GMing Classic Traveller

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Psion:
(A simple solution to this last problem is to set a short time limit to look anything up, if you can't find it, make a note to look it up later, make something up, and move on.)

This is a good point I wish I had made.

In my game, THAT'S a standing rule!

So much so that sometimes I'll want to look something up because it's buggin' me, and I know it's there....somewhere. And, if I take too long, my players will look up and say, "C'mon just make a ruling and move on. Fix it later if you need to."

That's coming from THEM because I've done that so many times...keep the game moving and interesting, fix it later. Good motto.

Some people never use published adventures but use many rules. I sometimes use published adventures, but I feel a bit more confined when I do use them unless the adventure is written in a manner to accomodate flexibility in story flow (the cinematic nugget format in MegaTraveller helps facilitate this sort of adventure design.)

Not me. I use published adventures almost 100% of the time. I like the work they save.

But...yes, I am so guilty of changing an adventure, re-ordering it, combining it with other adventures, adding in as much as 75% extra original material...

I typically use a published adventure as a starting point, and then go hog wild customizing it for my campaign.

I can't remember the last time I started without a published adventure in a game.

OTOH, my current version of The Traveller Adventure is so modded that you wouldn't recognize it except for the locations.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Psion:
(A simple solution to this last problem is to set a short time limit to look anything up, if you can't find it, make a note to look it up later, make something up, and move on.)

This is a good point I wish I had made.

In my game, THAT'S a standing rule!

So much so that sometimes I'll want to look something up because it's buggin' me, and I know it's there....somewhere. And, if I take too long, my players will look up and say, "C'mon just make a ruling and move on. Fix it later if you need to."

That's coming from THEM because I've done that so many times...keep the game moving and interesting, fix it later. Good motto.

Some people never use published adventures but use many rules. I sometimes use published adventures, but I feel a bit more confined when I do use them unless the adventure is written in a manner to accomodate flexibility in story flow (the cinematic nugget format in MegaTraveller helps facilitate this sort of adventure design.)

Not me. I use published adventures almost 100% of the time. I like the work they save.

But...yes, I am so guilty of changing an adventure, re-ordering it, combining it with other adventures, adding in as much as 75% extra original material...

I typically use a published adventure as a starting point, and then go hog wild customizing it for my campaign.

I can't remember the last time I started without a published adventure in a game.

OTOH, my current version of The Traveller Adventure is so modded that you wouldn't recognize it except for the locations.

 

[Supplement Four]

Here's another item of interest to a Classic Traveller GM...

Survival.

What's best? Should a GM obey the Survival rule during CharGen? If that roll is failed, should that character be scrapped and another attempted?

Or, maybe an optional Survival rule should be used? Maybe the character is only "wounded" and forced to muster out if the survival rule is failed.

Then again, maybe Survival is a metaphor term, and if the roll is failed, it means that, for some reason, the character no longer went further in that career. If he's a Bureaucrat, maybe he was fired. If he's a Scientist, maybe the funding grant evaporated. If he's an Other, maybe the character just decided to drift to something else.

I look at the Bureaucrat career table, and it's a 4+ throw every term for Survival. Is being a businessman that dangerous? So dangerous that 8% of them die every four years?

Or, should GMs decide that Survival means something else?

 

[Supplement Four]

Here's another item of interest to a Classic Traveller GM...

Survival.

What's best? Should a GM obey the Survival rule during CharGen? If that roll is failed, should that character be scrapped and another attempted?

Or, maybe an optional Survival rule should be used? Maybe the character is only "wounded" and forced to muster out if the survival rule is failed.

Then again, maybe Survival is a metaphor term, and if the roll is failed, it means that, for some reason, the character no longer went further in that career. If he's a Bureaucrat, maybe he was fired. If he's a Scientist, maybe the funding grant evaporated. If he's an Other, maybe the character just decided to drift to something else.

I look at the Bureaucrat career table, and it's a 4+ throw every term for Survival. Is being a businessman that dangerous? So dangerous that 8% of them die every four years?

Or, should GMs decide that Survival means something else?

 

[robject]

That was probably the first rule to be house-ruled.

My current preference is that it's a roll against a Wound-or-a-Criminal-Record.

 

[robject]

That was probably the first rule to be house-ruled.

My current preference is that it's a roll against a Wound-or-a-Criminal-Record.

 

[flykiller]

But, doesn't it make sense that if a character spends his whole life in the various habitats of an aseroid system that he'd have at least some experience with a Vacc Suit?

(shrug) quite possible he wouldn't. I can easily see a belt community having large numbers of taxi drivers shuttling people between secure air locks. "asteroid system" doesn't mean everyone's a belter.

in any case, if you have a ship full of doctors, bureaucrats, and diplomats, and they suddenly decide to do something that requires vacc suit, and none of them have it, then I'd say they don't have it. I think retaining game integrity makes the players take their skill sets and their decisions more seriously.

Unless the GM changes it ....

's what I do.

"Your first medical tour with INS Our Lady 17 is spent entirely in Podunk asteroid system where this navy rescue/recovery ship serves as the local hospital until the system builds its own. They put you on the EMT crew, where you pick up Vacc Suit 1. Also choose two: Ship's Boat, Medical, Damage Control, Communications, Zero-G Movement."

etc.

 

[flykiller]

But, doesn't it make sense that if a character spends his whole life in the various habitats of an aseroid system that he'd have at least some experience with a Vacc Suit?

(shrug) quite possible he wouldn't. I can easily see a belt community having large numbers of taxi drivers shuttling people between secure air locks. "asteroid system" doesn't mean everyone's a belter.

in any case, if you have a ship full of doctors, bureaucrats, and diplomats, and they suddenly decide to do something that requires vacc suit, and none of them have it, then I'd say they don't have it. I think retaining game integrity makes the players take their skill sets and their decisions more seriously.

Unless the GM changes it ....

's what I do.

"Your first medical tour with INS Our Lady 17 is spent entirely in Podunk asteroid system where this navy rescue/recovery ship serves as the local hospital until the system builds its own. They put you on the EMT crew, where you pick up Vacc Suit 1. Also choose two: Ship's Boat, Medical, Damage Control, Communications, Zero-G Movement."

etc.

 

[BlackBat242]

For a Stellar example of an alternate "Survival" rule, look at Poltroonery, Courts Martial, and the ICMJ JATS #10.

Technically, this was designed as the penalty side of critically failing the Decoration roll, but I have often used it to determine the results of a failed Survival roll... especially in conjunction with the Unfit for Service table for failed Survival rolls in the Paranoia Press Scouts and Assassins book.



ICMJ = Imperial Code of Military Justice

 

[BlackBat242]

For a Stellar example of an alternate "Survival" rule, look at Poltroonery, Courts Martial, and the ICMJ JATS #10.

Technically, this was designed as the penalty side of critically failing the Decoration roll, but I have often used it to determine the results of a failed Survival roll... especially in conjunction with the Unfit for Service table for failed Survival rolls in the Paranoia Press Scouts and Assassins book.



ICMJ = Imperial Code of Military Justice

 

[Supplement Four]

No Attacks If Running

Here's something interesting. Look at pg. 33 of Book 1. A character is not allowed to attack if he runs during the round.

So, a character can attack and walk, or walk and attack, or run during the round--one of those three options.

I originaly wanted to make my Simple Classic Traveller Combat Rules incorporate this idea, but in looking at the Traveller Book, I didn't see this. Maybe they changed it from B1 to the TB, or maybe I just missed it.

I'm going to update my House Rules to reflect this.

Basically, under my Housr Rules, then, a character can (during the round)...

Walk and Attack.

Attack and Walk.

Run.

Attack only (and gain an Aim Bonus).

Use Panic Fire or Rapid Fire in place of a normal Attack (can be combined with Walk but not Aim).

 

[Supplement Four]

No Attacks If Running

Here's something interesting. Look at pg. 33 of Book 1. A character is not allowed to attack if he runs during the round.

So, a character can attack and walk, or walk and attack, or run during the round--one of those three options.

I originaly wanted to make my Simple Classic Traveller Combat Rules incorporate this idea, but in looking at the Traveller Book, I didn't see this. Maybe they changed it from B1 to the TB, or maybe I just missed it.

I'm going to update my House Rules to reflect this.

Basically, under my Housr Rules, then, a character can (during the round)...

Walk and Attack.

Attack and Walk.

Run.

Attack only (and gain an Aim Bonus).

Use Panic Fire or Rapid Fire in place of a normal Attack (can be combined with Walk but not Aim).

 

[tinker123]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Some people never use published adventures but use many rules. I sometimes use published adventures, but I feel a bit more confined when I do use them unless the adventure is written in a manner to accomodate flexibility in story flow (the cinematic nugget format in MegaTraveller helps facilitate this sort of adventure design.)

Not me. I use published adventures almost 100% of the time. I like the work they save.

[/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]As well as use of published rules & adventures, Traveller has the odd mixture of (a) system generation rules to help the ref create a whole new subsystem, and (b) a large body of published OTU material.

When I started with Traveller, as a penniless student, I played entirely in home-generated sectors, because the OTU material all cost money. Of course, I felt like I was somehow missing out on the references to canonical sectors and the kind of shared community that creates. OTOH "MTU" was the "normal" kind of thinking for many other RPGs (e.g. D&D which had no official universe in those days).

Articles like Andy Slack's excellent Backdrop of Stars suggested styles of universe to create (e.g. evil empire with a rebel alliance). Compared with those days, the discussion about the civil war in MT looks a bit pointless.

So there's another dimension of difference in GM styles - how canonical is your universe?

 

[tinker123]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Some people never use published adventures but use many rules. I sometimes use published adventures, but I feel a bit more confined when I do use them unless the adventure is written in a manner to accomodate flexibility in story flow (the cinematic nugget format in MegaTraveller helps facilitate this sort of adventure design.)

Not me. I use published adventures almost 100% of the time. I like the work they save.

[/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]As well as use of published rules & adventures, Traveller has the odd mixture of (a) system generation rules to help the ref create a whole new subsystem, and (b) a large body of published OTU material.

When I started with Traveller, as a penniless student, I played entirely in home-generated sectors, because the OTU material all cost money. Of course, I felt like I was somehow missing out on the references to canonical sectors and the kind of shared community that creates. OTOH "MTU" was the "normal" kind of thinking for many other RPGs (e.g. D&D which had no official universe in those days).

Articles like Andy Slack's excellent Backdrop of Stars suggested styles of universe to create (e.g. evil empire with a rebel alliance). Compared with those days, the discussion about the civil war in MT looks a bit pointless.

So there's another dimension of difference in GM styles - how canonical is your universe?

 

[Ptah]

Originally posted by Tinker:
...
When I started with Traveller, as a penniless student, I played entirely in home-generated sectors, because the OTU material all cost money. Of course, I felt like I was somehow missing out on the references to canonical sectors and the kind of shared community that creates. OTOH "MTU" was the "normal" kind of thinking for many other RPGs (e.g. D&D which had no official universe in those days).

...So there's another dimension of difference in GM styles - how canonical is your universe? [/QB]

Same here Tinker. When I started to play Traveller and D&D there was no commercially available universe / setting. Making up your own was considered the norma and half the fun. of course we we're all high school students with lots of time and little money. When they did become available I spent my money on other games (when I could afford such) instead of someone elses world to replace my own.

How things change.

 

[Ptah]

Originally posted by Tinker:
...
When I started with Traveller, as a penniless student, I played entirely in home-generated sectors, because the OTU material all cost money. Of course, I felt like I was somehow missing out on the references to canonical sectors and the kind of shared community that creates. OTOH "MTU" was the "normal" kind of thinking for many other RPGs (e.g. D&D which had no official universe in those days).

...So there's another dimension of difference in GM styles - how canonical is your universe? [/QB]

Same here Tinker. When I started to play Traveller and D&D there was no commercially available universe / setting. Making up your own was considered the norma and half the fun. of course we we're all high school students with lots of time and little money. When they did become available I spent my money on other games (when I could afford such) instead of someone elses world to replace my own.

How things change.

 

[Supplement Four]

Wilderness Refuelling

Here's another neat thought--an oridinary situation turned extrodinary. I like to call these types of ideas the "GM's Surprise".

The players' ship is running on tight margins (like many ships in the Traveller universe). They refuel at gas giants as much as possible. If they see a system has a gas giant, then they don't budget enough credits to buy fuel.

Emerging into the system, they do the standard routine of contacting the local starport. Upon receipt of that hail, the starport directory informs them a new system-wide law has gone into effect. The local government has made it illegal to refuel at the system's gas giant. Maybe this is an effort to boost the economy without raising taxes, or maybe it's for some other GM designed reason. But the fact remains: the gas giant is there, but it's illegal to refuel.

..And you're off to play out the GM's Surprise.

 

[Supplement Four]

Wilderness Refuelling

Here's another neat thought--an oridinary situation turned extrodinary. I like to call these types of ideas the "GM's Surprise".

The players' ship is running on tight margins (like many ships in the Traveller universe). They refuel at gas giants as much as possible. If they see a system has a gas giant, then they don't budget enough credits to buy fuel.

Emerging into the system, they do the standard routine of contacting the local starport. Upon receipt of that hail, the starport directory informs them a new system-wide law has gone into effect. The local government has made it illegal to refuel at the system's gas giant. Maybe this is an effort to boost the economy without raising taxes, or maybe it's for some other GM designed reason. But the fact remains: the gas giant is there, but it's illegal to refuel.

..And you're off to play out the GM's Surprise.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
No Attacks If Running

Here's something interesting. Look at pg. 33 of Book 1. A character is not allowed to attack if he runs during the round.

So, a character can attack and walk, or walk and attack, or run during the round--one of those three options.

This is interesting...

This was changed in The Traveller Book and Starter Traveller.

In Book 1, no attack of any time is allowed if the character runs during the round.

In the Traveller Book and Starter Traveller, this was changed so that a gun combat attack is allowed, but a brawling/blade combat attack is not.

That can make sense too. You've got 15 seconds in the combat round. Time to run and fire off a snapshot? Probably. Time to run and go into the melee dance with an opponent? Probably not.

Hmm.... Not sure what I should use.

Maybe, if the character runs, up to one gun combat attack can be made as well?

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
No Attacks If Running

Here's something interesting. Look at pg. 33 of Book 1. A character is not allowed to attack if he runs during the round.

So, a character can attack and walk, or walk and attack, or run during the round--one of those three options.

This is interesting...

This was changed in The Traveller Book and Starter Traveller.

In Book 1, no attack of any time is allowed if the character runs during the round.

In the Traveller Book and Starter Traveller, this was changed so that a gun combat attack is allowed, but a brawling/blade combat attack is not.

That can make sense too. You've got 15 seconds in the combat round. Time to run and fire off a snapshot? Probably. Time to run and go into the melee dance with an opponent? Probably not.

Hmm.... Not sure what I should use.

Maybe, if the character runs, up to one gun combat attack can be made as well?