Simply put, Progress Level (PL) is an indication of the state of technology that exists in a particular society or civilization. The state of technological development generally pervades all aspects of a culture, particularly at higher levels (PL 5 and above) when long-range communication is virtually instantaneous. Even at lower levels , it’s unlikely- but not impossible– for a group of sentient beings to be at one Progress Level in some respects and at another level in other respects. Exceptions to this rule to exist, but it is more likely that societies which prioritize a particular aspect of technological development make available higher Progress Level items of that specific sort (at a premium, of course– see below), but do not widely distribute these items and technologies as would happen at the appropriate Progress Level.

• PL 0 Stone Age
• PL 1 Bronze/Iron Age
• PL 2 Middle Ages
• PL 3 Age of Reason
• PL 4 Industrial Age
• PL 5 Information Age
• PL 6 Fusion Age
• PL 7 Gravity Age
• PL 8 Energy Age
• PL 9 Magic Age

Progress levels may vary widely from place to place, particularly from planet to planet and system to system. Consider the early 20th-century explorers who finally penetrated the deepest reaches of the Congo or the Amazon jungle, encountering native tribes who still used Stone Age technology. In the StarDrive setting, heroes may discover entire planets locked in their own Stone Age, Bronze Age, or Middle Ages periods, despite the high level of technology that characterizes the civilization from which the heroes originated.

Most items have minimum a Progress Level at which they become available. While it may be possible to purchase an item at the PL below which it normally becomes available, such items are extremely rare and their purchase DC increases by +5.

The StarDrive setting has a base PL of 7 and has had that level of progress for more than 300 years, though much of the Verge is currently only able to produce PL 6 technology on its own. Beginning heroes in the StarDrive setting are assumed to have had access to all available technologies at some point, and may purchase any Progress Level 7 or lower item normally.

During the course of play, the purchase of any item will be subject to the technological limitations of the local area. Thus, depending on where your hero is in the Verge, the GM may require you to pay a PL 7 item’s purchase DC +5. Parts of the Stellar Ring are on the cusp of PL 8, at least in specific areas of technology, though again, PL 8 items would take a +5 modifier to their purchase DC’s in the Stellar Ring, and could cost as much as +10 in the Verge. Any time you wish to purchase an item of PL 7 or above in the Verge, you should consult the GM for the item’s availability and cost.