Scoundrel

A scrappy and lucky survivor
Neither the most reputable nor the one to choose the safe route, you’re a smooth-talking criminal and luck is just one of your many skills. You might be a charming rogue out for themselves. You might be the convict on the run who always has a trick up their sleeve. But while it’s true that anyone in Procyon can get into trouble, you always get into the very best kind.
When you play a Scoundrel, you earn xp when you address challenges with charm or audacity. Ramp up the daring and be quick on the draw with a catchy one-liner. You shine brightest when the situation is just about to get ugly.
Who was the last person you cheated out of their due? Are you loyal to this crew, or are they just a means to an end? How many times have you been left for dead?

PLAYING A SCOUNDREL

Scoundrels are one of the most versatile playbooks in Scum and Villainy—your innate luck and daring can give you a chance to shine in many situations. Learn when to push your luck and when to let things ride. Be a risk-taker, but consider the kinds of risks you’ll take and why. Are you always willing to put it on the line for a larger payout? Do you carry a grudge over slights long past?
Strong characterization goes a long way for the Scoundrel. Describe your character’s attitude, their look, and how they walk into a room. Make them big and bold and let everyone have to deal with them. Do you have something to prove? Is your sense of importance earned or bravado? Are you smooth and friendly or brash and rough?
Desperate actions earn xp and play into many of your abilities. Don’t shy away from them! Rely on armors (special and gear), resistance rolls, and your crew to mitigate the worst of it. A broad ability base helps with resistances and getting away with bad decisions.
For actions, focus on active skills—RIG, SCRAP, even COMMAND. SKULK will let you play a familiar pickpocket and card shark. The ship captain stereotype leans on HELM. A good scoundrel is always in the thick of it acting with a hare-brained plan, rather than reacting.
Veteran abilities flesh out a concept. The Mystic’s Psy-Blades and most Muscle’s abilities make for tough rogues. Smooth-talking Scoundrels might look at the Speaker’s Disarming ability. Rogues with hearts of gold should look at the Stitch’s Moral Compass or the Mechanic’s Heart. And captains and crew leaders should look at the Pilot’s Commander and the Muscle’s Backup ability.

XENO SCOUNDRELS

Scoundrels are often audience-inserts, representing an “ordinary person.” A xeno Scoundrel is an exercise in humanizing the Other and making the unusual characters of Procyon approachable. Think about your culture and people when making your xeno. Do your stodgy people accept your disregard for the rules? Are they welcomed in Hegemonic society or are they on the fringe of acceptability themselves? Are they from Procyon or elsewhere in the galaxy?
As for your abilities, almost every species has Scoundrels. Think about what sorts of things might be fun or dramatic that you want your character to do. Think about ways you can get in trouble, and ask your GM to work with you to create a xeno that has abilities that put you in those sorts of situations. Make your xeno abilities flashy and memorable.

Type

Illicit