I have a player who is wanting to create a character similar to Badger from Firefly. He describes him as a seedy, people-person who knows a lot of low-rent individuals, has connections to the underworld, is a knowledge broker, rumor monger, and has ties to the black market. He can arrange meetings, odd jobs, and assorted mischief.

Obviously a lot of this can be dealt with through skills like Streetwise and Knowledge (Underworld). But you have to pick something for career and initial spec, and that's where he (we) are having some trouble.

None of the ones we're looking at in EoE really seem to fit. Smuggler isn't quite right because he doesn't want to smuggle. Within that, Thief isn't right because he's not a thief or burglar. Scoundrel is alright for the Black Market Contacts and Convincing Demeanors but not much else; he doesn't see himself as a quick-draw-action-man which a good portion of that tree does.

Over in the AoR book, Quartermaster is alright, but again it's not ideal. There are some decent people-personning talents there, but a lot of the tree is about doing things legally. A "shady" Quartermaster spec would be ideal.

Perhaps the Smuggler book will have something great for this sort of character, but nothing really truly fits right now.

How would you build this character? What would you pick for career and spec(s)?

Explorer career, trader specialization. That seems to have what your friend is looking for. He should aim to get 4 for both presence and cunning, so he should pick a species that would allow him to achieve that.

Explorer-Fringer and Trader specs provide both the Streetwise and the Negotiation based type of skill/talent set.

Yeah, we looked at Trader as well. It's not bad because it offers a mix of things, but the wording on Know Somebody and Wheel and Deal (the word "legally" in both) put it off for the player -- especially since that's all that's in the left column and you have to move through that column to get around the tree.

Also looked at Fringer. He only liked the Street Smarts from that tree.

You could wait for the colonist source book to come out in order to see what the "entrepreneur" specialization has in it, otherwise you won't get much better than a trader for now.

Yeah, we looked at Trader as well. It's not bad because it offers a mix of things, but the wording on Know Somebody and Wheel and Deal (the word "legally" in both) put it off for the player -- especially since that's all that's in the left column and you have to move through that column to get around the tree.

Also looked at Fringer. He only liked the Street Smarts from that tree.

I doubt you'll ever get everything he wants in one single spec. Trader and Fringer come together to provide legal and illegal mercantile skills and talents. Thief may have things he doesn't like but it does combine everything for illegal mercantile activity.

Indeed, 2P51. He likes this and that from this spec or the other, but he can't decide on which one to take as his initial free one. I'm suggesting Trader and work it into his background that he *used to* do things legally but is now a much more shady individual.

Meanwhile, the Entrepreneur spec does sound like it might be up his alley from the description in that book's announcement piece. Hopefully that book will be available at Gen Con. (Do we know what will be there?)

Entrepreneur sounds like the 'white collar' version of a Trader from what Keith said.

I'm betting it will be a lot like Quartermaster, but from a civilian not a military viewpoint.

Anyway, you can pick and choose between the various specialisations; you don't have to complete every skill tree if you want an eclectic build. And don't get too tied up with the titles of the specs either. A 'Thief' doesn't actually have to steal things.

Indeed, 2P51. He likes this and that from this spec or the other, but he can't decide on which one to take as his initial free one. I'm suggesting Trader and work it into his background that he *used to* do things legally but is now a much more shady individual.

Meanwhile, the Entrepreneur spec does sound like it might be up his alley from the description in that book's announcement piece. Hopefully that book will be available at Gen Con. (Do we know what will be there?)

I think that thief would be a good avenue because I have a feeling the smuggler book is going to add at least one of new specializations in dealing more with mercantile activity.

This player... He's a solid friend. He's a good player. I love him. But wow does he make character creation a chore! Every choice, every option must have meaning and purpose for him.

He's finally settled on Thief and Quartermaster. Spending his starting XP will likely take a couple hours...

Oh yeah, he's still perusing the species to make sure he picks just the right one he can role-play. (He's not a power-gamer... he's a thespian!)

But thanks, everyone, for your input. I was showing him all your advice and words while he changed his mind four times.

Quartermaster is a great spec if that helps him feel good.......

LoL Thanks, 2P. He especially likes Greased Palms and Bought Info. Sound Investments is also good, although both are late in the tree. And he really likes Smooth Talker as well.

He'll agonize over Smooth Talker maybe, be prepared......

Actually, for Smooth Talker, he picked Negotiation right away. And I made sure he understands there's only one Triumph per Proficiency Die so the chances of him using that talent often are somewhat slimmer.

He has also settled on being a twi'lek. Jabba's majordomo Bib Fortuna was always a favorite character for him from the movies. (It also doesn't hurt that they start with a 3 Presence.)

If he has ranks of Smooth Talker and ranks of skill it can pile up.

He's finally settled on Thief and Quartermaster. Spending his starting XP will likely take a couple hours...

The only problem there is adding the spec at chargen sacrifices bumping a characteristic of 2 to 3, and it's a long road to Dedication. He might consider waiting and spending his first XP on that, or you might entertain the idea of "loaning" him XP...but that does mean a couple of sessions with no changes.

I have a player who is wanting to create a character similar to Badger from Firefly.

"Now you got yourself a ship and you're a Captain. Only I think, you're still a Sergeant, see? Still a soldier. A man of honor in a den of thieves. Well this is my gorramn den, and I don't like the way you look down on me. I'm above you, better than! Businessman see? Roots in the community. You're just a scavenger."

Thief, Quartermaster,Trader, Entrepreneur... I can definitely see the quandary.

To be fair, Badger is probably a fairly high level character, with ranks in Thief in his younger days, and then dipping his toe into trader, scoundrel (the social parts), entrepreneur, and even politico. Any attempts to make him with a starting level character will fall flat. You need to chose the start point that is most interesting and then having him slide into the rest through character development.

Well, how he plans to function with characters who move from one end of the galaxy to the other would be where I would be focusing. If he travels with them, then he needs to set up connections everywhere he goes. Over and over again.

If he stays at one base and doesn't go off adventuring, then that might constrain you to a setting that keeps the other characters close.

(In our game, the crime lord who buys our smuggled spice just got rousted by the competitor's corrupt Imperial lackeys. Rescuing him and getting him off planet has so far been a huge disruption to our profits , and the integrity of our hides. And created a huge amount of interparty conflict as the uncertainty seems to be triggering all the various neuroses of all our marginally sane players.)