Tale Hunters
As long as there have been fairy tales of big bad wolves in the woods, there have been those who hunt them. But unlike the common mercenaries or bounty hunters that roam the wilds
Monsters
Rangers
Founded by the Intergalactic Federation to work outside of it. Autonomous teams of combatants are sent out on missions throughout the galaxy to help those who can’t help themselves, but making sure to wave the Federation flag all the while.
Handlers
While ranger teams are expected to make decisions by themselves, the Federation assigns a representative that acts as mission control, advisor and facilitator. Their title is ‘Mission Supervisor’ but they are colloquially referred to as ‘Handlers’. The GM is expected to keep the handler relevant and to make sure the handler has some form of relationship with all player characters.
Creating a Handler
A handler is created not just by the GM but also by the players in a combined fashion. There are x things that define a Handler:
- Origin Where is the handler from before they became a Handler? Did they attend the same academy a PC did?
- Skill What is the Handler particularly good at? Are they always capable of supplying the party specific resources they may need? Are they good at calming down even the rowdiest of warriors? Do they have a knack for getting ahead of local authorities?
- History What major events did the Handler participate in? Did they use to lead a very well regarded Ranger Team? Are they scarred by a previous Ranger Team succumbing to the dangers of the job?
- Priorities What are the Handler’s priorities? Is the Handler more interested in keeping their Ranger team all in one piece? Or are they more interested in finishing the mission? Are they more interested in protecting the image of the Federation?
Each player should choose of these details and make it a connection point with their own character. For example, a player may define the Origin, establishing that the handler is from the same home town their character is from. Or for another example, a player may choose the Skill of the Handler to be something that their otherwise unruly player character respects.
Going Rogue
While Rangers do good they are a way for the Federation to spread its propaganda, a GM should expect that at some point the players may decide to go rogue. This moment could come as a spur of the moment decision after the revelation of the true nature of being a ranger, or it could be after a long series of increasingly questionable missions that test the party’s moral compass. The Handler may also choose to follow the party, or amicably split from them, but they could also choose to dedicated their resources to hunt down the party.