Smuggler’s Run

CREDITS GRAPHIC DESIGN

Brian Schomburg
DRAGONSTAR ORIGINAL CREATION
Greg Benage COVER DESIGN
Brian Schomburg
WRITING AND DESIGN
EDITING AND LAYOUT
Alexander Flagg and Will Hindmarch
Will Hindmarch
INTERIOR ILLUSTRATIONS
ART DIRECTION
Attila Adorjany, Kelley Hensing, James Ryman, and
J. Scott Reeves Will Hindmarch

COVER ILLUSTRATION PUBLISHER

Thomas Denmark Christian T. Petersen

DEVELOPMENT PRINTING
Will Hindmarch Bang Printing

‘d20 System’ and the d20 System logo are

SPECIAL THANKS Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are
To Attila (and Momo, sir!), Kelley, Scott, Ed, used with permission.
Alex, and Thomas for bearing with me on my first
flight in the big chair. Thanks, of course, to Greg, Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast®
for knowing more than I do. I would still be work- are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast,
ing on this book right now if it wasn’t for Sara. and are used with Permission.

FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES Dragonstar © 2001, Smuggler’s Run

1975 W. County Rd. B2 #1 © 2003, Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.
Roseville, MN 55113 All rights reserved.
651.639.1905
www.fantasyflightgames.com
2
Contents
CHAPTER ONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
2l2

CHAPTER TWO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

CHAPTER THREE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
CHAPTER FOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
CHAPTER FIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a right date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original
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INTRODUCTION

and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas,

likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equip- 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of
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create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute,
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2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a
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Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
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3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your
acceptance of the terms of this License. 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.;
Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich baker, Andy Collins,
with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. David noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E.
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original materi- Dragonstar: Starfarer’s Handbook Copyright 2001, Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.
al as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original Dragonstar: Guide to the Galaxy Copyright 2002, Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.
creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this Dragonstar: Imperial Supply Copyright 2002, Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.
License. Dragonstar: Player’s Companion Copyright 2003, Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.
Dragonstar: Smuggler’s Run Copyright 2003, Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.
6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of
this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game
Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copy-
 lation, and a little bit is just plain false. What’s what is
Introduction up to the DM of your campaign to decide, and for you
to find out during your travels.
A lot of the material you’ll find in this book is of use
3
Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to present
Smuggler’s Run, the guide to smugglers and free traders in any Dragonstar campaign. Like any expansion, you

3r3
for Dragonstar, the space fantasy campaign setting shouldn’t feel pressured to use all of the new rules in
designed for use with the d20 System. Smuggler’s Run this book in your campaign. It’s possible to play out a
presents new feats, prestige classes, spells, equipment, whole smuggler’s campaign without ever really worry-
starships, and rules systems that build on the mechanics ing about cargo, just as it’s possible to cut out, replace,
in the Starfarer’s Handbook and Guide to the Galaxy. or add any planet you like to the Smuggler’s Run.
Inside this book you’ll find the rules you need to play Assemble the crew, the cargo, and the campaign you
a single smuggler character or a whole adventuring want. The pieces you need are in here.
party of intergalactic traders and travelers. New prestige
classes such as the league runner and the corsair give
your character abilities more deeply rooted in the role of The Open Game License
a free-wheeling star captain. New feats such as Exciting Smuggler’s Run is published under the terms of the
Tales and Deeply Intimidating give any character the Open Game License and the d20 System Trademark
traits of a smooth or rugged scoundrel. Spells like License. The OGL allows us to use the d20 System core
veneer and secret tongue bring wizards and sorcerers rules and to publish game products derived from and
into the fold. compatible with those rules.
How can you make your fortune without cargo to In fact, all rules-related material is designated as Open
haul? Smuggler’s Run gives you simple but flexible Game Content. You can use this material in your own
rules for supply and demand. Use these to randomly works, as long as you follow the conditions of the Open
generate whole new markets or to further detail existing Game License.
worlds in your Dragonstar campaign. You’ll also need Not everything in this book is open, however. All
a ship to move your cargo, so Smuggler’s Run gives you game mechanics and rules-related material, and all
new models of starships and ready-to-use, customized game statistics derived from the d20 System SRD, are
vessels with complete deckplans. designated as open game content. Background and set-
Your fortune’s out there. Find it. ting information are designated as closed content.
The following are designated as Product Identity pur-

How To Use This Book suant to section 1(e) of the Open Game License, includ-
ed in full at the end of this book: the Dragonstar name,

INTRODUCTION
Smuggler’s Run is intended for players and logo, and trademark, the graphic design and trade dress
DMs alike. The basic rules for cargo and commerce of this book and all other products in the Dragonstar
should be understood by everyone at the game table. line, all graphics, illustrations, and diagrams in this
This book’s advice on designing and participating in a book, and the names Mezzenbone, Khelorn, Lazalius,
trader’s campaign should be read by DMs, of course, but Shul, Asamet, and Qesemet.
players should read that section, too. The starships,
robots, feats, and prestige classes presented herein are
just as valuable to player characters as they are to the
Adventure Ads
untrustworthy scum they’ll be forced to do business
Throughout this book, you’ll find adven-
with.
ture hooks, character seeds, and other cam-
As a working example of the ideas this book
paign nuggets in boxes like this one. These
explores, a new corner of the Dragonstar galaxy is
are a way for you to keep the campaign
described in the last chapter. This is the Smuggler’s
moving, despite the enormous scale of the
Run, where crews of independent traders, businessmen,
Dragonstar universe. These ads circulate
scoundrels, and pirates have a precious short while to
across the galaxy via the InfoNet. Anyone
make their fortunes before the Empire moves in and
can see them. Players can use them to pur-
takes all the money away. The data offered up on the
sue adventure leads and find cohorts. DMs
Run isn’t secret knowledge; it’s the sort of information
can use them to inspire new adventures and
that any well-informed galactic traveler should have
NPCs and introduce interesting cargo at a
upon entering the area. Some of it is common knowl-
moment’s notice.
edge, some of it is rumor, some of it is informed specu-
 CHAPTER ONE
4
4l4

BUSINESS
but it’s not necessary. You can randomly generate the
Introduction planets the characters visit using the tables in the Guide
to the Galaxy. Add this book’s import and export char-
acteristics to the mix, and you have even more flexibil-
This chapter presents simple rules for commerce that
emphasize player choices and character skill over com- ity when designing new worlds on the fly.
plex market factors and elaborate business laws. This When planning a campaign focused on free traders
chapter’s game mechanics and those rules derived from and smugglers, you have two general approaches to con-
the d20 System Reference Document are designated as sider. A broader campaign style lets the characters take
Open Game Content. Everything else is closed con- their ship wherever they like and seek out fortune wher-
tent. ever it might be. They’ll visit more ports, but only get a
brief taste of each one. You’ll have to create adventures

How to Use These Rules for them to get swept up in, no matter where in the uni-
CHAPTER ONE: BUSINESS

verse they happen to teleport this week.

A deeper campaign style focuses on a smaller corner
Doing business isn’t usually very exciting, but it can of the universe with a finite number of ports between
be the reason why exciting things happen. This is the which the characters travel regularly. They see less of
most important rule in this book: Use these rules only to the galaxy, but more of the local ports. You’ll have to
promote, provoke, or enhance your adventures. These create a lot of material at the beginning of the campaign
rules aren’t intended to offer a detailed simulation of an or use what’s been started for you in Chapter Five. As
interstellar fantasy empire’s economic systems. If the the characters develop ties and relationships in the
concepts of supply and demand are getting in the way of region, adventures will naturally develop.
your adventures, you should stop sweating the details A combination of both methods is probably best.
and get to the interesting villains and fantastic ports of Finding the right mix is up to the individual DM.
call. Economic systems get thrown out of whack all the Remember, it’s more important to entertain everyone at
time because the people that operate within those sys- the table than to accurately reflect the nuances of the
tems make biased, foolish, optimistic, or greedy deci- shipping business.
sions. Those decisions are always more exciting than the
price of textiles on Persilom.

Breadth Vs. Depth

The Job
The commercial foundation of the Dragon Empire is
The scale of the Dragonstar setting can be over- the concept of supply and demand (see the Guide to the
whelming. In order for the player characters to find buy- Galaxy, page 28–31). Goods have to get from where
ers for their hold full of cargo, you might feel required they’re made to where they’re needed, and that’s the job
to create a port for every possible cargo in the galaxy, of the interstellar trader.
 of entertainment holograms can’t recharge a starcaster,
Shipping after all.
A shipping business moves other people’s cargo from
one point in the galaxy to another. Customers with valu-
Free traders rarely own their ships. A crew might
operate a ship owned by some terrestrial merchant who
5
able cargo hire shipping firms to carry their goods to leases it to the crew in exchange for a share in profits.

5r5
market in a timely fashion. What happens to the cargo Some absentee owners—if they’re very wealthy—own
when it arrives isn’t the concern of the shipping busi- a starship just to tap into the mystique of the interstellar
ness, so long as it gets where it’s needed. free trader’s lifestyle. Others want to have a vessel at
Shipping businesses are ideal for a simple campaign. their disposal only a few days out of the year and lease
The characters don’t worry about finding cargo or locat- it out in exchange for routine maintenance during the
ing buyers, they only worry about traveling as fast as rest of the year. The most common way to acquire a star-
possible from one place to another without getting into ship, though, is to buy it with money loaned by a
trouble. Characters crewing a shipping vessel probably wealthy investor who makes her money back by charg-
don’t even own their ship, but instead operate it for the ing interest (between 3% and 8%, usually).
shipping firm. The crew has a liason at the firm—their
shipping agent—who finds them cargo runs to make, SMUGGLING
deals with customers, and arranges for cargo to be deliv- Smuggling is one important step away from simple
ered to the ship. With the shipping agent as an NPC, this free trading. A smuggler buys and sells cargo regardless
business essentially supplies the PCs with a destination of its legal status, and very often specifically because of
and an adventure every week. its legal status. Some free traders make smuggling runs
Shipping rates are determined by dividing the costs of only when they have no other choice or the risk is very
the cargo run (fuel, ship maintenance, teleport costs, low. Others buy and trade nothing but illegal cargo. In
feeding the crew, etc.) by the number of pounds the ship the eyes of the Empire, there is no difference between
is transporting. This is the run’s break-even point. How the two. A single count of smuggling makes you a smug-
much more than this the crew or the firm charges is up gler.
to them, but the going rate in the Empire is 10% above Getting illegal cargo into and out of ports requires an
cost, and most customers expect to pay just that. Ships even larger array of skills than simple free trading.
with larger cargo capacities can underbid smaller ships Smuggling crews make use of bribes, illegal technology,
for customer contracts. Merchant emporiums with fleets magic, and sometimes firepower to get into and out of
of enormous ships can run small-time outfits right out of those ports where their fortunes are waiting for them.

CHAPTER ONE: BUSINESS

business. Size can be compensated for, however, with While the pay-outs on smuggling operations are usu-
skill. The better the pilot, the fewer teleports he needs ally substantial, so are the risks. Imperial law enforce-
on a single shipping run and the less money he therefore ment operatives very often shoot smugglers down rather
spends. than bringing them into custody at all. Pirates prey on
Shippers are responsible for the safe delivery of their smugglers without fear because smuggler’s can’t report
cargo. If the cargo is lost to pirates or accidents en route their contraband cargo stolen. Still, there are enough
to the destination, the shipping company may be tales of smugglers turned into rich princes on successful
required to pay to replace the cargo. runs that the temptation is just too much for many free
trader crews to resist.
Trading
Free traders choose what cargo to buy and where to
sell it, and risk their own money every time they do it.
The skills necessary to keep a free trading business
Ports and Markets
Ports and markets are two more ways to define the
operating are so varied that independent outfits often worlds you build for your Dragonstar adventures (see
assemble odd crews of uniquely talented individuals to World-Building on page 126 of the Guide to the
create a single ship that’s up to the difficult task of mak- Galaxy). These describe some of a world’s social and
ing a profit. economic conditions, which are essential in a smug-
Traders make their money by negotiating the best gler’s campaign. Although these characteristics focus on
prices for their cargo and selling them at the right ports, commercial matters, they can be used to suggest other
where they are in demand. This isn’t always easy, cultural and political characteristics, too.
though, as a free trader usually has little else to fall back To see examples of these ideas put to use, see the
on if they can’t find a buyer for their cargo. A hull full worlds of the Smuggler’s Run in Chapter 5.
 6
6l6

describes the beliefs and mandated practices of the pow-

Ports
CHAPTER ONE: BUSINESS

ers that be and, maybe, the individuals working at

Planets without starports aren’t of much interest to an ground level. A port’s alignment is sometimes the same
interstellar freighter captain. Ports allow freighter crews as the world it serves, but not always. Planets with con-
to interact with a planet’s market easily. Buyers and sell- traband in high demand frequently have an alignment
ers of all sorts meet and negotiate in port-side pubs, different from that of their port authority. This happens
clubs, and dives. Ports are also where local authorities on Imperial-occupied worlds with great frequency.
inspect incoming and outgoing cargo and collect their Skill Level: The qualifications of the port’s inspectors
tariffs. A planet may have many different ports, but the and general operators are represented similar to a ship’s
tendency towards global unity in the Empire makes crew, with a single modifier that is used for any neces-
most ports on a single planet seem very similar to one sary skill checks, such as Search or Sense Motive.
another. Integrity: This describes the general susceptibility of
a port’s staff to corruption, such as bribes, threats, and
deals. This is a DC against which skill checks like
PORT CHARACTERISTICS Diplomacy and Intimidate are made. Multiply the DC
These simple characteristics are used to describe a by 10 to determine the cost of successful bribes. Note
port, including the landing pads, warehouses, control that the staff may be caught taking bribes, depending on
towers, customs offices, and so forth. The area defined the port’s skill level.
by these characteristics might be as small as a landing Security: This is the average CR of the local police or
strip and a radio shack or as large as a planetary defense security presence, usually indicating the number of war-
perimeter with dozens of orbital inspection facilities. rior NPC class levels they possess.
Altering the characteristics of a port is a little like alter- Taxes: Due to the Empire’s methods of government,
ing the EL of an encounter; it will impact how easy it is taxes are usually independent of local market factors.
for the players to succeed in their quests. Even if a planet is starving and needs food, Mezzenbone
Alignment: Like towns, ports have an alignment that and the local prefect get their share. Taxes are paid on
income only, so free traders pay when selling cargo Unique: Rare or unique objects, such as art objects or
rather than when buying it. Taxes are typically 3% to 8% specific types of crafts. Fads, especially, fall under this
in civilized ports. category.
7
Markets MAKING SENSE OF THE MARKET

7r7
The trick to making these characteristics come to life
A planet’s market is what attracts traders to it.
is to fill in the spaces between the lines, if you will, with
Whatever goods a world imports and exports make up
invented details. The planet Monscrome in the
its market.
Smuggler’s Run, for example, has a surplus of machine
parts and a market hungry for imported entertainment
MARKET CHARACTERISTICS because it’s a crossroads junkyard with little indigenous
Markets are characterized by groups of goods, of cultural scene Use your imagination and don’t back
which there are several types. Each type of good encom- away from the ideas you get from odd groupings of
passes many individual products. Raw materials are so characteristics. Those strange cultures and situations are
abundant throughout the universe that natural resources the ones players will remember.
are almost never traded over interstellar distances. The
real valuables in the Empire are those distinctive or use-
ful products that are only made in a few places through-
out the galaxy.
Buying and Selling
Exports: These are the types of goods that the world These rules deal with trade goods types in the
produces or otherwise has in abundance. abstract. You should feel free to add more details to the
Imports: These are the trade goods that a planet lacks cargoes characters purchase. Be as precise as you like
or otherwise seeks to attain. when discussing individual sales opportunties. Don’t
Volume: This is a general indicator of a planet’s con- sell the characters a cargo of foodstuffs when you can
sumer base and economic power. This is the maximum sell them 50 tons of Chadran elvenfish.
amount, in tons, that a planet’s people can buy or sell on
any one visit. Most free traders run businesses far too
small to overwhelm a port’s supplies of goods or money, Pricing Goods
but it’s a big universe and exceptions abound. With a galaxy full of goods to choose from, there is no
way to price trade goods by their type. Instead, trade

CHAPTER ONE: BUSINESS

goods are priced by the pound, with the cost per pound
TYPES OF TRADE GOODS used as a measure of the good’s quality or rarity. Profit
Crafts: All manner of common furniture, pots, pans, and loss is therefore calculated as a percentage of an
and other objects of daily life. object’s average value on the galactic market.
Electronics: Communicators, datapads, scanners, and You can use specific items from the equipment list in
other sorts of electronic devices. the Starfarer’s Handbook or Imperial Supply as the basis
Entertainment: Recorded plays, holograms, music, for cargo by the ton. Simply determine an item’s cost
books, and other recreational media. per pound based on its price and weight on the equip-
Foodstuffs: All consumable goods that are not luxu- ment list. Objects that weigh less than a pound are treat-
ry items, including water and raw grains. ed as weighing one-half pound for purposes of freight.
Heavy Equipment: Finished vehicles, printing press- Once you’ve determined the cost per pound, you can
es, factory equipment, and other large machines. purchase as many tons as you like for your next cargo
Information: Everything from software and robot run. Remember, there are 2,000 pounds to a ton.
programs to raw data. For example: a courtier’s outfit costs 30 cr and
Luxury Goods: Exotic foods, furs, jewelry, and sim- weighs 6 pounds; that’s (30 divided by 6) 5 cr per pound
ilar items. and, clearly, a textile. One ton of fashionable new
Supplies: A broad category encompassing tools and clothes has an average value of 10,000 cr, then.
parts needed for particular sectors of business, such as
lumber, chemicals, paper, and so forth. Subtypes
include: commercial, industrial, magical, medical, mili-
tary, religious.
Buying Goods
Goods cost less when purchased from a port where
Textiles: Sewn, stitched, and worn objects, especially
they’re abundant and therefore listed as an export. If a
clothing and space suits.
good is listed once, it’s available for 75% of the average
 8 RANDOM MARKETS
To create random markets for new ports or planets in your game, follow these steps. First, roll 1d3
8l8

each for exports and imports; this is the number of individual trade goods being exported or import-
ed from the planet. Next, roll 1d20 to identify what sorts of trade goods those exports and importa
are. If a good comes up on the 1d20 roll twice, mark it “double;” if three times, mark it “triple.” Roll
to identify supplies subtypes, if necessary. Then roll 1d6x1000 per population category of the plan-
et on page 134 of the Guide to the Galaxy; that’s the number of tons the market will buy or sell on
that visit.

1d20 Trade Good 1d20 Trade Good

1–2 Foodstuffs 11–12 Electronics
3–4 Crafts 13–14 Entertainment
5–6 Information 15–16 Luxury Goods
7–8 Heavy Equipment 17–18 Textiles
9–10 Supplies 19–20 Unique

1d6 Supplies Subtypes Example

1 Commercial Office supplies, batteries
2 Industrial Machine parts, training manuals
3 Medical Chemicals, bandages, instruments
4 Magical Spell components, blank media
5 Religious Hymn books, holy water
6 Military Weapons, armor

price. If a good is listed as “double,” then it is available Gather Information or Research check to locate cus-
CHAPTER ONE: BUSINESS

for 50% of the average price. Goods not listed on the tomers willing to purchase all or some of your cargo, up
export or import list are available at average price. to the volume rating of the planet in question. You gain
a +2 insight bonus to this check if you have 5 or more

Selling Goods ranks in Profession (trader).

Likewise, goods are worth more where they are in

demand. Selling a good at a port where it’s listed as an
import fetches 150% of the average price. If it’s listed as DC Condition
“double” or “triple” then it fetches 200% or 300% of the 15 Good is not in demand
average price, respectively. 10 Good is in demand
+5 Inquiring discreetly
CONTRABAND +5 Good is illegal
+5 Cargo is new to the area
Illegal goods—such as military supplies are in the
–5 Shipment was expected
Empire—cost twice what they otherwise should after all
price adjustments based on supply and demand.
Therefore, if weapons are illegal and in demand on
Persilom, then they’re worth 300% of the average price.
If you have not already located a planet where your
Finding a Buyer particular cargo is in demand, or you cannot find a suit-
able buyer there, you can scan the InfoNet for buyers on
Locating a buyer for your cargo requires a bit of leg- nearby worlds. For each span of light years out from
work. If you already have a port in mind where you your current position, you can make one Research
know your cargo is in demand, then you can make a
check. If you succeed, you’ve located a port with a senger contracts, you can require them to put in a bid to
demand for your cargo. Roll a random market using the the customer, expressed as a percentage the characters
table at left, but assign your cargo’s type as one of the
planet’s imports automatically.
plan to charge over the actual cost of the shipping run.
That is, this is the profit they intend to make off the job.
9
Off-stage competitors submit bids of 2d6%, with high

9r9
bids representing small-time, inexperienced outfits and
low bids representing the insanely massive shipping
Light Years Research DC conglomerates. If the PCs’ bid is lower, the customer
Same System 30 hires them for the job. If not, they lose the contract.
1–10 25
11–50
51–100
100+
20
15
10
Passengers
Freighters don’t routinely take on passengers unless
both the freighter and the traveler happen to be going to
the same place anyway. In that case, the money made off
of a passenger is almost entirely profit. The standard
rate for a passenger or crew bunk aboard a freighter is
Price Negotiations 100 credits per day, though characters are welcome to
Whether buying or selling, the skilled trader can charge whatever they like.
squeeze a little more money out of anyone. With a suc- At any modernized port, a freighter can purchase an
cessful Diplomacy check, sellers can be persuaded to ad on the local network announceing open passenger
cut a deal and buyers can be persuaded to spend more space. Ads cost 10–100 credits depending on the port.
money. The DC of this check depends on the NPC’s atti- The ad brings would-be passengers by to see the ship,
tude toward the diplomatic character (see Influencing which allows crewmembers to make Bluff, Diplomacy,
NPC Attitudes, PHB v.3.5). If the NPC’s attitude is or other skill checks to persuade passengers to hop
changed to friendly or better, the price changes 10% in aboard. The check has a base DC of 15, though better
favor of the PC. rolls may attract more passengers. It’s never a sure
thing, though. Passengers and ports are hard to predict.

Trades

CHAPTER ONE: BUSINESS

Of course, in some ports, trade goods change hands
directly. Generally speaking, so long as both parties DC Passengers
agree to it, trade goods can be used the same as cash 15 1d6
when trading for other goods. Some crews do this rou- 20 1d8
tinely, passing off cargo to a ship that’s headed towards 25 1d12
more suitable parts in exchange for cargo that’s more 30 1d20
valuable locally.
DC Condition
Competitors –2
–4
10% reduction in rates
20% reduction in rates
For the most part, competitors exist as NPCs under –6 30% reduction in rates
the control of the DM. They turn up when stories or
adventures call for them. To create the impression that
there are other free traders doing business all around the
PCs, you can use these simple options to make things
that much more difficult for them.
When the PCs are engaging in trade negotiations with
a customer, you can fabricate an opposed Diplomacy
check from a competitor behind the scenes by rolling
1d20 for the skill roll and 1d10 to determine a random
Adventures in Cargo
Every time the PCs interact with cargo it’s a chance
modifier to the roll.
for an adventure, if you plan it right. Whenever the crew
When characters are competing for shipping or pas-
has to choose which of two goods to buy on a planet sur-
 face, they’re also deciding what planet (or what sort of
planet) they’ll be teleporting to next. If the characters Wanted to Ship
10 crew a very large cargo ship, entire adventures might
play out on board involving infested cargo or the pirates 200 tons of medical supplies from
who have come looking for a supply of liquid mithral. Monscrome to Drakescrest Hospital on
10l10

Think of each cargo purchase as a branch in the char- Persilom, will pay rates up to 125% of cost.
acters’ story. Will they purchase the foodstuffs that are Urgent! Supplies expire in 40 hours. Must
needed to feed starving miners in the Tarnahan system, be kept stable or will be ruined. Contact
or will they buy 100 tons of strange artifacts from Valcosser on Monscrome, InfoNet address
Chadra in hopes that they can find a buyer? Will they 17891.366.MNCM.11, right away.
agree to carry a secret, volatile cargo or will they turn
down the small fortune they’ve been offered?
Hand-crafted cargo runs are always more interesting boring quickly. Smugglers must rely on their cunning,
than those between random ports because something is their subtlety, and their ability to persuade as often as
bound to happen along the journey if it’s a story worth they must draw their blasters.
telling. Your imagination can create all manner of A multi-talented crew of spacers can get involved in
strange packages for the PCs to shuttle and—just as every sort of adventure the Dragonstar universe offers.
important—weird characters to hire them. The reasons why they do are just a little bit different.
The crew might board a derelict space station in search
Cargo Runs of salvage to sell on the open market. Exploratory mis-
sions to backwater worlds can lead to adventures in cul-
Smuggler adventures are often thought of as races to tural misunderstandings. The machine of war consumes
the finish line or harried escapes from black-gloved a lot of fuel and somebody has to be hired to deliver it.
ISPD agents. While those are fine encounters to play
out, a whole campaign
spent outrunning
Imperial ships
Onboard Adventures
Large cargo ships carry large cargo containers, some
can get very of which are large enough to be miniature dungeons. If
the characters find that a monster has somehow stowed
away aboard their ship, they’re going to go looking for
CHAPTER ONE: BUSINESS

it. That means moving through the zero-g cargo pod full
of floating ore, searching the module full of jungle
plants, and scanning the pod full of heavy construction
equipment.
Every week the crew welcomes another potential
adventure aboard their ship, be it the “haunted” passen-
ger module, the warded pod with an arcane book inside,
or the shipment of live constrictor snakes. Setting
adventures aboard the characters’ property gives them a
real incentive to face the adventure and makes the ship
feel like more than a piece of equipment. The vessel
starts to feel like a place as soon as the characters get to
explore it.
Consider, too, that the cargo the characters haul is
essentially the treasure they’ll earn for successfully
completing the adventure. If pirates board the PCs’ ship
in search of loot, the players could feel the results of that
attack for weeks as they work to repair the ship, recoup
the loss of the stolen cargo, and find the pirates who
attacked them. Everything becomes more personal,
which draws the characters deeper into the game world
and the campaign.
 CHAPTER TWO
11

11r11
CHARACTERS
operated freighters. Having a barbarian in the crew tells
Introduction customers that the ship has been to exotic ports and
knows how to deal with even the strangest cultures.
Likewise, having an obvious bruiser aboard sends a
This chapter covers all manner of character-related
game material, from multiclassing options to prestige clear signal to the thieves and ruffians watching in every
classes, from new uses for your skills to new feats that seedy port: This ship is defended. So, a barbarian can
compliment them. You’ll also find an assortment of new serve a symbolic role in the crew.
spells useful to the free trader character at the end of this In practice, a barbarian’s abilities don’t see much use,
chapter. though. It’s common for a freighter captain to keep an
obvious fighter aboard for show, but few captains want

Crews of Characters to risk the consequences of a real fight. Barbarians, then,

have to find some other way to make themselves useful.

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

Often, this is just as unskilled labor, hoisting crates and
The dynamic, cooperative party mentality that makes dragging luggage.
so many terrestrial adventuring groups successful can be Barbarians sometimes serve aboard freighters as a
put to good use aboard a starship. A starship crew is a means of getting acclimated to the galaxy. By traveling
natural adventuring party, but the roles the character the stars, a barbarian gets introduced to the ways of the
classes may be asked to fill are somewhat different. So larger world, meets new people, learns to read and write,
much depends on the interpersonal skills, business acu- and slowly saves up enough money to go off and make
men, discretion, and caution of a freighter crew. A quick her own way in the universe. At least, that’s the plan.
gun and a strong arm have their place, to be sure, but Escaping the gravity of the freighter business is hard;
that place isn’t typically at the front of the ship. countless little cargo haulers have a barbarous mascot
This section explores some roles that every character from some frontier world on their crew.
class can fill on a free-trading starship. Game mechan- Remember that most freighters almost never cross
ics, class names, and any material derived from the d20 the Dragon Empire on routine business. Most freight
System Reference Document are hereby declared as routes put crews back on the same world time and
Open Game Content, with the exception of any words, again. A barbarian from a nearby primitive planet
names, or phrases otherwise claimed as Product could serve as a ship’s ambassador, of all things,
Identity. between her world’s low-tech suppliers and the
galaxy’s high-tech consumers.

Barbarian
In some ways, the barbarian is the most out-of-place Bard
aboard a starship, much less a ship intended for savvy A natural fit for almost any intergalactic business,
dealings in the modern business world. Yet it’s not bards find it easy to land jobs on freighter crews. The
uncommon to find barbarians serving aboard privately
 difficulty is in finding just the right place where a bard
fits in. Most shipping agents want their ships to be rep- Seeking to Hire
12 resented by a single voice, and so won’t hire multiple
face men for one ship. Farming family on Serenity seeks cargo
A bard’s performance skills can be put to use adver- vessel to retrieve funerary vessel on Harbor
12l12

tising a ship’s availability in an area marketplace, or and deliver to the village of Corthington,
impressing customers on business dinners to taverns and Serenity. Remains are held at Vixmark
clubs. It’s no secret that small-time outfits owe a lot of Hospice under the name “Harrilond.”
their business to the mystique of the free trader’s Deceased spirit is linked to vessel, please do
lifestyle. It’s the bard’s job to make potential customers not lose. Will not pay for vessel without
believe they’re tasting that lifestyle by hiring the bard’s attached spirit. 52,000 credits paid upon
ship for their next job. delivery to Harrilond Manor.
Of course, bards also make fine negotiators them-
selves. A bard has the social skills for the task, but also
an array of spells and special abilities to use. Magicallly with a freighter crew, paying their way with divine
influencing customers is at the very least unethical, but spells and prayer. Clerics also make fine ambassadors
in most ports it’s also illegal. Many freighter crews get when first visiting a world new to the crew.
away with it anyway. The Unification Church doesn’t bear any automatic
Almost every class can gain some advantage through grudge against clerics who serve with pedestrian out-
multiclassing with the bard. There is no other profession fits. The open-minded morality of the church even
in the galaxy in which the jack-of-all-trades is more allows good, lawful holy folk to serve with crews of
essential. Alone in the deep empty with nothing but skill questionable legal standing, so long as they are
and luck between fortune and ruin, there’s no telling moral. Sometimes, this is so the cleric can learn
what talents might be called on. But the bard is also something about perspective in the universe.
master of no trade, which can be dangerous. Sometimes, this is so the cleric can slowly teach the
wicked how to be righteous.

Cleric
Starships need clerics just like adventuring parties do. Druid
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

A cleric serves as the ship’s doctor, counselor, and spir- Druids are infrequently employed on free trader ships,
itual advisor. A cleric’s spells are essential to the pro- and those captains who do employ them think of them
longed operation of some ships. It’s sometimes more as a sort of trade secret. Druids make great cargo spe-
useful to keep a cleric in the crew than it is to fix the cialists. Not only is trade in live animals a multi-million
oven. These are classic, thankless roles of servitude that credit business, but most free traders aren’t equipped to
so many clerics get dropped into. do it. A druid in the crew makes it much easier for a
Those clerics who happily settle on free trader ships small-scale operation to find, appraise, transport, and
are not of the classical variety, usually. There is a whole sell living animals and plants.
fleet of religious artifact traders based out of Persilom Despite what groups such as the Green Cabal
(in the Smuggler’s Run), in fact, in which some clerical (Player’s Companion, page 24) report, it is quite possi-
training is required of employees who want a full share ble to safely and humanely transport animals from one
in the business. Missionaries sometimes travel for years planet to another. In some cases, such as with rare or
highly adapted species of cattle, this is essential to col-
onizing efforts and no more hazardous to the animals
For Hire than life on their own world. Some creatures are even
transported to safety, lifted off of dying planets or out of
University-trained botanist and natural- industrialized atmospheres that have turned to poison.
ist seeks immediate passage off Praxilus. Of course, Imperial law forbids many other forms of
Has completed three contracted tours as animal transport. Alien creatures can devastate the ecol-
greenery cargo manager aboard Gevise ogy of an unprepared planet. Yet another reason why,
family ship Gracious. Will work for pas- sometimes, the illegal transport of organic species is so
senger accomodations. Can cook, clean, profitable.
sew, plant, and husband plants or animals Druids of questionable morals may fall into business
Travels with pets, non-negotiable. with poachers, who hunt, collect, or kill animals for
 place. Smugglers and other illegal operators are even
Looking to Hire more likely to need fighters, because they can’t just

Grounded ship at Montscroll seeks expe-

report their cargo stolen. More than that, frontier law
squads have a reputation for boarding ships more vio-
13
rienced mechanic for five days repair work. lently than some pirates if they suspect they’ve caught a

13r13
Parts and tools supplied. Vessel is a Krellix fugitive smuggler.
hauler with severe damage to hull foil. Rather than keep mercenaries aboard ship, though,
Private mechanists only, no corporate or most crews choose to hire ex-fighters or other workers
government employees need apply. Pays with combat experience. Outright fighters might get
175 credits per day, plus meals. Urgent. bored on some journeys, but crews without a little com-
bat skill might get killed. Multiclassed fighters are a
their valuable parts. On some worlds, whole animals are good middle-of-the-road solution.
luxury items, put to use as pets or cataloged in a royal
menagerie. These druids are not the sort that most folk
think of when they imagine druids, but they do exist and
Mechanist
they sometimes earn colossal fortunes. An unsettling number of private starships routinely
A loophole in the language of Imperial law (which has operate without a trained mechanist on board. Travel by
been magnified in Mezzenbone’s time) regards the right starcaster leads some crews to believe that they’re never
to capture and sell creatures from unexplored worlds. If far from the next planet or machine shop. Even making
the Royal Exploratory Service has not yet set foot on a the shortest, simplest teleports can result in trouble,
planet, that planet’s indigenous species are not yet sub- though. It’s best to have someone aboard who can get
ject to Imperial law. In some cases, these species are the ship running again in an emergency.
identical to those of other worlds, in which case they Freighter jobs can sometimes seem boring to a mech-
already fall under the domain of the law, but new anist. The equipment isn’t especially exciting or
species can be sold, even offworld, legally. Ships with advanced, most of the time. The problems that arise are
druids race to beat the RES to these planets in hopes of routine and repetitive. It’s not glamorous work.
pulling in a fortune off of rich armchair biologists and Fortunately, that’s not always what a mechanist is
exploration buffs in the core worlds. after. Some mechanists just love technology and are
In a more mundane capacity, many druids serve happy to have jobs that let them tinker. Others like the
idea of being attached to a single ship for a good length

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

aboard starships as cooks or medics. It’s not glamorous,
but is essential to ship operations. At least such a druid of time; it becomes something they can call their own,
gets to see the universe. even when it’s not actually theirs.
Mechanists sometimes have nothing to do with the
business of the ship, and are just concerned with the ship
Fighter itself. Vessels leased from shipping agents may even
More ships hire trained fighters than really need to. come with a contracted mechanist who cannot be fired
The perception that space is filled to the brim with by the crew. Mechanists might also learn their craft just
pirates gets a lot of captains to pay ridiculous wages to to land an interstellar career and see the universe. There
undertrained and inexperienced mercenaries. Most ships are as many reasons for a mechanist to serve aboard a
require either a single, smart tactician or just a few free-trading starship as there are ships to carry them.
bruisers to show off for the sake of the customer’s peace
of mind.
An old saying among freighter captains goes like this: Seeking To Charter
“Bring a soldier on board if you want to start a war.” In
truth, pirate attacks rarely turn into real battles. Most Monastic students seek to hire private
freighter captains cooperate, lose their cargo, report it to transport to a position 100 LY Rimward of
the client, and chalk it up as the cost of doing business. Baranda. Ship must be available for 14–21
Hiring a bunch of trigger-happy gunmen just increases days. 11 students outgoing, 3 returning.
the chances that piracy turns into bloodshed. Accomodations negotiable. Will pay star-
That’s all fine and good in the Empire, but in the caster fees in liquid mithral, plus passenger
Outlands, survival isn’t just a matter of financial mar- rates. 4,000 pounds of cargo expected on
gins. Freighter crews need fighters to scare off thieves return trip. Will pay standard freight costs.
and outmaneuver pirates before an attack even takes
 Monk Attention Rangers!
14 More than any other class, monks are hard to find on
starfreighters. Some find work in the same capacity as a
Hagrid Shipping is looking for navigators
and frontiersmen to join the Adamantine
fighter or a barbarian, but even this is rare. Monks just
Dream on a mineral-hunting expedition into
14l14

don’t have many reasons to participate in the shipping

the Rimward Barrens. Contracts handled
business.
through the RES. Must have five years
The tennets of their order sometimes land monks on
experience with space travel and starcaster
starships. Some orders encourage members to travel the
navigation. Surface navigation skills a plus.
galaxy for a period of years, in search of cosmic insight.
Six-month contracts pay 500 credits per
Some monks work simple jobs as exercises in discipline
week, 30,000 credits upon maturity. No
and humility.
families, no pets. Expedition will be com-
In practice, the most common connections betwen a
munications-free.
monk and a merchant crew are personal. Monks forge
strong interpersonal connections with people, and these
are what binds a monk to the ship: the unique individu-
als aboard. Unlike the other classes, it’s almost never Pilot
about business to the monk. No class more common in the business of interstellar
trade. Although some ships actually have no proper

Paladin pilots onboard—relying instead on robots or passably

trained mechanists—every ship needs someone to fly it.
Genuine, dedicated paladins are rare aboard dirty, True, dedicated pilots often make poor businessmen,
common spacecraft. Ex-paladins are more common. A though. They choose runs based on a fondness for the
bleak past and shaken faith lead many souls into the system’s sky or attempt foolhardy teleports just to keep
restless life of the space traveler, and jobs aboard the big themselves interested. It’s surprisingly common, for this
commercial freighters are easy to get. For these sorts of reason, to find starship captains who are not pilots them-
folk, the job is a chance to escape something and disap- selves.
pear into the masses. Multiclass pilots are even more common than pilots.
For a time, though, during the Copper Age, paladins Freighter steering isn’t especially thrilling for most fly-
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

were assigned to travel the stars aboard civilian star- ers, and freighter courses are often concerned with safe-
ships as a means of keeping the peace, encouraging ty over speed. Professional, commercial pilots pick up
responsible behavior, and upholding righteousness. This levels in other classes when they transition into the
was not a popular practice among civilian and commer- world of business, while merchants and traders learn a
cial captains. The paladins paid their way aboard ships little bit about spaceships when they strike out into the
as passengers and then began to comment and scrutinize offworld market.
all manner of behavior. These strict and holy passengers There is no standard crew break-down for a freighter,
had no legal authority, but they had a certain religious but every vessel has a pilot’s station. On under-manned
authority. The idea was that crews could operate nor- ships—most ships are under-manned—the pilot fills all
mally without fear of legal action, but be set on a more of the technical roles related to the vessel. Some com-
proper course of ethics and morality. mercial freighter agencies even send their ships out with
This experiment did not end well. The wanderlust of just a single pilot and a robot crew. The pilot, then, is
space got into some of the volunteer paladins, turning also the navigator, the cargo steward, and the engineer.
them into wayfarers and starhands. Other paladins found
themselves stranded on remote worlds, unable to find a
ship that would welcome them aboard. Ranger
Like monks, paladins usually have personal reasons Space is the ultimate wilderness; it contains all other
for participating in a mundane business venture. Those wildernesses. Rangers often serve as pilots and naviga-
reasons might be rooted in faith, love, loyalty or some- tors aboard remote starships. The big commercial hulks
thing more formal, such as an unfortunate contract seek out rangers to fill mapping and navigation posi-
which cannot be lawfully broken. Some paladins make tions, in fact.
their reasons public, others keep them to themselves. Rangers have a reputation for short stints with any
given company. The tiny circuits that the enormous
haulers travel pay fair money, but they don’t scratch the
 15

15r15
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS
itch that all rangers have; those ships don’t really go ates and flexible ethics, but also to learn the tricks that
anywhere. This is why rangers are so common in small- will be used against them.
er outfits. Rangers don’t care about the cramped quar- As much as any freighter crew might say they’d pre-
ters, or the bad food, or the hard work, so long as the fer the job to be about diplomatic meetings, mutually
ship keeps going places. beneficial deals, and exotic ports of call, every success-
Big corporate firms sometimes fill out whole ships ful freighter captain has come up against back-stabbing
with ranger crews to make the early trips to recently merchants, lying agents, and two-faced customers.
contacted worlds on the edge of the Empire. Rangers are Freighter crews need rogues because they must be pre-
good under pressure, they can handle themselves in a pared for double-crosses and sneak attacks. They must
fight, and they’re comfortable being on the edges of civ- be ready to evade corrupt port authorities and spot the
ilization. In short, they’re perfect for the job. traps local law enforcement sets for offworld scum.
Galactic freight is a rogue’s business.

Rogue
Like pilots, rogues are found on virtually every free Sorcerer andWizard
trader vessel in the galaxy. They’re natural negotiators, Magic is a very real part of the business, though
barterers, flatterers, and liars. They’re essential to the everyone says otherwise. Once cheats began using
work. magic to disguise faulty merchandise (or conjure mer-
Multiclass rogues are even more common. Rogues chandise up altogether), honest crews had to start
stretch out into fighter levels to stay alive, bard levels to employing sorcerers or wizards to protect themselves.
impress clients, and mechanist levels to get their ships Spells can deceive and spells can reveal. It’s best to be
home. Other classes develop roguish qualities to prepared.
become comfortable with questionable business associ- Magic, of course, is also integral to the operation of
 an interstellar vessel. While few spellcasters capable of almost supernatural bond with their ships, which they
recharging a starcaster would spend their days hopping can make move as they do and perform improbable
16 around the galaxy on a freighter, the innate understand-
ing that spellcasters have of magic makes them valuable
stunts.
Multiclassed bard/pilots and rogue/pilots make excel-
to freighter captains. Of course, some unscrupulous sor- lent free captains; the pilot’s natural affinity for travel
16l16

cerers and wizards get jobs aboard freighters by claim- and the roundedness of rogues and bards serve them
ing to know more than they do. Every wizard is an well. Multiclassed rangers and mechanists can also be
authority aboard a ship of ignorant commoners. good free captains, where their skill with a blaster or
Most of a spellcaster’s work has to do with cargo, with a spanner make the all the difference in getting
though. Precious magical cargo is some of the most their cargo safely to its final destination.
lucrative in the galaxy, and freighter crews need to know Hit Die: d8
how to handle and identify such things. Arcane spell-
casters also have spells that can contain, preserve, or
repair physical goods. These spells are a hot commodi- REQUIREMENTS
ty in the business. To qualify to become a free captain, a character must
One reason why sorcerers and wizards travel aboard fulfill all the following criteria.
freighters is one they like to keep secret. In order to
refine and improve their mastery of magic, spellcasters Base Attack Bonus: +3 or higher.
often need to get out and learn, practice their craft, and Bluff: 2 ranks
hone their art. In theory, it’s much safer to do this aboard Pilot: 4 ranks
a simple freighter than it is to join up with looters or Repair: 2 ranks
grave-robbers. Sense Motive: 4 ranks
Urban Lore: 4 ranks

Prestige Classes Feats: Alertness, Technical Proficiency.

Special: The character must own a starship.

This section presents four new prestige classes for

use in your Dragonstar campaign, each drawn from
CLASS SKILLS
organizations or professions common in the The free captain’s class skills (and key abilities tied to
Smuggler’s Run. The names and game mechanics of those skills) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

these classes are designated as Open Game Content. (Cha), Freefall (Dex), Listen (Wis), Navigate (Int), Pilot
Each class’s background and descriptive text is desig- (Dex), Repair (Int), Research (Int), Search (Int), Sense
nated as closed content. Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Urban Lore (Wis),
and Use Device (Int)
Skill Points at Each level: 6 + Intelligence modifier.
The Free Captain
There are many organizations for smugglers around CLASS FEATURES
the galaxy, from trading guilds to the Courier’s League All of the following are class features of the free
to the royal houses. But there are a brave few—some captain.
outcasts from these groups, others rugged individual- Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Free captains are
ists—who choose to face the perils of the galaxy on their proficient with simple weapons and with light armor.
own. These foolhardy individuals command their own Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than
starships, and are called free captains; streetwise men leather apply to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide,
and women who rely on their wits, and sometimes their Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand and Tumble skill
blasters, in pursuit of fame and fortune. checks. Also, Swim checks suffer double the normal
Free captains are almost universally well-traveled armor check penalties.
adventurers, with contacts in the most unlikely of Traveler’s Knowledge: The free captain gains the
places. Their experiences roving the galaxy have made equivalent of the bardic knowledge ability (see “Bard,”
them wise beyond their years and skilled in a variety of PHB). The free captain may add his levels in this pres-
different fields and disciplines. This roundedness serves tige class to his levels of bard for purposes of determin-
them well, for many free captains are smugglers and ing the effectiveness of his traveler’s knowledge class
gunrunners, moving small caches of goods legal and ability.
otherwise between private parties using their own ships. Well-Rounded: Free captains are veteran starfarers
Through their exploits, many free captains form an
 TABLE 2-1: THE CAPTAIN 17
Base

17r17
Attack Fort Ref Will
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special
1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Traveler’s knowledge, well-rounded
2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Custom rig +1
3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Gut instinct, well-rounded
4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Nobody’s Fool 1/day
5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Acquaintances, well-rounded
6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Custom rig +2
7th +5 +2 +5 +5 Well-rounded
8th +6 +2 +6 +6 Nobody’s fool 2/day
9th +6 +3 +6 +6 “C’mon, baby!” 1/day, well-rounded
10th +7 +3 +7 +7 Custom rig +3

with colorful (some might even say checkered) pasts. dangerous business, and free captains develop an
Beginning at 1st level, the free captain may select a almost preternatural sense of danger.
single cross-class skill to become a class skill. At Beginning at 3rd level, if the free cap-
3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the free tain is surprised by an opponent,
captain may select an additional cross-class skill he may make a Sense Motive
to become a class skill. check (DC 10 + attacker’s
Custom Rig (Ex): A free captain’s ship Hit Dice). If this check is
is his home, his pride and his joy, and successful, he is not con-
he enjoys a bond with it that few sidered flat-footed during

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

other pilots do. Beginning at the surprise round and
2nd level, the free captain may may roll for initiative as
designate a single starship (typi- normal.
cally his own ship) as his custom Nobody’s Fool (Ex):
rig. The free captain must spend The free captain is a
at least 1 month (typically in shrewd businessman with
between adventures) doing noth- an innate understanding of
ing else other than working on or others. Beginning at 4th
traveling in this ship to designate it level, once per day, the free
as a custom rig. The free captain captain may re-roll a single
adds a +1 insight bonus to all rolls failed Diplomacy, Sense
related to his custom rig, including Motive, or Spot check. The free cap-
skill checks, saving throws, and tain must accept the results of this sec-
attack and damage rolls made with ond check, even if it is worse than the
the weapons on the ship. At 6th first. At 8th level, the free captain may
level, this insight bonus increases to use this ability twice per day.
+2, and at 10th level, the bonus Acquaintances: Free captains cul-
increases to +3. tivate many business contacts and
If the free captain’s custom rig is friends over the course of their
disabled or destroyed, he may spend careers. Beginning at 5th level, the
another month working on and travel- free captain may call upon these
ing in a new ship, after which time he acquaintances in times of need. To
may designate it as his custom rig. locate an acquaintance, the free
Gut Instinct (Ex): Free trading is a captain must spend 2d6 hours
 and make a Charisma check (DC 20), adding his class and the AC of his custom rig for a single combat round.
level to the result. The free captain may make this check Additionally, the free captain may ignore the effects of
18 only once per distinct area (city, regency, etc.) per
adventure. If the free captain fails this check, he has no
any criticals his custom rig has suffered until the end of
this round.
contacts in the area and may not use that ability in this
18l18

area for the rest of the adventure.

If the check is successful, the free captain has reached The Freecaster’s Club
a colleague who remembers him fondly, and offers the
free captain his services. The free captain may choose to
either borrow an item (up to a value of the free captain’s
PURPOSE
character level x 500 cr), or for assistance. Treat this The Freecaster’s Club is a chain of taverns, private
acquaintance as an NPC expert of a level equal to the clubs, and cafes across the galaxy that offer special
free captain’s class level, with maximum ranks in a skill services to starship captains who own their own ves-
of the free captain’s choice (subject to the DM’s sels. Some Freecaster’s Clubs are little more than a
approval). The acquaintance will assist the free captain private booth in a larger bar, while others—such as
in a single task (requiring no longer than a number of that on Draconis—are posh chambers accessible only
days equal to the free captain’s class level), after which by members.
time the acquaintance returns to his normal life.
Although the free captain has many contacts, the rela- LEADER
tionships may quickly sour if he abuses their good will. Gram Granger (N half-elf male Pil4/Rog6/Fcp10)
Each time the free captain attempts to use an acquain-
tance beyond the first, the free captain must make a
Diplomacy check (DC 15 + 5 per instance the free cap-
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
tain has called upon the acquaintance within a single The only real service, aside from the occasional relief
month). If this check fails, the acquaintance’s attitude of a familiar face, that the Freecaster’s Club offers is a
towards the free captain is reduced by one step (so a communications network. In truth, it’s little more than a
friendly disposition is reduced to indifferent, etc.). rumor mill. Free captains meet at Freecaster’s Clubs and
Abusing the trust of an acquaintance (such as returning swap stories of other captains, rough voyages, bad ports,
a borrowed item damaged, not repaying debts, or caus- and terrible cargoes. It was started as a private club by a
ing him direct physical danger) may automatically dozen or so friendly captains and was expanded into a
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

reduce the acquaintance’s attitude by one. Directly wider society by Gram Granger after the other eleven
attacking or deliberately betraying the acquaintance founding members died. Granger doesn’t bother to take
automatically reduces the acquaintance’s attitude his ship out into the universe any more. He makes his
toward the free captain to unfriendly or worse (DM’s money off of the Freecaster’s Club on Draconis, which
discretion). If an acquaintance’s attitude towards the he runs. A cut of all membership dues (500 credits a
free captain drops to unfriendly or below, the free cap- year) end up in his accounts. With more than a million
tain may no longer attempt to call upon that acquain- members across the Dragon Empire, Granger does quite
tance and may not use this ability in the area until he well for himself just tending bar at his three-story glass-
makes amends or develops a new acquaintance through and-stone club.
role-playing. His reputation has been tarnished or The Freecaster’s Club is no secret, but it does have a
ruined. certain reputation for snobbery and elitism. Officially,
“C’mon, Baby!”: Through a combination of extraor- anyone who owns his own freighter, free trader, or cargo
dinary flying and sheer willpower, the free captain can ship can pay the dues and be a member, but that’s not
push his ship beyond its normal limits. Once per day, the always the case. New members must be entered into the
free captain may use this ability to achieve one of the computer database at a club location by an established
following effects: member. Some members turn down hopeful captains
Perfect Interface (Ex): The free captain automatically because they’ve fulfilled contracts for the aristocorps,
succeeds on a single skill check involving his custom rig hauled freight for the military, or been too friendly with
(including Navigate, Repair, Use Device, Pilot, etc.). If an unpopular port authority somewhere.
this ability is used for an opposed check, treat this use as Captains who do get inside enjoy a certain freedom of
a +20 competence bonus to the free captain’s skill bonus speech and access to the Club’s 1,022 ansibles, where
instead. available. Plus, members enjoy a +4 bonus to Gather
Six Perfect Seconds (Ex): During combat, the free Information checks made with other members while
captain may add +20 to all attack rolls, saving throws, inside Freecaster’s Clubs.
 One overriding rule presides at all Club locations: lers and scallywags who prowl star systems and space-
Everyone’s friendly at the club. Rivalries, fueds, and ways in search of their next big score. They are daring
bad blood are fair subject matter for conversations and
debates, but fighting gets all participants thrown out of
raiders and fearsome combatants who can strip a ship of
its wealth before the local authorities even receive the
19
the club for life. distress call. The wealth and fame garnered by many

19r19
corsairs also attracts throngs of men and women of a
CAMPAIGN INTEGRATION like mind to their side, who serve as comrades and crew
in their dirty business.
Freecaster’s Clubs exist all across the Empire, so it
Bards and rogues make excellent corsairs, with their
should be easy for player characters to find one. For the
contacts with the more unsavory elements of society and
most part,the Club is little more than a means of getting
larcenous skills affording them a significant advantage
information, but it can also be a great place for charac-
over uninformed plunderers. Fighters and rangers also
ters with the Leadership feat to drum up followers or
fare well as corsairs, as skill in combat and a knack for
cohorts. Out-of-work club members congregate for just
survival can spell success for the harsh life of a space
that reason, in fact.
pirate.
If the player characters have reason to check up on a
Hit die: d8.
fellow freighter crew, this is the way to do it. Likewise,
big scores and big losses the characters suffer will even-
tually make it back to other members, who might show REQUIREMENTS
up to offer aid or spread the word that the characters are To qualify to become a corsair, a character must meet
incompetent, depending on who their friends are. all of the following requirements.
Terrific role-playing encounters can develop when Alignment: Any non-lawful.
the PCs get to meet with an adversary over Freefall: 4 ranks
drinks at a Freecaster’s Club. This makes it Intimidate: 8 ranks
possible for the characters to get a real sense of Navigate: 4 ranks
their competitor’s personality without the scene Feats: Born Spacer, Point Blank
heading straight into a bar fight. The Shot.
Freecaster’s Club may not have any
secret plans or conquests of its own, but
it is a fine tool for introducing new
CLASS SKILLS
The class skills (and key abilities

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

characters and campaign
for each) are Balance (Dex), Bluff
information to the
(Cha), Craft (Int), Demolitions (Int),
player characters.
Freefall (Dex), Intimidate (Cha),
Navigate (Int), Pilot (Dex), Search
The Corsair (Int), Spot (Wis), Urban Lore (Wis),
and Use Device (Int).
While the shipping
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int
lanes of the Imperial
modifier.
core are heavily
policed and carefully guarded by
agents of the Empire, the remote CLASS FEATURES
trade routes of the Outlands remain All of the following are class features of
treacherous paths fraught with dan- the corsair.
ger. Pirates rank foremost amongst Weapon and Armor
these perils; these parasites make their Proficiencies: Corsairs are proficient
living lurking on remote planets and with all simple and martial weapons
abandoned asteroids, springing and with light armor. Note that armor
ambushes on isolated ships, check penalties for armor heavier
stealing their cargo, and than leather apply to Balance,
fleeing off into wild space Climb, Escape Artist, Hide,
once again. Jump, Move Silently,
Corsairs are some of the Sleight of Hand, and
most fearsome and charis- Tumble skill checks.
matic pirates, swashbuck- Also, Swim checks suf-
20 TABLE 2.2: THE CORSAIR
Base
Attack Fort Ref Will
20l20

Level Bonus Save Save Save Special

1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Close quarters fighting (Combat Reflexes), notorious +1
2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Plunder (full time)
3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Notorious +2
4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Leadership, raider
5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Close quarters fighting (Pressing Attack), notorious +3
6th +6 +2 +5 +2 Daring ambush, share the wealth
7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Notorious +4
8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Plunder (50% time)
9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Close quarters fighting (attack of opportunity), notorious +5
10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Scourge of the spaceways

fer double the normal armor check penalties. and items for resale on the black market. The time
Close-Quarters Fighting (Ex): Corsairs are highly required and yield of plunder depends on the size of the
experienced in ship-to-ship fighting and boarding ship, as noted below:
actions, and know how to use their environment to their Raid – The corsair quickly ransacks the ship, robbing
benefit. At 1st level, when fighting in a ship or other passengers at gunpoint and grabbing any loose items of
enclosed space, the corsair gains the benefits of the value before fleeing. Raiding a ship only requires the
Combat Reflexes feat. corsair be on board and to have suppressed the crew
At 5th level, when fighting in a ship or other enclosed temporarily (such as with an Intimidate check, PHB
space, the corsair also gains the benefits of the Pressing v3.5, page 76) while he makes away with the loot.
Attack feat. Strip – The corsair strips the ship down to the bare
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

At 9th level, when fighting in a ship or other enclosed parts for anything of value, leaving only a worthless
space, the corsair’s threatened area is considered 10 feet hulk in his wake. The corsair must first commandeer the
larger than his reach (so a corsair with a normal reach of ship and any crew on board for as long as it takes for
5 feet would threaten an area out to 15 feet away), but him to completely strip the ship. This time includes
only in regards to ranged weapons. If an opponent takes finding a fence to sell the stripped items on the black
an action that normally provokes an attack of opportu- market.
nity within this area, the corsair may make a ranged The corsair may make no other actions of significance
attack of opportunity against that opponent using a while plundering a ship, though he may return to the
ranged weapon that is currently loaded and drawn (so a work later if distracted or interrupted. If the corsair is
corsair holding a blaster could make a ranged attack of interrupted at any point while plundering a ship, he may
opportunity, but a corsair holding an unloaded crossbow escape and still collect an amount of credits equal to the
or wearing a holstered pistol could not). last full time increment he completed.
Notorious (Ex): Through daring raids and huge Example:
hauls, corsairs quickly develop a reputation that spans Gorax the corsair is raiding a Gargantuan passenger
star systems. Beginning at 1st level, the corsair adds a ship (time required: 1 hour). If an Imperial patrol boat
+1 competence bonus to all Intimidate checks he makes appears on the scope after 45 minutes, Gorax may
and to his Leadership score for the purposes of attract- choose to stop plundering and escape with the next low-
ing followers. This bonus increases by an additional +1 est amount (30 minutes’ worth): 500 credits.
at 3rd level and every two levels thereafter. At 8th level, the corsair reduces the time to plunder a
Plunder: Corsairs are experts at conducting light- ship by half.
ning-fast raids and salvage missions that can turn them Leadership: At 4th level, the corsair gains the
a great profit. Beginning at 2nd level, the corsair may Leadership feat. If the corsair already has the
either raid a captured ship for credits and the personal Leadership feat, he adds a permanent +2 bonus to his
possessions of its crew, or strip it down for useful parts Leadership score instead.
 Table 2–3: Plunder 21

21r21
Ship Size Raid Strip
Medium 5 minutes/100 cr 2 hours/500 cr
Large 10 minutes/200 cr 4 hours/1000 cr
Huge 30 minutes/500 cr 8 hours/2,500 cr
Gargantuan 1 hour/1,000 cr 1 day/5,000 cr
Colossal 2 hours/2,000 cr 2 days/10,000 cr
Colossal II 3 hours/4,000 cr 4 days/20,000 cr
Colossal III 4 hours/8,000 cr 6 days/40,000 cr
Colossal IV 6 hours/15,000 cr 10 days/80,000 cr
Colossal V 8 hours/30,000 cr 14 days/150,000 cr
Colossal VI 12 hours/60,000 cr 1 month/300,000 cr

Raider: At 4th level, the corsair has developed a would receive from this plunder by one-half to provide
knack for choosing targets based on their cargo. When his followers with a morale bonus on all skill checks and
plundering a ship, the corsair may voluntarily reduce the saving throws equal to his Charisma modifier for 4 days
amount of credits in plunder to acquire a single item (since Gargantuan ships are 4th on Table 2–3). He and
(standard or magical). The value of this item may be no his men celebrate in their hidden orbital lair with plun-
higher than half the total credit value of the plunder the dered ale. If Gorax had stripped the ship instead, this
corsair would collect normally from this type of plunder benefit would last for 8 days.
action. Scourge of the Spaceways (Ex): The most success-
Example: ful corsairs develop a fearsome reputation that stretches
Gorax has boarded a Gargantuan deuterium tanker across the stars. At 10th level, the corsair may cash in on
(yield 1000 credits), but needs a new weapon for his

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

this reputation to intimidate others. When the corsair
next heist. He reduces the credits he would collect by uses this ability, all opponents within 30 feet of the cor-
one-half, to 500 credits, and selects a weapon worth 500 sair must make a Will save (DC 10 + the corsair’s
credits or less. Intimidate bonus). Anyone who fails this save suffers a
Daring Ambush (Ex): The corsair often relies on the penalty equal to the corsair’s Charisma modifier on all
element of surprise to defeat his opponents, and can attack rolls, damage rolls and skill checks versus the
press this advantage to the limit. Beginning at 6th level, corsair or his followers for a number of rounds equal to
the corsair may take a full action during a surprise round the corsair’s character level. The corsair may use this
in which he has surprised an opponent (rather than a ability a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom
standard action as normal). modifier (minimum 1).
Share the Wealth (Ex): At 6th level, the corsair may
spread the wealth from his plunder to increase the
morale of his men. When plundering a ship, the corsair The Black Shark
may voluntarily receive half the normal amount of cred-
its in plunder to add a morale bonus equal to his
Charisma modifier (minimum +1) to all skill checks and
PURPOSE
saving throws made by his followers for a number of The Black Shark is a band of pirates operating in the
days equal to the size category of the ship plundered. If Smuggler’s Run and getting rich off fast, non-violent
the ship has been stripped instead of raided, this bonus incursions on commercial freight haulers.
lasts for 2 days per size category of the ship instead.
Example: LEADER
Gorax and his crew have raided a Gargantuan ship, Domick Arudell (CN human male Pil3/Rog7/Cor10)
and Gorax would like to share the wealth with his fol-
lowers. Referring to Table 2–3, he reduces the credits he
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
 Frustrated and robbed freighter captains in the chaotic, Domick could serve as their introduction (or
Smuggler’s Run region, at the edge of Imperial space, seduction) into the world of piracy. Domick and his men
22 have given the name the Black Shark to a single, tena-
cious pirate vessel operating in the Persilom and
lead a pretty comfortable life without the risks that so
many pirates run. If there’s a problem with his life, in
Monscrome systems. The group is known for civil, even Domick’s eyes, it’s that he and his men aren’t headed
22l22

peaceful robberies on commercial freighers. Their anywhere. They have no goals other than to just keep on
leader, Domick, tells every freighter captain he encoun- plundering.
ters the same life lesson: “A sheep can be sheared again, The issue for the player characters either way is
but skinned just the once.” This nugget of wisdom whether the tales of Domick’s mass murder are true.
comes at the end of every robbery. He’s not telling, and none of his men seem intereested in
Except one. There is a tale told in the pilot’s bars on sharing what they know.
Persilom that the Black Shark was responsible for one
terrible act of brutality against a corporate shipping ves-
sel in the Monscrome system. Supposedly the crew
resisted Domick’s men, so the pirate and his men gave The House Trader
the crew back their belongings, then spaced the freighter The Dragon Empire is filled with
crew one at a time, starting with the captain. When they countless merchant guilds, responsible
tried to cooperate, he kept on going. for the movement of goods and capital
Domick’s ship has been notoriously difficult for across the stars. Foremost among these
authorities to locate. Besides being very stealthy, it is traders are the men and women of the
astonishingly fast. It swoops out of the penumbral noble Merchant Houses—
shadows of a planet’s moon, hits ships as they pre- ancient, powerful, and fabu-
pare to engage their starcaster, and then teleports lously rich mercantile fami-
away itself. The pirates seldom steal cargo, but lies spawned at the dawn of
when they do they seem to have the Empire. Time and
come for specific goods and have resourcefulness have
known just where to find them. granted merchants of the
houses wealth and respect
CAMPAIGN INTEGRATION second to (some would
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

say rivaling) that of some

Domick fancies himself a civilized man,
dragons and their kin.
and indeed was for a great while. He was a
The house trader is
freighter captain for many years before he
an agent of a mer-
turned to piracy. He’s been in the pirate
chant house, typical-
business for years, but only just came to the
ly. These consum-
Run to make his fortune before the dragons
mate professionals
and their people arrive. He makes educat-
rove the stars,
ed guesses about ships and cargo and is
closing
usually right.
lucrative
If the player characters are lawful sorts,
deals with
then Domick could serve as an interesting
merchants
villain and philosophical opponent. Since
on back-
Domick doesn’t hurt people, he believes
water plan-
that he has every right to continue his
ets one day and
work until such time as he gets outma-
navigating the
neuvered by the law. When that times
halls of power on
comes, he’ll be due whatever he gets
Draconis Prime
from the justice system. Domick
the next. House
figures that an outlaw who
traders combine
doesn’t hurt anyone is
an intuitive
preferable to a rightful
understand-
tyrant who does, like
ing of busi-
Mezzenbone.
ness and people,
If the player characters are
 TABLE 2—4: THE HOUSE TRADER 23
Base
Attack Fort Ref Will

23r23
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 In demand, authoritative haggle (10%)
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Business sense +2
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Wealthy 1/adventure
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Appraiser’s eye (detect magic), business sense +3,
authoritative haggle (20%)
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Connected
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Business sense +4, wealthy 2/adventure
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Authoritative haggle (30%)
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Appraiser’s eye (identify), business sense +5
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Wealthy 3/adventure
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Business sense +6, wheel and deal 1/day

an extraordinary eye for the appraisal and evaluation CLASS FEATURES

of goods, and a ruthless knack for negotiation to cre-
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The house trader
ate a businessman unparalleled in the galaxy.
gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies. The
Bards and rogues are the best house traders, where
merchant houses have much more affordable agents to
their people-skills let them truly shine. Multiclassed
lose in combat. A house trader is armed with guile and
mechanists can also be good traders, as their ability to
limitless fortunes instead.
work with technology makes them shrewd buyers and
In Demand (Ex): Traders of the merchant houses are
sellers of scientific and antique items alike.

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

highly prized for their skills as appraisers, and have no
trouble finding businesses in need of their services.
REQUIREMENTS Beginning at 1st level, when the house trader uses his
To qualify to become a house trader, a character must Profession (trader) skill to collect income, he may do so
fulfill all of the following criteria. in merely 2 days rather than the normal 5. Additionally,
Appraise: 8 ranks the income collected from this work is equal to the result
Diplomacy: 4 ranks of his check times 50 credits (rather than the standard 25).
Profession (Trader): 6 ranks Authoritative Haggle (Ex): House traders are
Sense Motive: 4 ranks assumed by common businessfolk to be experts in their
Speak Language: Gevisan field. Beginning at 1st level, the house trader may use
Feats: Etiquette his keen knowledge of trade and bartering techniques
to adjust the price of an item when buying and selling.
CLASS SKILLS The house trader may make an Appraise check,
opposed by his target’s Sense Motive skill. If the house
The class skills (and key abilities for each) of the
trader wins this opposed check, the price of the item in
house trader are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int),
question is adjusted by 10% (in favor of the house trad-
Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Innuendo
er). At 4th level, the amount the price may be adjusted
(Cha), Knowledge (politics) (Int), Knowledge (trade)
increases to 20%; at 7th level, the adjustment increas-
(Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Research (Int),
es to 30%. This adjustment is in addition to any adjust-
Repair (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak
ments based on supply or demand; it is a purely artifi-
Language (Int), Use Device (Int), and Use Magic
cial adjustment of worth based on the house trader’s
Device (Cha)
word.
Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier per level.
Business Sense (Ex): House traders are consum-
mate businesspeople, as skilled at reading people as
 they are precious items. At 2nd level, the house trader to the target, and the target makes a Will save (DC 15 +
adds a +2 bonus to all Appraise, Profession (trader), the house trader’s Charisma modifier + 1/2 the house
24 and Sense Motive checks he makes. This bonus
increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and every 2
trader’s class level). The target gains a +5 bonus to this
save if the offer proposed by the house trader is obvi-
levels thereafter. ously unfair to him (trading a precious artifact for com-
24l24

Wealthy: The interstellar merchant houses are fan- monplace electronics, for example), or a +10 to the save
tastically wealthy, and the house trader may draw upon if the offer is truly outrageous (giving the house trader a
his house’s fortune in times of need. Once per month, starship for free). If the target fails this save, he accepts
the house trader may declare his wish to tap his house’s the offer.
savings account to fund his current endeavor. He must
spend 4 hours at a bank or credit terminal processing
the necessary forms and authenticating his account, The Gevise Family
after which time he receives 1000 times his class level
in credits. At 6th and 9th level, the house trader may
use this ability an additional time per month.
PURPOSE
Appraiser’s Eye (Sp): House traders have an uncan- For hundreds of generations, the Gevises have owned
ny ability to discern the most minute details in the goods fleets of trading ships, vast orbital emporiums, and elab-
they examine. Beginning at 4th level, the house trader orate private palaces; they want nothing more than to
may spend a full action examining an item and identify keep a good hold on their fortune, and watch it swell.
the presence of magic in that item, just as if he had cast
detect magic. At 8th level, when the house trader uses LEADER
this ability to examine an item, he learns information Matalia Gevise (N human female, Ari5/Rog5/Hst10)
just as if he had cast both detect magic and identify on
that item. The house trader may use this ability a num-
ber of times per day equal to his class level. This is a
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
spell-like ability. The primary economic force in the Smuggler’s Run is
Connected: Members of the merchant houses maneu- the Gevise family. Their merchant fleet crowds the skies
ver in some of the most elite circles of Imperial soci- over Persilom, fixes prices throughout the system, and
ety, and may leverage those connections to their advan- blazes new trails of commerce throughout the Run. No
tages. Beginning at 6th level, the house trader may indigenous peoples, competitors, or governments short
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

attempt to use his standing to gain access to restricted of the dragons get in their way.
areas and events. The house trader must make a The Gevises are a huge family. Literally millions of
Charisma check with a DC depending on the type of people bear their name in Asamet alone. Their business
area he wishes to gain access to, adding his class level practices are praised by the richest folks and crush the
to the result. If this check succeeds, the house trader poorest folks, but they’re not alone in their celebrated
gains access to the resource in question. The house success. Other trading houses operate in the Empire and
trader may use this ability a number of times per day in the Run, so the Gevises are forever repositioning
equal to his Charisma modifier. themselves, strategizing, and scheming.
Gevise operations are extremely top-heavy. Gevise
DC Area/Event Type freighter captains make twice what any independent
5 Very common (public place, good seats at captain could hope to make in a year, but the crews who
a public performance) operate Gevise ships are paid next to nothing. The sys-
10 Common (private residence, closed meeting) tem of the familial houses is based on seniority, so lowly
15 Uncommon (local government building, closed new employees earn a pauper’s wage (or less) for their
government meeting) trouble, but if they stick around they will be promoted.
20 Restricted (Military facility, exclusive meeting, Fifteen or 20 years of promotions can lead to hundreds
spaceport operations center) of thousands of credits in pay and command of a star-
25 Exclusive (Imperial residence, secret meeting freighter. The most loyal, most respected members of
of royal court) the business may eventually be welcomed into the fam-
ily through marriage.
Wheel and Deal (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, once The Gevises aren’t of royal blood, so they are eager to
per day, the house trader may convince others to make set up new markets in frontier territories before
the most implausible business deals through his flawless Mezzenbone’s people arrive. Gevise ships carry sophis-
bargaining techniques. The house trader makes an offer ticated weaponry and defenses and it costs a great deal
to pay off the hundreds of Imperial officials necessary to Red Age, the Courier’s League has slowly lost favor
cross jurisdictions with that firepower. The Gevises are with the Dragon Court, and with it much of the prestige
constantly under-reporting the capabilities of their
fleets. Mezzenbone would never tolerate the sheer fire-
it once enjoyed. Mezzenbone prefers his decrees to trav-
el through other mediums: the ISPD, ansibles, and
25
power the family is fielding across the galaxy, were he hushed, frightened whispers.

25r25
to find out about it. Today, the League remains active, but is a pale reflec-
Whatever goals the family as a whole once had, tion of its former self. Instead of a tightly knit fraternity
they’ve been replaced by a consuming greed. Individual of starfarers, the organization has devolved to a loose
members of the house may have much more noble or rabble of mercenaries and hotshot pilots looking for
dangerous aspirations, however. their next score. While many runners still make their
primary income from Imperial contracts, less scrupu-
CAMPAIGN INTEGRATION lous runners are couriers and bagmen for some of the
most notorious organizations in the galaxy. Either way,
There’s a fortune in money for anyone willing to deal
most runners don’t care—as long as their client’s credit
with the Gevises. The house may offer overflow ship-
is good.
ments to private freighter captains once or twice. When
Rangers and pilots make the best league runners,
they do, they overpay by as much as two or three times
where their innate talents of travel and navigation serve
what the run should be worth. That’s how they get you.
them well. Bards and rogues frequently find work with
Once a crew has tasted the Gevise family fortune,
the League transporting “extralegal” cargo to some of
they’re cut off unless they come into the fold and sign
the rougher parts of the Empire. Surprisingly, even a few
five-, 10-, or 15-year contracts. Anyone who does
paladins find work as runners, typically as bounty
becomes a pawn in the financial power-plays of the
hunters or less-than-royal marshals delivering criminals
Gevise elders. The family is a byzantine network that
to prisons and their orders for judgment.
virtually no one escapes. Those who do make enemies
Hit Die: d6.
of the Gevises.
The Gevise family makes a great villain. They’re
power-hungry, greedy, treacherous, and look down on REQUIREMENTS
anyone who won’t do business with them. To qualify to become a league runner,
Introducing the Gevise family into a campaign is a character must fulfill all of the fol-
easy; they’re behind millions of storefronts and fac- lowing criteria.

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

tories across the galaxy. It could be that the player
characters made enemies of the Gevises a long time
ago and are only now finding out.

The League Runner

Communication has long been one of the most crit-
ical and consistent problems of the Dragon Empire.
Sending messages across thousands of light years is
tedious, and space travel treacherous in and of itself.
To combat this problem, in the year 350 of the Brass
Age (3350 IE), Emperor
Harotep sponsored the for-
mation of the Imperial
Courier’s League, an
elite organization of the
Dragon Empire’s best
pilots and navigators to
deliver the most critical Imperial communiqués and
decrees.
For nearly 2000 years, the League was the sole carri-
er for the Dragon Court. To be a runner for the League
was the pinnacle of many pilots’ careers, and the aspira-
tion of many thousands more. But since the dawn of the
26 TABLE 2—5: THE LEAGUE RUNNER
Base
26l26

Attack Fort Ref Will

Level Bonus Save Save Save Special
1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Runner’s guile (skills)
2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Expert navigator (–5)
3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Shortcut (75% time)
4th +3 +1 +4 +1 Cool head
5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Runner’s guile (stowage)
6th +4 +2 +5 +2 Expert navigator (–10)
7th +5 +2 +5 +2 Getaway
8th +6 +2 +6 +2 Shortcut (50% time)
9th +6 +3 +6 +3 Runner’s guile (detection)
10th +7 +3 +7 +3 Expert navigator (limited mishap),
Vanish 1/day

Navigate: 8 ranks. authorities. At first level, once per adventure, the league
Pilot: 8 ranks. runner may designate an item or object no larger than 10
Use Device: 4 ranks. feet by 10 feet, and no more than 500 pounds, to be his
Feats: Space Jockey, Starship Piloting, Technical cargo. At 1st level, the league runner gains a +5 compe-
Proficiency. tence bonus to all skill checks to conceal information
Special: Must join the Imperial Courier’s League, about his client or the presence and contents of his
either by defeating a current member in a competition of cargo.
piloting and navigation skills or bribing a League head At 5th level, the league runner may spend an hour
4d6 x 1000 credits. concealing his cargo in such a way (hiding or disguis-
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

ing) that it is almost impossible to discern its true iden-

CLASS SKILLS tity. There is a 5% chance that the cargo is recognized:
only a natural 20 on a Spot or Search check will reveal
The league runner’s class skills (and the key ability
the stowed cargo for what it is.
for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha),
At 9th level, the runner can expertly cross borders or
Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Freefall (Dex),
move through restricted areas leaving local authorities
Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Navigate (Int), Pilot
none the wiser. The DC of all skill checks to detect the
(Dex), Profession (Wis), Repair (Int), Spot (Wis), and
presence of the runner’s ship or to track his movements
Use Device (Int).
while transporting his cargo are increased by an amount
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
equal to his class level.
Expert Navigator (Ex): League runners routinely
CLASS FEATURES cross great distances in their craft, and know how to
All of the following are class features of the league wring the most out of their starcasters. Beginning at 2nd
runner. level, the DCs of all Use Device checks the league run-
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: League runners ner makes to plot a starcaster-powered teleport are
are proficient with simple weapons and light armor. reduced by 5. At 6th level, the DCs of these checks are
Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than reduced by 10; at 10th level, the league runner experi-
leather apply to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, ences teleport mishaps one category less catastrophic,
Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble skill when they occur at all. Any numeric effects of the
checks. Also, Swim checks suffer double the normal mishap (such as damage suffered) are reduced by half.
armor check penalties. Shortcut (Ex): The Courier’s League provides
Runner’s Guile (Ex): League runners are frequently exhaustive maps and resources to its runners that can
charged with transporting “less than legal” cargo, and greatly expedite their travel times. Beginning at 3rd
thus become quite skilled at evading detection by the level, the league runner may make a Navigate check to
see if he can find a faster path to his destination; the DC CURRENT ACTIVITIES
of this check is determined by how well-known the area
In the years since the Courier’s League fell out of
is. If this check is successful, the time required to make
the trip is reduced to 75% of normal. At 8th level, when
favor with the Dragon Court, the reputation of its indi- 27
vidual members has been ruined. Most citizens of the
the league runner succeeds on this Navigate check, the
Empire don’t know much about the League, and consid-

27r27
time required is reduced to 50% of normal.
er the messengers who travel in its name to be strange
fly-by-night sorts or criminals. Many bearers of the
DC Area
league’s symbol are, in fact, just that.
10 Very well known (Imperial capital,
A finite number of notarized letters were crafted for
area with heavy Imperial presence)
the runners of the Courier’s League, and the current
15 Average (on an Imperial world,
members swap those letters back and forth as prizes for
area with usual Imperial presence)
dares and bets. No more letters can be made, and so no
20 Remote (on an Outlands world, area
more members can officially join the League.
with light Imperial presence)
Memberships just get passed back and forth between the
25 Isolated (on the galactic fringe, no
racers who know where to find them.
Imperial presence)
Still, a small number of runners make legitimate use
Cool Head (Ex): At 4th level, the league runner may of their letters and work as messengers for honorable
take 10 on a number of Pilot, Navigate, or Use Device organizations. When good people need an important
checks per day equal to his character level, even if cir- message to be sent some place terrible—and they can
cumstances or distractions would not normally allow it. find a former courier of the League to help—honorable
Getaway (Ex): League runners are experts at evading league runners take the job. This puts them at odds with
pursuers intent on capturing their cargo. At 6th level, the some of the authorities in Asamet, but the remaining
league runner may add his Wisdom modifier (in addi- runners pose no threat and might one day be useful, so
tion to his Dex modifier) to all Pilot skill checks when the agents of Asamet let them go about their work.
attempting to escape or evade attacks (see Starfarer’s
Handbook, pages 158–159). Additionally, the league CAMPAIGN INTEGRATION
runner gains a dodge bonus equal to his Wisdom modi- What’s left of the Courier’s League is so scattered and
fier to the AC of a craft he is piloting. laughably undisciplined that it’s no surprise the player
Vanish (Ex): At 10th level, once per day, the league characters haven’t heard of them before. League runners

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

runner can put forth all his effort to escape a pursuer or are seldom in any one place for long, but they do
attacker and vanish into the stars. The league runner remember favors and the faces of friendly strangers.
rolls his Pilot skill, with a bonus equal to half his ship’s Player characters could cross paths with a runner almost
Stealth rating, opposed by the Use Device skill of all anywhere. Once they have, that runner could turn up
enemy sensor operators. If the league runner wins the again.
opposed check, he baffles his opponents by vanishing Runners sometimes need ships and might hire the
from their scopes altogether. The league runner’s ship is player characters to help them deliver a message, if their
removed from the current encounter and exits the area at ship is fast enough. Some runners have transitioned
his vessel’s current Speed along any vector desired. completely into the freight business, and could become
rivals of the PCs (friendly or otherwise). The PCs might
The Courier’s League even be friends with a former league runner and not
know it until she spins a drunken yarn about the “good
old days.”
PURPOSE Perhaps the most intriguing way to introduce the
Courier’s League into the campaign is to have the PCs
The Courier’s League was a prestigious group of
come into possession of a notarized letter of the League.
trustworthy and capable interstellar messengers. Now
The letter alone could lead the characters into all sorts of
they’re a defunct, scattered bunch of capable hot-shots
entertaining trouble before they even learn about the
and messengers.
League’s original charter or meet any of its members.

LEADER
None
Skills
This section covers a few new ways to make use of
 the skills commonly available in the Dragonstar set- information.
ting. This section is designated as Open Game You can also use this skill to investigate rumors and
28 Content. learn a little something about clients, their cargo, and
their previous business dealings. By very carefully scru-

Profession tinizing records you can get an edge in contract negoti-

28l28

ations and other dealings. In game terms, succeeding at

Though the best traders are well-versed in many more difficult Research checks grants you a +2 insight
skills, the Profession (trader) skill is the great constant bonus to Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense
in the business. It’s the skill that covers all the boring, Motive checks in your next encounter with the subject
necessary tasks of the job: the paperwork, the numbers, of your research. The DC of this check is 15 plus all
the protocols, and the conduct. Like any Profession applicable modifiers:
skill, you can make Profession (trader) checks to earn a
weekly wage. The real money is made during adven- DC Example
tures, though. +5 Subject is a small-time operator
+5 Subject does business 10+ LY
away
Repair +10 Subject does business 100+ LY
This skill is essential to the proper maintenance and away
upkeep of complex vehicles like starships. Repair +10 Subject has the resources to
checks must be made periodically on a starship to keep protect his history
everything in top shape, even when a vessel is undam- –5 Subject is famous
aged. When maintenance checks are made is up to the –5 Subject does business all over the
ship’s engineer, since each Repair check costs money to galaxy
perform (see Maintenance, page 51). The longer a –10 Subject is famous for his business
Repair check is put off, the higher the DC. dealings

Research Sleight of Hand

You can use the Research skill to sift through business Use the Sleight of Hand skill to slip a discreet bribe to
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

news, commodities reports, and want ads from all over a port inspector or pass a secret note without being seen.
the galaxy on the InfoNet. This lets you find the right To avoid being caught by onlookers, make a Sleight of
cargo runs, the right ports, and the right customers for Hand check opposed by the onlooker’s Spot check. With
your business. It’s easier to browse the entire local infor- sensors and recording devices all over the galaxy,
mation dump than it is to carefully scan a hundred dif- onlooker’s need not make their Spot checks live on the
ferent specialized information services from across the scene or even at the moment when your Sleight of Hand
galaxy, but browsing takes longer. The better your check is made. Spot checks to notice a discreet hand-off
Research check, the more the leads you turn up manage through recorded media suffer a –2 to –6 circumstance
to fit your needs. See Chapter 1: Business for more penalty, depending on the quality of the recording. See
the Spot entry below.
Looking to Hire When slipping a bribe to a willing participant who
understands what’s going on, add the accomplice’s
Former House Gevise pilot seeks crew to Dexterity modifier as a circumstance bonus to your
operate Iron Dragon transport out of check.
Monscrome. Pay is one share per mate, with You can plant an object on an unwilling subject by
two shares retained by me as owner. Vessel making a Sleight of Hand check against DC 20. Your
is a fixer-upper, 45 million miles, comes check is opposed by the Spot check of your subject, so
staffed with four robot laborers. Open posi- even if you successfully plant an object on your subject
tions for business manager, mechanic, pilot, you may be caught in the act.
customs officer, and security chief. Former
Gevise contractors need not apply. Jobs
include cargo runs to the Imperial interior
Speak Language
with options for free trade. Contact The great merchant houses of the galaxy have been in
Donovan, Monscrome (1331.2467.22) business for thousands of years across thousands of
planets. Besides developing their own customs, cul- small number of very qualified inspectors to oversee all
tures, and traditions, they’ve also developed their own starport operations without wasting their time on routine
languages. These are wholly artificial languages, creat-
ed from a mixture of pidgin languages, blended dialects,
cargo inspections. Thus, many smuggling operations
underestimate a port’s security by judging the quality of
29
business jargon, and vernacular, designed millenia ago the common workers. Those smugglers may pass freely

29r29
with roots that spread across many linguistic groups but through a planet’s customs gate only to be confronted
reach too deeply into none of them. The merchant hous- and arrested hours or even days later, when the footage
es are very protective of their trade secrets, and they of their illegal activities has been fully analyzed.
only discuss them in their own tongues. Over the years, You can make a Spot check to oppose Sleight of Hand
the languages have swollen and changed like any living and Disguise checks even through remote sensors and
language, but still they are kept within the company as recorded media days or weeks after the events take
much as possible. place. Your Spot check is modified by the quality of the
A complete list of merchant house languages is sensor or the recording.
impossible, since the number of byzantine familial cor-
porations is based totally on the needs of your own Modifier Example
Dragonstar campaign. House languages are usually –2 High-quality sensor or recording
just given the name of their parent family. The Gevises –4 Average sensor or recording
who have moved into the Smuggler’s Run, for example, –6 Poor-quality sensor or recording
speak Gevisan. +2 Multiple recording angles

Spot Special: Without the Technical Proficiency feat, you

take a –2 penalty to media-based Spot checks. If you
The starports of advanced and modern cities are cov- have 5 or more ranks in the Use Device skill you get a
ered in sensors and recording devices. This allows a +2 bonus to Spot checks made with sensors.

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

 Feats Deeply Intimidating [General]
30 This section presents an assortment of new feats for
Your imposing presence and forceful technique cuts
deep into people’s psyche. When you intimidate ene-
use in the Dragonstar campaign setting. Most, if not all, mies, it sticks with them.
30l30

of these feats could be of interest to characters in any Prerequisite: Cha 15+

style of Dragonstar campaign. This section is designat- Benefit: When you use the Intimidate skill to demor-
ed as Open Game Content. alize foes in combat (see PHB), they remain shaken for
a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. A
Camera Shy [General] shaken character suffers a –2 penalty on attack rolls,
ability checks, and saving throws.
You have a knack for minimizing your visibility to Normal: Without this feat, demoralized foes are
cameras and other visual recorders. shaken for one round only.
Prerequisite: Hide skill, Disguise skill, Technical
Proficiency
Benefit: Whenever you are exposed to visual record- Disable At Range [General]
ing equipment, you may make a free Disguise check or You can use a ranged weapon to make Disable Device
Hide check with a +4 bonus to obscure your identity in checks.
the recording or sensor feed. Anyone attempting to iden- Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +5 or higher, Disable
tify you remotely must oppose your skill check with a Device skill, Technical Proficiency
Spot check. Your obfuscation isn’t necessarily subtle or Benefit: If you succeed at a ranged attack against an
misleading, it merely invalidates the usefulness of the object susceptible to both your attack and the Disable
recording. You don’t need to prepare a disguise to use Device skill, you may make a Disable Device check
this feat. If you’re unaware that you’re being recorded, against the object in addition to dealing damage to it.
you suffer a –10 penalty to your skill check. Normal: You can only make Disable Device checks
on objects you can reach.
Careful Scrutiny Special: Mechanists may choose this feat as one of
their bonus feats for the class (Starfarer’s Handbook,
You have a precise eye for detail and a patience that page 54).
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

pays off.
Prerequisite: Int 11+, Wis 13+
Benefit: You get a +4 bonus to Search checks when Exciting Tales [General]
you take 20. You also suffer no penalties when making You draw on the everyday experiences of your excit-
Spot checks through remote feeds or recordings. ing life to weave tales that audiences love.
Benefit: You gain a +2 synergy bonus to Perform
checks if you have 5 or more ranks in any one Craft,
Reward Knowledge, or Profession skill. This bonus increases to
+4 when you have 10 or more ranks in any one Craft,
Persilom Surveillance Bureau offers a Knowledge, or Profession skill. There is no benefit to
10,000 credit reward for any information having 5 or more ranks in multiple Craft, Knowledge, or
leading to the capture of fraudulent and Profession skills.
thieving free captains operating out of the
Monscrome starport. Information regarding
any local smuggling operations will be Feel For the Road [General]
rewarded. Special compensation for infor- You have an unusually good sense of how a vehicle
mation leading to the arrest of the Black reacts to rough terrain.
Shark. Inquire about bounties and privateer Prerequisites: Pilot skill, Technical Proficiency,
licenses being issued for the Persilom and Wis 11+
Monscrome systems by the ISPD. Some Benefit: Reduce all terrain penalties by one-half for
considerations will be made for those any vehicle you are piloting. This applies to take-off and
informers concerned with self-incrimina- landing checks for aircraft and spacecraft as well.
tion. Contact: ISPD-PSB-001.
 Special: This feat may only be selected during char-
Fit In [General] acter creation.
You have an intuitive grasp of local customs, dialects, 31
and behaviors.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Disguise and Inside Joke [General]

31r31
Gather Information checks. You find it easy to break the ice with people who have
similar interests and work experiences as you do.
Benefit: You may make a Craft, Knowledge, or
Good Listener [General] Profession skill check to alter the attitude of an NPC
You have a trustworthy quality that helps strangers who has ranks in that same skill.
feel comfortable opening up to you. Normal: Charisma checks are usually made to
Prerequisite: Cha 13+ change NPC attitudes.
Benefit: You make Gather Information checks in half
the time it would normally take. This feat also grants a
+2 bonus to Gather Information checks. Innuendo [General]
Normal: A Gather Information check usually takes a You know how to make sense of coded language and
full evening. innuendo.
Prerequisite: Bluff skill
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to Bluff checks to send
Heavy-Helmer [General] a secret message in plain conversation and a +4 bonus to
You’re unusually adept at handling large and heavy Sense Motive checks to discern secret messages.
starships.
Prerequisites: Pilot skill, Starship Piloting, Technical
Proficiency Jargon [General]
Benefit: When piloting Colossal or larger vehicles, You find it especially easy to communicate with peo-
you ignore up to 4 points in handling penalties. If the ple who have similar interests and work experiences as
vessel’s handling score is –1 or better, you gain a +2 to you do.
Pilot checks in that vehicle, instead. Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy, Gather
Information, and Sense Motive checks you make on
characters who have at least one rank in a Craft,
Illogical Input [General]

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

Knowledge, or Profession skill in which you also have
You know how to communicate with robots in a way at least one rank. This feat grants no benefit for having
that stalls and confuses them. more than one skill in common.
Prerequisite: Gearhead, Int 13+, Technical
Proficiency, Use Device skill
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to Bluff and Disguise Local Color [General]
checks with subject robots. You can also make a Use You have an understanding of local customs and val-
Device skill check (DC 25) to cause any robot that is ues that people appreciate.
receptive to your audio inputs to waste time processing Prerequisite: Ettiquette, Wis 15+
unacceptable commands. The robot is effectively dazed Benefit: You may make a Sense Motive check (DC
for one round. 20) every day you spend in a new city or port. Once you
have succeeded, you gain a +2 bonus to all Diplomacy
and Gather Information checks you make in that area. If
Innocent Demeanor [General] you leave the location and return later, the bonus still
You have a cute, simple, or otherwise innocent applies. This bonus is lost if you are involved in any
demeanour about you that encourages people to let their major disturbance in the area, such as a crime or a terri-
guard down. ble accident.
Prerequisite: Cha 11+
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Bluff and Gather
Information checks. The first time someone catches you Masterful Control [General]
in a Bluff, their attitude towards you doesn’t change. You have a master’s touch on steering wheels, throt-
They assume you’re foolish, ignorant, or otherwise tles, and other control surfaces.
exempt from blame. Prerequisites: Dex 15+, Improved Initiative, Pilot
 skill, Technical Proficiency, Vehicle Dodge
Benefit: Whenever you suffer a vehicular mishap, Wanted: Spellcaster
32 you may attempt an immediate Pilot check as a free
action to regain control of the vehicle before anything Prestigious House Gevise freight cruiser
can go wrong. Market Explorer seeks spellcasters and
32l32

experts in the arcane for a three-week mis-

sion in the Smuggler’s Run. Expertise in
Minimizing Maneuver [General] spellcraft and matters of arcane sight is
You can alter your starship’s profile to minimize the ideal. Lodging, transportation, equipment,
exposure of vulnerable areas to attack. and meals provided. Applicants must be
Prerequisites: Dex 15+, Pilot Skill, Sacrificial Roll, willing to endure several consecutive days
Starhip Piloting, Technical Proficiency, Vehicle Dodge in a wilderness environment. Applicants
Benefit: When the vehicle you’re piloting is the sub- must sign non-disclosure agreement.
ject of a critical threat, you may make a Pilot check Applicants receive no salvage or looter’s
opposed by the attacker’s attack roll. If your Pilot check rights. All materials become Gevise Family
wins this opposed roll, the critical threat is not con- property upon mission completion.
firmed.
Benefit: You use your Wisdom modifier in place of
Sacrificial Roll [General] your Dexterity modifier when making Pilot checks.
You can roll your ship to expose less vulnerable sur-
faces to attack.
Prerequisite: Pilot Skill, Starship Piloting, Technical
Zero Records [General]
Proficiency, Vehicle Dodge You have led a cautious existence, carefully avoiding
Benefit: Whenever the vessel you’re piloting suffers contact with the InfoNet and other media that could
a critical hit, you can make a Pilot check (DC 20) to record your whereabouts or history.
reroll the hit location and choose between the results. Benefit: The Research DC to locate any information
about your past or your current whereabouts is 30.
Gather Information checks centering on you suffer a –2
Superior Attitude [General] penalty. Spot checks to recognize you in a crowd or
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

through a disguise suffer a –2 penalty.

You use other people’s ignorance to make you seem
Special: This feat may only be taken during character
superior.
creation.
Benefit: First, make an opposed Craft, Knowledge, or
Profession check against a subject you wish to intimi-
date. If you win the check, you gain a +4 bonus to all
Intimidate checks against that subject until you finally
fail an Intimidate check against them.
Spells
This section contains new spells for use in
Dragonstar. The names and game mechanics of these
Throttle Jockey [General] spells are designated as Open Game Content.
You have a masterful control over your vehicle’s
speed. ARCANE BRIBE
Prerequisite: Lead Foot, Pilot skill, Technical Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]
Proficiency Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Benefit: When piloting a vehicle, you ignore one-half Components: M
of the current speed penalty when making Pilot checks Casting Time: 1standard action
to accelerate or decelerate. Range: Touch
Target: One touched object
Duration: 1 hour/level; see text
Wise Flying [General] Saving Throw: Will negates
You rely on sensory cues, instruments, and your gut to Spell Resistance: Yes
pilot vehicles. The object touched (which must be Tiny or smaller,
Prerequisite: Wis 13+ typically a coin) is enchanted with a charm person spell.
The next person, after the caster, to touch the object
becomes the target of the charm person spell. Once Wizard Seeks Charter
arcane bribe has been cast, however, the spell’s duration
begins to elapse. The charm person effect does not outlast Praxilus-based wizard seeks charter ves- 33
the arcane bribe effect. For example, a 6th-level sorcerer sel with disciplined, responsible crew to

33r33
delivers an arcane bribe with a duration of six hours to a transport recently acquired library from
customs inspector on Draconis. The spell was cast five Port Vista to Praxilus by way out Outlands
and a half hours ago, so the sorcerer only has thirty min- Station. Library must arrive in mint condi-
utes to deliver the bribe and make use of his new friend. tion, unmolested and uninspected. Time is
not a factor, but delicacy is. Will pay 10,000
credits in advance, with 20,000 on delivery.
GLAMOUR
Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 1, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2 against greater arcane bribe, made when they first come
Components: V, S, M into contact with the object.
Casting Time: 1 round Material Component: The object touched.
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); see text
Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation; see text IMPAIR JUDGEMENT
Duration: 1 hour/level Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Saving Throw: None Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3
Spell Resistance: Yes Components: V, S
This spell infuses an area with charm, a fine atmos- Casting Time: 1 standard action
phere, and an impressive vibe. Bluff, Diplomacy, and Range: Touch
Gather Information checks made by the caster or one Target: Creature and object touched
other specified subject within this area enjoy a +5 Duration: 1 minute/level
enhancement bonus. If the area in which the spell is cast Saving Throw: Will negates
is adorned with fine furnishings (silk drapes, antique Spell Resistance: Yes
chairs, stylish modern lamps), glamour magnifies their Impair judgement causes the subject to see what he
appeal and grants an additional +2 bonus to Charisma wants to see. The caster must simultaneously touch the
checks to alter a character’s attitude. target creature and the target object. The creature there-

CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

Material Component: A single object of furniture at after wants nothing so much as to possess the object.
the center of the emanation. Affected creatures suffer a –10 insight penalty to skill
checks made to purchase the item. Creatures will not
GREATER ARCANE BRIBE give their lives or go against their nature to obtain the
Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting] item (e.g. a good creature will not kill for it), but they
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 4 will make regrettable decisions. Ridiculous sums sud-
Components: V, S, M denly sound reasonable, awful trades sound fair. The
Casting Time: 1 standard action affected creature will gladly spend any credits they have
Range: Touch on hand, up to 100 credits per point of the caster’s
Target: One touched object Charisma bonus (minimum +100 credits) to purchase
Duration: One day/level the item. When the spell ends, creatures discover
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text they’ve paid 300 credits for a one-penny gel-quill.
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell is identical to arcane bribe, except for the IMPOSSIBLE PLANT
following differences. Any creature touching the target Conjuration (Summoning)
object becomes subject to a charm person spell for as Level: Drd 3
long as they possess the object. If the object passes to a Components: V, S,
new creature, that creature is afforded a Will save to Casting Time: 10 minutes
resist the spell. Otherwise, it is affected. Creatures who Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
were once in possession of the target object are subject Effect: Summons magical, fruit-bearing plant
to the charm person spell again if they hold the object Duration: 24 hours; see text
again. Successful Will saves prevent the object from Saving Throw: None
having any effect on the successful creature, but do not Spell Resistance: No
negate the spell. Creatures get only one Will save
 This spell summons a Medium extradimensional plant TRICK QUESTION
from any of several lush and verdant planes. The impos-
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
34 sible plant has magical roots that reach across the planes
for nourishment elsewhere. The plant lives for 24 hours
Level: Brd 2, Clr 3
Components: V
before returning to its home plane, unless it is planted
Casting Time: 1 standard action
34l34

(see blow), in which case it remains indefinately.

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
An impossible plant resembles a flowering ivy, but-
Target: One creature
produces enough highly nutritious fruit and nuts to feed
Duration: Instantaneous
three Medium creatures for one day. It requires a surface
Saving Throw: Will negates
to cling to, such as a wall or even a ceiling, but does not
Spell Resistance: Yes
need earth or soil. It requires two gallons of water per
Trick question causes target creatures to reveal
day. Summoned impossible plants do not grow, at least
requested information or facts as they know them. The
not on this plane.
caster simply asks a question of the target, which the tar-
To keep an impossible plant from vanishing at the end
get attempts to answer immediately. Targets are allowed
of this spell’s duration, it must be persuaded to stay with
a Will save to resist the compulsion to answer. Failure
generous and knowledgeable care. A successful
means the target blurts out the answer despite himself. If
Profession (herbalist) check (DC 20) made each day
the information requested is clearly embarassing or oth-
will keep the plant on this plane for one more day.
erwise difficult to share, the target gets a +2 bonus to its
saving throw. If the requested information is clearly
SECRET TONGUE damning, the target is granted a +4 bonus to its Will
Divination save. Questions that catch the target by surprise, are
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3 confusing, or don’t fit into the conversation grant no
Components: V bonuses to the Will save. The target doesn’t have to
Casting Time: 1 standard action appreciate the question or understand its purpose, but
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) must be able to make sense of its language.
Target: Creature named
Duration: 10 min./level VENEER
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Transmutation
Spell Resistance: No
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 1
CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTERS

This spell creates a special language between the cast-

Components: V, S
er and the target. The words they speak may contain
Casting Time: 1 standard action
secret messages indecipherable by any means. Ordinary
Range: Touch
dialogue is heard by all eavesdroppers, but the subjects
Target: Object touched; see text
of this spell say and hear additional, completely differ-
Duration: 1 hour/level
ent sentences. The subjects of this spell must be able to
Saving Throw: None
speak for the spell to be effective; this is not a telepath-
Spell Resistance: Yes
ic effect. Body language and attitude are not changed by
This spell temporarily changes the physical composi-
this spell, so onlookers may perceive something is amiss
tion of an object, creating or enhanceing its desireable
if characters discuss trivial subjects with unusual vigor
and valuable qualities. An object worth 100 credits per
or seriousness.
caster level can be affected. The object becomes gilded,
A tongues spell reveals the sound of the secret lan-
decorated, signed, gold-plated, or otherwise adorned
guage, but not the message. Listeners under the effects
with some precious detail. This raises the object’s worth
of a tongues spell must succeed at a Sense Motive check
by 30%, before adjustments from Appraise checks. A
(DC 25) to discern anything about a conversation using
successful Spellcraft check versus the DC to Appraise
secret tongue.
the item reveals that the object has been magically tam-
pered with. Another Spellcraft check must be made to
identify the work of this particular spell. Failed Appraise
checks made on an object affected by veneer always
mistake the item for being more valuable than it is, by
1d4+1 x 10%.
When this spell ends, the object reverts back to its
condition prior to the spell, plus any damage suffered
during the spell’s duration.
 CHAPTER THREE
35

35r35
EQUIPMENT
styles, trends, and pricing from across the Empire.
Introduction An appraiser is operated with a Use Device check
(DC 10). Essentially, the appraiser makes a trained skill
check for the user, with a circumstance bonus of +1 to
This chapter details equipment, robots, and cargo
pods that free-traders and ship captains have found use- +10 based on its programming. The user just stands by
ful in their careers. The game mechanics and names of and waits for a response from the unit. The device gets
the individual items in this section are designated as its bonus to Appraise checks based on the catalogs cur-
Open Game Content. The specific descriptions and rently stored in its database. Up to 10 “artificial ranks”
background information are designated as closed con- of data may be stored for up to five different Craft skills.
tent. A jeweler’s catalog might be dedicated to Craft (gem-
cutting), for example, while a tailor’s might be divided

Shipping Equipment over Craft (leatherworking) and Craft (weaving).

CHAPTER THREE: EQUIPMENT

Unfortunately, appraisers cannot judge unique or previ-
ously unclassified items at all. When tasked with ana-
Appraiser: This expensive little scanning computer lyzing such potential treasures, the device returns a
is marketed for jewelers and other purveyors of fine reading of “no recognized qualities.”
goods. Most commercial appraisers are designed with Mass Analyzer: This two-handed scanner uses four
cosmetics and style in mind, though this is not always independent, low-powered lasers to measure, record,
the case. Since a collection of cheaper, less-dedicated and quantify targeted objects. The scanning process
equipment can perform many of the same jobs as an requires the user to examine every possible surface of
appraiser, these are often sold as luxury items to know- the target using the analyzer. For small objects, like jew-
nothing laymen. An appraiser is a handheld unit with a elry, this might require two or three passes with the
large, protruding sensor. The user examines items scanner, turning the target object around and over. For
through the sensor, which simultaneously scans the large objects, like vehicles or rooms, this requires the
object. Data and scan results appear as an animated pro- user to move around the object and record a series of
jection in the unit’s display screen. three-dimensional images. The analyzer’s lasers mea-
The scanner is linked to a database designed to deter- sure a 30-foot cone from the user for each standard
mine material purity, physical integrity, and compara- action spent scanning, but may be foiled by miss
tive quality in a wide variety of objects from gems to chances due to concealment (such as smoke). Once this
electronic components to clothing. An appraiser stores process is completed, the scanner computes the materi-
catalogs of data for up to five different styles of crafts- al composition, density, and structure of the target
manship, such as gunsmithing or leatherworking. The object, extrapolating when necessary, and essentially
scanner compares the data collected by the sensor to taking 20 on a Search check of the object. This takes just
those items in its database and determines an approxi- as long as a thorough search by hand, except no single
mate value by comparison. The database can be kept individual is required to monitor the analyzer. Once its
current by downloading the newest software updates on analysis is complete, it chimes. The analyzer also
 reveals the hardness, hit points, and construction mate-
rials of the target object, if the material is one common-
36 ly found in the Empire.
Binding Gun: Intended for use as a packaging
device, a binding gun dispenses quick-drying liquid
36l36

cord of respectable strength. Useful only at short ranges,

a binding gun fires four simultaneous streams around
any objects in the target area, which is always a five-
foot square no more than 30 feet from the gun. This
requires a ranged attack roll against AC 5. Objects in the
target area are bound by a mesh of synthetic fiber cords
(Break DC 22, hardness 3, 1 hp). The drying action of
the fibers makes the equivalent of a +10 Use Rope
check against the target. Creatures caught in the target
area may attempt a Reflex save (DC 15) to reduce the
gun’s Use Rope check against them by half. Bound crea-
tures move at half speed and may not use their arms or
other non-locomotive limbs without an Escape Artist
check. Tiny and smaller objects or creatures are unaf-
fected. A binding gun’s magazine contains enough liq-
uid cord for four uses. A binding gun is a Small exotic
weapon for combat purposes.
Binding Gun, Industrial: This is the large-scale ver-
sion of the commercial binding gun. About the size of a
shotgun, this Large awkward tool (and exotic weapon)
targets a 10-foot square no more than 60 feet from the
gun. It makes a +15 Use Rope check against objects or
creatures in the area. Targets that fail a DC 20 Reflex
save are bound by heavy-duty liquid cord (Break DC 30,
CHAPTER THREE: EQUIPMENT

hardness 5, 2 hp). Medium and smaller creatures are

immobilized by these strands. Large and bigger crea-
tures move at half speed, but may not use their arms or
other appendages without a successful Escape Artist
check opposed by the gun’s Use Rope check. One can-
ister of fiber allows for four shots.
Environmental Processor: This portable unit
appears something like a large vaporizor with attached
tanks of compressed gases. Used to alter passenger com-
partments or cargo bays for the purposes of exotic ship-
ments or guests, an environmental processor affords a
free-trader a great deal of flexibility in his cargo selec-
tions. A lot of power is needed to operate one of these
devices, though, so they must be connected directly to a
ship’s power supply. Adjusting the environmental set-
tings requires a Use Device check (DC 15), though most
units come pre-programmed with the settings for a par-
ticular environment. An environmental processor alters
the temperature, humidity, and particle mixture of the
area surrounding the unit, out to a radius of 50 feet. The
unit attaches magnetically to surfaces, so placing one on
a ceiling can generate rain-like effects inside a cargo bay
or other chamber. An environmental processor’s capa-
bilities reach into the extreme temperature ranges (see
“The Environment,” DMG), and can even be hazardous
 EQUIPMENT 37
Item Cost Range Increment Weight

37r37
Appraiser (with ten ranks) 400 cr — 1 lb.
Appraiser ranks (each) 25 cr — —
Binding gun (commercial) 450 cr 5 ft. (30 ft. max) 8 lb.
Liquid fiber refill 10 cr — —
Binding gun (industrial) 650 cr 10 ft. (60 ft. max) 22 lb.
Liquid fiber regill 25 cr — —
Mass analyzer 400 cr — 4 lb.
Packing gun 500 cr 5 ft. 12 lb.
Chemical canister 30 cr — 2lb.
Robotic lock 100 cr — 3 lb.

if not used carefully. Smoke and toxic clouds can be Robotic Lock: Although not technically a robot, a
emitted, though a processor can only generate a single robotic lock is a mechanical device with rudimentary
atmospheric composition at any one time, and only if it programming and simplistic sensory abilities. Robotic
is fed the correct ingredient mixture. Temperature set- locks respond to vocal commands, passwords, or certain
tings can be altered independently of the atmospheric requests. The difference between a robotic lock and
mixture and do not require ingredient tanks. The com- common electronic locks is that a robot lock can be
panies that produce atmosphere generators also sell pre- issued instructions for admittance that require some
packaged environmental ingredients. degree of judgement on the part of the device. A robot-
Packing Gun: For objects more fragile or oddly ic lock can be bypassed with the Open Locks skill (DC
shaped than a binding gun can safely manage, shippers 22) or it can be tricked into opening up with a
use a packing gun. A packing gun is an inelegant unit Diplomacy or Bluff check (opposed by the lock’s +5

CHAPTER THREE: EQUIPMENT

with a pair of small metal tanks containing liquid chem- Sense Motive skill). This an out-dated device that sees
icals. When these chemicals are mixed in the firing use today when someone thinks they may want to allow
hose, they form a thick foam that immediately solidifies unknown persons to access a container or room at some
around any objects sprayed. Spraying with the packing point in the future.
gun’s hose requires a ranged attack against the target’s
AC. Objects and creatures sprayed aren’t merely bound,
they’re encased in a solid mass of molded plastic. When
used on objects, a packing gun creates an insulating bar-
Robot Models
Due to the costs involved in feeding, paying, and
rier (hardness 5) that protects valuable merchandise.
When used on a creature, the foam restricts movement, entertaining well-trained crews—and the fact that open
effectively dealing 1d6 points of temporary Dexterity crew stations typically outnumber quality personnel—
damage to the target creature on a successful hit. The robots see a lot of use even in small-scale shipping oper-
creature isn’t actually harmed, however, and does not ations. A robot’s maintenance requirements can be fold-
need to heal this damage. Instead, the creature must suc- ed into those of a ship, and they don’t complain, aspire,
ceed at an Escape Artist check (DC 30) or be cut free of desire, or betray like living crewmembers so often do.
the plastic mass around them to regain their full At the same time, while a ship full of mechanized sailors
Dexterity score. Cutting a creature or object free of the is very efficient, it is almost always bad for business.
packing foam requires slashing or peeling (that is, Experience has proven that customers prefer to deal
unarmed) attacks to be made against the foam; these with living people and generally behave in a more pro-
attacks automatically hit willing targets and relieve fessional manner when they do. Customers like to hear
Dexterity restrictions according to the damage dealt in stories of the traveler’s life. Clients become repeat cus-
the attack. A slash from a dagger, for example, restores tomers so that they can ask questions like “Where have
1d4 points of Dexterity to the afflicted creature. you been since I saw you last?” This is why so many of
the private haulers in the galaxy operate with woefully
 obsolete robots. Some ships have lockers full of robots
that see use only when live hands are unavailable. Contract Drone
38 Robots serve a variety of purposes aboard private and
small commercial starships. Some companies use robot-
These robots were also designed in response to dis-
trust between busness partners. Contract drones oversee,
ic cooks, while House Gevise fleet captains would never record, log, and notarize contract negotiations, business
38l38

think of such a thing. Robotic medics, janitors, mechan- meetings, and any other scenes that could lead to legal
ics, translators, handlers, and bookkeepers are the most action later on. Sometimes they’re used as impartial wit-
common, followed far behind by copilots, navigators, nesses, in the case of drones operated by the port author-
protectors, and customer service representatives. ity, and in some cases they are asked to translate verbal
agreements into actual written contracts.
Appraisal Robot A contract drone appears as a hovering eye in a
wedge-shaped body. They’re equipped with efficient
While no flesh and blood merchant would trust a and quiet hoverlifts and sophisticated recording equip-
robot to appreciate the true beauty of fine merchandise ment. The data their senses perceive can be beamed to a
more than he does, many merchants trust robots more more secure storage device elsewhere through their per-
than their business associates. Appraisal robots are a sonal communicator.
tool of compromise, then, in the world of professional By design, contract drones are unable to communicate
buyers and sellers. Besides, no one can be an expert at by any means other than printed documents and legal
everything. An appraisal robot can be counted on to precedents. A contract drone itself has little or no mem-
bestow a certain academic authority, like an almanac. ory and processes all stimuli it receives through a filter
Something like a giant microscope in appearance, of law. Since the drones are truly neutral constructs, this
appraisal robots are faceless, walking tables piled high makes them somewhat difficult to regard as proper pos-
with equipment. A broad, flat counter extends from the sessions, sometimes. Drones flee from illegal activity
unit’s middle, onto which merchandise is placed. with a kind instinctual programming. They won’t go far,
Sensitive plates beneath the surface’s cloth lining mea- but it’s a tell-tale sign that law enforcement agents have
sure the exact weight of submitted objects. Tiny, deli- learned to look for.
cate hands grip everything from miniscule fibers to Contract Drone Exp1: CR —; Tiny Construct; HD
heavy sculptures with precisely calibrated pressure. 1/2d10; hp 2; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 50 ft.; AC 13, touch 13,
These hands—there are four—attach to the back of the flat-footed 11; Base Atk —; Grap —; Atk —; Full Atk
CHAPTER THREE: EQUIPMENT

unit through spindly arms with three joints apiece. The —; SQ Construct, low-light vision, ambidexterity; AL
unit’s “head” is a down-turned scanner array that resem- N; Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 4, Dex 12, Con —, Int
bles a desk lamp. A rotating assortment of specialized 12, Wis 10, Cha 8.
lenses is attached to one end, an access port for dat- Class Skills: Bluff, Hide, Knowledge (history),
achips cuts into the other end. Knowledge (law), Listen, Research, Search, Sense
Appraisal Robot Exp2: CR —; Medium Construct; Motive, Spot, Use Device.
HD 2d10; hp 11; Init –1 (Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 9, touch Skills: Bluff +3, Knowledge (law) +7, Listen +4,
9, flat-footed 9; Base Atk: —; Grap —; Atk —; Full Atk Research +5, Sense Motive +4, Spot +4, Use Device +5.
—; SQ Construct, low-light vision, ambidexterity; AL Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge (law)), Technical
N; Fort +0, Ref –1, Will +3; Str 12, Dex 12, Con —, Int Proficiency.
12, Wis 10, Cha 8. Upgrades: Hoverlift, internal datapad, personal com-
Class Skills: Appraise, Craft (electronics), Craft (cal- municator, printer, sensory recorder.
ligraphy), Craft (gemcutting), Craft (painting), Craft Possessions: None.
(sculpting), Repair, Research, Search, Use Device. Cost: 6,050 cr.
Skills: Appraise +9, Craft (electronics) +6, Craft
(gemcutting) +6, Craft (painting) +6, Repair +2,
Research +5, Search +6, Use Device +5. Mobile Vault
Feats: Skill Focus (Appraise), Technical Proficiency Precious cargo is most vulnerable during the loading
Upgrades: Enhanced Dexterity, integral toolkit and unloading phases of a journey. Accidents and thefts
(appraisal), language module (Common), manipulators. are more common when cargo passes through living
Possessions: None. hands than when it’s teleporting through space or in the
Cost: 9,200 cr. diligent grip of a robot. Mobile vaults are built to reduce
the risk of theft or damage to valuables.
A mobile vault consists of little more than a sturdy
 ROBOT UPGRADES 39
Upgrade Cost XP Cost

39r39
Mass analyzer 400 cr 200
Printer 50 cr 25
Secret compartment 100 cr 50
Tow capacity 250 cr 125

walking safe. The surface of a mobile vault is a complex thieves.

design of deep grooves and thick, iron bars. These dis- Monitors are squat, round emplacements with a hel-
guise door seams while making locking mechanisms met-like head of scanning eyes, microphones, and
difficult to locate. Small sensors along the top of the unit motion sensors. A fat black blaster juts out between two
give it the appearance of a hulking brute, but they’re eyes. Mountable on floors, ceilings, and walls and pow-
programming undermines their presence. A mobile vault ered either by internal supplies or local feeds, monitors
reacts to all situations by fleeing towards safety and its are a cost-effective way to garauntee the security of a
proper caretakers. Durable wheels drop down from the cargo bay, landing pad, or airlock. Monitors ship with
main body of the unit to outrun would-be thieves. When built-in recognition software that learns to identify
there’s nowhere to hide, mobile vaults press themselves friends from foes without constant introductions by the
door-first against walls to further protect their contents. user. At the same time, monitors are programmed with
Cautious and untrusting sorts use mobile vaults when certain suspect actions and an ability to recognize hos-
they want to send valuable documents, recordings, or tile body language, so even if a familiar face draws a
heirlooms on space journeys with unknown starship weapon in its presence, the unit will respond with force.
crews. Monitor Robot War1: CR 1/2; Small Construct; HD
Mobile Vault War1: CR —; Huge Construct; HD 1d10 plus 1d6 (War); hp 9; Init +3 (Dex); Spd —; AC
8d10 plus 1d8 (War); hp 48; Init –3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft. 20, touch 14, flat-footed 17; Base Atk +1; Grap +0;
(wheels 50 ft.); AC 19, touch 6, flat-footed 19; Base Atk Atk/Full Atk +6 (4d8, blaster carbine); SQ Construct,

CHAPTER THREE: EQUIPMENT

—; Grap —; Atk —; Full Atk —; SQ Construct, low- low-light vision, ambidexterity; AL N; Fort +2, Ref +0,
light visions, ambidexterity, DR 10/—; AL N; Fort +4, Will +0; Str 8, Dex 16, Con —, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8.
Ref –3, Will +0; Str 28, Dex 4, Con —, Int 12, Wis 10, Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5.
Cha 8. Feats: Technical Proficiency, Weapon Focus (blaster
Skills: Listen +1, Sense Motive +4, Spot +1. carbine)
Feats: Run, Technical Proficiency. Upgrades: 360 degree vision, combat programming,
Upgrades: Integral amazing lock, integral good lock, enhanced Dexterity, improved audio sensors, improved
language module (Common), storage compartment (x2), video sensors, integral laser sight, integral blaster car-
natural armor, reinforced construction, transform con- bine, integral minicell, motion sensor, sessile.
version, wheels. Possessions: None.
Possessions: None. Cost: 8,955 cr.
Cost: 44,130 cr.

Robot Upgrades
Monitor Robot The needs of the commercial transport business have
The need for cheap but serious robotic security has inspired the invention of a few new robot upgrades.
resulted in a variety of small security robots that fall Most of these are readily available to any commercial
within the category of so-called “monitors.” A monitor robotics company, and all are common enough in the
is a simple combination of sensors and a gun on a piv- industrial market.
oting head. Based on the much larger and more heavily Mass Analyzer: This built-in scanner suite requires
armed military guntower (Imperial Supply, page 75), the robot to be either portable or self-propelled so that
monitors offer the safety and confidence of robotic reli- the mass analyzer can correctly perform its scans.
ability with enough firepower to dissuade even serious Printer: Although recording technolgoies and holog-
 raphy have made print media unfashionable, certain of magic and science are the most advanced devices
offices and professions still make use of printers. ever granted to the typically mundane shipping busi-
40 Secret Compartment: The storage space within a
robot can be hidden at the expense of credits and space.
ness. They’re difficult to create and largely misunder-
stood. An extradimensional module (XDM) uses a huge
A secret compartment affords half the storage space for volume of magical threads to define the boundaries of a
40l40

twice the price, but requires a Search check (DC 25) to self-contained demiplane within the pod. The effect is
locate. Even the robot may not know it’s there. similar to that of a bag of holding, but is much less effi-
Tow Capacity: Any robot capable of locomotion can cient. Only half of an XDM’s cargo space counts against
be equipped with a towing rig that allows the robot to a starship’s capacity. The primary limitation to the ben-
drag objects in addition to those it is carrying or other- efits of an XDM is the size of the pod’s door. Because
wise transporting. A robot’s towing capacity is based on the magical space inside an XDM can only be entered
its Strength score, as it is for creatures (see PHB), but is through a single hatch, they end up looking like
25% higher than the value listed, due to this specialized squished cargo modules; one face must be large enough
upgrade. to admit cargo drones and forklifts.
Hostile Environment Module: So-called hostile

Cargo Containers
Anti-Magic Module: Popular both for the transport-
environment modules (HEMs) may actually contain
perfectly habitable environments, but they are designed
to contain and withstand extreme internal atmospheric
conditions. An HEM is an airtight habitat commonly
ing of arcane contraband and for avoiding the attention used to transport alien flora, fauna, or produce.
of magically aided border guards, anti-magic modules Independent Module: An independent module has
have integral items that suppress magical power like an its own engine systems, sensor suites, and robotic oper-
antimagic field does. This protects crews and passengers ations systems, enabling it to be “fired” from a cargo
from potentially dangerous magic without impacting the ship towards a destination within 125,000 miles.
value of the cargo. Indepedent modules have orbital abilities like a satellite
Drop Module: A reinforced hull and aerodynamic module and reentry capabilities like a drop module.
design make this pod suitable for unaccompanied Passenger Module: Used mostly for emergency pur-
descent into a planet’s atmosphere. When loosed from a poses, a passenger module is little more than a cargo
cargo ship, the pilot makes a Pilot check to set the mod- pod with built-in bunks, hooks for hammocks, rudimen-
CHAPTER THREE: EQUIPMENT

ule’s trajectory to the planet. Drop modules must be tary toilets and showers. These accomodations are worth
shuttled back into orbit to be used again. about half of a standard passenger’s berth on a freighter,
Exceptional Gravity Module: Any gravitational or about 50 cr per day.
field between 0g and 4g can be managed by the magical Powered Module: Most external cargo modules are
and technological equipment aboard these modules. A fed power by the shuttling ship’s generators and
layer of magically treated mithral is included in the skin onboard systems, but not this pod. Powered modules are
of an EG module to keep out the overriding enchant- used when the client has agreed to cover energy costs
ment of a starcaster’s antigravity standard. for her cargo, when the shipment has some unusual
Extradimensional Module: These incredible hybrids power need, or when the customer doesn’t want the

Container Cost Minimum Size

Anti-magic module 1 cr per pound +132,000 cr —
Drop module 1.2 cr per pound + 70,000 cr 50 tons
Exceptional gravity module 2 cr per pound 100 tons
Extradimensional module 3 cr per pound 200 (100) tons
Hostile environment module 1.2 cr per pound + 5,000 cr 50 tons
Independent module 1 cr per pound + 160,000 cr 100 tons
Passenger module 1.3 cr per pound + 500 cr per passenger 50tons
Powered module 1.2 cr per pound + 25,000 cr 25 tons
Satellite module 1 cr per pound + 45,000 cr 50 tons
Warded module 1 cr per pound + 70,000 cr —
crew to go meddling with the shipment for any reason. ing the ship’s exit manuevers from Almer Station, a tiny
A powered module is equipped with an independent bit of debris punctures the module’s hull, ruining all of
transmitter and receiver.
Satellite Module: Used for rapid pick-ups and deliv-
the spell effects. The crew doesn’t find out until the evil
sorcerer makes his escape attempt.
41
eries, a satellite module is equipped with computerized

41r41
sensors and thrusters that automatically put the pod into
an orbital position around a planet or moon when it is
detached from the cargo ship.
Special Shipment
Warded Module: When arcane, divine, or other
Endangered marine life needs freighter
supernaturally sensitive objects or creatures need to be
crew with animal handling experience to
moved, a warded module (or “spellbox”) is usually pur-
transport sealed tanks to Outlands planet for
chased for the job. Any cargo pod can be turned into a
re-habitation. Journey is 61 light years.
spellbox, but most spellboxes are specially designed
Animals will require feeding and monitor-
with evil prisoners or profane contraband in mind.
ing. Biological research habitat on the des-
Spellboxes extend the durations of abjuration spells into
tination planet will handle the unloading of
a period of days, rather than minutes or hours. The mod-
the cargo. Non-disclosure contracts must be
ule’s hull becomes the area of the spell. So long as an
signed, as animals are being moved to avoid
abjuration spell is in place, any of the following spells
poachers. Communications silence request-
may take advantage of the module’s longer duration or
ed. Please respond to this signal to apply.
larger area when cast before the module is sealed: con-
secrate, daylight, desecrate, hallow, silence, unhallow.
If a warded module’s hull is ever pierced, all magical
effects centering on it are immediately terminated.
Even open hatches or ventilation systems qualify.
Once the module’s perimeter is violated, the “magi-
cal circuit” collapses. For this reason, warded mod-
ules sometimes require environmental processors
and other self-sufficient devices to keep the mod-
ule from being opened or accessed at any time
during the journey.

CHAPTER THREE: EQUIPMENT

For example: To transport a
fugitive spellcaster from
Almer to Persilom for pick-up
by the ISPD, the divine bounty
hunter chartering the charac-
ters’ freighter rents a spellbox.
First, she casts magic circle
against evil on the warded mod-
ule’s enchanted hull. The ward-
ed module extends the
spell’s duration from 10
minutes per level to
one day per level. Then
she casts silence on the
module, to keep the
spellcaster from cast-
ing any spells from
inside. That spell’s
area is expanded to the
whole module and it’s
duration extended to
one day per level of
the spellcaster.
Unfortunately, dur-
 CHAPTER SIX
42
42l42

VEHICLES
utility van, or are you lugging a fortune in state-of-the-
Introduction art electronics in your Nomad road cruiser?

This section presents new vehicles and vehicle-relat- NOMAD ROAD CRUISER
ed rules. While this chapter was designed primarily with
Built with the Long Road in mind, the Nomad is a
starships in mind, the rules here governing maintenance,
heavy-duty, expandable rig. A squat, durable cab houses
repairs, and customizeable cargo space can be applied to
the driver and up to six passengers in a relatively com-
planetary vehicles as well.
fortable pair of couch-like seats. A sophisticated array of
This chapter’s game mechanics, and game rules
sensor inputs runs the length of the truck’s body, allow-
derived from the d20 System Reference Document, are
ing the driver to maneuver with confidence. Military-
designated as Open Game Content.
grade, dash-mounted monitors offer access to the sensor
CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

data, cargo manifest software, and communications con-

Interstellar Freighters trol. Sleeping compartments for three allow for all-hours
driving in shifts.
The Nomad offers better-than-average top speed and
A tremendous variety of vehicles are in motion
engine performance for its class. It’s range allows for
between the planets of the galaxy at any one moment.
multiple pick-ups and deliveries and several circuits on
This section presents a sampling of different styles and
the Long Road before refueling. It’s towing capacity is
designs for use in any Dragonstar campaign. Every one
considerable. What sets the Nomad apart from other
of these craft (and thousands of others not covered here)
freight-trucks, however, is its modular design. As many
can be found somewhere in the Smuggler’s Run.
as five trailers can be attached in series behind the
Nomad or mounted on its sturdy chassis. In the few
Ground Vehicles years since the nomad was first sold, it has been put into
service on countless Imperial worlds and has been
The Long Road’s circular course across the 10 throne
instrumental in the loading and unloading of starships
worlds is, for some, a slim chance at financial success
on frontier planets.
lined on both sides with concrete barriers, patrolled
Nomad Road Cruiser: Gargantuan Vehicle; hp 100;
fences, and laser-sighted security scanners. The stakes
Top Spd 16; Acc 3; Dec 4; Hand –4; Sensors +2; Stealth
are generally lower here, for the independent trader,
2; AC 15 (–4 size, –5 Dex, +8 natural, +6 armor); SQ
than they are blinking across the galaxy in a starship. On
vehicle, hardness 20; Fuel 400.
the one hand, that makes the lifestyle safer. On the other
Stations: Pilot 1, Passengers 6.
hand, that makes the likelihood of stumbling onto a
Cargo: 500,000 lb. max; 2,000 lb. hold
retirement-inspiring cargo almost nil. At least, on the
Cost: 538,000 cr.
Long Road, you can see all the other hopeful freight dri-
vers stuck in traffic right next to you, so you know
where you stand. Are you shuttling chickens in your
 43

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the old wisdom goes. A ship that can get pounded long
Starships enough to teleport away has at least gotten away.
The variety of different starships designed to meet the The real goal of a freighter captain, though, should be
needs of galactic shipping and trading is overwhelming. to avoid weapons fire altogether. Smugglers especially
For every basic model that has come out of a shipyard, will want to start saving up for improved stealth mea-
there are dozens—sometimes hundreds—of assorted sures for their ship. A ship that isn’t detected, isn’t
modifications, refits, customizations, and alterations to harassed.
be found at every shipping hub and refueling station. Whatever wisdom you choose to follow, the develop-
Some vessels are favored for their flexibility, others for ment process for an interstellar transport ship never
their durability. Some models are the subject of bard’s ends. Systems get upgraded, added on, destroyed,
songs and loving jokes, others are the source of ghost replaced, and so forth forever. Each of these ships was
stories and tales of woe. This freighter captain only trav- built using the vehicle design rules from the
els in those cavernous dwarf-made hulks that are mazes Dragonstar equipment book, Imperial Supply. Use
of internal cargo bays, but that cargo pilot swears she’ll those same rules to modify these ships for your cam-
never put a pound of freight into a built-in hold again. paigns. Once a ship has entered play, the crew will need
No simple system can identify the right ship for a to find a shipyard or major repair facility capable of per-
given outfit or run. No single starship offers the tools to forming the modifications. In the Smuggler’s Run, there
solve or avoid every problem. A few of the different are three such facilities, each with different capabilities.
ships commonly found in the Smuggler’s Run are pre-
sented here, but there are thousands of others out there. OX30-SERIES DOMESTIC FREIGHTER
Use these ships as the basis for new customizations and

CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

The company that manufactured the OX30 went out
variations, or stock them with a crew and fly them as of business almost a century ago, but this is still among
they are. the most common starships. Everywhere in the galaxy,
from the clogged orbits of the central planets to the
MODIFICATIONS silent reaches of the Outlands, there are OX30s in ser-
For the most part, these ships are presented with base- vice. The common joke is that Oxfield Engine Corp
line stats, as if they were new ships just purchased. Of went out of business because no one who bought a so-
course, many (maybe even most) freighter captains do called “star-ox” ever needed to buy another ship ever
mount weapons or special defenses of some sort on their again.
vessels, despite the Imperial laws to the contrary. For its size, the OX30 is expensive. In practice, it’s
Freighters, known for being lunky and slow in flight, worth it. Despite its modest (some say poor) engine per-
see a lot of money spent to improve handling character- formance, this ship has remarkable towing and freight
istics. The big shipping firms, merchant houses, and cor- capabilities. A single fusion engine drives the ship and
porations don’t put a lot of emphasis on speedy star- its systems, resulting in lousy acceleration, poor decel-
ships, so small-time crews often do, just to find a lucra- eration, and a meager maximum speed. The engine runs
tive niche. Most freighters aren’t designed to be fast, the length of the ship’s keel, beneath the cargo module
though. mountings, and ends in a large thruster mouth lined with
Young, hot-shot captains are always spending money maneuvering vents. Thus, the OX30 is somewhat nim-
on armor, and the old-timers laugh about it over drinks. ble for its gerth. It’s also famously tough, built with
A freighter is seldom fast enough to outrun pirates, and frame supports intended for a ship twice its size.
a smuggling outfit will never have enough money to Inside, the OX30 consists of three basic areas: a cen-
outspend the Imperial munitions budget for a single trally located operations space and two flanking series
patrol boat. Better to reinforce the ship’s structural sup- of compartments featuring passenger berths, crew
ports and integral frame (by purchasing more hit points), bunks, a kitchen, and a recreational area/sickbay. The
44
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operations area is made up of, from fore to aft, a short- tugged the ships outside of the local gravity well.
ceilinged cockpit, a cramped chart room (with an astron- During the trip, the crew brought aboard a spare star-
av interface), the starcaster cradle chamber, and the caster rig and prepared the ship for a teleport into deep
fusion engine room. A narrow corridor allows access to space, whether it was designed for it or not.
cargo containers only through human-sized hatches. Although it serves little use in an atmosphere, the
It’s unusual to find unused OX30s available for sale, OX30 is capable of surface deliveries and pick-ups.
though not unheard of. Supposedly, 100 brand-new
units are hanging in orbit over the planet where the KRELLIX HAULER
Oxfield Corporation originated, ready to be sold.
These compact vessels are favored by smugglers and
Regardless, the OX30 is renowned for its ready-to-find
avoided by legitimate cargo pilots. Ownership of a
parts. Parts for the OX30 are available at 50% of stan-
Krellix is seen as an admission of guilt in some juris-
dard costs, and every junkyard in the Empire is teeming
dictions, but only when the ship is seen at all.
with replacement bits. Any character looking for parts
Constructed in small numbers by the lizard folk of Lith,
CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

for an OX30 enjoys a +4 bonus to related Research and

in the Domain of Handor, the Krellix is a naturally
Search checks.
stealthy vessel. Its outer surface is a made up of a green-
OX30 Freighter: Colossal Vehicle; hp 300; Top Spd
black energy-dissipating foil that reflects very little
12; Acc 1; Dec 2; Hand –2; Sensors +4; Stealth 1; AC 3
information for sensors to work with. Trained sensor
(–8 size, –5 Dex, +6 natural); SQ vehicle, hardness 30;
operators are sometimes alerted, in fact, by the strange
Fuel 300,000/3.
dip in sensor readings when a Krellix passes through
Stations: Pilot 1, Sensor 1, Passengers 18.
busy areas. Against a background of deep space, the
Cargo: 1,500 tons (pods).
ship is almost undetectable.
Cost: 5,219,850 cr.
Unfortunately, this is the only major advantage to the
vessel’s design. Crews who’ve served on Krellix haulers
Known Uses report that it absorbs energy from inside the ship, too.
Crew members complain of eerily cold, even drafty,
OX30s see a lot of use as tugs for larger ships. Among conditions aboard ship. That outer skin is somewhat
illicit crews, this is sometimes used to dispose of barren tough, but successful attacks are especially disastrous.
starship hulks after they’ve been stripped down; the Once a puncture or tear has been made in the hull, the
empty hull is dragged on a course towards a star or other ship almost begins to unravel. Its structural frame is
heavy gravity well and set loose. It’s also becoming unfit for a ship of its weight. Damaged Krellix haulers
quite common to find OX30s tugging portable robot often result in dead crews, because the ship’s natural
refineries and other self-contained, massive machine stealth features cannot be deactivated; rescue ships
units. might pass right by.
In 5038 IE, there was a rash of clever starship thefts On board, the Krellix has a uniformly rouned design,
across the galaxy, perpetrated by a trio of OX30s. The with sloped walls, narrow ceilings, and wide floors.
crews secretly boarded starships in repair facilities out- Round, split hatches are the rule, with windows only in
side planetary orbit, jammed communications, and operational areas of the ship. The cockpit places the
 45

45r45
pilot and sensor operator at the front, with two spare erful deceleration rating to move through patrolled grav-
positions available for weapon interfaces. The astronav ity wells as quickly as possible after a teleport; the pilot
system is housed in the cockpit, too, with the starcaster rushes to the edge of a planet’s atmosphere and then
in an odd glassed-in nest below. Passengers and cargo reduces speed during descent to the surface.
are kept in the rear, with engine rooms along the outer
hull. Although the Krellix only carries external cargo LONGSHIP-CLASS FREIGHTER
pods, full-size access doors lead off a corridor and air-
This is one of the most popular commercial freighters
lock in the back of the ship.
among free traders in the Outlands. Longships are ver-
Despite its shortcomings, this vessel has held a loyal
satile, reliable, and proven. In the few years since it was

CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

following for many years. A good number of smuggler
first produced, the Longship-class has replaced at least a
captains swear by their Krellix and have operated for
dozen other ships as the standard vessel in shipping
years without mishap or disaster. Crews in search of a
fleets throughout the companies of the aristocorps.
subtle, nimble ship might be willing to accept the
Longships utilize a mix of internal cargo bays and
Krellix’s limited cargo capacity, fragile body, and mod-
external cargo pods to deal with a wide variety of ship-
est operational range.
ping needs. The class has a reputation for being easy to
Krellix Hauler: Colossal Vehicle; hp 150; Top Spd
operate and pleasant to travel aboard. Passengers willing
15; Acc 3; Dec 4; Hand +2; Sensors +5; Stealth 20; AC
to intermingle with the crew find comfortable bunk
15 (–8 size, –5 Dex, +18 natural); SQ vehicle, hardness
spaces and spacious recreational room. Ship systems are
30; Fuel 200,000/3.
simple and easy to upgrade; every component was
Stations: Pilot 1, Sensor 1, Passengers 10.
designed to be replaced and augmented.
Cargo: 300 tons (pods).
Longship Freighter: Colossal II Vehicle; hp 300;
Cost: 3,204,850 cr.
Top Spd 10; Acc 2; Dec 2; Hand –2; Sensors +4; Stealth
1; AC 4 (–16 size, –5 Dex, +15 natural); SQ vehicle,
Known Uses hardness 40; Fuel 300,000/3.
Stations: Pilot 1, Sensor 2, Crew 15, Passenger 20.
Since Krellix captains are rarely concerned with the Cargo: 1,500 tons (max); 200 tons (hold).
law, weapons are commonplace on this model. Although Cost: 4,929,850 cr.
it rarely works twice, the Krellix’s powerful decelera-
tion system (stemming from its forward-facing
thrusters) allows it to slow down beneath pursuing ships
Known Uses
and open up with forward-mounted weapons. More
Longships are a good choice for small crews that want
often, though, Krellix captains use that unusually pow-
to remain independent. Unlike some other vessels, the
 46
CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES 46l46
 47

47r47
Longship is an easy to place to call home. Small-time Iron Dragon Freighter: Colossal III Vehicle; hp 400;
outfits can purchase the standard model Longship at Top Spd 10; Acc 3; Dec 3; Hand –8; Sensors +2; Stealth
yards throughout the galaxy, and sell the external cargo 6; AC 3 (–32 size, –5 Dex, +20 natural, +10 armor); SQ
containers back right there on the spot (see Cargo Space, vehicle, hardness 50; Fuel 500,000/5*.
below) in many cases cutting 2 million credits off the Stations: Pilot 1, Crew 25, Passengers 5.
purchase price. It’s less comonly known that the Cargo: 2,300 tons (pods).
Longship has been specifically designed with excellent Cost: 5,569,850 cr., 7,860,700 cr. (with rover)
mounting points for weapons; the designers knew what
their customers want in a starship. It costs 5% less to Iron Hatchling Rover: Colossal Vehicle; hp 200;
mount weapons aboard a Longship if only Gargantuan Top Spd 20; Acc 3; Dec 1; Hand +0; Sensors +5; Stealth
or smaller weapons are used. 10; AC 3 (–8 size, –5 Dex, +6 natural); SQ vehicle,
hardness 30; Fuel 200,000/3.
IRON DRAGON-CLASS FREIGHTER Stations: Pilot 1, Sensor 1, Passengers 5.
Cargo: 5 tons (hold)
In the same family as the Longship, but from a differ-
Cost: 2,290,850 cr., 7,860,700 cr. (with body)
ent manufacturer, the Iron Dragon is an increasingly

CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

popular ship with well-funded smugglers and legal
traders who don’t like to put down roots. Iron Dragons Known Uses
offer a great deal of cargo capacity using only external
containers. Inside are the more comfortable accomoda- Smugglers like the Iron Dragon for its Hatchling’s use
tions modern crews are coming to expect. as a scout ship. Contraband can be left in the dead of
What sets the Iron Dragon apart from the other ships space where no one will find it while the crew prowls
in the field is its detachable starship rover, called an Iron ahead to the next port and has a look at the presence of
Hatchling. The Hatchling houses the essential starship law enforcement or customs forces. Unfortunately, the
operations equipment for the vessel, from the cockpit Hatchling has also altered the traditional methods of
and the crew bunks to the starcaster and its astronav. pirates who prey on Iron Dragons. Typically it’s not in a
When attached to the Dragon, both ships use the pirate’s best interests to deal severe damage to a
Hatchling’s sensors score and the Dragon’s handling freighter because the cargo might be lost. By targeting
and engine characteristics. the Hatchling first, however, marauders can chop of the
If attacked, each vessel takes damage independently Dragon’s head and then make off with its hoard.
from the other, so that the Hatchling may escape even if
the Dragon is destroyed. The Hatchling’s engines were BLUEBACK CONSUMER TRANSPORTER
specifically designed for rapid acceleration. The Blueback is among the largest civilian vehicles
On board, the Iron Dragon is somewhat curiously hauling freight in the known galaxy, when they’re used
designed. The vessel’s sickbay is set apart from the rest for that. The original Bluebacks were based on a pair of
of the ship by the length of the cargo access corridor. mysterious starships found adrift in the distant Olung
The design document says this puts patients near the air- system at the outer edge of the domain of Noros. The
lock for emergency access by rescue ships, but rumors origins of those ships were never determined, as most of
abound that the sickbay was an afterthought, added to their internal components had been stripped away. The
compete with the Longship class’s celebrated interiors.
 48
CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES 48l48
outer hull design, however, was the direct inspiration for Stations: Pilot 1, Crew 100, Passengers 400.
the Blueback Consumer Transport. Cargo: 40,000 tons
Blueback’s have an enormous volume of interior
space, but it is only sometimes used for cargo. The
Cost: 83,259,900 cr.
Weapon: Torpedo bay; Fire arc: front; Damage:
49
sloped from of a Blueback opens up like a huge mouth 6d10x5

49r49
to accept cargo containers and smaller ships for tele-
ports across the galaxy. Within this mouth is a vast Known Uses
empty space, above and behind which are the ship’s
habitable compartments. Airlocks, moutning brackets, Bluebacks carry starships without the means to tele-
and docking claws line the inside of the Blueback’s port themselves to other systems. Some Blueback crews
“belly,” allowing the crews of ferried starships to visit haul freight directly, as well, but that’s not why a com-
the recreational and refreshment facilities of the ship. pany shells out the money for this presitgious and novel
Inside, a Blueback is streamlined and handsome, built design. Of course it was only a matter of time until the
from blue-gray alloys and attractive modern fixtures. Imperial Legions were proven correct, and they have
Passenger compartments are spacious and comfortable, been. Reports of an unfinished Blueback transport cap-
though most look out into the vehicle’s interior space, turing ships in the Outlands are filtering in to the
which can sometimes be disorienting for novice travel- Empire. No one’s sure where the ship came from, if it
ers. Bluebacks are crewed by a combination of robot was manufactured, or if it’s of the same origin as the
servants and pleasant, corporate employees. Only the first, inspirational starships.
largest commercial fleets can afford even a single
Blueback, and it’s been reported that less than 10 of
these ships exist throughout the Dragon Empire. LANCER-CLASS ELITE TRANSPORT
The Imperial Legions do not approve of the Blueback When the Dragon Empire finally puts its full weight
design, but the Emperor has kept them from restricting into the Smuggler’s Run, it will be with Lancer-class
the movement of the vessels. Bluebacks rival some of elite transports. These severe vessels are the newest in
the greatest Imperial ships in several key characteristics, the Empire’s commercial (that is, non-military) fleets
such as size and handling. Bluebacks also feature a for- and sport many features that make them attractive to
ward-facing torpedo bay in their standard design, which travelers, colonists, and noble tourists.
is technically illegal. The manufacturers claim it is Designed with one eye on vessels like the Longship-
intended to carry low-yield explosives for the purpose class and the Iron Dragon, Lancers are built for speed

CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

of displacing stellar obstacles such as asteroids. That first and actual tonnage second. By Imperial reckoning,
may even be true, but the Legions don’t like it. it’s fine for a long line of ships to be required to carry
Whenever a Blueback enters an Imperial-occupied sys- the taxes and treasures out of new markets if it gets
tem, the local military presence goes on guard. some of that fresh wealth into the Emperor’s hands right
Blueback Transport: Colossal IV Vehicle; hp 600; away. Plus, faster ships can run down the competition,
Top Spd 12; Acc 3; Dec 3; Hand –5; Sensors +8; Stealth which speaks to the other half of the Lancer’s design
16; AC 17 (–64 size, –5 Dex, +60 natural, +16 armor); mandate: to shepherd from within the herd, so to speak.
SQ vehicle, hardness 60; Fuel 400,000/10. Every tenth Lancer or so is actually crewed with cus-
50
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CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

toms inspectors and surveillance operatives tasked with turret; Attack bonus: +5 (targeting computer); Damage:
monitoring spacer traffic in the Run. 6d10x2; Range: 10.
Lancers are all carbon-black metal, brushed steel, and
fine leather. Richly appointed officer and guest accomo- Known Uses
dations are intended to host traveling nobility and meet-
ings with the indigenous former leaders of newly con- Although already serving multiple roles as freighters,
quered holdings. Control surfaces come from the inspectors, dignitary ships, and scouts, Lancers are also
Empire’s military surplus warehouses and internal secu- believed to be carrying ISPD spies into the Run. In a
rity is tight. Powerful, efficient fusion engines break up few systems in Asamet, Lancers have been retrofitted
the stark lines of the ship’s outer hull. Two-headed laser for use as gunships. They perform reasonably well in
batteries mounted in dorsal and ventral turrets dissuade this capacity so long as hostile forces are not expecting
pirate attacks and bring down illegal salvage operations. them. Lancers have excellent stealth capabilities for ves-
In the rounded conning tower, sensitive sensor palettes sels of their size, but when outgunned they have little
watch for suspicious flight plans or skulking starships. resources to rely on other than their speed. That’s the
Lancer Transport: Colossal II Vehicle; hp 300; Top real danger of a Lancer in the hands of a clever captain:
Spd 20; Acc 4; Dec 4; Hand –4; Sensors +8; Stealth 18; Lancers are hard to spot and hard to outrun.
AC 16 (–16 size, –5 Dex, +12 natural, +15 armor); SQ
vehicle, hardness 40; Fuel 500,000/4.
Stations: Pilot 1, Crew 70, Passengers 130. ANVIL-CLASS FACTORY SHIP
Cargo: 1,050 tons; 50 ton hold. This is the sprawling, ugly factory ship the average
Cost: 5,074,850 cr. citizen pictures when huge dwarven spaceships are
Weapon: 2 twin laser cannons (batteries); Fire arc: mentioned. The Anvil-class is hardly a starship in
appearance. From the outside, it appears as a knot of
machinery in space. Exhaust gases and fluids pour into
space seemingly at random. Engines jut out from
between lengths of iron pipe. Everything tapers subtlely
towards the top of the ship; to the detail-oriented dwar-
Starship Operations 51
Basic starship operations require routine maintenance
ven eye, this gives the Anvil a mountain-like appear- and monitoring to prevent ship systems from breaking

51r51
ance. down. The enormous ships that teleport cargo across the
Inside, dwarven factory ships don’t feel much like galaxy are at once extremely complex, highly general-
starships. Portholes are scarce as most of the habitat is ized, and extraordinarily durable. Starships are built
deep inside the vessel. Hard space is used to cool some with redundant systems to prevent catastrophic failures
of the enormous equipment these ships lug around. and use standardized parts whenever possible. A sur-
Some factory ships are dedicated to a single, complicat- prising number of common starship components use
ed product, while others manufacture assortments of interchangeable parts. This keeps crews from having to
items. Dwarven workers and their families live for years keep large quantities of specialized, single-purpose parts
on these ships, sometimes going months in deep space on board.
without a teleport or any contact with the outside world. Guidelines for starship maintenance and repair follow
Anvil-class ships are notoriously difficult to get in this next section. These rules deal with repairs
around in, except for dwarves. It seems like everything abstractly to keep the focus of the game on the choices
is too hot to touch, covered in grease, or ready to grind of the characters in charge of the ship. These rules
up a finger. Corridors abruptly end or change dimen- explain how to deal with ship-wide maintenance issues
sions to accomodate new or expanded equipment. and generalized repairs to a starship. DMs should over-
Everything is functional, everything works. ride these rules for those situations that call for more
Factory ships are incredibly self-sufficient, storing precise details or repairs to specific starship compo-
years’ worth of food and fuel. Emissions can be careful- nents. In those cases, refer to the Repair rules in the
ly regulated to provide a good degree of stealth. In the Starfarer’s Handbook (pages 82 and 161–162).
event of attack (it’s very rare), Anvils have little to rely The game mechanics and rules in this section are des-
on except their endurance. All tonnage is internal, ignated as Open Game Content. The descriptive text
though the volume is actually quite low. When the holds surrounding those rules is closed content.
fill up, it’s time for the ship to stop off and begin selling
its products. Factory ships need multiple starcasters and
astronavs installed in order to get around; one round-trip Maintenance

CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

journey by teleport just about exhausts a starcaster. As a starship’s mileage increases, its parts begin to
Dwarven Factory Ship: Colossal V Vehicle; hp 800; wear out or break. The more complex a starship is, the
Top Spd 6; Acc 1; Dec 1; Hand –10; Sensors +7; Stealth more elaborate the routine diagnostics, check-ups, and
15; AC 20 (–128 size, –5 Dex, +143 natural); SQ vehi- tunings it requires. Regular care keeps a starship work-
cle, hardness 80; Fuel 1,000,000/20. ing in top order, but most freighter crews can’t afford
Stations: Pilot 1, Sensor 4, Crew 990, Passengers the constant supplies or parts the factory recommends
1,000. for proper maintenance. To keep costs down, a starship
Cargo: 16,000 tons (hold). mechanic must carefully gauge the importance of main-
Cost: 81,701,380 cr. taining a system against the cost of actually performing
the maintenance.
Known Uses Starships in perfect working order require mainte-
nance at regular intervals to prevent the vehicle’s per-
At least two factory ships are traveling around in the formance from degrading. Maintenance is based on the
Run. Sometimes their captains contact freighters to existing starship characteristics you’re already familiar
retrieve supplies or ferry passengers to Persilom or with. How long a vessel has gone without being main-
Monscrome for short business trips. On occassion, visi- tained is described by a maintenance DC that increases
tors need to be brought to and from the factory. The along with a vehicle’s mileage. A successful Repair
medical facilities on factory ships can become over- check resets the DC to zero, but at a cost in time and
whelmed in a hurry if a serious accident takes place on credits. If maintenance is neglected, systems suffer crit-
board. ical effects (Starfarer’s Handbook, page 161) that grow
progressively worse. If the routine repairs aren’t suffi-
cient for the wear and tear on the vehicle, break-downs
occur.
 DETERMINING THE MAINTENANCE DC usually somewhere in the tens of thousands, spread out
over the period that the maintenance DC builds up.
The maintenance DC is the difficulty of the Repair
52 check needed to return an undamaged ship to regular
The expense of maintaining an elaborate starship
means that small-time crews often have to put off mak-
working order. Every 100,000 miles of travel raises the
ing repairs and performing routine work. The more
DC one point. Because the starcaster is an arcane device
52l52

skilled the mechanic, the longer a ship can go on each

and the light years that it crosses aren’t actually moved
maintenance expense. A ship that travels two million
through, teleporting does not count towards the mainte-
miles or more on routine upkeep begins to save money
nance DC. Especially difficult maneuvers, and most
over the cost of repairs.
mishaps resulting from failed maneuvers, add one point
The maintenance cost is paid at the start of a new
to the maintenance DC, at the DM’s discretion. The
maintenance cycle, when the DC has just reset to zero.
maintenance DC should rarely, if ever, go up more than
When the Repair check is finally made—no matter how
one point at a time.
much time has gone by—those supplies are finally
exhausted and the process begins again.
PERFORMING MAINTENANCE
Maintenance is performed with a Repair check and BREAKDOWNS
generally requires 20 or 30 minutes per point of the DC,
If a starship’s maintenance DC ever reaches 30, or if
depending on the size of the ship. Maintenance is an
the Repair check to perform maintenance is ever failed,
investigative process that requires the mechanic to
the vehicle’s performance begins to suffer and systems
examine devices all over the ship, but can usually be
break down. Performance drops are handled like critical
interrupted and returned to without any loss of progress.
hits in combat, except the damage originates within the
If the maintenance Repair check is successful, the main-
ship’s systems. No hit points are lost and hardness does
tenance is completed without difficulty. If the Repair
not help. One random system is affected as if it had suf-
check fails, the check total is used to determine how
fered a light critical hit. Fortunately for freighters,
much time passes before problems arise.
breakdowns in cargo systems only damage the cargo if
Maintenance isn’t something that happens during dra-
it’s in a controlled environment powered by the ship’s
matic or dangerous situations, and so the mechanic in
systems, not an independent cargo pod.
charge can normally take 10 on her Repair roll.
For every two points the maintenance DC is raised
beyond the value that caused the break down, things get
MAINTENANCE COSTS
CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

worse. Roll again to determine which system degrades.

Every time a Repair check is made to maintain ship’s Systems always fail one order of magnitude at a time,
systems, tools break, spare parts get used, supplies of beginning with light damage.
lubricant are exhausted, and other valuable resources are If a vessel with no weapon systems rolls a weapons
used up. This costs 1/100th the total value of the ship. result on the critical hit location table (Starfarer’s
For ground cars and small hovercraft, that’s not so much Handbook, page 161) then no breakdown occurs. Do not
money. For a multi-million dollar starship, the cost is re-roll.
Once a ship begins to suffer system damage, mainte-
nance cannot stop it. Successful Repair checks may
reset the maintenance DC to zero but the critical damage
Condition Cost DC will still need to be properly repaired.
Light critical X* 10
Moderate critical
Heavy critical
X*
X*
15
20
Cost of Repairs
Severe critical X* 25 The Starfarer’s Handbook gives the DM control over
Catastrophic critical X* 30 the cost and time involved in making repairs. This sec-
Substitute parts 75%** +5 tion offers some guidelines on which to base those costs.
Used parts 50%** +10 Starships are as complex as mechanists are ingenious,
No parts 25%** +15 however, so there is a way by which this cost can be cut.
The cost of repairs assumes new, proper parts are avail-
*Where X is 5% of the ship’s cost able to be used in the repair job and that the damage to
**Percentage of X be repaired is enough to render the object almost use-
less. With used or substituted parts, however, a skilled
mechanic can save quite a lot of money.
 To determine the cost of critical repairs, follow these
instructions. It’s a good idea to perform these calcula-
tions before they’re necessary, and keep the relevant
values on hand for future use. First, divide the cost of
Cargo Capacity and Usage 53
the ship by 20. This is the cost to repair one critical with
Buying Cargo Capacity

53r53
new replacement parts on hand. At 75% cost, related but
similar parts can be substituted for the correct parts, but A ship cannot carry more tons of cargo than its frame
this adds 5 to the Repair DC. For 50% fewer credits, was originally designed to accomodate unless the ship
used parts can fill in for new parts, but this adds 10 to undergoes a major overhaul at a shipyard. Maximum
the DC. For just 25% of the cost, the mechanic can cargo allowance must be purchased when a vehicle is
attempt to repair the damage with no replacement parts first designed, at a rate of 1 credit per pound of cargo
whatsoever, though this adds 15 to the Repair DC. capacity. (There are 2,000 pounds in a ton.) Individual
cargo containers and cargo hold refits aren’t purchased
PARTS ON HAND when you’re designing the ship, that usually happens
The cost of critical repairs has been generalized to during play or between adventures. Once the ship’s
make bookkeeping easy for players and their characters. maximum cargo capacity has been determined, that
Rather than be forced to limp back to a repair facility with capacity must be divided between interior cargo holds
failed systems and severe damage, a starship can carry and exterior cargo bays. This division of space is more-
replacement parts on board. These are recorded as a cred- or-less final (see Cargo Hold Refits, below).
it value that can be spent on repairs, according to DM
approval, that the ship’s engineer performs while the ship
is in flight. Some repairs cannot be made while a ship is
Cargo Holds
in motion or without a spacewalk. This value can be A cargo hold is the space within a starship specifical-
dipped into to cover maintenance costs, as well, and is ly meant for hauling cargo. Dedicated cargo ships are
generally a large portion of a ship’s operating budget. often designed with multiple holds capable of lugging
different types of goods, materials, and passengers
across the deep empty.
IN PRACTICE
For example: Bern is the engineer of a Longship
freighter worth 4,000,000 credits that’s just passed the Cargo Hold Refits

CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

two-million-mile mark (maintenance DC 20). Bern’s Cargo holds don’t have the same level of flexibility as
held off on some important maintenance and decides that granted by a cargo pod, but they are often more
now’s the time. He rolls his Repair skill and gets just a secure and never subject to the price-jacking that some-
17. The ship develops a slight tremble that within a few times goes on in crooked starports. Cargo holds can be
hours is a terrible shaking. The ship’s control systems refit to offer most of the same specialized features as a
are overworked and slowly beginning to fail. To fix this cargo pod, such as an independent generator or environ-
light critical, Bern needs 200,000 credits’ worth of new mental processors. It costs money every time a cargo
impulse conduction cables. Fortunately, he’s got some hold gets remodeled, however, so it’s usually not smart
used ones in his engine room, so he uses those instead to go ahead with a refit unless the new features can be
(100,000 credits out of the ship’s 130,000-credit reserve used on several runs in a row.
of parts and equipment) and attempts the Repair check It costs .5 credits per pound of cargo capacity to be
(normally DC 10) with a +10 modifier to the DC (20, refit, plus the cost of the specialized features to be
now). He rolls his Repair skill this time and succeeds installed (as listed in Chapter Three). To return a cargo
with a 22! The DM decides that this problem can be bay to its original, non-specialized condition, the original
fixed while the ship is in flight and tells Bern’s player space must be repurchased at a rate of .25 credits per
that the job will take about 24 hours. If Bern had been pound. To turn one sort of specialized cargo bay into
able to make that DC 20 Repair check for routine main- another type of specialized cargo bay, the space must first
tenance, he would have spent just 40,000 credits’ worth be stripped and then rebuilt. This process can generally be
of spare parts. done in one day for every 100 tons’ worth of space.
 Thus there are countless salvage opportunities floating
Cargo Pods about the vast reaches between the worlds.
54 A cargo pod or module is a self-contained structure
usually latched to a vessel’s outer hull at mounting
brackets. A pod has its own hull, airlocks, and some- Picking Up and Dropping Off
54l54

times even power systems. Pods can be linked to one Cargo pods attach to a cargo ship’s mounting brackets
another to form large storage networks like a series of using male-female magnetic constrictors that automati-
warehouse spaces. Sometimes these pods are the prop- cally detect mated units within a certain proximity. To
erty of the customer, like the cargo inside. Sometimes, a successfully pick up a cargo pod, the freighter must
starship captain owns his own assortment of containers enter the square the pod is in and come to a stop. A Pilot
stored at ports across the galaxy. check (DC 10) is required to line up the ship with the
Although a starship may be capable of hauling an pod. This check is affected by speed and handling mod-
enormous mass of cargo, it does not always have occas- ifiers. Magnetic constrictors hold the pod’s male con-
sion to. The largest benefit of the modular cargo con- nectors in a magnetic field that allow the pod to be
tainers used in space freight is the ability to sell off por- turned until airlocks and hatches match up. The connec-
tions of a ship’s cargo capacity for money. A ship that tions then seal and the pod cannot be repositioned unless
teleports with only half a hold’s worth of cargo is losing it is disconnected and reacquired.
money; selling off some of that empty space helps dif- Dropping a pod off the ship is much easier, requiring
fuse the loss. a free Pilot check (DC 10). If this check is successful,
the pod just drifts free of the vessel. If this check fails,
the pod and the ship bump each other, causing the pilot
Buying & Selling Cargo Pods to suffer a –5 to any other Pilot checks made that round.
Once the total amount of space dedicated to cargo
pods has been determined, that space may be broken
down over virtually any number of cargo containers in
For Sale
any combination over the life of the ship. Cargo con-
Large supply of used cargo pods for sale.
tainers may be bought or sold for particular shipping
Prices very reasonable, 50% of standard or
runs. New containers are purchased at the price listed in
best offer. Collection includes three 300-ton
Chapter Three and resold for 75% of the purchase price,
standard, linking pods with vehicle ramps.
minus damages. Used containers are bought for 75% of
CHAPTER FOUR: VEHICLES

One damaged passenger module with bunks

the purchase price and sold for 50% of the purchase
and toilets for six. Two habitational HEMs,
price. After a pod has been through enough runs, it’s
used for planting, need cleaning. Anti-
broken down and recycled into new pods.
magic module with moderate water dam-
age. Independent pod with passenger har-
Damage to Cargo Pods nesses, used once. All sales are absolutely
final.
Cargo pods are more vulnerable to danger and dam-
ages than cargo bays. When a starship carrying a cargo
pod takes damage, so does the cargo pod. Determine
what percentage of the ship’s hit points were lost to the
nearest 10%, then reduce the resale value of the pod by
half that percentage. When cargo pods are the recipients
of critical hits, whole cargo pods go spinning off into
space, losing both the cost of the pod and the cost of the
cargo.
Cargo pods don’t afford any protection to a starship or
increase its hit points. Hit points are an abstraction that
measures how far a vessel is from breaking down com-
pletely. The addition of cargo pods doesn’t make a ship
more able to withstand systems failure or torpedo hits.
Because the pods are not part of a ship’s operational
systems, they might not even be affected if a ship loses
all of its hit points and drifts off into the deep empty.
 CHAPTER FIVE
55

55r55
THE SMUGGLER’S RUN
Introduction Overview
The Smuggler’s Run is a reach of space containing There are five star systems in the Run, each one
five star systems in a precarious balance of circum- unique and supporting a different level of habitation.
stances. The Empire has an interest in moving into the Persilom is the portal to the region. It’s the closest to
region and claiming its wealth, but not such an interest civilized space and very much like an ordinary, modern
that the manpower has yet been diverted. The ancient world in the Empire. The trains run on time, the work-
and vast Gevise mercantile fleet moved into the area to ers have jobs, and the people are safe. The planet has a
capitalize on new business opportunities, but has found lot of people with money to spend.

CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN

that not opening up the market may be more profitable Monscrome is the functional outpost that makes it all
for now. Free traders are working to forge lasting rela- possible. It’s the hub for the whole region, a major refu-
tionships in the region before the largest freight compa- eling and repair facility, and an active economic center
nies arrive and run them out of business. When Imperial in its own right. No one comes to the Run to see
law finally, formally comes to the Run, local customers Monscrome, but just about everyone ends up seeing it
in search of contraband will turn to their trusted, discreet sooner or later.
business associates before they turn to the big compa- Almer Station is the reason people came to the Run
nies. Or so every would-be smuggler hopes. in the first place. Actually a collection of space stations
The whole region is like a house of stacked credit and outposts scattered throughout the Tarnahan system,
chips. Everyone wants the chips, but no one wants to this is a network of legitimate businesses that covers for
bring it all crashing down. a variety of illegal outfits. Almer Station itself is tucked
into the ring system of Tarnahan III.
Cediva is the draw for tourists and passengers and the

DISTANCES IN THE RUN

Persilom Monscrome Almer Station Cediva Chadra
Persilom — 8 LY 27 LY 12 LY 40 LY
Monscrome 8 LY — 11 LY 22 LY 32 LY
Almer Station 27 LY 11 LY — 30 LY 50 LY
Cediva 12 LY 22 LY 30 LY — 12 LY
Chadra 40 LY 32 LY 50 LY 12 LY —
 hook on which House Gevise has hung its plans for the of new inhabitants that settled Persilom represent every
region. It’s a primitive planet with a peaceful and ele- major race in the Dragon Empire, while Monscrome is a
56 gant civilization that has no idea what’s going on around
it.
crossroads where any would-be adventurer could go
looking for transport to excitement.
Chadra is the best-kept secret in the territory. It’s a Themed campaigns within the region include the
56l56

lush planet alone it its star system and it’s teeming with obvious ship of free traders, scoundrels, and smugglers.
natural resources to plunder. It also houses some arcane The PCs could also start out as low-level hands in the
secrets that would bring agents of the Emperor to the Gevise merchant family’s local ventures or as passen-
region in an instant if word of them got out. gers bound for Cediva when disaster strikes. What if the
players are the first representatives from Qesemet, sent

How to Use the Run to lay a foundation of tolerance and cooperation before
Mezzenbone’s conquerors arrive?

Persilom
DMs can import the Smuggler’s Run into your their
campaign in whole or in part. You can begin a new cam-
paign with the Run as your starting point, or you can
play out a whole campaign that decides the fate of the This is the civilized pinnacle of the Run. Locals here
region. Use as much or as little of the region as you like, don’t consider themselves part of some backwater
then store, discard, or remodel the rest. freighter circuit but rather citizens of the Dragon
The individual planets in the Run have connections Empire. The planet was founded in the first year of
that can easily be stretched out over many more light Mezzenbone’s reign and has artificially grown since
years or severed completely. You could decide to place then into a black, glass array of spindly skyrises. The
Persilom in the heart of Qesemet and steal Cediva for primary industry on Persilom is programming and data
use in an adventure you have planned to take place in anaylsis—everything else supports the information cor-
black dragon territory. porations based there. Young programmers and engi-
As a whole, the Smuggler’s Run is presented as a neers were persuaded by the promise of lucrative jobs
reach of space with one foot in the Dragon Empire and and a comfortable home. They got it.
one foot in the Outlands, but the distance between sys- The planet was a virtually featureless orb of soil when
CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN

tems should be scaled to the power level of your game. the Royal Exploratory Service found it. The Persilom
The planets should be closer together for a low-level metropolis was built out of prefabricated parts in less
game to keep the Use Device DCs for teleports low. than a decade. Since then the planet has expanded
Remember that you can influence how quickly the quickly due to its very low cost of living. There’s little
region is explored by how far apart the planets are. to do on Persilom, but it’s cheap.
High-level characters can hop confidently over light House Gevise does quite well catering to the youg
years that would block an inexperiened navigator. rich here. Luxury items such as fine foods, soaps, and
You’ll find the imminent expansion of the Dragon apparel from the center of civilization are brought in 10
Empire into the rest of the region more ominous and or 20 tons at a time for the trendy locals. The real big
exciting if you place the Run on the edge of Asamet business, though, is the artificial fad House Gevise
space somewhere, but if the PCs in your campaign are orchestrated. Persilomnites are currently obsessed with
mostly chaotic (or even evil), then the forthcoming furniture, art, and crafts from nearby Cediva. Gevise
arrival of representatives from Qesemet can be just as merchants organize vacation packages to the planet and
interesting. run elaborate spas there. Persilom imports much of its
An easy way to bring the Run into an existing cam- food from Cediva, too.
paign is to place one terminal of Outlands Station Routine shipments of foodstuffs and less essential
(Guide to the Galaxy, page 64) in the Persilom system. goods come in from the Empire on private and giant
Players might come to this corner of the universe commercial freighters. Persilom produces almost none
through the station’s portals and end up crewing their of the essential goods necessary to keep a city of its size
own ship by some twist of fate. Easier still, they might functioning.
just visit the region for an adventure or two, all the while The strange thing about Persilom is the nature of its
getting flown around by a chartered ship with some Imperial presence. The Empire maintains simple offices
strange cargo on board. on the planet and patrols the system for smugglers and
Players can tie their characters into the region by hav- pirates, but for a world that was meant to be the first step
ing them hail from Persilom or Monscrome or linking in a bold expansion of the Empire, nothing much has
them to the slum stations around Almer. The first waves happened there for 30 years. Theories abound, but the
Persilom Monscrome 57
Planet Name: Persilom I Planet Name: Ipsis Minor

57r57
Planet Type: Terrestrial Planet Type: Terrestrial
Size: Medium Size: Small
Gravity: Standard Gravity: Standard
Atmospheric Density: Thin Atmospheric Density: Standard
Atmospheric Composition: Breathable Atmospheric Composition: Breathable
Geology: Flat Geology: Very rugged
Hydrosphere: Wet Hydrosphere: Very Dry
Biosphere: Scarce Biosphere: Scarce
Population: Moderate Population: Low
Technology: Imperial Technology: Imperial
Magic: Moderate Magic: Low

PORT PORT
AL: LN AL: N
Skill level: +10 Skill level: +8
Integrity: 20 Integrity: 15
Security: CR 3 Security: CR 3
Taxes: 8% Taxes: 5%

MARKET MARKET
Export: Information, electronics Export: Double commercial
Import: Foodstuffs, luxury items, supplies (starship parts)

CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN

double unique (Cedivan Import: Foodstuffs, entertainment
crafts, furniture) Volume: 100,000 tons
Volume: 60,000 tons
RECENT HEADLINES
RECENT HEADLINES TWO BODIES FOUND BURIED IN
IMPERIAL LANCER TO TAKE ON SCRAP BENEATH MONTSCROLL
PASSENGERS FOR SCENIC TOUR OF
THE PERSILOM SYSTEM. ALMER STATION SINGER LINAH
APPEARING ONE NIGHT ONLY
PERSILOM-BASED SOFTWARE
CORPORATION WINS RARE IMPERIAL INSPECTION TURNS
IMPERIAL SPELLBOOK DEVELOP- UP CARGO POD LOADED WITH
MENT CONTRACT. DEAD STOWAWAYS FROM CEDIVA

CHARTER SHIP BOUND FOR CIVILIAN STARSHIP DESTROYED

CEDIVA DISAPPEARS, PRESUMED IN IMPERIAL PURSUIT OF AREA
VICTIMS OF PIRACY SMUGGLING OUTFIT

FOOD PRICES SETTLE AFTER UNUSED STARCASTER FOUND IN

THREE GEVISAN SHIPS ADDED TO REMOTE MONSCROME JUNK PILE
LOCAL MERCHANT FLEET
 58
CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN 58l58
most popular hold that Mezzenbone intentionally want-
ed to create a city of programmers that was cut off from
the bulk of society. For what purpose, no one is saying.
It seems clear to those who keep an eye on the planet, Almer Station 59
though, that the Empire is maintaining a low profile Planet Name: Tarnahan V

59r59
there. Planet Type: Gas Giant
In person, Persilom is all shiny buildings, glassed-in Size: Very large
courtyards, and stylish House Gevise public emporiums. Gravity: Extreme
There’s money to be made there for the private trader, if Atmospheric Density: Very dense
she’s willing to put up with long lines, strict behavior, Atmospheric Composition: Hostile
overanxious security forces, and a lot of careful scrutiny Geology: Flat
via tiny sensors and cameras. Persilom is a city built on Hydrosphere: Very dry
data and is thoroughly wired. Someone is always watch- Biosphere: Very scarce
ing and, if you believe the stories they tell on Almer Population: Very low
Station, that someone lives on Draconis. Technology: Imperial
Magic: Low

Monscrome PORT
AL: CN
Monscrome is a classic freighter captain’s kind of
town. The whole of the planet, like Persilom, exists to Skill level: +10
support a single settlement. Unlike Persilom, that settle- Integrity: 10
ment sprawls and winds through 5,000 miles of aimless Security: CR 6
canyons, steep ravines, and sheer cliffs. Taxes: 3%
Monscrome was founded years before Persilom as a
backwater salvage yard and stopping point for travelers MARKET
on the long teleport back to civilization. For a century Export: Military supplies (illegal),
corporations have been dropping damaged, ruined, or commercial supplies,
unpopular starship parts into the canyons of

CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN

entertainment
Monscrome. Now, Monscrome’s primary settlement— Import: Foodstuffs, electronics,
Montscroll Station—is among the best-equipped refit heavy equipment
stations in a 10 light year radius. Parts for just about Volume: 20,000 tons
every ship in the galaxy can be found on Monscrome if
you dig deep enough, long enough.
The settlements on Monscrome house some 500,000 RUMORS
or so mechanists, rangers, pilots, repair men, dock “I hear it that Janni girl’s got blood with the
workers, deadbeats, and others. From just about any fellas who own Almer. I hear she’s set for life,
vantage point, Montscroll looks like an enormous, mile- travels the stars just for fun.”
deep corridor of brown rock beneath a flawless blue sky.
The winds are phenomenal, and Monscromers have a “You think the rings have a bit of mithral?
tendency to yell as a result. Nah, man, they’re full to bursting. They say
The buildings of Montscroll cling to the rock face of that to keep the dragons away.”
the canyons, disappear into gorges and cracks, and come
out again further down the stretch. Landing pads stretch “That liquid mithral talk is just static. I hear
across the gap from one cliff face to the other, lined with liquid mithral throws ‘casters off. Can’t ‘port
ships heavier than specifications should allow to dock. straight with liquid mithral.”
Beneath these hang precarious gangways and access lad-
ders. Jutting from the rocky surface above the canyon are “That Janni once lit a guy up with a laser
squat control towers. Hotels poke through the rock face right here in this bar. Cause he said something
so pilots can look out at their ships. Below it all, like an about her being a make-believe captain. Saw
unmoving, jagged river of steel, is the swollen collection it myself. True story.”
of scrap and starship parts that keeps Monscrome in busi-
ness. When local mechanics work on ships, they just toss
old parts over their shoulders and off the station.
 Monscrome has little to no social scene. Entertainment gutted at the bottom of the local hotels. Virtually every
is desperately lacking. Rundown, closed-up venues sit shop on the planet offers holographic plays, books, and
60 recorded music for sale. When very large ships come in,
the crews fill up the small bars on the planet to talk shop
with the small-time operators passing through. When the
60l60

ships are in, Monscrome is a good place to get news

from across the Empire with a minimum of bias or
hyperbole. Otherwise, it’s a good place to lay low.

Almer Station
Almer Station was meant as a good place to lay low,
but the place can hardly calm down long enough to
serve as a good rest stop. Almer Station is a hyperactive
den of punks, trash, bullies, smugglers, ruffians, and
illegal modification bays for starships and spellware.
Ship captains in search of starship weapons, hired mus-
cle, and brutal bar-fights go to Almer Station.
Almer is hidden in the ring system of the gas giant in
the Tarnahan system. The station is technically a hand-
ful of small stations scattered throughout the ice and
debris of the rings. Some stations house repair bays,
some house bars and tattoo parlors, one houses the sta-
tion’s famous casino. The true number of stations that
make up Almer isn’t common knowledge. The whole
place is awash in secrets, speculation, and whispered
rumors. Almer’s position within the ring system is even
CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN

a secret; to find the station, ships circle around until

they’re contacted with a transmission. The ring debris
also favors small, nimble ships over large ones, which
keeps any Imperial ships from being able to close on
the station without a lot of warning. Shuttles get dis-
patched to ferry crews of ships too large to navigate in
the rings. (Pilot check DC 15 to avoid a collision with
a Gargantuan block of ice.)
Somewhere in the ring system is a mithral mine. It’s
not an enormous lode, but the folks who run Almer pro-
tect it with great care. Who exactly runs Almer, howev-
er, is something of a mystery. The station’s security
force is made up of rotating mercenaries, and the man-
agement plainly admits that they don’t call the shots.
Periodically, cargoes of liquid mithral appear at
Almer Station for sale to private captains and smug-
glers. The origin of the stuff is secret, but rumor is ram-
pant that the rings are richer in mithral than the official
line would say. Somewhere in the rings of Tarnahan
there must an alchemical factory producing liquid
mithral.

Janni Armah
The youthful human freighter captain Janni Armah is
one of the pleasant faces of Almer Station, which
 Janni Armah: Female human Pil6/Rog6;
CR 12; Mediu humanoid; HD 12d6; hp 45; Cediva 61
Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13, touch 13, Planet Name: Coro III

61r61
flat-footed 10; Base Atk +8; Grap +7;Atk Planet Type: Terrestrial
+11 ranged (2d10, laser pistol); Full Atk Size: Medium
+11/+6 ranged (2d10, laser pistol); AL N; Gravity: Standard
SV Fort +4, Ref +13, Will +8; Str 9, Dex Atmospheric Density: Standard
17, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 16. Atmospheric Composition: Breathable
Geology: Standard
Skills and Feats: Appraise +8, Bluff +16, Hydrosphere: Wet
Diplomacy +11, Freefall +11, Gather Biosphere: Abundant
Information +11, Intimidate +10, Listen +5, Population: Moderate
Navigate +9, Pilot +16, Profession (trader) Technology: Pre-industrial
+10, Repair +8, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Magic: High
Hand +10, Spot +11, Use Device +7;
Alertness, Born Spacer, Ettiquette, Innocent
Demeanor, Iron Will, Quick Draw, Space PORT
Jockey, Starship Piloting, Technical AL: N
Proficiency. Skill level: +5
Integrity: 18
Possessions: Laser pistol, datapad, per- Security: CR 3
sonal communicator, modified Longship- Taxes: 8%
class freighter (Silverquick).
MARKET
Export: Crafts, double unique
(Cedivan furniture)

CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN

almost certainly means she’s covering for something. Import: Electronics
She has a real knack for get- Volume: 20,000 tons
ting people to underes-
timate her, and
she’s not shy minute she admits that she’s a consummate liar and the
about it. One next she swears she’s cutting you a great deal on liquid
mithral.
Janni isn’t honest, but she’s mostly fair. She enjoys
the flirtations and the games that go with her job. She
loves keeping secrets, like where Almer’s liquid mithral
is coming from and who the mysterious benefactor
behind the station is. At the same time, she’s very
respectful of other people’s secrets. She likes to make
guesses, but doesn’t trust anyone who can’t keep their
mouth shut about what matters.
Most of Janni’s business is in the Run, but she some-
times heads into the Empire or out into the more remote
territories of the Outlands. She’s been to Chadra on a
haul or two but doesn’t have much to say about the
place, which almost certainly means she knows some-
thing. It’s not unusual to find her on Persilom, but her
favorite spot is the casino at Almer Station
Janni’s crew for the Silverquick is a mix of working-
class businesspeople and greasy, dangerous hustlers
from Almer. On Persilom she has a reputation for caus-
 ing trouble and public crudeness. That image belongs as
much to her crew as it does to her.
62 IN YOUR GAME
Janni makes a great rival captain for the PCs. She
62l62

wants to succeed in life and she’s willing to step on the

PCs to do it, but that doesn’t mean they can’t continue
to socialize. She expects the same appreciation for the
needs of the job from those she works and com-
petes with. Anyone who misunderstands Janni’s
love of competition and makes a villain out of
her will have made a formidable foe.
Anyone around Almer will swear to that.
She’s sometimes tricky to be in busi-
ness with, they say, but that’s much
preferable to having her as an
enemy.

Cediva
The tranquil, baroque world of
Cediva is a child by Imperial stan-
dards. Its simple people live idyllic
lives in rural villages and handsome vil-
las. Art is at the center of Cedivan society. The
arts and crafts of Cediva are fashionable commodi-
ties in many posh noble circles of the Dragon Empire.
CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN

The people of Cediva, however, have no idea that other Calisan: Male half-elf Ari5/Rog5; CR 9;
planets even exist. Medium humanoid; HD 5d4 + 5d6; hp 26;
House Gevise made first contact with Cediva intending Init +2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12, touch 12,
to spearhead the process of mass producing Cedivan art. flat-footed 10; Base Atk +6; Grap +5;
The Gevises planned to do on Cediva what they had done Atk/Full Atk +8 ranged (3d8, blaster pistol);
on countless other pre-industrialized worlds: make SQ +2 saves vs. enchantment, detect secret
money. But the viceroy of Cediva, Calisan, a third-tier doors, immune to magic sleep effects, low-
politician in a civiliztion with little politicking, had anoth- light vision; AL CN; SV Fort +2, Ref +7,
er idea. He would orchestrate the exportation of Cedivan Will +7; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 16, Wis
art and antiquities as precious, unique works of art. In 14, Cha 15.
exchange, the Gevises would keep the existence of the
modern world a secret...and make him a very rich man. Skills and Feats: Appraise +10, Bluff
Orbital spas were put into place around Cediva by +18, Diplomacy +8, Gather Information
Gevise engineers, and quaint little cabins with secret, +14, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (law) +8,
modern ammenities have been installed on the planet’s Listen +4, Move Silently +9, Search +10,
surface. Wealthy tourists from Persilom pay Gevise Sense Motive +14, Sleight of Hand +9,
transports to take them to Cediva, where they recline in Spot +4; Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill
the comfortable, rolling hillsides of the world, drink Focus (Bluff), Superior Attitude.
local wine, and relax. In the valleys below, unknowing
Cedivan farmers grow food that gets carried away on Possessions: Blaster pistol, datapad, per-
magical spacecraft to feed Persilom. sonal communicator.
The Gevises know the deal with Calisan can’t last. When
the ships arrive from Asamet, Cediva will be forcibly mod-
ernized and then stripped of its wealth. In the meantime, the ple and serene on Cediva. They’ve only begun to suspect
merchant family is doing everything it can to keep life sim- that Calisan may be a more immediate threat than Asamet.
Calisan
Calisan adores electronics. He secretly possesses sev-
eral modern devices and carries them everywhere with Chadra 63
him. He delights in the secret he holds over the primi- Planet Name: Chadra

63r63
tive rulers of Cediva. Unfortunately, Calisan has not Planet Type: Terrestrial
kept his secret from the rest of the Run. Size: Medium
In the last few months, Calisan has been quietly Gravity: Standard
accessing Gevisan transmitters and contacting local Atmospheric Density: Dense
starship captains. He’s told his story over and again so Atmospheric Composition: Breathable
that now the true story of Cediva is known to every mer- Geology: Rugged
chant captain within 10 light years, either first- or sec- Hydrosphere: Wet
ond-hand. Some of them have agreed to work with Biosphere: Abundant
Calisan because they like the idea of sneaking around Population: Very low
under the nose of House Gevise. Other captains just like Technology: Primitive
the money Calisan’s magical trinkets can fetch on the Magic: High
markets of Imperial worlds.
Calisan is planning on going over House Gevise and
straight to the Empire. He wants to rule Cediva, and he’s MARKET
figured out that the way to do that is to start dealing with Export: Foodstuffs,
Asamet directly. Calisan has ship captains collecting magical supplies (see text)
goods for him. Mercenaries from the modern worlds are
en route to Cediva to serve as Calisan’s personal sol-
diers. Kidnapped Cedivan citizens have been smuggled
offworld to serve as cheap labor and to demonstrate
Calisan’s genuine intentions.
back the loot they find. House Gevise sends regular
Now all Calisan needs is a ship to take him to the
ships to the planet to collect exotic food and game.
Dragon Empire.
Otherwise, Chadra is a market waiting to be opened.

CHAPTER FIVE: THE SMUGGLER’S RUN

Currently, would-be looters face the difficult task of
IN YOUR CAMPAIGN selling off the magical artifacts from a civilization of
Calisan is a villain that wants to work with the PCs. celebrated dragonslayers. When the dragons find
He offers ridiculous sums of money in gold and jewels Chadra, they’ll almost certainly have the gold, silver,
to captains who will run his errands for him. Is it only a and platinum treasure melted down. The vast collections
matter of time before the dragons tear Cediva apart any- of potent magical artifacts will no doubt become the
way, or would the PCs be ruining a world? If Calisan property of Mezzenbone himself. The entire record of
gets the Empire’s attention, won’t that be the end of the Chadra’s civilization is likely to be lost.
freedom afforded in this part of galaxy? To the mind of the Gevises who dabble in the antiqui-
ties trade, this is wonderful. A nice trickle of Chadran

Chadra artifacts now will be worth millions when the rest of the
collection is destroyed. As it is, though, too many peo-
ple may know about Chadra. It’s only a matter of time
The great untapped resource of the Smuggler’s Run is before word gets back to the Dragon Court. When that
Chadra, a large green planet bursting with life. Jungles happens, Chadra will be hit by a wave of looters and
stretch across the whole of the planet, with only a few grave-robbers only too happy to strip mine the planet
breaks for wide wetlands and grassy fields. The planet’s before the dragons do.
southern hemisphere is covered in immense waterways, Until that happens, though, Chadra is full of objects
hidden beneath a dense layer of jungle canopy. both natural and hand made that could be the start of a
Underneath it all are serpentine ruins, huge statues, and new trend on Persilom or sweep across the Empire’s
subterranean fields of jutting yellow dragon bones. rich elite. New plants, exotic animals, and priceless trea-
Whatever once dwelt on Chadra has left a lot of dead sures by the hundred are waiting to be taken out and
dragons in its wake. introducd to the world.
Adventurers, poachers, and gatherers visit Chadra on
small chartered spacecraft to explore the ruins and haul
Welcome to the Smuggler’s Run
At the edge of civilized space or in the shadow of the
Dragon Empire itself, the citizens of the galaxy need food-
stuffs, technology, clothing, and contraband. This is the
role of the interstellar free trader, delivering important,
secret, or illegal cargo to the richest spires of the
Empire and the deepest pits of the Outlands.

This book has everything you need to play a smuggler

or free trader in the DRAGONSTAR campaign setting,
plus the tools players and DMs both need to make a
privateers campaign fun and easy. New prestige class-
es, new feats, new spells, and new starships expand
and define the markets of the Dragon Empire. Simple
new rules for commerce, supply, and demand focus the
smuggler’s business on its exciting choices and adven-
ture possibilities. To demonstrate it all, this book
describes a new, remote corner of the
DRAGONSTAR universe that’s easy to place
into any campaign: the Smuggler’s Run.

ISBN 1-58994-132-2
#"'# FANTASY
FLIGHT
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DS06 $14.95 www.fantasyflightgames.com

Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons® Player's Handbook, published by Wizards
of the Coast, Inc.® This product utilizes updated material from the v.3.5 revision.