Vrusk Smuggler

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Vrusk Smuggler
STR/STA 45/45 PS +3
DEX/RS 50/50 IM +5
INT/LOG 55/55 Ranged 25
PER/LDR 50/50 Melee 25
Special Abilities:

Ambidexterity, Comprehension 15%

Skills: (Biosocial PSA)

Psychosocial 1, Technician1

Equipment:

Techkit, 322 Credits for bribing and purchases.

People sometimes need to have things imported or delivered that run a bit on the wrong side of the law. That's where you come in. Your skills allow you to bypass security both living and electronic, letting you make your money with less risk than others in your line of work.

Contents

Character Concepts

The starting Vrusk Smuggler has no gear other than the Techkit all characters skilled in Technician receive. You need money to do your trade... lots of money. Now if you can only keep away from those gambling tables long enough to actually do your job! Hey... I wonder how much you could get for this Techkit on the black market?

The Courier

There you were, talking to a casual work acquaintance about how he affords all those nice hovercycles he collects. He tells you all he does is travel around the Frontier and tote about a carry-on bag or two, racking up those frequent spaceliner miles. After traveling to a new location, he lives the high life in fine hotels then picks up another bag and comes home. Those really were nice hovercycles.

The next thing you knew, you were on the chronocom talking to some guy you only know of as Tog (which you’re pretty sure means “voice” in Yazirian) and arranging a pickup and drop-off point. Sure, you have to front the cash for the starliner and hotel, but you’re promised 250 Credits when you get back. All you have to do is get past a few security scanners and customs agents... should be no problem for a Vrusk like you!

The Dealer

You have a thing for art. You don’t care what kind, but you understand it. You don’t appreciate it like the connoisseurs with all the fat bank accounts, but you do understand it.

So some thug comes up to you on the street with his silly “Psssst.... wanna buy a watch?” approach, and there you see it: a diamond in the rough. An antique chronex. You smile and shell out 20 Credits so the yazirian goon can get his next fix.

The next thing you know, you’re seated in front of a wealthy collector, knowing right where the exit is if things go wrong. He’s offering 200 Credits, but you know people almost as well as you know art. You notice the opened crate of gallo-fur coats in the corner and smile, knowing a place where you could sell that for a fortune. “I’ll tell you what, since I like you, I’ll sell you the chronex for 200 if you throw in a crate of the gallo-fur coats. My mom likes coats.”

You’re pretty sure that contact who likes the gallofur has some Dralasite vapor drugs he’s been trying to get rid of...

You live your life buying contraband from couriers and thieves, selling it to those who know what to do with it. Your morality doesn’t limit you: if you sell a crate of laser rifles to a dictator, that’s just business. You’ll take your fistful of Credits and walk past his rival warlord sitting in the chair tied up and gagged, never to say a word to anyone. Its a dangerous life you’ve chosen, but it’s one with a lot of profit.

The Kidnapper

When your grandfather was alive, it was his business. He helped refugees on Gollywog escape the Blue Plague when the planet was under quarantine. His heart was in the right place, but he may have been partially responsible for that plague’s widespread effect.

Now the business has passed on to your father, and you work for him. You are a smuggler of a different type – one who specializes in the smuggling of people. You help create false identities for the people you smuggle, or talk your way through customs and immigration with a smooth tongue and a handful of credits.

Recently, you were sent on a mission from your father to grab a target and “escort” her to Kraatar. But when you arrived with your unwilling traveling companion, you found that she was being sold into slavery. You drew the line, fled, and now your father is furious with you for ruining the reputation of the family business...

The Reluctant Hero

All you wanted was an easy couple hundred credits. You owed a gambling debt to some very powerful people, and couldn’t stay in one place too long. So when the young mysterious man approached you asking for some aid getting to Yast in the Athor system, you immediately gave him a price. To your surprise, he offered double what you asked, adding that there could be no questions asked. You added up all the expected expenses in your mind and knew it would be profitable enough to pay off that gambling debt at last!

So you called in some favors, greased a few palms, and got you and your new friend passage on a mining vessel that happened to be going that way. All should have been easy...

Then came the UPF ships. Not the scouts and fighters, but a Frigate of considerable armament. The captain of the ship wanted to turn you both over to avoid entanglements, but you looked at the young man’s fear and somehow knew he desperately needed to get to Yast, no questions asked. You sigh... a deal’s a deal.

“Head over to those asteroids, Captain, I’ll go below and see what I can do to get more out of these engines. I’ll double what you asked for our passage.”

You try to live your life as a selfish gambler, but your intentions always get marred by your big heart. You try not to get involved, but inevitably become the center of adventure and intrigue. You’re a rogue, a scoundrel, and a damned good oracard player... and unfortunately a reluctant hero.

Development

Developing Abilities

Work on increasing that Personality score. You’re not a warrior, you need to be able to talk your way out of trouble as much as possible. When the bullets and blasters start firing, you want to make sure you’re on the winning side. Making friends is important to you, and making enemies is just bad business sense.

COMPREHENSION!!! Get this score up quickly, as it helps you get the low-down on what’s really going on during a business deal.

Developing Skills

Increasing your Psychosocial skill will help you be able to talk your way past trouble. Increasing your Technician skill will help you with all the technical requirements of smuggling: security scanners, creating smuggling compartments on ground vehicles, and defeating security systems. Taking some skill in Computers will help you with the establishment of multiple identities, for yourself or for those people you wish to smuggle.

And don’t forget about getting some skill in a weapon or two. It’s one thing to sell a crate of gyrojet pistols. It’s another thing to pick one up and shoot an enemy. To be an effective smuggler, sometimes you’ll need to be good at both of those things.

Equipment

Don’t go too crazy and buy up all sorts of military equipment, though a concealed weapon or two never hurt. Make sure you keep Credits on you at all times. Your character probably feels less than comfortable about banks or other forms of investment. You want your Credits the old fashioned way: in your hand or in your pocket. You never know when there will be a guard to bribe or a vehicle to rent. Getting things from point A to point B isn’t as easy as walking a straight line; it takes savvy. And savvy takes Credits. Fortunately, you have both.

Since you’re not a combat monster yourself, it might be a good idea once finances allow for you to get some hired muscle. Credits will buy loyalty, and loyalty will mean protection. A couple of guys standing behind you with automatic rifles can sometimes help convince someone of just about anything.

When you can really afford it, get a combat robot to be your bodyguard. It costs more, but robots can be made to do amazing things in the modern Frontier.

Edges and Flaws

Here are some suggestions for some edges and flaws, for those characters in games using these optional rules:

Edge: Friends in High Places

You know people who know people. Invoke this to get out of trouble at the right moment... or to get some information or a price off your head. Or use it to get some Credits by calling in a favor.

Flaw: Gambling Debt

You owe someone money. Not just anyone, but a guy who has the means to get it back. You’ll occasionally run into thugs in the employ of your debtor, and they might want to hurt you. The referee invokes this flaw in order to force involvement from the powerful figure to which you owe the debt.

Thanks to AesirRaven for the suggestions and effort, and for coming up with the stats for both the

Dralasite Martial Artist and the Vrusk Smuggler.