I've never posted an adventure before, but decided to do this just so I could get some (hopefully friendly) analysis of it.
(NOTE: The distress call in part two is taken from the cover of book One of the orginal Traveller game in homage.)
Here goes:
"Campaign Start- part 1
You are in the TAS offices on Emerald reading the boards for job listings. You realize that working together you can increase your potential.
One of the notices states that a university professor is looking for individuals to assist with a expedition to Gougeste (Jewell 0909 C372510A); for the purpose of scientific research.
Another notice is for 'a small party of experienced travellers' for unspecified duties.
(1) If this notice is followed up on the group will meet up with
Zy Denge, a professor with the university. He will hire the party for a 4-week period to assist in the setup of a scientific base . The parties duties will be to assist in the construction of a modular base and to help in security measures. Payment will be 300cr (+/- 50cr for bartering) per week plus subsistence. Under no circumstances will the Patron discuss the nature of the research to be conducted. If the party accepts, they will lift off within 3 days.
A 1-week jump will take them to the Gougeste system (jump-3) where the ship will set down in a remote area. It will take 3 days to unload the modules, construction equipment and supplies. The ship will then take off for a trade run. It will return in 2 weeks to take the party and the rented construction equipment to Emerald.
Supplies and equipment will be stored in tents until the consruction phase is complete. Basic construction (leveling the site, moving and connecting the modules, running power, etc.) will take about 8 days. After that, the equipment will be uncrated and installed in the labs. If the party is observant (Spot and Discern Motive Rolls of 23+; team rolls are allowed and a synergy of +1 for each K/T skill of 5+ ) they will see that the bulk of the equipment deals with botany/chemistry. (NOTE: the referee may decide that someone with P/Botany 5+ would recognize mostof the equipment without a roll.) If they ask about the equipment, they are told that certain plants of this world exhibit unusual qualities and are being studied. The cloak/dagger routine before was to allow the expedition to get off world and buy some time.
ENCOUNTERS
For every 8 hour period, there is a base 20% chance of a random encounter. Modifiers include:
Daylight - 5%
Nighttime +5%
Per 5 days +2%
Use the encounter tables for a medium world/ standard atmosphere (plain/open terrain) if an encounter is indicated.
MALFUNCTIONS
There is a chance that equipment can malfunction or fail. Every day there is a base 15% chance that something will fail (the university tried to save money where it could). Examples of equipment that could fail include but are not limited to:
Construction types (movers, trenchers, generators, etc.)
Lab types (collectors, analyzers, computers, etc.)
General types (medical equipment, personal gear, etc.)
NOTE: It is the referees choice as to which equipment fails at any time. There are RP aspects to any scenario you choose, whether different items fail ("Damn sand is getting into everything!") or a single item failing repeatedly ("This thing is a piece of junk! ""Man, that rental company really stuck us with some garbage")
Unless there are extreme equipment failures that can't be fixed or very heavy encounters, the base should be set up within the two week period. Perhaps all of the equipment isn't moved in, but the basic layout should be complete.
Regardless, in two weeks the starship returns to pick up the group and the rental equipment. Since the next supply run isn't for six weeks and the university isn't funded for the additional personnel, the group will have to leave now or be stranded on a non-Imperial world (Amber Zone). If they stay, they can't stay with the expedition since the food supplies aren't adequate for the extra people.
Assuming the party leaves, the jump back to Emerald is uneventful. When they get back into Emerald space however, things change.....
(GO TO NEXT CHAPTER)
Campaign Start- part 2
Exiting from jumpspace, the ship's crew finds that a slight misjump leaves them several hours farther from Emerald than normal. Thankful that it wasn't worse, the crew informs the passengers of the delay and starts in to the planet.
About three hours out from Emerald, a message is received by the crew.
"This is Free Trader Bowulf calling anyone... Mayday, Mayday...we are under attack ...main drive is gone...turret number one is not responding ...Mayday...losing cabin pressure fast...calling anyone ...please help...This is Free Trader Beowulf...Mayday..."
The Captain resolves to help (the Captain of the Bowulf is a close acquaintance) and informs the crew and passengers.
(NOTE: If the party has reservations about combat, the Captain will tell them that while they may not consider themselves combatants, if his ship falls then the pirates are under no obligation to let them live. If the group tries to hold the Captain up for credits, the Captain makes a single offer of 1% of salvage rights if the pirate ship is captured. If the party tries to haggle or dicker, the Captain repeats his offer then reverts to the first position above. )
It will take 30 minutes to reach the Beowulf under full drive. When the ship arrives, they see that the Beowulf is dead in space and that a Vargr corvette has docked with it.
The captain decides on a bold course of action. Instead of docking to the Beowulf, he is going to dock to the corvette instead and try to take the ship. At worst, the Captain figures that the tactic will draw off pirates from the Beowulf and give them some relief.
(REFEREE'S NOTE: At this time set up the deckplans of the corsair. Only the 'normal' ships complement remains (No marines), minus the gunners. They are located just inside the Beowulf, acting as a reserve squad. )
From this point on the players are in charge, although I hope they don't find out. If the character party is small or not-combat oriented, you can assign the ship's gunners to assist. Otherwise I let the party have the fun, emphasizing the need for the gunners on the player's ship to stay there. This will keep someone else from doing the same to them (boarding their ship behind them).
TACTICS- I recommend 2 persons in cover positions for the boarding party to fight past. Once done the rest of the ships personnel will fight from their stations. It will take 20 combat rounds (2 minutes) for the pirate boarding party to start returning from the Beowulf. A tactically inspired group will try to secure that entryway first, then mop up the rest of the ship. A tactically brillant group will set up a killing zone.
NOTE: I'M STILL WORKING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER AND WILL PRESENT IT TO MY GROUP TOMORROW NIGHT. HOPEFULLY I'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT IT NEXT WEEK. THE SHIP MAPS USED ARE THE A-TYPE TRADER BEOWULF; THE TYPE P CORSAIR CLASS; AND A HIGH CLASS TRADER FOR THE GROUP.
(NOTE: The distress call in part two is taken from the cover of book One of the orginal Traveller game in homage.)
Here goes:
"Campaign Start- part 1
You are in the TAS offices on Emerald reading the boards for job listings. You realize that working together you can increase your potential.
One of the notices states that a university professor is looking for individuals to assist with a expedition to Gougeste (Jewell 0909 C372510A); for the purpose of scientific research.
Another notice is for 'a small party of experienced travellers' for unspecified duties.
(1) If this notice is followed up on the group will meet up with
Zy Denge, a professor with the university. He will hire the party for a 4-week period to assist in the setup of a scientific base . The parties duties will be to assist in the construction of a modular base and to help in security measures. Payment will be 300cr (+/- 50cr for bartering) per week plus subsistence. Under no circumstances will the Patron discuss the nature of the research to be conducted. If the party accepts, they will lift off within 3 days.
A 1-week jump will take them to the Gougeste system (jump-3) where the ship will set down in a remote area. It will take 3 days to unload the modules, construction equipment and supplies. The ship will then take off for a trade run. It will return in 2 weeks to take the party and the rented construction equipment to Emerald.
Supplies and equipment will be stored in tents until the consruction phase is complete. Basic construction (leveling the site, moving and connecting the modules, running power, etc.) will take about 8 days. After that, the equipment will be uncrated and installed in the labs. If the party is observant (Spot and Discern Motive Rolls of 23+; team rolls are allowed and a synergy of +1 for each K/T skill of 5+ ) they will see that the bulk of the equipment deals with botany/chemistry. (NOTE: the referee may decide that someone with P/Botany 5+ would recognize mostof the equipment without a roll.) If they ask about the equipment, they are told that certain plants of this world exhibit unusual qualities and are being studied. The cloak/dagger routine before was to allow the expedition to get off world and buy some time.
ENCOUNTERS
For every 8 hour period, there is a base 20% chance of a random encounter. Modifiers include:
Daylight - 5%
Nighttime +5%
Per 5 days +2%
Use the encounter tables for a medium world/ standard atmosphere (plain/open terrain) if an encounter is indicated.
MALFUNCTIONS
There is a chance that equipment can malfunction or fail. Every day there is a base 15% chance that something will fail (the university tried to save money where it could). Examples of equipment that could fail include but are not limited to:
Construction types (movers, trenchers, generators, etc.)
Lab types (collectors, analyzers, computers, etc.)
General types (medical equipment, personal gear, etc.)
NOTE: It is the referees choice as to which equipment fails at any time. There are RP aspects to any scenario you choose, whether different items fail ("Damn sand is getting into everything!") or a single item failing repeatedly ("This thing is a piece of junk! ""Man, that rental company really stuck us with some garbage")
Unless there are extreme equipment failures that can't be fixed or very heavy encounters, the base should be set up within the two week period. Perhaps all of the equipment isn't moved in, but the basic layout should be complete.
Regardless, in two weeks the starship returns to pick up the group and the rental equipment. Since the next supply run isn't for six weeks and the university isn't funded for the additional personnel, the group will have to leave now or be stranded on a non-Imperial world (Amber Zone). If they stay, they can't stay with the expedition since the food supplies aren't adequate for the extra people.
Assuming the party leaves, the jump back to Emerald is uneventful. When they get back into Emerald space however, things change.....
(GO TO NEXT CHAPTER)
Campaign Start- part 2
Exiting from jumpspace, the ship's crew finds that a slight misjump leaves them several hours farther from Emerald than normal. Thankful that it wasn't worse, the crew informs the passengers of the delay and starts in to the planet.
About three hours out from Emerald, a message is received by the crew.
"This is Free Trader Bowulf calling anyone... Mayday, Mayday...we are under attack ...main drive is gone...turret number one is not responding ...Mayday...losing cabin pressure fast...calling anyone ...please help...This is Free Trader Beowulf...Mayday..."
The Captain resolves to help (the Captain of the Bowulf is a close acquaintance) and informs the crew and passengers.
(NOTE: If the party has reservations about combat, the Captain will tell them that while they may not consider themselves combatants, if his ship falls then the pirates are under no obligation to let them live. If the group tries to hold the Captain up for credits, the Captain makes a single offer of 1% of salvage rights if the pirate ship is captured. If the party tries to haggle or dicker, the Captain repeats his offer then reverts to the first position above. )
It will take 30 minutes to reach the Beowulf under full drive. When the ship arrives, they see that the Beowulf is dead in space and that a Vargr corvette has docked with it.
The captain decides on a bold course of action. Instead of docking to the Beowulf, he is going to dock to the corvette instead and try to take the ship. At worst, the Captain figures that the tactic will draw off pirates from the Beowulf and give them some relief.
(REFEREE'S NOTE: At this time set up the deckplans of the corsair. Only the 'normal' ships complement remains (No marines), minus the gunners. They are located just inside the Beowulf, acting as a reserve squad. )
From this point on the players are in charge, although I hope they don't find out. If the character party is small or not-combat oriented, you can assign the ship's gunners to assist. Otherwise I let the party have the fun, emphasizing the need for the gunners on the player's ship to stay there. This will keep someone else from doing the same to them (boarding their ship behind them).
TACTICS- I recommend 2 persons in cover positions for the boarding party to fight past. Once done the rest of the ships personnel will fight from their stations. It will take 20 combat rounds (2 minutes) for the pirate boarding party to start returning from the Beowulf. A tactically inspired group will try to secure that entryway first, then mop up the rest of the ship. A tactically brillant group will set up a killing zone.
NOTE: I'M STILL WORKING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER AND WILL PRESENT IT TO MY GROUP TOMORROW NIGHT. HOPEFULLY I'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT IT NEXT WEEK. THE SHIP MAPS USED ARE THE A-TYPE TRADER BEOWULF; THE TYPE P CORSAIR CLASS; AND A HIGH CLASS TRADER FOR THE GROUP.
