Classes

Mercenary
Mercenaries are professional fighters hired for defense, escort, or direct combat. They protect crews and cargo, repel pirates, and handle boarding actions. Many are former soldiers or debt-workers who sell their skills for steady pay. Their presence deters theft and violence, though they risk legal trouble if force crosses local rules. A reliable mercenary keeps crews alive in regions where law is weak or slow.

Technician
Technicians maintain and repair the machines that keep ships, stations, and settlements functional. They patch hulls, fix reactors, calibrate sensors, and keep life support running. Their skills make the difference between a working jump and a dead ship drifting in silence. They deal with shortages, counterfeit parts, and rushed jobs. Without technicians, long-haul travel and survival in harsh worlds would collapse quickly.

Pilot
Pilots guide ships through lanes, ports, and dangerous skies. They handle entry burns, evasive maneuvers, landings, and fuel-efficient travel. A skilled pilot can thread a cargo hauler through pirate zones or land safely in storm-wracked ports. While automation exists, most systems are too old or unstable to trust. Pilots are the backbone of transit, and their judgment is often the deciding factor between profit and loss.

Navigator-Auditor
Navigators chart safe routes, plan around tolls, and keep contracts clean. They audit manifests, verify seals, and watch for fraud. Their math and legal knowledge protect crews from costly mistakes or blacklisting. Trusted auditors can save weeks of delay and thousands of credits. In a galaxy where bad data is common, a reliable Navigator keeps crews moving safely while staying clear of syndicate tricks and corrupt officials.

Salvager
Salvagers extract value from derelicts, wrecks, and abandoned stations. They cut, tow, and catalog under dangerous conditions, filing claims to secure legal rights to what they recover. Salvage can mean lifesaving profits but also risks from collapse, toxins, or ambush. Some salvagers are scavengers working off-record, while others operate under strict guild rules. Either way, they are essential to recycling the galaxy’s endless debris.

Field Medic
Field Medics keep crews alive when accidents, raids, or disease strike. They provide first aid, perform emergency surgery, and manage quarantine rules between ports. Their work stabilizes injuries and buys time for specialized care. Many medics barter services or operate on ships with limited supplies. In disputes, their presence can reduce insurance rates. Without them, even small wounds or infections can kill far from reliable clinics.

Broker
Brokers find work, secure contracts, and smooth disputes. They manage permits, negotiate bribes, and connect crews with clients. A skilled Broker balances legality with pragmatism, ensuring jobs pay fairly and risks are known. Brokers operate across factions, often acting as intermediaries where trust is low. A strong Broker shields crews from scams, helps avoid bad deals, and ensures cargo actually pays once it reaches its destination.

Data Operative
Data Operatives protect, recover, and manipulate information. They encrypt signals, detect intrusion, and manage records critical for escrow or clearance. Some work strictly by the book, others run infiltration or forgery jobs. In a galaxy where contracts, manifests, and identities decide everything, Data Operatives are the safeguard or the saboteur. Their work often determines whether cargo clears inspection or gets seized at port.

Runner
Runners specialize in moving cargo or people quickly and discreetly. They handle urgent deliveries, high-value passengers, and goods that cannot survive delay. Many Runners operate legally as bonded couriers, while others break blockades or smuggle contraband. Speed and secrecy are their tools, but risk is high: seizure, debt labor, or pirate attack are common. Successful Runners command high pay for their ability to deliver under fire.

Power Engineer
Power Engineers maintain the reactors, grids, and systems that supply energy to ships and settlements. They handle high-temperature parts, safety seals, and emergency bypasses. Their work prevents explosions, fires, and blackouts in conditions most would not enter. Trusted Engineers are licensed to sign off on critical systems. Their skills keep industry and travel functioning, and when they fail, entire facilities can be lost within hours.

Surveyor
Surveyors scout and map dangerous or unknown areas. They chart unstable lanes, scan asteroid belts, test atmospheres, and record hazards. Their reports feed Data Guilds, governments, and Free Companies that rely on accurate information. Surveyors often work alone or in small teams with drones and beacons. They risk storms, collapses, or attack while in the field. Their discoveries open new opportunities—or warn of deadly traps.

Steward
Stewards manage supplies, morale, and daily order. They ration food, settle disputes, and provide care during long hauls. Many also serve as chaplains or mediators, ensuring crews do not collapse under stress. Stewards often coordinate with aid groups or local shelters when docked. Their role is not glamorous but keeps crews steady, preventing small issues from spiraling into conflict during hard cycles.

Civilian
Civilians make up the majority of the galaxy’s population. They work docks, farms, mines, and offices. Most are tied to debt cycles and local disputes, surviving through family, crew, or neighborhood networks. Civilians lack specialized combat or travel skills but provide the labor and stability that all factions depend on. They are the backdrop of Drift: the people crews pass, protect, exploit, or become part of.

Official
Officials represent the weight of authority, whether working for the Central Authority, a planetary government, or a Mega-Corporation. They issue permits, collect tariffs, and enforce regulations—sometimes honestly, often for bribes. They are gatekeepers who can approve, delay, or ruin a crew’s plans. Some try to protect their communities; others serve profit alone. Officials embody the uneven law and bureaucracy that shape every contract and port.

Outcast
Outcasts live outside recognized systems, surviving on the margins of law and society. They include smugglers, syndicate muscle, escaped debtors, squatters, and hermits on dead stations. Outcasts rely on resourcefulness and temporary alliances, often carrying unique knowledge or access that crews need. They are unpredictable—sometimes dangerous, sometimes helpful. In Drift, Outcasts are the wild card, showing what happens when survival outweighs all other rules.