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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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Old 09-07-2017, 02:51 PM   #42
Flyndaran
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
Default Re: [Ultra Tech] Layering Armour

Also what's on the books legal won't always keep you from conviction. Look at how many places don't have laws against nudity but will still arrest you for some other unrelated crime like disturbing the peace, or co-opted sex offense even if you were just standing on the street not doing anything.
Certain behaviors will be judged as horrible by society making law enforcement shoe-horn anything they can find to punish the deviants. And society at large will often be ok with that.
Sometimes backlash about "well actually" will lead to exoneration but with a stigma, and heated public discussions over making it a real law.

So characters' actions could be technically legal, but cause so much trouble and publicity that it quickly gets made illegal.
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Old 09-07-2017, 06:25 PM   #43
VariousRen
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Default Re: [Ultra Tech] Layering Armour

This is all very good stuff to keep in mind if they start causing any serious problems with their gear.
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Old 09-08-2017, 03:26 PM   #44
fredtheobviouspseudonym
 
Join Date: May 2007
Default Re: [Ultra Tech] Layering Armour

Quote:
Originally Posted by hal View Post
Great. You got a chuckle out of me (those are rare these days letmetellyou). I just imagined decking up an NPC whose demands for Styling, and functionality would make it such that his guns, armor, and personal gear would cost more than most of the working class make in a year. . .
Saw a photo about 20 years ago of a pistol (SIG, IIRC) that had had some special durable aftermarket finishes applied.

The colors were lime-green, bright orange & day-glo yellow.

Now I knew what pistol Bozo the Clown packed.
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Old 09-08-2017, 03:48 PM   #45
sir_pudding
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
Default Re: [Ultra Tech] Layering Armour

Quote:
Originally Posted by fredtheobviouspseudonym View Post
Saw a photo about 20 years ago of a pistol (SIG, IIRC) that had had some special durable aftermarket finishes applied.

The colors were lime-green, bright orange & day-glo yellow.

Now I knew what pistol Bozo the Clown packed.
That seems like an attempt to make an actual firearm look like a toy, which is sinister.
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