Free CaptainsSource Pact Worlds pg. 170
Anyone who regularly traverses the space lanes is aware of the threat posed by space pirates, and within the Pact Worlds, no pirates are as infamous—or as successful—as the Free Captains. More a coalition of independent starship captains than an organized pirate fleet, the Free Captains primarily operate out of the myriad floating asteroids of the Diaspora, but their influence stretches out to the Veskarium, Near Space, and even the Vast. An elected council of pirate lords serves as the organization's ostensible leaders, and any Free Captain “right and true” has the right to vote for council members and to present grievances and other business before the council. However, the Pirate Council's authority over individual Free Captains depends on the strength of the pirate lords' personal influence and the might of their individual pirate fleets. What truly joins the Free Captains together is the pirate code they all share—a loose set of rules that nevertheless provides some structure to the pirates' depredations and serves as a unifying influence when the Free Captains are faced with outside threats from local and interplanetary security forces. Many of the pirate code's “rules” leave plenty of room for interpretation, however, and while one Free Captain might set prisoners free once she has relieved her captives of their valuables, another might be a cutthroat buccaneer with no compunction about taking innocent lives.
Piracy in the Pact Worlds is a serious concern for any corporation that needs to ship goods from one planet to another. While the wealthier companies are able to outfit their cargo ships with enough firepower to fend off raiders or hire mercenary escorts, smaller vessels need to be fast or stealthy to avoid the predations of space pirates. Most private citizens rely on Hellknight and Steward patrols to keep space safe, but those forces can't be everywhere at once.
Example Free Captains Three example Free Captains are presented below, along with advice on how to use them in similar NPC roles. Adaptation: Not all space pirates are members of the Free Captains, of course, and the following stat blocks and encounters can be used for buccaneers, freebooters, or pirates anywhere in the galaxy. Similarly, these stat blocks can be used to represent any hardscrabble starship crews eking out a living on the fringes of civilized space, whether smugglers, tramp traders, opportunistic scavengers, or even members of organized crime syndicates such as the Golden League. These stat blocks could also represent Starfinder Society members, if played with more interest in knowledge and exploration than raiding and plunder. They might also serve as ragtag military troops, such as a colonial militia or a frontier garrison.
Encounters Free Captains can be encountered as boarding parties sent to seize control of disabled ships or in small gangs taking shore leave in lawless pirate ports or remote outposts on the fringes of society. Larger groups serve as crews aboard pirate ships in the depths of space, while the most powerful individuals might be part of a delegation from the Free Captains' pirate council.
Boarding Party (CR 5): Four space pirates.
Pirate Crew (CR 7): Five space pirates, one Free Captain.
Pirate Council Entourage (CR 9): Three Free Captains, one pirate lord.Aliens in the "Free Captains" FamilySource Pact Worlds pg. 170Free Captain CR 4XP 1,200
Kasatha envoy
NE Medium humanoid (kasatha)
Init +7; Perception +10
DefenseHP 45
EAC 16; KAC 17
Fort +3; Ref +5; Will +7
OffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee tactical dueling sword +8 (1d6+5 S)
Ranged thunderstrike sonic pistol +10 (1d8+4 So; critical deafen [DC 15]) or frag grenade II +10 (explode [15 ft., 2d6 P, DC 15])StatisticsSTR +1; DEX +3; CON +0; INT +3; WIS +0; CHA +5
Skills Acrobatics +15, Athletics +15, Computers +10, Culture +10, Engineering +10, Intimidate +15, Piloting +15, Sense Motive +15
Languages Common, Kasatha, Sarcesian
Other Abilities desert stride, envoy improvisations (get 'em, quick dispiriting taunt), four-armed
Gear defrex hide, tactical dueling sword, thunderstrike sonic pistol with 2 batteries (20 charges each), frag grenades II (2)DescriptionThose pirate captains with their own ships who are successful and gain the respect of established Free Captains are awarded full membership in the loose confederation of buccaneers that is the Free Captains, usually with a raucous ceremony on Broken Rock. A Free Captain whose initiation is attended by one or more pirate lords generally has a promising career ahead.
Most Free Captains command just a single starship and know every inch of their ships from fore to aft. They are usually beholden to or allied with a more powerful pirate lord. Free Captains are seldom encountered alone, as their ships and crews are never far away, if the captain can help it.
Adaptation: A Free Captain can be the captain of any starship, especially one involved in questionably legal (or outright illegal) activities like smuggling or blockade running. Replacing the Free Captain's Intimidate skill with Diplomacy makes a charismatic starship officer—one who is likely quite popular with her crew.
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