TENACIOUS BOUNTY HUNTERS
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.
UNIQUE BOUNTY HUNTERS
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!
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
1
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
2
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 ) Coercion
check. 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
 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 ) the bounty hunter is facing a PC group of four
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
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)
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
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.