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House Rules · GURPS 4e
Law Levels (System · Planet · Station)
LL 0–6 at three layers — high law means paperwork, not safety; Sol is sealed and still pirated.
Law levels
Game: Orion Corridor — 2277 · Scale: 0–6 (higher = more state, not safer) GM spine: WCP_Website/campaign-authoring/palimpsest/LAW-LEVELS.md
Companion: Gates & inner-system travel
Design goal
Law is layered. Criminals optimize response time and paperwork, not “find LL 0 only.”
Track three numbers per location:
| Layer | Examples |
|---|---|
| System | Navy customs, belt patrol, gate militia |
| Planetary / body | Mars canton, Earth state, Europa courts |
| Station / port | Sump-Nine, Meridian Ring, corp annex |
Use the layer that owns the scene for response. Strikes on approach often use planetary or system LL.
Scale (0–6)
| LL | Label | Player feel |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Lawless | Warlord, dead lane, corp kill box |
| 1 | Patchwork | Fixers are courts; response in days |
| 2 | Rim | Patrol exists; pirates budget a timer |
| 3 | Treaty standard | Default hub — licensed security, boards |
| 4 | Heavy | Scans, seals, awakened paperwork |
| 5 | Police state | Movement licenses, frequent boardings |
| 6 | Sealed | Sol inner — permits, sponsors, wealth gates |
Higher LL = more detection and paperwork, not “no crime.”
Piracy vs law (table)
| LL | If strike is pinged | Typical pirate window |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Maybe never | Until bored |
| 2 | 3d6 hours | Tens of minutes–hours |
| 3 | 3d6×10 min | Minutes–tens of minutes |
| 4–5 | 2d6×5 min in core lanes | Hit-and-run only |
| 6 | Fast if seen; vast blind lanes | Professionals only |
Good pirates finish before ping matters.
Sample locations (2277)
| Place | Sys | Body | Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khesret-Prime | 4 | 4 | 4 Ring / 2 Sump |
| Meridian Gate shell | 4 | — | 3 |
| Sol | 6 | 6 Earth / 5 Mars | 5–6 |
| Rim mining colony | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Dermidine annex | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Same system, different docks — always split station LL.
GURPS hooks
| Situation | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Smuggle at LL 4+ station | Smuggling vs Customs; failure = hold + fine |
| Open carry | Illegal at LL 4+ unless permit |
| Awakened unregistered | +₡ or delay (economy astral surcharge) |
| Sol entry without sponsor | Denied / impound |
GM lines (notifications)
- “Law level is not a force field. It’s a timer and a receipt printer.”
- “Sol is LL 6. Sol still has pirates. Sol has better obituaries.”
- “Station LL 2, system LL 4 — the dock wins until the Navy arrives.”
Player handout: PLAYER-GATES-INNER-TRAVEL-AND-LAW.md