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Spartikis
Cadet
Joined: 15 Jun 2011
Posts: 19
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 Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:24 am Post subject: Types of targets for privateers/pirates? |
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Sorry if this is in the wrong forum.
I have a small crew consisting of 3 PCs and their 5 NPC crew (2 humands 3 droids). They fly a freighter similar to this
http://www.swdesignalliance.com/forum/index.php?topic=1523.0
What kind of targets could they attack? The empire typically doesnt ship much cargo in small ships do they? i feel like it might be hard to be a privateer with the rebels with a non-capital scale ship. Any suggestions for targets and what their cargo might be? Only think i could think of is that they might use smaller ships in the outer rim, restocking rural bases possibley.
For a classic pirate campaign, what do you guys typically target? wealthy travelers, small cargo ships, wealthy merchants? My crew is too small to take ships so they are stuck with taking cargo only i guess...maybe hostages or is that supposed to be frowned upon? i personally dont punish characters for evil or mean behavior, guess i got sick of to many all holy jedi knight adventures where everyone spends more time helping grandma cross the street that doing fun stuff. |
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Guardian_A
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Joined: 24 May 2011
Posts: 1654
Location: South Dakota, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:06 am Post subject: |
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Find yourself a copy of "Pirates & Privateers" thats probably the best resource for that kind of campaign.
With the crew you have, I'd suggest that they target small yachts and light freighters. Also, stay off of the main shipping lanes. If you hit minor routs leading to minor worlds, the cargo ships are likely to be smaller and thus have a more managable crew. |
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Bren
Vice Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2010
Posts: 3868
Location: Maryland, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Guardian_A wrote: | Find yourself a copy of "Pirates & Privateers" thats probably the best resource for that kind of campaign.
With the crew you have, I'd suggest that they target small yachts and light freighters. Also, stay off of the main shipping lanes. If you hit minor routs leading to minor worlds, the cargo ships are likely to be smaller and thus have a more managable crew. |
If you can't find that, the Far Orbit project has useful and overlapping info on privateers that could be used. |
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Fallon Kell
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Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: Tacoma, WA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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Also some large ships have smaller crews. In those instances, sometimes you can disable the target ship, steal some stuff from it, and leave before much of the crew arrives.
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Spartikis
Cadet
Joined: 15 Jun 2011
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Guardian_A wrote: | Find yourself a copy of "Pirates & Privateers" thats probably the best resource for that kind of campaign.
With the crew you have, I'd suggest that they target small yachts and light freighters. Also, stay off of the main shipping lanes. If you hit minor routs leading to minor worlds, the cargo ships are likely to be smaller and thus have a more managable crew. |
Just downloaded (if i like it ill buy a hard copy) a copy of prirates & privateers, looks like it has tons of useful info in it, ill have to sit down tonight and read through it all and see if that gives me a better idea on running a privateer campaign |
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Guardian_A
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Joined: 24 May 2011
Posts: 1654
Location: South Dakota, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Spartikis wrote: | | Guardian_A wrote: | Find yourself a copy of "Pirates & Privateers" thats probably the best resource for that kind of campaign.
With the crew you have, I'd suggest that they target small yachts and light freighters. Also, stay off of the main shipping lanes. If you hit minor routs leading to minor worlds, the cargo ships are likely to be smaller and thus have a more managable crew. |
Just downloaded (if i like it ill buy a hard copy) a copy of prirates & privateers, looks like it has tons of useful info in it, ill have to sit down tonight and read through it all and see if that gives me a better idea on running a privateer campaign |
Bren pointed out another book that is pretty good. The Far Orbit Project. The Far Orbit Project is a companion book to Pirates & Privateers. If you like the fist book, make sure to look up the second as well. |
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14168
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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I could see them hitting medium size bulk freighters, and maybe a large ship like a cruise liner..
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mdlake
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Joined: 21 May 2009
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Location: Montclair, NJ
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Fallon Kell wrote: | | Also some large ships have smaller crews. In those instances, sometimes you can disable the target ship, steal some stuff from it, and leave before much of the crew arrives. |
True enough, though such ships are likely carrying low-value bulk cargo. PCs can make a living at this, but if they want the Big Score, they'll need to aim for the richer, more defensible targets.
Unless (hint, hint) they do the legwork in port, bribe the right officials, steal the harbor master's logs, etc., to learn which big freighters have set aside one of their holds for a small, rich cargo. Identifying the best targets makes an excellent adventure hook.
The cruise liner is a good idea, too. Colorful NPCs, light armament, quick cash. Then the Empire cracks down because one of 'em is in tight with the powers that be and has absolutely no sense of romance when it comes to piracy. The PCs enjoy a big payday, then end up dealing with unprofitable complications for as long as you find it amusing, and they get an "in" with the rebels, if you want to give them one. |
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Hellcat
Grand Moff
Joined: 29 Jul 2004
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Location: New England
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:11 am Post subject: |
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| mdlake wrote: | | Fallon Kell wrote: | | Also some large ships have smaller crews. In those instances, sometimes you can disable the target ship, steal some stuff from it, and leave before much of the crew arrives. |
True enough, though such ships are likely carrying low-value bulk cargo. PCs can make a living at this, but if they want the Big Score, they'll need to aim for the richer, more defensible targets.
Unless (hint, hint) they do the legwork in port, bribe the right officials, steal the harbor master's logs, etc., to learn which big freighters have set aside one of their holds for a small, rich cargo. Identifying the best targets makes an excellent adventure hook.
The cruise liner is a good idea, too. Colorful NPCs, light armament, quick cash. Then the Empire cracks down because one of 'em is in tight with the powers that be and has absolutely no sense of romance when it comes to piracy. The PCs enjoy a big payday, then end up dealing with unprofitable complications for as long as you find it amusing, and they get an "in" with the rebels, if you want to give them one. |
Well depending on where they sell and if they sell on the invisible market some low value items can go for a bit. But I wouldn't say the target has to be more defensible. Bulk freighters carrying high value cargo would be likely to be deemed important enough for a military escort. Unless that's what you mean by more defensible.
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Fallon Kell
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Joined: 07 Mar 2011
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Location: Tacoma, WA
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:48 am Post subject: |
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| Hellcat wrote: |
Well depending on where they sell and if they sell on the invisible market some low value items can go for a bit. But I wouldn't say the target has to be more defensible. Bulk freighters carrying high value cargo would be likely to be deemed important enough for a military escort. Unless that's what you mean by more defensible. |
Exactly. Even boring stuff like food, if you get enough of it, can be valuable. Do you know how much 10 metric tons of frozen pizza would sell for in real life? Now consider 20 cubic meters of water on Tatooine.
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Bren
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 11:42 am Post subject: |
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| Fallon Kell wrote: | | Do you know how much 10 metric tons of frozen pizza would sell for in real life? Now consider 20 cubic meters of water on Tatooine. |
I do now. The price for 10 metric tons of Uno's pizza at my local grocery store is $88,038. The wholesaler probably gets about 1/2 that when selling to the store. |
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Fallon Kell
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Bren wrote: | | Fallon Kell wrote: | | Do you know how much 10 metric tons of frozen pizza would sell for in real life? |
I do now. The price for 10 metric tons of Uno's pizza at my local grocery store is $88,038. The wholesaler probably gets about 1/2 that when selling to the store. |
Thanks for another strange but useful statistic, Bren! So half the price of the pizza is $44,019. Estimating an exchange rate of $5 per 1 credit, that comes to just over 8,800 credits.
Not a bad haul considering the situation, as far as I'm concerned...
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Bren
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Fallon Kell wrote: | | Thanks for another strange but useful statistic, Bren! |
You're welcome.  |
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14168
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Fallon Kell wrote: | | Hellcat wrote: |
Well depending on where they sell and if they sell on the invisible market some low value items can go for a bit. But I wouldn't say the target has to be more defensible. Bulk freighters carrying high value cargo would be likely to be deemed important enough for a military escort. Unless that's what you mean by more defensible. |
Exactly. Even boring stuff like food, if you get enough of it, can be valuable. Do you know how much 10 metric tons of frozen pizza would sell for in real life? Now consider 20 cubic meters of water on Tatooine. |
And depending on what you do with said food stuff, you could earn more goodwill than credits... which would be more benefitial in the long run.
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Bren
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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Your avatar can have all the pizza he wants.  |
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