Father Fletch
SOC-12
Cargo Handling; This is the bread and butter of most characters. Even you routinely gloss over the boring details, the reality of bill of lading, Haz-Mat labeling, non-standard packets and customs hassles having to do with whether the boxes are the right color there is great role playing potential in those Big metal boxes.
The recent shut down of the West Coast (USA) ports has also highlighted the politics and money involved in cargo containers. Your characters can run into union organizers/breakers, port owners and shippers in the course of their merchant activities. This is also where a Noble character with skills in Liaison and Administration or a Merchant with skills in K/Imperial Shipping Regulations and Streetwise can shine. Want to slow down a competitor ship? Walk over to the loading dock and bring attention the numerous safety violations undoubtedly happening.
For the ships locker:
1. Cargo Skids/Lifters. How many aboard and do the characters do the loading or do the local longshoremen do it?
2. Cargo Lifting Exo-Skeletons ala 2300 AD or aliens. DO you have one? (I’m sure TJ will sell you one cheap, only driven by a little ol’ Villani lady who only used it on her monthly milk run along a well patrolled main between sub-sector capitols)
3. How do you unload a Scout courier? (CT/Traders and Gunboats design) By hand?
4. Is there a special ship’s locker just for the cargo deck?
5. How much work does it take to switch from bulk to container to low berth to liquid shipping? Do you do so often? How much extra gear do you have aboard to do so? Or do you need to pay each time in port that you want to switch?
6. Do you trust those cargo 'bots to not damage the hull, cargo hatch, bulkhead?
Adventure Idea: The characters are recruited to lobby a local system that is thinking of switching to the Imperial Ministry of Commerce standards. The players need to contend with a competing standard (Zhodani, Hiver, K’Kree, etc.) which has it’s own lobbyists. There might be Anti-Imperial protests (Think WTO Seattle). Again the Nobles and merchants can shine here. The other characters need to spy, do black bag work, use those non-lethal skills.
The recent shut down of the West Coast (USA) ports has also highlighted the politics and money involved in cargo containers. Your characters can run into union organizers/breakers, port owners and shippers in the course of their merchant activities. This is also where a Noble character with skills in Liaison and Administration or a Merchant with skills in K/Imperial Shipping Regulations and Streetwise can shine. Want to slow down a competitor ship? Walk over to the loading dock and bring attention the numerous safety violations undoubtedly happening.
For the ships locker:
1. Cargo Skids/Lifters. How many aboard and do the characters do the loading or do the local longshoremen do it?
2. Cargo Lifting Exo-Skeletons ala 2300 AD or aliens. DO you have one? (I’m sure TJ will sell you one cheap, only driven by a little ol’ Villani lady who only used it on her monthly milk run along a well patrolled main between sub-sector capitols)
3. How do you unload a Scout courier? (CT/Traders and Gunboats design) By hand?
4. Is there a special ship’s locker just for the cargo deck?
5. How much work does it take to switch from bulk to container to low berth to liquid shipping? Do you do so often? How much extra gear do you have aboard to do so? Or do you need to pay each time in port that you want to switch?
6. Do you trust those cargo 'bots to not damage the hull, cargo hatch, bulkhead?
Adventure Idea: The characters are recruited to lobby a local system that is thinking of switching to the Imperial Ministry of Commerce standards. The players need to contend with a competing standard (Zhodani, Hiver, K’Kree, etc.) which has it’s own lobbyists. There might be Anti-Imperial protests (Think WTO Seattle). Again the Nobles and merchants can shine here. The other characters need to spy, do black bag work, use those non-lethal skills.