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Martian Law!

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Tue, 2012-09-25 13:53

uwtartarus uwtartarus's picture

Martian Law!

*insert Sealab 2021 reference* So I am about to run a campaign in the Martian wilds (not the five city-states) for a party that is... fairly cavalier. They are also planning to stay as well-armed as possible, etc. So my inquiry is mostly on the laws of the Martian outlands. I know that the only real police are the Martian Rangers, who are either good guys or bad guys, which is cool, and obviously the larger settlements will have volunteer militia or some sort of local deputy depending on the politics (Independent settlements will go for the former, while corporate-aligned will go with the latter), and I assume that the major settlements built along the railways will be whatever corporate outfit the rail companies want to pay to police their settlements. But what exactly is legal? Is it truly the wild west? Can folks roam the partially-terraformed plains, deserts, and valleys with plasma rifles and thermobaric grenades? How secure are the trains going to be? How thoroughly are they searched when entering the dome cities? On a related note, system-wide, how often are people Brain Scanned? And do Psi-traits show up on Brain Scans? Thanks for any input at all, I know that it is probably vague to allow for some flexibility for gamemasters but I don't know which way to lean exactly, and definitely enjoy learning more about the setting functions, or could function.

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Exhuman, and Humanitarian.

Tue, 2012-09-25 15:05

Jaberwo

I would say it depends

I would say it depends heavily on how much the criminal activities hurt the hypercorporation's interests. If you go an raid independent farming oder minig outposts, they won't care. But a train robbery is probably more serious.

Tue, 2012-09-25 15:11

Gnothi_Sauton Gnothi_Sauton's picture

In my campaign it is a mix of

In my campaign it is a mix of "arabic desert" and "wild west". It is easy to apply. If they screw up to bad you could always send the Rangers after them.

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Tue, 2012-09-25 15:21

uwtartarus uwtartarus's picture

Jaberwo wrote:I would say it

Jaberwo wrote:
I would say it depends heavily on how much the criminal activities hurt the hypercorporation's interests. If you go an raid independent farming oder minig outposts, they won't care. But a train robbery is probably more serious.

Ah, so in Hypercorp towns, they'll probably flag the plasma rifle carrying "civilians" as potential trouble, if not have someone come out and talk to them. But those tin-can habitats in the remote regions (where the Movement is based) they will probably just be like a Wild West setting. I imagine that entering the cities is probably a bit like in that weird sci-fi movie, [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_46]Code 46[/url].

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Exhuman, and Humanitarian.

Tue, 2012-09-25 15:24

uwtartarus uwtartarus's picture

Gnothi_Sauton wrote:In my

Gnothi_Sauton wrote:
In my campaign it is a mix of "arabic desert" and "wild west". It is easy to apply. If they screw up to bad you could always send the Rangers after them.

Yeah, they mention local gangs like the Dalton Boys, which reminded me of the Hatfield's and McCoy's, so I combined that with the background on how many of the first gen martians are North African and French mixed, so I got the Pierre's v. Hussains, which I suspect is inaccurate, as North African Islamic families are probably much different than Mesopotamian Islamic, but its the future, so I won't fret too much. Martian Rangers are probably the least of their worries, one of the characters has Black Mark (level 3) with the Ultimates. So all he has to do is get too much screen time, and any local Ultimates will be hounding them for his stack.

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Exhuman, and Humanitarian.

Tue, 2012-09-25 15:34

Libertad

In Sunward. In the wild

In Sunward. In the wild ranges between the cities, there are safety stations. They're like miniature domes with their own atmosphere, air supply, and water. YOU DO NOT SCREW AROUND WITH THE SAFETY STATIONS! These places are so precious that trying to destroy or seize them will be met with extreme force from the nearby communities. The Hypercorps do seem to have a presence in the rural regions, but they rarely interfere. Oftentimes people in hypercorp-owned territory will be forcefully resettled due to new terraforming prospects, or have to clear out when the terraforming results in freak weather. But other than that, the Martians won't interact much with hypercorp forces aside from the Rangers. In many ways, the hypercorps are the kind of entity which takes and makes demands yet promises little in return. They couldn't care less about a lot of Barsoomians unless their activities can negatively impact them. All the more reason that our Autonomist brethren should support the Anti-Hypercapitalist segments of the Barsoomians.

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[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m65pmc5Pvh1r0iehwo6_r1_400.jpg[/img] [img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/Erdrick/anarc_userbar.jpg[/img] "Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it." ~George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950

Tue, 2012-09-25 15:55

uwtartarus uwtartarus's picture

Libertad wrote:In Sunward.

Libertad wrote:
In Sunward. In the wild ranges between the cities, there are safety stations. They're like miniature domes with their own atmosphere, air supply, and water. YOU DO NOT SCREW AROUND WITH THE SAFETY STATIONS! These places are so precious that trying to destroy or seize them will be met with extreme force from the nearby communities. The Hypercorps do seem to have a presence in the rural regions, but they rarely interfere. Oftentimes people in hypercorp-owned territory will be forcefully resettled due to new terraforming prospects, or have to clear out when the terraforming results in freak weather. But other than that, the Martians won't interact much with hypercorp forces aside from the Rangers. In many ways, the hypercorps are the kind of entity which takes and makes demands yet promises little in return. They couldn't care less about a lot of Barsoomians unless their activities can negatively impact them. All the more reason that our Autonomist brethren should support the Anti-Hypercapitalist segments of the Barsoomians.

Definitely, the eco-stations remind me of the prequel stuff in Dune on Arrakis where they had terraforming stations you could hide out in. I don't expect the characters to mess with those, I am just curious about how much they need to leave in a cache if they want to enter the dome cities, or if they will get searched before boarding the trains, but I imagine that it would depend on the train, as they would have robot security minimal, if not Ultimates and Reaper morph security on the important train routes. I enjoy getting other people's thoughts and perspective on this stuff. It helps me grok the setting better.

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Exhuman, and Humanitarian.

Tue, 2012-09-25 17:43

Tyrnis

I tend to go with the

I tend to go with the assumption that the wilds of Mars are very much like the old west. The hypercorps and the Martian authorities keep security when it suits them, but by and large, people can carry whatever weapons they want and get away with a lot so long as they stay low key. Start becoming a significant problem, though, and the authorities can step in quickly and harshly...and heaven help someone who tried to establish city-states that were overtly outside of PC control -- sad, really, that they didn't evacuate before the scheduled combat impact. Of course they were warned, we have the documentation right here... The trains are probably lightly secured -- easily able to be robbed by a group of players at least once. That's going to quickly move them up on the PCs most wanted list, however. As for entering the dome cities, they are very much going to be searched before coming in unless they get themselves smuggled inside. Illegal weapons would likely be confiscated, and something like a plasma rifle or grenades wouldn't be returned and could result in arrest without proper licensing (other, less military grade weapons, would probably just take some paperwork and/or fines to have returned upon departure.)

Tue, 2012-09-25 18:29

uwtartarus uwtartarus's picture

Tyrnis wrote:I tend to go

Tyrnis wrote:
I tend to go with the assumption that the wilds of Mars are very much like the old west. The hypercorps and the Martian authorities keep security when it suits them, but by and large, people can carry whatever weapons they want and get away with a lot so long as they stay low key. Start becoming a significant problem, though, and the authorities can step in quickly and harshly...and heaven help someone who tried to establish city-states that were overtly outside of PC control -- sad, really, that they didn't evacuate before the scheduled combat impact. Of course they were warned, we have the documentation right here... The trains are probably lightly secured -- easily able to be robbed by a group of players at least once. That's going to quickly move them up on the PCs most wanted list, however. As for entering the dome cities, they are very much going to be searched before coming in unless they get themselves smuggled inside. Illegal weapons would likely be confiscated, and something like a plasma rifle or grenades wouldn't be returned and could result in arrest without proper licensing (other, less military grade weapons, would probably just take some paperwork and/or fines to have returned upon departure.)

That's what I am thinking. My concern is to figure out what exactly is illegal, for instance, I don't think wearing combat armor or carrying a pistol will get the characters in much trouble, but a Hoplite suit, dissembler nano-hive, or plasma rifles, railguns, and thermobaric grenades are likely not going to get past the front door. But I couldn't find any specifics on what is or isn't legal, so is it just up to the GM to establish how strict the law is? EDIT: In the dome cities, I presume that they can be a small army unit in the wilds, and if they cause trouble than ego-hunters and security forces (like merc-Ultimates or Martian Rangers) will come on by, wild west and all. It's just what is allowed in the city that puzzles me. I know Mars isn't as paranoid as Luna, but they can't be nearly as laissez-faire as anarchist habitats like Locus (no WMD, but that's it) or the wilds of Mars.

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Exhuman, and Humanitarian.

Tue, 2012-09-25 20:15

#10

Tyrnis

uwtartarus wrote:

uwtartarus wrote:
That's what I am thinking. My concern is to figure out what exactly is illegal, for instance, I don't think wearing combat armor or carrying a pistol will get the characters in much trouble, but a Hoplite suit, dissembler nano-hive, or plasma rifles, railguns, and thermobaric grenades are likely not going to get past the front door. But I couldn't find any specifics on what is or isn't legal, so is it just up to the GM to establish how strict the law is? EDIT: In the dome cities, I presume that they can be a small army unit in the wilds, and if they cause trouble than ego-hunters and security forces (like merc-Ultimates or Martian Rangers) will come on by, wild west and all. It's just what is allowed in the city that puzzles me. I know Mars isn't as paranoid as Luna, but they can't be nearly as laissez-faire as anarchist habitats like Locus (no WMD, but that's it) or the wilds of Mars.

It is up to the GM, yes. I tend to base Martian law off of US law for my own games, but make it more restrictive on weapon ownership and usage. Stunners are completely legal, while microwave agonizers tend to be more restricted (require a permit and safety training), since they've got the burn setting. Non-military weapons (pistols, some rifles) are legal to own, but must be registered with the local government and generally can't be carried in a ready to fire state unless the individual is in a job where they've got hypercorp or government licensing (Martian Rangers and other law enforcement, like US police, are always allowed to carry a sidearm, even when they're off duty.) Grenades, micromissiles, plasma rifles, and other military-grade weaponry are outright illegal outside of government/hypercorp hands. The lighter body armors are legal to own and use (basically up to vacsuit), but light combat armor or heavier is generally not available on the civilian market, and you'll get arrested if you're wearing it publicly (again, assuming you're not in hypercorp or government employment where its usage is authorized.) The right connections and sufficient credits CAN buy you the appropriate licensing for just about anything, although the hypercorps are very careful about this, since it reflects badly on them and potentially subjects them to liability if a licensed user goes on a shooting spree.

Wed, 2012-09-26 04:12

#11

Gnothi_Sauton Gnothi_Sauton's picture

Another angle here is that

Another angle here is that the PC probably wouldn't mind someone running around in the wild hunting TITAN remnants. Ranger: And just why do you guys run around in the middle of the wild with plasma rifles and grenades? Character: We are hunting down TITAN war machines. I have a personal vendetta with them... Ranger: "Yeah, right, sure you do. Don't we all... Ok, here is what I'm going to do; I will delete this XP of mine, as I assume you will do. This meeting never happened. OK? In case you run into trouble, and you will, don't call us. You guys are on your own from here. Character:Thank you Sir! I asure you we will be of no trouble. Lads, let's go. The Ranger watches them as they disappear behind the dunes. Ranger: F*cking nutcases...

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Wed, 2012-09-26 04:50

#12

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture

While there is likely little

While there is likely little law per se, there are likely rules. The outback is home to people, and they invent social norms. Especially the nomads will have well-developed do's and dont's. Some are fairly straightforward, like hospitality and helping people in trouble. Others, like dealing with conflicts, might be rather clannish. When it comes to weapons and equipment I think the rules are more about how you use them than what they are. Some are simple politeness rules: you leave the weapons at the door. If you are crazy you should not have weapons. If you threaten people, you threaten the clan. There might be issues of sharing too. If the PCs have useful equipment others may ask them for help - after all, if they have a CM, why can't they make the community a few useful things? Being stingy is not good for your rep.

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Wed, 2012-09-26 10:56

#13

uwtartarus uwtartarus's picture

Gnothi_Sauton wrote:Another

Gnothi_Sauton wrote:
Another angle here is that the PC probably wouldn't mind someone running around in the wild hunting TITAN remnants. Ranger: And just why do you guys run around in the middle of the wild with plasma rifles and grenades? Character: We are hunting down TITAN war machines. I have a personal vendetta with them... Ranger: "Yeah, right, sure you do. Don't we all... Ok, here is what I'm going to do; I will delete this XP of mine, as I assume you will do. This meeting never happened. OK? In case you run into trouble, and you will, don't call us. You guys are on your own from here. Character:Thank you Sir! I asure you we will be of no trouble. Lads, let's go. The Ranger watches them as they disappear behind the dunes. Ranger: F*cking nutcases...

Haha, that is a good angle too.

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Exhuman, and Humanitarian.

Wed, 2012-09-26 10:59

#14

uwtartarus uwtartarus's picture

Arenamontanus wrote:While

Arenamontanus wrote:
While there is likely little law per se, there are likely rules. The outback is home to people, and they invent social norms. Especially the nomads will have well-developed do's and dont's. Some are fairly straightforward, like hospitality and helping people in trouble. Others, like dealing with conflicts, might be rather clannish. When it comes to weapons and equipment I think the rules are more about how you use them than what they are. Some are simple politeness rules: you leave the weapons at the door. If you are crazy you should not have weapons. If you threaten people, you threaten the clan. There might be issues of sharing too. If the PCs have useful equipment others may ask them for help - after all, if they have a CM, why can't they make the community a few useful things? Being stingy is not good for your rep.

Definitely, especially as I expect them to have jail-broken some sort of fabricator, so they will probably be sought out for DRM-free fabricating.

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Exhuman, and Humanitarian.

Mon, 2012-10-01 15:53

#15

nezumi.hebereke nezumi.hebereke's picture

I expect the Consortium

I expect the Consortium claims all of Mars as belonging to them, and therefore the full Consortium law book "applies". However, most people out in the dunes aren't likely to care much. The rangers have all of the laws available at their fingertips, but their interest is either in personal wealth, or in keeping the peace, and neither of those likely jive with enforcing things like compliance with software licensing. In outposts, it's whatever that outpost chooses to, and can enforce. They can't be too pushy or the Consortium will squash them. They can't be too weak or the PCs will stomp them.