My party has recently gotten to the Tapani sector and I've "invited" them to one of the big to-dos for local rich people (nobility, business owners and the like), and have yet to voice anything that they want to do beyond gaining money to upgrade the ship (nothing has been said regarding paying down their Obligations yet, amusingly enough).

That said, I'm trying to get a few ideas as to what to have the party eavesdrop/walk-in on that could lead to jobs.

I would also like to treat this thread as a resource for those who are running into a similar situation or need some extra ideas for jobs.

So, without further ado:

--The Great Race--

There's a few approaches here. The first is to have a typical planetside race, and discuss who has the best chances of winning, who's supporting whom, etc. Introduce some personal interests, family fortunes on the line, political intrigue, rigging and traps and you'll have a good time.

The second approach is to have it as a typical space race, from Point A to Point B with waystops along the way. Not too unlike the race introduced in Suns of Fortune. Added bonus if it's going to involve some dangerous environs and almost entirely done with sublight engines.

The third approach involves a bit of GM caveat and perhaps a touch of Deus Ex, but have your nobles be "informed" of something (information, new planet, objectmultiple parties (other nobles, crime lords, military organizations, etc) want to acquire. These nobles are not only discussing who they think will win, but they are betting as to which group gets the object in question. The party can take part in this as spectators, placing bets, or even as participants in this race.

--Hidden Wealth--

Members of the nobility and business owners clearly have money, but what about those that don't flaunt it as much? Is there a reason for hiding the money? If so, what form is it taking?

A new patron is always wearing last year's fashions, patched up suits, or doesn't throw the most extravagant parties, but clearly has the money to support certain spending habits or to be considered a force within the sector.

The patron has a reason for this, and it's up to the party to determine why.

Options include: art collection, risky and illegal pursuits for income, medical bills, medical supplies, supporting the Alliance, owes a crime lord, or they are really just running out of money.

--Reluctant Patron--

Anyone who's seen Firefly knows this little dance.

The party hears a rumor of a nobleperson who clearly has wealth but is often very stingy about transporting items related to that wealth. They have a tendency to want to move things "discreetly" offworld to specific buyers. It's up to the party to find some way to get into this person's good graces to get the job.

--Carnival--

If you're seen "The Count of Monte Cristo," you should know where this is going.

The party hears tell of a big event that the majority of the noble children go to in order to be seen and spend time together (think of it like a Politico Spring Break). Of course, there's plenty that can go wrong, so "secret" bodyguards are very common. The party is hired as such to keep a specific noble child alive and safe during their stay.

Throw in some politics from your campaign and things will get interesting!

--A Wedding Of Convenience--

There's a wedding coming up and it's the biggest discussion as it should unite two families together. Some want to keep this from happening because this alliance would prove to be detrimental to other houses. Others don't want to see it happen due to vendettas ("What, he's getting married? Make sure he's miserable and that it never happens!"), other love polyhedrons, or other reasons.

Of course, no one really knows how the soon-to-be-married couple feels about all this. . .

"It's so hard to find good help."

The players overhear a noble woman complaining about her "staff". She is rich, beautiful and looking for someone to do her dirty work. The players will obvioulsy notice the jewels adorning her clothes and person and if they're the criminal sort will probably consider robbing her.

She's also a trophy wife. Most likely her husband wants her dead and she wants her husband dead. Maybe the PC's get hired by both to kill the other?

"BEER RUN"

The most pompous noble person in the room offers a ridiculous reward for the first person that can bring him a vintage bottle of Nubian wine, but it must come directly from the vineyards and stamped for authenticity by the maker.

The reward should be ridiculous enough that a few groups will give the players competition. The whole thing is a ruse though and there is some sort of secret information hidden in the bottle. There is no cash reward, although the information may be worth something and there may be an opportunity for the payers to upgrade equipment or even steal a new ship.

"BEER RUN"

The most pompous noble person in the room offers a ridiculous reward for the first person that can bring him a vintage bottle of Nubian wine, but it must come directly from the vineyards and stamped for authenticity by the maker.

The reward should be ridiculous enough that a few groups will give the players competition. The whole thing is a ruse though and there is some sort of secret information hidden in the bottle. There is no cash reward, although the information may be worth something and there may be an opportunity for the payers to upgrade equipment or even steal a new ship.

To further spin this one, the Beer Run could be a trap. The Noble in question has been making money "on the side" by setting pirates along the route to intercept anyone going for this run. Said pirates steal and sell the cargo, supplies, and the ship. The crew is usually left to die. They then deliver the wine to make it seem as though they got there first.

--Political Entanglements--

The party overhears a conversation regarding someone being under scrutiny by a political group (the choice is the GM's). If the political group is one the party is against, they may want to interfere as it may lead to a powerful ally or a handsome reward. If the political group is one the party works for, they may want to investigate themselves and determine the why this is happening; if the person is wrongly accused, helping may generate a powerful ally, while turning them in may put a feather in their cap for future endeavors.

--A Long Way From Home--

An alien species that the party has not seen very often and/or is rare for the sector is struggling to handle the situations at this event. Perhaps they get too many stares, they appear scary, their customs are very different and sometimes offensive, or they simply do not speak Basic well. Regardless, this sentient is both unliked and mistrusted, which is an open book for adventure.

--"My Husband Is Over There. . ."--

At a party, a lovely woman breaks from the conversation, looks to a party member and says "Darling, please come over here and allow me to introduce you to . . ."

The woman has been given unflattering advances and wishes to appear to have a husband (or soon-to-be-husband) nearby. This, of course, offends the noble she has just snubbed, leading to a new rivalry that no one expected!

Alternatively, the woman could:

--be a spy and needs someone to be a patsy

--be a member of an Intelligence organization that needs a distraction before her cover is blown

--be drugged to believe this character is her husband for dastardly reasons

--use the party for her own goals, such as claiming to enjoy the company of non-humans for political/business reasons

--be a very vindictive woman who wishes to see someone suffer

--simply have a case of mistaken identity but cannot admit that until later in order to save face

--A Missing Heirloom--

A Noble (man or woman) is asked about the status of a particular family heirloom that they normally keep on their person, but they do not have it and try to cover it up. If confronted by an offer to help, they explain why the item is missing, and they would like it back.

Hooks include:

--The item was "accidentally" left behind at a lover's place, which puts them in a bad place since they are married!

--The item was "misplaced" and is currently sitting at the home of a member of the opposite gender, which could ruin them politically.

--The item is being held by a rival as "collateral" for an upcoming vote/endorsement.

--The item was "loaned" to an organization in exchange for credits, but it was never returned upon complete payment. (Of course, this is the noble's story.)

--The object has simply been misplaced and was just on them a moment ago. Maybe they left it by the punch. . .(or maybe a kleptomaniacal protocol droid grabbed it while offering them champagne!)

--The whereabouts are unknown (BE CREATIVE!)