In the Accord's vast bureaucratic machinery, the Records Clerk is both gatekeeper and guide. They sit behind terminals in customs offices, visa stations, and administrative hubs—quiet, precise, and armed with the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy: proper documentation.
A Records Clerk knows that a well-filed permit can move mountains, and a missing stamp can strand a ship indefinitely. They are trained to spot forgeries, cross-reference databases in seconds, and recite statutes from memory. To outsiders, they seem pedantic; to those who earn their trust, they become invaluable—smoothing fines, backdating permits, and ensuring that the right paperwork reaches the right desk at the right time.
The Records Clerk is a CR 1–2 Initiate-tier NPC available through the Hired Help boon for characters with a Liked reputation within the Celestial Accord. While the Quartermaster's Aide manages logistics and the Security Cadet holds the perimeter, the Records Clerk navigates bureaucracy, permits, legal documentation, and data integrity.
Mechanically, they provide skill bonuses to Diplomacy, Society, and legal checks, grant rerolls when navigating Accord red tape, and can produce or validate official documents that open doors (or close files). They are not combat units—they are walking databases who know which forms to file, which codes to cite, and which loopholes exist.
Records Clerk Scholar 1
Role: Bureaucratic support, legal liaison, document specialist
For those who earn their respect, an Aide becomes an invaluable ally: a living directory of Accord resources, a voice that can cut through red tape, and a steady hand in the chaos of mission logistics.
Perception +7
Languages: Common, Accord Standard, one regional dialect
Skills: Accord Lore +10, Computers +9, Deception +6, Diplomacy +8, Legal Lore +10, Mercantile Lore +8, Society +10
Gear: Accord credentials badge (ID + security token), Accord administrative uniform (light clothing, integrated comm badge), Encrypted datapad with legal database access, Seal stamp (official Accord authentication device), Compliance cuffs (ceremonial, rarely used),
Str +0, Dex +2, Con +0, Int +4, Wis +3, Cha +2
AC 15; Fortitude +3, Reflex +5, Will +9
HP 18; Resistance 0
Speed 25 ft.
Melee Fist +4 [0/-4] (Agile, Non-Lethal), Damage 1d4 bludgeoning
Directives
Get ‘Em ◆ (Auditory, Concentrate, Visual)
◆ Effect: The Aide directs their allies attention to a creature within 60ft of them. For the next round, attacks directed at the target creature gain a +1 status bonus to hit
◆◆ Effect: The Aide directs their allies attention to a creature within 60ft of them, Then strikes at that designated target. For the next round, attacks directed at the target creature gain a +1 status bonus to hit; Damage rolls also gain +1 status bonus.
Digital Assessment
Data-Link Node ◆ (concentrate)
Frequency once per 10 minutes
Effect: The Aide pings the Accord logistics network or local node through encrypted channels. For the next 10 minutes, they gain a +2 circumstance bonus to one of the following chosen when first activated
Checks to Recall Knowledge about Accord equipment, supply depots, or trade routes (Accord Lore, Mercantile Lore, or Society).
Checks to locate or price specific Accord equipment or components (Crafting, Mercantile Lore, or Computers).
On a critical success at an appropriate check (GM sets DC), the Aide also identifies the nearest authorized Accord vendor or depot that has the requested item in stock.
Bureaucratic Expertise ◆
Traits: Concentrate, Linguistic
Once per scene, the Records Clerk may spend 10 minutes reviewing documents, databases, or regulations. Choose one:
File Correctly: Grant one ally a +2 circumstance bonus to the next Diplomacy or Society check to navigate Accord bureaucracy (customs, fines, permits, legal disputes).
Spot the Loophole: Identify a legal exemption or procedural workaround that reduces fines by 50%, waives a minor restriction, or expedites processing time.
Validate Documents: Confirm (or subtly backdate) paperwork to make it legally compliant, preventing delays or sanctions.
Institutional Memory
The Clerk has an encyclopedic knowledge of Accord regulations, precedents, and filing systems. They gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Recall Knowledge checks related to:
Accord law, policy, or historical rulings
Legal status of individuals, ships, or cargo
Permit requirements and bureaucratic procedures
On a critical success, they also recall a relevant precedent or loophole that grants an additional benefit (GM discretion).
Expedited Processing ↺ (Reaction)
Trigger: An ally attempts a Diplomacy or Society check to resolve an Accord bureaucratic obstacle (e.g., customs clearance, fine negotiation, permit application).
Frequency: Once per encounter
Effect: The Clerk interjects with the correct statute, reference number, or procedural shortcut. The ally may reroll the check and take the better result.
Paper Trail
The Clerk is trained to create, alter, or obscure records within Accord systems. Given 1 hour and access to a terminal, they can:
Create a plausible (but false) record that passes cursory inspection (Deception vs. Perception DC to detect forgery)
Obscure or delay a report, giving the party 24 hours before it reaches higher authorities
Validate backdated documents, making them legally defensible under most audits
This ability is risky—misuse can result in sanctions, investigations, or loss of the Hired Help boon.
Influence Block: Working With a Records Clerk
NPC Name: Records Clerk
Traits: Detail-oriented, rule-bound, quietly cynical, values precision over passion
Perception +7; Will +9
Discovery
Perception DC 15: Notice they keep multiple backup files and cross-reference every statement.
Society or Accord Lore DC 14: Understand their promotion depends on zero errors—they fear mistakes more than danger.
Influence Skills & DCs
Influence Thresholds
3 Points (Cooperative): Clerk becomes helpful; grants +2 circumstance bonus to one bureaucratic check and provides unofficial advice on navigating red tape.
6 Points (Quiet Favors): Clerk "loses" a minor infraction report, backdates a permit, or flags the party's file as "priority processing" in the system.
10 Points (Loyal Contact): Clerk becomes a recurring ally: advance warning of audits, discreet document validation, or introductions to senior administrators who owe them favors.
Resistances & Weaknesses
Resistance: Disrespect for procedure increases all Influence DCs by +2. Requests to "just fudge it" or bypass the system entirely raise Deception/Diplomacy DCs by +3.
Weakness: Precision and acknowledgment: Complimenting their organizational skills or offering to help double-check forms reduces Social DCs by -2 for the scene. Shared filing tasks: Helping them process a backlog of paperwork grants 1 automatic Influence Point once per scene.
Adventure Hooks
The Missing Manifest: A critical shipment is stuck in customs due to a "lost" manifest. The Clerk knows where it is—but retrieving it means navigating internal Accord politics and possibly exposing corruption.
The Audit: The party is flagged for a surprise inspection. A friendly Records Clerk offers to "adjust" the timeline—but only if the party helps them cover up their own procedural error first.
The Whistleblower: A Clerk approaches the party with evidence of illegal Accord activity buried in old files. Helping them leak the information (or suppress it) will have major factional consequences.
Visual & Flavor
Appearance: Insectoid features (antennae, compound eyes, chitinous plating visible under Accord uniform), white-and-gold administrative garb, datapad always within reach.
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