Adventure Types/Campaigns

[Keklas Rekobah]

Similar to Hemdian's concept, but occurring after Stargate became a series, I ran a campaign based on the idea that the Travellers were given the option of either serving out their sentences aboard the Gaesh, or "volunteering of their own free will" to do some reconnaissance of a recently-discovered Ancient Stargate network.

Before that, the Travellers were involved in a campaign that was built around The Traveller Adventure, but with many side-adventures grafted on to it.

Currently, I'm running a PBPM CT campaign with six pre-generated characters, each designed to be a 'miss-fit' in some way. One was booted out of the IISS "On Suspicion" of misconduct in jump; one was told to get off world "or else" by the Consigliere of the local mob; another was passed over repeatedly for commission (something about not being in the 'right' organization during college); another was severely wounded in action and medically discharged; another joined the Merchant service right out of law school and was never promoted beyond 4th Officer; and the last is a 5-term career infantryman who is impressed only with results, not excuses.

They're starting out at Regina Downport, and depending on which patron they respond to, they could be sent to violate a picket line, locate a Psionics Institute, deliver supplies to an outworld military base in the Regina system, or crew a luxury liner. There's an odd chance that they could win a lottery and be awarded a 30-year old merchant vessel.

Then again, maybe they will have the opportunity to do some "volunteering of their own free will" just to stay out of prison...

 

[Murph]

I wonder what a campaign run in the Hive Federation would be like for a crew of a human starship? Raid and Trade? Trade and Manipulate? Hiver mind F**k?

 

[Murph]

Or even better a campaign with a Solomani Crew trading between the Hivers and K'Kree?

 

[Murph]

SOlmani and Aslan traders. mercs, and pirates?

 

[flykiller]

how 'bout solomani traders/spies?

 

[Murph]

That could be fun. Spies/Traders... The Solomani can be fun.

 

[Timerover51]

A Real World event of today could lead to some interesting possible adventures for player characters.

Hanjin Shipping line, one of the world's major container ship line, filed for bankruptcy this morning in South Korea. There are ships tied up in port that cannot move for fear of the cargo handlers and tugs not getting paid, and ships offshore, denied entrance because of inability to pay pilot and port fees.

Now, consider a condition where one of the Imperium's major shipping lines, or a major sector or sub-sector line declares bankruptcy, and a shipper or government or group has cargo on one of the sequestered ships that they urgently need, and want the PC to get for them. Lot of possibilities there, as someone may need the entire ship "pried loose" in some way or another.

 

[whartung]

A Real World event of today could lead to some interesting possible adventures for player characters.

Hanjin Shipping line, one of the world's major container ship line, filed for bankruptcy this morning in South Korea. There are ships tied up in port that cannot move for fear of the cargo handlers and tugs not getting paid, and ships offshore, denied entrance because of inability to pay pilot and port fees.

Now, consider a condition where one of the Imperium's major shipping lines, or a major sector or sub-sector line declares bankruptcy, and a shipper or government or group has cargo on one of the sequestered ships that they urgently need, and want the PC to get for them. Lot of possibilities there, as someone may need the entire ship "pried loose" in some way or another.

I dunno, if the folks showed up with people to do the work, and they had the proper documentation, the crew would just let them have it. "You can have your stuff, we simply can't move it for you. And we can't pay the berthing fees."

So, show up with some stevedores and a check to the port master to let the ships dock, and then get your stuff (assuming you can't easily shuttle it off from orbit directly, avoiding the necessity to actually dock).

 

[Timerover51]

I dunno, if the folks showed up with people to do the work, and they had the proper documentation, the crew would just let them have it. "You can have your stuff, we simply can't move it for you. And we can't pay the berthing fees."

So, show up with some stevedores and a check to the port master to let the ships dock, and then get your stuff (assuming you can't easily shuttle it off from orbit directly, avoiding the necessity to actually dock).

It would be a bit more complicated than that, because when you declare bankruptcy, your assets as frozen while creditor suits to determine how much they are going to get move forward. A ship may be sealed and the crew removed by the Port Authority, especially as the Port Authority fees would not have been paid.

 

[flykiller]

sounds like a job for the deckhand character.

 

[whartung]

It would be a bit more complicated than that, because when you declare bankruptcy, your assets as frozen while creditor suits to determine how much they are going to get move forward. A ship may be sealed and the crew removed by the Port Authority, especially as the Port Authority fees would not have been paid.

If you are the shipper, the cargo are not your assets -- the ship is. Those white an purple boxes FedEx flies across the planet are not their assets. They're their customers assets.

The fact that the shipper assets are frozen is one reason it can not hire staff to do things. But that doesn't mean they can't give permission to the guy with the keys to let their customers retrieve their goods. They just can't pay him. Clearly the customer would perhaps pay that person.

My big point is I simply don't see a lot of sneaking around or subterfuge here. Bankruptcy is not forced on this company from the outside, they have to choose bankruptcy, which means the process doesn't have to dissolve in to chaos.

 

[Timerover51]

If you are the shipper, the cargo are not your assets -- the ship is. Those white an purple boxes FedEx flies across the planet are not their assets. They're their customers assets.

The fact that the shipper assets are frozen is one reason it can not hire staff to do things. But that doesn't mean they can't give permission to the guy with the keys to let their customers retrieve their goods. They just can't pay him. Clearly the customer would perhaps pay that person.

My big point is I simply don't see a lot of sneaking around or subterfuge here. Bankruptcy is not forced on this company from the outside, they have to choose bankruptcy, which means the process doesn't have to dissolve in to chaos.

I would suggest you read up on the retailers here who have cargo on ships currently docked that cannot be unloaded as the shipper cannot pay to have the cargo unloaded. Then there are the ships that are sitting offshore, unable to dock because they cannot pay fees for tugboat assistance, nor docking fees. I believe that there are four ships presently in those categories sitting either at or offshore of Long Beach, California. The shipper has to pay to have the cargo unloaded, and then broken down into what cargo goes where.

 

[aramis]

I would suggest you read up on the retailers here who have cargo on ships currently docked that cannot be unloaded as the shipper cannot pay to have the cargo unloaded. Then there are the ships that are sitting offshore, unable to dock because they cannot pay fees for tugboat assistance, nor docking fees. I believe that there are four ships presently in those categories sitting either at or offshore of Long Beach, California. The shipper has to pay to have the cargo unloaded, and then broken down into what cargo goes where.

Not only that, but if any of the cargo has to clear customs, someone has to pay the customs storage & handling fees, as well. Plus for the transfers between customs and the dockyard and/or trucks for exit.

Getting cargo off the ships requires contracting for all of the transfers...

 

[Timerover51]

Not only that, but if any of the cargo has to clear customs, someone has to pay the customs storage & handling fees, as well. Plus for the transfers between customs and the dockyard and/or trucks for exit.

Getting cargo off the ships requires contracting for all of the transfers...

Thank you for the added comments. There was a case a couple of years ago in the Great Lakes with a salt-water vessel whose owners went bankrupt, and the crew ended up having the ship seized for non-payment of wages, and the American shippers with cargo onboard could not get anything off.

 

[Murph]

That could be an interesting adventure thread....

Thank you for the added comments. There was a case a couple of years ago in the Great Lakes with a salt-water vessel whose owners went bankrupt, and the crew ended up having the ship seized for non-payment of wages, and the American shippers with cargo onboard could not get anything off.

 

[mike wightman]

You are hired by a megacorp factor who unwisely chose to send a shipment of computers via a tramp trader as freight due to the urgency of delivery.
Unfortunately the tramp trader was impounded somewhere on route, either due to a change of world government regulations or irregularities regarding ship ownership.
You job is to find the ship and to facilitate the release of the cargo.
1-all is above board and can be sorted out with admin
2-the tramp trader has fallen foul of local world customs and has been impounded, the facility it is being held in is not the most secure you have seen
3-the tramp trader has fallen foul of local world customs and has been impounded in a secure facility, the cargo has been moved to a warehouse that is not so secure
4-the tramp trader crew are wanted pirates and have been arrested. You are assumed to be associates and you too are arrested
5-the charges have been fabricated so a local businessman can appropriate the computers
6-the impounded ship is a false message, it actually jumped off its flight plan and has a couple of weeks head start with a couple of hundred million in computers.

 

[flykiller]

A GM MUST be adaptable.

more like "must be able to make up absolutely anything at the drop of a hat for hours on end and make it all fit together over time".

 

[Silverhawk]

My big point is I simply don't see a lot of sneaking around or subterfuge here. Bankruptcy is not forced on this company from the outside, they have to choose bankruptcy, which means the process doesn't have to dissolve in to chaos.

Although most bankruptcies are voluntary, there are provisions for creditors to force a bankruptcy filing. Not necessarily common but does occur

 

[Murph]

Jeez, you must know my players. About 50% of the time, the planned adventure for the night never went off as one of the yelled "squirrel!" and took off in an entirely unplanned direction which forced me to improvise on the spot.

more like "must be able to make up absolutely anything at the drop of a hat for hours on end and make it all fit together over time".

 

[mike wightman]

Lol, I share your pain.

Which is why I use the reaction table (or more properly my houseruled version of it) and the random encounter tables so much behind the scenes.