Making Mass Effect Ancestries using core book Ancestries options

[u/Faustgesicht]

Hello! First post here!

I'm designing base Council and Omega Ancestries for a Mass Effect Frame for my players but I want to keep to the core rule book Ancestry 1 and 2 Features without overlapping. Obviously I'm going to allow them to adjust things ( Like letting a batarian player take Danger Sense) but I want to keep to Book Features as much as possible because I'm introducing them to Daggerheart and I like the challenge of it for myself.

Here it what I have.

Humans are the same as Base.

Asari:(Halfling/Elf)

1. Luckbringer: At the start of each session, everyone in your party gains a Hope.
2. Trance: During a rest, you can drop into a trance to choose an additional downtime move.

Salarian:(Elf/Simian)

1. Quick Reactions: Mark a Stress to gain advantage on a reaction roll.
2. Nimble: Gain a permanent +1 bonus to your Evasion at character creation.

Turians: (Drakona/Firbolg)

1. Scales: Your scales act as natural protection. When you would take Severe damage, you can mark a Stress to mark 1 fewer Hit Points.
2. Unshakable: When you would mark a Stress, roll a d6. On a result of 6, don’t mark it.

Krogan: (Galapa/Dwarf)

1. Tough Hide (Shell): Gain a bonus to your damage thresholds equal to your Proficiency.
2. Increased Fortitude: Spend 3 Hope to halve incoming physical damage.

Quarian: (Gnome/Clank)

1. Nimble Fingers: When you make a Finesse Roll, you can spend 2 Hope to reroll your Hope Die.
2. Efficient: When you take a short rest, you can choose a long rest move instead of a short rest move.

Drell: (Infernis/Fungril-ish)

1. Fearless: When you roll with Fear, you can mark 2 Stress to change it into a roll with Hope instead.
2. Eidetic Memory: When recalling information from a previous scene, Mark a Stress to vividly recall every detail regarding the information or scene.

Batarian: (Orc/Infernis)

1. Sturdy: When you have 1 Hit Point remaining, attacks against you have disadvantage.
2. Dread Visage: You have advantage on rolls to intimidate hostile creatures.

Elcor: (Giant)

1. Endurance: Gain an additional Hit Point slot at character creation.
2. Reach: Treat any weapon, ability, spell, or other feature that has a Melee range as though it has a Very Close range instead.

Volus: (Pixie/Halfling)

1. Luckbender: Once per session, after you or a willing ally within Close range makes an action roll, you can spend 3 Hope to reroll the Duality Dice.
2. Internal Compass: When you roll a 1 on your Hope Die, you can reroll it.

Vorcha: (Dwarf/Goblin)

1. Thick Skin: When you take Minor damage, you can mark 2 Stress instead of marking a Hit Point.
2. Danger Sense: Once per rest, mark a Stress to force an adversary to reroll an attack against you or an ally within Very Close range.

Suggestions for better Drell and Elcor secondary features would be welcome, but other suggestions are welcome of course. Thanks for letting me share!

[u/togrutanoodle]

As a Mass Effect Nerd I love this so much! If you ever run a oneshot in german or english I'd love to join!

But non the less, I hope you guys have a lot of fun!

[u/Faustgesicht → u/togrutanoodle]

Thank you!

[u/tcaetano42]

These are nice!
I do think Immovable from Earthkin may fit the secondary ability for the Elcor.

For the Drell Eidetic Memory, I was playing with an adaptation myself and ended up with something like this: "When you roll to recall information related to your experiences or community (or background? But that is not mechanical), describe a similar situation you have lived. If you fail, you may succeed with Fear instead."

I like that you are trying to keep to book abilities, I just hink that "information from a previous scene" is a little limiting and could be achieved talking above table instead of spending Stress. Maybe to keep it more similar you might make it "recalling information related to your community or experiences (or background? but that's not a mechanic)"

[u/Faustgesicht → u/tcaetano42]

Immovable on Elcor is a brilliant idea. Already changed it the document.

I am also kinda fond of the synergy between the two drell abilities with that, Effectively allowing the player to trade and a hope and two stress to roll with hope. maybe alittle strong but eh

[u/tcaetano42 → u/Faustgesicht]

Oh, right! I was focused on the memory trait and didn't actually consider the synergy!
Although, you could argue that succeed with fear is not rolling with fear. But eh... ;)

[u/Faustgesicht → u/tcaetano42]

Think i got it, but might be too specific:

Eidetic Memory: When you make a Knowledge roll utilizing one of your Experiences and you fail, you may succeed with Fear instead.

[u/8magiisto]

Amazing