◄ Back

Smuggler Obligations

Antagonist

Not all Smugglers are Charmers, and given the contacts a Smuggler makes in his line of work, it’s easy for him to insult the wrong person, group, or even species. This doesn’t always lead to Bounty, however, since not everyone can afford the credits required for an official bounty. In these cases, the Smuggler just lives with the knowledge that certain parties in the galaxy would make his life very difficult if given the chance.

---

Bad Reputation

Whether deserved or not, some Smugglers find themselves with a reputation for being untrustworthy or difficult to deal with. This can make finding jobs a struggle. Since the best way to reduce this Obligation is to successfully complete contracts, proving himself reliable again, the Smuggler might find himself having to take the least desirable jobs for a while. Once he’s repaired his reputation, he will be able to pick and choose again.

---

Betrayal

Given the nature of his job, a Smuggler might find himself a victim of betrayal or a betrayer himself If the victim, a Smuggler may seek vengeance on those who crossed him. If it was the Smuggler who let a fellow criminal down, then he must make amends somehow. In minor cases, a simple apology may be all that’s needed. In extreme cases, the betrayed party might need rescuing from the spice mines of Kessel or somewhere equally unpleasant.

---

Bounty

Many Smugglers earn a bounty on their heads at some point. The size of the bounty depends on the size of the Obligation, as does the nature of the bounty. A large bounty promised by a Hutt is likely to put the Smuggler in much greater peril than a similar price offered for bringing him in to face charges on some backwater planet.

---

Criminal

Smugglers are by nature criminal, but some manage to stay off authorities' radars better than others. It’s only a problem if a Smuggler gains a criminal record. This Obligation may involve avoiding a particular system where the character has a criminal record or hiding his involvement in a crime big enough to interest the authorities. In the event that the criminal record is undeserved, the Smuggler might work to expose the real perpetrator.

---

Debt

Being a Smuggler offers little security, but acquiring a ship and keeping it functioning costs a lot of credits. In order to stay in business, debts may be necessary. The Smuggler has to resolve them all eventually, and some lenders are less lenient than others. If ignored, this Obligation will only get more and more pressing.

---

Family

A family is a particular burden for a Smuggler. Perhaps they live on a planet that rarely receives the basic necessities through legitimate trade, and so they rely on the Smuggler to bring them important but inexpensive cargo. Or perhaps the Smuggler himself has brought them misfortune, and a local crime lord holds them ransom to ensure the Smuggler’s good behavior. The Smuggler could continue to follow the crime lord’s instructions or negate the Obligation by liberating his kin.

---

Favor

The Smuggler owes a favor to a person or organization. Favors are a much-used currency among Smugglers, and the character may well owe favors to more than one party, perhaps even parties in competition with each other. The nature of the favor determines how to resolve it, and this is up to the player and GM to decide. Depending on to whom the Smuggler owes the favor, the player may need to deal with this Obligation sooner rather than later

---

Notoriety

If a Smuggler has the Notoriety Obligation, then he will be unable to travel incognito, as his face or name may be recognized This makes any jobs he takes on harder, if not impossible, to complete. This Obligation is only likely to apply in certain sectors, and the extent of its influence determines the size of the Obligation. The Smuggler's own behavior might have caused this, or another party may have maliciously spread information about him. If the latter, the Obligation could be reduced by tracking down the person responsible and stopping him. if the former, the Smuggler may have to avoid the affected area long enough that the locals forget him, or he might significantly change his appearance or name to avoid recognition.

---

High Risk

The Smuggler just can’t help it; he has to take the most dangerous jobs and play for the highest stakes. He is a victim of his own pride, and his ego often lands him in trouble. This Smuggler has something to prove and, when challenged, he cannot help but take the opportunity to display his bravery, even if this puts himself and his party in harm's way.

---

Servitude

Although the Smuggler might act like he’s his own boss, he is actually the property of another and must either hand over any earnings or evade his owner entirely. The Smuggler could deal with this Obligation by earning enough credits to buy his freedom, or he could kill or otherwise remove his master.

---

Under Contract

The Smuggler is under contract to obtain rare goods, transport volatile cargo, or provide difficult services. He can only put this off for so long. This Obligation is similar to Debt, but it allows the player and the GM a wider range of possibilities when determining the nature of the contract.

---