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[Thanos]

So in the classic Traveller section I posted I'd be running a game. It fell through. Then it didn't. Passing around PDFs wasn't going to work so we're going with Mongoose core rules.

Here's where you come in. They've decided they want to be treasure hunters. I have a scenario but need to know what kind of ship to give them. I only have 3 PCs so the less NPC crew the better but it still have to get the job done. Suggestions? Questions?

 

[whulorigan]

So in the classic Traveller section I posted I'd be running a game. It fell through. Then it didn't. Passing around PDFs wasn't going to work so we're going with Mongoose core rules.

Here's where you come in. They've decided they want to be treasure hunters. I have a scenario but need to know what kind of ship to give them. I only have 3 PCs so the less NPC crew the better but it still have to get the job done. Suggestions? Questions?

How about a 200 dton Safari Ship. It is for trophy-taking in general.

 

[Piper]

A Type-J Seeker might fit the bill:

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Seeker

If you're considering running the game in a single system, several small craft types might be useable as well as being cramped, uncomfortable and not suited for long duration use. Think of them as the high-tech equivalent to a string of burros.

 

[GypsyComet]

Three people can easily handle a 100-ton ship and most 200-tonners. If they (that is, their characters) have some say, then it will come down to how much cargo space they think they'll need. If they are dealing in small stuff, 100 tons will be plenty, but if "treasure" is going to be big, the ship needs to be as well.

 

[whulorigan]

Three people can easily handle a 100-ton ship and most 200-tonners. If they (that is, their characters) have some say, then it will come down to how much cargo space they think they'll need. If they are dealing in small stuff, 100 tons will be plenty, but if "treasure" is going to be big, the ship needs to be as well.

It also depends on exactly what they mean by "treasure" and what they want to do with it.

1) If they are acquiring precious metals/substances, then the 100 dton Seeker might work fine.

2) If they are planning to "recover" items and sell them to a patron for profit, a 100 dton Scout or 200 dton Far Trader might work well.

3) If they are planning to "keep" their treasure/items/artifacts as spoils and display-pieces, then the Safari Ship works well, as it has a trophy-room (which works for artifacts and relics just as well as game animals).
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Since I am guessing that they probably won't be travelling the J-1 Mains, you will want a ship that is at least Jump-2 in the 100-300 dton range.

Also, in an old issue of JTAS (I don't remember which one), someone came up with a "Type R2 Deep Trader" that was a 400 dton Type-R Merchant fitted with J2 Drives and sufficient fuel for two successive Jump-2's.

 

[GypsyComet]

You can also go for between sizes, depending on edition. HG and MT will both handle odd sizes.

(sorry. I was thrown off by the mention of "classic". This is in the Mongoose section...)

 

[Enoff]

How about a 200 dton Safari Ship. It is for trophy-taking in general.

I vote the Safari ship also

 

[Vladika]

Safari Ship

You will need a minimum of 4 PCs or accept the use of NPCs for the Safari Ship.

There are plenty of accommodations:

There are eleven staterooms and no low berths. The ship has one hardpoint and one ton allocated to fire control.

The safari ship requires a crew of four: pilot, navigator, engineer, steward/medic.
A gunner and additional personnel may be added. -17- Adventure 10
Safari Ship

 

[GypsyComet]

If you do end up with a ship a bit too large for the number of PCs, you can approach the extras from the Jacques Cousteau or Life Aquatic direction. They all have quirks, but don't all crowd onto every scene.

 

[Kilgs]

In one of the Mongoose ship books, there is a smuggler ship that is a converted Far Trader. I think that would make an excellent treasure-hunter ship.

You would need the following to be "treasure-hunters" IMO:

-ATV/ORV in storage, likely more than one
-Mobile crane or powered lifting equipment and some form of excavation (you could tie all these in with the ATV. I think a futuristic Bobcat is likely to exist. They have all sorts of fittings.)
-Storage space
-Room for lots of odd equipment, research terminals
-High sensory capability, likely satellite/drone launching (for remote scanning)

All of those things would be for an Indiana Jones type treasure-hunter. If you're looking for old ruins, derelicts and such. If your crew is more the hired treasure-hunters then you already know what you're looking for and could dispense with research terminals/facilities and some of the various equipment.

I would also, as a nod to one of my favorite ships, check out the Gryphon at Ki-Ryn Studios. I used it in a Mongoose game and have stats for it. I think it came in around 3-400 tons, crew of 3 without two gunners.

http://0-hr.com/Future_Armada/Demos.htm

 

[CosmicGamer]

Here's where you come in. They've decided they want to be treasure hunters. I have a scenario but need to know what kind of ship to give them. I only have 3 PCs so the less NPC crew the better but it still have to get the job done. Suggestions? Questions?

"treasure hunters" could be just about anything. It's possible to travel and have adventures without having a ship of your own.

Without any other description, I'd say there is no reason to "give" them a ship. Leave it up to the dice rolls (scout ship, ship shares, etc) and let the players role play obtaining a ship, and a huge mortgage payment, if that is what they desire.