Crime as a Profession: As professions go, being a criminal does not convey the normal sorts of advantages that a legal career provides nor can such a person learn new skills at a school or through a hypno-training program. Instead, most underworld skills are learned on the streets.

Characters in normal professions can “go rotten,” but only the criminal can pick up certain skills at a professional cost, such as Hiding in Plain Sight. Others can learn these skills at the nonprofessional skill advancement rate. These skills can only be learned through practice.

The knowledge of criminal skills is not illegal, but using most of these skills are highly so. Standard pay rates do not apply with criminals. The cost to hire someone with these skill sets are generally negotiated discretely and off the books.

Note, this “profession” does not cover murderers, rapists, petty thieves and the like, but it does cover the professional thief, the cat-burglar, the confidence artist, terrorists and the headhunter/ bounty hunter. Space pirates will be covered in a different category

Like characters in other professions, a criminal starts off with 20 experience points, 10 of which are spent to become a criminal.

Criminals can chose between -- starting careers including: Cat Burglar, Confidence Artist, Fence, Headhunter, Manager, Pickpocket, Safecracker and Terrorist. These careers include ten level 1 skills for the cost of only 8 experience points, leaving 2 experience points left over for the character to improve an existing skill or buy another one. Of course, the player is free to design their characters differently without the benefits of a starting career.

Cat Burglar. You’re not just the run of the mill burglar or the strong-armed thug who does forced breaking and entries into occupied homes. Instead, you’re stealthy and take pride in being able to gain undetected entry into buildings, taking what you want and leaving unnoticed. This character gets Agility, normally a Techex skill, as a starting skill; it provides 7 points that can be split between Dexterity and Reaction Speed. Additional skills include: Alertness 1, Appraisals 1, Climbing 1, Security Systems: Detecting Alarms/Defenses 2, Security Systems: Deactivating Alarms/Defenses 1, Stealth 1, Street Skills 1 and Street Smarts 1.

Confidence Artist. Also called a con artist or trickster or swindler, you defraud a person or group through use of what are called “confidence games” called scams, schemes or stratagems. You first work to gain a person’s trust and then exploiting his psyche, playing up to his compassion, credulity, dishonesty, greed, irresponsibility, naiveté or vanity. Then you need to slip away before your victim(s) catch on. The con artist gets Charisma, normally an Explorer skill, as a starting skill, which provides 7 points that can be split between Personality and Leadership. Additional skills include: Bluff 1, Disguise 1, Dramatics 1, Empathetic Understanding 1, Etiquette 1, Persuasion 1, Spot a Mark 1, Street Skills 1, Street Smarts 1 and Swindle 1.

Fence. A fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale, sometimes in a legitimate market. The fence thus acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may not be aware that the goods are stolen. The fence is able to make a profit with stolen merchandise because he/she is able to pay thieves a very low price for stolen goods. The fence starts with Intelligence, which provides 7 points that can be split between Intuition and Logic. Additional skills include: Appraisals 1, Computers: Access & Operate 1, Economics 1, Fine Arts 1, Finance 1, Gemology 1, Haggling 1, Persuasion 1, Street Skills 1 and Street Smarts 1.

Headhunter. Also called a bounty hunter or contract killer, this is one dangerous character. Some more experienced headhunters will learn medical skills, ballistics and forensic medicine (at the nonprofessional skill cost) in order to better use poisons and freeze fields, as well as some combat skills to deal with threats. When a headhunter has the Investigation skill combined with Medical: Administer Drugs and Medical Treatment: Poisons, they may be able to administer untraceable drugs and poisons. This character starts off with Endurance, which provides 7 points that can be split between Strength and Stamina. Additional skills include: Alertness 1, Computers: Access & Operate 1, Hide in Plain Sight 1, Street Skills 1, Street Smarts 1, Investigation 1[1], Law 2 and Whitewash 1. With the remaining 2 experience points, the Headhunter must purchase Martial Arts or Melee (level 1) plus a ranged weapon skill such as beam or PGS.

Manager. This is a minor crime boss with a goal of becoming a major underworld leader. As a manager, he usually does not get involved in dangerous operations. Other than a few enforcers working directly under him, many people in his crime syndicate may not even know his true identity or whereabouts. A manager starts off with a skill called Acumen which provides 7 points that can be split between Leadership and Logic. Additional skills include: Analyze Social System 1, Analyze Business System/Setting 1, Economics 1, Finance 2, Law 1, Management 1, Money Laundering 1, Street Skills 1 and Street Smarts 1.

Pickpocket. Pilfering items is what you do best. You’re part con artist and stealthy about getting what you want. A pickpocket starts off with a skill called Deft, which provides 7 points that can be split between Dexterity and Personality. Additional skills include: Alertness 1, Bluff 1, Escape Artistry 1, Pick Pockets 2, Spot a Mark 1, Street Skills 1, Street Smarts 1 and Stealth 1.

Safecracker. You’re skilled at breaking open locked safes, vaults and other so-called strong boxes to rob them. This character starts off with the Intelligence skill which provides 7 points that can be split between Logic and Intuition. Additional skills include: Demolitions 2, Security Systems: Detecting Alarms/Defenses 1, Security Systems: Deactivating Alarms/Defenses 2, Security Systems: Open Locks 2.

Acumen          

Pr: Criminal Profession/Manager

Success: Automatic upon selection of Crime Profession/Manager

A character who becomes a Criminal Manager receives this skill during character creation which allows him a bonus of 7 points that can be split between Logic and Leadership.

Bribery

Pr: Street Skills 1, Street Smarts 1, Spot a Mark 1

Success: ½ Per + 10 percent per level

While anyone can attempt to bribe another person, the Bribery skill greatly improves the criminal’s chance of success. This skill also allows the character to identify who can and should be bribed.

Deft     

Pr: Criminal Profession/Pickpocket

Success: Automatic upon selection of Pickpocket

This skill is only available during character creation and provides 7 points that can be split between Dexterity and Personality.

Hide in Plain Sight

Pr: Street Skills 1, Street Smarts 1

Success: ½ Int/Log +10 percent per level

With this skill, a criminal can stalk someone or move freely in a crowd or through back alleys. It only works in urban areas or a busy space station. The character being followed may get an Intuition check or have a counter skill, such as Situational Awareness and Spot a Mark, which may negate the criminal’s skill.

Money Laundering

Pr: Finance 2

Success: ½ Log/Int + 10 percent per level

Money laundering is the process of transforming the proceeds of crime into ostensibly legitimate money or other assets. This skill also covers the misuse of the financial system – involving things such as securities, credit cards and traditional currency – to finance terrorism, piracy and the evasion of other financial laws.

Pickpocket

Addendum: Not only can a thief with this skill pocket items without notice, they also have the ability to hide smuggled items on their person or discretely plant items on someone else. This skill also gives a character a 10 percent bonus to preform magic tricks and to cheat at card and dice games. This bonus is cumulative with gambling, entertaining, stage magic and similar skills.

Spot a Mark

Pr: Street Skills 1, Street Smarts 1

Success: ½ Int/Log +10 percent per level

Through only a quick evaluation, the criminal can deduce someone's wealth or gullibility on sight. On top of being able to spot a careless person within a crowd, a thief may use this skill to spot stalkers and plain clothed police.

Street Skills (specify planet)

Pr: None

Street skills are about gangs and communication. It is a prerequisite for street-smarts and underworld connections.

This skill set is limited to the planet the character grew up on, or had spent years living on.

Using this skill set on unfamiliar ground will impose a 40 percent penalty on all Street rolls, lowered by 10 percent for each year spent on the planet, immersed in local culture. Or the character can purchase a skill for a particular planet by using experience points.

This skill covers the following sub-skills:

Identify Local Colors

Success: automatic (Log)

This sub-skill allows one to identify a gang member, a gang-controlled area, and the meaning of tags and symbols. It may also help a criminal identify law enforcement officers who are trying to pose as a gang member.

Street Talk

Success: automatic (Log)

Street talk allows one to speak and understand local slangs and cants.

Fast Talk

Success: 1/2 Per/Ldr + 10 percent per level – ½ target’s Int

This skill allows a character to talk his way out of a situation or to manipulate a conversation. The target’s experience and other skills may modify the success level.

Street Smarts (specify planet)

Pr: Street Skills 1; Street Smarts cannot exceed the character’s Street Skills level.

Street Smarts are a set of skills that goes hand-in-hand with the Street Skills ability. This skill set is limited to the planet the character grew up on, or had spent years living on.

Using this skill set on unfamiliar ground will impose a 40 percent penalty on all Street rolls, lowered by 10 percent for each year a character spends on a particular planet and gets immersed in its local culture. Or the character can purchase a skill for a particular planet by using experience points.

Find Information

Success: ½ Log/Int + 10 percent per level

This sub-skill allows a character to use underworld connections to get information or a clue about a person, a place, or a group.

Fence Goods

Success: ¼ Log/Int + 10 percent per level

A character can find and deal with a Fencer (a black market dealer), or to convince a pawnshop owner to buy “hot” goods (if the local authorities enforce a ban on buying stolen goods).

Find Goods

Success: ¼ Log/Int + 10 percent per level

Allows one to use one's black market connections to find a controlled or restricted item (like drugs, kaboomite, military-grade weapons, etc.) – usually at an inflated price.

Swindle

Pr: Bluff 1, Dramatics 1, Persuasion 1

Success: ½ Per/Ldr + 10 percent per level – ½ Target’s Int score

This skill allows the thief to manipulate someone with lies and fast talk. The target may have other skills/experience or racial abilities that may help them overcome the swindle attempt or cause them to fall for it easier.

Terror Tactics

Pr: Demolitions 1, Surveillance 1, Underclass 1

Terrorist skills are about covert action and preforming violent acts as a political statement or to undermine an enemy organization. This skill set covers the following sub-skills:

Identify Fellow Members

Success: automatic (Int/Log)

The terrorist can visually spot other members within the same origination through subtle markings, gestures, and phrases.

Monitor Security

Success: ½ Log/Int + 10 percent per level

Similar to the Surveillance skill, it allows a terrorist to observe an area over time and make note of all the patrols and security systems. 

Demolitions: Creative Detonation

Success: ½ Log/Int + 10 percent per level

This sub-skill allows a terrorist to maximize the potential for collateral damage or for dramatic effect.

Whitewash

Pr: Law 2

Success: ½ Log/Int + 10 percent per level

This skill allows the criminal to remove and destroy incriminating evidence and make a death or injury look like an accident in order to befuddle or outright prevent a law enforcement investigation.