Pirate (archetypes)

Allies and Opponents   Nonheroic Codex   Beast Codex

Blockade Runner

Space Battles don’t necessarily end when one side manages to disable the enemy’s ship. Instead, one might hear the sounds of docking clamps and breaching charges that signal the beginning of the next stage—the boarding action. Characters experienced in boarding action might blockade runners, brave souls who pilot space transports through enemy lines to bring news or supplies or to get word out of a desperate situation. They might be pirates or privateers, two word that both refer to someone hoping to take a ship, or at least its cargo, intact. Some do it for profit, others to bolster a political cause, but all train to disable a ship and then prepare to fight those within to secure it.

     Regardless of their motives or tactics, all privateers have a few traits in common. Most importantly, they plane to see combat on the inside of a ship they want in good condition, be it their own (if they expect to be boarded) or a prize ship they want to capture and sell or use to expand a privateer fleet. As a result, they focus on three details: convincing foes to surrender; using the smallest, most precise blaster that they can trust to complete the job; and learning to use melee weapons for close-quarters fighting around a hyperdrive or concussion missile magazine.

     Convincing a crew that they’re better off surrendering than fighting takes a bold personality. Though they might have soldiers, ace pilots, and elite warriors working with them, the best shipjackers are flamboyant, larger-than-life figures able to make outrageous claims and threats believably. As a result they don’ work well together; even when serving a larger cause, they prefer to operate in separate units.

Blockade Runner           (CL 8)

     Scum and Villainy, page 117.

Medium Human scoundrel 4 NPC

Force: 5; Dark Side: 2

Initiative: +4; Senses: Perception +5

Languages: Basic

Defenses: Ref 22 (flat-footed 99), Fort 19, Will 24

Hit Points: 52; Damage Threshold: 

Speed: 6 squares

Melee: vibroblade +8 (2d6+3)

Ranged: blaster pistol +8 (3d6+4)

Base Attack: +6; Grapple: +8

Attack Options: Combat Reflexes, Cornered Rat, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot

Special Actions: Cunning Strategist, Disruptive, Raider’s Frenzy, Weapon Finesse

Combat Gear: medpac

Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16

Talents: Cunning Strategist, Disruptive, Raider’s Frenzy, Spacehound, Walk the Line

Feats: Combat Reflexes^H, Cornered Rat, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Skill Focus (Deception), Vehicular Combat, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Proficiency (advanced melee, pistols, simple)

Skills: Deception +17, Knowledge [galactic lore]^H +9, Persuasion +12, Pilot +11, Use Computer +9

Possessions: blaster pistol, vibroblade, code cylinder, comlink (long‑range), tool kit, utility belt, space transport

H Human bonus feat or trained skill.

Pirate

Pirate / Privateer

The Blazing Claw

For thousands of years, the Blazing Claw has served as the symbol of piracy. Although innumerable vanations of the symbol exist, they are all more or less adaptations of the same image: a fiery talon. This image has been romanticized somewhat on holovids, with the result that many average citizens hold pirates in high regard, but those who operate deepspace ships have no such Illusions. To them, the Blazing Claw means just one thing: the threat of death.

The pirate moniker can be applied to just about anyone who makes a living robbing and stealing ships. From bloodthirsty crews lurking on the fringes of space to professional thieves plying the trade lanes, pirates are an age-old problem in the galaxy and one not likely to go away any time soon. Generally, pirates are little better than bandits, lying in wait to beset a passing ship. However, not all pirates fit the cruel image attributed to most of their kind. Many follow a strict code of conduct, being more selective about whom they hit, how often, and when. Some pirates never kill, while others strike only at ships loyal to the Empire. It can be difficult, however, to figure out what sort of pirate is about to be encountered, and sometimes it’s better to shoot first and sort out the details later.

Pirate Encounters

A pirate or privateer attack is swift and brutal, often the result of an ambush. Pirates use asteroid belts and strange stellar phenomena to mask their presence while waiting for their prey, and often employ a number of smaller scout ships to watch for potential targets. Pirates might be greedy, but they aren’t stupid: They’ll let a heavily armed warship slip through their fingers if they don’t stand a chance against it.

     If pirates have starfighters, they send these smaller snub fighters out to herd the larger prey into their trap, where one or more pirate ships can emerge from hiding and cut off their prey’s escape. Although pirates hit hard and fast, they don’t want to destroy their prey, since doing so would defeat the purpose of piracy. In stead, they direct their attacks to cripple their prey, targeting engines and sensors, and weakening the target so it can’t make the jump to hyperspace. Once the ship is sufficiently damaged, the pirates demand surrender; failing that, they’ll board and attempt to take the ship by force.

     After a raid, pirates immediately strip the target of anything the deem valuable, both for personal profit and to recoup whatever losses they might have incurred in the attack. What they do with prisoners depends on the pirate captain and the situation. Most pirate captains aren’t too interested in keeping prisoners but might do so if they stand to make a profit, whether by ransoming the victims back to families or just selling them into slavery. Other pirates don’t choose to deal with living cargo at all, and so they might let the survivors keep their ship, strand them on a remote world, or even just execute them.

     Between raids, pirate crews go about their business as any other ship crews might. They make repairs, recruit new crew members, and spend their credits on personal pleasures. Aside from keeping the crews happy, these furloughs are also great ways to gather information. Pirates are ever watchful for bounty hunters and Imperial warships, but are even more interested in news about targets for their next raid .

     Although pirates are generally reluctant to choose sides in a conflict, during the Galactic Civil War many pirates fought on the side of the Rebellion. The Empire’s attitude toward non-Humans, coupled with its draconian tactics, often put the Empire at odds with the views of many pirate crews. As such, many pirates trained their attacks on cargo ships that were moving munitions, foodstuffs, and other goods to Imperial emplacements, thus weakening the Empire’s war effort.

     In addition to independent pirates, the Rebel Alliance was notorious for hiring privateer fleets to shore up its forces. Although supporting these contracts came at great cost to the Rebellion, the effort was worth it since the privateers were experts at hit-and-run tactics and thus could weaken the Empire’s fleets. More important, though, employing privateers allowed the Alliance to reduce pirate attacks along some dangerous routes and thus prevent its own ships from falling prey to unexpected attacks.

Pirate           (CL 6)

     Threats of the Galaxy, page 66.

Medium nonheroic 6 / scoundrel 2 / scout 2 NPC

Force: 2

Initiative: +5; Senses: Perception +5

Languages: Basic

Defenses: Ref 17 (flat-footed 16), Fort 16, Will 14

Hit Points: 42; Damage Threshold: 16

Speed: 6 squares

Melee: vibroaxe +8 (2d10+3)

Ranged: heavy blaster pistol +7 (3d8+2)

Base Attack: +6; Grapple: +7

Attack Options: Point Blank Shot, Sneak Attack +1d6

Special Actions: Jury‑Rigger, Shake It Off

Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8

Talents: Jury‑Rigger, Sneak Attack +1d6

Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Dodge, Point Blank Shot, Shake It Off, Skill Training (Endurance, Pilot), Weapon Focus (advanced melee), Weapon Proficiency(advanced melee, pistols, rifles, simple)

Skills: Deception +9, Endurance +11, Mechanics +5 (can reroll when juryrigging, must take second result), Pilot +11

Possessions: vibroaxe, heavy blaster pistol, 2 stun grenades, utility belt

Privateer

In addition to pirates, the galaxy is also home to privateers-civilian ships that hire out their crews to a government to serve as professional bandits. Privateers all operate under letters of marque and reprisals, contracts between themselves and their employers that describe the terms of the relationship, setting the length of employment, clearly defining the rights of the employer and the privateer, and detailing any compensations that are to result from the terms of service. Privateers are just as ruthless as other pirates, but they operate from behind a veneer of legitimacy.

Privateer           (CL 1)

     Threats of the Galaxy, page 66.

Medium nonheroic 4 / scoundrel 5 / soldier 3 NPC

Force: 5

Initiative: +13; Senses: Perception +7

Languages: Basic, 1 other

Defenses: Ref 24 (flat-footed 20), Fort 22 (26 against ectreme heat or cold), Will 21

Hit Points: 55; Damage Threshold: 22

Speed: 6 squares

Melee: vibroblade + (2d6+8)

Ranged: heavy blaster pistol +12 (3d8+6) or

Ranged: heavy blaster pistol +10 (4d8+6) with Rapid Shot

Base Attack: +9; Grapple: +11

Attack Options: Hyperdriven, Melee Defense, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid“Shot, Spacehound, Starship Raider

Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10

Talents: Hyperdriven, Spacehound, Starship Raider, Weapon_Specialist_(talent_tree)#spec

Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Melee Defense, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Skill Training (Initiative, Mechanics, Pilot), Vehicular Combat, Weapon Focus (pistols), Weapon Proficiency (advanced melee, pistols, simple)

Skills: Deception +11, Initiative +13, Persuasion +11, Mechanics +12, Pilot +13

Possessions: vibroblade, heavy blaster pistol, all-temperature cloak, flight suit

Pirate Captain

Pirate Captain

Pirate captains are an eclectic mix of characters, encompassing everything from flamboyant rogues commanding rotting ships to grim-faced brutes who slaughter and kill with caprice. Like most pirates and privateers, pirate capta1ns rarely choose their lot, and most have had their status thrust upon them. Pirate captains come from a variety of backgrounds and include disgraced nobles, ex-slaves, and fugitives from justice. What separates these characters from their crews is a special quality that gives them the edge to claw their way to the top of the heap and take charge. Yet, any thug can rule through brute force, so it also takes cunning and strength for a captain to hold his command.

     The first priority of any pirate captain is to keep his crew happy. Mutiny is a common problem among pirates, and although every captain has a certain amount of goodwill born from the loyalties he earned when he took commmand, no pirate will risk his life for his captain when he’s poor or hungry. Therefore, pirate captains usually mask their personal greed to ensure that they take care of their men.

Pirate Captain Encounters

A pirate captain is the heart and soul of a pirate ship. It is his ambitions, his beliefs, and above all, his agenda that shapes the character of his crew. A captain’s approach to piracy is reflected in the actions of his crew, so a brutal captain likely has bloodthirsty brutes under his command, while a generous and capricious captain might have a lot of undisciplined rogues as a crew. So, the sort of pirates the heroes encounter are the best indication of the sort of person who leads them.

     A typical pirate captain commands a freighter or larger vessel that enjoys the support of a number of smaller starfighters. The captain leads from the deck of his ship, directing the battle from his ship’s command center. Make no mistake—pirate captains are typically skilled pilots themselves, and on smaller runs, a pirate captain might pilot a smaller craft to lead his crew through the thickest of combats.

Pirate Captain           (CL 11)

     Threats of the Galaxy, page 68.

Medium noble 4 / scoundrel 5 / ace pilot 2 NPC

Force: 8

Initiative: +12; Senses: Perception +6

Languages: Basic, 3 others

Defenses: Ref 27 (flat-footed 25), Fort 23 928 against extreme heat or cold), Will 23

Hit Points: 66; Damage Threshold: 23

Speed: 6 squares

Melee: vibroblade +9 (2d6+5) or

Melee: vibroblade +4 (2d6+5) and
vibroblade +4 (2d6+5) with Double Attack

Ranged: blaster pistol +8 (3d6+5) or

Ranged: hold-out blaster pistol +8 (3d4+5)

Base Attack: +6; Grapple: +8

Attack Options: Double Attack (advanced melee), Hyperdriven, Melee Defense, Point Blank Shot, Spacehound, Starship Raider

Special Actions: Demand Surrender, Presence, Quick Draw

Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 17

Special Qualities: vehicle dodge +1

Talents: Demand Surrender, Hyperdriven, Presence, Spacehound, Starship Raider, Vehicular Evasion

Feats: Double Attack (advanced melee), Linguist, Melee Defense, Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Skill Training (Persuasion), Toughness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (advanced melee), Weapon Proficiency  (advanced melee, pistols, simple)

Skills: Deception +13, Gather Information +13, Initiative +12, Knowledge [tactics] +11, Persuasion +13, Pilot +12

Possessions: vibroblade, blaster pistol, hold-out blaster pistol in concealed holster, encrypted comlink, all-temperature cloak, utility belt, capital ship

Allies and Opponents   Nonheroic Codex   Beast Codex

 

Footnotes and References
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