Question for other AOR GMs: besides the Duty mechanic and Contribution threshold rewards , how do you handle your players getting the resources / opportunities to acquire new gear?

This applies from mundane stuff (backpacks, frags, reloads) to major items (weapon / armor / starship attachments, high price weaponry, etc). The galaxy of sourcebooks and supplements provides a deep pool of cool gear that players would want. But how do rebel players - who don't get "paid for the job" like 'Edge crews - get the credits to even try a roll to find an item on their wishlist? Or get the credits to pay for a modification to an attachment that they somehow acquire. The "feel" of an AOR campaign is that of a ragtag insurgency cobbling together what they can to fight the Empire. BUT, we see rebel / resistance troops in movies, TV shows, etc that are uniformly equipped and armed.

(1) Do you establish a "per diem" that they get paid by the Rebellion by session or mission, allowing them to purchase equipment on the open market? If so, what is that pay scale? Does it increase as the characters go up in Contribution ?

(2) Do you allow them to "sign out" equipment from a base or starship quartermaster / supply room / arms room? If so, how is that limited? (rarity, cost, do they have to return it)

(3) Of course, I recognize the "loot the stormtroopers for their stuff" option, ala a certain fantasy RPG that's been around for decades, but that limits them to Imperial gear.

(4) other options ?

Typically, I pay them 100xContributionx2 per session, but most of it comes down to requisitions or side jobs/rewards. Sometimes they might just happen to find that particular piece of equipment they've been looking for in the possession of an Imperial Bounty Hunter (or some other way of dropping some loot on them).

In the event of requisitions, it depends. A weapon is probably going to be long-term, other equipment might be on loan for particular missions. Particularly the more expensive, more specialized equipment. I don't necessarily limit cost/rarity, but they are a useful guide for how likely they are to grant your request.

There are three ways that the PC's in my AoR campaign acquire gear.

1. Kill somebody and take their stuff. (My group LOVE the E-11 carbines and pick those up whenever possible). (They also pick up the occasional red light sabers from inquisitors in this way too).
2. Fill out a requisition form when they're on base and receive mission essential gear (as available). [NO you can't have another Thermal Detonator]!!!
3. Buy it when they're on the environment, while on mission. [Thermal Detonators? I might know somebody . . .]

47 minutes ago, Mark Caliber said:

There are three ways that the PC's in my AoR campaign acquire gear.

1. Kill somebody and take their stuff. (My group LOVE the E-11 carbines and pick those up whenever possible). (They also pick up the occasional red light sabers from inquisitors in this way too).
2. Fill out a requisition form when they're on base and receive mission essential gear (as available). [NO you can't have another Thermal Detonator]!!!
3. Buy it when they're on the environment, while on mission. [Thermal Detonators? I might know somebody . . .]

Where do the get the credits for #3 ? That's the core issue we are wrestling with. Do you afford them a payscale from the Rebel Alliance per session, per mission, etc ?

1 hour ago, Khyrith said:

Where do the get the credits for #3 ? That's the core issue we are wrestling with. Do you afford them a payscale from the Rebel Alliance per session, per mission, etc ?

I don’t have a standard that I stick with, but in my imperial campaign, I sometimes give out credits with xp. Something like: “Payday! 20 xp and 500 credits, everybody!”

12 minutes ago, Edgehawk said:

“Payday! 20 xp and 500 credits, everybody!”

Is that canon?

2 hours ago, Khyrith said:

Where do the get the credits for #3 ? That's the core issue we are wrestling with. Do you afford them a payscale from the Rebel Alliance per session, per mission, etc ?

See above #1 . . .

Okay seriously.

SOG Team DC-01 has a cover/front of running a merchant ship. So they actually handle a pretty good shipping enterprise and are turning a nice profit occasionally. So they rarely hurt for money.

And some missions require them to get extra funds and they'll requisition those too. For instance they were asked to purchase $ 4,000,000 worth of industrial cooking machinery for a corporate espionage gig that they helped with and the PC's negotiated such a favorable deal with the client that the Alliance decided to bankroll the acquisition.

So now the Rebel Alliance is covering a 50% Profit Margin with an ROI of 25% to provide the Empire with Emergency Rations . . . Money Well spent, No?

Additionally one of the characters is a cheating force sensitive Sabacc player and if you hand her a pile of credits, she can generally double it in two days.

22 hours ago, P-47 Thunderbolt said:

Typically, I pay them 100xContributionx2 per session, but most of it comes down to requisitions or side jobs/rewards. Sometimes they might just happen to find that particular piece of equipment they've been looking for in the possession of an Imperial Bounty Hunter (or some other way of dropping some loot on them).

In the event of requisitions, it depends. A weapon is probably going to be long-term, other equipment might be on loan for particular missions. Particularly the more expensive, more specialized equipment. I don't necessarily limit cost/rarity, but they are a useful guide for how likely they are to grant your request.

I like the Contribution x200 (simplified the equation) per session. Encourages them to look for ways within the plot to raise their Duty level (for reasons other than getting a couple of Wounds pts). And it doesn't totally nerf the Talents (e.g. Sound Investments) that allow characters to earn credits per session.

1 hour ago, Khyrith said:

I like the Contribution x200 (simplified the equation) per session.

Whoops. Somehow I missed that. That's embarrassing. I think it was probably because I tacked on the x2 almost as an afterthought when I was figuring out the scheme a while ago.

My players are a part of an upper echelon, but mostly independent and self-sustaining operational intelligence cell. They are aren't uniformed military and are, effectively, irregulars. They get occasional "big-ticket item" support, but mostly they are supported with credits. Most of their operations are supposed to be deniable so they don't want to use "standard" rebel gear very often, anyways. As a result they prefer to obtain most of their gear the "old fashioned way." they steal it from the Empire. Or, less romantically, buy it from criminal contacts they have developed.

Thx for the input. Granting them each a "paycheck" at the end of a mission (# of sessions x Contribution level x 200) will not only give them some $$ to spend on upgrading gear, it will ALSO take some pressure off of ME to grant them Duty rewards JUST so that they can get that "I can get more stuff" itch scratched.

Any other ideas / techniques out there ??

Side Note also for AOR groups. I am so far NOT inclined to let any PCs without AOR careers (a) have a Duty and therefore (b) increase the party Contribution level. Ex: I have a player who elected to be a Performer / Force Sensitive Emergent knowing that this was going to be an AOR "all against the evil Empire" campaign. Withholding Duty is my subtle way of encouraging that PC to "put a little skin in the game" by spending some XP on an AOR career, even if its just the "Recruit" universal spec.

So, I will probably grant him HALF of that per-session paycheck. "The Rebellion is appreciative of your assistance; but we do not pay mercenaries the same way we pay those who have taken an oath to join us."

I don't see why they couldn't be a fully fledged member of the alliance who just has a different set of skills. (Within reason) I generally allow my players to pick whatever career/spec they want, as long as it isn't a misfit (i.e. Colonist: Politico on a frontline combat unit), and then the backstory determines whether or not they are a part of the alliance proper, vs. just a merc or someone who got roped into being along for the ride. For example, Marauder is an unreplicated tree for just straight hand-to-hand combat prowess. If a rebel PC wanted to start with Marauder, I would let them use Duty and have all the benefits (and drawbacks) of being a fully-fledged rebel. This is also a two-way street: Someone could pick an AoR career and want to play as a merc. Bottom line, the name of the tree isn't important, only what the PC does with the tree.

This is not to say that what you're doing is wrong, it's just my two cents on the concept in general. If it's what you prefer and the players are fine with it, by all means do your thing.

There's a lot of good options above

I'd say leverage the angle that plays up the nature of your rebel squad.
- They may have to resort to scavenging and requisition forms if they're full-on enlisted
- Profit sharing and pay-days would be appropriate for contract smugglers (and other "unofficial contacts")
- scavenge only could also add a lot of tension if they're a fringe rebel cell group

Plenty of options, I see this as a win-win from a GM perspective to play up your story.

I would let the player ask for Gear they need before they left, and as long as it was reasonable it would be given to them. If it was unreasonable at that point it could come as a duty reward later. For credits my group learned to make money on their own, by making business deal or stealing. They sold alot of E-11s that were only dropped once.

But as this most things do what works best for your game. If you don't want them playing around in business deals or looting bodies so they can sell weapons, then just say they have what they need.

Have you ever see Poe, Finn or Ray pay for anything?