Playable approximation for Buying a Spaceship

[SCAR]

In a Space setting, owning a spaceship is a fairly common character trait, but the existing GURPS rules don’t support such a concept that well.
These rules attempt to create a playable approximation which can be used as a starting point for such a character concept.

I’ve used the sample spaceships in Spaceships 2-6 to get a rough cost for ‘average’ spaceships, and PK’s House Rule for Trading Points for Money to get a point cost from $ value.

The Rule:

An ‘average’ SM+6 Spaceship at a Campaign TL of 9 costs [50] points.
Note, the TL is that of the Campaign used to calculate the Starting Wealth, not the TL of the Spaceship!
Each +1 to SM costs an additional [10] points.
Each +1 to Campaign TL reduces the cost by [5] points.
Subtract the Points spent on Personal Wealth (e.g. [20] points for a Wealthy character), to a minimum of [5] points.

For Example:

A TL10 Character with Comfortable Wealth, could own an SM+8 personal Yacht for [55] points (on top of their [10] points for Comfortable Wealth).
A TL10 Wealthy Character could own an SM+9 Tramp Freighter for [55] points.

The inner workings:

Cost for an ‘average’ spaceships (which primarily means not military or highly specialised spaceships) roughly scales with Size (SM): $6M will get you an ‘average’ SM+6 Spaceship, $20M for an SM+7, $60M for an SM+8, and $200M for an SM+9.
I figure SM+6 to SM+9 is the likely size range for a privately owned vessel.

Examples:
The Maltese Falcon-Class Yacht [SS2.p15] is SM+8, TL10^ and Costs $52.2M (close to our $60M)
The Kiev-Class Farhauler [SS2.p6] is SM+9, TL10^ and Costs $139.7M (within the $200M approximation)

Using PK’s Trading Points for Money, the point cost from various Wealth Levels, and TL Starting Wealth gives an average point cost, and the variance for each SM and TL Step.

Examples:
A TL10 Character with Comfortable Wealth, could get $52.2M as starting wealth for [54] points.
A Wealthy TL10 Character could get $139.7M as starting wealth for [55] points.

These figures are significant approximations, with very specific break points – e.g. if you’re paying points for a $200M Spaceship, you might want something close to that value (which $140M maybe isn’t). If the GM is supplying the list of ‘allowed’ spaceships with point costs, they can modify the spacecraft or point costs if desired.

These rules also assume the PC(s) are buying a new full cost spaceship, but it’s simple to modify them – the +1 to SM, equates to x3 in Cost for [10] points. Reversing this, a ‘used’ spaceship could sell for 1/3 Cost and reduce the point cost by [-10], for 1/10th the Cost reduce the point cost by [-20]. Such ‘cheap’ spacecraft probably have more than a few problems and quirks which will need constant maintenance and repair (Spaceships 2 Chapter 2 for further details and ideas).

The point cost can be split between the PC’s.
If they have different starting Wealth levels, you could split the cost and then subtract each PC’s personal wealth level cost (still Min [5] points each) to get the cost of their share – assuming they have an even share.
(I’m not sure how balanced this last might be for different starting Wealths!, use GM’s judgement).

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by SCAR

The point cost can be split between the PC’s.
If they have different starting Wealth levels, you could split the cost and then subtract each PC’s personal wealth level cost (still Min [5] points each) to get the cost of their share – assuming they have an even share.
(I’m not sure how balanced this last might be for different starting Wealths!, use GM’s judgement).

This last really doesn't look like it will work for PC's with different starting wealth - so I'm not sure how to handle that.
If all PC's have the same Starting Wealth, subtract that from the cost before splitting.
e.g. An SM+9 Courier at TL10 would cost [75] points; Split between 5 Average Wealth PC's that would be [15] each, between 5 Comfortable PC's, it would be [13] each.

[kdtipa]

I'm not sure I agree that owning a space ship would be "common". And in a campaign would each character have the option of owning their own ship? Do they just stick to their own ship? Does one character pay enough to have a ship big enough for the other's ships to dock in it?

More importantly, in the campaign, is there an expectation by the GM that the characters will have a ship to get around with? If so, I wouldn't bother charging character points... I'd just design the ship and let them have it. It's a campaign trait.

If the characters don't by default have a ship, and there's commercial space travel, they can just use that for space travel... and then if they decide to buy a ship, I'd probably have it play out in session. If their wealth is enough to buy one together, I'd let them do that. I let them apply for a "car-loan" so to speak if they thought of that. I'd let them choose other means of obtaining the ship if they wanted. It can be an interesting part of the story.

I'm not sure I'd charge points for a ship.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by kdtipa

I'm not sure I agree that owning a space ship would be "common".

In many settings, like Star Wars, owning a ship is no more costly than owning a car or truck. If you want to support the buying of spaceships with starting cash, simply price them as cars and trucks. If you want to distinguish them from actual cars and trucks, make them a little more expensive.


GURPS costs for spaceships are realistic (more or less). Less-than-spectacularly-rich individuals owning spaceships is not realistic, but it is cinematic. In cinematic settings, drop the price of spaceships.

[kdtipa]

Originally Posted by SCAR

This last really doesn't look like it will work for PC's with different starting wealth - so I'm not sure how to handle that.
If all PC's have the same Starting Wealth, subtract that from the cost before splitting.
e.g. An SM+9 Courier at TL10 would cost [75] points; Split between 5 Average Wealth PC's that would be [15] each, between 5 Comfortable PC's, it would be [13] each.

If I was going to charge points though, several characters working together to buy a ship would provide an additive amount of money, not an average. So if three PCs have 10 point versions of wealth, and the ship would cost them 45 points in total... each of them can account for 10 points of the cost with their base wealth, dropping it to 15... each can then just pay 5 character points for the difference right?

[Ashtagon]

Originally Posted by kdtipa

I'm not sure I agree that owning a space ship would be "common". And in a campaign would each character have the option of owning their own ship? Do they just stick to their own ship? Does one character pay enough to have a ship big enough for the other's ships to dock in it?

More importantly, in the campaign, is there an expectation by the GM that the characters will have a ship to get around with? If so, I wouldn't bother charging character points... I'd just design the ship and let them have it. It's a campaign trait.

If the characters don't by default have a ship, and there's commercial space travel, they can just use that for space travel... and then if they decide to buy a ship, I'd probably have it play out in session. If their wealth is enough to buy one together, I'd let them do that. I let them apply for a "car-loan" so to speak if they thought of that. I'd let them choose other means of obtaining the ship if they wanted. It can be an interesting part of the story.

I'm not sure I'd charge points for a ship.

Pretty much this. Having the ship isn't an advantage in the campaign. It's a prerequisite for the campaign to happen at all.

Kirk wasn't a 2000-point captain who paid points for the Enterprise. The ship was effectively on loan to him by his patron. He probably paid points for his patron though, which would be played out as a chance for another federation ship to be present (and definitely not as the Enterprise being present or not in an adventure).

If the ship was above the campaign TL, that'd be an advantage the captain or pilot would be paying for. And if the PCs had control of a battleplate in a campaign where everyone else typically used frigates, that'd be an advantage (probably an Unusual Background).

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by kdtipa

If I was going to charge points though, several characters working together to buy a ship would provide an additive amount of money, not an average. So if three PCs have 10 point versions of wealth, and the ship would cost them 45 points in total... each of them can account for 10 points of the cost with their base wealth, dropping it to 15... each can then just pay 5 character points for the difference right?

It doesn't work from a $ perspective -
At TL10, Comfortable Wealth [10] plus [5] points as Cash (using PK's Rules), gives each player Starting Wealth of 200K! x5 = 1M which is certainly not enough to pay for a ship worth [45] points, which at TL10 is ~8M !

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by kdtipa

I'm not sure I agree that owning a space ship would be "common". And in a campaign would each character have the option of owning their own ship? Do they just stick to their own ship? Does one character pay enough to have a ship big enough for the other's ships to dock in it?

More importantly, in the campaign, is there an expectation by the GM that the characters will have a ship to get around with? If so, I wouldn't bother charging character points... I'd just design the ship and let them have it. It's a campaign trait.

If the characters don't by default have a ship, and there's commercial space travel, they can just use that for space travel... and then if they decide to buy a ship, I'd probably have it play out in session. If their wealth is enough to buy one together, I'd let them do that. I let them apply for a "car-loan" so to speak if they thought of that. I'd let them choose other means of obtaining the ship if they wanted. It can be an interesting part of the story.

I'm not sure I'd charge points for a ship.

Originally Posted by Ashtagon

Pretty much this. Having the ship isn't an advantage in the campaign. It's a prerequisite for the campaign to happen at all.

Kirk wasn't a 2000-point captain who paid points for the Enterprise. The ship was effectively on loan to him by his patron. He probably paid points for his patron though, which would be played out as a chance for another federation ship to be present (and definitely not as the Enterprise being present or not in an adventure).

If the ship was above the campaign TL, that'd be an advantage the captain or pilot would be paying for. And if the PCs had control of a battleplate in a campaign where everyone else typically used frigates, that'd be an advantage (probably an Unusual Background).

If the characters are all Soldiers, shouldn't their Weapons and Kit be simply provided by the GM?
Being DF Adventurers requires weapons and armour, so shouldn't the GM simply provide those?

Indeed, if the Ship is a campaign pre-requisite; the GM could just give the PC's a ship; but there are scenarios, and rules in Spaceships2, and there have been questions on these forums, asking how many points it costs to own a spaceship.

If just giving the PCs a ship isn't a suitable answer, these rules provide what should be a simple, balanced, workable option.

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

In many settings, like Star Wars, owning a ship is no more costly than owning a car or truck. If you want to support the buying of spaceships with starting cash, simply price them as cars and trucks. If you want to distinguish them from actual cars and trucks, make them a little more expensive.


GURPS costs for spaceships are realistic (more or less). Less-than-spectacularly-rich individuals owning spaceships is not realistic, but it is cinematic. In cinematic settings, drop the price of spaceships.

This is it, and the real issue is figuring a reasonable Cost in both $ and Points.

Buying sufficient Wealth to buy a Spaceship (even at a reduced cost) is expensive in points, and has other consequences - Why does a Multimillionaire want to fly around in a beat up old tramp Freighter, scrapping a living transporting cattle and/or wobbly headed dolls?

Spaceships 2 has some rules/options for Buying or Financing a Spaceship; these are an alternative approach, which does not require anything above Average wealth and a load of points to buy a ship.

[aesir23]

You could allow Wealth (with Conditional Ownership from Spaceships 2) to be purchased with Debt as a single meta-trait. This serves as a good campaign motivator, since they'll have to take jobs to pay down the debt.

Alternately, in some campaigns (where there's no space combat, and the spaceships just a place to stay and a way to get around) you could just fold it into cost of living--just set aside 80% of their starting wealth and say that they don't have another home or vehicle.

Perhaps with something analogous to the Base perk from Supers.