Hi there,
For those of you interested here is a little preview of the Law Enforcer service class from the Player's book. I'd have posted something sooner but I had to seek out MJD's permission first...
So, onward:
LAW ENFORCER
Service Class
There are many types of Law Enforcer, from beat cops to detectives, from corporate security officials to bounty hunters and skip tracers. What they all have in common is a mission to keep the peace and enforce the rules (though the laws they uphold may be very different, depending upon their background). Most Enforcers start out in an organized police or security unit, and most stay there. Those that move on to freelance work often operate on the fringes of the law themselves, breaking a few rules to keep the general peace or to eliminate serious felons.
Some enforcers have a narrow field of interest, for example the skip tracers who reposess stolen starships on behalf of their owners, while others are general upholders of the law and keepers of the peace. Not all Law Enforcers are “official. Some are contracted mercenaries and others are simply vigilantes.
Law enforcers need to be capable of dealing with violent situations, so often have good combat skills. Knowledge of relevant law and some “street” skills are useful too.
Characteristics: An Enforcer’s outlook varies according to their background. A vigilante might be motivated by a strong code of conduct and a desire to right some (or every!) wrong. A professional security or police officer will normally respect the laws they uphold and the society that those laws protect, and generally find crime and criminals of all kinds distasteful. Bounty Hunters and Skip Tracers may simply work for the money, and actually be more or less criminals themselves.
Background: Law Enforcers can come from any background. Detectives and senior or specialist officers often have a university education, while many street cops, security personnel and bounty hunters are ex-military.
Adventuring: Law enforcers are sometimes assigned to pursue dangerous felons, or may make a living as freelance security operatives or bounty hunters. Ex-law enforcement personnel may well find their streetwise, weapons and technical skills useful during a life of adventure after their careerhas ended.
The class skills are the sort you would expect to find with no surprises. The LE gets 5 skill points per level base.
BAB is something less than the Rogue as most officers aren't generally highly trained in combat, though the Martial Training Feat is a class Feat to represent SWAT training or simlar. Will and Fortitude saves are good.
Feats-wise the list is what you would expect, with a good mix of combat and non-combat feats suited to the unique role of cops, and a few cool new class feats, such as Control and Restraint, Presence, and Street Smart. The last one is gonna be very useful for a lot of Law Enforcers:
Street Smart: The Enforcer is familiar with the underside of civlization, and gains a +2 bonus on all Sense Motive or Gather Information checks when dealing with the lower end of the social spectrum, whether in an official capacity or not. In some quarters (at the Referee’s discretion) this feat may also cause “street people” to react better to the enforcer than to other “uncaring cops” since he or she speaks their language and comes over as one of them rather than an outsider.
Hope this little teaser is of interest. 'Course, no body has even mentioned the other new core class yet...
Shane
(disclaimer - All information is accurate to the last draft I got)
