Live the Belter Dream: Become a Bounty Hunter in The Expanse RPG
One of the fantastic things about The Expanse RPG, based on the Modern AGE system, is the freedom to build your character exactly how you want. Unlike many games with rigid classes, The Expanse lets you forge your own path. To further refine your character’s “build,” the system offers specializations. With the official The Expanse setting, a new line of specializations called Trades of the Expanse has been introduced. These represent jobs or “trades” your character can pick up as they progress.
The first Trade we’ll delve into is the thrilling Bounty Hunter. This specialization lets you embody the badass bounty hunter you’ve always dreamed of being, regardless of which side of the law you fall on.
A Deep Dive into the Bounty Hunter’s World
The first chunk of this 15-page PDF dives headfirst into the gritty world of bounty hunting. It explores the different types of bounties you can take on, including Tracking, Delivery, Recovery, Arrest, and Elimination. You’ll also learn about the potential clients who put these bounties out and the rules for finding work. This section is a goldmine of lore for both Game Masters (GMs) and players, offering valuable insights into the work you can expect in-game. It even features a handy table (what GM wouldn’t love that?) outlining how to find bounties and the income modifiers associated with them (essentially, your payout for completing a bounty).
The second chapter, aptly named “On the Hunt,” delves deeper into the investigative side of things. Building on the core rulebook’s “Detailed Investigations” section (page 101), it provides guidance on how to effectively hunt down your target, including profiling, tracking, and making contact. While not as extensive as the lore section, it offers new stunts specifically for bounty hunters to use during their investigations.
This section also covers income and the concept of “going off script.” The income section here differs slightly from the income modifiers in the first chapter, and it might seem contradictory at first glance. Here, completing a job grants you a +1 income modifier, while failing results in a -1. This distinction likely reflects the difference between taking bounties during interludes (between adventures) and those encountered during the main campaign. Completing a bounty while docked at a station during an interlude nets you a +1 income boost.
Tools of the Trade: Gunning Up for the Job
Next up is my personal favourite section, “Tools of the Trade.” As the name suggests, it delivers a bounty hunter’s arsenal of goodies. You’ll find five new items to play with, including a new type of drone and two brand new ships to populate your games. Gear up with a new shuttle perfect for quick boarding actions thanks to its Point Defense Cannons (PDCs), or grab a combat-modified freighter for those extended spacefaring missions. (Speaking from experience as a GM, this ship can be a real game-changer – in my own campaign, Bounty Hunter Jim sacrificed his ship to save the players and has since become a valuable NPC crew member!)
The Meat of the Matter: The Specialization Itself
Now we reach the heart of the PDF: the Bounty Hunter specialization itself. It lays out your progression path, with Novice, Expert, and Master levels, offering the expected suite of abilities associated with each level. It’s a well-balanced specialization that complements the existing options in the core rulebook. What truly sets it apart, however, is the inclusion of new reputations (both good and bar) you can earn as a bounty hunter, along with new “Churn” complications that the GM can throw your way during investigations. These truly make this Trade feel integrated into the grimy, unpredictable world of The Expanse, going beyond the generic complications found in the core book.
Ready, Set, Hunt!
The final section provides a sample set of bounties you can incorporate into your games. While not an extensive list, it’s a nice addition that gets your creative juices flowing.
Overall, the Trades of the Expanse series is a fantastic addition to The Expanse RPG, and the Bounty Hunter is no exception. In fact, it was so good that when this PDF came out, one of my players who was already a level 5 character decided to completely revamp their character to become a bounty hunter! Since then, they’ve embarked on a series of exciting missions, even collaborating with the legendary “Bounty Hunter” Jim (a character whose reputation they’ve unwittingly earned through their actions).
If you’re looking to add some grit and excitement to your The Expanse RPG games, I highly recommend picking up this PDF.
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