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. 170Space Pirate CR 1XP 400
Human soldier
NE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +8; Perception +5
DefenseHP 22
EAC 11; KAC 13
Fort +3; Ref +3; Will +3
OffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee longsword +5 (1d8+3 S)
Ranged tactical semi-auto pistol +8 (1d6+1 P) or frag grenade I +8 (explode [15 ft., 1d6 P, DC 10])
Offensive Abilities fighting styles (bombard), grenade expert (+10 ft.)StatisticsSTR +2; DEX +4; CON +1; INT -1; WIS +0; CHA +0
Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +5, Intimidate +5, Piloting +10
Languages Common, Sarcesian
Gear second skin, longsword, tactical semi-auto pistol with 30 small arm rounds, frag grenades I (2)DescriptionSpace pirates are any rank-and-file crew members found aboard a pirate vessel. They may have taken to a life of piracy because of a criminal past or a lack of other opportunities, or because they were press-ganged, or they may even have been born into a family or clan of pirates. Given the barest basics of pilot training, space pirates focus most of their abilities on combat and intimidation, serving as gunners for the ship's weapons and as members of boarding parties. Some Free Captains aren't particular about the kind of crew members they recruit for their vessels, taking any bodies they can find. Others are looking for only the cream of the crop, but they are willing to train those who appear to have potential.
Adaptation: A space pirate can be a crew member on any starship, especially ones where the crew needs to be as good at fighting as they are at flying the ship.
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