The National University for Logistics and Leadership

By Chris Gunning

Introduction

The National University for Logistics and Leadership is a front, plain and simple. NULL operates as a regional clearinghouse for the Archer Foundation in North America. NULL focuses on training and directing psions that refuse to travel to Australia, but who are still successfully indoctrinated into the overall Conspiracy. NULL specializes in taking qualified government or civilian employees on the verge of a late psion awakening and training them in such a way so as to support the more specialized operations of the Company and the Foundation.

Shadow History

The history of the National University for Logistics and Leadership is a fairly recent one in light of many of the other Chambers operating in the Conspiracy. NULL was formed when both the Company and the Archer Foundation discovered that there were a considerable minority of psions who did not want to relocate their lives to distant Australia. Many of these psions were people who awakened their powers late in life, those over 25 and who already had careers, families, and valuable abilities that would be irreparably destroyed by the immersive training by the Archer Foundation.

The Knights of the Archer Foundation reluctantly came to the conclusion that not all psions could be effectively trained in Australia. Many younger psions were wonderfully excited and prepared to travel across the world and cut their ties to their old lives. These psions are able to dedicate their being to the Conspiracy and the protection of the world, however there are certain psions who are not ready for such a life altering event, and it is for those people that NULL was founded.

A notable minority of psions first manifest their powers later in life. Most of these “late-bloomers” are willing to travel to Australia and establish their new lives there, but just as many do not want to cut all their ties to home. Moreover, many of these late-bloomers have a number of useful skills and connections for the Conspiracy- specifically because they have already lived a portion of their lives. Many of these latebloomers are government employees or civilians with contacts and access to information too valuable to simply discard. The Archer Foundation also noted that there was a number of weak or potential psions whose abilities were marginal but still potentially useful. The Foundation loathed losing these assets, but had a hard time training them alongside more talented or capable psions.

Thus, the Archer Foundation saw fit to create a new regional division (a sort-of sub-chamber) in order to train those psions that might otherwise fall through the cracks. By creating NULL the Archer Foundation was able to maintain a strong influence on psions worldwide and gain a suitably secure base of operations in North America. NULL created a convenient front organization in which the Foundation could funnel potential trainees.

The leadership of the Archer Foundation recognized that the formation of NULL would step on the jurisdiction of whichever Chamber was in the region. After some deliberation it was decided to base (what was to become) NULL in the United States due to the extensive transportation and information infrastructures as well as the distance from Australia. Of course, the Foundation needed to get the Company’s approval to create a new division centered in the US- and considering the less-than-ideal relationship between to two Chambers- there was bound to be some conflict.

To the Archer Foundation’s surprise, the Company was quite receptive to the idea. Not surprisingly though, the Company wanted to have joint administration and access to the psions. In the historic Dallas Conference, the leadership of the two Chambers outlined the establishment and goals of the new division, set the financial foundation, based the organization in the city of the conference, and named it the National University of Logistics and Leadership.

NULL was created in Dallas for a number of reasons, the primary being the small number of government employees in Dallas (which reduced on the possibility of NULL’s true goals being uncovered). Dallas provided an excellent jump-off point with a large airport and railway nexus. Dallas also allowed the Company to extend its eyes and ears towards the US border and Midwest- well outside of its normal hub of the Northeast.

The newly established NULL’s front was simple. Ostensibly part of the US Department of Education, NULL offers an extensive curriculum of leadership classes and seminars taught by the leaders in areas of Defense, Intelligence, Academia, Energy, and Finance. Different government organizations and certain civilian corporations send a number of senior members to NULL each year for intensive training. An invitation to and acceptance to NULL is a prestigious event for anyone invited.

NULL’s role in the Conspiracy is a very focused one. NULL cultivates and trains psions unwilling or unable to attend the Archer Foundation. It funnels senior members of government and business into classes that are sympathetic to the Conspiracy in order to improve the political climate around the world. Finally, through its psion and mundane operatives NULL executes special operations for both the Archer Foundation and the Company.

Null in the 1980s

1982. Two unnamed Archer Foundation Knights meet privately and agree that too many psion talents remain undeveloped. They remain undecided how to resolve the issue.

1983. An undeclared proposal is admitted into the Lords council. The proposal identifies the twin problems of underdeveloped psions and a lack of regional presence outside AustralAsia. The Lords decide to look into establishing a regional presence that focuses on late or underdeveloped talents.

1986. After a few years of inquiry it is decided that a presence in the US is most desirable. Research is continued.

1988. The Company is approached about allowing the Archer Foundation to create a regional school for training psions. The Company’s leadership proposes the Dallas Conference.

1989. The Dallas Conference convenes and sets up the foundations for the National University of Logistics and Leadership.

NULL in the 1990s

1990. Ground is broken and the government fronts are created in order to integrate NULL into the US establishment as well as hide the true purpose of NULL.

1992. The NULL campus is finished and the first (legitimate) students are admitted. The Archer Foundation and the Company identify potential officials for training. A small number of current psion trainees with the Archer Foundation are relocated to NULL.

1993. The first minor psion, a 27 year old CIA agent, is admitted into NULL’s psion training cadre (the first identified and admitted candidate for NULL). Thereafter, NULL receives a small but steady stream of psion trainees.

1994. The first operation by a NULL Set is completed successfully. The Company and Foundation both had field support involved but the operation is considered a complete success and an opportunity to prove the usefulness of the NULL program.

1995. NULL engineers in the Research School with access to Pan-Asian Collective files perfect the technology of “implants” and begin work on a new version of powered armor.

1996. NULL has graduates of its seminars in the upper echelons of most US agencies as well as a number of prominent individuals from Canada, Mexico, the UK, Chile, Brazil, Japan, Israel, Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Australia, and New Zealand.

1997. NULL Set operatives are active in East Timorthe first entirely solo missions administered by the Registrar.

1998. In an unfortunate mix-up a NULL Set is involved with the destruction of a legitimate US army ammo dump deep in the Mojave desert. NULL Set operations are suspended and under review for some time.

1999. With both Company and Foundation investigators on the ground, NULL is vindicated of any systematic wrong-doing, but the agents involved with the destruction of the ammo dump are punished individually. The Company announces that damage control was successful and NULL’s purpose in the Conspiracy remains secure.

NULL Today

After 11 years in operation NULL has gone through good and bad times. However, because of good leadership and a clear delineation of power by the two Chambers NULL has largely been successful in its missions. The psions that operate out of NULL are usually not as powerful as their Archer trained counterparts, but along with their operations training they are very effective.

NULL is continuing its low profile and serving to fill in on missions that the Company and Foundation are unable to cover. NULL is also specializing in some very cutting-edge technology. Most importantly though, NULL has continued a distinguished curriculum for influential people around the worldmaking the Conspiracy’s quite a bit easier.

NULLs successes ensure its continued survival as does its very narrow missions, allowing it to coexist under the leadership of the Chambers. However, any significant threat that might uncover NULL would pose a very significant threat- one that NULL with its limited resources would have significant difficulty resolving itself.

Chamber Organization

Registrar
Function: Organize NULL. The main administrative body of NULL, the registrar is tasked with overseeing and managing the various bodies of the school. The registrar also liaises with the Archer Foundation and the Company to make sure their interests are met.

The NULL registrar acts in many ways like a regular university registrar. The body contracts lecturers, organizes the curricula, and tends to the administrative needs of leadership attendees. The registrar, as the leading body of NULL, recognizes the importance of this particular mission in ensuring a favorable political climate around the world for the Conspiracy. This is one mission NULL does with aplomb and one that the other Chambers benefit from due to their experience. For the registrar the other aspects of NULL may bring more glory from those in the know, it is the leadership seminars that are the functional lifeblood of the organization.

The registrar also manages the shadow aspects of NULL. First and foremost it enables the transfer of identified psions to the NULL facility once identified by the parent Chambers. Similarly, the registrar helps transfer other assets (in this case non-psion) identified and recruited for the Conspiracy. These non-psions are given a schedule that has them work in close concert with the psions at NULL, allowing the teams (called “sets”) to work as one.

All other aspects of running and managing NULL falls to the Registrar, including grounds maintenance and harvesting intelligence from the parent Chambers as well as any public affairs damage control.

Set Operations
Function: Train and manage NULL’s special operations groups. Set Operations (SetOps, or just SOPS) is the special missions group of NULL. SetOps trains and houses a number of agents that are tasked with engaging a number of threats to the Conspiracy. SetOps is the most secretive of the branches of NULL.

SetOps trains NULL Sets rather than individuals. In effect, this means that SetOps focuses on making coherent and interrelated mission groups rather than self-reliant and versatile agents. A NULL Set is usually composed of 3 to 5 members with at least half of the operatives trained in active psi techniques. The other members are specialists that fill in the skillset gaps making it so the NULL Set is capable of overcoming just about any obstacle they come across.

SetOps requires psions and non-psions to train together for a number of hours each day. Each operative is expected to be able to handle themselves in combat and are trained in a number of hand-to-hand combat techniques as well as be familiar with a number of firearms. Alone an operative is quite dangerous- while in the NULL Set they are downright devastating.

SetOps does run a small amount of intelligence gathering operations, mostly with its own teams, though occasionally with solo agents. However, the vast amount of the intelligence SetOps has access to is gathered by the Registrar from the Foundation or the Company.

It goes to note that many SetOps missions are specifically outfitted with the newly created mechanical implants. In fact, some of the missions are specifically targeted at low level threats in order to give the new equipment a dry run.

As it stands, SetOps is managing four NULL Sets. The Registrar maintains a doctorine of “Win-Support-Support”, which means that at any given time NULL should be able to dedicate NULL sets to successfully resolve a threat (a “win”) while also supporting one mission from both the Foundation and Company (a “support”). Of the four active NULL Sets two are usually dedicated to a “win” with the other two each on a “support” mission.

Since missions last anywhere from two months to multiple years SetOps is beginning to have difficulty allocating the Sets successfully to the various goals set by the Registrar. However, in 1999 the Registrar did agree to allocate more resources towards an expanded training curriculum and within the year SetOps expects two new Sets to graduate and enter the field. These new Sets will allow the existing Sets to rotate back to the Campus for training and furloughs as well as to serve as an elite backup to the local Campus guards.

The NULL Sets are each named after famous cowboys of the American West. Currently the four Sets are; Hickock, Cody, Earp, and Bean. The two Sets still in training have yet to be named.

Research School
Function: Reseach and development. The Research School branch of NULL is only semi-open to public scrutiny. No leadership candidates are invited to the Research School, though on paper it does appear that a number of civilian research specialists are invited each year. Instead, the Research school is entirely staffed by scientists and engineers brought into the Conspiracy or those brought across from other Chambers.

The Research School specializes in cutting edge tech, much like the Pan-Asian Collective, but on a significantly smaller scale. So far the only major breakthrough to come from the labs of the Research School is the mechanical implants, a series of small cybernetic implants implanted cosmetically under the skin of NULL Set operatives. The implants make it significantly easier for SetOps to operate in the open.

Other than the mechanical implants the Research School is focusing on some interesting probability schematics helping to predict the actions of the leadership threats. Currently the mathematicians of the Research School are testing their algorithms on stock market brokers while doing their job- trying to predict their reactions under pressure to different stimuli.

Additionally, the mechanics and engineers of the School are testing a modified Powered Armor based on the designs “procured” from the Asian Collective. This version is based closely off the Raven class, with integral transformable motive capability. The “Flacon” class is still under heavy development and is only now coming to a stage where it can be physically tested. Computer models prove promising however.

Leadership School
Function: Provide a plausible cover for NULL while training selected leaders in their craft. The Leadership school is the bread and butter of NULL. It is here that the curricula designed by the Registrar are conducted, educating a number of world leaders in effective management techniques, area studies, and discussion seminars.

It should be noted that until about five years ago, the Leadership School was simply viewed as a convenient front for the other operations at NULL. However, the usefulness of the Leadership School soon showed itself by the prominent placement of its graduates, and a considerable amount of resources from the Foundation and Company were specifically earmarked to expand the Leadership program and turn it into a viable operation of its won.

The Leadership school is good at what it does: training leaders to be better at their craft. Most everyone of the months long curriculum is grateful for their time at the modern university and usually emerges a better leader. Some of the best educators and ost innovative adult teching techniques are utilized at NULL, making it a very exclusive and primer acility for education.

Few attendees notice the emphasis on creative and non-linear thinking- and those that do rarely see it as anything out of the ordinary. However, the routine exposure to “thinking out of the box” better prepares the attendees for the vagaries of the Conspiracy as well as helps them identify potential threats to the Chambers. For this reason alone, NULL maintains a very small but well regarded profile inside and out of the Conspiracy- helping groom the top decision makers into people that are subconsciously disposed towards supporting the Foundation and Company.

The classes are open to the other branches of NULL, though they are seldom used since SetOps, the Research and Logistics Schools are often quite busy on their own.

Logistics School
Function: Train Psions. Like the Research School, the Logistics School accepts leadership attendees on paper- but in reality the classes are quite secretive and closed. The classes of the Logistics provide good cover for psion training. The Logistics school does not teach logistics at all, instead it focuses on the training cadres, specifically the time intensive psion training involved. While SetOps trains and administers the operatives in more mundane issues, all psions receive their specific psionic training from the Logistics School.

The Logistics School maintains a very close relationship with the Archer Foundation, receiving most of its trainers and techniques from their parent Chamber. However, the School does modify the normal psion training regimen in order to better account from the more limited abilities of their members- using the excess time normally involved with psion training to fill out other training regimens (such as stealth, unarmed combat, and other staples of covert ops).

While the Logistics school does focus exclusively on psion training, it does work in tandem with SetOps to make sure their trainees are seamlessly incorporated into a NULL Set. On their end, Logistics helps SetOps create a paper cover for their members, placing most SetOps members on the Logistics School roster and payroll in order to maintain the secrecy of SetOps.

Occasionally the Logistics School does encounter a trainee that they are unable to adequately train. Those individuals are encouraged to “study abroad” with the Archer Foundation in Australia, eventually returning to NULL after a couple of years. These study abroad candidates are rare, with only one or two leaving for Australia each year.

Chamber Relationships

NULL maintains close relations only with two chambers, the Archer Foundation and the Company. It does its best to work closely and amicably with both Chambers, mostly focusing as a backup force rather than a lead agency. The leadership of NULL recognizes it exists only due to the goodwill of its parent Chambers as well as doing its best to not anger the other Chambers. However, relations with the Pan-Asian Collective are quickly becoming strained with NULL quickly turning their discoveries over to their parent Chambers in a blatant effort to prove their worth and gain protection.

African Alliance: Despite being at odds with the African Alliance in terms of team doctrine (individual vs team and specialized vs versatile), the two agencies maintain amicable relations, if only because they do not encounter one another too often.

Archer Foundation: One of the two parent Chambers, NULL maintains very good relations with the Foundation. The Foundation is the lead Chamber is administrating NULL and treats the small organization as a little brother in the fight for the Conspiracy. Overall, members of each side are very cordial with each other and when they do work together, they work amazingly well.

The Company: The other parent Chamber, the Company helps provide a pool of candidates for the leadership school as well as for the shadow aspects of NULL. The Company enjoys a good working relationship with NULL, quite happy to call up psion aid when necessary and turning over small threats to NULL. The Company looks upon NULL as a very useful asset, if one they do not entirely control. For NULL’s part, they enjoy brining unique training and skills to Company missions- though they know to remember they are always a support aspect to anything lead by the Company.

European Commonwealth: The Commonwealth and NULL usually only encounter one another in the context of the two parent Chambers. Thus, the Commonwealth only looks upon NULL as a subdepartment and is reluctant to deal with NULL directly. Still, the few times NULL does work with the Commonwealth the Sets often bring valuable skills to the mission- endearing both NULL and their parent Chambers to the Commonwealth.

Guardians of the Whispering Knife: NULL has little to no meaningful interaction with the Guardians. The few times the Archer Foundation or the Company have offered NULL’s experience to a mission the Guardians have politely but flatly refused the aid. For their part, NULL is intrigued with the Guardians but have been firmly warned off by the Foundation.

Room 39: Like the interaction between the Commonwealth and NULL, Room 39 sees NULL in the light of their parent Chambers. Room 39’s long history and experience in the field and their own accomplished psions make them less likely than the European Commonwealth to find a NULL Set particularly useful. NULL is interested in the psions of Room 39 and would like to forge better relations with the Chamber, but as yet Room 39 has refused all official requests by NULL and the Company.

Russian Confederacy: Surprisingly NULL and the Russian Confederacy are beginning to develop a strong working relationship. Between the Company’s and the Foundation’s direction NULL has completed a number of successful support missions in the Russian sphere of influence. For their part the Confederacy is appreciative (if a bit reserved) for the aid, while NULL enjoys the challenge. If the recent past is any indication, NULL and the Confederacy will work well together in the future.

Agent

The Agents working for NULL are a special breed, especially in the world of the superspy. They are team members with few comparisons. All too often the Conspiracy pays lip-service to working as a team, but the glory unerringly goes to the solo agent with a good right hook and a pretty smile. NULL agents on the other hand are trained from the first day of orientation to work cohesively in a group, specializing in a few key abilities, using their limited psionic abilities to maximum effect, and filling in the gaps when need be. A NULL agent is not just capable of working as parts of a team; they actually thrive in a team environment.

To be honest, many NULL agents are seen as second-rate or wash-outs, given a second chance on the life of a superspy by a small and ineffectual agency… and in some instances they are right. However, because of this moniker the NULL agents work all that much harder and train more intensely than most of the larger Chambers. What a NULL agent lacks in raw talent they make up for in sheer willpower and exceptional training.

Style & Demeanor

Not surprisingly, a pack mentality dominates NULL agents, and when not working in a Set (or some other substitute team) there performance noticeably degrades. Make no mistake though; a NULL agent separated from her team is certainly not helpless.

NULL agents are egalitarian and very aware of their surroundings. Every agent is capable of working in a social environment, and each is a capable leader in their own right. As a Set, NULL agents analyze a mission objective, identify the major obstacles, decide on a plan of action, delineate a work schedule with individual mission goals, and then execute. Compared to other Conspiracy teams a NULL Set is viewed as slow to make a decision or sometimes overly cautious.

NULL operatives are quite comfortable relying on the vagaries of psionic abilities- even moreso than the other Chambers save the Archer Foundation. Even compared to the Foundation the NULL Sets are quite comfortable working with and utilizing their psionic members. Usually there is at least one psion in each NULL Set and it is not unheard of for a rotation of individuals to create Sets with two or even three psions. Thus, when working with other agencies a NULL Set brings with it a certain mystique- some would call it creepiness- to the mission.

Mission Profiles

A NULL Set is composed of at least three operatives, and sometimes up to six. Each profile has a very specific training set and set of parameters within each NULL Set. After the three profiles are filled the other agents in the Set are often geared for an outside mission profile that helps specialize the team for specific threats. Thus, a NULL Set that is experienced in counter-terrorism may have an extra military specialist or assassin-type.

Every agent in NULL is expected to specialize in a particular profile, but they are also expected to functionally be aware of another profile as a backup measure to make sure the neutralization of one team member does not invalidate the entire mission. Considering the extensive and specialized training of a NULL Set operative, their knowledge and ability in other profiles is often limited at best. Still, the backup skills have proved useful on more than one occasion.

The psion(s) of the group are found in all three core mission profiles- with neither profile dominating the psionic training.

Electricians: The Electricians of NULL are the computer and electronics experts. There mission is to know how to interface with and manipulate all sorts of electronic media. Thus, an NULL Set Electrician usually has a good knowledge of a number of computer languages, experience with electrical engineering, and a smattering of education in the hard sciences.

Electricians are more than just over-hyped hackers. Instead, they are trained in extracting information from the source hard drives, relying on their programming skills and a hand’s-on approach rather than the internet. They are also quite adept at breaking codes on the fly or countermanding security devices. In this day and age of paranoia on the internet, the NULL Set.

Electricians make their moves in the world of flesh and bone- an area all too often overlooked.

Riflemen: Every NULL Set has at least one individual dedicated to combat- known as a Rifleman. While NULL Sets normally espouses specialized training mentality, but the Riflemen are generalists in their field. From hand-to-hand, to thrown weapons, to small arms and even onto smaller tactical weapons, the Riflemen can do it all. Usually, most Riflemen prefer to carry small and versatile automatic weapons.

These are the warriors of NULL, made all the more dangerous and effective because a significant minority of them are psions. Those who are not psions themselves certainly have psion support adding an otherworldly aspect to their powerful combat abilities. Beyond psionics, the rest of the NULL Set does not hesitate to lend a hand in combat to the Riflemen, ensuring that the combat masters of the NULL Set are never entirely on their own.

The Riflemen are usually very well read and highly educated, moreso than the combat specialists of the other Chambers. This high education is, in part, due to the nature of NULL. Their notable knowledge outside of combat is often very helpful in supporting the other mission roles in the NULL Set.

Riflemen are the consummate team players, knowing that their actions directly protect their team as a whole.

Burglars: The Burglars of NULL are the intrusion experts of the team. They are trained from day one to analyze a building and figure out the most clandestine and effective way to gain entry. They are also very familiar with getting into much smaller spaces, like safes or secure boxes.

The Burglars’ role in a NULL Set is to make sure the Riflemen and Electricians can get to where they will be most effective. The Burglars also are the experts in finding the hidden or the super-secure. There are few things safe from a Burglar once they know the general location of the item.

Burglars are often quite versed in rappelling and advanced rope techniques. Thy also train extensively in plastic explosives and general intrusion techniques (including close quarters combat), making it so even armor or guards are little if any obstacle. Like the other members of a NULL Set the Burglars are expected to know at least one other mission profile.

Other Roles: Other mission profiles are common within a NULL Set. Yet, these secondary roles are obviously not as common or necessary as the three primary roles. The non-critical mission profiles are still expected to train in at least one of the core mission profiles, making sure the NULL Set is always performing at peak ability. The role of a secondary profile is to better streamline the Set towards its mission. Thus, by noting what profiles beyond the core are present in a NULL Set it is easy to tell what type of mission that Set specializes in.

The most common secondary mission profile is Medical. In an effort to make sure the NULL Set and any human objectives’ health is secured. A Set with a medic often focuses on hostage rescue or extremely hot combat situations- making sure the healing abilities of the Medic are used to full effect.

After the Medic profile, a number of combat specialists are common. From snipers to ordnance specialists to martial artists, these combat specialists are expected to neutralize specific threats. Along with the combat specialists are the vehicle specialists who often serve as entry and exit experts, making sure the Set is constantly able to move swiftly. Those Sets with a vehicle or combat specialist often are known for completing multiple objectives in a single mission (necessitating traveling long distances) or destruction of property (necessitating heavy or precise weapons).

Occasionally present in a NULL Set is a dedicated psionic. Usually trained by the Archer Foundation, these potent agents bring some very non-conventional assets to the field and often help bolster the already present psions in the NULL Set.

Also occasionally fund in a NULL set are capable frontmen. These frontmen are specialists in manipulating people to their own ends. They are slick and charismatic and quite good at fast-talking. These frontmen are an assent in Sets during missions that involve a lot of interaction with the public- interaction that if turned violent, would bring too much attention to the mission and NULL. Most frontmen act as a safety valve, helping insulate the Set from a public that knows nothing about them.

Additionally, it is not unheard of for a NULL Set to contain more than one of the core profiles, depending on the needs of the mission.

NULL Characters

This chapter introduces new rules and agent options to cover all the story elements covered in this supplement. They key to this section is to remember this is all very unofficial and certainly a work in progress. If you playtest these rules and either enjoy them or see room for improvement please feel free to e-mail the writer (Chris Gunning) at shapeshifter13@hotmail.com.

New Department

The following department is common in NULL Sets, but is extrememly rare in outside agents- especially those agents not members of the Company or the Archer Foundation.

Operation: Pack Hunter

The communal nature of a Pack Hunter agent is one where they live and learn to rely on their fellow agents. Trained in the ways of a NULL Set, a Pack Hunter is a very potent force when teamed up with other Pack Hunters. They are also conditioned for psionics with many of them exhibiting some minor psion powers and the rest are quite comfortable working with psions.

Operation: Pack Hunter is only available to those students that train at NULL due to the specialized nature of the education (especially in regards to psionic training).

Special Talents

• Bonus Feat: Wolf Pack Basics. Extensive training as a team grants the Pack Hunter an uncanny ability to work with others. This feat is found on page 45 of the Pan-Asian Collective Guide.
• Bonus Feat: Psion Prodigy or a Style Feat of the player’s choice. The psion prodigy feat is found on page 179 of the Shadowforce Archer Core Guide. If the player selects psion prodigy then they may waive all class requirements for any psion feats (but they still must meet any other requirements). This means that a Pack Hunter may select feats found in the telepath, physical adept, and mentalist PrC descriptions in the Shadowforce Archer Core Guide. The GC may veto at any time any potential feat selected by the player in regards to this waiver. Moreover, if a player does not want their character to have psionic abilities (decides not to take Psion Prodigy) they may select a free Style feat of their choice.
• During play a Pack Hunter may select any appropriate PrCs available to Archer Foundation and Company Agents. A pack hunter may also select any psion feats or bundles specific to the Archer Foundation or the Company.

NULL Theraspid

This is a Prestige Class.

A NULL Theraspid is, on paper, very similar to the Raptors found in the ranks of the PAC. However, where the PAC Raptors focus on combining high tech and close combat, the Theraspid combines technology and firearms into a very effective training package.

A theraspid is normally the rifleman of a NULL Set, but with the right selection of feats and skills the theraspid could make a nice burglar.

Abilities: The Theraspid focuses on Dexterity as their most important ability. After Dexterity, a high Intelligence is often quite useful in using and maintaining their equipment.
Vitality: 1d10 + Con modifier per level.

Requirements

Agent Level: 5+
Balance: 4 Ranks
Diplomacy: 2 Ranks
Computers: 2 Ranks
Jump: 4 Ranks
Feats: Psion Prodigy, Wolf Pack Basics

Class Skills
The Theraspid’s class skills and key abilities are: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Computers (Int), Concentration (Wis), Demolitions (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Mechanics (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Surveillance (Wis), Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Int, modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the theraspid.
Class Feats: The theraspid gains the following feats at 1st level: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Armor Group Proficiency (Medium), Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun), Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)
Sneak Attack: as per the feat of the same name. 1st level grants a +1d6, 4th level grants +2d6, 8th level grants a +3d6.
Secret Weapon: as per the Raptor feat found on page 41 of the Pan Asian Collective Guide. However, the theraspid may select either a single melee weapon or firearm to focus upon. Similarly, at 1st (and 9th) level the theraspid gains a melee combat “basics” or a ranged combat “basics” feat (according to the weapon selected).
Improved Wolf-Pack: as per the Raptor feat found on page 41 of the Pan Asian Collective Guide.
Bonus Feat: At 3rd, 6th and 9th levels the theraspid gains an additional psionic, gear, or advanced skill feat. However, all normal requirements must be met (though in the case of a Pack Hunter their access to psionic abilities is significant wider).
Armor Grace: as per the Raptor feat found on page 41 of the Pan Asian Collective Guide.
Cyclone: as per the Raptor feat found on page 41 of the Pan Asian Collective Guide. In the theraspid’s case they may use their selected weapon (from the secret weapon feat) as a melee weapon even if it is not a melee weapon. Thus, a theraspid armed with a handgun may use that weapon in melee combat as a bludgeoning weapon (see the Modern Arms Guide for more on using guns as melee weapons).
White Shadow: as per the Raptor feat found on page 42 of the Pan Asian Collective Guide.

The Theraspid

New Basic Psion Feats

Developed Minor Psion

You have trained your small amount of raw psionic ability into something quite useful.
Prerequisites: Psion Prodigy, Combat Psion. NULL Training.
Benefit: Your psion level is increased by 2.
Special: Once this feat is selected you may never adopt any of the psionic PrCs or advance in such a PrC. Your raw psionic ability is proven to be inadequate for you to formally train as a psion.

Mental-Physical Bridge

You have learned to use your psionic abilities in
combat, helping you anticipate the movement of your
foes and the physics of combat.
Prerequisites: Combat Psion, Psion level 2+, NULL Training
Benefit: You receive a +1 bonus to all attack rolls when aware of the combat.