>From: [email removed]
>Subject: Salvage
>
>My players have found and repaired a Type J "Seeker".
...
>My question is this: How to handle the savlage rights?
Recovery of a "lost" ship has always been a favorite plot device for me.
Here's how I have handled salvage rights.
The Imperium recognizes the right of "finders keepers." However, Imperial
law requires the new owners of a ship to assume responsibility for any
burden of debt that may rest with it. Usually, this means the salvagers
must assume or pay off the remaining portion of the purchasing loan. They
are also liable for any other outstanding fees, fines, or liens against the
ship --- up to the current value of the vessel.
In addition, the salvagers must pay a fee to officially re-register the
ship. This fee is typically 10% to 30% of the current value of the craft.
(For a quick percentage, multiply the applicable law level by 2%, then add
10%.) The re-registration can take a while, particularly if there is some
question about the circumstances surrounding the "recovery" of the ship.
(This is a good opportunity for impatient characters to try out their
bribery and/or admin skills, in order to speed the paperwork.)
Note that all this assumes there are no other claimants to the ship. The
fun of protracted litigation is left as an exercise for the creative GM.
For the Seeker in question, there is probably no outstanding loan.
(Seekers are mostly old ships, so it has probably been paid off already.)
The players should be able to pay the re-registration fee and a few bribes,
and walk away with a ship. If they lack the necessary capitol, they can
negotiate a new loan (using the ship as collateral) or submit the ship for
auction. Even with auction and re-registration fees, they should come out
of the deal with something like 40% of the true value of the ship.
If you want to keep then poor, you'll have to rip them off. Sticky legal
problems are the easy out for the GM.
Scott Holter [email removed]
"You humans are so *stupid*!" --alien force commander,
_Plan 9 from Outer Space_