Marshal

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

Colonist Career Skills: Charm, Deception, Knowledge (Core Worlds), Knowledge (Education), Knowledge (Lore), Leadership, Negotiation and Streetwise

Marshal Specialization Skills: Coercion, Knowledge (Underworld), Ranged (Light) and Vigilance

Criminals might run and criminals might hide, but the Marshal won't rest until he drags them back to town in binders. The presence of a strong Marshal is often the only thing keeping a colony from plunging into chaos. The Marshal has a gift for extracting information from witnesses and confessions from criminals, and separating lies and irrelevant information from the truth. Should suspects turn violent, the Marshal is equally adept at talking criminals into a pair of binders or blasting them into oblivion.

Where most Colonists are forced to rely on talking their way out of trouble, the Marshal finds that his blaster speaks almost as well as he does. Most law officers know that holding the weight of the law over a potential witness is the quickest way ) modify his attitude. Marshals can throw the veight of their authority around to get answers. There is little government oversight on the fringe, and often a Marshal's word is the law.

Equally as important is the Marshal's knowledge of crime and criminal elements, especially those operating within his jurisdiction. A Marshal who doesn't take the time to familiarize himself with the local malcontents isn't going to be very good at his job. And when it comes time to go toe to toe with those criminals, the Marshal is ready. Most Marshals know how to use the blasters at their hips.

The Marshal makes for a great leader in combat-oriented groups, or can provide some muscle to non-combat groups while still participating in social and investigative encounters. Marshals strike a great balance between social skills and combat, allowing them to speak on behalf of combat-oriented parties without being a liability when blaster bolts start flying. Their ability to sort fact from fiction makes them difficult to manipulate, and their gritty determination can carry an entire group that would have otherwise given up hope of success.

Potential Backgrounds

  • The Opportunist: Marshals who end up as opportunists may be in a similar position to that of the Politico. A Marshal who arrives in a colony may be sent by a larger law enforcement agency to bring law and order to a wild frontier. In that case, the locals are likely to respond with mistrust and resentment. However, sometimes a Marshal is brought in by some local community members who want to hire a professional to keep the peace in their settlement. In this case, the Marshal can at least count on the backing of some prominent individuals, but may also feel beholden to them.
  • The Grizzled Settler: A Marshal may have spent his entire career fight ing against lawlessness and banditry, only to eventually realize that his fellow citizens didn't appreciate his efforts. Perhaps he watched his town descend into violence over some sort of feud, or the colony lynched one of his prisoners before the prisoner could be put on trial. In any case, this left the Marshal with a pessimistic view of his fellows, and the depressing realization that his life's work may have been in vain.
  • The Fugitive: In a similar vein, a Marshal could have been a crooked cop in his prior life. Accepting bribes, demanding "protection" money, or using his position to eliminate anyone in his way could have led a lawman down a dark road. Forced to flee or face justice for his actions, he now finds himself with a new start, and a stark choice. Does he resume his old habits, or attempt to rise above them?
  • The Local Leader: The Marshal could have gotten his start as the foreperson of a mine or ranch. In this position, he would have to direct and lead his employees, investigate problems amongst the workforce, and even keep the mine or ranch safe from bandits or marauding wildlife. In this case, the character would have to be tough, resourceful, and able to command fear and respect.
  • The Idealist: Marshals can have many different driving motives, and while some try to uphold the law at all costs, others are more concerned with the pursuit of justice, for which laws can be both an instrument and an impediment. A Marshal might well venture into the Outer Rim in the hopes of protecting the weak and punishing the guilty without the constraining laws and regulations that might bind the actions of an individual in the Core Worlds. The Empire's rule often puts the law and justice at odds with one another, and when faced with the choice between the two, many people choose to reject an unjust society and find their own path. Few inhabitants of the Outer Rim are likely to care much about whether a helpful stranger had to break a few rules written by corrupt bureaucrats on a far-away world to bring justice to the wicked.