Light Freighter Modifications

by Johannes M. Bowers


A wise man once said "There's no such thing as a 'stock' light freighter, boy." And they were right in more ways than one.

Here is a quick method of altering the stats for your campaign's freighter fleets, to reflect the fact that everyone who has ever owned one of these puppies has tweaked and messed with it. Unless you are literally buying off the showroom floor, you are as likely as not going to have something here modified.

Note that these rules were originally designed under the First Edition rules, about a week after the First Edition rulebook came out, well before the Tramp Freighters Guide.

There are six primary characteristics that are Performance/Survival oriented modifications, these are:

  1. Hyperdrive
  2. Maneuverability
  3. Sublight Speed
  4. Hull
  5. Shields
  6. Weapons

Conveniently, this allows you to roll a D6 to determine the number of systems that have been modified and which ones. After you determine how many items have been tweaked, you roll again to determine the degree of modification.

The following table was based off of the YT-1300. Use the "rate" of progression to adjust for other models or ships. A fighter-specific chart will be developed separately.

Modification Level
System 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Hyperdrive x2 x1.75 x1.5 x1.25 x1 x0.75 x0.5
Maneuver 0D 1D 1D+2 2D 2D+2 3D 3D+2
Speed 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Hull 4D 4D+1 4D+2 5D 5D+1 5D+2 6D
Shields 0D 1D 1D+2 2D 2D+2 3D 3D+2
Weapons 1 Laser (FC 2D, Dmg 4D) 1 Twin Laser (FC 2D, Dmg 5D) 2 Lasers (FC 2D, Dmg 4D) 2 Twin Lasers (FC 2D, Dmg 5D) 2 Twin Lasers (FC 2D, Dmg 5D); 1 Launcher (FC 1D, Dmg 8D) 1 Quad Laser (FC 3D, Dmg 6D); 1 Launcher (FC 2D, Dmg 8D) 2 Quad Lasers (FC 3D, Dmg 6D); 2 Launchers (FC 3D, Dmg 9D)

Now, here comes the fun part of this (for the GM), the price to be paid for the above "gravy."

  • For EACH modification of Level 1 or 2, add 1,000 credits to the PC's starting debt.
  • For EACH modification of Level 3 or 4, add 5,000 credits to the PC's starting debt.
  • For EACH modification of Level 5, add 10,000 credits debt, and one outstanding Imperial Warrant on the ship.
  • For EACH modification of Level 6, add 25,000 credits debt and two outstanding Imperial Warrants on the ship.

The outstanding Imperial Warrants reflect either previous violations involving that ship, or the raw illegality of the degree of modification. If you are not playing an Imperial Era campaign, The Old Republic, NR, CSA, or Imperial Remnant will do just fine.

As an example, the Millenium Falcon, in the hands of a "new" owner would be saddled with:

Rolled Mods (6)       + 25,000 cr base used cost
Hyperdrive (6)       25,000 + 2 Warrants
Maneuver (3)       5,000
Speed (5)       10,000 + 1 Warrant
Hull (6)       25,000 + 2 Warrants
Shields (3)       5,000
Weapons (6)       25,000 + 2 Warrants

Total: 120,000 debt and 7 outstanding warrants on the ship itself (not counting the crew).

Now compare this to the accounted debt of Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt (for those of you who still have the Rulebook with that bit of FLUFF in it.)


The modification costs for the above for a "From the Factory Floor" model are QUADRUPLED. (each Level 1-2 = 4,000 cr; each Level 3-4 = 20,000 cr; each Level 5 = 40,000 cr; each Level 6 = 100,000 cr)

Build the Falcon NEW and you are talking 460,000 Credits (and STILL the Warrants, or the added cost of bribing your way through the BoSS).


FULONGAMER
aka
Johannes M. Bowers



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