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As part of something I'm writing for a convention next year, I thought I'd share an idea for enticing PCs into things that can lead to adventures...
This is primarily for CT and Lorenverse settings, but can equally be used in most other settings in Traveller...
Adventure Hooks...
Civilian Reserve Transport Fleet Subsidy Program (CRTFSP)
by Roger Stenning
Background...
Following the close of The Fourth Frontier War (1082 to 1084), the Imperial Admiralty at Capital undertook a study of the logistics of the short war, and determined that while the overall response ot the conflict had been better than expected on a logistical basis, there was much room for improvement.
In particular, while sector and subsector fleets contained Fleet Auxiliaries with which to Resupply In Space (RIS), there were very few 'interface-capable' cargo vessels in the Auxiliary Fleet to supply ground forces directly from outside a given system, where those ships would load in staging areas, jump, and immediately be capable of dropping to the required coordinates once orbital insertion was completed; Fleet Auxiliaries, most of which were not capable of landing on planets due to non-streamlined designs, had to use small craft to deliver the much-needed supplies to the combat ground forces engaged with the enemy - ships boats, assault drop ships, and so on, which meant trans-shipping loads from cargo decks to small craft, waiting for them to return, and repeating the process, which was a timely and somewhat vulnerable process for the Auxiliary ships involved.
This realisation resulted in the creation of a single test fleet, to determine if an empire-wide implementation should be undertaken; this test fleet was named the Civil Reserve Transport Fleet; comprising vessels from both passenger and freight lines, as well as independent small trader vessel operators, the plan was to subsidise a small percentage of those operators vessels - ones capable of landing on planets with an atmosphere, which could deliver supplies where they were needed, more quickly than the more formal Auxiliary fleet could in the initial stages of a conflict.
The CRTFSP requirements were as follows:
In return, vessels in the CRTFSP would:
For the Imperiums part, they would pay the up-front cost of any new vessel that was purchased into this scheme, and as with the many other subsidised merchant schemes already in existence in the Imperium, the operator would surrender 50% of their net profits per annum to the scheme operator for a period of no more than 40 years from purchase.
The Domain selected for this trial was, unsurprisingly, the Domain of Deneb, in the guise of the Domain of Deneb Civil Transport Reserve Command (Imperial Navy), and in 1090, the first lines and independent operators ships were purchased under the scheme, with a total of 300 ships purchased in all mass ranges between 200dt and 1000dt. It's not unusual to see these ships at various main route ports throughout the Domain; in addition to the 300-ton Argeii-class AP frontier trader that was designed and built under this program, many other already existing larger vessels were bought and are operated under the scheme, run by both major and minor passenger and shipping lines alike. All vessels assigned to the CTRF can be easily identified by a small ensign logo on behind the cockpit windows of each vessel, with a black logo bearing the Imperial Naval flag, and the Vilani text of the CRTF above and Galanglic text below it.
Thus far (1106), the scheme seems to have been a success, and all parties appear to be quite happy with the arrangement.
Time will tell, if the unthinkable happens, if the scheme works as advertised in a war.
Broad Advenure Hooks...
Part of the CRTFSP agreement requires that subsidised vesels contact any Imperial Naval base in systems they arrive in, to notify of their arrival; this allows the navy to keep rough track of it's subsidised transport fleet, to make better use of them when needed. It also helps the navy fix problems in it's logistics; the PCs ship arrives in-system, notifies the IN, and almost immediately, are notified to hold in place once docked at the civilian port, for an IN delegation to board and discuss a problem they have...
It appears that one of their couriers has developed a problem with it's jump drive, and cannot jump (Zuchai Crystal Frame fracture, requires a replacement, not a patch fix, and the replacement is on the way; the problem is that they need something shifted immediately, and haven't got any ships nearby to do it - except the PCs ship. They are therefore activating a recall clause for an urgent tasking for the PCs vessel, which will be paid at preferential shipping rates.
1 - It's an intelligence mission, the crew is to be off-loaded, an Intelligence Crew installed in their place, and the crew held incommunicado until the job is done. If the ship is lost, their subsidy program will either be transferred to a new ship under existing terms, or be cancelled, at the Navy's discretion. (this is a good way of making the PCs start pretty-much from scratch, if the adventure you have in mind requires it, without requiring a total party kill)
2 - As (1) above, but the crew is retained on board to run the ship, and a team of Intelligence Commandos are brought aboard to perform the specific tasking until the job is done. If the ship is lost, assuming any of the crew survive, their subsidy program will either be transferred to a new ship under existing terms, or be cancelled, at the Navy's discretion. (this can be the introduction to one rip-roaring firefight-fest of an adventure, in case things have been going stale for a while!)
3 - Most is as described, they have urgent internal mail for another IN facility, and the PCs ship is the only requisitionable asset that can do the job in the time available. The item being transported is a top secret piece of tech being escorted by a Naval Special Forces officer, and the usual suspects want the contents of the box, which also contains a booby trap explosive - VERY explosive, in fact - should some idiot try to open the box without the correct unlock codes. (Cue the James Bond music )
4-6 - All is as described. They have urgent internal mail for another IN facility, and the PCs ship is the only commandable asset that can do the job in the time available. The job entails shifting a Naval courier officer with a secured message box. It's a straightforward task, no risks, and a good payment. It'll add a few weeks to the rest of their cargo runs, but the navy will underwrite for any commercial losses that they incur while under orders, which is a normal part of the subsidy agreement.
Enjoy
As part of something I'm writing for a convention next year, I thought I'd share an idea for enticing PCs into things that can lead to adventures...
This is primarily for CT and Lorenverse settings, but can equally be used in most other settings in Traveller...
Adventure Hooks...
Civilian Reserve Transport Fleet Subsidy Program (CRTFSP)
by Roger Stenning
Background...
Following the close of The Fourth Frontier War (1082 to 1084), the Imperial Admiralty at Capital undertook a study of the logistics of the short war, and determined that while the overall response ot the conflict had been better than expected on a logistical basis, there was much room for improvement.
In particular, while sector and subsector fleets contained Fleet Auxiliaries with which to Resupply In Space (RIS), there were very few 'interface-capable' cargo vessels in the Auxiliary Fleet to supply ground forces directly from outside a given system, where those ships would load in staging areas, jump, and immediately be capable of dropping to the required coordinates once orbital insertion was completed; Fleet Auxiliaries, most of which were not capable of landing on planets due to non-streamlined designs, had to use small craft to deliver the much-needed supplies to the combat ground forces engaged with the enemy - ships boats, assault drop ships, and so on, which meant trans-shipping loads from cargo decks to small craft, waiting for them to return, and repeating the process, which was a timely and somewhat vulnerable process for the Auxiliary ships involved.
This realisation resulted in the creation of a single test fleet, to determine if an empire-wide implementation should be undertaken; this test fleet was named the Civil Reserve Transport Fleet; comprising vessels from both passenger and freight lines, as well as independent small trader vessel operators, the plan was to subsidise a small percentage of those operators vessels - ones capable of landing on planets with an atmosphere, which could deliver supplies where they were needed, more quickly than the more formal Auxiliary fleet could in the initial stages of a conflict.
The CRTFSP requirements were as follows:
- Vessels much be capable of carrying passengers and/or cargo (or both)
- Vessels much be within the 200-1000dT hull-size range
- Vessels much be streamlined and capable of inter-atmospheric operations, to include landed and/or aerial drop delivery
- Vessels must operate along pre-determined routes for at least 70% of the Imperial Year (not including down time for servicing and/or repairs)
- Vessels must notify as far in advance as possible when they would be working off-route.
- Vessels must not leave the operational area (the Domain) of the CRTF to which they are subsidised
- Vessels must notify the Imperial Navy of their arrival in any rally point (Rally Points are defined as those systems possessing an Imperial Naval Base of any size)
- Vessels must heed and obey recall orders issued by the Sector Government, and travel to their nearest rally point when so ordered for deployment.
In return, vessels in the CRTFSP would:
- Receive annual servicing at Imperial Inspection docks at preferential discounted rates
- Receive preference to undertake any short-notice military mail delivery lots/contracts (which are generally fairly well-paid compared to simple civiian cargo runs)
- Receive preferential discounted insurance rates from an approved shortlist of insurers
- Receive any required upgrades to their sensor system suites, to better enable them to perform this work, at vastly reduced cost (such upgrades to be assessed and installed by Imperial Navy personnel)
For the Imperiums part, they would pay the up-front cost of any new vessel that was purchased into this scheme, and as with the many other subsidised merchant schemes already in existence in the Imperium, the operator would surrender 50% of their net profits per annum to the scheme operator for a period of no more than 40 years from purchase.
The Domain selected for this trial was, unsurprisingly, the Domain of Deneb, in the guise of the Domain of Deneb Civil Transport Reserve Command (Imperial Navy), and in 1090, the first lines and independent operators ships were purchased under the scheme, with a total of 300 ships purchased in all mass ranges between 200dt and 1000dt. It's not unusual to see these ships at various main route ports throughout the Domain; in addition to the 300-ton Argeii-class AP frontier trader that was designed and built under this program, many other already existing larger vessels were bought and are operated under the scheme, run by both major and minor passenger and shipping lines alike. All vessels assigned to the CTRF can be easily identified by a small ensign logo on behind the cockpit windows of each vessel, with a black logo bearing the Imperial Naval flag, and the Vilani text of the CRTF above and Galanglic text below it.
Thus far (1106), the scheme seems to have been a success, and all parties appear to be quite happy with the arrangement.
Time will tell, if the unthinkable happens, if the scheme works as advertised in a war.
Broad Advenure Hooks...
Part of the CRTFSP agreement requires that subsidised vesels contact any Imperial Naval base in systems they arrive in, to notify of their arrival; this allows the navy to keep rough track of it's subsidised transport fleet, to make better use of them when needed. It also helps the navy fix problems in it's logistics; the PCs ship arrives in-system, notifies the IN, and almost immediately, are notified to hold in place once docked at the civilian port, for an IN delegation to board and discuss a problem they have...
It appears that one of their couriers has developed a problem with it's jump drive, and cannot jump (Zuchai Crystal Frame fracture, requires a replacement, not a patch fix, and the replacement is on the way; the problem is that they need something shifted immediately, and haven't got any ships nearby to do it - except the PCs ship. They are therefore activating a recall clause for an urgent tasking for the PCs vessel, which will be paid at preferential shipping rates.
1 - It's an intelligence mission, the crew is to be off-loaded, an Intelligence Crew installed in their place, and the crew held incommunicado until the job is done. If the ship is lost, their subsidy program will either be transferred to a new ship under existing terms, or be cancelled, at the Navy's discretion. (this is a good way of making the PCs start pretty-much from scratch, if the adventure you have in mind requires it, without requiring a total party kill)
2 - As (1) above, but the crew is retained on board to run the ship, and a team of Intelligence Commandos are brought aboard to perform the specific tasking until the job is done. If the ship is lost, assuming any of the crew survive, their subsidy program will either be transferred to a new ship under existing terms, or be cancelled, at the Navy's discretion. (this can be the introduction to one rip-roaring firefight-fest of an adventure, in case things have been going stale for a while!)
3 - Most is as described, they have urgent internal mail for another IN facility, and the PCs ship is the only requisitionable asset that can do the job in the time available. The item being transported is a top secret piece of tech being escorted by a Naval Special Forces officer, and the usual suspects want the contents of the box, which also contains a booby trap explosive - VERY explosive, in fact - should some idiot try to open the box without the correct unlock codes. (Cue the James Bond music
)4-6 - All is as described. They have urgent internal mail for another IN facility, and the PCs ship is the only commandable asset that can do the job in the time available. The job entails shifting a Naval courier officer with a secured message box. It's a straightforward task, no risks, and a good payment. It'll add a few weeks to the rest of their cargo runs, but the navy will underwrite for any commercial losses that they incur while under orders, which is a normal part of the subsidy agreement.
Enjoy
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