Info on Smuggling and criminality

[rancke]

What is to prevent them from doing the same to you?

I can convince enough of my neighbors of the rightness of my views to restrain him? :smirk:

All kidding aside, you're expressing a fallacy that really annoys me. I'm not imposing my views on anyone by posting them to a forum. And if anyone else wishes to impose their views on me to that same degree, they are welcome to try. I'll just ignore them.

In most municipalities, at minimum, it is simple assault. If your use of force results in a death, that's murder. Laws vary from place to place enough that defense of others is a dicey proposition at best.

Even if you just call the cops on him, he'll figure out you ratted him out, and that can have unpleasant consequences. Why creat a threat to yourself that did not exist before?

You don't seem to be getting my point and I don't think I can express myself any clearer. I'm not sure there's any point in continuing this line of debate.


Hans

 

[atpollard]

... but what if, and I am just throwing this out there, someone wanted to play a 'Firefly' or 'Millennium Falcon' like Traveller campaign and wanted suggestions for what rules might help them create a lovable rogue smuggling campaign.

Any suggestions?

 

[SpaceBadger]

... but what if, and I am just throwing this out there, someone wanted to play a 'Firefly' or 'Millennium Falcon' like Traveller campaign and wanted suggestions for what rules might help them create a lovable rogue smuggling campaign.

Any suggestions?

I would suggest that there is a line between a smuggler who is willing to haul things that may result in a fine being levied, and if caught they either try to dump the load and escape (as Han did once, to the irritation of Jabba), or just pay the fines and move on; versus a smuggler who hauls things that will get him killed or imprisoned if caught, so when caught he fights and kills law enforcement officers.

And then there is a third kind of smuggler, hauling things in a political situation (such as guns to rebels) that he considers himself at war, and of course will fight back if caught because those guys are enemy combatants already.

And I suggest that any smuggler who has not thought through the implications of getting caught, and what his response will be, is headed for trouble.


EDIT: and while I am certain that Malcolm Reynolds has thought it over and weighed his responses, I'm not sure that we as viewers are entirely sure what that would be if the law enforcers in question were Alliance troops. We know Mal has no qualms about stealing from the Alliance (as long as it won't hurt any ordinary folks), but I can't recall if we have ever seen him use deadly force against Alliance police or soldiers. I think it would depend on whether he considers himself still at war with the Alliance, or not.


*

 

[mike wightman]

Han Solo shot first - smuggler, cold blooded killer?

 

[BlindGuy]

Firefly as Traveller Campaign

Goodness, I leave this thread for twenty four hours and what do I return to? Someone bringing up the most recent—imho, mainstream inspiration for the kind of storyline I'm pondering. Mal and co are definitely more the vibe I'm going for.
So, a Type A with maybe an air/raft doubling for Serenity? I just wish I had time for a proper multiplayer campaign…

 

[Drakon]

EDIT: and while I am certain that Malcolm Reynolds has thought it over and weighed his responses, I'm not sure that we as viewers are entirely sure what that would be if the law enforcers in question were Alliance troops. We know Mal has no qualms about stealing from the Alliance (as long as it won't hurt any ordinary folks), but I can't recall if we have ever seen him use deadly force against Alliance police or soldiers. I think it would depend on whether he considers himself still at war with the Alliance, or not.


*

"War's long over. We're all just folks now." "May have been on the losing side, not sure it was the wrong side."

I don't think Mal considers himself at war with the Alliance. I will note he had no qualms about shooting a known Alliance lawman who was trying to take River and dumping his body out in the desert. (See pilot episode)

 

[selunatic2397]

Goodness, I leave this thread for twenty four hours and what do I return to? Someone bringing up the most recent—imho, mainstream inspiration for the kind of storyline I'm pondering. Mal and co are definitely more the vibe I'm going for.
So, a Type A with maybe an air/raft doubling for Serenity? I just wish I had time for a proper multiplayer campaign…

I'd use a Type A2 far trader...in the old traders and gunboats supplement it has comments about how many owners turn to smuggling to make that monthly payment!

 

[HiverLord]

Mal and co are definitely more the vibe I'm going for.
So, a Type A with maybe an air/raft doubling for Serenity? I just wish I had time for a proper multiplayer campaign…

If they "really" want a small craft, try the Type M Subsidized Merchie. It's a bit big, of course, but is closer to what is in the show (I think... don't know Serenity's size). If they have a lot of ship shares, it could even start with J2.
Or they could get a 'slightly older' one... which should simulate the Serenity's maintenance problems quite nicely. :devil:

 

[SpaceBadger]

Han Solo shot first - smuggler, cold blooded killer?

Is he really a cold-blooded killer for being smart enough to shoot first, when Greedo had a gun in his face threatening to kill him? Sounds like self-defense to me, an example of the best defense being a good offense.

I will note he had no qualms about shooting a known Alliance lawman who was trying to take River and dumping his body out in the desert. (See pilot episode)

Yes, but a known Alliance lawman who was not only trying to take River, but had previously shot Kaylee, a member of Mal's crew who was unarmed and simply made the mistake of walking through a door at the wrong time. I think Mal's patience with that fellow was plumb used up.

 

[Drakon]

Yes, but a known Alliance lawman who was not only trying to take River, but had previously shot Kaylee, a member of Mal's crew who was unarmed and simply made the mistake of walking through a door at the wrong time. I think Mal's patience with that fellow was plumb used up.

All true. So it is possible that the shooting and dumping of his body had nothing to do with him being Alliance.

Too bad it didn't kill him :devil: (see comic books series)

 

[SpaceBadger]

All true. So it is possible that the shooting and dumping of his body had nothing to do with him being Alliance.

Too bad it didn't kill him :devil: (see comic books series)

Also true. And seems a bit sloppy for Mal and Jayne, when one or two more bullets would have made sure. Amazing the number of people in fiction who shoot someone and then go off leaving them only half-dead. But then, I guess they were in a bit of a hurry.

 

[Chuck Anumia]

Indeed

I was thinking about the regular trade rules and the goal of creating a smuggling campaign.

What if you substituted Streetwise skill for the Broker skill in the regular trade rules?
Each level of Streetwise gets you deeper into the criminal hierarchy to land more profitable deals.

The speculative trade rules could apply to striking out on your own.

The Freight rules could apply to more of a middle man operation, like a bootlegger.

Trade doesn't have to be trade ...
... buying stolen goods
... collections for a protection racket
... a big heist (the money spent is the cost to finance the robbery)

I'm just trying to brainstorm ideas.

I like these ideas for potential cargos.
The world I pointed to is not the only one around and perhaps there are others near by with various law levels where these additional cargos would be available?
Perhaps the characters are not actually playing smugglers at all.
Perhaps they are merchants looking for profit and some cargos are more profitable to them than others?
Perhaps they are simply being paid to transport goods from an unknown/unreliable source to a final destination.