Have you ever noticed that Starfinder characters tend to walk around settlements heavily armed and armored? In any realistic setting this should result in a chat with Law Enforcement; this would occur even the settlement is “Wild West” enough to allow characters to carry side-arms.
Thing is, the players are RIGHT to do this because of two issues I am having with the design of the game.
- 1 – the encounter design system presumes that characters (and NPCs for that matter) have certain levels of protection and damage potential.
- 2 – the Wealth By Level system normally does not allow characters to own two sets of armor (one light and one heavy) or multiple weapons (a long-arm, a side-arm, and a melee weapon – though even large melee weapons would be a problem, requiring still another smaller melee weapon).
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This is explained with why equipment have level restrictions, those restrictions represent a vague grouping of contacts, licenses, permits, and the like for said equipment.
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This is explained with why equipment have level restrictions, those restrictions represent a vague grouping of contacts, licenses, permits, and the like for said equipment.
I am not saying that the character cannot own said items, but rather that wearing/carrying them all the time is not realistic.
Licence or no, walking downtown with a Reaction Cannon or an Assault Pike will get you talked about. "Open Carry" only gets one so far.
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A) Realism will always be sacrificed on the altar of story and fun.
B) If you are interested in telling this sort of story, make allowances for it
B) If you are interested in telling this sort of story, make allowances for it
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This is explained with why equipment have level restrictions, those restrictions represent a vague grouping of contacts, licenses, permits, and the like for said equipment.I am not saying that the character cannot own said items, but rather that wearing/carrying them all the time is not realistic.
Licence or no, walking downtown with a Reaction Cannon or an Assault Pike will get you talked about. "Open Carry" only gets one so far.
Fusions and the null-space accessories in Armory make it trivial to carry around serious weapons without anyone knowing that you're doing it once you reach some fairly modest levels.
And "realism" concerns need to adapt the real world as it would be if spellcasters could blast entire crowds at will or terrorists could easily whip out a blast/explode weapon from a tattoo fusion or null-space grip. The only defense is for crowds to be able to wear armor and deter such attacks by making sure the guy who just vaporized a dozen people can be reliably killed by the survivors. So everyone should be carrying.
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Random aside:
There was more than one town in the American Wild West where you'd be shot by law enforcement for open carry...
Back on topic:
One of the reasons my soldier and several other of my characters favor Vesk Brigandine and Second Skin are that both types of armor fit under normal clothing (and Clothing, Everyday only costs a credit). Also, there's a particular in-game benefit to not going fully armed and armored, as mentioned under the Armory's manufacturer section for AbadarCorp Defender weapons:
Starfinder Armory (p. 55)
"AbadarCorp’s Defender line of ranged weaponry includes a built-in friend-or-foe protocol that prevents it from firing in a situation where it could target a creature programmed to be recognized as a friend...
"When you openly carry a Defender weapon, law enforcement officers might react more positively toward you. This response is likely in situations where your weapons are an issue, especially when you carry no other obvious armaments or when you allow an officer to modify the protocol to protect potential targets. The GM can grant you up to a +2 circumstance bonus to checks to interact with law enforcement officers when your carrying a Defender weapon is applicable. This bonus can apply to other characters in similar circumstances, such as the bodyguards of an icon added as friends to your weapon’s protocol."
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More thinking:
In a home campaign you might swap things up...
Absalom Station beckons like a jewel to a hundred billion other suns in the Pact Worlds' galaxy. Some visitors are rowdy and rambunctious, like the Swarm or the pre-Swarm Veskarium. So maybe sidearms are expected, even in malls and shopping centers.
Corporate stations like Brilliance may vary in open carry allowances. As an example, Brilliance hosts Akitonian gladiatorial combat, so the allowances of the Arch Energy Consortium might be lax.
Other sovereign space stations like the Idari might be more strict (or law enforcement might allow traditional Kasathan non-range weapons while asking questions about lasers, slug throwers, etc).
Planet-side, I bet there could be all kinds of variations -- people wearing Drow livery might carry anything in Nightarch on Apostae, while non-Drow who do not bear house colors might be questioned over anything that wasn't a nonlethal sidearm.
Akiton's generally a free-for-all (except for the most exclusive clubs and establishments), including the cities of Arl and Maru, while some of the nations in Verces' ring of nations frown on anything more deadly than a tactical baton.
Synthetics and SROs might open carry unquestioned on Aballon, while organic visitors might merit close scrutiny.
Planet-side, I bet there could be all kinds of variations -- people wearing Drow livery might carry anything in Nightarch on Apostae, while non-Drow who do not bear house colors might be questioned over anything that wasn't a nonlethal sidearm.
No outsider would set foot on a drow planet without carrying all the weapons they can. If the drow don't allow it, they won't get visitors.
In the average location, anyone and everyone walks around in, at minimum, a decent suit of light armor and carries a pistol on their hip.
That's just part of the starfinder setting.
Sure, there are locations where wearing such things is frowned upon or not allowed. Those places are not common among the pact worlds.
So, when law enforcement sees someone stomping about in power armor with a minigun, they don't arrest them immediately, they simply run a background check.
Where does the man with the black hole railgun sit?
Anywhere they want to
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ALthough to answer the title, This is the T shirt my happy mouse wears. It really should be fair warning ...
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tfw when they take my level 1 laser rifle but I keep my level 18 dragon gland
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Starfinder is still a setting where horrible monstrosities wait around potentially every corner...
That's why I mentioned how the Starstone's beacon in the Drift can bring many unpleasant callers.
Fashion on Absalom Station likely encourages open carry, even though the average Ysoki's life is likely humdrum. (And of course I am minded of the U.S. wild west, where weapon laws were far stricter than the 20th and 21st century because of famous shootouts.)
But I am still amused at how many of us insist that things far bigger than a stylish sidearm make for appropriate accoutrements for fine dining. I can see all kinds of heavy armor and weaponry on docking rings or docking levels to protect ships -- I think of the seven not-quite-hostile species of the Compact and C.J. Cherryh's Meetpoint Station.
But can you imagine insisting on wearing powered armor into the stylish board room of the High Transarch Urvosk, and all of that green dragon's lawyers, and expecting to get to use Telasia for research? Or, to keep to the draconic theme, trying to bully one of the dragons who are a board member of a corporation on Triaxus?
Seems to smack a little of hubris to me. (Or overcompensation. For me, THAT is probably why some of my characters are gun nuts! :D )
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Starfinder is not the real world, there are monsters, aliens, robots, magic, Solar Weapons, psychic abilities, cybernetics, etc, etc.
Because of this trying to apply real world logic or rules fall apart pretty quickly. Regulating what firearm or armor you can wear is only small part of the problem.
With that being said, if you want more Shadowrun Flavored Starfinder campaign, make sure you set up what the normal is with your players, it is you game, and theoretically you can whatever you want.
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Or just there's 70 bazillion planets out there and the pact worlds are just space texas. Other places you go may not have the same cultural norms.
Its important to remember that, even in the space-born future, Starfinder is still a setting where horrible monstrosities wait around potentially every corner. The definition of "safe place" is very, very limited. Combine that with the numerous species possessing innate powers considerably more threatening than low level weapons? The result is arms control being a thing of only limited usefulness, even where it could theoretically be enforced.I mean, in a universe where Solarions can just create a weapon out of thin air, Technomancers and Mystics can wreck your day without warning, any sort of arms control would have to be aimed at those individuals as well, which... Well, it suggests a pretty specific kind of society if people are getting controlled like they're weapons.
What would be Government's and Law Enforcement's response?
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What would be Government's and Law Enforcement's response?Its important to remember that, even in the space-born future, Starfinder is still a setting where horrible monstrosities wait around potentially every corner. The definition of "safe place" is very, very limited. Combine that with the numerous species possessing innate powers considerably more threatening than low level weapons? The result is arms control being a thing of only limited usefulness, even where it could theoretically be enforced.I mean, in a universe where Solarions can just create a weapon out of thin air, Technomancers and Mystics can wreck your day without warning, any sort of arms control would have to be aimed at those individuals as well, which... Well, it suggests a pretty specific kind of society if people are getting controlled like they're weapons.
Sentinels
SentinelsWhat would be Government's and Law Enforcement's response?Its important to remember that, even in the space-born future, Starfinder is still a setting where horrible monstrosities wait around potentially every corner. The definition of "safe place" is very, very limited. Combine that with the numerous species possessing innate powers considerably more threatening than low level weapons? The result is arms control being a thing of only limited usefulness, even where it could theoretically be enforced.I mean, in a universe where Solarions can just create a weapon out of thin air, Technomancers and Mystics can wreck your day without warning, any sort of arms control would have to be aimed at those individuals as well, which... Well, it suggests a pretty specific kind of society if people are getting controlled like they're weapons.
The idea of powerful Law Enforcement Robots as a response to the various kinds of threats found in the Starfinder universe has merit.
Isn't this just like pathfinder/dnd where characters keep a lower level / social set of armour - some times referred to as my leather pajamas.Have you ever noticed that Starfinder characters tend to walk around settlements heavily armed and armored? In any realistic setting this should result in a chat with Law Enforcement; this would occur even the settlement is “Wild West” enough to allow characters to carry side-arms.
Thing is, the players are RIGHT to do this because of two issues I am having with the design of the game.
Do you see this as a problem in your campaigns?
- 1 – the encounter design system presumes that characters (and NPCs for that matter) have certain levels of protection and damage potential.
- 2 – the Wealth By Level system normally does not allow characters to own two sets of armor (one light and one heavy) or multiple weapons (a long-arm, a side-arm, and a melee weapon – though even large melee weapons would be a problem, requiring still another smaller melee weapon).
If the Wealth by Level and Item Progression made that feasable, I would agree. Alas, it does not. :(
This is explained with why equipment have level restrictions, those restrictions represent a vague grouping of contacts, licenses, permits, and the like for said equipment.
That and who really wants to start a fight with what could be a walking Army of four people, it's far easier to respond then restrict in my opinion.
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I imagine law in Starfinder is very much like law in the Wild West is often portrayed.
If you asked a Pact World citizen about gun control, they'd probably respond with something like "Gun control? What's that? I've got perfectly fine control over my guns."
The one character I've actually played has the gladiator theme, which has a built in ability at level 12 to say "Hey these are my weapon and armor, and you're not going to do anything about it."
But yeah, it does seem odd that people are cool about you walking around with weapons. Though at least in the case of the one character I've actually played, its in the Dead Sun Campaign. In the course of the campaign you are working for Starfinder Society, and I presume you get badges or identification or something to prove it. Which makes you kinda sorta like space cops. Which means lawful organizations probably recognize you as having some level of authority and would presumably be okay with you have weapons and armor about you.
But if you start a different kind of game not working for SFS then yeah, it could be a be bit weird that this unknown mercenary types are just allowed to wander around with all these weapons.
But hey, we did it in Pathfinder so....
Edit: Just to clarify I imagine most of the pact worlds recognize the SFS as having some authority within the pact worlds, enough to carry weapons at least.
You can look at something like Star Wars, everyone was walking around with weapons and even armor at points in most places. The only place I can recall not seeing armed citizens is Naboo
You can look at something like Star Wars, everyone was walking around with weapons and even armor at points in most places. The only place I can recall not seeing armed citizens is Naboo
Which is a likely a contributing factor into how Naboo was essentially easily conquered.
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It might be amiss of me to fail to note that armed societies make it easier to infiltrate with armed insurgents. Overly repressive or authoritarian societies, on the other hand, make it easier to recruit via Kilcullen's Accidental Guerrilla cycle. :D
Anyhow, with billions of stars in the (missing) Golarion galaxy, I am sure that there's a ton of variation. Myself, I assume that the loose alliance / confederation nature of the Pact Worlds, combined with a couple of centuries on a war footing, leave the Pact Worlds as more lax with open carry (outside of corporate boardrooms, fancy parties, and other places of ostentation), while other solar systems will vary from Firefly levels to Star Trek levels of weapons mores and customs.
But that's just MY assumption!
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In my campaign law enforcement varies by system and planet.
On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.
Also on these planets the captain is notified that he is in charge of his people and his ship is subject to seizure if his people get out of hand.
On other planets is more like the wild west, but even here heavy armor and heavy weapons very well may get a visit from the local authorities.
The only places free of any law are generally undiscovered planets.
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On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.
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1) that technology existing gets kind of problematic (why not turn it into a gun you shoot at casters?)
2) "Hey, I'd love to put your internal organs back in place but...." dangles wristband.
3) Cuts off hand. "relax, its 110 credits to grow a new one and you don't need it to cast anyway."
In my campaign law enforcement varies by system and planet.
On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.
Also on these planets the captain is notified that he is in charge of his people and his ship is subject to seizure if his people get out of hand.
On other planets is more like the wild west, but even here heavy armor and heavy weapons very well may get a visit from the local authorities.
The only places free of any law are generally undiscovered planets.
IMHO, this is an entirely reasonable response by government/police.
This, however, runs up into the "WBL & gear progression" problem. Your soldier (and some mechanic) characters cannot afford to own a side-arm separate from their rifle/heavy weapon. (Likewise, owning two sets of armor may become expensive.)
I assume that also means all your combat encounters are tailored towards players being lower in the combatmath than expected according to the CR system when expected combat happens in those areas?
And That is my current problem with the way NPCs are built in Starfinder.
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Possible plot twist for Homebrews:
Those who insist on wearing heavy armor and weapons in public in the Pact Worlds are tagged by the Stewards...
When a local government faces an unexpected threat that they cannot handle and neither the Stewards nor Skyfire Legion are at hand, the Stewards give the players name to the local authorities as "possible contributors to the public good..."
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Y'know, I hate to keep bringing up another (albeit related) genre...
But a lot of the assumptions above assume that the players are not just Bishops and Knights on the chessboard, but that they outpower anybody else.
Sure --
Just like today, an ill-mannered party can take out a policeman or twelve (don't do it!).
But do we REALLY assume that dragons and bone sages are going to put up with stuff that causes more than a blip on their bottom line? Can you imagine what Zo! would do if angry?
I mean, all it took to lock out most of the Starfinder Society was a petty, jumped-up godling in the backwater Scoured Stars cluster feeling entitled...
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On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.
My biggest issue here is this bit.
Other than being a home game with certain assumptions in play, what stops the players from stealing this wristband and replicating it. Or making darts that do the same thing, or manacles, etc. What stops dragon glands, or the other various weaponized augmentations?
Or, you know, being a vesk blitz soldier instead of the lashunta solarian.
Being unarmed by the law makes very little sense in starfinder's setting.
I assume that also means all your combat encounters are tailored towards players being lower in the combatmath than expected according to the CR system when expected combat happens in those areas?
Yes they are.
I will adjust for situations where my players are restricted with weapons, armor and spells.
On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.
.1) that technology existing gets kind of problematic (why not turn it into a gun you shoot at casters?)
2) "Hey, I'd love to put your internal organs back in place but...." dangles wristband.
3) Cuts off hand. "relax, its 110 credits to grow a new one and you don't need it to cast anyway."
Responses
1) not 100% what you mean here.
2) medical skill, spray flesh and a advanced first aid can temporarily take care of that.
3) excellent point....thank you. Neck collars going forward.
On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.My biggest issue here is this bit.
Other than being a home game with certain assumptions in play, what stops the players from stealing this wristband and replicating it. Or making darts that do the same thing, or manacles, etc. What stops dragon glands, or the other various weaponized augmentations?
Or, you know, being a vesk blitz soldier instead of the lashunta solarian.
Being unarmed by the law makes very little sense in starfinder's setting.
It is a home game setting using the galaxies from the mass effect settings. The pact worlds are a system on the edge of the Milky Way galaxy.
My players all lean towards good intent on defeating evil. They just don't think of or do things that you have listed.
Yes unarmed specialists have a huge advantage in these settings. They also have a real good chance of being arrested for murder when they beat someone to death.
It also makes very little sense for everyone to be armed to the teeth in all situations.
In my campaign law enforcement varies by system and planet.
On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.
Also on these planets the captain is notified that he is in charge of his people and his ship is subject to seizure if his people get out of hand.
On other planets is more like the wild west, but even here heavy armor and heavy weapons very well may get a visit from the local authorities.
The only places free of any law are generally undiscovered planets.
IMHO, this is an entirely reasonable response by government/police.
This, however, runs up into the "WBL & gear progression" problem. Your soldier (and some mechanic) characters cannot afford to own a side-arm separate from their rifle/heavy weapon. (Likewise, owning two sets of armor may become expensive.)
My players are currently 9th level. They all are within their WBL.
As GM it is my responsibility to create fun and entertaining encounters no matter the restrictions.One of the most fun encounters we had was a bar fight in on the Citadel (No weapons allowed period). Punches thrown, bottles smashed on heads, chairs across the back......etc. My players loved it.
Also all of my players have at least a 95 CR pistol and a couple of clips as a back up.
On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.My biggest issue here is this bit.
Other than being a home game with certain assumptions in play, what stops the players from stealing this wristband and replicating it. Or making darts that do the same thing, or manacles, etc. What stops dragon glands, or the other various weaponized augmentations?
Or, you know, being a vesk blitz soldier instead of the lashunta solarian.
Being unarmed by the law makes very little sense in starfinder's setting.
It is a home game setting using the galaxies from the mass effect settings. The pact worlds are a system on the edge of the Milky Way galaxy.
My players all lean towards good intent on defeating evil. They just don't think of or do things that you have listed.
Yes unarmed specialists have a huge advantage in these settings. They also have a real good chance of being arrested for murder when they beat someone to death.
It also makes very little sense for everyone to be armed to the teeth in all situations.
Awesome, makes sense and all that.
Should probably lead with you are assuming a homebrew setting rather than the one set out by the core rules.
On certain space stations and planets AT MOST you can carry is a pistol and wear light armor. Those with mystical abilities get issued a lovely wrist band that nullifies innate powers.My biggest issue here is this bit.
Other than being a home game with certain assumptions in play, what stops the players from stealing this wristband and replicating it. Or making darts that do the same thing, or manacles, etc. What stops dragon glands, or the other various weaponized augmentations?
Or, you know, being a vesk blitz soldier instead of the lashunta solarian.
Being unarmed by the law makes very little sense in starfinder's setting.
It is a home game setting using the galaxies from the mass effect settings. The pact worlds are a system on the edge of the Milky Way galaxy.
My players all lean towards good intent on defeating evil. They just don't think of or do things that you have listed.
Yes unarmed specialists have a huge advantage in these settings. They also have a real good chance of being arrested for murder when they beat someone to death.
It also makes very little sense for everyone to be armed to the teeth in all situations.
Awesome, makes sense and all that.
Should probably lead with you are assuming a homebrew setting rather than the one set out by the core rules.
I am not so sure that the setting is the an issue. I use almost only Starfinder products and scenarios. There is very little in the way of societal rules.
For example when we played 1-03 Yesteryear's Truth: Klarima was not letting the PCs into Arkeost armed to the teeth. Also when the PCs were invited to dinner they were told to leave their side arms in their rooms.
My homebrew campaign had nothing to do with it. I read the scenario and felt that the membranes were not going to deal with a overly armed group.
There are no rules for that. It is my job as GM to decide how a society will restrict heavily armed PCs.
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It's already kinda covered in the rules, too.
CRB, p. 320 (Legal Clothing, Formal):
"Formal wear is designed for a specific social function, such as a wedding or funeral, and commonly differs from planet to planet and even from culture to culture. Lacking the proper formal wear at a social event can cause you to take a penalty of up to –4 to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Disguise checks at the function, as determined by the GM."
In how many terrestrial formal settings are swords and guns appropriate? My ex-wife and I had swords and sabers at our wedding, but it was a military ceremony held off-post at her church; and you'll find guns at some weddings here in the U.S. as well as India, the Balkans, and parts of the Arab world. But many American weddings would bar a guest who was packing.
Or at least impose a –4 to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Disguise checks. ;)
But --
As we see here on the forums, it strikes some people deep and shakes them to the core to even consider that the trillions* of planets and moons in the Pact World's galaxy might have both permissive and restrictive societies, regardless of the actual variation in real life.
In my case it's probably just insecurity and inadequacy, dunno about everyone else! :D
(*I am assuming an average of 10+ planets and moons per star in their galaxy -- we have about 200 in our real life Sol system here in the Milky Way, plus about a thousand known or suspected dwarf planets at the moment and a whole lotta asteroids and comets.)