Beast Hunter

• Vanilla skills: Ballistics, Fitness, Gastronomy || Modded skills: Ballistics, Boost Pack, Fitness
• Added Buffs: +10% Alien Damage, -15% Sprinting Oxygen Drain, +10% Weapon Reload Speed
  

A Hunter has learned the skills to hunt and take down alien prey, but nothing leads to them are eating them. As such, Gastronomy is swapped for Boost Pack. A skilled Hunter knows how to boost, is quick (reload speed), fit runners (-oxygen), and know where to hit their prey to make it hurt (alien dam).

Bouncer

• Vanilla skills: Boxing, Fitness, Security || Modded skills: Boxing, Weight Lifting, Wellness
• Added Buffs: +10% Intimidation, -15% Oxygen Use, +15% Power Attacks
  

A Bouncer is good with their fist and intimidating (+intimidation). Boxing is perfect since boxers have great breathe control (-oxygen) and know how to throw their weight (+pow atk). A boxer focuses on muscle and eating well to maintain their bodies; thus, Fitness is swapped for Wellness and Security for Weight Lifting.

Bounty Hunter

• Vanilla skills: Boost Pack, Piloting, Target Control Systems || Modded skills: No Changes
• Added Buffs: +10 Faster Ship Speed, +10% Grav Jump Distance, +15% Ship Weapon Accuracy
  

I felt the vanilla skill choices were chosen well. A Bounty Hunter's ship skills would have to be better than average to be successful in space vs down on a planet; therefore, the buffs are focused toward advantages over space targets.

Chef

• Vanilla skills: Dueling, Gastronomy, Scavenging || Modded skills: Commerce, Dueling, Gastronomy
• Added Buffs: +15% Crafting Dupe Chance, +25% Health Res from food, +10% more Ingredients harvested
  

A Chef has great knife skills (dueling) and knows what his meals are worth (commerce). Obviously a Chef knows how to cook well and produce healthy meals (gastronomy / health res), but has the skills to harvest and stretch out ingredients for those meals (more ingredients and dupe chance).

Combat Medic

• Vanilla skills: Medicine, Pistol Certification, Wellness || Modded skills: Fitness, Medicine, Pistol Certification
• Added Buffs: +10% health restored from kits and packs during combat / +15% outside of combat, -15% Bleedout Chance, +10% Chem Dur
  

A Combat Medic is fit, quick, and mobile; however, they aren't particularly strong so Wellness is swapped for Fitness. They focus more on emergency medicine and are only slightly better at healing (+health res / +chem dur). That emergency medicine makes them better treating wounds, though (-bleedout chance).

Cyber Runner

• Vanilla skills: Security, Stealth, Theft || Modded skills: Commerce, Security, Theft
• Added Buffs: +15% Auto-Hack/Lock Chance, +1 Hacking Guesses, -20% Lockpick Crime Chance
  

The research contradicts a Runner being a stealthy character. They operated in the open most of the time and have a desire for credits; thus, Stealth is swapped for Commerce. A Runner is very tech savvy and a hacker so espionage and thievery are up their alley. The buffs are geared toward this.

Cyberneticist

• Vanilla skills: Lasers, Medicine, Security || Modded skills: Lasers, Piloting, Research Methods
• Added Buffs: +20% Crafting Quality, +15% Ship Repair Rate, 10% faster Workshop Production
  

Cyberneticist are humans just starting the process of merging with technology (we are the Borg). It's likely they have intimate knowledge of technology (Research Methods); however, at this stage their "parts" are likely "installed" by a doctor. Since nothing leads to a criminal or medical Background, medicine is swapped for Research Methods and Security for Piloting. The buffs are geared toward all of the above.

Diplomat

• Vanilla skills: Commerce, Persuasion, Wellness || Modded skills: No Changes
• Added Buffs: +10% Exp from Speech, +15% Charisma Chance, +15% Persuasion Chance
  

I felt the vanilla skill choices were chosen well. A Diplomat loves to talk and would be better at it the more they do it (speech exp). They are skilled at being likeable regardless of who they're around (charisma chance), and know how to work a deal...and the public (persuasion chance).

Explorer

• Vanilla skills: Astrodynamics, Lasers, Surveying || Modded skills: Astrodynamics, Piloting, Surveying
• Added Buffs: +10% Exp from new locations, -15% Fall Damage, +15% Scan Distance
  

An Explorer needs to know how to get around the systems, and there isn't a reason for them to favor Lasers; thus, Lasers was swapped for Piloting. They are experienced in getting around planets (scan dist) to undercover their wonders (location exp); even in the harshest terrains (fall dam).

Gangster

• Vanilla skills: Boxing, Shotgun Certification, Theft || Modded skills: Dueling, Shotgun Certification, Theft
• Added Buffs: +15% Intimidation, +15% Pickpocket Chance, +10% Target Stagger
  

Gangsters do like to use their fists, but aren't on the level of boxers. They like to use knives a lot; thus, Boxing is swapped for Dueling. Gangsters are intimidating by their nature (+intimidation), natural thieves (+pickpocket chance), and know how to fight dirty (+stagger).

Homesteader

• Vanilla skills: Geology, Surveying, Weight Lifting || Modded skills: Fitness, Geology, Surveying
• Added Buffs: -15% Crafting Costs, +15% more Ingredients Harvested, -15% Workshop Costs
  

Homesteaders live off the land (Geology), skilled at finding homestead locations (Surveying), and experts at working the land (Fitness and +ingredients). As such they are used to hard labor (stagger), and know how to stretch expendables out to make more from less (crafting cost).

Industrialist

• Vanilla skills: Persuasion, Research Methods, Security || Modded skills: Commerce, Persuasion, Research Methods
• Added Buffs: -10% Buying Prices, +10% Selling Prices, -20% Workshop Repair Cost
  

From the description and dialogue options, I felt like the Industrialist was Starfield's loose attempt at a "capitalist" Background. Nothing points to them acquiring lockpicking skills; thus, Security is swapped for Commerce. The buffs are what a capitalist would aim for; bigger profit margins and low overhead costs.

Long Hauler

• Vanilla skills: Ballistic Weapon Systems, Piloting, Weight Lifting || Modded skills: Commerce, Piloting, Weight Lifting
• Added Buffs: -10% Grav Jump Fuel Cost, +20% Grav Jump Range, +15% Ship Cargo Maximum
  

The Long Hauler is a level-headed "trucker" (+cargo max) that isn't worried about agile ships or fancy weapons. The faster they can get their cargo to its destination, the faster they get paid; thus, Ballistic Weapon Systems is swapped for Commerce. A Hauler knows all the tricks to be the most efficient they can be; whether that's shortcuts or tweaking the grav drive (grav jumps).

Pilgrim

• Vanilla skills: Gastronomy, Scavenging, Surveying || Modded skills: Gastronomy, Piloting, Scavenging
• Added Buffs: -10% Oxygen Use, +15% Health Restore from Food, +15% Social Skill chance
  

A Pilgrim values the journey and people met (+social chance) along the way more than a final destination. Pilgrims love to travel, but are missing the piloting skill; therefore, Surveying is swapped for Piloting. They love long adventures (-Oxygen use) and would have fairly adept cooking skills as a necessity (health restore).

Professor

• Vanilla skills: Astrodynamics, Geology, Research Methods || Modded skills: Geology, Research Meth, Surveying
• Added Buffs: +10% Affinity Gain, -15% Research Costs, +15% Workshop Production Speed
  

The Professor is a scholastic intellect who is always learning and researching. Since Astrodynamics is more of a "tech science", it's swapped for Surveying. A Professor loves teaching (+affinity), and is skilled and efficient in research and results (-research costs and +production speed).

Ronin

• Vanilla skills: Dueling, Scavenging, Stealth || Modded skills: Dueling, Pistol Certification, Stealth
• Added Buffs: +15% Sneaking Critical Hit Chance, +15% Sneaking Speed, 25% quieter doors when Sneaking
  

The lone wolf assassin, a Ronin is Starfield's stealth Background. Scavenging doesn't fit for an assassin who plans their hits out; therefore, it's swapped for Pistol Certification. A pistol with a silencer is a perfectly good killing tool with a bit of distance. The buffs are designed around a stealth-build professional assassin.

Sculptor

• Vanilla skills: Geology, Medicine, Persuasion || Modded skills: Commerce, Geology, Wellness
• Added Buffs: -10% Crafting Cost, +10 Crafting Dupe Chance, +20% Workshop Production Speed
  

A Sculptor is an odd choice and feels like a second thought, considering they have no known dialogue lines/options. They are good with their hands (crafting and workshop), know how to work a commerce market, and how to source materials. As such, Medicine is swapped for Commerce.

Soldier

• Vanilla skills: Ballistics, Boost Pack, Fitness || Modded skills: No Changes
• Added Buffs: -15% Boostpack Fuel Usage, -10% Incoming Weapon Damage, +10% Weapon Damage
  

I felt the vanilla skill choices were chosen well. I envision this as a base-level Solider who is an all-rounder when it comes to combat. A Soldier is equipped for combat (-incoming dam), skilled with a boost pack (-fuel usage), and is basic to immediate level with all weapons (+weap dam).

Space Scoundrel

• Vanilla skills: Persuasion, Piloting, Pistol Certification || Modded skills: Persuasion, Piloting, Shotgun Certification
• Added Buffs: +10% Critical Hit Chance, +10% Grav Jump Distance, +10% Ship Damage Mitigation
  

A Space Scoundrel rides the line of the moral compass. They're not afraid of a close fight and makes sure the job is done fast; thus, Pistol is swapped for Shotgun Certification. Their piloting skills shouldn't be taken lightly either (jump dist/dam mitigation).

Xenobiologist

• Vanilla skills: Fitness, Lasers, Surveying || Modded skills: Research Meth, Surveying, Wellness
• Added Buffs: +10% Chem Duration, -10% Oxygen Use, -15% Research Costs
  

A Xenobiologist works efficiently both in the field (-oxygen use) and in the lap (-research costs). Nothing leads to combat or heavy physical exercise; thus, Laser is swapped for Research Methods and Fitness for Wellness. These biologist can also produce some interesting chems (+chem dur).

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• Vanilla skills: Ballistics, Piloting, Wellness || Modded skills: No Changes
• Added Buffs: +10% Damage Reflection Chance, +10% Grav Jump Distance, -10% Oxygen Use
  

I felt the vanilla skill choices were chosen well. This is meant to be the "generic" Background; thus, the buffs are generic. A greater chance to reflect damage helps to add a bit of extra protection. The extra grav jump distance and less oxygen use are also generally helpful.

Combat Pilot

• Skills: Ballistic Weapon Systems, Piloting, Shield Systems, Target Control Systems (Piloting is hidden in the user interface)
• Added Buffs: +10% Ship System Repair Rate / +15% Ship Weapon Accuracy / +15% Ship Weapon Recharge Rate
  

The Settled Systems is no stranger to warfare and armed conflict relies on trained pilots for air/space superiority. No guts, no glory! You had both... and you were great at it.

Heavy Arms

• Skills: Boost Pack, Heavy Weapon Certification, Weight Lifting
• Added Buffs: +15% Damage Resistance / +10% Explosion Damage / +15% Harder to Stagger / +15% Heavy Weapon Damage
  

The Settled Systems is no stranger to warfare and someone had to carry the big guns. Just so happened you were built strong and ready to serve. No guts, no glory! You had both... and a flare for things that go "boom".

Sniper

• Skills: Pistol Certification, Sniper Certification, Stealth
• Added Buffs: -10% O2 Drain on Scope Hold Breathe / +15% Ranged Weapon Critical Hit Chance / +15% Ranged Weapon Damage / +10% Sneaking Speed
  

The Settled Systems is no stranger to warfare and targets needed to be eliminated. Turned out that you were better than average with a rifle and light on your feet. No one better suited to be a hidden savior ...or nightmare.