Scout

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

Explorer Career Skills: Astrogation, Cool, Knowledge (Lore), Knowledge (Outer Rim), Knowledge (Xenology), Perception, Piloting (Space) and Survival

Scout Specialization Skills: Athletics, Medicine, Piloting (Planetary) and Survival

There's finding a planet, and then there's going down to the planet and seeing what's what. The Scout is the professional for the task, trained to survey and survive, gathering all of the information he can while keeping his head attached to his body. While bravery in combat is one thing, there can be no denying the fearlessness of anyone willing to touch down on a completely unknown planet and trudge about with only scanners and his wits to discover its secrets.

Scout knows his way around in any environment, and he's both tough and knowledgeable enough to make the most of his situation. Most Scouts are skilled at: covering any ground (or lack thereof); how to find what to eat and where to sleep; and how to survey an area and gather all the needed data. Scouts are often excellent at driving or piloting atmospheric craft as well.

There are plenty of Scouts that work either for the Empire or for corporations that actively seek out and survey planets for possible exploitation. They normally work with survey teams with excellent support and resources. Independent Scouts—like the one a player is likely to play—operate with a great deal more autonomy. They will find smaller operations to work with, ones with looser rules and regulations that let them operate more as they choose. Living by his toughness and wits as he must, a Scout will be surprisingly effective in most situations. After all, adapting to the unknown is a trademark talent of any Scout.

Potential Backgrounds

  • Academic: Scouts with academic interest in planets, astronomy, and related subjects are not hard to imagine. Ready to live instead of simply study, an academic may well find his way into a Scout service of some kind or even strike out on his own, just to experience all that he has read about and to discover newer, more interesting, results. The wise Scout combines an appreciation of the study of geology, climate, and other subjects with the practical experience of being there.
  • Criminal: Scouts can find themselves on the wrong side of the law simply by discovering something the Empire (or local law-enforcement officials) doesn't want found. Seeing too much or asking the wrong questions— these activities can get a Scout into a great deal of trouble and possibly hunted by Imperial Inteligence. Then there are Scouts who, while working for one employer, sell the information they've discovered to other factions. That kind of double-dealing can lead to all manner of legal trouble.
  • Entrepreneur: Scouts aren't normally seen as particularly entrepreneurial, but they can be in a unique position to offer services not readily available from others. Often the first ones to see a planet, asteroid, or other stellar phenomenon, Scouts can levy such discoveries into highly lucrative opportunities. A Scout setting out on his own might do well for himself by putting a good team together, finding out what factions and corporations are looking for in the way of planetary resources, and endeavoring to find such assets. As large as the galaxy is, the pool to search from is nearly infinite.
  • Ex-Imperial Operator: Scouts serve the Empire by the thousands as part of survey teams continuously expanding the boundaries and influence of the most powerful entity in the galaxy. Working under the constant interference of Imperial bureaucrats chafes too much for some, or they may decide too many policies and strictures make their service miserable to perform. Sometimes, a Scout comes across a planet where terrible atrocities are being committed in the name of the Emperor; such an accidental discovery may well drive him to make his way into the galactic frontier to disappear.
  • Fallen Noble: Scouts tend to come from more workingclass backgrounds, but it's entirely possible a displaced aristocrat might find himself with a ship and an education in planetology. The right knowledge and resources may well lead him to the life of a Scout, and the general solitude and avoidance of cities and civilization (where he is more likely to be recognized by those he'd rather avoid) can be appealing for a fallen noble. Further, the life of a Scout may enable a noble to regain some of what he's lost, either by discovering vastly valuable resources or even laying claim to a planet upon which to build his own dynasty.
  • Wanderer: Scouts are practically wanderers by profession, albeit with at least some idea of a direction in which to head. With a history of extensive travel, someone who has wandered the Rim might well develop the piloting and other skill sets that are ideal to a Scout. Clearly, someone of that mind-set is well suited to a life of always moving on to the next planet, never really putting down roots.