Bodyguard

Of the 8 Career Skills, choose 4 to get a free rank. Of the 4 Specialization Skills, choose 2 to get a free rank.

Hired Gun Career Skills: Athletics, Brawl, Discipline, Melee, Piloting (Planetary), Ranged (Light), Resilience and Vigilance

Bodyguard Specialization Skills: Gunnery, Perception, Piloting (Planetary) and Ranged (Heavy)

Hired Guns who choose the Bodyguard specialization are excellent choices for defending both people and places. They tend to be highly capable with all kinds of weaponry, extremely tough and savvy in combat, and exactly the right people to get behind when blaster fire starts flying.

With their array of skills, a Bodyguard can operate anything that shoots, keep a good eye on his surroundings, and can handle any planet-bound craft with great aptitude. This, combined with his talent options, makes him potentially perfect as an armed chauffeur or as a heavy weapons emplacement operator. He also makes a resilient soldier.

A Bodyguard will have a rather easy time finding work in the Outer Rim, especially if he doesn't mind looking after the backside of high-ranking criminal scum or corporate operators who are trying to do business without becoming victims. His facility with all kinds of weapons and vehicles make him useful to any number of quasi-legal or criminal operations.

As part of a group of Player Characters, a Bodyguard is going to be considered more or less a heavy combatant—the guy who stands up front with the biggest gun. However, the combination of skills and talents can be angled towards some different approaches. For example, if there's any kind of Politico or Trader in the group, a Bodyguard may well be there solely for the purpose of keeping that person alive.

Potential Backgrounds

  • Yesterday's Hero: By his very nature, a Bodyguard is someone who works to be unobtrusive. Blending into the background is a useful job skill, and generally everyone's attention is focused on the person the Bodyguard is guarding. However, a Bodyguard could benefit from the fame and fortune of his client. If protecting a holovid star or other galactic celebrity, the Bodyguard might tangentially benefit from the lifestyle of the rich and famous. When that job ended or if the client suddenly fell from fame, the Bodyguard might have a hard time adjusting to life without the comforts provided to the rich and famous.
  • Ex-Military: A Bodyguard who formerly served in the military is less likely to have received formal trainng in protecting a client, and more likely to be adapting his combat training to his new job. A former soldier turned Bodyguard is likely to beieve that the best defense is overwhelming firepower, which can lead to some awkward situations in a civilized setting. However, a Bodyguard can bring the discipline, loyalty, and dedication of his military career into his new job, all of which are traits that make him suited to protect another
  • The Avenger: Bodyguards with this background could be seeking vengeance after a client was killed or kidnapped under their watch. Not only would this leave a Bodyguard with the shame of failure, but he might have been injured or even left for dead during the operation. Now, he must discover which of his client's enemies could have executed the plan to track them down and deliver justice.
  • Scion of a Legacy: A Bodyguard's parent or mentor might be famous for offering up the ultimate sacrifice in the course of his duty. Dying while protecting a client could make one a hero and martyr both, but it creates a legacy that's impossible to live up to. The character might be making his way in the galaxy knowing that he wants to live up to his parent's legacy, but also knowing that the only way he can do it is through death.
  • Peace Turned to War: Before becoming a Bodyguard, a character might have started his life as a teacher or mentor. As teachers are often put in charge of the wellbeing and instruction of individuals, they frequently become caring and protective. That caring and instructive nature might carry over into a character's new career as a Bodyguard, and color how he interacts with his clients or colleagues, especially if they are young or inexperienced.