Need some suggestions on how well to re-stock the party. My PCs are likely to fail a court-room encounter, resulting in their imprisonment or death sentence, depending on how bad they fail. The prison transport will gets attacked by an ally who rescues the party. At this point I’ll be giving them the option to remain as presumed dead and be ghosts, or to try and clear their name.

If they chose to remain “ghosts” I was going to give them the option to choose new obligations and reset their obligation scores. How much equipment would you allow them access to for starting up again?

Depends on how friendly their ally is.

Whatever they could scavenge from the prison transport, definitely.

If their ally wants to give them free money to restock, that's one thing, but you'd have to think of why he'd have incentive to do so, and how much, and whether that would create a new Obligation to him for helping them escape (personally I would definitely implement a Favor Obligation to their rescuer).

Have they already lost their old ship? If so I wouldn't give them a new one as part of the favor - maybe drop them at a space station and entice them to shipjack themselves a new method of travel. I mean, your players have obviously gotten themselves into one hell of a mess already, there's no reason to give them an easy out of all their troubles.

The ally is my soon-to-be PC and he's hard-pressed for credits. The prison transport is pretty basic with not much gear for scavenging.

I never gave them a galactic ship, though they do have a stolen LAAT which may be impounded in their failed cour trial. I've got kidnapping, murder, terrorism, conspiracy, breaking and entering, theft and other charges on them.

I was thinking that it could be a nice segway into the beginner session or just a shipjacking/weapon stealing mission.

What's their XP total?

Each player should have between 150-180. I believe we have 5 regular players though it varies from 3-7 sometimes. We've got a Bounty Hunter: Survivalist. Outlaw Tech, Thief, Smuggler and I think a Mercenary Leader.

Then yeah if their ally is strapped for cash, they get what they can scavenge during the rescue (I would not put most of their old gear aboard the prison transport; guards probably have sidearms and maybe flashbangs but not anything super nice). Then they'd need to figure out a job to get more money/gear/their own ship (if they want one).

Basically I'm just saying, if they get a ton of nice stuff during their jailbreak, in some ways it wasn't really a punishment or setback at all.

I could see a few stun blasters being taken from guards, but not much else. Maybe a medkit.

I would assume the guard's uniforms would be heavy clothing, but not actual armor.

They've gotten into that much trouble with <200XP?

Give them:

- 2 truncheons

- 1 stun rifle

- 1 flak vest

- 1 emergency medkit

Drop them off in a back alley with the cops searching for them. Let the good times roll!

I agree that the gear they have is whatever they can get their hands/mitts/paws/pincers on.

If they are ransacking a "basic" guard, they will probably find some form of armor (which may or may not fit the player), a sidearm, a melee weapon, a commlink, and handcuffs.

The degree of the gear should also denote how dangerous the party is and what type of "escort" they have. If they are highly dangerous criminals like it sounds, having guards in full laminate and equipped for Force Pikes wouldn't be surprising. But again, the equipment might not always fit. . .

Now, if they are ransacking a prison ship, they may find supplies fitting for the ship and its..."cargo." A few spare weapons, toolkit, minor medical supplies, etc.

If I were running a game like this, my players would be stripped down to the minimum (prison uniforms) and, depending on how they get away, will determine the gear.

If they break out during transit, they'll get whatever they can find (armor from fallen guards, low powered or stun-only pistols/rifles, stun truncheons/batons or force pikes), and have their work cut out for them.

If they are "rescued" and taken elsewhere, they would be given a "package" that is woefully under what they really need (especially if their rescuer and new employer is already pretty broke). I'd include a hold-out pistol, a suit of ill-fitting heavy clothing, and a quirky comlink for each of them. If they were to do a job and they needed tools, they might get some basic tools and a way to get to the job, but nothing too useful or over the top.

If they are "rescued" by someone shooting down the transport and they need to get to their new employer on their own, then this is where they will only get whatever they can find. Note that in a situation like this, a lot of things tend to be damaged, so. . .

I like this premise a lot, but I wonder what you have planned for when your PCs roll a dozen triumphs while on the stand. Because you just know they will do it.

"Now look here, ladies and gentlebeings of the jury. We were framed by that nerf herder, Solo. It's a conspiracy I tell ya." [roll Deception; 6 Success, 10 Advantage, 3 Triumphs]

If you get rid of their old Obligations, make sure to give them new ones. High ones at that (rescues aren't cheap).

I like this premise a lot, but I wonder what you have planned for when your PCs roll a dozen triumphs while on the stand. Because you just know they will do it.

The hired NPC assassins will attempt to remove the PCs after the courtroom session and they either meet up with a new contact or escape on their own.

Thanks for the suggestions and emphasis on I'll fitting and damaged materials too! I'll have a party of 5 and will start them all around 25 obligation under FAVOR. They can run a few sessions working that back down.