CT Only: A Traveller Love Story

[Supplement Four]

Was talking to an old friend today, and the discussion wandered to game mechanics. One of the things I love about CT came up--how smooth it plays.

It's been a while since I've run a CT game (any Traveller game), but I remember a moment out of the last time very clearly. I was basically introducing Traveller to some new players. I pulled out the Traveller Adventure because I knew it well. We only played about three sessions--that's all we had planned. I just ran the game off the cuff. In those three sessions, we never left Leedor. The entire length of all three sessions took place in that cavern-city.

There had been a bar fight. I had four players, and I threw in a couple of NPCs--not planned. It just happened as the game progressed. There was no plan. There was no story for the players to discover. I put them through Traveller chargen, and had each of them muster out in Leedor. Then, I simply asked them, "What do you want to do?"

The game followed where the characters went. I ad-libbed and played off the player's decisions.

I love playing like that sometimes. No plan. No script. No pre-set "adventure". Totally open. What do you want to do--and we go that way. I make up stuff as we go.

I think CT is really suited for this type of play.

If I need an NPC, I make him up. If I need stats for that NPC, I know that human average is stat-7. I'll tailor the stats to what I've established already with my play and description. If I want to "discover" and NPC, then I'll roll 2D randomly and let that be his stat. If I've established a muscle bound NPC, I'll probably just pick the NPC's STR rating, but if I still want to roll randomly, I'll throw 1D + 6, or something like that. Maybe I'll roll 3D -3, to get a fairly average to high throw.

I love how you can do this in CT. Just make up what you need, on the spot, very easily.

As for skill, if the NPC has any, it's probably Skill-1. If the character is a true professional or expert, it will be Skill-3. This goes along with the previous description--what we already know about the NPC.

Heck, I even use 1001 Characters, or one from Citizens of the Imperium. Or, even, Veterans.

It just depends on the need. I don't create a complete character if I only need to know his DEX and weapon skill. I might just give the character a weapon then give him a DEX that is in the neutral zone where he doesn't get an Advantageous DM but not a penalty DM, either.

Boom. Boom. NPCs are easy.

I love CT.

I think it's the easiest RPG that I have ever had the pleasure to Ref.

 

[Supplement Four]

Back to my original memory of this three session game we had--the last time I Reffed CT....

I remember the players had gotten into a skirmish in a startown bar, and one of the NPCs that was hanging with the player characters had gotten stabbed. The PCs hadn't obtained a ship yet (they never did in that game), so they were staying in apartments next to the starport.

As Obi Wan would say, they were all looking to avoid any Imperial entanglements, so they didn't just sit at the bar and wait for the paramedics to arrive. No, instead, they grabbed their friend, stuff a bar cloth up against the wound, then took him and went sneaking from corner to corner, trying to make it back to the apartments.

Leedor, the only city on Aramis, is an underground city, built in the cavern left after a mining company pulled out. There is no night and day cycle. The lights in the caveran burn all "day" and all "night".

There were three of them: Two PCs and one NPC that I allowed a third player to run. The fourth PC refused to go with them, and that player actually had to go home early that night. It was no biggie (I usually require all players to play or no body plays) as his character stayed at the bar. I figured I'd determine his fate later. One PC was at the apartments, so to keep that player in the action, I allowed him to play the stabbed NPC.

Blood dripping from this guy, the two PCs, each with an arm, were dragging this guy through the streets of Leedor, trying not to attract attention

I wanted to make it interesting and give them an obstacle, so I decided that they spied a cop. The city securityman hadn't seen them yet.

I remember my description of him (it just came to me, improptu, as we played): Leedor CS men were paramiltary as this was the holding of the Marquis of Aramis. They wore knee-high black leather jack boots, a dark brown uniform with red piping, and matching Cloth armor pieces that covered the torso only. They used large black leather gloves that stretched up to their elbows, and on their heads were riot-gear-esque helmets with clear face plates that could be slammed down.

Leather is an expensive commodity on a world that does not have farms or ranches. With this being the Marquis' seat of power, I figured his personal guard would be a tad bit flamboyant. I think I described, later, that the captain had a gold cord on one shoulder.

I love doing stuff like this--making things up on the fly and just keep on moving. The game keeps going.





This CS (City Security) held a shotgun. Fully automatic. Bullpup. And, there were two barrells, one on top of the other.

If it game to combat, I'd just use the shotgun stats in The Traveller Book, but allow the two attack throws associated with Auto weapons.

As for the underbarrel, it was a cannister launcher. These police used it for tear gas and stun grenades.

But, how did it work?

With CT, it's easy.

I love this friggin' game!





The CS ended up spotting the PCs. He was alert anyway from his helmet comm. He popped a tear gas cannister right next to the PCs, and this is how I handled it--

While inside the tear gas cloud, a character without protection from the gas throws 2D, looking for END or less. If successful, then the character acts as if not effected for that combat round (15 seconds, in CT). If not successful, then END is reduced by 1D points. When END reduced to zero, then the character is incapacitated by the tear gas (can't breathe, throwing up, skin reactions, can't see, eyes watering, coughing uncontrollably, etc). If the check results in boxcars, then END reduced by 2D.

There some rule for gas in Snapshot, I think. It's been a while since I read them. But, with CT, you don't need that stuff. You just go with your gut. Make something up, on the spot, that makes sense, and keep on going.

Keep the game going.

It worked like a charm.

I love the CT mechanics.

And, those three sessions we played made those new players want more.

I never did play another Traveller game with them, though. I got involved with my Conan game with my main group.

That CT session was a few years ago, and I still get calls from those guys every once in a while: "Hey, when are we going to play again?"



Classic Traveller.

I love it.

 

[Kpeterson]

Nice story. Thank you.

 

[tancred]

S4, your CT game sounds a lot like how most of my game sessions go.
My sig on the Hero boards reads "No battle plan survives contact with the players."
For a reason. That sums up my group perfectly.

We have 3 GMs, and all of us have learned that we have to just roll with the punches. No matter how many clues or hints you throw at the players, sometimes they're just immune to the clue bats. So you have to be able to adapt on the fly no matter what you're running.

While I love Hero (it's the only system I run now), CT does lend itself even more so to just rolling with the flow.
Especially because of how easy it is to quickly generate an NPC.

But what I've found in my current TravellerHero game is that going through a full chargen on a Traveller character really fleshes out the character's personality and background for you.
Sometimes, just looking at the history of the character's career turns that character very real for me, to the point that you could use that character in a novel right off.

And that's why I use CT to generate these characters, because Traveller is unique (in my experience at least) in creating characters that have interesting backgrounds before you ever once use them in a game.

 

[Supplement Four]

But what I've found in my current TravellerHero game is that going through a full chargen on a Traveller character really fleshes out the character's personality and background for you.

Absolutely. I do that for planned, important NPCs. What I was referring to above, though, are impromptu NPCs. Stuff like this (this happened in a the three-session game I spoke of above...it's how an NPC "joined" the group)...

During the street battle with the CS, the PCs came across some civilians just going about their everyday lives. As a Ref, I mentioned them off-handed. They were color, making the city of Leedor more alive.

Nothing else would have been said about them but for a player who said, "Are any of them wearing an Imperial Army uniform?"

The player was running an ex-Army character.

I said, "Yes."

The player continued, "What unit? Is he an officer? An NCO?"

Off the top of my head, I said, "From the patch on his shoulder, you see he's from your old unit (figuring Leedor's base would be home to only one or two units). And, he's a corporal (figuring that there were many more enlisted personnel to come across rather than officers)".

Hearing that, the player went right into role playing, "Hey Corporal! Can you help a brother out? 2nd Lancers, all the way!"

He indicated the police that were coming up fast behind them, "The CS are following us. Help us."



As a Ref, I thought that was neat, taking an off-hand environment remark and thinking of a way to use it in the game.

I had the NPC Army corporal hem-haw around for a bit. The player could see my playing the character as indecisive, so he ramped up the role play. The player stuck out his two fingers like a pitch fork, as if that were a unit symbol that this Army unit used. He was sincere with the NPC. "C'mon, man. 2nd Lancers, all the way."

"OK," I said, as the NPC, you guys go down there, indicating a small alley between two buildings just off the street.

From the players' pov, they went down this very narrow alley, to the point where they were just silhouettes to the street. They pretended to be arranging boxes and gear.

I told them, as Ref, "You see the Corporal at the end of the alley where you entered. The CS have stopped him. He seems to be pointing down the street. Then, CS hurry off in that direction."

Then, I had the Corporal wave down at the PCs, "C'mon! They're gone! Hurry!"

And, still playing off the idea, I had the Corporal say, "Look, I've got an Army Supply van on the next block over. We'll get into it, with you guys in the back, and I'll drop you. We won't get stopped."

The city of Leedor, being a city in a cavern, is a pedestrian city. There are very few service vehicles seen--usually just a few commerce vehicles restocking stores with loads from the starport. Or, a governmental vehcile, like this Army supply van.

This was my Ref way of rewarding a good idea in the game. The player loved seeing his impromptu roleplay turn into the method that got the PCs out of the grease and back to saftey.

The Corporal dropped off the PCs at the Starport apartments, and he became another NPC contact within the city.




When NPCs come into play like this, it happens quick, inside a game. For this particular encounter, I didn't need any stats on the Corporal, so I didn't roll any. But, let's say that the CS realized what was happening, and a gun battle broke out. Or, the CS tried to stop and inspect the supply van. Then, I might have needed to know some stats about the Corporal. Then, I would have used one of the methods I described in the OP (and post #2) to figure that stat and skill that I needed to know.

With this character, I would flesh him out inbetween games. I'd put him through normal Traveller chargen, but I'd "cheat" to make sure certain things resulted for him. For example, he has to be a corporal, not any other rank. If I had created a stat or a skill for him, then that would have to be part of the character.





By the way, I did name this guy. While in the van, traveling to the apartments, one of the PCs asked his name.

Tears. Corporal Tears. That's what came off the top of my head at the moment.

"But, my friends call me 'Rainy'".

 

[tancred]

Love that story; what a great encounter!

I always have trouble coming up with names on the spot, to the point that any NPC who suddenly needed a name in my games was Mr. Naimyn (Not Appearing In MY Notes).
So I used my own Traveller skills to work around it.

A LONG time ago I bought the Treasury of Archaic Names from Judges Guild.
I eventually converted the tables into a database (the book was too fragile and irreplaceable to actually use at the table) and wrote myself a VB app to generate the names.
Then I thought, what about non-archaic names. That started the big project.

I've been collecting names for years now; have something over 600,000 modern last names and 1500 or so each male and female first names in that same database.
With a few mouse clicks, I can generate a name and even replace first, middle or last name until I like the sound of it.
Now every NPC gets a name quick; I leave the app running during my game.

 

[Glupii]

For anyone who has corresponded with Tancred...

I have been one of the folks who played in Tancred's games for nearly 30 years. We have been close friends and he has been an incredible GM, Gaming buddy, and brother in all but name. He has had a way of making our gaming lives and indeed, all parts of our lives better in huge ways. I know he loved this forum and quoted it often. He spoke highly of everyone he interacted with.

So it is with an extremely heavy heart that I inform his friends here that Tancred's life on earth ended Christmas Eve. It was unexpected though his health had been challenging on many fronts for some time. He leaves behind a widow and many MANY heart broken friends.

Since I know some of them would be on here and might only know him through this medium, I wanted you all to know he respected and enjoyed every one of you as much as he loved this game and the games that flowed from it. Thank you all for helping to make his life on earth a fun one.

 

[HiverLord]

Oh, man, what depressing news...

His knowledge, humor and insight will be sorely missed.

Give our thoughts to his family.

HiverLord (Dwayne)

 

[Enoff]

OH very sad

 

[snrdg082102]

Hello Glupii,

I have been one of the folks who played in Tancred's games for nearly 30 years. We have been close friends and he has been an incredible GM, Gaming buddy, and brother in all but name. He has had a way of making our gaming lives and indeed, all parts of our lives better in huge ways. I know he loved this forum and quoted it often. He spoke highly of everyone he interacted with.

So it is with an extremely heavy heart that I inform his friends here that Tancred's life on earth ended Christmas Eve. It was unexpected though his health had been challenging on many fronts for some time. He leaves behind a widow and many MANY heart broken friends.

Since I know some of them would be on here and might only know him through this medium, I wanted you all to know he respected and enjoyed every one of you as much as he loved this game and the games that flowed from it. Thank you all for helping to make his life on earth a fun one.

I will be missing tancred's comments from the forums since they helped me through many questions, most of which were asked by someone else, but ones that were in my mind.

Please pass on that he and his family are in my prayers.

 

[Jame]

I have been one of the folks who played in Tancred's games for nearly 30 years. We have been close friends and he has been an incredible GM, Gaming buddy, and brother in all but name. He has had a way of making our gaming lives and indeed, all parts of our lives better in huge ways. I know he loved this forum and quoted it often. He spoke highly of everyone he interacted with.

So it is with an extremely heavy heart that I inform his friends here that Tancred's life on earth ended Christmas Eve. It was unexpected though his health had been challenging on many fronts for some time. He leaves behind a widow and many MANY heart broken friends.

Since I know some of them would be on here and might only know him through this medium, I wanted you all to know he respected and enjoyed every one of you as much as he loved this game and the games that flowed from it. Thank you all for helping to make his life on earth a fun one.

May he rest in peace. Those of his posts I've noticed, I've enjoyed.