Pawn shops for Traveller
1. Introduction
(Six weeks ago, I started working in a pawnshop in Tennessee. This is the background for this material.) Historically, pawnshops have been in existence for much of recorded history. During that time, they have acquired a somewhat tainted reputation. This reputation may have been well deserved at times, but in the 21st century, in the United States, it is a highly regulated industry. Government regulation sets interest rates. All transactions are reported to the pawn division of the local police the next working day to counteract their being used as fences for stolen goods (often unbeknown to the pawnshop). Of course, modern computer systems make this process much easier that in times past.
2. What uses can pawnshops serve in Traveller?
Pawnshops primarily loan money for short periods of time (at high interest rates) without the necessity of qualifying for a loan the normal way. Property is held by the pawnshop as collateral for the lawn. This property is forfeited if the loan is not repaid on time. They also buy items outright if the owner wishes just get rid of said property (A higher selling price can be usually be negotiated if the seller is able to spend the time and has the connections to find a buyer. If the seller is willing to give up some income in exchange for the convenience of having the pawnbroker take the risk of making a profit, then a pawnshop is a convenient option. Note in both cases, the loan value or purchase value is considerably less than the actual value of the item.
Part of the tarnished reputation comes from times when pawnshops were not as closely regulated. They were often run by less than law-abiding proprietors. In Traveller, this might still be the case at low-tech levels and/or low law levels. Use them as whatever YTU (Your Traveller Universe) needs. As such, they can be a way for your players to get some extra money (and to take money from them by way of high interest.) Another use is as a source of cheaper prices for equipment (which can be anywhere from like new to well worn.) Pawnshops test things prior to loaning on them, but not always very extensively, so there may be hidden faults that do not show up until in use (referees this is right up your alley – have fun!) The usual practice is, when you take it out the door, it is yours unless stated otherwise on your receipt. This can also work in the player’s favor. For some reason, someone may not realize the real value of a particular item and pawn it for very little. If the pawnbroker is not aware of the actual value, it may be sold for a small fraction of it’s worth. Another possibility is that really valuable item is stuck in with a bunch of junk that is overlooked and the pawnbroker just prices very low to get it moved. Pawnbrokers can also be dealers for some new items also.
3. Practical applications to Traveller
Pawnshops usually loan for 1 month. This may not be a workable time frame for ship’s crewmembers to redeem their property. I would assume a 3 month period as an option for PC’s with an interest rate of 20% every 3 months (My company charges 22% a month and gives a 3 day grace period the first month. For example: we loan Joe Smith $50 on a game system on 5 Jan. 2006. The loan is due on 5 Feb. 2006. Joe has to pay us back $66 by 8 Feb. 2006 - the 3 day grace period - or the interest doubles. Then if Joe pays us $77 by 5 Mar. 2006, he gets his game system back. If he does not pay, on 6 Mar. 2006 his game system now becomes ours to sell to recoup our loss.) If someone losses their property and is nice about it, my boss will work with them about getting it back if it has not been sold. There is no legal requirement to do this, but good PR helps any business stay in business.
As to how much is loaned on a given item, I would use 2d3 % of new cost. Don’t get too detailed for playability, but older, more worn equipment is worth less than like new or near new equipment. If it fits YTU, you might want to bargain over how much you loan on something or how much you sell it for. I would set selling price at 20% higher than was loaned on it.
How is this affected by tech level? Good question. You have to find out what works in YTU. Use the main world of a system as base level of what a pawnbroker has for sale. Add 1 or 2 levels for “C” class starports, 2 or 3 levels for “B” class, and 3 or 4 for “A” class. You might also add 1 or 2 levels for a main travel route or a sector capitol, etc. Use your own judgement as to how max tech level is applied. The same applies to what the pawnshop has in stock. Grav belts start at tech 12, but if you are at a TL 13 world, there just might not be a grav belt pawned lately. Don’t let this force you to give the PC’s something you don’t want them to have. You also need to take law levels into account. (Weapons are a good example for this. They may have more legal requirements than other items. In Tennessee, if you pawn a gun that you legally own, you still may not be able to get it back from the pawnshop, if you don’t pass a background check. You also have to pay $10 to get that check done if you want to redeem your gun.)
What kind of things can a pawnshop deal in? Anything you want to put into play. Weapons, vehicles up to and including starships (both of these may require extra rules like you actually sign a deed in trust to the pawn shop or you may just add a shipbroker to the pawn shop who just buys and sells, but doesn’t loan on ships) tools, jewelry, pool cues, you name it. Don’t allow this to rule your game. You can use it as a source of unusual items, or to allow cheaper prices (maybe with hidden hazards) or a patron encounter where PC’s actually find a clue in something they buy.
4. How I would use this?
I would set “Bill’s Galactic Pawn” in Zaibon (1825 in the Lunion subsector of the Spinward Marches) with a UWP of B-000544-B, and between 2 major jump lines each only 1 jump away, Bill could easily have TL 14 equipment with a fair chance of the occasional TL 15 item. With a law level of 4, Bill can carry just about anything short of battle dress (maybe even that with the right permits). I would use the shipbroker option with clear titles to ships needed to obtain a loan on the ship and 1 year max time to pay the loan back for each megacredit borrowed. Interest on ships is a flat 100%. You borrow 5 MCR, you pay back 2 MCR per year minimum for the next 5 years or loose your ship. If paid early, Bill may or may not be generous, depending on PC’s reputation with him. Good rep, you pay less interest; bad rep, you pay full amount.
PC’s meet Bill due to carrying some sort of goods to the pawnshop. There they find out that Bill has 20 tons of Play Station VI systems, games and accessories that just aren’t selling well now that Play Station X is the state of the art personal entertainment system. Bill tells them that Charlie’s Stellar Pawn on Olympia UWP C-328342-7 (3 jumps away at 1728 Lunion subsector) would look at these as the best thing to hit the market in 50 years. They will work with the TL 7 power distribution system in use on Olympia. Bill suggests that they spend some time playing with these systems during jump so they can teach Charlie’s employees how to use them because unfortunately there aren’t any instructions with most of them. Depending on how long these PC’s have known Bill, I might or might not have told them the “Truth, the Whole Truth, and Anything but the Truth”. Roll 1D6. 1 = whole truth, 6 = no truth, and 2 – 5 varying amounts of truth. Maybe while playing the games, they find some personal record of some sort that sends them looking for somebody and/or something.
Have Fun!!!
1. Introduction
(Six weeks ago, I started working in a pawnshop in Tennessee. This is the background for this material.) Historically, pawnshops have been in existence for much of recorded history. During that time, they have acquired a somewhat tainted reputation. This reputation may have been well deserved at times, but in the 21st century, in the United States, it is a highly regulated industry. Government regulation sets interest rates. All transactions are reported to the pawn division of the local police the next working day to counteract their being used as fences for stolen goods (often unbeknown to the pawnshop). Of course, modern computer systems make this process much easier that in times past.
2. What uses can pawnshops serve in Traveller?
Pawnshops primarily loan money for short periods of time (at high interest rates) without the necessity of qualifying for a loan the normal way. Property is held by the pawnshop as collateral for the lawn. This property is forfeited if the loan is not repaid on time. They also buy items outright if the owner wishes just get rid of said property (A higher selling price can be usually be negotiated if the seller is able to spend the time and has the connections to find a buyer. If the seller is willing to give up some income in exchange for the convenience of having the pawnbroker take the risk of making a profit, then a pawnshop is a convenient option. Note in both cases, the loan value or purchase value is considerably less than the actual value of the item.
Part of the tarnished reputation comes from times when pawnshops were not as closely regulated. They were often run by less than law-abiding proprietors. In Traveller, this might still be the case at low-tech levels and/or low law levels. Use them as whatever YTU (Your Traveller Universe) needs. As such, they can be a way for your players to get some extra money (and to take money from them by way of high interest.) Another use is as a source of cheaper prices for equipment (which can be anywhere from like new to well worn.) Pawnshops test things prior to loaning on them, but not always very extensively, so there may be hidden faults that do not show up until in use (referees this is right up your alley – have fun!) The usual practice is, when you take it out the door, it is yours unless stated otherwise on your receipt. This can also work in the player’s favor. For some reason, someone may not realize the real value of a particular item and pawn it for very little. If the pawnbroker is not aware of the actual value, it may be sold for a small fraction of it’s worth. Another possibility is that really valuable item is stuck in with a bunch of junk that is overlooked and the pawnbroker just prices very low to get it moved. Pawnbrokers can also be dealers for some new items also.
3. Practical applications to Traveller
Pawnshops usually loan for 1 month. This may not be a workable time frame for ship’s crewmembers to redeem their property. I would assume a 3 month period as an option for PC’s with an interest rate of 20% every 3 months (My company charges 22% a month and gives a 3 day grace period the first month. For example: we loan Joe Smith $50 on a game system on 5 Jan. 2006. The loan is due on 5 Feb. 2006. Joe has to pay us back $66 by 8 Feb. 2006 - the 3 day grace period - or the interest doubles. Then if Joe pays us $77 by 5 Mar. 2006, he gets his game system back. If he does not pay, on 6 Mar. 2006 his game system now becomes ours to sell to recoup our loss.) If someone losses their property and is nice about it, my boss will work with them about getting it back if it has not been sold. There is no legal requirement to do this, but good PR helps any business stay in business.
As to how much is loaned on a given item, I would use 2d3 % of new cost. Don’t get too detailed for playability, but older, more worn equipment is worth less than like new or near new equipment. If it fits YTU, you might want to bargain over how much you loan on something or how much you sell it for. I would set selling price at 20% higher than was loaned on it.
How is this affected by tech level? Good question. You have to find out what works in YTU. Use the main world of a system as base level of what a pawnbroker has for sale. Add 1 or 2 levels for “C” class starports, 2 or 3 levels for “B” class, and 3 or 4 for “A” class. You might also add 1 or 2 levels for a main travel route or a sector capitol, etc. Use your own judgement as to how max tech level is applied. The same applies to what the pawnshop has in stock. Grav belts start at tech 12, but if you are at a TL 13 world, there just might not be a grav belt pawned lately. Don’t let this force you to give the PC’s something you don’t want them to have. You also need to take law levels into account. (Weapons are a good example for this. They may have more legal requirements than other items. In Tennessee, if you pawn a gun that you legally own, you still may not be able to get it back from the pawnshop, if you don’t pass a background check. You also have to pay $10 to get that check done if you want to redeem your gun.)
What kind of things can a pawnshop deal in? Anything you want to put into play. Weapons, vehicles up to and including starships (both of these may require extra rules like you actually sign a deed in trust to the pawn shop or you may just add a shipbroker to the pawn shop who just buys and sells, but doesn’t loan on ships) tools, jewelry, pool cues, you name it. Don’t allow this to rule your game. You can use it as a source of unusual items, or to allow cheaper prices (maybe with hidden hazards) or a patron encounter where PC’s actually find a clue in something they buy.
4. How I would use this?
I would set “Bill’s Galactic Pawn” in Zaibon (1825 in the Lunion subsector of the Spinward Marches) with a UWP of B-000544-B, and between 2 major jump lines each only 1 jump away, Bill could easily have TL 14 equipment with a fair chance of the occasional TL 15 item. With a law level of 4, Bill can carry just about anything short of battle dress (maybe even that with the right permits). I would use the shipbroker option with clear titles to ships needed to obtain a loan on the ship and 1 year max time to pay the loan back for each megacredit borrowed. Interest on ships is a flat 100%. You borrow 5 MCR, you pay back 2 MCR per year minimum for the next 5 years or loose your ship. If paid early, Bill may or may not be generous, depending on PC’s reputation with him. Good rep, you pay less interest; bad rep, you pay full amount.
PC’s meet Bill due to carrying some sort of goods to the pawnshop. There they find out that Bill has 20 tons of Play Station VI systems, games and accessories that just aren’t selling well now that Play Station X is the state of the art personal entertainment system. Bill tells them that Charlie’s Stellar Pawn on Olympia UWP C-328342-7 (3 jumps away at 1728 Lunion subsector) would look at these as the best thing to hit the market in 50 years. They will work with the TL 7 power distribution system in use on Olympia. Bill suggests that they spend some time playing with these systems during jump so they can teach Charlie’s employees how to use them because unfortunately there aren’t any instructions with most of them. Depending on how long these PC’s have known Bill, I might or might not have told them the “Truth, the Whole Truth, and Anything but the Truth”. Roll 1D6. 1 = whole truth, 6 = no truth, and 2 – 5 varying amounts of truth. Maybe while playing the games, they find some personal record of some sort that sends them looking for somebody and/or something.
Have Fun!!!
