Intel - Street Smarts is a crucial skill for any operative who wants to survive in the seedy underbelly of the galaxy. It's the ability to read the city, to feel the pulse of the streets and to navigate through the chaos and danger of urban environments with ease. It's about knowing who to talk to, where to go, and how to blend in and stay under the radar.
A master of Intel - Street Smarts can pick up on the subtle cues and unspoken codes of conduct that exist in every city or space station. They know which parts of town are run by which gangs syndicates or corps, and they can tell by the graffiti or the colors on the walls who's in charge. They can sense danger before it's even there, and they know when to keep their head down and when to stand up for themselves.
With this skill, an operative can move through even the most dangerous parts of the galaxy with confidence and ease. They know how to avoid trouble, how to find the right people to talk to, and how to get what they need without drawing too much attention to themselves. It's a survival skill, a way to stay alive in a world where danger is always lurking just around the corner.
Street Smarts is a skill that allows you to navigate any urban or city environment with ease. You are able to recognize the safest and most dangerous locations in any city, as well as quickly pick up on the local gang activity, hierarchy, and turf locations. With this skill, you can easily spot the leader of a group or gang, and find the best, fastest, and safest route through any city, space station, or urban area. This skill is a valuable asset for anyone who needs to get around in the city, whether you are a spy, mercenary, or simply a traveler. With Street Smarts, you can be confident in your ability to navigate any city, avoid danger, and find what you need.
Each urban navigation or street intelligence task will have a difficulty rating based on the danger level of the area, the obscurity of the information, and local conditions. The more dangerous the neighborhood or sensitive the intel, the higher the difficulty.
When you attempt to navigate cities, gather street-level intelligence, identify gang territories, find contacts, or avoid urban dangers, you will make an Intel - Street Smarts skill check against the task's difficulty rating. The GM may apply Boons or Banes based on factors such as your reputation in the area, time spent in the city, language barriers, or current gang tensions.
Rather than spending skill points to move up skill levels, You may instead spend skill points to purchase any of the following tricks.
Cost: 2 Skill points
Requires: Tactical Training
Frequency: Once per Lockdown
Effect: You can blend perfectly into urban crowds and move unnoticed through busy areas. In cities and space stations, you gain a +1d6 Boon to Stealth checks. You know how to dress, walk, and act like a local, making you virtually invisible in crowds.
Cost: 2 Skill points
Requires: Tactical Training
Frequency: Once per Lockdown
Effect: You can escape from dangerous urban situations quickly and efficiently. You automatically know the nearest exits, escape routes, and bolt-holes in any urban area. When pursued, you can break line of sight and disappear into the city within 1-2 rounds.
Cost: 2 Skill points
Requires: Tactical Training
Frequency: Once per Lockdown
Effect: You know the common passwords, code words, and phrases used to gain access to restricted urban areas and get in front of important people. When trying to gain entry to gang hideouts, underground clubs, or exclusive areas, you automatically know the right thing to say.
Cost: 6 Skill points
Requires: Expert Training
Frequency: Once per Op
Effect: You can negotiate with gang leaders and criminal elements on equal terms. When dealing with organized crime, you gain a +1d8 Boon to all Social checks. Gang leaders respect your knowledge of their world and are willing to deal with you as a professional rather than an outsider.
Cost: 6 Skill points
Requires: Expert Training
Frequency: Once per Op
Effect: You can create safehouses and secure locations for yourself and your allies throughout urban areas. Given 2-3 days in a new city, you can establish a secure safehouse that's difficult to find (enemies must make opposed checks at Disadvantage), has escape routes, and contains basic supplies.
Cost: 6 Skill points
Requires: Expert Training
Frequency: Once per Op
Effect: You can think like a criminal, anticipating their moves and strategies. When investigating criminal activity, planning heists, or predicting gang behavior, you gain a +1d8 Boon. You can accurately predict what criminals will do next because you understand their motivations and methods.
Cost: 10 Skill points
Requires: Master Training
Frequency: Once per Mission
Effect: You have legendary status in the criminal underworld. For one mission, your reputation precedes you - criminals, gang leaders, and even crime lords will meet with you, answer your questions, and potentially offer assistance. You're treated as a respected figure in organized crime, opening doors that would be closed to others.
Cost: 10 Skill points
Requires: Master Training
Frequency: Once per Mission
Effect: Your mastery of urban environments is complete. For one operation in a city, you automatically know: all gang territories and power structures, the fastest and safest routes anywhere, where to find anything or anyone, which officials can be bribed, and what major criminal activities are occurring. You navigate the city like you've lived there for years.
Cost: 10 Skill points
Requires: Master Training
Frequency: Once per Mission
Effect: You always have an escape plan. Once per mission when a situation goes wrong in an urban environment, you can automatically escape without being caught or tracked. You vanish into the city so completely that even the best hunters lose your trail. No rolls needed - you're just gone.
Each informant you create grants a stacking Boon to Intel - Street Smarts rolls in their region or area of expertise:
Boons apply when:
Informants are not permanent—they require ongoing care:
Marco wants to create informants at the Outer Rim docks: