Armorer

Of the 6 Career Skills, choose 3 to get a free rank. Of the 4 Specialization Skills, choose 2 to get a free rank.

Guardian Career Skills: Brawl, Cool, Discipline, Melee, Resilience and Vigilance

Armorer Specialization Skills: Knowledge (Outer Rim), Lightsaber, Mechanics and Resilience

The Guardian begins play with a Force rating of 1

o protect others, one must first learn to protect oneself. So goes the logic of Armorers, whose unique combination of aptitudes makes them some of the toughest characters in the galaxy. Equipped with a knack for mechanics and a preternatural intuition when it comes to machines, these characters often fight clad in advanced technology and always use available resources to the utmost. Armorers can go toe-to-toe with the greatest threats the galaxy can throw at them, confident that their customized gear and innate resilience will help them shrug off nearly any blow.

Armorers are defined by their ability to survive through a combination of ingenuity and stubbornness. While Protectors draw directly on the Force to avoid harm and Soresu Defenders use lightsabers to deflect incoming strikes, Armorers build a better defense, reinforcing solidly built equipment with the inestimable power of the Force. Their skills help Armorers in getting the tools they need for the job, maintaining and using those implements efficiently, and surviving to do it all again. If this is the character’s starting specialization, he may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each without spending starting experience.

Armorers wield a number of talents that enhance their own armor and defenses, letting them survive hits that would fell most of their allies. They are extremely skilled craftspeople, and not only can build and modify their own gear proficiently, but can also use the Force to bolster their handiwork. With sufficient training, Armorers can even imbue their armor with the power of the Force, allowing it to repel blows from lightsabers.

Thanks to their sturdy defenses, Armorers often favor close-quarters combat, trusting their protection to see them through to melee range. Though lightsabers are practically legendary in this era of oppression, some Armorers manage to acquire the kyber crystals necessary to forge these weapons. While Armorers are often practical, many hold a great reverence for their implements, and this allows them to commune with a blade in a unique way. The most skilled Armorers can even use their innate knowledge of the Force to unlock unseen potential in more mundane items, bringing out qualities that others have overlooked. This mystical ability, combined with an Armorer’s natural resourcefulness, means that catching an Armorer unarmed and unready grants only a minimal advantage.

Though they certainly benefit from having a fully stocked machine shop available, Armorers can also do most of their work on the battlefield, scrounging and retrofitting the supplies they need. This flexibility can be a substantial advantage, for the Empire hounds every step that Force users take, and they must be able to adapt to shifting circumstances and surroundings. If a vessel needs repairing behind enemy lines or a hull breach must be sealed during a firefight, an Armorer is often the best sentient being for the job.

Outside of combat, Armorers can be extremely helpful to their allies. In addition to possessing considerable skill at modifying equipment, they can repair vehicles and other machines that the group needs kept in working order. While Artisans have the edge in refined skill with technology and deep research into matters involving machines, Armorers can get the job done, and do it while under enemy fire.

Potential Backgrounds

  • Ancient Order: Many of the greatest Armorers are heirs to long traditions of crafting, which they rely upon to achieve their goals. A character could only have learned such artisan skill from another master Armorer. An Armorer’s works are all the more practical when tempered with firsthand training and knowledge. An Armorer might be the foremost user of the fruits of these labors, or might strive to craft equipment that brings pride to the tradition. The accumulated experience of generations gives the PC’s works an almost supernatural quality that can only be attained through the melding of experience and the calming power of Force techniques.
  • Battlefield Leader: An Armorer of this background might primarily focus on self-protection rather than making gear for allies. After all, the Armorer intends to personally take on the deadliest foes, suffering any blow to keep allies safe. Such a philosophy of making oneself as indestructible as possible for the sake of others has merit on the battlefield, but it can also lead to a disregard for personal safety. Even clad in the perfect protections, an Armorer who always insists on being the one to take the heavy hits might need to address the roots of these self-sacrificing tendencies to find inner peace.
  • Outlaw Agent: Those who operate outside the law often find an Armorer’s skills to be extremely useful, especially when dealing with the sort of esoteric, illegal equipment that does not come with a warranty. There is good money to be made selling weapons and armor to crime syndicates, pirates, and other outlaws. Some Armorers have strict scruples about who they will sell weapons to, testing the worthiness of prospective clients before handing over their wares. Of course, an Armorer in the underworld also has to be capable of watching out for number one, and so the character is likely well-protected by custom defensive gear.
  • Wayfarer: An Armorer might be a traveling merchant who specializes in restoring and reselling personal equipment. The character might have acquired antiques and relics from across the galaxy. Given the galaxy’s long history of warfare, this would naturally include a number of weapons and suits of personal armor. From time to time, the Armorer might even encounter a piece that seems to almost call to be restored and worn again in battle. Guided by the Force, this character might even have collected one or more Jedi relics, to preserve them and see them used anew by future generations of Force sensitives.