There are a number of options that players can choose from for character backgrounds. The choice of background will have a major influence upon what kind of adventures they get involved in, and more particularly the role they play in the adventures and how they get involved. All the characters in a given party have to come from the same background as detailed by age and who they work for. The first choice of background information is age of the characters. The second choice is who they work for if they work for anybody at all. There are a number of options with each choice and the options can be mixed between the two choices. The third choice players have to make is character motivation. Some motivations will not work at some ages or employers.
Characters can fall into one of three age groups.
Teenage psis are generally from 14 to 18 years of age, but could be as young as 11 years old. Psi powers almost always show up when a child hits puberty. Teenage psis could be from any part of the world and of any social, economic or educational background. Members of the party do not have to be from the same place and socio-econmic class unless they are free lancing. The typical options are to be recruited by either a secret society of psis or be recruited by a secret government agency. Both the secret society and the government will provide them at least a high school education at a private school run by the governmnet or secret society.
Teenage psis do not have their full powers, and many that show promise never develope significant psionic powers. As such it is a gamble on the part of the government or secret society to see if students live up to initial expectations. As teenagers who are still in high school, government and secret society schools only offer a modest allowance for spending money.
Young adult psis are post high school and range in age from 18 to 25. Characters can be entry level to low level workers for a secret society, government agency or even free lancers. They could work at a mundane job if a free lancer or at a mundane cover job if working for a secret society.
Adult psis are never over the age of 50 in this campaign since easily proveable and easily usable psionic powers did not show up in people born before that date. Anybody over the age of 50 who claims to be a psi is probably lying, but only a test by an empath or demonstration can tell for sure. Player characters and major NPCs will not be more 50 years old at the start of the campaign. Adult psis are relatively few in number but tend to wield most of the administrative and political power within psionic circles. They are not always the most powerful psis, but usually have the most contacts and understanding of how the various powers can be used.
Characters will generally fall into one of a few different affiliations.
There are a number of secret departments within the various government agencies that employ psionic characters as psis. Most departments are part of law enforcement, intelligence or similar agencies. A number of agencies, either seperately or as inter-agency joint operations have created special high schools for psis. All members of a party will have to come from the same government agency or from the same inter-agency task force if any of the party are government agencts.
There are a number of secret societies that are made up of psis. Some are dededicated to power, some to good and some to despotism. The choice of secret society will have a major impact upon character motivation. All members of a party must be members of the same secret society normally if any of them are members. It is rare for a different secret societies to work together. In this case, the Mafia is considered a secret society.
Freelance psis can be of any age. All members of a party of freelancers must have a common background to tie them together. This background could be geographic, family, same school or such. They will either hold down a mundane job or have a way of using their psionic powers to earn a living.
I would like to thank Randall Farmer for his article on campaign surveys that appeared in Roleplayings Tips Weekly #184 (http:www.roleplayingtips.com). There are 7 distinct options laid out in the article, plus the option of "Other - please explain".