In Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, a player can be any type of character, as Jedi, smugglers, bounty hunters, diplomats, and pilots are all available options. While of course there are Rebel and Imperial options as well as Jedi and Sith, not everyone falls so easily on one side of the conflict or the other. This is where the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire sourcebook comes in.
Edge of the Empire is one of the core rule books for SWRPG and introduces a number of neutral Careers and Specializations to The Galaxy. One of the most recognizable is the Smuggler, akin to characters such as Han Solo or Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars universe. While Smugglers can be daring pilots, suave rogues, or elusive thieves, one of the most recognizable archetypes is the Scoundrel.
Scoundrels Are Quick-Witted Brawlers and Gunslingers
Most Smugglers prefer to work quietly in the shadows or away from prying eyes and sensors, carrying out their illicit trades under the noses of the local authority. Scoundrels tend to do the same things but in somewhat flashier ways, with a bit more showmanship. While many Smugglers will try to fly under the radar at all costs, Scoundrels have no qualms about picking cantina fights or running blockades in pursuit of a score.
Rodians and Bothans Make Expert Scoundrels
Smugglers as a Career (and the Scoundrel Specialization) make heavy use of both Agility and Cunning characteristics. Bothans lean toward being information brokers and ambitious crimelords, while Rodians live for the thrill of the hunt and the adrenaline of making a clean smuggling run. If the player wants to focus on their Cunning skills, a Bothan is the way to go, with their base Cunning being 3. Bothans also gain a special skill that grants them an extra rank in the Streetwise skill, giving them an edge in the crime-ridden streets of the Outer Rim.
Rodians, on the other hand, are built more for the wilder fringe planets, with their starting bonus rank in the Survival skill. They also gain a rank in the Expert Tracker talent, allowing them to track down their prey. While a Bothan might smuggle information or contraband, Rodians might trade in illegal pets or exotic animal goods.
Scoundrels Are Masters of Deception and Skullduggery
The two main skills that the Scoundrel talent tree makes use of are Skullduggery and Deception, both of which are Cunning-based skills. Other than that, most talents require the use of Cunning, Agility, and Presence. While Scoundrels are technically capable of talking their way out of a situation, it’s much more likely that they will need to distract an enemy by talking while the rest of their team accomplishes something in the background. Of course, where words fail, there’s always a light blaster close at hand, and having high enough Agility will make sure that the Scoundrel can get to it quickly.
Scoundrels Always Shoot First With Quick Draw and Rapid Reaction
Whether facing down a bounty hunter come to collect the prize on their head or having a business discussion in a crowded cantina with a rival Smuggler, a Scoundrel always has their blaster at the ready. Since the Outer Rim is neutral territory in the Galactic War, it’s not so easy to determine peoples’ allegiances or whether they are a threat. Who knows when a disgruntled Hutt crimelord will bend the ear of a former ally, or when the Empire might try to control the local criminal element with more hostile negotiations.
In times like these, Quick Draw allows the Scoundrel to ready their weapon as an Incidental action during a combat encounter, meaning they could draw a blaster and have it ready quickly enough to immediately fire it. Rapid Reaction is a more active talent, allowing the Scoundrel to suffer some strain in exchange for adding successes to their dice rolls and making sure those quick shots count.
Scoundrels Can Become More Skilled at Higher Levels of Play
At higher levels of play, there are a wide variety of options available to the Scoundrel. Building up their Black Market Contact talent further down the Scoundrel tree can not only help them offload their contraband more easily but also make acquiring controlled goods and gear much easier. The Hidden Storage talent provides secure hiding places for stolen goods or even smuggled people on a ship that’s big enough.
There are also talents like Quick Strike and Side Step, which increase the Scoundrel’s effectiveness in combat, allowing them to dodge attacks or hit harder against slow-acting foes. Of course, what Scoundrel worth their salt doesn’t have a random stroke of luck in talking their way out of tough situations? This is where Natural Charmer comes in, allowing the Scoundrel to reroll a failed Deception or Charm check once per session.
Scoundrels Make Great Starting Points
The possibilities with the Scoundrel, like other Edge of the Empire classes, are limitless. With the SWRPG system’s multiclassing features, players can not only branch out in similar skillsets to what they already have, but they can also expand beyond to acquire new Career Specializations. For example, while a Scoundrel player is a Smuggler with the Scoundrel Specialization, they aren’t limited to staying within that archetype. For an amount of experience, as well as an additional cost when purchasing those talents, players can take another one of the Smuggler Specializations, such as Pilot or Thief.
It’s also possible to expand into other Careers, though the cost is much higher. When this happens, the player only really chooses and benefits from the Specialization they chose for the other Career, and they gain none of the benefits of the base Career. This can provide an interesting angle to the Scoundrel’s story. Perhaps they’re a small-time Smuggler who branches out into bounty-hunting to make some extra money. Or, maybe they’re a Smuggler who’s interested in exploring other planets. They could even be a fugitive from the Empire who took up smuggling to hide their connection to the Force, only calling on and trying to develop that connection now. With the way the SWRPG system handles multiclassing, the possibilities are truly endless.