Smuggler Pilot
A pilot who moves cargo that does not want to be moved.
A Smuggler Pilot is a spacecraft pilot who specialises in moving contraband, avoiding Confederation patrols, and getting cargo from point A to point B without anyone asking questions. They are Rim-born spacers, ex-Navy pilots who saw too much, or Core washouts who found that the black market pays better than the corporate ladder. Their ship is their life, their reflexes are their insurance, and their reputation is their currency.
A Pilot is an elite encounter in space and a moderate one on the ground. They are not fighters; they are runners. The lever is the ship -- a Pilot without a ship is a spacer without a purpose.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abilities / Cha | 14 |
| Abilities / Con | 12 |
| Abilities / Dex | 18 |
| Abilities / Int | 14 |
| Abilities / Str | 10 |
| Abilities / Wis | 12 |
| Armor Class | 15 |
| Base Attack Bonus | 3 |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Flat Ac | 13 |
| Hd Count | 5 |
| Hd Sides | 8 |
| Hit Dice | 5d8+5 |
| Hit Points | 28 |
| Hp Bonus | 5 |
| Initiative | 4 |
| Languages | Trade Cant; Core Standard; two Rim dialects; shipboard code; one alien trade language |
| Psionics | None |
| Role Tags | Pilot, Skirmisher, Face |
| Saves / Fort | 4 |
| Saves / Ref | 8 |
| Saves / Will | 4 |
| Senses | Normal human vision; spacer instincts grant +4 to Notice in shipboard and zero-G environments; passive Perception 15 |
| Size | M |
| Skills / Deception | 10 |
| Skills / Navigation | 10 |
| Skills / Notice | 9 |
| Skills / Persuasion | 9 |
| Skills / Pilot | 15 |
| Skills / Repair | 8 |
| Skills / Stealth | 8 |
| Skills / Streetwise | 11 |
| Skills / Zero Gops | 10 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Threat Rating | 3 |
| Touch Ac | 13 |
| Xp | 400 |
| Dialogue Path | game/dialogue/npc-smuggler-pilot.yaml |
Notes
Full Attack: Smuggler's Pistol ranged +7 (1d6+2 energy; range 40 ft) or Stun Baton melee +5 (1d6+1 electric; non-lethal)
Habitat: Rim stations, frontier ports, smuggling routes, and anywhere cargo needs to move. Found in a cantina, on the bridge of a ship, or in a docking bay. Roll 1d6: 1-2 = Pilot in a cantina (drinking, looking for work), 3-4 = Pilot on the bridge (in transit, cargo loaded), 5-6 = Pilot in a docking bay (prepping for a run, vulnerable).
Morale: Steady (10); the Pilot disengages when the cargo is safe or when the fight becomes unwinnable; will negotiate for passage or payment
Resistances: Armoured flight jacket (included in AC; light, flexible, spacer-grade), Spacer conditioning (immune to space sickness and zero-G disorientation)
Tactics: The Pilot avoids fights. They use Fast Talk to defuse situations, Smuggler's Cache to produce the right tool, and Burn and Run when violence is inevitable. In space, the Pilot is a different creature -- evasive, fast, and impossible to catch. On the ground, they rely on social skills and escape routes. A Pilot who fights on the ground has already lost.
Treasure: Smuggler's pistol (300 rek), stun baton (150 rek), armoured flight jacket (400 rek), smuggler's ship (the real treasure; value varies from 30,000-200,000 rek), cargo manifest (contraband list; 500-2,000 rek to the right buyer), hidden compartment contents (varies), 3d10 rek in smuggling fees, spacer's toolkit (200 rek).
Vulnerabilities: Ship-dependent (the Pilot's real abilities are in the cockpit; on the ground they are a skilled spacer, not a combatant), Cargo-dependent (the Pilot's livelihood depends on the cargo; threatening the cargo is threatening the Pilot's life), Confederation patrols (the Pilot is wanted in multiple systems; checkpoints are dangerous)
Attacks
Smuggler's Pistol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 7 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d6+2 |
damageType | energy |
name | Smuggler's Pistol |
notes | Custom-built; the Pilot's personal weapon |
rangeFt | 40 |
Stun Baton
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 5 |
category | melee |
damage | 1d6+1 |
damageType | electric |
name | Stun Baton |
notes | Non-lethal; the Pilot prefers not to kill |
Special Abilities
Evasive Pilot
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive |
name | Evasive Pilot |
description: The Pilot's reflexes are tuned to spacecraft combat. In a ship or vehicle, the Pilot gains +4 to Pilot checks, +4 to Evasion checks, and +2 to AC. On the ground, the Pilot gains +2 to Reflex saves (dodging is instinctive). Player-visible: the Pilot moves like they are still in a cockpit -- fast, fluid, and always watching the exits.
Smuggler's Cache
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Standard |
name | Smuggler's Cache |
description: The Pilot produces a hidden item from a concealed compartment. Choose one: a holdout slug pistol, a smoke grenade, a med-kit, a set of lockpicks, or a small explosive. The item was hidden on the Pilot's person or in a nearby location they prepared. 3 uses per encounter. Player-visible: the Pilot reaches into a seam, a boot, or a wall panel and produces exactly what is needed.
Fast Talk
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Standard |
name | Fast Talk |
description: The Pilot talks their way out of a situation. One creature within 30 ft must make a DC 14 Will save or hesitate for 1 round as the Pilot explains, excuses, or distracts. This works best in casual or commercial settings; in combat, the save gains +4. Player-visible: the Pilot smiles, gestures, and says something that almost makes sense.
Burn and Run
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Full-round (1/encounter) |
name | Burn and Run |
description: The Pilot disengages from combat, deploying a smoke grenade (20-ft cube, 1 minute, 20% miss chance) and moving at +20 ft speed toward a ship, vehicle, or exit. If the Pilot reaches a ship, they can launch in 1 round. Player-visible: the smoke drops, the Pilot runs, and by the time it clears the engines are already warming.