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.
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.