v0.9.0

Vehicles

We have a new section of rules related to vehicles and starships!!!

Classes

Looking back at the history of the changelog, I realized that classes had become pretty wild. My initial approach to creating
classes had been: start with a 5th edition concept and plug in features from other classes that seem to work. Essentially,
this was horrible game design.

Each class and subclass needs a concept. In some cases, the translation from 5th
edition to Mass Effect was easy, and the concept was well defined. Adepts are a great example: they're glass-cannons. Each
adpet subclass also had a unified concept. Commandos dish out huge amounts of single target damage, focusing on
force-type biotic powers. Blackstars were control experts. Disruptors had the most AoE potential and had benefits to
necrotic powers. Unfortunately, all the other classes and subclasses fell short (with a few exceptions).

The engineers were severely underpowered. This was an inherent problem with the variable (X-cost) casting mechanic.
The infiltrator subclasses looked like I'd taken all of the rogue subclasses, shaken them up in a bag, and randomly drawn out some features
from each. One major oversight was that infiltrators lacked a true sniper rifle class, which was their primary weapon in
the Mass Effect games. Soldiers seemed uninspired. Vanguards had everything plus the kitchen sink thrown into their progression tables.
And sentinels felt too much like a multiclasses engineer/adept.

Therefore, classes have received a number of significant changes. For each class and subclass, I started with a concept and made sure the
base class reflected that concept. The base class concepts are rooted in how the class played in the Mass Effect games.
The subclasses are unique creations that focus on a particular aspect of the base class.

Adepts

The adepts were generally fine and should feel like they did in v0.8.4. However the number of spell slots have been
reduced to match the spell progression of "full-casters" in 5th edition (clerics, druids, bards, sorcerers, wizards).
Note: ME5e spells are squished by 2. I.e. a 1st-level spell in ME5e is in between a 1st/2nd-level spell in 5th edition.
Instead of set levels in which an Adept learns new spells, they can learn new spells at every level, giving them many
more opportunities to advance their arsenal.

Engineers

Concept: Versatile casters.

Subclass Concepts: Drones, Healing, Strategy

The Engineer tech point system has been overhauled. Instead of tech spells having a variable cost, tech spells have spell
levels. Engineers use tech points to cast those spells, requiring one tech point for each level of the spell they want to cast:
1 tp = 1st level, 2tp = 2nd level, etc. This is a very minor change to 5th editions spell slot system, but it gives the
engineers a greater amount of versatility. Should I keep casting pot shots for 1 tech point? Or should I pump all of
my tech points into a spell for a huge payoff. They're still limited in how many tech points they can spend (a 50th level
incinerate is just a bit OP...). But they have the option of casting 50 1st-level incinerates or 10 5th-level incinerates,
whereas traditional casters are limited by their spell slots. This makes engineers adaptable to any situation.

Drone Jockey
Drone Jockeys remain unchanged.

Medic
Medics remain unchanged.

Mastermind
Masterminds are always one step ahead of their enemies. Moved from the Sentinel class, masterminds are highly-intellectual and skilled individuals.

• enfilade detonate primed enemies with your reaction, setting up the perfect combo
• jack of all trades general ability in all skills
• extra attack
• tactical advantage grants you bott advancement options for all your advanced spells, making any strategy possible
• spell steal is your ultimate trump card against other casters

Infiltrators

Concept: Stealthy combatants that fight from the shadows. The parity between Rogues and Infiltrators is self-evident, so the infiltrator base class is heavily based on rogues.

Subclass Concepts: Melee, Sabotage, Sniper Rifles

Though Infiltrators had a number of interesting combat options, Tactical Cloak proved too powerful to pass up in playtesting.
Each round of an infiltrator's turn consisted of Attack, Tactical Cloak, Move. With tactical cloak always on,
the infiltrator rarely suffered damage could always apply their sneak attack damage. This made for rather boring combat.

Another issues was multiclassing an Engineer with 2 levels of Infiltrator provided more opportunities for tactical cloak
than a full infiltrator.

To fix these issues, Tactical Cloak uses are limited to two users per short rest, increasing based on infiltrator level.

Shadow
Focus on melee attacks, closing distance, and sneaking up on targets.

• up close and personal increases your sneak attack damage with melee weapons
• silent cloak allows you to close distance without being noticed.
• melee prowess improves your melee weapon attacks and damage
• shadow strike improves your tactical cloak, allowing you to close distance, escape movement impairing effects, and strike targets
• death strike grants an opportunity to deal devastating damage with a single opening attack

Sniper
Focus on using sniper rifles, giving infiltrators a subclass that references their Mass Effect counterpart

• steady aim a powerful feature making this subclass deadly with a sniper rifle
• careful eyes find targets even when they're hidden
• overwatch monitor the battlefield and attack any creature that tries to move out of cover
• killshot improved sneak attack damage with sniper rifles.

Saboteur
Saboteurs control the battlefield using distractions, tech powers, and sabotage. Very similar to arcane tricksters.

• saboteur's touch sabotage enemy weapons
• combat heuristics regain tech points every time you take down an enemy
• tactical ambush increase the effectiveness of your spells when you use them from tactical cloak
• misdirection make sure you're never hit in combat again
• saboteur's reflexes rule the first round of combat by taking two turns

Sentinels

Concept: Tanks and combat leaders

Subclass concepts: Leadership, Survivability, Support

Sentinels felt too much like a multi-classed adept and engineer. The new sentinel progression attempts to provide a
unique spellcasting experience for the class, utilizing the warlock progression from 5th edition.

Tech Armor was proving too powerful at high levels, granting as much as 300 additional hit points. The number of uses
per long rest has been reduced to 2.

Finally, the stat split for sentinels is over. Choosing between Wisdom and Intelligence was too much of a hindrance
and didn't make sense with the simplified spell system. Charisma is now a sentinel's spellcasting modifier.

Bastion
Bastions are combat leaders. Their features are based on the Warlord concept from Mike Mearls. Whereas masterminds
focus on increasing their own combat potential, bastions focus on increasing the potential of their party members.

• master tactician increases the range of Help action and allows it as a bonus action
• tactical focus choose an area of the battlefield and apply a unique tactic, the number of tactics and size of the area increases as you level
• every ready make sure you're never surprised again and keep yourself at the top of the initiative order
• call the shots sacrifice your action to bolster your allies and inhibit your enemies
• tactical maneuvers direct your troops around the battle field
• synchronized assault give your allies an additional action

Juggernaut
Juggernauts are living tanks, nearly impossible to kill.

• assault armor keep the action on you
• hardened tech armor increased ac and nullify critical hits
• advanced tech armor keep your tech armor alive by gaining hit points when you cast spells
• unyielding assault avoid becoming paralyzed, stunned, or frozen
• adaptive tech armor gain resistance to the last type of damage you took

Guardian
Ultimate support specialists. They can buff the party but their expertise helps in non-combat situations. Overall, guardians
remain similar to their previous iterations. The primary change is that they are no longer limited to learn specific auras,
and their auras last 10 minutes.

Soldiers

Concept: Weapon masters and combat experts.

Subclass Concepts: Combat Prowess, Weapon focus, EXPLOSIONS!!!

Havoc Subclass
Havoc soldiers do just that, cause havoc. They do so by using grenades, heavy weapons, and more powerful combat powers.

• advanced weapon holsters allow havoc soldiers to bring more guns into a fight
• makeshift grenades never run out of grenades again, use your omni-gel to create new ones
• advanced combat powers do more with your combat powers
• heavy weapon hack never run out of heavy weapon charges, use your omni-gel to create new ones
• paint by number target and fire your heavy weapons in the same round.

Weapon Master
Weapon masters specialize in a single weapon. Mostly unchanged from the previous version, except their superiority die-type
increases with their level.

Gladiator
Based on the Samurai of 5th Edition's Unearthed Arcana. Gladiators revel in te challenge of combat and are extremely
difficult to kill. Their fighting spirit gives them incredible advantage in combat and can even prevent death.

Vanguards

Concept: war-casters that use high-risk, high-reward tactics

Subclass Concepts: Melee, Shotguns & Charge, Biotic Powers

Vanguards spellcasting has been adjusted to "half-caster" level (paladins & rangers), requiring more emphasis on barrier
manipulation and close-quarter combat. However the nemesis subclass was reworked to provide a ranged option for vanguards
with unique biotic talents.

Vanguards can also learn combat powers instead of learning new cantrips.

Battle Master
Battle masters use their barrier ticks to create unique opportunities in combat. New features have been introduced that
increase their melee combat potential.

• biotic maneuvers unique talents that can be applied using barrier ticks
• biotic focus greatly increase your melee combat potential
• improved barrier increase the potency of your barrier
• extra attack gain an additional attack with this subclass,
• opportunist use your reaction to strike creatures that have been hit with other attacks

Shock Trooper
Shock troopers are built around the charge cantrip, jumping from enemy to enemy, and closing distance for shotgun blasts.

• biotic bull rush improves the charge cantrip and grants an additional weapoin attack
• stunning strike further improves the charge cantrip by adding a potential stun
• shotgun savvy allows you to apply brutal critical and zero-sum to your shotgun attacks
• onslaught greatly improves the damage of charge
• a touch of force adds a bonus to weapon attacks
• blitz lets you use charge as a reaction

Nemesis
Nemesis vanguards focus on biotic powers and range. While they lack the biotic potential of adepts, they make up for it with survivability.

• biotic recovery regenerates spell slots
• metabiotics grants powerful augmentations to your biotic spells
• biotic attacks take advantage of your extra attack by reducing the casting time of specific spells to an attack
• biotic fury apply the benefits of zero-sum and brutal critical to your biotic spells
• teleporting dodge stay out of harms way
• bombardment deal even more damage with your biotic spells

Races

Quarians

• Use omni-gel to patch their suit.

Geth

• Armor rules improved
• Soldier's hunter mode improved.
• removed keen senses

Salarian

• clarified that salarians gain a short rest in 4 hours

Turian

• added additional weapon proficiency

Unshackled AI

• Armor rules improved
• removed keen senses

New Race Concepts

While not official races, you can check out the Hanar and Elcor concepts in the new Found Codices section.

Spells

• ai hacking adjusted text to resemble dominate
  • power down replaces damaging advancement, allows you to incapacitate the target
• ballistic blades
  • exploding blades thunder damage reduced
• barrier detonation added length, changed to Strength saving throw, targets with shields have advantage on the saving throw, clarified advancements
• behive damage increased by 1d6
  • remote deploy allows firing beehive as a reaction as well
• concussive shot damage increases with level.
  • stunning shot con save happens instead of str save
• charge: Is a ranged spell attack with a single target.
  • Stunning blow removed (too powerful for a cantrip), replaced with Area Charge for AoE potential.
• cryo beam updated as a 2nd level spell, increased damage, allows continual casting
• cryo blast updated as a 1st level spell, aoe slow spell that better represents its in-game counterpart, increased range
• decoy adjusted to reflect 5th edition's mirror image
• defense matrix adjusted to reflect 5th edition's shield of faith
• disrupt biotics adjusted to reflect 5th edition's counterspell
  • psychic strain deals more damage
• electric slash updated as 2nd level spell
• energy drain updated as 1st level spell, increased range
• first aid updated as 1st level spell
• flamethrower updated as 3rd level spell
• fortification
  • venting fortification works on next melee attack, does not require omni-tool
• guidance changed to bonus action, increased range
• havoc strike increased usage to twice per long rest
• hawk missile launcher casting time increased to bonus action
  • three-headed beast replaces improved damage. Can distribute damage among three targets.
• incinerate updated as 1st level spell
• neural shock charisma save, updated as 1st level spell
• nightshade blades adjusted. 3 uses per short rest (pending you recover your blades). con save to prevent poisoned condition, but no additional damage.
• overload updated as 1st level spell
• poison spray updated as 1st level spell
• sabotage updated as 1st level spell
  • multi weapon replaced with primed which primes a target after firing the weapon
• salvo updated as a 1st level spell
• sentry turret updated as 4th level spell
• shocking grasp updated as 1st level spell
• siege pulse casting time increased to an action. number of times you can use the feature is a gamble, at least once per short rest.
  • improved pulse add your CON modifier to the DC
  • lingering pulse only effects targets that take the psychic damage.
• snap freeze completely reworked, creating a (hopefully) fun and unique spell
• stimulant pack works like 5th editions bless
• submission net updated to a 2nd level spell
• tactical scan updated to work more like Insightful Fighting
• target painting updated as a 1st level spell
• unity changed to an AoE healing spell, similar to mass heal

Weapons

• Charge mechanic was removed as a "standard" mechanic, now explained on the individual weapons.

Omni-tool Programs

These using programs can utilize omni-gel or be programed into your omni-tool. They supplement many of the missing
features from wonderous items.

Other

Conditions

• Frozen targets are considered primed (cold)
• Unprotected condition has been removed

Backgrounds

• Experiment Background added

Tools & Kits

• Armor and Weapon tools can repair guns and armor looted from the battlefield, allowing the items to be sold.
• Startship system kits have been finalized