Permissible weapons - TA1

[c_osborne]

I am having a bit of trouble understanding the philosophy behind the Imperial weapon permits as listed in TA1. The way it reads, if you muster out with an ACR, you can wander the streets with it for the rest of your life, regardless of the local law level or your profession. That seems silly to me. Am I mis-understanding something here?

 

[notagoodusername]

The phrase it uses is that Imperial Permit Restrictions supercede local one where applicable. So if a character has an Imperial ACR permit, it allows the carriage of it in any area that does not locally restrict it.

Basically, use the more restrictive of the two law levels where applicable. If a weapon is legal locally but not in the Imperium you can carry it locally unless the MoJ has a reason to look into you - if that happens you can be prosecuted Imperially.

Likewise, as the Imperium's policy is not it interfere in local laws unless needed, your Imperial permit to carry won't protect you from local law unless you have another reason for it to (diplomatic immunity, Imperial active duty, etc).

Thats how I see it. Of course, I could be completely wrong - it has been known to happen. I think the whole point it that it is a confusing area like may real life laws, and can drive adventures and events.

Shane

 

[archhealer]

Well that's hwo I always handled it. Like state & Federal laws. Picture the imperium as Federal and the individual worlds as States.

A state can make anything they want illegal, really, even if the federal laws don't prohibit it. But if something is federally illegal, it's illegal no matter what the state says,, but generally it won't matter unless the government has some reason to care. Like all those states that have "Legalized" marijuana. The fed. government still says it's illegal, so it is, but in a few states you can get away with it a little bit, cause they don't care so much.

 

[c_osborne]

That was how I was thinking it must have been intended, but didn't want to restrict the players unfairly. Thanks for the clarification. So if you have a permit to own the weapon you mustered out with, that allows you to have it on your ship, and use it in self defense there, or outside civilization, or where allowed locally. It does not override local law, so if the local law says no lasers or ACRs, the lasers and ACRs stay on the ship, and you have to comply with local law. However, our party also has a class 3 permit that allows them to carry weapons in protection of the Baroness they are working for. That means only when they are with her, on duty. In those cases, they can carry class 3 weapons (meaning lasers, but still no ACRs, even if they have a personal permit). I am assuming local law allows for this exception. Is that also how you guys would run it?

 

[archhealer]

I'm thinking that the local athaurities don't have a whole lot of say if the Barroness says jump.

"Merle, didja check their permits?"
"Yeah, Sheriff. Says here they got themselves a cat 3. Also had this here document, says they work for the Baronness. We got a Barronness?"
"Yeah, Merle, we do." The sheriff gave the scruffy group a suspicious stare, and paused. "Better send it down to the lab in case it's a forgery. Let'em keep the guns though. If they're legit, we don't wanna go steppin' on anybodys' toes." Sheriff Taylor spat onto the dusty road, turned, and stomped back into his office. He hated when the nobility started trumping local laws. Led to no end of trouble, shootouts in the street, innocent people caught in the crossfire. This was a good world, with good, peace loving people. He sat at his desk and pulled out his personcomp, and began an angry letter to the Barroness planetary liason, but stopped after a few lines. It would never reach her anyways...

 

[Anthony]

If you're acting as bodyguards for diplomatic personnel, such as a baroness, the baroness will negotiate with the locals for what sort of bodyguard she is permitted to bring, at the end of which, you may assume that the bodyguards have permits for whatever weapons were arranged for.

The PCs clue that they don't have permits will come in the form of the baroness (or her people) telling them which weapons to bring along.

This assumes no political games are being played, of course.

 

[c_osborne]

Very good points. I didn't even think about the Baroness negotiating with the local authorities, but that makes more sense than an automatic exception on every Imperial planet. Thanks again!

Chad

 

[notagoodusername]

Originally posted by Anthony:
...you may assume that the bodyguards have permits for whatever weapons were arranged for.

Of course, if said Baroness is young, silyl and relatively unimportant, then asusme they don't unless they ask... But then, I am just evil...

SHane

 

[Anthony]

Originally posted by Shane Mclean:
Of course, if said Baroness is young, silyl and relatively unimportant, then asusme they don't unless they ask...

As it's normally not the Baroness herself who would negotiate, doesn't matter much.

All this also depends on exactly where the power lies in the relationship (and the canon for exactly how Imperial nobility and planetary government interact is not exactly clear). To give a concrete example, if the President's daughter goes to Stanford, you may be certain that the secret service and Stanford have a discussion, but Stanford can't just refuse to allow agents on campus.

 

[notagoodusername]

Yeah, granted, but I juts like to cause problems for players......

Shane