Archdukes and emperors are beyond the normal scope of play

[E.D.Quibell]

That's the point. To me, "normal scope of play" implies that the players all get roughly the same amount of screen time. Having one of the PCs playing what is essentially the role of the Patron is not, IMO, normal play.

Hans

You're right. It's much easier as a one shot as opposed to a campaingn. For that you might have to expand your "normal scope of play". The type of scnario I described earler in the thread isn't likely to be happening evey week. However it might be able to happen every few years or so.

So if you wanted to run with this type of campaign you might have to have the players come together every few years to go off on a jolly with the Arch Duke.

Regards,

Ewan

 

[mike wightman]

All of this assumes an 'active duty' campaign - which is not 'normal'.

To expand on that a bit, many people play Traveller with characters still in the service of their choice, you may have a campaign based around the crew of an IN destroyer, or an IISS scout cruiser etc. An active duty Noble campaign means the character is still in service, so you generate a CotI Noble, earn a few increases in rank and bingo, you are now Emperor. The thing is for an active duty campaign the ref has to direct character generation to limit the player's character generation choices to themes that fit the campaign.

A 'normal' by the rules as written Traveller game follows the adventures of a group of ex-service personel - that means you may have been a Noble, you may have increased your Soc to 15 during generation, but right now you are career-less and joining in with a group hoping to make it big. Dark Matter springs to mind - you had an ex-emperor as part of the crew...

 

[The Pakkrat]

In The Court of Dukes

Before this thread becomes necrotic, I can say that in a 1110, Fifth Frontier War campaign I ran using Mongoose Traveller1E; I once had the PCs in a court of Nobles with no less than Duke/Archduke Norris, Duke Luis of Lunion, Duchess Delphine Muudashir of Mora, and three Viscounts of Lanth just before that big moment when Norris popped his forged Imperial Warrant granting him Archduke elevation (much to the raging, red-faced consternation of Delphine).

The players ate it up. They got to be present at one of the most pivotal moments in Fifth Frontier War history. They were beaming when Norris picked up his chair after his Warrant was confirmed as actual Imperial stationary by robots on hand to scan it. Norris hefted the chair with very young Seldrian seated in it and carried it and her to sit right next to Duke Luis (the host of the court gathering). "Don't get up," he said to Luis.

So, normal play can feature the big names so long as the spotlight remains on the Travellers and what they can offer to this ostentatious snapshot in time with very high Nobles in the same chamber.

It made no difference that two Travellers were banished from the Domain of Deneb by Archduke Norris to keep the peace and send two psions home for no crime other than being outed as being psionic. Norris was deft, dignified and asserted himself with confidence.

To conclude, I think that normal play can feature higher-ranked Nobles in moderation and kept for those really beautiful gems of game sessions.

 

[McPerth]

Before this thread becomes necrotic, I can say that in a 1110, Fifth Frontier War campaign I ran using Mongoose Traveller1E; I once had the PCs in a court of Nobles with no less than Duke/Archduke Norris, Duke Luis of Lunion, Duchess Delphine Muudashir of Mora, and three Viscounts of Lanth just before that big moment when Norris popped his forged Imperial Warrant granting him Archduke elevation (much to the raging, red-faced consternation of Delphine).

The players ate it up. They got to be present at one of the most pivotal moments in Fifth Frontier War history. They were beaming when Norris picked up his chair after his Warrant was confirmed as actual Imperial stationary by robots on hand to scan it. Norris hefted the chair with very young Seldrian seated in it and carried it and her to sit right next to Duke Luis (the host of the court gathering). "Don't get up," he said to Luis.

So, normal play can feature the big names so long as the spotlight remains on the Travellers and what they can offer to this ostentatious snapshot in time with very high Nobles in the same chamber.

It made no difference that two Travellers were banished from the Domain of Deneb by Archduke Norris to keep the peace and send two psions home for no crime other than being outed as being psionic. Norris was deft, dignified and asserted himself with confidence.

To conclude, I think that normal play can feature higher-ranked Nobles in moderation and kept for those really beautiful gems of game sessions.

Just two points:

In OTU history, Norris is elevated to Archduke in 1116, not in 1110. The warrant he receives (and the pivotal moment) while the Fifth Frontier War was just giving him the overall command of the IN in the Marches (and so relieveing Santanochev).


Of course high Nobles may appear in a Traveller campaign. I understand what is discussed here is to allow Players to be them and taking an adventure path, As on one hand, such high Noble characters are assumed to have other duties (mostly in Imperial Bureaucracy), and OTOH they will be too easily recognized by someone as to be discrete enough for most adventures.

 

[jcrocker]

The players ate it up. They got to be present at one of the most pivotal moments in Fifth Frontier War history. They were beaming when Norris picked up his chair after his Warrant was confirmed as actual Imperial stationary by robots on hand to scan it. Norris hefted the chair with very young Seldrian seated in it and carried it and her to sit right next to Duke Luis (the host of the court gathering). "Don't get up," he said to Luis.

That would have been a great game moment!

 

[Timerover51]

You are in the retinue of an Archduke or the Emperor, and someone manages to stage a successful assassination attempt and they are killed. What happens to the retinue who is suppose to protect them?

 

[mike wightman]

If I were one of the PCs in such a situation my priorities would be: survive the assassination with as much of my team alive as possible (this is assuming the Emperor/Archduke is obviously dead) and try to keep the body.
Next stage would be either escape to friendly forces or work with local friendly forces to track down the assassination plot and bring all those involved to justice.

I don't recall any of JFK's protection Secret Service team being executed for negligence... but if such a thing was possible I would have to consider if my character is dedicated enough to accept the punishment or should I get out of dodge at the earliest opportunity - Windhook springs to mind.

Such a scenario could be the start of a campaign that could last for years.

 

[SJE]

Heh, I ran a game at TravCon UK initially named Imperial Intrigue that got renamed to Eve of Rebellion (and published later on DriveThru by one of the players- see my link). The players played Emperor Strephon, Grand Princess Iphigenia, Duke Norris, Dulinor and Varian/Lucan, as they manuevred for power and succession on the eve of the Rebellion era.

The default skill roll for most of these powerful characters with entire support staffs, armies and fleets at their beck and call was SOC + Admin rolls. Dulinor did get to roll his Handgun skill, and on one memorable occasion rolled snake eyes when assassinating the Emperor- he didnt last long.

So playing Archdukes an Emperors within the rules of Traveller is possible- I've done it.

 

[Leitz]

I'd say it could be a different game to run but no reason it can't be done.

 

[mike wightman]

I have had games involving high ranking nobles in Fading Suns, Dune and of course Jihad...

 

[aramis]

I have had games involving high ranking nobles in Fading Suns, Dune and of course Jihad...

I've had high nobles in Traveller - Noble career, Rank F. The infamous Hamford was a legit generated PC under MT.

My explanation? He was the castellan and regent of Regina between the death of the elder Duke and the arrival of Norris... And, his special duty his last term was participation in the cashiering of Santanocheev...

That campaign started at the Sector HQ, and went up from there.

 

[Ullarsskald1957]

When I've ended up with high ranking characters at the end of chargen, have turned them into NPCs. An example is the character whose Traveller Wiki entry is in my sig block.

However, did have a GM who decided he wanted to run a high rank/social level set of scenarios, intrigue in the Imperial High Command and upper levels of the Moot.

 

[CaptRet]

I model my image of the 3rd Imperium on late Victorian Great Britain vice medieval Europe. Many of the knighthoods, baronets (hereditary knights) and barons are courtesy titles or rewards for decades of loyal service (much like the Queen's birthday awards list - almost any competent general or admiral would eventually be knighted by his retirement), as well as denoting proud old families (some of whom would still be very wealthy indeed, but others of whom have to marry off their children to nouveau riche in order to maintain the old family manse). The titles certainly denote status within the society, and often wealthy and powerful individuals may have such titles, but the titles themselves don't bring actual wealth and power. Literature and history are replete with such individuals who can get high-society dinner invitations, but are "financially embarrassed." And some of these individuals may have planetary titles, but hold no power due to a change in regime. As an example, the only son of Napoleon III, Louis-Napoleon Prince Imperial, lived in England after his father was dethroned at the end of the Franco-Prussian war. With Queen Victoria's backing, he attended the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich (graduated with honors, finishing 7th out of 34, with firsts in fencing and riding) and was commissioned a lieutenant in the British army. After his father's death, the Bonapartist party declared him Emperor Napoleon IV (not that this had any actual effect on France). He died in a miserable little skirmish during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1871, as a British lieutenant.

 

[chipla]

After his father's death, the Bonapartist party declared him Emperor Napoleon IV (not that this had any actual effect on France). He died in a miserable little skirmish during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1871, as a British lieutenant.

As an aside to this the Zulus claimed they’d never have killed him if they knew who he was and later arranged for his mother Eugenie to visit the site where he was killed.

 

[AsenRG]

My conclusion from this thread is that I don't run "normal" games.

 

[RandyB]

My conclusion from this thread is that I don't run "normal" games.

My conclusion from this thread is that this is a good thing, If "normal" games are narrowly defined, sign me up for "not normal', with the occasional "normal" for variety.

 

[AsenRG]

My conclusion from this thread is that this is a good thing, If "normal" games are narrowly defined, sign me up for "not normal', with the occasional "normal" for variety.

Yeah, I don't mean to change, either!

Besides, to me, my games are the "normal" ones. All of you guys are clearly having fun with some non-standard* Traveller!
But, to each their own (games), right? If it rocks your starships, have fun:file_23:!




*Said the guy who uses Traveller to run Exalted:rofl:.

 

[Ackehece]

T5.10 kills the idea of high soc characters with extreme prejudice..

T5 sees much less high nobility in character development since Marc split nobility up into high and low versions of each rank.
Noble is character class as well and is definitely a beaurocrate, and also the only class that accesses higher nobility... and that is still rather minor.

Rank
0-9ABcCDeEfFGGH
Max on 2d6 is rank c, anything above that require in reward promotions...and to give you an idea how hard that is...

"Elevation: Roll Soc or greater (no
Mods but possibly Flux) to rise to
the next higher Noble rank and its
increase in Social Standing (if any)."

If you are already rank c ( Baronet ) you can raise to rank C ( Baron ) (roll a 12 again on soc) with a perfect roll... and then maybe rank D ( Marquis ) with flux (roll a 13 on 2d6+flux). Anything higher rank is impossible. 2 terms with successful risk/reward rolls to maximize this chance

"A Noble may not pursue another career after this one."


Oddly enough a 6 term Rogue may be able to get higher social rank if they roll well on their benefits table. A potential + 6 to soc as a 1/3 chance on each benefits roll (~5% chance of max soc increase)

 

[whulorigan]

Rank
0-9ABcCDeEfFGGH
Max on 2d6 is rank c, anything above that require in reward promotions...and to give you an idea how hard that is...

"Elevation: Roll Soc or greater (no
Mods but possibly Flux) to rise to
the next higher Noble rank and its
increase in Social Standing (if any)."

If you are already rank c ( Baronet ) you can raise to rank C ( Baron ) (roll a 12 again on soc) with a perfect roll... and then maybe rank D ( Marquis ) with flux (roll a 13 on 2d6+flux). Anything higher rank is impossible. 2 terms with successful risk/reward rolls to maximize this chance

"A Noble may not pursue another career after this one."

Not quite. The Rule says to role Soc or higher to gain a promotion. That means a Baron (C6/Soc =12 (C)) can roll a 12 and be promoted to Marquis (C6/Soc =13 (D)). The next promotion opportunity, the Noble can (possibly) invoke the one-time flux-bonus to elevation after a successful intrigue, and if the result is 2D6 + FLUX >= 13, he can move to Viscount (C6/Soc =14 (e)).

Also, all careers (including Nobles) have the opportunity to get a Characteristic increase of C6+1 on a roll of 6 on the Skills Table/Personal Development. (For Nobles, I would probably treat this as an honor-title promotion, not a Political "Landed Noble" (proper) elevation). Note that you cannot go beyond (C6/Soc =15 with this method at any rate - referee to determine whether that is C6/Soc = f or F).

 

[Ackehece]

Not quite. The Rule says to role Soc or higher to gain a promotion. That means a Baron (C6/Soc =12 (C)) can roll a 12 and be promoted to Marquis (C6/Soc =13 (D)). The next promotion opportunity, the Noble can (possibly) invoke the one-time flux-bonus to elevation after a successful intrigue, and if the result is 2D6 + FLUX >= 13, he can move to Viscount (C6/Soc =14 (e)).

Also, all careers (including Nobles) have the opportunity to get a Characteristic increase of C6+1 on a roll of 6 on the Skills Table/Personal Development. (For Nobles, I would probably treat this as an honor-title promotion, not a Political "Landed Noble" (proper) elevation). Note that you cannot go beyond (C6/Soc =15 with this method at any rate - referee to determine whether that is C6/Soc = f or F).

Soc 12 is small c baronet

0-9
A gentleman (10)
B Knight (11)
c baronet (12) <-----
C Baron (13)
D Marquis (14)

Yep... missed the soc+1 possible on table 1, I knew it was there but somehow it slipped my mind.

So with incredible luck... 2d6 =12(c), 2d6 =12 ->13(C), 2d6+flux >= 12 ->14(D)
and 1/6 chance per roll on table one, average 4 rolls a term ... 66% chance per term if using all rolls on table 1 for a +1 soc. You technically could be a grand duke in five terms... as an unskilled 5 term noble. Of course this character already has horseshoes so potentially arch duke in 2 terms with three skill rolls for other skills...

So the rolls would be
Character base stats c6 2d6 = 12
Career promotion 2d6 =12
Career promotion 2d6 =12 + flux for 13
Then 6 6 6 6 for skill rolls term 1 on table 1
Then another 6 on same table...

If the referee hasn't seized the cheater dice at this point..... :rofl:

Anyway, like I said... T5 and T5.10 has effectively terminated archduke player characters rather effectively.

Btw: do you know book and page number for the rule that limits c6 to E or less without referee