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This article got me thinking about a game I had recently...

Obiwan Kenobi arrested for hit and run, claims he is not the driver they are looking for...
http://www.news10.net/news/local/articl ... hpt=ju_bn6

Recently, my players needed to chase down an Imp with the 'secret plans' in his pocket.
Off he goes in his speeder.
The PCs don't have a speeder, so one decides to 'hot wire' the vehicle and chase him.

Questions:
1) Would that be a Mechanics check to hotwire the speeder?
2) What about local law enforcement? Would they give chase? So in essence, a three way chase?
3) How do you, as GMs, handle speeder chases?
4) I have not seen any 'local constabulary' in any of the movies. I have seen Stormtroopers, planetary guard and 'queens' guard, but never any local police. Or does the Stormtroopers or planetary guard do all of the normal police work.
5) Lets say that the PCs have a big shootout with a local crime gang. And the PCs have to go back to the 'scene of the crime'. Would there be Stormtroopers collecting evidence; i.e. dusting for fingerprints? Is there NCIS or CSI Stormtroopers? ( Now I got a funny picture of a Stormtroopers dusting for fingerprints in my mind...)

I guess my mind is working on tangents today...
*beer*

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RicharDISNEY
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First off, AWESOME.

1) Yes, I'd use the "Disable Device" application of the Mechanics skill (to disable the lock on the speeder's controls).

2) If they saw it or were alerted to it by a responsible citizen (or perhaps an alarm on the vehicle itself, say if they succeed an Easy DC but not a Medium DC), involving local law enforcement could be an interesting twist to add to the skill challenge (see below).

3) Skill challenge, skill challenge, and more skill challenge. See DoD Episode I for an example of a skill challenge written before the Skill Challenge rules were published in Galaxy of Intrigue. See Galaxy of Intrigue for a Speeder Race example, which might also be close to what you were looking. But in any case, I would suggest writing the bulk of the skill challenge yourself with elements that you and your players will find interesting and easy to work with. Also, in this kind of skill challenge, don't be afraid to mix combat, or at least allow the occasional attack roll.

4) IIRC, Scum & Villainy has a section called "What Law There Is." I'd check that out, as well as Wookieepedia of course. Wookieepedia has all sorts of great info on local law enforcement for various time periods and planets. When there is a dearth of scene-specific info, just borrow it from some other location and change the name. Also, have you seen the Clone Wars animated series? Coruscant definitely has local police, at least during the Clone Wars. Stormtroopers during the Imperial Area are used in policing capacity (like on Tatooine), but yeah depending on the system/planet you're gonna have different groups providing security. And don't forget COMPNOR/ISB, Imperial Intelligence, etc.

5) I'd give the CSI duties to the ISB if the heroes are anywhere near the Core (except on Corellia; they have CorSec even in the Dark Times/Rebellion Era). The farther you go into the Outer Rim, you might have a mix of Imperial & local security.

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Well, I approve of the suggestion to use the "Disable Device" use of the Mechanics skill as a starting point. A vehicle ignition system should probably count as "bypass a electronic lock" (DC 25), but for something like a low end repulsor vehicle (a cheap bike, for example) I could see going with just a basic electronic lock instead.


Typically every planetary government has its own security forces (usually refered to as "planetary security"), and depending on the world they may have many levels of responsibility. For example, a rim world may technically have a planetary security force, but they're more like traveling marshalls than police officers and most law enforcement consists of the locals locking up the offending party until their zone's officer can get there. By contrast, a core world would probably have a multi-layered approach with local law enforcement, Planetary Security (equivalent to the FBI), and a separate System Security organization that controls landing areas, spacedocks, and anything above the atmosphere (think coast guard).

Some areas have unique structures -- for example, the ESPOs simply ARE security in the Corporate Sector. They answer to nobody and control all enforcement from the broadest levels all the way down to local issues.

Only during the height of the Rebellion (between Empire and Jedi) would I expect to see storm troopers manning security posts, and even then only on core worlds. The troopers running security on Tattooine and Cloud City weren't locals -- they came in on the SSD that captured the Tantive IV and with Vader, respectively.


Unlikely, because first that would be handled by local security forces rather than the "big gun" of the Imperial Stormtroopers. Even if the Empire were taking a personal interest in the matter, you'd be finding not troopers but the ISB (Imperial Security Bureau, if I recall correctly), who are more likely to be dressed like fleet officers -- black, gray, or khaki uniforms -- than in ceramic armor.

The ONLY thing I could see Stormtroopers there for would be standing perimeter on the scene of a particularly nasty shootout or incident, standing guard while the ISB or other authorities are looking through the scene.

The other thing to remember is that it's not going to be all human security forces, especially the closer you get towards the Core. Why hire a skilled sentient and then put them at risk when you can get the same effectiveness from droids? You can also get droids that are going to be able to move about a city without the need for a vehicle and be better able to pursue any sort of perpetrators.

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