Bounty Hunters' Guild

[Malon]

.

The Basics​

"You've never fit in? You'll fit right in."​

Thanks to the growing power of the Hutt Cartel, combined with holo-thrillers, and the general opinion of most governments, bounty hunters are seen as the scum of the galaxy—some of the worst villains imaginable. To them, we are kidnappers, thieves, murderers, and assassins. But what is a bounty hunter, truly?

A bounty hunter is someone tasked with the most difficult job in the galaxy. We hunt down the most dangerous thieves, kidnappers, murderers, and assassins in the galaxy. And we succeed where others have failed and will face challenges few dare to imagine. The work is thankless; but ours is a necessary job. While the Jedi fight amongst themselves and the various governments squabble in inaction, we do what needs to be done.

But what exactly "needs to be done?" And how does it all work?

Let me explain it this way. A crime is committed. Someone—the Republic, regional or local governments, large corporations, or an individual with substantial interest—issues a notification to the Bounty Hunters' Guild. Usually, this notification indicates the target, the stipulation (dead or alive), and an award. The entity that issues the notification is known as the originator. The target, usually a criminal, is known as the acquisition. The reward, naturally, then, is known as the bounty.

From there, a Guild contractor will notify a hunter (who is traditionally a member of the Guild themselves) to pursue the contract. Hunters may also choose to use the Bounty Board to select a bounty for themselves from a variety of sources. Upon completion, the bounty is typically paid in credits (though other forms of rewards exist). Sounds easy, right? Wrong. But, nevertheless, it's the job.

So what sets the guild apart from the average vigilante? Let's address some of the misconceptions about hunters to answer that question:

1. Do bounty hunters kill for money? Yes, but not indiscriminately, and not merely for personal gain.
2. Are bounty hunters murderers? No. Murderers kill unlawfully.
3. Are bounty hunters assassins? No. Assassins target specific individuals for political or religious reasons and do not always get compensated for the killings.
4. Do bounty hunters kill innocent people? Never intentionally, and not without consequences.
5. Are bounty hunters lawbreakers? No. We abide by the laws of whichever government employs us. In a sense, we are law-enforcement officers and there are consequences when we break the law.
6. Are bounty hunters mercenaries? Absolutely not. Bounty hunters have little regard for anyone whose allegiance is for sale.
7. Are all bounty hunters members of the Guild? No. Some choose to work for independent employers.
8. Do bounty hunters compete with each other? Not if they are members of the Guild. See the The Creed for more.

.

The Creed​

People Don't Have Bounties, Only Acquisitions Have Bounties

Capture By Design, Kill By Necessity.

No Hunter Shall Slay Another Hunter.

No Hunter Shall Interfere With Another's Hunt.

In the Hunt, One Captures or Kills, Never Both.

No Hunter Shall Refuse Aid to Another Hunter.​

.

Governance​

The Guild, its rules, and its membership is governed by Guild Council. The Council sets the policy for the Guild and mediates disputes between members. It is also the final authority on punishment, when members violate its policies. Finally, the Council will convene to vote on membership—whether to confirm or deny a hunter's membership into the Guild. The Council is led by a Guild Master, elected for life from among its members.

In total, the Council was composed of five members, with the Guild Master (the sixth), acting as a tie-breaker whenever necessary.​

.

Types of Bounties​

The following are the types of bounties the Guild frequently deals in:

Government bounties: Bounties handed down by galactic, regional, or local governments. These usually involve hunting down criminals that governmental law enforcement cannot dedicate resources towards capturing and/or executing.

Corporate bounties: As the name suggests, these are bounties put out by exceedingly wealthy corporations. For many hunters, they're a quick means of lining their pockets; but they can been exceedingly difficult all the same.

Private bounties: These bounties are posted by private (usually wealthy) civilians. Difficulty ranges and hunters must be cautious not to get caught up in the personal vendettas of of the originators. Only take these bounties if a serious crime is provable on the account of the acquisition.

Underworld bounties: These bounties usually originate with the less reputable members of society. Rarely will a contractor contact a hunter about such bounties, but they can be frequently found on the Bounty Board.

The Blacklist: An underworld variation of the Most Wanted list. Only the highest level hunters—the very best in the galaxy—would dare to take on these bounties.​

Bounties also fall into a number of categories:

"Most Wanted" — These are usually government bounties on the worst criminals within their jurisdiction. Traditionally, those who make this ranking are guilty of conspiracy, sedition, treason, or mass murder. Hunters can usually expect to rake in between 200,000 credits and 250,000 credits per bounty in this category. But they should always be prepared, for these targets are usually armed and extremely dangerous.

"Galactic" — These type of bounties are frequently posted by governments. Those that make this ranking are frequently accused of aggression against government officials, bribery, transportation of illicit items, piracy, or possession of illegal technology. Hunters can expect to pull down anywhere between 50,000 and 200,000 credits on these bounties. These missions can be similarly dangerous.

"Regional" — Yet another government-type bounty. Those branded with this ranking tend to be accused of murder of important persons, forgery, operating illegal vehicles, and transporting stolen goods. Hunters can expect to make between 50,000 and 75,000 credits on these bounties depending on the severity of the crime. Danger-level is moderate.

"Sector/System/Planetary" — Also known as local bounties, these are a type of government bounty. Those branded with this ranking are frequently guilty of aiding and abetting criminal activity, murder, kidnapping, violation of customs laws, possession of illegal weapons, and smuggling. These jobs are by far the least dangerous and pull down between 3,000 and 50,000 credits depending on the severity of the crime. Danger is moderate to mediocre.

"Corporate" — As the name implies, this is the ranking for most corporate bounties. Those branded with it are usually guilty of industrial espionage, theft or destruction of corporate property, criminal trespassing on corporate property, unotherized use of company databases, corruption of company records, attempted bribery or intimidation, illegal replication of trademarked devices, and violation of a company's security agreement. They payout for such jobs depends on the company in question and these jobs rarely involve killing.

"Underworld" — Traditionally put out by the Hutt Cartel or other criminal enterprises, underworld bounties are rarely a result of actual crime. Those branded with such bounties have usually slighted a crime lord or made moves against a criminal cartel; others are "guilty" on trumped up charges. The Hutt bounty on lightsaber-wielders is one such example Traditionally, these bounties are extremely dangerous and result in a variety of payments, from keeping loot to large sums of credits.​

.

Types of Rewards​

While bounties are usually rewarded in credit sums, there are a number of other ways that a hunter can be paid, depending on who is placing the bounty:

1. Rights of Salvage: The hunter is permitted to keep whatever possessions the acquisition had on their person. Typically their weapons, armor, technology, etc.
2. Land Grants, Mining Permits, Water Rights: Most might think this an odd form of payment, but for those bounty hunters living on the frontier worlds of the galaxy, these rewards can be the key to their very survival, and are often difficult or tedious to secure through other means.
3. Precious Goods: Rare artifacts and expensive materials and/or technology usually fall into this category. Next to credits, this is the most commonplace reward given to hunters who complete their assignments.

.

Assets​

The Guild does not possess much in the way of assets. Any ships, weaponry, or supplies affiliated with the Guild typically belong to the bounty hunters that make up its membership and are, therefore, not Guild property.

The Guild does, however, maintain a base-of-operations on Trandosha. This guild hall is where the Guild Council assembles and where all governing of the organization happens. Additionally, one other guild hall is known to exist on Florrum, though it is mostly a cantina and a gathering place for bounty hunters looking to exchange stories, take on new bounties, or search for assistance in their hunts.

The information on this NPC organization was heavily borrowed from the book The Bounty Hunter Code, which outlines the aforementioned faction.​

 

[Arcangel]

@Malon

I would like to see something that describes what sets Bounty Hunter Guild hunters apart from Hutt Cartel hunters.

Also does the Guild have any physical assets, infrastructure, etc.?

 

[Malon]

@Malon

I would like to see something that describes what sets Bounty Hunter Guild hunters apart from Hutt Cartel hunters.

Also does the Guild have any physical assets, infrastructure, etc.?

What sets them apart from the Hutt Cartel is pretty self-explanatory (up there in what a bounty hunter is and isn't). It's a moral code type thing. But I can be more explicit if needed.

Also, yes, they would have limited assets. I'll add that in.

 

[Arcangel]

Approved!

 

[Demin]

Is there any current activity on this faction?

 

[Loco]

Is there any current activity on this faction?

It's an NPC faction, so it's more of a background for PC characters to use than an active faction the way the Main Factions and PC orgs are.

 

[Demin]

Ah, I see. Fair enough!