Suitable 'mission' for PCs

[ZzaphodD]

What kind of 'favours' (read: task) would a Nar Shaddaa crimeboss ask of the character to help them in their endevours (mainly get off planet in one piece)? I was thinking doing something vs another crime boss (probably a Hutt) that only really 'special' (and expendable) characters can succeed in. The PCs should be able to finish the task in a couple of hours in exchange for 'free protection', good flight slots, and generally smooth things over with the locals (however Bounty Hunters are not included in the protection).

Im out of ideas! Any good ideas? It shouldnt just be a 'hit', but require a mix of skills (combat, sneakyness, fast talking, etc).
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My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[mdlake]

The deniability angle doesn't apply only to hits on rival criminals; a crime boss might want to make any number of criminal acts look like the work of loose cannons, or even frame someone.

Whacking a police chief or energetic DA whose death might trigger "cop-killer" retaliation from the police generally if it's blamed on the boss's organization. Players will need to apply more than trigger fingers to get access to the cop. It's up to you whether to make him crooked or legitimate, and whether to let your players find out. Either way, the whole PD will be gunning for the PCs if they do the dirty deed.

Collecting blackmail material on a politician, a highly-placed civil servant, or even an Imperial military officer. Again up to you whether he's crooked, and gaining access is half the adventure. Can't pretend the PCs are loose cannons, but the crime boss could still easily deny his own involvement if he just wants a policy in place, and not hush money. Highly political, with the potential of tacit assistance from rival politicians if Nar Shaada's politics are really brutal.

Triggering a territorial war, from street gangs fighting over a neighborhood to armies fighting over regional borders. Simply blowing something up isn't enough; the boss will insist the PCs frame one of the factions for it in hopes of escalating tit-for-tat reprisals. He plans to profit from the black market that will spring up in the ensuing chaos.

Sabotaging an industrial operation run by a company large enough to protect itself and unwilling to pay protection money. If you want to salve the players' consciences, make the corporation an evil one--pollution, bribes, private army, company towns, safety violations...

Or maybe the PCs aren't hired by the crime boss; they're hired by his treacherous right hand man who sees only one path to promotion. PCs won't know who they can trust, or how far, and if their man doesn't come out on top, they're really in the soup. Gung-ho heroes will want to arrange a Yojimbo-style feud that brings down the whole organization.

Any of these options offer the possibility of betraying the boss (or lieutenant) instead, trading damning evidence of his involvement for protection. The PCs will have to play a major, dangerous role in the sting operation.

And don't forget: any scene can be interrupted by a bounty hunter making his move!

[ZzaphodD]

Great ideas! Thanks a bunch!

A straight up 'whack job' is out of the question I think. The groups jedi will of course not be part of that, and even though some of the others are shady I think most of them have objections to such a job. Perahaps if the job isnt offered as such, but circumstances forces the PCs hand. In any event, Ill take the rest of the ideas under consideration and will certainly use one or twice. As we play later today (just a few hours away and I havent decided...) I cant reply yet about my choice and exactly what will go down. Ill see if I can report back after the game..
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My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[Praxian]

There's a lot of good movies out there you can get ideas for.

The Departed is a great one if you're focusing your game around Nar Shadaa.

Other movies could include things like Casino, The Godfather Trilogy, Scarface, and a bunch of others.

http://www.google.com/Top/Arts/Movies/Genres/Organized_Crime/Titles/

Good link with a bunch of movies about organized crime. Again, the ideas are what you're after, so those are movies to draw great inspiration from.

[ZzaphodD]