Despite the vastness of space separating individuals, communities, and civilizations, invisible webs of data connect them. Some societies use these networks for purely utilitarian purposes, while others build entire worlds within them, giving rise to virtual cultures.

Virtual cultures represent highly advanced societies that have blurred the lines between virtual and physical worlds. Commonly, virtual cultures are composed of physical life forms, organic or synthetic, that have integrated digital overlays or worlds into their daily existence using technology that connects an individual’s consciousness directly.

Some virtual cultures are composed of synthetic intelligences, existing almost entirely within a virtual space and inhabiting robots or cloned shells when they need to interact with the physical world. Individuals from other virtual cultures have eschew their bodies in favor of their digital worlds, perhaps leaving them in nutrient tanks to be cared for by automatic systems, robotic caretakers, or members of a different caste, species, or social class.

Rarely, the inhabitants of some virtual cultures might not even realize that they exist within a simulation, either because they’re connected from birth or because their synthetic consciousness was born there.

Virtual cultures are often superficially egalitarian, although many possess deep socioeconomic divides beneath the surface. They tend to be fast-paced, as the ability to access data at the speed of thought creates the expectation of instant access. Most also emphasize leisure, creativity, and individualism. Other than computer skills, no single skill set is prized, and most individuals are free to pursue whatever interests them. Sometimes the replication of actual social, political, and economic systems in some virtual environments can cause them to differ significantly.

Many virtual cultures have loose familial bonds, and some dispense with traditional family structures entirely, with communal childrearing leading to cohorts based on shared interests or other qualifiers forming. In some large and particularly advanced civilizations, virtual cultures might exist as a subculture within a broader society, developing as an escape from or a rebellion against existence within physical space.

Regardless of the circumstances, individuals raised in virtual cultures are often disinterested in physical space, given the limitless possibilities of their virtual homes. Their intuitive ability with computer systems, and data, means individuals from virtual cultures are often highly prized by other cultures, who employ them as software engineers, hackers, and virtual artisans.

Characters raised in a virtual culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Digital Literacy. You are proficient with computers and gain an expertise die on checks using them and hacking tools.

Information Overlay. You can navigate and access data much faster than others. During a short or long rest, you may choose to become proficient with one skill, weapon, or tool of your choice. You remain proficient with your chosen skill, weapon, or tool until you choose another.

Neural Interface. In addition to your normal starting gear, you begin play with a set of hacking tools that are integrated into your brain or neural processor, all of which you are proficient with. Assuming that you have the proper credentials, these tools allow you to access a network through purely mental commands, although you still need physical proximity to an access point for certain procedures.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common and Machine.

Populations of sufficiently advanced civilizations often converge in cities, where some of the best and most lucrative opportunities are concentrated. A city’s size can be as big as the delta at the mouth of a river to sprawling across the entire surface of a planet, covering the natural terrain with tiers of infrastructure. Growing up in the city is exciting, but potentially also difficult. Everyone is in a rush, trends change and morph at the blink of an eye, and often there are more mouths than there are resources. Those that are raised in such an environment find themselves in constant competition with those around them, whether it’s earning a scholarship to private school, being the pioneer of the latest trend, or merely being the first at a crosswalk.

Nevertheless, people look out for one another, and many find a family of like-minded individuals if the one they were born into does not accept you. Voidrunners from this environment often find that the skills they learned in childhood have prepared them to take advantage of every opportunity the galaxy gives them.

Characters raised in the urbanite culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Crowd Proficiency. Choose one of the following skills: Deception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. You gain proficiency in that skill. Additionally, you have an expertise die on checks to use the chosen skill on or while in a crowd, such as pickpocketing in a packed train or asking around a teeming tourist attraction for directions.

Opportunistic. You are quick to act when the opportunity presents itself. Once per long rest, you can add an expertise die to your initiative roll or move up to your Speed as a bonus action.

Pseudo-Polyglot. Pick two languages you do not know. You cannot speak, write, or sign in these languages, but you can understand and read them. You also gain an expertise die to Culture or Insight checks to discern what is being said in a language you are unfamiliar with.

Starting Line. Your family or upbringing determined what kind of opportunities you had when young, though you may have chosen a different crowd. Choose one of the following:

Boarding School: You are proficient in your choice of either Culture or History.

Street-Roamer: You are proficient in your choice of either Insight or Survival.

Trade Institute: You are proficient in your choice of either Engineering, or two tools.

Urban Exposure. You’re used to the stressors of city life. You gain an expertise die on saving throws against environmental effects such as intense heat, smog, or bright lights.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common and one other language.

There are a lot of shining jewels among the stars: planets with power and prestige, where high rises almost reach low orbit and private satellite hotels hold operas behind massive windows so the privileged elite get to hear the finest set of pipes to ever sing against a backdrop of distant worlds. And every single one of those beautiful places and dazzling sights, spinning in the void and casting sparkling ships into the distance… has the underclass. Doing the hard work, the real work, that lets that one person spend their life in leisure. Toiling in mines, working machinery, even polishing the fancy cutlery that’s worth more than their life to the person paying their wages.

Close-knit families, whether brought together by blood or circumstance, are vital in such communities, often living together to save on rent. Those unable to work the demanding work available often provide childcare so that those parents able to can seek employment, either in one of the shining high-rise buildings, or off-world entirely. Such children also raise themselves and each other, to an extent, building the connections and relationships necessary to survive such a hardscrabble environment.

Characters raised in the underclass culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Faceless. Few truly see those of your social standing as individuals, and you’ve learned to use this to your advantage. You gain an expertise die to Deception, Persuasion, Stealth and disguise kit checks made to pose as a servant (such as custodial crew, wait staff, or the like), likely granting you access to areas where you would otherwise be unable to access, and to move unobtrusively through such spaces (though doing so still likely requires an appropriate uniform or other prop). Additionally, you gain an expertise die on Stealth checks to blend into crowds.

Good in a Pinch. You are used to defending yourself by whatever means available. You are proficient with improvised weapons.

One Step Ahead. Growing up on the wrong side of everything has taught you to be hyper aware of authority figures. You gain an expertise die to Insight and Perception checks made to spot active-duty law enforcers, such as police and security, and to discern plainclothes police, undercover security, and the like as being in disguise.

Pull Together. Relying and being relied upon by your community makes you adept at lending a hand. You can perform the Help action as a bonus action.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common and one other language.

Not all galactic civilizations are oppressive empires or backwater desert planets. Unions, federations, and republics often arise as peaceful worlds join together for the betterment of all. While such cultures are not perfect, they do aspire to represent the best that they can be. Usually democratic, defensively strong but without expansionist drives, union societies generally provide for their members, and most people have their needs met, their education provided, and are accustomed to good healthcare, reliable infrastructure, and fair policing. Some regard this as the goal of all civilizations–while it may not quite be a utopia, it is perhaps the closest a galactic society can achieve.

Unions can range in size from a single planet or two to entire galactic civilizations which encompass thousands of worlds. Bureaucracy can be a high overhead in larger unions, and progress can be slow, but most folk are relatively content. That’s not to say there are not exceptions–poor worlds sometimes slip through the net, criminals take advantage of the opportunities such a culture provides, and politicians can be opportunistic and self-centered–but at least the union’s shared ideals remain intact.

Characters raised in a union culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Broad Education. Your education was thorough and broad. You gain proficiency in two of the following: History, Nature, Religion, or computers.

Diverse Worlds. Accustomed to meeting beings from other worlds, you are proficient in Culture.

Good Healthcare. You had ready access to excellent healthcare. Your hit point maximum increases by one hit point per character level and you gain an expertise die when making saving throws against an illness or disease.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common and one other language.

In a cosmos of infinite possibilities, sometimes the most rewarding path is to seek an innovation, or line of study to call your own; to focus one’s life work on technological research and advancement. Entire enclaves have answered this call, making it a way of life, devoted to a specific project. Perhaps the community is focused around the development and care of artificial intelligence, or maybe they seek to develop a galaxy-shaking medicine. Still others may be pursuing more ambitious goals, such as the secret of eternal life or unlimited energy.

Technetronic enclaves might be the descendants of scientific exploration teams previously sent on generation ships to far corners of the galaxies or stationed in remote locales; others, however, form spontaneously and teach their children in the ways of their mutual interest. These in particular often see their work as a religious calling. Whether the inspiration that brought them together is attributed to destiny, the work of a deity, or the voice of the universe, such folk see each innovation as a tribute to a higher cause.

Cultures with these values often raise their children communally, taking shifts to alternately care for the children, devote themselves to their craft, and attend to the regretfully mundane requirements of survival. In light of this last issue, some settlements or groups of this culture seek out or are given funding by factions who seek their focused skills. While the cost of innovation is steep, the spectacular works are undeniable. Many of the Fleet’s finest vessels and technologies have their origins in technetronic think-tanks.

As a group, members of this culture honor both general-use technology (robotics, computers, starships), as well as the obscure, such as tech specialized to the geological or astronomical conditions unique to a given planet, including tectonic stabilizers, geothermal power plants, gamma ray dampeners, or subspace living quarters. As their family structure is communal, it is uncommon for an individual to follow the interests of their parents (if they even know who they are). Instead, many take up a facet of the work practiced by their people. Those whose interests lie elsewhere can appeal to be allowed to travel to a more suitable technetronic enclave if they are fortunate, but others never find such welcome. It is these that most commonly become voidrunners, finding that their knowledge (if not love) of science makes them valued crewmates.

Characters raised in a technetronic culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Enclave Specialization. You have grown up learning a particular scientific approach, as much a part of your identity as the color of your eyes. You gain proficiency with your choice of computers and one other specialist tool and your choice of land, air, or space vehicles. Also, you gain proficiency with Science and one of your choice from Engineering, Medicine, or Nature.

Hereditary Expert. You gain two specialities from Science or the skill you chose from Enclave Specialization. In addition, you know the related jargon so well, you can always use it to assert something confidently. When you use either Deception or Persuasion to make a point related to these specialties, you gain your expertise die from the specialty and use your choice of Intelligence or Wisdom for your ability check.

Ingrained Expertise. You gain an expertise die on Science checks, to a maximum of 1d10, exceeding the usual limit on expertise die.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common, Machine, and one other language.

Stoic societies place high value on reason and discourage reactionary thinking. While members of a stoic culture can appear unfeeling and dispassionate, this is usually the result of behavioral control and emotional suppression.

Those brought up in a stoic culture are often highly trained in scientific principles, and value knowledge and expertise. Society is emphasized over the individual, and personal glory or aggrandization is frowned upon, as is the unnecessary accumulation of wealth and material possessions.

Stoic cultures are generally law-abiding and non-violent. However, while pacifism is a desired trait, self-defense is regarded as a logical and necessary practice both on an individual and a societal level.

Characters raised in a stoic culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Defensive Training. Self-cultivation includes effective countermeasures. Choose one of the following:

Student of the Body: Choose one 1st degree combat maneuver from any tradition. Once per short rest, you can use this combat maneuver without spending exertion.

Student of the Mind: You learn one psionic reflex. Your psionic ability for this trait is your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

Unshakable. You are immune to the effects of the rattled condition and gain an expertise die on saving throws made to resist being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, or put to sleep.

Scientific Upbringing. You have proficiency in Science and with computers.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common and one other language.

A rustic society is usually so by choice. It emphasizes nature and natural aesthetics over technology, embracing the world around them and seeking to preserve it. Such communities may live in caves, treehouses, or wooden cabins, and while technology may be used where necessary, it is often eschewed or discouraged. However, it would be a mistake to believe these people are less ‘advanced’ than others, and when needed they are as at home amongst the stars as anybody else.

Characters raised in a rustic culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Natural Movement. You gain your choice of either a climb speed or a swim speed equal to your base Speed.

Hidden Technology. You are adept at making technology blend into the surroundings. You can hide a number of items equal to your proficiency modifier which you are carrying and which each weigh 5 pounds or less about your person; these items will not be noticed unless you are searched, in which case the searcher must make an Investigation check opposed by your Sleight of Hand check to discover them.

Outdoor Living. You have proficiency in Survival and Nature, and one set of tools.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common and one other language.

Across the vast expanses of space and time, those with a lust for power have often oppressed and subjugated others. The rebel culture represents those that have been raised not necessarily on a tyrannized planet, but in the midst of an active organization working towards liberation. What is a calling or vocation for some becomes the environment their children grow up in. Even at a young age, members of such organizations are expected to pull their own weight and sometimes even take dangerous risks for the cause. Rebel cultures could include the survivors of a destroyed world, frontier settlers resisting forced annexation by ruthless stellar corporations, or independent colony worlds fighting against occupation.

Such folk typically value pragmatism, collectivism, and self-sacrifice. Conflict and loss are a part of daily life. Practical skills are valued, while those with a less tangible benefit are often viewed as a waste of time. This perspective is often reinforced by a lack of formal education. As a result, those raised in rebel cultures often become soldiers, spies, smugglers, technicians, and diplomats. Rather than form their own settlements, some of these organizations are located within a capital city or other crucial location so that they can better strike at their enemies.

Some rebel organizations maintain traditional family groups, while others collectively raise children. Some eschew family identity altogether—an adaptation that insulates members from the emotional toll of constant loss. While rebels are nearly always portrayed as terrorists by their oppressors, the reality is often more nuanced. Some adhere to codes of conduct, while others will use any means necessary to achieve their ends.

In rare cases, a rebel culture might succeed in overthrowing their oppressor only to become the dominant power themselves, maintaining the traditions and training considered key to their success.

Characters raised in a rebel culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Beacon of Hope. Once per long rest, if you have inspiration, you can use your reaction to transfer it to another ally within 30 feet.

Born Fighter. Raised in near-constant conflict, you gain an expertise die to resist the frightened and rattled conditions. Additionally, you are proficient with pistols, rifles, and one martial melee weapon of your choice.

Versatile. Your people are adept at mastering skills necessary to survive. Choose two from Athletics, Science, Stealth, and Survival. You are proficient with the chosen skills as well as space vehicles or computers.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write your native language, Common, and two other languages of your choice.

Even in a densely populated galaxy teeming with space travelers, many worlds exist which have not yet joined that stellar community. Some may not even know that life even exists beyond their own horizon, while others may have been visited by life from beyond the stars–even if they don’t realize it.

Pre-industrial cultures are characterized by a lack of machines, limited production, and agricultural economies. Some are little more than simple villages and collections of farms; others may boast cities and palaces–these societies range from humble groups of hunter-gatherers to renaissance-era civilizations. Feudal governments and monarchies are common in such societies, but other forms of leadership can be found, including theocracies, republics, and other more unusual arrangements.

When a character hails from such a society, the wonders of voidrunning may be overwhelming at first, but many folk adapt and embrace their new life, and throw themselves into adventure with wild abandon.

Characters raised in a pre-industrial culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Rural Life. You are proficient in Animal Handling, Nature, and Survival. Additionally, you are proficient in your choice of an artisan's tool, a musical instrument, or smith’s tools.

Simple Cooking. You gain an expertise die on saving throws made to resist the effects of poisons.

Temporary Expert. You pick up new skills quickly. Each time you gain a level, you may choose to lose proficiency in one skill or tool and gain proficiency in a different skill or tool in its place. You cannot trade a skill proficiency for a tool proficiency, and vice versa.

Weather Sense. After observing an area for 1 minute, you can predict the weather in this terrain within the next 24 hours. You cannot foresee non-natural changes, but you can use an action to make an Insight or Perception check to notice them.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common and one other language.

Despite their endless variety, all humanoid races have a tendency for war. Militant cultures are steeped in traditions which value glory and honor and proudly display both whenever possible. In battle they follow their chosen warrior code to the hilt, and take pride in hopeless causes and valiant struggles between equals.

Militant cultures place the military at the center of society, venerating warriors above all others. Military prowess is taught from an early age, and military victory is rewarded while failure is often punished. Naturally, even militant societies need non-warriors to function, but such individuals are not treated with the same respect that those who choose the path of war do, often regarded as lesser citizens despite their importance to the running of the state.

These cultures can be violent in nature, with many disputes resolved by force of arms. Insults often result in duels, and vendettas between individuals and families can last decades.

Characters raised in a militant culture share a variety of traits in common with one another.

Dueling Challenge. You can issue a challenge of single combat to a single creature you can see who can hear and understand you. If that creature accepts your challenge, you enter a duel with them. When engaged in a duel, you gain an expertise die on attack rolls against your designated foe. If any other creature attacks your foe, or assists you in any manner, you no longer gain that expertise die.

Military Traditions. You are proficient in History, and gain a specialization in military history. You are also proficient with light armor, starship weapons, one martial weapon of your choice, and your choice of land, air, or space vehicles.

Quick Valuation. You can readily determine the value of any object by examining it for one minute.

Languages. You can read, sign, speak, and write Common and one other language.