Mongoose 2300AD: A Game Idea I need help with

[Hopeless]

Well I've posted this in other discussion forums but knowing frankly not enough about the Traveller 2300 setting I've joined looking for help on a game idea I'd like to run at some stage but want to try and keep the T2300 feel even if I suspect I may be veering outside of canon.

Previous discussion changed the start from the PCs being escorted to meet a fixer to them being aboard a shuttle heading towards an automated transport heading from Mars to the Deep Space Station located near the asteroid belt (Picture a Babylon V style space station intended to help the mining process as well as serve as a transit station between the inner and outer planets of the solar system).

They have a couple of hours before the transport reaches the edge of the stations sensors so can easily dock, board and attempt to locate the package.

Using flashbacks I was planning on revealing the Fixer knowing about their past and debts offers to help them in return for a favor, namely intercepting the transport, picking up a package left aboard and returning to the station by another route.

In return they will be paid 10,000 for completing this task and some further work if they want it.

However upon docking with the transport it will become obvious that its a prison transport and the package is one of the slumbering passengers but the information they have been given doesn't match any of the listed passengers in the transport's database.

Meanwhile if a PC is left aboard the shuttle to keep watch they will soon realise another shuttle heading on an intercept course either indicating someone else was hired or perhaps they've been found out.

If they're still aboard once the other shuttle docks it releases a squad of troops who'll engage the PCs if they get between them and the package they arranged to be aboard the transport.

The package happens to be a young woman who was kidnapped after being lured to the Paris Spaceport over her citizenship being revoked.

Knocked out and put in one of the prison suspension pods (think kept unconscious via medication by a sort of autodoc) she isn't on the transport manifest for the simple reason she isn't supposed to be aboard.

If the PCs check the transport's internal sensors they will realise there's one too many slumbering prisoners' and using that will quickly locate who they're supposed to pick up.

The information they were given listed the specific pod she was stuck inside, however the transport manifest doesn't use that information instead listing the passengers by name, so since she isn't supposed to be aboard she isn't listed...

If the players' fail to notice this the newcomers will pretty much lead them to the right pod, but extracting her from their clutches will result in a firefight.

Now if they do manage to find her and undock before the incoming shuttle notices them leaving the transport then their return to the station passes without incident and they can make the exchange and get paid.

However if they are noticed the rival shuttle once they realise they have the package will blow up the transport and arrange for their contacts aboard the station to finger them for the incident to get the station security to hold them long enough for them to reaquire the package whether she's been revived or not (although if not it will be easy for them to retrieve her since the station security will be too busy questioning the PCs on why they're transporting someone in that pod to realise their evidence has disappeared from their lockup).

It has been noted that they could become chivalrous and free the young woman and attempt to help her escape from what they assume is the Fixer's clutches but does this sound fine to run using T2300?

Is there some details I ought to be aware of when running in this setting that I haven't addressed?

The above idea is assuming the French do have problems with corruption in their numbers and that its possible for a rival nation to pull something like this only to run foul of a Criminal Syndicate who have their own reasons to get involved...

Well this is my first post here so I figured I try and cover all the bases that I can think of, so thanks in advance I hope you can help me!

 

[Kilgs]

I think it’s cool!

A few things to keep in mind:

1-Combat on a spaceship in 2300 generally results in blown hulls. Plan accordingly and prep your players so they arm themselves with appropriate weaponry/equipment.

2-Interception of a vessel can be tricky. Depends on whether you’re using Threshold stutterwarp or reaction mass propulsion. If reaction mass, then sensors will pick up the player’s ship and the enemy ship well in advance so the prison ship crew will be alerted and may be able to send out an SOS. It’s a prison ship… I would think that some on-call security is a given. You could, instead, have the vessel making a fuel stop on an unmanned depot. The players could suit up and hang outside the depot, jump on/board while they’re stopped and fueling…

3-Prison ship crew? What about them? Be prepared for your players to massacre them unless warned otherwise… and such a killing/piracy will really make life difficult for them.

4-The exchange of a live person on a station may involve some need for serious subterfuge. Fixer should have a better plan for getting their hands on the person.

5-Predict your players… they will wake her up and question her. Why does the fixer want her? Who is she? Does she want to go with the fixer?

6-You could make the enemy ship simply be the authorities. Their arrival provides a deadline for finding the girl’s pod. This would tie into #7.

7-Libreville is a new 2300 supplement about corruption at the beanstalk in Africa. Lots of criminal activity and many chances to slip a knocked-out runaway into a cargo pod. That book may have some ideas about what criminal organization has a human trafficking ring hidden within the prison transport system.

I think its in the new Bundle of Holding advertised...

8-To really screw with the players… the intercepting ship is arriving for its regularly scheduled transfer of illegal cargo! The prison ship crew are in on it and they rendezvous with the criminal syndicate ships outside sensor range in the dark of space to offload the contraband stuff. This makes the enemy ship’s presence realistic, it also gives an interesting set of interactions with the prison ship crew. When the players first board, the crew may fight back. Then when they realize the players are after illegal cargo, they are ‘shocked’ and ‘appalled’ all the while knowing that their crime-buddies are en route. Maybe they try to bushwhack the players? Delay them until their associates arrive? Do they wash their hands entirely because there is going to be a major investigation regardless…

 

[Hopeless]

I think it’s cool!

A few things to keep in mind:

1-Combat on a spaceship in 2300 generally results in blown hulls. Plan accordingly and prep your players so they arm themselves with appropriate weaponry/equipment.

Definitely need to keep that in mind, doubt they have the Babylon V hand weapon of choice so need to double check on that!

2-Interception of a vessel can be tricky. Depends on whether you’re using Threshold stutterwarp or reaction mass propulsion. If reaction mass, then sensors will pick up the player’s ship and the enemy ship well in advance so the prison ship crew will be alerted and may be able to send out an SOS. It’s a prison ship… I would think that some on-call security is a given. You could, instead, have the vessel making a fuel stop on an unmanned depot. The players could suit up and hang outside the depot, jump on/board while they’re stopped and fueling…

Considered that decided they using an unarmed shuttle simply having the relevant pass codes would allow them access, however the bad guys are able to override that problem since they're only recovering what shouldn't be on the transport. The PCs getting her off the transport first requires them to insure they have the time to catch up with them thereby blowing up the transport and alerting their contact on the station.

3-Prison ship crew? What about them? Be prepared for your players to massacre them unless warned otherwise… and such a killing/piracy will really make life difficult for them.

Yes what if they awaken the rest of the prisoners?
They could be used as cannon fodder for the bad guys but would the PCs go for that?

4-The exchange of a live person on a station may involve some need for serious subterfuge. Fixer should have a better plan for getting their hands on the person.

Depends on whether they keep her sedated or revive her since reviving her gives them a better chance of getting her aboard still need to work on just how good the security is...

5-Predict your players… they will wake her up and question her. Why does the fixer want her? Who is she? Does she want to go with the fixer?

Already been thinking of that, it really depends on their reaction.

1) She doesn't know about the Fixer
2) She claims to be a freelance research scientist who recently finished work for a small shipbuilding firm thats been taken over by a large Bavarian (or should that be German?) Corporation who tried to claim her contract had been renewed when she turned them down.
3) Unlikely as she is just as much in the dark as the PCs.

The part they don't know about is that the Fixer is working on behalf of colleagues who know her father and their quick response is because they know what her father will do if he learns she's been kidnapped.

It also helps he's wealthy and they could expect a substantial reward for keeping his daughter safe, what they don't know is why she was kidnapped and the Corporation responsible has no intention of stopping their hunt.

6-You could make the enemy ship simply be the authorities. Their arrival provides a deadline for finding the girl’s pod. This would tie into #7.

Was thinking of letting that be something the players' would consider but it would turn out not to be the case.

7-Libreville is a new 2300 supplement about corruption at the beanstalk in Africa. Lots of criminal activity and many chances to slip a knocked-out runaway into a cargo pod. That book may have some ideas about what criminal organization has a human trafficking ring hidden within the prison transport system.

Clearly this weekend I have some reading up to do!

I think its in the new Bundle of Holding advertised...

Have to wait for the weekend unfortunately since that deadline is for tomorrow I'll have to hope another bundle will turn up in the near future...

8-To really screw with the players… the intercepting ship is arriving for its regularly scheduled transfer of illegal cargo! The prison ship crew are in on it and they rendezvous with the criminal syndicate ships outside sensor range in the dark of space to offload the contraband stuff. This makes the enemy ship’s presence realistic, it also gives an interesting set of interactions with the prison ship crew. When the players first board, the crew may fight back. Then when they realize the players are after illegal cargo, they are ‘shocked’ and ‘appalled’ all the while knowing that their crime-buddies are en route. Maybe they try to bushwhack the players? Delay them until their associates arrive? Do they wash their hands entirely because there is going to be a major investigation regardless…

Well I could set it up so they think the PCs are the people they're waiting for but going the automated route sounds simpler for an opening game.

Still need to reread that...

 

[Hopeless]

Decided on the basic bundle package since I lost my pdf copy of T2300 the last time my computer went down (and every backup I had on memory sticks in case that happened which annoyed me no end!), will definitely be looking at picking up Libreville this weekend but at least I have something to read until then (can't really lug around hardback books to read at work!).

Picked up the Colonial Times issues yesterday, read the first one today, interesting story maybe the others may have something I can use?

When I can I'm going to try and create stats for a few characters to involve in the game, currently thinking the PCs have their own ship which has a disabled jump drive needing repair (sorry meant stutterwarp drive!) but is in need of quite a bit of maintenance.

They travelled to a mining outpost and used the shuttle arranged for them from there to reach the transport and have to return so they can board their ship to return to the station.

Might have them meet the Fixer there instead, could easily have the Corporates team turn up depending on what they decide to do once they get her off the transport.

Still leaves a few possibilities;

1) There are quite a few organisations/corporations/nations interested in her maybe they decided to put her on the market and double cross the original kidnappers as a means of revenge for stepping on their turf?

2) The Americans attempt to intervene resulting in a three way fire fight with the PCs having a chance to get away but as a result they're now wanted and of course they pick up a cargo and head out to the French Arm to escape pursuit...

3) The exchange takes place but the job offer is for them to escort their charge to a safe place out in the French Arm... however as they arrive at the first system its to discover everyone's on alert as someone or something has attacked a colony and being the first ship to arrive guess whose shanghaied to take a look?

Better leave it there that's probably enough next adventure ideas better focus on this one!

 

[Hopeless]

Traveller 2300 meets Lift Off?

Been looking at the play tests of this and got wondering what if I swapped out the homeworld starting skill table for the one in T2300 so I can use that as a sort of Traveller 2300 Lift Off?

Not sure if thats allowable mind you which is why I'm posting here first in case I broke some rule so at least I can avoid messing up later on as its looking like my best chance to run this would be to introduce new players to the game.

 

[aramis]

Been looking at the play tests of this and got wondering what if I swapped out the homeworld starting skill table for the one in T2300 so I can use that as a sort of Traveller 2300 Lift Off?

Not sure if thats allowable mind you which is why I'm posting here first in case I broke some rule so at least I can avoid messing up later on as its looking like my best chance to run this would be to introduce new players to the game.

I'd suggest (note that I'm not the authority for Liftoff) that doing so makes the results less useful.

That said, it's a game - if you're not reporting to the playtest, use it how you wish (so long as that doesn't violate copyright).