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Old 09-06-2017, 02:26 PM   #41
hal
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
Default Re: [Ultra Tech] Layering Armour

Just because something is legal, doesn't mean that law enforcement will treat it as legal...

Take the case in the news today. A police officer demanded that blood be drawn from an unconscious individual at a hospital. The Nurse said "no, it is against the law to draw blood without consent". The police officer marched her off the hospital grounds in handcuffs, under arrest. She was acting lawfully (or so later news briefs claim) and the police officer who made the arrest is now facing criminal investigation.

TRAVELLER has this rule that if the law level roll was failed on a given planet, the crew would be subject to legal harassment. If the characters were actually doing something illegal, it just made the encounter all the sweeter (so to speak).

So, don't hesitate to crack the whip from time to time when someone with a little power decides to exercise it saying "What you're doing is wrong, I will have to take you in."

Want to have some real fun with your Campaign? Have it such that if the players consistently show up at a given port - that someone from the criminal underworld is constantly tracking which ships show in port, and only commit specific crimes when a specific HULL is in port. The criminal even makes an attempt to do business with the crew in such a way as they will be in the vicinity of a crime when it is perpetrated, throwing suspicion on the player characters. When they get pulled in because of too much armoring - the police might ask "Why are you wearing armor, are you expecting trouble? You are? Why? You don't think we are capable of protecting the peace here? Which is it - we either do a good job keeping the peace, or you fear for your life and have to wear extra armor?

Just keep hitting them on that one facet: Armor is usually only worn for when you expect trouble. Armor proof against illegal weapons of criminals often also tends to be proof against law enforcement - and THEM's FOLKS who don't play games. Lean hard on the suspected criminals and they'll likely crack. Get them to change their story even ONCE, and they must be up to something. Maybe even set things up such that court business is over and won't resume for three days, and the police can thoughtfully toss the characters into a holding pen (with its inherent problems!) over the "weekend" (so to speak, as each world's traditions may differ).

So, remember, even if it is LEGAL, sometimes the hassle of proving it is legal is more than it is worth.
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