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If this article goes over well with d20radio’s readers be warned, you may be creating a monster. I absolutely love the sheer number of Stormtrooper specialty corps from both Canon and Legends sources, so I am keen to provide game content for many of the specialties yet to be covered by Fantasy Flight Games.
As a former player of Star Wars: Galaxies, I thought I would start off with the ever stylish Novatroopers. In that game, they were used primarily as an elite mook wherever needed. I remember seeing them in major cities depending on how the GCW PvP was going that week, as well as in dungeons such as the memorable Corellian corvette. Their lore mentions that there are “Stormtrooper honor guards.” I wanted to take this a step further, imagining them as something between the British Army Guards Division and a close protection unit. I get a kick out of imaging these Stormtroopers on parade during a changing of the guard or other ceremonial occasion one day, and actually protecting, say, the Emperor’s retreat on Naboo another.
Stormtrooper Specialty Corps: Novatrooper [Rival]
Throughout galactic history, empires have established guard units composed of elite troops equipped with superior weapons and armor, charging them with the most daring of military missions. The elite Novatroopers of the Imperial Stormtrooper corps follow this historical convention. Their distinctive reinforced black and gold armor is symbolic of the Novatroopers’ dual role. While rarely seen except at military parades and Imperial ceremonies, these honor guards are just as capable of conducting intense combat as they are looking sharp for the Imperial HoloNet news. The Novatroopers focus on instilling intense discipline within their ranks, even more so than regular Stormtroopers. Rumors circulate in Imperial military circles of extreme feats of discipline demanded in their training, such as executing traditional parade maneuver while subjected to tear gas. No matter their training methods, would-be assassins would do well to remember these guardsmen are more than just ceremonial – they will fight expertly and to the death to protect their charge.
Characteristics
Br 3, Ag 3, Int 2, Cun 2, WP 3, Pres 2
Soak 5, W. Threshold 18, Def M/R 1/1
Skills: Athletics 2, Coercion 2, Cool 2, Discipline 3, Melee 3, Perception 2, Ranged (Heavy) 3, Ranged (Light) 2, Resilience 2, Vigilance 2
Talents: Adversary 1 (upgrade difficulty of all combat checks against this target once), Body Guard (once per round, perform the Body Guard maneuver to guard an engaged character. Suffer one wound, then until the beginning of the next turn upgrade the difficulty of combat checks targeting the protected character once.)
Abilities: Disciplined Guardsman (downgrade the difficulty of Discipline or Cool checks twice)
Equipment: Blaster rifle (Ranged [Heavy]; Damage 9; Critical 3; Range [Long]; Stun Setting), vibroknife (Melee; Damage 4; Critical 2; Engaged; Pierce 2, Vicious 1); 2 frag grenades (Ranged [Light]; Damage 8, Critical 4; Range [Short]; Blast 6, Limited Ammo 1), novatrooper armor (+2 soak, +1 defense, as per heavy battle armor), utility belt, extra reloads, officers on ceremonial duties replace their rifles with ornate heavy blaster pistols (Ranged [Light]; Damage 7; Critical 3; Range [Medium]; Stun Setting) and also carry an ornate vibrosword (Melee; Damage 5; Critical 2; Engaged; Pierce 2, Vicious 1, Defensive 1)
Adventure Seed: Novatrooping the Color
Whether for the Rebel Alliance or their own criminal enterprise, the PCs must find a way into Theed palace to acquire a valuable item. This could be anything the GM desires, whether it be Imperial records for an Age of Rebellion game or priceless artwork in an Edge of the Empire campaign. Security is very tight, making for slim chances at successful infiltration. Except the local Moff is being honored by the Empire for his long service in an elaborate parade, ceremony, and formal ball at the palace. With all the extra help being brought in, this could be the ideal time for the PCs to sneak into the palace to accomplish their mission. But can the PCs handle a curve ball when a platoon of Novatroopers is assigned to not only be the centerpiece of the ceremonies, but also reinforce palace security?
Christopher Hunt
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