The Law & Travellers

[allanimal]

This section is very nice to have. But I think it misses a couple situations Travellers my find themselves in...

There are several DMs based on the law level of the planet where a crime occurs. What about what happens when the crime occurred during jump, somewhere between planets?
Law level of the destination? If the planet they last left? Of the whim of the captain (GM)? Something else?

Also, the sentencing table results 1-8 refer to "per ton of cargo". What about non-smuggling crimes.


This came up in play last week. PCs are aboard a huge passenger liner. There is some issue with the electricity (not saying much because at least one player lurks here...) during jump, and the PCs find themselves huddled in the cargo bay with 13 other passengers and four crew members (a steward and 3 techs). The crew is trying to keep the passengers calm and comfortable as well as try to do some repairs/find out what is happening. Crew, passengers and PCs get separated in various ways.

Some of the passengers freak out, resulting in one PC being severely beaten by freaking out passengers. Other PC hears the commotion from a ways off, comes to the rescue. He happens to have snuck a body pistol on board and severely injures a passenger. (I won't say whether passenger is dead, because possible lurker).

Gun is disposed of, the witnesses are unreliable, but there was crime committed here. When (if!) things get back to normal on the liner, there will be an investigation. People will be charged. But what law level to use?

What happens on a ship or an airplane in real life when a crime happens in international waters/airspace?

 

[Reynard]

Unlike 21st century Earth and international waters the space between worlds is usually considered Imperial territory so those instances would come under jurisdiction of a destination starport if it has facilities. If not a 3I game then I'd say the system you enter gets first crack circumstance allowing.

 

[grauenwolf]

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

[phavoc]

It could also be the law level of where the liner last departed from, or the system where it's flagged, but the Imperial equivalent of that.

There's really nothing printed that I'm aware of that discusses what it means, if anything, to be from planet A or planet F as far as starship registration. Technically anything beyond d 100 diameter from the planet is Imperial space and thus subject to Imperial law.

I would suspect most planetary authorities would be only to glad to kick the case up to the Imperium. I would expect the main Imperial star port in a system would have the necessary personnel to conduct an investigation, more so as their classification goes up the letter chain.

 

[allanimal]

Is there a generic law level for imperial space?

Say the investigation says the PC who shot is not guilty by reason of self defense or defending others. But the PC is still guilty of carrying a concealed weapon. For example, of course.
If I roll on the sentence table and I get "fine of Cr. 1000 per ton", how would you work that out?

 

[Reynard]

The Third Imperium: Starports, page 8 mentions at starports A, B and C you can carry a holstered small firearm or shotgun, melee weapons no bigger than a dagger, no explosives and wear all but military grade armor. Class D is more lenient and class E just tell you to keep stuff out of sight. On page 9 under Crimes aboard a starport - Class A, B and C are considered Law Level 5, Class D is 4 and Class E is 3. Fairly lenient so don't be a pain in the ass on you stay. Thank you, have a good stay!

The Old core book and the new book do mention Imperial bases being Law Level 1 and psionics either LL 5 in the old book and banned in the new book. Not sure why such a wide discrepancy between these and the Starport book.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

This may be because other elements of the Law Level table (Technology, Drugs, Information and Psionics) table removed in the new playtest rules. That and associated references in the Governments table. I hope these will be put back in the Companion book later on.