 April 2, 2014 - 5:35pm | Reading David Weber's "A Rising Thunder" In it the Star Empire gave a non discretionary order for all of its civilian ships to leave Solarian League space as a state of war was around the corner. One merchant captain was pleading with a navy captain to let him complete his contracted run lest there be an accusation of piracy for him just sailing off with the cargo in his hold. I hadn't thought of that- a ship takes a cargo and then never delivers it but rather sells it elsewhere. they didn't pay for the cargo but now got paid for it. It might be a little easier in a Traveller type setting and perhaps a little more difficult in the Frontier but still its an idea. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 April 8, 2014 - 2:11pm | It all depends on the relationship between the merchant and their client. If they legitimately sell the goods elsewhere but credit their client, it's not piracy. There may be some legal framework involved that can be invoked during times of crisis. |
 April 8, 2014 - 4:35pm | It could also depend on the contract the two have. If the ship is just a delivery vessel and then they do not own the cargo so not delivering it can be a big problem. If they did sell it somewhere else and even if they made a bigger profit for the owners the ship can still be charged with failure to obey their contract. Now while this may not be a crime, having a reputation for not doing your contracts as stated can be a serious problem for getting more contracts. Just ask Mel. If they ship bought the cargo and did not have a specific destination for sale then there should not be a problem Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
April 8, 2014 - 5:33pm | What if the ship had a load of weapons and the local planet had farmers that desperately needed to fight off banditos? Should the PCs essentially donate the weapons to the cause and pay the penalties? This was the case for Space Cowboy in Battle Beyond the Stars though I think in his case he could not deliver the guns since the banditos in question had wiped out his buyers, thus it made sense that he gave them to John Boy Walton's people facing extinction at the hands of the same banditos. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 April 8, 2014 - 7:55pm | Perhaps as a way around such entanglements, legitimate suppliers don't actually commission a cargo hauler to move their products at all. Rather, they sell their products directly to a cargo hauler who then takes that cargo (which is now owned by the cargo hauler) to a destination and sells it for more than he purchased it for in order to cover expenses and make a profit. The end destination then jacks up the price to reflect that cost of doing business. I don't have to outrun that nasty beast my friend...I just have to outrun you!  |
April 9, 2014 - 12:46am | Yes, various middle men could also be involved, such are the mores of trading. This means that there are various ways that the goods producer and the hauler aren't connected directly. That said, there is always the possibility of someone somewhere being liable to make a loss and want to recoup it from a hauler if they think that they have a case (i.e. they think that the hauler has simply stolen the cargo). In the case of the Space Cowboy from BBTS, it isn't theft but he has made a loss unless his now dead clients paid in advance for the cargo. |
April 9, 2014 - 5:45am | What if the PCs delivered the contracted cargo to what appeared to be the right people who then stiff the PCs and the correct people show up and alledge piracy on the part of the PCs for selling their goods to someone else. It could be that the correct people were a front for a criminal organization and so while there could be various levels of legal pressure OR you could go with a crime lord threatening the PCs lives for more direct pressure of death as apposed to law suit. the impostures could also be a criminal cadre or cult which would be willing to violently oppose the PCs recovering the lost cargo. later the crime lord continues to pressure the PCs even though he may have got his cargo back he now considers that the PCs owe him interest and wants them to take a little job transporting something. thus the adventure continues as the PCs must figure a way to get the crime lord off their back. Even the first cargo could have been adventure-some with danger lurking at pick up or en-route thus this could be a 3 episode campaign. 1. Pick up and delivery. 2. Ooops wrong guys took the cargo. 3. How do we get this guy off our backs? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 9, 2014 - 6:39am | If there's a paper trail then this is unlikely to happen. The players could simply go to the Star Law and present their case. Double-crosses could only ensue in your example if everything is underhand in the first place, including the players' motives for taking the on contract. 'No honour among thieves', after all ;) |
April 9, 2014 - 11:22am | The classic spy entrapment. The spy gets someone to do something which is only a little illegal and once they do the spy starts to ask for more and more. If the target refuses the spy threatens to expose the previous illegal activity and ruin the target. Thus a crime lord could get summgling ships with a small smuggle first and then another and another until the players are doing the Kessell run with nothing but illegal goods in their holds. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
April 9, 2014 - 11:22am | The classic spy entrapment. The spy gets someone to do something which is only a little illegal and once they do the spy starts to ask for more and more. If the target refuses the spy threatens to expose the previous illegal activity and ruin the target. Thus a crime lord could get summgling ships with a small smuggle first and then another and another until the players are doing the Kessell run with nothing but illegal goods in their holds. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
