Shadowdancer
SOC-14 1K
FYI: I just picked up the new d20 cyberpunk book "Cybernet" and it uses a very similar system as the one Jered proposes here -- Characters choose backgrounds, then choose character classes. It doesn't use the ability-based classes that d20 Modern does; it has archetypal cyberpunk classes. Classes run to 10 levels. Also has some "specialist" prestige classes.
From my first glance-through, it highly discourages multiclassing. Each class has a special ability it receives at first level, but your character only gets it if you take that class as its initial class. For example, if you take the Webcrawler class as your initial class, you get the Webcrawler's first-level special ability. Then if you later take a level of Soldier, you get all of that class' first-level package (skills, feats, hit dice, to hit and save bonuses, etc) except the special ability.
But, you can offset this somewhat by taking the Military background during character generation. In other words, you can give a non-combat oriented character a little more combat punch by taking a Military background. Or you can give a combat-oriented character some computer, or artistic, or business, or investigative skills by taking the appropriate background.
I noticed that many, if not most, of the character classes in "Cybernet" would work in Traveller. There's another thread on this board about wanting a private detective-type character in Traveller. That type of character is available in "Cybernet" as a background, a character class and a prestige class.
From my first glance-through, it highly discourages multiclassing. Each class has a special ability it receives at first level, but your character only gets it if you take that class as its initial class. For example, if you take the Webcrawler class as your initial class, you get the Webcrawler's first-level special ability. Then if you later take a level of Soldier, you get all of that class' first-level package (skills, feats, hit dice, to hit and save bonuses, etc) except the special ability.
But, you can offset this somewhat by taking the Military background during character generation. In other words, you can give a non-combat oriented character a little more combat punch by taking a Military background. Or you can give a combat-oriented character some computer, or artistic, or business, or investigative skills by taking the appropriate background.
I noticed that many, if not most, of the character classes in "Cybernet" would work in Traveller. There's another thread on this board about wanting a private detective-type character in Traveller. That type of character is available in "Cybernet" as a background, a character class and a prestige class.
