +4 [2/level], Basic Move +1 [5], Basic Speed +0.25 [5/level], Absolute Direction [5], Biografts (Any) [Varies], Common Sense [10], Cybernetics (Any) [Varies], Doodads [1/level], Driver's Reflex 1 [5/level], Fearlessness [2/level], Gizmos [5/level], High Manual Dexterity 1-2 [5/level], Master Builder 1 [5], Plant Empathy [5], Rapid Healing [5], Resistant (Single Colony World Hazard) [5], Single-Minded [5], or 10 points in any talent [10] ● Any three of the following Perks: Compact Frame, Dabbler (any eight skills), Efficient (Skill), Focused (Task), Hyperspecialization (Skill), One-Task Wonder, Sealegs, or Teamwork (Skill).
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Disadvantages and Quirks
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-30 points from among Addiction [Varies], Alcoholism [-5*], Bully [-10*], Combat Paralysis [-15*], Delusions (about the way the world works) [-5 to -10], Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism or Mysticism) [-5 to -10], Gullibility [-10*], Incurious [-5*], Insomniac [-10 to -15], Jealousy [-10], Kleptomania [-15*], Lecherousness [-15*], Loner [-5*], Low Empathy [-20], Miserliness [-10*], Odious Cultural Habit (Any) [-5 to -10], Overconfidence [-5*], Pacifism [Varies], Sense of Duty (Organization or Group) [-5], Social Stigma (Uncultured Rube) [-5] or (Minority Group) [-5], Stubbornness [-5], or Workaholic [-5] ● Three of Aloof, Broadminded, Cautious, Dislikes open spaces, Dress Code (Never Leaves Spacesuit), Methodical, Nosy, Religious (Any), Superstition (Any), Token (Any), all [-1].
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Primary Skills
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Area Knowledge (Home Ship), Computer Operations and Spacer, all (E) IQ [1]-10; Electronics Operation (Sensors) (A) IQ-1 [1]-9; Vacc Suit (A) DX [2]-10 or Flight (A) HT [2]-10 ● Three of Electronics Operation (Any), Electronics Repair (Any), Merchant, Mechanic (Any), Navigation (Space), Prospecting, Research, all (A) IQ [2]-10; Chemistry, Economics, Expert Skill (Helioseismology), Geology, Geology (Any), or Metallurgy, all (H) IQ-1 [2]-9; Physics (VH) IQ-2 [2]-8.
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Secondary and Background Skills
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Five of Electrician, Electronics Operation (Any), Electronics Repair (Any), Freight Handling, Merchant, or Mechanic (Any), all (A) IQ-1 [1]-9; Flight (A) HT-1 [1]-9; Free Fall or Piloting (Any Spacecraft) both (A) DX-1 [1]-9; Aerobatics/Acrobatics (H) DX-2 [1]-8; Expert Skill (Helioseismology) or Veterinary, both (H) IQ-2 [1]-8; First Aid (E) IQ [1]-10; or two points in any primary skill.
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Features
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Cultural Familiarity (Spacer), Language (Any, Native), Native Gravity (0G - 1.0 G)
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