You use normal character creation as the PCs do not start as Truckers. There's a section on what careers make sense for folks from the Estuary Cluster and which careers would be outsiders from the Solomani Confederation, as well as a few careers that make no sense at all.
There's nothing explicitly changed about benefits (other than not possessing a ship), since it is theoretically possible for Confederation gear to get to the Cluster even if the PCs aren't from the Confederation in the first place. Ship Shares can be traded for a local knowledge skill, if desired.
The PCs start without a ship and will have various opportunities to become the crew or de facto owners of one or more vessels during play.
How long it takes really depends on your players' style. A super focused "stay on target" group that just does the explicit story beats could probably do it in 6-8 moderate length sessions. Most groups would probably take quite a bit longer than that, especially since the adventure is a mini-setting book and there is plenty of opportunity for the GM to add side quests and normal adventuring between story beats of the main adventure.
Note that it is NOT a shoot'em up campaign. Ships are not intended to be armed and PCs are unlikely to get into combats that require more than Unarmed combat or Improvised bonking weapons.
There's nothing explicitly changed about benefits (other than not possessing a ship), since it is theoretically possible for Confederation gear to get to the Cluster even if the PCs aren't from the Confederation in the first place. Ship Shares can be traded for a local knowledge skill, if desired.
The PCs start without a ship and will have various opportunities to become the crew or de facto owners of one or more vessels during play.
How long it takes really depends on your players' style. A super focused "stay on target" group that just does the explicit story beats could probably do it in 6-8 moderate length sessions. Most groups would probably take quite a bit longer than that, especially since the adventure is a mini-setting book and there is plenty of opportunity for the GM to add side quests and normal adventuring between story beats of the main adventure.
Note that it is NOT a shoot'em up campaign. Ships are not intended to be armed and PCs are unlikely to get into combats that require more than Unarmed combat or Improvised bonking weapons.
