My group just murdered a crew and stole their ship. Are there rules or fluff for describing the process of registering the ship so my group can own the ship legally? (I know the group will probably have to bribe/coerce someone to make it happen, I just don't know who.)

Thanks!

I don't think you ever own something legally you murdered people for. If you are asking for who to contact to forge the technical transponders and physical paperwork I would say any underworld type that deals in that sort of thing. So if they have developed some sort of underworld contacts in session play that's where they should probably look.

There's a transponder that shows the true identity of the ship, and it's based on the wavelength of the engine or something, so it's very difficult to manipulate.

It's either something like a Daunting Mechanics check or, like 2P51 said, a trip into the underworld to find the right contacts who can do it.

Ok, some good ideas. What about a galactic ship registry? Are ships registered out of certain planets?

Tycho120, maybe this will help.

Also try this: BoSS

There's a transponder that shows the true identity of the ship, and it's based on the wavelength of the engine or something, so it's very difficult to manipulate.

It's either something like a Daunting Mechanics check or, like 2P51 said, a trip into the underworld to find the right contacts who can do it.

It's not terribly difficult to change. The Falcon had a handful of transponder signals, Lady Luck had one too I think. It's seemed like something a common among smuggling ships. I suspect that we might see it in a Smuggler splat book later on as a modification option. I'd suggest it's definitely an Underworld/Streetwise thing. And it won't come cheap, but if you've got the capital and a good Black Market Contact you should be able to get your hands on one.

Ship ownership is treated pretty murkily. The transponder code would tell you the ship's name and owner, and the Empire propably has some registry system, but with the sheer volume of ships in the galaxy, there is no way it can be terribly up to date or accurate. What it comes down to is appearances. When your party lands on Backwater World Alpha, if things look legitimate, most people will consider them legitimate.

Maybe some neat plot hooks with a fake transponder:

Imperial Customs catches your party's ship on the scanners running under their transponder code for a YT-2400 with Corellian Shipping Company, but when you get closer, they notice on the viewscreens that you're actually flying a modified YT-1300, you've suddenly got a very suspicious customs agent investigating your ship.

Your fake transponder triggers an automated response from something. In the X-Wing EU series, which I'm sure you'll recall based on your handle, Tycho's X-Wing transponder called an automated frigate in to assist them in a battle. What if your crew hooks up their new transponder, flips it on, and damned if some long lost treasure doesn't drop into their laps. Maybe it's a droid ship, maybe it's a holonet message with a cryptic phrase and a set coordinates,maybe it has a virus that corrupts the ship's computer and now they've got GLaD0S dumping neurotoxin into their living quarters. Good thing everyone put a lot of XP into Resilience, right?). It could be anything really. Actually, I'm going to tuck this one back for later.

Ok, some good ideas. What about a galactic ship registry? Are ships registered out of certain planets?

I think something like the Empire would be enough of a control freak that there would certainly be some galactic DMV. I'm sure the villainous folk they contact for making the changes would have the ability to tap into that entity and make the paperwork look right.

The Falcon and the Lady Luck were helmed by extremely resourceful scoundrels. Just because they could do something doesn't mean it wasn't difficult.

From what I've read, it's very difficult to change the ship's transponder code, but obviously with the right roll or the right connections it can be done.

It's certainly not impossible, it has been done in stories, despite how difficult the stories claims it to be. Remember that the PCs aren't just ordinary galactic citizens, so they would also be able to be resourceful enough to find a way to change up the transponder codes. Besides, that could make for a great adventure in and of itself: changing the registry of their craft.

So in this case, however, since killing a crew and taking the ship is a formal act of piracy, there's not a legal way to do this. They're going to have to change the registry using underworld means and connections.

Oh, and it would probably help to eject some sort of message/identification scanner to plant the idea that the original ship was lost.

Either that or claim it to be "salvage"

My 2 cents:

Get a Slicer to dummy up a bill of sale/transfer of title. Register with BoSS as normal.

Get a really good slicer to recover the ID and IFF codes from an identical junker in a salvage yard and apply them to your craft. Register with BoSS as Normal.

Unless the ship was corporate owned since you don't have to worry about the original owner showing up you are mostly in the clear if you can cover the reason why it belongs to you now.

My group just murdered a crew and stole their ship. Are there rules... so my group can own the ship legally?

(edit mine)

I understand the sentiment.

When I skin live puppies for dice pouches I make sure I get them from reputable shelters and not one of those horrible "puppy mills".

I'm not a monster.

Ok, some good ideas. What about a galactic ship registry? Are ships registered out of certain planets?

I think something like the Empire would be enough of a control freak that there would certainly be some galactic DMV. I'm sure the villainous folk they contact for making the changes would have the ability to tap into that entity and make the paperwork look right.

The BoSS was strictly neutral and one of the few groups even the Empire wouldn't risk angering. Very bad things happened to the fleets of governments dumb enough to do so...

My group just murdered a crew and stole their ship. Are there rules... so my group can own the ship legally?

(edit mine)

I understand the sentiment.

When I skin live puppies for dice pouches I make sure I get them from reputable shelters and not one of those horrible "puppy mills".

I'm not a monster.

Yeah, free range makes all the difference. Something about the sadness in the eyes of milled puppies.

Transponder codes are all but impossible to change. What smuggler vessels like the Falcon does is have additional codes overlapping the original one. The closer another vessel is, and the more codes you have "bleeding" their signal into the original, the easier it will be to spot that you're running with multiple transponder signals. Which is, of course, extremely illegal.

In order to change a stolen ship's registration files you'd need to slice into the BoSS' database, This is a huge, huge problem. Very few slicers and criminal groups actually have access to alter these records, and they charge a premium for the privilege - easily the cost of a used starship.

So killing someone and taking their starship should be an enormous problem for your players. After all, if it was so easy people would be doing it all the time. Why spend tens and hundreds of thousands of credits when you can just kill some random dude and automatically own everything that belonged to him? If it was easier to kill someone and take their car all dealerships in the world would be out of business.

Unless of course, you have a completely legal reason to kill everyone on board and seize their ship.

Like them been pirates, and/or you been a bounty hunter.

Or them been rebels.

Then it would just take some wrangling to buy the ship, after handing them over to imps., rather than them scrapping it.

Having someone reregister your ship seems like a great source of Obligation and story. My murderhoboes have done it twice now (although, always on the same ship.)

In my story it was a 2-part problem. They did need to do some slicing, but they actually had to replace the engines since the transponder code is based off engine energy signature. For the slicing element, they didn't need to hit the BoSS master db, they hit a regional office and had the changes replicate back to the master (don't look at me like that, we're all IT guys.)

This was their reward for completing Beyond The Rim and no mean feat requiring a number of resources from the employer to complete. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

SAGA Edition had some rules for them, which I cut and pasted here. If you are familiar with SAGA Edition, then this will make more sense. Otherwise, just ad-lib in the appropriate skills and checks.

What Krieger22 posted is very true as well. It just isn't that easy or else everyone would be stealing 100,000cr starships and making a fortune. I would think that stealing another's starship would be a sign of dishonor among pilots everywhere, even criminals.

Licensing:

All ships should have 3 pieces of registration aboard the ship.

1) Captain's Accredited License:

• cost: 200cr

• make DC 15 Pilot check, 10 years experience (or Spacehound talent)

• waive experience for extra 300cr (expediter fee)

• Time: 1 day

2) Ship's Operating License:

• track's the ship's make, mfg., port of origin, transponder codes, and owner

• cost: 1,000cr

• Req.: captain's license, pass inspection (no illegal mods, transponder code)

• Bureaucracy DC 10 check

• Time: 1 day

3) Arms Load-Out Permit:

• registers the ship's weapons

• Req.: captain and ship license

• cost: (p.119)

• Bureaucracy DC (p.119)

• Time: (p.119)

I'd think that registering a ship would be like registering a car today. Isn't the VIN on the dash? The simple way of changing the registration is to just find a car of the same make and model in a junk yard and swap out the dash, complete with the old VIN still stamped on it. That'll stop a basic patrolman from figuring out who you are. However, I'm sure every single part (or at least the major parts) have serial numbers. So, if the FBI really wants to nail you to something they'll tear apart the car, get those serial numbers, and check with the manufacturer to see if the VIN matches. When it doesn't, well, then you're in big trouble. That is where you need to bribe or hack your way in to change the original records to match the new VIN.

I'd think a starship would be similar. The transponder code could probably be swapped out fairly easily. Just go to a junk yard and find one on a similar ship. Basic Stormtroopers would do a basic check, see the transponder is registered to your type of ship and let you pass through. If you get caught doing anything really nasty, then they would impound the ship and tear it apart and start matching serial numbers against the manufacturer's (or BOSS's) records. That's where you'd need to slice or bribe your way into those records to change them to match your new transponder codes. I'd assume that if you were extremly wanted (**** Rebel scum) then they would track your engine's harmonics and have those on file somewhere. It'd take swapping out some parts or re-building an engine to change that.

Also remember the fun the GM can have when you swap out the transponder or try to change registration. Roll a dispair and that new transponder might be from a ship that was previously reported as stolen or used in other crimes.

I'd also imagine if an imperial officer finds a vehicle in good condition or full of valuable carge, he might find the papers to be lacking and "impound" the ship aka sell it to some hutt. It's the Rim, hard to find honest beaurocrats.

OR
*coughcough* a real pity for this cargo full of expensive fast spoiling expensive delicacy *extends open hand*