Soldier – Trailblazer – Unseen Paths

When facing a numerically superior enemy with access to better weapons, armor, and supplies, an army must leverage absolutely every advantage possible. The Soldiers of the Alliance to Restore the Republic have grown accustomed to fighting while outnumbered and outgunned, and have honed their wits to compensate and regain the advantage against the Empire. One area in which rebel Soldiers frequently have the edge is in knowledge of the terrain and how to use it. Even stormtroopers, the supposed elite of the Empire, frequently fall prey to its rigid modes of thinking, and Trailblazers can use their superior knowledge of the terrain and unorthodox tactics to surprise and overwhelm their foes.

UNSEEN PATHS

Catching the enemy off-guard is one of the oldest and most divers tactics in the galaxy, and Trailblazers seek to turn it to their advantage at every turn. To this end, a Trailblazer receives Knowledge (Outer Rim), Perception, Stealth, and Survival as additional career skills. If this is a character’s starting specialization, he may choose two of these skills and gain one free rank in each, without spending starting experience. Survival makes the Trailblazer better at tracking foes and setting clever traps, while Stealth helps in avoiding enemies who might uncover the Trailblazer’s presence.

Trailblazers often act as guides to other members of their squads, helping them to avoid the dangers of the wild and the battlefield alike as the group moves to the most advantageous position possible. A skilled Trailblazer can not only allow a group of PCs to win difficult battles through subterfuge and trickery, but also to avoid unnecesssry battles entirely. The Rebel Alliance frequently needs to achieve objectives without the Empire noticing, and so the best battle is often the ones that was never fought. A Trailblazer can be a substantial boon to any Age of Rebellion group in other contexts too, whether the PCs are moving through the wilds or the streets of a city.