By the book, Restricted gear is gear that is not commonly available on the open market. However, that doesn't mean that it is inherently illegal - the book also states that what is/is not illegal varies from sector to sector and even from system to system. This means that some Restricted gear, once somehow obtained by the PCs might be perfectly legal for them to own/operate (possibly with licenses for it), but it might not be legal for them to resell it.

This has come up because my players - a band of law-abiding (and enforcing) bounty hunters - have recently completed a big job for Sienar Fleet Systems (SFS). Rather than the sizable cash bounties that they could have claimed, they spent a Triumph on the Negotiation role to have SFS offer them a brand new Skywatcher-class Scout (value of 120,000 credits, modified to remove the twelve probe droid storage/deployment racks and replace them with six large specimen containers for holding prisoners in stasis).

The players are currently operating an aged Loronar E-9 Explorer that is owned by their guild (and that they have to pay 'rental fees' on), so the idea of a starship that they actually own is attractive to them even if the vessel is only modestly better than what they are currently using. The only catch was that the vessel is Restricted, which had me checking over the rules a bit.

Based on what I've read, and the fact that the Skywatcher-class Scout doesn't really have anything terribly edgy (no proton torpedoes, stealth systems, or turbolasers), I figured that SFS could pull a few strings to grant them a license to own/operate the vessel but not to sell it to anyone that lacks those same license privileges.

Obviously, this wouldn't work for all Restricted items. Some have story reasons (like lightsabers) and some are just flat-out military only (like star Destroyers), but with many of the items, I'm going to allow some wiggle room.

I think such a ship would just be in the "difficult to obtain" and not "illegal" category.

Restricted can mean an object is illegal OR that its just hard to find, or both possibly, With it being up to your discresion as to what is what.

Thermal Detonators are ® because they are illegal in many places, and fairly difficult to find as a result.

Repeating Blasters are ® because they're heavy military grade firearms and, while not necessarily illegal in most places, they are just tough to find for sale anywhere.

I wouldn't make them need any liscences for such a ship. Just maybe make it so that this is the only way they really have any chance of finding one to actually own.

Actually restricted does insinuate illegal, for whatever reason (can be different reasons for different planets/zones). Rarity has it's own rating denoting how hard a particular item can be to acquire. Rarity can be increased due to the restricted status of an item, but restriction of an item has nothing to do with how rare it is.

Core book pg 155 - Some items are marked with an ® in their price, which means they are restricted and always count as black market items.

The whole section on the black market (also page 155) discusses how they are illegal goods.

Hope it helps.

For me, the Restricted items often will merit a fine or confiscation by an Imperial Customs official when you make port or are inspected. Some of the more nasty MilSpec items might lead to a prison sentence.

Also i think your obligation should be at a good level before some black market fence is even willing to let you buy such items.

For me, the Restricted items often will merit a fine or confiscation by an Imperial Customs official when you make port or are inspected. Some of the more nasty MilSpec items might lead to a prison sentence.

Also i think your obligation should be at a good level before some black market fence is even willing to let you buy such items.

For me, the Restricted items often will merit a fine or confiscation by an Imperial Customs official when you make port or are inspected. Some of the more nasty MilSpec items might lead to a prison sentence.

Also i think your obligation should be at a good level before some black market fence is even willing to let you buy such items.

Here I prefer that WEG system that had a distinction between F, R, and X gear.

it seems reasonable that you would be able to procure the ship from the manufacturer. most likely the ship is restricted due to the droids that it employs (extra benefits to pcs). with it being modified to remove that, that might also give the company the wiggle room it needs to keep things kosher for you on the licensing aspects.

though whatever you end up deciding, i would suggest that you have this issue come up during a customs inspection for your bounty hunters and see how they react to finding out that they aren't complete saints after all...that would be interesting to see how it plays out. maybe the official is only fishing for a bribe and nothing is really the matter with their licenses after all...

i think that Restricted basically means that as a gm, you must find interesting ways in which to reward a pc with that particular item. it shouldn't come easy, but rather as the result of a fun session with reasons for its availability occurring in a natural and logical manner. i think you have that covered.

btw, does the guild get a cut of the bounty hunters' reward? like members dues? you could use that as a "tax" or additional obligation for the group now that they no longer rent their ride from the guild.

They give the guild 10% of any bounties they collect. This is a constant, and borrowing a ship from the guild is Obligation (which they increase and decrease regularly). Having their own ship might let them start to get ahead on the Obligation scale (and that's a good thing).

Even if the droid storage/deployment capabilities are left in place (a possibility that I'm considering since it's easiest for the company to just give them a factory standard ship), they certainly won't be getting any droids included with the ship. If they want the droids, they'll have to buy them separately.

If this were my game, I'd agree with you HD and give them a license. The first time they pull into port somewhere, role play the customs official checking out the ship and paying more attention to it because it is restricted. It doesn't matter if they have a license, the official would be interested in seeing it up close and make sure there isn't anything too screwy going on. Then after the first time you can pretty much handwave any future customs guys by saying the it's just like the first time.

I agree with edisung that you should make it come up every once in a while as well. Just because you have a license doesn't mean the official can't be a jerk. If one is having a bad day he could decide he doesn't like the look of the bounty hunters and do everything in his power to delay the approval process.

Official: That is a restricted ship. I have to inspect it for contraband.

Party: We have a license.

O: I don't care. That licesnse could be fake for all I know. Since you talked back to me, why don't you have a seat over there in the holding cell until I sort this out.

After a few hours pass and some searching dice rolls for other restricted non-licensed gear are made, the official comes back to either release the party, arrest them for anything else they found (or planted), or try to entice a bribe.

The way you describe this ship, it sounds restricted like a military issue Hummer might be, not like a tank. It'll get raised eyebrows from the general public and perhaps increased attention from Imperials. Some will just want to check it out, because they don't see many ships like that going through customs, while others will think something illegal is going on even with all of the proper paperwork. In the real world, if you have a super fancy car or something really tricked out, a cop might pull you over just to chat about what you have. It adds extra hassels to your day, but that's the price you pay for something a little more special.

If this were my game, I'd agree with you HD and give them a license. The first time they pull into port somewhere, role play the customs official checking out the ship and paying more attention to it because it is restricted. It doesn't matter if they have a license, the official would be interested in seeing it up close and make sure there isn't anything too screwy going on. Then after the first time you can pretty much handwave any future customs guys by saying the it's just like the first time.

I agree with edisung that you should make it come up every once in a while as well. Just because you have a license doesn't mean the official can't be a jerk. If one is having a bad day he could decide he doesn't like the look of the bounty hunters and do everything in his power to delay the approval process.

Official: That is a restricted ship. I have to inspect it for contraband.

Party: We have a license.

O: I don't care. That licesnse could be fake for all I know. Since you talked back to me, why don't you have a seat over there in the holding cell until I sort this out.

After a few hours pass and some searching dice rolls for other restricted non-licensed gear are made, the official comes back to either release the party, arrest them for anything else they found (or planted), or try to entice a bribe.

The way you describe this ship, it sounds restricted like a military issue Hummer might be, not like a tank. It'll get raised eyebrows from the general public and perhaps increased attention from Imperials. Some will just want to check it out, because they don't see many ships like that going through customs, while others will think something illegal is going on even with all of the proper paperwork. In the real world, if you have a super fancy car or something really tricked out, a cop might pull you over just to chat about what you have. It adds extra hassels to your day, but that's the price you pay for something a little more special.

I'm not too worried about the customs bit. This group of bounty hunters tends to operate in areas with minimal law enforcement other than themselves. It can be an occasional bit to the story when they head for more civilized parts, but I don't plan on making it a major point.

I should mention too that the Skywatcher-class Scout isn't at all uncommon. The vessel is Rarity 5. That makes the ship more common than the Loronar E-9 Explorer that they've been using.

To me 'Restricted' just indicates you will have to use different channels (streetwise) to find someone selling what you are looking for. It is a completely separate consideration from whether something is illegal, prohibited, rationed or widely-available; that can vary depending on the part of the galaxy and the sector and even the planet/city/spacestation where you are. If a starship is Restricted to me that would mean it is only produced on a contract basis to the empire or a corporation and you can't just walk into a showroom and buy one. So you would have to use Streetwise to find someone that might have a used one (and likely stripped down or banged up) to sell -- in your example as you point out the ship itself isn't all that uncommon.

Owning something that is Restricted can be as much or as little of a problem for PCs as the GM wants it to be. I see the label as applying only to the method of acquisition; how dangerous, illegal, eyebrow-raising or accepted an item is would be a separate, narrative-driven consideration.

Restricted means to me it's illegal, unless you get a license or permit. A group of bounty hunters, with valid bounty hunter licenses, may well be able to ask for and receive permits to have heavier arms, or an armed ship.