Obscure Character Archive!

[Telsij]

SPOILERS for THE MANDALORIAN!

With "Mando Monday" having already come and gone, it's now... "This is the Way" Wednesday. Here is THE ARMORER from The Mandalorian.

And with only GREEF KARGA left to go out of the recurring cast, (though I will eventually do the rest of the Mercs from S1E6's "The Prisoner"),
I'll be back "on brand" with genuinely obscure characters in the next entry: the two Cyclorrian aliens from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,
with Carl Weathers' Karga to come afterward!

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THE ARMORER
Type: Master Metalsmith

A Quote: "This is the Way."



(As of The Mandalorian Season One)

DEXTERITY 3D
Armor weapons 6D, blaster 5D, brawling parry 5D, dodge 6D, melee combat 7D, melee combat: metalsmithing tools 8D,
melee parry 7D, melee parry: metalsmithing tools 8D, missile weapons 5D, running 4D
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Alien species 5D+2, artist: metalwork 7D, bureaucracy 4D+2, cultures 5D+2, cultures: Mandalorian 9D, intimidation 4D,
languages 5D, planetary systems 6D, scholar: galactic lore / songs of eons past 6D, survival 6D, value 5D, willpower 6D
MECHANICAL 2D
Communications 4D, jetpack operation 5D, machinery operation 4D, machinery operation: forge 7D, sensors 5D
PERCEPTION 3D
Bargain 5D+2, command 6D, command: Mandalorian Tribe 8D, con 6D, hide 5D, persuasion 5D+2,
persuasion: Mandalorian Creed-based oration 6D+2, search 5D, sneak 4D
STRENGTH 3D
Brawling: martial arts 6D, climbing/jumping 4D, lifting 4D, stamina 5D+2
TECHNICAL 4D
(A) Armor engineering 6D+1, armor repair 7D+2, blaster repair 6D, demolition 5D, equipment repair 6D,
(A) equipment engineering: Mandalorian equipment 6D, (A) weapon engineering: Mandalorian arms 6D

Gender: Female
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 11
Move: 10
Size: 1.7 meters tall

Martial Arts Techniques Known:

• Joint Lock: The Armorer is trained to keep an opponent immobile, using armlocks or jointlocks. Difficulty: Moderate, plus a Strength versus martial arts opposed roll. Effect: The Armorer must make a Moderate martial arts roll to hold her opponent. If this attack is not parried or dodged, the target must make a Strength or lifting roll. If the target beats her martial arts roll vs. the Armorer's initial Martial Arts roll, he breaks free of the hold. If the Armorer wins the opposed roll by +3 or more, she may inflict automatically damage upon the target for every round she holds him at bay, as per standard Grappling rules. The Armorer may also perform a secondary attack against her immobilized target, at Very Easy brawling difficulty, or a weapon's melee difficulty if she is armed, but with a multi-action penalty applied.
  
  
• Melee Mastery: The Armorer has mastered the martial use of melee weaponry. Difficulty: Varies, depending upon Martial Arts technique used in conjunction with melee weapon. Effect: A character who knows this technique may apply any of the other Martial Arts techniques she knows to melee combat and melee parry rolls, provided that she has at least 5D in her Martial Arts skill, as well as in her Melee Combat and Melee Parry skills (or in the melee specializations she wishes to use). For example, if the Armorer wishes to put her opponent in a joint lock or pin using melee weaponry, she may attempt to do so, rolling whichever of her applicable skills is higher to determine the technique's success. Other known practitioners of this martial arts technique include the blind, Force Sensitive Guardian of the Whills, Chirrut Îmwe.
  
  
• Multiple Strikes. The Armorer is capable of delivering multiple blows with minimal loss in combat effectiveness. Difficulty: Moderate. Effect: The Armorer can make a second attack with no multiple action penalties. The second attack inflicts 3D damage if it is a brawling attack, or inflicts the melee weapon's damage die code, if one is used in conjunction with the Melee Mastery technique. As the Armorer has been known to dual-wield her metalsmithing tools in close-quarters fighting, this is reflected in game terms, by application of this technique in combination with the Melee Mastery technique.
  
  

Story Factors:

• Armorer — and Leader — of the Tribe: Through her blacksmith's expertise and her knowledge of The Way, the Armorer crafts the traditional tools of survival for their Tribe: unique armor, weapons, and insignia representative of each member's identity. And while her combat skills make her a formidable warrior as well, the Tribe turns to the Armorer for more than physical weapons of war or a comrade in arms, they turn to her for guidance. When tensions rise between members, just as she tempered steel, the Armorer tempers boiling blood with words of wisdom, filtering through her own steadfast calm and steadying persona, the Mandalorians' views on bravery and cowardice, on honor and of honoring shared principles. To be Mandalorian is to live by the Creed. And few know the Creed like the Armorer. See Melee Mastery technique (above) for further information.
  
  
• WAY OF THE MANDALORE: Although the events of the Imperial siege of Mandalore and the "Night of a Thousand Tears" are still shrouded in mystery, it is clear that the tribe of Mandalorians to which the Armorer belongs, and which she oversees, must abide by a strict code of honor, conduct and principles. And so for the Tribe, known tenets of the Way of the Mandalore are as follows:
  
  
  • "As it should always be. The Foundlings are the Future." — The Armorer. Because being "Mandalorian" is not a distinction of race, but rather adherence to living by a Creed, bringing younglings into the fold is key for cultural survival. These children are referred to as Foundlings in Mandalorian parlance, for two likely reasons. The first is the culture focus upon Beskar (or Mandalorian iron) smithing and weapon creation. The second foundry is because children who have been orphaned or are otherwise without family and are “found” by the Mandalorians *become* Mandalorians if they accept life by the Creed. Resources and Beskar are reserved for foundlings, and great importance is placed on the care and guardianship of younglings.
    
    
  • It is forbidden to remove your helmet in the presence of another living thing once you have sworn the Creed: Doing so means that the mask may never again be worn, and this carries the cultural significance of being cut off from the rest of their “family." In S1E8, a mortally wounded Djarin has his helmet removed, and is saved by IG-11 because of it, due to the semantics of droids not being "living beings."
    
    
  • Secrecy of the Mandalorian Covert: As a result of the siege, and because there now appear to be so few Mandalorians that their numbers must be protected, only one member of the Tribe, or of a given sect or clan, is allowed to leave its shared den at a time. The lone exception to this rule is when a dire threat to an honorable member of the tribe is uncovered. In such extenuating circumstances, the Tribe may choose to rise up as a whole in their brethren's defense.
    
    "Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength.... When one chooses to walk the Way of the Mandalore, you are both hunter and prey." — The Armorer
    
    
  • One's armor and weapons are vital to one's identity: Pride in a Mandalorian’s prowess with weapons is something steeped in their cultural heritage, and is foundational to the Creed. Mastery of traditional Mandalorian weapons is practiced from an early age and is highly valued. Moreover, each Mandalorian's armor is unique, with the wearer and the Armorer working in tandem to forge an ever-progressing image of the wearer's identity via changes to and refinements of their armor and weapons.
    
    "I'm a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion." — Din Djarin
    
    
  • One’s Signet must be earned — and is only revealed with experience, over time: The signature emblem of each unique set of Mandalorian armor is earned only through martial prowess and victory, with the insignia imprinted on a given Mandalorian’s armor only after a combat victory of personal significance has been achieved. The emblem often takes the form of an opponent or creature bested in battle.
    
    
    
    The Armorer's forge is located in an alcove whose entryway is adorned with a Mythosaur Signet. Although the Mythosaur creature itself looms large in Mandalorian history, as a mighty steed that their ancestors tamed, it is possible that beyond its overall significance to Mandalorians, the Mythosaur signet in the Covert on Nevarro represents either the Armorer's original clan, or that of the entire Tribe she leads.

Capsule: The Mandalorians were formidable warriors in their time — a time that many believe has now passed, an era now relegated to history and legend. After the Imperial siege of Mandalore claimed many lives, after the "purge", and after what came to be called the "Night of a Thousand Tears," the Mandalorians who survived were forced to go into hiding. And so it was that the Mandalorian Tribe to which the Armorer belonged survived by seeking refuge, so as to regroup and regain strength by living in secret beneath the city on Nevarro.

That the Armorer came to lead the Tribe speaks volumes. For in such a warrior-focused society, it took more than mere martial skill to command the respect of one's comrades — though the Armorer had no shortage of the former. Nonetheless, to lead this group of survivors through such dark times, it took someone who not only lived by the Creed, but also someone who knew how to forge ahead — in this case, by literally forging the traditional tools of the Mandalorians, so that its tribes could endure.

Through her blacksmith's expertise and her knowledge of The Way, the Armorer crafted the traditional tools of survival for her people: customized armor, weapons, and unique signets representative of each member's identity. Yet the Tribe turned to the Armorer for more than their physical weapons of war, they turned to her for guidance. When tensions rise between members, just as she tempers steel, the Armorer tempers boiling blood. Through steadfast calm, she shares words of wisdom and lessons of the Creed, expounding upon the Mandalorians' views on bravery and cowardice, on honor and of honoring shared principles. To be Mandalorian is to live by the Creed. And few know the Creed like the Armorer.

Her knowledge and experience were not limited to the Way alone however. When she aided Din Djarin and his allies in their escape from Nevarro, the Armorer revealed knowledge of the long-forgotten Jedi Order and its shared, tumultuous history with the Mandalorians. She may not have known much else about the Child's origins, but she knew enough to shed light upon Djarin's next mission: to care for the Child as his own, as a clan of two, and to seek out its sorcerer people.

"I know of such things. The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great, and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers... its kind were enemies but this individual is not... it is a foundling. By Creed, it is in your care."

After the Tribe rose as one in defense of Din Djarin and the Child in his care, and after so many fell when reprisal came, the Armorer had collected and melted down the armor of her fallen brethren, salvaging what she could — for her people. When Imperial forces finally reached the Mandalorian Covert, the Armorer waited, within the enclave. Although outnumbered five to one, the Armorer overcame her opponents. And she used no flamethrowers, no vibroblades, and neither whistling birds, nor rising phoenixes. Against the Empire, she used only the smithing tools of her trade... and won.

And though she remains mysterious to those outside the Tribe, with her wisdom and martial skill, mastery of her people's way of life and knowledge of how to keep their traditions alive, the Armorer endures, as a calm, collected, and steadying force, dedicated to the survival of the Mandalorians — and of the Way.


Sources: The Mandalorian live-action series, Wookieepedia, Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game: REUP, and https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-armorer-best-warrior/. Third and fourth paragraphs of capsule contain text adapted from https://www.cbr.com/mandalorian-armorer-best-warrior/. Images: Screen captures from The Mandalorian live-action series. Stats and text by Telsij.


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Equipment: Custom Mandalorian battle armor (see separate entry below), Mandalorian equipment design schematics (see separate entry below), fire/heat-resistant clothing (gloves with quilted insulation, layered leather kilt, tunic: +2D+2 protection vs. fire/heat damage, +2 vs. edged physical damage; covers torso, arms and legs only), fur capelet (+1D to resist effects of cold/freezing temperatures), metalsmith's hammer (head of hammer inflicts STR+2D blunt/concussive physical damage, claw inflicts STR+1D+2 damage; melee difficulty: Easy, Game Notes: Hammer grants +1D bonus to repair or engineering tasks that require shaping of metals, or use of forge), metalsmith's tongs (STR+1D damage, melee difficulty: Easy; Tongs grants +2 bonus to repair or engineering tasks that require shaping of metals, or use of forge), underground enclave to house Mandalorian Tribe on the planet Nevarro, utility belt, various welding and repair tools.

• THE ARMORER'S FORGE: Within an enclave in the underground Mandalorian Covert on Nevarro, beneath the signet of the Mythosaur, the Armorer has constructed a forge with which she may effect her metalsmithing duties, where she may heat, pour, mold, hammer and shape metals. Although the Mythosaur creature itself looms large in Mandalorian history, as a mighty steed that their ancestors tamed, it is possible that beyond its overall significance to Mandalorians, the Mythosaur signet in the Covert on Nevarro represents either the Armorer's original clan, or that of the entire Tribe she leads.
  
  
  
  Damage/Effectiveness: 10D. Skill: Machinery operation and sensors (these skills govern activation and calibration of forge, access of proper schematic, etc, not any metalsmithing itself). Difficulty: Difficult (Machinery operation) and Moderate (Sensors). Game Notes: If user succeeds on her machinery operation and sensors checks to properly activate and calibrate forge, user gains a +2D bonus to repair rolls that require replacing metal components or additional/other use of reforged metals. Forge also grants a +1D bonus to engineering tasks that involve (or benefit from) metalsmithing. Please note: Use of a forge (not necessarily this particular model) is required for metalsmithing tasks. Forge melts materials/metals/targets with 10D effectiveness. If opposed rolls to determine forge's success are required, roll 10D vs. target material/metal's body strength, with a +1 bonus added to the forge's damage/effectiveness for every +1 margin by which user exceeds the apparatus' base difficulties. Should beings make contact with the intense blue flames generated by the forge, they immediately suffer 10D energy damage. If a "Killed" damage result occurs due to this contact, body (or parts of body) that have made contact with the forge's fires are dissolved/melted by end of that combat round. Forge is linked to holo-schematic reader interface and control panel.
  
  
  
  
• THE ARMORER'S MANDALORIAN BATTLE ARMOR: With the bronze or gold-like luster of its helmet and the Zabrak-horn-like spikes atop said helm, as well as the copper finish of its chestplate, the armor which the Armorer has crafted for herself is as distinctive as it is durable.
  
  Helmet and Breastplate: Covers head and torso only; no Dexterity penalties. Armor provides +3D protection vs. blunt/concussive physical damage, +4D vs. edged/vibro-weapon damage, +3D+2 vs. energy damage, and +4D vs. energy damage if source of attack originates from a distance of 200 meters or greater from wearer.
  
  Helmet Sensor Suite: The Armorer's helmet is equipped with a sensor suite which, in passive mode, grants her a default/minimum +1D bonus to Perception or search rolls. More granular, mode-specific effects are available to her depending upon which sensors are actively engaged — although which scanners the Armorer has equipped her helmet with remains to be seen. However, the Armorer's helmet is compatible with all the tech which Mandalrian armor is traditionally-equipped with, eg: audio scanner, data scanner, HUD, scomp-link to preferred weaponry, thermal scanner, etc.
  
  Horns: The spokes atop her helmet inflict STR+1D+2 damage if used while brawling; blunt attacks with helmet inflict STR+1D damage.
  
  
  
  
  
• DESIGN SCHEMATICS FOR TRADITIONAL MANDALORIAN ARMOR, ARMS & EQUIPMENT: The Armorer maintains holo-schematics for all of the arms and equipment she has designed and crafted for the Tribe.
  
  Game Notes: Use of holo-schematics reduces repair/engineering difficulty by one level, or reduces required Time Taken by one level, depending upon specific schematic used, and/or GM discretion.
  
  

Sources: The Mandalorian live-action series, Wookieepedia, and Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game: REUP. Images: Concept art for The Mandalorian S1E3: The Sin by Nick Gindraux and Doug Chiang, and screen captures from The Mandalorian live-action series. Stats and text by Telsij.


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Advanced Skill Clarification with Sample Parameters for Creation of Beskar-based Armor:

• (A) ARMOR ENGINEERING: This advanced skill (primarily) allows a character to create and craft various types of personal armor, and governs both the design and the construction/fabrication of said armor.
  
  Prerequisites: Requires 4D in armor repair. Difficulty: Varies; dependent upon complexity of armor to be crafted (see below):
  
  
  • For a cohesive full or partial suit of armor: Moderate + desired/maximum armor protection die code of materials used +2 for each hit location protected (head, torso, arms and legs).
    
  • For a single or standalone item, such a shoulder pauldron, gauntlet, vambrace, greave, etc: Easy + desired/maximum armor protection die code of materials used.
  
  Time Taken: Speed of plot; generally minutes to hours; if means of parts fabrication are available, approximate guidelines are as follows, and are dependent on the difficulty of creating desired armor:
  15 minutes (Very Easy), 1 hour (Easy), 2-3 hours (Moderate), 4-6 hours (Difficult), 8-12 hours (Very Difficult), one day (Heroic), et cetera.
  
  Game Effect: A character with this advanced skill may create armor that provides the wearer up to and including the maximum die code value in protection granted by the raw material used.
  
  At GM's discretion, the additional difficulties and durations may also be used as benchmarks to reflect the creation of single or replacement armor components, or the integration of other technology into the armor, such as the incorporation of scanners, scomp-link capabilities, and weaponry. For such tasks, the lower difficulties serve as the base difficulty + the die code effectiveness of the item to be incorporated. For example, an Audio Scanner which grants a +2D bonus to audio-based Perception and search checks might be a task of Easy +2D difficulty.
  
  The preceding guidelines may be applied to the creation of Mandalorian armor from Beskar: At its peak effectiveness for personal armor use, Beskar (or Mandalorian Steel) provides +3D protection vs. blunt/concussive physical damage, +4D vs. edged/vibro-weapon damage, +3D+2 vs. energy damage, and +4D vs. energy damage if source of attack originates from a distance of 200 meters or greater from wearer. Therefore, in order to forge armor using this material, the Armorer's engineering roll must succeed vs. Moderate +4D difficulty + an additional +2 per hit location protected, with the process potentially taking several hours. Metalsmithing tools and the use of a forge are required to craft Beskar into armor.
  
  

Sources: The Mandalorian live-action series, Wookieepedia, and Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game: REUP. Image: Screen capture from The Mandalorian live-action series. Stats and text by Telsij.
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OBSCURE CHARACTER ARCHIVE INDEX

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[Whill]

[Raven Redstar]

I think it's likely she was a member of Maul's Deathwatch.
_________________
RR
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[Telsij]

SPOILERS for THE MANDALORIAN:

[Whill]

[Telsij]

[Telsij]

RISE OF SKYWALKER SPOILERS:

Of various things in the movie that I wish had been handled differently (chief among them Rey being a Palpatine, as I much prefer the character arc of "Rey from Nowhere"), C-3PO's memory wipe being played largely for laughs was something that could've/should've been left more poignant, imho, while still allowing the old protocol droid to serve as comedy relief role beforehand/elsewhere. One of the culprits in that tonal clash, was tiny old Babu Frik going "hey-heyyy!" as 3PO's memory was wiped. Nonetheless, thanks to Pablo Hidalgo's work in the Visual Dictionaries, I've softened my stance on Babu and could see him playing an interesting role in an adventure or campaign.

So here are BABU FRIK with species stats for the ANZELLAN!

After writing him up, I searched the Pit to see what others made of smaller scale characters, as I recalled there being a write-up for the tiny Zilkin character, Gascon, from The Clone Wars series. And while I purposefully stopped short of introducing a full-fledged scale (w/ 2D scale modifier) below character and wanted to hew closer to the 1D modifier used for called shots at targets between 10-50 cm, CRMcNeill's house-ruled scale system (which most of you are probably already familiar) does a handy job of introducing smaller and intermediary scales that WEG neglects: https://rancorpit.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=165950#165950

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BABU FRIK
Diminutive Droidsmith



Quotes:

• "Droid rememory go blank. Blank-blank."
  
• "Droid... is... redddaaay!"
  
• "Hey-heyyyyy!"
  
• "Hello... I Babu... Frik."

DEXTERITY 2D+2
Brawling parry 3D, dodge 4D+2, running 3D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D+1
Alien species 4D, languages 4D, planetary systems 4D+1,
streetwise 6D, streetwise: Spice Runners of Kijimi 6D+2,
survival 4D, value 4D, value: droids 8D, willpower 4D+1
MECHANICAL 2D
Communications 4D+1, machinery operation 5D, sensors 5D
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Hide 4D, persuasion: benchside manner 5D+1, search 5D+2
STRENGTH 2D
Climbing/jumping 3D+2, stamina 3D+2
TECHNICAL 4D+2
Computer programming/repair 6D, droid programming 9D+2,
droid repair 10D+1, equipment repair 6D+2, security 7D+2

Species: Anzellan
Gender: Male
Homeworld: Kijimi
Age: 85 standard years

Force Points: 1
Character Points: 8
Move: 4*
Size: 0.22 meters tall
Scale: Tiny (Character scale subscale: 1D scale modifier)

Special Abilities and Story Factors:

• Avid HoloNet User: In addition to his involvement with the Spice Runners of Kijimi, Babu Frik keeps active on a scavenger HoloNet board as well, contacting fellow gearheads in other sectors of the galaxy.
  
  
• Jovial: Gleeful and wide-eyed, Frik cares little that his work is illegal; he enthusiastically relishes the challenge and loves the puzzles presented to him by cutting-edge anti-tamper systems. Despite the complex sociopolitical relationship between organics and droids, Babu Frik himself does not appear interested in engaging in such philosophical debate. He thinks of droids as “tools that can be friends,” and performs whatever modifications are purchased from him. Though Babu may not as enlightened as some impassioned droid rights activists, he does admire droids’ design features and does show some sympathy for their plight. His benchside manner is a tender one, and he does his best to put skittish droids at ease before they undergo what may be horrible procedures.
  
  
• Microscopic Vision: Anzellans possess floating corneal microlenses that allow them to see microscopic detail. In game terms, if an Anzellan spends one full round focusing on an object or 0.25 meter target area that is within a 0.5 meter distance, he may then clearly discern microscopic detail in that target area or object. In addition, as the standard difficulty for objects that are microscopic in size is Heroic, after focusing his eyes using his floating corneal microlenses, an Anzellan may reduce this search difficulty by two levels. If any Technical-based skill checks require the use of microscopes, an Anzellan may forego use of external magnifying instruments after properly focusing his eyes. And if the success of repair-based rolls is dependent upon noticing or understanding microscopic detail, the Anzellan may also perform these tasks at two difficulty levels lower than normal as well.
  
  
• Signs of Aging: Although still agile enough to hop and leap from place to place, Babu Frik's legs have begun to show signs of age. In game terms, this is reflected in a -1 reduction to his Move score.
  
  
• Tiny Scale: Due to Anzellans' diminutive size and stature, they are more difficult for larger beings to successfully hit in combat, or locate if hiding. However, they are less resilient to attacks from larger beings as well. In game terms, the difficulty of any attack made against an Anzellan between 10-50 centimeters tall, by larger-but-still-character-scale opponents, is increased by +1D. However, the damage of such attacks is also increased by +1D. By the same token, any attacks an Anzellan makes against character-scale targets gain a +1D bonus to succeed, though the target gains a +1D bonus to resist damage if the Anzellan's attack is a physically-based brawling or melee one. Similarly, attack and damage bonuses scale up against even larger targets, as per standard scale modifier rules. (For example, Babu Frik would gain a +3D bonus to hit a speeder scale target.) Lastly, Anzellans gain a +1D bonus to their hide rolls, and if there is appropriate cover (ie: he or she is not simply out in the open on a flat surface), they gain a +1D bonus to their sneak rolls as well.

Capsule: Babu Frik is a tiny tinkerer who works out of a cluttered shop in the Thieves’ Quarter of Kijimi City. The well-regarded droidsmith has a reputation for being able to reprogram or modify virtually any droid, no matter the security measures protecting its systems. Gleeful and wide-eyed, Frik cares little that his work is illegal; he enthusiastically relishes the challenge and loves the puzzles presented to him by cutting-edge antitamper systems. Despite often singing his whiskers in the process, Babu is able to bypass well-intentioned safeguards to turn submissive droids into dangerous weapons, confident that his tiny size rarely registers as a threat to most combat automata.

Droid minds are boxed in by an array of dampeners, strictures, and hard-coded prohibitions programmed for the safety and security of organic beings. Society has accepted that if droids could "truly think," that there would be a probability of abuse or, in the extreme case, civilizational collapse. Despite this sociopolitical setting, and despite his status as a legendary droidsmith, Babu Frik doesn’t seem to engage in such philosophical debate. He simply calls droids “tools that can be friends,” and performs whatever modifications are purchased from him. Though Babu is not as enlightened as some impassioned droid rights activists, he admires droids’ design features and does show some sympathy for their plight. His benchside manner is a tender one, and he does his best to put skittish droids at ease before they undergo what may be horrible procedures.

Babu’s workshop is a squat blockhouse atop a crest facing the city center, crammed with a wide variety of droid fragments and tools. The inner walls are lined with grooves stuffed with conducting cables, useful in heating the space and providing the power needed for Babu’s craft. He earns his power allotment by serving as a go-to mechanic in the Thieves’ Quarter, but his specialty droid modification and security countermeasure work is exclusive to the Spice Runners, of which Babu is an honorary member.

"We're trying to find Babu Frik."
"Babu? Babu only works for the crew. That isn't you anymore."
― Poe Dameron and Zorii Bliss

Equipment:

• Ancient Ashpo-Tess Banking Droid head (Work-in-progress project: Frik is working to pull its memory unit)
  
• Archaic droid manipulator (Digits of droid hand are locked in "rigor mechis" oxidation)
  
• Bending agent nozzle (Grants +1D bonus to welding, or to repair rolls that involve heating metals)
  
• Bespoke slicing device for droid brain surgery (Skill: droid programming, difficulty: Difficult, time to use: dependent upon slicing difficulty; Game Notes: Decognitizer interface and "colo clip" electrical connectors allow droidsmith to connect to even the most delicate cognitive unit interface points, in order to initiate custom redactive memory purges. In game terms, after a successful interface/set-up, device grants user a +1D bonus to droid programming or repair rolls related to memory wipe or retrieval)
  
• Datapad console (Buttons are large enough for Babu Frik to step on in order to activate; used to display sensor findings or to browse HoloNet)
  
• Electroprobe with test electrode prongs (Grants +1D bonus to Systems Diagnosis checks)
  
• Gas ampules (For use with powered tools)
  
• Insulated leather hood (Provides +1D protection vs. edged physical damage and +2D protection against fire, flame or heat damage),
  
• K1-RF Workbench Droid (Equipped with rising hydraulic platform and articulated lamp)
  
• Portable heating torch (Variable output settings let Babu's torch function as a welder, cutting torch or soldering unit),
  
• Sparkshield vambrace (+1D protection vs. energy damage; leather straps used to affix to forearms were trimmed six times to find proper fit)
  
• Torso and head of 00M-MARK B1-Series battle droid (Droid has command rank markings)
  
• WED-15 droid head (Binocular photoreceptors have been cannibalized for their lenses)
  
• Work belt with leather loincloth (Provides utility pouches/loops for a single tool and +1D protection against fire, flame or heat damage).
  
• Work goggles (Viewing slit in flip-down visor is UV and IR shielded; goggle hinges have integral ear protection; in game terms, proper use reduces damage or flash-blinding effects of sudden bright light sources by -4D and reduces audio damage by -2D)
  
• Workshop in Thieves' Quarter of Kijimi City (Workshop appears cramped, but to the tiny Anzellan, it is a cavernous warehouse filled with treasures. Every surface is covered with droid parts, many exceedingly old and rare. A single-droid oil bath bubble sin the corner; aside from lubricants it holds a custom-recipe deep cleanser that restores especially-tarnished parts).

Sources: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, starwars.com, Wookieepedia, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLJVKqrSFj4&feature=youtu.be&t=46 . Capsule text adapted from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary (p.144-145). Stats by Telsij.


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ANZELLAN
Attribute Dice: 12D

DEXTERITY: 1D+1/4D+1
KNOWLEDGE: 1D/4D
MECHANICAL: 1D/3D+2
PERCEPTION: 2D/4D
STRENGTH: 1D/2D+2
TECHNICAL: 1D+2/4D+2

Move: 5/7
Size: 0.15-0.45 meters tall
Scale: Tiny (Character scale subscale: 1D scale modifier)

Species Special Abilities and Story Factors:

• Microscopic Vision: Anzellans possess floating corneal microlenses that allow them to see microscopic detail. In game terms, if an Anzellan spends one full round focusing on an object or 0.25 meter target area that is within a 0.5 meter distance, he may then clearly discern microscopic detail in that target area or object. In addition, as the standard difficulty for objects that are microscopic in size is Heroic, after focusing his eyes using his floating corneal microlenses, an Anzellan may reduce this search difficulty by two levels. If any Technical-based skill checks require the use of microscopes, an Anzellan may forego use of external magnifying instruments after properly focusing his eyes. And if the success of repair-based rolls is dependent upon noticing or understanding microscopic detail, the Anzellan may also perform these tasks at two difficulty levels lower than normal as well.
  
  
• Tiny Scale: Due to Anzellans' diminutive size and stature, they are more difficult for larger beings to successfully hit in combat, or locate if hiding. However, they are less resilient to attacks from larger beings as well. In game terms, the difficulty of any attack made against an Anzellan between 10-50 centimeters tall, by larger-but-still-character-scale opponents, is increased by +1D. However, the damage of such attacks is also increased by +1D. By the same token, any attacks an Anzellan makes against character-scale targets gain a +1D bonus to succeed, though the target gains a +1D bonus to resist damage if the Anzellan's attack is a physically-based brawling or melee one. Similarly, attack and damage bonuses scale up against even larger targets, as per standard scale modifier rules. (For example, Babu Frik would gain a +3D bonus to hit a speeder scale target.) Lastly, Anzellans gain a +1D bonus to their hide rolls, and if there is appropriate cover (ie: he or she is not simply out in the open on a flat surface), they gain a +1D bonus to their sneak rolls as well.

Sources: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, starwars.com, and Wookieepedia. Capsule text adapted from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary (p.144-145). Stats by Telsij.
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[Whill]

[Telsij]

[Whill]

[Telsij]

Hi all!

Apologies for being MIA of late. RL has been very busy/hectic — but in a good way.

Am video-editing a project whose deadline is early July, and the tabletop game I did the artwork for has been released / is now available!

And so, with a few Obscure Character drafts already in the works, I should be back w/ character updates mid/late Summer. See you all then!
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[Telsij]

Hey, Mando!

SPOILERS FOR THE MANDALORIAN!

As ol' Carl Weathers' character here was already nearly done, am making a brief reappearance with GREEF KARGA, rep for the Bounty Hunters' Guild and disgraced magistrate, from The Mandalorian live-action series.

This *should* take care of The Mandalorian's recurring cast for now, though some of the minor players are still upcoming — when time-crunched schedule allows!


********************

GREEF KARGA
Type: Agent of the Guild



Quotes:

• "Ah! Mando!"
  — Greef Karga greets Din Djarin.
  
  
• "The Empire is gone, Mando. All that are left are mercenaries and warlords."
  
  
• "They all hate you, Mando. Because you're a legend!"
  — Karga to Djarin, after the latter successfully secures the Asset for the Client while many others failed.
  
  
• "I didn't want it to come to this. But then you broke the code."
  — Karga to Djarin, as the latter attempts to escape with the Child.
  
  
• "So, this little bogwing is what all the fuss was about. What a precious little creature!
  I can see why you didn't want to harm a hair on its wrinkled little head."
  — Karga, inspects the "Asset" / Child.
  
  
• "Let's make the baby do the magic hand thing. Come on, Baby! Do the magic hand thing."
  — With their situation desperate, Karga tries to think of a way to combat Moff Gideon's TIE attack.
  
  
• "Nevarro is a very fine planet. And now that the scum and villainy have been washed away, it's very respectable again."
  
  
• "Some of my favorite people are bounty hunters."

(As of The Mandalorian Season One)

DEXTERITY 3D+1
Blaster 6D, blaster: heavy blaster pistol 6D+2, brawling parry 5D, dodge 5D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D+2
Alien species 5D, bureaucracy 6D+2, bureaucracy: Bounty Hunters’ Guild 8D,
business 5D, business: bounty hunting 6D+1, intimidation 5D, languages 5D,
law enforcement 4D+2, planetary systems 5D, streetwise 7D+2, streetwise:
Bounty Hunters’ Guild 9D, survival 4D+2, value 5D+2, willpower 4D+1
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 4D, communications 4D+2, repulsorlift operation 3D+2,
sensors 4D+2, space transports 3D+2, starship gunnery 4D
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Bargain 6D+2, command 5D+2, command: Guild Bounty Hunters 7D+1,
con 5D+2, investigation 4D, persuasion 5D+2, search 4D+2, sneak 4D
STRENGTH 3D+1
Brawling 5D, brawling: boxing 5D+2, climbing/jumping 4D+1,
lifting 4D+2, stamina 5D+1
TECHNICAL 2D
Blaster repair 4D, computer programming/repair 4D+2, security 5D+1

Species: Human
Gender: Male

Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 1
Character Points: 10
Move: 10

Story Factors:

• Disgraced Magistrate: Not much is known about the leaders of the Bounty Hunter's Guild, though Greef Karga can certainly count himself among their ranks. However, what *is* known to some, about Karga himself, is that the man was once a government official as well. And though the position of magistrate exists in various planetary and galactic governments, based upon Moff Gideon's strategically revealing comments, it appears that Karga may have worked for the Empire. Exactly why Karga vacated his position in disgrace is yet unknown. Whatever the act, Karga either left the Empire on his own, or was dismissed. Karga's experience with "hostile negotiations" and diplomacy (two-fisted or otherwise) then allowed him to secure a leadership role within the Bounty Hunter's Guild, a role that had allowed him to operate outside the parameters of the Empire, then within the legal framework of the New Republic after the Empire's fall.

Capsule: As an agent of the Bounty Hunters Guild, Greef Karga secured bounty hunters in pursuit of valuable and rare quarries in the galaxy. And as an agent of the Bounty Hunter's Guild, Greef Karga held a fair amount of influence in the Outer Rim underworld. Armed with the gift of gab and a knack for diplomacy, Karga was able to keep even the rough and tumble crowd of Guild bounty hunters in line. One of the Guild's most successful hunters? A man he knew only as "the Mandalorian."

"There is one job."
"Let's see the puck."
"No puck. Face to face. Direct commission. Deep pocket."
― Greef Karga and Din Djarin, on his new quarry.

It was for "Mando" then that Karga offered a profitable but mysterious bounty, an ex-Imperial Client whose desired quarry had no chain-code that could be divulged, just an age, location and tracking fob. The Mandalorian's eventual success at capturing this asset then became Karga's success, as both men profited mightily in the form of Mandalorian beskar as payment.

"They're all weighing the beskar in their minds, but not me. No. I for one, I celebrate your success, because it is my success as well. Hell, even I'm rich," said Karga.

It was all the more disappointing then, when Mando reneged on his word, returning to retrieve the asset after accepting payment. Of the Guild's few tenets, asking no questions was one. Karga didn't ask, and in his view, neither should Mando.

Nonetheless, thanks to a harrowing escape aided by the Mandalorian's Tribe, the bounty hunter eluded Karga's capture. Karga himself would have been killed by a bolt from the Mandalorian's blaster — if not for the beskar Karga had kept tucked in his tunic. Unfortunately, that escape brought the might of Imperial remnants down upon the planet Nevarro.

And so, a trap was planned. A trap to lure the Mandalorian back and to claim the Child. The Client appeared willing to move forward with an exchange for the Child, provided that the Mandalorian was captured and the "Asset" in question was returned. And upon meeting the Mando out in the barrens of Nevarro however, Karga and his bodyguards remained at tense odds with Mando's assembled entourage. However, after sustaining a serious injury during that night's camp, Karga experienced a change of heart. His wound was miraculously healed by the Child — with a touch from what Karga would later dub "the magic hand thing." And so, forming an alliance with the Mandalorian, Cara Dune, and the Ugnaught Kuiil, Karga agrees to aid the bounty hunter in fending off the Imperials once and for all.

After the Client is shockingly murdered by Moff Gideon's forces, it is revealed that Karga was once a Magistrate, a *disgraced* magistrate. Exactly how this came to pass in unknown, but upon his departure Karga clearly used his skills to secure a position within (and perhaps atop) the Bounty Hunters' Guild. Still hope seemed lost against Gideon's superior forces, until the sudden arrival of 1G-11 turns the tide. After a harrowing battle and journey along the lava river beneath the city, Karga and his allies emerge victorious and he is able resume his duties as agent of the Guild. Karge even offers Dune a role as his enforcer, while offering Mando a warm, standing welcome from the Guild whenever it is that their paths might cross again....

"And when you're ready to return, you'll have the pick of all quarries."
"I'm afraid I have more pressing matters at hand."
"Take care of this little one."
"Or maybe, it'll take care of you."
― Greef Karga, Din Djarin, and Cara Dune part ways... for now.



Equipment: Beskar bars (+3D vs. blunt/concussive physical, +4D vs. edged/vibro physical, +3D+2 vs. energy, +4D vs. energy if is fired upon from distances of 200 meters or greater), cache of bounty pucks and tracking fobs (pucks contain information on criminal record and credit amount of bounty posted; fobs contain a given target's "chain code" of identifying characteristics), comlink, dual holo-transceiver, holsters and utility belt, leather gloves, leather vest (+1 vs. edged physical damage; covers torso only; interior breast pockets contain sufficient space to carry two bars of beskar), modified pair of Blas-Steyr M1912 heavy blaster pistols (5D+1 damage, range: 5-10/25/50, ammo: 25; game notes: Ventilated heat shield along barrel is constructed in such a way as to reduce potential issues with blaster gas delivery and to avoid malfunctions; in game terms, user may ignore one wild die induced misfire/mishap related to Blas-Steyr M1912 per session), shoulder cape (+1D to Hide attempts, or to certain Sneak attempts — such as moving hands to holstered pistols with back turned).

Sources: The Mandalorian live-action series, https://www.starwars.com/databank/greef-karga , Wookieepedia, https://screenrant.com/mandalorian-show-greef-karga-carl-weathers-origin-explained/ , https://www.therpf.com/forums/threads/greef-karga-blaster-mandalorian-season-1-episode-8.307118/ , and http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Mandalorian,_The_-_Season_1 . First paragraph of capsule text is adapted from databank entry, with additional phrasing adapted from screenrant article. Images: Cropped character promotional poster, https://www.starwars.com/databank/greef-karga , and screen captures from The Mandalorian live-action series. Stats and text by Telsij.


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[Telsij]

Annnd one more entry, so that we're back "On Brand" with a genuinely obscure character, before I have to disappear back into the aether!

I was always fond of the Mon Calamari pilot from Return of the Jedi's "cutting room floor pilots" deleted scenes. Now years later, like "Fake Wedge", who was finally given an identity of his own — COL TAKBRIGHT, whom I statted HERE (link to PDF) — our Mon Cala pala was finally named *and* given a tiny hint of ability/backstory in 2019's Star Wars: Rebel Starfighters: Owners' Workshop Manual. Here then is IKA SULKO!

And to see his "scenes" (with some of the cheekier on-set lines, like "Fried calamari tonight" and "That's the last time I fly Lucas Airways"), his footage for RotJ is HERE (YouTube video).

And for an *old* take on one of the other pilots from the deleted, the "Granny" A-wing pilot, whom I wrote-up in 2015 as an older version of a Bravo Squadron pilot from The Phantom Menace is HERE (link to PDF).

Note: In much the same way that Momaw Nadon has a MEC score that exceeds the well-travelled Ithorian specie's dubious RAW MEC max of 2D, the Death in the Undercity adventure module gave a MEC die code of 4D to their Mon Cala Pilot template, exceeding their RAW max of 3D+1. With a 3D+1 maximum too low, imho (though I know a bit of this is mitigated by the moist environment bonus), for a spacefaring species of such stalwart shipwrights, I generally consider Mon Cala MEC max to be 4D.

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IKA SULKO
Type: Mon Calamari Pilot



Quotes:

• "I copy. Moving into position."
  
• "It's a heavy fire zone down there."
  
• "I'm on the leader."

DEXTERITY 2D+2
Blaster 3D, brawling parry 4D, dodge 4D, running 4D+2,
vehicle blasters 3D+2
KNOWLEDGE 2D+2
Planetary systems 3D+2, survival: ocean/undersea 5D
MECHANICAL 4D
Repulsorlift operation 5D+2, starfighter piloting 6D,
starfighter piloting: B-wing 7D, starship gunnery 5D+2
PERCEPTION 2D+1
Search 4D+1
STRENGTH 3D
Climbing/jumping 4D+2, stamina 3D+2, swimming 6D
TECHNICAL 3D+1
First aid: self-diagnose 4D+1, starfighter repair 3D+2,
starfighter repair: B-wing 4D+1

Species: Mon Calamari
Gender: Male
Character Points: 9
Move: 9

Special Abilities and Story Factors:

• Aquatic: Mon Calamari can breathe both air and water, and can withstand extreme pressures found in ocean depths.
  
  
• Dry Environments: When in arid environments, Mon Calamari become depressed and withdrawn. They suffer a -1D penalty to all Dexterity, Perception, and Strength attribute and skill checks. This is a psychological effect only.
  
  
• Innate Kinesthetic Sense: Ika Sulko possessed an acute awareness of the positions and movements of his skeletal joints, and of the tension and compression of the muscles in his body. This keen sensitivity to sensory input within and upon the body, as well as how his posture and position affected said input, granted Sulko finer spatial awareness than many of his brethren, in addition to a greater ability to adapt to disorienting conditions.
  
  In game terms, Sulko gains a +2D bonus to any skill or attribute check required to determine his position relative to his surroundings, even in darkness. In addition, he may re-roll any failed checks required to resist disorientation, or other similar effects caused by changes in position and movement. He must accept the second result however, regardless of the roll's outcome.
  
  
• Moist Environments: When in moist environments, Mon Calamari receive a +1D bonus to all Dexterity, Perception, and Strength attribute and skill checks. This is a purely psychological advantage.

Capsule: Ika Sulko wanted nothing more than to fly amongst the stars. Yet, oddly enough, it was in space that he felt most like he was undersea.

Although the Mon Calamari were long heralded for their shipwrights’ prowess, Sulko felt most at home in the cockpit of a starfighter. No matter how vast the oceans were on his homeworld, in the end they were still finite. Space on the other hand? In space, there was *always* a new frontier, a new horizon.

But with the Empire's conquest of Mon Cala, this chance would not come freely, nor would much of anything else under Imperial subjugation. And so, Sulko looked to the stars — and chased them.

Thanks to the influence of Admirals Raddus and Ackbar, Sulko soon found himself in the company of those who would ensure that anyone, regardless of species, could be afforded the same opportunity to chase the horizon. Soon, he found himself with the Rebellion. And in time, he found himself fighting against the Empire above a forest moon, in the decisive Battle of Endor. Because time was short and timing was of the essence, Sulko had to leap into the fray wearing a flight suit borrowed from Green Squadron. Fortunately for Sulko — and unfortunately for his opponents, the Mon Calamari pilot still flew his starfighter of choice.

Fittingly, it was in the design of a fellow Mon Calamari, in the cockpit of Quarrie's "Blade Wing" assault fighter that Sulko found his home away from home. The Blade Wing’s gyroscopic cockpit caused disorientation in some, but not to Sulko. Instead the Mon Calamari found that the swirling churn of stars that sickened some rookies instead reminded him of the waters of his homeworld.

Sulko, more than his Mon Cala brethren, was keenly aware of his own body and his surroundings — and of his ever-changing place in them. Sulko was aware of each limb, each digit, each extremity — *and* its position, both undersea *and* in space. Were Sulko a religious man he might’ve called this feeling of connectedness... the Force.

Whatever the explanation — mystical, biological, or otherwise, it was while at the helm of a B-wing starfighter that Ika Sulko felt as though he were immersed in the swirling seas of home....



Equipment: B-wing starfighter, Green Squadron vacuum suit (provides 10 hours worth of atmosphere. A player character in space must make a Moderate stamina or Strength check every hour or he or she is exposed to vacuum or suffer a wound caused by the freezing cold of space), medpac, Mon Calamari flight helmet (+1D vs. physical, +2 vs. energy; covers head — but not face — only; equipped with comlink), SoroSuub X-30 "Lancer" target blast pistol (3D+1 damage, range: 3-10/30/120, ammo: 50).

Sources: Star Wars: Rebel Starfighters: Owners' Workshop Manual (p.45), https://www.fanthatracks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/RS7.jpg , Return of the Jedi film (deleted scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHnhxHMJcJ4&feature=youtu.be&t=233 ), Wookieepedia, Death in the Undercity WEG adventure module (source for Mon Calamari Pilot template), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHnhxHMJcJ4&feature=youtu.be&t=233 .
Images: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ika_Sulko , https://www.coleka.com/en/collector-action-figures/star-wars-action-figures/the-vintage-collection/rebel-pilot-mon-calamari_i2755 (photo by Dan Emmons), and https://www.bluemilkspecial.com/comic/meet-si-mon-calamari/ . Stats and text by Telsij.


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[Whill]

Thanks for doing him. That action figure kinda looks like a custom Mon Cal figure I made back in the last 90s. IIRC I used parts from Biggs Darklighter and Admiral Ackbar, with a helmet from a Mon Cal officer. I painted the orange in the flight suit green. Cool.

One of the reasons we Earth humans have good mechanical is from having binocular vision which our biological ancestors used for brachiation. I agree RAW is too low for Mon Cal, but in my book their eyes give them a slightly inferior max attribute than humans. But my game is based on Humans having a max of 4D+1 in all attributes, so Mon Cals have a 4D max Mechanical.
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[Telsij]

Hey, all!

As TV broadcast/post-production has (apparently) been deemed an essential service, work and hazarding my commute via public transport has kept me very busy and away from the forum for no longer than I'd like — something likely to continue for some time still.

HOWEVER, in light of Volume II of this character's comic book series launching last month, OBSCURE CHARACTER ARCHIVE presents stats and write-up for Star Wars' own Indiana Jones, DOCTOR CHELLI LONA APHRA!

With the Aphra comics responsible for introducing one of my favorite characters MAGNA TOLVAN into canon, statting up the title's lead was long overdue.

Okay, back into the shadows with me. Stay safe, all! MTFBWY.


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DOCTOR APHRA
Type: Rogue Archaeologist



Quotes:

• "You know, you can trust me, but you shouldn't."
  
  
• "Archaeology is just grave robbing with fancy paperwork. And I've got debts to pay."
  
  
• "I'm not sick! I just... I get things wrong. I'm selfish. I... I use people. But… I don't expect to sleep well. Ever."

DEXTERITY 2D+2
Blaster 5D+2, brawling parry 4D+2, dodge 6D, pick pocket 5D+2, running 5D
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Alien species 9D, cultures 9D, languages 7D, planetary systems 6D, planetary systems: Outer Rim 9D,
scholar: archaeology 10D+1, scholar: lore 11D+1, streetwise 7D+2, value 7D+2, value: artifacts 10D,
willpower 6D+1
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 5D+2, communications 5D+2, jetpack operation 3D, repulsorlift operation 3D, sensors 6D,
starfighter piloting 4D, space transports 5D+1, starship gunnery 3D+2, starship shields 4D+2
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Bargain 6D+2, con 7D+2, hide 6D, investigation 5D+2, investigation: artifact/treasure hunt 10D,
persuasion 5D+2, search 6D+1, search: traps 7D+1, sneak 5D
STRENGTH 2D
Brawling 3D, brawling: fighting dirty/"opportunistically" 4D, climbing/jumping 4D+2, stamina 4D
TECHNICAL 4D
Blaster repair 6D+2, computer programming/repair 8D, demolition 7D, droid programming 8D,
droid repair 7D+2, equipment repair 7D+2, first aid 5D, security 8D, space transport repair 6D

Species: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 1.56 meters
Age: Born 24 BBY

Force Points: 3
Dark Side Points: 3
Character Points: 23
Move: 10

Special Abilities and Story Factors:

• Electro-tattoo: Doctor Aphra has a circuitry-pattern electro-tattoo etched into her right arm, with its design reaching up to / along her shoulder. Electro-tattoos can carry data, complete circuits, or carry out security-overriding, sensor-baffling effects — though the latter capabilities are not widely known to the law-abiding public. The electro-tattoo on the right arm of rogue archaeologist Doctor Aphra’s once allowed her to circumvent and/or short-out electronic security measures, while a matching tattoo acquired later by then-Imperial-Inspector Magna Tolvan, allowed the couple to communicate securely through a prison’s energy barrier. In addition, synchronization between the two lovers' tattoos wound up creating biofeedback which enabled them to perceive — in varying degrees — one another's thoughts.
  
  In game terms, electro-tattoos can carry data, can complete circuits or disrupt currents, and can facilitate transmission of signals. If the desired effect is a security measure or countermeasure, the tattoo is given a die code effectiveness. Consider Doctor Aphra's and Magna Tolvan's electro-tattoos to each have a die code effectiveness of (at least) 7D.
  
  
  
  In addition, when within 40 meter range of one another, Aphra and Tolvan "feel" one another's presence — a sensation Tolvan described as akin to her "skin crawling." When within 20 meters range, Tolvan and Aphra may "sense" the other's thoughts on a successful opposed Willpower roll. If the rolls are within 5 of one another, Tolvan and Aphra each perceive an accurate but generalized sense of what the other is feeling, as specific information may still be withheld by the whomever rolls the highest. If within 1 meter of each other, Tolvan and Aphra are able to perceive accurate information regarding the other's thoughts if the rolls are within a difference of 5, though specific information may still be withheld by the whomever rolls the highest. If touching, no roll is required for each person to perceive a precise understanding of the other's thoughts and feelings, though specific information may still be withheld by an opposed roll. However, the person who wishes to keep their thoughts private must be conscious in order to do so....
  
  
  
  
• Enemies to lovers... to enemies... to lovers... to...: After previous involvement with smuggler Sana Starros, Doctor Aphra entered into a tumultuous romantic relationship with then-Imperial Captain, and later Alliance Operative, Magna Tolvan. After a prolonged game of cat-and-mouse, Aphra and Tolvan consummated their relationship and (eventually) admitted their mutual love. Nonetheless, Aphra would continue betraying Tolvan, and breaking her heart. However, at what appeared to be the end of their formal relationship, Aphra attempted to make amends, ensuring that Tolvan and the Alliance could escape Hoth, by strategically delaying the Empire's efforts to locate Echo Base.
  
  
  
  
  
  "Killing you is the only smart move... but you're cute."
  ― Aphra to Tolvan, after the incident at the Citadel of Rur.
  
  
  "I love you, Doctor Aphra."
  "I know."
  "I hate you, Doctor Aphra."
  ― Magna Tolvan and Doctor Aphra, moments before Tolvan allows Aphra to escape Alliance custody.
  
  
• Insatiable intellectual curiosity... coupled with greed: Chelli Aphra has difficulty resisting the siren song of rare archaeology. And while her intellectual curiosity is at the heart of this desire, it competes with greed as primary motivation. In game terms, if Aphra is faced with an opportunity to explore some rare archeological site or claim (ie: steal) a precious artifact but wishes to resist doing so, she must make a Moderate Willpower roll, at minimum, with the difficulty level increasing in direct proportion to how rare or valuable or interesting the item might be.
  
  Moreover, almost without fail, Aphra will not hesitate to lie, cheat, steal, and kill to get what she wants. She will double-cross allies without a second thought and will always have a last ditch trick up her sleeve. Should the GM choose to render this quality in game terms, if Aphra rolls a six on the wild die during any negotiation check, she will have concocted some way to steal all of the credits involved in the transaction. Alternatively, if one of her opponents, or one of the PCs, enters into negotiations with Aphra and rolls a wild-die mishap, some manner of double-cross / trap will be laid for them, unbeknownst to the party.
  
  
  
  
• Save yourself above all... well, almost all: Due to a variety of factors — conflicted upbringing torn between an absentee father focused on his work, to a mother who preached moral relativism and survival above all else, a life of crime, et cetera — Chelli Aphra has developed a... *gray* sense of right and wrong. Aphra will almost always act in her self interest. However, as her parting actions toward lover Magna Tolvan, father Korin Aphra, and young survivor and ward Vulaada Klam, prove, Chelli is not without good in her heart, buried deep down as it may be.
  
  Aphra will prioritize profit and self-preservation, unless people she has come to genuinely love are endangered... in which case, after much hand-wringing and roiling inner turmoil, she *may* decide to try to do the right thing. And by her own admission, even she has her limits, when it comes to misdeed, and even then, despite her charming and cavalier demeanor, Chelli Lona Aphra does not expect to ever sleep easy at night....
  
  "I won't do it! This is it! I'm bad, but I'm not that brand of evil."
  ― Aphra refuses to perform the latest cruel act while forced to work for evil protocol droid, Triple Zero.
  
  “Evil’s just a measure of how much your choices take away other people’s.”
  — Lona Aphra, mother of Chelli Aphra.

Capsule: Whenever rogue archaeologist (and thief) Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra wends her way through a series of deadly security measures — wryly narrating her progress all the while — it's often a memorable entrance... followed by a harrowing escape. Renowned for recovering hard-to-find artifacts (often of the "can be used as weapons" variety) and using her tech know-how to reactivate them, Doctor Aphra doesn't believe relics of the past should be gathering dust in a museum; she thinks they should be put to use (primarily to turn a profit for herself). After that, it's none of her concern.

Aphra is a skilled field archaeologist who initially followed in her father Korin's footsteps at the University of Bar'leth after losing her mother to supposed bandits during the Clone Wars. Despite her talents, she is impulsive and has a thirst for excitement which made her ill-suited to the patient excavation and study of traditional archaeology. In fact, sites that Aphra "studies" often suffer countless credits of worth of damage and wind up with the most precious artifacts "missing" — then mysteriously available on the black market soon thereafter. Such occurrences are of course, the handiwork of Aphra herself, along with any ersatz allies she has yet to betray, and her own mechanical creations.

Among her said creations are a pair of so-called "murder droids," a violent protocol droid called 0-0-0 and a a deadly astromech designated BT-1, ready to do (or do in) anything or anyone Aphra asks (at first, that is). Her attitude, talents and moral ambiguity make her an optimal candidate for the secretive work Darth Vader has in mind after the Battle of Yavin, and he recruits her as a key ally.

During a time immediately after the destruction of the first Death Star, when Vader felt his back against the wall and all Imperial eyes on him. In response, the Dark Lord decided to build up his own dedicated support system, which began with droids and a woman who could make them well and in secret: Doctor Aphra.

Aphra's fast talk and cutting humor make it seem as though she isn't afraid of the Sith Lord (though she admits he makes her a little nervous), and their byplay has a lighter touch not often seen in interplay with Vader. She clearly respects him, and strives to prove her worth, whether by acquiring a personal army of battle droids for him or investigating a highly personal matter — whether Padmé gave birth before she died. Aphra's very much aware that working with Vader is likely to end one way for her: in death. She's prepared, but not resigned. "The way I've lived I know I'm lucky to be alive."

Fortunately, her luck held. And if anything, it flourished. After succeeding at convincing the Dark Lord of her death at his hands, adventure became Aphra's specialty. And to it, she brought a scoundrel's brand of luck — solving problems on the fly, before speeding off and out of trouble in her ship, the Ark Angel.

After escaping Vader's (seemingly successful) attempt on her life, Aphra somehow managed to effect a dizzying array of death-defying escapes. From escaping the torturous ministrations of 0-0-0 with Tolvan's timely aid — the "liberated" protocol droid had assumed control of the crime syndicate Son-tuul Pride and was coercing Aphra to do his bidding — to escaping Accresker Jail and Vader once more (thanks once again to Magna Tolvan's willingness to sacrifice her memories... long story), to escaping a surgically-explosive plot by "Science Monster" Doctor Evazan, Aphra always made it out alive. Later on along the way, she even managed to take on a young "ward," Vulaada Klam, a wayward urchin who reminded Aphra of herself when she was younger.

Aphra would also find that her trademark dodge-and-weave approach did *not* work quite as well in her personal life, however. Upon meeting Sana Starros while studying at university, the two become an item, but by the time Starros runs into Aphra later in life, Sana (of course) tries to kill her. And while hunting for artifacts around the galaxy, Aphra's path crosses with Rebels and Imperials alike. She doesn't form many bonds, but she does manage to connect with Magna Tolvan, a skilled Imperial officer "destined for greatness," whose career is derailed by entanglement with Aphra. And though the two would fall in love over time, with Tolvan defecting to the Rebel Alliance and becoming one of their most valuable field agents, Aphra held no commitment to either side. That said, she managed to reconcile (in a matter of speaking) with Tolvan, her father, and her protégé, by ensuring their safety even as the Doctor herself disappeared from their lives.

And now, with the Rebel Alliance back on the run after their defeat at the Battle of Hoth, it’s never been a more dangerous time for outlaws and scoundrels — and errant archaeologists — making their way in the galaxy. But after a string of bad luck and near escapes, Doctor Aphra is back! She’s been keeping a low profile — jobs are scarce and credits scarcer. But the promise of the score of a lifetime might be a chance too good for her to pass up....



Equipment: BlasTech DL-44 heavy blaster pistol (5D damage, range: 3-7/25/50, ammo: 50), comlink, electrobinoculars (range: 100-250m/500m/1km; game notes: All search and Perception-oriented skills are increased by 3D when using electrobinoculars to view areas more than 100 meters away; note: Unlike macrobinoculars, electrobinoculars enhances images via built-in hardware), fingerless gloves, flight cap (aviator-style), goggles (game notes: negates flash-blinding penalties; reduces by 2D, any debris-based Perception penalties that would otherwise impede vision), holster, modified HK heavy-duty lifter starship (Ark Angel), stimpack, toolkit (+1D to repair or modification rolls), utility belt, vest.

Sources: Star Wars: Doctor Aphra comic book series (Vol. I and II), Darth Vader comic book series (2015-2016), Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy (p.62-65) by Amy Ratcliffe, Star Wars: Allies and Adversaries sourcebook by Fantasy Flight Games (p.78-79), http://swa.stoogoff.com , and Wookieepedia. Stats based upon / converted from official FFG stats first published in Star Wars: Allies and Adversaries sourcebook (p.78), reposted online here: http://swa.stoogoff.com/#doctor-aphra . Capsule text adapted from Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy (p.62-65), with third paragraph adapted from Star Wars: Allies and Adversaries sourcebook by Fantasy Flight Games (p.78), and with fourth and closing paragraphs adapted from https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/everything-you-need-to-know-about-star-wars-doctor-aphra . Images: In order of appearance above, artwork by Emilio Laiso (both images appear in Doctor Aphra Volume 1, Issue #14), Kev Walker (#21), Emilio Laiso (#17), Caspar Wijngaard (#39), Kev Walker (#1), and Valentina Remenar (Volume 2, Issue #1, Variant Cover). Stats and additional text by Telsij.
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OBSCURE CHARACTER ARCHIVE INDEX

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