Fringe Threats is an ongoing series of articles where I will present fully fleshed out characters to throw at your party in place of generic bounty hunters/pirates/scoundrels. These profiles will include plot hooks, game stats, tactics, personality traits, sample quotes, etc. It is my hope that these characters will serve as set pieces that a GM can drop into their game, fully-formed and ready for play.
Another blast from the West End Games past! Riders of the Maelstrom was another of my favorite modules and I’ve used them as a reoccurring threat several times over the years. The Maelstrom is also an excellent set-piece and I have been eager to revisit it after seeing the Akkadese Maelstrom in Solo: A Star Wars Story. In the next few installments, I’ll be expanding on the pirates, their ships, and the nebula they call home from the original snippets found in the D6 module.
Riders of the Maelstrom
The hundreds of pirates that make up Tagrim’s band are mean, ruthless outlaws who are driven by a reckless craving for the freedom found only by living on the fringe of society. The Riders are made up of dozens of species, wearing a motley of tattered clothes that were once stylish and adorning themselves with ornate hair styles, jewelry, body paint, and other ornamentation.
The crew operates dozens of ships, ranging from starfighters to corvettes and conducts raids in and around the infamous Maelstrom Nebula, which stretches across the borders of the Albarrio and Relgim sectors. The nebula can only be traversed via sublight drives, following the beacons of the Relgim Run. The Riders use this time of vulnerability to attack lightly guarded cargo and passenger vessels.
Big Jak Targrim
Background: Big Jak is an extremely large humanoid with four arms and an infamous reputation – stories of Big Jak undergoing extensive genetic modification to enhance his physical might and ruthless intelligence are the stuff of legend. Jak is actually a Pho Ph’eahian – a rare species from the Outer Rim world Pho Ph’eah. Jak spent much of his early years as an enslaved gladiator before saving up enough to buy his freedom. His only trade was violence, so he invested what credits remained in a ship and took to the space lanes as a pirate. During the chaos of the Clone Wars, he amassed quite a few ships and crew – many were refugees, deserters, or galactic outcasts like himself.
Personality: Jak is notorious for his extreme mood swings and violent temper and can often be overheard talking to himself (sometimes in different voices). It is probably this personality quirk that gave rise to rumors of genetic modification and gene-grafting, though it is in actuality a symptom of the psychological damage sustained during his years in the gladiatorial pits. Initially a subtle quirk, this multiple personality disorder has gotten notably worse over the years. However, it has yet to effect his cunning and ruthless leadership of the pirates and generally serves to enhance his fearsome reputation. He is increasingly unstable and could eventually suffer a total mental breakdown.
Tactics: Under his command, the Riders strike fast and hard – quickly overwhelming their target’s escort vessels and pillaging as much cargo as possible before reinforcements arrive. Targrim is a clever commander and is careful to avoid patterns in his attacks, striking within and around the Maelstrom seemingly at random. In personal combat, he wields an array of exotic weapons from his days as a gladiator. Ensnaring and isolating targets with his magnabolos and unleashing a hail of energy discs before closing with his Leu-sang, a deadly recurved blade that is a blend of axe and sword.
Craxtet Redhand
Background: Big Jak’s first mate, Craxtet “Redhand” gets his name from his illegally modified cyberarm, which he uses to deadly effect in personal combat. He spent years working as an enforcer and small-time muscle for various gangs on Corellia before joining up with the Riders. His ruthlessness and daring as a raider saw him quickly promoted and eventually groomed by Targrim as a second in command. He is a capable first mate, but is more of a thug than a real leader.
Personality: Craxtet is a hard man, shaped by years scraping his way up from the dregs of galactic society. Originally a cut-throat loner, he has developed a loyalty to Big Jak and knows he owes him for the opportunities he’s been given. He’s still a cold-blooded killer, but he has Jak’s back even as his mentor’s mental state grows increasingly precarious.
Tactics: While raiding, Craxtet often pilots the Stormchaser (a heavily modified YT-2400) during combat and leads the boarding teams while Big Jak coordinates from the Targrim’s Blade. In personal combat, he uses simple but effective tactics – utilizing cover, tossing well-timed grenades, and closing to hand-to-hand range if possible. Once at close range, he utilizes his namesake cyberarm to maximum effect.
The Maelstrom Nebula
The Maelstrom Nebula was a massive cloud of charged space dust and young stars which disrupted nav computers – forcing starships to exit hyperspace and navigate through the cloud at sublight speed. The nebula was located on the borders of the Albarrio and Relgim sectors, and was bisected by the Relgim Run. The section of the Relgim Run that cuts through the nebula can be navigated safely by following a series of beacons that both transmit coordinates and dampen the electrical discharges within a small radius.
Outside of this narrow corridor, the chances of becoming lost or damaged in an electrical storm increase dramatically – countless ships have been lost over the centuries. Just following the beacons requires a Hard Astrogation check with one setback die. If the ship is traveling at a Speed of 4+ the Astrogation check is also upgraded once. Sensors are limited to Close Range within the Maelstrom and combat is extremely disorienting and dangerous. All piloting checks within combat are upgraded once and suffer one setback die. Three Threat or a Despair can be spent to cause the ship to be struck by an energy discharge (effectively a minor collision). Two Despair can cause the ship to lose track of the beacons, becoming lost in the Maelstrom.
Next time in Part 2: The starships of the Riders of the Maelstrom fleet.
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Great content and GM resource! Thanks!
Thank you!