Ace Pilot (prestige class)

Ace Pilot
Book source	Saga Edition Core Rulebook pg 206

Ace Pilots at Large

The ace pilot is to vehicle combat what the elite trooper is to personal weapons combat. Their arms and armor are the weapons and shields of a sleek starship soaring through space or an airspeeder shrieking through the atmosphere. A veteran of countless engagements, the ace pilot has proven their skill again and again by virtue of facing the enemy and surviving—and making sure the enemy did not. They have several kills to their credit, and their combat maneuvers are occasionally studied and discussed in training academies for their ingenuity and effectiveness.

     For their part, the ace pilot only feels truly alive in the cockpit, where they can pit themselves against their peers in a life-and-death contest to see who is the better pilot. For some ace pilots, the contest is enough, and they don’t care whether they win or simply get away with their lives. For others, the important thing is the kill. The adrenaline surge they feel when finishing off an enemy brings them back again and again. The best ace pilots learn to stop enemies without destroying them, but those aces are rare, and their exploits are legendary.

     Ace pilots define themselves by the vehicles they fly. Some are starfighter aces, while others fly space transports. Ace pilots can also be found at the controls of a podracer, Coruscant air taxi, or even a large assault vehicle such as an AT-AT.

Examples of Ace Pilots

Han Solo, Wedge Antilles, Sebulba, Wes Jansen, Tycho Celchu, Baron Fel, Corran Horn

Requirements

To qualify to become an class name, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

• Minimum Level: 7th.
• Trained Skills: Pilot.
• Minimum Base Attack Bonus: +7.
• Feats:Vehicular Combat.

Class Rules & Traits

The Ace Pilot
Level	BAB	Class Features
1st	+0	Defense bonuses Talent
2nd	+1	Vehicle Dodge +1
3rd	+2	Talent
4th	+3	Vehicle Dodge +2
5th	+3	Talent
6th	+4	Vehicle Dodge +3
7th	+5	Talent
8th	+6	Vehicle Dodge +4
9th	+6	Talent
10th	+7	Vehicle Dodge +5

Ace Pilots have the following traits.

Hit Points

At each level, ace pilots gain 1d8 hit points + their Constitution modifier.

Force Points

Ace pilots gain a number of Force points equal to 6 + one-half their character level (rounded down) at 1st level and every time they gain a new level in this class. Any Force points left over from previous levels are lost.

Defense Bonuses

At 1st level, you gain a +2 class bonus to your Fortitude Defense and a +4 class bonus to your Reflex Defense.

Talents

At every odd-numbered level (1st, 3rd, 5th, …), you select a talent from any of the following talent trees. You must meet the prerequisites (if any) of the chosen talent. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated. Click on the links to learn more about a given talent tree or talent.

Talent Tree	Talents
Blockade Runner	Close Cover, Outrun, Punch Through, Small Target, Watch This
Expert Pilot	Blind Spot, Clip, Close Scrape, Elusive Dogfighter, Full Throttle, Improved Attack Run, Juke, Keep It Together, Master Defender, Relentless Pursuit, Renowned Pilot, Roll Out, Shunt Damage, Vehicle Focus, Vehicular Evasion, Wingman
Gunner	Crippling Hit, Dogfight Gunner, Expert Gunner, Fast Attack Specialist, Great Shot, Overcharged Shot, Quick Trigger, Synchronized Fire, System Hit
Spacer	Cramped Quarters Fighting, Deep Space Raider, Hyperdriven, Make a Break For It, Spacehound, Starship Raider, Stellar Warrior
Squadron Leader	Begin Attack Run, Regroup, Squadron Maneuvers, Squadron Tactics
Wingman	Concentrate All Fire, Escort Pilot, Lose Pursuit, Run Interferance, Wingman Retribution

Vehicle Dodge

Beginning at 2nd level, you apply a dodge bonus to the Reflex Defense of any vehicle you pilot. The dodge bonus is equal to one-half your class level, rounded down. Any condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Reflex Defense also makes you lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most other types of bonuses.