Sorry a few questions that are relatively linked together

Restricted, pretty much another term for illegal but how does this work for characters already with these items, for instance if i go walking down the street with a loaded bazooka I can expect cops to show up in force rather quickly and arrest me for having a dangerous illegal weapon.

Would there be any correlation to the gameplay in the star wars universe, if a character walked down a street with a Missile Tube on a core world should a GM pay much attention to it and send a number of troopers? or should the GM ignore it so PCs can continue with their story?

also apparently "Armored Robes" are "Highly illegal on any Imperial world" would that also count for things like "Jedi Battle armor" and "Jedi Temple Guard Armor"?

Finally, any tips for GMs who want to have PCs have a run in with the law?

Sorry a few questions that are relatively linked together

Restricted, pretty much another term for illegal but how does this work for characters already with these items, for instance if i go walking down the street with a loaded bazooka I can expect cops to show up in force rather quickly and arrest me for having a dangerous illegal weapon.

Would there be any correlation to the gameplay in the star wars universe, if a character walked down a street with a Missile Tube on a core world should a GM pay much attention to it and send a number of troopers? or should the GM ignore it so PCs can continue with their story?

also apparently "Armored Robes" are "Highly illegal on any Imperial world" would that also count for things like "Jedi Battle armor" and "Jedi Temple Guard Armor"?

Finally, any tips for GMs who want to have PCs have a run in with the law?

There should definitely be some kind of consequences for carrying a missile tube down the streets of a core world. Local police, planetary military, or even Imperial Stormtroopers would all be acceptable responses.

Indeed, any Jedi-related clothing - any clothing that makes you look like a Jedi, especially a Jedi who might be interested in picking a fight - would be highly illegal on any imperial world.

Look... your PCs are probably doing something illegal, and someone probably knows about it. It's not a huge stretch to have some local toadie go all stool pigeon and give the characters' names to the local authorities. Just let it flow naturally from there. Keep in mind that local police are probably just Average Joe-types who are trying to keep the peace in their neck of the woods, while planetary military or stormtroopers might be a bit more willing to pull the trigger. For an added twist, you could throw in a dash of corruption, so your PCs might bribe their way out of trouble.

Restricted applies to byzantine Imperial commerce laws and nothing else. How else can you explain that X-wings and MC80 Star Cruisers are not Restricted?

Whether something is illegal or not is another matter. Restricted items are commonly illegal, but not always. It is also possible to get permits for some items that would otherwise be illegal. Both the legality of an item and whether or not permits are available (and what they might cost) can vary tremendously by location.

WEG described restrictions for the weapons and equipment better: none, licensed, restricted, military and illegal. You can check it and use as a guideline, although still you should consider where the PCs are. Restrictions on Coruscant and Tatooine will vary like Mynock and Rancorn .

An item being Restricted does not mean that the item is illegal. The item maybe be legal, but possession of that item maybe illegal under certain circumstances. It also can mean that the sale of it can be legal to specific people, but illegal to everyone else.

My favorite example to use is Silencers/Suppressors. Where I live they are Legal to have, but there are rules that restrict the legal purchase/possession of them. Most places you only have to comply with the rules to purchase which are so rigorous that most people do not even try, but some places require you to have a permit. While there are some locations that ban them. (Which does not mean a person can no own one, but that it is illegal to possess it there.)

So bringing it back to a campaign. You maybe able to purchase and possess on a Mid Rim World, but having it on a Core World is restricted. So that having it in your Starship at the Starport is not illegal, but the moment you take that item beyond that facility you are breaking the law.

Also the sale of an item maybe limited to who can actually purchase it. PC-A doesn't meet the criteria to purchase the item, but PC-B does. Which means the Empire maybe tracking the purchase of the item by PC-B.

Don't forget that you can buy non-Restricted ships that mount Restricted proton torpedo launchers (which come fully loaded) and turbolasers. You can also buy non-Restricted concussion missile launchers, but the concussion missiles themselves are Restricted. Gear Restriction is, at best, a halfassed effort under FFG's rules.

I go a lot on the "Old West" principle for many outer rim worlds, so you have the right to bare arms, but using them can still get you in a lot of trouble if used at the wrong place or against the wrong person.

On more civilized worlds, the Inner Rim and Core worlds, i look at more like real world laws where carrying weapons is generally heavily restricted, illegal or will draw a lot of attention. My players normally check weapon restrictions before going to any world outside of the outer rim.

In the example given of carrying a rocket launcher, this would get them stopped by law enforcement almost anywhere unless the local law just didn't have the manpower to deal with them or the deathwish to try and disarm them.

On any major world this would certainly have them stopped and questioned and being told to stow the weapon back on the ship even if they could prove it was perfectly legal for them to have it. If it was found to be illegal, well then the fun has just began.

I have found that NPC's are amazingly polite while my character is strolling about town with his heavy blaster pistol snug in his belt holster.

Any time I've had to deal with the local enforcers, we just ask them to take up the subject with the Proxy Droid carrying the Bowcaster.

That said, the Proxy Droid has some embedded Imperial Code fragment that has opened a surprising number of doors. (This is a plot device which may come back to haunt us, knowing our GM).

Two of our PCs are also registered Bounty Hunters and we operate under an Imperial Mercenary Company charter. Yes they were expensive.

So far "R" means harder to find when we want to buy something.

The thing about interacting with Imperial officials is that they always seem to have easy access to well armored Storm Troopers who carry E-11 Blasters at the ready.

ON the flip side, without the Proxy Droid and the licenses, yeah we'd be more circumspect about traveling about with that much hardware (while in the Core systems) but while in Hutt Space, you'd better have some heavy metal on display!

There's no up down rule. What restricted means is open to interpretation and isn't necessarily handled the same way from location to location. It's as much of an issue, or not, as you want it to be.

Imperials and Law Enforcement are always on the look out to pull people over and check ID and if they have any law breaking gear, My Polus Massin Doctor has only had her medical pack looked through twice or was it once.

Imperials and Law Enforcement are always on the look out to pull people over and check ID and if they have any law breaking gear, My Polus Massin Doctor has only had her medical pack looked through twice or was it once.

Maybe, maybe not. Many of them are far less zealous and only do what they have to to earn their paycheck. The trick is learning which types you're dealing with.

Don't forget that you can buy non-Restricted ships that mount Restricted proton torpedo launchers (which come fully loaded) and turbolasers. You can also buy non-Restricted concussion missile launchers, but the concussion missiles themselves are Restricted.

Which is not as odd as it seems. In the US it is 100% legal to own a fighter plane or AFV. If the vehicle is US it has to have the military grade electronics removed prior to sale and you are unable to purchase missiles, bombs, or live rounds for the guns. That is assuming you are a private citizen. If you are a private security firm, like Haliburton or Blackwater than you can purchase the munitions as well, with the caveat that they will not be used in the US or territorial waters.

Don't forget that you can buy non-Restricted ships that mount Restricted proton torpedo launchers (which come fully loaded) and turbolasers. You can also buy non-Restricted concussion missile launchers, but the concussion missiles themselves are Restricted.

Which is not as odd as it seems. In the US it is 100% legal to own a fighter plane or AFV. If the vehicle is US it has to have the military grade electronics removed prior to sale and you are unable to purchase missiles, bombs, or live rounds for the guns. That is assuming you are a private citizen. If you are a private security firm, like Haliburton or Blackwater than you can purchase the munitions as well, with the caveat that they will not be used in the US or territorial waters.

It's definitely one of the things I think some polish could be applied to. It has a very dart board selection process feel to it.

not really as 99% of the private citizen lack the multiple millions of credits to buy one. And once purchased it WILL be registered and tracked. Remember based on the reward that the Empire was offering for the defector pilot in R1 was only around 600 credits. So that says something about the economy.

Basically, only companies or governments would normally have the money to buy them and both would be using them for defense and expect them armed.

Unrestricted does not immediately not legal to own (or to own without proper licensing)

and Restricted does not mean illegal or only with proper licensing

There is also a measure of commonality beyond what is directly measured by the item rarity.

For example, a CNC lathe is 100% legal to own, but almost entirely non-existent on the open market (unless you buy a new one from the manufacturer) and unless you "know a guy" that happens to know someone who is selling one, it is not normally something that you can go to the local junk dealer, pawn shop, or second-hand store to get. Even buying from the manufacturer is likely to have a 3 to 6 month lead time (which includes the bank loan).

1% of the population buying warships doesn't make sense either.

Sorry a few questions that are relatively linked together

Restricted, pretty much another term for illegal but how does this work for characters already with these items, for instance if i go walking down the street with a loaded bazooka I can expect cops to show up in force rather quickly and arrest me for having a dangerous illegal weapon.

Would there be any correlation to the gameplay in the star wars universe, if a character walked down a street with a Missile Tube on a core world should a GM pay much attention to it and send a number of troopers? or should the GM ignore it so PCs can continue with their story?

also apparently "Armored Robes" are "Highly illegal on any Imperial world" would that also count for things like "Jedi Battle armor" and "Jedi Temple Guard Armor"?

Finally, any tips for GMs who want to have PCs have a run in with the law?

To answer your question, yes there should be a significant narrative aspect to carrying military grade firepower down the streets in the Star Wars Universe. As you noted, in the US, carrying a live and loaded rocket launcher will get you arrested and yet the US has some of the most permissive weapons laws in the world. Now consider what would happen to you if you did the same in Nazi Germany.

Sorry a few questions that are relatively linked together

Restricted, pretty much another term for illegal but how does this work for characters already with these items, for instance if i go walking down the street with a loaded bazooka I can expect cops to show up in force rather quickly and arrest me for having a dangerous illegal weapon.

Would there be any correlation to the gameplay in the star wars universe, if a character walked down a street with a Missile Tube on a core world should a GM pay much attention to it and send a number of troopers? or should the GM ignore it so PCs can continue with their story?

also apparently "Armored Robes" are "Highly illegal on any Imperial world" would that also count for things like "Jedi Battle armor" and "Jedi Temple Guard Armor"?

Finally, any tips for GMs who want to have PCs have a run in with the law?

To answer your question, yes there should be a significant narrative aspect to carrying military grade firepower down the streets in the Star Wars Universe. As you noted, in the US, carrying a live and loaded rocket launcher will get you arrested and yet the US has some of the most permissive weapons laws in the world. Now consider what would happen to you if you did the same in Nazi Germany.

I think this is one of the best answers, especially as the Empire was based off of the Nazis and the Soviets.

If you wouldn't do it in the Soviet Union, then you really shouldn't do it on the Imperial-occupied planet you just landed on.

Another point to consider is whether or not bystanders will call law enforcement.

One of the ways I distinguish Core Worlds from Outer RIm worlds is that in the Core, people actually call the police.

If the characters walk down the street with a rocket launcher then someone will cause the cops on them.

On a RIm world, no-one calls the cops (mostly, there are always exceptions). If a LEO happens to spot the PCs then they'll come and investigate, but if the characters avoid the patrols then they will probably be OK.

The way I use the "Restricted" tag for gear is that if the item is spotted then law enforcement will hassle the PC.

I'm talking about buying fully armed cruisers with dozens of intact turbolasers being legal and buying one unmounted turbolaser being Restricted. That's just nonsensical.

One of my players spotted a similar incongruity with a couple of pieces of equipment. I can't remember what they were; but basically item X was restricted while item Y, which specifically called out being able to do everything that item X could do and more, was not.

I'm talking about buying fully armed cruisers with dozens of intact turbolasers being legal and buying one unmounted turbolaser being Restricted. That's just nonsensical.

One of my players spotted a similar incongruity with a couple of pieces of equipment. I can't remember what they were; but basically item X was restricted while item Y, which specifically called out being able to do everything that item X could do and more, was not.

Consider that there are real world examples of such. But I would probably house rule it.

Technically the cruisers ARE restricted when carrying the turbolasers. Imagine a Corellian Corvette stripped of its restricted weaponry and made into a passenger liner. It would no longer be restricted, but if you had made a blanket restriction on the class of ship it would still be. You could also have a previously restricted snubfighter that has had its proton torpedo launcher removed. Now that it is a lightly armed fighter, it is no longer restricted.

Consider that restricted means typically illegal for anyone not part of the government. There could of course be a lower level of registration for less controlled items. The Corellian Corvette sans turbolasers or the Snubfighter with only laser cannons would still need to be licensed and registered. But, they aren't generally restricted.

Except the rules do not state that. When I want to buy a Gozanti, it is not Restricted despite the fact that it comes with a fully loaded Proton Torpedo Launcher.

Imperials and Law Enforcement are always on the look out to pull people over and check ID and if they have any law breaking gear, My Polus Massin Doctor has only had her medical pack looked through twice or was it once.

Maybe, maybe not. Many of them are far less zealous and only do what they have to to earn their paycheck. The trick is learning which types you're dealing with.

Pretty much this. They're human too, and will act accordingly. A beat cop at the end of his shift that just wants to go home and knock one back might tell a PC to stow that blaster back on their ship, and they'll let it slide. A new recruit who feels he's got something to prove might apply the law to the letter. Of course, the former kinda depends on the severity of the crime. A blaster pistol might not be a big deal if the PC decides to leave it at their ship, while a missile tube might be harder to let slide with a slap on the wrist. That's where corruption might come into play.

So to the OP, yes there should be a legal response to walking around with a missile tube in the Core Worlds. As to the nature of that response, it can run the gamut from crooked cops seeing an opportunity to line their pockets to a platoon of stormtroopers bearing down on the PCs (assuming stormtroopers are actually used in a law-enforcement role). It provides a challenge for the players to overcome, either through wit or force, and can provide a GM with some hooks for when ideas become rare.

As for already owning a Restricted item, that doesn't mean it suddenly ceases to be restricted. The rules are pretty general though, IMO. An E-11 blaster is probably illegal for private persons to own wherever the Empire holds sway, but who's gonna bother you about it in Hutt space? Heck, no one will probably care that you're packing a missile tube in Hutt space either, unless they perceive you as a threat that is (or just want to stay the hell out of your way).

I'd consider a few things, like where the PCs are and the actual gun laws there. Some worlds are very Wild West, and everyone and their granny has a blaster. Some worlds might allow commercially available sidearms, and anyone packing anything heavier would need proper paperwork. Some still might totally forbid firearms in the hands of private citizens, regardless of papers (might be something you want to take to the local Imperial representative). The rules being what they are, a lot of it falls to the GM I feel, and they as always have final say in anything related to their table.

Corrupt security or obligation issues could cause a player to be stripped of any weapon permits.

One player has a bounty from a particular criminal group that runs the spaceport they docked at (surprise!). They checked them for any kind of weapons to make sure there was no trouble.

Imperials and Law Enforcement are always on the look out to pull people over and check ID and if they have any law breaking gear, My Polus Massin Doctor has only had her medical pack looked through twice or was it once.

Maybe, maybe not. Many of them are far less zealous and only do what they have to to earn their paycheck. The trick is learning which types you're dealing with.

True.