Who goes armed on B5?

El Cid

Mongoose
I'm getting ready to run an event in my game in which a number of
different folks may be involved.

Here's my take on who could be carrying a weapon on them. (Excluding
someone who illegally hides a weapon all the time.)

Has a weapon that can be seen:

1. Security personnel in uniform.

2. Privated security personnel in uniform.

Has a concealed weapon:

1. Person with a license to carry a concealed weapon. (Example:
Garibaldi when he was a private detective.)

Will not have a weapon on them:

1. Everyone else on the station including military both enlisted or
officer in uniform.

Would you agree or disagree? Please give some details and rationale.

Sidney
 
I would agree. This includes knives, as in an early episode Garibaldi threatens an alien who brings a sacred knife abourd with sticking it to the outside of the hull.

But there seems to be a proliferation of illegal weaponry on B5. I would rule that it is realtively simple to get a blackmarket PPG.

Also note Marcus carries around his Den'bok.
 
I think it must be pretty easy to smuggle weapons onto the station - I watched "Grey 17 is Missing" yesterday, and it just occurred to me that not only did Neroon manage to get onto the station with no-one questioning it, he was also carrying a denn'bok!

Security just ain't what it used to be.....
 
Well, point of note: if you don't know what to look for, a denn'bok looks like a coke can when collapsed and appears to most scanners as just about as threatening as a balanced paperweight.

-August
 
August;

Good point, and one I kept in mind while build the smuggling rules included in the black-market section of the Zocalo.

Shannon
 
skalvar said:
August;

Good point, and one I kept in mind while build the smuggling rules included in the black-market section of the Zocalo.

Shannon

When is the Zocalo book planned to be available?

Any exceptions to my original list at the start of this topic?

Sidney
 
Has a weapon that can be seen:
1. Security personnel in uniform.
Yup, totally.

2. Privated security personnel in uniform.
Though probably restricted to civilian-made W&G PPG Pistols (slower recharge and a bit less power - the guns the blips try to take our Bester with) and most likely no rifles at all.
Same for alien security personell, like the Centauri guards accompaning important Centauri like Kiro, the Emperor Turhan or Minister Virini (though their guns would actually be a bit better then earthforce Auricon PPG's).
Also licenses to carry melee weapons would be granted to security personell at request - like Ta'lon's blade or the daggers of the Centauri guards accompaning important Centauri like Kiro or Minister Virini.
Soem alein governments would also have the right for their security guys / bodyguards carrying weapons written into treaties so that they wouldn#t need to apply for a license every time someone needed to go to B5.

Has a concealed weapon:
1. Person with a license to carry a concealed weapon.
Including Psi Cops and other EA-licensed persons, as well as Rangers in later days - since B5 security certainly was aware of what the Den'bok really was by then, but closed both eyes to Markus and his toy... though before the IA makes rangers "official" that'd be more of a legal grey area... however, since B5 itself was a legal grey area at that time, well... after IA time the rangers would probably have a status similar to off-station security personell in regard to weapons - they can keep them, but are encouraged not to use them aside from emergencies and directed by station security (y'know, other guys being heroic cuts into Zack's business, and he can't have that, just as Garibaldi before him...).

Will not have a weapon on them:
1. Everyone else on the station including military both enlisted or
officer in uniform.
...unless the situation warrants it. Noone says anything about Sheridan or Ivanova walking around with PPG's at their hips when things become dangerous, or even when things might become dangerous, so it must be allowed. But I suppose that's a matter of "cause" and "orders", as most other uniforms haven't been seen armed yet.

But there seems to be a proliferation of illegal weaponry on B5. I would rule that it is realtively simple to get a blackmarket PPG.
Or every other weapon, from PPG rifles (Born to the Purple) to poisoned Drazi blades (Acts of Sacrifice IIRC).

Well, point of note: if you don't know what to look for, a denn'bok looks like a coke can when collapsed and appears to most scanners as just about as threatening as a balanced paperweight.
Same for many other things... after all, Kalain also got his "crystal spiked knuckles" through customs scanners without a beep. And I'm sure there will be lots of other alien weapons the scanners just won't recognize... however, the scanner databases are updated too, so players trying to be smart should be wary of GM's being the same... once one non-recognized weapon surfaces on the station the scanners will be updated, one can be sure about it. And I presume earthgov will send updated files too, once every six months or so... so it pays to get information before you gamble with the scanners.

Of course, the smarter smugglers will not gamble upon that all, but attempt to evade the scanners entirely, either by bribing some guys, or be being sneaky (scan-proof secret compartments in big cargo modules often get overlooked, since customs just can't take the time to inspect the bulk shipments. Of course, they do make some surprise inspections, especially when they suspect something... of if you have some good electronics expert to disable a door alarm system and open the hatch you can do some unobserved unloading too -as I presume Deveraux did in "Crysalis"-)

And then there's the diplomats... I have no idea if diplomatic baggage is scanned for weapons and they confiscated.
Londo having a disassembled and concealed gun would indicate it might be so (though that may be a touch of purely centauri paranoia too), G'Kar having a nice Dagger and Urza Jaddo bringing Coutari swords on the station -and Londo later having them hanging on his walls for everyone to see and Vir to grab- would indicate it might not. Though that clearly applies only to those who can claim diplomatic status or connections to someone with such...

Finally, there are some who can smuggle Anything on the station if they'd want to. Noone would dare to snoop around Kosh (or have any success if Kosh didn't want him to), and Mr.Morden's associates can certainly bring anyone he wants to do a favor anything he might desire without anyone knowing about it, including Garibaldi and Ivanova. :wink: But of course these guys would seldom come into consideration for PC smuggling need's in your usual game...
 
I myself use a pipe filled with construction foam. All non metalic.

If anyone asks, my nephew poured the stuff into the water reclamation system of my ship and I'm bringing the pipe to see if anyone has a good idea about how to fix this without having to rebuild the whole pipe network of my ship.

There you have it a drazi with a lead pipe in the ballroom, welcome to clue "a la B5"

:wink:

Other weapons: improvised garots, many bludgeoning weapons, compressed air projectile weapons, tasers (heck one can build one very easily in the 21st century (imagine the 23rd)), improvised blades and of course all bludgeoning weapons
 
personaly im thinking the Rangers normaly have the Denn'Bok with them due to the fact unless you know what exactly it is and or have seen it used personaly... it it very consealed.. and if looked at by the naked eye it would not be thought of as a weapon...

remember how he escaped the cell by telling the idiout that it was a medical scanner....
 
Also, do not forget the benefit of having a few ranks in a related Craft skill (energy firearms, slug firearms, etc.).

With a quick check and enough time on your hands, your players could easily also disassemble a PPG or slugthrower into components that could be hidden to be reassembled when the time is right. (a la what Lando did with all the hiding places in his stateroom)

Also, in the games I have seen run, Bab5 would charge 1000 credits for a "specialized identicard". The application process would be annoying, and create a paper trail for the PCs to be followed with, but certain licenses would allow for civillian weaponry to be carried. For instance, a Follower of Droshalla could have a sacred knife if he had a "ministry license", but not a PPG. A licensed bodyguard could have a ka'toc or civvy PPG, but not military issue gear. But of course, these licenses have their limitations--licensed clergy would be on a list somewhere on station for your religion's congregation to get in touch (imagine a pair of sauced up Drazi coming to your room at 3 am after a good night in the casino wanting to get married). And any and all personal security identicards would be tagged for first wave, if the station ever needed to draft extra security for lacklustre wages.

Either way, it should be possible to get weaponry onto B5 legally as well as under-the-table. But never forget the best weapon of all...your comm-link!

SECURITY!! SECURITY!!!

:wink:

-Bryan Steele-
Ursa's Den Freelance
 
But when you yell for SECURITY!!!! don't forget the time it'll take for someone to get to you.

:twisted:

Sidney
 
yep, and there was the last Narn ambassodor, hell he just walked around with a katana on is back. and everytime the emporor of centauri showed up his gaurds all had ppgs.

shalazar
 
im thinking that Katana is one of thoes special weapons allowed by B5 law due to the fact that it has its own rules aswell..... and also remember that same Narn and Sheradin did have a past... sheradin did save his life from the Aliens so id imagn there where a few allowances made there....
 
Just goes to show that there can be a million and five reasons for any given person on B5 to be packing.


Shalazar
Who's packin' nothin' but a lunch
 
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