Poppyseed45
SOC-12
(note: this is also posted on RPG.net - I just wanted the opinions of the gurus here too)
So, as I've recently let be known here and elsewhere, I'm a big fan of Classic Traveller, and have come to appreciate the 3rd Imperium as a setting. I've recently gathered a new group and I'm starting a Traveller campaign next month for them.
In looking at rules however (I've got both Classic and Mongoose) I want something slightly more cinematic/pulpy, with bennies and the like, and I've settled on Savage Worlds (I just got the Deluxe book but I've played and run SW before). With that in mind I want to Savage Traveller so that I can use the Savage Worlds system, but use bits of Classic Traveller as well, and have them mesh without too much fuss (because, you see, I'm rather lazy - one reason I want to use Savage for Trav is because I will want to run other games after this campaign, and I plan on using Savage Worlds for it).
I'll be, for this, using the two first big floppy books, Classic 1-8 (mostly for the trade rules) and many things from Supplements 1-13 (the deck plans, 76 Patrons for sure, and the maps and info for the Spinward Marches, where the campaign will be set).
One thing to note: I don't want the lifepath system. I know it's awesome, but I've at least one player who hates it, and I want the group to be able to choose their roles without recourse to multiple character rolling. I saw someone's great Traveller .pdf for SW with that in there, and I don't want it. Also, I want to use my actual Trav books while using SW as the rules base. I'll explain.
Here's what I mean as an example (and the advice I'm asking):
1. I want to keep all the regular ships and stuff of Traveller, and with that, the starship economy, which means trade. What I want to do is, in this case, have it so that a player can roll, say, their Knowledge(Broker) skill and have their successes modify the buying/selling table outlined in BK 1-3 of Classic Trav. My thought is to have each success and raise count as a +1 on the table, so that keeps within the mechanical scale that Trav envisioned (with the occasional chance for super success). Would this work?
2. I essentially want to keep the ships in the book as is, and use their "fluff" stats (like cargo size, how many crew, etc) but use SW rules for combat. I found one conversion here: http://flynnwd.blogspot.com/2011/06/...starships.html.
Anything missing or strange? Seems quite complete to me. But all right to the higher gurus out there?
3. What's a good rank for "experienced" Traveller types? In Traveller, characters can start anywhere between 1-7 or 8 terms, thought the average is 4 terms I guess (assuming survival or not being kicked out)? What's a good rank to hit that sweet spot (i.e. people who've done a job for 10-16 years, are older professionals who are also apparently crazy to go out and adventure)? Novice with a few raises? Seasoned? Seasoned with raises? Not Veteran, surely?
4. In the Deluxe book, there's a "gritty" rule for damage in combat, and I think it looks interesting. One of the things that sort of defined Traveller to me when I actually played it as a player was the deadliness of combat. We really had to plan and make tactics, all to get that surprise round. Would the gritty rules presented in deluxe be enough for that "holy shit don't get shot or stabbed" feel from Traveller?
Thanks all! I look forward to your comments.
So, as I've recently let be known here and elsewhere, I'm a big fan of Classic Traveller, and have come to appreciate the 3rd Imperium as a setting. I've recently gathered a new group and I'm starting a Traveller campaign next month for them.
In looking at rules however (I've got both Classic and Mongoose) I want something slightly more cinematic/pulpy, with bennies and the like, and I've settled on Savage Worlds (I just got the Deluxe book but I've played and run SW before). With that in mind I want to Savage Traveller so that I can use the Savage Worlds system, but use bits of Classic Traveller as well, and have them mesh without too much fuss (because, you see, I'm rather lazy - one reason I want to use Savage for Trav is because I will want to run other games after this campaign, and I plan on using Savage Worlds for it).
I'll be, for this, using the two first big floppy books, Classic 1-8 (mostly for the trade rules) and many things from Supplements 1-13 (the deck plans, 76 Patrons for sure, and the maps and info for the Spinward Marches, where the campaign will be set).
One thing to note: I don't want the lifepath system. I know it's awesome, but I've at least one player who hates it, and I want the group to be able to choose their roles without recourse to multiple character rolling. I saw someone's great Traveller .pdf for SW with that in there, and I don't want it. Also, I want to use my actual Trav books while using SW as the rules base. I'll explain.
Here's what I mean as an example (and the advice I'm asking):
1. I want to keep all the regular ships and stuff of Traveller, and with that, the starship economy, which means trade. What I want to do is, in this case, have it so that a player can roll, say, their Knowledge(Broker) skill and have their successes modify the buying/selling table outlined in BK 1-3 of Classic Trav. My thought is to have each success and raise count as a +1 on the table, so that keeps within the mechanical scale that Trav envisioned (with the occasional chance for super success). Would this work?
2. I essentially want to keep the ships in the book as is, and use their "fluff" stats (like cargo size, how many crew, etc) but use SW rules for combat. I found one conversion here: http://flynnwd.blogspot.com/2011/06/...starships.html.
Anything missing or strange? Seems quite complete to me. But all right to the higher gurus out there?
3. What's a good rank for "experienced" Traveller types? In Traveller, characters can start anywhere between 1-7 or 8 terms, thought the average is 4 terms I guess (assuming survival or not being kicked out)? What's a good rank to hit that sweet spot (i.e. people who've done a job for 10-16 years, are older professionals who are also apparently crazy to go out and adventure)? Novice with a few raises? Seasoned? Seasoned with raises? Not Veteran, surely?
4. In the Deluxe book, there's a "gritty" rule for damage in combat, and I think it looks interesting. One of the things that sort of defined Traveller to me when I actually played it as a player was the deadliness of combat. We really had to plan and make tactics, all to get that surprise round. Would the gritty rules presented in deluxe be enough for that "holy shit don't get shot or stabbed" feel from Traveller?
Thanks all! I look forward to your comments.