Creative Characters (Starfinder): Clara Skullstinger

Welcome to Creative Characters for Starfinder! This is episode 3 of 5 for this original group, known as Fortune’s Heist. This week we’re meeting the skill monkey of the group, Clara Skullstinger.

Clara’s flight into the adventurers’ life came about simply and with no complaints from Clara. She met Jefff on a blind date one night, had no fun but thought he was sweet, and that was it. She continued working in a rescues operation base until approached again by Jefff, who hired her based on the skills he’d heard about. Clara wondered if this wasn’t some clever ploy to date her again, so he added a clause about a second date, and getting fired, but never remembers the fine details.

Her skill set is very specifically tailored to heists in general. Ocean’s 11 would have been a 5 minute movie if Clara were in it. With Disguise and Bluff as her skills of choice she has no trouble walking into a place like she’s meant to be there, and convincing everyone. Being a Corporate Agent also helps her know WHO to mimic or who she browbeat into submission.

Her sheet looks like this:

Clara Skullstinger CR 1

Elf operative 1 (corporate agent)
CN Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +4; Perception +7

DEFENSE SP 6 HP 10 RP 4

EAC 14; KAC 15
Fort +0; Ref +4; Will +2

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee survival knife +0 (1d6 P)
Ranged needler pistol +3 (1d4 P, injection)
Shobhad horizon striker, tactical +3 (2d4 P)

STATISTICS

Str 10; Dex 16; Con 10; Int 13; Wis 10; Cha 15
Feats Telepathic Message
Skills Bluff +10, Culture +6, Disguise +10, Engineering +3, Intimidate +7, Medicine +3, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +8
Languages Common, Elven, Abyssal
Gear Disguise kit, Second Skin armor, Survival knife, Needler pistol, Tactical shobhad horizon striker, 1x Hyperleaf dart, -5 creds walking around money (owes 5 to Jefff).

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Elven Immunities Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and receive a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.
Elven Magic Elves receive a +2 racial bonus to caster level checks to overcome spell resistance. In addition, elves receive a +2 racial bonus to Mysticism skill checks.
Keen Senses Elves receive a +2 racial bonus to Perception skill checks.

That’s the rap sheet. Clara’s never been caught for any job because she’s always in disguise. The one time she was caught, sans disguise, she managed to convince the authorities she was her own twin sister, Shmara. Some missions she’s the sharp-dressed businesswoman who doesn’t have time for your crap, sir, and would you hurry up already? You can bet she’s got a short blonde bob with a knife that holds it all in place. Other times she’s the ragged but down-to-Earth girl offering guitar lessons and free good vibes to any who are willing to listen, while she stakes out an intergalactic music festival gig because she’s actually assigned a kidnap mission. Ever met someone cute who you thought you knew, but just couldn’t quite place? Clara Skullstinger.

“Skullstinger” is the moniker given to her by her first commander of secret operations. When instructed to take out the target without a gun she stabbed them in the back of the head with a sedative dart anyway. The job was done, and she didn’t have to kill anyone, and the commander was impressed.

Jurgen was impressed upon meeting “the Elf!” because of her skills at working around killing, but that’s mostly because it speaks to his belief in a universal sway of all things. The more you remove, the less there is to listen to. Clara smiled politely, patted him on the cheek and said “That’s cute that you don’t think I’d take you out if you were my target. Real question: would the universe tell you that I was hunting you?”

Tech-ward gets along well with Clara because any skills he can’t cover she can, so between the two they love working together and feel confident that there isn’t a situation that the two, working together, couldn’t escape. Her immense powers of disguise are lost on the Android, however, as Tech-ward only remembers that Clara is the female in the group because her voice is more scared. “You mean higher, Tech-ward. Female elves generally have higher voices.”

Bazaar she finds bizarre, but it’s literally in the name. The short Ysoki often wants to ask questions about her job, not realizing the secret nature of it, so she can only politely sidestep the Ysoki’s invasive questions. “Do you think acid or fire is a better way to kill people?” has come up, which is why Clara thinks he’s a little more weird than the rest of the group, but she’s seen him with a gun and so far, misses only happen when he wants them to.

As for Jefff “Triple F” and a potential relationship with him she says it’s not gonna happen. As long as she isn’t fired (and her skills assure that’ll never happen) and as long as she never pays back the 5 creds she owes him, nothing is going to happen. (I can’t date someone who’s in debt to me!” – Jefff) While she learned about Jefff’s real past on their one date, Jefff learned something deep and dark about her too, but she doesn’t know whether he’s playing dumb or has genuinely forgotten about it. If she ever ascertained the truth of the matter though she’d have a tough decision to make, and the commander who she trained under always said “Never fall for a potential target. Between the heart and the gun-hand, there is no winning.”

If someone has to be the “soul” of the group, the nice smile and kind word of encouragement, it’s not Clara. She’s the smarmy comment after someone falls off a wall, the silent raised eyebrow after someone misses a long-shot to blow out an electronic alarm. When a mission fails she’s the first to say “I’ll be in my safety space,” before spinning around on a silent heel and not appearing again for two weeks or until the heat cools down.

In the worst case scenarios, she knows Medicine for times when the serums have run dry, and a smattering of Engineering so she may know what the big scary robot is, if everyone else has suddenly gone on mental holiday. Bah, other races. You can never be too prepared.

But that’s Elves for you. Join me next time when I finally show you what a real Android looks like.

Moriarty.



About jtmoriarty

Moriarty, resident evil genius, has a Bachelor of Communications and a Masters of Writing - how better to write your players dooms? He was a penniless writer but has since turned into a paid but still bad one. And yes that's real blood!

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