Hey everyone I'm new to these forums as with the game. I've GM'd three sessions now and there is a problem I've been having and could use some advice on. Everytime I throw enemy NPCs at the group, they kill them and automatically loot the corpses. They have given me a hard time about looting their weapons and even armor. I've given in and let them loot some heavy blasters and pistols. The problem is I feel that if I continue to let them do this they will be getting rare and powerful weapons from harder npc's which I fear will make them overpowered. On the other hand if I tell them they can't it feels like I break immersion for them and I hear alot of bitching. Anyone have any tips on handling this? Is there a section in the book specifically dealing with this problem I've missed?

There's an excellent (and lengthy) thread discussing this. I think you'll find plenty of excellent advice in it (I did).

http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/132579-looting-bodies/

Lets break it down yo...

Everytime I throw enemy NPCs at the group, they kill them and automatically loot the corpses.

This isn't uncommon. Coming from other games where this sort of thing is expected some players need to be broken of the habit.

They have given me a hard time about looting their weapons and even armor. I've given in and let them loot some heavy blasters and pistols.

If there's no reason why they COULDN'T loot, you're right to allow it. Just remember:

1)Encumbrance: It adds up fast, armor get especially heavy if you aren't actually wearing it.

2) Ability. There's nothing wrong with making them roll perception to search for gear. Factor in the time it takes, what's going on, and who they are looting and adjust the difficulty accordingly. Don't forget those setbacks! Utinni! exists for a reason. You roll pants, you find nothing but broken and damaged gear... so sorry.

3) Time. This won't always come into play, but it should regularly. In D&D there's a kind of vacuum where the monsters in the next room don't know you're there. In Star Wars it's unlikely that those dozen stormtroopers didn't call for backup. A few threat or a Despair can always bring more at any time.

4)Sale price. You're doing this according to the rules on page EOTE 149, AOR 164, or FaDBeta 111 right? If you're not... you should. Sale price starts at 25%, goes to 75% at best, and don't forget to read the last paragraph! GM has final say. All those Stormtrooper blasters and armor and equipment? Probably worth maybe 5% of the list cost at best just because the things are so obviously hot.

The problem is I feel that if I continue to let them do this they will be getting rare and powerful weapons from harder npc's which I fear will make them overpowered.

So... you're the GM. If you don't want them getting a disruptor rifle, don't send them up against a bad guy with a disruptor rifle in such a way that will allow him to be looted. The NPCs in the book are simple examples, not some kind of carefully machined CL balanced creature. Mix, match, and modify to your hearts content. Likewise a bad guy that doesn't use, or get described as having a particular piece of kit (even if you statted it in his inventory)... doesn't have to have it when it comes time to loot.

As mentioned, excessive looting and scavenging should occur less when combat doesn't exist in a vacuum. There should be pressure to avoid witnesses and local authorities as well as practical concerns of time and encumbrance.

And even if the battle ends away from prying eyes and the plot isn't requiring them to not waste time, there's always the complication of reselling items you stole off a corpse, especially weapons. How easy should it be to find someone willing to buy Stormtrooper blasters or vibro-axes bearing Hutt Cartel markings from a group of strangers? I'd think for even 25% resale they'd either have to call in a favor from a friend to take them, work to establish a trustworthy underworld contact/direct buyer, or settle for a black market fence to buy them for 5-10%.

That reminds me, I should write up an adventure hook where the PCs are approached by a suspicious group selling off a bunch of blasters, and the group turns out to be Imperial ISB agents.

Would be a pity if the gun you stole off a dead "bad guy" was previously used in a murder too. Ownership being 9/10's of the law will see you having no end of complications.

When I first pointed this out to my player who was planning to borrow guns as necessary he threw it out the airlock at his first opportunity and never looked back.

4)Sale price. You're doing this according to the rules on page EOTE 149, AOR 164, or FaDBeta 111 right? If you're not... you should. Sale price starts at 25%, goes to 75% at best, and don't forget to read the last paragraph! GM has final say. All those Stormtrooper blasters and armor and equipment? Probably worth maybe 5% of the list cost at best just because the things are so obviously hot

IF they can even find a buyer. "Goodness! Is that a stolen weapon? No sir, I dont deal in stolen goods, I run a clean shop! I'm a loyal citizen of the Empire! You will find nothing out of order here, sir!"

Or. . . .

"You have several dozen Stormtrooper guns hmmm? Very well, I'll buy them. Let me just make a quick call to free up some assets to properly compensate you." "Hello, Garrison? That bounty on seditionists is still active? Excellent. Send your best men to my shop to pick up a gang of interlopers. . . . "

Lets break it down yo...

Everytime I throw enemy NPCs at the group, they kill them and automatically loot the corpses.

This isn't uncommon. Coming from other games where this sort of thing is expected some players need to be broken of the habit.

I don't really think it's a habit that needs to be broken, and the other points you made just show that some thought can turn it into a non-issue.

Lets break it down yo...

Everytime I throw enemy NPCs at the group, they kill them and automatically loot the corpses.

This isn't uncommon. Coming from other games where this sort of thing is expected some players need to be broken of the habit.

I don't really think it's a habit that needs to be broken, and the other points you made just show that some thought can turn it into a non-issue.

Certain point of view. When you add up other game systems that expect equipment advancement, and games that NEED you to loot (MMORPGs that use the loot system to encourage continued play) taking everything that isn't bolted down can become a bad habit for some players, and you do kinda need to break it if you want to run a more story driven campaign that won't always devolve into the players being chased halfway across the galaxy by everyone they've robbed.

Of course if that's what you WANT... then yeah, no problem, let the looting continue....

One of the underlying problems of gaming systems is economics. If your players are looting everything that's not nailed down (and carry a pry-bar to help with what is), then you're probably not paying them enough in the first place.

If the party knows that a Storm Trooper blaster sells for 5 credits, but they only get 100 credits for a mission, they'll loot the blasters, the armor and see if they can't find someone who owns a Rancor to sell the body to. If, on the other hand, the party gets 1000 credits a mission, they'll quickly come to the conclusion that the reward isn't worth the effort.

Players shouldn't feel that they -need- to loot everything they come across in order to afford a decent upgrade every couple of sessions. As long as they're making money and making progress in upgrading their gear, the above-mentioned challenges should serve to reduce the amount of looting players do.

Just to reiterate another point above, if you don't want the party to have it, don't give it to their enemies. This goes for armor, weapons and other equipment. If enemy Y has Macguffin X which grants them the ability to shoot lightning out of their arse, once the players kill enemy Y, they better be able to get Macguffin X or else things get really silly, really quick.

There's always gene-lock as a last-ditch effort, but if you overuse it, the party will come to resent it (and they might hack off arms in order to loot/use cool stuff).

When my players arrived on Bespin, they got into a public shoot out in Port Town. So the local news became aware of them. You cannot have public shoot outs in a market place without people noticing.

So they looted the corpses of the thugs they killed. They donned their uniformed black trench coats and goggles and set out into Cloud City. How the NPCs and authorities interacted with them was fundamentally changed. They chose to wear the gang signs because of +1 soak - not thinking that showing gang colours would lead to consequences.

That reminds me, visibility and reputation is huge part of our game because we exist as a real company ( T otally Legitimate Business, Inc, dba Totally Legitimate Company (TLC) - "We care for your cargo" - a Naboo corporation), so keeping the company 'clean' is always on the back of our minds, even as we get pulled into various shady or down-right illegal activities. Aided by the fact that one character's (my droid) obligation is to the company, and therefore tends to be tied to how successful/in trouble the business is) This does a lot to curtail a lot of murder-hobo excesses and similar issues, at least where they can be witnessed.

A lot of this essentially comes back to "consequences in a living galaxy" heading.

Looting could be considered a crime. I try to give the minions used gear which isnt in the best of conditions. Or its just a dirty weapon. I hate using other peoples gaming controllers that are all gross and greasy. If its a rival then you could have the item be customized to their species so that it is very unwieldy or awkward to use. Maybe it's a cheaper make that the PC has a distaste for, like people that stand behind Chevy trucks instead of Ford trucks. My wife loves Chevy brand and wouldn't be caught dead or alive in a Ford.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I will be implementing a few of these in my campaign!

Everytime I throw enemy NPCs at the group, they kill them and automatically loot the corpses.

This isn't uncommon. Coming from other games where this sort of thing is expected some players need to be broken of the habit.

The first and most important piece of advice I can give is to sit down with the group, and just say, "Hey guys. This isn't D&D. This is Star Wars. When did Han and Luke ever loot the bodies in the trilogy?" Make it clear that you have concerns, as a new GM, that besides being out-of-genre, looting will make the characters too powerful too quickly for you to keep up with, and everyone's fun will suffer.

Punishing their characters in game for looting is counterproductive because D&D *also* has a tradition of adversarial player/GM relations; it's just doubling down on the bad habits.

When did Han and Luke ever loot the bodies in the trilogy?

"Aren't you a little bit short for a Stormtrooper?" Not only did they loot the armour off two guys they put them on too.

That said looting has a very different role in SWRPG and in that regard I agree whole heartedly.

don't forget, some things are flat out illegal. a regular person walking down the street in St armor will get more thana few looks.

Miishelle: What does a regular person in a set of stormtrooper armour look like?

sometimes whose armo doesn't for right, off the top of my head.

aren't you a little short to be a St

one ofmy players who tried to get one was a female zeltron

Which one is the real stormtrooper , which one is the regular guy in the suit?

When I explained encumbrance rules to my players it got a lot less common

Also putting blaster holes in the back of a blaster vest is not a good way to keep it's resale value.