Currently my PCs are finishing up the beginner's box adventure and moving into Long Arm of the Hutt. They are using their own characters, not the pregens from the box. Anywho, they have expressed an interest in trying to sell the Krayt Fang and purchase their own ship when they get the chance. Despite my attempts to convince them that the YT-1300 was one of the more customizable ships available, they were insistent on not being stuck with a Falcon clone. so my questions are as follows:

Mechanically, how would you approach this?

Obviously rarity and cost will come into play as normal. I'm thinking finding a ship they like should be linked to a Knowledge Outer Rim or Core Worlds check depending on where they are. When they find the ship they want, there should obviously be some Negotiation, Charm, even Coercion or Deception involved for both the cost of their ship and the price of the new one. Streetwise to determine if they're being conned or where to go in the first place. Any other tips here?

Cinematically?

Who sells starships? Junk dealers, sure, but are there equivalents to car lots in the galaxy somewhere? Where would you even go to buy starships in the Star Wars galaxy? Obviously, depending on their knowledge or streetwise checks, it could put them at a more, or less, reputable dealer with different options available in a better or worse place. Perhaps even if they get a starship at a good price, they might leave the planet only to discover a serious problem with the ship. Suggestions?

Obviously buying a starship shouldn't just be a series of skill checks. Maybe they even borrow it on loan for obligation, or hell, steal another one. I'm thinking a short adventure might be appropriate. Just wondering how the rest of you might handle this situation, or if anyone has already done so successfully. Thanks!

If you want it to be a session set piece that's not a bad idea. If you just want to sidestep the whole issue and move on you could tell them to find a picture of a similarly sized vessel and just say it has the same stats. I think all of the narrative and mechanical aspects you are considering are along the right track if you want to go that way.

there are 3 options as a starting ship for PC's the YT-1300 is one of those options. You could just let them "sell the Krayt Fang" and allow one of the other starter ships be available.

Mechanically, how would you approach this?

Waaaaay more simplified then you it would seem. Unless I decided to write it into the campaign, I'd treat it just like everything else.

First, they gotta ditch the Krayt Fang, so either they sort it's datawork out, or they sell it on the black market with a Streetwise roll, as normal. The Fang comes with several upgrades, so I'd give em a couple boost die on that to help em get more then just the 25% of it's value. (I'd also encourage them to spend a DPoint)

Then to buy the replacement, just tell em to pick a ship, and roll Negotiation vs. Rarity + Modifiers, just like buying anything else. (Again, DPoint prolly not a bad idea)

There, two rolls and they have a new ship. Now get back to killing stormtroopers.

Cinematically?

The sell on the black market would probably be they know a guy who knows a guy. Cash transaction, and they turn over the keys.

For a buy, anything from a sleezy used ship dealer, to a fancy showroom, depending on the roll.

I'm thinking a short adventure might be appropriate.

Judging by the way you wanted to have it be a half-dozen skill checks... yeah I think an Adventure is more what you want. Do that.

Cinematically?

Who sells starships? Junk dealers, sure, but are there equivalents to car lots in the galaxy somewhere? Where would you even go to buy starships in the Star Wars galaxy? Obviously, depending on their knowledge or streetwise checks, it could put them at a more, or less, reputable dealer with different options available in a better or worse place. Perhaps even if they get a starship at a good price, they might leave the planet only to discover a serious problem with the ship. Suggestions?

Yes, there are starship dealers, and yes they have yards for both new and used starships. Any major world with lots of space traffic would have such dealers. Backwater worlds are obviously going to have a much more limited selection.

Yeah, a couple of my players invested in knowledge and social skills, so I want to make sure they get their chance to shine just as much as the bounty hunter. I certainly don't want it to take up a whole session or even half of one, I do think it should be important. Buying a typical starship seems like buying a car, but buying a freighter seems more akin to buying a brand new house with all the bells and whistles. To me, It doesn't seem like something that should be taken lightly by either the players or the GM. I was mostly just wondering how others had handled it. But thanks for those who have posted responses!

The big question is whether the costs in the back of the book are describing brand-spankin-new ships or used ones.

Not that it really matters much.

I might expand the list of what they could get but they almost certainly could not afford the difference in credits. Legally.

I'm kind of concerned by the metagaming aspect of the players' characters wanting to ditch a perfectly viable, pre-modified ship because the players think it's too much like the Millennium Falcon.

Moreover, I see it mentioned on these boards a lot that the Krayt Fang is just "a clone of the Falcon," when really the only thing is has in common is that it happens to be a YT-1300.

I'm kind of concerned by the metagaming aspect of the players' characters wanting to ditch a perfectly viable, pre-modified ship because the players think it's too much like the Millennium Falcon.

I wouldn't read into the phrasing too much. I bet it is mostly an OOC thing. But I think it's a valid one. YT-1300s are a big turn-off for me as a player, and I can't really explain why, it's just a feeling.

I'm kind of concerned by the metagaming aspect of the players' characters wanting to ditch a perfectly viable, pre-modified ship because the players think it's too much like the Millennium Falcon.

I wouldn't read into the phrasing too much. I bet it is mostly an OOC thing. But I think it's a valid one. YT-1300s are a big turn-off for me as a player, and I can't really explain why, it's just a feeling.

I don't think wanting to have a different ship and playing a game to get one is metagaming. That's just plain old gaming I think.

I'm kind of concerned by the metagaming aspect of the players' characters wanting to ditch a perfectly viable, pre-modified ship because the players think it's too much like the Millennium Falcon.

Moreover, I see it mentioned on these boards a lot that the Krayt Fang is just "a clone of the Falcon," when really the only thing is has in common is that it happens to be a YT-1300.

That's a fair assessment, but until my players start making important decisions based on things that happen in the empire strikes back, I'm willing to let it go. I can understand wanting to cut ties from the original trilogy and carve your own path through the galaxy. However, Long Arm of the Hutt as written describes a tracking device attached to the hull as well as bounty hunters tracking the players via Trex's old ship. They don't know it now, but selling the ship might make just as much sense to them as trying to hire someone to hack the transponder and give the ship a paint job and whatever else it will take to get out of the obligation that stealing a starship from the employee of a hutt entails. Chances are they won't have the cash to pay for it either way.

Mechanically, I'd say Ghostofman is about right. Selling it with boost dice for a better price.

Cinematically, I would always try to make the new ship of the crew part of at least a minor story. IMHO they have to identify with the ship and a little story goes a long way to achieve that. It can be a little bit like Guy DeBrush the smuggler stealing a datapad from an old shop-keeper to buy the old ship from the junk yard owner Estee Han. And then he has to get parts for the ship, because it turns out the old bucket won't fly. Or it could be more elaborate, with the ship being the final price at the end of a story arc. Both are good ways to give the players a feeling of accomplishment when they finally take off with their new ship.

The Krayt Fang already has this kind of backstory, as the players will have defeated a big bad bounty hunter to get on board. So just buying another one, while totally viable, will lessen the feeling of accomplishment by the players compared to the old ship.

In fact, at the end of The Long Arm of the Hutt, I had my players double crossed by Ota who took the Krayt Fang and left them in the dirt. (Because my players didn't really want a YT1300 either, and I was fully aware of that) Next time they will have two options to get off planet. One will be to buy a wrecked ship from a dealer in Mos Eisley and find the parts to get it running. This will include stealing a exotic matter fluxator from a hutt's barge and talking with/reprogramming the ancient onboard computer of the ship (First they will have to track a protocol droid capable of translating the incomrprehensive ramblings of the computer). Later they will have the choice to either regain the Krayt Fang (if they change their minds and miss the stinking, booby-trapped crocodile's lair) or keep their new ship.

I recently had my players buy a new ship. I had some time to prepare for it so I made an Excel spreadsheet that would randomly create a ship with some problems that cause problems with the ship but lowered it's value.

Here is a link to the topic with my spreadsheet as well as some tables that can be used if you dont have Excel

http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/101968-used-ship-lot-excel-tool/#entry1021736

Along with the table I implemented the following so that all the players could get involved.

The ships that are in stock are determined by rolling on the table. The dealer has dozens of ships available but the only ones that are available for sale, or that the characters would be interested in, are the ones that the players roll for. (1 each) Alternatively if they have a specific ship they are looking for use the normal rules for Negotiation and Rarity. The asking price is based on any deficiencies the ship has. The final negotiation check will determine the settled on price.

A null roll will result in no variance to the final price. Each Success or Failure represents a 5% adjustment in the cost. Each advantage or threat is a 2% adjustment. A Triumph represents a undiscovered aspect to the ship that is valuable but not know by the sellers (such as a deficiency that can be repaired for no cost). Each Despair represents an additional deficiency that was hidden and only manifests itself after a week or so of operation.

All characters can participate in negotiating a price on the selected ship.

A character can make an Average: Gunnery, Pilot (Space), Mechanics, Computers, Streetwise, Education, Underworld, or Perception check. Success adds a boost to the final roll while failure adds a Setback to the roll. Triumph and Despair can be respectively used to upgrade the final roll.