The Path Less Traveled is a semi-regular series in which I’ll be examining a single specialization from the Star Wars Edge of the Empire/Age of Rebellion/Force and Destiny lines of games. The purpose and hope is to take a look at a specialization that perhaps many players might overlook, or ones that are somewhat new to the game lines. We will look at strengths and weaknesses, synergies with other species and specializations, roles in a party, how to incorporate them into a campaign, and perhaps some uses which are not always obvious at first glance.
For this installment, we will be looking at a specialization that’s likely to get a bit lost amongst other similar specializations. There are several specializations that specialize in piloting vehicles of some type: the Pilot, Driver, Hot Shot, and even the Beast Rider have been staples of the Star Wars RPG lines since the beginning. However, the Racer offers the player and GM a chance to introduce some fun, creative elements into their games, instead of a straight-up pilot of some sort. The Racer is also a new specialization, which debuted in Endless Vigil of the Force and Destiny game line.
First, remember being a Racer doesn’t mean that one needs to do actual racing in your campaign, if that’s something you’re worried about. Just like all other specializations, your character could have been a racer formerly, then thrust into adventure somehow. There are many possibilities, which I will examine below, but just remember if you’re concerned you will actually need to perform races, that’s not necessarily the case. So let’s take a closer look at this unique specialization…
The Racer is a character that not only has been trained in making machines go fast, but he has also learned how to handle himself on different worlds, often operating in the underbelly of a society participating in the Star Wars version of street racing. He’s learned how to deal with the streets, literally and figuratively. Therefore, the Racer has the following skills as his career skills: Computers, Deception, Knowledge (Core Worlds), Perception, Skulduggery, Stealth, Cool, Coordination, Piloting (Planetary), and Piloting (Space). Not only that, but because it is a specialization in the Force and Destiny line, the PC gets a Force Rating, making him a Force-Sensitive character right away. This means the Racer is a skilled, streetwise character who knows how to lie, cheat, and steal to get what he needs. He keeps calm under pressure, and can pilot any vehicle or starship with ease. This allows a player to invent some wildly creative backstories and character concepts for certain.
For talents, the Racer gets access to some fun, unique talents seen nowhere else. On the left side of the talent tree, the Racer gets access to some good, predictable talents for piloting vehicles and pushing them to the limit. The best skill is at the bottom of the tree: “Superhuman Reflexes.” This skill allows a player to ignore a rolled Despair, turning it into successes! On the right side of the tree, the Racer gains talents around running and chasing down others on foot. He gets Freerunning and Improved Freerunning which allows the PC to be able to suffer strain and instantly get anywhere he needs within short, and then medium range. He also gets access to Better Luck Next Time, which causes a competitor to wipe out with a single check. Last, the Racer will get access to Intuitive Evasion, which allows him to be much harder to hit while he is fleeing a pursuer in a vehicle or starship.
Not to be outdone, but Racers get access to one of the earliest appearances of Force Rating, increasing the player’s Force Rating by 1 for just 20XP, making it appear above the bottom row. So a Racer can get access to more Force powers a bit earlier than most specs.
All the skills and talents above lend themselves to some pretty great character concepts, some of which might not be entirely obvious. First, with the new pod racing rules, vehicles, and attachments in Endless Vigil, you can easily create a podracer who races for cash. Perhaps he gets pulled into adventure by some Hutts or gangsters that run illegal races. Or maybe he’s recruited by the Rebellion to become a pilot or driver. As a GM, you could even create a campaign around a racer and his pit crew who have an obligation together, perhaps a race they didn’t throw. Or maybe the Empire comes in and they get thrown into the war.
Another take on the Racer could be a person who grew up watching his father or mother race, learning everything they knew. But one day the PC sees their mother or father killed, either by the Empire or another bad NPC, leading to some fun adventures or Obligation as the PC hunts for who killed their parents, now using his or her skills as a Racer in adventures.
Another way to go can center on the right side of the talent tree. A PC who runs, or used to run in foot races, falls into the Rebellion or perhaps work for a resistance movement. He or she can use the talents to creative uses in adventures. The foot racer idea also lends itself to synergy with Bounty Hunters or Sentinel Investigators… able to hunt down and ultimately chase down their targets on foot. Or they could be used as a Bodyguard type who can quickly run to their charge’s defense. The foot Racer can also be used in conjunction with any of the Force and Destiny lightsaber forms, allowing them to add a lot of speed and athleticism to their combat abilities. Some of the unique Freerunning talents allow the Racer to behave almost like Force Leaping, allowing for some great uses under fire.
So the next time you’re thinking about making a character in the Star Wars universe, consider the Racer. It’s not simply a spec made to make machines go fast. When paired with other specs, or even on its own, the Racer can be made into a fun, creative, formidable character.
Scott Alden
Latest posts by Scott Alden (see all)
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Scott, you used “skill” a couple of times when you meant “talent” while you were discussing Superhuman Reflexes.
I’ve had this idea for a while for a kyuzo racer who is actually a practitioner of the martial art Parkata Urbatsu (the Schlock Mercenary martial art based on Parkour, but which he claims is Kyuzo for ‘the way of free movement’). Now with No Disintegrations, I’m tempted to try to multiclass into Martial Artist somehow, but it works fine without too.
Imma just gonna leave this here for a bit of inspiration for the foot racer aspect:
https://youtu.be/2N1TJP1cxmo?t=20