1

Characters in Edge of the Empire live in the seedy

underbelly of the galaxy. Even if they aren't

criminals themselves, the Empire or some other

organization is apt to take umbrage at their

actions. Maybe they ran afoul of some Hutt by

taking over his spice­running operation, or stole an

expensive piece of artwork from a collector.

Perhaps they did nothing more than save a young

woman from certain doom, but in the process

impersonated some Stormtroopers and infiltrated

an Imperial battle station to achieve their goals. Or

it could simply be that they have something

someone else wants – someone with enough

money to pay for the item's retrieval.

Whatever the characters have done, it's likely they

will have a bounty taken out on them sooner or

later. Bounty hunters from across the galaxy will be

looking for them! Dead or alive, the PCs have the

potential to be worth a fortune to some skilled

enforcer. In fact, as the characters increase their

criminal profile in the Outer Rim, they might attract

the attention of a truly worthy adversary.

STEP 1 : NPC TYPE

While a bounty hunter might be a minion, rival, or

nemesis, this guide is designed to help create only

the most frightening and tenacious examples of

their type. Thus, bounty hunters made using this

guide should be nemeses and follow the rules for

this NPC type (see Edge of the Empire, page 390).

STEP 2: CHARACTERISTICS

The GM takes the following values and assigns one

value to each of the bounty hunter's characteristics.

Each value can only be assigned once (when the 5

is assigned to one characteristic, for example, it

cannot be used again). The values are as follows: 5,

4, 3, 3, 2, and 2.

STEP 3: WOUNDS AND STRAIN

A true adversary made with this guide starts with a

wound threshold of 18 and a strain threshold of

18. Game Masters should then add the bounty

hunter's Brawn score to the bounty hunter's wound

threshold, and the bounty hunter's Willpower score

to the bounty hunter's strain threshold. These are

the bounty hunter's final wound threshold and

strain threshold.

STEP 4: SKILLS

True adversaries must be skilled and

knowledgeable, able to handle themselves equally

well on and off the battlefield. Thus, when

determining a bounty hunter's skills, use the

following steps.

COMBAT SKILLS

When determining the bounty hunter's ranks in

combat skills, the GM takes the following values

and assigns each value to a combat skill of the

GM's choice. Each value can only be assigned once,

and all skills that do not get a value assigned to

them have rank 0. The values are as follows: 4, 3,

and 2.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS

Bounty hunters must be well educated individuals

to carry out their investigations, even if this

knowledge is not always readily apparent. The

bounty hunter has three ranks in two Knowledge

TENACIOUS BOUNTYHUNTERS

UNIQUE BOUNTYHUNTERS

Although this process is designed to help GMs

quickly create interesting bounty hunter

characters, the GM should not feel bound by it

if he has another idea in mind. Instead, he

should feel free to design his terrifying NPC as

he sees fit, and if that means bending the rules

a little bit, then so be it!

2

skills, two ranks in two knowledge skills, and one

rank in all remaining Knowledge skills. Which skills

are assigned which rank is at the GM's discretion.

GENERAL SKILLS

As stated previously, the GM is free to give his

bounty hunter whatever skills he sees fit. However,

the following are skill packages intended to speed

up the process. If the GM chooses, he may select

one package and apply those skill ranks to the

bounty hunter.

• The Assassin: Cool 2, Coordination 3,

Deception 3, Medicine 1, Stealth 4,

Vigilance 2.

• The Brute: Athletics 3, Coercion 3,

Deception 2, Piloting (Planetary) 2,

Resilience 4, Vigilance 1.

• The Investigator: Computers 2,

Perception 4, Skulduggery 3, Streetwise 3,

Survival 2, Vigilance 2.

• The Leader: Coercion 1, Cool 2, Discipline

3, Leadership 4, Streetwise 2, Vigilance 3.

• The Mastermind: Charm 2, Computers 4,

Cool 2, Deception 3, Mechanics 1,

Negotiation 1

• The Soldier: Athletics 3, Coercion 2,

Medicine 1, Leadership 2, Survival 3,

Vigilance 2.

• The Traveler: Astrogation 2, Computers 1,

Cool 2, Mechanics 3, Piloting (Planetary

and Space) 4.

STEP 5: TALENTS

All bounty hunters have the Adversary 3 talent

(upgrade the difficulty of all combat checks made

against this target three times), and may, at the

Game Master's discretion, possess up to three

ranks of a unique talent: Tenacious (upgrade the

number of advantages needed to score a critical hit

against the target a number of times equal to his

ranks in Tenacious and may reduce a critical injury

result he suffers by 10 per rank of Tenacious). In

addition, the Game Master may add no more than

two of the talents listed here. Some of these

options are multiple ranks of a ranked talent. In

these cases, they still count as a single choice.

• Anatomy Lessons: After making a

successful attack, the GM may spend 1

Destiny Point to add damage equal to the

bounty hunter's Intellect.

• Armor Master (Improved): When using

armor, increase total soak value by 1. When

wearing armor with a soak value of 2 or

higher, increase defense by 1.

• Defensive Stance: Once per round, may

perform the Defensive Stance maneuver

and suffer up to two strain to upgrade the

difficulty of all incoming melee attacks by

an equal number.

• Dodge: When targeted by a combat check,

may perform a Dodge incidental to suffer

up to two strain to upgrade the difficulty of

the check by an equal number.

• Intimidating: May suffer two strain to

downgrade the difficulty of Coercion

checks, or upgrade the difficulty when

targeted by a Coercion check, by two.

• Let's Ride: Once per round, may mount or

dismount a vehicle or beast, or enter a

cockpit or weapon station on a vehicle, as

an incidental.

• Precise Aim: Once per round, the bounty

hunter may perform the Precise Aim

maneuver. He suffers two strain, then

reduces the target's melee and ranged

defense by two.

• Scathing Tirade (Improved): The bounty

hunter may take the Scathing Tirade action,

making an Average (dd ) Coercioncheck. For each s one enemy within short

range suffers one strain and b on all

checks for a number of rounds equal to the

bounty hunter's ranks in Coercion. The

bounty hunter may spend a; for every a

spent, one target already affected suffers 1

additional strain.

• Sniper Shot: When making a non­thrown

3

overequipping the bounty hunter – one or two

weapons, some armor, and a few pieces of

thematically appropriate gear should be enough.

The GM can chose any gear he wishes, but here are

a few suggestions.

• Heavy Blaster Rifle: (Ranged [Heavy],

Damage 10, Critical 3, Range [Long], Auto­

fire, Cumbersome 3.)

• Neuronic Whip: (Melee, Damage +1,

Critical 3, Range [Short], Disorient 4,

Ensnare 1, Stun Damage.)

• Pair of Heavy Blaster Pistols: (Ranged

[Light], Damage 7, Critical 3, Range

[Medium], Stun Setting.)

• Vibrosword: (Melee, Damage +2, Critical

2, Range [Engaged], Defensive 1, Pierce 2,

Vicious 1.)

• Vibrotrident: (Melee, Damage +1, Critical

2, Range [Engaged], Defensive 2, Pierce 4,

Vicious 3.)

• Armored Clothing: (Soak +1, Defense +1.)

• Heavy Battle Armor: (Soak +2, Defense

+1.)

• Laminate Armor: (Soak +2)

ranged attack, may perform a Sniper Shot

maneuver to increase the weapon's range

by up to 2 range bands. Upgrade the

difficulty of the check by 1 per range band

increase.

• Toughened: Gain +4 wound threshold.

STEP 6: ABILITIES

A skilled bounty hunter posses two abilities chosen

from the following list.

• Commanding Presence: The bounty

hunter may spend a maneuver to allow one

allied minion group at medium range to

immediately perform on maneuver or

action. Add b to any actions they perform.

• Cunning Shot: The bounty hunter may use

Cunning for ranged combat checks, instead

of Agility.

• Inspiring Presence: All allies within short

range of the bounty hunter add b to all

skill checks they make.

• Intimidating Presence: All enemies at

short range of the bounty hunter add t to

all skill checks they make.

• Living Shield: The bounty hunter may

perform a maneuver to cause all ranged

attacks targeting him to instead hit one ally

or helpless enemy within engaged range

until the beginning of his next turn.

• Terrifying: At the beginning of an

encounter, each of the bounty hunters

enemies must make an Average (dd )fear check.

• Willful Strikes: The bounty hunter may use

Willpower for brawl and melee combat

checks, instead of Brawn.

STEP 7: EQUIPMENT

Game masters should equip bounty hunters

according to the needs of their story. Remember,

bounty hunters do not have limitless resources, but

tend to use what resources they have to make sure

they have only the best gear. The GM should avoid

ADDITIONAL COMBAT TURNS

A single nemesis can have a hard time standing

up to a large party of PCs, simply because the

PCs have many more turns than the nemesis. If

the bounty hunter is facing a PC group of four

or more, the GM can choose to allow him to

take a second turn each round. The GM should

add one additional NPC slot to the Initiative

order at the very end of the order. The bounty

hunter may act in this turn and one other NPC

initiative slot of his choice each round. Any

effects that are supposed to end during his

subsequent turn should end during his

subsequent turn in the following round,

instead.