[Whidou]

One of my players went through a cyberware scanner at the entrance of a corporate building, and was asked a licence for his Move-by-Wire system.
Of course, he did not have one. He tried to get in by force, the guard called the cops (NYPD, Inc., we are playing in Manhattan).
He managed to run away but the cops are still looking for him and he might be caught soon.

What would happen if he were to be caught ?
I mean, the NYPD can not get the Move-by-Wire out of him nor let him go freely.
Would they have a doc jam the system up in order to make it useless ?
I guess he would also have to pay a fee or something like this. How much would it be ? 1000¥ ?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[FastJack]

The closest I remember seeing is in Sprawl Sites, way back in the old days (c. 2050).

Smartgun links/Weapon targeting enhancements were 5,000¥ fine
Reflex Enhancements/Vehicle Control Rigs were 20,000¥ fine
Cyberweapons & such were 10 years in jail.

Now, 2050 was VERY different than the current 2073 era (and I ain't just talking about inflation). In this case here's what I'd do if he got caught:

First, he'd get a Criminal SIN. So, he automatically gets that Negative quality (it's up to you whether to give him Karma for that, but I'm a bastard and wouldn't). With the Criminal SIN, he gets entered into the database, with a complete listing of all his augmentations and DNA samples.

The basis of the punishment, I'd hand out based on what level of Move-By-Wire he has. It all comes to the Availability/Restriction. If it's only Restricted, then I'd give him a fine (500¥ * Availability rating). This makes a Rating 2 Move-By-Wire a 9,000¥ fine. If it's Forbidden, then we're talking possible Jail Time. I'd give him the choice of either 1,000¥*Availability or [Availability] Months in jail. So, Rating 3 MBW would be either 25,000¥ or 25 months in jail.

Again, depending on the Legality of the system, he'd either walk away with it still installed minus the fine and a newly purchased license (Restricted) or they may just take him to the operating table to remove it from his body (after all, Forbidden means that he is NOT allowed to possess it--at all).

[Zilfer]

^Talk about a splitting head ache.

[Whidou]

Thanks a lot !
Since he has a rating 2 Move-by-Wire, I think I will just have him pay both the fine and the operation (which should already be too expensive for him, so it might get interesting :p ).

[FastJack]

^Talk about a splitting head ache.

What can I say? I'm a Mathematician (BA-1996).

[FastJack]

Thanks a lot !
Since he has a rating 2 Move-by-Wire, I think I will just have him pay both the fine and the operation (which should already be too expensive for him, so it might get interesting :p ).

Well, the rating 2 is only Restricted, so they might not forcibly remove it since it is allowable to own it. However, if they catch him in the middle of another crime...

[Charybdis]

Thanks a lot !
Since he has a rating 2 Move-by-Wire, I think I will just have him pay both the fine and the operation (which should already be too expensive for him, so it might get interesting :p ).

Well, the rating 2 is only Restricted, so they might not forcibly remove it since it is allowable to own it. However, if they catch him in the middle of another crime...

What FastJack said (and +1 for it).

Also, have to consider not just being caught with it, but how much he resisted.

If you just surrender and play nice, then cop the Criminal SIN, pay the fine (for restricted gear) and move on.
If the PC decked a few security officers (or Cops! o.O) then Assault gets added to the charges, and depending on the level of bruising/stitches/broken bones inflicted, the PC is looking at more fines and/or Jail time.

I have had one PC get retired as he fought off local security with his monowhip and was captured. Due to his cocky state about the issue (both the PC and the Player), PC was forcibly removed from situation by SWAT, placed in Cyber-inhibitors to dfeal with other Augments, given a Criminal SIN and thrown into Lockup to await trial.... in at least a month.

Other PC's decided to let him rot and moved over to new Fake SINS to avoid revenge.
Player: Aren't you guys going to come and rescue me?
Others: Dude, you chopped up cops with a monowhip, in a Shopping Mall! It was live on twenty different channels! We don't know you...

[Zilfer]

^Talk about a splitting head ache.

What can I say? I'm a Mathematician (BA-1996).

Very nice, though that's not what I was talking about. I was talking about the removal of Cyberware. xD

Your match skills are very good as well. I bet you were just like me in classes, where the teacher didn't believe you could do most of the math in your head. xD darn teachers.

[Whidou]

Well, the rating 2 is only Restricted, so they might not forcibly remove it since it is allowable to own it. However, if they catch him in the middle of another crime...

Well, it is allowed but I don't think he can just "buy" a license just like that, I suppose there are requirements like being in the special forces for example.
As for other crimes : he ran away from the NYPD, travelled in Manhattan without his SIN displayed and later killed the bodyguards of Horizon's Head of Corporate Personal Security.
Hopefully for him, there was only one witness for the latter, who did not have anything to record the character's face.

[beowulf_of_wa]

i've had characters get caught and while i was nice enough to let them keep it, they paid a fine (spendy) and bought a license (at double the fine). by only requiring financial and not removing it, the player wasn't upset enough to trash the character, but damn he couldn't buy any toys for a while, or barely food. total came to about 100k

[JoeNapalm]

Well, it is allowed but I don't think he can just "buy" a license just like that, I suppose there are requirements like being in the special forces for example.

Of course you can.

Or did you mean a real license? Cause a forged one is a lot cheaper, and they don't ask nearly so many awkward questions. 

JoeNapalm's Guide to Dealing with Awkward Questions while Buying a Forged License, Vol. I:

Forger: "Why do you need it?"

Forgee: "Why you asking me so many frakkin' questions?!"

~ The End ~

-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist

[Whidou]

Of course you can.

Or did you mean a real license? Cause a forged one is a lot cheaper, and they don't ask nearly so many awkward questions. 

I highly doubt the cops will let him buy a fake licence while in custody. 

[beowulf_of_wa]

like i said, i was nice,, expensive but nice.

[baronspam]

Follow up question for GMs out there.  How many licenses do you require characters to get.  I have always treated it as a permit to have the type of item in question, so one for firearms, one for cybeware, etc.  You don't need one for your pistol, one for your SMG, one for each implant, etc.   Is this the standard approach or does it get more detailed that that?

[Charybdis]

Follow up question for GMs out there.  How many licenses do you require characters to get.  I have always treated it as a permit to have the type of item in question, so one for firearms, one for cybeware, etc.  You don't need one for your pistol, one for your SMG, one for each implant, etc.   Is this the standard approach or does it get more detailed that that?

I require a paid license for every Restricted item (but I'm a bit strict).

IRL, you need to get a gun license, and then register each and every firearm you own

In my games, if you think you can just talk your way out of all that illegal ware, you need to either:
- Have a fast-talk skill smoother than velvet polished on a baby's butt
- A license for everything
- A hacker jury-rigging the cops' equipment
- Some Combination of the above....

Most of my PC's choose to hide the illegal stuff (keep the assault rifles in the smuggler's compartment, people. Wait until we get out of the cuty before getting that stuff out, please!

Or they cough up a license for it (attached to each SIN).

It sometimes makes it expensive for the Street Sam, however it all depends on what you get caught with (standard cops can't detect a Suprathyroid bioware, for example)