I let my players create characters that start out looking however they want, with whatever clothes, accessories and non-mechanical gear they want and can carry. As long as it fits the genre and current campaign concept of course, and as long as it is just for flavour and nothing more. If it doesn`t do anything, why should it cost anything in character creation(or have a listed price in general)?...

So what is the deal with things like Scout 5 Field Goggles and stuff like that? I guess I can see the potential in a few random listed, priced items for smuggling and trade focused games and such.

Not really a big deal at all, I`m just curious about other GM`s point of view.

One important reason: the 'right tools for the job' box. Certain gear doesn't have a listed mechanical rule, but obviously allows a character to do something they couldn't without it. The slicer gear has no listed mechanical ruling, but Special Modifications shows the thing is pretty important for any Slicer character.

The goggles count as the right tools for the job, at least in my games, for environments where eye protection is kind of a suggesting thing, like deserts, or icy wastes, or something like riding an open air speeder. Which is kind of what goggles were created for in the first place, no matter what the trope might say.

One important reason: the 'right tools for the job' box. Certain gear doesn't have a listed mechanical rule, but obviously allows a character to do something they couldn't without it. The slicer gear has no listed mechanical ruling, but Special Modifications shows the thing is pretty important for any Slicer character.

The goggles count as the right tools for the job, at least in my games, for environments where eye protection is kind of a suggesting thing, like deserts, or icy wastes, or something like riding an open air speeder. Which is kind of what goggles were created for in the first place, no matter what the trope might say.

Sure, the Scout 5 Goggles could be justified with the box of tools for the right job, but I would let any player start off their character with free flavour goggles, just like I would clothes and a favourite coffee mug if they wanted one.

Seeing as they are the second cheapest item I can think of in the entire game , I don't get any qualms about making my players buy them, seeing as they have to buy heavy clothing and backpacks anyway.

Seeing as they are the second cheapest item I can think of in the entire game , I don't get any qualms about making my players buy them, seeing as they have to buy heavy clothing and backpacks anyway.

I know. I agree. The Scout 5 googles are solid in any environment and weather, so I get the 5 credit price, it`s ok, but I guess it got me wondering about non-mechanical flavour gear in general.

I let my players create characters that start out looking however they want, with whatever clothes, accessories and non-mechanical gear they want and can carry. As long as it fits the genre and current campaign concept of course, and as long as it is just for flavour and nothing more. If it doesn`t do anything, why should it cost anything in character creation(or have a listed price in general)?...

Because those NPC merchants/crafters don't do their job for free, just to supply your players with nice swag at zero cost .

Things cost money, that's just how the universe works. If they want it, even if it has no functional purpose, they, (just like we) have to pay for what is basically a luxury item. As to why you would bother doing this in a game, couple of reasons I can think of:

1. It helps to keep your players hungry. EotE stresses that your players are always looking for more credits to pay for their stuff. Think of shows like Firefly, where they are living hand to mouth most of the time. Same type of mood/theme. So, remind them that they are in a fluid economy. Docking their ship at a spaceport? Costs some credits. Refueling? Credits. Hiring an NPC to repair/modify their gear? Credits again. Hiring a Twi'lek dancer to give them a lap dance? Credits. Going to the doctor after the having the lap dance to get a shot of omnicilin? Credits again. This insures a steady outflow of credits, not just an inflow to the player, which is what an economy would do to the player. Now, if you are playing it in a style of making credits rain from the sky, then I wouldn't really worry about it. But if you are trying to emphasize the "living on the edge" mood, having constant, and ubiquitous ways to bleed the credits out of your players, is a good system to use.

2. It helps to actually flesh out your setting. If the players don't ever see the NPC's as anything more than a supply vendor, who just stands in place until they come by to buy/sell, then it lessens the mood of the place. So put a little emphasis on those "pointless items". Describe the fluff stuff in detail, and describe the vendor selling them. Point out that it's apparently a family of Salustans who are these jewelcrafters, making that pretty bauble your pilot PC bought. Give them a face and a bit of personality. Then, later, when you have a gun fight take place in the market, and they see the lifeless body of one of the Salustan children as collateral damage, they might be more inclined to care. (though possibly not, these are gamers we're talking about, they are notoriously uncaring of NPC plights).

Then don't make them just non-mechanical. Occasionally introduce a setback die due to high wind and debris. "Oh look,those of you with goggles, don't suffer that setback die on perception/vigiliance checks this scene". Hey look, that super cheap item now has some practical use.

Yea, I know. I get the story reasons. I make up prices for space-beer, speeder taxies and space-cowboy hats on the fly, so goggles with no mechanical effect and anything that is just for flavour can be done like that too.

But as I said, I get the story and smuggler/trade value of it, so a few items like this is ok. And merchants don`t come into character creation and describing your character for the first time.

During character creation, I can be fairly generous in granting my players free items, even useful ones from time to time. My reasoning is that, with few exceptions, the characters weren't just born, nor did most characters just decide on a given career path the day of the first session. Most have some level of history to them, so if a player can give me a decent back story to justify an item for free to start, then I'll let them have it. All such freebies have to be approved by me, though.

During character creation, I can be fairly generous in granting my players free items, even useful ones from time to time. My reasoning is that, with few exceptions, the characters weren't just born, nor did most characters just decide on a given career path the day of the first session. Most have some level of history to them, so if a player can give me a decent back story to justify an item for free to start, then I'll let them have it. All such freebies have to be approved by me, though.

I never give them free useful items or items with any game mechanics in this system , just because the game wants us to take extra obligation. Obligation sets the mood and is just such a great part of the system, I would allow trading items for more obligation.

During character creation, I can be fairly generous in granting my players free items, even useful ones from time to time. My reasoning is that, with few exceptions, the characters weren't just born, nor did most characters just decide on a given career path the day of the first session. Most have some level of history to them, so if a player can give me a decent back story to justify an item for free to start, then I'll let them have it. All such freebies have to be approved by me, though.

I never give them free useful items or items with any game mechanics in this system , just because the game wants us to take extra obligation. Obligation sets the mood and is just such a great part of the system, I would allow trading items for more obligation.

Such a potential trade-off is part of my approval process, as is taking the group's "origin" (for want of a better word) into account. For example, in our upcoming campaign, several of the characters will be an established crew, while the others come together with them under various circumstances in the first session. (My decision, yeah, so a self-imposed hurdle.) I don't expect that established crew to start owning absolutely nothing; the mechanic, for example, will have some few tools already...they're useful, but wouldn't necessarily require obligation...they came with the ship, or have been obtained over time. To me, it allows for the setting to have that "lived in" feel, rather than session one being the character's first day in the world.

Another example is that my wife's character won't be part of that established crew. She's taking inspiration from Saffron/Yolanda/Bridget from Firefly. Her character will be trying to get away from an enforcer for a mark that got wise to her shenanigans. I'm allowing her some small amount of existing equipment (say, 2-3 doses of a knockout drug and one other small item) to represent what she was able to hastily grab on to on her way out.

I guess the way I see it is that, regardless of system, most characters have a few belongings before the players and I started telling their stories. After all, Luke (or Owen) bought that land speeder well before the opening crawl started...they didn't have to buy it out of their starting credits or take on additional obligation.

But, that's me. Not saying not granting such items is wrong...just sharing my practice and certain point of view.

Items that don't have any direct stats usually say that they do something in the description. In the rare cases where they don't even have that they can easily add a blue or take a black when doing check.

Yea, I know. I get the story reasons. I make up prices for space-beer, speeder taxies and space-cowboy hats on the fly, so goggles with no mechanical effect and anything that is just for flavour can be done like that too.

But as I said, I get the story and smuggler/trade value of it, so a few items like this is ok. And merchants don`t come into character creation and describing your character for the first time.

Ah, creation only, got it. Sorry, missed that bit. But still, mostly I would charge them. If the thing has even a remote possibility of being useful (the goggles example specifically. I know nowadays they're just asthetic for steampunk coolness, but they really do have functional purpose) I would charge them for it. If it's something like "I want a biiiig hat with a giant purple feather on it! And I want to call myself the Alderanean Tickler!" Well, ok then, sure, have yourself a big foofy hat and feather, knock yourself out

Basically, depends on the item, and a case by case basis.

This thread gives me excellent ideas for stupid adventures.

Smokey and the Bandit rip-off - Jabba is throwing a feast and needs an express shipment of fresh green salad delivered to his palace on Tatooine. The PC's are invited to attend, buying their own tickets, but the side-salad itself costs 150Cr a serve.

Shipping perishable food for high end clients, or other perishables like medicines and such, is a great driver for adventure & conflict.

Two situations come to mind where the price for cheapy or fluffish items might come into play.

Different GM's and groups like different amounts of dealing with economy, microtransactions, and minutia. In our current group, who cares take the goggles. I have however played in groups where everybody likes to track every credit, and purchaing equipment and getting just the right thing for the right price is all part of the game.

There are also exceptional moments when I make them track every credit. Our current group through a series of misadventures and calamities are stranded on a strange planet, hunted by the Empire, and dead broke. For at least the limited time while they're on this planet until they get reestablished I will probably make them keep track of their spending. Largely because they have almost nothing, and the role playing possibilities around figuring out how to reequip and get off planet could be fun. If it starts to get boring or tedius I'll speed things along.

Why is there a price set on a mundane item that gives no real in-game benefits?

To show the price range of mundane items in-universe, of course.

This way you know, roughly, how much stuff costs and whenever the PC's need to buy a mcguffin thing that has no real benefits, there's a pricerange set.

Why is there a price set on a mundane item that gives no real in-game benefits?

To show the price range of mundane items in-universe, of course.

This way you know, roughly, how much stuff costs and whenever the PC's need to buy a mcguffin thing that has no real benefits, there's a pricerange set.

I agree, and maybe there should be more of that. Not a big deal for me personally. Mainly, I am talking about clothes and gear that just flavour your character and how he or she looks.

That being said, should mundane prices, like parking fees and drink prices be something to focus on? Sure it can be, if you have an underworld, money, trade and smuggling profit focused active game.

However, sometimes it is cool to say that Han Solo just throws the barman a couple of credits after shooting some poor rodian, just doing his job....

There is no such thing as a useless item, players will find a way to use anything, often in ways you haven't even considered.

Why is there a price set on a mundane item that gives no real in-game benefits?

To show the price range of mundane items in-universe, of course.

This way you know, roughly, how much stuff costs and whenever the PC's need to buy a mcguffin thing that has no real benefits, there's a pricerange set.

I agree, and maybe there should be more of that. Not a big deal for me personally. Mainly, I am talking about clothes and gear that just flavour your character and how he or she looks.

That being said, should mundane prices, like parking fees and drink prices be something to focus on? Sure it can be, if you have an underworld, money, trade and smuggling profit focused active game.

However, sometimes it is cool to say that Han Solo just throws the barman a couple of credits after shooting some poor rodian, just doing his job....

Well, the first game I played (called Mutant, in Sweden), had a short listing of common prices at the end of the chapter about gear.

It was great for setting a gauge for what things cost in-universe.

Not because you wanted to keep track of everything that players bought, but because it sometimes helped with the immersion that you didn't have wildly varying prices of mundane items or oddly priced things compared to more expensive things like weapons (which I've had happen in some RPG's).

There is no such thing as a useless item, players will find a way to use anything, often in ways you haven't even considered.

Yes, but I never charge players for their character`s underwear or useless rocks they find lying around. The usefulness of those items comes down to creativity and that is free... Unless you have to pay with a destiny point flip, strain or add obligation that is

There is no such thing as a useless item, players will find a way to use anything, often in ways you haven't even considered.

Yes, but I never charge players for their character`s underwear or useless rocks they find lying around. The usefulness of those items comes down to creativity and that is free... Unless you have to pay with a destiny point flip, strain or add obligation that is