Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Here is the latest on piracy off Somalia. And, it ties neatly into this thread on Less Lethal Weapons! 
A piracy paradigm
- Thread starter Piper
- Start date
archhealer
SOC-12
On the self-erasing jump tape...
That'd also be a great scheme to steal a ship. "We've got you cute, cuddly ship's steward. You want her back, jump to the coordinates on the cassette." They jump, the pirates take the ship. Nobody's ever the wiser (Unless, the crew escapes somehow..)
That'd also be a great scheme to steal a ship. "We've got you cute, cuddly ship's steward. You want her back, jump to the coordinates on the cassette." They jump, the pirates take the ship. Nobody's ever the wiser (Unless, the crew escapes somehow..)
the big problem with kidnaping when you have a space vessel is that some one else has always got a bigger ship than you.
typical pirates never take hostages as they have 400ton vessels and those that are rich enought money at hand would have 10000 ton vessel if the could find someone to build it. the all this turns out to a waste of time when a 40000ton cruiser enters the system able to operate for a year without stopping for a break so there's a high price involved.
if pirates where to kidnap some one they would need to kidnap from those woulds who do not have sufficent means to rescue the hostage. but your'll have to do it alot to earn some money so its best to stick with merchant raiding
typical pirates never take hostages as they have 400ton vessels and those that are rich enought money at hand would have 10000 ton vessel if the could find someone to build it. the all this turns out to a waste of time when a 40000ton cruiser enters the system able to operate for a year without stopping for a break so there's a high price involved.
if pirates where to kidnap some one they would need to kidnap from those woulds who do not have sufficent means to rescue the hostage. but your'll have to do it alot to earn some money so its best to stick with merchant raiding
Walt Smith's useful article ( link ) breaks Piracy In Traveller (PIT) down: if some unscrupulous people with a decent ship can find an opportunity to capture a ship's boat once per year or so, they can live quite comfortably. This implies that the pirate doesn't have to work fulltime, and in fact may have a 'legitimate' job as a cover... which doesn't even have to pay all that well.
Here's the telling quote, assuming one can resell ship's boats for 25% of their value:
Here's the telling quote, assuming one can resell ship's boats for 25% of their value:
An excellent article. It sounds like a savvy pirate is really after the ship's boat. All else is just iceing on the cake.
Much is made of pirates "attacking" other ships. How much has been discussed about subterfuge, e.g., pretending to be a patrol ship and sending over a "customs/inspection party" to board a ship? Or even sneakier, don't even try to take anything, pretend to be a customs official and just require a "bribe" to approve the cargo.
Much is made of pirates "attacking" other ships. How much has been discussed about subterfuge, e.g., pretending to be a patrol ship and sending over a "customs/inspection party" to board a ship? Or even sneakier, don't even try to take anything, pretend to be a customs official and just require a "bribe" to approve the cargo.
Oh yeah, I can see that. The "protection racket" angle is good if it can be played off the players right. It's all in how the referee handles it. I think. To me, it seems like players don't want to be screwed with inordinately, so it has to almost seem routine to not hurt them too much.
The foolproof way to do this is to have the players share some drinks with another crew who had their ship hustled by pirates running their racket.
The foolproof way to do this is to have the players share some drinks with another crew who had their ship hustled by pirates running their racket.
^ I'd expect a lot of piracy to happen on the ground, hitting delivery trucks, stealing small craft or ships and selling them to chop shops, shanghai'ing crew for ransom or slavery, etc. No need to wait near the 100 diameter limit.
Couple a crooks with a good nose for an easy mark (i.e. most PC's) could make bank without much effort. Pockets can be picked for key cards or code transmitters, computers can be hacked to bypass security programs, and crewmen can be drugged for codes; it all depends on how resourceful the thieves are. And if organized crime is involved, there's no end to how many resourceful people can get involved.
Couple a crooks with a good nose for an easy mark (i.e. most PC's) could make bank without much effort. Pockets can be picked for key cards or code transmitters, computers can be hacked to bypass security programs, and crewmen can be drugged for codes; it all depends on how resourceful the thieves are. And if organized crime is involved, there's no end to how many resourceful people can get involved.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Well, Ran, I'm not sure how much of that would be piracy, strictly speaking. I think you can call shanghaing piracy, but some of the others would be hijacking or simple grand theft. :sniff: Beneath a real pirate's dignity, that. Thugs and villains engage in that sort of thing. :harumph:
That's where the pirates that the ship encounter tables generate show up. Hijacking isn't piracy. At least, it's not the kind of piracy people object to. The kind of piracy people object to is the kind where you take a big, expensive ship with guns, go capture another ship, and take it somewhere where you can sell it, all without leaving behind enough clues to your identity that interested parties can track you down. And believe me, if tracking you down means that the tracker can confiscate your big expensive ship, then there will be parties interested in tracking you down.
Hans
wordserpent
SOC-9
In an unpatrolled system it would be dog-eat-dog. Since there is no law protecting anybody then the biggest, best armed, fastest ship would have a distinct advantage. Ships that were evenly matched (i.e. two corsairs or two armed Far traders, ect) would risk losing too much to try and take another ship unless it was a sure bet you'd win.
Then there's the Ship's Boat option. A merchant, desparate to escape from a big, bad pirate ship could send it's ship's boat off in one direction (unmanned) and take off in the other, hoping that the pirate will chase after the boat for an easy win rather than risk taking a hit in combat. If the pirate ships outnumber the merchants then the merchant had better be travelling with friends (merchant convoys) or have multiple ship's boats.
This might encourage independent free-traders to band together for safety...
...thus begins the next shipping company...
Then there's the Ship's Boat option. A merchant, desparate to escape from a big, bad pirate ship could send it's ship's boat off in one direction (unmanned) and take off in the other, hoping that the pirate will chase after the boat for an easy win rather than risk taking a hit in combat. If the pirate ships outnumber the merchants then the merchant had better be travelling with friends (merchant convoys) or have multiple ship's boats.
This might encourage independent free-traders to band together for safety...
...thus begins the next shipping company...
Very true. But the CT ship encounter table have pirates lurking even in systems that must be assumed to be adequately defended. Like any world with a population of 10 millions or more.
A less clear-cut controversy is whether or not most low-population systems wouldn't actually be adequately defended too, since you don't need more than a few patrol ships to guard a mainworld (guarding an entire system is something else, granted) and if BigWorld has even a few merchants per week passing through neighboring SmallWorld, it would be cost-effective to station a small picket there.
Still, you can certainly find some systems that are sufficiently out of the way to make it at least not too implausible that there may not be a navy picket around all the time.
Who says there's no law protecting anyone? Anyone who commits an act of piracy forfeits the rights to his ship (at least, I don't know of any nation in history that didn't confiscate any pirate ship its navy happened to catch). And if you're flying a big, well-armed, fast ship, then you're flying an awful lot of money. Enough so that if it is possible to track you down, someone could spend years doing so and still make a handsome profit when he catches up to you. So if you intend to commit an act of piracy, you'd better make damn sure you don't leave clues to your identity behind.
Very true.
If it's tanks are empty, a merchant ship is in trouble. If it has enough fuel for a jump, a jump from inside the 100 diameter limit would put a serious crimp in the pirate's plans.
Hans
FlightCommanderSolitude
SOC-13
It should be pointed out that, historically at any rate, a lot of pirates paid for their actions with their lives. Just because you're likely to die if you do it, doesn't mean you aren't going to do it.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Yar, pull the other one matey it's cybernetic
Two flies in that soup friend. One the merchie could have loaded and booby trapped that boat, so no I don't think I want to get too close. And two I probably have my own boat to go chase your's down so I can stay with you to exact revenge if your boat goes boom.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
I like the way you think, Dan. Of course, that would be a mighty expensive booby-trap....
^ I was thinking similarly. Why would I chase after the 20-30dt, 1G, non-FTL craft when I can get the 200dt, 1G, FTL starship and come back for the boat later; it ain't goin' anywhere!
And for the extra effort, I would probably give the ship's captain a good swift kick in the fork and kill him slowly instead of just selling him and his crew into slavery. If I were a pirate, that is.
And for the extra effort, I would probably give the ship's captain a good swift kick in the fork and kill him slowly instead of just selling him and his crew into slavery.
If I were a pirate, that is.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Not too expensive if it's an old clapped out poorly maintained basic 20ton launch. Heck it might be a great investment if there were a several MCr bounty on the pirate, dead or alive, plus the merchie might be able to claim salvage on the pirate wreck as a bonus.
I'm not saying some wouldn't try it, either way, or that some pirates wouldn't like the idea of taking the offer as originally suggested, just that the merchies best chance in such a case might be parlay to make the situation clear.
Get on the comms and offer the pirate the boat in exchange for no fight and work out the details to everybodies satisfaction. Of course if your merchie has no guns to back up the offer of no fight, wellll
Never forget privateering. With a powerful patron's (i.e. corp or government) backing, robbing the patron's enemies' supply convoys is easier than non-privateer piracy. Also, patrons might help you fence the loot (i.e. buy small craft from you at 10%-20% original price to use himself), might give you a place to get cheap and safe repairs and might help get you weapons.
Forget cheap. A safe place for repairs? A chance to have a *real* shipyard look at that damage, instead of a bunch of pirate jury-riggers? A steady supply of new spare parts, straight out of the factory, instead of salvaged or stolen stuff? Maybe even an upgrade for your ship´s sensors and EW systems, or more modern missiles? I´d take it even if it was not cheap.
Not to mention you´ll also probably get information from your patron´s intelligence service; sure beats bribing your way to the info.
