Got a player wanting to start with a rather expensive ship.

[tetsuoh]

Okay so we're starting up a new group for weekend games this upcoming weekend.

One of our players has stated that he wants to be a smuggler turned passenger pilot. Okay cool, BUT the problem is the ship he would like.

A Baudo-Class Star Yacht -
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Baudo-class_star_yacht

Used of course, but that still leaves a 250K debt.

Now he's stated that he'd be more than willing for changes to be made to the ship to lower the cost that may affect performance.

Our issue is that we try not to do that with starting ships as it opens the whole can of worms - "Well if the ship has had things replaced, can I have it start with a couple other modifications?"

We really like the characters back story - and whats more is that he's agreed for the ships loan to be from the notable bounty hunter Bossk himself. With the terms that the ship be paid off within one standard galactic cycle or be forfeit and subject to retrieval (violent if necessary).
Subject to the agreement he will also transport any cargo that Bossk asks of him without question, to any part of the galaxy, at any time. An acceptable sum of the loan will be deducted should this be asked of him and all costs for refueling and refitting will be paid prior to departure.

What are some thoughts from fellow GM's on matters such as this?

[cheshire]

I think that you've got the right idea. It doesn't have a very impressive cargo capacity, so the money he'll make in trading won't pay off the ship. He's going to have to find work doing a bit more risky contracts. Also, the ship has some pretty hefty strings attached. He'll have to break off his normal money making schemes to go help Bossk at his beck and call. This leaves you wide open for having the player having to make difficult choices in terms of finishing a job, and helping Bossk. Also, what happens when Bossk wants him to go to the other end of the galaxy while he already has merchandise on the ship? What if Bossk's goals are completely contrary to the objectives of his current job.

Ooooh, this is rich.
_________________
__________________________________
Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Kaloth Varsk]

I think the ship is expensive more due to being a "luxury" ship than anything that will cause you any real balance issues.

Sounds like it will add some good story to the campaign, so I don't see a problem with it. I wouldn't hesitate to give it some quirks picked up from past damage and such though. I find such things often give the ship more character and can create even more stories.

[Raven Redstar]

Well, at first glance, the 250,000 credit price tag attached to the ship seems like it would be a very bad idea, however let me draw your attention to some of the flaws in it.

[tetsuoh]

I like the comments so far.

I suppose our thoughts on not allowing their to be changes to the base ship is a bit misplaced, even if we have had it happen before.

I can see us allowing the ship to be in disarray, but my roommate would rather not. I'll have to see if I can talk him down a bit.

I like the idea that the yacht is all but trashed and would be a work in progress to repair while trying to maintain payments to Bossk.

[CRMcNeill]

The Baudo was first introduced in GG6: Tramp Freighters, with a modified version trading passenger space for cargo capacity (cargo capacity on the Gilded Lily is up to 75 tons, with passenger capacity of 4 instead of 8). Per the modification rules, one passenger slot is equal to 10 metric tons of cargo space. You can address the restocking issue (one month of consumables) by including the solid fuel converter (which halves restocking fees), and help offset the ship's fragility by adding stronger shield generators. Then maybe upgrade the laser cannon to something a bit more robust. Another weapons mod that I like for the Baudo is adding the Comar f-9 Heavy Ion Cannon to cover the rear fire arc (4D FC / 4D Damage, and with a Space of 10, anything chasing the Baudo is going to be pretty wary about getting too close). The advantage of the ion cannon (as described in Pirates and Privateers) is that it is much easier for a ship to get the Imperial permits for the installation of an ion cannon, since it is more easily classified as a purely defensive weapon.

IMO, a ship this fast and fragile would be best suited to filling a niche market, specifically, a fast courier. Upgrade the hyperdrive to x1 or better, and have the smuggler character specialize in rapid delivery. This can be smuggling or blockade running, but can also be for legitimate purposes like express mail delivery and the like. The modifications I've described will cut into the ship's cargo capacity, but only by 10-15 tons.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[CRMcNeill]

Also, the Deckplans Alliance used to have the Baudo as one of their projects here.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Bren]

[Grimace]

Also remember that Bossk ISN'T a crime lord. He's not going to work things the same as a crime lord. He's a bounty hunter. He wants money, not a headache of continually dealing with a person who's not paying him back. He also doesn't have "heavies" to go an enforce his payment schedule. He wants payment, he'd have to do that himself. And since he's a bounty hunter, he's not adverse to doing something like that, but he's probably got better, more productive ways of earning funs without dealing with an ongoing loan.

My suggestion would be this: Bossk has this old, beaten up Baudo class ship he wants to get rid of. The suggestions that Red Ravenstar made are actually pretty good at getting the ship's purchase price down to a reasonable limit.

So Bossk says he'll sell that to the PC if the PC can get the funds. Either have the PC get a loan from some two-bit loan shark and then pay off Bossk for it, or have the PC only come up with part of the payment (25K or so) and Bossk decides he'll take a chance on the PC (maybe have the PC make a persuasion check or something) and he sets them up on a payment plan. He probably wouldn't charge outlandish loan-shark rates, as he's not a loan shark (and probably hates those guys as well). So he'd give the PC a set amount of time to pay it back, with the caveat of doing a "special run" for him every now and then when he wants it done (likely it would be transporting some captured bounty and delivering it for Bossk to some authorities...something that might be a bit of an interesting challenge if they choose to be smugglers).

The craft isn't at all too powerful. It's fast, which is great. If you use all of the deductions mentioned, it's not even as fast as it could be. If you don't use them all, then they at least have a fast craft, albiet a fragile craft. So combat wouldn't be their main focus. They'd have to rely on the ship's speed and maneuverability to get them out of jams. Plus, it gives them something that they can say is THEIRS to do with as they please. They care for it and make it better, it can become a substantially better craft. They treat it like a junk heap, it'll fall apart on them and either kill them or leave them without a ship and a debt to either Bossk (a very dangerous prospect) or some two-bit loan shark (a somewhat dangerous prospect).

All in all, I'd allow it with those conditions for beneficial role playing growth.

Just remember to give them enough "quick, relatively simple" runs of things to make their payments, because if they can't it could be a very short adventure with that craft and they'd never have a chance to fix it up like how they'd want to.

[tetsuoh]

I should have chosen my words better I guess, and been more careful about using the term payments and loan.

Bossk isn't demanding payments.

Bossk owns this ship - and the player is buying it off him.

The agreement is that he must do runs for Bossk when he demands them, until the character can put together the funds. Each time he does a run Bossk will pay for all the regular fees himself and reduce what he owes on the ship as he sees appropriate.

If the character cannot pay him the sum within a year - The character forfeits ownership of the vessel and possibly his life to Bossk.

Its actually more a wager than anything. One that bossk can play the odds on by involving himself in - if he chooses to.


We're still talking about allowing the ship to be reduced, It'll take some convincing I think. But I do think it appropriate.

[ZzaphodD]

[garhkal]

My only issue is that the low hull/shields makes for a quick death of all aboard if it does get into combat. Is the owner willing to run that risk?>
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[jmanski]

I'd lower the space to 7 or 8 and go with it. Like Cheshire said, lots of good ways to keep the ship busy.
_________________
Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect?

[cheshire]

Though if we trim the ship on the stat, then we're running into the problem that it's flimsy, low firepower, is expensive, and isn't as fast as it could be. I would let them have the speed. I imagine that an Indy 500 type car is much faster than a military grade Hummer. I just wouldn't take the Indy car into combat... or on the freeway... or even on a road where there are a lot of pot holes.
_________________
__________________________________
Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Bren]