So here's the plan, my players are off to another world to participate as 'security' for a particular Hutts champion pod racer. For their job, if they do it well, they are entitled to 10% of the gambling winnings on this particular podracer.

Really cool fun idea right?

Yes. There are a ton of things that can happen with this, and while fun, I'm worried a bit about what angles I should cover to stay true to the theme, and most of all, how high I should put the earnings ceiling in Credits.

Obviously, no Hutt or gambler in pod racing plays fair, so there will plently of other 'security' crews out there, trying to do exactly what they are doing and coming into conflict as well as other exterior threats.

Maybe they might even end up sabotaging parts of the race or having to replace a racer mid-lap. Lots of stuff.

What I want to ask more experienced GM's in this system is:

1: How should I do the gambling and winnings for the players? How high should the credit earnings be able to go?

2: Should I predetermine the racer winning outcome (without accounting for PC involvement that could change this) or should I randomise it each lap or round?

3: What kind of things do people bet on pod races besides credits?

4: What other ideas for fun race interactions would you suggest for before, during and after the race?

My thoughts was nothing higher than 10,000 Credit earnings in any betting or winnings, which because I have a five player crew, divides out to 2,000 credits each but allow for betting of ships, people or gear that the PC's may want to have or risk or could lead to potential story opportunities.

1. I wouldn't let it get too out of hand. You don't want them calling to buy off all their Obligation or outright purchase a new ship, for example.

2. I think whatever makes sense for your story. If there's a plot reason why the podracer sponsored by Jabba would win and his winning would open up new plots for the players down the line, that's your answer. If the identity of the winner doesn't matter to the overarching plot at all, that's also your answer.

3. Stock/bonds, real estate, commodities, contractual rights, personal heirlooms, art...ships. The kind of things that could get bet in a high-stakes horse race IRL.

4. The PCs get into an altercation with a racer or his entourage in a bar. The PCs wind up accidentally protecting another racer from rival thugs and now are in the thugs' sights - with the racer promising them more if they keep protecting him. The players' racer ward is injured or killed and one of the PCs has to impersonate him, climb into the pod, and try to make it work. The pod is stolen or damaged and the PCs have to race against time to recover or repair it before their racer has to forfeit.

4: What other ideas for fun race interactions would you suggest for before, during and after the race?

Prior to one of the races that our Pilot ran in he had to do a photo shoot. Chat with people and do all sorts of sponsor related stuff. Lots of Charm rolls and other fun stuff went along with it. (our GM is awesome btw he had all sorts of stuff the pilot had to do pre race)

During the race our GM had made something very similar to the modular encounter Taming the Dragon in Suns of Fortune. The race was 5 laps long. While he was racing the rest of the party was hunting down saboteurs. Good times.

After the race there was a good ole fashion fight between racers and their crews.

We made friends, enemies, scored a missile tube and netted 2,000 credits for the win. The biggest thing we got out of it was fun. Seriously, this was one of our more laughable, good timey sessions.

Heck, in our last session our Pilot rolled a Triumph while chatting it up with some security guards and now has a group of fans on that station.

Sweet.

What kind of racing rolls did you make? Similar to Stellar Phenomena tests? And what about the speed of a pod racer?

Probably something Sillouette 3, with a Speed of 6 or more?

My advice: Don't gamble.

My advice, do it in Vegas, the liquor is free.......

1: How should I do the gambling and winnings for the players? How high should the credit earnings be able to go?

2: Should I predetermine the racer winning outcome (without accounting for PC involvement that could change this) or should I randomise it each lap or round?

1. Lots. At least enough so that whoever they made the winnings from is really annoyed and will stop at nothing to get their money back from the PCs.

2. What's to be gained from rolling each round? If the PCs have some decision to make each lap (such as who to boost, who to protect, or who to sabotage), they by all means do things lap-by-lap. Otherwise, the players will just be sitting there watching you roll dice for no story effect.

Jewel of Yavin has the Cloud City Grand Prix. You can probably get some good pod racing ideas from reading through that chapter. It's pretty much the same concept, just with pods instead of cloud cars.

I hadn't considered some of the twists you've each mentioned.... tons of roleplaying opportunities to be found there both before, during and after race....

It also seems I should not roll dice for racers unless the PC's are involved which makes way more sense when you think about it. I think I'll do a lap by lap narrative however and pre-determine the outcome if they don't get involved in some way and improvise on the fly if they do.

I'll check out the Jewel of Yavin and Suns of Fortune to mine for ideas as well.

I think the only thing I'll need to work out mechanically besides hazards, which I think I'll just use the stellar phenomena rules for, is what the stats of a pod racer might be and how fast they would go in terms of Speed...

In the EU you have a variety of podracer models. Some have higher top speed but handle worse; some are slower but turn on a dime. Everything comes with a cost.

Source: I played a podracing-enthusiast Rodian smuggler in a game.