http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Raiders
The raider battalions could also be used as a historical inspiration; also adventure 1 kinunir has a drop troop squad with capsules, etc. .
Drop / Jump Troopers source material
- Thread starter jaz0nj4ckal
- Start date
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Raiders
The raider battalions could also be used as a historical inspiration; also adventure 1 kinunir has a drop troop squad with capsules, etc. .
US (and other allies) army in Europe conducted more than one landing (Sicily, Salerno, Anzio) aside from Normandy, and there were no Marines deployed in the European Theater. I agree reasons were probably political.
Drop ships or grav vehicles, as I outlined above. After all, most Marines are infantry, armor and armored cavalry being more likely to be Army (in all the games told about, the only armored units painted as Marines are the units of the 4518 Lift Infantry Regiment).
Against my own argument, all jump troops (aside fron the 4518) featured in those games are infantry.
Just listing Imperial jump troops in IE (all are infantry):
Marines: 1 division and 4 regiments (for a total of 30 battalions)
Army: 2 divisions and 6 brigades (for a total of 100 battalions)
Mercs: 1 regiment (5 battalions)
Ah yes, the D-day Dodgers.
Despite the colors used for the counters in FFW, I'd say the 4518th isn't a marine unit and it's debatable if it ever was. It was formed around a cadre of Imperial marines, but that was five centuries ago.
Thank you, that's most interesting. How big a percentage of army, marine, and mercenary units does the jump troops represent?
Hans
The Huscarles still keep relation with the Imperial Marines, as the articles tell. They still have a Marine cadre (temporary assignments), and their crest still has the Marine Cutlass on it to represent this relation. Also, painting them (as colours) as Marines means that they are jump troops regardless the symbol they have, I guess.
As listed (and fixed my errata, sorry for it), there are a total of 150 jump battailions among Imperial troops, out of a total of (if I calculated right) 4040 battalions, so they represent about 3.7% of the Imperial troops.
Ah, I meant what percentage of army battalions are jump troops, what percentage of marines are jump troops, and what percentage of mercenaries are jump troops?
Hans
jaz0nj4ckal
SOC-12
I want to thank everyone that participated in this discussion.
After much debate and ideas, I leaning towards making my special Drop/Jump unit branch independent; this will be along similar lines as the Soviet Airborne unit. The Army and Marines will have their own drop/jump forces and their role unchanged from Traveller canon, but the independent Drop/Jump brigade will accept members from all branches of the services (like Z special units).
Thanks again everyone – this discussion is very enjoyable.
JJ
After much debate and ideas, I leaning towards making my special Drop/Jump unit branch independent; this will be along similar lines as the Soviet Airborne unit. The Army and Marines will have their own drop/jump forces and their role unchanged from Traveller canon, but the independent Drop/Jump brigade will accept members from all branches of the services (like Z special units).
Thanks again everyone – this discussion is very enjoyable.
JJ
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
In distinguishing Army from Marines in Traveller, most folks draw the line at the interface. Marines move from space to planetside during combat, Army stay below the interface (except for transport). So, "drop troops" would be dropped out of a spaceship/starship, "jump troops" would land, then be deployed from the air in some fashion to enter the combat arena.
In both FFW and IE all marines are jump trops (as said, 45 battalions).
About army, there are a total of 3930 battalions (among Imperial and Colonial), of which 100 (about 2.5%) are jump troops.
About mercenary, there are in total 65 battalions, of wich 5 (about 7.7%) are jump troops.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
I'm glad to see someone adopting the concepts (and hopefully making them work) of folks outside the normal US/Britain paradigm. Let us know how you see it working out! 
jaz0nj4ckal
SOC-12
Folks:
What is the max altitude for Grav Belts? Or what could be a good max altitude for Grav Belts?
Thanks
JJ
What is the max altitude for Grav Belts? Or what could be a good max altitude for Grav Belts?
Thanks
JJ
Why a max altitude? I can understand if you want to limit gravs to needing a certain strength gravity to work - I once had a similar rule - but in Traveller you can fly your air/raft to orbit, so the same should apply to grav belts.
Or did you mean at what altitude the person in the grav belt would need oxygen or a vacc suit? That would depend on the atmosphere of the planet.
jaz0nj4ckal
SOC-12
SpaceBadger – thanks for the info. I see what you are saying about air/raft, so that would apply to Grav belts as well. On another note – is there a limit range? What do you use for limiting the range of Grav Belts? I am picturing something from Larry Niven’s Ring World.
About the endurance of a grav belt, IIRC (I cannot find my copy) in MT:WBH it was an explanation for them that included its endurance in hours (IIRC it depended on TL). As for CT, LBB3 page 23 says performance is similar in speed and range to an air/raft. A little above, on the air/raft entry says cruise at 100 kph (...); range in time or distance on a world efectively unlimited (...); require refueling (I'd say recharging) from a ship's power plant every then weeks or so.
About its maximum atlittude, while, as grav vehicles, it can reach orbit, once the 10 diameters threshold is reached grav propulsion power is cut down to half (at least in MT, IIRC also in CT), so I guess that would be its maximum operative ceiling.
And yes, vacc suit equiped troops (or more probably combat armor or battledress equiped ones) could make a drop to planet just with grav belts, without need of jump capsules, as they could in vehicles, as I told before.
jaz0nj4ckal
SOC-12
Excellent - thanks...McPerth
I found an article entitled "Parachutes" by John Marshal, in JTAS#19.
He notes that there is no applicable skill for DMs in use of parachutes or related items, so suggests using any aircraft or grav vehicle skill as the use of parachutes would be taught as a safety item in learning use of those vehicles. He also suggests allowing DMs for years of service in Commando or Flyer branches. If the user has none of the above, then JoaT or Survival can be used. If a user has multiple skills or experience that may apply, only the highest is used.
The basic roll to avoid a mishap is the TL of the equipment, or less. A roll of 12 is autofail, regardless of skill or TL.
The roll to land on your target is TL or less for a parachute; 10 or less for a parawing; and automatic (no roll) for grav chute or grav belt.
Here are the items that he discusses:
Parachute - 10-15 kgs - TL 4 - Cr250
Parawing - 5 kgs - TL 7 - Cr400
Grav Chute - 15 kgs - TL 10 - Cr2500
Grav Belt - 10 kgs - TL 12 - Cr100,000
The grav chute is an interesting item that AFAIK was invented in this article. It is primarily a parawing, but also includes a weak grav module that does not provide any lift but effectively reduces the weight of the person using it, allowing more accuracy in use of the parawing and allows deployment of the parawing closer to the ground.
He notes that there is no applicable skill for DMs in use of parachutes or related items, so suggests using any aircraft or grav vehicle skill as the use of parachutes would be taught as a safety item in learning use of those vehicles. He also suggests allowing DMs for years of service in Commando or Flyer branches. If the user has none of the above, then JoaT or Survival can be used. If a user has multiple skills or experience that may apply, only the highest is used.
The basic roll to avoid a mishap is the TL of the equipment, or less. A roll of 12 is autofail, regardless of skill or TL.
The roll to land on your target is TL or less for a parachute; 10 or less for a parawing; and automatic (no roll) for grav chute or grav belt.
Here are the items that he discusses:
Parachute - 10-15 kgs - TL 4 - Cr250
Parawing - 5 kgs - TL 7 - Cr400
Grav Chute - 15 kgs - TL 10 - Cr2500
Grav Belt - 10 kgs - TL 12 - Cr100,000
The grav chute is an interesting item that AFAIK was invented in this article. It is primarily a parawing, but also includes a weak grav module that does not provide any lift but effectively reduces the weight of the person using it, allowing more accuracy in use of the parawing and allows deployment of the parawing closer to the ground.
Found my WBH (off course, while looking for something else :devil
. Page 42 depicts a grav belt and details its caracteristics for MT. Maximum speed in atmpsphere is 300 kph, cruise speed is 225 kph and endurance is 1 hour at TL 12, 4 hours at TL14 and 8 hours at TL15.Personally, when regarding to drop assaults, I'd allow the same modifier given for comandos to any character with experience in the Marines, as they are described as jump troops in FFW and IE.
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That's kinda like carrying a rapier in one hand and a grenade in the other. :devil:
BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
Up the Concordiat!
