The Scoundrel operates in the galaxy's margins — between crime lords and customs agents, between rebellion and tyranny, between promises and paydays. This class encompasses smugglers, assassins, bounty hunters, pirates, and streetwise fixers, unified by quick reflexes, persuasive ability, and survival instincts.
Quick read: The galaxy's edge-walker. Pick this if you want to play Han Solo, Cassian Andor, Jango Fett, or any morally flexible operator who solves problems with a fast blaster and a faster mouth.
What you do at the table
Scoundrels succeed through leverage, not direct confrontation. You arrange the situation in your favor before the fight starts — you negotiate, you scout, you trade information, you stack circumstances that put the enemy on the back foot. When combat does break out, you fight at close range with blaster pistols, you target unprepared opponents (advantage on first strikes is a recurring theme), and you have luck-based escape valves to survive when things go sideways.
Out of combat, Scoundrels are usually their party's primary social face — handling bribes, navigating contacts, reading rooms, and finding angles. You'll roleplay more dialogue scenes than combat scenes.
Ability score priority
- Dexterity — primary. Drives blaster attacks, AC, initiative, Stealth, Sleight of Hand. Start at 15 or 16.
- Charisma — secondary. Critical for the social half of the class (Deception, Persuasion, Intimidation). Aim for 14.
- Constitution — tertiary. d8 hit die means you need decent CON to not be fragile. 13–14 is plenty.
INT, WIS, and STR can stay low without hurting your effectiveness — you'll usually let other classes do the muscle work.
Recommended species
- Twi'lek — +1 DEX, +1 CHA, classic Scoundrel chassis.
- Trandoshan — perfect for Bounty Hunter builds (regeneration + natural weapons).
- Bothan — +2 DEX + danger sense, ideal for Smuggler / Assassin.
- Human — flexible bonuses, fits any Scoundrel archetype.
Specialization preview (level 3)
Scoundrel has the largest subclass branch — four distinct specializations:
- Smuggler — charisma-driven deception with piloting. The "fly the ship, talk us out of trouble" archetype.
- Assassin — stealth, preparation, devastating first strikes. Big single-target damage.
- Bounty Hunter — relentless pursuit and combat dominance. Tracker + tough fighter.
- Pirate — chaotic melee and dirty fighting. Cunning > discipline.
Common pitfalls for new players
- Scoundrels aren't tank-fragile, but they're not tanks either. d8 hit die + light armor means a Scoundrel who stands in the open trading shots with a Soldier loses.
- The first turn matters most. Many Scoundrel traits give bonuses to first strikes — so you want to hit before initiative matters. Surprise rounds, advantage from stealth, or attacking from cover are how you front-load your damage.
- Don't forget your Charisma. New players sometimes treat the Scoundrel as a damage class and skip the social-skill investment. The full Scoundrel power comes from being able to avoid fights you don't want, not just winning the ones you can't avoid.