Corp Lawyer
A corporate legal specialist who weaponises contract law.
A Corp Lawyer is the Nine's legal enforcement arm: the person who writes the contracts, reads the fine print, and knows exactly how much of your life you signed away when you accepted the terms. They are not soldiers; they are specialists in the Confederation's legal framework, which is to say they are specialists in the cage that the Nine built for everyone else. Their power is not violence -- it is the certainty that they can destroy you with paperwork.
A Lawyer is an elite social encounter: dangerous in conversation, lethal in a courtroom, and nearly untouchable in a straight fight because hurting a corporate lawyer triggers a response from everyone who depends on the legal system the Lawyer maintains.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abilities / Cha | 18 |
| Abilities / Con | 10 |
| Abilities / Dex | 12 |
| Abilities / Int | 18 |
| Abilities / Str | 8 |
| Abilities / Wis | 14 |
| Armor Class | 14 |
| Base Attack Bonus | 3 |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Flat Ac | 13 |
| Hd Count | 5 |
| Hd Sides | 6 |
| Hit Dice | 5d6+5 |
| Hit Points | 23 |
| Hp Bonus | 5 |
| Initiative | 2 |
| Languages | Trade Cant; Core Standard; Confederation legal code (fluent); two Family trade dialects; contract cipher |
| Morale | Unsteady (8); the Lawyer flees at the first sign of real violence; they are not built for this |
| Psionics | None |
| Role Tags | Face, Support, Debuffer |
| Saves / Fort | 3 |
| Saves / Ref | 4 |
| Saves / Will | 9 |
| Size | M |
| Skills / Bureaucracy | 16 |
| Skills / Deception | 12 |
| Skills / Intimidation | 11 |
| Skills / Knowledge Corporate | 14 |
| Skills / Notice | 8 |
| Skills / Persuasion | 13 |
| Skills / Sense Motive | 12 |
| Skills / Streetwise | 8 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Threat Rating | 3 |
| Touch Ac | 12 |
| Xp | 400 |
| Dialogue Path | game/dialogue/npc-corp-lawyer.yaml |
Notes
Full Attack: Holdout slug pistol ranged +4 (1d6 energy; range 30 ft; concealed) or Contract Datapad melee +2 (1d4 bludgeoning)
Habitat: Core worlds, corporate offices, Confederation courts, and the negotiation chambers where deals are made. Found beside an Executive or Director, in a courtroom, or visiting a client in detention. Roll 1d6: 1-2 = Lawyer in a negotiation (calm, confident, lethal with words), 3-4 = Lawyer in court (in their element, untouchable), 5-6 = Lawyer in the field with an Executive (out of their depth, relying on security).
Resistances: Legal immunity (the Lawyer carries writs that make attacking them a Confederation offence; this does not prevent violence but makes it costly), Memory implant (included in Bureaucracy/Lore checks; perfect recall of every contract)
Senses: Normal human vision; augmented memory implant grants perfect recall and +6 to Bureaucracy and Lore checks; passive Perception 14
Tactics: The Lawyer opens with Contractual Leverage to bind the most dangerous target, uses Legal Obstruction to delay actions they cannot prevent, and files the Asset-Realisation Warrant if the encounter escalates. They do not fight -- they negotiate, obstruct, and threaten. If violence becomes inevitable, the Lawyer uses Plausible Deniability and retreats behind security. A Lawyer who is physically cornered will offer anything -- a deal, a name, a contract -- to survive.
Treasure: Encrypted legal datapad (contracts, warrants, blackmail material; 5,000-20,000 rek to the right buyer), holdout slug pistol (150 rek), armourweave business suit (800 rek), memory implant (2,000 rek), writs of protection and immunity (priceless in Core space; worthless in the Rim), platinum rek-chip (1,500 rek).
Vulnerabilities: Non-combatant (the Lawyer has no combat training; in a straight fight they are helpless), Paper shield (the legal protections only work in Confederation space; in the Rim they are just words), Exposure (a Lawyer whose contracts are exposed or falsified loses all authority)
Attacks
Holdout slug pistol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 4 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d6 |
damageType | energy |
name | Holdout slug pistol |
notes | Concealed; the Lawyer draws only when all legal options are exhausted |
rangeFt | 30 |
Contract Datapad
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 2 |
category | melee |
damage | 1d4 |
damageType | bludgeoning |
name | Contract Datapad |
notes | Improvised; the Lawyer has never hit anyone with it and does not intend to start |
Special Abilities
Contractual Leverage
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Standard |
name | Contractual Leverage |
description: The Lawyer produces a contract, writ, or legal document that targets one creature. The target must make a DC 16 Will save or be bound by a contractual obligation (non-aggression clause, asset freeze, or compliance order) for 1d4 hours. Violating the contract triggers an automatic Asset-Realisation warrant. Player-visible: the Lawyer pulls out a datapap, taps twice, and says 'Section 4, paragraph 3. You agreed to this.'
Legal Obstruction
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Swift (1/round) |
name | Legal Obstruction |
description: The Lawyer invokes a legal technicality, procedural objection, or jurisdictional challenge. One action by one creature within 30 ft is delayed by 1 round (the legal argument takes time to resolve). This works on any action that could conceivably be challenged legally. Player-visible: the Lawyer raises a hand and begins citing precedent. The action stalls.
Asset-Realisation Warrant
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Full-round (1/encounter) |
name | Asset-Realisation Warrant |
description: The Lawyer files an emergency warrant with Asset Realisation. In 1d4 hours an AR team (1 Auditor + 2 Enforcers) arrives to seize the target's property, freeze accounts, and detain the target for processing. The warrant can be challenged with a DC 18 Bureaucracy check (takes 1d4 days). Player-visible: the Lawyer smiles, files the warrant, and tells you that the clock is now running.
Plausible Deniability
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Immediate (1/encounter) |
name | Plausible Deniability |
description: When the Lawyer is targeted by a physical attack, they can produce a legal shield: a writ of protection, a diplomatic immunity card, or a contractual clause that makes attacking them a breach of Confederation law. The attacker must make a DC 14 Will save or hesitate for 1 round (the legal doubt is enough to pause). Player-visible: the Lawyer holds up a document and says 'Read it. Section 7. You touch me, you lose everything.'