In space games where PCs rarely travel to the same planet twice it can be difficult to have reoccurring NPCs. For my 2013-2016 Bulldogs! campaign there was only one NPC the players would contend with: the space pirate known as Silver Stardust. She was never quite an enemy, and never quite an ally.
Silver Stardust
Age: A woman never tells
Race: Ken Reeg
High Concept: Space Pirate Captain
Trouble: Everything And Anything For A Profit
In the Bulldogs! universe Ken Reeg are the deal makers and snake-oil salespeople of the galaxy. While typically personable and friendly on the surface, the Ken Reeg are not all that trusting to others. They have a secret language to their people and their names are only their “face names,” keeping their true names hidden to all but their closest companions. To use Star Trek analogies, they seem to fulfil the roles of both Ferengi and Orions.
Background
Silver Stardust grew up as an orphan, flitting from space station to space station. Seeing what others had that she could not obtain did not give her a sense of frugality. She vowed that one day anything she wanted would be hers–by right or might (or theft).
Aspect: Voracious Greed
Example Invoke: Go to extreme lengths for something you want
Example Compel: Want something that may be more trouble than worth
Rising Conflict
In her pre-teens, she was caught as a stow-away aboard the pirate ship Raven’s Tooth and given the option to serve or die. Silver chose to serve and, over the years, found that being a pirate could help give her everything she wanted in life, both financially and emotionally.
Aspect: A Pirate’s Life For Me
Example Invoke: Fight, especially from ambush, or when there is booty to be gained
Example Compel: Run into those previously raided, or run afoul of the law
First Story: Raise the Sails
Her first captain, a Ryjyllian by the name of Rawr awp Bert (more commonly known as the Dread Pirate Rawbert), was the only captain she never betrayed. After transferring to other ships, she became adept at planting the seeds for crews to mutiny and used her wiles to raise in the ranks. After a number of years she had enough money and support to gain a ship and crew of her own.
Aspect: A Devious Nature
Example Invoke: Trick someone into doing something and have them think it was their idea
Example Compel: Not always be trusted by those you’ve manipulated before
Second Story: The Non-Mutiny
Captain Stardust has orchestrated enough dissent to get advanced warning when something is building against her. When she caught wind of her first crew’s rumblings of mutiny she acted quickly, dispatching or paying off the biggest dissenters and winning the rest of the crew over with a greater share of the next plunder—much of the crew profits she later won “back” in a card game.
Aspect: Trust No One
Example Invoke: Hard to bull a “fast one” on you
Example Compel: You can’t always tell when someone is being sincere
Third Story: Booty Calls
Silver Stardust always seems to have a lead on the next heist, plunder, or raid; this keeps the credits rolling and the crew (and her) happy. It’s generally known that when Silver wins, she wins big. The danger is that when she loses, she often loses big, too.
Aspect: Rogue’s Luck
Example Invoke: Be lucky
Example Compel: Land in the fire as you leap from the frying pan
Style & Appearance
Silver Stardust, Pirate Captain of The Glamour, is a wanted criminal in multiple systems but has never been caught. She presents herself as in control, but charming—as if negotiation was always on the table. Her skin is the light green of most Ken Reeg and her hair is silver in color. Much of what she wears tends to be silver, gray, or black (favoring shiny or silky textures). When attempting to charm, her voice is a husky purr, but this changes to a sharp snap when commanding or upset.
Base Refresh: 6
Total Refresh: 1
Skills
Superb:
Great: Deceit
Good: Contacting, Leadership
Fair: Alertness, Gambling, Guns
Average: Burglary, Endurance, Pilot, Stealth
Ken Reeg Species Abilities [-1]
[-0] Never Sleep
[-1] Dealmaker
Powers & Stunts [-4]
[-1] Ear to the Ground
[-1] I Know a Guy
[-1] Con Man
[-1] Grease the Wheels
Stress Tracks
Physical 00
Mental 00
Social 00
Adventure: This Ain’t No Pleasure Cruise
This was one of the first Bulldogs! adventures I ran for the group. The intent was to get a feel for how moral they were as a crew and how far they’d go to protect their cargo. I discovered quickly that, for a company contract, they’d make sure to protect the cargo, but for an “off the record” contract their morals were much grayer.
Part 1: New “Cargo”
After completing a contract after landing on the desert planet Ooaltz, the crew has no nearby assignment options and to leave a port without a delivery is a waste of fuel, time, and money. So, now it’s a matter of finding another delivery—hopefully one that will take the crew to another TransGalaxy contract. While there are no new company contracts, there is a prospect at port. Princess Tessarea’s yacht, the Toodle-oo, docked on Ooaltz for emergency repairs and the parts required are far too new and complex to be obtained easily. She’s willing to pay handsomely so that she can leave this dustball and return home to Crystal City on Coenus. Her whole crew need not join her (and, in fact, should stay to repair her yacht and return it to her), but she must be accompanied by her handmaiden and best bodyguard. There are other cargo options for the crew, but this one is certainly the most legal and profitable. (She’s also willing to pay half up front, so if there are debts to be settled or repairs on the PCs ship needed, this will come in handy.)
Possible complications:
The princess is not the easiest person to deal with. She demands the best cabin… which happens to be the captain’s.
The bodyguard demands a full security sweep of the ship, which might turn up some of the crew’s dirty secrets or possible illegalities.
Don’t scratch a single item of the princess’s luggage! Any wear or tear is to be deducted from the final bill.
One of the crew members is approached by Silver Stardust and offered a hefty personal sum to allow the ship to be ambushed. Additionally, if ambush is accepted, the PCs can keep the upfront half of the credits, not have to deal with a long trip with the princess, and can keep her belongings, too (which includes designer gowns and expensive jewelry). The pirate wants to hold the princess ransom.
Part 2: The Chase & The Traitor
When the crew is far enough away from civilization and obvious routes to provide much/any assistance Silver Stardust, Pirate Captain of The Glamour, will appear and attempt to board the ship. The Glamour is stronger and faster than the PC’s ship so it’s quite likely that they will be overtaken. If the crew does appear to be succeeding, Jaina (see cast list below) will attempt subtle sabotage on the ship. Silver has little concern about the crew, only its goods—that being, the Princess. The pirate crew will defend themselves but will not attack the PC crew directly.
Alternatively, if member(s) of the PC crew have agreed to abandon Princess Tessarea Reshange to the pirate captain, there may be crew in-fighting and they will certainly have to deal with both the princess and her bodyguard.
Possible complications:
Jaina may sabotage the ship causing the need of expensive repairs
Silver has no qualms about damaging the ship, either–it’s not her aim to kill, but sometimes things happen–but the death of the Princess would spoil her plans
Cast
Princess Tessarea Reshange (Female Absurbian)
The client. A princess who was out on a pleasure tour of some of the Frontier Zone’s best bathing houses before being stuck on the desert planet of Ooaltz
Aspects: Rich Bitch, The Pleasure of Naievity, Accustomed to Luxury
Jaina Walden (Female Absurbian)
Tessarea’s handmaiden. Demure, dutiful, apologetic about her princess (though this is more of a tactic and she does not act this way when Tessarea is not nearby). Jaina is actually in on the kidnapping attempt so she can get a cut of the ransom and leave the service of the crown.
Aspects: Natural Adaptability, Not Just a Pretty Face, Has Seen the Darkness
Yarwl Prrowr (Male Ryjyllian)
Tessarea’s security chief/bodyguard. Old, but not past his prime, the Ryjyllian can be brutally efficient in his defense of the princess. Likely to die or become critically wounded in duty should pirates board.
Aspects: Cat-Like Reflexes, Loyal to my Employers, The Ryjillian Code of Honor
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