Smuggler
A freelance runner who moves cargo the Confederation does not want moved.
A Smuggler is the Rim's economic lifeblood: a freelance operator who moves contraband, untaxed goods, black-market synth, and people between Stations, settlements, and Core-border crossings that the Confederation would rather seal shut. They are not soldiers; they are logistics people who happen to carry a slug pistol and know every back- channel, dock-worker, and customs blind-spot on their route. Their loyalty is to the run, the cargo, and the payday -- in that order.
A single Smuggler is an informant, a contact, or a quick fight. A Smuggler with a cargo hold is a logistics problem; intercept the cargo and you have leverage, but the Smuggler will trade information faster than they will trade shots.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abilities / Cha | 14 |
| Abilities / Con | 12 |
| Abilities / Dex | 16 |
| Abilities / Int | 14 |
| Abilities / Str | 10 |
| Abilities / Wis | 10 |
| Armor Class | 14 |
| Base Attack Bonus | 2 |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Flat Ac | 11 |
| Hd Count | 2 |
| Hd Sides | 8 |
| Hit Dice | 2d8+2 |
| Hit Points | 11 |
| Hp Bonus | 2 |
| Initiative | 3 |
| Languages | Trade Cant (fluent); Core Standard; one Rim dialect; enough Family trade cant to pass a customs check |
| Psionics | None |
| Role Tags | Skirmisher, Face, Deniable |
| Saves / Fort | 3 |
| Saves / Ref | 6 |
| Saves / Will | 1 |
| Size | M |
| Skills / Athletics | 3 |
| Skills / Deception | 7 |
| Skills / Notice | 5 |
| Skills / Persuasion | 6 |
| Skills / Pilot | 6 |
| Skills / Stealth | 7 |
| Skills / Streetwise | 7 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Threat Rating | 2 |
| Touch Ac | 13 |
| Xp | 150 |
| Dialogue Path | game/dialogue/npc-smuggler.yaml |
Notes
Full Attack: Compact slug pistol ranged +5 (1d6+1 energy; range 30 ft; concealed) or Knife melee +3 (1d4 slashing)
Habitat: Rim stations, border crossings, dock-level warrens, customs blind- spots, and anywhere the Confederation's ledger does not reach. Found alone or with a single guard, running cargo, making a drop, or negotiating a deal. Roll 1d6: 1-2 = Smuggler at a dock making a delivery (nervous, watchful), 3-4 = Smuggler in a back-room negotiation (smooth, evasive), 5-6 = Smuggler cornered at a customs checkpoint (desperate, looking for the exit).
Morale: Steady (11) while the cargo is intact and an escape route exists; drops to Unsteady (8) if the cargo is seized or the escape is cut off
Resistances: Concealed armour liner (included in AC; light, unobtrusive, passes a cursory search), Scanner implant (included in senses/Notice)
Senses: Normal human vision; scanner implant grants +4 to Notice for concealed compartments and hidden cargo within 30 ft; passive Perception 14
Tactics: The Smuggler avoids combat. They talk first, bribe second, and run third. If forced to fight they use Slippery to stay mobile, Contraband Cache to produce the right tool at the right time, and Compact slug pistol to discourage pursuit. They will trade information, cargo, or anyone else's location to save their own skin. The Smuggler is a source, not a soldier; treat them accordingly.
Treasure: Compact slug pistol (200 rek), concealed armour liner (300 rek), scanner implant (600 rek), contraband cargo (500-5,000 rek depending on the run), forged ident (200 rek), encrypted route datapad (300-1,000 rek to the right buyer), 4d10 rek in untraceable coin.
Vulnerabilities: Cargo-dependent (the Smuggler's value is the cargo; if the cargo is seized or destroyed, the Smuggler's leverage collapses and they will negotiate or flee), Non-combatant at heart (the Smuggler prefers to talk, bribe, or run; combat is a failure state and the Smuggler knows it)
Attacks
Compact slug pistol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 5 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d6+1 |
damageType | energy |
name | Compact slug pistol |
notes | Concealed in a jacket holster; the Smuggler draws only when the deal goes bad |
rangeFt | 30 |
Knife
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 3 |
category | melee |
damage | 1d4 |
damageType | slashing |
name | Knife |
notes | Utility blade; used for cutting cargo straps and, when necessary, throats |
Special Abilities
I Know a Guy
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Full-round (social) |
name | I Know a Guy |
description: Once per encounter the Smuggler can produce a contact, a favour, or a piece of information that defuses a social conflict or provides a lead. This requires a DC 12 Streetwise or Persuasion check (Smuggler's choice). On a success the Smuggler produces a name, a route, or a bribe that shifts the situation in the party's favour. On a failure the Smuggler has nothing and knows it. Player-visible: the Smuggler leans in, drops a name, and the room changes.
Contraband Cache
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Standard (1/encounter) |
name | Contraband Cache |
description: The Smuggler always has something hidden on their person or in a nearby stash. Roll 1d6: 1 = smoke capsule (20-ft cube, 1 minute, 20% miss chance), 2 = stim injector (heal 2d8 HP as a standard action), 3 = lockpick set (+4 to next Disable check), 4 = forged ident (passes one customs check), 5 = black-market comms scrambler (blocks signals in a 30-ft radius for 1d4 rounds), 6 = one dose of synth (100-300 rek; addictive, see synth rules). Player-visible: the Smuggler reaches into a pocket, a lining, or a boot and produces exactly the thing that was not supposed to be there.
Slippery
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Immediate (1/encounter) |
name | Slippery |
description: When targeted by a melee attack, the Smuggler can make an immediate opposed Stealth vs Perception check. On a success the attack misses and the Smuggler shifts 10 ft without provoking an attack of opportunity (ducking into cover, slipping past, or using the environment). Player-visible: the Smuggler was there, and then they were not.