Space Pirates

Immortal Freedom RPG > Non-player Entities (NPCs) > Outlaws

Space pirates are outlaws who harass non-military starships out in space using their own starships. They are ruthless and calculating, taking advantage of the fact that traders and other starships don’t usually have enough firepower to fight off an attack while they’re vulnerable in the endless expanse of space. Some space pirates may have joined the trade out of circumstance or obligation, but most space pirates choose to engage in space piracy because they enjoy the freedom and power.

Space pirates often engage in combat using their starships, and only engage in starship warfare if they think they can take win. Each space pirate clan uses a different strategy, which include:

• Hailing their quarry first to intimidate, negotiate, or parley.
• Attacking the quarry ruthlessly to disable their target and board them.
• Immediately boarding their quarry using magic and shuttles.
• Preventing their quarry from using vox flight or making landfall, effectively starving them out.

Regardless of their chosen strategy, space pirates generally try to maximize their return on investment, taking into account the cost of paying, feeding, and housing their crew, as well as maintaining, repairing, and fuelling their starships. They compare the costs to the possible payout of selling their quarry’s starship and its cargo. They’re likely to flee if they end taking more losses than previously expected. Conversely, they may risk it all if the payout is big enough.

During boarding encounters, space pirates take advantage of tight quarters to shoot from cover and control choke points in order to slowly, but surely, take over their quarry’s starship. They’re organized and disciplined, understanding that combat aboard starships is as dangerous as it is effective.

When on shore leave, space pirates tend to stay in packs. If they’re alone, their crew or their starship isn’t far away. They will most certainly call for backup or flee back to their starship at the first sign of trouble. If they’re forced into a combat encounter outside their starship, they fight only as long as is needed to flee back to their starship. Once aboard their starship, they’ll fly away at the first opportunity, or fight to the death if boarded or grounded.

Living together on a starship means most space pirates have a deep bond, akin to family. While they’re as prone to internal conflicts as anyone, they’re very concerned for the well-being of their allies, and will be very careful not to endanger them.

Species

Roll a location’s population distribution table to determine each space pirate’s species. You can also roll the following table to determine each space pirate’s species. Re-roll if you get a species which isn’t available in the current era. Roll the hybrid status roll table and re-roll the following table, as necessary for each parental species. Roll the sycophant status roll table if in the Third Era or later.

Classes

Roll 1d100 to determine each space pirate’s class. Re-roll if you get a class which isn’t available in the current era.