Title question, but here is a bit of back story...

So my players are about to be associated with a Hutt, they're a rag-tag group of predominantly Mandalorians set 20-30 years before episode 1.

To spice things up a bit, from the usual Hutt player dynamic I've decided to make the Hutt a puppet. He'll be controlled by a shadowy figure who's using the fact he's a Hutt for control while staying out the spotlight himself.

IC this will be manifest in things like the Hutt doing very little talking, the Hutt having a techy headset (eyes and ears for the behind the scenes guy) the protocol droid doing most of the talking and the Hutt mostly nodding along and voicing his agreement in Huttese and the Hutt not showing quite the same traits commonly associated with Hutts, in terms of how he deals with people (depending on the species).

So here's where my question comes in: What species for this shadowy figure?

The shadow broker in Mass Effect 2 gave me the idea, though I'm not sure why.

I love the idea of something uncommon, maybe an outlawed/persicuted species that wouldn't otherwise be welcome in this kind of outer rim circle.

Perhaps a government from another planet? (The planet it's based on is Mon Gazza)

Something rare or exciting would add real flavor in my opinion but ideas aren't coming!

Any ideas/thoughts whether it's just about the question or something else in the thread is all welcome, thanks for reading.

First, I'd ask myself why s/he's using the Hutt proxy. Is it just to add another layer of security for him-/herself? If so, any species will do; just decide what to want him/her to be.

Or is s/he from a species that wouldn't be respected in that position? A Gungan, maybe? Zilkin? Maybe the protocol droid standing right next to the Hutt?

Why not the protocol droid itself?

I think I might appropriate that protocol droid idea, myself....

Droid might be a little too obvious, especially if your players are suspicious or hints about a puppet-master get dropped. Other alternatives that come to mind: One of the musicians, or guards. Someone who has an excuse to be working a bit of machinery or comm equipment in the throne room.

Here's a question: Is this puppet-master on his own, or connected to something else? You could use his identity to help shape the rest of the campaign. For example, if you want it purely criminal than Quarren are pretty classic gangster aliens; I don't know what the Black Sun or Pike Syndicate family races are supposed to be though. Bothans are supposed to traditionally do this kind of thing, and may allow some contacts with official republic intelligence if you want. If they're working for/with one of the big corporations then perhaps they should just be human. If they used to work for the Hutt and staged a coup then one of the Hutt-servitor races makes sense. A Gank would be able to easily communicate with the Hutt from inside the throne room too.

Also ask why this person is keeping incognito. Could they be a failed/expelled Jedi who doesn't want to be detected by the Order? Perhaps a Sith cats-paw doing deep preparation for the Clone Wars? Are they just cowards, and if so why are they running a criminal organization? Are they trying to keep the rest of the Hutts from twigging to the fact that Pinochio the Hutt isn't his own slug?

I like the idea of a smaller species like a Drall or Aleena.

9 minutes ago, kaosoe said:

I like the idea of a smaller species like a Drall or Aleena.

That's why I was thinking Zilkin (although it'd need some homebrew stats).

Wait! This could go two layers deep! A Zilkin "driving" the protocol droid!!

Thanks for the replies guys!

I had thought about the protocol droid before making this, but shy'd away from it a little bit. The reason being I'm wanting to drop hints about the Hutt as mentioned in the original post, but I think it would be the first place my players will go, also the idea of the players confronting a protocol droid that's relaying information to this behind the scenes figure was to good to be pass up if the cards fall right and one of my players is a sentient droid, who's goal/purpose? I forget the mechanic name, is to unite droids against their overlords (While becoming a droid overlord himself) The idea of him trying to convert this droid and inadvertently giving over the information to the shadowy figure is tantalizing.

The Hutt isn't actually the main story/plot, he's more of an associate to the players. I decided to add this twist as another layer, that is open to the players to discover without needing them to find this out. It's added flavor that could evolve into more. My idea was a control room in the Hutts palace that this figure would operate from, very private surrounded by tech. His/Her web so to speak.

As for the reasons why he/she would be keeping hidden, I like the idea of a species that wouldn't be respected, or a species dying out.

Another thought that's been bouncing around is a disgraced/hunted person who if they showed themselves, the other Hutts would take action against. Similar to the Jedi idea.

It could be something along the lines of this Hutt had inherited/taken over this organisation and this puppet master swooped in, some kind of leverage on the Hutt and slowly dug their claws into the whole operation, relying on the Hutt to provide stability.

Keep the ideas coming it's really helping!

[Edit] A former slave could be a possibility. Twi'lek or something similar, who wouldn't be able to command the same respect as a Hutt.

A species dying out? Geonosian perhaps?

or as a hard twist: A Falleen, they are normaly the typical BLACK SUN Vigo / underlings.
But this one did fall from grace (mostlikly due to a conspiration against him), his former employers are thinking he is dead or want him dead (because of all the B.S. Secrets he knows).

He uses the Hutt to hide himself while using his knowledge and skills while steering the Hutt which is happy to have the help he needs to become a STAR in his own clan while lacking the abilities to do so on his own.

It ultimately depends a lot on how the Hutt is being controlled.

If he's being literally controlled you need an individual able to do that, which essentially means high tech (so droid works), chemically (faleen) or the force (jedi/sith but you'd need to be really good to affect a hutt).

If he's just agreeing to be the 'front hutt' for another party, then presumably he's unsuccessful and this other guy bailed him out, and he's got to hide the fact from the other hutts. He might be ambitious, instead, but no hutt, however ambitious, would put himself in anything like an out-and-out subordinate position to anyone (except possibly another hutt).

Of course, it could be another hutt; one who's disgraced and believed dead.

6 hours ago, Nightone said:

or as a hard twist: A Falleen, they are normaly the typical BLACK SUN Vigo / underlings.
But this one did fall from grace (mostlikly due to a conspiration against him), his former employers are thinking he is dead or want him dead (because of all the B.S. Secrets he knows).

He uses the Hutt to hide himself while using his knowledge and skills while steering the Hutt which is happy to have the help he needs to become a STAR in his own clan while lacking the abilities to do so on his own.

Love this idea, fairly sure I'll be running with it. I hadn't considered it might be a willing partnership. It adds a nice layer, and ticks all the boxes I was aiming for. Thanks!

Glad I could help!

Corrupt Imperial Moff that has created his own little sub-Empire within his area of influence. There is also the possibility that the Hutt doesn't even know his/her identity.

1 hour ago, ThreeBFour said:

Corrupt Imperial Moff that has created his own little sub-Empire within his area of influence. There is also the possibility that the Hutt doesn't even know his/her identity.

I just started listening to the audiobook of Lords of the Sith, and started thinking along the same lines.

Gand. Nobody expects a Gand with no name...

First though was a Hutt's personal Neimoidian (fake) slave (trying to build its own mini empire). Second was Hutt's Twi'lek slave (dancer?). But, I like other ideas in this thread better.