Character Backgrounds

Backstory possibilities are extremely open - any race, any world, any society, any story that you can imagine is fair game, as long as you have reason to be using the Federation's worldbridges and going to another planet with a nasty reputation to try to make your fortune. Most fantasy tropes are fair game.

Aetherpunk and other clockwork-and-magic combinations are possible, as technology and magic have progressed a little bit further than in most medieval-style fantasy settings, though high levels of magi-tech are still the domain of highly skilled inventors/craftsmen and are not commonly available to the public.

Gunpowder and gunpowder weapons are rare but commercially available, so gunslingers are a valid archetype as well. Gunpowder isn’t trusted enough to be used for organized military use over magical artillery, however, so it’s generally the exclusive province of the eccentrically wealthy and the occasional adventuring type who can’t use magic offensively and prefers pistols and rifles over bows or crossbows.

Alchemy is widespread, and there are many ways known to mix inherently-magical materials to produce spell-like concoctions. There are, likewise, many methods for making magical explosives, if you wish to play an alchemical grenadier.

Psionics are known to exist. Though they are not as widely practiced as the various other forms of magic, there are a few psionic academies scattered across multiple worlds. Wild talents are rare but do crop up occasionally.

Divine power does function across the Bridge system, as the various pantheons gain access to a universe/shard whenever one of their followers visits it, and thus can exert their influence - and grant their followers power - so long as someone there follows them. This, naturally, causes massive headaches to theologians and church power hierarchies alike across a multitude of faiths and worlds, but your characters don’t need to worry about that.